[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/WIA4zqR.gif[/img][/center]

[color=ec008c][h3][center]Lost Haven, Slums[/center][/h3][/color]

[color=ec008c][h2][center]"But my purpose is clear, no matter what..."[/center][/h2][/color]

Kicking the pebbles beneath his feet, Milo's eyes traveled to the now golden sky, painted such by the breathtaking sunset dancing across the distance. It was his favorit time of day, almost as if seeing the very sun itself lulled to sleep in the massive sky where it watched over the world beneath. Milo had deliberately left his iPod back home, the silence required to manage the thoughts he wanted to delve into. What were the answers he was looking for going to look like? He was unsure if he'd like them at all but there was little he could do to change that. Many years had already cast an illusion he attempted to live by, but with an eternity stretching out before him, it was only a matter of time before the illusion would shatter. [color=ec008c][i]"James always says that you should take everyday as it comes, one day at a time..."[/i][/color] The distance revealed faint sounds of people communing, some of them louder than others. It wasn't an act of aggression but rather one of joy. Only moments passed before Milo noticed the basketball court further away. He had left the serenity of his own neighborhood and had now entered civilisation. 

"Pass the ball over here!" A girl shouted as she excitedly jumped up and down, waiting for the basketball to bounce towards her. People of every ethnicity played the game together, different skin colors donning each participant to paint a rainbow of colors. The sight was comforting in a way, different people able to not only accept each other but also appreciate the differences. With a faint smile crossing Milo's lips, it quickly disappeared at the thought of himself. He wasn't even fully human. Ethnicity and skin color didn't apply to him when humanity was barely a part of who he actually was. [i][color=ec008c]"No..."[/color][/i] The boy shook his head, making a turn to move behind a large apartment building and leaned against the wall. [color=ec008c][i]"I am human, aren't I...?"[/i][/color] Indeed, everything but the way of creation painted the boy human though it was a rather large part straying from what was considered natural, wasn't it? 

[color=ec008c][i]"Is it reasonable to let this bother me...?"[/i][/color] It was difficult to narrow down where he should have stood on the matter. Now that he had what one could consider a somewhat stable life, thoughts came pouring in from every side and he could fight them for only so long. Bringing a hand up to his forehead, he slid his fingers across his bangs with a sigh. Perhaps going at this alone wasn't the best way of tackling the situation, but no one else could give him the answers he was seeking. Only he could find them within himself. As would however be a common disturbance, Milo's thoughts were cut short by the black car pulling up just around the corner. He wouldn't have given it a second look if it fit into the surroundings even a little but this car belonged in the richest parts of New York, not here in the slums. Hearing how the car door opened, Milo quickly hid himself from sight but allowed himself a peek at the scene unfolding before him.

"We've got the package." A man spoke, his elegant black suit matching the car more so than the neighborhood. "He's quite the nuisance." The man continued, a frustrated sigh leaving him as he paced back and forth with the phone pressed against his ear. "Very well, Sir." He finished, seeing how another person approached the car. It was a woman who had just left one of the apartment buildings. Just like him, she was dressed in a black suit. Were they FBI? No, that couldn't be the case. Due to the car windows preventing seeing through the glass, Milo couldn't establish what the package was but 'He's a nuisance' seemed to hint at something. Could the package be a person? 

[color=ec008c][i]"Might not be back as early as I had hoped, James..."[/i][/color] Narrowing his eyes at the darkly clad individuals, Milo saw how they stepped into the car without a single word to each other. [color=ec008c][i]"Looks like my curiosity will get the better of me again..."[/i][/color] Throwing the bagged blade over his shoulder, Milo tied it to his back and leaped onto a drainage pipe. Displaying his inhuman level of agility, the boy ascended the building with ease. As the pipe reached the edge of the roof, Milo placed his foot against the wall and pushed himself back as he jumped up, allowing for some space as he grabbed onto the rooftop and pulled himself to the top. Indeed, from here he could see the black Volvo driving through the streets. Accelerating his pace, Milo ran across the roof and vaulted onto the neighboring building. Given the short distance between each, traversing across the rooftops was a common practice for Milo. It allowed for an eagle view while keeping him hidden from whoever he was chasing.

A short while passed before Milo noticed how the car pulled in behind an Italian restaurant. Though the distance was quite large, Milo saw how two figures stepped out of the car and pulled out a smaller shape from the backseat. It was a person indeed, and from the looks of it, this person had yet to reach adulthood. A soft frown crept onto Milo's visage as the boy saw them step into the restaurant with the captive struggling against them. [color=ec008c][i]"That settles it, then..."[/i][/color] Descending the building in a similar fashion to how he moved up the massive walls, Milo would find himself upon solid ground before long. Without wasting a second, the young swordsman dashed in the direction of the restaurant. Indeed, not only one car had parked here but four. Were they having a meeting? Was this the Italian mafia? Come to think of it, the man speaking on the phone did have faint traces of an accent in his words but Milo wasn't very good with languages. It was difficult to tell exactly where the man had originated from. 

Tightening the fingerless gloves donning Milo's hands, he was sure that a battle was going to greet him once he entered the building. If things went according to plan however, he wouldn't need to step into a bloodbath. It was safe to say that things rarely ever went according to plan, though. 

Crouching down, Milo moved towards the restaurant and attempted to listen in on the conversation undoubtedly taking place inside. Closing the distance with the window did however not bear any fruit. Giving the window a slight peak would reveal that no one was even there. [color=ec008c][i]"They're probably in the kitchen..."[/i][/color] Reaching for the clip in his pocket, Milo made his way towards the back and picked the lock with little effort. Restaurants didn't put that much effort into their security. As he opened the door and stepped inside, Milo could immediately hear voices reaching his ears. Indeed, they were in the kitchen. Silently moving through the locker room he had found himself in, Milo carefully peeked out from behind the wall and saw how four men and two women stood in front of a chair harboring the captive previously seen. It was indeed a boy like Milo had thought. 

"I don't know anything!" He shouted in desperation, seeing how one of the men had started boiling some water in a pot. 

"Come now, Giovanni. I am sure you've picked up on what your father is doing, haven't you?" A woman spoke, her arms crossed as her words were mocking to say the least. 

"He doesn't tell me anything! Please, I don't know what he's doing!" Dressed in an expensive shirt along with dress pants, this boy was undoubtedly wealthy. He couldn't be older than sixteen, fear incredibly obvious upon his visage. "Dad's always been secretive! Why are you doing this to me!?"

"My dear Giovanni..." A male spoke, stepping closer to their captive. "We live in a vicious world. Your papa should have taught you that." 

"B-but...what do you want from me? I don't know anything!" The boy attempted, but to no avail.

"If you don't know anything, you'll do as a message to Antonio. No one fucks with us." A man who had stood silent up until this point finally spoke, motioning towards one of his goons to bring forth a knife. 

[color=ec008c][i]"Internal affairs within the mob...shit, I can't just leave this kid to be tortured..."[/i][/color] This boy could very well be part of the mob as well, though torturing him wasn't something Milo could allow to pass. Releasing his blade from the cloth bag, Milo charged out of his hiding place and gracefully jumped onto a counter. He pulled the blade from the scabbard which he held by his waist and in a skillful maneuver, severed the goon's hand from place before in a fluid motion kicked him into the pot of boiling water. The shock was high in might but the man's screams broke through. 

"What the fuck!?" It was hard to tell who had spoken, but the six people standing before him had yet to collect themselves from the bloody event which had taken place. "It's Edge!"

[color=ec008c]"Heh, people know me now...?[/color]

"He killed my friends!" Another shouted, reaching for her gun.

[color=ec008c]"About to kill a few more..."[/color] Dashing forth, Milo swung his blade in what could only be described as an exotic dance of moves, each more deadly than the other. This walk of clarity had yielded something, indeed.