Chapter 1: Another Country

Eiji looked around the corridor. "Wow, It's like 'CSI New York' " He smiled, "Just like TV" The boy was plain, black hair, dark eyes. Typical Japanese it seemed.

While next to him he walked with his college junior, River. River was originally born in Japan. Her father being a foreigner that grew up in Japan and her mother an African American from the states. Her darker complexion came from her mom while her soft blue eyes she has shockingly inherited from her father.

Ibe called over his shoulder to the Japanese teen, "Stay with us, Eiji"

River chuckled, "Such a nerd." She said, hands stuffed into the pocket of her oversized black pull-over hoodie that she spotted with some black jeans. Her hair was tucked under a lavender beanie that matched the duel strips going around the elbow of her hoodie.

They walked further down the corridor till they came to an area filled with officers shuffling around all trying to get their work done.

The ginger known as Charlie informed a blonde with glasses that we had arrived before he turns to chat with Ibe.

"I'm a bit excited to take more pictures."River smiled.

Eiji smiled "Same here!"

It wasn't long before an older man in a suit, sporting a mustache, and a balding head.

Ibe walked forward, "Thanks for having us. I'm Shunichi Ibe"

"I'm Jenkins." The old man responded with a smile. " You must've been surprised to hear about Max."

A chuckle came from the spectacle-wearing blonde. Ibe rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before responding, "Yeah, we came to-"

River's attention was pulled away from the conversation by another one happening off to the side. The officers were gossiping, about a suicide case? She arched your brow in wonder.

Blue eyes looked over to Eiji, forcing herself not to eavesdrop. Her eyes landed on her college senior who was also having a look around the place as well.

"Well well, is this your son? And a friend of his?" The comment got River and Eiji's attention.

"Eh?" The hybrid muttered as the man walked closer.

"Are you helping your dad out? It's good to see such decent young men." He smiled, obviously glad to meet them. Eiji's eyes widened slightly before deadpanning as River just stared at him blankly. Did she really look that much like a boy? Just because she was wearing? Her lips parted to answer Ibe beat me to it.

"No, actually they're my assistants." He clarified.

"I'm Eiji Okumura. 19 years old, a college student."

"I'm River Godiva, 18 years old, I'm Eiji's junior. I'm also a female." She pointed out at hearing the other refer to her as a 'son'.

Everyone looked shocked, all but Ibe that is.

"Yeah... I know... they look pretty young even for a Japanese." Ibe said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah, forgive us." The balding man next to Charlie apologized. "But it might be a good thing to look really young. They don't trust adults."

"Are these street gangs really that dangerous?" Ibe questioned.

'Probably more so than the riff-raff we have back home.' River thought. If it was anything like the ones back home.

"It depends on who you're dealing with. The guy you're meeting today, Ash, he's a pretty sharp one." Jenkins informed, " In no time, he got the neighborhood gangs under control."

"Mind you he's only 17. " Charlie inserted.

"Just 17?!" Ibe's jaw dropped slightly.

River's eyebrows raised in interest as Eiji looked thoroughly impressed.

"Plus, he's white but he has control over everyone. Purto Ricans, Mexicans, blacks. That's not easy. " Jenkins added.

At that moment a thought crossed River's mind. 'Maybe he was an oversized seventeen years old that workouts too much.'

She closed your eyes in thought as she raised her hand to cup her chin between her thumb and pointer finger.' He probably has sleeves of tattoos.'

———-

Walking down the streets of Manhattan blue eyes wandered. The neighborhood looked kind of shady. But it was too be expected right? It was a street gang meeting place after all. They turned off the street and began to descend down some stairs, graffiti-covered every inch of the surrounding walls. Her eyes then lock on the door in front of them. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. It was obvious that Eiji was as well.

"This is more like it" Ibe smiled as he headed downstairs, following a black kid that couldn't have been older than 11, who was sported overalls and a blue jacket.

"They said they'd bust in if anything happened but... " Eiji said as he looked back up the stairs. Ibe and River looked back at him.

"Well. too late to turn back now." She smirked. "Besides we came all the way from Japan for this. No way you're allowed to chicken out now."

"You coming or not?" The kid called as he opened the door.

Ibe paused in front of the beanie-wearing girl, making her pause in the process. Her eyes quickly scanned over the area, greeted by eyes glaring from all corners of the room. The scent of alcohol and tobacco smoke wafted to her nose.

'Welp. like I said... too late now.' River thought as she walked inside, hands stuffed in her pocket and followed after the kid.

"What are you scared of? Come on." He paused, talking to the two males still at the door. River looked over her shoulder back at them, smiling lightly at Eiji. The. She turned back towards the kid and walked with him through the bar.

"Here they are, Ash." Upon hearing his name, the guy that you assumed was Ash turned to the group, pool stick in hand. "Your guests from Japan."

The first thought that crossed River's mind as She looked into his green eyes was, 'Is this really him? He's not what I imagined him to be.'

"Right." Ash hummed, placing his pool stick down and it against the pool table. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm a photographer from Japan," Ibe started, "I want to ask about your gang for a magazine article."

"What do you want to know?" Ash said with the corner of his lips turned down ever so slightly, along with his brows as he watched the three of us.

'He's so intense....' Eiji and Ibe thought while looking at the blonde gang leader.

"His eyes are so pretty..." River thought as she stared into his eyes.

"Uh- Can I take a few pictures first?" Ibe asked a bit nervously as Eiji was stiff as a board to River's left. 

Ash eyed them for a moment. His eyes scanning over their face. But what caught his attention was the dark-skinned boy that sported crystal clear blue eyes, the only hair visible was a fringe that fell over the right side of his face. Slowly he turned his head before looking off to the side. "Not the face."

"Sure. Eiji, River, get ready." Ibe smiled

"Mkay" River hummed finally taking her blue eyes off of Ash.

"Okay," Eiji nodded.

They walked around respectively taking pictures here and there. Of the clicks, the bar, etc. It wasn't long before they were almost done.

River moved to the bar taking pictures at a few interesting angles. She looked at her camera's screen before smiling a bit. The picture came out good. It focused on the elbows and hands that rested against the bar's counter along with an assortment of drinks on display.

However, her smile fell when she felt someone's eyes on her. She looked up from her camera, sapphire eyes meeting emerald.

Ash held his usual expression, a small scowl that never seemed to leave his features. While River just stared blankly. She then took a moment to look to either side of her only to see no one, before looking back at the gang leader. So he was looking at her? A small smile graced her lips before she looked back down at her camera.

To say the least it took Ash off guard.

Eiji and River began to pack their cameras in the respective bag.

"Do you use kids for assistants in Japan?"

Eiji tensed while River stopped adjusting her lens and looked up towards the boy known as Ash.

"I'm older than you," Eiji grumbled a bit upset that he was once again being mistaken as a minor. 

"Same here." River added not really caring as she looked back at her camera and started to disassemble it.

"Well, excuse me," Ashe said looking mildly surprised. "I thought you two were kids."

River giggles slightly, "Could say the same for you." She said quietly earning a glare from Ash.

Eiji suddenly blurted out, "Is that gun real?"

River paused as she closed her bag and looked up at Eiji with a deadpan before harshly whispering to him. "Of course it is... why would it be fake?"

Ashe turned around looking a bit puzzled, "Meaning?"

Eiji looked a bit embarrassed and surprised all at the same time. River looked over to Ash then back at Eiji.

"Real guns are illegal in Japan..."  the blue-eyed girl spoke up as she walked over to Eiji's side, patting his shoulder.

"Uh, Can I hold it?" Eiji added with a small smile. River paused and looked at Eiji with an arched brow.

The atmosphere in the bar seemed to change at that comment as the chatter died down. River could feel the stares burning holes into them from every angle.

Ibe walked over and placed his hand on Eiji's free shoulder, "H-hey, don't ask them that." he said harshly.

"Huh?" Eiji looked a bit puzzled as the beanie-wearing girl sighed. He was so painfully naive.

Ash's small frown turned into a smirk at the drop of a dime, "Sure thing." He said as he pushed off the side of the bar and walked over.  Sapphire eyes watched his slender figure walk up and hand the gun to Eiji. River removed her hand from Ejij's shoulder along with Ibe.

"Wow. It's really heavy." The Japanese boy smiled as he examined the details of the gun.

"I mean it's made of metal. It shouldn't be light." River commented with a small chuckle. "I'm surprised to see its a revolver. Looks like a Magnum? But the barrel is shorter than usual. Figured everyone would be using an automatic." Her eyes scanned over the handgun before noticing Ibe and Eiji were looking slightly surprised while Ashe arched a brow. River cleared your throat and looked off to the side. "What? I play a lot of video games..."

"Thanks for trusting me with it." Eiji smiled after he was done, handing it back to the blonde with a smile.

"Can I ask you something? Eiji started.

"What?" Ash responded.

"Have you actually killed anyone?"

"Yeah."

"You have, huh."

"Such a baby," Ashe smirked before turning and walking back to the bar. "Bring on the questions."

I watched as Skipper walked over and began to say something. River turned towards them before walking off with them.

That's when Skipper began to tell them about how no one is allowed to touch Ash's gun and that someone once did they got their fingers shot off. A chill ran down their spine.

"Well, you passed the trail of fire Eiji-Chan." River smirked while Eiji groaned. "Stop teasing me. Respect your senior."

River laughed as she took a small sip of the drink Skip had brought them. She arched a brow before taking another sip quietly.

Eiji went to take a sip only to choke and spit it out. "There's alcohol in this?!"

"It's just rum and coke..." skip muttered.

Ibe touched the young woman's shoulder to get her attention, "Hm?" She hummed in response.

"River could you help me?" Ibe said.

"Sure, that is it?" She answered.

"I need you to interview Ash, he's not much of a talker. But he's a young gang leader. There's got to be more to him.." Ibe said as he handed her a piece of paper.

River's eyes looked down at the paper. It was a list of questions. " 'Kay, No problem." she waved to him as she went to her bag to grab her notepad and pen.

"Okay Ash, Now I'm going to ask you some questions as well,"  you said as you took a seat next to him at the bar, a few of the nearby guys looked over at you before continuing what they were doing. Ashe clicked his tongue slightly but you proceeded. "There's more?"

"Yep," River responded as she took the spot next to Ashe.

His eyes locked into River's.

Not long after asking him a few basic questions you smiled thinking to herself. 'I don't know exactly what the magazine wants to here. This guy is just a kid that grew up in a rough neighborhood... and he had to survive.' The thought brought back memories of an old friend.

"So is it my turn to ask you questions now we?" Ash questioned as he watched River scribble down a few more notes.

"Guess it's only fair" she shrugged," Shoot."

That infamous smirk spread over the blonde's features. "Are you really from Japan?"

River signed before nodding, "Yep. I was born there, and so was my father... it's kinda complicated."

"Are those contacts?"

"Nope. Inherited from dear old dad" She responded blankly.

"How do you know about guns?"

"Like I said, I play a lot of video games. Sorry to disappoint."

Ash stared a moment longer, "Your face says kid, but you're pretty tall."

River deadpanned glaring at him. "I could say the same about you." a playful smirk danced across her lips.

"Hang on." Ash said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it.