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Away from the clubs and businesses of the lower city in Camphoreon, away from the lights and the sounds and the large bodies of people, sat a much quieter city, much more still, cold and unwelcoming,
Streets illuminated sporadically by the lamps that hadn’t died or been shattered yet, and the common sounds of muttering bums curled in the allies and of sirens in the distance.
A number of faint ‘pop’ of gun fire drew a extended silence.

Most people avoided coming out here at night, then again, the rumors of the organized criminal group being spread around this aria kept most people away, most smart people anyway.

Jerome knew of these rumors, of coerce, and normally had no desire to come into this hood… but he was also banking on the group in pursuit of him to want to keep their distance as well.
He had been running for much of the evening, and not just on the ground. Being skilled in Parkour made escape extremely easy, using buildings and ledges and the knowledge of the streets to get away… it was the numbers that were looking for him that was proving difficult .

His limbs were starting to burn, as where his lungs as breath after breath were forced heavily from his chest.
The dark form, swing out from a building nearest the street, and using the ledges, hopped his way down to land heavily, and not to gracefully on the cracked concrete ground.

Here the man remained, hunched forward, body sweating, and trembling slightly in fatigue. Thick strands of dreadlocked hair hug in front of his face.
He knew he had to keep moving… but he had to try and catch his breath, his body wasn’t responding.

Having no idea of her presense, The man remained knelt on the ground, one hand on the ground, the over at his hip.
He had his guard dropped, just for the second, not hearing, or seeing another person standing on the same street at him, let alone a few feet away.
It was her voice that breaking the drone of heavy breath's, snapped Jerome back onto his feet, jerking around, both ready to attack, and run... as effectively as he could anyway.

It was what he saw that drew hesitance.
Now facing her, he got a good look at the young women that had been standing in the darkness, the little light from the sky allowing him to make out long blond, well kept hair. He had never seen her before, and he wouldn't have expected to.
It also allowed her a better look at him, though in the darkness his feature were much harder to make out. Had it not been for the glinting of the light brown part of his eye catching what little light there was, it would look as if he had no eyes at all,

"What the f*** are you doing in a place like this?" His voice was deep, but cracked from exhaustion, he took a step back, lifting a hand to press it against the building.
Despite his choice of language, his voice held more surprise than anything else.
"Do ya know what kind of place this is?"

Living in gangs his entire life, one learns to be able to read people, specifically people of the streets, it wasn't easily explained, but there was just a look to their eyes, a way they walked a way they talked that just gave you a sense of warning or caution, even of brotherhood in some cases.
Jerome wasn't expecting it to come from this girl, but the moment she stepped forward and he got a much better view of her, he knew he was talking to someone who shouldn't be taken as lightly as he assumed.

He didn't take another step back when she came out, he did straighten his posture a little more and push himself off of the wall.
"I'm sure ya can, but just a heads up, some s**t's probably goin' down."
Handle herself or not, unexpected gang battles and hunts usually didn't care who was caught in the cross fire.

He looked away from her, glancing around the streets before he turned back to her, looking her over quickly as if expecting her to pull a gun on home or something.
"Yeah, I got a bit I gatta handle, and what about you? What hood are you from?"
She didn't seem like she was from the bangers who took over his gang's turf, but if she was, then he was in trouble. he was in even more trouble if he was trespassing on her hood, that would just be his luck today.

He was having trouble still standing, he wanted to kneel back down and let his legs rest, they hurt, everything hurt, but he couldn't drop his guard now.

Jerome turned his head to her, though he took a long amount of time not replying as he slowly seemed to catch his breath.
Once composed enough, his body not shaking as hard, he was able to work with his expression's more. Eyebrows furrowing closer together as eyes periodically scanned the streets.

"That just depends if I was able to lose em or not" He answer in a gruff drone, straightening himself back up, a hand moving up to his soaked through shirt. Hissing out a swear from under his breath, before once again losing that regained posture and his hands found his knees again.

His thoughts were interrupted though, when she explained that she was part of a higher organization,
lips parting slightly as eyes stared, fixed on the concrete below.
"Team Rocket..." there was a moment of hesitance, his form crouching down.

He wasn't surprised that the rumors were true, everyone knew Team Rocket were becoming quite the presence here on Kodo.
He couldn't think of another organization that could be any more powerful, and he had never met someone from it.
Elbows pressed to his knees, he didn't take his eyes away from this Women, she looked younger, at least younger than he was, she didn't carry that slouching stance most on the street did. She had more confidence in the way she acted, It made sense now.

Despite her saying she had no reason to fight him, he didn't actually feel to compelled to relax, you can't take anyone's word on the streets, just your bros.

And as of tonight, all of Jerome's bros were dead.

"I ain't got a gang anymore." He corrected her from the spot he was still crouched in, watching her from under his brow with a stillness in his features.
His voice, while speaking in a grumble was laced with anger.
Jerome was by no means a coward, or weak person, but even he knew what kind of influence Team Rocket had, he had to admit, he was a little intimidated at this moment. Knowing that he was alone, wasn't helping.
"And I ain't here to start any s**t with ya either." he reassured

"Hm" a thick hum grunted from him, a hand gliding over his forehead and back over his dreadlocks. Her words evoking hard consideration... what was he going to do? He wasn't one to sugar coat anything, he knew it was over, he had nothing, and no where to go.
"For as long as I can, see how many I can take down with me." a soft scowl crossed his lips at this, one for each of his friends. yeah.

"Yeah, I've heard a ya." He glanced over her again, pushing himself back to his feet.
"Ain't ever met one before."
He left his arms by his side, ready to use them if he needed to, but being very careful not to hold a posture that would be considered confrontational.

At this Jerome himself gave a snort, laced in exasperation. "Yer damn strait sista" He said, "Damn waist, run the streets all my life, and it comes down to this?"
The man forced a shrug through his shoulder, crossing his arms now.
"Its like you said though, lone wolves don't last long."
Since hearing about the overthrow at the club, he knew he was going to die, him and the others. He didn't want to, but what was he going to do about it, there was only so long he could run.

He fell still and quiet, head turning down the streets, the sound of speeding cars and screeching tired could be heard getting closer.
"Hm..." he grunted thickly, knowing that sound, and was probably going to need to start running again, turning to glance sideways back over at the girl... unless... "Don't suspect you Rocket will wanna do something bout some dumb punks wrechin' on your turf." he added.

He didn't look at all surprised with her reply, and merely shrugged, a soft smirk playing on his lips, though it was very humorless.

He strode away from her, out into the streets as he looked around the buildings, seeming to study them before he looked back over at the women,
A brow curving up slightly "Alternatives." He repeated "Ya know something I don't than."

He had settled with that fact that he wasn't going to live for very much longer, this didn't mean he wanted to die, so what she said did spark a bit of interest.

Jerome didn't have very long to hear the reply before the street they were on was suddenly flooded with light. Jerome turned around quickly to see the two cars that had been heard approaching speed around the corner and drive right toward them.
Jerome let out a strong of swear words at the cars, as if challenging them, and instead of running away, was walking toward the approaching cars.

Instead of getting hit though, Jerome somehow managed to jump up high enough to slap his hands onto the roof of the car, that helped pushed his legs back over his head in an easy flip.
The car screeched on its wheels as the man they were trying to hit essentially jumped over the car!
Said car swerved, the driver losing control in his surprise and hitting a lamp pole, the other car stopping shortly after by its own power.

Jerome, landing as if he had simply stepped down from the curb frowned at the cars, before looking over to the women, as seven men started to get out of the cars.
They were clearly street punks, much like Jerome was, and they looked like they were quite tired of chasing Jerome around the city.

"Now's the time to beat it if ya don't want to get involved." He told her,

The moment she made a run for the alley, Jerome's attention jerked back over to the punks in the car. They started running, five of them toward Jerome as the darkly marked man bolted in the opposite direction that the blond girl had run.

Two of the men had seen the women suddenly take off, and were not about to let that go, they continued into the alley after her. though hindered when they couldn't figure out where she went.

Jerome was much faster than these men, and much more in control of his abilities, and on a normal day he would be able to get himself up onto the building he was running toward no problem.
But Jerome's entire body was warn down from all the running and Parkour he had done already to keep away from this group.
by the time the dreadlocked gangster had reached the building, he knew he didn't have the momentum he would need jump up and get the grip he needed to he could climb up and over it.

New tactic.
Jerome didn't stop, he took a couple of steps up the building's side, before kicking off, pushing himself in the opposite direction, and landing right behind one of the men that had been chasing him.
Both his hands flew forward, and he shoved the man's face into the building he just jumped off of.

The others were on him just as quickly, and a full on brawl started.
Jerome didn't know forms, but he knew how to hit. and he got a few good ones in, fighting with everything he had until someone grabbed the man from behind, losing the use of his arms.
Had the other three not started to lay it on Jerome, he might have been able to use contort his way out of the grip.

The group didn't let up, eventually Jerome was on the ground, just trying to guard himself as much as he could.
Take it Jerome, it'll be over soon.

Meanwhile the two men found the ladder, and were working there way up after Nikki.