As Jett and Ava strolled along the sidewalk, the unease that Jett had felt earlier began to fade. He figured it was only right to see Ava safely home, plus he secretly hoped to hang out with her a bit longer.

They started chatting about their rings. "When'd you get yours?" Jett asked.

"A couple of weeks back. Found it at a garage sale. You?" Ava replied casually.

"Friday. Just sorta appeared on my finger when I fell off a slope," Jett explained with a chuckle, trying to make light of the situation.

Ava seemed surprised. "Well, that's… different," she said, trying to find the right words.

Jett scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Jett suddenly remembered the gas leak from earlier. "Think that gas thing was an accident?" he asked unsure.

Ava thought for a moment. "Could be. Unless someone's got it in for you," she said.

Jett thought back. He couldn’t remember doing anything that would’ve implicated him. Sure, he did not just want to sit back and lay low. However, he was not stupid enough to start causing trouble when he was not ready for the consequences. He wasn’t strong enough for that yet.

Jett shook his head. "I don’t think so. I haven’t done anything to get unwanted attention."

"Me neither," Ava agreed.

They finally reached Ava's building, and she asked, "Would you like to come in?"

Jett hesitated for a second before saying, "Sure, why not?" with a smile.

With Ava leading the way, they headed inside; continuing their chat like it was the most natural thing in the world.

***

The young man sauntered into the hotel lobby. His presence turned heads as he approached the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist greeted him with a friendly smile, her voice as sweet as honey. "Good evening, sir. How may I help you?"

With his striking eyes locked on hers, one gray and one blue. The young man asked smoothly, "Hey, I'm looking for Ezekiel Monroe. Is he staying here? Can you tell me which room?"

He was the same young man that had watched Jett save Ava from the explosion earlier.

The receptionist nodded, her fingers swiftly typing on the keyboard before her. "May I have your name, sir?" she asked politely.

Liam flashed a charming smile. "Liam Cross," he replied smoothly, as his long dusty blonde hair fell into place.

The receptionist continued to type, her eyes scanning the screen. Then, she picked up the phone and dialed a number - presumably that of Ezekiel.

After a moment, she looked up with a nod. "Yes, Mr. Monroe is staying with us. He's in room 306," she informed him.

"Thanks," Liam said with a satisfied smirk, already walking toward the elevator.

He pressed the button and waited. Soon, he heard a soft chime that showed the arrival of the lift. Stepping inside, he pressed the button for the third floor and watched as the doors slid shut.

As he rode up to the third floor, Liam remembered his first encounter with Jett. "Ezekiel's gonna be pleased when he hears this," he muttered, with a wry smile on his lips.

Ezekiel Monroe, the notorious leader of the criminal underworld, had been on a relentless mission to track down and capture every ring wielder he could find. And he was damn good at it. His reach extended across the entire country.

But he wasn't the only one on the hunt. Vito was after the rings too.

Vito was a mystery to both Liam and Ezekiel. Unlike Ezekiel, who hunted down ring wielders to claim their rings for himself, Vito's motives were unclear. Sometimes he went after the rings, other times he simply killed the wielders without a second thought. It was as if he enjoyed the hunt itself.

Ava had narrowly managed to escape becoming Vito's next victim in the gas explosion, after Jett saved her. Because of that, Liam was able to find out that Jett possessed one out of the three rings that both Ezekiel and Vito had been searching for over the past 25 years.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Reaching room 306, Liam knocked firmly on the door.

A deep, gruff voice demanded to know he was from within.

"Who the hell is that?" it boomed.

Liam didn't hesitate. "Cross," he replied.

The voice responded immediately in a harsh and impatient tone. "Quit dilly-dallyin' and get yo' ass in here, pronto," the voice commanded.

Taking a deep breath, Liam pushed the door open. The room was covered in a haze of cigarette smoke. Sitting in a chair was Ezekiel Monroe, a big man with a towering height of six feet and five inches. His dark skin was designed with tattoos, and a scar cut across his left cheek.

Ezekiel looked at Liam with a piercing gaze as he took another drag. "What you doin’ here, Cross?" he demanded.

Liam smiled widened as he said, "I came with good news."

Ezekiel gave a sardonic smile, as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "And what kinda news you bringin' me?"

Liam's grin grew even wider as he said, "I’ve found a certain person. A person who has something that you’ve been searching for, for quite some time."

"Cut the crap, Cross." Ezekiel said impatiently.

Liam chuckled lightly. “This person possesses one of the three rings that you have been hunting down for over 25 years.”

Ezekiel looked at Liam with disbelief. "You sure 'bout what you sayin', Cross?"

Liam reassured him. "Want me to swear my allegiance, o king?"

Ezekiel warned, "If I catch you playin' games with me, Cross, you'll be wearin' cement shoes at the bottom of the river."

Liam's smile remained as he jested, "What do I hope to gain by lying to you? After all, you are the most ruthless man in history. The Black Diamond himself."

Ezekiel's curiosity was piqued as he asked, "And where this fool be hangin' at?"

Liam replied, "I can lead you to them but we have to be quick before Vito finds out."

Ezekiel stubbed out his cigarette.

"Then we gotta hustle," he declared, rising from his seat. "Pack your stuff, Mr. Cross. It's time to win a war."

Liam excitedly clapped his hands. Like a child who just received a new toy.

"I get to take on the boy," he murmured as he licked his lips like a predator.

***

Back in Ava’s apartment, Jett looked around her lavish dwelling with wonder. Ava lived in a wealthy penthouse, filled with modern furniture and exquisite artwork.

‘She must have considerable wealth,’ Jett reasoned.

Ava glanced at Jett and offered, “Hungry? I can grab you something to eat.”

Jett shook his head, but Ava insisted, “Come on, let me at least get you a soda.” Before Jett could protest, Ava disappeared into the kitchen.

She returned with two cans of soda, a popular brand that fizzed as she handed one to Jett. They settled on the couches, enjoying their drinks. Jett easily observed that her plush couch was for more comfortable than his own back home.

Jett looked around, impressed, and asked, “Do you live alone?”

Ava nodded, teasing, “Scared my parents might show up?”

Jett laughed nervously, and Ava explained, “I’m just kidding. They live in another city. They are well-off so they often send me money to cover my expenses.”

Curious, Jett asked, “What university do you attend anyways?”

Ava replied, “Evergreen University,” surprising Jett.

He attended the exact same university. How had he never seen Ava around before? Did he simply not notice her?

Jett was about to reply but then they heard a knock on the door.

Ava remarked, “I should probably get that. It could be Lily.”

She went to open the door and gasped in surprise at what she saw. Jett wondered who it was.

Jett turned to see who it was and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Eric. Eric stepped into the room uninvited with his usual cold expression. Eric then turned to face Jett with his usual cold and piercing eyes.

"You. You’re playing with fire and you don’t even know it," Eric accused.

"What are you even talking about?" Jett asked confused and irritated.

Eric noticed Jett’s changed appearance then he sighed. "You thought growing taller might compensate for your lack of common sense, huh?" he remarked.

Jett’s left eye twitched in annoyance. Did Eric find a way to grow more frustrating?

Ava interrupted. "We haven’t done anything. We’ve both been laying low," she protested. She was just as confused as Jett.

"Then trouble has a way of finding you whether you like it or not because you two just stirred up a hornet’s nest," Eric retorted.

Ava and Jett were still lost.

"Individuals who will stop at nothing to get the rings are after you," Eric explained.

Jett was surprised. That soon? Where the hunters after the ring wielders that good? Also, he thought Eric didn’t know the identity of the hunters, how did he know now?

"Who are they?" Jett questioned.

"Ezekiel Monroe and his lackey, Liam Cross," Eric replied.

Jett's breath caught in his throat at the mention of Monroe's name. Monroe was a figure of legend in the criminal underworld. A name feared by law enforcement around the world.

"Ezekiel Monroe?" Jett repeated, as he turned to look at Ava. The look of confusion on Ava’s face showed that she had no idea who Ezekiel Monroe was.

"Ezekiel Monroe is the head of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the country," Eric continued. "And Liam Cross is his right-hand man, who is crazy enough to do what Ezekiel orders him to do."

A flash of fear crossed Ava’s face but she quickly composed herself. "So what do we do now?" she asked as calmly as possible.

"You listen to me very carefully," he began coldly. "Stay out of sight. Change cities if you have to. Trust me when I say you do not want to attract the attention of Monroe and Cross."

"What about you? Aren’t you going to help us?" Jett asked Eric.

Eric's response was cold and final. "I’m not your knight in shining armor. I’ve given you a warning and that is more than you deserve," he stated bluntly, before turning to leave.

Jett was pissed now and he couldn't hold back his anger any longer.

"You’re a real asshat, you know? You can’t just be dropping warnings at us from the sidelines," he snapped.

But Eric remained unmoved. "Actually, I can," he stated, before leaving the house.