Just the two of us: Part 1

"Yeah, go on. Pick a card, sir. Any card at all!"
Freckled skin wrinkled around mischievous chocolate coloured eyes as a youth held out a fan of cards towards a wary older gentleman.
"Mmmm... Alright," the man said, passing his cane to his other hand to pluck a card from the fan. "And now?"
" 'Member tha' card, sir," answered the youth, straightening the beanie hat he was wearing. "Don't lemme see it."
The gentleman nodded, arching a distinguished grey brow at the stubby little boy as he memorised the card he clutched in his hand. Despite his curiousity about the magic trick, he was somewhat suspicious of the scruffy little urchin. The boy was on the brink of adulthood, and clearly lived on the streets. He had a dirty face and an overlarge grey hooded sweatshirt with a turtleneck underneath, as well as ragged trousers and trainers with holes in. It was almost as if the youth had made extra effect to cover himself up, for a reason the gentleman could not fathom. It briefly peaked his curiousity, as it was not a cold day, but at the youth's urging he switched his attention back to the cards and placed his own card back into the offered deck.
"Arrite!" exclaimed the little male, shuffling the deck in a clumsy yet quick fashion. "So, place ya bets!"
He glanced around at the small crowd, positively beaming at the array of faces.
"C'mon! Who bets I won't get the righ' card? Odds're 31:1 in your favour." Brown eyes flickered over the uncertain expressions of his audience and he pursed his lips. Time to sweeten the deal.
"An' if y'win, y'get double the cash back. Thass righ', double!"
"Awight," said a gruff man, stepping forward to slap five pounds down on the little table the youth was standing behind. "You're on, kid."
"Thank ya, sir," chirped the youth in a cheerful tone. "Anyone else?"
The gentleman from before sneered slightly but tossed a few coins on the table. Several other members of the audience added their bets as well. The street urchin suppressed the urge to laugh in glee, and put on a winning smile.
"Three, two, one aaaand..." He held his hand over the deck in his other and appeared to think carefully. "The powers tha' be tell me... Your card is..."
He flipped the top card over and showed it to the gentleman who looked suitably surprised.
"Correct..." the man said warily, reaching out to the cards only to have them snatched back out of his reach. "How did you--?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets, sir!" answered the teenager, placing a hand on the pile of money to take it.
A meaty hand was placed forcefully over his and he blinked, glancing up into the narrowed eyes of the thuggish looking man.
"Nuh," the bloke said. "You tell us 'ow ya did it, kid."
"But... but thass not part've the--" the little magician began, trying to pull his hand back without letting go of the money.
"Tell us!" said one in the crowd.
"Yeah, come on! We paid good money!" shouted another.
"If I told ya the trick, how would I make money?" asked the boy, gritting his teeth as fear rose in his chest. "C'mon, it was fair! It was fair!"
Without warning the gentleman plucked the deck of cards from the boy's unresisting hand and looked through it. When he had finished, fixed a dark look on the urchin.
"I believe we have been fooled," he said solemnly, tossing the cards onto the table where it was revealed that each and every one of them was the same.
The thuggish man growled, closing his fist around the youth's hand and lifting him up by his arm.
"Why you liddle--" His disapproving scowl was suddenly replaced by a grimace of pain as a foot smashed into his face. He heard the distinct crack of breaking cartilage and dropped the boy with a yell, bringing his large hands to his bleeding nose. "Geddim!"
"Oh blimey," breathed the youth, ducking beneath the swiping hand of another member of the crowd; the motion knocking his hat askew.
He tried to run but was forced to step back as his hat was snatched off his head. The crowd paused, staring in astonishment. The boy paused, staring back like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck.
"What the hell?" whispered one of his former audience.
"Are they feathers?" asked another.
"Freak," muttered a third.
"Freak that's tryin'a rob us," reminded a fourth.
"Geddim!" roared the injured thug, lunging across the table at the startled youth.
With a squeal of terror, the street urchin bolted. He skidded beneath the gentleman's cane and scrambled away on the other side of the little crowd, running as fast as he could. The angry mob behind him gave chase as the stubby hustler bounded over discarded boxes and pulled bins over behind him to slow the crowd down. He quickly ducked into a side-alley and pelted down it, the angry yells of his pursuers ringing in his ears.
It seemed as if he had lost them; apparently knowing the streets as well as the back of his hand was extremely helpful in escaping enraged men and women. A grin fuelled by terror and adrenaline flitted across his face as he emerged from the alley, but it soon turned into a look of shock as his small body collided with another person.
He yelled and crumpled to the floor as the other was thrown sideways, skidding a little way. Panic fluttered in his chest and he pushed himself up to stare into the blackest eyes he had ever seen. The urgency of escape was lost as fear rose in his throat and wrapped around around his heart like a dark serpent; slithering against his ribcage and tightening until he could not breathe.
Unable to speak, he simply gazed in horror at the grey-skinned creature before him, which rose up on an elbow and watched him with an unblinking stare. The thing looked... mostly human. It had a human face, arms and legs and was dressed in human clothes. Clothes that were torn and ripped in places. But its mop of black hair was streaked with white, and growths sprouted from it and the thing's wrists. Growths that looked suspiciously like... feathers?
The urchin gaped. The creature sat up. They both stared at each other and the silence stretched on more than was socially comfortable. Then, a sudden shout shattered the quiet, seemingly coming from down the street, and the creature reacted immediately.
It lept upright and dashed towards the street-magician with narrowed eyes. The youth scrambled to his feet with a squeak, meaning to flee from the thing, but was much too slow for the lithe, faster being. It barrelled into him, leaning down in order to plant its shoulder into his gut, and swept the boy off his feet. Holding onto his legs with one arm, the strange creature sped off; carrying the terrified youth away.
Feeling sick to his stomach and unable to handle the huge amount of stress, the boy's brain resorted to desperate measures and - in order to protect him from further damage - abruptly shut down...