Leon kept slapping the old man until he collapsed to the floor, nose bleeding, teeth clenched in pain.
The poor guy crawled across the floor. Got behind the counter and opened the register with shaking fingers.
Pulled out a stack of bills—crumpled, sweaty. He held them out with both hands like some desperate offering to a god. But we weren't gods. We were society's trash.
Me included, for just standing there and watching it happen.
Leon snatched it, flipped through, then scoffed.
"Still short."
The old man nodded, eyes locked to the floor. "I—I'll get the rest next week. Please. That's all I have."
Dre wiped blood from his knuckles on the kid's clothing and cracked his neck "That was a good exercise."
Leon turned to me. "You got anything to add, Mr. Nice Guy? Or are you just gonna stand there and watch us do all the hard work?"
I shook my head once.
"Man, you're really messed up. If you'd just be a good boy and get violent, the boss would love you—you're damn good at fighting. But no. You'd rather get your ass kicked by him than beat the shit out of these idiots."
There was no response on my part. What was there to say?
These people were a lost cause—feeding on the weak and thinking it made them badass.
"Come on, let's just go. They said they'd pay. If we keep hitting them, they won't even be able to move tomorrow."
The trio laughed like it was the funniest thing they'd heard all day.
Dre clutched his stomach. Niko slapped Leon's back like they were at a damn comedy show.
"Listen to this guy," Niko snorted, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Worried about the poor bastards working tomorrow."
"Softy," Dre chimed in, grinning wide.
They kept laughing, but I didn't say a word. Just stood there, jaw tight, fists loose at my sides. Let them get it out of their system.
After they were done making fun of me, they finally turned away—still chuckling under their breath.
By morning, everyone in this place would know what happens when you mess with the wrong people.
The few people who saw what happened quickly looked away.
None of them even thought about calling the police. Everyone knew it'd only make things worse if Robert's gang decided to stir up trouble around here.
This was the power of planting fear. No chains needed, just the right amount of intimidation.
I know it too well because I'm stuck in the same cycle. Except I've got it worse. I have to face that bastard every damn day.
While I was lost in thought, I caught the sound of footsteps echoing behind us.
Three guys at first. Then five. By the time we passed the noodle cart, there were at least ten behind us.
The trio were too busy running their mouths to notice. I could've said something, but tonight… I didn't see the point.
Turned the corner, and just like that, it was too late.
A dozen men stood waiting.
Bats. Pipes. Rusted metal rods. Their faces were half-hidden by caps and bandanas, but their eyes were locked on us.
All exit were blocked.
Leon dropped his cigarette. "...Shit."
Niko pulled a knife.
Dre laughed, but he couldn't hide the way his hand trembled.
As for me, I just calmly breathed in and assessed the situation. The painkillers were still in effect, though my body was far from it's peak condition.
Still, it was more than enough if I needed to make a run for it. I grew up in this place. I knew every alley, every corner, like the back of my hand.
One of the ambushers stepped forward—bigger than the rest, wearing a black tank top.
Leon took a step up to meet him, cocky as ever.
"You're all messing with the wrong people, man. This block? This market? It's ours. Always been. So unless you're here to pay , I suggest you walk the hell away."
The guy didn't even blink and just sneered. "We're not here to talk turf. We're here to make an example out of you idiots."
I almost laughed when I heard those words. Niko and the others had said the exact same thing when they were bullying that father and son. And now they were the ones being humiliated. Talk about karma.
When the guy tilted his head, that's when I saw it—a small tattoo just beneath his ear. A curved fang, etched inside a snake's open mouth.
Shit. Serpent Tail Gang.
They been making noise the past few months. A few disappearances, rumors about drug dealers switching sides. But no one expected them to be this bold.
"Beat them!"
The first swing came fast.
Leon ducked just in time as the bat whooshed past his head. He tackled the guy to the ground and started throwing wild punches.
Everything turned into an all-out ramble.
Niko drove his knife into someone's side—twice, maybe three times—before another bat cracked against his shoulder.
Dre screamed, picked up a bottle from the ground, and smashed it against a guy's face.
Glass and blood sprayed.
It would've been great if everyone just ignored me and beat the shit out the others, but that was asking too much.
A bald man rushed at me with a bat. I sidestepped, caught his wrist, and drove my knee hard into his ribs.
Felt the pop.
He dropped the weapon. I caught it before it hit the ground, drove the handle into his jaw, then spun around just in time to block a strike from behind—and kicked the second attacker hard in the chest.
I kept it tight. Clean. Efficient.
Another one charged—young, fast, wild. I dropped low and swept his legs out from under him. Before he could recover, I moved in and slammed his head against the pavement.
"Just leave me alone," I sighed.
A middle age man grabbed my hoddie. Big mistake.
Twisting his arm, I drove the bat into his gut, then swung it up hard across his jaw.
Soon, their backup arrived, and the numbers doubled in an instant.
With my back to the wall, I successfully covered my blind spot.
One came in wild—I let him over-commit, then grabbed him and slammed his face into the wall behind me.
When the others realized I wasn't going down easily, they turned their focus to the trio. Which, honestly, was a good thing.
Leon was bleeding. Niko too. Dre was still up but slower now.
I was the only one still holding the line.
However, things got more complicated when one of them pulled out a machete—the kind butchers use in the market.
slash!
The blade tore into Dre's neck, severing flesh and bone. His eyes shot open, bulging, flickering with panic and disbelief.
thud!
Blood poured from the wound as his body hit the ground hard, twitching once before going still.