The subway station’s isolated corner was a grim, shadowed arena, the street light overhead casting harsh light across the glinting train tracks, where Michael lay sprawled, out cold from my kick.
The air was thick with the stench of rust, cigarette smoke, and raw tension, the distant hum of a train barely audible. I stood calm, my long hair falling over my eyes, my expression unreadable as I faced the remaining mafia goons
—Henry and his crew, their bats and metal rods gripped tight, their faces shifting from cocky to uneasy.
Raya and Kalina huddled against a stone pillar, their earlier sly smiles replaced by wide-eyed surprise, their gazes locked on me like I’d just done the impossible.
John, the guy in the black coat guy, clutched his bat tighter, his jaw twitching as he stared at Michael’s crumpled form. "What the fuck?" he muttered, his voice shaky, his eyes darting to me. "He took out Michael in just one kick!"
"Who the heck is this guy?" another goon—a stocky one with a rod—said, his knuckles whitening, sweat beading on his brow as he glanced at his buddies, their confidence crumbling.
"I’m gonna kill him!" a third guy said, lanky with a scarred lip, his bat raised.
They muttered among themselves, their words overlapping, a mix of shock and anger, their eyes focused on me.
Raya’s lips parted, her surprise melting into a spark of something else—admiration, maybe, her eyes wide and glinting. Kalina’s stare was steadier, but her mouth hung open, a quiet awe in her expression, like they were seeing me for the first time.
Henry’s face hardened, his fist tightened in his palm as he stepped forward. "Kill him, guys!" he shouted, his voice cutting through their chatter, his boots scuffing the concrete as he charged.
The others followed, their weapons raised, a chaotic rush of footsteps and swinging bats, their yells echoing off the stone pillars.
*Swoosh. Swooosh.* I sidestepped the first two swings, moving smooth and quick, the bats whistling past, my body loose but precise.
Henry’s fist grazed the air by my shoulder, the stocky guy’s rod missing my head by inches. I grabbed the lanky one’s bat mid-swing, yanking it from his grip, and drove my fist into his gut, hard and fast.
"Arghhh!" he groaned, doubling over, his breath escaping in a wheeze as he clutched his stomach, his rod clattering to the ground.
Another guy—the stocky one—flanked me from the side, his bat swinging wide, aiming for my ribs.
I spun on my feet, my kick snapping out, connecting with the bat in a sharp *crack*. The wood shattered, the broken halves flying, one skittering across the tracks.
"What the—" the guy stammered, staring at the shattered bat in his hands, his eyes wide with disbelief.
*THUD.* My foot moved again, a clean kick to his chest, sending him sprawling to the concrete, his head bouncing once as he hit the ground, out cold.
"Ham!" One guy from back shouted, rushing to his buddy’s side. "You’re dead!" he roared, swinging a metal pipe he’d grabbed, the steel glinting as it arced toward me.
I ducked, the pipe slicing the air above my head, and kicked out, sweeping his legs from under him. He stumbled, crashing to his knees, and before he could recover, I jabbed a quick punch to his face.
*Thud.* His head snapped back, hitting the concrete, his body passed out, the pipe rolling away with a hollow clang.
"No way..." Kalina muttered, her voice barely audible, her eyes wide with amazement as she stared at me, her hands gripping the pillar.
Raya’s mouth twitched, that secret smile creeping back, like she was thrilled by the chaos
Henry and Edward in black coats stayed back, their faces unreadable, while the last goon hesitated, his rod trembling in his hands, sweat dripping down his face.
"Henry!" Edward’s voice cracked, his eyes darting from my silhouette in the dim light to Henry’s tense frame. "What should we do? He’s too strong for a kid!" His words shook, sweat glinting on his brow, his rod swaying like he wasn’t sure whether to swing or run.
Henry’s jaw clenched, his teeth grinding as he glared at me, his knuckles whitening.
"Just attack him with me!" he spat, his voice rough, shoving past his doubt. He charged, swinging his fist hard, aiming for my face, his leather jacket creaking with the motion.
I ducked, smooth and quick, the punch whistling over my head, my boots scuffing the concrete. Henry was fast, though—faster than the others.
He pulled his fist back, pivoting around my waist, his arms locking around me in a tight grip, pinning my arms to my sides. He pulled me off the ground, my feet dangling, my breath hitching.
"Hahaha, got you, motherfucker!" Henry laughed, his grip tightening as he spun me toward Edward. "Attack him now, Edward!"
Edward hesitated, his eyes wide, but Henry’s yell snapped him into action. "Y-yeah!" he stammered, rushing forward, his rod raised high, the metal glinting as he swung it down.
"Ezra!" Raya and Kalina shouted in unison, their voices sharp with worry, cutting through the chaos. Raya’s hands gripped the pillar, Kalina’s mouth open, their earlier confidence shaken as the rod arced closer towards me.
"Yarrghhhhh!" I roared, my body surging with adrenaline. I leaned forward, throwing my weight against Henry’s grip, dragging his arm with me, shifting his body into the path of the swing.
*THUD.* The rod cracked against Henry’s head, a sickening sound that echoed off the pillars and blood splattered out.
His grip loosened, his eyes rolling back as he muttered, "You fucker..." before collapsing to the concrete, out cold, his leather jacket splaying around him.
Edward froze, the rod slipping from his hands, clattering to the ground. "H-Henry... I’m... I didn’t mean to—" he stuttered, his face pale, his hands shaking as he stared at his fallen friend.
I didn’t give him a second to recover, catching him square in the face, the impact putting him down on the ground. His body hit the concrete, his head bouncing once, and he blacked out, his rod rolling away into the shadows.
The station went quiet, the street light buzzing faintly, the tracks humming as a distant train passed. Raya and Kalina stared, their mouths open, their worry melting into stunned silence.
I stood in arc with hands down, in the punching position after hitting the last guy out cold, the cold air biting at my skin. The night, already long and heavy, pulsed with new danger, but I stood calm, my gaze flicking to Raya’s wide eyes, knowing this wasn’t the end—not yet.