Jay felt his world crashing down around him. "What... what are you talking about?" he stammered, looking from the goon to his friends. "This can't be true. Tell me he's lying!"
Vikram couldn't meet Jay's eyes, staring at the ground instead. Jaswinder shifted uncomfortably, while Shaswat looked to the side, his face pale with shame.
Jay's breath caught in his throat, the betrayal cutting deeper than any physical wound. "Why?" he whispered, his voice breaking. "Why would you do this to me?"
Vikram finally looked up, his eyes filled with regret. "Jay, we... we didn't have a choice."
Jaswinder nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. "They threatened our families, Jay. We didn't know what else to do. I'm so sorry."
Shaswat finally spoke, his voice trembling. "We tried to find another way, but there was no way out. We never wanted to hurt you."
The goon chuckled, relishing the scene before him. "Pathetic, isn't it? Loyalty can be bought so easily when fear is involved. Our boss—" He cut himself off, but the slip was already made. "Let's just say he's going to have fun beating the crap out of you."
Jay's eyes narrowed. "Your boss? Who is he? Why does he want me?"
The goon smirked, realizing his mistake but leaning into it. "You'll find out soon enough. Besides, you already know him."
Jay was taken aback, the revelation that someone he knew was out for him adding a new layer of shock. But that didn't settle much on his mind compared to the betrayal from his friends.
Jay stood there, his body trembling with a mix of anger, sorrow, and disbelief. "You could have told me. We could have fought them together."
"It's too late for that now," the goon said, stepping back as the sounds of the approaching gang grew louder. "Now, you're outnumbered, outsmarted, and out of options. Just give up."
Jay's heart pounded in his chest as he realized the gravity of his predicament. But even in this dire situation, he refused to give up.
He spun on his heel and bolted towards the exit. But it was too late. The gang of around thirty thugs was already there, blocking any means of escape. They closed in on him, a menacing wall of hostility and danger.
From the side of the goons, a scar-faced hulking man stepped forward with a cruel smile. "Well, well, if it isn't the kid who's been causing all the trouble. The boss will be pleased when we bring you in."
With the bear of a body the goon had, Jay could tell right away he was at a massive disadvantage despite his exceptional martial capabilities.
Jay's eyes darted around, assessing his options. He could see no clear path of escape. Since he knew he couldn't escape anymore, he wouldn't let them take him down without a struggle.
"Come on, then," Jay said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. "Let's see what you've got."
The scar-faced goon's smile widened. "Brave words, kid. Let's see if you can back them up."
The thugs moved in, and Jay's body reacted instinctively. His first move was a quick, powerful jab-cross combination to the closest attacker's face, a technique rooted in boxing.
The thug staggered back, but another was already swinging at Jay. He ducked, switching to Muay Thai as he delivered a sharp knee to the attacker's ribs, following up with a devastating elbow strike to the jaw.
A thug came at him from the side, and Jay transitioned smoothly into Krav Maga, using a disarming maneuver to twist the thug's arm behind his back and send him crashing into another assailant. But the numbers were against him.
Another thug managed to land a heavy blow to Jay's side, making him gasp in pain. He spun around, his legs a blur as he executed a Taekwondo spinning hook kick, sending the attacker sprawling.
Jay's mind flashed back to his early years of relentless training. From the age of six, he had trained in every martial art he could access. His savant syndrome allowed him to master techniques in days that took others years.
By the age of fourteen, he had outpaced every master he trained with, absorbing their teachings in a matter of weeks. Despite his abnormal talent, Jay knew his limits.
His progress plateaued, so he focused on improving his physical prowess. After three years of gruesome training, he was comparable to a middleweight boxer, packed with lean muscle and endurance.
A thug grabbed him from behind in a bear hug, but Jay's jiu-jitsu training kicked in. He shifted his weight, using a hip throw to flip the attacker over his shoulder.
He followed up with a chokehold, rendering the thug unconscious in seconds. As he rose, another assailant charged at him. Jay adopted a Wing Chun stance, using rapid-fire punches to the thug's torso, driving him back.
Despite his skill, the sheer number of attackers began to wear him down. A thug landed a punch to Jay's jaw, making his vision blur for a moment.
He shook it off, his body moving on autopilot as he shifted to Capoeira, using a series of spinning kicks and acrobatic maneuvers to keep the attackers at bay. But he couldn't avoid all the hits. A heavy blow to his ribs made him stumble, pain flaring through his body.
The scar-faced goon was shocked but quickly composed himself, showing a smug expression. "You're good, kid, but you can't win. We have the numbers, and I haven't even stepped in yet. Give up now, and maybe we'll go easy on you."
Jay wiped the sweat and blood from his face, then spat the blood defiantly on the ground. His glare was unwavering, a clear message that he wouldn't throw in the towel, no matter the odds.
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Note: The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.
In the discord server, I opened a private channel for those Top 10 candidates, where I posted the respective Advanced Chapter.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/maQC7xDBYZ
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