Inside the burger joint customers eyes are glued on the teenagers in the front of them. The scene is hysterical. The young lady has dropped to her knees while clutching her friend.
Miki: Hinata we have to check it out. We can't sit around waiting. Hanabi can you take us to where you guys were attacked?
Hinata was unresponsive, the shock was too great. Her friends are calling her name and she has a blank stare. One of the waitresses walked over to check out the situation, when a sudden rush came from the front door. Hermione had burst through the entrance.
As she walked over she was frantic. "Guys we have to go. The Serpents are attacking. We can't be here any longer."
Rena grabs Hermione's arm and pulls her close "what's going on? Where's Alex?"
*20 minutes earlier
While riding down the road Alex noticed someone following him. The same black car has been with them for about 6 blocks now. Alex decided to speed up and see if the threat is real or just an active imagination.
"Hermione, I think we have someone following us. Don't look back. Use the mirrors on the bike. It's a black Lexus."
Hermione usually has her eyes closed when on the motorcycle. She slowly peeled her eyes open and noticed the black car.
"What are we gonna do?" Alex chuckled and sped up. "Alex!? Don't you think this is too fast!" The Lexus was still following. It seems that it is indeed trailing them. Alex started to pull maneuvers that seemed to come out of an action movie. Not even stopping at a red light. "Alex!!" Said Hermione. "No cop no stop!!" The Lexus was not yielding, it was like a lion on the tail of a gazelle. "Tsk... I can't seem to shake-'em, Hermione I'm gonna need you to hold on to me tight. Don't let go!" The black Lexus sped up and it was right on the bumper of Alex's bike. It was trying to ram them. "This is gonna be risky" Alex hit the throttle hard and began zigzagging through cars. The distance between them and the Lexus was only a few cars. " Alex the burger joint is only a block away. What are we gonna do?" Alex was deep in thought and the only decision to be made was to send her ahead of him.
Alex pulled the bike over. This is about as far as he could take her without leading them to the rest of the group. The best option is for everyone to retreat today. It seems that the serpents have a plan for them. "Hermione, listen. The serpents have put together an ambush. It seems like they were ready for us. So what I need for you to do is run ahead and tell the rest. That they should go home. It may seem like a bad thing right now but at least some people won't get hurt." Hermione rebuttals " Alex I can help, we can help. This is not the time to go heroic." Said Hermione. Alex ran his hands through his hair. " you got your ass kicked for 3 months and now you're saying you can fight? Get real for a second. What are you gonna do? Besides slow me down?" That cheerful smile that Alex usually has is now a glare.
"Fine.... you've made up your mind. I'll go ahead. Alex don't you..... never mind" Hermione darted off towards the restaurant to warn the others. "Stupid!"
Hermione ran past a crowd of people. She thought she had seen a person with red hair.
The black Lexus jumped the curb right in front of Alex. Everyone in the car got out and the only person Alex recognizes is Terumi. "I should have known it was you gecko." Terumi didn't like the joke because his glare was dreadful. "Ya'know you can't go around making plans to destroy what I've built." Said Terumi "do you really think I care? To be honest I don't have a problem with ya. You helped me with my math homework. I mean you can't be all asswhole right?" Alex had said it in a playful way Terumi's lackeys started to laugh. "Ohhhh so you got jokes? Well you're gonna love mine... their bone crush-in." As he said that two guys came from the left and right side. Their build was lean, they seem like athletes. Probably from the school. The left thug decided to throw a left jab. Alex backs away. The right thug runs in with a tackle. Alex decided to take him head on with a knee to the face. While he hit the right thug. Left thug took the advantage and punched Alex with a haymaker. The force of the punch pushes Alex back dazed. "Woah, were there always 4 of ya?" The assault wasn't over, thug left kept up the punches. Alex then put up a guard.
I can't keep taking these blows, I didn't think he would have much power behind him. Let me stop his movements with some jabs. Alex waited for an opening. After 3 minutes of the thug throwing punches he took a breath and in that moment Alex gave him a jab to the face and then a kick to his midsection, followed by a high knee to the face. Noticing that the other thug was missing, something stuck his face and he was on the ground. The thug didn't stop after Alex was on the ground he kicked him over and over. Terumi let out a hysterical laugh.
" Serves ya right with that cocky attitude"
Said Terumi. In the midst of laughter he got a phone call.
"Hello.... yea.... perfect... ya let the brat get away?.... your useless... is he dead?.... take him to the hideout.... I don't care about your mom's birthday.... Pete... Pete!... shut up and do what I said..... ok ok.. we can go to your moms house After, After we get him to the hideout.... yea... mhm... bye."
"Ugh.... now I have to go to a shitty birthday party." Said Terumi
"Wait do we get to go too boss?" Said the right thug.
"What? Why the hell? What would make you think you're gonna go?" Said Terumi
With the opportunity Alex trips the thug onto the ground and starts wailing away at his face. The other thug was back to his feet but Alex quickly rolled off the thug into a full dash drop kick into the other thug's face.
"Now gecko let's finish this'' Alex was holding his ribs and trying to catch his breath. Terumi looks at Alex and started to laugh. "Come on kid look at ya. What's it gonna take for you to lie down and just stay down? Hmmmmmmmm maybe I'll just have to kill you?" Terumi takes out a butterfly knife. And started to tighten up his bandages around his arms. It reveals a serpent tattooed on his forearms.
While Alex was looking at Terumi the thug he was wailing on got up bloodied and was about to attack Alex when a sharp kick to the back of his head sent him down.
"I don't remember you having business here valkyrie? This is serpents business. You should see your way out before I get angry." Terumi was talking to somebody else Alex didn't want to look back and give him the advantage. "I'm just taking a stroll around when I just soo happen to see that Honda Shadow. Knowing you Terumi it's not yours. So it most be the guy in front of me. So is it a 86' or a 88'?"
Alex thought her voice sounded familiar. He didn't have time to think because Terumi came attacking him with his knife and cut him on his stomach. While walking backwards he caught a glance of the person behind him.
Isn't that the girl from school? That's what he was thinking. When "Ahh new kid! This is your bike? You got to let me take it for a spin."
"Do you really think you have time to look away." Terumi was right I got to deal with him first. With every attempt to slash Alex Terumi was getting pretty close. One slip up and Alex was a goner. With each passing moment Terumi wasn't getting tired. He was swinging wildly. Inside his swing were gaps between each other. That's the time to attack. Terumi ended up getting too excited and attacked wildly and the gap was huge. Alex then grab his hand and bent his hand into a claw motion and put it behind his back. But before Terumi could retaliate he was slammed into the concrete on his shoulder. He let out a yelp.
"I should have asked if you played any sports, you won't be able to use that shoulder." Said Alex "I'm gonna kill you. Your gonna pay for this!" Said Terumi it was mix with spite and pain but his point was across.
Alex quickly jumped on his bike but almost fell over. The pain was getting to him. He's pretty sure he has a couple of broken ribs. Luckily our redhead caught him. "For the bike's safety you should let me drive." Alex had no choice he was pretty much gonna fall over in pain. "Fine" she jumped onto the motorcycle and started revving. "Where are we going?" She asked. Up the street at cheesy burger said Alex. "Aw don't you wanna go home or a hospital?" She said. "I would but the others might be in danger, I gotta check on them." Said Alex. His voice was kinda faint. She just nodded her head and off they went. Hey he said, I never asked you your name. "Well never thought I would have a guy grabbing my waist and bleeding out asking for my name. I'm joking by the way. My name is Naomi."
They had arrived at the burger joint Naomi had helped Alex in the restaurant and Hermione and the rest of the group were standing in the front of the waitress.
"Alex! Omg are you okay?" Said Hermione. Alex noticed that Sosuke wasn't present. "Where is Sosuke?" Said Alex faintly. Everyone filled him in and said that he was shot and killed. Alex thinking back to the fight with Terumi.
"Hinata.... Sosuke is still alive." Said Alex "how can you be so sure Alex?" Said Rena
"While I was fighting Terumi ...and his thugs he had a phone call. The...original target was the kid, I'm gonna guess...Sosuke figured that out and sent her along the way....And because of it he was taking instead of her."
"Hinata go home and sort this out. I'm sure you have resources. Hermione and co. you as well. Right now she needs her friends." What about you Alex? You can barely stand." Said Hinata. "Yeah Alex i can take you home?" Said Hermione. "You can't drive a motorcycle and I'm not in the shape of teaching at the moment." Said Alex. "I could take you home." said Naomi
Alex nodded in agreement. "I'll let you know if we find anything Alex." Said Hinata. A limousine was right outside and everyone said their goodbyes. Alex had to talk to Hanabi before she went into the car. "I know right now you don't wanna hear this. But it's not your fault that he was taken instead of you. I'm sure if he was here he wouldn't change spots with ya even for a minute. So don't beat yourself up for this. Take it as a lesson. Not all battles are meant to be fought. Would you rather be a free and soaring sparrow? Or a sparrow in a furnace?" She replied with a free sparrow. She had Jumped in the car and then it drove away.
Now shall we head out as well? Said Naomi. They hopped on the bike and drove away. "And my bike is a 86'. "
End of chapter