As the four boys watched the figure in the dark cloak standing at the end of the alley, they were all starstruck, unable to speak. Finally, one of the boys they were chasing after said,
"Get out of the way man!"
The silence that followed was deafening. No one spoke, no one moved, everyone was just staring at this strange figure. After some couple of minutes had passed by, the boy who had spoken walked towards the figure. He slowed down his pace and then finally, he got to the figure's side. He held his hand but surprisingly, there was no arm as the cloak seemed to have displayed. It seemed the figure's hand has evaporated into thin air.
"Are you okay?" The unsuspecting boy questioned the figure.
But yet again, there was no response from the figure. Suddenly, the figure slowly began to change, his cloak fell off from his shoulder in dismay revealing his body. He really had no left hand but his body was just like theirs. The figure's skin started becoming rougher and darker. His hand twisted and grew a new arm formed out of the left arm, taking on a strange, claw-like shape. His eyes darkened, and his teeth grew sharper and longer.
The boys all watched in utter bewilderment. They were smitten that their brains failed to give proper instructions to their legs to run away from the scene that was unfolding before them. It only gave space for trembling and stuttering.
The already evolved mutant deepened its hand into the boy who had walked up to it. The boy gasped at the fierce piercing that went through his chest. Before he knew it, he was being lifted into the air. A tear escaped his eyes as he was raised into the air. His blood was dripping out fast and was straining into the already opened mouth of the mutated beast. It felt like it was raining, but it wasn't water that was coming down the sky, it was blood.
The mutated beast chopped off the boy's head into its mouth and flung the already lifeless boy towards a side bin and advanced to attack; Ashton, Jamil, and the last street gang member.
***
As the mutated beast advanced towards the dear stricken boys, something flew across the sky onto the roof of a nearby building.
'A bird? Maybe not…maybe yes'
Suddenly, a Ninja-like person swung from the rooftop of the building it had landed on onto the mutant. Before the Ninja landed on the mutant's back, it removed two sharp swords that had been attached to its back like a bag mid-air. The swords glowed like it had some bright neon lights attached to it. The Ninja dropped behind the mutated beast thrusting the two sharp blades into the mutant's back.
The mutant's scream pierced the air, high and shrill at the impact of the blades piercing its back. It was a sound unlike any other, a cry of pain and fear. The mutant's cry faded away, but the fear remained, etched into the memories of those who had heard it.
It wriggled itself trying to free itself from its attacker. As the mutant continued to wriggle itself rigorously, the Ninja finally lost balance, his sword flung off his grib sending the sword to fall in the direction of the awe-stricken boys who were now stagnant and rooted on a spot like a huge magnetic force was restraining their movements.
As the sword landed in front of them, Ashton caught sight of the name inscribed in it _JOLES_. The Ninja was thrown into a building wall and it gasped at the fall. It definitely was not a male's voice to Ashton. His eyes followed those of the Ninjas' as it crashed into the wall.
'The Ninja might be a girl!'
The Ninja suddenly grew weak at the impact of the fall. The building wall was not on her side as it etched a collapse. It tried to get out from the rubbles of the damaged building. But, the more it tried, the weaker it became.
Before Ashton could blink a sorry, he felt a hand grab his and before he knew it, he was running away from the scene already with Jamil and the other boy. As they ran, Ashton's mind kept lingering at the Ninja. He was in danger and what he could do now was run away. His thoughts were swamped around the scene that had just unfolded before his eyes but, what help could he offer? A weak human like him?
Jamil hastily pulled Ashton into the house when they got back home with fear etched in their faces. He dragged the absent minded Ashton straight under the safety of their creaked wooden bed frame. The whole street was now quiet and dark as well. Everyone was back in their homes to hide from the beasts that haunt their land.
Ashton said something after a while. "We could have stayed, to help." He muttered.
Jamil looked beside him though he couldn't see Ashton's face in the dark, he turned in his direction and replied.
"Are you stupid? What can a normal person like you do to wade off a mutant?"
Ashton shrugged, still not satisfied with Jamil's resolve. He continued. "What if the Ninja dies? We could have at least helped her out of the rubble."
"Quit your nutty talk Ash, the Ninja-figure is probably a student of the MTA. It might have magic which means it has the ability to fight against the mutant. No us! We are weak..we cannot fight that thing all alone" Jamil said, his voice tight with desperation to make Ashton stop overthinking what had happened.
Ashton sighed, surrendering to Jamil's resolve. It was plausible enough so, he stopped talking about it since he really was helpless against the mutated beast. What was he by the way?
'A weak human!'
As his eyes closed against the world to sleep, a strange magical light blinked from within him, awakening something he knows nothing about which was definitely going to change his life for good or bad once he learns about the new whim that has been awakened in him.