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"The soul that is within me no man can degrade."
- Frederick Douglass
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As Zack searched for Johan, Squad A stormed into the Fourth Affiliate's territory with unshakable resolve. The night air was heavy with anticipation, and as the group approached the headquarters, their confidence was evident. Vasco, Jay, and Warren led the charge, with the Burn Knuckles following closely. This wasn't a spar or a mere street brawl, it was an assault on one of the Workers' most notorious affiliates, known for its overwhelming numbers.
The Fourth Affiliate's forces were waiting. The first wave emerged, menacing and ready to defend their turf. Vasco's muscles tensed in anticipation, his training in Muay Thai under Brekdak had sculpted him into a living weapon. Without hesitation, he led the attack.
"Burn Knuckles, let's clear the way!" Vasco's shout echoed as he launched himself at the frontline. He moved with the power and precision of a seasoned fighter, his strikes coming down like hammers.
A massive thug lunged at Vasco, swinging a bat wildly. Vasco sidestepped, retaliating with a swift knee to the gut followed by a crushing elbow to the jaw. The thug crumpled instantly. Vasco's strikes weren't just forceful; they were precise and devastating, his clinch and elbow combinations tearing through the defenders.
The Burn Knuckles swarmed forward alongside Vasco, moving with a fluidity and aggression that had not been there months ago. Each of them had been molded into a more formidable version of themselves, capable of executing techniques with practiced ease.
Jay Hong darted into the fray, his movements swift and calculated. His recent training in Kali Arnis had honed his reflexes to near perfection. As a thug brandished a knife and rushed him, Jay calmly deflected the attack, parrying the weapon aside before delivering a quick strike to the man's temple. The thug dropped like a stone, and Jay moved on to the next without breaking his rhythm.
Jay's movements were almost effortless as he danced around his opponents, dispatching them with minimal exertion. His calm demeanor masked the lethal efficiency of his attacks. Jay had always been skilled, but now his strikes carried the weight of mastery, a mastery technique that allowed him to disable his opponents with precision rather than brutality.
Warren Chae found himself surrounded by a group of larger brawlers. His months of close-quarters combat (CQC) training had turned him into a wrecking ball. As one thug threw a punch, Warren intercepted the strike, seizing the man's wrist and pulling him into a judo throw that slammed him hard into the pavement. Warren's style was a brutal mix of strength and technique, using grappling to control and crush anyone who came at him.
Three more rushed him at once. Warren dodged a pipe swing, then launched a punishing right hook that sent the wielder staggering. Spinning on his heel, he grabbed another attacker by the arm and flipped him into the third man. The two crashed into each other, groaning in pain as Warren pressed forward, his presence as overwhelming as his fighting style.
"Keep pushing forward!" Vasco shouted as the Burn Knuckles, galvanized by their leaders' skill, pressed on with renewed intensity. They fought with a cohesion and aggression that spoke to the bond forged during months of training.
The initial wave had been cleared easily, almost too easily. As they advanced deeper into the Fourth Affiliate's territory, Vasco, Jay, and Warren exchanged glances, a shared realization crossing their minds. The Workers' defenses weren't nearly as daunting as they had anticipated. Some months ago, they would have struggled against this force, but now, it felt like cutting through paper.
"Was that it?" Vasco muttered under his breath as he scanned the fallen enemies. "I thought the Workers were supposed to be strong."
Jay's calm gaze swept over the battlefield. "If we were the same as before, we would've been in trouble," he said. "But we're not."
They approached the main building of the Fourth Affiliate, only to be met by another wave of defenders. These weren't just the grunts, they were the elites. Known names among the Workers emerged from the shadows: Baekho Kim, the former MMA fighter; Ryujin Jang, a renowned Taekwondo expert; and Ken Ryu, a boxer with a reputation for knockout power. Their faces showed determination, yet there was an undeniable hint of hesitation. The Allied Crew's reputation had preceded them, and the ease with which they had cut through the initial defenses made these seasoned fighters wary.
Vasco grinned, his knuckles cracking as he prepared for the clash. "Finally, a real challenge."
Jay and Warren flanked him, both ready to push through. The elites advanced, and Squad A didn't back down.
Baekho Kim rushed in first, his MMA skills on full display as he threw a series of jabs and low kicks at Vasco. Vasco blocked the strikes effortlessly, his Muay Thai giving him the edge in the clinch as he pulled Baekho into a vicious knee strike. The force of the blow lifted Baekho off his feet, and a follow-up elbow knocked him out cold.
Jay faced off against Ryujin Jang, whose Taekwondo stance was low and ready. The Taekwondo expert launched a spinning kick aimed at Jay's head, but Jay ducked under it and closed the distance. His hands moved with blinding speed, striking Ryujin's exposed ribs with a pair of rapid punches before delivering a sharp knee strike to his solar plexus. The Taekwondo fighter crumpled, gasping for air.
Meanwhile, Ken Ryu came at Warren with a boxer's stance, his punches quick and powerful. Warren blocked the first few hits, then countered with a brutal right hook that knocked Ken's head back. Seizing the opportunity, Warren executed a hip throw, slamming the boxer to the ground and knocking him unconscious with a follow-up stomp.
As the elite fighters fell one by one, Squad A shared a moment of surprise at how easily they had overwhelmed their supposedly toughest opponents. It was a stark reminder of just how far they had come. The Workers were once a terrifying force to be reckoned with, but now, they were falling like dominoes. Their past selves would have struggled here, but now, these battles felt almost routine.
The ground was littered with groaning bodies and shattered weapons as the Allied Crew reached the entrance to the inner sanctum. The Fourth Affiliate's headquarters loomed above them, but the tension only built as they prepared for the final phase of the assault.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a figure emerged, a familiar face among the Workers. Samuel Seo, the interim leader of the Fourth Affiliate, stepped out, flanked by his last line of elite guards. His piercing gaze swept over the Allied Crew, taking in the sight of his decimated forces. The anger in his eyes was unmistakable.
"You think you can come here and tear down everything we've built?" Samuel's voice echoed with fury, his hands clenched tightly. "I'll show you the true power of the Workers!"
Vasco stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Samuel with a confident grin. "Oh yeah?" he replied, his voice carrying a challenge. "Then bring it."
Samuel didn't wait. He lunged at Vasco with surprising speed, his fist aimed straight at Vasco's jaw. Vasco blocked it with ease and countered with a knee strike to Samuel's ribs. The impact sent Samuel stumbling back, his expression shifting from rage to shock. He hadn't expected such raw power from Vasco.
The other elite guards charged in, but Jay and Warren were ready. Jay's Kali Arnis flowed effortlessly as he deflected strikes, delivering incapacitating hits with swift precision. One guard swung a chain at him, but Jay sidestepped and struck the man's arm, disarming him before landing a swift kick to the knee, dropping him to the ground.
Warren tore through the remaining guards, his CQC skills overwhelming them in mere moments. He grabbed one attacker and used him as a shield against another's assault, then threw both of them to the ground with a single motion. His grappling techniques left the guards unable to mount any effective counterattacks.
Samuel was alone now, his elite guards lying in a heap around him. Breathing heavily, he stared at Vasco, Jay, and Warren, the reality of his situation dawning on him. The Fourth Affiliate had been decimated.
Vasco approached Samuel, his confident grin still in place. "Is that really all you've got?" he taunted. "I thought you were supposed to be one of the best."
Samuel clenched his jaw, a growl escaping his throat. "Don't mock me!" He launched a desperate flurry of punches at Vasco, but Vasco's defense was impenetrable. With one swift motion, he parried Samuel's punch and drove his fist into Samuel's stomach. The blow was like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind out of Samuel and sending him crashing to his knees.
"Get up," Vasco said, his tone suddenly serious. "This can't be all you've got."
Samuel struggled to his feet, his eyes burning with defiance, but there was a hint of fear now. The realization had set in, he couldn't win. Vasco, Jay, and Warren were in a league far beyond what he had anticipated.
As Samuel tried to steady himself, Vasco's voice rang out once more. "The Workers might have been strong before," he said, his gaze piercing. "But we've become stronger. If this is the best you can do, then the Fourth Affiliate is finished."
With those words, Vasco delivered a final, devastating roundhouse kick to Samuel's head, knocking him unconscious. The leader of the Fourth Affiliate fell to the ground, motionless.
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