The first blow came so fast Ned didn't even see it – just felt the impact as Tiger's fist connected with his sternum, sending him flying backward into a dumpster with a crash that echoed off the alley walls.
The impact knocked the wind from his lungs and set off a cascade of alerts in his vision.
[WARNING: Hairline fracture detected - three ribs, left side]
[Recommendation: Avoid further trauma]
Ned barely had time to process this before Tiger was on him again, grabbing him by the throat and hurling him across the alley like a child's discarded toy. He slammed into a pile of cardboard boxes, which did little to cushion his fall.
"You know what I love about alleys?" Tiger mused, stalking toward him with predatory grace. "So many fun things to play with!"
To demonstrate his point, he seized Ned by the ankle and swung him into a stack of empty pallets. Wood splintered, adding its own percussion to the symphony of violence.
