Ren is dragging his feet along the cracked sidewalk, sighing for what feels like the hundredth time this morning. His legs ache a bit, a dull reminder of yesterday's event.
"Stupid bicycle," He mutters to himself, rolling his eyes as he recalls the moment the car slammed into it, nearly snapping it in half.
He shakes his head. "I literally saved them, and got nothing in return. Great, just great."
His lips curl into a wry smirk as he tries to imagine explaining it to anyone.
"Oh yeah, I saved a couple of people, no big deal," he'd say.
"But how did I? What would I even tell them? That I used telekinesis to hold that old man's body together? Yeah, right. Even if they believed me, I'd have the government or worse on my ass in no time."
He kicks a small pebble as he walks, his expression slipping into a frown.
"Can't even fly to work, either. That'd be too hard." He glances up at the brightening sky. "One person sees me, and I'd end up on some news headline, or a viral video. No thanks."
His hands slide into his pockets as his thoughts begin to wander elsewhere, as they often do.
"Sigh, I need money. Lots of attention to that. Maybe I should just take some from Elisha." He smirks to himself, thinking about the fun he could have if he paid her a little visit. But the thought slips away quickly.
"No, not yet. She's beautiful, sure, but... I don't even think she's making much in the first place. Also, I don't want Incubi to be a thief."
Ren rubs his temples, his mind shifting again. "Maybe I should just find some thugs, beat them up, and take their money."
His smirk returns, lingering longer this time. "Yeah, that's better than taking from Elisha. As for today, I'll take the extra bike to the diner for deliveries."
He turns at the corner and the diner is just ahead. But what he sees fades his grin.
There are several motorcycles parked directly in front of the restaurant's entrance.
"Huh, what's going on?" Ren's brows furrow as he approaches the diner.
"Who the parks like that? And at the entrance at that."
He pushes the thought aside, stepping closer. Just as he is about to step in, his ears catch the muffled sounds of voices coming from inside. The voices are low, gruff, and threatening.
He pauses, something about the scene makes his chest tighten.
Carefully, he goes around and peeks through the window to see what's going on. His eyes widen at the scene inside.
Around twenty thugs, most of them holding bats and pipes, are standing around the dining area. The atmosphere is thick with tension. In the middle of them all is Eva, trembling, backed against the counter with some of the other employees cowering behind her.
Ren's gaze narrows as he spots two familiar faces—thugs with bandages wrapped around their heads.
Ren's teeth clench, anger surging through him after sighting them. Those bastards, the ones from the alley, the ones who went after Lina.
One of them, the one with a particularly nasty bruise across his face, steps forward.
"Bitch," he spits at Eva, "Tell us where he is! We know he works here, we saw him in your diner's outfit!" His voice is a mix of frustration and pain.
But before he can say another word, a sharp crack echoes through the room as a man, who seems to be their boss in his early thirties, dressed in sharp but clean-cut formal clothes, slaps him across the face.
"Shut the fuck up, you idiot!" the boss hisses. "Show some damn respect for the lady."
The thug recoils, clutching his cheek but not daring to speak. The boss straightens his jacket, a sneer curling on his lips as he turns to Eva.
"Sorry about that," he says smoothly, his voice dripping with false politeness. He gives her his handkerchief to wipe the spit.
"Now, miss, let's be reasonable. That guy beat up my men badly and broke their faces. As their boss, it's my duty to show that man who's in charge."
He takes a step closer, eyes cold and calculating. "So just tell us where he is, and we'll leave you and your restaurant in one piece."
Eva is trembling, her voice barely a whisper. "He... he isn't here." Her eyes flick toward the door, almost as if she hopes Ren might walk through any time and they leave her alone.
The boss' smile fades, annoyance flashing across his face. "Not here, huh? Alright then. Give us his address, and we'll be out of your hair asap."
For a moment, Eva stands frozen, her breath shaky, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. The other employees are huddled together in the back, just as terrified.
Ren can see it all through the window. His hands clench into fists, nails digging into his palms.
"Damn it, what should I do now?"
Inside, the boss' patience is running thin. He steps up to Eva, his hand reaching around her back, grabbing her ass.
"Look here, sweetheart," he says softly, his tone growing more menacing.
"I don't want to hurt you, alright? Just tell us where he is, and we won't have to wreck this place. Simple as that."
Eva gasps, her body stiffening under his grip, her eyes wide with fear. "P-Please," she whispers, her voice cracking. Tears form in the corners of her eyes as the boss squeezes her buttocks harder.
"Believe me, you really don't want to find out what happens if you stay quiet," the boss murmurs into her ear, a dark smile creeping onto his lips.
Eva's voice breaks. "He... he lives at..." She stammers, choking on her words, and then finally, she blurts out Ren's address.
The boss grins and releases her, satisfied. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Ren watches, his blood boiling. "That son of a bitch..." His thoughts are racing, torn between his urge to burst in and his need to remain unnoticed.
This is bad. They have my address now. I can't go home, can't take them down here in front of everyone...
He takes a deep breath, mind whirling. "I need a plan. I need to take care of them quietly and quickly."