Arthur strolled down the quiet street. A lollipop rested between his lips, the sugary taste soothing the bubbling irritation within him. He hated surprises, especially when they involved unknown witnesses and Grace's knack for reckless determination.
Grace had texted him the address, claiming the "witness" she found would blow their investigation into Lena King wide open. Arthur was skeptical, but his curiosity outweighed his wariness. Now here he was, standing outside a decrepit warehouse that screamed "trap" from a mile away.
Popping the stick out of his mouth, he crunched the remaining candy and muttered to himself, "That girl better not have walked into something stupid."
The warehouse door creaked open, and Grace poked her head out, her glasses slightly askew. "Arthur, you're late."
"I'm not late. You're just early and in the middle of nowhere," Arthur shot back, stepping inside.
The interior was poorly maintained as expected from the appearance of the warehouse, the faint buzz of a flickering overhead light added to the abandoned atmosphere. Grace led him to a corner where an older man in a dark suit sat on a crate. His fedora cast a shadow over his face, but Arthur immediately recognized him.
"Great," Arthur muttered under his breath, his muscles tensing. It was the same shady man from the casino, the one who had been watching him.
Grace looked at Arthur and whispered, "What's with the face? Do you know him?"
Arthur didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, eyeing the man closely. "You're the guy from the casino," he said bluntly. "What's your game?"
The man smirked, his teeth gleaming in the dim light. "You've got sharp eyes, kid. But this isn't about me, it's about you."
Before Arthur could react, the faint sound of footsteps echoed around them. He spun around to see a group of armed men emerge from the shadows, their weapons glinting menacingly.
Grace gasped, clutching Arthur's arm. "What the hell is this?"
Arthur's mind raced. "A setup," he said, his tone sharp. He turned to the man in the suit. "You've got balls setting this up. What do you want?"
The man shrugged lazily, his smirk never wavering. "Our boss doesn't like loose ends. Consider this...a cleanup operation."
Arthur clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Should've guessed. King really doesn't like me, huh? I thought we had a deal"
The man gestured to his lackeys. "Boys, make it quick. I don't want to waste my night on this punk and his lady friend."
As the men moved in, Grace tightened her grip on Arthur's arm. "What do we do?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Arthur took a deep breath, his heart pounding in anticipation. He activated [Clairvoyance], the world around him shifting as flashes of possible futures flooded his vision. He saw the attackers' moves before they happened; the swing of a crowbar, the click of a trigger, the angle of a knife strike.
"Stay close to me," Arthur said, his voice calm despite the chaos unfolding in his mind.
The first man lunged at him with a bat. Arthur sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it until the weapon clattered to the floor. A swift punch to the gut sent the attacker sprawling.
The second man raised a pistol, but Arthur was already moving. He ducked under the shot and closed the distance in a heartbeat, slamming his knee into the man's stomach before delivering a spinning kick that knocked him out cold.
Grace watched in stunned silence as Arthur moved with inhuman speed and precision. His strength, agility, and foresight made him a one-man wrecking crew, before the gifts of the system Arthur was no stranger to brawls and fist fights, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he excelled in that aspect. Coupling his existing strength with the system's enhancements, he was nigh-unstoppable.
The remaining men hesitated, clearly shaken by how easily Arthur had taken down their comrades. Arthur used the pause to grab a metal pipe from the ground, twirling it like a seasoned fighter.
"Well?" he taunted, his lollipop stick dangling from his lips. "Who's next?"
Two of the men rushed him simultaneously. Arthur spun the pipe, deflecting a knife strike before smashing the weapon into the side of one attacker's head. The other man swung a chain at him, but Arthur caught it mid-air, yanking the assailant forward and landing a devastating elbow to his jaw.
In a matter of minutes, the floor was littered with groaning bodies. Arthur turned to the man in the suit, his pipe resting casually on his shoulder.
"Still feeling confident?" Arthur asked, a cocky smirk on his face.
The man scowled, reaching into his jacket for a gun. Before he could draw it, Arthur was on him, grabbing his wrist and twisting it painfully. The gun clattered to the ground.
Arthur leaned in close, his voice low and menacing. "Tell your 'boss' if he wants me gone, he's gonna have to try a lot harder than this."
With a shove, he sent the man sprawling onto the ground.
Grace finally found her voice, though it was shaky. "Arthur...what the hell are you?"
Arthur turned to her, his expression softening. "I'm just a guy who doesn't like getting pushed around."
The man in the suit struggled to his feet, his face pale. "You've made a big mistake, kid. This won't slide, our boss will come for you."
Arthur shrugged, tossing the pipe aside. "Let him come. I'll be waiting."
The man staggered out of the warehouse, leaving his unconscious lackeys behind.
Grace exhaled sharply, her hands still trembling. But instead of backing down, she straightened her posture, her usual fire returning to her eyes.
"That was insane," she said, glaring at Arthur. "But we're not stopping. If anything, this proves how deep their corruption runs."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You're not even a little scared?"
"Of course I'm scared," Grace snapped. "But fear doesn't mean giving up. These people need to be stopped, and I'm not backing down now."
Arthur chuckled, popping another lollipop into his mouth. "You're something else, you know that?"
Grace crossed her arms, glaring at him. "And you're infuriating. But...thanks for saving my ass. Again."
Arthur smirked, adjusting his jacket. "At this rate, I should start charging you."
Grace scoffed, "Good luck with that, I have nothing to give you"
Arthur eyed her from head to toe, his eyes lingering on her bosom before resting on her face, "I could think of a few ways you could pay me," He teased
Grace rolled her eyes, "I'd rather die."
"Ouch, Noted"
"Save that energy for Lena King, you're going to need it,"
"I don't doubt that" Arthur smirked
As they stepped out into the night, Grace looked up at Arthur. "So what's the plan now?"
Arthur's expression grew serious. "Now? We regroup and speed things up...we have no idea who sent those men."
"Isn't it obvious? Its Victor King" Grace replied
Arthur unwrapped another lollipop, "No, king is more…direct in his approach. Besides, we had a deal, I'm safe from King for now," he said, placing the stick sweet in his mouth
Grace raised an eyebrow, "Deal? What deal?" She asked
"It's getting late, you should go home now and no more witnesses please," Arthur changed the topic as he walked away