Back Alley Brawl

[Order of Strife†]

((Continued from Vaulting))

One dull and uneventful evening found Adam Tenser outside the mall with a new computer game in hand. He had opened it the moment he left the store and was examining the instruction manual as he passed through the back alley shortcut to where he had parked his car. A gentle breeze was fluttering about which made it difficult to read the manual, but all it did was mildly annoy him as he held the pages down and adjusted the angle of the manual with each passing streetlight.

About halfway through the alley, Adam's reading became interrupted by more than the breeze. A large rock came flying out of nowhere, smashing into the streetlight directly above Adam. Dropping his book and game, Adam immediatly set his back to a wall, raising his arms and crouching low in a defensive stance as he scanned the surrounding area. The direction the rock had came from revealed one man holding a lead pipe. The sound of footsteps from behind caught Adam's attention and he shifted his head just in time to witness two more men running up from behind. One of them was wearing brass knuckles and the other was holding a menacing looking stainless steel knife.

"There's a toll for passing through our alley at this time a night kid," The thug with the lead pipe grinned. "You pay it or we make you pay it."

Okay, that guy is probably the leader of these... Savages? Adam thought as the other two thugs cackled in agreement with their leader.

"I'm afraid I don't have any cash on me right now. I spent it all on this game," Adam said. "Perhaps you'll take the game? I really want to resolve this without violence."

Keep talking... Just keep talking while you think of something... The guy with the knife is the most obvious threat. I can handle the bashing damage more easily than I can a stab.

"No, we don't want the game! I've had enough of this guy, beat him and search him!"

"I'll give you my car!" Adam yelled quickly. "I'll even tell you where it is!"

"Wait, hold up boys. Keep talking kid."

I can't believe that worked! Just roll with it Adam... "It's a Nissan Sentra, 2002. Pretty old, but definitely worth more than what you'll get off of mugging me. Here, take the key."

Reaching slowly into his pocket, Adam pulled out the spare key to the Nissan Sentra he had long since sold for scrap and tossed it at the guy with the lead pipe. Taking one hand off of the pipe long enough to grab the key, Adam seized the opportunity. When all eyes we're on the key, Adam moved as quickly as he could toward the guy with the knife and jabbed him in the bridge of the nose with his palm. A satisfying crunch gave way to a stream of blood as the thug with the knife flailed backwards, momentarily blinded. Dropping to the ground, Adam sweeped a kick underneath the thug with the brass knuckles who quickly came crashing to the ground.

Adam picked himself up off the ground, satisfied with how quickly he had dispatched the two thugs. Hearing the footsteps behind him, Adam turned around just in time to see the leader swing the pipe at him. Adam barely had enough time to raise his arm to avoid a killing blow across his skull. Pain shot through his left arm as the bone narrowly avoided being crushed.

Adam yelled in agony. Sweat poured furiously down his body as his mind fought to regain composure lost from the sudden shock of pain. Gah... Almost... Broke my arm... If the angle... Had been just a few degrees more direct... Is this... The end? I gotta get out of here! I've got to get out of here! Turning around to run, Adam felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder as the thug brought the pipe down into Adam's back. Stumbling momentarily, this left the thug with the brass knuckles an opportunity to grab at Adam's ankle. Tripping and falling onto the ground, Adam kicked with as much force as he could into the head of the thug who had a hold of his ankle. Before he could get that thug to let go, the thug with the knife managed to wipe the blood out of his eyes and began to kick Adam in the torso.

No sooner had Adam curled into a ball doing his best to protect himself when he heard the most glorious sound he had ever heard in his life.

"Shit! The Cops!"