Nemesis let out a weak, mocking scoff, using the handrail to stabilize himself.
"This guy is an absolute idiot."
The Beast's eyes narrowed into slits. In the literal blink of an eye, he vanished.
Before Nemesis could even process the empty space, The Beast materialized directly in front of him. "Man, you really should learn to respect your elders," he murmured.
With a casual, terrifying flick of his wrist, The Beast delivered a massive open-handed slap to the side of Nemesis's face. A sickening, explosive CRACK echoed through the alley as Nemesis's neck snapped instantly. The sheer kinetic force launched his body thirty meters through the air, sending him crashing through the wooden doorway of an abandoned house across the street. He hit the floor inside, dead before he even touched the ground.
Ethan, Liam, and Asher froze, completely paralyzed by shock.
He was standing right in front of us, Asher's mind screamed in absolute panic. But in a fraction of a second, he crossed the street, broke Nemesis's neck, and executed him instantly. I couldn't even track his movement.
Liam's tactical training overrode his fear. "Attack!" he roared.
Sprinting forward at maximum velocity, Liam threw a powerful, desperate punch directly at the giant's face. But before his knuckles could connect, The Beast vanished again, leaving nothing behind but a sharp slipstream of wind.
Behind me, Liam realized too late.
He spun, but The Beast's heavy combat boot was already descending. The kick slammed into Liam's face with the force of a meteor, burying his head straight into the asphalt and creating a jagged crater in the street. Liam's eyes rolled back, his body going completely limp.
What?! Liam is unconscious? From a single kick?! Ethan thought, a cold dread pooling in his chest as he forced his broken frame off the wall.
Unbelievable. I can't let him close the distance, Asher reasoned frantically.
But before his hand could even twitch to launch a wire, The Beast was already towering over him. A massive, iron-like hand clamped around Asher's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Asher kicked out violently, striking the giant's chest, but his boots bounced off the man's muscles as if hitting solid steel.
The Beast smiled, then brought Asher down with a devastating, one-handed chokeslam into the pavement. The impact shattered the concrete, instantly knocking Asher into oblivion.
Suddenly, Ethan materialized from the giant's blind spot, channeling the absolute last reserves of his energy into a desperate, lethal strike. Without even turning around, The Beast simply pivoted his torso, driving the hard point of his elbow straight into Ethan's chest.
The impact was catastrophic. Ethan felt his ribs splinter as he was violently blasted into the ground. A thick torrent of blood erupted from his mouth.
It feels... like I just got hit by a truck, Ethan thought, his nervous system short-circuiting as darkness rapidly consumed his vision. He collapsed into the dirt.
"Man, that actually scared me for a second. Seriously," The Beast sighed, completely unbothered.
He stood among the three unconscious military operatives, casually dusting off the lapels of his tailored clothes. He looked down at Ethan's limp body and smirked. "You've still got a long way to go, kid."
Taking a few steps away from the carnage, The Beast pulled a sleek, encrypted smartphone from his pocket and speed-dialed Murphy. The line connected instantly.
"Your job is officially wrapped up," The Beast said smoothly. He listened to the voice on the other end for about a minute, nodding along, before the line went dead.
Suddenly, The Beast let out a booming laugh, a massive grin stretching across his face. "Finally! I'm getting my payday! yeah!"
He slipped the phone back into his pocket, his cheerful mood peaking, before his eyes fell back onto the three crumpled, bloody bodies lying in the cratered street. His smile faltered, replaced by a heavy, dramatic sigh.
"...Fine. Okay," The Beast muttered to himself, scratching the back of his neck.
He pulled his phone back out and dialed a new number.
"911, what is your emergency?" a female dispatcher answered.
"Hey, I need you to send an ambulance," The Beast said.
"Validating location now, sir. Can you give me an address or cross streets?"
The Beast looked around the dark, destroyed alleyway. "Location? Well... let me check Google Maps. Tell you what, I'll just text you my live location."
"Sir, this line doesn't typically accept—"
"Perfect. And as for the bill," The Beast interrupted smoothly, "send it to the number I'm about to text you. Okay, bye!"
He ended the call, shot over the location pin alongside a specific phone number, slipped the device back into his pocket, and strolled away into the night.
Later
Ethan's eyes fluttered open to the harsh white lights of a hospital room. Where am I? he thought, groaning as he forced himself into a sitting position. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, but he endured it.
"Where are Liam and Asher?" Ethan muttered, his voice hoarse.
"Lay down, kid," a doctor said, stepping into view and gently pushing him back against the pillows. "You've lost a lot of blood. As for your friends, they're resting in their own rooms. They'll live."
"How did we get here?" Ethan asked, squinting.
"An anonymous caller," the doctor replied, checking Ethan's vitals. "Now, kid... do you want to tell me how you boys got this badly chewed up?"
Ethan remained silent, staring at the ceiling.
The doctor sighed, capping his pen. "You're young. Stay out of trouble and take care of yourselves. Your families would be worried sick if they saw you like this."
Ethan nodded silently.
A few days later, after a tense recovery, Ethan, Liam, and Asher were officially discharged.
Elsewhere
Henry stood at the front of his classroom, writing a complex formula on the chalkboard. Suddenly, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. His eyes widened. What the...?
A text notification from an unknown hospital billing department stared back at him, detailing a massive invoice for three emergency admissions.
Beneath it was a forwarded message from a familiar number: 'Thanks for covering the kids' tab, Henny!'
Henry clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. Beast, damn you. You beat them within an inch of their lives and gave the hospital my number for the bill?!
The students noticed the sudden, terrifying shift in their teacher's expression. The room went dead silent.
"Sir?" one student in the front row asked timidly. "Is everything alright?"
Henry forced his hands to uncurl, plastering a bright, flawless smile across his face while his veins practically throbbed with rage. "Yes, everything is perfectly fine, class. Let's get back to the lesson."