Liam moved carefully across the roof toward the workshop below, his Silent Stride still active and muffling every step he took.
He found a spot where the roof dipped down closer to the workshop’s entrance.
The tal roof creaked slightly under his weight, but the sound was so faint it wouldn’t carry inside.
’Need to get down there.’
He looked around and spotted a drainpipe running down the side of the building next to the workshop. It looked old and rusty, but it would work.
Liam climbed down carefully, using the pipe for support as he lowered himself to the ground.
His feet touched the concrete silently, and he straightened up, looking at the boarded entrance.
The wooden planks were nailed haphazardly across the doorway, leaving just enough space for soone to squeeze through sideways. So of the nails were loose, and the wood looked rotted in places.
He reached for one of the planks and tried to pull it aside quietly.
*Crack*
The wood splintered slightly as he pulled, the sound echoing in the quiet alley.
"What was that?" a voice said from inside, sharp and alert.
"Did she find us?" another voice asked, panic creeping in.
Liam heard movent inside. Footsteps. Things being picked up. tal clanging against tal.
"Grab sothing!" one of them hissed. "Anything!"
"I can’t believe she found us," one of the guys said, his voice shaking with fear.
Liam stepped back slightly, positioning himself in front of the entrance.
He waited.
Inside, there was silence except for heavy breathing and shuffling feet.
*Squeeeak*
The plank shifted as soone pushed it from the inside, the hinges groaning like they were announcing judgnt day.
The gap widened slowly, revealing the dimly lit interior of the workshop.
"Huh?" one of the guys blurted out in shock.
Standing in the doorway now was Liam. Black hoodie. Jeans. Sa general look as the three guys who’d been running earlier.
One of them took a step back. "What the—"
Liam coughed once, clearing his throat as he looked at them.
There were four people inside.
Three of them were the guys he recognized from earlier—the ones who’d knocked his hot dog out of his hand.
The fourth was older, mid-twenties maybe, with a shaved head and a scar running down his left cheek.
Liam’s eyes swept across them one by one.
The first guy clutched a tal pipe in both hands.
The second held a wrench, gripping it like a club.
The third had a crowbar.
And the scarred man at the back held a handgun, pointed down but ready.
The scarred man stared at Liam for a mont before his eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"
Liam looked at each of them in turn before speaking. "You guys did sothing that pissed off."
"What?" one of them said, confused.
"And I’m here to even the score," Liam finished.
There was a beat of silence.
Then they all started laughing.
One of them doubled over, pointing at Liam while he laughed so hard he had to brace himself against a workbench. "Are you serious right now?"
Another one wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "Kid, did you really just say that?"
Even the guy with the gun cracked a smile, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Liam didn’t say anything. He just stood there, waiting.
The laughter died down slowly as they realized he wasn’t joking.
The guy with the gun stepped forward, his expression hardening. He held the weapon up so Liam could see it clearly.
"Look, kid," he said slowly, like he was talking to soone who didn’t understand basic concepts. "Do you know what this is? It’s a gun. And do you know what guns are for? They’re for killing people. And guess what? You’re people." He paused, letting that sink in. "So if you don’t get the hell out of here right now, I’m going to kill you. Do you understand ?"
Liam took a step forward.
The guy with the gun looked over at one of the others—a tall guy holding a tal pipe.
"Handle this kid," he said. "I can’t shoot him. It’ll bring her running straight here."
The tall guy didn’t hesitate for a second before stepping forward, gripping the pipe tighter in both hands.
"No offense, kid," he said as he walked toward Liam. "But you really shouldn’t have—"
Liam moved.
Fast.
So fast the guy didn’t even see it coming.
One second Liam was standing by the door.
The next, he was inside the guy’s reach, driving his fist into his stomach hard enough to double him over. Before the guy could even gasp, Liam grabbed the back of his head and brought his knee up into his face.
The tall guy dropped like a sack of bricks, unconscious before he hit the ground.
"What the—" one of the others started.
But Liam was already on him.
He moved like a blur, he moved completely soundless as he closed the distance.
The second guy swung a wrench at his head, but Liam was faster.
He ducked under it and slamd his palm into the guy’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. A quick jab to the jaw, and he was down too.
The third guy tried to rush him from behind, but Liam spun around with inhuman speed and caught him with an elbow to the temple. He crumpled instantly.
Three down.
The workshop went silent except for the sound of Liam’s breathing and the groaning of the unconscious guys on the floor.
The man with the gun stared at him, his eyes wide with shock and sothing else.
Fear.
"How... How did you?" he whispered.
Liam didn’t answer. He just started walking forward.
The man raised the gun with both hands, trying to steady it.
His hands were shaking badly, but he gripped it tighter and positioned himself properly.
"Stop right there!" he shouted, his voice cracking slightly. "I’ll shoot! I swear I’ll shoot!"
Liam kept walking.
*Bang!*
The gunshot was deafening in the enclosed space.
But Liam had already moved.
He twisted to the side with impossible speed as the bullet whizzed past him, so close he felt the air displacent against his cheek.
Before the man could even process what had happened, Liam was on him.
He grabbed the gun with one hand, twisting it upward and away. His other hand clamped down on the man’s wrist, forcing him to release his grip.
The gun clattered to the floor.
The man stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror as he looked up at Liam.
"What are you?" he whispered again, his voice barely audible.
"A Monster!"
Liam grabbed him by the collar and pulled him forward, then drove his fist into his face.
Once.
The man’s head snapped back, and he went limp.
Liam let go, and the man slumped to the floor, unconscious.
Silence.
Liam straightened up slowly, rolling his shoulders as he looked around at the four bodies lying on the ground.
His Silent Stride was still active. He could feel it humming beneath his skin, making every movent effortless and quiet.
Then he heard it.
Footsteps. Running. Getting closer.
He turned toward the entrance just as soone appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily.
It was the officer from earlier.
She was bent over slightly, one hand braced against the doorfra as she tried to catch her breath. Her face was flushed, and strands of her short hair stuck to her forehead with sweat.
She looked up at Liam, then at the unconscious n on the floor.
Liam smiled. "You’re here. I’m guessing the gunshot brought you?"
He gestured around at the unconscious n. "I already took them out for you. That guy over there seems to be the boss." He pointed at the man with the shaved head. "You should probably cuff him first."
The officer straightened up slowly, her breathing still heavy as she walked into the workshop.
But instead of going to the unconscious n, she walked straight toward Liam.
Before he could react, she grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back.
*Click*
The cold tal of handcuffs closed around his wrists.
"What the—" Liam started, his eyes widening in shock.
"You’re under arrest," she said firmly.
"What?" Liam tried to turn around, but she held him in place. "I just caught them for you!"
"For ?" The officer’s voice was sharp now, all business. "Or are you part of them?"
"What do you an?" Liam asked, genuinely confused.
"You’re literally wearing the sa outfit as they are," she said. "Black hoodie. Jeans. And I’m guessing when I bumped into you earlier, that was a distraction so they could get further away and escape."
"Wait, what?" Liam’s voice went up. "Then why would I beat them up?"
"Because you had a disagreent," she said calmly. "Money dispute. Soone didn’t get their cut. Sothing went wrong, and you decided to take them down yourself."
"That’s not true!" Liam protested.
"Then explain to how you were able to get here and beat them up," she said. "How did you find them when I couldn’t?"
Liam opened his mouth to respond, but stopped.
’He can’t just tell her he used a system ability’
The officer waited for a mont, then nodded. "That’s what I thought."
She pulled out her radio with her free hand. "This is Officer Grace. I need backup at the old Henderson workshop on Fifth and Maple. Four suspects in custody, one detained. Gunshot fired. Send units imdiately."
Static crackled, then a voice responded. "Copy that, Officer Grace. Units en route. ETA three minutes."
She clipped the radio back to her belt and guided Liam toward the entrance of the workshop, her grip firm on his cuffed wrists.
Once they were outside, she positioned him against the wall and began to recite his rights.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
Liam stood there, completely stunned.
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