Chapter 40: Brawl

Alex immediately noticed that I wasn't moving. "Jack? What is it?" he asked.Just then, the rough-looking-guy reached out and smacked the little girl, sending her stumbling backwards and holding her own cheek even though he was still gripping her right wrist. "C'mon, bitch! You are really asking for it!"

"HEY!!" I yelled, realizing that I'd already taken off, running at them. "Leave her the fuck alone!"

"The fuck are you?" rough-looking-guy turned and glared at me.

"Let go of her!" I called while slowing up as I got within ten feet of them.

The guy's posture had changed and I started to relax.

No matter how much a bully, almost anyone would back off from doing anything stupid while they had a public audience.

Yeah, well, not this guy.

"None of your fucking business, asshole!" Roughy yelled at me. And then for good measure, he turned and slapped the girl again, this time sending her sprawling face-down onto the sidewalk.

I ran forward again, this time reaching the guy just as he turned to take a swing at me. I twisted away from the punch and ran straight into him. It was a tackle strong enough to send us both to the ground.

I wound up on top of him, pinning the guydown, just as I felt a heavy boot hit me in the ribs from the side knocking my breath away and rolling me onto my back.

AH FUCK.

The rough-looking guy had a friend.

Roughy Two was pulling his leg back for another kick while I desperately looked around to see if anyone else was coming to join in.

Ten faces stared back, none of them approaching.

Great.

The second kick exploded agony up my side but I rolled away and got back to my feet, hunched over in pain. seaʀᴄh thё novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girl running back down the sidewalk where Alex was hurriedly gesturing for her to approach. I guess he was useful for something, though if these guys got to him, he would fold.

But just as I started to try and back away I saw that Roughy One was throwing another punch at my head.

I mostly dodged out of the way and managed to land a punch to the guy's kidneys, but he fell on top of me and sent us both to the ground again. I grunted in pain and annoyance as my back slammed onto the unforgiving concrete.

If I wanted to keep getting into fights like this, I should probably take a more advanced course.

Scruffy One was trying to hold me down with his left arm so he could keep pounding me with his right; and my efforts to defend myself were less than successful.

"Move outta the way, man," a growling voice said somewhere above me. "Lemme kick him again."

Roughy One rolled off me, leaving me gasping for air and bracing for another kick to the ribs. It wasn't even Roughy Two; a third guy was getting ready to kick me.

Ah, For fuck sake.

But just when I thought I was in for a world of hurt, Roughy Three's body went flying to my right and Roughy One turned around just in time to get viciously punched and land on his ass right beside me.

I looked up.

A muscular 6'3" guy loomed over Roughy One, kicking him again before leaning over and landing another vicious punch right to the guy's chin.

He then pointed at me, "Hold him down!"

I nodded and rolled over, putting my knee over the guy's neck and growling at him to stay put. He wasn't going anywhere, dazed as he was.

Meanwhile, that big guy went over to Roughy Two and started kicking the shit out of him as well.

"You alright?!" the big guy yelled, breathing heavily.

"I'll live," I replied, clutching my side. "Thanks for the assist."

Two minutes later, a police car screeched to a halt just off the curb and male and female cops ran around with guns drawn.

"Back off, boys!" the woman yelled.

Immediately, my hands went up and I backed away, leaving Roughy One gasping for air on the ground.

Roughy One and Two had been soundly bruised and battered by that... athlete-guy or whatever, and they lay flat on their backs with no intention of moving.

The athlete-guy himself put up his hands and backed away.

But Roughy Three chose that very moment to try to get away. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted down the sidewalk.

"Hey!" the male cop took off after him, "Stop or I WILL shoot!"

Roughy Three didn't bother stopping, but he did turn his head around to check if he was being pursued. And then, looking the wrong way, he promptly tripped over the next uneven crack in the sidewalk, sprawling flat on his face.

The cop was quickly on him, kneeling in the back while pulling his hands around to be cuffed.

I sighed and looked back to Alex, who was standing next to the little schoolgirl.

Now that I got a better look at her, she wasn't quite as young as I'd initially thought. 5'2", with dark brown hair pulled back into two pigtails. Her slender face was dominated by deep blue eyes, and her delicate features were accented by elfin-pointed ears.

Somehow, her face seemed familiar.

Despite her petite stature, I'd have guessed she was at least 20. And her outfit wasn't exactly a standard school uniform. She had on white knee-high socks with black saddle shoes, a plaid skirt, a white blouse, and a black necktie.

But she very much seemed ... for lack of a better word ... slutty. It was a college-aged kid dressed up like a Catholic schoolgirl fantasy.

And now that the imminent threat was over, she darted out of Alex's grasp and went straight to me, flinging her arms around me and crying, "Thank you!"

I moved to hug her back but the idea of a cop with a gun nearby made me hesitate.

So I just kept my arms up while the pretty and petite girl kept holding me.

...

"I'm Jack," I said, extending a hand.

"John," The big guy replied, shaking it firmly.

John was seating next to me in an interrogation room at the police station.

Here I was again... shit...

"How do you feel?" John asked.

"My ribs are sore, but I think I'll be alright."

"Mind if I take a look?" He pointed.

I arched an eyebrow with a questioning gaze.

He laughed. "I'm studying physio and I've been in a fight or two."

I nodded slightly. "I could tell that you knew what you were doing." Slowly, I lifted my shirt, letting John poke around my ribs, where the skin had already begun to darken with bruises.

"Wee... this is fine. Nothing's broken. You'll be just a bit stiff," John concluded with a smirk. "Just take it easy on you for a few days. In case the girl wants to reward the hero.

If you know what I mean," he winked at me.