Three Thieves 2

Duke's heart raced as he stepped into the cramped room, fully aware that danger lurked within its confines. It was no surprise to him that the first sight that greeted his eyes was the men. With limited hiding space, their presence couldn't be concealed in such a small space.

Duke had always been one step ahead, his instincts finely tuned to detect any signs of trouble. As if guided by an invisible force, he sensed a presence behind him, a shadowy figure poised to strike. With lightning-fast reflexes, Duke instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding a swinging bat aimed at his head.

In that fleeting moment, time seemed to slow down. Duke's hand shot out, seizing the bat from the would-be attacker's grip. With a swift motion, he disarmed the man and forcefully pushed him to the ground, joining the rest of the thieves halfway in their humbled state.

The room crackled with tension as Duke stood tall, his gaze piercing through the dimly lit space. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He knew he had to assert his dominance, to make it clear to these thieves who had sorely underestimated him.

One of the men still standing took a step forward. His hands were nonchalantly tucked into the pocket of his worn-out jeans, exuding an air of false bravado in an attempt to equally establish dominance.

"Ahh, we meet again. However, I must confess, I can't say this reunion was purely coincidental," he uttered as his gaze swept across the cramped space of Duke's home. "Now, I find myself pitying your circumstances. If I had known this was where you lived, I might have let you off at first glance. No wonder you reacted so aggressively with us messing around. The chicken change meant more to you than we could have ever imagined."

Duke, his hands tightening around the sturdy bat, took a deliberate step closer. "I'm going to make this quick. You better have my money."

A smirk danced around the third guy's face as he chuckled derisively. Duke presumed he was the one called Brad because he was standing behind his friends, just like the last time. "Surely you didn't think we came back to graciously give back what was rightfully yours, did you? You're not as smart as you look, dude."

"Let's call it what it was and be done with it. A grievous mistake from your end and a regrettable misunderstanding from ours..."

As quick as a panther, Duke's bat swung through the air, aimed at the man's head. With a quick dodge, the young man managed to evade the hit, but little did he anticipate a follow-up strike from Duke, the impact settling on his nose.

As he fell to the ground, blood trickled from his battered nose. Duke squatted over him as he yelled, "A mistake? I don't think so, mate. Where's my money?!"

"Where's the pill?"

The question made Duke rise from his squatting position as he looked at Brad. How did he know about the pill? No, the important question was, how did he know Duke was tasked to take it?

"Pill?" Duke feigned ignorance.

"You heard me. We didn't come to have a chit-chat about last time; we came here to find the pill."

"Who sent you?" Duke raised a question, ignoring what Brad had said before.

"That doesn't matter," Brad stated before continuing. "What matters is why we are here, and as mentioned earlier, it's for the pill. How about we strike a deal? You give us the pill right now, and we will give you enough money, much more than what we initially took from you."

"I don't have what you are looking for."

"So you do know about the pill's whereabouts. That's good. We are getting there, slowly," Brad mused before picking a cigarette from his pocket. He blew out smoke before fixing his gaze back on Duke. "You see, it's important we get that pill, and now. Our lives depend on it. So while I'm still being nice, give us the pill from wherever you have it hidden, and we'll be on our way. Sounds like a win-win for both of us."

"I see how it is," Duke mumbled, but loud enough for them to hear. He reached out to the first guy he had thrown on the floor aggressively, and without warning or a hint of his next course of action, Duke snapped his neck.

[150 points awarded to you for the killer move.] The 3D girl sprouted in his vision immediately to inform him.

Brad and the second guy stood up straight immediately, their eyes widening with rage and shock at Duke's move.

"Here's how this is going to go: You tell me everything I need to know and give me back my money in cash."

They waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, they realized he didn't plan to let them go after.

They shared a look. Their plan was failing. Duke didn't seem blind and helpless at all. How were they supposed to take advantage of someone who snapped his fellow human's neck without remorse? Was he even human at all? They wondered among themselves.

"We are still not talking? Maybe it would be quicker if there's only one of you."

They looked at Duke as if he had grown horns on his head, their eyes wide with disbelief. This man meant business, and they couldn't fathom how the tables had turned so quickly. They were the ones with the Tierany system, the ones who thought they were in control. But in that moment, they realized they were nothing compared to the sheer force and dominance exuded by Duke.

"You can't do anything, the government will..." one of them started to say, his voice trembling with fear. But before he could finish his sentence, Duke's primal instincts took over. With lightning speed, he bolted towards the man, his muscles rippling with power. In one swift motion, he swung the bat with incredible force, connecting it with the guy's neck and ripping it open. The sickening sound of cracking bones and splattering blood filled the room, staining the walls and Duke's face.

Duke's enhanced strength, fueled by the points he had earned, was evident as the bat cracked slightly under his firm grip.

"What are you?" Brad, the only one left standing, stammered as he looked into Duke's eyes, searching for answers in the depths of his gaze.

Dropping the bat, Duke turned to face Brad, a taunting smirk playing on his lips. His voice dripped with a mixture of confidence and mystery as he responded, "Right now, I can be two things to you. Your liberator, leading you out of this self-inflicted nightmare, or your end, sealing your fate. Choose wisely, my friend."

[Fifteen minutes left]