Volatile Shadow

1. The stranger.

The punch to his jaw was enough to bring the young man kneeling to the ground pavement of one of Angel Gate's dark alleyways. The people in this lower-class area of the city wouldn't bat an eye to an occurring event such as this.

The following kick to the gut causes Galan to collapse completely into the pavement, gasping from the pain.

"You think he's had enough?" The street thug asks his partner beside him.

"He told us to rough him up." His partner sighs. "Not give him a light tap..."

"I didn't think he'd go down this easily, I thought he'd put up more of a fight." The third of the group interjects. "You sure this is the guy?"

"Blondie with a punchable face? Yep, I'm sure." The first says in an annoyed tone, kicking Galan again when he tries to slowly get up.

"Hey I'm just asking." He jokingly puts his hands up as act of surrender. "Just making sure we're not beating up the wrong guy here."

"Galan Vetrova." The second thug assures him. "Caucasian, blonde, tall, green eyes..." He points his finger, marking each of the descriptions about the groaning young man on the floor. "Hell, he's even wearing the white suit they told us he'd be wearing tonight. It's him."

"Since when did you start being so serious about who we're roughing up?" He scoffs "What, you carrying a pen and paper on your back?"

"No." He crosses his arms, obviously annoyed. "This one's important. He's important. I'd rather not piss off whoever paid us that wanted him roughed up."

"Yeah... I guess you're right on that part."

"I'll pay ya double what they paid you..." They all turn their heads to the one who suddenly spoke. Galan.

"Maybe triple, if I'm in a good mood." Galan chuckles, instantly regretting it after realising the pain that caused to his stomach.

"The hell..." The first thug responds. "You think you can negotiate with us kid? You don't exactly have good ground to pay us off."

"What, not taking an easy opportunity when it's shown to you? No wonder you dumbasses are still stuck in this place." He grins.

"You little shit..." The first thug continues his kicks on Galan, each one harder then the last.

"Fuck. You!" Galan bends into a fetal position, unable to escape the assault.

"Hey..." The second hesitates, worried about his partner's escalating attack. "I think that's enough, they didn't say we should kill him..."

"He's right man, calm down." The third looks just as worried as the second.

He knows that if this keeps going, it'll be more trouble than what they bargained for.
Not just for a dead body, but who the dead body will be related to.

"Shut up! I had it with this punk..." The man, not listening to reason, is readies the next flurry of blows that might put Galan down for good.

Galan, with recklessness in his thoughts, holds up a grim smile towards the three, "Do your worst..."

"With pleasure." The man gets ready to end young Galan's life.

"That's enough. Stop!" The third is about to try and step in stop his partner and would-be killer.

A nearby voice gains their attention, stopping all of them in their tracks...

"You should listen to your friends," The stranger says. He walks slowly into the alley, towards all four of them.