𝐄𝐤𝐤𝐨 | 𝐃𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝐋𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝐀𝕟𝕚𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕤

9. Trapped

The shimmered trio shifted unnaturally fast towards me. I wanted to run, but I forced myself to move calmly, every step crunching over the wet cobblestones as I turned the opposite way.

I didn't get far.

Another weirdo stepped up from the direction I took, and I knew that swagger immediately.
Smeech's lanky frame was unmistakable, his smirk cruel, and his posture exuding the arrogance of someone who thought he owned the streets. Stupid Chem-Barons and their inflated egos.

Behind him, his gang fanned out, closing in from all sides. I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding as I realised I was surrounded.
"What a wonderful coincidence," Smeech drawled, his voice oily with amusement.
"Meeting exactly who I meant to find, all along..."

My jaw tightened, but I stayed quiet, my eyes darting for any kind of exit. None.
The yordle stepped closer, his grin widening.
"You know, Shark, I've been waitin' for a chance to catch up with you." He said, my eyes flicking to his pointy ears.
"Word is, you're the reason the Firelights made off with fifty tanks of Shimmer. Fifty."
He growled, robotic hands on his hips before he sighed.
"That little fuck up's got all of us payin' the price."

"I didn't—" I started, but he cut me off with a laugh.
"Save it, pretty. I don't wanna hear your excuses." His smile twisted, the mockery falling away to reveal the hatred underneath.
"You've been nothin' but useless. Silco's lapdog. But here's the thing— Silco doesn't care about you. He's too busy fussin' over Baby Blue, makin' sure his little pet project doesn't blow up his whole operation."

The jab could easily become a collection with the other ones I've received that day. I forced my face to remain neutral, but inside, it stung.
"Silco would find out," I then spoke up, keeping my voice steady.
"If something happens to me, he'll come for you."
Smeech barked out a laugh, his gang chuckling along with him like hyenas.
"Oh, sweety," he grinned, leaning in close enough that I could smell the tang of heavy alcohol he'd been drinking.
"You think the boss gives a damn about you? You're just a pawn he forgot to move off the board. And me? I don't answer to Silco."

The words hit like a punch to the gut.
Smeech leaned back, spreading his arms dramatically.
"Look around, Shark. No one here's gonna miss you."
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. Every instinct told me to fight, to lash out, but the odds were stacked against me.
Smeech's gang was all around me, their muttered threats making my skin crawl.
The shimmered up guys closed in, watching me with their glowing eyes like a fresh kill.

I was out of options. Trapped.
And Smeech knew it.
"Say your prayers, darling. You're finally gonna be useful for something."
In less than a second, the shimmered boy moved first, lunging toward me.
I sidestepped, barely avoiding the swipe of his clawed hand as it sliced through the air where my head had just been.
The other two followed, fanning out to surround me like wolves cornering prey.

Smeech and his gang jeered from the sidelines, their laughter prolonged and cruel.
"This oughta be good," he told them, leaning against a wall as if he was watching a street performance.
I fumbled for the talon dagger at my hip— the only weapon I had. My hands shook as I gripped it, heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst, but I had to concentrate.
I wasn't going to die there. Not like that.

The second shimmered guy charged, his glowing veins pulsing with an eerie rhythm. I ducked under his swing, the blade in my hand slicing across his arm as I spun away. He snarled, but didn't even flinch at the cut.
Shimmer had made them nearly impervious to pain.
Another came at me from the side. I dropped to the ground, sliding under his outstretched claws, but I was too slow to avoid the kick that caught my ribs.
The impact sent me sprawling, the air knocked out of my lungs as I hit the ground hard.