Red vs. Black

Chapter 8

It's been eight years, when will the criminals of London learn that they should just give up their games? It may be impossible for Liam to personally handle all of them, but he's left a big enough impression capturing the supervillains that surface every now and again, that he'd think the small, petty crime offenders wouldn't want to come face to face with him. Statistically speaking, they have, but the brave hearted ones who think they can take on anyone, including Red Valor, still exist. Like these guys.

Two stocky men in black outfits with scarves covering their faces like bandits are walking around the back fencing of an exotic car dealership. One's carrying what looks like a tool box, but neither bothers to look up, they only survey their surroundings in front and behind. Considering Liam watched the shorter one disarm the security system on the side gate, he's surprised by how weary they're acting, especially with two lookout cars parked out front. Regardless, he gives it less than two minutes before he's got them rounded up and ready for the police to haul away.

The sound of his shoes hitting the pavement isn't what alerts the two thieves of his presence, it's Liam's swift kick that sends their dangling toolbox flying. Immediately, both men produce hunting knives from inside their black jackets, but the movements aren't a match for Liam's superhuman reflexes. He ducks to his right, dodging one man's lunge forward, then uses his left elbow to knock the second's knife out of his hand before it even comes close to stabbing him.

With the small window he's afforded himself, he summons a worn out tyre from the pile leaning up against the chain link fence. Its weight knocks the first man down, Liam kicking his weapon away before forcing the tyre into the air where he melts it into an open horseshoe. Once it's hardened back to rubber, he uses it to pin the man up against the fence, the back of the tyre closing when Liam's hand motions for it to; he's not going anywhere.

In his peripheral, Liam can make out the man's partner going for the toolbox that broke open after hitting the ground; he's pulling out a short crowbar. Liam's right there, grabbing hold of the metal before the man can even process Liam's movements. They fight for possession of it, but Liam's footwork is unparalleled, tripping the other like a strategic MMA fighter and pinning him down to the ground like one too. He's careful when he bends the bar, making sure that the bright red portion stays where he wants it at the new point of curvature and doesn't travel to the part of the metal that he's binding around the other's hands like thick handcuffs; it all happens in a matter of seconds, thanks to the countless hours he took when he was younger, perfecting his directed focus. Even though the man would be an idiot to run away without any means to get these off, Liam delivers a punch to his head, rough enough to keep him sidelined, yet precise to the point that he won't suffer from anything other than a few cuts and deep bruises.

He leaves the crooks to wallow in their anguish, skirting around the edge of the car lot to catch their lookouts off guard. Behind a parked car along the curb, he can make out one of the spotter vans a few spaces ahead of his position, and another at the end of the road near the main street. A speedy survey of his environment tells Liam that he can easily approach the vehicle normally using the sidewalk, but what fun would that be? Instead, he's nimble on his feet, ascending the fence that continues around the front of the property.

Near the top, six meters above the ground, Liam scales the wall horizontally until he's just slightly behind his target. Right as he's about to launch himself down from the high angle, a ringing noise flows through the earbud that's hidden under his mask.

Only two numbers are programmed to bypass the Do Not Disturb mode on his phone, and since he left Niall to watch golf from the safety of their flat while he used his day off to organically crime hunt, the police scanner on in the background, Liam gears himself up for what he's about to hear.