After School
"Why did you call me here."
"You went too far this time Carlos, despite everything he's done, he's still my brother and I care about him"
Carlos didn't even blink.
"He deserved everything that got to him."
Her eyes sharpened.
"You nearly killed him."
A pause.
"And for what? Because he said something?"
Carlos stepped closer.
"It wasn't just something."
"Oh?" she snapped. "So now you decide what words deserve violence?"
His jaw tightened.
"He hurt him."
Esmeralda let out a frustrated breath.
"Pacho is not weak, Carlos. Stop treating him like he is."
Carlos' voice dropped.
"He's not weak."
"Then let him fight his own battles!"
Carlos laughed once.
Low.
"You think I should stand back and watch people break him?"
"I think you should stop breaking people for him!" she fired back.
Their eyes locked.
Clashing.
"Or is this really about you?" she added.
"You want to cover for your mother's lost love… so you use carnage instead."
Carlos' expression darkened.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Then explain it!" she challenged. "Because right now all I see is someone who solves everything with violence!"
Footsteps.
Multiple.
Fast.
Both of them turned.
"What the hell."
Shadows stepped forward.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Maxim's men.
One of them grinned.
"Well… he wasn't hard to find."
Another cracked his knuckles.
"Boss said don't hold back, break him limbs if you have to."
A third glanced at Esmeralda.
"And then we get a bonus to have lots of fun with."
Laughter.
Low.
Ugly.
Carlos stepped slightly in front of her.
"Esmeralda stay behind me. If you see an opening run and go get buck and the others"
This time
She didn't argue, she quietly went behind him.
The first attacker rushed.
Carlos punched him down.
Second came with a punch Carlos blocked and retaliated with an elbow followed by a knee to the jaw and knocked him out completely.
But ten was not two.
A hit landed on Carlos' side.
Another from behind.
He staggered
Then snapped back
Striking harder.
More violent.
Then
More footsteps.
Carlos gang members
Buck.
Kelvin.
Henry.
Without invitation
They just entered the fight.
Now it was chaos.
Fists.
Grunts.
Bodies slamming into eachother.
Still
Numbers pressed in.
Two men slipped past.
Toward Esmeralda.
They grabbed her.
Forced her back and pressed her on the ground.
"Got her."
"Hold her down. I will grab her hands"
"Let go!" she snapped, struggling.
"Hold her legs."
Far down the street
Andre and the others walked.
"…I'm still saying this, today is the most boring day of my life," Marco lamented.
"Says the guys who's been chasing girls all day long" Maria replied.
Hugo smirked."And never gets any of them."
Misheal stopped walking
"Do you hear that."
Andre stopped also " I hear it."
A scream.
"LET GO OF ME!"
They froze.
Marco expression changed.
"…You hear that?"
Misheal frowned "What did I just say."
Another voice.
"Hold her"
Andre realized what may possibly be going on.
They traced the sound and walked right into the scene.
Marco's eyes widened
"What the hell is this"
Hugo cracked his knuckles
"I don't know about you but I'm not standing here to watch this injustice happen."
Marco grinned" I'm with you on that bro."
Marco rushed in immediately and barely dodged a punch another came but he didn't see it.
Hugo stepped in
Took the hit.
Grunted.
Then drove his shoulder into the attacker
Sending him crashing back.
"I've got you!" Hugo snapped.
Marco blinked.
"…I really owe you now."
"Shut up and move!"
Meanwhile
His eyes found them.
Found her.
Pinned.
Struggling.
Crying.
"Why I'm I angry, why do I care."
One attacker turned.
"Dont do anything stupid! I know you also want a taste of her don't you"
That sentence.
Everything went silent.
Inside him
"How disgusting."
"She's a slut and i know you want her so this is your chance. We are willing to share."
Andre's face darkened "You all are sick in the head, thrash like you deserved to be wiped out."
A pause
"Leave now or suffer the consequences."
"Who do you think you are to threaten us."
Andre approached him immediately and landed a punch to him on the throat.The man dropped instantly, choking violently.
The second turned
"What the..."
Andre grabbed his head swiftly and slammed it on the wall.
" I want to see you bleed."
He dragged the head and slammed it on the wall again, again, again and again. Until the body stopped resisting.
Then chaos exploded.
"WHO THE HELL IS THIS GUY?!"
someone shouted.
Three rushed Andre.
He stepped forward.
Not back.
One swung
Andre caught his wrist, twisted it and broke it. His victims scream was immediate. Andre then pulled him in nailed an elbow to the jaw then dropped him like trash.
Another came from behind
Andre turned and smashed his fist into the man's face
Again
Again
And again
Blood sprayed.
The man fell.
Andre followed still punching.
Still hitting.
Bleed more, I want your blood all over this place. I want you to see the other side of the world, I want to send you to hades.
"STOP—HE'S DOWN!" someone yelled.
Andre didn't stop instead it seemed as if his intensity and hunger to kill increased.
The man tried to crawl.
"…please… stop…"
Andre grabbed him.
Dragged him back.
"I won't show you mercy. You don't deserve mercy."
He punched him.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Not stopping.
Esmeralda stood there frozen.
Watching.
"…Stop…"
A pause.
"…That's enough I'm grateful…"
She grabbed his arm.
He turned.
And the look in his eyes
Made her breath hitch.
There was no hesitation.
No humanity.
Just violence.
She let go instantly.
Stepped back.
Andre turned back.
Picked up a broken piece of bottle
The man beneath him barely moved.
"…please…"
Marco's voice cracked.
"ANDRE DONT DO IT!"
"YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!"
"ANDRE!!!"
Marco screamed.
"Hugo help me let's hold him down!"
They rushed him.
Held his arms.
But he kept moving.
Kept dragging them.
Still trying to strike.
"STOP!" Hugo shouted.
"SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Across the street
Carlos was the same.
Held by his boys.
Still trying to break free.
Still trying to hurt someone.
Two monsters.
Unleashed.
Marco panicked.
" A little help here!"
Maria rushed and in front of Andre and wrapped her arms around him in firm hug.
"Stop. I don't know you too well, but I know you are not a monster, I know you are angry and pissed, but I'm not scared of you. Everybody has a dark side. But I'm willing to still see you as Andre, the Andre that's nonchalant but still cares about his friends, the Andre I consider to be my best friend. So for my sake put the bottle down Andre. Please! …" Maria whispered.
Silence.
Then the bottle slipped and fell from his hand.".
Andre froze, breathing slowed, the storm finially collapsed.
He pulled away and didn't look at them" I'm sorry for my misconduct. I lost control abit."
He turned and walked away.
Marco stared.
"…What… was that…he said he lost control a bit. How the hell is that abit"
Hugo exhaled.
"…Me here thinking I'm the baddest guy in the group and then you meet the guy."
Carlos stood still.
Watching Andre leave.
Something new in his eyes.
Recognition.
Interest.
Esmeralda remained in shock.
Heart racing.
Eyes fixed on Andre.
"…What the hell is wrong with that guy. For Gods sake we have a killer amoung us …" she whispered.