Someone’s following me.

It wasn’t a sound or a movement, not really.

It was…just a gut feeling.

He instinctively slowed to a stop, his breathing evening out as he listened.

The street remained still.

His eyes flicked over his shoulder casually, like he was just stretching his neck.

Nothing.

But he wasn’t convinced.

Lucas resumed walking, his steps slower now, each one lighter than the last. His ears focused for any hint of movement behind him, the faintest echo of footsteps that weren’t his.

His heart began to beat unusually fast in his chest.

Am I imagining things?

Another quick glance over his shoulder.

Not a single thing.

Lucas sighed. He was now certain that whoever was following him was clearly really good at his job.

Although he wasn't really sure if he was imagining things, or was there actually someone following him.

But his sixth sense was good- too good. He could smell the storm before it came, he could feel if someone followed him. Clearly, it wasn't the first time someone followed him, too many kids bullied him until he became the Boss.

Until he became in charge, everyone stepped on him.

Gosh, what should I do?

He patted his jacket pocket for his phone.

Should I call someone?

Now, what a normal person would do if their instincts are screaming for them to run- they would do it without second guessing themselves.

But it was obvious. Lucas wasn't normal.

So, he crossed his arms and continued walking. He had two choices- one was to call Jamie and let him know. He knew how to fight, he would figure something out.

Second, he would continue walking to the hideout, and deal with whoever was following him. On his own terms.

And, Lucas chose the second one.

He had to take revenge, didn't he? He had to be able to keep up his own against anyone who might threaten him.

He had to be capable- he had no other choice.

He couldn't drag Jamie into his mess, he can't always rely on him to make sure he's safe. That's why, he decided to let things burn the way they were, and he would do anything necessary to hold his own.

He remembered Jamie's words.

.

.

Just promise me, Lucas. Whatever you do, you'll take care of yourself.

.

.

Lucas continued walking, making sure whoever is following him doesn't suspect that he has already caught on that he's being followed.

I wonder who it is, and why they are following me.

He stretched his arms, readying himself for whatever danger he might face.

He kept on walking, only the sound of distant cars heard. Then, the alley leading to the hideout came into view.

He sighed and turned the alley.

It was dark, and the sun was setting low, but only a few of its ray's seeped into the alley, there was enough light for Lucas to make out the face of whoever was following him.

This is it, the last stop.

The moment he turned the alley, he pressed himself against the wall.

Slow your breathing down.

He did so, slowing his breathing down and focusing on the present.

No one had turned the alley behind him, but when Lucas was about to tell himself that his instincts were wrong and no one was following him, he heard footsteps coming closer to the alley.

The sound of the footsteps were Precise.

Calculated.

Planned.

Lucas exhaled a long breath through his nose.

Yup, there's no denying it. Someone is following me.

He kept pressing himself against the wall, when a man- not very old than him, turned the same alley, and came into view.

H-Huh?

It was Liam.

Lucas stepped forward, sighing a quiet breath of relief. It was Liam- it wasn't like he had been followed by a super dangerous villain, it was just a lackey of Blake's.

“Oh, Liam? You're here late too. I thought I was the only one coming way past the time I decided myself-”

He was cut off, when he saw Liam throwing a side punch at him- but Lucas was fast, faster than Liam could ever be.

So, he ducked, grabbed his arm and hoisted it behind him, pressing him against the wall.

Liam's chest was pressed against the brick wall, heaving with short breaths.

He took all his stamina and turned his face to the side, so that he could see a fraction of Lucas's face.

What is he doing?

He looked at Liam, his face a mix of victory and confusion.

“What are you doing?”

Liam didn't respond, but his lips tugged into a sick smile.

“Why? Were you scared? Pressing yourself against the wall like a cornered animal, huh?” He spat.

Lucas pushed him against the wall- harder, so that Liam was totally pressed against the wall, no chance for him to even move out of his place.

“Were you following me or just going the same way, to the hideout?” Lucas asked, keeping his voice low.

Liam laughed, darkly.

“You're so naive, Boss.” He said, the last word filled with bitterness.

“What do you think I was doing?” he asked instead, as if the answer was obvious.

And, it was.

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“Yeah, I know. But what's actually admirable is that you thought you could take me out yourself.”

Lucas said, his eyes victorious. But Liam didn't waver, he just laughed.

“You do know that the hideout is really close to this alley, right?” Liam said, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

“What do you mean?” Lucas asked, not understanding in the least what he meant.

Of course, he knew that the hideout was close- too close for that matter, but why bring that up now?

“So?”

Liam knitted his brows, “I can never understand why Blake is scared of you.” he hissed, “You are so damn stupid.”

Before Lucas could think of a proper insult for him, he felt footsteps behind- he whipped his head to the side.

There were six boys behind him, but they were unarmed. Lucas pushed Liam to the ground, and stepped back, facing the boys. All of them were lackeys of Blake, some forced to join, some joined out of sheer will.

Lucas smiled, and faced them. He was confident he could take all of them on, and still win. After all, he knew how to fight ever since he was stepping the stairs of teenaging.

“C’mon, Liam here acted as a great warm-up. I can take all of you on.” He declared, while Liam scoffed from behind.

Lucas squared his stance, his breathing steady.

“Who’s first to get their butt kicked?” A boy stepped forward, throwing an easy punch at him, but Lucas didn’t give him the chance, and just grabbed his hand, and kicked him in the mid-back, throwing him away like he didn’t weigh.

The five remaining boys stood their ground now, more focused than before. They had seen how easily Lucas had taken down their comrades, but there was still a fire in their eyes that told him they wouldn’t back down.

Lucas let his lips curl into a smirk, even as sweat began to roll along his brow. “What’s wrong? Scared already?” he taunted.

One of the boys flinched but charged forward with a wild yell. Lucas braced, sidestepping at the last second. He grabbed the boy by the collar and yanked him into the path of the second attacker, sending both crashing into each other.

Three down.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder, scanning for the others, but his focus snapped on Liam. The boy hadn’t joined the others. Instead, he stood a few paces back, his hand darting into his pocket.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed. What’s he up to?

Before he could act on his suspicions, another lackey lunged at him. Lucas barely had time to react, ducking. He counter-attacked with a swift punch to the side of the boy’s head, sending him staggering back, dazed.

Four down.

But as he turned his attention back to Liam, his gut twisted. The boy wasn’t retreating or panicked. Instead, he stood there, calm and composed, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

“What are you smiling at?” Lucas snapped, advancing a step.

Liam didn’t answer. Instead, he slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing…nothing.

Lucas froze. His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong, but before he could figure out what, two sets of hands grabbed him from behind.

“Damn it!” Lucas shouted, struggling against their iron grip. The lackeys who had been waiting for an opening had finally found it, locking his arms and shoulders in place.

“Got you now,” one of them hissed in his ear.

Lucas thrashed, but their hold was firm, his movements restricted. His breaths came quicker, shallower.

He thrashed in the lackeys grip, trying anything that might help him to free from their grip. But nothing worked.

Their hold was tight- his head and chest were completely tightened by their grip, and they were pulling him back as if they could rip him apart by sheer force of their bare hands.

And Lucas hated that.

Why force him to go to the hideout, when he was going to go himself?

He didn't understand.

But something in him snapped, telling him that he shouldn't underestimate them.

For whatever purpose they came, he knew it wasn't Innocent.

They knew they couldn't take Lucas on, so they used the illegal move, used by two or three people to hold one man down- that's what Lucas called it anyway.

Dammit. I don't understand why they are forcing me to go when it is clear as hell I'm going there.

He stopped thrashing, and focused on his surroundings.

Liam was sneering, coming closer, while the other lackey's weren't loosening their grip on him.

"What's wrong with you? I'm going to the hideout myself, thank you very much. I don't need someone to carry me there." Lucas said, watching as Liam scoffed and came closer.

"You think I'm here to stop you from going there?" Liam questioned, coming closer, and then he wasted no time for the response and threw a quick kick to the gut.

Lucas choked.

Then why is he here?!

"Nah. I'm here to slow you down." Liam waved his hand vaguely, stepping closer and grabbing Lucas by the jaw, pressing his back to the wall.

His breath hitched as Liam’s fingers dug into his cheeks, clamping his mouth shut and pushing his head against the brick with brutal force.

And then Liam’s other hand rose, his fingers pinching Lucas’s nose closed.

Panic set in instantly.

Lucas’s chest tightened as his body instinctively tried to draw in air, but nothing came. His nose was sealed shut, his jaw locked, and the lack of oxygen hit him.

I can’t breathe.

He thrashed, but the lackeys still had him pinned. Their grips dug into his shoulders and torso, holding him in place. His legs kicked out wildly, but it was useless.

Liam leaned in closer, his sneer widening as he hissed, “Stay still, yeah? This will only hurt a bit.”

Lucas’s thoughts were spiraling now, the lack of air making his vision blur and his head pound. He tried to calm himself, tried to think, but it was impossible.

His chest burned. The wheeze that usually came with his asthma attacks tried to gnaw at him, but there was no air to make it happen.

Think, Lucas. Think!

But it was hard to think when his body was betraying him, every instinct screaming to inhale, to fill his lungs, but the air was locked out.

The edges of his vision darkened, his limbs growing weaker. His kicks slowed.

I can’t…

Just when he thought his body would give out completely, Liam released him with a shove, stepping back with a dark laugh.

Lucas collapsed to his knees, gasping desperately, the first sharp intake of air hitting his lungs. He coughed violently, each breath labored and painful.

His chest heaved, his vision swimming as he struggled to stabilize his breathing.

“Aww~ Sorry I kinda pressed too hard, didn’t I? I forgot you can’t catch your breath.” Liam sneered, towering over him.

Lucas didn’t respond. He couldn’t.

His facial expressions showed he wasn’t sorry in the least.

He’s playing with me. Why do all this?

“What’s…your d-deal, huh?”

“My deal?” he repeated, tilting his head. "I know what’s waiting for you at the hideout. Blake is not in the mood today."

Lucas didn’t respond.

“So,” Liam continued, leaning in slightly, “I figured, why not help Blake out? You know, get my turn in early. After all, when you step into that hideout, Blake’s not going to give me- or anyone else, a chance to lay a finger on you.”

Yeah? Well, I’m not changing my mind.

Liam reached into his pocket. The movement was slow, and Lucas’s eyes followed every second of it. Liam’s eyes sparkled when he took out something, and looked at it.

A handkerchief?

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, his breaths still shallow but growing steadier.

Liam stood up, shaking the handkerchief lightly as if dusting it off, before leaning closer to Lucas.

“Now’s the time to do what lousy trick Blake asked us to do, I guess.”

Lucas' mind reeled with all the possibilities Liam could do with a single handkerchief, but nothing seemed really effective.

But then, it hit him.

And then, before Lucas could react, Liam lunged forward, pressing the handkerchief over his nose and mouth.

The smell hit Lucas instantly-

Sharp.

Chemical.

Suffocating.

His eyes widened, his body jerking violently as he realized what was happening.

Chloroform.

He thrashed, but his strength was already waning from the asthma attack, and Liam had the upper hand.

“I’m trying to be gentler, okay?” Liam muttered, his tone almost casual as he held the handkerchief firmly in place.

Lucas’s thoughts spiraled, a mix of rage and panic as his vision blurred again.

No. No, no, no.

His lungs screamed for air, but all he got was the suffocating scent of the chemical. His chest tightened, his legs kicking out weakly as the world around him darkened.

Lucas’s mind was a chaotic mess. Panic clawed at him, but a memory shined brightly.

.

.

How long can you hold your breath, Lucas?

.

He’d been younger then, sitting by the lake with Jamie. His brother’s voice had been lighthearted, teasing. Lucas had tried to follow, his chest puffed up with determination. But five seconds was all he’d managed before he’d burst back up, gasping and spluttering.

Jamie had laughed, but it wasn’t cruel. He’d swum over, ruffling Lucas’s hair as he caught his breath.

.

.

It’s okay, Luce. You’ve got your limits, and that’s fine.

.

.

Limits. Lucas had hated that word then. And now, he hated it even more.

His lungs burned fiercely. He couldn’t hold out any longer, and he knew it. His vision blurred, his head growing heavier with each passing second.

Was this it?

The lackeys holding him shifted suddenly, and Lucas barely registered their hands loosening around his arms. His legs, too weak to support him, buckled beneath him. He fell forward, the world tilting sharply as his knees hit the ground. His cheek pressed against the cold, dirty alley floor.

The handkerchief was gone, but it didn’t matter. His chest heaved in vain, struggling to pull in air. He felt himself slipping.

“Sweet dreams, Boss.” Liam added, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.

Maybe it was a mistake... The thought came faintly, his mind a murmur compared to the pounding in his chest. ...to come here without telling anyone.

And then, silence. Darkness swallowed him.