He was sitting right there, but not alone.

Liam was with him.

Ash ran towards Noah.

“Noah!” Ash called out to him while running towards him.

“Big brother, you’re back!” Noah shouted back, he jumped from his chair, but he couldn’t move.

Liam was holding Noah’s arm.

‘How dare he hold Noah captive, by force? I mean, for the love of god, leave him or I’ll kill you for real.’ Ash wasn’t buying it this time.

Ash was now bending in front of Noah and holding him by the shoulders, black eyes worriedly darting over every corner of Noah’s form to check for injuries, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Liam had an evil smirk positioned on his face.

“No Big brother, I’m okay. Your friend is very nice.” Noah chuckled while pointing towards Liam.

‘Am I glad or what?’ Ash let out a breath he didn’t knew he was holding.

“So, Where is Carter, huh?” Liam asked, his hand now letting go of Noah’s arm.

‘It’ll be wrong to tell him what I did to Carter in front of Noah, let’s just do this with you too, at some other place, Liam, what do you say, eh?’

“Let’s just talk…somewhere else?” Ash asked his eyes not to waver from Liam.

“Privacy, huh? Sure, I don’t mind.” Liam stood up, ruffled Noah’s hair, and followed Ash, who was walking to a far-off table of the very same food cafe.

Once they reached it, Ash faced Liam.

“So, you gonna tell me where Carter is or what?”

“...Leave us both, and I’ll tell you, sure.” Ash replied so coolly, as if he was bored…or maybe tired.

“Leave you?” Liam chuckled as if it amused him, “No, junior, it doesn’t work like that. You mess with Sir and then hell knows what you did to Carter, and now you want me to leave you be?

Liam was now holding Ash from the arm, and dragging him out of the market.

“Hey, where are we going?!” Ash was starting to have a faint uneasiness arousing from his chest.

“Somewhere … alone.” Liam replied smirking, tightening his grip on Ash’s arm, his nails digging right into it.

‘He’s probably gonna beat me up or something, but Noah is still in there.’ Ash was not feeling good about this.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Ash’s mind.

Ash smirked.

“Fine, if you want it, then let’s go to where Carter is, okay?” Ash jerked Liam’s hand away from his arm, and started to move into the same alley he left Carter.

“Oh yeah, sure, where Carter is.” Liam sarcastically replied, while walking behind Asher.

They were now in that alley, and the moment Liam saw Carter’s sprawled figure on the ground, he rushed towards him.

“Hey, what the hell did you do to him?!” Liam shouted while bending over Carter, seeing a big bump on his head, bleeding.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Ash was getting back step-by-step, and picked up a brick.

‘This is America, and people play dirty. There are bullies, no one stands up to, and I know very well what I’m getting myself into. I’m only protecting myself, and Noah. I don’t wanna suffer the way I did in elementary school. I wanna stand up and face them. But I don’t wanna hurt peo-’

“Hey, why don’t you answer me?!” Liam rushed to Asher and grabbed him by the collar.

He then punched Ash on the face. Twice.

‘It hurts. But he started it, I don’t wanna hurt people, I don’t wanna hurt him-’

Ash was on the ground, bleeding from the nose, with Liam on top of him, punching him and shouting at him, “Why don’t you answer you runt?!”

“What did you do to Carter?!”

‘I don’t wanna hurt people, I don’t wanna hurt him-”

“Answer to me!”

‘I don’t wanna hurt people, I don’t wanna-”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill your brother!”

‘I… wanna hurt him.’

And at the same time, Ash picked up the brick that was on the ground, and forced all his might into that one smash and aimed at Liam’s temple.

He hit him.

“Ahhhh!” Liam hissed in pain, and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

His temple was bleeding, and he was fighting for his consciousness.

‘I gotta go. Take Noah with me, and leave.’ Ash could hardly think.

He had just hurt people.

People who deserved it.

Or maybe they didn’t.

Maybe the world wasn’t cruel.

Or maybe it was.

Ash let go of the brick, and ran to the food cafe.

Liam was shouting for him to come back but he didn’t.

Once Ash was in the cafe, he pushed past the door open, and his eyes searched for Noah.

Noah was sleeping.

On the chair, his head on the table.

Ash suddenly went and told that man that Noah was with him.

‘That’s right. Noah will be okay. H-He is my first priority. I’m his gua-guardian.’ Ash was out of breath.

“Hey are you okay, kid? Your face looks all bruised.” That man asked Asher, concerned.

“O-Oh, yes. I fell earlier.” Ash blurted.

‘Right, my face… That Liam punched me many times.’

“If you say so.” The man left after saying this.

Asher then picked Noah up, and quickly left the market, when he felt something ruffle in his pocket.

He took it out.

The Grocery list.

‘Right. I still have to buy them. But….my face hurts, Noah is sleeping on my shoulders, and Liam and Carter may still be around. But mom…’

“Remember to buy all groceries, okay honey?”

‘Screw that. I’ll just tell mom that the market was closed.’

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I’m mad. That’s all I am right now.

How dare that junior punch me in the face?!

I’m supposed to be in charge at all times.

I’m supposed to be strong and invincible.

But, Damn it!

That junior… made things harder for me.

Harder for me to explain to my master.

Well, I’m just gonna wait until Liam and Carter come back with my groceries, and I’ll take them both to the master, they’ll explain it.

“Sir, Liam and Carter are-!”

“Finally, those slowpokes took all day to buy my groceries. Ask them to come inside, I’ve to take them somewhere!”

“But sir, Liam and Carter are-”

“They are what? Tell me or do you wanna get beaten up?!”

“They are in the hospital, they are hurt!”

…What?

“What the heck happened?! Who can hurt them?”

“That junior-”

Oh no.

He didn’t. He has to stop.

He is messing things up for me to explain!

He is gonna pay.

I’m gonna tell the master about him and then he’ll know what to do.

Yes, the master will surely beat him up.

Or Kill him.

Because…

He deserves it now.

He deserves to be dead.

He deserves a slow, painful death.

And I’m going to make sure he gets it.

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