BXBX NOVEL Chapter 63: Unstoppable Force
His friends turned to where he was staring and saw Ezra. "Who the fuck is this?" one of them asked.
"Probably one of those two weirdos guarding downstairs." They laughed, slapping each other on the back for the joke.
Ezra took a step forward, his movements slow and deliberate. The laughter died down, replaced by a tense silence.
"Wait." One of them spoke up. "Is that... boogeyman?" The gang members exchanged nervous glances, their weapons gripped tightly in sweaty hands.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted as he stepped forward. "You think you can take us all on?"
Ezra didn\'t respond. Instead, he continued his steady approach, each step echoing ominously in the confined space. The gang members\' unease grew, the hallway\'s suddenly oppressive atmosphere amplifying their fear.
Without warning, Ezra lunged forward. He was on them before they could react. His first target, a thug wielding a bat, barely had time to raise his weapon before Ezra\'s hand shot out, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. The man\'s eyes bulged in terror as he struggled for breath, the bat falling uselessly from his grasp. His comrades stepped back in fear.
Ezra hurled the thug into the wall, the impact cracking the plaster and sending the man crumpling to the floor, unconscious. The remaining gang members stared in shock, their bravado shattered.
One of them, a wiry man with a knife, charged at Ezra with a desperate yell. Ezra sidestepped the attack, his hand snaking out to grab the man\'s wrist and twist. The knife clattered to the ground as the thug screamed in pain.
Ezra\'s other hand formed into a fist, and he delivered a powerful punch to the man\'s stomach, sending him sprawling. Another thug swung a chain at him, but Ezra caught it in mid air, yanking the man towards him. With a swift motion, he wrapped the chain around the thug\'s neck and pulled tight.
The man gurgled, his hands clawing at the chain, before Ezra released him, letting him slump to the ground, gasping for air.
Panic set in among the remaining gang members. One of them turned to flee and Ezra reached out, grabbing him and slammed him into the wall with bone-crushing force. The man\'s eyes rolled back in his head as he slid to the floor, unconscious.
Another thug, a burly man with a bat, swung wildly at Ezra. He ducked under the swing and delivered a crushing blow to the man\'s knee, the sickening crack echoing through the hallway. The man screamed, collapsing in agony. Ezra stood over him, his masked face devoid of any emotion.
The last remaining thug backed away, his eyes wide with terror. He stumbled, falling to the ground and scrambling backward on his hands and feet. "Please," he begged, his voice a high pitched whimper. "Don\'t kill me."
Ezra advanced slowly, each step echoing ominously in the hallway. He crouched down, his masked face inches from the terrified thug. "Run," he whispered, his voice a chilling rasp that sent shivers down the man\'s spine.
The thug didn\'t need to be told twice. He scrambled to his feet and fled down the hallway, his screams echoing long after he had disappeared into the shadows. Ezra straightened, surveying the scene. The hallway was littered with the unconscious and the broken. This is fun! Now I know why X wears that stupid mask.
Ezra moved deeper into the building until he reached a heavy, reinforced door, its steel surface marked with scratches and dents. This had to be the heart of the operation, the main control room where the head gangbanger would be. He took a moment to steady himself, then kicked the door open with a forceful blow.
The control room was different from the rest of the warehouse. Monitors lined the walls, displaying various feeds from security cameras. A large table in the center was covered with maps, documents, and blueprints. The air was thick with the smell of tobacco and sweat.
At the far end of the room stood the head gangbanger, a burly man with a scarred face and a cigar clenched between his teeth. He looked up in surprise as Ezra entered, his eyes narrowing in recognition.
"So, you\'re the infamous boogeyman, huh?" The gangbanger sneered, taking a long drag before tossing his cigar aside. "I\'ve been hearing a lot about you."
Ezra said nothing, his eyes locked on the man. The gangbanger reached for a weapon. A steel pipe resting on the table. He charged Ezra and swung it with all his might, aiming for Ezra\'s head. Ezra ducked, the pipe whistling past his ear. He countered with a swift punch to the gangbanger\'s gut, doubling him over.
The gangbanger recovered quickly, swinging the pipe again. Ezra blocked the blow with his forearm, the impact jarring but manageable. He grabbed the pipe, yanking it from the man\'s grasp, and used it to deliver a crushing blow to his ribs. The gangbanger staggered, gasping for breath.
Ezra took a moment to examine the pipe, hummed and tossed it away. Ezra turned to see a wild swing hurtling at his face. He dodged and countered with a series of rapid strikes, each one calculated to wear down his opponent. The gangbanger staggered as his movements grew sluggish.
With a final, decisive strike, Ezra knocked the gangbanger to the ground. He stood over the defeated man, his mask hiding the amusement in his eyes. Be happy you\'re not dead, man. The gangbanger glared up at him, defiance still flickering in his eyes.
Ezra reached down, grabbing the gangbanger by the collar and lifting him to his feet. "You\'re going to make a call," he said, his voice low and commanding. "To your hidden boss."
The gangbanger hesitated before Ezra blanketed the room with his Aura. With a shaking hand, he pulled out a phone and dialed a number. The call connected, and a voice on the other end answered.
Ezra took the phone from the gangbanger, holding it to his ear. "Hi. This is the black spider gang. Remember that new shipment of guns you got last week?" He asked, laughing. "I\'m currently staring at it."
The voice was silent.
"Ezra Matten," began an unfamiliar voice. "Thank you for falling into my trap."
The phone clicked off.