Thud! Thud! Thud!
A young man's feet pounded against the wet pavement, his breath ragged as he sprinted through the dimly lit alleyways of the city.
The smell of damp concrete and cigarette smoke lingered in the air, sharp noises and hurried footsteps followed behind him.
"Oi! Stop running Nova!"
The voice was aggressive and harsh, a few meters away from him but still lingers a whisper in his ears.
He risked a glance over his shoulder. Two men holding a knife and a bat, faces hidden in the shadows of the night but he had a hunch.
Their intent was clear. This was not a warning, this was a deliberate trap.
"Damn it! I've been careless."
A burst of adrenaline burst through his veins as he lunged forward, stepping on a trash can and jumping over a chain linked fence.
The metal rattled under his weight, and as he landed, the crashing of glass and a shout sounded in his right.
"He's here! Don't let him slip!"
The others are catching up to him, Nova cursed under his breath. They were relentless, as he made a sharp turn into another alley. His lungs burned as he ran as fast as he could.
He knew these streets, the shortcuts and dead ends, this is the place where he grew up. Not one of them knows this place than he does, he could lose them here.
Or so he thought.
BANG!
The air cracked as a gunshot rang out. The bullet graced beside him as it shot through the wall of the building. His legs moved before his mind could catch up as he sprinted forward much faster than before.
As time ticked by, Nova started to slow down.
He directly went to an old abandoned factory, rusted containers, machinery and shattered glass littered in the place as the scent of oil and decay rushed to his nose.
He tried to stay hidden, his chest heaved as he pressed himself against a rusted metal frame, forcing himself to listen to the surroundings.
Silence
As the silence was getting to him, footsteps rang out inside the factory as even their heavy breathing was heard.
"Nova… don't make this harder than it needs to be."
The voice echoed through the entire building.
His mind raced on what to do and why are they so adamant on chasing him but with the current situation, the only thing he can do is to hide and not get caught.
With no time to think through, Nova moved as low as possible between crates. Careful to keep his footsteps light and he could make it to the exit.
He just needed to get past the…
Suddenly a hand came out of nowhere and tried to grab his shoulder.
Nova was alarmed but was quick to react, stepping to the side and immediately kicked the attacker in the stomach.
A painful grunt followed, but Nova was already moving away. He knew how to fight but the second he got surrounded there was no getting out.
"He's going for the backdoor!"
The man he kicked shouted loudly as he got up from the ground, reached for his knife and chased. Two other people were alerted and darted past the factory to chase after Nova.
…..
With three of them running close by, they saw one of their members getting slammed on the ground with an elbow on the ribs.
They were shocked as how fast he took down one of them, so they surrounded him immediately and readied their stances.
Nova saw the three of them encircling him and sighed, there was no point in running now.
"You do know who I am right? Where are you from?"
Seeing that they remained silent, he pointed at the guy in front and snickered.
"Wait… don't answer. You're definitely from those snakes… that bald head is their signature. "
The man's brows knit at the sudden jab, clenching his fists he immediately lunged at Nova initiating the fight.
Nova twisted to the side, stepping into his blind spot and punched him in the jaw making him fall to the ground.
With no time to think, he was already ducking as the second attacker slashed wildly with the knife.
He grabbed the guy's wrist and twisting it hard until the blade clattered to the floor. A quick knee to the stomach sent the man stumbling backward.
"Hehe too easy."
As he was saying this, a shadow crept up behind him already swinging a bat. He already knew what will happen but with no time to react a heavy hit crashed on his side, sending him staggering.
His vision blurred for half a second, as another swing hit him in the back making him spit out blood.
Ptuh!
"Shit."
His instincts screamed at him to move, and he barely manage to duck the third swing but another punch whizzed past his ear.
He pushed the man buying himself breathing space, but it was not enough as all four of his attackers got back up again.
He already knew the outcome of this fight, he was outnumbered and outmatched.
But he wasn't going down this easy.
With a sharp breath, Nova steadied himself, rolling his shoulders despite the pain screaming through his body. Blood dripped from his lip, his ribs throbbed, but his hands were still steady.
"Come on." he muttered, spitting blood onto the floor. His eyes flicked between them, reading their stances, their tension.
One of them hesitated. Another clenched his fists. Then they rushed him all at once.
Nova moved, slipping between fists and wild swings, his body acting on pure instinct. He dodged low, slammed an elbow into a guy's throat, spun, and kicked another in the gut.
Someone grabbed him from behind, but he twisted, using their weight against them, throwing them into the ground.
A fist crashed into his jaw. His head snapped back. Stars exploded in his vision.
Move!
He pivoted, catching another attacker with a sharp knee to the ribs. A punch cracked against his cheekbone, but he barely registered it. He grabbed the nearest body, using them as a shield as another bat swing came crashing down.
THWACK!
The force sent them both staggering.
Nova gasped for breath, his chest heaving. His legs felt like lead. His arms screamed from the strain.
But he kept standing.
Kept fighting.
Until…
BANG! BANG!
The gunshots silenced everything.
A sharp pain tore through his side, his body jerking violently. His breath hitched as the warmth spread.
His knees buckled.
The world tilted, and the cold, hard ground rushed up to meet him.
Somewhere in the distance, he heard shouting. The kid who fired the shot was panicking.
Someone was cursing, but it all sounded muffled.
His hearing felt distant.
Nova lay there, chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. His fingers twitched against the cold concrete, reaching for something…
Anything to hold on to…
"So, this is how it ends."
He had always known it would happen eventually. A street fight, a bullet, a body left to rot in some alley. That was the life he grew up to.
But now that he was here, staring up at the flickering lights, he wondered…
Was it worth it?
"It was…
Just not enough."
His vision blurred. The sounds around him faded.
For the first time in his life, he felt small…
And then…
Nothing.