The alleyway was narrow and long, with the walls on either side being lined with brick and graffiti, as the very ground was covered in a layer of grime and debris, with the occasional rat scurrying across.
The atmosphere was tense and foreboding as the stranger stood his ground, staring at the three goons with a mixture of defiance in his eyes.
No one made a move to break the silence, the tension hanging heavy in the air, the moment stretching on, the seconds ticking by. Its as if the whole world has come to a standstill, waiting to see how this confrontation plays out despite all of them knowing he is clearly outmatched by long three-to-one odds.
Behind his calm exterior is a very afraid Sunny; he knows he is. Afraid of what might happen next, he is afraid that he might not be able to protect himself as well as save people who are in need. He has no skills or talents for even defending himself from threats like these, as he has never, in his quiet life, encountered a situation involving fighting against someone who is visibly more experienced in beating someone up.
So in a matter of time, he is going to be severely hurt by getting beaten up by these thugs, or worse, killed. And he doesn't want to die. Not here, not now, not ever. But he will do everything he can to prevent this from happening.
When he sees someone in need of assistance, Sunny can't just let this happen when he could step in and try to help. Though he is aware that he is not equipped to handle situations like these, he is willing to try, even though he knows the outcome isn't going to be in his favor.
All he could do was pray for the best and hope he could somehow pull off something that would give him an edge over his opponents, even if it was just a slight advantage.
Glancing over at crouched Tom, his eyes showed a hint of surprise and wonder at being saved by a literal stranger he had never seen before. However, he is grateful that another human being was willing to put themselves in danger on his behalf when he knew that he was out of options, being unable to defend himself against the assault.
Inhaling the fresh air with his eyes closed, he could feel the anxiety and fear coursing through his veins, beating a frantic rhythm as he prepared himself for the worst. It was a stupid thing he had done, but he wasn't going to just let this go without trying to do something about it.
"Show me what you got." Opening his eyes, the words he spat out were a clear invitation to challenge, causing the entire gang of bullies to stare at him in disbelief, unable to properly form the necessary words to speak out about what he had done.
Elvis, amused and irritated by this hero's taunting, decisively stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You think you're so tough, huh?" Having had enough of this already, he clenched his fists tightly before he moved forward, ready to beat the shit out of this wannabe.
"Let's see how long that bravado lasts when I start hitting you!" With those words, he lunged forward, his body moving like a well-oiled machine, sprinting towards Sunny like a predator stalking its prey, his eyes fixed on his target, his fists raised above his head, ready to strike. He was going to enjoy this—another loser to add to his list of nerds.
However, that strike never came when he suddenly slipped on a banana peel that was conveniently left lying around in the alleyway, causing him to fall flat on his face, his nose making a loud crunching sound as it smashed into the concrete.
The rest of the gang stopped in their tracks, their jaws dropping open in shock at the unexpected turn of events. "B-boss?!" The two goons yelled in unison, their eyes wide with confusion as they looked at their leader, who was currently groaning in pain on the ground with his nose bleeding profusely, "Boss, are you?" as one of them tried to help Elvis up to his feet, only to be interrupted by the violent push of their angered leader.
"Don't touch me!" Elvis carefully snapped at his goons, his voice filled with a mixture of pain and frustration. "I'll handle this myself!" Holding on to his bloody nose, he glared at Sunny, his eyes narrowing in determination. "You're going to regret this, kid!"
Humiliated beyond belief, he was going to make sure his revenge was going to be savage and brutal. "I'm going to make you pay for this!" Shouting at the top of his lungs, he lunged forward once again with both arms extended towards the young man's neck, wanting to feel the satisfaction of seeing the kid's eyes roll back in fear before succumbing to his fate.
Sunny stood on his spot, both confused and relieved at what just happened. But that still won't save him from being relentlessly attacked.
Just as Elvis was about to get close, a stop sign fell out of nowhere from above, hitting his head with a loud thud. The impact caused him to lose balance, causing him to stumble and fall on his ass with a loud thump. "Grrk!" The pain was unbearable as he held his aching head, tears streaming down his cheeks from the number of injuries he was getting.
"You bastard!" He couldn't believe it; him slipping on a banana peel in a back alley was one thing, but being hit by a falling sign was another. "Fight me like a man!" Forcing himself to stand up, eager to
continue the fight, he looked at Sunny, his eyes burning with hatred and anger. "I'll make you suffer for this!"
There were no words needed between the two of them, as Sunny was just confused by what was going on around him. It was like a scene out of some kind of movie, the way things were unfolding in front of his eyes.
"Uhh, what?" Scratching the side of his head, he doesn't understand how this guy keeps failing over and over again just to reach him. Whatever was happening, he hoped it would keep going. Because he didn't know what else to do other than just watch.
With a grunt, Elvis charged forward once again, determined to finally take down his opponent. But just as he was about to make contact, his own hands felt heavy out of nowhere, making it difficult for him to throw a punch. "What the hell?!" Shouting with in confusion, he took a couple of steps away as his eyes widening in shock, looking down to see his once normal hands, which were suddenly covered in a thick layer of water.
"Where did they come from?!" Everyone else was just as confused as he was, staring at the strange phenomenon taking place in front of their eyes. Before anyone could figure out what was going on, the newspaper flew towards his face.
To others, getting hit by paper is as painless and harmless as being hit by a feather. But to Elvis, it was like getting punched in the chest. "Ahhh!" He screamed in agony, clutching his face as he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face when his own eyes burned from the pain of the invisible force that was attacking him.
"What the hell is going on?!" He cried out in desperation, his voice breaking as he struggled to stay conscious. "Someone help me!" But no one moved; everyone was just as terrified as he was. They had no idea what was happening either; they just knew that whatever it was, it was dangerous.
"Let's get him out of here!"
One of the goons said in urgency that they rushed forward and helped Elvis up onto his feet. Together, they managed to drag him away from the scene, moving to Sunny's side as the entire gang disappeared out to the open streets, disappearing into the shadows of the alleyway while leaving the two young men standing there, alone and bewildered by what had just happened.
Nevertheless, Sunny sighed with relief that everything was taken off his shoulders for now, but he knew that it wouldn't last forever. The world is still a dangerous place, full of chaos and uncertainty when there are people who enjoy hurting others.
"Thanks for the help." Tom approached his savior, offering a smile as a token of gratitude. "May I ask how you did that?" That was the question that was on everyone's minds when they witnessed this.
How did this stranger do that? It was a miracle that Elvis and his gang were able to escape without any serious injuries. Sunny was just as curious as everyone else, but he knew that there was no easy answer to that question. The two of them have no idea what is going on either.
"Did what?" Sunny asked in return, his eyes narrowing in confusion, "I just watched someone get hit by a falling sign." He explained, shaking his head slightly, "I don't know what's going on any more than you do." He admitted, looking at the young man in front of him, "But I'm glad that we were able to get out of there safely." He added it with a smile, hoping to ease the tension that was lingering in the air.
Tom chuckled lightly. "Really, man? I thought you were responsible for doing that!" He exclaimed in surprise, "I mean, come on! You're an Esper, right?" He joked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked up at the sky, thinking about all the incredible abilities that were associated with being a powerful Esper who could do many amazing things.
"No, I'm not." Sunny shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he looked down at the young man. "I'm just a regular guy. I haven't even unlocked my Esper abilities yet," he confessed, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "I'm still trying to figure out what mine are."
He added, his eyes shining with determination as he looked up at him, "I'm going to find out what they are someday. And when I do, I'm going to use them to help others." The last sentence caught Tom's full attention, an expression of admiration and respect appearing on his face as he listened to Sunny's words.
"That's really cool, man," Tom said, his voice filled with awe and respect. "But why do you want to help people, especially nobody like me?" His own eyes searching Sunny's, wanting to understand his motivations, "Everyone has motives of their own, so what's yours?" Sunny paused for a moment, considering Tom's question carefully before answering.
"Because I..." Sunny began, then stopped, realizing that his answer wasn't quite complete.
Was there a clear reason for what he had just done? Helping others had been a spontaneous decision, made in the heat of the moment. He hadn't really thought about it too much at the time. But now, as he stood here talking to Tom, he realized that there was something deeper driving him.
A desire to make a difference, to leave a positive impact on the world, "I feel like doing it," were the only words that managed to form themselves on his tongue, "its the right thing to do after all." He finished, his voice filled with conviction and determination.
"Wow, that's really deep, man," Tom said, his eyes widening in amazement as he looked at Sunny. "You're not like the other guys. You're different." He continued, his tone filled with admiration and respect. "You're a good person. And I think that's what makes you special. Not your abilities, but the kind of person you are," he said with smile.
"I think that's also what makes you an Esper, in a way. Because Esper's aren't just people with powers. They're people who choose to use their powers for good. And I think that's what you're doing, Sunny. You're using your power, whatever it may be, to help others."
Blushing heavily, Sunny quickly averted his eyes. "T-thanks," he said, his voice soft and quiet. "But I don't think I'm an Esper yet. I haven't discovered my abilities yet, remember?" He reminded him, trying to change the subject, "Anyways, I never got your name; what is it by the way?" The last sentence came out of his mouth in a rush, his eyes darting around nervously as he waited for Tom's response.
"Oh, right," Tom said, snapping out of his reverie. "My name's Tom, by the way." He extended his hand towards Sunny, offering a friendly smile as he did so. "And yours?"
Taking his hand, Sunny introduced himself, "Hi, Tom. Nice to meet you," he said, returning the smile. "My name's Sunny. It's nice to finally put a face to the name. Erm, I mean, I've heard about you from Elvis and his gang; they told me that you're a good guy, and they also told me that you're a waiter at a small restaurant in the Ark. Is that true?" Trying to gauge his reaction to the question.
Retreating his hand, Tom furrowed his brows at this: "Wait a second, were you just watching us the whole time?" He asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, "How did you know about Elvis and his gang? And how did you know that I'm a waiter at a small restaurant in the Ark?" He continued, his voice becoming increasingly agitated as he spoke.
"I...was curious to know what was going until it was my right to confront whatever problem it is," Sunny admitted, his eyes meeting Tom's, "and when I saw how you were getting bullied by them, that was when I decided you were in need of help." An expression of sincerity appeared on his face as he spoke, "you know, to differentiate which is the bad guy in this situation."
Tom stared at him for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" He asked, his voice filled with skepticism, "Do you really think that I'm the one who needs help here? That I'm the bad guy?" Finding it absurd, "although I understand where you're coming from, I have to disagree with you on this," he explained, his voice filled with a mixture of frustration and determination.
"I'm not the one who's causing all this trouble. That's Elvis and his gang. They're the ones who are making everyone's lives miserable," and the fact that his rescuer was trying to protect Tom from them only reinforced his point: "And if you really want to help someone, then you should focus your efforts on them instead of me."
"Oh, I see."
