Renegades: Battlegrounds.-Chapter 39: Two Blocks

The first biker reached him with a massive fist. Ren tried to dodge but he was too slow. The punch caught him in the jaw. His head snapped back, stars exploding across his vision.

Before he could recover, a second biker grabbed his jacket and yanked him forward into a knee strike. His already-injured ribs screamed.

"..fuck. " Ren gasped.

A third biker swung a chain at him and it wrapped around Ren’s shoulder, biting deep into his flesh pass through his jacket.

Boots started raining down. Kicks to his ribs, his legs, his back and the baseball bat catching him across the back.

Ren went down hard, concrete scraping his palms.

"Stay down! This is what you get!" The leader yelled.

Ren covered his head, trying to curl into a protective ball, but the blows kept coming.

"Can’t... stay down... Aoi... Have to get to Aoi... "

Through the pain, through the boots and fists, one thought burned clear in his mind. "Two blocks away. They’re hurting her right now. I have to get to her.."

A boot caught him in the kidney. He gasped, vision blurring. "Get up. Move. "

His hand scrambled across the alley floor looking for something. Concrete, garbage or anything. He finally felt something metallic. A trash can lid.

His fingers closed around it.

Ren swung the lid wildly, still half on the ground and it caught one of the bikers right in the shin. The man yelped, stumbled backwards.

He swung again and this time it another biker on the knee.

The beating paused for just a second as the bikers backed up slightly, surprised by the sudden resistance.

That second was all Ren needed.

He scrambled to his feet, lid still clutched in one hand like a shield, blood in his mouth, vision hazy.

"What are you guys doing letting get a weapon. Grab him! " The leader yelled.

The bikers closed in again but Ren wasn’t going for the leader... wasn’t going for the strongest. He went for the weakest point.

He charged at the youngest, skinniest biker standing slightly apart. He swung the trash can lid out, catching the young biker across the face. He went down, nose bleeding.

The gap in the circle opened up like he planned.

He threw the lid at another biker, buying one more second, and sprinted through the opening.

"GET HIM!" The leader roared.

Boots pounded behind him. Shouts, curses but Ren ran, full speed down the alley, legs pumping despite pain, despite his ribs screaming, despite blood dripping from his split lip.

"Where are the bikes?!" Someone shouted from behind him. "GET THE BIKES!"

Ren burst out of the alley onto the main street..A few pedestrians stared as he came through, an elderly couple, a salaryman as a bloodied teenager sprinted past them.

Ren kicked over a trash can behind him, minor obstacle but anything helped right now. He then another spilling it’s contents across the sidewalk.

Motorcycle engines roared to life behind him. He looked back to the see the headlights in the distance.

"Two blocks. Just two blocks. Run... Ren.. Run! " He urged himself forward.

His lungs burned, his legs felt heavy and very breath sent pain through his damaged ribs but he kept on running.

He brushed past a closed bookstore, past a family restaurant, past a convenience store where the clerk came to the window, phone in hand, probably calling the police.

He could see it now—the cherry blossom logo, soft light from the windows.

"Kissaten Sakura. "

"One more block. " He told himself but behind him, the motorcycles were gaining.

"Please don’t let me late.. not again. "

He reached the café’s front door but it was locked. He peeped through and saw the lights on but door was locked for the evening. He pounded repeatedly on the glass.

"Aoi!" he shouted. No response. Then he heard it sounds, scuffling coming from behind the café—sounds. A woman’s voice shouting.

He ran around the side of the building and the scene that greeted Ren made his blood run cold.

Eight motorcycles formed a semicircle in the narrow back alley, their headlights illuminating everything like a stage. Eight more Kotekai bikers. And in the center, backed against the café’s rear entrance..

"Aoi. "

She had trash bags at her feet—must have been taking out the garbage when they cornered her. Her hair was disheveled, jacket torn but she was still on her feet.

One biker had a bloody nose. Another was holding his crotch, face twisted in pain. She had fought back but she was surrounded, overwhelmed, exhausted.

An older leader, different from the park, different from the alley, stood closest to her. Leather jacket covered in patches. Scarred face.

More dangerous.

"Feisty. I like that. But you’re just delaying the inevitable, sweetheart," He said, stepping closer.

"Should’ve stayed inside when you heard the sounds. Locked the doors or called the police. "

"And that boyfriend of yours? The kid who thinks he’s a hero? He’s busy in an alley across town, getting his face rearranged right now. "

Aoi’s back finally hit the wall. Nowhere left to retreat to.

"My boyfriend? He’s not my boyfriend. " Aoi said defiantly despite fear. "And he’ll definitely come. "

The leader grinned. "Yeah? When? We got all night—"

"Wrong. I’m right here. " Ren stepped into the alley and every head turned towards his voice.

Ren stood at the alley entrance, silhouetted against the streetlight behind him. Blood dripping from his lip, jacket torn, face already swelling but still standing strong.

"Well, well. Speak of the devil," The new leader’s grin widened. "Perfect timing. You’ve saved us the trouble of hunting you down after we’re done with her. "

The eight bikers around Aoi shifted positions, creating a wider circle, trapping both of them now.

Behind Ren, the sound of more motorcycles approaching. The six from the first alley, catching up.

Fourteen total now. Fourteen on one. Impossible odds but Ren stepped forward anyway.

He walked past the motorcycles, into the circle of bikers, positioning himself directly between Aoi and the new leader.

Aoi desperately tried to reach out to him. "Ren! Run! There’s too many! "

"I’ve already ran enough for the day. " He said, not taking his eyes off the leader.

"Stupid brat. " The leader said, cracking his knuckles. "You really think you can protect her? One kid against all of us?"

"I can try.. " Ren said.

The bikers laughed, dark and mocking, their voices echoing off the alley walls.

"Try? Kid, you’re barely standing. You’re bleeding. You can’t even see well... "

The six bikers from the first alley finally roared into the back alley, blocking the only exit.

Their leader- the one from the park, jaw still bruised- dismounted holding a bat in hand.

"This one’s mine. He broke my jaw. " The park leader said.

"Share and share alike. Plenty of pain to go around

" The new leader shrugged. "Last chance. Walk away. Leave the girl. We’ll only break one arm. Deal?"

Ren shifted his weight assuming a fighting stance despite everything hurting.

Fourteen bikers surrounding them, armed, angry, all out for his blood.

"I can’t beat fourteen couldn’t beat six but I can buy time. I can protect her until help comes. Police. Sakuratei. Someone. I just have to last. "

"No one’s coming to save you, kid. " The leader said, reading his expression. "This district might be Sakuratei territory during the day, but after dark? It’s ours. And nobody interferes with Kotekai business not if they want to keep breathing. "

He gestured to his gang to move up and all fourteen closed in began closing in, foming a tight circle giving Ren no gaps and no escape.

All fourteen closed in, forming a tight circle. No gaps. No escape.

"So. Let’s make this educational. " The new leader said, rolling his shoulders. "You’re gonna learn what happens when you mess with us and she’s gonna watch. Then it’s her turn next. "

Ren’s fists clenched and behind him, he felt Aoi’s hand grip the back of his jacket, trembling heavily.

"I’m sorry. This is my fault. You shouldn’t have—" She whispered.

"Not your fault. Mine. I chose to help you. I’d choose it again. " He said quietly and then louder, to the bikers. "Come on then. Got cold feet? "

The fourteen bikers advanced slowly and Ren braced himself for the fight that was to come.