Hi. I'll try to write the next chapters as soon as possible, but don't expect too much from me at first. I need to get back into the habit of writing.
Chapter 16
Mandalay stood calmly in line. There were about twenty people inside—bank staff, a security guard, and customers. Suddenly, she heard a strange, high-pitched sound. She had heard it once before: the day she met Eron.
Her thoughts instantly flew to the boy. Terrified that it was Eron who had fired, she spun around sharply—just like the others—and saw four masked men armed with weapons resembling those used by the soldiers in white armor who had tried to kill him.
The security guard at the entrance slumped to the floor, a smoking wound in his chest. The surprised look on his face suggested that this was the first time he had ever encountered something like this.... and the last.
Mandalay could do nothing. Any reaction on her part would result in her death or the deaths of the civilians inside.
"Everyone on the ground! This is a robbery!"
One of the attackers shouted, followed a moment later by another.
"What the fuck have you done! You killed a guy! There were supposed to be no casualties!"
The third member of the group took no part in the argument. He moved between the queue and the counter, brushed the barrel of his weapon against the teller's shoulder, and gestured toward the cash drawers.
"Pack up the money, and no one else gets hurt."
The others dropped to the floor. Some were crying; others were sobbing or trembling with fear. Mandalay, however, simply watched—for there was nothing else she could do. She glanced toward Eron, who had stepped out of the car and was walking with a steady stride toward the thieves' van.
"Hey, boss! Some kid is walking this way!"
"Go out and bring him inside. We can't let him call the police or Pro Heroes right now."
The fourth member of the heist crew stepped out and began walking toward the boy.
*Please, Eron... just don't kill anyone...*
Mandalay sent a telepathic message to the boy, but she wasn't sure if he had heard it. He didn't even look at her. He didn't hesitate for a moment. He simply extended his hand in front of him.
.
.
.
"Hey, you! Kid! Don't cause trouble—just step inside nicely, and..."
Eron extended his hand toward the armed man and flung him backward. The thief slammed into the van, leaving a massive dent; the vehicle lurched from the impact. He slumped onto the asphalt, unconscious.
"What the fuck!"
The driver shouted as he practically leaped out of the car, aiming his weapon at the boy. Eron calmly seized the blaster with the Force and ripped it from the idiot's grasp. In its place, he drew his own blaster and pulled the trigger.
The blaster was set to stun. One shot was enough to knock the driver unconscious, partially falling into the vehicle.
"Boss! This guy's some kind of pro hero!"
Eron pressed on. He swept his hand sideways through the air, shoving aside the van that was blocking his path. He could have walked around it, but he wanted to show these thugs they stood no chance against him. For now, he decided against killing them; he wanted to find out where they'd gotten weapons from his world. Besides, he would have let Kinoko down...
He pushed the thought aside. He had to focus on the fight. He calmly walked into the bank, where the three remaining thieves aimed their blasters at him.
He glanced at the security guard's motionless body. A young guy—twenty at most. Eron sensed no life in him. Slowly, he turned his head toward the gang's ringleader, who had opened his mouth to speak.
The man dropped his blaster and clutched his throat with both hands. Eron grabbed his lightsaber with his other hand, and a blue glow illuminated the room. The two remaining criminals fired. Eron deflected their shots back at their blasters. Both men cried out in terror as their own bolts ricocheted off Eron's weapon and struck their guns, rendering them useless.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Eron spoke calmly, looking at the terrified thieves. They dropped their damaged blasters and raised their hands.
"That's what I thought."
He slowly turned his gaze toward the man he was choking.
"Where did you get those weapons?"
"F... fuck you, kid..."
Eron slammed him against the wall, keeping his grip on the man's throat.
"I don't think you understand the situation you're in."
People began to stand up and flee once they realized they were free. The other two thieves tried to do the same, but Mandalay dealt with them... though Eron didn't care about that. He loosened his grip on the man's throat; as the man gasped for air, he spat at Eron's feet.
"I ain't telling you shit, you fucking freak... there's nothing you can do to me. You won't kill me."
Eron released the gang leader. The man dropped to his knees, coughed a few times, and smiled confidently at the Padawan.
"See? There's nothing you can do to me."
"That's where you're wrong."
Eron extended his hand toward the man and lifted him using the Force. This time, he didn't grab him by the neck. He used the Force to lift him by all his limbs simultaneously, and once the target was suspended and motionless, he slowly began pulling him in different directions. "I won't kill you, but you're about to find out there are things worse than death."
The first sound that escaped the leader's throat wasn't a scream. It was a short, broken groan.
Eron nodded appreciatively.
"You're tough, loyal, or stupid. I respect the first two traits."
Eron slightly increased the tension. The man groaned in pain.
"Go... to hell... fuck you..."
Eron tilted his head with interest. He has once again become a commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, one who will do what is necessary.
"You know I can do the same thing to your balls? Believe me, no man would lie when his entire body is hanging by his testicles."
Eron stopped stretching the man... and began slowly turning him upside down. He was in no rush. He had time.
.
.
.
Mandalay bound the hands of all the thugs—even the ones outside. She stepped inside and saw what Eron was doing.
"You know I could do the same thing to your balls? Believe me, no man would lie when his entire body weight is hanging from his testicles."
Mandalay ventured closer, but she moved cautiously, as if afraid Eron might do something terrible.
"Eron..."
The boy didn't react. He continued to slowly rotate the thief, who was glancing back and forth between Eron and her with barely concealed terror.
"Jesus! Tell him to stop!"
Mandalay took those few steps and stood in Eron's path. She gently grasped his shoulders.
"Eron. Look at me."
The thug stopped spinning but remained suspended in mid-air. Sweat dripped from his forehead, spotting the carpet beneath him.
"I need to get information out of him. I'm not going to kill him."
"Eron, please, stop. You can't do this."
"I can, and I will. I need this information, Mandalay. I have to know where he got the weapon."
"We'll find out, but not like this, Eron... That's not how pro heroes operate..."
"People like him only understand violence, and that's exactly what I intend to use."
"But at what cost, Eron? We can't act the way they do."
"He killed an innocent man."
"And he'll pay for it! Eron, please! Stop!"
Silence fell for a moment. The only sound was the ragged breathing of the thief, hanging upside down. A moment later, the first police cruisers began to arrive.
Eron looked down at the man with an air of superiority, as if he had done this many times before.
"He doesn't deserve a trial."
"Eron, you aren't at war anymore... If you hurt him now, you'll hurt everyone who sees something more in you and believes you can do better. You can be better, Eron. You said you wanted to help people. You won't do that if they start fearing you."
"So what? I just let him go? Hand him over to the police? I don't believe he'll get a fair trial."
Mandalay furrowed her brows.
"Eron, our system works. People feel safe. My duty as a pro-hero isn't to judge villains, but to stop them and hand them over to justice. That's how it works."
Eron slowly lowered the man to the floor. The man didn't get up; he breathed heavily, staring at Eron. Eron took a step closer and crouched down.
"You have no idea how much I wish you would give me an excuse to get rid of trash like you."
The ringleader swallowed hard. He remained silent, deciding not to tempt fate. Eron stood up.
"Too bad, but it doesn't matter. When I find the people responsible for distributing the weapons, I'll let them know I heard about them from you."
"But... but I didn't tell you anything."
"They don't need to know that."
"You wouldn't... no pro-hero I know would do something like that. You're bluffing." "
It looks like you're going to have to find that out for yourself. I wonder how long you'll last in prison once word gets out that you started spilling what you know in exchange for a lighter sentence."
With those words, Eron shoved the guy against the wall using the Force, knocking him unconscious.
"Eron!"
"He just passed out. He's alive. I simply encouraged him to talk to the people handling the interrogations. What now?"
Mandalay sighed heavily.
"Now I have to convince the HPSC not to arrest you for using your skills illegally."
End of Chapter 16