The corners of Vera Xavier's eyes were red. Nathaniel Nathan told her to stay put. The moment he prepared to strike, the leader of the thugs recognized him and lost all his bravado. He turned tail and ran, but Nathaniel kicked up a stone and flung it into the back of the man's knee. The leader screamed and collapsed.
Nathaniel Nathan snatched a steel pipe from the ground. He first went for the thug who had injured Vera Xavier, shattering the bones in the man's hand. Then, for good measure, he stomped on his leg and broke it. Not a single thug could withstand one of his attacks; they were all beaten to the ground almost instantly.
In just a few moments, all the thugs were lying on the ground with broken arms and legs.
Agonized screams echoed from the alley. Many nearby residents heard them, but given the alley's high crime rate, not a single person dared to come and investigate.
