Jay arrived at the parking area. He pulled out his phone and dialed Vikram.
"I'm at the Basement-3 exit. Where are you guys?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
There was a short pause before Vikram picked up, his voice low and panicked.
"Jay, get here now! Divyanshu puked all over some thugs. They're losing it. Jaswinder's about to take a swing at them, and I don't think we can hold this off much longer!"
The call abruptly cut off, leaving Jay standing there with a growing sense of unease.
It didn't sound like Divyanshu, he never got that drunk. But there was no time to doubt it.
But he didn't doubt Vikram's credibility. Trusting his friend's urgent tone, he broke into a sprint.
As he got closer, the sounds of raised voices and scuffling grew louder. When he finally reached the scene, he saw a group of around ten men becoming increasingly aggressive with his friends.
One of the thugs kicked Jaswinder in the chest, causing him to stumble backward, clutching his ribs in pain.
The sight of his friends in danger snapped his already worsening mood. Jay didn't hesitate. He sprinted forward at full speed and lunged at one of the goons.
Caught completely off guard, the man was knocked out cold by a single, well-placed hook. The force of the punch sent him crashing to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the concrete.
He shifted into a Muay Thai stance, then launched a quick jab-cross combo to the thug's face. The man staggered from the impact.
Jay followed up with a powerful knee strike to the man's midsection, and as the thug gasped for air, Jay grabbed the back of his head and brought it down onto his rising knee, sending the thug collapsing to the ground.
The sudden intervention drew the attention of the remaining thugs, who had been overpowering Vikram and Jaswinder. They froze, stunned by Jay's unexpected assault.
They had clearly underestimated him.
But the shock didn't last long. Their expressions hardened as they regrouped, realizing they weren't just dealing with another scared teenager, they were dealing with someone trained.
Two of them lunged at Jay at once.
Jay sidestepped the first, caught his arm, and locked it into a tight Krav Maga joint lock. Using the thug's momentum, he flung him into the second attacker. Both men crashed to the ground.
Before either could recover, Jay spun and delivered a back kick to the first man's head. He dropped instantly, unconscious.
The second thug scrambled up, only to be met with a burst of punches.
Jay's fists were fast and focused. A final elbow to the jaw staggered the man, and Jay swept his legs out from under him.
Three more rushed in, trying to swarm him.
Jay ducked under the first wild punch and countered with an uppercut that snapped the thug's head back. He pivoted smoothly, delivering a roundhouse kick to the second thug's temple. The impact knocked him into the third attacker.
The third man stumbled. Jay stepped in and drove a flying knee into his chest, sending him to the ground. The remaining thugs tried to regroup, attempting to corner him, but Jay was too nimble.
But still, one thug managed to grab him from behind, locking him in a bear hug.
Jay dropped his weight and executed a clean jiu-jitsu hip throw, slamming the man to the ground. He mounted the stunned attacker and landed a series of punches until the thug stopped resisting.
Only one remained. He didn't charge. Instead, he fumbled out his phone and began yelling into it.
"Get down here now! He's taking us all out! Bring everyone!"
He turned toward Jay, trying to mask his panic with a shaky laugh.
"You think you're tough, kid? Just wait. More are coming. Let's see how you handle the rest of us."
Jay found the thug's words suspicious. It felt too deliberate, like they had been expecting him.
Alarm bells rang in his head, but there was no time to think. He closed the distance in a few quick strides and drove a solid punch into the last thug's gut, then locked him in a tight chokehold.
The goon struggled, gasping, until his body started to go limp.
Jay loosened his grip slightly, just enough to let him breathe, and asked in a cold voice, "Why are you all coming after me?"
The goon didn't answer right away. But when he heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the parking garage, dozens of them, he started laughing.
"You'll find out soon enough," he said, voice raspy but mocking. "You'll know who we are. And why we're doing this."
Jay tensed, his mind racing. Why were they after him? Why target his friends?
He shoved the goon away. The man crumpled to the ground, still chuckling. Jay turned to his friends.
"Run! We need to get out of here now!" he shouted.
But no one moved. They remained still, Vikram, Jaswinder, and Shaswat. Their faces gave it away. Not confusion. Not shock. Guilt.
Jay's heart sank. The goon, barely conscious a moment ago, stood back up, rubbing his neck. His laughter grew louder.
"What's wrong with you? Move!" Jay shouted again, more desperate this time. "We have to go!"
Still, they didn't budge. The goon stepped closer, sneering.
"For someone so skilled," he said, voice filled with mockery, "you're pretty clueless in the end. Didn't it cross your mind? Your friends have been in on this from the start."
Jay felt his world crashing down around him. "What... what are you talking about?" he stammered, looking from the goon to his friends. "This can't be true. Tell me he's lying!"
No one said a word. Vikram avoided his gaze. Jaswinder shifted uncomfortably. Shaswat looked to the side, his face pale with shame.
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Author Note:
The revamped version of Volume 1, 2 & 3 are now live on Kindle. You can find it on Amazon by simply searching the book title. Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the new editions!
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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/maQC7xDBYZ
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