"Dammit, Lue, why are you so stubborn? We can still make it out of here alive, you just have to trust me!"
Mary shouted in frustration as she pulled on her brother's arm.
"Mary, you know I can't follow you, don't make this more difficult than it already is."
"Yes, you can; this is my problem. I don't need you acting like some sort of main character. You're not a hero."
Lue flashed a pleasant smile at his sister. In this dire situation his smile looked sad instead of pleasant. When Mary saw the smile, she couldn't help but burst into tears and shove her head into his shoulder. It felt like daggers piercing her heart. She was at fault, and yet her brother was there once again. This time he would be taking a great risk for her.
"It's okay, Mary." Lue said while gently rubbing her head. Mary might not like to admit it, but she was just as stubborn as Lue, if not more.
"It's not okay. You told me to stay away from those guys, and I didn't listen. Now they've pushed us into this corner. If I had only listened to you, we wouldn't be here."
"You're right, it's your fault, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is how you make it up to me afterwards. I love you, and in the next life, I'd want to be reborn as your brother."
He paused, letting his words of affection sink in.
"You have to promise me that when you get out of here, you'll focus on your school and become the lawyer you promised Mom and Dad you'd be. Don't stray off that path, and don't take shortcuts in life."
Mary shook her head up and down like a chicken picking rice as more tears spilled from her eyes.
"And try not to be as arrogant and stubborn as your big brother, ok?"
A noise interrupted this wholesome brother and sister moment. The sound of footsteps and shouts came from around a corner near the alley. They would soon be here. Mary stared at the spot where the noise was coming from with horror in her eyes. She looked at her very stubborn brother, who had a pleasant smile on his face.
"Now run, get out of here."
She stood up, seemingly struggling to decide whether to go or stay and fight. She didn't know what they would do to him, but whatever they did, she would not disappoint him.
"Lue, you don't have to worry. I promise to change and be the best sister you ever had. I'll follow every word, I swear it."
With that, Mary turned and ran further down the alley without looking back. As soon as she was out of sight, Lue stood up, and his pleasant smile disappeared. A grim look appeared in its place. He was only smiling so his sister wouldn't worry. But this situation was the worst anyone could get in. Lue was the most stubborn person he knew.
Once he decided to do something, it was already considered done. He turned into another direction and raced down the alley, deliberately making noise and drawing in his attackers. Today he would most likely die. But what kind of stubborn person would he be if he let that deter him? He ran down the alley and reached a dead end. He picked up two wooden sticks by a trash bin and stood prepared, as if he was holding two axes.
"They went that way, I heard him!"
"Two at the back, he might try to break the line!"
"Break both of their legs, ha!"
The shouts would have sent chills down anyone's body, but not Lue's. He closed his eyes and prepared for whatever he was about to face. Soon, more than a dozen men appeared at the entrance of the alley. They carried a variety of weapons, ready to bash someone's head in.
"Where's the girl?"
A husky voice growled as Mance Wallace stepped out of the group of pike-wielding thugs. He looked around and saw that Mary was nowhere to be found. Only Lue, with a somber expression on his face.
"Bro, do you really think you can take all of us? That's really stupid of you."
Mance spoke, and his men laughed behind him.
"Why don't you call your sister over, and let's settle the terms of my interest. After all, it's not a lot of money, is it?"
The group of thugs watched as Lue roared with laughter, a crazy light shining in his eyes. This was not the light of someone that had given up on life, instead, it was the laugh of someone that had given up on fear.
After laughing for a while, Lue spoke.
"Before we begin, I would like to say thanks for the cash. Now that it's in my sister's hands, I can rest easy, she's going to live quite a comfortable life because of you."
"Your sister won't even take a cent before I slash her throat. The only way we can settle this is if you pay me my money and my interest! Got it!?"
Lue smiled, amused to know Mance didn't realize Mary had evidence against him.
"Not spend a cent? Ha... she's probably on her way to the police station to start up a case against you, and with the evidence she has..."
Lue clicked his tongue. "I don't think you'll make it out of prison ever again."
At the mention of evidence, Mance's eyes widened. He signaled to his men.
"Boys, go and get her, we'll handle this guy." The words didn't even properly leave his lips before he heard a primal, guttural shout echo in the alley.
"Arrghhhh"
Lue charged forward; he didn't sacrifice himself for his sister to be caught again. No one was leaving unless it was over his dead body.
Swinging like a madman, the thick wooden sticks in his hands landed on two men in the front. A sound like wet cloth hitting the floor, followed by brutal screams of pain.
"Ughhh!"
"Ahh!"
The two men collapsed to the ground clutching their heads. But Lue wasn't finished, he came in swinging. The thugs charged forward with their planks raised high too. It was twenty-plus against one.
With so many men attacking, Lue couldn't dodge all the swings. So he decided not to dodge at all.
Baseball bats landed on his ribs, back, and legs. However, it was like water being wasted on a duck's back, it only came sliding off. In exchange for the hits he had taken, he swung his wooden planks, and they squarely landed on the thugs' heads. Making them collapse. One of the men skillfully sneaked behind the crowd and landed a baseball bat on Lue's head with all his strength, expecting him to collapse. He watched as Lue's body only twitched a little, then he turned his eyes to the attacker. They were bloodshot and had a fierce light in them. Frustration, anger, resilience—this guy was a monster. Lue swung his wooden plank back.
"Smack!" The attacker was knocked out cold, with blood spilling from the side of his head.
At the sight of this unhinged ferocity, the thugs backed up a little. A famous psychologist once said the reason humans ran from dogs was intriguing. Although dogs stood on all fours and had only their teeth to attack with. The pure ferocity in their eyes and growls made people back off. That was the same look Lue had in his eyes. He would protect his sister even if it meant fighting twenty burly men.
Lue lunged forward at the retreating men, swinging his stick even harder. They tried hitting back, but it was as if his body had armor. Mance watched as his men ran away like scared little girls. He looked back at Lue, a hint of respect in his eyes. But respect didn't pay the bills. Lue had to die.
"What a stubborn young man. I didn't take him for a fighter, an incredible one at that."
He took a step forward and drew a shiny dagger from his waist, light glinting off it in the darkness, and he snarled.
"Fine, I'll do it myself."
Mance took menacing steps forward until he reached the thrashing Lue. The stick swung at him, but he grabbed it with one hand and shoved the blade in Lue's liver. He collapsed to the floor with a thud, his wooden stick clanking from his hands. His eyelids became heavy, and he felt sleepy. Mance had an evil smile on his face until Lue spoke his last words.
"I did it... I saved her enough time."
He watched the smile disappear from Mance's face. He shouted for his men to spread out and search far and wide for Mary. Lue had done his part; the rest was up to her. He was finally going to rest, or was he?