Casper entered his home, letting out an exhausted sigh. He pulled his tie loose and flinged it onto the ground before collapsing on his couch.
He reached for the folded newspaper on the side table and flicked it open. He skimmed the headlines and rested his legs on the table.
The door creaked open.
Casper's gaze drifted upwards to see Adem enter the room, Sera following a half-step behind him. His nose was swollen and red, a wad of cotton stuffed clumsily beneath his nostrils, already dyed dark red.
His lip was split open and his eye was slightly bruised.
Casper closed the newspaper and let out a long, tired sigh. "What about the other kid?"
Adem's lips curled upwards as an ecstatic grin appeared on his face. "You should've seen him," he said with a chuckle, "I beat him up real good."
Casper studied him for a moment, then gave a slow, approving nod. "Good boy," he said with a proud smile.
He then quickly added, "You don't need to worry. I'll take you to the doctor — though I don't think there's much they can do."
Adem nodded, his grin slowly fading. He stood there awkwardly, his hands shoved into his pockets. After a moment, he muttered begrudgingly, "Thanks."
He turned toward the hallway, already halfway to his room.
Suddenly a sharp flick of movement caught his eye.
Sera tilted her head toward him, glaring at him in anger.
Adem froze.
His shoulders slumped, the color draining from his face. He hesitated, then turned back, his eyes darted around the room, "Uh… there's one more thing," he said quietly.
Casper paused and raised his eyebrow, "Continue."
Adem swallowed. "After I beat him up, he said his dad would come after me and said he'd beat me to death."
Casper held back a snort as he shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "Let him try."
Adem remained silent. His jaw tightened and his voice fell low. After a moment, he reluctantly added, "He said his dad's part of the Zmanger gang."
Casper's face immediately went still.
"..."
"Why aren't you saying something?"
Adem asked, shifting his feet.
What are the chances? Casper thought, gazing at Adem intensely. Is this really a reasonable development or a "reasonable development".
Casper's gaze lingered on Adem for a second before he looked away, rubbing his fingers against his forehead.
"Other than you, who else would do this shit?" Casper asked tiredly.
Adem blinked, thrown off by the question. "Huh?"
Casper lowered his hand and looked at him again, "Did he say when and where or was it just threats?"
Adem hesitated, biting his lip.
"Well?" Casper gestured to him to continue, "Spit it out. I don't have time to waste."
Adem exhaled and scratched the back of his neck. "He said… today at 6," he admitted. "Behind the old warehouses near the canal."
Casper gave him a nod and left the couch, he wore his coat and walked to the door. He then turned towards Adem and leaned his head back, "Coming?"
"Umm.." Adem took a step back before running towards him, "Yeah."
…
The evening air near the canal was damp and cold, the warehouse lights shut off and the stagnant water harboured an entire hive of mosquitos.
They didn't have to wait long.
A boy stepped out from behind one of the warehouses, no older than Adem, his face was marked with fresh bruises.
He glared openly, chin lifted in false bravado. A moment later, a broad-shouldered man followed him into view.
The kid's left eye had swollen completely, puffing up so much that his eye was hidden against the skin. His nose seemed to be held up by a metal brace and a huge chunk of his hair had been ripped out.
Casper whistled upon seeing the child, "Jesus," he muttered under his breath then turned towards Adem and asked incredulously, "This is the kid? And you did this to him?!"
Adem shamefully nodded.
"Seems like you aren't a pussy, Adem!" The kid cried out upon seeing him, then shifted his gaze to Casper and sized him up. "Ah! Your dad is so scrawny, I wonder how quickly my father would beat him black and blue."
Adem seemed to want to say something but held his tongue as Casper ruffled his hair.
He looked at the broad shouldered man beside the child and raised his hands.
"Do we really need to fight? This is a schoolyard brawl, do we — as parents really need to get involved? Can we leave it at this?"
He tried to reason but the man simply shook his head.
He flashed a grin, a single gold tooth glinting in the light.
"No. Your child seriously injured my child. Either you're gonna pay us the money, or I'll beat you or that kid up. You can decide."
Casper immediately refused, "First, even if I wanted to pay you. I simply can't, I'm broke you know. Secondly, you aren't beating Adem up… or me up."
"Then that decides it. We're fighting." The man said casually and confidently.
Casper raised his head, properly taking in the man's appearance.
He was big — thick arms, wide shoulders. His jacket hung heavy on him, creasing at the elbows where muscle pressed against worn fabric. No elegance to it, just brute mass.
Casper exhaled softly. "Yeah," he said. "You're built," he said matter of factly.
Well that kid wasn't wrong when he said I'm scrawny, I am a 5'8 midget and my arms look like wet noodles. This guy over here looks like an absolute beast, I wonder if he's 6'1 or 6'3… How the fuck does one even achieve this build bro?
Casper thought in a resigned tone.
The man dropped his jacket and slowly made his way over.
"By the way, before we fight," the man said, stopping a few steps away, his voice steady, almost polite, "what's your name?"
Casper blinked once, mildly surprised. Then he answered without hesitation. "Casper Walsh."
The man nodded as if committing it to memory, "Good." He rolled his neck, joints cracking softly. "I like to know who I'm breaking…. I'm Swevr by the way."
Casper scoffed, God, how much edgier can this get.
He cracked his neck too before dropping his coat to Adem's side, meeting Swevr's gaze he said quietly.
"Come at me."