Unfamiliar hood

"Dead with silence" was the best phrase Duke could come up with to describe how the neighborhood he was to deliver the item looked like. As he rode his bike down the road, he pulled out the piece of paper that contained the house address he was to drop the delivery to reconfirm the address. As he continues the ride down, the paper in his hand slipped from his grasp and was carried by the wind. It went above his head and drifted away following the current till it was no longer in sight.

"Just great" Duke thinks to himself as he stopped watching the wind take the slip away.

Duke did not let it bug him. He was already in the neighborhood, and the information encrypted on the paper was already etched into his memory.

He turned his head forward and continued the ride. After riding to a good distance, duke came down from his bike as he analyzed the environment.

Thinking about it now, Duke had never been here. Neither had he ever been given packages to deliver in this vicinity. He snapped back to himself, not letting doubts cloud his mind nor giving the chance of having second thoughts on coming here, Duke thought it was best he just get to the address first.

Weird enough for him, he hadn't encountered anyone outside. The whole place looked damp. It looked like a scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie. The streets seemed empty and deserted with boards and spray paint over some doors and walls. It felt like everyone turned tail and ran had taken place and or a evacuation plan was in motion that somewhat took everyone in this vicinity. Or rapture perhaps.

Or the government.

Suddenly a car zoomed past him, splashing the dirty mud water on Dukes shirt. He must have not heard them honk their horn because he was lost in his thoughts for a bit.

Seeing the car reversing and now heading towards him made him rethink if they even honked their horn at all.

Three guys about his age came down from the car. The car looked flashy. It was one of those fancy sports car that had just the driver and passenger seat, with barely enough room at the back so he didn't know how the third guy managed to fit in the back, but they were all coming down and were now walking towards him.

"Sorry about that my man," The first apologized with a smugged look on.

Something told duke they hadn't just come down to apologize. So he stayed mute and simply watched them.

One of the guys who was now seated on top of the car puffing cigarettes spoke "Is he dumb?"

"At least not deaf" The first guy said again "You are not deaf are you, my man?"

The first guy came closer and stared at duke in an intimidating way. Duke carried his gaze not flinching one bit. He wore a bored expression.

"Did that low life just gave you the look?" The third guy questioned, gaining the first and the seconds attention.

"What look?" They asked in usion.

Yeah, what look? Duke wanted to know too but he still kept mute.

"That you can't do shit, that you don't scare him." The third guy briefed.

The first guy chuckled and turned to Duke "Must've been some sort of mistake, or you just have poor sight brad." The first guy pulls on duke's glasses.

"Those are mine." Duke suddenly speaks. But the first guy was already handing Duke's lens to brad.

"Oh, shit" The first guy jumped dramatically. Like a princess that stepped on a rat, only that he wasn't wearing a puffy gown to enhance the dramatic effect. The lens dropped on the floor.

"Your voice scared me for a moment and I dropped them by mistake, my apologies." He said sarcastically

"Just give them back." Duke spoke again In a bored tone. His vision was getting blurry. But he didn't act like it.

"So you can talk and hear too." The first guy snickered.

"Even someone who's tier one knows better to not pull that stunt with me. Talk less of a low life." the second guy sneered.

The first guy picks the glasses with his leg like it was a small ball and then kicked it, sending the frame and broken pieces of glass from the lens flying straight at duke.

Duke didn't move, he stood still and the glasses that was now somewhat shattered, missed his face by an inch but enough to leave a small cut.

Before Duke could react, the first guy grabbed Duke by his collar and threw him on the floor. Duke groaned, taking a moment to wipe the dirt away from his eyes before he tried to get up.

"Oh man's got cash!" Duke heard one of the guys hail. Duke was suddenly elated. He searched the floor in a blur to pick the money that fell from his pocket. His vision was bad as it is, coupled with the mud that somehow found it's way inside his eyes.

"Got it!" He heard them laugh.

Duke tried to get up but he only got kicked down by the boys.

"Give it back I won't say it again." Duke mumbled but loud enough to hear as he held on to his gut

"Still got energy to talk I see, lets do something about that boys."

Duke coughed as he got up, he stayed still and closed his eyes taking slow deep breaths as the memory of his foster dad, blindfolding him, using whips and sticks on him in an attempt to build up his other senses flashed and played through like a movie in his mind. He was so keen on teaching his son to be useful even with his bad sight.

Duke paused and closed his eyes as he listened and waited. He felt the vibrations of the ground beneath him as one of the guys began charging towards him. He swerved to the side, easily avoiding the punch that was thrown at him

"Boys got moves, I'll handle him." Duke heard Brad said

"No, I will handle him. I'll use some of my acquired strength to put him in his place." another picked in

"How about we just let this low life be, I think he has learned not to mess with his superiors. Remember we aren't supposed to use our tiers on people that aren't in the game."

"What game?" Duke thought to himself as they talked amongst themselves.

He could figure that out later but what mattered most to him at this very moment was getting back his money and he wasn't about to let go of it.

"No one is leaving this place with my money except me," Duke yelled.

"Ouu! He's asking for it." Brad taunted.

Brad decided to take his turn at Duke who was still standing with his eyes closed shut. Brad threw a punch aiming for Duke's nose but Duke could already feel it coming. He turned again swiftly and threw a high kick to his neck with his foot sending Brad flying into the side of a dumpster.

"I said… No one leaves with my money." Duke mutters in a dark ominous tune.