Cornered At The Subway
The figures followed him at a steady distance, neither speeding up nor slowing down, just keeping a consistent pace.
They were clearly tailing him, waiting for the right moment to act. August's mind raced as he considered his options. He could easily lose them if he ducked into an alleyway and used his wits, but he also knew that whoever was after him wouldn't stop once they lost sight of him.
His hand instinctively went to the bag slung over his shoulder where the Bronze Shortsword was safely stored. He needed to be smart about this. He couldn't afford to get into a confrontation right now—especially with a game item worth over a hundred thousand dollars on him.
August's heart pounded in his chest as he darted through the narrow alley and sprinted toward the train station.
His pursuers weren't far behind, and every second counted. The distant rumble of a train arriving on the platform filled the air, and August quickened his pace, barely sparing a glance over his shoulder. The shadowy figures were still on his tail, closing in fast.
He leaped up the stairs two at a time, slipping past the turnstile just as the train doors opened. Without hesitation, he jumped into the train, hoping the doors would close before the others could follow.
But they were fast. Too fast.
The two figures dashed through the station and jumped onto the train while the doors were still wide open. August's pulse quickened as they cornered him from both sides. There was no turning back now—confrontation was inescapable.
"Hand over the item," one of them demanded with a threatening tone as he stepped forward.
"Yeah, we know you've got a game item," the other chimed in, positioning himself behind August, blocking any escape route.
August's eyes narrowed as he weighed his options. Giving up the sword was not on the table, and now that he was more physically adept than before, thanks to his newfound abilities, he wasn't about to let himself be cornered so easily.
"Not gonna happen," he replied with a calm but cautious expression.
The first figure lunged at him, trying to grab August by the collar, but August was ready.
He moved smoothly and dodged the attack, pivoting to the side before charging at the man.
They soon exchanged fists in a flurry of punches. August's reflexes were sharp, and he expertly dodged the man's wild swings.
For some reason, he could see every swing coming.
He saw his opening and landed a clean uppercut directly under the man's chin.
The force of the hit sent the man flying backward, crashing into the row of seats with a loud thud. The passengers screamed in shock and the train car erupted into chaos as people scrambled to get away from the fight.
August didn't have time to breathe. The second assailant was already closing in on him from behind. Before August could react, he felt the cold, unmistakable sensation of a gun pressed against his back.
"Last chance," the second man growled. "Hand over the sword, or I'll pull the trigger."
August clenched his teeth in annoyance. He could feel the tension in the air, and the growing panic of the passengers as they realized how dire the situation had become. But he wasn't about to give in.
His fingers twitched, and a thought crossed his mind. 'Maybe I can try that...'
With a calm voice, he replied, "Alright. I'll give it to you."
Slowly, he turned around to face his attacker with his hands raised as though he was surrendering. The man kept the gun aimed at him.
Just when it seemed like August was about to comply, he suddenly executed a different action.
The assailant eyes widened as August reached out and grabbed the gun by the barrel.
[Extraction Has Been Activated]
A purple gleam emitted from August's fingers as soon as they made contact with the gun.
The man's expression displayed a visibly shocked look as the weapon immediately began to disassemble in his hands.
He tried to pull the trigger but the gun was already coming apart.
Piece by piece, it clattered uselessly onto the train floor before the assailant.
"What the hell?!" the man shouted while backing away in disbelief.
The passengers gasped in horror. Their whispers quickly turned to frantic yells as they realized that August was a supernatural player. The tension in the train car skyrocketed, but August took full advantage of the chaos.
Without missing a beat, he swung his fist and landed a solid punch right across the man's face, sending him sprawling to the floor. The man groaned in pain, dazed from the unexpected hit.
In that instant, the train doors began to close as it prepared to leave the station. The opportunity to escape was now or never.
With quick thinking, August darted toward the nearest door and leaped off the train just as it started to move. The doors slid shut behind him, locking the assailants inside.
He landed on the platform and spun around to see the train pulling away with his two attackers trapped inside and glaring furiously at him through the glass windows.
They pounded on the doors, but it was too late—the train had left the station, and they were being carried further and further away.
August took a deep breath, steadying his pulse. The tension from the chase and the fight still clung to him, but he couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Nice try," he muttered under his breath as he straightened up and adjusted the bag containing the bronze Shortsword. He quickly disappeared into the shadows of the station, blending in with the crowd as he made his way toward the exit.
Though he'd narrowly escaped this time, he knew this wouldn't be the last time he experienced such a situation. Word was spreading fast about supernatural players and the rare game items being brought into reality. And now, more than ever, the stakes were higher than ever before.