The night had long cast its dark veil over the Lower Sector when Ely stepped out from the shadows and into the heart of the West Road Gang's territory. His emerald eyes burned with purpose, his long brown hair tousled from the breeze that whistled through the crumbling alleyways. The old factory ahead of him stood like a forgotten beast, rusted, abandoned, and yet full of menace. It was here that Janko, the infamous leader of the West Road Gang, made his throne.
Ely had spent the last day not just resting, but planning. He had mapped the routes to and from the hideout, timed the gang patrols, and even observed Janko's routines from rooftops. This wasn't just about brute strength. Janko was dangerous and infamous for his ferocity and cruelty but Ely was not walking in blind.
His plan was simple in outline, though difficult in execution: 40% intellect, 60% strength. He would isolate Janko from his men, force him into a one-on-one fight where the gang leader couldn't rely on his numbers. That was the only way this would work.
He crept inside the factory, silent as a shadow, sticking to the steel beams and rusted scaffolding above. From his vantage point, he saw Janko seated on a makeshift throne of scavenged metal, surrounded by a dozen men. Ely flicked a switch on the magnetic EMP device he'd cobbled together using scraps from Rakk's workshop. He dropped it near the gang's security systems. The surge of static knocked out the lights, throwing the factory into chaos.
"What the?!" one gang member shouted, fumbling in the dark.
Ely dropped to the ground, silent, unseen. In the confusion, he grabbed a metal pipe and struck a nearby gang member across the back of the head, sending him crumpling. Another turned, catching a glimpse of Ely's shadow too late. A swift jab to the throat and a hook to the ribs dropped him.
In the panic, Janko stood up, eyes narrowing. He was taller than Ely, thick with muscle, tattoos snaking across his bare chest like ancient symbols. His hair was slicked back, and a long scar carved from his left eye to his chin.
"Zoan!" Janko barked. "You little rat. Come out and die properly."
Ely stepped into the flickering emergency light. "I'm not the one dying tonight."
Janko laughed, slow and deep. "You've got balls, I'll give you that. But you'll leave here in pieces."
The gang members attempted to regroup, but Ely pulled a smoke canister from his satchel and tossed it into the center of the room. The place filled with thick grey fog.
Janko growled. "Fall back! Let me handle him!"
The two circled in the haze, silhouettes slipping in and out of view.
Ely lunged first, a feint to test Janko's reaction. The gang leader blocked and countered with a brutal hook that grazed Ely's jaw. Pain exploded in his head, but he gritted his teeth, backpedaling.
"Fast, but not fast enough," Janko sneered.
Ely didn't answer. He darted forward, low and quick. He struck Janko in the ribs with a jab, then rolled to the side to avoid the counter. But Janko was quicker than expected. His boot connected with Ely's shoulder, sending him tumbling.
Ely gasped and staggered to his feet. His bones ached. Janko was stronger definitely stronger but he was also overconfident.
Ely spat blood. "You're slow. Big and slow."
Janko's face twisted. "I'm going to crush you."
The next exchange was brutal. Janko charged like a bull. Ely sidestepped and slammed his elbow into Janko's back, then followed with a kick to the back of his knee. Janko stumbled but didn't fall.
"You think pain matters to me?" Janko growled, grabbing Ely by the collar. He lifted him and slammed him into a pillar. Ely coughed, ribs screaming.
But then, Ely reached into his boot, pulling a flash detonator, a small tech he'd developed himself. He pressed it against Janko's chest and activated it.
The burst of light blinded them both, but Ely had timed the blast. He shut his eyes a split second before it went off.
Janko roared in pain, disoriented.
Now.
Ely surged forward, driving his knee into Janko's gut. Then, with a scream of effort, he landed a devastating uppercut that cracked against Janko's jaw. The gang leader reeled.
Ely followed up with a flurry punches to the ribs, a spinning elbow to the face, a kick to the leg that dropped Janko to one knee.
"You're... strong..." Janko gasped, blood dripping from his mouth. "But you're still... just a kid."
Ely's vision blurred. His arms felt like lead. He could barely breathe.
But he couldn't stop now.
He stepped back, then ran forward. He leaped, twisting in the air, and drove his knee into Janko's temple.
The gang leader let out a loud groan. "Ahhhh!!"
Janko Yelled as the the pain struck him. Seeing as the battle was leaning towards Ely he glanced at his subordinates and yelled.
" Are you basrards just going to stand there and watch!!!"
Immediately two of the gang members launched at Ely.
"Die!!"
"You bastard!!"
They yelled as they attacked with intent to kill. The first member swing with a metal bar at Ely, immediately Ely pulled out his dagger andslashed upward in a quick arc, the dagger's edge catching the metal bar just enough to redirect it off course. The clang of metal meeting metal echoed through the alleyway. Ely spun to the side, using the momentum to drive his elbow into the first attacker's rib cage. The man wheezed and dropped to one knee.
But there was no time to breathe. The second attacker was already on him, swinging a jagged piece of rebar like a spear. Ely ducked low, feeling the wind of the swing graze his hair. He rolled forward, sliding past the man's legs, then sprang to his feet behind him.
With no hesitation, Ely slammed the hilt of his dagger into the back of the man's head. The thug dropped instantly, unconscious before he hit the ground.
"You little pest!" Janko growled, already recovered and charging again.
Ely didn't move.
Instead, he reached into his belt and flicked something small at the ground between them. A puff of smoke exploded outward. Janko stumbled, coughing violently, his vision suddenly obscured.
Ely had crafted the smoke bomb himself, just a mix of local chemicals he'd scavenged and a few smart tweaks he'd learned from watching the old tech-scrapper, Herod. Simple tech. Effective.
Through the fog, Ely moved like a ghost. He kept low, silent, calculating. He wasn't just fighting with his body he was fighting with his mind. And Janko, for all his brute force, wasn't prepared for this.
Suddenly, Janko burst through the smoke, swinging wildly.
"You think cheap tricks will save you, brat?!" he bellowed, his eyes red and filled with fury.
Ely barely sidestepped the first blow, but the second caught his shoulder, sending him stumbling into a wall. The pain shot through him like fire.
He gritted his teeth and wiped blood from his mouth.
His thoughts raced.
Too aggressive... he's overextending. Can I use that?
Janko stormed forward again, trying to press the advantage. Ely waited, baiting him, pretending to be more hurt than he actually was.
The gang leader lunged predictable, telegraphed.
This time Ely sidestepped cleanly and drove his dagger across Janko's side, tearing through the man's shirt and slicing flesh. Janko howled in pain and rage, swinging back with a backhand that Ely barely ducked.
It wasn't easy. Every move hurt now. His muscles were tiring, his breath shorter.
Still, Ely grinned. "Getting slow, Janko."
"You'll regret that, boy!"
Janko rushed him again, but Ely had already started moving this time toward the scaffolding near the side of the alley.
He leapt, grabbed the pipe, and climbed with the speed of someone who'd grown up surviving in narrow metal spaces.
Janko stared up at him, eyes wide with confusion and fury.
"Get down here!"
"I'd rather not," Ely replied and then he kicked down a hanging box full of rusted tools.
The crate fell fast, slamming into Janko's shoulder and pinning him briefly against the wall.
The gang leader roared and shoved it aside, but it gave Ely the seconds he needed to breathe. To think.
He could end this. He had to end this.
But the fight wasn't over. Janko was wounded, furious and worst of all, still dangerous.
Ely's plan had worked so far… but it wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.