Chapter 18 - The Tutelage
"..." Chiara said taking a hit from her cig. Grabbing it out of her mouth and exhaling, she turned around to face the two hedgehogs. The smaller one walked over to the taller one with a look of excitement on his face.
"You're heck of strong Speed! You threw me in the air like I was nothing!" Sonic claimed and extended his arms outward.
"..." the amputee blinked with one eye then turned to the boy. He nodded his head a little.
"...you are rather light...however...your air spin maneuver...was effective."
"Yeah?" the child asked with a smile. Putting his hands behind his head, he looked eager to talk.
"I've only been able to do it on the ground. I don't have enough speed to do it in the air."
"Say!" he blurted out. The expression on his face was the look of a bright idea.
"If you teach me how to do super speed, then I could do that spin in the air too!"
"Like," Sonic spoke then jumped. Getting enough air, he did a forward flip before landing back on the ground. As if still locked in his imagination, he did a landing pose.
"That but moving forward while in the air!"
"..." the one arm man spoke having a faint smirk on his face. "...anything...possible..."
"When I able to do it, I have to give it a move name. Just like your Vanishing Attack!" the orphan stated enthusiastically then concentrated on the floor a little.
"Ya gave your trick a move name?" the stoat asked in an amused voice. Smirking seeing him give her a single narrowed eye look, the woman looked back at the energetic child.
"I know," Sonic said looking back up at Speed then did a pose. "Air Spin Attack."
"..." the adult male responded with turning back to him. Resetting his face, he paused a little before responding.
"...it is...fitting..."
"Ha ha ha ha," Chiara responded with laughing a bit before covering her mouth with her hand. "You two are a pair."
"..." the amputee interrupted with clearing his throat a little. Moving his arm to gesture toward the stoat, he spoke.
"...Sonic...this is Chiara...manager of this establishment."
"Hello miss Chiara," the boy greeted after turning toward her. "I'm Sonic from Oberi Village."
"Well ain't ya a polite one," she stated with a smile. Walking to the child, she leaned forward and put her hands on her knees.
"Tell me sport," the woman began the gesture her head towards the other hedgehog. "Did this guy kidnap you from your folks?"
"..." the orphan answered with looking at the one arm man. He was going to the weapons that dropped on the floor and picking them up. Turning back to her, he shook his head.
"No. Speed didn't."
"Oh? Why look at him? Is the answer on his face?"
"...well...um," Sonic began then scratched the back of his head. "...I...um...made a trade deal with him."
"Really? Do tell," Chiara asked keeping the same smile and expression on her face. The atmosphere she made seemed to make him want to be careful on how he spoke.
"He asked me...which would I trade to save me village from metal heads. Me or my entire village?...I...choose me."
"I see. What are you to your savior then? His personal property?"
"..." the boy spoke glancing at the amputee again. Having gathered the three knives that were on the floor, he folded the blades to not be out. Turning towards the two, he proceeded toward them. His neutral expression did not give the child any indication that what he said would be right or wrong.
"He asked me...to help with infiltrating the metal head base. It's..." he continued. Thinking about where he was, he wasn't too sure where north was. Instead, he pointed in a direction that would go back into the forest.
"...in that direction I think."
"Infiltrating the machine base?" Chiara questioned then turned to the other hedgehog. "You went inside and brought a kid along?"
"...yes..." was all he said stopping near them.
"You could have got him killed."
"...possibilities were high..." he agreed with a single faint head nod.
"And do tell mister," she began with crossing her arms and looking directly at him. "What would have you done if this sport did get captured by the enemy and /or kicked the bucket in there?"
"...you his mother now?" Speed asked with a small frown. Instead of getting a remark back, she walked up to be chest to chest with him.
"You wanna say that again Speed?"
"...get...out...of...my...face..." he said gravely with same frowning expression.
"Not until-" the stoat began when he grabbed her throat firmly.
Without moving anything else, he lifted her off her feet a couple of inches. Gripping his hand and trying to pry herself free, the amount of strength he had was more than she expected. Even when she produced her claws and dug them into his hand, it didn't faze him. The blood oozing out of the puncture holes and his unwavering menacing expression made her very nervous. Sonic got close to them but didn't dare open his mouth seeing the amputee's face.
"...do not...force your moral compass...onto me," the one arm hedgehog stated evenly and slowly. "...I do not question...your business or conduct...in your hell hole..."
"...ggrrrnn..." Chiara grunted while glaring at him. Given that he was not squeezing her air flow, she chose to not struggle and fight him. Instead, she watched him carefully given that his arm was not even shaking from holding her up with one arm. The possibility of him snapping her neck like it was a twig was high.
"...if I am a monster..." he continued then dropped his shoulder a little. Doing a small shove and letting go, the woman went backwards a foot or two. Landing on her feet, she stayed in a defensive position and watched him. The hedgehog's expression changed to be stoic and cold.
"...then take him..."
"..." she spoke putting one hand on her throat. Rubbing it a little from the phantom feeling of his hand grip, she glanced at the child. His face looked a little upset.
"Miss Chiara. Speed saved me a number times and my village. He's teaching me how to survive out in the wild. He's showing me how to be a freedom fighter," the orphan proclaimed with closed hands. "And he promised me how to get superspeed after going into that metal head base. He's not a monster."
"..." the stoat reacted with just blinking. Looking back at the amputee, he had turned around and was heading back to the kitchen area. Getting out her stance, she saw the boy had looked back at the one arm man. Without turning back to her, Sonic hurried toward him. Watching both enter the room, the door was left open.
"..." she responded with another closing and opening of her eye. Looking down at the cigarette that was dropped to the ground when she was in a choked hold, she picked it up. Putting it between her lips and inhaling, smoke filled her lungs. Exhaling and keeping the cig in her mouth, she turned around. Walking away with hands in her jacket pocket, her mind brewed while remaining verbal quiet.
"..." the amputee spoke heading towards the kitchen counter. Getting in front of it and placing the switchblades on it, he heard small, quick feet enter the room. Turning around and seeing it was the child, he just blinked. Watching the boy come to him, he stopped on the outside of his personal space.
"Why...did she say that Speed? Isn't she your friend?" he asked cautious and quietly
"...she is not...my friend...just an...acquaintance," the adult answered in a neutral tone.
"...acquaintance?"
"...someone that you know...but not a friend."
"...oh..." he commented then scratched the back of his head. Watching him turn around, he headed towards the corner of the room that was between the refrigerator and the kitchen counter.
"Seems like everyone you meet...reacts the way my villa-I mean, the villagers did when they thought of you as a killer."
"...unfortunately...yes..." he stated while grabbing a spare towel. It was one of the ones he found while he rummaged through the space earlier.
"Why though?"
"...fear of unknown...fear of abnormal...leads people to act...hostile."
"...I remember you telling me that before when we were in the forest," the boy commented. Seeing him turn around at the corner, he eased himself down to the floor. Leaning against the wall, he sighed a little through his nose. Lifting his left arm, he began to rub his right eye from what appeared to be tiredness.
"So...what happens now?"
"...leave tomorrow morning...go to pool location...to begin process," Speed answered and stopped rubbing his eye. Looking back at the orphan, there was a confused look on his face.
"...begin process?"
"...did you want to...be able to do...superspeed...or has that changed?" he asked with a blank expression.
"Y-You mean," Sonic asked getting in front of him. Sitting on the floor, he leaned forward.
"You are really going to teach me how to get superspeed!? Really really!?"
"...we made a trade...you aided me in...machine base...I will show you how."
"Oh man! This is awesome!" the boy expressed with fist pumping the air. Without even pausing, he got up and started pacing around the room with a big smile on his face.
"...try and get...some rest...tomorrow will be...long," the amputee stated with a tired voice.
"Okay. I'll try-but I can't wait for tomorrow to come! I super pysched now!"
"..." the one arm hedgehog responded with a lethargic blink. Feeling his eye lid getting very heavy, he draped the towel over himself. Leaning his head back on the wall, his right eye closed. Feeling himself begin to drift into his subconscious, his senses began dulling. The last images he saw was the blurry image of the boy pacing in the room.
"..." Speed spoke feeling himself fully slipped into a dreamscape. As if only a blink occurred, he opened his eye and surveyed the environment. He was in a warped hallway that was nothing but metal components. Doing a 360 degrees and seeing the same thing, he stopped. Blinking and trying to frown, his mouth did not move. Seeing stuff in his peripheral vision and recognizing what it was, he couldn't sigh through his nose either.
'...here again...' the amputee stated to himself.
Only hearing it in his head, his mouth did not move an inch. Looking down at the ground in front of him, something had appeared. From where his feet was and throughout the length of the hallway floor, there was a sea of dead robots. All their limbs and parts were butchered off with lacerations done by various weapons and tools. Filling through the knee-deep machine carnage was hot and thick oily substance.
Doing an irritated blink, Speed proceeded forward. Instead of hearing the metal crunching of the metal heads, each one screamed in agony like they were people in agony. A chorus of suffering rang through the environment making it eerie and ominous. Ignoring it and continuing at a walking pace, the painful cries crescendo. In the background, the ticking of a loud grandfather clock was sounding and echoing throughout the dreamscape.
"..." the hedgehog responded with just a blink. Continuing forward, something slithering was occurring behind him. Not sounding like how machines would move, it appeared to be way too organic. Ignoring it from what happened in previous times when he did turn around, he pursued onward.
Slowly, the hallway began rotating to the right. What was the floor became the left wall in the elongated hallway. At the same time, there seemed to be a fussy static sound that was breaking in and out. The further along he walked, it started to get more pronounced. Waiting for the horrors of this vision to commence, it at the same time did not feel normal. Concentrating a little more on the background noise, voices were breaking in and out.
[Got hostiles coming in fast#$from here. Get ready...]
[God damn these things] a person shouted followed by distant gunfire and explosions. [How#$there!?]
[How do the heck do they have weapons!?] another yelled with more sounds of war in swirling left and right.
[AHHHH! AHHHH!#$%#$BIT THROUGH MY SHOULDER! KILL TH-] a person screamed followed by an animalistic roar.
'...why...am I hearing this...?' Speed pondered feeling ambivalent. Continuing to proceed down the rotating hallway, he was now walking upside down. The slithering sounds seemed to be breathing down the back of his neck. Hot liquid was also splashing onto his back. Pseudo pain of an arm that was not there registered.
'...this surrealty...I don't recognize anything now...yet...these visions keep-'
[Arise...arise my fine specimen...] a much older gentleman spoke. His voice silenced the mayhem in the environment and made the dream converge into darkness.
[Show the world the blessings I have gave to thee] the man continued.
Hearing a whooshing sound of something heavy swinging, Speed felt it impact him. A sharp burning pulse occurred followed by his vision flashing infrared. Seeing the same vision that the cybernetic eye sees, there was nothing around him. Refusing to look behind him, he took a tentative step forward and walked. Hearing metal creek, bend, and break, someone or something followed him.
[Become the instrument of my work#$ spread it all over this world]
[Become the miracle of the metamorphosis evolution...become an apostle to your god]
'...who is this...?' the amputee wondered. Without feeling his face cringing, another sharp, red pulsing vision came to light.
'...sounds like another human scientist or doctor...not one I recognize.'
[Now go into the world...and don't come back until you have...broken through the Mach barriers...] the older man ordered. The sound of him turning around and walking away was heard. Another painful red pulse impacted the hedgehog's vision. It made the dreamscape start to vibrate uncontrollably.
[Wake up...Wake up#$%#$my#$%]
"..." Speed spoke with his right eye opening quickly. Staring in front of him and about to scan the surroundings, there was someone in front of him. Seeing the person had stopped moving, he recognized who it was.
"..." Chiara responded with seeing him staring at her. Standing up straight and looking down at him, the image of a wounded animal came to mind. However, she knew that his appearance was a false notion of what he was capable of doing.
"...hey..." she spoke with a plain voice.
"..." the amputee responded with a blink. "...h...e...y..."
"Ya know you are bleeding from...that cyber eye of yours...right?" she asked in a neutral voice. Watching him lift his hand and wipe under his left eye, he looked at his palm. There were red smears on it.
"...it does that...if someone or...something approaches...when I am sleeping."
"Safety mechanism?"
"...seems so..." he answered and slowly got up.
"You know that it also stays open and looks around like a post guard?" she asked still not moving. Seeing him slowly rise and lift up his head, he looked at her stoically. Blinking his right eye lethargically, his crimson ring moved on its own. Only looking at the couch for a second, it slowly shifted itself back to focus on her. She placed a hand on her hip and forced herself to frown at him instead of getting nervous.
"...yes..."
"I thought I told you no creepy shit when around me."
"...what...do you...want...?" Speed asked not caring.
"Are we on speaking terms?"
"...are we...?"
"I dunno...you made something CRYSTAL clear earlier," she explained and emphasized. Moving her other hand, she put it on her free hip.
"...glad...you...listened..." he stated continuing to keep the same expression.
"..." Chiara responded with pressing her lips together. "I'm not apologizing for my actions."
"...I didn't ask...for any..."
"..." the stoat said frowning a little.
Glancing over at the couch, the small hedgehog was sleeping on it. The sight of him spread out with his mouth open was amusing. Feeling a little less edgy, she turned back to the amputee. Blinking, he had moved to the counter. Seeing the switchblades on it, he grabbed all three. Moving to face her again, he walked in her direction.
"Where you taking them?"
"...barter...for supplies..."
"You going to leave the sport here?" she asked and forcing herself to not show apprehension.
"...do you...oppose...?" he asked moving towards the door. Seeing her step-in front of him to block his path, he stopped.
"He isn't my responsibility."
"...then throw him...out..." Speed spoke with an even tone. His statement made her irritated.
"I'll banish you for that remark."
"...then...go ahead..."
"Don't call my bluff. I'm not backing down."
"...very well..." the hedgehog stated without a change of tone. Turning around, he walked toward the couch. Standing over the child that was asleep, he put the three knives on an unoccupied space on the furniture. Exhaling through his nose from seeing how vulnerable the boy was, he reached for his face. Making his hand form in a claw position, he grasped Sonic's head covering his mouth and jaw.
"What the hell are you doin'?" Chiara demanded with arms across her chest.
Seeing him not responding or turning to her, she took a step in their direction. Flinching from seeing both their images vibrate, they were rather violent before they faded away. Unlike the breeze she felt in the main hallway late last night, a strong gust flowed past her. Closing her eyes and covering her face, it lasted for a few seconds before dying rapidly. Unshielding herself, she surveyed the room. Any loose paper around was blown everywhere as if a storm came through.
"...hmph..." she said quietly. Letting her arms go back to her side, she did not feel pleased on how things turned out. Grimacing at herself a little, she shook her head.
'Damn psycho,' the woman thought. Frowning more, she turned around and headed back to her office.
'He said barter...but no one opens business this early to barter,' the stoat pondered until something came to mind. '...wait a minute...he wouldn't go there with the kid...'
"Damn it," Chiara spoke to herself.
Going into a jog, she sped towards her office going up the stairs. Reaching it, she went to the coat rack. Putting on a heavier jacket, she put on a medium size knapsack with a shoulder strap. Concealing it within her outerwear, she grabbed a pack of smokes. Exiting and locking her door from two areas, she flipped a sign on her door.
'Unless he has a connection to the Dusty Rogues district, they'd treat him as a homeless kidnapper,' she stated in her mind and jogged to leave the complex. 'And probably think the sport is for trade.'
"...!?" Sonic woke up with a jolt. Opening up his eyes and looking at what was in front of him, Speed was slowly standing up. Seeing that they were in a different place than the kitchen, a phantom feeling of his face getting grabbed was felt. Standing up and rubbing his mouth a little, the boy looked around himself. It looked to be in the coast city streets while in front of an alleyway.
"Where are we?"
"...a barter district...not safest place...but are open all day," the amputee's raspy voice spoke.
Glancing at the child, he was surveying around them being in an alleyway than the street. Though it was early morning, the sunrise was barely beginning. Seeing the different tents that were around, the vast majority of them had several patches on them. Watching people move around, many were sluggish. Occasionally, something crawled on the ground that made the orphan go behind the one arm man.
"W-Who are the crawlers?" Sonic asked in a concerned low tone.
"...drunkards...addicts...prophets...broken souls..." he answered and walked forward.
"W-Why are we going in there?" the boy asked following him closely.
"...the weapons from...the thugs...is enough for cloths...and food..."
"..."
Continuing deeper into the pathway, the amount of illumination down it began to become grittier with pale orangish, yellow colors. The glow from the old lantern lights casted many shadows and made everything appear more eerie. Despite Speed proceeding forward without slowing down, he scanned around for anything. Sonic kept to the amputee's left side and observed everything with hyper activeness. Both of their ears perked and shifted towards odd sounds around them.
"...here..." the one arm hedgehog spoke in a semi-quiet tone.
Slowing down to a stop, he felt the boy be right next to him and paused. Turning to the makeshift shop tent on their right, both approached it. Seeing a display of various garments, materials, and supplies, there was something for all ages it seemed. The owner was wearing a dirty white cloak that was faded and had seen better days. With its face hidden behind a damaged gas mask, the child thought he looked unfriendly.
"...you open for business...?"
[Depends] the shop owner asked. His voice mildly amplified with the face covering he had on. Neither hedgehog could tell where his eyes were looking at.
[The child for trade?] he asked making the boy flinch.
"...no...these..." Speed informed. Placing the switchblades on the table, the trader reached out and grabbed the weapons. Looking at each and opening them, the blades looked to be barely used. Folding all three and putting them in the middle of the table, he retracked his hands.
[I'm open for trade. What are you seeking?]
"...cloak for each...and coins for food..."
[Both are...possible. Give more information on knives] the cloaked man asked remaining still as a statue.
"...ask..." the amputee spoke copying the man's approach.
[These found, stolen, or bought?]
"...taken after...beating up misfits..."
[Who were misfits?]
"...three racoons..."
[Hmmm] the shop owner hummed while not moving still.
'I can't tell if this is a staring contest or not,' Sonic thought watching them. Hearing shuffling around them, the boy began looking around. Seeing dark silhouettes moving around, all seemed to be converging towards where they were. Turning back to the adults and about to grab Speed's arm, they continued their conversation.
[How many around?] the trader asked.
"...two to left...three to right...four behind..." the one arm hedgehog answered shifting his eyes left to right.
[Is that accurate child?]
"...!?" the boy reacted with a blink and looked at them. Seeing the amputee had only glanced at him, the owner's head moved slightly toward him as well. Nodding his head carefully, the trader gave a pleased grunt.
[...I will offer more for trade] he stated evenly and put both palms down on the table. Despite him not moving around or changing position, an unnerving vibe emitted from him that made the orphan's fur stand on end.
[...the head of the coyote...deal?]
"...very well..." Speed spoke with a blink. "...Sonic..."
"Y-Yeah?" he answered a little concerned. The dark figures came out of the shadows of different alleyways and looked more savage than the three racoons. All of them had a weapon of some sort.
"...do you wish...to participate...?" the amputee asked. Tilting his head down a little and still staring at the shop owner, he curled his left hand into a tightly closed fist.
"I-In what?"
"...the slaughter..."
"...I-I...I c-can't...k-kill people," the boy answered becoming afraid.
Feeling a fist gently touch his head, it was pushing him towards the table. Not resisting or looking back at him, the child moved to be in front of the desk. Turning around and seeing that Speed was not afraid, he tried to push down his uneasiness. Seeing movement in his peripheral vision to the right, he took a quick glance. Not able to define who the person was, it seemed to be similar to the stoat woman at the apartment complex. The individual stayed outside of the sight of the other gang members.
"...then stay...with the trader..."
"Well well well wellllllll," someone spoke from behind. "Look what dropped in guys...fresh meat."
"..." Speed responded with slowly turning around. Facing who it was, the male coyote seemed to be the leader of the gang. He stood the most forward from the others and was better dressed. Even the weapon he wielded looked newer and stronger than his minions.
"Looky that...a cyber implant. That will fish us some extra cash to the right trader."
"..."
"What's wrong cripple? Cat got your tongue?" the gang leader mocked.
His followers all snickered and played with their melee weapons in their hands. The one arm man said nothing and just gave a mild glare. Seeing the mob head give a mocking smug, he looked to his right toward one of his minions. Giving a head notion toward the amputee, the thug member began walking forward. Curving around to the hedgehog's left side and be a little behind him, he raised a tire iron above his head.
Getting close, the gray ash anthropomorphic still hadn't turned around. At striking range, he swung his weapon down at the hedgehog's head. Expecting a fleshy impact, his weapon continued its pathway. Hitting the ground with a jolt while catching himself leaning forward, a tough hand grabbed the hair on the back of the gangster's head. Unable to pull himself up, a right knee slammed into his face. Feeling the harsh impact and unable to defend himself, two more knee strikes swiftly occurred.
"..." everyone around stared and watched. Seeing their member go down to the ground, his face was roughed up with a blood nose. Seeing small movements, the amputee stood back where he was and stared down at the canine leader. Watching the man do another head motion toward someone on his left, Speed waited.
Almost the same approach as the previous, the thug did a right to left horizontal swing with a large baton to the back of the hedgehog's head. Without turning around and detecting the movement, the one-arm man ducked to evade the attack. Picking up the tire iron on the ground, he winded up and stood up. Turning to the mobster and swinging hard, the metal object clobbered into the man's left temple. His body went limp and fell to the floor with a flop.
"..." all around said watching another one go down. Seeing the hedgehog move a little, he was still in the same spot as before. The noises and sight in the alleyway started to generate spectators.
"Heh. You seem to know how to handle yourself freak," the gang lead member stated out loud with a smirk. Playing with his melee weapon a little, he thought of what insult to use next. Seeing the amputee facing the other way, he began to turn to the right to face him again.
"Consider yourself lucky and dea-!?" the man began to say when the one-arm person moved. Cocking his arm back and torquing his body, he threw the tire iron hard and dangerously quick. Able to move an inch or so to avoid getting his schnoz whacked, his left cheek got impacted. Veering back and covering his face, he cringed and groaned hard from how it stung.
"B-Boss!?" a couple of mobsters called out seeing the man in pain. A couple glared back at the hedgehog with the intent to do more than hurt him.
"Ya askin' for it shrimp!" one called out and rushed him from the right.
"Your bones will get smashed today!" another stated out loud standing on the other side of the alleyway.
"..." Speed reacted with continuing to stare the leader down with disdain.
Seeing and hearing both come at him at the same time, he waited for who would get to him first. Hearing the whoosh of an object behind him aiming for his back, the man in front of him did a lunging punch with brass knuckles. Stepping forward to get inside the mobster and leaning away from the punch, something hard and metallic smacked into the guy's hand. Hearing one cry out in pain, the amputee pushed off the mobster in front of him. Doing a lunging back kick into the other's gut, it knocked the wind out of him.
Watching him go down on his hands and knees, Speed swung a right boot to the man's ribs. Hearing a heavy impact and another gasp for air, the hedgehog grabbed the metal pipe out of his hands. Seeing the other attacker was still tendering his whacked hand, two more gang members charged at him. One with a knife, the other one with a baseball bat. Heading to the nearest one, he clobbered the man's head with the metal object.
Seeing him go down, the approaching thug with the knife did a horizontal slash to his left. Hearing another whirl of air friction from the other mobster swinging to his right, Speed leans back quickly to avoid the knife then rushes the melee user. Barely missing getting grand slammed by the wooden bat to his head, the blade wielder tried to attack him again. Doing a forward thrust, the amputee does a swooping duck from right to left. Upon pushing up to stand, he winded up his left fist.
Taking a small step forward with right leg, Speed did a left cross punch to the man's chin. Knocking him out and seeing the man quickly fall away from him, he stepped forward again quickly. Hearing a swing and a heavy impact on the ground, he turned around. Watching the mobster retract his wooden weapon, he winded up the bat as if he were at a home plate of a ball game. Instead of waiting for the attack, the hedgehog walked toward him.
"Knock that freak's teeth out Donny!" the gang lead stated through clenched teeth. Spitting out blood, a tooth came out as well.
"I'm going to mess your face up good punk," the thug stated staring down the amputee.
Seeing the same expression on his face as he calmly walked towards him, he swung. Thinking the hedgehog's head was the ball, he muscled the swing. Seeing the top portion of the bat about to hit his face, there was no impact. Feeling pulled from the momentum of the bat and off balance, a heavy boot kicked him in the right side of his torso. Falling to the ground and hold his right side, he looked back. Without time to reach, the bottom of a large shoe stomped on his face.
"..." Speed reacted not seeing blood coming out of the downed mobster's nose. Doing a couple more vicious stomps, crimson began to flow out of nostrils. Turning around seeing the gang lead stare at him, apprehension filled the coyote's face.
"G-g-go get em fellas! Show em' we ain't losing to some one arm wreckage!"
"..." the remaining gangsters spoke not moving from their spot. The amputee instantly sprinted at them. Startled from seeing him move faster than they expected someone could, the hedgehog got in front of the two separately.
In each case, he punched them in the gut hard enough for them to bend forward. Holding their stomach from the pain and groaning, the hedgehog wasted no time. Doing a kicking backflip at one's face, it knocked the mobster off his feet and onto his back. With the other, Speed did a forward flip axel kick on the remaining minion's head. Slamming into the dirt with a heavy thud, both voiced their agony loudly.
"..." the amputee spoke. Slowly turning around to the down men's leader, the coyote was staring with fear. Ignoring how much of a crowd was drawn, he stared down the remaining thug with the same mild glare he had at the beginning of the beatdown.