a giant, a stocky bearded man, a couple younger guys and two young women, each facing a well-dressed, bald black man, who shot to his feet as the door slammed open. His eyes were wide in a strange mixture of joy and fearful surprise. “Luke… what’re you-“
“Everybody out now!” Luke shouted as he continued his path towards Alighieri. This group was different though. None of them backed down from Luke. Instead, the men of the group moved to intervene. Hendrick, Pontious and Vyvyr moved into position. Luke grabbed the front of Alighieri’s suit coat and held him in place. “Where is she.”
“Who you think you are.” Said a twelve-foot giant who had emerged from the corner. He was an ex-Monolith by the looks of him, towering over Luke with his arms flexed and his shoulders squared. Luke turned up towards the man without a blink.
“I’ve strangled bigger than you.” Luke growled, giving no more attention to the giant than he deserved.
The first person after the Monolith was an obvious hothead. His spiked hair and patchy stubble gave him and adolescent and intentionally unkempt appearance. He stormed up from behind the Monolith and shoved Hendrick out of the way. With a harsh chuckle, Hendrick allowed himself to stumble clear.
“After you, Lord and Master.”
The man looked back at him with narrowed eyes and gave a short, low reply. “What a gentleman.”
“Hey,” Hendrick replied with a suave grin. “I know how to treat a lady.”
The man raised both eyebrows at Hendrick in complete, offended shock. “Come again…”
“Easy, Ranjak.” Said another man who stepped up next to him, though his face was the same emotion as Ranjak’s though slightly more subdued. He looked out through his shaggy black hair with pale eyes, glaring at Hendrick who smiled back at the both of them.
“And look how cute they are together.” Hendrick said, looking back and forth at the both of them with an exaggerated, mockingly adoring smile. “Thompson and Ranjak… you just make me wanna… just…” Hendrick clenched his fists and grunted as though he wanted to squeeze them both to death.
“And you’re the Ditrinity…” Ranjak said in reply, his voice sarcastic as he mimicked Hendrick. He turned back to Luke with a degrading smile. “Went to all that trouble to pull this sack of garbage out of prison after what he-“
“You hadn’t even hit puberty when that happened, kid.” Luke rebutted, his attention now drawn away from Alighieri. “Don’t pretend like you know anything about it.”
Ranjak ground his teeth and looked around him, seeing that every person in the room would see him back down if he did. He sneered and stepped towards Luke, putting his face close to Luke’s and speaking quietly.
“You’re lucky these stabilizers are here.” He said with a half-smile.
Luke cocked a brow and set his jaw. “I’d refinish the walls with your insides.”
Ranjak’s smile wavered. He took a step back and laughed shakily, looking back to Thompson, who tried to remain indifferent, and pointing at Luke. “You hear this guy? He has no idea who we are!”
“I know exactly who you are.” Luke cut in, letting his hand stray back onto the hilt of his blade. “But until you have more than profane language to hit me with, here’s a word of advice. Don’t piss off a guy with a really big sword.”
Ranjak’s smile disappeared while he searched for something to come back with. He looked all around him as though searching for inspiration. After a moment of taught silence, his attention fell to Hendrick, whose face displayed a massive, toothy smirk.
“You got a problem!” Ranjak yelled as he took several struts towards Hendrick. Hendrick shook his head but stared Ranjak in face without flinching.
“I’m sorry, I… it’s just I find myself completely lost in your eyes. You have a girlfriend or something cause… I’d love to take you out and show you a good time.”
Ranjak shoved Hendrick
“Everybody out now!” Luke shouted as he continued his path towards Alighieri. This group was different though. None of them backed down from Luke. Instead, the men of the group moved to intervene. Hendrick, Pontious and Vyvyr moved into position. Luke grabbed the front of Alighieri’s suit coat and held him in place. “Where is she.”
“Who you think you are.” Said a twelve-foot giant who had emerged from the corner. He was an ex-Monolith by the looks of him, towering over Luke with his arms flexed and his shoulders squared. Luke turned up towards the man without a blink.
“I’ve strangled bigger than you.” Luke growled, giving no more attention to the giant than he deserved.
The first person after the Monolith was an obvious hothead. His spiked hair and patchy stubble gave him and adolescent and intentionally unkempt appearance. He stormed up from behind the Monolith and shoved Hendrick out of the way. With a harsh chuckle, Hendrick allowed himself to stumble clear.
“After you, Lord and Master.”
The man looked back at him with narrowed eyes and gave a short, low reply. “What a gentleman.”
“Hey,” Hendrick replied with a suave grin. “I know how to treat a lady.”
The man raised both eyebrows at Hendrick in complete, offended shock. “Come again…”
“Easy, Ranjak.” Said another man who stepped up next to him, though his face was the same emotion as Ranjak’s though slightly more subdued. He looked out through his shaggy black hair with pale eyes, glaring at Hendrick who smiled back at the both of them.
“And look how cute they are together.” Hendrick said, looking back and forth at the both of them with an exaggerated, mockingly adoring smile. “Thompson and Ranjak… you just make me wanna… just…” Hendrick clenched his fists and grunted as though he wanted to squeeze them both to death.
“And you’re the Ditrinity…” Ranjak said in reply, his voice sarcastic as he mimicked Hendrick. He turned back to Luke with a degrading smile. “Went to all that trouble to pull this sack of garbage out of prison after what he-“
“You hadn’t even hit puberty when that happened, kid.” Luke rebutted, his attention now drawn away from Alighieri. “Don’t pretend like you know anything about it.”
Ranjak ground his teeth and looked around him, seeing that every person in the room would see him back down if he did. He sneered and stepped towards Luke, putting his face close to Luke’s and speaking quietly.
“You’re lucky these stabilizers are here.” He said with a half-smile.
Luke cocked a brow and set his jaw. “I’d refinish the walls with your insides.”
Ranjak’s smile wavered. He took a step back and laughed shakily, looking back to Thompson, who tried to remain indifferent, and pointing at Luke. “You hear this guy? He has no idea who we are!”
“I know exactly who you are.” Luke cut in, letting his hand stray back onto the hilt of his blade. “But until you have more than profane language to hit me with, here’s a word of advice. Don’t piss off a guy with a really big sword.”
Ranjak’s smile disappeared while he searched for something to come back with. He looked all around him as though searching for inspiration. After a moment of taught silence, his attention fell to Hendrick, whose face displayed a massive, toothy smirk.
“You got a problem!” Ranjak yelled as he took several struts towards Hendrick. Hendrick shook his head but stared Ranjak in face without flinching.
“I’m sorry, I… it’s just I find myself completely lost in your eyes. You have a girlfriend or something cause… I’d love to take you out and show you a good time.”
Ranjak shoved Hendrick
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