"Who's next?" Samantha said, her voice low and dangerous. "Who wants to try their luck against the 'frail' little girl?"
The thugs shifted uneasily, their bravado evaporating. No one dared to step forward. The silence stretched, broken only by Ren's ragged breathing and the drip of water from a leaky pipe.
Kenji, his voice trembling slightly, tried to regain control. "Don't just stand there! Attack her! She's just one girl!"
But his words fell flat. His men were too terrified to move. They'd seen what she'd done to Ben and Ying. They knew that "frail" was a lie.
Samantha's gaze locked onto Kenji. "Kenji, if I beat the remaining 15 of your friends," she said, her voice dripping with venom, "You're next. And if you even think about running, I'll kill you. Slowly."
Before anyone could react, a screech of tires echoed outside, followed by the warehouse doors bursting open with a deafening crash. All eyes snapped towards the entrance.
Lexie Xanthe Villareal stood silhouetted against the fading light, her expression a mask of cold fury. Her black shirt and jeans, though casual, couldn't hide the lean muscle that coiled beneath her skin. She looked like a storm about to break.
"Kenji," Lexie's voice was low, each word precise and dangerous. It was a voice that brooked no argument. "Is this how you spend your time?"
Kenji's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lexie… the Ice Queen… really came?" He stumbled backward, his carefully constructed arrogance crumbling. "We're screwed."
The scarred thug, Ben, who was still conscious despite his injuries, whimpered, his gaze darting between Lexie and Samantha. "Wait… she's really the girlfriend of that loser?"
Ying, his body still and twisted, was beyond answering.
Another thug, his voice cracking, whispered, "Lexie-sama… that's why she rejected all of us guys, including me…"
Lexie ignored them all, her gaze fixed on Ren. Her eyes softened, a flicker of something akin to tenderness momentarily replacing the coldness. "Ren," she said, her voice softer now, but still laced with an undercurrent of steel. "You're here."
Ren, his face a mask of pain, managed a weak smile. "Lex… you're here," he croaked, his voice broken. He coughed, a rattling sound that made Lexie's eyes harden again. "Thank you."
Samantha, her own anger momentarily forgotten, rushed towards Lexie. "Ate Lexie! Great, you came! Thank you!" She reached up and patted Samantha's head, her touch surprisingly gentle.
Lexie's gaze softened as she looked at Samantha. "No need to thank me, Sam. He's my boyfriend. I'm glad you called."
Her eyes then swept over Ren, taking in his injuries, his bound limbs, his labored breathing. The tenderness vanished, replaced by a chilling fury.
"Look at Kuya! Look what they did to him!" Samantha's voice was raw with anger and fear. "Right now, he's still tied up! Look at his face, he's beaten up, and his body is bleeding! He's having an asthma attack right now!"
Lexie turned back to the thugs, her eyes blazing. The temperature in the warehouse seemed to drop several degrees.
"I'll give you ten seconds to untie my boyfriend," she said, her voice dangerously low. "If you don't… I'll kill all of you."
Her gaze swept over them, each word a promise of violence.
"One…" Lexie began to count, her voice calm but deadly.
Kenji's eyes darted around, panic finally overwhelming his bravado. "You… you heard her! Untie him!" he barked at his men, his voice cracking.
The thugs, spurred by a fear greater than their loyalty, scrambled towards Ren. Their hands fumbled with the ropes, their movements clumsy and rushed.
"Two…" Lexie continued, her voice unwavering.
Samantha watched, her body trembling with a mixture of relief and lingering rage. She wanted to tear these men apart herself, but she knew Lexie was faster, stronger.
"Three…"
The ropes finally gave way. Ren slumped forward, his body supported only by the chair. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving.
"Four…"
Kenji, his face pale, stepped away from Ren. "He's untied. He's free. Just… just let us go."
Lexie's eyes narrowed. "Oh, do you think I should just let all of you go after hurting my boyfriend?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm, each word laced with a threat.
She took a step forward, her movements predatory. The thugs recoiled.
Samantha, remembering their earlier taunts, stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly. "Ate Lexie, they… they planned to… to rape me if you hadn't come. I… I would have been… screwed." She managed to force tears, her acting skills surprisingly convincing.
Lexie's eyes flashed, her fury intensifying. "They what?" Her voice was a low growl.
Samantha nodded, her lower lip trembling. "They said… they said they wanted to… to taste me. They said… they said horrible things."
Lexie's gaze swept over the thugs, her expression murderous. "You disgusting pieces of shit," she hissed.
She turned to Samantha, her expression softening slightly. "Sam, go get Ren to the hospital. Here are the keys to my car. I'll handle this." She tossed Samantha a set of keys, her movements swift and decisive.
Samantha nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Okay, Ate Lexie. Thank you."
A chime resonated in Samantha's mind.
[Main Mission #2: Save Your Older Brother]
[Difficulty: ★★★★★]
[Status: Completed]
[Reward: Spin the Wheel 4 times and get 4 rewards]
Mochi zipped excitedly in front of Samantha's face. "Wow! Great acting skills, Samantha! And Mission completed! Now for the rewards!"
Samantha blinked, momentarily disoriented. "What wheel, Mochi?"
Mochi puffed out his tiny chest proudly. "I'm your system guide, remember? The System Wheel! After completing a major mission, you get to spin it for rewards! It's like a cosmic prize wheel!" He zipped around Samantha's head excitedly. "Four spins, four chances to win big!"
Ren coughed weakly, his face still pale and strained. "Sam… I… I need to get out of here…"
Samantha's focus snapped back to reality. "Right, Kuya. Let's get you to the hospital."
She carefully helped Ren to his feet, supporting his weight. He leaned heavily on her, his breathing shallow and labored.
"Lexie…" Ren managed to say, his voice weak. "Be careful."
Lexie smiled, a small, reassuring smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Don't worry about me, Ren. Just focus on getting better." Her gaze hardened as she turned back to the thugs. "I have some unfinished business to attend to."
Samantha, with Mochi buzzing excitedly around her, guided Ren towards the exit, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and relief. The image of Lexie facing down the thugs was both terrifying and reassuring. She knew Lexie could handle them. But she also knew that the violence wasn't over.
As they reached Lexie's car, a sleek black sedan, Ren leaned against the hood, gasping for breath.
"Sam… my inhaler… it's in my bag…" he managed to say, his voice barely audible.
Samantha quickly found Ren's bag and retrieved the inhaler. She helped him use it, her hands trembling slightly.
"Breathe, Kuya, breathe," she whispered, her voice filled with concern.
Slowly, Ren's breathing began to stabilize. His color returned, though he was still weak and shaken.
"Thanks, Sam," he said, his voice stronger now. "You… you were amazing back there."
Samantha blushed, her earlier ferocity fading away. "I… I just wanted to protect you, Kuya."
She helped Ren into the passenger seat, her movements gentle. Mochi zipped into the backseat, his blue eyes wide with excitement.
"Let's go, Sam! Let's get these rewards!" he chirped.
Samantha fastened Ren's seatbelt and then slid into the driver's seat. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Okay, Kuya. We're going to the hospital," she said, her voice firm. "Just hold on."
She started the engine, the car roaring to life. As she pulled out of the warehouse parking lot, she glanced back.
Lexie stood amidst the terrified thugs, her expression a mask of cold fury. The fight was far from over.
The car sped away, leaving the warehouse and its horrors behind. But the echoes of violence, and the promise of more to come, lingered in the air.