Arcane: A Stroke of Death [Male Reader]

V. Conscience Makes Cowards of us All

(Y/N) kept his head down as the group made their way through the streets. The south side wasn't as bad as the Lanes, but ever since the tip from Penguin, (Y/N) had done his best to steer clear of this part of town.

A shaggy haired blonde kid around their age suddenly spoke up. "Nice haul?"

Much to (Y/N)'s chagrin, Mylo spun around. "You could say that."

"I heard there was some action across the river," the blonde said. "Someone... someone really kicked the nest, huh?"

"Is that so?" Vi suddenly asked in a foreboding tone.

The blonde chuckled. "But now, you're... you're tracking this mess of yours through my streets."

(Y/N) scoffed lightly and raised an eyebrow. "Please. You haven't got a clue who runs these streets."

The blonde looked at him. "You?"

"With your shitty leadership, I may as well take over."

"Listen," Claggor suddenly spoke up. "We don't want any trouble."

"Hear that, Deckard?" Someone called from a little ways away. "They don't want any trouble."

"In my experience," the blonde - Deckard - said, "Trouble finds you."

"Deckard..." (Y/N) said, appearing to think. "I think I've heard that name before. Your first name wouldn't happen to be Rick?"

"There's no reason this has to get ugly," Deckard said, ignoring (Y/N)'s quip. "How about you share a little taste of your treasure and we'll call it even?"

(Y/N) laughed. "Buddy, if you think-"

Vi suddenly grabbed the bag. "Just a taste?"

"Just a-"

Vi suddenly threw the bag at Deckard, knocking him over, and the fight was on.

(Y/N) turned to see a trio of guys approaching him.

"Alright." He cracked his neck. "You wanna get nuts?" He popped his knuckles, then raised his arms in invitation. "Come on. Let's get nuts!"

He threw a right hook at the first guy, striking him across the left cheek and stunning him a moment. (Y/N) then grabbed the second guy's punch and twisted his arm, creating an audible crack and causing the guy to yell in pain. He then kicked the third guy between his legs, sending him back a ways.

The first guy had recovered by then, so (Y/N) parried his attack and headbutted him, before repeatedly striking him in the abdomen, forcing him back against a wall, then slammed his head against a metal pipe, knocking him out.

The second guy came up behind (Y/N) and grabbed him by the neck, hoping for the third guy to come in and beat him up. However, (Y/N) grabbed the man's arms and flipped him over his head to the ground, hitting him in the face with his right knee and knocking him out.

The third attempted to run, but (Y/N) shot the remote claw directly into his back. The guy went flying, and (Y/N) elbowed him in the face to knock him down, punching him in the face once more to render him unconscious.

(Y/N) brushed his shoulder. "I still know kung-fu."

Claggor had fended off some more of Deckard's goons, as had Mylo. Vi had forced Deckard to take a step back, and the teens all gathered around him.

"That's not kung-fu," Mylo stated matter-of-factly. "I think you broke that guy's arm in three places."

Deckard suddenly pulled out a shiv and raised it at the group.