The Rescue

“Don’t. You. Dare.”

The words cut through the night like a blade of ice.

It wasn’t loud, but it froze everything. The men stopped mid-motion, their smirks faltering. Anko’s teary eyes widened as she looked up from the ground.

Reia stood at the mouth of the alley, chest heaving, breath visible in the cold. Her hoodie was drenched with rain, hair plastered to her face, eyes glowing with fury. For a moment, she looked almost unreal — like a ghost pulled straight out of vengeance itself.

“Who the hell are you?” Igor demanded, still holding his fist mid-air.

Reia took a step forward, her sneakers splashing in a puddle. “The last person you’ll ever want to mess with.”

Vlad snorted, glancing between her and the trembling girl on the ground. “Oh, the girlfriend’s here. How cute.”

Reia’s jaw tightened.

“Cute?” she repeated, voice trembling — not from fear, but rage. “You think this is cute?”

She didn’t give him a second to blink. Reia sprinted forward, her fist connecting with Igor’s face so hard the sound cracked through the alley.

He stumbled back, eyes wide with shock, blood blooming from his nose.

“WHAT THE?!” Igor roared, clutching his face.

Vlad moved fast, lunging at her from the side. But Reia ducked, spinning low, her leg sweeping under his and sending him staggering. Before he could recover, she kicked him hard in the stomach.

“Touch her again,” she growled, panting, “and I’ll make sure you can’t walk.”

“Crazy b*tch!” Vlad hissed, wiping blood from his lip.

Reia’s chest rose and fell quickly, her adrenaline pumping. But two against one wasn’t fair, and both men were bigger. Igor charged again, fury replacing surprise.

“You’re gonna regret that!”

He swung wildly. Reia dodged once, twice — her movements fast but untrained. Still, she had fire. She slammed her fist into his ribs. The impact made him grunt, but he didn’t fall. He shoved her hard, and Reia hit the wall behind her with a painful thud.

“Reia!” Anko cried, trying to get up, but her leg gave out beneath her.

Reia gritted her teeth and pushed herself off the wall. The pain in her shoulder was sharp, but she ignored it. “You picked the wrong girl,” she spat.

Vlad came up from behind, arms snaking around her shoulders, locking her tight. “Got you, you little…”

She struggled, elbows flying, but his grip tightened. Igor stepped closer, cracking his knuckles.

“Let’s teach this one some manners,” he said, sneering.

“REIA!”

Anko’s scream echoed in the alley — raw and desperate. Her eyes darted around wildly until she saw it — a metal trash can lid near the dumpster. She grabbed it, lifted it with trembling hands, and with all the strength she had left, swung it straight into Igor’s back.

The sound rang out — metal meeting bone. Igor gasped in shock and stumbled forward. “You!” he roared, turning toward her.

“Don’t you ever try, scumbag!” Anko shouted, rage replacing her fear. She swung the lid again, then kicked him in the gut. The impact sent him sprawling to the ground.

Vlad loosened his grip for a split second, startled by the sudden counterattack — and Reia didn’t waste it. She twisted, driving her elbow straight into his jaw. A sharp crack followed, and Vlad dropped to one knee with a groan.

Reia panted heavily, hair sticking to her face, knuckles burning. “Get up,” she hissed at Igor. “Come on.”

But Igor was already struggling, trying to crawl away. “Freaks,” he spat weakly, but his words slurred through the blood in his mouth.

Reia stepped closer, eyes cold. “You’re lucky I don’t finish it.”

She grabbed his collar, pulling him close just enough to whisper:

“If I ever see you near her again, I’ll make you regret it.”

Then she let go, shoving him backward. Igor hit the ground hard, groaning.

Vlad tried to reach for a broken bottle beside him, but Anko kicked it away before he could touch it. “Pathetic,” she muttered, her voice shaky but strong.

The two men lay defeated, groaning and clutching their bruises. The air smelled of rain, sweat, and metal. Reia spat near them.

“No one touches my girl,” she said, voice trembling — not from fear, but from the weight of what she meant.

Anko stood there, chest heaving, hands still shaking.

“Reia…”

Reia turned to her, the anger melting from her face as fast as it had appeared. She stepped forward and knelt beside her, brushing the hair from her face.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Anko shook her head quickly, though tears still lined her eyes. “I… I’m fine… I just…”

Her words broke into sobs before she could finish.

Reia pulled her into a hug, holding her tight. “It’s okay,” she whispered, voice soft but fierce. “They’re gone now. You’re safe.”

Anko’s fingers clutched the back of her hoodie, trembling. “You came for me,” she whispered.

Reia pressed her forehead to Anko’s. “Of course I did.”

For a long moment, they just stayed like that — two figures under the flickering streetlight, surrounded by the chaos they’d just survived.

Then Reia took Anko’s trembling hand. “Let’s go,” she said softly. “We’re going home.”

And this time, Anko didn’t argue.

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