Brothers

John watched from the sidelines, frustration building in his chest as he saw Alex getting hammered by both Flint and Brick. He hated sitting back, hated watching, but up until now, he hadn't seen an opening—at least, not one that didn't get him killed.But with Alex barely holding on, something snapped inside him. He wasn't going to just stand there any longer."Damn it, here goes nothing," John muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as he locked onto Brick.Without wasting another second, he sprinted into the fray, diving in right as Brick swung at Alex again. John crashed into Brick's side with a shoulder tackle, throwing everything he had into it. It wasn't the most graceful move, but it was enough to knock Brick off balance, giving Alex just enough time to scramble away."John?!" Alex panted, eyes wide, caught between surprise and relief. "What the hell are you doing here?""Saving your ass, apparently," John shot back, quickly sidestepping as Flint tried to blindside him with a fast punch. He barely dodged in time, adrenaline now pumping through his veins.Flint narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. "Well, well, look who decided to join the party. Gonna regret that, pal."Brick shook off the surprise, cracking his neck with a deep growl. "Two for the price of one, huh? I like it."John's heart was racing, but he kept his focus sharp, knowing what he was up against. He couldn't match these two in raw power, not like Alex or Gordon could. But maybe... just maybe, with some quick thinking, they could survive this. He shot a look at Alex, who was back on his feet but clearly winded."Look, I'm not much of a fighter," John muttered, eyes still on Flint and Brick, who were now closing in from either side, "but I've got enough sense to know we need to take one of them out fast. You in?"Alex grinned, despite the pain coursing through his body. "About time you joined the fun."They both braced themselves, Flint and Brick circling them like wolves ready to pounce. The odds were bad, but John wasn't about to back down now."Let's make this count."John's fiery aura glowed intensely as he launched another energy blast toward Brick, who deflected it with a swift punch, sending sparks flying. "You think you can take me down with flashy lights?" Brick taunted, his feet firmly planted, radiating confidence."Let's find out!" John retorted, his hands swirling with flames. He fired another blast, this time aiming lower to catch Brick off guard. The explosion created a small cloud of dust, obscuring Brick's vision for a moment.Meanwhile, on the other side of the chaotic scene, Flint faced off against Alex, who was trying to keep up with Flint's relentless assaults. Flint charged forward, his fists swinging like wrecking balls. Alex ducked and weaved, countering with quick jabs powered by his sparkling purple aura."You're quicker than you look, but it won't save you!" Flint laughed, his movements surprisingly agile for his size."Yeah? Well, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve!" Alex replied, channeling energy into his fists. He struck Flint in the side, but Flint barely flinched, returning with a sweeping kick that sent Alex sprawling."Come on, is that all you've got?" Flint taunted, moving in to capitalize on Alex's moment of vulnerability.John gritted his teeth, focusing as he gathered energy for a massive blast. "I'll show you what real power looks like!" He released the attack with a shout, the blast roaring toward Brick, who braced himself.With a deep breath, Brick summoned his strength, and just as the blast was about to hit, he slammed his fists together, creating a shockwave that diverted the energy to the side. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the alley.John's eyes widened. "How did you—?"Brick seized the moment, charging forward and throwing a punch that sent John flying backward, crashing into a nearby wall. Dust and debris filled the air as John groaned, trying to shake off the impact.Alex scrambled to his feet, dodging another brutal swing from Flint. "You're stronger than I thought, but I won't back down!" He dashed forward, using his agility to avoid Flint's grasp."Is that determination or just stupidity?" Flint scoffed, catching Alex with a sudden jab to the gut. The air rushed out of Alex, and he staggered back, struggling to regain his composure."You're not getting away that easily!" Flint charged again, and Alex, fueled by adrenaline, sprang to the side and executed a low sweep, knocking Flint off balance.Just as John pulled himself up from the ground, he caught sight of Flint's struggle against Alex. "Hey! You can't take both of us at once!" he shouted, igniting his aura once more, ready to rejoin the fight.Flint looked between the two opponents, a hint of concern crossing his face. "Great, now it's a party!"Brick, still focused on John, didn't notice Alex regaining his strength. "You may be a flame manipulator, but you're still no match for me!" he bellowed, launching himself at John, who quickly countered with another blast, the impact ringing through the alley.John, invigorated by his success, exchanged glances with Alex. "Let's switch it up! I've got a plan!" he shouted, summoning a fiery energy around him."Got it! Let's do this!" Alex replied, darting toward Brick.As John rushed forward, he feinted a strike at Flint, drawing his attention. "Hey! Over here!" he taunted, summoning a swirling mass of energy in his palms.Flint turned, eyes narrowing. "What do you want, flame brain?""Just a little surprise!" John shouted, unleashing a powerful blast straight at Flint. The explosion caught him off guard, staggering him for a moment.At the same time, Alex closed in on Brick, ready to test his mettle. "Think you can handle me?" he challenged, channeling his sparkling purple energy.Brick, unfazed by John's blast, smirked. "You think you're tough? Let's see what you've got!" He lunged forward, swinging a massive fist toward Alex.Alex dodged, using his agility to stay out of reach. "Too slow, big guy!" he quipped, retaliating with a rapid combination of punches, each enhanced by his aura.Brick grunted with each hit but quickly countered with a powerful shove that sent Alex stumbling back. "Is that all you've got?" he growled, clearly underestimating Alex's potential.Meanwhile, John squared off with Flint, who was regaining his footing after the earlier blast. "You'll pay for that!" Flint shouted, charging at John.John grinned, excitement coursing through him. "I'd like to see you try!" He focused his energy and launched another fireball, catching Flint off guard as it exploded on impact.Flint staggered but quickly recovered, shaking off the flames. "You think you're hot stuff?" he bellowed, rushing in again.Just as Flint closed the gap, John leaped to the side, using the momentum to deliver a sharp kick to Flint's side.Alex, feeling the pressure, focused on Brick's sheer strength. "You may be tough, but I'm not backing down!" he declared, throwing a flurry of punches while trying to evade Brick's attacks."Keep dreaming!" Brick responded, swatting away Alex's punches like they were nothing. He aimed a punch at Alex, who barely managed to duck under it."You're going to have to do better than that!" Alex shouted, gathering energy for a swift uppercut, aiming for Brick's jaw. The impact was solid, but Brick barely flinched.Back with John, he took a moment to assess Flint's movements, realizing he needed to outsmart him. "Let's turn up the heat!" John exclaimed, gathering a massive charge of energy. He unleashed a torrent of flames, creating a wall of fire between himself and Flint.Flint halted, momentarily confused. "What the—?""Now's my chance!" John thought, launching himself over the fire and landing behind Flint for a surprise attack, only to be punched straight in the face by Brick.Flint smirked and took advantage of this by catching Alex off guard.John, still reeling from his earlier encounter, prepared to defend himself as Brick charged forward like a freight train. "Here we go!" John shouted, trying to summon his energy for a quick fireball.Brick, however, was ready. He sidestepped with incredible speed, grabbing John by the collar and lifting him off the ground. "You really thought you could dodge me?" Brick taunted, slamming John back down onto the hard pavement with a resounding thud."Ugh..." John groaned, trying to shake off the impact. The world spun for a moment as Brick pressed his foot down on John's chest, effectively grounding him. "Not so fast, hotshot!"Meanwhile, Alex faced Flint, who had regained his composure. "You think you can take me on?" Flint sneered, his eyes glinting with confidence. "Let's see what you've got, pretty boy!"With a sudden burst of speed, Flint charged at Alex, throwing a powerful right hook. Alex barely managed to dodge, but Flint was relentless. He followed up with a rapid series of punches, each one landing with more force than the last."Come on, Alex! Don't just stand there!" John shouted from the ground, but Alex was struggling to keep up.Flint seized the opportunity and tackled Alex to the ground, pinning him down. "You're not getting up anytime soon," Flint growled, leaning his weight onto Alex.With both John and Alex now effectively grounded by their opponents, Flint and Brick exchanged triumphant grins."Look at them squirm!" Flint laughed, applying pressure on Alex.Brick chuckled as he maintained his hold on John. "This is too easy! They thought they could take us on?""Yeah, let's finish this!" Flint exclaimed, raising his fist for a final blow toward Alex's face.