Explosion

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

School is off for two days due to the recent incident involving two students at Willage High School.

Ned is sitting at home, watching TV. With no plans for the day, he finds himself doing little else for entertainment.

The TV is tuned to a news channel broadcasting a recent incident.

"We are live here on WillTV, covering the aftermath of a recent explosion. Background in sight: an abandoned office building that had been out of use since 2014. Over the years, it became rumored to be a hideout for criminal activity, including firearm sales, illegal substances, and more. These rumors caught the attention of law enforcement, prompting a secret investigation. However, the results of that investigation were never disclosed. Just as the police prepared to raid the building, a massive explosion destroyed it at midnight..."

Before the reporter can finish, Ned turns off the TV, bored. He's not really a fan of the news. He yawns and stretches, only to hear his stomach growl.

Heading to the kitchen for some instant noodles. When he opens the drawer, it's empty. "Shit."

He doesn't feel like going to the store but has no choice. he puts on a black hoodie, locks the door behind him, and begins the five-minute walk to the store.

On his way, nearly every electronic device in sight is tuned to the news broadcast of the explosion. Ned doesn't pay much attention, focusing instead on his growling stomach.

When he arrives at the store, just as he's about to enter, the front door explodes.

A wave of black smoke blinds everyone nearby, causing passersby to cough and panic. "What the hell?" Ned exclaims, shocked.

Before the smoke clears, a girl's scream cuts through the chaos. Everyone's attention shifts to where she's pointing: the store entrance.

Through the thinning smoke, a burning figure emerges a man, likely the store clerk. He collapses to his knees before falling face first onto the ground, dead. The flames–extinguish themselves, leaving behind a charred corpse.

The sight terrifies everyone nearby, including Ned. Just as the sound of approaching sirens begins to fill the air, a figures emerge from the smoke.

It's Brad, flying backward, his metal bat held defensively in front of him. Two gunshots follow, which he deflects with a single swift swing of his bat. The smoke continues to clear, revealing his pursuers.

One man is dressed in a suit and armed with a handgun. The other, wearing a torn leather jacket, carries a bazooka. Both men have a strange symbol on their left sleeves, though Ned can't make out the details.

Panic sets in, and Ned's instincts kick in. Without wasting another second, he turns and runs. But before he can take a step, an explosion sends him flying onto the sidewalk.

Disoriented, he begins crawling in a desperate attempt to get away.

A child's cry stops him in his tracks. He looks up to see a little girl frozen in fear. His heart races as he notices a rocket heading straight for her.

Time seems to slow down as he processes what's about to happen.

"Am I really going to watch a little girl die?" he thinks.

Before the rocket makes contact, Brad appears, deflecting it with his bat. As the explosion dies down, Brad grins and adjusts his black glasses.

The man in the suit speaks first. "Saving a little girl? That's new. Rumor has it you've changed, Brad. You're getting soft."

Brad responds by smashing the ground with his bat, cracking the pavement. "Oh, really? Don't think so arrogantly, dumbass. I just didn't want to get covered in blood, that's all!"

"Sure," the suited man sneers. "You're weak now."

Brad laughs. "Weak? HA! I'll bash your skull in, and we'll see who's weak. If you're really confident, face me like a man, you coward!"

The man in the leather-jacket finally speaks. "This is the street. Pride won't get you anywhere. It's kill or be killed–"

"Shut the fuck up, you smelly, homeless bastard!" Brad interrupts. "You probably haven't showered in weeks. Don't try to talk smart, you rat–eating dumbass."

Infuriated, the leather-jacketed man fires another rocket. Brad grabs the little girl and tosses her toward Ned, who catches her just before another explosion consumes the area.

Ned, mustering every ounce of strength, lifts the girl and runs to safety.

As the smoke clears, Brad is on the ground, pinned beneath the suited man's foot. The handgun is aimed at his head.

"We should've killed you from the start," the suited man sneers. "The odds of you betraying us were always high. I don't even know why they let you in."

Brad laughs in his usual cocky tone. "Kill me? You couldn't. You're weak, dumbass. I can bash you anytime I want!"

The man presses the gun closer to Brad's head. "Don't talk so arrogantly when death is staring you in the face," he warns.

"Do it!" Brad shouts. "Shoot me!"

As the man pulls the trigger, a trashcan flies through the air, hitting him squarely and knocking him off balance.

Both he and Brad turn to see who threw it. It's Ned, breathing heavily but filled with determination.

"Who the hell are you–?" the leather jacketed man growls.

"Shut up, you stinky idiot!" Ned yells back.

"WHAT THE HELL, I TAKE SHOWER OKAY!?" Furious, the man launches another rocket, but Ned dodges and counters with a rotten egg he found in a trashcan.

The egg smashes into the man's face, the stench so unbearable he drops his bazooka.

Seizing the opportunity, Ned get close and pulls a taser from his hoodie, shocks the man making him fall.

Meanwhile, Brad notices the suited man scrambling for his gun, which has landed nearby, before the suited man can grab it, Brad kicks it far away.

"You could've killed me," the man says, puzzled.

Brad smirks. "Where's the fun in that? I'd rather beat you to a pulp."

The suited man glares at Brad. "This isn't over. We're out there. Remember that."

"I'm not scared of you, dumbass. Now get lost!" Brad yells.

A smoke bomb goes off, and when it clears, the two attackers are gone, Brad silently walks away into a dark alley without saying a word. Ned, exhausted and bruised, manages to make his way back home.

When he arrives, he collapses at his table. To his surprise, he finds two cups of instant noodles sitting there. Too tired to question it, he cooks and eats them before falling asleep.

The next morning Ned wakes up, groggy but somewhat refreshed. After brushing his teeth, he hears a knock at the door.

Opening it cautiously, he finds Brad standing there.

They stare at each other in silence for a long moment before Brad hands Ned a note.

"Take it," Brad says with his usual grin.

Ned takes the note, and without another word, Brad turns and walks away.

Ned closes the door, opens the note, and reads it. His eyes widen slightly. Then, without hesitation, he heads back inside.