Reinhard who?? | Loke & Subaru
“Everything you’ve got. Money, phone, wallet, anything in your pockets, the clothes on your back. I don’t care, cough it up!” The looming, hulking figure, whose width rivaled that of his two lackeys’ combined, barked this gruff order at Subaru. Droplets of spittle flew from his mouth as he stepped forward, shoving his palm into Subaru’s chest and forcing him backwards into the solid, brick wall of one of the nearby buildings forming the alley. With the ringleader standing with his legs apart in a wide stance before him, thick bands of muscle granting him the kind of bulk to make him really like a wall, and his two friends closing in on either side, there was nowhere left for Subaru to escape.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I really don’t have anything valuable on me. I’m absolutely, pitifully broke!” Delivering these lines with feigned confidence in the hopes that the thugs would just back off, Subaru nevertheless realized the futility of his situation. Having his back pressed to the wall like this, both literally and figuratively, there truly was not much he could be expected to do but obey the orders given him if he wanted to live. Which, of course, he did. But their demands were really just too much. Did they really expect someone like him to carry anything valuable?
The wall snorted as he received this jab in response, and his mouth curled back into a sneer. Bulging arm flew with surprising dexterity to his waist, and from his belt, he drew a large, serrated knife, catching the moonlight with a glint. “Didn’t you hear me? I just said I don’t care about that! Or do you want to die?”
To his left and right, the two lackeys shifted closer and grunted their approval.
And deep within Subaru’s chest, something odd shifted and stirred into wakefulness as the imminent threat drew nearer. This sensation was new, completely unfamiliar, and halted his train of thought entirely for a moment as he was caught unawares.
Thankfully, it didn’t matter, because just as the thug leader was raising his blade to attack, a new voice rang out in the alley. And in the next instant, a bright flash abruptly lit up the area, searing Subaru’s eyes and skull with pain in that moment before he averted his eyes from the source. Even after squinting his eyes shut, that white flash of light pervaded, blotting out every shadow and hint of darkness with its brilliance.
There were sounds of a scuffle, but nothing touched Subaru.
Then, finally, the light diminished, and darkness returned.
Slowly, carefully, Subaru blinked open his eyes and took a look around his surroundings. Gone were the thugs accosting him. Instead, where they’d been, stood an orange-haired man in a suit, staring at him for some reason through sunglasses even despite the fact that the sun had already set.
“Uh, yeah,” he said in response to the man’s question. He peeled himself away from the wall and dusted off his tracksuit. “I’m fine now, yeah. I suppose I should thank you, but… Was that bright flash of light yours? Seriously, I thought I was going blind there.”
Loke gave the young man before him an awkward, apologetic smile in reference to the comment about the light. “Sorry, my bad.” He raised a hand up as if in a half prayer motion, an apologetic gesture on his end. The awkwardness left his features and instead a friendly smile replaced it, complete with a wink.
“I really only meant to blind them but you got caught in the crossfire.” Of course it hadn’t affected Loke because for one he wore sunglasses pretty much all the time except for showering and sleeping for obvious reasons, and there was also the fact that his own powers didn’t affect him the same way it would anyone else. “But hey, a little blinding light is better than being robbed blind. I assume that’s what that was about but it looked like things were about to get much worse.”
The thought crossed his mind as soon as he spoke it and Loke’s expression turned grim. The larger man definitely had a knife out and when Loke had intervened and the three unsavory looking men had been closing the distance. He really should have gone after those three. Who was to say they wouldn’t prey on someone else? Though he was sure he’d hit him hard enough to leave him sore for a while.
Loke moved back towards the entrance of the alley and peered outside. The three goons from before had already disappeared or merged in with the crowd and he couldn’t see them anymore. Well, he doubted the larger man would have been hard to spot if he had remained in the vicinity.
“I don’t think they’re going to show up but you never know. Some people can be pretty spiteful.” The orange haired male raised his hand towards his face, cupping his chin in thought as he mulled something over and then seemingly decided on his next plan, turned to face the other.
“How about I walk you home for now?” He held out his hand as he offered, the rings adorning two of his fingers catching the light of the moon. “My name is Loke. By the way, judging from your outfit.. Were you out for a jog?”