Clear knew it. He knew very well what was going to happen before the words left the gang leader’s vile mouth. And yet, he refused to tear his eyes away from the man’s form, even as the sound of heavy footsteps scuffing against tile filled his ears. So long as he didn’t drag Kiru off into another room, Clear could grab her, leave, and the two of them would be long gone.
The footsteps were getting closer. One set in particular, which had to be no more than two feet away from him. One and a half. Three-quarters of a foot…
He felt a firm, heavy hand on his shoulder that dug through the fabric of his coat and squeezed. If he were made of less sturdier stuff, the grip would’ve left a nasty bruise, no doubt about it. But Clear knew he was stronger–his own hands curled into fists deep in his pockets, and he could tell how much of a difference his grip would have against the stranger’s.
I don’t want to hurt anyone, the android thought to himself. I don’t want to hurt anyone…
But his programming was starting to kick in, embedded in the deepest recesses of his brain. The man squeezing his shoulder was a threat, something–not someone, something–that could affect his physical well-being. And if he wanted to protect Kiru, he would have to protect himself, first.
And that’s when he did it–Clear turned with just enough momentum to dislodge the man’s grip on his shoulder. And the instant it came free, the android turned on his heel and punched the stranger square in the jaw. Beneath the steel knuckles of his right hand, Clear was almost certain he felt something crack, felt something give, and he felt a twinge of guilt.
It didn’t last, though. In fact, it dissipated a bit once the man’s hulking body, easily larger than Clear’s, met the ground with a meaty thunk.
In her struggling as she was being hauled away, she saw the gang slowly creep up closer to Clear. This was it, Clear had no chance of taking all the those at once.
The moment she thought that she saw Clear whirl around and punch one of the guys square in the jaw. She heard the sickening crack of his jaw being broken, and watched the guy fall with a heavy thud. She stopped struggling and eyes went wide with surprise, even the leader was frozen in shock.
Everything was silent, as all eyes were on Clear who just KO’d a man with one swift punch. The thought never occurred to Kiru, that maybe Clear could actually handle himself in a fight and that maybe he was pretty strong. Then again, with Clear’s kind and fluffy demeanor, no one could peg him for a fighter.
The fight was not over however, as it was going to take more than taking down one guy to deter the rest. While the remaining men were visibly shaken, they weren’t backing down, as one man decided to charge at Clear
