It all started with a pit stop.

Amina and Lenny had both been desperate for a bathroom, and the only thing open at that hour was a rundown roadside bar that reeked of booze, sweat, and bad decisions.

Kai didn't like it from the moment they pulled up. The place looked like a magnet for trouble - the kind of place where fights were a nightly routine. But with the younger two practically hopping on the spot, there wasn't much choice.

Lenny and Amina went straight to the bathroom, and Nadya - ever the responsible adult - volunteered to "keep an eye on them."

Kai just stared at her. "You're not going in there to drink, are you?"

She grinned. "What, can't a girl multitask?"

He sighed. "Don't cause trouble."

She saluted. "No promises."

Kai knew better than to believe her. Nadya was a magnet for chaos, and alcohol only made her worse. Still, he figured she could handle herself - and Lenny, despite looking like a scrawny teen, could ragdoll the giant men in the bar without breaking a sweat.

So he stayed outside, leaning against the cold metal railing near the door, keeping one ear tuned to the noise inside.

At first, it was just music. Then laughter. Then shouting.

Then-

Crash!

The sound of a chair splintering echoed through the bar, followed by a man's furious yell. Kai closed his eyes, groaning.

"I told her not to cause trouble," he muttered.

Inside, Nadya had barely sat down before one of the bikers - a bulky man with more tattoos than teeth - decided to get a little too friendly. He pressed in close behind her, trying to grab her waist, breath reeking of whiskey, and whispered something in her ear.

"Back off," she warned, voice sharp as broken glass.

He didn't listen.

So she elbowed him straight in the nose. The crack was loud enough to cut through the music. The man reeled back, clutching his face - and before he could recover, Nadya turned and drove her knee right into his groin.

He dropped like a stone.

"Who's next?" She barked, her eyes blazing with wild delight.

The entire bar froze for half a heartbeat - and then it exploded into chaos.

A bottle shattered against the counter. Someone swung a pool cue. A table went flying. Nadya was in the middle of it all, grinning like she'd found her happy place.

"Come on, boys! Don't be shy!" she yelled, ducking a punch and slamming her fist into another man's jaw.

Even when a massive brute caught her across the cheek, she just laughed - blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "That all you got?!"

Amina and Lenny came out of the bathroom just in time to see a man crash through a table.

Lenny froze. "What the hell-?"

Amina grabbed his sleeve. "Should we-?"

"No," he said quickly, eyes wide. "Let's… let's just wait."

Outside, Kai listened to the commotion within calmly. Still, he didn't move. Nadya didn't need help - and truthfully, watching from the sidelines made something stir inside him.

The shouts. The sound of fists meeting flesh. The smell of blood drifting faintly through the open doorway.

It made his heart pound.

'It hasn't even been that long since I let loose,' he thought, flexing his fingers. The veins in his hand twitched as if they remembered the sensation too. 'And I already miss it this much.'

So instead of intervening, he made use of the distraction.

He raised his palm and sliced a shallow cut across it. Blood welled up instantly, glistening in the moonlight. With a flick of his fingers, the droplets split into dozens of tiny, razor-sharp blades that hovered around him like crimson fireflies.

'Let's make this stop worth it.'

The blades zipped silently toward the row of motorcycles outside. Tyres deflated in soft hisses one after another - all except for two of the bikes. Two sleek Harley-Davidsons that still had their keys dangling from the ignition.

'Cocky idiots,' he thought. 'Thanks for donating your rides.'

Back inside, Nadya was practically unstoppable. One of the bikers, veins glowing faintly blue, roared as his forearms transformed into jagged blades of bone.

"A mutant, huh?" Nadya chuckled, snatching a bottle off a nearby table. She smashed it against the counter, the shards glittering in her hand. "Guess I just copied your shitty ability!"

She dodged one of his slashes before ramming the jagged bottle into his gut and following it up with a brutal headbutt. The man crumpled like a sack of meat.

A minute later, the fight was over. The floor was littered with groaning bikers and broken glass.

Nadya brushed a smear of blood off her cheek, sighed, and walked over to the counter. The bartender stood frozen behind it, wide-eyed and pale.

"Sorry about the mess," she said cheerfully, pulling a wad of cash from the pockets of a few unconscious brutes. She placed it on the counter. "For damages."

Then she gestured toward the door. "Kids, we're leaving."

Amina and Lenny didn't argue. They hurried after her, stepping carefully over the fallen men.

When they pushed open the door, the night air hit them - and so did the sight of Kai waiting with two motorcycles already rumbling to life.

Nadya grinned, strolling up beside him. "You've been busy."

"So have you," Kai replied dryly.

She laughed, wiping her knuckles on her jeans. "What can I say? I make friends easily."

Kai smirked faintly, revving the engine. "Ready to move?"

Nadya swung her leg over the other bike and nodded. "Born ready."

Amina climbed behind her, and Lenny awkwardly grabbed hold of Kai.

"Uh… you do know how to drive this, right?" Lenny asked.

Kai's lips twitched. "Honestly, I can't remember. But I think so."

"That's not very reassuring."

The engines roared as the two Harleys sped off into the night - gravel spraying, headlights cutting through the dark. Nadya whooped like a maniac, Amina clinging to her waist, while Kai stayed silent, focused, his sunglasses catching the faint reflection of the moon.

Behind them, the bar grew smaller and smaller until it vanished entirely - leaving nothing but the echo of laughter, engines, and the faint scent of blood in the wind.

And just like that, they were off...

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