3. After effects

The metallic bat shattered into pieces and the fragments flew in the air as Neil's eyes turned a darker shade of red.

Ramin was baffled by all that had happened. How the fuck was it possible for anyone to crush a metallic bat? The bat was not just dented; it had been levigated into pieces. Some fragments scratched his face, the sharp edges cutting through his skin until blood oozed.

He had never seen such a sight before and his legs buckled in fear. The boy in front of him resembled nothing less than a monster with the way his red eyes stared back at him. There was no emotion on his face whatsoever and Ramin trembled in fright. His heart was pounding madly and cold sweat trickled down his spine.

Like him, even Alan was stunned to see the difference in his brother. His seemingly ordinary brother had turned into Hulk in the blink of an eye. Yet, instead of being apprehensive, Alan was amazed to see his brother handle Ramin, the man who was known for his notorious deeds. Even some of the policemen hesitated to confront him, terrified of his mysterious and powerful backer.

Seeing the arrogant man on his knees as he stared at his brother was worth a sight and Alan's lips arched up immediately. His admiration for his brother reached an all-time high. But his smile slipped when he saw the streaks of red in Neil's eyes increase as seconds passed.

Something was definitely wrong here. All of a sudden, he had become powerful. It was as if he was induced with steroids.

'Or did superman possess him and now he is acting up?' Alan thought, only to reprimand himself immediately when he realized how ridiculous his thoughts were. Though he was still shocked to see the change in his brother, they first had to deal with the people out there to smash their heads. Then, he could look into what was wrong with his brother when they were alone.

Though Neil was not himself then, Alan trusted him not to hurt him. So, with great difficulty, he moved his limbs only for the pain to shoot through his body. He hissed immediately and this caught Neil's attention.

Neil saw his brother writhing in pain and the anger in him reached its peak. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he raised his leg and kicked the man kneeling in front of him and Ramin collapsed to the ground, his head hitting the ground hard. Neil did not stop at that. He pressed his foot on the man's head, exerting all the strength in him and Alan's eyes widened on seeing what he was doing.

Ramin's face had already turned red, and if Neil had exerted more force on him, the man would die. He had already seen his brother crushing the baseball bat. It would not be a surprise if he ended up crushing Ramin's head.

"Neil, stop." He shouted in panic. He did not mind Ramin dying. The man was nothing but a scum in society. However, that would only mark Neil as a murderer which was not what Alan wanted. His brother's dream of entering the special forces would be ruined if he went behind bars.

"Neil, don't do this. Don't kill him." Alan pleaded as he stared at his brother from where he was. He was still in discomfort and he had no strength to get up. He could only beg his brother to think twice before acting upon it.

"Please, Neil."

Neil remained silent. He did even react to Alan's pleas. Finally, after a long time, he retrieved his leg. By then, Ramin had already fainted in shock and agony.

Neil darted his eyes around him, observing his surroundings coldly. Other than the man whose neck had been snapped by him, there was no one else from the gang. The two people who had been conscious had run away long ago.

All of a sudden, his head started to throb. At first, it was just a mild sting. But gradually, it increased and Neil held his head in anguish. It was as though someone was smashing his head with a hammer.

His vision turned blurry and he panted heavily. The pain only increased as time passed, and Alan, who had witnessed his brother's anguish-filled face, screamed in fright. However, Neil could not hear a sound. All his focus was on his misery and his head turned heavy. Sweat trickled down his face and he groaned, which soon became a loud cry.

"Neil, what is happening to you?" Alan was now scared out of his wits and painstakingly, he forced his body up. His leg was still aching, courtesy of the kick he had received before. He could only drag his body to his brother. "What's wrong, Neil?"

Again, he heard his brother scream while Neil clutched his head tight and squatted immediately. Alan stared at him helplessly, not knowing what to do.

Right at this moment, he heard the sound of cars and the screech of tires and Alan turned in that direction, a frightening thought popping up in his mind.

'Did Ramin's men come for us? In that case, we are done for....' Alan's thoughts took a turn when he saw the car in the front. The familiar car almost brought tears to his eyes. His Dad was here for him and his brother and his tense body relaxed immediately.

"Neil, hold on. Dad is here. Dad is here."

However, Neil was in no condition to listen to him. Even when he heard his father's familiar voice, he did not react much as he convulsed in pain. The muffled voices did not reach him, and his eyelids slowly turned heavy. All of a sudden, he felt exhausted.

"Neil, wake up. Neil." He felt his father pat his cheeks gently.

But Neil could not even open his eyes. The headache made it hard for him to keep his eyes open, and the darkness pulled him towards it with great force. Eventually, his breathing slowed down and he succumbed to his fatigue.