Chapter
9
Confronted on the Coney Island’s Boardwalk by
a demonized former junior high school bully. Why do these things always happen
to me?
As people scramble off the boardwalk, I meet
Block’s glowering expression with a smile. “They let you out on good behavior
Block? I say. “I thought your court date was a week from now-”
“I ain’t worried about no court.” Block
snarls. “My new boss just put me on work release.”
From the havoc he’s been wreaking I think I
know who his new employer is. E’steem hands clench into fists as she meets
Block’s eyes. I look over at Benson; his breathing is getting shallow. The
moments we take to fight Block could cost him his life. “Get Benson to the
hospital!” I tell her.
“But John, you can’t fight him-”
She may be my bodyguard, but I can’t have her
fighting my battles. “I’ve got this.”
E’steem disappears in a flash of light with
Benson. After she teleports, I buy her some time to get him some help. “Still
mad about what happened on the playground Block?” I taunt springing up off the
floor of the booth.
“I’m still pissed about the ass whoopin you
gave me back in Junior High.”
That fight got me suspended from school, cost
me my relationship with Tisha and made me miss my prom and graduation. If I
lose it like I did back then and give him the nigger moment he wants I’ll lose
a lot more than some memories. Block swings on me. As I dodge the blow and he
hits the floor of the booth I feel a shockwave of energy pulse from his fist.
The force of the blow makes the booth we’re in explode into splinters; the
world is a blur as I’m sent flying across the boardwalk. By the time I get my
faculties together I feel grains of sand from Coney Island’s beach under me.
A flash of light explodes in my eyes; when it
clears I feel Block’s large thick hand grabbing my shoulder. “Let’s see you snap your fingers to get
rid of me now!” Block yells scowling at me.
Block draws back his fist. Before he can
swing on me, a ball of light explodes in Block’s eyes knocking him back. When
it clears I see E’steem flying towards us with balls of light erupting from her
fists. “Get your hands off my boyfriend!” E’steem orders.
Block laughs as he points daggers at me. “Still
getting girls to fight for you.” He spits.
I’d like to think I could hold my own against
him. “John pays me to keep people like you from starting with him.” E’steem
says as she flies over to me. “So back off before you get hurt.”
“Got to say you know how to pick em’ John.”
Block taunts. “This one is a lot finer than Tisha or that Ghoul you used to
roll with. I’ma enjoy taking her away from you.”
E’steem points daggers at Block before she
looks me over. “You okay?”
“I’m good helpmeet.” I reply. “Is Benson-”
“I got him over to Coney Island Hospital.”
“Great. We can deal with Block without him
hurting anyone else.”
“Only person I want to hurt is you.” Block
growls charging at us.
E’steem takes to the air as Block swings on
me; I duck the blow and land a right in his gut. I wince after my punch
connects. Hitting him is like hitting a brick wall; whatever powers he got from
Lucifer are giving him some sort of invulnerability.
In the moment I take to wring out my fingers,
Block swats me with the back of his hand. As I go tumbling into the sand from
the force of the blow he starts trash talking. “You gonna need more than what
you had in Junior High to take me down.” Block boasts. “I’m the irresistible
force that’s an immovable object.”
His new powers may defy physics but I know it’s
possible to beat him with God at my side. I’m thinking of a strategy that’ll
give me an advantage when a warm wind blows past me. “I’d like to think I’ve got the power to bring you down.” E’steem
barks as she flies past me.
“E’steem wait-”
She doesn’t hear me; she’s too caught up in
her emotions about what she’s read about The Block to take a minute to assess his
new powers. E’steem flies at him at full speed; the impact of her hitting him in
the chest with all her super strength causes a shock wave that ripples across
Coney Island and sends me tumbling down the beach.
As I scramble to my feet I find out what happens
when an irresistible force meets an immovable object when I see E’steem in the
distance lying on the sand a few feet away from The Block. She doesn’t move; I’m
praying that impact of hitting him only knocked her out. I start running
towards her as fast as I can. Before I can get to her Block picks body up off
the beach puts her over his shoulder and disappears in a flash of light.
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