My Baby Daddy Isn’t Human

The dim glow of a flickering streetlamp barely illuminated the crumbling old building on the outskirts of the city. Hidden deep within the abandoned structure, the air was thick with dust, the scent of rusted metal, and the faint stench of dampness. The few surviving bulbs overhead cast weak pools of yellow light, flickering as if on the verge of giving up entirely. Shadows danced erratically along the cracked walls as a cold draft whistled through broken windows.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Three men sat around a makeshift table, an overturned crate acting as their center. One of them, a wiry man with a jagged scar along his cheek, tapped his fingers against the wood impatiently. "Where the hell is he?" he muttered, his eyes darting towards the entrance for the hundredth time.

"Relax," the second man, a broad-shouldered brute with a shaved head, grunted. He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "He'll show up. He knows we don't have time to waste."

The third man, younger than the other two, fidgeted in his seat. His knee bounced nervously as he chewed on his lower lip. "What if he's not coming? What if that bastard caught him?"

Scarface scoffed. "Elion Vaelorian? You think he's that lucky? We barely got away. He was bleeding, and we hit him good. No way he's tracking us down."

As if fate itself wished to mock them, a sudden loud bang echoed through the building, the heavy metal door at the entrance swinging open with force. The impact sent a cloud of dust into the air, making the men instinctively rise from their seats, hands already reaching for their weapons.

A figure stepped inside, his footsteps calm and measured. His face remained mostly in shadow, but his glasses still caught the faint glow.

Kade.

He strolled in like he owned the place, completely unbothered by the unwelcome looks thrown his way. His lips curled into something that resembled a smirk, amusement flickering behind his cool, calculating eyes.

"Evening, gentlemen." His voice was smooth, almost too casual for the situation. "I was starting to think you wouldn't make it here."

Scarface was the first to react, stepping forward with a sneer. "Who the hell are you?" His fingers twitched towards the knife strapped to his belt. "And what do you want?"

Kade sighed, slipping his hands into the pockets of his tailored slacks. "Now, that's a good question. See, I'm here on behalf of someone else." He tilted his head slightly. "My boss wants a little chat. But honestly, I'm not in the mood to waste time. So, let's make this easy. You come with me, no fuss, no fight."

Shaved Head let out a barking laugh. "You think we're just gonna walk outta here with you? What, you a cop?"

Kade gave a lazy chuckle, shaking his head. "Now, now. I never said anything about taking you to the authorities."

That made them pause. The youngest of the three swallowed hard, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Then where the hell do you want to take us?"

"Somewhere a little less... depressing than this," Kade answered, waving a hand at their surroundings. "You know, a place where we can have a civilized conversation."

Scarface scoffed. "Forget it. We're not going back to jail."

Kade's smirk widened. "Jail? Oh, you misunderstand." He stepped forward, pulling his glasses off and tucking them neatly into his pocket. "If you were going to jail, I wouldn't be the one standing here."

The room fell into heavy silence.

The men exchanged uncertain glances. They weren't stupid. Whoever this man was, he wasn't ordinary. His confidence, his body language, the way he walked into the lion's den without fear—he was dangerous.

Still, Scarface wasn't willing to back down so easily. He spat to the side, rolling his shoulders as he sized Kade up. "You must be a real idiot if you think you can take us all by yourself."

Kade chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Ah, how predictable." He tilted his head, amusement dancing in his sharp gaze. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'never judge a book by its cover'?"

Before they could respond, Kade moved.

In the blink of an eye, he launched forward, a blur of motion too quick for them to process. The first punch landed squarely in Scarface's gut, knocking the wind out of him. He staggered back, gasping, but Kade didn't stop. He twisted, delivering a sharp kick to Shaved Head's knee, sending the larger man crashing down with a grunt of pain.

The youngest of the group scrambled backward, fumbling to pull out a weapon, but Kade was faster. He grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it effortlessly until a knife clattered to the ground. With a single sharp movement, he threw the man against the wall, pinning him there with ease.

Scarface groaned, struggling to get up. "You... you bastard!"

Kade exhaled slowly, adjusting his cuffs as if he hadn't just taken down three men in mere seconds. "You see, gentlemen," he mused, his tone almost mocking, "My boss gave me an interesting task tonight. I figured I'd enjoy myself a little."

He crouched slightly, meeting Scarface's dazed glare with a sharp smirk. "You really should've thought twice before going after him. You must've known someone was going to come looking for you."

Shaved Head let out a weak chuckle, blood dripping from his split lip. "So, what now? You gonna kill us?"

Kade hummed, pretending to consider it. "Tempting." He then leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a chilling whisper. "But no. Not yet. You see, my boss still wants you breathing—for now."

The youngest man whimpered, his eyes darting around desperately for an escape route. Kade noticed and sighed dramatically. "Don't bother. There's nowhere to run. You should've thought about that before attacking someone who wasn't meant to be touched."

He straightened, rolling his shoulders as he stepped back. "Now then," he said, dusting off his sleeves. "Shall we?"

Scarface gritted his teeth, but he knew they had no choice.

Kade simply smiled. "Good choice. Let's not make this harder than it needs to be."