The big wrapped person moved first.
Not fast. Just big. Like a mountain deciding to walk somewhere.
The man stepped sideways. Easy movement. Let the big person's punch go past his face by maybe an inch.
While big person was still swinging at air, the man hit him in the ribs. Quick punch. Hard punch.
Big person made a sound like "oof" but kept moving. Grabbed for the man's hurt shoulder.
The man ducked under the grab. Came up behind big person. Hit him in the kidney area.
Big person spun around fast for someone so big. Backhand swing that would have taken the man's head off.
But the man wasn't there anymore. Had stepped back just enough.
The two smaller wrapped people moved in from the sides. Trying to box him in.
Left-side person swung a knife. Right-side person grabbed for the man's arms.
The man caught right-side person's wrist. Twisted it wrong. Right-side person screamed and dropped to his knees.
Left-side person's knife cut through the air where the man's stomach used to be. But the man had turned sideways, sucked in his gut.
While turning, he kicked left-side person in the knee. Sideways kick. Knee bent wrong direction.
Left-side person fell down making hurt sounds.
But big person was moving again. Had picked up a broken chair leg. Swung it like a club.
The man rolled away. Chair leg smashed the table we were hiding behind. Wood pieces flew everywhere.
"Move," Lily whispered. We crawled to a different corner. Behind a fallen bookshelf.
Big person swung the club again. Overhead swing. Trying to split the man's head open.
The man stepped in close. Caught big person's wrist with both hands. Used big person's momentum against him.
Big person went flying over the man's shoulder. Crashed into the wall. Plaster rained down.
Right-side person was back up. His wrist hanging funny but trying to fight anyway.
Came at the man with his good hand. Punching wild.
The man blocked the punches easy. Then grabbed right-side person's broken wrist and squeezed.
Right-side person screamed and passed out from the pain.
Left-side person was crawling toward a dropped knife. His broken knee dragging behind him.
The man walked over. Kicked the knife away. Stepped on left-side person's good leg.
"Stay down," the man said. Like he was telling someone not to track mud in the house.
Big person pulled himself out of the wall. Shook plaster dust off his shoulders. Still had the chair leg.
"You're quick," big person said. Voice like grinding metal. "But you're bleeding."
It was true. The man's shoulder was bleeding more now. Red stain getting bigger on his coat.
"Yeah," the man said. "Noticed that."
Big person charged. Full speed. Chair leg raised high.
The man waited. Waited. Waited.
At the last second, he dropped low. Swept big person's legs.
Big person went down hard. Face first into the floor. Chair leg bounced away.
But he wasn't done. Rolled over and kicked up at the man's knees.
The man jumped back. Not quite fast enough. Big person's boot caught his shin.
The man stumbled. First time he'd looked off-balance.
Big person rolled to his feet. Fast for someone his size.
Tackled the man around the waist. Drove him backward into the kitchen counter.
The man's back hit the counter edge hard. He made a small grunt sound.
Big person started throwing punches at the man's ribs. Heavy punches. Like hammering nails.
The man covered up. Blocked what he could. But some punches got through.
Then the man grabbed big person's head. Thumbs near the eyes.
"Let go or I push," the man said.
Big person let go. Stepped back.
The man straightened up. Touched his ribs. Winced a little.
Big person circled around him. Looking for an opening.
"You can't keep this up," big person said. "You're hurt. Tired."
"Maybe," the man said.
Big person lunged again. Tried to grab the man in a bear hug.
The man slipped to the side. Grabbed big person's arm. Spun him around.
Got behind him. Wrapped his arm around big person's neck. Sleeper hold.
Big person thrashed. Tried to throw the man off. But the man held on.
"Sleep," the man said quietly.
Big person's movements got slower. Weaker.
Finally stopped moving.
The man held on for ten more seconds. Then let go.
Big person fell face-first onto the floor. Breathing but sleeping.
The man stood up. Looked around the room. All three wrapped people down. One unconscious from pain. One with a broken knee. One sleeping.
He touched his shoulder again. Looked at the blood on his fingers.
"Huh," he said.
Then he looked at us. Behind the bookshelf.
"You can come out now," he said.
We crawled out. Lily's face was white. My hands were shaking.
The man had just fought three people at once. People with weapons. People who wanted to hurt us.
And he'd won.
But it wasn't like in stories. Wasn't clean or easy or heroic.
It was violent and scary and real.
The man was bleeding and hurt and breathing hard.
But alive. We were all alive.
"Are they..." Lily started to ask.
"Sleeping mostly," the man said. "Won't stay that way long."
He walked over to the big person. Started going through his pockets.
"We should go," he said.
But I couldn't stop staring at him. At what he'd just done.
Who was he?
What was he?
And why had he saved us?