Chapter 172: For Gwen!
Highly suspicious—descendants of symbiotes hiding in human cities, the secret behind S.H.I.E.L.D. abducting Pietro, and that Black Cat thief who suddenly turned into a cold-blooded killer...
Although Xi Nian could guess the reason behind the third matter, the fact that all of these incidents were happening in New York gave him a strange, unsettling feeling.
When it came to the extraordinary, Xi Nian had always been sensitive.
New York, which had just endured an alien invasion, might already be heading toward yet another disaster.
Fortunately, compared to the past, Xi Nian was much more at ease with the extraordinary.
After gaining the steel body ability from Kara, he had completely stepped into the world of superhumans.
At this moment, Xi Nian himself was extraordinary.
…
By the afternoon, Xi Nian took off his black Superman combat suit, showered in the hottest water he could stand, and changed into a formal shirt and suit.
The suit was practically brand new, not a wrinkle or speck of dust in sight.
That was partly because Diana and Wanda often fished it out of his closet to wash, dry, and iron, but mostly because Xi Nian wore it so rarely.
These kinds of formal clothes—he used them less than three times a year, while buying at least two new sets every year.
His usual principle for clothing was comfort first. Whenever possible, he preferred loose, stylish casual wear.
But tonight was Gwen's coming-of-age dinner banquet. So he'd wear the suit.
For Gwen, Xi Nian was more than willing.
Fortunately, the steel body hadn't made him bulkier. The suit still fit perfectly. In fact, the shirt stretched just enough to subtly outline his physique, making him look healthier, sharper, and more stylish than before.
He combed his messy hair, added a touch of hair wax, and the new Xi Nian stepped out the door.
…
Washington, in the busy downtown district.
Xi Nian didn't head straight to Gwen's home. With some time left before the banquet, he walked into a nearby luxury jewelry store.
Inside, a few couples browsed the displays. The women's eyes sparkled as they admired the pieces, while the men instinctively patted their wallets.
When the young-looking Xi Nian entered, a pretty, well-built white saleswoman in a tight skirt immediately clicked over in high heels, flashing a professional sweet smile. "Hello, sir. What kind of jewelry are you looking for?"
"Something suitable for a young girl," Xi Nian replied after thinking for a moment.
"Girlfriend?" she asked with a smile.
"No. A good friend," Xi Nian answered.
The saleswoman froze, visibly taken aback. Thankfully, her professionalism held steady as she asked, still smiling, "And your budget?"
"Around five thousand," Xi Nian said.
He still had plenty left from the dating money his aunt gave him last time.
"Right this way, please!"
The saleswoman's eyes lit up, her enthusiasm kicking into full gear as she guided Xi Nian deeper into the store.
…
"This one."
About ten minutes later, Xi Nian had carefully chosen a piece of jewelry and asked her to wrap it up.
"Of course, I'll package it right away." The saleswoman's smile brightened further. Customers this decisive and generous were rare these days.
But her smile quickly froze.
At the store entrance, screams erupted. Several customers trying to leave were shoved back inside by a masked man!
Crash!
Two more masked men stormed in from a side door, both wielding AK rifles!
"Seriously…" Xi Nian turned around, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Couldn't the world give him a break?
…
"This is a robbery! Anyone who doesn't want to die, get down on the floor!"
The lead robber whipped out a pistol and fired into the ceiling.
Bang!!
The chandelier shattered, raining shards of glass everywhere.
The six customers and four saleswomen went pale, cowering on the floor. Two white-collar men even wet themselves in terror.
"You looking for death, kid?"
One robber snarled at Xi Nian, who was the only one still standing, and raised his AK.
Xi Nian suddenly remembered—right, as a "normal human," he was supposed to fear guns.
Guns killed ordinary people easily.
But staring at the black muzzle pointed his way, he couldn't muster a shred of fear.
If this were two days ago, maybe. But now… he had the steel body.
Honestly, he almost wanted to smile and say: "Go ahead. Try me."
But with innocent hostages still at risk, he reluctantly squatted down.
The robbers split up: one guarded the hostages while the other two smashed glass cases, scooping jewelry into their bags.
Three minutes later, before they could finish, police sirens wailed outside. Several patrol cars skidded to a halt, red and blue lights flashing.
"Boss, cops are here!" one robber shouted.
"Shut up! We've got hostages. Put them in front as shields!"
The leader grabbed another gun and opened fire toward the street.
Tat-tat-tat!!!
Bullets shredded the glass doors and tore holes through the police cruisers outside. Officers ducked behind cover, unable to retaliate with civilians in the line of fire.
…
"Status report!"
More patrol cars arrived, surrounding the store.
A stern-faced middle-aged officer stepped out.
"Captain George!" An officer ran over to report.
"How many inside?"
"Three robbers with AKs and pistols, eleven hostages total. Four men, seven women… one looks like a kid, a student."
"Snipers in place?"
"Yes, but the suspects are hiding behind the hostages."
"Demands?"
"They want a van to escape with the loot."
George snorted. "Dream on."
From his vantage, he spotted the line of hostages near the door. His eyes suddenly widened—
That boy. Why was Xi Nian there?!
As George recognized him, Xi Nian caught sight of him too and discreetly signaled with his hand:
"I'm going to break out."
George stiffened, his mind spinning.
…
Inside the store, Xi Nian stood at the front with a gun barrel pressing into the back of his head.
He wasn't nervous at all. If anything, he was bored.
First time being taken hostage—interesting for a while, but it wore off quickly.
Time to end it.
Normally, he'd have Jarro notify his aunt. Within a minute, someone would drop from the sky and toss these clowns into orbit.
But now, with the steel body protecting him, he could handle it himself. He had only held back so far for the safety of the other hostages.
And now, all three robbers were clustered right behind him.
In an instant, without hesitation, Xi Nian drove his elbow back with full force.
"Ugh!!"
His blow sank into one robber's gut. The man's eyes rolled back, body folding like a shrimp.
Xi Nian snatched his rifle and rammed into another robber, knocking him down.
The sudden action stunned everyone.
"Damn it!!"
The leader turned, aiming at Xi Nian.
But pain lanced through his armpit, his arm going numb. The gun slipped.
Xi Nian kicked the fallen robber unconscious, then lunged at the leader, slamming him to the ground.
The leader roared, clamping a massive hand around Xi Nian's throat like a vice, veins bulging with rage.
Xi Nian choked theatrically, pretending to struggle for air.
Chaos erupted.
Freed from the gunmen, the hostages bolted for the exit. Officers outside hesitated only for a moment before George charged in.
Bang!
He dropped the recovering robber with a clean shot, then rushed toward the grappling pair.
"Let him go!"
He fired into the leader's arm, blood spraying. The man howled and released Xi Nian's neck, clutching the wound.
"Xi Nian, are you alright?!" George demanded.
Xi Nian blinked innocently. "What could happen to me?"
George: "…"
Had he just… worried for nothing?
"Though, yeah, being grabbed like that felt gross," Xi Nian admitted, rubbing his throat with a grimace.
"I'll call an ambulance!" George panicked.
"No, Uncle George." Xi Nian waved him off. "I just mean his hand reeked of smoke and gunpowder. Nasty smell."
"You little brat…" George glared, still shaken. "Do you realize what you just did? They had guns! How could you dare?!"
Xi Nian didn't know how to explain. He had already been holding back a lot. If he hadn't been worried about revealing his powers or endangering the hostages, he could've crushed them outright.
Soon, more officers swarmed in and dragged the three robbers away.
Xi Nian stood, dusting off his suit. Then, spotting something on the floor, he bent down and picked up the neatly wrapped gift box. "This one's mine. I paid for it."
George looked at him, speechless.
He understood now why Xi Nian was here.
…
Later, George drove them home, the night sky settling outside the window.
The car was silent.
Xi Nian had never been alone with George before. Between them, there was always that short-haired girl—
George's precious daughter.
Xi Nian's childhood companion.
"What you did back there was reckless!" George finally scolded.
Xi Nian shrugged. "It was getting late. If I didn't act, I'd have missed Gwen's banquet."
"That's not an excuse…" George started, but the name "Gwen" softened his face. He muttered, "Still, you need to be cautious. If you can't protect yourself, how can you protect Gwen?"
"I understand, Uncle George." Xi Nian nodded.
Then he noticed George's hands trembling on the wheel.
George, scared?
As if realizing Xi Nian had seen, George coughed. "Don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't worried about you. I just thought—if something happened to you, how would I explain it to Gwen?"
"I get it." Xi Nian smiled. "For Gwen!"
George froze, then slowly grinned. For the first time, he found this boy oddly pleasing to the eye.
In his heart, he echoed the words:
"For Gwen."
[Please give powerstones if you're enjoying the story.
500 stones = 1 extra chapter
patreon.com/GuessMyName33 10$ for 80 chapters ahead]