chapter 124

At Least Do It

"Call NCPD, call them quickly!"

The moment the gunfire erupted, most of the customers dove for cover, crawling further into the store. Residents of Night City understood all too well the devastating consequences of gang fights. It wouldn't take long for this place to turn into a battlefield.

"Mom, let's go, quickly!"

David shielded his mother, guiding her away from their seats. Their position was dangerously close to the front line of the escalating firefight.

Ratatat!

As David pulled Gloria from their spot, the area they had just vacated was riddled with bullets from Tiger Claw gang members. The gangsters had spotted the Sixth Street Gang members inside the restaurant and began firing indiscriminately.

"Damn it! Damn Valentino gang! Damn Tiger Claw bastards!"

The Sixth Street Gang soldier near the corner immediately ducked behind the window seat, using it as partial cover. He raised his Ajax assault rifle and fired back, while simultaneously issuing a call on his comms to summon reinforcements.

After a quick burst, the soldier ducked behind cover to reload. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the black-haired guest in the corner had disappeared.

"Ran fast, huh? Must've scared him out of his mind," the soldier muttered.

He had no time to dwell on it. Reloading quickly, he leaned out to cover his comrades. But before he could fire another shot, an oval object rolled to a stop in front of him.

Grenade.

Without hesitation, the Sixth Street soldier dove toward the center of the store.

Boom!

The explosion sent the soldier flying, slamming him against the ground with a hard thud. A searing pain spread across his back as he gasped for air, struggling to breathe.

When he came to his senses, he found himself sprawled right next to David, who was still trying to help his mother toward the back of the store.

Outside, the Tiger Claw member who had thrown the grenade noticed the soldier was still alive. With a predatory grin, he raised his Arasaka assault rifle and sprayed a hail of bullets toward the injured man.

The Sixth Street soldier, unable to recover in time, was riddled with bullets, his body torn apart before David's horrified eyes.

But the Tiger Claw gangster didn't stop there. His excitement took over, and he continued firing wildly. The muzzle of his gun shifted toward David and Gloria.

To the Tiger Claw members, civilians were nothing more than collateral damage.

As the bullets flew, David's instincts kicked in.

"Mom, get down!"

He pushed Gloria to the floor just as a stray bullet grazed his left arm. A sharp, searing pain shot through him as blood began trickling from the wound.

David gritted his teeth, realizing the injury wasn't too severe—it was just a graze. But then he saw Gloria.

His mother's shoulder was bleeding profusely, the wound exposing bone beneath shredded flesh.

"Mom!"

Gloria's pale face contorted in pain as she tried to stay conscious. "David... as long as you're okay..."

Her voice trailed off as her eyes fluttered closed.

"No, no, no! Mom, stay with me!"

David's hands trembled as he dragged Gloria behind the checkout counter, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Her breathing was shallow, and her complexion grew paler by the second.

"Damn it!" David cursed, anger boiling inside him. His mind raced. He wanted revenge. He wanted to grab his gun and make the Tiger Claw bastards pay. But his mother needed help.

"David!"

The voice startled him. He turned to see Karl rushing toward him, holding a small injector.

"Take this," Karl said firmly, thrusting the device into David's hands.

David blinked, still in shock. "Karl? What—"

"No time for questions!" Karl snapped. "It's Fuerkan Type III. Inject it into her neck. You know how to use it, right?"

"Of course!"

David quickly administered the injection. The blood flow slowed, and Gloria's breathing stabilized. Relief washed over him, but his anger remained.

"I'm sorry," Karl said quietly. "I was here in the store too. I didn't want to bother you or your mom, so I stayed in the kitchen. When the shooting started, I thought you'd be fine. I... I underestimated the situation."

David shook his head, his expression grim. "It's not your fault, Karl. It's mine. I wanted to protect my family, but when it came down to it, I couldn't do anything. I let everyone down."

He reached for the Kenshin pistol at his waist and pulled it out.

"But I won't fail this time."

David stepped out from behind cover, raising his gun. He aimed carefully, just as Karl, Jack, and Oliver had taught him. His hands were steady, his mind focused.

"Aim and shoot," David whispered to himself.

Bang!

The Tiger Claw member's head exploded, silencing the weapon that had brought so much chaos.

David lowered his gun, his eyes still burning with fury.

For hurting his mother, revenge had to be delivered by his own hands.