Chapter 42: Gangster in a Neighborhood (2)

As Emily dashed away, her heart pounding with fear and determination, she couldn't shake the image of Mark facing those thugs alone. Her mind raced with worry, but she knew she had to find Michael and Chris. They were her only hope of saving Mark from whatever danger he was facing. 

Meanwhile, Mark stood his ground, facing the group of thugs with a mixture of fear and defiance. His heart raced as he braced himself for whatever might come next.

The leader of the thugs, a tough-looking guy with a buzz cut, looked at Mark with a sneer. "Hmm, both of us have the same age, But you look skinny, like a stick," he jeered. "You might be tall, but you don't seem like you know how to fight. Am I right?"

"So what?" Mark retorted defiantly. With determination, he lunged at the buzz-cut guy, aiming for a straight jab. However, before he could land the punch, the thug struck him in the gut with a powerful blow. Mark doubled over, grunting in pain.

"Urgh," Mark grunted, clutching his stomach in pain.

Mark's anger boiled over as he clenched his fists, glaring at the thug. "You jerk," he muttered through gritted teeth , despite the pain in his gut.

The buzz cut guy taunted Mark, mocking him as he bent down a bit. "Look, you can't even hit me," he taunted, a smug grin on his face. "That girl is probably calling your folks, but don't worry. We won't kill you until they arrive." He chuckled evilly, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

Meanwhile

As Michael and Chris hurried away from the scene after dealing with the thugs, they unexpectedly crossed paths with Emily, who was also fleeing. However, to their surprise, Mark was nowhere to be seen with her.

"Emily, where's Mark? Is he with you?" I asked urgently as Emily caught up to us.

Emily's words hit me like a punch to the gut. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Mark told me to run away. He's facing those gangsters alone."

A surge of concern mixed with admiration washed over me. Mark's bravery was undeniable, but the thought of him facing danger alone weighed heavily on my mind.

"We have to go now," I said urgently, turning to Chris and Emily. "Mark needs our help. We can't leave him to face those thugs on his own."

Chris voiced his concern, "But what if they're not there anymore? What if we're too late?"

I shook my head, feeling determined. "Doesn't matter. We gotta go now, before it's too late," I said, urgency in my voice. With that, we picked up the pace, determined to find Mark. Emily led the way, guiding us through the streets as we hurried along, our hearts racing with worry.

[Meanwhile at the same time]

The buzz cut guy grinned wickedly. " We won't kill you, but we never said we wouldn't rough you up," he sneered before raining down punches on Mark, each one landing with brutal force, relentless and merciless.

Mark groaned in pain with each hit, his breaths coming out in short, pained gasps. "Aurgh," he gasped, struggling to endure the barrage of blows.

As Mark struggled to defend himself, his frustration grew with each blow. Desperation gnawed at him as he searched for a way to turn the tide of the fight. Suddenly, his hand brushed against something on the ground , a rocks. Without hesitation, he grabbed hold of the rock and swung them with all his might, aiming for the buzz cut guy's head.

The rocks hit the buzz cut guy hard, making him stumble back in surprise. Mark saw his chance and went on the attack, throwing punch after punch with all his might. Each hit landed just right, driven by adrenaline and anger. Mark refused to give up, fighting back with everything he had, determined to take charge of the fight.

Suddenly, one of the buzz cut guy's henchmen intervened, shouting, "You bastard!" He kicked Mark away from their leader, disrupting his momentum and giving their side an advantage.

"Argh!" Mark grunted as he was kicked, the force knocking him off balance.

The buzz cut guy snapped, "Don't interfere!"

One of the henchmen hesitated, addressing him as "boss." "But, boss Loe," he protested.

"If I said don't, then don't," the buzz cut guy growled. "I'll handle this lanky guy myself. I'll make sure he regrets doing this to me." He winced, clutching his head feeling the impact of the rock.

You've done it now, you bastard," Boss Loe sneered, his eyes blazing with fury. "Forget about your friends. Today, you're gonna die!"

Boss Loe looked furious, his eyes full of anger as he spoke harshly. He wobbled a bit after being hit by the rock and Mark's punches, holding his head in pain. But he stayed determined, standing over Mark with a fierce glare. 

Boss Loe rushed at Mark, filled with anger and revenge. He kicked Mark hard in the stomach, making him double over in pain. Mark staggered back, clutching his abdomen as he struggled to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Boss Loe calmly retrieved a gun from his pocket, his expression twisted into a malicious sneer. He pointed the gun directly at Mark's head, his finger hovering over the trigger. "Bye bye, fucker," he spat, his voice dripping with contempt as he prepared to pull the trigger.

Just as Boss Loe was about to pull the trigger, a stone struck his hand, causing him to drop the gun. Both Boss Loe and Mark turned to see who had thrown it, and their eyes landed on an unexpected figure—an old man who stood defiantly, his gaze fixed on Boss Loe.

"Teacher Thomas!" Mark exclaimed in disbelief, recognizing the unexpected savior. Indeed, it was his Teacher, Teacher Thomas, who had come to the rescue.

"Why are you all picking on just one kid?" Teacher Thomas's voice was loud and stern, like a teacher scolding misbehaving students. He stood tall and looked at the group of young thugs with a serious expression. "And there are 20 of you against him. That's not fair," he scolded, shaking his head disapprovingly. "And you all look so young, like 15-year-olds," he added, sounding disappointed. "Tsk tsk, kids these days turning into thugs." His words made the young thugs feel ashamed scolding by an old man.

"You think you know better, old man?" one of the thugs sneered, his tone defiant. "We're part of the Bowery Boys gang, led by Albert Francis Capone." It was clear they were trying to intimidate Teacher Thomas with their gang affiliation.

"Kids these days," Thomas Halloway, the former vigilante known as The Angel, muttered with a sigh, shaking his head. "Looks like you need a good beating." His words carried a mix of disappointment and resolve as he prepared to confront the gang.

To be continued.