Gangster Instincts

Lying there silently, with Angela sitting close and also seemingly deep in thought, she finally spoke.

"I have to admit, you took a bullet for me and didn't have a bad reason for fighting. But if you ever do some stupid shit like that again, I will have to arrest you," she warned sternly.

"I know, I know. I just couldn't hold myself back, but now I can get back to working my job and helping my mother," I reassured her as a thought suddenly popped up in my mind.

'If I didn't beat up the boss of the gang, did I complete the Initiation Mission the system set? And where the hell did the system go?!'

{I have been here the entire time! I was just staying quiet, not wanting to disturb you} it suddenly announced.

'Did I...?"

{Yes, the host has successfully completed the Initiation Mission. The mission was to crush the Black Hand Gang, and although the leader got away, you did crush the small group of thugs.}

Hearing that, I seemed pleased, but that didn't last long as the system continued:

{But, your performance wasn't great, and you even relied on a cop to deal with them. What kind of gangster relies on the police? And if you weren't so lucky, I am sure you would have gotten caught by the police with all the traces you left behind.}

I couldn't argue, but since I had completed the mission, at least I had cemented my position as the host of the system.

{Barely. And if you plan on performing this way in the future, you won't live long.}

'Oh, come on. I fought pretty well,' I tried to defend.

{If you say so, but now that you have been confirmed as the host of the Gangster System, I must ensure you become the greatest gangster}

'How about a congratulations gift or some additional rewards?'

{The additional rewards for the successful completion of the mission, based on your performance, have already been issued. There was only a single reward, which was Rapid Recovery. It is a temporary state that will allow you to recover multiple times as fast as you usually do.}

'Oh? Now it makes sense how I healed so quickly...'

Slightly disappointed that it wasn't just because I had a supernatural physique, I ask, 'What about a congratulations gift? I have become your host, so the least you could do is give me a little reward.'

{As a part of becoming the host of the Gangster System, you have been gifted with Gangster Instincts. Think of it as a sixth sense that you can completely trust and will aid you in the future, and is improving your judgement, reflexes, and senses.}

It sounded amazing, and I couldn't wait to get the Gangster Instincts that the system described as being capable of so much.

'So... When will I...?'

{You have already been given the Gangster Instincts.}

That was a big letdown, and I didn't even feel anything different in the slightest, as I turned to Angela.

Seeing that I had become startled slightly initially, then I began experiencing waves of different emotions, Angela thought that maybe I had received some brain damage.

And it almost felt as though I could tell what she was feeling and thinking just by looking into her eyes and observing her body language.

I always felt as though I was a good judge of character, but it was hard to be sure about what someone else was feeling, and yet now I was.

"I am not crazy. I was just thinking about a few things," I reassured her.

"If you say so, but what kind of name is Xavier?" she asked slightly mockingly as she handed me back my phone.

Accepting my phone back, I answered, "One that's unique and that of a main character, unlike Angela."

Looking at my phone, I couldn't believe that it was even working from how smashed the screen was.

"Main character? In what story, 'How to die early' or maybe 'I am a crazy idiot that would fight an army if they looked at my mother the wrong way'," she mocked.

Laughing, she continued, "Just how on Earth did you get so good at fighting and find the confidence to fight against an armed gang alone?"

"And even watching someone die..." she added, on the verge of vomiting as she recalled all the blood and death from that day.

"I used to train kickboxing in my school and was quite skilled, winning the regional tournament. I probably could've even won nationals, but I dropped out. Since then, I've just trained by myself in parks and stuff."

"But. You were still way too calm. You must have fought..."

"Yes, I have had my fair share of street fights. What can I do when the NYPD and cops like you are useless and unable to protect us?"

"Hey! You can't blame me. There's just so much corruption and crime all at once that it's hard to deal with all the gangs. But there are lots of good officers like myself, who put their lives on the line to protect others every single day," she refuted passionately.

"If it were up to me..."

"It isn't up to you. You cops always trying to find evidence, needing it to imprison criminals, and even when you do gather evidence, the rich criminals just get released on bail. What's that going to do? The rich and powerful are exempt from the law, leaving people like me and my mother to suffer."

"But it isn't that simple. And what can I possibly do?"

She clearly seemed helpless and just as angry as I was with the NYPD.

"Maybe it's just time for someone to change the criminal underworld..." I murmured as we fell silent once again.