Street Thugs Get a Lesson

Plane tree leaves had piled up like a small mountain outside the auto repair shop. Lin Mo was washing oil stains off the ground with a high-pressure hose, the stream refracting rainbows beneath the sunlight. Shield was dozing on an old tire nearby, his tail swaying gently in time with the spray. Every now and then, he lifted his head and bared his teeth at passing stray cats.

"Lin, lend me a wrench." Old Joe came in carrying a rusty faucet. When he saw the pile of scrap parts in the corner, he suddenly lowered his voice. "Be careful lately. A few thugs showed up on Front Street, collecting protection money every day. Old Zhou's grocery store got smashed up yesterday."

Lin Mo shut off the hose, water dripping from its barrel onto the ground. "What kind of thugs?"

"Three young guys with green hair and skull tattoos on their arms." Old Joe gestured as he spoke. "They carry steel pipes and act vicious. They said they'd wreck the place if we didn't pay. I gave them fifty yesterday, or they would've flipped my freezer."

Lin Mo frowned. Queens was not exactly peaceful, but openly demanding protection money was rare, especially near the Community Center. "Did you call the police?"

"I did. They run whenever the cops show up, then come back as soon as they leave. Like flies." Old Joe sighed. "Carlos asked me to tell you not to go looking for trouble. If it comes down to it, just pay them something. Don't take them head-on."

Lin Mo nodded, though he felt uncomfortable. He picked up a wrench and handed it to Old Joe, his gaze drifting toward the flower shop across the street—it belonged to Gretchen's grandmother's younger sister. The old woman's legs were even worse than Gretchen's, and every day she watched over a little flower stand, selling daisies and roses.

At lunchtime, Ted burst in carrying an enormous magic box, nearly knocking over the toolbox. "Mo! Did you hear? Some thugs are collecting protection money on Front Street! My cousin said he's bringing some firefighters over to deal with them!"

"Don't get involved." Lin Mo handed half his sandwich to Shield. "The police will handle it."

"Handle shit!" Ted said anxiously. "I just passed by and saw them snatch the old flower lady's cash box! She was crying so hard she nearly passed out!"

Lin Mo's heart sank. He grabbed his coat and ran outside. Ted shouted after him, "Where are you going? Don't do anything reckless!"

A crowd had gathered around the flower stand on Front Street. Gretchen's grandmother's younger sister was sitting on the ground, clutching her torn apron in her hands, her graying hair a mess. Several passersby were comforting her. Broken roses lay scattered across the ground, their petals trampled into pulp.

"Where did they go?" Lin Mo grabbed a middle-aged onlooker.

"Into the alley. Three green-haired guys with steel pipes." The man pointed toward the street corner. "It's outrageous—they even robbed an old lady!"

Lin Mo said nothing and rushed into the alley. Physical Enhancement made his footsteps as light as a cat's. Dynamic Vision caught the fresh footprints on the ground, as well as strands of green hair scraped off on a corner wall. Shield had followed him without him noticing and was barking wildly toward the depths of the alley, his tail standing straight up like a flagpole.

Past two dumpsters, Lin Mo saw the three thugs leaning against a wall, dividing their loot. Their green hair stood out sharply in the shadows. The tallest one had a skull tattoo on his arm, swollen from sweat, and he was toying with the old woman's tin cash box, coins clinking inside it.

"This old lady had quite a bit of money," the short thug said with a laugh. "Tomorrow, we should hit that auto repair shop. With all those parts piled up outside, he must be making a killing."

The tall thug spat. "If he refuses to pay, smash his jack. Let's see how the hell he fixes cars then."

Lin Mo stood at the mouth of the alley, unconsciously rubbing the wrench in his pocket. He could easily phase through the wall and get behind them, or use the speed from Physical Enhancement to snatch back the cash box. But he did not want to hurt anyone—these thugs were despicable, but they did not deserve broken arms and legs.

"Hey." Lin Mo took two steps forward, his voice quiet but enough to make all three thugs turn around.

"Where'd this brat come from? Looking to die?" The tall thug stood, dragging his steel pipe across the ground with a piercing scrape. The other two rose as well, forming a triangle around Lin Mo, their eyes full of disdain.

"Give the cash box back." Lin Mo's voice was calm, his eyes fixed on the tin box in the tall thug's hand.

"Give it back to you?" The short thug laughed. "Come take it if you've got the balls." He waved his steel pipe. "Watch me break your legs."

Lin Mo drew a deep breath and suddenly activated Physical Enhancement. He did not attack. Instead, he sprinted around them. He moved as fast as a gust of wind, sweeping up fallen leaves and dust from the ground and creating a spinning vortex in the alley.

"Fuck! Why's this kid running?" the tall thug cursed, swinging his steel pipe as he chased after him. The other two ran after him as well, their pipes striking sparks against the walls.

But to Lin Mo, they moved like snails. He darted like an afterimage between the alley walls, occasionally slowing down on purpose to lure them into speeding up, then abruptly changing direction and making them crash into one another.

Bang! The short thug failed to stop in time and rammed headfirst into the tall thug's back. The two rolled into a heap. The third thug tried to circle around from the side, only to trip over a dumpster Lin Mo deliberately kicked over. His steel pipe fell to the ground with a clang.

Lin Mo stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Not because he was tired, but because he found it funny. These three thugs could not even touch the edge of his clothes, yet they dared to go around collecting protection money.

"Y-you've got guts, then stop running!" The tall thug struggled to his feet, blood running from his nose as he pointed at Lin Mo and cursed.

"Stop running and wait for you to beat me up?" Lin Mo said with a smile. "At your speed, even the old ladies in the community park could outrun you."

The three thugs howled in anger, picked up their steel pipes, and charged again. This time, Lin Mo did not run. He merely dodged nimbly—Physical Enhancement had not only increased his speed, but also made his reactions astonishingly fast. The pipes whistled past him, yet could not even touch a strand of his hair. He could even see the rust on the pipes and predict the direction of their next strikes.

"I'm dying... I'm dying..." The short thug was the first to give out. He leaned on his pipe and panted heavily, his green hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. The other two stopped as well, their chests heaving like bellows. The arrogance in their eyes had turned to fear.

Lin Mo stepped forward without saying a word and bent down to pick up the tin cash box. Coins clinked inside, along with several crumpled dollar bills.

"The money... we'll give it back. We'll never do it again..." The tall thug backed away, his voice trembling.

Lin Mo ignored him. He grabbed the short thug by the back of his collar and dragged him toward the alley entrance like a dead dog. The tall thug and the other thug tried to flee, but Shield blocked their path. The little dog bared his teeth and growled. Though small, he was imposing.

"Move." Lin Mo spoke coldly, dragging the short thug toward the police station. The other two had no choice but to follow. They had already thrown away their steel pipes.

As they passed the community park, Martha, who was out for a walk, saw the scene and widened her eyes. "Lin? What is this...?"

"Taking them to the police station." Lin Mo lifted the cash box in his hand. "They robbed the old flower lady."

"Serves you right!" Martha jabbed the short thug in the butt with her cane. "That's what you get for bullying people!"

At the police station entrance, Lin Mo threw the three thugs onto the steps and set the tin cash box beside them. The officer on duty came out after hearing the commotion. Seeing the bruised and battered thugs, then looking at Lin Mo, he asked in surprise, "You did this?"

"They robbed someone, and I happened to see it." Lin Mo pointed at the cash box. "It belongs to the old flower lady. Go verify it." He crouched down and looked at the thugs, who were trembling in fear. His voice was quiet, but carried a suffocating pressure. "If you dare collect protection money in Queens again, taking you to the police station won't be the worst of it."

The three thugs nodded frantically, their heads bobbing like pounding pestles.

As the officers escorted the thugs inside, one patted Lin Mo on the shoulder. "Thanks, kid. We've been watching these guys for days, but we never caught them in the act."

"It was nothing." Lin Mo smiled and headed back. Shield followed at his feet, wagging his tail proudly as though he had just made a great contribution.

When they passed the flower shop, Gretchen's grandmother's younger sister was being helped by neighbors as she cleaned up her stand. The moment she saw the cash box in Lin Mo's hand, tears welled up in her eyes. "Good boy... thank you..." She pulled a bouquet of red roses from a flower bucket and forcibly stuffed it into Lin Mo's hands. "Take them. They're from Grandma."

Lin Mo could not refuse, so he accepted them. The fragrance of the roses mixed with the scent of earth, fresh and clean. The neighbors around them applauded, and Old Joe shouted, "Good job, Lin! You got rid of a scourge for our community!"

Back at the repair shop, Ted was pacing in circles with anxiety. When he saw Lin Mo return, he rushed over. "Are you okay? My cousin said he was bringing people over..."

"I'm fine. It's settled." Lin Mo put the roses into an empty oil can and set it on the counter. "They won't dare come back."

"How did you do it?" Ted asked curiously. "Did you use your 'superpower'?"

"Against those guys?" Lin Mo smiled, picked up his wrench, and went back to repairing a car. "I didn't need superpowers to handle them."

At closing time that evening, Carlos suddenly appeared at the door with a bottle of whiskey in hand. The old man did not scold Lin Mo for meddling. He simply set the bottle on the counter. "Want a drink tonight? To celebrate not getting beaten half to death."

Lin Mo froze for a moment, then smiled. "Sure."

The two sat on the steps outside the repair shop, with Shield lying between them and sharing a strip of beef jerky. Carlos took a drink and looked at the stars overhead. "When I was young, I was just like you. Always sticking my nose into things. Ended up getting stabbed three times and nearly dying in an alley." He pointed at his stomach. "The scars are still there."

"And you're still asking me to drink?" Lin Mo said with a smile.

"Because you're smarter than I was." Carlos looked at him. "You didn't go too far, and you didn't cause more trouble. You did well." He took another drink. "This world always needs someone to step up. But how you step up matters."

Lin Mo said nothing. He only looked at the roses in his hand. Dewdrops on the petals shimmered beneath the moonlight like the old woman's grateful tears. He knew what he had done today had been a little risky. If S.H.I.E.L.D. saw it, it might cause trouble again. But he did not regret it—some things had to be done by someone, even if it was only to protect a flower stand and an old woman's livelihood.

A police siren sounded in the distance. The three thugs were probably being taken into detention. Lin Mo took a sip of whiskey, the fiery liquid sliding down his throat and bringing a wave of warmth. He remembered what Phil Coulson had said, remembered the Avengers Initiative, and suddenly felt that superheroes did not necessarily have to wear armored suits and save the world. Sometimes, teaching a few thugs a lesson in an alley and protecting the people around you was a form of heroism too.

Shield suddenly barked twice at the night sky, as if answering his thoughts. Lin Mo patted the little dog's head, his heart completely at peace.