"What's all this, then?" said a tall tan man with a scar running horizontally over his closed left eye, wearing black pants and a military camouflaged heavy coat.

"You have my guy, and you're going to release him," I said as I turned to look at the man with a lazy smile.

"And is that any way to ask something of someone?" Marcus remarked with a frown, looking me up and down, seemingly unimpressed.

"I'm not asking, buddy," I replied with a shrug of my shoulders as Marcus ordered some of his subordinates to put off the fire. "It's just going to happen," I added as I pointed my gun at his head.

"You got some nerve, kid. I'll give you that much," Marcus said with a snort of disdain. "But if you think you can just come here, and threaten me on my own turf with some gun, then you've got another thing coming!" he added while glaring at me.

"Let me make one thing clear," I said in a cold tone, my lips turning into a thin line. "Normally, I would just kill everyone here, retrieve my guy, and be done with it," I added, looking at everyone around, unphased by the countless gun they had aimed at my head.

"And the only reason I'm even talking to you is that old Pashina used to do business with you," I explained with a shrug. "So why don't you make things easier for yourself and give me my guy, so we can both be on our ways, eh?" I asked as I turned to look at Marcus again.

"I thought you looked familiar, kid," Marcus said with a look of realization. "So you were that little punk Pashina found in the desert," he added with a chuckle.

"Pashina was a friend, true," Marcus remarked with a smirk. "But the bitch is dead now, and knowing some dead bitch won't earn you any special treatment," he added, presuming I mentioned Pashina out of fear or something.

"So drop that little gun of yours, and we can discuss the cut you're going to give me in exchange for doing business on my turf," he stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"And maybe then I'll think about letting your guy go," he concluded in a mocking tone, causing his subordinates to start obnoxiously laughing.

"Briar," I said with a sigh as I turned to look at the blonde, holding back a smile at this expected turn of events.

I had already expected something like this to happen and was already planning to benefit myself from it before I even sent my guys out on various assignments, but it's too early to talk about just yet.

"Cover Clark for a minute, will you?" I asked while gesturing towards Clark, who looked as expressionless as ever.

"Awe, and here I thought you were going to ask me to take care of these guys," Briar replied with a pout. "But sure, I'll take care of little four-eyes for you since you asked so nicely," she added with a giggle.

I sent her a nod, my face turning cold as I immediately took aim, and blew the head of the nearest goon to me.

"Kill them!" Though surprised by my sudden action, Marcus merely frowned as he ordered his goons to gun us down on the spot.

I immediately activated my aura armor as I lunged at the two goons closest to me. The two of them immediately panicked and began spraying me with bullets, using their antiqued old-world guns.

The other goons weren't standing still too as a few of them began shooting at Briar and Clark, but the former carelessly stood in front of Clark, deflecting everything coming their way.

I kept a neutral expression as I charged towards the two goons, unphased as countless bullets hit my aura armor, harmlessly bouncing off after they did.

The sight of bullets bouncing off of me along with Briar casually deflecting gunshots must have spooked the goons because they began firing even more desperately, their hands stuck to the triggers.

I reached the two goons, delivering an aura-fueled punch to the head of the first, pulverizing it in the process. I caught the other by the neck and threw him towards another group of goons, and they unhesitantly continued to fire, causing him to die before even reaching them.

I paused, surveying the surroundings with a cold set of eyes, blood sliding off my aura armor without sticking to my clothes, causing everyone, including Marcus, to take a step back in nervousness.

I could kill everyone here in a minute or two max, but that wouldn't serve any purpose, and I could have even killed Marcus with the first shot I took, but I still have some uses for him.

"Monsters!" exclaimed one goon, throwing away his weapon and dashing away in a panicked frenzy. The rest of Marcus' subordinates looked at their fleeing comrade and began hesitating.

"I'll hunt down everyone who flees and make them wish they died here!" Marcus exclaimed as he the closest gone to him by the collar. "At least they would have died a quick death here," he added in a cold tone, eyeing his subordinates.

"Besides, they're only three people!" Marcus exclaimed in a calm tone. "Keep shooting, and they'll fall eventually!" he added, grabbing a gun, and shooting at me.

'Time to put on a show.' My smile widened as the goons seemed to gather their wits after Marcus' speech and resumed firing.

I allowed several shots to hit me before intentionally staggering a little and began actively dodging the bullets after I augmented my muscles and joints with aura to move more quickly.

"He's faltering already!" Marcus exclaimed with a victorious grin as he watched me stagger and begin dodging, causing his subordinates to focus all of their fire on me.

"What is he trying to do?" Briar asked in a curious tone as she turned to look at Clark, seemingly confused by mock struggle.

"I don't know, but the boss probably has a plan," Clark replied with a shrug, his eyes darting left and right, trying to analyze the situation.

"Plan, eh?" Briar remarked with an eye roll. "He sure never seems to run out of those," she added with a chuckle, ignoring Clark as she resumed spectating the fight with wrapt attention.

I danced around the bullets, swaying left and right as I jumped at Marcus' goons, bashing them to death with my bare hands, occasionally faking struggles or using one of them as a meat shield.

It took me roughly ten minutes to kill at least two dozens of goons before the rest of them finally understood they had no hope, throwing their weapons and running away.

Abandoned by his subordinates and left alone, Marcus tried to flee as well, but I quickly closed the distance between us, catching his coat and yanking him back.

Marcus fell on his back and immediately retrieved a more modern pistol from one of his pockets, aiming and shooting an energy beam at my face.

I dodged it by simply moving my head to the side and delivered a kick to Marcus's abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain and drop his weapon.

"It didn't have to be this way, you know," I lied through my teeth as I kicked away the pistol, standing over him with a lazy smile.

This little stand-off with him would have ended this way regardless of anything. I would have made sure it did, but neither he nor anyone watching from the sides needs to know that.

"You could have just let my guys go, and none of this would have happened," I added as I pointed Snowwhite at his head.

"Spare me the speeches, punk!" Marcus said in a hateful tone. "If you're going to kill me, then go ahead and be done with it," he added, spitting at my shoes.

I kicked him in the head, smearing the saliva on my shoes all over his face.

"As tempting as that is...," I said with a smile, trailing at the end of my sentence. "Killing you would bring me nothing but trouble," I added with a sigh, storing Snowwhite away, much to Marcus' astonishment.

"I'm just starting in Fallout town, and killing an established gang leader so soon would make me a threat to others such as yourself," I explained with a shrug.

"I know your kind punk," Marcus said in a scornful tone.

"Oh, do tell, what kind that is?" I remarked in an amused tone, raising an eyebrow.

"A fucking pussy whose too afraid of conflict and action to achieve anything!" Marcus replied with a bloody grin. "You justify your cowardice with logic and benefits, but deep down, you're just too afraid of failure," he added in a smug tone, snorting in derision.

"You won't make it fallout town for more than a week!" he concluded with a chuckle, wiping the blood from his mouth.