Chapter 25: Derek's Date Turns Dangerous
Derek and his girlfriend were walking together after their date.
For once, Derek wasn't thinking about the Python Paradox, government officials, or Transition.
He was simply enjoying an ordinary evening.
Then a group of criminals stepped into their path.
One of them pulled out a gun.
"Give us your money, or you're both going to regret it."
Derek immediately raised his hands.
"Okay, okay. Just calm down."
His girlfriend looked frightened.
The gunman moved closer.
But the moment the criminal got within reach, Derek's expression changed.
He grabbed the man's arm, twisted it away from himself, and forced the gun out of his hand.
The criminal fell back in pain.
Derek picked up the weapon and fired a single shot into the man's leg, stopping him from continuing the attack.
His girlfriend stared at him in shock.
"Are you some kind of Jackie Chan or karate specialist?!"
Derek didn't answer.
Another criminal rushed toward him with a metal pipe.
Derek caught the pipe before it could hit him.
He pulled it away, kicked the attacker back, and used the pipe to strike him, knocking him unconscious.
A third criminal pulled out a knife.
Derek grabbed his arm, forced him away, and slammed him against the wall hard enough to knock him unconscious.
The knife fell to the ground.
Derek immediately kicked it away.
The remaining criminals hesitated.
They had expected an ordinary architect.
Instead, they had discovered that Derek was far more capable in a physical fight than he appeared.
The criminals eventually fled.
Derek turned toward his girlfriend.
She immediately hugged him tightly, tears in her eyes.
"You saved me!"
Derek gently reassured her.
"It's okay. I saved myself too."
He looked toward the criminals.
"They weren't just trying to rob you. They were trying to rob both of us."
His girlfriend looked at him differently now.
She had just discovered another side of Derek Davidson.
The successful young architect she'd been getting to know wasn't as helpless as he appeared.
And Derek?
He simply wanted to get back to his normal evening.
For once, he hadn't needed Transitioning at all.