As night fell over South Boston, the air carried that familiar mix of grease, smoke, and quiet tension.
Inside a small restaurant, two policemen in suits walked in like they owned the place. They grabbed a table, picked up the menu without even looking at the staff, ordered a bunch of dishes at random, and then started barking for the food to come out faster—loud, impatient, and completely shameless.
Behind the counter, the proprietress froze the moment she saw them. Her face went pale, and the hand gripping her cleaver began to tremble slightly.
They were here again.
These corrupt cops weren't here to eat. They were here to collect protection money.
The owner felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. Business was already barely holding together, and the weekly "fees" were draining almost everything they made. Worse, these officers didn't even do anything. When thugs came to harass the place, they looked the other way like it wasn't their problem.
She had tried refusing once.
The price? Her restaurant burned down in the middle of the night.
No suspects. No investigation. No justice.
And calling the police? That was the joke of the century.
Everyone knew what was going on.
After weeks of repairs, the restaurant had finally reopened. This time, she didn't argue. She didn't resist. She just prepared the money in advance and prayed for peace. Not real protection—just fewer headaches.
Soon, the food was served. The two officers ate like kings, stuffing themselves, laughing, completely at ease. When they finished, they leaned back in their chairs, patting their stomachs with satisfied grins.
Then one of them stood up, walked to the door, and flipped the sign to "CLOSED."
The mood shifted instantly.
"We're closing. Everyone out!"
"Hurry it up! Move!"
"Out. Now."
They shoved a waiter aside and started driving customers away like cattle. No one dared argue. One by one, people stood up and left, keeping their heads down. Nobody wanted trouble. Nobody wanted to be next.
Once the place was cleared, one officer walked up to the counter and slammed his hand down.
"Boss. Time to pay."
He didn't take out any money.
He just stared at her.
The message was clear.
The proprietress let out a quiet sigh. She untied her apron, stepped forward, and pulled an envelope from her pocket before handing it over.
"Good," the officer sneered. "Keep paying on time, and nothing bad happens."
She didn't look at them. She couldn't stand their faces.
"By the way," the other one added with a disgusting chuckle, "make sure you clean the grease regularly. Fires start real easy, you know?"
With the money in hand, the two turned to leave—
—and then stopped.
Near the entrance, a young man dressed in black sat calmly at a table, flipping through a menu like none of this concerned him.
The two officers exchanged a look.
Did he just see everything?
That was exactly why they cleared the room first. Witnesses were inconvenient.
They stepped toward him, ready to question him—
but Luca spoke first.
"I'll give you one chance to live," he said calmly. "Return the money, apologize properly, and promise this never happens again."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the entire room with unsettling clarity.
For a moment, everyone froze.
Then the two officers burst out laughing.
"Where the hell did this idiot come from?"
"Hahaha—do you even know who you're talking to?"
They walked up to Luca and grabbed his arm.
"Kid, come with us. Let's have a nice, quiet chat somewhere else."
The other one smirked. "Yeah. Maybe tie a rock to you and toss you into the Neponset River."
"Sounds good," his partner laughed. "Let's do it."
Luca paused for half a second, then tilted his head slightly.
"You dump bodies in the Neponset River?"
The question caught them off guard.
Was this guy stupid?
Couldn't he hear the threat?
Luca continued casually, "Funny thing. I was fishing there not long ago and pulled up a body tied to stones. Thought it was some South District gang work… but now it sounds like it might've been you two."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
One of the officers snapped and swung at him.
"I'll send you to join them right now!"
But before his punch even landed—
Luca moved.
In one smooth motion, he grabbed the man's wrist, twisted hard, and slammed him onto the table. Without hesitation, he picked up a fork and drove it straight through the back of the officer's hand, pinning it to the wood.
"AAARGH!!"
The scream tore through the restaurant.
The second officer's face changed instantly. He reached for his gun—
Too slow.
A knee slammed into his abdomen.
Air left his lungs in a violent gasp.
Luca twisted his arm, struck his wrist, and the pistol slipped free. Luca caught it midair, reversed the grip, and smashed it straight into the man's head.
Blood spilled. The officer staggered—
—and then got kicked backward, crashing hard onto the floor.
Luca turned back to the first one, who was still pinned to the table, screaming in agony.
He casually dismantled the pistol in his hand. Parts and bullets clattered down across the man's face.
A fully assembled firearm reduced to scrap in seconds.
"Now," Luca said flatly, gripping the fork, "do you understand what to do?"
"Fuck you! You're dead!" the officer snarled through clenched teeth. "You just assaulted a federal officer—you're finished! Wait till you're in prison—"
"Really?" Luca smiled faintly. "You're cops? I thought you were gangsters. Since when did police start running protection rackets?"
He leaned in slightly.
"If the media hears about this, do you think your department will still cover for you?"
"Fuck—AHHH!"
The fork twisted.
Pain exploded again.
"Give it back! I'll return it! Just let me go!"
Luca narrowed his eyes, then released him.
"And not just this place," he added. "Every shop you've squeezed. Every dollar. Pay it all back. Or you can wait at the bottom of the Neponset River for someone to fish you out."
The officer's face turned pale.
"Who… who are you?"
"Just a concerned citizen," Luca said lightly. "The kind who doesn't mind getting involved."
He pulled out the fork and kicked the other officer aside.
"Go."
"I don't repeat myself."
The two men scrambled up, shaken and bleeding. One quickly pulled out an envelope, dumped the cash onto the counter, and rushed toward the door.
"Wait."
They froze.
"Apology," Luca said. "And the promise."
The two looked like they wanted to explode.
This guy was pushing it way too far.
They'd already returned the money—what more did he want?
Just then, a police car pulled up outside.
Their eyes lit up instantly.
Backup.
At the same time, a Black man stepped out from a nearby alley. He had been watching everything unfold, originally planning to handle these two himself—he had even gathered evidence and secretly recorded their extortion.
But someone beat him to it.
And not just anyone.
Someone who went even further than he had planned.
Now, with more officers arriving, the situation turned complicated.
Should he step in?
If he didn't, that young man might get crushed. If he did… things could spiral.
After a long moment, he made his decision and walked toward the restaurant.
Inside, the two corrupt officers were already complaining to a superior, twisting the story, painting themselves as victims. Around them, armed police stood on alert.
"Officer, he attacked federal officers!"
Not a word about extortion. Not a word about threats.
The Black man couldn't hold back anymore.
"That's not what happened," he said, stepping forward.
Every head turned.
Colin Sullivan, leading the team, looked at him.
So did Luca.
[Character Card Discovered: Robert "The Equalizer" McCall (Unlocked)]
[Rank: SSR]
[Source: The Equalizer]
[Skills: Stealth; Black Ops; Temporal Domination; Righteous Redemption; Acting on Behalf of Heaven]
[Bond: Stranger]
Robert McCall—a bald, unassuming man—was anything but ordinary. A former black-ops operative, a top-tier CIA executioner, someone who could kill as easily as breathing.
Luca already knew he'd been watching. What he didn't expect was for him to step in.
Still, Luca sighed quietly.
Guy's got a serious justice streak.
Robert raised his phone. "I have video evidence."
"This man—"
"My name is Luca Greco," Luca said.
"Mr. Greco acted in self-defense," Robert continued calmly. "He didn't attack anyone without cause."
The two corrupt officers' faces went white.
Colin frowned slightly, confused.
Was this part of the plan too?
Luca met his gaze and smiled.
"Officer Sullivan, like I said—I'm innocent. I saw them extorting money and told them to stop. They threatened to throw me into the river."
Robert handed over the phone. The footage clearly showed everything—extortion, threats, the whole sequence.
"Police should stand for justice," Robert said firmly. "Not abuse power. I have copies of this. If this isn't handled properly, it goes to the media."
Colin was speechless.
Even without the video, he would've handled it "properly."
Did this guy not know who Luca was connected to?
Still, evidence was evidence. Clean and undeniable.
He turned to the two officers.
"Bring them in. Now."
"You've embarrassed the badge."
The two men lowered their heads, faces twisted with resentment, but said nothing as they were dragged away.
Colin gave Luca a look, played along with procedure, and told him to come in later for a statement before leaving with the rest.
[You stopped corrupt officers from extorting civilians and upheld order.]
[Skill Points +8]
[Skill Fragments +4]
At the entrance, Luca smiled and extended his hand.
"Thanks for speaking up."
Robert shook it. "I just don't like seeing people get stepped on."
They exchanged names—brief, simple.
"I hate corrupt cops too," Luca added. "Hard to have peace in Boston with parasites like that."
Robert let out a quiet chuckle.
It wasn't just Boston.
It was everywhere.
He didn't say more. Didn't intend to get involved further. After a few polite words, he turned and disappeared into the night.
Luca stood there, watching his silhouette fade into the darkness.
For a long moment, he didn't move.
Then he smiled faintly.
"People say those in the dark aren't heroes…"
"We'll see about that."
[Bond: Attention]
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I'm back from vacation, and my body is absolutely thrashed. I just finished a 185-mile (300 km) bike tour through the mountains with my friends. Seventeen hours on the road—I'm exhausted!
Anyway, huge thanks to Zodiac for being my P Knight once again. If you're enjoying the story, please consider supporting me on P Site/OrbisTranslate.
As always: Every 100 Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters!