"There you are, Gene!" a thuggish man shouted from the doorway. A different thug fired a pistol into the air. The muzzle flash filled Gene's vision, his heart pounding in his chest as a sense of impending doom washed over him. For a moment, he was back in his escape pod, witnessing the Birmingham's explosion. He snapped out of it, refocusing on the situation at hand. "I see you got to meet my acquaintance," the first thug gleefully exclaimed.
"Yeah, what about it?" Gene retorted, his voice shaky but defiant.
"We've had a change of heart. Actually, we're interested in an expansion, beginning today."
"Expansion?" Gene questioned, his fists clenched.
"Yeah, this popular bar here looks particularly profitable, so let's start here. We're taking over," the man declared, locking eyes with Clyde.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Gene shouted, his voice tinged with both fear and anger. "You really have some nerve, buddy."
Gene stood abruptly, slamming his glass onto the table. He stormed angrily towards the men at the entrance. "Hah, what's the matter, little boy?" The man taunted. "You think you can stop us?"
Gene's eyes narrowed. "Try me," he responded, his voice laced with a mix of fear and determination.
Suddenly, Gene found himself flying through the air, landing several feet away where he collapsed in pain, dazed and confused. Gene rolled over, looking up and groaning in pain.
"Gene!" Iris shouted, rushing over to him. "Oh no, are you okay?"
Gene wiped the blood from his busted lip and reached for the combat knife in his ankle holster. "Gene, what the hell?! Are you nuts?!" Iris exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief and concern.
The men approached them menacingly. "Well, aren't you just full of surprises?" The man sneered, his eyes narrowing. "Looks like someone believes he can keep this little town from our grasp."
Iris looked between Gene and the thugs, her mouth tightly shut, not wanting to escalate the situation further. Suddenly, the man raised his hand. Gene flinched but swiftly thrust his knife into the thug's chest. The man staggered backward, clutching his wound.
The other thug aimed his pistol at Gene. With a quick dodge, Gene thrust his knife into the thug's gut. The thug fired his pistol in response, the bullet shattering a liquor bottle behind the bar. The deafening sound of the gunshot filled the room, taking Gene back to the moment he heard the Birmingham explode. Shaking off the terror, Gene drove the knife into the thug's throat, finishing him off.
Iris rushed over to Gene, checking his wounds. The thugs were now either dead or dying from Gene's attack. Clyde was completely stunned by the events that had unfolded.
"I cannot believe it, Gene! You killed those guys?!" Clyde exclaimed, his voice tinged with both awe and concern.
Gene winced painfully as Iris applied pressure to his wound. "Sorry, Clyde," Gene apologised, his voice shaky. "But I didn't want any of you getting hurt because of me."
Gene sat up slowly, his body aching more than it ever had. "But they'll be back someday," he continued, his voice tinged with worry. "I'm going to need to stick around here more often. I can't let anything happen to your business as a result of my carelessness."
"Don't worry, Gene. We'll take care of things. Just come visit us sometime, okay?" Iris said softly, her eyes meeting his.
Gene couldn't contain a small smile. "I guess I don't have a choice now, do I?"
Iris smiled back and hugged Gene tightly. "Thank you for protecting us. You're a hero."
Gene smiled back, his heart filling with warmth. "I appreciate that, Iris."
Suddenly, Gene's face turned pale. "Clyde, what if the police find out about this? I'm already in trouble with them, and now this? What if I get charged with murder?"
Clyde chuckled softly. "Gene, those men were fugitives, wanted dead or alive. You've inadvertently become a bounty hunter, my friend. You might even earn some wong for this, not to mention some potential slack from the police."
Gene's eyes widened, a mixture of relief and disbelief washing over him. "Really?"
"Really," Clyde confirmed, nodding.
Gene returned to his room, his mind still racing. He still couldn't believe all that had happened that day. But on the bright side, he was pleased about his time spent with Clyde and Iris. They seemed like good people and could become good friends. Maybe the future will turn out differently now.
Gene smiled to himself, his thoughts drifting to his late father. "Perhaps the future won't be all bad after all," he mused, a newfound sense of hope filling his heart.