The roar of Dom's Charger cut through the silent night as they sped toward the Toretto house, tension thick in the air. Guldrin kept his eyes on Letty, his heart pounding as he watched her grip her leg, blood seeping slowly through the torn fabric. Mia was in the front, her hand clamped tightly around her phone as she tried Jesse's number again, her frustration mounting with every unanswered ring.
Guldrin, seeing Letty's leg still bleeding with no signs of stopping, had an idea and took off his hoodie to use as a makeshift bandage. Flashes of random images flew through his mind as he worked and tried his best to ignore them. That was until he recognized one as field treatment. He wasn't sure where these images came from, but he followed them step by step, all while ignoring the splitting headache he was getting as a result.
With his sweatshirt in hand, he grabbed Letty's pocket knife and sliced it into thin strips, then even thinner strips, "I don't have a way to heat this knife… So this will have to do." With that, he slowly dug out the car fragments, plastic, and glass. This process had to be done with slow and methodical precision; biting his tongue in concentration, he removed each piece one by one, careful not to nick anything important. Having been attending medical school, Mia was impressed to see his treatment and allowed him to do most of the work as she helped where she could.
Once he was done, he placed the bigger strips of cloth onto the wound and then tied the thinner strips around her leg, "This will have to do till we can clean it with alcohol and are able to stitch the wound closed." Mia sitting next to him was just as shocked as Letty, seeing her Guldrin who had lost his memories treat Letty's wound like a semi-skilled professional.
Meanwhile, when Guldrin finished his treatment, he finally succumbed to his headache as he leaned back and held his head with both hands. Seeing this, Shiro panicked but held him, not knowing what else to do. Inside his mind, flashes of combat that he is certain he never went through, drills, and horror of war all played like a movie. Until he saw a woman with pale blonde hair, a white suit, and him holding a gun in his hand aiming at the woman on the ground, she looked like she was at peace, surrounded by white flowers, then he heard. "I raised you, and loved you, I've given you weapons, taught you techniques, endowed you with knowledge. There's nothing more for me to give you. All that's left for you to take is my life."
Inside his mind he struggled, he felt the pain, the unwillingness, the sadness, but no matter how much he wanted to stop it,
*BANG!*
He pulled the trigger and ended the woman's life, the pit in his stomach only grew, as if he had killed the most important person in his life. She was indisputably dead, shot right in the heart, but he felt empty, not happy, and as if he had no choice.
Then, the images stopped and he woke up with a start. Sweat beading down his face, and slight tears brimming in his eyes. Everyone saw this but thought it was everything taking a toll on him. While that may have been true, it wasn't all of it. Taking a deep breath, he remembered the woman's voice, "In moments of chaos, find your breath, Jack. Let it carry you. When everything else falls away, it will still be there."
"Boss...…" Guldrin muttered and the images stopped. No new, or old, just what he had seen and the voice he heard. This left him with more questions than answers, but he couldn't worry about that right now as he helped brace Letty, whose face was laced with worry.
'Ding, past life detected, forced fusion has been initiated… Forced Termination has been started.
'Termination Failed. Sealing Processes have begun.'
'Failed, Incarnation has been locked at 10%, Lock will last for 2 years, after which the assimilation will continue… (Note: Due to assimilation being outside system control, MOTHER has initiated, Cloaking. The user will be unable to see these messages till the lock has deteriorated or has broken.)
Guldrin was completely unaware of these changes and had no idea what would happen to him and his life as a result… Though he did have a slight craving for a cigar, it was weird, but that wasn't important to him right now.
Dom drove with his usual intensity, barely sparing a glance at the rest of the car's occupants, and saw through Guldrin's veneer of calm while he was nursing his headache. Guldrin could sense the worry beneath his father's hardened expression. Jesse was still missing, and with Brian's betrayal fresh in everyone's mind, it felt like the ground they were standing on was starting to crumble.
They arrived at the house, pulling into the driveway as Dom killed the engine. "Mia, go get the med kit from the kitchen," he instructed, barely stepping out before she dashed inside, knowing what to grab without needing more direction.
Guldrin and Dom helped Letty out of the car, her arm slung over his shoulders as they carefully maneuvered her to the porch steps. She grunted in pain, but her face stayed stoic, a quiet pride masking her discomfort. "Guess I'm not as invincible as I thought," she muttered with a bitter laugh, her eyes softening as she looked at him. "Thanks for not leaving me…"
"You're family, Mom. You don't get left behind, I have said once, and will say it as many times as I need to… After all, that is what MY family taught me." Guldrin replied, his voice strong but laced with worry. Shiro stayed close, ready to help, her gaze flicking around the shadows of the morning light, always on guard. She couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over, and danger still lurked around like a hidden boss level.
Dom began cutting Guldrin's cloth bandage he made for Letty's wound, quickly assessing Letty's injury. "It's deep," he muttered, brow furrowed. "We'll need to stitch it up before it gets worse."
Mia returned with the med kit, and together they worked in focused silence. Dom's hands were steady, almost gentle, Mia cleaned Letty's wound, threading the needle through with precision while Dom held her hand, squeezing it whenever Letty winced.
The silence was broken only by Letty's shallow breaths and the occasional rustle of Shiro, keeping a sharp lookout on the porch. Guldrin's mind was a storm of thoughts, Brian, the cops, Jesse out there alone, and now this mystery mentor from his jumbled memories. Every second that passed felt like a missed opportunity, a moment Jesse could be in more danger. His instincts were screaming at him to be on alert, to not lose anyone due to inaction.
Then, as Mia finished the last stitch, the unmistakable hum of an engine grew louder in the distance. Dom and Guldrin's heads snapped up, their expressions hardening. After a while, a VW Jetta rolled into view, unmistakably. Jesse.
The car creaked to a stop, and Jesse stumbled out, his face pale, his eyes wild with a combination of relief and fear as he looked at the group gathered on the porch. "I… I didn't know where else to go," he stammered, voice barely a whisper as he caught sight of Letty's bandaged leg.
Dom's expression darkened, though a flicker of relief passed over his face. "You're lucky you're here," he said, his voice as sharp as steel. "Do you have any idea what you put everyone through?"
Jesse swallowed hard, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn't mean to. I thought I could just… I don't know, get out of the mess with Tran. But he's… he's out for blood, man. No one would shelter me, man, they said Tran is gunning for me… He doesn't even want my ride anymore, he wants me dead. I don't know what I am doing anymore, Dom," Jesse's voice cracked, and he looked down, ashamed. "I didn't know who else to turn to."
Dom's eyes softened, just a fraction, and he took a steadying breath. "You're with us now, Jesse. Tran's not going to touch you while we're here. But you gotta understand, you can't run from this forever." Before Dom could continue, they heard the unmistakable sound of two motorcycle engines.
Looking up, they saw Tran and Lance, they were riding their crotch rockets and were blasting down the road toward their direction. The roar of their engines brings Guldrin back to the past event of them blasting away Brian's car, similar to PTSD, causing flashes and memories to flood his mind. Thankfully, this seemed to be what he needed to be able to break free from his confused stupor and take stock of the situation.
'Two targets, fast-moving, intent to kill… SMGs hanging on their hips…' He paused and looked around, seeing Jesse on the sidewalk next to his car, Guldrin knew they were gunning for his life, so they would target him first, 'Crossfire, possible,' "GET DOWN!" He shouted, hoping it would register in their minds to duck and become a smaller target.
Springing to his feet, Guldrin bolted toward Jesse, spotting Brian's Supra behind Tran and Lance. Ignoring this particular oddity, Guldrin sprints with all his might toward Jesse. All while removing the S&W from his pocket and jerking the slide back to chamber a round with odd, practiced ease.
Dom and Letty hearing his scream lowered their head instinctively, while Mia and Shiro holding Emily also ducked down inside the house. A split second later, Dom realized Guldrin had run instead of taking cover and was horrified to see Guldrin tackle Jesse as a set of Dual SMGs flared to life, aiming directly at Guldrin and Jesse. "NO!!!!" He roared, but it was too late.
Reaching Jesse, who was panicking too much to function, Guldrin used all his newly gained weight and strength to tackle him to the ground, flick off the safety, felt a single bullet hit the back of his shoulder, then another, finally, two more landed inside his rear thigh. Ignoring the pain, he covered Jesse, went prone, and aimed his pistol at the rear of the car. If this was a typical drive-by, then they would continue down the road. Guldrin was planning on taking them out as they drove down the street. His wounded shoulder felt a lot less painful than it should have, it was as if this wasn't the first time it had happened. While Guldrin saved Jesse from taking any life-threatening shots, he still caught a bullet in his leg and arm.
As if time had slowed, Guldrin aimed his iron sights and waited, one second, two seconds, three… On the third second, Lance's back came into view and Guldrin lined up a headshot, then with better judgment since they were moving. Lowered his sights to his back and fired off 4 shots, each one finding its mark in Lance's upper and lower back.
As the bullets hit him, Lance lost all control of his body and fell off his bike, he was either dead or soon to be dead. Guldrin tried to aim at Tran but wasn't able to line it up and when he tried to stand he couldn't, his shoulder had hurt him much more than he thought; his vision was going dark, and he felt no strength in his body.
Dom had been watching all of this and had rushed as fast as he could even under the gunfire to Guldrin and Jesse's position. Checking them over, he saw it wasn't life-threatening and shouted, "Call an ambulance! They are hit but not dead! I am going after Tran!" With that he rushed to his charger, loaded his shotgun, and sped down the road, Brian not far behind had witnessed the entire thing and wasn't planning on letting Tran escape after that.
Guldrin lay on the ground, his breaths shallow as the pain from his wounds surged with every heartbeat. Blood trickled from his shoulder, staining the pavement beneath him as he struggled to remain conscious. The scent of gunpowder and burnt rubber filled the air, lingering from the chaos Tran and Lance had unleashed.
Jesse, clutching his own wounded leg, looked at Guldrin in shock, his face a mix of fear, guilt, and awe. "Man… I… you saved me," he stammered, eyes wide. Guldrin merely gave a weak nod, his vision blurring, but his focus remained sharp. He'd taken out Lance, but the threat wasn't over.
Meanwhile, Dom's Charger thundered down the street in pursuit of Tran, its powerful engine roaring in the silence of the night. Dom's eyes were wild, fury and protective rage boiling over as he gripped the wheel, his hands steady despite the storm raging within him. Tran had crossed a line… he'd gone after his family. This wasn't about money or respect anymore; it was life or death.
Behind him, Brian's Supra followed, and for the first time, he didn't care about keeping his cover. After having exposed his dual life to Mia and everyone, he felt he was finally free, and this falls within his rights as an officer. He'd seen the blood, seen the way Guldrin and Jesse had nearly died on the side of the road, and something deep within him couldn't allow Tran to get away. Tran is now an active shooter fleeing the scene, he was going to neutralize the threat.
Back at the house, Mia, pale and shaking, dialed 911 with trembling fingers, struggling to relay the address through the severity of the situation. She held her breath, her gaze darting between the wounded on the ground and the distant red taillights of Dom's Charger disappearing down the street.
Shiro, who had kept herself mostly out of sight, finally approached Guldrin, her hands hovering over him with a protective fury as she assessed his injuries. Her eyes, normally calm and serene, flashed with a dark intensity. "You're not dying here," she murmured, her voice a low, determined whisper. She was ready to defend him, to kill anyone else who came too close, a fierce protector veiled in a delicate frame. She has played too many games to have no idea how to use a gun. So she slowly pried Guldrin's finger from the pistol and took hold of it, intending to defend him… She didn't know what Guldrin was to her, but she knew he was important, irreplaceable; she wouldn't lose another important person.
Just down the road, Dom's Charger finally caught up with Tran, the sleek crotch rocket swerving to try and escape him. But Dom was relentless, his shotgun resting beside him on the passenger seat, each bump of the road reminding him of every hit Guldrin and Jesse had taken, every drop of blood that had spilled on his sidewalk. It was enough to blind him with rage.
Tran's motorcycle roared ahead as Dom pushed the Charger to its limits, the streetlights blurring past in fiery streaks. Tran looked back, his face twisted with a mix of fury and desperation as he caught sight of Dom closing in, shotgun glinting in the morning light. The thrill of the chase was over, now, this was survival.
Behind Dom, Brian kept pace in the Supra, his face hardened with grim determination. He'd seen Tran's expression, the wild look in his eyes as he aimed for blood back at the Toretto house. Tran wasn't stopping until one of them was dead. Brian's fingers itched on the wheel, adrenaline flooding his veins as he inched closer, waiting for the perfect moment.
Dom's Charger came alongside Tran's bike, forcing him to swerve, barely holding control as he tried to veer away. Dom rolled down the window, shotgun raised, and fired. The blast rang out, tearing into Tran's shoulder, his body jolting with the impact. Tran wobbled but stayed upright, his rage fueling him even through the agony.
Brian saw the opening and didn't hesitate. He veered the Supra closer, speeding up alongside Tran just as the wounded man turned, his face a mask of blood and hate. With lightning reflexes, Tran reached for and swung his gun aiming, ready to fire at Brian. But Brian was faster. He drew his own sidearm and, in a blur of motion, squeezed the trigger.
A single shot rang out, piercing Tran's chest. The bike lurched as Tran lost his grip, his body collapsing forward, limp, as the motorcycle skidded and toppled, crashing in a mangled heap of metal and flesh. His blood smeared across the road, dark under the streetlights as his body came to a final, jarring halt.
Dom slammed the brakes, his Charger screeching to a stop as he jumped out, striding over to Tran's fallen body. Brian was right behind him, breathing heavily, his face cold, a silent storm brewing in his eyes. They stood over Tran's body, both knowing that this was the end of a bloody chapter. Now they needed to deal with the aftermath.
Back at the Toretto house, the silence had settled, thick and tense as Shiro clutched the pistol, her hands steady but her eyes wide, scanning the surroundings with a fierce protectiveness. She knelt beside Guldrin, who was fading in and out of consciousness, his breaths shallow as he clung to consciousness.
Jesse, wounded and shaken, whispered to Guldrin, his voice trembling with guilt. "Man… I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't think they'd… they'd go after you like that. That you would shield me… I just…"
Guldrin managed a faint smile, his voice weak but laced with determination. "Family… doesn't leave… family." His grip on Jesse's hand tightened, a silent promise of loyalty that transcended the pain and chaos of the night. All those lessons from Dom and the others really paid off as Guldrin had bought fully into the family motto with all his being.
Mia knelt beside them, her face streaked with tears as she gently pressed a cloth to Guldrin's shoulder wound, trying to stem the bleeding. "Hang on, okay? The ambulance is coming," she murmured, her voice breaking as she looked at her little brother/nephew, her heart aching with a mixture of fear and indignation. How dare someone try to kill her family!
As the sirens approached in the distance, Guldrin's vision began to blur, darkness creeping into the edges of his sight. But his mind was oddly calm, his thoughts drifting back to the woman in his memories, her soft words resonating in his mind: "In moments of chaos, find your breath, Jack."
With those words echoing in his mind, Guldrin let his eyes close, the world fading into a deep, peaceful darkness. The sirens wailed louder, drawing closer, the promise of survival echoing in the night as Dom and Brian returned, standing guard over their fallen family members, ready to face whatever consequences awaited them.
(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)