American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

He picked up his phone and dialed George's number. After a few rings, that familiar, slightly hoarse voice came through: "Lynn? Is that you, kid?"

“It’s me, George,” Lynn replied with a smile, hearing his adoptive father’s voice always bringing him a special warmth. “I’m back in New York and have a two-day vacation. I was thinking, maybe we could have dinner together? Are you and Gwen free?”

George's delighted laughter came from the other end of the phone. "Of course I'm free! Gwen just mentioned yesterday she wanted to see you. She's interning at the Daily Horn and doing very well." George paused, a hint of concern in his voice, "Are you alright? You said you had an important case to handle when you left last time."

Lynn knew George always had a knack for sensing things. As a retired police officer, George Stacy had an almost instinctive sense of danger. “I’m fine,” Lynn reassured him, “just a standard procedure. It’s over now, everything went smoothly.” He deliberately downplayed the danger on Tonali Island, making sure there was no need to worry his foster father.

“That’s great,” George seemed relieved. “What are your thoughts on dinner?”

“I’d like to take you to try that newly opened ‘Harbor Star’,” Lynn suggested. “I’ve heard their seafood is amazing. Shall we meet there at six o’clock?”

“Sounds good!” George readily agreed. “I’ll tell Gwen. She’ll be happy to see you.”

The Manhattan branch office was much quieter than Lynn had expected. Most of the agents were in the field or handling other cases. Mark Wilson, sitting at his desk, immediately stood up to greet Lynn as he entered.

“Detective Hall!” Mark exclaimed in surprise. “I thought you were on vacation today?”

Lynn smiled and nodded. "That's true, but I'd like to take care of some paperwork first. How are you? Did you sleep well?"

Mark shrugged. "Better than I expected. I had some nightmares about those incubation pods, but overall it was alright." He hesitated, then lowered his voice and asked, "Any news about the special operations team?"

“No specific arrangements yet,” Lynn replied, walking to his desk. “The intelligence department needs time to analyze the data we brought back. Clayton said he would let us know as soon as possible.”

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Lynn closed his laptop and prepared to leave the office. Mark came over and handed him a cup of coffee.

"Any plans for tonight, sir?" Mark asked, sipping his coffee.

Lynn took the coffee and nodded gratefully. "I'm going to have dinner with my family. I haven't seen my adoptive father and sister for several months."

Mark's expression softened. "That's great. Family support is very important in our line of work." He paused. "My parents never really understood why I chose this job. They would have preferred me to be a lawyer or a doctor, you know, those 'respectable' professions."

Lynn nodded understandingly. “George—my adoptive father, a retired police officer. He understands the meaning of this job, though he worries about it sometimes. Gwen, my sister, chose journalism and is now interning at the Daily Horn.”

“The Daily Horn?” Mark blinked. “That’s not an easy place to deal with. I’ve heard their editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson, is a rather demanding person.”

Lynn smiled and shook her head. "Gwen is strong; she'll handle it. Alright, I should go now. Have a great weekend, Mark."

"You too, sir. Have a wonderful time with your family."

Leaving the FBI building, Lynn decided to walk a distance to enjoy the evening air of New York City. Although the city air was always mixed with car exhaust and the aroma of various foods, for someone who had just returned from a secluded island, this bustling city life actually brought a sense of peace.

At the agreed time, Lynn arrived at the Harbor Star restaurant located on the banks of the Hudson River. It was a newly opened upscale seafood restaurant with a nautical theme, large windows facing the river offering beautiful sunset views. Lynn gave his name, and the waiter led him to his reserved table—a corner by the window, offering both a view and relative privacy.

Not long after, he saw a familiar figure walking from the restaurant entrance. It was George Stacy, a man in his sixties, his hair completely white, but his posture still upright, his eyes sharp. Beside him, Gwen Stacy wore a simple, elegant dark blue dress, her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, her face radiating youthful vitality. Seeing Lynn, her eyes immediately lit up, and she quickened her pace forward.

“Lynn!” Gwen cheered and hugged him, then stepped back slightly to examine his face. “Wait, what’s this?” Her fingers lightly touched the scratch on his cheek.

Lynn grasped her hand and gently pulled it away. "It's nothing, just a small accident at work."

George stepped forward and gave Lynn a brief hug. As they separated, George's eyes scrutinized Lynn, seemingly searching for any other possible injuries. "You look thinner," he commented, his voice tinged with concern. "Have you had a tough time on recent missions?"

Lynn shrugged, gesturing for them to sit. "It's all routine work. I've just been quite busy lately and haven't had time to take care of myself." He turned to Gwen, quickly changing the subject, "George told me you're interning at the Daily Horn? That must be very challenging."

Gwen's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Indeed! Mr. Jameson is a very demanding editor, but I'm learning a lot." She paused, then smiled slyly. "Actually, I'm following up on a story about corporate corruption, which might overlap with your area of ​​work."

Lynn raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of corporate corruption?"

“Black Hawk International,” Gwen said bluntly, “Have you heard of them? They recently opened a new headquarters in New York, but there are rumors that they're involved in illegal arms trafficking.”

Lynn and George exchanged a glance. George shook his head slightly, clearly warning Lynn not to reveal too much about work, even to his family.

“I’ve heard the name,” Lynn replied cautiously, “but I can’t discuss cases that may be under investigation, Gwen. You know the rules.”

Gwen sighed, but quickly laughed again. "I know, I know. It's worth a try. But if your FBI finds anything, remember to give your sister an exclusive, okay?" The waiter appeared just in time, interrupting what could have been a sensitive topic. They ordered the restaurant's signature dishes—scallop chowder, grilled lobster, and a variety of side dishes, along with a bottle of fine white wine.

Once the food arrived, the conversation shifted to lighter topics. Gwen recounted her amusing experiences at the newspaper, George shared some stories about his retirement, and Lynn offered as many work anecdotes as he could, omitting the dangerous and confidential parts, of course.

“So,” George asked after finishing his main course, swirling his wine glass lightly with his fingers, “how long are you staying this time?”

Lynn took a sip of wine. "Two days. I need to go back to work on a new project the day after tomorrow." He saw a flicker of disappointment on his adoptive father's face and added, "But I'll try to come back as often as possible. Maybe next time I can stay longer."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "You always say that, but you always end up being called back by some case." Despite a hint of complaint in her tone, her eyes were full of understanding. "But we understand, saving the world is much more important than having dinner with family."

Lynn reached out and gently squeezed Gwen's hand. "Hey, to me, you'll always be the most important people. It's because of family like yours that I'm motivated to do my job and protect more families from threats."

George looked proudly at his adopted son. "We're so proud of you, Lynn. Just hope you'll be careful." He pointed to the scratches on Lynn's face. "This time, you might just have a scrape, but next time you might not be so lucky."

Dinner continued in a warm atmosphere as they chatted about their lives, sharing laughter and memories. For Lynn, such moments were incredibly precious. In his work, he had witnessed too much darkness and danger, and the presence of his family was like an inextinguishable light, reminding him why he persevered on this path.

After finishing their meal, the three decided to walk home to enjoy the cool New York night air. The restaurant was located in a relatively upscale area on the west side of Manhattan, but to get to George's apartment, they had to cross several blocks, some of which might not be so safe at night.

Lynn walked beside Gwen and George, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings—a habit he'd developed. As a seasoned agent, he was always quick to sense potential danger.

As they turned a corner and entered a relatively quiet street, Lynn noticed a 24-hour convenience store about fifty meters ahead, with several young men standing in front. Normally, this wouldn't be a suspicious scene, but Lynn's intuition told him something was wrong. One of them kept glancing around, his hands in his jacket pockets, his posture tense and alert.

“George,” Lynn said softly, “have you noticed what’s going on over there?”

George followed Lynn's gaze, frowning. "Hmm, that does look a bit suspicious. That kid in the red jacket, his hands were in his pockets the whole time."

Gwen looked at them curiously. "What's wrong? Did you find something?"

“It’s probably nothing,” Lynn reassured, but his vigilance had increased. “Let’s take another route, just in case.”

Just as they were about to turn around, a commotion suddenly broke out at the convenience store entrance. Lynn saw the young man in the red jacket pull out a handgun and shout something into the store. His two accomplices also drew their weapons; one rushed into the store, while the other stayed outside to keep watch.

“Robbery,” George whispered, already pulling out his phone to dial 911. “We should get out of here and find a safe place to call the police.”

Lynn quickly assessed the situation. There might be customers and employees inside the convenience store, and they were in danger. The police might take several minutes to arrive, and in those minutes, the situation could worsen. As a law enforcement officer, he couldn't just walk away.

“You two find a safe place and call the police,” Lynn said firmly, already moving towards the convenience store. “I’ll go see if I can control the situation.”

“Lynn, no!” Gwen grabbed his arm, her voice filled with fear, “That’s too dangerous!”

George also objected, saying, "Lynn, you have no backup. Wait for the police to arrive—"

“There’s no time,” Lynn interrupted, his eyes still fixed on the convenience store. “There might be someone in danger inside. I’m trained to handle this.” He looked at George. “Protect Gwen, find a safe place, and then call the police. Tell them there’s an FBI agent on the scene.”

Before they could dissuade him further, Lynn had already moved quickly but cautiously toward the convenience store. He kept a low profile, using the cars and other obstacles on both sides of the street as cover, while discreetly drawing his sidearm.

As Lynn approached the convenience store, he could see the situation inside more clearly. Two robbers were inside; one stood at the checkout counter, pointing a gun at an elderly clerk, while the other was collecting valuables from the shelves. The guard outside the door kept glancing around, clearly nervous and uneasy.

Lynn decided to deal with the guards outside first. He approached stealthily until he was only a few meters away from them. Then, he quickly stood up and shouted in a firm voice:
"FBI! Drop your weapons!"

The young man turned around in surprise, his gun pointing towards Lynn. But Lynn reacted faster, rushing forward, grabbing the man's wrist, twisting it upwards, and simultaneously striking him in the abdomen with his knee. The young man doubled over in pain, the gun falling from his hand. Lynn swiftly subdued him, handcuffing him with specially made handcuffs he carried with him.

This action attracted the attention of the robbers inside the store. One of them rushed to the door, saw his companion being subdued, and immediately opened fire. Lynn quickly took cover to the side, but the bullet struck the convenience store's glass door, scattering shards of glass everywhere.

“FBI!” Lynn shouted again, aiming his gun at the door. “Drop your weapons, or I’ll open fire!”

The robbers inside ignored the warnings and opened fire again, this time targeting Lynn's hiding place. Lynn remained calm, calculating his opportunity. In the brief moment when his opponent needed to reload, he swiftly emerged from behind cover and accurately shot the wrist of the man holding the gun.

The robber screamed in pain, dropping his gun. Lynn seized the opportunity, rushed to the door, kicked open the convenience store door, and tactically entered the store.

"Get down! Hands over your head!" he commanded, aiming his gun at the last robber, who was holding his gun, hesitating whether to fire. (End of Chapter)