Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

The last time in Los Angeles, Simon's brother also used a series of setups to make everyone, including the local police, believe he was making a hostage situation for some political motive. But in reality, Simon's brother's goal was to get the valuable bonds in the safe of the company where John McClane's wife worked. Until these guys opened the safe, everyone thought they were terrorists. It wasn't until John accidentally discovered their true purpose that the police realized these guys, pretending to be terrorists, were actually just robbers after money.

Coincidentally, today, this guy who calls himself Simon, the one playing tricks on me, happens to be the brother of the guy I threw off the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Moreover, this Simon, much like his brother's actions last time in Los Angeles, mobilized all the police force in New York before revealing his true purpose. This made Officer John McClane, who had a similar experience once before, very suspicious.

Where are we? Wall Street! It can be said without exaggeration that this is the financial center of the USA. Although there aren't as many people here today due to two explosions earlier this morning, the New York Stock Exchange is just nearby. Despite the explosions, trading inside continues smoothly, unaffected by the incidents. Of course, the explosions might have had some impact, but stock price fluctuations are a distant concern for Officer John McClane. However, if Simon is indeed a robber like his brother, after money and not revenge or terrorism, then this now lightly guarded Wall Street is his best target.

Usually, besides a significant police presence, Wall Street is monitored by secret agents from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. But due to the two explosions orchestrated by Simon this morning, and his claim of a bomb in a New York school, most of the usual police presence on this street has been dispatched to find the bomb. The usual FBI cars parked at the corners are also missing.

This situation made John, who had similar experiences before, increasingly uneasy. If Simon, like his brother, is using bombs to divert police attention, intending to rob the banks on this now lightly guarded street, the New York police might not have the manpower to handle it.

Receiving treatment in an ambulance, John felt his unease grow stronger, prompting him to refuse the doctor's suggestion for further hospital treatment. He forced his way off the ambulance. Standing at the entrance to Wall Street, his unease peaked, and he asked Zeus, who approached with concern, "Do you notice anything wrong?"

Zeus, unable to follow John's train of thought, looked at him with bewilderment. John, not waiting for a response, continued, "If Simon bombed the department store on Fifth Avenue to make a statement to us, then why did he plant a bomb in a school? And why did he blow up the subway station at the entrance to Wall Street? There's no school here, so why bomb this place?"

Zeus was startled, following John's logic: "There may not be a school here, but there are banks all over, and the police are busy because of Simon's claimed bomb. Now, Wall Street is completely unprotected. If Simon's real aim is to rob banks, now is the perfect time!"

John McClane's intuition shone brightly, as Richard Castle and the little fatty who had been watching him laughed. Ever since the fourteen garbage trucks arrived on Wall Street, Castle and the little fatty had two drones over Wall Street. Castle split the drone originally monitoring the garbage trucks to watch the ever-troublesome John McClane's next move and keep Zeus safe, as Zeus was involved because of him.

At this moment, John noticed a few men in NYPD uniforms stationed outside the bank. Although he didn't doubt their identity, his suspicions led him to approach them, planning to ask why they were the only ones on this vast Wall Street, and why all were concentrated in front of one bank.

However, as John and Zeus approached these men, John noticed something odd. These officers seemed more focused on the Federal Reserve Bank behind them than on the street, raising John's suspicion.

The positioning and body language of these men hinted to John, a seasoned officer, that they might not be real cops. With growing doubts, John discreetly drew his gun and hid it behind him. He took out his badge and approached the men in police uniforms.

One of the men, noticing John's approach, asked in accented English, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Hearing the distinct German accent, John immediately confirmed these were Simon's accomplices. Realizing he stumbled into another bank heist disguised as a terrorist attack, he pointed his gun at them, shouting, "I'm NYPD Officer John McClane. Hands up! Don't move!"

These men, indeed Simon's henchmen, were tasked with lookout duties and ensuring their fellow robbers could drive the garbage trucks into the underground tunnel smoothly. They didn't expect to run into the experienced John McClane, nor did they anticipate his vigilance. They froze in shock.

Seeing John suspect Simon's real intent, Castle laughed with satisfaction. Now he didn't need to secretly warn John through Zeus that all the "police" on Wall Street were fakes. He believed once John McClane, a formidable opponent, was on guard, Simon's plan was doomed.

As expected, unlike any other cop, John didn't hesitate to shoot at anyone who posed a threat. As the fake cops froze at John's sudden move, Simon's men inside the bank noticed the commotion. These muscle-brained soldiers had no better solution but to open fire at John and Zeus outside.

The gunfire confirmed John's suspicions about these fake cops. However, it also put him and Zeus in extreme danger. John only had a seven-bullet M1911 Browning pistol against a heavily armed group with automatic rifles.

Yet, the protagonist's aura shone brightly on John and Zeus. Despite the barrage of bullets, they miraculously remained unharmed. John's few return shots, as if guided, hit several of Simon's men, temporarily suppressing their firepower and allowing John and Zeus to take cover behind a flower bed.

The little fatty was dumbfounded, seeing John McClane take down several of Simon's men with his seven-shot M1911 without aiming properly. He was even more shocked that John and Zeus survived the bullet storm unscathed and managed to fight back effectively.

Castle, calm and composed, smugly told the little fatty something he didn't quite understand: "This is called the protagonist's invincibility law, also known as the protagonist's aura…"

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