Chapter 5: Threads in the Dark
Adam's boots hit the rooftop with a quiet thud as he surveyed the Lower Manhattan skyline. The wind was cold, sharp, and clean up here. Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed like background noise—white noise in the concrete jungle.
His system buzzed lightly in his mind.
Because the system had picked up something new.
[Hidden Event – Discovered:
Stolen StarkTech Cache – Level 1 Threat Detected]
Location: Warehouse District, Pier 18Time Sensitive: 36 Hours Until Relocation
Adam stared at the holographic map hovering above his palm. It wasn't much—just a dim outline and the blinking red marker—but it was all he needed.
(damm system he didnt show me any map while i was like zoro loosing my way every few bloks i cant wait to get a samrt phone with gps )
StarkTech. Before Iron Man even goes public.
"This... This is the kind of thing that changes the game."
He grabbed his coat, locked up the apartment, and vanished into the night.
Warehouse – 1:33 AM
The building was squat, rusted, and practically breathing illegal activity. Adam crouched on a catwalk above the warehouse floor, peering down at the goons below.
Six of them.
Two unloading crates. One on a laptop. Three armed and patrolling. And in the middle of it all—a slim black crate marked S.T.A.R.K. – Property of Defense Division.
He didn't recognize the tech immediately, but it looked like arc reactor-adjacent components. Probably stolen from a SHIELD sub-contractor.
[Medium Intrigue Detected – Self Directed]
Reward: +1 Intelligence
Passive Talent Fragment: Advanced Engineering (3%)
Then he spotted a figure in the shadows—tall, suit-wearing, with a cane tipped in chrome.
Adam's eyes narrowed.
"No way…"
Wilson Fisk's men. Not the Kingpin himself—but definitely his network.
That meant more than just petty tech theft. This was infrastructure building. Power positioning.
And Adam wasn't about to let that stand.
he was more than twice stronger than a normal man
He waited for the guards to separate.
Then he moved.
Fast. Efficient. Brutal.
The first guy got knocked out cold with a steel pipe. The second tried to pull a gun—Adam swept his legs and crushed his ribs with a boot.
He used the system map to dodge cameras and people like a bat in the dark he even was wispering " Im batman " everytime he knoked someone no one heard him it was funny moment, ran a looped feed, and dropped smoke pellets from a tourist shop clearance bin.
In ten minutes, the warehouse was his.
Except one man remained.
The laptop guy, shaking in the corner.
"I—I don't want trouble, man," he stammered.
Adam walked slowly toward him, shadows licking his coat like tendrils. His voice was calm, low.
"You already had it when you sold out to Fisk."
The guy tried to bolt.
Adam didn't hesitate.
A fist to the gut. Then a knee to the jaw. Clean. Cold.
[Minor Fear Detected – Tech Thief]Reward: +$300[Medium Hate Detected – Wilson Fisk Operative]Reward: +2 StrengthTalent Fragment: Urban Combat (4%)
Adam stood in the middle of the trashed warehouse, breathing heavily. The crate was his now.
Tomorrow, he'd sell the location anonymously to a certain blind lawyer and watch the fallout unfold.
Two birds. One stone.
The city was beginning to move.And Adam Kane was slowly becoming a myth.
[Current Stats:]
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 15
Stamina: 8
Charisma: 9
Luck: 0 (Progress: 2/10)
[Talent Fragments:]
Astrophysics – 12%
Cooking – 1%
Emotional Insight – Basic
Streetwise – Basic
Negotiation – 7%
Intimidation – 4%
Advanced Engineering (3%)
Urban Combat (4%)
Lie Detection Resistance – 6%