Chapter 11

With a deafening boom, all the windows on the tenth floor of a high-rise shattered, sending shards raining down onto the sidewalk. Pedestrians flinched at the explosion, then found themselves bombarded by glass fragments like bullets. Several people were seriously injured, and soon, cries and screams filled the streets.

The explosions continued. The intense heat burst through more glass on the tenth floor, sending razor-sharp shards flying toward those who hadn't managed to flee or were already injured and lying on the ground. The situation was dire—another explosion could be fatal for many.

Inside an office building across the street, a middle-aged woman stared in horror at the wounded on the sidewalk. She murmured, "Oh, dear God, save these poor souls! This is cruel... There's even a little girl down there. Where are her parents, stuffing their faces somewhere? Damn it!"

Beside her, a young woman clutched her insulated cup tightly and prayed, "Shadow Knight, where are you? Please, come save them! Shadow Knight!"

The middle-aged woman frowned. "Do you think he'll come?"

The young woman nodded firmly. "He will. He promised! I believe in him! Oh, look—there he is!"

The older woman followed her gaze. In the distance, a purple-blue blur sped toward the scene. Before she could get a clear look, the figure had already appeared on the sidewalk, swiftly moving the injured to a safer spot.

She let out a breath of relief. "Thank God, he made it. Maybe we've been too quick to judge him."

The young woman remained silent, her eyes locked on the man below. He was clad in a purple-blue skintight suit, a bold "S" emblazoned on his chest, his face partially concealed by a black mask covering the area around his eyes. He was the superhero who had been protecting the city for months—the one known as Shadow Knight.

On the ground, Adam quickly relocated the injured to a safer area. He turned to a man calling emergency services. "Hey, buddy, can you help? Get these people to the nearest hospital. I've given them some basic first aid, but they need proper medical attention. I need to put out that fire."

The man, a Black civilian, nodded. "Got it, Shadow Knight. Be careful!"

Adam grinned. "Thanks, man. You're a good guy."

Then, with a slight crouch and a powerful push, he leaped toward the burning windows of the tenth floor, disappearing into the explosion site.

Inside, thick smoke filled the air. Adam scowled. "Damn it. Guess I'll need another shower after this." With that, he activated his X-ray vision.

The dense smoke posed no obstacle to his enhanced sight. He quickly located the source of the explosion: a gas pipeline had blown. Whether due to negligence or something more sinister, the leaking gas had triggered the blast.

Taking a deep breath, Adam exhaled a stream of freezing air, instantly extinguishing the raging flames. He then pressed his hand against the warped gas pipe, crushing it slightly to seal the leak before freezing the rupture solid. Once he was sure there was no further danger, he turned his focus to the people trapped inside.

Within five minutes, the fire on the burning floors was completely out. As he heard sirens approaching, he gently lifted an unconscious survivor and dashed out of the building toward the waiting ambulances.

A doctor tending to an injured civilian jumped in surprise as Adam suddenly appeared beside him. Then, recognizing the familiar figure, he quickly composed himself. "Oh, it's you, Shadow Knight. You startled me. How's the patient?"

Adam placed the unconscious person on a stretcher. "Mild concussion, some burns—nothing too severe."

The doctor nodded. "Alright, I'll take care of him."

Adam glanced toward the building. "Can you spare a few doctors? There are some badly injured victims inside who shouldn't be moved without medical supervision. I'm no doctor myself."

The doctor gestured to a few colleagues. "Of course! Follow him inside!"

Leaving the doctors to their work, Adam approached a group of firefighters. "Hey, guys. The fire's out. Can you help evacuate the remaining survivors?"

A white firefighter—likely the team leader—nodded. "That's what we're here for!" He barked orders to his team, and they quickly rushed into the building.

Adam smiled, then used his speed to transport the remaining lightly injured victims to the ambulances before disappearing from the scene. Investigating the cause of the explosion wasn't his job—unless something suspicious was involved. Otherwise, that was for the police. After all, New York's finest weren't useless.

After making sure he wasn't being followed, Adam circled a few blocks before reverting to his civilian identity. He then drove back to his mansion, looking forward to a much-needed shower.

The moment he stepped inside, Athena, his AI assistant, greeted him with a smirk. "Oh, back for another shower, Master? You're a bit of a clean freak, aren't you?"

Adam shrugged. "I just walked out of an explosion. I reek of gas and smoke. Gotta wash up. Let's just hope nothing comes up—otherwise, my day is ruined." Without waiting for a response, he headed straight for the bathroom.

Months had passed since his debut as Shadow Knight. At first, he remained on high alert for a potential attack from the mysterious sorcerer, but surprisingly, nothing had happened. Either the mage was in hiding, or he was off somewhere improving his craft.

Meanwhile, Shadow Knight had become one of the city's biggest names. Adam had settled into his dual life, only stepping in as a hero when law enforcement was overwhelmed or in cases of sudden emergencies. The rest of the time, he lived as Adam Stark. The initial excitement of being a superhero had worn off, and he had learned to balance his two identities—progress, he supposed.

"Master, young Tony left a message. He's coming over later today," Athena informed him as he stepped out of the bathroom.

Still toweling off, Adam replied, "Alright, send him a message. Tell him I might be late, so he should just come in."

Athena giggled. "By the way, Master, you've got a great physique!"

Adam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You've seen me enough times. No need for flattery. Also, stop browsing weird websites, or I'll cut off the internet."

Athena laughed mischievously. "Oh, don't worry, Master. I don't need your Wi-Fi to get online."

Adam sighed. He knew that all too well. Shaking his head, he dressed quickly and checked the time before heading out. As he closed the door behind him, his super hearing caught Athena's playful chuckle.

"Heh, if you weren't just an AI, I'd make you pay for that," he muttered before starting his car.

Later, at an upscale café on Wall Street, Adam took a seat near a second-floor window and ordered a glass of water. He was meeting someone important.

Before long, a middle-aged man in a black suit approached. "Sorry, Adam, I'm late!"

Adam shook his hand. "No worries, Mr. Stephen. I came early." Stephen was Howard Stark's personal lawyer—one of the best in the field. Adam had borrowed him for this meeting.

Stephen ordered a cappuccino. "So, how can I help?"

Adam smiled. "You know I'm a best-selling author, right? I want to turn my novel into a movie."

Stephen nodded. "A great idea! Do you need me to negotiate with a studio?"

Adam shook his head. "No. I want to buy a film studio. I'll choose the director and cast myself."

***

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