Rey

Walking back from the tool factory felt strange. Adam was still a bit worried about explaining things to Monica, but mostly he felt strong and capable. His walk felt lighter, not just because of his new strength, but because he felt more confident in his mind too. He felt more aware of things around him. He decided to take the bus.

Finally, he reached the big, kind of old building where his refinery was. It didn't look like much from the outside – the paint was faded, some windows were boarded up, and it had a big rolling metal door. It was in a quieter part of the area, with other warehouses around.

Adam slid open the heavy metal door. The loud screeching sound echoed inside the huge space. He stepped inside and pulled the door closed. The main floor became dim, with only dusty sunlight coming through high, dirty windows.

He looked around the huge, open room and saw right away that no workers were there – it was totally empty and quiet. It smelled like old oil and dust. Monica said she was looking for workers, but finding good people for a new business wasn't easy.

"Looks like finding people will take more time than I thought," Adam thought, frowning a little. He knew he couldn't run this whole place by himself. He needed skilled workers, people who knew how to use the machines, people he could trust. But he didn't mind the delay too much right now.

Actually, this emptiness was good for now. He needed some quiet time alone to prepare. He had to set up all the equipment exactly how he wanted it, without anyone watching or asking questions he couldn't answer yet. Like where thousands of dollars of brand-new tools came from when he only had $10,000 to start with.

He walked to the middle of the big concrete floor. His footsteps were the only sound in the huge room.

He stopped, took a deep breath, and focused. This was it. He held out his hand, palm facing the empty floor. He didn't have to say the word; just thinking it was enough. He used his power, pulling the tools from the inventory he had filled earlier.

Right away, it started happening. There was no big flash or noise, just things quietly appearing. First, the big drill press popped into existence, solid and real, right where he imagined it. 

Next to it, the fancy digital wrench appeared. One by one, the tools started showing up out of nowhere, fading into view like ghosts becoming real, the parts for the hydraulic lift, tool chests full of wrenches – everything he had copied. 

Each tool appeared exactly where he wanted it, making neat work areas across the room. In just a few minutes, the empty space was completely changed. The whole factory floor was filled with shiny, professional equipment.

Every tool was a perfect copy of the ones Monica had put on the list, and the ones he saw at the factory. They were all perfectly arranged in the refinery, ready to be put together and turned on. It looked amazing – a whole advanced workshop created out of nothing.

He walked between the silent machines, touching the cool metal of a lathe. It felt totally real. His power was unbelievable. He then thought about his inventory again. He remembered copying a few extra things – stuff not needed for the main refinery work, but still useful. 

Good office chairs he saw near the manager's desk, a strong metal filing cabinet, a couple of powerful computers he saw in an office at the tool factory, even a small coffee maker from their break room. 

He mentally separated these extra tools and items – things he had collected on the way – and made them appear in a smaller room near the entrance that was meant to be the office section. He set them up neatly, making a usable office space away from the main work floor.

After making sure everything was set up right, Adam stood back and looked at what he'd done. The huge refinery floor, empty just moments ago, now looked ready for business. Rows of advanced machines stood silent, waiting. It felt real now. His whole plan felt real.

He took one last look at the impressive setup. He felt good about it, even though he still had to figure out how to explain it. Then, he went back out through the rolling door, pulling it shut with another loud screech. The fully equipped refinery was silent again.

Adam stepped back out into the afternoon sun. He needed to think about the Monica problem, and maybe get something to eat. He left the area and walked towards the busier parts of town.

He went down busy roads full of cars and traffic, and then down quieter, narrow alleyways between buildings. Tall buildings stood over him on both sides, casting long shadows on the sidewalk that moved as the sun went down.

The city sounds surrounded him – cars honking, faraway sirens, people talking, music coming from shops. The city smelled like a mix of things – car exhaust, food cooking nearby, and the general smell of streets and buildings.

He walked with his hands in his pockets, thinking hard, but also feeling that constant buzz of energy inside him. He felt sharper, like his senses were turned up. He noticed small things he might have missed before – the way the sidewalk was cracked, how light bounced off a wet spot, the quiet talking of people walking by.

Then, all of a sudden— something caught his attention. It wasn't something he saw at first, but a bad feeling. A feeling he recognized. He slowed down, looking towards the entrance of a dark, narrow alleyway just ahead.

And then he saw him.

He saw a familiar face. He knew him instantly.

It was one of John's friends. Not just any of them, but the main one he remembered. Rey. The guy with the mean eyes and the cheap jacket.

The same guy who drove the car, the one who took Adam to that empty factory a few days ago – the place where they trapped him, made fun of him, and almost beat him to death.

The memory hit Adam hard and fast: the sharp pain, the fear, feeling helpless as they kicked and punched him, the taste of blood.

A huge wave of pure rage rushed through Adam. It felt so strong, like something physical squeezing his chest and making his vision tunnel a little.

His fingers in his pockets twitched without him meaning to, wanting to curl into fists. His breathing, which had been normal, suddenly felt slow and careful, like he was gathering himself.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the guy. Rey was standing there with two or three other men, probably not the same ones from before. They were leaning against a dirty brick wall, smoking and talking, their laughter echoing a little from the dark alley. They looked relaxed, sure of themselves, not knowing Adam was there.

"Alone, huh?" Adam thought. The word felt different now. Before, being alone meant he was weak and scared. Now, seeing Rey with just a couple of his buddies, away from John… it felt like an advantage.

Adam's smirk wasn't happy; it was cold and sharp, like a predator's. His new strength buzzed under his skin. It wasn't just physical power anymore; it was confidence. The fear he used to feel was gone.

This was an opportunity he wouldn't miss. A chance to get back at them? Maybe. A chance to show them he wasn't the same weak kid they remembered? Definitely. The anger was still hot inside him, but he felt in control now, focused.

He took his hands out of his pockets and let them hang by his sides. With slow, careful steps, walking steady in a way that felt unnatural for him before, he walked forward, straight towards the alley entrance. He didn't rush. He didn't hide. He let them see him coming.

Their quiet talking stopped. One of the guys leaning on the wall nudged Rey and pointed towards Adam. The men felt someone coming. Someone walking with too much confidence, not like the usual people rushing past the alley.

As they turned their heads, their casual looks changed to curious, then suspicious. Their eyes locked onto a young man walking straight towards them. He wasn't super tall or muscular, but something about how he moved, how he looked right at them, made them stop talking.

At first, looking out from the dark alley into the brighter street, they didn't recognize him. He looked… different somehow. Maybe cleaner? More confident? Definitely not like some random kid.

But then, as Adam got closer and the light showed his face more clearly, John's friend finally realized who it was. Rey recognized him. Disbelief showed in his eyes first, then the familiar, nasty arrogance came back.

A slow, mean grin spread across Rey's face. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. He looked down on Adam with total disrespect.

He stepped forward, moving away from the wall and blocking Adam's way into the alley. He smirked, looking Adam up and down like he was something disgusting.

"Well, well, well," Rey said slowly, his voice full of fake surprise. "Look who crawled out. Didn't think we'd see your pathetic face around here again."

The others laughed, mean little chuckles in the alley. They shifted their weight, moving a little closer, standing near Rey. They were clearly looking forward to whatever was about to happen. They remembered Adam. They remembered how easy it was to scare him.

Rey cracked his knuckles loudly. The popping sound was sharp in the quiet alley. He wiggled his fingers, his smirk turning into a mean grin.

"Loser, you picked the wrong place to be," Rey sneered. "You know, I was just feeling like beating someone up. Guess it's your lucky day."

Hearing that, his friends also stepped forward now, looking ready. Their faces showed mean amusement. They looked eager. One guy cracked his neck. Another just grinned, showing yellow teeth. They thought this would be easy, just like last time.

But Adam stayed completely calm. The fear he would have felt before was just gone. Instead, he felt cold anger and the quiet confidence from his secret power. He didn't even flinch.

Instead, a small, dangerous smirk appeared on Adam's lips. He looked right into Rey's eyes. His own eyes showed no fear at all. "Funny," Adam said back. His voice was calm and steady, easy to hear in the alley. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

Rey stopped walking forward. His confident smirk wavered for a second. He blinked. Did he hear that right? That wasn't how this kid was supposed to act.

He squinted at Adam, tilting his head like he was looking at something weird. Then, he tapped his own head with a dirty finger, making fun of Adam.

"Wait… hold up," Rey said, trying to laugh, but it didn't sound real. "Are you crazy? Seriously, what happened? Did being hungry on the streets finally mess up your brain?"

His voice dripped with mockery. He said it loud enough for his friends to hear and laugh along. He was trying to take charge again, to make Adam feel small like before.

Then, he laughed again and leaned closer, whispering loudly enough for Adam to hear clearly, "Or... are you here to beg me for another $100? Like the little charity case you are?" He stressed the word 'beg,' reminding Adam of the fake, humiliating scene he'd set up earlier.

Adam didn't answer. He just slowly reached into his pants pocket.

Rey scoffed and rolled his eyes like he was bored. He crossed his arms, looking superior.

"Here we go again," Rey thought, a sneer on his face. "So pathetic. Probably going to pull out fuzz and ask for change." He waited for Adam to start begging.

But then—

Adam pulled his hand out. Between his fingers was a crisp, clean $100 bill. He held it up a little, so the dim light hit the green paper.

Rey's smirk shrank. His eyes locked onto the money. Where did he get that? Did he actually trick someone? He looked confused and still full of disgust.

Before Rey could figure it out or say another insult, Adam calmly reached into his other pocket. This time, his hand came out holding a whole stack of $100 bills. Not just a few. A thick wad of cash, held by a rubber band. It looked like thousands of dollars. All new bills.

Rey's eyes popped wide open. His jaw dropped.

His smirk vanished completely.

His look changed instantly from amused and mean to totally shocked. He stared at the money, then at Adam's calm face, then back at the money. It was like his brain couldn't understand what was happening. His friends behind him went quiet too, their laughter gone, replaced by shocked stares.

Adam's voice stayed calm, almost like he was just chatting, but his eyes had a dangerous look in them. He laughed a little, a cold sound.

"Did you really think I hadn't eaten in days?" he asked. The question hung in the suddenly silent alley. He tilted his head slightly.

"I was just messing with you back then. Seeing if you'd fall for it."

For a moment, Rey just stood there, frozen. His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. His brain seemed stuck, trying hard to understand what he was seeing and hearing.

The picture he had of Adam as a weak, poor beggar was destroyed. Now he saw this calm guy holding a lot of money, making fun of him. Everything had flipped, suddenly and violently.

Then— something inside Rey broke. The shock, the confusion, feeling made fun of – it all boiled up into explosive anger.

His face twisted with rage. He looked completely different, ugly with anger.

His eyes looked red with fury, almost bulging out. You could see veins popping out on his forehead and neck.

His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. His whole body got stiff, shaking with anger he couldn't hold back.

And then, with a loud roar of anger that ripped through the quiet alley, he finally moved. He lunged forward, not thinking anymore, just filled with rage. He yelled, his voice rough with fury—

"You're dead, loser!"