Chapter 13 | The Heavyweight

A couple of days later | Kingpin's Office | 18:00

Bald, yet no less imposing, the storm of the criminal world was as usual seated in his office, casually signing a few papers at his desk. Behind the man was a floor-to-ceiling window that showcased the incredible beauty of the New York sunset. Setting aside another sheet to the pile, Kingpin pressed a button on his desk to order a cup of coffee. Dealing with street gangs was exhausting, so he allowed himself a cup of coffee on such a pleasant evening. "Hmm..." the man grumbled in dissatisfaction when his request was met with silence. Trying again and receiving no response, Kingpin rose from his desk just as the light in his room went out. However, he wasn't left in complete darkness as the sunset still provided enough light to illuminate the room, albeit not fully.

The Heavyweight calmly approached the door, but before he could touch it, he slowly turned around with a calm expression on his face, seeing a figure clearly sitting in the corner of the room, leg over leg, and on a seemingly expensive chair. All the furniture in the building was not cheap, highlighting the owner's wealth, but what was in the boss's office was on another level entirely. It seemed the desk alone would shock an average American with its cost.

"So you're the one who cut off all connections," the man sighed calmly, returning to his desk to retrieve a bottle of cognac with two glasses. "Coffee can wait. Will you have some?"

"I must decline," replied the silhouette.

"Is that so..." With those words, the man downed the contents of both glasses one after the other. "...So, why have you come to me?" Kingpin asked again, looking at the silhouette. Though the room was somewhat lit, the lack of light at the end of the room prevented him from seeing the guest's face, which he disliked. He could only make out a suit and tie.

"I think you know why," replied the silhouette.

"Hm... So you think of yourself as a hero? No, heroes don't come in like this," the Heavyweight smirked. "If you think that peace will come with my death, you are deeply mistaken. I keep all the gangs of this city in a tight grip, and if I'm gone, complete chaos will ensue. Gangs will fight for power, resulting in the death of innocent people. I assume that's not what you want."

"After you, I'll deal with the rest," Kingpin couldn't see, but he knew the person in front of him smiled.

The Heavyweight tensed up. "Even that won't change anything. Crime will still be at the same level, plus it will become uncontrollable."

"Unfortunately, you're thinking too narrowly. What if I told you that you're just a part of something bigger, that will ultimately eradicate crime completely?"

"That's impossible."

"That's what I thought," rising from the chair, the silhouette just looked at his interlocutor. "Few understand me."

Kingpin realized what was about to happen, so he charged at the enemy expecting to pin him to the wall, but suddenly, the stranger vanished right in front of him. Unable to stop, the man crashed through the wall into the central hall with columns.

"Incredible strength," a voice sounded from behind one of the columns ahead. "A second later, and I would have been dead."

"Don't hide!" Kingpin roared angrily, running towards the column and knocking it down with one hand, only to find no one there.

"Luckily for you, that second never came," the voice sounded again, but from behind another column. Without hesitation, the Heavyweight ran there, also destroying it with one blow and finally seeing a blurry silhouette.

Swinging, Kingpin was about to break all the bones of his opponent, but suddenly stopped. "This... is me?!" His duplicate looked back at him with the same face full of shock, fear, and confusion.

Friends for every 200 power stones one additional chapter