Chapter 8: The Price of Knowledge & First Solo Saves
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: SKILL PROGRESSION: FLIGHT (14% PROFICIENCY). ENHANCED STRENGTH (17% PROFICIENCY). SUPER-HEALING (12% PROFICIENCY). NEW PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: INTEGRATE NEW ABILITIES INTO SUBTLE HEROIC ACTIONS. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: NAVIGATE THE ETHICAL DILEMMAS OF FUTURE INSIGHT. WARNING: INCREASED RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH UNIDENTIFIED INTERVENTION. MAINTAIN PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY AT ALL COSTS.]
The thrill of his first truly independent heroic act, saving the school bus on the bridge, lingered with Adam, a potent cocktail of adrenaline and grim satisfaction. His Super-Healing had worked remarkably well; the deep gashes from the Sky-Slasher's talons had faded to faint pink lines by the time he'd arrived back at his penthouse, and were completely gone by morning. It was a terrifyingly useful ability, a silent promise of increased resilience in the dangers to come. His Flight, too, felt more intuitive, the awkwardness slowly giving way to a nascent grace as he continued his secret nightly training, pushing its limits bit by bit.
But with every successful intervention, with every life subtly saved, came a growing weight: the burden of Future Insight. He knew too much. He saw the inevitable accidents, the petty crimes that would escalate, the small acts of negligence that would lead to disaster. It was a constant stream of precognitive noise, a moral imperative whispering in his ear. Could he truly stand by and let a minor car crash happen if he knew the precise moment a driver would run a red light? Could he ignore the collapsing scaffolding if he foresaw the exact structural flaw?
This internal struggle manifested in quiet moments of contemplation. He'd stare out at the National City skyline, the vast network of human lives unfolding beneath him, and feel the immense pressure of his knowledge. He knew he couldn't save everyone, that every intervention risked a ripple effect, a butterfly flapping its wings to create a hurricane. But knowing a tragedy was coming and doing nothing felt like a betrayal of his very purpose here.
One evening, while having a quiet dinner with Kara at his penthouse, the conversation drifted to the concept of fate and free will. Adam steered it subtly, testing the waters.
"You know," he began, swirling the wine in his glass, "sometimes I wonder about the 'what ifs.' Not just in big, cosmic ways, but in everyday life. What if you knew a small, seemingly insignificant event was going to lead to something terrible? Would you stop it, even if it meant subtly changing someone's path? Or would you let it play out, for the sake of… a larger plan, perhaps?"
Kara frowned, considering his words carefully. "That's a heavy question, Adam. As Supergirl, I try to prevent harm wherever I can. But I also know I can't be everywhere, and sometimes, even the best intentions can have unforeseen consequences. It's about doing the most good, isn't it? Even if it's just for one person." Her genuine compassion shone through.
Her words resonated deeply with him. Doing the most good. It wasn't about perfect adherence to a timeline, but about mitigating suffering. This conversation solidified his decision: he would intervene, subtly, anonymously, whenever his Future Insight showed him a clear path to prevent a minor tragedy without overt exposure.
His first series of solo saves were meticulous exercises in discretion. One afternoon, his Empathic Resonance flared with a strong sense of despair from a young woman on a crowded subway platform. His Future Insight immediately presented the scenario: a faulty signal, a sudden lurch, and the woman, distracted by her phone, stumbling onto the tracks just as a train approached.
Adam, dressed in an unassuming hoodie and baseball cap, was several yards away. He couldn't openly use his Enhanced Strength to yank her back, nor could he fly in a public place. Instead, with a burst of superhuman speed (not copied, but a natural, subtle byproduct of his enhanced physique and focused intent, akin to a strong athletic sprint amplified), he "tripped" right into her path, knocking her off balance just enough for her to lose her footing away from the tracks. He stumbled himself, making it look like a clumsy accident, apologizing profusely as she regained her composure, shaken but safe. No one suspected a thing; just a clumsy bystander saving a distracted commuter.
A few days later, his Future Insight warned him of a structural flaw in a newly constructed pedestrian bridge downtown. A specific girder, improperly secured, was on the verge of snapping during the afternoon rush. His Empathic Resonance pulsed with nascent fear from the unsuspecting commuters about to cross.
Donning a different, equally nondescript outfit, Adam made his way to the bridge. He couldn't outright repair it without drawing immense attention. Instead, as the crucial moment approached, he used his Enhanced Strength to subtly put pressure on a specific section of the bridge's foundation as if leaning against it casually, creating a minor, almost imperceptible tremor. This slight vibration, coupled with a calculated "stumble" that caused him to accidentally trigger a nearby fire alarm, sent a wave of panic through the crowd. People evacuated, the bridge was deemed unsafe due to the "mystery tremor" and "false alarm," and engineers later discovered the critical flaw during inspection. Disaster averted, Adam remained an anonymous figure in the crowd.
His Flight proficiency steadily improved. He learned to control his ascents and descents with more finesse, and he could now cover several blocks in a matter of seconds, albeit at a low altitude to remain out of sight. He found abandoned industrial parks and isolated rooftops to be ideal training grounds, pushing himself until his muscles ached, relying on his Super-Healing to quickly mend any strain or minor injuries. He could feel the innate power within him growing, becoming more refined.
The universe, however, always had a way of throwing curveballs. One afternoon, while casually strolling through a bustling shopping district with Kara (enjoying a rare day off for her), his Empathic Resonance suddenly spiked with intense hate and rage radiating from a nearby alleyway. His Future Insight immediately provided context: a minor metahuman, obsessed with petty larceny and fueled by a short temper, was about to emerge. This metahuman, named "Grit" by the police for his ability to generate and manipulate concrete dust, was known for his short fuse and violent outbursts when thwarted. This was his next opportunity for a "hate"-triggered copy.
As Grit burst from the alley, a cloud of concrete dust swirling around him, he immediately targeted a jewelry store, sending a terrified civilian sprawling. Kara, ever the hero, was already moving, but Adam had a different plan. He stepped forward, putting himself directly in Grit's path.
"Well, now," Adam drawled, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "That's a rather dusty way to make an entrance, wouldn't you say? And targeting small businesses? Tsk tsk. Highly unoriginal."
Grit, already agitated, halted, his dusty eyes narrowing at Adam. [GRIT: (VOICE RASPY, ANGRY) Get outta my way, pretty boy! You wanna get buried in concrete?!]
"Oh, I've seen worse. Much worse," Adam retorted, his smirk widening. He used his Empathic Resonance to feel the raw, unfiltered fury boiling in Grit, carefully positioning himself. "Frankly, your whole 'dust and bluster' routine is rather cliché. Have you considered fire? Or maybe ice? There's just so much more panache in elemental powers, wouldn't you agree?"
Grit snarled, his face contorting in pure, unadulterated rage. He hated being mocked, hated being seen as anything less than terrifying. His very essence pulsed with malice, directed squarely at this irritating, perfectly coiffed stranger.
[SYSTEM ALERT: SKILL COPY INITIATED. SOURCE: GRIT (HOSTILE METAHUMAN). EMOTION: HATE/RAGE. SKILL ACQUIRED: TELEKINESIS (10% PROFICIENCY). INITIALIZING ADAPTATION PROTOCOL. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FOURTH SKILL ACQUISITION. PROFICIENCY WILL IMPROVE WITH PRACTICE AND CONTINUED EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT (SPECIFICALLY, EXPOSURE TO HOSTILITY FROM THE SOURCE, OR GENERAL PRACTICE).]
A subtle pressure bloomed in Adam's mind, a new intuitive connection to the physical world around him. He felt as if he could will objects to move. Before Grit could unleash a concrete blast, Adam subtly flicked his wrist, using his nascent Telekinesis to send a nearby trash can tumbling directly into the metahuman's path. It wasn't a powerful push, just enough to trip Grit, sending him sprawling amidst a shower of dust.
Kara, who had been about to intervene, paused, a flicker of surprise on her face. Adam had moved so quickly, so subtly. As Grit recovered, sputtering curses, Kara took advantage, quickly subduing him with a non-lethal punch that sent him flying into a convenient dumpster.
"Nice assist, Adam," Kara said, a playful smirk on her face as she cuffed Grit with a specialized DEO device. "You certainly have a knack for… distracting villains."
"Just a lucky throw," Adam shrugged, dusting off his hands, though inwardly he was ecstatic. Telekinesis! Even at 10%, its potential was immense. He could manipulate objects, create subtle distractions, maybe even mimic a force push. The possibilities were endless. The Hate/Rage trigger was emotionally draining, but the reward was undeniable.
As the police arrived to take Grit away, Adam felt the subtle mental connection to the metahuman. He knew that every time Grit thought of him with burning fury, his Telekinesis would grow, fueled by that negative emotion. A perverse but effective system. He looked at Kara, his partner, his reason for being here. He was building his arsenal, not just for himself, but for her, for their world. The burden of knowledge was heavy, but the power to act was liberating.