Late at night, under the dim yellow light of street lamps...
Jonathan, who had just returned from delivering goods, drove his pickup truck with a slightly troubled expression on the suburban road.
Many things had happened in the past few days.
His eldest son unexpectedly lost his abilities, while his youngest son had been hiding his superpowers for years and left the town to chase after someone named Eric in Gotham.
However, in the past two to three days, his youngest son had been keeping in touch with the family over the phone, which somewhat reassured Jonathan and his wife.
'I just heard on the phone that David has found Avery and should be coming back soon.'
Jonathan's worried expression eased slightly.
Beep, beep, beep!
A rundown blue car from behind honked loudly, prompting Jonathan to give way.
Frowning, Jonathan turned the steering wheel to make way, but the person in the car seemed as impatient as if his ass was on fire, as the blaring horn didn't stop during the process.
"Hey, man, no need to be in such a rush!"
As the car approached, Jonathan rolled down his window and called out irritably.
The car seemed completely oblivious to his words. In the driver's seat sat a somewhat unkempt middle-aged man wearing a white coat, with an air of a struggling scholar. His hands trembled as he excitedly talked on the phone.
"Richard, I did it, I really did it... Hahaha!"
A flower, resembling a sunflower, with a peculiar appearance, was sealed in a glass jar on the passenger seat.
The man was talking on the phone while glancing at the jar, his eyes burning with excitement as if witnessing the greatest scientific discovery of the 21st century.
"It's you. It's already late, Hamilton. I just finished dinner and was about to go to sleep. Why are you calling me at this hour?"
The person on the other end of the call scratched his head, sounding distressed.
"Listen, I succeeded! Well, to be precise, I'm halfway there, but it's enough to regain my past glory."
Hamilton was once a hotshot in the scientific community. He had been part of a national research team studying the rocks and soil brought back from the moon by the Apollo mission. The scientific community believed he would eventually become a strong contender for the Nobel Prize, up until he published an article.
—"The Effects of Meteorites on Genetic Evolution and Mutation."
With no evidence and almost whimsical speculation, the scientific community was in an uproar, and many thought he had gone mad. From then on, all funding and honors disappeared, and he had no choice but to return to his hometown and hide in the woods to continue his research.
"I successfully used a meteorite to induce evolution in a rare, harshly-growing, nearly extinct flower called the Devil's Flower. Now, it can thrive even in ordinary soil. You have to see it for yourself and help me publish a statement."
"The Devil's Flower, that doesn't sound like a good name at all." Hamilton was eager to share his achievement, but the person on the phone sounded casual as if being perfunctory with a lunatic.
"That doesn't matter. Do you know what this means? I'll be back on top in no time..."
As his excitement surged, Hamilton's pupils dilated, and he couldn't control himself, wanting to continue speaking.
On the dark highway, a rock suddenly rolled down, and as he tried to regain control of the steering wheel with one hand, the car veered off the road.
"No!"
Facing the steep slope on the roadside, he held his phone, looking terrified.
Crash!
The car went flying down the slope, tumbling several times before landing upside down.
Hiss!
The pickup truck screeched to a halt, illuminating the scene.
"Oh, my God!!"
Despite just being honked at rudely by the person who had crashed, Jonathan felt no sense of satisfaction and hurriedly got out of his truck to help.
Struggling, he dragged the driver, whose forehead was bleeding and who had lost consciousness, far from the wreckage, away from the vehicle that could explode at any moment. Jonathan then dialed 911.
...
Inside a dimly lit room, behind heavy curtains.
On a luxurious and soft bed.
Eric, shirtless, was lying with two mature-looking models by his side, feeding him fruits like maids, while he joyfully played video games projected onto a newly installed screen.
In the game, a small character was holding a machine gun, ruthlessly slaughtering enemy troops.
The thrill of the game excited him.
Everything went as planned. After coming to Gotham and gaining divine-like powers from lightning, he easily subjugated one of the most powerful gangs in Gotham and enjoyed a luxurious life he could only dream of before.
"But it's still not enough."
He frantically pressed the buttons, his eyes ablaze with fervor.
The meteorite was his weakness, and until he resolved it, it would feel like a stone pressing on his chest, preventing him from enjoying complete freedom.
'Falcone's funds and manpower are almost gathered.'
After collecting all the meteorites from the hands of the town residents and overturning the town, he would destroy all the meteorites in the ground, leaving nothing on this planet to obstruct his path.
Without needing to hide anymore, the entire world would be his playground, and he would become the ruler of the world.
'By then, I can do whatever I want.'
In the game, the character was madly shooting, and Eric's face showed excitement mixed with a hint of cruelty, like a ruthless dictator about to control a nation, which made the two models beside him somewhat afraid.
Bang!
The window was suddenly shattered, and a figure with bat wings soared into the room.
...
"Who's there?"
"Assassin! Protect the boss!"
Suddenly attacked, the people in the room became chaotic, pulling out their guns and aiming at the intruder.
From outside the manor, seeing the only window with lights on among several ancient castles several dozen meters away, and glimpsing several people who didn't seem like small fries secretly discussing something, David couldn't be bothered to waste time with the gang members and guard dogs. He let out a powerful burst of energy, gliding over 70-80 meters and crashing into the room.
"Are you Carmine Falcone?"
Amidst shocked cries from the people in the room, David fixed his gaze on Falcone, who was being protected by his subordinates.
"This is the fifth floor. How did he get up here?"
Seeing David in a suit without any climbing equipment, several people exclaimed in surprise.
"Shoot, shoot, kill him!"
Hearing the commotion from inside the room, the guards outside rushed in with submachine guns and aimed at the only stranger in the room.
Ratatat!
The sound of the bullets filled the room.
David's clothes remained unharmed, and the bullets lost all the kinetic energy and fell to the ground when getting in touch with his body. Seeing Falcone, protected by several men, escaping toward the door, David casually lifted a redwood desk next to the window.
The hundred-pound wooden desk flew and rolled through the air, covering a distance of six or seven meters and killing two guards with submachine guns at the entrance, blocking their way.
The crowd was astonished, and Falcone's expression froze.
"You haven't answered my question."
David stared coldly at him, seemingly not at the same level of existence, like an elephant facing an ant, his overwhelming aura suffocating everyone present.
"Enough! You idiots, stop shooting."
Seeing David unharmed by the bullets, Falcone pretended to be angry, but he looked at David with his head slightly lowered, his hand brushing his chest, wearing a respectful smile on his face.
"Sir, I am Carmine Falcone. How can I be of service to you?"
Completely unlike a mob boss facing someone who had intruded into his home and killed his men, Falcone appeared like a humble broker dealing with a distinguished customer, showing the utmost respect.
"You have an unusual visitor here, don't you?"
David raised an eyebrow.
"Of course, he's in...."
Falcone saw that this new guy was looking for that monster, and he realized that he seemed to have stumbled upon a way to get rid of that kid, Eric.
Thinking about it, in just a few days, two powerful creatures who were not afraid of bullets had invaded his mansion. Could there be no connection between them?
Perhaps this was his chance to rid himself of the threat and control of that kid.
With a fiery heart, Falcone began to speak, but just as he was about to say something, a thunderous explosion resounded outside the broken window!
In another wing of the mansion, a room was engulfed in flames.
A figure with bat wings glided down, looking a bit disheveled.
"He... He was that room."
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Fair Warning to those who like fanfics to remain mostly like the original plots of the source, from the next few chapters, the whole butterfly effect thing will take place and the MC will start affecting different plots, storylines, etc.
Don't forget to send your power stones and review the fic!!🗿