Knox hovered high above the city of Chicago, the wind rushing past him as he scanned the streets below. The sprawling urban landscape stretched for miles, yet his enhanced hearing picked up on the faint sound of voices several blocks away. Curious, he focused on the conversation.
"...Steel Fang Syndicate is going all out. Looks like the Black Vultures aren't backing down either," one voice said.
"Yeah, it's a full-blown gang war. They've got a meeting sport in New York to strategize. We'll make a killing running security for this."
Knox's lips curled into a smirk. "Perfect."
He remained in the air, listening as the men continued to talk. Soon, he pieced together the exact location of the Steel Fang Syndicate's main headquarters. Without hesitation, Knox shot off into the sky, leaving Chicago behind as he rocketed toward New York.
The towering skyscrapers of Manhattan came into view as Knox descended into the city. He landed with a soft thud in a dark alley, the sounds of traffic and distant siren filling the air.
"Alright, Kaelina," he said. "What's the plan?"
Kaelina's voice came through with her usual cool confidence. "It's simple: find the main group of the Steel Fang Syndicate, kill their leader, and take over. Oh, and one more thing..."
"What's that?"
"For the love of God, change their name. Steel Fang Syndicate sounds like a 90s biker gang. Make it something that suits you."
Knox chuckled. "Fair enough."
With Kaelina guiding him, it didn't take long to track down the gang's hideout-a heavily fortified warehouse in the Bronx. Knox approached the building, his eyes scanning for threats. He stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the sight of dozens of gang members.
At the center of it all stood a tall, muscular man with a shaved head and glowing blue tattoos running up his arms. The air around him seemed to crackle with electricity.
Knox stepped forward. "Alright, listen up. I'm taking over this operation."
The room erupted in laughter, with the leader at the center smirking. "You've got guts, kid," he said. "Name's Jack, but people call me The Storm-bringer. And you've got no idea what your messing with."
Knox shrugged. "Don't care."
Before Jack could respond, Knox charged, fist raised. But Jack vanished in a blur of motion and reappeared beneath him, his fist crackling with electricity. With a devastating punish to Knox's ribs, Jack sent him flying across the room.
Knox groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, clutching his side. "What the hell was that?" he muttered.
Kaelina chimed in. "Electricity. He's using it to accelerate his movements. The punch worked because he transferred all his momentum into his arm. Since electricity moves faster than sound, you couldn't even react."
Knox's eyes narrowed. "That's... insane. How fast are we talking here."
"Electricity travels at about two-thirds the speed of light in a vacuum-roughly 200 million meters per second."
Knox opened his mouth to respond, but Jack didn't give him the chance. Appearing in front of him in an instant, Jack delivered a punch to Knox's face that sent him crashing into a wall.
"Getting real tired of this," Knox growled as he climbed out of the rubble.
Jack laughed. "You've got some durability, I'll give you that. But you're way out of your league kid."
Knox rushed at him again, throwing a punch. Jack sidestepped with ease and electrified his leg, delivering a powerful kick that sent Knox sprawling. Jack followed up with a barrage of punches, each one weaker than the initial blow but relentless in their speed.
Knox raised his arms to block, his Kryptonian durability allowing him to withstand the assault. After a moment, he managed to shove Jack back and flew straight up into the sky, disappearing above the clouds.
Hovering high above the city Knox caught his breath. "Alright, Kaelina. What do I do? I can't see his attacks, and I can't react fast enough."
Kaelina's voice was calm. "Use you heat vision."
Knox frowned. "Are you kidding? He's too fast. He'll dodge it before I even get the shot off."
Kaelina sighed. "Your heat vision isn't just heat. It's a form of electromagnetic radiation, meaning it travels at the speed of light-nearly 300 million meters per second. He can't outrun that."
Knox clenched his first. "Fine. But I'll have to get closer to time it right."
With a deep breath, he dove back down toward the warehouse.
Jack watched Knox descend, a smug grin on his face. "Back for round two? Didn't get enough of a beating last time?"
Knox didn't respond. As soon as he landed, Jack appeared at his side, delivering another punch that sent Knox slamming into the ground. Jack pinned him there, his electrified hand crackling as he raised it for a finishing blow.
"Let's end this," Jack said.
Knox grinned through the pain. "Couldn't agree more."
Before Jack could react, Knox eyes glowed red-hot, and twin beams of heat vision erupted from them, striking Jack directly in the head. The searing heat vaporized flesh and bone in an instant, leaving nothing but a charred stump where Jack's head had been.
Jack's body slumped to the ground, lifeless. Knox stood, brushing himself off as Kaelina's voice rang out.
"Well done. Now, let's talk re-branding. Something fitting for the new ruler of the underground."
Knox smirked. "How about The Nexus Syndicate?"
Kaelina paused, then chuckled. "I like it. Let's get to work."
With that, Knox stepped over Jack's body and into the ranks of the stunned gang members, ready to reshape the city in his image.
Hey guys I hope you like this chapter. If you do please support me by giving me power stones. Also please comment on the power of the leader of the Black Vultures. With that bye guys have an amazing day.