Chapter 218: The Meeting of Two Shadow Generals
"A cannibal?" John asked, puzzled.
Mike held a newspaper in one hand and lit a cigarette with the other. Taking a puff, he said, "Last night in Hell's Kitchen, a drug addict was apprehended on the street. But it turns out this addict possesses supernatural powers."
The report detailed the events of the incident. The captured junkie had summoned a black monster that literally tore a police officer in half and then proceeded to swallow the officer's limbs.
"This ability feels familiar," John mused. He had a strange sense of recognition, though he couldn't quite place why.
Mike set the paper down and asked, "Familiar? Have you seen it somewhere before?"
"I feel like I have, but then again, maybe not." John truly couldn't recall where he might have encountered such a thing.
"Well, it looks like we need to check the surveillance footage and visit the crime scene," Mike said. Since the last incident, he had become a different man—no longer the cowardly officer of the past, but a true policeman.
John stared intensely at the report, lost in thought. Mike glanced at him but didn't disturb him, thinking John might be on the verge of a breakthrough.
"Let's go, Captain," John said, still habitually calling Mike "Captain." Mike didn't mind; such a title only served to bring them closer together.
"Let's go," Mike agreed.
On the Road
"The two generals are about to collide," Silas thought, making no move to stop it.
He wanted powerful, capable subordinates, not losers who folded at the first sign of trouble. If Kezli and John fought to a draw, it would prove they both had value. But if one were utterly crushed... well, Silas would ruthlessly discard the failing pawn. The price of being discarded was returning both the power and their life.
Hell's Kitchen
"What is happening to me?" Kezli stared at his hands, trembling. Last night, his withdrawal had hit him, and then... did he kill those cops?
"No!" Kezli fell to his knees in the abandoned factory, clutching his head in pain. He only wanted to get high in peace; he never intended to draw the police to him. He clenched his fists and punched the floor in a rage until his knuckles bled.
"Why?! Why is my life like this?! Why?!" Kezli roared at the top of his lungs.
Abandoned by his parents as a child, he had lived on the streets, surviving on scraps, only to be lured into drug addiction. He had no money, but the dealers didn't care at first. They gave him free samples until he was hooked, then cut him off unless he paid. Driven to the brink, Kezli had turned to theft, mugging, and burglary. Even during the Oscorp chaos, his first thought wasn't to run, but to see if he could loot something of value.
"If only... if only I had super strength," Kezli muttered, staring at his bloodied palms.
An evil power began to germinate in the depths of his heart. He could feel it pulsing within him.
"Come forth! My Shadow Corps!" Kezli suddenly shouted. He didn't know why he said those specific words; it felt as though he had done it a thousand times before.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three Eater Ninjas emerged from Kezli's shadow, quickly fanning out to stand behind him.
"Huff... huff..." Kezli panted, leaning on his knees as he slowly stood up to face the three monsters.
"Are you here to help me?" The darkness in Kezli's heart was being magnified a hundredfold. He wanted everyone to pay. No matter who they were, he would have his revenge!
The Eater Ninjas nodded in unison.
"It's time to cover this world in darkness." The blood on Kezli's hands dissolved into a cloud of black mist, and his wounds healed instantly.
On the Jeep — Silas's Insight
"So, the more one yearns for darkness, the faster the Shadow General's abilities manifest?" Silas noted this crucial discovery.
Jenny and John had held the power of the Shadow Generals much longer than Kezli, yet their synchronization speed was nowhere near his. Silas found himself looking forward to the battle between his two generals—it would be the perfect way to test the combat effectiveness of their respective legions.
The Encounter in Hell's Kitchen
Kezli walked alone down the street, pedestrians and cars passing him by. He felt utterly alienated from the world.
Pitter-patter.
Rain began to fall. Pedestrians quickened their pace, but Kezli stopped. He turned toward a notice board where a "Wanted" poster hung: The Cannibal — Kezli.
Rip!
Kezli tore the poster down with one hand and tossed it aside. As the wind whipped the paper into the air, he walked away without looking back.
Snap!
John stood behind Kezli, reaching out to catch the flying poster.
"What is it, John?" Mike asked. A heavy downpour was coming, and they had planned to grab dinner at KFC to wait it out.
"Freeze!" John didn't answer Mike. Instead, he shouted at the man in front of him. People nearby immediately cleared the area.
Hearing the command, Kezli stopped and slowly turned his head, spotting the two officers.
"Kezli!" Mike gasped. Having just memorized the man's face from the file, he recognized the wanted man instantly.
John narrowed his eyes. He sensed something dangerously wrong. "Captain, get back. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Alright. Yell if you need backup," Mike said, pulling back. He kept his hand near his belt, ready to draw.
John faced Kezli. "Kezli, you are under arrest for the unprovoked murder of two officers and the desecration of their bodies." Because it had been dark and the Eater Ninjas were overlapping with Kezli, terrified witnesses had mistaken the Shadow Khan's feeding for Kezli himself being a cannibal.
"You want to mind someone else's business too?" Kezli, intoxicated by his new power, turned fully to face the officer.
"You seem to have quite a bit of confidence coming from nowhere," John said, dropping into a fighting stance.
"Die, scum!" Kezli lunged. His heavy fist whistled through the air, aimed straight for John's head.
John's eyes widened, but his reflexes were sharp. He tilted his head slightly to the right, letting the fist graze past his face. The sheer force left a stinging burn on his skin. Gritting his teeth, John drove his knee hard into Kezli's midsection.
Thump!
"Gah!" Kezli felt as if he'd been hit by a sledgehammer, nearly vomiting.
John didn't let up. He surged forward, wrapped his arms around Kezli's waist, and used his momentum to execute a perfect suplex.
Cras-sh!
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