A musician played a calming melody on his violin as he sat against the far wall. Alastair's corner lay in darkness, with only the windows and skylight allowing in moonlight. But a bright glow, two candles, stood solitary, illuminating the center of the black. The candles were on a table covered with plates of partially eaten fried chicken and spaghetti occupied by the only patrons, a happy couple. Benjamin and Mako joyfully made out. Still, Mako grew more aggressive, gripping onto Benjamin as she placed her leg on his and moved her hands downward toward his belt buckle. However, Benjamin pushed her away.

  "Calm down," Benjamin said.

  "Why?" Mako asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Of course. Where’s my head?” Mako tapped her forehead and pointed at the musician. “You there, leave the room and make sure no one else comes in. My beloved and I want our alone time.”

  Benjamin pushed Mako’s hand down. “No it’s not that.”

  “Then what?”

  "We're in a public restaurant. It’s obscene."

  Mako fired a smile at Benjamin. "A public restaurant that my father now owns and is empty of other patrons."

  "No, Mako. We do it right or not at all." Benjamin puffed his cheeks.

  Mako laughed."Sweet, Benjamin. I look forward to loosening you up."

  A waiter came, serving them both a glass of wine. And as Benjamin took a sip, he grew a big smile.

  "The food and drink here are spectacular. No wonder your father bought this place."

  "There's a reason why Grigoriy loved taking me here." Mako took a sip of her wine, moaning with satisfaction.

  "Your ex-boyfriend?” Benjamin took a heavy breath. “May I ask you a personal question?"

  Mako, after a moment of thought, slowly nodded.

  "Was your breakup bad?"

  "Yes.” Mako coughed. “Our career paths made it impossible."

  "I'm sorry."

  "Don't be. I have you now." Mako took Benjamin’s hand, holding it firmly.

  "You know I was hurting over this girl before I met you."

  "I don't have competition, do I?" Mako jovially raised an eyebrow at Benjamin.

  "No, no, no.” Benjamin frantically waved his hands before Mako. “It’s just that when she went for me, it felt like a miracle. I was so worried that if I failed, I would never have another chance to have something like this."

  Mako kissed Benjamin with spirit. "I’m happy that I proved you wrong."

  "W-wow."

  "Why don't we go to my apartment to do things right as you put it?"

  "But wait, you mentioned something about helping your brother with a project."

  "James is a big boy. He can wait an hour or two."

  ***

  The knight arrived at a warehouse owned by Charles, overlooking the building from a nearby rooftop.

  "I've checked every other place I know Charles owns.” Daniel sighed. “Please, let this be the one."

  Inside, Charity watched the scene in horror, tied to a chair and guarded by one of James’s henchmen. Charles was held in place by two more men as James punched him in the face and stomach repeatedly. Still, as she saw her husband’s blood splatter and stain the floor, she screamed out and cried loudly.

  “Please shut her up.” James pointed to the gangster standing beside Charity.

  The gangster swiftly took a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapping it around Charity’s mouth and muffling her voice.

  “Thank you.” James punched Charles again.

  “Damn you.” Charles coughed violently.

  "Sign the damn papers, man. If I wanted it, you'd be dead already," James shouted.

  "N-never." Charles coughed up blood.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Waybright, be smart. Is bleeding over people in a few foreign countries you don't know worth it?"

  "I won't let you use my family's company for murder."

  "You're a cruel man, Waybright. Forcing your daughter to grow up without a father." James looked at Charity. "Or better yet, a mother."

  James approached Charity, picking up a metal rod off the floor.

  "I was holding back before, but no more. Sign the papers or your wife dies." James effortlessly snapped the metal rod in two.

  Charles groaned. "Okay. You win, I'll sign."

  "Smart man. Gentlemen, please give Mr. Waybright a pen."

  One of James's henchmen quickly complied, taking a pen out of his pocket. But as he gave it to Charles, a large metal shipping container cut through the air, hitting James in the back of the head and knocking him down. Daniel had come to the scene.

  Daniel began his assault on the gangsters with surgical precision. The three pulled their attention toward their leader who was under the shipping container, allowing him to ambush them. Daniel went to the gangster closest to Charity first, incapacitating him with a punch to the stomach and an elbow to his spine. Daniel took his body, flinging it at the second gangster and subduing him. The final gangster drew his gun and motioned to aim at Charles. However, Daniel clapped his hands together, releasing a shockwave that blew him away from Charles. Finally, Daniel subdued him as he scrambled on the floor to reclaim his weapon, kicking him in the face.

  "The knight," Charles said.

  Charity forced off the handkerchief. "Thank god."

  James swiftly roared to his feet, blowing away the container and tackling Daniel."Die." Strangling him on the floor. But Daniel punched him in the mouth, making him stagger back as he gripped his gums.

  "I don't know who you are, but I don't care. You've disrespected my family for the last time," James said.

  "That's rich, coming from someone who lives off blood money."

  James quickly drew his gun, shooting at Daniel. Daniel dodged his shots, moving towards him and again punching him in the mouth. Still, as Daniel hurried for another attack, James grabbed Charity by the head, setting her as a human shield and stopping him. James quickly fired his gun again, hitting Daniel on his left side.

  Daniel collapsed onto the floor, clutching his bleeding side. James stomped on Daniel's wound, preparing to kill him with his gun. However, Charles rushed over, trying to stop James, making him drop Charity as he angrily swatted him aside. Still, seeing Charity out of James's hand, Daniel picked him up, tossing him at the shipping containers.

  "First, my little brother. Now, my sister. Friend, you earned this," Daniel thought.

  Daniel sprinted to James, and stood over him, preparing to continue their battle.

  "This is the last straw you—"

  Daniel swiftly and angrily shoved James's face into the floor, making an indentation in the concrete. Daniel pulled him out, ramming James’s face into a metal support beam. Again and again, Daniel rammed him into it, shaking the building more with each strike. And with the mightiest blow, it fell with James falling unconscious, collapsing the ceiling above them, burying him under several tons of rubble.

  Daniel ran back to Charity and Charles, struggling on the floor, freeing Charity from the chair.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Waybright, can you walk?" Daniel asked.

  "Y-yes, thank you. But did you kill that man?" Charity asked.

  "Believe it or not, no. Our friend can take way more punishment. Also, I have this no-kill rule."

  "Pity."

  "Charles," Charity snapped

  Daniel ached in pain, clutching his side.

  "Are you going to be okay?" Charles asked

  "It's fine, r—. I mean Mr. Waybright. I can bounce back from almost anything."

  "Let's test that," Mako said.

  A kunai struck Daniel's back, exploding. And he quickly spotted the thrower, Mako, in her black costume.

  "You, the woman in the black mask," Daniel shouted.

  James swiftly rose from the rubble, gripping his head.

  "Big brother, are you okay?" Mako asked.

  "I would be much better if you had shown up on time. You're over two hours late. What happened?"

  Mako playfully winked at James."I had a hot date. But in my defense, this was supposed to be an intimidation job. So won't you forgive me?"

  "Just kill them all," James screamed.

  Mako quickly threw a barrage of kunai at Daniel and the others. But he clapped his hands, sending out a shockwave that knocked them back to Mako and James, blasting the villainous siblings with a furious explosion.

  "Goodbye," Mako said in Japanese.

  Again, Mako threw more kunai, but they hit the ceiling instead. The explosions sent a sea of rubble falling on Daniel and the others' heads. The rest of the warehouse quickly followed, collapsing around the villainous brother and sister.

  "Let's go, James."

  "I hope they're bloody paste."

  A few minutes later, Daniel slowly regained consciousness, finding himself buried alive under the ruins of the warehouse. He hurriedly scanned the small pocket of space, seeing Charity lying unconscious off to his right. But as he spotted Charles pinned under rubble, the ceiling creaked forward, collapsing, making Daniel dash to his aid.

  Daniel hastily went to move the rubble off of Charles but couldn’t as his super strength refused to activate. “Damn it.” Still, his efforts awakened Charles.

  "K-knight, what happened?"

  "We got buried alive. But I'm working on digging us out."

  "Where's my wife?"

  Daniel pointed to Charity, still lying unconscious.

  "Listen. If it comes down to me or her, please save her."

  "Shut it. I'm saving you both.”

  Again, the ceiling creaked forward, collapsing more. However, as Daniel doubled his efforts his super strength still refused to return.

  "Why isn't this working?" Daniel bellowed.

  "Look at this mess. What have I done?"

  "It's not like you asked to work with these people.” Daniel crouched down, looking closer at Charles. “Right?"

  "Of course not. But I gave my brother-in-law so much heat.” Charles sighed. “I thought he was just like these monsters. But I was wrong, and I'll die without apologizing.”

  “Will you shut up about that? I said I’ll save you.”

  Again, the ceiling creaked forward, collapsing more. But this time it sent large debris falling around them. Daniel tripled his efforts, lifting the rubble, but still, his super strength refused to return.

  “Think happy thoughts. Imagine opening a new comic book, Ma’s Apple Pie fresh from the oven, Karen’s smiling face.” Daniel thought.

  The ceiling finally gave way, sending a mountain of debris. Still, as Daniel and the others were about to be crushed, his powers returned. Daniel activated his intangibility, spreading it through an energy wave to Charity and Charles, allowing the rubble to pass through them. As everything fell into a massive dust cloud, Daniel dragged his half-dead family to safety, dropping limp on the ground.