Chapter 4: The Heist's First Move
The day Adam chose to confront Mr. Abernathy was a Tuesday, a day when the children's home was at its quietest. The other kids were at school, the staff were busy with their duties, and the building was a symphony of muffled footsteps and distant clattering. It was the perfect backdrop for a confrontation that would change Adam's life.
He found Mr. Abernathy in his office, a small, stuffy room filled with old books and a heavy, wooden desk. The man, a portly figure with a balding head and a perpetually nervous tic, looked up from his paperwork, a look of annoyance on his face.
"What do you want, Adam?" he said, his voice a low growl. "I'm a very busy man."
Adam, in his new body, felt a jolt of anxiety. This was the moment. The point of no return. He took a deep breath, and he focused. He focused on the evidence he had gathered, on the plan he had meticulously crafted, on the cold, hard logic of his situation. He was a survivor. And he was about to play his hand.
"Okay, Adam, don't get flustered. He's a bully. And all bullies are cowards. You just have to show him you're not afraid."
He sat down in the chair opposite the desk, his movements slow and deliberate. "I know you are, Mr. Abernathy. But I think you'll want to hear what I have to say."
Mr. Abernathy's tic intensified. "What is it?" he snapped. "Spit it out."
Adam pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the desk. It was a copy of the legal document he had found, the one with the fuzzy details. "This," he said, his voice calm and even, "is a copy of a legal document from a property sale a decade ago. It shows a... discrepancy. A rather large discrepancy."
Mr. Abernathy's eyes widened. He picked up the paper, his hands trembling slightly. He read it, his face draining of color. He looked up at Adam, a look of pure terror in his eyes.
Adam felt a strange sensation, a surge of energy in his mind. A new screen flashed.
[PHEROMONE: TRUTH UNLOCKED!][MISSION OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: GATHER EVIDENCE AND CONFRONT A TARGET.]
"Truth. Huh. Nice. Now for the fun part."
"Now," Adam continued, his voice still calm, "I have a few questions for you, Mr. Abernathy. And I would like you to answer them truthfully."
Mr. Abernathy looked at him, his face a mask of fear. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."
Adam felt the urge to use his new power. He focused on the man, on the idea of truth, of compelling him to be honest. It was a strange, almost telepathic feeling. He just knew what to do.
"Did you," Adam said, his eyes boring into the man's, "falsify these documents to avoid paying taxes?"
Mr. Abernathy's face twisted, a battle raging within him. He wanted to lie, he wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. He felt a mental and physical pressure, a painful compulsion to tell the truth. "Y-yes," he stammered, the word a struggle. "I did."
Adam nodded. "And did you," he continued, "use the money from that sale to fund your lavish lifestyle, while still claiming to be a philanthropist?"
"Yes," Mr. Abernathy said, his voice a whisper. "I did."
Adam's work was done. He had his confession. Now, for the real play.
"Here's the deal," Adam said, his voice shifting from calm to something more commanding. "You're going to become my legal guardian. You're going to sign these papers, and you're going to give me a sum of money. A large sum. Enough to get me started on a new life."
Mr. Abernathy was hyperventilating, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for a way out. He was trapped. He was terrified. He was Adam's to command.
Adam felt another surge of energy. Another screen flashed.
[PHEROMONE: FEAR UNLOCKED!][MISSION OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: BLACKMAIL A TARGET AND GAIN COMPLIANCE.]
"Fear. The most powerful tool of all. Good to know."
He focused on the man, on the idea of fear, of amplifying his terror. He didn't need to say anything. He just needed to be a presence. A chilling, cold, and utterly ruthless presence.
"Do we have a deal, Mr. Abernathy?" Adam asked, his voice now a low, dangerous growl.
Mr. Abernathy, his face a mask of pure terror, just nodded. He didn't need to speak. His eyes, his body, his entire being, were screaming their compliance.
Adam had won. He had his guardian, his money, and his freedom. He had made his first big play, and he had come out on top. But he also knew, deep down, that he had just stepped onto a very, very dark path. And there was no going back.