If Adam could've screamed "this is classic scapegoating!" he would have. But in this situation, no one would get the reference—and the threat in front of him was very real.
Black Mask now firmly believed Adam had some kind of connection to Bane. That alone was enough to get him killed in Gotham.
Adam tried to stay calm and explained, "Listen, those mercenaries? They were hunting us all the way through South America. We barely made it out alive. That's where the bad blood started. Now they're just blaming me. Think about it—if I really had robbed your shipment, why would I be stupid enough to sit here in Gotham, completely exposed? And if I was working with them, why would they shout my name while raiding your convoy? Wouldn't they want to keep my name out of it?"
His frustration started boiling over.
"And let me remind you—when did I ever know anything about the shipment's time or route? I was kept completely in the dark! I couldn't have set anything up even if I wanted to. Face it—this is your own people's screw-up. I'm not taking the fall for them."
Adam's voice echoed across the room. But Black Mask didn't even blink. He stared at Adam, then said coldly, "Then tell me something. Why didn't you die when you were supposed to? Why did those mercs let you live—and then rob me later? Everything points back to you. You're the reason this happened."
Right then, Adam understood. Black Mask knew the truth, but he didn't care. He'd already decided Adam would be the scapegoat. What mattered now wasn't guilt or innocence—it was power.
Adam's expression hardened and he asked, "What do you want? Cut to the point."
Black Mask gave a slow, mocking smile and revealed, "That shipment was worth six million dollars. Add the loss of my men and the delay, and... let's call it ten million even."
Adam shot back without missing a beat. "Dream on. I won't pay you a cent."
Black Mask didn't even flinch. He just shrugged as if he'd been expecting the response.
"Are you sure," he said slowly, "that's the road you want to take?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ Nove1Fire.net
Adam stayed calm. "Funny. You're the one who told me not to ask about the shipment in the first place. Said it had nothing to do with me. Now that it's messed up, I'm suddenly responsible?"
Black Mask's smile vanished. With a flick of his hand, every mafia thug in the room raised their guns. The clicking of safeties being released was the only sound.
"All right, tough guy," said Black Mask, standing over Adam. "Time to beg. Say you're sorry, promise to pay up. Or don't—and get riddled with bullets."
Adam didn't move. He simply took off his coat slowly and calmly, revealing what was underneath: a belt covered in high-powered grenade canisters—enough to blow up the entire station.
The gang members flinched. Black Mask's satisfied grin dropped.
Adam held up a primed grenade, finger looped tightly through the pin. "Go ahead," he said. "Shoot. Let's all light up the night together."
A tense silence fell. No one dared move. Adam wasn't bluffing—and they knew it. He wasn't called crazy, but after what he'd lived through in South America, he definitely wasn't afraid to die.
Still glaring directly at Black Mask, Adam growled, "If I go down, I'm taking all of you with me. I've kept quiet long enough. You think I'm weak? That you can push me around forever? Not anymore."
Black Mask swayed slightly in place. The cold edge in Adam's voice told him this had gone too far.
"…So, this is how you want to play it?" said the masked crime boss, slowly backing off. "Fine. Consider this a warning. We're not finished. One day soon, I'll make sure you beg before the end."
He turned to leave—only for Adam to grab his collar and stop him.
"You can go last," Adam said firmly. "Your guards leave first."
Black Mask growled but waved his men off. One by one, the thugs retreated until only the two of them remained.
Once they were alone, Adam shoved him toward the door. "Get out."
Before the crime boss could respond, Adam delivered a final warning, "Sionis—this was the last time you get to talk down to me. I survived hell in South America. You don't scare me anymore. From this point on, it's war. In this city, only one of us walks away in the end. Make sure you're ready for that."