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*****
Billy wore a look of self-assured wisdom as he continued, "Even if you said you didn't know him, that would be one thing. But this excuse is just garbage. Even an idiot wouldn't believe it."
He paused, glanced left and right to make sure no one was eavesdropping, and then leaned in close to Feny. "Just tell me," he whispered urgently. "Do you actually know him or not? I heard that yesterday, shortly after you vanished, the Knight of Divine Punishment appeared. And if I recall, the last time he showed up, you were in a huge hurry to leave then, too."
"I swear I won't tell a soul!"
Feny simply stared at Billy with a blank expression. He looked at the desk, then at Billy's mouth, wondering if the desk would actually fit inside if he tried to shove it in.
Fortunately, that particular thought didn't manifest through the power of his "Golden Ars Magna."
Billy had no idea he had just spent a moment hovering on the brink of a very strange demise. He had stayed up all night tossing and turning, feeling that something was off. Feny wasn't the type of person to skip class just to go people-watching.
The coincidence was simply too blatant. Both times, the moment Feny stepped out, the Knight of Divine Punishment stepped in. It was like something straight out of a comic book.
In truth, Billy had initially wondered if Feny was the Knight. But as a close friend who spent every day with him, he found it impossible to reconcile his image of Feny with that of the legendary armored hero.
Especially just now—hearing Feny "admit" it so casually only served to convince Billy that he couldn't possibly be the Knight. A real superhero wouldn't just blurt it out like that.
However, Feny's cheeky response only solidified Billy's belief that Feny was at least an acquaintance of the hero.
"Seriously, Feny. I swear to God, I won't tell anyone."
Faced with Billy's solemn vow, Feny finally spoke. "Heh. Don't think I don't know you don't even believe in God. Swearing to Him is useless."
"You also swore you'd break Wenli's new boyfriend's head open," Feny added dryly. "And I saw him the day before yesterday; his head was still attached to his neck just fine."
"That's different!" Billy replied sheepishly. Wenli was a girl he had been pursuing until another guy beat him to the punch, leaving Billy to repeatedly vent his frustrations to Feny with empty threats of violence.
"How is it different?" Feny squinted at him, waiting for an explanation.
"I never said when I was going to do it!" Billy sputtered, finally finding a loophole.
"..."
Feny looked at him, speechless. He waved his hand dismissively. "I just had a sudden emergency yesterday. I don't know any Knight of Divine Punishment."
Billy looked skeptical but continued piteously, "I'm not asking for his secret identity. I just want to know a few simple things."
"Like what?" Feny asked, a flicker of curiosity crossing his mind.
"Which of these do you think he'd answer?" Billy excitedly pulled a notebook from seemingly nowhere. It was filled with a solid page of dense handwriting, leaving Feny momentarily stunned.
Feny scanned the list. Some questions were simple enough: Is the Knight's favorite color silver? Others were downright bizarre: Does the armor get washed? Does it need repairs if it gets dented in battle? What material is it made of? How much does it weigh? Is it heavy to wear?
"Well? You think he'd answer any of these?" Billy looked at Feny expectantly. These were the questions he'd spent all night compiling after convincing himself Feny was "the guy who knows the guy." His dark circles were a testament to his dedication.
"I think you have way too much free time on your hands," Feny said, snapping the notebook shut and handing it back.
"Surely he could answer at least one?" Billy slumped onto the desk in defeat. He turned his head sideways, staring at Feny with a pining look. "Feny... how did you meet him?"
"I didn't. I don't know him. Stop talking nonsense."
Since Billy had already convinced himself that Feny wasn't the Knight, Feny wasn't about to argue. This saved him from having to invent a backstory, and it saved the school the cost of a replaced desk.
"Psh!"
Humans are subjective creatures. Once someone forms a preconceived notion, it is incredibly difficult to change their mind, regardless of the evidence. Billy was no exception. To him, Feny's "denials" were just transparent attempts to protect a famous friend.
"Man, I wish I was the one who knew him," Billy grumbled, his voice thick with envy. "I don't know what kind of crazy luck you have to be connected to someone like that."
Feny looked utterly speechless. Knowing myself counts as "crazy luck" now?
"Alright, stop obsessing over it. Class is starting."
Feny wasn't actually worried about Billy spreading rumors. From the day he first appeared, the number of people who claimed to know him or his identity could probably circle New York twice. Without a shred of evidence, Billy would only be met with mockery if he tried to go public. Even if he claimed Feny knew the Knight, as long as Feny played along, no one would take it seriously.
The rest of the afternoon was a bit of an ordeal. Billy spent every spare moment—and most of the lectures—trying to subtly (and not so subtly) pry information out of Feny.
When the final bell finally rang, Feny breathed a massive sigh of relief. He had the weekend ahead of him—two full days without Billy's voice buzzing in his ear.
When he arrived home, Skye was still diligently practicing her abilities. With the help of her new equipment, her control over the vibrations was becoming increasingly refined and skilled.
Feny didn't disturb her. After a quick cleanup, he quietly opened a portal and headed out to begin his own skill training.
Reflecting on his fight with Hulk, Feny knew the truth: while he could hold his own, and a flightless Hulk might not be able to catch him, he probably couldn't actually defeat the Green Goliath yet. Skill experience gain was highest when the victory was absolute. Hulk had said his favorite thing was fighting; convincing him to surrender would be no easy feat.
Feny didn't want to rely on tricks forever. He wanted to surpass his enemies through pure strength, winning in a way that left them truly convinced of his power.
With the Abomination crisis over, New York would likely be quiet for a while. The next major threat would be Loki opening the space portal for Thanos's army.
Before that happened, Feny hoped to draw his sixth—or even seventh—skill. If he could become strong enough, he wouldn't just defend Earth; he'd kick Thanos right back to wherever he came from.
The next day, Feny went to visit Banner.
"How are you liking it here?" Feny asked as he walked into the villa. Banner looked like a new man—he finally looked like a scientist with seven PhDs, rather than someone you'd expect to see begging on the street.
"The life of the wealthy is truly decadent," Banner said with a wry smile. After years of living on the run, he had forgotten what comfort felt like. Being in this environment was almost disorienting.
"Can't be helped. That's just how Tony is," Feny shrugged. Tony Stark never settled for second best. To him, any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem at all.
(End of Chapter)