Columbia Law Campus smelled like fresh ambition and overpriced tuition.
Adam wandered the halls with a coffee cup in hand and his MIT-forged credentials stashed in his system phone. It was a weekday afternoon, and the place was buzzing with students reciting case law, professors lecturing with dramatic hand gestures, and that one dude blasting lo-fi hip hop too loud through his headphones.
He wasn't enrolled. Didn't need to be .
All he needed was him—Matthew Murdock .
One of the earliest emotional anchors Adam wanted to secure. Not just for power... but because Matt Murdock was a genuine, complicated mess of emotion. Guilt, righteousness, compassion, rage. The kind of internal cocktail the system would feast on.
[System Objective – Optional Trigger Available]
Emotional Profile Detected: Matthew Murdock
Status: Pre-Vigilante
Projected Emotional Depth: High
Potential Rewards: ???
Action Recommended: Establish Trust or Challenge Worldview
Adam smirked to himself as he leaned against a bulletin board, eyes scanning the crowd.
And then he saw him.
Dark glasses. Walking cane. Well-worn brown jacket. Clean, careful movements. Not aimless like a tourist, not stiff like a soldier. Calm, confident... but hiding something just beneath the surface.
Matt.
Adam watched for a few more seconds before casually "bumping" into him near the vending machines.
"Oh—sorry, man," Adam said quickly, steadying Matt with a hand on his shoulder.
"No worries," Matt replied with a small smile. "I heard you coming. Should've moved."
Adam tilted his head. "Wait... you heard me coming through all that noise? (it wasnt easy bunping into you idiot i was changing my course each step so you dont avoid me and still you almost did ,having superpowers is really annoying cant wait to get from you matt and then annoy you with it )adam was talking to himself"
Matt smirked. "I've got good ears."
[Minor Intrigue Detected – Matt Murdock]
Reward: +1 Charisma
Bingo.
Adam smiled, lowering his voice slightly. "I'm Adam college drop out. Kinda wandering around looking for freelance, legal advice, actually."
Matt arched a brow behind his glasses. "That's a weird opening line."
"Yeah, " Adam admitted. "But weird works. Especially in New York."
Matt chuckled.
"You sound like someone who's been here too long or not long enough."
"weirdly and precisly both, its a long story but i will never tell it to you " Adam said trying to get an emotion from matt but nothing he didnt seem interested damm.
They chatted. Nothing deep. Just enough to establish presence. A few light legal jokes. Matt was sharp but cautious. Adam didn't push—just let the system quietly build the link.
Before they parted ways, Matt turned to him.
"You're… different. You hide it well, but there's something off."
Adam's heart skipped. The system vibrated gently in his head.
[Medium Suspicion Detected – Matt Murdock]
Reward: +1 Intelligence
Passive Talent Fragment: Lie Detection Resistance (6%)
Adam smiled, slow and genuine.
"Maybe I just haven't figured out how to fit in yet."
Matt nodded slowly. "Well… New York isn't about fitting in. It's about standing your ground."
Then he walked away.
Back in his apartment, Adam dropped onto the mattress with a grin plastered across his face.
"That's one. Emotional thread established," he whispered. "Now I feed it. Build trust. Push conflict. Stir the pot.to finely get my reward please be good"
Matt Murdock wasn't Daredevil yet. But he was already dangerous.
And already valuable.
[Current Stats:]Strength: 4
Intelligence: 13
Stamina: 6
Charisma: 5
Luck: 0 (Progress: 0/10)
[Talent Fragments:]
Astrophysics – 12%
Cooking – 1%
Emotional Insight – Basic
Streetwise – Basic
Lie Detection Resistance – 6%