At the same time, somewhere in the shadowed depths of New York…
Kingpin sat in his dimly lit office, his thick brows furrowed as he listened to the report.
"Ulysses Klaue has been captured," said the Owl Leland Owlsley his tone cautious.
Kingpin's sharp eyes gleamed coldly beneath the faint glow of the chandelier.
Klaue's capture was unexpected, but the name attached to it was even more concerning.
"Nolan Locke," Owlsley added quietly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
Kingpin had faked his death once before, all to avoid a direct confrontation with Nolan Locke. The cost of eliminating a man like him had outweighed the benefit. So, he chose retreat over conflict, disappearing from the public eye and the criminal world alike.
But now, Ulysses Klaue his business partner and a vital source of vibranium had been taken by that very same man.
That changed everything.
Vibranium was no ordinary metal. It was the kind of material that could shift the balance of power, both in the underworld and beyond. Kingpin had been planning to purchase a large quantity from Klaue. With Klaue captured, that plan was now at risk and worse, Nolan Locke might uncover their connection.
Kingpin leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he thought.
If Klaue talked, it would only be a matter of time before Nolan traced the link back to him.
That couldn't be allowed.
"Notify the Hand," he said coldly. "It's time they finished what they started."
Klaue wasn't the priority. The real threat was Nolan Locke.
If Nolan had returned to the underworld's stage, Kingpin's carefully hidden existence could unravel in an instant. He wouldn't bet his survival on Klaue's silence.
No he needed to strike first. Eliminate the threat before the threat eliminated him.
Ironically, at that very moment, Nolan was thinking the same thing. Both men had reached the same conclusion: act first, or die later.
Within hours, Leland Owlsley had made contact with the Hand.
When he arrived at their New York base, Madam Gao was already waiting, her gnarled fingers resting on the serpent-headed cane she always carried.
"You should know," she began, her tone calm but edged with warning, "that our presence in New York was approved by Kingpin himself. We follow the city's rules. But that does not mean we allow ourselves to be used as his tools."
Owlsley had anticipated her resistance. "We understand. But this situation concerns more than territory. Nolan Locke is currently in the suburbs isolated. If he dies quietly, no one will ever know. And besides…" He hesitated, then added, "Kingpin will be taking part personally."
Madam Gao's expression changed slightly, a glint of interest flashing in her old, calculating eyes.
"Oh?" she murmured, tapping her cane against the floor. "In that case, I look forward to it."
The Hand had been operating in New York for some time, yet Madam Gao had never met Kingpin face-to-face. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity not only to assist but also to measure his true strength.
As for Nolan Locke, she wasn't particularly concerned. She'd heard the stories of his mechanical suits and advanced technology, but she believed such power came from his machines, not himself.
What worried her was the aftermath what would happen once the man was dead.
Still, if Kingpin was confident enough to act, that meant he believed the situation was under control.
After Owlsley left, Madam Gao struck her cane against the ground again. "Gather our best," she ordered softly. "It's time we stirred things up."
Meanwhile, Nolan Locke remained calm on the surface, at least.
He appeared to be focused solely on his research, seemingly oblivious to the growing tension across New York. But he wasn't unaware. Far from it.
The pressure was mounting. Political influence from corporate backers was already bearing down on the NYPD.
In the past few days, George Stacy, the police chief, had visibly aged. His hair was grayer, his voice raspier. The endless phone calls and bureaucratic interference had worn him thin.
Damn Kingpin. Damn Hell's Kitchen. Damn Nolan Locke!
A weapons manufacturer threatened within city limits it was a political nightmare waiting to explode.
The NYPD's sudden crackdown on criminal networks had sent shockwaves through the underworld.
But Nolan wasn't relying solely on the police.
He knew better than anyone that if law enforcement could handle Kingpin, the man would never have risen to power in the first place.
That was why he had his own countermeasures.
Through the Red Queen's advanced network infiltration, every surveillance system in New York was now under his silent control. Thousands of cameras, drones, and databases each one became his eyes and ears.
This was the true terror of artificial intelligence.
In a world driven by data and technology, A.I. wasn't just powerful it was omnipotent.
With the Red Queen monitoring the city, Nolan turned his attention back to Klaue.
Even under interrogation, Klaue had been remarkably stubborn at least until the Red Queen got involved.
Nolan didn't know the exact details of what she did to him, and frankly, he didn't need to.
All that mattered was the outcome. He now had the vibranium.
He turned the metallic sample in his hand, its surface gleaming faintly with an otherworldly light.
"So this is vibranium," he whispered, admiration flickering in his tone. "The rarest metal in the universe."
Integrating it into the Mjolnir-class armor wouldn't be too difficult. It only required data calibration and controlled fusion testing.
He began running digital scans, feeding the data into his virtual lab. There, simulations began a constant stream of calculations testing vibranium's compatibility with various alloys.
But while Nolan worked, danger crept closer.
A dozen assassins from the Hand had already surrounded his villa.
These weren't ordinary killers they were the best. Trained since birth for one purpose: death.
They moved like shadows, silent and precise, setting small explosives against the glass panels of the villa.
The attack was about to begin.
Then came the sudden rattle of gunfire.
A short, sharp burst and then silence.
Nolan frowned, glancing up from his console.
"Red Queen," he said evenly, "report."
Her holographic image flickered to life. "Intruders detected and neutralized. Fifteen hostiles confirmed. All eliminated."
Nolan's brows lifted slightly. "They actually came to my doorstep?"
He chuckled softly. "How interesting."
Then he shook his head. "Idiots."
The next morning, sunlight spilled across the city.
At the top floor of a high-rise tower, Madam Gao climbed the steps slowly, her back bent but her eyes sharp.
Leland Owlsley was waiting.
"Where's Kingpin?" she demanded.
Owlsley frowned. "Our boss "
"Don't play games with me," she snapped. "The Hand and Kingpin are partners. I want to see him."
Before Owlsley could respond, a door opened behind him.
A massive figure stepped out, gripping a cane of his own. His presence filled the room like a tidal wave heavy, suffocating, commanding.
Kingpin.
"Now then," he said, voice calm yet chilling. "You may speak, Madam Gao."
Her body reacted before her mind could every muscle tensed, her back straightened, instinct screaming danger.
She had expected power. She hadn't expected this.
This was no impostor. This was the real Kingpin.
"Kingpin," she said quietly, forcing her voice steady. "My people couldn't even breach Nolan Locke's defenses. An assassination is impossible."
After investigating Nolan overnight, even she had grown wary.
But she wasn't here to retreat. She was here to make sure someone else shared the fallout.
"We must kill Nolan Locke," she said coldly.
Kingpin's eyes narrowed. "So the Hand has failed."
He tapped his cane once against the marble floor.
"Then we set a trap," he said at last.
His tone was measured, deliberate. "If we're going to strike, we make sure he dies."
He'd had enough. Nolan's recent movements had disrupted the entire underworld, costing him profits, territory, and patience.
"This man won't be easy to draw out," Madam Gao warned.
Kingpin smirked, a dangerous gleam in his eye. "I know. It took me three months just to reappear after our last encounter."
Then his lips curved into a cold grin.
"But what if I use myself as bait?"
Madam Gao's eyes widened.
And Kingpin's deep, thunderous voice filled the room.
"He'll come for me. I'm sure of it."
Because he was Kingpin and he never lost twice.
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