Late at night, in the top-floor office of the Kingpin Building…
After finishing his phone call with the mysterious woman, Tombstone—originally dispatched by Kingpin to carry out the nighttime assault on Morgan Manor—was abruptly recalled.
Not only Tombstone, but Scorpion and Prowler were also summoned to the office.
Anyone familiar with Marvel comics knows that Tombstone, Scorpion, and Prowler are among Kingpin's most capable operatives. They are his sharpest weapons against hostile forces—the very reason he has held firm as the undisputed emperor of the underworld for so many years.
Much of that success stems from the three of them clearing countless obstacles in his path.
"Boss, why did you suddenly cancel the operation?" Tombstone asked, still puzzled. He'd just assembled his crew and was preparing to launch a major strike—only to have Kingpin pull the plug at the last minute.
"It's not canceled," Kingpin replied calmly, taking a slow puff of his cigar. "It's postponed. Someone else will act on our behalf."
"You mean… the person above us has moved?" At Kingpin's words, the henchmen exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with relief.
They all knew how formidable the Morgan family was. A nighttime raid on Morgan Manor would be no small feat—and unless absolutely necessary, none of them were eager to take that risk.
Now, with someone else stepping in to do the dirty work? That was welcome news indeed.
As the old saying goes: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Before, they'd thought they were the mantis—but now, perhaps they'd become the oriole, holding all the advantage.
How could they not be pleased?
"That's only a verbal assurance," Kingpin cautioned. "We don't yet know the full situation. That's why I've decided to postpone the plan—for now. If that individual hasn't acted by tomorrow night, we proceed as originally intended. Loren Morgan must die. His presence poses a serious threat to our security."
"I understand," the three murmured in unison, nodding silently.
At that moment, Kingpin opened a drawer and placed three vials of green liquid on the desk.
"This is the enhancement serum provided by the person above us," he explained. "A single injection grants combat capabilities far beyond those of an ordinary human—but its effects last only twenty-four hours. It's a diluted version of the original formula."
He slid the vials toward them. "I'm entrusting these to you. You may administer them to your most trusted subordinates—or use them yourselves. The choice is yours. But remember this: I'm giving you these specifically to deal with that silver-haired woman. Use them at the right moment—and don't waste them."
"We understand!" Their eyes gleamed as they stared at the vials. They'd heard rumors of this serum before and knew exactly what it could do. After all, it was precisely because of their exceptional abilities that they had risen to become Kingpin's top lieutenants.
Like Tombstone, he had come into contact with a special chemical substance by chance—and ever since, he'd gained the ability to insulate his body and release intense heat from his skin.
Scorpion and Prowler were no ordinary criminals either. Scorpion earned his name from the high-tech battle suit he wore: the Scorpion Combat Suit. This armor granted him immense strength and rendered him nearly impervious to blades and bullets. Its mechanical tail could spray sulfuric acid and tear gas.
The Prowler, too, relied on a specialized battle suit—one that enabled him to scale walls, glide through the air, and fire darts and concealed weapons.
Thanks to these abilities, the three of them had helped Kingpin eliminate numerous hostile forces over the years—though until now, their opponents had always been ordinary gang members.
This time, however, they faced a silver-haired female assassin who killed without hesitation. From the intelligence available, it was clear she was anything but ordinary.
Police surveillance footage from the scene showed her displaying terrifying strength and reflexes—so sharp she could dodge gunfire.
Naturally, they were on high alert.
And now, their boss had suddenly produced a vial of enhancement serum and handed it to them. Though this was a weakened, "castrated" version—its effects lasting only 24 hours—an injection would dramatically boost their combat capabilities.
It might well be their last resort in a life-or-death moment, so they treated it with utmost seriousness.
"One for each of you—take it!" Kingpin waved his hand toward the vials on the table.
The three nodded and stepped forward eagerly to claim their doses. But just as they reached for the serums—
A samurai sword came hurtling from the building across from the Kingpin Tower, streaking through the air like lightning. With devastating force, it shattered the floor-to-ceiling window of Kingpin's office.
The sudden attack stunned everyone present. After all, those windows were made of bulletproof glass—normally impervious even to high-caliber rounds.
Yet a single flying blade had reduced it to shards. It was utterly unbelievable.
And when they recognized the sword, their blood ran cold—it was the very weapon wielded by the silver-haired killer they'd been warned about.
Before they could recover, a silver-haired figure leapt from the opposite rooftop and landed squarely in the center of the room.
Her aerial agility was astonishing—and the woman was none other than 2B.
The moment she touched down, she rolled forward, snatched the embedded katana from the floor, and slashed at the nearest target: the Prowler. In a flash of steel, his arm tumbled to the ground.
She then plucked the vial of weakened enhancement serum from his remaining hand and examined it with mild curiosity.
"So this is your 'enhancement serum'?" she said, turning it over. "Do you really think something like this can defeat me?"
After a brief pause, she slipped the vial into her pocket.
Her gaze swept over the four figures before her—cold, expressionless. Their faces reflected a tangle of fear, fury, and disbelief.
The Prowler writhed on the floor, howling in agony.
At the sound, 2B's lips curled in faint disgust. The anti-gravity drone hovering beside her fired a single shot—sending him to hell instantly.
Seeing their comrade die in an instant, the remaining three refused to wait for their turn. They grabbed their weapons and assumed defensive stances.
Without hesitation, Tombstone and Scorpion jammed the enhancement serum into their arms. As the drug surged through their veins, their muscles swelled visibly—bodies expanding before their eyes.