Night fell over Hell's Kitchen.
Inside a luxurious restaurant lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of Manhattan shimmered across polished glass and crystal. The atmosphere was elegant and intimate, a perfect setting for a quiet dinner.
After their previous date had been interrupted by the Russian mob's Ironhead, Wilson Fisk had invited Vanessa out once again.
But the earlier incident had changed things.
Vanessa had become more cautious around him, and tonight the two had agreed to stop pretending. They would finally speak openly with each other.
During dinner, Fisk absentmindedly touched the cufflinks on his sleeves, a habit he had whenever he was deep in thought.
Vanessa noticed immediately.
"Those seem important to you," she said calmly. "Are they something precious?"
Fisk glanced down at the silver cufflinks.
"Yes," he replied quietly. "They remind me of my father."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"They were his. I wear them every day so I won't forget him."
His gaze then shifted toward the handbag resting beside Vanessa's chair.
"You're carrying a gun," he said.
Vanessa hesitated briefly before answering.
"It's dangerous here."
Fisk pressed his lips together.
"I've lied to many people," he admitted slowly. "But I don't want to lie to you."
He took a deep breath as if preparing himself to reveal something heavy.
"In the past, I've hurt many people," he said. "And in the future… I may hurt even more."
His voice carried no pride.
"Believe me," he continued, "I take no pleasure in it. In fact, it causes me great pain."
Fisk turned his head and looked out through the massive windows at the sprawling city beyond.
"This city was once glorious," he said quietly. "But now it's broken and decaying."
His tone hardened.
"Only by destroying it can it be reborn."
Vanessa stared at him in stunned silence.
After a moment, Fisk's expression softened slightly.
"With me by your side," he said, "you'll never need that gun again."
Vanessa slowly picked up her bag from the table.
She opened it and pulled out a small silver pistol, clearly intending to hand it over.
At that exact moment, the restaurant door suddenly opened.
A young man stepped inside.
Vanessa instantly recognized him as the handsome stranger she had once seen in her art gallery.
Ignoring Fisk's cold and furious stare, Ethan Voss walked directly toward their table. He calmly pulled out a chair and sat down beside them as though he belonged there.
The romantic dinner for two had been ruined instantly.
"Mr. Fisk," Ethan said with a friendly smile. "What you said just now was excellent."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"I completely agree with your philosophy," he continued. "This city can only be reborn after destruction."
Ethan chuckled softly.
"The difference is that I believe one of the things that needs to be destroyed… is you."
His gaze locked onto Fisk.
"The king of New York's underworld."
Vanessa looked back and forth between the two men in confusion.
Fisk, however, immediately sensed something dangerous.
"Who are you?" he asked slowly. "A new player in New York's underworld?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Or just another fool like Daredevil?"
"I've already introduced myself before," Ethan replied casually. "My name is Ethan Voss."
Then he suddenly slapped his forehead as though remembering something.
"Oh right," he said. "Did I forget to mention something?"
"I recently signed an agreement with Mayor George."
Ethan smiled pleasantly.
"I'm helping him clean up Hell's Kitchen."
His eyes locked onto Fisk again.
"And you," he said calmly, "are my number one target."
Fisk suddenly burst into laughter.
"Really?"
His voice was calm but carried unmistakable menace.
"I would love to accompany you," he said. "But unfortunately, in the past ten years, no one has managed to put me inside a police station."
Ethan stood up and slowly walked toward the window.
"Didn't you arrange a fireworks show tonight?" he asked casually. "Shouldn't it be starting soon?"
Fisk's expression changed instantly.
His fists clenched tightly, and shock flickered across his eyes before he forced himself to remain calm.
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Mr. Voss."
He walked over to the window as well.
"New York is a busy city," he said evenly. "But it's also chaotic. Nothing here should surprise anyone."
He glanced sideways at Ethan.
"If you insist that I'm responsible for something, then that would be slander."
"Of course," Ethan replied with a grin. "I'm not accusing you of anything."
He shrugged slightly.
"I just wonder if the Russian mafia received the message I sent them."
He paused.
"Otherwise… they might be in danger tonight."
Fisk's eyes turned icy.
He was about to respond when—
BOOM.
An explosion erupted somewhere in the city.
Through the window they saw flames rising into the night sky.
Then another explosion.
And another.
Police sirens began wailing across Manhattan.
Fisk stood frozen by the window.
Tonight he had planned four bombings targeting key Russian mafia hideouts. Once those locations were destroyed, the Russian faction would be crippled.
But what was happening outside now was completely different.
The explosions were far more numerous.
Seven.
Eight.
Maybe even more.
And judging from the locations of the fires, the targets included Russian gangs, Mexican gangs, Irish gangs—nearly every criminal organization in New York.
Fisk immediately understood.
Tonight the entire underworld of Hell's Kitchen—and possibly all of New York—would descend into chaos.
He slowly turned his head.
"What exactly do you want?" he asked coldly.
At that moment the restaurant door opened again.
A man wearing a military uniform stepped inside and gave Ethan a respectful nod.
Ethan walked over to Vanessa.
"I'll take you somewhere safe," he said gently. "You might get hurt if you stay here."
Fisk stepped forward as if to stop him.
But the soldier blocked his path.
Vanessa was hurried out of the restaurant. When she heard the sounds of fighting erupting inside, she turned back nervously.
Ethan gently stepped in front of her, blocking her view.
"From now on," he said quietly, "focus on running your gallery."
"Don't get involved with people like him."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"You could ruin your life."
"I'll have someone escort you home."
Once Vanessa was safely gone, Ethan turned and walked back inside the restaurant.
Fisk was lying on the floor.
His face was bruised and covered in blood.
Ethan glanced toward the towering figure standing nearby.
"Blonsky," he asked calmly. "You didn't kill him, did you?"
Blonsky was already pulling on a spare set of clothes.
"Don't worry, sir," he replied. "He only broke a few bones."
There was simply no avoiding it.
Transforming into a massive monster might be common in this world, but the Hulk's pants were still a rare commodity.
Terrified by the creature he had just faced, Fisk asked with a trembling voice.
"Who… who are you people?"
His eyes shifted between Ethan and Blonsky.
"How can you control a monster like that?"
Ethan looked down at him calmly.
"Did you think I was joking earlier?" he said. "When I talked about destroying and rebuilding this city?"
He turned slightly.
"Blonsky," he ordered.
"Take him."
Outside the restaurant, police sirens echoed across the entire city.
—
Ten minutes earlier.
The New York Police Commissioner had received a joint phone call from the Mayor and the Attorney General.
During the call he was informed about Fisk's planned operation for that night.
He was ordered to immediately recall all officers and mobilize every available resource in the city.
The mayor also informed him that one hundred special security personnel would be assisting the police.
The commissioner understood exactly what that meant.
He was one of the mayor's trusted allies and already knew about the existence of the enhanced soldiers.
Although the NYPD had planned to recruit fifty enhanced operatives in the future, the personnel selection and funding allocation had not yet been finalized.
But tonight those soldiers were already in action.
After the explosions began, the entire city fell into chaos.
Hell's Kitchen became a battlefield.
Many gangs suffered massive losses from the explosions.
Before they could even react, they were ambushed by fighters secretly deployed by Bullseye. These attackers disguised themselves as members of rival gangs and opened fire.
The entire situation exploded like a kicked hornet's nest.
Not a single innocent person remained on the streets.
Vehicles packed with gang members raced through the neighborhood while gunfire echoed in every direction.
On a rooftop overlooking the streets, Daredevil watched the chaos unfold.
The sight nearly made him collapse in panic.
Under these conditions his abilities were completely insufficient.
Every gang member on the street was heavily armed. He had barely moved half a block before a stray bullet struck his knee.
With a dull thud he collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately help arrived at that exact moment.
The enhanced soldiers entered the battlefield.
They wore full-body armor painted with police insignia. Bullets hitting their armor felt like nothing more than gentle taps.
Their coordination was terrifying.
Some units laid down suppressive fire while others charged forward aggressively. Several teams specialized in close combat and neutralized enemies with ruthless efficiency.
Daredevil stared at the scene in disbelief.
Am I dreaming?
Am I crazy?
Or has the world gone insane?
Where did these people come from?
One hundred enhanced soldiers, divided into ten teams, swept through the streets like a storm.
Police vehicles rushed in behind them.
Arrested gang members were loaded directly into trucks and transported to Ryker's Island prison because the police stations simply couldn't hold them all.
The number of criminals arrested that night equaled what the NYPD would normally capture over half a year.
But the enhanced soldiers weren't the only ones involved.
Wolverine, Colossus, and several others were conducting targeted capture operations. In a single night they arrested more than twenty gang leaders.
Within hours the underground criminal world of New York suffered devastating losses.
Several gangs nearly collapsed entirely.
The Hand was also targeted.
Madam Gao was captured and interrogated, eventually revealing the involvement of Botu and Murakami.
After learning the truth, Colleen chose justice over loyalty.
Together with Iron Fist, Frank, and others, they destroyed a major branch of the Hand.
Later that night they launched another attack and eliminated the Murakami faction as well.
—
When dawn finally arrived, New York slowly returned to calm.
Early commuters heading to work had no idea that the city's underworld had undergone massive changes overnight.
Television broadcasts and newspapers reported only one story.
The New York Police Department had successfully carried out a carefully planned operation that wiped out numerous criminal gangs in a single night.
The explosions—and the casualties they caused—were quietly ignored.
.....
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