Under the cover of night, Sean quietly slipped back into his apartment through the window...
He removed the hooded sweatshirt that had concealed his identity, along with the bulletproof vest and tactical knife, then he lay on his bed deep in thought.
Tonight, he had visited James Wesley, Kingpin's personal assistant and one of the crime lord's most trusted confidants.
He had deliberately crafted an air of mystery, presenting himself as an unpredictable enigma to keep Wesley off-balance.
Smart people tended to overanalyze, and that was exactly what Sean wanted. He needed to erode the fear and awe that Kingpin inspired in his subordinates.
Sean had no interest in becoming the new crime lord of New York. He only wanted to use Kingpin's wealth to take the first step toward his grand ambitions.
And taking over Hell's Kitchen? That could come later...
To make a smart man betray his boss, you had to first awaken the desire buried deep within him.
Ambition was an instinct everyone was born with... most people just disguised it as noble ideals or unwavering conviction.
Wesley was a capable and intelligent man. Such men were rarely content with what they had because they believed they 'deserved' more; higher status, greater wealth, more power.
Human greed was a bottomless abyss... It was impossible to fill.
Would a random stranger spouting insane boasts really make Wesley suddenly turn on his boss, the infamous Kingpin?
Even with the strongest 'main character halo', that was simply impossible...
Sean's goal was simply to plant a seed of ambition in Wesley's mind... If Kingpin really falls, who should inherit his empire?
Sean had never believed in absolute loyalty. Everyone had a price, it just depended on whether you could afford it.
Kingpin presented himself as a philanthropist and socialite, often funding young people from Hell's Kitchen to help them complete their education.
Those who benefited usually ended up working for his companies, effectively becoming part of New York's largest criminal organization.
Wesley was one such success story... A bright young law graduate who had transformed from a promising legal mind into Kingpin's personal assistant and managing the crime lord's various businesses.
His life was practically a legend...
Perhaps Kingpin believed he had given Wesley enough. But Wesley might not see it that way...
'After all, who wouldn't want to climb higher?'
"That lawyer who likes to go out at night should thank me. I'm about to solve a big problem for him," Sean murmured, hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
Sometimes when he looked in the mirror, he barely recognized himself.
Since arriving in this world, he had gained power beyond ordinary comprehension, and he was still growing stronger bit by bit.
He could kill threatening gangsters without flinching. To achieve his goals, he was willing to use underhanded methods... like leaking information about Oscorp and the Green Goblin, or manipulating Dr. Connors into perfecting the decay rate algorithm.
He wasn't sure if this change was good or bad. But he had chosen this path, and he would walk it unflinchingly. Any obstacle in his way would either be crushed underfoot or kicked aside.
Gradually, the young man's eyes hardened with resolve...
This wasn't a world where normal or 'good' people survived. When villains tried to destroy the world, or when aliens invaded, no one would spare you just because you had high moral standards.
"The world isn't kind. It's dangerous and cruel," Sean whispered before drifting into sleep...
.....
~The Next Night~
A massive figure stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, his bald head gleaming under the dim light...
Dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, he wore a genial smile that belied his true nature. It was hard to imagine this seemingly amiable giant was the feared crime lord known as Kingpin...
"Bullseye, did you know my father was a despicable drunk?" Kingpin mused, fingers brushing his cufflinks, "He'd come home wasted and take his anger out on my mother and me..."
"...Once, I was bullied at school. When my father found out, he dragged me to confront the boy. He grabbed him and told me, 'Only when your fists are strong enough will people fear you.' So I beat that bully until he bled. When his blood splattered on my face, I realized something... violence is intoxicating, just like liquor..."
"...That's the only thing that drunk ever taught me." Kingpin's smile faded, replaced by the ruthless aura of a crime emperor, "Money and power can make men kneel, but only 'fear' keeps them there..."
"...I vowed to become the man with the hardest fists. So I joined the underworld. "
"Boss, you rule all of New York's underworld. Who doesn't fear you?" A lean man in a black trench coat and tight leather pants flattered.
His forehead bore a bullseye tattoo, and his eyes gleamed with cruelty.
This was Bullseye, one of Kingpin's most trusted enforcers, a deadly assassin with an unnatural talent for precision throws...
[Images Here...]
Cards, toothpicks, darts, and the like... in his hands, anything could become a lethal weapon.
"Why didn't you finish off Daredevil last time?" Kingpin asked.
He rarely tolerated failure.
"Some skull-printed bastard saved him," Bullseye growled.
"The Punisher… Hell's Kitchen is getting more interesting."
Daredevil was a recent nuisance, a red-suited vigilante who had disrupted several of Kingpin's operations last month.
The financial losses meant nothing, but the crime lord could not tolerate defiance.
As for the Punisher? He was even worse. Criminals who crossed his path didn't survive. Skilled with firearms and likely ex-military, he was now the NYPD's most wanted.
"Find out who Daredevil is," Kingpin ordered as a cruel smirk formed on his lips, "I want to play with him slowly."
He had broken many self-righteous men before. They all knelt in the end and begging for mercy... abandoning their so-called principles.
'Money bends backs. Power bows heads. But only violence makes the powerful tremble...'
Kingpin gazed triumphantly at Hell's Kitchen, the once-notorious slum now under his rule...
Casinos, nightclubs, hotels... all his.
Gangsters, enforcers, drug dealers... all his to command.
He was the shadow ruler of this city, equal to the elite who walked in daylight.
Just as the crime lord basked in his dominance, a tiny flicker of light appeared outside the window.
It grew... Fast–
"Boss, look out—!" Bullseye's warning came a split second too late.
Kingpin's eyes widened as his massive 450-pound frame moved with surprising speed, diving aside just as the 'rocket' struck.
*BOOOM!*
The explosion shattered the bulletproof glass, sending deadly shrapnel flying.
The blast wave tore through the room incinerating priceless carpets, oil paintings, and an exquisite liquor cabinet.
Flames licked at leather sofas and hardwood floors, devouring everything in their path.
The attack had begun...
~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~
~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~
Read ahead on my P@treon...
p@treon.com/MayaMatengele01