"Underground forces are indeed a step behind formal security companies when it comes to combat," Daniel Davis remarked, perceiving the massacre Yakushiji Ryouko was unleashing outside. He glanced at James Wesley, who still sat there, calm and confident, and couldn't help but smile at him.
Wesley's confidence likely stemmed from the number of men he had outside. Unfortunately for him, this warehouse contained only twenty-two people aside from Wesley himself. Judging by the setup, this place seemed to be one of Wilson Fisk's hidden strongholds, likely reserved for kidnappings and similar activities.
Wesley didn't realize that his men, both in terms of skills and weaponry, were vastly outclassed by Ryouko's two maids. But then again, these were just underground thugs, thinking a gun made them formidable. Little did they know that a weapon's power depends on the hands that wield it.
Moreover, Wesley's men were primarily equipped with pistols, while the maids were heavily armed with grenades, smoke bombs, and electronic pulse devices. From the beginning, Wesley had lost communication with his men outside.
Soon, the twenty-two men guarding the perimeter fell at the hands of the maids. The gunfire outside was merely a ruse; one maid was firing to create noise, while the other stealthily approached Daniel Davis and James Wesley's location.
"It seems I underestimated you," said Wesley, a smart man as Fisk's right-hand. Realizing something was wrong, he quickly pulled a pistol from his pocket and pointed it at Daniel.
The reason for Wesley's suspicion was simple: the constant gunfire outside, but not a single one of his men had shown up. With phone service down, his men should have barged in to check on him, yet no one came.
"Smart, but unfortunately for you, you've realized too late." Just as Daniel spoke, Wesley tried to respond, but a gunshot rang out. The pistol flew from Wesley's right hand, and a dark-skinned, short-haired, fully armed maid walked in.
Wesley didn't scream, even though his hand was wounded; he merely stared at the maid, silent and intense.
"Don't worry. Your boss Fisk will soon join you," Daniel said, stepping forward to pick up the discarded pistol. Aiming at Wesley, he fired three quick shots into Wesley's chest, ending it cleanly.
One of the maids looked at Daniel in surprise, not expecting him to eliminate Wesley so decisively.
"Where's your mistress?" Daniel asked, tossing the pistol aside.
"You knew we were following you?" The maid glanced at the pistol on the ground and responded with a question.
Daniel just smiled mysteriously in reply.
"Marianne," called another maid who entered from outside. She surveyed the scene, shot Daniel a glance, then switched to French.
After exchanging a few brief words in French, the two maids led Daniel out of the warehouse. Daniel left first with the second maid, while Marianne remained in the warehouse to clean up the scene and collect the pistol Daniel had tossed aside.
"Meeting again, huh," Daniel said when he met Ryouko Yakushiji in a well-appointed villa. Her family seemed to reside in New York, though in three different places.
"I guess I misjudged you. No wonder my warning didn't concern you at all. Still, it's their fault for not researching your identity. If they had, perhaps they wouldn't have dared to strike."
Her words hinted that Ryouko had learned who Daniel truly was. While she may not know his superhero identity, her family must have uncovered his connection to FeiFei Corporation.
"Not necessarily. Whether they strike depends only on the value of their goals."
"True. Some people are so ruthless for profit, they'll even use such despicable tactics." Ryouko's expression showed disdain, surprising Daniel.
"Does my saying this surprise you?"
"No. Even though I didn't need your help to escape this time, I appreciate it nonetheless." Daniel paused, took out his phone, tapped a few times, and showed Ryouko the screen.
"I don't like owing favors. You recognize this person, don't you?" Displayed on his phone was a young man spotted the previous night aiding some ninjas outside his residence.
Ryouko looked at the young man on the screen, visibly surprised. "Yes, I know him. Why?"
"He came with some people from the Tsukuyomi Association last night and gathered outside my place. I think you understand what that implies."
"Ah, so it was him. That explains why he's been so well-informed lately. Thanks for the heads-up."
"No problem. Since it's all settled, I have some business to take care of. I'll take my leave." Daniel got ready to leave. After all, Fisk would pay for meddling, and so would Madame Gao.
"It's already mealtime. No need to rush. Marianne and the others are preparing food, and I have a few questions to ask, about addc9."
Hearing Ryouko mention addc9, Daniel decided to stay. Although his recent paper on the topic had garnered significant attention, he couldn't stop others from advancing it if they insisted. But Ryouko was different.
The Yakushiji family wielded significant power in Japan, and from her comments, she clearly found this matter disturbing. It was best to let her family handle it.
"So, the side effects are fatal? Why didn't you mention this in your paper?" Ryouko asked, shocked by Daniel's explanation of addc9's real dangers.
"It's just a theory, albeit one I'm confident in. They haven't disclosed addc9's full formula, so without concrete evidence, I couldn't publicly state it causes death."
"One moment." Ryouko got up and left the room, returning shortly with a file. "These are cases from Kamurocho in recent years. Each victim's eyes were removed. Do you think this could be related to addc9?"
The file contained numerous photos of people from all age groups, all missing their eyes. Kamurocho was where addc9's research lab was located, and they were expanding it, likely hoping for its success to increase the area's value significantly.
"If addc9's side effect is indeed fatal, then these people might have been test subjects." Daniel reasoned. In the Marvel universe, human experimentation was disturbingly common, especially by groups focused solely on results, regardless of lives lost.
However, modern technology left trails, even in cases where victims were fringe figures. In a world where serial killers had been caught targeting the lower classes, missing persons would still draw attention.
"Well, they certainly chose their targets wisely, mostly marginal figures or members of the Yakuza." Deaths like these wouldn't prompt the police to investigate thoroughly, and if the organization had ties within the police, it would make things even easier.
"Destroying evidence isn't easy in today's world. The lack of bodies could sometimes be even more suspicious than finding them," Daniel added. In a highly surveilled society, disappearing without a trace was harder than ever, even for groups like the Tsukuyomi Association and Hand.
"If these were addc9 test subjects, removing their eyes likely prevents detection. It's possible addc9 affects the eyes in a unique way. Sadly, without actual samples, I can't confirm this," Daniel speculated.
"Samples, hmm?" Ryouko nodded thoughtfully.
Just then, her maids entered with the meal. Their culinary skills rivaled those of professional chefs. Despite their maid role, they seemed more like trusted bodyguards.
"This dinner's barely peaceful," Ryouko murmured as two of her maids abruptly rose, sensing danger. They quickly armed themselves while Daniel's enhanced senses detected people surrounding the villa.
"Well, that saves me the trouble of finding her," Daniel remarked. Gao's failure to seize him had prompted Madame Gao to dispatch highly-trained ninjas this time, all wielding firearms.
The ninjas attacked with far more skill and equipment than Wesley's thugs, creating a formidable assault. But Ryouko's villa was well-fortified, and her maids were able to hold off the attackers for now.
Ryouko appeared unfazed, still calmly eating. Daniel was even less concerned.
Under normal circumstances, her two maids would be enough to fend off the intruders until the police arrived. As an Interpol agent, Ryouko had already called for backup.
But the balance shifted when Madame Gao joined the fray. Moving with surprising agility for someone appearing so old and frail, she closed in on one maid during a reload and struck her down with her cane.
The other maid tried to warn Ryouko but was too late. Gao destroyed her radio with a single strike and knocked her away.
"Marianne, Lucienne, are you all right?" Ryouko's calm demeanor broke as her maids, covered in blood, staggered into the hall. She rushed over to check on them with concern.
The maids, though called as such, were Ryouko's childhood friends and close companions.
"Long time no see, Miss Yakushiji," Madame Gao greeted as she entered, leaving the ninjas outside to secure the perimeter.
"So it's you. I didn't expect you to be in league with her."
"Miss Yakushiji, I didn't wish to offend you, but you shouldn't have interfered in this matter." Gao glanced over at Daniel, who continued eating. Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip on her cane.
Caution had always been Gao's key to survival. The only people who would behave so casually in such situations were fools or those with absolute confidence. And Daniel was certainly no fool.
"Madame Gao, I didn't come looking for
trouble, but you just had to seek it out. There's an old saying: 'Heaven may forgive, but self-made disaster is inescapable,'" Daniel said, standing up with a nearby knife in hand.
"Who exactly are you? You seem to know me well."
"As one of the Five Fingers of the Hand, why wouldn't I? And you're from K'un-Lun." As soon as Daniel said that, Madame Gao spun and dashed for the exit, moving even faster than she had when dealing with the maids.
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