"Sean, be careful. Those two might still be alive."
On the rooftop of the opposite building, an adorable little girl in a purple wig and tight-fitting suit spoke into her communicator. The recoil from the rocket launcher had nearly knocked her over, and her shoulder still ached.
<...I knew I shouldn't have brought you along...>
a frustrated voice replied through the comms.
Originally, Sean had planned to infiltrate Kingpin's high-rise apartment alone and take down the crime lord who secretly ruled New York's underworld.
But Mindy had discovered his plan...
The violence-obsessed little girl had thrown a tantrum, insisting on joining the operation.
After some consideration, Sean had reluctantly agreed... not just because her puppy-dog eyes and endless chatter wore him down, but also because Mindy herself was a formidable fighter.
Beneath her cute and innocent facade was 'Hit-Girl', a ruthless killing machine forged by brutal training.
<...Plan A failed. Execute Plan B...>
Sean's voice was calm as he moved through Kingpin's penthouse. He continued:
<...Mindy, how long until Kingpin's reinforcements arrive?>
"I cut power to the elevators. You've got about ten minutes." The little girl was surprisingly reliable in critical moments.
<...That's plenty of time. Jam the building's surveillance. Let's give Mr. Kingpin an… unexpected surprise...>
.....
Inside the 'luxurious' apartment, chaos reigned...
Glass shards littered the floor, thick smoke filled the air, and flames licked at bookshelves and carpets.
Covered in dust, the crime lord crawled out from under a desk. The rocket's blast had been devastating... yet, it seemed to have done little more than inconvenience him.
"It's been a while since I've had this kind of excitement…" Kingpin licked his lips, his deceptively gentle face twisting into a bloodthirsty grin.
The massive crime lord shrugged off his ruined white suit, his bald head coated in ash.
Since becoming the ruler of Hell's Kitchen, no one had dared to assassinate him... It wasn't just out of fear of his brutal reprisals, but because every faction that had tried had lost countless men in the process.
Kingpin wasn't just a crime boss. He was a 'monster' in human skin.
"Bullseye. You alive?" Kingpin gripped his cane knowing his top enforcer wouldn't die so easily.
A faint rustling came from the fireplace. The black-clad assassin crawled out, his face smeared with soot and looking far worse than his boss.
"Someone sent us a 'present', boss," Bullseye spat, his voice dripping with murderous intent.
"A rocket isn't enough... There'll be gunmen next... maybe a squad of mercenaries fresh from the Middle East." Kingpin's tone was eerily calm.
As the ruler of New York's underworld, he'd weathered countless storms. A single attack didn't faze him.
If anything, he was excited..
By morning, the Hudson River would be littered with corpses, and all of New York would remember the terror of the name Kingpin.
'Just a little game to pass the time...' he mused.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Against all odds, the apartment door (untouched by the explosion) was suddenly rapped upon.
A young voice called from outside, "Delivery for Mr. Wilson Fisk. Please sign for it."
Kingpin and Bullseye exchanged glances as their muscles tensed.
A second later, the heavy door slammed open.
A shadowy figure burst in, moving with lethal precision.
Bullseye reacted instantly and hurled two razor-sharp throwing stars; one aimed at the intruder's throat, the other at his eye.
At the same time, Kingpin lunged forward. His massive frame moved with terrifying speed as his weighted cane swung like a sledgehammer.
The black-clad intruder (Sean) dodged the projectiles with inhuman reflexes, but Kingpin's cane came down like a thunderbolt.
Had it connected, the young man's skull would have exploded like a watermelon.
In less than ten seconds, Sean found himself under relentless assault from two of Hell's Kitchen's deadliest killers.
He had to admit, Kingpin was stronger than he'd anticipated.
No wonder even heroes like Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man struggled against him... The crime lord's raw power rivaled that of superhumans...
Sean's pupils contracted.
The energy stored in his body surged like a raging river, microscopic particles ignited every cell and sharpened his reflexes to inhuman levels.
He moved...
His body blurred, dodging Kingpin's crushing strike. The cane smashed into a bookshelf, sending paper fragments flying like snow.
A throwing knife streaked toward Sean's chest, Bullseye's attack perfectly timed to cut off his escape. At the same moment, Kingpin swung again, his cane crackling with electricity this time.
This wasn't just a walking stick, it was a high-tech weapon capable of lasers, poison darts, smoke screens, and stunning shocks.
Bullseye and Kingpin smirked. Their teamwork was flawless. Together, they had slaughtered mercenaries, ninjas, and assassins. No enemy had ever survived their combined assault.
That was why Kingpin hadn't fled.
They were the most dangerous monsters in Hell's Kitchen. Why would they fear some pathetic assassin?
"DIE!" Kingpin roared, his voice shaking the walls.
His massive body charged like a freight train, while Bullseye's cold gaze locked onto Sean like a snake eyeing its prey.
Caught between them, Sean showed no panic.
To him, the knife aimed at his heart and the electrified cane swinging toward his skull might as well not exist at all...