The news of Kingpin's death initially sent massive shockwaves through Hell's Kitchen...
The crime lord who had controlled countless gangs and ruled New York's underworld had inexplicably died just like that.
Whether it was the Japanese Hand, the Russian Mafia, or the Mexican drug Cartels, none could believe it at first...
However, the chaos they had anticipated did not materialize...
James Wesley, Kingpin's personal assistant, was the first to step forward and quickly gained support from many... though there were naturally dissenters...
However, those who voiced opposition mysteriously vanished without a trace soon after.
Just like that, the seemingly refined personal assistant became the inheritor of Kingpin's vast empire...
What followed was a series of asset reorganizations and business redistributions. Wesley, who had already been managing these affairs for Kingpin, handled everything with remarkable efficiency.
In record time, he severed all ties between the illegal operations and the legitimate front companies.
In other words, Mr. Wesley had successfully laundered himself, emerging as a wealthy new tycoon with a clean slate.
As for the other gangs that had hoped to seize control of Hell's Kitchen in the aftermath, Wesley negotiated deals that handed over the highly profitable drug and smuggling businesses to the Hand and other factions.
Peace was restored without the expected bloodshed or gang wars. Hell's Kitchen continued along its usual trajectory...
...
"The Hellfire Club... A fitting name."
Hooded, Sean stood at the entrance of a nightclub, its neon sign depicting a vividly burning flame.
"Hey, kid–"
The burly bouncer at the door moved to stop the young boy who looked like a college student, but he froze under Sean's icy gaze.
"Show some respect. I'm your boss's boss."Sean stepped past the stunned bouncer and into the pulsating nightclub.
A wall of deafening sound crashed over him, the bass vibrating through the floor. Under the dizzying strobe lights, lonely, hollow men and women swayed to the music and lost themselves in the rhythm.
On stage, a trendy DJ kept the crowd's energy at a fever pitch.
The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and pheromones, a breeding ground for sin and desire.
Scanning the room, Sean noted that aside from the revelers, the club was also filled with drug dealers peddling their wares and scantily clad escorts.
These were the people who truly made up Hell's Kitchen's underbelly...
"Now this is the real world..." With a small sigh, Sean followed a waiter's directions to a luxurious private booth on the second floor.
Soundproofed, it was completely insulated from the noise outside.
"You're a hard man to get ahold of, Mr. Wesley." Sean lowered his hood, revealing his youthful face.
"Boss, you're joking. If you hadn't insisted on staying hidden, it would be you sitting here right now."
The refined man hurriedly poured a glass of premium red wine and offered a cigar, "The best of the best. Care for some?"
Sean waved him off, "You've done well. We don't need to rely on illegal businesses for profit. Let the other gangs fight over them... Daredevil and the Punisher will deal with them eventually..."
"...Eighty percent of Hell's Kitchen's real estate is already under our name, along with Manhattan's commercial districts. That's more than enough to keep the company running."
Wesley nodded, his gaze lingering on his new boss's young face. It was surreal... this harmless-looking college kid had single-handedly killed Kingpin and Bullseye, elevating 'him' to power in Hell's Kitchen.
"What about Mr. Leland? Any issues there?"
Leland, another of Kingpin's inner circle, was a financial expert who managed the books and business dealings.
"Smart men know how to adapt. And I'm very good at solving problems." Sean's faint smile made Wesley instinctively straighten his posture.
He was smart enough to understand exactly how his boss "solved" problems.
"I don't need you to be Hell's Kitchen's new Kingpin, not yet. Let the gangs fight and scramble. When the time comes to stop playing nice, we'll sweep them all aside in one move. Then, you'll become the second Kingpin..."
"...The new ruler of Hell's Kitchen. The new emperor of New York's underworld." The young boy spoke casually, but the future he painted was enough to make Wesley's blood race.
Most could only dream of such power.
Suppressing his excitement, Wesley replied calmly, "All of this belongs to you, Boss."
Sean neither confirmed nor denied it.
Ambitious men were predictable, he wasn't worried about betrayal. Wesley had seen firsthand how even a titan like Kingpin had fallen. As long as he remembered that, he wouldn't make any stupid decisions.
"I'll be busy for a while. If anything urgent comes up, you know how to reach me."
After watching the debauchery below for a while, Sean prepared to leave. A certain little girl was waiting for him at home.
Kingpin's wealth and empire were merely the first stepping stone. Sean had no interest in ruling the underworld... shadow power would always pale in comparison to giants like Stark Industries or organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D.
With Connors' funding secured, Oscorp was next. By now, the Green Goblin and Spider-Man were likely headed for their final confrontation.
After all, Norman Osborn hadn't been seen in public for weeks. The super-soldier serum had clearly taken full control, and the Green Goblin's dark persona was now dominant.
'Should be quite a show...'
...
Exiting the club, Sean glanced once more at the flaming sign...
The Hellfire Club reminded him of the mutants, though now wasn't the time to engage with them. Until he could defend against Professor X's telepathy, it was better to keep his distance.
"Kingpin, Norman Osborn... Who's next?" Running through the cards in his hand, Sean felt a surge of satisfaction.
He was growing stronger at an astonishing rate. By the time the age of superheroes truly arrived, he would already be standing at the forefront.
In a world this dangerous and exhilarating, why would he settle for watching from the sidelines?
He would control his own destiny... and everyone else's.
"The Hellfire Club... Interesting."
The transmigrator's eyes gleamed with dark ambition as he vanished into the night...
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