"You, the bald one—just standing there, swinging for ages and no one's dead yet. And you, fat guy, watch your left. I said, watch your damn left!"
Alex Ray shouted with enthusiasm as he commented on the brawl erupting between the residents of Hell's Kitchen and the assassins sent by Marquis Vincent de Gramont.
Suddenly, a flash of steel arced toward him. Reflexes kicking in, Alex jumped backward, narrowly evading the sudden sword strike.
Landing with practiced ease, he planted his right foot and launched a powerful kick toward his attacker.
Hearing the whoosh of air, the man instinctively raised his cane-sword to block, deflecting the blow before retreating to a safer distance.
Alex finally got a good look at the one who had ambushed him.
"No way… Master Ye of Ping Pong Ding Dong Clan?!" Alex blurted out in disbelief.
The face was unmistakably Japanese—one Alex remembered vividly from his past life.
But instead of the traditional garments from the Republic era, the man wore a tailored suit, black sunglasses, and held a specialized cane that concealed a hidden blade—the very weapon used in the sneak attack.
Seeing such a distinct and serious Japanese face stirred something deep in Alex. Though he'd come across many familiar faces since arriving in this new universe, this one hit differently.
"My name's not Master Ye—you've got the wrong guy. I'm Caine. Or Kane, if you prefer," the man replied with a simple smile.
"I'm a friend of John Wick. I'm here to find him," Kane added.
"You're not working for the Marquis?" Alex asked, intrigued. There was something about Kane that put him at ease—maybe it was the familiar face, or perhaps the lack of hostility.
"I'm not with him," Kane replied calmly. "But I was sent by him. That said, I'm not planning to kill John today. Why don't we both call for a ceasefire? This fight benefits no one. And besides, the cops should be arriving any minute now."
With that, Kane slid the sword back into his cane, signaling peace.
Alex scanned the area. The chaos had drawn enough attention already. Besides, there was another blind man watching closely.
"Alright. You tell the Marquis's dogs to stand down, and I'll calm my people," Alex agreed.
Both men then began signaling to their respective sides.
Gradually, the clamor subsided. Weapons were lowered.
Still, one man from Hell's Kitchen spoke up, voice full of resentment. "You tell us to stop and we stop? Who the hell made you boss?"
Alex's expression darkened. He met the man's glare with a cold, unwavering stare—the kind that made lesser men tremble.
"You wanna fight? Fight me. And don't forget whose turf this is. Disobey me, and I'll have Kingpin's crew knocking on your door by tomorrow."
He raised his voice. "That's it. Anyone who took a hit today, go see Kingpin at the Fisk Building—he'll cover your damages. Now get lost and go home. Everyone will be compensated."
Grumbling but knowing better than to defy him, the Hell's Kitchen crew dispersed.
On the other side, Kane gestured for the assassins to withdraw.
One of the hit squad leaders sneered at Alex as he left. "The Marquis won't forget this. You dare block the High Table's mission…"
Alex smirked. "Get ready for Hell's Kitchen's revenge."
Moments later, NYPD sirens pierced the air as officers swarmed the scene—late, as always.
Several officers approached Alex and Kane. Leading them was none other than Police Chief George Stacy, cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Quite the party tonight. RPGs and heavy machine guns? Try to keep it quiet, Alex."
Clearly, they were on familiar terms.
"Nothing major, Chief. You know how it is—Hell's Kitchen. Just another accidental discharge," Alex replied without a shred of shame.
George exhaled a puff of smoke, clearly unimpressed. "You're putting me in a tough spot, Alex. I've gotta arrest someone, or the media will blow this up. 'Terrorist warfare in Hell's Kitchen' is tomorrow's headline."
Alex pointed toward the scattered corpses on the street. "No one left to arrest. These were all High Table assassins. Take them, file your report, spin your story however you want."
George frowned. "Still tough to sell, unless…"
"Half a million," Alex cut in smoothly. "The station in Hell's Kitchen looks like crap. Renovate it."
George nodded, already walking off. "These High Table bastards had the nerve to mess with Hell's Kitchen. Our brave NYPD gunned them all down in defense of the city. Grab the bodies and move out!"
Kane chuckled from the side. "Hell's Kitchen sure has its own… charm."
Alex stretched. "Alright, come on. I'll take you to see John."
He led Kane to the apartment elevator, then opened the door to his unit.
"Long time no see, Kane," Marcus greeted warmly, clearly recognizing him.
John Wick wasn't as thrilled. "So you're here to kill me too?"
"I don't want to kill you," Kane said with a sigh. "But the Marquis is using my daughter as leverage."
Alex's eyes narrowed, thoughts racing.
"Tell me everything. If I can save your daughter, you stay here in Hell's Kitchen," Alex said quickly. Something about Kane's presence struck a chord—he didn't want to lose this familiar face.
Kane didn't hesitate. "If you save her, I'll do whatever you ask—so long as it's not illegal."
John and Marcus both stepped forward, solemn. "Thank you, Alex. We owe you."
Ding.
A familiar system chime echoed in Alex's mind.
"Congratulations: Marcus's favorability raised to five stars."
"New attribute acquired: Sniper Mastery Lv5."
"Merge attribute?"
"Congratulations: John Wick added as a friend."
"New attribute acquired: Luck Protagonist Lv1."
"John Wick favorability raised to two stars."
"New attribute acquired: Firearms Mastery Lv10."
"Merge attribute?"
"Merging now…"
Alex nearly laughed aloud. So far, he'd only acquired one special power.
But even with basic attributes, integrating them made him a top-tier combatant.
Add in his red light power, and he was now on the edge of becoming something far more dangerous.
Even a Level 1 Luck Protagonist buff made a difference. After all, John Wick had taken on armies across four movies with just that kind of fate. In the future, bullets would have no choice but to dodge him.
"The situation's under control—for now," Alex said, addressing the group. "Rest here. I'll handle what comes next."
Then he turned to Marcus. "Take good care of your old friend."
He faced Kane. "You go back to the Marquis. I'll send someone to get your daughter. Wait for my signal. For now, I'll let you catch up with the past."
Without another word, Alex walked off—already planning his next move.
Hell's Kitchen wasn't done yet.
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Caine (John Wick Universe) --->
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