"Boss, Bullseye reporting in. You want me to take these two out? I can have their heads gift-wrapped in ten seconds."
Bullseye stood grinning, twin daggers pressed against Gambit and Ariel's throats. His muscles tensed like a coiled spring, eyes glinting with sadistic joy.
Kingpin—Jugor—raised a hand lazily. "No. They paid upfront. That makes them business partners. Temporary ones."
His presence filled the room like a storm cloud. Even Quicksilver, who'd faced gods and lived, felt the pressure. Sweat trickled down Ariel's temple as Jugor stepped between them like a walking wall. He patted Quicksilver's shoulder with the weight of a sledgehammer.
"See? I'm reasonable. My boy here's laced with Adamantium under the skin—never missed a kill in his life."
Quicksilver forced a grin. "Wouldn't dream of doubting you, boss."
Behind him, Gambit's jaw tightened, and Ariel looked ready to bolt. Quicksilver caught their eyes and subtly shook his head. Not here. Not now.
"Jugor," he said, tone shifting cold. "The target's Ryuuto and that girl beside him. Take their heads, and Magneto will double your cut."
For a second, Jugor was silent. Then he burst into laughter, shoving an entire chicken leg into his mouth. He crunched through the bone like candy.
"No deal."
The single phrase hit like a bomb. Bullseye immediately stepped back, holstering his blades, though his smirk didn't fade. Gambit and Ariel let out the breaths they'd been holding, still pale.
Jugor didn't care. He wiped his greasy fingers on a hundred-dollar bill and waved it dismissively.
"You want two heads? That's another box of cash. And if they bring backup, you pay by the body count."
"What?" Quicksilver's expression cracked. Gambit nearly exploded. "You're bleeding us dry, you bastard!"
Jugor's smile didn't even twitch. "You mutants are rolling in Magneto's gold. Don't whine about pocket change."
Bullseye stepped forward, daggers flashing again. "You got a problem, card-boy? We can settle it right now."
"Say that again, you freak—!"
Quicksilver threw out an arm before Gambit could lunge. "Enough." His tone was sharp, forced calm. "Boss Jugor's terms are acceptable. Ariel—pay the man."
Ariel hesitated, then handed over another case of cash. Jugor's grin widened. "Pleasure doing business."
As the three mutants turned to leave, Jugor's eyes darkened, the humor draining from his face. The room's temperature seemed to drop.
"Boss," Bullseye murmured, spinning a dagger on his finger, "want me to move?"
Jugor nodded. "Take some of the skilled ones. This job's tricky."
Bullseye smirked. "Don't worry. I'll bring that brat Ryuuto—and Spider-Man's pretty little corpse—back here myself."
In a blink, he was gone, the prison falling silent once more.
[Ding! A-rank Mission Activated: Survive the Assassin's Ambush. Rewards will scale with performance.]
Ryuuto froze mid-spar with Gwen as the notification echoed in his mind. His pulse quickened, excitement glinting behind his smirk.
"Heh. Someone's got the guts to target me now? Guess I'm moving up in the world."
[You're way too happy about this, Host. Try not to die, okay?]
"Relax, Shion. I'll make this quick."
He turned to Gwen. "Heads up. Trouble's coming."
Before Gwen could reply, a sharp whoosh sliced the air—something flickered past, glinting in the moonlight.
It struck a wall of sand that materialized just in time, scattering with a hiss.
"Cards?" Ryuuto bent down, picking up the projectile. His grin widened. "Tch. I thought it was Gambit himself dropping by to die."
"Ryuuto, enemy contact?" Gwen asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yeah," he said, stepping forward. "Stay sharp."
Shadows stirred outside the villa. A dozen figures burst out—masked criminals armed with blades and clubs.
"Target located! Take them down!"
"Trash mobs first, huh?" Ryuuto scoffed.
Before he could move, Gwen shot forward. Her fists blurred. One, two, three—every attacker hit the ground before they could even blink. She sealed them in webs without breaking a sweat.
Ryuuto cracked his neck, smirking at the carnage. "Guess the warm-up's over."