The storm outside still raged when Kingpin's butler returned to the dimly lit penthouse. Lightning flashed against the massive glass window, painting the room in pale white light.
Kingpin stood in silence, cigar glowing between his thick fingers. His broad shoulders seemed carved out of stone, his golden scepter leaning against the polished marble floor beside him.
The butler bowed deeply.
"Sir, our investigation is complete," he began, his voice trembling. "We've discovered the group responsible."
Kingpin's expression didn't change. "Speak."
"It's an organization called the A.M.E.S. Guard," the butler replied. "They're the ones behind the destruction of your affiliated gangs."
Kingpin's brow furrowed, smoke curling around his face. "A.M.E.S. Guard? I've heard whispers about them."
"Yes, sir. Based on what our sources uncovered, A.M.E.S. is a joint project between Vanderbuilt Technologies and the New York Police Department."
The butler's pale smile gleamed in the darkness. "But that's not all. There are hints of military involvement as well."
---
Kingpin exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "Vanderbuilt Technologies…" he muttered.
He had heard that name before—a rising tech conglomerate responsible for creating the latest line of robotic assistants and industrial AI units. Their reach had grown rapidly in recent years, often crossing paths with both legitimate industries and the criminal underworld.
Now, it seemed, they had crossed a line.
"A newly funded tech company… daring to interfere with my business?" Kingpin's voice was calm, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
He crushed the cigar in the ashtray. "They've forgotten who runs this city."
He turned to his butler.
"Send out the order," he commanded coldly. "I want every contact and every ally watching Vanderbuilt's operations. If they're bold enough to strike first, I'll crush them before they rise any higher."
But as the butler nodded, he hesitated.
"There's… one more thing, sir."
Kingpin raised an eyebrow. "Speak."
"Among the traces left at the crime scenes, we found evidence of military-grade encryption. Whatever A.M.E.S. is, it isn't just a police project. It's being quietly backed by the U.S. Defense Department."
---
For a moment, even the Kingpin's iron composure cracked.
He coughed once, setting his scepter against the desk. "The military?"
The butler nodded grimly. "Yes, sir. It seems they're testing something—a new kind of weapon. Something… mechanical."
Kingpin turned toward the rain-streaked window again. His reflection stared back at him—a titan of crime, yes, but even titans knew the weight of the world's real power.
He ruled the streets, not the state.
The government was a machine of violence, too large and too lawful to strike head-on.
He could crush men, buy judges, silence politicians—but the U.S. military was a force he couldn't simply buy or threaten.
"Damn them…" he muttered under his breath. "They're using the city as a testing ground."
---
The butler cleared his throat softly and reached into his coat pocket. "We also found this at one of the destroyed sites."
He produced a small, metallic memory card, its edges scorched and blackened.
Kingpin took it, his thick fingers surprisingly delicate as he placed it into the reader on his desk.
A holographic display flickered to life, projecting grainy footage onto the air before him.
What he saw made even his hardened eyes widen slightly.
On the screen, a red-armored monster was tearing through men like tissue paper.
Its movements were too fast to track, its blades glowing crimson as it dismembered anything that moved. The walls dripped with blood, and the floor was carpeted in bodies.
The creature turned briefly toward the hidden camera—its eyes glowing like hellfire—before the footage cut to static.
Kingpin's cigar rolled off his desk and hit the floor.
"What in God's name is that?" he whispered.
The butler swallowed. "Our informants believe it's a modified combat android—a Magic Puppet, developed by Vanderbuilt Technologies under military supervision."
---
Kingpin didn't answer. He simply stared at the blank hologram, lost in thought.
If the footage was real, this wasn't just a corporate experiment. It was a message—a demonstration of power.
For the first time, Kingpin realized this wasn't about gangs or money. Someone was cleaning the city.
And they were using his empire as the testing ground.
The underworld emperor leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing.
He'd built his empire on cunning, not brute force. He had fought both heroes and villains alike—and he'd learned one rule above all others:
When you can't fight the beast, make it bite someone else.
---
Kingpin reached into his desk and pulled out a phone. Not an ordinary one—it was matte black, reinforced, and heavily encrypted. Only a handful of people in America had access to such a device.
He dialed a series of numbers that weren't listed anywhere public.
Each tone echoed like a drumbeat in the quiet room.
After several rings, a voice answered on the other end.
"This is a secured line," it said coldly. "Identify yourself."
Kingpin smiled faintly. "You know who I am. And I have something that belongs to you—or rather, something that should concern you."
There was silence for a moment. Then, the voice said, "Talk."
"I have footage," Kingpin continued. "Footage of a weapon your friends in the military might want to see. Something Vanderbuilt's been developing with your funding. The kind of thing that eats bullets and kills everything in sight."
The voice on the line stayed silent, but Kingpin could almost feel the tension on the other end.
"I'll send it anonymously," he said, smirking. "You can decide what to do with it. But I'd suggest you keep your leash on your pet corporation before it bites the wrong hand."
Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call.
---
He turned toward his butler.
"Place this footage exactly where I said," he ordered. "And once it's done—eliminate everyone who handled it. No witnesses."
The butler didn't flinch. "Understood, sir."
As he turned to leave, Kingpin added,
"And tell our people to stay quiet for now. Pull the street crews back. I want the headquarters protected. When the storm hits, I'll be the last one standing."
"Yes, Mr. Fisk."
---
When the butler was gone, Kingpin stood alone again, staring at the rain pounding against the glass.
"Drive the tiger, devour the wolf…" he muttered with a grim smile. "Let the military deal with Vanderbuilt. Let them destroy each other."
He chuckled lowly. "And when the smoke clears, I'll eat what's left."
His reflection glared back at him in the lightning—eyes sharp, smile cruel.
That was how he'd always survived. Not through strength alone, but through intelligence and manipulation.
He'd climbed from the gutter to the throne of New York's criminal world not by fighting every battle, but by making others fight for him.
And this time would be no different.
---
Meanwhile, at Vanderbuilt Tower
Far across the city, the storm clouds rumbled above Vanderbuilt's sleek skyscraper.
Levi watched the lightning flicker outside his office window, unaware that a new enemy had already moved against him.
Izzy approached with a report tablet in hand.
"Sir, there's been unusual activity in the military's data channels," she said softly. "Encrypted pings directed toward the Ark's relay frequencies."
Levi's smile didn't fade. "Let them look," he said. "They'll only see what I allow them to."
He turned toward the glowing projection of the Satellite Ark, pulsing with crimson light.
"Project Malice feeds on fear and hatred. The moment they start investigating, they'll give me exactly what I need."
Izzy hesitated. "Sir… you think they'll retaliate?"
Levi laughed quietly. "Of course they will. And that's the beauty of it."
He placed a hand against the window, watching the rain.
"When monsters fight monsters, humanity kneels in gratitude to the one who saves them. And I…" he smiled, "I'll be that savior."
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