We Are All Partners in Justice

Yuri glared sourly at the fool of a Daredevil, Matthew, who was being forced to his knees in front of him by five people. If being woken up while sleeping in bed made you want to kill someone, then interrupting two people in the middle of their private time would make them want to chop the offender into minced meat.

He took a deep breath and looked the man up and down. The Daredevil hadn't even groaned once so far. "You kidnapped my employee and interrupted my night. Give me one reason not to kill you."

The blood on Matthew's face had long since dried into scabs. At his words, Matthew lifted his head and tossed aside the sweat-soaked hair hanging over his forehead. His cloudy, sightless eyes stared fixedly at the man before him who made him feel the most threatened. "You damn Kingpin lackey! Killing me won't cover up your filthy soul!"

Yuri frowned slightly. "Kingpin's lackey? Me?"

"Boss."

Yinsen weakly cut in, "Daredevil and us have probably had a misunderstanding. Since Hell's Kitchen often delivers food to us, he thinks we're involved in some illegal business with them... He's actually a good person who focuses on fighting crime and that sort of thing. That's what people say online."

Seeing Yuri lower his head in thought, Vanax quietly sidled up to Yinsen and whispered, "What does 'lackey' mean? The boss doesn't seem to like that word."

"Uh..."

Yinsen looked troubled. There was no way he could lie to Vanax, since she'd surely sneak off and look it up herself. But telling her the truth didn't seem like a good idea either. Tony had only made a little joke at Yuri's expense, and Yuri had taken off his faceplate and kicked him flying. If this short-tempered girl found out what "lackey" really meant, Yinsen worried Daredevil would be beaten to a pulp by all five of them in a fit of rage.

"You know..."

Yinsen racked his brain for the right words. "Dogs are man's best friend. Maybe Daredevil meant that the boss and Kingpin have a really close relationship..."

"You're lying to me!"

Vanax could tell at a glance that he was lying. "Lackey" definitely wasn't a nice word. She glared at Daredevil, silently plotting when she could teach this frail human a memorable lesson for insulting the boss.

Yuri casually brought over a chair and sat down. Looking at Daredevil on his knees, he flipped his wrist and sent a golden healing orb at him. Before the man could ask anything, Yuri used his Psychic Ability to send him straight into a dream.

Kingpin's real name was Wilson Grant Fisk. He was the biggest crime boss in New York, if not the entire United States. Cunning and far more intelligent than the average person, over ninety percent of his body was muscle. He had incredible strength, enough to punch through a wall with his bare hands, and he was one of the world's top martial artists, possessing the highest level of human combat ability.

His cane could also fire lasers and smoke, keeping his opponents on their toes. In the underworld, he was known as Kingpin, meaning "the central figure." His criminal network spanned the globe, and he controlled seventy percent of America's underground businesses. The notorious Hell's Kitchen was precisely the criminal breeding ground he had created to preserve the appearance of peace and stability in society.

"I have an idea."

Yuri drew everyone's attention to himself. "The Kingpin he mentioned rules the underworld and has eyes and ears everywhere. He's far more than just a crime boss. But to us, he's no different from anyone else—just one insignificant person among the more than seven billion people on Earth."

"He's the king of the underworld. We can do what he does."

"The people at the helm of this country don't want complete peace. They want order and rules. They don't care who sets those rules and maintains that order, whether it's an individual or a group. As long as we fill their greedy pockets, we can hold on to the seat of power."

"So, everyone, who wants to give it a try?"

He wasn't worried in the slightest that after Kingpin was taken out, some loyal underling would rally the old crew and turn against him. If it weren't for wanting to develop the five's social skills so they could integrate into human society faster, the title of Crime Emperor would mean nothing to him. Under his mind control, there were few pure-blooded humans in the world who could disobey his orders.

As the leader of the Mutants, I really do have to worry about my children~

Vanax, always the most enthusiastic, was the first to speak. She asked eagerly, "Boss, if you become the Crime Emperor, can you do whatever you want, kill whoever you want, and spend all the money you earn?"

Yuri nodded. "You can kill people, but only enemies who oppose you and villains who break the law."

"I see..."

Silly Bird grinned. "Then can I kill Tony Stark?"

Yuri's expression darkened. What kind of grudge did she have against him? She hadn't even taken over the underworld yet, and she was already thinking about taking out the Marvel Universe's favorite son?

"No!"

Silly Bird snorted and said bluntly, "Then I'm not doing it."

Yuri sighed in exasperation. Only after reading her mind did he realize that Silly Bird had blamed Tony for all her frustration over not getting to sleep with Yuri that night...

"Vanax, listen carefully. You can teach Tony a lesson, but you absolutely cannot kill him. Even if you accidentally hit him too hard, you have to leave him breathing long enough for me to get there and revive him. Tony Stark's survival is crucial to the future of our people. You must not try to kill him. That's an order. Do you understand?"

Seeing Yuri's unusually stern expression, Silly Bird reluctantly replied, "I understand, Boss."

"I'd like to try."

Kate spoke softly, her cheeks still flushed. "I don't really like being in the spotlight. The hidden Crime Emperor of the underworld might be a pretty good role for me."

Yuri nodded. Kate really was dependable. He agreed readily. "Then it's settled. I'll alter Daredevil's memories and make you five into righteous people who hate evil. Starting tomorrow night, you'll all go with him on his rounds. That way, you can get familiar with how the underworld works and learn the basics of human society. If you want to learn how to fight, you have to learn how to take a beating first. And if you want to control the underworld, you should start by fighting it."

"Kate and Vanax, go up to the third floor. The rest of you, go home. We're done for the night."

Yinsen stared blankly as the five went upstairs just like that. Taking over as Crime Emperor was such a high-profile mission, and these people had made the decision so casually on an ordinary night? He didn't doubt that Kate and the others had the ability to pull it off. He simply hadn't had time to process it all, and couldn't help wondering what kind of powerful organization he had joined.

After Yuri finished altering Matthew's memories, he was about to slap him awake. But he spotted Yinsen still in the shop and walked over to pat him on the shoulder kindly. "Don't be afraid, Yinsen. This is for your safety, too. Once Kate becomes Queen of the Underworld, no nobody will dare kidnap you. Go home and get some rest. You have work tomorrow."

Yinsen forced a pained smile. Well, thank you so much.

"Smack!"

The slap landed on Matthew's face after all. Yuri wiped the blood scabs from his hand and smiled at the newly awakened Daredevil. "Matthew, I guess this means we've gotten to know each other the hard way. Shack and the others will join you on your rounds tomorrow night. For tonight, could you please escort Yinsen home safely?"

"No problem, Yuri."

Matthew took the head covering Yuri handed him and pulled it on without hesitation. Under Yinsen's horrified gaze, a low, hoarse voice rang out. "We are all partners in justice."