Bullseye Exits

"Any other questions?"

Harry glanced between the two of them.

"Oh, and you're not alone in this. My father, remember? Norman Osborn has already greased the wheels with the Prosecutor's Office. Actually, there's never been a shortage of indictments against Kingpin—drug trafficking, murder, that sort of thing. Every year, some prosecutors get taken out, but new hotheads always roll in."

Bribery, kidnapping, coercion, even murder—Kingpin's criminal empire was a kingdom built on violence and lies. In this society, those were all operations that couldn't stand the light.

That's why Kingpin rarely messed with the real heavyweights. Compared to one or two solo superheroes, a visible power structure could deal him a far deadlier blow.

And this time, Harry had already signaled Norman to fund the Prosecutor's Office in pursuing cases against crimes in Hell's Kitchen.

"Also, the Osborn Group and my father have reached an agreement with New York City Police Commissioner George Stacy. It's about beefing up police presence in Hell's Kitchen and setting up temporary witness protection zones. If you need to protect a witness, get in touch with him."

Harry pulled out a business card with George Stacy's phone number on it.

That police commissioner was the future girlfriend of Spider-Man, Gwen's father—a very upright cop. Introducing him to Matt was also part of Harry's plan, a scheme to build political influence for the Osborn family.

"Well, that's it for today."

Harry stood up to leave, but Matt grabbed him.

"You didn't bring any bodyguards, did you? Someone's coming for you."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the office door was kicked open with a bang. The old, worn-out wooden door creaked, then slammed to the floor with a heavy thud.

It was Bullseye—a bald Irishman with a target carved into his head.

"Uh... who's this guy?" Foggy looked at Bullseye, then back at Matt, who was on high alert.

"Professional killer. One of Kingpin's men. Remember the convenience store owner killed with a paperclip?"

"He doesn't look like a boss."

"He's the killer. Find somewhere to hide."

Harry felt a little amused and, at the same time, relieved that he'd already completed the Spartan Project modifications.

Time to test his current strength. And the system seemed to be on the same page as Harry.

[Side Quest Released: Testing the Waters]

[Quest Objective: Subdue/Kill Bullseye alone]

[Quest Rewards: Spartan Warrior Training Program, Titanfall Training Program]

"Looks like someone's getting impatient. What did Kingpin tell you? Kill me or kidnap me?" Harry slowly took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Matt, you step aside too."

Bullseye didn't say a word, but his expression was that of a psychopath. The way he pulled out a paperclip and straightened it looked like a performance artist—the more grotesque kind.

"Just warming up, huh?"

Just as Harry spoke, Bullseye flicked the straightened paperclip wire. The thing shot out like a bullet from a chamber, flying straight for Harry's throat!

"Urgh—"

Harry clutched his neck and slumped onto the sofa, playing dead. Bullseye swaggered in, flicking his coat triumphantly.

But Matt alone sensed something was off. Half helpless, half stunned, he took two steps back.

Just as Bullseye was about to speak, Harry sprang up with a bang!

"You didn't actually think you hit me, did you, you bald freak?" With that, Harry hurled the wire back with force. But lacking technique, his throw had neither accuracy nor stability, and Bullseye caught it easily.

"You... you made me miss?!" Bullseye, true to his obsessive-compulsive psychopath nature, looked furious, like he was having an asthma attack.

"Looks like someone else is getting impatient."

Harry shrugged. Bullseye's skill was indeed flawless, but Harry, enhanced by the Spartan Project, had seen every move clearly. He'd even calculated the trajectory of those little projectiles the moment Bullseye let go of the paperclip!

"See, I don't throw tantrums like a kid and fling things around. So can we settle this like men and get it over with quickly?" Harry said, eyeing Bullseye, who was pulling out a handful of darts and cards, with some exasperation.

"I never miss!" Enraged, Bullseye hurled his projectiles in a sudden burst. A hail of deadly weapons shot out, and Harry knew he couldn't dodge them all this time.

Harry reached for the sofa, lifting it as easily as a toy, and charged straight at Bullseye with it in front of him!

Matt, watching from the side, was utterly stunned—that was a three-seater sofa!

Boom!

The sheer force slammed the sofa into the wall, wedging it there. Bullseye was dumbfounded by it all. Good thing he'd dodged fast, or he'd probably be stuck in that wall right now!

That collision not only blocked Bullseye's escape route but also closed the distance between them!

"Come on, let's settle this the old-fashioned way."

Harry threw a punch, but his amateurish swings were always barely dodged by Bullseye. Bullseye quickly realized that this freakishly strong Mr. Osborn seemed to have no real combat experience. He grabbed Harry's arm, and as Harry's old force faded and new force hadn't yet gathered, locked Harry's arm in a joint hold.

But as everyone knows, you can lock down someone ten, twenty, or even more pounds heavier than you with a joint hold, but you can't lock down a tiger or an elephant. And Harry's joints were tougher than steel.

"Had enough?" Harry jerked his arm violently, slamming Bullseye into the ground. Blood sprayed from Bullseye's mouth, cracks spread across the floor, the old building swayed, and glass shattered with a crisp sound.

Matt felt a chill run down his spine sensing this—Mr. Osborn had been as weak as a chick a month ago. How was he suddenly Captain America?

Harry frowned, looked down at Bullseye lying on the ground, then stomped him hard, kicking him clean into the wall. The onlookers trembled in fear.

That extra kick wasn't because Harry had sadistic tendencies. It was just that the system hadn't signaled quest completion yet.

[Quest Complete: Bullseye Subdued]

[Reward distributed.]

Only after seeing the system prompt did Harry nod in satisfaction as he pried Bullseye out from the inside.

"I didn't realize... you really don't hold back," Matt said.

No kidding—judging by Bullseye's twisted state, he was barely clinging to life. If left alone, he'd probably kick the bucket before long.

"Can this guy be used as a starting point to prosecute Kingpin?" Harry asked.

"It's difficult... As a professional killer, his identity has long been erased, and with his messed-up mental state, he'd be hard to use as a witness."

"Hmm... true. So how about we just kill him?" At this point, Bullseye was still an ordinary person; taking him out wouldn't take much effort.

"What? But—"

Matt was shocked again, as if about to say something, but Harry cut him off.

"Come on, are you really going to play dumb with me? How long would this guy last if we throw him in the system? Oh, and with his mental state, it's debatable whether he'd even end up in prison. Think about how many people he's killed?"

Matt fell silent. He knew Harry was right, but it made him uneasy.

"...Aren't you worried about your image?" Matt avoided the discussion of killing or not and spoke up instead.

"Me? What do I have to worry about?" Harry put on his clothes and took a sip of water. "A foreigner with no identity, a professional killer, attacks a successful millionaire dedicated to improving citizens' lives, and then I kill him in self-defense. I think that's a positive image."

"A tough businessman who can protect himself and others—is that negative? I'll leave this case to you. If you want to pin a few crimes on him, I'll support it. It shouldn't be hard to dig up his record."

Harry finished speaking, didn't wait for Matt's reply, and walked straight out of the office, even giving Bullseye a kick on the ground as he passed.

"This time, the law is on our side. Go ahead and do it, Matt."