Taking the Fight to Them

Wilson Grant Fisk, better known as Kingpin.

New York's biggest crime boss, and the man who controlled the underworld of Hell's Kitchen.

Though he hadn't yet stepped into the public eye, he had the glamorous veneer of a philanthropist and real estate mogul, along with the famous Fisk Tower.

But with his status and standing, there was no way he'd live like some ordinary street punk, without a fixed address or constantly on the run.

In fact, his usual whereabouts were something of an open secret throughout Hell's Kitchen.

At 311 West 50th Street in Manhattan, in the northern part of Hell's Kitchen near the Hudson River, stood a luxurious building converted from a medium-sized warehouse. It was Kingpin's residence and the true command center of his criminal empire.

Even though more than half the gangsters in Hell's Kitchen knew this was Kingpin's lair, no one had ever thought to launch a surprise attack or seek revenge against him there.

That was because everyone who'd ever entertained such thoughts had already been killed by Kingpin and his men.

Yet tonight, an unremarkable mobile news van quietly rolled up near the building.

As the news van slowly came to a stop, an inconspicuous flexible camera tube gradually poked through an opening in the roof.

"Damn, this is just a crime boss's lair? They turned a warehouse into a place this fancy, then added barbed wire and guard towers? What a goddamn mess!"

Inside the news van, Ryokugyu muttered a curse. He was among those checking the camera feed on a tablet, his hair a shock of green.

They'd done commercial assassinations and overseas mercenary jobs before, but they'd never imagined New York's gangs had grown this powerful.

"Shut up. Everyone, check your gear."

Dun Shan, the Inverted-A Squad's leader, shot the talkative Ryokugyu a stern look, then turned to Wrench in the driver's seat.

"Wrench, can you get the drone up now? We need to identify the enemies inside the building."

"Sure, boss. But the target has very few windows. I'm worried the intel might be way off." Wrench had just activated the electronic dimming on the windshield and pulled a computer out from under his seat. He replied with some hesitation.

"That's fine. Check the outside first. As for the inside—"

Dun Shan was about to continue when another voice suddenly cut in and interrupted him.

"I'll take care of the enemies inside the building."

It was Luca, sitting in the passenger seat.

Before Wrench beside him could ask how Luca planned to get the intel, Luca gently pinched the arm of the [Recon Goggles].

With a thought, the goggles instantly connected to the computer in Wrench's hands. The next moment, an incredibly clear infrared thermal image appeared on the screen.

Wrench's computer was already linked to everyone's tablets, so the feed was automatically shared with the whole squad.

"Th-this thermal image is incredibly clear! How many walls can it see through? And when did the company come up with this new technology? Wait! Young master, how did you connect directly to my computer system?"

Wrench, who'd been a little displeased when Luca interrupted his work, was now staring in disbelief. He fired off question after question.

Shamira, in the back of the van, looked thoroughly proud.

It was as if she were saying, "You people are so ignorant. The young master has plenty more tricks up his sleeve."

Dun Shan hadn't noticed Shamira's little display. He simply reminded the team again.

"Wrench, shut up. The mission comes first!"

This time, even he was shocked.

After all, Shamira hadn't been exaggerating when she called Luca "the most versatile special forces operative" she'd ever met.

Dun Shan was also highly skilled in electronic information technology and equipment.

That was exactly why he knew just how outrageous it was for a device to scan through more than a dozen walls while keeping a clear thermal image of every wall and everything behind them.

Even the most advanced military "multi-modal battlefield awareness system" could only detect what lay behind a wall up to twenty centimeters thick. And it wasn't just a thermal imager; it combined infrared thermal imaging with millimeter-wave radar.

In fact, most thermal imagers were mainly used to observe enemies during nighttime operations.

Like the monocular mounted on his helmet right now.

"So Orange Industries' technology is already this advanced?"

The thought only flashed through Dun Shan's mind. In his view, the mission came before everything else.

He immediately began checking that everyone was ready.

"Longbow, are you in position?"

"In position."

Longbow's reply came through the earpiece, cold and clipped.

At that moment, he was beneath a GG Sign atop the roof of an abandoned building, three hundred meters from Kingpin's lair.

Longbow had secured his M24 SWS Sniper Rifle to a Nikon camera tripod. Then he unfolded the chair he'd prepared earlier, sat down, and quietly watched the scene through his scope.

Three hundred meters was nowhere near the limit of Longbow's range. He'd chosen this building because the squad needed to maintain distance from him during an urban operation, and because he'd fitted his rifle with a specially made suppressor.

"The hunt begins! One shot, one kill! No one can hide! Let's have some fun!"

He silently ran through one dramatic line after another, yet his face remained as still as a pond.

Dun Shan's voice continued in their earpieces.

"Ryokugyu..."

"Don't worry, boss~" Ryokugyu patted the HK416A5 assault rifle in his hands and grinned, showing two rows of teeth.

But Dun Shan shot him a glare and warned him.

"Don't bring too many explosives. We won't need them tonight."

After that, he turned to Thresh, who was nervously biting his nails, and shook his head helplessly.

"Thresh, you make a lot of noise. Wait until we're exposed before you move, and take this—"

Dun Shan faltered, then looked at the towering robot beside him. The robot was clad in armor and trying to curl up as small as possible so he wouldn't bump into anyone.

"Hello, I'm Agent Baymax!" (▇━▇)

"...Right... Agent Baymax. You and him stay behind us for now."

Finally, Dun Shan pulled the bolt on his M4A1 carbine. He looked at Shamira, who was carrying the same weapon, and spoke softly.

"Wolf Spider, you and I will lead the way. We'll work with Longbow to take out the guards in the watchtowers first."

At the sound of Dun Shan calling her by her codename, Shamira's face broke into a bloodthirsty grin.

"Understood, boss!"