My Name Is Kingpin

Chapter 47

Mr. Stark was a proud man. The moment he heard there was a problem with the vampire prevention system he had designed, he immediately drove over. He truly had the bearing of an outstanding modern entrepreneur.

Director Fury and Agent Coulson sat uneasily in the Restaurant. They had never expected Alvin to take down a Vampire big shot over a mere disagreement. Now he and JJ were holding small silver dinner knives, stabbing them in and out of Count Dracula's belly.

Looking at Count Dracula's ugly, moon-surface-like face now that he had recovered somewhat, it seemed that if they let him go, he would not dare show his face again without undergoing some major cosmetic surgery.

The energetic young Nick hopped around on one leg, peering at Count Dracula. From time to time, he wanted to borrow Frank's Remington and give Count Dracula a shot too. A Vampire! If he could shoot one, he could brag about it for the entire semester.

Frank looked at his son in distress, as if he were seeing the future Tony Stark. I don't have a billion-dollar inheritance for you. When you grow up, a lot of people are going to want to beat you up. What the hell are you going to do then?

Jessica and Ginny were doing better. After Count Dracula had been disfigured, Jessica never looked at him again. She was busy sorting through the things that had been smashed earlier, planning to toss them straight into the trash tomorrow. Little Ginny had no other thoughts on her mind. She sat on a high stool behind the bar, chin propped in both hands, looking at Alvin with worshipful eyes and occasionally pumping her little fists to cheer him on.

Alvin tossed the small dinner knife in his hand to JJ, then looked at Count Dracula and said with a smile, "If I may ask, what was it you wanted to do again?"

With his battered, ugly face and smoke rising from his body, Count Dracula stared stubbornly at Alvin. Gritting his fangs, he said, "You will pay the price for what you did today. That price will make you regret it for the rest of your life!"

Alvin's pupils contracted slightly. Smiling, he said, "You have to stay alive for me to regret it, don't you? Do you think you can survive tonight?"

Count Dracula sneered. "You wouldn't dare kill me. Killing me means humanity will declare war on the Vampires. There will be bloodshed—lots of people's blood. You damned bastard, tell me your name. Before I tear you apart, I'll make you a tombstone and carve your repentance before death onto it!"

It seemed the proud Count Dracula had not remembered Alvin's earlier introduction at all.

Alvin smiled brilliantly, looked Count Dracula in the eyes, and said seriously, "I am the master of Hell's Kitchen. My name is Kingpin. I hope you remember that."

Director Fury and Agent Coulson felt a chill run through their bodies. In the future, they had better stay away from Alvin. Getting too close to him really could shorten their lives.

Count Dracula sneered and said, "I'll remember you, Kingpin." Then he fell silent. Even the damage from the Sun Lamp could no longer make him cry out. The blow to his pride today was a hundred times worse than the harm to his body.

Once the scene fell quiet, Director Fury slowly walked over and said gravely, "I'm afraid you really can't kill him. He's an important figure among the Vampires. We can't risk starting a war just to get rid of this guy."

Alvin glanced sideways at Director Fury. "He came to cause trouble for me, but you won't let me kill him. You want me to wait for him to recover before he comes back to retaliate?" As he spoke, he tapped Director Fury's chest. "Director Fury, you're making me question where you stand as a human."

Director Fury looked at Alvin and said sternly, "The Vampires have existed for nearly a thousand years. What do you think has kept them from being wiped out?"

Alvin tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Maybe it's the stupidity of people like you that has allowed this race that feeds on human blood to survive to this day. Or maybe you're afraid of them?"

Director Fury took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He had not been cursed as much in the past ten years as he had been today.

"I can't explain it to you, Alvin. S.H.I.E.L.D. fears no person or thing. What we're concerned about are the consequences! As long as I'm here today, he cannot die. Perhaps I can guarantee that he will never come looking for trouble with you again!"

Alvin looked at the increasingly anxious Director Fury and sneered. "Your guarantee? In my eyes, it isn't worth a dime. Maybe you should get the hell out of my Restaurant. For Frank's sake, I can wait until you're out the door before I chop him up."

"Chop up who?" an anxious voice called from the doorway as a disheveled Stark rushed in.

The first thing he saw was Count Dracula's disfigured face. Startled by his distinctive appearance, Stark jumped back half a step.

Stark looked at Alvin and complained, "Wow, man, could you not be so cruel? Why is it that every time I come here, I see something this horrifying?"

Director Fury glanced at Stark, then turned to Alvin. "I know you, Alvin. You're not an irresponsible man. Think about it—if war breaks out, how many innocent civilians will die because of your impulsiveness? You have used your strength to protect three neighborhoods and let the people here live with dignity. But if war starts, they will be the first to face the flames of war. This is a racial war, Alvin. Have you really thought it through?"

Alvin had heard enough of Director Fury's tone. Impatiently, he said, "Then what do you think I should do? Let him go, then wait for him to retaliate against me? Since I have to face retaliation anyway, what's the difference between that and war for me? This had nothing to do with me from the start. It was your so-called Vampire management department that screwed up and let these damned things commit crimes in New York."

Fury was so anxious that he began to sweat. He shouted, "I told you, I guarantee he won't come looking for trouble with you again. I can persuade the Vampire Council to put Count Dracula into hibernation for a hundred years. I have that authority."

Alvin gave an amused smile. "I don't trust you, Nick Fury. I think you're treating me like a fool. I don't believe humanity has no way to deal with things that have such obvious weaknesses. Stop trying to persuade me with this war nonsense. There's no need! And my patience has run out."

Director Fury wiped every expression from his face, swept a cold gaze over everyone present, and said in a low voice, "Then I'll tell you the truth, but only you can know it. We can go outside and talk."

The two walked out of the Restaurant and talked at the entrance for about twenty minutes before coming back inside.

Alvin's face was dark as he sent the two children and Jessica upstairs.

In a low voice, he instructed JJ, "Cut off his hands and feet, drain him dry, find a suitcase, and let our Director Fury take him back."

Then he turned around, stared at Nick Fury, and said in a voice cold to the extreme, "Warn them not to enter Hell's Kitchen and not to wander around me. And don't ever try to deceive me again, Director Nick Fury!"