The Kingpin: When Comes Retribution

Wilson Fisk stands in the middle of the room, waiting. He is surrounded by men all wearing gis. At the edge of the room stands one thin man in a black suit and glasses.

"Vanessa, adjust lights to ten percent, he says to his virtual assistant. Then to the man in the suit, "Wesley. Report," and that's when the men attack.

Pushing up his glasses with one finger, Wesley answers, "New York runs smoothly, of course."

Fisk swings a backfist to his left, knocking away one of his attackers. While another comes at him with nunchucks, his assistant continues.

"The Hand contingent that we contracted to distract Wolverine were taken out rather quickly. Faster than we anticipated actually. They all disintegrated of course."

"Of course," agrees the Kingpin as he catches the flailing nunchuck in midswing, and uses it to pull its wielder into his grip. The man kicks him in the thigh, but the crimelord doesn't even flinch. He shakes the man side-to-side by the neck, pulls the nunchucks out of his hand, and tosses them over his shoulder. Then he smacks the man across the face, rendering him unconscious, and tosses him aside into two more attackers. "Send the Hand my thanks, and our usual fee, along with compensation for the families of those men."

Wesley punches his phone a bit. "Taskmaster reports that the former Hydra agents he recruited are shaping up nicely. They should be ready to enter your service by the end of the month."

"I want men who will work for me," says Wilson as he kicks a man in the solar plexus. "Not just anyone. Send those men to Arcade."

"The current Madame Hydra is Arcade's daughter," says Wesley. "She'll kill them for their desertion."

"Yes," is the only answer as Kingpin grabs two men by the sides of their heads, and smashes them into each other.

Wesley makes a notation on his phone, then says, "Arcade reports that none of the Thieves Guild members that LeBeau sent to him survived his obstacle course."

The boss growls in frustration, punching a man across the room with a devastating right hook. "That maniac can't control his own murderous impulses. Send the Hydra men to him anyway, but then dump him. I'm paying him to train recruits, not kill them for his own amusement."

"Doctor Doom would like to schedule lunch with you at the Latverian Embassy next Tuesday."

Fisk stomps one foot forward, leaning into a punch that sends a man flying. "Push it to Thursday, and invite him to..."

"...The Hellfire Club?" suggests Wesley.

"No," he answers, punching another man. "Sebastian Shaw is a bore, and not to be trusted. Make it Chez Mis."

"Your usual table?" Wesley asks, his thumbs moving rapidly over his phone.

"The whole restaurant. Whatever Doom wants, no one needs to hear it but me."

"Very well. Chez Mis already confirms. They'd like to know a time."

"The whole day," says Fisk, sweeping his right leg in a wide arc, knocking two men away. "Let Victor pick the time he wants to meet, and I'll see him then. Tell their chef to prepare the lobster thermador. It's all he'll eat from there."

"Already done, sir."

"Excellent," says Fisk as he fells the last attacker. "Now for the Hand."

"Sir?" says Wesley, but then he spies the red-clad ninjas beginning to appear from the shadows.

Just as quickly as they appear, shots ring out, causing each of them to disintegrate. Wesley cowers, throwing his arms up as if to block his face. The Kingpin just glares in the direction of the shots, watching as a woman melts out of a dark corner, pointing a handgun in his direction.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" he asks her.

"Retribution," she says in answer to both questions.

Unnmoving from the center of the room, Wilson merely tilts his head, narrowing his eyes. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know you."

"I'm the Vanisher's daughter," she answers.

"I was sorry to hear of his untimely passing," he offers, holding his hands in front of him slightly. "I couldn't understand why he didn't teleport before he hit those powerlines."

"Probably because he was stoned out of his mind," she says angrily.

"Ah, I see." Wilson rubs one wrist, then the other. "Unfortunate. Drugs destroy so many lives."

Retribution steps closer, but still out of reach. "Those drugs came from the South American cartel that you had him running!"

"My dear, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have no business dealings in South America."

"I suppose you don't send men to their deaths with Arcade, either?" she seethes.

Fisk's face turns visibly angrier, and he steps forward, but stops when the woman fires. He hears the bullet whiz by his cheek.

"You're going to pay, Fisk," says Retribution, backing into the corner. As she does so, her form begins to blend with the darkness. "I'm going to dismantle your organization piece-by-piece, if I have to kill every man working for you. And when you have nothing left, I'm coming back for you." With that, she backs further into the corner, and is completely swallowed by the darkness.

"Vanessa, turn on all lights, one hundred percent," he says in a calm tone. The room becomes fully illuminated, and there is no one standing in the corner.

Holding out his hand, Fisk says, "Towel please, Wesley."

Wesley hands his employer the towel, and looks around the room, making sure for himself that the woman is no longer there.

Wiping sweat from his face, chest and arms, Fisk asks, "Didn't we lose a couple of facilities in New Jersey and Connecticut last month?"

"Yes, sir." Punching his phone a bit more, he says, "Everyone at those locations were shot and killed. We assumed it was the Punisher."

"Get me more details. I want to know if it was her."

"I'll have an answer for you by the morning, sir."

"Put some people on every 'Porter' in the New York area. I want to know which one of them is Vanisher's daughter by the end of the week." He hands Wesley back the towel, and heads for his private entrance. "Hold my calls. I'll be in the steam room."

"And these men, sir?"

Fisk pauses to glance over his shoulder. "They were adequate. Send them to Taskmaster." Then he leaves the room.

END

Story and original characters © Chris Bishop, 2024. Marvel stuff ©Marvel Comics.

The Kingpin: When Comes Retribution

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The Kingpin: When Comes Retribution

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