"Kingpin"—a title, meaning the central figure, the mastermind.
For fifty years, only the true ruler of Hammer Falls could inherit this esteemed title.
The current Kingpin's real name was long forgotten. People only knew he'd come from the most violent neighborhoods, rising to power with his bare fists, bashing in countless skulls to reach his throne.
No one dared cross him.
If someone angered Kingpin, death would be the kindest outcome.
After all, even the legendary Magneto had met his end at Kingpin's hands.
Yet now, an arrogant woman had dared to challenge his authority, even attempting to take his place.
Everyone knew what fate awaited her.
At that moment, Kingpin lay in his quarters, basking in the satisfaction of his power—until a sudden flurry of footsteps ruined his mood.
Kingpin's expression darkened.
Not that anyone could tell; he was already as dark as it got.
With a wave, he dismissed the five women in his room, and soon a trembling lackey shuffled in, fear etched into every line of his face.
"B-boss…"
The lackey collapsed to his knees before him, barely holding back tears. "Something happened at the arena!"
That got Kingpin's attention, tamping down his initial annoyance.
He swung his legs off the bed and sat on its edge like a king on his throne.
"What happened? Look me in the eye and tell me."
The lackey raised his head, though he still avoided eye contact with Kingpin.
Not because Kingpin was particularly terrifying at that moment, but because the lackey happened to be kneeling directly in front of him—and Kingpin hadn't bothered to put any clothes on.
"Someone broke into the arena… and killed everyone there!"
The lackey squeezed his eyes shut and shouted, terror lacing his voice.
Kingpin relished this display. His followers' fear was the greatest proof of their loyalty. So, he refrained from reprimanding the lackey for his closed eyes and instead focused on the most important question.
"Who did it?"
"Don't know…"
"How many of them?"
"Don't know…"
"How'd they get in?"
"Don't know…"
"Then what the hell good are you?!"
Kingpin roared and sent the lackey flying with a vicious kick. Useless and clueless, he might as well feed this guy to his pet dinosaurs.
The lackey skidded across the floor, too terrified even to scream, only daring to lie still and quiver.
Enraged, Kingpin stormed out of his quarters—only to return moments later to put on his clothes. Then he left for real.
---
Kingpin had prepared himself for carnage, but the bloodbath at the arena exceeded even his expectations.
Dozens of corpses lay sprawled across the ground, blood pooling beneath them.
Every face was frozen in terror, as if they'd died too quickly even to close their eyes.
A team had already begun collecting the bodies and investigating the scene.
When Kingpin arrived, everyone immediately stopped and stood at attention, waiting for his command.
"What's the situation?" Kingpin demanded.
"It was an unidentified intruder."
A small-time leader approached him, doing his best to explain in terms Kingpin could understand.
"They were killed by throat slashes—throat slashing meaning a single fatal cut to the neck."
"The intruder was quick, efficient, and showed no hesitation—that's just a metaphor, of course. What matters is he was very skilled."
"With that level of ability, he can't be an unknown."
"Our men did try to fight back, opening fire, but it was useless. We found these…"
The underling presented several severely deformed, nearly flattened bullets.
The bullets had struck something so hard that they'd compressed on impact without penetrating.
Kingpin's tone remained steady. "And your conclusion?"
"Our conclusion is that the intruder is a highly skilled assassin wearing impenetrable armor."
Kingpin scowled, skeptical. "Impenetrable armor? And you came to this conclusion… how?"
"Uh…"
The leader hesitated, lifting the bullets. "Because of these?"
"Fool!"
Kingpin barked, his patience snapping. "You ever think to use your head? You think armor is the only thing that can stop bullets?"
The leader fell silent, too stunned to argue, assuming his boss had some deeper insight.
And he did—by pounding his chest a few times, producing a series of deep, booming thuds.
"Can't muscles do the same?"
Uh…
The underling dared not challenge him; if the boss said his own muscles could stop bullets, so be it.
"Hmph!" Kingpin snorted, thinking back over the clues. It took only moments for his brilliant mind to deduce the intruder's identity.
"I know who it was," he announced. "The killer is Wolverine!"
Huh?
The leader's jaw dropped. How had he come to that conclusion?
Sure, everyone knew Wolverine's bones were Adamantium, virtually indestructible, but the scene didn't match Wolverine's usual style at all.
Besides, Wolverine hadn't been seen in decades.
The leader hesitantly tried to remind him, "Uh, boss, if it were Wolverine, wouldn't the bodies show three claw marks?"
"Don't make me call you an idiot twice."
Kingpin's infamous intellect struck again. "You think Wolverine can't just extend one claw?"
It was flawless logic, or so Kingpin thought.
After all, on his way over, he'd received reports that Hawkeye and Wolverine had shown up in Hammer Falls.
It had to be Wolverine.
---
Night fell, and the Spider-Mobile tore across the desert, speeding toward Kingpin's stronghold.
"Relax, I'll go in alone. You two just stay outside and cover me."
Hawkeye drove, with Logan and Bruce beside him, his tone filled with pride and excitement.
"Honestly, I never thought Ashley would call herself a superhero and stand up to Kingpin. That's my girl! Couldn't be prouder!"
What he didn't realize was that Ashley didn't want to remove Kingpin—she wanted to become the next Kingpin.
The Spider-Mobile hurtled toward the arena, which, according to Ultron Mark VIII, would be where Ashley's allies were executed tonight.
The arena was ablaze with lights and noise, the execution clearly underway.
Hawkeye motioned for Logan and Bruce to wait in the car, then began assembling his gear and stealthily approached the arena alone.
Kathoom watched him go, silently contemplating a bet with Bruce on whether Hawkeye would make it back.
---
Hawkeye felt his way closer to the arena, moving step by step through the darkness.
Inside, the deafening cheers and clamor of the crowd shook his heightened senses.
"Laugh all you want, go on and laugh!"
Hawkeye crouched by the stadium wall, calming his mind as he recalled the techniques taught to him by an older Daredevil, straining to pick out the sound he sought amid the cacophony.
Yet, he found nothing.
Worse, a creeping realization started to dawn on him.
The noise inside the arena didn't sound quite right. It wasn't the raw excitement of a crowd—it sounded more like…
A performance?!
Something was wrong.
Suddenly, Hawkeye's senses screamed danger, and shame flooded him as he realized the truth.
He had walked right into Kingpin's trap.
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check!
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