Chapter 41: Director, We Have Trouble
Faced with Hawkeye's accusations, Cohen wasn't angry: "I've killed many people, but who among them was innocent?"
"Even if they were guilty, does that mean they all deserve to die? Even the most guilty must be judged by the law…"
Cohen shook his head. "If the law could judge every evil person, I wouldn't even exist. The real role of law is to maintain order, not punish evil. It protects the order of the upper class and judges the crimes of the lower class."
He turned to look at the sunset. "I don't know how you view me in SHIELD, with hostility or goodwill, I don't care. But when I'm cleaning up this world, don't interfere. Also, if SHIELD carries sins, it will also be my target for cleansing!"
He gave Natasha one last look. "Find Dreykov, correct your mistakes, and complete your redemption!"
After saying this, he turned and walked away.
Hawkeye watched him go, muttering to himself, "This guy is too arrogant! He talks like he's cleaning up the world and claiming to cleanse SHIELD, who does he think he is?"
They were a peacekeeping organization, not some rogue vigilante. "Hmph, next time I get a chance, I'll shoot an arrow at him!"
Meanwhile, in the distance, Coulson watched the entire exchange with a furrowed brow. His subordinate reminded him that Iron Man was about to leave the surveillance zone.
After thinking for a moment, Coulson gave the order: "Let him leave for now."
The immediate concern was Natasha and Hawkeye. Budapest's mission had been a kind of oath for Natasha. After that, SHIELD accepted her into their ranks. But now, that oath was in question, and that could lead to big problems. Even Hawkeye was involved, which was troublesome.
Of course, Coulson wanted to believe in his teammates, but his incompetent boss...
"Coulson, as an agent, you need to doubt everything!"
With a sigh, Coulson tried to recall his boss's advice, though he knew he still had to report the situation properly.
"Beep beep..."
"Coulson, how's the plan going? Have you caught that damn poisoner yet? Don't let me down again..." The voice on the other end of the line was familiar: the director.
"Director, we have trouble..." Coulson reported.
There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a furious roar.
"Damn it!"
---
Cohen opened his system interface and saw the "Creed: Redemption through Killing" flashing. Soon, a notification arrived.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked a system feature: You can now grant upgrades, bloodlines, skills, and abilities to others. Note: The recipient must be a follower of the Creed.]
Damn, Cohen cursed silently. I can barely use all this power myself, and now I'm supposed to give it to someone else?
Moreover, the number of people who follow this creed is few, and most don't even have enough blood on their hands to need it.
Later that evening, back at the Emma Church, Cohen finished his dinner and bath and lay comfortably in bed.
Around midnight, a familiar figure arrived—the woman he had been waiting for. She nimbly jumped onto the balcony of the church and carefully entered the room, slipping into the partially open door: "Master, I'm here."
"Mm, close the door."
The Nine-Spider Bride, clearly dressed up with an elegant and fresh look, unlike her previous heavy makeup, sat on the bed beside Cohen.
"Come, sit. Let's talk about... the Hand Association's situation!"
She was one of the Hand Association's senior members and knew their internal matters well.
"Master, I just found out—the Hand has a huge conspiracy!"
---
Meanwhile, in an unnamed luxurious mansion, in a large office...
Click!
Hiss—puff!
Kingpin took a long drag of his cigar, but there was no sign of pleasure on his face.
His trusted assistant, Wesley, stood beside him, frowning. "Boss, are we really pulling out of New York?"
Kingpin's eyes darkened. "Wesley, this world has changed."
"It's just another devil face. We've dealt with Daredevil before, haven't we?"
Kingpin shook his head. "Wesley, we—no, the reason why the mafia is powerful is not because of money, guns, or people. It's because we trample the rules, unbound. Daredevil, as strong as he is, still operates within the rules of morality. But the Devil Face is different—he doesn't care about rules!"
He paused. "All the past strong ones were bound by rules, and that gave us the soil to survive. Now, there's a ferocious beast that ignores the rules and feeds on us. We can't stop it. If he continues to exist, I dare say that New York's underworld will enter its darkest age!"
Wesley gasped. Just one devil face, and it had that much power?
He glanced toward the next room, where Vanessa, Kingpin's new girlfriend, was staying.
Was it that the enemy was too strong, or had his boss grown weak?
He hesitated to ask.
"Ding ling ling…"
The phone suddenly rang.
Kingpin didn't move, but Wesley picked it up instinctively. The voice on the other end was all too familiar—It was Madame Gao of the Hand.
Kingpin waved his hand, and Wesley put the call on speaker.
A sharp old woman's voice came from the phone. "Kingpin, the Hand has suffered a huge loss, and we want revenge!"
---
A few hours later, in a secret chamber, Kingpin looked at the bound Daredevil, struggling against the chains. His expression was one of surprise.
The Hand really managed to capture him?
As soon as Daredevil saw him, he began to curse. "Kingpin, it's you! You bastard, what did you do to Erica, you devil!"
"Who would have thought, the famous Daredevil is actually blind?" Kingpin glanced at the mask on the floor and sighed. "And you're still a lawyer?"
He glanced back at the face before him. "You, a blind man, are also a lawyer. The world is more interesting than I thought."
"Bastard, where is Erica? What did you do to her?"
Daredevil shouted angrily.
"As a street vigilante who tramples the law, you still make your living from it. This world is even more amusing than I imagined. When you sent guilty people to prison in court, did you ever think about yourself? Did you ever think you might become one of them someday?"
"Where is Erica, you bastard?"
Kingpin was getting impatient. "Erica, Erica, Erica... Do you care so much about a woman? Are you a superhero or a love-struck fool?"
Daredevil calmed down a bit and sneered. "You, a cold-blooded mafia boss, don't understand, do you? She's being controlled, betrayed me. I have to save her! If I can't protect the one I love, then what kind of hero am I?"
Kingpin suddenly fell silent. I understand, I really understand.
The Hand's people used women to manipulate him. Their tactics were despicable.
Kingpin felt an odd sense of mutual understanding and empathy...
"Kingpin, you wouldn't be sympathizing with him, would you?"
(End of Chapter)