Chapter 13: Madam Gao, I Give You Five Minutes

"Daredevil, if you keep following me, I won't hesitate to send an ice pick through you from one end to the other," Ethan Hayes said in a low, warning tone.

He knew Matt Murdock—Daredevil—could hear him from afar. It was a clear warning, but it wasn't out of hostility. After all, Matt had helped him before. When Ethan's parents had been murdered, and the inheritance issues came up, it was Matt who represented him as his lawyer, ensuring he could stay with a family in Chinatown rather than be shuffled into the system.

Matt, even as Daredevil, had watched over Ethan secretly while he lived in Hell's Kitchen, ensuring he was safe. Ethan wasn't interested in dragging Daredevil into the mess he was about to create tonight.

Ethan stood in front of the Zhonghua Building, which had closed for the night. On the surface, it was the best restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, famous for its food. But Ethan knew the dirty dealings happening behind the scenes—human trafficking, drugs, and illegal arms. At the heart of it all was Madam Gao, an elderly woman with sharp features and a deceptively frail appearance.

Inside, Madam Gao stood by the window, staring out at the fire consuming one of her hidden drug operations. Her voice was calm as she spoke to the men behind her.

"Who set fire to Kitchen No. 3? The Irish? The Japanese? The Ross Gang?" she asked, her tone indifferent, as if this were a mild inconvenience rather than a significant loss.

The men behind her stayed silent, terrified to speak.

"I told you all—we must keep a low profile," Madam Gao continued, her words like venom wrapped in silk. "Even though we have the strength to retaliate, losses like these are hard to predict. If we had operated more quietly, perhaps our enemies wouldn't have found the location so easily."

She turned to face her men, her disappointment palpable. "You've become too flashy, and now my operations are vulnerable to every enemy with a grudge and a plan."

One of the men, Jordan, spoke up. "Madam, should we retaliate now? Send our men out to find who's behind this?"

Madam Gao's sharp eyes fixed on him, and she gave him a chilling smile. "Do you think finding one man will stop the bleeding? How many of our operations are exposed because of your carelessness?"

As if to punctuate her point, another explosion shook Hell's Kitchen.

Madam Gao moved to the window again, her eyes narrowing. Another kitchen had gone up in flames.

"Whoever is behind this isn't just after one operation—they're coming for all of them."

Another few minutes passed, and then a third explosion echoed through the streets.

Jordan's patience snapped. "We should secure Kitchen No. 4 before they hit it too!"

Madam Gao shook her head. "No. Call everyone back. We regroup at the Zhonghua Building. Hold our headquarters."

Her calm mask had finally cracked, revealing the worry and fury beneath. Whoever was attacking them wasn't just bold; they were well-prepared and aiming to take her entire organization down.

"Why?" Jordan demanded, not understanding her decision.

"Because I said so!" Madam Gao snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.

Jordan lowered his head, understanding the danger in defying her.

"Get everyone ready. Our enemy is coming here."

As Madam Gao made phone calls to summon reinforcements, including the notorious underworld boss Jin Bin, the sound of gunfire rang out from the streets below. Chaos had come to Hell's Kitchen.

Ethan stormed the Zhonghua Building with two guns blazing, his ice powers protecting him as bullets bounced off his elementalized form.

"Monster! He's a monster!" one of the triad members shouted in terror.

The once-calm building was now a war zone, and fear spread like wildfire. Ethan's ice-cold precision made it clear that he wasn't here for a skirmish—he was here to wipe them out.

"Enough!" Madam Gao's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos like a knife.

Her voice had an unnatural strength for a woman her age, but it didn't stop Ethan. He had already realized that his freezing abilities, while effective, were destroying his clothes. He would have to expose himself if the fight continued, and his secret would be out.

Madam Gao stepped forward, her eyes cold as ice. "Iceman, the X-Men have no quarrel with the triads. Do you really want to start a war between us?"

Ethan's voice was low and menacing. "I'm not with the X-Men."

Without warning, a rocket shot toward him.

"Ice Shield!" Ethan shouted, creating a massive shield of ice that absorbed the blast.

The explosion shook the building, but Ethan stood unfazed, the flames snuffed out by his freezing powers.

"Is this your idea of a ceasefire?" Ethan growled, his eyes glowing with cold fury.

Madam Gao's expression tightened. "Everyone stop! Anyone who fires another shot, I'll kill them myself!"

The room fell silent, the only sound the faint crackle of ice as Ethan's shield dissipated. He dropped his guns to the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes locked on Madam Gao.

Her men gathered around, weapons ready, but none dared to fire.

Madam Gao, ever the shrewd negotiator, smiled kindly, though her eyes betrayed her worry. "There seems to be a misunderstanding. Surely we can resolve this peacefully."

Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph, tossing it at her. Madam Gao caught it effortlessly, showing that despite her age, she was not to be underestimated.

"You have five minutes to bring me the two men in that photo," Ethan said coldly. "If I don't see them, I'll wipe your triad off the face of Hell's Kitchen."

Madam Gao glanced at the photo, her expression tightening. These were the men responsible for the murder of Ethan's parents.

"Find them," she ordered Jordan. "And make no mistakes."

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the clock began ticking. The air was cold—unnaturally cold—as Ethan sat on a chair made of ice, his gaze never leaving Madam Gao.

Time was running out.

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