12.

Kai sat by the fireplace, watching the vampire's heads burn to ashes. The flames danced hungrily, consuming the remains with an almost supernatural intensity. The crackling of the fire filled the room, mingling with the acrid smell of burning flesh.

Nathan entered the room quietly, carrying two mugs of steaming coffee. He handed one to Kai, who accepted it with a nod. Nathan stood next to him, the flickering light of the fire casting shadows on his tired face.

"I thought you would like to know, the girls survived. Although they are still weak due to the severe blood loss, they will pull through." Nathan said as he turned his head towards Kai whose eyes remained fixed on the flames, the orange and yellow hues reflecting in his gaze. The news of the girls' survival brought a subtle shift in his expression, though he remained silent for a moment.

"Sir, those girls won't turn into vampires, right?"

"No, there weren't any bite marks on them." Kai said with a sigh, "Those gangs we attacked last night, has there been any news on them?"

"As of yet, there hasn't been any since they were all minor gangs with little to no backing and extremely secretive. I am certain that it will take some time before the police let alone the media get hold of them." Nathan answered as Kai nodded with satisfaction, "Any news from Fisk?"

"That's what I am here to talk about." Nathan said shaking his head as he fixed his glasses, "The girl that you've been looking for, we've found her but..."

"But?" Kai's sharp eyes pierced through Nathan who stood visibly uncomfortable under Kai's intense gaze. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Mr. Fisk's men found her as she was running away from her house after nearly killing her boyfriend, they have confirmed that the girl has some sort of power through which she can kill someone with just a touch."

"One of the people on the lookout for her was killed accidentally when he went to grab her away."

"Oh! Is Fisk trying to keep her away from me?" Kai chuckled as he had expected something like this might occur, and with the expression on Nathan's face he confirmed his suspicion, "If I were him, I would likely do the same thing after all, how can any ordinary man resist the temptation that comes with these powers? But that's not the interesting part, is it?"

"..."

"Why are you telling me all this? I am sure your orders would be to keep me distracted and this information wouldn't be provided to you in the first place, which means you went looking for it yourself." Kai smirked with curiosity as he hadn't expected the meek Nathan to go against his boss.

Nathan swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Kai's questions. "I did go looking for it myself, sir. Unlike the rest of the people working there, I am from the old regime if you would. I worked as the personal assistant for the previous Don before Fisk took over."

"So my loyalty towards the organization died with the Don and I've wanted nothing but an out since. I have a family to look after but Fisk just wouldn't let me go. He fears that I might join hands with someone else, so it was-"

"It was either join him or die alongside your family, typical threats from someone like him," Kai cut off Nathan standing up as he stretched lazily, "So that makes sense... but it still doesn't answer my question."

"I figured if anyone can take down Fisk and help me escape...it's you." Nathan got on the ground kneeling in a desperate plea, "I know it's a lot to ask, but since Fisk has chosen to betray you from the get-go I felt it was the right choice to help you and use this opportunity to escape his grasp."

"So you think I'll kill Fisk because he chose to betray me... you're not wrong in that regard but I think Fisk still is of more use to me alive than dead, at least for now." Kai's words hung in the air, laden with a mix of menace and pragmatism. Nathan, still on his knees, looked up with a mix of hope and trepidation.

"But all this teasing has started to get annoying, especially using me to gain more power- what? I already knew Fisk wouldn't just let me go on a killing spree willy-nilly, those men I slaughtered were likely his competitors, right?" Kai snickered, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and anger. "He's been playing a dangerous game, and it's time I reminded him who he's dealing with."

Nathan, still kneeling, dared to speak up. "I'll help you all I can, sir."

Kai took a deep breath, his mind calculating the next steps. "First, we need to secure the girl. Her power is too fragile at the moment, but if I play my cards right, maybe I can use this opportunity to incite something within her."

Kai's grin left Nathan terrified as he couldn't help but shiver, "I-I can start gathering the intel immediately on her locations."

"Go ahead and do so," Kai waved his hands turning his attention elsewhere, "Oh, and about your freedom- do this job well and I'll see to it personally that you and your family are out of Fisk's reach."

Nathan's eyes widened with a mixture of relief and gratitude. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

With a determined nod, Nathan stood up and left the room, his mind already racing with plans and contacts to reach out to for information.

The flickering fire cast a wavering glow across the room, and Nathan's footsteps faded.

"At least with this I won't have to put on an act," Kai said to himself, for the last few days his mind was filled with thoughts on how he could approach the runaway Rogue.

Finding her location was a simple thing, but the concerning part was how he could get her on his side. As far as he knew, she was a simple girl who wouldn't want anything to do with his ambitions and will.

Even without her Kai had plenty of solutions for his plans, however with Rogue things would be much easier especially when dealing with any mutants or someone more powerful than him.

"Baldy, I hope you play your part as the villain right..." Kai's laugh echoed through the apartment, a chilling sound that melded with the dying crackle of the fire. He leaned back in his chair, the warm glow of the embers contrasting sharply with the cold calculation in his eyes.

--------------

Meanwhile, Nathan moved through the city with a newfound sense of urgency. He contacted his old network, tapping into resources he hadn't used in years. Every call, every message, was a step closer to finding the girl and securing his freedom. The weight of his family's safety pressed heavily on him, but it also fueled his determination.

And before long he had gotten it. The file of the girl, code-named: Rogue. Through his contacts within the organization, he had managed to access what he wanted. The men currently tracking Rogue had managed to get a tracker on her, with the location updating every few seconds, this was exactly what he needed.

He took out his phone, dialing a number as he informed Kai, that they were good to leave any moment but just when he was finished explaining her whereabouts, a series of gunshots rang through the phone as Nathan's eyes went wide as he hurriedly got in his car driving to Kai's apartment.