33.
It was an early morning in a secluded villa in London. The first light of dawn gently kissed the horizon, casting a soft, golden hue over the sprawling estate. The villa, an elegant blend of classic Georgian architecture and modern amenities, stood amidst lush, manicured gardens. Ancient oaks and willows lined the cobblestone driveway, their leaves whispering secrets to the breeze.
The garden was a symphony of colors and fragrances, with roses, lavender, and hydrangeas blooming in harmonious profusion. A narrow path of stepping stones wound through the garden, leading to a tranquil pond at the heart of the estate, where a family of ducks glided gracefully across the surface.
Birdsong filled the air, the cheerful trills and warbles of robins and finches creating an enchanting chorus. The scent of freshly cut grass mingled with the earthy aroma of dew-kissed soil, evoking a sense of purity and renewal.
A light mist hung in the air, giving the entire scene an ethereal quality, as if the villa were a part of a dreamscape. Ivy-clad walls and large, sash windows adorned with elegant shutters framed the exterior
Knock Knock
"Who is it?" A young boy answered the door opening it, "Who are you?"
"Oh... you're older than I had expected you to be." Kai who looked normal as ever cheerfully answered, the marking on his body no longer visible and his second set of eyes remained closed, "Would you still like these chocolates?"
The boy eyed Kai warily, his curiosity piqued but his caution unwavering. "Why are you here?" he asked, ignoring the offered chocolates.
As he turned to the side to glance at where the guards went, he stood frozen and traumatized only to be greeted by a sight he wasn't meant to see.
"Richard!" A woman came running in grabbing the boy and pulling him away as she too was shocked by the scene before her but unlike the boy, she quickly adapted to the scene turning to Kai who warmly smiled at her, "I'd have appreciated if you didn't bring your business into my house."
"Unfortunately, Vanessa my dear... my business is hiding and I am sure spending his last remaining days in your home." Kai shrugged stepping into the house without any further permission, "So where's your husband?"
Vanessa took a deep breath relaxing herself, "He's already dying so-"
"Shh!" Kai glanced around his house concentrating on his senses as he finally figured out where the heavy breathing he felt was coming from, "Ah! Of course... the bedroom."
Walking away from the mother-son duo, he reached the bedroom door kicking it open as he walked in to find a man lying on the bed, his face pale and gaunt. The room was dimly lit, with the curtains drawn to keep out the early morning light. Medical equipment surrounded the bed, beeping softly and adding a sterile contrast to the warmth of the villa.
"Well, well, well," Kai said softly, approaching the bed. "You don't look too good, old friend."
The man on the bed turned his head slowly, his eyes struggling to focus on Kai. "Kai," he rasped, his voice weak but laced with recognition. "What... do you want?"
"Of course, to finish what we've started." Kai said with a shrug, "I wanted to let you die in peace, but unfortunately a main character with a newfound mutant ability was hard to resist even for me."
Fisk gritted his teeth, regretting everything he had done to get nothing but death. He wished he could turn back time and change his mistake, he wished he hadn't trusted Magneto, hell he even wished he never recruited his brother in the first place.
But he could do nothing but 'regret' and not act on them as it was already too late, so he wanted to focus on what mattered the most to him, "My family..."
"Of course, we will talk about them as well." Kai said walking around the room and glancing outside the window, "Give away your access card, your passwords, and every cent of money you've hidden. Also, throw in the information of any 'hidden businesses' you've got going on."
"In return, I'll throw you a bone... I won't kill your family and let them keep enough money to live comfortably. They won't have to worry about anything, for the foreseeable future." Kai's voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
Fisk's eyes burned with a mixture of anger and resignation. He had no choice. His body was failing, and he knew Kai was more than capable of carrying out his threats. With a trembling hand, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a small, sleek card. "The access card," he muttered, handing it over to Kai. "The passwords are in the drawer, written down."
Kai took the card, then moved to the bedside table and retrieved a piece of paper filled with scribbled numbers and codes. "Good," he said, pocketing the card and the paper. "Now, about those hidden businesses..."
Fisk sighed heavily, his breath labored. "There's a safe in the study, behind the bookshelf. Combination is 28-47-15. You'll find all the information you need there."
Kai nodded, satisfied. "Well if only our 'business' could've been this simple... but in the end, I am glad that you've made the right decision. Your family will be safe, I assure you." He turned to leave but paused at the door. "Rest in peace, Kingpin."
A slash of cursed energy rushed at Fisk ending his life in an instant as Vanessa who was standing by the door rushed in.
Kai stared down at Richard who looked too shaken witnessing his father's dead body as Kai patted him on the head, "I hope you don't follow in your father's footsteps and pursue a life of peace."
Several heavy footsteps climbed up the stairs as the muscular man in the middle yelled out loud in a hurry, "Sir!"
"Go ahead and bring me the safe and everything worth of value you can find." Kai passed the paper to the man.
The man immediately nodded and began moving alongside his goons as Kai yawned with a satisfied grin.
"You didn't have to rush in like that."
"I didn't want to startle the family with so many men..." Kai smiled walking away out of the villa, "Besides, I didn't ask you to be here, Rogue..."
"I-I just wanted to make sure that Fisk was dead..." Rogue awkwardly stated, following him out of the villa and looking around at the massacre he had caused in an instant. Every single place of the once serene villa was splattered with blood and gore.
She couldn't really accept his way of doing things, but these men likely would've done something much worse if given the chance to so she couldn't deny them completely either. Instead, she swallowed her unease and focused on the task at hand. "So, what's next?"
Kai, sensing her discomfort, glanced back at her with a reassuring smile. "Next, we secure everything Fisk has left behind and make sure the others stay in line. As for you... you'll need a lot more training since we don't know how long your current abilities will last so for now you'll carry on training from martial arts to firearms and so forth."
Rogue nodded in agreement, although with her current arsenal of Magneto, Storm, and Xavier's abilities she knew she was unbeatable to a certain degree but all of it was worthless if she didn't train or know how to use those abilities to the fullest.
'Hmm... maybe I should start my very own training as well.' Kai thought to himself, after all, during all this time all he had to rely on was some physical training and his powers to take advantage of any fight he had been in. But if it came down to someone equal to his strength or even greater he would fall desperately short due to the lack of any special training.