Soon.
The call was successfully redirected.
"Speak."
Calm and authoritative. The voice on the other end was short, cold, as if every extra word would be unnecessary.
"Sir, Agent Coulson established contact with the target today and brought in three more people."
"All three possess the same power as the target, shadow manipulation."
Grant Ward delivered his report.
"The point?"
The voice on the other end hinted at excitement.
"Sir, I believe this ability can be replicated."
Grant Ward took a deep breath, then continued:
"Through analysis, we discovered that their powers come from summoning a being known as the 'God of Shadows' using a blood totem. This allows them access to superhuman abilities."
On the other end, silence followed.
Then, a change in tone.
Excitement.
"Are you sure?"
"Are you sure that this guy, Aron, gained his powers the same way?"
"I'm fairly sure."
"In a warehouse in Jefferson Harbor, we found an almost identical blood totem."
"The target possesses knowledge of this ritual."
"And I assume the strength of the power is directly related to the size and complexity of the totem."
"The larger the scale, the greater the power."
"That's why the target is significantly stronger than the others."
Grant Ward sounded excited as he concluded the report.
Breathing on the other end became deeper.
"Excellent."
"You did a great job."
"Grant... this discovery is of crucial importance."
The voice on the other end of the phone was full of excitement.
"Nick Fury is still thinking about how to recruit the targets, and we've already discovered the source of their powers!"
"Using this discovery, we can create an army with the same powers as the target!"
"Until then..."
"We will no longer hide."
"Every head of Hydra will rise to the surface again!"
"Hail Hydra!!"
"Hail Hydra!!"
...
Meanwhile.
Hydra agent Grant Ward reported to his superiors.
On the other hand, Aron had already returned home and installed a portal door on one of the living room walls.
Just as he finished, someone rang the doorbell.
Aron opened the door and saw Kingpin, whom he hadn't seen in several days. Behind him stood a man with glasses who looked like his lawyer or assistant.
They carried two suitcases.
None of Kingpin's bodyguards were in sight.
"My lord."
"I've come to deliver..."
Kingpin quickly bowed his head when he saw Aron. The king of the underworld was as humble as a servant.
"Come in."
Aron opened the door and let them inside.
As soon as they entered the house, Kingpin and the man with glasses carefully set down the suitcases.
Kingpin even personally entered the code, as if afraid something might be damaged.
"Sir, here is ten million dollars, along with some jewelry."
Said Kingpin, pulling a property deed from his pocket.
"Also, I heard that your house is rented, so I purchased it in your name."
"The estate is now yours without any additional taxes, and I'll make sure all obligations are regularly handled."
Kingpin carefully observed Aron's face as he spoke.
When he saw that Aron didn't react strongly, he gently placed the papers on the table.
"..."
Aron was silent for a few moments, then calmly said:
"You said a million dollars per month, so what exactly does it mean that you brought me ten million at once?"
"Does it mean you still want me to do something for you?"
...
"No, of course not."
"This is just a small token of appreciation. Please accept it."
Kingpin forced a smile.
He knew the truth.
Seeing the footage from the Battle of New York, it was clear to him who the "demon hunter" was that displayed unreal power in that fight.
Others might not have known, but he did.
To survive this long in the Marvel world, to rise to a high position, and then survive even more...
Kingpin knew whom he could and could not mess with.
"Fitting of you, Kingpin. You always know how to survive."
"To be honest, the reason I didn't kill you earlier was because you might have been useful."
"But now..."
Aron paused.
He once thought Kingpin could serve as a sacrifice to summon a demon.
But now, that was no longer necessary.
His summoning power no longer depended on ceremony.
Nor did he need any sacrifices.
"..."
When he realized that, Kingpin's expression immediately changed.
"Wesley, you go out first."
He said to his assistant, then suddenly knelt on the floor.
Aron felt uncomfortable.
This man…
If you say he has dignity, he kneels before you.
If you say he doesn't, he knows in advance to send others away so they won't witness his humiliation.
"Now I see how you rose so high."
Aron recalled the sentence Kingpin said in the warehouse: "What do you think I relied on to get to where I am today?"
Now he knew the answer.
One word, persistence.
"Sir, as long as you can lift your noble hand and spare me..."
"From today, I am yours. I will be your horse, I will be your ox. Send me east, I won't even glance west."
Kingpin hit his forehead against the floor.
His massive body knelt like a mountain of flesh.
"..."
Aron was silent.
He hadn't even planned to deal with this man anymore.
He came of his own accord.
"Alright, get up."
"I'm not interested in your business."
"If you really want to do me a favor, take this card and transfer money to me from time to time."
He didn't want any deeper relationship with Kingpin. Especially not in the businesses he ran.
Everyone was an adult.
A distant relationship with economic cooperation was more than enough.
"Oh, and… help me find two more maids."
Aron looked around. The house was already a bit of a mess.
Same with the Temple in New York.
He couldn't maintain it alone.
___
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