In the confidential files of S.H.I.E.L.D. that the contract invaded.
In Matt Murdock's stories.
In all intelligence about The Hand.
This face represents a symbol—'black sky'.
An ultimate weapon revived by The Hand, possessing destructive power.
A woman who broke Daredevil's heart.
Kingpin's 'artwork' was actually her!
William's heart sank instantly.
Trouble.
This was the first word that popped into his mind.
Not 'danger', not 'opportunity', but the purest 'trouble'.
This was no longer a simple security escort.
This 'bomb' had a name, an identity.
And a fuse long enough to ignite all of Hell's Kitchen—Matt Murdock.
William could almost immediately foresee what Daredevil would do if he learned that Kingpin's cargo was Elektra's 'corpse'.
The man who adhered to the no-kill principle in the dark would instantly tear off all disguises and transform into the most reckless devil.
He would be like a mad Beast, crashing through everything in his path, at any cost, just to get back the woman he loved.
By then, any Plan A, Plan B, would become a joke.
Jessica's 'chance encounter' would be directly blown away by him.
The gas station explosion would be insignificant in his eyes.
He would use his body, his life, to block the convoy.
And his mission would fail in the most tragic way.
He could not bear Kingpin's wrath.
William's 'Spark of Inspiration' was passively ignited at this moment.
In the palace of his mind, there was no longer calm logical deduction, but countless blood-red alarms representing 'mission failure'.
William's head was still in a phased state, silently hovering beside Elektra.
He looked at her peaceful sleeping face, but a storm raged in his heart.
What to do?
Immediately terminate the mission and notify Matt?
No.
This thought only appeared for a second before he extinguished it.
Doing so would be tantamount to suicide.
He would offend both Kingpin and The Hand at the same time, and although New York was big, there would be no place for him to stand.
Then, just pretend not to know anything.
Honestly complete the mission.
Deliver this hot potato to Kingpin, then take the money and promises and leave?
This seemed to be the safest option at the moment.
But he immediately realized that this was only short-term safety.
Handing an unknown risk of the 'Elektra' level into The Hands of an ambitious man like Kingpin, who knew what he would use her to do?
A 'black sky' modified by The Hand, falling into Kingpin's hands, would be a disaster more uncontrollable than an atomic bomb.
His professional ethics, his obsession with 'risks must be assessed and controlled', made him unable to accept this option.
A huge 'unknown' was about to slip away right under his nose.
Becoming a huge source of risk that could explode at any time, which he could not control.
This made him feel a physiological discomfort.
William's eyes became incredibly deep in the darkness.
His brain was working frantically, bringing all variables and all possibilities into calculation.
A brand new 'path of inspiration' was forcibly carved out in the chaotic palace of his mind.
A sinister, cunning, but the only feasible tightrope.
He had to complete the contract.
He had to personally deliver Elektra to the location specified by Kingpin.
This was the premise for him to survive.
However, after delivery, he had to do another thing.
He had to figure out.
Where exactly Kingpin hid her.
How she was being guarded.
What were the security measures.
And what was the ultimate goal.
Then.
He would take this 'intelligence', this intelligence that would make Daredevil owe him a huge favor.
At the most opportune moment, 'casually' reveal it to Matt Murdock.
He didn't make choices; he wanted it all.
He wanted Kingpin's money, and he also wanted Daredevil's 'debt of gratitude'.
He wanted to transform this huge risk that could destroy him into the most important piece on his future chessboard.
He wanted Kingpin and Daredevil, these two most powerful Beasts in Hell's Kitchen, to engage in a fight to the death over 'Elektra' as bait.
And he, as the one who provided the intelligence, would sit high in the audience, overseeing the entire situation.
This plan was despicable, ruthless, and devoid of humanity.
But William's lips, in the darkness, slowly curved into a cold arc.
This is what you call risk management.
He took one last look at the woman in the box, and his body began to exit the phased state.
The strange vibration gradually subsided, and his cells re-synchronized with the frequency of the real World.
His body's outline went from blurry to clear, like a drop of ink dissolving into clear Water, silently withdrawing from the alloy container.
Five minutes, just right.
He tidied the crumpled lapel of his suit.
All emotions on his face were neatly put away, leaving only the calm and detachment a professional insurance consultant should have.
"Click—"
He reached out and unlocked the container door from the inside.
He pushed open a gap in the heavy iron door.
The dazzling sunlight from the dock outside instantly rushed in, making him instinctively narrow his eyes.
The security Captain with a scar on his chin stood guard outside the door like a statue.
Seeing William come out, his expressionless face finally showed a hint of change.
"Mr. Rodriguez,"
He asked in a deep voice, his sharp gaze scrutinizing William's face, as if trying to find something.
"The inspection is over? Inside... is there anything wrong?"
"What could be wrong?"
William's tone carried a hint of displeasure at having his professionalism questioned.
As he stepped down from the container, he clapped his hands to brush off non-existent dust.
"The structure is stable, the internal cushioning is in place, and the electronic lock security protocol is normal. Other than your boss's taste being a bit... classical, everything meets transportation standards."
Scarface was choked by his official tone, nodded, and asked no more questions.
William's gaze passed him and looked at the yellow taxi in the distance.
Jack Lockley was leaning against the car door, a toothpick in his mouth, seemingly looking at the scenery, but his peripheral vision was always fixed on this side.
William raised his hand and made a very subtle 'OK' gesture.
Jack's eyes moved, he spat out the toothpick, straightened up, and opened the driver's side car door.
The plan, proceed as usual.
"Very good."
Scarface gave instructions through his earpiece.
"Prepare to load, convoy prepare to depart."
Several workers immediately operated the huge crane boom, carefully hoisting the heavy alloy box into the back of a heavy-duty armored truck.
William turned to walk towards Jack's taxi, feeling safer with Moon Knight's protection.
"Mr. Rodriguez, please wait a moment."
Scarface's voice came from behind him.
William stopped, turned around, and frowned almost imperceptibly.
"Anything else?"
Scarface walked over, his face showing a business-like, unquestionable expression.
"Mr. Fisk emphasized."
He looked at William and said word by word.
"To ensure this escort is foolproof, he hopes you can... personally supervise."
William's eyes narrowed: "Of course I will supervise."
"No."
Scarface shook his head, reaching out to point at the heavy truck that had just been loaded with goods.
"I mean, Mr. Fisk hopes you can sit in the back compartment of that truck."
"With the 'artwork'."
Note:
Happy Lunar New Year 2026!
First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for always being by my side and supporting me throughout this journey.
To ensure the quality of upcoming stories, I've decided to take a week off during the Lunar New Year (February 15th to 22nd) to rest and spend time with my family.
I will return on February 23rd, 2026. During this break, I will prepare many new chapters to post regularly upon my return. So please look forward to it!
Wishing you a warm, joyful, and wonderful holiday season!