In William's office, only the subtle clinking of ice in a whiskey glass remained.
The air was thick with a premonition of an impending storm.
Defenders, in name only, were now a shell of their former selves.
At least in the short term, they had lost their ability to coordinate.
Jessica was investigating alone, Luke was tied up with community affairs, Danny was managing the company, and their core, Matt Murdock, might have become an enemy.
The Hand's strategy of pulling the rug out from under them was precise and ruthless.
They paralyzed the strongest protective force in Hell's Kitchen, and then, unhurriedly, revealed their butcher's knife.
"contract."
William's voice broke the silence of the office.
"Sir, I'm here."
"Initiate Level One monitoring protocol, target, Jack Lockley." William's command was clear and cold. "I need his every move. Real-time tracking, non-stop."
"Protocol initiated. Multiple positioning in progress via urban surveillance networks, satellite thermal imaging, and communication signals... Target locked."
On the holographic screen, a red dot representing Jack was moving wildly through the streets of Manhattan, completely disregarding traffic rules, like a mad Beast.
His destination was Hell's Kitchen.
William could almost imagine Jack's state at this moment.
The man had abandoned all reason, leaving only the instinct for revenge.
An out-of-control Moon Knight, with superhuman physique and Khonshu's divine power, in a place like Hell's Kitchen, was like a bomb with a lit fuse.
He would blow everything sky-high.
"At the same time, analyze all abnormal energy fluctuations and changes in underground forces in Hell's Kitchen within the last twelve hours," William continued to order. "I want to know who took over the order there after Kingpin's downfall."
"Numerous traces of The Hand members' activities. The underground power structure of Hell's Kitchen is being reorganized."
Jack was charging headlong into the center of this most dangerous hunting ground.
William walked to the weapon cabinet and pressed his fingerprint.
The cabinet door slid open silently, revealing the forearm armor inside, shimmering with a dull metallic luster.
"foolproof plan."
He took out the armor and skillfully strapped it onto his left forearm.
A cold, heavy sensation spread along his skin, and the neural sensors instantly synchronized with his bioelectric field.
A surge of strength and agility, far exceeding his usual, flowed from his arm to his entire body.
He needed to be ready for battle.
"Sir, Tandy and Tyrone have arrived at the target apartment."
contract's voice came through just in time.
In a corner of the screen, real-time footage from Cloak and Dagger's body cameras popped up.
The apartment was a mess.
Broken furniture and... a dark red bloodstain on the floor that had already begun to congeal.
Tandy was carefully giving emergency treatment to Marlene, who was lying on the ground. Her palms emitted a soft holy light, trying to stabilize Marlene's vital signs.
Tyrone stood guard at the door, his body already half-merged into the Dark Dimension, ready to teleport the two away at any moment.
"Target's vital signs are weak, she sustained severe abdominal trauma, and there's serious internal bleeding." Tandy's voice came through the comms, laced with suppressed anger. "Boss, she miscarried."
William's fist clenched tightly.
Shadow Knight.
This bastard not only killed five innocent women but also an unborn child.
He had completely crossed the line.
"Bring her back." William's voice was devoid of emotion. "Send her directly to Dr. Connors's lab. Tell the Dr. to use every means necessary; I want her to live."
"Understood."
In the footage, Tyrone stepped forward, and his black Cloak instantly enveloped Tandy and Marlene.
The next second, the three figures disappeared from the apartment.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"