The drive back was quiet for the most part.
I sat across from Fisk, fiddling with Shaw's card between my fingers.
"So," Fisk spoke cautiously. "Are you going to take his offer?"
His way of speaking had fundamentally changed. He knew that if I decided to ditch him and join the Hellfire Club, there was nothing he could do to prevent me from doing so.
"Maybe," I responded with a non-answer.
Fisk nodded slowly, unsurprised.
This wasn't the kind of decision one could make quickly.
"I'm speaking honestly here, those two are troublesome. Entering their world is dangerous."
I nodded my head at his advice. I didn't get the vibe that he was trying to scare me away from them.
"I know," I said simply, turning my head to look at the passing streetlights from the car window.
"Shaw is a man who collects things. People, blackmail, information, everything under the sun. He's a man who's great at making you feel like an equal until you realise, far too late, that you've become part of his collection."
I listened intently to Fisk's words; he was a man who had been around these circles for years.
"And Emma?"
Fisk didn't seem to have a clear answer regarding the telepath.
"Emma Frost isn't someone I can claim to predict in the slightest, which, from me, means something."
I chewed on the inside of my lip as he blatantly revealed his lack of knowledge regarding Emma.
His last statement wasn't him being dramatic. Wilson Fisk was someone who prided himself on knowing people, reading them, anticipating their actions, and staying ahead.
"She approached you, right? What did she say?"
"Warned me about Shaw."
Fisk let out a chuckle after hearing my response.
"Of course she did. That woman is always playing games like that. Look, I can tell you this much: she didn't warn you out of concern." Fisk spoke the obvious.
"I'm well aware."
The car turned as we began to approach my apartment.
"For what it's worth, you did far better than I expected. You held your own against two people who could be called grandmasters when it comes to getting what they want out of others."
I glanced at him with an unimpressed face.
"You used me to poke the hornet's nest," I said, without much accusation.
Fisk had thrown me into this troublesome situation. Though it wasn't like he could have known how greatly my Conqueror's would affect Emma.
Anyway, where there's danger, there's opportunity. The scenario I had landed in could turn out spectacularly for me depending on how I moved.
Right now, taking on Shaw was a hopeless task, but what about when I became stronger? What if I killed him and took over the Hellfire Club myself?
Organisations of that level were not built easily. If I could gain control over something like that... well, the possibilities would be endless.
Fisk remained silent at my statement, electing to give a wry smile.
I changed the subject.
"The camera footage, how's that coming along?"
"Nearly done. Whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. pulled from New Mexico is beyond my reach, but practically everything from within the city's network has been erased. You're effectively a ghost in New York again."
"Good."
Despite his words, I didn't feel particularly secure.
The rest of the drive passed in silence.
---
I got back to my apartment sometime past midnight.
The place was exactly as I had left it, which I confirmed with a sweep of the Sharingan as soon as I entered.
It had become a habit.
I dropped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
[Fear Point Balance: 24,150]
The trickle had already started.
At first, I was a little confused about the gains, but it made sense.
The story of an unknown man having private meetings with both the White Queen and Black King of the Hellfire Club.
Being unknown was what scared the people in attendance. The fact that they, powerful politicians, bankers, mob bosses and other influential people, had no idea who I was was probably something that maddened them.
I set Shaw's card on my bedside table and proceeded to open the shop.
[Hanma Template (Unawakened) - 50,000 FP]
The Hanma bloodline from Baki.
There was no point even trying to think of the freakshows from that anime as human.
Superhuman physical ability, an instinctive combat sense that was practically precognition, and a body that seemed crafted purely for taking and dealing damage.
Unfortunately, I was unawakened, meaning I wouldn't have access to the Demon Back and certain other abilities, but even the base template was nothing to dismiss.
Depending on how one looked at it, 50,000 FP was either very far or quite close to where I was right now.
I closed the shop.
My next purchase had to be that template. My biggest current issue was the weakness of my flesh. Dead Bone pulse gave me good offence and defensive capabilities, and the Sharingan gave me perception, but at the end of the day, beneath all of that lay a regular human being.
No enhanced strength, no real durability beyond hardened bones, and movements so slow they couldn't keep up with my Sharingan-enhanced reflexes.
I sighed, disatisfied at my growth. I needed to grow strong, much stronger, and in a short span of time.
Snakes had begun encircling me, and I needed the strength to pull them off.
I rubbed my hands against my eyes and deactivated my Sharingan, finally able to doze off after a rather troublesome night.