New Blood

New Blood
Chapter 15: King’s Ransom

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Outside Fisk Tower – Midnight

The stage was set for the ultimate heist. Remy and Ororo were poised to strike at the Kingpin of Crime right in the heart of his vast criminal empire. Few ever dared to take up such a challenge. Those that had were most likely long dead, the victims of the Kingpin’s low tolerance for threats. But Remy Lebeau didn’t have a choice. If he was to prove himself and keep his word to the Hellfire Club, he had to succeed at this mission. The cost of failure was too high to contemplate, but as always the confident Cajun was up to the job.

The weather was eerily appropriate for the night. Storm clouds rolled in late that afternoon and it had been raining off and on ever since. At the moment there was a steady downpour, not intense enough to be classified as a major storm but more than enough to provide them the cover they needed. Up in the clouds just above Fisk Tower was Ororo Munroe, Remy’s only real backup in this very risky mission. She was hovering silently in a meditative state, kept level by a column of wind. She would not have to go head-to-head with the Kingpin’s thugs, but she had to do her part if the mission was to succeed. Charles Xavier was counting on her and so was Remy. As rocky a start they got off to, she cared that the Cajun succeeded, but not for reasons she was ready to articulate.

At the moment, the two mutant thieves were preparing for the first stage of their plan. Remy entered the sewers through a manhole two blocks away and using the maps provided to him by the Hellfire Club, made his way to the base of Fisk Tower. The sewer was dank and smelly. With the rain falling hard it was like a raging river at times and the Cajun got a good soaking of fresh New York City runoff. It stank in ways that could make most men cry, but he didn’t have time to be disgusted. He had a job to do.

He reached first area right on schedule. As expected, Fisk had security cameras mounted along the ceiling. Just ahead of them was a heavily secure door which led to the main pumps that supplied the tower with water and took care of the sewage. That was where he had to go in order to make his way up, but before he worked his Cajun thievery he activated the small communicator he and Storm synchronized just before they parted.

“Storm, you read me?”

There was some static at first, but it quickly cleared once Ororo adjusted the signal on her end.

“I read you. Beat with me, the signals a little weak.”

“I hear ya. So how’s the weather up there?”

“Muggy, cloudy, rainy, and no chance it’ll let up over the next couple of hours.”

“Sweet music to my ears,” grinned Remy, “Be sure to keep it that way while this master thief works his magic.”

“You can count on mother nature being on your side. What’s your position?”

“Just outside the fat man’s lair,” he replied as he scanned over the area, “Looks like I was right. Fisk ain’t been keepin’ an eye on the sewers. Ain’t nothing down here but cameras.”

“What about the guards?”

“Are you kiddin’? With the stink down here from a full night a rain even Fisk couldn’t pay them enough to guard this place!”

“Guess that’ll make your job easier.”

“Tell that to my nose,” groaned the Cajun.

“Oh lighten up, Remy. All great thieves have to get a little dirty at some point.”

“Sad but true, cherè. But I don’t be plannin’ on stayin’ down here much longer. Soon as the clock strikes midnight, I’m goin’ in. When I need ya to cut the power, I’ll signal ya.”

“I’ll be ready. I’m getting into position now.”

“Good,” said Remy, “Oh, and one more thing, Storm.”

“What is it, Remy?”

“So long as we’re on the job…call me Gambit.”

Storm held back a grin. It wasn’t the first nickname she would have chosen, but it suited him well. If she could go by an alias so could he.

“Okay…Gambit. I’ll be on standby. Good luck.”

“Oh don’t you worry ‘bout me, cherè. Gambit knows how to make his own luck.”

The link went silent and the two thieves got into position. Ororo descended closer to the top of Fisk Tower, carefully using the surrounding winds to position her over the east side of the roof where a caged power unit was housed. She couldn’t fly in too low otherwise the sensors might pick up on her. But she had to be close enough to guide her lightning strike. She only needed one good shot and the lightning would do the rest. One mistake Fisk made in making his power independent of the city was that it was like a closed circuit. Cut one part and the whole system goes down and won’t be able to draw backup power from the city. It should give Remy the window he needed if he didn’t get himself killed first.

Fisk Tower – Fisk’s Office

Wilson Fisk was working late again. It was way past the time when he usually checked out. Being the Kingpin of crime and a legitimate businessman as the same time took a lot of work. Overtime was common. It seemed as though everybody wanted a shot at the Kingpin and he had to repeatedly remind them who was boss. Most were wise enough not to compete with him, but the few that did needed examples made of them and was not afraid to be especially ruthless when he had to be. It was just good business sense for this line of work.

Few could appreciate the power and efficacy of his criminal network. From the lowest of street punks to the highest echelons of the criminal underworld, he had his hand in everything. He took a smug satisfaction in the way he controlled the chaotic world of crime like a puppeteer controlling a puppet. It was almost too easy at times. That was the benefit if being so feared that nobody stood a chance against him. He had too many resources and allies in very high places. Not even the likes of SHIELD could bring him down. He was literally on top of the criminal world and was so secure in his position it felt as though nothing could bring him down.

“Another day another blood bath,” sighed the imposing crime lord.

Grabbing his jeweled cane, the Kingpin rose up and made his way towards his private elevator. Most of his staff had left for the evening, leaving his vast army of guards to watch over things. As he passed them on his way out he nodded and they saluted him. It was always humorous to see them tremble whenever he walked by. Not only did his power far exceed anything they could dream of, but his large physical form further dissuaded any thoughts of disrespect.

As he neared the elevator he passed one of his many hired guns, Bullseye. He was sleeping casually in a chair, snoring loudly with his legs resting atop the table. He looked somewhat pitiful lofting about like that, but even super assassins needed rest.

“Goodnight, Bullseye,” said Kingpin.

“Night mommy,” he muttered in his sleep.

Fisk shook his head and prepared to make his leave. Bullseye may be obnoxious at times, but he was a good henchman. He had skill, agility, and unparalleled efficiency. He boasted that he never misses a shot whether it’s with knives, guns, or darts from a bar. He didn’t come cheap, but he got the job done. Lately there had been a surge in activity throughout the criminal underworld so Bullseye had been very busy. He even reported rumors that someone was planning to take him down, but Fisk scoffed at the notion. Nobody could defeat the Kingpin. They could try, but they would eventually fail. They all did.

Fisk Tower – Sub-Basement

Remy Lebeau officially entered the fire. The heavily reinforced door leading into the pump and furnace area blew open with strategically placed charge on the hinges. It helped that the door was somewhat old. For a man as wealthy as Wilson Fisk, the guy cut corners in the wrong places. He still didn’t see any guards and the cameras he snuck by earlier were a joke. The noise and heat from the pumps and furnace must keep most of the security away, especially at this hour. But he had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case with the next step.

The main basement area was mainly a storage area. Fisk wasn’t dumb enough to have heavy ordinance in his downtown headquarters, but there was still a fair amount of arms along with assorted office supplies found in all big buildings. To get up there he would have to blow a few more secure doors, but in order to stop from alerting the guards he couldn’t blow the door. So would have to do it the old fashioned way and pick the lock. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small pouch of tools.

“The right tool for the right job,” he said to himself.

He took one of the tools and began picking at the lock, which like all the doors was pretty heavy duty. It was a bit hard to think with the noise, but he was able to tune it out and get it opened. When he slowly opened the door he saw some guards casually lounging about, smoking cigarettes and chatting about this and that. Remy noticed their guns were resting against the wall. They must be on a break or something. As they chatted he inched the door opened slowly. Luckily the noise from the other room kept much of his movements concealed.

“Boy, I’m glad the Kingpin lets us smoke down here,” said one of the guards.

“Yeah, to hell with this whole New York being so health conscious. If I wanna smoke why should I have to take it outside?”

“All the benefits of working for a guy above the law, eh?”

“Amen!”

Remy stayed low as they laughed and talked. He looked around the corner and end to see if there were any other guards nearby. Near as he could tell there weren’t, but there were a few more security cameras. He would have to take them out, but doing so would start the proverbial clock. This was the time in all heists when a thief had to be his sharpest. One slip up and it would be over. It was now or never and a lot depended on his success.

“Sorry fellas,” he said under his breath, “This is what happens when you work for a crime lord.”

Taking out a deck of cards, Remy charged an ace of spades and flicked it up into the air. It descended slowly down between the guards as they casually smoked and before they realized what was going on, it exploded in mid air and sent them flying back.

“What the?!” one of them gasped.

Then Remy sprang into action, whipping out his bow staff and leaping into their midst. They didn’t even get a chance to reach for their guns before he swiped them across the face and knocked them out where they stood. He was so fast one guy still had a cigarette in his mouth as he slumped back against the wall. Once they were down, Remy quickly went about fleecing them for supplies. Since they were down here they had to have an access card of sorts. He found two on each of them, one for the elevator and one for the sub-basement. He would need both if he was to proceed. But before he left them, he swiped their cigarettes and put them out.

“These are very bad for you, homme,” he taunted.

Armed with a couple of keycards, the Cajun thief sped down the right hallway. Along the way there were cameras mounted, but he couldn’t afford to slow down so he whipped out a couple more cards and took them out in short order. No doubt that would cause a stir among security and someone would come down to investigate. Hopefully by the time they got here it would be too late. But that wouldn’t stop the guards already down here. He barely made it down the hallway when he heard footsteps.

“Hey, did you hear that? Something’s wrong!”

“You have no idea,” muttered Remy.

As the guards came in his direction, they stopped the moment they saw him and pointed their guns at him.

“Hey you! Stop!”

“I don’t think so!” shot Remy, not even slowing down.

He charged up several cards at once and hit them with a barrage, it surprised them and they fell back just as they were firing their weapons. As they fell, Remy used his bow staff to vault over them and keep going. He hit a couple of more cameras along the way and came across more guards at the end of the next hall.

“Someone’s down here! Hit the alarm!”

“Oh no you don’t!” grunted Remy.

He slung more cards up towards the light, causing a brief flash and a series of sparks to momentarily stun the guards. One managed to get away and was sprinting towards the nearest alarm button, which once pressed would lock down the whole area. Remy couldn’t let that happen so he shoved the two stunned guards aside and took aim with his bow staff. With a precise throw, he hit the guy right in the legs and caused him to trip just as he was a few feet from the button. He fell face first too so he wasn’t getting up from that anytime soon.

Remy retrieved his staff and checked the corridor. Having memorized the layout of this area he calculated that the freight elevators were at the end of the east wing hall. Once he got in there the guards couldn’t come after him. He would be home free to the 36th floor. But Fisk wasn’t making it any easier on him. As soon as he turned onto the east wing he saw half a dozen guards rushing towards his area. Apparently he hadn’t been quiet enough when taking out the others.

“There he is! Stop him!”

“Try it! Gambit loves raisin’ the stakes!”

He threw another card barrage, which took a couple of guards out, but didn’t stop the majority of them. Seeing this, Remy ducked behind another hall, forcing the guards to chase after him.

“This way! That freak can run but he can’t hide!”

The guards made it to the junction where the young thief ducked behind, but when they swarmed the area they didn’t see a trace of him. It was as if he disappeared into thin air.

“Where did he go?” said one of the guards.

“Look for him! He couldn’t have gone far!” said another.

They proceeded carefully, their guns pointed at a ready position as they scanned the nearby closets and storage rooms. They knew the guy was close. They could feel it. But somehow he was hiding from them. At about the third closet, which contained janitorial gear, two guards kicked the door in and scanned the room with a flashlight. Once they scanned the area and saw nothing but cleaning supplies and dirty mops, the moved on. But if they had looked closer they would have seen Remy hiding in a space between the shelves and behind some old boxes of rags.

Grinning to himself, Remy rose up and carefully peaked out the door. There he saw the guards all facing down the hall. He could have probably snuck past them and ran towards the elevator, but if he did they would probably hit the alarm and seal him in. So he was going to have to take them out, which he didn’t mind. It was one of the more fun aspects of being a thief.

“Sorry boys, this hurts you more than it hurts me,” he said.

Before the guards could turn around and fight back, Remy pounded two with his bow staff in a double swipe motion that knocked them both out and probably broke a couple of facial bones. The other two frantically took aim. Remy ducked down low and slashed the gun from one of the guards away so it faced the guard next to him. Unfortunately for him, the gun went off and shot him square in the chest. The other guard gasped and while tried to recover, Remy delivered a finishing blow that took him out.

He hadn’t even gotten past the sub-basement and already he had faced over a dozen of the Kingpin’s guards. If this was how secure the sub-basement was he could only imagine how tough the upper levels would be. He dispensed with those concerns for the moment and ran towards the elevator. Along the way he saw one of the guards he knocked out with his cards earlier struggling to get up. He kicked him in the face along the way, making sure he stayed knocked out. Being a thief meant being tough and he had no room to feel bad for any of these hired goons.

Once at the elevator he took out the key cards he swiped from one of the guards and scanned it on over the scanner. The little red light in the center turned from red to green and activated the elevator. He stepped to the side just in case there were guards inside waiting for him. When the doors opened, he saw it was empty inside. With his staff in hand he took out the small camera mounted in the corner and scanned the second card, which got the elevator to move. This elevator only went up to the ground level, but that was as far as he needed to go in order to gain entry to the main elevator shaft. But he didn’t let it get all the way there. The ground level was probably swarming with guards so he would have to take a tougher path.

Just before the elevator reached the ground floor, he charged the panel and caused a mini-explosion that shorted the whole craft out. It stopped just below the floor level and rendered it inoperable. Once it was stalled, he tossed a few more cards at the ceiling to open up the maintenance hatch. Upon blowing it open he climbed up out of the elevator and into the shaft, which was a maze of columns and steel beams.

“Damn, that’s a long way up,” he mused.

Using his advanced agility, he scaled the rest of the way up the service shaft and crossed over to the ledge overlooking the main shaft. The main shaft, which ran through the center of the building, contained every elevator leading up through the building. Activity at this hour of the night was minor, but he could envision days where carts were flying up and down the shafts faster than the eye could see. He had a long way to scale, but he couldn’t move from his position with the laser sensors active. It was up to Storm now to move him along.

“Okay Storm, you’re on. Put ‘em in the dark.”

“I read you, Gambit. Sit tight. This is going to be a difficult shot.”

“Don’t take too long, cherè. Those guards ain’t gonna be so patient.”

Outside, Ororo’s eyes flashed white as she swooped down from the clouds and positioned herself over the main conduits. The rain was still pouring and she was soaked from head to toe. The winds around her swirled like a vortex, keeping her level as she summoned the full force of her powers. All the training from the Hellfire Club was going to be necessary here. She had to make sure she totally fried every circuit in the building.

“Okay Kingpin, time to be dethroned!” she proclaimed.

Bolts of lightning began arcing around her, filling the air with a brilliant light show. The clouds above her soon became charged with immense energy, guided by Storm’s powerful hand. She also kicked up the winds, using it to blow open the fuse boxes and disorient the sensors. This had to look as natural as possible, that way Fisk would have no way of knowing.

As the clouds charged, Fisk was inside his private elevator nearing the ground floor. He remained unaware of any of the activities going on around him. Then his phone rang and with a tired groan, he answered it.

“This better be good. I was on my way out,” he answered in a menacing tone.

“Boss! Something’s up! We think there’s an intruder in the building! A bunch of our cameras went out on the basement sub-levels and I just got a report of at least a dozen guards out cold or dead!”

“What?! Who would dare break into my base? Sound the alarm and seal off the building! I want a head count of any and all…”

But that was as far as Fisk got. Before he could finish giving his order, Storm unleashed a barrage of lightning unlike no other. It struck the fuse box and conduits all over the east side of the roof. A thunderous bang erupted from the area as sparks and small flames shot out, frying and overwhelming the system. And just as she hoped, the energy surged through the wiring from the building and the lights went out all over the vast structure. Now somewhat spent from stirring up so much power, Storm backed off and flew back down to the street. She still had a role to play, but the rest was up to Gambit.

“Your up, Remy. Good luck,” she mused.

Inside the building, the Kingpin was furious. Not only could he give his command, but he was stuck in the elevator. It would not move without power and he was at least nine floors from his level. It was painful confirmation that something greater was at hand than a simple break-in.

“Hello? Hello?!” he exclaimed into his phone, “Damn it, what is going on?! Somebody stop whatever soon-to-be corpse is doing this!”

Fisk scrambled to make another call for help. In the meantime, Remy watched from below as the lights and sensors went dead. For a moment the whole shaft was pitch black, but then some of the backup batteries kicked on a few lights flickered. It wasn’t much, but at least the security system was down. He had his window and there was nowhere left to go but up.

“Time for this master thief to reach the top!” he grinned.

Remy adjusted his bow staff, shortening it and flipping open the tip to reveal a grappling hook. Taking aim at the shaft above, he fired it up about ten floors so it latched onto nearby steel beam. Once secure, he activated the high powered rewind mechanism and attached it to his belt so it carried him up swiftly and efficiently. Once on the beam, he undid the hook, reloaded it, and fired it up the next ten floors. He did this two more times until he reached the 36th floor where the data room was. Once there, he made sure he was standing a good distance away from the door on the adjacent beam. Then he took out half a dozen cards, charged them, and flung them at the heavy door.

The deafening bag that resulted blew the doors in, revealing the darkened path to the server room. Remy grinned at his progress. So far everything was going according to plan. With the power off the rest of the Kingpin’s army was sealed on their floors. All he had left were the elite guards patrolling the security levels. Hopefully they were still confused and without the ability to see or coordinate, they would be much easier for him to handle.

“Almost there,” said the Cajun thief.

Leaping across the shaft and through the now blown doors, Remy ran through the darkened hallways towards the heart of the Kingpin’s most secure domain. This was where the essence of his empire was collected. A breach here and he would be in big trouble. He just had to find a terminal and hope that Sage woman knew what she was doing when she programmed her little package. But just as he and Storm expected, the area wasn’t going to be easy to access. After only a few turns down some major halls, he encountered areas that were still lit. The backup generators for the server room must have kicked in. So the guards wouldn’t be so blind after all. And he didn’t have to go far to reach them.

“There he is! Shoot him!” exclaimed one of the guards.

“Ah hell,” groaned Remy.

The Cajun took cover behind a corner. He was hoping to be a little stealthier, but in this area that wasn’t possible. He noticed the guards here were dressed differently. They sported full body armor, shaded helments, and futuristic laser rifles, the kind only an elite few had access too in the black arms market. Flashes of laser light burst through the hall, leaving Remy unable to pass. He frantically scanned for an option. Then he saw it in the ceiling.

“This is gonna leave one hell of a repair bill,” he said.

Waiting for an opening, he leaped out into the chaos and flung several perfectly aimed cards at the sprinklers on the ceiling just over the guards. The power may be off, but the water pumps were still on so the sprinklers spewed forth a blinding mist of water all over the ill-prepared guards. And a sudden torrent of water was not a good mix with shaded helmets and dim lights.

“Ahhh! Damn it! I can’t see!”

“You don’t need to see this!” grunted Remy as he lunged forth.

The guards fired wildly, missing the Cajun by at least three feet. He easily slipped in and delivered punishing blows with his bow staff. When others tried to swarm in and back their comrades up, he hit them with charged cards that knocked them back and slowed them down. Their armor was tough so Remy had to pick up a couple of laser rifles and return fire. Luckily, the power in these laser rifles was enough to penetrate their armor and took them down with a few well-placed shots. While he didn’t like having to kill on a job, as a good thief he had to be willing to in order to get the job done.

Once the guards were down, he proceeded to the first security entrance. It wasn’t as imposing as some of the other entrances like the one in the sub-basement, but it was pretty close. The Kingpin probably assumed nobody would be good enough to get this far, but he still didn’t take chances. There were no locks to pick or windows to break through. There was a fingerprint reader and an eye scanner. He also remembered from the blue prints that the door was blast proof so he couldn’t charge it without causing too much damage. But with a laser rifle in hand, he had other options.

“Gotta use what you can get your hands on,” he said, quoting one of his father’s many lines from his training.

He heard footsteps from down the hall. The rest of the guards on the floor must be trying to converge on him and protect the server room. He couldn’t fight them all off so he had to get moving fast. First, he felt around the door for the right area. He couldn’t charge the whole thing, but he could charge parts of it. As his father Jean-Luc taught him a chain is only as good as its weakest link. This door looked like a standard, double-reinforced model with Kevlar, titanium, and stainless steel layers to prevent drilling. But the area over the handle was just steel. If he could get in there then that maybe he could make something happen.

He fired a single shot, blowing off the handle and exposing some of the intricate mechanisms that kept the door locked. After a brief scan, Remy saw a tiny latch and grinned.

“Who needs keys anyways?”

He reached in and touched the latch with his fingertip, charging the mechanism to blow. A sharp burst followed as if he set a firecracker off inside it. It was enough to shatter the locking mechanism and open the door. It couldn’t have come at a better time either. Several teams of guards were just converging on his position from down the hall, which was still soaked from the sprinklers.

“There he is! Get him!”

“Ah hell,” grunted Remy.

The Cajun mutant fired a few blasts down the hall to slow them down, hitting only one guard in the shoulder. While still firing, he opened the first door and ducked inside. Once there he grabbed the nearest table and chair and forced it right in front of the door. It wouldn’t stop the swarm of guards, but it would slow them down at least. It should give him enough time to navigate the rest of this maze and get through the next two layers.

He wouldn’t have to go much further. The next layer of security was down the hall past an area that was usually heavily monitored with cameras and sensors. With the power out they were all down, but the lights were still on and so were the locks. And more guards inside awaited him. But at this point they were stretched pretty thin. The Kingpin didn’t trust a lot of people to be in areas this sensitive so he would only have to get through a few more to reach his goal.

“Oh no! Oh no, he’s here!” exclaimed the first guard he saw, “Don’t let him get through!”

Remy just rolled his eyes. This was getting pathetic. He charged a couple of cards and knocked three guards back before they could get into position. Luckily, they didn’t have the heavy body armor the guards around the perimeter had. It was yet another cost cutting gimmick Fisk probably set up. That guy seriously didn’t know how to protect his hired guns. After stepping over the bodies of the downed goons, he saw the next entrance. But to his surprise, the guards were making a stand this time. They all barricaded themselves at the door, their weapons at the ready for anybody who even tried to come through. It would be foolish to try and take them on directly. So he would need another plan.

“Can’t let this slow me down,” said the Cajun, “Think Remy, how do you get past a bunch of heavily armed guards with enough firepower to turn you into paint?”

He looked around for possible options. He couldn’t use the sprinkler trick this time around and even two decks of cards wouldn’t be enough to disband these guys. Then he looked down at the laser rifle he had been using. Suddenly it came to him.

“Oh this will do!” he grinned.

Laser rifles like these needed a potent power source. That’s why they were so expensive and rare. If that power was unleashed all at once, the bang would be pretty intense. It might even open the next door. It sounded good in theory, but would it work in practice? There was only one way to find out. He concentrated hard and charged the weapon up as much as he could. It was soon flashing bright red, indicating it was ready to blow. Then with a split second move, he moved into the opening of the corridor and threw it directly at the cluster of guards.

“What the…” one of them began to say.

But that was as far as he got as the weapon detonated in mid-air just in front of the men with a deafening bang. A bright bluish flash shot out in all directions, forcing Remy to take cover behind the wall and get low. But for the guards, there was no escape. The blast sent them flying like rag dolls across the area. Shrapnel and debris ripped through their armor, tearing at their flesh like it was nothing. The blast was so powerful it blew out the lights and the second door, giving Remy a two-for-one deal. It took a moment for the smoke to clear before Remy could peer back into the corridor. His ears were still ringing and the area was now littered with debris and bodies. But it got the job done.

“Damn, hate to be the guy who has to clean this mess up,” he commented.

Ignoring the fumes, he stepped over the bodies of the guards. Most were still intact, but pretty banged up. He would be surprised if anybody survived that blast. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to cause another one like that again because in these confined areas that was risky. He was also getting close to his goal. He couldn’t risk damaging the data that was so vital to the mission.

Thankfully, the third access level wasn’t nearly as bad as the first two. He only had to go down one more hall to reach a secure glass door with a hand scanner and a camera with facial recognition. With the power out most of those fail-safes should be inoperable. Besides, he was getting to the point where it didn’t matter if they saw him now. There wasn’t much they could do to stop him now.

He could see into the vast server room. There was nobody inside. All the guards that had been guarding this area must have joined up with the men back at the second door where he blew them all to oblivion. And at this hour there weren’t many workers or maintenance men and they probably weren’t even armed. Getting in was easy. He just had to give the thick, bulletproof glass a light charge and it cracked to the point where he could break it with his bow staff. Once inside he encountered a few late night workers, but just as he suspected they weren’t guards. They were just nerdy-looking men in white coats.

“Who…who are you? You’re not supposed to be here!” said one nervously.

“You really wanna make a scene homme? I just fought through a building of the Kingpin’s best men. You really wanna try and be a hero?”

The worker trembled. If this man could fight through the armies of the Kingpin he had to be crazy powerful or insanely skilled. But if he ran, the Kingpin would probably kill him. He had no tolerance for cowards. So in a feeble stand he tried to lunge at the thief, only to get knocked in the head with his bow staff.

“Some hero,” sighed the Cajun.

Remy looked around for the right terminal. Just as the readouts showed, every server was still operating on backup power. There was no way the Kingpin would risk losing all the data he had on his empire because of a simple power outage. But so long as the rest of the building was dark and every floor was sealed, he was in good shape. He encountered a few more hapless technicians as he searched for the terminal. They also tried to play hero, but he made quick work of them. He tried not to be too harsh, making sure he only knocked them out. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Finally, he located a terminal. It was one of the core servers that Sage woman said was connected to all others. This was where her program had to be uploaded if it was to have the desired effect. Remy was no computer whiz, but he knew enough to get this program working. He took out his cell phone and the flash drive Sage gave him. He then took a cord he stashed in his boot and connected it to the terminal. First he had to establish a connection so that the Kingpin’s data would reach every major law enforcement agency and media outlet it could. In a place this secure that wasn’t easy, but thankfully Sage helped boost this cell phones signal. After about ten seconds of booting up, he had his connection. Now it was time for the main event.

“Here we go, you little devil,” said Remy as he looked down at the flash drive, “Do your thing and send the Kingpin packin’.”

He inserted the flash drive into the nearest USB port. Immediately it began working. Sage told him to just make sure the connection was strong and let the program do the rest. At first it didn’t look like anything was happening. All the monitors and lights remained the same and there was no activity showing on the cell phone. Sage never said how long it would take and that barricade he left at the security level had probably failed by now. And if he had to get in another shooting battle with the guards, the program might be compromised.

“Come on! Do it already!” he said impatiently.

It was agonizing. He was in the heart of the Kingpin’s domain, risking his neck for a bunch of people he didn’t even know that well. There was no reason they couldn’t just let him die here and have him take the fall if something went wrong. Xavier would still get what he wanted and so would Norman Osborn. What would the Hellfire Club lose if he got caught anyways? Some thief they didn’t trust? He did this for them because they offered him a better life and a cure for his head pain. Was Charles Xavier just using him as a sacrificial pawn to further his own end?

Just as he contemplated these possibilities, the whole server room went haywire. Alarms went off, monitors went blank, and lights on every piece of hardware started flashing erratically. He then looked at the screen on the cell phone and saw that it was transmitting. All the sensitive information Wilson Fisk didn’t want to let get out was being sent unsecured in every direction. It was just as Sage described. Even the Kingpin wouldn’t be able to completely shake this.

After a few minutes of transmitting, the program was complete. The cell phone read ‘transmission complete’ and the flash drive had done its damage. Every computer was going haywire and the information was sent. There was no reason for him to be here now. It was time to escape.

“Guess Remy’s job is done here,” he said, grabbing the flash drive and the cell phone, “Time to make my big exit.”

Getting out wasn’t going to be easy. But compared to getting in, it was all a matter of how much a mess he wanted to leave. He would first have to get to the perimeter areas where the windows were. To do that he had to get out of the server room, but as he looked back towards the way he came in he saw guards from the first door swarming the area. They all looked shocked at the damage he did with his earlier stunt, but that wouldn’t stop them from hunting him down. He would have to find another way out.

“Ain’t no gettin’ out that way. Guess Remy will just have to make another door.”

Rushing back into the server room, Remy grabbed a nearby desk and pushed it against the wall. Then he charged the whole desk and took cover behind a couple of servers. The blast that followed opened a small hole in the walls that he could crawl through. He didn’t care about damaging wires or servers at this point. He would blow through whatever he had to in order to get out. Upon climbing through the hole, he was back out in the second security level, but it was in one of the halls he didn’t go down on his way in. The rest of the guards were gathered around the third entrance so he could work his way around them and get to the windows before they could converge on him.

He ran towards the west side of the level where there were only offices and monitoring stations. These areas were more reinforced so he had to search for a potential weak spot in the walls. He soon found one in a storage room loaded with cleaning chemicals and assorted computer supplies. Remy learned early on in his life that when he charged certain chemicals with his powers, they had a potent effect. Grabbing a bottle of ammonia and soap, he concocted a little mixture in a mop bucket and charged it with his finger tip. Then he rolled it against the wall and took cover. The resulting blast created a napalm effect, blowing through the wall with red-hot fluids that ate through the shielding like it was cardboard.

Grinning at his work, Remy carefully slipped through. Now he was back in the first layer security level and on the far side of where he came in. The guards would take a long time to catch up at the rate they were going. All he had to do now was find a window, blow it open, and signal Storm. He was almost home free. He could feel it. He ran hard down the halls and blew through a couple of locked doors that impeded his path. He made the final turn down the main hallway and the windows were now inside.

However, there was one last obstacle in his path and it was of the kind Remy hoped to avoid.

“That’s far enough, kid. You’re little escapade stops right here!” said Bullseye, who stood in the middle of the hall casually twirling a dagger around his finger.

Remy stared down the menacing presence. He heard about this guy. Bullseye had quite a reputation for his lethal accuracy and his equally lethal ego. It figures he would be working for a guy like the Kingpin.

“You must be Bullseye. Don’t know if anybody told you, but the circus left town years ago,” said Remy, undaunted by the famed assassin’s presence.

“I’m the only one who makes the quips around here, pal! You’ve been causing quite a stir and the big man’s pissed! And the only way to cheer him up is to bring him your rotting corpse!”

“Sucks to be him ‘cause I plan on catching a ride outta here and you ain’t gonna stop me,” said Remy as he readied his bow staff.

“A bow staff?” scoffed Bullseye, “What are you gonna do, fan me to death? Face it, chump, you don’t have a chance!”

“Games of chance is Gambit’s specialty,” grinned the Cajun.

Remy made the first move, whipping out some cards from his sleeve and flinging them at the determined mercenary. He avoided them with an agile back-flip, landing on the floor and rolling to the side where he took aim with his knife and threw it at the Cajun mutant. Remy tried to avoid it, but it was too fast. It cut him right in his main throwing arm and nearly caused him to drop his bow staff. Knowing Bullseye could have easily gone for the kill shot, he assumed he was just taunting him. That was how he loved to work.

“That was a warning shot, punk! Trust me, the next one will be right on target!”

“Bring it on, homme!” grunted Remy.

“It’s your funeral,” shrugged Bullseye.

He took out another knife and prepared to take the intruder down, but Remy didn’t let him get his shot off. He couldn’t get it on target if he didn’t throw it. Grunting through the pain in his arm, he grabbed his bow staff and flung it at Bullseye. It hit him in the hand, knocking the knife out just before he could get the shot off. He quickly reached for another, but Remy lunged forth and tackled him to the floor. Bullseye wasn’t dissuaded though. That cocky grin of his never waned. If anything he seemed glad that Remy was putting up a fight.

“Got some fight in you, huh? Good! I love a challenge!” he taunted.

“You ain’t the only one,” quipped Remy.

The two men struggled against one another with Remy keeping him in a grapple. That way he couldn’t reach his knives. But Bullseye showed he could do more than just fling random weapons with perfect accuracy. The man had some good fighting skills and was pretty agile. He soon broke the grapple and kicked Remy right in the gut, sending him falling back. Remy then grabbed his bow staff and tried to counterattack, but the nimble assassin just did a back handspring away from his assault and leapt up into the air where he grabbed another knife from a holster on his leg. And once he landed in perfect form, he flung it right at the Cajun. It was heading right for his heart and all Remy could do was hold his staff in the way and try to deflect it. But it was so perfectly thrown the tip hit right in the center of the staff and stuck there like a dart.

Remy was on his heels. This guy was tougher than he thought. Bullseye may not have been the strongest looking thug he ever saw, but he was definitely one of the most tenacious. He wouldn’t be able to stop too many shots like that again. He had to find a way to get out of this fight, but with the guards behind him and Bullseye in front of him he was trapped.

“Nice save, kid. Think you can do it again?” grinned Bullseye, holding up another knife.

“It ain’t gonna do your boss any good! He’s already lost! Every piece of data in that room is now flowin’ through the airways like the Mississippi River! If you stick around you might go down with him!”

“Ha! Even if that was true, you think I care? You got guts pal, I’ll give you that. You’re a halfway decent fighter too. But I don’t like competition and I don’t like punks like you messing up my rep! As far as I’m concerned, you’re just another footnote to pad my already flawless resume!”

It wasn’t looking good. This guy didn’t care that Remy already succeeded in his mission. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he just waited for him here so he could fight him. Bullseye was definitely a few crawfish short of a Cajun feast, but he had him where he wanted him. Unless he had a wildcard to play he was in for a world of hurt. He held his bow staff up defensively, preparing for the perfect marksman’s next attack. Then something unexpected happened.

Just as Bullseye was about to throw his knife, a powerful explosion blew out the window just behind the assassin. The force was so great it knocked him off his feet and left him momentarily stunned. A sharp gust of wind blew in, carrying with it huge chunks of the supposedly unbreakable glass meant to protect the building. Remy wasn’t in the line of fire so he was able to shield himself for the most part. But Bullseye wasn’t so lucky.

“Damn, what the hell was that?” he wondered.

Outside nearly half a block away, Remy’s savior stood triumphantly on a rooftop with a large rail gun in hand. It was Deadpool and he arrived just in time to play his part. Charles Xavier wanted him to act as a guardian angel of sorts on this mission, a title he was not used to bearing. But he wasn’t complaining. He still got to blow some stuff up and the special rail gun Sinister gave him that fired heavy rounds at speeds no bulletproof glass could stop worked like a charm.

“Ah the rail gun. Is there anything you can’t do?” said Deadpool, holding it affectionately.

The merc with a mouth did his part and now it was onto the next step. He leapt down from the roof and made his way down towards the street. It was all up to that Cajun now. But he wasn’t quite done offering his unique brand of help.

For Remy, he didn’t have time to contemplate what happened or what blew the window out. All he knew was that it was his ticket out of this place and he was going to take it.

“Never was one to look a gift horse in the mouth,” said the Cajun, putting away his bow staff, “Later homme!”

“Ugh,” groaned Bullseye, “Oh no you don’t!”

The Cajun ran for the window and Bullseye ran after him. Remy fearlessly leapt out into the muggy night, hoping that Ororo was close by to do her part as well. And to his surprise, Bullseye leapt out the window as well, trying to grab him in mid flight. If he couldn’t hit him with his perfectly aimed shots, he could still watch him splatter onto the street below. As the world’s most accurate assassin, he refused to let a target go.

“I’m taking you down, punk!” he yelled in a rage.

“You first. Gambit’s got a date with a pretty lady,” grinned Remy.

Right on cue, Storm flew in and used her powers to form a wind vortex underneath him. This halted his descent and carried him away from the building while Bullseye was left to fall. He tried reaching up to grasp Remy’s foot, but he missed by mere inches and plummeted helplessly to the street below.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Gambit watched as Bullseye landed right on a car parked along the curb of the street. The impact was so loud he could hear it even this far up. He winced slightly at the sight, but that’s what happened to assassins who were recklessly impulsive in the middle of a fight.

“Thanks for the save, cherè,” he said, smiling up at Storm, “Remy knew you’d showed up.”

“Wasn’t too hard. When I heard an explosion on the outer wall, I figured you would be close to it,” she replied wryly.

“What can I say? Remy attracts destruction almost as much as he attracts the ladies!”

“What about your friend down there? Who was that?”

“Just another one of Fisk’s unlucky thugs. He put up quite a fight, but it was nothin’ this here Cajun couldn’t handle.”

Storm rolled her eyes as she flew them back down towards the street. Even after going up against the Kingpin, he was still the same cocky Cajun. But Remy was in too good a mood to be chided now. His first real mission for the Hellfire Club was a success. For a while there he was worried they might screw him over. But they kept their word. They gave him the tools he needed to get the job done and he did it despite some unforeseen obstacles. With a job like this under his belt, it should go a long way towards gaining their trust. It also went a long way towards gaining Remy’s interest in the Hellfire Club. So far they weren’t like the ruthless, backstabbing businessmen he heard about in the New Orleans underworld. Something had definitely changed and he was curious to find out more.

For Storm, it was just another job for her. But she had to admit, she was impressed. Remy actually went into the heart of the Kingpin’s domain and delivered a blow to him that should keep him on the defensive for a while. He didn’t just have guts, he had some major skill. As a thief herself she had an eye for thieving talent. But Remy Lebeau just blew away all her expectations. He might be interesting to get to know after all. It would also be nice having a fellow thief around to talk about their shady livelihoods.

Flying over the buildings of Manhattan, Ororo was tiring from so much use of her powers. She took them in lower, looking for the right spot. They had to get as far away as possible less the Kingpin find out about them. And Xavier always made sure she had a way out.

“I’m going to land us near that parking lot,” she told Remy, “Xavier said he would send a ride to pick us up.”

“What kind of ride?” asked the Cajun.

“He didn’t say. But he assured me we would know it when we saw it.”

Ororo skillfully took them down to a nearly vacant parking lot just outside an office building. She had been using her powers nonstop for quite a while now and was in serious need of a breather. She set Remy down first and then had the winds take her down. When she landed she got a little lightheaded. Manipulating the weather so much was pretty draining. She stumbled a bit, but Remy eagerly let her lean on him. However, she got the feeling he led her closer on purpose.

“You okay, cherè? Need Remy to carry you back to base?” he said playfully.

“I’m fine, Remy,” she said with a bemused grin.

“Just checkin’,” he said innocently.

“Um…you can take your arms off me now.”

“Do I have to? You look so comfy anyways.”

“Remy…” she groaned.

“Fine,” he sighed, letting her go, “We can save that for later.”

“We’ll see,” said Storm, still smiling despite his immature attempt to get close to her.

As tired as they were, Remy still had the energy to flirt. Ororo was hardly surprised. But she didn’t mind this time. In fact, it was kind of nice to have a little playfulness on the job. Many of her associates said she was too serious even when she wasn’t on assignment. She still wasn’t giving into Remy’s advances, but she definitely entertained a few possibilities. If he was as good as he was off the job as he was on the job it might be worth giving him a chance.

But even as Remy let her go, he couldn’t stop smiling to himself. He proved he had the skills to back up his charm. It was sure to go a long way to earning Storm’s respect, but hopefully that wouldn’t be all he earned in the long run.

“So when exactly is this ride of ours supposed to show up?” asked Remy.

“I’m not sure. It should be here by now,” said Storm as she checked her watch.

Then from the other end of the block they heard a blaring car horn. But it wasn’t just any horn. It was one of those novelty horns that played la cucaracha. It caught Storm and Remy’s attention, but that couldn’t possibly be their ride. Then they saw a large black van speed down the street with reckless abandon, that weird horn still blaring as it pulled up to the curb. Then the driver door opened and Deadpool slipped out.

“Good morning, boys and girls! Uncle Deadpool is here to pick you up from your play date!” he proclaimed.

Remy looked at the masked man strangely, but Ororo just rubbed her temples and shook her head. Now she knew what Xavier meant when he said she would know their ride when they saw it.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” she groaned.

“You know this guy?” said Remy, not sure what to make of him.

“Unfortunately I do. He’s Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool. He’s another one of Hellfire’s mercenaries. I also work with him on occasion.”

“Oh Storm, I’m hurt,” said Deadpool, “Is that all you have to say? After all those special nights we shared?”

“I slept with you only twice, Wade. And the second time I was drunk.”

“It still counts!” grinned the merc.

“Will you give it a rest already?” she exclaimed, “Just get us out of here.”

“Aye aye, my lady! And which cheap motel will we be checking into?”

“Wade…” began Storm, her eyes flashing white to show him she wasn’t in the mood.

“What? Just having a little fun!” he shrugged, “Get in. I’ve got booze in the back to celebrate! We just stuck it to the Kingpin!”

“What do you mean we?” said Remy suspiciously.

“Oh come on, you think that window blew itself out? Although I gotta admit it would really be something if it did!”

Remy studied the man for a moment and grinned. It made sense now. That meant he owed this guy and if Storm knew him than that was good enough for him. He sounded a little off his meds, but in their line of work that was something he was used to.

“I like this guy,” grinned Remy.

“You would,” said Storm, rolling her eyes.

The two thieves got into the van and held on as Deadpool sped off, honking the novelty horn and yelling out into the New York City night.

“Yeeeehawwwwww! Long live obese crime lords!” he exclaimed.

Remy sat back in the van and laughed. The job was done and even though it got a little messy, it was still a success. Remy showed he had significant skill and could potentially do well with these people. He was curious about this organization and what they had to offer. Charles Xavier proved he was a man of his word. There were any number of moments he could have set him up or let the Kingpin take him. It would have been easier for him to just let some nameless thief take the fall. But he didn’t. He let him do his job and helped him escape with his bones intact. That sent a powerful message to Remy. He hadn’t really worked for anybody since he cut his ties with the Thieves Guild. This might be a good opportunity to start anew. It might also give him a chance to get to know Storm a little better.

Norman Osborn’s Penthouse

Norman Osborn smiled triumphantly as he gazed out over the New York City skyline. In the distance he could see Fisk Tower still darkened. He could only imagine how steamed Wilson was now and he took great satisfaction in having been part of it. Ever since he went into business with Wilson Fisk it had been a nightmare. He paraded around as a businessman, but carried himself as a criminal. Of course, he didn’t realize that until it was too late. Norman had been desperate to save his company and his inventions. He would have accepted help from anybody, but Wilson Fisk was one man who couldn’t help anybody. All he ever did was prey on the desperate to advance his own empire.

That’s why this had to happen. Fisk’s insatiable need to control every part of his operation was infuriating. The work he did under him wasn’t for Oscorp or to further his research. It was just for the Kingpin. Now he had a chance to start anew with a new partner who was much more reasonable than a thug like Fisk. Charles Xavier was a man who understood business. He believed in making deals and mutual benefits. The way he saw it if they both prospered they would both be better off. He liked that model much better than Fisk’s I-must-own-everything model. His deal with the Kingpin had to end. It didn’t come easy or cheap, but it would be worth it in the long run.

Less than fifteen minutes ago, Charles Xavier received a phone call from his associates that the job was a success. The Kingpin’s database was successfully hacked from the inside and all the information he didn’t want out in the public was free for his enemies to access. Charles was with him, having offered to stay and give him up-to-date information while they went over their deal. Most of the details had been worked out. Xavier’s companies would be given exclusive contracts with Oscorp and access to all their advanced research while Norman maintained full control of his company and was free of further scrutiny from the Kingpin and the public. He didn’t know what Xavier wanted with his research, but he was beyond caring at this point. This was a time for celebration.

“Enjoying the view, Norman?” said Xavier, walking up and breaking Norman from his daze.

“Oh yes…very much so, Charles,” said Norman, his eyes still fixated on Fisk Tower.

“Here, I brought you some champagne,” he said, handing him a glass.

“It’s not the cheap five-hundred dollar stuff, is it?”

“Oh come now, Norman, you know I’m better than that.”

Norman laughed as he and Charles tipped their glasses to their new partnership. For Xavier, it was a celebration long overdue. He longed for the day when he could deliver a devastating blow to the Kingpin, especially after he tried to move in on the Hellfire Club during the great purge he and Selene instigated. That man may be a mastermind of the criminal world, but he was not fit for the likes of the Hellfire Club. He was too rude, never able to shake the mindset of a glorified thug. He didn’t trust people enough to make mutual deals and he had no vision other than to expand his empire. Xavier could never work with a man like that and this should keep him out of their affairs for a while.

Now that Fisk’s dirty secrets were out in the open he would most likely go on the run and his criminal empire would suffer. It meant by no means that the Kingpin was finished. Fisk was too cunning to let that happen. But he could no longer threaten the Hellfire Club in his current state. He would have much bigger problems. The partnership with Norman Osborn was a nice bonus as well. His resources would be valuable to the rest of his enterprises. But it was his knowledge on mutant research that he found most intriguing.

“To the end of the Kingpin and the beginning of a new partnership,” said Norman, raising his glass.

“Hopefully it’s a good one for both of us,” said Xavier, raising his glass as well, “You’ll find my many ventures are much easier to work with than those of Wilson Fisk.”

“I don’t see how they could be any worse. I swear that man had no concept of real business. It was all about benefiting his organization and keeping everyone around him on a tight leash.”

“Well you don’t have to worry about that with me, Norman,” assured Charles, “I was never a fan of micromanaging. But remember I will have my eye on you. I’m not the Kingpin, but I’m no pushover.”

“Oh believe me, Charles, I know the drill. I’m aware of your reputation. You reward your allies and punish your enemies. You’ve made people disappear and you’ve turned entire areas around. But that’s what I like about you. You know how to do business and you know how to assert yourself.”

“I’d rather have more allies than enemies. I prefer most if not all of those enemies be dead or incapacitated. That way when the truly grave threats come along, I have resources to call on.”

“That’s what Fisk never got,” sighed Norman, shaking his head, “And sometimes I can’t help but wonder whether that makes you more dangerous than he is.”

“I don’t like to think of it as being dangerous. I like to think of it as wielding power properly. All the Kingpin ever used his power for is crime and there are much more worthwhile ventures.”

“Not to mention more profitable,” grinned Osborn, “But once a thug always a thug. And it’s finally coming back to haunt him. The man’s got so many enemies he’ll be lucky to last a month without one of them trying to kill them.”

“We can only hope,” said Charles, “But try not to worry about Fisk now. There is still a lot of work to be done. And so long as you keep your end of the deal we’ll both benefit in the long run.”

“I hope so. But just out of curiosity, what are you going to do with my research that’s so grand? You’ve been talking about these big plans of yours ever since we made this deal.”

Xavier finished his drink and smiled. As smart and strong man as Norman Osborn was he could never understand the grandeur of his vision. He was in the business of making money, not setting the course for a new order. The core philosophy of the Hellfire Club was built on taking control of a chaotic order by any means necessary. Those means included not just taking down potential competition, but exploring new advances that could potentially lead to even greater gains. He saw Norman Osborn’s research as a great opportunity. With help from allies like Sinister and Forge, he saw a great potential for mutant power in the Hellfire Club to grow and prosper.

“I’m afraid I can’t reveal the details yet, my friend. Just know that the power and wealth my organization gains is a means, not an end. Your work will help us in achieving the ends we seek. Do your part and you and your company will be rewarded. Until then, go about your business, uphold the deals we have made, and everything will eventually fall into place.”

Fisk Tower – Server Room

Wilson Fisk stood in a hallow daze as he took in the site of his ruined network. After spending a half hour stuck in the elevator, his men managed to restore the power. There was still a lot of confusion. His guards were still picking up bodies, some of which were out cold and others which were dead. There were ample traces of explosions, large and small, littering areas from the sub-basement to the data room. Even Bullseye was taken out. Whoever did this was packing major heat. He could have been one of those mutant freaks or super-powered do-gooders from the avengers, but something told him there was more to this than a simple break-in.

When he entered the data room he found his supposedly secure computer systems in shambles. One of his technicians woke up long enough to tell him that this was all caused by one sneaky young man with strange eyes and a mysterious power. They didn’t offer much more description other than he used a bow staff as a weapon and took them out before taking out his system. He tried accessing some of the data, but it was all in shambles. The logs were intact though and revealed there had been a major transmission of his most sensitive data to a collection of outside networks. That data was more than enough to put him behind bars. For all he knew SHIELD was already on their way. Nick Fury himself would probably lead the way seeing as how he always wanted to see him behind bars. But he had no intention of going quietly.

But the thought of having to face the law was secondary to who could have done this. There was no way some petty thief just broke into his complex and purged his database for kicks. No money was stolen and the logs showed no transfer of money from his various sources. This was a strike at him personally, pure and simple. There were only so many people with the gall and the drive to pull such a stunt. But whoever it was they left a telltale sign on all of the monitors in the server room.

It was a final slap in the face. Every screen read the same, displaying an image of raging fire. The truly ignorant would interpret it as just a joke by the thief to show he could burn even the Kingpin. But Wilson Fisk knew better. The man behind this wanted him to know who did this and he made it abundantly clear by leaving images of Hellfire.

“Hellfire…those bastards! Damn you, Charles Xavier!” he exclaimed as he slammed his fist against a nearby machine, causing it to spark.

It could only have been them. They had the power, the incentive, and above all the drive to hit him. And they hit him good. He had no other choice now. He and his family would have to run. Luckily, he always kept an emergency stash of money and data in secure sites overseas. He wouldn’t be able to run his empire, but he would stay out of jail. It was a humiliating prospect, but it wouldn’t be the end for the Kingpin. Not by a long shot.

“This isn’t over,” he vowed as he stared at the ominous screens, “This will not stand! You think you got me, Charles, but I’m not some petty rival you can just cast aside. I will make you pay! When I’m through with you the only thing you’ll be king of is the bottom of the East River! I will return! Heed my thoughts if you can hear them! I will return!”

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Up next: Remy gets acquainted with the Hellfire Club and Sinister uncovers a new opportunity to further his agenda.