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There was still one day left until the meeting.
Hell's Kitchen, across from the Lucky Restaurant
Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were monitoring Alex Ray's every move under orders from Nick Fury. The chain reaction sparked by the upcoming community meeting was far larger than anyone—least of all Alex—had anticipated.
"I've heard Hell's Kitchen has gotten pretty lively lately. A lot of people are pouring in," Natasha remarked, her voice tinged with both amusement and concern.
"Yeah. The Hand, our own S.H.I.E.L.D. STRIKE team under Crossbones, and even the Brotherhood of Mutants have shown up," Hawkeye replied, his brow furrowed. "It's like every dangerous faction S.H.I.E.L.D. can't control has gathered here."
"This Alex Ray is something else. Just one meeting, and he's stirred up so many forces. Thanks to him, we haven't had a full night's sleep in days. We've been working non-stop. Look at my skin—it's ruined."
Natasha glared across the street at the Lucky Restaurant with resentment. She hadn't rested properly in days thanks to the chaos Alex had unintentionally caused. Meanwhile, Alex had been sleeping like a baby—utterly unconcerned. The unfairness of it all made her grit her teeth.
"I've got a bad feeling," she muttered. "Even though Alex is a mutant, he's no match for someone like Magneto. The man could wipe out a country if he wanted to."
"I don't know who'd be able to hire someone like Magneto," Hawkeye said, worry creasing his face. "But if Alex and Kingpin get taken out, Hell's Kitchen will fall into total chaos again."
"Yeah. The federal government's never really cared about this place. If it weren't for Kingpin's control, it'd be even more of a warzone. But since Alex came back, things have started to improve. The people here… they actually look happy."
Natasha watched the passing residents and their smiling faces.
"Alex Ray might be the savior Hell's Kitchen didn't know it needed. I hope he survives this mess."
Her eyes drifted across the street once again, her expression conflicted. Perhaps it was because she saw something of herself in Alex—someone raised in violence, someone who longed for a better world.
She had never had someone to rescue her.
But now that this place finally had its hero, everyone was gunning for him. He must know he's putting himself in danger. And still… he moves forward without hesitation.
What kind of person are you, Alex Ray?
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Meanwhile, Alex had no idea Natasha's inner monologue had taken such a dramatic turn. He was in the kitchen, cooking dinner to host an old friend—Vongola I.
"You're quite handsome, kid. Second only to me, of course," Deadpool declared, staring at Vongola I before pulling out a mirror to admire his own reflection.
Even someone like Vongola I, who had experienced countless storms, couldn't help twitching his lips at Deadpool's flamboyant narcissism.
"Uh… thanks, I guess."
"I didn't expect the head of the Vongola family to be Alex's old buddy. Did you guys meet in an orphanage or something?" Deadpool asked, visibly intrigued. He'd never met Vongola I before—just heard rumors of a powerful gang boss operating out of Midtown.
"Hahaha, yeah, we go way back. We've been tight since the orphanage days and kept in touch over the years. He used to drop by whenever he had time. Things have been crazy lately, so we haven't had time to meet up. But with the meeting tomorrow, I figured I'd come by, grab a bite, and crash here for the night," Vongola I explained.
Just as Deadpool was preparing to unload another volley of nosy questions, Alex emerged from the kitchen with a steaming plate of chicken.
Vongola I's eyes lit up like he'd just spotted a lifeboat in shark-infested waters. "Dinner's ready? Great! I'll go get the rice."
"Oh, it's fine. You just sit and chat, I'll handle it," Alex offered.
"No, no, I've got it!" Vongola I insisted, already halfway to the kitchen.
Minutes later, the group sat around the table, eating heartily.
"So what brings you here today? Checking up on me?" Alex teased. It had been over a year since they'd seen each other.
"What, I can't drop by for a free meal?" Vongola I said with a grin as he grabbed a chicken wing. "The family finally stabilized, so I figured I'd visit my best friend."
"Please, I know you better than that," Alex replied, pouring soup into a bowl. "You're not actually worried those gangs can touch me, are you?"
Vongola I set down his utensils, his tone serious. "You might not know this, but the gangs had a meeting a few days ago. They were discussing how to handle your school project—and how to deal with you."
"I figured as much. It's normal. If they gave up that easily, they wouldn't be gangs. But a bunch of ants is still just a pile of ants. Their nature doesn't change. When they all gather, it just makes it easier to deal with them."
Alex's calm reaction didn't surprise Vongola I—he had expected it.
"They've also reached out to the Hand. And the federal government."
That made Alex pause.
"The Hand? That's trouble. The feds… well, that's typical," he muttered, his expression sharpening.
He resumed eating, thoughts already spinning with possible countermeasures.
Seeing that Alex was taking things seriously, Vongola I stopped talking and dug into his food with new appreciation. Damn, this guy can cook. Next time, I'm bringing G and the others. What we eat back home tastes like trash compared to this.
Alex wasn't particularly shocked by the Hand's involvement. In the Marvel world, they were like a recurring boss battle—always creeping up in the shadows. Just a few misfits driven out of K'un-Lun, now meddling in everything from drugs to ancient magic. Alex had wrecked their drug operations, so of course they'd want him dead.
Still, he had to warn Kingpin.
There was a version of events where Madam Gao poisons Vanessa Fisk. If that actually happened, Kingpin would lose his mind. Alex would never forgive himself—it would be his fault for dragging Wilson Fisk into this mess.
Even though he didn't know Madam Gao had long been plotting against Kingpin with or without him.
Alex pulled out his phone and called Wilson Fisk.
He told him that things were getting ugly in Hell's Kitchen. He advised him to increase protection around Vanessa and the kids. If needed, they could stay in Alex's apartment—it was well-secured.
Then Alex made another call.
"This is the High Table Information Center," came the automated voice on the other end.
Alex's voice was calm but firm. "I'm issuing a nationwide combined bounty."
That's right.
For the first time since becoming an elder of the High Table, Alex Ray was activating his authority.
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📚 Enjoying the Story? Get Ahead Now!
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