For the next two months, Ethan Voss's business flourished beyond even his own expectations. FDSW expanded at a blistering pace, securing contract after contract from government agencies eager to acquire its cutting-edge defensive technology. Shield generators manufactured by the company were installed across several of the most sensitive locations in Washington—protecting the White House, Congress, the Pentagon, and other critical facilities. As word of their effectiveness spread, additional departments began submitting procurement proposals, hoping to secure their own installations.
The U.S. military soon turned its attention to FDSW's other products as well. Representatives were dispatched to evaluate the company's full-body combat armor and several experimental weapon systems developed in its laboratories. After conducting internal discussions and brief demonstrations, the Pentagon made its decision with remarkable speed. Without much hesitation, they signed a procurement agreement worth six hundred million dollars.
To Ethan, the scale of the deal simply illustrated how overwhelming the Pentagon's budget truly was. After all, this contract represented only the first batch of purchases. If the equipment proved successful during deployment, future orders would likely multiply. With annual military expenditures exceeding seven hundred billion dollars, the U.S. armed forces had more than enough funds to continue buying advanced equipment for years to come.
At the same time, military officials showed a strong interest in the secondary enhancement agents produced by Typhon Group. These biochemical formulas created enhanced soldiers far superior to ordinary troops, and the Pentagon saw obvious strategic advantages in the program. However, Ethan deliberately slowed their enthusiasm by claiming that the production capacity for the enhancement serum was limited. According to the explanation he provided, the laboratory could only support the creation of eighty enhanced soldiers each month.
Even with those restrictions, the military quickly authorized a small experimental deployment. Fifty second-tier enhanced soldiers were commissioned for testing, and the deal brought Ethan another wave of staggering profits.
Naturally, what fascinated the military most was the monstrous creature known as Abomination. Researchers and officers visited multiple times hoping to study the creature further. Unfortunately for them, the monster's complete lack of rational intelligence made any meaningful analysis impossible. After several disappointing inspections, the military gradually lost interest and shifted its attention elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Ethan's personal domain—the so-called divine kingdom—continued to grow steadily. Mutants rescued from difficult circumstances and ordinary civilians seeking a better life both found their way into the hidden world. With the addition of researchers and technical personnel stationed at the base, the population had already surpassed four thousand residents.
A few days earlier, Ethan had opened a permanent portal inside the underground facility beneath Typhon Manor. From that moment forward, Noah Town inside the divine kingdom was no longer isolated from the outside world. The gateway allowed supplies and resources to move freely between the two realms.
Large shipments of goods passed through the portal every day. Crops harvested from the fertile fields of the divine kingdom—grain, fruit, vegetables, and wine—were transported directly into New York's markets. The steady supply quickly turned into a lucrative commercial stream, strengthening Ethan's financial network even further.
To maintain strict security around the portal and the manor itself, Ethan expanded the defensive forces stationed at Typhon Manor. Four additional squads of enhanced soldiers were deployed there, bringing the total to forty-eight heavily trained operatives guarding the estate.
Beyond that, more than eighty enhanced soldiers remained stationed inside the divine kingdom itself. If an emergency occurred, they could pass through the portal instantly and reinforce the manor's defenses.
The responsibility for protecting the property fell to Lester—better known by his infamous alias, Bullseye. With his unmatched precision and combat experience, he was more than capable of commanding the defensive forces. Meanwhile, Felicia handled many of the external business operations tied to Typhon Group's growing network of companies.
The Justice League had also selected Typhon Manor as its primary base of operations. The organization continued recruiting talented individuals and expanding its influence quietly throughout New York.
Recently, Ethan had also obtained a set of remarkable blueprints from Xavier College. The designs described a stealth aircraft capable of extraordinary performance, and Ethan intended to replicate the technology for his own use.
The aircraft had originally been designed and built by Hank McCoy—better known as Beast. The machine incorporated numerous advanced systems developed by Hank over years of research and experimentation.
Its sleek structure allowed it to travel at extremely high altitudes while maintaining incredible speed. The craft's cruising velocity reached Mach 3, while its maximum speed could climb to Mach 6 under optimal conditions.
In addition to its speed, the aircraft possessed hovering capabilities and advanced cloaking systems that rendered it nearly invisible during flight. The interior cabin was spacious enough to transport more than a dozen passengers, making it useful for both tactical operations and rapid deployments.
In certain ways, the craft resembled the Helicarrier-style aircraft used by S.H.I.E.L.D., though this particular design was significantly faster and more agile.
Naturally, such advanced technology came with an extraordinary price tag. Preliminary calculations suggested that each aircraft would cost approximately one billion dollars to manufacture. Maintenance expenses would likely exceed those of conventional aircraft by an enormous margin.
Because of these costs, the aircraft was destined to remain a specialized tool rather than a standard military vehicle. After discussing the matter with Hank, Professor Charles agreed without hesitation to share the blueprints with Ethan.
One evening not long afterward, Ethan received an invitation from New York's mayor, George.
He attended the banquet later that night, where he encountered a wide range of influential figures representing various industries across the city. Politicians, financiers, corporate executives, and media leaders mingled throughout the hall, creating an atmosphere of refined power and subtle negotiation.
Mayor George moved through the crowd with an effortless smile, greeting guests and exchanging conversation as if the entire evening were nothing more than a casual social gathering.
After the dinner concluded, Ethan was asked to remain behind.
The mayor escorted him to a private office where the two of them sat alone, the noise of the banquet hall fading behind closed doors. Ethan already had a strong suspicion about the subject the mayor wanted to discuss.
With a relaxed smile, he spoke first.
"Mr. Mayor, it seems your plan is about to begin."
Mayor George sighed deeply before responding. "Mr. Voss, to be honest, I didn't expect this to be so difficult."
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh?"
"I've spent the past several days collecting intelligence about Hell's Kitchen," the mayor continued. "The more information I read, the more shocked I became. I never realized the situation there had deteriorated so badly."
He leaned forward across the desk, lowering his voice slightly.
"The Hand. The Triads. The Russian mafia. Japanese crime syndicates. Algerian gangs. The Irish mob. Now I finally understand why no one has dared to touch that neighborhood for so long."
Ethan watched the mayor carefully while listening to his words. Despite the dramatic description, the man's expression revealed a quiet determination rather than fear.
In other words, he had no intention of abandoning the plan.
"Mr. Mayor," Ethan said calmly, leaning back in his chair, "you can speak directly."
"Very well," George replied as he pulled a document from his desk drawer. "I'll get straight to the point."
He spread the proposal across the table.
"Over the past few days, I've been searching for capable partners who could help with this project. After careful consideration, I selected seven individuals. My hope is that these seven people will take the lead in rebuilding Hell's Kitchen."
Ethan smiled slightly. "I assume I'm one of the seven."
"Of course," the mayor said with a confident nod.
"However, every one of these partners will have responsibilities. Each person must contribute their own effort to the project."
"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Ethan asked.
The mayor's answer came without hesitation.
"A major cleanup."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Mr. Voss, the criminal forces operating in Hell's Kitchen are far stronger than I originally anticipated. With the current resources available to the New York Police Department, controlling the situation would be extremely difficult."
His gaze sharpened.
"But I believe you have the ability to handle it."
Ethan stroked his chin thoughtfully. The mayor's tone had not been a question—it had been a statement.
The confidence likely came from information obtained through federal channels. Something similar had happened earlier when the city government suddenly showed interest in FDSW's individual combat equipment. Clearly, Mayor George possessed connections reaching deep into Washington.
But when Ethan thought about the situation from another perspective, the opportunity seemed almost amusing.
After all, if someone had traveled all the way into the Marvel Universe, ignoring Hell's Kitchen would be a tremendous waste.
Although his investigations suggested that Spider-Man had not yet appeared in the city, another figure had already begun operating in the shadows.
The man wearing the red devil mask.
Night after night, that vigilante hunted criminals through the streets.
And he was not alone. Several other unusual individuals had begun leaving faint traces across the city as well.
With those thoughts in mind, Ethan finally nodded.
"So my role is to clean up these outlaws."
The mayor nodded in agreement. "This task will require significant effort from anyone involved."
He then explained the final details of the proposal.
"I intend to establish a joint venture company. The seven partners—including you—will each serve as directors and receive twelve percent of the shares."
If Hell's Kitchen were successfully redeveloped, the value generated by the new district could easily reach hundreds of billions of dollars. Twelve percent of that amount would translate into tens of billions in profit, while the initial cost of participation would remain relatively small.
And money was only part of the equation. The influence, political relationships, and business networks connected to the project were even more valuable.
For Ethan, the transformation of the district would also create new opportunities to recruit people and expand the population of his divine kingdom.
"I'm very satisfied with the mayor's proposal," Ethan said.
Mayor George's smile widened slightly.
"Excellent. You can rest assured that your actions will receive support from many institutions. The government, the media, the police department, and even the courts will all provide assistance."
"The other partners I selected are exceptional individuals as well. As long as we cooperate, nothing will be able to stop us."
And with that, the arrangement was finalized.
While traveling back to Typhon Tower later that night, Ethan contacted Felicia to obtain the most recent intelligence reports about the vigilantes active in New York's streets.
Aside from Daredevil's growing reputation as a nighttime crime-fighter, another strange figure had recently appeared in the city. According to reports, the young man had only recently returned from the mountains of Kunlun and had been wandering around homeless for several days, looking rather pitiful.
There was also a young woman who had recently left her family home and begun planning her own future. For now, however, she showed no signs of becoming a superhero.
Ethan narrowed his eyes while reading the intelligence summary.
"Let's start with the greenhorn."
.....
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