"I've fought him before. I know how strong he is, but you have to listen to me, Batman."
"No matter the circumstances, if you encounter Wilson Fisk, run immediately!"
Amidst the warnings from Ronin—Clint Barton—Batman stood on the rooftop of the Baxter Building, facing the Kingpin from a distance.
Unlike his pathetic state in a wheelchair and prison blues at Ryker's Island, a month and a half had allowed Kingpin to restore his image. He was once again the man in the white suit, his voice thick and resonant, carrying the weight of a benevolent father figure.
"Oh, I knew you'd sniff your way here eventually, Batman." Kingpin rested a heavy hand on Reed Richards' shoulder. Hearing Batman's footsteps, he turned his head and smiled.
Batman stared expressionlessly at the grin on Kingpin's face, silently activating the scanning systems of the Arkham suit.
[Unknown metal detected, replacing the subject's natural skeletal structure.]
Through the white lenses of his cowl, Batman saw it clearly. Just as Ronin had warned, Kingpin's bones had been replaced by a metal known as Adamantium.
"You said this was an alloy of Vibranium and other metals. Is the intel reliable?" Batman asked in a low whisper.
"Yes," Ronin's voice crackled over the comms. "An Antarctic expedition established by the Dark Wind Group discovered an unknown metal. According to their records, they designated it as Vibranium."
Batman ceased his internal query, closing the encrypted channel with Ronin to focus entirely on Kingpin.
"I told you I'd be back under the sun within two months, Batman." Kingpin watched him, his voice unnervingly kind. "Are you still thinking of knocking me down with a single punch and snapping my bones one by one, like last time?"
"Fisk," Batman's voice was a low growl. "I hope you realize how important the man you're holding is to this country. Let him go."
Kingpin let out a low, rumbling chuckle.
"It's because I know how important he is to this nation that I snatched him. As long as I hold Reed Richards, I can demand anything I want from this country. Surely you understand such a simple principle?"
Batman silently gauged the environment of the rooftop and the positioning of Kingpin's hand on Reed. Though Fisk appeared to be casually leaning on him, his thumb and forefinger were clamped firmly around the back of Reed's neck.
If Batman moved prematurely, there was a high probability Kingpin would snap Reed's neck instantly.
"I assume you've already negotiated your terms with the government," Batman said, standing his ground. His hands hung loosely at his sides, showing no outward sign of aggression.
"Indeed," Kingpin said with a smirk. "And while it might be bad news for you, I should let you in on it, Batman. I am now a legitimate businessman cooperating with the United States government. The moment you lay a hand on me, the FBI will turn New York upside down to find you and unmask you."
The FBI?
In the two months since Batman had arrived in this world, his primary dealings with the government had been through S.H.I.E.L.D. The FBI was a less frequent variable.
"If you've settled your deal with the government, continuing to hold Reed Richards is unnecessary," Batman stated.
"No! It is absolutely necessary!" Kingpin's voice suddenly spiked in volume. He glared at Batman. "Do you think I'm holding Reed just to squeeze more favors out of the President?"
Batman's brow furrowed as he watched the muscles in Kingpin's face twist. Subtly, he moved one hand behind his back.
"My business with the government is finished. Now, I'm going to negotiate with you, Batman!"
With one hand, Kingpin hoisted Reed into the air. Reed gagged as the pressure on his throat intensified. Kingpin held him over the ledge of the Baxter Building, dangling him over the sheer drop. He could let go at any second.
"Vanessa! And Richard! Where are they?!"
The benevolent aura vanished. Kingpin looked like a cornered, feral beast. The names he shouted belonged to no one else but his wife and son.
Batman remained where he was. He made no move to save Reed.
Kingpin roared, "After I got out of Ryker's, I found they'd vanished! It's like they were erased from the world! I can't reach them no matter what I do! The safe houses I set up for them are empty!"
"You said you wouldn't touch them!"
"Tell me, you damned Bat! What did you do to them?!"
Kingpin watched Batman. No matter how much he roared or how much fury he projected, Batman didn't react. The Kingpin's rage reached a boiling point; he wanted nothing more than to crush Reed Richards' windpipe then and there.
But he knew that if he did, not only would Batman never reveal the location of his family, but his deal with the government would be voided instantly.
When Kingpin was serving his time in Ryker's, Batman had confronted him, using the safety of his wife and son as leverage to force Kingpin to reveal the source of the Stark Industries weapons trade. But when Kingpin escaped and tried to contact his family, he felt he had been played.
His wife's phone was disconnected. Their home was empty. He didn't even know if they were alive.
"Give me Reed," Batman said.
"I want to know about my wife and son first." Kingpin loosened his grip slightly as a threat.
Batman shook his head slowly. "I'm not negotiating with you, Fisk."
And then, Batman moved.
He didn't lunge forward with superhuman speed to save the hostage. Instead, he simply began to walk—slowly, but with a terrifying, steady rhythm—straight toward Kingpin.
Regardless of how far Kingpin dangled Reed over the edge or how many times he gestured as if to drop him, Batman ignored the threat entirely. It was as if he truly didn't care if Reed Richards lived or died.
Kingpin felt the air catch in his chest. As Batman closed the distance, his face flushed with a mix of frustration and fear. He considered reaching out to grab Batman by the throat as well, but Batman's spacing was perfect. Unless Kingpin took a step forward, he couldn't reach him—and if he took that step, Reed would be pulled back over the safety of the roof.
Kingpin's expression shifted rapidly through various shades of calculation and rage. Finally, with a snarl, he dropped Reed onto the rooftop.
Reed hit the ground with a thud, coughing and gasping. Kingpin stood tall, his massive fists clenched as he loomed over Batman.
"Tell me what you did to them," Kingpin hissed. "Did you kill them? Are you keeping them locked away somewhere?"
Seeing Batman's cold indifference toward Reed's life, Kingpin feared the worst. After all, Kingpin believed Batman had escaped Ryker's by tearing through walls and—according to rumors—drinking the blood of several inmates.
In Kingpin's eyes, Batman was a vigilante by day, but a gray-faced, blood-drinking monster under the mask.
Batman watched from the corner of his eye as Reed scrambled toward the roof access door, coughing violently. Then, he looked back at Kingpin.
"I simply had them moved."
As he spoke, Batman raised his right arm and activated his gauntlet computer. Two photos popped up on the holographic display: Vanessa and Richard Fisk.
"Just as I promised you, I have been protecting them. Not harming them."
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