Chapter 21: Ethan's Vision, and a System Upgrade
Ethan let out a long breath. The dust had finally settled.
He'd thought long and hard about why he wanted to join the High Table rather than destroy it, and the answer came down to two things: himself, and Hell's Kitchen.
First — he needed his own power base. Not Kingpin's. He trusted Fisk, but trust wasn't the same as control. It was like the old dynamic between an emperor and a crown prince: the emperor's men would always be the emperor's men. If their orders conflicted, who did the soldiers follow? And Ethan wasn't even a blood heir.
The High Table seat gave him the Continental — intelligence networks, mercenary contracts, logistical support — plus the Marquis's seized assets: real estate, weapons, cash. Tangible, independent power.
But the second reason mattered more.
Back in his previous life, there was a tradition: when you made it big, you went home and brought everyone with you. One tech billionaire hired his entire village. One police chief got so nepotistic that even the local stray dog ended up on the K-9 squad.
Ethan wasn't quite that idealistic. But the impulse was the same. Hell's Kitchen was chaotic, dangerous, and neglected — but it was his home in this world. It had been home for over twenty years. The chaos wasn't the residents' fault. It was the government's, through willful neglect and deliberate abandonment.
What Ethan could do was bring industry. The Continental wasn't just a hotel — it was an economic engine.
Ordinary residents could find legitimate work: servers, housekeepers, maintenance staff. People with rougher backgrounds could take contracts through proper channels instead of getting skimmed by middlemen. Those with specialized skills — weapons manufacturing, disposal work — could put them to use in a structured system instead of the street-level chaos they'd been surviving in.
Were some people in Hell's Kitchen genuinely bad? Sure. Ethan dealt with those on a case-by-case basis. But most weren't evil — they were out of options. They knew stealing and dealing were wrong. But when you couldn't get hired anywhere because you lacked a Social Security number, or because the words "Hell's Kitchen" on your address were an automatic rejection — what were you supposed to do?
They were just trying to survive. Ethan couldn't fault them for that. He didn't encourage it, but he understood it.
The Continental was a door. Whether Hell's Kitchen's people walked through it was up to them. But at least now, the door existed.
And if the Continental represented the present, then the community school represented the future. Kids who studied hard could earn their way to a good university and a real career — a life beyond Hell's Kitchen. One institution for today, one for tomorrow. Ethan intended to build both.
He couldn't transform Hell's Kitchen overnight. But every small change counted.
Beyond that, his plan was straightforward: stay alive, get stronger, and — if it was possible — eventually find a way back to his original world. In the meantime, he'd do right by the place that had been his home for two decades. That alone made the trip to the Marvel universe worthwhile.
· · ·
Ethan gathered everyone around the table — John, Marcus, Caine, Wade, Pietro.
"I'm submitting everyone's information to the High Table as my Adjudicators. Anyone have objections? Speak now."
Wade's hand shot up. "Me! I want in! But isn't 'Adjudicator' kind of a low title? 'Elder' has a nicer ring to it. Also — do Adjudicators get free hotel rooms?"
"Free rooms and a salary," Marcus explained.
John Wick went still. "I... qualify for this?"
The question came out quietly, almost disbelieving. John had spent his entire career in the High Table's shadow — a weapon they pointed at problems, never a member in his own right. At his peak, he'd been someone else's enforcer with a scary nickname. He'd never been a High Table member, let alone an Adjudicator. He'd fought, bled, and killed for decades, and his reward had been a retirement that lasted until his wife died, his dog was killed, his house was bombed, and every assassin on earth came for his head.
If he hadn't met Ethan, he'd probably be dead in a ditch somewhere. And now — an Adjudicator's coin with his name on it.
Marcus took it in stride. Caine was the one who seemed most moved — he'd barely known Ethan, and here was this man offering him a position of real authority.
"Honestly, 'Adjudicator' is just a fancy word for 'my people,'" Ethan said with a shrug. "If you want the title, take it. We're all friends here."
Wade immediately started negotiating room service privileges. Pietro didn't react much — he'd long since considered Ethan family, and wherever Ethan pointed, he followed.
Caine straightened. "My eyes are blind, but I see people more clearly than most. You are a good man, and you saved my daughter. I will be your sword. Whatever stands in your path, I will cut it down."
"We're family. You don't need to be dramatic about it." Ethan scratched the back of his head.
"If you'll have an old man like me," Marcus said, "I'm in."
All eyes turned to John Wick.
He dropped to one knee. Right hand over his heart.
"I'm yours, Ethan. Whatever you need. Whatever it costs."
「DING!」
「Congratulations, Host! Marcus's Friendship Level has been upgraded to ★★★★★★ — MAX!」
「Marcus has become FAMILY.」
「Congratulations! John Wick's Friendship Level has been upgraded to ★★★★★★ — MAX!」
「John Wick has become FAMILY.」
「Congratulations! Caine's Friendship Level has been upgraded to ★★★★★★ — MAX!」
「Caine has become FAMILY.」
「Family count has reached 5. System Upgrade conditions met.」
「System Upgrade initiated.」
「Upgrade complete in 24 hours.」
Ethan looked around the table — at the faces of his friends, his family — and the system notifications chiming in his head, and smiled.
"Alright, alright — you're all making me blush. We're friends. Brothers. Family." He stood up and headed for the kitchen. "I'm cooking. Everyone stays for dinner. And Caine — bring your daughter."