Shiranui Hayate scrolled through his contacts, found Hotaru's number, and dialed.
The call was picked up in less than three seconds.
"Hotaru, find the main address for Viggo Tarasov's gang in New York. Send it to me as soon as possible."
Hotaru didn't ask for a reason. She simply replied, "Understood."
After the brief instruction, Hayate hung up. He knew the church was merely a stronghold for the Russian Mob, not their primary headquarters. The items in that basement represented only a fraction of Viggo's power—primarily the leverage and evidence used to bribe local officials.
Hayate waited in the underground parking lot. It wasn't long before a van pulled in. Charlie stepped out, walked over to Hayate, and tipped his hat against his chest in a respectful greeting. "A pleasure to serve you, Mr. Hayate."
"I'll leave this to you, Charlie."
Hayate pulled five Gold Coins from his pocket and placed them in Charlie's hand.
Accepting the payment, Charlie and his team moved with practiced efficiency to clean the scene.
A text from Hotaru arrived shortly after. He glanced at the address: a derelict factory on the outskirts of Brooklyn.
Hayate took a deep breath as he looked back at his battle-scarred Mercedes. This was a vintage car whose original parts weren't even in production anymore!
Ambushing me is one thing... but trashing my car?
F**!*
Exhaling a cloud of frustration, Hayate finally walked out of the parking lot. The security guard at the entrance was nowhere to be seen—likely having fled the moment the gunshots rang out.
Out on the street, he hailed a taxi. After giving the driver the address, Hayate leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.
He didn't have Flying Raijin or the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu. While Hayate was confident his own speed was no slower than a car in city traffic, running across New York would likely result in SHIELD'S Phil Coulson knocking on his door the next morning.
Meanwhile, John Wick had driven to his friend's house. He exited his car, drew his pistol, and cautiously entered the home.
Viggo and his men were long gone. The only thing left in the room was Marcus, lying in a pool of blood, riddled with bullet holes. John's expression darkened. He sat slowly beside his friend's body, shrouded in a heavy, silent grief.
Moments later, his phone rang.
John picked up. Winston's voice came through the line.
"John, I know you're looking for information on Viggo."
"However, the Continental has rules, so I won't tell you that there is a helicopter at a certain private airfield, fully fueled and waiting for someone."
Hearing Winston's words, John immediately understood the tip. He hung up without a word.
Gazing one last time at the fallen Marcus, John Wick decided he would settle the score for his friend. He stood, left the house, and drove toward the airfield.
Night had fully claimed New York. The sky was a void of black, making the city's neon lights appear even more brilliant.
On the other side of town, Hayate stepped out of his taxi. The driver sped away even faster than he had arrived, clearly recognizing that this wasn't a safe neighborhood.
The taxi's arrival had already alerted the guards near the factory.
In just a few days, the Russian Mob led by Viggo had become a group of paranoid shadows. Although word had spread that their boss had made a truce with the Boogeyman, the gang's core strength had been decimated by John Wick. They were terrified that rival gangs would seize the opportunity to move in on their territory.
Viggo was a mob boss, not a general; his power was tied to his numbers, and those numbers had plummeted. John Wick had personally sent nearly seventy of their brothers to the grave.
Because of this, the perimeter security was noticeably thin. Only two men stood outside. One of them shone a flashlight toward Hayate.
"Who the hell are you?"
A burly man approached, his clothing bulging with hidden firearms. He aimed the beam at Hayate's face, trying to identify the visitor.
Hayate didn't answer. He blurred forward, appearing instantly in front of the man. His left hand clamped over the guard's mouth, stifling any sound, while the kunai in his right hand slid effortlessly across the man's throat.
Hayate whispered softly, "This social filth needs a cleanup. It looks like I'll have to play the role of the cleaner tonight."
In the next second, Hayate's hands formed signs.Transformation Jutsu (Henge no Jutsu).
He took on the man's appearance, then removed the guard's radio and earpiece and put them on himself. He dragged the corpse into a dark corner, hiding it from view.
Thanks to the darkness of the night, the other guard noticed nothing unusual. Hayate walked back toward the entrance with an air of casual confidence.
Seeing his "partner" return, the other guard asked, "Bob, everything clear?"
Hayate, wearing a smile, replied, "All good. Just a guy who got out of his cab at the wrong stop. I sent him packing."
The guard started to respond, but Hayate struck. He drove his kunai into the man's neck while covering his mouth.
"Don't speak. Just breathe. That's it... deep breaths."
He held the man for a few seconds until the life left him, then sat the body against the wall to make it look like he was resting. He gently pushed open the factory door and stepped inside.
Hayate had successfully infiltrated the Russian Mob's nest in broad daylight—or rather, under their very noses.
Inside the factory, a Russian thug was nursing a bottle of vodka. He slurred his words as he spoke to a companion. "Aiden... one hitman kills so many of our brothers, and the boss just makes a truce?"
"Bastard! We're the Russian Mob!"
"We should have just thrown more money at it! What's there to be afraid of?"
"If four million couldn't buy his life, use eight! Use ten! One little 'Boogeyman' shouldn't be able to turn our world upside down!"
The man named Aiden sighed. "Wes, you're drunk." He reached out and snatched the vodka from Wes's hand. "The boss has his reasons. We just need to keep a low profile for a while so other gangs don't get any ideas."
Wes grew more irritated, grabbing his bottle back and taking a heavy swig. Suddenly, he spotted Hayate walking in and shouted, "Bob! What the hell are you doing coming in here to slack off? Didn't you hear Aiden say we need to stay alert?"