The moment Rex Viper's voice echoed across the square, Wilson Fisk's laughter died instantly.
It was as if someone had cut the sound off mid-breath.
Kingpin turned sharply, his massive frame twisting with surprising speed. The moment his eyes landed on Rex, something flickered across his face—shock, disbelief, and something deeper. Fear.
"You…?" His voice came out strained. "Why are you here? No… how are you still alive?"
Rex stood casually a short distance away, looking almost out of place in the chaos.
He was only wearing a pair of rough shorts, clearly borrowed, his upper body completely exposed. Bronze-toned skin stretched over a powerful, well-defined frame, every muscle carrying a quiet, coiled strength. The torn shirt he had stripped earlier had been crudely fashioned into a headpiece, the shape vaguely resembling a stripped-down combat helmet.
It was crude.
But it worked.
On the ground nearby, Black Widow saw him.
A faint spark lit up in her exhausted eyes—something sharp, something alive. Then her body finally gave out. The tension snapped, and she collapsed fully onto the ground, unconscious.
Rex exhaled quietly.
Whatever he had said to her before… it had stuck.
Even pushed to the brink, even battered and exhausted, her mind hadn't broken under the Beast's influence. That kind of will wasn't normal. It wasn't luck. It was something forged through years of surviving things most people wouldn't last a minute against.
Kingpin stared at Rex, his gaze intense, searching, almost as if he were trying to decide whether the man in front of him was real—or something worse.
"How long have you been standing there?"
Rex tilted his head slightly, almost thoughtful. "Since you started your speech about how this city's basically a giant dumping ground for rich people. Gotta say… bold take."
A faint grin tugged at his lips. "Very original. Really makes you think."
Kingpin's expression hardened.
"If you've been here that long… why didn't you stop me?"
Rex glanced casually toward the fallen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents scattered across the ground—some unconscious, some barely moving. "Why would I?"
Kingpin followed his gaze. "You're not with them?"
"Don't know them," Rex replied flatly.
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
Then Kingpin spoke again, his tone turning deliberate. "Despite everything you've done… I could still offer you a way out. Surrender. Join me."
Rex chuckled softly and shook his head. "Funny thing is… I was about to say the exact opposite."
His eyes sharpened.
"I've never once thought about letting you live."
Kingpin nodded slowly, almost respectfully. "Then there's nothing left to discuss."
He took a step forward, his voice dropping lower. "Still… congratulations. Surviving that long. Now I finally get to kill you myself."
Rex stretched his neck slightly, rolling his shoulders. "Go ahead."
A grin flashed across his face.
"I've been waiting."
Kingpin lifted a hand.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath Daredevil exploded outward as he launched forward like a missile, black energy trailing behind him. He shot straight toward Rex with overwhelming speed, his fist already cocked back.
Rex didn't move.
Not at first.
Then—
Flash.
A burst of blinding light detonated directly in front of Daredevil's face.
No reaction.
The corrupted vigilante didn't even slow down.
The punch came in fast.
Too fast.
Rex blinked. "Wait… did I just try to flashbang a blind guy?"
He raised his hand at the last second and caught Daredevil's fist cleanly, the impact sending a sharp crack through the air. The force transferred into his arm—but it didn't push him back an inch.
Daredevil swung again.
Caught.
Again.
Rex spread his arms, locking both of Daredevil's wrists in place. The demonized fighter struggled, but the difference in raw strength was obvious. His body was forced into a stretched, cross-like position, held completely in place.
Their faces were less than ten centimeters apart.
Rex leaned in slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Ding dong. Anyone home?"
He smirked.
"Time to wake up. Sun's out."
Then he slammed his head forward.
The headbutt landed with brutal force, snapping Daredevil's upper body backward. But Rex didn't let go. He yanked him forward again immediately, checking his face.
No change.
No recognition.
Nothing.
"Yeah… didn't think so," Rex muttered.
There was no saving him like this.
Not without the right tools.
Not without time.
And time was the one thing New York didn't have.
Rex's eyes hardened.
"Guess you're a gold-tier reward now."
He released one hand and kicked.
The impact sent Daredevil flying backward, his body smashing across the ground.
Rex's pupils flared.
Thunder ignited.
"Boom!"
Lightning exploded from his body, forming a roaring silver dragon that crashed straight into Daredevil. The impact was violent, tearing through flesh and bone alike. Skin split. Blood sprayed. White bone flashed through shattered muscle.
A shrill, inhuman scream tore out of Daredevil's throat.
Black energy surged out of him like something alive, writhing and twisting under the lightning's assault.
For a moment—
It worked.
Then the lightning faded.
The black energy surged back.
It wrapped around Daredevil's broken body, sealing wounds, restoring flesh, rebuilding him in seconds.
Back to perfect condition.
Kingpin chuckled from the side, leaning casually on his cane. "You really thought lightning could solve everything?"
His tone was mocking. "Naive."
Rex didn't answer.
He lifted a hand.
Lightning struck again—this time aimed at Kingpin.
The bolts slammed into him, shredding his white suit instantly. Fabric turned to ash, revealing what lay beneath.
A dark-gold armored vest.
The electricity spread across it—and dissipated harmlessly.
Kingpin smirked. "Allow me to introduce something."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Vibranium armor."
His smile widened. "With anti-electric design."
Rex stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"Figures."
He had already sensed it when he arrived.
Kingpin wasn't the same.
The energy inside him… it matched the Beast's corruption. Whatever had happened, he had already stepped into gold-tier territory.
Two gold-tier enemies.
One unkillable cockroach.
One armored monster.
And the city collapsing in the background.
Rex clicked his tongue.
"Yeah… this is annoying."
Daredevil came at him again, relentless, unthinking. Every time Rex damaged him, the black energy rebuilt him. Again. And again. And again.
Like fighting something that refused to die.
Like Wolverine on steroids.
Rex could keep going.
But New York couldn't.
If this dragged on any longer… it wouldn't just be crematoriums filling up. They'd be digging mass graves.
Then—
A thought hit him.
Dragon energy.
He remembered it clearly.
Dragon energy wasn't just destruction.
It had two sides.
One that burned.
One that healed.
One that destroyed.
One that restored.
But he had never tapped into that second side.
Until now.
Rex's gaze sharpened.
Then he remembered—
114 unassigned attribute points.
"No time like now."
In an instant, he dumped everything into Spirit.
The change hit immediately.
His perception sharpened. His awareness expanded. The flow of energy inside his body became clearer—visible, almost tangible.
Then he activated it.
Dragon Energy: Explosion.
Power surged through him, amplifying everything—strength, speed, reaction.
But this time—
He saw more.
Beneath the violent surge, something else was happening.
The energy wasn't just enhancing him.
It was repairing him.
Constantly.
Quietly.
He had just never focused on it before.
Rex's lips curled into a slow grin.
"So that's how it works."
A simple shift in application.
And the entire nature of the power changed.
Daredevil charged again.
Kingpin moved at the same time, sensing the shift.
Rex didn't hesitate.
A rapid series of flashes detonated around Kingpin's head, blinding him momentarily. Rex stepped in and drove a full-force kick straight into his chest.
The impact launched Kingpin backward like a cannonball, his massive body skidding across the ground.
Rex didn't follow.
Instead, he moved.
Fast.
He appeared in front of Daredevil in an instant.
Punch.
Punch.
Punch.
Each strike landed like a hammer, driving Daredevil backward, overwhelming his movements, breaking his rhythm. For a brief moment, the corrupted fighter lost his ability to respond.
That was enough.
Rex stepped in close.
He raised a single finger.
Then pressed it lightly against Daredevil's forehead.
And called the thunder again.
....
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