Without waiting for Kingpin's permission, Tobey turned and strolled straight toward the private bathroom attached to the expansive office.
He moved with an easy, practiced familiarity, acting as if he had just arrived in his own living room.
Kingpin did not say a word. The warm, accommodating smile never left his face.
But standing behind the crime lord, the sinister-looking Bullseye could no longer stomach Tobey's blatant arrogance. He let out a cold, dissatisfied scoff.
"What an arrogant prick. All he did was wipe out that garbage Nihon Syndicate. Give me the word, and I could have cleared out that trash just as easily!"
Hearing this, the amicable smile on Kingpin's face slowly vanished.
Without a shred of warning, Kingpin delivered a brutal backhand directly across Bullseye's face.
The sheer force of the blow sent the assassin flying across the room. Bullseye slammed hard against the wall, sliding down to the floor where he stayed, struggling to push himself back up.
"W-Why?"
Sprawled on the carpet and clutching his violently ringing head, Bullseye looked up at Kingpin in absolute disbelief.
He could not fathom why Kingpin would strike him—a loyal subordinate who had recently sworn absolute allegiance—over a mere freelance mercenary. Just an hour ago, Kingpin had been praising his lethal talents.
Now, the crime lord had turned on him in the blink of an eye.
Kingpin stared down at Bullseye with towering, icy authority.
"Why? Consider this a lesson, Bullseye. A lesson in learning how to keep your stupid mouth shut."
"Do you have any idea what would have happened if I had not just disciplined you? If Tobey had been the one to take offense, you would be sharing the floor with that severed head right now."
"I expect this to be the first and last time you run your mouth without knowing exactly who you are dealing with."
"If there is a next time, I will personally twist your head off to offer as an apology to Tobey!"
An apology?
Bullseye's eyes widened. He never thought he would hear the undisputed emperor of the underworld use the word "apology" regarding anyone.
Just who the hell was this Tobey guy?
Click.
Before Bullseye could even process the physical weight of the slap or the heavier weight of Kingpin's words, the bathroom door opened. Tobey stepped out, having already washed away the stench of blood.
He was no longer wearing his armored red and black suit. Instead, he wore a crisp white dress shirt and loose-fitting slacks.
Clearly, Kingpin kept a wardrobe prepared specifically for him.
Even clad in a simple white shirt, the fabric could barely conceal the explosive musculature underneath.
While Tobey was not built like a walking mountain the way Kingpin was, his physique possessed an almost artistic perfection. To use a heavily overused cliché, he was carved with the flawless proportions of a Greek god.
With his mask removed, his face was finally visible.
He had sharp, handsome features, deep blue eyes, and messy dark brown hair. It was the kind of impossibly perfect face that would make men, women, and anyone identifying as a Walmart shopping bag stop and stare.
If anyone in the multiverse possessed a better design than Tobey, it could only be those supreme, omniscient beings known as 'Readers'.
Kingpin shifted his attention away from Bullseye, his signature smile instantly returning as he looked at Tobey.
"I have always admired your dedication to efficiency, Tobey. Whether it involves slaughtering your targets or taking a shower."
"But seriously, won't you reconsider working for me full-time? If you join my inner circle, I will double your current rates."
Tobey's expression remained entirely flat at the lucrative offer.
"Pass. I prefer the freelance life. Do a job, take the cash, and live free. You can call me when you have a hit, but drop the recruitment pitch."
"Oh, and have someone wash my suit and ship it to my house. Toss me some pocket change while you are at it."
Kingpin sighed, nodding in mock disappointment. "A real pity. Very well. I will wire an extra million dollars into your account as an apology for my subordinate's idiotic remarks."
"As for the suit, it will be cleaned and delivered to your doorstep by tomorrow."
Reaching into his jacket, Kingpin pulled out a checkbook, casually scribbling a one followed by five zeros. "Here is your pocket change."
"Thanks."
Tobey nodded, unapologetically pocketing the hundred-thousand-dollar 'pocket change'. He then cast a sidelong glance at Bullseye, who was still glaring at him from the floor. Tobey let out a dark chuckle.
"I accept your apology, Fisk. But I really hate his hair. If he isn't totally bald the next time I see him, I am going to crush his skull."
Leaving Bullseye trembling with suppressed rage, Tobey turned and walked toward the exit without looking back.
Just as he reached the door, Tobey paused. He glanced over his shoulder at Kingpin with a deadpan expression.
"By the way, I am not fast at everything. Watch your phrasing next time."
With that final clarification, Tobey walked out.
Only after the elevator doors closed did the warm smile fade from Kingpin's face. He looked down at Bullseye with total apathy.
"You see now, Bullseye? Not only is his strength terrifying even to me, but more importantly, he is exceptionally petty."
"And a powerful man who holds grudges is the most dangerous kind."
"So, if you want to keep your head attached to your neck, go shave your hair off. Because if you don't, I will not protect you. I refuse to cross that vicious, venomous spider just to save your life."
Hearing Kingpin's merciless verdict, Bullseye knelt silently on the floor. His fists were clenched so tightly his fingernails dug deep into his palms.
Drops of his blood hit the floor, mixing with the dark puddle left behind by Okamoto's severed head.
It felt like an invisible force was giving him a grim warning. If he did not do exactly as Tobey demanded, Okamoto's fate would become his reality.
Kingpin did not care about his subordinate's bruised ego. He simply issued his next orders.
"Throw Okamoto's head to the dogs. Tomorrow, take a crew and seize all of the Nihon Syndicate's remaining turf and businesses. And by tomorrow night, I do not want to see a single one of those syndicate remnants breathing in Hell's Kitchen."
"Now, I am going to see my Vanessa and deliver the good news. She never has to worry about those blind Yakuza thugs harassing her ever again."
Kingpin valued Bullseye as an elite enforcer, but that was as far as it went. In Kingpin's mind, Bullseye and Tobey were not even in the same league.
Giving Bullseye a final pat on the shoulder, Kingpin callously walked out, leaving him to handle the cleanup.
The truth behind Kingpin's multi-million-dollar contract was exactly as he stated. The entire Nihon Syndicate was erased simply because one of their members had dared to catcall his beloved Vanessa.
A seemingly minor offense had prompted the Emperor of the Underworld to hire Tobey to massacre them all.
Of course, Kingpin was still a businessman. By absorbing the syndicate's territory and assets, his return on investment would far exceed the millions he spent on the hit.
Bullseye slowly pushed himself off the floor. Staring at the door Kingpin had exited, his eyes were practically overflowing with murderous malice.
"I promise you, by tomorrow, there won't be a single Yakuza rat left alive in Hell's Kitchen!"
It was glaringly obvious that Bullseye planned to vent all the humiliation and fury he had suffered from Tobey directly onto the surviving gang members.
He would use their blood to prove that Bullseye was no weaker than the Bully Spider.
And if Tobey knew this, he would probably forgive Bullseye's earlier disrespect and save Kingpin that million-dollar apology fee.
After all, Tobey always appreciated a thorough, ruthless extermination of rival gang remnants.