The high-ranking numbered agents of the Black Hand fluidly retreated across the cracked concrete floor, coalescing into a tight, protective phalanx directly by Commander Blark’s side. As Dud and his eccentric coalition looked across the space at them, the scene was a jarring portrait of contrast—a bizarre mismatch of deadly archetypes. Yet, a quick glance at their own ragtag assembly of billionaires, muscle monsters, and prison escapees revealed they were mirrors of the exact same phenomenon.
"The cohort you have managed to weaponize here is undeniably formidable," Commander Blark conceded, his deep voice carrying a hollow resonance as he adjusted his heavy overcoat. "And your analysis is entirely accurate. Even if a tactical simulation showed that the Black Hand could completely butcher your forces today, the operational toll wouldn’t justify the expenditure. These single-digit agents standing beside me are highly precious, irreplaceable assets to my organization... well, with the exception of that particular defector, of course."
Skull immediately placed a dramatic palm over his heart, squeezing his eyes shut as he feigned being entirely broken-hearted by the callous dismissal. In reality, he couldn’t have cared less. He knew better than anyone that the foundational blueprint of the Black Hand had never truly cared about the physical preservation of its numbers; they were instruments to be utilized until they broke.
"What I am systematically trying to articulate here," Blark continued, his gaze narrowing through the shadows, "is that regardless of how astronomical the financial compensation is, our syndicate does not simply blind-hire. A contract must be mathematically achievable. Furthermore, it must align with our long-term institutional values. The very fact that a collection of high-caliber monsters like yourselves feels the burning need to outsource your violence to us carries an implicit message.
"It indicates that your primary adversary is exceptionally, uniquely dangerous. If that is the case, even a mountain of currency might not balance the structural risk to our organization."
Dud let out a quiet, knowing smile as he glanced toward his flank. The battlefield parameters had shifted from physical violence to transactional diplomacy—meaning it was officially Donto’s turn to shine. The young heir stepped forward out of the shadows and directly into the limelight. Up until this second, Donto had taken absolutely no physical part in the chaotic melee against the single digits. While he was an exceptionally skilled athlete and would have been considered a top-tier martial artist in a room full of ordinary humans, he was currently trapped in a cavern filled with literal freaks of nature.
"I presume an organization of your global stature recognizes this individual?" Dud asked proudly, gesturing toward the pristine suit.
"I know exactly who he is. Donto Stern," Blark answered flatly, his sharp eye locked onto the young billionaire. "Your analysis is correct; someone of his pedigree possesses the capital to finance an international war. Which only makes me entirely more curious as to why you would feel the absolute necessity to hire a ghost syndicate when you supposedly have infinite corporate resources at your fingertips."
It was a completely expected reaction. For a black-market mercenary unit that Dud hadn’t even been aware of until an hour ago, their international data-gathering networks were clearly operating at an elite level. They mapped the wealth of the world.
"The structural issue we are facing, Commander, is that the shadow target we are attempting to liquidate is another member of the Stern dynasty," Donto stated, his voice tight with a mixture of rage and wounded pride. "Therefore, whatever baseline asset my personal bank accounts can buy, their financial reserves can replicate instantly. That is why standard infrastructure plays are proving completely difficult. We cannot out-bribe them."
Donto purposely withheld the broader, humiliating details of the conflict. He refused to openly admit to a room full of mercenaries that his useless cousin Max had somehow consolidated a massive street army of hyper-disciplined delinquents under the banner of the Billion Bloodline. That entire phenomenon still refused to make logical sense in his mind.
"Then isn’t that evaluation even more of a logical reason for the Black Hand to completely decline your contract?" Blark countered, a cold smirk touching his lips. "If the financial metrics are identical, what stops me from simply marching directly to this other Stern and requesting a massive premium fee for ’protection’ instead? Considering you are both entirely willing to match the same price point, the other side presents a vastly more stable corporate partnership."
"And would you truly possess the nerve to gamble on a play like that?" Dud asked, stepping forward as the skin on his bloodied palms began to stitch itself back together. "Especially after physically experiencing the raw strength of the vanguard we have assembled in this room?"
"I absolutely would," Blark said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, unshakable frequency. "Because the very fact that you came to our syndicate on your knees means you lack the core confidence to execute this liquidation on your own. If our single digits were to actively pivot and join the opposing side of the ledger, would your little alliance even survive the opening hour of the war?"
The room plunged into a suffocating deadlock, the air thick with the threat of renewed violence—until Skull broke the silence.
"You want a definitive operational reason to take this contract that goes entirely beyond the scope of money, right, Commander?" Skull asked, taking a step forward as he adjusted his cloth mask. "I possess that exact catalyst. Before I officially severed my ties with the Black Hand, my cell had gone head-to-head against this Billion Bloodline group during their initial border expansion.
"And during that localized deployment, I ran face-first into another active master of martial arts. A person who possessed the exact structural conditioning of the Black Hand. Another ghost who had successfully escaped our foundation just like me."
The revelation caused a wave of sharp reaction to ripple through the room. Several of the single-digit agents simultaneously raised their eyebrows, their analytical focus completely locking onto the defector.
"This individual was operating at a single-digit tier of efficiency," Skull pressed, his voice deadly serious. "They were vastly more skillful, precise, and lethal than a Number Eight like myself could ever hope to replicate. Furthermore, I had never once seen their face or registry file in our modern database during my tenure. Which can only mean one thing: he executed his desertion and vanished into the wind long before my generation was even processed."
Agent Number One and Agent Number Two slowly turned their heads to look directly at Commander Blark. The three elite architects of the syndicate exchanged a long, silent look before simultaneously nodding in dark synchronization.
"Now... the parameters of this deployment have become deeply, entirely personal," Commander Blark muttered, the horizontal scar on his face tightening as his deadly smile vanished. "An elite asset who managed to vanish from our grid, possessing enough residual combat data to effortlessly best a Number Eight... well, across the historical ledger of our foundation, that description can only belong to one legendary defector. It appears the ghost has finally resurfaced. I guess our organization has no logical choice but to officially accept your terms."
A wave of triumphant smirks instantly spread across the faces of Dud, Popper, and the rest of the suburban alliance. Having stood toe-to-toe against the single digits and forced a diplomatic surrender, their confidence in their unified capability had reached an all-time high. In Dud’s mind, this partnership was merely the opening Chapter of a much larger blueprint—one that could build an underworld relationship extending far beyond the eventual destruction of the Billion Bloodline group. He had already glimpsed the broader horizon; he had seen the nature of the high-level invitation floating around the central provinces, far above the small street games they were currently playing.
"I haven’t officially agreed to the terms of this deployment," Hugo said, his voice cutting through the celebration like a falling anvil.
The massive youth took a heavy, deliberate step forward, positioning his monolithic, broad-shouldered frame directly in the center of the assembly. He had made the single most catastrophic physical impact during the brawl, and this was the absolute first time anyone in the room had ever heard him speak. His voice was a low, guttural rumble that seemed to vibrate the concrete floorboards.
"I will only expend my physical strength to help you people achieve your tactical goals... if you coordinate your resources to give me exactly what I want first," Hugo stated, his eyes locking onto Commander Blark with an unblinking, heavy focus.
Blark tilted his head, his curiosity thoroughly piqued by the raw, unrefined aura of power radiating off the young titan. He found himself intensely interested in what a monster of this caliber could possibly desire.
"And what exactly is that metric?" the Commander asked, crossing his arms.
Hugo balled his massive hands into fists, his eyes reflecting a deep, generational grudge as he delivered his ultimate condition.
"I want every single person in this room—the Black Hand and the Stern capital—to help me systematically hunt down and take out the man known as Hercules."