| “ | The underworld will now be run lika a Business.. and the Chairman of the Board will be .. The Kingpin!
— Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin of Crime
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| “ | The Kingpin does not like surprises!
— Wilson Fisk
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Wilson Fisk is one of the mainstays of New York's criminal underworld. Unanimously recognized as The Kingpin, Fisk controls nearly all organized crime families on the East Coast that are not Maggia-affiliated. As such, Fisk has run afoul of the majority of heroes in that region. At the start of his career, he often fought Spider-Man the most, later he also ame into conflict with other New York-based heroes such as Punisher, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones. When the situation requires, he offer service to Stark-Fujikawa Corporate, Hydra and the Hand. With brutal efficiency and clever manipulation, he also managed to obtain the Assassins Guild, leading to many of its martial artists and ninjas serving his criminal empire.
When Hydra took over America and kept most of NYC under a dome, Kingpin offered food and other support to people in need when the heroes fail to do so. With this done, he ran for mayor after Hydra was defeated and got elected through rigging the ballot. As of now, he is the most powerful crimelord in NYC thanks ot his position, which basically hands the control of the police force partially to him. With the newfound powers and resources, he seeks to end the activities of heroes such as Daredevil and Spider-Man once and for all.
Battle vs. Joker (Comics) (by Battlefan237)[]
Prelude : For Men Who Have Got Everything[]
New York City
Overlooking the empty streets from the window of the mayor's office, Wilson Fisk lets out a satisfied grin. Years ago, he was still the kingpin of the underground and at this time of the day, these streets below were usually filled with moving shadows. Some shadows belonged to raving criminals, some of them servants of other influential crimelords, most of them average joes who obtained superpowers from various wacky accidents and decided to put their powers into bank-robbing business. Other shadows belonged to arrogant individuals who called themselves heroes or vigilantes - these people claimed to be guardians of the people, but Fisk saw them as nothing different from the criminals they fought, for regardless of their self-styled bravery and audacity, none had the guts to walk in broad daylight without wearing a mask, just like many criminals.
Things have changed for the better since the big man got elected. Back in the age of heroes, heroes like the Spider-Man did a lot of NYPD's jobs. Therefore, the first thing Fisk did was an act of replacement. Inefficient sectors of the police force were removed or replaced by his men - men of productiveness. With funds from both the city and Kingpin's personal vault covering their bills, these men swept the streets with brutal efficiency, clearing groups that were both threats to public safety and competitors to Kingpin's own organization. Hammerhead, Tombstone, Madame Masque... The demise of one big name was soon followed by the capture of another, until none was left. Then, Kingpin turned his war on crime to the vigilantes. Laws were passed to cancel their legitimacy, special task forces were formed to take them down. At first, there was resistence, which soon died down as more funds were poured in. Some heroes, like the Spider, were smart enough to retreat into darkness and lay low for a while, calmly waiting for a second chance. Some others were more stubborn. Frank Castle, being the man he had always been, took down 26 of Fisk's men in his last stand. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, Fisk triumphed.
Men working for him are stationed at every major crossroad in the city, guarding it against heroes and rival villains at every second, while Kingpin himself is protected by laws of his creation, banning the Avengers from stepping in. A literal king he is now.
---
However, in an abandoned storage building that stands at the most unassuming section of the city's most remote district, two men of hostile intents whisper in the darkness outside the scope of Fisk's subordinates. One of them being a lone survivor of Fisk's campaign, the other one being a representative sent from a metropolis in New Jersey - a place where true madness looms.
"Mr. Cobblepot, while I do not doubt your judgement and experience, I'm still not convinced that that clown we met earlier this day will be able to do the job. Many professionals - professionals who have actual names instead of a childish nickname, have tried to take down the man and failed in doing so. " Mutters Mister Negative, as his pale face blackens with shade.
"Li, I assure you that the Joker will work it out. Granted that he is crazy and sick, but that's why he is the best choice for it. Mr. Fisk, to my knowledge, is a man who prefers order, while the clown is the exact opposite - he is the cancer, he is the agent of chaos, he is the type of opponent Fisk has never faced and will never overcome. His involvement will only pave way for the destruction of Kingpin's regime, after which we can resume our usual business transaction between cities. " The Penguin vouches for his recommendation in confidence, as he pounds the floor with the tip of his umbrella.
"Then we shall see...." Says Li. The two crimelords proceed to focus on the computer screen in front of them, readying themselves for the clown's next move.
Chapter I : War Games[]
"Stab, slash, strangle, drown, burn, crash, bite or dismemberment... I don't care about whatever methods you boys use. Your task today is to kill as many people as possible at your own locations. Our friend Wilson likes to show off his muscle, so he stations his troops at the most obvious spots to show that he is the man in control of this place, which makes it easy for you to distinguish them from those who happen to walk by. Although, I must say, I don't a bit of collateral damage. Actually, collateral damage is always of great fun, don't you agree ? When you boys return, you will all be paid handsomely, now that I have all the money in the world. " Orders the Joker through intercom. And so begins the assault of the army of clowns.
---
Dan has never been a good boy. He dropped out of school at the age of sixteen and instantly embarked upon a career of crime. He started out working for small-time crooks like Big Wheel or the White Rabbit, then he slowly climbed up the food chain, acting as henchmen for big names like Vulture. By the time he met Wilson Fisk, he had already accumulated 10 years of experience in street-fighting and murdering, during which he also received training from a master martial artists who escaped from the Hand and settled in NYC. Dan was strong, tough but meticulous at the same time, evading the inspection of law on countless occasions. Kingpin clearly saw these qualities of him, and appointed him as one of his top enforceres and the leader of post 37 - one of the many posts stationed at different parts of the city. Four people were placed under his command.
This night starts off as a night indistinguishable from other nights. Everything is quiet and unassuming. Dan stands outside the watch house as usual, accompanied by Eli, his right-hand man. They smoke and they chat, clueless about the horror show awaiting them in the near future. Eli is of Dan's age and build, but he has got more scars on his face, which has something to to with him being an ex-cop. And today, Eli once again shares with Dan his story of quiting the force - one day, Carnage broke into their building and made a scene, Eli got trapped around a corner with his superior, who attempted to use him as a meat shield against the rampaging supervillain. Luckily, Spider-Man arrived in time to rescue them both, but the hero was unable to rescue his faith in the system. So he made his exit, joining Kingpin's army. He genuinely believes that what Fisk has done is something great and prosperous. All in a sudden while Dan and Eli chat, a faint explosion sound emerges from afar, followed by a line of smoke emitting into the night sky in the east. Judging from the direction, the explosion has just happened in the vicinity of post 35.
"The fuck ? Another attack from the remaining inner demons ? Or is it from one of those mutant gangs in the east ? " Eli shouts, as he grabs up his rifle, readying to rush there and aid their comrades. Dan, however, calms him down. "Post 35 is guarded by people who are just as professional as us. Attacks from inner demons or mutant syndicates don't usually make a noise like that. They are covert groups afterall. This is either an accident or something bigger. Those at post 35 are more than capable of handling an accident, but if it's something bigger, we too will soon be under attack, so we'd better not leave our post. "
"Roger that boss." Eli nods in agreement, but before he can make another move, his attention is attracted to a man across the street. The man is dressed in a black hood, and appears to be bleeding. "Help me ! Help me ! Some one stabbed me and ran away !" He yells, as he literally crawls towards their spot. "Boss we gotta help this man, he is dying out there ! " Eli shouts, dropping his rifle and rushing to the man's aid. "Wait - " Dan shouts, trying to restrain his friend, but Eli has already dashed out. Eli's experience of being a cop has made saving the helpless one of his basic instincts, and even after becoming a career criminal, this instinct still appears from time to time.
"Are you alright ? " Asks Eli, as he reaches the man, holding him by the arm. "Good sir, I'm more than fine ! " The man suddenly shouts in an unbeat tone, stunning both Eli and Dan. He then lifts his head up, revealing that he is wearing a clown mask. "What's the hell is going on over there ?" Dan asks in confusion, but before Eli can answer, the man swifly draws out a dagger from his sleeves and stabs it into Eli's throat. Blood gushes out as Eli collapses on the ground, eyes fading dark. "One more kill closer to the record of my idol Victor Zsasz ! " The man yells, but before he can advance any further, Dan guns him down.
"Shit. Walker, Etsuko , Sokolov, grab your weapons and get out, we are under attack ! " Dan shouts, as he pounds the door of the watch house, signaling his subordinates to get ready for a war, while he himself quickly ducks behind the stone fence of the house, for two cars dart out of the alley and pulls over on the opposite side of the road, with four more people with clown masks jumping out of each. Dan and his allies have been very lucky so far, for the watch house at post 35 has not been so lucky. The small squad of lunatics assigned by the Joker to attack that building used to work for Garfield Lynns as well. Therefore, they naturally prefers bringing a little bit of pyrotechnics to the fight, and the entire building gets torched in the process, leaving all living beings inside charred. Post 34 and post 43 are currently going through hell as well - thugs who attack those places are armed with miniguns. In addition, at post 39 and post 40, trucks loaded with explosives were blown up at their entrances, while Kingpin's men who survived the blast were put down mercilessly with rifle bullets as they ran for their lives. Post 32, 38 and several others, however, are handling themselves. Only one or two clowns have appeared at these locations so far, and they are all just equipped with small arms.
Returning fire in haste, it doesn't take very long for Dan and his crew to realize that their opponents are not as good as they are. In fact, they are far from good - their aim is way off, their organization is poor and their tactic seems to be nothing more than old-fashioned spray-and-pray. Sokolov, the best marksman under Dan's command, soon bring down two thugs with his shotgun. Signaling his ally with a nod of approval, Dan reloads his submachine gun. Sokolov has always been competent but mysterious. According to the man himself, he escaped from Russia and into the States 5 years ago, because he pissed off a local troublemaker called KGBeast. Rumor has it that this beast fella has connections all over Russia, but Dan doubts its validity - anyway, it's hard to take a name like KGBeast seriously and Dan is sure that he has seen primary school kids applying similar names to their steam accounts.
Right after Sokolov's small success, Dan's team experiences yet another loss, as a shrapnel from a clown's grenade slices into Walker's chest. Dan and the other two are swift enough to duck, but Walker's inexperience seals his fate, as the young man coughs out blood and dies. New to the criminal world, Walker has only comitted a couple of petty crimes of thievery before being recruited to Kingpin's army. He has a little sister who attends a charity school sponsored by Wayne Foundation and Parker Industries. Walker spends most of his earnings from crime buying food and clothes for the girl. The young man has always been well-liked by his team because of his smart quips, and Dan's heart aches as he watches him dying.
Fueled by anger, Dan imparts his team to initiate a wave of counterattack and advance, as the small squad of clowns, who seemingly have just exhausted their ammo after recklessly spraying for minutes, settle behind car doors for reload. Etsuko is the first one to make her move. Estuko is a woman - or a girl, considering Etsuko being in early 20s. She's got the voluptuous body and gorgeous pair of legs of a supermodel. She actually could have become a supermodel herself, had it not been the family tragedy. The Yashida Clan Yakuza murdered her parents and younger brother, for they did not pay a debt on time. She entered the criminal world for revenge. Kingpin's war against other gangs helped her achieve the revenge ealier than expected, and since then had her begun working for the man. Like Walker, Etsuko is inexperienced, but she has skills to compensate for that. Although not well-trained, she's a capable and particularly dirty fighter thanks to activities underground fighting ring, where she has earned the epithet nutcracker. When things go wrong, she solves them with eye-stabbing or a kick to the groin. Dan has witnessed professional boxers getting one-shot by her kick to the vulnerable area.
Launching herself forward dressed in hot pants and bare midriff, Etsuko finds herself face to face with the biggest and most muscular thug. Trying to look intimidating, the man lets out a threatening roar, only for his opponent to finish him instantly with her favorite move. Screaming in pain, the man collapses down, while Etsuko smirks sadistically as she seals her victory with two more cracking stomps - the first one to the crotch to cause pain, the second one to the throat, where the bladed end of her heal sinks into the man's body, killing him. Mocking the man, she raises her pistol for a second kill, only to receive backfire from her inexperience. As it turns out, the man she has taken down pressed a button on his belt when she was busy laughing with his last bit of strength. This action sets off the homemade bomb he has attached to his body, which subsequently blows up Estuko and himself, while injuring another clown near the car.
Capturing the moment as an opportunity, Dan and Sokolov spend little time mourning for Etsuko before they riddle the injured clown with bullets. "One car left. Let's kill these bastards. " Dan shouts, as he quickly approaches the second car. The driver clown grabs up a baseball bat, only to be disarmed by Dan with a move learned from the master martial artist. Grabbing the man by the collar, Dan uses him as a shield as he empties his assault rifle over the three remaining clowns. He's about to reload, when a van, larger than the car, suddenly emerges in the distance. "More of these shit ? " Dan shouts in desperation and frustration, as he sees the clown symbol painted on the van's front. A submachine gun pokes out of the window, and Dan closes his eyes to accept his doom, only to hear another huge explosion.
Opening his eyes, Dan is surprised to find the van being blown into pieces, tires rolling into the green band. "Sokolov, you motherfucker. Damn good job ! " He yells in relief and turns back, finding his last remaining man holding an empty rocket launcher, from which smoke emits, indicating that it has just been fired. "Groin kicks and fist fights ? Come on! " Sokolov jokes, as he raises the launcher and waves it at Dan, "This is how we do it in Mother Russia. "
Waiting for minutes, the duo fail to encounter more enemies, and they decide to return to the watch house and make a phone call to either other watch houses or their boss. Dan lets Sokolov do the job, while he leans on the wall to take a break. Randomly taking a glance around the room, Dan sighs. Personal things that belong to Walker, Etsuko and Eli are still scattered here and there. He finds it hard to believe they are gone. Several hours ago, they were still sitting here, joking and laughing. Eli's sunglasses sit silently on the table, polished and unbroken, still waiting for their owner. Walker's bag of money is safely placed at the corner, awaiting to be delivered to his sister. Many of Etsuko's stuff are littered around the room as well - cosmetics, underwears , photos of her parents and a toy doll. "Wait a second..." Dan suddenly feels alerted.
"Since when did Etsuko start playing with dolls , especially a doll as ugly as the one that currently sits righing in the fucking center of the room. " He thinks.
"Sokolov, get out - " Dan yells, as he jumps out of the room. At the exact same second, the doll opens its mouth. A greenish gas is released from it, quickly filling up the room and engulfing Sokolov, who is busy with the phone and has not yet grasped the situation. He has no choice but to laugh helplessly, as Joker venom invades his brain through his nose, ear and mouth. Blood streaks fill his eyes, as Sokolov kneels down and chuckles uncontrollably, face turning pale. The dying man's laughter is soon joined by a more sinister man's laughter, as a shot is fired, hitting Dan on the leg.
Crawling, Dan sees the Joker walking out of the watch house in his purple tuxedo, pistol in hand. "I guess you are the leader at this little fun house, isn't it ? I gotta tell you, buddy, today is your lucky day. I'm not going to kill you, but I need you to send my message to your boss when you meet him - tell him that me, the clown prince of crime, is in this town, and I don't like him. But if he can let my friends here have their fun, I will go easy on him and leave town immediately. Can you do it for me ? " Says the Joker, in a joyful tone.
"Go fuck yourself, whoever you are." Dan shouts, raising his head and spitting at the clown.
"Defiant ! I like you now, buddy. You don't have to send the mesage now. " Says the Joker,"Instead, you are going to be the mesage. Isn't that wonderful ! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !"
Chapter II : The King's Ransom[]
"A package for you, Mayor Fisk. " The secretary whispers nervously as she quickly exits the office, avoiding any direct eye contact with the furious mastermind.
Frowning, Kingpin stares at the box left by the lady. Last night was a major hit - a lot of his people were caught by surprise and killed, dozens of his watch houses were destroyed. What cheers him up a little bit is the fact that apparently there are more dead clonws out there than dead henchmen of his. The group of thugs that launched the assault were neither martial artists nor sharpshooters. When their element of surprise wears out, his men have been able to regroup and retaliate efficiently, despite lowered morale. Another piece of good news is that several of his men have captured an enemy alive and brought the clown to him. The petty criminal immediately pissed himself the moment he met Fisk. Overwhelmed by the presence of Kingpin's massive body and intimidating gaze, the clown gave out all the information in matter of seconds. He and other clowns were working for a jester-themed, mentally unstable criminal named the Joker, who appeared to be a big name back in where they came from. This "Joker" character is cruel and likes to toy around with his enemies. He also enjoys using joke-themed devices and employs a type of chemical weapon which literally make people laugh to their death. After several more rounds of torture, Kingpin deemed the clown no longer useful and thus snapped the thug's neck with a fraction of his strength.
"Gather all the remaining muscles. Arm them with the best equipment. Tell each and everyone of them that whoever kills the Joker will never have to worry about money for the rest of his life. And warn them don't forget to wear respirators. " Orders Kingpin, through the phone, as he opens the box. He is soon greeted by a strong stench and the head of Daniel Freeman, one of his most trusted employees. Dan's face was badly cut, and a Glasgow grin has been created on it. Crude make-up has also been applied to it so that Dan's face resembles that of a circus clown's.
Enraged once again, Kingpin tossed the box out of the window. The package is an enormous insult to his reputation, and he will not let it pass by easily. The Joker has to be killed in the worst way possible, regardless of what it might take.
Kingpin's elite troops march into streets of the city, massacring every clown that comes into their way. After an entire night of mindless looting and rioting, many of the Joker's thugs have become exhausted. They aimlessly wander down the streets, either intoxicated or high. Naturally, they can't even put up a semi-decent fight as Kingpin's men surround them.
When clowns on the streets have been dealt with, Kingpin's men turn their guns to slums, brothels, night clubs and underground casinos - places where the remaining half of the Joker's men lurk. At these places they shoot indiscriminately and efficiently, bringing down more of the Joker's recruit. Of course, they are met with resistance. At every location, a couple of tougher clowns are able to escape before bringing down a few of Kingpin's hired guns. But in general, the loss for Kingpin is insignificant.
When these tough guys return to the Joker and make their report, the former comedian listens attentively. But when his men finish up and look at him for any solutions, the Joker responds by laughing maniacally as usual. "Just wait, my friends, just wait for the night. " Says the Joker, with a mysterious but confident grin on his face.
Chapter III : A Suicide Squad[]
"After this is done, I'm definitely going to stop working for the Joker. " Sarah thinks, as she leads her men silently towards the Mayor's manor. This is a suicide mission. A lot of odds are stacked against them. But Sarah is fearless of those odds, for she has been through worse. Before she ends up working for the Joker, she used to be an assassin working for the Falcone Family. After Two-face murdered Carmine, Sofia and Mario, she began looking for jobs elsewhere. First she tried to impress the Penguin and the Black Mask, but both turned her down due to their hatred for the Falcones. Then she turned to the wilder side of Batman's rogue gallery and attempted to find employment under one of the Arkham lunatics. The sewers smelt terrible, so Croc was a pass. And she could not bear the constant danger of being used in some sort of weird experimentations, so Scarecrow, Mad Hatter and Mister Freeze were out of consideration as well. She also refused to be turned into fertilizers, so Ivy was an absolute no. Finally, she came to the Joker who surprisingly took her in without hesitation. Fully aware of the psycho's tendency to shoot his own people, Sarah has chosen to remain useful, humble and professional. So far, her attitude has paid off - the Joker pays her well and is willing to entrust her important tasks.
"Stop at the gate. Do not attack until you catch my sign. " Orders the Joker through the mobile phone. "What sign ? " Asks Sarah. "Why don't we keep it as a surprise ? The sign will arrive soon. Don't get too anxious. It'll be a big distraction for the guards. " States the Joker in a light tone.
"KITE MAN HELL YEAH !" A noise echoes from above. Sarah and her men look up to find Charles Brown, another psycho titled Kite Man who serves the Joker, gliding through the night sky and towards the mansion from another direction, tied to his massive, green kite. This instantly attracts attention and gunfire from bodyguards and henchmen below. Quickly realizing that this is the sign the Joker has just mentioned, Sarah and her men begin their assault.
Because several guards that were stationed around the gate ran inside to shoot at the Kite Man, the area around the gate has temporarily become empty, making room for Sarah's mission. The small suicide squad break into the door with ease, taking down two guards that are not fast enough to fight back. Kite Man's corpse falls down and crash-lands in the yard. Several guards run towards it for inspection, but they are quickly disoriented by grenades tossed by Sarah's men, who proceed to break into the building.
---
Inside the manor's guest hall, stands Kingpin. Holding a bottle of expensive champagne, Fisk stares solemnly at the painting hanging on the wall in front of him. The woman in the painting stares back at him, with a warm but distant smile. "Vanessa, my darling. Sorry to bother you again. But as you know, everytime I feel troubled, I come here to talk to you. Your smile has always been a gift from heaven. Your eyes bless me with everlasting success. This clown from Gotham has injured my pride. In the day, my men have scorched my city in search of him, but not a single trace has been found. Therefore, here I stand, communicating with you, looking for strength and wisdom. When you are still here, I failed you. So I spent the last few years taking the city as my gift to you. Now this clown from Gotham is trying to destroy my precious gift. I cannot let that happen, for I cannot fail you yet again. " Mutters Fisk, as he takes a sip.
His brief moment of tranquility is cut short, however, by gunshots coming from the main hall. Snatching his cane, the bulky man strides out of the room. "Who dares disturb me at my house ? " He shouts, as he marches down the corridor, kicking aside the corpses of his subordinates. Coming across two clowns, he quickly tear through both with the laser from his cane. A third clown jumps down from above, rifle in hand. Before he can steady his feet, Kingpin knocks him off balance with the cane. Lifting the man up with ease, Fisk chuckles as he grabs the thug by the neck, literally crushing the throat with his peak-human strength. "Weak and worthless. " Kingpin roars, as he pushes back the offense of the Joker's army single-handedly, burning holes on more clowns as he approaches the mansion gate. At the same time, his men outside have recovered from the shock and managed to take down clowns that have not been fast enough to enter the building.
Smashing yet another clown's head with his cane, Fisk delivers a heavy punch to the last one remaining, sending him tumbling down the stairs. "Pathetic." He comments, as he takes aim with the cane, torching the thug. A sharp pain strikes his back all in a sudden. Turning back, he sees Sarah standing firmly, a blood-stained sword in hand. "You focus too much on fighting the distractions to notice the real deal here." The assassin says, calmly. "I have stabbed deep enough with the sword. According to normal rules, a man with that large of a wound should've been dead, but given your size, it's not surprising to see you still hanging on. But you are weakened and disoriented. Now, why don't we make it easier ? You stay come and accept your fate, then I'll grant you with a quick a painless death. " Sarah raises the sword, readying to behead Fisk.
To her terror, however, Kingpin instantly grabs at her sword. Pressing it hard, Fisk breaks it into two parts before Sarah can react. "I am the Kingpin. I am the anomaly. I make the rules here ! " He shouts as he grabs Sarah by the waist, lifting her up. Sarah struggles in vain, as the grip gets tighter. She finds it hard to breath. Her opponent, although mere human, possesses strength that is nearly superhuman, and she has severely underestimated it. A rib has been broken by the pressure, and Sarah feels the pain. But before she senses more broken bones, her mind suddenly blanks out. A bullet pierces her head from behind.
With Sarah's blood splattered on his forehead, Kingpin discards the lifeless body of the woman, only to find the Joker, pistol in hand, looking at him. "You know, it pains me a lot to kill lady Sarah here. She has been really helpful. But she sometimes doesn't know her place. I only ordered her to attack the building, but I didn't order her to kill you. She is merely a distraction here. If she does more than she is asked for, she will ruin the run we are having here, don't you agree Mr. Fisk ? " The Joker asks politely. "What exactly are you plotting ?" The big man asks in suspicion.
"Well, Mr. Fisk, I am not plotting anything. I was merely watching you for fun. I saw you talking to that painting back there. Who is the lady ? Is she your wife ? Is she your mom ? Or is she just a fraction of your personality - the little monster inside you ? One of my friends back in Gotham does this kind of talking too, but he talks to a dummy instead, HA ! "
"You think you're funny ? You think this is some kind of joke ? HOW DARE YOU !" The Kingpin shouts, as he quickly launches himself forward, lifting up the clown.
"Whoa, whoa, hold it there mister - I don't mean to anger you like that, we can still have fun, just answer my question- " The Joker shouts, both jokingly and desperately. The Kingpin ignores the mad man's words and simply throws him at the window. The Joker screams in pain as he falls out.
When the Kingpin calms down and rushes to the window to check for dead body, he finds the ground below empty. Look like the dionesium inside the psychopath has allowed the Joker to cheat death for yet another time.
---
"Look, granted that half of Kingpin's men are either dead or on the verge of mental breakdown, the fact is that most of your men are gone, there's no way you're going to kill Kingpin and all of his remaining elite soldiers on your own. "
"Stay positive, Marty. I know your name has a 'negative' in it, but it doesn't mean you have to be a pessimistic whiner all the time."
"Then with all due respect, Joker, please enlighten me with a plan. "
"It's very simple. Most of Kingpin's men work for him because they fear or respect him. Once he is gone, they will not fight as hard because their paycheck is gone. So all I have to do is take down the Kingpin. I have already come up with a plan to torment him, tear down his psych so that he will let his guard down and get killed. But I need a bit of addtional information to get it done. My remaining boys have already captured one of his guards. The man refused to talk initially, but after we force him through a series of 'body modification' he finally gives up. He's willing to say everything now. Before I go to him, I figure that you might also know something about it. So may I ask you a question, Li ?"
"What is it ?"
"Does Mister Fisk have a friend named Vanessa ?"
Chapter IV : The Killing Joke[]
It's been a week since the Joker's first wave of attack, and it appears that Mr.Fisk is getting closer to the result he desires. With more clowns being taken down or captured day after day, the offense from the enemy has been reduced to small robberies and random ambushes. Although the Joker remains to be found, his organization has already been damaged gravely. It is a matter of time before his eventual demise.
However, a sudden report of an organized assault intrigues the Kingpin. According to his men in the street, a group of heavily-armed clowns have launched an attack at post 90, which is located in a remote part of the city. Nothing of great significance exists in the post's vicinity - no major firearm storage facilities, residential areas or traffic centers. These clowns are so well-equipped that even when soldiers from other posts close to it arrive, they find it hard to dispel them and call for assistance from the mayor's office. Utterly confused by the situation, the Kingpin is about to brush it off as a desperate but futile attempt to turn the table made by his enemy when he abruptly comes to the realization that, while there's no denying nothing significant for his criminal empire is located around that post, something that is extremely important to himself on a personal level does sit near it. Ravencroft Cemetery, the place where his beloved Vanessa is buried, is not far from the post. Vanessa, when she was alive, had not been entirely pleased with his criminal endeavors and had urged him to quit the game on multiple occasions. Therefore, after her unfortunate death, the Kingpin decides to keep his criminal activities far away from where she lies to give her some peace out of love and respect. And that's why very few guards have been stationed at such a remote place.
"HOW DARE YOU ! Nobody can mess with my love, my Vanessa, nobody !" He roars in rage and frustration, literally smashing the desk apart. Quickly gathering most of his trusted subordinates in the building, the King sets off to rescue his love. By the time they arrive, the clowns have escaped, leaving behind a trial of bodies. It seems that the Joker has provided them with everything he could obtain, literally arming them to their teeth. Quickly rushing to Vanessa's grave, Fisk finds it ransacked already - the coffin has been unearthed, and the body inside is missing. What's worse ? Judging from the marks left by the grave robbers, the event is not a recent one. Someone has already stolen the body before the gang arrived - this is further evidenced by the fact that the keeper of this cemetery has been gased with Joker venom and died for at least two days. The clown must have found this place and made his move sneakily.
"Then what's the goal of the most recent attack ? Is this just some kind of joke ? Once my men find the clown, his death must not be a quick one. I will personally torture him, until he gives back the body Vanessa. Then I will drop him into savage land." The Kingpin wonders, on his way back to the office. The moment he enters the building, he knows something has gone wrong. Guards, secretaries and janitors - everyone inside is dead, with their face shaded in pale and their mouths twisted aside in a painful expression of laughter. So, the Kingpin shivers, but not because of these dreadful scenes. In the center of the mainhall, a chair has been placed, on which sits the decayed body of a woman. Although it has been forced to don a jester's constume and a crude make-up has been applied to its face, Kingpin is still able to recognize his deceased wife.
"Vanessa ?" He shouts, rushing towards the chair. "Boss, I highly advice against - " A thug attempts to block him from approaching the body, but Kingpin easily tosses him aside - seeing his lover's body being humiliated in such a way has temporarily made him lose his composure.
"What have they done to you ! WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU !" The big man roars, tears forming in his eyes, as he attempts to wipe out the make-up, and it is at this exact moment, the corpse's mouth opens, triggering the release of Joker gas that has been stored in a canister and installed inside the body. The gas is sprayed straight onto Fisk's face.
"No, no, it can't be, my Vanessa - ,heh, heh, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ! " The Kingpin laughs hysterically, dropping his cane, collapsing alongside the body of his wife. Lying on the floor, he struggles momentarily, shaking and twising his body like a boar caught in a beartrap. His remaining men stand dumbfounded and watch in horror, as their boss's laughter gradually settles down, leaving behind only a massive chunk of dead meat.
"Guess I've got the amount correctly. Killing a man like Mr.Fisk naturally requires a bit more in that canister. " The Joker opens the door of the mayor's office on the second floor and walks out with his remaining soldiers. Kingpin's men raise their guns, but they soon drop them, as the Joker toss down several suitcases of dollars obtained from Fisk's various vaults.
"Now all of you work for me ! " Says the clown prince of crime. Raising his pistol, the Joker pulls the trigger as usual, expecting to show his new employers the flag with the word "bang" written on it coming out of the muzzle. But something sharp pierces his palm, forcing him to drop the weapon and groan. "Still loyal to Mr. Fisk, then the joke's on you ! HA ! " He smirks, but before he can make another move, his smile freezes, for after regaining balance, he has found out what has hit him. The small object does not come from below, instead, it has been launched at him from the window - it is a batarang.
Winner : The Joker
Epilogue : Federal Man[]
"Kraven, please don't tell me that you are satisfied with this. I know you are a man who enjoys challenges and the thrill of the hunt. After you received this house, your life have been devoid of those things. "
"I'm still hunting, Kingpin. But you are right, the thrill is gone. Repeatedly tracking down and killing the champawat tiger out of boredom is quite a let down from what I used to accomplish. "
"I have an offer for you, hunter. An offer can bring back the thrill of the hunt. As you might have heard about, a man who calls himself the Joker has humiliated me severely, and his actions lead to my current, far from perfect housing condition. He is a frequent visitor of this pub named Dark Side Club. If you help me kill and humilate that man, I will reward you with the thrill. Although I have been here for a short period of time, by chance I have managed to possess the location of an apex predator - something worthy for your hunt. If you can deal with this clown person, I will lead you to the predator. " States the Kingpin, little does he realize the storm his little offer will end up creating.
Special Note : This battle takes place prior to events of Darkseid Elite vs. Black Order and Doctor Octopus vs. Mister Freeze.
Expert's Opinions[]
Although the Kingpin and his men are obviously better trained and more professional, the Joker's experience, intelligence and creativity eventually steal the victory. The Kingpin, at the end of the day, is still an organized crime leader who craves power and money - limited by human ambition, while the Joker is an agent of chaos whose tactics leave Kingpin's organization psychologically unprepared.