Even amid the laughter and celebration filling Peace Restaurant, one man stood apart from it all.
The bearded, worn-looking middle-aged stranger seemed completely out of place.
While Alvin Satō was making Ginny laugh behind the bar, the man quietly walked over and leaned against the counter.
Resting his elbows on the polished wood, he stared at the cheerful crowd with hollow, exhausted eyes.
“Whiskey.” The single word was enough.
Alvin knew that look.
JJ had worn the same expression when he’d first arrived.
It wasn’t rage.
It wasn’t even hatred.
It was emptiness.
The kind of numbness that made a person look at everyone else as though they were already dead.
More machine than man.
And beneath the smell of stale alcohol lingered stronger scents.
Disinfectant.
Blood.
The man was injured.
Without spoiling the festive atmosphere by mentioning that beer was free tonight, Alvin simply poured him a generous glass of whiskey and slid it across the counter.
“Here’s hoping your night’s better than it looks.” The man gave a bitter smile.
“Can we talk?” “About what?” “The boy.” He glanced upward toward the second floor.
Alvin frowned.
“Who?” “Nick?” His expression hardened.
“And who exactly are you?” The stranger drained the whiskey in one swallow.
Then he covered his face with one hand.
“Who am I?” “A terrible husband.” “A useless father.” “A fool who didn’t know what actually mattered until it was too late.” Alvin studied him for a long moment.
Then he waved Jessica over.
“Jess.” “Take Ginny upstairs for a little while.” He smiled at his daughter.
“Go play with Jessica, okay?” “Daddy has to take care of something.” Jessica hurried over, her cheeks still flushed from the party.
The moment she saw the man, recognition flashed across her face.
“You.” “So you’ve come back.” She looked at Alvin.
“He’s been here several days.” “I wanted to tell you this afternoon.” “It seemed like he was waiting for something.” Alvin nodded.
“I know.” He kissed Ginny on the forehead before placing her in Jessica’s arms.
“Take my princess upstairs.” Jessica quietly led Ginny away.
Only after they disappeared did Alvin turn back toward the stranger.
“Let me guess.” “You’re Nick’s father.” “The one who only ever existed through phone calls.” There was no sympathy in Alvin’s voice.
The man accepted the accusation without protest.
“Yes.” “I am.” “The irresponsible father.” He pushed the empty glass forward.
“Another.” Alvin refilled it.
The man emptied it just as quickly.
Alvin remained silent.
Some people didn’t need advice.
They just needed someone willing to listen.
“I used to command one of the finest special operations units in this country.” “I spent my life fighting America’s wars.” “I sacrificed everything.” “My family included.” He laughed bitterly.
“I wasn’t even there when Nick was born.” He pushed the empty glass across the counter again.
Instead of pouring another drink, Alvin placed the entire bottle in front of him.
The man took a long pull directly from it.
“While I was risking my life overseas…” “My wife and son were caught in a bombing.” “My wife died.” “My son lost his left leg.” His voice became colder with every word.
“Those bastard politicians hid it from me.” “They sent me on another year-long operation.” “To them…” “We’re machines.” “Our families don’t matter.” “Our lives don’t matter.” “The men responsible…” “The Cesare crime family.” “They were still walking free.” His fingers tightened around the bottle.
“They stayed free…” “…until I found every last one of them.” “And fed them into a meat grinder.” Alvin swallowed.
He knew that story.
The Cesare family had once controlled part of the docks.
More than forty members of the family had vanished.
Later, what remained of them had been buried in just two coffins.
Nobody in Hell’s Kitchen mourned them.
The Cesares had been monsters.
Still…
The fact that the man sitting across from him had calmly admitted to doing it himself was enough to send a chill down Alvin’s spine.
Not just the family.
The bodyguards.
The soldiers.
Even guests who happened to be visiting.
Everyone had died.
It was less a massacre than a small war.
The stranger didn’t notice Alvin’s reaction.
Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.
“What hurt the most…” He stared into the whiskey bottle.
“…was my best friend.” “He tried to keep the truth from me too.” “He tried to stop me from getting revenge.” “He only told me Nick was alive.” “And gave me this address.” Alvin couldn’t help thinking: If I’d seen what you’d done to the Cesares, I wouldn’t have told you either.
The man sitting before him wasn’t just dangerous.
He was a force of nature.
“I’ve been coming here for several days.” He looked upstairs.
“Thank you.” “Really.” “Not just for saving Nick’s life.” “But because…” A faint smile finally appeared.
“…he’s happy.” “I never imagined he’d become a boy like this.” “He’s missing a leg.” “But he’s cheerful.” “Confident.” “Not a trace of self-pity.” “I don’t know how you did it.” “But…” “Thank you.” Alvin slowly poured himself a whiskey.
After taking a sip, he looked the man straight in the eye.
“Is your trouble over?” “I don’t mean the Cesare family.” “I mean everything else.” He set his glass down.
“Nick is family.” “You…” He paused.
“…are the father he only knew through phone calls.” “The father who existed inside his imagination.” “If you’re still carrying enemies around with you…” “I won’t let you near him.” His voice remained calm.
“You’ve investigated me.” “You already know I’m capable of stopping you.” The man didn’t seem offended.
Instead, he rose from his stool and gave Alvin a crisp military salute.
“I won’t thank you on Nick’s behalf.” “I’ve seen enough.” “You two are already family.” “So I’ll thank you for myself.” His expression softened.
“You saved me.” “If Nick had died…” “I would’ve stayed in Hell for the rest of my life.” “You left me one last light.” He lowered his hand.
Then raised the whiskey bottle.
It clinked gently against Alvin’s glass.
“My troubles are over.” “You remember the friend I mentioned?” “I made a deal with him.” “I leave the politicians alone.” “He makes the rest of my problems disappear.” Alvin quietly let out the breath he’d been holding.
Truthfully…
He hadn’t known what he would’ve done if this man still carried enemies behind him.
Nick had waited his entire life for his father.
To the boy, that father wasn’t just family.
He was a hero.
Alvin had become something like a father himself.
But he could never replace the real one.
If this man had never returned…
Perhaps time would’ve allowed Nick to move on.
But only one year had passed.
And whether Alvin liked it or not…
The man before him had earned respect.
He might not agree with sacrificing family for duty.
Yet someone willing to give everything for his country deserved acknowledgment.
Alvin raised his glass.
“Can I ask one question?” “The friend who cleaned up a case like this…” “Who has that kind of influence?” The man touched his bottle against Alvin’s glass.
“Nick Fury.” “Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.” An image immediately flashed through Alvin’s mind.
A stern Black man with one eye.
That certainly explained a lot.
He took another sip.
“Then your name is…” The man extended his hand.
“Frank.” They shook firmly.
“My name is Frank Castle.”