After a quick shower, Alvin stretched out on his bed.
His conversation with Matt lingered in his thoughts.
In his previous life, Tanaka Kenta had grown up in Japan, married, and raised a family.
He believed deeply in order.
Whether that order came from the law or from less conventional forces, it was still preferable to chaos.
With his own strength, Alvin had carved out a safe haven encompassing three neighborhoods in Hell’s Kitchen.
That was already the limit of what the surrounding gangs would tolerate.
The criminal underworld had its own long-established rules, and if Alvin shattered them outright, the result wouldn’t be justice.
It would be war.
And wars were always paid for by ordinary people.
When someone became accustomed to carrying a gun, every problem eventually started to look like something that could be solved with a trigger.
Fortunately, Alvin had carried more than power into this life.
He had brought his values with him.
No matter how strong he became, rules always came before force.
That was why he’d rather strengthen the local police than become another vigilante.
Unlike Matt, he couldn’t shoulder the burden of an entire city.
That wasn’t to say he was naïve.
When someone stepped completely outside the rules…
They stopped being protected by them.
The Purple Man had been one of those people.
Instead of turning him over to the authorities, Alvin had quietly fed him to the Corpse Vine.
In doing so, he’d also freed Jessica Jones from Kilgrave’s control.
As for superheroes…
Alvin’s knowledge of Marvel had never been especially deep.
Back in his previous life, he’d mostly watched the Avengers films.
He recognized Matt because Daredevil had received his own movie years earlier.
A blind man who could fight almost anyone.
That was memorable.
Jessica Jones, on the other hand…
He’d never heard of her.
Which explained why he’d hired her as a waitress without a second thought.
If he’d known what her future looked like, he might have hesitated.
Alvin lived by one simple principle.
Superheroes attracted super-sized trouble.
Fortunately…
He didn’t know any of that.
All he knew was that Jessica happened to possess absurd strength.
Compared to waking up in another universe after exploding alongside a modified Diablo II save file…
That barely registered as unusual.
After thinking it over, Alvin pushed the worries aside.
Some problems couldn’t be solved tonight.
Closing his eyes, he reached out through the bond connecting him to his summons.
Three Ghost Wolves quietly spread out, each taking responsibility for one of the neighborhoods under Alvin’s protection.
Thor and Doom remained at Peace Restaurant to guard the building.
His ravens scattered across Hell’s Kitchen.
Tonight, they’d help shoulder some of Matt’s burden.
Technically, Alvin had promised Wilson Fisk he wouldn’t interfere beyond his agreed territory.
But he wasn’t expanding his influence.
He wasn’t taking anyone’s turf.
He was simply keeping an eye on the streets.
Besides…
Fisk didn’t know the ravens belonged to Alvin.
The wolves were another matter entirely.
Every gang in Hell’s Kitchen recognized Thor and Doom.
Sending them beyond his neighborhood would immediately cause trouble.
Satisfied, Alvin hugged his pillow.
For a moment, he pictured his wife from his previous life.
Her face remained wonderfully clear in his memory.
Within minutes, sleep claimed him.
In his dreams, Tanaka Aiko was there.
So was little Haruto.
Even Aiko’s constant nagging sounded comforting now.
Even Haruto’s endless mischief felt precious.
Alvin woke naturally at five in the morning.
After washing up, he changed into a tracksuit and headed outside for his daily run.
A familiar breakfast cart was just arriving.
Behind it stood an older Asian couple preparing for the morning rush.
“Morning, Uncle Cheng.” “Morning, Aunt Cheng.” The couple smiled warmly.
Trying very hard to disappear behind the cart was a skinny teenage boy.
Alvin immediately spotted him.
“Jiawen.” “I heard you earned a D on your history exam.” He grinned.
“You’re finished.” “I’m betting Mr.
Wilson has something special planned for you.” Aunt Cheng’s smile disappeared.
She reached over and smacked her son’s shoulder before dragging him into the open.
Jiawen lowered his head.
After stealing one nervous glance at Alvin, he mumbled, “Good morning…
Principal.” Alvin smiled without a trace of mercy.
As he passed, he patted the boy’s shoulder.
“Save me ten pork buns.” “And three soy milks.” “I’ll pay when I get back.” Then he pointed directly at Jiawen.
“You…” “…are doomed.” Still chuckling, Alvin jogged away.
He completed his usual route through the three neighborhoods under his protection.
Along the way, Darya deliberately intercepted him for a brief conversation.
Being enthusiastically flirted with before breakfast wasn’t exactly a hardship.
By the time he returned to the restaurant, he was in an exceptionally good mood.
The Cheng family’s breakfast cart was already surrounded by customers.
Steam poured from towering bamboo baskets as fresh buns disappeared almost as quickly as they were cooked.
Jiawen packed soy milk, collected cash, and tried not to make eye contact with Alvin.
The instant he saw him returning, he nearly dumped an entire cup of soy milk onto Old Kent.
Kent laughed instead.
He pointed at Jiawen with a wicked grin.
“Kid…” “You’ve got a rough day ahead of you.” “I knew this would happen the moment Alvin became principal.” He burst into laughter.
“You troublemakers are finished!” Alvin smiled and greeted him.
“Old Kent.” “I need two workers from the daycare construction site.” “Five hundred dollars.” “The upstairs floor and one bedroom door need repairs.” He paused.
“And remind the construction crew to pick up the pace.” “We’ve got five hundred thousand dollars coming in soon.” “Tell the teachers to make a list of anything else the children need.” “Equipment.” “Toys.” “Whatever.” “I don’t want to see toddlers running around in the street anymore.” Uncle Cheng looked up from the steamer.
“If it’s just carpentry…” “I’ll handle it.” “No charge.” Alvin considered it for a moment.
“Then I’ll pay you two hundred.” “Have Old Kent arrange for whatever materials you need.” He raised a hand before Uncle Cheng could refuse again.
“No arguments.” Breakfast in hand, Alvin headed inside.
Jessica was already awake.
She was polishing one of the tables.
Or at least…
Pretending to.
The moment she saw Alvin, her face turned bright red again.
He smiled.
“If you scrub any harder…” “…you’re going to take the paint off.” Jessica ignored him completely.
She threw down the rag.
Then marched over to Thor and wrapped both arms around the enormous wolf’s neck.
With determined enthusiasm, she began brushing his fur.
Thor’s tongue slowly lolled out.
His expression radiated quiet despair.
Alvin shivered.
Right.
No teasing Jessica.
The furniture is expensive.
He carried breakfast upstairs to wake Nick.
Just as he reached the doorway behind the counter, the boy came hopping downstairs on one leg.
Seeing Alvin, Nick began wiggling his eyebrows in exaggerated secrecy.
After settling into his wheelchair, he turned toward Jessica with a devilish grin.
“Jess…” “I could really use a cup of coffee.” “I didn’t sleep well.” “I think there was an earthquake here last night.” Alvin simply smiled.
Some people insisted on digging their own graves.
He wasn’t about to interfere.
Nick’s breakfast became a masterpiece of petty revenge.
His milk somehow contained salt instead of sugar.
The meat filling tumbled out of his bun halfway through eating it.
Someone accidentally tipped over his wheelchair.
Twice.
Eventually, Nick looked at Alvin with pleading eyes.
Help.
Alvin looked away.
Not his problem.
By the time breakfast ended, Nick surrendered unconditionally.
At exactly seven o’clock, a yellow school bus pulled up outside Peace Restaurant.
Its horn echoed down the street.
Nick fled as though escaping a burning building.
In his panic, he forgot his backpack.
Alvin shook his head.
Picking it up, he headed outside himself.
He planned to visit the school anyway.
Outside, Jiawen was helping lift Nick’s wheelchair onto the bus while Nick balanced on one leg climbing aboard.
Alvin waved to JJ, who was already behind the wheel.
A shotgun rested beneath the windshield within easy reach.
Alvin tossed Nick’s backpack through the bus door.
Then he climbed into his own pickup truck.
“Doom.” The giant wolf leaped effortlessly into the passenger seat.
Thor stayed behind to guard Peace Restaurant.
The day was only just beginning.