He checked the time. Late.
Staying in Hell's Kitchen any longer wasn't smart. Not after tonight.
The Albanian syndicate would be asking questions by morning, they will be looking for him.
Nicolas with all his stuff in his inventory, slipped out before dawn. The streets were quiet, bathed in the dull glow of streetlights as he booked a cab leaving the Hell Kitchen area for good.
By sunrise, he was already crossing into Chinatown.
Different atmosphere. Different faces. Different rules.
Crowded streets, narrow alleys, neon signs, and the constant hum of life—even this early. If Hell's Kitchen was a battlefield, Chinatown was a maze.
"Low profile," Nicolas reminded himself. "Train, learn, and build up."
For now, Chinatown would be his temporary base.
Nicolas stepped out of the cab, paid the driver, and blended into the early-morning crowd. Steam rose from food carts, shopkeepers were just pulling up their shutters, and conversations flowed in languages he didn't understand—but that was fine. Anonymity was exactly what he needed.
First priority: a place to stay.
He spotted a small real-estate office wedged between a herbal medicine shop and a dim sum restaurant. The sign was old, the paint faded—but that usually meant cheaper rent and fewer questions.
Perfect.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
A bell chimed softly.
Behind the desk sat an elderly man with wire-rim glasses, flipping through a newspaper. He looked up slowly, eyes sharp despite his age.
"Looking to rent?" the man asked, his accent thick but his English clear.
"Yes," Nicolas replied. "Just a room. Short term. Cash."
That got the man's attention.
He folded the newspaper and leaned back in his chair. "Furnished?"
"Basic is fine."
"No paperwork trouble?" the man asked casually.
Nicolas met his gaze, calm and unreadable. "None."
The man studied him for a few seconds, then nodded. "Follow me."
They walked to the back of the office and up a narrow staircase. The building was old, but solid. The room he was shown wasn't big—just a bed, a small desk, a wardrobe, and a bathroom barely large enough to turn around in.
But it was clean.
"How much?" Nicolas asked.
The man named a price.
Nicolas didn't argue. He pulled the cash straight from his jacket inside pocket and placed it on the desk.
The man raised an eyebrow but said nothing, simply counting the bills before handing Nicolas a key.
"Rules are simple," he said. "No noise. No trouble. Rent on time."
"That works for me," Nicolas replied.
Back in the room, Nicolas locked the door and sat on the edge of the bed, exhaling slowly.
He lay back, staring at the ceiling.
"Next step," he murmured. "Training."
Chinatown was full of martial arts schools—some real, some scams—but it didn't matter to him, because he already knew where he was going: Chikara Dojo, Colleen Wing's place.
But first, Nicolas looked to the room he had rented. He opened his inventory and took out everything he had stored, placing each item where it belonged. Once he was done, he looked around and nodded.
"Alright," he muttered. "The room's set. Let's go eat something."
He stepped outside and went to the dumpling shop next door. The food was simple but good. By the time he finished eating, both his stomach and his mind felt full.
"Yeah… that hit the spot," he said as he walked out.
With nothing urgent to do, Nicolas began roaming around Chinatown. He looked at the streets, the shops, the people moving around. He had never been to New York in his previous life—not even in his wildest dreams—and now he was living here.
And not just New York.
This was Marvel's New York.
"Life really has a way of surprising you," he muttered.
He wandered around, trying different snacks and stores, not worrying too much. For now, he had plenty of cash. As he walked, he occasionally noticed groups that clearly didn't belong—gang members watching corners, exchanging looks, controlling certain streets.
Chinatown had its own balance.
And Nicolas was now a part of it.
Nicolas headed toward Chikara Dojo, and after asking around for a while, he finally found it.
The place looked old, worn down by time. On the wall near the entrance was a poster that read:
Chikara Dojo
Self-Defense School — Sensei Colleen Wing
Nicolas nodded to himself.
"This is the place."
He opened the door and stepped inside.
In the main hall, he saw a beautiful woman teaching several students. They were practicing basic strikes and breathing, shouting in rhythm as they moved.
"Hah! Hah!"
Nicolas waited, then knocked lightly on the side door. Colleen glanced over.
"Keep practicing," she told her students before stepping out to meet him.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Um… are you the sensei here?" Nicolas asked.
She crossed her arms. "I am. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No," Nicolas replied quickly. "I mean, I'm looking for a personal trainer. Real fighting. Not… showy stuff."
She frowned. "It's not showy. It's the basics."
"Fair enough," Nicolas said. "But I'm looking for real self-defense. Is there any chance you could train me separately?"
Colleen studied him for a moment. "Why? Any specific reason?"
"Yeah," Nicolas nodded. "You could say that."
"What is it?" she asked firmly. "I don't teach people to hurt others."
"I don't want that," Nicolas said. "Just self-defense."
She sighed. "Well? Go on."
"I used to work for a loan company," Nicolas said. "When people couldn't pay, we were sent to scare them. Sometimes… beat them."
Colleen's eyes narrowed.
"So that's why you want to learn? To harass people better?"
"No," Nicolas said quickly. "Just listen first, okay?"
"Go on," she said.
"I found out that the money firm was tied to drug trafficking," Nicolas continued. "I tried going to the cops, but some of them were working with the dealers. So I ran. I left Hell's Kitchen and came here this morning. I heard there were many dojos in Chinatown, so I thought I'd try my luck here—for protection."
He looked at her honestly.
Colleen stared at him for a long moment.
"And why should I believe you?" she asked. "What if you're just running after committing a crime?"
"You can ask around Hell's Kitchen," Nicolas replied calmly. "Though I think it's safer for me to stay out of sight for now."
He nodded slightly, waiting for her response.