Chapter 411: Loki, Serial Heartbreaker
Early the next morning, John Wick brought Ethan a stack of files.
Ethan had asked the Continental for them the day before. He'd had someone tailing Loki.
However useless Loki might be at the moment, he was still a god. Ethan was worried he might stir up trouble in Hell's Kitchen.
Right now Ethan was sitting at the dining table at his leisure, enjoying a simple but elegant breakfast.
Every so often his gaze drifted to the rising sun outside the window. He wondered how much longer this peaceful life could last.
As he ate, he read through the files on Loki's recent activities.
Seeing what Loki had been up to, Ethan raised an eyebrow.
When he finished, he set the files aside.
"All I can say is, that's Loki for you. He lands on his feet wherever he goes," Ethan remarked.
According to the files, ever since Loki chose to stay at the orphanage, he'd been working out ways to make money.
He'd already worked his way up to boss of a small gang, with two sidekicks following him around every day.
One of those sidekicks surprised Ethan: America.
America had once been near the top of Ethan's list of people to befriend. After all, she was the only superhero born with the ability to travel across countless universes of the multiverse.
And unlike other superheroes, America had no variants anywhere in the multiverse.
There was only one America Chavez in the entire multiverse. She was, you could say, one of a kind across all worlds.
Ethan hadn't expected this America to be in their universe, let alone to run into Loki.
That Loki really had dumb luck.
These days, though, Ethan didn't really need America's skill anymore. He could cross the multiverse with his own abilities.
As for Loki's other sidekick, Ethan didn't know much about him. He seemed to have extraordinary powers of some kind too. He was a kid who'd grown up in Brooklyn and went by "the Blacksmith," or sometimes "Rage." Ethan didn't pay him much attention.
Back to how Loki earned his first real money. Ethan wanted to laugh just thinking about it.
Naturally, Loki would never earn money honestly at some day job. His first stake came from working as a host in a bar, keeping wealthy women company over drinks and living off their tips.
Ethan had even gone out of his way to watch footage of Loki at the bar.
Inside the bar, Loki wore well-tailored casual clothes, and every gesture carried an indescribable mix of nobility and unruliness.
His words worked like magic, instantly dispelling the gloom in the wealthy women's hearts, letting them forget their worldly troubles amid the alcohol and laughter.
Loki was an expert at reading people. Whether he was listening to their everyday complaints or spinning little lies they couldn't help believing, he made every woman there feel happier and more satisfied than she'd ever been.
In just a few days, his name became the talk of the city's wealthy circles. Countless rich women were willing to spend a fortune just for the chance to spend an evening with him.
Strictly above board, of course. Anything else wouldn't get past the censors.
"Makes sense. Between his looks and his air, Loki really is a hit with women." Ethan shook his head.
He'd never imagined Loki would lower himself to that kind of work. Still, earning money by your own effort was nothing to be ashamed of.
Loki's popularity naturally annoyed the gangs around him. But ordinary people were no match for Loki.
Through Loki's scheming, he soon took out the leader of a small gang and took his place.
Loki spent the money he earned renovating the orphanage and supporting the grandmother who had saved him.
"Looks like Loki's changed a lot. Time to toss him back to Asgard. Leaving him on Earth, I always feel like he's going to cause some kind of trouble. Anyway, I've done what I needed to do."
With that thought, Ethan set off toward the orphanage where Loki was.
He didn't use a portal. He walked.
He'd checked the distance. It wasn't far, about an hour on foot.
Portals were convenient, but Ethan wanted to see the scenery along the way.
He wanted to slow down and take a look at Hell's Kitchen.
Sometimes, if you go too fast, you forget the scenery you passed.
Sunlight spilled through the scattered clouds onto the streets of Hell's Kitchen, draping a warm golden glow over this once-dark corner of the world.
Ethan walked slowly. Every step felt both heavy and full of hope.
He looked around. The buildings on both sides of the street looked brand new. Walls that had once been peeling and stained were freshly painted spotless white, and the old graffiti had been replaced with carefully designed murals. Every one of them told the story of Hell's Kitchen's rebirth and carried an uplifting energy.
"Hey, Ethan! What brings you out for a stroll today?" A grocery store owner he knew greeted him warmly, his face beaming with contentment.
Ethan smiled back. He could feel the genuine happiness behind that smile, a true reflection of how life here was getting better.
The farther he walked, the more changes he noticed.
Children chased each other through the park, their laughter crisp and clear, as if it could chase away all the gloom in the world. Old folks sat on benches enjoying the afternoon quiet, chatting now and then, their faces calm with the peace of good years.
All of it filled him with relief and pride, because he'd had a hand in every bit of it.
Soon Ethan reached the border between Hell's Kitchen and Brooklyn. How did he know?
One look at the buildings and streets on either side told him. Hell's Kitchen wasn't hell anymore. On the Brooklyn side, abandoned buildings lined the streets, and the homeless and addicts drifted among them. The air was thick with despair and decay.
Now it seemed Brooklyn was the real hell.
A few fools who didn't know better saw Ethan, an East Asian man, and moved in to shake him down. They didn't get within arm's reach before the Shadow Legion took care of them.
Only then did the Brooklyn gangs realize Ethan was the menace who'd driven them out.
"It's the Lord of Hell's Kitchen, Ethan Cross!"
"How? Why would the Lord of Hell's Kitchen come over here?"
Before long, a whole crowd of gangsters led by their boss came surging toward Ethan and packed the street solid.
The boss's face was pale, his hands trembling slightly, with a barely detectable despair in his voice. "Ethan... wh-what do you want from us? We already left Hell's Kitchen like you told us to!"
With his path blocked by a mob of people, Ethan quickly lost patience. He didn't even bother explaining.
He coldly spat out a few words. "I'm here to find someone. Three seconds." Brief and to the point, yet carrying absolute authority.
As Ethan began counting down, a suffocating tension filled the air. More than a few of the gangsters were cowards, and they began glancing at each other, eyes flickering with the urge to run.
When "two" dropped, the first one who couldn't take it anymore finally broke and bolted.
It was like opening Pandora's box. The others followed suit and scattered like startled birds and beasts, leaving the boss standing there all alone.
Ethan showed this last holdout no mercy.
He flashed forward like a ghost to stand in front of the boss and casually swept a hand, swatting him like a fly and pinning him to the wall behind him.
Soon he arrived at the orphanage gate.
There, Ethan found Loki crouched on the ground playing games with the kids. He couldn't help smiling.
Just then, at a child's prompting, Loki turned and saw Ethan.
"What are you doing here?" Loki didn't seem especially pleased to see him.
Ethan didn't care. He casually tossed a box to Loki. Inside were the discs of the Loki TV series.
"Watch these. Tomorrow I'll restore your divine power and take you back to Asgard."
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