It was a bitter winter evening in New York City, the kind that seeps into your bones and leaves a ghostly chill lingering long after you've gone inside. The streets were cloaked in a thick layer of snow, muffling the usual cacophony of honking cars, distant sirens, and hurried footsteps. The air was sharp, carrying the unmistakable scent of the city - blended with the metallic tang of cold steel ...