“A Time to Kill?”
Matt Murdock stared down at the broken and bloodied man beneath him. A mere two hours ago this man had murdered his best friend., and now Matt was ready to show him just how that feelt On his right stood Frank Castle, the Punisher, a longtime nemisis, and sometimes ally of Daredevil.
"Go on, Devil, finish the job," Castle uttered.
"Yeah!" Bullseye screamed, "Finish me off. I'll come back, I always do!"
"Shut up, asshole, or I'll do it myself," Frank said, pointing the barrell of his gun to Bullseye's temple.
"Don't do this Matt," came Natasha Romanov's voice, she was standing behind him. "Don't become this person."
"Leave," Matt ordered. "Both of you."
"You do this, and you're no better than he is," she said, leaping from the rooftop on which they were standing.
"It's your call, but if he gets back on the street, I will take care of him, once and for all." With that the Punisher followed Black Widow.
"Just me and you Murdock!" Bullseye laughed, attempting to stand.
Matt kicked the assassin back down, and drug him to the edge of the building. Then, he pulled him to his feet, holding him over the side.
"Give me a reason not to kill you," Matt said.
Bullseye smiled, blood gushing from his mouth. Two of his front teeth were now gone he noticed, sticking his tongue into the hole. It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of pain. He could feel a few broken ribs floating in his chest, and both of his eyes were throbbing; his left ankle was fractured, ane he was sure his right arm was broken. His jaw still ached from being dislocated and then relocated, and he could taste the blood coming from his broken nose. Yes it had been awhile since he'd felt pain like this, he thought, staring into the eyes of the man who may very well kill him. Bullseye could see the rage in his eyes; he laughed.
# # # # #
Two Hours Ago
One thought kept repeating in Matt's head as he suited up.
Bullseye.
Bullseye, who had murdered Elektra those many years ago. Bullseye, who had killed Karen just a few weeks ago. Bullseye, who was now responsible for the death of Matt's best friend, Foggy Nelson. Matt climbed to the top of what was to be the new Nelson & Murdock, and began his hunt.
The bullet had come from the east, so that's where Daredevil headed. Below him, on a street corner, stood a little boy and his mother. The boy pointed at Matt as he leapt overhead.
"Look Mommy, Spideyman!" the child exclaimed. Normally this would have amused him, but all his ears could hear was the sound of Bullseyes heart. Thoughts raced through his mind at lightning speed. He replayed the events over and over in his head, each time hearing the gun shot, and being unable to move quick enough.
He thought about Karen, and how he'd held her lifeless body in his hands, hearing her heart beat slower and slower, until there was nothing left. He thought about Elektra, and how that maniac had run her through with those sais. It seemed his life was consumed by the deaths of others, it was a viscious circle of tragedy, and people like Bullseye were always to be part of it.
Suddenly he heard a heartbeat. It wasn't Bullseyes, but it was familiar, then the smell of sweat and gunpowder entered his nostrils. It was the Punisher, and he was moving closer. Matt was right on top of him, he dropped to street level. Punisher was waiting for him in an alley way close by.
"Stay out of this Castle," Matt said, abruptly.
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
"You heard me, I'm just after one pscho today."
"I'm only here to help," the Punisher responded.
"I don't need your type of help."
"Yeah, you do."
"Fine, you want to help, help, track him down, be my guest, but if you so much as look at him wrong, when I get done with Bullseye, you'll be next. I'm playing for keeps this time," he said, scaling a nearby fire escape.
Frank laughed, heading back down the alley.
# # # # #
One hour, forty-five minutes ago
Ben couldn't believe the call when he heard it. He had plenty of contacts down at the department, so if there was ever anything major going down, he would be the first reporter on the scene. This was one time where he didn't even want to see the scene, much less report what had happened.While he and Foggy weren't that close, Ben Urich had know Matt quite some
time, and had grown rather close to him, and his alter ego. Still, the news of Foggy's death stopped the reporter in his tracks. The fact that Jonah expected him to cover it made it that much more disturbing.
The police were already there when Ben arrived. The building was roped off with police tape, but fortunately the cop standing watch was a good friend, so Ben was able to go inside. Walking up the stairs to the offices, he could smell the death in the air.
Blood covered the floor of what was to be Foggy's office. Thankfully the body had already been moved; an outline of where he had fallen remained. In the doorway another officer was talking with a severly distraught woman, Ben heard her name, Mary. Apparently she was hired by Matt to be the office secretary, and had witnessed the whole thing. She was telling the cop that Mr. Murdock had taken off very abruptly, but she had no idea where. Ben knew,
or at least he had an idea, and he truly felt sorry for the bastard that had done this.
# # # # #
One hour, thirty minutes ago
It had taken almost an hour, but Mary was finally through talking to the police. She was emotionally exhausted, and hadn't stopped crying since the shooting. She had answered their questions as best she could, but the one thing she couldn't tell them was where Mr. Murdock had gone. Over and over again they asked her, but she just shrugged.
Now she wanted nothing more than to go home. The officer she had been talking to gave her his number as she left, telling her to call if she remembered anything. As she left the office, her mind wandered where the blind man had gone, and who had done such a horrible thing to Mr. Nelson.
# # # # #
One hour, twenty minutes ago
It had been alomost an hour, and Bullseye hadn't stopped laughing since the bullet went through Nelson's head. He wished he'd seen the look on Daredevil's face, but he didn't want to hang around too long, he wanted the chase, he needed the chase. Frankly, he was disappointed, he had expected to be caught by now. He had a good idea of what was in store for him when the Devil caught up to him. He knew what was coming, and he relished the thought of it.
The madman leapt from building to building like a bird in flight, slowly making his way across the city. Below him, New York continued to function like it was any other day, while above him storm clouds began to cover the sun. He stopped on a nearby rooftop, looking behind him, wondering what was taking Murdock so long. When he turned back around, the Punisher was staring him down, pointing a gun towards his temple.
"Don't even think about it dickhead," he said, cocking the gun.
# # # # #
One hour, ten minutes ago
Natasha Romanov, AKA Black Widow, had been relaxing at her apartment when the announcement came across the news. It was rare that she had the time to do this, and she thanked the heavens that she had been home. Quickly she suited up and headed topside to the roof of her building.
By sheer luck she spotted Matt jumping a nearby rooftop, she called out to him. It didn't take much, because of his super senses. She met him halfway. The look on his face told her all she needed to know.
"Bullseye," she wispered.
"First Elektra, then Karen, now Foggy...." he began.
"Matt, Elektra is still alive," Widow responded.
"Don't you think I know that, that bastard still killed her. Who's next, you? How many people have to die before I take him out for good?"
"Matt..."
"No, Natasha, you can help, or you can go back home, either way this ends to-"
"What?" she asked, noticing the distracted look on his face.
"His heartbeat, I heard it, he's nearby," he said, returning to his hunt.
Natasha sighed, knowing in her heart what Matt intended to do.
# # # # #
One hour ago
Frank Castle stared at Bullseye. Very few people lived after seeing the barrell of the gun he was holding, he hoped this nut wouldn't survive the experience either. If that alter boy Daredevil did him in, all the better.
"Shoot me," Bullseye said.
"Shut the hell up," Frank answered back.
Bullseye stepped closer to the gun. "C'mon, you know you want to."
"Give me a reson jackass."
Bullseye began to laugh, but he saw a smile come across Punisher's face. He felt a club connect to the back of his head. He turned around to face his assailant. Daredevil. "You're lucky I've got adamantium in my bones." he said.
"Oh, am I," Matt uttered, connecting his fist with Bullseye's chin, knocking him to the ground this time. "Get lost," he said, looking at Castle.
"Your call, but I'm not going far," the Punisher said, heading down the nearest fire escape.
"Now," Bullseye began, "where were we?"
"Here, I think," Matt answered, kicking him in the chest.
"Yeah, that's it," Bullseye said, attempting to get to his feet.
"I don't think so," Matt swung his billy club to the back of his head again.
Bullseye laughed.
"Why?" Daredevil asked.
"Why what?" Bullseye repeated.
"Why Foggy?" Matt pulled him to his feet, punching him in his gut. Bullseye managed another laugh.
"Why not?"
Matt responded with another kick to the solarplexes. "Get up you son of a bitch."
A quick one-two to the jaw. "It's over."
A knee to the mid section. "You think this is a game?"
A roundhouse to head. "You twisted bastard."
An uppercut. "GET UP!"
Bullseye stumbled to his feet.
"I take it your pissed," he laughed.
Matt pulled his arm back for another punch, but this time Bullseye caught him, throwing him off balance. Matt hit the groung hard, and Bullseye was on top of him like lightning. Grabbing his head, he repeatedly slammed it into the concrete roof. Matt felt the blood begin, slowly at first, but quicker with each blow, soon he could taste it on his lips.
"You like that?" Bullseye laughed.
Daredevil answered with a swift kick to the back of his head. Quickly, he stood up to face the assassin. Face to face they stood, each one trying to predict the others next move. Finally Bullseye broke the silence.
"Do you really think you can take me?" he asked.
Daredevil leapt on top of him, answering with his fists. He felt the rage well up inside him, as he prepared to give Bullseye the beating of a lifetime.
# # # # #
Present
Matt leered at the man he was holding over the edge of a building.
"Any lasts requests?" he asked.
"Put me down Murdock," Bullseye demanded.
"Why in the hell would I do that?"
"I'll give you the one thing you want."
"And what's that?"
"Kingpin," he answered. "Kingpin hired me to kill Foggy. You turn me in, and I'll give you Wilson Fisk."
"Go on, Devil, finish the job," Castle uttered.
"Yeah!" Bullseye screamed, "Finish me off. I'll come back, I always do!"
"Shut up, asshole, or I'll do it myself," Frank said, pointing the barrell of his gun to Bullseye's temple.
"Don't do this Matt," came Natasha Romanov's voice, she was standing behind him. "Don't become this person."
"Leave," Matt ordered. "Both of you."
"You do this, and you're no better than he is," she said, leaping from the rooftop on which they were standing.
"It's your call, but if he gets back on the street, I will take care of him, once and for all." With that the Punisher followed Black Widow.
"Just me and you Murdock!" Bullseye laughed, attempting to stand.
Matt kicked the assassin back down, and drug him to the edge of the building. Then, he pulled him to his feet, holding him over the side.
"Give me a reason not to kill you," Matt said.
Bullseye smiled, blood gushing from his mouth. Two of his front teeth were now gone he noticed, sticking his tongue into the hole. It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of pain. He could feel a few broken ribs floating in his chest, and both of his eyes were throbbing; his left ankle was fractured, ane he was sure his right arm was broken. His jaw still ached from being dislocated and then relocated, and he could taste the blood coming from his broken nose. Yes it had been awhile since he'd felt pain like this, he thought, staring into the eyes of the man who may very well kill him. Bullseye could see the rage in his eyes; he laughed.
# # # # #
Two Hours Ago
One thought kept repeating in Matt's head as he suited up.
Bullseye.
Bullseye, who had murdered Elektra those many years ago. Bullseye, who had killed Karen just a few weeks ago. Bullseye, who was now responsible for the death of Matt's best friend, Foggy Nelson. Matt climbed to the top of what was to be the new Nelson & Murdock, and began his hunt.
The bullet had come from the east, so that's where Daredevil headed. Below him, on a street corner, stood a little boy and his mother. The boy pointed at Matt as he leapt overhead.
"Look Mommy, Spideyman!" the child exclaimed. Normally this would have amused him, but all his ears could hear was the sound of Bullseyes heart. Thoughts raced through his mind at lightning speed. He replayed the events over and over in his head, each time hearing the gun shot, and being unable to move quick enough.
He thought about Karen, and how he'd held her lifeless body in his hands, hearing her heart beat slower and slower, until there was nothing left. He thought about Elektra, and how that maniac had run her through with those sais. It seemed his life was consumed by the deaths of others, it was a viscious circle of tragedy, and people like Bullseye were always to be part of it.
Suddenly he heard a heartbeat. It wasn't Bullseyes, but it was familiar, then the smell of sweat and gunpowder entered his nostrils. It was the Punisher, and he was moving closer. Matt was right on top of him, he dropped to street level. Punisher was waiting for him in an alley way close by.
"Stay out of this Castle," Matt said, abruptly.
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
"You heard me, I'm just after one pscho today."
"I'm only here to help," the Punisher responded.
"I don't need your type of help."
"Yeah, you do."
"Fine, you want to help, help, track him down, be my guest, but if you so much as look at him wrong, when I get done with Bullseye, you'll be next. I'm playing for keeps this time," he said, scaling a nearby fire escape.
Frank laughed, heading back down the alley.
# # # # #
One hour, forty-five minutes ago
Ben couldn't believe the call when he heard it. He had plenty of contacts down at the department, so if there was ever anything major going down, he would be the first reporter on the scene. This was one time where he didn't even want to see the scene, much less report what had happened.While he and Foggy weren't that close, Ben Urich had know Matt quite some
time, and had grown rather close to him, and his alter ego. Still, the news of Foggy's death stopped the reporter in his tracks. The fact that Jonah expected him to cover it made it that much more disturbing.
The police were already there when Ben arrived. The building was roped off with police tape, but fortunately the cop standing watch was a good friend, so Ben was able to go inside. Walking up the stairs to the offices, he could smell the death in the air.
Blood covered the floor of what was to be Foggy's office. Thankfully the body had already been moved; an outline of where he had fallen remained. In the doorway another officer was talking with a severly distraught woman, Ben heard her name, Mary. Apparently she was hired by Matt to be the office secretary, and had witnessed the whole thing. She was telling the cop that Mr. Murdock had taken off very abruptly, but she had no idea where. Ben knew,
or at least he had an idea, and he truly felt sorry for the bastard that had done this.
# # # # #
One hour, thirty minutes ago
It had taken almost an hour, but Mary was finally through talking to the police. She was emotionally exhausted, and hadn't stopped crying since the shooting. She had answered their questions as best she could, but the one thing she couldn't tell them was where Mr. Murdock had gone. Over and over again they asked her, but she just shrugged.
Now she wanted nothing more than to go home. The officer she had been talking to gave her his number as she left, telling her to call if she remembered anything. As she left the office, her mind wandered where the blind man had gone, and who had done such a horrible thing to Mr. Nelson.
# # # # #
One hour, twenty minutes ago
It had been alomost an hour, and Bullseye hadn't stopped laughing since the bullet went through Nelson's head. He wished he'd seen the look on Daredevil's face, but he didn't want to hang around too long, he wanted the chase, he needed the chase. Frankly, he was disappointed, he had expected to be caught by now. He had a good idea of what was in store for him when the Devil caught up to him. He knew what was coming, and he relished the thought of it.
The madman leapt from building to building like a bird in flight, slowly making his way across the city. Below him, New York continued to function like it was any other day, while above him storm clouds began to cover the sun. He stopped on a nearby rooftop, looking behind him, wondering what was taking Murdock so long. When he turned back around, the Punisher was staring him down, pointing a gun towards his temple.
"Don't even think about it dickhead," he said, cocking the gun.
# # # # #
One hour, ten minutes ago
Natasha Romanov, AKA Black Widow, had been relaxing at her apartment when the announcement came across the news. It was rare that she had the time to do this, and she thanked the heavens that she had been home. Quickly she suited up and headed topside to the roof of her building.
By sheer luck she spotted Matt jumping a nearby rooftop, she called out to him. It didn't take much, because of his super senses. She met him halfway. The look on his face told her all she needed to know.
"Bullseye," she wispered.
"First Elektra, then Karen, now Foggy...." he began.
"Matt, Elektra is still alive," Widow responded.
"Don't you think I know that, that bastard still killed her. Who's next, you? How many people have to die before I take him out for good?"
"Matt..."
"No, Natasha, you can help, or you can go back home, either way this ends to-"
"What?" she asked, noticing the distracted look on his face.
"His heartbeat, I heard it, he's nearby," he said, returning to his hunt.
Natasha sighed, knowing in her heart what Matt intended to do.
# # # # #
One hour ago
Frank Castle stared at Bullseye. Very few people lived after seeing the barrell of the gun he was holding, he hoped this nut wouldn't survive the experience either. If that alter boy Daredevil did him in, all the better.
"Shoot me," Bullseye said.
"Shut the hell up," Frank answered back.
Bullseye stepped closer to the gun. "C'mon, you know you want to."
"Give me a reson jackass."
Bullseye began to laugh, but he saw a smile come across Punisher's face. He felt a club connect to the back of his head. He turned around to face his assailant. Daredevil. "You're lucky I've got adamantium in my bones." he said.
"Oh, am I," Matt uttered, connecting his fist with Bullseye's chin, knocking him to the ground this time. "Get lost," he said, looking at Castle.
"Your call, but I'm not going far," the Punisher said, heading down the nearest fire escape.
"Now," Bullseye began, "where were we?"
"Here, I think," Matt answered, kicking him in the chest.
"Yeah, that's it," Bullseye said, attempting to get to his feet.
"I don't think so," Matt swung his billy club to the back of his head again.
Bullseye laughed.
"Why?" Daredevil asked.
"Why what?" Bullseye repeated.
"Why Foggy?" Matt pulled him to his feet, punching him in his gut. Bullseye managed another laugh.
"Why not?"
Matt responded with another kick to the solarplexes. "Get up you son of a bitch."
A quick one-two to the jaw. "It's over."
A knee to the mid section. "You think this is a game?"
A roundhouse to head. "You twisted bastard."
An uppercut. "GET UP!"
Bullseye stumbled to his feet.
"I take it your pissed," he laughed.
Matt pulled his arm back for another punch, but this time Bullseye caught him, throwing him off balance. Matt hit the groung hard, and Bullseye was on top of him like lightning. Grabbing his head, he repeatedly slammed it into the concrete roof. Matt felt the blood begin, slowly at first, but quicker with each blow, soon he could taste it on his lips.
"You like that?" Bullseye laughed.
Daredevil answered with a swift kick to the back of his head. Quickly, he stood up to face the assassin. Face to face they stood, each one trying to predict the others next move. Finally Bullseye broke the silence.
"Do you really think you can take me?" he asked.
Daredevil leapt on top of him, answering with his fists. He felt the rage well up inside him, as he prepared to give Bullseye the beating of a lifetime.
# # # # #
Present
Matt leered at the man he was holding over the edge of a building.
"Any lasts requests?" he asked.
"Put me down Murdock," Bullseye demanded.
"Why in the hell would I do that?"
"I'll give you the one thing you want."
"And what's that?"
"Kingpin," he answered. "Kingpin hired me to kill Foggy. You turn me in, and I'll give you Wilson Fisk."