"I can't stay," she said.
"How did you get out?" Matt asked again.
"Someone bailed me out," she quickly responded, creeping towards the window, pulling the curtain back slowly.
"Who?"
"I don't know, Matt, I'm so scared. Who could've posted paid that amount of money?"
"Kingpin," Matt muttered.
"But why?"
"I don't know...yet"
He walked over and placed his arms gently around her, pulling her into his chest. Her tears felt warm against his skin. She pulled away briefly and caught a glimpse of his kneecap.
"Oh, Matt, what happened?"
"Bullseye."
"It looks bad, don't you have a first aid kit?"
"It's in the bathroom, below the sink."
She let go and walked out of the room. Matt limped over to his couch and slowly lowered his body onto it. He could hear Karen rummaging through the bathroom; it brought a smile to his face. Here she was, facing serious drug charges, yet she was worrying about him.
Soon she was back at his side, tenderly dressing his wound. He clenched his teeth as she poured peroxide into the open skin. He could hear the fizzle of the liquid as it worked its way into his body. Karen began to wrap a bandage slowly around his knee, careful not to be too rough. When she finished she reached for Matt's hand, folding hers into it.
"What am I going to do?" she asked, almost whispering.
"We're in this together," Matt responded.
"I can't stay Matt, maybe...maybe if I run," she began.
"No," Matt quickly said, "running is not the answer. We have to face this, you've been set up, and I'm sure Fisk is behind it all, I just need the proof."
Karen's only response was a slight sigh.
"Bullseye's loose too...it won't be long before he comes looking for me, and maybe even you. I have to get going, but you need to be safe, and I think I may know just the place."
# # # # #
"I got tired of waiting," Bullseye explained to his employer.
"That is of no concern to me," Wilson Fisk responded. "You were supposed to do as told...no matter, Murdock's playing right into my hand."
"Since I'm on your clock, what should I do now? Kill him? Gut him? Feed him to some sharks?"
"You know he's not to be touched, what I have in store for Mr. Murdock will be much, much worse than that. Just see that he doesn't catch on"
"Whatever you say boss man, like I said it's your clock, but if you keep hitting the snooze button, you're going to wake up and find the Devil has been given his due."
Fisk only nodded, motioning for Bullseye to exit the room. When the door closed the Kingpin of crime looked once out of his penthouse window, gazing upon his city.
Bullseye walked down the barely lit corridor, placing a toothpick into his mouth. Old habits died hard. He failed to mention the demon and the Punisher. He was certain the vigilante would find his way back into the picture, but he hoped he wouldn't have to see that...thing again. If there was one thing Bullseye hated, it was the unknown.
He stepped over the ventilation grate he'd kicked in to enter the building and suddenly had a wicked thought. The killer smiled, then pressed the down button on the elevator.
# # # # #
Matt kissed Karen lightly on the cheek.
She stroked the collar of the shirt he now wore, running her hand down his arm, all the way to his fingers.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked.
"Just go, it will be better if I'm not with you. After all, it's me they want, and they'd just use you to hurt me."
She turned towards the taxi he'd called, looking back briefly and smiled. When Matt heard the door close he walked back upstairs to his apartment. Immediately he knew something was wrong. Concentrating he picked up a recognizable heartbeat.
"You're never going to stop, are you?"
Bullseye's voice came from a few feet away. "Not until you're dead, and right now it looks like I might achieve my goal."
"Not likely," Matt growled, not believing his own words.
Bullseye only laughed, and as Matt prepared himself for the battle he knew was coming. He heard Bullseye pounding something into his open palm, and as he realized what it was, he blacked out.
Bullseye walked slowly over to Matt's lifeless body, kneeling to check his pulse. Still alive. He reached down; picking up the item he'd launched from his hand and smiled.
"Done in by your own billy club."
Outside, Frank Castle watched as the assassin known as Bullseye walked down Matt Murdock's fire escape. There was a body thrown over his shoulder, Frank assumed it was Murdock, since he'd put the girl in a cab only a few moments earlier.
# # # # #
Karen got out of the cab, her eyes taking in the massive building in front of her. She turned to the cabbie handing him a five-dollar bill. Matt had given him plenty, but she wanted to be sure he remembered her.
A light rain began to fall as she made her way towards the building. As she reached the doors she pulled her cell phone from her purse, holding down the one key for speed dial. Before the first ring finished the call was answered.
"I'm here," she spoke. Silently the double doors opened in front of her, and as she crossed the threshold the rain began to pour.
# # # # #
Matt awoke with his skull pounding. He couldn't believe Bullseye had gotten the drop on him. His senses were off somehow, he should've been able to dodge the billy club. Hell, he should've known he was there before he ever entered the apartment.
He tried to stretch his hands to no avail, then his legs, yielding the same result. He had been bound, but thankfully not gagged. It seemed he'd regained most of his gifts, as he heard Bullseye approaching from a distance. He also picked up another heartbeat, but this on was very faint, possibly from outside wherever he was being held.
After a few seconds he recognized it as belonging to the Punisher, someone Matt was sure he couldn't count on. As if he had known he'd been sensed, Matt heard the roar of an engine, and the pulsing faded.
Bullseye was closer now, close enough for Matt's heart to begin racing. The madman laughed, and Matt knew it was a sound that would haunt his dreams until the day he died.
# # # # #
Frank had a good idea as to what was going on. He knew Bullseye was working for the Kingpin, and he knew this wasn't Fisk's style. If the Choirboy were going to be killed, surely the fat man would be there to witness it.
He turned the key in the vans' ignition and suddenly it began to rain. He grunted in disgust and pulled away from the curb. As he headed for his destination he began to think about his options.
He wanted to see Fisk hang for his crimes, along with that assassin, and having the Devil out of his way would make his job a lot easier. Perhaps killing three birds with one stone was possible, and if nothing else, maybe the whacko, Bullseye, would at least take care of one of them.
The streets were all but empty at this time of night, and the rain would only further that, so getting to the Kingpin's penthouse proved to be a very quick ride, ten minutes at the most. All the while Frank's thoughts drifted to the massacre he hoped was coming.
# # # # #
The sound of exploding glass startled Fisk tremendously, as did the resulting power outage. After a few seconds the backup generators kicked in, but the lights remained off. He stood quickly, all but running to his security cameras. The building was not without it's safe guards, armed security included, but no one had ever blown through the front door.
The two closest cameras had been taken out immediately, and the figure was too far away for the others to pick up. Fisk picked up one of the near by radios, almost yelling into it.
"What the hell is happening down there?"
One of the security guards began to answer, but was quickly cut off by the sound of gunfire.
Fisk again looked at the monitors. This time he could plainly see his attacker, and if his face hadn't been recognizable, the white skull emblazoning his chest surely was.
# # # # #
Frank mowed through the guards quicker than even he'd expected. The first wave had been only five strong, and the second held only seven. After six kills his semi-automatic had become bullet free, so he removed his pistol from his side. He fired five quick rounds into five heads, and as he started to pull the trigger on the sixth, the man threw his gun down.
Frank smiled.
"What floor is Fisk on?"
"The fif-fifteenth."
"Thank," Frank said, putting a round into the man's skull.
He didn't bother with the elevator; instead he began a sprint up the nearby stairwell.
# # # # #
Fisk reached for the gun strapped underneath his desk as he heard the slam of a nearby door opening.
"Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllssssooooonnn," He heard the Punisher scream.
He didn't respond, instead he checked the magazine in the gun. He could now hear doors being kicked open, until the man eliminated all but one.
Castle kicked in the door of the Kingpin's office and was immediately greeted by two gunshots. Both missed and Frank just laughed.
"I didn't come here to kill you," he smirked.
Fisk paused for a moment, aiming right for Castle's head.
"I just wanted to tell you that the psycho you hired is getting ready to kill Murdock, with or without your consent. I thought it might be something you'd want to see."
Fisk lowered his gun, and Frank could now see another person standing in the shadows beside him.
"There in a building on the corner of Fourth and Ingram. Just thought you should know," Frank laughed. "Have a nice evening."
With that he was gone, and Fisk relaxed slightly. He reached for the phone on his desk, dialing his driver.
"Bring the car to the front of the building, immediately."
"So, what should we do now?" Bullseye asked. "Ho about a game of Twister?"
"Go to hell," Matt grunted.
"Tisk, tisk, Mr. Murdock. You must be nice to the host of the party, otherwise he'll have to exterminate you."
Matt felt the sharp sting of the man's fist as it crossed his jaw again. He'd been going at it for almost twenty minutes, but had only knocked out two of his back teeth, blackened one eye, and cut open his left cheek.
"Why don't you untie me and make this a fair fight?" Matt asked.
"I don't play fair," Bullseye laughed. "If played fair would I have killed your best friend instead of you? No, see you're the one that deserved to die not him. He only died to make your pain worse."
Matt's arms struggled against the ropes. He knew that if he could get free he could take Bullseye.
Another sharp pain, this time in the ribs. Matt let out another grunt, spitting up some blood.
As Bullseye pulled his arm back for another blow, Matt picked up the sound of two more hear beats. One was the Kingpin's, and the other he knew he was wrong about.
"Enough!" the Kingpin bellowed.
Bullseye was caught off guard; even Matt could tell that.
"Well, well, look what we have here!" Bullseye laughed. "Look Murdock, it's the boss man and his little girlfriend."
He pulled his hand back once more, and then the woman spoke.
"He said enough, asshole."
Matt almost fainted from shock.
"Karen?' he asked the darkness.
"Yes, Matthew, your beloved Karen. And I assure you, she's here of her own free will."
"How did you get out?" Matt asked again.
"Someone bailed me out," she quickly responded, creeping towards the window, pulling the curtain back slowly.
"Who?"
"I don't know, Matt, I'm so scared. Who could've posted paid that amount of money?"
"Kingpin," Matt muttered.
"But why?"
"I don't know...yet"
He walked over and placed his arms gently around her, pulling her into his chest. Her tears felt warm against his skin. She pulled away briefly and caught a glimpse of his kneecap.
"Oh, Matt, what happened?"
"Bullseye."
"It looks bad, don't you have a first aid kit?"
"It's in the bathroom, below the sink."
She let go and walked out of the room. Matt limped over to his couch and slowly lowered his body onto it. He could hear Karen rummaging through the bathroom; it brought a smile to his face. Here she was, facing serious drug charges, yet she was worrying about him.
Soon she was back at his side, tenderly dressing his wound. He clenched his teeth as she poured peroxide into the open skin. He could hear the fizzle of the liquid as it worked its way into his body. Karen began to wrap a bandage slowly around his knee, careful not to be too rough. When she finished she reached for Matt's hand, folding hers into it.
"What am I going to do?" she asked, almost whispering.
"We're in this together," Matt responded.
"I can't stay Matt, maybe...maybe if I run," she began.
"No," Matt quickly said, "running is not the answer. We have to face this, you've been set up, and I'm sure Fisk is behind it all, I just need the proof."
Karen's only response was a slight sigh.
"Bullseye's loose too...it won't be long before he comes looking for me, and maybe even you. I have to get going, but you need to be safe, and I think I may know just the place."
# # # # #
"I got tired of waiting," Bullseye explained to his employer.
"That is of no concern to me," Wilson Fisk responded. "You were supposed to do as told...no matter, Murdock's playing right into my hand."
"Since I'm on your clock, what should I do now? Kill him? Gut him? Feed him to some sharks?"
"You know he's not to be touched, what I have in store for Mr. Murdock will be much, much worse than that. Just see that he doesn't catch on"
"Whatever you say boss man, like I said it's your clock, but if you keep hitting the snooze button, you're going to wake up and find the Devil has been given his due."
Fisk only nodded, motioning for Bullseye to exit the room. When the door closed the Kingpin of crime looked once out of his penthouse window, gazing upon his city.
Bullseye walked down the barely lit corridor, placing a toothpick into his mouth. Old habits died hard. He failed to mention the demon and the Punisher. He was certain the vigilante would find his way back into the picture, but he hoped he wouldn't have to see that...thing again. If there was one thing Bullseye hated, it was the unknown.
He stepped over the ventilation grate he'd kicked in to enter the building and suddenly had a wicked thought. The killer smiled, then pressed the down button on the elevator.
# # # # #
Matt kissed Karen lightly on the cheek.
She stroked the collar of the shirt he now wore, running her hand down his arm, all the way to his fingers.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked.
"Just go, it will be better if I'm not with you. After all, it's me they want, and they'd just use you to hurt me."
She turned towards the taxi he'd called, looking back briefly and smiled. When Matt heard the door close he walked back upstairs to his apartment. Immediately he knew something was wrong. Concentrating he picked up a recognizable heartbeat.
"You're never going to stop, are you?"
Bullseye's voice came from a few feet away. "Not until you're dead, and right now it looks like I might achieve my goal."
"Not likely," Matt growled, not believing his own words.
Bullseye only laughed, and as Matt prepared himself for the battle he knew was coming. He heard Bullseye pounding something into his open palm, and as he realized what it was, he blacked out.
Bullseye walked slowly over to Matt's lifeless body, kneeling to check his pulse. Still alive. He reached down; picking up the item he'd launched from his hand and smiled.
"Done in by your own billy club."
Outside, Frank Castle watched as the assassin known as Bullseye walked down Matt Murdock's fire escape. There was a body thrown over his shoulder, Frank assumed it was Murdock, since he'd put the girl in a cab only a few moments earlier.
# # # # #
Karen got out of the cab, her eyes taking in the massive building in front of her. She turned to the cabbie handing him a five-dollar bill. Matt had given him plenty, but she wanted to be sure he remembered her.
A light rain began to fall as she made her way towards the building. As she reached the doors she pulled her cell phone from her purse, holding down the one key for speed dial. Before the first ring finished the call was answered.
"I'm here," she spoke. Silently the double doors opened in front of her, and as she crossed the threshold the rain began to pour.
# # # # #
Matt awoke with his skull pounding. He couldn't believe Bullseye had gotten the drop on him. His senses were off somehow, he should've been able to dodge the billy club. Hell, he should've known he was there before he ever entered the apartment.
He tried to stretch his hands to no avail, then his legs, yielding the same result. He had been bound, but thankfully not gagged. It seemed he'd regained most of his gifts, as he heard Bullseye approaching from a distance. He also picked up another heartbeat, but this on was very faint, possibly from outside wherever he was being held.
After a few seconds he recognized it as belonging to the Punisher, someone Matt was sure he couldn't count on. As if he had known he'd been sensed, Matt heard the roar of an engine, and the pulsing faded.
Bullseye was closer now, close enough for Matt's heart to begin racing. The madman laughed, and Matt knew it was a sound that would haunt his dreams until the day he died.
# # # # #
Frank had a good idea as to what was going on. He knew Bullseye was working for the Kingpin, and he knew this wasn't Fisk's style. If the Choirboy were going to be killed, surely the fat man would be there to witness it.
He turned the key in the vans' ignition and suddenly it began to rain. He grunted in disgust and pulled away from the curb. As he headed for his destination he began to think about his options.
He wanted to see Fisk hang for his crimes, along with that assassin, and having the Devil out of his way would make his job a lot easier. Perhaps killing three birds with one stone was possible, and if nothing else, maybe the whacko, Bullseye, would at least take care of one of them.
The streets were all but empty at this time of night, and the rain would only further that, so getting to the Kingpin's penthouse proved to be a very quick ride, ten minutes at the most. All the while Frank's thoughts drifted to the massacre he hoped was coming.
# # # # #
The sound of exploding glass startled Fisk tremendously, as did the resulting power outage. After a few seconds the backup generators kicked in, but the lights remained off. He stood quickly, all but running to his security cameras. The building was not without it's safe guards, armed security included, but no one had ever blown through the front door.
The two closest cameras had been taken out immediately, and the figure was too far away for the others to pick up. Fisk picked up one of the near by radios, almost yelling into it.
"What the hell is happening down there?"
One of the security guards began to answer, but was quickly cut off by the sound of gunfire.
Fisk again looked at the monitors. This time he could plainly see his attacker, and if his face hadn't been recognizable, the white skull emblazoning his chest surely was.
# # # # #
Frank mowed through the guards quicker than even he'd expected. The first wave had been only five strong, and the second held only seven. After six kills his semi-automatic had become bullet free, so he removed his pistol from his side. He fired five quick rounds into five heads, and as he started to pull the trigger on the sixth, the man threw his gun down.
Frank smiled.
"What floor is Fisk on?"
"The fif-fifteenth."
"Thank," Frank said, putting a round into the man's skull.
He didn't bother with the elevator; instead he began a sprint up the nearby stairwell.
# # # # #
Fisk reached for the gun strapped underneath his desk as he heard the slam of a nearby door opening.
"Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllssssooooonnn," He heard the Punisher scream.
He didn't respond, instead he checked the magazine in the gun. He could now hear doors being kicked open, until the man eliminated all but one.
Castle kicked in the door of the Kingpin's office and was immediately greeted by two gunshots. Both missed and Frank just laughed.
"I didn't come here to kill you," he smirked.
Fisk paused for a moment, aiming right for Castle's head.
"I just wanted to tell you that the psycho you hired is getting ready to kill Murdock, with or without your consent. I thought it might be something you'd want to see."
Fisk lowered his gun, and Frank could now see another person standing in the shadows beside him.
"There in a building on the corner of Fourth and Ingram. Just thought you should know," Frank laughed. "Have a nice evening."
With that he was gone, and Fisk relaxed slightly. He reached for the phone on his desk, dialing his driver.
"Bring the car to the front of the building, immediately."
"So, what should we do now?" Bullseye asked. "Ho about a game of Twister?"
"Go to hell," Matt grunted.
"Tisk, tisk, Mr. Murdock. You must be nice to the host of the party, otherwise he'll have to exterminate you."
Matt felt the sharp sting of the man's fist as it crossed his jaw again. He'd been going at it for almost twenty minutes, but had only knocked out two of his back teeth, blackened one eye, and cut open his left cheek.
"Why don't you untie me and make this a fair fight?" Matt asked.
"I don't play fair," Bullseye laughed. "If played fair would I have killed your best friend instead of you? No, see you're the one that deserved to die not him. He only died to make your pain worse."
Matt's arms struggled against the ropes. He knew that if he could get free he could take Bullseye.
Another sharp pain, this time in the ribs. Matt let out another grunt, spitting up some blood.
As Bullseye pulled his arm back for another blow, Matt picked up the sound of two more hear beats. One was the Kingpin's, and the other he knew he was wrong about.
"Enough!" the Kingpin bellowed.
Bullseye was caught off guard; even Matt could tell that.
"Well, well, look what we have here!" Bullseye laughed. "Look Murdock, it's the boss man and his little girlfriend."
He pulled his hand back once more, and then the woman spoke.
"He said enough, asshole."
Matt almost fainted from shock.
"Karen?' he asked the darkness.
"Yes, Matthew, your beloved Karen. And I assure you, she's here of her own free will."