Night enveloped New York, the city's dazzling lights pulsating with vitality...
The wealthy indulged in their extravagant, decadent lifestyles, while those in the poorer neighborhoods found solace in the warmth of their families.
Hell's Kitchen... New York's den of debauchery...
Even after Kingpin's death, this special district, rife with chaos and crime, had not achieved the expected peace. Gangs, drug dealers, and street thugs were like weeds after a wildfire, quickly regrowing and silently encroaching upon every block.
Matt Murdock sat alone in his law office. His heightened senses allowed him to hear everything nearby, and if he concentrated, he could even expand his perception to cover an entire block...
"What are you doing...?"
"What's it to you, pal? Mind your own business or I'll blow your head off!"
"You wanna try me?"
"You asking for a beating?"
Matt clenched the documents in his hand...
He had long abandoned his identity as Daredevil. Since Kingpin's death, the blind lawyer had resolved never to don the red devil's suit again. Perhaps it was the departure of his friend (Foggy) and his assistant (Karen) that finally made him realize that violently punishing criminals was only a temporary solution.
While Daredevil fought crime, he himself was breaking the law...
Though he had made his decision, whenever he heard crimes unfolding, Matt still struggled to suppress the impulse in his heart. His inherently righteous nature made it impossible for him to turn a blind eye to criminals and acts of violence.
"NYPD! Break it up! Stop right there!" The arrival of the police defused what could have become a violent confrontation.
Matt nodded, exhaling deeply. Perhaps this was the best resolution... Daredevil's appearance would only have made things worse.
Forcing down his inner turmoil, Matt reminded himself that, at least on the surface, Hell's Kitchen had regained some semblance of peace after Kingpin's fall.
The blind lawyer refocused and prepared the legal documents for an upcoming case.
Having given up his vigilante life as the "Devil of Hell's Kitchen", Matt now dedicated himself to pro bono legal aid, serving those who couldn't afford high-priced attorneys.
In a way, this was another method of fighting crime...
As he organized the files, Matt frowned slightly... he seemed to recognize a familiar set of footsteps, "Frank... is that you?" he called out.
"Your ears are as sharp as ever, Counselor."
A towering, broad-shouldered man climbed in through the fire escape window and casually made himself at home on the couch...
"You got any booze here? Whiskey on the rocks!"
Matt stood up, retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge and tossed it to the man on the couch.
Frank Castle, known as the Punisher, caught it effortlessly, twisting off the cap and taking a hearty swig.
"Next time, could you use the door? Must you always climb through the window?" Matt had strong opinions about Frank's entry methods.
"I'm not you, Matt. The whole damn NYPD's got a bounty on my head. Those bastards think I killed Kingpin... They got me pegged as Public Enemy Number One!" Frank downed the beer in one go, clearly furious about being framed for a crime he didn't commit.
Matt chuckled dryly, "To be fair, I also thought it was you at first too."
Frank had once been a Marine, but after returning home to find his family brutally murdered, the trauma drove him to wage a one-man war against Hell's Kitchen's criminal underworld.
Matt had met him during this crusade...
Initially, the two had clashed violently, but after learning the truth, Daredevil saved a gravely wounded Frank and even volunteered to be his defense attorney.
Frank toyed with his firearm, "Whoever did it had a style rough enough to match mine, but I didn't even get the chance to take Kingpin out myself before someone beat me to it..."
These days, his reputation in Hell's Kitchen was more fearsome than ever. Unlike the vanished Daredevil, the ruthless and extremist Punisher remained relentless in his campaign against the gangs.
Checking the time, Matt cut to the chase, "You wouldn't come here without a reason Frank. What did you find?"
"Look at you now... Matt Murdock, the righteous lawyer!" Frank's tone dripped with sarcasm.
He hadn't expected Matt to abandon his Daredevil persona entirely, "Remember what I told you before? Someone's plotting something big. Kingpin is dead, but the Hand's influence is growing. They've secretly taken control of a company called Midland Circle Financial. I've spotted dozens of their red-clad ninjas stationed there. That's not normal..."
Matt fell silent. His girlfriend, Elektra, had been killed by the Hand. Those Japanese ninjas had tried to turn her into a weapon called the 'Black Sky'...
In the midst of a fierce chase and battle, Elektra had died saving him.
It was the deepest pain in Matt's heart... the very reason he had hung up Daredevil's mask and cowl, choosing to return to an ordinary life.
"The Hand... I thought they had left Hell's Kitchen." Matt's smile was bitter as he buried those painful memories.
"No. They just went underground. Seems like they've been quietly working on something." Frank laid out the clues he had uncovered recently.
He needed Matt's help... the Hand's elite ninjas, trained to perfection, were too much for him to handle alone.
"What's your plan?" Matt asked.
"There's a place in Hell's Kitchen, the Hellfire Club. It's a cesspool of scum, perfect for gathering intel." Frank's grin was anything but friendly.
The Punisher's methods of "gathering intel" were unlikely to involve polite questioning.
"I've got court at three. I'll be defending a kid who lost both his legs. Well... good luck with your investigation." Matt stuffed the files into his briefcase and picked up his white cane, "You can stay here awhile if you want. Just lock the window when you leave. This neighborhood's not the safest."
"So you're really washing your hands of all this, huh? Matt Murdock... You're content to forget your old life and play the noble lawyer fighting for justice and defending the poor?" Frank stood up, his voice laced with anger.
He wanted Matt to snap out of it, to return as the crime-fighting Daredevil. Hell's Kitchen needed him!
"You really think the law can judge those monsters? I thought you'd figured it out by now, Matt. The law can't touch those bastards..."
"...In Hell's Kitchen, gang bosses walk in and out of precincts like they own the place. They sip fine wine and bed pretty women in prison, with guards bowing to them. These people face no consequences. They'll never repent before God. That's why I don't hold back... because every last one of them deserves hell!" Frank's words were ice-cold, striking Matt's heart like bullets.
Torn by hesitation and conflict, the blind lawyer felt that familiar surge of emotion rise once more, "Frank... I'm sorry. I can't..."
After a long silence, Matt gave his answer and walked out of the shabby apartment.
Left alone, Frank sighed. It seemed he'd have to find help elsewhere.
Hell's Kitchen had seen a new crop of players lately... Luke Cage, the hero of Harlem... and Jessica Jones, the private investigator.
These were people with extraordinary abilities.
No matter what, tonight's first stop was the Hellfire Club. He could only hope the owner would be cooperative... for his own sake.
With the skull emblem stark on his chest, the Punisher climbed back out the window.
His imposing figure melted into the dim night...
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