This lunatic.
Daredevil finally saw it clearly—
the man standing before him wasn't just dangerous. He was insane. A madman who lived entirely in his own warped reality.
"You're a murderer," Daredevil spat through gritted teeth. "You belong in prison."
Darren chuckled, his tone light, almost teasing. "Prison, huh? Never been. If it weren't for the faction restrictions, I might've tried out this game's wanted system—just to relive those good old Los Santos days."
Daredevil's stomach sank.
This man wasn't only deranged; he saw law and order as a game, life and death as cheap entertainment.
He couldn't be allowed to continue.
Without another thought, Daredevil leapt from the streetlight. The wind howled around him as his red baton spun through the air, streaking toward Darren's wrist.
Bang!
The Desert Eagle roared again. The bullet struck the baton midair, knocking it off course. But by the time the shot echoed, Daredevil had already landed, his boots hitting the pavement with a sharp crack. With a flick of his wrists, the batons snapped back to his hands on their wire tethers, and he lunged—fast as a whip.
Bang. Bang.
Two more shots.
Two metallic clangs as Daredevil's twirling batons deflected them both.
Darren's brows rose. "You can block bullets with sticks?"
Then he remembered—this world was made by a superhero corporation. Things like that weren't impossible.
In a blur, Daredevil closed the distance, red batons striking like twin vipers. He knew Darren's gunfire was deadly; the only way to survive was to get in close and shut him down before he could aim again.
He was about to unleash his signature six-strike combo when—
"Muay Thai warning!"
Darren barked the words like a spell. His body surged forward, knee snapping up in a brutal front strike that slammed into Daredevil's ribs like a sledgehammer.
[Skill: Muay Thai Warning]
[Effect: Master-level Muay Thai technique]
[Note: Warning once—next time, it's Muay Thai for real.]
The impact hit Daredevil so hard his face twisted with pain. Air fled his lungs; for a second, he thought his ribs had shattered. He staggered back, kicking Darren away to buy distance, his body trembling from the blow.
Darren calmly holstered his golden pistol and slid into a perfect Muay Thai stance, smirking. "You've got guts coming at me in close range. Didn't you know strength's my highest stat?"
Daredevil blinked through the pain. Strength? Highest stat? What the hell was he even talking about?
Who expects a marksman with a sniper's aim to also hit like a heavyweight?
His ribs throbbed; breathing hurt. Still, he forced himself upright, refusing to give ground.
Darren chuckled at the sight. "What's wrong, Matt? Hemorrhoids acting up?"
Daredevil froze. "What did you just say?"
"Don't play dumb, Counselor Murdock," Darren grinned. "Your name's floating right above your head."
In Darren's eyes, a line of text glowed above the red-suited figure: Matt Murdock.
The same blind lawyer he'd met that very morning.
Matt's expression darkened. He couldn't sense anything above himself—no sound, no disturbance—but Darren's certainty was undeniable.
No one knew his secret. Not even Foggy.
Darren whistled softly. "Didn't expect this one. By day, a noble attorney; by night, a tight-suit enthusiast who likes getting handsy with bad guys. Kinky, huh?"
Matt's face twitched. "…"
I fight criminals, not—whatever you think that means!
"But seriously," Darren tilted his head, curious. "You're blind, yet you move better than half the people I've fought. How do you even see?"
"That's none of your concern."
Matt's tone went cold. His denial was useless now, but he could still keep the details to himself.
Darren shrugged. "Don't be like that. Tell you what—answer my question, and I'll keep your... fetish between us."
It's not a fetish, Matt screamed inwardly, jaw tightening. After a pause, he sighed. "Fine."
He drew in a slow breath. "I can't see. But my other senses... they're heightened beyond normal human limits. I can feel vibrations, movements, even small changes in the air. So yes, I can 'see' you. And put your middle finger down—I said I can feel it."
Darren awkwardly lowered his hand, caught off guard. "Right. Just testing."
He eyed Matt with an odd mix of amusement and pity. With senses that sharp, his nights must've been... complicated.
Matt didn't understand that look, but he ignored it. He straightened, though pain racked his side. "Darren, what you've done tonight is illegal. Turn yourself in. There's still time."
"What law did I break?" Darren asked, almost amused.
"Murder. The evidence is right there." Matt pointed to Hammerhead's corpse.
Darren widened his eyes. "Murder? No, no. You're mistaken. He's just... sleeping."
Matt's jaw clenched. The river of blood pooling beneath Hammerhead's neck made that statement obscene.
Darren waved dismissively. "Besides, come on. The guy was a mob boss. How many lives did he ruin? If anything, I did the city a favor. Put him before a court and the worst he'd get is a few decades, maybe less if he hires the right lawyers."
Matt's teeth ground together. The infuriating part? He wasn't wrong.
"Regardless of his crimes," Matt said quietly but firmly, "he deserves a lawful trial. Not an execution."
Darren's smirk faded slightly. "And what if he'd killed your friend? Would you still believe that?"
Matt hesitated. "The law—"
Darren cut him off. "What if I killed your friend? Say... Foggy?"
The air went still.
Darren's eyes gleamed, a dangerous smile curling at his lips.
Matt's pulse spiked. He could hear Darren's heart, calm and steady—not bluffing. He wasn't just provoking him. He was testing him.
Matt said nothing. He couldn't.
Darren sighed. "Thought so. You don't really believe in your laws until they hurt you."
Without warning, he drew a massive blade from thin air and swung it down.
The edge sliced clean through Hammerhead's neck.
"Perfect," he muttered. "Now it's under ten kilos."
"Wait—stop!" Matt shouted, but it was too late.
Darren gave him a mock salute, the bloody head dangling from his hand. "See you around, Counselor. We'll play again soon."
Then, just like that, both he and the head vanished.
The alley fell silent.
Only Matt remained, trembling with rage and disbelief, staring at the headless body sprawled in the blood-soaked street.