Sterne looks a little uncomfortable as he remembers the last words they exchanged in anger and regret.
“....he is blinded by fear and his misguided belief that all mutants are dangerous! Please William, tell him the truth, make him see what you are. It will help him,it will help you both. God damn it Will it will help us all! “
He remembered her words...pleading with him, but he was too young, too afraid
“I’m sorry Moira, I just can’t ...you think you know him but you don’t. Not like I do. I’m sorry ...”
I do know her, a couple of years after my mother passed away, my father met Moira and they became quite close until...well until it ended.
I haven’t spoken to her for several years. We didn’t part on the best of terms but I’m sure she would help. But she is a long way away, as far as I know she is back home in Scotland. he says shaking off the bad memories
but for now I completely agree, we have to make the rendezvous with Midnight. Trap or not we need to see her and find out what she has learned
"With us for sure. If there are SHIELD people, or someone else even, that are watching us, we don't want to leave the thing they want alone to be stolen."
The wait for the evening meeting seems unbearable for Trystt and Ebon in particular. The former a wistful as the air and wanting to keep moving and the latter troubled by the connection with the Hand and wanting more than anything to get some answers.
Eventually the time comes and you make your way to the address Midnight gave you on 42nd street, a construction site that by the looks of things has been abandoned - and not recently - another victim of budget cuts, recession and empty promises.
Wary as ever, Napalm tries to reccy the area, keenly aware that what he is carrying is in some way dangerous. He finds it deathly quiet at this time of night but catches sight of something familiar, atop an unfinished tower.
A long coat blows in the breeze like a flag. Beneath it is the lithe, black armour of a Peacekeeping Corps of a planet countless lightyears away. It is Midnight.
Spotting the group, she drifts down as if in an invisible elevator and lands before you, a rare smile on her face.
It's good to see you all! she says, genuinely. Safe and sound. That is what you say, yes?
"Something like that." Napalm looks around. "Are you alone? What's been going on with you?"
Napalm watches her closely for any signs that she's being forced against her will. The smile on her face unnerves him for some reason.
I'm alone for now. Daredevil is below, he's with Frank - the Punisher. We've been here for days trying to make sense of the information he has, it's one of his hideouts.
Ebon is on edge a single pin drop could set him off but to look at him he is just as cool and collected as usual. When Midnight lands he takes another quick glance around.
Then steps forward. "It's good to see you Midnight. Are you going to take us to Daredevil and the Punisher? What you told Trystt has got us all a little paranoid we would like some answers to all this."
"Below?" Napalm looks down. "Where? Tunnels or the sewers?" He seems to ease up as she watches Midnight. Her mannerisms were odd, but he reminded himself that she was an alien. The more she talked, she seemed to be ok.
"What is Daredevil doing with the Punisher? And do you know more about that train?"
Both. she answers. The Punisher set up in unfinished drainage tunnels that lead out under the water. If he hadn't brought us here, we never would have found it. she admits. No doubt he has hideouts like this across the city, he refuses to say.
The Punisher told us what he knew. It doesn't provide all the answers we seek but.... if I cannot condone his actions then I at least understand why in his mind he thought they were the best course of action. We... let's talk below. Come.
She leads the group to a sewer access hatch that has been so masterfully hidden that without her knowledge, and original building plans, you'd probably never have seen it. Even then you can see that a heavy bolt on it's underside is another means to keep prying eyes out. As it is, she lifts it easily and leads you down.
Please, lock it after you. she says.
You follow a tunnel for several hundred feet, completely unlit and through a series of further security gates. You also note as you get closer to what must be The Punisher's lair, explosives set in the tunnel walls and another pair of robotic sentry guns thankfully disabled.
Finally there is a heavy steel door. Midnight knocks on it five times and, after a moment, it opens.
Silhouetted against the bright light from within is Daredevil, his red suit like blood but fitting like a second skin. Incredibly, he sniffs the air once and says;
It's good to see you again. If you know what I mean.
Beyond him you can immediately see a bank of monitors all flashing different images and a wall stocked with an arsenal of firearms - some of which you don't even recognise.
Hunched before the monitors, facing away from you, is a brutish looking man. Heavily muscles and dressed in black, even without seeing his face you feel he exudes a sense of danger. It is
the Punisher is here? Sterne asks with incredulity, they had searched for him in the old subway lines and his booby traps had almost killed them.
He did not relish the idea of walking into the lions den so to speak, the Punisher was an unpredictable mass murderer.
I have not seen him since the pre trial interviews, If he remembers me...his reactions could be...unpredictable Sterne says with a worried expression, he and his boss had after all certified him legally for to stand trial.
maybe I should disguise myself? Appear to be an old man again?
Deciding that it was probably best not to antagonise their host so to speak, Sterne concentrates and manifests his psychic powers and as the group look on he appears to age rapidly before their eyes until he stood before them as an old man.
ok Midnight let’s do this he says, following the others down into the punishers lair.
As they make their way through the tunnels he cannot stop his heart from racing, hos palms becoming sweaty from equal parts fear and anticipation.
Frank Castle was a wanted fugitive, a mass murderer and they should be bringing him to justice not seeking his help.
But then these were strange times and it seemed at the moment they were all on the same side.
As they finally emerge into the Punishers lair Sterne sees Daredevil for the first time, the so called Devil of Hells Kitchen exuded an air of confidence and dangerous purpose and Sterne resisted the urge to touch his mind, to try and learn about the man beneath the mask.
Then Sterne looked beyond the Striking figure and saw the equally imposing figure of Frank Castle and his heart rate increased further as he moved into the dangerous orbit of the Punisher.
Ebon takes a deep breath at the thought of meeting the Punisher. "Well from what Midnight is saying he seems reasonable. I don't think he'll do anything to us, we want to hear him out we all want to get information here." He looks around at the group. "But do what you must." He finishes looking to Sterne.
He could feel his imposing presence, setting into the room he looks around again and then speaks up. "It's good to see you again DareDevil." He now looks to the man at the monitors, hoping to break the ice. "It's about time we met you Punisher, Your reputation truly precedes you."
"Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Good to know you're alive." Napalm looks past him at the Punisher. The man had been the source of so much pain and death, but was he really the root cause? Seems like they were pulling back many veils.
He turns back to Daredevil, speaking like the Punisher isn't even there. "So, we trust Mr. Castle now? Do you agree with his agenda?"
Ebon takes a deep breath at the thought of meeting the Punisher. "Well from what Midnight is saying he seems reasonable. I don't think he'll do anything to us, we want to hear him out we all want to get information here." He looks around at the group. "But do what you must." He finishes looking to Sterne.
He could feel his imposing presence, setting into the room he looks around again and then speaks up. "It's good to see you again DareDevil." He now looks to the man at the monitors, hoping to break the ice. "It's about time we met you Punisher, Your reputation truly precedes you."
Castle looks over his shoulder briefly and then shakes his head.
F*@!in' Adventure Time in here now, Red? he says, seemingly to Daredevil.
"Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Good to know you're alive." Napalm looks past him at the Punisher. The man had been the source of so much pain and death, but was he really the root cause? Seems like they were pulling back many veils.
He turns back to Daredevil, speaking like the Punisher isn't even there. "So, we trust Mr. Castle now? Do you agree with his agenda?"
Daredevil purses his lips and rubs his thumb across his nose.
It isn't about trust.
You can see for the first time as you step into the light now that Daredevil's nose looks broken and his top lip is split.
Midnight ushers you inside and closes the heavy metal door behind her.
Without looking up, The Punisher says;
The Train? That you? Sloppy.
Napalm looks over to the brute. "Yeah, well, we didn't exactly know what the hell we would be dealing with. Did you? Did you know Doom was there? Do you know what they were carrying?"
Spore looks around while the others start discussing the train with the Punisher, but stays silent. There's a tense mood that even his relatively untrained sense for human interaction can pick up on.
He does, however, take interest in Daredevil's injuries.
"Can I help you?" he asks, politely.
Doom, no. But Micro knew there was some heavy hitter financing the whole thing. If Red hadn't got in my g*ddamned way back on Staten Island that train woulda been wrecked before he even knew I was there. And I woulda had whatever was on it too. he stands up then, suddenly irritated and you can see that despite the fact he is as banged up as Daredevil, he is no less ready for the next fight.
So who the Hell are you anyway? he asks. On one hip you see a pistol and on the other a longer firearm, some kind of modified sawn-off shotgun. On his chest is the iconic, and terrifying, skull motif.
Moving cautiously into the room Sterne can now clearly see the evidence of the fight these two had been in and he suspected they had inflicted it upon each other.
The whole situation was a powder keg waiting to explode.
Daredevil is right, it’s not about trust. It’s about necessity Sterne says addressing the whole room sloppy or not we did what we could on that train, there was no one else there to help. Now obviously you brought us here because you need something from us, so it seems we are in a position to help each other.
What do you know about what was on that train ? he asks the Punisher and the others
Moving cautiously into the room Sterne can now clearly see the evidence of the fight these two had been in and he suspected they had inflicted it upon each other.
The whole situation was a powder keg waiting to explode.Daredevil is right, it’s not about trust. It’s about necessity Sterne says addressing the whole room sloppy or not we did what we could on that train, there was no one else there to help. Now obviously you brought us here because you need something from us, so it seems we are in a position to help each other.
What do you know about what was on that train ? he asks the Punisher and the others
I didn't bring you here for shit. the Punisher says matter of factly. I don't need help from anyone. I might not know all the answers but I don't need to, I had things in hand but Daredevil cannot help but stick his horns in.
He looks incredulous then and suddenly boots the wheeled chair, sweeping back away from him and clattering into the wall.
Who the f+%# are you anyway, his Dad? he thumbs toward Daredevil who doesn't have time to answer Spore and intercedes himself between Castle and Sterne.
Enough, enough! Daredevil says, putting his hand up but being careful not to touch The Punisher. They're here to help Frank. They got some answers and you got some answers, maybe if we work together we can get to the bottom of this and maybe people can stop dying!
Castle shakes his head, his jaw stuck out stubbornly. You can see he stands taller and more solidly built than Daredevil and is a frightening presence.
You got that helmet but I still think you got brain-damage, Red.
|
"I might not know all the answers but I don't need to," Trystt repeats in as much of a mocking tone as possible, finally speaking. Turning to Daredevil, she says, "You're clearly not appealing to what matters to him." Addressing Castle again, she flicks one of her cards at the emblem on his chest. "Hey, dummy, if you help us, more bad guys get punished. If you fight us, well, if 'Red' fought you to a draw, what happens when you add five more into the mix?" The petite young woman moves her hands up and down, miming weighing scales. "More bad guys brought down, or more bruises for you... tough choice, right?" Trystt keeps Spore and the guys between her and the Punisher.
Sterne doesn’t flinch back from The Punishers rage, he expected it.
Frank Castle was a man fuelled by rage and loss, the emotion was almost second nature to him now. He had little else.
No man is an Island Frank Sterne says, his voice steady as Daredevil steps in front of him and he is glad the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen was there.
You think you do not need us but we need you, we need to know what is going on. There are lives at stake here...innocent lives he says emphasising the word innocent in the hopes of appealing to Frank Castles warped sense of morality, then as Trysst launches her own kind of diplomatic appeal he groans inwardly. The Punisher was not a man to worry too much about numbers or odds being against him and threatening him was never going to be a good idea.
Innocent lives. That's g*ddamned right. And I saw the bang up job you did at the Island. And at the cab depot. he shakes his head. Christ, you're just like him. Unwilling or unable to do what's necessary to protect those lives.
He wheels the chair back over and takes a seat, placing his military boots on the desk.
So what you put together so far? Then I'll tell you it from my side.
Daredevil makes a gesture with his finger as if to say Go on. It seems it is quid pro quo on Castle's terms.
Spore listens attentively, snatching back his arm from the handshake he'd been about to offer The Punisher- an attempt to diffuse a situation so tense even he could tell with certainty.
"And your solution at the port was to sit up on a perch and kill people in the middle of chaos. Did it work? Did you get what you wanted there? We saw the fear you caused. You might kill criminals, but you're still a goddamn terrorist." Napalm squares up to Castle. He knew kids like him in high school and college. They were bullies who were convinced they had the right to call the shots. Maybe Castle was right. Maybe he had everything figured out. It didn't change the fact that he thought he had the right to demand the world work the way he wanted it.
I couldn't stand up to one in high school and college I was too engrossed in my studies to care much. But maybe now is the time to teach one a lesson.
"We know Active Pharma was owned by Vanessa Fisk. Was, if rumors are true. They were manufacturing something high level, but we don't know what or why. The cab company was linked to them. We only found the train, following up on your leads. It was transporting some sort of chemical. Maybe linked to Active Pharma or headed to one of their labs, perhaps. Whatever it was, it demanded alien security. Those guards were dark elves. And of course, Doom makes an appearance and tosses the whole damned train in the water, chemicals and all." He sighs, and looks away. "I haven't been able to figure out what the hell the substance is."
"And your solution at the port was to sit up on a perch and kill people in the middle of chaos. Did it work? Did you get what you wanted there? We saw the fear you caused. You might kill criminals, but you're still a g#~!$#n terrorist." Napalm squares up to Castle. [/b]
Sit down, Scarface. Castle growls. You don't know sh*t. When I put a stop to something it stays stopped. When people like you get involved you might put these a%~!@~$s in the hospital or in jail but in either situation it doesn't solve anything.
You think being in Riker's has halted Fisk's operation? Christ, he probably has half the guards on his payroll. You know where he can't run things from, the morgue!
His eyes are steel and bore through Napalm, his lip curled into a snarl. Daredevil steps between them and, careful not to lay an actual hand on Castle, creates some separation.
Just tell them what you told me, Frank.
Buncha kids runnin' around in tights.... Christ...
He sighs.
Vanessa Fisk was high up in this whole thing. Somehow she persuaded The Hand to work with her husband's crew for two reasons I can make out. One - kidnapping criminals. I followed that up at the Cab company and put an end to the garbage you left there.
Two - The Hand have the largest distribution network in the United States, operatives and agents in every major city. I didn't know what they were peddling, only that it involved whatever was on that train.
I took out Fisk thinking that would be an end to whatever she was planning. But I didn't figure on Doom.... Micro worked out there was someone bigger but I don't think he expected him.
Now I don't know exactly what was on that train. Mutant curing is a shady area but I know that serum i some kind of genetic manipulator - the kind of drug they use for experimental gene therapy on mutants. Again, Micro figured that out but he ain't going to tell us more because he's dead. he adds flatly, but you can hear the anger in his voice, barely contained beneath the surface.
"And your solution at the port was to sit up on a perch and kill people in the middle of chaos. Did it work? Did you get what you wanted there? We saw the fear you caused. You might kill criminals, but you're still a g#~!$#n terrorist." Napalm squares up to Castle. [/b]
Sit down, Scarface. Castle growls. You don't know sh*t. When I put a stop to something it stays stopped. When people like you get involved you might put these a%$%*$@s in the hospital or in jail but in either situation it doesn't solve anything.
You think being in Riker's has halted Fisk's operation? Christ, he probably has half the guards on his payroll. You know where he can't run things from, the morgue!
His eyes are steel and bore through Napalm, his lip curled into a snarl. Daredevil steps between them and, careful not to lay an actual hand on Castle, creates some separation.
Just tell them what you told me, Frank.
Buncha kids runnin' around in tights.... Christ...
He sighs.
Vanessa Fisk was high up in this whole thing. Somehow she persuaded The Hand to work with her husband's crew for two reasons I can make out. One - kidnapping criminals. I followed that up at the Cab company and put an end to the garbage you left there.
Two - The Hand have the largest distribution network in the United States, operatives and agents in every major city. I didn't know what they were peddling, only that it involved whatever was on that train.
I took out Fisk thinking that would be an end to whatever she was planning. But I didn't figure on Doom.... Micro worked out there was someone bigger but I don't think he expected him.
Now I don't know exactly what was on that train. Mutant curing is a shady area but I know that serum i some kind of genetic manipulator - the kind of drug they use for experimental gene therapy on mutants. Again, Micro figured that out but he ain't going to tell us more because he's dead. he adds flatly, but you can hear the anger in his voice, barely contained beneath the surface.
"You call this, stopped, psycho? You criticize us, but you've been doing a bang up job yourself there, buddy. If you know Fisk is running this from jail, why not just solve that problem, rather than running around putting a bullet into everyone and everything?" Napalm rolls his eyes.
"So maybe I left some things out. We knew about the Cab company kidnapping people and the Hand's involvement." He gestures to Ebon. "We have a bonifide expert on their organization. He's got a beef to settle with them too."
He stares down Castle and crosses his arms. "So you don't know much more than we do. Genetic manipulator is new though. I could see how the Hand might want access to that. Doom too. Fisk might just be the middleman. But if it's so important, why drop it into the river just to stop us? And where did it come from?"
he’s not a psychopath Sterne says absently, almost to himself as Napalm squares up to him .
he knows exactly what he is doing, he only kills criminals. The worst kind of criminals.... Sterne pauses then, franks words ringing in his ears “when I put a stop to something it stays stopped”
I can’t condone what you do Frank, I know better than most that the justice system is broken, no one can deny that, but it doesn’t give you the right to execute people.
I became involved in all this because I’ve noticed how broken the system is. Far too many career criminals getting parole, or having their sentences overturned for spurious reasons. Someone is pulling strings at a very high level, talking about prisons Frank, just How did you get out? Or should I ask who let you out?
Sterne says matter of factly as he looks at the Punisher with suspicion. He did not believe for a second he had escaped on his own.
You show that stuff to anyone at SHIELD? Castle says, ignoring the questions for now.
"What stuff, Frank?" Napalm shoots back.
Ebon stands back, now watching this encounter play out playing the Punishers words over in his head. when I put a stop to something it stays stopped He can see how that logic works, but he knows how that escalates Ebon knows how it would all end.
He holds back saying anything, waiting to hear what Napalm is going to say.
For Christ's sake, I'm too old for games. If it was down to me Fisk would already be dead and his wife would be lying next to him right now. But he's so self-righteous he dumped him on the steps of NYPD instead of letting e do the job properly. he jerks his head toward Daredevil.
So don't jerk me around, I'm talking about the sh*t you got off the train. Does anyone at SHIELD know you have it?
ok let’s take a breath and calm down.
cards on the table. Napalm and the others didn’t tell SHIELD about the train or what we got off it.
He worked on the substance on his own in his SHIELD lab but someone accessed his computer and deleted all his research. We don’t know who did it or why, we took the compound and got out of SHIELD as soon as we could and then met Midnight here Sterne says laying it out for him.
why are you so concerned about SHIELD ?
He pulls a pistol from the base of his back, tucked into his belt. For a sickening moment Sterne thinks he is going to wheel it on him and then that would be all she wrote. But instead he takes it in the palm of his big hand and tosses it flatly onto the steel desk where it lands with a clang.
Because you can't trust anyone. he spits back at Sterne.
I deleted those records. he adds. Couldn't risk it. Micro showed me a few things over the years, but he ain't going to show me anything else because someone showed up at his house and put a bullet in him with that gun. His mom too.
He hit the panic button and I got there just in time to hear them interrogate him about the train. He wouldn't say anything so they killed his mom in front of him. By the time I got in position to breach they executed him too. I put a bullet in the piece of sh*t that did it. F*cker leapt out of there while his buddies put down suppressive fire in a fallback position. But he dropped that on his way.
He looks at each of you then, steel in his eye.
Micro was a CIA analyst for 15 years and the best goddamned computer hacker on the planet. He's what's kept me hidden all this time and whoever this was they couldn't find me after Staten so they found him. Just to be able to find him.... do you get that?
That gun is a UWS 12-80. It has gas pistons and a compensator that makes direct use of Chitauri technology recovered after the attack 6 years ago. They are military grade and American government issue. No one has these on the streets. That weapon, those tactics. he shakes his head, a snarl on his face. Whoever came after Micro, was part of one of the Agencies.
Christ! Sterne exclaims as his heart stops racing I don’t fully trust SHIELD but I don’t know if they would torture and execute someone. That is horrific. I’m sorry about your friend Frank.
Did you recognise the man you shot? Do you have any ideas who they were? Sterne asks wondering what effect this further loss will do to Frank Castle, how much more loss can he take. He was already on the edge, he’ll he was already over the edge.
Christ! Sterne exclaims as his heart stops racing I don’t fully trust SHIELD but I don’t know if they would torture and execute someone. That is horrific. I’m sorry about your friend Frank.
Did you recognise the man you shot? Do you have any ideas who they were? Sterne asks wondering what effect this further loss will do to Frank Castle, how much more loss can he take. He was already on the edge, he’ll he was already over the edge.
I'm gonna find out. he growls ominously
Sterne feels a shiver run down his spine as Frank growls, he pitied the men who had done this. Their fate was all but sealed, nothing short of his own death would stop the Punisher reaching those responsible.
Hesitating slightly he held out his hand and looking at Frank he says
may I? gesturing at the gun Sterne moves forward and reaches for the weapon. It was a long shot but this gun belonged to the man who killed Micro and it may hold some clues as to his identity.
the weapon may be able to help us identify who these people were
Picking up the weapon he held it cupped in the palms of his hands and opened up his minds eye, reaching out with his gifts, seeking any trace of its owner.
His gaze suddenly becomes unfocused as he stares into the distance and for more than a minute he remains motionless, except for a slight tremor in his hands as he is lost in intense concentration.
His brow breaks out in sweat from the mental exertion and when he eventually snaps back to the present he draws in several deep breaths almost as if he had run a great distance.
Sterne touches the cold metal of the gun, his fingers running along it's smooth lines. He concentrates, cutting out the emotional noise of Trystt's incredulity, Castle's anger and Napalm's stoicism until all he sees is the weapon.
And then the hand holding it.
The arm extended.
The weight of the bodyarmour on the shoulders, causing the slightest quake in the shooting hand. But the training tells you how to compensate for that.
An image of some kind of insignia. A knife or blade of some kind..?
A sense of duty. Of unconscious rationalisation that I am just following orders.
Deep set brown eyes, dark skin, neat facial hair.
Please tell me what I need to know so I don't have to do this. But I will do it if you are no use to me. What does Castle know? When is he hitting the train? How? Does he know what's onboard?
And then the images are gone.
Sterne takes another deep breath, centering himself as he quickly hands back the weapon his hand trembling.
He was following orders, someone else sent him to find out what you knew Sterne says to the Punisher still a little breathless I saw the gun pointing at me. His arm extended the gun hardly moving at all “ please tell me what I want to know so I don’t have to do this. But I will do it if you are no use to me” ...that’s what’s he said, Jesus the f@#@er was cold as ice, rationalising his actions in the knowledge he was doing his duty... I hate to admit it but I believe he was military or had been at some time.
I saw glimpses...dark skin, deep set brown eyes and neatly kept facial hair...and some kind of insignia with a blade or maybe a knife Sterne presses his hand against his temple as if trying to force the vision out.
I’m afraid I couldn’t see more he says simply.
Spore continues watching the exchange, as relaxed as at least some of the tension melts. Maybe I can heal him and the Devil, he thinks, to prove we're the good guys.
If an opportunity or lull presents itself, he'll offer.
Ebon listens on the whole encounter is intense, The Punisher is like a hair trigger. "Can we use a computer to look up this insignia? We need something out of this, I want to get to the bottom of who took your friend's life. But I want them alive, we can get more from them that way and when their dead that's it." He takes a deep breath then looking over to Punisher. "Death is easy. They should pay for what they have done with being locked up and away from people they can hurt." He strengthens his resolve now not wanting to antagonise the man but wanting to draw a line in the sand.
You saw all that by touching the weapon? Castle asks, somewhat skeptically. Shit...
He begins scratching at his temple, trying to think.
A knife... could be 17th Aviation, 449th, 560th, 218th Infantry... Hell it could be a lot of different divisions.
He turns to Ebon as he thinks and says;
I give a shit what you want? And death ain't easy, it's never easy. If you think it is then you're the crazy one or you don't know what you're talking about so either way, keep it to yourself.
Midnight steps in;
So what is the plan? We still do not know the purpose of that compound and we are no closer to the true identity of the organisation behind this.