THE MARVEL KNIGHTS GROUP
PROUDLY PRESENTS...
ISSUE #1 - "If you can't handle the heat, get out of the Kitchen"
Written by Anthony Crute
A scream rang out across the city streets as a man reached out and grabbed his teenage daughter and dragged her sideways, driving her back onto the sidewalk of the road. His wife pulled their son close to her on the sidewalk which thankfully they hadn’t stepped off of, otherwise they would have been hit by the speeding car. The car hurtled passed them and skidded with a screech ‘round the corner making a second person dive out of it’s way. He spun slightly as he hit the road as his foot was clipped by the edge of the car. “You okay?” asked the man to his daughter. She nodded sheepishly. They had been in the city for less than two hours and already he was regretting the move. They’d gotten off the subway to look around the area where they had moved. They hadn’t even made it to their apartment yet. He had reservations about moving to Chelsea because of it’s reputation but he hadn’t expected anything like this to happen so quickly. A squealing siren of the cop car in pursuit came only a split second later and skidded around the corner after them. The officer driving slammed his foot onto the accelerator as they cleared the corner and shot down the road. “I’ve got three gang bangers heading west on 48th street, we have one pedestrian down outside of…crap a Starbucks, just try and find him he might need assistance,” barked the cop sitting in the shotgun seat over the radio to dispatch. He was hoping they could set up a roadblock or a stinger to stop this car chase before things got too bad and someone got really hurt. The gang banger’s car swerved towards an oncoming station wagon and then darted around them. The wagon driver slammed on the breaks and steered away causing the car to spin sideways into the path of the cop car. The policeman swore loudly as some quick maneuvering carried them out of harm’s way. They corrected their path and roared after them as best they could; the car was however gaining distance from them. “Dammit, I’m itching to get these asses,” growled Officer Boyle. “First day on the job and I catch some punks.” He flashed a quick grin and then dropped it as he steered rapidly left and right to avoid debris that was now raining from the vehicle in front. The debris however wasn’t the worst of it. One of the gang bangers leaned out of the window and pointed his arm toward the cop car. “Fuck you!” he screamed before firing off a flurry of bullets. The majority missed but three hit home, shattering the windshield of the cop car. The breaks slammed on, causing the cop car to swing sideways as it came to a skidding halt. The doors of the cop car swung open as both alighted just in time to see the car vanish around a distant corner. They could hear the laughing of the thugs in their ears. “Damn it!” cursed Boyle. “You got to learn that you can’t win them all; I didn’t get a collar until my 3rd week,” informed his more seasoned partner as he rubbed his mustached upper lip and looked at their windshield, thanking God that he’d managed to survive another shooting. “It’s not even that.” He looked mildly embarrassed that he was being a boy scout and didn’t want anyone to get hurt because he hadn’t done his job right. “Don’t worry,” said Officer Heslop as he pointed to a rooftop across the road. “One of the unwritten rules they don’t teach you in basic. The Kitchen belongs to the Devil…and they just crossed the border. They’re fucked.” Officer Boyle turned just in time to see just a flash of red as a figure vanished from his sight. The red laced warrior raced across the roof top before launching himself into the air. His body soared over the small alleyway which ran between the building he was on and the one he was about to land on. The ten foot leap and the seven story drop below him didn’t bother the man without fear. Daredevil landed with a roll and was instantly on his feet. He strafed left and spun sideways off of another ledge before throwing out his hand, releasing his billy club. He moved with such grace, speed and certainty. The club wrapped tightly around a metal downspout and he pulled the line taught to control his swing. A flick of the wrist on his upswing released the club from its mooring and he carried it with him into the air and onto the third building. Daredevil couldn’t see the car, not only because of the buildings around him, but because of his disability of blindness. The radar sense he got for the first altruistic action of his life filled in the city around him in perfect detail by reverberating the sound. The beating of his heart would have been enough for a basic run. That coupled with the sound of traffic bouncing through the maze of buildings, the hum of air conditioning, people shouting and screaming, the blare of televisions in the next block over and every footfall of the people on the streets filled in the area around him more than any normal human sense ever could. He couldn’t see where the car was but he could hear it. Its tires screeching, its music now blasting with glee from the cocky driver. The best thing however was he was not going after the car, he was going where it would be. “Second left, second left!” screamed one of the passengers in the vehicle. Matt instinctively changed direction mid leap and adjusted his angle in order to cut them off. His heart was beating like a massive drum in his chest. The blood pumped around his body sending out a low tingle of energy which he could feel extending around him giving him an even better understanding of the world around him. ‘Move Matt’ he commanded himself mentally as he pumped his arms next to his side. He controlled his breathing perfectly, the decade or so of his life that he spent training from the time he was a young boy to his first outing as Daredevil becoming honed in martial arts, focusing his powers and his will to one of iron coming in handy with every tensing of his muscles pushing him onwards. He launched into a flying leap stretching his body out as far as his could. His hands met the metal floor of a fire escape with a resounding ‘CLANG!’ the entire world suddenly became crystal clear as the entire world reverberated with that beautiful illuminating noise. He swung his bodyweight through the gap between the top level and the one below. He twisted his body and rolled his shoulders backwards. His knees raised to his chest and with split second timing he pushed out his feet connecting with the handrail and pushed himself backwards and up into the air. He somersaulted backwards onto the ledge and again burst into a sprint. He reached the edge of the building and launched himself over the edge. His feet left the ledge and he hummed a pitch perfect note. The music lessons he took in high school coming in useful. The note was not the important thing though, that was just how Matt worked. The important note was the one unheard, the ultra low frequency click which Stick had taught him. A perfect picture of the street swept into his mind and he knew it was safe to follow through with his plan. His right arm moved first flying out and launching his now disconnected club through the air. His left waited a second before following suit at a slightly different angle. The first shattered the driver’s side window and the second followed the path of the car connecting with the driver’s temple. He fell sideways and the car swerved sharply directly into the wall of the building. Daredevil landed with an imperfect roll. The height he jumped from was a bit too high to do so completely painlessly. He shrugged the pain off and moved swiftly across the road. He launched sideways with his leg extended at waist height through the shattered window. His heel connected with the driver’s face while his hand moved quickly into the car to grab his club. He slammed it into the door handle ensuring that it wasn’t opening before hand-springing over the roof to the other side. He took a few steps back from the vehicle and stared through the window at the sound of blinking eyes. ‘Control the fight’ he reminded himself for the thousandth time and held up his hand to the thugs inside indicating for them to get out of the car and bring the fight to him. Matt Murdock smiled beneath his cowl. He lived for moments like this. The gang member’s heart was beating in his chest with massive power and a quick rate. He had never fought the Devil, he had seen some of his boys who had come up against him when they pulled a job in the wrong part of town. It took them two weeks before they’d leave their houses and still a couple of years later they still stayed clear of The Kitchen. He was taking no chances. He glanced down to his weapon which was deposited in the car door where he’d put it just before being hit by the quick moving brick wall. He lunged for it and gripped the piece tightly, bringing it up in one smooth motion and leveling it towards Daredevil. A solid right hand slammed into the side of his face. Matt had covered the distance between them in the scant second it took the guy to lean slightly. His ears rang in pain following the slam of the fist; the car door was slammed across his chest and his outstretched arm making him drop the weapon. Daredevil swung the car door open and dragged him clear with a simple hip toss. The criminal rolled across the pavement and began to climb to his feet, wheezing as he climbed. Matt was careful not to hit him hard enough to drive the fight out of him just yet. The horned forehead of the hero slammed into the face of his latest collar, which completely made his knees buckle from underneath him to the floor. Daredevil bent low so he was close to him and could speak softly enough that the man would hear him over the throbbing of his own head, and the police sirens that could now be heard getting nearer and nearer. “I know what block you live on. I know the street. I know it’s above a Chinese restaurant,” Daredevil said. He fixed his best stare onto the man’s eyes. The scents he was getting from him were unmistakable it was the only place he had ever known who used cinnamon in their egg rolls and this guy stunk of them. “I know what gang you’re part of, if I catch any of your boys in my Kitchen again I’ll waive my usual zoning boundaries and come knocking on your door personally. That is when you get out of Ryker’s obviously. Do I make myself clear?” The man nodded. “Now I’m going to go and leave you here for the police and you’re going to lie completely still and wait for them, yes?” Matt grinned to himself widely as the man nodded rapidly . Matt waited until the criminal blinked, when he reopened his eyes Daredevil was gone. He lay still until the police arrived. Murdoch-Nelson Law Offices… Matt sat behind his desk and moved his finger tips over his latest case report. He felt the brail bumps of the transcript and began to retread the events of the case. The door to the office swung open and Matt smiled to Foggy and his companion. “Oh Mr. Murdoch I didn’t hear you come in…or see you actually,” said Christine Cregg. She glanced confused over her shoulder. She hadn’t left her desk all day, it was her first day on the job and she wanted to make a good impression on her bosses. The fact that she had to get her head around all these different files in the first place wasn’t helping. “You had your nose buried in the files. I was as silent as the grave when I went passed you,” Matt smiled. “How’re you finding it all?” “Awfully difficult,” she said with a shake of her head. She blushed slightly. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that,” she shook her head “I’m still getting my head around everything but I swear I’ll get up to speed as soon as possible.” “Miss Cregg don’t worry,” Foggy said with a slight laugh “you’ve been doing great so far. Anyway I was just giving her the grand tour,” he said as he turned to face Matt. “It’s a rather small office Foggy,” Matt smiled. “I’m aware of that and of the cost of each and every exorbitant inch of it, but Miss Cregg…” “Please you can both call me Christine;” she smiled sweetly at the two of them “unless you don’t want to.” She added nervously at the end. “Christine hasn’t met you yet or been in your office yet since she was hired when you were in Japan on that little trip.” “Indeed,” Matt stood up and leaned forward outstretching his hand to shake with Christine. “I’m glad to have you aboard and I look forward to working with you and getting to know you. Now I don’t mean to be rude but would you mind excusing me and Foggy for a second.” “Oh uh not at all,” she smiled. “Speaking of rude though, Mr. Murdoch, someone seems to have written some very choice words on the wall in the alley outside your office window. Should I contact someone about that? Perhaps you would like to use my little work room to meet clients in the mean time, it has a much nicer view of the street. I’m surprised you didn’t already use it.” Matt smiled. “Thank you that would be great, as for the view she’s all yours I don’t have much use for it.” He laughed gently. He could tell instantly that she felt awful as it dawned on her what she had said to the blind man. Honestly the alley came in much more use to Matt than a view of the city streets ever would. Christine turned and left closing the door behind her. Matt began to laugh, Foggy raised his eyebrow at him quizzically. “Everything okay Matt?” “How beautiful is she? One to ten?” He smiled to his friend. “Matt I don’t think it’s exactly…” Foggy flustered. “Oh please,” Matt sat back in his seat, steepled his fingers together and smirked. “Given that she smells nice, judging by her footfalls seems to be slim, the tone of your voice, the scent of the beads of sweat on your temple, the pheromones you’re pumping out and the pace of your heart whenever she spoke kind of makes me thing you’ve got a thing for her.” “I hate you, I honestly hate you,” Foggy shook his head. “Still at least when y’know,” he put his fingers to his head like horns, “comes out and you get disbarred you could make a living as a Private Eye. I might even throw some work your way.” Matt laughed. “Last time, Foggy, it’s never going to come out.” “They’re all going to come out,” Foggy shook his head. “All of the costumed superheroes out there are going to end up unmasked at some point or another; it’s just the way it works. I don’t know how you can’t see that.” “Okay,” Matt conceded with his hands up. “I can see how that would apply to the majority out there but I’m not one of them. It’s going to be me and Spider-Man masked and shunned by society forever.” “I figured it out, Ben Urich figured it out…how many others know now too? Luke and Danny, Spider-Man…who I still wish you’d just tell me who he is already.” Matt drew a line across his lips to indicate his silence on the matter. The two sat in silence for a few seconds. “So are you going to ask?” “Ask what?” queried Foggy. “You know what you want to ask,” Matt said as he moved further back in his chair and put his feet up. “I’m not sure what you’re saying.” “I’m saying given your completely unfounded paranoia that women always go for me over you you’re unlikely to bring a woman you like in here to see me just out of the blue without having that question on your mind. I’ll tell you as soon as you ask.” “I hate you,” Foggy said with a shake of his head. “Okay fine! Does she like me?” Matt smiled. “It’s hard to say; first day nerves. Give me a couple of days and I’ll give you a green or yellow light.” “Thanks,” Foggy smiled to himself. “I wanted to talk to you about the Smithson case.” Matt groaned. “It’s only about three inches of land!” “Three inches on Manhattan,” Foggy corrected “and paying clients it would be best if you didn’t look so bored.” “But it’s so boring!” Matt shook his head. “I would so much rather be out there doing something else.” “Yes, yes, we both know that you’re the wondrous superhero and I’m very proud of you but let’s remember you’re an exceptional lawyer and it’s what keeps you in spandex,” Foggy teased his friend. “Yes, I am an exceptional lawyer,” he nodded “If I recall though you graduated above me at both college and Harvard Law School. I think you should handle this case for the good of our clients and I’ll go out and stretch my legs.” Matt stood up from his desk. Foggy shook his head with a smirk knowing that he was going to end up dealing with this case. “I don’t know what’s got into you in the past week or two but it’s good to see you being…you again.” “Well, it’s been 6 months since Bullseye last tried to kill me…or you…or my girlfriend.” “Mainly due to the lack of one currently,” Foggy smiled. “I could go and ask Chrissie out if you like?” Matt teased. “Shut up and keep talking,” Foggy waved his hand at his friend. “Oxymoron…and given where you finished in Law School,” he shook his head. “It’s been 4 months since I had to deal with any ninjas even given my trip to Japan. It’s been 2 months since anyone set out to personally kill me and 2 weeks since any super-villain stepped foot in The Kitchen.” “Mmmm?” “I figure knowing our luck that at any minute my entire life is going to come crashing down around my ears again and I’ll be attacked by any number of murderous ninjas but until then I’m going to try and remember that for a while I did enjoy doing this.” “I give it two weeks,” Foggy smiled. “Two weeks? Please were going to be lucky if it lasts 2 days,” Matt laughed. Two Hours later… He walked the first couple of steps and then burst into a slow jog and finally a sprint. The red clad figure hurtled across the rooftop and then bounded onto the ledge. He shoved off with his foot and launched himself off of the edge his legs coming to meet his chest before rotating forward and landing with a roll. He was back up and sprinting in a second, the other figures followed the same pattern each with only a slight variation in style or timing. They each bounded over the next ledge planting their hands on it and swinging their legs through the gap made between them. The first indicated in the two opposite directions to his friends. The two who followed separated out and moved along the outside of the building. They vaulted across the gaps effortlessly, their breathing unlabored and their muscles feeling warm and loose. The adrenaline pumped through their veins like diesel through a tank. They launched one after another off the edge of the building and let themselves drop. His hands landed on the handrail of the fire escape while his feet landed on the grid below. He silenced as much noise as he could by leaning into the force and then holding himself in place. He was two floors down from where he needed to be. He launched himself upwards climbing up the outside of the levels like they were a ladder. His two companions did the same a second and two later. The three scaled quickly and quietly before leaping over the barrier onto the relevant level. Their red converse sneakers twisted and bent as they crept in through the open window. The room was as they expected it to be. Needles and piles of chemicals lay all around the room. A large bundle of bills was wrapped in an elastic band on the table amongst the paraphernalia. One of the hooded figures crept silently towards an ajar door and peaked around the corner. He turned back and gave the thumbs up to the other two. One moved to unlock and open the apartment door whilst the other buzzed on the intercom. There was a sudden noise from the adjacent room as the tenant awoke started by the noise. He rushed into the room already pulling his gun from the pair of pants he’d been sleeping in. The figure that was closest to him tossed his shoulder into him whilst the other two shot forward and wrestled the gun away. A quick kick to the stomach winded him for a second and the three backed away. He glared at them. They stood there in baggy pants, high tops and a set of red hoodies pulled over their faces. A red scarf covered the lower half of their faces. Two tiny little horns were sown to the top of their hoods. “You three had better hope you’re gone before my boys get back,” spat the drug dealer. “They’re going to tear you up.” “Which three?” asked one of the new figures who appeared in the doorway. They began streaming in one after another all dressed the same. His apartment soon filled with about 20 extra bodies. Six of them wielded red metal baseball bats. They moved towards him and began to swing with every ounce they had. He let out a small yell of pain before it was silenced by him losing his teeth. “I know you’re distracted but I want you to listen,” said one of the figures as he moved towards the beaten man. “You tell your supplier, you tell your boys that you don’t sell drugs to the kids in this neighborhood. If I catch any of them around the school again they’ll have to deal with us.” “Who the fuck are you?” spat the drug dealer as blood poured from his mouth. It was more of an angry challenge than an actual question. “We’re the Daredevils,” said the figure who had been speaking. Make sure to tune into Daredevil: Better The Devil You Know, starting next issue. |