Daredevil bore shallow wounds, while the ninjas lay crumpled, bones twisted.
Upholding his no-kill creed, Hell's Kitchen's good neighbor, lawyer Matt Murdock, knocked them out and advanced into the factory.
His superhuman hearing confirmed Luke Cage's foes were down, but the ensuing crashes puzzled him.
He didn't worry about Luke's safety.
Having just faced the Hand, the toughest foe Daredevil met was a red-clad ninja.
In his mind, they couldn't harm the bulletproof Luke.
Flipping through a window, he knocked out a guard.
Brain damage? Not his concern.
As long as they lived, that sufficed.
If injuries stopped their crimes, all the better.
…
"Damn it!"
Luke Cage grumbled, racing to the rendezvous with Matt.
He avoided harmless workers, but some got caught in his path.
Toppling machinery, he evaded pursuers.
He didn't care about the equipment's state, but to the Hand, it meant wealth.
The villains were the ones restrained.
"That old lady—what's her deal? Freakishly strong!"
Luke muttered, recalling Bul-Kathos.
"Are all old folks this strong?"
Shaking off wild thoughts, he sprinted toward his goal.
He spotted Daredevil's red suit; the blood from his wounds blended with the dark red, unnoticed by Luke.
"Daredevil! A crazy strong old lady's after me! We're not winning this!"
Luke's shout was cut by a sharp pain in his ribs, forcing a groan.
Daredevil sensed trouble from Luke's labored breathing, like bellows.
This fight was lost.
"Plan B!"
He shouted, smashing a machine with his baton.
A grating screech came from the mangled equipment.
Plan B: wreck the factory's gear, halt production.
Originally, they'd planned to take down the Hand's men, skim some dirty money from suppliers, then vanish after calling the cops.
Criminals wouldn't report being double-crossed.
But the situation was dire, so they pivoted to sabotage.
"Damn it, I can't beat that freakish old lady! If you don't run, I'm out!"
Luke yelled, toppling another machine, rendering it useless without major repairs.
Workers had scattered when the duo stormed in.
The factory buzzed like flies in a public restroom.
Even the ninjas chasing Luke were blocked by frantic workers.
To the Hand, machines and skilled workers were vital wealth.
"Crouch! Or die!"
A lead ninja shouted.
Panicked workers ignored him, fleeing to safety.
Madame Gao appeared, seeing the chaos. She hurled her broken cane at a worker's head.
A dull thud, barely audible.
Blood splattered widely, calming the chaos.
"Move, and you die!"
Her cold voice filled the factory, freezing all workers.
Luke's toppling of another machine caused no stir.
The chaos plan failed.
"Daredevil, I'm out!"
Luke gritted his teeth, shouting.
He flung a machine at Gao and charged the nearest wall.
Matt, sensing Gao's aura like his mentor Stick's, heard Luke crash through the wall and his fading steps.
The mission failed; escape was next.
…
Rumlow sat in his room, staring at a blank wall, lost in thought.
He didn't doubt his choice or fear death before his task.
Mokot's hammer had already killed the old Rumlow.
He pondered his next move.
Injured, he'd gotten a short leave.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s advanced medical tech healed him, so Fury granted a week off.
If not for his unwelcome status, he'd have begged Bul-Kathos to return to Harrogath.
Fury and Pierce's intel suggested Bul-Kathos disliked him.
True, but now qualified as a barbarian, Bul-Kathos wouldn't deny him Harrogath.
Yet he had no reason to go.
He believed Bul-Kathos could topple S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra alone, but that was his goal—his first step toward atonement.
He didn't want Bul-Kathos's help.
Few in S.H.I.E.L.D. had clear allegiances. Fury was a paranoid control freak.
Coulson had a good rep, but Rumlow barely knew him.
Among leadership, few were just and well-regarded.
Peggy Carter, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founder, counted, but she was bedridden, old, pining for Captain America.
Only one choice remained!
(End of Chapter)
---------------------------------------------------------
🚀 Want more?
📖 Unlock 10+ early chapters on my Patreon!
💖 Support me here: patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ
🔓 Get ahead of the story today!