William Rodriguez was intently analyzing the Shadow Knight surveillance footage on the screen, trying to find more clues from the blurry images.
This Shadow Knight was clearly not acting on impulse.
Judging by his precise avoidance of surveillance cameras, the opponent was either an experienced criminal or had inside information.
William's phone suddenly rang.
Caller ID: Jessica Jones.
William's brow furrowed slightly. Jessica rarely called him late at night unless it was an emergency.
"Hello, Jessica."
William answered the phone.
"William!"
Jessica's voice sounded very tense, even with a hint of a tremor.
"I need your help!"
William immediately became alert.
Given Jessica's personality, anything that could make her this nervous was definitely not simple.
"What happened?"
"It's Matt!" Jessica's voice was urgent.
"Daredevil is in trouble!"
"What's wrong with him? Is he injured?"
"No!"
Jessica's voice carried fear and disbelief.
"He... he became the leader of The Hand!"
The whiskey glass in William's hand almost slipped.
The Hand?
How could Matt Murdock become the leader of The Hand?
This was absolutely preposterous!
"Are you sure?" William forced himself to remain calm. "Is the source reliable?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
Jessica's voice was filled with despair.
"Tonight, while investigating a missing persons case, I accidentally stumbled into a secret meeting of The Hand. William, I saw Matt sitting in the chairman's seat, and all the members of The Hand were bowing to him!"
William's brain raced.
This couldn't be true.
Matt Murdock was Hell's Kitchen's most steadfast Guardian; he hated all evil forces, especially The Hand.
For him to become the leader of The Hand?
That was as absurd as Captain America joining HYDRA.
"Jessica, is it possible you saw wrong?"
William tried to find other explanations.
"Maybe someone was impersonating Matt?"
"No!"
Jessica's voice was even more certain.
"I heard his voice, I saw his movements. That was Matt, I would never be mistaken!"
William was silent for a few seconds.
If what Jessica said was true, then things were too serious.
Daredevil's corruption meant that Hell's Kitchen would lose its most important Guardian.
Even worse, a Matt who knew all the heroes' weaknesses and identities, if he really sided with evil...
"Did he discover you?" William asked.
"I'm not sure."
Jessica's voice was laced with fear.
"I was hiding in the ventilation shaft, but Matt's senses are too keen. I felt he might have noticed something, but he didn't act immediately."
William walked to the window, gazing at the night view of New York in the distance.
Two crises appeared simultaneously.
The Shadow Knight was hunting Moon Knight, and Daredevil was suspected of being controlled by The Hand.
This was no coincidence.
"Jessica, where are you now?" William asked.
"My apartment." Jessica replied. "William, what should I do? Should I notify others?"
William thought for a moment.
If this news was spread carelessly, it could lead to irreversible consequences.
What if what Jessica saw was just a misunderstanding or a trap?
What if Matt was on a secret mission?
"Don't tell anyone for now." William gave the order. "Including Luke and Danny."
"Why?" Jessica's voice was filled with doubt.
"Because we need more information." William explained. "If Matt is truly controlled, then the power controlling him must be very strong. Rash actions will only alert the enemy."
William paused.
"And, if this news gets out, how do you think the Avengers will react?"
Jessica gasped.
She understood what William meant.
A corrupted Daredevil held too many secrets.
The true identities and addresses of multiple superheroes... if this information fell into The Hands of The Hand, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I understand." Jessica's voice calmed down a bit. "What are you going to do?"
William already had a preliminary plan.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"What favor?"
"Tomorrow night, find a way to arrange a meeting with Matt." William's tone became serious. "Tell him you have important information to give him."
"You want to go see him yourself?" Jessica's voice was filled with worry. "William, that's too dangerous! If he really is controlled..."
"Then I must confirm it." William interrupted her. "Jessica, Matt is my client."
Jessica was silent.
"Alright." Jessica finally agreed. "But I'm going with you."
"No." William immediately refused. "It's too dangerous."
"William Rodriguez!" Jessica's voice rose an octave. "Do you think I'm a delicate flower? My strength is no weaker than yours!"
William rubbed his temples.
He had forgotten that Jessica was also a super-powered individual, and quite hot-tempered.
"Alright, but you must follow my command." William compromised.
"Deal."
After hanging up the phone, William sat back on the sofa.
Two crises, two former heroes.
One provoked, one suspected of corruption.
William had a premonition that there might be some connection between these two events.
"contract." William called out.
"Yes, sir."
"Check The Hand's recent activity records. Focus on any information related to Egyptian mythology or ancient deities."
"Searching now. Estimated eight minutes."
William picked up his whiskey and slowly savored it.
The spicy taste of the liquor spread across his tongue, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart.
If Matt was truly controlled by The Hand, what was the method of control?
magic? Poison? Or some ancient evil ritual?
Elektra was still confined on the island, so why had The Hand suddenly turned its attention to Daredevil?
Had Matt already died once, and then been resurrected and controlled by The Hand?
This thought made William's mood even heavier.
If that were truly the case, the difficulty of saving Matt would greatly increase.
"Sir, search complete." contract's voice interrupted William's thoughts.
"What did you find?"
"The Hand has indeed had unusual activity recently."
A series of documents appeared on the holographic screen.
"Three days ago, there was a large-scale gathering at one of their strongholds. According to intelligence, an important figure joined The Hand's inner circle."
William looked at the information on the screen.
The timeline matched up.
It was exactly when Matt disappeared.
"Any other discoveries?"
"There's an interesting detail." contract pulled up another file. "The Hand has recently started searching for artifacts related to ancient Egyptian mythology. Especially items related to the 'God of Vengeance'."
William's pupils contracted.
God of Vengeance?
Wasn't that another title for Khonshu?
Why would The Hand be looking for artifacts related to Khonshu?
Could the appearance of the Shadow Knight really be related to The Hand?
A terrifying conspiracy began to form in William's mind.
The Hand controlled Daredevil, gaining a large amount of intelligence about superheroes.
Then they began searching for ancient Egyptian mythological artifacts, possibly to gain some powerful force.
And the appearance of the Shadow Knight was likely part of this plan.
If the Shadow Knight was truly an assassin trained by The Hand, then his target was not just Moon Knight.
He might be after all superheroes.
William stood up and paced back and forth in the office.
The current situation was far more complex than he had imagined.
These were no longer two independent crises, but a meticulously planned, massive conspiracy.
William picked up his phone and redialed Jack Lockley's number.
"What have you found now?" Jack's voice was still as irritable.
"The situation is more serious than we thought." William said directly. "The Shadow Knight is likely not acting alone."
Silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds.
"You mean?"
"He has organizational support behind him. A very ancient, very powerful evil organization." William's tone became grave. "And they may have already controlled someone we all know."
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