William had just emerged from the isolation room, and Elektra's eyes, burning with the flames of revenge, still haunted his mind.
The Hand, black sky, Alexandra, Daredevil... it was a tangled mess.
He was about to have the contract draw up a complete action plan when his private phone in his pocket vibrated sharply.
Caller ID: Jack Lockley.
William's heart sank, and he immediately answered the call.
There was no sound immediately from the other end of the line, only a heavily suppressed, rough gasp, like a wounded Beast.
"Jack?"
William's voice was very soft.
"William... Rodriguez..."
Jack's voice came through, hoarse and broken, yet filled with a chilling, hair-raising killing intent.
"It's me, Jack. Calm down."
"Marlene..." Jack's voice held a hint of pleading, a vulnerability his persona had never shown, "She's at the apartment... She needs a Doctor... Save her."
?
Had Shadow Knight come knocking?
"I... The only person I can trust now is you." Jack's voice became firm again, but beneath that firmness was a madness capable of incinerating everything.
"I'm going to kill that bastard."
"I must kill him."
The situation had completely spiraled out of control.
Moon Knight, the White phantom who represented fear and punishment in the eyes of criminals, had now shed all disguises.
He was no longer a vigilante.
He had become an Avenger.
"Give me the address." William's voice held no hesitation, "My people will be there immediately."
Risk management, that was his job.
Jack gave an address, then the phone was abruptly hung up.
William didn't waste a second.
He immediately contacted Tandy and Tyrone through the internal communication system.
"Tandy, Tyrone, emergency mission."
On the holographic screen, the two glowing dots representing them were moving on the Manhattan map.
"Boss, we're in Queens, just dealt with a group of robbers."
Tandy's voice came through, still with a hint of post-action excitement.
"Now, go to this address immediately." William sent the address information directly to their personal terminals, his tone brooking no argument.
"One of my clients, his loved one is seriously injured and in critical condition. The assailant is a super-powered individual."
William spoke very quickly, but every word was crystal clear.
"Your mission is to ensure her safety, bring her back. At all costs."
"Understood!" Tyrone's voice was steady and reliable.
"Remember." William added, his tone becoming exceptionally serious, "Do not engage in prolonged combat; prioritize saving the person. The opponent is very dangerous. If he is still on site, protect the target."
"Received."
On the screen, the two glowing dots representing Cloak and Dagger immediately changed direction, moving at high speed towards the apartment's location.
William looked at the map, taking a deep breath.
He felt a chill to his bones.
This was the complete eruption of a man pushed to his limits.
An out-of-control Moon Knight, driven by a desire for revenge, had an incalculable destructive power.
He would turn the entire New York underworld upside down.
The Hand.
Shadow Knight.
A berserk Moon Knight.
A controlled Daredevil.
These clues were like a giant spider web, slowly forming before his eyes, and he himself, along with his clients, seemed to have been drawn into the center of this web.
No.
There was still too little information.
He needed to know the situation with Defenders.
Matt Murdock becoming like this, it was impossible for the others not to notice.
William's fingertip scrolled across the contact list, finally stopping on a name.
Danny Rand.
The call went out, rang a few times, then was answered.
"Hey, Danny, it's me, William."
"William?" Danny's voice sounded a bit surprised, with what seemed like the sound of running Water in the background, "So late, is something wrong? I just finished meditating."
"Nothing major, just casually asking." William made his voice sound as relaxed and casual as possible, "Any team activities for Defenders recently? I feel like it's been a while since I saw you all together in the news."
"Team activities? No, not really." Danny's tone held a hint of confusion.
"Everyone's been very busy lately. Jessica is running all over the World, taking on her strange private detective cases; Luke is busy being his community hero in Harlem, constantly on the go. As for Matt..."
Danny paused.
"Speaking of which, I haven't been able to reach him for a while."
William's heart sank.
"His phone's off, and I can't find him at his office either." Danny's voice carried a hint of helplessness, "I thought he was busy with another big case only he could handle. You know, that blind lawyer always has a lot of secrets."
Indeed.
William's suspicions were confirmed.
Defenders, who should have been New York's strongest street-level defense, were now scattered.
The Hand had chosen a perfect, an impossibly perfect, moment.
"Alright, got it. Just casually asking." William maintained a relaxed tone, "Next time you're free, let's grab a drink, my treat."
"Sounds good."
After hanging up, the relaxed expression on William's face vanished instantly.
This was a long-planned War against all street heroes... Time, rewind to a week ago.
Fisk Tower, top floor office.
Wilson Fisk, the underground King of Hell's Kitchen, stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at his city.
He held a glass of expensive brandy in his hand, his expression as calm as Water.
But only he knew that beneath the calm surface, a volcano was about to erupt.
Daredevil.
Spider-Man.
These two annoying flies had been acting like madmen lately, teaming up to destroy several of his important strongholds, causing him heavy losses.
Anger was slowly burning in his veins.
"Master." His personal assistant, James Wesley, approached silently, "Alexandra has arrived."
Fisk didn't turn around.
The office door opened, and a woman in a White suit, with a noble and elegant demeanor, walked in.
She appeared to be only in her forties or fifties, but her eyes held an ancientness and weariness far beyond her age.
She was one of the five fingers of The Hand, Alexandra.
"Mr. Fisk, it seems you've encountered some minor troubles recently."
Alexandra's voice was soft and pleasant, yet carried an oppressive sense of knowing everything.
"Just a few pests that need to be cleaned up."
"One flying in the sky, one acting as a demon in Hell." Alexandra smiled, walking to Fisk's side, and stood with him, looking down at the city, "I can help you deal with one of them. The demon."
Fisk finally turned slowly, his massive body exuding immense pressure, his sharp gaze fixed on Alexandra.
"What do you want?"
He never believed in unprovoked kindness, especially when the other party was The Hand.
"I need him. Alive." Alexandra's purpose was very direct, "Daredevil is a special talent; his will, his abilities, his... pain, are very valuable to my organization."
"My people can't catch him." Fisk said truthfully, "He's like a ghost, coming and going without a trace."
"You don't need to catch him." Alexandra's lips curved into a mysterious smile, "You just need... to make him stop for a moment."
"Give me an opportunity, an opportunity for my people to have a private encounter with him. I will use my methods to make him willingly serve us."
Fisk narrowed his eyes.
A controlled Daredevil?
The thought made his long-dormant heart begin to race.
If Hell's Kitchen's guardian became his executioner... what a wonderful sight that would be.
The entire Hell's Kitchen would completely prostrate itself at his feet.
"He will obey my orders?"
Fisk asked the most crucial question.
"He will obey a new Master." Alexandra's answer was ambiguous, yet full of temptation, "And you, Mr. Fisk, will get the order you've always dreamed of. A Kitchen without demons, only a King."
This proposal, like a venomous snake, precisely bit into Fisk's ambition.
He was silent for a full minute.
In the office, only the steady breathing of the two remained.
Finally, Fisk's plump face revealed his characteristic, cold and cruel smile.
"A pleasure working with you, Alexandra."
-------------------------------
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