URICH: TARGETED FOR TERMINATION
By Nick Garland
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they belong to Marvel Characters, Inc.
Three years had passed since Ben Urich was sued for a million dollars by Wilson Fisk and Norman Osborne. Now he was Pulse magazine's hottest writer, alongside Kat Farrell. Ben sat at his desk in his rather comfortably large cubicle on the Pulse floor of the Daily Bugle offices.
His latest story should be successful. He had checked it over with his lawyer, Matthew Murdock, several times. It had perfectly tied an illegal shipment of guns and drugs to the Fisk Corporation, owned of course by Wilson Fisk, who Ben knew was, and had been sued for revealing as, the Kingpin of Crime in New York City.
DRUG AND WEAPONS SHIPMENT INTERCEPTED: IS FISK INVOLVED?
Last night, a mass illegal shipment of heroin, cocaine and high tech weaponry was intercepted by police thirteen miles off the East Coast by the authorities. Despite the fact that the men refused to answer any questions about the employers, I myself investigated and found some interesting information.
On every crew members cell phone were three common numbers: one to a now deserted warehouse, one to an unidentified cell and one to the penthouse apartment of Mr. Wilson Fisk himself. Also, I investigated the company the ship came from, Lieber Enterprises, and found it to be a subsidiary of the Miller Corporation , which is in turn a dummy corporation for Fisk Enterprises.
Three years ago I was sued for libel against Wilson Fisk, but now one must wonder: is Mr. Fisk as innocent as he seems? This reporter for the one hopes the authorities can answer this question in good time, while I myself shall always be on the look-out for information…
The Pulse magazine hit shelves the next day and Ben knew he could be in danger… but he had to do this. He lay on the sofa in the living room with his wife, Doris, watching TV. That was when the next guest star came on… Wilson Fisk!
"Ladies and gentlemen! Give a big hand for Mr. Wilson FISK!" Bellowed the presenter. Fisk strode on and took a seat in an armchair. Ben sat up in shock.
"Mr. Fisk, what is your response to this incident about the mob shipment at the docks? The shipment that Ben Urich tied to you…?" Asked the presenter.
"It is clearly another part of Mr. Urich's insane vendetta against this city's business," Answered Fisk, "And therefore I would like to 100 deny any and all claims. If a day in court must come, I shall plead not guilty and I shall never bow to this… this slanderous conspiracy."
Ben groaned… and heard a banging at the door. Who the Hell visited at eleven at night? Urich rose and hurried through the apartment, opening the door to see someone that made his blood turn icy cold. The gaunt face, the blond, short hair… and that sick smile. Bullseye stood on Ben's doorstep, holding up a deck of playing cards.
"Hey, Mr. Urich," He hissed venomously, "Wanna come out to play?"
Ben reached to slam the door but two cards snaked out from Bullseye's hand, slicing both door hinges away. The door crashed down and Bullseye kicked his target across the room. Ben crashed onto the sofa, waking Doris! She screamed in terror, seeing her wheezing husband.
"Think ya c'n be a hero an' catch the Kingpin, huh, Urich!? Well, let me tell ya, better men than you have tried… and failed!"
Urich smiled oddly and pulled something shining and metallic from his pocket.
"What the Hell…?"
"I didn't live this far as a crime reporter without taking precautions, pal," He spat, "I learn from my mistakes!"
Ben fired, eyes shut, and lay there for moments. Doris was crying. The grey haired reporter slowly opened his eyes. Bullseye sat on an armchair, smirking, pointing the gun at Ben.
"Now who's the idiot, Gyrich?" He scoffed.
"It's Urich…" Ben had no idea why he said it, but he was saved any further torment as the window crashed open. A woman in red stood by the shattered window, clutching two sai, razor sharp ninja daggers. She looked European of some kind- Greek? Turkish?- and wore some kind of scarlet martial arts garments and headscarf.
"Natchios," Bullseye snarled. Ben had no idea what was going on.
"The bounty will be mine, Pondexter!" Spat the woman, who Ben assumed to be an assassin. Upon hearing her accent, Urich decided she was Greek- a Greek assassin. Kat had published an article about a female Greek hit-woman, Ben recalled… Elektra.
The two clashed and Ben pushed up, staggering for the door, pulling Doris with him. Urich was dialling on his mobile as they rushed down the stairs. Matt had given him an emergency number for times just like this.
The lower door opened and a suited man, an albino, was there. He had dyed, jet black hair, wore a suit and held some kind of machine gun in his hands.
"Urich!" Hollered the man. Damn it! The Kingpin had put out a bounty for him that night and every damn assassin in New York was eager to collect!
Doris was screaming, sobbing, whimpering. The albino killer was advancing up the stairs.
"It'll be over quick if ya come quietly, old man!"
Urich stared at the hitman down the stairwell, making sure he was at a terrible angle to hit. He called down:
"I'll come down quietly if you let my wife go free!"
Simultaneously, Urich slipped into the landing toilet.
"Ben! What the Hell are you…?" Began Doris.
"Don't worry. I have a plan," Whispered Urich. He grabbed a squeezable soap bottle and squeezed all of the contents out, filling it from the tap. He slipped back out as the assassin called up:
"Deal, Urich!"
Ben walked down slowly.
"Don't worry," He smiled weakly at his wife, "I'll be OK."
He walked up to the albino, who put the gun to the reporter's head. Suddenly, Ben pulled out his cassette recorder, which he had found to be a vital tool of the trade. He pointed the recorder at his attacker.
"What the…?" Gasped the albino.
"Any comments?" Growled Ben as he flicked the device on, ripping the bottle's top off and emptying the contents into the hole for earphones, ramming it into the killer's face. Electricity crackled, burning at the criminal's face! He staggered back, clutching his face and groaning, as the Urichs charged from the building, sprinting down the street. Ben glanced at his phone. He had sent his text seven minutes ago… Matt would be there within ten, he always said.
Suddenly, Bullseye was there again, card aimed.
"No more tricks this time, Benny!" He bellowed.
"No," Came an angry voice, "No more tricks, Bullseye!"
A red gloved fist knocked the assassin to the ground. Daredevil stood over his arch-nemesis.
"You killed her! You killed Elektra!" Roared the vigilante. Ben gasped. Why was Matt furious about the death of a murderer!? The Man Without Fear kicked his foe across the street. Bullseye was groaning as Matt- Ben had to keep assuring himself it was the quiet, kind lawyer that he knew as a friend behind the mask- lifted him from his feet and grapple with his billy club to hang from a high telephone wire. Urich gasped in astonishment as Murdock dropped his archenemy plunging from the height. As Matt swept away, Ben heard him utter only one word, which chilled him to the bone… "Bullseye."
BULLSEYE WILL LIVE!
By Pulse reporter Kat Farrell
The notorious assassin Benjamin Pondexter, better known as Bullseye, will live, it was revealed today, two weeks after his dramatic encounter with the vigilante Daredevil and assassin Elektra at the apartment of Pulse reporter Ben Urich. Mercy General Hospital issued the following statement:
"We are now sure that Bullseye will pull through, though his spine is inoperably damaged. Mr. Pondexter will never walk again."
Benjamin Pondexter's legal representative, Ms. Rosaline Sharp, issued a statement claiming that the assassin accepted his injuries as penance for the pain he had brought upon so many people.
Ben lay on the sofa in the large living room of Matthew Murdock's Clinton apartment, while Doris slept in the comforts of a large armchair. Two weeks had passed but Matt was still sure the Urichs couldn't return home. Not until Daredevil gathered all the evidence, and the story was published… the story of a century. The story proving, once and for all, that Wilson Fisk was New York City's one and only Kingpin of Crime.
There was a creak outside. Urich slowly moved to see the window. A figure stood outside. A pale, suited figure. The albino!
"Thought ya could escape Tombstone, huh, Urich!?" He was holding a shotgun. Ben noticed the hitman's face was scarred, from their last encounter, "Well, this time…"
Something red, metallic and very, very heavy struck Tombstone across the back of the head. He slumped, unconscious. Matt Murdock stood in his apartment, grim faced.
"Fisk knows where you are," He told them, "But I have the evidence. It's time, Ben. Time to end Wilson Fisk's reign as Kingpin of this city."
Daredevil dropped his fire extinguisher and handed a folder to Ben.
"I won't let him touch you again, my friend," He stared into the reporter's eyes and Ben felt braver, bolder and ready to do anything to ensure Wilson Fisk was put behind bars… and stayed there.
He leafed through the document. Everything was there. Ben would have the story of a lifetime, and he would help the city unbelievably. He smiled. He suddenly knew just how glad he was that he had never printed that story. The story revealing the truth about Matthew Murdock, the truth about Daredevil, The Man Without Fear.
PULSE EXCLUSIVE: WILSON FISK IS THE KINGPIN!
By Pulse reporter Ben Urich
It's official. The Pulse magazine can now exclusively reveal that Wilson Fisk is the Kingpin of Crime in New York City. Thanks to evidence attained by Clinton's defender, the vigilante Daredevil. The following article shows various documents, images and other pieces of vital evidence displaying the true corruption of one of New York's most famous, and infamous, businessman. Some of the pictures provided may be disturbing to view for some, but the Bugle have deemed it necessary to show such scenes. I am glad to say this sorry era in the history of the Big Apple must soon be over, and that I can finally prove any claims of libel to be utterly and totally wrong.
It took months after that. Months of waiting, months of hoping, months of praying, but it happened, eventually. Wilson Fisk was put behind bars and Ben Urich was finally heralded as one of America's finest reporters with a Pulitzer Prize for his exposé of the Kingpin. Months passed and New York was at peace… but everyone soon knew it. Something worse was on the horizon. The Kingpin was gone… how long would it take for another to rise? But every kingdom has its strife. And with the Kingpin gone, there were many hoping to claim his role. Gang war was on the horizon.
The "Urich" series of stories shall be concluded in URICH III, coming soon.