Running as the Devil
2047, Budapest, Hungary, they had been on the boy's trail since they set up shop downtown. This mission was too important to stop now, both of them knew it. The US President's son had been captured by slave traders as he exited the private academy. Secret Service Agents that were assigned to him had been killed earlier and replaced with their men.
The boy was 10 years old; to make matters worse was the type of slave trade his captors specialized in… Sex trade. Young blond American boys were highly popular across the Eurasia region and highly profitable especially fresh ones like the US President's son, Levi Randolph Aires. The thought of breaking a US President's son made the potential profits all-the-more sweeter.
The story was viral all over the world and the president was sparing nothing to get his son back. Every type of law enforcement from the CIA to Interpol was searching the world. The president wasn't too fond of vigilantes or superheroes much less meta-humans and mutants but at that moment he would of made a deal with the Devil himself if it meant it would bring his boy back safe and sound. Fortunately for him the devil he made the deal with was on the side of the angels.
Matt Murdock was conservative democrat and highly against the GOP, but none of that mattered when Secret Service caught him with a tranquilizer while he was on patrol in Hell's Kitchen. They didn't unmask him at the request of the U.S. President but Matt Murdock awoke in frenzy and broke several Secret Service Agent limbs to get free. "Daredevil." An older gentlemen speaks and Daredevil freezes.
"Mr. President didn't vote for you, so screw off." Daredevil snarls trying to get out of the vehicle as the President grabs his right shoulder. Daredevil tells him to let go.
"I won't hold that against you but please listen." The president begs Daredevil who hears that his heartbeat is steady and decides to hear him out. Before the president can get a word in Daredevil states with steel in his voice.
"Your boy has been captured by "X" group, happens to several kids here in Hell's Kitchen." Daredevil fires "You don't give two shits about them why should I help you?"
"It's the Black Specter Organization they include various slave trader endeavors." The president explains.
"Once again why should I care? Just because some wealthy, old money buffoon lost his son? President or not the rich don't care for the poor as evident in your recent presidential acts. So why should I care about you?"Daredevil grits his teeth opening the car door.
"The ones who captured my boy specialize in sex slaves." The president says with a heavy heart as tears roll down his cheeks. Daredevil froze as the car door shut lightly. He knew he couldn't just let this go, the president wasn't lying he could hear his steady heartbeat. President or not child sex trading was a taboo in his mind. "I know you shouldn't care, but I don't come to you as the President of these United States, I come to you as a father. A father that who'll do anything to get his boy back."
"Recent location and a jet for two to enter in quietly." Daredevil states with authority.
"Thank you, and Daredevil…" The president pauses as Daredevil nods. "End the organization is optional but please kill the bastards that took my boy so they never do this to anyone else."
Budapest, Daredevil and his partner Elektra track a van just outside of town. Its occupants exit the vehicle and open a sliding door a blindfolded blonde boy is pulled out. Followed by five other children from what Elektra tells him their ages are anywhere from 7 to 12. The traders, cargo in tow, enter a small building no bigger than a ranch house.
Inside the boys are forcibly stripped down to their underwear and one by one they are put on a platform with mirrors behind them showing them from every angle. In front of the boy an HD 1080p webcam is set up. Behind the camera a trader with a laptop calls out numbers from various men and women mostly men from the darkest regions of crime's underworld. The numbers are bids; the traders are selling the boys as sex slaves!
As the biding gets heavier Daredevil and Elektra slip in undetected, or so they think. The final boy steps on the platform and bidding soars exponentially as sickening cheers come from the traders. They gather around the laptop as these sick bastards turn the bidding into a shark's feeding frenzy. The boy they are bidding on is the President's son!
"Least they're all gonna die in one place!" Daredevil states.
"Let's get these…" Elektra is cut off as blood splatters on Daredevil as wooden stake exits her face.
"ELEKTRA!" He catches her as she falls. He hits a wall and his radar sense reveals the murderer! "YOU!"
Four days later state side, Daredevil moves past outside Secret Service Agents with supposed ease and makes his way to the Oval Office. He is met by additional SS, they were expecting him, he shows them the boy and he is let in.
"Levi?" the president breaks down in tears as he runs to his little boy embracing him saying his name over and over. Daredevil turns to leave and is stopped by the president. "God bless you Daredevil." He hugs his son's savior. "Whatever you want Daredevil."
"You cannot give me back what I want." Daredevil states solemnly holding back tears.
"I am confused." The President is taken back.
"My wife… Elektra she was murdered on this mission." Daredevil's tears fall from the exposed mouth part of his mask. The president is stunned.
"Tell me…" The president urges him.
"I got him already and the ones who took your boy." Daredevil cuts him off "As for Black Specter, they will soon be no more."
"Daredevil I could never repay you for what you've done, I cannot bring back your wife, Lord knows I would if I could. But if you need anything you got it." The president replies.
"Presidential Pardon and immunity from all my past questionable undertakings…a clean slate." Daredevil states regaining control of his emotions.
"I cannot do this without..." The president is cut off
"Without my real name I know, this was my final mission, I am done, retired." Daredevil states.
White House lawn at a press conference the next day, Daredevil rips off his mask. "My name is Matthew Michael Murdock; I have been the Daredevil since I was 21." The press goes wild as thousands of questions are shouted at once. On TVs throughout the United States and the World a banner states "BREAKING NEWS: THE LAST U.S. VIGLANTIE REVEALS HIMSELF!" below the headline, "AND HE'S BLIND!" Daredevil answers a few question but cuts them off. He states that the President has given him a full pardon and immunity, to which the president confirms. With that he leaves the conference unharassed the press fearing him only the lights of the photographers' cameras flash as the devil walked off into obscurity.
One year later…. It was the anniversary of Elektra's death and recovery of the president's son. Only thing to celebrate was that out of the death of one a life was saved. The former superhero never recovered from the event, some scars do not heal so easily. One change did happen though Murdock had begun to attend Sunday Mass at St. Francis of Assisi regularly.
However, even this didn't help heal the scars. The one priest that Murdock would confess to, Father Everett O'Conner gave him an unintentional outlet during a confession session. "Sweet Mary Mother of Christ Matthew, you should write a book!" It was like the Apostle John having the Revelation.
"You know what Father, you're right." Murdock mused at the priest's statement.
"Really Matthew?" the priest questions the event unfolding.
"He does work in mysterious ways." Murdock chuckled something he hadn't done since his wife's death.
"Indeed, 7 hail Mary's. Go with God my son." Father O'Conner concludes as Murdock exits the confessional feeling a little lighter and slightly more whole. It truly seemed like confession was good for the soul.
Four months later… After five rewrites, a week of frustrations and satisfactory negotiations to release it with little to no censorship, "Running as the Devil" is released nationwide with plans to take it globally! By the end of the month its HarperCollins Publications bestseller and best autobiography released.
Pendleton Books, Murdock had a "Meet the Author and Excerpt Reading" event scheduled for the day. This was the start of his book tour throughout the state starting with New York's Five Boroughs and ending at the capital. The event went well as did the sales of his book. Finally the event everyone had been waiting for was about to begin. At the start of the event people were asked via a poll at a kiosk that was set up at the book's display. The publishing company thought it would be more profitable if Murdock read in full Daredevil attire. Murdock compromised and agreed to the poll.
Murdock was in uniform and was greeted by the roar of cheering fans dressed in red with the "Double D" logo on their shirts. They were bought at the store with the proceeds going to St. Francis of Assisi Orphanage and School. Half of the book proceeds went to the Catholic Charities Community's The Guild for the Blind leaving Murdock with 25% of the profits; Murdock wasn't a greedy man out of that 25% he kept 7% giving the rest of the 18% to his home church St. Francis of Assisi. This forced HarperCollins to follow suit keeping 10% of their 25% and donating the rest of the 15% to various charities they supported. This suited Murdock well to know most of his book's proceeds went to help others less fortunate than himself.
The crowd's cheers died down as Murdock sat down opening his braille autobiography to chapter one, "Born Again!" He had the crowd as he began. "Life began like it does for most kids living in Hell's Kitchen…Rough…"
1997, Hell's Kitchen, I was thirteen; my father Jonathan "Battlin' Jack" Murdock was struggling make ends meet as a prize fighter. I took a short cut home via the local docks, due to my run-ins with local bullies from school which always ended up with me needing ice packs and new underwear. When I saw my dad confirm the rumors I was hearing about him playing enforcer for the local mafia boss Fallon. It was the last image I had and have of my father before a forklift ripped into some chemical barrels. The contents inside the barrels splashed across my eyes permanently blinding me.
I woke up in a hospital to cacophony of sound, tastes, smells and textures. I was frightened to no end as I fell off the bed and felt my way to the nearest corner of the room. My heart rate spiked alerting the nurses to my rescue. I was alone; my father was out making a living for us. He had left Fallon and was working at the docks where I had my accident; the owners gave him a job as a dock foreman. Decent pay at the time, or so I was told, this was in addition to them paying for all my hospital bills. The hospital alerted my dad that I was awake and his boss gave him the rest of the day off.
For the next three months it seemed we were both on a comeback. Dad knew about my problems with bullies but told me it would pass. Easier said than lived, he always told me, "Hit the books as hard I box and you will be the boss of those who cause you harm." That was fine and dandy for the one who wasn't getting his ass handed to him every day. So in secret I trained at his former gym the Mercedes Club. The staff their remembered my father and heard about what happened to me. They took pity on me and trained me for free since you had to be 18 to officially join. Being the blind kid had its advantages.
I found out later that my dad's job had to make cutbacks and laid him off. This wasn't true the owners' believed they paid their debt and let him go. I later founded out that my dad was secretly training to reenter the world of prize fighting. He had been doing this ever since he got his position at the docks.
"Hit the books as hard I box and you will be the boss of those who cause you harm." My dad's words echoed in my mind again when he discovered my little secret. He whooped the devil out of me that day. He later regretted it when he saw the bruises on my back. He thought he did that, but I told him the truth it was the bullies. He made me a promise if I kept my grades up he would train me himself.
The years went by and I graduated summa cum laude from Hell's Kitchen High, I was also a man not to be f'd with. Unfortunately my dad never saw me graduate, the year I started my freshman year dad took a match set up by Fallon. He was told to "Take a Dive." But he refused and fought the match of his lifetime. It ended up his last… I couldn't bury my dad, and no charity wanted to help. Fallon had gotten to them, so the city cremated him. To this day I do not know what happened to my father's ashes. I had no other living relatives that I knew of. So I was sent to St. Francis of Assisi Orphanage. Surprisingly I didn't stay their long when a man whom I only know as Styx adopted me.
From what he told me, he had learned what happen to me when I was thirteen and my dad's involvement with Fallon. When I asked how he knew about Fallon, he laughed and when I got to his compound near the Hudson River. He revealed to me he was the Leader of The Chaste. The rest of my high school and much of my tenure at Colombia University I discovered and honed my highly acute senses in the art of ninjutsu. I became Styx prized pupil, and surpassed his proximity sense technique into what became a radar sense. With this new sense I could see the world better than I ever could when I wasn't blind.
2005, I was twenty-one I had two more years till I got my bachelor's in criminal justice, then was moving on to my masters from there law school, more specifically Harvard Law. My time with The Chaste, prepared me to become "The Man without Fear…" I wasn't an angel for I was still fighting with many of my own devils within. I guess that's why I called myself Daredevil. I was Hell's Kitchen's Guardian Devil fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves… the forgotten ones in a world and city that cared about making their next "X" amount of net income than those who barely made their rent.
I was going to change that after I took down Fallon. Word on the street was that he just promoted a new made-man, an underboss going by the name Deadshot. I was going to congratulate him in my own special way…
END.