All Jessica wanted to do tonight was grab a few drinks with Trish and bitch about crappy clients. But no, she had to run into danger-magnet Matt Murdock and his murder-buddy so she could be hunted by an alien. For the first time in her life, she wanted to know what it felt like to fire the assault rifle that hung over her shoulder.

Matt though, continued to earn his title of self-sacrificing saint by lugging Castle around, who finally seemed to get his bearings after colliding with a forklift.

"Frank, what the hell are you doing?" Matt grunted.

"I told you, we need to finish it off." Castle pulled away from Matt and moved toward a stack of pallets. Leaning against the wooden crates, he gestured at the weapon hanging from Jessica's shoulder. "I need that."

Jessica was happy to get rid of it. She handed over the rifle, and Castle winced when he reached over to grab it. She gave the building a cursory glance, but it wasn't much to look at. Whatever used to be here was cleared out, leaving a pretty empty room except some random debris, a catwalk, and portable work lights that hung from scaffolding.

Matt exhaled and nodded at Castle. "We need to—"

"Re-group, which is what we just did. I never agreed to a retreat." Breathing heavily, Castle checked his magazine for ammo. It took him two times to re-insert it. "Can you see it from here? Is it injured?"

Matt was agitated, Jessica could tell even with half his face was covered by the mask. No one radiated tension like Murdock. "We need to find Cuchillo and—"

A loud bellowing noise echoed through the building.

Castle jutted his chin at Matt, even though the gesture was probably lost on the man. "You want to save them? We need to kill this thing."

Matt worked his jaw. "Yeah, agreed." His whole body stilled. "It hasn't moved…it's…." His nostrils flared. "I don't know about its biology, but based on the smell, I think it's bleeding." He looked in Castle and Jessica's direction, his voice thoughtful. "I remember when I was on top of it; I noticed its lower extremities weren't covered by armor plating. Its legs were exposed, the skin was like…leather…."

"Then we'll target its weak-points," Castle said.

Jessica rolled her eyes; she was so grateful to be in the presence of a true military genius. "Are you going to throw another grenade without warning?" Because the asshole was lucky she and Matt were good at jumping out of the way.

"I issued a warning."

"Are you going to be able to fire a weapon with a cracked collarbone and a concussion?" Matt asked.

Jessica added possible x-ray and MRI abilities to the ever-growing file of Matt Murdock inside her head. The concussion was an obvious diagnosis based on Castle's poor coordination; she'd suspected a shoulder injury based on his impeded movement.

"We're wasting time," Castle grunted. "And for the record, I'd never put my unit in danger if I thought I wasn't fit to carry out my duty." And based on his scowl, he seemed insulted that Matt could suggest such a thing.

"I'm well aware of your pain threshold," Matt conceded.

"I wish mine for dealing with so much testosterone was as high," Jessica muttered.

Matt smirked, but it began to fade as he cocked his head and started walking.

"For crying out loud." Jessica followed him as he made his way to the east wall. "Use your words, Matt. The rest of us aren't connected to the Matrix."

"It's the same signal from earlier. It's broadcasting at thirty minute intervals." Matt crouched at an area of disturbed dirt, his mouth partially open in confusion. "It's coming from here."

Jessica bit her lip, caught between escape and curiosity. But now wasn't the time for exploring. "Look, I'm loathe to admit it, but Castle's right: we should probably go after that thing while it's wounded."

But Matt was transfixed, running his hand along the edge of long piece of metal sticking out of the dirt. His fingers were covered with bloodstains.

She stared at her own hands and rubbed them against her jeans to scrub away the dried blood. God, she had enough of this shit over the years, she didn't need to be reminded what it was like to witness another human being's suffering and not be able to do a damn thing about it. Her pulse pounded inside her ears and she tugged at her scarf, her skin overheating.

Jessica glanced at Matt, his fingers splayed against the metal buried under the dirt, his heavy breaths blowing the dust around. His intensity was freaking her out. "Matt," she called out. But he didn't respond and Jessica touched his shoulder and shook it. "Murdock."

"There's something huge buried here, it's…the metal alloy isn't anything I've ever seen before and it's dense, like a…." Matt stood up so suddenly he almost head-butted her. "I think it's a ship."

God damn it. Could the day get any worse?

"But that doesn't make sense," Jessica said, her mind reeling. "Shouldn't spaceships be parked somewhere else, preferably not underground?"

"I think this is older, much older…it's ancient."

Jessica heard the heavy thump of boots as Castle made his way over, his gait unsteady, the M4 hung over his shoulder. He gripped his Sig in the other hand. "They've been here before, haven't they?"

"Based on the depth this is buried, the ship is hundreds of years old." Matt looked down at the ground. "The demolition must have exposed it then triggered a beacon."

"You mean like a homing transmission?" Jessica said.

"It could be what brought that thing here," Castle commented. It was weird to see him contemplating things like a normal person.

The alien bellowed again; its high-pitched scream grated on Jessica ears.

What was it doing here if the ship crashed here so long ago?

Then the pieces started connecting in her head, dread filling her stomach. "Is this part of an invasion force?" Jessica couldn't deal with that, not again. Not ever.

"I think it just likes killing," Castle said, matter-of-fact. "Like I said, I've seen something like this before."

"And you didn't warn us?" Jessica's cheeks burned. "You're The Punisher! Why didn't you bring a rocket launcher or a machine gun?"

"Because this was supposed to be just recon." His eyes narrowed into a glower. He shook his head and started pacing despite the occasional wobble. "I thought it was out in the streets. I wanted help in identifying it and gain a better understanding so we could launch a proper offensive." He actually sounded guilty.

Jessica gave him room to burn off his anger. Her impression of Frank Castle was that he took tactical errors harder than most people.

"Its kills are ritualistic," Matt said.

Castle strode over and nodded at Matt; the way he interacted with him often made Jessica forget that Matt couldn't see such gestures.

"Maybe it's attracted to blood?" Castle pondered. "It could explain why it began going after the gangs."

"It could be," Matt said, pursing his lips. He shook his head. "Those guys were going to torture Cuchillo. I think the alien was drawn here. Maybe…." Matt's eyebrows rose. "Maybe it's attracted to violence in general—like it can sense when hormones and endorphins are released."

"It's a wonder it doesn't have a hard on for you," Jessica told Castle.

He actually chuckled in response.

The alien screamed again and Matt sucked in a breath.

Jessica exhaled in dread. "That does not sound good."

"We've never considered that there might be more than one," Matt said.

"Are you shitting me?" Jessica turned around to see if another one was behind them.

"There's a second one, its scent…," Matt wrinkled his face. "…it's repugnant."

Castle stared at the entrance to the construction site. "We'll out flank it. The both of you do exactly what I say."

"This is the only time you can say that and expect to keep your jaw intact," Jessica told him. She crossed arms over her chest. "How many more grenades do you have left?"

"None."

"Just peachy," she said.

"I normally don't need more than one." Considering how outmatched they were, Castle didn't show an ounce of trepidation. "Red, you're our spotter. Jones, you'll—"

"I'll distract the thing so you can shoot it. Got it," Jessica said. "This isn't exactly the Battle of Thermopylae."

Castle pulled out a second handgun and held it up for her. "Here."

"I'll pass."

He glanced over at Matt and paused in consideration, eyes narrowing before holding up the weapon. "Can you…?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

Jessica studied the cant of Matt's head, the way the lines at the corners of his mouth deepened. She grabbed a piece of rebar from the ground.

Matt looked up at the girders, startled. "The other alien's coming through the roof."

"It'll be able to pick us off from with that advantage," Castle growled.

The alien jumped down onto the long metal beam four meters above their heads. It didn't use invisibility tech; it was taller than the first one, well over seven feet with thicker and longer dreads along the side of its head. Instead of armor plates, it wore a leather vest with red markings, matching pieces were wrapped around it arms, the rest of its flesh was exposed.

"It has a damn spear," Jessica said.

Castle gripped his rifle but didn't aim it, to her surprise. He was exercising restraint; probably reaching the same conclusion as her… the alien was attracted to acts of aggression.

The alien stopped midway down the beam; a mask shielded its face. The mask was thinner than the first alien's, bronze colored, and looked like a visor. The alien looked in Jessica's direction, its breaths audible behind the mask.

After a long uncomfortable minute it turned toward Castle, its fingers gripping the middle of the spear even tighter.

"It's studying us," Matt warned.

It looked in Matt's direction last, taking a step closer, cocking its head to the side, the movement reminiscent of when Matt 'looked' at things.

"What are the chances that it uses thermal vision behind that mask?" Jessica asked.

"It emits an electrical field similar to thermal goggles," Matt answered. "So, it's possible."

"This stare off game is getting too freaky." Jessica licked her lips. "Maybe if we walked away in a non-threatening manner it'll get bored."

None of them budged and Jessica took the opportunity to study their opponent. A long scimitar hung down one leg, a gun was attached to its left wrist, and what looked like arrows stuck out from a pack from its back. It was a goddamned big game hunter.

Matt began moving to his left, creating distance between her and Castle. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

"In case you haven't noticed, I think it's been staring at me the most, at least its head has been pointed in my direction." Matt continued walking toward the left hand wall. "Not to mention, the one we almost killed is trying to sneak up behind us, so I'm creating a slight distraction."

How could she have forgotten about the other one?

"I was supposed to be the distraction," she growled. Jessica started in the opposite direction, sick to death of his self-sacrificing tendencies.

The alien watched Matt as he moved and after a long beat, it looked in Castle's direction, then Jessica's.

It made a low chirring noise before aiming the weapon from its wrist at Castle and fired.

"Frank!" Matt shouted, his warning just seconds too late.

A blue bolt of energy struck Castle, his whole body stiffening, his weapon slipping from his fingers as he collapsed.

"No!" Matt shouted. Panting, he started toward Castle, stopping himself abruptly, his breathing slowing. "It's…a stun weapon. He's not dead."

The alien flicked his head in Matt's direction and started firing at him.

Calling Matt a Russian gymnast was not an exaggeration. The man defied gravity, and Jessica often wondered if that was his true super ability. But she couldn't pay him much attention—not when her goal was to save them both.

Ignoring the sound of weapons fire and the thumping of Matt's feet as he leaped and flipped, Jessica scaled the metal scaffolding leading up to the catwalk.

Climbing to the tenth rung, she found the support beam responsible for holding up the far right side of the catwalk. Grabbing it with her right hand, she tore it off the wall along with all the brackets, the whole the beam collapsing from the sudden lack of support.

Jessica jumped to the ground as the catwalk fell apart in a heap of noise and clanking metal. Heart pounding, she searched for the alien, but it must've leaped down in the collapse. Bastard.

It didn't take long to follow the sound of the continuing fight.

The alien towered over Matt. Weight and height usually slowed reflexes, but this creature was agile. The spear weapon had a serrated edge and the alien swung it in a series of arcs.

Matt ducked under swipes and jabs, contorting his body in ways Jessica didn't think possible.

Picking up a piece of pipe from the metal scaffolding, Jessica stalked behind the alien and swung it like a baseball bat into the back of its legs. The alien screeched, stumbling into Matt, who took advantage by battering the side of the alien's unprotected head with his batons.

Jessica slammed the pipe into every soft area she could find, delivering a tag-team of blows.

Out of breath, Jessica saw the perfect area between its neck and skull.

"Jess!"

She took her eyes off her target, only to be blindsided by Matt, a red laser bolt cutting through the air where she'd stood a second before.

The side of her temple smacked the ground making her vision swim, the weight that was Matt scrambling off of her. Before she could curse him, Jessica rolled onto her hands and knees, and watched Matt fling his billy club around the neck of the alien they had blown-up earlier.

Some of its armor plating was dented or missing, its cracked mask making electrical popping sounds.

The thing screamed as Matt flicked his baton, tightening the cable around its neck. The alien's legs were mess of wounds and crude bandages, the ground where it stood wet with green blood.

By the time she caught her breath, Jessica heard the sound of crunching soil behind her. Fuck, she should have never turned her back on the other one. Bringing up her pipe, Jessica turned around swinging, only to be knocked to the ground by an unexpected force.

Panicked, she tried scrambling to her feet, only to realize she'd be struck by a giant piece of netting. The more she struggled, the more it ensnared her. Her heart felt like it was going to slam out of chest. "Goddamn it!"

Jessica gaped as the second alien stood there watching Matt as he brought the other one to its knees, keeping the cable taut. Green blood stained the creature's neck; with a wet, gasping noise, it collapsed.

Matt made a grunt of surprise and Jessica knew the idiot felt guilt for killing it. "Come on," Jessica growled as she struggled to get out of the netting.

The other alien tried to take advantage of Matt's distraction by stalking him while his back was turned. Jessica was about to warn him when Matt dropped to his hands and did a backward leg sweep. It wasn't strong enough to bring the creature down, but it provided enough time for Matt to retrieve his billy clubs.

The alien swung its spear at Matt's head, but he ducked under the weapon, and smacked the underside of the alien's arm holding it. Chittering, the alien wielded the serrated side of the spear like a sword while alternating with striking attacks.

Jessica intensified her attempts to free herself of the mesh. The thing entangled her legs so much it made it impossible for it standup. The netting was covered in barbs that cut her hands, but she didn't give a fuck.

She glanced through the lattice as the alien ducked under one of Matt's batons and smashed the side of Matt's face with its left arm, knocking him over.

Despite the fierceness of the strike, Matt struggled to his feet, the alien circling him. Jessica's instincts screamed that it was holding back, it was bigger and faster than the other one, yet it seemed to be waiting….

"It's a hunter," she mumbled under her breath. "But why do hunters hunt?" Curling her fingers around one of the wire barbs, Jessica used it to cut through part of the net so she could wiggle her way out. Blood coated her skin, the pads of her right fingers burning in pain.

Crawling out of the net, she saw the alien strike Matt under the chin with end of the spear. Matt almost fell again, but he stubbornly remained on his wavering legs, his hands up like a drunken boxer.

Then the alien aimed its spear at Matt.

All Jessica could do was plow into the creature, but not before she saw it shoot a projectile at Matt.

Jessica slammed into the alien, sending the edge of her shoulder into the bastard's back with all her might as Matt yelled in excruciating pain.

She knocked the fucker down as it bleated in her ears. Jessica was so full of rage that she didn't know she where was pounding her fists until she heard Castle yell.

"Jones, move!"

Jessica obeyed on instinct, rolling off the creature as it was struck by a barrage of bullets.

Castle fired until the weapon clicked empty. Nostrils flaring, he ran toward the alien and bashed it in the head with the rifle butt. Frank Castle was fury personified. He hollered until his voice hoarsened, striking the unprotected side of the creature's head with impressive accuracy given the rage.

One of the blows went wild, smashing the visor and breaking it in half.

The thing roared and grabbed the rifle, tossing Castle to the ground as if he were a rag doll.

Castle staggered to his feet, sweat dripping down his face, his right arm hanging useless at his side. He spat on the ground.

The alien raised both its arms and shrieked, two jaws opening and snapping closed. The first one contained a set of fangs surrounded by four giant incisors, one at each corner of an outer mouth. Jessica couldn't see any eyes; they were too sunken into its skull.

If the thing's appearance was meant to inflict terror, it succeeded. Jessica could barely catch her breath.

Green blood leaked from multiple bullet wounds in the alien's thigh and arm, but it remained upright, watching Castle.

It was a standoff.

Keeping an eye on Castle and the alien, she ran toward Matt. Kneeling beside him, she stared at his leg in horror. The spearhead was buried in the side of Matt's calf, and based on the jagged wound, the damned thing had a serrated edge.

"Okay, you're going to be okay," she whispered, unsure where to put her hands. She wiped her injured fingers along the sides of her jeans.

Matt's whole body was strung tauter than a bow, his injured leg trembling non-stop. He hadn't even acknowledged her presence, the only constant was the mantra under his breath, "Pain is the mind killer, rise above the pain, and you will prevail. Pain is the mind killer, rise above the pain, and you will prevail."

"Jesus, this is way out of my field of expertise."

Glancing over at Castle, she saw the alien limp toward its dead companion. The alien's outer mouth opened, eliciting a chittering noise as it unsheathed its scimitar, and chopped off the other alien's head.

"Fuck me," Castle said.

Castle's whole body tensed as the alien looked from him, to Matt and Jessica. Then it hobbled, hissing with every step, and tossed the head onto the ground toward where Jessica knelt next to Matt.

Then the creature chittered at them, and waited.

Jessica stared at the creature, at its bleeding leg and torso, then at the decapitated head. Just like the ones on the metal spikes.

This time it screeched and stared at her and Matt. Oh my God, the thing wanted Matt to have it for killing the first one.

Feeling at her wit's end, she looked at Castle, who was watching them. "It's a trophy!"

Castle stared at her, his brow furrowed. He didn't look that hot, but even still—given he didn't have anything left to shoot with—she wouldn't put it past him to try to beat the alien with his fists.

"It wants to continue hunting us, but I think it needs to lick its wounds. The fucker is going to allow us to retreat because we won round one." Castle gave her a you've got to be kidding me look. "Listen, asshole. It didn't try to kill you or Matt; it was trying to capture us. So, let's take the free pass and get the hell outta here."

Jessica couldn't afford to waste any more time; she returned her attention to Matt, touching his shoulder. "Come on, we have to go," she said.

His back arched up from the ground and let out a shuddering cry, his entire body shaking.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. "Murdocks always get back up, right? You told me that once not too long ago."

Matt coughed and sucked in several gulps of air. "Y-yeah," he stuttered.

"Look, I'm going to get you out of here. It's probably going to hurt like hell, but I've got you."

He nodded, before being wracked by another full-body tremor. Careful of his head, Jessica bent over and picked him up and put him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry.

Jessica didn't know where she was going, or how she was going to fix his leg, but she was damn well going to make it happen.

Not knowing if it would piss off the alien, Jessica gripped Matt with one hand as she reluctantly bent to grab the damn head.

Trying to ignore Matt's gasps, she glared at Castle as she walked by him. "You're the only one here who knows field hospital shit, so either let that bastard kill you, or help us."

Castle didn't say a word as he pulled out a six-inch knife and staggered beside her. "Go, it won't touch you."

Based on his hardened expression, Jessica believed him.

Raising his Ka-Bar, Castle trudged beside them, keeping himself between her, Matt, and the alien. It was like walking beside a raging wall.

"Do you know where this leads?" she asked, clueless where they were headed.

"An abandoned paint factory."

"Great, maybe when we're done, we can get high on all the fumes."

Once they made their way inside, she heard the strangest sound, her blood running cold when she realized the alien was laughing.

tbc..