Billy Russo drove down the empty road, surprised that his was the only car. After having to go on yet another flight, it felt refreshing to at least drive somewhere. After a few more minutes, Russo arrived at a home on the outskirts of Savannah, and after parking behind some trees, he began walking towards the house. Once he finally got to the home, he flung the garage door open, seeing a man with a beard, working with another man in a tank of either water or acid.
"Are you almost done, Burstein?" Russo asked. The man nodded.
"I just have to increase the temperature…" Burstein replied, making the proper adjustments.
"Why couldn't you have done this last year?" Billy asked, curious.
"I had to run more tests." Burstein explained. "The first time this happened with Carl Lucas, it ended in an explosion that killed someone."
"If that had happened now, it wouldn't be my problem." Billy said coldly, as the experiment was finished, and the man in the tank slowly stepped out.
"Who the Hell are you?" the man asked.
"A friend who has a common goal." Billy replied cryptically. "Diamondback, isn't it? Or do you prefer Willis?"
"And who are you, Jigsaw?" Willis chuckled at his own joke.
"Jigsaw… that has a nice ring to it." Russo thought. "But I'm here to give you a chance to kill Luke Cage."
"Speaking of Carl-" Willis turned towards Burnstein, grabbing him by the throat. "You helped save him."
"Willis, please." Burnstein begged. "He came to me after he got shot. What was I supposed to do?" Willis didn't listen, and instead, squeezed his hand, strangling the doctor to death. Satisfied, Stryker threw Burnstein's body to the ground, his face turning a shade of purple, and blood running from his nose.
"Why would I need your help?" Willis asked Billy. "I can now take Cage on without Judas bullets!"
"Because he has friends who have his back." Russo warned. "Daredevil. Jessica Jones. The Punisher. There's even someone who can hurt both him and you by lighting up his fist."
"So, what, it's just gonna be you and me against some people who think they can be green monsters and gods?" Diamondback laughed.
"Not just me." Russo smirked. "I've already picked up two other people on our little crusade, and one of them is coming back from a journey to Japan. He should get to New York the same time we do. Now, do we have a deal?" Billy finished by holding out his hand, in a gesture of partnership. With a sly smile, Diamondback graciously shook it.
"Deal."
New York
Nica entered her apartment, already stressed from the day. As she shut the door behind her, the key was thrown onto the coffee table in front of the couch, and Pierce went towards the bedroom.
"Alice, I'm home!" Nica called out. "Andy went to finish some business, so he'll be back later!" It wasn't until she finished the second sentence when Nica realized there was no response.
"Alice? Are you there?" Nica asked, opening the bedroom door, the last place she and Andy left her. However, once she entered the small room, she realized Alice wasn't there. "Alice?" Nica looked around the entire apartment, only to find that her niece wasn't anywhere. Upon going back to the bedroom, she also noticed something else: the handgun was also missing.
"Shit." Nica murmured to herself, taking out her phone to make a call. "Andy, we have a problem. Alice is missing, and she took the gun."
Chinatown
"When do I get to kill Cage?" Willis snapped. "He deserves to die for all the Hell his family caused me."
"I am growing weary of waiting as well, Russo." Davos chimed in. "I have the fist. I can kill Danny now."
"Clearly, your teachers in Kun Lun never taught you patience." Billy sarcastically replied. "And Stryker, if you ever served in the military, then you would know about tactics."
"Have you at least told them the plan?" Walker asked, laying on the couch.
"Even if I did, I'll refresh your memories." Russo muttered, laying out a map of Manhattan. "In a few hours, Wilson Fisk will be put in a prison transport on his way to Seagate. Stryker, I want you to meet them and get Fisk out. Oh, and wear a hoodie to look like Cage."
"I already tried that. Didn't work." Diamondback grumbled.
"Well, you'll probably have a better chance now that you're bulletproof." Billy retorted, before continuing. "At the same time, I want Davos to go to Harlem's Paradise and attack Luke Cage. Leave someone alive to call Rand."
"With pleasure." Davos casually said, but wore no smile.
"Walker, hunt down Elektra." Russo ordered.
"What about Jones?" Walker asked.
"I doubt she'll be getting up anytime soon." Billy chuckled. "Ellis, wait at that warehouse I showed you earlier."
"Where the fuck are you going?" Ellis asked.
"I'm going to catch up with my old buddy Frank." Billy grinned a cold smile.
"Hey, what about me?" Bullseye asked.
"You're going to mount an assault on the police department in Hell's Kitchen while Stryker is getting Fisk." Russo told him, picking up a briefcase. "And you're going to wear this." Curious, Lester opened the briefcase, and what inside forced him to do a double take. The contents inside housed a suit of red armor, with a familiar mask that had horns.
"How am I supposed to assault the department without a weapon?" Bullseye complained, shutting the case.
"Glad you asked." Billy smirked, walking towards a cabinet and pulling out a minigun. "I hope you don't mind that I took up space for my 'toys'."
"I don't give a shit." Walker shrugged.
"Where the fuck did you get that?" Ellis asked, his eyes popping out of his head.
"I snagged it from Castle the first time I visited that warehouse." Russo replied. "Ellis, with me. Time to give these 'heroes' a run for their money."
Hell's Kitchen
Frank walked down the streets of New York, now wearing a hoodie. While he continued walking, Castle heard footsteps running towards him, and fearing it was a mugger, quickly spun around, his hand itching towards his gun. Before him was the girl who was usually with Andy and Nica.
"Hey Frank!" Alice said cheerfully.
"Alice?" Frank asked, confused. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Barclay's apartment?"
"I snuck out." Alice grinned mischievously. "How bad was it?"
"How bad was what?" Frank asked, trying to evade the question.
"Don't bullshit, how much crap was Jessica in when you guys saw her?" Alice elaborated.
"Not too bad." Frank replied truthfully. "She got up walking real quick."
"Well, that sounds good." Alice sighed. "This has to be connected though, right? Billy Russo escapes the hospital, kills his mother, then gets two other guys to get the jump on Jones?"
"Can't be a coincidence." Frank agreed. "They gotta be planning something."
"But the question is what?" Alice inquired. Just as Frank was about to reply, they heard tires screech, and looking up, noticed a black van come to a halt at the other end of the street. The door opened, and a man with scars jumped out with a light machine gun. The man began firing, forcing Frank and Alice to duck behind a car, with Frank doing his best to shield the girl.
"Is that-?" Alice began to ask, but was interrupted.
"Russo." Frank growled, unzipping his hoodie to reveal his Punisher vest. "Stay here." Frank pulled out his gun and began shooting back at Russo, who walked slowly forward.
"Can you hear me, Frank!" Russo screamed, loading his gun. "You're gonna die today!" Russo yelled a battle cry, beginning to light up the car Frank and Alice were hiding behind. As Billy continued shooting, he heard tires squealing, and looking to the right, saw that a black pickup truck was heading straight towards him. Thinking quickly, Billy shifted fire towards the truck, causing it to swerve before crashing and flipping over.
"No!" Alice yelled.
"What? Who was in there?" Frank asked, as Alice began to cry. "Who the Hell was in there?"
"Andy…" Alice managed to choke out.
"Oh, Jesus…" Frank gasped, before getting out from cover and shooting at Russo. "Bill, I'm gonna watch you die! You hear me?" Russo's only reply was unloading another magazine in their general direction, and he continued advancing towards the car.
"I'll distract him, while you sneak around and get the drop on him." Alice offered Frank.
"Hell no. This isn't your fight." Frank argued. "You don't even have a weapon."
"Come again?" Alice smirked, pulling out the pistol she took.
"Shit." Frank sighed. "Just stay out of harm's way. Let me take care of Russo. He's after me." Alice reluctantly nodded, and began to leave Frank, moving around the cars. Meanwhile, Frank hurdled the car, shooting Russo's shoulder and kicked the machine gun away. Billy still had a trick up his sleeve, and pulled out his wrist blade, slashing across Castle's shoulder and uppercutted him in the jaw, causing Frank to fall to the ground. Frank tried to get up, but Russo placed his foot on the Punisher's chest, keeping him down.
"Uh uh. You're not getting away, not this time." Billy sneered. Russo then stomped Castle in the face, knocking him out. A shot suddenly rang out, piercing Russo in the foot, and as he turned around, he saw a little girl with blonde hair, aiming a gun at him.
"Get away from him." the girl said, trying to calm her voice.
"Do you even know how to use that?" Billy asked, walking towards her.
"I just shot your foot." the girl stated, and as Bill walked closer, he noticed she was taking short breaths, and- was she crying?
"Kid, this isn't your fight." Russo told her, now at arm's length from the girl.
"Like Hell." the girl snarled, her hands shaking. "You killed Uncle Andy."
"Wait, you're Andy's niece?" Billy said aloud, then smiled. "Thanks for making this so much easier." As fast as a cobra, Russo slapped the girl's gun out of her hands and swiftly punched her in the temple, knocking her out instantly. Smiling to himself, Russo dragged both the girl and Frank back to the black van, where Ellis was waiting.
"Who's the kid?" Ellis asked.
"That's Barclay's niece." Russo answered. "Now we know Andy will take the bait for sure." Ellis smirked, and the two drove off back to the hideout.
Andy crawled out of the wrecked truck, just in time to see the black van leave.
"Fuck…" Andy groaned, recounting what had happened. He had gotten a call from Nica, telling him that Alice had left the apartment. He had gotten in his truck, looking around New York, when he suddenly noticed a heavily scarred Billy Russo shooting at Frank, who was sitting behind a car. As Andy had looked closer, he noticed that Alice was with him, and filled with fear, Andy hit the pedal to the floorboard. That's when Russo turned towards him, lighting up his truck and causing him to crash.
Andy slowly got back up, walking towards the last spot Frank was in, finding bullets, some blood, and two guns, one of which was his that Alice took.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Andy cursed, picking up the guns and pulled out his phone. Thankfully, that wasn't damaged in the crash. "Nica, I'm sorry. I couldn't get there in time. Russo has Frank and Alice."
Andy's Apartment
Andy slowly entered the small apartment, and his face fell farther when he saw Nica, clearly distraught. Next to her was Karen, visibly shaking, but also looking somewhat angered.
"Is it true?" Karen asked. "Did Russo take Frank?"
"And Alice." Andy added, hearing an audible gasp from Nica.
"God, no…" Nica whispered, before looking up at her husband. "What do we do now?"
"I've been working on that." Andy revealed, thinking for a minute. When he finally came up with an idea, Barclay asked Karen, "Can David still access every camera in the city?"
"Worth a shot." Karen replied, knowing what he had in mind, and called up Lieberman. "C'mon, David, pick up, pick up."
"Hello?" a tired voice was heard.
"David, it's Karen." Page said into her cell. "Russo just kidnapped Frank. He also took Barclay's niece."
"What?" David nearly shouted. "He's still kidnapping kids?"
"Yeah, and we were hoping you still had access to the surveillance system." Karen continued.
"Karen, you and Frank know me. Of course I do. Just gimme a sec…" David trailed off, and Andy heard a few footsteps in the phone, as well as electronic noises. "...I'm guessing he's being held at my old hideout, on the outskirts. That's the only place that the cameras aren't showing anything. I'm texting you the address now."
"Thanks David."
"Wait, what are you going to do?" David asked.
"We're going to rescue my friend and my niece." Andy took the phone and spoke into it, before shutting it off.
"The Hell was that?" Karen asked, surprised at Andy's snap.
"I didn't need a lecture about the morals of killing." Andy said sarcastically.
"Or are you seeing Chucky right now?" Nica asked, looking skeptical. Andy glared, looking to the side of him, and sure enough, the doll illusion was standing in the corner, laughing.
"You might as well tell the truth, Andy." the doll giggled.
"I… yeah." Andy looked down. "And I haven't told you everything. The doll I keep seeing, it's not Chucky. It's me."
"What do you mean?" Nica asked.
"What's he talking about?" Karen also inquired.
"You remember when I told you and Alice that Chucky transferred my soul into the doll, and I almost became a killer like him?" Andy explained, taking a deep breath. "I'm seeing living memories of that version of me. It's a representation of my second greatest fear."
"And what would that one be?" Nica asked.
"Becoming a monster again." Andy looked at the floor, remembering those days in 1990. How he beat a teacher to death with a yardstick. Or later that night, when he hung his foster father in midair and snapped his neck.
"Look, I'm sorry, but we don't have time for this." Karen announced, walking towards her apartment. "We need to rescue Frank and Alice."
"Right, let's go." Nica began to get up, but Andy stopped her.
"Where are you going?" Andy asked.
"To help you guys. Alice is my niece." Nica replied.
"No. I want you to stay here." Andy told her.
"I want to help." Nica argued. "I don't want Alice to get hurt-"
"I can't lose you again!" Andy shouted, nearly shaking his wife by the shoulders. "I can't. After Chucky, and Foley… I just can't take that risk. I'm sorry." Nica looked at Andy, her face plastered with the expression of sadness.
"Just- just bring them back. Please." Nica pleaded, and kissed Andy. The kiss felt like it lasted an eternity, but they finally stopped when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"I will. I promise." Andy replied, and turned around, seeing Karen with an AK-47, and wearing Frank's second vest with a white skull spray painted on it.
"Are we going to go?" Karen asked, handing Andy an extra bulletproof vest.
"Didn't know that fit you." Andy remarked, grabbing his 12 gauge shotgun.
"Wasn't going to walk in with just a skirt." Page replied. "Besides, it grew on me."
"Ready." Andy declared, loading his shotgun. "Let's go save your boyfriend and my niece."