Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Marvel universe!! (I barely own anything in our universe) All characters except the ones I create belong to Marvel so don't sue me..credit score already sucks as is.
There are moments when I wish I could see things the same way I used to. Moments where I pray to any deity who will listen to give me back my youthful illusions. My hopes, my dreams, even if it's just a single one, just a single dream where no one dies in my arms. Where no one dies by my hand. But then I push those thoughts back where they belong, as far away from me as I can. The rationalpart of my brain regains control and I no longer entertain thoughts of ending my mission. I'm not entirely sure what I am doing is right, and I don't know what will become of me if I do complete this task I have set for myself. But I know Imust try. For everything and everyone that was taken from me...Ihave to put my every last bit of energy into the right outcome. Or else they died for nothing. Or else... I've killed for nothing. I can't afford to have a crisis of conscience now, so I get my head on straight and do what needs to be done.
I'm no villain, I've seen villains. Met them. Bled them dry. What I do is for the greater good. I do this for the people who can't protect themselves. I do this so no one else will feel my pain ever again. I do what I do, night after night, day after day, so no one else will have bear this burden.
After the incident, more and more powered people have been appearing. Some help, some don't. That's where I come in. I am who I am because someone has to be. Someone has to take a stand against these people or they will rain death and destruction down uponmy city. I won't let it happen, not again. I have to believe I was given this power for a purpose. I bring them down to the right level. So far, I haven't met anyone who my power doesn't work on. (Maybe Iron Man, but he doesn't have powers, so he doesn't count). It came as a shock, I never expected to be blessed with this ability, but I refuse to see it as anything but a sign from god (if he even exists). After theChitauriinvaded and The Avengers saved the day, I laid in a hospital bed for months. The first couple of months were to heal my body, it took much longer to get into a headspace where I could even get out of bed in the mornings.
Technically I'm supposed to still be going to therapy, both physical and group. The doctors said that I needed clarity and cathartism. But I find that in the moments before a mission. The adrenaline courses through my veins and allows me to push all other things from my mind, save what I need to do to get the job done. It's been five years since the invasion and ever since then I have worked in the shadows. Doing so well so far that no one even knows I exist. Technically, I died in the invasion, got the certificate and everything. I live with no extra amenities, like hot water, or electricity. If you devote yourself to something, you can overlook things you once thought you couldn't survive without. It's a harsh, unforgiving way of life, but it's become all I know and all I am. At first, revenge and anger consumed me, Ineeded to go out and expend all the energy that hatred gave me. I didn't miss things like electricity or hot water much because I never thought af anything beyond the next mission, the next job...the next kill. But, years have passed and the anger ebbs even if the need for revenge does not. I still focus all my available energy on finding and completing my missions, but now I find I wouldn't mind being able to take a hot shower or eat a warm, cooked meal. But I'm conflicted, because how can I slow down, how can I think of anything else whilethat person...no, thatscum is still out there. I find that there's purpose and meaning in stopping those people that others can't. INEEDthis, I need to feel as though my time here means something. That my life has touched others and they're better for it. They may not know I exist, and if I do my job right , they never will, but if I don't step and save them, who will? Sure, there are other people with powers out there, a few in this city actually, but in the moment, when I'm in front of my enemy, where are they? They are nowhere to be found and the job falls to me.
So I have been tailing this man who has been using his telepathy to rape women that he would pick up on the subway. He would record them giving him permission to do terrible things to their bodies after breaking into their minds and forcing them to say the words he wanted them to on screen. That way, when they would call the cops, this sick fuck wouldn't even hide, he would calmly show the police the video with their "consent" on it and there would be nothing anyone could do. Well, not anyone, as I was more than willing to step in and do something about it. This is the third night I have been following him and he hadn't committed any pervy crimes yet, but I was more than willing to continue until he tried.
I was thinking he was about to give up for the night, he was very picky and only a certain types of women were in danger of his "charms", when the train stopped at Canal Street and a woman got on board. I saw him instantly perk up, and looked over at her myself. She had beautiful, black, smooth skin and was, for lack of a better word, statuesque. I had a theory as to why he only preyed upon beautiful black women, black women in this country get the shit end of the stick from all angles. They are stereotyped and looked down on simultaneously for being black, and for being a woman. Both of which are basically considered to be a crime in this country. Most black women are lucky to simply be ignored by the cops. So if they bring their story to the station and ifthe cops even investigate, what they find is a seemingly up to snuff, attractive, white male, with a upper management job in a large company and video "proof of consent". I'm not sure what America you live in, but in the one I experience, I know exactly who they'll believe and exactly who they'll tell to basically fuck off.
"Hey there, I'm Steve. What has you out so late?" He says with a 100 watt smile. I must admit, he is rather charming when he needs to be.
She looks up, prepared to tell him where to stuff it I'm sure, but she pauses and instead says, "Hi, I'm Emily and just coming off a shift from hell."
They make chit chat about various banal things and I have to wonder, is it his power in use already, luring her in? Or is just the fact that he's handsome that gets her to reply to conversation that would have her shut me down in a heartbeat?
Either way, I wait and watch for the moment where he gains control. I've seen him use his telepathy to get various free things over the past couple days (I since have went back and paid for what he took, even when it nearly broke me) and have deduced that it takes a few minutes before he gains total control of his victims. There's the eye contact, he uses his charm to keep the victim interested and looking at him. I'm not sure if it's the eye contact or the fact that he's the subject of their thoughts that does it and I'm not sure I'll ever know or care, that's not the mission. But either way, there's a moment where you can see the connection her eyes will glaze over as if she's smoken a large blunt and she'll be compliant to his every deviant thought.
Ahhh, there it is, he has her hooks in her now. I stand up and walk into the next compartment over, leaving them alone, both to give him a false sense of privacy and to put on my disguise. I'm not worried that he'll jump off at the next stop because we're only 3 stops away from his now and he'll take her home because she won't remember anything he doesn't want her to. He has the ability to remove memories that happen while he has control over them which disgusts me even more if that's possible because these women always remember every single thing he does to them. He chooses that pain for them, and that, among many other reasons is why he must die, tonight. We reach the next stop and a very large man gets in their car. I pull my mask back off, knowing I'll have to wait till he leaves or follow the man home to finish the job. I slip back into the car and continue to watch though, because I refuse to let him slip through my fingers if he changes routine unexpectedly.
"Are you Steven Nolan?" The large man asks.
The filth seems surprised and wary, "Who's asking?" All previous charm gone from his voice.
"The name's Luke Cage, and I've heard some things about you."
"Well maybe you know who you're talking to and what I can do to you if you try anything stupid." He had clearly heard of Luke Cage because his voice had a waver in it I had never heard before.
"You can try if you want, we'll see who comes out the other side."
"Yeah...well...I think you wouldn't want anything to happen to Emily over here and if you try anything, I'll have her throw herself onto the tracks." He was clearly trying to stall for time as he allowed his power to wash over Cage.
Cage clearly realized the same thing but wasn't attacking yet...ahhh, I see now, as he tries to gain control over a new person, the original person starts to slip out from under his spell.
"You wouldn't want to do that, right now, she's the only thing standing between you and me." Damn his voice is deep.
"Yes, and here we are, locked in a stalemate." Replied the human trash.
"Not exactly," we both saw that Emily had regained most of the control over her own mind, "I think you should give her another dose, don't you?"
As Steven looked back at his quarry, Cage dived at him and knocked him out with a single punch to the jaw, breaking it if the snap I heard was what I thought it was.
"Are you ok?" He leans down and asks the would be victim of the shit head.
"Hmmm? Yeah, I just...I just need to get my bearings. Where are we?"
He looks at the open doors and sees the sign, "We're at Euclid, where's your stop?"
"Umm, Utica, just a few stops away."
"Let me get this guy to the cops and I'll take you home."
"Yes, thank you, wait..are you Luke Cage?" She asks as she regains full control of her mind again.
He chuckles and answers in the affirmative before looking around.
Oh shit, he spotted me, better just mosey on out of-
"Excuse me, buddy, can you call the cops and have them meet you at the next station? I really think she needs to be looked at by a doctor."
Did he just hand me this guy on a platter!?
"Yeah, absolutely." I answer before he can change his mind. Mentally crossing my fingers as I did so.
"Thanks guy," he replied before helping Emily off the train.
I wave to them as the train pulls off towards the next station, feeling conflicted. It was fun to watch the man work, but I couldn't help but feel cheated. I actually enjoy catching these guys, and Luke Cage took the hunt out of it all and tied the metaphorical goat to a tree for me. Yeah, I still get to eat, but nonetheless, I felt robbed. That being said, I slung him over my shoulder and at the next stop brought him up topside and into a cab. The driver looked at me warily before I explained that my friend had gotten a little too wasted and I just wanted to get him home, and I didn't mind raiding his wallet to pay the fare either.
AN-- This replaces my first draft and that terrible 600 word chapter I first posted.
INEEDa beta so if someone is willing to help, pm me.
This will be a primarily Jessica Jones story but set around season 2-3 I haven't decided when my "hero" will interact with her and if it will be during either season or if it will take place after season 3 and stand alone.
There is mentions of rape and violence and I expect it to get worse from here on so any weak stomachs should stop reading now.