"damn, this 'Punisher' guy was here" said a cop.
Judy was at the funeral shot up by Frank Castle just the night before. Corpses were being carried away in body bags by the dozens. Julie walked up behind Judy and said "well, the morgue workers are going to get paid good this week"
"I know, all of this death. It's sickening"
"honestly, I don't mind it to much. I mean, these guys, we've been trying to nab them as long as I've been on the force. We Know it's them, but we can't do anything. But he is. He's saying that the people who get away with murder will still be punished"
"Really? You're really going to support someone who's actively ending countless lives?!"
"I've been saying for months now that we should be frying these bastards!"
Before Judy could retort, her phone rang. It was clawhouser. "hello?"
"oh, hey. The lab results came in on that vile you gave us, and it's appears to be an antidote for the toxin found in Nick's blood. We've sent it over to the hospital"
"anything else?"
"the hospital requested you go. They have some questions to ask you. Chief Bogo already gave the okay for you to leave"
"alright, I'm on my way" she said before hanging up. "alright everyone, I have an emergency, get these bodies to the morgue. Julie, I'm leaving you in charge" Julie nodded.
Mayor Jessica Hurt sat in a taxi headed to a shady warehouse in Sahara Square. She thought about the town she was going to- the town she grew up in. She thought about how rough the neighborhood is. "Hell's kitchen" they called it. As she thought, she fondled two metal objects attached to a small chain around her neck. Dog tags. It had only been a year since she received an honorable discharge, but it felt like yesterday. She could still remember the screams. She could even still see the fear frozen on that little girls face as her father dug into her flesh. She could still remember the exact way her muscles made way to reveal her-
She pushed the thoughts aside. "how close are we?" she said out of desperation, not wanting to be trapped with her thoughts.
"we just arrived" the cab driver replied.
She stepped out of the taxi and payed the driver. He thanked her and drove away, leaving her alone. She found her way to the side door and knocked. The door was opened by a figure it was just too dark to see. "I see you've come miss. Glad you could make it" said a figure sitting in the center of the room who, unlike the other, she could see just fine, save for his face, thanks to a desk lamp sitting on a table next to him along with a laptop.
"so, what's this about? What's so important that you had to threaten my safety to get me here after I declined your invitation?"
"I'm glad you asked; you see, I'm a troubled citizen. And like every other troubled citizen, I have a particular individual who I feel is causing said trouble" he said, his voice oozing with malice.
"and who is that individual?" she replied with a hint of spite.
"A Frank Castle, Callin' himself 'The Punisher'. And I know how to stop him"
"And how is that?"
"well, to find out, you'll have to give me control over the ZPD"
"that's not the way that works" she said, her brow now furrowed.
"well, you're gonna have to make it work that way"
"or what, you'll kill me?"
The man burst into a short laughing fit, and said "and what? Put another stick-up-the-ass-politician into the mayor's seat? One I have no leverage over?"
"and what 'leverage' do you have for me?"
"well I'm glad you asked" he said, leaning to the side and waking up the laptop.
Jessica's tough resolve turned to that of shock. The laptop displayed camera footage of a gray fox on the monitor. In her shock, she muttered "Elanor?"
"oh so you know her" the man taunted "well of course you do, especially after your 'escapades' last night. Wish I was there, know what I'm sayin'" he finished the statement with a perverse chuckle "anyway, there's an assassin watching her, and if you do one thing I don't like, they get the order to kill"
Jessica sighed in defeat "fine. Just don't hurt her"
the man leaned into the light, revealing a face marred with stitches. "good. Let's start discussing terms"
"Well, Miss Hopps, he's making a steady recovery. We're hoping he'll be awake in a couple days" the doctor said
the hospital carried the usual smell of unnatural sanitation. The walls a blinding white, the only color not dulled by this being the vibrant orange created by the flowers in a vase next to the hospital bed Nick had been laying in. "so, the cure worked?" Judy asked
"it does seem so. You're welcome to stay overnight, in case complications should arise. I'll leave you alone for a moment, let me know if you decide to stay" the doctor exited the room after that statement.
Judy sat down in the chair next to Nick's hospital bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. It's gonna be okay.
I apologize for my tardiness, I've been trying to make my chapters longer and give them more meat on their bones, since the last couple chapters I've published have been quite sickly.