HALLOWEEN. EVENING.
One fell down from the sky, crashing ontop a run-down Buick. Breaking the windshield, the shadow-winged, humanoid creature flailed its arms and legs in the air, twitching spastically to death as bits and pieces of itself began to evaporate. Clearly, it was dead, and if it was dead before, then it was re-dead.
Another fell down into its knees, as its shadow-winged, humanoid form violently split in half by a particularly large, sharp silver blade. All it needed to do was find a moment of failure, and the blade took advantage of it and split the monster in two. Clearly, it, too, was dead, and if it was dead before, then it was re-dead.
That still left two more to deal with, and even for Dante, these beasts were getting too close. And frankly, too annoying.
"Hmph," Dante grunted. One of the shadow creatures on the ground managed to launch Dante across the street and into a large SUV back-first. He couldn't muster enough time to be fully annoyed at the attack he just received when a large shadow-claw careened towards his face from overhead. Dante ducked just in time for the claw to penetrate through the driver's side door, and a brief look up revealed the second remaining shadow creature perched atop the roof of the SUV.
And then instinct. Dante rolled away milliseconds before another claw could tear away his heart, as it plowed through the passenger-side door. The first monster apparently wasn't wasting time with his barrage.
Both of the monsters were keeping pace with him. Keeping pace with him so well that they were becoming enough of a handful - and Dante didn't have time for this. He needed to end these creatures very soon, and he didn't want to waste his strength on these jokers doing it.
Snap. Instinct. As Dante recovered from his evasive roll, his eyes caught glimpse of a small square etching on the side of the SUV, near the rear end. Unmistakeably knowing what it is, Dante drew Ebony and Ivory again, and before the two shadow demons could re-shift their eyes at their target again, holes ripped open across the fuel hatch of the vehicle, and across the fuel tank.
Dante's red coat disappeared into the nearest alleyway; and before the creatures would leap away to evade their incoming fate - BOOM.
-------------------------------------
LESS THAN FIVE HOURS AGO.
"And what about those shape-shifting demons? What the hell are they?" Daredevil asked sternly, his arms folded across his chest.
"It seems you've seen them, too?" Dante replied.
"Something like that . . . "
---------------------------------------
EVENING.
"Please . . . don't . . . don't . . . " the woman futily shrieked. The smell of iron from her blood that covered the right side of her body. The sweat that soaked her face, neck, and underarms, disspating the rose-scent perfume on her clothes. The racing heartbeat inside her chest that seemed to rattle her rib-cage. The warm breath that radiated out of her mouth as she shrieked. All this was more than enough to tell him that she was human.
The figure who towered above her, however, with what seemed like a giant blade as its right arm, was something else completely. If it wasn't its cold body that almost blew past Murdock like a chill wind, if it wasn't for the smell of ash and burnt meat that reeked across its body, if it wasn't for the woman's shriek that bounced off its deformed body, if it wasn't for the almost inaudible growl that only few could hear - this thing would have been invisible to Matt. And he would not have an idea how to save this woman.
The thing raised its right-arm blade. Daredevil clutched his long red club. The thing tightened into a ready-striking position. Daredevil raised his club to his face. The thing thrust its blade down at the woman -
- and a red club struck its head, reeling the demon-thing back, its blade missing the woman's chest by inches as it struck cold concrete. The thing pulled its blade back and shook its head, steadying its eyes to glare upon the fool who dared try to attack him right up front. But nothing. The narrow alleyway was empty, devoid of even the woman whose life it was about to end. Frantically, its eyes scanned the scene before it, trying to comprehend how its unseen enemy could strike it so swiftly, trying to comprehend how its prey could disappear so -
Wham. Two feet suddenly hammered the shadow creature from behind, sending it flailing forward, a screaming "aaaaaarrrrrrrrgggghhhh" accompanying its brief flight. Still ont its feet, having been sent several yards forward, the creature spun around and growled furiously, extending its wings on its back and preparing to strike. The creature's opponent was still swift however, as the crimson figure in front of it closed the distance between them in milliseconds and slammed his left fist across its head.
The creature's opponent was swift, indeed. WHAM. Right fist to its head. WHAM. Left fist to its chest. WHAM. Right uppercut to its lower body. WHAM. Left kick to its neck, and before its knew it, WHAM, right foot slamming upwards at the creature's chin as Daredevil flip-kicked himself backwards to finish his assault. The creature had no choice but fly into the air and land flat on its back, seemingly crippling the wings behid it. SNAP, the wings shouted as it was sandwiched between asphalt and the creature's body.
Silently, the creature's body melted into a formless puddle, and as it began to slither itself away, deeper in the alley, it began to hiss loudly, "Foolish mortal. You should never have crossed us. We will return again tonight to make you pay." It disappeared into the shadow, and into Murdock's sightless horizon.
The woman, meanwhile, moaned softly from her wounds on a fire escape balcony five stories above. Daredevil leapt into the air, bouncing himself off opposite walls and gained altitude until he landed next to the woman. He silently crouched near her, tapped the window next to her, and as the window opened to reveal a frightened old man, Matt began to speak.
"Miss, you'll be okay. The . . . thing only hurt muscle. Just apply direct pressure until help comes." Matt turned his head towards the frightened man standing inside the building. "Sir, please call 911. This woman will need to see a -"
BOOM.
Five blocks away. The explosion had heavy bass, which meant heavy vehicle, large gas tank . . . SUV. Too crisp. No hiss of initial burning - the explosion was made by force, by puncture. Bullets. On top of that, he heard the same growls he heard from the creature he just fought moments ago - only, there were two sets of growls, not one.
There were more of these things. And they looked like they were going to spread across the neighborhood.
This, Daredevil could not neglect.
"Call EMS. I have to go."
----------------------------------
LESS THAN FIVE HOURS AGO.
"Sin Eaters," Daredevil said, trying to reaffirm Dante's response.
"Sin Eaters," Dante said, reassuring his answer.
"So they're demons from hell. That morph."
"They eat souls, too. Well, rather, they eat the sins of the souls they take and consume."
Daredevil shook his head, half hoping Dante's heart would skip or stumble, disappointed that it didn't. Dante wasn't bullshitting him.
"You're not bullshitting me, huh?" Daredevil said.
"No more than you dressed up in underwear," Dante replied.
"Why are you here?" Daredevil continued.
"To stop them."
"Who runs these things?"
"Hard to explain."
"Underworld, Hell stuff?"
"Sort of. Hard to explain."
"Try me."
"No time."
"Then make the time. Now."
"I'll explain on the way."
"Are we going somewhere?" Daredevil said.
"I am," Dante said.
"Where?"
"That's a secret," Dante answered.
"Fine. At least tell me this - how many more of these 'Sin Eaters' are there?"
Growls. Daredevil could hear them again. Four blocks away. Approaching fast. Daredevil raised his head to pay closer attention.
"More are coming, aren't there?" Dante commented.
"Yes," Daredevil said.
"Well, to answer your last question," Dante said, drawing his guns, pulling the hammers back on both Ebony and Ivory. "More. Far more than you or I could ever deal with if you take them all on without hitting the source."
Dante raised both of his guns to his head and began pacing slowly down the street, patiently waiting for the creatures to arrive.
"So, crimson eyes, is that costume merely for looks, or are you going to make yourself useful?"
One fell down from the sky, crashing ontop a run-down Buick. Breaking the windshield, the shadow-winged, humanoid creature flailed its arms and legs in the air, twitching spastically to death as bits and pieces of itself began to evaporate. Clearly, it was dead, and if it was dead before, then it was re-dead.
Another fell down into its knees, as its shadow-winged, humanoid form violently split in half by a particularly large, sharp silver blade. All it needed to do was find a moment of failure, and the blade took advantage of it and split the monster in two. Clearly, it, too, was dead, and if it was dead before, then it was re-dead.
That still left two more to deal with, and even for Dante, these beasts were getting too close. And frankly, too annoying.
"Hmph," Dante grunted. One of the shadow creatures on the ground managed to launch Dante across the street and into a large SUV back-first. He couldn't muster enough time to be fully annoyed at the attack he just received when a large shadow-claw careened towards his face from overhead. Dante ducked just in time for the claw to penetrate through the driver's side door, and a brief look up revealed the second remaining shadow creature perched atop the roof of the SUV.
And then instinct. Dante rolled away milliseconds before another claw could tear away his heart, as it plowed through the passenger-side door. The first monster apparently wasn't wasting time with his barrage.
Both of the monsters were keeping pace with him. Keeping pace with him so well that they were becoming enough of a handful - and Dante didn't have time for this. He needed to end these creatures very soon, and he didn't want to waste his strength on these jokers doing it.
Snap. Instinct. As Dante recovered from his evasive roll, his eyes caught glimpse of a small square etching on the side of the SUV, near the rear end. Unmistakeably knowing what it is, Dante drew Ebony and Ivory again, and before the two shadow demons could re-shift their eyes at their target again, holes ripped open across the fuel hatch of the vehicle, and across the fuel tank.
Dante's red coat disappeared into the nearest alleyway; and before the creatures would leap away to evade their incoming fate - BOOM.
-------------------------------------
LESS THAN FIVE HOURS AGO.
"And what about those shape-shifting demons? What the hell are they?" Daredevil asked sternly, his arms folded across his chest.
"It seems you've seen them, too?" Dante replied.
"Something like that . . . "
---------------------------------------
EVENING.
"Please . . . don't . . . don't . . . " the woman futily shrieked. The smell of iron from her blood that covered the right side of her body. The sweat that soaked her face, neck, and underarms, disspating the rose-scent perfume on her clothes. The racing heartbeat inside her chest that seemed to rattle her rib-cage. The warm breath that radiated out of her mouth as she shrieked. All this was more than enough to tell him that she was human.
The figure who towered above her, however, with what seemed like a giant blade as its right arm, was something else completely. If it wasn't its cold body that almost blew past Murdock like a chill wind, if it wasn't for the smell of ash and burnt meat that reeked across its body, if it wasn't for the woman's shriek that bounced off its deformed body, if it wasn't for the almost inaudible growl that only few could hear - this thing would have been invisible to Matt. And he would not have an idea how to save this woman.
The thing raised its right-arm blade. Daredevil clutched his long red club. The thing tightened into a ready-striking position. Daredevil raised his club to his face. The thing thrust its blade down at the woman -
- and a red club struck its head, reeling the demon-thing back, its blade missing the woman's chest by inches as it struck cold concrete. The thing pulled its blade back and shook its head, steadying its eyes to glare upon the fool who dared try to attack him right up front. But nothing. The narrow alleyway was empty, devoid of even the woman whose life it was about to end. Frantically, its eyes scanned the scene before it, trying to comprehend how its unseen enemy could strike it so swiftly, trying to comprehend how its prey could disappear so -
Wham. Two feet suddenly hammered the shadow creature from behind, sending it flailing forward, a screaming "aaaaaarrrrrrrrgggghhhh" accompanying its brief flight. Still ont its feet, having been sent several yards forward, the creature spun around and growled furiously, extending its wings on its back and preparing to strike. The creature's opponent was still swift however, as the crimson figure in front of it closed the distance between them in milliseconds and slammed his left fist across its head.
The creature's opponent was swift, indeed. WHAM. Right fist to its head. WHAM. Left fist to its chest. WHAM. Right uppercut to its lower body. WHAM. Left kick to its neck, and before its knew it, WHAM, right foot slamming upwards at the creature's chin as Daredevil flip-kicked himself backwards to finish his assault. The creature had no choice but fly into the air and land flat on its back, seemingly crippling the wings behid it. SNAP, the wings shouted as it was sandwiched between asphalt and the creature's body.
Silently, the creature's body melted into a formless puddle, and as it began to slither itself away, deeper in the alley, it began to hiss loudly, "Foolish mortal. You should never have crossed us. We will return again tonight to make you pay." It disappeared into the shadow, and into Murdock's sightless horizon.
The woman, meanwhile, moaned softly from her wounds on a fire escape balcony five stories above. Daredevil leapt into the air, bouncing himself off opposite walls and gained altitude until he landed next to the woman. He silently crouched near her, tapped the window next to her, and as the window opened to reveal a frightened old man, Matt began to speak.
"Miss, you'll be okay. The . . . thing only hurt muscle. Just apply direct pressure until help comes." Matt turned his head towards the frightened man standing inside the building. "Sir, please call 911. This woman will need to see a -"
BOOM.
Five blocks away. The explosion had heavy bass, which meant heavy vehicle, large gas tank . . . SUV. Too crisp. No hiss of initial burning - the explosion was made by force, by puncture. Bullets. On top of that, he heard the same growls he heard from the creature he just fought moments ago - only, there were two sets of growls, not one.
There were more of these things. And they looked like they were going to spread across the neighborhood.
This, Daredevil could not neglect.
"Call EMS. I have to go."
----------------------------------
LESS THAN FIVE HOURS AGO.
"Sin Eaters," Daredevil said, trying to reaffirm Dante's response.
"Sin Eaters," Dante said, reassuring his answer.
"So they're demons from hell. That morph."
"They eat souls, too. Well, rather, they eat the sins of the souls they take and consume."
Daredevil shook his head, half hoping Dante's heart would skip or stumble, disappointed that it didn't. Dante wasn't bullshitting him.
"You're not bullshitting me, huh?" Daredevil said.
"No more than you dressed up in underwear," Dante replied.
"Why are you here?" Daredevil continued.
"To stop them."
"Who runs these things?"
"Hard to explain."
"Underworld, Hell stuff?"
"Sort of. Hard to explain."
"Try me."
"No time."
"Then make the time. Now."
"I'll explain on the way."
"Are we going somewhere?" Daredevil said.
"I am," Dante said.
"Where?"
"That's a secret," Dante answered.
"Fine. At least tell me this - how many more of these 'Sin Eaters' are there?"
Growls. Daredevil could hear them again. Four blocks away. Approaching fast. Daredevil raised his head to pay closer attention.
"More are coming, aren't there?" Dante commented.
"Yes," Daredevil said.
"Well, to answer your last question," Dante said, drawing his guns, pulling the hammers back on both Ebony and Ivory. "More. Far more than you or I could ever deal with if you take them all on without hitting the source."
Dante raised both of his guns to his head and began pacing slowly down the street, patiently waiting for the creatures to arrive.
"So, crimson eyes, is that costume merely for looks, or are you going to make yourself useful?"