MANHATTAN SHIELD OPS CENTER

0800 HOURS

Amy Chen went at Elektra with her sword, shrieking like a mad banshee. Elektra was cold, focused, wielding her sai, but still strained with the efforts of blocking the Asian assassin turned mercenary for Silver Sable's Wild Pack.

Both women's weapons seemed to be extensions of their bodies. Sparks flew as steel met steel.

Soon, one of Elektra's sai flew out of her hands. Then the other. As Chen came down with her blade for final stroke, Elektra caught the blade with her hands and her leg became a blur. She sent a roundhouse into Chen's ribs, folded up and sent another kick, burying her heel into Chen's solar plexus. Chen went backwards as Elektra back flipped, grabbed her sai and went back into position.

"Nice." Elektra said.

"Likewise. Your skill equals your legend." Chen said.

"Thank you."

The two warrior women saluted each other.

The others were training in various ranges and dojos in the center.

Elektra caught the Punisher going off. His face was even more somber than usual. She followed him.

CASTLE WENT TO ANOTHER SECTION of the floor. Facing a huge window. Looking down at the city.

"Meditating?" She asked him. "Would you rather be alone?"

"Makes no difference to me." Castle said.

"What's on your mind, Frank? You don't strike me as someone who tires of target practice."

"You'd be surprised." Castle answered.

"Really?"

"I had a discussion with Widow earlier. I said that I never lost my focus or will to fight this war. Truth is, I've been at it for thirty years. And whether I like him or not, Daredevil has done his share in this war. He put Fisk down. The tide never seems to change in any significant way. Kingpin goes down, a thousand would be bosses come out of the woodwork fighting over turf. And the killing continues. And sometimes, I get tired. I wonder about the point of all this. Then I remember Maria and the kids. I remember countless victims, innocent bystanders. Rage swells up. Hate. The thirst for retribution. Hell, justice. Still, sometimes, I can't help but think that this is a fool's war. It can't be won. People like me fight outside the law. Good cops fight within the law. And still, nothing."

Castle paused. There was no bitterness or whining in his voice, just cold lucidity and awareness. Realism. Also, weariness.

"We're gonna either kill those fucks tonight or die." Castle went on. "What difference will it have made in the end?"

"You will have tried." Elektra said. "When most people give in to indifference, apathy and corruption, you try to make this world safer so people don't lose what you've lost. That's more tangible than ethical abstractions like good or evil. Some people need killing so that innocent people can live in peace. You know that better than most, you just need to remind yourself that sometimes."

"Yeah. I do."

Castle looked at Elektra. Birds of a feather. Damaged by personal loss. Removed from humanity. Living hip-deep in blood and carnage. Always seeing the worst of what mankind had to offer.

"Enough of this brooding." Castle said. "I feel like shooting something."

"Good for you." Elektra said.

RUNDOWN BUILDING IN THE BRONX

0801 HOURS

Franklin pulled out his. 454 and Glock 21 and aimed them at Danko and Niemans.

"I can't let you do this." Franklin said. "This crosses the line. Sometimes, you break a few rules to get the job done. But this…kidnapping and torturing people, even if they are pieces of shit…I can't let this go."

Niemans, Danko, the asian man and the torture technician were all looking at Franklin.

"Drop your guns, hands against the wall." Franklin said.

"We can't, Marshal Franklin." Danko said quietly.

"Don't tell me." Franklin said. "You're on the job and you have to get the job done, that it? I got that from Castle earlier. Come on. This doesn't have to get ugly."

"It will if we don't stop Rastovilich and his men." Niemans said.

"I told you, I heard that noise-"Franklin started.

"You may have heard it, but I'm not sure you understood it." Danko said. "If those men carry on their takeover of New York's crime scene, the streets will be flooded with blood."

The little guy handling the torture device seemed greenish, like he was gonna puke, Franklin thought. Maybe the guns made him nervous. This was too real for him. Focus on the other three.

"And I told you." Franklin said. "I don't buy that fascistic Wild West nonsense. We got laws and-"

Something fell on the floor. The asian dropped a gun on the ground. The noise was unexpected. Franklin's head snapped towards the noise. He saw the weapon on the-

Movement. Gun. The little torture guy had a gun out. Franklin was a split second too slow. The accountant looking guy fired before Franklin could aim the Casull at him. A sting. In his neck. He squeezed the trigger anyway. Thunderclap resounded in the small room. Sleep. All Franklin wanted to do was…No…Stand and fight it. Seeing triple. Guns were heavy. Stay up. Fight. FIGHT. Another sting. Legs wobbly. Couldn't hold guns…God…damn…tranq again…Franklin went down.

DANKO STOOD OVER THE BIG MARSHAL.

"Sorry." He said. "You didn't have to shoot twice, Clarence."

"Big bastard wouldn't go down." The small torture technician-Clarence- said. "This is potent shit. Didn't want to put the poor guy in a coma. Scared me shit when his canon went off. Missed me by a few inches."

"I don't understand." The asian said. "Everything in his profile should have made him join us."

"He still believes in due process, we can hardly hold that against him, Cheng." Danko said.

"We know what we need to know." Niemans said. "We must clean up here and move out."

"Yes, we do." Danko said quietly. "We have a war to win."