He'd done everything he could to keep the two halves of his life separate. Matt Murdock operated within society, and Daredevil operated outside of it. Daredevil was important, and necessary, but Matt didn't want his vigilantism infecting the law. So, for the last few months, he'd spent half of his existence in the shadows, because he didn't want to corrupt the society that he was trying to protect. It was difficult, and painful, but he'd done it.
And now he'd come across this CIA hitman. The man was surely following government orders, but those orders were completely illegal. As a defense attorney, Matt knew that there was corruption in the system, but this was different. This part of the government was simply outside of the law. It frustrated him-it made him feel like all of this was for nothing. He'd bent over backwards to keep his hands clean, and now he was dealing with a group that didn't even feel guilty enough to wear masks.
The CIA man was relentless. After the initial shock of seeing a "devil man" had worn off, he'd really gone on a tear. The man punched, kicked, used his elbows and knees, and occasionally tried to grab him. It was all Daredevil could do to block his attacks. He wanted to backflip away, and create some distance between them, but the CIA man never gave him an opportunity. His constant attacks made it impossible.
Daredevil was focused on him...but he was also focused on Angel, who was stuck in the banquet room. It sounded like he was just avoiding Halo Knight's attacks, right now, but he'd eventually have to take the fight to him. Daredevil hoped that Angel could hold his own until he got in there to back him up.
The CIA man swung at him, and Daredevil blocked it. He ducked a second swing, sidestepped a third, and spun away from a kick. Daredevil flinched away from a backhand and leapt over a sweep kick. The CIA man feinted right, punching instead with his left hand, but his shoulders gave him away, as did the sound his tendons made. Daredevil blocked him yet again. The man was exerting himself, but his heartrate was steady. He was conditioned well. He was also strong, fast, relatively young, and big.
Many of the criminals Daredevil fought had been in the War, so they knew a thing or two about fighting and killing, but this was different. The CIA man was using a ninja-like style, which was (almost) unheard of in America. Daredevil had thought that he was the only one. And the man moved in a comfortable, experienced way. Stick had trained Daredevil for years, but he'd only been a vigilante for the last few months; he had a feeling that this hitman had been active for much longer than that. Other than Stick, he was the most proficient fighter that he'd ever gone up against. Was he another Westerner that had mastered Eastern martial arts? Was he from Asia? Daredevil had no idea-he couldn't see what color he was.
You aren't dealing with some drunk, out-of-shape goon, this time. His training was probably as good as yours, and he seems more seasoned than you. Look at his reactions, his footwork, his breathing. He knows what he's doing. Unless you want to end up sharing a secret jail cell with some Russian spies-or dead-you need to get off the ropes and find out how good you really are.
The next time that the CIA man tried to punch him, Daredevil blocked the attack with his billy club. He heard bone strike metal. The CIA man yanked his hand back, hissing in pain, and Daredevil went to work.
Daredevil feinted with the billy club, kicking him in the face. A second kick exploded into the CIA man's stomach. Daredevil swung at him, and his opponent blocked it, but that opened him up for a billy club "uppercut," which caught him right underneath the jaw. The CIA man somehow stayed on his feet. He lunged for Daredevil, hands grasping-he must have been a wrestler in his youth-but Daredevil grabbed him and flipped him. He broke some dainty little table that had a vase of flowers on it.
The CIA man rolled away, immediately springing to his feet. Daredevil swung his billy club at him, but he dodged it, and Daredevil received a punch in the ribs. The CIA man flinched away from a kick. Daredevil couldn't see his eyes, but he was sure that he was looking at his guns, which were on the floor...with Daredevil blocking them off. He'd already popped the clips, emptying them. Normally, that would have been enough, but against someone like this? He might be skilled enough to dive for the gun and bullets, get one in, and make the shot count, all before Daredevil could stop him.
I need to move the fight away from his weapons.
The timing was eerie: right as Angel went on the attack in the banquet room (Daredevil heard him shoot Halo Knight with one of those rubber projectiles), Daredevil went after the CIA man, pressing him backwards. The CIA man was able to block some of his attacks, but not all of them. Daredevil connected with a punch, had a billy club swing blocked, elbowed him in the side of the head, had a punch blocked, and had a kick caught. He yanked his leg free before the CIA man could flip him. Daredevil's instincts had been correct; this guy didn't even seem fazed, so he was definitely battle-tested.
He may be used to fighting enemy spies, but I bet that he's never taken on someone like me.
Daredevil threw his billy club. It ricocheted around the hallway, and the CIA man hesitated, tensing up. Daredevil left his feet, flipping over him. He kicked him as he went. The CIA man stumbled, trying for a punch, but Daredevil was already back in the air. He caught his billy club, landing behind his opponent. The CIA man spun, ducking, but Daredevil swung his billy club low, and it clipped his head. This time, the CIA man launched at him and seized him in a bear-hug. He slammed Daredevil into the wall. Daredevil head-butted him, stomped down on his foot, and broke loose.
The CIA man tried to get back to his weapons-Daredevil grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and yanked on him, combining it with a knee to the stomach. (That was the great thing about super-suits: civilian clothes were covered with things that you could grab, and they were usually a little loose. Super-suits were smooth and skintight.) The CIA man hunched over, apparently in pain...but it was a trick. When Daredevil got close to him, he immediately straightened back up. The CIA man gave him an open-handed blow to the face, nearly toppled him over with a kick, and tried to grab his wrist for an arm-breaking maneuver. Daredevil escaped, backflipping away. If he'd been capable of sight, he would have been seeing stars, he was sure.
The CIA man once again tried to get past him (and back to his weapons). This time, he faked one way and went the other, like a running back making a cut. But Daredevil caught his upper arm as he went by, using his momentum to swing him into a side-room. It was some sort of executive lounge. The room had small tables surrounded by chairs, a billiards table, and a wet bar. There was a mirror behind the bar. He heard the CIA man knock over a table and chairs, scrambling to his feet.
Daredevil could still hear Angel, as well-he'd been smacking Halo Knight around, but he'd also gotten hit by some large object. Probably a table. A girl was screaming, and it sounded like Angel was on his way to rescue her.
I hate this. The whole point of being Daredevil is to be able to do something, and not just be a bystander. But I can't do anything to help Angel, right now...and even if I beat this guy, the doors could still be stuck...
The moment that Daredevil entered the room, the CIA man started throwing chairs at him. He didn't waste time picking them up first, he simply grabbed their seats, aimed, and flipped them into the air. It was an interesting approach. The CIA man was big and strong-he only needed his upper-body strength to do that trick. Daredevil ducked the chairs, gradually getting closer his enemy. Then, the CIA man paused by the billiards table, grabbing some balls and flinging them at him. Daredevil flipped and spun in the air, dodging them. That was something that he usually did. He tended to be the one improvising, not his enemies. It was a new experience for him.
Finally, the CIA man was backed into a corner, by the bar. He naturally broke a pair of bottles and wielded them like knives. The CIA man still seemed calm, but Daredevil could feel anger boiling within him. Part of it came from being unable to help Angel. Part of it came from how this man was getting in his way, and wasting his time. But Daredevil also hated everything that he represented: namely, that the government and the military sometimes chose to break the law, as opposed to protecting it.
Daredevil heard himself growling...
The CIA man circled the bar, keeping it between them. He shot an arm across it, slashing with one of the broken bottles, but Daredevil shattered the remaining glass with his billy club. The CIA man dropped the neck and jerked his hand away from the shards. Before he could do anything with the other bottle, Daredevil threw his billy club, got the perfect ricochet, and shattered it, as well. The bar was lined with stools; Daredevil threw one of them at the mirror behind the bar-and when an avalanche of glass came down, distracting the CIA man, Daredevil vaulted across the bar, kicking him right in the face.
Daredevil started to finish him off, but he suddenly heard Angel cry out and hit the floor. One of those energy-things must have gotten him. Now, he was the one that was distracted, and the CIA man escaped from the corner, getting out amongst the tables. The CIA man clearly thought about making a break for his guns, but he seemed hesitant to turn his back on Daredevil. Instead, he just kept backing up, inching toward the door.
Angel is in trouble-you need to get this over with.
Daredevil aimed, throwing the billy club right at the CIA man's forehead...
...and he proceeded to catch it.
The CIA man looked at the billy club, gripping it firmly, and his face made a smiling noise. (Frowns involved more muscles; they were louder.)
Great job, Matt.
Seconds later, the CIA man came at him, swinging the billy club. Daredevil ducked it. The CIA man continued to attack, and Daredevil sidestepped, dodged, flipped, and spun, refusing to be attacked by his own weapon. After two of the misses, Daredevil managed to strike him as he passed by, punching him in the ribs and kicking him in the lower back. But it wasn't enough to get him to drop it.
In the banquet room, Halo Knight was ranting, and Daredevil heard Angel's heartbeat go from "sheer panic" to "scared but under control." He also heard Angel's fingers wrap around some wooden object.
Just hold out for a few more minutes, buddy.
They were surrounded by tables, and Daredevil leapt up on one of them, standing upright and kicking the CIA man across the face. He swung the billy club at him, but Daredevil hopped over it and landed on another table. The CIA man was now in an awkward position-his attacks were level with Daredevil's lower legs. There wasn't as much mass for him to target, and it was easy for Daredevil to jump over his swings. He tried overturning the tables, but Daredevil would just jump to another one, kicking him as he went.
So, after a frustrating ten seconds, the CIA man leapt up on a table, as well. Daredevil jumped to a new table, and the CIA man followed him. These tables were smaller than the ones in the banquet room, and they tipped and wobbled when someone landed on them; the CIA man looked like he was trying to ride a surfboard. Daredevil smiled. This man was an excellent fighter, but he didn't seem like an acrobat. On the floor, they seemed to be evenly-matched...up here, though, Daredevil had the advantage.
The two of them were now sharing the same table, barely fitting on it, and the CIA man seemed hesitant to shift his weight enough to attack. But Daredevil was pure grace. He utilized close-combat moves, elbows and open-hand thrusts, things that didn't require much windup. The CIA man tried to grapple with him, but Daredevil pushed off and jumped to another table. The previous table rocked, nearly tipping over, and the CIA man followed him.
That's right...you're bigger than I am, and I'm acting like I don't want to wrestle, so please try it again...
He fell for it. The CIA man planted his feet on the table, grabbing at him with his free hand-and Daredevil grabbed for the billy club. In moments, they were engaged in a tug-of-war. The table rocked back and forth, but Daredevil was completely comfortable, while the CIA man's heartbeat was jerky. Daredevil wasn't trying to pull the billy club away, he was just waiting for the right moment. After about ten seconds, one end of the billy club was pointed at the CIA man's head, and Daredevil hit the grapple-cord button.
The metal stud on the end of the cord hit the CIA man upside the head and bounced off of the flat ceiling. It had to hurt, but he was also surprised, and the combination of the two caused to loosen his grip for just a split-second. It was all that Daredevil needed. He wrenched the billy club loose, simultaneously kicking him off of the table.
Angel was now hitting Halo Knight with the wooden object-Daredevil had no idea how he was on his feet already-
Daredevil partially retracted the cord, and then he used it like a whip, trying to snag the CIA man. But his enemy rolled underneath a table to avoid it, launching out from the other side. He sprinted out of the room, presumably heading for his guns, and Daredevil fully retracted the cord and chased him.
It was even darker than before: the vast majority of the lights had gone out. Thanks to the darkness, the CIA man had a little trouble finding his gun, but not much. His head inclined toward it right away. Daredevil was pretty sure that he could attack him before he had time to grab it, load it, and use it, but it'd be close. As the CIA man made a beeline for his weapons, a third party got in his way. Some young patrolman had decided to play hero. He came dashing in, waving his own gun around like a party-favor, and he told the CIA man to "Fuh-fuh-freeze!" The CIA man casually disarmed him and knocked the wind out of him. He then resumed running, firing behind him as he went, and Daredevil vanished into the shadows.
The CIA man only wasted three bullets. After that, he flattened himself against a wall, holding the gun straight out. The CIA man went still and silent, tilting his head. He was listening. After making sure that the cop was okay, Daredevil started to stalk the CIA man. Stick had taught him how to avoid making noises that were audible to normal people. In addition to his training, there was also the fact that he was on thick, expensive carpet, which made his task easier.
After a moment, the CIA man crouched down, using one hand to grab a gun and a few bullets. But he'd need both hands to load it. And his bullets weren't the same caliber, so he couldn't use them to reload the gun that he was holding. The CIA man stood back up and continued to listen.
In the banquet room, Halo Knight was trying to use a hostage to get away, but the older man was getting close to him, and Daredevil thought that he knew what would happen next...
Daredevil threw his billy club. It knocked the gun out of the CIA man's hand, causing it to fire in the process, and he rushed in and attacked. Daredevil hit him with a flying kick. But the CIA man used the empty gun as a club, and Daredevil had to work to avoid it. Daredevil caught his billy club, used it to parry the gun, and kicked his legs out from under him. The CIA man rolled clear right as the old man said "Welcome to New York, punk." Daredevil was shocked. He'd expected the old man to distract him, but shivving him prison-style?
The two of them circled each other.
"I gave you an order," the CIA man said.
"You're disgusting-you should be protecting the system, not perverting it," Daredevil said.
The CIA man seemed to hesitate...
Halo Knight was trying to get away: Daredevil heard him heading for one of the sets of double-doors. The doors crashed open, and when the CIA man glanced behind him, Daredevil flip-kicked him in the head, smashed his billy club into his shoulder, and flipped him flat on his back. He then raced after Halo Knight, who was awkwardly flying down the hallway.
Daredevil winced as he ran. The CIA man had really pounded on him, and pain was shooting up and down his entire body. He'd gotten spoiled. Daredevil had been getting into it with crooks for the last few months, but as more of his old training came back to him, it got to where they struggled to lay a glove on him. This was the first true equal he'd gone up against. It was sort of a good feeling, though. He'd heard football players talk about the first big hit of a game. Once it was out of the way, and you were still upright, you knew that you could take the punishment.
Halo Knight's...spacesuit or whatever it was was punctured, now, and Daredevil had his scent. As expected, he didn't smell any fear. Halo Knight was injured, and on the run, but he had a zealot-like focus on his mission. Daredevil heard him muttering to himself. Something about remembering a building, and that he needed to get there.
Angel shot out of the banquet room. Daredevil was ahead of him, but, thanks to his wings, Angel caught up to him in no time.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Angel said, "but you aren't gonna believe who I just m-"
"We can't let him get away again!"
Halo Knight flew through the open doors that led outside, and Daredevil heard a chorus of shouts from the crowd. He used his senses (and contextual clues) to identify them: there were cops, people that had fled the hotel, random lookie-loos, and a few newspaper photographers. The cops drew their weapons and shouted at people to get down; the wealthy socialites screamed that he was coming after them again; the morbidly-curious citizens couldn't have been more excited; the photographers fumbled with their cameras and cursed under their breath.
This time, Halo Knight ignored the crowd, flying right over them. The cops started to raise their weapons to fire, but they hesitated at the last moment. They'd be shooting up, and they were surrounded by office buildings and fancy apartments...if they missed, which seemed likely, they'd be spraying bullets into the second-story-and-higher windows.
When the crowd saw the two heroes, they collectively gasped. The cops seemed to relax. Daredevil fired his grappling cord, swinging to a cornice that was halfway up a building, and then he fired it again, getting all the way to the roof. Angel easily kept pace with him. Halo Knight was flying above the rooftops, and they were downwind of him. Daredevil was currently tracking him via radar, sound, and scent. He was determined not to lose him, this time.
Halo Knight had to know that they were right behind him...but he didn't seem to care. He was zeroed in on something, without a doubt, to the point that nothing else mattered. Daredevil suddenly realized that Halo Knight's overall plan had a hole in it. Not just the obvious "If you're actually right, billions of people will die" part, but a fundamental error in its logic. He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen it before.
Their enemy was completely focused on his mission, and completely unaware of the problem with it. As Daredevil ran across New York's rooftops, hot in pursuit, he grunted in frustration. They were dealing with a blind man.
To be concluded...