The Rider of Young Justice Season 1: Beginnings

Insecurity

Manhattan, New York City: 23:47pm, December 4th, 2010

I wait within the abandoned apartment, I hold my burner hand in as I wait for my guests. I feel the tortured soul of Frank Castle as he steps into the light. "What do you want, Rider?" He growls in his usual annoyed tone. I chuckle while looking at him. "Good to see you too, Castle. How've you been?" I ask as he narrows his eyes at me. He clenches the pistol that he has as I raise an eyebrow. "Come on, Frank, put that away. I'll have to blind, deaf, paralyzed and without a demonic spirit for you to be a threat." I say jokingly as a chuckle is heard. We both look and see my second and final guest show himself. "You got a mouth on you kid.....but you're not wrong. Put it away." Blade says to me and Castle respectfully. "Who the fuck are you?" Castle says as he backs up. "Relax Castle. This is my friend, Blade. Vampire hunter. Blade, this is Frank Castle, the Punisher." I say welcoming as I gesture to both of them, while pointing to the other. "Vampires? Seriously?" Castle questions as Blade stares back at him, he pulls the bag from his shoulder and pulls out a charred skull. The skull has very prominent fangs where the canines and incisors should be. "Elder?" I ask him as he nods. Castle stares shocked at the skull before holestering his gun. "Alright you have my attention. Now what do you want?" He says as she sits across from me as Blade puts the skull away before sitting down as well.

I sigh as I lean forward. "I called you both here because, in a few weeks.....I'm going to be taken and made to do things that I don't want to do. I am asking for help in keeping the collateral to a minimum." I say as they both stare at me. "Taken? By who?" "And to do what?" Blade and Frank say respectfully as I sigh. "Recently, Lilith, the Mother of All Demons, broke free of her imprisonment and is now walking free amongst mankind. She is gathering her forces, her plans......I don't know yet. And for what I'll be doing.......well. Anything she forces me too." I say as I take out pictures of ancient depictions of Lilith, as well as pictures from the neighbouring warehouse from when she and her children beat the shit out of me. Frank takes the photos and matches them, Blade gazes at the warehouse picture as he focuses on the tall woman on the centre of the frame. "Is this her?" He says while pointing to the figure. I nod my head. "This is ridiculous. First vampires. Now demons? You honestly expect me to believe this shit?" Frank says as he tosses the photos across the table. "Frank, you've seen the Ghost Rider for yourself and Blade just showed you a charred skull of a vampire. A species that you thought make-believe not 10 minutes ago. Can you honestly sit there and say, even with the evidence in front of you, that you don't believe in demons?" I say to him with a knowing smile as he leans back against the chair on defeat. He knows that his argument is trash, especially since Blade is here as proof for the impossible to be possible.

"So what do you want us to do? Because I don't know about you but an army of demons is a little above my line of work." Blade says as I nod. "You two aren't the only ones that know about this. One other does and she has my full trust, but what I do want you to do is help me out with a group of people that I know can help." I say to both of them as they lean forward. "For the last half year, I've been a part of a covert team of young heroes under the watch of the Justice League. We have been combating a shadowy organisation known as the Light that has recently made allies of Lilith. What I hope, is that the two of you can help these heroes when the time comes." I say as Frank gets up angrily as he walks to the door. "I'm not helping any heroes. I'm done here." He says with venom as he walks past me. "Frank, you the worst case scenario comes then a lot of people are going to die. Mothers, sons, daughters.....fathers. Do you want the knowledge of dead children on your conscience when you know you could have done something to prevent it?" I say to him as he stops before the door. I see Blade sitting in his seat, leaning back as he watches with curiosity. I hear a huff as Frank walks back over and sits back down. "I'm not babysitting for you." He says with a growl as I laugh. "I would never ask you too. What I am asking is for you to help out when needed. The team is strong and trustworthy, but they don't have the killer instinct that the two of you have.....and if worse comes to worse......they need you two to help them."