Daredevil: Defender Of Hell's Kitchen - Volume One: Heightened Terror

Chapter Seven: Epilogue

Three nights after Stilt-Man's defeat: I sit on the edge of a building, listening into to an apartment across the road. The occupant slumps into his kitchen, still dressed in his messy dress shirt and pants from a long day at work. He heads to his fridge and pulls out an older bottle of...bourbon, judging by the scent. He sighs to himself from both exhaustion and relief.

I hear his feet step over to the cupboard, opening it and grabbing a glass. Setting the glass down, he twists the cap off the bottle and pours a bit of the bourbon into the glass. "Geez, I need a day off," The man huffs, sifting down and bringing the drink to his lips.

I stand up and swing my batons at the open window of his apartment. The grappling hook secures itself on the ledge and, with the use of my only good hand, I swing over and climb into the dimly lit living area. Holstering my batons on my thigh, the tired man yawns and reaches for the TV remote on the coffee table in front of him.

He slouches, still gripping his chilly glass of bourbon and flipping through the channels on his flatscreen TV. Taking in a good scan of my surroundings, this guy clearly makes enough money to support an elegant lifestyle. His high rise is located in a decent New York neighbourhood. I creep forward, clearing my throat to get the man's attention. He jolts forward in shock, as I step into the light.

"Holy hell, Daredevil," He chuckles. "You scared the shit out of me. What's up?"

"I think you're right about the 'Puppet Master', Urich," I reply, adjusting the bandage tied around my left hand.

"At least someone thinks so," Ben says, giving a little smile. "What's up with your hand?

"My methods of taking down Stilt-Man were a little less practical than I'd like to admit," I smirk at Ben. "So, what can you tell me about this guy? If he actually exists, I need to get him out of the Kitchen."

"Not much, he's a ghost. Let's start with any info you might have on him. We can compare notes," Ben tells me, scratching his chin.

"I'm in the same boat as you," I sigh, disappointedly. "All I've got is that he's been operating for sometime and he likes go by 'The Kingpin'."

"Well, he's clearly some kind of control freak then," Ben states, matter-of-factly. "Probably some rich CEO, an industrialist or something. Funneling his money into his criminal operation. Those types are usually obsessed with the idea of having power, so it would support the list..."

"The list?" I question, realizing Ben was merely thinking out loud.

"Yeah," He nods. "I've been looking into this 'Kingpin' for a few years, actually. Since Fixer's death. I've put together a list of prime suspects who could be the guy controlling the criminal underworld in Hell's Kitchen."

"Can I get some names?"

"Y'know, the people you'd usually find on lists like these," Ben replies. "Justin Hammer, Bollivar Trask, L. Thompson Lincoln, Norman Osborn, et cetera. Hell, I even had Tony Stark on the list until he came out as Iron Man."

"People like Hammer and Osborn run higher level, global companies. I don't know why they'd risk losing everything by controlling a few blocks of New York," I state.

"Well, you know how power hungry the elite can be. Plus, they're just names on a list. Nothing conclusive, sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Ben," I respond, turning back towards the window. "Thanks for the help. Keep me updated with any new info you get, I'd appreciate it."

"Likewise, Daredevil. Have a good night!" Ben smiles, as I climb back out of his window.