City of Chaos: Davedevil/Huntress

Darkness is all I ever see. Well, not exactly see since I’m blind, but I think the point is communicated well enough. The reason I said that is because there is a distinct difference between seeing darkness and feeling darkness. As I leap from rooftop to rooftop tonight my gut tells me that something is wrong. There’s this black chill that keeps crawling down my spine. No night is a routine one for me, but I have a feeling this won’t be a normal patrol. Something was out there and I hated not having a clue as to what it was. Not to mention it had been raining all night and was supposed to continue till the morning.

Eventually, I managed to suppress that nagging feeling. Doing what I do doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for intuition. It’s action and observation in perfect unison. This city is too large for me to watch over while worrying over every stray thought. Stray thoughts led to fear and that, I wasn’t supposed to have. It was my public title after all. The Man Without Fear. At first, it wasn’t a title that I wanted, but it made sense. To do what I had chosen to do required a certain lack of fear. By no means though did I think I was fearless.

And as I leaped to my next rooftop I was reminded exactly of that. The sky above me gave way as a smoky black line began to split it in two.

“Oh, shit,” was the first thing I could muster myself to say as I watched the awesome sight. It was as if some force was dividing New York City in half. Tonight was definitely not going to be routine. I won’t lie. I wanted to shit my pants at the sight.

Then it hits me. If someone like me is panicking about this then I can’t imagine how the regular citizens are taking it. I launch my billy club into the air; wait till it connects with the head of a stone gargoyle and leap off of the roof. No matter how many times I do that it never gets boring.

I looked down at a green traffic light and not a single car was moving. Everyone had gotten out of their cars and were looking up at the black divide in the sky. I looked up as well and thankfully whatever it was hadn’t grown in size. Still didn’t stop the damn thing from looking creepy, and this coming from a guy dressed up as a devil. My curiosity made me want to zip over to Four Freedoms Plaza and get an answer from Reed about what was happening. If there was anybody in this city who had a clue then it was probably him. That was just curiosity though.

Judging by all the fast heartbeats below me it was obvious there were going to be a lot of scared people. Scared people oftentimes equaled stupid people. Especially when those scared people came in large numbers. Fear was a powerful force and it is often an understated force for change in the world. I had been taking advantage of that emotion since the start of my career. Driving fear into the masses had been the bread and butter of tyrants.

I liked to think of myself as being better than that, but it’s inevitable that wielding fear is corrupting. Putting fear into someone gave you a degree of power over them. Power, in all its forms, was corrupting, but it was just a matter of recognizing that corruption. Without that recognition I would find myself in no better a position than Fisk or The Rose. As I thought on that it occurred to me I didn’t remember that traffic light being there last night. In fact, I didn’t remember any part of this neighborhood at all. The buildings were all too dark and too gothic to be anything in Hell’s Kitchen. Had I really been moving that fast? No, something was wrong here and I’d put money on that black divide being behind it.

Any intention I had of waking up early for work was completely dashed at this point. There was a case I desperately needed to get to work on. I had enough papers stacked on my desk to rebuild a rain forest. Foggy was giving me more crap than a little bit about it, but I had priorities. A city split in half or a bunch of legal papers? The more important choice was a bit obvious. Every bone in my body was screaming at me to go home, slide into my bed, and watch some Matlock episodes until I feel asleep. Sleep was something that had eluded me for a very long time.

The people below me weren’t going to get much sleep either if they kept their eyes glued to the sky. I wanted to swing down and tell them all to head home, but my appearance would have probably just rattled them more. I’d let the police handle the crowd control. I knew my place and it certainly wasn’t being nanny to a bunch of adults. Real work was before me and I needed to get to it. Someone or something was trying to screw up my city. I had every intention of doing my part in making things right. Any idea of how to go about that had eluded me.

Well, I knew one thing was for certain. Sitting here and letting the chilly air have its way with me wasn’t going to help solve anything. I needed to get moving and see what else was wrong in the city. Hopefully, unfamiliar buildings and strange architecture would be the extent of what I had to encounter. I took off in a strong spring across the roof and leaped off it as my billy-club connected with a ledge. Gracefully, I landed on the thin ledge and flipped myself up on the unfamiliar roof.

I found myself staring down a crossbow.

“Talk,” the costumed woman said. “Now.”

I didn’t notice her and I couldn’t even begin to figure out how. The woman had to have had some damn good training to evade my senses. She was good, but I wasn’t going to give her too much credit. I had let myself get too caught up in the black line that kept making my night more and more interesting. Tomorrow was definitely going to be a call-out from work. Foggy be damned.

“Not quite sure what you want me to talk about,” Daredevil shrugged and then he saw The Rosary around her neck. “Catholic, huh? Me too.”

The woman snickered. “You must not be very devout considering your get-up.”

“This coming from the lady with a crossbow in my face. Not exactly a shining example of mercy.”

The woman gave a slick smile that betrayed insult and I go a little chill. “The fact you don’t’ have a bolt through your face is mercy enough.”

I almost wanted to laugh because this woman sounded so much like Elektra that it was scary. They both had that same cold calm abut them. Elektra was a little more exotic than my would be attacker, especially in battle attire. Red would always catch more attention than purple and black. Despite my slight pleasure in her comment I knew this standoff couldn’t go on forever. I had hoped conversation would give me an opening, but her stance was unwavering. She was definitely well-trained. Whoever she was she wasn’t just some lady in a suit. She could actually give me a challenge.

“So what brings you to New York on such a lovely night?” I asked as I pointed upward at the divided skyline. Her face turned up like I had just said something completely out of line.

Dropping her crossbow, the woman stepped back and said, “New York? This is Gotham City.”

Maybe she wasn’t so much like Elektra after all. I sure as hell didn’t want another Typhoid Mary on my hands, but what she had just said made that possibility very likely. Wait—this part of town was unfamiliar to me. Maybe this all went back to that black line in the sky. I couldn’t find that out standing here.

“So you dropped the bow. Guess you trust me.”

“I took a gamble. Most of the Gotham crazies would have made a move by now,” the woman replied. Then she smiled. “Plus you’re Catholic. Couldn’t go wrong there.”

“Good enough logic to me. So what are we going to do about our lil’ sky problem?”

“That,” she said holding her crossbow up, “isn’t my problem. I’ve got a psychotic plant lady terrorizing downtown Gotham. I’ll let the mystics handle the mystic. I’m just ground control.”

Surprisingly, that was probably the most common sense thing that had occurred or been said all night. There really wasn’t much point in figuring out something that was better left to people like Strange and Reed Richards. This type of thing was their department. I needed to stick to mine. Besides, something about this gruff woman intrigued me. Call me crazy, but her attitude was amazingly attractive. I wanted to find out more about her and my best bet was to follow her.

“My patrol has been pretty uneventful tonight. Maybe I can give you a hand with this plant lady,” Daredevil said.

She played like she was contemplating my proposal, but I already knew her answer. This woman had a sense of adventure and what could be more adventurous than spending time with a Daredevil. Corny maybe, but there was some truth behind it.

“As long as you don’t get yourself hurt, I wouldn’t mind some company. So what do they call you?”

“Daredevil,” I answered as I saw that stupid grin slide across her face. She was giving that “well isn’t that just predictable” look that so many in the super-hero community gave me upon first meeting me.

“I’m The Huntress. You’re lucky to have met me. I have a friend who wouldn’t have hesitated to take you out.”

If I listened to this lady I would feel completely insignificant though I must admit some curiosity at meeting whoever trained her. I wonder how they would measure up to Stick. It was rare, the person who could sneak up on me.

Guess wounded pride had me stuck on that one point. It wasn’t because she was a woman. Believe me I had faced my fair share of women capable of handing any man their ass on a hot plate. No, it was because I had let myself slip up. I had always prided myself on my alertness and I got caught off guard. Shouldn’t have happened and I’m lucky it wasn’t someone out to get me. If it had been one of Kingpin’s men I would have had my brains all over a crowd of people.

As we move across the rooftops and over the alleys I finally begin to believe what Huntress was saying. This really isn’t New York City. Its like that black divide flip-flopped the two cities. If half of Gotham was here then half of New York had to be somewhere else. This was definitely a situation far beyond either Huntress’ or mine capacity. Best we could do was to let it play out.

I began to notice that more and more vines were covering the rooftops. I could feel them underneath my feet as we sprinted across them. They finally became so thick in number that I asked, “So are we getting close?”

Huntress answered me swiftly like she was beginning to focus her mind for a fight. “Yes, we’re very close. She’s spreading out.”

“I need to know more about this Poison Ivy lady,” I said as I jumped from one roof to another effortlessly. “What’s her mental malfunction? Did her Mom overindulge on the broccoli?”

Then I heard it. Another heartbeat was near us. I thought I had heard it before, but I had a crossbow in my face. I didn’t have time to worry about it, but it was a lot closer this time. I told Huntress to stop running and said, “Someone’s following us. I can hear their heart’s beating and footsteps to coincide with it. The footsteps have stopped now. I think whoever it is knows that I’ve spotted them. Could it be Ivy?”

“Not unless she had some prior research on you,” Huntress laughed.

Once again another bonehead calculation on my part. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t know what about Huntress was throwing me off so much. Maybe she reminded me a bit too much of Elektra. Ivy had never met me before. She wouldn’t know about my abilities. Whoever was following us was one of my acquaintances.

“Looks like our situation just got a bit more hazardous,” I said, trying to think who it could possibly be tailing us. Then I heard the footsteps moving with the heartbeat again. “Whoever it is, they’re on the move again.”

Huntress smiled. “Looks like someone has a crush on you.”

That’s when it hit me. I knew that heartbeat!

“You need to get out of here Huntress. I know who’s coming and she’s not the friendly type.”

“Who is?” Huntress asked. “Don’t play the hero routine. I’m the farthest thing from a damsel in distress. If someone is coming for you we fight them together.”

I liked her swagger. She wasn’t scared of anything. Despite myself, I really liked that trait. The kind of life I led required a woman who could handle her own. Oh hell what was I talking about? She probably didn’t even look at me that way. Huntress was the type of woman that was all about her work and besides I had never heard of Gotham City. There stood a chance that after tonight I would probably never see her again. So why risk catching feelings? It was stupid.

“Lying scumbag!”

That was all I heard before she pounced on me. Fortunately, I had expected the move and thrust my knee into her stomach when she was close enough. Then I grabbed her by her hair and flung her clear off the rooftop. It wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do, but I had to protect Huntress from the psychotic woman.

In some sick way, Typhoid Mary felt like she was in some sort of relationship with me. Part of the responsibility for that was on my shoulders and I’ll never forgive myself for it. Huntress is probably seen by many as some twisted third point in an imagined love triangle. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I just so happen to get the woman who’s crazy and knows how to fight.

“Nice toss,” Huntress said. “I would have broken her neck myself.”

Any embarrassment I had about hitting a woman in front of another one went out the window. Besides, who was I kidding? Huntress probably threw down with men the size of linebackers and pro wresters. Crime fighting knew no gender. Still there was some part of me that wanted to impress Huntress. Hitting on a woman just didn’t seem like a way to do that.

“We better get moving before she makes it back up here. Knowing her like I do she’s probably just getting warmed up.”

Huntress’ nose wrinkled. “I don’t like running.”

Neither did I, but that was beside the point. “It’s not running. It’s taking care of the bigger threats. Mary can wait.”

“I can think of a few priests who might have a problem with that,” Huntress joked. It was a humor I could appreciate.

We began to make our way to downtown Gotham with me telling stories about Fisk and her talking about some wannabe named Falcone. That smile of her was so damn attractive. It was half crazy and all beautiful. Getting lost in that smile wasn’t an option anymore, as they got closer to where Huntress assumed this Poison Ivy was.

The vines beneath our feet were thicker and now ranged in colors from green to deep crimson. We were definitely getting closer to something. I looked over to Huntress and said, “Guess we’re close.”

“No,” she said with confidence, “we’re here.”

“So I guess she doesn’t make sudden appearances.”

Huntress shrugged. “You have better sense than me.”

“And normally I would be able to fish her out, but these damn vines are pulsating enough to sound like heart beats. It’s creating too much interference,” I said hating that my abilities couldn’t be put to their optimum use. Typhoid was sure to find us and that only made me madder with myself. We should have taken care of her when we still had the chance. Now we had two deadly opponents on our hands. This was my fault and I couldn’t help but to think that Huntress knew it. She was just too focused on other matters to make an issue of it.

“We should keep—AGHH!” Huntress yelled as one of the large vines suddenly pulled itself from the concrete and wrapped around her waist. The plant began to lift her up into the air and I immediately sprung into action.

“Hold on!” I cried out as I leaped into the air and wrapped an arm around the vine. That wasn’t my brightest idea because the vine began to spew a green mist into the air. I don’t know what it was, but I felt myself losing complete control of my body. My muscles weren’t my own anymore and I let go of the vine. I hit the rooftop with a thud, but I hardly remember feeling it. My mind started to go blank and all was black.

“Wake up children. Wake up,” I heard a serene voice calling out to me and I stirred back to consciousness.

Vines covered me from my neck down and I was completely unable to move. I was able to turn my head enough to see Huntress next to me. She was in much of the same state, but still knocked out cold. I don’t know what the hell was in that gas, but I still felt groggy as hell. Like there was this cold fog over my senses. Still, I had heard a voice and that was enough to work off of.

“Who’s there?”

“Another banished child of Eden like yourself, but I think my appreciation for the fruits of the garden runs a bit deeper.”

A felt a lithe finger run tenderly down my cheek and I almost quivered from it. Not that I was ready to reach out and make tender love to this woman, but it was something about her touch. It was electric. What was it with me and these psychotic women?

“So you must be Poison Ivy,” I said despite the fact my tongue felt like a thousand pounds of lead.

“Of course. The Bat whore must have told you some sordid story about me. Well, it isn’t true. I only wish to bring our society back to nature.”

I snickered. “From what she tells me you take the idea of going green a little too far for your own good.”

My senses were still somewhat dull, but I could hear Poison Ivy’s blood begin to race faster. “Mother Earth has spared man and his evil long enough. There will be a new Garden of Eden and let it begin here tonight.”

“So you’re responsible for all that’s going on?”

“No. I take no credit for that. I’m merely playing with the circumstances dealt to me.”

I smiled and looked upward. Looked like circumstances were about to play in my favor. I heard the loud crash of glass from above and a familiar voice scream.

“You cheating bastard! Two women! I’ll kill them both!” Typhoid Mary yelled as she ran downward and landed with a thud on the wet concrete. She charged at Poison Ivy with machete in one and knife in the other. I could tell the weapons by listening to the way they cut through the air.

Apparently, Typhoid had yet to connect as I kept hearing swish after swish. I kept trying to push on these damn vines, but they weren’t budging.

“If you stop wiggling around I can get you out,” Huntress said. I couldn’t help but to smile at hearing her voice, but how did she get out when I couldn’t.

Almost like she read my mind because she said, “The crew I hang with tends to have some expertise in getting out of these kinds of traps.”

“So should we take them out?” I asked a bit playfully. I pretty much had the answer figured out.

“No, I think your friend is more than enough justice for Ivy at the moment. We got bigger fish to fry. No Lent jokes either,” Huntress said as she finished cutting through the vines entrapping me. That was definitely not the answer I had expected for her.

“So what’s the game plan? I’m not exactly comfortable leaving these two here to duke it out. I get the feeling Ivy isn’t exactly a physical combatant.”

“She’s not. I’ve never seen her do so much dodging in my life,” Huntress laughed. “Okay fine. Let’s not leave her here.”

“Gotta take out her weapons,” Huntress said as she shot two bolts with deadly precision to knock Typhoid’s weapons out of her hands. I was impressed. I heard the bolts make contact loud and clear. She was a good shot.

“Wench!” Typhoid yelled as she turned to Huntress’ direction. The formerly cowardly Poison Ivy ran forward and slugged Typhoid Mary in the jaw.

“Bad girl,” I said as I launched my billy-club at Poison Ivy and it wrapped around her like a high-speed jump rope.

“Nice toss,” Huntress said.

“Nice shot,” I returned.

“So you wanna take these two in and call it a night?”

I laughed. “A night? I doubt we get that luxury tonight. Not with two cities suddenly thrown together.”

Huntress shrugged. “I’ve dealt with worse. I still say we get Starbucks after we drop them off at the station.”

“If we can find the station I’m all for it,” I said and it was the truth. I needed caffeine like a fat kid needed cake.

“Then it’s a done deal. Let’s get to work.”

Maybe tonight just wasn’t quite so bad after all. Still raining though.