10 Chapter 8: Escalation

Chapter 8: Escalation

He simmered in his rage, boiling beneath his skin. He let out a ragged breath that he unconsciously held that steamed in his vision; he watched the retreating backs of both mutants; he was haunted by a sense of violence that whirred through his being, but the rational part of himself that was left advised him to halt.

With no time to spare, he regained control of his stifling emotions. He began to query the system and ended up with a unique concoction of phosphorus-plastic explosives propagated by Wayne Enterprise. The combustion and subsequent explosion would rock the building.

Vaguely, he knew the system had certain protections, but he was worried about his D.N.A. Notifications flashing in his peripheral—no time to be distracted.

He made mistakes, which was okay; he survived and even came out on top. Cole had assumed he could handle anything The Hand would throw. Still, he didn't expect to come in contact with mutants, which spoke more of his information-gathering ability than his physical capacity.

He could hear the moaning and groaning of the goons, which he knew now belonged to Tombstone, so this was one of his smuggling drop points; He wished he had time to search the crates, but that wasn't fated.

His unexpected charge was still unconscious, the beating he took was extraordinary, and the man continued heartbeat, which Cole could hear perfectly, which contributed to his heightened persona percentage rating; he was drawing out every ounce of Jason Todd's potential earlier, and it showed, yet still, he never expected to run into Murdock so soon. He had planned to seek the man out to help with his parents' company and possible emancipation.

He ran toward the office as instincts took control and leaped to the second floor in a single leap. He looked around the room and noticed The Hand Suit with the suitcase stirring. He moved forward and kicked the man's head backward, sending him into another bout of unconsciousness; hopefully, a concussion, too; he ignored the notification and continued onward.

He placed a cold steel hand on the suitcase making it vanish, contents unknown, but a new notification popped in his peripheral; to say he was shocked would be an understatement; the System was indeed a marvel.

He quickly made his way to the downed Mishimoto patriarch. He grabbed the man; his weight didn't hamper him as he rushed back outside. Exiting through the hole in the wall, he quickly noticed the missing Daredevil.

He squatted down, placing the patriarch down, and whirled around, raising his right armored forearm to defend himself from the Bo Staff's blow.

He felt the anger and rage bubble inside. 'Why did they write the characters like this? The man was barely supernatural, an extraordinary martial artist and a bleeding heart, but he wasn't afforded extraordinary physical abilities.' Cole gripped the Bo staff and pulled hard, dragging the man forward.

"Wai-" Cole tried to say before the man punched him. He paused as the man hissed and stepped back. Cole looked down at the staff and back at the Devil before tossing it over his shoulder.

Sirens blared ever closer, time was running out, and the two quickly achieved a measure of accords, albeit The Devil was starting to feel the nights escapades and knew he couldn't afford to battle this boy, especially one capable of nearly killing the superhuman enforcer El Uno. Neither wanted to be caught here when the cops arrived, and Cole also learned from the conversation the Devil's partner was the one that notified the cops upon not hearing from him.

"You can hear the sirens," Daredevil asked in stupefaction. Cole could hear an almost hidden edge in his tone. The man was unreasonably hostile. Cole nodded but outwardly ignored the man hovering overinflated him, his hands clenching and unclenching as he bandaged the Mishimoto patriarch's wounds.

"I asked you a question! Answer me?" The Devil demanded.

He ignored the man out of principle. 'All of these medical supplies are costing me more money. He had little use for it, but the System didn't sell in singles but in bulk. The System was expensive and required dollars for absolutely every and anything.

Cole stood from his medical administration, adequate and thankful for the instinctual knowledge.

"Same as you," Cole said, finally replying. He knew the man was listening to his heartbeat to determine his trustworthiness.

"We're not the same," he hissed. "You would have murdered them! What makes you any better than them?

Who are you?" He stepped forward threateningly.

Cole sighed loudly, his rage, fortunately, unawakened. Sparing killers and enslavers would never be on the table. Daredevil was no threat to him. But he was a fool that ideologies weren't in line with his, which would lead to them being enemies.

He hoped the two could be numb to each other initially. Even to think he stood a chance against him was foolhardy. Was it because the man knew he was a kid? He recalled the Gorgon being able to tell his age somehow too.

That question again, who am I? "I go by the Red Hood. And you're right; we're not the same. Don't think you can take me, not before and surely not after the beating you took." Cole said harshly and stepped toward the man.

The two crimson-suited vigilantes were mere inches away from each other. "Kid," Daredevil emphasized the word. "You don't understand who or what you just got mixed up. You have abilities, but this isn't a game or Halloween. You could die. Your family could die."

Cole was chagrined at the Devil's words. His rage was stirring. The hairs along his arm bristled. "You know nothing of me and why I do what I do. The Hand is my enemy. And gods be damned if anyone stands in my way of that!" Cole said with a low guttural growl encapsulating pain and violence, causing Daredevil's hyper-intense senses to flare in a warning.

Daredevil and Cole stood before each other before the older man relented. "Look, kid, all I'm trying to say is if I wasn't here, you could have been hurt or, worst, captured. If they capture you, I promise whatever gimmick you got going won't matter!" His tone is condescending and unrealistically flawed.

His rage smoldered as he began to laugh at the man.

"You clearly don't understand, and I realize my point didn't register. This is your town. I'll stay out of it if I can. But, don't patronize me and leave your fucking morals with whom hides behind the mask." He turned to walk away, but a hand latched onto him.

"Where is the suitcase?" The Hells kitchen devil asked as Cole jerked his arm from the man's grip and continued walking as the sirens were close.

He grabbed the patriarch before the Devil stood before him again. "I can't let you do that. And it would be best if you remained here. The lady I'm partnered with will help you. I know some-" He didn't let the man finish as the [High powered Taser] appearance caused the Devil's eyes to grow large before electricity coursed through him as he convulsed on the ground.

He squatted beside the convulsing man. "Remember this. I don't work well with others!" He stood before walking back to the still unconscious father before spitting out hissing words of ridicule and disgust. "I once wondered where you and the others were when New York needed you, hell, even the world," he said as the father draped over his shoulder. "Stay in Hell's Kitchen with the rest of the street-level guys. It's your fate, after all."

"Don't ever try to tell me what's best. And the next we meet in this capacity, don't put your hands on me."

The Daredevil convulsed on the ground from the current but heard every word from the child; what did he mean by his words, and who the fuck was this kid.

"That is not a threat."

Cole bolted forward, running at a heightened pace that he couldn't before. He had learned a lot tonight in pursuit of this mission about the System. Every possible item in the DC and even some of the smaller comic companies' collections is packed inside.

The system is a resource he shouldn't take for granted. He could sell items to the System, he wasn't sure of the limit, but there was a need to explore that more. Fighting and doing something worthwhile would significantly increase his persona percentage.

Special Agent Misty Knight x Cole Stephens

"Freeze!" A tall, dark-skinned woman had her pistol drawn in front of six patrol cars and multiple officers with automatic weaponry. She watched as he tracked each individual and looked skyward, ignoring them as if they weren't even his concern.

Officers as a helicopter whirled above the spotlight flashing down on him.

'I'm going to break that bastard's legs when I see him next.' Cole vowed internally and realized that Daredevil was holding him up for a reason and potentially had some partnership with Misty Knight.

He observed her as she cursed and screamed at him to surrender. He noted she was FBI and not an NYC detective in this world. That fact leaned a lot toward his situation and possible unknown earth, and he was well aware of the multiverse theory and the countless earths in Marvel; this was not Earth 616.

Fury was already building a database, he deduced. There were maybe more metahumans and enhanced activities going on than he was aware of, he was able to track a few, but he was still oblivious to the broader involvements; he needed to find someone to purchase information from or hack into some government systems, he was capable of that because of Todd, but he was Batgirl, he was a computer savant, just the basic level training all of the bat family underwent.

She hated repeating herself, and he was beginning to unnerve the local officers she liaised with; she began regretting not asking for more federal force to combat the ever-growing threat.

But he only stood there analyzing them. She raised her hand, signally the officer to get closer. She received the Daredevil signal, and soon after, his distress signal came through as she floored it to get here.

"Lay down the hostage and put your hands in the air! This is your final warning." She said behind the door of her cruiser. He placed the man on the ground. She felt the officer's relief. This man was dangerous, and that armor seemed like it could take whatever they had, and he was adorned in it from head to toe.

He slowly stood back up. Her grip tightened, and she almost pressed the trigger. Suddenly, an explosion reverberated from behind the man, he stood as the fire lapped at him, but to her horror, the masked a large weapon materialized in the armored man's Hand; a canister hurdled in their direction, the canister exploded, and thick smoke encapsulated the area, gunshots rang out.

Special Agent Misty Knight acted. She called for the pilot to descend. The helicopter pilot came down smartly and cleared the smoke, but it was too late. Her suspect and the foreign doctor were gone.

She looked to Skywatch and signaled them to canvass the area, but she knew the type that wore masks enough to realize he was probably holed away. Her hand slammed down on the car's hood as fire trucks arrived.

Special Agent Misty Knight

She stewed in anger before an agent screamed for her. "Special Agent Knight, you won't believe who owns this warehouse?" The young Agent came running up smiling.

"Just tell me what you got, Stanley."

"Tombstone," he said, nonplussed. "Illegal artwork and firearms have been discovered so far.."

He snapped his fingers excitedly. "You would think the fire would destroy everything, but the labs can't even pimply the substance; it's like some super concoction, maybe experimental or military; this new guy can't be working alone."

He stepped close to whisper. "Saw our guy limping out the fire exit. I made sure no attention was on him as he fled. Maybe you want to check in on him.

She took a deep breath and brought her cell phone out. She sent a message to the daredevil asking if he was okay. Not getting an immediate response, she went on to the next person, her boss, Coulson.

Immediately her phone ranged. It was Coulson.

"Sir," she said respectfully.

"Special Agent Knight, I got your message and sent it up the chain. This new individual hasn't been on our radar. And the agency's top brass appreciates your endeavors in drawing out The Hand. Unfortunately, you're nee- "

"With all due respect Assistant Director," she winced as she cut her boss off but continued; damage was done, but she was so close. "I believe The Hand is operating at the behest of Hydra. Suppose they're able to secure a foothold in New York. It will make all but impossible to remove them." She pleaded her case.

"Regrettably, I'm handing the mission over to the field agents shadowing the NYC special interest task force. Your assets immunity will be upheld, and agent status for "special individuals" will be written in the new defense bill."

"Sir. Politics aside, we need these people on our side, and under the letter of the law, vigilantes are growing like weeds around the country, and the majority of them are enhanced!" She hissed out, knowing she threaded a line of insubordination.

"Special Agent Knight, your orders are sent from high. I can't rescind them. Do you understand?" She cursed. The director was active.

"I'm giving orders for the special interest task force to build a profile on the new subject. If they can find some relevant data on him."

"Unfortunately, I need you on the next flight out." She was about to interrupt, but he raised his voice, stalling her. "Tony Stark, Agent. He's been spotted in Afghanistan."

He paused briefly before continuing. "Intelligence is placing him as the man in the suit destroying known insurgents' locations. Do you understand why I'm so adamant and need you to head this up?

"Do me a favor, and please drop this business in New York now. We have an American billionaire genius weapon developer flying around in a power suit destroying terrorists. The same terrorist Uncle Sam has been fighting for the last decade. He's winning, Misty. And we don't need a sitting president up for re-election angling this or overreaching, and the agency is at stake if we elect an unreasonable incumbent." He intoned.

Misty stood here, astonished at the information. She understood why he was so adamant about her departure as if she had a damn choice. They expected Tony to die, and he showed up a few months later fighting terrorists. What is going on in the world?

"I will be on the next flight out tomorrow, sir." She had time to debrief the daredevil and get her special team to capture the new problem.

"No Special Agent Knight. Your flight is on the tarmac at JFK. I'll see you tomorrow on the ground." The line clicked, leaving her no room to protest.

[author] Thanks for the read folks. This has been a story stuck in my head and I wanted to finally put it out in the world. I've written up to volume 3, so like 60 chapters but those are old and need a fresh look before being released. Cole isn't at the OP stages yet. But he gets there quickly. [/author]