Chapter 220: Help from Daredevil
"Are we heading back to the precinct now?" John shifted his weight, but the movement aggravated the wound on his back, making him hiss in pain.
"Absolutely not. We're going to the hospital first to get that wound checked," Mike said, shaking his head.
Based on his years of experience, Mike knew that the cannibal, Kezli, would almost certainly head to the precinct to seek revenge. Going back there now would be a death trap.
"I don't think it's that serious," John said, gritting his teeth against the pain.
Mike replied sarcastically, "Give me a break. That guy has a giant monster helping him; you don't."
"I don't know why, but there's a voice in my head... it feels like it's telling me that I can call forth a Shadow Corps too," John muttered.
"Shadow Corps?" Mike asked, confused. "Like that big black monster from before?"
"Yes," John answered.
Mike revved the motorcycle and sped toward the hospital with John in tow.
"My god, this is going to cost a fortune," John muttered as they arrived. He stared up at the towering hospital building, feeling that for a mere flesh wound, he shouldn't be at a place that would likely bankrupt him.
John turned to Mike. "Captain, I really think a small clinic would be fine."
"No, we're going here." Mike ignored John and walked inside.
John had no choice but to follow, grumbling under his breath, "I'm definitely going to max out my credit cards for this."
The Parker Family
"We will, we will rock you!"
"We will, we will rock you!"
Uncle Ben was leading the family in a sing-along. Even Silas, who had been pretending to sleep while deep in thought, joined in.
"Haha! This is my favorite song!" Ben laughed. If he weren't driving, he would have been waving his arms to the beat.
"So cool! I love this song too, Uncle Ben!" Peter recorded the family singing together on his camera. This was going to be a wonderful memory.
"I'm glad you like it, Peter," Ben replied.
"It was so sunny just a moment ago, I can't believe it's raining already," Aunt May remarked, watching the droplets hit the window.
Ben nodded. "The weather is fickle. Don't let it dampen your mood; as long as we're happy, that's all that matters."
"Anyone want a drink?" Silas asked, pulling four bottles of Coke from his 'bag'.
"Thanks, Silas. It's still ice-cold?" May asked, surprised as she took the bottles.
Silas quickly explained, "It's probably because the car's AC is on; it kept the soda chilled."
"Wonderful." May took a sip and handed one to Ben.
"Tastes great, thanks Silas," Ben said after a refreshing gulp. "Let's take a break from the music and listen to the news for a bit." He switched the radio to a news broadcast.
"...Reporting live: A cannibalistic villain has appeared in the Hell's Kitchen. Residents of Hell's Kitchen are advised to stay indoors today to avoid any danger..."
"Oh my god, a cannibal? That's horrifying," May gasped.
"It's more common than you'd think, May," Ben said. "During the Great Depression, people were driven to do terrible things." Ben knew much more about the dark underbelly of history than May, whose upbringing had been more sheltered. He remembered stories of desperate parents selling whatever they could—even their own children—just to survive.
"This is bad, Silas," Peter whispered, leaning in close. "I need you to cover for me."
"Cover for you?" Silas knew exactly what was coming.
"Yeah. I'm going to sneak out through the Shadow Kingdom. If Aunt May asks for me, just say I'm asleep." Peter was already busily stuffing his clothes with pillows to make a human-shaped decoy under a blanket.
"Sorry, Peter. I don't think I can help you with that." Silas put on a fake look of apology.
"Why?" Peter asked, startled.
"The Shadow Kingdom seems to be malfunctioning," Silas lied smoothly. "I can pull things out, but I can't seem to enter it myself right now."
"What?" Peter didn't believe him at first. He ducked behind Aunt May's seat and tried to open a portal himself, but found he was completely locked out.
"Maybe the magical dimension is having an issue," Silas suggested. In reality, he had simply revoked Peter's permissions.
"Oh no! What am I supposed to do?" Peter groaned. It never even crossed his mind that Silas was lying to him. He was too busy worrying about how to stop the cannibal if he was stuck in a car.
Silas reached out and patted Peter's shoulder. "What are you worried about? There are the Avengers, and Tony Stark. New York isn't just your responsibility. You're on vacation; let them handle it."
"I guess you're right," Peter said after a moment of thought. He realized he truly couldn't get there, so he would have to rely on the other heroes.
"That's the spirit." Silas handed him his Coke. "Here, take a sip and relax."
"Sigh... Uncle Ben, let's sing some more!" Peter shouted, trying to distract himself.
"Singing? Alright then!" Ben laughed, happy to oblige.
The Hospital
"Look! It's the 'Scourge of Villains'! Captain Mike and Lieutenant John!" a nurse screamed as they walked in. Within seconds, every eye in the room was on them.
Half an hour later.
"Wow... I can't believe we didn't have to pay," John said, amazed. His back had been treated and bandaged.
"See? We're 'Star Cops' now," Mike laughed. After the treatment, Mike had made a deal with the hospital director: they would provide a public endorsement for the hospital in exchange for the medical costs. The director had jumped at the chance; a flesh wound was a small price to pay for an endorsement from the city's most famous heroes.
"So, where to now?" John asked, eager to track down Kezli again.
Mike lit a cigarette. "We need back-up."
"Back-up?" John asked.
"The kind with super-powers," Mike clarified. He had no intention of calling in regular officers who would just get in the way.
"Who?" John was curious.
Mike took a long drag of his cigarette. "Daredevil."
Matthew Murdock's House
"I understand." Matthew hung up the phone. He had received word of the cannibal's presence in Hell's Kitchen.
"Are you going out again, Uncle Matthew?" Jenny asked, pausing her cartoon.
"Yes. Be a good girl while I'm gone." Matthew patted Jenny on the head, changed into his suit, and headed out.
"Hmph," Jenny pouted. "Little Five, I want to go out too."
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!