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***
Night was falling outside. Not so long ago, it was easy to get into trouble before you even left the house, but the arrival of the military and intelligence services from neighbouring states had improved the situation.
Some of the windows looked out at me from the awake occupants. A couple of newlyweds, making out and enjoying the atmosphere. An elderly working man finishing his cigarette and reminiscing. A few old ladies scolding me out loud, but in their hearts holding their fists for me. And many, many others...
What's the matter, you ask?
I crank the tape recorder up a bit so Gwen can hear it.
-Love, I get so lost sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away, I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go, I come back to the place you are...
Many of the elderly neighbours of the Stacey family were on my side at this point, and even the anger of the police captain didn't frighten them, as the happy people were just enjoying this ridiculous and so simple situation of a guy in love trying to get attention with a song from their youth.
But they didn't have to wait long. As soon as the first verse was played, a curious blonde face peeked out of the window. Gwen looked around, and for a few seconds she couldn't understand the excitement of the neighbours and passers-by, but when her gaze came upon me, she almost fell out of the window.
Comically stumbling and making a surprised and frightened face, my girlfriend hissed at me, trying not to attract attention, but hoping to shout over the tape recorder.
-What the hell, Shawn? What the hell are you doing here?
-Bringing back our love?
My stupid, love-struck face got a round of applause.
-What the hell love?! Get over here right now!
-Yeah!
-Congratulations, kid. You're beautiful. Good boy.
Turning off the music, I bow to the curious onlookers, eliciting claps and whistles mixed with satisfied smiles and laughter as poor Stacey blushed and fumed as she realised the implications of her proposal.Literally flying up the stairs, I took a final bow to the audience, but the woman's clinging hands prevented me from enjoying my triumph, pulling me inside the room.... Which had the opposite effect, though, and there was a real shout of delight from the street.
-Hi, Gwen.
Shaking myself off and standing up to my full height, I beamed a smile as my lady sulked. Oh, she looked amazing. Shooting her eyes menacingly, lips pressed together, arms folded across her chest..... A masterpiece, if it wasn't for the bright scarlet colour of her cheeks, neck, ears. Anything that could turn red. Gwen mottled like a traffic light, hiding a smile.
-Good to see you. Give me a hug.
-What did you do?
Despite the menacing tone, the girl's body pressed against my chest, hiding her embarrassment and pretence. Her arms wrapped around my torso, while the girl rubbed her cheek against me, sometimes biting me, showing her displeasure.
-I decided to rescue you from the tower of loneliness, where you were locked up by an evil, harsh dragon.
With a quiet giggle, the girl released me from her embrace, jumping back to the centre of the room.
-Then you're too late, sir knight. I've already been released from house arrest.
-You haven't?!
-Yeah, even allowed to stay longer," Gwen smoothly approached and pulled me by the collar of my shirt, giving me a passionate kiss, leaving a slight taste of candy in my mouth, "I missed it.
-We were on the phone....
-You're a fool, Sullivan," Stacy said, smiling and laughing as she dragged me into the kitchen and sat me down at the table, "that's not what this is.
-I know, I know, just teasing you.
I put my hands out in front of me and surrendered to the will of the victor, sitting down in my assigned seat.
-So my performance was a waste? -I don't know. That's a shame. I was hoping to get George to ask you out on a date.
-Don't feel bad, I'll tell you how the neighbours will be whispering behind his back.
-Are you sure you're on my side?
-Of course," Gwen innocently batted her eyes and put a cup of coffee in front of me, "you're not the only one having fun, Sean.
-You're too vindictive for a princess....
-You're the one who started calling me that.
Smiling victoriously at my feigned offence, the girl sat down next to me, snuggling closer to me. We had a leisurely conversation in the semi-darkness of the kitchen, hot drinks and a light, relaxed atmosphere. Just what I needed after hard work, battle wounds and moral torment. Communicating with Gwen cleared my mind, helping me to distract myself from all the painful things, completely switching all the attention to the girl, who was not against this turn of events.
-Dad's coming round soon, are you going to stay?
-Should I? He's got a gun. He'll think I'm spoiling his sweet little girl...
-Oh, don't worry, Sean," Stacy got up from her chair and walked around the table, standing across from me, bringing our faces so close that I could feel her hot breath on my body, "I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself.
I didn't want to spoil the evening with stupid jokes or references to the girl's state of mind during Schultz's post-graduation rampage, so I just moved forward, kissing the seductress, whose T-shirt sagged a little, giving me a small glimpse of her assets. I couldn't really see anything, but it just made me excited and tickled my nerves.
-Your look gives you away, sir. Are you sure you're a knight?
-Perhaps not.
Perhaps they'll let me in a little further today and not nag me about being a knight.
-Gwen, I'm home.
"Shit."
Of course, that's when George was due back. Tired and angry after a hard day's work. As daughter Stacey had told me herself, the man had been like this constantly ever since the trouble with the 'mutant' started. He'd come home late, about the same time Gwen was asleep.
-We're here, Dad.
-We are?
-Good evening, sir," I stood up from the table and extended my hand to George, who was giving me a suspicious look. The man scrutinised me with his eyes, taking in the details and probably looking for clues, hoping to implicate me in lechery with my daughter. But, thank Gwen's modesty, we hadn't gone so far that I had anything to worry about," I came here to ask for your approval.
-Of what?
-М?
Funny how the captain's reaction was many times more modest, but the way he arched his eyebrow expressively, hiding the chuckles in his eyes.... That's a ten out of ten.
-Yes, sir. I wouldn't have taken that step without your word.
-What are you talking about, Shawn! -What are you talking about, Shawn!
Gwen's fierce whispering warmed my heart. Even cleaning out a bandit's den or my mother's embrace didn't give me the same wave of emotion as the blonde's teasing.
-You're brave, lad. Oh, well. Tell it like it is, Sullivan. And I promise I'll give you an honest answer.
-I want to take your daughter to the Ozcorp exhibit,‖ I bowed, pressing my lips together to keep from laughing. The solemnity of the atmosphere. The stern faces of the actors. And the deafening silence. Please, permission.
-I'm an arsehole!
A napkin holder flew into the back of my head, scattering its contents across the kitchen floor.
-Ah, that wasn't necessary...
-Ahem, ahem. All right, kids, have fun," Stacy Sr. left us in the kitchen and slung his jacket over his shoulder, leaving the noisy room with a weary gait, never letting his daughter know how he felt about my tomfoolery. Lastly, he froze in the doorway, right as Gwen tried to strangle me, hanging completely from my body like a little monkey," I don't mind, but you know the rules, Sean.
-I'll do my best, sir. Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
****
A few more days passed in a similar fashion. Meetings with friends, work at Parker's, part-time jobs, and awkward teenage petting with Gwen that went a little further each time, but so far the girl was afraid to take the next step. And despite all my nobility, it was getting too much to bear, because my girlfriend was so hot.
But today it was time to get down to business.
Sending the extinguished cigarette into flight, I wrapped myself in my coat, contemplating the night city from the edge of the roof. New York was beautiful. Like a giant tired after a long battle, the metropolis was now at rest, even as the underground war between Kingpin and Daredevil continued.
Beautiful quiet hours, streets full of secrets and chance encounters that lead to something new.
The city that smelled of cinders and murder gave me a rest. Bastards and criminals lurked in its darkness, but inactive and as if waiting for something new. Something I wasn't going to like.
-The calm before the storm.
A slight pain echoed in my chest. My horrible scar was once again making itself felt. An eternal reminder that a mere man can't compare to those who had the supervillain prefix to their nickname on their record.
I urgently needed to empower myself. To strengthen myself by any means necessary to continue my fight for New York.
And I already had an idea on how to get what I wanted.
Main Street in Queens, connected to Manhattan by a bridge. Bright lonely lamps creating circular patches of light along the road. And a lonely car driving home with someone to help me.
It's been the night I've been watching and tonight it's time to pay a visit to my old acquaintance.
A hundred metres in a straight line and George Stacey's car comes to a stop on a bend. A major intersection in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. It is here that he constantly pulls over, waiting for the green light, lighting a second cigarette, listening to old jazz and shaking the ash out the ajar window.
A kind of ritual that helps him to calm down and spend an extra couple of minutes in comfort and silence without any extraneous thoughts. His hair is dishevelled and his eyes look tired and heavy from the burden he's carrying, but he'll never complain. A real old-school cop, pulling his weight and proudly doing his job, knowing full well that he can't change the world alone.... But that's no reason to give up trying.
The cat hooks into a neighbouring building and it is only thanks to the car's engine that I remain unnoticed until the very last moment.
Walking around the back of the car, I slowly approach the front seat, taking one hand out of my pocket. Catching the rhythm of the music, I tap on the glass to the beat of the saxophone soloist, catching Stacy's attention.
The seconds tick by. Without turning his head, George stares into the side mirror, recognising me at first glance. His body tenses in an instant, like an old experienced tiger preparing to lunge..... But time passes and the click of the lock on the door serves as a kind of signal to start the conversation.
-I think I've made myself clear, haven't I? -Yes.
-Yes," I tilt my hat forward, hiding my face from the occasional passerby or the rare gawker looking out the window, "but I wouldn't approach you unnecessarily.
-Phew," Stacy exhaled tiredly and pulled out a new cigarette, turning down the road towards the house, pausing away from streetlights and prying eyes, "you're playing with fire, kid. I'm a police captain-
-Congratulations.
The sneer, full of condescending intonation, came out before I realised it. But instead of a grudge or an answering joke, George grunted, looking away. There was real anger in his eyes, and his face was a mask of stone, as if cast by the hands of a mad sculptor.
-So it was you after all?
-Couldn't stay away.
-Lynching isn't the answer and you must realise that...
-Sometimes such methods are more useful than blindly following the law.
-You young idealist or old fool?
I grinned at Stacy's assessment and reached into my pocket for my own pack, but I stopped myself just in time. It's best not to give Stacy any clues right now, even if it is the name of a brand of cigarettes.
-A nice blend of all that. They're the only ones who can save this town, right, Captain?
My retaliatory jab was easily overlooked. George leaned back in his seat and stretched his stiff neck, clearly thinking and assessing what was going on.
-What do you want? You seem smart, so you wouldn't ignore my warning for nothing.-I need help," I said again, turning my head toward Stacey, my mask drawing into his face in an eerie pattern. "The battle with Schultz showed me that fists alone aren't enough to deal with these things. The numbers would continue to grow. There are more mutants, inventions, and freaks every day....
-Wait," Gwen's father turned to me, smiling ironically, but giving me a serious look, poking me in the side of the face with his cigarette, "are you serious? Come to ask a police captain to give you a gun? I take that back, kid. You're a lot dumber than I thought you were.....
-No, I don't need a gun. -He was mocking me, it was obvious. Stacy was hiding his nervousness behind his jokes and laughs, because I was too close now, and the man knew he wouldn't have time to draw his gun if there was a fight. And he didn't want to get hit by my fists, especially after the way Schultz looked," he said, "but a bulletproof vest and zip ties, maybe some pepper spray, a stun gun, and other non-lethal restraints wouldn't hurt. Something to help disarm criminals without seriously harming them.
-You're asking a lot, kid. You basically want me to give a masked freak a bunch of tools to fight--
-Not for the fight, for justice.
The resulting silence was broken by George's booming laughter. Choking on smoke, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, the man repeated my words as he laughed, tapping himself on his knees and stomach with his free palm.
For a full minute I listened to Stacy's witty comments and jokes with an impenetrable expression. Turning away from the windshield, silently enduring veiled insults from an ex-cop and veteran who'd seen more shit than I could imagine.
But the laughter stopped. And again the interior of the old car was plunged into silence, diluted by muffled music. Light atmospheric jazz, perfectly suited to the moment and fully conveying our mood.
-Tomorrow, same time," George threw out his cigarette and shot back a curt reply, starting the car again, hinting that it was time for me to leave the cabin, leaving him alone with his thoughts, "but don't count on much.
Standing in the darkness of the alley, leaning against the brick wall of the old building, I looked tiredly at the headlights flashing on the corner. My heart was pounding like mad, and my lungs couldn't get enough air. The excitement of the conversation caught up with me as soon as I slammed the car door, and I don't think it will let me go today. But the important thing is that the job is done, and maybe now the police will be another weapon in my war for justice in New York.
George Stacy... Old detective, lieutenant and fast-rising captain. An incredible career in the sunset of his service that propelled him to the very top of the city. His opportunities skyrocketed, just as old dreams and desires reared their heads again.
Having learnt from bitter experience, he will no longer rush headlong into it, but he won't be cautious either. This bobby of years will use me to bring justice where the hands of the police and the law cannot reach. He'll shove me into the foulest den of scum, putting me on the trail of the bastards... And I'll do it well.
The war against the Kingpin is in full swing. Lurking gangsters, mobsters and scum lurk in corners, waiting for one side of the conflict to give up so they can pounce on the losing side. If Matt Murdoch gives up even an inch, all the parasites of New York will hunt him down to serve the Crime King.
But the opposite is true. Stumble one step, let one jab go unanswered, show weakness and Kingpin's power among the criminals will be shaken. The defeated giant can't afford even a small respite, because it will be perceived as weakness.
From the outside it looks like a battle between a hunter and a lion, while a pack of hyenas circles round them. And soon one of the scavengers will decide to strike, drawing the others into the war. That's when our new alliance will take the stage.
-I just wish you hadn't changed your mind, George.
In the silence of the New York night, my lonely quiet footsteps echoed in one of the hundreds of alleys, so unusual for this big city.
***
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