12178/Judge, Jury, Executioner, and The Devil

Judge, Jury, Executioner, and The Devil
Date of Scene:	14 September 2020
Location:	Clinton (Hell's Kitchen), Manhattan
Synopsis:	The Punisher and Daredevil meet one another and have a nice lunch to discuss philosophy and knitting. Actually, Punisher shoots Matt. Thanks, Punisher.
Cast of Characters:	Punisher, Daredevil

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Punisher has posed:
The Punisher is fairly well known to most. The 'superhero' community isn't an exception. It wouldn't surprise the Punisher if most of them kept tabs on his activities just so they have a timeline to potentially predict if they might need to deal with him next.

Today, an arms deal has gone wrong in Hell's Kitchen, and the sounds of gunfire can be heard from a parking complex just a couple blocks away from Where Matt Murdock is. It's the sound of pistols and maybe a couple shotguns being fired.

A fair distance away from Matt's senses is also a silenced sniper rifle. It's taken two shots already.

Daredevil has posed:
Frank's exploits are indeed known. Being an attorney, Matt has read up on a lot of his work and even though he doesn't agree with the man's methods, he understands the mission. The thought that they would eventually meet has crossed his mind with more than a passing interest. That curiosity may be satisfied.

Navigating the rooftops, Matt is on his way home to clean up a knife would he sustained about an hour ago while fighting through a building of drug dealers a few blocks away when the gunshots rang out through the evening air. He suddenly comes to a stop and lowers his head, his lips pursing as he focuses in on the direction of the sounds. Just as he's about to leap across an alley, he catches the subtle change in pressure caused by a sniper rifle. Silenced. Gunshots aren't exactly commonplace, but a silenced sniper rifle can only mean a couple of things. The rifle shots are on the opposite side of the pistols and shotguns, so he'll head that way first.

Jumping from one building to the next, he quickly closes the distance between him and the shots until he's looming over the edge of the roof adjacent to the parking garage. His head tilts as he listens, surveying the scene, keeping in mind that the sniper further across the neighborhood could dial in on him if he's not careful. Pushing off the ledge, he flips through the air and hero-lands on the top level of the garage, scanning for the nearest group of dealers.

Punisher has posed:
One man is already dead in the middle of the roof of the parking lot, shot through the chest with a fairly large caliber round. There's no sign of anyone else. The sniper rifle hasn't fired again since the initial two reports, so it's a bit hard to tell what sort of rifle it is from this distance... but he can definitely hear the sounds of a man breathing... and it isn't some thug who happened to find military grade hardware. As someone who has trained his senses himself, Daredevil can infer that the man wielding the rifle is trained himself; the way he keeps his breathing steady, then holds out for a potential shot, before stopping... it speaks of an expert sniper who knows what he's doing.

He's being patient and waiting for targets.

The man around him are all hunkered down behind various cover. So far, the five men of various sorts haven't left the rooftop, their heartbeats making it clear they're *terrified*.

One, however, tries to be brave, and makes a run for the stairwell.

The man behind the rifle suddenly holds his breath (he's observant) the sound of a bipod being adjusted can be heard, then... "One Batch, two Batch..." A silenced round flies through the air, "Penny and Dime."

The man is dead from a bullet to the heart before he's even halfway across.

"DAREDEVIL?!" One of the men states incredulously, "What the fuck is going on?!" "I have no idea, just came outta nowhere!" "What do we DO!"

As they speak, Daredevil can hear the sounds of the bipod being collected and the man making a dash towards.... the west.

He's clearly going for a better shot.

Daredevil has posed:
When the thug decides to bail, Matt immediately knows what's about to happen. There are plenty of military-trained people in the tri-state area but who of them would be parked on a Hell's Kitchen rooftop shooting the hell out of drug dealers? This has to be Frank Castle. When the footsteps echo across the garage rooftop, Matt knows it's already too late to do anything to save him. He curses under his breath and uses the opportunity to leap over a parked car and run towards the closest heartbeat while Punisher is repositioning.

If the thug thought Daredevil was here to help them, well.. he was only half right. The man looks up at Daredevil as if he's a savior. Instead, Matt leaps into the air and brings a heavy haymaker down to the side of his head, slamming him against the concrete and knocking him out. He tucks the man's legs and arms up behind a concrete partition so he won't be a still target.

At the same time, one of the other thugs freaks out seeing Daredevil and levels his pistol towards him and squeezes off a few panicked shots. Fortunately, the man's aim is too shaky from being fucking mortified that he's about to die, so they all miss him. He curses under his breath again and rolls to the side, putting another car between him and the shots but opening him up to potentially being in Punisher's line of sight. He tilts his head to listen for signs of Frank in the distance.

Punisher has posed:
He hears it... in the form of his heartbeat. Frank has suddenly stopped... somewhere west. He can get a decent location of the Punisher, but with those gunshots, he's smart enough to realize there's another player now.

Daredevil can hear him speak after a few seconds, "Drone, we have someone new."

Suddenly, Daredevil can hear the small engine of an actual drone starting up northwards, and rotors spinning up.

Daredevil has posed:
This isn't good. He's got at least 3 or 4 thugs on the garage with him, all so scared they'll open fire on anything that moves. He's got the Punisher dialing him in but thankfully not blowing holes through him. Yet. And now there's a drone. Is someone else controlling it and assisting Frank? Now's not the time, Matt. Move.

When the shots cease for a change of magazines, Matt plants his feet and hurdles the hood of the car he's behind and sprints as quickly as he can towards the thug before he can reload and ready himself.

Assuming a rifle bullet doesn't smash through his suit, Matt will drop to his legs and let his momentum carry him across the concrete so he can swing a bent elbow across the thug's face to take him out. He'll slide a little too far and scramble to pull himself back behind cover. Assuming Frank takes a shot... well, early thirties isn't a bad age for retirement.

As he runs, one of the other thugs hears his footsteps and yelps out, spraying a hail of gunfire over Matt's head.

Punisher has posed:
There is actually a changing of magazines audible as the Punisher reloads his rifle, but given how practiced the sniper is, the changeover lasts only three seconds, and the sounds of full brass hitting the ground can be heard across the block.

The sounds of someone speaking over a commlink on Frank's heard can be hear. Then, there's another silenced round... and this time, the man shooting Daredevil goes down in a heap.

Somehow though... there's no blood... or even a hole? Matt can clearly even hear a heartbeat. The man was only knocked out. Then, another silenced shot can be heard... and this time, Daredevil can feel a *MASSIVE* sting to the back of his leg as he gets near a car for cover.

Then, the numbness sets in... like some sort of agent was injected, designed to incapacitate... and then the smell of it kicks in, and Daredevil can visually confirm that whatever hit him, splattered a whole bunch of chemical over his leg.

He can begin to smell the same thing from the man who got knocked out.

Daredevil has posed:
As he's scrambling back behind cover, having misjudged his momentum thanks to being a little too focused on being shot in the head at any moment, Matt gets tagged in the leg. The pain that immediately spreads down to his foot and up to his stomach is unlike anything he's felt. He's been shot, but never by a round of this caliber. Thankfully it wasn't meant to take his leg off and only to incapacitate. He sits with his back leaning against the car and angrily hits his head back against the door, his lips peeling back across his face in a painful grimace. Stupid, Matt. His fist slams against the garage surface, frustration making him lose his temper for a moment. He reaches down and wraps his fingers around the needle and yanks it from his thigh, holding it in front of his face for a moment to get a 'look' at it before tossing it aside. Based on how his leg already feels, he doesn't have much time to get out of here. There are 2 thugs left, but at this point he's going to be in no shape to save his own life, much less theirs. One suspicion was just confirmed for him. Frank isn't a rampant murderer. He could've easily killed Matt just then, but he didn't. That being said, though, the Devil has no interest in passing out where Frank can find him.

Closing his eyes and steadying his breathing in an effort to slow his heart rate and hopefully slow the spread of the toxin in his system, Daredevil decides to do the only thing he really can at this point. He has to escape. He pushes himself up and kicks his feet beneath him, still crouching behind the car. He listens for Frank and the drone, but knows he's not going to be able to evade another shot no matter what he does. If he doesn't act fast, he's screwed. Taking one last deep breath, he pushes up and starts to sprint towards the edge of the garage. His stride is slowed by the pain coursing through his leg and the numbness that is already spreading, but he's able to keep moving. His teeth are clenched and he's almost growling as he goes to throw his weight towards the wall bordering the edge of the garage, high enough that if he ends up just slamming into it, his momentum should carrying him up and over the side. Tumbling down several stories is a terrible idea, but getting captured by Punisher is probably much worse. Pride is a dangerous thing.

Punisher has posed:
Another two rounds are fired into the parking rooftop, and the remaining two thugs go down... then, the rifle turns again, and Daredevil can hear him fire again, this time for Matt's other leg.

With the way he's running and the distance, though... the round misses was meant for the other leg... and it goes right into Daredevils back.

Say what you will about the Punisher, he's an incredible shot.

"I'd heard about this asshole in red, but seeing him for the first time... the suit is terrible." Punisher grunts a bit as he takes the rifle and starts to dash across the rooftops... right in Daredevil's direction.

The Punisher could have killed Daredevil... so the only plausible explanation is Frank wants to capture him now.

Daredevil has posed:
Hearing the next two shots, Matt has just enough time to mentally register surprise that neither of them were at him. Until he's struck in the back. The trajectory of the impact throws him off balance and sends him staggering into the thick concrete wall. He knows he's not going to be able to fling himself over, so he lurches forward and slams into it shoulder-first. Crumpling to the floor, he groans out in pain and lies still, collecting himself. Over the pain and numbness in his body, he can just barely make out the sound of heavy boots clapping across rooftops and heading in his direction.

Determined not to be captured by this meat-head, Matt summons what energy he has left and drags himself up, pushing with his legs and sliding up the wall until he can hook an arm over the side. He somehow manages to pull himself up to the top, his leg now completely numbed. Reaching down with one arm, he pulls it up and pushes it over the edge. "Fucking skull," he mutters to himself, offering his own commentary on the Punisher's wardrobe. He sits up on the edge of the wall and sways from one side to the other as his head swims from the impact to his shoulder and side of his head. The numbness is spreading across his back now. His shoulders slump and his body tilts forward, his balance failing. Before his eyes drift shut, the last thing he senses is the footfall reaching the garage, growing closer.

Punisher has posed:
As he runs, Daredevil can audibly hear the magazine in the rifle being changed out and the full brass pocketed on a gear web. Another magazine is popped in, and two silenced rounds are fired... this time, those two heartbeats stop as heartshots kill them.

The magazine is exchanged again as he begins to run towards Daredevils area once more... this time with a slower pace.

The Punisher has all the time in the world to run Daredevil down, and the more he exerts himself, the more the chemical work over his system... less is more.

Daredevil has posed:
The two gunshots bring Matt back from the brink and he catches himself before he falls off the garage. He can't jump down with this numbness and still be able to catch himself without breaking something. Time to meet Frank Castle.

He drags himself around so he's facing The Punisher upon his approach. He slides off the wall and nearly collapses from his right leg being completely lacking of sensation. He stays upright, though, and props himself up against the wall, barely able to feel the cold concrete through the numb cascading up towards his shoulders now. His head lifts and tilts slightly back as he breathes rapidly from the exertion. He's going nowhere.

"Frank Castle," he says between breaths, followed by a humorless laugh in the form of a short exhale. When Frank gets close enough, Matt will push away from the wall to stand tall in the face of the killer.

Punisher has posed:
The trenchcoat, the gear web filled to the gills with military grade gear, the skull vest, and the icey look on a crew cutted, rugged face of a man who's seen /far/ too much in his lifetime comes around a corner, heading to meet him... and he can see the customized M24 in his hands. The scope, rail system, stock, and trigger are all handmade. The only thing the same is the barrel assembly and the body itself.

As Daredevil speaks, the Punisher keeps that neutral, expressionless face. "Frank Castle died with his family, call me the Punisher."

One hand reaches for a pistol hoster on his belt, and without ceremony, Punisher fires at round right at his forehead.

Daredevil instantly blacks out from the point blank rubber round.

Daredevil has posed:
One moment Matthew Murdock is standing on a parking garage in Hell's Kitchen staring down the barrel of The Punisher's pistol. The next, he's a child sitting in the apartment he grew up in with his dad, alone. The light from the television reflects from the sunglasses he always wears on his face and the sound of a roaring crowd emitting from the old tv's speakers fills the small living room.

He's leaning forward, hands tightly clasped together as he watches his dad fighting on the screen. He's winning, too. Left jab, left jab, right hook. His dad's opponent retreats against the ropes. Right hook, left jab. Then a right haymaker sends the fighter to the mat.

Matt leaps from his chair, throws his arms into the air, and yells out in celebration of his dad's victory. The television shuts off and the phone rings simultaneously. Confused, he steps over to the phone and lifts it from the hook. "Sorry, kid. Your dad's dead."

Before Matt's eyes open, pain washes over him. He's used to pain at this point, so it's not completely out of the ordinary. Something's different this time. His head aches worse than it ever has. He groans but doesn't speak or move.