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L E G E R D E M A I N
57
"Don't trust everything you see. Even salt looks like sugar."
Hell's Kitchen, New York
May, 2016
KLAUSE TAPPED HIS FINGER AGAINST the wheel, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror to look back at Frank. The man returned his gaze, licking the blood off his lips as he leaned back against his seat, sitting with a sniper rifle sitting between his legs. He frowned and let his eyes shift back to the road.
The night rang with police sirens as they drove past cop cars, vehicles whirring past without a second glance. Stars glittered against the sky, soft music playing from the radio. Lucy turned the volume down as she glanced back at Frank.
"This isn't my territory." Lucy started. "Hell's Kitchen belongs to Wilson Fisk, and it's been that way because Henry Schaffer didn't give two shits about this area. We keep away because it's too much of a hassle. One of our weapons' dealers–Turke–sources from here, but even then, he does his own thing."
Frank cocked his head to the side as he watched her, listening.
"The Blacksmith contacted Klause with a shipment of over 100 million dollars worth of heroin. We don't know if he'll be there or not." She looked out the window, tapping her finger against her thigh. "If you're looking for him, there's a possibility he won't be at the docks."
Frank let out a breath, turning his head to look down at his hands. He didn't trust them–Lucy knew as much–but she was offering most of the information she had. She would, of course, tell him who exactly the Blacksmith is, if she wasn't after him herself.
It sounded weird when she thought it, but, she needed the man's limbs.
Because they were becoming antsy, Klause had mentioned, her so-called business partners were getting confident.
She was doing nothing, too peaceful; too quiet.
They were getting suspicious–except for Matteo, the sweet guy–and this was the perfect opportunity. She was going to utilize the corpse of Ray Schoonover, since he was clearly the scum of the earth anyway. She needed a piece of him and a letter with her signature–honestly, she found it disgusting, but that's what they did in movies and she really had nothing else to base this threat off of. They needed to understand that offering something without any desire to pay would blow their own heads off.
She really wasn't made for this, but hell, she hadn't been made to become a weapon either.
At least it's what she told herself, anyway.
"Yeah, well, it's a chance." He replied, leaning back in his seat. "I'll take any shitty chance I've got."
Lucy looked at him through the rearview mirror.
"He did something to you?" She asked.
Frank lifted his head.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow.
Lucy sighed, turning around to face him.
"The Blacksmith. Did he do something to you?" She questioned. "Is that why you're so bent on killing him?"
Frank opened his mouth, then shut it. He bit the inside of his lip, looking from her, to the window, then to her again. He thought over his words, before letting out a scoff.
"Yeah." He said. "He took everything from me."
He fell silent immediately after the sentence, his eyes growing far away, lost in thought.
Lucy decided not to disturb him further on the topic. Whatever happened to him–whatever he did–was none of her concern. He didn't seem like a HYDRA agent and didn't seem to care about the fact she was a weapon.
That's all that mattered.
Silence enveloped the car as Klause turned down the street, passing by police cars and weaving through slowing cars. He kept his gaze focused on the road, unconcerned by the lack of conversation. Lucy could handle herself–Klause was just there as an aid. He was there as a tool, and that was all.
"You just a science experiment?" Frank inquired. "Or somethin' else?"
Lucy shook her head, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
"I'm a lot of things." She replied. "HYDRA experiment, weapon, veteran–"
That seemed to catch his attention as Frank leaned forwards, curiosity flicking between his eyes.
"You a vet?" He questioned. "From, what, World War II?"
Lucy smiled.
"I suppose." She shrugged. "Does that mean something to you?"
Frank pursed his lips. His eyes flitted back and forth before he relaxed against his seat again.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, I served four tours. In the Marines–in Afghanistan. You know about that–that war?"
Lucy exhaled.
"I'm not. . .not familiar with it. I've heard about it." She paused. "You were a Marine, huh? I think–yeah. . .I remember some soldiers. I remember killing them."
She let her eyes shift away from Frank. She stiffened, her hands clasping together tightly. She hadn't cared at the time–what they'd been wearing, who was killed. It was only after, when she really thought about everything she'd done, that she remembered.
That she remembered the military uniforms.
She looked in front of her as Klause turned once again. This time the docks came into view, and the vehicle started to slow.
"You were tortured, right?" Frank mentioned. "I saw some of that shit. For some time I thought maybe–maybe what happened–was cause of HYDRA, the two Soldiers. . .I did some diggin', didn't have to dig much. You were tortured. People do stupid shit when they're hurt. You got that?"
Lucy blinked slowly.
She didn't know what event he was talking about, but if he wasn't explicit about it than there was probably a personal and emotional reason.
"The shit you did–it was coerced." He continued.
She turned around to face him again, frowning.
"Co-erced?" She questioned.
He made a noise of disbelief, before shaking his head.
Klause parked the car in an alleyway.
"Yeah. Yeah, you were coerced. You didn't want to do the shit you did. That ain't your fault, you know that right? All of that?" He said.
Lucy paused, observing him. She let her eyes flick away before she clicked her seatbelt off. She grasped the handle to the door.
"Yeah." She agreed quietly. "Yeah."
She pushed the door open, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door, breathing shakily as she clutched a hand to her heart. Her eyes roamed across the dark bricks. She faintly heard Klause telling Frank to stay put in the vehicle.
She shut her eyes, listening to the sounds of the city, a rat scuttling by her foot, a police siren wailing distantly, civilians walking back and forth.
Frank, a man she'd never met before, believed that what she'd done hadn't been her fault. A stranger she spoke to once believed that she wasn't at fault for who she'd killed and the governments she'd toppled.
How did that–how did that make any sense?
"Because you are innocent, Lucy. Your mind is."
Lucy let her eyes move to Nephthys as she leaned against the wall, her white dress fluttering in the wind.
"And it's true?" The question left her lips spontaneously. "My. . .family tells me none of it is my fault–and it's. . .true."
Realization crept into her voice.
"It's true." Nephthys agreed. "Frank Castle is a stranger, and he believes that. So it has to be true. I believe it."
Lucy's lips twitched upwards, a sorrowful look forming on her expression. Nephthys let out a breath as she stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around her gently. She pulled her into a warm embrace, and Lucy returned the gesture.
She pulled back after a long second.
"The people I killed for HYDRA—that wasn't my fault." She said, sounding resigned. "But everything else is."
Nephthys opened her mouth, then shut it, pursing her lips.
The door to the vehicle opened and Lucy turned around, shoving her hands in her pockets as Klause exited his seat, shutting the door. He gave her a concerned look and she forced a smile to her lips. She didn't have to turn around to know Nephthys had disappeared once again.
"I'll be on the roofs." She said, looking upwards. "Stay with Frank."
Klause's brows furrowed and his lips parted to protest as Frank pushed the door open.
"I got impatient." He said as he walked around towards the trunk, prying it open.
Lucy glanced at Klause, giving him a nod. He sighed in defeat, unbuttoning his suit-jacket. He removed it smoothly and hung it over the steering wheel. He unholstered his pistol and checked his mag, pulling the safety off. He placed his finger besides the trigger as he waited patiently for Frank to pick any other weapons of choice.
She padded towards him, grabbing his sniper rifle and examining it. She turned it back and forth in her hand as Frank finally noticed the weapon leaning against his thigh was gone.
"Hey–" he started as Lucy let the rifle lean back against him.
She smiled at him as the same exact firearm materialized in her hand, rather hefty as she let the barrel fall close towards the road. She gave him a mischievous look and he eyed her with a look of incredulity. She turned towards the brick wall, a black shard jutting out from the surface.
She stepped on it, grimacing as the darkness curled around her ankle, the faint feeling of being burned trailing up her spine. It was accompanied by the hissing sounds of what Lucy could only presume as the souls of the dead. The voices grew stronger the more Lucy remained still against the first step.
Pathet–worthles–waste of spac–thetic–orthless–space–pathetic–
Lucy gripped the rifle in her hand.
Focus, Nephthys's voice echoed in her ears, do not let it consume you. You are stronger.
Right, she thought, that helps a lot, Nephthys.
I can only advise you. Nephthys replied with a small sigh. I know it's frustrating.
Well, at least they were on the same page.
Lucy focused on the looping voices, listening to the shit they had to mutter. She listened, and listened, then envisioned Pierce saying all the words reaching her ears.
You're worthless, Weapon, worthless without me. You know that, don't you? You need me. You need me. Otherwise you're nothing but a pathetic little thing, useless and deserving of being decommissioned–
She nodded her head to the voice like it was merely music to her ears.
The more she forced herself to hear Pierce, the more she found herself unbothered by it. With a burst of confidence, black shards erupted all the way to the top of the building, forming a staircase. She took another step forwards and the dark shard behind her disappeared.
Frank muttered a quiet 'what the fuck' beneath her as she continued climbing the steps. She grabbed a hold of the wall and hooked herself onto the roof, climbing onto it. The black shards disappeared completely and for a split-second, Lucy thought she might've heard Pierce's actual voice mingling with the rest, and her heart stammered in her chest.
Nephthys.
It can be possible, Nephthys admitted, depending on where he is, in the Fields of Punishment.
Lucy grimaced, but at least the goddess was honest.
Is it. . .is it possible for souls to escape the land of the dead? She asked as she set up her sniper rifle.
She put her pack of bullets besides her as her eyes roamed over the boats lined up against the docks. She could see Klause stepping towards the area, his back as straight as ever. Even when he was going to kill or protect, he was still just as professional.
She frowned as she lined up her weapon, looking through the glass before pulling the trigger. The bullet zipped straight into her target and she watched Frank glance up. He inclined his head in thanks before taking out a man who'd swiveled around.
"Yes," Nephthys materialized beside her, arms crossed as her eyes focused on the men beneath them, "it's possible, but very, very difficult. There are many steps to it, and most information on it is guarded by Anubis, Hades, Hela, Osiris–all counterparts that are gods or goddesses of the dead. I guard my own piece."
"So no one's ever done it?" She asked as she lined up her gun again, pulling the trigger smoothly.
She watched the man's body slump forwards, Klause catching him before he could slam into the wooden floorboards. He gently laid the man on the ground, before pointing his gun in front of him and shooting another.
Frank's lips moved as he spoke to Klause, who replied with a short quip.
"Well, not exactly." Nephthys hesitated. "We weren't as strict nor cooperative about the conditions we had towards souls until the 1800's. There were spirits who managed to escape at that time. Some have already been caught, others I am tasked to bring to justice."
Lucy's splintered watch suddenly lit up and she looked down, brows furrowing. She tapped the side of it as Klause's voice bled through the device.
"Miss, Frank does not want me to follow." He said, his monotone voice sounding unbearably bored. "Should I not?"
Lucy exhaled through her nose.
"Leave him. Stay down there though. Make sure he blows the boat to all hell." She replied.
"Yes, Miss." Klause holstered his gun and took a few steps back from the boat.
He crossed his arms over his chest, watching calmly as Frank disappeared around the ship. Lucy could see him pour gasoline across the ship and its cargo, an undoubtedly enormous amount of heroin. She watched as gunshots went off, Frank raising his rifle immediately.
She sighed.
"Do you think he'll get himself killed?" She asked.
"Let's see if his string gets cut." Nephthys replied, sitting cross-legged beside her. "This is both perturbing and entertaining. I haven't seen so much action in centuries."
Lucy raised a curious eyebrow, but Nephthys merely smiled, shaking her head. She decided not to question the goddess further. She bit the inside of her lip, before scooting closer towards her and leaning her head against her shoulder.
Nephthys found a small smile forming on her lips as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
Her eyes snapped back down towards the boats as she saw someone land on a shipping container. She stiffened, leaning forwards as her eyes trailed over the newcomer. He was dressed completely in some sort of red-suit.
"Klause." She said firmly. "Guy in a red-suit–has horns. What is he?"
Klause blinked.
"That would be the vigilante, Daredevil. He has a strong presence here. And he is also fairly harmless." Klause informed. "As long as you are not a criminal, that is."
Said he to the literal leader of an international crime syndicate-business. Lucy rubbed her temples, deciding she'd tell Klause that she was, in fact, a criminal.
"You think he's here to disturb Frank?" She asked.
Before Klause could respond, the man in the suit–Daredevil–darted into the interior of the ship. She watched in disbelief as silence permeated the docks. Then, with a sharp suddenness, the door to the ship slammed open, revealing Frank tackling the man in the suit.
Lucy groaned as she stood to her feet.
Nephthys disappeared as she stepped onto the ledge of the roof. She gazed down at the dock, before letting herself tip forwards. She free fell for a few seconds, before stopping herself in a whirl of black shards.
She swallowed hard at the sudden energy powering through her. She moved the black shards out of the way, letting herself step forwards. The shards grabbed at her like living limbs, and she heard the sharp whisper–the horrifying voices reforming.
She clenched her jaw, her eyes watering because goddamnit, was she? Was she fucking worthless?
It's not real. Nephthys's voice echoed.
"Shit." Lucy muttered as the darkness dissipated completely.
She sprinted forwards, Klause falling into step behind her as she jumped onto the boat.
"When are you gonna learn?!" Frank shouted as Daredevil let out a groan of pain. "Mind your own goddamn business!"
Lucy paused as he started kicking the living daylights out of him. She cocked her head as Daredevil climbed to his feet, snapping his head to the side as he swiveled on his heel. He faced Lucy, even though she was sure she'd walked in silence.
Klause stood beside the boat, glancing at his watch ever so often.
"You find what you need?" She asked.
Frank spat blood on the floor.
"Fucking hell." He scowled.
She gave him a small nod. Her eyes flicked to Daredevil.
"Are you gonna keep fightin'?" She questioned. "If you are, get off the fuckin' boat. I'm blowing up this piece of shit."
Frank looked at her with narrowed eyes, before stepping over towards the edge of the ship. He was followed quickly by Daredevil as he lunged at him. They both slammed into the ground and Lucy shut her eyes as she ignored their arguing. They continued to beat on each other, and Lucy wondered if she should just blow up the ship with them on it.
But it was only a thought.
She was just being impatient.
"These people, they took my children from me." She heard Frank snap. "They killed my kids! Don't you get that?!"
Lucy opened her eyes, frowning as she approached the pair.
She hadn't known that Frank had–she didn't realize that. . .his kids? Had he been married?
Would she—would she react the same if someone killed Yelena?
Frank was leaning against a few crates of heroin while Daredevil stood in front of him. They both were out of breath, and they didn't look like they'd be fighting hand-to-hand combat any time soon. She glanced at Klause, nodding her head to the side.
He frowned.
"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice quiet.
"Yes." She replied. "Get the car. Bring it around. Park it."
Klause gave her a sharp nod, and she watched his figure recede as he disappeared from the bridge.
She turned her attention back on Daredevil as he kneeled in front of Frank.
"–with me to find the man who gave the order." He reasoned.
"And then what, Red? We gonna–We gonna bring him in for justice? Is that what we're gonna do?" Frank's voice was mocking as he scoffed. "Your way's bullshit, Red, it doesn't work. I need him. . .I need him gone. It's gotta be permanent! It's gotta be finished!"
Lucy padded closer towards them, and the man in the suit glanced up at her.
"The Blacksmith." She started. "I plan to kill him myself."
Frank's eyes sharpened.
"No–no, that's bullshit." He replied immediately.
Lucy's eyelid twitched as she eyed him. She exhaled, shoving her hands into her pockets.
"Then we come to a compromise." She said to Frank. "You kill him, I chop off a few limbs and send some powerful people a message. Easy."
Frank looked up at her while Daredevil let out a sharp breath.
"You're right. My way isn't working. So, maybe just this once. . ." His lips trembled as he crossed his hand over his chest and head–he was signing the cross. "Maybe. . .yeah, your way is what its gonna take."
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are we in agreement now? Can we please get off the boat and talk on the docks?" She said, waving a hand.
"Red, just this once?" Frank said, ignoring her. "No, no, no, no, no, Red. That's–That's not how it works. It's just, you cross over to my side of the line. . .you don't get to come back from that. Not ever."
Tires suddenly screeched, and Lucy ducked, looking around the crate of heroin. She leaned a hand against Frank's shoulder and he winced at the pressure. She activated her abilities, healing the injury on his shoulder as she continued to eye the newcomers.
There were four vehicles, she realized, and she narrowed her eyes as she counted the assailants.
"Holy shit." Frank breathed. "That feels great."
Lucy pulled her hand away, giving him a nod.
"I count ten. Armed." Daredevil stated. "There's a lot of gunpowder below decks. Any of these guys start shooting, this whole ship–"
Lucy made a hand motion, opening both of her palms with a knowing look.
"Shit." Frank muttered.
"We gotta get off this boat before they open fire." Daredevil said quickly.
"You're goddamn right you do." Frank suddenly surged forwards, shoving him off the boat.
Lucy heard the sound of a splash as he hit the water. She heard him curse somewhere–she didn't have enough time to deduce his words. She turned to Frank, grabbing the grenade he'd taken from her trunk. She pulled the clip, holding onto the grenade as Frank looked at her with wide eyes.
She gave him a look that merely said 'trust me'.
Frank didn't run.
The car doors opened, revealing a group of men led by a guy with blonde hair. Lucy's eyes flicked to Klause, who sat in the parking lot two cars down. She tapped on her watch, bringing it up her lips.
"Kill them." She muttered. "As many of them as you can."
She looked back at Klause.
"Yes, Miss." Klause said with a steely voice.
She turned her eyes back to Frank as he started loading up his sniper rifle.
"One batch, two batch," he whispered to himself, "penny and dime. Here I come. Here I come."
Lucy stood to her feet.
"Been a long time, hasn't it, Frank?!" The blonde-haired man shouted.
He raised his rifle–all of his men did–and Lucy stared at them with monotonous curiosity. They open fired, and Lucy ducked under one of the crates again. She grabbed Frank's arm and pulled him close, stopping him from jumping into the water.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Frank hissed as fire licked at their clothes.
She placed a hand on her lips as she leaned over slightly, letting the grenade roll towards the other side of the boat. Another explosion erupted, causing a chain reaction to occur. The entire ship rocked as the crates burned and seared to all hell, more explosions fuming upwards.
"Okay, what the actual fuck?" He repeated, this time out of complete and utter shock.
He was examining himself, staring at his clothes, that should have been burning. Instead, the fabric was completely intact, not a single bit of him singed. Hell, his hair was completely fine and he didn't even feel hot. In fact, he felt. . .cold.
His eyes flicked to hers.
She winked at him as she lifted her hand. Her fingertips were circled with black shards and white tendrils, whirring in a constant energetic thrum. Frank opened his mouth to speak but Lucy placed a finger to her lips, shutting him up again.
She listened and could faintly hear gunshots, as well as a knife sliding into flesh.
"Follow me." She muttered quietly.
Frank let her keep a hold on his arm as they waded through fire. She let go of him as she dove into the water. He followed suit, leaning back against the boat as fire burned. He landed in the water, only to realize his clothes weren't getting wet.
He looked at Lucy with that same look of confusion.
She didn't offer an explanation as she pointed towards the car Klause had parked.
Klause appeared from the car of the blonde-haired men, having placed the corpses back inside.
"Go to him." She said to Frank. "Get in the car and make sure you're not seen."
Frank frowned as the sound of police sirens echoed close.
"I'll handle it." She replied, as if that would somehow help.
He nodded sharply, diving underwater. Lucy rearranged the molecules, pulling her abilities away from him. She turned her attention back to the docks, calmly swimming through the water. She grabbed a hold of the dock's metal side, grasping onto the edge.
The police sirens came as close as they could get, police vehicles slowing down. She heard voices as car doors opened and closed.
"My god. . ." a voice said.
"Brett?" The blonde-haired woman's voice echoed.
"Be careful, Karen." The man–Brett–said, pausing for a second. "Cover these bodies. Castle said he was coming here?"
So the blonde-haired woman did have a name after all. Lucy pulled herself out of the water, stepping onto the dock. Guns were immediately removed from holsters, the safety clicking off. Lucy helped her hands up in surrender as she stepped forwards.
She used one hand to wipe the water out of her face, squinting at the police officer.
"Keep your hands up!" Brett shouted as he kept his gun trained on her.
Lucy lowered her hands.
"Do you know a man named Klause?" She called from where she stood.
Brett paused.
"I don't know and I don't care." He replied as he padded closer towards her, flashlight and gun trained on her. "Now keep those hands up! Or I'll shoot!"
"Wait, wait, wait, Brett. You should care." Another police officer exclaimed as a pair stepped forwards. "How do you know Klause?"
She let her eyes flick to the man who had asked the question.
"He's my butler." She replied smoothly.
She watched the man and his partner pale incredibly, immediately holstering their guns. Brett looked at them with confusion as one of them approached her. She looked down at him with a curious expression as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"That's our bad. Sorry." He apologized shakily. "You're free to leave, Ma'am."
Lucy dipped her head in thanks.
She stepped past Karen, and the woman turned to look at her as she padded towards the dock exit. She could hear the police officer–Brett–throwing a fit of confusion. She traveled up the stairs and towards the parking lot when she heard Karen's rushed footsteps.
She slowed down before she could reach the parking area, looking back at her.
"Hey–" she called.
Klause traveled down the stairs towards the pair, and Karen stiffened, taking a shaky step backwards. Lucy looked at him to see if there was any visible blood, but it seemed he'd been clean and meticulous with where he'd stabbed. And he'd changed.
So she didn't really understand why Karen looked so terrified.
"Is. . .something wrong?" Lucy asked, frowning.
Karen opened her mouth then shut it, before blurting–
"Do you know a James Wesley, by any chance?" She asked. "Same profession as you–"
"Yes." Klause replied. "I do. I spoke to him once or twice. He is insignificant. Imperfect and useless."
Pride seeped into his voice, and Lucy decided she'd have to tell him that talking shit about people was also not a great action.
Karen snorted at his admittance, before sobering up.
"Right, okay. . .um. . .is Frank–is he okay?" She asked.
Lucy blinked with a blank expression.
"I don't know." She responded. "Now, I have business to attend to. It was nice meeting you Karen."
She opened her mouth to protest but Lucy had already turned on her heel, leaving Klause to stand in front of her. Karen swallowed hard, giving the tall man a nod as she turned back towards the police vehicles. Lucy walked past the cars filled with corpses, forcing the molecules of blood to turn into puddles of water.
She paused in front of the passenger seat of her car, looking at the damage they'd caused, before ducking under the hood of the car. She shut her door, pulling her seatbelt across her torso as she leaned back in her seat.
She looked in the rearview mirror as Frank dried off with a towel Klause must've given him.
"Ray Schoonover." She stated.
His head snapped up.
"What?" He asked.
"Ray Schoonover." She repeated. "That's the Blacksmith."
He narrowed his eyes with suspicion.
"You knew? This entire time?" He snapped.
Lucy let her eyes flick to the docks.
"Yes. I didn't lie when I told you I didn't know if he was going to be here, but I did know his identity–again, I wanted to kill him myself." She admitted.
He frowned.
"What changed your mind?" He questioned.
Klause entered the front seat, shutting the door with a soft click. He pulled the car out of park and backed out, driving away from the docks.
Lucy smiled.
"You know, I can't have kids of my own. I was given a hysterectomy by HYDRA, the moment I stepped into their facility." She tapped her finger against the windowsill. "But, you know, I've taken care of kids–I've taught them. I know what it feels like to love someone like she's my daughter."
She paused.
"You see, Ray Schoonover pissed me off." She stared at Frank. "But, what he did to you? He killed your kids, Frank. And you want revenge."
She shook her head.
"I'm not taking that opportunity away from you."
Frank inhaled sharply. The anger in his expression was gone.
Lucy let her eyes wander to the window.
She clenched her jaw to stop her mind from wandering. Struggling with the voice of the dead everytime she used her abilities was exhausting–aggravating. It took a mental toll on her, and she was terrified that one day, the voice of Pierce wouldn't just be mingling with the other souls.
No, what if–what if one day. . .Pierce's voice was not just some disembodied thing–what if. . .what if he managed to escape the afterlife?
She shut her eyes to dismiss the thought.
Frank cleared his throat in the backseat, his voice gruff.
"Thank you."
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