His world is one of eternal darkness, but oh how the darkness is filled! Images , more vivid then any eyesight, supplied by a unique "Radar sense", as well as hyper acute senses make his world a unique and astonishing place. By day he is a well known and respected lawyer, by night a different kind of defender, one who is known by his enemies as a "Man without fear". Years of training along with his amazing senses have made him a man who instills fear instead. Armed with his multi purpose "Billy Club" he swings through the Manhattan skyline , battling evil and injustice wherever it rears its ugly face. He is....
And
Splash page: DD swings through the front of a bank window, kicking a masked bank robber in the back
BANK ROBBER: "ARRGH!"
Page 2
LEAD ROBBER: "TAKE HIM OUT!"
DD drops to the ground and rolls as the other three robbers begin shooting at him. He throws his billy club, taking two out as the club ricochets from a wall to two of the burglars heads, until finally returning to DD's hand. Without missing a beat, DD spin-kicks the remaining thugs gun out of his hand.
Page 3
LEAD ROBBER: "Some fancy moves there, ballerina boy, but lets see if you can really dance!"
The leader, a squat but very powerfully built thug, attacks DD by tackling him, taking his legs out from under him. But DD rolls backward with the force, throwing the thug over him in a monkey flip. The thug recovers quickly and catches DD with a powerful cross, knocking him back and dropping him. The thug closes in, now wielding a chair menacingly.
LEAD ROBBER: "Now youre mine, ballerina!"
DD shakes off the effects of the punch and, rising straight from the ground, intercepts his attackers charge with a powerful side-kick to the ribs. Both the thug and the chair fly backwards. But the bulldog-like crook isnt quite finished yet.
LEAD ROBBER: "Heh, Heh, pretty good."
The thug gets up and once again charges DD. This time, DD steps slightly to the left, off the line of attack, and catches the criminals right arm in his left hand. Raising that arm up while simultaneously pushing the back of the thugs head down with his right hand, DD spins the thug, head first, into a stone column. The fight is over.
Page 4,
DD swings across the New York Skyline
DD : (Im going to be late for this morning meeting with Sharpie. Good. That's what she gets for calling a man on his day off and waking him from a sound sleep, never mind pulling him away from the arms of the woman he loves.)
DD alights to the rooftop of the building that houses the law firm of Sharpe , Murdoch and Nelson. Scanning the area with his radar sense Daredevil changes to Matt Murdoch . Then using his heightened senses he makes sure no one else is in the stairwell , or near it and he drops through the opening. Minutes later h's walking through the office door, Daredevil Costume hidden on the roof along with the backpack he carried his now somewhat rumpled suit in.
Rosalind Sharpe stands in her office door, her typical infuriating smirk playing across her mouth.
Page 5
Sharpe: "Nice of you to join us Mr Murdoch. I see your tailor did his usual impeccable job. I need to speak to you before you leave."
Matt: "Leave? What's that all about Rosalind? Im not going anywhere." (I hate this, her heart rate is rock steady. She's enjoying this. She's about to spring something on me, something Im not going to like from the sound of things.)
Sharpe: "Oh yes you are Matthew."
She slaps a round trip ticket on the desk. She knows he cant see it, but she does it loud enough so he has an idea of what it is.
Matt: "What is this Ms. Sharpe? Some kind of sick joke? How am I supposed to even know what that is you just dropped ." (Even though I can tell just from the sound the paper made hitting the desk how much it weighs.)
Page 6
Sharpe: "No joke Matthew, and please do call me Rosalind. We are all almost family around here."
Matt: "Maybe that's how you see it Ms Sharpe, but its not a shared view. Now before I turn around and go back home, are you going to come to the point and tell me what game you're playing here?"
She exhales, and smiles, never realizing he can see via his radar sense everything she's doing.
Rosalind: "Matthew , a former NY crime figure known as "Biagio Nicolosi" is on trial in Miami for racketeering and murder. He has contacted this firm for his defense. In particular he has specifically asked for you."
Matt: "Me?? I've never even heard of this man. Why would he seek me out?"
Page 7
Sharpe: "He says this case can be mutually beneficial to you both. ."
Matt: "I don't believe there's anything this man can offer me Ms. Sharpe, that I would find "beneficial." Sorry, Im not biting here Rosalind."
Sharpe: "Look Matthew, this man says he has information concerning your father , and the true reason he was killed all those years ago. We all know the story of how your father was beaten to death after winning a comeback fight. Aren't you the least bit interested if this man can shed some light on the reasons for your fathers death?"
Matt: "I already know everything I need to Ms Sharpe. Im turning this nonsense down."
Sharpe: "Pity that then. I suppose Franklin will have to start a job search on his own at that time."
Page 8
Matt: "What does Foggy have to do with any of this?" (Good, she hates when we refer to him as "Foggy", her heart practically jumped from her chest when I called him by his nickname.)
Sharpe: "Franklin will have to go in your stead. And since this is a high profile case, this firm will come under heavy scrutiny. When Franklin loses the case, I will be forced to relieve him of his duties here. And with the bad fallout he will receive from this, he'll be washed up as an attorney."
Matt: "For Gods sake woman, the man is your son! Are you really that heartless as to destroy your own flesh and blood?"
She smiles like a panther stalking a trapped prey. Then her lips part and she speaks
Sharpe: "Try me."
Page 9
Two hours later Matt Murdoch and his lady love Karen Page stand near an entry gate at Kennedy international airport.
Matt: "I cant believe that witch."
Karen: "Shhh, it'll be okay Matt. Just make this fast, find out whatever info you need down in Florida, and get back to me as soon as you can. Ill be waiting."
Matt leans over and kisses her long and hard as the flight attendant announces final boarding.
Minutes later Karen watches the 737 leaves the runway with Matt Murdoch on board . As she leaves the airport a mysterious figure watches her, and getting aboard a motorcycle parked in a "No Parking" zone begins to follow her cab.
� Matt sleeps on the plane, dreaming of his recent victory against Mr. Fear and his hard fought battle in court to successfully clear Karen* of a murder Fear framed her for. Nightmares pervade his sleep, and the three and a half hour flight seems more like an eternity. Finally the plane lands and the Man without fear disembarks
*See DD#375
Page 10
Matt: (Whew, between my nightmares and that turbulence we hit over the water that's one flight I'd rather not repeat. I'm tempted to drop the whole " helpless blind man" routine and fein sight, but it's not worth the trouble if by some chance someone recognizes me.) "Taxi! Someone please help me find a cab." (There, that's one right in front of the baggage check. Yes, here comes someone with a steady heartbeat.)
Cabbie: "I'll help you Senor, come with me, my name is Alfredo."
Matt: "Thank you Alfredo. I need to get a ride to the Miami Aristocrat Hotel, then I'll need another cab to the State Penitentiary in Dade county."
Alfredo: "I can do these things for you Senor."
Matt: "Fine then, you're hired."
Page 11
An hour later Matt Murdoch enters Dade county prison facility. Ten more minutes finds him facing Biagio Nicolosi.
Matt: "So Mr Nicolosi, you wanted to hire me to defend you? Mind if I ask why?"
Nicolosi is a fat , loud man who eats too much pasta with cream sauce. His blood slugs through his veins like lead, and the heavy hammering of his heart tells Matt that this man may not have long to live , no matter what the verdict is.
Nico: "Hey you call me Nico, like every body else there Matty. Yeah , you can ask why I wanted you. You see, I know about your daddy."
Matt: " What do you know Mr. Nicolosi? I'm sure there's nothing you can tell me that I haven't already heard."
Nico: "That's where you're wrong sonny boy. I know your father wasn't killed for winning that fight. At least not how you think he was."
Matt: "What are you talking about Nicolosi? If you know something about my fathers death , then tell it to me."
Page 12
Nico: "Not so fast sonny boy. You gonna defend me?"
Matt reads the man with all his senses, this man is telling the truth! He does know something Matt hasn't heard before!
Matt: ( I -I don't believe this! He's telling the truth here. His heart rate is rock solid, and he's not perspiring any more then he normally does. What's going on here?)
Nico: "Well counselor, you in?"
Matt bites his lip.
Matt: "Yes Mr. Nicolosi, I'm in. Now tell me what I want to know about my father."
Nicolosi leans into Matt, the smell of garlic and Onions wafting up from the pores of his skin.
Nico: "Yer old man was killed acause he was protectin' you. Someone threatened you as a kid, and they told yer Dad he hadda win that fight or the little blind kid was gonna havta learn to swim with pants made of cement."
Page 13
Matt leaves the prison, more confused and exasperated then he's ever been in his life!
Matt: (Dad was protecting me? Does that mean that there were two people pushing him around? Nicolosi seems to know a lot about this. I think it's time Mr. Nicolosi met a certain man without fear. He may want to play coy games with Matt Murdoch, but I'm willing to wager he won't be so evasive with Daredevil!
Sometime later... Daredevil swings onto the prison grounds, his billy club retracting it's steel cable line in one smooth "Thup".
DD: (Okay, his cell is in the west wing, third floor up.)
Within minutes Daredevil has found Nicolosi's cell, and is hanging outside the prisoners window.
Page 14
D D: "Okay Biagio, I think you and I should sit down and talk."
The mobster is momentarily stunned at the sight of the man in red hanging from his cell
window, but then he quickly regains his composure.
Later:
DD swings through an unknown city, one with low roof tops compared to NY.
DD: (This isn't like New York. Im definitely out of my element here. None of the criminal element has even heard of me here so I cant seem to get any info.)
Page 15
Frustrated, he comes upon a rowdy group of punks terrorizing an old couple.
DD: (Well, nothing like a little street crime to help me work out my problems)
He leaps to their defense , beating the punks to unconsciousness quickly, but the cops arrive and immediately try to arrest him.
Cop: "Freeze!"
DD acrobatically leaps away, back to the low rooftops.
DD: (Id say discretion is most assuredly the better part of valor right now.)
Page 16
He swings into the night, using his radar to help him avoid the gunfire being sprayed at him by the Cops.
DD: (I've a good mind to tell Rosalind Sharpe where she can stick this case and her threats)
Page 17
Later, as Matt Murdoch, he steps out for dinner at an outdoor cafe'. All around him music pulses
and people party.
Sexy Blonde Waitress, smiling: Anything else, sir?
Matt: Just a refill on my Iced tea, please.
The waitress eyes him up and down, admiringly, unaware that Matt can "see" what she is doing. But Matt is not interested as his anger over the past day still gnaws at him.
Matt: (I haven't been able to find anything out as DD. Without my contacts, I really am running blind down here.)
Page 18
Suddenly he catches a scent.
DD: (That heartbeat... its unmistakable. I... know that person...)
He immediately rises and finds a secure spot to change to his "working clothes."
Page 19
he runs across the rooftops, swinging where he can't leap. Following the sound of the powerful heartbeat to an alley off the main street, and away form the continuous party. There he leaps down and attacks the unknown man, but he's effortlessly thrown back. The man steps into the light, and we see it's...
Page 20
(Full page splash)
Tombstone!
Tombstone: ( With a vicious grin through filed teeth and in his characteristic whisper that booms in DD's hypersensitive ears) "Hey Hornhead ! What a surprise, and I gotta say its a welcome one. I owe you for that little fracas up in New York*. Guess what? Its time ta pay the piper . hehehe, Lets party."
*See recent issues of Thor
DD : "Uh oh."
End issue one
Authors notes: First off I have to apologize to everybody for the amount of time this issue took to get out. My brother had never written fanfic before and wanted to get involved, so he did. Between lifes daily pressures and such it took a while for us to co-ordinate our schedules between mailing this back and forth repeatedly. But the first one os done, No.#2 will be out a lot sooner, I promise. Daredevil is one of my favorite characters, and the version I like the best was Millers for the DD action, but as far as the personal stuff , I have to say it was the earlier Daredevil that grabbed me. I dislike the poor , almost transient DD we've seen several times in the past decade. They'll be none of that here. Matt Murdoch will be fairly affluent. Lawyers make money, and a lot of it. Especially good ones, which is what Murdoch is. So don't expect him to be living in a dump apartment in Hells kitchen to much longer. That WILL change , along with a few other things I won't be talking about that you'll have to see for yourselves. Anyway, "A Daredevil out of water" continues next issue with a few more revelations as well as a death. But whose we won't say until next issue. Also this issue takes place around the same time as Avengers #425. So use that as a reference point. Be prepared to see a DD that is tough, gritty, and a topnotch fighter , in and out of the courtroom in these pages. Let me know what you think, as always the e-mail address is [email protected]