Rain pelts the street like bullets from heaven, a rhythmic cacophony that mingles harshly with the wail of sirens and muffled shouts of uniformed officers. Dex leads the way, shoulders square, every step decisive, poised in a way only he can manage after so much chaos. Suki trails behind him, her senses heightened, every shadow, every sound a potential threat. Ray walks alongside, his face pale, jaw rigid, caught in the nightmare of his own complicity.

The looming silhouette of the Clinton Church stretches overhead, a dark and solemn monument in the night. Red and blue police lights paint its facade in alternating hues, an eerie illumination, casting distorted shadows upon wet pavement. The entrance is barricaded, an assembly of officers moving frantically around the scene.

Dex stops abruptly at the perimeter, eyes narrowing.

"Who's in command here?" He demands, authority woven seamlessly into his voice.

A trench-coated officer steps forward, expression stern yet wary.

"I am. Captain Strieber, 15th Precinct."

Ray swiftly asserts himself, voice firm, carrying forced confidence, "Nadeem, FBI. Daredevil is our suspect. I'm assuming command."

Strieber nods reluctantly, frustration clearly simmering beneath his professional mask, "The suspect is still at large. We have civilians down inside. The church and surrounding buildings are on lockdown."

Ray's tone sharpens, "How far out is ESU?"

But before the captain answers, a delicate voice interrupts their gathering.

"Excuse me?"

They all turn sharply to find a nun approaching, stepping tentatively into their midst. Her hands tremble slightly, knotted together tightly as though afraid to release whatever truth she holds.

"I saw Daredevil leaving the church," She says softly.

Suki moves instinctively closer, reading every micro-expression that flickers across the nun's face, "When?"

"Moments before you all arrived," The nun replies, pointing shakily toward the dimly lit street beyond, "He headed that way."

Captain Strieber shifts impatiently, sighing as he nods, "Well, that lines up. We have two additional DOA's in an alley a block from here."

Dex speaks sharply, eyes narrowing in quiet certainty, "I'm aware of that. Daredevil came back to the church. I saw him myself."

Ray, feeling the web tighten around them all, interjects quickly, "We're looking for three suspects. Daredevil and his two accomplices, and a white female. Blonde, five-foot-nine. Her name is Karen Page."

Suki listens closely, but her eyes never stray far from the nun. Something about the woman's demeanor troubles her. A nun, surely familiar with crisis, still trembling long after delivering her statement. Her eyes seem reluctant to settle, flickering nervously, never quite meeting anyone's gaze.

ESU arrives quickly, their black vehicles pulling up aggressively, adding tension to the mounting chaos. Dex nods, signaling their approach into the church. The doors groan open, the cavernous interior dark and foreboding, lit dimly by flickering candles and scattered lights from tactical flashlights.

Dex strides down the central aisle, movements precise, lethal. His eyes scan the darkness, alert. Suki follows closely, every nerve alive. Ray moves hesitantly, his breath uneven, echoing faintly through the solemn sanctuary.

"Clear! Clear! Clear!" ESU agents call, systematically securing corners and alcoves, their voices sharp against heavy silence.

Dex murmurs, tone cold as ice, "Stay frosty. They're still in here somewhere."

Ray moves closer, voice hushed, urgent, "What are you gonna do when you get him? I did not sign up for this shit."

Dex turns slowly, his gaze steady, piercing Ray with uncompromising clarity, "Yes, you did."

Suki observes the exchange quietly, her gaze drifting briefly to Dex's hardened profile. She recognizes the grim determination in his eyes. But she also recognizes the fear and resignation in Ray's posture, he's already halfway broken, teetering at an edge she's been balancing on for weeks.

Ahead, Sister Margaret steps nervously to an ornate iron gate that leads deeper into the living quarters of the church. Her fingers shake, fumbling with an oversized ring of keys. The jangling metal reverberates harshly in the quiet, each failed attempt to unlock the gate amplifying the anxious tension.

Suki watches intently, brows knitting together in subtle suspicion. A nun who lives here, who moves daily through these halls, yet struggles with keys she should know by heart?

Her suspicion deepens sharply, instincts whispering truths she doesn't fully comprehend yet.

Dex's patience is thin. He approaches the nun, voice taut with quiet authority, "Sister, step aside."

She moves timidly, eyes lowered, retreating back into shadow. Dex signals sharply to one of the ESU agents. Without hesitation, the agent steps forward, bolt cutters snapping sharply onto the lock.

As the gate swings open, creaking in protest, Suki's gaze fixes once again on the nun retreating into shadows.

Dex moves forward briskly, Ray following reluctantly. Suki lingers a half-step behind, eyes piercing through darkness, mind racing ahead.

As the trio steps deeper into the living quarters, Suki glances briefly over her shoulder. Sister Margaret watches them vanish, eyes steady now, shadows crossing her face, tension suddenly dissipated.

They descend into the crypt, footsteps echoing hollowly against cold stone walls, guns drawn and flashlights slicing through the gloom. Shadows stretch and writhe, cast by the thin beams of light, wrapping around stone coffins and ancient pillars. The air down here is dense, thickened with centuries of silence, pressing against them like cold fingers on the back of their necks.

Dex moves at the front, posture rigid, eyes razor-sharp, cutting through darkness. His flashlight sweeps methodically over every corner, every shadow. He's not searching, he's hunting. The set of his jaw, the glint in his eyes; every movement screams predator. He prowls, almost silently, exuding an energy that fills Suki with equal parts fascination and dread.

Suki follows behind, senses sharpened by the tension in her chest. She watches Dex intently, feeling a chill ripple down her spine at the sheer intensity radiating from him. Is this who he truly is? Has she fallen for this version of him, a hunter cloaked in shadow?

She glances at Ray, noting the anxious rigidity of his movements, the quick glances he steals at Dex. Ray's fear is palpable, radiating off him like heat from a fever. For a moment, their eyes meet, and in his gaze, she sees a warning, a plea. Suki turns away quickly, uneasy, refusing to acknowledge the message clearly etched in his eyes.

Her gaze catches on Sister Margaret, who trails behind them, movements soft and deliberate. The nun keeps her hands clasped tightly, lips silently moving in prayer, or something resembling it. Suki studies her carefully. Something about Margaret's movements feels off, rehearsed. Her eyes aren't filled with fear or sorrow, only a grim determination. She's masking something profound, hidden behind layers of practiced calm.

As Dex sweeps his flashlight along the cold crypt walls, Suki watches Sister Margaret carefully step forward, placing herself directly in front of a particular stone coffin, precisely as Dex's light beam approaches it. Suki's breath catches. The nun's move is subtle, carefully executed, yet undeniably deliberate. Her heartbeat quickens as her gaze narrows.

Dex's flashlight dances briefly over Margaret's back before swinging away, distracted by Ray's impatient voice, echoing in the claustrophobic silence:

"What about the rectory?"

Margaret exhales slowly, tension visibly easing from her shoulders. A careful misdirection. Suki's mind races, suspicions crystallizing into quiet certainty.

"There's also a door to the roof," Sister Margaret says softly, her voice steady, controlled, "It's that way. Let me show you."

They move swiftly upward, emerging into the open air, rain still slicing across the roof's stone parapets. Dex resumes his predatory stance, scanning for any clue, any sign. His breathing is steady, controlled, every muscle tensed in anticipation. Suki follows closely, unsettled by the singular intensity he displays. She knows this posture from the files, from whispered warnings: Dex is reverting into a mode deeper and darker than she's seen before.

The search yields nothing.

Back outside on the street, amidst the swirling red-and-blue lights and the indistinct chatter of exhausted officers, Dex is visibly unraveling. Suki watches him, noticing the subtle but alarming tremor in his jaw, the dark sheen of sweat on his brow, the way his pupils seem dilated, black and endless.

Agent Arinori's voice rises nearby, cutting through Dex's thoughts, but Dex's gaze remains distant, fixed somewhere far beyond the chaotic scene.

"Dex, this is getting out of control. Someone needs to call Kingpin. Dex? Hello?"

Dex remains frozen, unresponsive, consumed by internal chaos, spiraling into a silent abyss.

Suki sees it immediately, the shift, the dangerous unraveling. She steps forward quickly, placing her hand softly on Dex's arm, feeling the tense muscle beneath his jacket, pulsing hot beneath her fingers. The gentle contact pulls him back, grounding him instantly. He blinks, jerking his head slightly, eyes clearing.

"Yeah?" He says abruptly, regaining his surroundings.

Arinori repeats himself impatiently, "I'm saying we should get in front of this. Someone needs to call Kingpin."

Dex's voice is cold, sharp, edged with anger and shame, "And say what? That we failed?"

Arinori hesitates, voice careful yet probing, "We?"

Dex steps forward, menace coiling in his stance, the edge of his control splintering, "There something you want to say to me, Arinori?"

Ray's voice breaks the escalating tension, cutting through sharply, "Hey, this isn't helping."

Arinori nods curtly, retreating gratefully from Dex's hostility. Ray shifts his focus carefully toward Dex, his voice low, weary, "Dex, they're in the wind. And we're not gonna find 'em tonight. I'm gonna release the ESU and open the scene to forensics."

Dex snaps immediately, desperation overtaking him, voice louder, unhinged, dangerously unmedicated, "No. No way. You get the NYPD to go to every house in the neighborhood. Door to door. We do not stop until we find them!"

His voice echoes through the rain, raw and broken. Suki flinches, heart tightening. This isn't the controlled, methodical Dex she fell in love with, this is the predator fully unleashed, scrambling for control.

She shares a quick look with Ray, seeing her own worry mirrored in his tired eyes. Suki steps forward cautiously, reaching once more for Dex, her voice softening to a gentle, vulnerable whisper:

"Baby, they're gone."

Dex turns swiftly, pupils blown wide, nostrils flared with frustration and barely restrained rage. His eyes blaze, catching the dim streetlights, burning with unchecked fury.

"Fine," He hisses venomously, "Call it off. And you call Kingpin and tell him you're the reason Karen Page is still breathing. Tell him you gave up."

The trio stands locked in tense silence, trapped in a fragile standoff. Rain falls heavier, colder, their reflections fractured in dark puddles beneath their feet. Suki can sense the balance shifting dangerously.

Ray exhales slowly, breaking first, his voice resigned, weary, "Okay. A few more hours."

Suki barely hears him. Her mind flashes back to the crypt, replaying Sister Margaret's deliberate misdirection, her carefully choreographed hesitation. Something critical about this night remains hidden, veiled behind quiet prayers and calculated movements.

Sister Margaret is protecting someone.
Protecting secrets that lie in plain sight.

Suki glances toward the church again, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Her mind reconstructs the nun's subtle actions, her careful interference, the flicker of anxiety masked beneath practiced serenity. The keys, the coffin, the crypt, everything a careful puzzle piece, arranged with quiet intent.

She's missed something crucial. Something hidden. Something personal.

Dex disappears around the corner into an unlit alley, shadows swallowing him like a wave. Rain pounds the pavement, echoing off the brick walls with rhythmic intensity, turning the narrow passage into a slick, glistening trap. Suki moves quietly, following his restless silhouette, her heart a riot of worry and resolve.

She finds him pressed tightly against the wall, shoulders rigid, breathing rapid, nearly gasping. The tension ripples off him, palpable even from several feet away. Dex's eyes are glazed with something feral, savage, unfocused. She recognizes that look, the glazed pupils, the slight tremble in his fingers, a predator cornered by its own mind.

Suki steps closer, cautiously.

"Dex," She says softly, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest, "Talk to me."

He doesn't respond immediately. Instead, his fists tighten at his sides, knuckles white against the soaked fabric of his jacket. Rain slides from his hair down his forehead, catching briefly on his lashes. The dark circles under his eyes betray a sleep he hasn't known in days.

"I can see it," She says gently, moving carefully toward him, wary of how quickly he could strike, "You're spiraling."

His head snaps around, eyes wild, dangerous.

"Don't," He growls, voice edged with barely-contained violence, "Not right now."

"Dex--"

"I said, don't!" He snaps, lunging forward, stepping into her personal space with sudden aggression. His voice drops low, venomous, each word laced with icy rage, "You think I need you to tell me I'm losing it? You think I'm fucking blind?"

His harsh words hit her like a slap. She doesn't flinch. Suki stares back at him, coolly assessing, unwavering in the face of his darkness. She's known men like this, dangerous men, hell, she used to be drawn to them like moths to flame. But Dex is different. There's desperation behind his fury, an anguish behind his violence.

Suki sets her jaw, stepping forward to close the remaining distance between them, eyes blazing with a fierce determination that even Dex's madness can't dismiss.

"Lower your fucking voice," She says evenly, her tone dripping with quiet authority, "And do not speak to me like I'm some rookie you're intimidating."

His gaze narrows dangerously, a challenge shimmering behind his eyes, "Or what, Su? What will you do?"

"I'll kick your ass right here," She snaps sharply, meeting his dangerous gaze without hesitation, "Maybe that'll clear your head."

He blinks, momentarily surprised by her boldness, the sharpness of her tongue cutting through the black fog of his thoughts. His lip curls into a twisted half-smile, dark humor threading briefly through his madness, "You think you're tough enough?"

She takes another step closer, defiant, staring into the abyss behind his eyes without flinching, "Try me."

The silence between them pulses, heavy and charged, like the seconds before lightning splits the sky. Dex stares down at her, rain sliding down his face, dark droplets mingling with sweat and blood. Her pulse thuds violently beneath her skin, adrenaline surging through her veins, but she keeps her posture poised, her breathing steady.

Slowly, the fury in Dex's eyes flickers, cracks appearing in the surface, exposing something raw beneath.

"What do you want from me?" He asks, voice rough and broken, eyes still burning with aggression but now tinged with pain, confusion.

She exhales softly, easing just a fraction, "I want you to breathe. Get your shit together before you explode."

Dex laughs bitterly, head falling back against the brick wall, eyes squeezing shut.

"Explode," He echoes hollowly, "I've been exploding my whole life."

She moves closer again, softer this time, reaching out gently to touch his chest. He flinches instinctively, muscles tensed beneath her fingers, heart pounding erratically against her palm. Slowly, he calms at her touch, his breathing evening slightly.

"You're off your meds," She says quietly, perceptively, eyes steady on his face, "You think I can't tell?"

He swallows sharply, eyes flickering open again, capturing hers with alarming intensity, "Maybe I don't want to be medicated. Maybe this is who I am."

She searches his face, noting the tension in his jaw, the twitch of muscle beneath his cheek, "No. This is who you are when you're desperate. Scared. You know how dangerous that is?"

Dex's eyes darken again, flaring briefly, "I am dangerous. Always have been. And you chose to love me anyway."

She leans in, voice barely above a whisper, full of quiet ferocity, "You're not going to scare me off. Stop fucking trying."

For a heartbeat, neither speaks. The tension hangs heavily in the cold air between them, the rain thundering louder against their strained silence.

His voice finally breaks it, barely audible, vulnerable beneath the storm, " I can't lose you."

The rawness of his admission strikes her heart, fracturing her own defenses momentarily.

"You're not going to lose me," She says fiercely, "But this--" she gestures around vaguely, encompassing the madness he's spiraling toward, "--this isn't you protecting me. This is you losing control."

Dex shakes his head faintly, exhaustion creeping through his tense limbs.

"I'm trying," He breathes shakily, a rare admission of vulnerability, "I'm fucking trying, Suki."

She reaches up, cupping his face with a startling tenderness amidst the chaos, forcing his gaze to hold hers, " We'll find them."

His eyes flare darkly again, a fierce warning slicing through the tenderness she tries to summon. His jaw tightens, voice dropping into a dangerous growl, "You better fucking hope so."

She holds his gaze, undeterred.

"Don't threaten me," She murmurs fiercely, "I'm not the enemy."

Dex's breathing slows slightly as her words seep through, and he finally, reluctantly, nods.

"I know," He whispers roughly.

Suki studies him carefully. Behind his violent intensity, she sees clearly what others overlook: a damaged man craving a sense of belonging, of purpose. Fisk offered him that twisted sense of home, but Fisk is poison. She is the antidote.

"You still have me," She says firmly, "Focus on that."

Dex closes his eyes again, leaning slightly into her touch, momentarily letting himself believe her promise. Rain continues to pour heavily around them, washing away some of the tension, but only briefly. When his eyes reopen, some stability has returned, the frayed edges of his sanity tenuously stitched back into place.

"Okay," He breathes finally, his voice steadier, though still burdened with darkness.

She nods once, satisfied for now, stepping back slightly, giving him space, "Good."

Dex straightens slowly, eyes narrowing once more as his predatory calm returns, though tempered now, held back from the edge of madness by the slender thread she provided.

"Let's finish this," He mutters darkly, walking past her toward the mouth of the alley.

Suki watches him go, her heart a storm of conflicting emotions. She steadies herself, silently steeling for whatever darkness lies ahead, knowing the battle for Dex's soul is only just beginning.

—

The church air feels thick, swollen with tension, the atmosphere heavy with the aftermath of betrayal and deception. The shadows along the vaulted ceilings stretch ominously under the glow of police lights streaming through the stained-glass windows. Dex and Suki burst back into the sanctuary, rain still clinging to their shoulders, their breathing sharp and impatient from the hurried dash back from the empty orphanage.

Dex freezes instantly, eyes locking fiercely onto the figure standing in the center aisle: Karen Page, hands raised in surrender, her expression a haunted blend of resignation and fear. The uniformed NYPD officers cluster around her protectively, faces set with determined resolve, their eyes daring anyone to challenge their authority.

The fury Dex radiates is visceral, so potent, so tangible that even Suki shivers at the sudden shift in his demeanor. His shoulders rise and fall in ragged breaths, knuckles bone-white as he holsters his weapon with exaggerated calmness. Suki watches, wary, recognizing the storm about to break.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dex snarls, voice ice-sharp, each word a threat dripping with venom. He advances menacingly toward the detective closest to Karen, eyes dark, lethal, "She's ours, Detective."

The detective squares his shoulders defiantly, jaw tightening, ready to match Dex's aggression, "Like hell."

Ray steps forward swiftly, tension visible in the rigid line of his shoulders, "She's a federal suspect."

"She's a suspected accomplice to murder," The detective snaps back, unyielding, "That's state law."

Foggy Nelson, desperation flashing across his earnest face, interjects hastily, "And she's here to surrender to the NYPD."

Ray spins sharply on him, eyes blazing, "Shut up."

Foggy swallows audibly, not backing down despite the fierce stares trained on him, "I'm saying, as the only attorney here, I could help clear--"

The detective's voice cuts Foggy short, dismissive and sharp, "Put a sock in it, Nelson. These feds know the law. She's our suspect. They can file a writ and maybe talk to her later."

The confrontation becomes unbearably tense, the air crackling like an approaching storm. Suki, standing just behind Dex, senses the shift before anyone else, the instant Dex crosses the line between anger and madness. She sees his muscles coil tightly beneath his jacket, the fingers twitching near his holster, eyes wide and unhinged.

Dex's voice drops dangerously low, a predator's growl, as he steps forward, rigidly furious, "I will not let you take her."

The detective straightens, unafraid, jaw tight in open challenge, "You and what army?"

Dex's eyes flash murderously, lips twitching upward in a feral smile. It's not bravado; he's genuinely seconds away from executing everyone in the room, innocent or not, just to fulfill Fisk's command. Suki's pulse quickens, her gaze darting rapidly between the detective, Ray, and Dex, heart thudding in her chest.

She senses Ray moving swiftly, urgently pulling the detective aside. Their voices fall into a tight, whispered conversation, full of pointed gestures and sharp exchanges. Thirty seconds feel like an eternity, the tension strangling the entire room, every breath shallow and pained.

Finally, Ray turns, eyes weary yet resolved, "Detective Mahoney will take custody of the suspect."

"Bullshit!" Dex's response is immediate and explosive, his voice echoing sharply off the stone walls. He pivots sharply, ready to pursue the detective and Karen as they start moving toward the entrance.

Ray raises a hand quickly, placatingly, "We'll have her back in an hour. Hattley will pull strings."

Dex lunges forward anyway, heedless, his entire body radiating lethal intent, "No."

Suki reacts instantly, grasping his arm forcefully, her fingers digging hard into his flesh. Her grip is iron, determined enough to halt even Dex's momentum. She hisses sharply, voice urgent and hushed:

"You can't kill her here anyway."

Her words cut through the madness, a flash of reason in Dex's chaotic storm. His head snaps around sharply, pupils wide, breath harsh and erratic. For a moment, he glares at Suki as though she's betrayed him too, rage mixing dangerously with hurt. But slowly, the fire in his eyes diminishes to embers. The truth behind her words sinks through.

Dex wrenches his arm free, stepping away from her sharply. His face darkens, eyes narrowing dangerously as he locks onto Ray. When he speaks again, the menace dripping from every syllable chills even the most hardened officers in the room.

"You messed up, Ray," Dex whispers darkly, trembling with barely-contained fury, "You really... really messed up."

Ray stands motionless, shoulders squared, jaw tight with silent defiance. But Suki sees the fear beneath, Ray's internal horror at the creature Fisk unleashed, at the monster now standing before them all.

Dex holds Ray's gaze a heartbeat longer, unspoken promises of violence passing between them. Then, abruptly, he turns away sharply, marching toward the crypt, fists still clenched painfully tight.

In the wake of his departure, the heavy silence expands, leaving behind a vacuum of tension. Suki exhales quietly, the adrenaline seeping slowly from her veins. Her perceptive eyes shift immediately, noting how Ray's posture slowly slackens, revealing the exhaustion and dread beneath his composed exterior. He's barely holding on. Suki sees it, sees every vulnerability in him, the doubt and fear he tries so desperately to mask.

She steps toward Ray, her voice low, barely audible to anyone but him, "You shouldn't have done that."

Ray meets her stare, surprised by the raw honesty in her gaze, "I had to."

"No," She whispers firmly, scanning the chaos around them, "Dex isn't bluffing. He'll burn everything down before he loses this."

Ray doesn't respond immediately, but she sees recognition flash behind his eyes. He knows, maybe more than she gives him credit for, just how dangerous Dex truly is.

Outside, lightning flashes silently behind the stained glass, casting sharp-edged shadows across the pews, across Karen's retreating form escorted by Detective Mahoney and Nelson.

But inside the church, down in the crypt, Special Agent Poindexter combs over the scene yet again.

He finds what Sister Margaret was hiding.

Daredevil.

He was here, and now he's gone.

Dex is losing it, barely keeping it together as he trudges up the stairs, and the outside air hits him in the face.

Where the fuck is Suki?

Special Agent Higashikokubaru is working, she's interviewing a few eyewitnesses who were there when Daredevil attacked the church.

" He looked... evil. It looked like the devil incarnate walked the Earth."

" There was so much blood... so much."

" That wasn't a man... that was a monster."

He's looking for Suki, desperately so, but only finds the nun. The nun who lied straight to his face. He almost marches over to her and strangles her with his bare hands, but this once, he hesitates. Inside, he spins on his heel and walks in a straight line to an empty FBI surveillance van. He climbs in the back, shuts the door, and lets out a rageful scream.

A primal scream.

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