----
Jessica and Nolan walked side by side as they stepped out of the restaurant. Her voice was sharp and cold.
"You don't seem the least bit concerned about your brother's situation."
Nolan shrugged. "Didn't you say the deal's going down tonight? It's barely afternoon."
He glanced at Jessica, amused. Just minutes ago she'd been enjoying her meal with genuine delight. Now, outside, she acted like time was of the essence.
They quickly got into a car and made their way to Hell's Kitchen.
But just before they reached the neighborhood, the driver pulled over.
"Sorry, folks. This is as far as I go. There's a local fee for out-of-town drivers in Hell's Kitchen, and I'm not paying it."
Neither of them liked that.
So they got out and walked in.
Nolan took in his surroundings with keen interest. This place was infamous. The starting zone for so many.
Hell's Kitchen might be small, but it was a hotbed for some of New York's most dangerous figures Daredevil, the Punisher, and even Constantine-style investigators roamed these streets.
Not to mention the Hand and Wilson Fisk.
Hell's Kitchen was a pressure cooker tiny, but packed with power.
The streets were filthy, littered with trash. Gang members loitered openly, tattoos on their faces and shoulders, some twirling knives as they squatted on curbs. One of them gave a sharp whistle when he saw Jessica.
A few thugs on the corner exchanged looks, chuckled, and started following them.
"They're tailing us," Jessica muttered.
Nolan grinned. "Sounds like the perfect moment to impress you."
Jessica raised an eyebrow, half-smiling. She'd already caught on to what Nolan was up to he wanted her to investigate Klaue, sure, but he was also trying to charm her. She wasn't playing coy about it either.
Nolan chuckled as the five thugs closed in. Three of them blocked the sidewalk behind them, cutting off any escape. Two stepped in front.
The leader was a bald guy gripping a knife. His partner had a smug grin, a pistol swinging from his waistband.
The blond sneered. "Hey, boy, why don't you lend us your girlfriend for a little fun? Judging by your size, she's probably not satisfied anyway."
Nolan smirked. "Your mom told me she was more than satisfied."
"You son of a—" Blondie snarled. "You've got a death wish, huh? This is Hell's Kitchen. Out here, it's all about strength."
Nolan scanned the street. No one batted an eye. Pedestrians walked past like it was nothing. A few even stopped to watch, like this was just another episode of street theater.
"Hand over your stuff and the girl if you want to walk away from this."
CRACK!
Before Blondie could finish, Nolan's fist smashed into his face, blood gushing from his nose like a faucet. He stumbled back, cursing.
"Get him!" Blondie yelled through gritted teeth.
But Nolan moved faster.
He spun, using the force of his shoulders to slam backward into one thug, knocking him flat. With a sweep of his leg, he smashed another to the ground.
Jessica took a step back. With her strength, she could've ended them with two punches. But if Nolan wanted to show off, she'd let him.
The remaining two thugs charged with knives. Nolan lashed out with a steel-like kick, knocking both blades from their hands with a pair of metallic clangs. With a spin of his hips, he delivered a sweeping roundhouse that sent both flying.
Blondie had recovered and was reaching for his gun.
But Nolan's hand was already on it pinning the weapon and Blondie's hand to his waist.
Blondie looked up to find Nolan smiling down at him.
"This is how strength works? I like it."
Even Natasha Romanoff had trouble breaking Nolan's grip this punk didn't stand a chance.
Nolan squeezed harder. Blondie winced in pain. "I work for Wilson Fisk!" he hissed.
Wilson Fisk?
Nolan almost laughed. "I've already pissed off HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. You think I'm scared of the Kingpin?"
Without hesitation, Nolan yanked the gun from Blondie's belt and fired two rounds into his chest right into the heart.
Blondie collapsed, eyes wide with disbelief.
The remaining thugs scrambled to flee, but Nolan's voice stopped them cold.
"Move one more step… and you're next."
They froze, slowly turning back, hands raised.
Nolan turned to Jessica with a smile. "They insulted you. Your call on what to do next."
Jessica's eyes flicked to the gang members. "Get lost. And don't let me see you around here again."
She glanced at Nolan, raising an eyebrow. His fighting had been more precise, efficient cleaner than hers. Her raw power gave her an edge, but if they were on equal footing?
He'd wipe the floor with her.
"Not bad," she said. "You've got skills."
"What can I say? I need to keep improving if I want to find my brother."
It was a lie, but a convincing one.
Nolan chuckled and said, "Let's grab a seat somewhere. We should talk strategy."
"Sure. But you're buying."
"Always."
---
Later, they sat tucked into a quiet booth in a small, no-frills diner, discussing how to approach tonight's deal set to go down in a large warehouse deep in Fisk's territory.
Getting in undetected would be tricky.
Jessica didn't seem too worried. She could leap over fences and scale buildings. But Nolan?
"I've been through my fair share of training," he said with a confident grin. "Don't worry about me."
Just then, the diner door swung open.
Nolan looked up and blinked in surprise.
What are the odds…
A man in a crisp suit stepped inside. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, and he moved with ease, tapping his way in with a white cane before settling into a nearby seat.
He ordered without hesitation.
Daredevil…?
Nolan quickly pieced it together. Tonight's exchange involved Fisk's men. If Daredevil Fisk's arch-nemesis wasn't sniffing around, that would be suspicious.
Especially with Phoenix 1.0 flooding Hell's Kitchen. If anyone would notice, it was the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.
"Matt?" Jessica murmured, following Nolan's gaze.
"You know him?" Nolan asked, surprised.
Then again, it made sense. Jessica and Matt would later team up as part of the Defenders. Still, he hadn't expected her to know Matt before Luke Cage.
"Yeah. He's an interesting lawyer… and a superpowered one," she added, lowering her voice.
By then, Matt had already turned toward them. He walked over with a smile and gave Jessica a brief hug.
"Jessica. What brings you to my part of town?"
"Just chasing down a lead."
"Phoenix Serum?"
"You know about that too?"
"How could I not?"
Matt tilted his head slightly toward Nolan, sensing something odd.
Jessica caught the look. "This is Nolan. He's my client… and my friend."
"Client? Friend?" Matt repeated, a bit surprised.
He knew Jessica's history. For her to use the word "friend" and to say it about a man wasn't something he heard every day.
----
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