DC: Spider Man

The morning sun cast long shadows over New York as Peter Parker sat across from Johnny Storm in the latter's messy apartment, relaying the details of last night's battle.

"So let me get this straight," Johnny said, rubbing his temple. "You fought a vampire in a hospital, almost got turned into a juice box, and then some old guy with a skull on his vest shot him in the head?"

"Pretty much," Peter said, tossing a stress ball into the air.

"And then this dude tells you to ask Matt about him?" Johnny asked, crossing his arms.

Peter nodded.

Johnny whistled. "Man, this city just keeps getting weirder."

Peter stood up and stretched. "Well, we're not gonna get answers sitting here. Let's go see Matt."

Johnny grabbed his jacket. "Alright, but if this turns into another one of your 'almost dying' adventures, I'm charging you for emotional damages."

The office of Nelson & Murdock had an old-school charm, its walls lined with legal books and case files. Matt Murdock sat behind his desk, his red glasses hiding whatever emotions flickered behind them. He listened intently as Peter retold the events of the previous night, his expression unreadable. But when Peter mentioned Frank Castle, Matt's posture stiffened.

"So," Peter said carefully, "who is the Punisher?"

Matt let out a slow breath, standing and turning toward the window. "You remember how I told you I used to be a vigilante?"

Peter and Johnny nodded.

"I wasn't the only one," Matt continued. "For a time, we were a team—five of us. We called ourselves The Defenders."

Peter and Johnny's eyes widened.

"I started in 1984 as Daredevil," Matt said, gripping his cane. "Not long after, the others followed. There was Luke Cage, also known as Power Man. He was part of a government experiment that they thought failed. They sent him home, but it didn't fail. He got bulletproof skin and super strength."

Johnny blinked. "Wait—you're telling me the government accidentally made a superhero?"

Matt chuckled. "More or less."

Peter leaned forward. "And the others?"

"There was Danny Rand, the Iron Fist," Matt said. "Rich kid. Got trapped in a mystical city, learned martial arts, fought and killed a dragon, and became the Iron Fist."

Johnny shot out of his chair. "A dragon?!"

Peter's jaw dropped. "You can't just say that casually, Matt!"

Matt smirked. "That was my reaction when I first heard it."

"Man punched a dragon," Johnny muttered in disbelief.

Matt continued, "Then there was Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Wait, the Hawkeye?"

"The best archer I've ever seen," Matt confirmed.

"Better than Green Arrow?" Peter asked, grinning.

Matt smirked. "Way better."

Johnny let out a low whistle. "Okay, that's a hell of a team. And then there was Frank?"

Matt's face darkened. "Yeah. Frank Castle. The Punisher. His family was murdered, and he took his rage out on crime. We tried to bring him in, keep him from going too far. It worked—for a while. And for twenty-five years, we fought together. We weren't just a team. We were a family."

His expression softened for a moment before it turned grim. "But then, fifteen years ago, it all fell apart."

Peter and Johnny exchanged a look.

"A new crime lord rose to power. Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin," Matt said, his grip tightening on his cane. "We tried to stop him, but he was always one step ahead. Every move we made, he countered. But then we almost had him—until Frank lost control."

Matt's face darkened. "Frank went after Fisk alone. Danny saw a sniper targeting him and pushed Frank out of the way." Matt swallowed hard. "Danny took the bullet instead."

The room was silent.

Matt's voice was quiet, pained. "We tried to save him, but he died in my arms."

A single tear slipped from behind his red glasses.

"After Danny's death, Clint lost it. He and Frank got into a brutal fight at the funeral. Words were said, things were broken, and we fell apart. Clint kept fighting Kingpin, but I don't know what happened to him after that. The Defenders were gone."

Peter and Johnny sat in stunned silence.

Finally, Peter clenched his fists. "Then we'll finish what you started. We'll take down Kingpin."

Johnny nodded. "Ben's tougher than any of your old teammates, Matt. He can do it."

Matt looked at them for a long moment. Then, a small smile tugged at his lips.

For just a second, behind them, he saw a familiar figure—Danny Rand, standing in the shadows, giving him a silent thumbs-up before fading away.

A tear rolled down Matt's cheek, but he smiled. His spirit lives on through both of you.

Then he turned to his desk, unlocking a hidden compartment. He pulled out a bundle of thick files and handed them to Peter.

"This is everything I've gathered on Fisk over the last fifteen years," Matt said. "If you're serious about this, you'll need it."

Peter took the files, his expression determined. "I won't let you down, Matt."

Matt nodded.

As Peter and Johnny turned to leave, Matt stared out the window, deep in thought. He could feel a presence behind him—one he hadn't sensed in a long time.

"Hey, Frank," he said softly.

A familiar, gravelly voice responded.

"It's been a long time, Red."