Escanor(Marvel)

I had only been to a museum once in my life. It was a school field trip where we examined ancient artifacts while listening to stories about those times. I found it boring and not particularly interesting.

What's so special about this ancient tablet? Adjusting the strap of my backpack, I thought just a regular stone, nothing more.

As I stepped inside, I saw what looked like an ordinary museum, though it seemed a bit old. Exhibits stood behind glass cases, each with a small plaque providing explanations. After getting my ticket, I walked in, scanning my surroundings. Murdock had said she conducted tours, so I needed to find her somewhere here.

I was still surprised that Daredevil a man feared by criminals was blind. Truly remarkable. The Punisher had told me how he found me. Piecing things together, he figured out that I was Escanor and shared that with Daredevil, who immediately remembered me from the bar where I worked. Then Foggy called Josie and found out where I lived. That makes three people who know who I am… I need to be more careful. This power is going to my head, and I'm getting reckless.

As I wandered through the museum halls, I noticed a painting. I wasn't sure why, but it stirred strange memories within me. The image itself, however, was breathtaking. A graceful handle, a broad, massive blade. Several pointed tips at the front for piercing strikes, with another at the back opposite the blade. It was too long to be a one-handed axe, yet too short for a two-handed one. But to me, it looked perfect.

Below it, a caption read: "The Divine Axe Rhitta."

[image]

I had never given much thought to wielding a weapon my strength was more than enough. But am I not worthy of something that would truly complement me? Could there be anything better than a weapon that matches my power, one capable of just as much destruction?

Lost in thought, I continued searching until I finally spotted an elderly woman. Gray hair already covered her head, and her back was slightly hunched.

She shuffled between the shelves, arranging and inspecting the exhibits.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I have a question for you. Are you Madame Deborah Smith?" I asked.

She flinched slightly and muttered something under her breath. First, she eyed me from beneath her brows, then tilted her head back to look up at me.

"What are they feeding kids these days? You're a damn giant… And why are you shouting?" Deborah grumbled.

"Sorry. Just genetics. So, did I get the right person?" I asked again.

"Yeah, that's me. What do you want to know?" she replied.

"I have something, and I was advised to seek you out as an expert," I said.

"Leave a request at the front desk. We'll take a look and give you an evaluation in two weeks," Deborah answered.

"It's a delicate matter… I'm from Daredevil," I added, lowering my voice slightly.

"I see. Come with me to my office," she said.

We passed through one of the doors in the corridor and entered a small room. Various objects were scattered around, along with piles of notes. Looked like artifacts that weren't displayed in the main hall.

As I touched a small stone covered in symbols, it crumbled to dust in my fingers. Feeling a bit awkward, I brushed the dust aside, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Alright, where's this thing you wanted to show me?" she asked, settling at her desk surrounded by various tools.

"Here," I said, opening my backpack and placing the tablet on the table.

The woman carefully ran her fingers over it and examined it closely.

"How can you handle such a rarity like this?" she grumbled. "Just carrying it around in a bag… It's ancient! What if you damage it?"

Despite her complaints, Deborah got to work. Grabbing a magnifying glass, she meticulously studied the carvings.

"It's hard to say where it's from… Too ancient of a language. Most likely predates recorded history. Looks similar to southern Mesopotamian scripts there are some familiar features."

Removing the magnifying glass, she approached a row of books and began flipping through the pages, searching for the necessary information. Finding what she was looking for, she compared the similar symbols on other artifacts.

"Yes, most likely, it's from there. We can assume it belongs to the Sumerian civilization," she said.

Disappearing among the bookshelves once again, she returned with another book containing translations and interpretations of similar symbols.

"It's hard to say exactly what this is about, but it seems to mention a 'gift of the heavens.' There are also the words 'time' and 'life,' which are connected. This could be a ritual symbol or the remains of a ceremony. Yes, most likely a ritual… What kind exactly we can determine by studying the details. Give me a couple of days, and I'll be able to figure out what's depicted here," Deborah concluded.

"Can we get a rough idea of why someone might need this? It's very important," I asked.

"The Sumerian civilization is shrouded in many mysteries. They say gods lived among humans, and people themselves possessed magic, capable of performing incredible feats. Their civilization supposedly advanced thousands of years beyond the rest of the world… But that's more legend than truth," Deborah replied. "This ritual might be related to granting certain abilities. There's a symbol of time… Perhaps eternal life? Maybe. There are those who hunt for such things around the world in pursuit of immortality, but these are just tales and distorted records, nothing more."

"Thank you for the information," I said gratefully.

As soon as I put the tablet back into my backpack, unexpected voices echoed from behind the door in the sudden silence. Three people entered, led by the girl I had seen at the counter. A gun was pressed against her head.

"Nobody move!" a man with a broad forehead in a blue suit commanded loudly. "And you… give me that tablet, or she dies."

"Alright," I responded calmly, handing him my backpack.

"You, take his bag," he ordered his subordinate.

I let him take the backpack, but I was already calculating my next move. Where did these gangsters come from? Would I have enough time for a maneuver? I carefully watched their movements, waiting for the right moment.

"Good. Now tell me where Daredevil is, or you'll get a bullet in the head," he said, pointing the gun directly at me.

I needed to make him release the girl then they would regret ever coming here.

"No," I answered calmly.

"No? What, do you think you're immortal? I'll count to three, then I shoot. One… two…"

Just as he said "two," the sound of a gun's slide being pulled back echoed behind him.

"Thought I was imagining things, but no… It's that fat man's little mutt. Thickhead, or whatever your name is?" a man in a hat and suit sneered, aiming his gun at my opponent.

"Hammerhead … What do you want here? This is Kingpin's business. Leave if you don't want a war," the first man growled.

"We're not afraid of your pathetic gang," the man in the hat smirked. "But I am curious why you're here. Hand over the bag your lackey is holding. Let's see what this fuss is all about."

He had the upper hand five more people stood with him.

"You'll pay dearly for this," the first man snarled.

"Empty threats. As long as Silvermane sits at the top of power and not your boss, you'd better hurry up. Hand over the bag," the man in the bowler hat said calmly.

Hammerhead furrowed his brows and nodded to his subordinate to pass the bag. His jaw clenched, and it was clear how much he hated doing this.

Taking the bag, the stranger smirked, clearly surprised by its contents.

"So that's why you're here… This rightfully belongs to us! We already suspected who stole our property… So the mercenaries who attacked our convoy were sent by you? Silvermane will be very, very disappointed with your actions," he chuckled.

"I'll be waiting for these bastards outside," the Punisher's voice came through my earpiece.

He had been outside the whole time, watching over me from a van, ready to cover me. That meant he would deal with anyone trying to escape with the bag, while I handled those still inside.

I needed to thin out the number of people in the room otherwise, the girl and the professor could die.

"Oh, and Madam Deborah Smith, please come with us. We originally came for you just an incredible coincidence, don't you think? Seems like today is my lucky day," one of Silvermane's thugs sneered.

The plan had changed. Using her as a shield, they would prevent the Punisher from taking them out. I needed one chance. Deborah looked at me, confused, but I gave her a barely noticeable signal: Go. She had to get closer to the girl standing near us. That way, I could cover them both.

She took a step, and I lunged forward.

A burst of speed Deborah was in my arms. Power surged through my body, my movements so fast that no one had time to react. The wall cracked, crumbling into shards, and in an instant, we were in another room.

"Stay here. This will be over soon," I said firmly.

I stepped back through the breach.

They had finally registered what had happened, their weapons trembling as they aimed at me. Fear had already crept into their eyes. They recognized me. They couldn't not recognize me I had been all over the news.

"Drop your weapons, or do you need help with that?" I said.

"We can make a deal. My boss will pay you well if you don't interfere," the man in the hat blurted out, desperate to negotiate.

"Kingpin will pay even more if you kill them and switch sides. Power, respect anything you want," Hammerhead interjected.

I sighed.

"It seems you don't understand. You have one choice: drop your weapons and lie face down… or stop breathing," I said coldly, clenching my fists just slightly.

"Shit, there's no way he's this strong! Open fire!" the man in the hat shouted.

Lead filled the air, bullets tearing toward me only to fall uselessly at my feet, unable to pierce my skin.

I took a step forward and grabbed their leader by the throat.

"You missed your chance," I said, and with a single movement of my hand, his struggle ended. He collapsed to the floor without a sound. A few seconds later, his subordinates followed.

Only Hammerhead and his remaining henchmen were left. He had already tossed his weapon aside and simply stared at me. At that moment, the Punisher burst into the room, weapon raised.

"So that's it? Just one last scumbag left," the Punisher said.

"We don't have to fight. We can make a truce. No one will touch you or your allies… I just need the tablet," Hammerhead said.

"My choice is simple," the Punisher answered coldly and fired.

Two precise shots sent his henchmen to the floor, and the third bullet struck Hammerhead in the chest.

"Last time, you got lucky. This time, there won't be any mistakes," he added, staring straight into the eyes of his bleeding opponent.

"And now what? What if all of this is true? About the tablet and immortality?" I asked, feeling a trace of doubt.

"Two years ago, I would've called it bullshit… but today, it doesn't seem like such a lie," the Punisher admitted, gripping his weapon tighter.

"Oh God, my office… everything is ruined," Deborah said, looking around at the mess with distress.

"You should leave the city… at least for a while," I advised.

"I think so… I need a vacation. Urgently," she sighed and slowly headed for the exit.

"When we get back, we need to talk about our next steps. One thing is clear Silvermane is at death's door. If he dies, Kingpin will become the only authority in New York. With that kind of power, no one will dare oppose him," the Punisher said grimly.

We left the museum. As I walked away, I silently apologized for the destruction. History should be preserved.

******************

The office on the top floor of the skyscraper was wrecked furniture smashed, shards of glass everywhere. Kingpin stood by the window, shrouded in darkness. Everything had been going according to his perfect plan… until Daredevil's interference ruined everything. Now, he was losing too much.

"Did you find out what that tablet means?" Kingpin asked. His voice was steady, but his clenched fist trembled with rage.

"We found other specialists. They said the tablet holds ritual power… supposedly granting immortality," his subordinate answered nervously.

"Immortality? That old fool must have lost his mind… He was clearly looking for a way to extend his life. I thought he was just a decrepit lunatic I could use. And instead, I almost handed him eternity?" Kingpin gritted his teeth.

"Plans have changed. We need to eliminate him while he's weak."

He turned to his subordinate, his voice as cold as steel:

"Throw everything we have at this. Drag Silvermane out of his hideout. Find Daredevil and the Punisher bring me their heads."

After a brief pause, he added,

"And… hire Shocker. Tell him I have a very lucrative job for him."

Author's Note:

Explanation for those who might be confused:

Kingpin had been closely watching his rival, Silvermane, and discovered that he was scheming something. Sensing an opportunity, he intercepted a convoy and stole a mysterious artifact the tablet. A deal was set to exchange the tablet through mercenaries, securing Kingpin a stronger position.

But then Daredevil intervened and stole the artifact.

At first, Kingpin planned to use the tablet as a bargaining chip to force Silvermane into submission and tighten his grip on him. However, upon learning its true power, he changed his plans. Now, he wants to keep it for himself to gain immortality and absolute power.