Marvel: Death Knight

Crash!

Daredevil smashed through the glass of a high-rise corridor. Below, he spotted a platform not too far away.

"Frank, Blade, over here!" Without hesitating about the ten-meter drop, Daredevil leapt down, landing hard on the platform.

"Stop them!" shouted a visibly alarmed Fess.

Bang! Bang!

Two gunshots rang out. Before the Punisher and Blade could jump down, bullets struck their legs, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground.

As they hit the floor, they were quickly surrounded. Vampires armed with electric batons began shocking them repeatedly, leaving their bodies paralyzed.

"You two did well," Fess commended the two minions who had fired the shots.

Sensing that Blade and the Punisher had been captured, Daredevil knew he couldn't delay any longer. These vampires were no ordinary foes. If he didn't escape now, it might be too late.

"Boss, should we pursue him?" one of Fess's subordinates asked as they watched Daredevil flee.

Fess shook his head dismissively. "No need. Daredevil isn't well-liked among superheroes. He won't find anyone to help him. The important thing is that we've captured the Daywalker. Our plan is nearly complete."

Daredevil stumbled his way back to Hell's Kitchen, bruised and battered. He was out of options and could only think of one person who might help: Garus.

Meanwhile, Garus had just informed the group of an invitation from the Ancient One. While Pietro was excited at the prospect of joining the Illuminati, the others showed little interest.

Garus continued, "Recently, the Ancient One's scouts discovered a group of vampires engaged in a suspicious operation. Unfortunately, they're short-handed right now and need us to send some people to investigate."

Garus hadn't expected vampires to exist in this world. As he flipped through the information provided by the Ancient One, he noted that their capabilities were unimpressive—aside from their remarkable regenerative abilities.

"Wanda, who do you think we should send? These dark creatures aren't particularly powerful. Perhaps some of the students could use this as training," Garus suggested.

Outside the room, Dana, Sissy, and Odones had been eavesdropping on the discussion.

"Hey, Dana, do you want to join this Illuminati thing?" whispered Sissy.

Dana looked puzzled. "I don't even know what it is, but it sounds cool."

Odones laughed. "Idiot. It's like the Fantastic Four—a super-cool superhero team!"

Mentioning the Fantastic Four brought a look of admiration to Odones' face. Naturally, his favorite was the Invisible Woman, Susan Storm, who he considered the ultimate goddess.

"But what are vampires?" Dana asked.

"Shh!" Sissy hushed them, smacking both of them lightly on the head. "Be quiet and listen."

Creak!

The door suddenly opened, catching the three off guard. They tumbled into a heap on the floor.

"Principal!" they stammered, looking up at Garus in embarrassment.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Garus asked sternly.

"Yes, Principal!" they replied, quickly scurrying away.

When Garus returned home, it was already past 1 a.m. As he approached his villa, he heard a faint knocking at the door, slow and weak, as if someone was barely holding on.

"Who could it be at this hour?"

Opening the door, Garus found a man in a hooded mask slumped against the frame, sitting on the ground.

Sensing someone coming out of the villa, Daredevil perked up with what little strength he had left. "Is that you, Mr. Garus?"

"And you are?" Garus asked, puzzled.

Daredevil had been waiting here for over two hours. Exhaustion and pain from his injuries were pushing him to his limits. Yet, as a hero with a strong sense of responsibility, he couldn't stand by while the world faced the threat of becoming overrun by vampires. Finally, he had found Garus.

"Mr. Garus... I need your help..." Before he could finish, Daredevil's vision blurred, and he collapsed unconscious.

What the hell is going on? Garus thought, scratching his head. After a closer look, he recognized the strange attire. It was Matt Murdock, the Daredevil, whom he'd met once before.

Seeing the severe state of Daredevil's injuries, Garus used telepathy to summon Kingpin and a few others to take Daredevil to a hospital.

For a former enemy like Daredevil, Kingpin would have preferred to send him straight to hell. But with Garus' influence now shaping his thoughts, Kingpin suppressed the idea almost as soon as it arose.

The next morning, Daredevil finally regained consciousness. His naturally strong physique had allowed him to recover quickly, though his injuries still limited his abilities.

Looking around, he found himself in a hospital-like setting. Slowly, the events of the previous day came back to him. Realizing the urgency of the situation, he got out of bed immediately.

At the door, Daredevil sensed two people standing guard. "Are you with Mr. Garus?" he asked as he stepped out.

One of the men turned to him. "Wait here. I'll inform Mr. Wilson."

Daredevil knew "Mr. Wilson" referred to Kingpin, his former nemesis, who was now working for someone else. Though Kingpin had abandoned his criminal enterprises, Daredevil still felt conflicted, especially given his unresolved desire to avenge his father.

"Can you take me to see Mr. Garus? It's urgent," Daredevil pressed.

The guard glanced at him. "Mr. Garus is the boss of our boss. Do you think you can just meet him whenever you want?"

"I..." Daredevil started but was cut off as the man handed him a phone.

On the line, Kingpin's deep voice came through. "Daredevil, what do you need from Mr. Garus?"

After a brief hesitation, Daredevil explained, "A group of vampires is trying to summon the Blood God. If they succeed, they'll turn everyone into vampires. Someone has to stop them."

"So you want Mr. Garus to play savior?" Kingpin replied with a touch of amusement, though he knew Daredevil wasn't joking.

After a moment of silence, Kingpin said, "I'll inform Mr. Garus. In the meantime, follow my men to Azeroth Tech Tower."

"Fine," Daredevil relented. He had no other options and hoped he could rescue Blade and the Punisher in time to stop the vampires.

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