"You know, patching yourself up is one thing. But doing it for your buddies is another," said the nurse, a displeased smirk on her lips.
"I'll pay you back one day, don't worry," replied Daredevil.
"Sure!" she said sarcastically.
And the room fell into a dreary silence, only punctuated by Jessica's groans. But this calm was only superficial, the tension inside was at its peak. Daredevil kept glaring at Alex. The latter, to add insult to injury, simply ignored them, much to Matt's dismay, who didn't quite know how to broach the subject of the bloody massacre that had just unfolded before his eyes.
Not long ago, Jessica had come to ask for his help with a rather bizarre case. Considering who the antagonist was, he had accepted without hesitation, provided there were solid and concrete proofs. Given that it was Jessica investigating, he wasn't worried about obtaining them. However, all these considerations were his lawyer side talking.
His vigilante side, on the other hand, was screaming that there was a forest behind the tree. My God, was he wrong; it was more like a damn jungle populated with Lovecraftian monsters. He no longer knew where to begin with this case. On one side, a crime lord committing his crimes without worry. On the other, a hunted man with a terrifying power that he seemed to have no qualms about using.
With his powers, this guy reminded him of the infamous Punisher. Although he didn't have the twisted vision of justice of the latter, he was nonetheless violent and murderous in his interactions. This would, without a doubt, sooner or later turn into a tragedy.
"You know, staring at me with such indiscretion and fury won't give you any answers," said Alex, cool as a cucumber.
Even though I wasn't trying to be discreet, his sudden speech surprised me a bit. Might as well take the opportunity to set things straight.
"I don't know the circumstances of your previous murders. I even give you the benefit of the doubt. But the carnage you perpetrated, was it necessary?"
At my question, he seemed to lose himself in his thoughts, contemplating an imaginary horizon in search of a truth.
"From a certain point of view, no," he said. "But from another, it's self-defense, deterrence if you will. You see, I am hunted by a criminal who walks in plain sight. I am his prey because I denounced him. The police, the media, the politicians, everything is in his pocket. He sends assassin after assassin. He tore away my hope of escape. Even if killing is wrong, why should I show mercy to him or his henchmen? In case you haven't noticed, it's me against the world, and what a world! And if it weren't the case, Jessica wouldn't be lying there, unconscious, getting treated clandestinely. And you wouldn't be wearing a mask playing vigilante, because last I checked, vigilantism is illegal. Although your actions count. In short, I am human, and my survival instinct will always take precedence over my ideals. Especially when facing merciless bastards."
His response somewhat unsettled me. It seems I misjudged him in the heat of the moment. He is just pragmatic and used to seeing people die. The bit of cynicism I detected in his words is likely due to his immediate situation. Without being hypocritical, anyone in his situation, with such lethal power, would be inclined not to hold back.
I was about to respond to his exposition when a look from Claire told me to abstain. It seems I will have to postpone our discussion to a later date. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on you, Alex. You're too unstable, with dangerous powers.
---
**POV Alex**
Even though I seemed calm on the outside, deep down I was completely lost. Last night, I had fought the biggest battle of my two lives. I came out victorious but with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Although they were bastards, taking lives so easily wasn't me. My life, my dreams, my work all aimed towards one goal: helping others. What happened for everything to fall apart in less than a month? Yes, I fought for my life, they wouldn't have spared me. Yet instead of satisfaction, I only feel bitterness overwhelming me.
At least it highlights that the isekai guy who kills like he breathes, in the name of self-defense, is bullshit. Even though I'm in another body, another universe, with powers, I remain myself, and killing indiscriminately is not what I want to become.
Besides, what do I want to become? I haven't had the time to ask myself that question, given the mess I'm in. At first glance, being a hero seemed like the ideal choice when you don't live in this world. However, a short time here has eroded that line of thought. Being a vigilante? No way. Staying neutral? Even if I wanted to, I doubt the forces lurking in the shadows would allow such a thing. The only thing that seemed viable was to train, become strong enough so that no one bothers me. When I reach a bottleneck, when I'm at the top, what will I do with all this power? It goes without saying that apart from getting out of this mess, I had no medium-term objective. Everything was too sudden, too violent, too far from the fantasy that fiction was.
---
**In the slaughterhouse.**
Despite the mask he wore, the smell of burnt flesh made Wesley dizzy. When his employer received the news that their target had set everything ablaze, he didn't expect such carnage. Bodies shredded everywhere. Cars looking like they had come out of a shredder. The ground torn up with crevices the size of a soccer ball.
Honestly, he didn't know any weapon that fired such ammunition. There were no shell casings, no traces of powder or other residues. This guy, who was initially just a nuisance, had risen to the rank of an existential threat to his employer. He had eliminated Bullseye in a really savage manner along with about twenty men. Those who were still alive were in police custody, which is why he didn't have access to their testimonies yet.
Until he got their testimonies, the best alternative was to retreat, lay low. This Alex turned out to be too unpredictable, and above all a killer beyond their league of normal gangsters.