Ben sat cross-legged on the couch in Johnny's apartment, recounting the events of the previous night. His voice was steady, but his mind kept replaying the fight with Morbius, the vampire's monstrous growl still echoing in his ears.
"…and then, after I stabbed him, this old guy—Frank, I guess—shows up and takes him out with one clean shot. He said, 'Ask Matt about the Punisher.' Ever heard of him?"
Johnny leaned back in his chair, his face twisted in thought. "Punisher? That's a new one. You think Matt knows him?"
Ben nodded. "That's what he told me. We need to figure out what we're dealing with here."
Johnny shrugged, grabbing his jacket. "Alright, let's pay Daredevil a visit."
They arrived at Matt Murdock's law office as the city buzzed with its usual chaos. Matt greeted them with a calm demeanor, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed his unease.
After Ben explained the encounter, Matt's expression darkened. He stared out the window, gripping his cane tightly.
"So, Matt," Ben asked, breaking the silence, "who's the Punisher?"
Matt's lips pressed into a thin line before he finally spoke. "You remember how I told you I was a vigilante? That I used to be Daredevil?"
Ben and Johnny nodded.
"Well," Matt began, his voice heavy with memory, "I wasn't the only one. There were four others—five, including me. Together, we were called the Defenders."
Ben and Johnny exchanged wide-eyed glances. "You were on a team?" Johnny asked, leaning forward.
Matt nodded. "Yeah. I became Daredevil in 1984. Not long after, the others started showing up. First, there was Luke Cage, also known as Power Man. He was a government experiment gone wrong—or so they thought. They sent him home, thinking he'd failed, but the experiment worked. He ended up with bulletproof skin and super strength."
Johnny let out a low whistle. "That's pretty wild."
Matt continued, "Then there was Danny Rand, the Iron Fist. He was a rich kid who got stranded on a mystical island called K'un-Lun. He trained in martial arts, defeated a dragon, and became the Iron Fist."
"A dragon?!" Ben and Johnny both jumped out of their seats.
Matt chuckled. "Yeah, that was my reaction too when he told me."
Ben shook his head in disbelief, but Matt went on. "Then there was Clint Barton, Hawkeye. The man was the best archer I've ever seen."
"Better than Green Arrow?" Ben asked skeptically.
Matt smirked. "Way better. And finally, there was Frank Castle—the Punisher. Frank was… different. He lost his family to a mob hit and dedicated his life to wiping out crime. We brought him in to try and rein him in, and after a lot of arguments, we did. For 25 years, we were more than a team—we were a family."
Matt's voice softened as he reminisced, but then his expression darkened. "It all came to an end 15 years ago when a new crime lord came onto the scene: Kingpin."
Ben clenched his fists at the name, but Matt kept speaking. "Kingpin was like nothing we'd ever faced before. He played us like a chessboard, always one step ahead. But we finally had him on the ropes—until Frank rushed in, blinded by anger. Danny saw it coming. He saw the sniper and pushed Frank out of the way." Matt's voice faltered, and he turned his face away. "Danny was shot. We tried to save him, but…"
Ben and Johnny sat in stunned silence.
"At his funeral, Clint lost it. He blamed Frank, and they started fighting. We all said things we couldn't take back. After that, the Defenders fell apart. Clint kept going after Kingpin alone, but I don't know what happened to him. As for Frank…" Matt sighed deeply. "I haven't seen him since."
The room was thick with unspoken emotions.
Finally, Ben broke the silence. "We're going to take Kingpin down, Matt. I promise."
Johnny added, "Yeah, Ben's stronger than any of your old teammates. He can handle this."
Matt gave them a small, sad smile. "I hope you're right."
As Matt watched them, a flicker of movement caught his eye—a faint, glowing figure standing behind Ben and Johnny. It was Danny Rand, giving him a thumbs-up before fading away. Matt felt a single tear roll down his cheek and thought, His spirit lives on through the both of you.
Matt stood and opened a hidden compartment in his desk. He pulled out a bundle of old files and handed them to Ben. "This is everything I've gathered on Kingpin over the past 15 years. Be careful."
Ben nodded, gripping the files tightly. "I won't let you down, Matt."
As Ben and Johnny left, Matt turned back to his window, lost in thought.
"Hey, Matt."
The voice was low and gravelly. Matt froze. He hadn't heard that voice in years.
"Frank," he said quietly.
The chapter ended with Matt staring out into the city, the weight of the past pressing down on him.