"I can."
The word hung heavy in the air.
Daredevil didn't speak, he simply nodded, a whisper of relief slipping through his lips. Soren responded with the faintest tilt of his head.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the air distorted.
The broken body of Bullseye, barely conscious and bleeding out on the rooftop, lifted into the air like a marionette jerked by unseen strings.
"Take me." Soren said coldly, eyes glinting. "Where is she?"
Daredevil didn't hesitate. He turned, limping slightly, and led Soren across the shattered rooftop. Pools of blood darkened the concrete.
There, lying still as stone, was a young woman. Karen Page.
A wicked trident jutted from her abdomen, pinning her to the rooftop, her skin was pale, lips tinged blue.
"Doctor~" Daredevil began, his voice cracking.
"Don't speak." Soren raised a hand, silencing him. In the next instant, he reached out, grabbed Daredevil and the corpse-like woman, and vanished.
They reappeared inside the light of the medical hall, the air shimmering from the force of the teleportation. Karen was gently lowered onto the operating table.
"Watch the door." Soren said without turning. "No one comes in. Not even death."
The door clicked shut.
Soren stood alone with Karen, the faint buzz echoing through the room. His eyes flared with golden light as he scanned every thread of her being.
"She's gone" He murmured. "No breath. No heartbeat. Cold…"
He placed a hand over the trident embedded in her gut.
He yanked it free, clean, smooth, and tossed it aside with a hollow clang.
No blood gushed from the wound. The body had no pulse to pump it. But Soren wasn't relying on blood.
A soft hum began to rise. Green strands of life energy pulsed around him, drawn from every corner of the hall. It wrapped around Karen, seeping into her body like sunlight into winter soil.
Outside, Daredevil paced restlessly. He couldn't see, but his ears twitched at every sound. The muffled silence from within terrified him more than screams.
Bullseye groaned weakly from a corner, but Daredevil barely heard. His hands were clasped together tightly in front of him.
"Please… bring her back…Don't take her. Not yet."
Inside, time stretched. Sweat poured down Soren's temples. His breathing grew ragged, his hands hovered, trembling with effort as he poured his will, his soul, into her.
A flicker.
A soft thump.
Then another.
Her chest rose. Ever so slightly.
"Come on… beat Karen."
Heartbeat.
And then, slowly… color returned to Karen's face.
The wound in her stomach closed, inch by inch, the flesh knitting together under the influence of ancient power. Her lips pinkened. Her body warmed. Her eyes~
Opened.
She gasped.
Soren collapsed into a panting. He grabbed a vial from the table, a mental restoration potion, and drank it in one gulp.
Cool clarity flowed within him.
The system's chime rang softly in his mind.
[Congratulations, host. Treatment difficulty: High. Reward: +20 Mission Points.]
Soren stood, straightened his coat, and opened the door.
Daredevil's head turned sharply at the sound. He stood up quickly, heart thudding in his chest, his senses strained to catch every nuance of Soren's approach.
The doctor emerged, his expression unreadable at first. Then… he smiled faintly.
"She's okay." Soren said calmly.
Daredevil's legs nearly gave out.
"Thank God… You heard my prayer." He whispered, voice trembling with relief.
Soren snorted and rolled his eyes. "It wasn't God who saved your girlfriend… it was me. Okay?"
Matt couldn't help a faint, sheepish smile. "Right… sorry."
Soren's gaze turned to the nearly unconscious figure on the floor, Bullseye. The assassin was bleeding out, eyes fluttering, death brushing at the edges of his soul.
With a flick of his wrist, Soren sent a pulse of life energy into him.
Bullseye gasped as his two broken arms twitched, bones and muscle knitting back together. But Soren didn't waste too much energy on him, just enough to keep him breathing.
[Congratulations to the host. Target treated: Bullseye (Lester)]
[World Level C]
[Abilities: Fighting Lv 7, Assassination Lv 8, Precision Aiming Lv 8]
[Ability acquired: Precision Aiming Lv 8]
Soren raised an eyebrow. "Precision Aiming, huh? Flying darts could be fun."
The only reason he bothered saving Bullseye was the system rewards. Mission points. Otherwise, assassins weren't on his charity list.
Daredevil had already vanished into the operating room.
He stood at the doorway, listening to the soft, steady rhythm of Karen's breathing. The miracle still hadn't sunk in.
She was breathing. She was really alive.
Tears slid down his cheeks silently.
Outside, Soren took out his phone and dialed Sheriff George.
"Got someone for you, Name's Lester. A real piece of garbage, known as 'Bullseye.' Currently unconscious. I've stabilized him, so he won't bleed out on the floor."
George arrived within minutes with a squad car. Officers cuffed the barely-conscious assassin and carried him out.
George studied the man's face, nodding grimly. "Yep. This is Kingpin's lapdog. Been looking for him for months. How the hell did you manage to subdue him?"
Soren shrugged innocently. "Found him dying in an alley while I was shopping. Thought he looked shady, so I dragged him to Everlife."
George chuckled. "Remind me never to mess with your grocery runs."
The two shared a brief, respectful nod before George departed. As the patrol car vanished into the night, Daredevil emerged from the medical hall.
"Doctor." Daredevil said firmly. "Thank you… for everything. But I can't stay."
"What? You're leaving? She just woke up."
"I have to." Matt said, tightening his fists.
"The man behind all of this, the one who killed my father and put Karen in danger, is still out there. Kingpin."
"Bullseye was just his hired hand. I can't let this go."
Soren studied him for a long moment. "You've waited this long already. What's the rush?"
"I've waited long enough." Daredevil said, his voice low with simmering anger. "If I don't move now, someone else will get hurt."
"Then let me heal your eyes first," Soren offered. "You'll stand a better chance."
Matt hesitated, then shook his head. "No. I've lived in darkness for years. It's part of me now. My other senses… they're enough."
"You sure about that?"
Daredevil nodded. "If I survive, I'll come back and take her with me. But if I don't…"
His expression unreadable beneath the mask. "Please. Don't tell her anything. Let her move on."
Soren sighed. "Great. A suicidal vigilante."
He reached into his coat and handed Matt a black business card.
"Here."
"Crush this if you're about to die. It'll teleport you straight back to my hospital. Think of your girlfriend before you try playing martyr, got it?"
Daredevil took the card, feeling the faint thrum of energy inside it. He slipped it into his belt.
"…Thank you." He said, sincerely this time.
"Don't thank me. Just don't waste my effort by dying!"
Matt gave him a nod, turned, and disappeared into the night.
Soren stood at the doorway of Everlife Medical Center, watching the streetlights flicker.
"…You better survive, Daredevil."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Dare you peek into my other tales? The opening three chapters of select stories are free to all.
PhantomDream