Beneath the night sky, moonlight spilled over the streets of Hell's Kitchen, draping the bustling, complicated neighborhood in a veil of silver.
Daredevil Matt felt strangely ill at ease as he walked the streets. They were far too unfamiliar to him like this.
The gang members, who used to spawn on a regular schedule like fixed-location monsters in a game, were nowhere to be seen. Even Kingpin, the ultimate big bad, had been unusually quiet lately.
His footsteps felt especially heavy on the streets of Hell's Kitchen. With the usual clamor and chaos gone, this sudden calm left him feeling inexplicably empty and uneasy.
He was used to fighting crime in the dark. Those familiar faces, challenging stares, even the violent clashes—all were part of his identity as a protector.
He moved through the shadows beneath the moonlight, trying to catch a hint of something amiss in this abnormal stillness.
The shops on either side of the street were still brightly lit, but an unusual silence hung in the air. It was as if even the wind had slowed, unwilling to disturb this fragile peace.
Had all the gang members retired or something? It was nighttime in Hell's Kitchen, so how had it gotten so quiet?
Matt couldn't hear even a single cry for help. It was too strange, far too strange. This wasn't Hell's Kitchen at all.
Doubt filled Matt's mind, and he began to wonder if some larger conspiracy was brewing.
Suddenly, a faint cry for help caught his attention.
The cry was like a glimmer of light in the dark, instantly cutting through the fog in Matt's mind.
He stopped at once, every sense sharpening to the point where he seemed able to detect the faintest tremor in the air. The voice was weak but unmistakably clear, coming from a narrow alley nearby.
Without hesitation, Matt changed direction and sprinted toward the sound. Using his extraordinary hearing and night vision, he approached the alley in silence beneath the cover of moonlight.
As he drew closer, the cry for help grew clearer. It was mingled with faint sounds of struggle and a low, rumbling... growl?
Had some huge animal wandered into Hell's Kitchen? Why was there a growling sound?
Matt's heart tightened. This might not be as simple as it seemed.
He charged into the alley, and a thick stench of blood immediately assaulted his senses.
Anyone could have smelled it, let alone a street-level hero with a sense of smell far sharper than normal.
"H-Help!"
A weak male voice rang out. It seemed the man had noticed Daredevil's arrival, because he was clearly calling to Matt.
Matt heard his plea and started forward to save him. But the moment he moved, he realized the man's presence had vanished. He was dead.
Matt's heart sank. The situation was far worse than he'd imagined.
Just as he was about to investigate, an ominous shadow rapidly spread from the depths of the alley, blotting out what little moonlight there was.
Matt quickly backed away several steps. He could clearly sense a dangerous presence approaching.
Though he couldn't see, Matt's senses were like a human sonar system.
The monster put him under immense pressure. He could even smell a fishy stench coming from it, as if some terrifying deep-sea creature had been dragged onto land.
"What are you?"
Matt murmured, a sense of urgency unlike anything he'd felt before welling up inside him. He had a strange feeling that the creature before him wasn't human.
If it was a monster, he had no idea whether his fighting skills would work against it.
The creature didn't reply. It simply advanced toward him, one step at a time.
Faced with this unknown creature, Matt's heart raced and his muscles tensed, ready for a fight unlike any he'd faced before.
He'd fought plenty of people, but this was his first time fighting a monster. If he managed to subdue it, he didn't even know whether to hand it over to the police or some research facility.
Just then, the Deep One let out a low, eerie roar and lunged at Matt.
The Deep One's savage attack came at him, but Matt reacted instantly, darting aside with his extraordinary agility and barely avoiding the blow.
Yet the Deep One's strength was beyond anything he'd imagined. Even the wake of air from its passing sent a powerful shudder through Matt.
He quickly steadied his breathing and focused all his attention on the fight to come.
The Deep One roared and charged again, its enormous body bearing down on him like a mountain.
Matt moved like lightning, reacting almost instantly. He leaped up, braced himself against one wall of the alley, and flipped over the Deep One's head.
The baton in his hand flashed like silver lightning as he struck at the Deep One's eyes.
But the Deep One's reflexes were just as astonishing. It raised its head and blocked the attack with its hard skull, then opened its tooth-filled jaws, trying to bite Matt in half.
Matt twisted sharply in midair and barely avoided the fatal bite, but the Deep One's teeth grazed his arm. Blood instantly stained his sleeve.
After landing, Matt quickly retreated several steps, keeping a safe distance from the Deep One.
He checked his injured arm, his brow furrowing.
After only one exchange, he'd already been hurt. He could still fight, but the monster was faster and stronger than he was.
If he kept this up, he was bound to die.
The Deep One seemed angered by Matt's agility and resilience. It roared and attacked again.
This time, it didn't simply lunge. It began using its agile, razor-sharp claws to attack Matt from all sides.
Relying on his extraordinary hearing and night vision, Matt dodged nimbly through the darkness, searching for a chance to strike back.
He leaped, rolled, and dodged repeatedly, trying to wear the Deep One down and find an opening.
But the Deep One was simply too strong. Every attack carried tremendous force, making it difficult for Matt to withstand.
His clothes were torn, his skin slashed, and blood kept flowing.
Matt realized the gap between them was too great. He was completely on the defensive, and retreating might be the best option.
The Deep One lunged at him again. Matt dodged to one side, then swung his baton in a silver whirlwind, striking the Deep One hard in the abdomen with a dull thud.
The Deep One grunted and punched Matt, sending him flying.
Matt spat out blood and used the momentum to flee at full speed, paying no attention to the Deep One behind him.
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