Frank Castle Sr.

“I’m not interested in the rest of the city… Just my neighbourhood. There’s more than enough heroes looking out for New York, but what’re you gonna do? When’s your war gonna end, Frank…? After you shoot every purse snatcher that stumbles across your path…? Every bent cop that ever took a payment…?”

Daredevil stopped himself then, the frustration coming across hard in his voice.  He took a breath through gritted teeth, slowing his heart rate and trying to force a calm into his body that he really didn’t feel.  This same old argument wasn’t helping either of them.

“Frank… We’ve had this discussion too many times not to know how it ends.  I believe in redemption, you don’t… Let’s just leave it there.  But like you said, that gun,” the red-clad hero continued, nodding towards the pistol that The Punisher was tucking away in his belt, “…is first class and practically untraceable. So what’s it doing in the hands of a two-bit street scum like this, hm?”

“If it was the first one I’d come across recently, I’d put it down to coincidence… but it’s not.  Someone’s deliberately flooding the streets with these things, trying to start a war… And I reckon where to find ordinance like that is your area of expertise, Frank.”

@xpuniisher 

       Frank gritted his teeth. The same old argument again, indeed. He perfectly knew he could not bring him to reason or encourage him to understand his point of view. None of those said ‘heroes’ would anyway. It was a waste of time. And wouldn’t help anyone. The former soldier chose to ignore this argument and moved on with the important stuff. “Someone is, yes. That and many others, like weapons or objects made by the Skrulls from their time here, in town. I’ve crossed path with some of them.” he sighed. “I know where to start indeed. But that would take too much time. We need to find one buyer. A big one who gives the weapons to his men. We’d have more chances.”

Clint sighed, his fingers running through his hair, making it stand up more than it already was. “There’s a few, but he took them he knows that I’ll be checking those places and he’ll continue to move them.”

       Frank sighed again, searching around for more clues. “Then it’s time you start to think like your brother. Move your ass Clint, don’t stand here, you should already be gone.”

“And that’s exactly what I want, Frank…” the ‘Devil replied absently, turning the gun over in his gloved hands. “There’s been an imposter on my streets lately;  pretending to be me, raising a militia, creating chaos.  I won’t stand for it, and I want them all to know that the real Daredevil is back… even if that means taking down another twenty tomorrow night.”

“Take a look at this,” he said, changing the subject and tossing the pistol towards Frank. “I reckon it’s brand new, but there’s no serial numbers on the outer casing.  See if you can find any inside, since I’m sure you can take this thing apart faster than I could.”

“If you’re going to hang around here, then at least make yourself useful,” Daredevil smiled wolfishly, turning at last to face The Punisher.

@xpuniisher

      Frank rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and what do you think they’re gonna do meanwhile, huh? New York is not a playground for you and your boy band.” he sighed. “They’ll know. In time.” There were enough collateral damages already and Frank really wasn’t a fan of it. He had been a victim of those games.

      Castle caught the gun, spun it between his hands while listening. He put the cartridge crip, verified the serial number, but there was none indeed. he dismantled the gun in less than a couple of seconds to look inside. No official legal number but those five.” It’s a black market product, first class. It’s pretty rare, but I know where to look.” he looked up and put the gun back together before putting it in his belt. “Thanks for the info. i’ll make good use out of it.”

Clint sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s not the same man I used to know.” Thanks a lot, Zemo. “But he could be anywhere. He had a lot of safe houses when he was in the FBI. But now, he could be anywhere.”

       “Any safe house big enough to hide a family? Without being noticed as well, because of the kids? any safe house you’re not supposed to know about??”

“I’ll find something …. so better get me something as well or I’ll pout”

       Frank smiled and shrugged. “Okay, I’m defeated. What would you like?”

“well it’s going to be winter real soon. and i for one am very excited for the holiday. it’s going to be so nice. i want it to be all very relaxing. if all bad things can just wait until january so i can enjoy the snow and festiveness that would be amazing.”

       “First off. No one talked about snow yet, so don’t get yourself high hopes on that. Next, don’t you have classes or something? Work to do?”

Clint did take the water from him this time, but he wasn’t going to drink it. But Frank was right. He couldn’t mope. He needed to go find them. “That was one hell of a hero speech yourself, Castle,” he muttered, although it was meant to be in humor, he wasn’t sure he could pull it off just yet. “I think the list of people who wouldn’t have taken them is a lot shorter.” He was going over the list of people who could possibly know. Zemo knew, which meant he could have told anyone. The Clown, Barney, Crossfire….the list was endless. “My brother, maybe?” Barney had more of a beef with him. “I mean, it doesn’t look like there was a struggle here, so it had to be someone that didn’t appear a threat? And Laura knows about my brother and has seen pictures of him, so he would appear friendly maybe?”

       Frank didn’t reply at the supposed hero speech. He didn’t want to hear about that again. So he just looked away until Barton spoke again. “So your brother... has enough reasons to... take his family captive, somehow? Why do you all have family issues goddamnit.” He sighed and got up, stretching his arms. “Any idea where he could’ve take them?” 

“Jingle bells. Jingle bells. Jingle all the way. Oh, what the fuck. It is too late!  I’ve got it in the head…”

“Oh come on now, can’t you hear those sleigh bells jingling?” Sigyn smirked. “Ring ting tingling, too?”

       “I can, actually, that’s why! My brain can’t hear it anymore. Stop that.”

Clint heard him, but he couldn’t dwell on it. His head was starting to think of the worst case scenarios. They were gone, he was too late. There was nothing he could do, he failed them….and then Castle hit him. In an instant he swatted his hand away, curling his fingers into a fist to punch back bu stopped before he actually hit him. He knew what Castle was doing. If there was anyone that knew what he was going through and knew how to help, it was him. Slowly he got to his feet, his eyes almost blank in expression. “I can’t lose them, Frank,” he spoke in a broken whisper.

       He didn’t avoid his hit, mostly because he knew he’d stop. And he did. He looked at him closely then tilted his head a bit. “I know. So what you’re just gonna let them be gone and do nothing but call yourself a failure and how bad of a father and a husband you were for the rest of your life? Don’t make it about you, Barton. It’s about them. Having regrets won’t change anything, believe me. What is done is done and you can’t change it. But you can decide what the future will be. So please, spare me the hero speeches you guys sing to each other and go get them.” He gave him the water again. “Who might have taken them? You have a lot of enemies, don’t you? Who’s first on the list?”

Clint hadn’t really paid attention to Frank - not until Frank took the phone away from him and hung up. “No, they’re not gone!” he yelled, reaching for the phone but failing to grab it back. “They can’t be gone, Frank! They can’t be…” but his voice trailed off as he felt his head start to spin. He once again ignored the glass of water and leaned against the wall, pulling at his hair as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening. He couldn’t breath, he couldn’t think. All he could think of was that his family was gone and he hadn’t been there to save them. “They’re not…..”

       “They are gone.” Frank said to be very clear. He needed to give him the slap so he would move one quicker. He looked at him for an instant and didn’t really know what to say or what to do. He wasn’t really good at this. However, he knew how it felt, maybe better than some. Castle kneeled in front of Clint. “You know, that day, in Central Park... I was there. I was there to see my baby girl being shot down, then my brave boy. I had their blood on me and I didn’t have any time for myself to help them I was shot at as well. And Maria, Maria didn’t die that fast, no, they ended her in front of me.” he paused, his face expressing nothing but... nothing. “You have no idea, what I would give up for one minute of hope, one minute for me so I could help them. It would’ve made a difference and they would’ve been there. You have that time, Clint. You can do something for them. Don’t fucking waste it and go get them from those bastards.” Frank didn’t hesitate and slapped Clint, a bit hard, but -- necessary. “Now get up.” 

As soon as Clint had Frank’s phone, he dialed Laura’s sister’s number, hoping maybe that Laura had taken the kids to her after the invasion. But when Linda picked up, she held the unfortunate news that Laura wasn’t with her and that she hadn’t seen her since the beginning of the invasion. He then tried Laura’s number, but there was no answer. He eyed the glass of water but shook his head, dialing Laura again, praying she would pick up. He didn’t have time to drink water. 

       He didn’t need to listen to know what it was. No. They were missing and it might have been his fault, part of. Even though he didn’t know in which way? Nobody knew but him. “Barton, stop it.” He won’t, why would he. Frank took the phone from his hand and hanged up on the voice mail again. “I said stop that. They’re gone. The table is set up, they were probably eating and were surprised. They didn’t finish their plates.” He looked at him. “Drink that. You’re not gonna find them like that. They’re not dead or we’d know. You’ve got a shot at this, don’t waste it. You’ve got resources to find them, use them. I’m gonna help you, but first, you need to breath.” 

It was very, very hard for Clint to remain calm in that moment. His mind was racing. Already he was thinking of the worst case scenarios. He couldn’t keep calm. He didn’t know how. “I-I need your phone,” he said, patting his pockets as he remembered that he hadn’t gotten his own phone back just yet. He didn’t have time, but it was a damn good thing he kept all the important phone numbers in his head.

       He looked at him like he was facing a mirror. Fuck. Frank deeply breathed and remained as calm as possible. He handed him his phone before reaching the kitchen and got a glass of water ready he gave Clint. “Drink now. This is an order.”