Chapter 31: Heads Up and Gifts

Gunshots echoed ominously through the dimly lit alleyway, casting fleeting shadows on the damp walls. A terrified man clutched a purse tightly in his trembling hand, his wide eyes darting around as he desperately searched for an unseen presence.

"Where are you?!" he shouted, his voice cracking fearfully. Suddenly, a thick shimmering web shot through the air, ensnaring and yanking him upward into the darkness. The man's gun clattered to the ground alongside the stolen purse.

"Don't you know guns are so last year?" Spider-Man said as he wrapped the thief in a bundle of webbing. "You must get with the times; otherwise, you'll be left behind. Is that what you want? To be lame like everyone else?"

"Let me go, you basta—" The thief was quickly interrupted as his mouth was webbed shut. The only sounds he could make were muffled screams of anger as he struggled against the webbing that trapped him.

"Language," Spider-Man said as he hung the man from a fire escape, right over a bin of trash that had been forgotten for two weeks. "Now then, where can I find your partner?"

Spider-Man's spider senses tingled as a ripple of gunfire rang out through the alley. With a leap, the web-slinging hero dodged the bullets that would have ripped through him and landed with the grace of a gold medal gymnast on the wall beside him. From this vantage point, he saw the upside-down thief's partner aiming an MP5 submachine gun.

Just as the man was about to pull the trigger again, a flash of crimson light enveloped his MP5. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, confused as he raised his weapon. Suddenly, it transformed into a gun made entirely of LEGO. In an instant, four crimson spheres appeared around his hands and feet. The man gasped as he was lifted into the air, his limbs stretched out.

"Show off," Spider-Man remarked, watching Atomic gently descend in front of the thief's partner with his arms crossed. Floating behind Atomic was a glowing sphere containing a briefcase.

At the sight of the case, Spider-Man arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"I-it's you!" the thief exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Listen, man, I was just defending myself from that freak! Honestly!"

Atomic rolled his eyes from behind his helmet and waved his hand. The thief yelped as he was forced to the ground in a heap, his limbs locked together by thick ropes that trapped him face down.

"Eve, notify the police about these two," Atomic instructed his AI, named after the woman whose powers his own had seemingly mirrored.

With another wave, the thief's Lego MP5 reverted to its original state, handprints and all.

"Yes, sir," Eve replied in a robotic tone, lacking any human emotion.

"How's the AI doing?" Spider-Man asked as he placed the stolen purse on a nearby crate. He then stuck a sticky note that read, "Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! Oh, and Atomic."

"She still needs some work, but your notes on how to improve her voice recognition helped eliminate the whole 'killer robot' voice she used to have," Atomic said as he and Spider-Man made their way to the rooftop. They traveled a few blocks away and stopped on the roof of a taco restaurant.

"So, what's up? Need a hand saving the day and getting the girl? Or are we just grabbing a late-night snack?" Spider-Man asked.

"No, nothing like that," Atomic replied, glancing out at the sprawling city of New York, its glowing lights piercing the darkness of the night. "I'm here… to let you know that there will be some news about me soon—news that could paint me as a criminal. Or terrorist, really."

Spider-Man immediately straightened up, sensing the seriousness in Atomic's voice. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're aware of the government's actions against those who awaken the X-Gene, right?" Atomic replied.

"Yeah… It's really messed up. I can't believe they're doing something like that."

Atomic nodded, and the air between them grew heavy. "The facility where they hold all the captured people is in Nevada... I'm going to help free them all."

"Whoa, hold on. You're saying you're going to go against the government?! Are you serious?" Spider-Man's eyes widened in disbelief. "I get that what they're doing is wrong, but if you do that, the government will come after you—it's not just going to be those lame court summons they've been issuing. They'll actively pursue you."

"Yeah… I understand that. But, Spidey, they have those people in cages, like they're animals. I can't just ignore that," Atomic said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "That's why I'm counting on you to pick up my slack in case something happens. I'm leaving the city under your protection, at least until I get back."

Spider-Man's eyes widened at Atomic's words. Those sentiments meant a lot coming from someone he admired—the very person who inspired him to become a hero and to do what's right. After taking a calming breath, Spider-Man nodded and stood up straighter, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

"I understand. But I'm not too worried. I know you'll free those people and come back. I doubt there's anyone stronger than you out there, especially with your powers," Spider-Man said.

"Remember, Spidey. There's always someone stronger than you, stronger than me," Atomic replied. "But you're right; I'll be back. Just make sure the city doesn't burn itself down while I'm gone."

Spider-Man chuckled and nodded. "You got it."

"Ah, right, before I forget," Atomic said, motioning for the large briefcase behind him to float to him. Once it reached his hands, the glowing sphere that had kept the case suspended vanished, allowing it to land safely in Atomic's grasp. The briefcase had a large Spider-Man logo on top. "This is for you."

Spider-Man tilted his head in confusion as he accepted the briefcase. "Oh, uh, thanks. What is it?"

Atomic chuckled and started to float. "Open it and find out. I have another stop to make, so I'll be heading out now. See you when I get back!"

Before Spider-Man could respond, Atomic blasted into the sky, leaving a trail of red behind.

Confused, Spider-Man opened the briefcase. His eyes widened at the sight before him. He placed the briefcase down and slowly pulled out a new version of his suit. A large white spider logo adorned its chest. As he rubbed the fabric, he discovered it was made from various tough materials.

"Whoa. Is this a mix of a carbon fiber weave and silk?" he muttered, feeling the red and blue sections of the new suit. Next, he examined the thick, armored white sections. "This is pure carbon fiber!" Lifting the suit higher, he found another suit underneath it. A spare copy of the one in his hands.

His attention shifted to the new mask, curiosity sparking within him. Once he made sure there were no cameras or people in sight, he quickly switched masks and gasped as a HUD sprang to life before his eyes. The lenses even had a zoom function.

"Holy crap, this is awesome," Spider-Man whispered. His focus was then drawn to the four pairs of web shooters. Unlike the ones he currently wore, these were smaller and more compact, made of adamantium. There were also two cases filled with his web fluid formula cartridges.

As he was about to close the briefcase, he noticed a note on the underside of the top lid.

"Consider this my thanks for helping me get a head start on my AI," the note read.

"Man… how am I supposed to find a Christmas gift that's anywhere near this awesome? Talk about pressure."

••o••o••o••

The sky was dark, and the orange light from the overhead lamps illuminated the dreary docks.

Nearby, the waves of the Hudson River crashed against the concrete shore, one after another. Lined along the river were several old shipping containers.

Several unmarked vans pulled in and parked beside the containers. A group of men exited the vehicles and quickly walked toward the back of the vans, their eyes scanning the skies.

"What if he shows up?" one of the men asked nervously.

"Shut up! Just hurry up! We can't screw this job up, or it'll be our heads!" the tallest and strongest of them hissed as he yanked open one of the van's back doors. Inside each van sat a terrified, kidnapped young woman.

"Please…" one of the women whispered.

The men ignored her plea and dragged them out of the van by their hair. The women screamed in fear and pain.

"Help! Help me! Help! Help me!" they cried out, but they were silenced as the men struck them in the stomach.

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk!" one of the men hissed, scanning the skies and distant rooftops.

"Hey! Hey! Man, shut the hell up!" Turk Berrett growled as he approached the group. "I'm getting $3,000 a head for you all, so you better be quiet! I don't need that caped bastard showing up here. If you cooperate, I'll let you have a bucket. If you don't…" Turk pulled out an electric stun baton and activated it, arcs of electricity sparking to life and terrifying the women.

One of the women, despite herself, began to scream and was immediately electrocuted.

In horror, the others screamed as well. The men quickly subdued them; typically, they wouldn't have injured their captives, as bruised and bloodied merchandise doesn't sell well.

But with Atomic waging war on the city's human trafficking, damaged goods were good enough.

The men gathered the women and threw them into a shipping container. Instinctively, the women huddled together, watching fearfully as Turk stood outside their container with a ruthless grin. "Scream all you want. Go on, let me hear you scream. Scream louder. Give us a reason," Turk chuckled. "Nobody cares down here. Not even that flying Boy Scout."

Kneeling atop a nearby container, Matt Murdock, dressed in black with a blindfold covering half his head, listened intently.

Silently, he moved from container to container until he positioned himself directly above Turk. One of the girls looked up and gasped at the sight of Matt, causing Turk to spin around just in time to see a flying fist coming at him.

With swift and precise strikes, Matt took down Turk and moved on to his next target. Years of martial arts training and mastery of his senses allowed him to move with quick, fluid speed and skill. One punch after another, kick after kick, he quickly incapacitated each of the Russians who had kidnapped the women.

Turk groaned as he slowly pulled a gun from his waistband. The soft click of the safety disengaging caught Matt's attention. He rolled forward, narrowly avoiding Turk's first gunshot. With another roll, he vanished between the shipping containers and disappeared into the shadows.

"That's not him," Turk muttered as he quickly rose. "Which means I can still win."

The sound of rushing footsteps echoed above him. Turk spun around and fired blindly in all directions, hoping to hit the intruder dressed in black.

Silence filled the docks as Turk scanned the tops of the containers, leaving him unaware of Matt stealthily approaching from behind.

With a precise throw, the metal stick in Matt's hand ricocheted off the shipping containers and struck Turk in the head. Turk collapsed, his head aching and bleeding.

Matt picked up the metal stick and threw it at another man who had been watching everything unfold while eating a burger. The man's head snapped back, and he fell into the cold river behind him.

"Head towards 48th. Stay in the light. Flag down the first officer you see," Matt commanded. The girls only looked at him, frightened. "Now!" he yelled, slamming the back of his fist onto a nearby container.

All the girls screamed and helped one another up. Without thanking their savior, they ran off in a panic.

Matt exhaled and paused. He turned his head and heard a faint click. Reacting swiftly, he kicked the gun out of Turk's hand and leaned over him, his fist raised. With anger in his heart, Matt unleashed a flurry of punches to Turk's face.

"That's enough," Atomic said as he landed, grabbing Matt's wrist. While he didn't force Matt to stop, he snapped him out of his rage.

"…Atomic," Matt said, stepping back.

Atomic stepped forward, his presence commanding attention as he extended his hands.

Pulsating, glowing tendrils slithered through the dimly lit docks, weaving in and out of the shadows as they gathered the incapacitated men and Turk. One by one, they were pulled along, their bodies limp and helpless, until they were arranged neatly against the weathered shipping containers. 

Thick, metal cuffs clamped around their wrists, encasing them in a cold embrace behind their backs. With a metallic clang, a heavy chain was affixed to their cuffs, anchoring them firmly to the ground, rendering any attempt at escape futile.

"Eve, call in the boys in blue," Atomic instructed.

"Yes, sir," Eve replied in a robotic tone.

Atomic glanced away from the men and turned back to find that Matt was no longer there. He sighed and took to the skies. "He sure loves to disappear," Atomic muttered to himself.

Floating over the docks, Atomic landed on a rooftop a block away. There stood Matt, known to some as the Man in the Mask. But to Atomic, he was the man without fear: Daredevil.

"Why are you here?" Matt asked, his voice low and serious.

Atomic had met Matt during one of the blind man's nightly escapades two months earlier. Matt had been startled at first to hear the sound of a heartbeat flying through the air, but quickly connected the dots. He realized that New York's rising hero, Atomic, had come to confront him—or so he believed—while he was in the midst of apprehending a group of would-be rapists. Matt had been beating them down mercilessly.

To his surprise, Atomic didn't intervene. Instead, his intent was to engage in conversation. Though initially hesitant, Matt gradually lowered his guard, and as they spoke, revelations unfolded.

He discovered that Atomic was far more than the sensational headlines and exaggerated tales suggested; he was a kindred spirit driven by a compulsion to enact good in the world, albeit through methods that differed significantly from Matt's own

Despite their growing understanding, Matt found it difficult to fathom how a boy who couldn't yet legally claim adulthood—barely seventeen, judging by the cadence of Atomic's heartbeat—could possess such strength and conviction.

A nagging urge coursed through Matt to implore Atomic to reconsider his path, to encourage him to leave the burdens of justice to those more seasoned. But voicing such concerns would mean revealing his own insights about Atomic's age, and, inadvertently, a glimpse into his own identity. 

From there on, the two began collaborating to combat the kidnapping and human trafficking rings in the city. Whether operating as the Man in the Mask or as the blind lawyer Matt Murdock working from Nelson and Murdock, he ensured that the criminals remained behind bars.

Matt always found it suspicious that Atomic never questioned how a new and rising law firm consistently appeared to ensure that the law held these offenders accountable. A thought that Atomic somehow knew who he truly was ran through Matt's mind.

"I'm here to talk. It's important," Atomic said, beginning to share everything he had told Spider-Man. Matt listened intently, never interrupting.

"What you're doing… It's risky. Dangerous. While you've managed to avoid the law until now, if you go through with this plan, you'll be a criminal," Matt warned. "Everything you've done will be thrown away."

"I'm not so sure about that. Many who see me as a hero might call me a criminal or a traitor, but I believe there will be more who see my actions as the right thing to do. Those people they've taken… they need my help. They deserve to be free, not kept in cages," Atomic replied. "I'm willing to fight for their freedom. If that makes me an enemy of the government, then so be it... Besides, we're vigilantes; breaking the law is kind of our thing."

Matt remained silent and nodded, his respect for Atomic growing after hearing his response.

Atomic then told Matt about his friend, Spider-Man, mentioning that he could reach out to him for help if needed. Matt wasn't entirely sure about the spider-themed hero, but he would keep Atomic's advice in mind.

"Regardless of the consequences, it seems you've made up your mind. If I were in your position, I'd likely do the same," Matt said. "Good luck, Atomic."

"Thank you, Daredevil."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Matt asked.

"It's fitting. Plus, calling you the Man in the Mask is just too much of a mouthful," Atomic replied with a chuckle. He raised his hands, and a flash of crimson appeared, leaving behind a briefcase with two overlaid Ds on the top. "Before I leave, I have something for you."

Matt frowned at the sudden appearance of an object. One moment, there was nothing in Atomic's hands, and the next, something tangible materialized. It was a disconcerting experience for him.

"I don't do gifts," Matt said.

"That's okay. It's not a gift," Atomic replied, pushing the briefcase into Matt's hands. "It's insurance." Atomic stepped back and began to float. "I'll catch you around, Daredevil."

Before Matt could protest that name, Atomic launched into the night sky. The blind lawyer frowned as he traced the layered Ds on the briefcase.

With a click, he opened it, revealing a red and black mask with horns staring back at him.

••o••o••o••

As he soared gracefully over the sprawling city of New York, Atomic reveled in the vibrant tapestry of life unfolding beneath him. From his vantage point in the sky, the bustling streets teemed with energy, a mosaic of yellow taxis weaving through throngs of pedestrians, and iconic skyscrapers piercing the horizon like sentinels.

Even after countless flights, the sensation of gliding through the open sky remained one of the most exhilarating experiences he had ever known. 

Taking a deep, steadying breath, his suit shimmered with a bright flash of light, recalibrating and morphing into a more robust and imposing version of itself. He shot vertically into the atmosphere, his silhouette cutting through the clouds. 

As he ascended, the Earth below shrank away, and the dark expanse of the sky wrapped around him like a comforting embrace.

Soon, he reached the delicate boundary of Earth's exosphere, where the atmosphere thinned and the stars began to twinkle with a simply breathtaking intensity. In that vast silence, with the world fading beneath him, Atomic felt at peace.

Suspended in the vastness of space, Atomic gazed down at the Earth, a vibrant blue marble swirling slowly beneath him. The planet was draped in a tapestry of white clouds, and patches of green and brown revealed the continents as they rotated gracefully on their axis.

The glow of the sun cast a warm, golden light over the landscape, illuminating the oceans that shimmered like liquid sapphire. Time seemed to stretch as he remained there, captivated, much like one might linger to watch the sky change hues during a breathtaking sunset.

"There's no going back now," Atomic said, his expression hardening as he flew toward the surface.

But before he flew to Nevada, he had a few more stops to make.