Heroes Assemble!

The Devil's Days Are Numbered

S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra's Project Sinister – this will be big enough of a threat that ALL Avengers and associates will be needed. Hope that sneak peek answers some questions and even wets your appetite. Hope you enjoy this week's instalment.

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Heroes Assemble!

Chapter 22 – The Devil's Days Are Numbered

The instant that Wilson Fisk stepped into his office, he stopped, staring at the man lounging in the chair behind his desk. The fact that the man was in this very office, in the heart of Fisk's empire didn't seem to faze him. Indeed, the man even had his boots up on the desk, his ankles crossed and seemed to be filing his fingernails of all things.

The twin guards at his back, noticing his movements, burst through the doors and took up positions to either side of him, their guns drawn and trained on the man. Only Wilson's raised hand stopped them from pulling the trigger. There'd be time for that later. Firstly, there were questions to be asked, namely who the man was and how he got past security.

"You seem mighty relaxed for a man walking on the edge of death," Wilson commented.

The man's eyes briefly flicked up, took notice of the guns still trained on him and promptly went back to ignoring them.

"Before I have you killed, perhaps you'd be polite enough to tell me how you got in here and exactly who you are," Wilson said and there was steel in his voice that even this man couldn't ignore.

"I'm here because you invited me," the man said. "As to who I am? Well ..."

Instead of answering the question, the man simply removed his boots from Wilson's desk, sat up straighter, before leaning forward and slowly took off his black beanie. A very distinctive scar rested upon his forehead that had been covered by his headwear; a scar in the shape of a target.

"Bullseye," Wilson smiled.

"Now are you going to tell these two chuckleheads to point their guns somewhere else or would you prefer me to simply kill them?" Bullseye asked.

Wilson was tempted to allow the man free licence, after all, it would be only prudent to see what he was going to be paying for. But, after a moment's thought, he simply gestured for his bodyguards to lower their weapons – it was often so hard to find good, competent men after all.

Wilson strolled forward, detouring away from his desk to the side cabinet where he took out a glass and poured himself a shot of whiskey.

"I'd offer you one, but I suspect that if you really wanted a drink, then you'd already have it," Wilson commented.

Bullseye merely waved his nailfile in Wilson's direction, acknowledging the point.

"What should I call you?" Wilson asked. "I don't even know your real name."

"And I'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. Bullseye's fine," he was told.

"Very well, Bullseye," Wilson smiled.

He could appreciate the need to keep one's identity a secret, after all, he'd taken great pains (or, at least, other people had had a world of pain) to eliminate any that tried to link Wilson Fisk the business tycoon with Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of New York crime.

"I assume that you know why you're here?" Wilson asked.

"You've got a vigilante problem. Some 'devil' that has the neighbourhood running scared," Bullseye punctuated his statement with air-quotes around the word 'devil'.

"Indeed. Daredevil has been making a right nuisance of himself and it's been bad for business," Wilson confirmed. "I assume that you can deal with this problem of ours?"