Still Defiant! SI-OC [Marvel/DC]

10: The Devil Within

February 18, 2007

Progress and advancement, Daniel had felt them before in his former life, when he managed to land a solid punch on his older brother after almost a month of being his punching bag while he was just learning to fight, or that time he managed to ask out the girl he liked on a date when he was 15, when he made his father proud by getting into the university he wanted, when he graduated with excellent grades and his mother hugged him tightly.

When he found a good job not long after and made significant progress in his financial stability, every time he managed to start dating a girl even though those relationships didn't last long, when he got his first car or the first time he had sex and the countless times that followed.

If someone looked at his life summarized in that way, they might think it was somewhat successful, but only Daniel truly understood all the failures that came before any success. He could count the things he achieved; he could list them out, a very short one... but he couldn't do the same with all the times he failed, when he made mistakes, when things went terribly wrong.

When he messed things up.

On the road to success, there were always bumps, so Daniel would say that his confusion was understandable.

"Has my luck increased these days?" Daniel wondered, looking at his new and improved 3D printer, which was now spewing out meters of fabric rapidly woven. He couldn't help but be attentive, wondering when it would explode, when it would suddenly shut down, or if it would encounter some unforeseen software error.

His expectations were disappointed. There was no explosion, no errors. In fact, the machine was performing much better than he had anticipated, whether it was speed, efficiency, or precision.

Everything was going smoothly.

It was a resounding success. After several days of intense study, of researching every component and creating those that didn't exist, his machine was ready.

And now it could not only produce fabric.

The newly named Compound V could now showcase more of its capabilities thanks to the new technology.

With agile movements, Daniel typed several commands into the central computer that controlled the mechanism.

A 3D design and modeling program, specifically created by him, quickly executed, loading a design Daniel had been working on for the past few days.

It wasn't anything too sophisticated, at least from an external perspective.

In no time, the machine began to work, the Compound V acting as a polymer began to take shape rapidly. A dark blue square with a texture resembling that of a sponge formed. It was the size of a school notebook and seemed ordinary at first glance.

Daniel waited until the machine finished giving the final touch before approaching and taking the object in his hands.

It was soft to the touch but also firm. He pressed it slightly, his fingers sinking into the material, and when he removed them, he could see how the spongy structure quickly returned to its original form.

"It seems like a success, but..." Daniel pondered for a moment before placing the spongy square on an empty shelf in the least occupied part of his workshop.

He made sure to position it firmly against the wall before stepping back a few paces.

"If this goes wrong, I'll have to build a new wall" he thought. In fact, he'd probably have to rebuild more than just a wall.

He got into position, raised his guard, and mentally calculated the percentage of force he should use. He didn't want to be excessive, but holding back too much wouldn't help him determine if his new "invention" was useful or not.

Training with Carol had been enlightening, even for him. He found that the phrase "learning by teaching" was truly accurate. Now he had better control of his strength and some understanding of his current limits.

"Let's go with enough force to break the wall, but not enough to demolish my house" he decided. With determination, he took a step forward, his figure blurring, and his fist accelerating almost at the speed of sound.

Then he struck...

And absolutely nothing happened. There was no slight tremor, the air didn't ripple, and the wall didn't even release a speck of dust.

Daniel looked at his fist embedded in the sponge, and a small smile began to form on his face. But it was still too early to declare victory. He stepped back and watched as the mark of his blow quickly disappeared from the sponge. In no time, it returned to its original shape without showing any sign of having been struck with enough force to break concrete.

"Alright, let's put a bit more effort into it this time" forgetting completely that there was a wall behind him and excited by his potential success, Daniel clenched his fist tighter and struck.

The air exploded, his blow easily broke the sound barrier, and in less than a blink, his knuckles connected with the spongy surface, sinking slightly into it.

Under normal circumstances, there would have been a loud crash and the sound of a wall collapsing. But in this case, none of that happened.

As if all the kinetic energy had vanished, the impact that should have brought down the wall and more abruptly halted. Although some things shook and dust scattered, that was mainly due to the initial shockwave of the blow.

After that, it was as if nothing had happened. Daniel retracted his fist, watching as the sponge began to return to its original shape, the mark of the blow disappearing as if it never existed.

"Okay..." the smile on his face couldn't be hidden any longer. He had succeeded.

Several weeks ago, when Daniel realized that Compound V acted as a polymer and therefore could be used for more than just manufacturing extra-resistant fabric, many ideas came to his mind. There were numerous potential uses, much to do.

But of all those ideas, one stuck in his mind more than the others, and this was thanks to his initial plan: to use the fabric created with Compound V to assist the world's rescue and security services.

He knew without a doubt that the future would look bleak for ordinary people, whether they were those who dedicated their lives to saving and rescuing others or those who were responsible for public safety, even ordinary civilians.

All of them would be at risk. Daniel never thought or planned to be able to save them all; that was impossible. No matter how strong he was now, he was not a god, he was not omnipresent or omnipotent. Even now, just standing in his workshop, hundreds or thousands of people were losing their lives.

He couldn't fly to all of them and save them. Maybe it wasn't the thought that the "first hero" of the world should have, but it was reality. Harsh and cruel reality.

"But I'm not alone, eh..." Thinking of the memories he still had of his new home, a smile formed on his face.

His first quest around the world might not have yielded great results. Carol didn't count; she literally had been living by his side. But recently, he had obtained an interesting lead.

For that reason, he had started to think about what he could do to help those who would fight alongside him.

And thus, the first prototype of body protection against high-force impacts was created.

Composed of closed-cell structures, the sponge created with Compound V had exceeded his expectations. Of course, he had to make several adjustments to the design. While humanity had made great advances in materials capable of absorbing kinetic energy, the reality was that, at best, they were simply a more elegant way to make the impact hurt less and be less lethal.

That wasn't what Daniel was aiming for. So he had to research a lot, use his new brain capacity to go one step further, and devise a new way to structure the sponge so that its effectiveness increased. Of course, Compound V was the biggest contributor to his success.

Once hardened, the substance was stronger than any other material Daniel knew of, while also being flexible and lightweight.

It was malleable in its liquid state, and thanks to his improved printing machine, he could now shape it into almost any form he could imagine.

Once combined, something incredible was achieved.

Daniel approached the shelf where he had placed the sponge and removed it to inspect the wall.

There was no damage; the wall was just as it had been before he began his tests.

"It can return to its original shape after being deformed, and it's capable of absorbing and neutralizing impacts to some extent. It's lightweight and flexible, and if the structural design is correct, it should also be resistant to cuts. I haven't tested how it behaves against extreme heat or subzero cold yet. Testing its resistance to acids and other chemicals should also be on the list"

There was much to test, but at this moment, Daniel already considered this experiment a success. Perhaps for him and Carol, this might not be very useful; after all, Compound V was currently less tough and resistant than they were.

But he hadn't created it for them.

He left the sponge on his worktable and turned his gaze to his monitors. Most of them displayed different news from around the world, while a few showed scientific studies he had managed to uncover from the depths of the internet, something that wouldn't be found publicly.

Daniel gave them a quick glance, but his eyes focused on one in particular. He had been scouring the internet a lot lately, searching for clues, rumors, and stories.

He had found many nonsensical things, many of which had wasted his time.

But recently, one particular rumor had caught his attention, not only because he had found it on the internet but also because he had heard of it on the streets.

It was time to verify whether this was another false lead or not.

"Hell's Kitchen, huh? Let's see what you have for me"

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February 25

"Ugh!" Blood sprayed along with a yellowed tooth that sailed through the air. There was a dull thud, and a body fell unconscious to the ground. Next to him, a dozen more bodies lay battered and wounded, almost piled on top of each other. Ironically, the last one to fall was the one who fared the best out of all of them; he was the only one without a broken limb.

From the darkness, a slight exhale was heard, followed by firm footsteps. A man dressed entirely in black emerged from the shadows and walked among the fallen criminals. Stains of dirt were visible on his clothes, there were cuts and tears in some parts, and if one looked closely, they could notice his skin covered in bruises through the holes in his attire.

His face was covered from the top down to his nose, eyes completely hidden, leaving anyone who saw him wondering how he saw through that fabric.

Matt Murdock swallowed, the taste of his own blood barely bothering him. It had been an intense night for the masked vigilante.

Matt felt the anger in his veins subside slightly, the pain beginning to set into his body after the strenuous physical activity. Dealing with so many criminals hadn't gotten any easier.

To be honest, when a guy started flying around the world in a cape, kicking criminals' butts, Matt expected things to change, for the streets to change.

For hell to quiet down.

He was wrong. Unlike what he expected, the criminals didn't run and hide like rats in a sewer.

Instead, they adapted. Defiant was a big threat to them, and if the hero had been present all the time in the city, Matt had no doubt that New York would have seen a significant change in a short time.

The problem was that Defiant wasn't always in the city.

The flying hero seemed to travel constantly everywhere, helping in various different places. Seeing his image on the news in different parts of the world was easy these days.

For the criminals, that meant an opportunity. They couldn't confront him, but they could avoid him. They didn't know when or where he would appear exactly, but they knew that as long as they kept their heads down and paid attention to the news, they could figure out when he wasn't around.

And that was when they could act.

To reignite the fire.

Well, if Matt had anything to say about it, that wouldn't happen. And Matt had a lot to say.

This time, he had managed to interrupt two groups that had begun a drug deal at the docks. It was a big deal, hundreds of kilos of drugs ready to be shipped to the streets.

For that reason, the security and the number of armed men had been much higher than usual.

Preventing those substances from reaching the streets had been his priority, breaking their bones a pleasure.

But facing two extremely experienced and armed groups hadn't been easy. There were several dangerous moments, bullets grazing his skin, blows he couldn't dodge or block in time, close combat with weapons.

In the end, with everything said and done, he had won. But his body burned with pain like hellfire. Before, his inner fury had been like an anesthesia that helped him control and endure the pain, but now that the anger had slightly subsided, the pain began to make itself present.

He sighed, already getting an idea of how painful the days to come would be. His ribs were bruised, and surely the bruises would be evident on his face in the morning. He had to go home and treat his wounds, but first, there was a drug shipment he needed to get rid of.

One might think that the most appropriate option was for Matt to let the police handle it, but in Hell's Kitchen, that was like handing the merchandise back to the criminals on a silver platter. So he had to make sure the drugs were rendered useless before leaving.

His senses, sharp as a dagger, guided him easily through the place as if he had known it forever.

Like sonar, every sound, every vibration, even every scent, however insignificant, showed him the way, and soon he was facing the merchandise. There was a lot of it, disposing of it wouldn't be easy.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, his body halted. Every hair on his body stood on end, his senses beyond human alerted him to someone else's arrival.

He could feel the air rippling, but above all, he could hear it, a heartbeat unlike any other, strong, resonant, full of power.

It was a heartbeat he had constantly heard, no matter where in New York he was, as long as he was in the city, Matt could hear him. At first, it had been disconcerting, but he had gotten used to it, so much so that he hadn't noticed how close the Latino had been to him.

How had he gotten so close?

Slowly, a figure descended from the sky not far from Matt. His feet touched the ground softly, allowing a breeze of rippling air to sweep through the area.

His breathing was soft but deep, his presence radiated a pressure Matt hadn't felt in a long time. Describing it would be difficult, but if he had to, he could only say that what was in front of him was something more than human.

Not very different, but at the same time completely different.

His fists clenched instinctively. The figure looked around with undisguised curiosity, observing the surroundings carefully: the thugs on the ground, the weapons, and bullet marks covering the docks, and then his gaze centered on Matt.

"I must admit, I'm impressed" there was honesty in his voice. For Matt, it was easy to see this, even if the man in front of him was something more than human, his body language, his heartbeat, and his steady breathing were all familiarly human.

"A single man against two gangs armed to the teeth and you mopped the floor with all of them with your bare hands" if Daniel was more than impressed.

Despite the relaxed attitude and the clear lack of a threatening demeanor, Matt didn't relax. In fact, his body had adopted a stance of instinctive confrontation.

All his years of training, his instincts sharper than human, and his logical reasoning warned him of one simple fact.

In front of him was something dangerous, something extremely dangerous. Still, he didn't run, he didn't escape. Instead, he stood firm and even took a step forward.

"Who are you?" although the question was asked, Matt already knew who stood before him.

"You probably already know, but it never hurts to introduce oneself. People call me Defiant"

The hero had approached and extended his hand in a clear gesture of goodwill.

Matt looked at the outstretched hand and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he extended his own, and both palms met in a firm handshake. For Matt, it was like holding a steel bar.

So, this was the "first" hero of the world, huh? Despite what his instincts screamed when meeting him in person, Matt wasn't really worried, or he would have tried to escape already.

When you can hear almost everything that happens in the city, you gain a clearer perspective on certain things.

Before Defiant became public knowledge, Matt had already known about him. It was hard not to, after all, when hell surrounds you and something starts trying to put out the flames, it's hard not to notice.

That's why, even though he didn't know him personally, Matt had an idea about the man in front of him.

Stepping away from Matt, Defiant entered the warehouse and looked at the mountain of drugs.

There were at least a few hundred kilograms neatly arranged, ready to hit the streets.

"Do you mind if I lend a hand?"

Matt simply stepped aside, interested to "see" what the hero would do.

With his silent permission, Daniel approached, and with a carefully practiced exhale, he let the icy air leave his lungs. Matt could feel the temperature dropping sharply, and if anyone else were there, they would see how the hundreds of kilos of drugs froze instantly into a solid block of ice.

"It makes it easier to get rid of this, at least this way, I can throw it into space" And as if to prove it, Defiant lifted the now frozen block of drugs and exited the warehouse.

Matt heard the hero soar into the sky quickly and return just as fast but now without the drug shipment.

"Did you really throw it into space?" It was certainly an innovative way to get rid of drugs.

"If I measured correctly, it should reach Saturn in a few days" If any astronomer or space enthusiast heard that he had taken Saturn as his personal garbage can, they would probably have a fit.

"Why are you here?" and although it was interesting and certainly astonishing to witness something like this, Matt wasn't in the best condition. He needed to hurry this conversation and leave; he could hear the sirens approaching.

"Right, sorry, I'm not good at first chats. Maybe we should go somewhere else; the police will be here soon"

Matt debated with himself whether he should follow, but he was genuinely curious. What did this hero want from him? Although he thought deeply about it, the truth was that there was only one way to find out.

"Lead the way"

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At the top of a departmental building.

"My help?" Matt didn't know what to expect from this conversation, but certainly didn't think the first thing said would be a request for help.

He was confused.

"I thought you were invincible" or at least that's how he had started to be portrayed in all the media, faster than bullets, harder than steel, and as strong as a locomotive.

In every sense, it was as if "god" had come down to the world, at least that's what the most fanatical and obsessed thought.

Matt wasn't one of them, yet it was ironic, remembering a nickname that had recently been circulating about him; he almost let out a laugh.

God asking the devil for help, what a joke.

There was a laugh, but it wasn't from Matt, instead Defiant laughed with clear irony.

"Invincible? What a joke, no, I don't believe I'm anywhere near being that, maybe stronger than most people, of course. But daring to call myself invincible is still far off, I can still bleed after all"

Matt agreed, not only because he could hear his heart beating and the blood circulating through his veins, but also because he himself didn't believe there was anything invincible in the world.

"Why do you need my help?"

"I think tonight is a great example of why I need your help" Matt's question was quickly answered, leaving him somewhat perplexed.

"I actually arrived when you had already finished beating up all those guys; I had been dealing with a traffic accident on the other side of the city before finding you. In fact, I probably wouldn't have noticed the deal between the gangs if I hadn't been specifically looking for you"

"You've been looking for me?" The question made Defiant shrug a bit.

"Before talking to you, I wanted to make sure who I was dealing with" Daniel didn't say it, but Matt could guess; he had probably been following him for a while.

He didn't know if he should be bothered since technically and unintentionally he had done the same.

"What I'm trying to say is that I can't do this alone. People may think I'm "invincible," but I think we both know that the crime rate hasn't exactly been decreasing," and that was true.

Even with Defiant's appearance, the crime rate didn't suffer a significant downturn.

Because he wasn't always in the city.

Of course, when he was present and the criminals knew he was in the city, they all ran to hide like the vermin they were, but once he was gone? Once his figure wasn't visible soaring between the buildings? That's when they returned.

"Without you here, hundreds of kilograms of those drugs would have hit the streets, and the lives of thousands of innocents would have been affected. And not only that, everything you've done before, even before I appeared, you've helped so many people, it's amazing"

Matt could now get an idea of where this was going, but he had to make something clear.

"I'm not a hero, nor do I try to be one. What I do, I don't do for the same reasons as you" and that was true; Matt didn't go out every night to beat up criminals because he was a charitable soul; he did it to calm the burning anger within him, that rage that threatened to consume him.

"Well, you certainly don't lie very well" Defiant smiled, and Matt furrowed his eyebrows.

"I know you're not exactly a hero, and I don't expect to see you rescuing cats from trees or helping old ladies cross the street, but I know we're not so different, I can see it in what you fight for" it was a serious voice, and Matt couldn't doubt his words, although he didn't know how Defiant could be so sure of it.

"This world and the injustice in it, I know you can feel it eating away at every inch of your skin; your fury is evident" Matt clenched his fists; his wounds began to burn again.

"The world is changing, it will become darker and more dangerous as time goes on. Crime will only continue to rise, and no matter what people say about me, the reality is that I'm just a man, faster, stronger, and tougher, but just a man, and I can't face this alone. I can't help people everywhere, and I can't be on the streets all the time even if I wanted to" there was a pause, Matt could feel it and hear it, the unwillingness to admit such facts, that the world's first hero couldn't save them all.

"That's why I need your cooperation. I know you won't stop, and I don't want you to. What you're doing is significant, and I think I can help you go beyond"

"Go beyond?" Matt couldn't help but be a little interested; Defiant was right, he wouldn't stop, even if crime increased a hundredfold, he would still go out.

There was only a silent nod, and Matt knew he wouldn't get anything more unless he gave his response.

He thought deeply, what was this? How should he respond? Should he even respond? He thought of the events of the past few months; the world was changing, criminals were becoming more dangerous. He felt the wounds on his body, the pain running through his being.

Go beyond, huh... he wasn't a hero, but he could do his part.

"Alright, I may not be bulletproof, but I'll do my best"

With that, a huge smile formed on Defiant's face; Matt could feel his excitement and joy; it almost seemed to emanate from him.

"I might have something to help you with that..."

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A quick trip home and back was simple for Daniel, and he quickly found the mysterious masked figure at the agreed-upon meeting point.

The vigilante, as he had been calling him all this time in his head, was finishing up putting the last bandages on his wounds. Getting a first aid kit was easy, and the vigilante also seemed to know very well what he was doing, so Daniel let him tend to his wounds while he wasn't.

"Now I can know why you wanted my measurements?" The perplexity in his voice was obvious, and Daniel could only smile somewhat uncomfortably; that conversation hadn't been exactly easy.

Matt turned, still with that mask covering the upper half of his head. Daniel had long realized that the man was blind, which only added more points to his amazement.

Daniel stepped forward and placed a large dark briefcase in front of Matt.

"You see, when I first started using my abilities, I quickly realized a serious problem: regular clothing is useless. It tears easily, it's fragile compared to most things, for the most part, it's a hindrance. I spent a long time thinking about it and trying different things, and I came up with this" he said, pointing to the briefcase.

Of course, Daniel couldn't exactly tell him where he had obtained the knowledge for Compound V.

So, for the man in front of him and the rest of the world, he had invented this. He didn't exactly feel proud of appropriating someone else's invention, but since things had come to this point, he could only follow through.

Matt approached and touched the briefcase. It was made of a strange material, one he hadn't felt before. He could faintly smell certain familiar chemicals, but how they were related to the material the briefcase was made of was beyond him.

His hands easily found the locks and he lifted them easily, revealing its interior.

The smell of newly manufactured fabric along with recently used textile paint assaulted his nostrils. It wasn't an unpleasant smell but it was noticeable.

He also noticed the smell of various chemicals used for decontamination and disinfection, which made him more curious about the manufacturing process of what was in front of him.

His hands took hold of the contents, and he realized it was a suit, a full-body one made of a strange fabric with a thin layer of a material with a texture similar to that of a sponge.

The spongy material was covered by the fabric, and he could notice more of it in vital areas. He raised an eyebrow. What was this?

As if reading his unasked question, Daniel began to explain.

"Created from a new polymer I call Compound V, I've created a new type of fabric capable of withstanding almost anything. It's nearly indestructible to any conventional weapon, fire or cold has no effect on it, and it can withstand large amounts of impact without flinching. At the same time, it's capable of returning to its original form if it's damaged for some reason, almost like a self-repair mechanism. It won't rebuild itself from a single strand, of course, but common damages shouldn't be a problem, if for some improbable reason it gets damaged"

Daniel calmly presented the fabric, and Matt couldn't help but raise an eyebrow; if what he said was true, he was probably holding one of the most significant discoveries of the last century.

"You don't look like a scientist," the vigilante admitted.

"Looks can be deceiving" Daniel laughed, and Matt could feel his excitement increasing for some reason.

"Now here comes the best part. While the fabric created with Compound V is useful, it doesn't actually help ordinary people. Kinetic energy and impacts can still pass through it, albeit reduced to some extent, so I had an even better idea"

he approached and pulled out a square piece of what Matt could tell was the sponge that was covered by the fabric in the suit.

"Created with Compound V and with a modified closed-cell structure, this sponge is capable of cushioning and even partially negating kinetic force. I've tested it even against point-blank explosions, and you'll see the force reduced to almost zero. Of course, it's not infallible. I don't suggest trying to face the explosion of an intercontinental ballistic missile head-on or anything similar. I haven't tested it with anything like that, so unless you want to be the test subject, try to avoid such a scenario"

Matt couldn't tell if he was joking with that last part or not. Why would he ever have to face an intercontinental ballistic missile? It sounded absurd.

Matt felt the fabric in his hands and the sponge covered behind it. It was incredible and even somewhat unreal. It sounded too fantastic to be true.

"I want to try it" so naturally, he needed to see its capabilities.

"Try it? Sure, we can do that. I'll need to get some things, but-"

"Let's fight" Matt's words cut off Daniel's, making him look puzzled.

"If what you say is true, this should let me go 'beyond' right? I want to test it" he wanted to see how much of a difference there was between a human and the 'invincible' Defiant.

"Of course, the suit will make you tougher and more resistant, but..."

Matt sighed.

"Do you think I won't be able to keep up?"

Daniel didn't want to say it out loud, but his reaction speed was far beyond that of ordinary humans. Of course, Daniel still underestimated Matt because he was unaware of the true extent of his capabilities.

"Fight me, this time it wasn't a question.

"Alright"

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In an open field, at night and without prying eyes, two people stood two meters apart from each other.

Matt put on the suit; it fit him almost like a second skin, with a mask covering his entire face.

The entire suit was black without any other color, not that Matt cared.

He stretched and tested the suit's elasticity; his wounds were still there, but he could move more freely than before when he only wore simple clothes.

It was comfortable and lightweight.

"Alright, I'll set some rules for this" Daniel looked at him and spoke calmly.

"I won't fly, since you want a direct combat, let's keep it entirely on the ground"

Matt nodded; if he flew, no matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to reach him.

"I don't want us to go overboard, so the first one to knock down their opponent wins. Remember, you're still injured"

"I know" Matt knew he wasn't in his best condition, but he still wanted to do this. Maybe he was pushing himself too hard here, but you don't get the opportunity to fight directly with someone like Defiant every day.

"Alright... let's begin"

Daniel didn't want to discourage his new companion, friend? Ally? So, he didn't rush at full speed forward.

If he was honest with himself, he was also interested in the man's fighting style in front of him. His abilities were something he hadn't seen before, and certainly no human in his previous life would be able to fight a dozen armed criminals with bare hands and win.

It was fascinating.

He took a deep breath and took a step forward; the ground cracked slightly, and his blurry figure blurred from his previous position, appearing almost instantly in front of Matt.

He wasn't afraid to hit him; he knew the suit would perfectly protect Matt. He just had to not overdo it.

Before Daniel's fist approached, Matt had already dodged his head to the side, his body tensed, and his own fist shot at Daniel at great speed.

For Daniel, it was easy to see the blow coming, so he dodged it, but before he could counter, he felt his leg being swept; he wasn't using his flying power, so he couldn't leverage to stay firm, his own body weighed no more than 80 kilograms.

For Matt, who now had the suit, when he used all his strength in his leg, it was as if there was no resistance.

Daniel almost stumbled but quickly straightened himself.

He thought about what had just happened and realized it: Matt had used two movements at the same time.

He knew his punch wouldn't connect, so it was just a feint. He didn't have to hit him; he just had to throw him.

He lunged forward again, this time with more force and speed; he wouldn't repeat the same mistake.

Matt felt the air displaced, he heard every heartbeat, the blood circulating through his veins, his muscles stronger than steel contracting.

It was like being in slow motion. Daniel was much stronger and faster than him. If he were a normal person, he wouldn't even have known that he had been hit before realizing he was already on the ground.

For Matt, it was different. It was difficult, but he could predict his trajectory, where he would strike, what move he would make, how much force he was using.

Realizing that this wasn't even a quarter of the power in Defiant's body was unsettling.

But he had a fight to win, and he couldn't distract himself thinking about such things.

His body twisted; milliseconds before Daniel's attack reached him, Matt was already launching his counterattack. He didn't form a fist because that was useless; instead, his palm met Daniel's side, causing his body to veer off.

That palm strike had used all of Matt's strength and had only slightly moved Daniel to the side.

But it also made him realize something. There was no recoil. Normally, when a person hits or pushes something, there's some wear and tear on the body itself. The body has to resist to some extent the same amount of force it's exerting.

That's why injuries in fighting or sports were so common; kinetic energy didn't discriminate, the force of impact was always exerted in both directions.

But now, he hadn't felt any of that. With an idea in mind, he prepared to continue the fight.

Daniel was starting to realize that this wouldn't be so easy. It was as if Matt could act and devise a counterattack before his own attack arrived.

'He's blind, so it must be his senses; they've been amplified to an unknown range. He can read me like an open book' This was interesting, although he himself had heightened senses, his use of them paled in comparison to Matt.

Both of them looked at each other, although they couldn't see eye to eye, a tacit understanding passed through their body language.

Matt stepped forward, his leg swinging towards Daniel's side, who easily dodged and countered with his own kick, aiming to knock down his opponent. Having predicted his move, Matt jumped; his body flew over Daniel's, and with practiced maneuvers, he reached his back, grabbing him by the cape and applying a throw to bring him down.

Daniel was lifted off the ground and easily twisted his body, his fist aiming to strike Matt's face from above. Boldly, Matt thrust his palm forward and caught the fist effortlessly; the energy that should have easily broken his arm was nullified by the suit, and he managed to drag Daniel's body to the ground in an attempt to bring him down.

Daniel, being stronger, broke free from the grip and managed to stand.

He then lunged forward with more force; this time, Matt didn't seek to dodge. With effort, he predicted each of Daniel's attacks and, now that he had confirmed that the suit could withstand his blows, he decided to block directly.

In swift and almost blurry movements, Matt blocked a dozen blows that would have easily shattered his body before. He caught Daniel's arm and tried to bend it, which proved completely fruitless when it didn't move an inch. However, that moment of distraction was enough for Daniel's knee to meet Matt's abdomen.

He suffered no damage; the suit protected him. Still, his body bent slightly, and Daniel took advantage to easily lift him over his shoulder and throw him to the ground.

Matt twisted in the air; his feet hit the ground unsteadily, and he barely managed to raise his arms to block the next blow.

This time, the air twisted, and a shockwave formed; Daniel's fist had exceeded the speed of sound.

Matt felt his arms tremble slightly, the sponge absorbing most of the impact, but there were still slight waves that traveled through his body.

His body was shot at high speed across the open terrain; he twisted in the air, and his arms touched the ground, launching him upwards to regain his posture.

He hadn't suffered new injuries, but the abrupt movement made the wounds he already had burn slightly.

Under any other circumstances, the shockwave generated by breaking the sound barrier would have disoriented Matt; being so close, it was even likely that his ears would have been damaged.

To his surprise, that didn't happen. Thanks to the mask covering his entire head, the high-impact vibrations stopped abruptly before they could harm his sense of hearing.

Daniel hurried, although he wasn't using all his strength, he was still excited. Matt's combat skills were better than his, and thanks to the suit, he could fight against him without fearing to hurt him.

At least, as long as he didn't use all his strength.

Although the Compound V was incredible, it was still an inferior version; its durability was still behind Daniel's own durability. And although the sponge had enhanced Matt's capabilities, they were still limited. Daniel knew he shouldn't overdo it.

Daniel's next strike met an unexpected move; Matt chose to deflect it, redirecting the blow sideways, and his elbow met his throat—a move that would have incapacitated anyone else almost instantly.

Daniel thought Matt had made a mistake, unmoved by such an attack, he reached out his hand, ready to catch him and bring him down. But before he could succeed, Matt surged forward, taking advantage of the proximity generated by his elbow strike. With strength, he grabbed Daniel by the waist and easily lifted him into the air.

Without the ability to fly, Daniel could only twist his body in the air; his hands touched the ground, and he easily propelled himself back into the air, standing upright once again.

Matt didn't miss such an obvious opportunity.

He twisted his body quickly, and his leg shot out towards Daniel, who was still airborne, as if it were a whip, and as if air resistance didn't exist, Matt's attack traveled at astonishing speed.

Without having to worry about his body getting hurt by exerting all his strength, Matt began to use the techniques he had learned to push his abilities beyond human.

The suit even protected him from friction and seemed to dampen air resistance, so his body began to move faster than it should.

The kick struck Daniel's stomach accurately; being in the air and unable to fly, his body was tossed like a sack of potatoes.

He lost balance, and Matt advanced towards him, seizing his chance.

With his superior reflexes, Daniel could see him approaching, but without being able to use his power to fly, he could only let his body glide through the air without resistance.

The blind man easily caught up with him, planning to attack again, but Daniel decided to get a bit more serious.

His hand stretched out and grabbed Matt's shoulder, squeezing firmly and using his body as a lever to navigate through the air. Quickly, he positioned himself behind him and using the same movement, grabbed him by the waist.

Just as he began to lift Matt, Matt made his own move, using his momentum to jump upward, twisting his body, and somehow managing to turn himself around even in Daniel's arms.

Both knees collided with Daniel's shoulders, and Matt managed to break free from his grip due to the unusual movement.

Matt's weight was insignificant to Daniel, so the man didn't stay in that position for too long.

Agilely, he returned to the ground and stepped back a few paces.

Daniel clicked his tongue and glanced at him; he was breathing somewhat heavily. Although the suit provided many benefits, canceling out fatigue wasn't one of them.

Matt had had a hectic night, and the wounds on his body were starting to take their toll.

He let him catch his breath; he should finish this soon.

Matt sighed inwardly; this fight couldn't last much longer. It was regrettable, but he wasn't in his best condition. For today, he had reached his limit.

He stood firm, his posture flawless. This would be the last exchange.

Daniel seemed to sense Matt's intent. He decided to respond appropriately and tensed his muscles. It was time to push a little further.

A silence enveloped the night for a moment. For a brief second, it was as if everything fell silent around them.

Then Daniel launched forward. His step left a crater where he had been a moment before, and his body shot forward like a ballistic missile towards Matt.

From Daniel's perspective, it was as if everything stood still. He had started to use a bit of his true speed. The world seemed to freeze before him, and he easily crossed the distance separating him from his opponent.

His hand stretched out, ready to grab Matt and send him to the ground. Surprisingly, his grip failed.

In the last moment, Matt's body twisted a few millimeters out of his grasp, his fingertips brushing his arm.

With his ability to fly unavailable, Daniel couldn't halt his momentum so easily. His left foot touched the ground, cracking it, but before he could stop his momentum, he felt Matt's palm striking his back.

His body leaned forward, unwilling to lose here. Daniel twisted his waist even faster than before and rotated his body enough for his hand to grasp Matt's arm.

Then he let momentum take them.

Like an out-of-control car, both bodies began to roll across the ground with great force. Dust rose, and the ground sank slightly.

It wasn't until they stopped several meters ahead of their original position that everything returned to calm.

"Cough, ugh" Daniel spat out the dirt that had entered his mouth and looked at the ground in front of him. Had he lost? He glanced to the side where his sparring partner was facing away, the new suit now dusty.

"I guess it was a tie?" Daniel said, and Matt let out a dry laugh.

"You held back too much, even if in the end you let go a bit more, you still restrained yourself considerably. You have more control of your strength than I expected" Daniel didn't know how Matt could say he was holding back, so he decided to attribute it to his "super" senses.

"But you were also injured and tired, so we can say it was fair, right?" Matt chuckled at his words and decided to stop arguing for the moment; he was quite tired.

He felt the suit on his skin, remembered every moment of the previous fight, and could only utter one word.

Amazing.

Defiant hadn't lied; this suit could push "beyond" even when injured and tired, and even if Defiant held back, the fight was still beyond what any human could endure.

If an ordinary person had intervened, their body would probably have been sent flying with every bone broken from a mere touch.

Matt knew perfectly well how hard he could hit when he didn't worry about hurting himself. With the suit? Well, breaking bones was probably the least he could do.

"This suit is incredible. Are you sure you want to give it to me?" Daniel easily nodded in response.

"I know you'll use it right"

Matt could feel the confidence Daniel had in him. Matt wasn't a hero, or at least that's what he told himself.

He didn't know if he could ever be called a "hero" or deserve such a title, but he knew that as long as there was life in him he wouldn't let innocent people suffer unnecessarily.

To go beyond, huh... he could try.

"Well, don't regret it later"

Daniel laughed. "I'm sure I won't"

There was a comfortable silence before Daniel remembered something else.

"By the way, you should use baby powder before wearing the suit. It's not a problem for me, but you'll probably end up very chafed if you wear it without."

Matt imagined such a situation; the suit was quite snug even with the padding of sponges in key areas. It would certainly be uncomfortable.

The mental image of himself coming home with his whole body irritated made him laugh for no reason.

"Oh, by the way, it seems I forgot to ask your name..."

The comfortable silence stalled, and Matt blinked. Although his face wasn't visible, Daniel could read his body language and know he was puzzled.

That Matt was puzzled wasn't strange because he remembered he hadn't introduced himself either.

He thought deeply; he and Defiant, though "allies," weren't really close. He couldn't give his own name, and since Defiant had introduced himself with his nickname, it was best that he did the same, right? Although he didn't have a code name, he had never really thought about using one or anything like that, but since things had come to this point, he could only go with the flow.

Recalling a name he had been hearing in the streets lately, he couldn't help but nod, deciding to use it for now. He straightened up and rose from the ground with some difficulty, turned to Daniel, and said,

"Just call me Daredevil"

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Far away near space.

Daniel gazed at the distant sun, lost in his thoughts.

It was better than he expected, although he hadn't expected to have to fight against he, he was still satisfied with the whole encounter.

The masked vigilante, or Daredevil as he had decided to call himself, was something Daniel had been investigating. When he found him, he didn't rush to make contact.

Instead, he followed him from a distance, dedicating a certain amount of time to observe some of his activities.

He hadn't delved into his secret identity; if he had been someone evil or a possible villain, maybe he would have.

But his discreet observations had led him to trust him to some extent.

He was the kind of person he was looking for. He watched him a little more until he decided to get in touch with him; originally, he planned to do it earlier that night, but a car accident had interrupted his plans.

Well, things turned out fine in the end, so he couldn't complain.

"I wasn't sure, but now I am," he spoke to himself, remembering their fight and all the information he managed to gather in their brief chat. An image came to his mind; remembering the name he had given, he couldn't help but laugh.

"It looks like I'll have to make you another suit, a red one with horns. I also have to add those sticks of yours; I'm sure you'll like them a lot, Matt"

He hadn't delved into his secret identity; he really didn't want to violate his privacy, but piecing together clues about who he was was easy; after all, his brother read many of his comics.

He wondered what other interesting encounters he would have.

Once he saw the sun set behind the earth, Daniel returned to reality; he had training to do, after all.

Carol still needed to learn a few more things, but she should be ready soon.

"Things seem to be going well, huh..." he paused, did he just curse himself?

He looked around, and when nothing strange happened, he decided to shrug; well, if something bad happened, it was tomorrow Daniel's problem.

Present Daniel had a girl to teach.

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Note

8130 words! 8527 in English! That's the length of the chapter, what did you think? I feel like I'm a bit rusty, so I'm not sure if it turned out well; give me your opinions.

The fight was something that came up suddenly; I haven't written fights in a while, so I don't know how well it was. Was it clear or confusing? It was really challenging due to the disparity in the physical abilities of both characters; I had to delete a lot and rewrite even more. I hope it was enjoyable to read.

I'm bringing this long chapter because I need to focus on work. There probably won't be an update until mid or late month, depending.

I appreciate your feedback.