"Don't you think Kingpin would be afraid of arousing suspicion?"
In the hallway of the newspaper office.
Faced with the danger Matt spoke of, Colin took a deep breath and then said.
"You have to understand, it hasn't been long since I reported on the Mayor's scandal."
"Mayor Wilson might hesitate, but Kingpin won't."
"Once Kingpin perceives something as a threat, he will attack without hesitation, using any means necessary to eliminate it."
The one who knows you better than your friends is your enemy.
Matt was clearly the best embodiment of this saying. His years of confrontation in Hell's Kitchen had made him extremely familiar with Kingpin's methods.
That was precisely why, after learning about Colin's report on the Mayor's scandal, he launched an investigation and deduced the possibility that Kingpin was about to make a move on the reporter, and came to give a warning.
"If everything you say is true, Attorney Matt."
For Colin, the news that Kingpin wanted to make a move on him wasn't surprising.
In fact, when the [Time Shard] appeared, he had more or less figured this out.
However, faced with Matt's warning, the reporter Clark Kent still needed to feign the skepticism expected of a reporter.
"Then, how do you know all of this?"
In response, Matt fell silent for a moment before saying, "The law firm I work for has handled cases related to Kingpin before. It's just that all those cases ultimately lost due to Kingpin's immense power and money. There weren't even any reports about them. But it was precisely because of these cases, unknown to the public, that I learned of Kingpin's identity."
It had to be said, the reason Matt gave was very convincing.
If Colin didn't know the truth, he might have actually been deceived by his explanation.
"In any case, thank you very much for the information, Attorney Matt."
Sensing it was about time, Colin thanked the blind lawyer in the hallway, "I'll be careful about the situation. If I run into any trouble, I'll call the police for help immediately."
Noticing that Colin's attitude indicated he didn't fully believe what he had said, Matt also understood that such a matter was obviously not entirely convincing. Therefore, he took a business card from his pocket, handed it to Colin, and said, "This is my law firm's phone number, and it's also my personal number. If anything happens, Mr. Kent, you can contact me."
"If something really does happen."
Reaching out to take the business card from Matt, Colin casually put it in his pocket.
Standing in the hallway of The Frontline Newspaper Office, listening as Colin's footsteps faded into the distance, Matt's fingers subconsciously tightened their grip on his Billy Club.
He had made a decision.
...
Meanwhile, back inside the newspaper office.
[Contacted a Twisted Time Node, collected a small amount of Time Shards x2]
Colin watched the text flash by, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
He was just a little short of collecting enough [Time Shards] to upgrade the [Bronze Mark].
Thinking of this, Colin actually began to look forward to Kingpin's reaction.
Hopefully, Kingpin's retaliation wouldn't be too disappointing, or at least not like last time when he just sent a couple of guys to make up the numbers.
And so, amidst Colin's secret anticipation, closing time at the newspaper office arrived.
In his office, he pretended to work on a News Manuscript he had prepared long ago.
*Thud!*
Suddenly, Colin's [Super Hearing] detected a nearly imperceptible sound of something landing.
Looking in the direction of the sound, the combination of his [Super X-Ray Vision] and [Super Vision] powers allowed him to clearly see a figure in a red Devil Suit, secretly hiding in the shadows on the newspaper office's roof.
Clearly, knowing that Colin was about to face Kingpin's retaliation, Matt had not only warned him but had also secretly transformed into Daredevil to protect him.
Although, considering the actual situation.
With Colin's current Powers, he didn't actually need Matt's, or rather Daredevil's, protection.
However, Colin was still quite welcoming toward this potential source of [Time Shards] who had come to him willingly.
Inside the newspaper office, he averted his gaze, pretending to be unaware of Daredevil's presence.
Meanwhile, under the Devil Cowl, the Daredevil hiding in the rooftop shadows frowned slightly, turning his head to scan his surroundings. Just a moment ago, his Super Senses had picked up a feeling of being watched, but after sensing around, the feeling of being observed suddenly vanished.
Although the feeling of being watched only appeared for a brief moment.
Matt had already become wary. He tightened his grip on his specially made Billy Club, held his breath, and silently used his Super Senses to monitor the reporter, Kent, inside The Frontline Newspaper Office.
And so, one used [Super Hearing] to lock onto Daredevil's position.
While the other used Super Senses to ascertain the reporter's situation.
Both were silently observing each other, yet they deliberately remained hidden as if by some unspoken agreement.
Inside the newspaper office, Colin stretched and put on a tired expression.
He packed up the things on his desk, then got up and walked out of The Frontline Newspaper Office.
And as he moved, his [Super Hearing] could pick up the rustling sounds of Daredevil's movements. Colin's eyes could even see through the walls of the floors, clearly watching as the other man used the steel cable inside his Billy Club to descend from the newspaper office building, land lightly next to his car, pick the lock, and slip inside.
*So, Matt plans to hide in the car and follow me all the way back?*
Witnessing the entire process of Daredevil picking the lock and entering the car, Colin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow behind his glasses.
The man's practiced movements almost made him forget his identity as a Superhero.
At the same time, this was the limitation of a Street Hero.
A Superhero like Daredevil, who doesn't possess any particularly powerful Superpowers, couldn't move as rapidly as someone like Spider-Man or Songbird.
Because of this, their usual movements and crime-fighting activities were often limited to a specific range or area.
For example, Daredevil's sphere of activity was mostly centered around Hell's Kitchen, where his law firm was located.
If he wanted to operate in other areas, aside from using his own two feet, his only option was a vehicle.
Considering what Colin was seeing now, he wanted to secretly provide protection and ensure Colin wouldn't be harmed during his upcoming travels. Dressed in a Red Suit, he obviously couldn't drive, especially since Matt's own condition made it unsuitable for him to operate a vehicle.
Therefore, sneaking into Colin's car became his only choice.
(end of chapter)