Chapter 1: The Devil is Still Breathing

Alarms screeched. Yells came and the entire building of Midland Circle crashed down in front of them. Standing together Jessica, Danny and Luke watched the buiding fall. Claire had already walked away with Colleen and Misty to get medical help leaving the three heroes alone. As Danny spoke about Matt's sacrifice the words went right over Jessica's head. Instead she exchanged a glance with Luke.

"We can't just give up that easily."

"The building collapsed," Danny exclaimed. "There's no way he got out in time. Especially with no elevator."

"Plus the police are coming. They're going to want answers about all this s**t," Luke told her.

"Yeah, so what? The police have come before. As for surviving, who the hell knows? There are more impossible things," Jessica said looking at the two men pointedly.

"So we start digging then," Luke said after a moment of silence. He looked around at the collapsed building then at the street. The other two followed his gaze.

"The sewer?" Danny asked.

"Further down then that," Luke said.

"But we might be able to access it, that cavern under from there," Jessica said. With that she took off tugging off the sewer cap. Luke sighed and followed. Danny however hesitated looking back at Colleen who was helping Claire with Misty and trying to explain to the police what had happened. After a long moment he jumped in after Jessica and Luke.

"Danny?" Luke's voice came from the darkness. "C'mon. We have to start looking."

"It'd be easier if we had some light," Jessica grumbled.

In response Danny lit his fist. Jessica stared then turned around walking forward grumbling. Luke grinned at him then followed her with Danny beside him. They continued further into the sewer then hit a wall of sludge and collapsed rubble. Jessica turned to look at the people behind her. "This is it."

"So what do we do?" Luke asked.

"We dig, try and go under and through or something," Danny replied.

Then above them the ground shook. Jessica smirked as she held a large chunk of rubble in her hands. Some of the rest collapsed beside her creating a large hole and small tunnel in the ground. "That should work."

Danny squeezed past her and walked in lighting the way with his fist. Stepping carefully he looked down. "You really think he's alive below this?"

Luke ducked into the tunnel. Walking into it he heard a crumble. Then he saw a bit of light. "If all the rubble collapsed into the elevator shaft, then would it fill up that whole area? Even if the supports are gone the levels underneath it might not be."

"Maybe. He could still be injured down there. Dead and losing oxygen. I'm not sure how much he had from being down there," Danny said conceding.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but stop being the pessimist. Let's just dig," Jessica said.

Following her lead Luke and Danny helped move rubble. Danny could smash anything easily with his iron fist, as Luke could with his strength. Each move was made carefully so that the unstable ground under them didn't collapse further. The tunnel started to get deeper and deeper. The light shone further into it. Jessica peered down.

"I'm going."

"What?" Luke and Danny said together.

"I'm jumping down there. The tunnel's wide enough for me. Not for either of you two. Plus I can jump up back into it," Jessica said.

"You sure you can make the jump?" Danny asked.

"She can make it," Luke assured. He looked at Jessica. "Be careful."

"I'll be back soon," she told him crouching and leaping into the hole.

As she fell something scraped her arm. She cursed and yelped in pain. She could hear Luke call from above but couldn't answer. She was already down. Landing in a crouch on the ground some rubble crumbled from above. Moving towards one of the still lit lanterns she inspected her arm. It was bleeding slightly. "S%^t!"

It stung, and it might slow her down a little but she would be fine. Good enough to jump back up, though it was a little farther than she ever had really tried to make it before. Especially if she was carrying Matt. Looking around she walked further into the tunneled darkness. She could barely see anything, nor hear anything. This would have been a useful time to have Matt's weird a$$ powers.

She wasn't a PI for nothing though. Scrapes on the walls from swords, more blood on the ground that didn't belong to the bodies and a piece of red fabric from his ninja exes and their enemies' costume. The trail lead through the effin dragon skeleton, which she still wasn't really believing, no matter what BS Danny said. Then there was another chamber. There was more rubble. And a foot trapped under it.

"Fudge," she cursed. Pulling the rubble off she could see Matt didn't look good at all. She could barely see any sign of the ninja chick but Matt was bleeding profusely from lots of bruises and scratches.

Ribs were definitely broken and crushed. He had blood dripping from parts of his head. His arms were scratched up and one of his legs was bent weirdly. But the armor he was wearing seemed to have saved him from being completely crushed. Kneeling down next to him Jessica put her fingers to his neck to feel for a pulse.

"Thank whoever the hell is up there now… mystic freaks and all," Jessica breathed as she felt a faint pulse. He still wasn't completely safe though. She knew enough about medical care to tell he was loosing too much blood to be stable. He needed help fast.

So carefully she wrapped her scarf around the worst of his bleeding wounds and picked him up in a bridal hold. Then walking back through the skeleton and to the tunnel she bent her knees. Cradling Matt's neck she flew threw the air more rubble fell around them, ducking so she didn't hit the sewer ceiling, she put her feet on the ground, hard and felt it rumble. Luke looked are her. "You got him."

"You underestimating me? He's alive though. But barely."

"So are we," Danny pointed out. "This place is going to collapse."

Luke looked at Jessica gesturing for Matt. She put him in Luke's arms then ran off with Danny following then Luke sheltering Matt with his invulnerable body. Making their way through the sewer they could hear everything crashing behind them.

Danny looked at them where it was a little lighter. "We won. It's over."

"Not yet," Luke said. "Not until we get him some help. And we'll have to get through the police first."

"We can't even bring him to get help dressed as Daredevil," Jessica told them. "They'd find out who he is. They didn't realize that he was there. Our lawyer, Matt Murdock was the one who left with us."

"So we change him, then get him to the hospital," Luke said. That's when he noticed Jessica's arm. "When did that happen?"

"Oh, that? I got a scratch when I jumped down to get him."

"You're getting it looked at too," Luke told her.

"I'll be fine."

"No," Luke said. "You're getting looked at. We all are. Even me. We just fought the fight of our lives. Not without getting hurt. We'll find Claire, I'm sure she got Misty to the EMTs by now. She can help you and keep Matt alive until we get him other clothes."

"I know where he stashed them," Danny said. "I can go get them."

"Meet us on top of that warehouse a few blocks away," Jessica said. "Make sure to bring some medical supplies if you can. And to rip up Matt's clothes so they look like he was in them when he got hurt."

Danny nodded then walked further into the sewer's and their darkness leaving Luke and Jessica to climb out of them. "Ladies first."

"Thanks," Jessica said climbing up. Luke noticed she didn't use her injured arm but didn't comment for fear of getting hurt. Plus there were more important things right now.

Climbing out they hid in the shadows of the building. Colleen and Claire were being interrogated by the police. Luckily they were called away but the chief. Jessica managed to signal to them and they rushed over. Colleen got there first. "Where's Danny?"

"Getting Matt's clothes. And some medical supplies," Jessica supplied. "Come on."

They followed her to Luke where they could now see Matt in his arms. Claire leaned in to take a look. "S*^t! This is the worst I've ever seen him. Even after fighting Wilson Fisk or the Hand the first time. And he almost died then."

"You can help him though," Luke insisted.

"Yeah," Claire said. "I can help him. How far are we from a good place to do this?"

"My apartment is two blocks away," Jessica said. "And the earthquake didn't damage it too badly."

"Get a car," Claire ordered. "Let's go. I need some cloth strips to tie up the rest of his wounds. I can start in the car."

Jessica arrived with a van then. "Get in."

Matt was set on the floor in the trunk as soon as the doors were open. Claire started to tend to him and Colleen sat beside her. Luke looked at them all. "I'll go get Danny."

"Go fast," Claire said. "And be careful."

"I will," he said kissing her head before disappearing into the darkness. The van doors slammed shut but everyone was too busy with the destruction and chaos to notice the van driving through the city as they all tried to keep Matt breathing and meeting the real devil.