1 How it all began.

I love a confusing yet exciting life, sometimes in this life the lines between good and evil are blurred. In a world where superheroes used to dominate, one would wonder how the works ended this way. The American government was covertly seized, deceived, and overtaken by the big bads, doctor doom, red skull, saber tooth, and the hellfire club. My name is John Castle and this is my story.

2026

I spring out of bed excitedly and joy fills me as I realize that it's my birthday I'd finally be turning eight. I quickly get dressed and start my descent down the stairs. I pause on the steps halfway down as I hear an unusual sound...my father begging. I crouch down swallowing my panic an lean up against the half wall opposite the tall banister at the end of the stairs. I peak over the walk to see a woman holding a combat machine gun to my fathers head.

"Please don't do this. You can kill me but please spare my son." My father was kneeling before the woman looking down the long barrel of the firearm. The woman had long raven black hair, a taunting melodic voice, and an athletic build. This young woman appeared to be in her mid to late twenties and was wearing a bulletproof vest over a padded ballistic long sleeve shirt, denim jeans, sneakers.

She moved forward placing the gun against dads temple "Castle you didn't show any kindness when you slaughtered my family but don't worry this isn't personal just convenient. Your son won't feel a thing." She said.

I knew I should've moved but my legs were frigid stuck to the spot, filled with lead, and my heart with dread for what was about to happen, even as her gloves fingers wrapped around trigger fear paralyzed my body. Just then a mighty roar erupted from my dads mouth as he shot forward tackling the young woman, however he was t fast enough as the military grade firearm shot lead into my dads face, reducing my fathers gruff war beaten features to hamburger meat. As my fathers dead body fell atop his killer pinning her to the ground a animalistic scream escaped my lips and pierced the air, and a deep incomparable rage enveloped my body as I rushed forwards lashing out and beating the woman.

Not long after the older woman had escaped from underneath my father and threw me to the ground and I began to choke as he foot dug into my throat and she pointed a her pistol to my head. She turned to look distracted as a loud crash could be heard as my aunt rose also known as mayhem as the symbiotic vigilante, came barreling towards this mysterious woman having crashed through the front window and tackled her off me. My fathers murderer attempted to shoot aunt rose but instead misfired into the ceiling and her pistol skittered across the tiled living room floor. The woman began to duke it out in hand to hand combat trading blows, ducking, and dodging, wonderfully displaying a mastery of the art in an intense battle and just as my aunt rose seemed to be winning a smoke grenade was dropped and the young woman disappeared.

My aunt rose asked me immediately "John are you okay." I wouldn't answer her even as she violently shook me. I glanced at my fathers body and I made two oaths, I will kill every bastard that had a hand in his murder and I will make him proud and carry on the legacy of the punisher. Looking into my god mothers eyes, the eyes of the woman who has earned the right of being family if she hasn't already. "John listen to me, go get a backpack of your favorite things."

Heading upstairs I grabbed my favorite MP3 player, a pictures of my mom and my dad and myself standing in front of the Washington monument from when I was five. My all purpose solarly charged futuristic watch from aunt rose, and walking over to my workbench I grabbed my Swiss Army knife that uncle tony gave to me two years ago it has a bunch of secret tools in it. Walking toward the doorway I turn to look back flipping the light switch off knowing it will be my last in this house... in my room.

Walking downstairs I slip on my bike sneakers shouldering my backpack with my clothes and my picture in it. Looking at aunt rose I led her towards the closet "they won't just stop with dad." I said pushing aside the various coats until I reveal the back wall and as I walk through the wall hologram I do the eye scan and armory door opens.

"So you might as well and yourself." I finished. Rose arrives at my side and she is awed at the vast array of firearms and lethal weapons from basic pistols to military grade assault riffles and shotguns, there was even some alien and future technology and weaponry. Grabbing three duffel bags rose began to clean out the armory. Looking around I walk off to my left as I see my mom and dads old vigilante outfits the black leather skintight suite of my mother's suite belonging to the infamous black widow and the militaristic style suite of my father. Black heel length leather trench coat, skull painted lightweight bulletproof vest, combat boots, and cargo pants.

Turning away as rose finished packing up the immense bulk amount of firearms. We walked into the garage and she chose my fathers brand new Porsche. With the mighty roar of the powerful engine we took off and soon enough we were soaring through the streets of Manhattan until finally we turned left into an obviously dead end alley. There was a very subtle garage door tucked into the end of the alley however which automatically opened and we pulled in.

Rose turned the engine off and my face must've displayed the puzzlement and confusion I felt because she answered "One of your dad and mines old safe houses." "You and my dad worked together." I asked surprised. "Yeah I used to to be a detective but knew Natasha when I was little around your age, but when I was in my late twenties I joined the nypd and joined a task force hunting down frank eventually we ended up becoming a team. We were an unstoppable duo." She said the last part an a temporary smile ghosted her features.

She exited the vehicle and I followed her I was amazed at what I saw daredevil, Hawkeye, scarlet witch, and Maria Hill were standing around a large computer and this area appears to be a command center. Rose walked up with me by her side and she said "it's time, we can't stay any longer for more refugees, we leave now Warsaw and destroy everything important, doom, skull, and the woman have intimated the revolution, and we lost another good man today, we lost castle."

Daredevil whose mask was tucked underneath his armpit Bowed his head and his lips began moving very fast, he was praying it would appear. Off to the right was one of the avengers quin jets the bright red A printed on it. Hawkeye, Maria hill, and scarlet witch began moving large crates of what I assumed to be full of weapons on the jet. I sat down on the ramp of the jet and plugged in in my earbuds and the song "it's the end of the world as we know it." By R.E.M began to play and at that time I didn't realize how true that song was.

I was tapped on the shoulder by uncle Clint and pulling my earbuds out he said "c'mon bud, we are leaving." He said squeezing my shoulder before walking off onto the quin Jet.

I didn't answer him and wordlessly followed Clint into the jet. Once on board we sat down and when we did the jet ride of the ground and we teleported out of the building. Now we were surrounded by a vast mountain landscape. The tears began to fall as all of the events from earlier in the day the stress, the guilt, the loss, the pain, but most of all the rage, I left bottled up inside of me.

I just couldn't stope the tears and rose rushed forward her just firmly pressed against me. My head leaning against her shoulder. Comforting me aunt rose began to squeeze me and whispered in my ear. "Let it out John, let it out baby, let it ou." So I did as tears blurred my vision I let loose a loud rage filled scream, a scream of a troubled.

Four more animalistic bellows escape my lips, I pour all my pain and agony into each aimless shout, after one last scream I give into the sob that soon take me into a peaceful blackness of unconsciousness. I'm vaguely aware of rose humming a tune up that eases my nightmares.