A Heartfelt Request
"I want to join your mission."
Steven glanced at the pathetic, sad mess of a man who sat in the chair opposite him. It was almost like looking at a reflection of his past self, from what had only been a handful of years ago. The stranger sported dark circles under his eyes, a testament to the fact that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks. His clothes were rumpled, as if he hadn't bothered to change for the same reason for his lack of sleep. How was he in any condition to do something as daring as join the Midnight Mission?
"Sorry; come again?" Steven asked.
When he'd finished his standard introduction as Mr. Knight, he hadn't quite expected this response from his latest client. The Midnight Mission had been set up with the express purpose of helping New York's most vulnerable inhabitants. In a way, it was an extension of the work that Marc used to do as Moon Knight. So far, no one else had come to Steven with a request like this...until now.
"I said I want to join your mission, Mr. Knight." The other man spoke with conviction. It was almost like he believed that joining the Midnight Mission would give him a new purpose in life.
Steven gave a hum of acknowledgement. Yes, it was true. Even with Khonshu trapped in an Asgardian prison, Steven and his headmates had still decided to keep up their vigilante work. They roamed the streets at night, helping anyone in trouble. Plus, all their hard work had continued to expand the reach of the Midnight Mission.
Steven sat back in his seat, resignedly. In the headspace, Marc and Jake were taking the opportunity to share their opinions. Though it was tempting to respond to them with his own thoughts, Steven ended up ignoring them for the time being.
"What's your name again?" he asked the stranger.
Some people might have taken the opportunity to give a false name, a new identity to go along with a fresh start in life. And yet, there was no hesitation in the stranger's reply. "Eddie Brock."
Behind the mask, Steven furrowed his brow. The name was unfamiliar to him. Even after becoming used to life in New York, there were still plenty of new things to learn about the people who lived there.
"Un momento," Jake spoke up from the headspace. "I know this man."
"What?" Steven asked out loud. Too late, he remembered that he was in the middle of another conversation, outside of the one with his headmates.
"Steven," Jake continued persistently, in answer to his alter's question. "Hermano. Let me have the body."
From across the room, Eddie stared at him. His eyes continued to remain dull and nearly lifeless, but an unspoken question was hidden behind them. "I said I-"
"Sorry, mate; not you." On a whim, Steven decided to address his guest first, before his alter. After only taking a moment to make a decision about what to do next, he stood up from his seat. "If you'll excuse me for a sec?" he added.
"Uh, yeah, sure."
With that, Steven moved away into a corner of the room. He was sure that to anyone else, it looked odd, whispering to himself. Then again, most New Yorkers wouldn't even give him a second glance if he had been talking to his alters in the middle of the street.
In one swift motion, Steven removed the mask that concealed his true identity from the rest of the world. From the moment he'd decided to start the Midnight Mission, he had consciously chosen to take on the roles and responsibilities of a hero as Mr. Knight. Now, Steven could be his true self, helping people in a way that was distinct from the methods that Marc and Jake used. It was freeing, as if it had been meant to be all along.
"Talk to us, Jake," Marc said from the headspace. "You know this guy?"
"Sí. We've worked together, in the past."
"Oh really?" Steven asked. "What's he like?"
"He can be impulsive and reckless, but...he's got good ideas."
"And he wants to work with us. Yeah?"
"We've never had a partner before," Marc observed. "Might be fun."
"Steven, you need to let me have the body," Jake reiterated. "I want to talk to him myself."
"But Jake, we agreed," Steven protested. "The Midnight Mission is my thing."
"This is bigger than the Mission. I swear." Sensing that he would get nowhere, Jake changed tactics. "Will you give me the body, Steven? ¿Por favor?"
Steven frowned. It took plenty of internal deliberation before he made up his mind. And at last...
"Fine. Take the body, Jake."
With a subtle shift in his posture, Jake fronted. He walked back over to Steven's latest client with all the confidence in the world.
Meanwhile, Eddie had been waiting for the official verdict on his request. He fidgeted nervously in his seat. His condition hadn't improved by any means since the meeting began, but that was something he'd need to work out on his own terms.
"Look; are you gonna let me join your mission or not?"
Jake sat back down without bothering to give an answer. He was somewhat hidden in shadow at first, until he decided to move forward in his seat. Eddie stared at him, an awed expression on his face. It was the most lively that he had been for the entire session so far.
"Holy shit," he said. At last, tiny bits and pieces of emotion had crept into his voice. "Jake Lockley? You're Mr. Knight?"
Jake shook his head. "Trust me, amigo. It's not what it looks like."
Fifteen minutes later, Jake drove his limo around the city. Eddie sat next to him in the passenger seat, staring out the window as if it was his first night in New York. He had patiently sat through Jake's long-winded explanations, covering every adventure from London to Cairo to New York, all in the span of the past several years. Not many questions had been asked on the part of the former investigative journalist, even though he seemed engaged enough in the conversation.
"So, you're here, in New York," Eddie said at last. "Why?"
"I could ask you the same question, mi amigo," Jake responded, easing on the brakes as they came to a yellow light that quickly turned red. "You look like shit, by the way."
"Oh yeah? Thanks," Eddie responded. He gave a defeated sigh and looked out the window. "Thanks a lot. That's...really helpful."
Still at the red light, Jake took the chance to peer out the window, too. The moon appeared above their heads, barely visible over the bright city skyline. It served as a reminder of why it was so important to protect the travelers of the night at all costs.
"Why do you want to join the Mission, Eddie?" Jake asked, attempting to rectify the situation.
Eddie continued to stare off into the distance. In the bright city lights, his expression was almost wistful, as if he was revisiting a private set of memories.
"The thing is, I'm looking for someone."
Jake nodded briefly. The light turned green, and the limo rolled smoothly along the busy city streets. Amid the constant flow of traffic, there was always a possibility that someone who wanted to stay hidden would be able to achieve their goal. With Jake's numerous connections, it wouldn't be difficult to uncover their tracks.
"¿Quien? I might know a guy."
"This guy? No. Trust me; you wouldn't."
"So tell me, then. Who was he?"
"My...best friend." Eddie paused, as if a certain name was on the tip of his tongue. Whatever it was, though, he refused to say. "I came here for...uh, because of him."
Jake hummed absently. He could sense that there was plenty more that needed to be said. "¿Sí?" he prompted.
"We talked about coming to New York, seeing the Statue of Liberty, but..." Eddie heaved a sigh. Was it Jake's imagination or did his old friend start to tear up a little? "But he's gone now."
"Lo siento, mi amigo. Do you want to talk about it?"
Eddie shook his head. "Nah. He'll be back. I know he will. He always comes back."
Just then, the limo rolled to a stop in front of yet another red light. Jake briefly lifted his hands from the steering wheel. It seemed like Eddie was on the verge of shutting the conversation down. That was never a good thing, especially for someone in his current frame of mind. But what else could be done?
"Tell you what. Let me talk it over with Marc and Steven. We'll give you an answer by tomorrow. If they agree, you can join the Mission."