Urich

OK, for those of you who don't know, Ben Urich is a reporter found in Marvel Comics, generally linked to Daredevil and occassionally Spider-Man, though he was a key character in the Pulse series too. No background info required however... please R&R. This is an ongoing series of short stories (kind of like veeery short issues) in continuity, with story arcs. The first is The Man Without Fear, dealing with Ben's first encounter with everyone's favourite scarlet clad vigilante...
Feel free to comment in-thread.
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URICH

DISCLAIMER: If I owned any of these characters, would I REALLY be posting my stories on a Fan Fiction website? For those of you who are sarcasm- deficient, no I sadly don’t own the rights to the character of Ben Urich et al, that privilege belongs to Marvel Comics and Joe Quesada. Ben Urich was created by Frank Miller.

FIRST ARC: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR

Chapter One: The Story of the Century

Ben Urich’s alarm went off, as usual, at seven thirty. He clambered from his bed and dressed quietly, so as not to wake his wife, Doris. He slipped from the room and headed across the living room into the kitchen, opening the larder. He stared at a rather depleted stock of food: a near-empty box of shredded wheat, a half full packet of bacon, a single egg in a box… Ben sighed.
I’ll have to do without again, he told himself, and sighed again, walking to the front door. On the mat lay three letters. Ben picked them up and glanced at all three- he sighed again instinctively, noticing that all three were bills.
Urich slipped the bills into his inside jacket pocket- there was no need to worry Doris just yet, besides, surely a good story would crop up soon…
Ben opened the door and hurried out.

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It was a brisk half hour walk to the Daily Bugle offices, which would have been bad enough if Urich wasn’t in desperate need of a toilet, and his smoker’s lungs didn’t help either. Ben was coughing for half the journey, and clutching his crotch in a desperate attempt not to wet himself for the other half.
When he finally reached the Bugle, Urich charged into the toilets, shoving the Pulse magazine writer Kat Farrell aside rudely in the rush. Ben emerged soon afterwards, taking a long drag from a cigarette- the last he had. Urich glanced at his watch- a quarter past eight. He sighed… he’d have to go and get another pack during his lunch-break.
Ben slipped into his cubicle and sat at his desk. He opened up Word on his computer and just stared at the screen, thinking. Whatever happened to the old days? Once he was the Bugle’s hot young reporter, now he was a middle aged, chain smoking has-been, whose greatest achievement in over a year was a page thirteen article on the disappearance of some C- list Hollywood special effects wannabe- Quentin Beck.
One o’clock, and the lunch- break, didn’t come soon enough for Urich. He’d tried in vain to write an article on Stark Enterprise’s takeover of RandCorp, but he only wrote five lines before scrapping the whole thing.
Urich strode from the building as his watch bleeped one and hurried across the street, into a small shop, snatching two cigarette packets and a can of Stella artois from the shelves. Urich paid, though with pangs of guilt- Doris would kill him if she knew he was wasting the little cash he earned like this.
But as Urich emerged from the shop, he saw something unbelievable. An old, overweight man was running… panting… fear bright in his eyes… and he was being pursued by a man. A man in a red bodysuit and mask. And this man’s story would soon change Ben Urich’s life irrevocably…

CHAPTER TWO: Who is Daredevil?

Ben stared as the scarlet clad newcomer pursued the gasping old man into the old subway station. Urich didn’t pause for a moment: this was his chance to make a comeback! This was for Doris!
The reporter ran harder than he had in two decades, his lungs burning… but he ignored the pain. He had to know: what was going on? His reporter’s instinct was kicking in, as he slipped behind a pillar in the station, pulling out his notepad and a pencil.
The costumed man had slowed to a walk as his prey ran on, stumbling and falling flat on his face on the track. His hunter walked on. Urich stared on. The old man was running again… gasping… gasping too hard.
“You’ll pay for the death of Battlin’ Jack Murdock, Fixer!” Shouted the red- clad man, who Urich assumed was some kind of vigilante.
The man called ‘Fixer’ turned his head to stare at the vigilante, gasping as he ran. Gasping harder.
“Battlin’ Jack?” Panted Fixer, “You care ‘bout that ol’ bum!?”
And then Fixer staggered. He felt to his knees and the pursuing vigilante stopped, head bowed. Urich’s reporter’s instinct finally won out over his fear and he stepped out from hiding.
“I was wondering when you’d show yourself,” Commented the vigilante, despite the fact that he was still looking towards The Fixer’s body.
“Who… who are you…?” Muttered Urich nervously. The stranger turned, and Urich saw he had horns on his head:
“I’m Daredevil.”
And the man was gone…

Ben sat across the desk from his editor- in- chief, J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson reluctantly took Urich’s article.
“Shit,” Muttered Jameson.
“It’s not good?” Urich prepared himself for a bollocking.
“It’s ****ing brilliant!” Replied Jameson, “But Ned Leeds isn’t gonna like this!”
“Why…?”
“You just pushed him off page one, Urich!”
Ben walked out of Jameson’s office, smiling fully for the first time in years. But this wasn’t the end of his story. Urich knew… he would find out the truth about this Man Without Fear… whatever the cost.

Urich didn’t need to wait long for his next story on Daredevil. The next night, New York’s criminals faced one of the greatest challenges to their activities for years… the vigilante delivered over fifteen wanted offenders- rapists, muggers, drug dealers, even serial killers- straight to the steps of NYPD HQ.
Ben had already written two pages of the story when he arrived at his appointment with New York police lieutenant Nick Manolis.
Manolis was an ill- tempered, balding, middle- aged man with yellowed teeth.
“Keep this crap short, will ya?” Grunted the lieutenant as Urich entered his office, “Some of us have got real work to do.”
“Yes,” Urich said coldly, “Like reporting. So…” Ben knew it would be unwise to aggravate Manolis much more, but he couldn’t resist a jab at the supremely impolite officer, “Daredevil… what is the NYPD’s official stance on this character…?”

NEXT IN “URICH”: Ben runs into trouble during his investigation into Daredevil as he encounters the Kingpin’s chief assassin… yes, folks, next up is Ben Urich’s first encounter with Benjamin Pondexter, better known as the nefarious BULLSEYE!
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Parts 3 and 4. This is as far as I have written so far, but Parts 5 and 6 (the conclusive chapters of THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR) should follow by the end of the day...
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CHAPTER 3: When the Going Gets Tough…

Ben was sitting on the roof of an apartment block, smoking his fifteenth cigarette of the night and watching the opposite penthouse through a digital camera. Inside, a large, incredibly obese businessman in a white suit and sunglasses- the mysterious Wilson Fisk, notorious for rumoured yet always violently denied links to organised crime- sat around a conference table with his “business associates”, powerful men in a similar legal situation to Fisk, though Urich knew them as his lieutenants.
Ben glanced at his watch. It had been nearly an hour since a civilian had called the Bugle, claiming that they had sighted Daredevil enter the penthouse via a skylight. Ben grumbled to himself as he pocketed his camera and prepared to leave the building. Suddenly, he hears footsteps, splashing through puddles behind him.
Ben spun around. A man in a blue costume, complete with a bullseye target on his mask, stood before him, toying lazily with a set of playing cards.
“I guess you ain’t Daredevil, huh?” The newcomer grinned… but this was a smile without mirth, and something about this man sent shivers down the reporter’s spine.
“Who…?” Began Ben and the stranger chuckled:
“You can call me, ah…” The costumed man smiled, “Bullseye. But I guess that ain’t relevant. What’s relevant is Mr. Fisk doesn’t like being watched… now, we expected it to be Daredevil up here, but I guess there’s no harm in killing you instead.”
Ben gasped in horror. He turned to run, but the so- called Bullseye merely threw a playing card. Ben only had time to register the irony of the projectile being a joker before he felt his arm erupt outwards with blood. The reporter staggered back, grunting.
“First one’s for show!” Cackled the assassin, “Second’s for real!”
Bullseye hurled a second card… and a red object sped from above, intercepting the missile. Daredevil dropped onto the roof.
“Urich… get the Hell out of here,” He spat, before dodging a hailstorm of cards! Bullseye and Daredevil were locked in a frantic due and Ben was taking photo after photo, capturing every pivotal movement of the conflict!
“RUN, DAMMIT, URICH!” Bellowed the Man Without Fear, intercepting card after card with his red baton, his billy club. Urich snapped another photo and then Bullseye hurled a card at him, without even looking at the reporter. Somehow, the missile still gashed Urich’s cheek and he staggered back, clutching his bleeding face.
“Urich! You idiot!” Bellowed the vigilante, “RUN!”
Ben staggered up and ran… he dashed downstairs, but some subconscious idiocy forced Urich to stay there, listening: as a reporter, he had to know who won. And, soon enough, Daredevil limped downstairs.
He was injured, weak.
“Urich. He’s gone.” How did he know Ben was there?
The scarlet clad champion walked to a window… and leapt out…
I’m going to find out who this man is, Ben decided, I’m going to learn the truth, one way… or another!

NEXT UP: Ben's report irritates WILSON FISK, and this is trouble for anyone... it's lucky Ben can count on the help of the young lawyer team of NELSON & MURDOCK. Yes, folks, Ben finally meets Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson as THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR heats up!

CHAPTER 4: Murdock’s Law

Wilson Fisk read the Daily Bugle’s front page story three times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. But, no, it was true: That idiot reporter Ben Urich had actually done the unthinkable and written an article branding Fisk the ‘Kingpin of Crime’ and clearly stated that he hired a sociopathic assassin to commit murder.
This was too much. Fisk sighed. Urich would have to die. It was a shame really- the man was a brilliant reporter, and Fisk could have put his talents to good use, but if this was to be his game…
The ‘Kingpin of Crime’ produced his mobile phone and pressed the redial button, putting the receiver to his ear:
“Hello, Pondexter,” He said curtly to the man at the other end of the line, “Yes. I have a job for you…”

Jonah Jameson called Urich into his office the next morning.
“Ben, that story o’ yours we printed… the Bullseye one. It’s backfired on us,” He told his employee, “Fisk’s suing us… for £1,000,000. And that’s big money.”
“What do we do?” Asked Ben, nervously toying with his cigarette. He had to say, putting his life on the line may be damn stupid, but the pay-rise did have rather large perks. And these more expensive cigarettes were gold.
“Well, a big beef like Fisk isn’t gonna stop with us. He’ll sue those **** outta your mouth, son,” Continued Jameson, “So, I want you to go and attain us some legal help: from the partnership of Nelson and Murdock…”

Matt Murdock sat in his office. It was a rather plain, empty room, though large. It merely contained a desk and a small fridge attached to one wall. But what visual decoration did a blind man need? The door opened and the partners’ secretary, Karen Page, stood on the room’s threshold.
She was a slender, beautiful woman, with flowing blond hair. Karen smiled and stood aside, gesturing for Ben to enter the room. The reporter did so and Karen took his coat.
“This is Mr. Urich, you’re three o’clock,” Explained Karen.
“Yes,” Said Matt, “Please, take a seat, Ben.”
“Ben?” Urich stared in slight shock. Murdock called him Ben. But his appointment had merely stated a Bugle reporter… and the secretary called him MR. URICH. How could Murdock know…?
“Yes… your name is Ben Urich, yes?” Murdock said hurriedly, interrupting Urich’s inner musings, “It’s not exactly a secret. Why, you’re articles on the urban legend… this Daredevil are on the front page of the Bugle every week.”
“Ah, of course.” Ben felt somewhat embarrassed… his reporters’ instinct was on overdrive. Of course a lawyer, even a blind one, would pick up something as simple as a reporter’s name… but there was something familiar about Murdock… his voice, that square jaw…
“Can Karen get you anything?” Asked Murdock, “Coffee? Orange juice?”
“Uh… a coffee, thanks,” Ben replied, “Mr. Murdock, can we get started?”
“Of course, but please, call me Matt.”
“Well… Matt,” Urich heard Karen leave to get the coffee, “Did you see the article I wrote about Daredevil’s fight with that assassin Bullseye? The one that accused Wilson Fisk of being the city’s Kingpin of Crime?”
“See?” Matt smiled sarcastically.
“Figuratively, of course,” Urich chuckled.
“No, Mr. Urich, I neither saw nor read the article… I find the Bugle to be a little… biased in their stories. I’m an Express reader myself,” Sighed Matt, “So, what’s your problem?”
“Well, Wilson Fisk is denying all these accusations vehemently and, of course, is trying to sue both myself and the Bugle for libel.”
“I see,” Matt answered, sarcastically, “Well, Mr. Urich, I believe you are telling the truth. We will be happy to represent both you and the Daily Bugle at the case…”

Ben was walking back to the Bugle, in a somewhat better mood. Nelson and Murdock were good, they would…
Suddenly, a car careered around the corner. A man with a machine gun leant from the window… seemingly firing at random, but his bullets all seemed to bounce around Ben. Finally, a slug shattered Ben’s kneecap… he collapsed, blood pooling around him. The gunman fired on… and a scarlet figure dropped from the sky.
“Ben! Stay down!”
His voice… that square jaw... MURDOCK…

NEXT IN URICH: The fifth part of The Man Without Fear! Ben pursues the truth behind Daredevil and Matt Murdock… but what of Wilson Fisk!?
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Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read and review 🙂