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petertingle-yipyip · 11 months ago

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WORLD CLASS SINNER - FRANK CASTLE

ten - is it over now?

tags: n/a // nine // finale // masterlist

Pairing: frank x livia, billy x livia

Word Count: 11, 189

Summary: A long time coming, one fight comes to a bloody conclusion. Another lurks in the near future, and the connection between two friends and two lover is severed.

You weren’t supposed to be in the room, so you weren’t. You weren’t supposed to linger by the door and eavesdrop, so you didn’t. You were involved in the situation after all.

Highly involved.

And not just as FBI, protecting a civilian reporter from a terrorist during an active investigation, but as an agent that let Frank Castle get away. That sided with Frank Castle.

You may not have been in the room, but you heard it all. You managed to get a surveillance piece onto Brett’s jacket so once you flipped your implant, it was as good as being in the room with them.

They talked about Lewis’ attempt at Anvil, Billy’s denial and your consultation. You almost cursed at the connection, but at least you weren’t on the payroll for Anvil anymore. It did show that you and Billy had a relationship outside of the company, but should he and Anvil go down for Sam Stein, you wouldn’t be connected to him. Only connected to Dinah.

The word negligence was thrown around and you almost laughed. It reminded you of how Billy shoved his own team into your line of fire to save himself. A pathetic excuse of a man, cloaked by his confidence and good looks. You were glad you saw who he truly was but that didn’t make it sting any less. Not hurt, per say, just sting.

Brett interviewed Ori and then Karen, and you pretty much knew how those interviews would go so you didn’t care to listen. Dinah next, and you last.

“Best for last, huh?” You joked as you sat on the couch, running hands over your pant leg. There was no blood beside the dried remnants from the prior chaos, but they still felt soaked. Dripping, ready to stain whatever you touched.

“Who’s story you hoping I corroborate?”

“None.” He shrugged. “I just wanna know yours.”

“Castle wasn’t working with Lewis.” You said plainly. “Everyone’s throwing the allegation but it’s not true. Lewis was a guy who was misguided by a fraud to the point that he radicalized the Punsiher’s ideology.”

“Seemed pretty radical on its own.”

“Consequence?” You brows raised. “Castle didn’t hurt random people. It was intentful. It was specified. He killed drug dealers and rapists and murderers.”

“Guess after defending him in court you’re bound to take his side.”

“You’re saying I have a bias.” You pointed out. “I was here at my bureau’s direction. Nothing was about Castle from my end.”

“So the FBI doesn’t want Castle?”

“I wasn’t dispatched for Castle. My team and I were sent to apprehend Lewis.”

“So why do my officers tell me you and Billy Russo were pointing guns at each other?”

“He shot at me first.” You shrugged. The shot was meant for Frank in all actuality, but at that point, it was all the same. “Interfering with a federal investigation. Attempted assault of a federal agent. Aggravated assault against Castle. Should I go on?”

“You’re making me wish I was dealing with Murdock again.” He huffed. “Even Nelson and the cigars he would buy my mom.”

“Yeah, they’re a lot nicer.” You agreed.

“Not even that… Just less combative.”

You shrugged. It was all the same at that point.

“You fired your weapon, Livia.” He sighed.

“Yeah.”

“Then took off with Castle.”

“Mhmm.”

“Why?”

“Cause he was helping me get to Karen.” You said honestly. “We saw Lewis take her and I knew Frank wasn’t going to hurt me. Wouldn’t let anyone else hurt me either.”

“Why are you so convinced he’s innocent? You want me to see a bigger picture here. Paint it for me.”

“You worked the Castle case first time around. You, on some level, know him. You don’t think he’s a terrorist anymore than I do, but the question now Brett, is whether anyone is going give someone a chance to prove that before they put a bullet in him?”

“You’re insane, you know that?”

“Yeah.” You laughed a little before you turned to leave. “So I’ve been told.”

“We’re not done.” He said, though there was no effort to stop you.

“I’ve got my own team to catch up with and an SAC to debrief. You know where to find me.”

You found Dinah and Karen talking down the hall so you walked up to them with a small smile for greeting.

“You two have a connection, I know that.” Dinah looked over at you. “So do you… If you know where he is or how to contact him, please.”

“Micro reached out to you, didn’t he?” You said quietly as you realized something. “You said a name in the stairwell.”

She nodded slightly before facing Karen again.

“I’m the best chance he’s got.” She urged.

“I’d beg to differ.” Karen looked at you and you gave a small nod before she took Dinah’s card. “He’s not what they say he is… Saved my life, again.”

You excused yourself at that point because Dex had made his way up, along with the other two from your team. They were in rough shape but definitely better than you. You could feel the bruises across your torso growing but EMS had removed the shrapnel. Your forehead was cleaned and bandaged, you having refused the stitches.

Your SAC thoroughly chewed you out at debrief. She scolded you for abandoning your team, disabling comms, and ultimately going rogue. She said you should’ve eliminated Lewis at the beginning, before the hostage situation, then taken Castle into custody. She yelled that Billy Russo never should’ve been a player in the game. When you tried to reason that Billy had his fair part in it, she didn’t want to hear it.

You didn’t care enough to manipulate her either so you just let her talk.

Dex stepped in and backed you on siding with Castle. He said that since you knew Castle, you knew whether or not he was an asset or a threat in that situation. He even said that more people would’ve died if you tried to fight Castle.

“Wanna tell me what your plan is?” Dex asked once you two were out of your SAC’s office.

“Partner with Madani from Homeland.” You began. “Find Castle. Go after Russo.”

“What’s your deal with Russo anyway?”

“He killed a Homeland agent and a military colonel, both that I witnessed. He shot at me, obstructed a federal operation. I want to go after him, Dex.”

“So it’s personal. You’re gonna risk your career on a vendetta?”

“Exactly, my career.” You agreed. “You’re not gonna talk me out of it.”

“Alright.” He nodded. “How do we do it then?”

“We don’t do anything.” You shook your head. “Madani and I will build a case and I’ll let her bureau do the rest.”

“C’mon, Aly. That’s it?”

“He killed one of theirs.” You shrugged. “What else am I supposed to do?”

“If you need my help with any of this, you call me. Got it?”

You nodded with a grateful smile before you hurried out the building. You practically ran to your car and sped across town to the compound, thanking Matt’s God for every green light.

When you got in, you found both men in the poorly lit bathroom. Shrapnel bits were littered in the sink and Frank’s shirt was torn in pieces on the floor. Lieberman moved to try and stitch the gunshot line on Frank’s temple but he jerked away. You went over and took the supplies from Lieberman’s hands, easily switching places. Lieberman wished you luck, said Frank won’t talk, and patted your back before he left.

You said nothing as you cleaned up the blood on the side of Frank’s head. A million questions lingered in the air yet neither of you dared to voice them. Saying it out loud made it real, and despite you both seeing it with your own eyes, some part wanted to deny it.

“I’m sorry.” You finally said, focusing on your stitching instead of Frank’s stare reflecting off the shattered mirror. “About Billy.”

“You knew he was dirty?” He said lowly, angrily. “That what you were trynna tell me, hmm?”

“I knew he was working with Rawlins, yeah. I wanted proof but I was holding out, hoping he was doing what I was doing. Playing both sides, looking out for you, y’know? … I was wrong.”

“How long have you known?”

“I never trusted his involvement to begin with. But I didn’t know until after he started airing the radio call. We went to that CIA safe house you found Rawlins at. I met the guy and pretty much called him out.”

You dared to look at his expression and saw a blank canvas.

“It was just before Bennett. He was there, part of my way in was being on his team, and he didn’t stop me from helping you so I guess I figured…” You shrugged, sighing heavily before you broke the thread. “It’s my fault this happened.”

“What?” He turned to you. “What are you talking about?”

“This.” You gestured to the gunshot. “I let my feelings intervene again and someone else got hurt.”

“Feelings? Livia, what do you mean, feelings? You think you having a crush on Russo changed anything?”

You were quiet.

“You said he was dirty the whole time, so you sleeping with him or going out with him, it wouldn’t have changed anything! No, Bill… He made his choice, okay? And it’s got nothing, nothing, to do with you.”

“I should’ve led him away.” You said instead. “I should’ve smokescreened and left him in the dark like Dinah was.”

He scoffed at her name.

“I know he went behind your back going to Dinah, but he just wants to get back to his family.” You tried to defend. “Cut him some slack… I was probably gonna slip Dinah some information to get her on Rawlins’ tail soon anyway.”

“What are you gonna do now?” He asked instead.

“After cleaning you up?” You tried to joke while you moved his arm to see the gashes left from the shrapnel. “Partner with Dinah. Pretend to look for you. Go after Russo.” You rattled off the items on your mental list.

“What about the FBI?”

You shrugged. “My partner knows what I want. He’s got my back if I need him.”

“Sure you can trust this one?”

“Nope… But I’ve taken bigger gambles before. No one believed I should’ve defended the Punisher in court and he turned out to be a good guy.”

He snorted slightly.

“Madani’s gonna wanna do it the right way.” He commented, an off-handed remark that was meant as a question.

“I know.” You answered honestly.

“Do you?”

“I'm not looking for revenge. I’m looking to win. As long as he goes down, for now I don’t care how.”

You two didn’t talk about it after that. You cleaned and dressed the rest of his wounds. He offered to return the favor for your forehead but you assured him your body was already taking care of it, utilizing the heat that lived under your skin to weld yourself back together. You didn’t stay much longer either.

After you got home, Dinah called and asked for you to come to her office the next day. She assured you she had a plan and she would explain in person. Since you had no ideas on where to start, you agreed.

“Did you see the news?” She asked when you shut her office door behind yourself.

“About the hotel?”

“Billy’s interview.” She clarified.

“Oh… Not much.”

“He doesn’t get to pretend he’s a hero here.”

“Okay. So what’s the plan?”

“Well, you and I both know he killed Stein.” She began, a haunted look in her eyes.

“During a blacked-out sting attempt.” You specified. “Aren’t you worried about that at all?”

“Rafi already knows.”

You made a face at the name since you weren’t exactly sure who that was but said nothing as she continued.

“What you and I need is to get him to admit it. Or even admit just being there.”

“How do we do that? Billy’s gonna be expecting both of us to come after him.”

“Not together.”

“Probably together. He knew I’ve been talking to you about everything lately. Both of us had guns on him at the hotel. It’d be more surprising if we didn’t team up.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She said tightly, a controlled outburst. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“That’s why I’m here.” You nodded. “Even if he admits it, how do we-“

Your question was cut short when another agent stepped in and said “He’s on his way up.”

“Who’s he, Dinah?” You asked, moderately annoyed since you already knew the answer.

She simply gathered her paperwork and gestured for you to follow her. You let out a long, silent sigh as you obliged. As you went down the hall, you could feel it coming up the elevator.

Confidence, bordering on arrogance.

Billy.

“When this inevitably goes sideways, step aside and let me handle it.” You said once you two were alone in the conference room, seconds ticking down till Billy’s arrival.

“Listen, just because you have some undisclosed skills doesn’t give you any authority here. You are in my department.”

“I know.” You nodded.

“This is my investigation. You don’t get to tell me how it’ll go.”

“That’s not what that was.” You shrugged. “But this is. He’s gonna come in here and it’ll seem like you’re in control until he flips it on you and suddenly, you’re playing his game. At that point, there’s three choices. One, you walk away with your tail between your legs and he thinks he’s won, which he would have. Two, you miraculously keep your composure and work your way through it. Or three, the most likely, I take over and worst case scenario, it’s a stalemate.”

“You don’t ge-“

“You came to me for help.” You cut in as light knocks sounded. “Remember that.”

Billy was ushered in and his eyes met yours first. It was as if he was looking for you. You simply gestured to the other side of the table while Dinah opened with pleasantries and moved to the camera.

“Lawyers are for the guilty.” Billy said, a pointed glance at you.

You rolled your eyes and reached behind Dinah to press the record button.

“Special Agent Yersova with the FBI, assisting with today’s interview.” You continued to rattle off the date and time before Dinah did her introduction. “State your name for the record, last name first.”

“Russo, William.” Billy said flatly, not making any effort to hide his annoyance.

“Mr. Russo, laid out before you are several photos from a recent crime scene.” You began as Dinah laid out the pictures. “Please examine them carefully and let us know if anything looks familiar.”

“Are you gonna Mirandaize me, Agent Yersova?” He deflected instead, using your name mockingly.

“No need.” Dinah answered. “Unless I decide to arrest you. We’re just talking.”

You didn’t miss the emphasis she put on it being her choice.

“Why am I here, Dinah?”

Dinah placed a photo of Stein on the table. Covered in his own blood, blood that was also on your hands. You rubbed your hands in the side of your legs when they suddenly felt warm and wet.

“Because you’re a murderer who’s gonna pay for the lives you took.”

A faint blue trail followed her fingers, hovered over the photo.

“Agent.” You said in quiet warning to which she shrugged you off.

“The only reason I was there that day was you.” Billy answered after a few seconds of him silently looking at the picture. Whether he was fabricating his story or simply digesting the empty look in Stein’s eyes - eyes you had watched the light fade out of - you couldn’t tell. “I was there to take you home. I remember going back to your place, cleaning you up, holding you all night in the same bed that you and I had repeated sexual encounters.”

“Did you and Frank Castle conduct illegal covert operations in Kandahar?” She asked instead.

“What the hell?” You muttered and dropped your forehead to your hand.

“I’m sure you’ve perused my service record. Does it indicate that I was in Kandahar?” He countered. “Here’s what I think happened. I think you’re pissed that Frank Castle got away from you. Agent Yersova made sure of that, didn’t she?”

The mention of your name made you lift your head and he offered your a quick smirk, leaving as fast as it came on.

“But you’re looking to blame me so you sent your guys to come down to pick me up. But now you’re realizing that maybe that wasn’t such a smart move.”

“Make your choice.” You told her quietly, nodding slightly towards Billy to say that it was the moment you had predicted.

“Now if this was official,” Billy continued and you could practically see the gears turning in Dinah’s head. “You wouldn’t be sitting there alone.”

“She’s not alone, Mr. Russo.” You spoke up, making the decision for her. “I’d like to circle back to something if you don’t mind.”

Billy turned to you with an amused expression and gestured for you to continue.

“You mentioned sexual encounters with Agent Madani.” You began.

“What are you doing?” She asked tightly but you ignored her, refusing to break eye contact with Billy.

There was a challenge in his expression as well as yours. Neither of you would back down.

“Yes. Don’t worry, I was getting to you and I as well.” Billy replied. “And this whole thing.” He made a vague gesture to the table and between you two. “Calling you agent, kinda hot.”

“Do you have some proof of you recently being at either of our residences for any extended periods of time?”

“Meaning?”

“Cell tower pings, location tags, GPS directions. Anything like that.”

“Most likely.”

“Great, and can you provide any specific dates?”

He scoffed lightly.

“Along with that, do you have proof of what occurred during these alleged encounters?”

“Proof?” His brows raised.

“Photos, videos, explicit text messages, audio recordings.”

“You wanna know if I made a tape?” He chuckled in disbelief.

“I want to know if you can back your allegations with evidence, should anything escalate.” You countered firmly. “Can you?”

“I don’t have pictures or videos.” He spat back in annoyance.

“Audio?”

“No.”

“Texts?”

“Doubtful. You’re very careful.”

You hummed slightly and he rolled his eyes, knowing you had beat him on that.

“Then your allegations are baseless and therefore irrelevant.” You smirked with a shrug.

Dinah pushed herself up and shut off the camera. You sat back in your seat and folded your hands over your stomach, swiveling slightly side to side. Billy was still looking at you, an almost proud expression on his face that you didn’t acknowledge.

“You’re gonna tell me this room isn’t bugged?” Billy asked after a small stint of silence. “Can never be too careful.”

“Funny you mention that.” You offered a sarcastic expression.

“I’ve got an offer for you, best and final.” Dinah said quickly and you spun in your chair to face her. Your brows were raised with an expectant expression. “I’ll guarantee leniency if you give me the executioners, the tortures, everything. And when I say everything, I need William Rawlins.”

You turned enough to see Billy’s reaction.

“You didn’t know I had Rawlins’ name.” Dinah bragged and again, Billy looked to you.

“Wasn’t me.” You shrugged. “Some NSA ghost story came around.”

“You killed Sam Stein.” Dinah continued. Her rage was filling the room, pushing out the air and threatening to choke you. It was more than justice for her, though she’d never admit it.

It was revenge. It was consequence. It was right up your alley, everything Exodus was built off of.

Maybe this was more her fight than Livia’s. She could do more for Dinah than Livia could. Avoid the red tape and bring a real conclusion.

“…life won’t be worth the termination-of-parental-rights form your mother scribbled her signature on.” Dinah spat and even you were taken back.

You almost said something about it but then remembered you weren’t with Billy. It was a sharp blow, even for you, but the woman was angry. And hell has no wrath like a woman scorned. You focused back in on the conversation as Dinah’s as vaguely threatening Billy before she left, leaving you and Billy alone in the room.

“Your head’s healing nice. Almost forgot you got hurt in the first place.” He commented instead of the question in his eyes. He didn’t trust the room wasn’t bugged so he didn’t dare to say what he really wanted.

“Yeah, cuts and bruises heal pretty okay for me.” You nodded. “The rib still hurts on deep breaths but that’s never gonna go away.”

“What are you doing, Livia?” He asked quietly. “Getting mixed up in all this.”

“I’ve always been part of this, just not the way you expected. Started long before I met you, Bill… See you soon.”

You were barely out of the room when his hand was around your arm. You let out a quiet sigh while he pulled you down one of the nearby halls.

“I never wanted to hurt you, Livia.” He said softly, the grip on your arm loosening while his thumb began to move against the fabric of your shirt. You made sure to put a hand on his chest to keep a fair distance between you two. “If there was another way…”

“Bill, all of this is your choice.” You insisted gently. “You could change it at any point if you let it.”

“I can’t…”

“I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt but you kept proving me wrong time and time again. You put me in a position where I have to defend you time and time again. I have to bend my conviction again. I have to choose between you and him.”

“Then stop fighting!” He urged as a loud whisper.

“I can’t!” You answered in the same hushed tone. “As much as I like you, I can’t be on your side. You’ve proved that you’re not loyal to me and you’re not loyal to Frank… That man saw you as his brother, his family. How could you do this to him?”

“You like me?” He asked in genuine amazement.

“That’s what you heard?”

You scoffed to yourself and left after that, making your way to Dinah’s office. You walked in on her arguing with someone else that she introduced as Rafi, the man above her. They were yelling about the conflict of interest and you offered they watch the rest of the video but Rafi didn’t want to hear anything from you. You listened to the rest in silence but were told to find Castle and Micro.

You didn’t need to work very hard to do that.

Leaving Dinah’s office, you went straight to Frank and Lieberman. You walked in in a hurry to update them on what was going on. Dinah had gained nothing by bringing in Billy other than pissing the man off, but there was still some underlying desire to have you in his life. He didn’t want to lose you for good and you could manipulate that but before you could say anything about the spray painted vest you caught a glimpse of, Frank had grabbed your arm.

You opened your mouth for a question but he pulled you against his chest and had his arms around you before you could find your voice. You froze for a second before returning the embrace. Maybe it was an apology for being a jerk the last time you two spoke or maybe it was just his way of saying he was glad you were okay since he hadn’t said anything about it before. Maybe even his way of saying he felt bad you lost someone else you had trusted, that he understood you were betrayed too. In all likelihood, it was all three.

“Love you, Frank.” You muttered against him. “Figured I should say it before whatever happens next.”

“Yeah, love you too, Princess.” He answered and stepped back, patting your cheek before stepping away.

There was tension in the air lingering from an argument that just finished between him and Lieberman. You looked at the former NSA agent and he gave you a look that said he wasn’t going to talk about it. Frank was rushing around, collecting gear and throwing it into the back of the van. You had moved to follow him when something on Lieberman’s monitors caught your attention.

“Guys?” You called as you moved closer to the screens. “What happened here?”

Frank was by your side first. “Go back.”

Lieberman reversed the footage and found a quick scene of two alleged cops taking Sarah and Zach. But you noticed Leo was nowhere to be seen. Lieberman and Frank were going back and forth about what to do, who would be coming, and whether Sarah would give up ‘Pete’. You were more worried about why Leo wasn’t in any of the footage.

You pushed past the bickering men and ran out to your car. You rummaged through the backseat and under your passenger seat, throwing everything out of your way until you found it. The cracked, blood-stained mask. You didn’t care if anyone saw you with it as you ran back into the compound and then began rummaging through Lieberman’s cluttered desktop. You examined different cables and adapters before finding one that matched close enough to the shape of port your mask had.

You were moving to plug both ends in, one to your mask and one to a computer, when you saw a new angle of footage. It showed the driveway and Leo jumping from one of the windows.

“Atta girl.” You said to yourself with a small smile before resuming your task, ignoring Lieberman trying to get you to stop.

“Call her.” You said, simply stating his hands away when he reached for yours.

You were furiously typing, overriding your own security protocols and verifying the use of the new device. You scrolled through the various connections and tracking devices until you found it. It was old, probably had terrible range and reception, but it was usable. With Lieberman’s interconnected network, it just might do it.

SUIT - YERSOVA

The emblem you gave Leo was one of the original trackers before they were embedded in your bodies.

You laughed in slight relief when the screen showed a mask with a small blip of the familiar hourglass shape. You were piecing together where exactly she went when Frank put the call on speaker and leaned over your shoulder to see what you were doing. You pointed to the blinking logo and looked back at him, knowing both hope and worry were reflecting in your eyes.

“Hello?” Her voice came through, panic evident.

“Hey, kiddo.” You said softly. “It’s me and Pete. We’re gonna help you but you can’t talk to anyone about it, okay? Not the cops, not anyone. You remember who I told you I was? I’m gonna handle this.”

“They took Mom and Zach.” She sniffled and your heart broke for her. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I know what they did.” Frank answered. “You have no reason to trust me but I’m right here and we’re the only hope you and your family have.”

“After this call, I need you to take the battery out of the phone.” You instructed calmly. “Throw it as far as you can. Then the SIM card, you do the same thing in the other direction. If those people try to find you, they’re gonna come up empty, okay?”

“You know where the pool in that park is, sweetheart?” Frank said after a whispered exchange between him and Lieberman. “I want you to go there, okay? You wait for us and we will come for you. Okay?”

“Okay… Okay.”

The call ended after that and you turned to Lieberman.

“You need to go to her.” You said pointedly, pushing past him.

“You just said you two were going.” He reasoned. “She thinks I’m dead. Am I supposed to just go up to her and say ‘Hey, baby. I’ve been living in a basement for a year. I’m not dead. Come let’s-“

“Goddammit, David!” You shouted in frustration. “Your daughter is scared and on her own!”

“Hey..” Frank said quietly, putting his hand on your shoulder. You took a deep breath and nodded, collecting yourself before talking again.

“Go to your little girl, David.” You said in a calmer tone. “I’ve been where she is and when I tell you all I wanted was my dad…”

“Meet us at the Greenpoint Terminal. If we’re not there by midnight, you go to Madani.” Frank instructed.

“Only to Madani.”

“What are you two gonna do?” David asked hesitantly.

“I’ve gotta change.” You shrugged, looking down at your dress shirt. “Then wait for these sons of bitches to show up.”

“Make ‘em tell us where Sarah is. Then we’re gonna kill them all.” Frank finished.

You ran to your car and drove home quickly. You practically ran up the stairs and slammed into the locked closet. You kicked a small box that was left outside your door and figured you’d look at it later. You changed your clothes quickly, the familiar tight fitting material of your suit on your body. Instead of your specialized top from Matt, you wore your newest vest. You fit your Bites into place at your wrists, knives at your thigh and back of your belt, a gun on your hip, shock disks at the front of your belt, retractable at your wrist as well. You threw on a loose pair of sweats and a hoodie for the drive back and sped back to Frank.

You ditched your covers at your car and kept your head down as you went inside. You announced your arrival with a whistle, two quick notes that usually would’ve been answered by a second pair of notes. You arrived just as Frank was finishing his prep, hiding rifles and other gear while you made your way to the bloodied mask. You unplugged it, deleted any trace off David’s computers, and put it over your eyes.

You hauled yourself up into the rafters, tucking your feet to conceal your presence. You and Frank said nothing to each other, only exchanging looks from time to time. It wasn’t until you saw the lights coming from down the hall that you focused up. You tapped your mask and counted the bodies, noting the thermal imaging device your mask detected with one of them. Your presence wouldn’t be secret for long, but it was never intended to be.

One of the men strayed from the group so you moved carefully from above. You timed your steps to his, careful to shift your weight evenly to avoid any sounds. Once he was completely isolated, you dropped down and landed behind him. You covered his mouth and nose with one hand while flicking out the retractable blade. You dragged the knife along his throat and felt the warm blood spill across your hand.

The familiar metallic smell lingered in the air as his body went limp in your arms. His blood was dripping from your hand and your blade as you tucked it and moved to the next one. A man a few dozen feet away. You clipped the wire between your Bites as you crept up behind him.

In a swift motion, you got the wire around his neck and yanked backwards to throw him to his face and put a knee between his shoulder blades. You pulled the wire tighter and he gasped for breath, clawed at the wire and reached behind to try to grab you. Your hand took hold of either side of his head and twisted, a sick snap echoing in the empty hall.

You met with Frank a few minutes later and made your way into the main room. There was a small team spread out so you and Frank split. You watched one of them begin a phone call so you crept closer and turned your implant to listen in. Your body grew tense when you heard the voice on the other end.

“Конечно.” You muttered in annoyance. (Of course.)

Billy warned that it was a trap but it was too late. A decapitated head came rolling in with an explosive strapped to it and when it went off, you began your next assault. Gunfire rang out on the other side of the room while you took on your targets. The three closest to you.

Panic rose in the trio as you armed your Bites and a threatening red glow emanated from the devices. You quickly fired at one before moving to a second. He raised his rifle but you ducked it and knocked it aside, causing him to fire into one of his teammates’ leg. You grabbed the knife from the back of your belt and dropped to a knee, swiping it along the inside of his knee. He cried out and buckled before you flipped the blade in your hand and drove it down through his foot.

You yanked the other leg out from under him and he fell to his back. You rolled over him and took control of the rifle to fire a quick burst at the first man you had hit with your Bite. You then pressed your device against the second one’s temple and fired, the smell of burnt flesh filling your nostrils quickly. At that point, one target remained.

You grabbed the helmet of the closest body and threw it, slamming the nose of the man limping towards you. You ran at him and took hold of the front of his shirt before flipping over him, pulling him backwards over the desk. You yanked him to the side to get him to face you before slamming your fist against his face. Bloodied punch after bloodied punch until his face was a mangled mess of blood and swollen lumps. At that point, you pulled your pistol and came around to the other side of the table. You held the man by his hair and placed your gun under his chin. He coughed up blood before you fired and he fell limp.

You made your way to Frank again as he was getting hit with heavy fire from three men. You ducked by his side and pulled the discs from your belt. Using the reflection off the blade of your knife, you ricocheted your discs to hit the furthest two. They cried out and doubled over, providing enough of a gap for you to move one way and Frank to go in another.

You went for the two you electrocuted, kicking out at the closest one’s chest to slam him into the wall behind him. You jabbed the heel of your hand into the other one’s throat before he could gather his rifle and he stumbled back, holding the tender flesh. The man behind you grabbed your arm but you quickly breaking free of his hold. You grabbed his forearm instead and forced his arm to extend. You threw your other elbow against the joint and heard the rip tendons. Without releasing his arm, you grabbed his shirtfront and threw him into his teammate.

You pulled a blade and jammed it into the closest one’s stomach, dragging it across until it came out the other side and even more blood spilled over your hands. Using the same knife, you buried it in the last man’s neck. Watching the blood spill from his lips as he choked on it.

You found Frank again in the kitchen, yelling for Russo.

“He’s not here.” You said simply, you accent in your voice as you wiped the blood splatter off your cheek. It wasn’t until then, when the adrenaline was fading out, did you feel the sharp sting on a bullet graze on the outside of your arm.

You heard groaning and turned to see one man crawling away. Or at least trying to. You walked over and pressed a foot against the slices at the back of his legs and he cried out, going limp under your weight.

“Where’s Russo?” Frank asked when he got to your side.

“I… I don’t know, man.” He said through labored, pained breaths.

“The woman. The kid. Where’s they take ‘em?”

“I don’t know, man! That was…” He tried but you shifted your weight to bring a new wave of pain. “That was need to know. I don’t know anything.”

“Fair enough.” Frank said lowly before a quick shot ended the man’s life.

“One of them called Bill when they got here and told him about that.” You stepped off the body and nodded towards the desks that still replayed Zubair’s torture and the countdown. “Check him for the phone.”

Frank patted through the pockets and found it, sitting against one of the pillars before dialing. He put it on speaker and you sat beside him, rubbing your bloodied hands with a towel.

Sam’s blood.

Elektra’s blood.

“Frank?” Billy said after a short silence.

“The Billy Russo I knew… Oh, he’d have the balls to come himself, y’know.” Frank said, more to you than Billy.

“The Billy Russo I knew wouldn’t be on the wrong side of this fight.” You added, letting your accent tint your words.

“I’ve got staff for that these days.” He answered calmly. “You know the saying about having a dog and barking yourself?”

“Someday, sometime, this is gonna come down to you and me.”

“What about your little friend? Sounds like she’s pretty involved too.”

“Little friend?” You repeated with a small laugh. “You haven’t figured out who I am yet?”

“You’re a wanted man, Franky Boy.” He chose to ignore you, or at least not admit that you were still a wild card. “They’ll catch up to you eventually, just like last time.”

“Guess we’re both running out of time then, huh, Bill?” Frank answered flatly.

“What’s in those computers, Frank?”

“Woman and the kid. Where are they?”

“They’re with me. Right here. Safe and sound.”

You tapped your mask and gave it a second to find the phone call. It lagged due to the cracked lens but you were able to catch on and begin tracking the call. You needed Billy on the line as long as possible to give your broken mask a chance to do its job.

“It’s everything on you, Billy.” You explained, watching the progress bar fill itself at an agonizingly slow speed. “Listen to me carefully. If anything happens to that family, the whole world will see it. They’ll see you, Bill. After that, you’re done.”

“And Zach and Sarah will be dead.” He countered sharply. “You want that family back? I want Lieberman, and I want you, Frank.”

“Sounds about right… And what about my friend in the mask?”

“The girl?” He paused, thinking it over.

“Not just some girl.” You said plainly, dropping your accent for your next sentence. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out, Billy.”

“Livia…”

“Exodus.” Your accent found you again. You looked to Frank and he gave you a small nod. You sighed to yourself and pushed your mask up. “Set up the exchange.”

“You’re giving up that easy?”

“I’ve got a bigger picture.” You shrugged though it was more trust in whatever plan Frank had. “Last chance.”

“We’ll be in touch.”

You and Frank cleaned yourselves up and headed to meet with David. You called Dinah on the way and gave her the meeting point. You had thrown your sweats and hoodie back on, your mask hanging at your neck under the fabric and Bites hiding under your cuffs.

“How about it, Madani? You gonna pull your weapon on me again?” Frank joked and you smacked his arm.

“Do I have to?” She answered, making you and Frank chuckle.

“Surprised you called her.” David said, nervously looking between you two and Dinah. You looked past him and offered Leo a small wave that she returned.

“You and the princess trust her.” Frank answered and you glared at his use of your nickname. “I guess I do, too.”

“Princess?” She looked at you with a pointed expression.

“Not like that.” You shook your head and began to step away “He says it in a jackass kinda way.”

“No, it’s a ‘she gets everything she wants’ kinda way.”

“Exactly. Jackass.” You laughed.

You went around the van and opened Leo’s door. She was looking at you until Frank had joined you, then her eyes dropped to her lap.

“You did good, kid.” You said honestly. “I’m glad you had it.”

“Had what?” Her brows furrowed and she met your eyes.

“The symbol.” You smiled slightly. “Told you I’d have your back when you got it, didn’t I?”

“You guys knew he was alive this whole time?”

“Sorry about that.” You nodded. “It wasn’t safe.”

“I don’t know what to call you.” She glanced at Frank before dropping her eyes again. “Seems stupid to call you Pete.”

“I’m Frank, Frank Castle.”

“He’s a lot scarier than Pete.”

“Nah, he’s the same.” You offered and nudged Frank with your elbow before leaning closer to Leo to loudly whisper. “Honestly, I like Frank better anyway.”

Next thing you knew, you all went back to Dinah’s office. David and Leo waited in the hall while Dinah interrogated Frank. You hung out in the room, behind the camera. Initially, Dinah was against it but it didn’t take much of your power to change her mind. You knew you didn’t need to be in there but you felt protective of Frank, as both his lawyer and his friend. You simply wanted to make sure Dinah’s questioning didn’t cross a line.

Next was David’s interview, which you also hung around for. He spoke about wanting his family back, about that being his priority.

She tried to convince you to sit in front of the camera but you adamantly denied, saying your word wouldn’t change anything. You were too biased. As Frank’s lawyer and partner, you couldn’t speak on his actions without a conflict of interest. As Billy’s ex, you couldn’t speak on his actions either. As David’s associate, same thing. As Dinah’s freelance partner, nothing you said would be credible. So you erased any confidence in the idea and moved forward, getting ready to meet with Billy for the exchange.

You and the guys arrived just before the meeting time. You had no idea what would happen but you had to trust Frank had a plan, more of a plan than just killing Billy. But just in case, you gave him a hug before you got into position. You ditched your covers again and slid your mask to your face before disappearing into the shadows.

You watched the red van pull up and you pulled your gun from your belt. You felt a rush of relief when Sarah and Zach were revealed unharmed. You gripped your gun tighter when you saw the lit flare and your eyes shot to Frank. He lifted the phone to his ear so you tapped the scar in your hair and listened in, hearing Billy’s voice in your head.

Your mask was already tracing the call so you quietly began to follow the path you were given. You moved carefully, testing out ladders and walkways before putting your full weight onto them. You used the sound of the incoming DHS vehicles to cover your rapid footsteps. You came up behind Billy and grabbed the back of his jacket, pressing the other Bite against his temple.

“Miss me?” You asked, your accent dripping off your words.

“I can still pull the trigger.” He warned before you pressed your device harder.

“On who?” You looked over the scene.

Frank was nowhere to be seen and David was being grabbed. Sarah and Zach were safe behind Dinah but the firefight continued. Moments later, David went down and the scream that left Sarah froze you to your bones. It reminded you of your own scream outside Midland, watching the building go down and take Matt with it.

Billy took advantage of your distraction and as your hand gripped the railing in front of you in an attempt to jump it, he grabbed your arm and yanked to the ground. He pinned an elbow against your back and had your face pressed against one of the poles. You quickly looked down his barrel and saw he was aiming at Dinah.

“Go ahead then.” You spat, struggling under the pressure he was applying. “Kill her, then me. Make your life easier.”

Instead he shot out the front tires of both DHS vehicles and you let out a sigh of relief. You heard the clatter beside you when Billy dropped his rifle and grabbed both of your arms to haul you up with him. You struggled in his grip until he let go of an arm in favor of putting his hand on the side of your head. You had just armed your Bite when he slammed your head down to the railing.

One, two, three times till you fell unconscious.

You woke up on the cold concrete floor. Your head pounded and as you lifted it, you felt the slick feeling of drying blood. Looking over, you were in a small puddle of it. It had soaked into the band of your mask, which miraculously was still in place. Your hands were pinned tightly behind your back with zipties, practically tucked under the Bites still locked around your wrists. Your ankles were secured the same way and as you rolled yourself to your back, you felt nothing at your hip or back.

Your gun and knives were gone.

You managed to sit yourself up and began to glance around, looking for something to break the plastic restraints with.

“…geek friend is no longer with us.” You heard Billy’s voice from across the room.

“You killed him?” Frank asked quietly.

You looked around, craning your neck to see where they were. Across the room, you could only see Billy’s back and the arm of someone in the chair. That had to be Frank. The men continued their back and forth, unaware that you were awake on the other side.

“Did you pull the trigger on my wife?” Frank asked angrily and you felt a surge through your own veins, anticipation for Billy’s answer.

“On my son?”

The ultimate betrayal, more than simply siding with Rawlins. Killing Maria and the kids.

“My baby girl?”

“No.” Billy finally said and you felt some sense of relief. “No, I wasn’t there. If I was, you’d be in the ground because I wouldn’t have missed. But I told them I’d have no part in it.”

Your relief was short lived as you rolled your eyes and scooted down so your fingertips could reach the floor. You began to sweep your hands along, looking for anything. A rock, a loose screw, some debris from the previous fight. As you searched you wondered why Billy would have a part in it now. If he could so easily tell Rawlins and Schoonover no before, why not do it again? Especially when it was just Rawlins.

They continued their conversation as your search came up empty. You realized there was no other option and you closed your eyes and tilted your head against the wall. You clenched your jaw as you wrapped a hand around one of your thumbs. You pulled on the joint, moderating your breathing through your nose until it finally popped. You swallowed the groan as you released the limp digit. You flexed your hand up and got your nails under the edge of the zip tie and began to shimmy it down, over your dislocated thumb. You were silently grateful for your seemingly permanent blood soaked gloves, just as Frank was yelling towards someone else.

Your head snapped up and you tried to see again, but you knew your position was too hidden for him to see. You shrugged it off as your hands were able to separate. You pulled them in front of you and stretched out the ache in your shoulders before you looked at your ankles while popping your thumb back into place with another muffled sound.

You tried to get a finger under but those were done tightly as well. You sighed slightly and looked again, just in case your fingers missed something but you couldn’t miss what was never there. You rested the heels of your hands on your forehead and felt the edge of your mask.

The mask.

You pushed it off your head and turned it over in your hands, looking at the already cracked lens. You didn’t have the means to break it quietly but there was enough chipped off the edge that it was sharp. You tried it on the zip tie around your hand first and with a good tug, you got it to break through. At that point you brought it down to your ankles and began to saw through until it finally popped apart.

You smiled to yourself before you fixed the mask back over your eyes and crept closer to the scene, though you had to ignore the ache in your arms from your escape. Rawlins had come and gone but there was someone typing away at the computer screens, trying to get through to stop the countdown. Your first instinct was to go and help Frank, untie him before drawing Billy away, but the persistent tapping on the keyboards beside you kept plucking the strings of your nerves.

You’d deal with her first.

You crept into the area with the computers and woke one of your Bites. It hummed gently around your wrist while you stayed low to the ground to ensure no one in the next room could see you. You took one steadying breath, calculating the time you’d have between first contact and one of the men coming into the room.

Less than a minute was your best guess.

You kicked out her chair and the wheels scraped aggressively across the floor. She hit the ground with a loud groan so you reached across and covered her mouth with your hand. You aimed the other Bite and fired on her quickly, a sharp yelp coming from her before she fell limp. Small convulsions raked through her body though her eyes were closed. You stayed in your kneeling position and peeked over at the screen, finding comfort in the countdown that was still ticking. Cursor blinking in the box asking for a password

“Who are you protecting, hmm?” Billy asked and you dared to stand fully, relieved to see just him and Frank in the room and neither were looking at you. “Maria? Livia?”

Your heart jumped at your name, triggering the set of explosions in your chest that you thought would betray you. You watched in quiet interest while Billy wiped some of the blood dripping from Frank’s mouth and nose.

“She’s probably the one person in this city you don’t need to protect.” He chuckled and you saw the faintest of pinks falling from his words. The thought of him loving you, it really made his firm stance against you so confusing, but for all you knew Billy was just as confused.

“Doing all this for Livs isn’t gonna change anything. They’re dead. They’re dead because of you. And I get it. It’s a heavy, heavy burden… Time to put it down.”

“Don’t die on me, Frank.” You said to yourself. “I need a little more time.”

You ignored the words Billy was saying while you went back to the desk, finding the cable you had used when you first connected your mask to find Leo. You tried to move things quietly, given your rummaging was the only sound in the place. After what felt like an eternity, you found it. You pulled your mask around your neck and connected it. You typed carefully, gently pressing the keys to work through the security. When it came to the ocular scan, you were able to use a zoomed image saved in your mask. You had just gotten in when you felt slapped with the despair, the submission, and it left a cold feeling across your skin. You collected whatever would be dispersed when the timer ended and slid them over to be copied to your mask before picking up your head.

“It’s gotta be you.” Frank said and your heart sank immediately. “It’s gotta be clean. Just don’t let him take me, Bill. Don’t let him hurt her.”

“Who?”

“The… The princess. You gotta promise me that.”

How could he be worried about you in a time like that?

“Frank…” You tried to speak but you had no voice. Just a strained whisper of your friend’s name.

No, not your friend.

Your family. Your brother.

You understood then, the reasons you expected Billy to be loyal to Frank were the exact reasons you were, and that’s why it twisted your stomach so tightly. You fought beside Frank by chance, same as Billy. You risked your life at Frank’s side, same as Billy. You stood beside Frank in a storm of blood and bullets, same as Billy. Parched him up, trusted him with your life even when everyone told you not to. But on the other side, you stayed at his side without doubt. Billy left.

“He’s not gonna touch her.” Billy said honestly. “I promise.”

You weren’t exactly sure if you found comfort in that or not. What you did know from that was you had leverage, and you’d need as much of that as you could get.

There was a subtle pinging from your mask so you held it up enough to see that the files were copied. You disconnected the device and fit it back to your face as Billy summoned two men - who you hadn’t noticed and miraculously didn’t notice you either - to bring Frank to the computers.

Billy got into the room first as you were finding a hiding spot. Under the back corner of the desk, behind the leg among the mess of cables underneath. They stepped over the woman’s body and you saw Billy’s steps falter. Your hand hovered at your hip but remembered your gun was gone. You sighed to yourself and rested your hand over your bent knee, forced to depend on your own strength and your Bites. He said nothing and a bit later, the men slammed Frank’s chair down. You watched him draw closer, blocking your hiding spot from view as he spoke. Rawlins had entered as well while Frank was typing.

Soon after, a small alert popped up in the corner of your mask. You carefully tapped your mask and it displayed the live camera feed from David’s systems on the roof above you. You realized quickly that Frank was potentially going to push Rawlins, that way if he died that day, at least it’d be on tape.

That crazy son of a bitch.

The screaming was next, sending a jolt of adrenaline through you. Billy had moved out of your way so you reacted quickly. You kicked out his knees so he fell to the ground and you climbed out of your hiding spot.

You moved to stand but Billy grabbed your ankle, causing you to stumble and give him enough time to get up. You spun quickly when his grip released, a small growl at the base of your throat as you faced him. He looked at you with slightly widened eyes before you moved at him. You threw sharp combos of punches, alternating hands and targets, switching your feet and ducking his attempts to hit you back. On one swing, he pushed your hand away but the movement was enough to flick out the knife at your wrist. You chuckled in disbelief, having completely forgotten about the discreet weapon, before yanking your arm back and slicing the tip of Billy’s shoulder.

You shoved your shoulder into his chest to knock him back before you hurried to kneel at Frank’s side. He looked at you in complete shock and you ignored the look while you wiggled the tip of the blade under the ziptie. Before you could break it, a heavy boot slammed your side. It knocked the air from your lungs as you fell to the ground. Looking back and clutching your side, Rawlins stood over you with blood dripping down his chest and neck. He was breathing heavily before he slammed his foot into the side of Frank’s head and your friend went limp.

He came closer to you and you saw Billy coming up behind him. You quickly decided you didn’t need or want that man to save you so you helped yourself. You waited until Rawlins was within your reach and you swiped your blade in a wide arc and sliced both of his legs. You then kicked out at the new wounds and the man fell into Billy. You ran after that, just far enough away that you could get into the rafters, though neither man had the audacity to chase you.

You waited a few minutes and just as you were going to sneak back in, your implant was pinging with a phone call. You denied it but it came again. With a silent groan, you climbed down and snuck out the back entrance you usually crept in through.

“What?” You said sharply.

“What did you do to my cameras?” David asked quickly on the other end.

“Your cameras?”

“I’m trying to access them but it says they can’t broadcast. You said you messed with them. What did you do?”

“What are you…” You began before you remembered. “Right, shit. When I first got here and I didn’t know or trust you, I blocked any and all broadcast. Only connected devices can get to the feed.”

“Well unblock it!”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Dinah asked, her voice further away than David’s.

“I don’t have that tech with me.” You said honestly. “I might be able to do it through my mask but there’s no guarantee… What do you need the cameras for anyway?”

“These men need to be arrested!” She urged. “We need to see what’s happening.”

“There are no arrests to be made here!” You argued. “Madani, I worked with you because I needed to know what you knew. But this talk of- of trials and arrests, you sound like Daredevil and look where that got him. It ends the way Frank decides it ends…. Жизнь за жизнь.” (A life for a life.)

“Can I undo it from here?” He asked instead.

“Maybe.” You shrugged, not caring to argue. “Can you read Russian?”

“What?”

“It’s a Russian program. If you can read it, the override key is Daredevil, Отчаянный. And the confirmation is Romanoff, Романофф.”

“Why would you do it in Russian?”

“It’s my first language, dude. Look, I gotta go.” You hung up quickly.

You took a deep breath of fresh air and looked back at the door.

You could leave. You didn’t have to stay, didn’t have to fight. You could go home, lick your wounds and take on Billy on your own if Frank didn’t finish it.

But what kind of friend would that make you? What kind of person would that make you?

You’ve gotta see it through, sweetheart.

You could hear Matt’s voice in your head.

You’ll be alright. Save Frank to save yourself.

You weren’t even worried about yourself.

So you went back inside. You snuck in quietly and stayed low, hiding in shadows and behind the clutter David left behind. You watched the scene unfold with a sick feeling in your stomach, enough to make you want to puke. But you swallowed it down, forced it to the bottom of the chasm in your chest.

Every punch Rawlins landed on Frank was paired with an echoing explosion. You were still there, in front of Midland as it went down. And the Matt in your head might’ve been right. To get yourself out of there, to save yourself, you had to save Frank.

“I made him a promise.” You recognized Billy’s voice as you got into the room, shimmying behind some pile of crates.

“I don’t care about your promise.” Rawlins spat and the anger was hot, even in your hiding spot. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and go find the girl?”

“The girl?” Billy nearly laughed. “You do realize that was Exodus, right? She wiped the Russian syndicate off the map by herself. She cleared Yakuza from the city. Took on Wilson Fisk. She don’t wanna be found, no one’s gonna find her.”

“Oh… I see.” Rawlins nodded and you clicked your mask to watch from the camera. “You’ve gone soft for her.” He mocked. “You think she cares about you, Russo? If she’s so dangerous, then you're only alive to serve her purpose. Once she’s done, she’ll put a bullet in you unless you get to her first.”

“She’s not gonna kill me.” Billy shrugged and your brow quirked at the confidence. “And I’m not gonna kill her. But I am gonna kill him.”

“He does not get to die easy!” Rawlins yelled.

“He’s taken too much from me.”

“Like what?” Billy challenged and in any other scenario, you would’ve thought it to be sort of hot.

You stopped paying attention after that, wondering how you were going to get the men out of the room. You considered going after their hacker again, but you’d already shocked the girl once. Doing it again might just kill her. You could head back into the rafters, call them and lure them away. Throw something down the hall and watch them panic, but that might only get one. You were calculating different options when Frank’s agonizing scream sounded and you nearly exposed yourself.

“This doesn’t serve me!” Billy yelled and you saw two sets of feet moving away. Looking at the small camera image at the corner of your vision, Billy had pulled Rawlins off.

Rawlins calling Billy a gutter rat seemed to strike a chord with you that you didn’t understand, nor did you try to. You stepped out carefully, gently guiding the blade out of its position hidden under your Bite, and crept behind Rawlins. Billy’s eyes darted over and saw you coming but instead of saying anything, he moved to be behind Frank and put his gun to his head.

You reacted quickly in turn, putting an arm around Rawlins’ neck and kicking out his knees to force him to the ground. You pulled back the arm around his throat and pressed the tip of the blade under the man’s chin.

“Nice to know you’ve got good things left to say, Bill” You said simply, your familiar accent rolling off your tongue with ease. “But if you hurt him, I will kill you.”

“Stand down, Lieutenant!” Rawlins shouted, a strained sound.

You heard a faint click, not one of the handgun Billy held but something else. Like plastic breaking. After a second, Billy stood and held his gun up in surrender.

“And you.” You said to Rawlins, pushing the tip enough to break skin. “Beating on a man who cannot fight back. That’s low, even for me. Is it because you’re afraid?”

“I’ll kill you.” He breathed. “After Castle, you’re dead.”

You looked up and saw Billy moving closer, a hand out to you in question. You clenched your jaw and yanked your blade, cutting a long line across the bottom of his chin before you threw him to his face. You reached down and took the gun from his holster, tucking it into yours instead.

“No, I don’t think I am.” You answered. “I took out Russians and Yakuza, remember?”

You let Billy grab both of your arms and put them behind your back. Rawlins had gotten to his feet and reached for something off the table, a blue rod in either hand. You tried to see it better but he shoved the object against your stomach, between the armored plates and you felt a needle pierce your skin.

You gasped in shock and Billy pulled you backwards as Rawlins turned to Frank and laughed. You sudden felt a tingling sensation across your body, as if all of your limbs had fallen asleep and were waking back up. You could feel your heart steadily picking up in your chest, a strange stutter in its rhythm. It made you dizzy, uneasy on your feet and falling into Billy. You watched him stick Frank with the other and he sat upright in his chair.

“Adrenaline…” You muttered, shaking your head to clear the symptoms. You could feel them fading, the heat under your skin burning through the excess hormone, but that didn’t make the physical effects any less.

“Frank…” You tried but got no reaction, not even when Rawlins leaned in with what looked like an ice pick in his hand.

“Frank!” You yelled, using every square inch of air in your lungs as Billy dragged you towards the computers.

You watched as Frank got his revenge, beating on Rawlins before shoving his thumbs into the man’s eye sockets. It was a grotesque scene but well warranted, all things considered.

You fought out of Billy’s hold and stumbled down the short stairs, making your way to Frank’s side. The two exchanged comments as you fell to your hands and knees beside your friend. You were reaching for the gauze at your belt when you heard the Homeland announcement. Your intent shifted to the borrowed gun and you lifted it as Billy aimed his gun at Frank.

You fired without hesitation and grazed his hand. You didn’t pay attention to where he went. Instead you dropped the gun and focused on Frank. David was quick to get to the ground beside you and Dinah stood a few feet away in quiet shock.

“Dammit, Dinah.” You said sharply. “Help me. Help him!” You began shouting. “He did all of this for your goddamn justice and all you can do is stand there!”

“Put your hands up!” An agent yelled but you ignored him, staring daggers at Dinah while you were holding Frank’s hand. You knew you were projecting your desperation, the need for him to survive, but you didn’t know how it came across to him.

“Hands up, now!” He yelled again and you felt the rifle at the base of your skull.

“Jesus Christ, Madani, do something!” David shouted.

“Если нет, ваши люди снова умрут.” You warned lowly. (If not, your men will die, again.)

25 notes · View notes

mirkwoodshewolf · 2 years ago

Text

Guardian angel; Matt Murdock x teen daughter reader

*Author’s note*

Okay this little idea randomly popped into my head over the weekend so I decided to post it up here and see what you all think. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we NEED MORE DAREDAD FICS!!! Seriously this man DESERVES happiness *ted talk over*

Now the way I picture this fic is like PRE S.1 like just before the events of the first episode of the series. The early days of Matt being daredevil or in this case the Man in the Mask aka the Devil of Hell’s kitchen.

Warnings: fluff, some angst, teen pregnancy (protection was used but remember kids wrap it before you tap it), some chaotic religious aspects shown but not acted upon,

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@queensdivas

@queen-paladin

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@austynparksandpizza

__________________________________________________________

I knew I couldn’t hide this forever. It was only a matter of time before he got too suspicious or worse found out about me and Austin’s…..I took a heavy breath as I bounced my leg anxiously and rubbed my hands over my face.

I heard my phone rang and across the screen was my favorite picture of Austin playing his acoustic guitar and my name for him flashed across the screen, “The King” with three heart emojis and a king emoji. He was asking for a Facetime which I accepted.

“Hi baby.”

“There’s my best girl.” I blushed as I ducked down.

“You know what that nickname does to me.”

“And I’ll still say it an infinite amount of times just to see you get flustered every time.”

Austin Callahan, probably one of the cutest boys at St. Maria’s Catholic School. Captain of the swim team and the basketball team, honor student, and the nicest guy in the world who loves listening to Elvis music as well as all the oldies rock and roll? Could there be any other dream guy?

Not only that but we had been friends since we started our High school year until just last year at homecoming, he admitted to having feelings for me as he gave me a handmade rose he made from one of the napkins (I still have it to this day in my pencil cup on my desk at home). From there our romance began to shine.

Of course being in a relationship, there was no hiding it from my dad. Well when your dad is a lawyer like Matthew Murdock of “Nelson & Murdock” obviously you can’t hide anything from him. Believe me I’ve tried in the past and he finds out every time.

Which is why I’ve taken up residence at my all-time bff Maddie’s place. It’s not much (Hell’s kitchen never is) but it’s home, nevertheless. The reason why I’m sleeping over at my friend’s house almost indefinitely is because—I’m pregnant. Yep, 17 years old and I’m pregnant just short of a month and a half.

Past couple of weeks I’ve been getting really sick, like even just the smell of Hell’s kitchen’s smog is enough to make me puke my guts out. I also began to realize that I hadn’t gotten my period yet. So one day after school with Maddie at my side, we went to the local doctor’s office, told them about my symptoms and my late period and after some blood work and a pregnancy test, I came back positive.

Austin was the first person to tell and he was shocked at first but he took me by the hands, looked me in the eye and swore to me that he wasn’t gonna leave me like his daddy did him and his mama. I was at least thankful to God above that I had the support of my friends and Austin, but the biggest hurdle was yet to come. My dad.

My dad is not just a Man of the Law, he’s also a Man of God. Not like holy religious that he beat the script of every verse of the Bible into me, or told me everyone is a sinner and everyone is going to Hell should they not repent (thank God). But he did raise me to be a good Catholic girl ever since my mom died of cancer when I was only 2 years old.

He told me to always be aware of my surroundings, know the temptations, and don’t let anyone take advantage of you. And just like that I gave into temptation and now I paid the price (before you say it YES we did use protection).

“How you feeling sweetheart? You ducked out of Chemistry class pretty quick.”

“I’d rather not relive that. I tried so hard to keep it in but that crap that Hilary was wearing as perfume became too much. I mean really there’s a reason why you don’t put on perfume in a classroom especially in a chemistry class. Can’t perfume catch fire or something?”

“Some can. But that scent she claimed she bought from Paris, she’d be a human candle if she got one knick of a Bunsen burner.” I laughed and said.

“Maddie gave me the homework for that class, god I still don’t get how you can understand all that stuff.”

“It’s not that hard really. I mean, we found good chemistry right?” I rolled my eyes and told him.

“That has literally got to be the worst cheesy pickup line I’ve ever heard.”

“Can’t blame me if I’m crazy positive about you.”

“Stop!” I whined as he laughed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I swear I’m done now.” He said through his adorable laughter. “So you at Maddie’s again?”

“Yep. Thankfully my dad seems to buy into the fact that we’re doing a project together for history class and I just keep falling asleep here.”

“Wait but didn’t you guys finish that project last week?”

“Yeah but my dad don’t need to know that.”

“Babe. How long are you gonna hide your pregnancy from him?”

“I was thinking….maybe by the time our kid’s out of high school?” he raised his brow at me. “Okay, okay fine! I’ll…..I’ll tell him tomorrow after school. Will—will you be there with me?”

“Anything to take the tension off. It took two to tango after all. Plus I met your dad before, I know he’ll be okay with this.”

“I just….” I trailed off looking down at the ground sadly.

“What? What is it (Y/n)?”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Babe…..”

“No, no Austin just—just listen for a second. Sure my dad’s cool, he’s a kickass upcoming lawyer. He’s not embarrassing, he’s not overbearing when it comes to us being Catholic, but what if he doesn’t want me anymore? Teenage pregnancies are frowned upon and as soon as I start really showing the signs, those hens are gonna cluck.”

“Then let them cluck. It’s not any of their business. This is about us, about you. Our child. Yes we’re still kids and yeah we’re still in school just about to get into adulthood, this is our life. If you still want to have this baby, I’m in. But if you change your mind down the line, I’ll support that too. Because we’re in this together baby girl.”

“How did I ever get so lucky to get you as my boyfriend?”

“Believe me, if anyone’s lucky it’s me. How I ever managed to convince you to be my girlfriend is a miracle that only the good Lord knows.” I smiled and said to him.

“Goodnight king.”

“G’night pretty mama.” He couldn’t help but say in his best Elvis impression. I smiled and kissed my hand before blowing him a kiss and he did the same for me before winking at me and we ended the facetime call.

“I swear the way you two talk to each other makes me want to puke out butterflies and rainbows.” Maddie’s voice said. I turned and she came in with some tomato soup, saltine crackers and pickles.

Another strange thing during my pregnancy is that every now and then I’m getting these cravings for the weirdest shit. Like just the other day, I had sliced orange slices as a side dish for my mashed potatoes and everyone knows how much I loathe oranges (even the smell of them has made me gagged for years). And yet I needed them, or I guess the baby needed them.

“Well that is if your strange food combos don’t make me first. You know how I’ve hated even looking at pickles.”

“I know I’m sorry. But you’re the best for getting some for me.” I said as I took a sliced pickle and put it between two crackers and ate it like a sandwich. Maddie gagged and turned away as she turned on her tv and switched it to MTV to see our favorite show Ridiculousness was on.

“Ohhh I love this one with Sage. The Jeremy category makes me die everytime!” I exclaimed.

“I know right! But you also can’t beat when Ryan Sheckler came on the show and the animal stalkers category. That cat one still makes me think it was a weeping angel.”

“Right!? I swear all cats are the weeping angels familiars. I don’t care what any whovian says prove me wrong.” I said after slurping up my soup.

“So were you like for real about not telling your dad about the baby?” I dropped my spoon back into the bowl and set the tray aside.

“I thought you said you’d work on your snooping in on other people’s phone calls?”

“I did but when it’s a call this serious about my future godchild, I should have some say in it. And Austin’s right, you gotta tell your dad.”

“I know I should but…..do you remember what happened when Katelyn first came out as bisexual. Her parents completely disowned her and now she’s living with her cousin MJ in Queens. I got no other family to go to, what if my dad isn’t cool with…..I mean yeah I’ll have Austin and you but—”

“I get it. Really I do. I’ve seen how close you and your dad are, hell I’d trade my dad for yours any day.” I playfully shoved her.

“Your dad’s sweet.”

“Yeah sweet like a fly buzzing around me every second. Constantly in my business, wanting to look through my phone, I swear he’s the definition of a helicopter parent.” I looked down as I placed my hands over my lower abdomen where the baby was slowly growing. “Hey,” Maddie wrapped an arm around me and I looked up at her, “Your dad loves you. He’s not like those crazy parents we’ve seen that come to preach about the Lord’s will or the End of the world. He won’t give up on you, I can just feel it.”

“I hope your right Maddie. I really hope so.” I looked at the clock and saw that it was just after 10:30pm. “I’m getting kinda sleepy, think I’ll turn in for the night.”

“Yeah I’m gonna head to bed myself. Night (n/n).”

“Night Mads.” We hugged each other and she went across the hall into her room while I snuggled into my bed in her sister’s room (she had left for college in LA so it’s been used as a guestroom) and tried to get some sleep.

Time ticked by and while I was asleep and my eyes were shut, my brain was just buzzing with so many thoughts, fear and anxiety. I got up from the bed and opened up the window that was near the fire escape and decided I needed some fresh air.

The cold autumn night wind blew over my thin pajama bottoms. I almost wish I had grabbed a hoodie or her sister’s old fleece blanket before scaling up onto the roof. I sat along the edge and just stared out into the city as I listened to the sounds of the sirens that passed by, the occasional stray dog barking or people shouting at each other.

“A bit cold to be up here by yourself.” A voice said behind me. I jumped out of my skin and was surprised to see the latest vigilante that had been rumored to be running around Hell’s kitchen.

Unlike the Avengers, this man is said to be brutal against his enemies. Unleashing his untamable wrath on the scum of Hell’s Kitchen but he never kills them (if you ask me from some of stories I hear, I’m surprised they aren’t dead).

The upper half of his face was covered with a black mask with no holes for his eyes. Seriously how is he able to see through that material? His whole attire was black with a skin-tight black shirt showing off every bit of muscle on his upperbody, thick black pants and black combat boots.

“Coming from the guy wearing a skin-tight t-shirt.”

“You’ve got a quick wit.”

“Smart-mouth Murdock some of the kids call me at school. That’s why I’m co-Captain of the debate team.”

“Co-captain? I would assume you’d be captain.”

“Well there’s always someone clever than you, not to say he isn’t a good captain but he can be an asshole at times.” He turned to me. If I could see under the mask, I’d assume he’d be judging me for my foul language. “Pardon my French.”

“I’ve heard worse. Mind if I sit?”

“I’d assume you’d be out there knocking out bad guys. You know kicking ass and taking names.” He let out a scoffed chuckle.

“I prefer not to take names. That’s one difference between the Avengers and me. I would prefer my name to not be publicly known. Not for my sake but for the people around me.”

“I get that.” I replied softly. “I mean look at Captain America. He shouldn’t even bother with a mask cause everyone knows his name. And don’t get me started on Stark’s public announcement, “I am Iron-man”. No wonder why those aliens came for us if the heroes are publicly announcing to the world ‘hey we’re the big and strong Avengers and you can’t do anything about it’. And next thing you know BAM! Aliens are flying in kamikaze style and nearly blowing us all to hell.”

“A bit cynical for one so young.”

“Sorry. I get snippy and cynical when I’m anxious or stressed.”

“And why’s that?”

“I—” I trailed off. He slowly scooted closer to me and said to me in a soft assuring manner.

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener. Plus with the mask you won’t get any judgmental looks from me.” I picked at my nails as well as stroking my lower abdomen with my pinkie and ring fingers.

“The whole aspect of catholic guilt it—it’s eating me alive.”

“Catholic guilt?”

“You don’t want to hear this. This is just dumb teenage drama that all adults try to pin us with even when we’re going through some really hard and tough shit. It’s not always just teenage drama we have our own problems that you folks don’t seem to get and—” I went on a ramble until I felt him ground me by placed a hand on top of my shoulder.

“Hold on now, take a deep breath.” I turned to him and even through his black mask, I could almost feel the gentleness of his eyes as he had his body fully turned to me, giving me his full attention. I slowly but sharply breathed in through my nose before exhaling shakily.

I did this a couple more times until they became deep, steady breaths.

“There we go. I could hear your heart racing erratically and you were on the verge of a panic attack.”

“You—can you really hear a person’s heartbeat? Or are you just messing with me?”

“It’s a long story but I have enhanced senses that allows me to hear better than most.”

“Wow. That is both dope and freaky at the same time.”

“I apologize if it’s invasive. I don’t mean to do it on purpose.”

“Call me crazy but I believe you.” A slight smile came at the corner of his lips.

“So shall we get back to that spill on catholic guilt?” I bowed my head.

“I was kinda hoping you’d forget about that.”

“I don’t mean to push. But I just feel like you want to talk to someone about this. Someone who isn’t a friend.”

“It’s……my dad.”

“Your dad? Wait he—he doesn’t hurt you, does he?”

“No nothing like that. He’s the best. I swear he’s like my best friend, well after Maddie but still he’s sweet, he’s caring, he’s compassionate. He raised me all by himself for so long that I—I’m afraid he won’t be with me anymore.”

“I’m sorry. I mean eventually we all have to die at some point in our lives. But I’m sure that won’t be for a long, long time for your dad. Unless he’s—”

“I’m not talking about losing him to old age or cancer. I’m talking about that he’ll never speak to me again!” I snapped.

God this pregnancy already has got me so antsy that even the slightest thing in my already stressed out mind, can make me explode. He froze in his spot and it looked like his body was tense at my sudden outburst.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered burying my face into my hands. “The truth is I—I found out just a week ago, that I’m…..I’m a month and a half pregnant with my boyfriend’s baby.”

If I could see under his mask, I’d bet his eyes are bulging out from underneath the satin material.

“Yeah. Pregnant at 17. Go ahead and make assumptions, call me names.”

“You’re sitting next to a guy who goes around wearing a skin-tight shirt and a mask that beats up bad guys late at night. As far as I’m concerned, I am the last person who should be judging you.” He adjusted in his spot as he asked me, “Does the father know?” I nodded.

“Yeah. He was the first person to find out after my best friend. And he’s been nothing but supportive. Even though we’re just about to graduate high school, he’s willing to help out with anything.”

“It’s just you’re afraid to tell your own father about your pregnancy.”

“Don’t get me wrong he’s a great guy. Like I said never once raised a hand to me, was fair in his punishments when I needed them. And he’s not like those so called ��preachers of God’ that you see out in the streets proclaiming the Lord’s Will and the End of the world. But—he always told me to be careful especially around boys.”

“Were you careful?”

“Yes! Austin had the condoms and everything! But it still happens you know.”

“No I know. I remember my days in health class.” I shook my head shamefully.

“I just…..it’s always just been me and my dad. My whole life he’s always been there for me. Whenever life got tough, no matter how busy he was, he always took the time to check up on me. Even if it’s just a quick hug or a peck on the nose before calling me his ‘guardian angel’. What if—what if he hates me? Or decides I’m not his sweet guardian angel anymore but a shameful harlot of Lucifer?”

Tears stung behind my lashes and I harshly tried to wipe them away but that caused them to start falling down my face. I curled myself inward before choking out.

“I need him now more than ever but I—I feel like he won’t be there for me this time. That when I reach my hand out for him, he’ll turn me aside and I’ll be drowning in the unknown world of parenthood. The guilt, the anxiety, forcing us to drift further and further apart from one another until I…..” I sniffled and wiped more tears as well as my nose with my sleeve. “I feel so alone.”

I felt his hand gently stroke down my hair before it moved down to my back, his gloved hand rubbing soothing circles on my back.

“He won’t abandon you. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“Yes I can.”

“How?” I choked out as I looked up to him. I saw as his jaw tensed up before he said.

“Because…because I have a daughter.” I looked at him surprised. Of course, superheroes and vigilantes can have their own lives they don’t have to be full-time superheroes 24/7.

But who would’ve thought that the Man in the Mask aka the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen was a parent.

“You’re a……”

“She’s just around your age. And she means—the world to me. I would want her to be able to come to me for anything, to not be afraid to speak to me. But if she ever did feel the same fear you are now, then I’ve failed as a father.”

“No I—I’m sure you didn’t. It would have nothing to do with your parenting skills, it’s just…..I’ve had friends who had parents just as loving as my dad is. But when they admit to something that goes against their religious code, they disown them or try to repent their sins.”

“But you said your father isn’t like those types of people, right?” I nodded. “I won’t lie. He will be shocked at the news, but give him time to process things and he might just surprise you for what he has to say.”

“I know I should tell him. I can’t hide at Maddie’s forever. But there’s still a lingering voice in my head telling me that when I do tell him, it’ll be the last time I ever see him. I’d give anything to shut that voice up.”

“If you’d like, I could have a word or two with that nagging voice in your head.” That brought probably the first real laugh out of me ever since finding out about my pregnancy.

“I hope those words aren’t with your fists.” He softly laughed.

“No, I mean a real talk. I’d tell it, ‘Alright you negative worm. Stop filling this poor girl’s head with scenarios that aren’t true. Go make like a tree and get out of here!’”

“It’s leaf. It’s make like a tree and leaf.”

“Right that’s it.” I shook my head as I kept laughing.

“You know, you’re not what I’d thought you’d be like.”

“Mean and scary?” I nodded. “Oh to most I’m terrifying but—I have a soft spot for those that are lost. Don’t tell anybody though. Can’t have the scum of Hell’s kitchen thinking I’m too much of a softie.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

“As is yours. Now you promise me you’ll tell your father in the morning?”

“Yes. First thing after school.”

“Good.” He said patting my knee. “It’s late, you should get some sleep. You’re not just sleeping for yourself anymore now.” I rubbed my lower abdomen. As he walked away and stood along the edge of the roof I told him.

“Thank you.” He turned to face me and gave me a soft nod before leaping off the roof and he disappeared into the night. I scaled back down the fire escape and re-entered Maddie’s sister’s room and got back into bed.

As promised after school I stood by mine and dad’s apartment and took a deep breath in before exhaling.

“You sure you don’t need me to go in with you anymore baby? You know I don’t mind.” Austin told me.

“No sweetie, I—I need to talk to my dad about this alone.”

“Okay. If he shows leniency, give me a call later?” I nodded. He leaned forward and we kissed each other before he continued on his way home. I took another deep breath and entered the apartment and headed for the elevator.

Once the elevator dinged on our floor, I walked down the hallway until I reached the apartment room. Taking out my key I took another deep breath in and muttered.

“Okay, he won’t get mad. He won’t get mad. Just—tell him the truth. He’ll understand. He’s cool, he’s my dad and he loves me.” I placed the key into the lock, turned it to the left and heard the click and opened it up.

“Uh-huh, yeah. Alright yeah we can make it. Yes of course, thank you. Yes and have a good afternoon to you too, bye.” I heard my dad’s voice say as I walked through the front hallway until I got to the spacious (as spacious as a New York apartment in Hell’s kitchen can be). “Well look whose returned. Finish your project already?”

“Dad I—I gotta tell you something.” I came right out with it.

“Okay, and what would that be?”

“Can we sit down on the couch?” he nodded before walking from the kitchen to the living room as we both sat on the couch.

“Is everything okay? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?” he asked as he reached his hands out to cup my face. I took his hands and held them between us.

“I’m fine dad. Physically I am.”

“And what about emotionally?” he asked concerningly.

“Dad, I…..I lied to you. I wasn��t at Maddie’s for a project.”

“You-you—you lied to me? Then where were y—you weren’t at Austin’s were you? (Y/n) we’ve talked about this you’re not old enough to sleepover at a boy’s……”

“Dad I wasn’t at Austin’s either. I was at Maddie’s just not for a project.”

“Okay then I’m lost. (Y/n) sweetheart you’re starting to scare me. Whatever it is you can tell me, you know that right?” he asked as he scooted himself as close as he could get to me and wrapped his arm around me.

“Dad I—the reason why I was at Maddie’s was because I……I’m—” come on just say it. I swallowed a large lump in my throat and felt my leg beginning to bounce anxiously. “Promise you won’t get mad.”

“Go on.”

“You didn’t promise.”

“That’ll depend on what news I’ll be hearing. If it’s something illegal you know I won’t be happy.”

“Not really illegal. God I don’t know why I can’t just say it! Why can’t I tell you that I’m a month and a half pregnant!? I—” my mouth stopped as I realized how I had said it. I looked at my dad anxiously and saw how he just sat there flabbergasted.

“Y-you-you’re…..” he leaned back against the couch and just sat there limp like a ragdoll.

“Daddy? Are you—okay?”

“Just….need to process this.”

“Okay.” I muttered as I fiddled with my uniform skirt. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before he finally spoke out.

“Is it Austin’s?”

“Yeah. I swear dad we used protection but it—” he held out his hand telling me he didn’t need to hear anything else. Oh shit this is it. He’s gonna flip his lid, he’s pissed now. Way beyond pissed!

“And you’re sure you’re really pregnant? How did you even get an appointment and why wasn’t I notified?”

“Maddie has an aunt. Her aunt Claire performed the test and she was sworn to secrecy to not notify you.” He rubbed his hands against his face as he let out a deep sigh, his leg bouncing rapidly. Whether in anger or anxiety I couldn’t tell.

“Baby girl, why-why wouldn’t you tell me when you first found out? Why did you go through all of this trouble to lie to me about it?” my heart ached with guilt as tears began forming in my eyes.

“I’m sorry daddy. I—I was scared. Scared that you’d disown me or kick me out with no remorse or hesitation. Everytime I wanted to tell you, my brain kept showing me all the possibilities of you never wanting me to be in your life ever again. That you’d hate me or never say you had a daughter.”

I couldn’t look at him anymore so I closed myself into the edge of the couch and sniffled as I wiped my tears away. I felt dad’s hand gingerly stroke down my hair before coming down to lift my chin up.

I noticed how he had taken his red shades off and placed them on the table. Very rarely does he ever take them off, even around me but when he does, it’s always because he wants to connect with me (even though he’s blind). His unfocused gaze was staring in my general direction as he said to me.

“I’m not mad at you.”

“Y-you’re not?”

“No. I’m—taken by surprise don’t get me wrong. But it takes more than you getting pregnant at 17 for me to ever, ever, ever, think about disowning you or telling you you’re no longer my child.”

“Really?” I whispered.

“Yes.” He said giving me a nod. “So don’t ever go thinking like that again, okay?” my lip trembled as I nodded. “Okay?”

“Yeah.” I choked out.

“Okay.” I immediately hugged him as tightly as I could as I buried my face into his shoulder. His arms immediately wrapped around me as he chuckled softly.

“Oh daddy I’m so sorry I hid this from you!” I wept.

“I know you are angel. It’s okay now, it’s okay.”

“It’s just….I love you so much and I thought you’d—”

“Hey none of that now. There will be no more talk about the paranoid ‘what if’s’ in this apartment. There will never come a time when I tell you to get out of my life or that you aren’t my daughter anymore.” He said as he had me look up at him and he wiped away my tears. “You’re the most important person to me angel, and nothing will ever change that.”

I buried my face into my dad’s shoulder again and hugged him once again.

“I love you daddy.”

“And I love you my little guardian angel. I love you so, so much. And nothing will ever change that.” He said giving me a reassuring squeeze before kissing my forehead as many times as he possibly could.

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themculibrary · 1 year ago

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Trick Or Treating Masterlist

A Halloween Miracle (ao3) - Oh_i_swear steve/bucky T, 5k

Summary: As he stands on the doorstep of his sister’s house, Bucky sighs. It’s Hallowe’en night and he could be anywhere right now… but ideally he’d be inside of his tiny apartment ordering a pizza, watching horror movies and ignoring the world. He wouldn’t be standing here in a Captain America costume waiting to take his niece and nephew trick or treating.

A Hulking Halloween (ao3) - inkinmyheartandonthepage G, 1k

Summary: Peter takes the Hulk trick or treating and freaks out Tony in the process.

A Very Strange Halloween (ao3) - Zeethulhu N/R, 15k

Summary: Companion Piece to "We Can Do Better"

Two old men reincarnated into their young selves get to celebrate Halloween together. Trick of Treating, pumpkin carving, matching costumes... And a trip into the Nightmare Dimension to save comatose patients. Pretty normal for the two people destined to save the universe from Thanos.

Bright Orange Lights (ao3) - ephemeral_wishes N/R, 1k

Summary: In which Tony vows to spend his Halloween in the best possible way.

Clint Barton And The Adventures In Terror Twin Rearing (ao3) - attackofthezee (noxlunate) G, 3k

Summary: In which Steve and Bucky are somehow turned into their ten and eleven year old selves and Clint Barton is somehow nominated to take care of them. It goes about as well as can be expected.

Halloween With The Avengers (ao3) - Boom_Chris mj/peter G, 1k

Summary: Peter, MJ, and Ned go trick-or-treating as their favorite superheroes and end up celebrating Halloween at the Avenger's Tower.

How Peter Parker Became the Avengers' Halloween Ambassador (ao3) - orphan_account G, 7k

Summary: In which Natasha decides she wants Peter to take her trick-or-treating and then the rest of the Avengers decide to tag along.

Avengers family fic with lots of fluff and team-bonding

I'm Not Childish! (ao3) - ajay_lotte T, 5k

Summary: In which Matt's super hyped for Halloween, Team Red go trick or treating, and Nelson, Murdock, and Page attend Tony's Halloween party.

Meet Me On All Hallows' Eve (ao3) - Iron_Eirlyssa (Eirlyssa) tony/t'challa G, 2k

Summary: Only a few days in, T'Challa is already done with New York and everything the guide is trying to tell him. So he slips away, only to finally start enjoying his visit when he meets a young man around his age and the children he's watching.

No Tricks, Just Treats (ao3) - SailorChibi G, 6k

Summary: It's Halloween. Time for all littles to go trick or treating. Clint's excited. Tony... not so much.

The Avengers do halloween (fanfiction.net) - babyliss12 G, 4k

Summary: Tony finds out that Steve has never gone trick or treating. Along with the other Avengers he sets out to change that but of course being the Avengers something has got to go wrong and it leaves Steve wishing that he'd never gone along with Tony's plan.

This Is Halloween (ao3) - Unbreakable92 G, 21k

Summary: Against all odds, Natasha brings Halloween to Tony and Bruce.

Trick or Treat (ao3) - Katieb18 steve/tony T, 6k

Summary: Peter loved Halloween, especially because it was one of the only times in the year that he was allowed sugary things. He couldn't wait to have so much that his tummy ached! Tony and Steve are not as excited as Peter. All they want is to come through this Halloween without having to deal with Peter post sugar rush. But such was the life of overprotective parents.

trick or treat (ao3) - liionne steve/bucky T, 2k

Summary: Bucky, Steve and Nat go to Sam's for Halloween, to watch some movies, pig out a little, have a few drinks— and end up babysitting Sam's nephews and niece.

Trick or Treating with the Avengers (ao3) - Writerofthelorde steve/bucky G, 14k

Summary: Post Winter soldier. Bucky has been with the Avengers for a couple months now. Steve has been trying to help him through everything. It's halloween and the Avengers all go trick or treating. Bucky is wearing his army suit from back in the day and it's making Steve fall in love with him all over again. Awkward moments and a ton of emotions follow.

#themculibrary #masterlists #halloween #trick or treating #trick or treating masterlist

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kimpossibly · 2 years ago

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𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 — 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃. STARTS — JANUARY 2 ENDS — JANUARY 5

Hi everyone! Sooooo I just discovered that I hit ONE HUNDRED FOLLOWERS???? HELLO???????? That is insane and I am literally so grateful for each and every one of you. I wanted to come on here and do a little sumn sumn to show how much I appreciate all of you, and this is what I came up with! Hope you enjoy and thank you all again for 100 followers!!

HOW TO PLAY: pick a character/characters + and prompt, and then send me an ask with both of them. Also please specify if you'd like a drabble or a headcanon, otherwise I will automatically default to a headcanon. For the promts you can just send the corresponding number to whichever prompt you'd like. Send me the ask and I'll write you whatever you want! Fair warning, there are some smutty prompts in the list, so I'll put a little asterisk* by those so you'll know to expect a smutty drabble. Asks can be anon or otherwise, just send in whatever combo you like! Enjoy!

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

Wednesday Addams

Xavier Thorpe

Tyler Galpin

Rowan Laslow

Jeff Winger

Abed Nadir

Harry Potter

Cedric Diggory

Hermione Granger

Ginny Weasley

Peter Parker (MCU)

Peter Parker (TASM)

Bruno Carrelli

Matt Murdock

Kate Bishop

Eddie Brock

Regulus Black

Remus Lupin

James Potter

Lily Evans

Sirius Black

Dick Grayson

Jason Todd

Rachel Roth

Gar Logan

Stiles Stilinski

Liam Dunbar

Theo Raeken

Gilbert Blythe

Theseus Scamander

Jules Paxton

Nick Nelson

Anakin Skywalker

Five Hargreeves

Peeta Mellark

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

— 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬)

“why are you really here? to mock me? to… make me hate you more?” “no. none of that. i came to be a friend, because it really looks like you need one right now.” (this post)

“they would be so mad if they found out.” “fuck ‘em” (this post)

“please, for the love of god, shut up for once.” “why don’t you come over here and make me?” (this post)*

“i’m tired of having to pretend we hate each other.” (this post)

“you’re annoying, you know that?” (this post)

" it's alright... it's okay... i'm here now. i've got you. " (this post)

" who did this to you?"

"we make a pretty good team." (this post)

" you never need to apologize to me. ever. and certainly not for crying... " (this post)

"Hey! Hey, it was just a nightmare. You're okay. I'm right here."

“What, did you think I kissed you all these times because I was doing it for the shits and giggles?” “…Let’s be real, you did have a lot of fun shoving your tongue down my throat in public.” (this post)

“I’ll get over you. I promise. These feelings, they’re— they’re only temporary, I swear. I—I’ll get over you. Just please don’t leave me—” “Did you ever think, that maybe, I don’t want you getting over me? What if I don’t want these feelings to be only temporary? That maybe I... Like you, too?” (this post)

“I didn’t mean to fall for you.” “And neither did I.” “…Fucking pardon?” (this post)

"this is a one-time thing only. don't let me being nice to you get to your head." (this post)*

"Make me." *

"Wait! Can you maybe stay? I don't want to be alone tonight."

"This is why I love you."

“if we weren’t in public right now i’d have my head between your legs” (this post)*

“is that my shirt?” (this post)

“Would you just shut up and kiss me already?” (this post)

— 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬 + 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬

21. Enemies to Lovers 22. Friends to Lovers 23. Childhood Best Friends to Lovers 24. Only One Bed 25. Forced Proximity 26. Cuddling 27. Co-Workers 28. Sharing Earbuds 29. Sickness 30. Halloween 31. Christmas 32. Nightmare 33. Scary Movie 34. Coffee 35. Unrequited Love 36 Academic Rivals to Lovers. 37. Forbidden Romance 38. Stargazing 39. Mornings 40. Going to sleep 41. Date 42. Hug 43. Panic 44. Mutual Pining 45. Friends with Benefits to Lovers

#grace's 100 follower celebration #writblr #writing

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pastafossa · 3 years ago

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The Red Thread: Chapter 105

With how busy I was last week with driving up to visit the new house, I also forgot to post about that chapter, so if you’re looking for Chapter 104 from last week, you can find that here! As for this week’s chapter (also just one this time) where we finally tell Karen and Foggy about Los Angeles, here we go!

Ship: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Chapter Summary:

It would still hurt, opening up about this again so soon. Even if you hadn’t already done this, revisiting these painful memories was never pleasant. But at least this time… Matt could hold you through it.

“Fuck it.” You rubbed at your eyes, settling in. “Let’s do this. Let’s talk about Los Angeles. And then… we’ll see what happens.”

Wordcount: 4,978

Warnings for this chapter: discussions of human experimentation, trauma, treatment of mutants/enhanced by society. We touch on some heavy stuff here so take care my loves.

Read me on AO3 cause my author’s a wordy bitch

Tag list for The Church Of Saint Murdock (which I keep forgetting to update with all the new people! So sorry, gonna try to get to that this week, I swear!) below the cut!

To be added to the taglist, click here): @thenerdlordparade @nurisiliel @psychedelic-star @weeb-verine @acrabbybish @nostalgicslumbers @shadows-echoes @the-bluest-hour @tashas-cauldron-of-tomato-soup @coolhairdocroissantpickle @andthewishingwell@juniebugg. @starry-ocean-floor.@strawb3rrydr3ss@bohemianrhapsody86@moonyinthestars @thequeenofthefallen @elementec @phantomkindalikejaiden@greatmoonchild @lov3vivian @mackycat11 @ownerofthehighground @melodicmel @vx-vexedvixen @bellamy-barnes @junipermurdock @claire-of-asgard @tripletstephaniescp @fanfictionreblogs @smemento @coldwetbasementnoodles @fuckingcams @pantaeudaimonia @janesofia7 @catsnow14@navs-bhat @hopplessdreamer @onemarvelouscleric @fulloffeels @belladonichaze39 @theheartshaker @lady-loves-a-lot @somanyyumypeoplejustletmehave1 @janesofia7 @aquamarinerose @youcandalekmyballs @shen-hongzi @pastamomma @lykaiosmedia @glxwingrxse @inaretuza @scorpiowidow @theoneonly-huntress @elizabeth-or-lily @untraveled-road @lavenderluna10 @shoppingcartlover69 @v-b-b @marvels-mistress @milkteahour @night0spark @saphfamdom @sillydowneyboat @tongueofcat @the-wayward-daughter @caswinchester2000 @weaselsbleach @wickedhours @ghost-panic @worldssidechick @sad-sapphic @lassini @goldustwomun @dilfs-own-mylife @catholicdaredevil @karltoshaw @deadinside505 @hagdailyprophet @riddikulus394 @blogbykate @deepknightclod @kelly-n-russell @steadygoopangelhairdo @peter-parkers-gf @conrzd @tagehaya @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @bookfrog242 @torresbarnes @slightlypossessed @strcwberri @lorosette @sambucky8 @stuffikindalike @peter-maximoff-enthusiast @cryinnlightninn @catholicdaredevil @fayereed15 @hunnybunimdun @the-rambling-nerd @serendipityrogers @mgriff @hldnford @littlesongbird18 @mlqcool @aaetherr69 @myrrh-dock @killersandmonkeys @falcvns @firehart9 @glowstick-lesbian @myguiltypleasures21 @mandoowhorian @mintchipstyles @perseephony @garrusvkarian @c4psicle @shitpost-kaley @angeliteskies @blushingpink @knightofthieves @odette-moon @what-the-hell @mollyw03 @milf-lover01 @cal-ifornication @straykid1507 @meromelo @alpineandwhiskey @letmeinplease

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murdockussy · 2 years ago

Text

Beyond These Walls

Matt Murdock x Reader Fic

Summary:

Lawyer by day, masked vigilante by night, Matt Murdock found himself growing familiar with his not-so-normal lifestyle. But nothing prepared him for what would happen once you – his new neighbour – entered his life.

In the works, will be actively updating

Loosely follows the daredevil TV show timeline, has it's own twists to it as well

next chapter

masterlist

Chapter One: The Devil Is Born

words: 1,500+

Minute by minute, as the sky grew darker shades of blue, the devil itched to be released from its cage.

Subconsciously counting the tap, tap, taps of his cane, Matt continued down his usually route home along the sidewalk as he switched the phone in his hand from one ear to the other. “...Plus, it's almost directly above where that pizza place burnt down a few months back”

The sing-song tone of Foggys voice bringing a smirk to his face.

“The ‘best double stuffed crust’ place?”

“Yes! Exactly the one. And maybe we could push for a price adjustment due to construction, or noise pollution”

“Or the haunting of the 'double stuffed crust' ghost” Matt spoke, a laugh escaping through the exhale of his nose.

“I'm being serious Murdock, and let's not mock the deceased, it was a terrible loss for all of us”

Weaving his way through the bustling crowd, he made a left, reaching the home stretch of his journey. “I know I know, sorry. But given its also in the center of Hell’s Kitchen, I doubt construction or noise will affect the pricing. This is still New York"

"Well, I hate to break it to you pal, but were running pretty low on options"

Tilting his head, the devilish feeling inside Matt rose at the faint wailing of sirens in the far distance. Pushing it aside, realigning his focus on the smacks of his cane on the pavement, he sighed into the mobile.

"We'll find somewhere Foggy, that’s within our budget"

Approaching his apartment building, Matt quickly snapped his cane into a fold, tucking it under his arm, using his free hand to push open the building door. Once he made it inside, he began his ascend up the stairwell.

"Easier said than done, buddy. Plus, this is the third viewing you haven't come to, how can we choose the perfect Nelson and Murdock home if half the team is M.I.A. Speaking of, how are you feeling by the way?"

A small wave of guilt washed over Matt as the words left Foggys mouth. If a night of vigilante activities headed more south than anticipated for Matt, he'd often try to avoid any face-to-face interaction with his best friend, an easy cop out from needing to give an explanation about the dark purple bruises that formed on his skin.

Only it was at times like this, where viewing these potential residencies for their dream shared law firm, arose shame deep within Matt, because he wanted to be there equally as much as Foggy wanted him there.

But avoiding the truth was always easiest in Matts mind.

"I can't seem to shake the sore throat just yet, but other than that most of the flu symptoms have gone" Matt spoke, sticking to the excuse he created on the earlier Thursday when he turned down a previous location viewing. "And next listing I'll be there, not that viewing is my specialty but I'll be there to trust your judgement"

The lingering guilt washed away from below Matts skin at the sound of Foggys laughter through the phone.

"And trusting my judgement you shall do, but I want you to promise me"

"You want me to promise you?"

"Don’t mock me, Murdock" Foggy spoke, the jolly tone still present underneath his false sternness.

"Fine, I swear to you I'll avoid any further illness prior to the next viewing”

“Matt!”

“I'll be there, I promise"

They continued their conversation as Matt worked his way up to the sixth floor, cutting the conversation short as he reached walkway leading to his apartment door. "...And don’t forget, next office opening is-"

"Monday at 8am, I know. You have my word Foggy, I'll be there"

After saying their goodbyes, Matt pulled out the set of keys from his pocket and opened the front door. Once inside, he kicked off his white trainers and stripped himself of the damp hoodie, hanging it on an empty hook off his wall, goosebumps raising on his arms as the cool apartment air struck his sweaty skin.

Walking down the small hallway entrance of his home, he removed the round glasses from his face and placed them, as well as his folded cane, next to the envelope that remained untouched, sitting still in the position he left it after having Foggy read out the note left inside, alongside the key almost identical to his own.

After a tedious night of sweeping clear Hell’s Kitchens streets of any threat and harm, Matt returned home in the early hours of the morning to find an onymous envelope slid underneath his front door. Unable to make out the note left attached beside the key, he made sure to bring the parcel with him the following day to an office opening with Foggy.

“It's from Fran across the hall, says she’s having someone stay at her place for the next few months and to keep this spare key at yours until she returns. No sign of a secret camera built in, but I'd keep cautious around it if I were you Murdock, you know how Fran can be”. And with the following days going by with no signs of movement in his neighbour's apartment, Matt disregarded the envelope, keeping it aside and out of his way.

Entering the open floored loungeroom, the closer he approached the broad windows, the more the sound of pedestrians roaming the streets below grew clearer, an indication the sun still was yet to set – the creature inside of him growing even more desperate to claw its way out.

It had been a few months now since Matt took on this double life of his. Attorney at law by day, masked vigilante by night. The more he ventured out into the dark, beating any crime present in the streets of his city, the more he grew accustomed to it. It was becoming a routine, but that routine also held its own flaws.

The more Matt acted on his instincts, the stronger the darker side of him grew. The sound of police sirens driving past, of screams on sidewalks streets away, of glass shattering in a residence's kitchen, day or night, these sounds made the animal inside of him grow hungrier. And the hungrier it grew, the more damage he would do to the people that caused it.

The first time Matt allowed the devil inside him to slip through the cracks, to beat the father who assaulted his daughter every night in the building down the block, he knew something inside him flicked like a switch.

The scent of the man's blood spilled across Matts red stained bandaged hands made him sick to his stomach, they trembled with every sharp inhale he took as he backed away from the unconscious body. Skillfully jumping over rooftops and lurking through the shadows of dark alleys, he returned unseen to the security of his homes four walls, and immediately broke down. He cursed at himself, washing the blood from his clothes as guilt from what his dad would’ve thought - what the big man upstairs would’ve thought - began to suffocate him.

But what made him feel most guilty was that deep down, he didn’t feel guilty at all. He enjoyed the pride and relief he felt, and relished in the adrenaline that pumped through his veins with each contact his fists made with the man's face.

And what gave him the most satisfaction over all was that every night for the month that followed, as the broken man laid in hospital being fed through a straw, Matt and the little girl in her home a block away had never slept better - peacefully and content.

Since that night, Matt couldn’t stop himself from allowing that hidden side of him to chase that feeling over and over. Knowing he truly felt no remorse for the criminals of the night, he continued to stalk, hunt, beat and threaten the people who posed any threat to Hell’s Kitchen knowing it would keep his people, his city, safe.

And tonight would be no different from the rest.

After taking a hot shower, washing away the sweat from his workout at Fogwells Gym, Matt microwaved a leftover Thai dish and slumped on his couch, listening to the slowly softening bustle of the city below. As the following hours passed by, he dropped in on different conversations as if he was channel surfing on a TV. And as the night drew closer, the friendly dinners, late work meetings and evening strolls slowly transformed into drunken slurs, car alarms and arguments between roommates.

Eavesdropping on the drunken shouts of a man stumbling through a carpark three streets away, harassing a man approaching his car, Matt knew it was finally time. Rising from the couch and making his way to the cupboard below the staircase leading to the roof, he unlocked the metal doors and opened the chest resting on the floor. Lifting the false bottom, he removed his outfit from the hidden compartment and swiftly changed into the tight, black long-sleeved tee, pants and boots. Mask in hand, he jogged up the small staircase.

Holding his breath for a small moment, he tilted his head as he searched with his senses for any sign of moment beyond the door. Once the coast was clear, he slipped the mask onto his head, pulling it snuggly over his eyes and nose before walking out into the cool air blowing on the secluded rooftop, slamming the heavy door shut behind him.

#matt murdock #daredevil #matt murdock x reader #matt murdock fic #matt murdock smut #matt murdock x you #daredevil fic #daredevil x reader #daredevil smut #daredevil x you #slow burn #eventual smut #fanfic #charlie cox

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that-one-weeb-buts-its-the-main · 3 years ago

Note

Hi! Sorry to bother you but I was wondering if I may request something for Father Figure Frank Castle? May I request Father Figure Frank Castle/The Punisher x Archer daughter reader (shes like Kate bishop) 100% platonic

Frank Castle

W/ Archer Daughter

Reader: female

Type:Headcanons + short scenarios

Notes: Peter, Kate, Pietro, Clint and Green arrow Cameo

Warnings: none

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

He actually thought it was funny at first

Seeing you with such a weapon,

But when he sees you use it

Frank's impressed none the less

And is also glad you can protect yourself

Goes to all your tournaments even if he's gotta hide a bit

Definitely helps you set up a scope on your bow

Only allows you to come along for "missions" if you stay far and out of sight

Haha bow Sniping time

Fought Kate Bishop and Hawkeye?

OH ABSOLUTELY

You wrecked both of them 101%

That was till you're all on the same team

You still rocked there shit though

"You're like...super cool and super good looking."

"Um." Y/n spoke, "thanks..."

Basically Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson but you got bows, and your not lawyers.

Still pretty cool though

I know Pietro, Kate, and Peter time lines don't all line up correctly but we gonna make it happen anyways.

Kate's 101% your best friend, and the only one you only get to talk about "work" to thats not Frank.

When it's just you and Frank you often watched from the roofs, snipping out any near by enemies

You don't exactly have the money to buy arrows or bows, so everythings hand made

He always patches you up after bows you were building snapped in half and right in your face

You're intials are carved into the bows and so are his.

Father daughter bounding; making weapons! Yay!

Yet another mistake in the teamwork section you're knocked over after knocking and arrow and groaning as you lay on you're back

"Bet you didn't see that coming" he laughed, catching a glimpse of the teen your age, he was handsome, but soon he was gone

"Yay..." y/n Groaned, "You better run pretty boy..."

"Y/n?" Clint asked, "What the hell you doing?"

"Pretty fast boy, double take...don't tell dad."

"White hair."

"Yep... " Y/n spoke sitting up, "nope gonna stay down."

So now your introduced to everyone.

You bet Pietro got his ass beat by Frank before though.

"Wait wait! You're in my bio chem class!"

"Peter Parker!?"

"Yeah! Hey!" He laughed nervously jazz hands in the air.

Great: there's more kids now

Clint and Frank being dads against there wills

But you'll always be Frank's #1 priority, it's not playing favorites- well- it's just different

Like burning building? You inside? Runs in

Bullet coming towards you despite having armour? Jumps infront of you

Will use your own bow against you if he has too

What? Found you and Pietro making out on a roof top?

Definitely shoots an arrow way to close to comfort, lucky shots.

You actually teach him how to use it just in case.

God your so bossy when you teach, he actually teases you about it.

He'll never be as good as you.

Archer Teir list:

The best of the best: Hawkeye/Clint Barton

Im basically the best of the best but too young: Y/n Castle

Im just right behind: Kate

Rather just not: Peter, Pietro

Would stab you with your own arrow instead: Frank Castle

What? What's that? Someone trying to make a move on your dad

Arrow

Thats all

Probally fought Green Arrow at some point

Eating things off your arrows, roasted Marshmallows, an apple you skewed, idk a hot dog.

Super unsanitary but you still do it

You're bow because its hand wood crafted by you and ur pops, has alot of carvings in it due to being board

You bet Pietro's initials and yours are carved in it with a heart

For you're birthday Kate actually surpised you with a super super fucking expensive bow

Frank won't say it; but damn did he love that wooden bow you guys made together.

Lots of good memories.

"Oh...kate. it's great but-"

"Oh! No! No! You don't have to use it! It's back up! I know your's is like super special!"

You're heart 😭

Peter also like made you web arrows, which your super excited about

And Pietro felt kinda stupid, he made this little beaded flowers for you for your bow.

You put it on right away and kiss him, but Frank drags you away as you complain.

Frank purposely separates you and Pietro

But now he's stuck between you guys making lovey eyes at one another

And you force him to stay there: he picked this battle: he lost

It's almost like a little family dinner real late at night at some crappy dinner.

You'd never think some wooden sticks and a stick with a string on it would get you so far in life, make you so happy

"Wow can shoot an arrow at a target from 1000 feet but cant make the paper goal."

You're determined to flick that peice of hard bacon inebtween Peter's little finger goal

And when you finally do it the whole tables celebrating you

"Thank you! Thank you! Kiss for the winner-"

"No-"

"Damn it!"

Yeah this is the life: even if it knocks you down sometimes. You're glad Archery's given you thr chance to built more upon the father daughter realtionship you have with Frank

After long missions you'll lay your head either on his shoulder on in his lap he tell you: "you did good kid. You did good kid" always makes you sleep easy

Say a bad dream happened: like you almost lost him, so you're 17 year old ass will go check on him and end up just sleeping in his bed with him he's holding you proactively

Even if you're 80 years old your still his little girl.

And he knows. He knows you can protect yourself, bow and arrow and all.

It doesn't stop him from wanting to protect you.

#frank castle x female reader #dad! frank castle #frank castle fluff #frank x reader #frank castle #marvel frank castle #marvels frank castle #marvel x reader #marvel headcanons #frank castle x reader #daughter reader #frank x daughter reader

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karenpageweek2022 · 2 years ago

Text

Karen Page Week Official Schedule

Hello everyone and welcome to the official page for Karen Page Week 2022! In this post we will be reminding everyone of the date and prompts, as well as any additional info!

Rules

Be respectful to people participating, this includes those that do not share the same opinion as you

If you repost any content, remember to credit the original author correctly

You are not required to participate every day or follow every prompt

Tag your posts #karen page week 2022 so we can all find and enjoy your posts. Feel free to tag us in your posts!

Date

Karen Page Week will run from September 18-24!

Who can join?

This event is open to anyone and everyone! Users who have been here since the start of the Karen Page community as well as new ones who have just found it are all able to participate in this appreciation week!

Content

When it comes to the content you can share to contribute to Karen Page Week, it really is up to you. Drabbles, artwork, moodboards, incorrect quotes, music playlists, etc are all allowed! Whatever you feel most comfortable sharing is what you can do.

What to tag

If you would like your content to be seen/shared by this account, please tag @karenpageweek2022 and #karen page week 2022! It’s both the easiest and fastest way for all of us to find Karen Page Week content!

Prompts

Day 1: Favorite Scene/Quote

Tell us your favorite Karen Page scene and/or your favorite quote of hers.

Day 2: Karen Page Unhinged | Girl with a Gun

We can all admit that Matt, Karen, and Foggy all became a little unhinged in season three in their effort to lock Fisk up (and we love them for it). Today’s your day to name your favorite Karen Page unhinged moment from season three.

And/Or

Karen may not know martial arts or how to use a bow and arrow, but she owns a gun and knows how to use it, and will do so without hesitation. Let us know your favorite scene with Karen Page and her gun.

Day 3: Parallels | Captain of the Vigilante Protection Squad

Today’s your day to share any parallels you find between Karen’s story and another character’s story.

And/Or

What is it about Karen’s past that draws her to, and causes her to defend, vigilantes like Daredevil and The Punisher?

Day 4: MCU Females | If She Were a Man

Ever wish Karen had more girl friends around? Tell us which female(s) from the MCU (past, present, or future) that you would like to see Karen team-up with.

And/Or

We can all list numerous times where this fandom criticizes Karen for something that it wouldn’t criticize a man for, so today’s the day to list the things Karen could get away with…if she were a man.

Day 5: Karen and Foggy | Nelson, Murdock, and Page

While Matt’s off being Daredevil, Karen and Foggy have been able to form one of the most beautiful friendships in the show. Let us know your favorite Karen and Foggy moment!

And/Or

What do you think the future holds for our favorite trio?

Day 6: Romantic Pairing

Frank? Matt? Someone else entirely? Tell us who you hope Karen ends up with.

Day 7: Best Dressed Badass | Free Day

Not all badasses wear armor, some wear pencil skirts and high heels. Let us know your favorite Karen Page outfit or you can choose to post anything you want! Have fun!

Questions and Concerns

If you have any questions at all pertaining to this event, don’t hesitate to message the event account, @silverflameataraxia, @rcughroad , or @a-court-of-valkyries!

Thank you everyone for your interest in Karen Page Week. We cannot wait until it rolls around! Be sure to follow this blog for reminders and hype.

#karen page appreciation week #daredevil #karen page #karen page daredevil #karen page edit #karen page the punisher #the punisher #daredevil fandom #daredevil s2 #daredevil season 2 #the punisher s2 #kastle #karedevil

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dyns33 · 3 years ago

Text

The Devil’s Lawyer - Bonus Part 4

Matt Murderdock x Nice Lawyer Reader : Multiverse edition ! (Bonus part 3 here)

"Who are you ?"

Matt asked the question very calmly, keeping his hand on his cane, ready to draw his hidden blade if necessary.

The impersonator was good. For a few seconds, he really thought it was his Y/N who had entered his office.

The voice was right. The smell was okay. The gait... wasn't quite right, but something could have happened to her.

It was the heart that betrayed the imitator. It was almost that, but Y/N's heart always beat a little faster whenever she saw Matt. It was something only he knew, a sound that pleased him terribly.

His secret pride.

The heart of the wrong Y/N had remained constant, posed. Without the slightest emotion.

Even when he asked who they were, the intruder didn't panic, though Matt felt they were a little surprised.

"I figured you'd guess, but not so fast."

"I repeat. Who are you ?"

"Y/N."

It wasn't a lie. Matt sniffed her. He could vaguely smell his scent on her, but a scent so faded that it indicated that he hadn't touched her for a long time, and without necessarily trying to mark her.

Also, the smell was right, but again something was wrong. His scent without being his scent.

"You are from another universe." he deduced, keeping his hand on his cane, but relaxing a little.

"Are all versions of you this smart ?"

"No."

"Well, my Matthew is a bit more charming. More smiling anyway."

"I can be very smiley. But not with you. Leave."

"I would love to, unfortunately I don't know how. Would you help me if I asked nicely ? Please, please, pretty please ? Don't deny it, I know that you know me, or that you know the Y/N of this world. Your secretary let me in without asking my name. Are you sleeping together ?"

"If I agree to help you, will you stop talking ?"

"That means yes." sneered the wrong Y/N.

When Y/N, his Y/N, the right one, had met the other Matt, the one who was stupid and naive, she had seemed to find it amusing. If he made an effort, Matt could see how this situation could be a little funny.

In a perfect dream, if he found himself surrounded by several Y/Ns, Matt could have considered that it was heaven. Then if they had started asking him which one he preferred, or which one was the real one, he would have decided that it was hell.

Even though they were nearly identical, he could tell that the woman following him as they walked to his apartment wasn't Y/N, and that bothered him, a lot. He had the impression that he couldn't trust his senses, that he was lost.

And there was something weird about this Y/N. Something bad.

"Oh, hi Otomo !" she said seeing his first blade, as they waited for the elevator.

"... Who is this ?"

"Nobody."

"How does he know I'm not the Y/N of your world ? I mean, I could have lost my memory or something."

"You wouldn't know his name if you had lost your memory." he replied flatly, tapping his finger against his thigh as he prayed that they would get to his place quickly, and that they would soon find a way to send the intruder back where she came from.

"Aaaaah, yes ! The name. But what does she call him then ?"

"You promised to stop talking if I helped you."

"Sorry Murdock, I didn't promise anything. We're both lawyers, you know how it works... Am I a lawyer in this world too ? Am I good ? I'm the best in my world. Better than you, it's driving you crazy."

"Marvellous."

"That's why Fisk prefers me. I must say that we are a pretty good team, and your methods are effective, but sometimes you are too nice, like with Nelson or Castle. You have a Nelson and a Castle here ?"

He hadn't really listened to the question, or even the end of the sentence, stopping in the middle of the room, realizing that this Y/N was working for Fisk.

She was the Kingpin's lawyer.

She was like him, or at least a bit like him, working with him, knowing what he was, and accepting that with a big smile.

That was what was wrong.

Unlike Y/N, his darling, she was not a "good idiot" who protected justice.

Matt guessed very easily what their relationship was. The same as he had with Cindy Moon certainly, a professional agreement, with some sex to relax, manipulation and attempts of blackmail, but no feelings.

Nothing.

If the Matt of her world was anything like him, he must even hate her. If one day she was no longer useful, he would certainly kill her without hesitation.

It was a bit hard for him to imagine that. Matt hadn't once thought of killing Y/N, even when she had started to become a threat to the Hand.

He would have preferred to die.

"You're making a funny face. A problem ?"

"Hmm. No." he growled as he walked to his bedroom.

The problem was his karma. With the life he had led, and even though he had been trying to improve himself lately, Matt must have had very bad karma.

This was probably why Y/N had met "Nice" Matt, to show her the best version of him, the one she could have been with if he had had more luck and had taken the good decisions, while he found himself with... this woman.

He didn't even want to say she was a Y/N, she wasn't like Y/N at all !

"Are you married ?!" the woman exclaimed, no doubt noticing his wedding ring.

"Yes."

"Wow ! With who ?! I want to know ! When I'll say that to Matthew, he's going to lose his mind ! Wait, let me guess ! Karen ? Elektra. Claire. A man maybe ? Benjamin ?"

"Who ?"

"You don't know Benjamin? Shit, you two love each other. Well, tell me."

"No." he sighed, as he found the spell to make her disappear.

Well, not disappearing, normally she would go back to her dimension without any problem, because even if he couldn't stand her and he didn't like her, she was still a Y/N, and therefore Matt didn't want to annihilate a Y/N.

But he had never tested this spell, so he wasn't sure if it would really work.

Either way, at then end, she was gone. Good riddance.

Matt took a deep breath, realizing that he had been struggling to breathe since that intruder had walked through his door.

Y/N. He had to see Y/N. He had to hear her, he had to feel her, he had to touch her.

Now.

Not having time to wait for the elevator, he took the stairs, running down the street, not caring what people would think when they saw a blind man acting like this.

Without thinking, he went to Y/N's apartment, their apartment, where he had refused to bring the wrong Y/N. It was an inviolable sanctuary, where very few people were welcome.

She was not here. He might have known if he had kept calm and listened before he got to the building.

It was not a big deal. Matt knew her schedule. He checked the time, she would be here soon.

But not soon enough. So, he texted her with a shaking hand.

Need you

Job, second 'job', bed or feeling =) ?

Feeling.

On my way.

Brave, kind, clever Y/N. She didn't ask him any details, and Matt was sure she was dropping everything to come and join him without delay.

Trying to calm himself down, he settled on the couch, letting Cat climb into his lap, begging for petting.

The characteristic sound of her webs told him that Gwen was approaching. The spider poked her head by the window. Matt thought that when she saw him, she would turn around, disappointed that Y/N wasn't there, but he was surprised when she started talking to him normally.

"I ran into Y/N earlier. She seemed... weird. She asked me where your office was. She's okay ?"

"No. It wasn't Y/N."

"What ? Who was that ?!"

"A nuisance. I took care of it."

"You mean you killed her ?!"

"No. It was an anomaly. A dangerous anomaly. I sent her back to her world."

"...Really ? You mean... that you can travel to other universes ?"

"Of course Gwennie. Do you think you have a monopole with your little machine ?"

He felt that Spiderwoman didn't like that "Murderdock" was able to visit other dimensions.

It was fun. Matt would probably tease her with that later. In fact, he didn't care about the other dimensions at all. He already had a lot to do in this one.

And he had Y/N.

His darling arrived a few minutes after Gwen left, out of breath, not even taking the time to take out her coat or her shoes to come and sit next to him, putting her hand on his.

"Matt ? What's going on ? What can I do ?"

"... Hold me."

"Now ? You don't want me to take a shower first ? I saw a lot of people today, I know you..."

"Y/N. Darling. Please."

"Sure."

Well, she was right, Matt winced as he smelled all the stray smells she had on her, but he didn't care. Concentrating, he focused on her scent, and her heart which beating a little faster than usual just for him, and her hand which running through his hair, and her soft voice which was telling him that everything was fine, that she loved him and that he had to breathe.

Slowly, without making any comment, she stopped only to take out his glasses and wipe away his tears.

Matt hadn't realized he was crying. So he was still able to cry. It hadn't happened for a very long time.

Y/N kissed his eyelids, then his cheeks, then his mouth, before taking him back in her arms, until he told her that he felt better.

She didn't ask him again what had happened. Matt didn't tell her about the wrong Y/N. He guessed that his darling would panic, thinking that he would have preferred her to be like that even if he swore otherwise.

That was what happened with Nice Matt, and even though he could hear that she wasn't lying, that he didn't need to change to please her, Matt had really decided that day to mprove, to be at least somewhat worthy of her.

The reverse was absolutely not necessary. Y/N was perfect, the best of all Y/Ns, and the best person in this universe, of all universes, and against all odds, she loved Matt. She had chosen him. And he would do anything to keep her, and make her happy.

#daredevil #matt murdock #matt murdock x reader #matt murdock imagine #matt murdock fanfic #Matt Murderdock #dark Matt #earth 65 #lawyer reader

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i-got-the-feels · 3 years ago

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Things I don't see anyone else/not enough talking about The Defenders:

• This exchange between Luke Cage and Foggy Nelson

"They call me foggy"

"You let them?"

• This exchange between Luke Cage and Jessica Jones after Stick beheaded one of The Hand's fingers.

"You okay?"

"I still have my head"

• Luke cage and Iron Fist's friendship

Luke calling Danny out on his privelge and how he was powerful right from the day he was born.

Luke having enough of other world stuff and being dismissive when Danny said he punched the dragon's molten heart. Realises he was being insensitive and then asks, "Molten heart huh?"

• Electra killing Alexndra and Stick

Two people who hid things about herself from her so that she could be who they want her to be.

• Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones's friendship

From "You look like an asshole" "It is your scarf"

To "Nice ears" "They are horns"

Matt telling Jessica has all the rights to go and protect her life, no matter how big or small it is and hence doesn't even once calls her back or follows her. Something he has repeatedly told Stick even about his own life.

Jessica telling the kid that her dad wasn't a bad man just because he had changed and telling about Matt's dad to comfort her and him simultaneously.

• Matt Murdock aka best lawyer

"Last time I checked, they (super-powered) people still have legal rights"

• Matt Murdock being selfless

By believing in Elektra's goodness.

By going to be there with her even when he heard the button of the bomb being pressed.

By his only request to others being to keep his city safe.

• Colleen telling Claire that she is as much as a hero and saving lives they are, it's just that her doesn't make headlines and (Edit 1) Claire calling her the foundation when she admits to feeling lost of who she is because of the Hand's betrayal because she grew up believing in their purpose. Women solidarity, yes. (Edit 2)Speaking of woman being badasses and supporting each other Misty putting her career on line because she trusts Luke, Claire and team. Even when she looses her arm, she does not blame or resent anyone for not knowing the complete truth as long as she knows that the city is safe.

• Danny saying Newyork has begun to feel like home.

And the shot that made me ugly sob

• The shot of the door to show no one is coming but Karen and Figgy still keep looking. Karen and Foggy breaking down and crying. Foggy feeling guilty that he gave him the suit. Did i say the door shot?

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fireheartpages · 3 years ago

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i. per aspera | m.m.

series masterlist

summary: Being hounded by government agencies was low on your list of priorities, until they make it more than just a minor inconvenience on your way back to finding normalcy short of your best friend and boyfriend. So, you find yourself stumbling into a small firm, recovering from the Blip like everyone else, and make an unexpected connection with someone who understands your grief--and your abilities--on a level that you could have never expected.

playlist: permit the righteous to be moved | m.m.

word count: 5.3k

rating: 18+, sfw, reader uses she/her pronouns and is semi-catholic for plot/angst/symbolism purposes (but more on that later), past steve x reader, reader is a mutant, warning for some mentions of violence and death, heavy tony stark slander, spoilers for daredevil season two, defenders

a/n: sO--first things first, this series will have eventual daredevil/defenders spoilers, as well as nwh spoilers!! the chapter title is half of the quote “per aspera, as astra.” the series title “permit the righteous to be moved” comes from a bible verse, Psalm 55:22, which says “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” it's a verse that's meant to encourage you to make it through a tough time, out of context though... *laughs in mean author* this is a little thing that's been floating around my head since I saw nwh, and i've been itching to get it flushed out ever since. it's mostly going to follow the phase four canon on the coattails of Nelson, Murdock, and Page, the only canon deviance is that instead of returning to the 40s (like an idiot), steve was killed by thanos in the final battle in endgame (but more on that later!) reader is young and grieving and traumatized and her only friend is an equally traumatized amputee, but then she stumbles into the devil and all his friends ;)

November 2023

You were a good person. You swore.

But some people, some people test you. Some people, of course, being Tony Stark. Even from beyond the grave, the asshat still found ways to make your life miserable.

You lost people. More people than just Tony Stark, but the rest of the world seems to forget that. You watched your boyfriend of six years be murdered by a genocidal space grape jolly rancher. You never got to say goodbye to your best friend before she flung herself off a cliff because she thought self-sacrifice is the only way to save the greater good (Nat might have been right in this case, but that doesn’t mean you’re happy about it). Tony got a private and a public funeral. Steve got a few seconds of silence on the news and Nat was barely acknowledged. Real fair, you thought.

But as if your grief over losing two of the most important people in your life wasn’t enough, everyone being returned from the Blip meant government agents were sniffing up your ass, looking to press five-, six-, seven-year-old charges from the time you were dragged on the run at eighteen years old. You spent the five years of the Blip helping rebuild the entire world, but even that’s not enough for a pardon.

And back to Tony ever-so-helpful Stark, his will didn’t exactly leave his legal team at the disposal of someone he talked to maybe three times in the last five years, so you were on your own. He’d given you and Steve the help he could during the first year of the Blip, when you’d publicly resurfaced after two years on the run, but eventually, charges were dropped without trial, and everyone seemed to forget. That was probably due to the fact that a lot of the people pressing charges against you were presumed dead, while the rest dropped what they had because, you know, half of the world disappeared.

But now, here you stood, about eight charges against you that could probably get you a lifetime in jail, (kinda) widowed, lonely, and lacking any sort of legal representation.

You’d known about Nelson and Murdock (now Nelson, Murdock, and Page) before the Blip, notable from the Punisher trail, and Foggy Nelson’s run for DA, back when you paid attention to the news a little more than a seventeen-year-old should have. They were ground-level, pro bono half the time, and had a reputation for reliability. Even though they had a bit of a reputation for ending up in the spotlight, you hoped choosing them would result in discretion. You didn’t need more eyes on you right now.

You stood outside the door, steeling your nerves to walk in and explain your side of a situation they probably knew very well from the opposition. Your mind buzzed as your enhanced abilities scouted out who was on the other side. Three people, one… one enhanced? You could tell someone had heightened senses and that one of those senses was not sight.

Weird, you thought. Maybe they’ll take pity on me.

You knocked on the door as you opened it, peeking your head in with a tentative smile.

A man stood behind a desk in the center of the room, loose blonde hair hanging into his eyes and a smile that told you he was far too good at keeping a secret. “Hi!” He extended a hand to you as you let the door shut behind you. “Foggy Nelson. How can we help you?”

You introduced yourself with the warmest smile you could muster, hoping that shaking his hand hid the nervous tremor that sunk into your body.

At your name, his facade dropped, eyebrows raising and mouth going agape. “Wait. The Avenger?”

You have a curt laugh. “Not really an Avenger anymore.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Foggy said. “I can only imagine.”

He walked back around the desk to the opposite side, motioning for you to sit. “I feel like I could guess why you’re here.”

“You and half the population.” You took a seat, sensing his steady heartbeat and letting it ground you.

“I’ve heard a lot about your case through the grapevine. You’ve got every charge they can pin on you right now, most of which I think are complete bullshit. Sorry for the language.”

Steve would have loved this guy.

“Yeah, not ideal,” you said, easing into your skin. The fact that he was on your side without you having to plead your case and beg for representation sunk into you with tremendous relief. “Especially when your one connection to legal representation is dead. Tony Stark wasn’t my favorite person in the world, but his loyalty was admirable.”

Foggy’s expression changed into something of genuine sympathy, and you could feel the truth behind his words when he said, “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to lose so much of your team, just to lose more for good in the long run.”

You took a shaky breath, his statement hitting you square in the gut and digging its finger in until your throat started closing like a vice. You hadn’t expected to react this strongly when talking about this with someone other than your inner circle. You were going to have to get good at this, fast, if you were hoping to have any shot of not going to prison. “It’s tough. Weird to see the holes they leave, y’know?”

“Yeah,” Foggy said, “I really do.”

He cast a glance over to his right, at a closed office door. His partner must have Bliped. They must be close.

“So, uh, knowing my case from the opposition, what do you think are my chances of staying on the outside?” you asked, forcing humor into the edges of your words. It was in vain in the end, but it made you feel better and relieved some of the tension that had been hung in the room.

“Honestly, I think the case against you is flimsy, from what I’ve heard, at least. That’s not to say they don’t have more than what’s I’ve heard second hand, but anything they have against you can easily be circumstantial, I assume, and probably outweighed by the good you did in these last five years.”

Your shoulder sagged, the weight of anxiety being chipped away. “You don’t even know what a relief it is to hear that. They skipped me when they were handing out pardons, and it’s kinda been weighing me down ever since.”

“I can only imagine,” he said with a laugh. “We’d love to take on your case. I’ll confirm it with my partners, but I highly doubt there will be any protests. I’ll review the charges against you and start building a case. When are you free to meet again to flush out details?”

His eagerness and enthusiasm were contagious. You let yourself smile, just a little, at him. “I’m pretty open. Not a lot going on right now, besides this.”

“Does tomorrow work?” he asked, glancing at a planner that was laid open on his desk. “Say, three?”

“Sound good,” you responded, loosening your writhing hands in your lap.

“Perfect!” He stood, extending a hand to you. You stood, taking his offering as the knot in your stomach began to untangle itself, just a little.

Before you could say anything, a door to your right opened, revealing a woman with blonde hair tied at the nape of her neck and a buzzing cell in hand.

“Karen!” Foggy exclaimed. He introduced you with a flourish, explaining your situation and the case he accepted on their behalf.

Karen was wide-eyed as she looked at you, offering another handshake, which you took gladly if it meant she was on your legal team. “Oh, wow, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Her voice held awe and the edge of humor.

“Nothing good, I’m sure,” you responded with a smirk.

“Oh, don’t be such a downer,” Foggy said, coming to stand next to you both. “It’ll be all good things by the time we’re through with you.”

“Your confidence is inspiring, Mr. Nelson,” you joked.

Foggy smiled, shrugging with mock humility. “All in a day’s work.”

You were exhausted by the time you made it back to your little Brooklyn apartment.

The sun had set fully and the autumn chill had started to eat away at the edges of summer. You shivered a bit as you pushed open the door, toeing off your shoes and tossing your bag on the counter.

It was quiet. So, so quiet in the apartment you’d once shared with Steve. Unbearably so.

Usually, on nights like this, you put on a record from his collection, the one he’d begun during the Blip, the day you signed the lease. Tonight, instead, you made your way into the kitchen, dug the half-empty bottle of vodka out of the freezer, and took a swig.

Steve was all over the apartment, but you couldn’t get the heart to pack any of his things up. The last remnants of him were preserved within the walls of your little one-bedroom broom closet. You’d had the money to opt for something a bit bigger, but Steve had insisted on this one. Feels like home, he’d said. The view of the bridge justified the pricey rent, so you’d agreed with hardly a second thought to move in here with him and try your damndest to build a life on the scraps of what you had left.

He’d lost Sam and Bucky in the same go, you’d lost Wanda and then Peter, those blows landing one after another, and Natasha wasn’t coping well with the loss. Neither was Steve, for that matter, but at least he wasn't pushing you away when you offered your shoulder.

Your eyes danced around the apartment as you picked up every reminder of him, and everything you lost. Suddenly, your stomach churned and you were regretting opening the vodka bottle. Your hands shook as you picked up your keys again and shoved the vodka bottle into your bag after a moment’s contemplation. You were out the door no more than five minutes after you’d even stepped foot in your apartment, hailing a cab and hoping the frantic New York evening would stave off your brewing panic attack.

Bucky opened the door with sleepy eyes and a frown etched deep into his face. He was clearly doing about as well as you were.

“Is that a bottle of vodka in your purse?”

“I can’t go home anymore.” Your voice was choked even as you tried to even out your breathing. Panic pulled at your every fiber, demanding to be heard. “He’s everywhere. He’s in everything. I can’t even have a simple fucking conversation without him being brought up.”

Bucky said nothing, just opened the door farther, allowing you to step inside. You took the invitation, walking on shaky legs.

“It’s never about him. It’s always about Tony, too,” you continued, tears stinging your eyes, threatening to spill. “Tony gets murals and dedications and eulogies and Steve gets a modification to an already existing monument as if his sacrifice meant less than Tony’s.”

Distantly, you heard the door click shut, and Bucky sigh, making his way towards you.

“Fuck Tony Stark,” you said, hysterics winning over and the tears finally staining your face. “Steve never did anything to deserve this. He’s just gone.”

You sobbed, air escaping you, as your world began to cave in. You felt arms wrap around you, tightening on your waist when you gasped and cried harder, turning to bury your face in Bucky’s shirt.

“I miss him too much,” you sobbed.

“I know,” Bucky said, a whisper in your hairline. And you knew he did, lest you have sought out the comfort you knew only he could provide. “I do too.”

Bucky had insisted you take his bed. You wanted to protest, but he was incessant and far less inebriated than you were by the end of the night, so you’d relented without too much push back. He’d made you down a glass of water before you passed out, and left some aspirin on the bedside table for you in the morning.

Maybe you should just move in here, you thought, with someone who understood what your grief felt like and somewhere that didn’t feel like a memoriam to everything you’d lost.

Your hangover was a dull, aching thing that gnawed its way into your bones and underneath your skull and buried itself deep within the creaks of your body.

The aspirin did little to curve the effect, and you cursed the universe that Bucky and his stupid super-soldier serum body was immune to drinking and hangovers, and that with all the crap your enhanced body could do, healing yourself wasn’t on that list. You stumbled out of his bedroom, grateful the lights were kept low. He was standing in the kitchen, a bag of something that smelled heavenly and a cup of coffee that smelled even more heavenly on the counter.

“No food here, I just got something delivered.” He turned as you approached, still blinking the sleep out of your eyes. “You look like shit.”

“Feel like it. Is that caffeine?”

“Just how you like it.” He nudged the cup towards you and your clumsy hands picked it up.

“You’re a saint,” you said, inhaling deeply, letting the warmth of the cup seep into your skin, willing it to engulf you and push out anything else.

“Eat something,” Bucky said, putting the bag on the small bar in front of him. “You can’t put all that coffee on an empty stomach.”

“So thoughtful,” you teased. “You eating?”

Bucky looked like he was going to respond for a moment, then you watched his expression change as his mind made up and he moved to the other side of the counter, taking the barstool next to you. You opened the bag, pulling out the breakfast he’d decided on. McDonald’s pancakes.

You felt safe here.

“I have a meeting today I don’t want to go to,” you said dumping two packs of syrup on your stack of pancakes and watching the eggs soak it up.

“What time? What for?” Bucky asked, eyeing your plate with heaps of judgment. “Do you want some food with your syrup?”

“Can it, Barnes,” you said, licking your plastic knife clean of the maple-y goodness. “Three. It’s with my new legal team so the FBI doesn’t send me to jail for not falling at Tony’s feet.”

Bucky chuckled a bit. “You rejected his help?”

“He didn’t leave me any, after the Blip.” You shoveled a dripping bite into your mouth.

“Seriously?”

“His resources and help died with him,” you said somberly. “I wasn’t gonna bug Pepper right now, not when I know what she’s going through. Or maybe I don’t, I don’t have a kid, but…” You poked at the styrofoam plate, watching how your fork left holes in the material. “I didn’t want it, anyway. I need one last act of rebellion against everything he is.”

Bucky smiled, almost imperceptibly. “So, what’s the plan?”

“No clue,” you admitted. “I went to the guys who did the Punisher trial. Guess I’m just hoping they’re as good as they are in the papers.”

“What are you gonna do if you lose?”

It wasn’t as if the thought hadn’t occurred to you. You were just uncertain as to if you actually cared.

You sighed, deep and gaping, like your lungs stretched open to reveal that gaping put you kept hidden away in an attempt to keep it from swallowing you whole. “Start praying again and hope God hasn’t abandoned me.”

Nelson, Murdock, and Page was just as inviting today as it was yesterday, and it unsettled you just a bit. You knocked, hearing a “come in!” tossed at the door before you even had a chance to steady yourself and put your hand on the knob. You opened the door, revealing Foggy and a man you hadn’t met yet. You could sense another person in the office to your right, Karen if you had to guess.

So, that makes this Matt Murdock.

Wow. Tall, dark, and handsome was an understatement. Not usually your type, but something about him was just magnetic. Like he knew the attention in the room would eventually land on him, and he was okay with it, good with it. Good at molding a crowd’s attention into something he can use. Something he had a bit of practice with, if the strong set of his jaw and the slight pout of his lips were any indication.

That was all you could really see of his face, though. He wore dark sunglasses with a red tint to them. This was the one with the heightened senses but no sight, you realized. The one who’s been in his office, you assumed, when you were here.

Whether he was enhanced, or a mutant like you, you couldn’t tell. Probably not appropriate to ask right upon meeting him, though.

He turned his attention to you in a way that made a shock go down your spine as you approached the two men. Foggy spoke first, gesturing to you with an introduction. Matt stuck his hand out in your general direction, and you took it, not without some hesitation.

“Hi,” you said, a mockery of a greeting. Your abilities were turned up to eleven, tracking every neurotransmitter sent through both boys’ systems. You could sense Matt’s heightened senses, almost feel them yourself (a habit your abilities had taken on recently which you were decidedly not happy with). You were in overdrive.

Foggy led you and Matt into Matt’s office, Karen joining you not a moment later. You heard Foggy recap your discussion yesterday distantly, nodding and agreeing at appropriate times. You let him read out the charges against you: evading and resisting arrest, theft, bribery, tax evasion, identity theft (even though you got fake IDs; Foggy didn’t think that one would stick, but would still land you with a misdemeanor), computer crime (which you didn’t even know was a thing), and of course, treason. Karen guessed there would be more. Matt was shocked you weren’t a wanted fugitive.

None of this was news to you and honestly, none of it phased you. You’d kept flitting your gaze back to Matt, as much as you tried not to, with his full lips and fluffy hair.

Oh, God, please do not be attracted to your lawyer.

You listened as the three of them spoke, mostly amongst themselves and with each other, answering questions and supplying what you could. It was hard to focus when you could feel Matt’s attention on you, unwavering and vice-like, the whole time.

“I think her safety should be our biggest concern,” Matt said. “With her abilities, landing prison time could be dangerous for both her and other inmates.”

“Damn, Matt, you’re gonna make her out to be armed and dangerous?” Foggy asked, eyebrows up to his hairline.

“I think a logical approach is the best way to go about this one. She’s probably more vulnerable to an attack, and prison guards don’t have the best reputation for defending vulnerable inmates,” he argued, voice strong and steady. “She gets attacked and tried to defend herself, people could end up dead.”

You gaped at him.

“What if they opt for something more high security, like what Helmut Zemo has, or the Raft?” Karen asked.

You shuddered at the mentions.

“Sorry,” Matt whispered to you, as Foggy responded to Karen. “I know frankness in this situation can make you feel a bit small. I’m sure mentioning your trauma doesn’t help.”

You snapped your mouth shut, acutely aware that he probably knew exactly what expression you wore in that moment. “I’m used to it, at this point.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier.” He leaned away, and only then did you realize just how close he’d been, the ghost of his breath on your cheek and ear.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Karen directed to you. You snapped your attention to her, willing your abilities to just shut up for a moment. Why are other people's bodies so damn loud? “What exactly are your powers?”

You swallowed hard, bringing your reheated script to the forefront of your mind. “It’s a mutation. I can control biomolecules,” you began, your voice lifeless. You tried to bring some vitality into your tone. Irony was a close friend of yours. “So, basically anything that’s living. It’s kind of a medical thing. I know what pheromones you’re emitting and what neurotransmitters are in your system right now. I can feel and control your heart rate, if I wanted to. It applies to plants and animals, too. I can change things around, if need be. Heal. There’s probably more, but I’m hesitant to keep exploring what I can do without my degree.”

You were met with silence, as you usually were. Karen was the first to recover, asking, “You’re in school?”

“Med school. Got an undergrad in environmental studies.”

Foggy was next, stuttering. “So you’re just aware of everything and everyone around you, all the time?”

“Not everything. Has to be living. I also try not to use it as much as I can, save the occasional life-or-death situation.”

You picked at your cuticles as Karen furiously scribbled something on her notepad and Foggy overwhelmed you with the feeling of confusion. You hated this. Explaining what you can do. It made you feel so ostracized. No one ever looked at you the same after they knew what you were capable of.

Steve had always encouraged you. Nat helped you explore your limitations. Bucky and Sam are still supportive. Wanda and Peter are relatable.

But outside of them, you were treated like a weapon at best. You were only ever an Avenger when they needed your help, or when you were disagreeing with them. Sharon Carter was one of the only people who ever fought to keep you away from SHIELD, and away from inevitably becoming an experiment. And you weren’t even sure she was still alive.

“So, that’s why you keep looking at me like that.”

Matt’s voice pulled you from your retreat of thoughts, snagging your attention back to the present so sharply you felt a sting on your consciousness.

“You know I’m looking at you.” There was nothing accusatory in either of your tones. Just… An olive branch. You revealed your hand, so he would reveal his.

“Wait,” Foggy said, still brimming with confusion. “You can pick up on his—”

“Enhanced senses,” you supplied, locked in a strange sort of sightless staring contest with Matt. “I was hit with it as soon as I walked in the building.

Matt gave an almost imperceptible laugh. “Mine have a larger range.”

Did he just…

Did he just tease you? Brag about how his enhancement was stronger than yours?

You flushed, suddenly biting back the edges of a smile.

“Holy shit,” Foggy said. “That’s…” He laughed, taking you a bit by surprise. “That’s honestly incredibly impressive.”

You blushed just a bit.

“I don’t doubt that this will go to trial. We’ll try to get you a pardon, all things considered. Maybe all they need is a bit of resistance and some time to come to their senses,” Matt said, rising out of his seat. “If we do end up in court, all you’ll need is a strong case and a sympathetic jury. Which, in this day and age, aren’t all that hard to come across.”

“Worst comes to worst,” Karen began, “you’re young. We can push that you were coerced. We did it with—”

“No,” you said, demanded, in a stronger voice than any of them had probably heard from you. From the way Matt went on edge, you could tell he knew what saying that meant to you. “No. I wasn’t coerced. Steve—” You unsuccessfully tried to hide the way your voice cracked on his name. You were speaking through the thick of tears now. “He never did anything like that. He wasn’t like that. Never. Not to anyone. And--and certainly not to me.” You took a deep breath, trying to comfort your frayed nerves and push off the tiredness. You were tired, so so so far beyond physically, or even emotionally or mentally tired. The kind of tired sleep can’t even catch anymore. “I know I’m young. I know I was a kid when the Avengers took me in. But I was eighteen when they split. I know, I know, I know that’s hardly an adult, but legally I was one. I made a choice when I pushed back against the Accords. Natasha and I did. We fell on opposite sides but that didn’t mean we weren’t pushing. The Avengers didn’t fall apart for lack of trying. We didn’t choose to run, we—we were forced.”

Forced by Tony, you thought. You’d avoided the subject of him for this long, though. No point in bringing him up now, even if it’s just to spare the inevitable headache he caused.

“All those years I spent with Steve, I—we—“ you couldn’t finish. No one knew about your relationship, save Nat and Sam who you were on the run with, and later Bucky. Most of the team knew by now, but it still wasn’t public domain. If it were to get out, things would get so, so much worse for you than they already were.

“You were together,” Karen supplied softly.

You wiped quickly, almost erratically at the tears that managed to escape. “We weren’t until about a year into running.” You took a shaky breath, your body betraying you. For all you could do to others with your mutation, it did jack shit to help control your own body. “He was a good man. He was so, so good.”

You hated explaining what you and Steve meant to each other to people, to anyone who didn’t know Steve. No one saw him the way they were meant to.

You felt a hand on your shoulder, an extension of comfort radiating from the skin, and your body betraying you by letting it bury itself within you. You looked over to see Matt, face sympathetic and thumb tracing a small pattern onto your skin. “It’s okay. We’ll keep him out of this.”

You thanked every God you could think of for Matt Murdock in that moment.

You’d left Nelson, Murdock, and Page feeling weirdly lighter than you had in days. It was like there had been an anvil in the center of your chest, and an attorney with fluffy hair and a smile that knew too much lifted it off with one conversation.

You were standing on the sidewalk, just outside the building for a few minutes after you left, contemplating if Bucky would let you spend the night again if you brought him takeout instead of alcohol he couldn’t get drunk off this time, when Foggy and Karen walked past you, saying goodbye and goodnight before getting in a cab together. A few moments later, Matt materialized next to you.

“Which way you headed?” He had his cane in hand, one you had the sneaking suspicion was for show, and his suit jacket draped over his forearm.

You stalled for a moment, your response held in suspense between the two of you. “Haven’t decided yet.”

Mat gave a crooked smile. “Too many options?”

“More like none at all.” You sighed, shivering a bit in the evening air. “Home isn’t home anymore, y’know? Wondering if my last remaining friend will trade takeout for his couch.”

He said nothing, just draped his jacket over your shoulders. He offered you his arm, then gestured for you to lead the way. You decided on food first. Then you’ll figure out where you can stomach sleeping tonight. You walked down the street on Matt’s arm, letting the slide of his cane lull you into a thoughtless wander.

“I lost someone, too,” Matt said, a couple blocks down. “Not that it’s any consolation. I know saying it sounds moot, but…”

You looked up at him expectantly.

“But grief is a universal language, nonetheless.”

“You say that like you’ve lost a lot of people,” you whisper.

Matt’s silence confirms your suspicion.

“So,” you prod, hesitant of where the line is between you and this man you met mere hours ago for the first time, but whose jacket lay around your shoulders to fend off the bite of cold in the air and whose arm you’re using to steady yourself as you walk with little knowledge of what direction you’re going in tonight, or tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. The man whose particular skillset connected the two of you in a strange understanding you could share, one which no one else could understand without. “Who was it? A partner?”

A small smile crept onto his face, one of reminiscing on fond memories. “Kinda. Yeah, I guess.”

You lapsed into silence again for another block. This, what Matt was offering you, was not something you could take freely.

“Her name was Elektra.”

You sensed norepinephrine flood his body as his anxiety spiked. “You don’t—you don’t have to tell me. I can tell it upsets you.”

“That’s the thing,” he said, unfazed by how easily you read him. “It never gets easier; talking about them, you know?”

You took that in for a moment, internalizing the idea that every time someone mutters Steve’s name, your throat will constrict like it did today. It never gets easier.

Matt continued as you approached the restaurant. “She was-she… She meant a lot to me. Point is, I get it.” He laughed a bit, running a hand over his chin as you came to a stop. “And I don’t, cause no one will ever know him like you did.”

You swallowed, doing little to dissipate the lump in your throat. “Can I buy you dinner?”

Matt gave you a sympathetic smile, the edges weighed down by something a bit indiscernible. “I wish I could, but I have a prior commitment tonight,” he admitted, and you sensed the genuine sentiment behind his words. “Let me know when you get where you’re going, when you figure it out.” He handed you a Nelson, Murdock, and Page business card with something scribbled on it. A number. “That’s my cell. Call me if you need a—couch, or anything.”

You smiled at him for a moment, letting your eyes flit over him, and all the emotion you could read without even looking under the surface. “Thank you,” you said. And for the first time in weeks, for the first time since the Blip, for the first time since you lost Steve, you meant it.

You hoped Bucky liked pho.

He threw the door open, rubbing sleep out of his eyes despite the relatively early hour. “What?”

“Do you like pho?”

“What.”

You held up the bag.

He sighed and opened the door further, letting you in. “Take my bed.”

You began to protest, his name falling half-heartedly off your lips.

“I can’t sleep in it anyway.”

You set the bag on the floor, sitting down and arranging the bowls of rice noodles and broth in front of you. Bucky took the invitation, eyeing the pho a bit wearily. The two of you ate in silence for a while, and you tried your best to keep your mind clear. You’d lost track of time after a while, just watching the broth swirl, when Bucky finally broke the silence.

“Whose jacket is that?”

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