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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years ago

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MAD AT GOD - MATT MURDOCK

Season Three - All Around Me

tags: @americaarse @ironprincessstranger @johnmurphys-sass @dusstory @astrobees @mayasaurus--rex @woowwwee // one // three // masterlist

Pairing: Matt x Reader (Unlabelled), Dex x Reader (Casual)

Word Count: 9,683

Summary: Looped back in, Y/N has to make sure she holds on to what is starting to matter again. With rumors swirling of a copycat Mask, that grip gets desperately tighter.

The next day, you and Ray were right back at the prison despite your complaints. You two were led through the halls until one of the more tucked away cells, meeting with a recently stabbed Wilson Fisk.

Too bad they didn’t kill him.

You stood by the door with hands on your hips, your thumb brushing the handle of the knife towards the back of your belt that was perfectly hidden under your jacket while he talked to Ray. You tuned in and out of the conversation until Fisk’s fake concern for his life caught your attention like the ring of a bell.

You moved suddenly, slamming your knee against his chest and forcing him back until he laid against the bed. You were quick to flick your hand and keep Ray calm, rather uninterested in your action, as your other hand found the superficial stab wound Fisk was so concerned about. You pressed your knuckle into it as you spoke.

“Nothing would make me happier than for you to die right here.” You spoke lowly, pressing your weight further and your knuckle deeper. “I could kill you, right here, and no one would bat an eye.”

“You’d lose- lose everything.” He coughed in a panic and you smiled.

“Who do you see coming to your rescue?”

“You and I- We need each other. You need your secret protected.”

In a swift movement, you pulled your knife and shoved it into his original wound but you felt the tension as your blade sunk in from a new angle. He let out a loud cry and reached for your wrist but you twisted the knife, feeling the building pressure of blood that would spill once you removed the blade while the other hand was up to halt every emotion within a small range of the hallway.

“I don’t need you for anything.” You said sharply. “You will owe your life to me.”

You yanked the knife out, wiping it against his clothes, before you tucked it away and took your place beside Ray. You dropped your hand and your control before folding both hands neatly behind your back and under your jacket to keep the blade out of sight. Their conversation finished quickly and you headed back to the bureau, where you were almost instantly pushed into a meeting with your SAC, DA Tower and an officer you didn’t know. They argued about whether or not Fisk should be removed from the prison and every word made your stomach twist into knots.

By threatening to reveal your past, it wasn’t hard to figure that he was playing the FBI. He was going to manipulate the system, just like before to avoid jail and when he got Frank out. But at least the Frank thing was helpful to you.

It was beyond clear to you that he was willing to get anyone out of his way so his rise to power would be seamless, meaning he wasn’t cooperating with the FBI. He wasn’t trying to make New York safer or turn over a new leaf. He wanted competition out of the way and the FBI was the perfect opportunity to do it. It was easily a show of dominance, to flaunt that the federal government was in his pocket. With that, no group in New York would challenge him.

No group in New York, maybe. But a lone woman with nothing left to lose…

“What about you, Agent Y/L/N?” Tower asked you. “You’ve been rather quiet, given your current involvement. I’d love to hear your opinion.”

“Can I speak frankly?” You asked and he nodded, though the glare from your SAC was practically burning a hole in the side of your head. “I absolutely hate him. I helped put him away for a reason and I’d rather shoot myself right here than see that man walk out of that prison. I’ll admit he gave the lead on the Albanians, but I don’t trust anything out of that man’s mouth. He’s a crook and a liar and a killer. If you ask me, let the prisoners kill him.”

“I am curious, why did you work so hard to defend Frank Castle then?”

“They’re not the same and you know that.”

“No, but Castle was a murderer. His cri-“

“Do we really want to talk about Frank Castle’s story? Let’s not speak ill of the dead.” Your brows raised in accusation but Tower conceded with a nod.

“By letting Fisk out of prison, even if it’s federally monitored house arrest, all that does is bring him that much closer to the toys and the games that were taken away.” You explained simply. “You’re bringing a bully back to the playground and he’s not gonna stop pushing others in the sandbox.”

Regardless of what you had to say, it was decided that Fisk would be moved. Hattley asked you when Dex got back and since he had gotten ahold of you that morning, she told you to call him in to get him caught up. You and Dex were going to lead the SWAT unit that was going to oversee the transport. You complained to Dex the whole time you were fitting your equipment into place and all he could do was laugh, given you couldn’t tell him the entirety of your history with Fisk.

Matt would’ve understood.

You were more than annoyed as you and Dex sat in the lead car.

“You’re still gonna pout about it?” He chuckled slightly. “Listen, I don’t like it either, Y/N/N.”

You frowned slightly at the nickname, though it was different from what your other friends would call you.

“But we gotta do our jobs, right?”

You made a small noise of agreement rather than arguing as your phone rang. You didn’t feel like digging through your pockets for it so you just tapped your implant.

“Hey, were you able to come by tonight?” Foggy’s voice rang in your head. “Karen came and went already.”

“Where? Come by for what?” You said quickly, turning away from Dex so it looked like your hand was holding the phone to your ear.

“The deli.. Remember, last time I came by, I told you about my family thing and how Mom and Dad and Theo wanted to finally meet you.”

“Honestly, I thought it was an empty invite.” You laughed nervously. “I’ve been kinda shitty to be around.”

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna give up on our friendship. When have I ever given up?”

“Does Nelson and Murdock count?”

“Low blow, Y/L/N.” He laughed slightly.

“I’m actually stuck at work on this transport but if you have time tomorrow night, maybe we can get together.”

“Okay. Yeah, that works… I need to talk to you about something important, too.”

“Cool. See you tom-“ A sudden explosion behind you drew your attention as Dex slammed the brakes. “Gotta go.”

“You got my six?” Dex asked as he hopped out the car.

“Don’t I always?”

“Wasn’t sure if you were too busy socializing.”

“If you weren’t such an ass, maybe you would be too.”

You flipped your implant to your work frequency and hurried out, following behind Dex.

As you two got closer, you saw more and more of your team going down. You heard the faint shouts in Albanian and you were tempted to fake a gun jam, allowing them to take out Fisk. But you kept going as Dex did, remembering it was still your job and it’d be more satisfying if you used your own bullet to kill him.

You and Dex cleared the scene easily, alternating between you and him taking the shots. What always impressed you about working with Dex was his ability to shoot through things or use ricochets. He tried teaching you some of it, but those sessions usually ended with one of you in the other’s beds.

Two came out from behind the car and claimed to surrender as you and Dex approached. They were scared of you and your partner, but you felt the determination of two men sneaking up behind you. You stepped around Dex as he fired, allowing you to take quick shots at the other two.

Fisk climbed out of the car but you both had your guns drawn. You stepped to him and kicked at his chest, slamming him back against the SUV. You pressed your gun against his forehead and the bitter taste settled on your tongue, the yellow fog radiating off him. You groaned loudly as you heard the sirens nearing, deciding it wouldn’t work out for you to kill him now. Not with your issued gun at least. Instead, you slammed the gun against his temple and watched him fall limp.

You tucked your weapon and went back to Dex’s side, following him back to your SUV once Ray and his crew got there to collect Fisk. You stayed a moment to show Ray which agents were still alive but hurried off before he could ask too many questions

“You weren’t gonna stop me..” You spoke simply as he drove quickly.

“You wanted me to?” He glanced at you with a small smirk.

“Guess I just kinda expected it.” You shrugged, knowing that Matt would’ve.

Not everything is about Matt. He’s dead. Let it go.

“You know what you’re doing, Y/N. I trust you.”

“Why?” But you already knew it was your own game you’d been playing since the moment you met him.

“Don’t know.” He said honestly. “Just going with my gut, maybe.”

You hummed in response and the conversation died after that. You two checked the entirety of the lobby before the convoy arrived with Fisk.

“You guys have a status on anyone?” Ray asked after Dex gave a brief rundown of what happened.

“Two going into surgery. Five dead, all for this pathetic son of a bitch.” You answered, having listened in on the ambulance chatter on your way over.

“Donovan!” Fisk called eagerly.

“Stay back.” Dex announced simply.

“We’re his attorneys!” The vaguely familiar man reasoned.

“Congratulations. Stay back or I’ll charge you with obstruction.” You repeated firmly, pushing past to get him to the elevator.

The ride up was quiet but Ray was quick to pull you and Dex aside.

“Check in with the SAC. Both of you.” He said pointedly.

“You’re joking.” You tried to push past him but he pulled you back.

“We just lost five agents. The debrief can wait.” Dex added.

“You know the deal. Take her with you, follow protocol, and get back here ASAP.”

Dex said nothing but grabbed your arm. You followed his lead without protest, though your skin was warming under your gear.

The next morning, your phone was ringing nonstop. First Karen, then Foggy. Then Foggy again. Then Foggy again. Then Karen, Foggy, Karen, Karen. You ignored all of their calls and messages, sitting in the media room with Dex and another agent. They talked about the agents that were in surgery last night, and the apathy from Dex was an uncomfortable emptiness. You tapped your implant after Fisk’s lawyers asked to turn the cameras off.

You sat in your chair with your arms crossed, leaning back with eyes closed as you listened in. Fisk yelled about Vanessa, how her being in Europe was dangerous because Exodus has people across the country that could get to her. You chuckled to yourself when you found out Marc’s rumor of her heading to Barcelona was right, and it didn’t sound like Fisk’s people knew she was being watched. You’d have to thank him for helping with that. Maybe pay a visit to London in the near future.

The other agent left for a bathroom break, which caused Dex to turn to you. You felt him turn your chair towards him so you lifted your head and opened your eyes, only to see him giving you a small smile.

“Yes, Agent Poindexter?” You asked with raised brows.

“You alright?” He asked, which made your brows furrow in confusion. It wasn’t like Dex to check in on people like that and the words felt strange to hear. “Been pretty quiet today..”

“Mhmm, just a long night.” You answered carefully. “You?”

“Yeah.. We gotta go down and cover couple of the guys’ for lunch. We get out at a decent time tonight, wanna get drinks?”

“Can’t. Cashing in a rain check with a friend from college tonight. Maybe tomorrow?”

You two waited until the other agent came back before heading down and switching shifts at the elevator. Disappointed in the lunch options, you were searching for the number to one of the bodegas in your neighborhood to call in a better sandwich when your phone was ringing from Karen again. A guy was coming up to the elevator so you gestured for Dex to deal with him as you stepped aside to take the call.

“By the way you two are blowing up my phone, I’m guessing you’ve heard.” You said simply, though her anger was easy to feel through the phone.

“And what? You just weren’t gonna tell us?” She asked angrily.

“I’m sorry. Let me just risk my career and give out confidential information on a high-risk target to two very public local figures.”

“You’re supposed to be our friend first, Y/N!”

“And are you calling me as my friend or as a reporter? Because I know you came poking around the hotel with those protestors this morning.” You countered. “I couldn’t tell either of you without risking my job and I didn’t even know until it happened. I’m trying to take this seriously but I can’t do that if you are gonna be breathing down my neck..”

“How did he get out?”

“No comment.”

“And you didn’t try to stop it?”

“Wasn’t up to me.”

“Don’t give me that shit, Y/N. You easily could’ve stopped this.”

“Nobody wants me to interfere with things unless it’s their idea and I’m sick of it! I’m sorry that you had to find out however you did but I won’t apologize for doing my job.” You glanced around at Dex and you noticed the man he was dealing with was oddly familiar, despite the downward tilt of his head and shadow from his hat covering his face. “Look, unless you have something else to talk to me about, I have to go.”

“No, you don’t get to do that.”

“People died, Karen. Good agents that just wanted to do their jobs. Now those people are dead and that bastard is this much closer to my neighborhood. I have more important things to worry about than your hurt feelings.”

“Y/N!”

You shoved your phone away and moved back beside Dex. You grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand off his gun, earning a small glare from him. You turned back as the man left without a word and you couldn’t piece it together. His frame was hidden by a bulky coat and the hat shadowed his face. He said nothing so you couldn’t place a voice and any emotions from him weren’t any help, only a slight panic that he’d been caught haphazardly covering up some sort of longing.

“Who was that?” You asked as you watched the figure disappear around the corner.

“Some homeless guy trynna bag a free room probably.” He shrugged. “Who cares?”

“Oh.. That why you were gonna shoot him?”

“If he came any closer, yeah.”

You sighed loudly and offered a pointed look, to which he raised his eyebrows expectantly. You rolled your eyes and decided not to bring it up again. Your disappointing lunch was quiet, you choosing not to talk much even though you had the company of your partner. It was obvious - even to Dex - that you were annoyed so you kept to your own tasks for the most part and he let you. Until the night part of your shift, when you and Dex were stuck with dinner supervising.

“It’s Special Agent Poindexter, isn’t it?” Fisk tried, though he got no response from Dex and chose to ignore your warning glare. “You saved my life last night.”

“Yeah, we all make mistakes.” He answered coldly, and you cracked a small smile. He turned to you and gave the same expression, seemingly relieved that you weren’t completely shutting him out.

“I’m sorry for the loss of your fellow agents.. Losing them to protect someone like me must be particularly difficult for the families and their loved ones.. I’d offer my condolences but I imagine it brings them greater comfort to hate me.”

“Don’t we all.” You mumbled and rolled your eyes.

“Unless you feel otherwise.” He tried looking at Dex. “That my words might bring any positive effect.”

“Ignore him.” You warned your partner.

“If so, please share that, from what I witnessed, they were incredibly brave.”

“Might wanna eat faster, convict. Meal’s over in five.” Dex said instead.

“I owe those fallen agents a debt that I can never repay.” Fisk continued.

“Ты, должно быть, шутишь.” You groaned and pushed off the wall. “I swear to God, one more sentence. One more.” (You’ve got to be kidding me.)

“I also owe the two of you.” Fisk continued.

You sighed to yourself and made a move to cross the room, but Dex reached out and caught your arm. You offered him a sharp glare but he didn’t let go.

“You can’t be serious.” You said quietly. “He’s baiting you.”

“Just let him talk.” Dex replied in the same hushed tone. “He’s just trynna get a reaction out of us.”

“I’ve never seen talent or synchronicity quite like you two… May I ask where you two acquired your skills?” Fisk pressed.

“Quantico, same as every other FBI agent.” You spoke flatly, refusing to back down from Dex’s stare.

“I believe there is more to it, Agent Y/L/N.”

You yanked your arm free from your partner’s hold, giving a slight shove to his chest before you crossed the room. You put a hand under Fisk’s tray and flipped it, smearing his dinner across the table. You pulled the plate and bit down your laugh as you walked away with Dex right behind you. You dropped the tray off and did your last few tasks before having to head over for your joint meeting with the psychologist. But as you waited in the hall with Dex, you had to make a point.

“Why did you want to listen to him?” You asked with a slight accusation in your words.

“I didn’t.”

“You did. And for a second, it almost looked like you were listening.”

“Why are you so pissed about it anyway?”

“Because he was baiting you! He was getting in your head and you let him!”

He scoffed in disbelief. “C’mon, Y/L/N.”

“I’m not an idiot, Dex. And you’re not that hard to read.”

“If he got into anyone’s head, it was yours.”

“I knew what was happening. I’ve dealt with him before so I know exactly what he was trying to do.”

“Yeah? What was it then?”

“You impressed him during the ambush. Now, he wants you on his side that way if something happens again, he knows he’ll be fine. He knows the only people that can beat him right now are you and me, since vigilantes in this town can’t get close with the FBI around. And if he gets you to side with him, that just leaves me…”

“You?” He laughed and you ground your teeth at his mocking tone.

“Yes, me. I know how you fight, Dex. I know exactly how to beat you.”

“So that’s why you wanted to be partners?” He tried to joke but you glared at him. He turned to face you with an unbothered grin. “So you could kick my ass?”

“I’m being serious.”

“I know.” He nodded with the same stupid grin, which got him smacked in the arm. “Ah! Okay! Okay, listen..” He put his hands on either of your arms. “Nothing is gonna happen cause I have you as my own personal pain in the ass to make sure. Does that make you feel better?”

“No, because you’re being condescending.”

“I’m not.” He laughed and you smacked him again.

“You’re new and exciting to him, like a new toy, and now he knows you’re dangerous. Those are the same reasons he tried to convince me a while back.”

“I’m sorry. What?”

“I didn’t go for it.” You shrugged.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“There’s a lot to my past you don’t know that I’m not obligated to tell you.. Just trust me when I tell you that you don’t wanna get lumped into his bullshit.”

“I got it, Y/N. Alright? You don’t gotta worry about me.”

You hummed in acknowledgment as the door opened and you were ushered in, him calling both of you in at the same time. You sat in silence for the most part, waiting until the doctor addressed you specifically. Instead, something Dex said caught your attention.

“Respectfully, if I were wearing a mask, the press would be calling me a hero.” He said angrily and you shifted in your seat, the scars of your mask around your eyes now burning with the thought and your jaw clenched. “Instead, I’m sitting in here with you trying to justify protecting myself and my partner.”

“Y/L/N.” The doctor said and your attention lifted. “Anything to add, y’know as the partner in question?”

“They faked a surrender. We gave them a chance and they faked it.” You shrugged, hoping no one would address your reaction to Dex’s comment about the masks. “They had two coming from behind that would’ve killed us both. We were protecting ourselves. I don’t care to be a hero and I don’t care to be liked. But I’m damn sure not going to sit here and be judged for doing what I was supposed to do.”

“I’m not your enemy. I just…” He sighed and glanced between you both. “Alright, let’s cut the psych bullshit since neither of you wanna respond to it. Just tell me for real. How are you?”

“It’s hard.. It’s really hard.” Dex answered and you almost laughed at the apathy of the rehearsed answer.

“I’m alright.” You said with a small shrug.

“This is the first time you’ve been noted using lethal force, Y/L/N.” He stared at you and you almost laughed. “And the first time you’ve had to fire your weapon on duty since your rehab.”

“I’m FBI SWAT.” You answered plainly, as if it should be obvious. “Before this, private security. Before that-“

“Before that, a lawyer. A paralegal and disabilities assistant.”

“Point is, I’ve fired a gun before. It doesn’t bother me to shoot.” Your hand absentmindedly landed on the wrist brace and you had to quickly pull yourself from those memories.

“Events like this tend to exact a toll. Repeating traumatic experiences compounds that toll creating a pressure.”

“Until one day we go postal? Yeah, we get it.” Dex cut in. You gave a small head tilt in agreement, thinking of the times your vision was coated red. Maybe you did need more than just Curtis’ support group.

“The point is you need to process this stuff.”

“I process it.”

“You have a support system?”

“Other than her?” Dex patted your leg and you kicked lighty at his shin. “Yeah, but I think she’d rather be called Julie.”

“How does that work? Tell me about her.”

“She’s a bartender, professional listener too. We get dinner most nights. Today’s Tuesday, so pizza night.” He smiled slightly, though you were mildly confused. He’s always had a soft spot for Julie, but as far as you knew, they didn’t really talk. “Julie gets broccoli and sausage, extra cheese. I tell her about my day, the good and the bad. I know it’s not healthy to hold this stuff in so I talk to her.. I tell her everything, and she doesn’t judge me or blame me.”

You noticed how carefully he told the story. He never said Julie did anything in return. She didn’t listen when he talked. She didn’t tell him about her day. You wondered why he would lie.

“Sounds like a good one.”

“Yeah, she is.”

“And you, Y/N? Can I call you Y/N?”

“I have a church.” You answered carefully, still trying to figure out why Dex was making up his relationship with Julie. “The pastor and one of the nuns there, they just sit with me most mornings and we talk. About my life and what I’ve lost. What I’ve gained. Who I’ve become.”

“And religion, it helps with everything?”

“No, not religion.” You laughed slightly. “The people help. The church itself was where a friend of mine used to go before he left. It’s just a special place, I guess. Safe.”

“Alright..” The doctor nodded slightly. “You’re both clear for duty but I want check-ins for a while, every other day.”

You were headed out when Dex matched your stride.

“Want a ride?”

“No, I’ll walk. Thanks.”

He sighed and grabbed your arm, turning you so you’d stop and face him.

“What are you mad about now?” He asked with a sigh.

“I’m not mad about it, dumbass. I’m just thinking about why you lied about Julie.”

“What does she have to do with anything?” He asked tightly and you watched his jaw clench.

“We both know what your relationship with her really is. Claiming to have dinner with her most nights when you’re also sleeping with me most nights is gonna get us both caught up.”

“Right… So I should’ve said that I bang my partner a couple nights a week?”

“God, you’re an idiot.” You groaned and shook your head.

He took a deep breath and crossed his arms. Before he could answer, you heard the call for backup to the parking garage from your implant. You shoved past him and hurried down the stairs, pushing through the stairwell door just in time to catch the man beating on one of the agents who was clearly no longer a threat.

You hurried over and got behind him, hooking your arm around his neck. You dropped to your back and pulled him with you as you turned to push him facedown. You pinned a knee between his shoulder blades and planted the other foot by his head, which you immediately realized was a mistake when he yanked you by your ankle. Once you fell off, he was quick to roll to his back so he could kick out at your chest.

You threw your hips up as your back hit the concrete so you rolled all the way through before running at him again. You used the closest car as a jumping off point - setting off the alarm in the process - and slammed a knee into his chest and forced him back against the nearest pillar. The sight of the familiar black mask called a red haze of rage to cross your vision.

Copycat or not, Matt Murdock or otherwise, didn’t make a difference. You took the chance and funneled all your recent rage into your offense.

You threw hard punches at his face, alternating sides and seeing some make his head bounce off the concrete behind him. Some of your shots went off course and your knuckles hit the pillar instead. When you felt his hands grip your sides, you balled your hands into the front of his shirt as he turned and roughly slammed you into the nearest car. Your head bounced off the roof and the windows splintered behind you before he tackled you to the ground.

Your fingers reached for the mask, some part of you desperate to know the truth. To know for sure if that was Matt Murdock you were up against and extinguish that little flicker of hope in your chest, once and for all. He batted your hands away each time so the next time his hand hit yours, you were quick to grab his wrist and twist outward. You planted your feet and pushed off to flip you two over, spinning your body to flatten a knee against his throat. You reached behind you but your shirt was tucked too tight to reach the shock discs you had stored at the bottom of the vest you wore underneath. Your moment of hesitation allowed for him to get both hands under your knee and shove you away.

By the time you had your bearings back, which was only a few seconds, he was gone.

“Клянусь Богом, если это ты, Мэтт, я сам тебя убью..” You sighed, examining your knuckles and noting the blood splatters across the pillar. (I swear to God, if that’s you Matt, I will kill you myself.)

You moved to it and rubbed your sleeve against it, smearing it off and staining your arm. You glanced around and picked up a shard from the shattered window before you yanked it across the bloodstain on your sleeve, slicing the material and your arm to explain the stain. You pressed your arm against the wall and once your own blood covered your assailant’s, you pressed to turn your implant on.

“I need… medics to the.. to the parking garage. The assailant is gone... Multiple agents down.. At least nobody’s dead this time..” You said calmly, faking heavy breaths in between as you dropped to the ground against the pillar.

Back at the church, Matt was reeling. Y/N was working with the FBI to protect Fisk. He wondered why she left Anvil. How did she end up with Fisk? Why didn’t she try to stop it? And why was she stopping him?

He talked with Sister Maggie about what he had found out.

“He’s claiming to have changed over a woman.” Matt said with a slight bitterness to his voice. How was it fair or just that Fisk could have the woman he loved when he had to hurt his? When he now had to stand against his. Again.

“Well if there’s anything that can redeem a lost soul, love would have to top the list.” Maggie answered knowingly.

“Even for a monster like Fisk?”

“You’re talking to a nun, kiddo. Love and redemption are pretty much our sales pitch.”

“Well I'm not buying.”

“She still comes by, you know. Even after that little boxing debacle. Not too late to talk to her.”

“No, I don’t think she’d be happy to see me.” Matt sighed.

“Why not?”

“Cause she’s kicked my ass twice already.” He laughed slightly.

“Mmm.” She hummed, almost in delight. “You say that like you didn’t deserve it.”

“I’m just.. I don’t know, maybe I’ll just stop him, for good this time. Then we can..”

“Just be careful you don’t become the monster.”

He went out that night, finding Foggy at a bar. He heard Y/N’s voice through a phone call as she promised she was on the way, saying she had to finish with the medics before she could leave. Matt didn’t remember hurting her that bad but maybe when he tackled her, it aggravated her old rib injury. Maybe she was beginning to develop a concussion, which he would have to find a way to apologize for if that was it. Regardless, he didn’t have time to dawdle on the thought since she was already coming. Even if his heart wanted to hammer his feet to the floor and make him face her.

The conversation went about as well as Matt expected. He thought it better that Foggy was pissed at him, then maybe he wouldn’t want Matt around. Maybe he wouldn’t tell Y/N or Karen that they had talked.

“You’ll have to get passed Y/N.” Foggy called as Matt tried to leave. “Karen told me she’s part of the FBI detail that’s protecting Fisk.”

“Yeah, I know.. I’ll handle it.”

“I hope she kicks your ass. Maybe that’ll knock some sense into you. As much as she hates doing that, she’s gonna hate that you’re hiding from her even more.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell her then.”

“I’m not gonna keep this from her!”

Matt heard her voice outside, muttering about not changing her shirt and something about blood. He was nearing panic and his pulse was thumping in his ears.

“She won’t believe you.” Matt defended, trying to end the conversation so he could sneak out without Y/N seeing.

“She deserves better than that.”

“Yeah, I know… Just stay out of this. You and Karen.”

“And what if Y/N tries to stop you?”

“She won’t.”

“It’s her job now! You don’t get to take that from her!”

“If you tell her I’m coming for him, then you take it from her.”

“You’re an asshole.” Foggy complained and Matt decided he wouldn’t stay any longer.

He headed out and brushed past Y/N, careful to keep his head down and turned away. It may have made it obvious that he didn’t want to be seen but he didn’t care. As long as he got away. As long as he didn’t have to hear her say his name.

You hurried into the bar and glanced around, almost running into the man leaving. You offered an apology but he said nothing, just shoved past you with his head down. You made a face to yourself before finding Foggy and rushing over.

“Hey.” You smiled and he offered an uneasy smile in return. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.. Nothing, uh- What happened? You okay?” Foggy rushed to answer and you felt the anxiety vibrating off him.

You paused to order your drink quickly before facing your friend again.

“Yeah, there was an incident at the hotel and I got sliced.” You rolled up your jacket sleeve to show the bandages. “Which sorta leads into what I wanted to talk to you about…”

“Fisk is out.”

“Conditionally, but yeah…”

“And you’re part of the team that protects him.”

“Yeah… Karen tell you?”

“Yeah..”

“I’m sorry. I tried to stop it. I even tried the conflict of interest card and I would’ve told you if I could but-“

“It’s not your fault, Y/N/N.” Foggy sighed and you could tell something else was weighing on him, though you had to admit it was nice to hear your old nickname again. “I know you did everything you reasonably could to stop it.”

“You’re definitely more forgiving and understanding than Karen was. But maybe that’s just cause we aren’t really getting along right now in general.”

“When you talked to Karen, did she tell you anything else?”

“No, she kinda just yelled at me… I don’t blame her, considering I yelled right back. Why?”

“You ever hear about the Kazemi family?”

“Uh… No, I don’t think so.”

“Well they’re a rich family and I guess they got attacked the other night but someone stopped it.”

“Was it a guy and his daughter?”

“Yeah.. Is it a good thing that it sounds familiar?”

“A little, but probably not. The other night, I was leaving the bar and I felt this panic. I went to check on it and there was this guy…”

“Man in the Mask copycat?”

“Yeah! You’ve seen him?”

You felt a new sliver of hope break through and it made your chest feel tight and your stomach twist.

“No.. But Karen thinks it’s him.”

“Between you and me..” You leaned in closer. “And you can’t tell Karen… Same guy tried to ambush the hotel tonight. I tried to get the mask off but I missed. Do you think it’s really him?”

“I don’t know.. Do you really want it to be? I mean, you have this new life with the FBI. You got Dex- that’s your partner, right?” Foggy gestured to you and you nodded. “You just got over all that Central Park carousel stuff.“ He motioned vaguely to your wrist and your other hand covered your brace defensively. “Do you want him to be back right now? Would it be good for you?”

“Do you?”

“He was my best friend. If I could have him back, I would. But I’d want the Matt we had before all of this.”

“I get it.. Everything was easier before we started this.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” He sighed.

“Yeah, but it’s true, right?”

He pressed his lips into a line as he nodded.

“Would you want him back?” He asked softly,

“Honestly…” You paused to think, staring at your glass while you swirled the contents to watch the liquid slosh over the ice cubes.

Did you want Matt back? You thought so. But could you handle Matt being back? That would probably mean he’d want to go after Fisk, which would force you to choose to potentially bring back Exodus to help him - given that he’s revived his own vigilante image - or choose your job and stop him. You’ve stood against Matt before so it was anything but an unfamiliar concept. But to stand against him for the sake of Wilson Fisk, for the sake of a man you wanted to put a bullet in every waking minute you were at that godforsaken hotel. It was a complete reversal of what Exodus stood for, of what you stood for. If the old you, the one who existed when you first came to town, could see you now protecting Fisk, she’d kill you herself. And you couldn’t deny that you would’ve deserved it.

Just because you wore an FBI badge and title didn’t mean Exodus was no longer part of you. It didn’t mean you wouldn’t do what you had to.

“I still love him and I miss him everyday. But it’d be a really shitty time for him to come back.” You laughed weakly, gently nursing your drink. “There’s too much with the Fisk thing to deal with him. He’d want to do something stupid like try to take him down. I’d end up helping him because we all know who between all of us can actually finish this if it comes down to it. Next thing you know, I’m on the run with a new identity and New York isn’t home anymore…”

“You’ve thought this out.” Foggy offered gently.

“Ever since I saw the copycat, I haven’t been able to get the thought out of my head. I’m a little relieved that I haven’t gotten back to normal. It doesn’t hurt when I think about the maybe… Maybe he’s back. Maybe it would bring something back in me. Maybe I’m not lost forever. That’s the one that really scares me… But then no one ever showed up. He never came home. He never even called. I gave up on the idea cause I kinda had to, y’know. I mean, we hardly had any time together anyways.. But now that maybe, just maybe, he’s alive. I don’t know, Foggy..”

“Would it help if he was alive?”

“If the Man in the Mask is back-“ You rubbed the side of your head, unintentionally pressing on the scar for your implant. “-then there’s gonna be some expectation for Exodus to return, too. Not from him, exactly, but the Kitchen. It’s been him and I almost since the start. And I don’t think I can-“

Your sentence was cut short by what you heard in your head. Your device connected to the audio back in Fisk’s hotel room. Your body ran cold when you realized he knew and it felt like you had been sucker punched.

‘So the Devil is back… Which means Exodus can’t be far behind.’

‘She can’t make a move without the FBI seeing. Neither of them can. Y/L/N was the one to take him down in the parking garage.’

‘We need to convince them sooner rather than later. We need something to entice Ms. Y/L/N.”

“Hello? Y/N?” Foggy tried, waving a hand in front of your face. Your attention snapped back and you smacked the scar quickly to silence the device. “What happened?”

“Uh… Sorry, I just- I thought I heard something. Listen, Foggy, if you know something, I need you to tell me.” You urged. “I need you to tell me right now.”

“Y/N..” He sighed.

“Foggy, please.”

“He told me to stay out of it, said for me and Karen to stay on the sidelines and that if you were involved, he’d figure it out.”

“So he is alive?”

“Maybe? I don’t know. It was just some note.”

“But who wrote it?”

“I know that you-”

“Who else knows?”

“I don’t know.”

You sighed in frustration and knocked a fist against the bar top. You quickly swallowed the contents of your glass and dropped a twenty on the bar before getting up.

“Y/N, wait.” Foggy tried.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. If he’s really alive and if he’s going after Fisk, he’s going to get himself killed. Fisk is already trying to get in my partner’s head and I can tell you right now, he thinks the Devil is back.”

“What?”

“The copycat went for Fisk’s lawyer. Now Fisk knows and he’s counting on me and him coming for him. I need to get back there and figure this out.”

“Y/N!” He called after you, halting your steps. “I know I can’t stop you… Just be careful.” He sighed.

“I promise.” You nodded before heading home to figure everything out.

The next morning, you were on the phone with Dex as you were heading out. You just stepped outside your building when you realized you left your wallet on your table. You hurried back up, a lecture in your ear from your partner, but stepping inside made you freeze.

Your door was unlocked, you could’ve sworn you had locked it when you left. You always did. There was a heavy coat thrown over the sofa, one that seemed reminiscent of the guy from the hotel and was still warm from wear, and a pair of glasses on the table near your door. Sunglasses that were too round to be yours. You stepped into the bedroom and found your closet open, Matt’s suits pushed apart with an empty hanger on the bar but his few remaining canes all accounted for.

Someone - probably Matt - had been in your apartment. You shivered slightly at the thought but had no time to sit and obsess on it. You grabbed your wallet and left, making a point to lock the door.

But when Matt stepped into your shared apartment moments after you had left, he could tell your life was different. Physically, everything was more or less the same. The place was a bit dustier than he remembered, but he figured that was just due to your new busy schedule. What he couldn’t ignore was the smells of different colognes, scents he would never wear. The smells were stronger in the bedroom and he instantly knew that you had entertained nightly visitors in his absence.

He frowned to himself but that expression turned to a small smile when he realized the scents were woven into the opposite side of the bed. His usual side now smelled of your body wash and shampoo while your usual side smelt of your partners. Despite the bile in his throat and knots in his stomach from the idea of you sleeping with someone else, he found a bit of comfort in knowing that you didn’t let them on his side.

That had to mean something.

You walked into the hotel with even less pep in your step than the day before, if that was possible. You felt rather deflated but you knew you needed to be at work. You needed to watch Fisk, to keep Dex from picking the wrong side. Your list of unstable men to keep an eye on seemed to grow everyday - even though some were crossed off - and you began to question the type of people you attracted.

If you had to create that list in real life, it’d look just as messy as your thoughts.

Marc’s name would be there, then crossed off, then back again with an arrow that pointed to a sidebar for Steven’s name with a small question mark over the arrow. Then Matt would make the list. Daredevil, later crossed off along with Matt and a small ‘dead’ by their names. Then Frank, who’d also be crossed off with ‘dead’ then rewritten with ‘alive!!’. Billy Russo, aggressively crossed off. Dex and Fisk, both with angry faces next to them. And Matt would make the list again.

“Y/L/N.” Ray called as you stepped into the media room. You tossed Dex your jacket and headed into the next room, passing Ray’s wife with a polite exchange of smiles. “Heard you got a little beat up yesterday. You alright?”

“Yeah.” You nodded and rolled your sleeve to show the bandages, suddenly glad you didn’t heal it yourself. “Wanna see?”

He chuckled slightly and came over, unraveling the bandage carefully. He made a small noise at the sight of the slice and helped you cover it up again.

“It doesn’t hurt?” He asked as you repositioned your sleeve.

“Nah.” You shook your head. “It tugs a little bit, but they cleaned it up real nice. I’m not worried.”

“Good.” He nodded. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks.” You smiled slightly, feeling the genuineness of his words. “Yeah, I’d hate to have to sit this one out.” You added sarcastically.

“And here I thought you didn’t wanna be here.” He joked.

“I don’t.” You agreed with a laugh. “But I'd rather be here than home.”

“That’s good to hear.” He patted your shoulder. “I think… But he’s been asking for you.”

“Who? Him?” You gestured to Dex behind you.

“No… Him.” He gestured to the suite on the other side of the wall.

“Oh great.. And here I thought I’d enjoy coming to work today.” You mumbled and backed away to head into the next room. “He say why?”

“Nope. And I didn’t ask. He’s had his lawyer all morning so no one knows what he’s saying.”

“Even better. How’d he know I love going in blind?” You rolled your eyes. “Bring him?” You nodded to Dex.

“Up to you.” He shrugged.

You tilted your head back and forth in thought before shaking your head. You gave Dex a tight smile in acknowledgement before heading into the room. You walked in and found only Donovan standing in front of you.

“What does he want with me?” You asked simply.

“I think you know, Agent Y/L/N.” The lawyer answered calmly.

“I will put a bullet in both of you before anyone else can even get to the door.” You warned and crossed the room briskly, grabbing the man by his jacket and giving a small shake. “What does he want?”

“How would that look? You’re the only one armed here.”

“You’d be surprised at how well I can make things look like a suicide.”

“I had hoped we would have more time to build up to this.” Fisk announced from the second level. You shoved the lawyer away and faced Fisk. “There’s something I want you to see.”

He came down calmly, hands folded behind his back. You took a small step back and your hand hovered at the gun at your belt. As he got closer, he held a phone out to you. Before you took it, you saw a dimly lit scene that shifted to red flashes. You saw the blur of movement so you snatched the device and took a few steps away to see, and potentially hide your reaction.

What you saw made your hands burn.

There was no denying that it was Matt. The way he moved, the way he took the hits but got up. It was without a doubt the man you loved. The man you’d die to protect.

It was Matt Murdock.

“What the hell is this?” You turned on Fisk, clutching the phone so tight you thought you were going to snap it. And maybe you wanted to. “Where is this?”

“I know that you know the Devil is back. I assume you knew who he was the whole time.” He spoke calmly. “What I don’t know is who’s side you are on.”

“Whose side?” You laughed, throwing the phone to the floor. You stomped the screen and heard it splinter beneath your heel. “I side with myself! I have no loyalty to anyone but myself, remember?”

“He was gone. Presumed dead.” Fisk taunted and your vision gained a slight red haze so you closed your eyes and turned your back. “Where did he go, Agent?”

“Shut up.”

“Was it your fault? What happened to him. Did you do it?”

“You think I’d turn on him?” You turned to face him.

“You turn on everyone, don’t you?”

“Shut up!”

“He ‘died’ because of you!”

“I fought him for it!” You screamed, throwing your hand and feeling a wave of heat release. You cursed yourself for the moment of weakness before collecting yourself.

“But he was better than you.” Fisk continued. “You should’ve fought harder.”

“Why did you show me that?” You gestured to the broken phone you still stood on. “What do you want from me?”

“The Devil is alive and he is coming for me. I ask you, without the FBI’s watchful eye, without the presence of your partner… Is Exodus alive as well?”

“You’re afraid.” You realized the faint yellow surrounding him. “If the Devil lives, and if Exodus joins him, you know you can’t win.”

“I have someone in mind.”

“You go after Dex and I swear to you, I will break every bone in your body.” You warned fiercely. “And that’ll be after I break Vanessa in half.”

“I’ll kill you before you get close.”

“I don’t need to. I still have eyes on her, remember? I give the word and she’s as good as dead.”

“The same can be said about your precious Matthew Murdock.” He threatened lowly. “Franklin Nelson… Karen Page…”

“You touch them, and I will burn this hotel to the ground with you in it.”

“Tell me, Agent. Who do you choose to be?”

“I am revenge and consequence.” You spoke calmly.

“You used to be wrath personified.”

“I am wrath’s bruised heart!” You shouted. “What- what- what do you want from me? Hmm? You want me to be afraid that you’ll expose my past? I can make it so no one here gives a shit! You want me to beg you to keep my secret? I cower before no one! But I will say this. If you come after anyone I care about, I will kill everyone you’ve ever loved. And you will watch them suffer.”

You left the room after that, slamming the door behind you. You ran your hands roughly through your hair and let out a silent scream, tugging the ends and feeling the heat against your scalp. You let out a long sigh and ran a hand down your face before composing yourself and returning to the media room. You dropped into your chair and kept to yourself, saying very little to any of your colleagues. Dex offered lunch, and you shrugged in response. Ray offered to bring you coffee when he went for one and you waved him off. You couldn’t focus on anything other than the shocking revelations and threats of that day.

Matt truly was alive, and like a coward, he was hiding from you. Where you would find him, you had no idea. All you knew was that his dumbass went and picked a fight at a prison that was clearly still under the thumb of Wilson Fisk. And Fisk, having the audacity to challenge you into bringing Exodus back. As if Exodus would ever dare be on his side. Left you a lot to think about.

You didn’t know if it was just after lunch or just after dinner when Hattley and Ray showed up with OPR. You only cared for his arrival since he asked Dex to leave the room. Your brows raised and you watched your partner leave with interest, waiting until Hattley and OPR ducked into the office. Ray nodded for you to follow him out and you found Dex in the hall.

“Don’t sweat this.” Ray told you both.

“What is this?” You asked, peaking over his shoulder towards the room you left. “What’s going on?”

“OPR wants a private interview with Fisk.. It would be inappropriate of me to tell you that the Office of Professional Responsibility has launched an internal investigation into the motorcade attack.”

“Why?” Your brows furrowed. Hadn’t you and Dex given the same retelling in your reports?

“It would also be inappropriate of me to tell you that there was a slight discrepancy between your report-“ He looked to Dex. “-and the forensics analysis of the shooting.”

“Yeah, it would be inappropriate.” Dex agreed flatly.

When Ray headed back into the room, you waited in the hall with Dex. Not for the first time since you had known him, but you felt an uneasy sense of wavering from him. You knew the man needed structure. He needed routine and rules to keep him on the straight and narrow. But this investigation threatened that and he knew it.

“Hey.” You offered and he looked to you quickly. “You’re practically buzzing.”

“Yeah, no shit.” He sighed. You reached and took his hand for a moment, allowing the gesture to give you a cover to take in some of that overwhelming energy.

“It’s gonna be fine, alright? I’ll stick up for you and do what I can.”

“And what if it takes you down, too?”

You shrugged. “Still have a law degree I can use.”

Along with other, more violent ways to spend your time.

“You’re a pain in the ass, yknow that?” He laughed slightly.

“Yeah, running theme with me I guess. Some people actually appreciate it though.” You gave a small smile before patting his arm and returning to work.

You stepped out of the media room for a breather later that night, taking a quick trip to the lobby for a tea. Although on your way back, you passed the agent you had left in the room. He said Dex switched with him, but you knew he was supposed to be relieved for the day. You hurried back and found the cameras had been shut off.

You slammed a fist against the desk before rushing into the suite.

“They’re questioning you for your exceptionalism!” Fisk said loudly as Dex stared at you like a deer in headlights. “You saved my life!”

“Shut up!” You shouted past Dex, though you maintained eye contact.

“They vilify and demean your acts of courage.”

“Sit down and shut up or I will put a bullet in you right now, I swear to God.” You warned, pulling your gun on Fisk as he stood. “Dex, out. Now.”

Fisk made some other comment about real heroes being dismissed before Dex finally left, leaving you and Fisk alone and your gun still raised. And the cameras were still off.

“Leave him out of this. I won’t warn you again.” You said firmly.

“If you won’t break, then I’ll break him.” Fisk said calmly as he sat back down.

“You want him to be your personal weapon. I won’t let that happen to him.”

“Isn’t that what you use people for? The Devil. The Punisher. Now Agent Poindexter.”

“What will it take?” You asked suddenly, shocking both yourself and Fisk. “Hmm? To leave both men out of your games. I need to protect them so… So name your price.”

“I’ve always known you were meant for something bigger than masks and costumes… Maybe this is the chance to find out.”

“So I join you, Dex and The Devil are off limits?”

“I am a man of my word, am I not?”

“No, I need to hear you say it.”

“Agent Poindexter and The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen will have my protection, if you agree.”

You were quiet as you thought about it. Faking compliance has worked for you in the past, but you figured he’d expect a double cross. You’d be kept on the outskirts. There was no way Fisk would be naive enough to let you into his inner circle without some proof of loyalty, some niche test that would only make sense to you.

“My offer will not last forever. I suggest you makeup your mind quickly.” He spoke calmly, but you could feel the underlying threat.

Before you could argue, you felt a deep wave of panic slam your chest hard enough to nearly knock you off your feet. You shoved the gun away and pushed out of the room, back into the media room to turn the cameras back on. You scolded Dex for letting Fisk get in his head and he offered an insincere apology for it. You smacked the back of his head and ranted about how nothing Fisk says can be trusted and how he was trying to manipulate Dex. Dex clearly didn’t care what you had to say so once the other agent returned, you left.

You practically ran home, hoping that the source of the panic would be there. The panic was Matt’s and that part was easy to recognize but it felt so far away that you had no idea what to do. You didn’t know where he was or what he was up to. You could only hope that he could handle it, that he would be heading to the apartment rather than whatever hole he was hiding in.

You could only pray that he was coming home to you. When you stepped into your empty apartment, the pressure building your chest hit a tipping point so you took a deep breath and screamed until you ran out of air.

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petertingle-yipyip · 1 year ago

Text

MAD AT GOD - MATT MURDOCK

Season Three - Lover of Mine

tags: @mayasaurus--rex @americaarse @dusstory @johnmurphys-sass @ironprincessstranger @astrobees @woowwwee // five // seven // masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Word Count: 9,732

Summary: The constant circles and playing different parts grows more and more dizzying as events continue to unfold. Alliances tested and lives endangered, Ex and The Man in the Mask take a stand against the new Daredevil.

“How? Y/N, calm down and talk to me. What happened?”

“I can’t calm down!” You snapped and he stepped in front of you, hands landing on either arm to stop you.

“You’re burning up.”

“Yeah, no shit.” You almost yelled. “This puts everything at risk!”

“Slow down, Y/N/N.” He said carefully. “Tell me what happened.”

“He cut my mask. I grabbed it and he saw me. He saw my face.”

“But he has no proof.” Matt offered calmly, though you knew your frazzled state was radiating and vibrating through him. He stood before you as solid as ever. “He can’t throw around an accusation like that without proof.”

“You can’t accuse him of being the knock-off Daredevil without proof either.” You deadpanned.

“I have proof.” He let go of one arm and held out Dex’s tape player.

“That doesn’t connect him to Fisk. And that doesn’t change the fact that he knows who I am. And- And Ray. Oh my god, Ray. We have to find him.”

“Don’t worry, okay? I’m gonna take care of it.” He promised.

“He’s gonna try to blackmail me. He’s- He’s gonna expect me to go along with it. He’s going-“

“So go along with it.” Matt nodded and your jaw went slack. “Your mask records, doesn’t it? You can get proof.”

“This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I didn’t want to have to use this for a double agent. The whole point of her is to do things on my terms. Besides, in case you forgot-“ You thumped your fingers against his forehead. ”- I’m a federal agent. I can’t exactly walk around my office in a bulletproof body suit.”

“Nothing bad is gonna happen to you.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one in the middle of a shit show.”

“He won’t hurt you.”

“Stop acting like you know him! You don’t!”

“Why are you acting like you care about him? You didn’t want anything to do with me when you said I betrayed you back in that alley. But he chooses to work for Fisk and you don’t care?”

“He’s gonna see this as a betrayal.” You gestured wildly towards the apartment below you. “It makes me look like the untrustworthy one.”

“Since when do you care what others think of you?” He scoffed lightly.

“Matthew, you are not listening to me.” You spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. “That man will not hesitate if he gets a chance to kill me.”

“He won’t.” He shook his head firmly.

“Yeah, cause you’ll be there to protect me, right?” You mocked. “You can’t even come to the goddamn apartment. You expect me to believe that you’ll be around now?”

He sighed and nodded in resignation. “Are you gonna hold that against me forever?”

“Are you gonna give me a reason to believe you? C’mon, I mean… You act like you love me and then you ask if I ever manipulated you.”

Your implant pinging caught your attention so you stepped away from Matt to answer it.

“You need to find Ray.” You said over your shoulder as you put distance between you two.

“Yeah?” You said simply, hearing the shuffle of Matt’s boots as he left.

“Have you talked to Karen?” Foggy asked on the other end.

“Not since the questioning. Why?”

“I invited her to this thing and she said she’d come but she hasn’t shown up. I’m a little worried. Did you know she lost her job?”

“Ellison fired her?”

“Cause she wouldn’t give up his real name.”

“Shit.” You sighed, though you appreciated the loyalty. “Uh, yeah. I can track her phone, hang on.”

“You can do that?”

“Yeah, I’ve saved all of your numbers to a program that can locate your phones by SIM card. Back when we thought Matt was just a dumbass, I wanted to make sure he didn’t fall in down a manhole whenever he didn’t answer the phone.” You explained while you slid your finger across the mask. You held it in place with the other hand while you looked around the city. “Okay, I found her. Looks like she’s just driving around. I’ve gotta get back to work so I’ll text you if I get a hold of her.”

“Thanks, Y/N/N.”

“It’s what I do.” You shrugged and tapped the implant off.

You snuck off the roof and to your car, parked at the empty structure a few blocks over. You changed back into work clothes and headed to the Presidential. You got to the media room and took a seat at the monitors,

though your mind was still buzzing.

You wondered how long it would take until Dex opened his mouth. Would he tell Fisk and let the big man try to play you? Would he go after you the way he went after Jasper? Or would he sit in silence? Let you drive yourself mad with the possibility that he could out you at any second. That he could make you the fugitive instead of him. You didn’t like the leverage he had over you and you needed a way to take it away.

You needed to get the advantage. And what better way to do that than to put yourself in a position above him to boot him out.

When you finally managed to focus on work, you realized who Fisk was talking to.

“Hey.” You waved one of the other agents down without taking your eyes off the screen. “Who let her in?”

“Page?” The agent asked and you nodded. “His lawyers okay’d it. She said she’s writing a story about his mother. Who gives a shit?”

“Are you guys stupid?” You urged. “She worked at the firm that got him locked up. Why would you let her in?”

“Lawyers said it was fine.” One of them shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like we can go in with her.. We got the cameras on so she’ll be fine. Didn’t that firm shut down anyway?”

Either your colleagues were complete idiots or they were absolutely clueless.

You disguised the use of your implant as a scratch to your head, tuning into their conversation as you watched it unfold on the screens in front of you. You heard what she said as she leaned in close and your hand tightened into a fist. She was egging Fisk on by claiming to have killed Wesley. She wanted Fisk to put hands on her, but you knew that for Wesley, he’d kill her.

“Come with me.” You stood quickly and gestured to both agents. “Now!”

“What?” One of them asked, though he stood.

“Why?” The other said and followed suit. As you were stepping into the hall, you ran into Foggy.

“You’ve gotta get her out of there.” Foggy said and you nodded, hurrying past him. There was a hushed conversation between the men behind you but you ignored it.

You kicked the door open and raised your gun, pointing it at Fisk. You yelled for him to get back, to keep hands where you could see them and to get away from her. Your coworker escorted Karen out but you stayed to make sure Fisk didn’t try anything while you guided him to his room with a gun at his back.

“Did you know?” He asked tightly and you knew what he meant.

“I know she was lying.” You answered quietly. “And I know the truth. I’ve always known.”

“And you hid it from me?”

“I thought you would’ve been perceptive enough to put it together on your own. The burn on his chest… was an electrical burn. The bullets were just an extra.” You said with a small smile.

“You?” He turned with a sneer, taking a step closer.

“Careful.” You said confidently as you put your gun away, flaunting that you were untouchable at that moment as you lifted a finger in the general direction of one of the cameras. “You’re gonna need me if you wanna keep your newest toy. You didn’t need me to break him because you were already plotting to take everything from him. Imagine how he’ll react once he knows.”

His brows furrowed as you backed away.

“Maybe you’ve gone too far… I’d love to test that theory. This is gonna be fun.” You smiled and his eyes went wide for a moment when he realized.

You hopped down the steps and back out, finding your friends in the hall. The doors closed behind you and the agents posted tried to talk to you, to apologize and ask how you knew something was wrong, but you ignored them.

“Page.” You called and she rolled her eyes before looking at you. “Are you insane? I mean, honestly, have you lost it?”

“I had him.” She said angrily before turning to the elevator. “And you ruined it. You both ruined it.”

“Ruined it?” You laughed. “I just saved your ass. He would’ve killed you. Are you really that desperate?”

“At least it would’ve been on video.”

“Goddammit, Karen. Don’t turn into Matt on me.” Foggy said with a small stomp.

“Hey.” You reached foward and grabbed her arm to spin her so she would face you fully. “You really wanna try and get yourself killed? Because guess what, if you weren’t on his shit list before, you are now. I can’t protect everyone when you’re all running off in different directions like toddlers.”

“Then don’t.” She snapped. “And I didn’t want him to kill me.. Just to come after me.”

“Yeah, that’s so much better.” Foggy rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well I got the idea from you. Talking about getting Tower worked up. I thought I just had to get him to stop thinking, to react emotionally.”

“Last time he did that, he decapitated one of the Russian brothers with an SUV door.” You said simply. “You think he wouldn’t have done something like that to you?”

“It’s not a bad plan, except for the part where you have to hope the FBI comes in before he beats you to death.”

“Let’s be honest. If I wasn’t here, those ball scratchers wouldn’t have gotten in there in time. Half the people here don’t want to be here so they don’t give a shit.”

“Doesn’t matter now, does it?” She snapped and pushed into the elevator.

“Neither does you throwing that name around.” You said quickly.

“What?”

“He knows it was me. Probably won’t save you from retaliation but it can keep him on me a little longer.”

“Why would you-“ Foggy tried but the door shut before his sentence could finish.

Later that night, you were sitting in the media room at the closing hour of your shift. You were waiting for one of the others to come take over when you felt it, so saturated it almost knocked you out of your chair. It was a burst of rage, white hot and pulsing. You felt it seer through you, hotter than anything you felt from yourself or Matt. It was like it had been brewing for a long time, building and burning and festering until it broke its way out.

And it was coming from a few floors below. It was coming from Dex.

Your apparent betrayal broke him and you weren’t completely sure it was a good thing.

Meanwhile, back in his secluded underground part of the church, Matt was looking for something else to think of. All his mind kept coming back to, other than letting Dex get away, was her. He could understand why she didn’t want to believe her partner was working for Fisk. He believed that she did what she could to keep him away, but she was right. She couldn’t control everyone all the time so it wasn’t fair for Matt to throw that at her. And Fisk was smart. He had to have known Y/N was trying to keep Dex away from him. So he found ways to break him that not even Y/N could stop. Things Y/N probably didn’t

even know about, not until it was done.

He was listening to the tape with Maggie when his mind finally let her go, just for a minute.

“He didn’t have any parents. Spent a lot of time fighting. Angry.” He said simply, just stating what he had learned, when Maggie hummed in response. “Go ahead and say it.”

“I promised to keep my mouth shut.” She answered.

“But you wanna say it sounds familiar.”

“More ways than one.”

“I didn’t have anyone either but I’m nothing like him.” Matt shook his head. “The tapes make it sound like he was a killer at a young age.”

“That bit sounds familiar, too.” Maggie said to herself, but they both knew Matt would hear it.

Was that why Y/N protected him? She saw herself in him?

“Y/N’s nothing like this guy, okay?” He decided. “She actually cares about people and has a heart. The guy’s a psychopath… And I had a chance today. A shot to catch him off guard and I blew it.”

“You did what you thought was right. You kept your word to Agent Nadeem.”

“Yeah. And how many people are gonna die because of it? Not to mention that he knows about Y/N. Now she’s in the middle of it and either has to go along with this or go on the run. He could throw her under the bus, same way Fisk did to me, just to save his own ass. He doesn’t care about her.”

“Do you think Y/N can keep herself alive? Or does she need you to be her knight in shining armor all the time?”

“I just want her to be safe. After everything I’ve done, I owe her that.”

“I think you owe her more than that.”

He sighed heavily and nodded. He knew he couldn’t run from her questions forever. It wasn’t fair to leave her so deep in the dark. And it was killing him all the same.

“She’s gonna get herself killed trying to save this guy.” Matt spoke with a certain bitterness. Bitter towards Y/N’s sudden adherence to morals that he once claimed, towards her sudden belief that people could change.

It made him wonder what had changed so drastically in the time he was gone that she would stand so adamantly in a losing fight.

“You said this man is her partner at the FBI?” Maggie changed the subject.

Matt reluctantly nodded. He hated the idea that she would have to go back and be around him, to essentially be at his mercy. At the same time he knew if there was one person in Hell’s Kitchen that wasn’t helpless, it was Y/N.

“Then she knows his tendencies better than you do. She’s a very strong, very smart girl. I’m sure she’s endured worse so she can take care of herself until you two have a plan.”

“I don’t think she wants to do this with me anymore.”

“This?” She gestured to Matt. “Or this?” She tapped her chest where her heart was.

“Both.”

“Just give her time, Matthew. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, like you hung the stars. That’s not something that can be thrown away. You both will always be there for the other when they call.”

She left after that, allowing Matt to punch his pain away. He was angry. At himself, at Dex, at Fisk. He even wanted to be angry at Y/N, but all she had done was refuse to leave him. How could he be angry at that? As he worked on the punching bag he could hear Sister Maggie’s prayer in the church above. He was listening but also not, using it as a sort of background noise. It wasn’t until the end that it mattered.

“Our son is too much like you, Jack.”

Our son … Jack.

“Mom?” Matt muttered as he fell to his knees.

He was in complete disbelief but suddenly, it all made sense. That’s why she made sure he was okay. That’s why she made sure he had a place to stay. That’s why she refused to give up on him. He didn’t know what to do, what to think.

But he knew his heart was calling for Y/N, in a way only she would know. In a way that he wasn’t sure he deserved anymore.

You couldn’t call him. You doubted the man had a phone anymore. You had just gotten home when you felt that crushing feeling, that world shattering uncertainty. It made you dizzy when you walked through the door and you nearly fell to the floor.

You made it to your couch and you closed your eyes, allowing yourself to be absorbed by that heavy feeling. You pushed back, following that line back to Matt. You were hoping he wouldn’t ignore you. You were hoping he would understand, but with the intensity he was putting out, you didn’t know what would get through to him.

Come home, Matt. Let me help you.

Damn it all if you didn’t forget that you were angry when he really needed you.

You fell asleep on the couch waiting for a response. You waited for a change in feeling or to feel it growing closer. You waited to hear him calling your name or touch your shoulder. You waited for the door or some sign that he was there. You didn’t know how late it was when he finally showed up.

He sat beside you on the couch and gave your leg a gentle shake, but you still jumped up in a hurry. Unsure if it was Matt or Dex or someone else to kill you, your hands raised reflexively into fists while your eyes tried to adjust to the neon shining in. Matt chuckled and put his hands over yours, gently pushing them down and assuring you it was just him.

“Matt.” You sighed and relaxed next to him. “What happened?”

“Sister Maggie, she was upstairs praying.” He said carefully, but you could tell there was a waver in his voice, threatening to break. “She was asking my dad for guidance and said ‘our son’.”

“Talking about you?”

“Why else would she talk to him?”

“Took a while for you to get here… Where’d you go?”

“Father Lantom.”

“Was it any help?”

“No.”

“How can I help? Tell me what you need.”

“I don’t know.” He nearly whispered. “It was right there, the whole time. Y/N, everything could’ve been different.”

“Yeah, but then who knows if it would’ve been good or bad different.” You tried gently. You reached forward carefully to remove the familiar glasses and he didn’t stop you. Instead, he gave you a small smile and turned his head towards you. “Maybe we don’t meet. Maybe I end up with a different vigilante boyfriend. Maybe you end up as a priest, too. Who knows what would’ve changed?”

“I could’ve had my mom.” He spoke softly.

“I know.” You nodded and gently ran fingers through the sides of his hair. “Did I ever tell you about my dad?”

“I thought you didn’t know him.” He shifted his body towards you.

“I don’t, but I did meet him once, before I met you.” Your hand fell to his shoulder. “My aunt, Melina, would talk about them when I was a kid. I looked up their names when I got out, found some leads and kept tugging strings till I found him living in a small town in California. He had a new wife and a son… I remember when I left him, I kept thinking that I could’ve had a brother. I could’ve had siblings and a real family if he was willing to run just a little while longer.”

“What happened when you met him?”

“He said my mother was dead and so was her daughter, Alexa. He was talking about me.”

“Your name is Alexa?”

“To my parents, yes. Once I wasn’t theirs, that little girl did die and Y/N was born, which is fine. Alexa’s someone else completely as far as I care. Listen, my point is that I could’ve had a different life, too. But you can’t sit here and think about ‘what if’. What if I was never in the Red Room or if I never got out? What if I never came to Hell’s Kitchen? What if I never went to Columbia?”

“So you think I shouldn’t do anything?”

“I think you shouldn’t let it change too much now. I know you want to figure things out, but I’m sure she was just young and scared. People don’t always do the smartest thing when they’re scared.”

“You ever make a bad decision cause you were scared?”

“Leaving you the first time.” You confessed, though that event felt so far away given everything that had happened since. “I didn’t want to scare you and Foggy away with the truth so I left. I left you alone, Matt, and I never wanted to.”

“I left you too so I’d say we’re even.” He offered a small smile and you chuckled. “But I never wanna leave you again.”

“So don’t.” You offered, leaning your head against the back of the couch. “When I look at my life, and all of my crimes, you’re the only thing that I think I got right… I want you to stay, at least for tonight, but I won’t make you.”

“All my regrets, things that you can’t forget.. You still want me with all of those?”

“I can’t really give you away.” You shrugged slightly. “I already made that mistake a long time ago…”

“I want us to be okay, sweetheart.” He reached out and out a hand on your folded leg, thumb rubbing gentle lines.

“We can figure it out later. Right now, you’re in a crisis.”

He offered a weak smile as he nodded.

“I’m not saying to forgive Maggie, but I’d say hear her out, when you’re ready. Maybe she had her reasons.”

“What if she didn’t? What if she was just… ashamed?”

“Who would be ashamed of you?” Your fingers danced around on his shoulder, skimming across the crook of his neck. “You took off the crucifix? I liked it.”

“It was my mother’s.”

“Ah.” You nodded.

“I thought you hated me after what happened at Midland Circle”

“Yeah, I kinda did. But I also understand that it was your stupid way of protecting me because you loved me and I loved you, so that ended up beating out any other feeling. I haven’t forgiven you for it yet, though.”

“Clearly.” He gave a small chuckle. “Do you still?”

“Love you? Or hate you?”

“Both.”

“Yeah, to both. I’m still hurt by what you said to me. But I’m guessing you being here means you realized you can trust me?”

“Sweetheart, I always have.” His hand came to your cheek and you leaned into his touch, earning a smile from him. “I’m sorry I acted like I didn’t.”

“Maybe there’s still a chance to fix us when all this dies down.” You smiled softly, turning your head to place a kiss to his palm. “After that, you can fix things with Maggie. When you’re ready.”

“I love you.” He said softly.

“I love you, too.”

That night, wrapped in Matt’s arms, you had the first full night’s sleep since Midland Circle.

The next morning, you were getting ready for work when you got a message from Dex. It said that he was picking you up and you knew it wasn’t up for debate. You told Matt what was going on and he told you to be careful. He told you he wouldn’t be there when you got home, and he wasn’t sure where he’d be, but he would let you know somehow. Despite your protests, he promised it’d be for the best.

The ride with Dex was silent. There was a thick tension in the air and your skin was buzzing with anticipation. You kept thinking of scenarios where he would make a move on you, but in close quarters, it was an easy win for you. You could crash the car and run. You could use the backseat to get away. You could kick out the windows and tuck and roll. But there was no action, hardly any words. Instead, you pulled up to Ray’s as if everything was normal.

“Ray doesn’t know.” You said simply as you got out. “He doesn’t know about her and he doesn’t know that I know about you.”

“This’ll be fun then.” He smiled before grabbing your arm and practically pulling you to the front door.

Dex greeted Seema and gave you two a proper introduction. You let him do most of the talking, only offering a polite smile and an answer when necessary. Seema didn’t seem to notice, and you were thankful for that.

“And that makes it curve?” The boy’s voice interrupted your thoughts.

“Like crazy.” Dex smiled.

“It’s the circle change that gets ‘em though.” You cut in, kneeling to his height and stealing his attention away from Dex. You ignored your partner’s glare and focused on the boy. “A curve is great, don’t get me wrong. But a good hitter can see it coming. The real fun is when you can speed them up with the fast ball and then sneak the change up. If you want a strikeout pitch, the circle change is what you need.”

“Can you show me?” He asked excitedly.

“Yeah, it’s super easy. The ball sits here.” You moved the back to rest at the back of his palm. “These two fingers make a circle like this.” You slid his thumb and forefinger to make a circle on the side of the ball. “And these fingers just kinda spread out.” You fanned his other three fingers. “And then you just throw it normally.”

“So… Wait, how does it slow down?”

“When it rolls off your fingers, the backspin makes it look like it’s coming faster than it is.”

“Ooh.” He laughed and looked at his fingers on the ball.

Ray came down and gave his son - Sami - a reason to leave the room. When he made eye contact with you, you gave a shrug and nodded to Dex to show it was his idea. Ray brought you and Dex outside to keep his family

out of it.

“What are you doing here, Dex? Your issue is with me, not my family.” Ray asked tightly.

“My issue is definitely with you.” Dex agreed. “That stunt with the lawyer, Ray? That was cold. You convinced me that you had my back.” He turned towards you. “You both did.”

“I did until you chose Fisk.” You admitted. “I tried to help you but you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Well Fisk wants you two alive.”

“Lucky me.” You mumbled.

“What does he want from me? Or her?” Ray nodded to you.

“Your little friends. The ones you brought into my home.” He took a step closer to Ray and your hand shot out to his chest, pushing him back with a warning glare.

“I don’t know who he is, or where he is. I know even less about the girl.”

“Nah, you know.” Dex countered. “But it can wait. You’re bleeding, Ray.”

“Cause you shot him, jackass.” You mumbled, making Dex chuckle.

“I’ll cover with Seema while you change. Let’s go. We’re all spending the day together.”

“Why'd he bring you?” Ray asked when Dex went back inside. “What does he know?”

“Too much.” You admitted. “That I know Exodus. I know Daredevil. I know what happened at his apartment, what really happened at the Bulletin.”

“How?”

“Как ты думаешь, с кем ты разговариваешь?” You asked with a small shrug before following Dex in and leaving Ray in confusion. (Who do you think you’re talking to?)

You didn’t stay at Ray’s much longer. Seema gave you a plate to take with you and you thanked her. Sami thanked you again for the change-up and you offered to show him a knuckleball next time. Ray rushed you guys out of the house and when you got to the bureau, Dex told Ray to call Matt. You tapped your implant and listened in on their call while you waited with Dex. Though if anyone asked what was actually said, you wouldn’t be able to tell them.

“How long do you think you can keep it a secret?” He asked simply, turning to face you.

“Longer than you did. I didn’t need to see any of it to know what you were. One look told me everything I needed to know. Wanna know how?” You tilted your head back to face him. His brows raised and he offered you an amused smile. “Because you’re weak. Your old therapist was wrong about you. Your internal compass is broken, Dex. And no one can save you. You’ll follow anyone that uses the right words.”

He grabbed you by your face and pushed you against the wall behind you, making you laugh.

“Get your hand off me or I scream. Remember, not every agent in the room works for him.” You warned and you watched his eyes dart between yours and try to figure out if you were joking. “Go ahead… Try me.”

He pushed off you when Hattley came in for an announcement. You pulled off the wall and moved to stand with Ray, hearing your SAC declare Dex reinstated. You were hidden behind him so rolled your eyes and feigned a gag. But when he stepped aside to thank you and Ray specifically, you put your hands behind your back and offered a proud smile.

“Someday I’ll pay you guys back for everything you did.” He said, though you heard the threat in his words.

“We’re partners.” You said with fake sincerity and reached for his hand, which he hesitantly gave you. “You’d do the same for me.”

After a few moments of congratulations and praise for Dex, the three of you were taken to a conference room where a handful of agents sat around the table. You scoffed in disbelief as Dex headed to sit at the head, Hattley at his side. You stood at the other end, leaning

onto flattened palms against the table.

“Fisk has something on all of you?” Ray asked in disbelief.

“It’s better we don’t talk about it.” One of the other agents in the room said. He may be stuck under Fisk’s thumb, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to be. “And in here, we don’t even say his name.”

“That’s one of the rules, Ray.” Dex explained. “We only refer to him by his codename… Kingpin.”

You had to drop your eyes to hide your quiet laugh.

“Something funny, Y/L/N?” Hattley asked and you picked your head up with your smile still present.

“This whole thing, actually.” You shrugged and pushed yourself off to stand tall. “An office of dedicated federal agents falls victim to a big bald guy who doesn’t even do his own dirty work half the time? Y’know when Fisk was around the first time, people only would call him ‘their employer’ and it was embarrassing then too. I’m sorry but… it’s all a little pathetic.”

“You’re here too, Y/N. So what does that say about you?”

“Oh man.” You exaggerated a sigh. “I should’ve talked

to Madani about transferring to Homeland. At least then I could’ve had a partner who stood for something-“ You made eye contact with Dex. “-instead of kneeling to a little bit of pressure.”

“Real cocky when you’re the one with the most to lose, Y/L/N.” Dex said with a smooth smirk.

“At least I know who I am. Can you say the same?”

“Anyways.” Hattley cut in firmly. “Another round-up today. We hit them fast and hard. Kingpin wants this one to make a point.”

You felt grimy by the time the assignment was done. You hung back for most of it, hardly even raising your gun. Instead, you just kept the people around the marks calm. Even at the public groundbreaking for something seemingly religious, you ensured no one made a scene. Later that day, you sat with Dex in the media room.

“You seem tense. What’s eating at you?” Dex asked with a sly smile.

“Thinkin’ about how I’m gonna put a bullet in you.” You said calmly. “Y’know what an old friend told me? You don’t hear the ones that get you.”

“Pretty confident.” He nodded with that same smile, one that made you want to slam his face down on the desk. “But I remember the last time we went at it. I put in a knife in you. How’s that healing, by the way?” He snuck his hand to the joint of your leg and gave your leg a slight squeeze.

Your body jumped at the unwanted contact and you reached for his hand quickly. You gripped tightly, feeling the long bones of his hand shift slightly, and moved his hand forcefully.

“And how many times did I knock you on your ass? All it takes is two seconds where Ole Red isn’t looking.” You leaned in closer so you could speak quietly, hands folded beneath the table. “You keep this up, Dex, and you’ll be the one who pays a price. Not me.”

The day shift went on relatively quickly but then you two were called for an additional night shift. Ray left with Hattley to get Fisk while you and Dex finished up upstairs. You saw a message from Foggy as you headed to the car and saw that Fisk had his hooks in his family. The deli had embellished a loan application from Red Lion Bank, and someone was threatening to pull it. It was now a growing priority for you to get your hands on Felix Manning. You had seen the man in the hotel a few times but never with enough clearance to get to him.

You drove with Ray in the front while Fisk and Dex rode in the back. You followed Dex’s directions, intentionally slamming the brakes harder than necessary. When you parked, Ray called Matt.

“If you can hear me…” You spoke quietly, putting a hand over your mouth so the men in the back wouldn’t see. “Fisk is using all of us, just be careful.”

Fisk sent Ray out while he kept you and Dex in the car.

“What do you need us to do?” Dex asked and your other hand gripped the steering wheel tightly.

“Exodus.” Fisk said calmly and your eyes darted to the rear view mirror. “Where is your suit?”

He didn’t need to know that you were wearing your suit beneath your work clothes. You wore a sweater over it instead of a button up with simple black pants that were easy to ditch, along with your usual jacket. Your Bites, and mask were all tucked between the material of your suit and the top, blending with the extra fabric of your loose sweater. Your shoes were your usual vigilante boots. So really, the only thing you were missing were your staffs, and that was only because the pack would’ve been too bulky to hide. You had returned all of your equipment to the closet back home, knowing it’d be too risky to just leave in your trunk now that you were caught in the middle of everything.

“Parti. Et vous le serez aussi, assez tôt.” You said tightly. (Gone. And you will be too, soon enough.)

Dex reached around and locked his arm around your throat. He yanked back and forced you against the headrest, increasing the pressure on your windpipe. You coughed roughly and reached down, finding the side lever for the back of the seat. You pulled up on it and threw your weight back, hearing the thud when it slammed into Dex.

“Enough.” Fisk announced, but you jammed an elbow against Dex’s jaw to prove a point before shifting in your seat to face Fisk.

“Allow me to clarify something. I do not work for you. I’ve stood my ground before and I’m not afraid to do it again.” You said firmly, knowing the anger sparked in your eyes. “Daredevil and I will finish this, the real Daredevil. No one can save you.”

He turned towards Dex with a smirk before facing you again.

“Y’know…” You turned towards Dex with an innocently curious expression. “I haven’t seen Julie around since your little chat at the cafe. How is she?”

His brows furrowed as you tugged that concern closer to the surface. His eyes went big when he either remembered or realized something so you gave Fisk a smirk before heading inside to meet with Ray.

“The Feds want something.” The woman you took from the groundbreaking said and looked around your small group of agents.

“Not the Feds.” You sighed and drew head turns just as Fisk walked in.

You had to bite your tongue to keep your comments to yourself. You watched as Fisk tried to barter FBI protection for twenty percent. The woman was interested, and truthfully, she interested you. Calm and comfortable in her power, but willing to work with others. If you weren’t so inclined to stay on the right-ish side of the law, maybe you would’ve been like her.

What really kept your attention was the man you only heard addressed as Mr. Starr. The old man was set in his ways, refusing to budge. He refused to kneel to Fisk’s pressure and while you commended him for his conviction, you knew what was coming.

Dex’s baton came flying in before you could react and the man slumped forward against the table in a puddle

of his own blood. Dex came to stand at Fisk’s side and you moved to the other side of the now dead body, picking up the club. You flipped it in your hands, earning uncertain looks from the other crime bosses. You tapped the other end against your empty palm before stealing a move from Dex, throwing it against the table so it’d bounce. The bounce led one end to jam into Dex’s chest, making him stagger back a few steps and you smiled.

You may not be able to take him on in broad daylight, not with the handful of agents in Fisk’s pocket. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t take smaller jabs at him. After the deals were said and done, when Matt didn’t show, Dex moved across the table and stood close to you.

“If you tipped him.” He said lowly, attempting to threaten you.

You calmly titled your head back to meet his burning glare with a small shrug. “When would I have done that? You’ve been watching me the whole time.”

His jaw clenched as he stared you down, growing uncertain as you refused to falter. Your chin lifted slightly in a soft challenge as Fisk called him back.

“What a good lap dog.” You mocked softly as he followed Fisk without question.

You only followed when Ray nudged you. You ignored the lingering looks from the various criminals at the table as you left, but you couldn’t ignore their fear. It spiked when you threw the baton at Dex and it was clear that while they did fear Dex, you terrified them. And not because you were Exodus. They couldn’t know that. What scared them about you was the way you carried yourself. Your total confidence in challenging Fisk and his faux Daredevil. It left them to wonder what you could do on your own.

You realized that part of you missed the fear your presence used to cause, but the reality was that you didn’t need to be a looming force. Fear was fun when it was only you. Respect was better when others were at stake.

The car ride was quiet, but the tension was building quickly. It soon felt like your suit was suffocating you, like the high collar was digging into your throat even though you didn’t have it zipped all the way. The collar was folded under your sweater, but that didn’t mean your skin wasn’t stained with the ghost of the material. You called your jitters to your hand, creating a small collection of bouncing wisps in your palm. The silver streaks danced around and weaved through your fingers, shaking and ricocheting off your skin as you flicked them away and called them back like a yo-yo.

But when the announcement sounded in your implant, the string snapped and the wisps instantly disappeared.

Karen Page is located at the Clinton Church. Keep all NYPD units clear until otherwise advised. Copy.

You spun in your seat with wide eyes, a panic settling deep in your stomach when the SUV stopped and he sent Ray out.

Would Matt get there in time? Would you? How would you get away? Would Matt even know what was happening? Even if you were still upset, you knew you needed his help. You didn’t even know if he had heard you earlier. If he came up and saw you there, would he think you sided with Fisk out of spite?

While Fisk and Dex talked about what they needed to do next, you took a glance around the street. There was no one around, so you running out of a blacked out SUV wouldn’t raise any questions.

“He was murdered!” Fisk shouted and slammed a fist against the door,

“And I’d do it again.” You said firmly, drawing an angry glare from him and a quizzical one from Dex. “He deserved it for threatening people I cared about. When I walked out of that warehouse, his blood splattered on my suit, I damn near celebrated.”

“When I sent you to the Bulletin, it was to discredit Daredevil and his partner-“ He gestured to you before turning to face Dex again. “-and the reporter that helped make them into heroes. At the time, I didn’t know that she had assisted in his murder.”

“If there’s something you want me to do, just ask.” Dex added smoothly.

“I want you to kill Karen Page.”

Your former friend made a point to meet your eyes. “Consider it done.”

“Good luck.” You scoffed before reaching across the gap and slamming Dex’s head against the window.

You hurried out the door after that but you felt a hand on your arm. You turned to see Dex and he yanked you back, pushing you towards the other SUV. You pulled free and threw a roundhouse against his jaw that threw him into the nearest wall. He got up quickly and threw a right hook against your jaw before grabbing the back of your neck. His fingers pressed into the sides of your neck and he slammed your head against the window of the SUV. You felt the skin at your hairline split so you stuck a foot against the car and kicked off, pushing you both backwards so Dex would hit his back on a nearby dumpster.

You took the chance to climb to your feet and took off sprinting down the streets until you got to the church. You got inside just as mass was starting so you snuck up the stairs that led to the balcony. You stripped out of your work clothes and tucked them under one of the pews before fixing the final details of your suit.

You listened to Father Lantom’s speech, thanking everyone for coming to mass. You tapped your mask and looked between the priest and the doors as the tension buzzed through your body. You felt electrified by the looming threat but the gentle, honest words from Father Lantom seemed to serve as a buffer to break some

of that buzzing. If you could count on nothing from the ideas of religion or from any church, you could always count on Father Lantom to be genuine with whoever he was talking to. You smiled softly towards the altar where Father Lantom was, and he had offered you the same sentiment, when a voice cut through everything.

“Karen Page!” Dex called out as he entered the church, dragging the club against the side of the pews as he stepped further inside. “Where is… Karen Page?”

You hopped over the railing and landed behind him. By the time your feet hit the ground, he had already beat on three patrons. You shot a wire at his throat and once it wrapped, you yanked hard to pull him back a few feet. He yanked the wire off and turned on you, both clubs in hand before Karen announced herself.

You felt your heart drop to your feet when he smirked, turning to face her. She was quick to put herself in front of the people and you felt helpless, for only a moment.

“Hello, Karen. It’s nice to see you again.” Dex said simply.

You took that chance to get in front of him, hands quick to reach behind and find your knives. You brandished them quickly and Dex tilted his head slightly.

“You don’t have to listen to him.” You tried, pushing out a subtle desperation.

It would be the last chance. Standing against Dex, against your partner, you couldn’t protect him and defend against him at the same time. So in that church, with all the lives that hid behind you on the line, you forced Dex to make a choice.

You. Or the man who only saw Dex as a weapon.

“Pick your side.” You warned. “You won’t get another chance to change your mind.”

He gave you a wicked smile and you knew that the man you knew before was gone. His mind had snapped and he was now a fractured, broken version of the person you once called a partner. His lack of empathy had never been so clear, like a vacuum that sucked in and destroyed any sense of emotion around him. It began to drag on you as well, but Matt made it just in time.

He landed contact with Dex from behind so you turned and gathered the people who had attended mass. You pushed Karen to join the crowd while Matt handled the fight. You shoved the knife away and reached into a different pocket for your communications case, you shoved it into her hands and turned in time to see Dex standing before you. Your eyes darted to the side and all you could see behind the small altar of candles were Matt’s feet.

You turned back to Dex just time to see the knife coming. Instantly, you moved to the side to put yourself in front of the people but two hands came to your arms and threw you to the side. You looked back and saw the knife buried in Father Lantom’s chest.

“No.” You said quickly, eyes brimming with sudden tears. “No!”

Matt ran back into the fight screaming, the anger radiating off him. Lantom spoke quietly to Matt as he laid in Karen’s arms, her own hands trembling around the knife. You reached for the case you gave her, opening it and pulling one of the ear pieces. Shakily, she put it in her ear and gave you a quick nod. You tapped your scar before finding Matt. When he floored Dex, you practically ran across the short distance.

You clipped the microphone to the collar of his shirt, throwing a hard sidekick when Dex tried to get to his feet.

“Karen? Can you hear me?” You spoke quietly.

“Yeah… I can get everyone out.” She answered, her voice echoing around your skull. “But you guys have to get him away from the nave.”

You offered a sharp nod and focused back on Dex. You ran towards him and slammed your knee into his chest. He rolled through the impact and kicked himself down one of the aisles. From there, he began throwing small candles at the two of you. The wax splattered across your face as they shattered against your arms after you raised them, causing you to wince slightly as you turned your head. Keeping one arm up, you stuck your Bite between the small gap at the bend of your arm and fired. The electricity landed at the base of his throat and his movements became tight convulsions.

You took advantage and moved closer, slamming a kick to the back of his knee. When he fell to a kneel, you used the opposite foot you kicked and threw a roundhouse to the side of his head that forced him to the floor. You turned to find Matt, seeing Karen moving people on the other side instead. You heard movement from behind you and turned to see Dex standing with a piece of marble in hand.

When he pulled back to throw it, Matt came and drew his attention away. You let out a small sigh and glanced back at Karen, hearing her talking to one of the patrons about getting out.

“Make sure they stay low to the ground.” You instructed as you watched Dex and Matt exchange blows. “Keep out of his line of sight and move fast.”

When the boys came back into the main area of the church, you jumped back into the fight. Matt threw Dex into a pew so you moved to the side and grabbed hold of the edge as Dex kicked out at Matt’s chest. You threw your legs forward to slam into his chest and flip him over. Your feet landed on the seat so you crouched on the wood and waved the group of churchgoers forward after you noticed they had paused to watch the fight.

The small crowd was huddled low as they crept across the floor. You made a small noise to yourself when you thought they weren’t going fast enough but the sound was cut short when Dex yanked you down by your arm, a hand gripping aggressively around your wrist. You yelped slightly when you landed on your shoulder and Dex stood over you, rolling you to your back with his foot before he pressed it at the base of your shoulder as he searched the group. You craned your neck as you tried to force Dex off and you saw Karen running down the center aisle.

“Don’t.” You tried as his arm pulled back and he forced you back to the floor. The force of his foot combined with the way your arm was twisted was enough to pop the bone out of its socket and you couldn’t keep the sound of pain from happening.

Luckily, Matt knocked Dex off balance just in time to send his throw off course. Using your other hand, you jabbed two knuckles into a pressure point at the back of Dex’s leg and he fell against the pew. With Matt’s help, you wiggled out from underneath his weight and got to your feet.

“How are we gonna beat him?” Matt asked through heavy breaths.

Your mind raced and the only things that kept repeating were three things you learned from Melina. She taught you those things not to help as a Widow, but to protect you.

What I’m going to teach you isn’t for anyone but yourself. Remember these rules and no one can beat you, little Y/N.

Looking around, you realized you already used one.

“A man can’t stand, he can’t fight.” You spoke quietly, reaching out to find Matt’s hands. You guided them up to your shoulder and he moved closer, allowing you to close a fist around the material of his shirt. His fingers traced the joint before his palms found their positions and he pressed hard, a sharp exclamation falling from your lips as you felt the bone fit back into place. You bit your lip as you let out a small whimper while you heard Melina’s voice repeating those same words. With a. deep breath, you took a step away and collected yourself.

“If we can keep him off balance, we-“

Your sentence was cut short by a heavy fist at your jaw. You staggered back against the main row of pews and once your back hit the wood, you were bombarded with more hits. Your arms came up quickly, batting away his hits but every fist seemed to come heavier and heavier.

“Hey! I’m the one you want, right?” Karen yelled from the door, stealing his attention.

You took advantage of his hesitation and slammed both fists against his chest. He staggered away and coughed heavily, giving you space to stand tall and wipe the blood off your nose.

“A man can’t breathe, he can’t fight.” You spoke to yourself and turned to Karen. You were tackled to the ground and his foot pressed down on the center of your chest.

You squirmed beneath him and Dex leaned his weight against you and you could feel the cartilage in your chest cracking. He snapped a rosary and pulled back to throw the beads. You lifted a wrist and shot a wire towards Karen’s ankle. It wrapped around your target and you yanked back to pull Karen to the floor just in time.

You popped the wire off and felt the weight disappear from your chest after Matt knocked him off. You took deep, gasping breaths while you looked back as you got to your feet and saw Karen was gone. You tapped your mask and saw her heading up the stairs to the top deck. You checked over your shoulder and saw Matt locked in with Dex. You thought of joining in but you chose to follow Karen up the steps instead. You found her crouched in the darkest corner and she covered her

mouth with her hand when she saw you.

“Oh God.” She whispered, likely horrified by the blood you were covered in.

“You okay?” You asked quietly and all she could do was nod.

You heard footsteps coming so you used your mask to see it was Dex. Instantly, you wondered where Matt was but you didn’t have time to figure it out. You stepped out and pulled a knife from the back of your belt. You made a grand gesture as you moved closer to Dex.

“Is this what you wanted?” You asked simply. “You killed an innocent man.”

“You know what I want.” He answered flatly. “Why do you keep getting in my way?”

“Because at least I’m fighting for something. What do you fight for, hmm? What do you stand for? You’re a joke. You’re pathetic. You’re nothing. When Fisk is done with you, he’ll throw you away. You’re not special to him. The only thing you’ve done is destroy what that suit used to stand for around here. You can’t compare to Daredevil.”

Dex simply growled as he charged you. You braced yourself just as his shoulder slammed into your stomach. He lifted you off the ground and slammed your back into the marble pillar in the center of the deck. You coughed roughly and flipped the knife so you could swipe it across his back. You dropped the blade and locked your fingers behind his neck. Tucking your knees against his chest, you threw yourself to the ground so when you landed, your knees slammed against him. You rolled you two so you could be on top and you kept a grip on his suit front, slamming down hit after hit and watching his head bounce off the ground.

You pulled your arm back and armed your Bite, seeing the bright red glow shine in your peripherals. You were angling the shot when his forehead slammed up into your nose and knocked your teeth together. You fell to the side and Dex pushed you the rest of the way off. A pair of hands came under your arms and hauled you up. You looked quickly and saw it was Matt.

Together, you two took your stances across from Dex. The man across from you let out an annoyed sigh and moved at you two again. He shoved you towards the railing and you teetered over it. Your hands were tightly holding the top as your upper body tilted over and your feet lifted from the ground. You had to let one hand go for a second to hook the wire from your belt around the posts.

Once that was secure, you turned to your back and pushed yourself to be seated on the wood. You focused in on the scene in front of you and found Matt on the floor and Dex with a small, familiar blade in his hand. Your blade. You were quick to shoot the other end of your wire around his neck.

When the material whipped around, you yanked him back so he stood flush against you.

“You won’t win.” He choked out as you replaced the wire with your arm around his neck.

“I don’t have to.” You said into his ear, the other hand pressing the Bite against his throat. “We just both have to lose.”

You fired the weapon and locked your ankles together around his waist. He yelled in pain before you threw yourself backwards, launching you both over the edge. Your own body slammed against the heavy wood posts as your wire held you in place, dangling you over the drop like a piñata. In any other circumstance, the display probably would’ve made you laugh.

You pulled yourself back over the railing and undid the clasp at your belt. You motioned to Karen to check on Matt while you took heavy breaths and collapsed to your knees, pressing gently on your loose sternum to figure out the extent of the cracks. She hurried over, hesitating by your side. You waved her off before hauling yourself up to peer over the edge.

As soon as your chest leaned over, all of the air was sucked out of you as the sharp object pierced your solar plex. You were breathless as your hands hovered over the penetration and Dex was gone. You looked down with shaky breaths and you saw the familiar handle sticking out.

He threw your own knife at you. Again.

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