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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years

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DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER - MATT MURDOCK

one - criminal

// tags: @ironprincessstranger //mad at god (s1)// two // masterlist

Pairing: Unofficial Matt Murdock x Reader (DD X Vigilante!Reader)

Word Count: 8,810

Summary: With Wilson Fisk in the past, Exodus tries to move forward without Daredevil. But a strange meeting leads to potentially another threat… Or maybe an ally.

“How you feeling?” Karen asked as you plopped on your couch.

“Exhausted. It’s hot even at night.” You sighed and threw your mask to your coffee table. “And avoiding Daredevil is harder than I thought it would. He’s everywhere.”

“So stop avoiding him and talk it out.” She laughed. “After all, isn’t he your friend?”

“No.” You said firmly, crossing your arms. “Well, not anymore. I’m still mad at him. All he had to do was mind his damn business for one night. One night! But noooo… If he hadn’t gotten in my way, I could’ve-“ You groaned and rubbed a hand across your face. “I could’ve made sure that Fisk was done. For good. Мертвый и ушел.” (Dead and gone.)

“You’re mad at him but you still wear the suit he gave you?” She raised a brow in playful accusation.

“It's very light and breathable and the- the- the plates are really strong and-” You tried to defend but the look she gave you made you laugh. “Okay, shut up!” You complained with a grin as you unzipped the top and threw it on the table with a huff.

“Look, Fisk is locked up.” She reassured gently. “You did that. Isn’t that enough?”

“Yeah, but do you really think it’ll last? I’m sorry but I just can’t shake this looming feeling that he’ll be back…” You turned to face her. “With that kind of money and influence, he can buy the best lawyers in the state and get off scot-free.”

“You and the boys won’t work for him though.” She tried. “And you’re the best lawyers I know.”

“I’m not a lawyer… Not yet at least.”

“You thinking of going back to school?”

“No, I already finished school. And I took the Bar Exam. All my t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted. I’m just waiting for everything to be official and come in the mail.”

“Oh my god. Y/N! That’s incredible! The guys don’t know?”

“No. I did my last few classes online while I was in London, picking up odd jobs with a friend. When I had to leave him, I came here and took my exam, finished the last few steps in the process… Should be coming in any day now, but I think I put the London address cause I didn’t plan on staying. I’ll have to call the guy I got the place from and have him send it over.”

“How could you not tell them?”

You raised your brows and gestured to your Widow suit, emphasizing your point by flicking the Red Room emblem.

“There’s a lot I don’t tell them, Karen.” You deadpanned.

“Okay, fair point.” She laughed. “But you have to tell them this!” She insisted with a wide smile.

“I know, I know. I probably will…”

“Probably? Y/N, they’d be so proud of you!”

“It’s just not a very pressing conversation topic lately.. Besides, they like to tease me about being half a lawyer… Which actually reminds me, I want a promotion.”

“Wait.” She chuckled slightly. “You want to downplay your success for the sake of your male friends’ egos? Since when!?”

“It’s not for their egos.” You laughed. “It’s just- I don’t know, easier? They’ll wanna make me a partner and put my name on the firm and I just- It kinda feels like one of those group projects where someone slaps their name on it so they don’t fail, even though they hardly contributed..”

“You deserve it, Y/N. You should tell them.”

“When the fancy stuff gets here, I will. I’ll even let you guys throw me a party.” You nodded and you held up a hand with your pinky sticking out. “Pinky promise.”

She faked a gasp. “So serious. You can’t break these, yknow.” She joked and hooked her small finger around

yours.

“I am aware, yes.” You giggled. “But for now, starting tomorrow, I’m a paralegal slash disabilities assistant. I know and do too much around there to not be a paralegal.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The next day at the office was full of small cases, civil suits that seemed a bit silly to you but Nelson and Murdock helped the little guy. You and Karen worked to get them organized and in some sort of a queue for when the boys arrived. You had just gotten everyone settled when you were able to take a breath and pull your hair up.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” You commented when they finally walked through the doors. “Let me guess. He-“ You gestured towards Matt “-fell in a hole and you-“ You gestured to Foggy. “-had to fish him out, leaving your office manager and your favorite paralegal to handle everything.”

“Good morning to you too, Y/N.” Foggy nodded with a smile. “Morning, Karen.”

“Hey guys.” She answered absently as she sorted some files.

“Paralegal?” Matt asked, stopping his steps to his office. He turned to you with a lazy, amused smile.

“As of this morning.” You nodded with a smile.

“That can only mean that you’re back on the lawyer train.” Foggy said proudly. “Nelson, Murdock, and Y/L/N is back in action.”

“Stop it.” You pointed to Foggy, who put his hands up in surrender. “It doesn’t mean anything as of right now.”

“Means a lot.” Matt said gently, reaching out to give your elbow a gentle squeeze. “So, what have we got?”

“Little bit of everything.” You said with a chuckle. “Karen?”

“Mr. Marino’s dog was viciously beaten by his neighbor after the dog um- “ She began and cleared her throat awkwardly, to which you chuckled. “-defiled the neighbor’s statue of St. Francis.”

You covered your mouth to hide your giggles as Matt laughed through his response.

“Defiled?” His brows raised playfully.

“Humped repeatedly until completion.” She answered with the same awkwardness.

“To the patron saint of animals, no less.” You playfully scolded, making Matt chuckle.

“How dare he?” Matt said with a grin.

“That is a dog I want to defend.” Foggy nodded, offering Mr. Marino a thumbs up.

“And then Mr. Maxwell was attacked in a bar fight last night.” You continued, pointing to the slightly roughed up biker.

“He started it.” Maxwell defended.

“I already called Metro General and the guy’s gonna recover, but if we start to lean towards a trial, it’s gotta wait till his jaw is unwired.”

“Your girl’s a badass.” Maxwell said proudly, looking at Matt more than Foggy.

“You’re not wrong.” You laughed, rubbing the mark ove ryour eyebrow.

The gashes from your mask jamming into you during your fight with Fisk were mostly healed, now just discolored scars that weren’t as long as they originally had been. Lucky for you, you could hide the cuts with makeup until they started to shrink and you could come up with an excuse. As far as the boys knew, one was caused by a broken zipper on your dress and the other was the dewclaw of a stray dog.

“And Miss Jacinto just got her third denial of working papers. Dad’s gone and factory work is all she has for her family… Karen pulled her DOE applications but I think we can do better.”

“Good, cause we will.” Matt nodded and stepped into his office, you and your friends following behind.

Foggy paused to acknowledge the small table of bananas and pie, giving an enthusiastic response after Karen explained it. You shut the door most of the way once everyone was in, knowing what conversation was coming next.

“So I had installed this free trial accounting software on my computer and um..” Karen began while you stepped around the group to sit on the edge of Matt’s desk. “We’re broke as in, our income can’t cover our bills.”

“We’ll manage.” Matt said optimistically with a shrug. “I don’t know how but I know we will.”

“Optimism isn’t enough, Matt.” You said simply. “I love what we do here but we can’t do it much longer if we go into debt.”

“I know but-“

“I can make a few calls.” You offered. “I know some people who can help. They’d probably love to.”

“No, we can figure it out on our own.” Matt answered.

“Matt, just let me-“

“It’ll be okay.” He cut in, a certain finality in his voice.

You simply sighed and offered a small nod, giving up on the argument. And that’s how disagreements had been going between you and Matt the past few times, creating a new pattern. You two would have opposite views and when the other tried to counter it, they were met with a short and almost final response. One that wasn’t open to continuing the topic. So the other person would drop it, but the lingering looks of concern from your friends and almost chokingly thick atmosphere of tension were hard for you to miss.

Everyone understood that there was a shift, in you and in Matt, which had changed the way you and Matt interacted with each other. There was more tension, more resignations. Neither of you would admit it, but you saw each other differently. Though neither of you understood what happened to the other to change their point of view, individually you both knew.

For Matt, though he would never tell anyone, it was thanks to Exodus. The way she left him on that rooftop, left covered in blood that was and wasn’t hers. The way her voice lingered in his head every night since, a voice without the Russian accent he had grown accustomed to hearing.

If you get in my way again, I won’t hesitate to kill you.

He didn’t doubt she would intend to, but he also believed that she wouldn’t. Maybe even couldn’t. They were partners, friends even. They worked together to take down Fisk and it was only a matter of time until they were on the same side again. He cared about her and the knowledge of her still combing the streets of Hell’s Kitchen at night without him, it hurt him more than he would ever admit. Especially on the night where he would find her, only for her to run the other way. But even so, the sound of her voice, it was too familiar to forget.

Like a voice he had been hearing for years, a voice he loved to hear. After that night, he started to wonder how he knew her…

You, on the other hand, were acting different because of Daredevil. The man who you had thought was warming up to you and your flaws had - from your perspective - turned his back on you. He ultimately chose to stand against you, rather than beside you. He chose to save Fisk, to put the monster in a cell rather than a coffin. And you hadn’t forgiven him for it. Maybe you never would.

Either way, it made you reevaluate the people you trusted. Karen had softened up towards you and was truly someone you could regard as a friend. You were beyond thankful for that, especially in those moments when you saw yours and Matt’s friendship cracking apart. Foggy had been never more oblivious to your nightly escapades so there was never a question there. But Matt…

He asked too many questions, held too many suspicions. And what made it worse was that he would ask the very specific questions.

What happened to your hands?

Your voice is scratchy. Are you sick?

You didn’t answer your phone last night. Where’d you go?

Are you sure there’s nothing going on I should know about?

What do you mean, you didn’t sleep? What kept you up?

There was a disconnect between you and Matt now because he was paying a bit too close of attention to you. And you tried mentioning it to Karen, that Matt was poking around a bit too much but she brushed off your concerns, saying that he just cared about you and was worried.

That night, Foggy convinced the entirety of your friend group to go out for drinks and it was the most normal thing you had done in weeks. You had almost forgotten how good it felt to leave the suit in its case and just breathe, to just live. You and Matt were making jokes while Karen and Foggy were shooting a game of pool. It almost felt like nothing had changed.

“You sure you’re not being hustled here?” Matt asked Foggy after Karen landed a great shot.

“That’s why I didn’t want to play against her.” Foggy pointed firmly to you, making you laugh and throw your hands up in surrender.

“I didn’t-“ You laughed. “What did I do?”

“I remember college.” He said firmly, squinting his eyes in suspicion that made you drop your forehead to Matt’s shoulder while you laughed.

“Oh no, I can’t shoot pool. Oh no, I’m terrible.” He mocked you and you began losing your breath and nearly collapsed as you laughed, remembering the night you fooled him. Matt’s free hand came up to your arm when he felt you wobble. “Then boom. Perfect break.” Foggy deadpanned.

“I-“ You tried, though the sound was more of a wheeze. You shook your head and waved your hands, signaling that you couldn’t answer.

“She got, what, twenty bucks out of you that night?” Matt laughed and pulled you a bit closer to him.

“Forty!“ Foggy exclaimed.

“That’s on you for betting that much.” Karen giggled, high-fiving you on her way around the table.

“Betrayal. All of you.” Foggy said simply. “Take over, buddy. Be right back.” He passed Matt the pool cue and ducked away.

“I’m a little offended he didn’t hand it to me.” You said, finally able to refill your lungs with air and stand on your own.

“Maybe he wanted to take it easy on me.” Karen said playfully.

“Cause you’ll go easy on Matt?” You raised a brow to which she offered a devious smile. “You’re going to hustle a blind man!” You laughed.

“You hustled his best friend.” She grinned in return.

“This place always brings out something special in Foggy.” Matt said fondly.

“Sure it’s not the alcohol?” Karen teased.

“It’s the company.” You smiled. “He loves when all of us are together.”

“Yeah, we’d be doing this the rest of our lives if it were up to him.” Matt continued.

“It’d be a good life.” You nodded in agreement.

“As long as you two aren’t fighting over something stupid.” Karen nodded.

“Low blow, Page.” You shook your head with a small scoff.

When it came time for Matt’s shot, Karen instructed him. You hung back, feeling their emotions spike when they got closer than usual or when their hands touched. It wasn’t quite love, but the longing and admiration were palpable. You smiled softly to yourself and twisted your wrist discreetly, mimicking turning up a dial. You upped both of their desires and watched as they both blushed and separated with nervous chuckles or coughs.

Karen would be good for Matt, you decided. As much as you adored him - probably even loved him - you knew your double life would be too much. And even if you told him, it was unlikely that things could ever be romantic after that. So friends you two would stay, and you knew over time, you’d be okay with it. But until then, you sighed as the sadness cooled your skin, admittedly a refreshing sensation compared to the recent heat.

“I thought you were gonna watch them.” Foggy scolded playfully when he came back to your side. “I was gone two minutes.”

“You didn’t tell me anything about babysitting.” You defended with a laugh as Karen headed over to the bar.

You turned to watch as she left while Foggy was talking but your attention caught on a shifty guy at the bar who ended up next to Karen.

He was staring at you three, nervousness radiated off him in waves. You could feel his apprehension but also there was a hard intent behind his stare. Though you tried to feel deeper into him, you couldn’t. Like there was nothing below those surface emotions. But the way he moved in his seat, the way his hand was tucked under his coat, you decided you had to get closer.

“I’m just gonna…” You trailed off as you headed to Karen’s side.

Gently, you put your hands on her arms and guided her to your opposite side to put yourself next to the man. She looked at you with furrowed brows but you simply shook your head. You discreetly jabbed your thumb towards the man, to which she nodded and was quick to bring the drinks back to the guys.

“You doing alright over there?” You asked casually once Karen was gone. You glanced over to make sure and saw she was talking to Foggy and Matt, who were both seemingly focused in your direction. “Seem a little tense.”

“It ain’t what you think.” He said tightly. “I got business here.”

“I don’t think you know what I think.” You chuckled in annoyance as you faced him. “Whatever business you have here, pack it up and find somewhere else to do it. I won’t tell you again.”

“Got business with Nelson and Murdock.” The man answered as he stood. You sidestepped to block his path as your hands tightened into fists at your side.

“What makes you think you can get to them?” You challenged with an upward tilt of your chin.

“Hey.” Matt said suddenly from your side, a hand landing on your lower back. His touch made your whole body tense but you were quick to relax, loosening your hands and crossing your arms over your chest. “What’s going on? Who’s this?”

“You must be the blind one.” The man answered. “Looking for Nelson and Murdock.”

Matt nodded and gestured for the man to come to the other side of the bar, your friend group joining him around one of the small tables. You put yourself between Matt and the other guy, Karen on Matt’s other side between him and Foggy. Matt had tried to get to that spot before you did, but you were quick to reach around and guide him to the seat next to you. He frowned at you and gently tried to pull you to switch but you refused to budge.

You tuned in and out of the man’s story. It seemed fabricated, dramatized to earn sympathy. But as you read his emotions, you didn’t find any hint of smugness or pride that normally comes with getting people to believe a story like that. There was remorse, fear almost, along with nerves.

“Burren Club, 47th and 10th. Can’t miss it.” He explained and you were quick to commit the address to memory.

Karen leaned around Matt to look at you and you offered a brow raise and an acknowledging tilt of your head. You saw her shoulders rise and fall with a quiet sigh before you turned back to the man from the bar.

“And your involvement in the organization is?” You asked simply.

“Who’s she?” He looked to Foggy and you scoffed.

“Answer the question.”

“Ran for Brannigan for a long time… Did some things I probably shouldn’t have… But the guys I work for, the guys that did this…” He let out a long sigh. “I’m telling you, I had nothing to do with that massacre.”

“Assuming you’re right and the Irish were hit by a powerful crime syndicate tonight…” Matt started. “If you’re the only one that survived-“

“Someone’s bound to come back and tie off this loose end.” You cut in, leaning your elbows against the table. “What do you expect us to do for you, Mr…?”

“Relax.” Matt said quietly, trying to discreetly pull you to sit back.

“Last time we took a case when we didn’t get a name, it was a shit case, right? You really trynna do that again?” You answered in the same hushed tone, to which he nodded reluctantly in response.

“Grotto.”

“Grotto what?” Matt pressed as if it was his idea to get a name.

“Just Grotto.” He answered, which made you roll your eyes as you sat back with arms folded.

“I just need you guys to get me the hell out of here before I permanently end up in the only place hotter than this.”

“Witness protection.” You nodded, knowing it wasn’t an impossible thing to ask. “Could be doable.”

“We’re a private law firm.” Matt began before Grotto cut in.

“Yeah, a trustworthy one… Got quite a reputation after you took out Wilson Fisk.”

The mention of that case made you grind your teeth, thinking of how it didn’t go down the way it should’ve.

“DA’s office is the only place that can make a deal.” Foggy explained.

“And I’m not walking to the DA without representation. I know and seen a lot. I’ll give the cops anything they want to get out of Hell’s Kitchen.” He said honestly, desperation practically spilling onto the table.

“We have a reputation of representing the good people of Hell’s Kitchen, not negotiating on behalf of career criminals.” Matt said and the words seemed to slice you more than they affected Grotto.

“And if that criminal wants to change careers?” You asked, staring at the table as you settled your riled up nerves. Karen cleared her throat and when you peaked up, you saw she was already staring at you in warning. “You’re gonna tell me you don’t believe in changes of heart? Second chances?”

“You’re actually on my side?” Grotto asked in disbelief.

“Wasn’t that your point?” You countered smoothly.

“You weren’t exactly warm and welcoming a few minutes ago.”

“And you haven’t taken that hand out from under your jacket since you walked in.” You pointed out, nodding your head towards his hidden hand. “So I really don’t think you should be challenging who is or isn’t on your side.”

“Y/N..” Karen said gently, though you felt the warning in her words. “Tone it down a little…”

“I know I got nobody to vouch for me and I can barely cover your fee but… Word is that Nelson and Murdock put their faith in people and I- I could use a little bit of that right now.” Grotto was practically begging.

Your friends were huddled together and muttering about what to do about it but you hadn’t taken your eyes off Grotto. You watched as his eyes went wide as he shook his head, swaying in his seat. Matt began to ask a question but the man collapsed and fell to the ground. You had already begun to move and catch him so you were able to get your hand under his head before he hit the floor. You glanced towards your friends as you knelt by Grotto’s side but only saw Karen coming over.

“He’s bleeding.” Karen noted, carefully moving his jacket out of the way.

After having gotten an ambulance to come get Grotto, Matt and Foggy decided to turn in. Karen offered to go with Grotto and asked what you would do. You shrugged and said there was a club you had meaning to check out, knowing you didn’t have to full on say it for her to get it.

You hurried home, changed into your Exodus suit, and headed to the Burren Club. It was easy to see the lights on the cop cars from blocks away so you tapped your scar and tried to listen in on police chatter. There were random calls from their dispatchers but nothing about that incident so you turned it off. Instead, you snuck your way to the rooftop opposite of the club and used the new lenses of your mask to get a better look.

But the first thing you saw was Matt and Foggy. Your attention snagged on the boys while they talked to Brett, likely trying to get some intel and check out the validity of Grotto’s story. But you noticed Foggy was doing most of the talking while Matt was just listening.

“What are you listening for?” You murmured, leaning over the edge a bit more.

As if Matt heard you, he tilted his head up and turned towards your hiding spot. You didn’t flinch and didn’t hide, rather you held your position with the confidence that he couldn’t see you.

But it did make you wonder if he heard you…

Matt turned and said something to Brett that you couldn’t hear but could tell was something of interest if Brett grabbed a passing officer to scold him. Your brows furrowed as the three stepped further from the crowds and you started to wonder if you would sneak a mic onto Matt’s cane. Out of curiosity, you followed the trio and hopped down into the nearest alleyway.

You crept as close to the street as you could while still having shadows to hide in so you could eavesdrop on what Brett knew. You focused on key words that you knew would likely mean solving more later; the theory was paramilitary, they were capable of taking out half the city, and the DA had no leads. You heard one of the other officers mention the Dogs of Hell had been hit recently too, being that their members were currently taking residency at the morgue.

Though the conversation didn’t give you too many leads, you knew it was something to start. You had to get a hold of local underground arms dealers, see if they’re selling bigger things than pistols and pump action shotguns. You had to check the usual back alley haunts for someone - or multiple someones - who didn’t belong.

You figured starting with the Dogs of Hell would be the best bet. If anyone has seen what happened, maybe there’d be more of a starting point. A silhouette you could watch for or a vague description you could work down to something more specific. But as you were approaching the building, you saw a familiar pink shirt entering the building.

“Он сам себя убьет.” You complained and slammed a fist against the wall beside you. (He’s gonna get himself killed.)

You ran across the street and hurdled the trash building up in the alleyway until you reached the back door. There were two men posted out back, playing cards and smoking. They didn’t even notice you until you were right beside them.

“He has an ace tucked into his belt.” You commented, your usual Russian accent dancing in your voice.

They both turned on you and held their guns up.

“I have questions, maybe you boys can answer. You help me and I don’t crack your skulls on the pavement.” You tried, though they yelled for you to leave. “What happened to your men last week? What do you know?”

When you were greeted with nothing but shouts to leave, you shrugged. You made a move first, running at one and jamming a knee into his chest to slam him against the wall behind him. The other tried to grab you so you reached up and hooked your arm around his neck.

You used the first man as a foothold and flipped over, pulling the second man into a very uncomfortable bridge position. You dropped to a knee and brought him down with you, his spine slamming against your opposite upraised knee with a deep and echoing crack. You pushed him to the side before returning to the first man and grabbed him by his shirtfront, leaning several punches to his face until the skin split and the man fell unconscious.

Just in time for the door to open.

You hand shot to your belt as you ducked out of sight between a dumpster and the building. The huge man was towering over someone he had thrown in front of him, but even without seeing him, you recognized the voice. It was Foggy.

“Put it away.” You warned firmly when you saw the glint of a knife. Your Bite was now glowing as you lifted your bloodied hand and stepped into view, the biker now turning to face you. “Put it down or I will make you.”

“Holy shit.” Foggy breathed.

“This ain’t about you.” The biker warned, though there was a waiver in his voice. “So mind your business.”

“You just made it my business.” You said simply. “I won’t ask nicely again.”

“I helped a guy named Foster.” Foggy tried, though the biker ignored him. “Ricky Wex? … Pope?”

That name caught the man’s attention but he didn’t lower the knife. You moved around him to stand a few steps behind Foggy, lowering your hand but not letting it disarm.

“You helped Pope?” He asked and you realized that Pope meant something to that man. A spark of grief. “Get the hell out of here.”

The man turned his back and you reached for Foggy.

“What happened to Smitty?” Foggy exclaimed.

“Ты шутишь?” You groaned as the man came back with his knife raised. (Are you kidding me?)

You quickly put your forearm up to block his knife and used your other hand to catch it as it fell from his grip. You hooked your foot around his knee and yanked it to bring the man to his knees. You held his own knife to his throat and gestured for him to answer Foggy‘s question.

“Your men were massacred last week and the Irish were slaughtered tonight.” You explained. “Unless you want to join your pals in the morgue, I suggest you talk.”

“If I don’t get answers, a lot of innocent blood could be shed.” Foggy continued. “Please.”

“You got guts, Harvard.” He nodded to Foggy. You took a second to survey the man and found his hostility had come and went so you flipped his knife in your hand and offered it to him by the handle.

“Columbia, actually, and it’s just sheer adrenaline right now.” Foggy replied and you snorted a laugh as you took a few steps to the side. “I wouldn’t be here if doing this wasn’t important.”

“Smitty was on a run down I-90 with four other guys, got hit by an army and cut to pieces. They were left there like roadkill.”

“An army sounds extensive for a five man job.. Who did it?” You asked.

“Some new crew.” The biker shrugged. “But we’re gonna find them and you’re gonna wanna be far away from that action.”

The biker turned and left after that, leaving you and Foggy in the alley. You grabbed Foggy’s arm and began hauling him away, feeling him practically deflate in your grasp.

“Are you insane?” You scolded, taking careful intent to maintain your accent. “He could've killed you.”

“Why are you here?” He asked in counter. “Shouldn’t you be out with Daredevil?”

“Сорвиголова.” You scoffed. “No. I haven’t seen him since he got in my way with Fisk. We aren’t working together anymore.” (Daredevil.)

“What?”

“Listen to me because I will not say it again.” You said firmly, stopping your steps so you could face him. “This is going to get very messy, very fast. You need to keep you and your friends out of it, alright? If anything, work from a distance. Wait for this to come down a legitimate path rather than some back alley bullshit. Got it?”

“Okay..” Foggy said carefully. “Thanks.”

You nodded and took off, not really headed anywhere other than away from Foggy. You weren’t sure where to go from there. Going down I-90 wouldn’t make a difference because it was probably cleaned up and the officers long gone. Local cops had nothing, meaning the morgue had nothing, other than a label for homicide across a herd of bodies. You got yourself to a rooftop and sat on the ledge, wondering what to do next.

Your implant was ringing in your head with your usual cell phone chime. With a confused tilt of your head, you double tapped the scar.

“Yeah?” You answered quickly.

“Where are you?” Karen said in a panic and you could hear the skirting of tires in the background. You quickly jumped to your feet and tapped your mask, looking around as you tried to lock on her cell signal.

“I see you. On my way.” You answered as you broke into a sprint. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Someone attacked the hospital!” She screamed and you heard the glass shatter. “He came for Grotto.”

“But you’re alright?”

“For now!”

“Okay. Did you see how many?”

“Yeah… One.”

One?

“Alright, I’ll take care of it. Get somewhere safe and call me back.”

You ended the call and heard the sounds of a fist fight as you neared the hospital roof. You stood on the ledge and checked the surrounding buildings, only barely able to catch a glimpse of the two men fighting. It was easy to recognize his fighting style, even in the dark.

You had just landed when you saw the spark of a gunfire and Daredevil went tumbling over the ledge. You screamed out and the sound drew the attention of his attacker. He scoffed and got to his feet, though now you were pissed.

“Вы заплатите за это.” You sneered. (You’ll pay for that.)

Your anger was collecting in your palms, burning through your skin. You ran at him without hesitation and ducked his shot. You kicked the small gun from his hand and blocked a heavy hit from him. You slammed your fists against his jaw, seeing red puffs of smoke escape each time time you made contact.

He grabbed you by your shirtfront and hoisted you up, his other hand wrapping around your belt as he moved to slam you to your back. You grabbed his wrist and as your fingers dug in, you noticed that where your skin met his was turning red, as if it were burning. Quickly you shook the thought and tucked your legs so you could kick out against his chest. The move sent you two in different directions and you used the gap to jump the ledge you saw Daredevil fall down.

It was easy to recognize that you couldn’t beat him on your own, not as distracted as you were. You had to bail and figure out an actual plan. But at least you gained something. You saw his face.

You turned back and saw the man glaring down at you, bloody faced and angry. You pulled one of your charge disks and offered a fake salute so the movement doubled as the flick. He groaned as the disk landed at the base of his throat and you chuckled before turning to find Daredevil.

He was face down and not moving, making your heart stop. You knelt beside him and carefully rolled him over and tucked your fingers under his cowl, looking for the pulse at his throat.

“C’mon…” You muttered and slid your fingers down. “Please, c’mon.” You repeated with a bit more urgency.

By then, the tears were fogging your mask so you aggressively pulled it to sit around your throat. Your breathing was shaky and you couldn’t even focus enough to get yourself under control. You didn’t even care if he saw what you looked like, if he remembered who you were from when what happened with the Russians. You didn’t care, just as long as he was alive.

Sure, you hadn’t been on the best of terms with Daredevil as of late, but that didn’t mean you wanted to see him die. Especially not by getting shot in the head right in front of you. By some no name, trigger happy bastard with a vendetta.

You let out a quivering breath of relief when you found his pulse and he moved, ever so slightly he had moved his arm almost like he was reaching for you. You slid over so your back was against the small structure that you couldn’t specify in the dark. You very carefully repositioned him in your lap as you leaned your head back and sighed towards the night sky as you slipped your hand into his.

You bit down on the finger of your other glove and pulled your hand free. You tucked the glove into your belt before placing your hand gently on his cheek. Your thumb traced his features idly as your mind raced, but the slow movement was enough to help you settle yourself and focus.

You couldn’t leave him there alone. You knew that much. But where would you take him? Metro General would raise too many questions. You couldn’t get him back to your apartment on your own and you had no idea where he lived. You thought about calling Claire but you didn’t even know if she was back in Hell’s Kitchen.

That would’ve been a good time to actually know each other’s names.

Instead, you decided to stay on that rooftop.

Next thing you knew, your implant was pinging loudly. Opening your eyes, you found it was morning. You wiped your eyes and realized your mask was still down. You were careful to reposition it without moving Daredevil as you answered the call.

“Hey.” You said, sleep hanging on to your voice.

“Thank God you’re alive.” She said quickly. “Are- are you alright?”

“I’m alright, yeah.” You answered.

“I tried calling last night but you didn’t answer.” Karen answered worriedly. “You can’t do that, Y/N. Not with this maniac running around.”

“I know. Yeah, I know. I’m sorry…I promise, I’m fine.” You nodded, looking down at Daredevil. “Someone else… Not so much.”

“What happened?”

“Whoever came after you and Grotto, Daredevil found him first. The guy shot him in the head.”

“Oh my god.” She sighed and you could feel her worry through the call.

“I’m just glad the guy had the protection in his new suit. The idiot’s alive, barely.” You slid your fingers to check his pulse again and while it was stronger than it was last night, it was still weak. “I’ve been on this roof with him all night. I didn’t know where to take him. I thought I didn't care and was done but seeing him like that, I wanted to tear that guy apart…”

“At least he wasn’t alone.” Karen tried and you nodded in agreement. “Well uh- I called Foggy and I told him. Grotto and I are at the precinct. The cops wanna ask him questions about everything.”

“Okay… Foggy say not to let anyone talk to him witho-“

“Without one of them here, yeah.” She cut in. “Yeah, he told me.”

“Good.. I’ll probably head over there when…” You trailed off, hearing footsteps across the roof. “I gotta go.”

You tapped the scar and flexed your hand, lighting up your Bite as the person came closer. You were more than surprised to see Foggy.

“Jesus.” You sighed, easily slipping back into your accent and disarming. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for him.” Foggy answered, kneeling at Daredevil’s other side.

“You know him?” You didn’t bother to hide your shock.

“You don’t?”

“I wouldn’t have stayed on this roof if I did.” You shrugged. “Guess you can’t stay out of it even if you wanted to, can you?”

“Guess not.” Foggy chuckled without humor.

“At least you have a friend you know can protect you.”

“Not if he gets himself killed.” He muttered and you couldn’t help but agree.

“Take care of him for me, okay?” You asked as you helped Foggy get Daredevil to his feet.

“I thought you weren’t friends anymore.”

“When I saw that guy take the shot and he went tumbling, something inside me…” You shook your head, deciding you didn’t need to explain all of it. “I just didn’t like what I saw. I tried taking on the guy on my own but I.. I didn’t have a chance. Probably too distracted but.. Look, just take him home, please.”

“Yeah, thanks for looking out for him.” Foggy nodded and you returned the gesture before heading to your apartment.

You had to get into your building through the rooftop door rather than your usual window. You slipped to your floor using the old stairwell that no one seemed to use anymore and got inside your apartment with no fuss. You ditched your suit quickly and showered, noting the blossoming bruises and busted knuckles as you got ready for the day.

Meanwhile, Matt was just lucky to have survived.

“Y’know, Exodus was there when I found you.” Foggy explained as he handed Matt the Aspirin.

“Exodus?” Matt chuckled. “You met her?”

“She looked like she’d been crying all night.” Foggy pressed. “She saw you get shot. Do you realize that?”

“She probably just would’ve rather been the one who pulled the trigger.” Matt pushed himself up with a groan.

“You’re not listening.” Foggy complained. “She cares about you, Matt.”

“No, she doesn’t.” Matt countered easily. “She only cares about herself.”

Matt didn’t fully believe that though. He was glad that Exodus was there and that maybe she did still care, at least a little bit. But as far as what her actions showed, she wanted nothing to do with him anymore and he wouldn’t force her to fight with him if she wouldn’t even talk to him. He knew saying she only cared about herself was hardly any different than when Fisk said she had no loyalty. And in both cases, it just wasn’t true.

“That’s why she stayed on that roof all night with you?” Foggy shrugged. “She went after that guy once you went down.”

Matt groaned in annoyance. Not because of what Foggy said about her being there, but at the fact that she went after the shooter on her own. He knew she was reckless and brave, but he never knew her to be stupid.

“All I’m saying is that you should try to make amends before you end up dead. Whatever happened between you and her, whatever you did to piss her off, you need to figure it out beca-“

“She didn’t like that I didn’t let her kill Fisk that night.” Matt snapped. “She didn’t like that I- I- I knew she could be better. I didn’t let her go around and take lives when it wasn’t up to her.”

“You look like shit.” Foggy resigned, knowing the argument would go nowhere with Matt. In that moment, he understood why Y/N didn’t bother arguing with him anymore. “Stay here. Get some rest. I’ll have Y/N come check on you later.”

“Foggy.” Matt sighed. Hiding it from Y/N was the hardest part of the secret, and with all of that, he didn’t know what he would say when she got there.

“Just don’t.. You already know she’s gonna come anyway when you don’t show up to work today.” Foggy reasoned. “And I’ve covered for you enough as it is. Just… Just stay here.”

You got to the precinct just before Foggy did. Grotto was tense, aggressively on edge. Him and Karen were both terrified, the fear from them vibrating through your bones. It was so dense that you felt it as soon as you walked into the precinct, not even near the interrogation room. You had to take a deep breath when you stepped inside and used it to blow away the frazzled buzzing in the air.

“Where’s Murdock?” Grotto asked when Foggy was the only one to walk in.

“He took a sick day.” Foggy answered before he went around the table to talk to Grotto.

You turned to Karen, who was looking at you with the same quizzical expression you wore. You leaned in and spoke quietly.

“He’s hiding something.” You said simply. “Look how freaked he is.”

“You think it’s about Matt?” She asked in the same hushed tone.

“Or the fact that he knows Daredevil and ran into her this morning.” You shrugged a shoulder. “Either way, I’m guessing it’s another ‘hit by a car’ situation like that one time.”

“Wait. Back up. What?“

You shushed her once the door opened. You nodded to Brett and he gave you a slight wave. After a brief conversation between Brett and Grotto, your trio and Brett stepped out to let him change. You blew out a sigh as you followed Brett, listening to what Brett knew about the shooter.

“Vigilante type.” Brett explained, causing Karen to sneak a glance at you. You were focused on Brett but you saw her glance at your peripherals. “Targeting different crime families.”

“But not in a Daredevil-type way.” You added. “He kicks some ass and the city cheers like we won the goddamn World Series.”

“Not even in an Exodus-type way either.” Brett agreed and your brows raised. “She’s something else but even she doesn’t do this… Anyway, he makes a lot of people question the whole ‘hero’ idea.”

“And what do you think about it? I’m guessing not a whole lot of cops love Daredevil or Exodus.”

“Whole force is split, actually.” Brett shrugged. “Some cops want ‘em gone. Some say they make the job a whole lot easier.”

“But what do you think?”

“I think it’s only a matter of time before the wrong person gets caught in the crossfire.”

“You put it that way, I guess copycats were inevitable.” Foggy added.

“Not even the first, just the latest.” Brett said simply.

You nodded slightly in acknowledgment. You thought about the whole thing while Brett continued talking to Foggy about it. You figured your actions would inspire others to do the same. But you hadn’t thought of how wild it would be. Would that man really have claimed you and Daredevil as inspiration? Could you two really be responsible for a man who opened fire in a hospital?

It made you want to crawl out of your skin.

Targeting the crime families was one thing. It was something you had your fair share of experience with, considering your elimination of the Russians not that long ago. But to put innocent people at risk, just to get to one man? That didn’t sit right with you and it only made you want to find him and get answers.

You needed to take a walk.

“Hey.” You asked Foggy when Brett left. “Do you got this? I wanna go check on Matt. He was fine last night so it’s probably just food poisoning or something with the heat lately but y’know…” You shrugged at your lame excuse.

“Uh..” Foggy looked around and sighed. “Yeah, I got it. Go ahead.”

“You sure? Cause I can stay if you need me.”

“Yeah.” He offered a small smile. “DA’s assistant shouldn’t be too hard to handle.”

“You’ve got Karen, too.” You added and Karen agreed. “I just-“

“You worry about him.. I know.” Foggy nodded and offered a knowing smile.

“Thanks.” You smiled and hurried out.

The walk to Matt’s was quiet so you were able to think. It wasn’t so much that you wanted to stop this new guy. Granted, you didn’t appreciate him blowing holes in people all over town, but it’s not like he was killing good people. He did what you did, but messier. You thought about how you get to him again, get a time where you could get him to talk. Find out his motives, his goals. From there, you could decide if you wanted to fight with him or against him.

You tapped on Matt’s door with two quick knocks. You waited a minute to see if he would open it but he didn’t. You assumed he was asleep so you let yourself in. Coming into the living room, you found Matt around the corner.

Before you could say anything, he had knocked over the glass of water on the corner of the table. You yelped in surprise and jumped back, letting the glass shatter at your feet. You tossed your purse and blazer onto the couch and stepped around Matt to get a towel from the kitchen. You came back to the mess and knelt down, laying the towel over the entirety of the mess.

Your actions stopped when you heard Matt shout. Your head snapped up and your fists tightened, mind racing. You instantly thought something had happened. Someone followed you, the shooter from the hospital maybe. He saw you without your mask last night and was coming to kill you. But looking around, you quickly realized no one was there.

“Matt?” You tried gently as you crossed the room to kneel beside him, though he seemed to ignore you and screamed again. “Matt?”

You reached forward carefully and put a hand on his shoulder, one he quickly jumped away from. You furrowed your brows and reached out again, only this time Matt took a sloppy swing at you. You leaned away easy enough and caught his wrist, slipping your hand in his instead.

“Who…” He said quietly, nearly a whisper. You didn’t need your ability to know he was terrified.

“It’s me.” You answered in the same hushed tone as you guided his hand to your cheek. “You’re okay..”

His thumb traced your cheekbone before following the bridge of your nose to your lips. It reminded you of the first time he felt your face in college.

“Y/N..” He said, so desperately it was almost a whine.

He shifted to lean his shoulders against the wall instead of his back while the hand that was on your face went behind your neck. His other hand wrapped around your waist and he pulled you into his chest. You let out a small ‘oof’ as you fell into his lap but your arms went around him while he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

“I can’t… I can’t hear.” He mumbled against your skin. “I can’t hear.”

You closed your eyes and focused on him. His fear hadn’t changed but there was a relief mixed in. He was glad to not be alone but also terrified of losing another sense. You thought of how you could help him if he couldn’t hear you, so you took a chance and used your power.

You knew that emotions could relay messages and hold weight, depending on how individual people interpreted them. As you had been recently developing your powers to be more precise, you began learning that if you put enough intention behind what you did, you could essentially send a specific message.

So that’s what you did. Through the close grip he had on you, you let yourself absorb some of his fear and replace it with comfort, safety. You focused until those two emotions were nearly balanced and the physical tension in his body subsided. His hold on you tightened, practically begging for you not to leave him.

You’re gonna be okay. You’re not alone.

“Thank you.” He finally broke the silence after you didn’t know how long. He loosened his hold on you so you sat back to see him clearly. You kept hold of his hands loosely while he talked. “I’m glad you came by.”

“Something happened…” You said sadly, though you didn’t expect him to hear you. His head tilted but you kept going. “I know you won’t tell me but.. No one suddenly goes deaf unless something drastic happens… But, again, you won’t tell me so, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“I don’t want to worry you.” He said honestly, giving your hands a squeeze.

“Then be more careful.” You scolded when you realized he heard you. “Cause if we lose you, I… I don’t have a lot left.”

“I’m sorry. Really, I am.” He offered a lopsided smile. “I’ll try, okay?”

“Promise me.”

“What?” He chuckled.

“Promise me.” You repeated firmly.

“Okay, okay.” He smiled, letting go of one of your hands to cross his heart. “I swear.”

“Thank you.” You nodded. “Now, I need to go.”

“Wait. Really?” Matt said quickly as you got to your feet.

“Yes, really. Foggy’s down at the precinct and the DA’s office is probably already there. We still have to figure out Grotto’s witpro. I can’t sit here on the floor with you all day.”

Even if you wanted to. Even if you wanted to remain in his embrace, listening to his heart beat. Feeling safe.

“Right.” Matt nodded, though his disappointment hit you in the chest like a brick.

“But call me if you need anything… Okay?” You said as you grabbed your stuff. “I’ll come as soon as I can.”

“Yeah, yeah, I will. Thanks, Y/N/N.”

“See ya later, Matty.”

You peaked at your phone on the way out and saw a text from Karen.

karen : DA office says it’s one guy.

karen: they almost have a complete profile

karen: “the Punisher”

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