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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years

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DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER - MATT MURDOCK

two - glimpse of us

//tags: @ironprincessstranger @johnmurphys-sass @dusstory // one // three // masterlist //

Pairing: Daredevil x Exodus (ft M. Murdock x Reader)

Word Count: 8,228

Summary: Earning trust in Hell’s Kitchen is surprisingly easy when it comes to your newest ally. But one long night reveals more about all of you than you had expected (i haven’t read this since i drafted it so i don’t remember if i love it or not)

You were walking down the street, having just left Matt’s apartment. You were reading the messages Karen had sent about the DA meeting on your way to the office when your attention was caught on a vaguely familiar face. The man was ducking into a pawn shop. The man was broad shouldered, tall, with a buzz-cut. You pulled up short and saw him glance over his shoulder as he stepped through the doorway, almost staring at you.

Almost.

Once he fully entered the building, you hustled across the street and snuck in behind him. You glanced around at various objects in the display, pretending to be interested as you waited to see what the man was there for.

“I need an NYPD mobile communications rig.” The man asked the worker, his deep voice ringing through the small store. “One that get encrypted tactical frequencies.”

If you weren’t sure about his identity to begin with, you were after that.

You turned towards their conversation, eyeing the man for a second before making eye contact with the owner. You lifted a brow quickly, as if to ask what he was going to do. The shop owner swallowed visibly and you were hit with a wave of uncertainty. You smirked slightly and made your way to the main counter.

“Dealing in this shit is illegal.” The owner reasoned.

“Do we look like cops?” You asked smoothly, leaning an elbow onto the counter.

The man nodded slightly before dropping a stack of money on the countertop. The owner looked at the money for a minute before looking back to you two. His eyes darted between you and the large man beside you before nodding and disappearing.

“We?” The man - the Punisher - asked. “There’s no we in this.”

“If there’s anyone in this city you want on your side, it’s me. Especially considering how you shot the Devil in the head last night… You think he’s not gonna remember that? He’s not necessarily big on revenge, per say, but he sure knows how to get even.”

“How’d you know about that?” He turned to face you, brows furrowed as he studied your features. You held his glare with a slight smirk, gesturing to the side with the arm you weren’t leaning on. “Shit.” He chuckled. “That was you?”

“Mhmm.” You nodded. “And you shoot him like that again, you and I are gonna have real issues. Understood?”

He laughed again.

“I missed the part that was funny.” You said firmly, trying to find some emotion to use against him.

You came up empty.

“What do you want?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” You shrugged. “You’re targeting specific gangs with phenomenal precision and results. I could help you, get it done and avoid Daredevil.”

“And what do you get out of it?”

You tilted your head side to side as you thought. Realistically, there was nothing you could really gain by helping him. And you were fine with that. Maybe you really just wanted something to do that didn’t partner you up with Daredevil. Maybe your finger was just itching for a trigger to pull.

“Nothing.” You shrugged a shoulder.

The owner came back with the equipment and unzipped the bag, allowing your eyes to scan the device until you found the serial number. You read the number over three or four times to commit to memory to make it easier to connect to later if you had to. There was a quick interaction and payment before the Punisher nodded for you to follow him out.

That was by no means a confirmation of your partnership but it was something to show he was interested. The owner had been yelling other items at you and trying to get one of you to spend more money. You were both nearly out when he said something that made you sick to your stomach.

“She’s barely twelve, guaranteed.” The owner offered as you two had reached the door, causing both of you to stop in your tracks.

The Punisher held the bag out to you but you scoffed. You leaned forward and flipped the lock on the door before turning the sign to read ‘Closed’. You left your bag on one of the counters and headed back towards the owner of the shop. You heard the Punisher following behind you but you didnt let it change your stride.

You grabbed the owner’s shirtfront and ignored his pleas as you put your hand on the back of his head and slammed his face into the glass countertop. He cried out as the glass cracked but you continued to ignore it and slammed his face down again. That time his head went through the glass. You shoved him back up by his shoulders and threw your fist, driving the glass deeper into his skin and feeling it split your own knuckles. You counted off in your head, every crack of his bones until you reached twelve.

“Barely twelve, hmm?” You repeated as Exodus after shoving the man away from you. He whimpered once he heard your accent, throwing his hands up to protect his face. You placed a bloody hand on the metal frame of the counter and jumped over it. “Guaranteed?”

You landed a sharp kick to his ribs, hard enough to hear him cough all the air from his lungs. You spat in his face before pressing your shoe against the side of his head, hearing him whimper in pain and desperation. The fear left a bitter taste in your mouth that made you want to gag.

“You so much as mention an underage girl like that again, I will come back and put a bullet between your eyes. Understood?”

He frantically nodded so you lifted your shoe before swinging a hard kick to his face. The impact sent his head bouncing off the wall behind him before his whole body went limp. You stepped into the back office to clean your hands before coming back and finding the Punisher still waiting for you.

“You should’ve finished it.” He said simply as you two exited the building.

You simply scoffed in response.

“Guys like that are just gonna do it again and again until someone stops them. Permanently.”

“Maybe not always.” You tried, but you knew it wasn’t you talking. Daredevil had made you soft. Well, soft-ish.

“And the voice.” He noted in a matter-of-fact tone. “What’s with the accent? I mean, really, what’s it gonna do?”

“At least I try to keep this shit a secret.” You laughed wryly. “You might as well be a walking billboard.”

“Look, I don’t need some amateur-“

“I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.” You cut in quickly. “I’m one of the deadliest assassins to come out of the Red Room since it started. So don’t stand there and call me an amateur or so help me God, I will cut out your voice box and shove it up your ass.”

You sidestepped and spun on your heel to block him.

“Part of me knew a man like you was inevitable, a man with a big ass gun and a vendetta who thinks the law belongs to him. But if you want to avoid Daredevil and the DA’s office - which are both chasing you down with the fury of hell behind them, by the way - I’m the one you’re gonna wanna make friends with… Unless you think you can take me, Daredevil, and the DA at the same time. And I promise you, Daredevil and I are not as easy marks as the Irish or the Dogs of Hell.”

He looked you up and down and chuckled slightly. You tilted your head as you read his emotions, though there wasn’t much there. He was annoyed at your pestering but also slightly impressed by your reputation and determination at that moment. He respected you, that much was easy to tell. There was an underlying suspicion of your interest in his work, but it wasn’t enough to stop him.

“Alright.” He nodded with a smirk. “Sounds like I need you.”

“You’re damn right.” You agreed. “Last I heard the DA wants Grotto to wear a wire and meet with Brass but if I know anything about Reyes, there’s something else at play.”

“Okay. I can work my end and get information about where Brass is gonna be.”

“It’s gotta be a sting op.” You spoke slowly, letting your train of thought work as you walked. “Why else would Reyes be personally involved?” You laughed once when you put it together. “Grotto’s not a mole. He’s bait.”

“For what?”

“For you.” You pulled out your phone and called Foggy.

“Y/N, where have you been? Reyes has practically chewed my head off every time and I could’ve used your help.” He said as soon as he answered. “I was hoping you were gonna come back.”

“I heard.” You replied, somewhat regretfully. “I’m sorry. I was at Matt’s and he was going through a whole thing and just…”

“He okay?”

“It’s Matt… He hasn’t been okay since college, maybe. Anyway, I need the details about Grotto’s meeting with Brass.”

“You’re gonna actually be there?” He accused and you frowned, knowing he was right.

“That’s the plan.”

“I’ll text it all to you.” He said and you could tell there was a hesitation, something else he wanted to say. You glanced at your new partner - who wasn’t looking at you - and took a few steps away.

“Go on… Say it.” You urged and he sighed. “I know there’s something bothering you so just lay it out there. You and me. Right now.”

“You’re just…”

“Fog?”

“Everything you’ve been doing lately, the leaving and the excuses… I’ve seen it all before and if you’re doing what they're doing then I- I can’t have you both doing that.”

“What are you talking about?” You pressed. “Foggy, what’s going on?”

He sighed before answering. “Nothing, it’s- It's nothing. Just tell me you aren’t doing something that’s gonna get you in trouble or get you hurt.”

“I promise I’m fine, okay? I’m not doing anything I can’t handle.”

“Just cause you can handle it doesn’t mean it’s smart.” He countered.

You clicked your tongue and pressed your lips together to hide your smile. “You got me there.” You admitted and he laughed. “Text me everything about Grotto and I’ll do what I can.”

“Sure… And Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“… We love you.”

“We?” You chuckled. “You and Karen?”

“And Matt.”

Your heart jumped and your smile faded.

“Yeah, I know… I love you guys too.”

“Be careful. There’s been too many close calls lately.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you later.”

You ended the call and met back with the Punisher - you’d have to ask his real name later. You two walked until your phone buzzed with a text from Foggy. There wasn’t much other than a time and place. Your new friend only said that he would see you there before you parted ways.

Made you wonder how long you two would really last, but given that you and Daredevil didn’t last long at all, you didn’t expect much. Regardless of that, you made your way to your apartment and began thinking of how you would approach the meeting.

Foggy expected you to be there and you had a responsibility to Nelson and Murdock. You had a paying job to do. The problem then became that if you went as Y/N, you wouldn’t have time to sneak away, change, and meet with the Punisher in time. You’d have no excuse to leave. And if DA Reyes was there, you’d have one hell of a time getting away without her breathing down your neck.

Exodus it was.

You had your mask hooked up to your tablet and were downloading some of the recent footage to go through later. Not that you expected much of value, but maybe it could be put to use creating a filter to blur Daredevil’s face if he ever wanted to take his helmet off around you. You ignored the texts from Foggy about you showing up and even ignored Karen’s call. She texted and asked you not to do anything stupid, but it was too late. You were already committed.

You changed into your suit, pausing as you were pulling on the plated jacket from Daredevil. You looked down at the engraved ‘E’ on either wrist plate, scratching lightly at the red stain with your thumbnails. The residue of that night never quite left, the night you two took down Fisk.

The blood was still there, stained on the edges of the plates. The scars on your face that hid behind the edge of your mask. The memory of how much rage was flooding your system, the pure red haze you were seeing though. Everything was tunnel vision that night. But you had been forced to pull your punches, forced to take a step back, forced to let him live. You still weren’t sure if you were mad at Daredevil for that or a bit thankful.

You had wanted to be better after all. Daredevil was helping you get there. Were you only mad that he was holding you accountable? Mad that he saw something in you that you didn’t - not always? Or maybe you were just mad at how good he was, knowing that you’d never be that way.

You shoved your arms through and forced the thoughts out of your head. You had a job to do.

You were Exodus.

You weren’t a hero.

So you dawned your mask and met with the Punisher. You two were on the roof, watching the scene below. You watched Grotto’s hesitation as he wandered the lot, felt his absolute terror that he tried to cover. You almost felt bad for the man your office was supposed to help as you watched the diesel plow through the gates. The Punisher moved to the top of the water tower while you waited underneath. You didn’t need to be there while he took the shot.

You listened in on the police chatter, interrupted by a call from Foggy. A call from Karen. It made you realize there was no call from Matt, but you guessed he hadn’t gone either. You didn’t have much time to dwell on it before you heard the clatter of metal on metal and the Punisher came flying off the water tower.

You cursed to yourself and ducked back, reaching for your belt. You thought quickly about what to grab but the brilliant blue glow of your Bite distracted you, not to mention the sniper shots. You kept low to the ground as you came out but were quick to disarm your Bite. The snipers had put holes in the water tower which meant the water made your electricity that much dangerous, and you realized it was only Daredevil.

You slid on the side of your leg and swept Daredevil’s legs as the Punisher came in hard with one of Daredevil’s batons. Your move was just in time to get him out of the way. You glared up at the Punisher and were ignored as he swung the baton downwards. You pulled yourself up to a kneel and crossed your arms above your head, allowing the baton to smack the plates. The impact pushed your arms into your head and you groaned as you wobbled on your knee.

“We don’t have time for this.” You said firmly, flipping your hands around the baton to snatch it from the Punisher.

You threw it to the side and got to your feet.

“Ex?” Daredevil spoke through heavy breaths, clearly disoriented.

“Shut up.” You spat over your shoulder.

“Who’s side are you on again?” He challenged with a squint.

Before you could answer, you heard the radio in your implant.

‘Take the shot. Repeat, take the shot.’

Your eyes widened for a second before you moved. You dropped to your stomach just as the gunshots came again. You aimed your wrist for the Punisher’s ankles and shot a wire, yanking hard to pull him to his back. You twisted to find Daredevil, seeing that he had dropped the same as you did.

You felt the yank on your arm and looked up to see the Punisher unwrapping the wire and throwing it to the side. The two began their brawl again, seemingly unfazed by the gunshots.

“Идиоты.” You grumbled as you made your way across the roof. (Idiots.)

You realized the two were close to a ledge and you remembered seeing a glass skylight earlier. With hope you were in the right spot, you ran at them. You kept an arm up to block gunshots - though your hip was grazed - and tackled them down. You felt Daredevil’s arms wrap around your waist as he turned so you would land on top of him.

You were shocked that he would prioritize your safety over his given your foul treatment of him lately, but there wasn’t much time to dwell on it.

The impact jarred you all and the pressure of your body landing on his only ignited the burn in your hip. As you all shakily got to your feet, you pressed a palm against it and winced at the pain.

“Можете ли вы вдвоем отрезать дерьмо на две чертовы минуты, чтобы мы могли снять полицейских со спины?” You nearly yelled, aggressively pointing a finger to the ground to prove a point. Your other hand was growing hotter at your hip and you could’ve sworn you smelt the searing skin. (Can you two cut the shit for two fucking minutes so we can get the cops off our backs?)

“Tell that to your little boyfriend.” The Punisher scoffed, though you doubted he knew what you said.

“Why are you so obnoxious?” You groaned before turning to Daredevil. You noticed he was wobbling on his feet, holding his head.

You quickly tried to remember if he had hit his head. Surely the impact would’ve made his head bounce up and hit yours, but you hadn’t felt anything. It must’ve been residual from when the Punisher shot him, you realized. You reached out for him but were shoved aside, the Punisher taking your place and kicking out at Daredevil’s chest.

The motion sent him backwards and he hit his head on the wall behind him before slumping down. You glared at your partner, who now gave you an expectant look. You groaned and moved closer, throwing one of Daredevil’s arms over your shoulders.

“You’re a dick.” You muttered as you two carried the unconscious vigilante, you desperately trying to push through your limp.

“Cause you’re some saint, right?” He chuckled. He glanced over and saw the blood leaking down your leg and his stride slowed, so casually that you barely noticed at first.

“Where are we taking him?” You rolled your eyes but got no answer.

The place, you soon found out, was nothing more than a random apartment building as far as you were concerned. The roof of the random building, to be specific. You refused to help chain Daredevil up, stepping to the side to acknowledge the aggressive stinging at your side. The bullet caught you just below where your belt sat, an irritated and bright red line that left the area sticky and wet with blood. You pulled some gauze from your belt and stuffed it under the hole of your suit, clenching your jaw as you pressed down.

“Hey.” You breathed once you got the bleeding to stop. “You speak Russian?”

“No, why?” The Punisher answered, though he didn’t pay much attention to you as he finished his chain project.

“Seemed like you knew what I said earlier.” You shrugged.

He chuckled slightly as he finished the lock. He made his way over to you and knelt beside you, carefully reaching for your newest wound. He pulled the gauze away and pressed around the opening, causing you to wince and smack at his hands as new blood bubbled out.

“I just figured you were talking shit.” He shrugged with a lazy but amused smile. “It’s not too bad. Does it hurt still?”

“Yes but no, more so when I walk on it.” You answered with a sight wince as you scooted further back to lean against the air vent behind you. “It’s just a graze though, doesn’t need stitches or anything. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re pretty tough.” He shrugged before leaning over for a small kit. “Anyone else probably would’ve dropped and not gotten up… Let alone tackle us down - what was it - two stories.”

“You guys are like two dogs fighting… Neither of you were gonna stop until something distracted you. Hence, a two story fall.”

He reached for your leg again, one hand behind your knee and the other on your shin. He pushed on your shin to bend your leg before he pinched the skin together. You let out a yelp as the two sensitive edges touched but you simply tightened your hands into fists while the Punisher meticulously placed butterfly closures.

“You have a name?” You asked when he finished, backing off so you could replace the gauze and tape it on. “Can’t really call you the Punisher forever.”

“Do you?” He retorted.

You offered a lazy smile and noticed the bullet wound on his arm. You climbed up to your knees and grabbed the needle and thread from the kit. You began to close his wound without saying anything and he didn’t try to stop you, even though you could tell his instinct was to pull away and do it himself.

“They say you don’t hear the bullet that gets you… Always thought it was bullshit till now.” He said, grimacing as you pulled the stitch.

“It is.” You nodded, focusing on the movement of your fingers. “Well, for me at least. I’ve heard every shot taken at me. They usually miss… Couple get lucky, I won’t lie. Learned the hard way to pay attention to everything.” You shrugged casually.

“What about you, Red?” The Punisher called, turning his head towards Daredevil. You hadn’t realized he was awake. “The other night when I cracked off your forehead, did you hear that?”

You tugged the next stitch hard and he glared at you. You raised your brows in a slight challenge as Daredevil thrashed against the chains. He nodded with a small smirk and raised his free hand in surrender.

“You can pull on those chains all night.” Your accent found you as you warned Daredevil before tying off the thread and biting off the rest. Your thumb ran over the now closed wound and you nodded in satisfaction. Not your best work but still pretty clean, given there wasn’t a ton of light on the rooftop.

“Only way you get out of here is if we let you.”

“We?” Daredevil scoffed. “You’re with him now?”

“You didn’t leave me much choice.” You rolled your eyes.

“Don’t give me that.” He shook his head. “There’s always a choice.”

“Not for me. Not after what you did. You’re lucky you’re even alive.”

“You didn’t take my mask off… Why?” Daredevil spoke, his expression hidden as he turned to you.

“Don’t give a shit who you are.” The Punisher answered.

“Not you. Her.”

You moved closer to your former partner, a slight limp in your stride. He must’ve noticed that your footsteps sounded different because you were hit with a brief feeling of concern, concern for you and your well-being. Part of you wanted to assure him that you were okay, that you just got nicked, but the bigger part didn’t care if he was worried. Sure, he was your friend - maybe - and your old partner, but those days were over.

Exodus and Daredevil were done.

You dropped beside him and his hand went searching for yours, despite his limited reach. You sighed to yourself and gave him your hand, just to be kind. A weakness, you knew, that only he could manage to create in you. His fingers wrapped around yours tightly and through both of your gloves, you felt that relief - the familiarity - jolt through your fingers.

It made you think that maybe Exodus and Daredevil didn’t have to be done. But which of you would change for the other? Which would break first?

“How do you know I didn’t?” You countered after a seemingly eternal silence as your thoughts had been processing. “When he shot you in the head, I was there… All night. I saw him do it. I could’ve seen your face then while I waited for your friend to show.”

“No, I don’t think you did.” He said softly and tilted his head towards you.

You wondered why he didn’t believe you. Maybe it was the fact that he knew the identity secrecy was your idea, how adamant you were that you two couldn’t know anything about each other.

But didn’t you want to know? The power you could have over him, the way he would have to beg for you to keep his secret. The way he would have to give control of his future to you. Didn’t you want that?

So really.. Why didn’t you look that night? Why waste time waiting on the roof?

Maybe it was just out of respect, a professional courtesy.

“Why would you say that?” You asked in the same low tone.

“You’re not one to give away your leverage.” He nearly smiled. “And I know you, Ex. This guy-“ He shook his head. “He’s not who you wanna be. He’s not-“

“You done over there, Princess?” The Punisher called suddenly.

You turned and saw him already looking at you with an amused smile and raised brows. You flipped him off and he chuckled.

“Call me that again and I’ll shoot you myself.” You said firmly.

You realized then just how often moments like that went with Daredevil. One of you would crack the other’s exterior, get a glimpse of the person under the masks and under the costumes. Only for reality to snap you back like elastic, pulling you out of that instance of peace and back into the fight. Back into the brawl. Into the blood.

You shook the realization and focused on keeping the men on the rooftop calm. You drummed your fingers against your leg, watching little white waves come from the light impact. They floated across the roof before dissipating and you felt irritation brewing, but it remained at a manageable level.

“You’ve killed everyone else… Why am I still alive?” Daredevil announced. “I’ve gotten in your way twice now. Her, I get.” He nodded to you and you rolled your eyes. The fact that he thought he had some insight into your logic made you want to shoot him yourself. “But you don’t seem like the kind of guy to just let that happen.”

“You should stop instigating.” You announced, pushing to stand. “You’re nosy, always have been. It’s gonna land you in a bad situation one day.”

“One like this?” The Punisher joked.

“Oh, yeah. Maybe.” You nodded before shrugging. “Hell, maybe one worse.”

“Military grade hardware.” Daredevil continued. You scoffed and crossed the roof. “And you carry yourself like a soldier… What are you gonna do with all this?”

“I’ll do what’s required.” The Punisher answered.

“Y’know I’ve heard that line before. That you have to do it and you’re what they deserve.” Daredevil chuckled bleakly and turned his attention to you, only for a second. “But you’re wrong. You’re wrong because it’s not-“

“Not this again.” You groaned. “You think you’re better than him - better than me - because you keep some moral high ground. And I’m tired of it! I’m tired of trying to be different, to be like you. Because I’m not and it’s exhausting to try.”

“How many does this make?” He yelled past you, though the Punisher was ignoring him. Your new partner offered you his thermos and you staggered over to see what it was. “Ten, maybe twenty times? How long has it been? Your whole life?”

“Nosy bastard.” You grumbled and sat beside the Punisher, sniffing the open thermos before taking a tentative sip.

“No one else has to die.” Daredevil continued. “You can stop now, walk away.”

“Walk away?” The Punisher repeated as you handed back his thermos. “Could you do that? Could you walk away?”

Daredevil was quiet.

“I tried.” Your voice filled the silence, though it sounded distant as you spoke. Your eyes remained fixated on a suddenly interesting crack in the concrete. “I’ve had to leave people behind and I thought I could walk away… Hang up these little bracelets and the suit and just be myself, live a normal life. But it never worked. I was always drawn back in because someone was trying to kill me. Or threaten people I cared about. Now they don’t get the chance.”

The church bells tolled, dramatically punctuating your words.

“Midnight.” You nodded and lifted your eyes, seeing the Punisher on the side of the roof.

“You gettin’ tired, Princess?” He teased, making you pick up a nearby rock and throw it at the back of his head.

“St. Matthew’s.” The Punisher chuckled as he looked in the direction of the church.

“You a Catholic?” Daredevil asked in gentle shock.

The Punisher looked to you. You shrugged slightly since it didn’t change anything for you. So was Matt and so was Daredevil. What did you care?

Matt and Daredevil… Hmm.

His attention flipped to Daredevil for a second before focusing back on his original task.

“Once.” He said simply.

“From New York?”

“Once.”

“You still go to Mass?”

“Stop it, Red. Stop digging.”

You listened quietly as Daredevil spoke. He spoke of New York with such tenderness, a deeper understanding of the city and how it affects people. He was quick to try and get your partner to open up, though those attempts were quickly shot down.

But you found that Daredevil’s voice was… different this time. He wasn’t speaking with the usual low gruffness he usually used. He wasn’t trying to be intimidating or cold. He was just talking but it was extremely familiar. The comfort you felt as you digested his voice - not his words - was something that you had only felt around Matt, Marc, Steven, and Natasha when you were younger.

But who exactly was he?

“You gotta be somethin’ when you’re not wearing the long johns.” The Punisher teased.

Daredevil glanced at you and it made you wonder if you were the only reason he didn’t outright say it, in that moment at least. “I’m just a guy.”

You zoned out of their conversation after that. They continued to antagonize each other in hopes of getting a confession. You paid it no real mind until you realized your new partner was gesturing to you as he spoke. By the time you focused in, his point was made and he was coming to sit beside you again.

“Why am I here?” Daredevil simply asked.

“Your way doesn’t work, in case you hadn’t noticed.” You chimed in. “I’ve told you before that you have to finish them, not just knock them on their ass.”

“So what he’s doing is better?” He asked bitterly. “You can’t trade lives.”

“What we do is out of necessity.” The Punisher clarified, earning a scoff from Daredevil.

“You’re not the only one, you know.” Daredevil pressed. “C’mon, who did you lose? Or you, Exodus? Huh? Someone you loved? Boo-hoo.” He mocked.

You shook your head and pushed yourself up while he continued to talk. There wasn’t much thought behind your actions other than a sparking anger in your chest, a burning disbelief that he could be so nonchalant about loss. You moved to kneel in front of Daredevil, silencing his words. You pulled your arm back and threw a right hook to his jaw.

“Loss doesn’t work the same for everyone, Red.” Your new partner chuckled.

Another punch. How dare he sit there and mock loss.

“We don’t pick what fixes us.”

Another punch. What did he know about what you’ve lost? What you’ve had to give up.

“Makes us whole.”

Another. Daredevil knew nothing. He could never understand the depth of your loss.

“Gives us purpose.”

One more hit before crossing the roof again. You heard Daredevil spit, likely a collection of blood. You huffed loudly as you sat back down, rubbing your tender leg.

“What kinda name is The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, anyway?” The Punisher continued.

“Quit instigating.” You groaned.

“I didn’t choose that name.” Daredevil defended.

“You’re not exactly running from it.” The Punisher urged as he gestured to the horns.

“I don’t do this to hurt people.”

“No? So what? It’s just a job perk?”

“You once said ‘I’m doing this because I enjoy it’ before putting a man in a coma.” You cut in quickly. “You burned and resuscitated a man that I could’ve killed and saved so much trouble. You saved a man who you called a cancer to this city when I had him on his knees, about to beg for his life. You’ve sent men to the hospital with broken limbs, comas, and one coughing fit away from their deaths. You cause more pain than we do.”

“I don’t kill anyone.” Daredevil reasoned but you were hit with a wave of his uncertainty, a wave of his disappointment.

“Is that why you think you’re better than us?” The Punisher scoffed. “That why you think you’re a big hero?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think or what I am.” He argued.

“What you think matters when it comes to me.” You accused firmly. “Then your opinion is the only one that matters.”

“People don’t have to die.”

“You believe that?” The Punisher scoffed.

“He does.” You sighed in annoyance as Daredevil answered “I believe it’s not my call and it ain’t yours either.”

“Deciding if they live is the same as deciding if they die!” You countered loudly, vividly remembering the first night you two met. “I’m tired of the same shit from you, day after day. Night after night, since I got back here! You put that costume on. You decided you were gonna beat the shit out of people and try to scare them straight.”

The Punisher pushed himself to his feet and you waved a hand. He helped you up and allowed you to limp ahead of him to Daredevil, almost as if he was making sure you didn’t need or ask for help. You knelt down and the Punisher was beside you.

“Guess what, Сорвиголова? It. Doesn’t. Work.” You said firmly. (Guess what, Daredevil?)

“I think you’re a half-measure.” Your partner pressed and you chuckled. “I think you’re a man who can’t finish the job. I think you’re a coward… And you know the one thing you can’t see? You’re one bad day away from being me.”

“He doesn’t believe you.” You sighed, dropping to sit flat. “He’ll never believe you. He thinks his faith in God and belief in second chances will keep him on the right path.”

“Someone’s coming.” Daredevil said, choosing to ignore you.

“I’ll say this once. You make one sound and I’ll open his head all over this roof.” The Punisher warned.

“Hey.” You said, reaching for his arm as he stood. “That guy has nothing to do with this. Don’t.”

“Better keep him quiet then.”

While the Punisher - Frank - spoke to the owner of the building, you stayed beside Daredevil. He continued to struggle and strain against the chains until you had enough. You leaned forward and positioned your knee between his legs, the other foot on the outside of his hip. You slammed your forearm against his chest and pressed your other wrist to his throat while the blue of your Bite shone. He let out a groan as he hit the wall behind him.

“Why are you doing this?” He asked you softly, nearly a whisper though his voice found the gruffness you were used to. “Why are you working with him?”

“Shut up.” You muttered, not looking at him.

“Exodus, come on. You’re better than this.”

“How would you know?” You faced him. Your eyes traced the hastily repaired line down his helmet, remembering the night it happened and the one who found him the next day. “How long have you known Franklin Nelson?”

“You know him?” He didn’t bother hiding his shock. “You really did stay that night…”

“Is he why you cared about Y/N?” You continued on your newest suspicion that arose from that night. That maybe you knew him outside the suits already. “When she was attacked by the Russians.”

Everything about him seemed to soften when you said your name. But it only made you more on edge. How did he know you? And who was he to you that the simple mention of your name, the simple thought of you, was enough to practically melt him?

“She-“ He began gently though Frank was already coming back. You moved to Daredevil’s side as your partner came into view. “You get off threatening innocent people?”

“Listen carefully, okay?” Frank said angrily as he came and pressed his gun to Daredevil’s forehead. “You listening? Feel it?”

Your old friend didn’t cower or move away, rather pressing his forehead against the gun. You hopped up as quickly as you could and pulled your own gun, pointing it at Frank.

“Drop it.” You said firmly. “Or I swear to God, Frank, I’ll put a bullet in you before you can thumb the hammer.”

He glanced over and saw your stance not faltering. He nodded slightly before taking a couple steps back and lowering the gun. You hesitantly did the same but kept an eye on Frank’s hand for a moment longer.

“You still gonna defend him? Despite the shit he’s been talking all night and the high horse he rides around on?” Frank challenged.

“I’ll suffer my own consequences for it later.” You shrugged. “You don’t get to kill him.”

“Fine.” He shrugged before facing Daredevil again. “I’m not a bad guy, Red. Neither is she if she’s willing to save your sorry ass.”

“You think you’re anything else?” Daredevil chuckled in disbelief.

“The people I kill need killing. That’s what I think.”

“You left men hanging from meat hooks!”

“You did what?” You asked Frank as he climbed a billboard later.

“He didn’t tell you about that?” Daredevil said in amusement.

“Neither did you if you found them like that.” You said over your shoulder.

“When was I supposed to? When you were dodging my calls?”

“Frank?” You turned away, annoyed once again with the masked vigilante.

“They got off easy in my opinion.” He reasoned from above.

“You shot up a hospital!”

“And nobody got hurt who didn’t deserve it.”

“My friend was in there.” You said firmly, thinking of how Karen screamed on the phone that night. “Would she have deserved it?”

“Don’t tell me you’re buying in to this crap.” Frank rolled his eyes.

“What happens the day someone decides you guys deserve it?” Daredevil called.

“Then they better not miss.” Frank answered simply as you replied “More than enough already did and failed.”

“You can’t treat this city like your personal shooting galleries!”

“What do you do?” You challenged. “You act like it’s a playground! You beat people up, throw them in jail and act like a hero. But guess what? They end up right back on the streets! You think what you do is better than what I’ve done? What he’s done? What happened when Wilson Fisk is back and goes after your precious little Y/N?”

That made him jerk against the chains and you smiled wickedly. Maybe you could use yourself as leverage, you realized.

“So you two will just put ‘em in the morgue, huh?” Daredevil replied bitterly.

“You’re goddamn right.” Frank said firmly, his conviction palpable.

“You ever doubt yourself?”

“Not even for a second.”

“She does.” Daredevil turned to you and your jaw tightened. “She doubted herself time and time again. And I was getting her through it. But then you come around and act no better for her than the Red R-“

“You don’t get to speak for me!” You cut in angrily, swiping a hand through the air angrily. You watched the red sparks at your fingers. “You hardly know anything about me or the Red Room so don’t throw that place around like it means anything to you.”

“I think you and me - you and her - me and her, we’re all the same.” Frank explained as he came to sit in front of Daredevil again. “You hit them and they get back up. We hit them and they stay down. Permanently. We make sure they don’t make it out in the street again.”

“What about hope?”

“You wanna talk about Santa Claus?” Frank mocked and you almost laughed.

“It’s real, Frank. It is. It’s real and it’s possible. She used to believe in it too, in redemption. Isn’t that what you wanted when you got here?”

“That’s what you thought I wanted.” You clarified calmly. “I gave up believing in that a long time ago and I told you that.”

“The people you kill deserve a chance.”

“What? To kill again?” You scoffed. “To kidnap another kid? To sell another girl into whatever hellscape will give the most money? You want that on your conscience?”

“To try, Ex. They deserve to try again. And if you don’t believe that anymore then there’s something in you that can’t be fixed.”

“Let me ask you something”. You knelt beside Frank to be eye level with Daredevil and you felt a sadistic urge tingling down your spine. “If Anatoly or Vladimir or even Fisk himself had killed Y/N because… Because they still thought she was me or they found out she had ties to you, would you let them off with a coma? With broken limbs or a fractured frontal bone.” You tapped the forehead of his helmet. “Broken nose, maybe. Or would you kill them? Would you make sure they never hurt another innocent girl?”

He said nothing but his emotions said everything. He didn’t know what he would do. He couldn’t say with certainty that he wouldn’t kill them, but he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to do it. Even for Y/N.

“Exactly.” You scoffed.

“You do this, Ex, you stick with him… And you’ll have to kill me this time around because I won’t stop coming for you until I take you down.” Daredevil continued.

“You’re giving me a goddamn ultimatum.” You chuckled in realization. “Are you that desperate?”

“I know there’s goodness in you, Ex. Even in you, Frank.”

“Опять не это..” You groaned and stood. (Not this again.)

Once you had moved, Frank knocked out Daredevil.

“And you used to work with this guy?” He asked you.

You shrugged. “He used to be easier to get along with.”

“How’s your leg?” He asked and knelt beside Daredevil and began fiddling with the chains. “That little limp’s getting more noticeable.”

“It’s just tender.” You admitted as you hobbled across the roof and sat with your back against the ledge. “I need to pick a place and stay there.”

He chuckled. “Can I ask you something?” He called out, not looking away from his new project.

“Sure.”

“The hell is the Red Room?”

“Place I was raised. Trained since I was a kid. Espionage, martial arts, weaponry, ballet, gymnastics, foreign language, culture, computers. Pretty much everything. They offered my parents money when I was a baby but Mom said no. We ran for a few months till Dad got tired of it. He went behind Mom’s back and sold me off a little after I turned one… And they’re still together.”

“That’s some heavy shit.” He nodded.

“You have no idea.” You agreed and your fingers went to where the Red Room emblem sat in your suit, though it was covered by the top from Daredevil. “And you… Marine, huh? Couldn’t have been easy.”

“Sounds like we both got a short end of the stick.” He said casually.

“Yet we both ended up here… Wonder why.”

“You believe in that?”

“I think there’s a point in the people you meet.” You shrugged, eyes landing on Daredevil for a second. “You think everything's a coincidence?”

“I just think shit happens the way it happens.” He said plainly.

“Simple.” You nodded.

“I’m not exactly the showy type like this guy.” He shook Daredevil by one of his horns and you chuckled.

“He’s not always so high and mighty, yknow.” You said honestly. “But you’re right. He is a half-measure.”

“I’ll be right back.” Frank said and disappeared into the building. “Got a little something for him…”

You craned your neck to see what he had done and saw a slight reflection off some duct tape. But what really caught your attention was the gun beneath the tape.

What the hell was he up to?

Daredevil began to stir not long after Frank left. But he was quick to come back with another man in tow.

“Caught this bastard trynna steal a car and skip town.” Frank explained as he threw Grotto to his knees.

“Grotto.” You gasped and tried to make your way over.

“He doesn’t deserve to die because you caught him stealing cars! It’s up to the law, not me or you or her!” Daredevil practically pleaded when he realized there was nothing he could do.

“Tell him a little bit about yourself.” Frank said in annoyance.

“I’m nobody, I swear.” Grotto pleaded.

“No? Lafayette Street, second floor. Tell him what happened.”

“What did you do?” You asked Grotto. You thought about that street but couldn’t remember any stories about it.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, please!”

“What. Did you. Do.” You asked again, flexing your hand to wake your Widow’s Bite.

“Say it.” Frank pressed, punctuating his words with a right hook.

“Okay! I killed him! I put two in his head!” Grotto cried desperately. “I- I couldn’t say no! I couldn’t! I’m sorry! But I didn’t- I didn’t know the old lady was in the house!”

“What old lady?” Daredevil asked quickly.

“She started screaming and I begged her to stop… She saw my face. I had to!”

Your jaw clenched and you fired your Bite at his chest, causing Grotto to scream in pain.

“I’m not gonna shoot him.” Daredevil shook his head.

“Then I will.” You shrugged and drew your gun. “Unless you wanna kill me to stop me.” You teased.

“Don’t you dare!”

“Why not?” You laughed, a manic and bubbling sound that was oh so familiar to the teasing laugh you used on Red Room missions. “He’ll kill again. How many old ladies - or what if it’s a kid next time? Do you wanna live with that? Cause I won’t.”

“It won’t bring anyone back!”

“No… But it’ll keep him from hurting anyone else.”

“Shoot him!” Frank insisted. “Shoot him or shoot her. Either way you’re a killer.”

“Ты такой же, как и я, независимо от того, что ты выберешь.” You said firmly, knowing Daredevil wouldn’t shoot you. (You’re just like me, no matter what you choose.)

Instead, Daredevil shot the lock that held the chains in place. Upon hearing the gun fire, you pulled your own trigger and shot Grotto in the chest. Immediately after, Daredevil tackled you to the ground, your head bouncing off the concrete and your gun clattering away. Daredevil had one knee pinning an arm and the other was pinned by his foot as he began throwing punches, the gun still taped in his hand. You dodged what you could and found an opening to awkwardly aim your Bite towards his neck. You shot the burst quickly and he fell off of you, though the throbbing of fresh bruises remained.

Frank came to your side and helped you to sit. He carefully tilted your face to either side as he examined the blossoming lumps. You waved him off and wiped your sleeve across your face, clearing the blood from your nose and ignoring the pain. Your vision was blurry, head pounding as you shakily crossed the roof for your gun.

He took a second to lean over the ledge and fire across the street. Frank was quick to jump into the fight with Daredevil when he charged you again. You were loading your wire at your wrist when Daredevil knocked Frank unconscious.

“This is really who you wanna be?” He called to you as you got to your unsteady feet. “Last I heard, you were tired of killing.”

“Это уже то, кто я есть.” You grinned, despite the blood in your mouth. “Я просто больше не притворя��сь.” (It’s already who I am. I’m just not pretending anymore.)

You tumbled messily over the ledge and hastily shot your wire to catch your fall. You landed awkwardly and wobbled on your feet all the way back to your apartment. Once inside, you were quick to strip out of your suit and sit on the floor of your shower. You couldn’t even think how you were gonna cover your beating for work the next morning.

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