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#oc kingpin
sir-fluffbutts · 4 months
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kinda unfair that only the trio gets human versions so here are the big dogs human ver
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mhaikkun · 9 months
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pick your poison
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twptwp · 10 days
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Recent art to comfort myself, I just got out of abusive scary thing and I'm now trying to heal. I hope my words reach you when you are distressed and help you. I hope the world is kind to you. You'll be okay
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I made a spiderverse OC.
Little Webbed Riding Hood, the Spider-Woman from a Shrek/Into the Woods style fairy tale universe.
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bobgasm · 6 months
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kingpin masterlist
ROBERT “BOB” FLOYD X OFC!EMERY YOUNG
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MOB!AU
summary: in which responding to an advert for a job lands a down-on-her-luck accountant in bed with the local mob—in more ways than one… alternatively: in which he runs this motherfucking town warnings: eventual smut, nsfw [18+ only], alcohol, violence, character death, slow burn, slight age gap [f24/m30], suspicious behaviour, general mob shit word count: [tbd]
author’s note: well, well, well. if it isn’t user bobgasm with a new fic
ongoing | masterlist
⦾ prologue ⦾ one ⦾ two ⦾ three ⦾ four ⦾ five ⦾ six ⦾ seven ⦾ eight ⦾ nine ⦾ ten ⦾ eleven ⦾ twelve ⦾ thirteen ⦾ fourteen ⦾ fifteen ⦾ sixteen ⦾ seventeen ⦾ eighteen ⦾ nineteen ⦾ twenty more to be added…
other content:
bought a hat moodboard gun for hire moodboard kingpin moodboard underboss moodboard kingpin playlist
oneshots:
⦾ bought a hat [fanboy] ⦾ gun for hire [hangman] ⦾ roll with the punches [payback] ⦾ underboss [coyote] ⦾ you and me [bob]
want more mafia!tgm? check out:
⦾ by the skin of your teeth by @goldenseresinretriever ⦾ illicit affairs by @bobfloydsbabe ⦾ two birds by @sailor-aviator
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daftpatience · 10 months
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more of my spidersona cus ive been in a mood
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badlydrawnmanic · 6 months
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HALLOWEEN!!!
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halloween
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bullseyelover · 2 months
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the slay went hard, really hard
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spidercrusadersworld · 4 months
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Everyone: you can’t put daredevil in your Spidersonas universe just so that you can have him engaged to foggy!
Me:
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Soooo, that’s basically the only change I’m making to daredevil, other than the outfit, he is just Charlie Cox’s daredevil, but he’s engaged to foggy. And he is also after kingpin, and is trying to stop floras vengeful killing spree, and so is maya, they cross paths, and get really close to Matt, Karen, and foggy, eventually maybe turning into Mayas second family. There is a possibility that Matt, maya, and flora team up in the future.
@kaidacresto @i-put-the-wit-in-dimwit
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skyfallslayer · 9 months
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The Daughter of The (Dare)Devil - Story 10
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Series Masterlist
Series Summary: A Series of stories revolving around the MCU timeline of Matt Murdock and his Daughter, Kaila. Being the child of a vigilante can be hard and scary at times, but it doesn’t mean she ain’t going to enjoy the most of it.
(Can be read as Y/N if you’d like)
Story Summary: Relieved that his daughter is finally home safe, Matt makes two life changing moves. First is to stop and help Frank Castle in any way he can; The second one? Finally asked Karen out on a date. A date that might have to get cut short when someone from his past shows up unexpectedly (Set During 2x04 & 2x05, “Penny & Dime” & “Kinbaku”).
Date: 7/26/23
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 14,016 (Ya'll deserve it)
Warning: Possible OOC (?); Karedevil; The Murdocks Are Stubborn People; Angst; Heavy Language; Allusions To Mental Illness; Bullet Wounds/Recovery; Child Abuse; Blood and Gore; Violence; Heavy Injuries; Talks of Death/Murder; The Murdocks Could Use All The Hugs In The World; A Brief Near Death Experience; Matt Being Overprotective (He Needs A Warning, I think?); Past Toxic Relationship(s); Elektra Could Use A Warning Herself; Suggestive 18+ Themes; READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
- Let me know if I missed anything, please.
A/N: First off, a small apology. Like I was replying to a DM a few days ago, I don't know what really happened. Despite the fact that my laptop took a dive, I ended up on a unexpected hiatus. Which... I think was a good thing for me. It gave me enough time to take a step back after slowly becoming burnt out from writing. But I'm back! I promise I won't go MIA without saying something next time. So, sorry again! But the story you all have been waiting for has returned!
Secondly, Don't let this story fool you, I don't necessarily hate Elektra. I just don't like the fact how toxic she was for Matt and how she tried to change him after finally getting in a good place in his life. So I'm going to change Canon a little bit (Which shouldn't be a surprise since I've been doing that already). Other than that, Enjoy, my loves!
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- Fifteen Years Ago -
His only comfort was the pittering of the rain against his window. He sat on his bed, feet touching the ground, his phone in hand; His finger hovered over the voice command. His mind racing over and over and over with the question of– 
Should I? 
He wants answers. Sure they didn’t leave on a good note, but shouldn’t she give him some kind of explanation? It’s only been two weeks, surely she hasn’t left the area already…
Right? But even a part of him knew she probably was long gone just like the cops said, yet he still held on to some kind of hope that’ll he be able just to talk to her at least once. To just ask the “simple” question of… ‘Why?’.
He rubs his face with an open hand, fingers massaging the dark circles under his blind pupils. He didn't need sight to know they were getting worse and worse everyday. 
He sighs.
Loudly.
Heavily.
He let every ounce of emotion into that one. 
He didn’t care.
I’m really drowning right now. And indeed he was, however– 
His thoughts immediately fade away when he hears the familiar cries he’s gotten used to. Out of instinct, Matt lets his phone slip away as he slides down to the end of his bed, shifting his body down to carefully take his baby in his arms from the bassinet. He remembers how he was taught to hold his child properly, a consistent drill from the nurses and Mrs. Nelson badgered him with (mostly from Mrs. Nelson). 
He shushes quietly in the attempts to calm her. “Hey, hey. Shush. You’re okay, you’re okay.” He whispers, exhaustion in his undertone. 
God, he was so tired.
He whispers some more, his daughter starting to calm down into tiny whimpers. His face quirked into something bittersweet. 
“Did you have a nightmare?” He asked, wanting to stroke those little teardrops away, but he was too afraid to free one of his hands out of concern of dropping her. “I have those too sometimes.” He chuckles humorlessly. “I guess those can be hereditary.”
He still has those kinds of dreams. Memories from his childhood. All the dark shit he’s been through, he’ll see them every once a while. His father’s dying day, His time in the orphanage, His roller coaster of past relationships. It’ll take turns haunting him. Taunting him. Egging him to give back in, crawl back into that dark hole. Jump off the edge.
It eats him alive every single time.
Matt’s lip twitched. “Sorry. That was a bad joke.” He admits, trying to look on the positive side. “Although, your Uncle probably would have come up with something more corny than that. Right?”
He could feel her tiny gaze, something he was still trying to picture what it meant. Happiness? Sadness? Confusion? 
He sighs. “I wish I could see you. It’ll make this easier.” So much easier. “It’ll make your life easier. I’m not going to be the… typical parent of the group. So, I’m… sorry.”
How the hell was he going to do this? How was he supposed to help her through life? Through her first steps? Through school? Through any hardships she faces? How was he supposed to help when he feels like he’s drowning?
How am I supposed to be a father when I don’t know what I’m doing? How am I supposed to be a father when I can’t even see your face?
He heard the front door open and close. The person entering was setting their bag aside and kicking off their shoes and heavy jacket before strolling over where he’s been sitting for who knows how long now. Matt could smell the sweat on his friend’s brow and a light drum beat from his chest that told him his friend had been in a hurry to get here.
“Matt?” Foggy said, peeking inside the bedroom. A look of relief crosses his face upon seeing his college buddy. “Sorry I’m late.”
Matt couldn’t help but smile at his consideration. “Nah, you’re good, Foggy.” He said, half heartedly (he just hopes he doesn't have a look of desperation plastered on). He felt those hazel eyes scanning him head to toe, concerned.
“Have you been up since this morning?” Foggy asked, remembering he had called around eight this morning. There was a pause of hesitation from the blind man before he ended up nodding. He frowns worriedly. “Matt–”
“Please, don’t lecture me.” Matt said, sounding like a little kid cowering with fear. 
Foggy felt his heart hurt from it. “I wasn’t.” He promises, his frown deepening. “Have you eaten?”
Another small nod. “Yeah. I ate a little.”
“Showered?”
“No.”
“How come?”
“I…” Matt felt his chest get tight as he stumbled with his words. “Don’t want to leave the room for too long.” 
Foggy couldn’t help but laugh. “Matt, you can take her in the bathroom. Just put the bassinet by the door.”
His face scrunched up. “Isn’t that weird?”
Another laugh. “Okay, how old is she again? Two months old? Even if she sees you naked she’s not going to remember.”
Matt closes his eyes to sigh. “Yeah, yeah. I guess…”
Foggy shakes his head. “You need to sometimes turn that Catholic brain of yours off, Murdock.” He replies, coming to sit down. Upon sitting he felt something underneath him and pulled out his friend’s phone. It didn’t take long to figure out what he was doing. “Did you call Mary?”
“Tried…” Matt chews on his cheek. “I uh… I just want some answers. I mean she’s… the mother so, I would think she would be… more capable at this. I mean why would she give her kid to a blind man who has no idea how–”
“Okay, going to stop you there.” Foggy butts in, hand coming to rest on the troubled man’s shoulder. “Even if you thought Mary was more capable, you’re still the father, you know? Blind or not, parenting isn't easy. Trust me. My own parents made that very clear. I’m sure your dad told you something along those lines too.”
Matt grew quiet for a second, thinking. “Yeah. I guess you have a point.” He shifts his gaze in his direction. “But it’s just… it’s frustrating. I-I can’t see so I… I-I have no idea how she’s feeling half the time. I’m scared that if I get that wrong I’m going to hurt her.”
Foggy squeezes his shoulder comfortably. “I know, man. I know.”
“And she’s… s-so tiny, Foggy.” He whispers, fearfully. “So tiny and I’m… a big guy. I-I feel like I’m… like I’m drowning because I don’t know what to do.”
Now it was his turn to get quiet. Foggy was trying to figure out how to phrase the next few words without striking too deep. “Do you regret your decision to keep her?”
“No, no, no.” Matt shakes his head. “I just… I-I love her, she’s my daughter. But there’s… times I wonder if…” He swallows. “If she would be… better not in my care.”
Those words hurt to even say, but it was true. Maybe this would have all been better if he went through with the adoption.
As the processing time ended, Matt felt Foggy’s arms wrap around his shoulders, cautious of the baby, and placed his head against him. Matt couldn’t help but lean into the touch he felt like he suddenly craved, and tried not to cry.
“Matt–” Foggy begins, his voice full of warmth and love. “You’re going to do great. Sure it’s hard, and it’s always going to be hard, but under all that exhaustion I can see how much you love this kid. You’re going to be an amazing dad.”
Matt chuckles, somewhere between disbelief and relief. “You r-really think so?” He said, swallowing again as his throat tightens.
“I know so.” Foggy pulls back. “Trust me, Buddy. I’ve seen the emotions you pack. I can already picture you picking her up on her first day of school, or helping her get a summer job, or walking her down the aisle for her big day.”
Matt raises an eyebrow. “Who says she’s getting married?”
“See?” Foggy lightly slaps him in the arm, grinning. “You’re already accepting the universal dad laws. Never letting your daughter near a boy her age. You know when my niece was born, my brother was pretty much ready to lock her in a tower far, far away. Surrounded by a dragon that was fifty feet tall, which breathed hot fire.”
Matt laughed again. “Uh, not sure if Amazon sells dragons but… the tower I can find and work with.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m pretty sure New York has some of those.”
“How will I know they do?”
Foggy snorts and gives him a small shove while playfully saying his name. He finally felt a bit of success bloom when he noticed his friend’s happy face staying the same. “You’re doing great, man. But if you ever need help, Me and The Nelsons are here to help.”
Matt’s smile widens genuinely. “Thank you, Foggy.”
“Don’t even mention it.”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
-Present Day-
Matt’s eyes open at the shift in the bed, he sets his blind gaze in that direction, quietly listening to see if she is awake. 
She wasn’t. Good.
She needed to sleep.
It’s been about a week since the incident, and they’ve just gotten out of the hospital yesterday, and to his surprise (Well, he really shouldn’t be), his daughter wanted to stay pretty close to him for a while; Not that he was complaining. He wanted this too.
He shifted his own weight too, rolling to his side for a better view. She had gently wrapped herself in his blankets, and had carefully propped her injured leg on a pillow. His daughter finally looked like she was at peace, especially since he could tell she wasn’t suffering anymore night terrors.
Good. She doesn’t need that right now. He remembers she had one after Brett left the hospital room, her body finally giving out after the nightmarish incident. He remembers she bolted up, drenching in sweat as her heart raced a mile a minute. She was hyperventilating in a way he’s never heard before as she started muttering. ‘Where is he?’ or ‘Where am I?’. It broke his soul to her muttering, to feel her shake in his arms as he calmed her down. He never wants to go through that experience again.
I wonder if Brett’s figured anything out? The whole kidnapping situation still wasn’t adding up. Why was this… man who claims to be their first client’s brother kidnap his daughter? Because… what? Nelson and Murdock ‘failed’ him? This just didn’t sit right with him. And Matt recalls when the man said something about a Boss. Boss? What Boss? Who could this Boss be? Who wanted to hurt Matt Murdock more than the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen? It just didn’t make any–
His daughter’s phone chimes loudly, the sound of a notification hit his ears quickly. Despite not being able to see it, he tries his best to reach over to the side table to hit the button to mute the sound. However his speedy actions cause a stir in his bed.
Kaila grumbles in her sleep, eye opening half lid. “Is it morning yet?”
Matt shifts back around, frowning at himself as he shakes his head. “No, no. Not yet.” He replies, gazing at her. “Go back to sleep.”
“Are you going out?”
That was like a little needle in chest, and made his face soften. “No. I’m not going out.”
“Shouldn’t you though?” She asked, dazed and confused.
“No. Not until I know you’re okay.” He brushes some of her stray hair out of her face, tucking it away gently. “Go back to sleep, baby girl.”
She hums at his touch and words, closing her eyes again, snuggling up the mattress some more. “M’kay… love you…”
He smiles. “Love you.” He waits for her to fall back to sleep before he does, closing his own eyes and forcing himself to sleep lightly for obvious reasons.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
He opens the door to the light knocking, a soft smile on his face as he senses who it was. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Karen said, with a small wave and her little quirky bow of her head. 
“I'm just about ready.” Matt explains letting her in and walking towards his living room to finish up.
“Okay.” She closes the door behind him, watching him closely as he struggles to finish his tie. “Uh, here, let me help with that.”
“Oh, thanks.”
She hums in reply, getting real close to help him out. She mentally curses at herself when she could hear her own heart in her ears. Now that she knew his secret, she felt embarrassed by everything she did in the past.
Karen bites the inside of her cheek, keeping her eyes on the fabric in her hand. “You feeling any better?” She asked, knowing the last few nights were rough in the hospital. 
Matt nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good… Now.” He swallows and whispers as she finishes, “With you.” He felt her curious eyes on him, now he felt embarrassed by what he just said. “Uh, not that I can verify, but you seem good at this.”
She brushes off her flustered face with laughter. “Uh, well, my brother wasn't, so that's where I came in.”
“Your brother must have been lucky for you.” He soon regretted saying those words as soon as it rolled off his tongue. Matt didn’t miss the goosebumps suddenly covering her body, and how her heart rate went up three notches. He frowns, concernedly. “Karen… You okay?”
She pales. “Um–”
“I thought I heard Karen.” Kaila says, coming into the room (unknowingly saving the day). She had her backpack in hand while her free one was gripping the crutch she was given for support.
In a motherly way, the blonde comes over to take the bag. “Let me grab that. That looks heavy.” She replies, slinging it over her own shoulder despite the teen’s protests.
“I can carry it.”
“The doctor said nothing too heavy, which…” Karen gestures to the bag and makes a face. “What’s in this?”
Kaila shrugs. “I gotta keep myself entertained somehow, because I ain’t doing you guys’ paperwork when I get there.”
Karen shakes her head, turning away towards the front door. Matt comes over next while sliding his jacket on, worriedness creeping on his face.
“You feeling okay?” He asked, hearing her crack a smile.
“Yes, Dad. I’m good. A little sore, but I’m alright.” Kaila replies, honestly. “So…” Her eyes flickered to the woman by the door before back at her father. “When’s the date?”
His eyebrows shoot up. “The what?”
“The date?” She chuckles at his puzzled expression. “Come on, Dad. I see the googly eyes, and you can cut the sexual tension in here with a knife.” She jabs him in the arm as he mouth becomes agape. “So when is it?”
“There’s no date.” He says, expressionless.
“But you want there to be.”
“Uh, well–”
“She knows you’re the devil, and she didn’t run away. I’d say that’s a keeper.” She walks past him, hand patting him on the arm. “Come on, we’ve got work to do.”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
“He’s lucky to be alive.” Karen says, as Kaila holds up an x-ray of the Punisher’s skull for them to see. “This is all of the stuff that the DA’s collecting for her case. And most of it’s about the Punisher’s victims. The Dogs of Hell, the cartel... But this was in the middle of it. Not someone he shot, him.”
“He’s insane.” Foggy says, as he, and everyone in the room, looked unwell by the picture. “Maybe he shot himself.”
“But he saved me.” Kaila points out, puzzled and baffled at the same time. When she learned that this was the man that helped save her from Baldy, the man known as ‘Punisher’, she was honestly surprised by how much of a bloody trail he’s really left behind.
“I know, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t.”
“I-I thought about that, but at that close of a range…” Karen trails off, waiting for someone to finish.
Which was Matt with, “Yeah, he’d be dead already.”
“Okay, not to go all tin-foil hat here, but Tower obviously slipped this to me for a reason. What if the Punisher isn’t the worst of it? What if Reyes is trying to cover something up?”
Now it was Foggy’s turn to look surprised. “You think that murderous psychopath isn’t the worst of it?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “And I think our best shot at protecting Nelson and Murdock is to find him.”
“It’s our best shot at career suicide or just getting shot.”
“She kind of has a point, Foggy.” Matt says, hands on his hips.
Foggy blinks in disbelief. “How?”
“I owe it to Frank, alright. He saved my daughter.”
“I know that. But what if he was just trying to get something out of you? Like an IOU? Or maybe he’s trying to pin the blame on you? Have you thought of that?”
“I have. But I don’t think those options are logical.”
“How? In what way is it not?”
Matt frowns. “He told me, ‘He expects me to do the same. Father to Father’. He’s a family man, or at least he was, I get the impression.”
Foggy sighs. “Look. Even if he is, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dangerous man that tried to kill our client and a couple other groups of people.” The phone starts ringing and he gets up. “Just think about what I said, okay? I don’t want you getting shot again.”
Karen looks Matt’s way, confused. “Shot again?”
“Uh, he…” He clears his throat, blind gaze going somewhere else. “Kind of shot me in the head when I first met him.”
Her eyes widened. “Huh?”
“It was the day you came for a visit and I was pissed at him.” Kaila replies, setting the x-ray down after gazing at it for so long. “He went temporarily deaf too.”
“You went deaf?!” Karen said, scolding. She watches him shrug sheepishly before sighing. “And I thought I was insane.”
“Welcome to having a Murdock in your life.”
She sighs again, rubbing her face. “Okay, I… I know this Punisher, or Frank, is a lunatic, but–”
“But you care, anyway?” Matt finishes.
“I wouldn’t say that, it’s more like curiosity. In between these files and… Reyes’ obsession and the fact that humans are a pretty complicated species to begin with, I just feel like there’s gotta be more to the story.”
He hums. “I think you are.”
She scoffs. “Oh, my God, you think I'm insane.”
Matt chuckles at her reaction. “I’m kidding. You’re compassionate. It’s a good quality, Karen. Stuff of saints.”
Karen frowns. “Yeah, well, I’m no saint…” She mumbles, looking away (Kaila does too for obvious reasons).
Matt, sensing something was off, replies with, “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”
“Matt!” Foggy calls from his office. “We have real, live, non-criminal clients who need our help.”
“Excuse me for a second.” He excused himself and entered the room. “Tell me.” 
“Mr. DiPesta defaced the elevator in his building.”
“Which, technically, makes him a criminal.”
“That’s what his slumlord, excuse me, landlord says, but look. He’s got no AC, no hot water. This has Nelson and Murdock written all over it. But we gotta file today. Kar–”
“Dad!” Kaila shouts, and the boys immediately run back to the front at a quick speed. She was standing at the door that was open. “Karen told me she’d drive me home later and then left.”
“Maybe she just stepped out for some fresh air.” Foggy suggested just as Matt suddenly had a sinking feeling.
“Did she take the files?” The blind lawyer asked, worriedly.
“I think so. She grabbed some folder quickly that I didn’t see.” Kai continues, as her father feels around her desk; His head drops immediately while sighing.
“Shit.” Foggy rubs his head.
“I have to find her.” Matt said, already shedding some of his work attire for some street clothes. 
“Find Frank first.”
“Already planning on it.” 
“But, Dad–” Kaila begins, watching him slide a sweatshirt on. “You didn’t bring your suit.”
“I don’t need it.”
She blinks. “Huh?”
“I’ve been waiting to pick up my new one. Reinforced alloy.”
“Which means…?” She trails off with her eyebrow raised.
And with a ghost of a smile he says,
.
.
.
“Which means I won’t get shot again,”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Thanks to Karen’s A+ detective work, she manages to track down George Buck, a nurse with an… interesting past experience. It took a little bit to convince him to walk along the Hudson, just a small bribe of getting coffee.
“You were with him when this was taken?” She asked, ready to jot down the mental notes in her head.
“Yeah.” He replies, nodding. “That bullet tore through his head. Not many people survive that.”
“Well, I’d like to know what you remember.”
“John Doe. Guy was a total vegetable. I guess that’s why they decided he only needed one nurse.”
“Any family or visitors?” She knew Frank was a father judging by what he said to Matt, but still wanted to know if they were still around.
“No. I mean aside from the suits.”
“Suits?”
“Yeah. Uh, sometimes men, sometimes women. You can tell ‘em ‘cause they all wear the same ear pieces. That and the black suits. Kind of like uh…” He trails off while gesturing to the open air, hoping she gets the idea.
“Got any idea who these suits were?” She asked, curiously.
“No.” He shakes his head. “Uh, but they had their run of the place and they were the ones that pushed for the, uh, the DNR.”
She tilts her head. “A ‘do not resuscitate’?” 
“Yeah. They had the paperwork. And I was there when the doctor pulled the plug.”
“I…I’m confused.” This wasn’t making any sense. “You’re saying this guy died?”
“Yeah, for about a minute. It’s crazy, but they say it happens sometimes. You know, one minute, flatline, then boom.” George’s eyes widened with the shock that was still there. “His heart starts back up again. On its own. He just didn’t wanna die. Within ten minutes of being awake… h-he reaches up and grabs my scrubs, yanks me down, and says, real close ‘Take me home’.” He frowns, guilty. “I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have done it. I should’ve known it’d get me fired.”
Now this got her interest peaked even more. “His home.” She tests out, hopeful. “Do you have an address?”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
As the sun finally kissed the sky goodnight, Frank was reliving his gut wretched past. He could still hear the music from the carousel; His children’s laughter; His wife’s beautiful words.
All of it.
The lights of the morbid thing only go off when the ride stops and everyone walks away with a smile on their face. Now all he sees is the silhouette that haunts him in his dreams. And with his extra sense, Frank quickly notices the mysterious man sitting on the next bench over, grinning like the son of a bitch he was.
“Nice night.” Is what he said, causing the ex-soldier some confusion. Before Frank could say anything, the man, who’s name was Rory, flashed the gun in his belt and replied, “I’m not alone.”
Right on cue people were coming in every direction, an expressionless feature greeted him.
Rory continues to boast saying, “You wanna come with us? Or you wanna make a mess?”
Frank, wasting no time, goes for him and starts beating him up, not caring that Rory had stuck some kind of needle into his neck. Rory’s guys move in only for Frank to take them all out with a single bullet each. But as soon as he thought the fight was over, someone knew entered the ring and shot his challenger.
The Punisher stumbled on his own two feet as the sedative kicked in, but his spirit wouldn’t be broken yet until he knew who this other person was. 
The Irish gang leader, Finn, strolls over with his own set of individuals, looking more cocky than the man before. “Well, thanks for thinning out the herd. You’re surrounded, son. Now be a good lad and drop the iron.” He says, just as his men pointed their laser at his prey’s chest. “Come on. You seem like a smart one.”
With strong will, Frank tries to advance, only to be shot with various tasers and rendered unconscious.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Matt waited until he came out from the crime scene from the Irish themed bar. He stayed in the vibrant black and red light, ignoring the gun that was trained on.
“I need to know what happened here.” Sounds more like a demand than a question.
Mahoney looks behind him, nervously. “I’m not telling you shit.” He whispers, harshly. “You helped us catch Fisk, that don’t make us friends.”
“Was this the Punisher?”
“Jesus. The Irish, okay? To find the Punisher. They put a bounty on his head. Now people all over the Kitchen are getting hurt. It’s the goddamn Wild West out there.”
“Have the Irish found him?”
“As long as we keep getting calls like this, I guess not.” Mahoney watches as the vigilante seems satisfied with his answer, and was about to leave, although the cop was concerned for his safety. “Hey, stay out of it. You hear me?”
“I just wanna help, Sergeant.”
“No, you can’t help this one.”
“We’re on the same side, you and I.”
“Listen, You’re–”
‘2-Adam, shots fired. 65th Street transverse, by the carousel. All units to back.’
Mahoney touches his radio, eyes moving away. “Fifteen Sergeant responding, Central.” He replies, just as Matt makes his move to leave. Once seeing this, he couldn’t help but shake his head.
Jesus, Murdock. Stay out of this for once.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
The window rolled down completely to see Foggy’s smugged face. “Ah, look who finally showed up. Did Cinderella really want to go to the ball that bad?” He asked as Karen sighed apologetically. 
“I’m really, really sorry, Foggy.” She says, honest.
“It’s okay, just remember, we’re your friends. We worry.” He says, as she apologizes again. “It’s okay. Seriously. But don’t run off like that again. I’m still technically your boss.”
Karen snickers. “Alright, Boss man, I’ll remember to ask.”
“Thank you, my lovely co-worker.” He smiles and gestures for the teenager to come over. “Ready, K-Pop?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Kaila replies as he opens the passenger door. “Thanks.”
“Sure you don’t want a ride?” Karen asked, as he shook his head.
“No thanks. You know I live in the opposite direction.” Foggy said, waving them goodbye. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.” 
The girls wave back as he takes a few steps down the sidewalk looking for a cab. As the young Murdock starts putting her seat belt on, she could see the blonde’s mind practically racing over something. It especially was clear when she was gnawing on her bottom lip and her fingers lightly drum the steering wheel.
You can really never turn that Reporter brain of yours off, huh Karen?
“You ready?” The blonde asked with a ghost of a smile.
Kaila tilts her head, feeling her out. “You’re taking me back home, right?” 
“Yeah.” Karen said, nodding.
The teenager raises a knowing eyebrow. “But I can tell you don’t want to.” She says, ignoring Karen’s shocked face. She sighs and rolls the window back down, poking her head out just enough to still see her Uncle. “Hey, Foggy!”
The man perked up at his name just as he was raising his hand for a cab. He wastes no time to jog back over, concern on his features. “What’s up?”
“Get in.” Kaila jerks her head towards the backseat. “We’re breaking and entering.”
Those hazel eyes of his batted quickly, bafflingly. “What?”
“I said, get in the car. We’re going to need a lawyer if this goes south.”
“...What–”
“Just get in the car, Foggy.” Kaila said a bit more stern, which managed to get his ass in the back seat, muttering about what was going on. She pays no heed to him for a second and looks back at Karen who still had the same exact look on her face from a moment ago. “All yours, Cap.”
“Huh?” Karen looks between the teenager and the road ahead of her, debating. “Kai, I really shouldn’t–”
“Listen. I don’t really know who he is, but he saved my life. Whatever you have in mind, we owe it to him.” She smiles bittersweetly. “It’s the least we can do. Right?”
Karen took a minute to let it sink in, before putting her game face back on and taking the car out of park. While she starts pulling away, their guest in the back still seemed clueless about what this really was.
“What exactly is going on here?” Foggy asked, watching as the two girls give each other a look before deciding on a way to spill it to him.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Rory did his best to pretend to be dead, but once the Irish took away the Punisher, he made his move.
Somewhat.
His leg was dead weight from the bullet wound, so his only option was to crawl across the grounds around the carousel. He was using all the adrenaline he had to make his getaway, but that dream seemed short lived when the Devil was suddenly peering down at him. He was soon pinned against the ride, his wrist broken so fast when he tried to use his gun, causing him even more agony than necessary. 
“Who did this?” Daredevil snared, still holding a nice grip on the man’s wrist.
Rory clenches his jaw as he tries to catch his breath. “People you don’t mess with.”
With the subtle tilt of his head, he replies, “You’re bleeding out. And I got all night.”
“Go to hell!!”
Matt twists his arm, getting him to cry again. “Who did this?”
“The one they call Punisher.” 
“Where is he?”
Rory lets out a laugh. “It doesn’t matter ‘cause when we’re done with him, he’s as good as dead.”
Matt mentally sighs, “That’s helpful.” He mumbles, and twists a bit more, causing a louder scream. “But it’s not what I asked.”
His voice grows darker just as the sirens around them become louder and louder; and with a look of fear in his eyes…
Rory spilled everything.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
So this is the Castle family’s house? The trio was thinking as they parked their car across the street before trekking along the darkness to the back door.
“So, what are we doing here again?” Foggy asked, feeling like he was still in the dark about everything.
“We’re going to find anything that can help us with understanding Frank.” Karen explains, surveying the area. 
“And how are we going to find something by looking at a house?”
“Because we’re going to be looking…” She slowly gestures to the back door. “Inside the house.”
His eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“What– Karen, we can’t just–” Foggy trails off when he notices the teenager, crouching down carefully and jiggling a lock with a bobby pin. With a disapproving touch of his hand on her shoulder, he says, “Uh, excuse me, young lady. How do you know how to do this?”
Kaila smirks. “Remember that ‘secret’ candy drawer in your apartment?”
“Yeah…” He gasps quietly. “You were the one stealing from there?! Why?”
“Because–” She shrugs. “I wanted candy and you weren’t giving me any.”
He scoffs and shakes his head. “You’re in so much trouble. I interrogated a lot of people over that!”
“Yeah, and I lied. Sorry,” She pauses for a second. “Huh, and my dad knew the whole time.”
“You’re so grounded.”
She continues jiggling the lock until they hear a small ‘click’. She grins, standing up and grabbing her crutch as she moves inside, the other two following swiftly. The first thing they noticed beside the darkness was how cold the house was, and how you couldn’t hear anything. It made them all get goosebumps and a slight shock up their spines. 
All having the same idea, Karen, Foggy and Kaila slowly start walking around the house with their phones’ flashlights. Going from the kitchen in the back to the main area. When they slowly start to make things out, Karen pulls a tissue from her purse, carefully grabbing and examining things as Foggy looks around, paling.
“This is really eerie, Karen.” Foggy replies, feeling his heart skip a beat.
“Well, I wasn’t really expecting a picnic in here either.” She says, feeling the same way.
But to add more to their emotions, the three of them nearly jolted out of their own skins when Kaila’s crutch hit a small toy frog on the floor, activating it. 
“Jesus…” Kaila muttered, holding her chest before sighing with relief. “What was that?”
Foggy shines the light where he heard it land, frowning. “It’s a wind up toy.” Then the realization hit. “Oh, God… He really was a father.”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Matt arrives at the scene just as Frank manages to get himself untied and kill Finn while muttering a very… interesting phrase. He knocks out the two that would have put a few more bullets into Castle’s brain before cautiously walking towards him, but there was still a concerned aura around him.
Frank’s face twitched in anger. “They’re gonna pay. Every single goddamn one of ‘em.” He spews with boiling venom.
“They will.” Matt agrees before shaking his head. “But not tonight. Move. And no killing.”
Frank gives him a glare. “Altar boy.” He replies before grabbing something he could use as a weapon.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
After a while, it was starting to become more and more heavy. It hit even harder when they came across the table filled with very depressing items. It made the whole situation worse than they thought.
Kaila stares at all the bouquets of flowers sent with condolence cards. The cards were addressed to none other than Frank Castle himself. She finds herself feeling very teary eyed.
“This is really…” She trails off, heart hurting. She couldn’t find the right word to say. Losing your entire family? In one night? She could only imagine what this must feel like.
So this is why Frank wanted to help my dad.
“I guess this explains his actions as the Punisher.” Karen said, standing next to her, looking the same. “I guess anyone would do the same thing in his shoes…”
“No shit.” 
“Looks like he was a war hero, too.” Foggy calls out to them, getting them to turn around to face the wall of memorabilias. Sure enough there was Frank in uniform in several pictures, and a couple of his metals were on display. “And this is where his sniper skills come from.”
“Now it all makes sense.” Karen said, looking over them carefully, imprinting the images in her head. 
“True. But–”
On cue, the three of them immediately turned their flashlights off when a vehicle pulled in front of the house. The headlights powered off just as Karen decides to take a peak. And just like the nurse from earlier was describing, here comes both men and women in black suits strolling out of the yellow van.
“Shit…” She whispers, letting go of the curtain.
.
.
.
What the fuck do we do now?
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
On the other side of town, after an intense battle for their lives, Matt found himself carefully setting down a heavily injured Frank Castle against a tombstone. The man grunted at the way his body seemed to mold against it, his adrenaline finally wearing off.
“Hey.” Frank begins, panting. He spares the blind man a glance. “Not bad.”
“Thanks.” Matt said, breathing through his nostrils. 
“I guess I, uh… I guess I was wrong.”
A tilt in his head. “About?”
“About you being a pussy.”
“Don’t get all sweet on me now, Frank.” Matt said, getting a laugh which soon turned into a coughing fit. He frowns worriedly. “Help’s on the way.”
“Nah.” Frank shakes his head. “You should go. I’m past saving. At least I’d have company, right?” A sigh. “I think I might cash out. You’d have made a hell of a Marine, Red.”
There was a twinge of guilt as he could hear the sincerity from his voice. Although Frank was the definition of ‘rough around the edges’, he could still see the soft and wonderful man he really was underneath. 
It made Matt feel like shit to even think about.
“That rhyme. What's it mean?” Matt asked, genuinely curious while crouching down.
This catches Frank off guard for the first time in a while. “What’d you say? …Huh?”
“The thing you say. Right before you pull the trigger.”
“What do you… You heard that?”
“Well, when you’re a blind man, your other senses get heightened so… yeah, I heard it.”
Frank blinks in disbelief. “What the…” He sighs, not even going to question it. “I gotta say, sometimes... Sometimes I think you really just might be the devil.”
Matt nods in agreement. “Sometimes I think I might be, too.”
“It’s, uh…” Frank begins, already getting choked up. “One batch, two batch. Penny and dime, you know. It was her favorite book. You know, you… You gotta cross the ocean… and go fight. You see… whole time you’re thinking you’re gonna be scared, right? But then, you’re not. See, that part of it was always easy for me. Killing. Even watching my buddies die, it just… it didn’t mean nothing.”
His face twitches. “The first time I got scared was on a plane on the way home. I kept thinking God was gonna pull the rug out from under us, you know? Shit, that’s his kind of funny, you know. But the plane landed safe and we were home. Driving through traffic. Yeah, you pass fast food and donut shops and all that… that greasy shit. It’s the shit you fought to protect and then the car stops. We were outside her school. I get to her classroom, right?”
Frank keeps going as Matt slowly sinks himself into the ground, listening wholeheartedly. “She’s in there… but she’s got no idea.” His dark eyes glisten with tears. “She’s got no idea that Daddy’s home. I walk in, these kids, they’re not even studying, they’re–” He chuckles. “Doing some kind of yoga. Yeah. You know? She’s there. She’s doing her poses, you know. She’s bending and, you know, she’s moving. She looks like a flower. Yeah. And, you know, you can’t even understand it, you know, how does something like that have... How does something that beautiful– How does that… does that come from me, you know? I know you probably do. Don’t you?”
Matt nods. “Yeah. I do.” He could relate to that. Sometimes his daughter was so pure compared to him. So innocent despite the things she’s seen. It hurts a lot to think about sometimes.
Frank smiles brightly. “And she looks up and she sees me. I see her. By God, that’s real. That’s real, Red. Boom. In an instant, she’s across that classroom floor, she’s in my arms. She’s squeezing me so tight, I swear I was gonna bust a rib, you know? We just stayed there like that, we’re holding each other. Teacher, she’s filming the whole thing on her phone, you know, she’s gonna put it on YouTube or some shit. She can’t hold the thing steady, because, you know, she’s… she’s bawling so hard, and the kids are all wailing, you know, they’re screaming. And me? Shit, I’m the worst of all. I’m a… I’m a rubber-face clown, you know. I cried so hard.”
He looks up to the sky, trying to hold the floodgates from opening. “But not my baby. Not my girl. You know, she’s my girl. She’s… She’s not crying, she’s holding me up. My girl, she’s keeping me on my feet.” He sucks in a shaky breath. “She says, ‘I knew it, Daddy. I knew it.’ And then we go home. Wife, the boy. Place is the exact same. It’s like it was just holding its breath waiting for me to get back, you know? Then it hit me.”
Now he sounds desperate. “All of it, you know. The first time I felt how tired I was, you know, I was just tired, you know? You… Y-You ever been tired, Red?”
“Yeah.” Matt nods, sadly, knowing that feeling so very well. He’s known it his entire life.
“So, you know. It’s just, I couldn’t do nothing, you know?” Frank's lip quivered. “All the things… I couldn’t take my wife to bed. Ball with the boy. Shit, I was too tired, I couldn’t even drink a goddamn beer, you know. But not her. My girl was up. See, she wanted me to, uh… she wanted me to tuck her in. She… She outgrew it, she knew it, but she didn’t care. She wanted it. She had that book. Her favorite book was out on the pillows.
“‘One Batch, Two Batch Penny and Dime’. Yeah. I read her that book every night before this shit. I read it every single night, but, see, that was over now because Daddy’s home now. She looked at me and she begged me, Red. She begged. She begged. I said, ‘No… Daddy’s too tired, see. But I’ll… I’ll read to you tomorrow night. I’ll read to you tomorrow night, I promise’. Yeah. Never think that… for her there was not gonna be any tomorrow, see. The last time I’d see her, I’d be holding her lifeless body in my arms. Meat was spilling out of her, Red. The place where her face used to be.”
Frank casts a glance at the vigilante, pity on his features. “As much as I hated you for interfering with my work… I couldn’t stand the thought of another father going through that. I don’t think I could stand seeing you holding your daughter in your arms like that. Wailing like a baby, praying that the clock would turn back and the bullets would come for you instead. I didn’t want that for you.” He sighs, letting go of everything. “No. I think I’m done, Red. I think I’m done.”
Matt opens his mouth to speak, but a cop car pulls up with two officers hopping out, drawing their guns from their holsters.
“Police.” Brett said, walking at them at a steady pace. “Don’t move. Hands where I can see ‘em.” He sounded and seemed so disappointed. “Shots fired. Bodies, mayhem and shit. How come I just knew you weren’t going to listen?”
“I have something for you, Sergeant.” Matt said, standing up and giving them a view of the Punisher.
“That’s him?” Brett asked, getting a nod. “Cover him and get EMS.”
“Yep.” His partner replies, and moves around the Daredevil for the other man.
“And you, you incredible pain in my ass.” Brett continues, sheathing his gun as he makes the man before him kneel, hands behind his back. “I really wished you listened.”
“Get him help.” Was Matt’s reply.
“Shut up.” He starts pulling out his handcuffs. “I don’t want to do this.”
“Take the collar.”
Brett falters his movements. “What?”
“You heard me.” Matt replies with a bite. “You caught him, not me. It can’t be me, it has to be you.”
“Why?”
“To protect the Kitchen. For law, for order.”
“You’re telling me how to file a report now?”
“Yeah.” Matt scoffs. “Take the collar. Take the credit. Get a promotion, if you can. You’ve earned it.”
Brett purses his lip. “Bullshit.”
“No, people have to know the system works. Not his justice and not mine. Vigilante days are done in this town. The police are in charge.”
“That’s not how it happened.”
“Then make it how it happened.”
The cop closes his eyes, realizing he is speaking the truth. “Shit…”
“EMT and backup on the way. Two minutes out.” The other officer calls out.
Brett sighs, and pulls Matt up from the ground. “Go. Go!” He shouts, making the devil run off into a sprint, leaving him with a newfound understanding.
Now I really know that’s you, Matt. A smile graced his lips for a split second just as thunder rumbled the sky and rain started to fall.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Miraculously, the troublesome trio somehow got out of the house without being seen. Which ended up being Karen taking Kaila’s crutch from her hand, and Foggy throwing the girl over his shoulder like a shake of potatoes. On the drive back was a mixture of anxiety and small bickering. How in the world are they going to explain this to their vigilante friend? As Foggy puts it, they’re ‘so fucked’. 
But they eventually could release a breath of relief as they arrived back in the city, and back on route to where they were supposed to have gone in the first place. And despite their protests, the exhausted teenager went inside the apartment alone as the adults watched from the car.
“Think she’ll be okay by herself?” Karen asked, being a mother hen she was.
Foggy nods. “She should be fine. She’s just going to sleep.” He sighs, running his fingers through his hair. “Matt’s going to be so pissed when I tell him what she can do. Fuck. He’s going to be pissed at all of us.”
“I’ll take the blame again.”
“Oh, hell yeah you are.”
Suddenly her phone starts to ring, a picture of Matt appears along with his favorite song. 
.
.
.
Oh, yes…
Perfect timing Mr. Daredevil.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
After picking up their important guest, who had slipped a long coat over his costume, he had Karen drive them all back to the same apartment, watching/listening to the “news of the year” on the phone:
‘Frank Castle, the gunman wanted in connection with the Metro-General shooting and linked to dozens of recent gangland-related killings throughout Hell’s Kitchen was apprehended just hours ago outside Saint Michael’s Cemetery. An NYPD spokesman says, “Tonight, New York has Sergeant Brett Mahoney of the 15th Precinct to thank”.’
“Gotta hand it to Brett. He seems to follow you wherever you go.” Foggy replies, sending a look at Matt from the backseat.
Matt ignores that jab and says, “I’m glad people like him are looking out for Hell’s Kitchen.”
Foggy chuckles. “Yeah.”
“And I’m glad someone was looking out for him.”
“Oooh… I wonder who.”
“Press are calling Castle ‘a cold-blooded psychopath’.” Karen said, scoffing. “The DA’s gonna have a hell of a time using his prosecution to turn herself into a hero. It’s all working out perfectly.”
Now it was Matt’s turn to laugh. “Wow, way to bring us down, Ms. Page.” He says, smirking. “I think we've had enough Punisher for one evening. We’ll worry about the rest tomorrow.”
“Amen to that.” Foggy agrees, and Karen sighs again (Only Matt noticed something underlining there).
“You okay?” Matt asks, hearing her shift in her seat.
“Yeah.” She breathes, just as his eyebrows shoot up, not buying it. “Okay, that wasn’t convincing, was it? Um, I don’t know, I just, uh days like today remind me how precious life can be, you know?”
Matt and Karen exchange loving glances and that’s when Foggy, who was grinning like an idiot, made up an excuse to leave.
“You know what? My apartment’s kind of far. I-I should get a cab.” He explains as he starts gathering his things. 
“A cab?” Karen asked, confused. She swears she convinced him earlier it was okay for her to drive him. What changed?
“You know we don’t mind driving you.” Matt adds as his friend shakes his head.
“Nah, that’s okay. Cab’s fine.” Foggy continues.
“It’s raining.”
“A little rain never hurts anyone.” He smiles and clasps a hand on each of their shoulders. “Well, you two have fun, have a drink for me, maybe play a board game, and try to keep it PG with your daughter in there. Okay? Goodnight!”
He wiggles himself out of the car with his belongings, leaving the two of them staring in disbelief…
Before both turning beat red.
Karen buries her face in her hands. “Oh, Foggy…” She said, making them both chuckle. “Uh… should we… um…?
“...ignore… him?” Matt says slowly.
“Uh, y-yes? Maybe?” She starts hearing him laugh again. “I don’t know.”
“Uh, m-me neither. So…”
“You… Um…” She fiddles with her hands. “Actually…”
He tilts his head. “Something you want to tell me?”
She shakes her head. “Oh, I’ll tell you tomorrow. Promise.”
He smiles. “Okay.”
“I’ll walk you inside.”
The two of them get out of the car, Karen taking him by the hand and pulling him towards the door. The warm rain soaking them immediately, but neither of them minded. They walked the concrete path, touching the edge of the steps with their toes when Matt suddenly tugs them both to a stop. The atmosphere was so light and comforting; It made them feel like they were on cloud 9.
Matt’s fingers ghosted her arm, trailing seductively up to her shoulder as she quietly gasped at his touch. Finally he cupped her cheek, some of her golden locks getting entangled, trapping his fingers like a spiderweb. And with hope in both of their eyes, both of them leaned in for a (long overdue) blissful kiss. Short and sweet, but it was breathtaking, exhilarating. And when they broke apart, they let their foreheads rest against each other, smiling.
“Can I take you to dinner?” Matt asks as he couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Yes.” She replies, happily.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
His smile grew, his chest feeling a thousand times lighter now. “Goodnight, Karen.”
She mimicked him at this very moment as well. “Goodnight, Matt.”
With a new pep in her step, she heads back to her car which was just the cue Matt was waiting for to head back inside. He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he climbed the stairs and entered his home. Setting his things by the door, he starts heading in the direction of his room. If his daughter was still up then–
Oh, boy. He thought, only imagining what her reaction would be when he tell her the news.
Kai’s going to have a field day with this one.
But just as his hand was reaching for the door handle, his senses suddenly caught onto something. He jolts in his stance, spinning around with his fists up, ready to fight. He tunes in on a figure -a woman- in his kitchen, twirling with one of his knives. With that sweet, sweet voice of poison he remembers so very well, she says,
“Hello, Matthew.”
With his heart in his throat he croaks, “Elektra.”
Her sharp eyes stayed on him for a while before she stopped her movements to take a swig of the drink she stole from the fridge. “Mmm! German beer. Tastes like piss.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” He says, lowering his hands slightly, focusing completely on her.
“You’ve never been hard to find.” 
He clenches his jaw. “That’s not what I asked.”
“At least your furniture’s improved.” She said in her attempt at small talk. She sets the bottle down and starts making her way over.
“Kinda liked my old futon.”
“I liked breaking it in.” She says, seductively. “Nice place. Too bad about the clothes, though.”
He holds his hand up, a sign she took for her to stop as she entered the living area. “Why are you here?”
She sighs. “Would you believe it if I said I missed you?”
Not missing a beat he says, “No.”
“Smart man. Columbia education really paid off.”
“No thanks to you.” He bites back.
She chuckles. “I’m in New York for a meeting. I thought I’d pop by.”
“Well, you’re not staying here, so…”
“Fine.” She shrugs. “My penthouse in midtown will just have to do, then. We spent some nights there.”
He mentally cusses, holding back an eye twitch. “Look, if you came here to walk down memory lane, I don’t really have the–”
“I’m sorry. I’ve spent years trying to convince myself that things happen for a reason, that you and I were not meant to be. But I know now. That wasn’t fate. It was a choice. My choice. And I’m sorry. I’m alone in the world, Matthew. Do you know what that feels like?”
Matt scoffs in disbelief. “No.”
She seemed disappointed. “Of course you do. You–”
“I really don’t.” He snaps, bitterly, honestly. “Not in a long time I haven’t.”
Elektra sighs. “Well, you must know what it’s like to clean up your father’s messes. A long time ago, before he died, my father did business with the Roxxon Corporation.”
Matt raises an eyebrow. “Roxxon?”
“Energy, cleaning supplies, macaroni and cheese. Child labor, slave trade. They have their fingers in everything. I believe it’s called diversification. And thanks to my father’s shitty investments, they hold most of his wealth.”
“Yeah, okay. I–”
“I have a meeting tomorrow with the board at the Yakatomi Building. And I need your help, Matthew.”
“How am I supposed to help you?” He asked, puzzled. 
“I want you to use that expensive legal training of yours to help me get my money back–”
“See, I’m a defense lawyer.”
“I’ll pay you well.”
Matt laughs, shaking his head. “I’m not taking your money. And, even if I accepted, there’s not enough time.”
“For what?” Elektra asked, confused.
“Oh, just research. Accounts, shareholders, hierarchy of the–”
“You have fifteen hours.”
He blinks. “Fifteen hours, Elektra, are you insane?”
“Matthew.” She sighs his name. “You’re the only person I–”
She trails off like she suddenly listening for something, and Matt was puzzled on what until–
Nobody could miss the way he tenses and holds his hands up. “Elektra.” He starts warning, as he could hear her gripping the kitchen knife. “Wait– Don’t!!”
He manages to snag the knife midair just as the bedroom door slide opens, his quick action startling his poor kid. He winces as soon as the blade makes contact with his skin, and lets it go immediately. 
“Shit!” He cusses, blood pooling from his open palm.
“Are you okay?!” Kaila gasps, shifting her weight onto her good leg as she tries to look at his injury.
“Matthew?” Elektra’s voice broke through making him stiff up again. “Who’s that?”
He hides his pain quickly, and uses his non-injured hand to push his kid behind him. “You need to leave.” He said, stern and underlining cold.
Kai casts a glance at him. “Dad?” She whispers, scared.
Elektra looks between the two, puzzled. “Dad?” She asked, hurt in her face as she looked at her ex. “You have a daughter?”
“Dad, who’s is–”
“You need to leave. Now.” Matt repeats, tougher.
“Since when did you have a kid?” Elektra asked, pain in her voice as steps closer. “And with whom?”
Matt pulls his daughter completely behind, a subtle sign to tell her to stay back. “Does that even matter?” He asked, not even letting her answer. “You have no right to ask me that. Leave.”
“Matthew–”
“Leave.”
If anyone else was in her place they would have trembled under his tone of voice alone; But even Elektra, who claims she knows the real him, seemed taken back. Not even saying another word, she left out the front door like she was a guest and not someone who trespassed (which seemed to piss Matt off more than it should have). Matt almost didn’t want to relax, he knows she’ll come back. She always does. She always seems to–
Kaila nearly fell to the ground if he hadn’t been standing there. Her name passed by his lips quickly as he caught her, leaning her against him.
“Why are you walking on your own? Where’s your crutch?” He asks, getting them both settled down on the bed. 
“I kind of leaped out of bed ‘cause of concern.” She replies, before grabbing a gentle hold onto his wrist. “Your hand.”
“It’s okay. I don’t think I need stitches.”
She stares at his palm, carefully feeling around the cut to confirm his words before asking, “Who is she?”
He frowns, slightly ashamed. “She uh, is an old… flame of mine. Second year. My uh… party boy era.”
“Party boy era?” She watches him nod. “You told me some stories. But you never mention a girlfriend.”
“She’s… not my proudest accomplishment.”
Kaila frowns, sadly. “Was she before my mother?”
“Before Mary, yeah.”
“So what happened with… her?”
He sighs. “After a while, she started doing stuff that… I didn’t like. The last thing she did was pretty awful. When I comforted her about it, she yelled at me and then disappeared. That’s the last time I ever saw her.”
“Damn.” Kaila muttered. “That bad, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
“Well…” She starts leaning forward to grab the first aid kit under the bed. “You might have dodged a bullet there, dad.” She pulls out some disinfectant wipes and a gauze. “She seems… violent.”
Matt chuckles dryly. “Very.” His expression fades back into worriedness. “You’re not going to ask more questions?”
“I’ve heard enough. You told me enough.” She starts looking around for her phone. “Besides–” She snags it off the end of the nightstand. “If there’s more to what you need to tell me you will. But if it doesn’t affect our lives, then I’m not worried about it.” 
She smiles up at him, and he couldn’t help but copy her.
“I really lucked out with you as my daughter, Kai.” Matt said, making her snort.
“Well, that’s good, ‘cause you’re stuck with me. Here–” She hands him her phone that had the flashlight on. “Hold this up for me.”
“Can do.” He lets her do her thing, taking this small moment and cherishing it despite the circumstances leading up to it. “Thank you, Dr. Kaila.”
She smirks. “Hey, that’s Dr. Murdock for you, sir.” Kaila replies, cheeky just finishing up. “‘Least it was your non-dominant hand.”
“And I’m grateful for that.” He says, handing the device to her. Just as he does, the teenager’s phone buzzes and he feels her gaze immediately lock with it, disappointment registering on her face. Matt latches onto this quickly. “What’s wrong?” 
“It’s… nothing.” 
“Doesn’t sound like it. You seem… upset.” He uses his non-injured hand to tilt her head towards him. “What’s wrong?”
She frowns. “It just… I met someone at work–”
“You met someone?”
“A friend. His name is Jayden–”
“His name?”
She rolls her brown eyes. “Dad, stop.”
“Sorry.” He apologizes. “Continue.”
“Anyway, we started talking and texting one another, and we even made plans to hang out, however I got… you know… kidnapped.” Her frown deepens as she crosses her arms. “He texted me if I was okay, I said I was, and then… that’s it. He hasn’t responded to any of my texts. It’s… weird.” A sigh. “Do you think I did something wrong?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “Of course not.”
“Then how come he’s ignoring me?”
“Well… maybe he doesn’t know how to respond after what happened to you. Maybe it just feels awkward for him. It’s not everyday that someone’s friend gets kidnapped.” 
Kaila nods slowly, processing his words. “True.”
“He’s also probably taken back by how you responded. To him, you might have sounded… too okay with a text. It might have been different if you two would have talked on the phone or face-to-face.”
“True.”
“Just give him some time. If he doesn’t respond, maybe try giving him a call. Okay?”
She sighs. “Okay. You’re right.”
“Good.” He says, as a smile starts to grow. “Well, on the bright side–” He nudges her a bit. “I’ve got good news.”
“What?”
“Your old man might have… put a move on a certain blonde tonight.” A gasp. “And I might have asked her to dinner tomorrow.” Another gasp. “And she might have said yes.”
She squeals. “Dad, that’s awesome!” She shouts, making him laugh. “Awe. Do you have something to wear? Or do we need to go shopping? Or–”
 “Kai–”
“We could go to that new tailor store up the road. Or we could go into town square for the day.”
“Kai–”
“What about places to eat? Do you have any idea where you’re going to take her?”
“Kai–” He laughs again at her enthusiasm and grabs her by the forearm to stop her. “Relax. You’re way more excited about this than I am.”
“Sorry.” She said, blushing. “You haven’t been on a date in a long time. One that you actually seem happy for.”
“Well, I…” Now it was his turn to get red. “I like Karen. She makes me feel… good. Happy. Warm.”
“Awe.” Kaila threw her arms around his neck. “I’m glad you feel that way. Although… I can’t believe Karen of all people is trying to take my number one spot with you.”
Another laugh. “Oh… baby girl–” He kisses her temple. “You'll always be my number one.” 
And that was the absolute truth.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
“Morning.” Kaila said, as she and her father entered the office the very next day.
Foggy smiles, eyes still glued to the newspaper he was currently reading. “Murdocks.”
“We, uh, have anything for breakfast?” Matt asked as he started pouring himself a glass of water from their filter.
Foggy raises an eyebrow. “You hungry or hungover?” 
A brief pause. “Both.”
Kaila gives him a look as she sits down. “Since when did you have a drink last night?” She asked, and got a shrug in return.
Foggy chuckles. “All right, you need some potassium, some electrolytes, and a jolt of caffeine. I’ll give you, uh…” He looks around before snapping his fingers at something. “-The last piece of Mrs. DiNizio’s peach cobbler, which is… the last piece of anything in this office.”
“I guess our finances haven’t improved since last week.” Matt said, frowning.
“Yeah, well, clients don’t respond well to a ‘closed’ sign.”
Kaila looks between the two, concerned. “Should… I be worried?”
Her father sighs and shakes his head. “No, baby girl, don’t… it’s my fault. I’m sorry, Foggy.”
“Don't be.” Foggy replies, taking a seat next to his niece, still reading. “You got Punisher off the street. I’m hoping Reyes will get her jackboot off our neck and this office can go back to normal.”
“Can you though?” Kai said, getting their attention. “I mean with everything we’ve gotten entangled with… can we be normal again?”
Before the boys could process her words, Nelson and Murdock’s last employee finally arrived.
“Matt–” Karen enters the room, startling herself as she tries to balance a tray full of beverages. “Uh, good morning.”
“Hey, Karen.” Matt said, a little smile ghosting his face.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Uh, not so much. You?”
“Me?” She slurred, closing the door with her elbow. “Yeah, sure. Uh, I-I mean–”
“Is that coffee I can smell?” He said, feeling his heart race.
“Hmm?”
“Coffee.”
“Uh, yeah, um… Yeah, arabica for all.” She chuckles and starts handing the cups over. “For everyone.” She hands over the last one for Kai. “Uh, Chai for you.”
The teenager’s eyes light up with happiness. “Thank you, Ma’am.”
“Yeah, Thanks. You’re a goddess.” Matt said, still grinning.
“Okay, you two.” Foggy cuts in, still smiling like a goof. “Let’s talk business. Potential clients. Real ones. With bank in the bank.”
“Uh, actually, yeah, can we, uh, talk about these first?” Karen asked, holding up some paper. The boys follow her as she stands behind her own desk. “The, uh, press is still painting Castle like he’s nothing more than some deranged lunatic.” 
“Well, it’s not like our boy was out collecting for the Red Cross.” Foggy points out, even after knowing what he discovered last night. 
“I know. I know, but–”
“You think there’s more to the story.” Matt finishes, already knowing this was going to be true (everyone did).
“Exactly. I mean, five different papers and not a word about the bullet he took to the brain, or his military record, or his family.” She continues, running a hand through her locks. “So we know what he said last to you about his daughter was true. W-We found this photograph. It’s of him and his wife and kids at the carousel–”
“We?” The Blind man asked, confused. “You mean…” He points between his friends. “The two of you?” He didn’t miss the way their heartbeats flickered. “You guys found it where, exactly?”
“W-We… sort of broke into his house last night.” 
“Broke in? Last night you–” He trails off at a realization, and with a steady expression he turns in his daughter’s direction who was nervously sipping her drink.
She eventually just shrugs. “Murdock curse…?”
“I… shouldn’t even be surprised at this point.” Matt said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Anyway, I get what you were trying to do, but that still was dangerous and illegal.”
“I know, I know. Sorry.” Karen said, apologetically.
“For the record, I didn’t know that’s what we were going to do. I just thought we were going to look at the house from afar.” Foggy said, holding his hands up. “But, I will still take some of the blame… but your daughter knows how to pick locks.”
Matt looks her way again. “You know how to do what?”
“Why are you throwing me into this?” Kaila asked, dumbfounded. “Shouldn’t we be listening to Karen? I mean, I know Frank is a lunatic, but he threw one of his missions away to save me. Shouldn’t Nelson and Murdock at least try to see if they can help him?”
“No.” Foggy shakes his head. “No. I mean, yeah he saved you, but come on, we successfully dodged a metaphorical bullet and quite a few literal ones. We need to be done with the crazy, guys. We need normal.”
And with that said he stormed into his own office.
“I’m sorry.” Karen said, bowing her head. “I’m really sorry if I– I pushed it too far.”
“It’s okay.” Matt said, with a light laugh. “Just Uh, I don’t think you’re wrong about him, I feel the same way too, but it’s really simple, Karen. Just I don’t want you to get hurt. Not like I have…”
She lets those words sink in before deciding to test the waters somewhere else. “So, uh... Last night.”
“Last night?” He pinches his brows together, all tongue and cheek. “I don’t– What happened last night? At Josie’s? With Foggy?”
She giggles. “You…”
“Did something happen?”
“Yeah.”
“Anything else? I don’t–”
“Yeah?”
Matt laughs quietly, softly. “Yeah, it was great. And I like to think I can do better, if we’re still on for dinner.”
“Uh, yeah. It’s a date.”
“Holy shit!” Foggy said, coming back into the room. “That was the bank.”
Karen frowns with dread. “Oh, no.”
“No, it’s all good.” Foggy continues, still stunned by the news. “There was a deposit. A big one.”
“What?”
Kaila’s eyes widened with realization before looking at her Father. “Dad–”
“Uh, actually, do me a favor, don’t spend any of it.” Matt blurts out nervously.
“Dad–”
Foggy gives him a strange look. “Why not?” He asked, concernedly.
“I-I was hit up by a potential client yesterday, so, I just–” Matt tried explaining but his friend was now nervously saying things.
“Is it dirty money? Are we doing that again?”
“No! No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just, um– I’m not sure it’s gonna work out, let me… Let me just–”
“Dad!!” Kaila shouts, getting him to stop. “Enough lying! Just tell them the truth. You promised no more secrets.”
With those words, she trapped her Dad like a deer in a headlight. He felt everyone’s eyes on him, puzzled and on the border of hurt.
“What secret?” Karen asked, with a tilt of her head.
“Okay, who’s this client, Matt?” Foggy asked, bracing himself for the answer.
Matt lets out a sigh knowing he’s been pinned down. And with a small shift in his stance, hands on his hips he says, “It’s… Elektra.” And he didn’t need sight to know that his college roommate’s eyes were slowly bugging out of his head.
“Wait…” Foggy mumbles, hands waving around, grasping something imaginary. “Elektra?” He tests out the name that burns on his tongue. “Psychopath Elektra? Your old girlfriend from college?”
Karen immediately copies his expression. “Old girlfriend?” She asked, looking between the two.
“Yeah!” Foggy boasts, arms flinging out in a dramatic way. “I-I mean she was beautiful, b-but fucking off the walls crazy!” He stares at Matt in disbelief. “You mean she showed up back in your life?”
Matt nods. “S-She… was at my door when I came home last night.”
Karen crosses her arms, intrigued. “W-What did she want?”
“Uh, basically, long story short, she wants to get her father’s wealth back from this company called Roxxon. She wanted me to be her lawyer. I told her no, but apparently she didn’t listen.”
“What do we do?” Foggy asked, while rubbing his tired face.
“I’m going to have to talk to her, I mean we’re defense lawyers. What can we do?” 
“And you’re talking to her as… Matt Murdock? Or the other guy?”
Matt frowns. “Not sure yet. I’ll be back.” He says, making his way where he left his walking stick. His gaze soon leads to Karen. “I’ll make sure to be back for tonight.”
Foggy raises an eyebrow between the two. “What’s tonight?” He asked, confused by this potential memo he missed.
“They’re going on a date.” Kaila sang, grinning ear to ear while making the two adults blushed.
“What?!” Her Uncle said, baffled. “Are you serious?” He gets a quick nod of confirmation from his niece before throwing his arms in the air. “Finally!”
Matt listens to his daughter’s giggle before touching her shoulder, grabbing her attention. “I’ll be back.”
Kaila nods as her expression fades. “Be careful.” 
“I will, but–” He taps the top of her phone, knowing exactly what she was doing on it. “Worry about meeting your friend.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know I was texting–” But he leaves without another word, and she’s left staring at her device.
Once the door closes, Foggy reverts back to a curious fellow. “Your friend?”
“Uh–” Kaila meets his eyes for a split second before looking away. “I made a friend at work, and I’m… having some trouble with him.”
“Him?” He asked in the same tone of fashion her father had the night before.
She almost visibly eyerolls. “Okay, I don’t need the protective lecture again. He’s just a friend that happens to be a boy. Alright?”
He shakes his head. “Sorry. Habit, you know?”
Suddenly the office phone rings and Foggy excuses himself to go answer it just as Karen takes a seat next to the teenager.
“Need some advice?” She asked, softly.
Kaila shrugs and sighs. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Well… what’s this boy like? Is he nice? How did you meet?”
“I… I met him before the summer, right around the time you guys were about to bring Fisk down. I met him, Jayden, at that coffee shop I like to go to sometimes. We talked, just a short little conversation as we waited for our drinks, then that was it.” Kaila explains slowly, shifting in her seat. “Then, about a month into my job, he started working there. Maybe it was just a weird coincidence, but I took it as a sign that maybe the universe was finally giving me a friend.”
Karen tilts her head again. “Finally?”
The young Murdock shrugged. “I never really had friends growing up. Everyone was also so cliquey. It was strange. I was basically the girl you invited to a party because you felt bad.”
The blonde frowns. “Kai…”
“It’s fine, really. I’m not bothered by it as much as before. I mean, I did have one friend who I considered my best friend in the sixth grade, I mean we did everything together.” She slouches in her chair. “But the day she and her parents met my father, she never spoke to me again. Her parents were the helicopter ones, strict about everything. And… they obviously didn’t like blind people. Rich jackasses.”
“Kai, that’s horrible.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I like Jayden because we have a lot in common. Same music taste, we love scary movies, love books, I could go on. But ever since the kidnapping, he texted me if I was okay, I replied back and that was it. Dead silence.” She continues. “I want to go talk to him, but I don’t know where he lives, and I can’t exactly go back to my job because I’m on temporary leave, and to quote my Boss, he said, ‘If I see you set foot in this store instead of being home healing I’ll fire you’. And I kind of like my job, so… yeah.”
“Huh.” Karen said, thinking. “Have you talked it over with your dad?”
“He suggested I should give him a little bit before calling, but I don’t know. Should I even wait?” 
“Maybe you shouldn’t.” And just before more could be said, a certain DA’s right hand came strolling in. Karen stands up, surprised. “Mr. Tower? I, uh, wish you’d called. I’d have something set up.”
“Are they in?” He asked, quickly. And right on cue, Foggy peaks from his office door.
“Just the Nelson half.” He replies, puzzled as well.
“We need to talk. In private.” Tower replies, ignoring the many jabs the people in the room were giving him as he entered Foggy’s office.
“Asshole.” Kaila said, once the door was closed.  
Karen chuckles. “Can be…”
“Why don’t you do what you have to?” The Murdock gestures towards the exit. “I know that detective brain of yours wants to work on the Castle case.”
The blonde looks surprised again. “You sure?”
“Of course. There’s not much I’ll be able to do since I don’t know what you’re looking for. Besides–” She holds her phone up. “Maybe I should try.”
Karen smiles and grabs her purse. “Good luck.”
“You too.” Kaila waits till she leaves before scrolling to his contact and hitting the phone icon; She lifts it to her ear, waiting to see if it’ll stop ringing.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Hours later after their separate adventures, both Karen and Matt made it on time for their date. The blonde was nervously flipping through the menu as the lawyer stayed silent, just listening.
“D-Do you drink wine?” Karen nervously stutters. “I should know that.”
“I… don’t drink anything they don’t serve at Josie’s.” Was Matt’s answer, which got her to laugh.
“Yeah, well, I don’t see swill on the menu.”
Their eyes locked for a moment before getting preoccupied again. Eventually they both tried to speak at the same time. “So how was–/So what did–” A laugh. “I’m sorry–/I was just gonna–”
Karen smiles, setting the menu down. “Uh, you go ahead. Go, go first.”
Matt copies her. “How was your day?”
“Fine. Uh, yeah, just a regular day at the office.”
“Well, it’s a nice change of pace, right? Not being shot at?” He nervously laughs. “That’s gotta feel good.”
She hums, and takes a sip of water. “Yeah.” She sets the glass down, folding her hands on top of one another. “You, uh… how’s the, uh, new… you know. Elektra.”
Matt inhales deeply, clearly still frustrated over the mess. “Honestly, I didn’t get the chance to talk to her. I kind of…” A slight shrugged. “Eavesdropped on the meeting.”
“Is she… in trouble you think?” Karen asked, genuinely curious.
He sighs. “I don’t know. Maybe. But I don’t want to get involved. Like I told Kai last night, she left many years ago, I’ve forgotten about her, and that’s all I want to do.”
Karen looks at him worriedly, finally seeing the hurt he’s been through appearing on his face. “I’m sorry. It… sucks when your past comes back to bite you. I know I’ve… I’ve had my fair share of that.”
Matt’s heart clenched, frowning sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He whispers, and there was a brief pause before they both recollected themselves. “Well, uh… that covers work.”
She changes her expression to a joyful one like earlier. “Uh, well, it's a start. Um–” She pointed to a corner of the restaurant where the bathroom was. “I’ll be back in just a minute. Order something fantastic.”
“Sure thing.” He says, hearing her leave. Once she does he lets out a sigh, embarrassed how this was going. He thought maybe his struggles would be helped when the waiter suddenly appeared by his side. “Look. If I had to seem like I knew everything there is to know about wines in the next 60 seconds, what would I… what would I order?”
“Matthew Murdock?” The waiter said, sounding all buddy-buddy.
Matt tilts his head in confusion. “Yeah.”
He holds out a phone. “You have a call.”
“Oh.” Matt takes it. “Thanks.” He lifts it to his ear. “This is Murdock.”
‘Sorry to bother you while you're out, but you have a few moments before she returns, right?’
Matt mentally curses as soon as he hears her voice. He clenches the phone, and hiss, “What do you want from me?”
‘You should ask yourself the same question. That rooftop act was cute.’
“Yeah, nothing compared to your damsel-in-distress one.” He grits his teeth as she laughs at his reply.
‘Oh, you’re right. I didn’t actually need you. I told you, maybe I just missed you. But don’t worry, you can keep the money.’
Matt chuckles sarcastically. “Aw.. Go to fucking hell.”
‘If you really want to be done, consider this me firing you.’
And then he was met with the dial tone, supposedly ending this ‘nightmare’ (or maybe it was just starting it). 
“Hey.” Karen’s sweet voice broke through, pulling him away from the memories of his past.
He flashes her a reassuring smile. “Hey.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah… th-they ran out of wine.”
She chuckles at what she thought was a joke. “No.” She frowns when she sees he wasn’t laughing back. “Wait, seriously? Matt–”
“I-I don’t I don’t like this place, you know?”
“Is it the place? Or is it–”
“It’s definitely not you.” He quickly says, truthfully.
“You’re sure?” She said, heart skipping a beat.
“Yeah.” He hears his own heart flutter, getting back into the groove. “I’m positive.”
She bites her lip seductively before taking him by the hand. “Come on. I know where we can go.”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
“Thank you.” Karen said to their new waiter at their new date spot. 
“Wow, this smells amazing.” Matt replies, the curry and other spices hitting his nose blissfully. “What is it?”
“Um…” She laughs at herself, not knowing either. “Who cares? They have wine.”
Matt finds himself grinning ear to ear. “Right. That’s…  You know, I’ve always felt more comfortable with the cheap stuff. You know?”
“Yeah? Well, here, I’ll drink to that.” She holds her glass up waiting for Matt to do the same before clicking.
“Cheap stuff.”
She grins too. “Cheap stuff.” She sets her glass down after a sip, grabbing her fork to dig in. “You know, I never even had Indian food until a few months ago.”
“How is that possible?” Matt asked, surprised.
“Well, my hometown in Vermont had about 400 people, so the most ethnic food it offered was French fries.”
“So that’s why you, uh, came to New York? For the food?”
She shakes her head at his cheekiness. “Uh, no. Although, if I knew places like this existed, I’d have left Vermont ages ago.”
“You see, that’s why I love this city.” He says, hearing her hum to continue. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and the place never stops unfolding new secrets.”
She nods in understanding. “Yeah, you know despite the crime, and the darkness, every once in a while, New York makes me feel…
“Like, safe?”
“Yes, is that weird?”
He shrugs. “Well–
“Huh.”
“I get it.”
Another flutter to her heart as she leans in closer. “I wish you could see this place.”
Matt smiles. “I can, if you describe it to me.”
She hums again, setting her fork down and using her hands to speak. “S-So, anyways, my favorite part… is the ceiling. It’s literally dripping with thousands of lights. They’re shaped like chili peppers–” She holds her hand up before he could protest. “Which sounds really tacky, I know, but it’s um, it’s not. Just… It’s magic.”
“Magic?” 
“Yeah.” They lock eyes again. “Magic.”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
After dinner, the two of them took a lovely stroll hand and hand. It seems like this wonderful night would last forever, until they arrived just outside the Page residence.
Karen looks torn as she pulls them both to a stop. “This is me.” She said, before laughing nervously.
“Are you sure you don’t… live two more blocks?” Matt asked, feeling the same way. “Maybe three?”
“I wish.” She shifts her towards him. “We could sit.”
“Yeah.” He guides them down on the steps, and he pulls his shades off, taking this moment in. He chuckles, scooting closer. “All right, I’m gonna kiss ya.”
And she lets him.
They both started off sweetly before turning it up a notch, hands gripping onto each other’s clothing like it was a life line. Maybe in some way… it was.
“You can come up… if you like?” Karen asked in between their kisses.
Matt hums against her lips, smiling. “I’d love to.”
And he kisses her again.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
“Okay, so how many voicemails did you leave?” Foggy asked his Niece as they walked from the office back to her home. He wasn’t surprised when Karen left earlier in the day to do some research, but he was taken back by how his Niece seemed very repetitive with her moves today.
Looking quite embarrassed, and not even looking at him she said, “...Eight.”
“Eight?” He replies, shocked. “Jesus, Kai. I don’t think I’ve seen you stress something over like this before.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He frowns at how disappointed she sounded. “Kaila–”
“It’s okay, Foggy. I’ll be alright.” She says, as she heads up to her apartment entrance, keys in hand.
“Hey.” He says, getting her to finally turn around to look at him. “Try not to stress over it. I’m sure he’ll come around. And if he doesn’t…” He shrugs. “Fuck him. You’re too good for him anyway.”
Kaila cracks a smile. “Thank you, Uncle Foggy. Goodnight. Love you.”
“Love you too, kiddo.”
She unlocks the front door and heads inside, carefully guiding herself to ride the elevator. She sighs after hitting her floor number, a wave of exhaustion hitting her hard.
He’s right. I shouldn��t be stressing over this. And she shouldn’t, but it still hurts to admit that.
I finally found someone that I consider a real friend and he ghosts me. Lucky me…
The elevator dings and opens, and she slowly moves across the hallway to the very end. She fishes around her key ring for the right one–
“Hey, Coffee girl.” A voice erupts behind her, making her nearly jump out of her shoes.
Head whipping around quickly, she blinks upon confusion. “...Jayden?”
The dark haired boy looks nervous, and out of place, but still manages to give her a wave. “Hi.”
“W-What…” She shakes her head, recollecting herself. “What are you doing here?” 
“Uh, I… got your voicemails.” He holds up his phone before putting it back away. “Can we uh… can we talk?”
“Talk…?”
“Yeah. Can we?”
She doesn’t know if this was a dream or not, but if it isn’t, something was telling her to cease this opportunity or else. Finally relaxing her tense body, she replies,
“Sure.”
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rubyceazaart · 3 months
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Aaaaaand then another group pic of my imaginary fighting game but this time of the cool boss characters to FIGHT
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green-ville · 11 months
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Unravel
TW: Violence. G*nfire. G*n related de@th.
             Synopsis: Miguel O’Hara thought she was an anomaly. An accident. A mistake. That she shouldn’t exist. Really, it was his fault for opening up the other worlds of possibilities for her. It was his actions that showed her the multiverse. The endless possibilities at the turn of a watch.
           She may not have had the same story, but she was not Spiderman. She had said it since day one. Spiderman is dead, and his enemies now get her instead.
           She was Recluse. She would not let Spiderman’s death go unavenged.
 Chapter 1:
----------------
             The city walked below. Hues of teal green and ochre blended together to illuminate the night life. The party goers, the party leavers, the quiet couples having dinner, the friend groups that met up once in a blue moon. The night shift rushing to work.
           The sky was clouded over. It was always dark now, even during the day. Surely that was a sign of the times.
           Down below, a hooded figure ran. A helpless victim screamed over a lost possession.
           Several blocks away, one drivers mistake led to a car pile-up. Ambulances blared towards the scene. Blue and red mixed in with the teal and ochre, sirens singing their cry.
           A different street. A gunshot rang out.
           Always something.
           The city had fallen, the residents succumbing to their intrusive thoughts.
           What if I killed this man? No one was going to stop me. Not with Kingpin ruling.
           As long as it’s not Kingpins bank, he won’t care if I rob this one.
           This old lady doesn’t have long to live anyway. I need the money more than her.
           There’s nothing left to live for. If I crash at this speed, I’ll have peace right away.
           That was the problem with intrusive thoughts. They were supposed to stay intrusive. When they became extrusive. . .
           A figure swept down from above.
           The hooded criminal running with stolen goods fell to the ground, ankles wrapped up in spider webs. He knocked himself out falling, his landing hard, his forehead smacking concrete.
           Pedestrians looked up and found no one.
           A different street.
           The pile up. Five cars. A figure landed on the top car with the sound of a gentle thud. Gas trickled from that car all the way down. The smell of it almost overpowered the stench of failure and crime. Not all the way.
           The figure crouched down and ripped off the car door, throwing it to the side. It skidded on the sidewalk, missing a pedestrian, but centimeters from cutting them with its sharp metal. The figure reached down, yanked a person out. With their left hand they flicked their wrist to a nearby building. A spiderweb shot out at the action and splattered on a building wall, and they connected the opposite end to the person, letting the web yank them away.
           They kicked the top car down, it rolled onto the concrete, crunching more and more on the journey. It settled as two more people were swinging to the sidelines, a spider web taking them to safety.
           Six people in total rescued, two children. Those were the living. The causer of the accident was dead. The first person to hit them was dead. They were set to the side, a safe distance away that when the gasoline that had already leaked hit the small engine fire and everything blew up, they weren’t harmed any further.
           The figure vanished with that ball of fire and the next time they landed it was in front of the figure that had shot the gun. The gunman didn’t wear a mask, didn’t conceal his identity by any means, and he certainly did not run in panic.
           No. His father would get him out of anything he did.
           When the figure dropped in front of him, he stopped.
           He grinned. “Busy night, Spiderman?”
           The figure raised a gun and shot him point black. His head knocked back first. His arms raising up as the momentum drove him back. He hit the ground with a thud, eyes shut.
           “Spiderman is dead,” the figure said. Deep voice. Emotionless. Flat. “You get me. As will your father, Richard Fisk.”
           The figure re-holstered the gun. A piece of paper appeared in their hand and they tossed it as they shot into the sky, web sweeping them away. The piece of paper floated back and forth, back and forth. . .it set gently on the dead man’s chest.
           It read: To Mr. Pin. Do I have your attention now?
 ~
           “That spider fiend finally disappears and crime rages. I’ll admit when I’m wrong, maybe the maniac did some good. But this lunatic?” James Jonah Jameson shouted at the camera. “Killing off Kingpin’s biggest allies and sending him into a rage? Killing off his son in the middle of a street, with a gun no less, like a common criminal? That’s what they are! They’re a criminal! A menace to society that doesn’t need any more menacing!”
           The figure stared at the large billboard that played the news. They stood on the edge of a building, close enough where a sane person would immediately lose their balance and fall. They were as still as the dead.
           The wind breezed past lightly, seeping around their uniform.
           Their uniform. Yes. It was what they called it. Others called it a costume. A mask to hide behind. They weren’t wrong with that one, it was a mask. She just wasn’t hiding.
           Her uniform bore the resemblance to Spiderman’s in design and detail, but the color was all black. Her cape was purple, the same shade and shape as the Prowlers cape. Almost the exact same thing. . .The mask was eerily similar to what the Vulture had worn. Smaller, no doubt. The differences subtle. . .but the resemblance was uncanny.
           Her arms spread out, a hug to the world. Her head raised to the dark sky, face hidden behind the stolen mask and stolen hooded cape. She tilted forward slowly, breaching the point where sane, healthy people began to spiral, windmill their arms, scream – she kicked off the last second, and the push was enough to have her diving away from the building.
           The wind soared past, blowing her hood back, but her mask remained in place. Revealing green eyes. Revealing black hair tightly braided back.
           A web shot out from her wrist, latching onto the part of the ceiling she kicked off from. It pulled on her and she was no longer going away from the building, but towards it again,
           Her reflection in the windows grew larger. She saw her target. The gunfire from the hired goons started. Her thumb pressed a concealed clicker and the windows blew as her distraction, a rain of glass blowing in and out.
           She detached from her web, soared through the fire and smoke and glass, and webs shot in every direction. Two men were yanked together, their collision would knock them out. One guard had their gun pulled away and someone else, in an attempt to shoot her, shot them instead. She shot the shooter back.
           One foot landed on the large desk of the man she sought. Her other foot slammed into the large man’s shoulder, shoving him back into the wall. It wasn’t a hard landing, she was perfectly still, entirely in control.
           She held a gun to his head.
           “If it isn’t the itsy bitsy spider.” The Kingpin greeted, staring at her, not the barrel to his forehead. “What can I do for you?”
           It was the confidence that she wasn’t going to shoot. That he could make her an offer so amazing that she put the gun away and fell under his service. It was cockiness that he could talk his way out of anything, or at least strike enough fear into them that they crumbled and he could flip the tables.
           That didn’t happen.
           The bang rang out and his mass tilted back. He hit the wall, there was a narrow splatter of crimson on the rich wooden walls.
           The gun tucked away into her chest holster, hidden beneath the stolen cape.
           “I’m taking over now,” she promised, “and I will wash away everything you did.”
 ~
           “Miguel.” The voice buzzed through the air, emitting from the watch he wore around his wrist.
           He unfolded his arms and the short hologram appeared, displaying one of their many Spiderman allies. If he remembered correctly, this one was on Earth 14-324 for assessment.
           “Report?”
           The man cleared his throat. “We have a situation, requesting back up.”
           “What’s the situation?”
           “Well, uh. . .the Spiderman of Earth 14-324 is dead. There’s someone in charge, and from what I know of, they’ve already killed Kingpin, Vulture, Venom, and Prowler. They’re ruling the city as Captain of the police force.”
           What?
           “What do you know about them?”
           “They’re new, only been around a few months. Spiderman died just before – “
           “How?”
           “Don’t know. There’s rumor he’s only missing, not dead, but I found the grave.”
           “And this is when this new person came about?”
           “Appears to be that way. The news reports start talking about them after they stop talking about Spiderman, and it’s all the same. Talking about who they’ve taken down. Three months back they became Police Captain.”
           “What do you know about them? Identity? Powers? We only deal with Spidermen.”
           “But, they are. I’ve seen them in action. Spiderwebs. Spideysense. The strength and agility. Only they don’t go by Spiderman, they go by Recluse.”
           Miguel rolled his eyes. “I’ll send in Gwen to get into the force and act as our inside man. Find out what you can about who they actually are, name, residence, family. We need to know it all.”
           “Yes sir.”
           The hologram shrunk into nonexistence and Miguel turned back to his monitors. His gaze narrowed.
           “Pull up Earth 14-432,” he ordered. “And show me the Recluse.”
           An image pulled up right away and the hairs on his arms raised at the newspaper image. He got his first good luck at the masked figure and he learned a lot right away.
           The Prowlers hood hid their identity, clouding them in darkness. What part of their face wasn’t shrouded was hid behind Vulture’s respirator. It was a close picture, like they had posed. Staring down the camera, wanting the world to know who they were.
           Miguel studied the screen, speaking as if someone was nearby. “Lyla, alert Gwen Stacey to rendezvous with Spiderman on Earth 14-432 for observation and report of the figure named Recluse. High priority.”
           A figure popped into existence on top the computer screen, phone in her hands. “You sound so official. You really need to learn to relax more.”
           “I’d relax more if I knew how this anomaly came to be, and how much of a threat they pose,” Miguel answered, raising his hand, palm to the screens, and beginning to swipe through the articles.
           And there were many articles.
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the-metropolis-marvel · 10 months
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SPIDER-TITAN LORE DROP NUM 3
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Aaron Davis AKA The Prowler voice/faceclaim: Daniel Kaluuya(known from Get Out, Nope,and he's the voice of Hobie Brown in ATSV) This prowler is essentially the prowler we get in the spider-verse movies, except he's more independent rather than a henchman for a certain Kingpin (also he can roar using a modulator in his suit that sounds almost identical to the Prowler theme). He works for Fisk the most since out of all the crime lords, even though Fisk is ruthless as can be, he is also someone who is helping Aarons's family. Miles doesn't become Spider-Man in this world due to the only spider around biting Spider-titan. Davis gets along really well with Fisk's friend and right-hand man, James Wesley, even inviting Wesley over for dinner at times
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(James Wesley for those wondering)
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aza-writes · 1 year
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Vote Please
Pick the new cover for blood red
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I’m gonna add the tittle soon but with or without
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itsdaredevilah · 2 years
Photo
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found an old sketch i did for a sorta fan poster for spider-gwen cough matt actually cough, anyway decided to revisit it  and finish it
ft villian Aude, if u wanna see more art of her and matt i have more under “my art tag”  as well as other fanart for marvel lol
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bobgasm · 6 months
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KINGPIN MOODBOARD
Bob had been taking care of his father’s problems for years. He’d been groomed to take over from his father when the time came, so a problem like this? It was well within his wheelhouse. How hard could it be to find a seventy year old accountant and get some answers?
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