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snarkybluechristian · 5 years

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Villainous: Reform School Chapter 3

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Melanie arrived in Flug’s plane hangar after a tense ride with her parents in their limo-plane.

“We’re here, Senor and Senora de la Muerte,” Mr. Ochocinco said just able to conceal the sadness in his voice.

He and Melanie exchanged sad smiles as Melanie’s parents climbed out in front of her and immediately exchanged pleasantries with Doctor Flug. They could not say anything but their sad expressions said it all.

“To thine own self be true,” Mr. Ochocinco whispered. “You’re in my prayers.”

“Merci,” Melanie whispered back.

“Melanie,” Faucheuse called out to her. “Come on out. Dr. Flug wants to see you.”

Melanie grabbed her beige knapsack and reluctantly climbed out of the car to see the notorious doctor.

“Hello, Melanie,” Flug said solemnly. “Welcome to Black Hat Island. You look…casual…”

Melanie looked away and didn’t respond to his snide comment about her clothing.

Her parents were dressed formally while the young teen was wearing jean capris and a black tank top that was covered in a black-hooded jacket with 505 on the back. She wore the hood over her head covering her hair and barely concealing the gold earrings dangling from her ears.

“Alright then, if you will follow me, I’ll show you to Black Hat’s office,” Flug said turning around and walking back to the manor. “May he have mercy on your souls.”

Senor de la Muerte gently nudged his daughter’s back as she walked just ahead of her parents behind Flug.

Melanie had barely made eye contact with her parents since last night. She gazed up at her father only to see that his fierce gaze remained steady as they made their way to Black Hat's office.

In no time at all, Melanie and her parents made it to Black Hat’s office.

“Here, we are,” Flug said. “Black Hat said you could just enter whenever you were ready.”

"Melanie, be on your best behavior!" her mother hissed.

Melanie sighed. Her mother’s tone hadn't changed since last night.

Melanie's father opened the door and they were greeted by the sight of Black Hat's office.

“There, you are!” a shrill feminine voice suddenly yelled from down the hall.

Melanie and her parents gasped as Dementia ran towards them only to be grabbed by a giant Black Hat Butler Bot and carried away amid her protests.

Flug walked in front of them blocking Dementia from making them look bad and laughed nervously.

"Uh, p-pardon her," he stuttered. "Sh-She always gets like that with visitors. Isn't that right, Jefecito?"

The three then turned to the person they were supposed to meet. He stood in the back of the office, behind his desk facing the window. His head turned to face them still holding his hands behind his back.

Melanie’s father cleared his throat trying not to show his fear in front of his daughter.

"H-Hola, Señor Black Hat,” Santa Muerte said.

“Sit down,” Black Hat said. “Now.”

Melanie flinched at the sudden presence of his voice, but they did as they were told. Conveniently, three office chairs had been set up in front of Black Hat’s desk just for them.

Melanie sat down in a chair on the side furthest from the door, slipped her feet out of her black sandals, crunched up into a ball, folded her arms on top of her knees, laid her head on top of them, and stared blankly ahead with a defiant yet apathetic expression.

Black Hat turned around to look at Melanie and her family and instantly felt a migraine run through his head but managed to keep his composure.

The girl truly had a Divine connection. The situation was as bad as he suspected.

Melanie smiled aware of the pain he was going through. He deserved it and much more.

“Good morning, black demon,” Melanie said breaking the silence. “How’s it going?”

“Mélanie!” Faucheuse chided with a heavy French accent.

Melanie didn’t even flinch. She merely rolled her eyes before looking away in response.

“I apologize,” Faucheuse said. “She’s been like this all morning.”

Black Hat rolled his eyes and faced the parents in question as he sat in his chair.

"Tell me. How long have your families known my organization?" Black Hat asked.

"Generations, of course, sir,” Faucheuse replied.

"Then, would your daughter care to explain why she decided to be a hero among generations of villains?" Black Hat asked turning to Melanie who was now playing on her phone.

Melanie looked up from her phone and responded, “I felt called to something much better, so after I was baptized, I decided to become a nun-ja.”

“Well, tell us,” Santa Muerte said to his daughter putting his hand over her phone. “Who are these ‘nun-jas’ exactly?”

“I can tell you that,” Black Hat replied. “The nun-jas had their start in the 1500s when Catholic missionaries went to Japan. Despite the friendly intentions of the arrivals, the Japanese emperor didn't trust them and had many of them killed in sadistic ways along with their converts…”

Black Hat interrupted his explanation to chuckle to himself and said, “It was hilarious. Anyway, one day, a group of nuns was fleeing to the mountains to escape their persecutors when they found themselves cornered in the woods. They thought all hope was lost until a mysterious group of female ninjas sympathetic to the nuns' plight defeated their attackers in battle. These ninjas and nuns formed an alliance. With the nuns' faith and supernatural connections and the ninjas' skills, they formed the nun-jas. This organization of nuns has spread worldwide as an alternative for nuns who want to be active in the fight against evil. Their mission is to do good without the right hand knowing what the other is doing. They do good without drawing attention, so their organization is very silent about their activities. They operate underground, meet in secret, and have unprecedented levels of encryption to hide their tracks digitally. Girls start training in adolescence or in late childhood under the guidance of senseis, and as they grow in skill and in faith, they grow in ability. Nun-jas are known for their divinely enhanced strength and stamina and sometimes even for divine healing. Not much else is known about their activities or how they function. Trying to get answers out of one is a waste of time. Nun-jas are notoriously resistant to enhanced interrogation methods. They either survive until their interrogators give up or they die with their secrets. They never talk...”

Black Hat flashed a wicked smile at Melanie before he continued, “I can only imagine what a good find you were for them, child. You are the first nun-ja I've ever seen who's part Reaper.”

Melanie only glared back in response.

“In other words, they’re heroes,” Santa Muerte said in despair.

“Exactly,” Black Hat replied.

“Oh, where did we go wrong with you, ma fille?” Faucheuse muttered sadly with tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “How could we have let this happen?”

“This is unbelievable,” Flug said shaking his head in contempt. “You raised her. You had to have noticed something was going wrong.”

“Don’t you mean that something was going right?” Melanie added while texting on her phone.

“Shut it,” Flug said to her before turning back to her parents. “How could you two have been so negligent? You had to have noticed that she was starting to develop some heroic tendencies.”

“She’s never had many evil tendencies,” Santa Muerte explained. “We thought she’d develop those as she got older, especially as she continued her education at the school where we sent her older sisters.”

“And how about at home?” Flug asked.

“She mostly got into fights with her oldest and youngest sisters,” Faucheuse answered. “They tend to pick on her behind our backs, but besides that, nothing particularly evil.”

“Hmmm…” Flug said rolling down his sleeve and using a gadget on his wrist to pull up a holographic screen. “What can you tell me about this school?”

“Our Lady of Perpetual Gladness?” Faucheuse asked. “Well, we were hoping the harsh rules and administration would help embitter her into becoming a proper villain.”

Flug pulled up some information about the school and said after searching for less than a minute, “Well, it appears this school has had a change of administration over the years."

“And what happened?” Santa Muerte asked.

Flug looked through his information and said, “More fair rules, better staff, and kinder teachers. In fact, it looks good enough to pass as a normal Catholic school.”

Melanie scoffed and added sarcastically, “I know. I'm happy and I have friends. God forbid...”

“Melanie!” Faucheuse chided.

“Melanie, we want you to be happy, but this is unacceptable!” Santa Muerte added.

“Why?” Melanie asked finally turning around to face her parents. “I am not a member of this dumb organization!”

Black Hat’s eyes twitched as he replied, “Dumb?!”

Flug laughed nervously.

Faucheuse yelled, “Melanie, how dare you?! This organization has helped our family time and time again!”

Melanie scoffed as she got to her feet and began her tirade, “Help us?! Like hell! Open up your eyes! They've enslaved you! This demon has enslaved our family for generations! That's what they do to everyone who gives in to their crappy propaganda! Sure, they offer favors and help and might get you something you want now and again. But it's just so they can deceive you into basically giving up your souls and any freedom you had before to make your own decisions! Then, if you ever step out of line or ‘fail’ them in any way, they have the right to destroy you like you're nothing! The Black Hat Organization hasn't improved our lives, Maman (mom). They've doomed me, my sisters, you, and papa into eternal servitude. Not to mention...”

Melanie now directed her rage towards Black Hat and Flug, “They use their resources to help the genuinely bad monsters who make this world such a cursed place, to begin with! And now, you think I'm just going to pledge my loyalty to you just because my parents have?! There's no way!”

Melanie’s eyes began glowing white. Telepathic pulses began flowing out of her head causing all the electronics in the room to malfunction. The lights in the room blinked on and off. Her hood fell back. Her hair began flowing with a supernatural force.

Flug began to visibly panic, but Black Hat continued to sit in his chair with all his composure intact.

Melanie’s voice distorted as she directed more of her fury towards Black Hat, “I HAVE HATED THIS GODDAMN ORGANIZATION FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE! I HATE HOW YOU HURT THE INNOCENT! I HATE HOW YOU RUIN THE WORLD! I HATE HOW YOU ENSLAVE PEOPLE LIKE MY PARENTS! I HATE HOW YOU HURT HEROES WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, AS A FOLLOWER OF THE DIVINE, I HATE YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR! IF YOU THINK THERE'S ANY WAY I'M GOING TO JUST APOLOGIZE AND GET BACK IN LINE, YOU'RE AS DELUDED AS ONE OF YOUR BRAINWASHED EMPLOYEES! AND I DON'T CARE HOW THAT MAKES YOU FEEL! In fact…”

Melanie smirked as she transformed completely into her nun-ja garb, summoned her scythe, and said, “If you want to duke it out now, I'd be glad to. I'm part-reaper. I know how to send bad souls back home…”

“MELANIE!” Santa Muerte yelled. “Stop!”

Melanie calmed down, let her scythe disappear, turned to her parents, and said, “Come on, guys! Don't you see?! This could be our chance to win our family's freedom once and for all. In fact...”

Suddenly, the PA system started playing the opening to “the Gauntlet” by Dropkick Murphys.

“What the…?” Flug asked calling for Dementia with his wrist device.

Melanie jumped on Black Hat’s desk and started dancing and singing, “I just got back from a break in the fight! I was weighin' in heavy but still feeling alright. All I hear in the distance, mines and shells! Here come the sirens wailing! Another attack to be repelled…”

Melanie unleashed her wings and started flying back and forth between both of her parents with each lyric, “Do you think we're gonna make it? I don't know unless we try. You could sit here scared to move, or we could take them by surprise. It's submission that they want. It's surrender that they need. When we're doing it their way their aims will be achieved…”

Melanie stopped flying and stood on the tops of their chairs to sing, “They're gonna come when you're not ready. When you're not too well-prepared. They're gonna prey upon your weakness, no man's soul is ever spared. You've got to stand up, yeah, and fight them. Show them what it's all about…”

Melanie gestured to her parents and said, “This man is not for sale. There will be no backing down! Stand up and fight! And I'll stand up with you! We will succeed! Stand up and fight! And I'll stand up with you!”

Dementia broke open the door, saw Melanie standing on the tops of the office chairs, and tried to grab her, but Melanie flew into the air dodging her with a mocking smile as her parents dashed to Black Hat’s side to get out of the way.

Melanie continued singing while dodging Dementia’s lunges, “They won't get me, they won't get me. Though they never cease to try. They won't get me; they won't get me! I would rather fight and die! They won't get me; they won't get me! Well my friend, will they get you? When they get you, when they get you, you tell me. What are you gonna do?”

Melanie placed her feet on the ceiling, held herself up by her wings to avoid Dementia, and sang, “Do you think we're gonna make it? I don't know unless we try. You could sit here scared to move, or we could take them by surprise. It's submission that they want. It's surrender that they need. When we're doing it their way, their aims will be achieved…”

Meanwhile, Flug pulled up the app to summon the Black Hat bots, but Black Hat whistled to Flug, looked him in the eye, and shook his head. Flug stood there bewildered while he and his boss kept watching.

Dementia crawled up on the wall and began chasing Melanie around the ceiling while she continued to sing, “They're gonna come when you're not ready. When you're not too well-prepared. They're gonna prey upon your weakness, no man's soul is ever spared. You've got to stand up, yeah, and fight them. Show them what it's all about. This girl is not for sale! There will be no backing down! Stand up and fight! And I'll stand up with you! We will succeed! Stand up and fight! And I'll stand up with you!”

During the guitar solo, Melanie swiped her scythe towards Dementia’s feet making her jump, and of course, lose her grip on the ceiling causing her to fall on the floor behind the dumbfounded parents.

Melanie then dissolved her wings, flew around on her scythe for the duration of the guitar solo, and landed on Black Hat's desk singing the outro, “Stand up and fight! And I'll stand up with you! We will succeed! Stand up and fight! And I'll stand up with you!”

The music ended. Melanie posed and stood there waiting for her parents to say something.

Finally, Faucheuse spoke, “Melanie, did you forget to take your medicine today? There's something very wrong with you. Your ADHD is out of control.”

Melanie’s mouth fell open in shock as her outfit and scythe vanished.

Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she quietly muttered, “What?”

Sante Muerte pulled his daughter off the desk while Black Hat glared angrily.

“Apologies, sir,” Santa Muerte said pushing his devastated daughter back into her seat.

“Wait,” Flug said. “Your daughter has ADHD?”

“Yes, ever since she was little,” Faucheuse explained. “Sometimes, it's hard to keep her under control.”

“What is that?” Dementia asked as she stood up and rubbed her head.

“Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder,” Flug explained. “It's a mental disorder that causes a person to have little to no control over their focus, their emotions, the amount of energy they have, or their impulses. A person with this disorder is more likely to be reckless.”

“But…” Melanie protested timidly.

“We thought we had her disorder under control with medication,” Santa Muerte interrupted as he and his wife returned to their seat. “I guess we were wrong. I'm sorry. I suppose we really have been neglecting her.”

Black Hat flashed a wicked smile to Flug that allowed him to immediately catch on to his wicked train of thought, “Dr. Flug, is there anything we can do to help this girl?”

“Hmmm…” Flug said scratching the top of his paper bag. “Okay, I'd like to recommend we try something, but we need your permission.”

“What is it?” Faucheuse asked.

“I'd like to keep your daughter here for the day under observation,” Flug said. “Don't worry. Your daughter will not be harmed at all.”

Melanie suddenly snapped out of her stupor feeling the righteous indignation rise inside her and yelled, “No. No! NO! Are you crazy?!"

“The only one being crazy right now is you, Mija!” Santa Muerte retorted. “I think this is exactly what we need. What do you think, dear?”

Faucheuse looked sympathetically at Melanie before turning to Flug and saying, “Yes. Let's see how this goes.”

“So, you're going to leave me alone with a crazy lizard lady, a mad scientist, and a demon?!” Melanie asked incredulously.

“Uh, I prefer the term ‘evil genius,’ Flug replied.

“See? He’s not even trying to deny it!” Melanie protested.

“What do we do first, Dr. Flug?” Santa Muerte asked ignoring his daughter’s protests.

“Well,” Flug said. “If she's going to stay here, why don't you bring some of her belongings? A change of clothes? Maybe some snacks? And of course, her medication. You will be free to call me anytime while she's here.”

“We already brought her supplies just in case,” Faucheuse said turning to the door. “Monsieur Ochocinco?”

Ochocinco came in sadly carrying Melanie's duffel bag that she still had packed from last night. He gave Melanie an apologetic glance before lowering the duffel bag to the floor, bowing his head, and exiting the room.

“That should have everything she needs,” Faucheuse said. “Now, where’s that paperwork?”

Black Hat summoned some check-in paperwork onto his desk and said, “I just need both parents to sign off on this.”

Flug glanced over the papers on the desk and said, “Yes, sign these papers authorizing us to have custody of your daughter until tomorrow morning. Then list all her current allergies and medication. And agree that we are authorized to care for her. AndthatsheisnowownedbodyandsoulbyBlackHat.

“Bull!!!!” Melanie yelled. “I know how your stupid contracts work. I can only make that agreement for myself.”

“You heard that?” Flug asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Faucheuse explained while looking up from reading the paperwork. “Her disorder makes her more sensitive to sound and other stimuli.”

“Maman, arrête (Mom, stop it),” Melanie protested in French. “Il va me blesser avec ton information (He is going to hurt me with your information).”

“Ça ira, Mélanie, » Faucheuse reassured. « Ça ira. Je te promets (It will be okay, Mélanie. It will be okay. I promise).”

« Tu sais que c'est un mensonge! (You know that's a lie!)” Melanie protested.

“Melanie, we're not giving you a choice!” Santa Muerte chimed in. “¡Esto es para tu propio bien! (This is for your own good!)”

“I seriously doubt that!” Melanie protested. “Why are you doing this?! Why can't you just accept me for who I am?! I'm not evil. So what?!”

“It's one thing to not be evil, but it's a whole other thing to be a hero!” Faucheuse argued. “We still accept that you're our daughter and we want to help you!”

“But I love being a hero!” Melanie cried. “I love serving the Lord. I love my nun-ja sisters! I love helping people! It's who I am! There's nothing wrong with me! I don't need help.”

“I’d beg to differ,” Black Hat chimed in.

Faucheuse began tearing up and said, “Oh, what did we do wrong? She really is completely a hero.”

Santa Muerte held his wife and said, “Ya, mi Amor (Now, my love), don't cry. This is why we're here.”

“Don’t worry,” Flug reassured. “Melanie will be in our capable hands.”

“No…” Melanie said with the tears flowing steadily out of her eyes.

Faucheuse pulled her daughter into a hug and said, "Don't worry, sweetie. Once you're re-educated, you will be much happier."

“I seriously doubt that!!!!” Melanie yelled pushing her mother off her.

“Oh, honey, maybe this is a bad idea,” Faucheuse said to her husband giving her daughter another hug. “Look at how upset she's getting.”

“If the school refused to be hard on her, we must be in their place,” Santa Muerte said to his wife before looking at his daughter. “Lo Siento, (I'm sorry) Melanie.”

“Emotional outbursts and tears are very common at this stage,” Flug reassured. “Fixing her medication might help.”

“Of course,” Santa Muerte replied picking up the pen to sign the document. “We will do what we can.”

Melanie broke out of her mother’s arms, got into Flug’s face, and yelled, “You're not going to treat me like a damn guinea pig!”

“That medicine helps you stay calm and focused, instead of jumping around the office like you just did,” Santa Muerte argued as he signed the documents and handed the pen to his wife. “We are not treating you as a guinea pig.”

“Of course, we're not! You shall be treated as our guest...” Black Hat said with a mischievous smile. “…who can't leave for the day.”

Melanie glared at Black Hat and then looked back in horror as her mother also signed the documents.

“I'm glad we could come up with a solution for you,” Black Hat said.

Flug pressed a button on his watch calling 505 and asked, “505, would you come to Black Hat's office to help us escort a new patient?”

505 answered with affirmative grunts as Flug ended the call.

Melanie's parents encircled her in a hug as tears filled up her eyes.

“Now, remember to keep your phone charged,” Santa Muerte said before giving his daughter a kiss on the cheek. “We'll be calling you after every meal and before you go to bed. Te Quiero. (I love you.)”

“Be sure to listen to Dr. Flug and Mr. Black Hat, ma fille,” Faucheuse said kissing her daughter on the other cheek. “Be a good girl and text us if you need to talk. Ca ira, Melanie. Je t'aime aussi. (It will be okay, Melanie. I love you, too.)”

“Traitors,” Melanie managed to get out through her tears.

Black Hat rolled his eyes and whispered to Flug, "Why do these parents always have to make it so dramatic?"

“We’ll come back in the morning, Melanie,” Santa Muerte said.

“505 will escort you, your daughter, and luggage to…” Flug paused. “Hey, Jefe! Which room are we giving Melanie?”

“That newly refurbished one, you fool!” Black Hat replied. “You know the one that used to be for…”

“Ohhh...” Flug said understanding immediately. “That one. Okay.”

Melanie scowled at Flug and said, “If you think I'm going to willingly stay here, you've got another thing com-…”

Melanie paused when 505 appeared in the doorway.

“There, you are, 505,” Flug said happily. “I'd like you to take Melanie to her room. She's going to be...”

Flug was interrupted by Melanie squealing joyfully at the top of her lungs.

“OH, MY GOSH! OH, MY GOSH! OH, MY GOSH! IT'S 505!” Melanie squealed phasing through her parents’ embrace with her Reaper powers, dashing past her chair to grab her shoes and purse, and running over to the confused blue bear. “You're my favorite gamer ever! I'm a huge fan! I'm Melanie de la Muerte! I watch all your streams! I've seen all your videos! You're so cool! I can't believe I get to meet you in person! This is simultaneously the worst and best day of my entire life!!!!!!!! Can I take a selfie with you please?!”

505 smiled and nodded.

Melanie and 505 squished their faces together to take a series of selfie pictures on Melanie's phone.

“Thank you!” Melanie began chattering happily. “I'm totally being forced to stay here against my will. I got in trouble for being a hero, so now, I have to be ‘observed,’ but having you here makes it like a billion times better already…”

Without warning, Melanie wrapped her arms as wide as she could around 505’s torso giving the bear a big hug.

“God bless you!” Melanie said warmly hugging the dumbfounded bear for a moment before she paused, let go, and anxiously made herself step away. “Oh, I'm sorry. I should have asked first. I can be a bit over-eager and I know not everyone likes hugs and my parents get onto me about being awkward like that so...”

505 smiled and held Melanie in a warm embrace interrupting her nervous ramble.

“Awww! You really are the sweetest bear ever!” Melanie said with relief in her voice before remembering something important and jumping out of 505’s arms. “Hey! Your games are all here and you're streaming today, right?!”

505 responded with a nod.

Melanie gasped and said, “Can I join you?! Do you mind?!”

505 excitedly nodded enjoying the attention this girl was freely giving him. He got on all fours and signaled for her to ride on his back.

“Oh, my gosh! I can't believe this is happening!” Melanie yelled excitedly dropping her phone in her purse, putting her knapsack on her back, quickly hugging her parents, and climbing onto 505’s back. “This is so cool!!!!!!!”

505 began frolicking down the hall as all the dumbfounded villains crowded around the doorway and watched bear ride away with Melanie.

“Bye, Mom and Dad!” Melanie yelled as she and 505 disappeared down the hall. “I'll see you tomorrow! This is going to be one of the greatest days of my life!!!! I have to tell all my friends!!!!”

Everyone continued to stand there until Melanie and 505 had vanished.

#villainous #fanfiction

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atqh16 · 5 years

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Dear Friend, Forgive Me Where I'm Weak

Summary

Foggy has always known that there was a risk of Matt's enemies coming for him and using him against his best friend. He just wishes he wasn't sick with Cancer when they did. Inspired by the 2011 Mark Waid Daredevil run (Chapter 30#). Where the Matt's enemies show up to torture Foggy for information while he's undergoing chemotherapy in the hospital.

Matt Murdock & Foggy Nelson

Angst, Whump. Hurt/Comfort, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Foggy!Whump

AO3

Foggy opens his eyes to a blonde man in a coat inspecting the machines near his electrocardiogram monitor. He's unfamiliar but that doesn't really rankle up his nerves till he sees the man pull out a syringe and starts fiddling with the tube of his saline bag and intravenous chemo drip.

"Doctor?" He calls out carefully, mind heavy with sleep but still wary from the last time an unfamiliar man in a coat holding a syringe - sent by Bullseye of all people- had almost killed him a few days before in that very same room. "Sorry but I've never really seen you around here. The nurse usually tells me when they're about to add anything to my usual drip. To warn me ya know? Did I miss a memo or-"

The man doesn't even bother to turn and face him. Instead proceeding to place the needle of the syringe into his injection port. "It's alright Mr. Nelson. No need to be alarmed. This is merely a supplement", he says as if that was enough to explain everything.

The words induce the opposite of a calming effect on him and Foggy frowns. "An anti-emetic?", he pushes suspiciously. But 'Blondie' doesn't answer. Instead 2 other men in Black suits enter into his room and close the door behind them with a click of the lock.

Foggy's alarm bells are fully ringing now and he reaches for the emergency call button but doesn't hear the usual beep when he presses it. His heart starts to drum in his ribs. The nausea that had already been creeping up his throat from the chemo treatment starts to edge even higher, combined with the fear that was setting a slight tremble at his fingertips. He wishes more than anything right now that Matt would show up for one of his surprise visits. Even though he knows visiting hours had ended an hour ago.

"Who are you? What do you want?" His voice sharp despite the fog of panic. Turning his head from the men in the suits to the man in the coat -regretting it immediately at the throbbing pain of his aching neck muscles- though not really expecting an answer. His hand creeps cautiously under his blanket for his phone, groping around uselessly before realizing-

"Mr Nelson there's no need to be alarmed as long as you cooperate," one of the men - Mr short and pudgy- says. His voice comes out a harsh, gravelly tone and Foggy half expects him to pull out a stick and yell at kids to 'get off his damn lawn!'

"We're merely here to ask you to clarify certain allegations against your friend, Mr Murdock and other accusations concerning his 'nightly outings'. If you answer our questions we'll leave you to your treatment with no harm done before the hour is even up," he continues. The statement sounds reasonable enough but the 'if you don't' still hangs threateningly in the air.

Foggy immediately realizes what this is about and his hands ball up the rough hospital sheets in his fists.

"You're the Sons of Serpents" Foggy says, eyes narrowing when none of them deny it. He racks his brain for all the information he's read up on them and what Matt had told him before. He's never met them in person or been in their cross fires in the past. But he's researched enough of their history to know they're nothing but bad news. A racially motivated group doing everything to gain and maintain power and cruelly dispatching anyone in their way. Particularly those who they thought didn't look the way they felt 'people' should look. They were basically the new Nazi propaganda hell bent on spreading their influence all across the globe. Matt simply called them racists trash and frankly from what Foggy's found in his own research, he couldn't agree more.

"If you think I'm going to give you any information willy nilly then you've got the wrong guy. In fact I'm pretty sure we've already proved what you're suggesting as bullshit half a dozen times in court already"

Mr pudgy creeps closer to his bed and it takes all of Foggy's control not to cringe away.

The man brandishes a thick file in his hand the same way Foggy had expected him to do to his proverbial stick.

"Mr Nelson lets not play that game. We both know the truth. Let's skip the pleasantries and commence to the meat of the matter shall we? And don't bother trying to scream for help. We have people in the building to aid us in redirecting any unwanted intrusion" He says with a condescending tone and a disdainful expression on his face and Foggy finds himself paying closer attention to his unwanted visitor.

The man's suit is impeccable and almost impossibly taut with not a wrinkle in sight. He reeks of an offensive -and obviously expensive- cologne that makes Foggy's nausea claw higher up his throat the closer he gets.

But worse of all - at this proximity- Foggy can't help but see a coldness in his eyes that reminds him of ruthless men who would do anything and everything to get what they want.

The thought sends a cold chill down his spine and he can't seem to hold back the resulting shudder.

It's not that he's never faced with anything like them before. Matt's infamous repertoire of villains have ensured that Foggy has had more than his fair share of being in the presence of merciless and remorseless men who would do the unthinkable with a snap of their fingers and a turn of their wrists without even a hesitant flinch. These men have nothing on Wilson Fisk and he's stood in front of the Kingpin himself and survived and he damn well wasn't going to be intimidated by these borderline ridiculous and literal 'Men in black'.

But as he attempts so sit up to meet the man eye to eye a jolt shoots up his spine like a serrated bullet and he can't help the the choked gasp he emits at the pain.

The effect immediately reminds him of how defenseless he really is at the moment from his cancer and it's subsequent hellish treatment. He holds his breath and finds himself noticing even more how exhausted he really is. The muscle of his fingers were already throbbing from their earlier exertion, frail and weak. He can barely move his limbs without a sharp ache in his joints and the ever present twist and pull of his stomach had nothing to do with the men in the room.

Vertigo edges at his line of sight, daring him to turn his head like he did before and his already labored breathing quickens at realizing that this wasn't a confrontation he could fight.

And frustration welled up in him at the thought because even in life and death situations in the past, he had always been comforted by the thought that Matt's enemies would have to face him kicking and screaming if they wanted to put him down.

Foggy is not a brave man. He's never had any illusion that he was. He's a pacifist at heart and even despite that, fear has always been such a strong fixture of his identity that it practically runs in his veins.

Between a villain and his best friend he's always understood that his place is set permanently behind Matt because he knows his limitations. Understands that words have always been his choice of weaponry over a physical fight and he wields them just as well if not better than Matt does his fists.

But lying there now on his hospital bed with toxins and the equivalent of poison spreading in his system he knows instantly that it won't be enough. This isn't a battle he can fight against and most likely not one he can dream of winning.

And nothing tightens the chill around his heart more than the thought that he was at risk of giving these man any thread of leverage against his best friend.

But he'll be damned if he was going to make it any easier on them anyway.

He knows he's not exactly an impressive picture of defiance, especially with his aborted attempt at pulling himself up. Regardless, he meets the man eye to eye as well as he could. Daring him to do his worst.

"Fuck off" he spits out

The other man - Mr tall and oily (seriously, he looks like he lathers a tub of grease on his head every morning)- raises an eyebrow at his ensuing determined silence and nods towards the man In the coat.

Foggy spares a glance to the side to see him pull out another syringe to inject into his port.

It takes a while and Foggy even indulges in the idea that it hadn't worked before suddenly his muscles are contracting against his will and he barely holds back a gasp behind clenched teeth.

What happens after that is this. They place the file on his over bed table and asks questions with every sheet they pull out. Every 5 minutes where he doesn't cooperate another vial of the substance is shot through his system. The pain increases at a sluggish pace but it's effect is potent. They continue to ask him questions, shifting through the papers all the while and it alarms him how much they already know about Matt. Everything from newspaper articles about his incident, his father's career and death and even his medical records from his first hospitalization at nine years old to his last most recent visit this year. It dawns on him after a while that they weren't there to ask for information but instead for confirmation. To make sure what they already uncovered was 100% true and the only reason they were even bothering to do so would be because they needed to ensure that what they had would hold up under inspection and the only reason they would be so thorough about that was if they planned on bringing up those same documents in court or publication. They weren't just trying to find Matt's weakness. They were going after his credibility. His integrity. Even his livelihood if it was enough to get him disbarred or jailed. And most likely it would.

He's not even sure if he says a word to them. The pain is literally blinding with how often his eyes threaten to roll up into his skull and breathing feels like drawing air through a straw.

After a while he notices that the men weren't even facing him and were instead studying his heart monitor, taking notes every time a question made his heat rate spike.

It's sometime after the seventh injection that he finally lets out a shout, though it comes out more a sob. The machines beside him all begin to beep their warnings and he can hear hurried shuffling and voices in the corridor outside his room from what he hopes to be one nurse to the other.

'God please. Please. Help me. Someone help me please' Foggy can't help but beg in his mind.

But the men in front of him don't seem to be apprehensive at the possibility of attracting attention. Instead taking their time to leisurely shuffle and arrange their papers and closing their file with a muffled flip.

"We are done here I think. Thank you for your help Mr Nelson. It was much appreciated. And don't worry, we won't let you die yet. Keeping you alive is very much in our best interest"

And just like that they were gone but Foggy barely notices. Every nerve and muscle in his body is on fire and his heart is thumping like a drum in his ears. He would scream if his throat wasn't so dry and even then he can almost feel the lining of it threaten to tear at his effort. Though he finds himself more preoccupied with how it had become even harder to pull enough air into his lungs for a single breath.

He's suffocating. He can't breath!

'This is it', the pain submerges his thoughts into mass panic. 'I'm going to die. I'm going to die like this. I won't see Matt again. This is how it ends'

The door finally bursts open and a flow of attendants and nurses hurried into the room, calling out instructions he can't bring up the strength to try and understand. The last thing he sees before the darkness finally takes him is the blonde man in the coat standing in front of his bed, watching him before everything goes black.

Awareness struggles at the periphery of his consciousness. Pulling him back to the surface at the sound of Matt's voice. There are other people in the room and it takes him a while to recognize them as the men from before. Matt sounds tense and furious but everything is too muffled for Foggy to understand their conversation.

Having Matt so near at his side is enough for him to feel safe and relaxed especially when it became obvious that Matt was standing protectively between Foggy and their unwanted visitors. But there's a guilty nudge inside him when his mind becomes present enough to understand what was being said. Recognizing the men bringing up the same information from before. Allowing him to comprehend enough of the situation to know that these men were already starting to use the info they have against his best friend. Possibly to black mail him to do what they want. Things Matt might decide to do just so he could protect Foggy and their other friends because if nothing else Matt will always try his hardest to protect those around him even at his own detriment. His too kind and compassionate heart never being able to bear the thought of anyone being hurt and god Foggy hates what it does to his friend but he's known him for too long to not understand. And he can feel tears welling on his eyelids to know that these men were using that same compassion - and the information they've had Foggy unwillingly confirm - against him.

'Matt. Matt I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I tried to fight. I tried so hard. I tried not to tell them anything I swear! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' Foggy tries to say but his tongue feels thick and heavy behind his teeth. Either way the mask over his mouth and nose stifle any sound he manages to make and it's only when he hears the men making their way to the door and closing it with a familiar click, that he manages to inch shaking fingers to wrap around the wrist Matt is resting on the bed beside him.

Matt snaps around to face him. His hand twisting so both his and foggy's are holding each other wrist to wrist while the other flits from Foggy's shoulder and upward to gently cup his cheek.

"Foggy?", Matt's voice is a mix of apprehension and relief. There's also a mournful hint in his tone. "Hey buddy. Hey are you with me? Should I call the nurse? Jesus Christ, your skin is so cold. I can barely hear your pulse Fog."

Foggy looks up, trying to nod and convey that he was alright without speaking. His eyes scour his friends face and he can't help but notice how red and flustered Matt looks with his auburn hair sticking in sweaty clumps on his forehead as if he'd ran all the way to the hospital. His black tie that he kept in his office for emergencies hung loose under his collar as if he hadn't really bothered to tie it properly and the tense, stiff stance that he had when Foggy first woke up, melts away and his broad shoulders hung loose from exhaustion.

He looked worn out. Stretched thin. The last time Foggy had seen him so overwhelmed was when Fisk had burned down his home and had him disbarred. He can't help but frown, wonderingly worriedly what the men could have said to his friend to make him look so defeated.

But then Matt bows his head, choking back tears and Foggy realizes that it wasn't what the men had said, but what Matt though they had done that really had him shaking.

"I'm so sorry Foggy. I was in the suit when the nurses called. They said you were in pain. They said you might not- I thought- I thought I'd lost you. I couldn't hear your heart beat. I couldn't- I was terrified. I came as fast as I could. I'm so sorry I wasn't here. You asked me for one thing. You asked me to be here and I wasn't and I'm so sorry Fog." Matt's chest began to heave with gentle sobs

With as much force as he could muster, Foggy tightened his grip on Matt's wrist in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. He wishes he could do more, but simply opening his eyelids felt like lifting weights. He could only hope that Matt would understand what he was trying to say

'It's ok'

'I understand'

'The city needed you'

'Please stay'

'I tried. I'm so sorry'

'It hurt Matt. Everything still hurts'

'I'm so scared Matt. I thought I was going to die. I thought I'd never see you again'

'I'm still afraid that I'm going to die. Who would've thought cancer would be the way I go huh?'

'I'm so scared of leaving you Matty. I don't want to leave you'

Maybe it works because Matt leans even closer, resting his head gently on Foggy's other shoulder. Foggy struggles and manages to pull his free hand to rest on his friends back even though such a small movement already made his muscles ache even worse.

It takes him a while before he can manage to get his hand up and pull the mask down off his lips.

Matt immediately moved to put it back, "Foggy don't-"

"Matt. What did-" *cough * "what did they want? What- what did they ask for?"

Matt looks stricken and Foggy knew he was torn between keeping his sick friend in the dark or unloading it all on his best friend. Knowing full well that the former was something Foggy hated.

So he takes the middle road.

"You're still exhausted Fog," he soothes. Gently putting the mask back in it's place. One hand moving to the back of Foggy's very bald head and leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. An intimate gesture that he rarely did but one they both sorely needed after the terrifying experience they just had.

"Go to sleep Foggy. I'll tell you when you wake up." Matt says reassuringly, pulling Foggy's blanket just a little higher.

"Promise?" Foggy whispers behind the mask. Eyes already starting to close but knowing that Matt heard him.

"I promise" Matt replies, bringing up a finger to cross an 'X' over his hearts. It's the last thing he see's and hear's before Foggy falls in a deep peaceful sleep. Comforted at the idea that as long as Matt was around, he'd be safe.

This was inspired by a scene we didn't get to see in the 2011 Mark Waid run. It's an amazing Daredevil comic and my ultimate favorite and I fully encourage anyone who loves Daredevil to read it. Especially if you love reading about the dynamic between Matt and Foggy. Here's the link for anyone who's interested.

https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Daredevil-2011

Or you can just google 'Daredevill 2011 Read Online'

I dont really encourage piracy but where I'm from some of these comics are impossible to get.

I also fully encourage reading the continuation also by Mark Waid in the 2014 Daredevil run

https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Daredevil-2014

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