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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years

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MAD AT GOD - MATT MURDOCK

season 2b - what a time

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

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Word Count: 4,608

Summary: Peace didn’t last long as an odd case lures Matt back in. Following right behind him as always, Y/N ends up drawn in as well. But who are they really up against?

The next morning, Matt was up before you as usual. You were still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you left the bedroom, only to find him throwing the med kit across the room.

“Goddammit.” He mumbled. “Goddammit!”

“It was one time.” You reasoned as you stepped closer and put your hands on his shoulders, feeling the tension in his muscles relax slightly. “Neither of us were gonna let those kids get hurt.”

“Y/N, we weren’t supposed to do it again.” He sighed, straightening up and trying to push past you. “We’re not them anymore!”

“Hey.” You stepped in front of him and put hands on his chest to stop him, which earned you a slight glare of annoyance. “Don’t do that, alright? I don’t regret what we did last night. Neither should you.”

“We stopped for a reason.”

“But we can’t stop being who we are. What we did as Exodus and Daredevil got Fisk. What I did as Y/N almost had Frank off the hook and what you’ve been doing as Matt is helping people like Aaron James.”

“You’ve been waiting for an excuse, haven’t you?” He scoffed and raised his brows expectantly.

“First of all, I don’t need an excuse. If I want to put my mask on again, I can. And I don’t need your permission.” You answered firmly. “Second, you were the one that dragged me into that alley fight. You didn’t hesitate. Not once.”

He scoffed slightly.

“Matt, those kids needed help! No one else was around. If we hadn’t stepped in, they would’ve been shot dead in that alley over a stupid TV. We saved them, alright? It was a good thing we did.”

“We weren’t supposed to do this.” He sighed and leaned his forehead down to rest on yours.

“I know…” Your eyes closed as you answered gently, taking in some of his warm stress and anger. “But it was just this one time. Just once.”

“Just once.”

“As long as the suits stay locked away, we didn’t break any promises, okay?”

“Okay.” He smiled softly. “Thank you.”

“For what? Not letting you make a big deal over a couple punches?” You joked and wrapped your arms over his shoulders.

“For being there.” He clarified with a chuckle as he rested his hands on your arms, turning his head to leave a soft kiss against the crook of your elbow. “Last night and right now.. I don’t know what I'd do without you.”

“Probably something stupid.” You grinned and he laughed. “It's your usual go to.”

“Hilarious.” He smiled as his phone announced Foggy was calling.

You two met Foggy down at Josie’s and for a few minutes, it almost felt like old times. You three chatted about life and were catching up when Foggy made a comment on Matt’s knuckles. You had left your own to heal naturally, but made sure to keep them out of sight since Foggy didn’t know your own secret.

“That why you called? To see if I’d done anything stupid?” Matt commented as he stood and put his jacket on to leave.

“Sit down.” You sighed and tugged his hand, to which he pulled away roughly.

“It’s not stupid. I know you’re trying.” Foggy tried, though Matt didn’t care.

“Earth shook, Foggy. Cops weren’t coming.”

As Matt tried to walk past, you grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. He sighed loudly but you grabbed his arm tighter and pushed a heat of anger the hand you had on his sleeve until he made a noise of discomfort. You cleared your throat as you glared at him and he huffed before settling next to you.

“He didn’t do anything.” You explained, lying through your teeth. “Last night, before all of that, I took him to Fogwell’s. I kept instigating him and we took it too far.” You showed Foggy the back of your own hands.

Your friend sighed as he looked at your knuckles. He turned back to your face and you could see the uncertainty in his eyes but you put on your most convincing face.

“Whatever you’re doing, I’m not gonna judge.” He said finally.

“Excuse me?” You said with wide eyes when you realized it didn’t work and Matt chuckled beside you as he threw an arm over your shoulder.

Usually you were a great liar, even when you told shitty ones.

“But I think I can help you guys through it. I came to offer you two something. These are some case files for stuff that I’m too busy to handle right now.” Foggy explained as he pulled a small stack of folders from his bag.

“Mr. Big Time doesn’t have for the little guy anymore?” You teased gently.

“C’mon, I don’t need your charity.” Matt groaned and you elbowed him slightly.

“This isn’t that! I’m outsourcing to two of the best lawyers I know.”

“Fog, I don’t do lawyer stuff anymore.” You said simply as you flipped through the files.

“You were one of the smartest people in our class but you expect me to believe that you just gave it up to work for a security company?” He teased. “Not even the FBI. But a security company. I don’t buy it, Y/N/N.”

“Yeah, well you don’t have to.. You outsourcing the kind of stuff he’s doing anyway?” You nodded to Matt.

“Yeah, it ranges from petty bullshit to life-changing kind of important. There’s malpractice, worker’s comp. Y’know, good people that need justice.”

“It’ll keep you busy.” You tilted your head back to look at Matt. “And you’d still be a hero. Just a different kind.”

He scoffed lightly and you could see he wanted to comment on your use of that word, but he said nothing since Foggy was there.

“I know it’s not a solution, not long term anyway.” Foggy continued as Matt came and sat back in his seat. You leaned your chin on his shoulder and snaked your arm around his. “But it’s the best I got right now.”

“And if it doesn’t work?” Matt asked genuinely.

“Then at least we tried… And maybe we can get Y/N back in the game.”

You and Matt laughed and it really felt like old times then.

You three stayed a while longer, talking and drinking and laughing. It wasn’t until Foggy got called back for work that you all separated.

“What’s bothering you?” Matt asked as you two walked the streets back to your apartment, his arm over your shoulders and the other guiding his cane across the sidewalk while your arms hugged the files to your chest.

“Huh?” Your head snapped up from the sidewalk and he chuckled softly.

“What’s wrong?” He repeated with a gentle smile. “You’ve been quiet since we left Josie’s.”

“I’m a pretty good liar, right?” Your brows furrowed and it made him laugh again. “I’m serious!”

“You are. You’re a good liar, yeah.” He laughed and you smacked his chest. “You don’t really have a tell so I can’t tell the difference most of the time.”

“Then why didn’t Foggy believe me?”

“You probably just used your abilities more subconsciously than you realized so now it’s a little different.”

You frowned slightly with a small huff.

“Don’t give me that face.” He sighed and using the hand that was over your shoulders, he gave your face a gentle squeeze. “It’s not a big deal, sweetheart. He’s not gonna figure anything out.”

“It’s not that. If he figures it out, he figures it out. I’m not worried about that. I just… Nevermind.”

“No. Don’t do that… Talk to me, c’mon.”

“You wouldn’t get it, Matt, alright? Can we drop it?”

“Hey.” He sighed and pulled you to stop. “I’m listening, okay? Why is it so important that you can lie?”

He spoke so softly, so genuinely, that you found it hard to tell him no.

“I’ve been lying my whole life, right? To everyone. It’s how I survived.” You explained carefully and Matt nodded along. “But a lot of girls I knew didn’t because they couldn’t lie.”

“You think something’s gonna happen?”

“I wouldn’t exactly be surprised… We have terrible luck.”

“Yeah, we do.” He chuckled slightly before replacing his arm, pulling you to walk with him. “Anything that comes for you comes for me too, okay? You’re not alone anymore. Even if you can’t lie your way out of it, which you know you can, I’m not leaving you to deal with anything by yourself.”

“I won’t let my problems take you down.”

“You’re gonna have to kill me to stop me.”

“You forget that I’ve almost done it before.”

“I knew you weren’t gonna.” He said proudly.

“The whole time you were just calling my bluff?” Your jaw dropped.

“Even when you swore you were cold and ruthless, I knew you had a heart.” He teased and you smacked his chest, which got him to laugh. “Yeah, love you too, Y/N.”

You got the call from Foggy just as you two were hitting your apartment building. He told you he’d buy you lunch for a week if you and Matt went to talk to someone who he swore ‘could use the two best lawyers he knew’. Reluctantly, you agreed so you led Matt to the precinct so you could meet with her.

“Please stop talking.” You announced as you and Matt entered the small room. “Jessica Jones, we’re your attorneys. Detective, please leave us to confer with our client.”

The detective huffed slightly before pushing past and out of the room, leaving you and Matt with Jessica.

There was an annoyance radiating off her that she wasn’t trying to hide. But there was also impatience, maybe a bit of fear. Whatever happened, she had no idea why and who did it and maybe that uncertainty was what scared her.

“You two public defenders?” She asked as you two took your seats across from her.

“Hardly.” You snorted. “We were recommended by a friend that works with-“

“Let me guess. Jeri Hogarth.” She rolled her eyes.

“Right.” Matt nodded.

“I didn’t know she did diversity hires.”

“We’re independent, actually. We don’t work for her firm.”

“Well I’m not paying you.”

“Can’t imagine you could.” You commented, earning a grind of her teeth and a glare that made you smirk. “Considering Alias Investigations has stuck its head in the sand after your riveting appearance in headlines across New York.”

“What the hell did you just say?”

“Oh, I think you heard me, Ms. Jones..”

“What my partner means.” Matt said firmly so you let out a loud sigh and leaned back in your chair. “Is you don’t have to.”

“Why? Hogarth will foot the bill?”

“Yeah. And I’m Catholic. I have a soft spot for hopeless causes.” He joked which made you chuckle softly.

“Explains her.” She nodded to you.

“I’m not the prime suspect in a murder case, am I?” You answered with a tight smile.

“Ms. Jones, may I ask how long you’ve been a PI?” Matt tried to change the subject.

“No.”

“Are you always this rude to people trying to help you?” Your brows raised.

“I think I’m gonna find my own lawyer. Thanks.”

“Okay.” Matt nodded and closed his folder. “But in reality, you don’t need one. The NYPD doesn’t have anything to hold you on, despite the mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“So I can walk?”

“Your home office is still an active crime scene and you’ll need to be available for follow-up questioning.”

“So don’t leave town. Yeah, I know the drill.” She cut in and it was your turn to grind your teeth.

“She cuts me off again, I'm punching her in the mouth.” You mumbled under your breath, earning yourself a discreet kick under the table from Matt.

“We read your file. We know who you are, what you can do.” Matt told her, leaning in to speak quieter. “Legally, yknow, if there’s something not ordinary about this case, it would stay between us.”

“What part of ‘I know the drill’ did you not understand?”

“I know you’re pissed off, Jessica.” You said finally.

“Nothing happened.”

“I know you’re a little bit scared because you don’t know why whatever happened in your apartment happened. You’re annoyed that we’re here. And there’s something that you’re very interested in but refuse to say. But I'm telling you, in more ways than one, we are the best allies you could have for whatever angle you’ve got.”

“Nothing. Happened.”

“Then I guess you’re free to go.” You shrugged before she stormed out of the room, practically leaving a trail of angry smoke behind.

“That could’ve gone better.” You mumbled as you and Matt were leaving. “Foggy’s gonna owe me more than a week's worth of lunch for that.”

“She knows something.” Matt explained after a minute of silence, clearly listening to something.

“Who cares?” You shrugged. “She doesn’t want to talk. Let her be the cops’ problem.”

“Whatever this is, I don’t think the cops can handle it.”

“Matt, don’t. You go down that road again and it’s gonna go bad somewhere along the way.”

“I just think-“

“We agreed we were done. We slipped up the other night, but those kids needed us. We dealt with that and you had an entire moment of crisis about it. Jessica Jones is a grown woman who can clearly defend herself and doesn’t need or even want us around. Let it go.”

“Then why'd you read her like that? If you didn’t want to get involved with anything outside the case, why read her?”

“It was practically plastered on her forehead.” You reasoned, though you were a bit curious as to what really happened. “Matty, if she wanted our help, I’d say we look into it a little bit more. But she doesn’t. So let’s not”

“If you didn’t pick a fight with her as soon as we walked in, maybe-“

“Nuh-uh!” You cut in. “She was closed off and irritated before we even walked in. Don’t blame me because she’s a grouch.”

“You didn’t help it by instigating.”

“Does it really matter? We both have work tomorrow anyways so let’s just give it a rest. At least for tonight. Please.”

The next day, you and Matt were getting ready for work.

“Did you want me to bring lunch by today?” You asked as you were tying his tie. “I’m only supposed to be running a couple short training groups today, so I’m pretty sure Billy won’t care if I leave early.”

“Uh, maybe. Depends how long this client meeting takes.” He answered, though there was something underlying in his voice.

You hummed slightly and tightened the knot a bit harder than you needed to, earning a small groan from him.

“This isn’t about Jessica Jones again, is it?”

“Y/N..” He tried.

“Nope. I’m not doing this.” You shook your head and put your hands up in surrender as you headed to the bedroom for your shoes. “I don’t want to be involved in whatever Jessica is dealing with.”

“There’s something else going on. If I can find out what it is…”

“Now who wants an excuse for that suit, hmm?” You said as you passed him. “I’ll see you after work then.”

You tried to get through your day as normal as possible. You met with Billy first to get the day’s schedule as usual, but as he explained what the groups were and what the exercises were going to be, your focus drifted elsewhere. You were worried Matt’s newest obsession with whatever Jessica Jones was involved in was going to suck him and you back into the life you left behind.

The life you both locked in a case and weren’t supposed to touch again.

But still, there was that part of you that was itching for something to fight for. Something bigger than training Anvil’s new hires. Something that put your training to good use. And that part kept screaming that whatever was happening now was connected to that lingering darkness that hit you like a truck only a handful of weeks prior.

Work went by in a blur. When you were giving Billy the rundown of how everything went, you were seventy percent sure you were making it up. You couldn’t remember how anything went. Your mind was definitely elsewhere.

“You sure you’re alright?” Billy insisted gently. “Wanna grab a drink? Might take your mind off it.”

“Sorry, I’m- Yeah, everything’s fine. Just a weird day, I guess… Rain check on that drink though. I should just get home, see if Matt’s back yet.”

“Y’know, when are you gonna let me meet this Matt you keep talking about?”

“No, I don’t think he’d like you very much.”

“What?” He laughed slightly. “Don’t think I’m charming enough?”

“Too charming, actually.” You smiled with a small shrug. “He might think you’ve been trying to make a move on me this whole time.”

“I see.. That obvious, huh?”

“Yeah, my blind boyfriend could put it together.” You laughed. “See you tomorrow.”

When you got home, you found the doorknob was slightly oily, like someone with a wet or clammy hand opened it. Your fingers slipped into your bag and pulled your switchblade. As you crept through the doorway, you turned the notch and opened the blade.

“Put that little thing away.” A familiar voice called from the living room. “You wouldn’t stab an amputee, would you?”

“I used to beat the shit out of a blind guy for kicks. I’m not really the one with any moral high ground.” You sighed and dropped your stuff on the table. “You’re missing a hand.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“What do you want, Stick?”

“Matty’s gotten himself in deep shit. They need our help.”

“Sorry. They?” You went to pull a beer from the fridge. “Beer?”

“Just come with me. And bring those little buzzers of yours.”

You sighed as you popped the cap off your drink.

“We told our friends we wouldn’t do that anymore.” You said honestly.

“Well if you don’t, all of New York is gonna pay. You think that ‘quake’ was an accident?”

“Are people gonna die if we sit this out?” You asked carefully.

You should say no. You knew it. You knew you should tell Stick to get out, to call someone else. You were supposed to live a normal life.

But Exodus was normal for you.

“Listen close, girl. People are already dying because of this.” He answered flatly. “You can either get off your ass and try to stop it. Or you sit there and let it happen.”

“I hate you.” You groaned and slammed your bottle down. “You’re bringing me because I won’t hesitate to pull a trigger, huh?”

“These people won’t stop. You know that.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Hand.”

“What?” Your body went cold with the memory of Elektra dying at your feet.

“I’ll tell you more on the way.”

You pushed past him and went to the door that hid your suits, trying to clear the red tint that was clouding your vision. All logic went out the window when Stick told

you who you would be up against and all you could think was revenge. Wiping them out completely, though it wouldn’t bring Elektra back. But it might make you feel better, like there wasn’t something unfinished.

You slid Matt’s case aside - deciding you weren’t going to make the decision of his suit for him - and opened your own, seeing your suit staring back at you for the first time in months since you washed the blood out of it. The first thing you grabbed were your Bites, setting them in your lap before you pulled your top.

Then your mask slipped from the fabric and landed in your lap as you were tucking a gun to your waistband.

You thought about leaving it. You wouldn’t need it anyway. You didn’t need to hide this time.

But it had very helpful features…

You shoved it in your pocket and threw your top on before slipping a knife under the cuff. You grabbed your Bites and kicked the case back into the closet. You slammed the lock shut and turned to face the old man.

“Can you promise me one thing?” You asked.

“We don’t have time for this.”

“Just- Stick, c’mon. Please.”

He groaned but turned to you expectantly.

“If it gets to a situation where it’s me or Matt. I need you to make sure he gets through it.”

“Kid, you know it’s gonna kill him if something happens to you.”

“I know you care about him in whatever way.” You continued and gestured for Stick to lead the way. “I just need to know you’ll look out for him first, no matter what happens to me or anyone else.”

He sighed heavily as you two left your apartment.

“I’ll do what I can to make sure Matty gets through this.”

“Thank you.”

“But don’t try to get yourself killed. He doesn’t need both of the women he’s loved dying in front of him.”

You had no idea where you were going or what the hell Matt got himself into. But the second you had a minute to get him alone, you were going to tear into him. For running towards something you told him to leave alone. For doing it without you. For not trying to call or get a hold of you.

Despite that, every step you took behind Stick felt like something digging into your chest. There was something you were walking into, something other than another fight against the Hand. It was easy to tell, especially since you could feel a growing tension among a small group - maybe four people.

And there was something important Stick wasn’t telling you.

Stick told you to go in first and diffuse the situation while he kept a lookout. He said you’d need everyone to win this fight and you were the ‘most qualified’ to get everyone on the same page, meaning he wanted you to use your powers and calm everyone down. You let out a deep breath before going in.

You snuck in through the back door of the restaurant after fitting your Bites to your wrists. You hung your mask off your neck and folded your hands behind your back as you made your way into the main room.

“You wanna take your hand off my shoulder?” Matt said tightly.

“Take off the mask.”

You surveyed the group quickly.

Jessica Jones. A scrawny white boy, radiating a false sense of bravado and confidence. A taller, broad shouldered man who you vaguely recognized from a story in Harlem. And Matt.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Jessica groaned when she made eye contact with you.

“Thanks for the invite.” You smiled, earning quick head turns from the other two men. “Get your hand off him.”

“Or what?” His brows raised. Getting a better look at him, you knew why he stood out for you.

Unbreakable skin.

“Or you’re not going to like what I do next.”

“Try me.”

“I can be very resourceful.” You said carefully as the other man stood, still chewing a mouthful of food though he put his hands out as if he was going to say something to you.

“Sit down.” You said firmly and pointed to his seat. He sat almost instantly with wide eyes.

“Counselors. A word?” She asked with a short eye roll.

You moved around the table and Jessica followed, though you made a point to step between Matt and the other man to shove his hand off and offer a warning glare.

“How did you find us?” Matt asked as you two stepped to the side with Jessica.

You thought about the old man you left outside but decided against mentioning him.

“You’re not exactly hard for me to find.” You said instead. “What did you get yourself into?”

“It’s the Hand.” He sighed heavily and reached for your arm, pausing when he felt the protective material. “What? You just came ready to fight?”

“Considering you were supposed to be home already, I had a feeling you got yourself into something stupid.”

“Y/N, we can’t do this again.”

“They don’t stand a chance without us.” You said honestly. “We’ve gone against them before. I think our friends would understand.”

“So it is you two.” Jessica said simply, a proud smirk on her face. “I know who you guys are.”

“What?” Your brows furrowed.

“Exodus.” She used a finger to tug your mask slightly, earning an annoyed smack of her hand. “And the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Whatever you’re insinuating about us-“

“I’m not an idiot, alright? I can put two and two together. Besides, you leaping around the city like a Russian gymnast didn’t exactly help.”

“You did what?” You turned towards Matt. “You’re gonna tell me you didn’t know she was tailing you?”

“You don’t have any proof.” Matt said instead.

“I did.”

“What?” Your brows raised.

“He smashed it.”

“Ты, должно быть, шутишь.” You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. (You’ve gotta be kidding me.)

“Listen, I’m not threatening either of you. But they saw him fight, how he’s covering his face. They’re two seconds away from putting it together.”

“You really think they’re that perceptive?” You looked to the two men, one stuffing his face and the other just watching with gross interest.

“At least one of ‘em.” She nodded. “I want zero to do with this ancient organization, alright? I just want to crack my case… Judging by the way you’re dressed-“ She gestured to your mask. “-and the way you sprang into action, I’d say you two want the same thing.”

Jessica stepped back to the group while you waited with Matt for a second, feeling his hesitation grow.

“I’m with you, whatever you wanna do.” You offered, reaching for his hand. He wrapped his fingers around yours but you felt him graze the gauntlets on your wrists. “But I know they need us.”

“You want to do this, don’t you?” He asked gently.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. I still hate the Hand, with everything I have in me. I want to put a bullet in each and every one of them. I want revenge, Matt. But it’s more than that.”

“What happened? Did they come after you?”

“No, I just… I felt something, someone a couple months ago. You remember when I got kinda weird and quiet? And then earlier today, something just didn’t feel right… I can’t ignore the feeling they’re connected.”

He sighed but nodded, pulling the scarf off. You shook your hand free from his and gently placed it on his cheek and he closed his eyes as he leaned into your touch. His hands slid under the fabric of your open top and rested against your lower back while he leaned down and kissed your cheek. Gently, he pressed against you and brought you two back over to the group.

“My name is Matthew.” He said simply as he handed Jessica back her scarf.

You glanced around the group, taking in the expectant stares. You sighed to yourself as your brain habitually was shoving ‘Exodus’ to the forefront. Out of instinct, you knew you didn’t owe these people the truth. You could make up any name you wanted. You could be anyone you wanted to be. But realistically, you knew you didn’t need to be anyone other than yourself. Your fight wasn’t for anyone other than yourself.

“Y/N.” You said finally.

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petertingle-yipyip · 2 years

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MAD AT GOD - MATT MURDOCK

season 2b - she

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

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Word Count: 5,420

Summary: Love and lost, life and death. There seems to be no line between the two anymore as the Hand’s newest plans unfold.

Luke and Danny were already waiting for you guys and the tension was thick in the room. Matt moved across the room and flicked his club, wrapping the wire around Sowande’s neck. You hummed slightly and stood behind the man’s chair, tilting him backwards to put more tension on Matt’s wire.

“I’m gonna make this real simple.” Matt said calmly as he stepped closer. “You’re gonna answer our questions or shit’s gonna get real dark in here.”

“Trust me when I tell you that we are the last ones in this room that you wanna piss off.” You warned, shoving his chair upright and waking your Bite.

“What do they call you? The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.” Sowande choked out. “Even if you could kill me, it wouldn’t make a difference.”

“If?” Your head tilted and you lifted your Bite, vaguely pressing it against his neck. The red glow bounced off his skin and he shifted uncomfortably, feeling the threatening buzz of your device. “You underestimate what I’m capable of. Or what I’m willing to do.”

“Cut off a finger, you can still use your hand. We will win. We have our armies.” He continued. “We have our weapon.”

“Funny you should mention that.” You sneered, switching your Bite for your knife with practiced ease as Matt yanked his wire tighter. You moved to the side and glided the tip of your blade across the back of his hand, following the grooves of his knuckles. “What did you do to her?”

“What did you do to Elektra?” Matt asked angrily.

“Elektra?” Sowande mocked and you ground

your teeth before pressing your blade down and watching it bury itself between the main joint of his ring finger.

“You dug up her grave. And what did you turn her into?”

“The body you knew was merely a vessel, waiting for its purpose. She’s ours now.”

“Then why are we alive?” You asked through tight teeth, twisting the blade and feeling the tension as the tendons tried to keep the finger in place. “Hmm? If she’s just your vessel, why hasn’t she killed me yet?”

“Twice she could’ve taken my life. Coulda taken hers once, too. But she hasn’t… Why do you think that is?” Matt continued.

“Maybe your weapon is defective.” You continued.

“Then she will be destroyed.”

With that, something in Matt reignited. You felt that hot wave of anger radiate off him, reminding you of when you first came back to New York and stood against the Man in the Mask. You stole a glance at him while forcing your blade all the way through and found that was who you saw before you.

The masked man who was angry, who needed someone to hit. He needed someone to stand against.

“Elektra died on a rooftop in your arms because you couldn’t protect her.”

You yanked your knife back instantly and watched the severed finger fall off the armrest with a stream of blood trickling behind before Matt threw Sowande to the floor. Matt stormed away and you pulled your mask down as you tucked away the bloodied weapon and moved to stand beside him. He threw off his gloves and paced slightly, pushing your hand away when you reached for him.

“Matt.” You said firmly and blocked his steps. He groaned loudly but still kept his hands out of your reach.

“Don’t.” He said with a shake of his head.

“We need to tell them.” You spoke gently, letting yourself burn by taking in his anger as he took off his helmet. You swallowed the wince and kept trying. “They’re staring. And they’re getting anxious.”

He let out a deep breath and nodded, putting a hand on your arm and gently placing a kiss on the top of your head.

“You’re hot.” He commented with a furrow of his brow.

“Yeah, well, you don’t listen to me when you’re pissed off.” You shrugged. “Sorry..”

“You don’t have to do this for me.”

“Little for you. Little for them…”

“I love you.” He sighed, clearly drained of his anger and replaced with something gentler.

“I love you, too… Want me to start?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

You turned to the trio, who were all staring at you and Matt expectantly.

“Her name is Elektra. Stick raised her. Trained her to fight the Hand, same as he did for Matt.” You began easily, waving a hand as you spoke in hopes of clearing some of the tension.

“He train you too?” Danny asked.

“No, someone worse.” You nodded, opening your mouth to keep going but Danny cut you off.

“That’s not an answer! How are we supposed to trust you when you still keep secrets?”

“You don’t. You're not supposed to trust me and try to be best friends.” You snapped. “Because trusting me will get you killed. That’s what happened to El. She trusted me. She fought beside me. And she died at my feet.”

“The Hand convinced themselves she could serve another purpose and killed her.” Matt stepped in, putting a hand on your back for comfort.

“She looked pretty alive back there.” Jessica cut in, though there was a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

“I know, but I was there when they..”

“Nobu was going to kill me. I hesitated - just for a second but I did - and she jumped in front.” You spoke slowly, careful to not let yourself break. “And I killed Nobu for it. Again.. But for real.”

“Elektra died.” Stick agreed. “That thing we've been fighting, it’s something else.”

“She was resurrected.” Danny spoke as if an epiphany.

“Yeah, no shit.” You scoffed.

“You expect me to believe that? What’s next? Werewolves?”

“Werewolves are real.” You nodded and Jessica gave you a disbelieving look. You simply shrugged. “His name was Jack.”

“Jack?”

“Jack Russell.” You nodded and she scoffed. “Sweet guy. Kind of an airhead.”

“Well next time I stop by the pound, I’ll ask your little terrier friend about that.”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Danny pressed as Luke was still stuck on the resurrection part.

“Это никуда не денется. Они не понимают.” You mumbled and wiped a hand down your face while they argued about whether it was right to try and help Elektra. (This is going nowhere. They don’t understand.)

You wanted to side with Matt, to try and bring back your friend. But she didn’t care for you. She faulted you for her death, and you accepted she was right. You knew, from the moment she put the blame on you, that she wouldn’t spare you. Her mind wouldn’t change, which unfortunately meant she wouldn’t hesitate the next time she came against you.

And sadly, that meant you couldn’t either.

Both Stick and Matt were right. The thing you were fighting wasn’t Elektra Natchios. But she wasn’t completely gone either.

You stepped away from the bickering just in time to see Sowande push himself up and grab Danny, hooking an arm around his throat as the ropes fell away.

“Are you serious?” You yelled in annoyance, more embarrassed that Danny would get himself captured so easily in your own little hideout. You drew your gun quickly and aimed it at your adversary’s head.

“Let’s not kid each other.. This is personal for every one of us.” Sowande spoke simply. “But now I have the Iron Fist. The key to what the Hand seeks.”

“Yeah? How you gonna get him out of here?”

“You cannot beat me. The war is over.”

You shifted the aim of your gun to Danny and you watched the panic cross his features.

“Not if you lose the key.” You spoke calmly, watching Sowande tighten his grip on Danny.

You tilted your wrist so your aim was just above Danny’s head and fired the shot. The man turned in a hurry, walking right into Stick’s sword and losing his head.

“Are you insane?” Danny yelled as he clambered to his feet.

You rolled your eyes and tucked your gun away.

“I’m talking to you!” He yelled again, grabbing your arm and yanking you to face him.

“If you want to keep that hand, I suggest you let go of me.” You warned as your fingers twitched, begging for a weapon to grab. “Be happy you’re alive, alright?”

“She’s right. Let her go.” Stick added calmly. “Her quick thinking just saved your ass.”

You yanked your arm free and shoved Danny by his chest. Matt pushed between Luke and Jessica to get to you. He gave your arm a quick feel, probably checking for any sort of bruise, before you turned back to the conversation and Matt’s arm came over your shoulder.

It was a simple gesture but its intention reverberated through you. It was meant to keep you close, for one, but also to show that he would protect you. That he would choose you over the rest of the team. And you found comfort in that.

“We can’t trust a word he said.”

“God, you’re naive.” You groaned. “The most basic tenet of war is ‘know your enemy’. And you can’t even do that?”

“I know them better than you do!”

“But you’re not listening to anything! The Hand is so arrogant that they have no reason to lie! Look, from what I’ve gathered from Stick’s history lessons, is that the Iron Fist is meant to lead an army against the Hand. Right?”

Stick hummed in agreement.

“Well, any one of us would be a better leader than he is.” You laughed. “He doesn’t know how to lead anyone, let alone an army. He just got his ass snatched in his own hideout. Is that the man you want to follow into war?”

“You think you’re better than me?”

“I think we both know the answer to that. I’d rather follow Stick than you. Besides, Matt and I could-“

“I bet you think you could control this power too, huh?” He flashed his glowing fist at you as he took a step closer.

“I don’t even think I’m worth my own powers. You really think I want your little glow stick for a hand?” You lifted your head and stared him down. Though you made no move closer, you began collecting a small heat in the palm of your hand, finger curling and twitching to spin the sensation into a ball. “What I’m saying is that you’re inexperienced. You’re naive. You’re an idiot. When people think they’ve won, they get prideful. They gloat and try to rub it in. Just because he’s at the top of the Hand, doesn’t mean he’s above basic human tendencies. He wasn’t lying. And if you knew anything about people and their habits, you would know that.”

“The way I see it, we only have one move.” Matt added with a small shrug.

“To keep the Iron Fist as far away from them as possible.” Stick explained as he moved behind Danny.

You slipped out from under Matt’s arm and stepped behind the crowd. You moved slowly to your left and put yourself between Stick and Danny, quickly pulling a staff as Danny looked around the group in a panic as they slowly circled him. He tried reasoning with them, tried to convince them it was just the Hand trying to get them to turn on each other.

Hell, maybe that was true. But Danny getting defensive didn’t help his case. Besides, keeping Danny in one place - a place only your small team would know to be - would be the best way to keep him out of the Hand’s reach. At least until you had a real plan for an offensive strike.

He went to leave but Matt stepped in front of him. Your brows raised when he shoved Matt and you stepped behind him. Jessica saw your movement, reaching for Luke and pulling him a couple steps back. You gave a small nod in thanks, to which she gave a lazy shrug, and you spun your staff in your hand while you waited for Danny’s next move. You listened to the various voices trying to get Danny to settle, to go along with your group’s plan, but he refused.

You stayed out of it until he punched Matt in the face.

You let out a small scoff before Matt fought back, backing Danny up and shoving him to the ground. When Danny came up, you moved in from behind. You hooked your staff around his throat and slipped one foot between his legs. You yanked to the side and brought him to his knees as you leaned back to press your weapon against his throat. Danny rolled forward to throw you over his shoulder, ending with you pinned to your back and your own staff against your throat.

You laughed slightly at the weak pressure he applied as Matt came from the side, shoulder checking Danny off you before getting you to your feet. You tucked away your staff and went after Danny again, now determined to put him on his ass.

You threw hard punches at him, growing more and more annoyed as he deflected them. You made a noise of annoyance before you landed a solid front kick to his chest that sent him to the floor. He rolled through it so you kicked at his head again but he leaned back. Once your foot landed, you pivoted to throw a kick with the other foot and clipped his jaw with the toe of your boot. He reached over and grabbed your other foot, yanking it from under you so you fell to your side. He kicked you to your stomach and knelt on top of you, pulling an arm behind you. You groaned slightly before firing a quick shot from your Bite and feeling him let go.

Luke pulled you to your feet as Matt took over the fight. You spun your arm in a quick circle before finding Matt, seeing him throw Danny into an acrobatic flip. You got to his side quickly to move in again but Jessica stood in front of you both, forcing you to stop. Danny threw her aside and kicked out at Matt’s chest.

You sidestepped the punch he threw at you and swung your leg for a sharp roundhouse that dropped him. You helped Matt up and turned in time to see Danny lifting his glowing fist. The impact of him hitting Luke ricocheted around the room and threw all of you around the room, your impact knocking the air from your lungs. Matt placed his hands on either side of his head, wincing and covering his ears, but you managed to crawl across the floor and set up beside him. You put one hand on his shoulder and the other raised with your Bite lit up with as strong a no lethal jolt the device could have. You fired it at Danny’s back as he stood, causing him to cry out and fall to his knees. Jessica came over quickly and landed a devastating blow that knocked him out.

Luke came and gathered Danny’s limp body, following Matt and Stick to another room. You waited a moment for the burning heat across your body to settle. You thumped your fist against the ground, knuckles bouncing off the cold concrete. You watched the impact create little sparks and leave a scorned mark on the surface, slight indents matching the shape of your fist. When your gloves left small red blotches of blood against the stone and you felt no more heat in the movement, you followed behind and joined your ragtag team. You went in quietly and stood beside Matt, but he reached over to tap your arm and acknowledge your entrance. His head cocked - likely picking up the scent of blood on your tender hand, maybe even a bit of burnt flesh from the heat of your anger - Stick spoke again.

“Matty, you ever go back to that place?” Stick asked him.

“Go back? Wait, have you been there before?” Jessica turned on him.

“Yeah. Last year when I was investigating the Hand, the trail led me to a construction site, which is now Midland Circle.” He explained as you peeled off your now sticky glove to see how bad your knuckles were.

“I don’t remember that.” You said honestly as you examined the irritated and bloody skin. “Was I with you that night?”

“Yeah, sorta.. You didn’t stay.”

“When was it?” You looked over to him.

“After Tepper’s testimony, I think.”

“Oh, was that when I..” You made a vague gesture of throwing something.

“Yeah.”

“And then I..” You gestured to him.

“Mhmm.”

“What did you find?” You fit your glove back on.

“There was a hole, hundreds of feet deep.”

“In the middle of New York?” Luke asked in shock.

“And you’re just now remembering this?” Jessica scolded.

“You sense anything at the bottom of that hole?” Stick chimed in.

“I don’t think so. I kept tabs on it but once construction was finished, my sense was that the hole was gone.”

“You didn’t answer her question. Why didn’t you say anything about it sooner?” Luke urged.

“It wasn’t important.”

“Try again.” Jessica cut in.

“Jessica.” You warned and took a small step forward.

“What aren’t you telling us?” She asked again, slightly less aggressive than before.

“I was with Elektra.” Matt confessed with a small shrug.

“I know we should’ve said something about her sooner, alright? I didn’t know it was her until-“ You tried honestly, hoping taking responsibility would settle the growing tension.

“The next time you conveniently forget shit that affects the rest of us..” Jessica said firmly, stepping closer.

You sidestepped in front of Matt and held an arm out to her chest to stop her. She held your glare, neither of you willing to back down.

“You’re not exactly an open book yourself, Jessica.” Matt added from behind you.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She didn’t break eye contact.

“Well, no one’s digging into your past.”

“My past is none of your goddamn business and it’s not actively trying to kill us.”

“This is pointless.” You groaned and lifted both hands in surrender, moving back to stand beside Matt as Jessica stepped back in annoyance. “We need answers and fighting each other isn’t gonna get us anywhere.”

“If we need answers, going back to Midland Circle is the only play.” Luke added, helping you steer the conversation away from the tense accusations.

“We barely made it out last time, and they’re gonna be waiting for us.” Jessica countered.

“I can probably get in.” You offered. “I wasn’t with you guys last time and I’m pretty good at getting into places I’m not supposed to be.”

“No, you’re not going alone.” Matt said quickly.

“How are we supposed to find whatever he opens then?” Luke gestured to Danny.

“My client’s husband, the architect his girlfriend tried to kill.. He designed the building.” Jessica offered and you ground your teeth slightly.

You thought you could ignore it. You thought it was just old sparks for Elektra, some sort of fondness born out of the memories. But that, the lack of a rebuttal against calling her his girlfriend, made you open up and scope his feelings out. You found the love he had for Elektra, same as college and before she passed, was burning brightly and crawling its way to the surface. You dared to glance at him and found exactly what you were hoping not to find, a vague pink haze surrounding him that practically spelled out ‘Elektra’.

You tried to tell yourself that it was just residual, that it meant nothing. But of course, you weren’t convinced.

“You think he knows how Danny ties into it?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

“Okay, well I guess you three better get going.” Luke nodded.

“What about you?” Matt gestured to him.

“Somebody’s gotta stay and watch him. Preferably someone who can take a punch.”

“I’ll stay, too.” You offered. “They could come looking for him or Sowande. I probably have the best chance against Elektra out of all of us.”

“Y/N, I don’t think that’s-“

“It’s fine.” You cut in firmly and Matt frowned. “I’m gonna head to the apartment and get changed… Suit’s only comfortable for so long, yknow? Besides, I need to check myself out, make sure I’m all good.”

His brows furrowed but he nodded quietly. You, Matt, and Jessica headed to your apartment. You were quick to strip out of your suit and check yourself in the long bedroom mirror. You found your body littered in bruises, most didn’t hurt when you pressed them. There was a return of an old ache in your ribs and a split on your cheek and the edge of your hairline to go with the splits of your knuckles. Nothing was too much for you to continue fighting so you threw on a hoodie and jeans. Turning to leave the bedroom with your suit slung over your shoulder, you ran directly into Matt’s chest.

“Sorry.” You mumbled and went to step around him but his hand closed on your arm and pulled you back. “What?”

“You’re angry.” He said simply.

“Mhmm. Now let me go.”

“Not till you tell me why.”

“We don’t have time for this, Matt. We can talk about it later.”

“No, I’m-“ He sighed. “Look, I don’t care who’s waiting for us. I’m not gonna leave when you’re mad at me like this.”

“I’m not mad at you. I’m just generally annoyed with parts of this situation. Can we leave it at that? Please.”

“Y/N.” He gave you a stern look and you rolled your eyes. “You’re burning up and you expect me to just ignore it?”

“Do you still have feelings for Elektra?”

“What?”

“You’ve been really defensive about her.. You didn’t say anything when they called her your girlfriend. Multiple times. Just kinda makes me wonder.” You shrugged, leaving out the manifestation you saw earlier.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything, alright? You are the one I want to be with.”

“So if it comes to me or El - if we could end this for good - you’d let me kill Elektra?”

“Y/N.”

You hummed slightly and pushed his arm off. “That’s what I thought..”

“No, Y/N.” He groaned and reached for you again. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s easy to say you’re over someone when they’re dead. Seeing her again started something. You can try to lie or even pretend it’s not true but…” You put a hand over his heart, his other hand covering yours instantly. “What you feel doesn’t lie.”

“You know I love you.”

“Yeah and I love you… But you still love her. Just don’t let it get in my way when I go to finish it. I won't let you get in my way this time.”

You backed away slowly and headed out of the bedroom, moving to the bathroom instead. You tossed your suit into your trunk and moved into the room, rolling your sleeves to wash the dried blood from your hands and wrists. You were heading back out when you saw Matt kneeling at his own trunk, bible in hand.

He turned to you as he flipped the pages. You glanced down and noticed that the pages were empty. The usual piece of cardstock - a simple calligraphy piece from Elektra’s memorial - that was used as a bookmark was missing. You felt his silent question so you sighed and mumbled a small agreement. You kicked your trunk away roughly, a knife at the back of your belt and the retractable from Billy at your wrist, and made your way to the cemetery.

“Elektra Natchios.” You called as you saw her cloaked figure dusting the dried flowers off the gravestone. You had been meaning to replace those. “I always called you El.”

She stood slowly and stared in silence. But you saw her hands shifting with uncertainty.

“We always had a rough relationship but I loved you, all the same. And Matt... The three of us, we were by each other through a lot. We were all together when you died…”

Still, you were met with silence. But you felt the way she softened, ever so slightly. A mere fraction of a percent. But she did. And she softened for Matt.

“El, I never wanted you to lose your life because of me.” You confessed suddenly as you felt the incoming woman. “Me and him, either of us would’ve-“

“They call him the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.” Alexandra cut in and you rolled your eyes. “And in this past life, he let Elektra die.”

“That’s not true.” You countered angrily. “If her death was anyone's fault, it was mine. Daredevil had nothing to do with it.”

“She’s trying to deceive you, my child. She wants to turn you away from us. She comes from no place of loyalty. She knows nothing of the commitment we share.”

“I didn’t come here to fight, El. I came to talk. But she’s not going to let me do that. So I’ll leave you with this. When you were dying, you told us the Hand had nothing because you took it all away. You have the power to decide what side of this fight you want to be on.”

“Are you threatening her?”

“One more word from you and that flower stem is going through your eye.” You glared at Alexandra, who began spewing the yellow haze, before turning back to Elektra. But Elektra made no move, not to block you or protect Alexandra. “It’s not a threat. But when the time comes, I’ll see this fight through till the end.”

“You are nothing to her.” Alexandra called as you were turning to leave.

“Nothing?” You stopped and asked over your shoulder. “Then why didn’t she put her blade through my back? You have a choice to make, El. No one else can make it for you. Not me. Not her. Not even Daredevil. But if you choose to stand against us, I won’t hesitate the way he will.”

You hurried back to the building where you left Luke, Danny, and Stick. You stepped into the building seemingly unnoticed but your attention caught on Sowande’s body. You realized his head was missing and you were suddenly sent into a panic.

Instinctively, you reached over your shoulder but came up empty. You quickly remembered that you had left the rest of your weapons at home. You sighed to yourself and patted the knife at your back. You heard sharp coughs and heavy thuds so you hurried up to the other room where Danny was left tied up. Danny was calling for Luke and it sent a wave of adrenaline through your body.

Your first thought was who could beat the unbreakable man and did you really stand a chance.

You crashed into the room and found Luke collapsed, Stick moving to Danny, and Danny in a pure panic.

“There you are!” Stick exclaimed as he pushed himself

to stand, cutting his sword through a thick smoke that was slowly filling the room. “Help me out over here.”

“What are you doing?” You breathed out and followed behind him, though the familiar feeling of the Black Sky seemed to be growing closer.

“Y/N! Y/N, help me!” Danny cried.

“You were meant to be our weapon.” He turned to Danny and your hand snuck behind your back so your fingers could close around the handle of your knife. “But they made you theirs.. You served K’un-Lun as well as you could. With any luck, you’ll see it again.”

“Stick.” You stepped around and put yourself between him and Danny. “You can’t do this.”

“I wish there was another way. But there are things in this world far worse than me.”

“Shit!” You exclaimed and turned, grabbing the arms of Danny’s chair and pushing him to the far corner as Stick blocked Elektra’s sword.

The smoke from whatever Stick was burning wafted closer, filling your lungs and making you cough. You tried to shake the double vision while you lifted the collar of your sweater over your nose, blinking hard as Elektra drew closer to stop Stick from killing Danny. You flicked out the knife at your wrist and moved towards your former friend, sliding on the side of your leg and jamming the knife forward into her thigh. She cried out and swung her blade at you, forcing you to flatten yourself to the ground. You rolled out the way, twisting the blade in her muscle before you pushed yourself into a sloppy reverse tumble. She kicked at your chest and you fell quickly to your back, the smoke sliding up your nose as your sweater fell to its usual spot.

You heard Matt calling from down the hall just before he burst into the room. You coughed hard and tried to get up, but your arms collapsed so you shoved the knife back instead and wobbled to your knees. Elektra said his name softly as he helped you up, you holding on to him almost desperately to keep your balance. You could feel yourself losing consciousness as they shared a brief exchange. But even in your semi-lucid state, you could feel the soft admiration she had towards Matt.

Though that didn’t stop her from killing Stick.

Matt rushed her, leaving you to fall against the nearest wall, but she didn’t hold back and knocked him unconscious. Jessica tried next but she was bested easily. Luke managed to get up and tried but Elektra cleared him too. Leaving only you.

“You still… still have feelings for him.” You coughed but forced yourself to stand tall, pulling your blade from your belt. You let your anger flood your body, hoping it would burn the incense out of your lungs.

“So do you.” She said simply. “He’s not yours. You cannot take him from me.”

“You think he’d choose you after that?” You gestured to Stick.

She pointed her sword at you and the tip danced against the material of your sweater.

“We’ve been here before, El…” You held your hands up and backed away slowly. “You couldn’t do it then either. You do it now and you’ll definitely lose him.”

Her head tilted in curiosity.

“Mais je suppose qu'il vaut mieux mourir à l'épée d'un ami que à l'épée d'un ennemi.” You shrugged. “Lequel êtes-vous ?” (But I guess it’s better to die at the sword of a friend than the sword of an enemy. Which are you?)

She made a small hum and charged at you. She swung her blade in a long swipe aiming at your neck but you ducked it. You slid forward on a knee and swiped your blade at her stomach, only catching her long coat as she dodged. You planted a hand at the floor by your side and leaned into it so you could slam a sidekick to her chest, forcing her to trip over Luke’s unconscious body. You were quick to cover her, pinning her arms with either of your knees and flicking your retractable knife out to press against her throat. You were going to pull the blade and slice her throat - shocked to your core to find the true emptiness reflecting in her eyes when she looked at you - when she slammed her forehead against yours.

You fell to the side - your blade nicking under her jaw - and she grabbed you by the back of your neck, hauling you to your feet as she stood. You laughed slightly and reached back, dragging your blade quickly against the back of her hand so she dropped you. From there, you swung your leg and knocked her feet from under her. She was able to collect the closest blade to her and jammed it forward, able to pierce your leg with the tip. You pulled that leg away and slammed the other foot on top to pin it down. She reached over and grabbed your ankle, pulling it out from under you.

Your head bounced off the ground, hitting a relatively lifted crack in the concrete and you felt it split. You kicked out at Elektra while tucking your retractable away, connecting your heel with her nose and you heard a sick crack. But before you could land another attack, you were met with the same kick that knocked your head back and left you unconscious.

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