Matt Murdock

Dependent rp for starcityhq

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

onehellofalawyer​:

Foggy (unlike Matt) had no deep burning desire to battle the forces of evil unless it involved him wearing his fancy suit and standing in the middle of a courtroom. Hell, he’d been more than happy getting by as the DA in Star City, he was doing good and making a difference and then he just had to get nabbed by a freaky-ass space monster. Honestly, what were the chances? No one could ever have predicted something like this and they’d have to mad to… “Matthew Michael Murdock-” cause this deserved a middle name, “I swear to your favourite person God that if you’re trying to blame yourself for this I will pick up my fancy new sword and poke you in the unmentionables!”

Cause this was fate fucking with them and not even Matt’s legendary self-hatred got to use the whims to fate to inflate itself.

“Huh, well for once I get what it’s like when you come back from your shenanigans. Explains why you always seem so nervous.” he sighed and was quiet again for a few moments at Matt’s question, “Honestly? I have no idea. I think a fuck-tone of luck mostly. All the crap I’ve told you so far wasn’t even the craziest bit. Turns out I killed a Frost Giant. The bastard was the size of like three houses and I killed him… admittedly cause he fell on me the wrong way but a win’s a win right?” he laughed, that delirious edge still present, “Foggy Nelson: Slayer of Frost Giants, sounds like some game of thrones shit.”

“And that’s not even getting to the part where everyone was captured but me- oh yea, did I mention some guy named Black Knight and Colossus tagged along?”  

The fact that Foggy had been immediately able to figure out Matt’s feelings on the matter had been...well to be honest it wasn’t all that surprising. Foggy had always known Matt, better than he knew himself sometimes. Especially after everything with Fisk, and the Hand, and all the other foes they fought together. They struggled, they fought, they worked through it, and they came out of it all stronger than ever. And that...Matt wouldn’t change that for the world. He smirked, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t dream of it, buddy.”

As Matt listened, he couldn’t tell if God hated them or was on their side. It was a toss up. On one hand, he was lucky enough to survive all of that. On the other, he was unlucky enough to BE in that situation in the first place.

But it was Asgard. Different rules, there. God probably wasn’t even involved. “Foggy, I...there aren’t words, man. There aren’t words. I’m just glad you survived, man. That’s all that matters. Hell, man, since when did YOU get involved in the crazy shit? I thought that was my job.” He chuckled, although there was no humor in it. It was more...relief than anything else.

Those were names he hadn’t heard of, but he was determined to commit them to memory, make sure he investigated them. 

[illusorybutterfly]

When: Present Day Where: Star City - Back Alley With: Matt @devilxfhxllskxtchen

There were several very public figures within Star City whom Chou was certain could cause large difficulties to his drug trade, but given the chaotic nature of the space he was relying on other more obvious issues to attract their attention while he quietly built further influence across the streets with the aid of his new partner. 

Said partner had helpfully passed on pertinent information regarding an old enemy of himself and The Hand. While Chou had never been a hard member of the group their centuries long alliance had curious about one who may have played a part in despatching several Fingers in New York. All he knew though, was that this figure need not ‘see’ him in order to fight. The wording had left him curious but was enough to encourage Chou to forge his efforts elsewhere should a mysterious figure need dealing with. 

He was currently residing in an abandoned warehouse at the docks, several of his staff running through the city, delivering, running and selling his product. One such individual was several blocks away and currently pinned against an alley wall by an intimidating figure, babbling nervously. ‘H-Hey man- If the price is t-too high I can negotiate yea? Seriously I got you, no need to get crazy-’  

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

Ever since Matt had taken down the Hand in New York with their defeat at Midland Circle, Matt had tried to forget them. Tried to let their actions, what they did to him, to his city, escape from his mind. It had been...a lot to take. A lot to handle. A weight on his shoulders that he wasn’t entirely sure he’d tossed off just yet. 

All these thoughts running through his minded were interrupted by the sounds of a drug dealer looking through his stash. There had been a new dealer in the city since Matt arrived, a new player, and Matt was determined to get to the bottom of who it was and take them out. It had an eerie similarity to something he’d seen before, and it put him on edge. To say the least. He dropped down, grabbing the guy by the scruff of the neck. Immediately the guy began blabbing. Good. Matt could hear the fear in his heartbeat, and knew that it wouldn’t take much to get through to him.

“Shut up,” he growled, fist slamming into the nearby wall right next to the dealer’s head. “The drugs you’re dealing. Where do you get them from? Who’s your supplier? Where are they made? You better have some damn good answers because for every answer I don’t like I break a bone.”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

onehellofalawyer​:

Foggy sighed, honestly some parts of this story were so fantastical that even he wondered if they really happened. He reached into his pocket, looking through the pictures Frank had sent him and back at the sword he had propped against Matt’s wall, looking as if… well as if he’d looted it from some fantastical battleground. “I think I finally get it now… just a little bit anyway.”

He looked over at Matt and continued, “Why a lot of the time when I demand you tell me what you’ve been doing you clam up for a little bit. Are you thinking about how utterly batshit what you’ve gotta say sounds like and wonder if I’m gonna not believe you or straight up laugh in your face?” Cause that was what he was expecting.

He sighed ,“So there I was in cage and outta the blue Frank Castle turns up looking better than I possibly could, more jacked then the terminator with enough guns to mount a small castle siege. I got eaten by the big shark-thing and Castle blew it up to get me out. you even been covered in monster guts Matty?” he laughed, the sound a little delirious, “Cause I have… several times. Always way too warm.”

“I wanted to come back home straight after, I thought Castle was bringing me home but, turns out he wanted me along for the ride. So we got into his van, which by the way he’d sup’d up for space travel with some Asgardian crap and a goat that apparently belonged to Thor? And we were to kill some evil Frost Giants.”

If Matt had to guess which of the two of them would get grabbed by Frank Castle for a mystical journey through Asgard fighting giant monsters, it wasn’t Foggy. Not by a long shot. And yet, here it was. It happened, and Matt had to accept that. Accept that he hadn’t been there, hadn’t been able to protect his friend. Hell, his friend wouldn’t have even BEEN in that situation if it wasn’t for Matt. Another thing to blame himself for...

Matt smirked at his comment, nodding his head. “Yeah, something like that...” he conceded with a soft chuckle. Of course, more of it was simply he didn’t want to risk fighting with Foggy anymore. Things were good, finally, but Matt knew better than to entirely trust that. At any moment, he could piss Foggy off and lose him all over again, and he couldn’t handle that. Not again. Not after how much it killed him the last time.

Matt just quietly listened as Foggy told his story, out of both respect and pure, simple shock. How the hell was his best friend even alive after all of this? He wasn’t even sure HE could survive all that. Beneath the anxiety and fear that his story caused swelled a strange sort of pride in him. Foggy survived some intense shit, and he was proud. 

Okay, at that point Matt started to think this was a joke. Or an exaggeration, an attempt to cope with some trauma by making fun of it. But, Matt was listening to his heartbeat, and it was steady. He was telling the truth. “Wow...I, uh...I don’t know what to say Foggy. How the hell did you survive all that?”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

commissionerjg​:

“Do riots happen often or do I get shot often? The answer to both is fortunately no. At least for now.” But it didn’t take a genius to realize that the whole city was uneasy. Jim was used to that in Gotham, but it was different there. To live in Gotham City was to exist with a constant background feeling of being on edge, on guard. In Star City it took on a different life, and every day felt like watching a pot about to boil over. Jim had his hand clamped down on the metaphorical lid, but eventually that wouldn’t be enough. “That damned kid, Spider-Man…You can see the footage for yourself, but as soon as he made the first move it was gloves off and everybody lost their mind.” That wasn’t why he’d been shot, but it had made a good cover for it.

Jim adjusted his glasses and looked at the blinking light on his phone. Messages. Mary Jane had let something go to voicemail. “They’re from mine. Deathstroke is one of the most prolific assassins in the world, but his lawyers are so slick and well paid that on paper he’s as innocent as they come. Red Hood is…” Jim thought about it for a second and then gave a very honest answer, “a pain in the ass.”

Matt could feel the tension in the air the second he stepped foot in the city. It had a certain weight to it, a sense of impending doom and dread that filled him from his first moments in its boundaries. He could feel how uphill the battle to keep things safe for people would be, and had a sinking feeling that any work in the DAs office he could do wouldn’t be of much use in its current state. But they had to try, even if it was a losing battle. That was the Murdock family way, after all. “Spider-Man? I’m from New York, that’s a name I know well and, well that doesn’t sound like him at all.” He took a mental note to make sure he studied that footage to understand exactly what happened, what made one of the most well respected members of their community lose it. Matt could tell that Jim was keeping something to himself, but that wasn’t altogether unexpected. They had just met, after all, and Matt knew a thing or two about secrets. So, he’d move on, but he took a note of it for the future. 

Matt felt his smirk grow about the lawyers. “Well, they haven’t met Nelson and Murdock yet. Taking down the guys that even the system itself has been protecting? That’s kind of our thing. So, walk me through the case, what happened, what do we have on them?” He took a specially interest in what he meant about this “Red Hood.” He sensed almost a...familiarity. 

[herstrengthwithin-deactivated20]

Lawyer to Lawyer || Jen & Matt

@devilxfhxllskxtchen​

Being a top-notch lawyer in NYC was no easy feat. Though her name wasn’t as prominent as others, she had rubbed shoulders with many big names in her time. So to hear that one of them had relocated to Star City was quite the turnaround she wasn’t expecting. 

She would be given directions to his office by a receptionist, though the woman would raise an eyebrow at the sight of her unusual appearance. In her defense (no pun intended, Jen), yellow was not her color but it was the only clean blazer she had left in her closet. Black pumps clicked against the linoleum tiled floors before her.

By the time she reached the hallway where the office was located, she glanced over at the doggy bag, the contents within still warm to the touch. The door was open but she’d do the common courtesy to knock on the edge, eliciting a grin when she greeted her old acquaintance.

“Long time no see, Murdock. Got bored of Hell’s Kitchen already? That’s almost a crying shame because the bagels are so much better than whatever poor excuses we have here in the West Coast. I’m saying this as a California native, too.”

A chuckle fell past her lips when she held up the aforementioned bag in her hand, giving the contents a light shake.

“Speaking of awful West Coast bagels, guess who brought you breakfast?”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

Matt Murdock had an awful habit of getting sucked into whatever work he was doing, pulled in so deeply by his work that he often forgot to do many basic human functions. Sometimes, that included eating breakfast. And today, in particular, after a long night of punching thugs in the face in costume, he was pretty hungry. 

He’d noticed someone was approaching his office far before they’d made it to his door, his enhanced hearing picking up a voice asking for directions to his office. Was that...Jennifer Walter? It’d probably been years since he’d last spoken to her, and he was more than a little surprised. He did consider her a friend, or at least a solid acquaintance, but he had to admit he was surprised to hear her coming to him. 

“Something like that,” he replied with a sharp grin, picking his head up from his work. He opened his mouth to speak about how she didn’t have to do that for him. But, then his stomach growled, and he instinctively swallowed whatever else he was going to say in favor of just taking the free food. “You’re a life saver. Thank you.”

As he began digging in to his breakfast, he gestured to the open desk in front of him. “Come, sit, can I get you some coffee? It’s the least I could do. Although, the coffee here pales in comparison to New York, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Just felt like I could do the most good for the...community if I came out here,” He started speaking, stopping himself to make sure he didn’t say anything entirely incriminating. He had no idea where NOVAs ears were, even in his own office. “How about you? What dragged you out here?”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

fightbattlesthatmatter​:

“Did you?” Steve asked, raising a brow. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Matt wasn’t much of an Avenger. He was sure that he and Matt both knew it, too. But it didn’t mean that he wasn’t an asset on their side.

After they had grabbed a table, Steve left to go and grab them coffee. When he returned, he placed it in front of the other before leaning in. “And are you going to pick up your… late night volunteer work?” He asked. Of course being a vigilante was illegal, but that had never stopped either of them before.

Matt knew, deep down, that him and Steve were at different levels. Steve fought bigger threats than him, the kind that ends worlds and destroys cities. That’s what he and the Avengers did, and he wasn’t sure he could help with that kind of stuff. But, if they needed it he’d try. 

Taking the cup of coffee, Matt smirked and nodded at the Captain. “Of course. This city needs it, badly. And, I don’t know if you heard, but Wilson Fisk moved into the city recently. I...he’s up to something. He always is. And I’ve gotta look into it, have to stop him and whatever his plans are. Can’t do that through just the law. How about you? How’s you and your friends’ volunteer group going?” He kept up with the code talk, not knowing who could be listening. 

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

onehellofalawyer​:

He didn’t like to be the one who needed help. Selfish as it may have been (he tried not to look at it too hard) Foggy kind of liked being the one with his shit together. He’d ended up looking after his little brother, helping out at his parent’s shop and bringing Matt out of his shell in college. Foggy was the one who needed to be okay.

Trouble was, he wasn’t all that okay right now. The near-constant adrenaline of exploring space to get revenge for orphans of Frost Giant attacks had definitely ran out. He felt bone tired and overwhelmed so by this point the grip on Matt’s arm might’ve been more for him that to play ‘guide’ for his friend. It was grounding.

Reaching Matt’s place he collapsed onto the couch and watched without a word as Matt went about fixing up food; he’d usually have is nose in the process wanting to help out but getting off the couch seemed like such effort right now. He took a few bits of food after a mumbled ‘thanks’ and sighed when Matt asked the inevitable question. “I was getting into New York, on my way to yours, remember we were on the phone?” he asked, “I was walking through the park when this portal thing opened up outta nowhere and a hand the size of me snapped out and dragged me in.”

He looked down at the food, a little shaking to his hands, “It was like some weird shark-thing that stuck me in a cage and kept telling me to sing or it’d eat me… for days until Frank showed up.”

Matt had to be honest. There were few things that could unsettle him nearly as much as Foggy truly struggling. Foggy was the one who had everything under control, calm cool and collected. Where Matt was the damaged protector, Foggy was who he was protecting. And, he felt like he failed him. Again. And that was terrifying. He needed Foggy to be okay, he was the best part of Matt’s life and dammit he needed to be okay.

The connection to Foggy was helpful for Matt. It helped set his nerves to ease. Sure, his friend was struggling and Matt no idea how to help, but Foggy was there. He was there and he was okay and he could feel him and he knew he was there. And Matt wouldn’t let him go again without a fight. 

He nodded his head, remembering his own confusion when Foggy had disappeared during their call. The panic that filled Matt to the brim, sucking the breath out of his lungs and crushing his chest with a weight that felt impossible to lift. He remembered running around the city for hours, every day, desperately searching for his best friend. He couldn’t even GUESS what happened, he went over the events over and over and he came up with nothing. 

Matt reached across to him, placing his hand gently on his best friend’s shoulder. “Take your time, man. I know this all must be...I don’t know. Terrifying. Just, take a minute. Breathe. It’s over. You’re safe now. What happened next?”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

iamtheillintent​:

“I do not think we owe our reunion to God, Mr. Murdock, but perhaps you would know better than I do. It has been some time since we last spoke, God and I. I am afraid there would be too much to say.” Wilson stopped walking only a few paces from him and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked him over.

The illusion of helplessness no longer fooled him. He knew what lurked beneath the facade of dark glasses and guiding stick, and he knew what the body beneath that unimpressive suit was capable of doing. Wilson knew precisely who Matthew was, and he no longer had the leverage to use against him. Should he attempt to bring charges against Vanessa for aiding in the crimes for which he’d already been forgiven, his lawyers would free her in the same manner. Never again would either of them be at the mercy of the lawyer or the Devil.

Wilson did not offer to speak first beyond what had already been said. Nothing of substance, at least.The corner of his mouth curled into the barest uptick of a smile. His operation in Star City was perfectly legal, clean, above ground. Anything else he became involved in would exist entirely outside the properties he’d purchased. “Perhaps you’ve come for a tour.”

“Yeah, I imagine you would,” Matt replied dryly, focusing his mind to keep the rage in check. Every fiber of his being wanted him to lose control, to feel that all too satisfying feeling of Fisk’s face against his fists, to beat him again and drag his big carcass back to prison, but he couldn’t. He had nothing on him, no proof, no evidence. All that would do was ruin his reputation, and probably out his secret. No, he couldn’t do that. He had to play the game, keep their chess match going and wait for Fisk to make some sort of mistake he could exploit. 

Matt could practically feel the smugness radiating off the former Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen, and it made him tense. He could tell that this beast was different than he had been, and it seemed that he had learned from his past mistakes. He could feel, deep in his bones, that this time Fisk wouldn’t make this easy. Wouldn’t leave unintentional clues like he did before. This was going to be harder for him than ever, taking down his enemy would once again prove more challenging than the last. But he had to try, had to do it. The people Fisk murdered deserved justice, cried out for it, and Matt refused to leave that cry unanswered. 

Matt returned the silence in kind, the tension in the room growing as the two stood across from eachother, Fisk in his brilliant whites and Matt in his dark suit and crimson glasses. It was like something out of a bible painting, the angel facing off with the devil. Good and evil. Light and dark. The hard part? Telling which was which. Matt let the corners of his mouth perk up in a taunting smirk. “Perhaps I have. I’m sure this property is far nicer than your cell at Rykers. I wonder if it has your favorite painting in it. The one you killed someone for? Though, of course they’d have to clean your blood off of it.” Matt was playing a dangerous game, taunting him, but he needed to try. If he could make Fisk lose his head, he’d be more prone to give Matt something, ANYTHING he can use against him. 

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

commissionerjg​:

“I’d prefer it if you did. No point in standing on ceremony if we’re working together.” Besides, he heard ‘Commissioner’ enough times in a day as it was to drive anyone mad. He could do without adding another voice. Once they were inside his office, which he’d finally go back in order after Grayson had filled in for him while he was injured, he closed the door and walked around to sit down. “There’s a chair just to your right if you want it,” he offered.

“I don’t know how much you’ve been caught up on, but I’m just getting back into the swing of things myself. We had a protest a few months ago that got violent and I’ve been recovering from a gunshot wound.” He tapped his shoulder, remembering only after the fact that Matt couldn’t see it. “Right now, we’ve got two pretty big names in custody. One came willingly, the other definitely didn’t. Are you familiar with the two I’m talking about?” He’d said they were getting straight to business and he meant it.

Matt could already tell he liked the man. “Thank you,” his lips twisted up in a smirk, reaching around to find the chair (of course, he already knew where it was, but he didn’t need Gordon to know that) and sitting down, folding up his cane and placing it in his suitcase. He reached up to adjust the red tinted glasses sitting atop his nose, masking any potential changes in his facial expression just as he liked it. His regular face acted as much like a mask as the one he wore nightly, blocking anything out and giving nothing away. 

“I heard a bit about that. Not much more than that it happened, and it seems to have half the city freaked out. Care to give me some more details there? And is that common?” Matt questioned, leaning forward. “I did a bit of research on the way here. Red Hood and Deathstroke, I think their names are? They aren’t from my neck of the woods, so I’m afraid I don’t know much more than that. Feel free to fill in any gaps.”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

fightbattlesthatmatter​:

Steve understood that more than he thought that Matt realized. After all, Steve was a Brooklyn boy, born and bred. He’d never be anything else. He had relocated to Star City. Set up roots here. His partner had built them a home. They had done everything in their power to make Star City home, but Steve would always miss New York. It was his home base. Even when he’d lived in DC, he’d missed the Big Apple. “It’s hard to let go of, isn’t it? There’s a power to that city. Something tells me she’ll be alright. Someone always seems to step up when she needs them.” It wasn’t as comforting as he had hoped, because it left so much up to chance. But Matt was right. The fight was here now. They had to go where they were needed.

“There’s good work to be done here, Matt,” he said. “But believe me when I say I get it.”

Matt nodded his head, soaking up the words Steve was saying. New York was the breeding ground for heroes, it always had been. Someone always manages to take up the mantle of the city. For a while, Matt had. He was the only one really left, after all. But, he walked away. So, he prayed every night that someone would be able to rise up to that challenge. 

He knew that, deep down. He knew that he could do a lot of good here. He was with his best friend, there was an actual heroic community here, he was in a position of legal power to fight the big battles, and this was the place where any fight against this law at large would take place. He could feel it. It called to him, begging him to join the fight, but he had resisted. Not anymore. Was it God? Was it just his conscience? He couldn’t say, not anymore. His faith had been shaken, he admitted that. He was building it back up after Fisk, but...he wasn’t entirely sure how much he wanted to. “And if you ever need an extra pair of hands for this work that needs to be done? You know how to reach me, Rogers.” He grinned at Steve. “I’ve got your back. And I managed to bring my night clothes along with me when I moved.” 

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

commissionerjg​:

Jim was not fond of Foggy Nelson, though the dislike had been borne of something that took place prior to him ever becoming the District Attorney. In general, he found lawyers to be pedantic at best and antagonistic at worst. Still, Nelson had been endorsed by Harvey Dent to take up his old job, and since Harvey was the only reason he’d transferred out from Gotham in the first place, he had developed some grudging respect.

As Mary Jane came to tell him that he had the new assistant DA waiting for him, he had to hope they’d get off on a better foot. Jim closed out the file he’d been working through and went to meet him. He hadn’t had time to do much digging on Matthew Murdock, only that he was Foggy’s old law partner and had worked a couple of high profile cases he remembered seeing in the news. New York wasn’t that far from Gotham City, after all.

“Mr. Murdock,” he greeted, not paying any kind to the guiding stick he held except to hold out the appropriate hand to shake. “On your left,” he offered. “Commissioner Jim Gordon. Let’s head into my office. You’ll have to forgive me getting straight to business, but if we’re going to be working together you’ll get used to that pretty fast.”

Matt didn’t exactly have the greatest relationship with Law Enforcement. A combination of his years as a defense attorney and his penchant for putting a mask on and fighting crime himself. At best, Matt believed them more often than not to just be incapable of doing there job. And at worst? They actively got in the way of justice. And with Fisk out there? He knew the number of people in this room that could be relied on could be counted on one hand with fingers left over. 

But, he would come into this city with an open mind. This wasn’t New York, or Gotham. This was Star City. And, he wanted to believe that this place may just be better than those two cities. At least, he hoped the corruption wouldn’t be just as bad. 

“Thank you, Mr. Gordon,” he smiled, shaking the man’s hand. He followed him into his office, rhythmically tapping his walking cane against the ground as he gathered his thoughts. He could feel people’s eyes on him, hear the unease in their hearts. He wondered how much of it was due to him being blind, how much was just simply due to his position as a lawyer, and how many had a more...sinister reason for nerves. “Of course, that’s how I prefer it anyway.” He smirked. “I’m new in town, Mr. Gordon. Can I call you Jim? Feel free to get me up to speed on everything.”

[lilstrlrd]

[ @devilxfhxllskxtchen​ liked for a starter! ]

A slow curl of a snore erupted from the sleeping Astro, a giant cloud of a dog, as Peter tried to focus on the Netflix special that he settled on. For once in a good minute, he had the place to himself and didn’t have to drag himself to work - he had a day off. It was supposed to be relaxing. So why didn’t he feel relaxed? Maybe it was the snoring; maybe it was the inability to sleep that suddenly cropped up in the past week (can anyone say ‘insomnia’?); maybe it was because of the intrusive thoughts that liked to rear their ugly heads. Whatever it was, he was grateful for the knock at the door.

Now, Peter wasn’t expecting anyone and Foggy certainly wouldn’t have knocked, not unless he left his key somewhere or lost it, but there at least would’ve been a voice on the other end to give some brief explanation. There was none. After giving Astro a nice pat on the thigh, he pushed himself up and off the couch and maneuvered around the living room furniture to get to the apartment’s front door. After giving the peephole a good look through - the gentleman on the other side looked completely unfamiliar, but seeing as there was a good chance it could be Flox just fucking with him, he unlocked and opened the door.

With a slight lean on the door itself, Peter stood in the opening as a sort of blockade in case the guy with the glasses - and cane - wanted to force his way in. Right. He tilted his chin up in a slight and minute greeting, though judging from his assessment, the stranger likely couldn’t even see it. “Can I help you with somethin’?”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

Matt hadn’t been in the city long, and the short time he had spent there he’d mostly been spending trying desperately to catch up on everything he’d missed and get back in the swing of work. As such, he hadn’t had a chance to meet Foggy’s new boyfriend, something that he had intended to rectify very soon, when he could. 

Matt knew Foggy too well to not be suspicious of this...Peter Quill. Mostly because of Foggy’s previous track record with relationships. Matt had always been protective of Foggy, especially with partners. His best friend was a lot of things: trusting, kind, caring. All good qualities, but also ones that left him open, vulnerable, and prone to making foolish choices and getting himself hurt. Matt wanted to try to prevent that, as much as possible.

Now, Matt had realized he needed to go over some details on a case with Foggy. Who wasn’t at the office. His next idea was simply to head over to his place and see if he was there. As he approached, he heard some unfamiliar heartbeats in the place. In particular, one that seemed like a...dog? He picked his hand up, knocking a few times. As the door opened, Matt used his senses to study the man Matt assumed to be Quill, before flashing one of his trademark grins. “Hello, my name is Matt Murdock. Foggy’s friend. I needed to go over some case details with him, and he wasn’t at the office. Is he here, have you seen him?”

[vanessafisk]

@devilxfhxllskxtchen​

It was a small exhibition that wasn’t well-publicized; unfortunate, because the artist was talented and Vanessa already knew she wanted to represent them. She knew the moment she caught sight of the first painting. It moved her in a way few things could, kept her attention even when she moved past it and returned plaintive smiles and meaningless greetings that slipped past her lips. 

She’d eventually circled back. This time she had a glass of cheap wine she’d taken only two sips from, just to be polite, and she took her time to study the brush strokes and the jarring color. It should have been off-putting, but she couldn’t look away.

At some point she was aware of someone close to her. They were standing too still to be anyone unfamiliar. “Hello, Matthew. A fan of the artist?” she asked simply, as if it weren’t at all strange that they would run into each other, but her tone was merely conversational.

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

The news that Fisk and his partner not only weren’t in prison anymore, but were in Star City too had been a hit to his mental state. He admitted it, Fisk was in his head. Always would be. He suspected, or at least hoped, that he was in theirs, too. When he had gotten the news, he poured every ounce of energy he could into finding them, where he could find them. With the benefit of hindsight, he would have probably planned out exactly what he was going to do when he confronted them, or at least had A plan. But he had allowed his emotions to get the better of him. 

He had tracked down her current source of employment. Not unexpectedly, it had something to do with art. Once he had figured that out, he had managed to track down where she’d be, and made his move. He couldn’t arrest them, nor would he visit her as the Devil, not yet, but he could let her know he was there. That they couldn’t escape him, not again. And, the fact that witnesses were around didn’t hurt.

He stood next to her as she studied an art piece, hands clenched around his walking cane. “No, no,” he shook his head, playing along with the game. It wouldn’t end well if people heard the assistant DA approach a stranger and start threatening her. He’d have to be more...subtle. “I just moved to the city, and was looking for something to make my apartment feel more like home. What a surprise to run into you here, Miss Marianna. Or is it Mrs. Fisk, now? And how is your partner doing?

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

fightbattlesthatmatter​:

His face darkened at what he heard and he hummed once. He didn’t like to hear that. New York was his home, too. He had gone where the other heroes were and where things had been getting hot, but he still missed his city. Steve, though, was more accustomed to operating in other places too. DC, for one. And Captain America had been doing international missions with Black Widow for a while before Bucky showed up again. Then it was all about finding him. Matt had always seemed more localized, much like Peter used to be. 

“Crap, really?” he asked. “I didn’t get a sense of any of the underground there. Is there anyone left to try to stand up for the people?” Perhaps he should consider going and cleaning things up a little bit. He usually handled higher level crises, but the city of his birth couldn’t go under because no one was left to defend her.

Talking about Hell’s Kitchen left a lump in Matt’s stomach, one that wouldn’t go away. It was a sore spot for him, to be sure. This was the place he could do the most good, and he’d accepted that. But Star City wasn’t home. He suspected it may never be. He was from Hell’s Kitchen. It ran through his veins just as much as blood did, and letting it go? That just didn’t seem possible. 

“I’m not sure,” he replied after a second of thought. “I was fighting with a few of the Defenders, but...most of them have hung it up. I was one of the last ones.” He took in a sharp intake of breath, squeezing his walking stick so hard his knuckles turned white. “Most of us either put the costume away or left. A lot of people came here. I didn’t want to be one of them, but...the most good we can do is here. Although, I hated walking away. Still hate it. This city, it...it’s not home. Leaving my home in the hands of those assholes? Doesn’t sit well with me.” Matt would be more than happy to go back, if he felt it would be different. If he could justify it would even do a small amount of good. But as things were? He knew there was nothing else he could do. 

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

onehellofalawyer​:

Foggy sighed a little, he’d missed his Matt Hugs. They hadn’t been physically together in ages and text or phone calls just didn’t cut it enough for him. And given the crazy adventure he’d just come out of a little normal with his best friend felt like heaven. So he closed his eyes and tucked his head a little into Matt’s neck (something he only did when he was really in need of comfort) and let the moment linger for as long as he could get, they were beyond awkwardness of touch by this point.

“You know what?” he grinned, “Leftover take out sounds pretty amazing right now.” It was force of habit that he offered his arm to Matt as they set of walking; even if the other could certainly walk without his help (and the rest) they still needed to keep up appearances.

“I mean… yea but most of the time your mad is kinda manageable. I’m worried that by the time I’m done explaining you might reach a new level of mad that leads to a lot of trouble.” In a weird way, Foggy had grown close® to Frank on that crazy adventure and felt they’d reached a very odd understanding of sorta. “Well, he kinda saved me after I was literally dragged into the craziness by a umm… Frost Giant weapon…” (It sounded nuts when he said it out loud like that).

“Well, if you’re not gonna talk I feel now’s the best time to tell you I was almost eaten, crushed and or maimed several times, my life flashed before I eyes and I might’ve ridden an enchanted goat and used it to ram an asteroid into a Frost Giant fortress.” he said quickly, “Y’know, average stuff…”  

Matt had known Foggy for so long he knew pretty much everything there was to know about him. His likes, his dislikes, his habits. So, when he felt his best friends head start leaning into his neck just that little bit, he knew what had happened really got to Foggy. Which freaked Matt out far more than he’d like to admit.

Matt had accepted Foggy’s arm, a happy dose of normal that he had sorely missed when his best friend had walked away. He wasn’t angry about that fact, but pretending it didn’t hurt did nobody any good. He was trapped in a hostile city, watching (metaphorically) as his city burned and he could do absolutely nothing about it. It hurt. A lot. 

He sucked in a deep breath, choosing to not speak as the bewilderment just...overwhelmed him. What the HELL happened to his best friend? He shook his head, fingers instinctively tightening around his walking cane. They finally arrived at his apartment, and Matt separated from Foggy to start heating up the takeout. His apartment had...fallen into disrepair, for lack of a better term. He hadn’t really cleaned in...way too long. Between his law work and trying to stave off some of the crime in the city he just didn’t have time to. 

Once his friend had finished getting himself ready he set out the takeout and sat on his couch. “Now, start at the beginning,” Matt said through mouthfuls of food. “What the hell happened, man?”

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

fightbattlesthatmatter​:

“No promises that we’ll stay that way, but we’re staying out of it for now. I heard you’re a big man now. Assistant DA, right?” Steve was surprised when he heard it. But it wasn’t as if there could be two DAs, could there? He wondered what Foggy thought of the fact that he was the big shot now? They had both always been competent, but Steve had often wondered if it was difficult to be the second to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. 

Holding open the door for Matt, Steve hummed. “Is that what finally got you out here?” He asked. “How’re things in New York? I went back to visit not too long ago, but I don’t get a full picture during those short visits.”

“That I am,” he replied with a grin. “Foggy needed help, and with the state of this city I can’t say I’m surprised. This is the best place to be to make change. Far removed from the tiny office in Hell’s Kitchen,” he chuckled. Frankly, he was happy it was Foggy at the top of the mountain. It wasn’t hard for Matt to admit that Foggy was the better lawyer, and not just because Matt broke the law almost daily. Foggy knew the law perhaps better than he did, understood it, and was better with it. Sure, Matt may be more naturally charismatic than Foggy, but Matt often worked as the face of their operation, but Foggy in a lot of ways was the mind. 

Matt stepped inside, listening. “Yeah, Foggy had been asking for a while. I didn’t want to walk away from New York, but...” he took in a deep breath. He wasn’t proud of leaving. New York was his home, for better or worse. But, there’s only so long a guy can run into a brick wall without it doing anything. “It’s...it’s not good, Steve. The hero ban hit New York hard, all the work we did to root out corruption is completely undone. The gangs and mob run the show again, and I tried to fight it but the cops just got in my way.”

[cassandraxxwayne]

@devilxfhxllskxtchen

Not a moment had passed as he sat day after day, night after night in prison that he did not remember the man whose self-righteousness had put him there. As he closed his eyes to sleep, miles from his love and the only person left in the world who truly mattered, he remembered. He remembered and the name was a curse said under his breath. Matthew Murdock. Daredevil. He could wear whatever name and whatever mask he wished and answer as a blind lawyer or the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen for the pain he had caused. Wilson did not care which. He would break them both. He was and had always been a man of patience - far more than he was given credit for. The time would come when their paths crossed again and the ending would not be the same.

The Relocation Act had given his lawyers a window of opportunity that none of them had expected. He was given the chance to have then remainder of his sentence commuted in exchange for leaving New York and resettling on an island off the coast of California. If he kept a clean record and remained within the boundaries of Star City, he’d be granted his freedom. He had taken the deal. As the Devil had spat at him after they fought, his own city had rejected him. Why, then, should he fight for them? Why should he give up his life with Vanessa for their sake? He would not.

His resources were not as vast as they’d once been, but he had the funds to slip easily into property management. Wilson secured several commercial properties in Star City in short order and quickly established a sort of base for himself. While it was in his best interest to do so, he would be the law abiding citizen he’d agreed to be. Unsurprisingly, not everyone was so eager to believe it. He’d been counting on that.

As he toured one of his newest properties, a textile factory that was just getting ready to start production, he was interrupted by one of his aides looking flustered. “Mr. Fisk, there’s a man outside looking for you.”

Wilson excused himself and went alone.

[devilxfhxllskxtchen]

Matt would be lying if he said that Wilson Fisk wasn’t a name that appeared frequently in his mind, a strong force reminding him constantly of the terrors he had to deal with those early years in the mask. He would never forget what he went through, the people he lost, the beatings and bruises and breaks and loss that he had put him through. Matt almost lost his life, his friends, his job, his reputation, his name, himself, and all of it stemmed from one man: Wilson Fisk. The only small source of comfort Matt had during some of the more trying episodes was knowing Fisk was locked behind bars never to see the light of day again. It did Matt a lot of good knowing he was finally done with the man, the polar opposite of himself, someone he imagined would be the other side of the coin that was Hell’s Kitchen.

Fisk was one of the major reasons Matt didn’t want to leave Hell’s Kitchen. It was his home. He fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it. Giving up after all that just felt...wrong. But, he was getting nowhere, and Foggy needed his help, so he packed up his bags and followed his best friend into battle. And, really, that’s what going to Star City entailed. It was a hotbed for unrest and violence and civil rights crimes, and if Matt was going to do anything for his fellow vigilantes here was the best place to be. 

Matt poured himself into his work pretty much from the get go. His second day back, he made sure to catch up on everything he missed, current cases, pretty much anything with the DAs badge on it he looked into. Which is when he found it: the Relocation Act. His fists clenched as his fingers glided around the bumps that formed the words that he had NEVER wanted to hear. Wilson Fisk was out. And free. And that news led to a few things with Matt, first of which being a new hole to cover up in his office wall. He had stormed off without a word, not talking to anyone in the office. How the HELL did this happen? How did that MONSTER get out again? Maybe he should have just killed him in that tower....

No, he composed himself. He couldn’t think like that. He’d made the right choice. But Fisk was out there, and only a fool would think he’s on the up and up now. So, it was time to find him. And have a...chat.

It didn’t take Matt too long to find out where he could find Fisk, and so he made a choice: confront him in broad daylight. Fisk was powerful, but he wasn’t invincible. He wouldn’t be able to get away with killing him in front of all these people, surely. And if he tried ANYTHING, they had a case. Boom, Fisk was behind bars. Even if it killed him, he had to take this chance.

“Wilson Fisk,” Matt spoke loudly, white knuckling his cane. “I can travel across the entire country and still end up face to face with you. God sure does work in funny ways, doesn’t he, Mr. Fisk?”