The Mask and the Lies | ddba one shot series
OC is foggy's younger sister who's in her early twenties. she doesn't know matt is daredevil because reasons. doesn't really follow either season but it does take place in ddba season 1
not really an oc x canon, but an idea i had for a possible short story. lowercase is intentional. this is long so strap in.
CW -> MAIN CHARACTER DEATH (ddba s1 e1 specifically), oc gets drunk (partying), talks of grief and abandonment, harassment, stalking, manipulation
the moment the bullet went through my brother felt like it happened in slow motion. watching his eyes stare into mine in confusion, his body stumbling back from the impact—i didn't react immediately. i didn't even realize his blood splattered on my face.
i was the first one to lunge forward to try to catch my brother as he collapsed, my eyes wide as i started screaming. gunshots surrounded around me and found their places in cops who came out upon hearing me scream. i put my hands over my brother's bullet wound, blood gushing out and covering my hands. the blood pooling around him started to soak into my jeans.
"im-imo..." he tried getting my name out as he coughed.
"it's okay, foggy. it's okay," i cried as i looked up to see someone advancing towards karen, foggy, and i.
"hello, karen," i heard the man's muffled voice beneath his mask as he raised a gun at the both of us.
"please," i begged as i looked up from foggy, sobbing uncontrollably as his gun neared my head. "please don't..."
before he could shoot, daredevil swung in from above and sent the man into one of the window's of josie's bar. chaos ensued behind us, but i kept my attention on my brother.
"fuck... fuck..." i muttered when my eyes looked up to see daredevil and foggy's killer fight inside. cops filed out with civilians to save them from the carnage inside.
"foggy, it's okay, the paramedics will be here any minute," karen cried as she held her hands over mine.
"imogen..." foggy got out as he stared up at me. he shakily lifted his arm and placed his blood-covered hand on my cheek. i lifted one of my blood soaked hands and grabbed it, my tears mixing with the crimson and streaming down my cheeks
"immy," he mumbled out, tears in his eyes as he stared up at me. "i...i..."
"we'll be okay," i whispered to him, smiling shakily as he kept his gaze on me. "when they pick you up, we'll get you a big room with one of the nice tvs. i'll make sure the nurses treat you like you're... you're... foggy? FOGGY!"
karen and i cried hysterically as we watched his eyes fall distant.
"im...ogen...kare...n...."
his eyes remained opened at he stared up at karen and i, a ragged breath leaving his lungs but he didn't inhale after.
"foggy? foggy! frankie, please!" i cried as i grabbed his shoulders and shook him. he didn't move. "FRANKLIN, PLEASE GET UP!"
"JESUS CHRIST!" i heard karen shout beside me as she took her hands off.
the sounds of bones snapping and flesh splattering behind made both of us scream. i kept my face forward, not wanting to look at whose body just fell from the roof. i didn't need another dead body seared into my mind.
"foggy...foggy, i c-can't... please... please god...." karen managed to get out before turning around.
i didn't turn. i held foggy's still-warm hand to my face, smearing blood, tears, and saliva as i start to sob uncontrollably. his blood coated my clothes at this point, but i didn't care. i didn't care if i looked like a bloodied mess. all i wanted was my brother to wake up. wanted him to wake up, tell us he'll recover fast than an avenger, tell me he'll take me out drinking when i graduate.
i begged him to get up. karen had already stood and backed away, her eyes staring at her hands soaked in my brother's blood. clutching his trench coat, i leaned forward and cried into his chest. i prayed to anyone and anything to bring him back.
nothing happened when i opened my eyes.
the paramedics arrived at the scene, and the head of the group had to pry me off of foggy. i screamed and held onto my brother, the fear and genuine terror of being alone fighting its way into my chest as two other medics pried my hands off him. my screams echoed the street as karen grabbed me and pulled me away. i tried to fight against her, but eventually i gave up and fell into her.
karen didn't touch me with her blood hands and no one wanted me near them. medics did once-overs of me and karen before handing us towels to clean the blood off.
"you can stay with me for the night," i barely caught karen's words as she led me to a cab detective cherry called for us.
i didn't even register the absence of matt until we got back to karen's apartment.
when i saw myself in the bathroom mirror, i instantly threw up in the sink. blood covered my college t-shirt and my jacket had it splattered on the sleeves. my jeans were cold now, but i could feel how soaked they were around my knees.
as for my face, i couldn't look at myself.
because every time i looked into the mirror, all i saw was my brother staring back with fear permanently etched into his face....
it had been a few months since foggy passed. life felt much more dull since his passing, and the people i thought would stick with me didn't even bother to try.
matt murdock dropped contact the night foggy was murdered. every time i tried getting a hold of him, his number would cut out. the text messages i would send, they were never read. matt ignoring me felt like a punch to the face. without him, it felt like i lost more than one brother. he didn't even acknowledge me at foggy's funeral no matter how many times i tried to approach. all he did was walk away.
karen page. that friendship didn't last long. after his funeral, i tried to talk to her. tried to tell her to call me if she ever needed anything. i even offered some of foggy's personal effects to help with her grief. all she did was push me away. karen returned the bracelet i gave her, stating she needed to be alone for awhile. the bracelet weighed like lead when she put it in my palm. that was the last time i saw karen.
as for foggy's killer, all i was told was he was in custody. i wasn't given a name or a face. just an empty promise that he'll get justice.
one month later, i graduated from my college.
i had invited matt and karen to my graduation the month before foggy's death. my phone calls, as always, went straight to their voicemails and i left my reminders there when the date neared. i hoped i'd see their names illuminate my screen. i hoped to hear the promise of coming to see me when i walked off stage with my degree.
my friends encouraged me to go out and party with them at a nearby bar to forget about them and to have fun. forget about their bitch asses, my friend, diana, had said as we all returned our rented regalia. tonight is all about you!
i didn't want to admit she was right.
i stayed in the outfit i chose to go under my gown. it was just a simple black dress and black flats. i brought a jacket from my apartment since the night air was still cold. we all had our tassels attached to us in some way to show our accomplishments. one friend wore his on his belt loop; another attached hers to her purse strap. i kept mine in my jacket pocket.
we entered the bar in an obnoxious manner, all of us shouting we graduated and some patrons clapped for us. that's when the shots were passed and i let myself get lost in the alcohol i downed. i could see the shocked looks on my friends' faces as i downed a whole line.
"what?" i had asked. they all laughed and one of the guys, corbin, asked for more shots.
the lights started to blur together and my head felt light. laughter and giggling felt foreign to me since it was the first time i let loose, especially around people i knew. the guys with us started to go dance where the band played and i stumbled with them. the group of us graduates started a dance circle.
that night, we don't really remember what happened. one minute we're stumbling out (a couple of us vomiting into a sewer grate) and the next we're all passed out in a hotel room. we still have no idea who was sober enough to get the room. we assumed it was out of annoyance and pity.
since graduation, i managed to find jobs that involved painting. they were freelance and some were one-and done, but eventually i was contacted for a job in an art gallery.
an art gallery headed by vanessa fisk.
fisk... the name left a weird taste in my mouth. i wanted to turn it down immediately when i read the handwritten letter. i wanted to stay away from those monsters, especially after everything they've done to hell's kitchen. they killed people, destroyed homes, helped criminals—the list goes on. not to mention, they targeted matt, karen, and foggy a while back. i was at my college when this happened so i didn't know the full extent. all i remember hearing is foggy and matt going up against fisk's men in court to prove the now-mayor was a monster.
the reason i didn't refuse is the fact vanessa used my entire name: imogen angelica nelson. she addressed me as 'angie' in the entire letter. that nickname was only reserved for people i was close with. and i went by that because i couldn't hear it without hearing foggy's rasping and choking....
i didn't waste time in calling the number to accept the interview she wanted to have with me.
when i went, i made sure i was in the nicest dress i owned. all my clothes were stained with paint or were too casual. i chose the dress i wore for graduation months prior and black flats. i also brought a plain yellow cardigan since it was starting to cool off for the fall.
when i was ready, i walked outside and flagged down a cab. once inside the car, i told him the directions to the restaurant vanessa gave in her letter. the cab driver gave me a look before he drove to the location i told him.
the restaurant was most definitely worth more than my entire person. when i got there and exited the cab after paying, i stared at the large glass windows, the vines around the door, and the piano toward the bar area. it was high end and i'm sure the furniture judged my existence when i walked in. the tables and bar were devoid of people, save for one table with a white table cloth and a vase full of white bulbous flowers.
angelica flowers. i recognized those anywhere....
a man in all black patted me down before searching my satchel. not that i had anything in there to begin with. just my phone and wallet, my graduation tassel, and foggy's high school class ring. i was then allowed to approach the woman who offered me the gallery job.
vanessa stood beside the white table, her smile warm and her eyes stared into mine. she held out her hand to me and i shook it firmly. even though every ounce of my being hated the fisks, i still showed respect towards her.
"imogen nelson," she greeted and i resisted the urge to flinch at the name, "it's a pleasure to meet you. forgive my informal tone in my letter. i had heard you started going by 'angie' a few months ago?"
i swallowed harshly before putting on a smile.
"yes, i did," i told her as smoothly as i could. she didn't need to hear about foggy's passing....unless she brings it up since his obituary was everywhere in hell's kitchen.
vanessa gestured for me to sit down before she sat across from me. i sat and allowed one of the men to take my cardigan. i looked up, giving a small 'thank you' before turning my attention to the woman in front of me.
"my husband will be joining us in a moment. would you like something to drink? wine? coffee? water?"
"i'd like a water with lemon, if that's all right," i said as a waiter rushed over.
"perfect. i'll have the espresso and my husband will take his usual," vanessa added onto the order, and the waiter sped away to fulfill it.
we sat in silence, and for me it was tense. here i was sitting in front of THE vanessa fisk, a woman who could kill me with the snap of her fingers or make me disappear.
i tried my best not to stare at her as i looked at the menu. i didn't know how to say half of it while the other half was a mix of english and italian. i went the safe route and decided on a filet mignon with salmon and a side of asparagus. easy enough, i guess. and it was inexpensive. i didn't want to give off the impression i took advantage of their wealth.
the door to the restaurant opened and mayor fisk walked in. i stood up when i noticed vanessa standing to greet the man she called her husband.
"sorry, i'm late. traffic was...chaotic, to say the least."
i watched wilson fisk walk over to us, a smile on his face as he kissed his wife and spoke to her softly. i looked away awkwardly, my eyes settling on the man who had taken my cardigan and hung it up on a coat rack. he noticed my gaze and winked at me. my eyes widened at him, the man chuckling lightly at my reaction. when i heart vanessa clear her throat, i turned to greet mayor wilson fisk.
"miss nelson," he greeted and shook my hand when i offered it. "it's a pleasure to meet you finally. vanessa has spoken highly of you since your resumé landed on our table."
"my resumé?" i hadn't updated that thing in YEARS. how the hell did they find it? and why the hell would they want me when it's obvious i haven't updated it? this entire meeting felt off, but i also needed a job.
"you were recommended by a client of ours. he spoke highly of your work when he requested you to paint an accent wall for him," vanessa elaborated. "i've seen the work, and it's impressive."
"oh! thank you!" i said with a smile, my face burning from receiving the compliment. "which commission was this? i've done several."
"his name doesn't matter right now," mayor fisk said with a chuckle. "right now, we would like to know more about you."
we all sat down and the waiter came back with our drinks. he set my water down and i thanked him, the man giving a weak smile as he set down vanessa's espresso and a glass of white wine for the mayor. he quickly took our orders and ran back to the kitchen.
"i'd like to start off with giving my condolences, miss nelson," mayor fisk said to me and i almost choked on my water. "you and your brother were close, yes?"
i cleared my throat and took a small sip to contain my cough before answering.
"yes, we were," i muttered as i swallowed harshly.
i wasn't going to cry in front of possible employers. i'd throw myself out the window if i do.
"and you graduated from college a few months ago. you have a bachelor's in art."
he pulled out a folder, my name written in cursive in the top left corner as he opened it. the knot in my stomach tightened as i watched him pull out my outdated resumé. i prepared myself to be turned down due to the unorganized and unappealing paper i had created when i was a college freshman.
"volunteer work at libraries, art galleries, and you had the opportunity to perform at carnegie hall?"
the fisks looked at me with incredulous expressions.
"yes, sir. i did a lot of theatre and singing in the art school i went to. i was part of the musical group there and was able to accompany them to sing."
"oh, i bet that was a wonderful night for you!" vanessa said with a bright smile. i nodded, a smile on my face.
"it was. my brother wasn't able to go in but he was there after."
i smiled as i remembered the night he came to pick me up. i had to be back by a certain time at the hotel but we went out for pizza and a couple drinks.
"i don't mean to diverge, but what kind of job will i be doing for your gallery, mrs. fisk?" i asked as i sipped on my water.
"oh, please, call me vanessa. i already hired you. i just wanted to get to know you and welcome you officially," vanessa said with a smile.
i stared in shock and pointed to myself.
"vanessa looked into your art on social media," mayor fisk said. "she loved your paintings and your monet series."
"oh! yes! yes, yes, i, uh, i do some of my own work, but usually it's for fun. never thought my work would, you know, get popular enough for you to see."
the waiter returned with our meals and i stared at the fancy placement of my steak and salmon. i watched how the fisks used their silverware since i had two forks and two knives set up around my plate. i copied their movements after studying how they ate. i had never been to formal restaurant....unless you count the cheesecake factory....
the rest of the time we chatted about schedules, commuting, and possible housing upgrades. i spoke to to them if they minded pets. i had been wanting a cat for companionship since these past months had been lonely (they told me they didn't mind). i also asked about security and privacy, and of course, the pay i would be receiving.
"every piece you sell, you'll get 73% of the profit," vanessa responded when i asked. "if that's not a good number, we can discuss something different."
i almost dropped my glass of water when i heard what she said. the urge to throw up overwhelmed me but i kept my cool.
"no, that's more than perfect," i said, flustered by the idea of making this much money. "thank you. thank you so much!"
"if you do decide to upgrade to the studio apartment, your security detail will include my men and buck will make sure you're at your best," mayor fisk said and gestured his left. i turned, seeing the man who winked at me earlier appear beside my chair.
"he will be driving you back home, if you would like."
i stood when the fisks did. i wiped my mouth with a napkin before taking one last drink of my water.
as i shook their hands again and let vanessa hug me, the hatred i felt started to make me feel conflicted. matt always talked about them with malice and i had seen a few broadcasts of what happened a couple years ago at fisk's penthouse.
but as i thanked them for dinner, i started to rethink my opinions. they gave me so much and promised me safety and a secure job. vanessa was kind enough to accompany to my first gallery showing she scheduled for tuesday; mayor fisk offered to buy me new clothes so i looked professional.
what the hell am i doing, foggy, i thought to myself in conflict as mayor fisk gave me a smile.
buck placed my cardigan around my shoulders and led me out to a black suv. the windows were heavily tinted. he opened the door for me and grabbed my hand to help me in. i blushed at the contact as i sat down.
the car ride was silent for the most part. i checked the notifications on my phone, hoping to see texts from friends or from matt or karen. the only notifications i had were from games and social media apps on my phone. buck occasionally locked eyes with me in the rear view mirror and i would give a halfhearted smile.
god i'm so awkward when it comes to this shit.
finally, he parked and got out of the car. he opened the door for me and grabbed my hand once again to help me out.
"would you like me to walk you up?" he asked. his british accent was softer than i expected.
"oh, you don't have to. don't want you to worry about lil' ol' me," i awkwardly declined, my cheeks warming and my heart racing.
there's no way i said that. diana would be losing her mind right now if she saw this.
"you work for the fisks now," he said as he stepped closer. "i do need to worry about you since there are people out there in this city who would love nothing more than to get their disgusting hands on you."
"oh...." i responded awkwardly, eyes wide as i clutched my satchel's strap.
"at least let me escort you to the elevator or the stairs?"
i nodded and led him inside of the apartment building i resided in. he followed behind, his eyes darting around to take in his surroundings.
"the most threatening thing you'll see is mr. tanner's hairline," i joked when i noticed his narrowed gaze.
i heard him chuckle as he fell in step with me. "i'll keep that in mind."
we got to the elevator and i pressed the 'up' button. buck remained by my side even though he only asked to escort me here. i didn't say anything though.
"i'll see you tomorrow, miss nelson. i'm picking you up at 8am sharp to meet mrs. fisk to go out shopping. i will be chauffeuring you two."
the elevator dinged when it arrived and buck held out his hand. i grabbed it and he gently pulled me closer. he brought my knuckles to his lips and kissed them, his eyes set on me as i watched him.
what the fuck... what the fuck do i do....
"good night, miss nelson," he muttered as he let go of my hand. i brought it to my chest and smiled softly.
"good night, buck. thank you for driving me back here."
when i walked into the elevator, he remained there until the doors closed. i pressed the button to my floor. i leaned against the wall, eyes wide as i ran a hand through my hair.
"holy fuck.... foggy, you would lose your shit if you were here."
a/n: yeah there's gonna be multiple parts. will they be in a chronological order? nope, but i introduce to you all imogen "angie" nelson! more info (possibly concept art) on her soon! see ya!
