black and red, part 2.
marvel Matt Murdock + female ballet dancer reader
summary:Â Matt is running out of time to find the ballerina and her friend. warnings: swearing, character death :(
part 1
â± ââââ.â Δïз â .ââââ â°
the cold metal of the bracelet reminded Matt that the ballerina was out there still, waiting for him, praying maybe. he tucked the bracelet into his pocket, heâd give it back to her himself when he found her, and her friend. the tunnels were becoming a hard to decipher jumble of voices, footsteps and occasionally search dogs barking. each new sound layered atop the last, making an ever growing pressure build in Mattâs head, something he didnât need. still, he pressed on.
the sound of running water finally hit Mattâs ears as he kept creeping further into the tunnel system, losing hope and determination with each step. the scent of the ballerinaâs perfume had become dampened by the cold air and the stench of what Matt could only hope was sewage, not bodies of enemies of the gang. as he got closer to the running water sound, his foot stepped on something soft. he immediately bent down, hands landing on something wet and furry. his hands recoiled, believing heâd just fondled a drowned animal, but then he caught that smell. the ballerinaâs perfume was all over that furry object, and Matt suddenly knew exactly what he was faced with. her favourite fur coat that sheâd bought for herself after her first successful show.
Matt picked it up, it was soaking, and now reeked of dirty sewage water. still, there was a tang of something in the air, a more subtle metallic smell... blood. Mattâs hands desperately clutched on the material, and he found patches of recently lost blood on the sides of the fur coat, much to his weakening resolve. still, he left the coat there, now ruined by the water, and carried on. all he could think about was where those blood patches couldâve originated from, was it her side, her arms, her hands? whoâd hurt her? was she getting away, was she already back at his apartment crying for him?
he wished he knew.
the tunnel came to an end. why did it abruptly end here? Matt could sense a change in the space before him, there was a tall object attached to the wall, his hands landed on a ladder. it was old, rusted, creaky. the texture on his gloves was awful, let alone bare skin, he thought. there were no traces of blood on the ladder rungs as far as he could sense, as he made his way up in a hurry. he was rushing so bad that he didnât stop to take in the surroundings ahead of him. just before his head wouldâve surfaced into an above ground building, he paused. the lightest sound of footsteps above him. his heart pumped faster, and he backed down a few steps.
the manhole above was wrenched open and he was hauled upwards, thrown onto concrete and surrounded. guns cocked and clicked, Matt put his hands behind his head and grit his jaw together. heâd walked right into whatever this was, like an idiot. an unprepared, unfocused idiot. what a rookie mistake. as Mattâs self-inflicted insults ran through his head, the men around him shifted as another person entered the room.
âso good of you to finally make an appearance,â the voice was one heâd never heard before in his life, âI donât know what to call you, so masked man will do.â the voice added quietly, before taking a deep breath to project their voice. âwell, it seems weâre at a bit of a crossroads, I have something you want, you have something I want. see what Iâm getting at?â Matt stayed silent, only breathing filled the room. âthe silent treatment, right, okay.â the voice made an exasperated sigh, and footsteps echoed around the room. âletâs show you instead then, hmm?â the voice was then joined by sets of footsteps, and Matt immediately recognised the ones heâd been listening for all night.
the ballerina was being manhandled into the room alongside her friend, who looked much worse for wear. Matt could instantly sense the fear running through both of the girls, and it made him desperate to get out of here as quick as he could, but a survey of the room gave Matt a rough headcount of twenty men armed with various weapons, not to mention the ones upstairs and the owner of the voice. ânow, whether or not you can see through that ridiculous mask of yours, Iâm certain you know who stands before you at gunpoint.â Matt froze, suddenly realising the odds of this ending in an acceptable way. âoh, I do believe heâs realised how fucked he is!â there was a stark silence save for the laughter of that voice. it must be the leaderâs voice, since no one else dared to speak.
âlet the girls go and take me.â Matt said, breaking the laughter of the voice short. a tension settled over the room. Matt got the idea that no one had ever interrupted the maniacal laughter before, and heâd just been the first. âI know you want nothing to do with them, you want me, donât you?â Matt continued. the voice had gone silent.
âwrong.â the sound of a gun being loaded filled the room. âI want everyone in this room right where they are.â the voice had a very unhinged tone to it now, and Matt sensed that things were about to go bad, quickly.
âyouâre a freak, you know that?â a new voice hit Mattâs ears. he realised it was the ballerinaâs friend.Â
âdonâtââ the ballerina hissed, but her friend had reached breaking point.
âyou keep us here for no reason, laugh at everything you say, but youâre just a sad, lonely freak who has nothing better to do with his time. how shit do you have to be at your job to be demoted to kidnapping girls, ballerinas at that? I hope your boss has your name written down in a little black book with three strikes through it because youâre useless, you know that?â the voice broke out into laughter again, and Matt waited in absolute tense suspense. âwhat? is that all you can do, laugh at me? youâre patheticââ
âoh, you were a funny one.â the gun clicked and a shot rang out, followed by a thump, then a scream. the voice was laughing again, harder this time, and Matt was having trouble registering what had just happened. the men around Matt shifted uncomfortably, obviously not expecting that either. Matt was guessing that it hadnât been part of the plan. screams filled the room, the building, as the ballerina dropped to the floor to cradle her friendâs body. Matt listened out for the friendâs breath, heartbeat, anything but there was nothing. other than the racing heartbeats of everyone else in the room. ânow, onto the main event.â the voice had stopped laughing and was now focused, serious.
a rustle of clothing and the sound of pages flipping, the echoing cries of the ballerina. Matt was losing time to figure out an escape, yet he couldnât do anything from the position he was in, outnumbered twenty something to one.
think, Murdock, think.
âwhat are you doingââ the ballerina sobbed as movement sounded from her direction. she was being dragged up from her friendâs body and made to stand up straight.
âhold on a moment, Iâm reading.â the voice snapped, before clearing his throat. what he said next was not what Matt expected, or the ballerina, but it changed everything. âlonging,â the word was in Russian, and more followed, ârusted, seventeen,â Matt heard the slowing of the ballerinaâs heartbeat, âdaybreak, furnace,â the voice got more and more dramatic with each word he spoke, ânine, benign,â Matt didnât understand what was going on, but it scared him, âhomecoming. one. freight car.â the voice went silent, only heavy breathing remained. ânow, my little ballerina, are you ready to comply?â
âready to comply.â the ballerina replied in Russian.
âexecute the masked man.â the voice ordered, excitement evident in his tone. Matt listened as the ballerina approached, taking long striding steps.
âwaitââ Matt got out before the ballerina had him by the throat. Mattâs hands went to hers, and held her back, but she was fighting him. where had this strength come from? Matt was astounded, but also confused. why had those words changed the ballerina? why was she now acting on the voiceâs orders without question? Matt could sense a change in the ballerinaâs demeanour, but it was something deeper, something in her mind that she had no control over. she would never harm someone else, not unless her own life was on the line, even then she was scared to hurt others because sheâd get into trouble. now, that sweet girl was gone, and left behind was something entirely different.
âI said execute him, girl.â the voice sounded from behind the ballerina, which spurred her to latch her hands onto Mattâs throat again and start squeezing. âyes, yes, do it!â the voice was overjoyed at what it was witnessing, but the ballerina was still not outright killing Matt as expected.
âlisten to me, heâs done something to you, this isnât you at all. you donât hurt people, that isnât who you are, why are you listening to him?â the ballerinaâs hold remained firm, but Matt still fought to speak to her. âremember when I came to you on that rooftop the first time about your case? then when the case was finished you danced, and I danced with you? remember that?â Matt was wasting valuable oxygen, but he found that he didnât care. heâd do anything to get the ballerina back, even if it killed him.
âwhat are you waiting for, ballerina? kill him!â the voice demanded.
âdonât listen to him, you never listen to bad men, not like him. you remember him, donât you? donât make me say his name, I donât want to do that to you but if I canât get you backââ the ballerina knelt down to Mattâs level, staring at him through the mask. âIâm sorry for this.â Matt then spoke the full name of the ballerinaâs abusive ex-boyfriend whoâd made her life a living Hell in and out of court. he was gone now, but still existed in the ballerinaâs memories and nightmares. Matt felt the change happen from inside of her, first her heart, then her head, then the rest of her body followed suit. she began panicking again, rather than being stone cold serious.
âoh my god.â she said, looking around the room, her eyes landing on her dead friend once again. âwhat did you do to her?â she asked, voice shaking as she went to her knees halfway between Matt and her friendâs body. âwhat did you do!â she demanded, in a way that Matt had never quite heard before.
âwhy are you talking?â the voice asked, sounding as confused as Matt felt. âwhy isnât it working? what did you say to her?â the voice made a path for Matt, but was abruptly stopped. the ballerina had grabbed the voiceâs leg on his way past and held him there.
âI asked you a question.â she stood up, iron grip on the voiceâs clothing, before slamming the voice back into a column of bricks. âwhat have you done?â she repeated, voice broken but body rigid. Matt started to get a sense of the situation, and got himself ready for a fight, because one was coming soon.
âI woke you up, you oblivious little bitch.â the voice started laughing, but was cut off as the ballerina slammed him into the floor, about to land a deadly blow when the nearby armed men jumped in. one dove at the ballerina, but she simply rolled and threw him off, getting back up to her feet without so much as a side glance. Matt swung out his leg, taking out some of the armed men, but not all of them. he ducked as bullets started flying, no longer questioning the ballerinaâs persona change. if she could fight now that was only an improvement in this situation, and Matt wasnât complaining about it.
the ballerina took on as many men as she could, evading their clumsy attacks and flooring them at each turn. she disarmed them easily, throwing unloaded pistols aside and emptying the clips into the bodies of her attackers. she even swung up on oneâs shoulders using her legs alone, breaking the manâs neck and letting him fall to the floor. she had not a scratch on her, and any blood that landed on her was not her own. Matt was doing well on his side of the room too, knocking out men with his kicks and slamming them into walls. by luck neither Matt or the ballerina had caught a stray bullet, and it was when they realised this that the room was empty of conscious or living people.
the owner of the voice had fled, that much was evident, leaving behind twenty-ish dead or beaten men and one dead ballerina. Matt kicked in the head of one last attacker, silencing him, before turning in the direction of the ballerina. she was knelt over her friendâs body again, tears running but no audible sobs. the ballerina smoothed the hair out of her friendâs face, smiling sadly. the single gunshot to her chest had killed her instantly, at least she hadnât suffered, but she was still dead.
Matt slowly came to the ballerinaâs side, unsure of what state she was in now. sheâd just fought off grown gang members with loaded weapons like it was just another day, when before she wouldnât have dared look at someone the wrong way.
âI got her killed, he wanted me, not her.â the ballerina said with a small voice. Matt immediately recognised the ballerina that he had first met.
âhe shot her, itâs his fault. Iâll find him, but we need to go.â Matt was knelt down next to the ballerina, and could sense the presence of the body right before him. it was a horrible feeling, being in the presence of the recently departed. it was like there was a black hole in the room, drawing in all of the warmth and love and leaving nothing there in turn. not that there was any warmth or love in this godforsaken abandoned building in the first place, but the ballerinaâs heart was obviously breaking. âweâll take her to the city coroner.â Matt said, reaching out to pick up the body, which was cold. the poor girl had lived her last few moments making a stand for her life, but sheâd endured barbaric treatment from the gang, been shivering in the cold and probably wishing for a way out in her last few days.
yet, Matt was relieved that it wasnât his ballerinaâs body he was carrying.
â± ââââ.â Δïз â .ââââ â°
the ballerina burst back into Mattâs apartment, despite it being early morning. she was desperate to tell him about what the fuck had just happened, but found the place empty. she cried her heart out at being alone, and she thought about her now dead friend each time she closed her eyes. the ballerina cried herself to exhaustion, and eventually sleep, though it was fitful and cruel. she had fallen asleep on the couch, but woke up in Mattâs bed. she opened her aching, swollen eyes to see Matt in the kitchen. she rolled over, trying to dispel the mean headache that had formed overnight, and sighed when it only got worse.
Matt then appeared at the doorway, holding a tea and breakfast.
âwhere were you last night when I came in?â the ballerina demanded, sitting up and squinting at the bright New York light coming in through the windows.
âI was out looking for you, you did go missing last night, remember?â Matt replied sternly. âthat was dangerous, you realise that, right? weâre lucky you came back on your own.â he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the ballerinaâs response.
âyou have no idea what happened, do you?â the ballerina asked, voice deadly quiet. sheâd changed, Matt noted. âI had to abandon my best friendâs body at the city coroner with the help of the masked man, because some fucking depraved gang leader shot her, when what he really wanted was me.â the ballerinaâs voice was laced with hate, unmistakable seething hatred. âhe killed her, then... brainwashed me with Russian words. I almost hurt the masked man under orders to execute him. then I snapped out of it and started fighting people who had guns pointed at me. none of it makes any sense, nothing.â the ballerina was exhausted still, Matt could sense it.
âIâm sorry,â Mattâs hand covered the ballerinaâs, âabout your friend, the gang, all of it.â Mattâs heart screamed for the ballerina, he could sense her pain. âweâll open a case at Nelson and Murdockââ
âno.â Matt stopped talking, but he was relieved that the ballerina was opposed to opening a case, going to the police. âno, this isnât something you deal with in the courts. this is... different.â
âwhat do you want to do?â Matt asked, a simple question, but a million possible answers. he knew exactly what the ballerina was about to say.
âright now? sleep for a hundred years. after that? kill that man.â Matt turned towards the ballerina, both of his hands taking hers and holding them. he had to put on an act, he had to try and discourage her, but he so badly wanted to just come out and say heâd help her no matter what.
âthatâs not possible, Iâm sorry, but youâre putting yourself in too much danger.â the ballerina leant forward and challenged Matt.
âI think I can handle it, ask the masked man.â Matt had to hold back a smile, because he knew exactly what she was referring to, yet he had to hide it. instead, he shook his head. âwhatever that brainwashing thing was, it made me able to fight, and I mean fight. I just need the masked man to help me find this psycho so I can kill him.â the ballerina had never been so determined before, not even before a new show where she was performing as the lead for the first time on opening night.
Matt lowered his head, feigning defeat.
âif I call him, and he says no, thatâs it.â the ballerina squeezed Mattâs hands.
âI think we both know he wonât say no.â
and she was right, because Matt was already planning his next nighttime venture.
â± ââââ.â Δïз â .ââââ â°
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