Matt Murdock

Matt Murdock RP for Phoenix RP

[comicsiswild]

Daredevil (2019) #4

[thestupid--theproud]

@fcpunishertpr

[thestupid--theproud]

truthwriters​:

Karen was more than happy to put the past behind her. Fisk and Bullseye; she didn’t particularly care to think about either of them. For a while, it was difficult to come into the office and not think about the attack, but she felt as if it was getting easier with each day that passed. Writing was where her heart was and she had liked having Ellison as her boss. She was thankful when he took her back on at the Bulletin. The blonde focused upon dishing out the food that Matt had brought, her stomach growling and giving away the fact that she hadn’t yet had a real meal today. When it was all passed out, she took a small bite, sighing in contentment as she did so. 

“Thank you,” she blushed slightly, knowing that even if he couldn’t see it, he’d catch onto it. That was the annoying thing about Matt. He rarely missed a thing. Karen took another bite of her food, before replying, “I’m glad I did too. I missed it here.” She thought about asking him about Daredevil and her gaze lingered on him for a long second, but she decided against it at the last moment. 

Matt could feel the corners of his lips pulling up into a grin as he heard her stomach growl. Some things never changed, and apparently one of those things was Karen Page getting too invested in work to remember to take care of herself. He worried about her, he suspected he always would, but she could more than take care of herself. His smile only grew as he noticed her blush, his abilities able to help him take note of changes in people’s features. It was nice to know he had that affect, nice to know he was capable of bringing some feeling to her life other than anger and pain. He could also feel her doubt, her lingering gaze on him as she debated something in her mind, but raised a disarming hand. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

He allowed the silence to permeate in the room for a moment, just appreciating the company. “I’m sorry,” he blurted out. “I realized that I...uh...I never apologized to you. For how I treated you, for lying, for...for pushing you away and...I’m sorry it’s so late, but here it is. I’m sorry, Karen. For everything.”

[thestupid--theproud]

truthwriters​:

Karen froze slightly at Matt’s mention, but she relaxed when he didn’t say the name. It had been difficult to come back to the place that had been attacked, but she was slowly feeling better about being in the office. She missed writing more than she could put to words. She missed looking for the truth. Working with Matt and Foggy had been an opportunity that she’d always be grateful for, but journalism was where Karen’s true passion laid. “Sounds familiar,” the blonde quipped with a smile, just gazing at him for a second. She owed a lot to Matt. She knew that. However, getting involved with him had also brought a lot of danger into her life. Although, she knew she wasn’t innocent. She could barely keep her nose out of where it belonged. Karen took a sip from the whiskey in her mug, before beginning to pull a couple of the containers out of the bag that Matt had brought. 

“You look good, Matt,” Karen admitted lowly, “Like you’re doing good. I like that. I’m happy for you.” 

That night at the bulletin hit all of them quite hard. It was...still hard to think about. To talk about. He respected that, kept his distance from the topic. But, if Matt were being honest, he couldn’t be more happy she had gone back. Sure, the three of them working together was amazing, but he knew where her heart truly lay. She was a writer, a damn good one, and he was glad their firm didn’t take that away from her anymore. It was simply better this way. He couldn’t shake the small grin from his face, the one he got just from talking to one of the handful of people in this city he actually considered a friend, someone he actually cared about. “Thanks, Karen,” he took a deep breath, mentally trying to compose what to say. He still wasn’t exactly good at this, at being a friend. He was just naturally...resistant to the concept. And considering the fact that most of his life revolved around work or Daredevil, a topic he refused to bring up unless she asked, too respectful of her reservations to do anything less, he barely knew what to even say. “You, too. Well, you sound good, at least.” He let out a soft chuckle. “This place, this job, it’s what you were meant to do. I’m glad you got to back to it.” 

[thestupid--theproud]

cfblackwidow​:

Natasha tilted her head, smiling as she observed him. matthew was always quick to temper, even when she was trying to do him a solid. “who says it’s a social call?” she asked, taking a drawn out sip from her mug. “this isn’t exactly the kind of conversation you want to have phone records of, attorney murdock,” she pointed out. he still had a viable job during the day. one that would get put in major jeopardy should his nightly crusades as daredevil become known to the public. “i’m just here to pass along a message,” she replied as she slid a file folder over to him. she’d converted the information into braille for him. “the devil of hell’s kitchen is appearing on more and more shield memos,” she warned. “you’re catching the wrong kind of attention. you need to keep a low profile.” she owed him that much at least for pulling her team out of the pits. natasha didn’t like owing having debts hanging above her head. “let me help you.” whatever he was chasing, she could at least get him the right resources and keep it off the radar.

Matt scoffed, dropping his walking stick in its usual spot as he fully entered his apartment, stepping towards his fridge. He opened it, cracking open a beer for himself with a shake of his head. “I would offer you a drink, but it seems you already helped yourself.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as she spoke. “Low profile? I wear devil horns at night, Nat, I don’t know the meaning of the phrase.” He reached down for the file, slowly running his fingers over the words on the page. His brow furrowed, before he let out a mirthless chuckle, shaking his head. “Or else what? You and your SHIELD buddies gonna throw me in a cell in the middle of the ocean without a fair trial until I waste away?” He slid the file back to her. “Look, I appreciate you trying to look out for me. But, Hell’s Kitchen needs me in the suit. Doing what I do. A symbol that someone’s looking out for them, a defender in the night who’s not only concerned with alien invasions and the end of the world. Someone’s who’s gonna clean up the mess the big guys leave behind. SHIELD wants to stop me? Let em try.” 

[thestupid--theproud]

fcpunishertpr​:

That moment in the cemetery was pivotal for Frank, as well. He’d probably never admit that shit out loud, but Matt truly listened to him, and heard him. And that’s a rarity for Frank. So often people ‘listen’ but don’t truly hear and understand what’s said. Matt saw into Frank, saw him for what he was and is, and he won’t forget something like that easily.

At Matt’s teasing, Frank snorts, and oh so affectionately offers the man his middle finger. “First off, my symbol is bad-ass.” He retorts in a quiet tone, now wanting to blow their whole operation. “Second of all, I don’t see a point in hiding. I am who I am, and I do what I do. All there is to it, Red.” He smiles though, despite himself. 

Frank has a feeling there’s some shit that Matt knows that he won’t reveal, but..that’s alright. He’s got plenty of skeletons in his own closet, so who is he to judge? “I’m not above cheap shots, man.” He admits with a low chuckle. “Whatever gets the job done. Sometimes ya gotta play dirty. You should try it sometime.”

The second Matt gives the word, Frank punches the button and shouts can be heard below them. Matt goes down first, and Frank swiftly follows, able to see his way in the dark better than most. A gunman approaches, and he disarms them all too easily, gun flying to the opposite side of the room as Frank knocks the poor bastard out.

Be way easier to just kill these assholes, but oh well. Gotta play by Matt’s rules. Again. The bastard. 

Frank braces for more attackers, keen eyes looking into the darkness and noticing movement. “Two comin’ on your 6, Red.” He whispers. “Let’s get ‘em.” 

Matt could respect Frank’s mindset on all of it, albeit begrudgingly. If Matt were in Frank’s shoes, without people he needed to protect, would he do the same? He couldn’t definitively say no, a fact that filled Matt with no end of fear and doubt. But he pushed that to the side, taking a deep breath as he regained his focus. He couldn’t afford doubts, not right now. He needed to be focused.

“Just because I don’t kill people doesn’t mean I’m above cheap shots,” Matt countered. Sure, Matt mostly tried to keep a fight on the straight and narrow, relying solely on his skills with his fists or his awareness of his surroundings. But sometimes? He’d do whatever it took, no matter how...dubious, it was morally. The last year in particular. “I’ve dangled guys off rooftops my fair share. Sure, I made sure they’d survive the fall. But they didn’t need to know that.”

At first, Matt paid attention to on if Frank was maintaining his no kill rule, but after the first KO he stopped. He trusted the Punisher, oddly enough. Matt listened to Frank’s warning, doing a midair cartwheel to avoid a strike by one of the thugs. Landing on a knee, he immediately spun around to sweep his opponents legs out from under him, rolling backwards onto his hands. He lifted his body up, holding himself up in a handstand before falling forward, putting all of his weight onto his legs as he dropped them onto the downed thug’s chest. 

His enhanced senses made him take notice of a thug sneaking up on Frank, and he pivoted on his heel, ripping his club out from its place in his pocket as he did so. He whipped it forward, the metal club whizzing past Frank’s skull to take out a thug right behind him. But this distracted him just long enough for a thug to jump on Matt’s back. Matt roared in frustration, getting up and slamming backwards into a nearby door, knocking it off its hinges and sending both men crashing into a nearby hotel room. 

Matt slammed his elbow into the thug’s face, knocking him out instantly, and then he jumped up, face to face with a thug who followed him into the room. He twisted his body, hands wrapping around anything nearby, the complementary room microwave in this case, and yanked it out of the wall, chucking it full force into the thug’s skull. 

[thestupid--theproud]

fcpunishertpr​:

Maybe Frank should have argued the point a bit more, but time was of the essence and he’s not so stupid as to not realize that Matt clearly had the upper hand here. Frank knows the guy is knowledgeable and wouldn’t get either of them killed, so he doesn’t have much choice right this moment. 

Besides, thought he would never, ever admit it out loud…he’s got respect for the guy. 

Frank catches the phone, looking at it curiously. At Matt’s gesture, he chuckles. “Guessin’ your little helper didn’t account for that, huh.” How unfortunate. He unlocked the screen and quickly familiarizes himself with the settings so he’ll know what to do when the time comes. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy. At least this tech dude of Matt’s has some brains. 

“That fucker never gives up, I guess. Sounds like a few other people I know.” Frank looks at Matt with a sly smirk. At the mention of Matt ‘kickin his ass,’ Frank grumbles. “Bullshit. I can take you and you know it.” He insists, refusing to think of their past meetings. Shit was a fluke, in his opinion.

“You fuckin’ better be right about that.” Frank insists, reaching to take Matt’s hand. He climbs into the vent with a fair amount of ease, getting situated behind the other man. He’s not really one to follow another’s lead, but it’s the only thing that’ll keep him alive right now. And Frank ain’t ready to die just yet.

“Alright.” He whispers. “Ready to cut power on your signal.” He assures, keeping the phone handy as they move further into the vents. 

A long time ago, if someone had told Matt that he’d think that Frank Castle was a smart, level headed guy he’d have laughed in their face. Probably before swinging at them. But, that was different. Matt had judged him for his actions, looked down on him for his choices without trying to figure out why. But when Matt did get the why? That moment in the cemetery, Frank both figuratively and literally sitting on death’s door, had...changed Matt’s mind. Something that wasn’t easy. 

A respect grew there that day. Although it took Matt a long time to really see it. 

“Can’t account for something you don’t know,” Matt replied simply, a hushed whisper barely cracking through the quiet of the night. “Keeping secrets is part of the job, after all. Not all of us can show our identity to everyone, walking guns blazing into every room with no mask on and a cheesy symbol on their chest.” Matt quipped sarcastically, grinning as he crawled through the vent. 

“You have no idea,” Matt said in response to Frank’s statement about Fisk. Or was it about him? Maybe both, either way the answer was the same. Part of Matt wanted to tell Frank the truth, what he almost did to Fisk, but he stopped himself. Now’s not the time, if it ever would be. He didn’t need to reveal that demon, speak about that part of himself that he’d forever be ashamed of, those terrible months in the wake of Midland Circle and with Fisk and the FBI. “Yeah, sure you can. When you get a cheap shot to my head and chain me to a roof.”

To be honest with himself, Matt knew that Frank could more than handle himself. Their fights had been some of Matt’s toughest challenges in his entire life. Hell, he fought better than most of the Hand’s ninjas, who’d been training since birth. But Matt didn’t need to tell him that, he didn’t need the ego boost. 

“Do it...now!” Matt spoke, once again in a whisper, before slamming his feet into the grate and knocking the other side cover off its hinges, the grate falling down onto the floor with a thud. He dropped down, directly onto a gunman who went to investigate, landing on his shoulders and slamming two elbow strikes into his head, knocking him out. 

[thestupid--theproud]

truthwriters​:

In the couple years that she had known him, a lot had happened between her and Matt Murdock. A bit of good, mostly bad, and some in between. Karen was merely happy that they were on speaking terms again. That they were friendly. Even if he frustrated her to no end with his inability to accept help. “I’m glad to hear that,” she replied honestly, her blue eyes scanning him quickly, assessing for any recent damage. Karen nodded, “It’s one of my favorites. That much hasn’t changed.” The blonde walked back to her desk to grab another coffee cup and the bottle of whiskey that she had hidden. She poured him some, before sitting back down in her desk chair, offering the seat across from her before clearing her desk for their impromptu dinner. “Thank you. I’m just happy that they took me back. As far as writing, I’m afraid not much has gotten done today. What about you? Any new cases?” 

“I’m glad to see the place is even still open, after...” Poindexter. The fake Daredevil. Another list of weights on Matt’s shoulders, a source of fear that kept him up at night. Matt and Karen’s relationship had been...rocky, to say the least. Him and Foggy had forced themselves into her world and made a mess of things, and he would probably continue to feel the guilt wrack up in him for that fact every day. He had no idea what would happen after that day they had met in the precinct, but...it was unfair to get her wrapped up in all of it. But, she was tough as hell. She persevered , survived, and Matt would always admire her for that. He picked up the coffee cup, raising it to her with a light grin as he took a sip. “You know, same old same old. Some poor soul walks into my door, screwed over by the system and in need of some help. I help them out, barely keeping the lights on in the process.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Pretty much entirely feeding myself off the different dishes people pay me with, but it’s a living. And...it feels good. Like I’m doing my part.”

[thestupid--theproud]

truthwriters​:

She hadn’t been expecting anyone and that was why she’d given up any ounce of professionalism. The office hours were almost over and Karen figured that she wouldn’t get any visitors for the day. She was wrong. Matt at her door was a pleasant surprise and her grin widened at the sight of him in her doorway. The sight of the food in his hands was a welcome addition judging by the growl of her stomach. When was her last real meal? Coffee and whiskey didn’t count, apparently. The blonde tried to figure out the last time that she’d seen her friend. She worried about him as much as he hated it and as unlikely she was to admit it. “I don’t recall ordering delivery, but this is a welcome surprise,” Karen retorted softly with a smile as she stood to close the door behind him. Truthfully, she just wanted to get a better look at him. “How are you, Matt? Do you want a drink? We have coffee, water, or the bottle of whiskey hidden in my desk.” 

Matt gave her a gentle smile as he handed off her food to her, entering the office. “Do you even have to ask?” He quipped, gesturing with his head to the desk with the whiskey in it. “I’m good, Karen. Well, getting there at least,” he chuckled dryly, taking a seat. “I was on the way back from the church, from Sister Maggie, and I assumed you hadn’t eaten. So, I grabbed you some food. Hope you still like Indian?” He folded up his cane, putting it away into his bag. He still wasn’t sure how to refer to Maggie, still coming to the terms with the bomb of truth dropped on him in what was already the must tumultuous time in his life. The time where he had been so close to self destructing everything in his life. He sighed, before throwing a grin back on his face. “Glad to see you’re back here. This place, I can tell it’s good for you. You have a knack for this. What’re you writing? Who’s the poor soul who’s getting written about by Karen Page.”

[robinbuckley-ste]

OPEN // @thephoenixstart​

Karen had made it to that part of her day where the coffee in her coffee cup had somehow turned into whiskey. The words on her laptop screen stared back at her like they were mocking her. Her case of writer’s block was extraordinary and no amount of coffee was helping - which was why she’d given up and switched to the whiskey that was hidden inside of her desk. The blonde propped her feet up on her desk, coffee cup in her hands, and stared at the ceiling with a sigh. Karen was seconds away from spinning in circles in her desk chair when she was interrupted by someone standing in her doorway. The blonde quickly sat properly in an attempt to look like a professional and offered a guilty smile. “Can I help you? To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

[thestupid--theproud]

Matt could feel the nerves running up his skin as he entered the bulletin, could feel the eyes of everyone still in the office at this hour drift to him. His fingers reflexively tapped around his walking stick as he made his way to her office, already smelling the whiskey from her cup. He let himself a small smile, he had expected it was that time already. He just hoped he was still right about how hard she worked and how she probably still skipped meals, the strong scent of the Indian food in the takeout bag he grabbed threatening to overwhelm his senses. He was nervous. Why was he nervous? This is his friend, even if she’d be one thousand times better off without him. So, after taking a deep breath, he gave a gentle knock on the door, stepping inside and holding up the food bag. “Uh, hello, delivery service for Karen Page?” He joked with a grin. 

[thestupid--theproud]

fcpunishertpr​:

There might be a lot of bad shit between Frank and Matt, but there’s just as much good shit, if not more. Frank told this guy more than he’s told most people…bared his soul to him, really. And that’s not something that Frank would quickly forget, despite their drastically different views and approaches. Because of all that….he listens. 

Frank looks up to where Matt indicates, squinting a little to see better. “Shuttin the power down, huh? Not bad, Red.” Frank nods, having to appreciate the ingenuity. He always did work better in the dark, anyway. The non-lethal part pisses him off, and he’s pretty sure that’s evident on his face. 

Deep down, he knows Matt is a formidable opponent, and a showdown between the two of them would get ugly. Better to avoid that if possible.

‘Fisk? That asshole again?” Frank sighs. He should’ve guessed this target was involved. He ignores the whole ‘good person’ comment…Frank doesn’t really know if he believes all that. Not after everything he’s done. His jaw sets, and he thinks deeply for a moment, really and truly weighing the options and everything Matt has said. 

After a few silent moments, Frank sighs again, heavily. “Fine, I’m in.” He looks at Matt, meeting his eyes. 

“But I swear to God, if you’re full of shit and these guys wind up gettin off the hook somehow, I’m holdin you personally responsible and will come for your ass…” 

Matt had expected a fight, to be honest. Had expected...at least some resistance to hearing him out. So, when Frank had just remained silent, listening to what he had to say, he’d been...shocked. Maybe Frank really had given a shit about their experiences, after all. And another ally in the city never hurt. But he had to admit, the idea of Frank Castle as an ally? It felt...strange. 

With a nod, Matt tossed the cell phone with the app on it to Frank. Peter knew a lot of things, but one of them wasn’t his identity. Or that he was blind. As such, he hadn’t blind proofed the device, and Matt had a way around a lot of things but phone screens? Not one of them. He anticipated a questioning look, and to counter it he waved his hand in front of his mask where his eyes would be to indicate he couldn’t see. 

“Yep. That asshole again,” Matt shook his head, chuckling lightly at Frank’s way with words. “You’d think me kicking his ass twice now would make him just give up, but no. Can’t be that lucky.” His hands instinctively clenched as he thought about Fisk, the man who had tormented him for so long. Almost took everything from him. Even just the name filled Matt with a nearly uncontrollable rage. 

The silence was tense as the two vigilantes stood across from eachother. It was either friend or foe, and it was on the other vigilante’s shoulders to decide. Now. And Matt didn’t know what he’d decide to do.

“Good choice. I’d hate to have to kick your ass again,” he grinned, turning to the vent. Matt jumped onto the railing of the nearby stairway, before leaping over to the vent. It didn’t take him long for him to pry the covering off the vent, before sliding inside and reaching out to give Frank a hand. 

“They won’t.” His tone was simple, factual, giving no room for doubt. They’d be going away for a long time. He knew it.

[hallowedmuses]

starter for: @thestupid–theproud​

Natasha looked up as matt entered his apartment alert and on edge; he knew she was there long before he opened the door. sure, she was breaking and entering technically, but what’s a little law breaking between old friends. “at ease, matthew,” she responded nonchalantly as she poured a cup of tea. she wasn’t looking for a fight. she owed matt a lot. he’d stepped up to the plate and defended her, steve, and the rest of the team after the accords marked them fugitives. it was funny in a way; a vigilante defending other rogues. but since then, natasha had gone legit again. she was working for shield now, and she was privy to a lot of information. mainly intel regarding this vigilante, that mutant, this inhuman…people who’d pinged shield’s radar one way or another. as of late, one of those people happened to be daredevil.  “rough night?” she asked, tilting her head and examining him as she handed him the mug of tea. “i can’t tell which one of us has more bruises these days.”

[thestupid--theproud]

Matt had noticed something was wrong with his apartment as he entered the stairwell. He had heard a heartbeat, which was unexpected considering the fact he worked alone. Immediately, he was on edge, folding up his walking stick and moving up the stairs, hands clenched into fists so hard his knuckles turned white. He was NOT in the mood to deal with this tonight, and whoever was dumb enough to break into the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen’s apartment was very quickly going to learn the error in that line of thinking. He cautiously opened the door, readying himself to throw the stick at the intruder but he stopped himself. He knew this person. “Natasha?” he questioned, putting down his walking stick. “What the hell are you doing in my apartment?” He growled out, frustrated. “I do have a cellphone, so breaking in isn’t essential for a social call.”

[thestupid--theproud]

fcpunishertpr​:

Frank has to fight the urge to roll his eyes at Matt’s comment. Just talkin so casually, small talk, like they don’t have a shit ton of history between them and not all of it great. It’s typical though, and that, for some fucked up reason, comforts Frank just the tiniest bit.  Familiarity isn’t something he gets to encounter often. At least, not in a positive way.  “Me? You know I never die. I’m like a cockroach, just keep comin back.” He taunted in a lighter tone, but his words are truer than most. The intel Matt provides has Frank cursing under his breath. Of course the asshole has the whole floor, he should’ve anticipated something like that. Frank might be packing heat, but it ain’t enough to take down a whole floor. As usual, Matt has solid points, ones that Frank can’t ignore even though he’s tempted to.  “Alright, so what the fuck do you propose we do then? I’m sure you’ve got a plan, ya always do.” Frank looks to Matt with an exasperated expression. This whole ‘no kill’ shit gets old real quick, and was the one thing they always fundamentally disagreed on.  “How do we get this done to my satisfaction in a way that doesn’t get us killed, hm? Lemme know Red, I’m dyin to hear your brilliance in action once again.” 

Matt is painfully aware of the history between the two of them, the fights and the arguments and the tension. He remembers the trial to defend Frank, where he tanked it and in so doing was the catalyst for the explosion of his friendship with Foggy and Karen and a downward spiral that he had barely walked away from. He would always remember, a painful reminder of what men like Frank Castle were capable of doing.

But there was more to him than that. There always would be. Matt could feel it, deep in his soul, and he would not give up on him. Even if the whole world told him to. There’s a good person inside Frank Castle, and Matt was determined to bring it out. 

Matt smirked at his comment, before hearing the telltale signs of his frustration at the new intel. Matt could hear a subtle increase in heartbeat, could practically feel the spike in adrenaline of the former soldier. And he could hear the weapons Frank had on him. Not enough to take all these guys down. Not by a longshot.

“I’ve been casing this place for a few days now. A...friend of mine,” he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he had the right to call Spider Man a friend, but he guessed they were getting there. “Got me attached to the power grid. Do you see that grate up there,” Matt pointed, head not even moving, up above Frank’s head. “Big enough to fit a person. We crawl through, you hit this button, and we take advantage of the element of surprise and move fast, efficient, and non lethally.” He emphasized the last bit. “Anyone dies, and I’ll know it. And I take you down, too.”

“Frank, deep down you’re a good person. You know it, I know it, so don’t bother fighting me on that. We do this, we take him down the right way? Fisk’s entire op in the docks goes down, hard. And it’s not the first of Fisk’s big ops I’ve taken down. He’s getting frustrated, nervous. It’s time to put the pressure on. And besides that? You know what they do to kid peddlers in prison. Anything you wanna do to the asshole will probably get done to him anyway. But, justice will also be done. So, are you in, or out?”

[thestupid--theproud]

daisyljohnson​:

In a way, what Matt was saying was serving as guidance for how she could approach her own father when she finally got to doing that. It wouldn’t be easy for Cal to understand, but they could take things slow, like Matt and his mom were. They didn’t have to talk only about each other’s pasts, but they could talk about their present and what they thought of what the future might bring.

Daisy took Matt’s hand, squeezing it gently when he brought up Father Lantom. “I’m sorry.” While Daisy had distanced herself from most of the people at St. Agnes besides Matt, she knew that Matt had seemed to have a stronger relationship with Father Lantom. He was nicer than a lot of people there, and he seemed to have an intelligence about him that had made Daisy nervous. She always felt like he could see through her, more than any shrink could’ve, and people seeing through her like that always scared her. Still, she respected him in a way, and she was sad to hear that he was gone since she felt like he was one of the few good things that orphanage had. “I hope her guidance isn’t just to clean your room and pray before bed,” Daisy mustered at a joke. Having grown up without parents, Daisy wasn’t really sure what kind of guidance parents were supposed to offer. Coulson and May weren’t technically her parents. They’d never signed any paperwork. Daisy had never called them mom or dad, but the guidance they offered tended to be more situational. She doubted that most parents had to guide their children in how to lead a team of spies or in how to deal with living without them because one of them made a deal with the devil.

Daisy shook her head. “Can’t say I have. Then again, Fury Sr. was … a lot of things. Easy to understand was not one of those things. He didn’t trust anyone, and if he kept a dartboard with your face, he didn’t show it to me. Knowing him, he was probably just waiting for some kind of opportunity to find something to hold against you and manipulate you into doing what he wanted.” She spoke bitterly, angry at herself for the things she’d let Fury make her do. She should’ve seen it sooner. “Technically, I kinda did take you out, only it was out for drinks.” She joked, raising her glass to her lips again. “I am trying to change it, to fix it back to what it’s supposed to be,” she assured him. “But I’m glad you trust me, even if it’s been awhile.”

Daisy chuckled. “You know, that would be helpful, but no. I don’t think I’d want to deal with that anyways.” It sounded invasive, more than S.H.I.E.L.D.’s usual stuff, and it would’ve been a lot of work sorting through it all. The closest thing they had to it was a program that went through every phone call to the police. It was how they got to scenes so quickly when something abnormal was happening. 

“I can imagine it’d be hard. When I got my powers, I barely kept it from most of my teammates for more than a few days, and they didn’t react well. We got through it though, even when I ran off and did my own little vigilante thing for a while. You and Foggy will get through it too. It just might take a while. Have you tried talking to him recently?”

“I’m not one to judge families, to tell them what’s wrong or right. That’s up to you. But, if you need me, I’ll be there to help, however I can,” he smiled lightly as he spoke, trying to be reassuring. 

He sighed deeply, squeezing her hand back. It was comforting, in a way that not a lot of people were. Matt usually wasn’t one for physical showings of affection, wasn’t used to it, but it felt...nice. As if he wasn’t carrying the weight all by himself. “it has been, at least a bit,” he replied. “With Father Lantom is was mostly spiritual. He knew who I was. I never directly told him, but he was smart. And I was never great at keeping things from him anyway. He knew. He helped guide me, helped me find my path when Fisk was taking over or the Hand was terrorizing the city. And the last thing I said to him, the last time I saw him before he died...He knew about Maggie, how she was my mother. Had always known. And he kept it from me.” He finished his drink, slamming the glass down on the bar with a bit more force than he had intended. “His death’s on me. The killer was after my friend, trying to get to me. The blame lies on my shoulders. He was like a f...mentor, to me. And I couldn’t save him.”

He raised his hand, signalling for Josie to get him another drink as he listened to her speak. It seemed like this “Fury” character was a big reason for the problems at SHIELD. It made sense. He’d heard the name a few times, but he didn’t know much about the man. From what he could tell, he was an asshole. As Josie slid him a drink, he grinned at her joke, raising his own glass. “That’s good. You’re an organization of the law, the government. You have to be held to a higher standard. The stuff I saw? Imprisonment without due process, breaking and entering without a legal right? The law exists for a reason, to protect people. I believe in it, and having an organization that can just suspend those rights whenever it chooses? It doesn’t sit well with me. Protect people, but do it the right way.”

“I admire your optimism,” he replied grimly, taking another sip of his drink. His fingers instinctively flexed against the glass, gripping it so hard his knuckles turned white. “I’m not sure, Daisy. I hurt him, him and Karen, multiple times. I lied to them, betrayed their trust, was...just an all around asshole. I don’t know how to move past that.” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “No. He walked away. That was his choice, I don’t have the right to impose. He made the choice to leave, and for good reason. I’m trying to respect his choice.”

Or he was trying to protect himself from more pain. But he didn’t need to mention that detail

[fcpunishertpr]

@thestupid–theproud​ // Matt & Frank, babyyyy~

It’s go time. 

Another day, another target. That’s how Frank looks at it, makes shit easier to digest that way. This one could be a little tricky, as his guy is high up on the “food chain” so to speak. Which means he’ll be heavily guarded and Frank has to be ready for anything. At least he’s not hiding on some rooftop this time; it’s rare that he gets some close-up action these days. Usually it’s just him and a sniper rifle and it’s over in seconds. Not very satisfying. Frank easily makes his way across the lobby at the hotel his target is staying in, blending in with the others that are filing through. His weapons are expertly concealed, and nothing about his appearance would draw undue attention. Frank takes the stairs up to the 6th floor, peeking his head out into the hallway to make sure there’s no civilians milling around. It’s empty, save for one person down the way. Frank decides to play it cool, walking casually towards the room he needs. He counts the numbers, and soon realizes this person is right in front of his target’s door. 

It’s about at that moment that he realizes he knows who it is.  “Son of a bitch.” He speaks in a soft tone, addressing the man. “Red, what the fuck are you doin here?”

[thestupid--theproud]

After weeks of beating up low level drug dealers and street thugs, Matt had finally gotten a solid lead. A name, and a big one. City Alderman Kevin Delaney, a corrupt and hedonistic old crone who was on Fisk’s payroll for hiding Fisk’s dealings in and out of the city through the docks of his district. 

Matt ha managed to find the guy, an act that had taken longer than he had anticipated due to his high profile status, before he’d made a breakthrough. He would be staying at this hotel with his mistress for a weekend. On taxpayer dollars, of course. 

Although Matt had been tempted to just barge in guns blazing and take this guy down, he couldn’t. From Matt’s recon he discovered that Delaney had the entire floor to himself, with at least twenty armed guards throughout. That, and none of them knew exactly which room the guy was in. No, he’d need to be smart.

That’s how he found himself in the hotel lobby, his original black suit from his first year underneath his large coat, hat on his head and hands wrapped defensively around his cane as he listened. And then he heard it. “Frank Castle spotted heading into the hotel.” Someone said into their comms. Matt cursed his luck. Of course, Frank had to show up, now. This would make a mess. He had to stop him. He slunk away from the chair he was sitting at, making his way quietly to the entrance to Delaney’s floor, ditching the coat and putting his mask on along the way.

“Been a while, Frank,” Matt whispered, smirking at him. “Thought you were dead. Glad I was wrong. But don’t be an idiot. Delaney’s got the whole floor in his pocket, at least twenty armed gunmen who all know you’re here. You can’t do it alone, and I can’t either. So be smart. I have enough evidence on this guy for him to go down. For life. But you go in there, kill all of ‘em? He ends up a martyr, a civil servant killed doing his work for the city. Neither of us want that.”

[thestupid--theproud]

spidrwcb​:

“Not for a single moment,” Peter admits while looking at Daredevil, knowing that his friend here is excellent at what he does. Which makes the Spider hold great respect for him. It was impressive though, seeing that he managed to catch the lieutenant so easily.

They work well together, their routines blending seamlessly. He can tell that the guy is scared, and maybe this isn’t how he would always do things. Although Peter knows that sometimes you have to change up the way you handle the situation. Sometimes even he tries to scare people too. It can be easy to do when your spider and that creep factor. crawling on all fours slowly toward someone really gets to them.

“Yeah we have questions, answer them and this will be easier for all of us. My friend here is very serious about this threat about making you drink out of a straw.“ Peter says calmly, always playing the role of good cop. “ I would pick answering the questions. We have the resources to get you a new safer lifestyle if you just cooperate.” Peter looks at daredevil and then back to the lieutenant to see what the decision will be. “So? What will it be?”

Matt smirked at the praise, almost instinctively. It was nice to be appreciated, after all. Especially from a fellow masked hero, one who had earned a lot of respect from Matt, unexpectedly. He really did find himself enjoying the time he spent fighting beside the wall crawler. 

Part of that was simply due to the natural chemistry. It seemed like when they worked together, they simply clicked, almost instinctively. Unlike many of his previous partnerships, they didn’t get in eachother’s way and managed to work just as seamlessly as he did solo.

The lieutenant remained silent, looking around the warehouse. But, he seemed to relax somewhat. “Good choice. What was going on here? Where did you get these weapons, and why do you need this kind of weaponry? What’re Fisk and Tombstone planning?”

[thestupid--theproud]

spidrwcb‌:

Peter always has to show off, of course, he does when your fighting techniques are acrobatic. He only knows how to be a little theatrical, not seeing anything wrong with having a little fun. “I’ll do that, no problem!” The Spider shouts to his partner while continuing to fight the henchmen. He shoots out two web-lines that attach to the shoulders of one of them — and pulls him in just for his face to collide with his fist.

The web was still attached so he uses some force to push himself off the ground and do a flip over him — kicking him in the back so he knocks into one of his friends. The impact of falling to the ground makes both of them go unconscious. “You guys don’t know how to play nice!” Peter shouts when another guy tries to hit him over the head, grabbing his wrist after and knees him in the gut.

He quickly takes down everyone else, and makes sure they’re webbed together before moving to join Daredevil. “I see you caught him.”

Matt surveyed the scene once he had taken down the lieutenant, making sure there weren’t any of them who had gotten away. Once he was satisfied that the fight was over, he turned to the one he caught. “Was there ever any doubt?” he quipped back with a smirk.

The lieutenant was terrified, he could already tell. His heartbeat was erratic, for starters, and the guy kept moving his head around shiftly, breathing heavily. It wouldn’t take much to get him to squeal, he didn’t think. He just had to apply some pressure, and prove that he was scarier than Tombstone or Fisk.

“My partner and I have some questions for you,” he growled out, grabbing the guy by his shirt. “Answer them, we get you safe, out of this life. Don’t, and you eat out of a straw.” Matt gestured his head for Spider-Man to start asking questions as he pinned the guy against a stack of crates. 

[thestupid--theproud]

daisyljohnson‌:

“You didn’t even know where I was,” Daisy pointed out, and she’d been good at hiding. She hadn’t been hiding from him exactly, but hiding from everyone else meant that him finding her would’ve been even harder. She sighed, a sound that could only have meant that she knew he was right, but she didn’t want him to be. The thought of confronting him about who she was terrified her. It had actually been his own choice to forget, but so soon after watching your own wife die in your arms, Daisy could understand why you wouldn’t want to remember. Forgetting about it though, meant that he could never change his mind. He could never go back on how he felt because he didn’t know he’d made the choice in the first place. If she offered to help him remember again, would he still make the same choice? “I’ll think about it,” she agreed finally.

Daisy nodded as she listened, just trying to imagine it in a way that made sense. She placed a hand on Matt’s back, gently rubbing small circles up and down it. Everything about this conversation was hard. It forced them to delve into topics they wouldn’t normally be able to talk about at all, but at least they were here for each other. “And she’s talking to you too now about it, right?” Daisy would’ve liked to have talked to her more, but she didn’t think she could go back there without panicking. Some of her childhood memories were so bad that she felt like she’d tear the place down if she got too close to it. Whenever she did try to help the kids there, it was always from a distance. 

Daisy blew out a breath. “Yeah, it wasn’t exactly where I thought I was going to end up either. The only reason I really did it was because the guy who was running it before me was … honestly basically criminal. Like crimes against humanity criminal. He messed with my memories, made me- Doesn’t matter. Point is. Bad guy. I tried to have him arrested and sent to court, but he set off a bomb instead, so now he’s dead and I’m in charge because I can at least make sure people aren’t getting taken advantage of. When you don’t have the blind kid to fight your bullies, sometimes you gotta fight them yourself.” She joked, trying to mentally distance herself from what Fury Sr. had made her do as much as possible.

“I saw that,” she said proudly. “Good job with that. Sorry I couldn’t make it to the graduation,” she joked. She would’ve shown up if she’d known when it was. “Foggy, huh? Does he know about the whole…” She made a mask with her fingers on her face.

Matt allowed himself a small smile, being glad to hear that his words had gotten through. He couldn’t imagine what she was going through, but family made that burden easier, and not having it...well, it didn’t end well. He was a personal, constant example of what not having family around in the pivotal moments could do to a person. He didn’t want her to live through that any more than she already had, with everything she’d lost. 

Having her around as he spoke about this was...comforting. To say the least. She’d been one of the few people he’d ever had in his life that he trusted, was willing to share any feeling with that he’d rather bury deep inside himself and ignore. Especially because him and Foggy lost touch, Foggy onto bigger and better things, he really had no one. A common feeling, although one he didn’t exactly enjoy. Just because he was used to the loneliness didn’t mean he liked it. “Some. Mostly, we talk about the present. How we’re doing, things going on, things like that. We don’t breach the past very often, only bits and pieces. It’s...too new, too crazy. I stayed in touch with Father Lantom before he...” he didn’t finish, shaking his head to stave off any other emotions from slipping through. “Sought his guidance a lot, so with him not here anymore I seek hers, when I can. It...helps.”

Matt listened intently as he listened to her experiences with SHIELD. He knew they were like that, had firsthand experience of their way of doing things. He didn’t approve. They were a government institution, they were supposed to be held to a higher standard. One they frequently used to violate human rights in the name of security. Matt believed in the rule of law with all his heart, and the freedoms that came with it. Those would always be most important, in his mind. “That’s...good to hear. I never met the guy at the top in the past, but I saw how they operated. I’m sure you’ve probably seen my face on a dartboard there or something, we don’t much like eachother. Or didn’t, I guess. Unless you’re harboring some deep seeded hatred of me and this is your chance to take me out,” he quipped with a smirk. “I may not trust your organization, but I trust you.”

He sighed with a light chuckle at her talk of his graduation, shaking his head. “What, you mean SHIELD doesn’t have the name, address, and scripts full of every conversation anyone’s ever had on a big google doc for you all to see?” he joked, trying to hide his disapproval at their methods. Previous methods, he reminded himself, he was sure she’d do things differently. “And yeah...that has put our relationship through the ringer, so to speak. Foggy’s like a brother to me, but...I kept it from him for a while. He only found out when he caught me beat to hell and nearly dead. He never approved, never really got it...although I didn’t do much to try,” Matt said, clearly still bitter at himself over how their relationship turned out. “Another thing to add to my list of failures.” he said more to himself than her, taking the last sip of his drink.