A/N: My intentions in the beginning were to write smut, nothing more and nothing less. Although the story took off, you can expect there to be some explicit things happening in the future of this story.
Chapter One
Karen gripped her glass of scotch as she stared at the story on her screen. Her stomach was in knots as her eyes scanned the necessary truths laid before her. All of her sources were in order and she had spell checked it more times than she could count... but she had been hesitating submitting it for two days now.
Tearing her eyes from the screen, she looked down at her folder. The one with proof of all her snooping and questionings and, oh man, Matt was going to be so mad at her. But that wasn't what had her stomach in knots. It was the memories of what had happened the last time they had gone against Wilson Fisk.
Now she knew everything... or at least Matt's version of everything. And he expected her to do what with all of it? Karen had to refill her glass as her thoughts went back to that night.
Three months earlier...
Matt stood in front of her holding the Daredevil mask, looking so earnest and a little bit defeated.
"I-I want to call you crazy, but I..." Karen hated the way her voice quivered as she tried to find someway to express what she was feeling.
"You know I'm telling the truth." Matt said so matter-of-factually and all that came to her were more questions. She still hadn't been able to catch up on any sort of sleep and now he stood their making her furious and confused. "I want to tell you everything Karen."
Her thoughts were racing over all their past encounters, and her secret attraction to Daredevil that Matt apparently knew about the whole time and then of course there was the obvious question of his blindness. She knew her face was turning red and she felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest, but not in the "Matt's about to kiss me in the rain" kind of way. More in the "I'm about to have an anger aneurysm" kind of way.
"I think maybe we should both get some air before I hear that kind of story." Karen said, backing towards the door.
"I can sense you're angry," Matt said, though he backed away from her and gave her space to leave. "But maybe once you have a minute to think this over we could get a drink and, you know, really talk about it sometime. All I ask is that you keep my secret."
Karen paused at the door, relieved he was backing off since all she could give him was a nod before leaving hastily. It wasn't until she was outside that she realized she had been holding her breath because now she was gasping with her hands on her knees and tears threatening to spill.
He has an alcohol problem. He's in a fight club. She recalled Foggy's words bitterly. God, how could she be so stupid? Was it not enough that she had been carrying some light of hope for Frank, but now Matt fights ninjas and gun toting bad men at night.
Karen worked from home the next couple of days. Specifically from her bed where she had drank until she slept a dark and silent sleep with no dreams and no memories. Just nothingness.
After giving herself some time to breathe, Karen dove back into work and tried to forget about Matt. He didn't call her and she liked that. It was easy to pretend she wasn't angry when he wasn't around... but every dull moment sent memories of the past month flooding back. Frank closing the door. Matt holding the mask.
It was memories like this that found her opening a new bottle of scotch at her office that night. She could pretend it was that damn ol' writer's block again, but she knew she just wanted to forget again. Just one more night where she didn't feel like she had failed or been failed or however she was feeling from one drink to the next. Damn them.
Frank told her to hang onto him. That fucking asshole.
Karen hated this. She was so alone but she felt too hurt to be by anyone... but she just wanted to yell at Matt for everything.
It only took another cup of scotch to convince herself that's what she really wanted to do and that was how she ended up at Matt's apartment. She knocked but no one came to the door. It occurred to her, as she swayed slightly on his doorstep, that he might just be out fighting bad guys at the moment. Why wouldn't he be? Karen supposed if she had karate skills she might use those at night instead of her drinking skills. Or whatever, she'd been drinking and her thoughts were kind of funny.
Well, he'd come home eventually and so Karen took a seat in his hallway. Apparently she had brought the bottle of scotch in her purse for the walk.
I hope he doesn't have a secret entrance, or I'll be waiting here a long time. Karen thought, closing her eyes as she took a swig. Well, then she would have time to get her opening statements and rebuttals ready... maybe call a surprise witness.
It seemed like she only closed her eyes for a few minutes when she opened them, but the sun was shining down on her and she was laying on Matt's couch. Karen groaned and held her head. She did not remember Matt bringing her in there. She hoped she hadn't made a fool of herself but she knew it was a slim chance.
She heard footsteps and then there was Matt. Smiling and holding coffee. He was at least probably the most adorable thing she would see all morning.
"You look terrible," she said softly, grimacing at the pounding in her head. "What happened to you?" She realized it was the first time she asked and fully expected the truth from him
Matt tilted his head, "You weren't this concerned last night."
Uh-oh.
"Oh, you don't remember how you scolded me last night? At five in the morning?" Matt asked, sounding, of all things, amused. When Karen said nothing Matt of course went on but at least had the decency to hand her a cup of coffee. "Apparently it was so annoying that I had to get hurt last night because I ruined you yelling at me so hard and that you had an opening statement prepared that could have brought me to tears."
Matt sipped his coffee noisily and Karen fought for the words to say.
"I've been... really angry." she said. Matt nodded.
"Of course you are, why wouldn't you be?"
Karen shook her head, "Please stop. Just... stop being so nice and understanding. I came here last night because you haven't told me everything yet and I don't want to be around you in any context until you do. And I..." Karen closed her eyes, furious that they were filling with tears. "I really miss being around my friends."
Matt sat down in the chair by her and after a few moments of silence, he began telling her everything.
Matt did not gloss over any details, including his intention to runaway with Elektra and his heartache over her death. He told her about The Hand and about Wilson Fisk rising to power in prison. He even told her all about the miserable old bastard named Stick and all his double crossings that made her eyes want to cross.
And he followed all this with asking her to come and work with him. Karen scoffed. "Are you serious? That's what I'm supposed to do now?" Her voice was rising and her face felt hot as her anger over the whole thing bubbled back to the surface. She stood and began pacing. "You drop all of this on me and now things should just go back to the way they were? I'll just forget my new job and come and work for you!" Karen couldn't believe this.
"That's not what I meant - I just was hoping - I thought maybe we could be... close again." Matt stood up and put a gentle hand on her arm, causing her to stop her pacing. "You keep me grounded and I like having you near."
Karen narrowed her eyes and snatched her arm away from him, "I fell for your sweet words before, Matt. They won't work on me anymore because I don't believe them. They're just noise. The only time I believe you anymore is when you have something horrible to say."
She turned away from him and shut her eyes, trying to calm herself down.
"Despite how you feel right this moment, Wilson Fisk is trying to put himself back on top and I am going to stop him as Daredevil and Matt Murdock, but I need someone's help. I really do, Karen. I want your help and it's really selfish of me to ask but that's what I want and that's why I've told you everything. You can get to the bottom of things better than anyone I know and that's what I want you to do."
Karen let out a shaky breath.
This was how she began sticking her nose in police files again. It wasn't easy, to get away with and to talk herself into doing, but she wanted this to stop. Once and for all.
One night, after a long day of avoiding Ellison's questions at the office and then avoiding Matt's intoxicating proximity in the other office, Karen found herself walking into a bar.
It was a sports bar and it was late so only the saddest middle aged men were here, bent over their beers and smoking. It was easy to spot her target, he was the one sitting back and hollering about the game. Loud mouthed asshole. Nice. He turned and looked at her and her skin crawled as he took his time doing so.
"Can I sit with you, sir?" Karen asked, standing with a hand on her hip. He smelled like a prison and it sickened her. "I was wondering if I could talk to you a bit?"
"I aint got that kinda cash, but thanks for the offer doll." He winked at her and waved her away.
Karen raised an eyebrow and stopped the biting remark about to leave. She wasn't sure how that had in any way been an offer but she supposed she would just have to go with Matt's plan B. Bathroom it was. "Well it's been a good night. How about you meet me in the bathroom and we can discuss a deal? There's just the one in this hole so don't get lost."
Then she stood and swayed over to the bathroom, stopping to put some money in the jukebox. It was a good old bar and when the jukebox was too loud they yelled at each other and turned the television up louder. Karen continued on to the bathroom, locking it behind her. The window was already open.
"I don't want to do that kind of stuff anymore. Next time you play the... gentleman of the night and I'll smack them around." Karen told Matt who was standing behind her in all his Daredevil glory. She had to admit, angry at him or not, that suit looked damn fine on him. Especially when he was doing his jump arounds. He tilted his head at her and she blushed and looked away. Things weren't very fair when he could just tell exactly how you're feeling.
There was a knock at the door just in time to grab them out of an awkward moment and Karen opened the door with a smirk when she saw him. Karen had hardly closed the door before Daredevil had him bloody, on the ground, and shushed.
"Robert Sturges, keep calm and tell me what I need to know."
"What?" Robert asked and Daredevil picked him up and slammed him into the wall, pinning him up off the floor. Karen tried to back away but was met with the sink. "What?" He said again, this time in a whisper, "I was just meeting the girl. Two strangers, eyes meeting over a bottle of beer, what's so bad about that?"
Daredevil pulled him close to him and said lowly, "I know Wilson Fisk pays you. Other people will too. I need you to tell me who else he pays and who he contacts."
"Man, don't you tell people, I'll lose my fucking job you asshole!"
Daredevil punched him, "Then tell me what I need to know or you'll never get another paycheck again."
Robert looked defeated and angry. "I don't know man, just other guards and I don't know who else. We were all cut in with the Punisher."
"All of you, what do you mean all of you?" Karen asked.
"I mean everyone who worked in the fucking prison you slut," Robert spat at her and was then repeatedly punched by Daredevil. He moved so quickly and elegantly it was unreal that what was in front of her was also truly violent. And illegal.
"And who else, Robert?" Daredevil asked when he was done with that bit of punishment. "Who are his connections?"
Robert spit out a mouthful of teeth and blood. "I don't know who he talks to on the outside other than his lawyer and Murdock. I know that one of his little friends, Miguel, makes the phone calls. I don't know, they're running drugs or something."
Daredevil shook his head. "There's more."
Robert sighed, cringing with the small movement. "He's looking for muscle for hire. Everything goes through his lawyer, Mr. Donovan."
Daredevil hit Robert one last time, knocking him out and stood over his body for a moment.
"That didn't tell us anything." Matt growled. Karen looked down at the unconscious man.
"Fisk's lawyer. We could start there."
"What, by beating him into telling me things?" He asked, and she shook her head at the attitude.
"We can dig first. Maybe we find a way to get security footage." Karen suggested, feeling kind of dumb and small suddenly as she tried to think of something but there was an unconscious man on the floor and the music was dying down out in the bar.
"We should get home. Meet me tomorrow for lunch?" Matt asked, finally facing her. Karen nodded and a moment later he was gone. Karen took in a deep breath and opened the door, heading straight out of the bar. She turned towards home, but had to wonder what they could do next. She truly was dumb, though, if she didn't think Matt wasn't off doing something deemed too dangerous for her. He had thought of something and would tell her the next day, she was sure.
Well, Karen could always remind the public of everything Wilson Fisk had done, and then some. Only, very passively. She could interview tenants and employees who's lives had been disrupted due to the selfish act of an aspiring kingpin.
Karen began spending many nights talking with Matt Murdock or being nicely included in hands on stuff by Daredevil, and the two were slowly becoming the same person finally. Matt made her angry, but she wanted to give into the calmness he offered her. The smiles he gave her were so welcoming and promising that she wished she could just melt into them and him. But what happens when he decides to push away again?
She had to do her interviews in the daytime, when she was certain Daredevil wouldn't know what she was up to. It was easy to say she was working, because it was her job.
Finally, three months after Matt laid it all out there for her, Karen's big story was ready. And instead of handing it in or going to play vigilante's assistant, she was at work in the middle of the night getting drunk. Karen felt like she was probably going to regret a lot of this by the end but she had to use what she was good at to try and do good.
Karen left the story on her boss's desk and at least felt mighty proud of the quality and honesty of this one.
The walk home was kind of a wobbly one that night and Karen was sure she hadn't really drank that much. As she gripped onto the light pole, Karen realized she may have been wrong. Suddenly, an arm came into view and she looked up to see Matt smiling down at her.
"You have to stop smiling, it isn't really fair." Karen scolded him.
"Ah, I see. You've been drinking. Are you always such a mean drunk?" Matt asked as she clung to his arm.
"Only when I'm celebrating."
"That doesn't make any sense," Matt said with a laugh and Karen had to giggle a little as well because it really didn't. "Well, what are you celebrating?"
Karen shrugged, "I finished a story."
"Don't you have to finish stories all the time for your job?" Matt asked.
"Yeah?"
"Well, you celebrate every single time?" Matt asked, now laughing a little sounded good to hear and Karen leaned against him with a sigh. "I'll just have to read this story I guess, since it's worth celebrating."
Karen's eyes widened before she could help it and she tried to shrug and clear her throat calmly, "I mean it's not really special. Writers just drink a lot because we're... sad and lonely. It's bad. I just wrote it tonight, really. Mostly while I drank."
Matt laughed, "I'm sure. You know I read every one of your stories." Karen found herself smiling up at him, unable to help it. "Even the bad ones."
Karen laughed and gave him a light shove in his arm.
"Hey, you said not to sweet talk you." he explained.
Karen nodded, suddenly feeling shy as Matt held her hand so gently. If he could hear her heartbeat he had to know what he was making her feel. He had to know.
"This is you," Matt said, stopping in front of her building. It was always her who said that. He knew.
Karen stared up at him, not trusting herself to say anything as he slowly lowered her hand. He went to let go but she didn't let him, instead she guided his hand to lay over her heart. He was breathing hard now and she closed her eyes, listening to his breath as his hand went up to her neck and pulled her close. They had kissed before, but that was when she didn't know he could do any wrong. Now, he was someone dangerous. Someone she shouldn't be doing this with.
Matt pulled away, "We shouldn't do this. You've been drinking."
Groaning, Karen pulled out her keys and yelled over her shoulder, "I mean, do you ever get sick of being perfect?"
She heard him say, "Again, you've been drinking," before she went to her apartment and got some sleep.
Karen woke up when Ellison called her with praise and sarcasm for breakfast. The story would be published the next day. Good job. Hurry up with your next piece.
She looked at the time and groaned. It was a good thing her boss didn't really care how much time she put in at the office as long as she delivered results. Karen's eyes widened as she remembered their walk last night and their awkward almost kiss.
It never had to be awkward, Karen thought bitterly. He could have just met me halfway.
Is that what she wanted? Frank had told her to hold on tight to something so real.
Frank.
It had been months since she had told him he was dead to her, but for a moment he had been the most real thing she had ever known.
His house had burned down and she had been tracking several gang massacre's across Mexico for a few weeks but they had all stopped. Not for long, she knew he would never stop. He couldn't, but there were moments when they had talked when someone else would shine through. Someone The Punisher could never push down. All she really wanted was a chance to meet that man again.
"All I really want..." Karen whispered out loud, but shook her head before finishing that sentence and went to get ready for the day.
She spent the rest of her morning avoiding Ellison and smiling people and the sunshine while under the pretense of working hard on a new story and needing the blinds shut for concentration. It was after lunch time when Ellison came in and she suddenly sat up and tried to pretend to be looking at important documents while wiping drool from her face.
Ellison gave her a wave, "Relax, I can spot the celebratory hangover anywhere." They shared a laugh for a moment, but then Ellison folded his hands and Karen realized this is where the bad news was going to start. "I came here to warn you, Karen. You know I support you absolutely."
Karen sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. So, this was how it started. "My story hasn't even been published yet."
"No, but it's going to be and when it does... I'm afraid you are going to end up on someone's radar." Ellison told her, leaning down over her desk and looking very serious indeed.
I'm counting on it. She bit her lip to keep the thought to herself. He wouldn't be pleased to hear that and she knew where the concern was coming from. It was a place her own concern came from, Ben Ulrich's death... but that was a perfect example why she had to do what she could.
"I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing." Karen told him.
Ellison shook his head.
"That's not good enough. If I find out you get one piece of hate mail, if someone gives you a dirty look at a newsstand after this story... I'll never accept another Wilson Fisk story from you again."
Karen stood up angrily, "You can't! These stories need to be told. People need to know that there is still a threat out there. There is someone out there trying to take back his throne and we won't let happen!"
"'We'?" Ellison repeated and Karen shrugged.
"You and me. This place. We."
Ellison left with out much more scolding after that, leaving Karen free to bury her face in her hands.
Matt called her as she was walking home. She was working on avoiding him today and it was going pretty well so far. Though it made her feel bad, she was determined to die of her embarrassment alone that day. If it was some sort of emergency or news lead, he could leave an urgent message. He'd have to understand after all the phone calls he had ignored in the past.
For the first time in months, Karen went to bed early. Her dreams were dark and full of fire and blood. She tried to scream but nothing came out. Nothing ever came out.
Thunder crashed and Karen screamed. She was awake and staring up at her ceiling, waiting for more thunder. It wasn't raining.
Squinting against the dark, Karen wondered if she was still dreaming and rubbed her eyes. She stopped suddenly, realizing her hands were feeling odd and sticky. Trembling, she reached for her lamp and turned it on.
For a long time it seemed like the only thing she could see was the blood. And then the body. It was a man, gripping a knife and sporting a large hole in his head.
At some point, Karen realized she could move again and she looked at what was left of her window. And on a roof top, seeming like almost a trick of the eye, she saw the white skull before it disappeared out of sight.
"Frank." She whispered.
Footsteps were quickly approaching and Karen was finally able to snap out of it and scramble for her gun just as Matt kicked in her door. She breathed out a sigh that was followed quickly with tears. "Matt?" She said in a shaky voice, fear still gripping her as she gripped her gun. "I don't know what happened. I was sleeping and I-I heard thunder."
Matt was by her side in an instant, smoothing her hair back and kissing her head. He was being sweet again and she needed it.
Spending the remainder of your night answering police questions while wearing your bloody pajamas was definitely one way to lose any feeling of being well rested. They had finished with her apartment while she was at the police station, but she knew the damage was waiting for her there... if her landlord hadn't hated her before...
Karen stood on the street, not sure where she wanted to go when Sergeant Brett appeared by her side.
"You don't have to go anywhere alone." Brett told her and she knew he was offering protection... but her thoughts drifted to the white skull she had seen in the night and how quickly Matt had been there.
She had been so afraid of being alone, it was true. Now, though, it seemed like she had a ghost and the devil keeping an eye on her.
"Th-thank you, Sergeant, I appreciate it." Karen closed her eyes, wondering if she as being stupid to turn down his help. Probably. "I just want to go to a friend's."
"Let me give you a ride, Miss Page."
She thanked him and rode in silence with him to Matt's apartment. He tried asking her a few, seemingly friendly, questions about her work but she gave him short answers. It was difficult to think about work when all she could see was the man with a hole in his head laying on her floor. Karen wished suddenly that she was going to Foggy's... but she didn't need to drag him into anything if someone wanted her dead.
Brett waited until she was in the building before driving away and Karen braced herself to see Matt. He had been with her most of the night, giving her legal counsel and talking her way out of any accusation they threw at her, but when it seemed like she was out of the weeds with legal problems, he left. There was no doubt in her mind that he had gone to don his costume and search for answers in his own way.
When she got to his hallway, she paused in her steps at the racket going on the other side of Matt's door. It sounded like he had brought work home with him.
Karen urgently knocked on his door and was debating on if she should try kicking in his door when the noise inside abruptly stopped. When she heard whispers, Karen narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as Matt opened the door, sporting a bloody lip and breathing heavily.
"Got company?" Karen asked, not really intending to sound so bitchy but it happened and what could she do about it?
"No, they left." Matt opened the door all the way for her and Karen came in and flopped on his couch. "Karen, we need to be honest with each other."
"Yeah, I agree," she said and looked at his closed bedroom door. Who was hiding in there now?
"You need to tell me who that man was. Did you recognize him at all?" Matt asked, kneeling down in front of her and holding her hands looking like the angel she knew he wasn't.
"I came here to sleep, not answer the same damn questions I've been asked since three in the morning." Karen snapped at him. The look on his face made her sigh and cover her eyes with a hand. "I'm sorry, I haven't been sleeping well and it isn't doing much for my personality."
Matt nodded, "It's okay. I understand. I just... I just want to keep you safe Karen." His tone made her lower her hand and she wonder at the man kneeling in front of her.
"Well, I've been hanging out with Daredevil most nights and not wearing a mask either. I may have been spotted by someone," Karen said with a shrug. "And then..." she remembered all the snooping she had been doing recently. That may have gotten back to someone... and it could only get worse after today with her most recent story being published. Matt must have sensed her heart rate picking up or could feel it or something because he seemed to be able to tell she was keeping something from him.
"What's going on, Karen?"
Karen bit her bottom lip, "I... you know I'm a reporter. I report stories that people don't want out there. It's my job Matt."
Matt stood up and paced, "Your story you just completed, tell me more about it. What's this story about, Karen?"
Covering her face, Karen hoped Matt would get over it fairly quickly. She just wanted to sleep. "Wilson Fisk," she whispered. She heard Matt gasp and peeked over her fingers at him just as he slammed his fist on the wall making her jump.
"Well I never used his name, it's about corruption in the city and slumlords and never forgetting what was done to the people in this city," Karen tried explaining. "That can't be why that man attacked me... unless he read it before it was published... I don't know! It's my job!"
Matt shook his head, "You could have chosen a million different things to do a story on, Karen. I'm going to go try and fix this."
"What do you mean? You can't fix this. It's already been done, it's being published as we speak." Probably.
Matt scoffed, "So what, now you think you can do what you want and I'll just keep an eye on you? I can't protect you when you're always throwing yourself in the line of fire!"
Karen stood up angrily, "I didn't come here for your protection, I came here to sleep because there might not be blood all over your apartment! And I don't need to be lectured by you about putting myself in the line of fire! This isn't my first rodeo, Matt, I don't do this because I'm friends with Daredevil, I do this because I need to. I have access to the truths that people need to know."
Matt was shaking his head and once again driving her crazy with anger. How dare he take the high road and act like she was the reckless one! She stood up to leave but he put a hand on her arm to stop her. "Just stay here Karen, get some sleep."
Karen shook her head, "I'm past sleep, now. I'll talk to you later Matt." She tried to sound cool as she left, not wanting him to come after her anymore. How could he make her feel so angry and protected and annoyed all the time? Why did he have to be so cute while he did it? God it was irritating.
She was in an unfamiliar neighborhood when her cell rang.
"Ellison," Karen said softly and was met with a very concerned and slightly angry boss.
"All that matters is that you're safe, but I feel like I should mention that I always find out from someone else that your life has been in danger."
Karen gritted her teeth but tried to sound sincere and grateful for him checking up on her, but the lectures were starting to get to her.
"Thank you Ellison, yeah I know. I 'm really sorry. Next time you'll be... the third person I call." She thought of Foggy and how much she missed his friendship but she really couldn't talk to him right now. It would just be another lecture.
"Karen, listen. After all this... I've decided to pull your story."
It was like someone had punched her right in the gut, the way those words made her stop and the world seemed to freeze for a moment around her.
"Karen? Look, I'm sorry but I can't -"
"No. No, you can't do that Ellison." Her voice was rising in urgency and volume. "Don't you dare pull my story! I promised I would tell it."
"Karen," he sighed, "Someone attacked you last night and your political and dangerous story isn't even out yet. I'm not losing another one of you reckless reporters. "
Karen shook her head, knowing she would regret these words later but being driven by too much emotion to stop now. "Well, it's too late," her voice cracked. "I quit."
"No Karen, don't do this. I'm going to forget you even said anything. Just take a day or to, take the week to yourself Karen. Talk to me when you get some rest." Ellison sounded so gentle and all she could do was hang up. It wasn't until the wind picked up that she realized she was crying.
Normally, people on the streets of New York will never give you a second glance, but today Karen was wearing bloody pajamas and tears were streaming down her face. She had to get away from everyone and the stares.
Her apartment was a mess and she shuddered at the sight of all the blood. How odd that the scene seemed scarier in the daylight. Walking to her window, she looked at the rooftop she had been sure Frank had been on top of and then she thought of the voices whispering in Matt's apartment.
She could wonder until it drove her mad, so instead she got out the bleach and began scrubbing her floors. The rug had to be thrown away which made Karen a bit peeved as it was the most adorable rug that ever rugged. God, one day she was going to fall asleep and not wake up for a year.
When her apartment seemed to be as good as it was ever going to be, Karen cleaned herself up next. The shower allowed her the time she had needed all day to cry and by the time she was dry and dressed, her eyes were dry too. It was getting late in the day now and Karen's stomach grumbled. Her apartment smelled like bleach and she felt like she could use some fresh air.
She began walking down the stairs when the realization that she had quit her dream job in a fit of emotional distress finally sunk in. Karen stopped in her tracks and leaned against the wall, covering her face. To hell with secrets and stories, what was she going to do about money? Beg Matt to let her work for him, for real? Karen shook her head, she didn't even want to help him with the vigilante work. Tonight.
It would be reckless to go out. Financially. Karen gritted her teeth and looked out the front door. A police car crawled by, looking up at her apartment window. It did nothing to ease her mind. She had just convinced herself to turn around and go upstairs when a shadow swept across her. Karen looked up the stairs, but there was nothing.
A neighbor, stop being ridiculous.
Was it really ridiculous, though, thinking it was more than that? Karen crept up the stairs as quietly as her heels allowed, cursing Matt for being unable to stay away and yet really hoping of all things she had caught a glimpse of Daredevil.
Karen's breath caught in her throat when she saw the man standing in front of her door. He turned his gaze on her and Karen felt trapped under those eyes.
"Frank." She whispered, her heart was racing and she realized he couldn't hear that. But she knew her inner turmoil was written on her face. "What are you doing here?"
It wasn't until he walked toward her that she saw the blood. It covered the now crimson skull on his chest and most of his face. Suddenly, she realized things must be very bad if this man was here.
"What did you do, Frank?" Her voice was shaking now as he walked closer to her. "I knew I wouldn't see you unless something bad happened."
"I need one thing from you, ma'am. Just one, and I'll go back to being dead." His voice was low and she couldn't help but notice he was just a little less gone than the last time she had seen him. Had he reached peace or was the calmness of war settling into permanence?
"Come inside," Karen said.
Frank shook his head, "I already got the guy sent there. I need you to come with me to weed out the next one."
Karen wasn't really sure why she was shocked but the honesty seemed to calm her down in an instant. Of course he wanted to use her as bait. And of course she followed him into the shadows with barely more than a nod.