Part XIX

He had avoided the office for more than two weeks. His daily routine was the apartment, the downtown property appraiser's office, the coffee shop on the corner, and the apartment again. Even at night, he was leery of running into her because he knew she improved in health after two days. Foggy kept him updated but it was starting to get old, and he could hardly blame his friend.

"Look, I'm sick of babysitting, I'm sick of being in the office alone, and I'm sick of trying to explain why you aren't around! Can you think of something? I mean, she's great and all but it's not ideal. She needs to have her own life." Foggy sounded irritated, and Matt was frustrated. In a city with high unemployment, high rent, and no sympathy for the people at the bottom, there were not many options.

"Have you talked about maybe having her stay somewhere else besides Hell's Kitchen? Doesn't she have any other family? Cousins? Uncles?" Foggy assumed they were still meeting at night.

"Foggy, I haven't seen her at night, I really only know that she has no family around here." Matt sighed. He was happy being a hero but becoming a social worker and employment agency were two steps beyond his abilities and training.

"What do you mean, you haven't seen her? She goes out late every night in her 'costume' and comes back in the early hours of dawn." The pitch of Foggy's voice went up, he would make a great father one day.

"She goes out? Alone? Don't you stop her?" As soon as Matt said that, he knew that wasn't right, Foggy might make a great father one day, but today was not that day.

"Listen, Matt, she's an adult, I can't stop her. If she's not with you, you need to find out where she's going. I mean, she practically faints at the sight of blood and can't stand violence, I can't imagine her winning any fights." Foggy was right, this was his problem, not his friend's.

"Okay, I will work on it. I have found a trail of companies that have dummy dead ends with the building and insurance. I am not convinced Wilson Fisk is our only enemy in this, anyone can take advantage of the opportunity to be head bad guy. It's not like Wilson Fisk invented evil." Matt was not really finding anything but his nights had been suspiciously quiet since the fire, just the regular smash and grab burglary and attempted rape. Not that he was upset about that, it just didn't feel right.

"Well, Wilson Fisk may not have invented evil but he sure is good at it! Have you heard he's trying to have all charges dismissed? He's been ranting about police brutality, vigilante justice, and corrupt cops using him as a scapegoat. He's telling everyone who will listen that you set him up. Watch your back, Matt, be careful out there." Matt replied and hung up. He already knew things were intense, he could sense a watchfulness even without using his eyes. Someone was looking for him.

Part XX

He welcomed the descent of night. Even with all of its crime, dirt, screaming sirens, and litter, Hell's Kitchen still had a peacefulness at night. Once the shops closed down and the rats started scurrying around, it was a different world. His world. He was lingering on top of a roof, listening carefully, when he smelled something. Not fire this time, but a familiar scent. It was her.

Night Angel, probably about two blocks away, in a dark corner of an alley. He slipped down a fire escape, and down another alley, listening to what she was doing. She was immobile, maybe listening as well, as two men, both sweaty and worried, argued about a crime.

"Listen, we have to do this tonight! I don't care if there is kids in the building. Nobody's supposed to be here, it's been condemned for a few weeks now, we got our orders!" While Matt could understand that both men might be nervous about arson and murder, there was an underlying tone, an unexpressed fear. They might know he was around and be afraid but he sensed something larger, maybe something as large as Wilson Fisk, or maybe someone else trying to take his place.

He slid behind the girl and grabbed her, covering her mouth, pressing close against her. He shouldn't have done that. He missed her feel, and her roundness fit against him. Her smell overwhelmed him, a clean scent mixed with her own perfect musk he knew so well. He slowly pulled her back to another alley and uncovered her mouth.

"Hello, Matt. I won't scream or tell anyone, if that's your fear." His heart plummeted as soon as she said his name. It was too late, he should have known, she was smart.

"I would explain but there's no time. Are there really kids in the building? Have you seen any other thugs?" He had to focus on the task at hand, and deal with revelations later.

"That's the thing, I didn't see any kids and don't hear any but I know there's some dudes in a car around the corner, a little too convenient for this time of night. I think it's a trap, I think they are trying to catch you, Matt." She really was sharp, he felt the same way.

"On the street, it's Daredevil, okay Night Angel?" He felt her smirk at that, and he smiled back. "Let's go to the next building and keep an eye on things. They might not even be planning a fire if it's a trap. You have your phone?" He had his phone but she would be faster at calling and be more of a concerned citizen, she was good at that.

"Okay. I just want you to know, it's okay if you come to the office. I'm working on going back to college, I just have to work out a few kinks, maybe stay in a dorm or something." Even as she said it, he knew she was lying. Maybe anyone else would believe it, but she would just find another place to squat.

"You can stay as long as you like with Foggy, and go to college, we'll even get you your own laptop." They were now above the building next door. Matt listened for kids, and didn't hear anything. His senses could pick up the sound of crickets across the street, the streetwalkers one street over, and the homeless man drinking down the opposite alley next to an already passed out 'friend.' If there were kids in the building, they would have to be comatose.

Just then, more cars pulled around the back. Matt noticed something about them, they were cops, plain clothes but cops. He recognized their voices, some of these guys must have made bail after being arrested for being Fisk's special friends. They were either out for revenge or following Fisk's orders. He knew it, he knew Fisk was still playing the game. But had they seen Matt and Night Angel? She was pretty good at hiding.

Suddenly, she grabbed him and pushed him down hard.

Part XXI

Whispering, with her on top of him, he asked, "What happened?"

"Floodlights! They have them on the roof next door! They are shining them over here."

He heard more cars, and heard more people around the building, and he calculated an escape route in his head. He knew the street below had a few hiding spots but they needed to clear out of here. If it was just him, he'd already be gone.

She must have sensed his pause because she clumsily got up, took off her hooded mask, and started talking in a slurred voice, tripping on the roof, "Hey man, turn the lights off, I'm tryin' ta sleep over here."

He sensed men getting angry but also amused. "Hey baby, why don't you come on down and say hello?"

Matt was revolted at the thought of her going anywhere near these guys. They were the worst of mankind, men paid to uphold the law but instead using it for their own gain, their own agenda. And even with their leader imprisoned, they still followed his orders.

"Hey, man, I'm no streetwalker. You want some sugar, you gotta go to the next street!" She made her way to the opposite corner from Matt, slowly going down the fire escape ladder while he quickly dipped over the wall to the piping system, gingerly climbing down by hand until he could get a foothold. He could still hear her climbing but she was still going to have to pass through the men now waiting for her at the bottom. He started to plan a mode of attack.

"You guys have a great night! I gotta go!" She was near the bottom rung, and they were waiting, gleefully, guys twice her size used to immobilizing criminals and others.

She swung down, landing clumsily to still seem inebriated and Matt started punching from behind.

"Hey, get him!" "It's him!" There was a melee of punches, groans, and even a shriek before Matt was able to catch up to her as she ran across the street. He grabbed her and lifted her up a fire escape to the next closest building, then grabbed her hand and leapt with her to the next. She was breathless, and terrified after that leap, but she kept up bravely until they were at his building.

"You're hurt, aren't you?" He noticed she was limping, and feeling her ankle, he could feel it swelling. She sucked in her breath.

"Yes, after that leap. We had to keep going but I landed wrong. I'll just limp over to Foggy's, I'll be all right." She was in pain, he could sense the heat of it.

"You can stay with me. I have wraps, I can get it stable for you. Plus some painkillers." As soon as he said the words, he knew what he really meant.

"Okay, but nothing that isn't over the counter. I've had problems before but I'm over that now." She knew, too, he could hear it in her voice.

It was going to be a long night.