Dani's POV
(Nightwing27th)
We called in an anonymous tip to the police department about what we had discovered. Or rather, who. It didn't take long for the police to arrive. We hung around and made sure they showed up and that they found the people in the basement. We stood outside of the building, around the corner and twenty feet from the door. It's probably best the cops don't see me. But, Matt's convinced that we need to talk to Mahoney. Who just happened to show up. It's like he's the only cop in this town.
"You talked to Alison?" I asked, completely out of the blue. I'm not sure why I did. I think the quiet was starting to get to me. Daredevil looked at me, blood stained his chin. I still feel bad about freezing. I wish I could've done something, but…I don't know. Maybe it was too soon coming out. Maybe I should've taken that vacation after all.
"Not since the court house," he said. "Why?" I slightly dropped my head and then looked around. "Did something happen?"
I looked back at him. "One of the days in court, Alison was put on the stand as a witness. The DA was relentless and Alison couldn't help herself," I said. He looked like he didn't understand the point. "She confessed to falling in love with The Punisher. And then today, Child Services came and took Chase, deeming Alison unfit."
He opened his mouth to reply when the officers exited the building. Mahoney walked to his car, saying a few things into his radio. I whistled slightly and Mahoney turned our way. He glanced around before sighing and walking over to us. He put his back against the wall we were using as a shield, trying to not look like he was talking to someone in the shadows.
"Let me guess," he said, "you're the ones who found them?" Then he looked at me. "And I have orders to arrest you."
"We both know I didn't do it," I countered. Well all spoke quiet and softly so the other cops wouldn't hear.
"The cages," Daredevil said, "the medical tubing. They were being drained."
"For what?" Mahoney asked.
"It doesn't matter. We need to find the people who did this to them."
"It would be a good start if you told me who that was," he glanced at me, "both of you." I rolled my eyes. He knows I know who killed Mary, and he knows I'm keeping it from him. He doesn't know, however, why I'm keeping it from him, just that I am. "You two see anyone down there?" Yes.
"No," Daredevil said. "But you can start with the Yakuza."
"What? You're saying the Yakuza is mixed up with another group?"
"Yep."
"That's scarier than all this cult looking ritual stuff put together. This group. They got a name?"
"I'm working on it," he said. Which is another lie. We already know it was The Hand. A (not so) secret group, of quote 'evil mystical ninjas', who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassinations. I don't know what they want with Hell's Kitchen, but if they're here, and so is Nobu…then it can't be good. Maybe it is a good idea to keep Mahoney away from this.
"Listen," I said. "We need to get these people off the grid and somewhere safe. We don't know what was done to them, or who might be looking for them. Take them to Metro-General, quietly. No one can know they're there."
"Really?" Mahoney glared at me. "Another one of your 'keep it quiet's?' I've had people crawling all over me, wondering why I sat on that info for so long."
"I know, Brett. And I'm sorry and thankful, for what you did. But this is different, more lives are at stake," I said.
"And this time," Daredevil said, "she's not alone." I glanced at him and then looked back at Mahoney. He looked between the two of us, unimpressed. Then he sighed. "Fine," he said. "But just know, one of these days…I'm going to tell you how to do your job." He turned and left. We turned and started walking in the opposite direction. I looked at Daredevil. "Can this day get any worse?"
Alison's POV
(bellamysgirl)
I exhaled, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. It was strangely cold this morning standing on the steps to the courthouse. Reyes apparently told all of us at Nelson and Murdock closely involved with the trial to show up today. Given the news of Frank's escape from prison, that didn't surprise me. Unfortunately for me, I got stuck waiting for the others with Foggy. I tried to ignore him for the first long while.
But the quiet seemed to be eating away at him. He'd glance at me, then away, and then back at me again in a nervous way. I briefly wondered if he believed what Reyes thought in court—that I'd killed people, too. Of course, by now I have. But it's easier to do when your friends don't look at you differently because of it. "Just say it, Nelson," I finally said, just sounding tired.
He sighed. "Karen said you went to visit Castle in prison," he glanced at me. "How'd that go?"
For a moment, I couldn't respond. All I could do was eye him questioningly. "Uh…okay, I guess," I replied, in disbelief.
"I'm sorry about Chase. I can't imagine what that must be like for you," he said, apologetically.
"Okay, why are you being nice to me all of the sudden?" I inquired, genuinely curious. "Did the decent-human-being-bug bite you where the Lord split you?"
He shook his head, smiling a little at the joke. "Not quite. Oh, here comes Karen." I looked over toward the parking lot. Sure enough, the blondie was being guided over by Agent Gallagher. I met her on the way in. She seems…interesting. Gallagher dropped off Karen with us and headed up the rest of the steps. Karen held out her arms, looking at me, and I stepped into them with a small smile.
She hugged me tightly. "How're you holding up, girl?" I stepped back with a sigh. I didn't quite know how to respond so I just held up my hand flat and teetered it in a so-so motion. She nodded in understanding and Foggy scoffed. "What? No hug for me?" he admonished, sarcastically. Karen gave him a look and opened her arms. "That's more like it."
They shared a brief hug. As soon as they'd parted, Dani and Matt trotted up the steps to us. There was no missing the bruising on their faces. Seemed like they were at it again last night. Shocker there. "Wow, you two look like usual," Foggy greeted, in mock surprise.
"Ha ha. Any word from Reyes?" Dani asked, stepping up beside Karen.
I shook my head. "Not yet. We haven't even been inside."
"Security is crazy, man." Foggy's eyes widened in an expression as he looked over Karen's shoulder at the door. There was a line of people in suits all the way to the parking lot. Dani let out a low whistle, twisting to see. "Well, with Frank Castle on the streets…it doesn't really surprise me," Matt shook his head.
"Did he say anything to you last night, Alison?" Karen asked, curiously. "Anything that could've hinted to this?" Matt looked interested, turning his head toward my general direction. Like this was the first he'd heard about it. Which, it was. I gave a shake of my head. "No…nothing that meant this," I glanced around.
"How did he get out so quickly?" Matt wondered aloud.
"He had to have gotten help on the inside," Dani reasoned, to no one in particular. She didn't look at Matt, but everyone knew who she was replying to. Just then, Agent Gallagher reappeared beside me. "Miss Fletcher, right this way," she nodded. "I'll be back for the rest of you." She put a hand on my back to guide me up the steps toward the security.
It was an intense process. Empty anything and everything into a tray, slide it through the x-ray. Walk through the metal detector, get waved with the wand. Grab all your gear and you'll get anything back they confiscated when you leave. Thankfully for me they didn't take anything. I waited just inside the building while one-by-one everyone else got checked in. Finally, Gallagher could take us to Reyes's office. On the way, Foggy had to open his mouth. "Reyes is going to fry us like a fish," he commented.
"And without any cause," Karen added.
"Well, on paper we're still Frank Castle's attorneys," Matt reminded.
"And I am so proud of that," Foggy shook his head. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the conversation. "If Reyes can find a way to blame us for this, she will."
"Dani, Alison—you two have spent the most time with Frank. Did he say anything that could help us right now? Anything at all?" Matt asked. I bit my lip. Dani sighed and slid her hands into her pockets with a shrug. "Nothing about escaping prison, if that's what you mean," she shook her head.
I thought back to our conversation. He said he'd taken an offer from someone that made him get thrown in prison deliberately. "Alison?" I looked up. Everyone was eyeing me curiously now. Good job, Alison. I shook my head, swallowing it down. "No," I lied.
"Well, he wasn't going to some country club," Foggy dug into his bag and pulled out a file, handing it to Dani. She opened it and started scanning. "They were burying him in their highest security control unit. Along with all the other rock stars in cell block D." Cell block D. Yeah, one of those rock stars is my mother. Go figure. We turned a corner and Gallagher lead us into a small office. After we all filed in, Gallagher said it would just be a minute before heading out.
Matt looked to Foggy. "Cell block D?"
"Yeah. That mean something to you?" Foggy asked
"Yeah, I like to keep track of the people who want to kill us," Matt leaned into his stick. Then it hit me. I glanced at Dani. She looked knowing but like she wasn't going to say anything, patiently biding her time until we could get into a bigger room. One where she could ignore him better. "The Punisher," Foggy said, like it was obvious.
"No, not Frank. Wilson Fisk," Matt shook his head.
"Frank blows his trial and ends up on Fisk's cell block?" Karen asked, rhetorically.
Matt nodded. "And a day later he's on the street." Foggy started arguing with him about it, but I tuned them out. I got an offer, and I took it. Did he get an offer from Fisk? To do what, bust him out of prison? Then what was the point of even going in? The ADA suddenly opened the door to the next room over, pulling me from my thoughts. "She'll see you now," he announced. Foggy lead the way in behind the weasely dude.
Right into Satan's mistress's office. Reyes was just finishing a phone call when we walked in. I was the last one in so I closed the door behind us and stepped up beside the others. After a second, Reyes hung up the phone and turned to us. She was wearing casual clothes, which was odd. I guess she didn't expect to come in today. Funny, neither did we. "Thank you for coming," she nodded to us.
Karen scoffed a little. "Kind of hard to say no when the cops pick you up."
"Well, I'm sorry about that. Could you, please, have a seat?" she gestured to the chair in front of her desk. There were only three so Matt and Foggy decided to stand and let Dani, Karen, and me sit. Foggy sighed. "I don't know what your play is, lady, but let's cut the poo. You bring us in, expecting to swipe privilege information about our client out of us," he said, tiredly.
"Yes, if that helps. We have to get Frank Castle off the street before anyone else gets hurt," Reyes answered.
"Who, like you?" I asked, folding my arms. Reyes looked at me. "If you want to know what we know, you're gonna have to spill the beans. Then maybe we'll talk." She looked her typical annoyed self but there was an air of understanding to what I just said. Like she actually wanted to cooperate. It was nauseating. "I made mistakes," she nodded, looking down.
"The what now?" Dani raised a brow.
"Central Park," Reyes clarified, looking more at the others than me. I sat forward a bit in my seat. "Castle and his family—I messed up."
I scoffed. "Wow, you really are a witch. Listen to yourself! What happened to his family wasn't a mistake, moron, it was a massacre."
"You're admitting your office was a part of it," Matt said, rhetorically.
"Don't seem so surprised," Dani sat back, crossing her right leg over her left and crossing her arms. "No one in government is clean."
"But you weren't just a part of it, were you?" I asked, rhetorically. Reyes looked to me with a knowing expression. "It was a sting."
"Of course you would know that," Reyes mumbled looking down again. The ADA stood nearby during the whole conversation. He stepped over with a sigh. "Ma'am, they need to know," he told Reyes. She gave a wave of her hand and turned around to face the window, putting her back to us.
"Last year the DA's office learned there was a new player in the drug trade—calls himself The Blacksmith," the ADA explained. "He wasn't gonna flood the market, he was gonna be the market. And we were tracking kilos but this guy dealt in metric-tons. Product like that should've made him easy to find but he was a ghost. No sign of how he was getting the product into the country, where it was coming from—nothing. Then…one of the cop's we'd planted deep undercover got word that The Blacksmith was arranging a meet between three unaffiliated gangs."
"Dogs of Hell, Kitchen Irish, and the Mexican Cartel," Foggy added. I was slowly shaking my head in disapproval. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Well, I could. It was just a shock at the moment. The ADA nodded. "The Blacksmith wanted to broker a deal, they set the meet for Central Park mid afternoon- look, our guys were there, they were ready," he continued. "But the sting, it just- it went south."
"You didn't clear the park, did you?" Matt asked, rhetorically. He seemed appalled. Reyes looked up a minute. She sighed with a nod. "I thought about it. But I decided an empty park would show our hand," she answered, guilt ridden. "So, yes. I green-lit the operation. Civilian traffic and all."
"You are unbelievable!" I sat upright.
"Alison-" Matt shook his head.
"No- listen to this! Is she even human?" I glared at Reyes and she looked like a kicked puppy. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Because I don't think you do. You didn't meet the people you killed that day—I did. You're lucky we're in a more public setting, lady, because if we weren't-"
"I know this is hard to hear, Miss Fletcher. Especially given your…relationship with Castle. But it's hard for me as well," Reyes replied, keeping calm. "The Blacksmith didn't even show. Before we had a chance to move in…the gangs got rattled and…opened fire on each other. Our undercover was killed- and Castle's family." She shook her head at herself, leaning into her desk.
She seemed to regret it. But I wasn't about to paint her as the good guy. "So after that horrible decision, you made it worse. You tried to kill him and ruin us to save your own political butt-" Foggy stopped himself holding up a hand. "You know what, lady? You're on your own."
"Agreed," I nodded once and stood just as Foggy was about to head for the door.
"Wait- wait, please," Reyes stammered, quickly. "This is not about me anymore-" she dug into an orange envelope and pulled out a picture of Frank's head x-ray, the one that had a detailed look at the hole in his skull. She slapped it on the table. "-I found this in my daughter's backpack before I took her to school."
I glanced at Dani as I sat back down, but she was already looking at me. I gave a shake of my head. "Where is your daughter now?" Dani asked, turning back toward Reyes.
"Upstate, New York—somewhere in a location I can never know about surrounded by men with guns," she was starting to tear up while she spoke. "Assigned to protect her…my baby girl…"
"Frank's not going to kill your family, Ms. Reyes. He doesn't kill kids- especially since he knows what that's like," I said, blandly.
"And I'm supposed to trust your word on that?" Reyes's eyebrows rose at me. "I don't care how much pillow talk you shared with him, he is coming after my child." I rolled my eyes. She truly is certifiable. Frank would never kill her daughter—he doesn't do that. "What do you want from us?" Matt asked.
"If he contacts you, just let us know," she answered.
"You want us to break privilege?" Foggy asked.
"I want to make sure that nobody else gets hurt," she corrected. "Look, I…I know what I've done here. But please, I don't care about my job anymore. I just want to keep my family safe." Suddenly Matt started shoving, shouting, "GET DOWN!" Bullets started spraying into the room on a rapid fire. Matt tackled Karen out of the way. Dani pushed Foggy the other way but a bullet still hit him in the shoulder.
I dove straight down behind the desk. But not before a searing heat burned across my left upper arm. The only sound anyone could have possible heard was the loud echo of the gunfire. It lasted for a good long minute before tapering off to a complete stop. The ADA crawled up onto his knees and tried to peer out the window. But he stopped, staring at the desk. I couldn't see what he was staring at but I had a pretty good guess.
Foggy groaned from across the room. "I'm hit!" he wailed. I moved to get onto my knees and hissed at the pain in my arm. I gritted my teeth and crawled over to where Foggy was slumped. "You're gonna be fine, okay?" I told him, moving to his left side. Blood was splattered across his face. It was probably all Reyes's. "Just hold still, buddy." I shrugged off my sweater and wadded it up, then pressed it to the hole in his shoulder.
He audibly winced, then looked up at me with a hushed tone. "Was this Castle?"
"No," I firmly shook my head. "Trust me, it's not him."
Dani's POV
(Nightwing27th)
"Bullets just tore through the DA's office AND the DA. This city is turning into a war zone," I said.
"You don't know that," Alison argued. I stood with her at the back of an ambulance. She was helping herself to the supplies in the back of it while the owner's were bagging and tagging. I'm sure that's illegal, but so are most of the things we do these days. I sighed and glanced around. My eyes landed on Foggy. He was at the other ambulance.
Matt stood with him as he got checked out. He's definitely going to the hospital. My eyes went up to the room we here just in. Not too many bullet holes were outside of the building. Then I turned around, slowly taking in the surrounding buildings. "This wasn't Frank."
I looked down at her. "I know. We just need to find out who's framing him." I looked back over at Foggy and Matt as Alison stood. They exchanged a few words and then Matt left. I sighed. Now where is he going? Oh, well. I don't want to know, I don't want to know. His life, not mine. Last night was…last night was probably a mistake. One that could've gotten us both killed. That's not going to happen again, I won't let it. Maybe I need to use a different weapon. One that gets the job done, but…just a little more shiny.
Alison started walking toward Foggy and I followed. Karen appeared out of the crowd, just as we got there. "Where's Matt going?" she asked.
"Who knows," Foggy said. He looked at me, almost pleading. He just got shot and now he's looking at me to fix this. I turned to the others, "Can you guys give us a minute?" Karen and Alison nodded and then walked away. I watched them leave and then turned to Foggy. "I can't."
"Can't? Or won't?"
"Foggy-"
"No, okay?"
"No, it's not. You don't understand, okay? And there's no way for you to." I put my hands in my coat pockets. "I can't do this anymore, I'm at my whit's end. I can't take it, I…" I paused and looked around. "So much has happened, and keeps happening. I don't have time to process any of it. Mary died and I can't grieve. You wanna know why? Because the world keeps falling apart EVERY time I think I've got it put back together. And I'm just…I'm paralyzed. In the field."
"What are you talking about?"
"Matt and I went out last night. We were in a fight and I couldn't move. I just stood there, holding my bow, while he got his butt kicked." Foggy's gaze went to the crowd. He looked understanding and sorry. "I need time to rebuild myself and that's something I don't have, so I am crumbling with this city." I sighed. "I'm broken, Foggy," it came out sounding more helpless than I wanted. "And, it doesn't change whether Matt's with me or not. I'm the only one who can fix me. And I can't save myself because everyone else needs saving." I stared at him as his eyes met mine. "And I'm the only one who can save them."
"But, why? Why you, Dani?"
I crossed my arms and thought. "I don't know." I looked around. "I need to go." I turned and took a few.
"I thought you were supposed to save yourself before others," Foggy called. I turned around. "Where are you going, Dani?"
"Home," I nodded. "If anyone asks, Lizzie's with Clint. I'll be on my cell."
"Which one?"
"Both." I turned and walked away. I headed for my car and then drove to my building. I pulled up out front and cut the engine. My hands on the steering wheel, I looked at the building and sighed. I opened the door and got out, slamming it before walking to the door. I walked inside and then to the stairs. I took the steps two at a time, making my way to the fifth floor.
I reached the top and then turned the corner. I saw my door and froze. Flashes of that night played in my head. I closed my eyes and sighed. I took a few deep breaths. I opened my eyes and then continued. I walked to the door and tore off the police tape. I put my hand on the knob, slowly turning it.
I pushed the door open, letting it swing. I looked in wide eyed, not sure what to expect. Everything looked the same. Everything. I walked in swallowing back the growing lump in my throat. My breathing became shaky, my heart rate quickened. All my senses were on high alert as adrenaline coursed through me.
I felt like one of those stupid kids that walks into a haunted cemetery at night with his friends, and then one by one his friends vanish until he's alone. Frantic and scared by every twitch of a leaf, thinking everything around him is out to get him. The room feels cold, the air is stale. I can make out the smell of rotting blood, but I quickly pretend I didn't.
I walked past the scene of the crime, around the chair I was tied to. My hand slightly bumped it as I past it and I jumped. I bit my lip, closing my eyes. I breathed heavily out my nose and then kept walking. I went into my office, sighing once I was out of the other room. I looked to the right into my bedroom. The closet was open.
The panel to my hide out was on the floor, the clothes scattered. Ward's goons did that while they were looking for my suit. For my bow. I sighed and looked away. I went to the computer and sat down in the chair. I opened the lap top lid and then waited for it to wake up. I typed in my password, the computer now bringing me to the desktop.
I clicked on the satellite icon at the bottom. It always takes a few minutes to load. I rubbed my hands against my face. I'm so tired…and done. I'm just done. A floor board creaked and I froze. My whole body went stiff. I looked at the door way and didn't see anyone. Without taking my eyes off the door, my hand slipped down to the top drawer.
I grabbed the handle and slowly pulled it out. I stopped when it was open far enough to stick my hand in. I pulled out my hand gun and stood. I tiptoed around the desk, very slowly sliding a bullet into the chamber. I walked to the door way and raised my gun. I stepped out into the main room. A man stood near the door.
I recognized him and was hit with a wave of emotions. I wanted to scream, get mad, cry, surrender and run away…maybe even turn the gun on myself. He stared at the wall where Mary was hung. Now it's just holes and blood. He turned and saw me. He looked saddened. He nodded toward me, "You greet all your guests with that?"
"No," I said, lowering it. "Just the escaped convicts." I tossed my arms in the air. "What are you doing here, Frank?"
"You never said this happened in your home," he pointed at the wall, walking toward me. He's been beaten. And recent, too. "I didn't know what you meant, about the news. Until I saw it." He glanced at the wall. His eyes looked at me. "I'm sorry."
I nodded, a closed mouth frown. "So am I." I turned and walked back into my office. "You didn't answer the question." I sat the gun on the desk and then sat down behind the computer. It was still loading. I looked up as Frank was walking in. He was looking around every corner, suspicious. Like he was expecting someone to jump out at him.
"I'm looking for the man who killed my family."
"Well, you already found the woman who put you in jail."
"That wasn't me."
"Of course not." I locked eyes with him, leaning back. "Do you realize how much of a coincidence it is, you breaking out of prison the night before the DA is shot to pieces? And, how'd you do that anyway? Huh? The prison break?" He looked away, his hands twitching. He looked from side to side like I put him on the spot.
"It doesn't matter, okay?"
"No, not okay." I glanced at the screen. Still loading. I looked back up. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was Fisk." His eyes landed on my faster than a fly on poo. "What? I have a brain, too. And, believe it or not, I do use it." He scoffed and looked away. "You can sit, macho man." I gestured to the chair in front of him. He looked at it and then me.
I looked at the screen. It finally loaded. I typed in the address for the court house as I saw him sit in my peripheral. I pressed enter and then waited again. "So," I sighed. He looked at me, still unsure. "You need to relax, general tight wad." I intertwined my fingers and then rested my arms on the top of my head, leaning back even more. "We're safe here. Well," I shrugged, "now."
"You ever find him?" he asked. "The man that did this." He nodded toward the other room. I shook my head. "You said there was a girl. Where is she?"
"She's at Alison's with my cousin," I stared at the desk. "Her name's Elizabeth. I'm sure you've seen her once or twice at the café."
"The baby Chase was with."
"Bingo."
"And Chase?" I looked at him. He was glaring daggers at me. I'm glad looks don't kill. "What are you doing about that?"
"As soon as they get him into the foster system I have a…friend of a friend, who would be willing to take him. She's in the city. She has a radio talk show."
"What would that do?" he looked confused.
"That would allow Alison to see him, watch him grow up. It's not the best, but it's as good as we're going to get. The DA was the only one who could reverse it. And she's dead. Like, really dead." I looked down at my clothes with a light bulb moment. "In fact…I think I have some of her on me…" I stood and walked into my bedroom.
"Did you mean what you said?" I looked at Frank. He was standing, staring at me. "At the hospital." I refilled through my draw for a new shirt.
"When I promised I'd find who killed your family?" I glanced at him. I pulled out a shirt and closed the drawer. I walked to the bed, unfolding it. I tossed it on the bed, face down. "Or the part about you being there when they paid?"
"Both," he half grunted. I took off my jacket and tossed it on the bed. Then I pulled off my shirt. I saw movement and looked to my right. Frank turned away. "Sorry," I said. "I'm used to changing in front of someone who can't see me anyway." I tossed the old, bloody shirt and then slipped on the new one. I pulled my hair out of my shirt, staring at Frank. "You're clear, Picasso."
He turned around. "Picasso?"
"Yeah. Artist from the early nineteen hundreds…?"
"I know who he is," he said, looking confused. I chuckled and then walked past him to the computer. I clicked on a few things, zooming in and out. I typed in the date and time I wanted and then pressed enter. I sat back, looking at him. He was in the same spot, staring at me dumbfounded.
"I meant every word," I said. I put my elbow on the armrest and then rested my head on my fist. "I'll help you find him." He sucked in a breath, standing up straighter. He looked to the right and then back at me. "And when I do, he's all yours. You can kill him, cut him into pieces, I don't care."
Frank sat back down in the chair. "Really?" he asked disbelieving.
"Really really," I nodded.
"And where's Red? Does your boyfriend know about this?"
I thought back to the court room, when Matt called him Frank. "He's not my boyfriend, anymore," I said. "Long story. But here's the other thing…I'll be helping you find this guy, but I might need to take a few diversions."
"For what?"
"There's a new group in town. They have something up their sleeve, some evil plan. It involves these five kids we rescued from them, but we don't know how. We have them stashed at the hospital. But I'm sure someone's coming for them." He nodded, processing. "But, for now…let's begin our search. I think we need to start by finding 'The Blacksmith'."
"Where'd you here that name?" he asked, suddenly on edge.
"The DA. Just before she died. And, you? Prison?" I asked. He grunted his reply, thinking. "Rock on," I nodded.