It felt like surfacing after diving down to touch the bottom of the pool. She hadn't even been aware of the pressure until it vanished, suddenly and all at once. Everyone felt it, heads popping up all over the train station and looking around in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"What was that?" Karen wondered.

Before anyone could answer, cell phones started buzzing and ringing all across the room. The lights stuttered back to life, flooding the station with fluorescent light and chasing away the dim sunlight they had been working with so far.

"The barrier...it must be gone," Foggy said, staring around them.

"What does that mean? Did they do it?" Claire asked.

"I don't know. I have a feeling this isn't over yet," Ysanne said, steely eyed. Then a device on her wrist that looked like an apple watch from the future buzzed, and she started tapping away on the display screen.

"SHIELD is here."

Foggy groaned. Karen frowned.

"I don't know what your aversion to SHIELD is - they're going to help us," Ysanna said.

"SHIELD doesn't have a reputation for being...nice," Foggy said carefully.

"Or tidy," Claire added.

"You didn't even know what demons were - how is SHIELD supposed to help?" Karen said.

Ysanna sighed. "I didn't know what demons were a day ago, no - but I've been helping you guys out a ton, right? These guns were developed by SHIELD. And we're trained to deal with the unknown, with extra dimensional threats. SHIELD is our best bet for getting this wrapped up with the least amount of casualties."

Claire looked into Ysanne's eyes, and knew she meant well. She trusted her, even. She just wasn't sure about the rest of her team. Especially when Matt was in the middle of the fight, wearing a mask and possessed by a demon. Sam and Dean, from what she had gathered, weren't on great terms with government bodies. And if they found Castiel - well, the angel could probably handle himself. But he had been captured before, by Evangeline. If SHIELD found someone as powerful as him, they might not let it go.

But then she looked around the train station. People were hurt, scared, in danger. If SHIELD could help with that…

Ysanne was looking at each of them earnestly, then sighed again and glanced at her watch.

"It doesn't really matter, anyway. They'll be here any second."

"What are you going to tell them?" Foggy blurted. "Are you going to tell them about Matt?"

"I'm not going to reveal his identity, no. But I'll let them know Daredevil is out there fighting on our side. And that he's been helping me out."

"What about Sam and Dean, and Cas?" Claire asked.

Ysanne hesitated. "I don't know…"

"What about us?" Karen said.

Ysanna opened her mouth, looking helpless. At that moment, her watch chirped to life again and a voice spoke.

"Agent Hernandez - we're moving in."

"Roger, Levina. The station is clear," Ysanna answered.

As soon as she was finished speaking, the doors to the train station burst open and agents in what looked like full SWAT gear came spilling in, guns, gadgets, SHIELD insignias and all.

"Just...trust me, okay? Everyone is going to be fine," Ysanne said, then went to meet a man in a long coat that was just now strolling in, looking calm and collected as he observed the scene.

Foggy, Karen, and Claire watched her go, feeling uneasy.

"Matt hasn't contacted us," Foggy said, checking his phone.

"None of them have," Karen said.

"They're still fighting, then. Maybe SHIELD can help? Ysanne's right - those guns trounced those monsters. Maybe they have more of that, that Asgardian tech." Foggy was rambling, running his hands through his hair.

Claire was biting her nails, thinking, as Karen and Foggy went back and forth. Running through the different scenarios, imagining different decisions, thinking about the past, about everything they had been through, about everything SHIELD had done. Finally, she spoke.

"Do you guys trust Matt?"

Foggy and Karen grew quiet. Then, after a moment, they answered in unison.

"With my life."

"Yes."

Claire nodded. "What about the others? Az, Sam and Dean, Cas?"

Foggy nodded, "Yeah, I think I do, actually. Don't really know why."

Karen took longer to answer. "I don't know."

"Well, I do. They said they've fought bigger enemies than this. Castiel is a literal angel," she laughed a little breathlessly at that, still hardly able to believe it. "And Az saved Matt's life. They've been putting themself out there again and again to help us. I think…I think they need our help now."

Foggy took a moment to absorb what she was presenting.

"Wait, wait, wait - you want us to go there? And...and what, fight? I'm a lawyer! I never had an old blind man teach me the ways of kung fu!"

"They said SHIELD would just get in the way - what makes you think we won't?" Karen said.

Claire shook her head, hand to her forehead.

"I don't know, exactly. I just have this feeling."

"A feeling," Foggy said, deadpan.

"Look. If SHIELD gets to that warehouse and they're still fighting Bouvois, it's going to be a mess. SHIELD doesn't understand what's going on here. I'm not sure what Ysanne is going to tell them but...but let's say SHIELD busts in there, takes down Evangeline, and we're all saved. What about our friends? They're not going to let Daredevil walk away without interrogating him, finding out his identity, his abilities. Sam and Dean will be just as bad off. And Castiel - well, I have no idea how that would turn out, but I can't imagine it would be good. And Az...they don't even know what demons are, but they're not going to just let that fly, either. What I'm saying is, once this mess is over, if SHIELD gets involved there's going to be an even bigger mess."

She looked from Foggy to Karen, but neither of them said anything.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'm tired of always being on the outside when things like this go down. And no, I don't have superpowers, or special training or whatever, but Matt and Sam and Dean, they're all human just like us. If something happens to them, and we just sat here…"

Karen sighed, finding her gun where she had put it on the floor near their little campsite in the corner near a photobooth, and slung it over her shoulder.

"Let's go, then."

Foggy put his hands up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I get what you're saying, Claire, I do! But...like Karen said - what if we just get in the way? What if we complicate things?"

"They haven't contacted us. They're in a fight against an evil witch and an army of demons - I think they can use whatever help they can get. And right now, that's us."

Foggy pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut.

"God damn. Fine. We're all going to die, aren't we?"

"What about Ysanne, and all these agents? They're not going to let us just walk out of here with these." Karen said.

Claire looked over her shoulder, where Ysanna was deep in conversation with Long Coat. Agents were spread all throughout the station now, checking on the injured, interviewing others, patrolling the doorways and windows. They hadn't come over to where Claire and the others were yet, probably because they were tucked behind the bulky photo booth and out of the way of everyone else.

"I would say now is our best bet for getting out of here unnoticed, though. No one has really seen us yet."

Foggy swallowed, "Okay. But our guns are running pretty low. We need new ones or we really are going to die."

Claire eyed a group of police officers standing by a Dunkin' Donuts, sipping on coffee and snacking while the agents took over. Some of them still had the guns Ysanna had given them slung over their shoulders, but others had laid theirs nearby on the counter.

Karen followed her eyes.

"No way. How?"

"They'll definitely see us if we try that," Foggy said.

They were all so busy staring at the police officers and their guns that no one noticed Ysanne approach, and when a hand clapped down onto Claire's shoulder she jumped and yelped a bit.

"What are you all planning?"

"Nothing," Foggy said quickly.

"Because if you're thinking about stealing those police officers' guns and sneaking out of here, it's not going to work."

Claire sighed. "Look, Ysanne. I know you mean well. And I trust you, it's just...I don't trust the rest of your friends."

"What did you tell that guy?" Karen asked.

"I didn't tell him much. Just that there were monsters attacking the city, possessing people. I said I didn't know where they came from, but I suspected a woman named Evangeline Bouvois was behind it. I told them Daredevil had contacted me with some information, and was trying to find her now."

Claire raised her eyebrows. She hadn't expected Ysanne to withhold so much information from her superior. The agent herself was looking stressed, hands on her hips and worrying her lip, eyes darting around the room.

"I get it. I know you don't think I do, but I do. I know SHIELD isn't perfect. The HYDRA incident proved that well enough. And Daredevil...Spiderman, even the Avengers...they're just people, but they're picking up the slack where we can't. You guys, your friends...you're trying to save this city, and I think you might just damn well pull it off. As much as I wish we could work together, I understand why you don't want to."

She sighed, rubbed a hand down her face.

"So that's why, against my better judgement, I'm going to help you out."

"Help us...with what?" Foggy asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"With getting some weapons, and getting to that warehouse to help your friends."

"What about you?" Karen asked. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh, I'm coming with you. I'm still an agent, I'm not sending a bunch of civilians into this mess alone."

Claire couldn't hide the surprise on her face. "What about Neo over there?" She nodded towards the agent in the long coat.

"Levina? Don't worry about him. Now come on, we have to hurry. I have a feeling those knuckleheads could probably use a hand, supernatural powers or not."


This wasn't a sensation Az had felt in a while. Being tired, that was. Luckily, it was something Matt was very familiar with, and was powering through like a breeze. But they weren't the only ones affected - Castiel was lagging, too. Breathing hard, stumbling back after blocking an attack.

This fight was going on too long.

I thought we were supposed to be tiring her out, not the other way around. Matt thought, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose. They had taken a hard hit, gotten thrown into the wall. Az thought there might be more damage than either of them were aware - no scratch, that - they knew Matt's body was pretty torn up at this point. Still living, Az was certain, but they were beat to hell.

Cas was in a similar state. That insane power he had been projecting at the start of the fight had faded, and they could smell blood on him.

Fortunately, some of that blood was Evangeline's. Cas had sliced her a few times with his blade, and Matt and Az had gotten in some good hits too. She was definitely feeling the effects of this long, dragged-on fight as well. But even though she was breathing hard, and they could smell the sweat on her, hear her heart beating ferociously fast, and she swayed on her feet from time to time, her attacks were not abating nor growing less powerful.

"Just a little measly demon, who can't even take over a normal human vessel, and a lovesick angel kicked out of heaven - what do you think you're trying to do? What do you think this will accomplish?" Evangeline shouted, voice ragged. She laughed, a bit hysterical.

Cas didn't answer, just charged forward while Az and Matt hung back for a moment, gearing up for the next bout. They heard the ring of blade on blade, then Evangeline spoke again.

"You three…" feet shuffled, the air parted for a blade whipping past and not meeting its target.

"...should be joining me! Together…" more feet shuffling, Cas's coat flapping.

We could rule the galaxy, Az quipped. Matt smirked.

They rushed in, covering Cas when Evangeline tripped him up, getting behind him while he regained his footing. They landed a jumping kick on her ribs, sending her stumbling away. She vanished, then reappeared behind them. They dropped to the floor as she tried to cleave them in half, then sprung up and planted both feet on her abdomen, successfully sending her stumbling back. She screamed, and they almost didn't teleport away in time.

A wave of magic blasted out from her - cold and quiet. They were outside in the hallway, projecting their senses into the room. Whatever she had cast, Az was glad they had managed to avoid it. It felt like...empty space. But huge. Like she had actually opened a portal into the void of outer space. Matt couldn't get anything else from whatever magic had washed over the room except cold.

For a moment, while crouched outside the room out of way of immediate danger, they cast their senses into the rest of the warehouse. It had been impossible to focus on anything other than the fight since it began, and between that and the magic from Evangeline and Cas and filling up the warehouse, Matt hadn't been able to pick up anything.

It only took a moment to locate the others. Sam and Dean, shouting. Several other heartbeats, fast and scared. That didn't sound good. They focused...demons. And monsters. Flanking the brothers and the captives. Matt's heart squeezed in panic for a moment. It wasn't working - they were in danger. They weren't going to make it.

And then the door behind them exploded off its frame, splinters flying into Matt and making him glad he had put on his suit before coming here.

Cas was back - Az wasn't sure where he had gone, or if he had been hit by the strange void magic Evangeline had just cast.

"Matt, Az." Cas said by way of greeting.

"Cas! Dean and Sam-" Matt began, but was cut off when a wall of intense heat - fire - was hurled out of the shattered door frame. Cas put an arm up like it was a strong wind, but Matt and Az threw themself inside one of the other doorways in the hall.

The room was...empty. And not just empty as if it had been vacated. There were no lingering scents, no dust, no drafts or heat from wiring or cracks in the wall. It felt fake, almost. Behind him, Evangeline aimed another fire spell at Cas, and when she did the room began buzzing with magic, and that same cold, consuming void began forming around them. Az teleported them out before Matt put together what was happening. They were back in the hallway, where fire was starting to eat the walls and carpet. Az and Matt didn't pay attention to that, though - they were focused on the room that they had just been in. Or rather, where it should have been. They shifted focus to the room they had found Evangeline in - gone.

She's undoing old spells and reusing the magic energy, Az realized.

So all the magic spells she cast on the warehouses, all the extra rooms, the weird portals…

Magical recycling.

So you were right - we're wearing her down.

Az was sure that right. She must be getting tired if she was shutting down old spells to draw energy from. But that also meant this whole time, she had been putting energy into multiple, complicated spells all across the city. The amount of power and concentration that would take…

They knew Evangeline was a powerful witch, but that seemed insane.

Witches aren't usually this powerful?

Not nearly, Az answered.

They had to leap out of the way of another attack, still thinking. Matt got there first, which didn't mean a lot considering they were sharing the same brain.

The deal.

What?

That demon...it was talking about Evangeline working with someone else - the Hand, maybe. Or the Beast.

Az felt a chill at the mention of the ancient demon, and they were pretty sure it wasn't due to a sudden draft, considering the hallway around them was mostly on fire.

What if the Beast is helping her, giving her a power boost?

Then we're in more trouble than we thought, Az said, just as Evangeline let out a roar and thrust her hands forward. Cas and Az tumbled backwards, slamming into the door at the other end of the hallway and through it, crashing into the railing of the balcony. From here, Matt could easily hear Dean and Sam struggling with the enemies attacking them. But they also heard something else, that brought them a strange mixture of hope and fear.

No way...Az thought.

We have to keep her distracted, Matt said with renewed vigor.

Cas' blade had fallen from his hand and was laying on the metal floor. Matt and Az scooped it up and charged, shouting and making their attack as obvious as possible. Evangeline raised a hand and they teleported, trying to drop down from above. She was ready for that, raising her own sword in their direction. Matt came down on it with his boots, felt the sword start to cut through the soles, then threw his body to the side. It wasn't graceful, but it got her attention. And that was enough, because whatever happened, she couldn't notice who had just come inside the warehouse.


Dean and the others were being backed into a corner - and being backed into a corner was the best option right now. The other option was being dead. Because the way things were going, Dean did not see a way out of this mess.

Together with some of the captives, he and Sam had managed to cut a path through the demons and monsters to a store room where they had quickly ushered the everyone inside and barricaded the doors. Sam cut his hand and sloppily but effectively slapped a protective sigil on the back of the door, then stepped back and listened to the demons and monsters pounding away against the other side.

Dean met his brother's eyes, then glanced back at the 30 civilians they had in tow, who were hurt, scared, and confused.

"What the fuck do we do now?"

Sam's eyes were darting all over the room, but Dean had already given it a once over. There weren't any other doors or windows. They were trapped.

"This isn't going to hold them off for long," Dean said quietly, taking in their slapdash barricade.

"Um, excuse me - but…" Dean and Sam turned to see a short woman with a braid stepping up. "Who are you? And...what are those things out there? What is going on, exactly?"

Sam hesitated, so Dean spoke up. "This isn't a great time to get into a long explanation, lady."

"Well, if we knew what was going on, we could help…?"

Dean scoffed. "Unless you're an angel in disguise, then I don't think there's much you can do, sorry."

Sam offered that wincing apologetic smile.

"They're demons, aren't they?" Someone said, and the teenager with the holy water stepped forward. "Demons from hell."

Sam blinked a few times, and the crowd began to murmur.

"Yeah. They're demons," Dean said. Sam elbowed him. Some people in the crowd let out cries of anguish.

"But they're not all powerful. We can take them. We just need a plan."

"Well, I'm out of this holy water or whatever was in here, Mister," the teenager raised the flask, handing it back to Dean.

Dean stared into the bottle, and the bone dry interior. He had more, and Sam did too. They had armed themselves to the teeth before coming in here - that wasn't a problem. It was just pure numbers. He looked at the crowd. A man had cleared an area in the back and was treating some of the injured captives with the help of some of the others.

These people were inexperienced. They had managed to fend the demons off long enough to take cover in here, but there were already casualties. Shadows moved past the light leaking in under the door, and the door began to jostle. Something on the other side began scratching and howling. The crowd cowered back, leaving Sam and Dean standing alone in the front.

Sam looked at Dean with a look he had seen too many times.

"We could run out there, try to draw fire," Sam said.

Dean shook his head, "There's too many of them."

"It's not like we have a lot of options. Cas and Matt haven't contacted us...and since all these guys are still here," he gestured toward the door, "then I'm guessing they haven't taken down Bouvois yet."

Dean grumbled, rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighed.

Before he could give in to Sam's insane plan, though, his phone buzzed.

Sam reached for his pocket at the same time.

"Well, son of a bitch."

"Can we hold out until they get here?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded, "Hell yeah. It's our best chance."

He read the message again.

Claire:

We're on the way to the warehouse. Respond if you're still alive.

He typed out a response.

Dean:

We're still alive, holed up in a storage closet with the captives. Demons and monsters on the other side, could use some help.

He waited a moment, then there was another buzz.

Claire:

Four of us, almost there. Left SHIELD behind - do we need them?

Dean:

Leave SHIELD out of it. We just need a distraction and some more of Hernandez' guns.

Claire:

We can be distracting. Any word from Cas or Matt and Az?

Dean:

Not yet.

Dean tucked his phone in his pocket, looking up at Sam.

"Help's on the way."

"Yeah, a SHIELD agent and three untrained civilians - are you sure this is a great idea?"

"No, it's not a great one, but it's what we got. And they'll pull through - we've all made it this far, after all."

"You're being weirdly optimistic."

"What? You want me to say we're doomed and we're all going to die? We've been through too much shit to die here, Sammy. Besides...Claire and them seem alright."

A smirk pulled at Sam's lips.

Dean scowled, "Come on! They're alright, it's not like I want to have sleepovers and get brunch together. They just seem pretty capable, is all. After saving helpless ass after helpless ass for years it's nice to have some backup."

"Yeah, sure. You can just admit you like them, you know."

"I wouldn't go that far. They've been a pain in the ass."

"They helped us get Cas back."

Dean grumbled noncommittally.

"And Daredevil is kind of like Batman."

"He's really not."

Sam's smile fell and his eyes flit back to the door, which continued to shake as the forces on the other side tried to break through.

"Do you think they're going to make it?"

"We've got an angel, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, a demon, a SHIELD agent, two lawyers and Claire Temple on our side. That's a hell of an army."

At Sam's expression, Dean simplified. "We're all gonna make it."

Sam rolled his eyes, then walked back towards the crowd, who were growing more nervous by the minute.

"Everyone - some people are coming to help us. When they get here, things might get hairy- but stay here and you'll be safe. We're all going to make it out of here."
The people seemed to relax - Sam had that effect on people. He made them feel safe. Dean hung back and let him do his thing.

Then his phone buzzed again.

Claire:

We're here. Ready to get this party started?