Hey guys! So this was one long juicy chapter (11,000 words). So I split it up into two for easier reading. I used a chunk of dialogue from season 2.

Enjoy!

PS: Netflix cancelled our beloved show! I'm still reeling from the news, I am so disappointed. Charlie Cox was perfect as DD and the latest season was outstanding. But I guess, that's Hollywood for you. I don't know if they'll ever put it onto that Disney streaming service, I have mixed feeling about it, what do you guys think?

Anyway, the story lives on for me here and for you guys. Thank you!

Riley

The next morning, the team was in the meeting room for a debriefing of the raid. The DA was grinding on them to pull out all stops to make sure the Punisher was found. Sergeant Fitzgerald wasn't exactly on their side either, not even attempting to tell her no.

She massaged her knee, still sore from skidding on the ground after pursuing the Punisher.

"After you surrendered your weapon, he asked you to stay down?" Asked Sergeant Fitzgerald from the podium at the front of the room.

"Yes," she answered him unenthusiastically and to everyone else in the meeting. "He threatened to shoot me if I followed. He ran off afterwards and I stayed where I was until I was certain I was in the clear."

She heard a snicker from the table next to hers and glared at Croftsky; "he's the second vigilante you've let just run off," he remarked. "Pretty sloppy if you ask me."

"Except no one asked for your running commentary," she shot back.

"Enough," Fitzgerald addressed them sternly. "We'll crosscheck the description of him you gave with the records of all veterans living in New York State. It's tedious job; Croftsky, you can do that."

"What?" His eyes went wide and he scoffed at the lackluster assignment, and Riley smiled on the inside.

"We can't let this reach the press," she said.

"Hold on a sec, the public needs to know what's going on," argued Leo, "there's a madman on the street, they need to know we're controlling the situation and that they'll be safe from him."

"He didn't attack the Italians 'for us', or for the public," she countered."He did it for himself," Riley was comforted that she knew in her heart Matt was nothing like that.

"And he's definitely not trying to be a hero."

The Punisher had his own damage; his own agenda and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"She's right, no one says a word to any reporters or you answer to me next," instructed Fitzgerald. "Xavier is out of surgery but he won't be conscious until the week's end. Dismissed."

Her sleep for the next few nights was restless. She kept seeing the Punisher's face in her dreams, and then Federico's dead one and the red rose in the puddle of blood beside his body. It was still early in the morning when she woke up and decided to do something to tame the buzzing energy residing inside of her.

She packed her work clothes and got into her gym gear. She went to Fogwells and she was there before Matt. This was his usual gym day and time. She stretched inside the ring and then heard the door open.

"Hey," he greeted, bemused yet pleasantly surprised.

"Hey."

"I didn't expect you to be here."

"I need to take my mind of things," she told him. "I was hoping you could help me with that."

He gave her a half smile as he set his bag down. "Well, you've come to the right place," he tossed her a pair of boxing mitts.

"So...do you want to talk about it first?" As usual he could guess when something was bothering her.

"We fight first," she told him strapping the mitts. She stretched her triceps. Her neck still felt tense and her chest was wound up with stress. Matt didn't ask any more questions thankfully, and it was nice to have someone just understand that she needed the quiet space to reflect first, or in her case sweat it out of her.

He joined her in there and it was evident from the first round that Riley had a lot of pent up anger. She swung at Matt with brute force and no tactic, and he wasn't expecting it. It clearly irritated him given how much he'd dragged her on about proper technique the other times they'd sparred. Riley was throwing it all to the wind then.

"Whoa," he muttered, holding his hands up to stop her. "Control, Riley," he gritted out after blocking one of her harder punches, and stumbled into the ropes.

She sniffed, using the back of her wrist to wipe sweat from her eyes. A growl ripped through her and she violently came once, twice, three more times, and she was fast. She was pissed at the world, and herself, and was taking it out on Matt. He started fighting back to prevent himself from getting a bloody nose, blocking her hits and then shoving her against the ropes. He started taking control again after the blunt impact of being thrown down onto the mat jars her.

He pinned her wrists on either side of her head and hovered over her. They were both panting from the effort, but his were less quick than hers. She knew this was a simple warm up for him and he didn't get physically tired easily.

"You can stop fighting—" she tried to shove him off but his grip tightened; "–and tell me what's the matter."

Her breathing slowed down. She stared at his blind eyes, not really pointed anywhere, sometimes it still amazed her that he couldn't see. "Can we take five?" She asked instead, and he released his grip. She rolled onto her feet and hopped out of the ring, unstrapping the boxing mitts.

"If this is about the Punisher. You can tell me."

She spun to him, "wait, so you knew about that this whole time, and you were waiting for me to tell you?"

"You've used that tactic on me before," he rebuked, leaning on the ropes and then joined her on the ground. "I wish you told me," said Matt, shrugging passive aggressively.

She was still agitated; it felt like the slightest inconvenience could set her off. "Oh was I supposed to report it to you, Sir?"

Evidently there were still big gaps in mending their friendship. There were instances where she couldn't read him at all; like when they were sat outside the church the other day and things were going smoothly. Then he went quiet after she offered protection to Foggy and Karen, as if he was considering something but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Excuse me if I wanted to know if you were okay," he countered, unstrapping his boxing mitts too and throwing them to the ground.

"Yes, I am," she replied, frankly. "He aimed a gun right in my face, a really big one, but unlike you, I managed to not get shot in the head."

He whistled "low blow." He caught the boxing mitt she threw at him to put away and she hadn't noticed how much closer he was to her now.

"Seriously though, I know you well enough to know when you want to talk about something. We've sparred; you've let some steam off. You can tell me."

She couldn't contain her frustrations any longer, especially with him being this patient with her, and the genuine concerned crinkle of his eyebrows.

"I'm okay," she replied tautly, and let out a long exhale to calm herself. "Nothing happened, he made me get on the ground and kicked my gun aside, he wanted me to stop following him. Naturally Croftsky had to voice it out at the debriefing making it sound like I let him away. I wanted to smack him across the face."

Matt snickered; "he was always a dick wasn't he?"

"Yeah."

"The precinct hasn't released the number of dead," he cited. "All of this is the Punisher's handiwork?"

At the mention of that she went sour, she leaned on the pillar of the boxing ring. "They attacked us in the open, shamelessly," she told Matt, folding her arms as he stood in front of her and listened. "Xavier did. But I gathered my people there in the first place." She had even told Nora off for asking too many questions about the raid. "Strategically my team would have been walking through a closed off arcade with no quick escape route. They would have been trapped there and picked off one by one by Xavier."

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She slid down the pillar and sat on the floor, feeling dismal, knees up to her chin.

I was a shepherd herding the lambs, Matt. It would have been a slaughter if it wasn't for him getting there before us," she confessed, disappointed with herself; "now you know, and you can stop being overly-concerned about my safety, because surprise-surprise," she stretched her arms out over her head;

"I have a knack of endangering everyone else around me instead."

Matt sighed and dropped to the floor next to her, crossing his legs. The sun was shining through the big tiled glass wall behind him, dust motes dancing in the golden light casting him in a shadow.

"Riley, you can't have predicted he would be there."

"I should've," her shoulders sagged. "Truth is, if any of them had died on my watch, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself."

"Stop," he took her elbow. "Don't do what I'm good at. You told me to stop feeling guilty about everything—and you have nothing to be guilty of; no one you were responsible for died."

"A lot of people died, Matt," she deadpanned.

"You know what I mean."

"We're trying to keep it quiet from the press for the time being," she said, looking at him.

"I don't know how easy it's going to be to do that. Karen's taken an interest in the case, investigating it for the New York Bulletin."

That was definitely news to her. Her arms flopped to her side; "Oh great, that's just freaking perfect. Will you at least put in a good word about me to her?"

"I'll try," he said, with a small shrug that didn't even appear the least bit hopeful, "but I can't promise that."

"I thought so," she said grimly. "I guess the only good news is that the Italians are far less of a problem to us compared to 72 hours ago."

"You told me this wasn't supposed to be easy, or was that someone else named Riley Knight giving me a TED talk?" He said, with a teasing arch of his brow.

"I did say that, didn't I?" She snickered at the irony of it, how they helped one another when the other person was being too much of a hard ass on himself or herself.

"I wanted to thank you for finding me at the church," he said, turning his head slightly to her, his eyes pointed somewhere on her shoulder. "I didn't want to push you away I just—it was Fisk and—" he didn't know how to describe what he meant, but she didn't need him too.

"I get it, I know how hard it is. When the time comes; you can't face Fisk alone. And neither can I."

"Promise you'll be here with me, when the times comes?" He asked her, his green eyes almost meeting hers.

"I promise," she said, without an ounce of doubt in her heart.

"You know...I realized that I got used to having you around, and that's not fair," Matt started. He sighed deeply, running his fingers through his brown hair and messing it up.

I've grown used to having you with me too, haven't I?

"I know it will be hard to compromise when we disagree on anything, and that will happen, it's guaranteed too," she chuckled. The corner of his lips lifted.

"But going forward, I think we could both do better."

"I think so too. Being other person in a mask has been a hundred times easier with someone to talk too," said Matt, "someone like you."

The heat rushed to her face, and it was already hot in the gym, she probably should've weighed in on the gravity of what he was saying. Matt didn't let anyone in, ever, but he was doing that with her. Yet tactlessly, she laughed lightly, repeating what he said to her at the church. She bumped her shoulder with his, and then stayed there, their faces less than a foot apart. "Well Murdock, seems like you care about me a little bit."

His features were both soft and serious; "maybe I do."

Her head was way too warm; she glanced down at her chest and saw the beads of sweat there. She was a sticky mess; "I need to get ready for work," she announced abruptly, standing up and wiping her hands on her leggings.

When she looked at him again, offering him a hand he wore a neutral smile, covering up whatever he'd said;

"Yeah same here, Foggy's expecting me."

She realized she'd been holding her breath just now, and she finally breathed normally in the changing rooms. Riley splashed water onto her face and looked at her reflection in the glass, yes I like you, this crush she had on Matt, was going to get them both in trouble some day.

Later that evening, after calling the hospital for a good two hours, Xavier's doctors deemed he was conscious and alert enough to be interrogated at Metro General. After some sleep and two cups of coffee she was feeling much better with herself and ready to take on anything.

Before going to the wing he was kept in Riley stopped upstairs at Alfonso's room to tell him what was going on. However she saw he was busy speaking to pair of doctors and fell back. She went to the elevator, and as the doors opened Matt was inside.

"Murdock."

"Hey."

"You're here."

"How is he doing?" He asked, tilting his chin at in the direction of Alfie's room. "Meeting with his doctors?"

"Yeah. He's okay. What are you doing here?" She asked him but she guessed already.

"Xavier is two floors below, but I came to speak to you first."

"Is it to ask for permission?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You better not be here to represent that piece of shit."

"I'm not," he held his hands up defensively "Actually, I thought we could interrogate Xavier together, for old time's sake."

"Together?"

"Yeah," he shrugged a shoulder innocently. "Perhaps I was too optimistic?"

"Maybe just a bit," she snickered. "What do I tell my boss if he shows up?"

"Tell him I barged in on you."

She pursed her lips, "I don't know." Fitzgerald was going to be pissed that any lawyer had been allowed near Xavier.

"You know," he dragged out confidently, "if you don't let me in now—"

"You'll probably find some ledge to hang onto, to eavesdrop on our conversation," she concluded.

"Yup, exactly," he agreed with a cocky smile.

"Who's this?" Asked the police officer on guard.

"Mr. Murdock, defense attorney. He's with me." Riley made a show of rolling her eyes, shrugging like she didn't have a choice but to oblige an annoying lawyer.

"Ah. I hear ya, detective."

"Can't chase these lawyer rats away can we?" She whispered at the officer and patted his shoulder in camaraderie; he chuckled in agreement, writing down their names into the logbook of visitors.

"Come on Mr. Murdock we don't have all day," she called over her shoulder at him, but she forgot Matt was supposed to be 'blind' and took a few strides to him so he could take her forearm.

"That was way too convincing to be for appearances," he whispered to her as they passed the officer. "You really hate lawyers don't you?"

"I don't," she said, innocuously; "I just tend to be a bit sassier to blind ones."

"Appalling police service," Matt tisked. "Myself and the other blind lawyers in New York are going to issue a formal complaint against you, Detective. We have a union, it's very official."

"Oh really?" She dared, and she got that charming smile out of him. "I guess I should lawyer up; do you think Foggy would represent me?"

"Against his best friend? Absolutely."

She laughed and guided him down the hallway, growing more serious as they neared the room, "it's just down here."

Matt

Riley showed her badge to the next pair of officers and they let them pass.

As they walked in, Matt trailing behind her, Xavier sat up a bit straighter in his bed eyeing them cautiously. He was hooked onto a few monitors but he was doing pretty well for getting shot in the stomach and leg. Riley's heartbeat was steady but she was clenching her fists inside her blazer pockets to satiate the urge to strangle him.

"Regret escaping?" Knight asked as she stopped at the end of his bed, Matt stood behind her.

"Not one bit. Got to see your pretty face again didn't I, honey?" He said, and cocked his head to peer at Matt. "Who's your friend?"

"He's a lawyer."

"Is he here to represent me?"

"You wish," said Matt, coldly. This was her forte, he let Riley take the lead, and he just wanted to listen to her in her element.

"You really thought this was it, wasn't it?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "That you could walk away from what you did, without us getting you."

"True. But I have you to thank for this, detective. My hero," he smiled slyly. "Honestly, I questioned my mortality whilst you so kindly held on to me as I was bleeding out on the street. But I just had two bullets taken out of me, and I think I am ready for anything."

"Ready for anything, huh? Perhaps, you can start by telling us how you escaped prison," Riley asked him.

"I have friends in prison sweetheart," he smirked, and the terms of endearment were doing their trick to aggravate her. "More than you do out here that's for sure."

"Who do you work for now?"

"No one," Xavier grinned, he was weakened from surgery but still an asshole.

"That's a lie," Matt piped up, listening to his heartbeat.

"We have your thumbprints on the weapon you used in the shootout with the Punisher," said Riley.

"I was defending myself, I don't work for anyone," he replied, feigning innocence. "He shot me down in the road as I was running away."

"You're very lucky to be here and not already in a jail cell for killing a cop," she glared at him. "You've killed many people over the years. The brother or father of whomever you murdered is in prison, waiting for you to come back. We're going to make sure you go to one right after this, and you're already weak, you're definitely not going to survive in there."

He chuckled humorlessly at her threat. "How's Valentine doing by the way?" He retaliated. "It's a shame he might never walk again."

Detective Knight glowered at him, and then swiftly gave Matt a worried look that spoke volumes, before glaring at Xavier once more.

He didn't have the heart to tell her that was what he overhead Alfie's doctors discussing with him when Matt met her in the elevator. She had no clue of his true condition, and he was a dick who should not have eavesdropped either. Except now he was holding onto a secret that both Xavier and himself were aware of, and Matt felt dirty keeping her in the dark and then finding it out from someone she absolutely reviled.

"Oh really? Are you a doctor, now?"

"I just know how he's doing," Xavier shrugged, unflappably.

"And how do you even know any of that?"

"I just do. And I heard he was so good, wasn't he? So noble," Xavier taunted. "He's a third generation cop right? So was his sister. Poor family, one turned up dead, and the other... a cripple and disappointment. He'll be chained to a desk for the rest of his career, not much of a hero for his little girl."

Riley itched to lunge for him but Matt placed his hand on the small of her back to keep her grounded. If neither of them had appearances to maintain he would've gladly let her throttle him.

"Knight, a word." Sergeant Fitzgerald appeared at the doorway, shooting a glare at the back of Matt's head.

As she spun and passed him, he lightly took her wrist; "Don't let him talk you into a fight," Matt advised her, keeping his voice low.

"I won't," she whispered back and joined Fitzgerald outside.

"Please tell me he's going to be sentenced for life," Riley said to the sergeant.

"The DA needs information from him," said Fitzgerald. "The FBI is going to take over."

That woman has a special place in hell, thought Matt.

"He killed Michaels!" She said in a shouted whisper. "It's bad enough that he's being treated here in the same hospital as them. You cannot let that woman continue to walk all over us!"

"I don't like it either, but this is in the hands of the federal government. Humphrey and I are fighting to make sure he gets scraps."

Riley snickered scathingly, "that is not good enough for me. He's working for the Irish, and he killed one of our own as per their orders. Sweeney continues to have domain over the mafia circles and murder cops one by one. We would be disrespecting our men if he doesn't land in a cell next week. That woman is going to drag this out and protect him and I don't trust her."

"Maybe you have been motivated by vengeance here," the sergeants cutting remark stunned Riley, "because you can't see two sides of the story; using him will make this end faster."

"This is unbelievable. You won't even defend us! It's like you don't even care!"

"How dare you make such an accusation, detective? I am your superior officer—"

Matt was listening to a couple of things in the vicinity at once. Xavier was glaring madly at Fitzgerald and Riley; his breathing was rough and shallow. He blocked out the sergeant and detective's heated argument. He tried to hear for Claire but didn't manage to over the hubbub of the hospital.

Then, his attention snapped on a particular sound;

The loading of a shotgun barrel.

He acted fast; he backtracked out of the hospital room and into the hallway, possibly looking very odd with how he accelerated through them with a cane. Fitzgerald and Knight were just outside the doorframe.

"Riley!" He approached them, reaching for her. The sergeant grimaced at him, displeased by his interruption.

She glanced over her shoulder at him; "Murdock what—?"

Matt tugged her down to the ground as the first shot fired into the ceiling. The Punisher was still a good distance from them but coming their way. She landed on top of him. "He's here," he rasped into her ear. He tried not to engage anyone's suspicion to his sudden lack of a disability but likely the active shooter in the wards preoccupied the rest of the hospital.

"He's going to kill him!" She rolled off him; they crawled into the room as a firefight continued outside. The sergeant and the other officers sprung into action to protect the hospital staff and other patients.

"We have to get him out of here," he stood up once they were near Xavier's bed. The hit man was on the verge of pissing his gown, yanking desperately at his handcuffs, not quite as proud and dignified as he was a minute ago.

She unlocked them as Matt pulled the IVs out. Before Xavier could leap for his life and freedom—Riley scrunched up the collar of his gown with ferocity;

"You are not going anywhere. You stay close or you die."

Riley

They hurried out as fast as possible through the emergency stairwell. Xavier's arms were over their shoulders, because his leg was injured and bandaged, and crutches would've slowed everyone down.

"There's a supply lift through here," said Matt. Xavier was too frightened to notice how alarming it was for a blind man to know that, but they were passed caring who saw Matt use his enhanced abilities at this point.

They hurried into the lift; Riley jabbed madly at the close button. As the doors were inches from shutting a bullet flew between them and struck the wall of the elevator, narrowly missing their heads. The three of them were flat on the floor. Another bullet punched into the metal as the doors fully shut. After what felt like a decade, the lift finally began its descent.

Riley swallowed and looked at Matt. He'd ditched his glasses in the run. She knew what had to be done and so did he. They were having a rapid telepathic argument about it that needed to be cut short;

"You have to go after him," she entreated; "it has to be you. This could be our only chance." Matt could fight him and beat him in a way no one else could. "Is the suit with you?"

He closed his eyes, "yes," he admitted half-heartedly.

"I know I've said this a million times but please be careful." They reached the car park level and Riley hauled Xavier to his feet, the hit man looked puzzled by their conversation. "Go, Matt. I can handle him."

Matt wavered, he didn't want to leave her, and honestly, she didn't want to leave him either. Neither of them had been able to beat the Punisher and the last time Matt almost won, he shot him in the head. Only the fact that his mask was semi-bulletproof saved him, and he had no idea it was even bulletproof to begin with.

"Okay," Matt nodded gravely. She stumbled out of the elevator holding onto Xavier. She gave him one last fleeting look as the doors closed and prayed he would make it alive.

Riley flew across the car park towards her car, dumping Xavier into the backseat like a bag of flour. She started the engine, reversing, and making a hasty exit onto the dark street. It was raining heavily outside.

"He's going to kill me...he's going to kill me," droned Xavier over rain pattering on the roof of her car.

"If the officers haven't detained him he's going to take a position on the roof—"

"Did it look like he was detained?!" He shrieked like a siren.

"You'll be safe at the precinct," not like the asshole deserves our protection, she resented that fact immensely, especially after what he'd said about Alfonso never being able to do field duty or walk normally again. She resented being just a pawn for the district attorney, going against everything she believed in, everything she argued against mere minutes ago with Fitz.

Or was the sergeant right? Was she motivated by vengeance, reduced to seeing the world with her own tunnel vision of justice?

But in the end... I have to follow orders.

She thought about Matt, hoping he wasn't trying to be a brave idiot. Please be okay, please.

Xavier leaned forward between the seats and seized her shoulder, "you have to drive faster than this. He'll catch up!"

She smacked his hand aside. "Will you calm down?"

The rain shelling the front window made it difficult to see the road ahead. She made a turn towards a tunnel. They'd be going in circles to evade the Punisher; but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"This is a longer route, it should give us cover and traffic." She looked at the rearview mirror to see Xavier eyes wide open and frantic. Is he an idiot?

"For God's sake get on the goddamn floor and stay down—"

Before she could react—one of the mirrors exploded, she couldn't tell which. She screamed. They swerved, as she tried to control the wheel, Riley shoved her foot onto the brakes. A lamppost was coming fast for them.

They crashed. The airbag erupted in her face and alleviated the shuddering blow. She groaned, her vision was blurry and her head was spinning. She heard her raspy breathing in her ears, the rain, smelt smoke and acid. After a few minutes of collecting herself, amazed she'd survived another car crash she turned around to see if Xavier was just as lucky—

He was unconscious, having cracked his head on the window. Riley reached for his neck and checked his pulse. He was alive. The lamppost was spitting sparks as it titled forward but didn't fall onto to them thanks to the grace of the electrical wires balancing it in place.

She spat out some blood and reached for the door handle. She looked out the window.

And saw the Punisher standing twenty feet from it.

Riley jolted in fear and clambered into the backseat. Shit, shit, shit. He fired a warning shot at her driver's side window, shattering it. Xavier was still out of it; she grabbed onto his hospital gown and dragged him out the other door. She stayed flush to the body of the car for cover, the rain showering them.

"Hand him over, Detective!" The Punisher yelled, his voice gravelly.

She drew her gun, and stuffed Xavier haphazardly beneath the car. "That's not happening Castle!" The information on who he was, was still in its infancy but she knew his back-story; his return from war, the carousel, the shooting, his surgery.

"You know me," he remarked, not troubled by the fact she knew his true identity.

"Yes and we know what happened to you," she called out, hoping he would have some sense and see that they could help him. "So you can stop this now—"

"I'm not done yet!" He shot at the driver's side window again. "Hand him over!"

"That's not going to happen!" She yelled. As retaliation for her noncompliance, he fired again a few times, the glass shattering around her; she lifted her arms to cover her face. Her police radio was going wild in the car. She called for back up and prayed they would be speedy about getting there.

Her clothes were soaked from the rain. They were in a small open dirt carpark that was getting muddier by the second and provided no cover on her side of the car. She peeked beneath it and saw his feet, edging closer. Fuck. He has three times the firepower and tactical advantage. I'm going to die here tonight. Riley slapped Xavier's face but he was still unconscious.

"Listen here detective, I have your friend! We could trade!"

Riley froze, her breath hitched in her throat."What did you do to him?" She snarled, and decided it was time she stopped cowering and slid along the car towards the boot.

"Don't you worry about Red. He'll be taken care of."

He's crazy. Her mind flew to thoughts of Matt, what condition he could possibly be in.

"You're going to kill him!"

"Just one of them."

"We're going to find you and stop you!" She leaned forward and fired two rounds at him he dashed into the alley evading her.

"Don't make this harder for yourself, Detective."

This is already a blood nightmare as it is.

Just when she thought she might have a chance to escape. He ambushed her. The Punisher emerged from hiding and fired endlessly at her car, each round pounding into the hunk of metal, using his firepower advantage to get closer to them. There was no Matt to save her then. He hit her engine and it exploded into a geyser of flame. She could feel its heat despite the coldness of the rain; she crouched to protect herself from flames or debris.

Hope presented itself when Xavier started to moan and roll onto his side, she noticed his hospital gown had a growing blood stain, the jarring movements of the past few minutes having torn his stitches open. She didn't have much time; at least she wouldn't have to haul him around like dead weight. Riley latched onto him; "get up! Get up we have to move!"

But it was too late.

She turned around to shoot; The Punisher knocked her weapon out of her hand. Riley acted fast and pushed the rifle upwards and he fired into the air. He growled and turned the gun horizontal to use it to shove her off, Riley collided into his legs and he lost hold of his weapon. He fell into the dirt, she wrestled with him to subdue him, mud splashing into her eyes. The rain was like tiny stones pelting her. He threw her off. She rolled into a crouch and as his fist came down to punch her, she dodged it.

Riley straightened and he didn't block her first strike that cracked across his jaw with a satisfying crunch, he blocked her next one and she felt his leg hook around hers. Normally she would've been able to kick him in the crotch with her knee but the mud was slippery and she lost her footing and he used the advantage to twist her arm around. She knew she was done for when she fell with him beneath her. He wrapped his arm around her neck. She knew this hold very well, they'd taught it to her in the police academy, and I'm losing at it.

Her feet kicked at the ground but she was only making deeper dents into the soft wet earth, splashing mud everywhere. She fought tooth and nail; snarling, screaming, biting. Riley reached behind her, scratching his face, but his hold only suffocated her more. Her vision started to darken, her hands weak, something struck the side of her head and she was knocked out.