A/N: Thank you so much for your replies guys! I'd like to personally thank werewolfs-team for doing a beautiful art cover for the story. I am honoured and flattered thank you. For some reason it's not uploading so for those who wish to see it, message me and I'll find a way to send it to you.
Thump, thump, thump. Her heartbeat remained consistently steady as she told her story. Two hours in and no sudden jumps, no sweating, no nervous fidgeting to indicate untruth. As they decided to take their heated conversation to a random rooftop in the neighbourhood, she sat the roof's ledge, swinging her feet and explained herself to him, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.
He could feel her eyes follow him as he strolled up and down the rooftop, arms crossed and shoulders tense. Was he believing her? Was he going to pounce on her after she explained herself? She hoped not because she honestly needed all the help she could get. Despite the ego and ridiculously symbolic costume (which was actually beginning to grow on her), she had a feeling that he was just a man trying to do the right thing for his city. A willing heart and strength was what the stone was drawn to, much like it was to her and Grumpy. Plus, by the way he wasn't trying to constantly beat down on her, she saw the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
"So...you were responsible for that fiasco in DC," he stated evenly with his back still to her.
"Yup," she responded with a hint of shame.
"And you saved everyone in the process."
"I tried my best. I couldn't let them go through with it."
"And now you're working with the Avengers to stop another catastrophe."
"Basically."
Her new friend turned his head towards Tony Stark's unmistakable skyscraper. What was he thinking about? Was he debating if the Avengers were friends or foes? The obvious answer would have been friend, going by the way that they saved the world every two years or so. Did he see them as otherwise? She thought about it; here was a lone vigilante on the other side of the city, not fighting the cosmic villains but the everyday scumbags and kingpins who managed to slip under the Avenger's radar. A team such as hers didn't simply have the time or resources to eliminate all crime around them. It just wasn't possible. Did Daredevil resent them for this?
"This stone can help us?" He broke the long silence, "what if it's using you to manipulate me?"
"The Avengers wouldn't have let me roam these streets if it was. You'll just have to trust me."
His head tilted downward, observing the stone in her palm. Under the scrutiny of his gaze, the stone's light pulsed in response. She might have been mistaken but she could have sworn that she saw a fraction of a wince at the minimal display of its power.
"If I doubt, just for a second that it won't do its job in helping our cause, it's going to the bottom of the Hudson," was his final say on things. She clenched her jaw in attempt to hide her smile, not just out of relief but because leaving it at the bottom of the river was impossible when the thing had a mind of its own.
"Thank you for hearing me out," she told him sincerely, "you won't regret it."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. You wouldn't like the result." She scoffed at his macho talk but took his offer of assistance nonetheless. He then stood up straight, watching her as if he were awaiting further instructions.
"We need to get to them fast. You know this place better than anyone I presume. Do you have an idea of where they can be? Going by the crap that transpired tonight, I would think that they beefed up security and hiding spots."
"I'll look into it," he said before heading to the opposite end of the roof.
"That's it? You're going to leave me here? I thought we were working together," Kennedy held her arms out incredulously. Was he serious?
"Just because we're working together, it doesn't mean that I trust you completely," he replied monotonously.
"Fair enough but how do I meet you?" She crossed her arms in annoyance.
"I'll come to you." With that, he continued to the end of the rooftop and ran in her direction. She hurriedly scuttled out of the way and gasped aloud as he flung himself off the roof. She ran to the ledge and frantically searched below to find him parkouring away along buildings heading to the west. She shook her head in disbelief.
"Just like that bat guy. Damn vigilantes," she muttered. About a mile away, Matt Murdock smiled at her comment.
…...
"I don't like this. They won't buy it," the soldier shook his head, trying to breathe evenly. Steve, Banner, Stark and himself stood around the glass table, taking in the mysterious but dangerous grimoire called the Darkhold that lay in the middle. It was a peculiar thing; both hideous but curiously beautiful in the secrets that it held. It was made purely out of black leather, crumbling in various parts due to mildew while a Medieval styled "D" was painted in blood red on the centre. They were warned by Strange's nervous courier that direct contact with the grimoire was ill-advised, not that they wanted to touch it. Unlike the security they felt with the stone being on their side, this thing was the complete opposite. It emanated the dark, sinister in the way it tried to plant unhealthy thoughts, peak at their darkest desires. They had Friday remove the packaging with one of the robotic arms from the ceiling, but it still didn't help the whispers from trying to distract them. The soldier squeezed his eyes shut to rid it from his sight, asking to be excused from the room several times. After a 15-minute interval, he huffed and marched back in, pushing the blood and murderous scenes from his mind.
"They will. HYDRA is notorious for 'collecting' occult objects. You of all people should know that they believe in a cosmic plan and these objects have a part to play," Strange explained on the holographic screen hovering in front of them. Unfortunately, he was still tied up at the moment to assist them directly.
"It will work Buck," Steve put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, "this might be Ken's only chance to snatch the Black Sky away from HYDRA. Offering them the Darkhold in exchange for backing off of you two will definitely get their attention. We just need to buy her time, then she'll be back with us in no time."
"If that doesn't work out, at least we have more HYDRA assholes to smite," Stark shrugged. Banner hit him and glared as if to say, "bad timing".
"She's in good hands. She's in the city and she has Tesla and the stone to keep her safe. She may be small but she's capable of a lot," Banner imputed.
The soldier bowed his head solemnly and released a deep sigh. This separation from her was still getting to him and the team has been nothing but patient with him. Yes, while he had the occasional outburst of angst and exasperation, he managed to achieve 5 hours of sleep while working his way through nightmares with the star map she made for him. It was progress and something told him that she would be proud of him. He wanted that more than anything; after all, she needed him in top shape if they were going to save the world.
"We good?" Steve asked. His friend nodded fervently.
"There's a guy, used to be high in the ranks before he dropped off the grid. He specialized in the remnants of the Red Skull's obsession with the occult. It's a long shot, but I'll put the word out that we want to negotiate. I know a place where we can meet. Give me a map," the soldier rambled, getting straight to work. Stark pulled up a holographic map for him, clapping him on the shoulder, a small sign of praise and appreciation. The soldier lifted his hard eyes to him and slowly nodded in solidarity. Stark and his relationship somewhat improved over the past few weeks. The former seemed to put his life-long vendetta to bed for the time being and the soldier did nothing to betray their trust.
"Who is this guy?" Banner interjected.
"His name is Silvio Manfredi, also known as Silvermane. And he's not someone to be taken lightly."
…..
Matt Murdock shifted his cane from left to right as he strolled down the busy street. He sighed softly to himself, the illusion of himself being completely blind tiring and unnecessary. Why did he have to keep it up? People wouldn't piece together his extracurricular activities even if he was a regular guy who happened to be late to work. But his blindness, in its cruel outlook, in its power to take away sunsets, a girl's loving eyes, an ocean, was a blessing. People never looked twice; they strolled past him, only giving looks of sympathy rather than noticing him with suspicion and curiosity. Unknown to them, he watched, he listened, he waited for opportunities, all because he was the fly on the wall uncovering their secrets and plans.
He stopped directly in front of the steps of Nelson and Murdock; 'a little too accurate', he thought sourly to himself. He had to watch himself more closely now; cockiness was going to get him in trouble eventually. Last night was proof of that. The familiar voices of Karen and Foggy were part of his morning routine, not hearing them banter playfully set him on edge, made him worry about the former especially. She had a habit of getting herself into trouble. He tapped his cane around the doorway and smiled at their last comments.
"I'm telling you, Captain America will beat Iron Man in a fight. I bet all my money on it," Karen laughed.
"Firstly, you don't have any money to bet since we don't pay you. Secondly, the laws of physics and Tony Stark's genius will tell you how impossible it is for an interactive suit of armor to be bested by meat and bone."
"People can surprise you," Matt chuckled from the doorway. He heard a heartbeat increase slightly and he didn't have to focus his limited vision to know that it was Karen. She had been doing that frequently lately and while it was somewhat unnerving, he couldn't suppress a tinge of excitement from it. Karen had a special place in his life, a place he was trying to make sense of. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to deal with Matt Murdock's regular life. Right now, it was a pretense to pass the time.
"Hey Matt. I don't get how you can sneak up on people," Karen chuckled nervously, tucking a stray of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Patience and practice over the years," he replied vaguely. You have no idea, he thought to himself.
"Karen. Would you mind finding the name of the company Mrs. Williamson works for? We're heading over to the head office in a bit," Foggy asked.
"Sure. Gimme a few minutes." When she was out of sight, Foggy pulled Matt into his corner of the office urgently.
"What the hell went down last night? You didn't check in like you said you would," he scolded, trying to remain calm.
"I know and I'm sorry. But things got…complicated last night," Matt sighed, placing his hands on his hips.
"How could it be any more complicated than my best friend being a blind vigilante running around in red tights?"
"They're not tights. And if you must know, I'm now helping an Avenger to prevent the Yakuza and HYDRA from destroying life on this planet as we know it. Sounds complicated enough?" Foggy closed his already open mouth and leaned back.
"Come again?"
…..
"I found help. This guy really knows his stuff about the Japanese and the city. If anyone can find the Black Sky, it's him," Kennedy told Grumpy on the screen. She was currently lounging on the bed, giving her comrades an update while she waited for her red ally to show up. When she returned to her room in the morning, she found a note that he slipped under her door saying "Be here tonight, 8pm". How he got to her place so fast was a mystery but she neither questioned nor complained about the help she was getting from this fine upstanding citizen.
"Maybe I should come for the night. Check him out myself. Then I'll know if he's good," Grumpy suggested. She sighed, knowing this was coming.
"We don't have time. Your presence here is going to stir up trouble. The stone thinks he's on our side and I'm trusting what it says. All I ask is that you trust me. Trust that I know what I'm doing."
"Do you?" Her eyebrow shot up in surprise at his challenge. It seemed that her sassiness was rubbing off.
"I'll get back to you on that," she admitted, softly chuckling.
"It will be over soon. We sent our message to Silvermane and now we wait for your 'friend's' information. After that, we'll coordinate times and dates from there." She nodded and looked at her screen in confusion. Grumpy looked manic, breathing heavily and staring at something behind her. She turned around and swallowed the yelp in her throat. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen stood behind her, not moving much, just observing their conversation.
"Are you daft? How long have you been there? Were you planning on making a noise?" she spat at him.
"I have some news," he responded instead. His head then titled to the screen on the bed. There was a man there, clearly someone who cared for Walsh, who undoubted wanted him gone from the room. Sensing the tension that seemed to transcend technology, she told the guy softly,
"He won't hurt me. He's like us. He wants to help people." The man's jaw was clenched in his attempt to remain at ease.
"If you don't call me back in 10 minutes, I'm coming for you." Walsh nodded, signed off and sat upright.
"You heard the man. You have 10 minutes."
"Boyfriend?"
"What's it to you?"
"Curious."
"Whatever. What did you find out?"
"Another meeting is taking place at a meat packing factory by the river. Friday at midnight."
"Why do bad guys always meet at a witching hour?" He chuckled softly at that; this Brit was going to be the end of him.
"Is your stone going to help us? What do we need to do?"
"You saw what the Black Sky was. It's in a child. So I guess we're kidnapping him."
"Great."
….
"You Avengers must have lost your minds in coming to me to negotiate," a heavy Italian accent echoed through the room. An old man, with accompanying silver hair smirked at the team of superheroes who did nothing but make his and his colleagues lives difficult. To see HYDRA's former asset actually giving orders and standing there as his enemy was indeed a sight to behold.
"Fine. Don't see what we have to offer. We'll happily order a drone strike now that we've got your location," the soldier drawled, his finger hovering over the button.
"I never said I wasn't interested. I was simply stating a fact. Now what is it that you wish me to see?"
"We have the Darkhold." Strange gave them a specific script to follow in order for this meeting to be successful. Say what they had in their possession, no visual which in turn increases curiosity. It seemed to be working since Silvermane's smug mask came right off to be replaced by shock. He tried to recover into an emotionless façade, but it was too late. Briefly, they relished in getting his attention.
"How do I know that you're not bluffing and intend to assassinate me and my men?"
"You'll just have to come and find out for yourself." Steve held back a smile of pride. His friend, just weeks before was a whirlwind of paranoia and anger. Now he was taking himself back from those monsters. Silvermane leaned forward in his chair and smiled coldly to the camera.
"Where do we start?"