Author's Note: A huge apology for posting the prologue over two years ago and then never updating this story. I have seven chapters already written which I've spent some time going through them and editing them and here we are.

The chapters are quite long and I was wondering what your opinions are. Do you guys like long chapters to sink your teeth into or do you prefer shorter ones?

Without further ado, here we go.

Chapter One
Sweet Disposition

Hell's Kitchen, New York City - Present Day

"This is dispatch, we have a sighting of a masked man wreaking havoc outside a bar on 9th street. There are uniformed officers already on scene, but he keeps throwing anything he can get his hands on at them and they're terrified. Please proceed with caution."

Alice Aldridge sighed as she leaned against her desk with her hip, the steam from her styrofoam cup of coffee filling her senses and fogging up her round tortoise shell frames. She wasn't sure why she kept sipping at it, with its bitter and watery taste already making her stomach weak. It was going to be a long night having to rely on coffee that looked, smelled, and tasted like it had been left in the pot for a week. She wondered why she carried on drinking it even after the many years she vowed to herself that she would make better choices. She took a sip, grimacing at the taste as her colleagues around her all stood from their seats at the dispatch call that came through.

"This bastard is going to be caught!" Valerie exclaimed, pulling on her jacket, and lifting her trapped hair out from under it. "That reward money will be mine!"

Valerie was a five-foot something rocket who could give the newbies a run for their money. At nearly fifty, she was an enigma to her peers. Her bite was as sharp as her bark, and boy was her bark not for the weak, and Alice admired her for that. When Alice joined the force, Valerie had taken it upon herself to teach the young police cadet the ins and outs of being an officer, teaching her from the beginning that training could only do so much, whereas experience taught you everything you knew. Being out on the streets, patrolling and observing, would serve her better to truly get to know the people of Hell's Kitchen. And she was right, it wasn't long before Alice was working her way to the top of the pyramid. She also taught her how to be a woman within the police force and make space for herself within a male dominated world.

Alice smirked, placing her cup down deciding against drinking anymore. "I can't believe you've all placed a bet on getting this guy."

"I can't believe you haven't!" Valerie countered which caused Alice's smirk to widen. If only you knew…

"I'm not a betting woman, Val," Alice chuckled, pulling on her own coat. She debated taking another sip of the coffee but decided against it, promising to treat herself to a large coffee from her favourite coffee shop when her shift ended. "I don't partake in hobbies of that nature."

Valerie rolled her eyes though there was humour behind her reaction. The older woman winked at her. "Smart and boring, oh to be young and happy again."

Alice rolled her eyes with a chuckle. They filed out of the station with officers moving towards their marked vehicles, Valerie and her partner Curtis heading towards their own and Alice reaching hers alone. Alice could tell from the atmosphere that everyone was hoping to finally catch the vigilante who had been taking it upon himself to do their job for them. It was frustrating in every sense, knowing that what he was doing was immoral and wholly illegal. She threw a glance at Valerie, determined to boot. For Valerie, it had been her life's work to capture bad guys and as soon as the masked man—an enigma in every sense or an idiot in Val's opinion—had come out of the shadows and was doing the work of the entire police force in one night, she became incredibly unsettled. This man was taking the law into his own hands and making the entire force look like idiots. For Alice, however, she understood the reasons as to why someone had taken it upon themselves to do what was right when the police constantly felt powerless against the big dogs that seemed to rule over the city. But a vigilante was frowned upon and despite the many disputes and threats from the police force directed at the masked man, they'd fallen on empty ears.

Without the money and resources to better protect the city, things did slip through the net. And it seemed the vigilante—the Masked Man as the newspapers called him—was doing what they couldn't.

"I'm going to widen our search area," Alice glanced at her watch. "Knowing him, he'll probably see you guys and bounce. I'm going to patrol the area and see if he runs into my path."

Val nodded. "Be careful, oh young one."

Alice threw a wink in Valerie's direction before chuckling. She slid into her car and started the engine. She watched as Valerie and Curtis drove away first, their beaming headlights engulfing the dark streets with golden light. She pulled out of the compound and headed the same way, settling in her seat before she drove away from the commotion close to the bar. She could hear the siren of her colleague's patrol car in the distance zoning in on this masked man whilst her own vehicle drove in complete silence. She knew she had to be cautious of whoever was on the streets at this time of night especially who could be watching her in the darkness. The alarm would draw the masked man into the shadows, but unbeknownst to him, she would be hiding there, too. But that's what she wanted the others to believe at least.

It didn't take long before she reached her destination: an abandoned building a few blocks away. An old furniture factory that now stood empty had always been their meeting place ever since their paths crossed a few months before. She climbed the fire exit, deeming the rickety railings to be safer than whatever lurked inside. She couldn't afford to have an accident within an abandoned building by having the unstable ceiling fall on her. It would raise too many questions as to why she was there and possibly who she was with. She was quick on her feet as she ascended to the rooftop, her footing light.

The air was cold and blustery, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. Her hair whipped in the wind that rolled by. She saw his figure in the shadows as her gaze searched the darkness for him.

"Some poor guy in a costume is going to have to answer some pretty intense questions," Alice said as he stepped into view. She squinted against the shadows, but he never strayed far from them. "You know… you could've just sent me a text."

"That wouldn't have been as fun," he responded, his voice low and humourless.

"How much did you pay him to do that for you?"

"The promise that I can find him a good lawyer if you guys caught him," he told her. "And the costume was just an added bonus."

Alice remained silent. She always hated meeting with him, he always made her feel unsettled. He would always hide in the shadows, hiding himself from her despite meeting each other for the past few months. He was a complete stranger, and yet, in a weird way, he wasn't. They had crossed paths for a while now. A part of her wanted to raise her gun at him and order him to show his face but she knew he was capable of disarming her in a flash. She was a good officer, quick on her feet with a determination to do the right thing. Her movements were always precise; she could take down people bigger and stronger than her, but against him, she felt as though she would be powerless. She had seen the way he moved, how he had brought someone nearly three times his size down to his knees with one single move.

"What've you got for me?" she asked, keeping her distance.

"A boy," he answered. "The car his father was driving was ambushed not even an hour ago. Have you had a call?"

"No," Alice furrowed her brow. "We've not had anything. It's been a surprisingly quiet night here in Hell's Kitchen—"

"—the people who took him are Russian," he continued watching and she quietened. "The same ones your team are trying to take down."

Alice pulled out her notepad from her coat pocket and began to jot down the small information he had already given her.

"They beat the father up pretty good," he continued as she scribbled away.

She tapped the page with the nib of her pen. "Why hasn't the father called it in?"

The masked man clenched his fists. "He knows them. He crossed them. They threatened him. If he called the police, they would kill his son. It's complicated."

Alice nodded, jotting it down in her notepad. "Anything else?"

"They want money," he whispered, though his voice was stern. "I think they're holding him somewhere underground. His cries disappeared and I couldn't follow them. I can't find him."

Alice chewed at her bottom lip, closing her notepad. "I don't know what I can do with this information. Without evidence… without that call from his father… I can't do much. If I bring this to my boss then he'll want proof and I'm shooting in the dark here."

"I can get you proof," he responded, his voice strong and determined.

"Then I can do something about it," Alice confirmed with a nod. "You got a name on the boy? I can do a search at the station, see if anything pops up."

"No name."

"The father?" she pushed for more information.

"Graham Townsend," the masked man responded without a breath. Alice furrowed her brow at that and reopened her notepad, scribbling his name down.

"The city planner? Why would he be in this kinda trouble?" she pondered mostly to herself. She heard the masked man shift from his position, and she glanced up at him, seeing that he had slipped out from the shadows. His silhouette was illuminated by the moonlight but the features of his face were obscured.

"Have you heard of Wilson Fisk?"

Boy, did she. The man had been trying his upmost best to try and rejuvenate the entire city, throwing money at its residents in an attempt to move them out of the city to do God knows what. His plans were to demolish and flatten every building within Hell's Kitchen and build skyscrapers for all the businesses he seemed to have under his belt. The man was just shy of forty years old and had a wealth that would help the entire city of Hell's Kitchen for the rest of their lives. Except, he wanted to pay them off and turf them out of their homes. Many had taken his money and ran, but many vowed to remain where they had grown up.

Alice couldn't blame them. Hell's Kitchen had been her home for her whole life, and even though it had seen better days, the thought of leaving was almost unbearable.

Alice found herself tensing.

The masked man tipped his head. "I'm guessing you have from that reaction."

"Yeah, I've heard of him."

"The Russian's are involved with Fisk," he told her. "I'm also guessing that maybe Graham Townsend hasn't agreed to Fisk's plans and he's sent them after him."

Alice nodded and slipped her notepad back into her coat pocket. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Detective," the masked man muttered.

Alice watched as he disappeared in the shadows for real this time. She remained on the rooftop for a little while longer, allowing the cold night to wrap itself around her. She understood that she was playing with fire, and she even questioned her own morals when it came down to her working with the vigilante everyone was so used to hunting down. She climbed down the fire escape and got back into her car just as her radio sounded.

'The masked bastard has run off wearing nothing but his mask! Goddamn it! Not only is he a little shit but he's also a nudist. Alice, have you got eyes on him?'

She pulled the radio towards her and was just about to answer Valerie's question, denying that she had seen the now nude masked man at all, when a loud bang sounded beside her vehicle. She looked up just in time to see the naked masked man leaning across the front of her vehicle on his stomach, restrained by the real masked man who was smirking in her direction. As Alice stared in amazement, the night swallowed him up.

She radioed in, hoping the shock in her voice disappeared. "Yeah. I've got him. I guess the money's mine."

Cheers erupted in the precinct as Alice walked in with the nude man in handcuffs. A grey itchy blanket was wrapped around his body to protect his modesty from the wayward glances and unwanted attention he seemed to be receiving. Alice shook her head as she stepped up to book him in, throwing an amused and mostly bemused glance at her superiors who all watched in amazement.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get back to work!" Alice called out to her peers with a smirk.

Officer Higgins tried to keep his composure as she gave him details that the masked man couldn't give him as she booked him in. His head was resting against the surface of the desk, his drunken stupor having well and truly taken hold of him.

He was quickly taken from her and led into custody where he would be able to sleep it off. A shiver ran through her body as she headed back to her desk. She returned to her desk, collapsing in the chair where she pulled open her drawer and pulled out her hand sanitiser. Alice squeezed a large amount into her palm.

Valerie hollered from her desk. "I can't believe you caught him!"

"I wish someone else did!" Alice chuckled with a grimace. "None of you got to see the full show!"

"I bet you're scarred for life now," Martinez smirked as he sat back from his computer and lifted his feet on his desk.

Alice finished rubbing her hands together, the hand sanitiser drying off instantly. "You could say that again."

Once she had finished her paperwork, the night was still young. The city was quiet which offered the team some time to complete any unfinished paperwork. She glanced around at her colleagues and observed that they were all relatively busy with their own work to focus on her; and so, she pulled out her notepad from her coat pocket that was hanging on the back of her chair. A call still hadn't come through which only made her wonder if she should believe the masked man. Any call that came through regarding a missing or kidnapped child was an immediate response, with all officers available ready and patrolling the city. This was unsettling, especially with the possibility of Fisk being involved.

She looked over the notes she had made: kidnapped boy; Russians involved?; threats; money; Graham Townsend, city planner, son name unknown; Wilson Fisk, how is he involved?; Russian Mafia involved with Fisk, potential underground crime.

With a quick search in the database, she noticed that Graham Townsend had been arrested a few years previously after protesting the takeover of Hell's Kitchen. Alice furrowed her brow as she deepened her search. He had a wife, Marie, and a son called Dylan. She jotted the boy's name down in her notepad, before searching for the two men her mind had wandered to.

Vladimir Ranskahov. Anatoly Ranskahov.

The two men that seemed to be wreaking havoc over a battered and bruised city. Their names had cropped up on many occasions but they always seemed to slip through the cracks. She knew they were bad, but they were very good at clearing up their messes and making themselves look squeaky clean. She hadn't known that the two brothers—named the Smiley Twins by the police—were in cahoots with Wilson Fisk. Whilst Wilson reigned heavily on the city, she was sure they were the one's doing his dirty work. No way would Fisk ever get his hands dirty for nobody, preferring others to hang themselves with the rope he provided.

There was nothing she could really do, even though she knew she should put an alert out for a potential kidnapping. This would cause eyes to fall on her, and without the evidence or the statement from Dylan's father, she would be forced to explain herself. But she knew she had to do something, and if that meant checking up on a few people, asking the right questions to the right people could give her the answers she needed. There was a boy in danger, and she needed to be careful. Going in and demanding to know every little secret of theirs would be dangerous, not only to the boy or Graham Townsend but also to her.

The rest of the night was quiet and as the hours dragged by, she understood her next plan.

It was set, she thought, as she placed her coat on once her shift was over. She would wait for the masked vigilante to make contact with her.

The coffee shop was a hidden gem to the city.

A stone's throw from the police station, it had seen many officers come and go over the years. Valerie had introduced her to it one day after a particularly bad shift where coffee was the only cure for such a frustrating night. They had seated themselves by the large window, tucking themselves in the corner for however long they wanted to be there for, and they watched the world go by as they sipped at their delicious coffee. Since then, it had become her favourite place to spend any free time she had outside of work and home life.

She often believed she lived two separate lives: the detective in her was stern, professional, and good at her job; whereas as soon as she headed home and closed the door behind her and felt the numerous arms wrap themselves around her made her thaw out and melt in the centre like a gooey chocolate pudding. Her mother, Nancy, was a foster parent and had fostered many children for as long as Alice could remember. She had always been surrounded by children of all ages; and it seemed weird now that she was an adult and had numerous eyes looking up to her. The house, for as long as she could remember, was always full of life and love, and it was one of the reasons as to why she never strayed from it.

As she waited in line that morning, Alice realised that she did her job for a reason. It was mostly about keeping people safe, finding them justice, and locking away bad people, but it was for those kids at home. It was for every kid in the city who felt scared, who had been handed a life they didn't deserve and for those who felt powerless or had to grow up too quickly. She did it for them: to ensure they were safe from any danger. To give them a safe future in a safe city. It was all she had wanted growing up.

Feeling the tension in her head, she pulled her hair-tie out of her hair and allowed her auburn waves to tumble down her back.

Aaron looked up at her and smiled, beckoning her over once the customer in front of her had moved away. "Same again?"

"Yes please," Alice smiled. "Can I also have a bag of your famous bagels please?"

"Absolutely!" he beamed at her, and she cast a glance at the menu above him. "Would you like them with cream cheese?"

Alice nodded with a smirk. "You know it."

"How was your shift? I was expecting you to be banging the door down this morning," Aaron chuckled as he put together her order. She was grateful that she had just missed the worker commute, and the coffee shop was silent enough that you could hear a pin drop. But she knew by coming at this time that she would've just missed the other busy wave of people.

"It was… slow, if anything," Alice ran a hand through her hair before she pulled out her purse. She handed him a couple notes and dropped any change he gave her in the charity box beside her.

"Say hey to the kids for me," Aaron smiled, handing over the big bag of bagels and the holder of two coffees.

Alice smiled, thanking him before turning around to head home.

"Oh!" Aaron called out. "Has Sasha told you?"

Alice turned slowly at that and shook her head. "No… what's up?"

"We have a position open, and she handed in her resume yesterday on the way to school, and we had a quick chat," Aaron said, his voice low. "She did pretty well actually. Very bright. I was going to call her today to let her know she got the job. She told me that she wants to help out at home." He noticed the way she faltered, her brows furrowing. "Which I'm guessing you had no idea about this. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's okay. She's always thinking about the others, it's a great quality to have but it's not her place to think about that kind of thing," Alice replied softly. "She shouldn't be worrying about this. Thanks for telling me, Aaron."

Aaron offered her a smile although Alice didn't return it and simply left the coffee shop.

The walk home was a short one and she was grateful that she lived so close, her tired legs protesting as she walked up the steps. She heaved the door open with her elbow and hip, working together to ensure she got in without being covered in coffee and bagels. The sight of her mother came into view quickly and took the coffees from her with a kiss on either cheek.

"Morning, sweet," Nancy smiled, leading her into the kitchen.

"Is Sasha still here?"

Nancy turned around then and furrowed her brow. "She's just getting ready. What's the matter?"

Alice shook her head and placed the bag of bagels on the kitchen island. She looked around her to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "She went for an interview at the coffee shop down the street. She got it which is amazing for someone her age. I just… she's worried about money, again."

Nancy dropped her shoulders sadly.

"Aaron seems excited and is going to call her later to let her know the good news," Alice explained further, taking a seat at the dining table. She rummaged through the bag of filled bagels and placed them out on the plates that lined the perimeter of the oak table.

"She's worried about his offer," Nancy whispered, her voice failing her. "I've already told her that he can't kick us out of this place because he wants to start from scratch. This house is ours, and it always will be."

"Maybe it will do her good," Alice wondered, taking a bite out of her bagel. "Maybe… if we let her spread her wings and think she's helping us out that it will give her the confidence that she's doing something good. I know she'd give us her wages in the hopes of it helping but we could save it for her, and then when she's ready for college, we can give it to her."

Nancy was silent then, her face having paled.

"And I know Aaron, he's a good guy," Alice explained to her. "He'll look after her. A couple of hours a week will probably do her good, if that's what she wants."

"I'll talk with her this evening," Nancy said with a nod. She moved into the hallway and called up the stairs. "Breakfast!"

A horde of thunderous feet sounded on the floor above them, and Alice watched in amusement as they all ambled down to the kitchen, their eyes lighting up as they saw her. With a kiss on the cheek and excited chatter, Alice watched as they ate their bagels and caught her up with stories from the evening before animatedly.

As she looked around at her blended family, she couldn't help but feel the lump in her throat at the thought of Graham Townsend's son out there somewhere. She joined the police force to make a difference and yet she felt powerless, almost incapable of doing her job right. No doubt she would hear from the masked man again soon regarding it, but until then she was going to do what she did best: worry and try to find out as much as she could without drawing unwanted attention to her.

Once their breakfast was demolished and her coffee was finished, she walked the short walk to school with the younger ones. The morning was fresh which only made her feel even more exhausted than she had realised she was. She waved goodbye to the kids before she made the short journey back home.

One of these days, Alice promised herself, she would leave this place. The war would be won by them and the place she called home wouldn't be home anymore. Even though she kept denying it would happen, refusing to believe that it was even possible, she knew it was likely that the place around her would no longer be hers. It was hard to imagine the place changing so much but Wilson Fisk had plans that exceeded their hopes of a future here. He had money, they had nothing but memories to cling onto. And sometimes those with money held more power over those without, and it was wrong.

She pulled out her phone and dialled his number. "Hey, it's, uh, me. I just… the kids miss you. Nancy misses you…" she hesitated for a moment. "I miss you. Just… please don't be a stranger, Matt."

She headed home, her ascension of the steps being harder now as the tiredness had finally settled into her limbs. Her mom ushered her to bed with a cup of warm tea. Sleep didn't wait long to claim her, but her dreams were invaded with images of danger and one man in particular.

Wilson Fisk.

"Alice. Alice. Alice."

Matthew Murdock's eyes opened at the sound of his phone speaking her name. He continued to lay there until the phone fell silent, plunging his world into quietness that caused his ears to strain against it. When she didn't call again, taking his lack of answer as an answer in itself. The guilt was gnawing at him, like it always did when he avoided her calls.

"One new voicemail from Alice Aldridge. Do you want to listen now?"

"No," he answered, his voice groggy and tired. "Save voicemail."

"Voicemail saved."

Matt laid in bed for a while longer, feeling the ache in his muscles as his mind relayed the events of the previous night. He'd heard a vehicle slam its breaks in the distance as it was cut off by another vehicle, then four doors opening, wrenching open two: the driver's side and one of the back doors. He'd heard three men attack an innocent man, the blows to his body having disabled him immediately as the other guy pulled a young child from the seat and dragged him kicking and screaming into a black van.

He headed there immediately, using the rooftops to quicken his pace. The speed of the van had been quicker than he'd expected, and he only had seconds to dodge it as it threatened to plough him down just as he'd reached them. The father was a crumpled mess on the ground, his face battered and bruised, completely incapacitated from the attack. Everywhere around them was quiet, as if the city knew not to approach, and with his hearing straining to hear where the vehicle was going, he knew he had to reassure the father.

"My son… they took him—" he'd mumbled against the pain, defeated. Matt felt his heart shatter at the agony the man was feeling. He had a duty to protect Hell's Kitchen from the bad people who threatened the morality of the city, and he often felt as though he was the only one who could do that. The police, whilst some were good people who wanted the same thing as he did, most were as corrupted as the people above them. Like a domino effect, the enemies were knocking down good, honest citizens. "Please, you've got to help him—"

He'd recognised his voice before the man passed out from his injuries. He'd listened to the numerous interviews he'd given on the news as he spoke about the city, how it used to be and how he wanted to bring that magic back. The city planner had done incredible work for the city, providing its inhabitants with access to a number of buildings that were vacant from it now. A community hub served as the home of the city, helping those who were facing hardship with the onslaught of Wilson Fisk's plans. He'd done so much good but Fisk's men had found him. For whatever reason, he'd crossed them somehow and this was his punishment.

Matt had pulled his limp body towards an alleyway that would protect him until he was ready to wake up. A homeless man had woken due to commotion and was sat hidden by the dumpster. "I need you to do me a favour," he whispered into the darkness. Matt had sensed the confusion in the man's demeanour but he didn't ask him any questions. His plan was for the guy to dress up like himself to take the attention away from him as he moved the unconscious body of the city planner from the streets and took him home. He knew that would send a message to her; that he needed her to meet him in their usual meeting spot.

And it had worked. Hearing her heartbeat grow stronger over the sound of her engine was overwhelming to his senses. As Matt, he hadn't seen her in months. As Daredevil, it had been a matter of days. His distance hadn't been intentional, and he'd heard in her voice how low she was feeling. He hoped he wasn't the reason for that, but he knew deep down and maybe almost in disbelief that he was. He'd strained his hearing to listen out for any reports coming in on a vacant vehicle found in the middle of the road, but there was nothing. He waited to hear of any reports that came from Graham Townsend himself, but there had been nothing. He'd sensed the hesitation in her body, the urge that rippled her muscles, the flinch as she decided whether to pull her gun out on him or not. Talking to him was a huge risk to her. And he wouldn't blame her if she did.

But he mostly felt the pain in her voice, the sadness that radiated from her, the tiredness that weighed heavy on her shoulders. He had contributed to that.

He blinked the sleep away, the urge to close his eyes for a few more minutes guiding his decision but he knew he needed to get ready for work. He headed to the bathroom, his muscles straining against the small movements he made, and once inside the shower, he allowed the warm water from the shower to soothe the tightness. He braced himself against the wall, his mind racing as he thought about his next move. It was nearing five hours since the boy was kidnapped and that sent alarm bells to ring in his head.

He knew Graham would feel backed into a corner and wouldn't dare to call the police. The Russians threats were well and truly heard.

Once he was out of the shower, he dressed slowly. "Listen to voicemail," he said, his voice cutting through the silence.

"Playing voicemail from 6:29am…" the automated voice spoke before he sank to his bed as her voice filled up the room. "Hey, it's, uh, me. I just… the kids miss you. Nancy misses you…" there was a hesitation and he waited as the silence seemed to grow louder. "I miss you. Just… please don't be a stranger, Matt."

Matt rubbed his face in frustration. He knew he was taking his mistake out on her. That night… everything had been a blur. He'd been reckless with protecting himself and he'd nearly let the mask slip. He could feel her eyes on him as he fought against the people kidnapping the women and forcing them into the metal containers. She'd been the first to arrive on scene. She was alone, and he'd heard her heartbeat racing violently as she took in the scene before her. In the midst of the fight, he'd been yanked from behind by an assailant and he felt his mask be pulled upwards as they tried to forcefully remove it. He heard her breath hitch and he turned quickly, pulling it down before continuing his attack on them, overpowering them. He wasn't sure if she had seen his face but she had never brought it up to him. But the fear was still there and he knew it was the one thing controlling his reasoning for distancing himself away from her.

"Compose message to Alice," he said, trying to compose himself. "Hey Alice. Work has been crazy… I miss you all, too. Let me make it up to you all and head over soon. I was thinking maybe we could cook dinner together, hopefully the kids don't think they're too cool for that. Hope you're all doing okay and you're still kicking those bad guys asses like you used to kick mine. Text me back about a date and time."

Matt faltered, debating whether to delete it all and start from scratch. But he knew he had to bite the bullet. "Send message."

"Message sent."

There was no running away from his problems now.