8. The I-know-who-Daredevil-is club

The conversation with Terri was no fun. Her What the hell do you mean I need to go to the Harlem precinct?! was one of the most memorable sentences Vera had ever heard. Terri complaining about Vera calling her at half past eight on Saturday morning was another one. Vera spent about half an hour explaining her everything she knew and another fifteen minutes trying to convince Terri to come here, because Terri was refusing to believe she was in danger. Vera didn't want to do any of this ever again.

When she entered the common room where the police officers had prepared some drinks for them, she found Trish behind a computer, talking with some tall black guy with afro (which was making him even taller). Vera had bumped into him in the hall earlier while talking to Terri – before she had moved to the bathroom that was, because talking about ninjas when surrounded by cops was not a good idea.

The blond snapped her head to her, smiling widely.

"Hey!" Trish greeted Vera excitedly and Vera sensed a vibe of something she already knew she wouldn't like. Trish jumped from her chair, hugging Vera quickly and Vera just managed to blink and obediently hugged her back. Okay, what the hell.

"Hi. How— how are you? Not well, I guess, considering you have to be here…" Vera mumbled.

"Oh, please. We were just talking with Malcolm about how small the world is."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Jessica was… uhm, picking me up from a restaurant – you can imagine with her mannerism – and some guy attacked us."

Vera's eyes went wide. Jesus shit. No wonder Matt wanted to get Vera to the precinct as fast as possible; Jessica hadn't done it immediately and Trish had been attacked.

"Are you okay?" Vera blurted out, scanning her blond friend. She looked okay. And excited for some reason.

"Well, I am. Because Daredevil saved us. And Jessica has been bickering with him like they were old friends! He's pretty impressive, by the way."

Vera froze, watching Trish with mixture of horror and amusement. Of course Trish was smitten by Matt's fighting skills and she would be actually excited about the vigilante's appearance. And of course Jessica freaking Jones was already best buddies with Matt, Vera could imagine; with Jessica's snarky comments and wry sense of humour, they probably fit together perfectly. Plus, if he saved Trish's ass…

But Jesus, so he had gone to their apartment to change his outfit too? Running around in it in the light of day? Vera so, so did not like any of this.

"Wow. Good for you. I'm glad he was there." Mostly.

"Uh-huh. Malcolm? You wouldn't happen to have a chewing gum, would you?"

What?

"Uhm… no. Want one? I need to stretch my legs anyway…" he hurried, an honest smile on his lips.

Trish smiled at him gratefully. "That would be amazing. Thank you!"

"The vending machine is at the end of the hall," Vera offered quietly and Malcolm flashed her a tiny smile as well.

"Can I bring you something?"

Vera blinked in surprise, shaking her head with a quick 'thank you'. The moment he left the room, Trish's gleaming eyes locked up with Vera's.

"Say Matt thank when you see him, would you?"

That sentence knocked the air of Vera's chest. What? WHAT?!

"W-what?" she stuttered, blinking, her mind racing in cosmic speed, trying to come up with a way out of— oh, god, she could breathe again. "Of course. I guess Jessica told you Foggy passed her case to Matt and he sorted it out. Kinda."

Trish turned baffled for a second and Vera almost got another heart attack, because Trish had not actually been talking about the Daredevil save, right? Because Trish did not think Matt was Daredevil. Right? RIGHT?! Because that would-

"Oh. Yeah, sure for that too. But I thought for appearing in the restaurant." Her grin was wolfish and Vera dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from screaming.

WHAT THE HELL?!

"Matt was in that restaurant too?" Vera asked intelligently, her voice sounding like someone was trying to strangle her. And she would know how that felt; this felt pretty similar.

"Vera," Trish hummed, unimpressed, rising her perfect eyebrow. Vera gulped, watching her in panic.

"Trish, I— I have no idea what-"

"Vera."

"I didn't know Matt was in the restaurant too when— when Daredevil appeared, I guess I should thank Daredevil twice then-"

"Vera. I'm not gonna tell anyone."

And her expression was so fucking sincere as if she was saying she was Vera's friend and that Vera could trust her, because she had been keeping Vera's secret before and she was keeping Jessica's secret as well, so Vera needed to stop treating Trish as if the radio host was stupid or a bitch.

"How the hell do you know?" Vera asked, resigned, massaging the bridge of her nose tiredly.

Everyone. Fucking everyone knew lately and the term 'secret identity' was kinda losing its meaning.

"Connected the dots a while ago," Trish admitted, unfazed. Vera just opened her mouth and closed it again. A while ago. Was it really so easy to figure it out? "But just because I know you. And I know Jessica. You know, she actually did mention that she kicked some ninja's ass in a dirty alleyway."

"Did she now?" Vera murmured, resting her forehead in her palms.

Vera couldn't help feeling that for all Matt apologizing he kept putting her in danger, she was the one who was dangerous. To him. People who knew at least a little about her and her… relation to Daredevil, apparently easily figured out his identity. Doprdele. How had this never crossed her mind before?

Trish reached for her forearm, probably trying to comfort her; because her words were not so comforting.

"Yeah. She also mentioned it was another ninja's girlfriend she saved, so… anyway. Just… thanks. Don't freak out just because I know. And now tell me – do you think the tremors are connected to this guy attacking us and the architect and everything?"

Vera left her self-pity and self-hate party and stared at the radio host. Come again?

Trish thought there were no coincidences in this world. Vera, listening once again about Jessica's case of an architect, who had shot himself in Jessica's apartment after the PI had started digging around his disappearance (and who apparently had assassins after him as well), had to agree. The architect's death had been the reason Jessica had been arrested/held at the police station and that had been where Matt waltzed in, right into the middle of the shit and the rest of the story was pretty hazy, but Vera couldn't really complain about that and neither could Trish – it apparently only involved punching.

So, some architect had gotten himself into some trouble with the Hand. What more though, the Hand was possibly behind the earthquake – what the actual fuck? – because, apparently, the epicentre was in a place where no boundaries of tectonic plates could be and it had happened incidentally around the architect's death.

Since when was the Hand able to cause earthquakes?!

"Vera, hey," Karen greeted her from the door with an unsure smile.

Vera snapped her head from Trish's laptop, raising her hand in a lame wave. Her head was spinning a little. Matt was about to fight people who had caused an earthquake. Jesus Christ.

"Hey, Karen."

Trish turned to her as well and Vera introduced them.

"Karen, Trish Walker. Trish-"

"Karen Page," Trish finished, standing up and shaking hands with the shocked reporter. Huh. Trish Walker knew who Karen Page was. Obviously.

"Uhm. Nice to meet you. How-"

"Union Allied corruption. Daredevil articles. You have quite a name," Trish explained quickly and Vera resisted the urge to bang her head against the table. Of course Trish knew all of that. Matt's former colleague, saved by Daredevil, a reporter – there was no wonder why Trish knew about Karen.

"Thanks."

"Ever talked to Daredevil up-close?" Trish pried with a smile and Karen's expression turned even more shocked. She quickly recovered, while Vera just folded her arms on the table, letting her head fall on them, resisting the urge to whine.

"Uhm, not really-"

"Yes," Vera murmured. "The answer is yes, Trish, she knows."

"Cool."

"I'm not sure-"

Vera raised her head, looking at Karen tiredly. "Yes, Karen, she knows who he is too."

Karen gaped at her. "What do you MEAN SHE-" the blond looked around, lowering her voice. "What do you mean she knows too?"

"It's… complicated."

"Compli-" Karen gasped, measuring Vera incredulously. "Did you tell her?!"

Vera was tired, but not too tired for not getting offended at the note. "I would never do that."

The worst thing was that Karen was basically right. Vera was the biggest clue. Vera was the reason Trish knew. She was also the reason Terri knew, hence Victor knew and Nina knew and Jessica probably figured it out thanks to Vera as well. Something stung in her eyes and a lump grew in her throat.

"I figured it out."

"You might want to keep that down, ladies…" Claire noted from the other side of the table and Vera had honestly forgotten she was there, just like Colleen. Thinking about it, it was Vera's fault Danny and Colleen knew, because Vera was the reason Matt had left to fight alongside Danny.

Wonderful.

Maybe Daredevil should take her down; she was the biggest threat of all.

"I second that," a male voice joined and Vera jumped ten feet above her chair, something in her neck literally snapping as she turned to the voice. He walked to Karen, kissing her cheek as if it could help with his girlfriend's mood.

"Foggy. Hey— I didn't know you were here already," Vera mumbled, blinking away the tears that stubbornly kept attacking her eyes.

"You seemed quite invested in whatever you were doing," he noted with a smile, his face much more amiable than Karen's. "You're okay?"

"I'm not sure that word is in my vocabulary anymore. I would say 'I'm fine', but I almost punched Matt when he said that the last time. But thanks for asking."

Foggy gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry for— it's just- I really hate being here, I had this lead and-" Karen apologized and eyed Vera, her expression almost sincere all of sudden. She smiled at Foggy and pecked his lips before she took a seat at the table too. "I don't like the fact someone else knows."

Protective then. Karen was just being protective, Vera knew that, but…. She sighed.

"I would totally deserve to be shouted at or get punched if I did what you thought I did," Vera offered in a conciliatory matter. "And just for you to know, more and more people knowing? I don't like it either, so welcome to the club."

"You mean the 'I know who you-know-who-I-mean is' club?"

Vera repeated the sentence in her head several times before decoding it. Too much 'know' and 'who' in one sentence. "Yeah. That too."

"But just out of curiosity… how does she know?" Foggy asked and Trish cleared her throat.

"Still here. I'm Trish by the way. You must be Matt's friend."

"Yep. Sorry. I'm Foggy. Nice to meet you."

"Uhm. The story?" Karen reminded them gently.

"There were couple of things…"

"Like her friend saving my life…" Vera admitted, at which Foggy's and Karen's eyebrows shot up.

"Really?" Foggy wondered.

"Please. Like that's an exclusive club at this point," sounded from behind Vera. The person was half annoyed, half amused. "Who hasn't saved her life these days?"

Vera let out a wet chuckle, a desperate sound between a laugh and a sob.

"Hey, Terri."

Trish was nice. Foggy was a nice person as well, Karen, who got past the fact she had to be here and couldn't chase a story, wasn't a bad company, as well as Claire and Colleen. The afro guy – Malcolm – was giving an extremely friendly and pleasant vibe; the moment he came back from the chewing gum hunting, the session of I-know-who-Daredevil-is club subtly ended, people talking in pairs or smaller groups.

The point was, everyone seemed nice, including Victor, who was after a shift in the club and was just pouring himself like a fourth cup of coffee. But having Terri here was… it worked like a charm. She had this aura around herself, magically calming Vera down. At least as much as possible. Even when she was annoyed that she had to be there as well.

"You know, he had fought them for like three months and survived without a scratch," Terri hummed.

"He has more than one scratch from that fighting, Ter," Vera sighed, appreciating her attempts anyway. Terri gave her a pointed look.

"You know what I mean. And now, he has three super-friends and he is literally on his home turf. He's gonna be fine."

Vera wanted to believe it, so badly. But… earthquake. And…

"So why was he so scared, Terri? Because he was. When he came to the apartment, he was just so… Jesus."

Terri watched her expectantly as if she was waiting for Vera to figure something out.

"Really, Mechy? You can't think of a reason? Nothing? You need me spell it out for you?"

"What?" Vera asked, not following.

"Okay. When was Matt – or Dick – ever afraid? Scared? Or lost his mind, whatever. That you know of. Go," Terri asked her patiently as if she was speaking to a child. Vera's mind raced.

"When they took him. Before the Avengers came, obviously. He seemed pretty out of his mind then."

"You forgot the moment Collins took you, but you haven't been there to see it, so that's okay. Next."

"When Stick came to town. For the first time I was here anyway, they have apparently met here befo-"

"Next."

"Uhm… now?"

"You forgetting another one; you told me he freaked out when he found out how exactly the Worshippers went down."

"Well, he kinda did."

Terri was still watching her expectantly. And Vera wondered. Stick or the Hand arriving – that was definitely what he was afraid of. When the creepy guy with his minions had taken him, that was understandable too. Not to mention crucifying people, that was still giving her nightmares sometimes. Vera failed to see Terri's point.

She eyes her, clueless. Terri sighed theatrically.

"It you, you thundering dumbass. Every single one of those times – he was scared for you. When he loses his shit, it's because of you."

Oh. Oh.

"I can tell that the only thing he's truly afraid of is being the last one standing, being alone. Now, when he thinks you and his friends are safe, he's gonna be okay. He can face the Hand. Alright?" Terri reassured her, Victor appearing by her side. She smiled at him.

"How the hell do you see that when I don't?" Vera wondered.

She knew Matt was protective of people he cared about – that was why he had left with Stick in the first place. How did she not notice the pattern? How did she not realize this was the same? Matt worrying for her and his friends who were as close to him as family? How did she not see that Matt had that much of an abandonment issues?

"Are you kidding me? Matt is enigmatic as shit sometimes, but when it comes to you, I can read him just like anybody else. Better even. He's an open book, terrible poker face, really."

The corners of Vera's mouth quirked. God, she loved Terri. And fuck she had tears in her eyes again and this time, she let them escape, wiping them only when they rolled down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Terri. You're amazing, you know that?"

"Whatever, Mechy," Terri hummed, waving it off. Her poker face was terrible too; she was touched as well.

"Alright, listen up, everybody," Detective Knight called out, entering the room. "I know you don't wanna be here, but it seems that you are all of interest to some pretty powerful and dangerous people. Now, to protect you, I need your cooperation. Sit tight for now. We'll have more answers soon… hopefully."

Vera sighed. Yeah, hopefully. She would also appreciate some good news. But when she checked her phone, there was no message.

"Colleen Wing?" Knight approached the woman, who immediately stood up.

"Yeah. Yeah."

"I'm told my uniforms confiscated something unusual from you," she dropped her voice, sounding curious and bewildered. The katana, Vera remembered. Uh-huh.

Colleen was abashed. "It's a katana. It was passed down..."

"It's weird."

"Okay. Uh... Look, I don't need to be here. I can defend myself."

The detective seemed doubtful. "You came in here pretty bloody. Are you sure about that?"

Colleen sighed, lowering her gaze, inconspicuously looking in Claire's direction before a tiny smile appeared on her lips. Vera was sure she was thinking about their previous conversation. About Colleen not being weak, but being the foundation.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am."

"What can you tell me about these people that you're fighting?"

Well, Detective Knight quickly caught up, including Colleen to the exclusive club of the Hand's dangerous enemies.

"Nothing. The more I tell you, the more danger I put you in."

"I'm getting pretty sick of people telling me that," the detective complained, slightly irritated. Yeah, Vera could relate.

"It's true. Why else would we be here?" Claire supported Colleen and Vera just nodded for herself.

No matter how much Vera understood Knight's frustration – well, part of it anyway – she agreed with Claire. This was some serious shit. And every single person who was even distantly involved was now under protection because of it.

"I'm here 'cause I'm a cop," Knight deadpanned, unimpressed.

Colleen scoffed. "Trust me, they don't give a shit."

Knight sighed, looking around the room. Vera lowered her gaze when the detective met her eyes. She had no idea if she would be as confident as Colleen or Claire it the detective asked her. The only cop she had to deal with apart from Collins was Brett and he was much friendlier than Knight; and also willing to accept the shit she was feeding him with for some reason (and Vera was confident it wasn't because he was stupid).

The detective beckoned to the door and another cop – Vera remembered him, Parker, the one who had brought Vera to the detective – handed Colleen the katana.

"Just in case," Detective Knight noted.

Okay, maybe she wasn't that bad. It wasn't like she turned Luke down when he had come, asking for her help. It didn't changed the fact she was scaring Vera – perhaps it was something in her eyes, the intense gaze she was watching the world around her with; scanning it to a tiny detail, seeing right through everything.

That was what scared her, Vera realized. Vera was afraid that if it came to Detective Knight talking to her, Vera would handle two minutes of lying and half-truths before losing. Vera hated the idea of being the clue to Daredevil identity, from now to forever. However, it was one thing that so many people knew about Matt; a detective knowing the truth… well, shit.

"Thanks," Colleen breathed, smiling disbelievingly. Claire patted her shoulder. A tiny smile flashed Knight's face as she was leaving.

Getting her katana back, Colleen looked much calmer. Vera wished she felt the same.

Though it was sure nice to have someone who could handle a katana on their side for once.