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Chapter 17- Narrow escapes

"Matt, Matt, you gotta get up", Karen said as she tried to wake him up.

"Matt", Oliver said as he walked up behind her with Slade and Roy.

"Karen? Oliver? Slade? Roy?" Matt suddenly asked as his eyes opened.

"Can you sit up?" Slade asked.

"Okay", Roy said, "We need to go."

"Where are they?" Matt asked

"They got away", Karen said regretfully, "I'm sorry, they got away."

"Father, he killed him", Matt said with a sad sigh, "Karen, he killed him."

"I'm sorry, Matt", Oliver said regretfully.

"I'm sorry, but you gotta run", Matt told Karen, "Cops are outside, you need to go."

"No", Karen said, "I'll stay here and tell the police everything."

"Karen, the man in my suit, his name is Ben Poindexter", Matt said, "He's an FBI Agent. He works for Fisk and Chase. So does Agent Nadeem."

"If they find you, they'll kill you", Slade said.

Later- Matt, Oliver, Slade, Roy and Karen ran deeper into the church to hide. Matt did a praying gesture and sealed a door before walking downstairs.

"I'm sorry", Karen said regretfully, "I'm so sorry."

"Why didn't you run?" Roy asked her.

"Run? How could I run?" Karen asked incredulously.

"God. Karen, if you get caught, all of this was for nothing", Matt said in an annoyed tone.

"Crypt gate is locked! FBI team is on the scene. Fall back."

All of them clearly heard the FBI Agents.

"It won't hold them forever", Oliver said as Matt walked to the basin, "They'll be back."

"Matt, you're right", Karen said, "You're right, it's my fault. I deserved the baton, not Father Lantom. I should never have come here. But Fisk fooled me into thinking I betrayed you."

"That's what this is about?" Matt asked as he put the towel under the tap and then rubbed it on his face, "Oh, God. Karen, I had them. I just gave up my one shot to come here to save you."

"What do you mean, you had them?" Karen asked.

"I was in his penthouse", Matt said, "Waiting for them. That was it. It was the moment."

"What were you going to do, Matthew?" Slade asked.

"Shh!" Matt shushed them, "He's back. Poindexter is upstairs, and he's with Nadeem."

There was a burial vault which said Edward Cleary Cass while another one said Michael Myers. As the Feds started sawing the sealed door, Matt and Karen went into the Edward Cleary Cass vault while Oliver and Roy got into the Michael Myers vault. There was a closet at the corner. Slade quickly went into it.

The Feds arrived and scanned the area but didn't find them. The Edward Cleary Cass vault had Matt's blood on it. Poindexter almost spotted it but Maggie stepped in the way and prevented him from seeing it.

They all went away as the five got out from their hiding places.

"They're gone", Matt said as he sat down, "I guess we'll just wait here until they leave. By the way, what did you mean Fisk tricked you? Why are Fisk and Chase hunting you?"

"Had a plan", Karen admitted, "Went to go see him."

"You went to see Fisk?"

Matt couldn't even hide the concern and incredulousness in his voice.

"Yeah, I thought maybe I could provoke him, turn his emotions against him", Karen admitted.

"To what end?" Matt asked.

"Make him attack me in front of the FBI", Karen admitted with a sigh.

"Jesus, Karen", Matt and Oliver said simultaneously.

"Yeah", Karen said as she thought about her stupidity, "Don't worry, it didn't work. He caught me off guard, asked me how long I'd known your secret. I swear I tried, but he just-he read it in my face. Then I realized he was just tricking me."

"You tried to outsmart Fisk? Provoke him into making a mistake?" Slade asked incredulously, "Him and Chase are very like-minded people. Mistakes are made very rarely on their side."

"Fine, okay, right", Karen said, "You're right. I was an idiot. Sorry."

"No, you were brave", Matt assured her.

"Anyway, he didn't take the bait", Karen said.

"What was the bait?" Roy asked.

"I told him a secret of my own", Karen said.

"What secret?" Oliver asked.

"You remember that friend he had that got shot? Uh Wesley?"

Matt nodded.

"I killed him."

All four of them looked at her in shock. She had killed James Wesley?

"That's why he sent that big man and Poindexter after me", Karen said regretfully as she tried to hold back tears, "I was stupid and - and reckless, and now Father Lantom and other people are dead because of it. Because of- because of me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Matt asked in concern.

"I don't know", Karen said, "You-You always, uh, treated me like I was innocent. That was nice. It was nice that you thought of me like that."

"Karen, holding such things inside destroy you slowly", Oliver counselled her.

"What were you gonna do to Fisk and Chase?" Karen then asked him.

"Kill them", Matt said as everyone looked at him in shock, as they had never thought him capable of crossing this line, "Your turn to judge me."

"No", Karen said, "No, I'm not."

"If you think they need to be put down because they will never stop, go for it", Oliver said, "But if you're doing this to satisfy any dark desires inside you, don't."

"I will do the deed", Slade said, "You don't need any more darkness inside you than you already have."

"Uh, it makes me sad for you", Karen said to him.

"It has to be done, Karen", Matt said.

"Okay, you're gonna have to listen to me here", Karen said in a concerned tone as she walked over to him, "Okay, listen to me. Okay, I never told you why I left Vermont, right? Why I left home."

She then took a deep breath and said, "Okay, see, there was a car crash. And um, I killed my brother, uh, because I was I was high - and I was drunk and I was angry-"

"Jesus, Karen."

"-and I shouldn't have been driving, and it changed everything. No matter what I do there is no atoning for that. Okay? There is no way to come back from it."

"I understand where you're coming from, Karen", Roy said sympathetically, "I was once given a drug that increased my strength but drove me crazy. And I killed a cop. The only way I can try to atone for that is be who I am."

"What if it is the way back? For me?" Matt asked, "I can't let Fisk go."

"Killing anyone, even Fisk", Oliver said, "It will change everything that you feel about yourself. It will rip away a piece of your soul. And you won't be satisfied. You will want more of it. And eventually, a day will come when you will be a completely different person."

"For the past two years, ever since his unjust conviction on racketeering charges, our client has maintained his innocence and fought to clear his good name", Donovan said to the booing crowd which also contained reporters and photographers, "One hour ago, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of Wilson Fisk. Having seen the proof that they were wrong, the Department of Justice will not be going forward with charges. As of tonight, we are proud to announce that justice has prevailed and Wilson Fisk is once again a free man."

The booing still continued. Fisk, who now wore a black coat over his white suit, walked towards the mikes and addressed the booing crowd, "I know that most of you find this difficult to accept. That's only because you've been manipulated poisoned into believing the news media's fake story that I am evil, that I am a criminal."

The booing now stopped and everyone tried to hear what Fisk was trying to say.

"Quite the opposite is true", Fisk continued saying to the crowd who had now lent him their ears, "Because I challenge the system because I've told the truth and tried to make this city a better place, the people in power decided to tear me down to tear me down with false allegations. They sent someone to frame me. Daredevil. The killer who's now showing his true colors, who has tried to murder people in newspaper offices and churches attacking our sacred institutions with his accomplices, this Throwing Star Killer and several other people. Believe me. Daredevil is our true public enemy."

Nuke had broken into a room of a third class hotel and was washing its damaged eye in the washroom. It then took a pointed object and slowly with a lot of care, removed that eye before throwing it into the basin. It then wiped the blood that was leaking out of the living tissue.

It looked at the mirror. With the human eye gone, the red optic underneath could be seen. Fortunately, Nuke had stolen sunglasses from a store. It put on the shades and looked at itself in the mirror. With the shades covering the optic, it looked like a normal man again.

"Hey, what's there inside?" the janitor asked as he banged on the door, "You got some dead cat in there or what?"

Nuke had some responses for people that bothered it. It chose the one that it was sure was the most insulting.

In a heavy, cold and neutral voice, it said, "Fuck you asshole."

The cleaner went off, fuming. Nuke then lifted the bedsheets and picked up the stolen guns it had put under it. It then went out through the window, intending to return to follow whatever Fisk asked it to do next.

"It's not safe for you to come out yet", Maggie said to Matt, Oliver, Slade, Roy and Karen as they hid inside the room.

"Yeah, we know", Matt said as he got up and sat on the bed, "I can hear 'em."

"I can come back with food, but in the meantime, you should get cleaned up", Maggie said to them as she started taking out some clothes from a bag, "We have fresh clothes. Donations for the poor."

"Thank you, Sister", Oliver said sincerely with Slade, Roy and Karen nodding.

"Uh, Sister for what it's worth, I'm so sorry", Karen said regretfully as she helped Maggie take out the clothes, "I shouldn't have come here."

"This is not your fault", Maggie assured.

"Father Lantom didn't deserve this", Karen said.

"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life", Slade said regretfully in a counselling manner.

"Few of us get what we deserve", Maggie agreed before holding out some clothes to Matt.

"These should fit you", she said but Matt just walked past her.

"I'll come back as soon as I can", Maggie said as she started walking away, "You'll be safe here."

"No, we won't", Matt said as he turned around, "They brought in search dogs."

Maggie went out and managed to make the Feds to go over to the orphanage to check.

"They're taking the dogs next door", Matt said to everyone, "Buys us some time."

He then took off his shirt to change into the one Maggie had given him, revealing his scars.

"Jesus, Matt", Karen said in horror.

"I get the feeling", Oliver said to Matt as he had many scars on himself too.

"Couldn't put it on in front of her?" Karen asked, "You know, something just kinda hit me. Watching you wall yourself off from her."

"You all know?" Matt asked.

"Uh, yeah", Oliver said, "She told us."

"Said she felt ashamed about what she did", Roy said.

"And that everyone you ever cared about left you", Karen said.

"Can we not do this now?" Matt requested.

"Is that why you - insist on doing everything alone?" Karen asked.

"I don't insist-"

"Pushing me, Slade, Roy, Elektra, Foggy and Karen away", Oliver added.

"- I'm not", Matt said, "I told you, I'm tryin' to protect you"

"I think you're trying to protect yourself", Karen said.

"You all wanna talk about this right now?" Matt asked incredulously, "There are people tryin' to kill us, and you wanna-"

"Just shut up for a second, Matthew", Slade said as he wanted Matt to listen to whjat they were trying to say.

"Look, I was never gonna leave you up there, and I'm not leaving you now", Karen said, "Neither will Foggy, Oliver, Slade, Roy or Elektra. Me and Foggy did treat you badly and we are sorry for that. But you've been an asshole to him too. And despite that, he'd still follow you over a cliff."

With a sigh, Matt finally said, "Yeah. Okay."

"So, what, you agree?" Karen asked.

"That could actually work", Matt said.

"I don't get it", Karen said in confusion, "What could work?"

Later, Matt crouched next to the cross on the top of Clinton Church with Oliver, Slade and Roy standing next to him. Foggy Nelson arrived.

"Agent Nadeem, I'm here for my client", Foggy said to Nadeem.

"- Your – Client", Nadeem said in confusion.

That moment, Maggie stepped out with Karen who quickly put her hands behind her back.

"Don't shoot! She's unarmed", Maggie said frantically.

"This is why I'm here", Foggy said, "To surrender my client."

"Good", Nadeem said.

"To the NYPD."

All the Feds stood there in complete shock.

"Karen Page, you are under arrest", Brett Mahoney said as he walked up to them with other cops, "Cuff her."

"What the hell are you doing?" Dex asked as he walked up to them, "She's ours, Detective."

"Like hell", Mahoney scoffed.

"She's a federal suspect", Dex argued.

"She's a suspected accomplice to murder", Mahoney pointed out, "That's state law."

"And she's here to surrender to the NYPD", Foggy added.

"Shut up", Nadeem said to him.

Foggy tried to say, "I'm saying, as the only attorney here, - I could help clear –"

"Put a sock in it, Nelson", Mahoney told him, "These feds know the law. She's our suspect. They can file a writ and maybe talk to her later."

"I will not let you take her", Dex said as he walked up to Mahoney.

"You and what army?" Mahoney scoffed.

"Hey, we're on the same team here" Nadeem tried to diffuse the situation before turning to Mahoney, "Detective, a word?"

"What part of "our crime scene" do you not understand?" Dex asked Mahoney.

"Ben, we're all cut up about what happened here", Nadeem said to him before turning to Mahoney, "A word. Please."

Nadeem and Mahoney walked to a corner.

"You need to stand your people down", Mahoney said to Nadeem.

"Listen to me very carefully", Nadeem whispered, "If we take Karen Page into custody, she'll be dead before she reaches HQ."

Mahoney was about to turn to the Feds when Nadeem said, "No, don't react. Just get her the hell away from us. We clear?"

"Crystal."

They walked back to the others.

"Detective Mahoney will take custody of the suspect", Nadeem said.

"Bullshit!" Dex protested as Mahoney and the N.Y.P.D. lead a smirking Karen away with Foggy following.

"We'll have her back in an hour", Nadeem said, "Hattley will pull strings."

"No", Dex said as he tried to go after them.

"You can't kill her here anyway", Nadeem said as he pushed him back.

"You messed up, Ray", Dex said as he gave him a threatening glare, "You really, really messed up."

Dex then walked away, leaving a very tense Nadeem behind.

On the top, Matt heard the whole thing and said to the others, "I think Nadeem is in trouble."

Later- Matt, Oliver, Slade and Roy were met by Foggy and Karen on a rooftop. Mahoney had let Karen go as he had now himself seen how the FBI was in Fisk's hands.

Frank and Elektra arrived there too.

"You two all right?" Matt asked them.

"Yeah we are", Elektra said.

"Though that machine was a huge pain in the ass", Frank grumbled, "It escaped."

He then turned to Karen and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah", Karen said to him, "I am. Thank you for looking out for me."

"No problem", Frank said.

"Good to see you, Frank", Slade said.

"Good to see you too, Slade", Frank said.

"So it looks like you needed my help after all", Foggy said.

"Yeah", Matt said, "Yeah, I did, Foggy. You're right."

"Do you have any idea how much life has sucked for Karen and me while you were off doin' your own thing?" Foggy asked.

"No, but I'm sorry, Foggy", Matt said before turning to the Earth-1 trio and Elektra, "You all too. Maybe I was wrong to-to push you away."

"Okay, it's insanely hard to fight with you if you keep agreeing with me", Foggy said, making everyone chuckle.

"I think he doesn't want to fight now", Oliver said.

"Look, the way I've treated you, the way I've treated you all", Matt said regretfully, "You've deserved better."

"Yes, we did", Foggy said.

"Yes, you did", Matt agreed.

"But we should've treated you better too when we found out your secret", Foggy said regretfully.

"Okay, so where do we go from here?" Karen asked.

"I don't want to leave you, but I can't ask you to be accomplices to what I have to do now", Matt told Foggy and Karen.

"What does that mean?" Foggy asked.

"Um It means that, uh, Matt's gonna kill Fisk", Karen explained.

"Adrian Chase beating the hell out of you really did mess up your head", Foggy said.

"I actually agree with him", Frank said.

"Frank's agreeing with you", Foggy pointed out.

"I think it is a better option", Elektra said.

"We put him in prison, Foggy", Matt reminded him, "Look what happened."

"It's not gonna be the same this time", Foggy argued, "They're gonna throw him in some supermax hole-"

"Come on."

"- where he can't compromise anybody."

"I know you're not that naïve", Matt said.

"It's called having faith in the system", Foggy said, "Something you used to have."

"The reality is, Foggy", Oliver said, "The system can be used by rich, powerful people, twisted into something they want. People like Fisk end up corrupting the law so much that they're above it."

"That's the bullshit that people like Fisk want you to believe", Foggy argued, "Nobody's above the law. The only thing powerful enough to take down scumbags like him is the law."

"Your idealistic beliefs are bullshit, Foggy", Slade said, "Like Oliver said, Fisk has twisted the law into something that protects him."

"Federal law, maybe, but we can build a state case that even Blake Tower can't deny, force him to take it to the grand jury", Foggy argued.

"Fisk and Chase have been ten steps ahead of us at every turn", Matt pointed out, "You really think they're gonna allow that to happen?"

"They would try to stop this even if they're dead", Roy commented.

"Hey, you're right", Karen said, "You're all right. Maybe just hear him out."

"Fine", Matt said, "I'm telling you, it's not gonna work. You want to give the law another try, sure, I'm all ears."

"Simple", Foggy said as he explained his plan, "Step one, we work together. Step two, we come up with a plan. And step three, we execute that plan."

"Very nice plan", Oliver commented, "Wonder who told you these tips."

"That's genius", Matt agreed, "Come up with that by yourself?"

"So I'm still working out the details", Foggy said.

"What about this? What about we find ourselves another witness?" Karen said, "Someone who will flip on Fisk and luckily, even Chase. But unlike Jasper Evans, we keep 'em alive this time."

"Someone who knows the details of Fisk's criminal operation who has nothing to lose", Foggy said, "Okay?"

"No", Matt said, "No, we find someone who has everything to lose."

"Are you thinking about the person I'm thinking about?" Oliver asked.

As Matt nodded, Oliver said, "Yeah, he does need our help."

Nadeem had arrived home and frantically made Seema and Sami pack up their stuff. They were now cautiously walking downstairs, Nadeem in the front. He had his gun drawn.

He saw the FBI vehicles outside the window.

"Stop", he said to them, "This way."

An agent was there. Nadeem shot him and he was down. Seema gasped.

"Take Sami in the bathroom and lie down in the tub, now", Nadeem said to Seema and Sami who immediately complied.

He engaged in a gunfight with another agent before both of them took cover. He fired again before taking cover behind another pillar as the agent continued firing.

Nadeem ran upstairs while dodging the gunshots. There, he reloaded his gun. He looked down. The agent was walking upstairs too.

Suddenly, he was grabbed and pulled down. It was Matt in his black suit. He punched the agent repeatedly on the face before wrapping his feet around his neck and hitting him with his stick, knocking him out.

Another arrived when Oliver fired at him, disarming him of his weapon. Before he could react, Oliver punched him before smacking his feet with the bow, making him drop on his knees. Oliver then smacked his face with his bow, knocking him out.

Another arrived but Slade grabbed his head from behind and slammed it against the wall, knocking him out.

As two more arrived, Roy jumped down and punched him on the face with his metal arm, knocking him out. Elektra suddenly grabbed the other one and flipped him on the ground before kicking him on the face, knocking him out.

Another arrived when a gunshot hit him on the shoulder, putting him down. It was Frank.

Nadeem cautiously walked down, gun raised.

"Obviously, we're here to help you", Slade said to him.

"I sold you out to Fisk and Chase", Nadeem said guiltily.

"I know you didn't want to", Matt said.

"But I did", Nadeem said, "So maybe you're here because you wanna be the one that kills me before Fisk and Chase get around to it."

"We're not so petty, Agent Nadeem", Oliver said.

"If we're gonna get your family someplace safe, you're gonna have to trust us", Matt said.

"I can't trust anybody", Nadeem said.

"Well, we trust you", Roy said.

"Yeah, we do", Frank said too.

"You saved Karen Page's life tonight", Matt said as he took off his mask, with the others doing the same, "So we owe you one."

Nadeem looked at them all in shock and disbelief. Matt Murdock?! Frank Castle?! And the three men who had accompanied Karen Page to the penthouse when she had visited him. The woman he did not know. But they were here to help him! And something inside him told him that they were going to save him and his family.

Oh boy! Fisk is so manipulative that everyone lent him their ears, like everyone did to Mark Antony in 'Julius Caesar.'

Nuke has no concept of politeness.

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