brickbybrick | and don't you wonder why

Entry tags:

ic: private threading

and don't you wonder why

[Things get back to normal. Sort of. For the most part, anyway, between all the controversy and publicity that's surrounding them since Matt's book launch and the part where she and Foggy got caught up in the Kingpin's little revenge plan. Which, by the way, still smarts, as much as Kirsten plays it off. She's getting worryingly good at that whole "play it off" thing, she blames hanging around Matt.

Anyway: things get back to normal.

Then Matt doesn't show up to a date one day. Which isn't exactly that uncommon, this is Daredevil we're talking about, and Kirsten's well aware that sometimes saving people means having to be late to your date. But this isn't being late, that's something she realizes long after the pasta's gone cold and the sky's gone dark.

That's when she hears that phone call.

"Remember me, Ms. McDuffie?" the guy had said--and he'd sounded familiar, so familiar that Kirsten had been startled by it, because the last time she heard that voice it was while the source was being led away in handcuffs. Stefan Levkin, also known as--what was his nickname again?--Jingles, yeah, with the jingling keys, the would-be boss of his own gang who she put in jail years ago. When did he get out? "I have your boyfriend."

There's an irony to be found in that, she thinks. A month ago she was the one with a gun held to her head while the Kingpin talked about how he wanted Matt to die, and now she's the one who's got to rescue him. With some help, anyway, because Matt's got a lot of friends who also happen to be superheroes, and they're the ones dealing with Levkin and his goons while Kirsten, feeling incredibly foolish and a little bit terrified of what she might find, looks for Matt.

She scuffs her shoes on the ground, taps fingernails against walls and doorways.]

Matt? [It's little more than a whisper, but she doesn't doubt Matt would hear her. He has to.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The problem with going public, besides the parts where everyone knows everything about him, is that everyone also knows all his weaknesses. Including his sensitivity to strong smells and sounds. It actually makes him, well, not easy to grab, but it's a pretty obvious weakness. Enough high-pitched ringing and Matt winds up with a headache. Amplify that by twenty, and it's enough to make him black out.

And wake up to a killer headache, tied to what could be either metal bars or a grill of some kind. It's impossible to tell with the sound pumping into his ears and his arms held behind his back. It felt like-- earbuds? (Just a constant screech, Matt vaguely wonders if his ear drums will be okay after this.) It smelled like dirt. But without his ears, Matt can't really "see." Or maybe the room was really that soundproof, Matt can't even tell.

He struggles against his bonds, feeling around since that's all he can do. Hopefully the noise will alert Kirsten, or anyone else, to his location. He has to move, has to get out of here. If they'd taken him, then Kirsten or Foggy could be in trouble-- ]

[There's a fight going on in the main entrance, Kirsten doesn't need enhanced senses to hear all that screaming even from here. But that's not her concern right now, there's a reason why it's all so loud and flashy and absolutely packed with Matt's friends, and that's distraction. She can hear something else, too, someone rattling their bonds, and that's definitely Matt.

She feels around, cursing Levkin's propensity for darkness--aha, a door, and she shoves it open with all the strength she can muster.

There he is--tied to something made of metal, it's hard to tell even as her eyes adjust to the darkness, and Kirsten breathes a sigh of relief.

He's safe. He's alive, and she is going to rib him about getting himself kidnapped later, but for now--can he hear her? She doesn't think so, there's something in his ears, so she walks closer, careful where she steps, her shoes scuffing against the floor, until she can kneel down next to him and ease the earbuds out.]

Matt? Can you hear me? [Fingers skim over his face, as though checking if there's any blood, any injury.] All this talk about your enemies trying to get to you by kidnapping me, and you're the one who gets knocked out by my arch-foe.

[ He feels her approach, thankfully. Well he feels an approach, the ground shifts. He can smell her vaguely, but even that's muffled. It's hard to focus with the noise in his ears until-- they're gone. There's ringing in their wake, but Matt's radar sense lights up like... whatever things light up like. But he sees her now. It's Karen. Even with the details blurred and her words barely registering, he is so happy to see her. ]

Karen! [ He's definitely talking way too loud. It's the ear damage. He'll probably be fine. ] Are you okay?

[ Matt, please. ]

[wow.]

[Be glad she is so invested in your face, Murdock, Jesus Christ.]

Wrong name, Mike. [Mistaken for a dead ex by the boyfriend she's trying to rescue. Whoopee. And that is definitely too loud, they're lucky all the goons are currently distracted trying to deal with She-Hulk and Spider-Man and whoever else they brought along.

Okay, where's--ha, there's the paperclips she's been keeping. She's just going to try and pick the lock and hope to god that watching a bunch of TV shows is enough to get Matt out of these things.]

And I'm fine, I'm a little more worried about you. Did Levkin's goons punch you really hard in the head?

[ There's definitely a little head damage in there. And look, it's... a compliment? Ish? He's not doing so good with his balance out of whack and his senses overdoing it. ]

I... [ Wait, shit. Come on, Matt. You can do this. He knows it's wrong, Karen is dead (it's been long enough, it almost (almost!!) doesn't hurt. So then-- who else smells like home and feels like the sun on his skin, without even touching him? ] Kirsten.

[ Yeah, no shit, Matt! He's gonna have to apologize for that one later. It's coming back to him, but he's still practically yelling, and his head feels like it'll split over any second. Good thing he's used to pain. ]

I think so. I can't actually tell. I've got-- that thing they had on me. [ The sound. High pitched and creening. His ears haven't stopped ringing yet. ] I couldn't concentrate at all.

Matt. [She says his name with a relieved breath. She's still kind of unhappy, but she can blame this on Levkin and his grudge. She keeps working at the handcuffs with the paperclip, grumbling about how TV has lied to her, goddammit. There's a reason, she figures, why stuff like this is usually left to the professionals.

All of which are currently otherwise engaged.]

Yeah, that's sort of what happens when you broadcast your secret identity and all your weaknesses along with them. Even your girlfriend's archenemies want a go at you. [She'll be excited about having her very own rogues gallery later. Much later. When Levkin's rotting in jail again and things are okay again.] How does it feel being the damsel in distress for once?

I was-- wait, they were after you?

[ He... did not see that coming. He can kind of maneuver his hands to help her, but that's about all. His head is still killing him. He's never felt so... weak. Being a damsel sucks, would not recommend. He'll have to be more careful, he'd been so busy worrying about her and Foggy that it figures something like this would happen.

It's definitely no laughing matter, but he smiles sheepishly, blushing. You love him, right? ]

This the part where I say "my hero?"

Edited 2015-09-21 02:28 (UTC)

Yeah, Levkin kind of has a grudge. [Kind of, hah, understatement of the century. A huff.] I have more than one archenemy, who knew?

[She is so in love with him, god help her, but it doesn't mean she'll stop ribbing him about ending up in the damsel role for once in his life. One handcuff finally (finally, that was terrible, if this ever happens again she's bringing someone along who does know how to pick locks) falls away with a click, and she leans back and tucks the bent paperclip into her pocket.]

Mm, probably. Maybe with swooning once we're clear. [She waves her hand in the general direction of the big free-for-all--upwards and somewhere to the right.] Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man said hi, by the way. [There is a note of deep amusement in her tone now--so I might have called a few of your friends and none of us are going to let you live this down, is what she isn't saying.]

You're gonna need a suit soon.

[ As soon as his hand is free he reaches forward to hold her, gripping her in a tight embrace. He can joke all he wants, but he'd been so, so worried about her. And if Spider-Man is cleaning up upstairs, they must have time for this. ]

My hero. [ He whispers, smiling to himself before the rest of her words actually sink in. Head damage, ok, he's working a little slow. ]

Wait, you called Spider-Man? [ Scratch that. Not his hero. His worst enemy. ] He's never gonna let me live that down.

I'm thinking red.

[His arms wrap around her, and Kirsten lets out a relieved breath. She jokes now, but she'd been worried, even a little terrified, because Matt is very, very important to her. Even moreso since a month ago, and so she hugs back, her arms locking tight around him. They've got time.

Then he asks about Spider-Man, and she muffles a chuckle against his shirt. She is well aware of that, yes. Then again, it's not like she and Foggy'll let him live it down either, they've got ideas for the sign now.]

I have no idea what you're talking about, I called your friend Jen. [You know, She-Hulk.] Things might have snowballed from there. [There's a pitched battle going on upstairs and at least four Avengers and three unaffiliated superheroes involved, is what she means to say.]

Edited 2015-09-21 03:43 (UTC)

[ He smiles. It speaks of his ego that he finds that flattering. ]

People are gonna talk if we start to match. We'll be one of those couples.

[ Not that he sounds particularly bothered by the notion. He's enjoying just holding her and feeling her heartbeat settle towards something less hectic. He's sure his was drumming just as loud, but Kirsten is solid and familiar and he isn't letting her go any time soon. ]

You called Jen? [ She-Hulk, Ms. Does Nothing Halfway. They'd lucky she didn't call in a helicarrier somehow. ] Am I gonna make the papers?

[ Say goodbye to your street cred, Matt. ]

They'll say we're partners in law and crime-fighting, and I happen to like the sound of that.

[She's just not going to go around calling herself She-Devil, excuse you, she has standards and her pride to think about.

He's warm and solid and safe, and Kirsten thinks, well, she wouldn't trade this for anything. Not for the world. And they've been through a lot, they've been through enough, and she will hold on to this thing between them as long and as tight as she can. (Her breathing slows, relieved, adrenaline beginning to fade.)]

I counted four Avengers, so, yeah. [Can you hear that? She can hear that. It's the sound of Matt's street cred going right down the drain.] I feel sorry for Foggy, the paparazzi's probably kicking his door down right now.

Me too.

[ He smiles, squeezing her slightly as her heart slows down. It's the best sound in the world, her steady heartbeat, and feeling it calm in his hold is all he needs to calm down too. His head is still killing him, but a little (a lot) of pain hardly matters as long as Kirsten is okay.

I mean, yeah, she was apparently never in any danger, but still. ]

Four? [ Matt groans. On one hand, he's flattered. And he squeezes her tighter because well, they must have been really worried about him. But on the other hand, his precious cred. But more importantly-- ]

Foggy's okay, right? They didn't take him?

[ Worry about yourself for maybe five minutes, Matt. ]

Edited 2015-09-21 06:12 (UTC)

[You and your martyr complex, Murdock. Don't worry, she and Foggy will more than make up for that by worrying about you.]

Look at it this way, you matter to a lot of people. [Herself included. Sure it's not going to stop her from kidding him about being the damsel in distress, she is totally milking that for all it's worth later, but he still matters--as Matt and as Daredevil.]

Nah, he's fine. Getting annoyed with the press hanging around the office, last time I checked, but he's fine. [Foggy would probably beg to differ, but he isn't here now.] What about you? Anything bruised other than your ego? [She is going to put Levkin's ass back in jail to rot, but for now, she'll take this opportunity to check Matt over for any significant bumps or bruises that'll need medical attention.]

Edited 2015-09-21 06:32 (UTC)

I... Yeah. I guess so.

[ But that works pretty well in getting Matt smiling. He may not feel worth it a lot of the time, but he can't deny that he has good friends. Who love and worry about him. That's a miracle of itself. ]

This has to die down eventually. I know he's itching to get back in the courtroom. [ And Matt wants that for him, too. Foggy deserves to have things go back to normal. He deserves better than normal, really. They'll make sure he gets that. ]

Just my head. I think. Hard to tell, that white noise really messed with my radar. [ He's probably got a hell of a bump on his head, but nothing major. Daredevil or not, beating a blind man when he's down would be kinda lame, wouldn't it? ]

[She knows so.]

They're starting to move on, there's five less hanging around everyday. [Kirsten's pretty sure there'll still be some hanging around, but the world moves on, and eventually things will die down to the point where they don't have to use the back door to get to their own office. And she feels that bump and lets out a huff. It doesn't feel major to her, but then she's not a medical professional.]

You've definitely got a bump. [And Levkin is going right down.] Come on, let's get out of here. Being a dashing rescuer is exhausting, who knew?

I hope so. I mean, I've had the press hound me before but this...

[ Knowing Daredevil got kidnapped isn't going to help his reputation. Or maybe it will? He stays close to her, close enough to feel the warmth from her skin. Even as he releases her from the hug, he wraps an arm around her waist, leaning his head on hers. He really was worried about her. ]

I'd know, actually. [ He smirks, being the little shit that he is. ] Think we can sneak out without alerting the Avengers?

With luck, tomorrow they'll jump on the next interesting thing that pops up.

[With luck, anyway, because otherwise Kirsten's pretty sure they won't be able to use the front door for months. And she's willing to admit that she was worried about Matt--yes, he's Daredevil, yes, he can take care of himself, but the whole way to where Levkin and his thugs had been holing up, she'd been trying not to imagine the worst. And it's been way too easy to do that, lately, imagining all the ways things could go wrong for any of them.

He leans his head on her shoulder, and she traces a faint line from his temple to his collarbone with a finger.]

They won't even notice us leave if we do it now, they're a little caught up in a battle. [Meanwhile, upstairs, someone has probably gone straight through a window.] Of course we could stick around, if you want Spider-Man to ask you how getting kidnapped was.

Let's hope Spider-Man sprains his ankle or something. And lands in a dumpster on live TV or something.

[ Peter's life is supposed to be worse than Matt's, right? It seems only fair-- even if he's probably upstairs kicking dudes' asses in his name. It really is nice to have friends. But it's especially nice to have Kirsten. Even if she's probably going to remind him of this for days. He doesn't need that from Spider-Man too. ]

Now works. As long as my ears are still ringing, I'd rather be somewhere quiet. [ And because he'll always worry, but he's also grateful, he presses a kiss to her lips softly, speaking into her lips. ] With you.

[She kisses back, quietly, stupidly happy that he's alive and not heavily injured, that they've still got time that they should really start making the most of any second now.

Just. Give her a moment, this is a very nice kiss. When she breaks away she gets to her feet, dusts off her pants--there's grime (she's sure it's grime, she doesn't want to know what else it could be) on them now, which is kind of sad, these were her favorite pair.]

Then come on, there's a back door we can use. I'll text Jen and Foggy when we're clear, you won't even have to see Spider-Man. [Of course Foggy is also never going to let go of this, but at least it's just going to be him and Kirsten. And Jen. And Spider-Man. And god knows who else.]

Great.

[ Matt stands carefully, surveying himself for injuries now that he's free of at least one handcuff. He can just as easily break out of it now and he does, giving the lock a hard tug and snapping it open. He's a strong guy.

A strong guy who was captured by some no-name criminal who wanted to get to Kirsten, apparently. Okay, that blow to his ego may actually sting more than the lump on his head and the ringing in his ears. His radar is still a little off so he sticks close. Well, that and he wants to stay close to Kirsten anyway. He doesn't care if they're both covered in grime or he's in his suit or whatever else. All he knows is they're both okay. That's all Matt needs. ]

Lead the way, oh valiant hero.

[ He'll let her enjoy this. She deserves it. ]

[She's never letting him live this down, nope. But she stays close to him, a hand on his arm as she guides him along, another hand feeling out the walls. There's something to be said here, she thinks, about the blind leading the blind, even if, in this case, Kirsten's not blind and more disadvantaged by the darkness of their surroundings.

Really, a flashlight wouldn't have been that hard to bring along, and she mentally reprimands herself for forgetting to do that.]

I could get used to hearing that. [She's not going to deny it's a tiny little ego boost, really.] Maybe I should get started on putting together my own list of archenemies. I figured it'd be short, but apparently there's at least one more than I thought.

[ At least Matt's senses aren't so dull that he can't feel for danger in front of them. The coast is clear this way, and part of him really hopes Kirsten parked her car or her dad's drivers outside because while he could swing them both home (quite romantically, of course,) he's much to tired to do more than stumble home.

I mean, sure, Kirsten could carry him but he's almost twice her size. It would be cute at first. Just not for long. ]

We'll have to get you your own secret lair. Maybe that's my problem-- never did find me one of those.

[ I mean, they've moved and kept their office and apartment a secret, but Matt's track record with secrets has gone past "horrible" and moved straight to abysmal. ]

Then again, real heroes don't hide, do they? [ He smiles. She and Foggy taught him that. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

and don't you wonder why

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject