Invisible String

A friendly face

Matt limps slightly from his fight before. Fortunately, his nose has stopped bleeding, but it's still sore. He feels a vibrating buzzing in his pocket. Karen Karen Karen. "Hello?"

"Matt, we need to talk."

"You've got me, go ahead." Karen clears her throat. "I mean in person."

"Can't you say whatever it is over the phone?"

"Matt, please." Maybe it's the soft plead in her voice, or Matt Murdock's pestering urge to be a people pleaser, but he says. "Okay sure. Do you have a meeting place in mind?"

"Josie's." Karen responds almost immediately. "I know it's still early afternoon, but I sure need a drink." Matt smiles. "You read my mind."

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Matt and Karen sit side by side at the bar. "You two must be having a really shitty day if you thought to come here." Says Josie. "Or maybe we where in search of your warm welcoming hospitality?" Matt jests. Josie scoffs. "Alright then what ya having?" "Two beers." Says Karen. Josie makes the drinks quickly and places them on the table. "I'm out back if you need anything, but please, don't need anything." And with that she saunters off. "Well, isn't she as charming as ever." Karen says to break the silence." Matt nods in agreement and takes a swig of his drink.

The tension between the two is palpable, hovering unsettling in the air like a storm cloud. "How's Foggy?" Karen shrugs. "I mean he's hurt but y'know Foggy. He's a glass half full kinda guy. He's holding things down at the firm, we're staying afloat."

"Look Karen. For what it's worth I'm sorry. Please tell Foggy that and when this is all over, I'll fix this. I will clean up my mess." Karen drums her fingertips on the table top. "I'll tell him." They both settle back into a silence, sipping at their drinks, awaiting each other's next move. Karen is the first to speak again. "Matt I'm not here to lecture you. Foggy didn't send me here to talk some sense into you. For one, you're stubborn as shit."

"Hey! That's rich coming from you." Karen rolls her eyes. "Anyways that's not the point. I'm not here as a colleague, I'm here as a friend." Karen explains, setting her glass down and positioning her body so she's directly facing Matt. "You were the first person to show me real kindness here in New York. I was lost and being framed for murder, no one by my side. Then you swooped in and helped me out. That changed everything for me."

"Trust me Matt, I know better than anyone, what it's like to be in a tight spot, to feel the walls closing in. That suffocating hopelessness." Karen reaches forward and squeezes Matt's hands in hers. "It looks like you need someone in your corner, so I'm gonna be for you, what you where to me."

"I think I have some information you can use."

"Karen- "

"Shh. Don't speak just listen. Foggy told me about Jameson and Fisk, which honestly didn't surprise me. Ben let me in the Bulletin's record room. I spent a few days just combing through them. Highlighting any crime pointing towards Fisk's activities. I noticed a common thread with Fisk. He hides behind people. He does all the planning, but he stays out of the spotlight. His people cause trouble then vanish like they were never even on land. Which makes me think that they were never there." Matt's brow furrows. "Think. He has money. He has resources. The one place away from everyone but you can still access the outside world." Then it lands on Matt like a ton of bricks. "Underwater." Karen nods, her eyes sparking with triumph. "Exactly. All this stuff Jameson is doing, the missing agents, making it look like Jules is a terrorist, it's to distract everyone. S.H.I.E.L.D, the FBI, Homeland."

"And the real action and planning is happening directly below us." Matt finishes. He leans his elbows against the table and holds his head in his hands. "Wow, Fisk really does like to hide behind people. From what I know, he has lots of little network hideouts to spread his resources and to have more space. Now I'm thinking this underwater base could be the main one. I find that, I find him."

Karen grins. Matt jerks forward unexpectedly and embraces Karen. She wraps her arms tightly around him. "Karen, I don't even know what to- "Karen pulls away and places her hand on his shoulder. "Don't mention it, just go out there and kick some ass." Matt downs the rests of his drink, a new sort of hope instilled into him.

"So... About this wanted fugitive." Karen raises an eyebrow knowingly and lowers her voice. "Don't worry I won't tell. We're not in court right now." She says playfully making Matt chuckle. "Come on, it's not like that Karen. She is innocent."

Karen had heard plenty about Matt Murdock's spirited childhood best friend in the time she'd known him. Jules stuck with Matt during his rocky childhood, through their teen and young adult years, all the way into adulthood. She could tell Jules was this glowing beacon to him and he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Karen crosses her arms, a challenging look in her eyes. "Okay. Tell me what its's like then." Matt adjusts his red tinted glasses and turns towards Karen. "See it's like..." He pauses for a second. "It's like wherever she is, I wanna be. She excepts all parts of me. She puts up with Daredevil and Matt Murdock's shit. From the day we met she's been curious about me, if something changes, she wants to know. I've lost a lot of people. I've seen a lot of people die. But when I look over my shoulder, Jules is always there. We don't even need to speak. She can just hold my hand and... And I'm home." Karen can't help the cheesy grin taking over her face. She'd seen him struggle, seen his pain, and here he was, bearing his feelings to her. "You Know Matt, that sounds a lot like love." Matt runs a hand over his mouth. "Shit."

"Hey." Karen nudges him. "Do things at your own pace. But what you and Jules have, you don't find that every day. But without a doubt Matt, you deserve it. You just need to believe it."