SUNSHINE [Frank Castle]

CHAPTER EIGHT - FOOTSTEPS

Charlotte not only looked for help in Misty Knight, but in Karen Page as well. Karen helped as soon as she asked, eagerly digging through stacks of paper at the Bulletin. Both women called her two days later with heaps of information. And so Frank's game plan was born.

Micro's real name was David Lieberman, a man whom the entire world believed dead, including his family. The family that Frank decided to visit. Lieberman's wife, Sarah, "hit" Frank with her car and invited him in. They talked for a while and after, Frank decided to call Lieberman.

He sent the man on a wild goose chase around the city, which ended at the cemetery. Only he met Charlotte there, not Frank.

She sauntered out to where he could see her, an easy smirk on her face. She found it was often more terrifying than her stoic expression. "Hello, David."

"Miss Romanova." She couldn't see him very well in the dark of the night, but he certainly wasn't one to strike fear in your heart.

"Let's get right to the point. If you come near Frank or myself again, he'll go back to your house. To where your wife is, your kids. You get me?"

"Y-Yeah." Lieberman's voice and body both shook at her words. It was an empty threat. Empty, but menacing. Frank would never hurt his wife and kids, but Lieberman didn't need to know that.

"Good." She then turned and began walking through the cemetery, away from him. When she was far enough away, she called Frank.

"He should be coming right about now."

"See you there, Sunshine."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. There's just something I have to do. You can handle him, right? He's not exactly the most scary of people."

"Yeah, I've got it."

"All right, I'll see you in a bit."

She hung up the phone and walked through the never ending rows of gravestones in the cemetery, to the one stone she visited so often. She knelt down in front of it and stared at the name engraved into the stone.

Matthew Michael Murdock.

"I miss you everyday, all of the time," she spoke softly. "I'm not so much of a fool to think you're listening, but it hurts, Matt. It hurts even though you hurt me so badly and I have to tell you, even if you'll never hear it. I loved you, and I think I always might, deep inside. You were my first and only love, Matt. My best friend. Even though you hurt me, I still wanted you. But, even if I couldn't have been with you, I think that I still would have wanted to be friends, because you were the only person in the world that I could tell anything to. And I hate living without you."

She stood as the last words left her lips, and brushed the top of the stone with her fingertips. "I have to go."

Those four words weighed heavily on her as she walked away. The same words she'd said to him when she found Elektra's lips latched onto his. The same words she'd said so many times over the years of their relationship. Parting words. Hateful words. Sad words.

The words Matt spoke to her that night, only turned around on her.

"You have to go," he insisted, holding her by both shoulders. "Please, Charlotte. You have to go."

"You'll die!" She shouted back. "I will not leave you to die!"

"I want to come with you, but if I do it has to be with Elektra. I can't leave her."

The seconds were ticking down, Charlotte could hear them in her head. It was almost over. "Matt, she's not herself anymore. That's not Elektra."

"It is, I've seen it!" He took a breath in and out, then pushed her gently back, away from him. "You need to go."

Tears pricked in her eyes, threatening to fall. "Please come with me."

And then he did something he'd only done once before. He lied to her. "Okay. . . okay. I'll grab her and be right behind you."

"Thank you."

She'd gone from the building then, leaving him inside and for some reason believing his lie. She'd never been lied to and believed it before. But in that moment, she wanted to believe that he was going to come with her, that he'd be alright.

She fell to her knees and screamed when the building fell. Then she'd gone deadly silent, and when she didn't move from her spot Jessica had to haul her up to her feet and drag her away still sobbing. That was the one and only time that she had cried since she was a child.

She got into her car, which sat at the edge of the cemetery on the small road, and put the key into the ignition. The car roared to life, and Charlotte drove peacefully to the building where she knew Frank would be, the soft, peaceful sound of Eddie Vedder's voice filling the vehicle.

Don't even think about reachin' me, I won't be home
Don't even think about stoppin' by, don't think of me at all.
I did what I had to do, if there was a reason, it was you

A/N: The song is Footsteps by Pearl Jam, if anyone is wondering. It's amazing and for some reason I think it fits this story well— give it a listen! Also, comment! Leave feedback, I love hearing it! Thank you guys so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.