The blades sang their familiar song. Breath, subtle but not to miss, went in and out. The enemy moved silently, but still Matt could feel them displacing air. He heard them approach and heard them fall when his arm or fist connected with their bodies.
He never heard their hearts. What had disoriented him once, was no longer a concern. Stick had taught him how to balance out this weakness.
But now, it was a distraction nevertheless. Since he could not make out his opponents’ hearts, another one was all the more present. Loud and clear, he heard the familiar beat, elevated but steady. Matt also heard a familiar voice, calling out. Telling people to get to safety, leading them outside.
Against his urge to follow said voice, Matt forced himself to focus on the warriors of the Hand. Stick had told him they would attack the community center, but that Foggy would be here too, the old man had not told Matt. To be fair, Matt could not be sure if it was lack of care or lack of knowledge on Stick’s part. After all, the information had come in short notice and they did not even know what exactly the Hand wanted in this place.
When Matt had stormed in, they’d already been here. Foggy’d been on the ground floor behind a door with a sign “legal advice for tenants”. But instead of helping them against their landlords, he’d been helping people climb out the window. Matt had told him to leave with them, but the muttered “Fuck you, Murdock” should have been a hint that Foggy would not listen.
The last ninja hit the ground with a thud. Evening out his breath, Matt focused on his enemies’ bodies to make sure they were all unconscious. When he was sure about it, he hurried back to the ground floor. Since he had no idea where to start his search for the Hand’s target, he might as well begin on the ground floor. And if he took the chance to check on Foggy, what of it?
As Matt arrived at the foot of the stairs, he heard Foggy. He ushered several people into the room with the open window, telling them to flee. But Foggy himself did not show the slightest inclination to follow his own advice.
Matt sneaked up to Foggy. Grabbing his friend’s arm, he pulled him into a dark storage room. Foggy yelped, but Matt covered his mouth with a gloved hand. For a moment, Foggy’s heartbeat spiked and he tensed, but soon he relaxed against Matt’s body. Certain that Foggy would not scream, Matt let go of him.
“Matt,” Foggy breathed out in relief. “What the Hell...”
“Yeah, what the Hell?” Matt repeated, all but growling. “I told you to leave.”
“And I chose to ignore that,” Foggy said and added, “I just shrugged and gave you a challenging look. Because… what are you gonna do about it.”
“What?”
Foggy sighed.
“There were people who were scared and needed guidance and help,” Foggy said. “And I decided getting them out safely is more important than listening to my former business partner who would not listen to me even if his life depended on it - literally.”
“Really? You risk your life to make a point?”
Foggy barked out a laugh of disbelief. “Yeah, sure, I don’t even care about these people! I only did it to spite you,” he said sarcastically. “Every song is about you, isn’t it?”
“Um… what?”
“Carly Simon? You’re so vain? Great song?” Foggy listed. “No? Anyway, you don’t get to…”
“Shhh!”
“Don’t you dare shush me when you’re the one who dragged me…”
Roughly, Matt covered Foggy’s mouth with his hand again. But it was too late. The door was ripped open and a ninja of the Hand stood in the frame. Before the man could even lift his weapon, however, he made a pained sound and collapsed.
As the figure fell to the ground, Stick appeared behind him, katana in hand.
“Really, Matty?” he asked. “There is a ninja invasion and you play ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’ with your girl?”
Foggy scoffed. “Nice. ‘Girl’ as an insult. So glad you found a charming old misogynist as your new best friend.”
“I don’t have time for feminist lectures,” Stick sighed. “We still need to find out what they want so we can get it away from here and from those people.”
“Don’t look, well sort of ‘look’ at me like that,” Foggy said. “I’ve been coming here for a few weeks now, but I saw nothing that would be of interest to a bunch of scary ninjas.”
“It’s probably fairly new,” Matt said. “Well, it is probably old but new here. It was a pretty spontaneous attack on their part.”
Foggy fell silent. But Matt heard how he worried his bottom lip between his teeth.
“The newest… erm… acquisition - if one can call it that, is a painting. But it isn’t old at all,” he said after a while. “It was a gift from a local artist. But he says he finished it last weekend so there is nothing ancient about it.”
“Where is it?” Stick asked.
“Third floor, I think,” Foggy said. “Doreen - she is the community coordinator - put it in her office while thinking about a place for it.”
“Okay, let’s have a look.” Matt grabbed Foggy’s hand and dragged him towards the stairs.
“We don’t need any… distractions,” Stick said.
“I won’t leave him here,” Matt insisted.
“I’m sure your boyfriend is safer here than near the Hand’s target.”
“You know,” Foggy said, “using ‘gay’, directly or implied, as an insult is pretty shitty, too. There is nothing wrong with being gay.”
Stick groaned. “Does he always talk so much?”
Matt could not help but smirk. “Oh, you have no idea. But he is kind of right, here.”
With that, Matt pulled Foggy further and the three men reached their destination without problems. In the coordinator’s office, Foggy opened one of the cabinets and carefully got out a large object.
“Um, I know you guys can’t see it,” he said. “It’s rather abstract. White background, red and golden waves. I’m no art expert, but to me this doesn’t even look like Japanese style, let alone old Japanese style.”
“May I?” Stick held out his hands and Foggy carefully put the painting in his hold.
Stick let his fingers wander over the painting. After a while, Matt felt him nodding.
“Well, Matty” Stick said with a grin in his voice. “Your blushing bride saved our asses.”
“So, the painting…”
“Not, the painting, boy. The frame,” Stick said. “Old, strange texture, I think there is some sort of code in the structure.”
“That must be it,” Matt said.
“Indeed.” Matt heard the sound of bending leather as Stick let the painting disappear in his bag.
“Well done, Foggy.” Matt suppressed the smile as he felt Foggy’s body heat rise at the praise. “Let’s… They’re coming.”
“Yes, at least 6,” Stick hissed.
“This is so creepy,” Foggy murmured.
“Window,” Matt said.
Stick opened it. Without further ado, Matt slung one arm around Foggy’s waist and dragged him to the window. On instinct, Foggy grabbed Matt’s shoulders and gasped in shock.
“Matt, what are you…?”
“There is a fire escape to our right, correct?”
“Erm… yeah, but it’s at least three step....”
“Hold on tight.”
Foggy did. But he screamed when Matt pushed his feet from the window sill and jumped towards the iron ladder. Skill and luck combined had him grab it easily and get himself and Foggy to the ground. A barely audible thud told him Stick had arrived, too.
They hurried away from the building. Several police cars were just now surrounding the community center. Matt could hear the ninjas who were still in the building retreating. Apparently, they were not keen on more attention or a firefight with the police.
To Matt’s relief, it was Brett Mahoney who approached them.
“What is it this time?” he asked.
“Ninjas,” Foggy said before anyone else could. “I think all civilians escaped though.”
“Are you okay?” Brett asked.
“Oh yes,” Foggy said with too much pathos. “Daredevil here saved me.”
“Okay, and who are you?” This question was directed at Stick.
“I’m just a scared blind man who happens to pass by,” Stick answered sardonically.
“So you weren’t in there?”
“What would I do there, kid? I’m blind and old and tired.”
“Al...right?” Brett said. “Guess, I won’t need to question you.” Sighing, he turned to Foggy. “But you, Foggy… you know what, you’re probably shook. Come in tomorrow for questioning. Maybe Daredevil can get you home?”
Matt was relieved. Foggy in danger was one of his least favourite things and seeing him home safely would soothe him immensely. Unfortunately, Foggy had other plans. Before Matt could nod in affirmation, Foggy stepped away.
“Actually, Brett, I was hoping you could get me home after questioning,” he said.
“Really?”
“Sure, cool police car, handsome policeman,” Foggy said. “What’s not to love?”
Brett laughed. “Alright, pal. I’m gonna assume you somehow hit your head in there,” he said before turning to Matt, “Don’t worry, Daredevil, I’ll take care of Nelson. You see the gentleman home?”
“Sure,” Matt pressed out between gritted teeth.
He waited until he was sure Foggy was safe in Brett’s car.
“Don’t,” Matt growled at Stick.
“I didn’t say anything,” the old man gave back. “Now let’s leave.”
For a few minutes, Stick did not comment. They ran across the rooftops in silence and Matt hoped that was the end of it. But before they parted ways a couple of blocks later, Stick spoke up.
“I told you letting people into your life was trouble,” he said and silenced Matt before he could answer by lifting his hand. “But I see that it is too late for that. I don’t know about anyone else, but this man will not disappear from your mind, will he?”
Matt swallowed. Stalling, he turned his head in all directions, taking in the nightly city. But while Stick said nothing, he also made no move to leave. Finally, Matt sighed.
“No,” he admitted. “Foggy and I, we can’t really call it quits.” He let out a humourless chuckle. “Lucky for me, sucks for him.”
“I really don’t care for your self-deprecating bullshit, Matty,” Stick said. “I also don’t care if it’s a man or a woman driving you nuts. But you can’t deny that it is a distraction.”
“So what?”
“Decrease the level of distraction.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well,” Stick sighed. “Unlike you, I was smart enough to not fall in love. But if there was a woman out there I loved, I cared about, she wouldn’t be running around, endangering herself and my peace of mind.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I wouldn’t let her.”
“So what are you suggesting, Stick?” Matt asked. “That I kidnap Foggy, bring him to my castle in the woods and lock him in the tower?”
“I would - if you had a castle in the woods and weren’t too much of an altar boy to do such a thing,” Stick laughed. “But bring him under control, boy. Make him obey.”
“You just met Foggy, right?” Matt said. “Did he appear like someone who only waits for my orders?”
“Actually, yes,” Stick said. “You forget, I always kept an eye - metaphorically speaking - on you. So of course, I have not ‘just met’ your friend. And I know that he followed you down many difficult roads. You just had to ask. I’m guessing the feeling of being abandoned by you makes him a bit… restive at the moment.”
“What are you…”
“He is yours for the taking,” Stick said. “So take him if you want him. Then he’ll be more… open to your wish to keep him safe.”
Before Matt could question Stick anymore, the old man turned and leaped to the fire escape of the building they were standing on.
“Fix this,” Matt heard Stick say before his mentor was hurrying away.
Back in his home, Matt got rid of his armor. For a moment, he entertained the idea of calling Foggy to make sure he was alright. But when he unlocked his phone, the battery died and he decided to see this as a sign. Sighing, he made himself tea and hopped into the shower while it cooled down. Stick’s words echoed in his mind.
Make him obey.
He is yours for the taking.
Matt cursed his body for reacting. While Foggy might deny that, Matt was not an idiot. Of course, he had always been aware of Foggy’s tendency to follow his lead, to do what Matt asked. Little things like agreeing to the bar or restaurant Matt chose, like going out to get coffee for Matt or tossing out his new aftershave when Matt said he preferred the old one. But also big things such as distancing himself from Marci when Matt found she was changing for the worse, walking away from Landman and Zack, and defending a serial killer vigilante even though Foggy hated the man’s guts.
Matt had noticed. But he had never pursued anything. In college because Matt’s catholic upbringing had kept him from being with another man. He was ashamed of that reasoning these days, but now Matt’s life was too dangerous to have a life partner.
But he had always known of Foggy’s devotion and wondered what else he could ask of him. Dark fantasies he had not dared to explore, buried deep inside in the deepest corners of Matt’s mind, now stirred up again by Stick of all people.
Unbidden, Matt thought of himself in his old chair at Nelson & Murdock. A familiar scent reached his nose. It was a mild smelling shampoo, carefully picked by the considerate friend of a blind man with a sensitive nose. Matt’s fly was open and his legs spread for a luscious body to kneel between them. Warm hands landed on Matt’s thighs while his own fingers tangled in soft hair. Hot breath ran over his cock.
“Goddammit!” Matt exclaimed, his fist banging against the wet tile of his shower wall.
The sudden pain ripped a hiss out of him, but at least his erection deflated and the images faded. Small blessings and all that.
Remembering the tea waiting for him, Matt turned off the water. Maybe, having a hot beverage while making a plan on how to keep Foggy safe would distract him from his less noble thoughts.
While toweling, he pondered his options. Frowning, he had to admit that he did not have many of those. Stick was wrong. By lying, deceiving and abandoning Foggy, Matt had lost his best friend’s trust and possibly his affection. So keeping Foggy away from danger by telling him to have faith in Matt would probably not really work.
Sighing, Matt threw the towel into the laundry bin. Not bothering to get dressed, he sauntered into the living room and fell onto the sofa with a groan.
While he sipped on the lukewarm tea, he suddenly had a calming thought. Nobody was really after Foggy, right? The Hand coming to the community center had been the result of unfortunate coincidences. They had no interest in Foggy or his work. So unless Foggy would get involved with the Hand’s business, he should be fine. And there was no way Foggy could do that.
Right?
*
Foggy trusted Brett. But he did not know how much he could tell him without endangering Matt. So Foggy only spoke about Daredevil coming to save the people in the community center from ninjas. He also told him that Daredevil suspected the attackers looked for something, but claimed not to know what. Foggy also held back what he knew about Stick, not for the old man’s sake but for Brett’s. Trying to find anything about the organisation Stick worked for, would not do any good for Brett. At best he would chase shadows and drown in paperwork, at worst he would walk into an unfortunately positioned blade.
“Thanks, Foggy,” Brett sighed. “Most people were too confused to give me anything. Now I got enough to write a report. Even if it’s another ‘officers arrived in time to see a superhero had done their job’ report.”
“Hey,” Foggy said with a pointed look. “What you do is important. ‘You’ as in the police and ‘you’ as in you specifically. You’re a great cop and I sleep a lot better, knowing you’re out there.”
Brett smirked and tilted his head. “You’re really growing soft on me, Nelson,” he said. “Out there I thought you were flirting.”
Laughing a little too loudly, Foggy scratched his head. “I was in shock, Brett. I was attacked! By ninjas!” What else could he say? Oh, don’t worry. I was just trying to make a man jealous who does not care about me at all because I’m pathetic and ridiculous, would not do.
“Yeah, crazy times,” Brett said and chuckled, “Good. I can’t come home with a guy like you.”
“A white guy?”
“A lawyer.”
Foggy laughed again, honest and relieved this time. “Fair.”
“Let’s get you home.”
As promised, Brett gave him a ride. Finally, safe in his own four walls, Foggy undressed and took a shower. Now that he was on his own, he had time to relive the surreal evening. He pressed a hand against the slippery wall to stop himself from shaking. He could’ve died. Innocent people could have died. Matt could have died.
Matt. Foggy groaned at the thought of him. Why could he not stop caring about that asshole? No matter how defiant he acted, at the end of the day he would do anything for Matt.
But he was disappointed. Disappointed that Matt had abandoned him and Karen for whatever he was doing now. Disappointed that Matt had chosen Stick as his partner in crime, well, partner in fighting crime - an abusive poor father figure from the past. The guy was like an evil Master Splinter. Foggy giggled despite himself. After all, this made Matt a ridiculously handsome Ninja Turtle.
Foggy froze. Thinking about Stick reminded him of the frame the old man had taken with him. He also had taken the painting, but that was the mildest concern. If the ninjas had been interested in the frame, they must have tracked it down. What if they had found the artist, too?
“Shit!”
Almost slipping, Foggy stumbled out of the shower. Frantically, he dialed Matt’s number, but was directed to voicemail at once. Damn it. Foggy could not even call Brett without exposing his own lies. Quickly, he opened his laptop and went to the community center’s homepage. He was lucky and found a short announcement of the gifted painting with the name of the artist. And thanks to the younger generations’ lack of care with their personal data, he also found the man’s address with a little research. In record time, Foggy got dressed and was out of the door.