It was heavy. So heavy that, when it hit the pavement Kate could have sworn she heard the whole city tremble. How had she been carrying it all the way here? What had changed? Suddenly, the simple idea of picking up her bow seemed unthinkable.
Looking up, Kate found herself lost in that back alley. Who had she been searching for? Everything was suddenly so much darker and from afar, she could hear the screams. Someone yelling. Was that her name? No, even though she concentrated, Kate realized she couldn't figure out the words.
Instead, she was hit with a strong feeling of deja vu as she tried moving her legs. They were as heavy as her bow looked and, even though she used her whole strenght to try and drag them, Kate could barely move them a few inches. Hadn't she had a nightmare aboutg this before? Or was it a memory?
Memories caught up with her as she was suddenly consumed by the need to run, to escape, to hide from an invisible enemy, a predator out there. She glanced at the sky, suddenly feeling so much smaller. Was she wearing a floral jersey? She owned one when she was a child. What? Seven, eight? Above her head, she saw the explosions. The Chitauri attackingt he city again.
"No. Not again. Dad. Dad!"
Agitated, Kate realized it was harder to breath. She was clenching her teeth now, pushing her whole body forward as she tried to move, to hide, to do anything.
The games are over now.
She recognized that voice well.
It was Wilson Fisk's shadow that made everything seem so much darker now. How had Kate not seen him practically tower over her? Before she could duck, move, attempt to grab at one of her arrows in her quiver, Fisk closed his hands tightly around her throat, squeezing.
From the sounds of the screams, Kate hadn't managed to walk through the path Mary had set forth without touching the tendrils. Matt swore, but he didn't blame Kate for that failure. Mary's powers were easy to become disoriented in, and one wrong step then could mean a worst case scenario. He just blamed himself for telling Kate about Mary, for giving her reason to come after him. Wasn't that always the way things happened? He let someone care for him, and they ended up worse off for it.
Mary's voice carried in his head, cold and sad. 'That's what we have in common, isn't it? It's better for us to be alone. Safer for others. And for us.'
Matt turned back towards her. He couldn't deny she had a point when Kate was literally now in turmoil because of him. Again. "You can bring the whole world to its knees to keep you safe?"
"No?" Mary shrugged. "Maybe not." Her head tilted as she studied him. "You've changed, Devil. I can sense it. There's something broken in here..." she placed a hand over his heart. Matt felt the icy coldness of her touch pierce through him. One moment ago it had been pure fire. "You're leaking. Just like I am. It's all around you. It's probably on her, too. Can't you tell?"
Matt shoved Mary's hand away roughly, her velvet-coated laugh rattling in his bones. "I'm trying to help this city. You're just collecting collateral damage."
"I didn't ask this girl to come, Devil," Mary reminded him. "So you have a choice now, it seems. Run to her, or save him." She waved her hand back at the man on the ground, clawing at his face. He wouldn't last much longer. She gave Matt a sideways look. "You talk and talk about sacrifice, about doing the right thing. What happens when it's not so clear? When what's inside of you knows that?"
He took out his billy club and hit her hard across the face. Mary stumbled back a few steps and laughed, licking the blood on her lip. With a flick of her hand she threw Matt against a nearby building. On the ground, demons and monsters danced over him, flickering and full of fire. They ate and bit at him, those ghosts from the past. When he lifted his head, the figure he sensed in front of him was...
... no.
Foggy's scent. Foggy's voice. It knelt down in front of him. "Make a choice, buddy. Just don't make it the wrong one again, okay? After all, I believed in you, and-"
With a roar Matt hit the face of his best friend. Getting to his feet, he savagely pummeled it. Mary as Foggy seemed to be soaking in his rage and anger - and hopefully, with her focus on him this much, it lessened her hold on those around her. Like Kate. Matt prayed she was strong enough to break free while he distracted Mary.
The world kept becoming darker and darker as Kate gasped for air. She barely felt the scratches even as her nails dug into her skin, leaving trails of a furious pink on her pale skin. No, all she could feel was the squeeze, that iron grip that made it impossible to breath.
It was the weight on her legs that gave in first. Suddenly, she surprised herself as her knee jerked inwards, almost shaking her awake from the spell. What followed was barely a gasp. Almost as if she had reached the tiniest pocket of air, Kate managed to breath. With whatever strenght she had left, she kicked Fisk between the legs and off herself. he doubled over and disappeared, letting Kate run through him as the darkness disappeared, that alley suddenly clear to her eyes again.
And there she saw him. Daredevil. Some redhead and a man down on the floor.
"D!"
Looking back, Kate managed to avoid the few tendrils that still stood tall, turning towards her like a sunflower searching for the light. Grabbing her bow, she ducked as those tendrils attempted to touch her again, reaching into her quiver to pull out one of ther trick arrows and point it at Mary.
"Get off him!"
The arrow flew right past Matt, hitting Mary square on her shoulder and zapping her with an electric shock.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2025-06-09 10:27 am (UTC)Looking up, Kate found herself lost in that back alley. Who had she been searching for? Everything was suddenly so much darker and from afar, she could hear the screams. Someone yelling. Was that her name? No, even though she concentrated, Kate realized she couldn't figure out the words.
Instead, she was hit with a strong feeling of deja vu as she tried moving her legs. They were as heavy as her bow looked and, even though she used her whole strenght to try and drag them, Kate could barely move them a few inches. Hadn't she had a nightmare aboutg this before? Or was it a memory?
Memories caught up with her as she was suddenly consumed by the need to run, to escape, to hide from an invisible enemy, a predator out there. She glanced at the sky, suddenly feeling so much smaller. Was she wearing a floral jersey? She owned one when she was a child. What? Seven, eight? Above her head, she saw the explosions. The Chitauri attackingt he city again.
"No. Not again. Dad. Dad!"
Agitated, Kate realized it was harder to breath. She was clenching her teeth now, pushing her whole body forward as she tried to move, to hide, to do anything.
The games are over now.
She recognized that voice well.
It was Wilson Fisk's shadow that made everything seem so much darker now. How had Kate not seen him practically tower over her? Before she could duck, move, attempt to grab at one of her arrows in her quiver, Fisk closed his hands tightly around her throat, squeezing.
Mommy is not here to help you this time.
"G-Get off me!!"
no subject
Date: 2025-06-09 12:00 pm (UTC)Mary's voice carried in his head, cold and sad. 'That's what we have in common, isn't it? It's better for us to be alone. Safer for others. And for us.'
Matt turned back towards her. He couldn't deny she had a point when Kate was literally now in turmoil because of him. Again. "You can bring the whole world to its knees to keep you safe?"
"No?" Mary shrugged. "Maybe not." Her head tilted as she studied him. "You've changed, Devil. I can sense it. There's something broken in here..." she placed a hand over his heart. Matt felt the icy coldness of her touch pierce through him. One moment ago it had been pure fire. "You're leaking. Just like I am. It's all around you. It's probably on her, too. Can't you tell?"
Matt shoved Mary's hand away roughly, her velvet-coated laugh rattling in his bones. "I'm trying to help this city. You're just collecting collateral damage."
"I didn't ask this girl to come, Devil," Mary reminded him. "So you have a choice now, it seems. Run to her, or save him." She waved her hand back at the man on the ground, clawing at his face. He wouldn't last much longer. She gave Matt a sideways look. "You talk and talk about sacrifice, about doing the right thing. What happens when it's not so clear? When what's inside of you knows that?"
He took out his billy club and hit her hard across the face. Mary stumbled back a few steps and laughed, licking the blood on her lip. With a flick of her hand she threw Matt against a nearby building. On the ground, demons and monsters danced over him, flickering and full of fire. They ate and bit at him, those ghosts from the past. When he lifted his head, the figure he sensed in front of him was...
... no.
Foggy's scent. Foggy's voice. It knelt down in front of him. "Make a choice, buddy. Just don't make it the wrong one again, okay? After all, I believed in you, and-"
With a roar Matt hit the face of his best friend. Getting to his feet, he savagely pummeled it. Mary as Foggy seemed to be soaking in his rage and anger - and hopefully, with her focus on him this much, it lessened her hold on those around her. Like Kate. Matt prayed she was strong enough to break free while he distracted Mary.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-09 12:50 pm (UTC)It was the weight on her legs that gave in first. Suddenly, she surprised herself as her knee jerked inwards, almost shaking her awake from the spell. What followed was barely a gasp. Almost as if she had reached the tiniest pocket of air, Kate managed to breath. With whatever strenght she had left, she kicked Fisk between the legs and off herself. he doubled over and disappeared, letting Kate run through him as the darkness disappeared, that alley suddenly clear to her eyes again.
And there she saw him. Daredevil. Some redhead and a man down on the floor.
"D!"
Looking back, Kate managed to avoid the few tendrils that still stood tall, turning towards her like a sunflower searching for the light. Grabbing her bow, she ducked as those tendrils attempted to touch her again, reaching into her quiver to pull out one of ther trick arrows and point it at Mary.
"Get off him!"
The arrow flew right past Matt, hitting Mary square on her shoulder and zapping her with an electric shock.