Chapter 50
Matt leaned to the side, setting his phone on the bedside table where he'd be able to reach it after ending the call with Tony.
"What was he calling about?" Claire asked him quietly.
Kasey felt him shift slightly but stayed put, her grip, slightly tightening on his shirt until he had settled down again.
"Kasey's spider friends were worried about her, and wanted to come along when Tony drops by tomorrow." Matt gave a light shrug. "I'm not fond of having that many people around, but I think it would be good for her."
Claire chuckled with a grin. "You really have adopted her, huh?" Her tone was light and teasing.
"Not legally, at least." Matt shot back, but sported a playful grin.
She laughed a little bit. "I feel like that's just asking for a bet to start on how long that'll last- You know Foggy would start it!"
"Foggy wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I told him." Matt sighed out, turning his head in Claire's direction. "By the way, what were you doing out there before I woke up?"
"Oh! I was making some food for the two of you considering that you can't cook in your state and she hasn't eaten actual food for almost a day if not two-" She pointed out.
"She ran off without actually eating anything and was out for at least a few hours fighting and running around-"
Matt sucked in a sharp breath, wondering why he didn't notice earlier. He had completely forgotten about getting food for Kasey, and had Claire not shown up, it was likely he would've continued to have forgotten. "I didn't even think about making food..."
She smiled a bit. "You have had a lot going on. Hence why I'm here helping." She pointed out.
"Thank you, again. I wouldn't be able to do it without you." Matt told her, honest in what he said.
She chuckled. "Someone's gotta keep you alive." She replied. "You want me to bring it in here for you?" She asked. "I'm not entirely sure if she's gonna move anytime soon. So unless you want me to help you move her and take you to the living room, I'll bring it here."
"She should get something to eat too, and I have a feeling she won't leave if I don't so-" Matt pushed himself into a full up sitting position. "I suppose we should at least move around some time." He nudged Kasey lightly. "C'mon Kasey, up and at 'em."
When Matt started moving, she tightened her grip on him and pressed a little closer. A small whine was her response when he told her to get up.
Claire laughed a bit, watching her refuse to move from his side, let alone let go of him.
Matt nudged her again. "You can stay with me, but you should get some food in you. You haven't eaten for a while."
She was still for a moment before very reluctantly mumbling a quiet and tired, "M'kay..." She agreed, slowly pushing herself to sit up next to him, rubbing at her eyes.
Claire grinned. "You hungry?"
Kasey tilted her head towards Claire a little and realized how hungry she was and nodded slowly. "y-yeah..."
"Let's move to the table then." Matt told her, reaching for where he had set his crutch. He slowly stood up, making sure not to move too far from Kasey.
Kasey stood up and sleepily stuck to his side, a slight grip on the back of his shirt as she followed him.
Claire's smile stayed put while she stepped back out to the living room, trusting Kasey to help Matt if needed since she was so glued to his side. "I ran by the store since you really only have eggs and apples." She told him. "Hamburger helper sound good?"
She saw Kasey nod a bit. "Food good..." she mumbled.
"That actually sounds really good. I don't usually cook things like that. Mostly quick stuff." Matt responded, using his crutch as his main aid as he led Kasey to the table. He pulled a chair out for her first, before taking a seat in his own chair, with his leg outstretched to the side.
Kasey sat in the chair and when Matt sat down next to her, she leaned back against his arm, trying to stay awake. She was completely and totally wiped out from her multiple meltdowns.
Claire smiled at that while she dished them all a bowl.
"Thank you again, Claire." He had to admit, the food smelled delicious, as he didn't make many meals, and had gotten used to the normal scent of his apartment.
She just hummed softly in return as she brought their bowls over and went and got her own, sitting down across from them.
Kasey sat back up a bit, her senses having kicked in finally and smiled sleepily. "Thank you Claire."
She chuckled. "You both can thank me by actually resting and taking time to heal." She replied as Kasey started to eat, a happy hum coming from her as her system reminded her she hadn't eaten in so long-
Matt took the bowl, eternally grateful for Claire and her help. She had basically become the backbone of this situation. "I think I can actually rest, now that I've got the city covered." He spoke, eating a bit before explaining further. "Kasey might stick around and patrol once she's healed up."
Claire looked a bit surprised by that. "Wait, really?" She knew Matt was very protective of the city, hence him running out into trouble despite having just about died- So for him to actually imply he would stay and rest and let someone else handle it???
She smirked a bit. "Alright, who are you and what have you done with Matt Murdock?" She teased him.
Kasey wasn't paying much attention, focused on recharging her body for the time being.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I'm supposed to run out there even on a broken leg to fix the city every time I hear someone cry." Matt responded sarcastically.
"I trust Kasey with this. But don't be fooled, I'm still not happy that I can't go out there myself to work."
"Matt, you've literally had worse wounds than your leg that left you almost dead and you went right back out then, so forgive my disbelief." She replied, but glanced at Kasey who had perked up a bit, her head slightly tilted as she listened which made Claire laugh a little bit. "You gonna patrol the city then?" She asked Kasey.
Kasey nodded a bit. "Mhmm!" She had more or less finished her bowl already. "Need break from the tower..." She explained with a small shrug.
"Which we'll tell Tony about when he gets here. Whether he takes that lightly or not is up to him." Matt said with a shrug, working on the food in his bowl. He knew it was just some convenience food, but it was some of the best he'd had in a while.
Kasey made a slightly displeased hum, having forgotten that he was coming to get her. Or well... try to anyway. She wasn't about to go back to the tower with how things currently were. Only being allowed out with someone with her at all times...
Claire placed another bowl in front of Kasey which quickly grabbed her attention again and grinned at Claire as she started eating again. "I'm sure it'll be fine once you explain it to him." Claire reassured her.
Kasey scoffed and swallowed a bite. "Tony? Listening to something that isn't what he had planned? Good luck with that one..." She mumbled.
Matt frowned softly, having heard what Kasey had been going through earlier. He had planned on talking to Tony as well, probably not as Daredevil, but as Matt Murdock. "I'll try to talk some sense into him, too."
Kasey glanced at him. "Again, good luck... He has a habit of not listening completely or talking over people." She explained.
Matt finished his bowl of food, leaning slowly back on his chair. "I'll make him listen. I can't for sure say how, but I will."
Claire chuckled. "I mean, that's more or less what you do for a living, in both cases." She pointed out.
Kasey hummed a bit as she finished her bowl again and leaned back. She felt much more awake now and yet her body wanted to pass back out again. "It'll be an interesting talk if anything."
"You don't have to tell him if you don't want to." Matt pointed out. "You could just spend some time with your friends while Tony and I talk."
The realization dawned on him that he hadn't yet told her. "...right. Tony called earlier, to ask if it was alright if your two spider friends came down with him. I said it was okay."
Kasey was surprised by that. Two? Peter was coming too? Had they told him why she-... Tony said he didn't have a part in it so, did they not tell him either?
Claire frowned a bit. "You okay?" She asked Kasey, seeing how uncertain she suddenly seemed to become.
Kasey looked up towards her, a bit startled from her thoughts. "Wh- Oh-Uh, yeah just... thinking." She replied, running her hand through her hair. "I didn't uh... leave on the best of terms with Tony and Interweb..." She explained.
"I'm just... Anxious I guess. I don't know what Spidey does and doesn't know of the situation which might things more awkward and tense then they need to be-"
Matt put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. He didn't think her friends would so easily abandon her, especially after what she had gone through. "I don't think Tony or Interweb hold that against you. As for that Spiderman kid, I can't say if he did or didn't know."
Kasey had not expected Matt to refer to Peter like that and snorted a bit. "He would take offense to that," She told him with a grin as she laughed.
Claire chuckled. "At this rate I'm just gonna be the nurse for all the heroes, huh?"
"When he grows up I'll be sure to call him by the right name." Matt responded with a chuckle, before turning to Claire.
"You're more than qualified. If they had a hospital just for vigilantes and heroes, you would be the first nurse I'd recommend."
Kasey laughed a little louder at that, knowing Peter would be fussing right now about not being a kid.
Claire smiled, happy to see her laughing and relaxed as opposed to how she had been before looking at Matt. "Bold of you to assume I'd want to work there." She replied, a teasing tone to her voice. "I already have to tend to you two."
"Hey, at least you'd be getting paid to tend to us and any other poor soul who goes there. All I can offer you is a drink, and a good conversation." Matt retorted with a chuckle.
Claire hummed. "You make an appealing argument. But it's bold of you to assume it'll be able to pay me if none of the heroes can pay." She pointed out.
"If Tony owned it, you could." Kasey added in.
Matt turned his head towards Kasey, considering the idea. "Considering this is a hypothetical hospital, Tony could very well pay you for your troubles."
"Oh joy. Hypothetical money. Just what I need." She replied, a smirk on her face.
Kasey laughed a bit. "Hey! I'll have you know hypothetical money is part of our current currency!"
Claire actually laughed at that. "I- I can't even argue with that- Cause your technically right-"
"All that crypto crap they've got going on." Matt shook his head in disbelief. "Just a bunch of nonsense to me."
Claire sighed. "Oh tell me about it, I just haven't bothered even trying." She chuckled.
Kasey tilted her head a bit. She had heard talk of it but never really got it either. "I think Tony's talked about it a few times but I have no clue what he was on about-"
"You know, I'm not surprised. If anyone would know about that stuff it'd be Tony Stark." Matt said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Claire laughed. "Yeah- that sounds about right." She agreed.
Kasey hummed. "Some of my other friends have talked about it a bit too but again, I have no clue what any of it means." She crossed her arms and laid her head on the table.
She was still super drained from the past couple breakdowns.
Matt 'looked' over at Kasey, having heard her set her head on the table. "Still tired?" He asked. He had gotten a good amount of sleep, not the amount he needed, but enough to make it through the rest of the day.
She made a small hum of confirmation. "Food helped but I feel like I could sleep for the rest of the week." She replied. "But I guess that's what happens when you have like 5 breakdowns in the span of a day or so-"
"Yeah, that would do it." Matt nodded. "If you want to go back to bed, I'd be okay with that. You should get as much rest as you can."
She hummed a bit. "I'm fine here..." she responded, tiredly. Perhaps she shouldn't have laid down- now she was drifting off again.
Claire chuckled. "I'm not sure the table is the best place for that." She pointed out.
"...done weirder..." she mumbled back.
"I don't know if it's the most comfortable either." Matt commented, leaning forward on the table. "Do you at least want to move to the couch?"
She was quiet for a moment before nodding. "Mkay..." She mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes a bit.
"I'll be up for a while longer, Kasey." Matt told her, tapping the table lightly. "So if you need anything just ask."
She nodded a bit as she started to get up before hesitating a little bit. "...Come sit with me?" She asked quietly.
Claire smiled. "We can all move over to the couch and chairs." She offered.
Matt gave a shrug, and picked up his crutch again. "Sure, I'll sit with you if it makes you comfortable." Matt pushed himself up onto his crutch, holding an arm out for Kasey.
Kasey reached out and grabbed hold of it and stuck next to his side.
Claire stood up and took the dishes to the sink for them.
Matt felt bad about having Claire do all of that for him, even if he knew that he wouldn't have been able to himself. He led Kasey over to the couch, taking one side and propping his leg up on the coffee table.
Kasey sat down and curled up against his side again, without a single word and nearly instantly passed right out.
Claire watched them with a small laugh. "Looks like you won't be getting back up for a while-" She told Matt, a small teasing tone in her voice.
Matt felt her curl up against him, and listened as her breathing slowed. It seemed she had fallen asleep.
He let out a sigh. "I guess not. Looks like she was really wiped out."
"Like she said. 5 breakdowns in the span of a day? I would be too." Claire replied with a soft sigh. "Poor kid has clearly been through some stuff..."
A pitied expression crossed Matt's face. He really did feel bad for the girl, and it made him on edge to let her loose in the city on her own. He'd feel awful if something happened to her. "I just hope she can recover healthily from it all."
"Yeah... Let's just let her rest as much as she needs to for now and see how she's doing. And seeing as she's holding you captive, you might as well do so too." She replied.
"Here I was thinking I'd stay up the rest of the time." He kept an ear out for Kasey's breathing and heartbeat, content to hear that it was mostly normal for someone who was asleep. "Thank you again Claire, for all you've done for us."
"You're welcome. Now rest or I'll tell Foggy about how you have a kid now-" She teased him.
"You'd better not." Matt chuckled, even though in the back of his mind he believed she was sort of right. He hadn't planned on taking the girl under his wing, but that's how it happened.
"You know he'll figure it out eventually, right? If he hasn't already." She replied.
Kasey shifted a little bit but stayed pressed up against him with a small hum.
Claire laughed a little at that. "She's pretty glued to you, huh?"
"I know he will. I wouldn't want to lie to him anyway." Matt already felt bad enough about keeping Daredevil from Foggy for as long as he had, before telling him.
"I think there's some sort of separation anxiety that she has. Earlier, before I fell asleep the first time, her heartbeat spiked when she was leaving the room and she started... crying."
Claire frowned at that. "But she didn't say anything about it before that?"
Matt thought back, frowning to himself. "When I asked her why she was upset, she told me she was afraid of being alone, in fear that it would somehow stay that way."
Claire was quiet for a moment. "... And then she couldn't wake you..." She quietly pointed out. "and after having the fight with Stark and Interweb... she probably thought she was alone..." She crossed her arms with a small sigh.
"And if the breakdown was like what happened before? Who knows what her mind put her through..." She gave a small shake of her head.
She didn't deserve any of this... It angered and upset Claire that she had to go through it at all. Even if she didn't know the full story.
"I didn't want to put her through that, so I had her stay in my room. Which then led to me not waking up, and you know what happened next." He ran a hand through his hair, thinking over it all. He hated that he hadn't woken up, causing another breakdown.
"Matt... I think she would have had one either way..." she pointed out gently. "She didn't want to be alone but neither of you expected you not to wake up. You would have stayed up had you known."
Kasey shifted a bit when Matt moved but stayed asleep.
Matt turned his head slightly in Kasey's direction. That's why he wasn't planning to sleep so soon. His own senses had gone rampant after he woke up like that. "That's why I told her I'd be awake this time, while she rested."
Claire sighed softly. "Well, you can't just... not sleep." She pointed out before humming softly. "Maybe that's why she's sticking so close to you. She knows you're there, regardless of you being asleep or awake."
Matt stopped to consider this point. "You're probably right. She's basically been attached to my side since we brought her back from that alley."
Claire nodded a bit. "I don't know how you found her or what happened but whatever it was clearly made an impression on her." She glanced at Kasey who seemed so peacefully asleep. The opposite of early before Tony and Aurora came.
"She was on the edge, and I just helped to pull her back from it." Matt explained humbly.
Claire frowned at that in concern. "...She was about to do what we were worried about, wasn't she?"
Matt nodded reluctantly. "Unfortunately, I think she was. There was a man who kidnapped that girl Kassidy, and he also seemed to be a part of the corporation. I think she meant to kill him."
Claire sighed at that. "I don't necessarily blame her but I'm glad you got to her in time." She replied. "I can only imagine how hard it was to talk her out of it if he was from the place she escaped from..."
"It was difficult, but it seemed that trusting her with who I was helped a ton. There's still a lot to work on with her, but I think we might be able to make some headway." He explained.
Claire nodded at that. "Do... Do you think she'd try it again if she encountered another one of them?"
"I- I don't know. I'd like to think she wouldn't, but I'm not able to tell her. The most I can do is tell her better ways to deal with those situations." Matt thought aloud.
"Well, I guess we'd just have to hope for the best then... Especially if she's going to patrol the area when they are based here." She pointed out.
"I plan on giving her a full rundown on what I know, and some tips I've picked up along the way." He pointed out. "I don't want her going in without knowing anything about the place."
Claire nodded a bit. "That's a good idea. I'm sure she already knows some stuff just from being around Stark and the other spiders so that'll help."
"I don't doubt that. I just know people around here will be expecting me to be out there, and I know how roughed up I can get." He didn't think Kasey deserved more injury than she was already dealt. Even though she could probably handle a good amount.
Claire nodded. "Stark did say she has some enhanced healing... Speaking of, I should check her stitches when she gets up."
"Must be nice." He chuckled dryly. Things would be a lot smoother if he could heal quicker.
"I'm sure... but there's other problems that could possibly cause." She pointed out. "Like bullet wounds. If the bullet gets stuck, you have a smaller window of time to get it out."
"That wouldn't be great. Having to reopen a healed wound to dig out a bullet that was healed over." He grimaced.
She nodded. "Which makes me grateful the one she was hit with went through. It probably would've been pretty closed off when I was able to get to it."
Matt nodded, listening to Kasey again. "I hope she won't get too hurt while she's working here. Although, I would also be worried for whatever wrongdoers she comes across." He joked.
"Mmm. I saw some of how some of those guys were. I'd be worried for them too." She chuckled. "If for no other reason then being stuck for a couple hours."
Kasey was still sound asleep, not even stirring while they talked. She seemed happy to just be snuggled up against him.
Matt kept an arm tucked around Kasey, in an effort to somewhat let her know he was there, even if she was asleep. "Hey, being stuck would be a godsend compared to her going to town on the guys."
Claire laughed. "It really would." She agreed. "Though I'm sure it'd confuse the hell outta them."
"As long as they keep their traps shut afterwards, they will walk out of there a lot happier than if I would've found them." He chuckled, trying not to move a whole lot so he wouldn't wake Kasey.
Claire chuckled. "Really though, they honestly should be glad they have a bit of a break from being beaten half to death-" She teased him lightly. "Though I'm sure Kasey will if she has too-"
Kasey shifted a little bit but a small purr like hum came from her as she resituated against him which Claire tried very hard not to laugh too hard at.
"Oh I'm absolutely sure Kasey will if she has to-" He paused, waiting for Kasey to settle down before speaking again. "I can hear you trying not to laugh."
"She purred-" She replied, a grin on her face and a restrained laugh. "She purred, Matt-"
"Don't say a word to anyone-" Matt whisper-yelled, determined to not let that get out. He was okay with Foggy knowing about him practically adopting Kasey, but under no circumstances would he tell anyone that she purred.
She had a big grin on her face. "Maybe you'll consider listening to me when I tell you to rest then, hmm?" She teased him.
"Oh, you would-" Matt sighed. "To think. You'd stab me in the back after everything we've been through."
She snorted. "Call it payment for putting up with you all this time." She teased back.
"I suppose I can deal with that, especially since I can't really pay you normally." He wished he could, especially because of all the supplies she used on them.
"But I won't tell... For now at least." She grinned.
"You're awful." He cracked a smirk.
She chuckled. "You're the one running around in a devil costume." She pointed out, teasingly.
"But seriously, I'll be here if she wakes up and you're asleep. I can take care of her though I'm pretty sure as long as she's next to you, she'll be fine."
Matt was reluctant to fall asleep after what had happened, but having Claire there was a lot more comforting. "Fine, I'll try and get some more sleep."
She nodded. "I'll stay close by if you need anything." She promised him.
"Thank you Claire. Again." After he expressed his gratitude, he shifted so that he could lean his head on the back of the couch comfortably.
"Thank me when you're back on your feet properly." She replied with a small smile.
Kasey shifted a bit again when he shifted but another small hum came from her as she stayed asleep.
"I'll make sure to." He told her tiredly. It wasn't long before Matt had finally succumbed to sleep.
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