12. dead

🕸

"You're back." Matt said as I was going to walk inside the building we shared. "I thought you were just ignoring us."

"Yeah, im sorry. Ive been focusing on myself." A total lie.

"Im glad you're doing better." We both walked up. "I was getting scared."

"You shouldn't be."

"I want to." We stood outside of my door, waiting what else to say.

"Hey, uh this is so random but, my mom is throwing a party that she's been organizing for months now and its going to be a tribute for my dad, I would like for you, Karen and Foggy to come, if you guys are free."

"We're in. Ill tell them." I played with my hair and looked at him. He gotten worse then before. What does he do? I placed my hand on his eyebrow. "This, you don't have to worry about me."

"I do."

"Im a big boy, you don't have to worry. What I do worry is about you." He placed his hand on my chin, he feels the cuts. "What happened?"

"Crazy night at the office." He sighs. "Im a big girl." He grabs my hands. "The party is at the penthouse, ill send the address later."

"You're going to be there, right?" I got closer to him.

"Of course." I opened my door and walked in, i set my suit in a box and slide it under my bed and started to get ready. My mom need extra hands so I had to hurry up.

The house was all in white, photos of my dad and all. She thought it would be nice to celebrate his life rather than weep. So everyone he was friends with were coming. Including uncle Wilson. I ran around as the party went on, making sure Matt and them were on the list, checking if appetizers were stocked, wine.

"Mom is pissed." River whispers to me and we turn to see her yelling at the helpers because they got the drapes wrong and we eeked. "This is-" we flinched as she embarrassed him even more by yelling and storming out.

"Oh boy." She was making her way to start checking on everyone and we walked different ways so we wont be the ones being yelled at. So i went to the front, checking if Matt, Foggy and Karen were on the list again and ready to go.

"Okay people its starts now!" My mom yells and then everyone started showing up. The three of us had to put on a smile, greeting everyone, thanking them for coming. It felt like thousands of people, we got to enjoy the night. I stood by the back, watching, sipping on wine. Three familiar faces walked in, in shocked and in awe. I gave my glass to the waiter and walked up to them.

"You came!" I stood in front of them. They look so happy to finally see me as they were surrounded by older, grumpy, rich people. "Seriously guys, thanks for coming."

"Thanks for the invitation. Looks elegant." Foggy smiles. My mom and River walked up to us.

"Mom, River, these are my friends, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page and Matt Murdock." They shook hands.

"Im glad you all are here for Devon. Its been a tough couple of weeks." My mom smiles at them. "Robert was the one to kept us from falling apart. He was actually a funny guy. Do you know the meaning of Devons name?" My eyes widen and so did Rivers. Oh no. "So, Devon was supposed to be a boy, and we already got everything down and when she popped out, we decided to keep it." My face turns red. "Devon was Roberts uncle, he took care of him, taught him of everything he knew. Anyways, so we had to do their middle names, Robert was a big Star Wars fan, and he named them River Luke and Devon Leia." River cringed at the names as I tried so hard not to explode. The three were chuckling. "Oh excuse me." She walks away.

"Your dad had great taste." Foggy tells us.

"He was gonna name us Chip and Dale, don't know which is worse." River sighs. "Enjoy yeah?" I made them follow me to an area where we were to ourselves and not bothered by the guest.

"That was embarrassing." I gave them drinks as the waiter comes by, grabbing them by the tray.

"You look amazing by the way. Wow." Karen looks at me, staring at my red silk dress.

"Thanks." As we got crowded by more people, we were trying to move, making Karen bump into a waiter, the wine bottle falling. I managed to catch it before it hit the ground without anyone noticing.

"Great catch Dev." Foggy steps back. Matts hand was there too but I managed to get it first. He stares ahead and looked puzzled. "Shall we?" He pointed out to an open spot. Karen and Foggy made their way as Matt and I walked behind.

"You look handsome Mr. Murdock." I whispered to his ear and he smirks. He placed his hand on my lower back, sending goosebumps up my spine. He touched the dress, smirking. "Like the dress?"

"Maybe."

"You know where it'll look better?" He hums. I was going to answer until Fisk comes up, following behind him was Wesley, the same man with the hawk tattoo and a woman by his side. "Uncle Wilson." Matts hand slides down and grabs mine. "This is my uncle, Wilson Fisk."

"Nice to meet you..."

"Matthew Murdock." They shook hands. The air was thick and was oddly feeling some tension from Matt. I cleared my throat and i noticed he came back from his thoughts.

"May I steal her for a brief moment?" Matt lets me go and we head to the side.

"What? Why is he here?" I pointed at the guy with the tattoo. "Im not doing-"

"This is Kazi, my niece, Maya." He introduced me. Maya started to sign to me saying that she was glad to meet me in person and I signed back saying that it was nice to meet her as well. "Tonight is about your father, no work. You relax and enjoy what your father made." I eyed Kazi as he did the same to me. "Now listen, i wanted to thank for what you did last night, I knew I can trust you."

"I always get the job done, now excuse me. Please, enjoy." I escorted myself out and headed back to Matt. "Sorry about that."

"You know Fisk?" He questions me.

"Hes a family friend, my father and him go way back." I grabbed his arm. "Hey, you okay?" He nods. I placed my hand on his cheek. "Matt?"

"Im okay." He places his hand ontop of mine. "No need to worry."

🕸

I walked home with Matt, his jacket wrapped over my shoulders, keeping me warm. He got less tense as I was with him all night. I don't know why but I didn't want to push. He stops by the front of our building.

"Not coming?" I asked as I made it to the door, looking back at him.

"I have to get something from the office." He looks down. I walked down the steps and looked at him. "Dont."

"What?"

"You're going to say that you have a surprise for me, then i will come to your place and-" i kisses his jaw, losing his train of thought.

"Are you sure you dont me to go with you?" I whispered to him.

"You get some sleep, I will see you tomorrow." I played with his tie and pouted my lip. "Devon."

"Fine. Only because you will see me tomorrow. Good night."

"Uh Devon?" I hummed as he turns to me. "I like the dress, how did you know I like silk?" I bit the inside of my cheek.

"I just knew." I headed up and opened my door. I draped the suit over my couch, kicking off my heels, tossing them to the side.

"The green hair looked better." I jumped, grabbing the gun from the coffee table and pointed at the silhouette in the shadows. She put her hands up and I growled.

"Natasha." I spat.

"Devon." She steps closer to me. Just a finger on the trigger and shes gone. Anger flooded me. "Im not here to fight."

"Good, its gonna be easy to kill you." I kicked her in her stomach and fought her. She hit her side on my table and groan and had no other choice to fight back. She blocked my hits but I flipped her, crashing into my coffee table, breaking it. She moans in pain and gives her a second. Natasha grabs my dress and rips it and I got mad, doing a cartwheel and kicking her again. "This is my favorite dress!"

"Stop!" We both grabbed blankets and started to wrap each other's throats with them, choking. Our faces turned red and Natasha taps out, now I did. I coughed and stayed away from her. "Good to see you too." I went to my room and changed into some shorts and a shirt. "Looks like you had a nice night, who was the guy?"

"Why do you care all of the sudden? Why are you here?" I stood in front of her, crossing my arms.

"I saw on the news that theres a vigilante in Hell's Kitchen, called the Red Widow." She rubs her neck. "Know anything bout that?"

"Shocker." I walked away from her, entering the kitchen. "I didn't know Red Widow went international."

"Devon, im serious, are you back?" I slammed my hands on the countertop and looked at her.

"Why do you care? So what im back? Thats my business not yours." She sighs.

"They're blaming murders on you. You cant do that."

"I haven't killed anyone." I shook my head, not true. "I killed a couple, injured 4, thats it. But im doing my job."

"Your job? What will that be? This seems below your pay grade."

"Dont worry about it. You work with the Avengers now, worry about that. You seem to care about them more than you did to Yelena and I." I threw out as I walked away again from her. "Why are you here Natasha? Ever thought maybe I dont want to see you? Because I really dont. I still hate you." She looks down, hurt. "You're going to cry? Are you? Come on Natasha."

"I do. I never stopped."

"You were supposed to take care of us, and you lied. We never forgave you. Now, get out before I actually kill you." I turned my back to her, sipping my drink.

"I was trying to protect you! You never listen do you?" She laughs. "Soon as I heard that they been naming a new face to the vigilante group, Red Widow, i knew that you will get hurt and that you're wanted, imagine the price for your head."

"You're not too special either, you too are wanted. You just got lucky that you had an out. Tell me, do your avenger friends know you blew up a hospital?" She looks at me angry. "They don't know the real Natasha like I do."

"Does Matt Murdock know that you killed the minister's family? Including their two-" i pushed her against the wall. I was now pissed that one, she knows Matt, and two brought that up.

"You're dead to me. Don't ever bring him into this, do you hear me!" I got up in her face. "I should kill you now!"

"Like you did to me years ago?"

"Get out!" I pushed her away from me. "Dont ever contact me again." She had no second thought and she heads to my door.

"Now that you're home, I just wanted to let you know that Dreykov's dead. I killed him. So, stop being scared and be free now that hes gone. Just if you're back as the Red Widow, you're not the monster Dreykov made you to be, you can be something more." She walks out and shuts the door. My mind left free. Hes dead? No. Hes really dead. I sat on my bed and stared at the ripped photo of us three that Natasha gave us the night we were taken. We're so young and happy. Natasha with her blue hair, me with green and Yelena with messy curly hair, smiling at the camera. I miss those days.

🕸

"No..." Natasha looks at me with disbelief, shaking her head and about to cry. "Devon..." She whispers my name. "What have they done to you?"

"Nothing, this is who I really am." I pointed my gun at her. She sticks her arms out, protecting herself.

"No, you're not like this. You're Devon Hobbs, my sister, the one who loves frogs, the one who loves watching cartoons whenever we made the table, the one who made-"

"Funny, sounds like you're speaking about 9 year old me." She backs up as I stepped forward. "You never cared, you never did."

"I do! I wish i came back for you and Yelena."

"Dont say her name, you don't deserve to use it after what you did."

"Devon, hes controlling you, you don't have to be Dreykov's weapon anymore, if you come with me, you can be back with your family." My emotionless face didn't change. She comes up to me, placing her hand on my cheek. "This isn't you, you don't deserve this pain." Tears came running down my face.

"I dont want to live like this anymore Natasha." I sobbed. "I want to go home."

"I know." She placed her forehead on mine. Natasha gasps as I stabbed her on her stomach. She looks at me, stopped crying, emotionless again. I played her.

"You have no place in the world." I turned the knife inside her and she gasps more. Her bloody hand touched my cheek as i let go. Natasha falls back and lays there, gasping for air. I kneeled down, adding pressure on her chest with my knee. "You and your fantasies, you really think that I'll leave with you after what you done to me? To Yelena?" Her face turns red, trying to push me off. "You Natasha are a burden to us all." I stepped over her limp body. Natasha kept calling out me but I didn't turn back.