17. truth

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Ben Ulrich, a reporter from the newspaper passed away last night. The cause was someone broke in and choke him to death. Matt and Karen went and I was there to accompany them. Tears fell for the man. I held onto Matts arm as they brought the casket out, saying words from the Father. His wife was in tears, hurt to lose her husband. I twisted the pink flower they given me, waiting for my turn. Matt went to talk to the father and I head his way. He excused himself and head my way. Matt kisses my forehead and waited for Karen.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Im going to see my dad." They nodded. "Ill see you guys later."

"Are you sure you don't want company?" Matt asked me.

"No, ill be fine. Ill see you guys later." We went our different way and i head to my fathers stone. I looked down, Robert Hobbs, Father and Husband. Even though it was cold, I kneeled down and placed my forehead on his stone. "I will find them, i will hurt everyone who did this. I wished we had more time." I whispered to him. I stood up, placed my hand on the stone and walked away.

🕸

I went to meet Fisk later that night because we were going to meet Leland. I've decided to tell him it was all Leland that caused to hurt Vanessa at the benefit, not Wesley, that I couldn't find anything. Not the gun, nothing was left behind.

"Leland? Are you sure?" He asked me as we were in the car.

"I know a guilty man when I see one. Proof i dont have, but he was jumpy when you said to kill whoever did that." He hums. "Your call." He didn't say a word and we saw Leland already waiting for us outside the warehouse. We stepped out and head in.

"Senator Cherryh's cleared the last of the zoning hurdles... after squeezing us for another extra 10%. Bright side, you'll be able to build whatever you want on your properties now. Everyones been pid off, everyones on board. But we will need to find a replacement for Gaos heroin trade. Without it, we might have some off the books cash flow issues down the road." I walked behind them, listening.

"Whats the word on what happened with her?"

"Looks like shes in the wind. Wouldn't have expected it but maybe shes the ally we thought she was." Fisk grabs Lelands arm, stopping him.

"Maybe shes not." He hums. He pulls out papers from his jacket and showed to him.

"Whats this?" He takes the papers from him.

"I asked Wesley to transfer funds for me the night before we found him."

"I thought financials was my job."

"Yes, thats why I wanted you to have a look at these. Theres seem to be some irregularities with my accounts." Leland looks back at Fisk. Somethings up.

"Of course there are. I move money around all the time. Its a shell game to keep SEC off our backs, it's nothing." Leland hands the paper back to Fisk, shakeup. I looked at Fisk. The rat. Fisk holds his hand to make him stop shaking.

"Whys your hand shaking Leland?" I asked. He scoffs at me.

"Cause its freezing out here." There was sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Then why are you sweating?" He snaps at me, me already smiling because he knows that I know. I put my hand on my gun, ready whenever Fisk is. Fisk stops me.

"Alright, okay, Jesus. I figured you'd find out sooner or later. Whats a guy gonna do?" He was trying to play it off.

"Wesley found out, didn't he? He confronted you... and you shot him." Fisk was trying to make him confess since I told him everything. He was playing him.

"I have no idea what happened to Wesley, I wasn't a part of that."

"But you had something to do with the benefit didnt you? You and Gao?" Leland froze. Got him. "Shes gone and you're stealing from me." He shakes his head.

"Its not what you think."

"You tried to kill me."

"The poisonings at the benefit were just to make it look like someone was trying to get at you. But you were never the target." He confessed. Fisk was mad.

"Vanessa?" He growls.

"Do you blame us? Just look at whats happened since you took up with her. You've been distracted, emotional, erratic. We just wanted to nudge you back on track. But, obviously that went south so..."

"And almost killing Vanessa was going to do the trick?" I laughed at him. "You really are asking for a death wish huh old man?"

"Nobody was talking to you Hobbs. Stay in your place. Your father would've killed the man in the mask if he was told to do so. But you decided to do the devils tango with him." I scuffed and was ready to kill him. "We will be parting ways and ill be taking half your assets with me."

"You think that i would let you walk away after what you done?" Fisk voice booms the empty place.

"That's exactly what you're gonna do. Because I have detective Hoffman." Wait until he finds out who I found thats in his life. "Hoffman never left the city after he murdered his partner in the hospital. I scooped him up, squirreled him away for a rainy day. If I don't check in every 24 hours, Hoffman gets dropped off to the feds, tells him all the shit hes been up to."

"Hoffman, hes...hes a frightened little worm. He would never risk going against me."

"Ten million buys a lot of courage. He thinks hes going into witness protection, get the money on the other side. Now i know youll get to him before he cashes in. But by then the damage will already have been done...and everything you've been fighting so hard for will come tumbling down."

"Yeah but you would get caught up in that as well."

"Ive spent my entire life...hiding assets overseas for pricks like you. My son and I will be just another transaction. Disappearing into the tax exempt ether. But im a fair sort. Thats why im only taking half your money. You go your way, i go mine. Not whats id call win win. But its as close as we're gonna get with this. So...we on the same page?" It took Fisk a moment to gather his words. I was ready, i wanted to kill him.

"No." Fisk looks at me. "I dont think we are!" He punches Leland in the face. "Devon, kill him." I grabbed my batons from my back and extended them.

"Pleasure." I hit Lelands legs, making him fall. He pulls out his taser but i kicked it out of his hands. He had a scared look on his face. He was no match.

"You hurt her! You hurt Vanessa!" Fisk yells from afar. Every step I took, Leland stepped back. I grabbed him and pulled him close to me, putting my knife on his neck.

"I paid your son a visit." Leland hits my arm to make me let him go. He kept saying no. That was my bait, i did find his son, I did threaten him, shaken him up a bit. I didn't kill him though. "Lee was it? What a nice guy, gets it from mom i guess. Hes in Queens. Such as shame that ill kill him to."

"Leave him out of this." He chokes out.

"You should've thought about the consequences before you did this." I sliced his throat and kicked him into a elevator shaft. Fisk and I looked down at the man. Fisk turns and looks at me and the other bodyguard.

"Sweep the city, Find Hoffman and put a bullet in his head."

🕸

Days passed, Hoffman was found and gave the statements to the feds, told them everything. I found out through Matt. Word was that they're looking for the Red Widow, so I hid. Well, Red Widow is in hiding until further notice. I met with Fisk since they're arresting everyone that's involved with him.

"I need to know." I yelled at him as I stepped into his apartment. "Does anyone know who I am?"

"No!" He shouts. "You need to stay low. I cant have them arrest you. You cant be seen with me."

"Promise me that they won't go after my family. What about my father hm?" He looks out the window. "Fisk I swear-"

"They wont." He said.

"You never gave me anything on his death. Where my cut?" I spat with my accent, i was mad.

"You'll have-"

"We had a deal!" He quickly turns and raises his hand. I backed up, closing my eyes, waiting for the hit.

"You need to go before they're here." I grabbed my jacket and stared at him. "Irish gang." I stopped and turned around. "Start with them." I didn't say a word and head home. I passed the time as they recorded the arrests on TV.

🕸

River came by as Devon asked him to come. He was worried. He hasn't spoken to her in weeks since the whole beat up accident. He knocks on the door and the siblings stood in-front of each other. Devon awkwardly smiles as he sees her face all cut and bruised again. He stands there, sad about how he sees his sister like this. River just wants to see her not hurt, stop thinking if she got taken again.

"Ive been wanting to tell you something for a long time." Devon speaks with already cracks in her voice. "17 years ago, i was living with a family, a fake one in Ohio. I had two sisters, a mom and a dad. We played the part for three years until one day our fake mom and dad were caught and we had to flee. I was supposed to go home after the 3 years but I ended up in Cuba." Devon brushes her hair back and shows off the ear that was missing a piece. "SHEILD agents shot at the plane I was on and I was shot here." Devon takes a moment. "When I got to Cuba, I was taken, same with my sisters. We were trafficked and sent to a place called the Red Room, where we trained to be killers." Rivers guard fell. "During those years i lost myself, doing things that you cant imagine. That is why i cant sleep at night, thats why im so secretive, thats why I don't so affection." Devon tried not cry. Taking deep breaths and finally speaking in her accent and telling someone about this. "They call me the Red Widow." She opens the box with her suits and showed him. River touches the suit and looks up at her. "I never meant to hurt anyone." River comes up to his sister and nods.

"You are my sister. Thats all that matters. You didn't have a choice." He whispers to her.

"Ive killed. I have no remorse. I worked with Fisk, he made me killed them." He shushes her. "River-"

"Your secret is safe with me. I wont say a word. Not to mom, not anyone."

"Im sorry." Devon kept repeating. River holds her. He understood everything now. She was so young, everything was taken from her. But he'll never know the pain and the suffering she went through.

🕸

I stood with Karen and holding Matts hand as Foggy puts up the sign for the Law Firm. I came by to support the lawyers, especially my boyfriend.

"Daredevil." Karen said as she read the newspaper. "Thats what they're calling him now. The man in the mask."

"I dont know, sounds hot. I mean its way better naming him those long ass names. This is simple, daring." I said as I leaned against Matt.

"Daredevil? Sounds like hes gonna jump Snake River Canyon on his rocket cycle." We all chuckled at Foggys comment.

"It kinda does doesnt it?" Matt agrees.

"Okay okay. I thought it was a bit goofy at first but it kinda grows on you. Its better than the Devil of Hells Kitchen anyways."

"Not wrong there."

"I cant believe its the same guy who beat up those Russians when they tried to attack me." I said. "What a upgrade. Good for him."

"I dont know. I think the horns are a bit much."

"You think?" I looked over Karen's shoulder to look at the front page. "He looks good, i like it. Dont mind it."

"Oooo Someone has a crush." Karen sings.

"Should I be worried?" Matt whispers to my ear and I chuckled and nudged his arm.

"There! Done!" Foggy takes a step back and shows off the sign. "Thanks again to the lovely and beautiful Devon Hobbs for donating the lovely sign in her honor and believing in us." I bowed and Matt steps up to touch it. "What do you think?"

"I think im glad I fished it out of the trash." I frowned and looked at Foggy, he shakes his head.

"Nelson and Murdock. Avocados at Law." I chuckled and Karen was confused.

"You told her!"

"Avocados?"

"Its a long story." Foggy checks his watch and picks up his briefcase. "Which I do not have time to tell you. Promised Marci id help her find a new job since most of the partners at Landman and Zack are under indictment." Matt stands by me and hold my hand again.

"Oh? You two getting back together?"

"No. I don't know." He blushes. "Maybe. And what about this? Do i hear wedding bells?" He pointed at me and Matt.

"No wedding bells, yet." I blushed and looked down. "But yes, we are together." Matt lifts his arm to show us holding hands.

"Took him forever but." I played around and kissed his cheek. "Hes mine." Matt turns and smiles at me. "I wouldn't ask for anything more."

"You guys are so cute it makes me want to throw up." Foggy ruins the moment, we laughed again.

"Thank Marci for us. For everything She did to bring Fisk down."

"Fisk still needs to go to trial. Just getting a court date on a case this big could take a year."

"That long?"

"Hes where he belongs. Thats all that matters and we out him there."

"Yeah we did."

"Im proud of you guys." I told them. "Hell of a sign."

"Now all we need are clients."

"One day at a time partner. One day at a time." Foggy walks away and leave Karen, Matt and I standing there. Karen walks into the building and now leave me and Matt.

"Time for work Mr. Murdock." I fixed his tie.

"Hey Dev." He whispers to me and i hummed in response. "Theres been something in your voice. Its been there for a while. I thought whatever it was, whatevers been... I thought it would get better once Fisk was put away, but.. it hasn't, has it?" The way he can read me was scary.

"Its nothing. Its just im getting used to this life again, with my dad gone, finally talking with River, seeing a familiar face, im trying to figure out everything. Hopefully it can go back to normal. But you here, with me, thats good enough." He rubs my hand, ready to part ways for the day. I stepped closer and gave him a kiss. "Ill see you later yeah?"

"Dinner at my place." I nod and let go of his hand as I left for work.