24. dont mess with me

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My job with Castle wasn't finished. Dreykov can wait. I killed the Widows so I have some time to figure it all out. I still had some rage left so I did something I should've not done. I headed to Karens place and climbed through her window. She was asleep. All I needed was those files.

I walked quietly around her small apartment and looked in the kitchen. The files were spread out on her table. I picked some up and read them. I read his scans, his medical papers, crime scene photos. I took pictures and i left before Karen woke up.

I got out my computer and got to work. This guy means business. His work was messy and doesn't miss. I called River to get a map of the hospital that Castle was in and to leave it outside my door.

"Hey." River comes in and looks around the place. His eyes widen as he got a look at me. He dropped his backpack. "When Matt said you were beat up, I didn't know that bad." He comes up to me and tries to hold my arm but I backed up.

"River." I pushed him to the door, checking behind me. "You're not supposed to be here." I reached out for the map but he steps back. He wants answers.

"Who? And you better not say nobody, because the place says otherwise."

"Dreykov. Hes back and certainly much alive." I sat down on my couch. "I need you to stay away from me until this is over. Just hang out upstairs at Matts, pretend you're buddies i dont care. Just pretend you dont know me. I can't have you die, not on me." I kinda hoping that Dreykov didn't know how River looks like, its been years and he changed.

"You know I cant do that."

"This isn't up for discussion River!" I snapped back. "I cant have the people I love die because of me. I need to do this alone." As I got up, River drops the floor plan on my table and I placed my hand on his cheek. His eyes were filled with worry and sadness. "Forgive me. I just cant do that to you, i cant lose another person i love." River didn't say a word, grabbing his backpack and left. I pulled my face back with frustration. Am I doing the right thing?

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I scanned the floor plan of the hospital and put some stuff in a bag and head my way there. I tried my best to disguise myself, i went all out, stole some scrubs from a room and walked out. The plan was imprinted in my head, i know which room im supposed to go, where he is held, everything. I just had to play along. One shot and thats all. Dont mess this up. Well, im too talented to mess up. Besides the point.

I fixed my scrubs and head to the front desk and stole a nurses badge to get me in to rooms. Lets hope she didn't need that. I stayed all day at the wing, seeing who leaves to the forbidden floor where they were hold Castle, what times, what they bring. The same guy walks into the room to get Castle's dinner, I followed him.

"What are you doing here? Are you cleared to be here?" He turns to me and carries a tray of food.

"Uhh Cal said to take over, you go home and take a break." He looks at me weird as I slowly took the tray from him. He wasn't falling for it. I didn't want to but, I hit him and he falls back. I hid his body behind the table and made my way to the elevator. I need to see how far I can go in, maybe I don't need to do plan a. Officers, SWAT, detectives were everywhere on the floor. They had guns, metal detectors, batons, you name it. I need to do Plan A instead. Its too much eyes. A officer stops me.

"Wheres Derek?" He asked me as he scans the tray.

"Went home, took his place." He checks the card, luckily there was no ID picture. He nods his head. He lets me through and I walked more into the hallway. I stood the door, this is it, but one officer grabs the tray and takes it somewhere else. As I walked back, I remembered the room number and headed up the floor and locked myself in a room. I took off the scrubs as i had my suit under it. I crawled into the air vent and head over to Castles room. "Damn, im getting too old for this." I pant as I crawled in the tiny space.

"Eat up shithead." One officer said to Castle, throwing his food at him. I waited for the coast was clear and opened the vent. Frank watched me as I jumped down and dusted myself off.

"Dusty up there. Highly don't recommend." He frowns at me. "Hello Frank Castle." He didn't say a word, he just stares, looking at the door. "Sorry, its not my greatest entrance, it was the only plan I had."

"Who the hell are you?" I rolled my eyes as I walked forward to the man in cuffs.

"Where are my manners! Hi, Im the Red Widow." He stares me down again. This man sure does have a staring problem. "Fine! Im Devon Hobbs."

"What do you want from me?"

"I like you, always straight to the point." I crossed over the taped line that went around him. "I just want to chat, one on one. No daredevil, just the punisher and the widow." I looked at the food that was on his lap. "You going to eat that? Im starving!" I grabbed a cookie from him. "I was eyeing this when I came to drop this off." Castle hasn't said a thing. "Not a fan of chocolate chip? Its better than oatmeal raisin i gotta say myself. But my luck, i always get them. They look the same you know?" I sat down on the edge of the bed, eating.

"Im not going to 'chat' with you, not after you almost killed me on the roof." My jaw dropped and so did my cookie. I got up and started puffing.

"But I didnt! You're alive and well..." i looked at his beat up face. "Alive. I could've but I was shot at, and you fell down the roof. And! Remember I saved your ass twice! One, when you blew up the dogs of hell bikes and two! When we saved you from the irish! What im not hearing is a thank you. I don't do this for fun you know." He scuffs at my comment. "You are so grumpy. You remind me of a grumpy old man."

"How about you shut up and kill me already, your voice is driving me crazy."

"Uhh ouch." I scuffed. "Im not here to kill you, im here to talk. Assassins honor." I crossed my heart. "I have no weapons." I look down at my widow bites. "Look at me, oops. But I did cross my heart." I sat back down. "Are you seriously not going to eat? My momma used to say that if you don't eat, you're in love. Are you Frankie? Are you in love with the daredevil?" He still didn't say a word. I was doing all the talking. "Frankie, if I wanted to kill you-"

"You wouldve done it already." I smiled at him. "Dont call me Frankie."

"It suits you." I looked more at his tray. "Can I?" I pointed at the macaroni and cheese. He looks away. Guess thats a yes. "My sister Yelena is in love with this stuff. Kraft mac and cheese was her favorite. Always wanted to eat that for dinner when we were kids. I was more of a dinosaur chicken nugget kind of gal."

"Why are you here?"

"I was bored, thought you needed a buddy." Castle shakes his head.

"Are you in the Russian mafia?" I busted out laughing, throwing my head back and forth, covering my smile.

"Ah good one!" He wasnt laughing. "Oh you were serious? No im not. Well, I spent some time in Russia but no. I met them though, amateurs."

"Like you?"

"Whats with the tension? Why so mean to me Frankie?"

"I dont think you came all the way down here to talk about dinosaur nuggets. Doesn't seem very cold blooded vigilante of you."

"And look whos talking." I laughed again. "Dont you just love the names they come up for us? I got the lady in red, cold blooded vigilante, Crazy woman with batons." I clapped my hands. Frank wasn't with it again. Cheer up my man. "You are grumpy but also funny Frank Castle."

"Why do you keep saying my name like you know me."

"Because I know a lot about you." I leaned in closer to him. "Your real name is Francis David Castiglione, Sr. Was a former force recon marine, now a dumbass with a gun vigilante. And sadly, family gone, Maria Elizabeth Castle, Lisa and Frank Jr, from a shooting and only has the scar to remember their tragic deaths by." I put my finger on his head, showing off the scar. He tries to move to choke me but again, tried. "Im going to get to the point now because I have about 5 minutes." It was now serious time. "You killed the Irish mob at the bar, they were going to tell me everything about my fathers death, i tracked them for months, and because of you, my leads are gone and Im at zero. I really want to kill you for the headache i have but I guess I have a heart."

"Sorry for not asking you. They deserve it, they all did!"

"Because of you, my mother still cries herself to sleep, my brother blames himself for not being there and I had to watch my father die in my arms. What you don't understand Frank, the pain you caused. Its not all about you. I will watch your every move, everywhere you turn i will be there." I heard walkies on and footsteps coming this way. I stood up and got ready to go back in the vent. "Thanks for cookie, really." I stopped myself and looked down at him. He watched me as I closed my eyes. "And Frank Castle, if you ever get in my way again, I will not hesitate to kill you this time." I hopped up and left just as the police came in to see who was talking.

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I sat on the roof ledge, dangling my legs as I waited for the daredevil, or should I say Mike. I need to ask him something, i need to know. I heard him coming behind me and I got up.

"Had a girl waiting, how charming." I head my way to him. "I was thinking you left me for someone else."

"Had other problems, you aren't the only one that wants my attention." I laughed. "We need to talk."

"We sure do." I turned to look at the city. Beautiful actually. The lights, the scene, all so pretty. "The night where I was going to kill Castle, at the docks, you know anything about the shootings?"

"Reyes. I've heard that all shots were meant for the Punisher and for you, me." The womans head snap at the man. "She heard about you being here, you have quite a rep."

"What can I say, Im famous."

"80 countries? Thats why Reyes wants to arrest you, to make her look good. She doesn't care if she takes you in alive or dead. Dani," he grabs her arm. "This is no joke. They will take you down."

"Its more like 96." She corrected him. "Not if I take them down first." She yanks her arm back. "Reyes is at the bottom of my list right now. Let her come at me, shes the least of my problems right now." He shushed her. "Dont shush me." He grabs her and the hide behind a wall. The Devil pulls the Widow to him, covering her mouth. She tried to get out of his grip until they heard someone come up. Police. Her back touched his chest, breathing heavily.

"Anyone up here?" The light flashes. It took about a second for him to turn it off. "False alarm, tell them next time to not waste our time." The officer shuts the door and she pushes him off of her.

"Have you handle your problems yet?"

"Some of it, but I got it. No need for the daredevil to come to the rescue." Dani pins Mike against the wall and warns him. "Do not come after these people, they don't hesitate."

"I trust you."

"Why?"

"You want to change, i know. You're done with the life you used to live by." She backs up. "Thats why you didn't kill the rest of the Irish when we saved Castle."

"Thats just creepy, honestly." She sighs and walks away. He goes back to her. She sensed something about Mike was up. Familiar actually. It bugged her, she didn't know why. "Take it easy Devil Boy."

"What did you say?" She patted his cheek and hops down the roof and heads back to her place to stay up all night, making sure Dreykov wasn't coming back to kill her in her sleep. A chair facing every entrance she can manage to see, a gun with one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other.

AN:
Heyyyy! Thanks so much for the support! Glad you all are enjoying! You can tell that Alexi raised Devon lmao. Okay but, Frank and Devon would make such a amazing duo. Also!!! Devon is going to meet Elektra next chapter!! So excited!! Eros has been mention a few times and Im struggling with a face claim between Robert Pattinson or Steven Yeun.