bullet soul.

He was persistent. Nora would give him that much. There came a point though when persistent bordered on annoying, and Foggy Nelson was extremely close to crossing that border. She didn't really understand why he didn't seem capable of taking no for an answer, she didn't think she was anything special and she was sure that, if he asked her roommate or one of the other women in the complex out they'd say yes, but for whatever reason, he kept coming back. It wasn't like there was much she could do to avoid him though, he lived in the apartment straight across the hall from hers, and she was capable of saying no but she wasn't capable of being a bitch, not completely anyway. Even if she did try to avoid him, she was sure that he'd find a way to ensure that they ran into each other. This week seemed to be record breaking though. It had been nearly four days now since she'd seen him last. It was strange to say the least, and, if she was being completely honest here, she sort of missed him, even if his persistence was starting to get annoying. She'd just grown used to it.

---

Matt had known Emma for years. He and Foggy had become extremely close friends with her in college, and their friendship had lasted into full-blown adulthood. Full-blown adulthood was kind of stretching it though when one had Foggy Nelson around, at least, he thought so anyway, and he was certain that Emma would agree. He sometimes worried about Emma though. With the more recent knowledge he had acquired about the Hell's Kitchen area, he obviously knew more of what danger was out there than she, or anyone else for that matter, knew about. He could only hope that he would keep her out of harm's way. That's why he hadn't revealed who he was to her. If he did, the chance of her getting hurt would increase immensely, and he didn't know what he would do if she, or anyone else he cared about, got hurt. He'd surely blame himself.

Foggy hadn't exactly lied to Matt and Karen about going to get coffee. He was going to get coffee. Eventually. After he went to go see a very specific, cute, blonde girl. Karen had said something about cooling it for awhile, and he had. For four days, to be exact. And Foggy Nelson was not planning on going a day longer. Four days was far more than enough. Which is why he had just happened to remember that he needed a file from home before he went to grab a coffee. It's not like they were really busy, anyways. So the second he bounded up the final flight of stairs to his floor, he paused. He ran a hand through his hair before walking over to her door, hesitating just a second before knocking on it. He just hoped that she was there. And that she didn't ignore him.

---

Hell's Kitchen wasn't the best place for a girl to be walking by herself, but she figured that she was close enough to Matt and Foggy's office. She dug around in her pocket for her phone, almost catching a heel in a crack in the sidewalk. She dialed Matt's number from memory, pausing just a second before crossing the street. She lifted the phone to hear ear, hoping that he'd pick up. She was hoping that they could grab dinner, maybe even throw Foggy into the mix. If he wasn't hanging around that girl that he was always talking about, that is. Maybe they could grab take out, instead. Pad Thai sounded perfect at that point. She faltered as she reached the other side of the street, not liking how empty it suddenly was. Matt just really needed to pick up his phone.

Maybe Nora had spoken to soon. All she knew was that, one second she enjoying her day off from work with a nice cup of tea and catching up on what she'd missed the week prior on New Girl, she was a sucker for a good comedy, and the next she was answering her door and finding none other than Foggy Nelson standing there. Crossing her arms, she quirked a brow in his direction. "Shouldn't you be at work?" She asked. He was the last person she'd expected to find at her door in the middle of the day on a Tuesday, though she shouldn't really be all that surprised. After all, he had proved that he could be overly persistent when need be.

---

Matt knew that Foggy was lying about going to get coffee, though he obviously hadn't made that fact known. Even without his heightened abilities, he could have figured that one out. Foggy wasn't exactly the best liar to begin with, and it was fairly obvious that his friend wasn't following Karen's advice and giving it a rest for a while. He was going to see the girl who lived across the hall, Nora Matt thought her name was. Foggy had been talking about her for months now ever since she'd moved into the apartment complex. Apparently she had a habit of turning his friend down constantly, though, to be fair, Foggy was asking her out constantly as well. Of course, someone actually had to try to get some work done around the firm, and that was precisely what Matt was trying to do when his phone went off, alerting him that Emma was calling. "Good afternoon, you've reached the law offices of Nelson and Murdock, how can I help you?" His tone was teasing as he obviously knew it was her calling.

Foggy gave her a grin. "Are you memorizing my work schedule? That's a little creepy, Nora." He was going to ask her. Just get the words out and ask her. "Look, I know that I'm probably ten seconds away from annoying you, but all I'm asking is a single night. Not even an entire night. A couple of hours, a couple of beers. That's it. Give me that, and I swear on every single heavenly being that there is that I will stop bugging you." He looked down at her, waiting for a response. His heart was pounding harder than normal. He didn't know what it was about this girl, but he just wanted to get to know her more. And what was the harm of a couple of beers? Hell, he could down a couple in less than an hour if he wanted to. He couldn't think of a single reason as to why they couldn't just do that. "One date, and then I'm gone. Until we awkwardly run into each other in the hall."

---

Emma rolled her eyes the second he picked up. "You. Me. Pad thai. Tonight?" She didn't even bother addressing what he'd said. He knew it was her. He always knew it was her. Hell, he knew it was her the second she walked into a room. She always thought that it was kind of weird. Foggy, however, claimed that Matt was simply psychic most of the time. Although there had been the one time when they had all been drunk, and Foggy had declared that Matt could probably smell her perfume from a mile away. She kept walking down the sidewalk, ignoring the uneasy pit that was forming in her stomach. "I'm just really craving some pad thai, you know?" She was fine. She'd walked down this street plenty of times, even when there were a couple of seedy looking guys around. That was totally normal.

Nora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course he would say something along those lines. Though she'd spent most of the time turning him down, she still seemed to have figured Foggy Nelson out. To a certain extent anyway. "It's mid-afternoon on a Tuesday. Most people are at work right now." She countered, arms still crossed and a highly unamused expression on her face. She was silent after that, knowing all too well what was coming next. "What makes you think that asking me to grab a couple of beers with you is any different than you asking me to get coffee with you or to get dinner or go to the movies?" She questioned. "Better yet, why are you so hellbent on convincing me to say yes in the first place?"

---

Matt grinned slightly, knowing Emma enough to know that she'd probably rolled her eyes. He'd just known her that long and he knew her that well. She was definitely one of his closest friends, and that was why he was so worried about her getting hurt because of who he was. He didn't know what he'd do if she got hurt, or worse. He didn't want to think about that right now though. Everything was fine, she was okay. He didn't have to worry about it too much. "You know I'll never turn down Pad thai." He said, leaning back in his chair. "I should be finishing up here in the next hour or so and then I'm all yours for the evening."

Foggy shook his head. "Most people, but not you. So therefore, what's to say that I'm not working either? C'mon Nora, admit it. You're a little bit interested in my schedule," he said, shooting her an easy grin. He wasn't quite sure how to convince her to go out with him, but dammit, he was determined. "Because you can pick where we go, we have a beer, if you're not interested, we go our separate ways. Plus, if I'm that bad, you can get wasted," he said with a shrug. "Dinner and movies is too long if we hate each other, and coffee is too boring. Beer is a good choice." He hesitated at that one, unsure as to how to answer. "Because tomorrow we could wake up and there be aliens outside wanting to kill us all, and the Avengers could be busy. Might as well try something before the ceiling caves in." He paused. "And you're cute."

---

"Good, because I wasn't taking no for an answer," she replied, laughing softly. She glanced behind her briefly, biting back a frown. She was almost positive that two guys were tailing her. When she was sixteen, she'd been mugged. Ever since then, she'd made sure to take every single class that she could find about counter-surveillance. Maybe she was paranoid, but she refused to be a victim again. She bit her lip, unsure of her next move. She didn't want to worry Matt in case it was nothing, but she also knew that someone should know where she was. "Matt? I uh, I think I'm being followed," she breathed out, making sure to keep her tone light. They were far enough away that they shouldn't be able to hear her, but in case they could, she could at least pretend to have not said anything.

"Judging by your outfit choice I'm going to have to say otherwise." Nora countered easily, ignoring the latter part of what he'd said. She wasn't interested in his schedule, and she highly doubted he wore a suit and tie on his days off. She also knew that he was just being a smart ass. She knew enough about him through their short conversations they had here and there, enough to somewhat have his personality figured out anyway. "The Avengers are going to be too busy to handle another alien invasion?" She quirked a brow. Maybe he did have a good point there though...she supposed it could happen. And, even if it wasn't an alien invasion, there was obviously more to the world than anyone ever really expected there to be. It was hard to know what was going to be thrown at them next. She let out a soft sigh. She didn't know why she was doing this, but she was. "Alright, fine. One beer and that's it." She agreed, feeling a bit defeated.

---

Matt chuckled softly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you." He said, a small grin on his face. He had work he should be doing, but he didn't want to cut the conversation off with Emma so soon. Even if he was going to see her later on, he didn't mind talking to her now as well. He liked talking to her actually. Quite a bit. Her next words caused the smile on his face to turn into a frown. He was up and getting ready to leave before he was even saying anything. "Where are you?" He asked as he headed towards the door, ignoring the questioning look he was sure that Karen was sending his way. "Just stay on the line with me, Em."

Foggy shrugged. "Maybe I just like to dress nicely," he responded, giving her a quick grin. "Who knows? Remember when that city practically fell out of the sky? What if there had been an invasion? What would we have done then?" He planned on having an answer for everything, although he knew that there were only so many quick answers available before he had to actually think about what he was going to say. He was mentally preparing another whole monologue to convince her when he paused. Did she actually agree? "Just to clarify, a beer with me, right? Preferably tonight? I just want to get all the facts straight, in case I need to convince you some more," he said, giving her a quick grin. Even if she didn't look that enthused, he had a feeling that it was going to work out.

---

Emma made herself walk normally. The longer she could pretend that she didn't notice anything, the longer they'd wait to nab her. If that's what they were going after, that is. She hoped she was just being paranoid. "West 44th? I think? Near that convenience store that got held up the other week?" She was too distracted to wonder just what he was doing. He was blind, for crying out loud. She tried to sneak another glance behind her, and noticed that they were starting to speed up. "Matt, they're getting closer." Her voice was shaking then. She tried not to show it, but it was getting harder. It was getting harder to breathe normally, too. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure that's it." Nora said, sarcasm dripping from her words. This time, she didn't resist the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn't believe she was agreeing to this. It was only one beer though, like he said, and, if she truly wasn't enjoying herself, he'd let her go. What did she really have to lose other than maybe an hour of her time? Not much. And, if it would get him to finally stop asking her out, it was a win on her part. "We would have been screwed, I guess." She said, punctuating her words with a slight shrug of her shoulders. She didn't really know. These were all hypotheticals they were talking here anyway, so it wasn't like there was an actual answer. No one really knew exactly what would have happened if an actual alien invasion had happened. Hopefully, they would never know firsthand. "No, I was actually thinking of having one with my cat." Again with the sarcasm. "I hope you realize I'm only agreeing to this so that you'll leave me alone afterwards."

---

Matt's worst nightmare was coming true. He didn't know if the people following her were working for Fisk, but there was a really good possibility that they were. He needed to get to her before they did. He knew that the odds weren't great, but he just couldn't let anything happen to Emma. He wouldn't forgive himself if something did. This is why he hadn't told her who he really was, he was protecting her, but it seemed as though he couldn't even do that right. "Just---just stay on the phone with me, Emma. Keep walking. I'll be there as soon as I can, but what's important is that you stay on the phone with me, okay?" He was trying to stay calm, but it was proving to be a lot more difficult than he could have possibly ever anticipated.

Foggy gave a shrug of his shoulders, grinning as she spoke. It really didn't matter how sarcastic she was being at this point, because she had agreed for some reason, and it didn't really matter. Because they were going for a beer. Karen wasn't going to believe this. "I know exactly why you're agreeing. But just try to have an open mind, okay? I'm honestly not that bad, according to my friends." Just as long as said friends weren't at the same bar that they were at, everything would be fine. He knew for a fact that Matt would take every opportunity to embarrass him in front of her, all in the name of getting back at him for college. It hadn't been Foggy's fault that he'd accidentally walked in on Matt and women. He'd suggested the sock thing, but Matt said no, so therefore, it wasn't Foggy's fault. "So do you have any preference as to what bar?"

---

Emma was having a hard time hearing him as he spoke. Her pulse was pounding in her ears and she honestly had no idea what to do. What if they had guns? Oh God, she shouldn't have thought about that. "You're blind, Matt," she muttered, suddenly realizing that he was actually planning on finding her. And that's when they made their move. Just as she passed an alleyway - there was no originality in their plan - she felt a hand on her arm, and the barrel of a gun shoved into her back. "Turn, now," a voice growled as the second person grabbed her phone, pressing the end button the second it was out of her hands. She let out an involuntary whimper as they headed down the alley.

"I'll be the judge of that." Nora said simply, not a hint of sarcasm in her words this time around. That was her telling the truth. Maybe his friends didn't think he was that bad, and they obviously knew him better than she did, but that was the point, wasn't it? She didn't really know him past him being her pain in the ass neighbor who was constantly trying to ask her out. She was giving him a chance in the hopes that he'd stop afterwards, so yes, she wasn't expecting much out of this other than some free alcohol. "Not really."

---

"I'm going to find you, Emma, I promise. Just stay on the phone." Matt told her. He knew exactly where she was talking about, he just hoped that he would get there in time. He frowned though when he didn't receive a response. "Emma? Emma, can you hear me? Stay on the phone, Em--" The call ended. God dammit. They'd gotten to her. If she ended up getting hurt, or worse, he wasn't going to ever forgive himself. He picked up the pace a bit, hoping beyond belief that he'd still manage to get there in time.

Foggy just gave her a grin to that. He was happy with any chance that she would give him, even if she thought that nothing would come out of it. And maybe nothing would, but that was beside the point. She was giving him a chance. "I know this great bar, Josie's?" It's not much, but I've been going there for years. It's not too far from here, either. Did you want to meet there? Around six, maybe?" Okay, Josie's wasn't the greatest bar ever, but it had been home to Nelson and Murdock ever since they'd graduated.

---

"Keep a good grip on her arm," one of the men growled, causing the other to tighten his fingers. Emma let out an involuntary whimper, praying to God that she wouldn't die. She wasn't the most religious person, but she tried to go to confession a couple times a month. "Fisk wants you nice and alive." At that, she froze. The other night, she and Karen had hung around the office after the guys left, planning on getting some dinner just the two of them. And Karen had started talking about Fisk, and just what he was capable of. "No, no. You're not - You have the wrong person."

Nora nodded. "Alright, I'll meet you there at six." She said. She really wasn't expecting to get much out of this, but she was giving him a chance which was clearly what he really wanted. He wouldn't have continued to ask her out if that wasn't the case. Hopefully, because she wasn't expecting there to be a next time after tonight, he'd keep to his word and stop bothering her after that. That was what she was hoping for.

---

Matt was panicking. He knew that was probably the last thing he should be doing, but this was Emma for Christ's sake. She and Foggy had been the closest thing he had to family since they were in college. He couldn't let something happen to her. Keeping everything from her, it was all so that he could protect her and keep her safe, and, apparently, he couldn't even do that. He just hoped he wouldn't be too late. If he was, he'd find her, and, regardless of whether or not this was Fisk's doing, he'd get back at whoever had gone after her in the first place.

[Did you want to skip to their date for these two?]

"Six. Josie's. Got it," Foggy said, struggling to keep from grinning. The last thing he wanted to do was freak her out. He just had to play it cool and keep it together long enough to at least pretend that he was normal. It's what he did with Matt, anyway. And by the time Matt realized just how annoying Foggy could be at times, it was too late. "I will see you there, then." Karen was not going to believe this. He hadn't ever really thought past trying to get her to say yes. And now that was here, he didn't have a plan beyond beer.

---

"Right person, actually. Your old dad has some debts to settle, and we were told to find you." Emma felt her back hit the brick wall, the jarring sting slamming through her body. She shook her head, a hundred thoughts running through her head at once. "No, no. He doesn't - he wouldn't - wrong person." The grip on her arm tightened as the second guy pulled out a knife. A knife and a gun. Great. "Emma Cooper, editor at New York Magazine. Lives alone, one dog. Need me to say your address?" He said, shoving his face right in front of hers. "Now you're going to keep quiet, or this is going to hurt a lot more."

[Yeah, sure! Sorry if my posts are a bit slow...trying to plan a trip up to Salem, Mass. for Columbus Day weekend with my friends, haha.]

Nora really hoped that this didn't end up being a complete waste of her time. Granted, she still wasn't expecting much of an outcome, and she was getting free beer out of it, but it would just serve to be more of an annoyance than anything else if it was a waste of her time. Nevertheless, she got ready, and was out the door by 5:45. She figured fifteen minutes would give her enough time to find Josie's. It sounded familiar, though she'd never actually been there before. Once she found the place, it was just a minute or two before six. She might not be too early, but she was punctual, and that was what mattered.

---

Matt knew that panicking wasn't going to do him any good at all. Instead, he tried to focus, listening intently on the different sounds in the city. He found Emma quickly and was able to pinpoint the exact alleyway she was in. And going off of the conversation he was hearing, he'd been right. Fisk was behind this. He honestly hadn't expected anyone else and he hoped that, by the time he got there, they'd still be there. He was fast, but he wasn't sure he was that fast. Thankfully, Emma had still been in Hell's Kitchen. If she'd been somewhere else in the city, he doubted he would get there in time. With this, there was still a chance. It was slim, but it was enough to motivate him.

[No worries! ]

Foggy had been a ball of energy ever since he had returned back from 'getting coffee'. Karen hadn't even had to ask, instead just shaking her head and grinning. So the second that it turned 5:50, he was out the door, yelling to Karen to tell Matt that he would work late tomorrow night. He felt like he was going to throw up, but in a good way. He hadn't been this excited in awhile, not since the whole weird fling with Marci, although he didn't really want to think about that. When he finally turned the corner, he couldn't help but grin, spotting Nora a couple feet in front of him. "Nora, hey," he called out, offering her a quick smile.

---

Emma tried to jerk her body in an attempt to get away, but it was no use. "Stop. Moving," the man growled, squeezing her arm tight. "We're just going to do enough damage to get the message to daddy, understand? You yell, and it'll be worse." She tried to keep her mouth, but the second the blade hit her screen, she cried out, tears pricking at her eyes. "No, no, no," she whimpered, the pain instantly hitting her. "Please, please. I'll do anything, just stop. Please," she begged, her back digging into the brick even more as she tried to shrink away from them.

Nora glanced behind her when she heard someone call out her name. "Hey." She said, pausing momentarily so that he could catch up to her. He was only a few feet behind her, so it didn't take him long at all. "Did you come straight from work, or wait, I forgot, you just like wearing a suit and tie 24/7." She wasn't being a bitch this time around, she was going to try to be nice. She figured that she could at least give him that much in addition to agreeing to grab a beer with him. "So this is Josie's, huh?"

---

In his haste to get to Emma, he'd somehow managed to grab his mask. He couldn't have her recognizing him, not straight away at least. Hopefully, she wouldn't recognize him at all and he could just let the man in the mask be the one to save her then make up some sort of an excuse as to why he, Matt Murdock, hadn't gotten there fast enough. He recalled what she'd said moments before the phone call had disconnected. He was blind. She'd probably been wondering what he could have possibly done in this situation. If she was in danger now, without her knowing his actual identity, he didn't want to think what kind of danger she'd be in then as well. Deciding to use the element of surprise to his advantage, he was planning on dropping down from the fire escape, maybe taking out one or two of the men in the process. Once he got there, he realized that there were more men there than he'd originally anticipated. He'd dealt with worse though.

Foggy hurried forward, giving her a warm smile as he approached her. "I actually sleep in this. My actual suit is being washed," he fired back, giving her a quick grin. "I did just come from work, though, to clarify. And this is it. She's not much, but the beer is pretty good and it's usually not crowded," he said, heading towards the door. He held it open for her, wanting to be a gentleman. To be totally honest, he just wanted her to know that there was more to him than the pain in the ass that wouldn't let her alone. Some called him annoying, but he just preferred persistent.

---

Emma could feel the knife against her arm. The pain was making it hard to focus, but she could - barely. She let her body sag for a second or two, waiting for him to lift the blade. He did slowly, getting ready to make a second cut when she moved. She jerked her knee up, getting him right in the groin. The surprise of the movement caught the second one off guard long enough for him to loosen his grip, just enough for her to wrench away. She shot forward, trying to get away when the second one ran at her, slamming her into the wall. "All he said was to not to kill you," he growled in her ear, pinning her down. "That leaves a lot for interpretation."

Nora couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh at his words. "Charming." She said, shaking her head slightly. "I knew you didn't have a day off. And as long as the beer's good, that's all I care about." She told him. She was somewhat surprised when he held the door open for her. Maybe it was because she only knew him as her annoying neighbor, but he'd certainly caught her off guard. With a slight smile, she stepped inside.

---

Matt waited a few seconds. He needed to time this exactly right. It was killing them though. Emma was getting hurt just a few feet below him and he hadn't done anything yet, but he was going to act soon, he just needed to time it perfectly...and then one of the men was pinning her down, and his words sent even more anger coursing through his veins. Without even a second thought, he'd jumped down, taken down one of them men who had been standing a bit of a ways back with ease.