Log: Alison and Daredevil

[x-daredevil.livejournal.com]

Alison needs to be more careful in the city. Daredevil likes pop music.



When he wasn't at Xavier's, Matt spent his nights patrolling his neighborhood. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Daredevil. And people wondered why he thought going to Westchester was such a vacation. Even having to telecommute to work, he was able to spend time on himself and on sleeping and the other fun things he could do if he didn't do this.

But, he did do this. And he wouldn't give it up for the world. He hadn't started intending to become Daredevil, intending to become a vigilante. It had all fallen into place though and where ever the point of no return was, he had passed it some time ago and hadn't even noticed until he was too far gone to look back and see it. So be it.

Standing on the roof of an apartment complex, Daredevil reached out with his senses to survey the evening and the people in it. ....There. Huh. Moving to the other side of the building, he realized he knew that heartbeat. It was someone from Xavier's. Alison Blaire. That was unexpected, especially since it wasn't one of his fellow masked friends or his brother.

To say Alison's day had been 'relatively poor' would have been a generous understatement at best. What part of 'finished' was Tyler not getting? She didn't care he was her old manager anymore. She was done with that world, and no amount of begging or overpriced food from some restaurant she'd never heard of in Hell's Kitchen would convince her to come back. The sooner he realized he needed to quit asking, the less painful this would all be for everyone.

Alison had stormed out of the restaurant as politely as she could, struggling desperately to retain a line between a put-upon adult idol and a child throwing a tantrum. She was far too angry to head back to the mansion; plus, she'd probably jump down some poor cabbie's throat and that was just entirely out of the question for her image. But she hadn't been sleeping well, and she'd stupidly left her image inducer back at the mansion so that wasn't even an option.

So instead she was trying to finally work out some of this energy that she'd been unable to fight past. She'd run through streets and alleyways and past buildings. There was always a taxi around. She'd be able to find her way back to wherever she wanted to eventually. So she ran.

She should have just stayed in bed, she thought as she tore off down the street. Today was just not shaping up to be her day.

"Hey little lady, where you going so fast?" a guy asked, stepping in front of her and forcing Alison to stop suddenly. Two more guys approached from behind and the side in the alleyway. "Pretty thing like you shouldn't have to be running away. Let us protect you," it was clear that no wasn't an acceptable answer.

What, again?! This was the second time in a month she'd been cornered by some creeps in some alleyway in the dark. She never had to deal with this sort of thing back when she was an idol. It's like leaving had put some big glowing neon sign above her head that said "Hey, come mug me! I'm definitely defenseless!"

Or maybe she should stop storming around major cities at night. That would also probably be a good idea.

These three didn't look so tough. Definitely not bright, that was for certain. They were probably those annoying types of people that were always held off by whatever bodyguard her agency insisted she needed. She reached into her back pocket and slowly started to pull out her music player. "Now, now, boys. There's no need for this." As soon as the music started she'd blast the first one with the stupid look on his face. The other two were too far away to go after her directly.

This was going to be easy, and with any luck it'd be exactly what she needed.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and that heady rush she so often attributed to being on stage began to sing in her veins.

Screw easy, this was going to be fun. "I'm certain we can come to an... understanding." And she hit play.

Reaching for her purse, the first guy made to grab it, but Daredevil was on patrol that night and this was his city and more importantly, his neighborhood. Hell's Kitchen might not have the best of anything, but it tried and it was home. He didn't like it when people gave his home a bad name. This was an alley on the border of the neighborhood, but it still counted and he wasn't really all that picky when it came to helping people. People needed help. That was it.

Dropping down from the rooftop, he immediately flew into action his movements a mix of various martial arts, a single kick knocking two of the wannabe-muggers out of the way and propelling him towards the last one who had the purse. The music the girl was playing helped his sonar, he really should thank her. Probably not. By the time he was done none of those boys would be going home happy or discreetly. He suspected several mothers would be demanding to know just how their babies had gotten those bruises and whatnot.

And just as Alison was about to move, some crazy in a red mask dropped from the building to her right and began to beat the hell out of the targets of her frustration. She was so taken aback by the turn of events, she didn't even remember to flood the alleyway with lights.

The nerve of some people.

With the would-be muggers scrambling away, Daredevil turned to Alison. "You alright, Alison? They didn't get your wallet or anything? You shouldn't be out alone like this."

"You..." She fished for the best word. "ASSHOLE!" Close enough.

And suddenly Alison was in her moment. Her blood sang. Everything was suddenly so strikingly vibrant and colorful and real. And she could hear, feel everything. And right now it was all focused on the jerk in front of her. "Do you have any idea how much I needed what you just stole from me? I have been going completely mad the last few days. I'm tired and anxious and can't stop moving and here was the perfect opportunity to let out some aggression. And you just took it from me! They were even asking for it! I just... Argh!" Alison threw her hands up, stomping around and gesturing wildly with her hands.

She had been so close. It was just... she didn't have words for how frustrated she was right now. So. Close.

Taking a step back, Daredevil wasn't expecting that. Maybe not gratitude, but he could practically feel the adrenaline and rage coming off her in waves. "I'm...sorry?" He replied, that not being a phrase Matt was used to uttering as Daredevil.

"Sorry?" she said slowly. "Oh, well. In that case, no, there's no problem at all. I mean, it's not like I've spent the past two weeks getting ready to jump down the throat of my classmates at school. It's not like I nearly punched the old man who asked me for directions the other day because I was so wired from being unable to sleep. It's not like I've screaming into a pillow in frustration at night and it's not like... it's not like... it's not..." She was panted, and put a hand to her eye.

Why was she so lightheaded? "It's not..." Did the ground just fall away? Or did she stumble? Had she stumbled towards the streets? Is that why the traffic sounded so loud? "It's... It's not like I can just..."

The buildings loomed overhead like a tunnel. The ground sloped like a mountain. And suddenly she was in a tunnel.

That was the wrong thing to say. He let her rant, after all, how would he know any of that either as Daredevil or as Matt Murdock? He was only at the school for a couple days a week and he wasn't exactly good friends with a 16 year old girl. She clearly needed to get it all out though.

"Alison?" he asked, darting forward to catch her before she fell. Her heart rate was slowing and so was her breathing, but not dangerously so. Stepping back further into the alleyway, he held her in his arms for a minute, hoping she would wake up on her own. If she stayed out for too long he would need to call the school about this and get her to a doctor.

Alison's eyes fluttered open again. "I'm okay..." she slurred, pushing herself back to her feet. "I'm okay..." she said, a bit more normally. She put her head in her hands. Ugh, what a night.

Crap. It wasn't like he could just go walk into the local convenience store and get her a bottle of water and a granola bar. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked, not letting her get up yet.

"I just came from dinner," she said. That pulsing, thundering sound was still all around her. She felt just like she'd come off a particularly energetic concert. She took a few deep breaths, and the thundering receded.

Her heartbeat. What that really what that had been? Some of the feeling came back into her legs. "I'm fine, now." She paused, and looked down. "Thanks." Her voice was very quiet.

As her heartbeat steadied, Daredevil carefully let her stand, still supporting her in case she fell. "You should call someone to come get you. Don't take the subway. And you should get some gatorade or something similar. Electrolytes. Do you need money?"

Alison attempted to look around. "Those men... did they get my purse?" Her eyes were still a little too crossed to see properly. "If not, I'll be okay."

"No, it's right here," on the ground, which wasn't so clean, but he wasn't concerned about her purse cleanliness compared to her. "The guy dropped it as he ran." Smart mugger.

Alison clamped her eyes shut and gave her head one final shake. Yeah, definitely back on familiar ground at this point. "Thanks. Then yes, I can make it back on my own. I'll head to a corner store and then catch a taxi." She paused, and looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, I'll be okay from here."

Matt wanted to say more, wanted to instruct her to text him and let him know she got back okay, but that would mean giving up his secret identity and he wasn't quite sure he was ready for that yet. Instead, he decided he would text her from the burner phone later to check on her. "Be careful," he admonished, stepping back to let her go. "And be safe."

She bent down and picked up her music player. It was fine (thank god!). "I always am." When she looked back up, the strange man was gone. The smiled, and began to put one foot in front of the other. "I always am."