Foggy stayed at Matt’s apartment for almost a week. Time moved differently when he took the drugs the doctor left for him. He wasn’t sure he remembered it all, either. He knew the doctor came back, checking on his progress, taking blood samples to be tested.
Matt had to tell him more than once how that night had gone.
Matt had known Owlsley was behind the benefit poisoning. “His heartrate slowed down when people started collapsing,” Matt said. “He relaxed.” He’d gone directly to Owlsley, and they’d negotiated Owlsley’s support for Matt’s strike against Fisk.
Wesley had theorized that Matt, Frank, and Elektra had conspired with Foggy to poison the benefit. He’d ordered some of Fisk’s security team to kill Frank first, but Frank had escaped. He and Elektra had found Matt with Owlsley, which was when Matt had picked up Foggy’s voicemail. Matt had wanted to go after Foggy himself (“I swear, I did.”), but Elektra had convinced him that Wesley was expecting that, and they’d sent Frank instead.
Elektra and Matt had gone to Metro General, and cut down Fisk and his security team. Matt had paid off a doctor to declare Fisk’s death a heart attack.
“What about Vanessa?” Foggy had asked.
“She didn’t make it,” Matt had said. Foggy never asked what that meant.
Taking over from Fisk meant that Matt spent long hours away from Foggy. He’d kiss Foggy goodbye, and come back with news.
Owlsley had thrown his support behind Matt, making most of Fisk’s allies fall in line, since they followed the money.
Landman had tried to turn state’s evidence, and Matt had had two of his crooked cops beat him within an inch of his life. He was in Metro General, with a guard on him who would see that he left New York for his abrupt retirement.
Zack had promoted Marci. “I had nothing to do with that,” Matt said.
Donovan had seen the writing on the wall, and fled to Harlem. Matt had cut a deal with Cornell Stokes, who had delivered Donovan’s body, with his compliments.
Matt came home one night with blood on his shirt cuffs.
“Van Lunt got what was coming to him,” he said. Foggy didn’t smile, just nodded.
“You should come into the office tomorrow,” Matt said one night, as Foggy curled against him. “I…I need you to help me hold it together. I can’t…I can’t do it on my own.”
Matt was gone in the morning when Foggy woke up, so he made his way into the office on his own. His body ached, but he could keep himself upright, at least. He sank into his office chair with a groan, and opened up his email to see one from Matt.
“When you get in, come up to my office,” it said.
Foggy stepped out into the corridor and peered through the door, but Matt’s office was empty. He went back into his office, and was about to type a response, when his brain caught up with him.
Fisk’s old office was now Matt’s.
Foggy took the elevator up, and found Frank lounging outside the office, just as he’d been the day Foggy had arrived at Confed Global.
“He in there?” Foggy said.
“Yeah. Go right ahead,” Frank said.
Foggy pulled the door open and stepped inside.
Matt was sitting behind Fisk’s massive desk, the floor-to-ceiling view of New York behind him. The new Kingpin. He looked like he belonged there.
He smiled as Foggy closed the door.
“Hey, how are you doing?” he said.
“I’ve been better,” Foggy said. No point in lying to Matt.
“Come on, sit down.” Matt gestured at one of the chairs opposite him, and Foggy sank into it. Matt frowned as he heard Foggy sit.
“I’m fine,” Foggy said.
“No, you’re not.” Matt’s fingers twitched on the desktop, then he pushed a small pile across to Foggy. Files and what looked like two computer hard drives.
“What’s this?”
“Tying up loose ends,” Matt said.
Foggy put the hard drives to one side and opened the first file. It was the doctored document from Landman & Zack, the one Wesley had used what seemed a lifetime ago to blackmail Foggy. Foggy looked up at Matt, who was inscrutable. The second file was the real file, the one Foggy had put together, and given to Bonnie. The third made Foggy cough in shock. It contained documents for the transfer of ownership of the buildings on an entire city block, the one Foggy’s parents lived on, to Franklin Percy Nelson, dated yesterday.
“This…” He realized that Matt may not know which file he was holding. “The buildings. I can’t - this must be worth -“
“Millions,” Matt said, putting a pen down in front of Foggy.
Foggy picked up the pen, but didn’t sign. Not yet.
“What are the hard drives?” he said instead.
“Wesley’s office computer and home computer. Frank’s friend Micro’s gone through all his online accounts and scrubbed them of any pictures. And Frank destroyed his phone that night.” And Foggy understood. Any pictures Wesley had of him would be destroyed with the hard drives.
With three files and two hard drives, Matt was offering him his freedom, and enough wealth to do whatever he wanted with it.
He looked at the Landman & Zack files.
“Ask you a question?” he said.
“Anything,” Matt said.
“Why didn’t you kill me like Bonnie?”
Matt let out a long breath. “Because you’re smart. Really smart. You cut through Owlsley’s smokescreens in just a few weeks.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think that should go to waste.”
Foggy nodded. He tapped the pen against the desk.
“What happens if I sign these and walk out that door?” he said.
“I’d ask you to stay.”
“Ask?”
“Ask.” The air was thick with whatever was between them. “Please stay, Foggy,” Matt said quietly.
Foggy signed the transfer documents. There were a lot of them. He tried to add up the property values listed on the documents, but lost track when it hit eight figures. He carefully separated the copies, and pushed Matt’s across the desk to him. Matt put a hand on them, and Foggy let his gaze travel up Matt’s arm to his face.
Wesley had trapped him with threats and fear. He hadn’t had a choice. But whatever Matt thought, Foggy knew that he had just as little choice now. He’d fallen too far into this world, he’d seen too much about the dark side of humanity, and he had blood on his hands now. There was no new life that he could build that could erase any of it.
And Matt needed him.
“I’m guessing that Wesley’s old office is free?” Foggy said.
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to need my own assistant.”
“Right.” Matt looked a little stunned.
Foggy stood up and came around the desk, looking at the view.
“You should probably redecorate, too,” he said mildly. “You want this place to be about you, not him.”
“I’ll let you take charge on that,” Matt said, turning his chair to face Foggy.
“It’s really not fair that you get this view,” Foggy said, knocking on the glass. “Do you know how spectacular it is?”
Matt stood up and stood behind Foggy, putting his arms around Foggy’s waist.
“Tell me,” he whispered.
“You can see all the way downtown. The river’s on the right, and right now, it’s so bright in the sun. And the city’s just…glowing. All laid out in front of you.” He turned his head, and Matt brushed a kiss across his lips. “And you know what? All of it - it’s gonna be ours.”
***
Wow, I still can't quite believe that I managed this epic trash heap. Thanks, all of you who've commented here and over on Ao3, I've been reading them frantically, and you're all amazing!
If you missed the link, I've been posting on Ao3 here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8873407/chapters/20343787
There are some small stylistic edits, but nothing major.
Re: Fill - No Choice At All [11b/11]
Matt had to tell him more than once how that night had gone.
Matt had known Owlsley was behind the benefit poisoning. “His heartrate slowed down when people started collapsing,” Matt said. “He relaxed.” He’d gone directly to Owlsley, and they’d negotiated Owlsley’s support for Matt’s strike against Fisk.
Wesley had theorized that Matt, Frank, and Elektra had conspired with Foggy to poison the benefit. He’d ordered some of Fisk’s security team to kill Frank first, but Frank had escaped. He and Elektra had found Matt with Owlsley, which was when Matt had picked up Foggy’s voicemail. Matt had wanted to go after Foggy himself (“I swear, I did.”), but Elektra had convinced him that Wesley was expecting that, and they’d sent Frank instead.
Elektra and Matt had gone to Metro General, and cut down Fisk and his security team. Matt had paid off a doctor to declare Fisk’s death a heart attack.
“What about Vanessa?” Foggy had asked.
“She didn’t make it,” Matt had said. Foggy never asked what that meant.
Taking over from Fisk meant that Matt spent long hours away from Foggy. He’d kiss Foggy goodbye, and come back with news.
Owlsley had thrown his support behind Matt, making most of Fisk’s allies fall in line, since they followed the money.
Landman had tried to turn state’s evidence, and Matt had had two of his crooked cops beat him within an inch of his life. He was in Metro General, with a guard on him who would see that he left New York for his abrupt retirement.
Zack had promoted Marci. “I had nothing to do with that,” Matt said.
Donovan had seen the writing on the wall, and fled to Harlem. Matt had cut a deal with Cornell Stokes, who had delivered Donovan’s body, with his compliments.
Matt came home one night with blood on his shirt cuffs.
“Van Lunt got what was coming to him,” he said. Foggy didn’t smile, just nodded.
“You should come into the office tomorrow,” Matt said one night, as Foggy curled against him. “I…I need you to help me hold it together. I can’t…I can’t do it on my own.”
Matt was gone in the morning when Foggy woke up, so he made his way into the office on his own. His body ached, but he could keep himself upright, at least. He sank into his office chair with a groan, and opened up his email to see one from Matt.
“When you get in, come up to my office,” it said.
Foggy stepped out into the corridor and peered through the door, but Matt’s office was empty. He went back into his office, and was about to type a response, when his brain caught up with him.
Fisk’s old office was now Matt’s.
Foggy took the elevator up, and found Frank lounging outside the office, just as he’d been the day Foggy had arrived at Confed Global.
“He in there?” Foggy said.
“Yeah. Go right ahead,” Frank said.
Foggy pulled the door open and stepped inside.
Matt was sitting behind Fisk’s massive desk, the floor-to-ceiling view of New York behind him. The new Kingpin. He looked like he belonged there.
He smiled as Foggy closed the door.
“Hey, how are you doing?” he said.
“I’ve been better,” Foggy said. No point in lying to Matt.
“Come on, sit down.” Matt gestured at one of the chairs opposite him, and Foggy sank into it. Matt frowned as he heard Foggy sit.
“I’m fine,” Foggy said.
“No, you’re not.” Matt’s fingers twitched on the desktop, then he pushed a small pile across to Foggy. Files and what looked like two computer hard drives.
“What’s this?”
“Tying up loose ends,” Matt said.
Foggy put the hard drives to one side and opened the first file. It was the doctored document from Landman & Zack, the one Wesley had used what seemed a lifetime ago to blackmail Foggy. Foggy looked up at Matt, who was inscrutable. The second file was the real file, the one Foggy had put together, and given to Bonnie. The third made Foggy cough in shock. It contained documents for the transfer of ownership of the buildings on an entire city block, the one Foggy’s parents lived on, to Franklin Percy Nelson, dated yesterday.
“This…” He realized that Matt may not know which file he was holding. “The buildings. I can’t - this must be worth -“
“Millions,” Matt said, putting a pen down in front of Foggy.
Foggy picked up the pen, but didn’t sign. Not yet.
“What are the hard drives?” he said instead.
“Wesley’s office computer and home computer. Frank’s friend Micro’s gone through all his online accounts and scrubbed them of any pictures. And Frank destroyed his phone that night.” And Foggy understood. Any pictures Wesley had of him would be destroyed with the hard drives.
With three files and two hard drives, Matt was offering him his freedom, and enough wealth to do whatever he wanted with it.
He looked at the Landman & Zack files.
“Ask you a question?” he said.
“Anything,” Matt said.
“Why didn’t you kill me like Bonnie?”
Matt let out a long breath. “Because you’re smart. Really smart. You cut through Owlsley’s smokescreens in just a few weeks.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think that should go to waste.”
Foggy nodded. He tapped the pen against the desk.
“What happens if I sign these and walk out that door?” he said.
“I’d ask you to stay.”
“Ask?”
“Ask.” The air was thick with whatever was between them. “Please stay, Foggy,” Matt said quietly.
Foggy signed the transfer documents. There were a lot of them. He tried to add up the property values listed on the documents, but lost track when it hit eight figures. He carefully separated the copies, and pushed Matt’s across the desk to him. Matt put a hand on them, and Foggy let his gaze travel up Matt’s arm to his face.
Wesley had trapped him with threats and fear. He hadn’t had a choice. But whatever Matt thought, Foggy knew that he had just as little choice now. He’d fallen too far into this world, he’d seen too much about the dark side of humanity, and he had blood on his hands now. There was no new life that he could build that could erase any of it.
And Matt needed him.
“I’m guessing that Wesley’s old office is free?” Foggy said.
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to need my own assistant.”
“Right.” Matt looked a little stunned.
Foggy stood up and came around the desk, looking at the view.
“You should probably redecorate, too,” he said mildly. “You want this place to be about you, not him.”
“I’ll let you take charge on that,” Matt said, turning his chair to face Foggy.
“It’s really not fair that you get this view,” Foggy said, knocking on the glass. “Do you know how spectacular it is?”
Matt stood up and stood behind Foggy, putting his arms around Foggy’s waist.
“Tell me,” he whispered.
“You can see all the way downtown. The river’s on the right, and right now, it’s so bright in the sun. And the city’s just…glowing. All laid out in front of you.” He turned his head, and Matt brushed a kiss across his lips. “And you know what? All of it - it’s gonna be ours.”
***
Wow, I still can't quite believe that I managed this epic trash heap. Thanks, all of you who've commented here and over on Ao3, I've been reading them frantically, and you're all amazing!
If you missed the link, I've been posting on Ao3 here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8873407/chapters/20343787
There are some small stylistic edits, but nothing major.