He is. Awful. But without him, my story would've ended there.
[ there's a carefulness there. he hates everything kingpin is, but they had come to an agreement. if that guy came here he'd probably space him right away. then again, the tenderness he'd felt upon seeing matt laying helpless in his own blood hadn't been expected. maybe he'd help fisk the same way in the end. ]
He made me a deal. He said he'd tell me who was behind the park massacre if I took some people out for him. So he could be Kingpin on the inside, too. It led me to this guy, the Blacksmith. But he wasn't the mastermind, didn't matter though because I was trapped in a cellblock with ten angry cons who didn't like me stabbing their boss.
He didn't think I would live either. People have an annoying way of assuming that.
[ a gritty smile slides across his face before it's gone, replaced by more open blankness. ]
Fisk arranged it so I could get out. Put me in a guard's uniform and I strolled right out the front gates into awaiting transport. The more bad guys I kill, the way he figures it, the easier it'll be for him to take back the power seat when he gets out.
[ whatever. here's where things get weird. ]
Thing's stalled for a long time, I thought... I didn't think I'd ever get the truth. I started working dead end jobs under a pseudonym, grew out my hair and my beard. [ another tiny flicker of a smile. ] But someone else wanted the truth. Someone in power to do something about it. Special Agent Dinah Madani. [ he says her name with reverence, someone he clearly had the utmost respect for. ]
She was in Afghanistan the same time I was, with Homeland. The last guy we... [ frank inhales deeply, he can't make eye contact probably from here on out. he starts picking at an invisible string on his jumpsuit leg. ] Ahmed Zubair. He was a friend of hers. So she couldn't let it go. And there was someone else, the friend I told you about. David Lieberman. He had the video of what happened to Zubair and he sent it to Dinah.
Her boss was just as crooked as mine, it turns out. He intercepted the proof we needed to put those bastards away. Last year was something else. We unraveled the whole goddamn conspiracy like plucking one thread out of a sweater and just watching it go. [ he realizes he's about to put a hole in his jumpsuit with that analogy and stops fidgeting, gripping his ankle instead and staring at max who's sitting by the bed, seemingly listening to the story too, even if it's one he should already know. ] They did the same thing to him, to David. Difference was, he's a smart bastard. He was able to protect them by faking his death. Kept them all safe.
[ like frank should have, he doesn't say. he laughs dully. ]
Turns out? They were using bodies to smuggle heroin to the US. And my best friend -- my fucking. My brother, uncle to my kids, Kamala. This shitbag, he... all for a payday. All for something in the bank, he let them take everything from me. Then dared to hug me like he was glad to see me alive.
[ okay now the tears are freely flowing. it was kind of inevitable. ]
There's a lot more shit, it's a goddamn mess, but the stuff I told you before wasn't a lie. I'm done. I got to everyone I needed to cut down. I'm done, retired. I was gonna... well, I don't fuckin' know what I was gonna do, but it sure as damn hell wasn't being an astronaut with my dog and a teenaged superhero.
[ now he looks at her, laughing in a more watery way. sincere. he never lied to her, he needs her to know that, but yeah he did leave the meat of the story out. to say the least. ]
[She can see the conflict in him and thinks back to Karen. Maybe there was something more to that man, the Kingpin. Fisk could have killed Frank instead of letting him go free with his help. It certainly be easier than hoping he'd never come back to take him out. He isn't here so Kamala stops analyzing it.
The rest is really awful to hear. She doesn't like to think of Frank as someone who takes out thugs on another thug's command, but she can understand it. It must have seemed impossible to avoid compromises with that image of his family burned into his brain forever. It confirms what she already suspected. The bullet to the head was a little too convenient to be an accident.
The rest has her paling again. She looks sick at the thought of Ahmed's fate and for Dinah who watched it after the fact. She understands his explanation at the beginning better now. Frank killed an innocent person because he put his trust in the wrong people. If that isn't a cautionary tale, Kamala doesn't know what is. She's glad at least that Frank's friend was smart enough to shield his family from the horror Frank's experienced.
She covers her mouth when the mention of the body comes up. It'd be horrifying even if she didn't have a particular set of beliefs about the handling of the dead. It's revolting to think they'd disrespect their people that way. It's worse knowing someone Frank saw as his brother could do it. For all the bickering and pettiness, Kamala knows a real brother would sooner die than allow their sibling to suffer like this for any reason much less for something as basic as money. Aamir would be so angry if he were here.
She can't fault Frank for crying at such a horrific betrayal. Kamala meet his eyes when he looks at her, her hand finally lowering from her face. She is satisfied with what he told her. She understands it even if she could never walk his path. Kamala gets off the bed and walks until she's standing right in front of him. She's never felt older or more certain of what she's about to do.]
You have to live with what you've done in this life and the next. [A reminder he doesn't need, but she knows he'll understand what she isn't saying. What he did was the gravest of sins. She's never going to him he was right to do it even if it might have been necessary.
Kamala's eyes soften soon after. She's leaning down to hug him as tight as she can at this size.] I'll still be your friend in both. Frank, I'm sorry for what happened to you, Lisa, and Frank Jr. And For David, his family, Ahmed, and Dinah. You all deserved so much better than to suffer for someone else's greed. I am so sorry for what they did to all of you.
[She finally lets herself sob. She can't stand what was done to these poor people. For better or worse, she's glad the people who did it gone to now. Let the angels give them the punishment they truly deserve for eternity. It's the least they deserve for twisting these people's fates so terribly for material goods.]
[ the hug takes him by surprise. maybe it shouldn't because it's kamala, but his arms lift and squeeze her arms, his heavy head resting against hers while they both shake with wet sobs. this life and the next. he's not going where she is, but it's a nice thought. it's one he appreciates, and makes him realize furthermore that matt didn't screw up everything between them. ]
Yeah, sweetheart, me too.
[ it would be too much for a person to bear if he didn't have karen, and her. but he does. he has a lot of people here. and now - he even has matt, apparently. ]
[It takes a couple of minutes for Kamala to calm down. Once she does, she pulls back enough to look at him. She nods because she actually agrees with him on this. It sucked, but this has been a long time coming. Kamala knows that deep down.] I wish you could have told me when you were ready.
[She pulls away from him only so she can take a seat next to him and slump against his side. This was exhausting.] I am glad you were honest with me. I'm not going to lie. That was a lot and I probably will need to sleep with Max for at least a month because that's serious nightmare fuel, but still. I'm glad you trust me with the truth.
[ he wraps an arm around her shoulders securely, resting his chin against her temple. ]
Maybe I never would've been. Maybe I didn't want to be that guy here. The guy who did those things, the guy those things happened to.
[ the rest is easier and he lets out the huff of a laugh. ]
You know you can borrow Max whenever you need him. Actually - you want to take him for a bit now? I should go check on our friend. [ matt. soon... he wants a few minutes longer with kamala alone. ] Of course I trust you, you were the first person I did when I came here.
[Kamala presses her head against his rib cage and sighs contently. Yeah she definitely needs that few minutes too. Good luck moving her until it's time to go.] It's okay that you didn't, Frank. I mean that's all behind you now. The person you are here is pretty awesome so I wouldn't have complained if nothing ever changed between us.
[She accepts that it had to once Matt came along. In a way, she's grateful. It could have been worse. Maybe that horrible traitor would have come instead. Yeah, she'd be okay if he pulled anything, but what would that have done to Frank? She hates that she even has to wonder if a guy she thinks is dead could have come to shake things up instead. This place sucks.]
And yeah I can take Max when you visit him. You really should since he's kind of a handful. He actually tried to pull off his band aids. It was super immature.
[Her voices make it clear she judged him super hard for it! Kamala is more somber as she continues.] You know you're the first person I trusted too. You're still the person I trust the most. I hope you know that if you ever have a hard time with the memories since God you lived that, I'm always here. I know you probably can't talk talk about it with me, but I could tell you stories or something. I'm actually really good at that back home.
[ he squeezes her shoulders a little tighter for a second before letting up. he doesn't really talk about it with anyone, though he'd had a couple offers. maybe the closest he'd come was telling naomi about what kind of woman maria was. ]
Yeah? I could see that. I might just take you up on it.
[She laughs when he squeezes her shoulders. It feels good to just take a moment to be them again. This whole thing has stressed her out.] You bet I did! I'm not going to let him get an infection because someone filled his head with weird ideas about being a man.
[If she knew about Stick or Jack, she wouldn't even be a little surprised.] And no worries. I'm available until we bust out of here so all my epic tales will be waiting for you whenever.
[ most of his stories are sad, obviously, but he thinks she knows now that they're just as openly on offer for her anytime. ]
I guess it's time to go back and check on Red. I'm sure it'll surprise you to know it doesn't take long for him to get in trouble when left to his own devices.
After talking to him, I'm positive he gets himself into even more trouble than you do. We're going to have a real hard time keeping him safe.
[Kamala very reluctantly pries herself from his side so she can stand.] By the way, he was totally rude and never gave me his name so I'm going to pretend you never mentioned it if he whines about me making up nicknames for him. Which he will.
[She's onto him at this point. Kamala leans over to press a kiss against his cheek before pulling back.] Good luck. Don't let him be too much of a jerk to you, okay?
[She claps her hand against her thigh and heads for the door.] C'mon, Max. [The two babies will be off on their way.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ there's a carefulness there. he hates everything kingpin is, but they had come to an agreement. if that guy came here he'd probably space him right away. then again, the tenderness he'd felt upon seeing matt laying helpless in his own blood hadn't been expected. maybe he'd help fisk the same way in the end. ]
He made me a deal. He said he'd tell me who was behind the park massacre if I took some people out for him. So he could be Kingpin on the inside, too. It led me to this guy, the Blacksmith. But he wasn't the mastermind, didn't matter though because I was trapped in a cellblock with ten angry cons who didn't like me stabbing their boss.
He didn't think I would live either. People have an annoying way of assuming that.
[ a gritty smile slides across his face before it's gone, replaced by more open blankness. ]
Fisk arranged it so I could get out. Put me in a guard's uniform and I strolled right out the front gates into awaiting transport. The more bad guys I kill, the way he figures it, the easier it'll be for him to take back the power seat when he gets out.
[ whatever. here's where things get weird. ]
Thing's stalled for a long time, I thought... I didn't think I'd ever get the truth. I started working dead end jobs under a pseudonym, grew out my hair and my beard. [ another tiny flicker of a smile. ] But someone else wanted the truth. Someone in power to do something about it. Special Agent Dinah Madani. [ he says her name with reverence, someone he clearly had the utmost respect for. ]
She was in Afghanistan the same time I was, with Homeland. The last guy we... [ frank inhales deeply, he can't make eye contact probably from here on out. he starts picking at an invisible string on his jumpsuit leg. ] Ahmed Zubair. He was a friend of hers. So she couldn't let it go. And there was someone else, the friend I told you about. David Lieberman. He had the video of what happened to Zubair and he sent it to Dinah.
Her boss was just as crooked as mine, it turns out. He intercepted the proof we needed to put those bastards away. Last year was something else. We unraveled the whole goddamn conspiracy like plucking one thread out of a sweater and just watching it go. [ he realizes he's about to put a hole in his jumpsuit with that analogy and stops fidgeting, gripping his ankle instead and staring at max who's sitting by the bed, seemingly listening to the story too, even if it's one he should already know. ] They did the same thing to him, to David. Difference was, he's a smart bastard. He was able to protect them by faking his death. Kept them all safe.
[ like frank should have, he doesn't say. he laughs dully. ]
Turns out? They were using bodies to smuggle heroin to the US. And my best friend -- my fucking. My brother, uncle to my kids, Kamala. This shitbag, he... all for a payday. All for something in the bank, he let them take everything from me. Then dared to hug me like he was glad to see me alive.
[ okay now the tears are freely flowing. it was kind of inevitable. ]
There's a lot more shit, it's a goddamn mess, but the stuff I told you before wasn't a lie. I'm done. I got to everyone I needed to cut down. I'm done, retired. I was gonna... well, I don't fuckin' know what I was gonna do, but it sure as damn hell wasn't being an astronaut with my dog and a teenaged superhero.
[ now he looks at her, laughing in a more watery way. sincere. he never lied to her, he needs her to know that, but yeah he did leave the meat of the story out. to say the least. ]
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The rest is really awful to hear. She doesn't like to think of Frank as someone who takes out thugs on another thug's command, but she can understand it. It must have seemed impossible to avoid compromises with that image of his family burned into his brain forever. It confirms what she already suspected. The bullet to the head was a little too convenient to be an accident.
The rest has her paling again. She looks sick at the thought of Ahmed's fate and for Dinah who watched it after the fact. She understands his explanation at the beginning better now. Frank killed an innocent person because he put his trust in the wrong people. If that isn't a cautionary tale, Kamala doesn't know what is. She's glad at least that Frank's friend was smart enough to shield his family from the horror Frank's experienced.
She covers her mouth when the mention of the body comes up. It'd be horrifying even if she didn't have a particular set of beliefs about the handling of the dead. It's revolting to think they'd disrespect their people that way. It's worse knowing someone Frank saw as his brother could do it. For all the bickering and pettiness, Kamala knows a real brother would sooner die than allow their sibling to suffer like this for any reason much less for something as basic as money. Aamir would be so angry if he were here.
She can't fault Frank for crying at such a horrific betrayal. Kamala meet his eyes when he looks at her, her hand finally lowering from her face. She is satisfied with what he told her. She understands it even if she could never walk his path. Kamala gets off the bed and walks until she's standing right in front of him. She's never felt older or more certain of what she's about to do.]
You have to live with what you've done in this life and the next. [A reminder he doesn't need, but she knows he'll understand what she isn't saying. What he did was the gravest of sins. She's never going to him he was right to do it even if it might have been necessary.
Kamala's eyes soften soon after. She's leaning down to hug him as tight as she can at this size.] I'll still be your friend in both. Frank, I'm sorry for what happened to you, Lisa, and Frank Jr. And For David, his family, Ahmed, and Dinah. You all deserved so much better than to suffer for someone else's greed. I am so sorry for what they did to all of you.
[She finally lets herself sob. She can't stand what was done to these poor people. For better or worse, she's glad the people who did it gone to now. Let the angels give them the punishment they truly deserve for eternity. It's the least they deserve for twisting these people's fates so terribly for material goods.]
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Yeah, sweetheart, me too.
[ it would be too much for a person to bear if he didn't have karen, and her. but he does. he has a lot of people here. and now - he even has matt, apparently. ]
I'm sorry you had to find out that way.
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[She pulls away from him only so she can take a seat next to him and slump against his side. This was exhausting.] I am glad you were honest with me. I'm not going to lie. That was a lot and I probably will need to sleep with Max for at least a month because that's serious nightmare fuel, but still. I'm glad you trust me with the truth.
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Maybe I never would've been. Maybe I didn't want to be that guy here. The guy who did those things, the guy those things happened to.
[ the rest is easier and he lets out the huff of a laugh. ]
You know you can borrow Max whenever you need him. Actually - you want to take him for a bit now? I should go check on our friend. [ matt. soon... he wants a few minutes longer with kamala alone. ] Of course I trust you, you were the first person I did when I came here.
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[She accepts that it had to once Matt came along. In a way, she's grateful. It could have been worse. Maybe that horrible traitor would have come instead. Yeah, she'd be okay if he pulled anything, but what would that have done to Frank? She hates that she even has to wonder if a guy she thinks is dead could have come to shake things up instead. This place sucks.]
And yeah I can take Max when you visit him. You really should since he's kind of a handful. He actually tried to pull off his band aids. It was super immature.
[Her voices make it clear she judged him super hard for it! Kamala is more somber as she continues.] You know you're the first person I trusted too. You're still the person I trust the most. I hope you know that if you ever have a hard time with the memories since God you lived that, I'm always here. I know you probably can't talk talk about it with me, but I could tell you stories or something. I'm actually really good at that back home.
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[ he squeezes her shoulders a little tighter for a second before letting up. he doesn't really talk about it with anyone, though he'd had a couple offers. maybe the closest he'd come was telling naomi about what kind of woman maria was. ]
Yeah? I could see that. I might just take you up on it.
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[If she knew about Stick or Jack, she wouldn't even be a little surprised.] And no worries. I'm available until we bust out of here so all my epic tales will be waiting for you whenever.
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[ most of his stories are sad, obviously, but he thinks she knows now that they're just as openly on offer for her anytime. ]
I guess it's time to go back and check on Red. I'm sure it'll surprise you to know it doesn't take long for him to get in trouble when left to his own devices.
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[Kamala very reluctantly pries herself from his side so she can stand.] By the way, he was totally rude and never gave me his name so I'm going to pretend you never mentioned it if he whines about me making up nicknames for him. Which he will.
[She's onto him at this point. Kamala leans over to press a kiss against his cheek before pulling back.] Good luck. Don't let him be too much of a jerk to you, okay?
[She claps her hand against her thigh and heads for the door.] C'mon, Max. [The two babies will be off on their way.]