Ninja work doesn't pay too well, does it?
“So… no killing?”
“No.”
“Like… at all?”
“Yes.” Ella stared hard at Matt as he reached for another hand full of popcorn, the bowl jostling slightly as his hand knocked against the side. Both were currently sitting crosslegged in an aisle, backs against the shelves, and a bowl of popcorn resting in the foot of distance between them. “Well, then how’re you planning to take him down– no, you know what? I don't want to know. It’s not my business,” Ella said, crossing her arms.
“Okay–”
“Unless you beat him with a broom. Then I want details. Especially if it’s my broom, then I might want pictures,” Ella said, and Matt laughed, the sound for once not interrupted by a groan of pain.
“Will do,” he chuckled, before quickly sobering. “I still don’t like that Fisk knows where you live.” Ella had told Matt about her weekend adventures and about the brief hide and seek session with Vladimir and Anatoly; he had reacted much the same as the brothers had.
“What the fuck, has he threatened you? Have you been followed, are they harassing you?” Matt had fired off, almost spiraling into a full on panic attack. A panic attack that involved a lot of cursing. Ella had eventually calmed him down, told him about the Mac and Cheese and the painting, and had coerced him into sitting down with her for an impromptu snack time.
“He knows where I live, but I don’t think it’s…important? I guess? I can’t see why they’d ever stop by again, unless it’d be to give me more food because I totally support that, but all in all I think we’re good,” Ella said, prodding Matt’s foot with her own.
“Maybe,” Matt said, shrugging as he reached for the entire bowl, arms flexing and “hot damn, biceps like those should be illegal.” “So, the brothers seemed awfully concerned about you.”
“Yeah,” Ella said, before continuing on more enthusiastically, “I actually hugged them without getting a knife to the face, and I get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside when I realize that I’m probably the only person who can actually say that. Well, that and the fact that I could probably lecture their asses into the ground if they tried. I live for small achievements.”
“If you’re sure you trust them, then… I will, too. For now,” Matt conceded, stretching his arms up over his head. Ella briefly thought to mention that the Russians would be leaving soon enough, but held her tongue. She didn’t want to tell just yet, incase the brothers had wanted to keep it under raps. The two sat in companionable silence for a while, Ella switching on the ancient radio she kept at the front of the store, before her curiosity got the best of her.
“As much as I’m digging this whole ‘Blindfolded Ninja, Fight Me, Bro’ thing you’ve got going, I don’t think it pays too well,” Ella said, and Matt nodded, and was probably quirking an eyebrow underneath the blindfold. It suddenly struck Ella that she’d never seen him out of his all black ensemble and she vaguely wondered if he slept in it, too. Maybe showered in it if he was particularly inclined to do so. “So, do you have a day job? You’re under no obligation whatsoever to answer, I’m just being the curious weirdo you’ve come to know and love.” Matt smiled, and “why in the hell are his teeth so white, I need to ask him what he uses” before nodding.
“I do… it doesn’t pay too well, either,” he said, shrugging, but something in his voice was hinting at an inside joke.
“Either you find your day job freaking hilarious, or there’s some serious irony I’m missing out on,” Ella said, snatching the bowl of popcorn back from him.
“…Irony. Definitely irony,” Matt chuckled, and Ella stuck her tongue out at him, as childish and fruitless as it might have been. “Alright, Mysterio. I’m going to have a list of potential jobs next time I see you, and I’m going to guess until I get it. So, you’ve been warned,” Ella said, and Matt responding smile melted her heart a little. She had a feeling that he didn’t smile like that too often.
“Sounds good to me,” Matt said, before his smile began to falter, an air of seriousness permeating the small space once again. “I…also came here to tell you something. Important.” Matt, for his usually cool and collected (if not a bit bruised) demeanor, seemed uneasy and it freaked Ella out a bit. She waited expectantly for him to speak. “I…I think Fisk might be starting the demolition of your block.” Ella blinked. What?
“Why? I swear to god if this is about the break in, I’m going to–”
“No, it’s…part of his plans. I won’t go into detail, but demolition is part of it. I know they’re trying to pass this off as a renovation, but I don’t buy it. I just wanted you to be warned in case people came knocking and asking about your business. I wanted you to be aware,” Matt said, unnerved by the quiet that began to stretch on as Ella thought about the new information.
“…Thank you, Matt. Honestly. I’ll keep an eye out. Besides, I’m a magnet for sketchy stuff,” Ella said, nudging his foot with her own because she didn’t want to get up and risk jostling the popcorn in her lap.
“You’re welcome,” he said, reaching out a hand for the bowl Ella cradled to her chest.
“No,” Ella quipped, holding the bowl slightly out of reach.
“What–”
“There’s only, like, a handful left,” Ella reasoned, taking a piece and popping it into her mouth, grinning like a cheshire cat.
“You know, it requires energy to jump from building to building,” Matt said, making a grab for the food again, only to overbalance and fall forward as Ella deftly dodged to the right.
“Nope, no Ninja Powers, I treasure my popped corn–” Ella began, only to cut off with a squeal as Matt was suddenly on his feet and was reaching both hands out for the bowl. The scuffle ended with both Matt and Ella sprawled on the floor, popcorn bowl resting over Matt’s entire head, bits of kernels stuck in Ella’s hair, and laughter echoing throughout the small establishment.
“Would’ve been easier to have just given me a piece of popcorn–” Matt wheezed out, voice distorted and ridiculous from underneath the bowl.
“I’m stingy, you…you accountant,” Ella quipped, thinking ahead to the effort it would take to wash the butter out of her hair.
“Close, but not my job,” Matt laughed.
“Close? Really?”
“Not even remotely.”
“Damn.”
~~~~~
Matt had stayed for an hour or two more before departing, and Ella had closed up shop soon after. She realized as soon as she stepped outside that Matt hadn’t told her the news about Fisk a moment too soon– there was already sign up across the street declaring that pedestrians and cars alike would be forced to detour starting tomorrow. Various equipment lay sprawled across the way on the sidewalk, and Ella gave it one long look before beginning her trek home. She was two blocks from her apartment complex, turning a corner when she slammed into a body. Ella stumbled backwards and collapsed heavily onto her butt, dazed for a moment. The man she bumped into was in the same position, and it was kind of comic, really, how similar they had fallen.
“I’m sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going– trying to read and walk. Multitasking is not one my strong suits,” the man rambled, and Ella saw that he clutched a sizable stack of papers to his chest. “More like term paper and walk,” Ella thought, gawking at the folders and what must’ve been a two hundred page document. Her gaze then moved the man’s face– it was on the rounder side and was framed with some dirty blonde hair. He looked…sweet. The man quickly got to his feet and reached down to help Ella up. She caught a quick glimpse of the papers on her ascent and the words “Nelson and Murdock” were stamped in bold across the cover page.
“It’s totally fine, no harm done,” Ella said, smiling to reassure him. The stranger who seemed much too apologetic for the situation smiled back in return, equal parts grateful and relieved.
“Uh, I’m Foggy,” the man said, sticking his hand out for her to shake. Foggy had an air of ‘incredibly cool college guy’ mingled with ‘super chill professional’ and Ella thought that it was awesome.
“Ella,” she said, eagerly accepting the handshake, “it was nice to meet you, Foggy.”
“It was nice to meet you, too, Ella. Well, besides the impact, and the flailing, and the ground thing,” Foggy said in a flourish, causing Ella to belly laugh.
“Yeah, besides that,” Ella acceded, as Foggy’s phone beeped, inspiring him to let loose a ‘colorful’ word or two.
“I’ve got to go, so, have a great night. Watch out multitasking strangers,” Foggy said, and with one more half smile he was gone, Ella calling out a hurriedly ‘goodnight’ over her shoulder. The encounter had left her on a good note, and she practically strutted the rest of the way to her apartment. Funny, considerate people made the world go round. As she prepared dinner, she briefly thought over the name on the papers.
“Nelson and Murdock,” Ella muttered to herself, while stirring the Mac and Cheese, “that sounds so kickass.”