The Alpha's Ascension
Wilson Fisk stood perfectly still as the prison guards removed his shackles, his massive frame radiating calm authority despite the orange jumpsuit he still wore. The Presidential Hotel suite spread before him - all cream-colored luxury and floor-to-ceiling windows. A far cry from his cell at Ryker's, but still a cage. For now.
"Mr. Fisk." Agent Hattley approached, her beta scent carefully neutral. "We need to go over the terms of your arrangement."
"Of course." Fisk's voice was soft, measured. His mind, however, was racing with plans within plans. Everything had to be perfect. Not just for his own freedom, but for Matthew.
Sweet, struggling Matthew. The omega who needed guidance whether he knew it or not.
"The FBI will maintain round-the-clock surveillance," Hattley continued. "Any unauthorized contact, any deviation from the agreement..."
"I understand completely." Fisk moved to the windows, looking out over his city. His territory. "I assume Agent Poindexter will be part of the security detail?"
"Yes. He's one of our best."
Fisk allowed himself a small smile. Dex was indeed one of their best - a perfectly aimed weapon that Fisk had carefully pointed in the right direction. Toward Matthew.
"Sir?" Donovan entered quietly. "Everything is proceeding as planned. The first phase of the asset transfers is complete."
"Good." Fisk turned from the window. "And the other matter we discussed?"
"The FDA records you requested about black market suppressants? We've identified the most likely supplier in Hell's Kitchen. The one Matthew Murdock probably uses."
Fisk's expression darkened slightly. The thought of Matthew poisoning himself with dangerous suppressants, forcing his omega nature into submission... it awakened something protective in him, something almost paternal.
"Have Dex eliminate them," he said softly. "Quietly. Make it look like a territorial dispute."
"Sir?" Hattley frowned. "That wasn't part of our agreement."
"Consider it a gesture of good faith." Fisk's voice remained gentle. "These dealers prey on vulnerable omegas, forcing them to rely on dangerous chemicals. Surely the FBI would want such criminals... removed?"
Hattley hesitated, then nodded. She couldn't argue with the logic, even if she didn't understand the true motivation.
Once they were alone, Donovan spoke quietly: "The surveillance on Murdock continues. He's... struggling. The suppressants are failing more frequently."
"As expected." Fisk moved to a chess board that had been set up in the corner. "His body is fighting against the poison he's been forcing into it. Soon, he'll have no choice but to accept his true nature."
"And when he does?"
"We'll be there." Fisk picked up the white knight, turning it in his massive hands. "To offer protection. Guidance. The structure he so desperately needs."
"He won't accept it easily."
"No." Fisk's smile was almost fond. "Matthew is stubborn. Proud. He's spent so long pretending to be an alpha that he's forgotten how to be anything else. But that will change."
He set the knight down in a new position, then continued: "The FBI deal gives us freedom of movement. The asset transfers provide resources. And Dex..." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "Dex will continue to protect Matthew from the shadows, letting him see that there are alphas who can offer safety without demanding submission."
"And if Murdock discovers the truth? About Dex, about your involvement?"
"He will. Eventually." Fisk moved another piece on the board. "But by then, it won't matter. He'll be too far down the path we've laid out for him. His suppressants will be gone, his defenses weakened, his omega nature impossible to ignore."
"You really think you can break down walls he's spent years building?"
Fisk's expression softened slightly. "I'm not trying to break him, Donovan. I'm trying to save him. From himself, from the poison he puts in his body, from the lie he's living."
He moved to his desk, where files were already waiting - detailed reports on Matthew's movements, his health, his gradually deteriorating control.
"Everything we do now serves two purposes," he continued. "Securing our position in the city, yes, but also creating a safe space for Matthew. A place where he doesn't have to pretend anymore. Where he can be what he truly is."
"And what is that, sir?"
Fisk's voice was barely a whisper: "A child who needs a father. An omega who needs protection. Someone who's been fighting his own nature for so long he's forgotten how to do anything else."
He looked out over the city again, his territory spreading before him like a chess board. Somewhere out there, Matthew was probably already planning ways to stop him, to expose his plans, to send him back to prison.
Let him try.
Every move Matthew made would only bring him closer to where Fisk wanted him. Every investigation would lead him down carefully laid paths. Every attempt to maintain his facade would only hasten its collapse.
"Sir?" Donovan interrupted his thoughts. "The FBI wants to begin the first round of interviews about the criminal organizations you've promised to expose."
"Of course." Fisk straightened his jacket. "Let's not keep them waiting. After all..." His lips curved in a slight smile. "We have so much work to do."
And somewhere in the city, a scared little omega was about to discover that sometimes the monster under the bed was actually there to keep you safe.
Whether you wanted it or not.