Like a lot of Ward’s stress headaches recently it was all Danny’s fault. Something about Danny sounded off on the phone when he called about coming into Rand Enterprises. Admittedly something had been off with Danny ever since he came back from the dead as a ninja, but he sounded even more weird than he normally did.
Going against everything his brain told him, Ward dropped everything and got a plane back to New York. It didn’t really matter, the business could wait and if he was honest with himself (something he was trying to be lately) the trip was 30% business, 70% getting the hell away from any and all memories of his father. So, he packed his bags, got his assistant to rearrange everything and headed home. What Ward wasn’t expecting was a police car waiting for him as he got off the plane.
~*~~*~~*~
“Look, Detective Knight, was it? Why am I here?”
The Detective had met him at the front desk. The uniform officers who picked him up from the airport weren’t that forthcoming about why they were there, just that they had to take him to Harlem precinct as he was on a list. Ward knew this was Danny’s fault.
“You are a person of interest to some powerful and dangerous people and you’re here so we can keep you safe,” Detective Knight said with a sigh, it seemed like she had said this spiel a lot tonight.
“But what does that mean? Who could –”
Detective Knight directed him to a side room, “Mr Meachum, please wait here and as soon as we have more information we’ll share it with you.” And with that she left him standing in a doorway like an idiot.
Ward glanced around the room, clocking what looked like a reporter and a lawyer before he noticed Danny’s girl, Colleen.
She gave him a hesitant smile and he fell in the chair next to her. “Danny?” he asked, head lolling towards her.
“Yeah.”
“Is he OK?”
“Yeah, I think so, he’s got other people with him, helping him.”
“More ninjas?”
Colleen scoffed, “Well one of them might be, the other two are freakishly strong, and Luke’s bullet proof.”
Ward raised an eyebrow, “Luke Cage?”
Colleen nodded.
“Of course,” Ward looked around the room again, besides the obvious members of the police force, the people in the room were an eclectic group. “So why am I here? And why are you here? Thought you’d be with Danny.”
Colleen seemed to close off at that, “You’re here because Danny cares about you. He gave the police yours and your sister’s names in case either of you came back to the city. Everyone here is someone, some super powered person cares about.”
Ward rolled his eyes and ignored the fact she didn’t answer his second question. He found it hard to believe that Danny was that bothered about him, Joy yes, but him? He was an asshole, who had treated Danny like shit. He was trying to sort himself out but besides the odd text he hadn’t had much to do with Danny since they watched Harold be cremated.
Ward sighed, “Want to fill me in on your round the world trip hunting ninjas?”
Colleen smiled.
~*~~*~~*~
Ward was getting antsy. He had his laptop but couldn’t focus on work, he’d paced around the room a bit, nodding to the others and had shared a few words with Claire. She seemed like a reckless hero magnet and Ward wanted to stay as far away from her as possible for his own sanity.
“How long you been clean?”
Ward’s head shot up and his hand stilled, he hadn’t even realised he was tapping on the table, and stared at the young man who’d sat next to him without him noticing. “Excuse me?”
The guy raised his hands in surrender, “I know the signs, I was addicted to heroin for months before Jessica chained me up in her bathroom. So, if you’re worried you might relapse or something, maybe you should talk about it.”
Ward looked the guy over, he looked well put together, nothing like the mess of a person Ward is, no was, he was getting better, “Nearly four months. Three months, two weeks and six days to be precise.” Ward shot the guy a rueful grin, “Prescription pain meds… and brief stint with heroin.”
The guy smiled, “Want some coffee? It’s terrible but it might take your mind off things.”
Ward nodded. “I’m not going to relapse, it’s just… I can’t stop thinking about Danny. He’s a pain in my ass most of the time but…” Ward groaned and rubbed his eyes, “I don’t know why I’m here.”
“I get it, Jessica doesn’t like anyone getting too close. Trish is practically her sister but me? I think the first time she ever called me her friend was the other night when a guy had a gun against my head in her apartment.” He handed Ward some coffee.
“Jesus,” Ward took a gulp and grimaced, “Yeah this shit is bad.”
“I’m Malcolm by the way,” he held out his hand.
Ward took it and offered him his best boardroom smile, knowing Malcolm could probably see right through it right now, “Ward”
~*~~*~~*~
Ward sat slouched on the couch in the corner, head tipped back and legs splayed out in front of him. He wasn’t asleep, the shitty coffee put a stop to that, but rather resting his eyes from the glare of the strip lights. Pretending to be asleep had its advantages. He’d been listening in on the conversations between the lawyer and the reporter, or Foggy and Karen as he now knew their names, and he had figured out who their super powered person might be.
“Matthew Murdock,” he instantly felt Karen and Foogy’s eyes on him, “is Daredevil.” Ward turned towards them, opening his eyes. He’d said it all quietly, not getting anyone else’s attention besides the two people sat across from him.
Ward couldn’t stop a smirk at the looks on their faces. Equal parts shocked, scared and indignant. “Don’t bother coming up with an excuse. Why would two close friends of Matthew Murdock be here with the rest of the Friends and Loved Ones of Superheroes support group we’ve got going on here?” Ward sat up and rolled his shoulders, “There’s only one other vigilante who fights like a ninja so your boy’s the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”
“You can’t say anything,” Karen stared at him with wide eyes.
“Don’t worry, who’d believe me? Besides I just wanted to know who Danny was running around with fighting the stupid Hand.”
“You know about the Hand?” Foggy asked.
Ward snorted, “They brought my father back from the dead and then the bastard wouldn’t die.”
“What?!”
Ward rolled his eyes, “The Hand is powerful and annoying and terrifying if I’m honest. Look, I’m just glad Danny isn’t on his own against them this time. I’m sure you’d prefer Murdock had people watching his back too?”
Karen and Foggy shared a look that spoke volumes before nodding.
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
~*~~*~~*~
“Where the FUCK is Danny Rand?!” Ward stalked towards the three of them as they tried to pass through the room where they’d all been kept waiting for hours. Karen quickly moved out of his way where she’d been moving towards Murdock as Ward grabbed him by his t-shirt and pushed him up against the doorframe, ignoring the shouts from Jones and Cage.
“I know you’re not the defenceless blind lawyer you pretend to be.” Ward got into Murdock’s space and growled, “And while I could do without the bad PR of assaulting a blind man, you are going to tell me what happened to Danny now.”
Murdock cocked his head to the side as if he was trying to read him, when Karen and Jones reacted. Jones pulled Ward off him, and wow she was strong, while Karen got in between the two, “Matt, this is Ward Meachum, he owns Rand Enterprises with Danny Rand.”
Murdock nodded, “Danny has been taken by The Hand –”
“Jesus Christ! I don’t believe this!”
“But we are going to save him,” Murdock ignored Ward’s interruption,
Ward stepped towards Murdock again, ignoring how Jones and Karen tensed and how Luke Cage’s heavy hand appeared on his shoulder, “If he does not come back, I don’t care who you are, who any of you are,” Ward glared over his shoulder at Cage and Jones, “I will end you.”
Ward pushed Murdock away, ignored the looks he got as he walked across the room and slumped into the chair next to Malcolm, “If Danny survives this I’ll kill him.” Malcolm just handed him another cup of terrible coffee.
~*~~*~~*~
Spending the night gathered around the police scanner with Karren, Foggy, Trish and Malcolm was not how Ward expected his evening to go. It was weird, this strange connection they all had, having someone they cared about, who cared about them enough to put them in a police precinct for safety, out there, fighting, and not knowing if they’d come back in one piece. Ward hated it, he kind of hated Danny for putting him in this situation, but most of all, he hated the fucking Hand.
~*~~*~~*~
“Danny Rand, you complete moron,” Ward was out of his chair and had pulled Danny into his arms as soon as he’d walked through the door.
Ward felt Danny tense for a moment before he slowly wrapped his arms around Ward’s waist. Ward wondered if Colleen had told Danny he was there, but looking at the state of her over Danny’s shoulder, she probably had other things to worry about.
Danny pulled away from him, wrapped an arm around Colleen’s shoulders while his other hand grabbed onto Ward’s arm like it was his lifeline. As the three of them lent against the cabinets, Ward studied Danny’s face. He was dirty and looked exhausted, but there was something else there too. That’s when Ward realised who hadn’t walked through the door, saw Karen and Foggy clinging to each other. Well, shit. Now Ward felt like more of an asshole than usual.
Danny rested his head against Ward’s shoulder and it was Ward’s turn to feel uncomfortable. He and Danny weren’t friends, they weren’t close as kids and now Ward didn’t know what they were. But if he was honest with himself, he did care about Danny, and the fact that Danny had requested he be brought here meant that Danny cared about him, at least a little bit. Maybe they’d be OK. Danny had lost someone, again, but Ward wasn’t going anywhere. Who else would try and install some self-preservation instincts into him?