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“You know you don't have to walk me home every day after work.” Karen says as she sees Frank leaning against the wall between two alleys. He's been waiting for her, like he does every single day. It's the one time of day since she seems him outside of his Punisher clothes.
Frank can't exactly walk her home with a silver skull on his chest. He's wearing a grey t-shirt and dark jeans, a jacket over his shoulders. He almost always ends up giving it to Karen on their walk home. Karen sometimes leaves her jacket at home or at her office knowing that Frank will give her his.
“Get a new car?” Frank asks as he pushes off the wall and comes towards her. Karen stands in place and purses her lips as he walks towards her, a small grin on his face. She shakes her head and snorts. She hasn't been able to afford a new car since someone crashed the one she was driving. “Alright then, I guess I'll keep walking you home.”
“Whose fault is it that I can't drive myself?” She asks with a teasing smile as she starts walking past him. If she could afford a cab ride home, she would just take a cab every day. Karen can barely afford her morning cup of coffee from her favorite place.
Frank shrugs his shoulders and jogs to catch up to Karen. It isn't like he has a lot to do besides ridding Hell's Kitchen of it's scum, he has time to make the fifteen minute walk with her. “That lead I give you pan out?” He asks. Karen nods as she looks over at Frank. He has a habit of leaving leads on her desk since Karen always gets the crime beat. She has a certain skill for crime.
“It did. You take care of the problem?”
“Tonight's work.” Frank says, his fingers digging into his pockets.
“Shouldn't you be out doing that?” She asks with a small tease of her voice.
“My window won't be until later. Been watching the sack of shit for a few days, I'll have the perfect shot around 3 AM.” Karen checks her phone for the time, it's only a little bit after two in the morning. It's later than she normally gets out of work, she can't help but wonder how long Frank has been waiting to walk her home. Most nights, she gets out a little bit before twelve thirty. “You see Murdock or Nelson lately?”
“Foggy, yes.” Karen says. It's been more difficult to keep in touch with Foggy than she previously thought it would be. Foggy's always busy with the new firm, especially considering he's new there. There's always something. They make time for dinner once a week, at least. “Matt, not so much. You've probably seen more of him than I have.”
Finding out her ex boyfriend was the Devil of Hell's Kitchen had done nothing but made her feel so stupid. How could she have been surprised that Matt was Daredevil? After all of her encounters with him, after all of the times Matt showed up with new bruises, after all of the shit Matt had put her through, how could she have not put it together?
“He's a pain in my ass.”
They're just a few minutes from Karen's house when the shot goes off. One, two, three. Three gunshots in quick succession, one hitting Frank in the arm, and two hitting Karen in the stomach.
Frank doesn't have time to think about who pulled the trigger, the people screaming around him, or the pain in his arm, as he's catching Karen as she falls forward. He slumps to the ground with her in his arms, looking down at the blood spilling out of her stomach. He pulls her to a sitting up position, holding her back against his chest. Frank curses as he pulls his jacket off and bunches it up, pressing it against her stomach.
“Someone call 911!” “Help!” “She's been shot!”
The voices around him barely register as Karen lies in his arms. “Hey, hey, you're gonna be alright.” He says, hearing sirens around him. He knows the hospital is a good distance away, knows the chances of Karen surviving this.
“Frank,” Karen gasps, looking up at him. Frank holds his jacket firmly against her stomach, bringing a hand up to her face. He turns her head towards him and pats her face gently. “Oh, God, this hurts.” She cries out.
“I know, I know, but focus on me, alright? Focus on me. Don't think about the pain.” He says. “Come on, Karen, look at me, keep your eyes open.” Frank stares down at Karen, trying to keep her awake.
“I need you to do something for me.” Karen says.
“Anything,” If agreeing to do something for her keeps her talking and keeps her awake, he'll agree to dancing on one leg in a pink fucking tutu.
Karen swallows and brings one hand up to Frank face, running a blood covered thumb across his cheek. “Don't stop. Hell's Kitchen needs you, even if it doesn't know it.”
“Needs you more.”
“Don't interrupt me.” Karen mumbles. Frank lets out a single laugh but nods as she continues. “Tell Matt not to stop either. Tell him and Foggy to make up. For me.”
A sob breaks from The Punisher's chest and he pulls her closer to him. He knows there are people watching, people even filming as he cries and holds Karen close against his chest. There's no avoiding the fact that Karen Page is dying. But at least he can be there.
At least he'll get the goodbye he deserves.
“Tell my parents that I never stopped trying to make them proud.”
Frank nods as he buries his head in Karen's hair and chokes on his sobs.
“The cops are coming, you need to go.”
“No, I ain't going -”
“Frank, if you get arrested, you cannot find who did this to me. You'll find them faster than the cops, please. Do this last thing for me.”
Frank presses his lips against Karen's firmly and finds when he's pulled away that sometime during their kiss, she took her last breath. She slumps out of his arms and the sadness is replaced with a burning anger. A rage he was all too familiar with.
Hell's Kitchen was about to get a lot bloodier.