DDBA : A stolen kiss

A/N: Hello there, another challenge from the usual suspects :) This time, we chose the best first kiss. For my part, I decided to rewrite a scene this time using Matt and my oc Hayley. I'm still stretching my legs around this character, but I hope that I'll find her voice.  

The context of this scene intervenes much later in their story. They know about their alter egos and have been working together to fight the H.A.N.D. This time, the H.A.N.D. took Melania, Hayley's co-worker, to bait Widowmaker to save her alone. Matt is having none of it and wants to be there for Hayley.

Disclaimers: 

Daredevil, his supporting cast, and his universe (c) Marvel

Hayley Blackwood (c) mine

xxxx

"It doesn't get easier with time..."

Whispered Hayley, while she ran her hand through her black locks. Her grey eyes stared at Matt Murdock, dressed as Daredevil, who was crouched on her window. They argued all day long, mostly because Hayley didn't want him to follow her to Red Hook. When he left, Hayley took the time to think about their argument and realized that Matt had to go with her. It wasn't just because he was worried about her. It was also because the H.A.N.D. were his enemies, and they were responsible for the death of Elektra. She couldn't deny him his revenge.  She also knew that despite her claims, she needed his help. The H.A.N.D. rarely worked in small numbers, and despite her skills, going in there blind and on her own was signing her death warrant.  Hayley thought hard about the situation. Her priority was to save an innocent life. She wanted Melanie to survive the ordeal, and she knew that Daredevil would increase their chances. 

If there had not been a hostage, then it would have been a different story. She would have gone on her own and probably would have died there. Matt was surprised, at first, when the stubborn Hayley asked for his help after having rejected his help so many times. When he came back to her, it was to apologize for being out of line when they had argued earlier that day. His words hurt her; he could tell because he saw tears in her eyes when she kicked him out of her office. What was he thinking? Telling her that going on a suicide mission would never wash the blood she had on her hands and calling her a hypocrite was the worst thing he could have said. He knew Hayley was trying to do some good. He knew that she was carrying a huge guilt for her past actions, and he also knew that she didn't choose to be an assassin. She was raised to become one. 

"I know. Listen, Hayley, I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. It was mean. It was awful." -He shook his head, ashamed- "I know you're trying your best.."

"You were right, though. I have too much blood on my hands. I would never be able to wash my ledger, it's just too red." -She swallowed a lump and pinched her plump lips together- "But I can risk my life to save an innocent. Melania doesn't deserve to die because of me. I want to save her... from me."

Hayley's voice cracked as she spoke. She tried to shake those emotions off and appear aloof and in control, but Matt had managed to break down her walls. She was unable to hide her vulnerability to him, no matter how hard she was trying.   The night was a fresh one, and Hayley welcomed the nice breeze that was blowing on her boiling hot body. She hated the heat, tried to stay away from it because it was affecting her mood and made her crankier than usual. Matt could hear the sound of her heartbeat. She was a nervous wreck, maybe even more nervous than he was standing before her. He closed the distance between the two, and his nostrils were hit with her jasmine scent. 

"It's not fair to you, Hayley. You were a child when they molded you into an assassin. I know their methods; Stick used to belong to them. He taught me to become a hero just like you were taught to become an assassin.. You broke free from them and you've dedicated your life to helping people." -He paused for a moment- "They're the ones who kidnapped Melania, not you. They're the ones who are trying to kill you; it's what it's about. They want your life!  You need my support. Without a friend, you'll be easily overwhelmed."

"I don't need your pity, Matt!!" -She replied, furrowing her brow as she didn't like what he was saying to her.  How could he, despite the horrors she was responsible for, find a way to be compassionate and understand her? How could he still see her humanity despite what she was... How could he still be so kind to her?-

"I don't pity you, Lee.  I never pitied you, just like you never pitied me!" -He had a point. It was annoying, but she was still angry-

"Fuck you! You're still fucking looking at me like I deserve a second chance after all I did! You still think I can be redeemed!"  -She wanted to turn on her heels and bare her back at him. She wanted this conversation to be over, but when Hayley started to turn on her heels, Matt grabbed her arm and pulled her against his hard chest.-

"Stop being stubborn! I never said I pitied you. I don't want you to die! What don't you understand, Lee? I don't want you to die because I would lose my fucking mind if you ever died!"

She widely opened her eyes, the grey orbs seemed to come alight as she was shocked. Hayley didn't expect Matt to actually do this. They met three months ago and barely touched each other. Tonight, it was different. Tonight, he wanted to touch her. She could feel his warm breath over her skin and hear the low growls he couldn't contain. The ebony assassin didn't know how to react and blankly stared at him. She didn't move, barely breathed, but she kept her eyes on him as if she couldn't do otherwise. Her mind told her that it would be clever to leave, to push him away, but something else prevented her from doing it.

Instead, the young woman stayed there, nearly pressed against his torso, with only his red spandex and her blue silky bathrobe between them. Since they met, Matt has never had the opportunity to "see" her face. He knew and memorized her rich, feminine voice, her heartbeat, and even the sound of her footsteps. Matt could tell that she was athletic, curvy, and probably beautiful. His nostrils were full of her scent, Jasmine, a light but very pleasant scent.  Matt was familiar with all of this, but he never touched her...he never tasted her. For the first time in ages, the man without fears was slightly shivering in front of that woman. He wanted to "see" her, but didn't know how to ask for her permission. Hayley gasped and covered her mouth with her warm palm. She'd just felt the urge he was fighting against, and it was confusing her.

It wasn't difficult for her to notice. She could tell by the way he was holding her wrist. She could tell by the heavy breathing against her face. She could see his chest heaving up and down at a fast pace. His face was close to hers. His tantalizing scent was quickly overwhelming her and elicited a soft moan from her. She bit her bottom lip and bent a bit forward so her forehead could press against his chest. She then quickly pulled back and looked at his hand that was holding her wrist.  Her hand softly held it. None of them wanted to speak, and they were holding their breaths. Hayley took his hand to her face and gently rubbed her cheek against his palm.

"Lee..."

"Shhh...." -She silenced him with her forefinger on his lips and took his other hand to her other cheek.- "Go ahead..."

His calloused fingers felt the softness of her skin; it was so soft that he couldn't believe she was a fighter. His curious and greedy fingers ran through her face, stroked her nose, her high cheekbones, her eyes, and forehead. Matt then lost his hands in her glorious black mane. It was soft, even softer than he thought. She let him do as he pleased, her hands still on his wrists and her gaze still very intense. Matt felt she was looking at him, and given her fast heartbeat, he could tell she was a bit overwhelmed with what was happening. As long as the woman didn't push him away, that meant she didn't mind him touching her, so he moved his fingers down to her jaw and gently rubbed his thumbs over her lips. He loved her features. She was African, that much he knew because she told him. Her breathing became labored as he was now touching her graceful neck, and she took his hand off her face.

"We should stop here..." -She whispered to him, blushing slightly. He noticed and nodded.-

"I'm already grateful you let me touch your face. I like to know who I'm talking to. Karen was right about you."

"What did she tell you?" -She asked, hands still holding his wrists. Matt didn't flinch and simply replied.

"That you were very beautiful." -He replied with a slight smirk on his lips. Hayley was dumbfounded by his words and shook her head.-

"Pffft, you weren't well informed, and it shouldn't matter anyway! I am /not/ beautiful."-He shushed her, and she swallowed back her words.-

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder..." -He could feel that something had changed between the two of them. He could feel the spark between them, an electricity that drew them together. She enjoyed it when he touched her, and he enjoyed the sensation of her skin under his fingers-

"Easy to say for someone who can't see.." -She sneered, upset that he told her she was beautiful, confused because she didn't know how to reply, and also because they were supposed to be upset.-

"I /can/ see. It might not be with the eyes, but who needs eyes when all that matters is the inside?  As far as I'm concerned, I think you're not evil at all. You save people, you protect those in need, and you are kind to others. You also contain the rage, the sorrow, the sadness, and all of these human feelings you forbid yourself to feel."

"I have unleashed so much pain on this world. I hurt so much inside..." -She said in a whisper. He put one hand on her shoulder-

"You are beautiful...you really are." -He said, his face now closer to hers-

"I'm sorry about this morning. I was so upset that I didn't think straight."-She said with a shaky voice, fresh, unshed tears filled her eyes-

"I was out of my mind this morning. I wanted to hurt you, which was childish and stupid."

"I deserved it....You are right, I can't repent for what I did. I took these innocent lives, and I can't undo it, but I can decide what I want to do, and I want to save people. I want to do good, Matt. I want to do good. This is."

"You can be more than that, Lee." -He replied, holding her shoulder tighter. Hayley rolled her head from left to right, and Matt rubbed his fingers against her cheek.-

"I love my life, Matt...I can't see myself being more than what I already am." -Daredevil shook his head and brought her fingers to his face.-

"Don't be so one-sided...You see things with your eyes and your mind. You should feel them with your heart, Hayley." -He removed his mask in one swift motion and added. "Close your eyes, let your fingers feel my face, and tell me what you see."

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Her shaking fingers feathered over his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and thin nose. It made her smile softly, and she tilted her head to the side. He held both her wrists, just as she had earlier, and pulled her fingers up to his eyes. Still scared to hurt him, the assassin was shaking, but he rubbed the back of her hands with his thumbs.

"You won't hurt me..." -He assured her.- "I trust you."

"How can you be so sure?..." -She asked, in a softer tone. His soft caresses made her feel better, and she slowly stopped shaking.-

"I trust you...this is all you need to know, Hayley. The why or the how... It doesn't matter here."

"I am still sorry to have been so mean this morning. I need your hel--'' -He shushed her with a finger on her lips and leaned his forehead against hers.-

'What do you see?"

"W..What?"

"What do you feel? When you don't see with your eyes, what do you see?"

"Y--you are...I can see you...Your strength, your warmth... I can feel your scars, your sadness...I can feel that you are not scared. You barely tensed when I touched you."

"I knew you were about to touch me, I'm not that comfortable around people." -He replied with a slight smile on his face. Matt released her wrists, but Hayley still cupped his cheeks. "I wanted you to open yourself to anything new that could come your way. You can be more than you already are."

"How?..." -She asked, her fingers now rubbing his lips.-

"Find something to fight for, something or someone you want to protect. If you have something to fight for, you would allow yourself the right to live your life." 

She blinked several times, confused about what he was trying to say. She could feel it, the tension between the two of them, his desire for more. Could he want the same thing as her? Was he saying that he wanted to be with her? He wanted her to have a future, to be more than just an assassin or a vigilante. He wanted her to have a second chance at life -which was typical of Matt's catholic beliefs-  He wanted her to have a life with him? Was he asking her out? She couldn't think straight, so instead,  Hayley kissed his lips with such force that it bruised his lips. He tasted good, like menthol and cinnamon. 

Matt wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his strong and hard frame. She broke their kiss after a while, when the need to breathe took over. Hayley looked up at his face, her eyes searching for answers to questions she hadn't asked yet. Matt seemed to have the answers to his questions. This kiss was what he had been yearning for three months now. This kiss was exactly what he wanted and needed. He wanted her. He cared for her, and that kiss, so electric, so intense, felt right. The man without fears stroked her back and slowly pulled away from her. He smiled at her, content about the way her heart was racing against her ribcage, and yet, she felt comfortable and relaxed.  It was a first step. It was /the/ only step that mattered for him. He simply wished that the rescue mission would be a success. His gaze lingered on her face, waiting for her to make the next move. He even tried to pull away from him, but she held onto his arms.

"Stay..."

-TBC-

New profile : DDBA Widowmaker

I loved the TV show, and unfortunately, I have to scratch my desire for Matt Murdock XD I'm using my all-encompassing OC but mixing the ATSV and JW profiles to make this DDBA one.   Hayley is a little ball of nerves, but she's actually adorable when you get to know her better.  

XXXX XXXX

Main Faceclaim: Aja Naomi King

Other FC: TBD

Name: Hayley Blackwood

Birth Name: Anzelu Bahati (Angel of Luck in Lingala. She doesn't know her real name.)

Nicknames: Honey, Holly, Lee, Pearl

Alter ego: Widowmaker

Age: 25 years old.

Nationality: American

Height: 170 cm

Weight: 65 kg

Special features:  She has a star tattooed on her inner left arm, and her eyes are grey.

Physical appearance: 

Hayley is your average-sized, thick woman. Her hair is black and curly, and she wears a large afro most of the time. Her eyes are grey. She also has a white star on her inner left arm. It's a tattoo she got to remind her that there is still hope to be had in this life. 

Sexual orientation: Heterosexual

Alignment: chaotically good

Species: Enhanced Human 

Occupation: former assassin / Vigilante/ Superhero (Work in progress).

Nationality: 

Congolese (At birth -she retained it.)

Belgian (currently)

American (currently)

Something noticeable about her:  She has a strong African accent and a tongue piercing.

Abilities: 

• Human Condition:  Hayley has peak human physicality. She is very athletic, and her strength, durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, and threshold for pain are in top condition.


• Peak Human Durability: Hayley is highly resilient and sturdy by human standards. She was able to survive multiple gunshot wounds, stabbings, and blunt force trauma without feeling much of an effect. 


• Peak Human Speed: What Hayley lacks in strength, she compensates for with her speed. She is very fast. In combat, she can move too fast for her opponents to react.


• Peak Human Agility: Hayley is also extraordinarily agile in her movements, being able to perform and incorporate various jumps and rolls in her fighting style with ease. 


• Peak Human Stamina: Hayley has tremendous amounts of stamina. She is able to fight for considerable amounts of time and run for great distances while showing little signs of fatigue. Even when she is injured or tired, she requires little time to recover.


• Peak Human Reflexes: Hayley has great reflexes. She has displayed incredibly fast reaction time, as is able to evade bullets and melee attacks during combat with relative ease, even from multiple opponents.


• High Pain Tolerance: Despite her mastery of martial arts and firearms, Hayley is frequently injured, but demonstrates a very high tolerance to pain

• Poison projection/ production: She can produce a venomous poison that she spits at her enemies during a fight.

Skills: 

• Gifted Intellect: Hayley was shown to be a very intelligent individual who could outsmart her enemies even under extreme stress and could easily think her way out of dangerous situations.
• Skilled Equestrian: Hayley can easily mount and ride a horse through the city to evade enemies.
• Skilled Physician: Hayley appears to have some knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, as well as basic medicine and first aid.
• Multilingualism: Hayley is fluent in several languages.  including American Sign Language, as well as all the spoken languages on Earth. (English, French, Spanish, Xhosa, and some others)

• Master Assassin: Hayley is one of the best female assassins.  She earned her reputation and nickname when she killed the people responsible for the death of her family and the slaughter of her village at just 9 years old. Since she was recruited by the H.A.N.D. Hayley was trained to become an assassin. Her ledger is red with the blood of the thousands of people she killed. She takes pride in her work as an assassin, but only when it comes to killing vile people.  Her preferred method to fight is to be as fast as possible and kill everyone he encounters until she reaches her targets.

• Master Marksman: Being both a trained assassin as well as a former Belgian Secret Service agent, Hayley is proficient with a variety of firearms, including pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, as well as being able to precisely eliminate targets from a long distance. 
• Master Martial Artist: Hayley is a skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand fighter. Her fighting style consists of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, karate, capoeira, and Krav Maga. She can quickly outmaneuver, outmatch, or simply outlast her opponents, even being capable of taking on multiple enemies at once. Hayley can adapt to his opponent's fighting styles, studying them during the fight and adapting to negate their strengths. She also sometimes makes use of dirty tactics such as striking the groin, gouging the eyes, or even biting.

Weaknesses/Crippling fears:

• Anger: Hayley's anger can sometimes blind her. She doesn't know what to feel aside from pure rage for her childhood and the constant heartbreaks and betrayals she had to face. Her anger comes from her low self-esteem and the perception that everyone will abandon her. When enraged, she doesn't think much and goes for the throat.
• Mortality: Although Hayley is an incredible enhanced human, she is still mortal and is still susceptible to dying via injuries, illness, or very (very)  old age.
• Gullible: Hayley is very naive. She trusts people and can be easily manipulated by someone who can catch her low self-esteem.  Her naivety caused her so many troubles in her past that she had to learn to see through the lies. (It's still in progress)

• Fatalism: Hayley isn't sure she can escape the life of an assassin. She's convinced that Fate can't be disturbed, and it chose them to be the harbinger of death. This could make her feel defeated, and her fealty to the H.A.N.D. makes it very difficult for her to stray from her education.

• Fire: She also suffers from a fear of fire inherited from when she was a baby because the special unit that slaughtered her family set fire to the house before they found the baby. She was old enough to sit and crawl, and although she doesn't remember the events, the fear, pain, and feelings of solitude she felt during the attack resurface whenever there is a fire.

Family:

• Mother: [name redacted. Deceased]
• Father: [name redacted. Deceased.]
• Lover: Matt Murdock/ Daredevil. 

Universe:   DDBA

Status:  Alive. Active.

Personality:

Due to her harsh background and being rigorously trained for her childhood and adulthood by The H.A.N.D and her career in the Belgium Secret Services, hayley could be described as a very serious and stoic individual who rarely speaks more than is necessary (preferring actions over words and being described as someone who never wastes words) with a strong sense of obligation. As a professional assassin and hitman, Widowmaker is highly confident in her abilities and reputation, being greatly respected by many criminal organizations and other assassins alike. 

Despite this, she has a strong moral code as well as honor, which is rare among her colleagues, as Phoenix never willingly dragged innocent people to her job or threatened them during it. She abhors former colleagues who do so and would personally go after them if she witnesses them kill innocent people (especially children). Despite her professionalism, she is also friendly and develops strong friendships with many other dangerous people, like the Punisher or Moon Knight. She even got the respect of the Kingpin for her deeds of the past, and among her former colleagues of the H.A.N.D. or former figures such as Elektra, she is also well-respected due to her moral code and skills.  Her good side is mostly seen when she interacts with children; it's one of the very few moments she could genuinely be herself, and she reveals a kind and loving heart despite how hardened it has become.

However, Hayley is a woman who is worth her reputation as the Daughter of Death for her lethality, as he never failed on his missions. Despite her calm and collected behavior, once angered or taken by vengeance, she will stop at nothing until she kills her target, no matter who or what stands in her way.  Despite her skills, Hayley isn't a knight templar and is willing to first talk and negotiate if it's possible. She doesn't hesitate to come to the aid of her friends and could even spare her enemies. Her strong sense of honor also means she protects innocent people from getting caught in the crossfire of her work.

Fictional Character Biography: 

Most of it is a mystery. What she's willing to share with the few people who are close to her is that she was raised and trained by The H.A.N.D., and their manipulation ended up turning her into an enhanced individual. She broke free from them once she felt a strong desire to be in control of her own life and help people rather than kill them, but it led to even more struggles. She went to Hell's Kitchen because she felt it was the only place she could try to make a difference. 

Current history:

She has retired from the H.A.N.D. and is officially working at a shelter for battered women.  She seemingly has abandoned her past violent behavior, but at night, she goes and punishes the violent spouses her clients escaped from. She beats them to an inch of their lives but refrains from killing.  She had her run-ins with Daredevil, and the two became partners. She's the reinforcement he needs on certain missions. He's trying to talk her into joining Heroes for Hire, but she's reluctant.. They are also starting a relationship, but their mutual guilt makes it difficult for them to make it work. The Hand was not destroyed, but the Defenders, quite the contrary, as they are starting to make their presence known. 

Trivia: 

-She has a slight pain addiction.

-Hayley drinks a lot of hard drinks (Vodka is her favorite), but not that much. She doesn't like it when she's drunk because she's not a happy drunken woman.

-She is deeply in love with Matt, but feels that she's not worthy of his love because of her past as an assassin. 

-She used to have a dog, but later had to kill it to prove her loyalty to the H.A.N.D. Since then, she wants to own a dog but is afraid something might happen to it, and therefore is blocked when it comes to making a decision regarding owning a dog or not.