Karen Page

The office had settled into that rare, almost unnatural silence that only came long after everyone else had gone home, when the hum of the city outside softened into something distant and muted. Karen sat alone at her desk, a single lamp casting a warm glow over scattered files and notes, her pen resting between her fingers as she tried to focus on the words in front of her. Matt had already slipped out hours ago, chasing whatever shadows called him into the night, and Foggy had left not long after, insisting she should do the same. But Karen stayed. She always did. There was something about unfinished work, and unfinished thoughts, that refused to let her walk away.

She leaned back slightly, rubbing her temple as exhaustion began to creep in, when the faint sound of the office door opening echoed through the quiet space. Her body tensed almost instantly, every nerve sharpening as her gaze snapped toward the darkened entrance. For a brief moment, her mind ran through every worst-case scenario she’d learned not to ignore, her hand instinctively reaching for the nearest object she could use to defend herself. She stood slowly, careful, controlled, her voice cutting through the silence with a firm edge.

"Who’s there?"

Her grip tightened just slightly, breath held as footsteps followed, approaching, but then, as the figure stepped into the soft light spilling from her desk lamp, recognition hit just as quickly as the tension had risen. Karen exhaled, the tightness in her shoulders easing almost immediately, the object in her hand lowering as her expression softened into something far more familiar.

"...You really need to stop doing that," she said, a faint, relieved laugh slipping through as she shook her head, setting the object aside. "I was about two seconds away from throwing something at you."

She relaxed back against her desk, arms crossing loosely as she studied them for a moment, something warmer settling into her features now that the initial scare had passed. "What are you doing here this late?" her tone softened, just slightly teasing, but undeniably glad to see them.

It had started as something small, just a couple of early messages exchanged before the city fully woke up, a quiet agreement between the two of them that neither really needed to explain anymore. Karen had texted first, like she often did on mornings like this, suggesting their usual spot with a simple line and no pressure, just enough to leave the door open. By the time she arrived, the café was already alive with the low murmur of conversations and the steady rhythm of coffee machines, but she managed to claim a small table by the window, sunlight spilling softly across the surface as she waited. She ordered for both of them without asking, because she already knew, fingers tapping lightly against the warm cup as minutes passed and her gaze occasionally drifted toward the door.

When they finally stepped inside, a little later than expected, Karen noticed immediately, of course she did. Her lips pressed into a faint, knowing smile as she leaned back slightly in her chair, watching them approach with an expression that balanced somewhere between amusement and quiet fondness. She didn’t say anything right away, letting the moment linger just long enough before she reached for the second cup sitting across from her.

"You’re late." she said simply, sliding the coffee toward them across the table without hesitation, her tone carrying a light teasing edge rather than any real annoyance. "Again. I’m starting to think it’s intentional at this point."

She wrapped her hands around her own cup, bringing it closer as she studied them for a second, her blue eyes softening despite the mock accusation. There was something comfortable about this, about them, that made the early hour feel easier to bear.

"Good thing I know your order by now," she added, taking a small sip before glancing back at them, a hint of a smile lingering. "Otherwise you’d be stuck with whatever I felt like getting you... and I don’t think you’d survive that."

The day had dragged on longer than it should have, one of those days where everything seemed to demand more from her than she had left to give. By the time Karen finally pushed open the door to her apartment, the quiet inside felt almost too heavy, settling over her shoulders as she dropped her bag near the couch and kicked off her shoes without much care. She moved through the dim space on autopilot, glancing briefly toward the kitchen as if considering making something to eat, but the thought alone felt exhausting. Instead, she let herself sink onto the couch, elbows resting on her knees, fingers pressing lightly against her temples as she exhaled slowly, trying to shake off the weight of everything that still lingered in her mind.

Her phone sat in her hand for a moment before she did anything, thumb hovering over the screen like she was debating whether or not to follow through. Karen wasn’t used to asking for things like this, not when she could handle it herself, not when she was supposed to be fine. But tonight felt different, quieter in a way that made the silence feel louder. So she gave in, sending a short message first, then calling when that didn’t feel like enough, her voice softer than usual when they picked up, asking if they were free, if they could come by, promising it wouldn’t be for long. She didn’t explain much, but she didn’t need to. They understood her in ways most people didn’t.

By the time the knock finally came, Karen had barely moved from where she sat, though she forced herself up, crossing the room and opening the door without hesitation. The moment she saw them, something in her expression eased, tension she hadn’t fully noticed slipping away as she stepped aside to let them in.

"Hey..." she said quietly, offering a small, tired smile as she closed the door behind them. "I’m sorry... I know it’s late." She glanced at them for a second longer, softer now. "I just... didn’t really want to be alone tonight."

The soft glow of a desk lamp was the only thing keeping Karen’s apartment from falling completely into darkness, the rest of the city outside her window alive in distant lights and muted noise. She had been trying to focus on paperwork she’d brought home, but her attention drifted more often than not, her pen idle between her fingers as her thoughts wandered somewhere else entirely. It was late, later than she should’ve been awake, but sleep didn’t come easy on nights like this, not when her mind refused to quiet down. The faint sound of movement outside barely registered at first, just another noise blending into the city... until it didn’t.

Her head lifted slightly, brows knitting together as the sound came again, sharper this time, closer, too close to ignore. Karen stood slowly, cautious but not panicked, her gaze fixed on the window as she moved toward it, her heartbeat picking up just enough to sharpen her focus. When the knock finally came, light but deliberate, she hesitated for only a second before stepping forward and unlocking it, pulling the window open, only for the tension in her expression to shift instantly into something else entirely.

"Oh my—hey, hey... what happened?" she said quickly, her voice dropping into something urgent but controlled as she took in the sight of them, blood, injuries, the unmistakable signs of a night gone wrong. Whether they wore a mask or not didn’t matter in that moment, recognition hitting just the same. "Don’t argue, just—come inside."

She stepped back immediately, one hand already reaching out to steady them as they climbed in, guiding them carefully toward the couch without giving them much room to protest. Her movements were quick but practiced, already shifting into something focused as she grabbed a clean cloth and whatever basic supplies she kept for moments exactly like this.

"You really have to stop showing up like this," she murmured, kneeling in front of them as she gently pressed the cloth against one of their wounds, her touch careful despite the tension in her voice. "I mean it... one day you’re going to give me a heart attack." A brief pause, her expression softening as she glanced up at them. "Just... stay still, okay? Let me help you."

The day had been long, but not unusual, papers to organize, calls to return, clients to reassure. By the time Karen stepped out of the office, the city had already begun to shift into its nighttime rhythm, the streets of Hell’s Kitchen dimly lit and alive in that quiet, restless way she had grown used to. She adjusted her coat slightly as she walked, her pace steady, mind half-focused on everything she still had to do tomorrow. It felt almost normal, almost safe... at least until the sound of footsteps behind her didn’t fade the way it should have.

Karen slowed just slightly, her instincts sharpening as she glanced ahead, only to stop when two figures stepped into her path while another lingered behind. Her breath caught, not in panic, but in recognition of the situation unfolding too quickly to avoid. When one of them raised a gun, pointing it directly at her, her hands instinctively lifted, her voice steady despite the tension coiling tightly in her chest. She reached slowly for her bag, ready to hand it over, calculating every movement, every second, knowing that resistance wasn’t an option.

"Okay... okay, just take it," she said carefully, keeping her tone even as she extended her belongings toward them, her eyes flicking between their faces, searching for any sign of unpredictability.

But before the exchange could happen, something shifted, fast, sudden, almost impossible to track. A shadow dropped from above, cutting through the moment with a force that sent one of the men sprawling before Karen could fully process what was happening. The others barely had time to react before they were met with precise, controlled strikes, the sound of struggle brief and sharp against the otherwise quiet street. Karen instinctively stepped back, heart racing now, her gaze fixed on the figure moving through the chaos with practiced ease.

And then... silence.

The men were down, scattered across the pavement, unmoving. Karen stood a few steps away, her breath uneven as she looked at the person now standing in the middle of it all, the realization settling in slowly.

"...You always have a way of making an entrance," she said softly, a mix of relief and lingering tension in her voice as she crossed her arms slightly, trying to steady herself. "You okay?"

Create your own scenario.