IT WAS MATT'S IDEA to team up with the punisher. And although his temperament proved slightly risky against the outspoken, usually indifferent members of the defenders, it seemed the only feasible option at the time.

But, given the why Frank's smirk grew wider the longer he contemplated the suggestion, Matt was starting to regret asking him at all, if his sweltering ego was any indication.

He sighed to himself as he tilted his head slightly to the side, awaiting his answer. A tedious game it was, playing anxious games with The Punisher. Not a good idea at all, but it was the only feesable one he could think of, at a time like this. He just hoped that going against his better instincts would help him out in the long run, and that the gamble would pay off.

Frank being Frank, immediately attributed the suggestion to his sheer determination and, given the lack of the team's general desire to kill, or in Frank's words "put down scumbags", he was generally pretty apt to provide his services, however reluctant he admittedly was to lose the "one man army" title.

He thought Frank quite suited the epithet, and was quite proud of it actually, guessing my the way he nodded to himself, a glimpse of light shining in his eyes, for a second anyway. Although Matt couldn't determine the shine exactly, but the crack in his voice held a slither of gratitude when Matt asked him, and so thats what he attributed it to.

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The defenders, however, were slightly less approving of the idea, with Jessica Jones throwing her hands in the air in exasperation when Matt delivered the news back at his apartment where they were hanging out for the night.

"Seriously?" she cried, her eyes scrunched, dark irises narrowing in on Matt's tinted lenses, which shifted briefly on the bridge of his nose as he snapped his head back at her accusatory tone, head cocked to the left to preempt her next action.

"You want us to put our trust in a psychotic murderer who could derail our mission at any stage all because you believe in the fanciful notion of redemption?"

There was no doubt to it, she was furious. Saying she was incredulous would only be digging Matt's metaphorical grave deeper. He sighed, putting his hands on his hips, head tilted forward now in a subdued attempt to appear more vulnerable then he actually was.

"I get that its a lot to consider, but I just need you to trust me on this." God, he almost winced, already expecting Jessica's reaction. "Please?" he added, stressing the urgency of the decision. Hell, he was practically pleading with her. He hated it.

She exhaled slowly, squeezing her eyes shut in a manner that quite clearly meant she was not in an attitude to be messed with.

"Murdock," she started slowly, opening her eyes, the sheer frustration in her pupils unknown to the man's unfocused eyes, as she continued.

"The next time you tell us to trust you in vain, without an actual reason, I'm going to skin you alive."

Daniel Rand took a cautious step away from the ensuing fight, eyes sweeping back and forth between the two arguing defenders before focusing on the uneaten, suddenly very appealing crossaint on the countertop. Purposefully ignoring Luke Cage's disapproving stare, he swallowed back the remnants in his throat. Grabbing a few more bites he moved his hands in a vague gesture to defend himself.

"What? They're good!"

Unbeknownst to him, said contents of his mouth tumbled onto the front of his jumper, his hand automatically picking at the crumbs from the abundance of moth holes in the wool.

Jessica gave him a vague disapproving stare before grimacing at Matt, clearly not liking her options as the current predicament unfolded.

Already knowing that her grimace meant she'd changed her mind, Matt smirked, his demeanour changing immediately into the cocky hotshot lawyer she knew him to be.

"I'll keep that in mind." and with that he moved past Jessica, grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the couch and slung it over his shoulder, walking out of Jessica's apartment with the cane in his hands.

She watched him leave, mirthlessly clenching her hands into fists by her sides.

With a huff, Jessica broke the silence.

"So were you guys going to add anything, or what?"

"You know, you guys are pretty similar. You get along like a house on fire, really." Danny added casually, trying to diffuse the undeniable tension in the room.

"Yeah," Jessica muttered, "except the framework is made of fireproof steel and the fire is just the smoke from a sad cigarette thats seen better days."

Unbeknownst to them, Matt heard the estranged conversation unfold from the street below, but figured they'd soon grow out of the bickering.

So much for adding to the ranks, he thought, throwing a hand through his hair that kept flying away in the wind to try and make it stay put. It was as useless an action to him in that moment as it was to try and get the defenders on board with his suggestions.

He sighed. Here's to trying. Grunting, he loosened his posture, his nose twitching- half-scrunched into the hard lines that were pretty much contours of his face at this point, with the copious amounts of stress in his life. And failing.