Washed His Hands And Sealed His Fate
Matt thinks he has done pretty good for himself.
Took him a while to figure out that Stick was actually an asshole and was training him to be a child soldier. But he got there eventually.
It was good that his soulmate took Stick away from him. However a soulmate is not good for him.
After Stick left, Matt worked hard and trained almost daily to keep everything he learned in his mind just in case it was needed. For the future if he needed to know it. Then Matt eventually graduated school and moved into College. He had a dorm to himself (due to his roommate canceling). Matt never really made any friends while at College. He hung out with Marci Stahl from time to time but they never really became good friends. Vance Astrovik was someone he had hung out with from time to time but he graduated and left quickly. That was okay though. That meant that he had a ton of time to study. And that he did. Matt graduated summa cum laude. Then he went to Landman and Zach and left there pretty quickly. Then he went solo.
Going solo wasn’t too bad. He wasn’t alone for too long as he took Karen Page’s case and she offered to work for him.
Then they opened up Murdock and Page.
Matt had a tough schedule of working, teaching Karen, his “night job”, faith, and sleeping.
But he made it work.
Matt goes to confessionals as much as he can.
He told Father Lantom about the Devil and his soul mark. Father Lantom was nice about it. He may not agree but he was nicer than others when it came to it. The others would say that God hated him. That he was a sinner and deserved to go to Hell. Matt didn’t believe God thought that. Father Lantom also didn’t believe that. That’s all that matters to him.
Wilson Fisk was difficult. But Matt was not going to open up on his involvement in that right now. It would’ve been more difficult if she hadn’t told found out about that he was the man in the mask. She found him one night in his apartment bloodied and masked. Yeah... she was pissed but not too pissed as they hadn’t known each other for too long (she still doesn’t know about the soul mark).
Anyway that brings Matt to the present. All anyone was talking about right now was the Daredevil. It was such a stupid nickname. What is he gonna do? Skydive over Niagara Falls only to land on a string then juggle lit fireworks over to the other side?
He could probably do that...
No not now.
Matt hoped his soulmate didn’t have that mark. He prayed that his soulmate had the name Matt rather than Daredevil.
Walking into work Karen suggested that they go to the bakery for breakfast. Matt said that they should start working but Karen always knows how to guilt him (in a good way not in the manipulative way). She asked him when the last time he sat down and ate was and where he couldn’t think of an answer she started leading him outside.
Walking toward the bakery Matt started slamming weak excuses as to not go, but Karen just smirked and they stopped.
“It’s because of him isn’t it?”
Matt stammered, “What? I d-don’t know what you-“
Karen laughed. “Cut the crap Murdock, I see the way you look at him.”
“Karen, I’m blind.”
“That doesn’t mean you still can’t see.”
They continued walking.
Him is this guy that works beside the bakery, at the neighbouring butcher shop. He seems to go to the bakery every break he takes. Every time Matt and Karen go in there and The mystery man is there Matt just knows. He smiles so brightly and he is just so happy. Karen doesn’t know what it is but Matt doesn’t act that way round anyone else, ever.
The man also has eyes for Matt, Karen can see him watching him and he always seems to want to go up to him but he doesn’t. Shy maybe?
When they stepped through the door Karen saw the man and Matt sensed him. They ordered their regular, payed, and sat down. Karen grinning as she sipped her coffee. Matt could tell she regretted it immediately as it was way too hot. The man was watching them. Rubbing his hand over his wrist nervously.
Matt knew what that meant. His own fingers rubbing nervously over his mark. A habit he used to calm himself down. To remind him that he was not alone. It looks like he isn’t the only one to do that habit. The mystery man had a soulmate, and more likely than not the man was not his soulmate.
Matt would go over and talk flirt if the man didn’t have a soul mate. He wasn’t going to get in the way of him finding happiness.
The man eventually left the shop. Karen was annoyed that Matt never got up to speak to him. After they were done, they made their way back to Murdock and Page.
They worked through the day. Then they went to Matt’s apartment and taught Karen some more about the law. After a an hour Matt started to get ready while Karen was trying (unsuccessfully) to stop Matt from going out.
“Karen, I’ll be safe,” Matt argued.
“What part of you running around and beating people up is safe?” Karen asked.
“Look,” Matt said. He was just washing his hands and face. Getting ready for the nights upcoming events. “How about this? I’ll come back at 12:00 tonight. Unless I run into something big.”
As Matt dried off his hands Karen considered it. It was more of an offer than she usually would get. Matt was just in a good mood now. So he was feeling generous to her.
Karen stuck out her hand. Matt grinned and shook it.
Karen said she wanted to stay over that night. That was something she had started doing after she found out about Matt’s secret. The Daredevil one that is. It wasn’t that she wanted his protection, she wanted to protect him. She wanted to make sure he actually slept. Some nights Karen when she wasn’t over, she knew he was out until 6:00 AM.
Matt wished her a goodnight even though he knew she wouldn’t go to sleep until he came back. Karen wished him good luck.
Then finally Matt was no longer Matt. He was the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
Stood on a roof top. The cold chill in the air that night brought made him feel alive. Alert for the sound of guns and knives. Not much going on tonight.
What he didn’t hear were the footsteps. The footsteps of someone coming up behind him. Hesitate, unsure, and slightly scared. Not until he heard a voice.
“Devil.”