Matt's Apartment
The Next Morning

Matt was so tired from his trip to Savannah that he didn't wake up when Jack came out of the bedroom. It wasn't until Jack was finished cooking his omelette that he finally woke.

"Hey, Matty," Jack said as Matt got up and walked into the kitchen area. "I didn't know if you wanted one or not, so..." There was something in his voice that wasn't there before, making Matt curious.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just get some cereal," replied Matt as he did so.

They both sat at his table and began to eat.

After a couple of minutes, Jack spoke, "So, Matty, where exactly do you go at night?"

Matt stopped eating, surprised. "I'm sorry?"

"You can tell me, Matt," Jack said. "I know."

"You...know what?" Matt's heartbeat quickened. Was this about Daredevil, or something else? Maybe Jack thought he was having a secret affair or something.

"I just don't know how you do it..." Jack said, trailing off. It was almost as if he was afraid to say it, as if saying it finally made it true.

"Dad...what are you talking about?" Matt's spoon quivered a little in his hand. He knew Jack would find out, but he was hoping it would have been on his own terms...but then again, if Matt was gonna be the one to tell him, would he have ever told him at all?

"I found the suit, Matty. I know who you are." Jack spoke with more confidence this time. The cat was out of the bag now...there was no going back. "You're Daredevil."

Matt's heart skipped a beat, even though he knew that this was coming. He set his spoon down in the bowl, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Finally, swallowing hard, he replied.

"Yes, I am."

Jack froze. Hearing this confirmation flooded him with so many different emotions and questions. His son was a vigilante. But he's blind. But he's a lawyer. But he never wanted him to fight. But where did he learn? How did he do what he did? Was he truly blind? Jack began questioning everything, and he had no idea what to ask first.

Sensing his father's inability to choose his next words, Matt decided to speak.

"I suppose I owe you an explanation. All of it. From the beginning."

Jack only nodded.

"After the car accident, and I woke up in the hospital, you remember how I was screaming about everything being loud, and how I couldn't calm down?" Jack nodded again. "Well, just like with any person who is blind, my other senses heightened when I lost my sight. But, they heightened much more than could ever be normal. I don't know how it happened; I don't know why...I just know that it did. I could hear things...smell things...feel things... several blocks away. I didn't know how to react, and...I didn't know how to explain it. So, I never told you."

Jack was listening intently. His silence meant that he was deep in thought, deep in the story. Matt took this as his cue to continue.

"Then, in Fogwell's, I overheard your conversation with Sweeney and Silke, that you had to lose to Creel. I wanted you to win, to show them that you are better than they could ever be. And then you did, for me. And then you died..." Matt paused, trying not to lose it. Tears fought their way into his eyes, and he fought back, trying to hold them back. "Shit happens. Eventually, I ended up in the orphanage, where I was visited by an old man. He was blind, like me. Gifted, like me. But that's where our similarities ended.

"He took me in for awhile, and he showed me how to truly use my senses. He taught me how to fight, claiming that there was a war happening in the future that I'd need to fight in. Then, I wasn't the student he wanted me to be, and he ended the training and made me leave. I went back to the orphanage, then went to Columbia, started my practice with a college friend, then it happened."

He told Jack the same story about the man and his daughter that he'd told Foggy when he found out about Daredevil.

Jack's face was twisting into a grimace. He was struggling to pick a side: his own stance about Matt not fighting, or sympathize with Matt's situation.

Matt continued, "I know you never wanted me to fight, but after that night, I knew I couldn't stop. So I went out every night, going after criminals. And, well...a lot of them went after me. But I've never killed anyone; I could never. But I like to think I've done some good in this city." He stopped for a moment. "I'm...um...sorry."

He blinked; his father's silence was deafening. He hoped that Jack would finally say something. Say it was okay. Yell at him. Either was fine, as long as he finally got some kind of a reply.

Jack sighed. "Well, normal didn't want nothing to do with us, did it? No, Matthew, this is not the life I wanted for you. I want to tell you I'm disappointed, that I'm angry...but I can't be sure about anything in this world today. I just came back from the damn grave. Who would I be to judge the son that I just got back? I wasn't there. Shit happens." He took a sip of his milk as he began to think a little more realistically. "Okay, yes, I'm a little mad. What the hell, Matty? This shit killed me."

Matt bowed his head shamefully. "I know..." They sat in silence for several awkward moments.

"Okay, just...come here, would you?" Jack said, holding his arms out. Matt slid his chair over beside him, and Jack wrapped his arm across his shoulders. Matt, feeling like a 9-year-old all over again, leaned his head on Jack's shoulder.

This was the first time since Jack had appeared on Matt's doorstep that their reunion finally felt real.

°•°•°•°• ó-ò •°•°•°•°

Nelson and Murdock

Foggy sat at the conference table, his mind still going over what shocking events had happened the night before. Jesus, was this how Matt felt every day after his nights as Daredevil? It was strenuous enough for Foggy's heart and mind...imagine it being taxing on his body, too, from fighting...

He looked across the table at Danny, who was massaging his right hand with his left, looking deep in thought. After waving his fist around last night, it was useless keeping it a secret from Foggy about him being the Iron Fist (even though Foggy already knew, but he didn't tell Danny that).

Foggy stepped out of the room and called Matt; he picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Foggy," he said, his voice sounding a little emotional.

"Hey, Matt. You know that lead I told you about?"

"Yeah?"

"Well it just became a whole lot more serious."

"Serious how?"

"Serious like...some of the Resurrected are forming an army."

"An...army?" Matt's voice was full of both confusion and concern.

"Yeah. Loyalists to the Restitutionist in case someone gets in his way. Someone like..."

"Me," Matt said, referring to Daredevil.

"Yeah."

"How many?"

"At least ten or fifteen so far...Danny wasn't exactly able to count before they chased him out--"

"You spoke with Danny?"

"Well, I...I was with him. Well not exactly with him...I was in the car when he went inside..."

"What have you gotten yourself into? What all does Danny know?"

"Nothing, just that Nelson and Murdock are on the case. He's come in contact with Resurrected before and he's very committed to it all. Claire thought it would be best to loop him in."

"But why were you with him?"

"Look, Matt. I can take care of myself. I may not flip around like a ninja every night, but I am willing to stick my neck out every once in awhile to get answers."

Matt sighed.

"Can you come to the office?" Foggy asked.

Matt hesitated. It hadn't been long ago that he'd shared his secret with Jack. Was leaving now the best idea?

...Did he really have a choice?

"Yeah I can come. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, see you then."

Matt hung up the phone, slipping it back into his pocket. He turned his head in Jack's direction, who was now sitting on the sofa.

"I need to go to the office," Matt told him.

Jack nodded. "All right."

Matt swiftly gathered his things, put on his glasses, and headed for the door. It was relieving that he could move freely now in front of his father, as opposed to pretending to be a clumsy blind guy.

"I want to come with you," said Jack. Matt stopped walking.

"I don't know if that's the best idea."

"Why not?"

"I--" Matt didn't really have a good answer. Was it because he didn't want to get Jack so closely involved with Daredevil? Was he afraid that Jack would disagree with what they were planning? Both of those were true, but he couldn't exactly say that to him. And, despite those two reasons, it was a comforting idea to be able to bring his father along. However, Matt was treading on thin ice with him when it came to Daredevil. "I just don't think that--"

"Matty, if you want to figure out more about this 'Restitutionist' guy, I am your best lead, right? I went through it. Something you find out might mean something to me. And now that I know about your little secret,"--he said that last word with a slight distaste--"it will be a lot easier to discuss things around me, yes?" Matt looked at him, weighing his options. "Besides, we're in this together, right?" Matt could hear a hint of hopefulness in that last comment.

What the hell? thought Matt. The first step to reforming our relationship is actually sharing things with each other. He'd already experienced that when he told Jack about being Daredevil. Why push him away now?

"Okay, fine, c'mon then."

Jack smiled, then followed Matt out the door.

They took a taxi to the office, and on the way there, Matt explained what Foggy had told him over the phone.

"...and one last thing," Matt said as the taxi slowed to a stop at their destination, "Foggy knows about who I am, Danny doesn't." They climbed out of the car. "But I have done a little...business, I guess you could call it...with Danny as, um, Daredevil." Jack nodded, a little uncomfortable with this information. "Well, I guess that's it, then. Right this way."

He led Jack through the hallway and to Nelson and Murdock. He opened the door, stepping in first and allowing Jack to slip inside before closing the door. Matt leaned his cane against the wall.

"Foggy?" he called out, even though he knew exactly where he was.

"In here," Foggy said. "Conference room."

Matt led Jack into the room, holding his hands out, searching for a chair. Foggy was sitting by the door, with Danny at the other end of the table.

"Hey, Foggy, this is, uh...this is my dad," he said as Foggy realized that he wasn't alone.

"Jack Murdock," Jack said, holding out his hand.

"Uhh...Foggy Nelson," replied Foggy, shaking it. He looked at Matt, eyes wide with surprise. Matt only nodded at him reassuringly. "And...yes, this is Danny Rand." He released Jack's hand so he could point at Danny, who gave a joyful wave. "He hasn't met either of you, has he?"

"No, he hasn't," Matt said. "Nice to meet you, Danny." He pulled out a chair near Foggy, sitting in it. Jack did the same, sitting beside him.

"And, he knows what's going on," Matt said, motioning to Jack, as he was referring to him, "so no need to catch him up."

"You told him everything?" Foggy asked casually, although Matt knew that he was referring to Daredevil.

"Yes, everything," Matt replied with a smile. Danny wasn't the least bit suspicious of this interchange, despite the high levels of awkward radiating at the other end of the table.

Foggy nodded. "Okay, then, we can just get right to it."

"Great," said Matt, his smile widening.

°•°•°•°• ó-ò •°•°•°•°

Karen's Apartment

Karen sat on her bed, her computer resting on her lap. Her fingers were flying across the keyboard at rapid speed; she was working on an article about Luke Cage: Hero of Harlem, Innocent Man.

Her doorbell rang. She stopped, looking up. Maybe Matt came to see her? No, he would've called. Perhaps he was trying to surprise her? No, he still would've called and asked if he could stop by. It must be someone else.

Not taking any chances, Karen reached into her purse, pulling out her .380 pistol. She held it by her side as she crept to her door and squinted at the peep hole.

There was a package on her doorstep, but other than that, the front of her apartment was deserted.

I didn't order anything.. Her heart raced.

Karen unlocked the door, then slowly turned the knob. She was on high alert as she opened the door. As she was reaching for the package, that's when she heard the foot hit the pavement.

Her gun was pointed right between his eyes before he could make a move.

Karen gasped.

"You sure do like your guns," Wesley said. He was startled, but this was one scenario that he'd expected. He looked down his hand, which was holding a chloroform-drenched tissue, which he stuck into his pants pocket. Looking back up, he smiled. "I suppose you don't fall for the same tricks twice, no?"

"What the hell?" was all Karen could say. Was this a hallucination? Her heart felt like it was about to explode, it was beating so hard. Am I going crazy? Was the thought of him coming back to haunt her? And then she realized that he was one of the many perfect candidates for the Restitutionist, so his presence began to make a little more sense. "That piece of shit," she muttered under her breath. All the people the Restitutionist could've brought back, and he chose this prick.

Wesley looked at her expectantly.

"Have you come here to kill me?" asked Karen shakily.

"If I was here to kill you, then why would I have the chloroform? The real question is, are you going to kill me? Because that would be a little"--he inhaled through his teeth--"redundant? Wouldn't it?"

Karen only stared at him, struggling to hold the gun still. That moment flashed before her eyes: seeing Wesley sprawled out in the chair, with crimson red soaking through his shirt in several places. The horror Karen felt, and the fear.

Wesley only smiled.

"Well, if you aren't going to shoot me again, then can you just lower the gun? Eventually someone is going to walk by and see you pointing that at me, and they're going to have a few questions," Wesley said.

"No," Karen barked. "I will not."

"Very well. We can just talk here."

"Why would I want to talk to you?"

"Oh, I'm sure you don't. I just thought I'd ask you something."

"Yeah, what?" Karen strengthened her grip on the pistol.

"Are you ready for your life to fall apart, Miss Page?"