Chapter Text
Knock. Knock.
“Curtis, open up! I know you’re in there.”
Matthew Murdock was only barely able to restrain himself from ripping the door open, even though he suspected there was a decent chance the latch wasn’t even closed. But, he had resolved to come here not as Daredevil, but just as Matt. He was wearing simple, gray sweatpants and a black hoodie, which fell a bit too loosely on his lithe frame. Hearing the extra heartbeats inside, he rushed to throw on his glasses as he waited for Curtis to make his way to the door.
Inside the old trailer, which had been newly christened with a splattering of bullet holes in that very same front door, Amy whispered, “Curtis, how many assholes do you know that can track phones?”
“I don’t think that’s how this one found us, kid.” Curtis didn’t bother lowering his voice as he lumbered over and opened the door to reveal Matt, who immediately pushed his way inside.
“Where is he? Curtis, I know he was here.” Matt rounded on Curtis as the other man shut the door, ignoring the woman and teen girl staring at him.
Curtis ignored Matt’s questions, watching him begin to pace with bafflement, “Welcome to the party, Murdock. Didn’t know you were still around. ”
Dinah’s brow pinched and she narrowed her eyes, trying to place the familiar name.
“I’m not here to socialize Curtis, I just need information.”
“Jesus, okay man. I get it, we all been riled up. But you got some shit to clear up yourself as far as I hear.”
Matt stopped in his pacing, turning himself towards Curtis, who was now leaning against the small counter that comprised what passed for a kitchen in the trailer. “Look, Curtis, I just need to see him, we can do questions later.”
Curtis sighed, turning to grab a red plastic cup and pouring a couple shots of whiskey into it. “I’m sorry, Matt. Nobody knows where he is. So, maybe we can do some questions now while you wait for him to show his ugly mug around here.”
Matt clenched his fist and turned to throw himself right back out the door. As he grabbed the handle to open it, he slowed when he heard Madani’s clothing begin to scratch against the fabric of the couch as she stood up to say, “Wait, Murdock? Matt Murdock? Aren’t you Frank’s lawyer?”
Amy’s head whipped up to scrutinize Matt, “He doesn’t really look like a lawyer.”
Matt froze, and slowly spun back to face the two he had initially ignored.
Curtis chuckled, handing Matt the cup of whiskey as he moved back to sit in the armchair across from the women. “Yeah, Matt, you know what else you don’t look? Dead.” Curtis settled into his seat and picked his own cup back up. “So why don’t you explain why Frank seems to think you are?”
Dinah’s confusion only deepened at this, “Why would Frank think he was dead?” Her eyes flickered between the two men.
Matt raised his open hand towards Curtis, shaking his head to stop him from answering Madani’s question.
“I’m sorry, Curtis. You’re right. Maybe introductions would be helpful.” Matt turned his head towards Amy.
She smiled sweetly, “I’m Rachel.”
Matt heard her heart flutter and smirked right back at her, then turned to nod at Dinah, “And yes, Madani, we did meet briefly before. I don’t blame you for not remembering me.”
“Oh no, I definitely remember. But it’s not helping this make any more sense right now.” Dinah said, waving her hand between Matt and Curtis.
Amy leaned forward, crossing her arms, “Yeah, why’s Frank’s lawyer looking for him? Do you want to turn him over to the cops? Like her?” She jerked her thumb to point at Madani.
“No.” Matt sighed, rubbing his face with his right hand as he finally raised his left to take down a swig of his drink.
Amy rounded on Curtis, “Well if he’s not gonna explain, can you? What’s Frank’s lawyer doin’ here? And why the fuck is he wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night?”
Curtis looked towards Matt, who only nodded in his direction as he took another drink. Matt leaned down to sit on the floor, resting his back against the counter next to the front door. An abyss of empty space separated him from where the others sat.
Curtis faced Amy and Madani, speaking slowly and carefully, “Well, the second question is a bit easier. He’s wearing the glasses because he’s blind.”
Madani nodded, “He is. So, Murdock, what’re you doing running around at night like that? Where’s your cane?”
Matt took a deep breathe, exhaling slowly. He began to realize that his usual excuses would likely crumble under Dinah’s scrutiny. Downing the rest of his drink, he decided to tell her some truths, with the hope that it would stop her from digging any deeper.
“I am blind, Madani. I just, uh, technically don’t, entirely, need the cane." He paused for a moment, wringing his hands around the nearly empty cup. "My other senses were, I guess you would say, ‘enhanced’ when I lost my sight. I can use my hearing and touch to get around.”
Dinah’s jaw dropped.
Amy wasn’t entirely satisfied with that, “Really? There’s no way." She turned towards Curtis, "He's gotta just be faking being blind. How could – “
Curtis cut her off, “He’s really blind, Amy. Trust me, I checked.”
Dinah continued spluttering, “What do you mean enhanced Murdock? You’ve been hiding this for how long?”
Matt let his empty gaze drift up towards the ceiling as he spoke, “I’ve been hiding it as long as I’ve been able to control it, Dinah. And I mean that I can taste what you had for breakfast.”
“Wait, really?” Amy interjected excitedly.
“Black coffee and yogurt with strawberries.”
“Holy shit. He’s right.” Madani leaned back, shaking her head in disbelief.
Curtis looked at the women with his brow firmly set, “So now you can understand why I trust him, he’s let me know shit he didn’t have to, okay. And he did it to help Frank.”
“Why’d you care so much about Frank then? If you’re just his lawyer?” Amy asked, eyes held intentionally wide and face blank as she did.
“C’mon, Amy,” Matt smiled widely, with only the crease between his brows to indicate the tension he still felt, “I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, I’m not just his lawyer.”
“Hey, I said my name was – ”
“You slept with a client?” Dinah shouted, shocked.
“I wouldn’t say that, Dinah,” the tension in Matt’s eyebrows eased.
Dinah cut off his next words, "Not just a client, you slept with the Punisher? Are you out of your mind?"
“I was hardly his lawyer when we slept together, that was really just an excuse to keep an eye on you at Homeland.”
“Shit.” Dinah exhaled.
"Seriously, though," Amy interrupted, "you slept with him knowing he was the Punisher?"
"Given that you're all hanging around waiting for him, I'm sure you realize he's not exactly the big bad wolf they write about in the papers."
Amy scoffed, "Sure, but that doesn't mean we would fuck him."
Matt ignored her, raising his head towards Curtis, “Is he alright though, Curtis? He’s not laying out injured and bleeding out somewhere on his own, right? Because I will go find him if you think it’s even a possibility.”
“Nah, Matt, he was fully intact just a couple hours ago. Just rattled with all this business with Billy.”
Matt sighed, nodding.
“Well this is just great,” Amy said, standing up and making her way to the kitchen, “Frank’s still out there doing god knows what.” Amy began pouring another shot into a plastic cup. “I wanted to split and he gave me this whole speech about finishing our fight, but now he’s wrapped up with Billy and I’m just sitting here eating spaghetti.” Amy handed the fresh cup to Curtis as she slumped back onto the couch, cross-legged.
“I’m sure he means –” Matt tried to counter.
“I just want my old life back," Amy proclaimed.
Matt nodded, acquiescing.
Dinah joined in, “Amen to that.” Then, she raised her cup, glancing around the group.
“To Frank.”
Matt raised the cup in his hand from where he still sat on the floor, while Curtis tipped his to tap gently against Dinah’s. They all took a sip, in time, together. Amy’s eyes flickered between the three as Dinah and Curtis smiled softly to one another.