(A/N): Quick little update before I go on break. Hope you guys enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Daredevil.
Matt collapsed in his bed, tie half off and shoes still on. His clothes reeked of Chinese takeout, and his mind was flooded with files, paperwork, and evidence from the case. But now, everything drained away as he felt himself sink into his silk sheets, melting into an oblivion of darkness and warmth.
No noise filled the apartment. All he could hear were the muffled giggles of his neighbors, the yapping bark of a dog, and the occasional honk of a car passing by.
That noise was the noise of the city. His city. And it was peaceful, and still.
…..
But in his dream filled mind, Matt had heard a small cry of a child. His eyes cracked open as he slowly returned to reality, but he could sense nothing. I must have been dreaming, he thought.
Yeah, a dream, buddy, he heard Foggy say in his thoughts. Go back to sleep so you can focus on the case tomorrow… well, technically today, since it's one in the morning.
Matt's eyelids began to droop, his brain returning to sleep once more, and right before his dream returned, he heard the cry again. He shot up, escaping the warmth of his bed, flinging on his suit before escaping into the night.
Really? Come on, Matt, remember? The case? Does that mean nothing to you anymore?
Matt slid out of the window and climbed up the ladder onto the rooftop, standing at the edge before scanning the streets and buildings, concentrating on that one sound.
Of course not, because all you wanna do is whip up some bad guys in your silly suit. What's your excuse gonna be tomorrow, huh? You had an existential crisis so you stayed up all night and can't focus? A new season of Game of Thrones came out and you decided to get a TV to watch it?
A dog barking. A siren screaming. A baby crying. A girl crying…
That's the one.
He bounded across the rooftops, rolling to his feet and sprinting to the voice. The cold air drove away his drowsiness and he flew in the sky, the only thing on his mind was the cry for help.
"What do you think you're doin', sweet face?" Matt crouched at the edge of a factory roof, hearing the racing heartbeats and shouting from inside, and the man's voice in the alley. There were two heartbeats outside, one of them smaller, faster, younger. Her breath was shallow and panicked.
"You think you're so clever, eh? Sneakin' off like that? You know the rules. Come on, let's go back." He took her hand and walked down the alley and back toward the factory entrance. The little girl pulled against him, tugging and squirming. A split second later, Matt heard a small crunch and the man's scream. "Christ, she bit me! You bit me!" He cursed under his breath before turning back to the girl. "You little-"
Matt slid down a ladder, landing quietly on the ground before rounding the corner, hearing the man shout, "You're comin' with me, sweet face! Oh, boss ain't gonna be happy with ye." The little girl screamed one last time. Matt could hear nails clawing against skin, he could smell the salt from her tears.
They came around the bend. Matt hid at the corner. Then struck.
His fist connected with the man's jaw. The man stumbled, putting a hand on his bleeding nose. Matt took the girl behind him, and she ran, still crying as she stumbled back down the alley. Matt called after the girl, "Wait, don't-" before the man took out a pocket knife and swung at him, slicing Matt's cheek. Matt caught the arm and twisted the blade out of his hand. Pushing him to the wall, Matt took the man's skull and slammed it against the brick. The man fell limply on the ground, blood streaming from the back of his head.
Matt took the man's body and hauled him into a dumpster to delay anyone from discovering him. I have twenty minutes tops before he wakes up, ten before the rest find him, Matt thought. He jogged quietly back down the alley to where he heard a faint shuffle. Small sniffles echoed in the empty alley. Matt walked silently around another bend to hear the girl huddled at a dead end, wiping her tears with her grimy hands. She looked up to see his tall silhouette looming over her. As he crouched down to meet her at eye level, Matt heard the girl start to cry once more. "No no no no…" she whispered raspily as she crawled back further against the wall. "Please," she choked out, "please just leave me alone." Her voice cracked as her tears became more uncontrollable and she moaned in despair.
"It's okay, sweetie," Matt said as quietly as he could. "I'm not going to hurt you, alright? I'm here to help." But the girl didn't hear him. She could only stare at his horns and the blood on his cheeks.
"Come on, let's get you home." Matt held out his hand, but the girl got up on her own and dashed between Matt and the alley wall. He caught her with his arm, picking her up effortlessly onto his shoulder. As Matt tried to stand up, the girl banged on his back, begging him to put her down. "Do you know where you live? Do you have any parents?" he asked. But all that came out from the girl's lips were screams and begs.
He heard her tears slide down his suit and drop onto the ground. He could hear her voice rasp in despair.
And he could hear voices coming down the alley.
Matt held onto her tightly before starting to run to the only place he knew he could go. The girl bounced against his strides, her legs limply kicking against his chest as he sprinted through alleys and dodged trash cans. Matt tried to breathe evenly as his chest tightened. Just five more blocks, he thought as he continued, his feet pattering against the pavement and puddles of water that littered the back streets.
When Matt finally stopped, the girl's screams became more distressed, and she kicked his stomach as she flailed against him. Matt knocked on the door, waiting for a second before it opened.
"Matthew?" The fragrance of coffee and aged wood flowed out of the door. Matt relaxed at the familiar scent.
"My apologies, Father, for disrupting," Matt said awkwardly. "May we come in?" Father Lantom eyed the blood and the horns before his eyes laid on the crying child Matt was carrying. He widened the door, moving to the side as Matt quickly entered.
"How did you know I'd be here?"
"I didn't. But whenever I needed you, Father, you always seem to be here," Matt said while putting the child on a couch in the corner. Father Lantom chuckled solemnly before taking the girl from Matt. He took a tissue and wiped away her tears and nose. Her cries started to quiet in the face of the gentle priest.
As Father Lantom soothed the child, Matt heard faint shouting. He tilted his head toward the door, staring blankly at the floor. "You, go down south, she couldn't've gotten that far," he heard.
Matt walked back to the couch where the child sat with a jacket slung around her shoulders. He crouched down, saying, "Father Lantom's going to take care of you, sweetheart. I'll make sure you're never going back there again, okay?" There was no response, just the racing heart of fear itself.
Sighing, he stood and pulled Father Lantom to another corner. "She may be from a trafficking ring. She escaped, and now people are trying to find her. I'll make sure that they never get here, but as soon as I'm done, I'll come back to help, I promise."
Father Lantom shook his head. "There's no need to overwhelm her, Matthew. I will help her get back home. Just get some rest tonight." Matt nodded gratefully before giving the girl a small smile and disappearing through the door.
As he walked down the church steps, he heard the girl whisper, "Is he coming back? Will the devil come back to get me?"
Matt heard Father Lantom's somber smile as he stroked her hair. "No, he's not coming back sweetie. You're safe now."
Her heart finally relaxed.
Matt gripped his fingers in a fist as he ran towards the voices. You see, he heard Foggy say, you're trying to protect them, but why are they still afraid of you? You break the laws, you hurt people, and your mask has horns. You might as well be the devil itself, Matty. That little girl sure thought you were.
"Shut up," Matt muttered under his breath as the rain started to drizzle down his mask. The girl's calm heartbeat began to fade into the background as the hoard of shouting men grew closer, their cigarette and beer-stained breath looming in the air. Matt shook out his arms, loosening them before hiding in a corner, his horns outlined by the moon's glow.
You might as well be the devil itself, Matty.
Matt didn't want that. He didn't want to be feared. He didn't want to just beat up people at night.
But then again, this night proved that that may just be the only thing he was good at.
(A/N): I hope this concept made sense. Criticism is always welcome.