Bob and Weave
Chapter Eighteen:
Danny excitedly rushed up to Jessica when he saw her only to step back because of her glare. "Did you bring the thing?" She asked. Straight forward and blunt as always. Someday he'd get her to do something other than scowl.
Luke caught up to them at a calm pace. "Yeah." He said holding up the pilfered item. "We got it."
"So… What is it exactly that we're doing?" Danny asked as Jessica started walking the other two falling in step behind her.
"I'll let you know when Matt gets here."
"I'm here. What are you doing?" Matt's voice asks and Danny yelps, throwing his hands around in a half-abandoned punch. Matt catches the swing loosely. Matt's just suddenly there walking next to them, as if he'd been beside them the whole time, a dirty-blond man at his side. Matt gives a slight wave. "Hi Danny."
"Matt!" Danny feels his own heart rate accelerate and takes a calming breath. It's the first time he's seen the man since before the collapse of Midland Circle. Matt looks tired. He's dressed in a business suit but his hair is ruffled. Danny looks him up and down. He tries not to make it obvious that he's basically looking for signs of the Hand. "Who's your friend?" He says never looking away from Matt.
"Hawkeye." Matt's shoulders rise just slightly.
"Back off Rand." Jesica puts a hand on his shoulder and Danny steps back surprised. He was just looking.
Matt sighs heavily. Before his face scrunches and he tilts his head slightly. "Luke? Are you holding gym shorts?"
"Yes." Luke still doesn't elaborate and it's frustrating.
Something in Matt's responsive glare clicks in Danny's head. His glasses really don't hide his expressions half as well as his devil mask. "Oh! Oh! I get it!" He says excitement welling.
Matt speaks over Danny's revelation. "What do you want Jessica? If you haven't noticed the police stations in chaos and it's not just because their evidence blew up."
"I know." Jessica said. "There's a bomb. Set to go off in less than three hours."
"Jesus." Luke says.
"Language." Hawkeye says then shrugs when Matt tilts his head toward him. Danny is trying to figure out why the man's name is familiar.
"Can you find the bomber with this?" Jessica asked, grabbing the shorts and practically shoving them under Matt's nose.
The lawyer recoils, like she's put fire in his face, leaning back. His features drop into disapproval. "I'm not a dog-
"No you're better than a dog." Jessica says. "You don't slobber and when I say 'What is it boy?' You can actually tell me what you smell-
Matt crosses his arms and Danny's convinced he's going to say no but then Matt rolls his eyes. "Alright." His face goes sower. It reminds Danny of a child being forced to eat their vegetables. He hesitates. "Maybe I should get my mask first… It'll be weird if" and he does air quotes. "'The Defenders' are just following a blind man-
"Just do it Murdock." Jessica snaps.
"I don't envy you." Luke says cooly.
Matt's upper lip rises showing off a bit of his teeth. It really does remind Danny of an irritated dog. Snatching the garment Matt razes it to his nose. He takes a quick sniff and coughs. Everyone else is watching him intently so Danny doesn't feel off doing the same. Matt just stands there, his shoulders slowly tensing. Danny gives Luke a confused look. Luke shrugs when he catches it.
Jessica lets out a sigh that's almost all growl. "Sometime today."
Matt's cheek's pink a little and he sniffs the air experimentally before smelling the shorts again. Danny can't help but make a face in sympathy. Letting the fabric drop to his side but not dropping them Matt tilts his head sniffing the air. With a sigh, he starts to move. "You found his scent?" Luke asks.
"No." Matt says. "He hasn't been here… We need to go somewhere he has been."
"His apartment?" Luke asks.
"Why'd we bring the thing then?" Danny can't help but whine getting a razed eyebrow from Luke in response.
"No." Clint says crossing his arms. "The suspect hasn't been to the apartment in days. We need a fresher trail. Like maybe the last bombing."
"Exactly." Matt says stalking down the street.
"Okay." Luke says. "We're doing this."
"Right." Danny sighs. Matt seems normal… but so had Harold. Matt is being helpful and none of his actions seem evil. But evil was tricky and liked to dress up as innocuous or friendly. Danny wanted to believe that Matt had just managed to survive but it was so hard to believe. It was one thing to survive a building collapse and quite another to survive a whole skyscraper falling down on top of you. So many stories had fallen on top of him. No one just walked away from that.
For now though. There was a more immediate threat. Danny would let it go. For now.
There is a man lying in the dirt staring up at the sky. His vision is going gray. His friends knew him as Rick and in these moments he wonders how his life ended up this way. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes realizing he'd never get to see Bernard again. He wasn't strong enough to make a difference and his limbs were going cold. Olin was gone. He'd failed.
There is suddenly a scritching scuffling sound. Rick tilts his head and a familiar form stands over him. "Hey." He says. "I didn't think you were out here."
The figure says nothing. It just moves around him. He can barely follow the movement and suddenly the ground is folding up beneath him and he smiles as the earth swallows him whole.
"Damn it!" Matt growls. They'd been on the prowl for nearly an hour and suddenly the trail he'd been following grows cold. Or more accurately it's muddied so badly in the busy shopping district there's no hope of finding it.
Danny razes a hand. "I vote food."
"We're kind of on a time crunch, kid." Luke says with patience and Matt wonders where he finds it.
"We don't have time for this." He snarls pacing back and forth like a caged animal.
"Chill." Clint says, his heart isn't calm but he's keeping the rest of his body relaxed. "We won't find it if we're wired. If the kid wants to buy a corndog to go it won't hurt anything."
Jessica lets out an irritated sigh. "We don't have time for this."
"Well, do you have time to pick me up if I pass out from hunger?" Danny askes sounding mildly serious. "I haven't eaten since five this morning."
"Oh, boo-hoo." Jessica's voice caries a sneer.
"Calm down. How about you go buy something to put in Jessica's flask a coffee for Murdock and grab us all something to go." Luke suggests.
"Ooh! Coffee for me too!" Clint says and only shrugs at Matt's glare.
"Okay." Danny says happily skipping off.
"Damn it." Jessica says. "You shouldn't just let him have his way."
Luke shrugs. "Honestly I'm a little hungry too and I know the longer you go without alcohol the more irritated you get."
The woman sighs. "Fine. I'll let it slide. We still need to figure out where to go from here though."
Clint hums a hand on his chin as he paces back and forth. "There's got to be some way to narrow the search. Do you know what the note said exactly?"
Jessica shrugs. "No. I think it was some kind of riddle or a clue or something. Hell, it probably said it flat out but there was no way to swipe it. Trust me I tried."
Matt should have taken a moment to eavesdrop on the precinct, but he'd been distracted by the crazy "sniff out the bad guy scheme." He sighs. "Fine. We'll brainstorm over lunch. I just… I have a bad feeling about all this."
"Oh really?" Jessica asked with a sarcastic bite. "Guy blowing up random spots around the city and you have a bad feeling. I'd honestly be worried if you didn't Murdock."
Luke was right she was getting more irritable every minute she went without her drink. Matt just grits his teeth and as subtly as he could he sniffs the air. Just hoping to pick up on something. Anything.
Authors Notes:
I just want to thank anyone who's made it this far. I know this story took some weird turns. It surprised me a bit where it went... I am pretty confident we're nearing the end though and I can only say that 1: I'm going to have to make a few adjustments to the summery and 2: I'm never titling a story again until it's 75% done or more... anyway... Thank you for reading. I hope to post the next chapter soon!