It had been 2 months since Midland Circle. 2 months since their whole lives had turned sideways. Foggy and Matt had kept the firm going, more Nelson than Murdock as of late, but Foggy was sure it was just a matter of time before old Matt came back in full force.

It had been 2 months since Matt had confessed to Karen that he was in love with a dead woman, a twice dead woman, Elektra. Karen forgave him, she had no choice, he was in such a sorry state when he had explained everything to her. Still black and blue from when they pulled him from the rubble. She was just relieved he was alive after the bombs had gone off, she would have forgiven him anything.

Karen was still working at the paper busying herself with different lines of investigation, trying to be thorough, trying to do Ben proud. Sometimes when she thought she had found a lead the hours would just disappear. She hadn't uncovered much in the last few months, just the usual petty tiffs between the Irish. She spent a lot of time working, even when she wasn't at work. She didn't get the chance to see her few New York friends nearly as often as she would like. But Matt had been back at work consistently for the last few weeks and she decided to leave early to catch the boys at the office before they headed home.

"Matt says he goes out for a run after work." Karen looked pointedly at her crumpled friend, her blue eyes flashing steel, he looked more tired than ever, business tough without his partner fully back.

"Jesus! A run Foggy, really? A run? We both know that's not what he's doing. He looks like shit, he's barely back at work, and we're just letting him 'go for a run'?"

Foggy sighed exasperated holding his hands out in front of him, "I know, I agree with you, but he's Matt you know? You can't force him to do something he doesn't want to, when has that ever worked?"

Karen sighed, wiping her forehead and pushing her hair behind her ear, "I know. You're right. But listen - I have an idea".

"Karen. Karen. Karen" Matt's phone called out from the kitchen counter. He was in his living room getting changed, bent over the chest where he kept his other life. Already suited to the neck in red, he was pulling on a protective glove when he heard the phone go off. He paused his head tilting in panic - Karen never called him at this time of day. She should have been safe at home by now. He had warned her to stop working late at the office. Fisk might have been safely locked up but he didn't believe the Hand wasn't still out there, still reaching for him. He marched over quickly and grabbed the phone "What's wrong? Where are you?" brows furrowed as he listened intently for her breathing, trying to make out any distinguishable noises in the background of the call that might help him identify the location.

It sounded muffled with a soft echo, she was inside a room. He could hear movement but it didn't sound like anyone had the phone to their ear. "Hello?" he gulped, mouth dry. Was she being kept by someone? Was she hurt? Was the Hand back?

"Hey Matt!" Karen replied brightly as she put the phone back to her ear, a tightness to her voice belying the cheerfulness. She coughed lightly "I'm just here with Foggy in the office" Matt let out a breath he hadn't even been realising he was holding. She was safe, and so was Foggy. He heard a distant 'Hey buddy!' in the back of the call. Everyone was fine. "Oh yeah?" Matt offered, trying to act nonchalant after his panicked pick-up. He didn't want to worry them. Karen replied just as bright and strained as before "Yeah! We were wondering if you wanted to head over to Josies tonight. We all haven't hung out in a while, it'd be good to catch up in person." "Actually I was going to head out -" she cut him off "meet you in 20 okay? Great! See you there Matt!" He heard a distant 'See ya soon pal!' from Foggy in the background before the call clicked off.

Matt sighed running his ungloved hand through his hair and down his face, he knew a trap when he heard one. Karen had been worried about him since everything that happened at Midland, and still wasn't used to thinking of him as Daredevil. Foggy must have told her about his evening activities, before Midland it had been just once or twice a week for a few hours, but now he was patrolling every night, until he couldn't focus anymore or until the sun threatened to expose him.

He would have to meet them at Josies or he'd never hear the end of it. Karen was like a dog with a bone once she had made up her mind about something. Not even the Devil of Hells Kitchen would be able to change her mind. He sighed tugging glove off his hand, he picked up his red tinted glasses from the kitchen counter and put them on, closing his dark eyes gently. Focusing on his breathing, centering himself. He had been all geared up to let the devil out, but now was the time to play Matt Murdock. He opened his eyes and practised a quick smile. He could do this.

–

The old smells and sounds of Josies welcomed Matt, cocooned him like a big fuzzy blanket that was so thick it dulled everything. The beer also helped. He hadn't been back here since… before. He heard his friends call and wave over to him, tapping his way over with his stick to their usual small table at the back. "Cheers buddy! So glad you made it" Foggy sounded happy but Matt didn't need to be sighted to sense the worried glances being shared between his friends. "We got you a beer, sorry it might be a bit warm now"

Matt talked about work, Foggy talked about his brother's money troubles, "It's just not that easy to keep a butchers open with so many vegans around these days!" he laughed, nothing new. Karen was still worried about Matt's late night escapades, petty crime was down significantly but some of the bigger players were uneasy. She didn't want him ruffling too many feathers, it was catching the attention of some of the papers. Matt assured her he wouldn't do too much ruffling.

They had made an easy truce after Midland, just friends, good friends. She still wasn't comfortable with the idea of her former straight cut boyfriend dressing up in a costume at night taking on the likes of Wilson Fisk and the Albanians alone with just his fists for protection, but she had agreed not to fight him on it and he had agreed to be careful. Not just in terms of his health, but also his identity, there had been too many close calls.

The trios dynamic had changed a lot since Midland Circle. Matt could sense the dynamic shift and he hated it, he used to be the leader looking out for the other two, but now Foggy and Karen were always looking out for him, fussing. It was embarrassing. An entire block of apartments had fallen on him and he had survived - so why did they keep treating him with kid gloves, as if he could break at any moment.

Foggy must have been speaking to Karen about him. He was right, Foggy had told Karen all about how his once perfect roommate, all straight A's with halo shining had disappeared, vanished as if overnight, taken by Elektra. Matt's easy grin replaced with a tight line, his sunglasses never coming off. Foggy had gotten a glimpse of the devil before the devil had a name.

After Elektra, Matt had simply stopped caring, stopped existing to all extents and purposes. He was nothing but hollowed out anger and base instincts. He would get into fist fights at the student bar, stopped handing in papers, even eventually stopped getting out of bed. It was only thanks to Foggy's insistence that Matt shower and go to class that he had even passed that semester. "Mathew Michael Murdock, you smell like a dead rat, that has rolled in other dead rats - please for the love of everything holy, go have a shower."

Foggy didn't know what had happened over that summer in college but when they both returned in the fall for their final year, but his old Matt was back. Older sure, but also stronger, more sure of himself, more stubborn. Whatever had happened the cheeky smirk back on his face and it filled Foggy with joy to see it. Foggy didn't know what mysterious spell had broken the curse that evil witch Elektra had put on his Matt but he never felt like he could ask, and he definitely couldn't now. Now that she was dead.

"Cheers!" the three friends clinked bottles "for the night is young!" Foggy proclaimed. Matt smiled, it felt uncomfortable but he could sense how it put his friends at ease. They continued talking about nothing, sharing bits of hallway gossip, status updates on college friends from years back, the latest hot topic on Trish Talk. Matt sat back and enjoyed the wash of normalcy, it cleansed him, allowing his thoughts to diverge from it's usual steady current. Elektra, he had killed her, they had killed her, unforgivable, a mortal sin, atonement, Elektra, her final heartbeat, the sound of her final breath… His friend were right though, the night was still young and there would be enough time for the devil to see some of it too.

–

It was closing by the time Foggy and Karen had left Josies. Later than Matt had hoped. By the time he had gotten home he was tired and a bit tipsy. He pulled off his soft jumper and shoved it roughly into the shelf in his wardrobe. Just a few hours, that's all he would do tonight. Just a quick patrol, the usual spots. Just in case.

He padded over to the chest and started the ritual again, pulling on his armour, his second skin. It would just be a quick night. He rested his hand against the brick wall to steady himself as he pulled on his boots. He shouldn't have stayed out so late. Nothing too adventurous.

He exited through the roof door and the cold air hit his face welcomingly. The night was his. As he ran and leapt over and through his city his muscles burned with movement; it was a welcome distraction from the tide of thoughts that always consumed him when he was alone. Elektra, the way her final breath had sounded as it escaped her lungs, the way her heart beat, and then didn't, the way the air had sounded between his fingers as he missed his target and she fell. Unforgivable.

The early morning call of the birds reminded him that he was out much later than he should have been. Dawn would be breaking soon and then he'd be stuck. He should have been home hours ago, it was too risky being out like this. He had made a promise to Karen to stay safe. If he was exposed he risked their lives too. He didn't mind the risk to himself, but it wasn't fair to put that on to his friends when they had done nothing wrong.

There had been no real trouble on his patrol, nothing that New York's finest weren't already taking care of. It had been quiet like this for weeks. As if in the short absence when he was unconscious and recovering from the Midland Circle bombing the Kitchen had moved on, removed the need for Daredevil. Matt thought darkly, Why was it always the case when you wanted someone to hit, there was no one suitable around? God certainly did work in mysterious ways. He laughed dryly to himself. But Karen had said petty crime was down, so maybe his presence in the city on his nightly patrols was somehow enough? Or maybe it was just the vacuum that the Hand had left, that no other syndicate had yet filled.