AN: You know that Daredevil Cameo you've been begging for?

Chapter 44: Devil Walks the Institute

Amara walked down towards the dojo, and, seeing the shoes by the door, shook her head. She had a feeling he would be down here.

This has gone on long enough. Thought Amara, as she headed back up to the main building.  Walking up to Sensei's door, she knocked cautiously.

"Sensei." Amara said in a quiet voice.

"Amara." Came a voice from behind her. Spinning, she saw that Mrs. Sefton was awake and staring at her, as were Mr. Logan and the Professor.

"Don't scare me like that!" Said Amara, dissolving the fireball that had formed instinctively.

"Yes, Amara." Came Sensei's calm voice from behind her, causing Amara to jump again, another fireball forming, and dissipating.

"I wanted to talk to you about Kyle... He's been acting weird ever since his shoulder healed.  He's barely even talking to me anymore.  I mean, it's like he's not even there."

"Maybe he don't realize you wanna talk? He is blind, ya little fire-starter." Said Logan.

"No, that's not it. Kyle's usually pretty good about knowing when someone wants to talk, even if he can't see the visual clues.  It's something else.  He's in the dojo now, but I know he's not meditating."

"How do you know that?" Asked Mrs. Sefton.

"Cause meditation does not entail the sounds of a body hitting the mat. He's doing something, and he won't tell me. He's been doing it for the last two weeks! Honestly, he's starting to scare all of us."

Sensei nodded, and slipped on a pair of shoes.  Walking out to the small dojo, he looked through the door with Logan.

He watched as Kyle pulled a back flip, followed by a palm smack, and a jumping kick.  Finally, Sensei had seen enough. Closing the door, he walked towards the building.

"The kids doing a kata." Said Logan to the Professor, glaring slightly at Amara.

"That is no kata. Its moves do not flow, they move more like the motions of a warrior in combat.  The motions are individual attacks strung together, not a flowing motion."

At this pronouncement, Logan remembered where he had seen that motion set before.  When he'd been watching the kids from the office door.

"He's replaying the battle in his mind." He said, slowly.

Sensei turned to him, his eyes questioning.

"That's the same pattern of movements he used against Psylocke at the Steel Mill.  He's trying to figure out where he screwed up."

Sensei nodded, as Amara spoke up.

"He didn't screw up!"

Again, Sensei nodded. "But as far as he sees, he did.  It doesn't matter that Bobby accidentely activated the mill. It doesn't matter that it was full of noise, it was still his mistake, as far as he's concerned."

"I'm going to go have a little talk with him." Said Logan, as he headed towards the Dojo.

"Logan, wait." Said the Professor, "I know someone who might be able to do so much better than you, with more effect."

Logan nodded, and the Professor went to make a few phone calls.

Two days later, a man walked onto the institute grounds early in the morning. T he X-Men watched him, interested.  They had seen enough of men with canes to know he was blind, but they all knew better than to underestimate him.  He walked towards the dojo, where he found Kyle running through his personal 'lets beat myself up for losing a fight that I couldn't have won,' kata.

Listening to the motions for several minutes, he finally stepped in, blocking Kyle's jump kick.

Kyle landed on the ground, and glared as best a blind man can.

"Unless you want to get beaten, get out of here."

An unfamiliar voice spoke to him. "This ain't the way to handle this, kid."

Kyle didn't listen to what he had to say next. Jumping forward, the two mutants engaged in combat.

The other man soon found that his foe was faster than him, but lacked his striking power.  Therefore, he put it to his advantage, striking when he saw openings in his opponents defenses.

Kyle's right hand came around in a backhand, only to be blocked by his foe, and then twisted into a submission hold, driving the blind mutant to his knees.

"Give up?"

Kyle's head fell slightly, even as his leg flew out to smash into the other man's knee.  The other man blocked, raising his foot to stop the kick.

"Your good."

"Thanks." Said Kyle, as he shrugged off the other man.

"Beating yourself up over it won't help. Believe me, I know."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Because, my first girlfriend died because I couldn't react fast enough."

Kyle's head lowered even more, and he shook his head.

"Sorry."

"Don't mention it.  Names Matt Murdock."

"Kyle Trevais."

Later, the two were sitting at a Japanese tea table, drinking green tea.

"Kid, here's some advice for you."

"Those who fight, and run away, live to fight another day?"

"Er... not quite."

"What then?"

"Have faith in your abilities, and in yourself.  If you've got that, you have nothing to fear on this Earth.  Hence, you don't run away."

Kyle nodded, more to himself than anyone.

"You remember me telling you the Professor called me?"

"Yeah."

"He said that your girlfriend was worried about you.  A bit of love advice kid, some times, if you love something, you have to let it go."

Kyle watched the man in front of him with sightless eyes, as he contemplated what was said.

"Also, something else...  Don't get so wrapped up in things that you forget what's important."

With that, the Daredevil walked away, and left the institute without a word.

Kyle walked out of the dojo, and, tracking down his girlfriend, gave her a hard kiss to the lips.

I may have to someday let her go... but for now, I'll love her all I can. Thought Kyle, as he kissed her hard.