Chapter 9 – Epilogue
Here: Foggy
"That's it," Matt said. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Holy shit," Foggy murmured thoughtfully. "There's a parallel universe." He frowned and shook his head. "You know, I actually thought that might be it – for a minute. But it seemed so . . . crazy."
"It is."
Foggy stole a quick glance at Karen. She was wide-eyed, staring at Matt as if she still didn't believe he was really there. Or maybe she was trying to wrap her mind around everything he'd just told them.
"What happened to you, where you were, it's . . . it's a lot to take in," Foggy said. Matt simply nodded. He looked spent.
Foggy reached across Matt to grasp Karen's hand. He squeezed it and asked, "You OK, kid?"
She nodded, then cleared her throat and said hoarsely, "Yeah, I'm OK. It's just . . . it's a lot, like you said."
"So, Karen and me, we're married over there?" Foggy asked Matt.
"They are," Matt confirmed.
Foggy turned to Karen and asked, in what he hoped was a seductive voice, "You've still got a chance with me, sweetheart. What d'you say?"
That got a small smile out of her, before she leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. "Nope, not gonna happen."
"But it could," Foggy pointed out.
"Maybe you're OK with pissing off Marci. I'm not," Karen told him firmly.
Foggy turned to Matt. "The Foggy and Karen over there, they're us, right?" he asked.
Matt took his time before answering. "Not really. They're good people, kind and generous. Good lawyers, too, helping people, tryin' to make a difference. But they're not you."
"But if they're not us, who are they?"
"They're the same and not the same." Matt held his hands out, palms up. "I can't explain it any better than that."
"And the other Matt, he's married to Marci, with two kids?" Karen asked. Matt nodded. "His life, that could've been your life?"
Matt shook his head. "No, I don't think it works that way. My life, here, in this universe, is mine. His life is, well, his."
"So you're saying his life and yours, they were predestined or something like that?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Matt rubbed a hand across his forehead. He didn't really have an answer. Finally, he said, "We made different choices, I guess. Some of them were made for us, by other people."
"So things could've worked out differently – for both of you."
"Maybe. I don't really know. But it doesn't make any difference. This – " He waved his hand, in a gesture that took in both of them and their office. " – this is my life."
Foggy had been sitting quietly, listening to Matt and Karen. Suddenly, an awful thought crossed his mind. His stomach churned. Acid burned the back of his throat. He swallowed hard and asked Matt, "You said the other Danny Rand brought you there intentionally?"
"Yeah."
"He's not gonna do it again, is he?"
Matt shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, I did what he brought me there for, so . . . ." His voice trailed off.
"You know, that was pretty shitty, what he did," Foggy declared. "He basically kidnapped you and used you to take down Fisk – again."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Matt said wearily.
"But you did it," Karen pointed out. "You took down that other Fisk."
"That we did," Matt agreed.
Karen pushed herself up off the couch and went to her desk. She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of Macallan. She left her office and crossed the reception room to hand it to Matt. "I've been saving this – for when you came back," she told him. She grabbed three glasses from the break room and set them on the coffee table in front of the couch. Matt handed her the bottle, and she poured.
They raised their glasses. "To Matt's return," Foggy said.
"And taking down Fisk – in two universes," Karen added.
Matt raised his glass a little higher and said, "To absent friends." They clicked their glasses and drank.
There, a Year Later: Other-Matt
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Murdock strode out of the courtroom to meet the waiting crowd of reporters. He stepped up to the bank of microphones, cleared his throat, and began to speak.
"Today, justice has been served. A jury of twelve New Yorkers has found Wilson Fisk guilty of racketeering, bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and money laundering. His criminal organization has been dismantled, and his partners in crime have fled or are in custody. Councilman Fisk will be facing a lengthy prison term when he is sentenced thirty days from today.
"These verdicts would not have happened without the courage of the brave individuals who came forward to provide testimony about Mr. Fisk's many crimes. The people of New York are safer today because of their actions. We are all in their debt."
He turned and walked away, ignoring the reporters' shouted questions.
Author's Note: A big thank-you to everyone who stuck with this story, and for the lovely reviews. To the new readers who have recently discovered Daredevil – welcome!
