Chapter Text
The building was pretty run down, but that was also from a billionaires perspective so…
Either way Tony, Steve and Thor went up to the top floor of the building and to the apartment that FRIDAY said belonged to Matthew Micheal Murdock.
Steve knocked on the door cautiously, after a couple seconds they heard someone shuffling over and the door being unlocked,
“Hello, can I help you?” A tired looking man with auburn hair and circle red glasses covering his face and trying to cover a nasty bruise on his upper cheekbone, stood at the open door.
Thor spoke up first, “Yes, um, hello, we are looking for the man known as Matthew Murdock?”
The man tilted his head to the side and the side of his lip tugged up slightly, “That would be me, may I ask who you are?”
The three of them stood there for a moment, looking at the man,
‘Who are we?? Does this guy live under a rock? ’ Tony thought, ‘I mean I guess I get not recognizing Steve and Thor right away but me?! I’m Tony Stark!! Everyone knows my face.’
None of them answered right, when suddenly Steve quickly said, “I’m Steve Rodgers, This is Thor on my left and Tony Stark at my right.” Tony looked at Steve with a confused expression on his face and Steve leaned over pointing subtly at the glasses the man’s wearing and the white cane right beside the door,
“he’s blind Tony.” He whispered.
Tony cursed himself silently for not realizing sooner and for not doing any sort of background check on the guy.
“Oh! Sorry, I uh- heh- wasn’t expecting any of you, may I um- ask what brings you to my apartment?” Mr. Murdock sounds flustered, but something about the tone of voice almost sounds forced, and despite acting nervous and surprised, his body is entirely relaxed, he almost looks calm, like there is nothing surprising about this situation at all.
“Well I’m sure you are aware that your law firm was attacked last night,” Tony says,
that’s when Murdock tenses up, his grip on the door tightens slightly and he bites his lower lip for a moment before responding quietly, “Yes I am aware, but I wasn’t there when the attack happened.”
“We know, which is why we came to your apartment actually. We have reason to believe the people who attacked your firm are going after you and your associates specifically.” Tony tells him, glancing at the bruise on his cheek again, also noticing how he’s favoring his right side.
“And uh- wh- why do you think that?” Murdock actually does seem a little more nervous, Steve notices him slowly leaning over, blocking more of the entry way.
They paused for a moment then Thor suddenly spoke, “Perhaps this conversation will be better continued in your apartment Mr. Murdock?” He must have noticed how tense he was getting as well.
Murdock tilted his head towards where Thor was standing he hesitated for a moment then finally said, “Sure, and please, call me Matt.” moving to the side to let the three men in.
The first thing they noticed was the mess, chair knocked over, random braille printed papers on the floor, the couch pushed to the side and other random objects thrown around randomly. To anyone not really paying attention, the apartment was actually quite nice, if not just a little messy. But Steve, Tony and Thor were paying attention.
The bruises, the limping, the mess.
Tony is a very upfront and blunt person. So it wasn’t a surprise when he asked Matt, “Did someone break in last night?”
Matt froze up for a moment before quickly responded, “No- no, no one broke in, sorry for the mess, I haven’t had a chance to clean up yet.” He walked over to the kitchen with his hands stretched out in front of him, running his hands over objects as he passed, making sure he was heading in the right direction, he opened the fridge and leaning behind the door and asked,“Would you like anything to drink? Coffee, water?” Matt straightened back up with a bottle in his hand, smiling slightly, “Beer?”
“Yes! I would love a good drink!” Thor said happily almost immediately, Tony shot him a look and Matt laughed quietly while he pulled out another beer bottle.
“Thank you for the offer Matt but we are good, we just wanted to ask you a few questions if that’s okay.”
Matt walked over to the living room where the three of them sat on the couch, he placed one of the beer bottles on the coffee table close to where Thor was sitting, then sat down in one of the chairs across from them and took a sip of his own bottle before saying, “Sure, ask whatever you’d like. But I don’t know much about the attack, you’d be better off asking my associates since they were there.”
‘Have you seen anything odd or noticed anyone suspicious around your apartment or firm lately?’
That is what Tony had been planning on asking.
‘God dammit I should have done a background check on this guy-‘
“Where did you retrieve such a nasty wounds Matthew?” Thor asks, Steve and Tony turn to him and Matt raises his eyebrows under his glasses in surprise,
“Oh I just slipped and fell, I’m alright though, I have a tendency to run into things.” He laughs a little while gesturing to his eyes. Thor smiles and nods in agreement before realizing Matt couldn’t see the nod so he adds, “ah, that makes sense!”
No, it doesn’t. Steve could tell Matt’s lying about something.
‘Maybe he doesn’t want to admit he got attacked?’ Steve thought to himself. He also grew slightly angry,
‘Who the hell attacks a blind guy in his own home?? Who the hell beats up a blind guy in general?!’
Tony clears his throat in an attempt to get back on topic, “As we mentioned before, we think you and your associates are being targeted. We noticed a couple of your cases in the past have had to do with Daredevil.”
Matt’s jaw clenched, he seemed almost upset at the mention of the name.
“Yes, a couple of our cases have had to do with him.” He said flatly, “But we don’t know who he is.”
Steve brow furrowed together, “According to your associate, Karen Page’s articles from the Bulletin, she has met Daredevil a couple of times. And a news report said that Daredevil attacked her and your other associate Franklin Nelson, at the New York Bulletin office?”
Tony glanced at Steve then looked at Matt’s surprise but still tense expression, “In other words, what Steve’s trying to say is, why would Daredevil help Mrs. Page, then attack her and Mr. Nelson, then, save the both of them from ninjas?”
Matt stayed quiet for a moment then said, “according to Foggy and Karen the man that attacked them was a Daredevil impersonator.”
“Yes I’ve heard those rumors.” Tony said,
“Your firm represented Frank Castle. It also helped get Wilson Fisk in prison, twice.”
Matt started to look slightly aggravated, taking another sip from his beer he said, “We did, your point?”
“Frank Castle helped protect your friends and your firm last night. Along with Daredevil. Are you and your firm working with them?” Steve questions,
Matt bite his lip, “Daredevil protects people, my firm has helped him and Mr. Castle many times, they just wanted to keep them safe-“
“-but not you.” Tony interjects,
Matt cocks his head to face where Tony’s sitting, he raises his eyebrows, surprised again,
Tony notes that his fist is clenched tightly, “Excuse me?” He say, his voice is slightly shaky, anger starting to rise in his tone.
“I think you know what I’m referring to, you’ve been injured, recently,”
“Stark-“ Thor says cautiously
“Like I said, I tripped.” The phrase sounded so rehearsed it made all three Avengers’ hearts skip a beat. Matt’s jaw clenched and his voice had grown cold.
“Yes, that would explain the limp sure. And it would definitely also explain the mess, moved or tipped over furniture,” he responded sarcastically,
“Tony.” Steve looks at him hitting on the shoulder likely but he continued,
“I’ve been punched in the face before Mr. Murdock, I know what the bruise a fist leaves looks like.”
Matt stood abruptly, “I think it’s time for you to leave Mr. Stark.” The friendliness in his voice from a couple minutes ago is now gone, replaced with what Tony can imagine as his, ruthless-lawyer-tone, “All of you.”
Thor is the first to join Matt standing, “Of course Matthew, perhaps we could talk more at a later time.” He gestures for the others to stand, Tony and Steve get up as well.
Thor and Steve start to head for the door, “We are so sorry for bothering you Mr. Murdock, thank you for your time.” Steve says, noting the defensive stance the lawyer has taken up.
Matt is still facing Tony, who slowly makes his way to the door where Steve and Thor are waiting. Matt follows his movements all the way there, staying standing by the chairs.
The three Avengers walk out but before they leave Tony says, “We’ll be seeing you, Mr. Murdock.” And glances down to see the man’s already clenched fists tighten.
They leave without another word.
-
They’re about a three blocks away in their private car before Tony finally speaks, “He’s definitely hiding something.”
“Why wouldn’t Daredevil protect him like he did with Mrs. Page and Mr. Nelson?” Thor questions.
“Maybe he didn’t know where he lives?”
“He knew we had been looking for him for days before we even found him anddd somehow knew about the drone I tried to follow him and Castle with, You really think he wouldn’t know?”
“Are you saying Daredevil let Mr. Murdock get attacked?” Steve asked,
“I’m saying, Daredevil knew those ninjas were going after the firm, and protected Page and Nelson, but clearly, not Murdock.”
There was a long pause before Thor finally said, “Those ninjas will go after them again.” It wasn’t a question. The ninja that Daredevil interrogated seemed more than just angry, he was determined. All of them were. They went after Nelson, Murdock and Page for a reason,
and they won’t stop till they complete their mission.