Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
OOC and not OCC so dont panic. Dear spidey!Not quite sure how or when you wanted to turn up Nor in what condition youd be when you got there. But reckoned he'd hear you coming Feel free to change how you get there and I'll edit acordingly!
This is Matts first post anywhere!
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*Damn! Guess we really do need to redecorate !*
Matt Murdock pulled the splinter out of his hand sucking gingerly at the small wound. The false wood panelling that lined the walls of his office was rough against his sensitive fingers, its surface uneven and *downright dangerous* he thought wryly. *Especially for me.*
The blind lawyer knew every inch of the office by heart . Trailing his fingers along the walls was more of a habit than a necessity *A habit I’m about to break as of now he vowed. I can leap off buildings and dodge bullets without a second thought but I cant walk to the door without drawing blood. I don’t think so.* But he knew he wouldn’t, couldn’t stop.
The small tricks of the trade that every blind person learned for getting through everyday life were second nature to him. However some were more necessary than others.
Maybe his eyes saw only darkness but his other senses more than compensated for his loss of vision. His own particular form of radar provided him with an exact image of the room and its contents, a complex geometric perception that went far beyond mere sight.
Behind the mask of Daredevil he could give full rein to his enhanced capacities but as Matt Murdock he had another mask to keep in place. The image of a typical blind man, needing the guiding hand to judge his distance, the cane to walk down the street. Let that mask slip and who knows what repercussions might follow.
*And besides I’m tired. I don’t have to concentrate quite so hard if I touch the walls.* The last week had been a hard one the cases pouring in seemingly without end. *Business is booming I should be glad.*
But he wasn’t The cases brought in more problems than money, their clients for the most part being those who were too poor or lost to get legal representation elsewhere. *Hells Kitchens not really the place to set up shop if you want to get rich quick. Maybe I should listen to Foggy and get out.*
His partner Foggy Nelson was always coming up with plans for them to make their fortune Just one big case and they would be set up for life. Matt smiled They both knew it was just a game. Foggy would no more walk out on what they had than he would .They might not have made their fortune but they had made a difference in the area and that was what mattered.
Still it couldn’t be denied that when the bills started coming in a little more money wouldn’t have gone amiss. Matt bent over the specially adapted computer its metallic voice ringing out dismally as he accessed the financial report for that month. *Yeah you may well sound depressed. Not a hope in hell of setting some money apart for redecorating; Guess we’re just going to have to live with flaky walls for a bit longer.* His fingers moved swiftly over the Braille keyboard calling up the details of his latest case. It wasn’t looking too promising either.
Matt took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair closing his eyes. He extended his hearing down, down into the street below listening for the telltale sounds of sirens or raised voices Anything which might require him to intervene. But all seemed quiet at least in the immediate vicinity. *Good! Maybe I should just go home and get some sleep.Things might look more promising in the morning.*
But then, suddenly,a familiar sound heading swiftly towards the building. One he had not heard for a while. Only one person moved like that. Matt was sure of his visitors identity even before he recognised the heartbeat. He whirled the chair round getting to his feet. Facing the window.
"Spiderman." he said with a smile. "Long time no see. "Then, as his senses registered the subtle bewildering changes, "Hey, is everything all right?" Edited by: Fengal at: 2/25/05 5:27 pm
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
ooc: Well since he was in a fight with A.Corp I'll have him hurt, but you don't really need to change anything for that I guess, unless you wanted to pick up on it. And we'll have it at the end of the time leap so we're not behind.
There was no time, no time to think, no time to hurt, not time to realize exactly what has happened, they where after him, faces, images, everything was so blurry, even now that he's slipped away from them, the world spun all around him. Peter had been walking home, everything had been so normal, and he was enjoying it, no web-slinging off to save the day every ten minutes. Though web-slinging was his ultimate freedom, the last few years it become harder and harder to do, sometimes he couldn't eject his web-line, other times he grew too tired, he couldn't even cling to walls like he used to, his grip was unsteady and often he slipped.
It had been all too strenuous, his crime fighting life had slowly dissipated to only lending a hand - and usually that was for experience purposes, not getting involved himself unless absolutely needed. That didn't mean he was completely safe from the villains of the world, just mostly forgotten and overlooked. Today unfortunately was not one of those days, he had been ambushed, they came from everywhere, his spider-sense barely gave him enough time to realize people where rushing towards him. He had been hit by something, Parker's abilities had become dull at best but he knew a needle when he was darted with one.
The world seemed a blur of motion since then, he was almost sea sick, the ground wouldn't stop moving, and even now the buildings kept dancing about in a mocking display of trying to get his web-line to miss them so he'd fall to the busy streets below. That woman, a strange red head, he didn't get a good look at her, he may be old but A.Corp wasn't taking any chances, they wanted him for their experiments and they didn't care how over board they had to go to get the old geezer. Jool's ability to de-age beings would help Parker become stronger, last longer in their program, endure more then his current body could handle. Everything had burned while she was touching him, moving and thinking was so difficult, if it hadn't been for some meddling police officers that distracted then Spidey wouldn't have been able to flee.
He wasn't sure exactly how he escaped, he threw a few punches and wild kicks, everything hurt, and people where still hurting him more, haven't they done enough already!? With every punch he threw, three seemed to fly back at him, people had been grabbing at him and pulling him, tugging him towards something he knew he wouldn't want to be thrown in to. Everything went black, he just fought so hard nothing else registered, he wouldn't be taken away, he just wanted a normal life, he had that now, he had to wait nearly half a century for it but it was his now, he won't let them take that away from him!
Parker had escaped, somehow.. but they were following him, the way to the X-men seemed impossible, the Fantastic Four were too far too away and the Avengers weren't close enough either. Only one place he was near enough to get to before he passes out, he knew he wouldn't last much longer, he was amazed he was still able to shoot his web-lines.
A building, it was so familiar, that was the building, he struggled so desperately to hold on to each web-line the closer he got to the law firm, it hurt so much, the world was starting to black out and was being clung onto with every ounce of will power he could muster. It seemed so sudden when he found himself standing at the window of his long time friend, the gruelling effort to get here melted away, it was like he was fighting off his attackers and almost appeared here right after.
"Spiderman." That's who he was! He was Spiderman, wall-crawling menace of New York City. The drugged young man tried to balance himself, a dangerous step back almost had him lose his balance and fall backwards from the window. "Long time no see." 'See' that was funny, 'cause Matt can't see in the normal sense, his blind man jokes.. they really crack you up, "Hey, is everything all right?" The thoughts seemed to confuse even Peter himself, but he shut his eyes, his legs hurt, so did his arms, his stomach and ribs weren't feeling their best either, and he had a stinging sensation on the side of his face where he had been punched a few times in the fight.
Dressed in jeans that were now just a tad too big for him, and a white t-shirt, attire that just screamed out 'ordinary', a label Peter had wanted since his childhood. As if being a nerd wasn't enough to make him an outcaste from the student body, he was bitten from a radio active spider to help push him out even further. The drop from the window seemed so far down, Peter's body shifted to the side of the window frame and placed his hand on the wall, his white sneaker touching the floor gently as his palm gripped supportingly onto the wall.
"..Someone attacked me.. many someone’s.. all picking on an old man, shame on them." Ok, now he felt really sick, it was all spinning too fast, he didn't like this, his body leaned forward and rested against the wall, his spider grip being the only thing holding him up at that point. "I.. I don't feel too well." Parker had always been stubborn, he didn't like people seeing him weak, the fact he was used to his powers being so weak nowadays meant that his rejuvenated spidergrip was glued powerfully to the wall in his effort not to lose his balance and collapse.
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend*What the Hell !* Matt sprang forward supporting his friends body as he threatened to slip from the window ledge".. Someone attacked me.. many someone’s.. all picking on an old man, shame on them. I.. I don't feel too well "The slurred words confirmed his initial reading of the situation.Everything was not alright. In fact everyone of his senses screamed that something here was very, very wrong.
The smell of blood was almost normal, if not welcome. The life of a superhero was far from easy and pain came as part of the package. The fact that his old friend had come to him for help was also no surprise. Matt would have done the same if the situation had been reversed. No there was something else. Something inexplicable that set his nerves jumping.
The heartbeat, unmistakably that of Peter Parker, was none the less somehow changed, stronger, beating less quickly than usual after the exertion of scaling the wall.
The form in his arms was lighter than it should have been and apparently not through illness. The muscles beneath his sensitive fingers were firm and well defined , the body that of an athlete in top condition.
His mind raced as he realised that this was in fact Peter that he was holding, not Spiderman. *He climbed up here dressed like that and without his mask. He must really have been desperate to take a risk like that. That also means that it was Peter who was attacked, not his alter ego. And not by amateurs either by the feel of things Now who would want to do that?*
Matt cursed his blindness, not for the first time. *If I could only see him I would know what’s going on.* He eased the fainting man into the office and was brought to a halt by the hand still firmly glued to the surround. *This is so wrong* he thought as he prized it off. He knew all to well that Spidey’s powers had been waning in recent times but this bond was strong and powerful. *Like in the old days* he though, the pieces of information that he was receiving suddenly slipping into place to form a totally illogical but irrefutable whole.
This person beside him was young! Younger than him. *A kid! He’s just a kid! It doesn’t make any sense.*
Matt checked the data again honing his already razor sharp senses, heart beat, scent, voice all confirmed that this was Peter. Helping him over to the desk he lowered him into the chair then knelt to run his fingers lightly over his friends face. There was no doubt. The bone structure was that of Peter but the skin , the muscle tone all cried out that this was a teenager he had sitting before him. *How could this have happened? What did Peter run into? Mad scientists? Aliens? Who has the power to do this ? And why? *
Suddenly his friends words came back to him "picking on an old man"*Oh Damn*he thought, realisation hitting him hard *He doesn’t know.He has no idea whats happened to him. How do you tell someone something like that. How’s he going to take it?*
So many questions and all of them difficult but now was not the time to ask them. *Whoever did this could have followed him,* Matt reasoned. *They might already be heading this way and young or not Spideys in no condition to fight back at the moment. Which means its up to me. Or rather Daredevil.*
*Easier said than done* he thought grimly. Matt Murdock’s office was hardly the place to keep a spare costume. If anyone came bursting in they’d find a blind lawyer not a costumed crime fighter confronting them *To hell with it. If Spideys pursuers arrive I’ll be ready for them mask or no mask. For the moment lets just take one thing at a time and see where we end up.* His fingers rested on Peter's faltering pulse feeling it steady as the young man relaxed slightly.
"Its Ok Peter" he said to his dazed friend. "You’re safe for now. Take all the time you need, I’ll keep an ear open for trouble. Then when your feeling better we’ll go back to my place and you can tell me all about this."
*And then we’ll decide what to do next* Matt thought *because frankly at the moment I have no idea.*Edited by: Fengal at: 2/25/05 5:31 pm
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
ooc: *Slaps head* Alright.. I gotta get into the habit of adding the 'Continued From: Bla bla'..
The world was still spinning but since he wasn't moving any more it reduced his feel of sickness, his eyes had closed though, one would have thought he had passed out if he hadn't kept weakly trying to open his eyes or speak.
"Its Ok Peter" There was a seat.. he was sitting down? He thought he was standing.. everything blurred and nothing made sense, and what did make sense seemed rather humorous to Peter for some reason. "You’re safe for now. Take all the time you need, I’ll keep an ear open for trouble. Then when your feeling better we’ll go back to my place and you can tell me all about this." He just got ambushed in the middle of the street, not in his Spider uniform, but HIM, Peter Parker, an old man that looks like any other. But he knew this was done on purpose, he knew that they were after him, it was no coincidence, no mistake, they knew who he was, who he once had been..
"Mary-Jane.." It never stopped, his worry for her, even when she left, when she couldn't take the danger Peter unwilling brought down on his family. He couldn't go after her, he couldn't ever give her what she had wanted, not until recently, he had told her, he told her no more, no more crime fighting, no more saving the world.. no more Spiderman. He was going to be just plain Peter, he was going to do things right now, she always understood who he was, understood that he had powers he felt he needed to use for the greater good. But she didn't understand how he could continue for so long, how he could put the lives of all those he loved in danger every day doing something he was growing too old to do as well as he once could.
There was a burning his stomach, a dryness in his throat, tiny beads of sweat riddled his skin from the stress of the effort needed to get here and soon a fever would set in, by then he would have passed out, getting worse before being able to recover after a few hours of rest. It was all overwhelming, everything.. he could feel the difference of his body even in this weak state, he didn't make any sense of it since he was so out of focus.
"..we need to warn.. her.." There was a weak chuckle, but then he cringed, it hurt to laugh, even weakly, no, this wasn't funny, she wasn't going to like it, if people were trying to hurt him as Peter Parker, that just meant those around him where still in danger. Not that it mattered really, she didn't live with him any more, used her maiden name, kept low, he had children he never was able to visit, it hurt him every day, to know they were out there and he couldn't see them without risking someone trying to use them as bait against Spiderman.
Another cringe as if from pain, his body leaned forward, his head resting down on his knees, his hand tightly pressing against the back of his neck. It was so sharp, strong, acute, tingles rippled down his spine, the back of his neck alert, like Goosebumps, just without the actual bumps.. With the sensitivity from the drugs it felt like his head was splitting open, his spider-sense had faded almost completely, even with the potent sensation Peter didn't realize it at the moment for what it was. The sound of sirens down below are heard, Belthazor turned the annoyance of the police to his advantage, it didn't help that his alter-ego 'Cole Turner' was such a well respected and known lawyer. Cole had put a lot of people away, a lot of high class crime lords and mob bosses amongst countless others. The better his record the greater an asset to his company he was.. and a better operative for meddling in human affairs.
Whether the police knew the runaway criminal, that's how Parker had been identified by Cole, a criminal he had been assigned to as defence that escaped the man's custody, or if they were just passing and patrolling was hard to tell, some stopped, others scanned the area, a few moved off for a couple of blocks. It was hard to imagine this event, accidentally on Cole's part, was going to lead to an even greater mishap for all the X-men and those who lived at Xavier's school in just a few short weeks at the most.
"Tell them I'll pass on reminiscing about old times.." Peter's sickly voice mumbled out, they had to go, even if Murdock could just dump him somewhere.. down into the sewers would even be an option at this point. Parker didn't care, he didn't want to go through any of this again, he just wanted to rest, to lay his tired body down, and it wasn't just age that tired him, emotionally he wasn't able to keep this up any more.. He's fought too long.. he doesn't want to run and hide then fight and hide and lie to everyone he knows, he doesn't need to any more, even if he wanted to he couldn't, his strength was basically gone and that was one of his greatest abilities when it came down to fighting his enemies and surviving.
Peter's hand moved over to Matt's desk, his other hand leaving his neck and reaching for desk as well, he'd barely been standing a moment before he began to lose strength in his legs, but managed to sustain his weight without falling back into his seat. Looking down at Matt's feet, then dragging his eyes up to the now older looking man's face, Peter knew he had to be drugged, yet still he seemed more playful then serious as he spoke - something that wasn't entirely the drugs doing.
"Will at least one of you help me.. no resting yet, I can rest plenty when I'm dead, dying or passed out, right now I'm none of the above." Ok.. that doesn't help, if the ground just stopped moving around he'd be able to walk better, typical, always when you're in a rush it plays up on you! This is why web slinging is more effecting, those buildings can't move fast enough to get away from his web lines. Peter's hand reached for Matt, but his other hand had a sheet of paper stuck to it, easily heard as the soon-to-be retired Spider started shaking his hand slightly to get it off. The effort caused his body to ease forward into Matt's weakly and his hand just gave up and dropped to his side.
It wasn't that he forgot how to use his powers, it was just everything was so hyper sensitive after his mind grew so used to the dull, faded powers, now everything was so easy, too easy. It was just Peter's luck, being of the few who looked forward to getting old and retiring and being normal, then being one of the rarer few who get a chance of having a second life - and people probably one of the first to wish he had nothing to do with this chance of a repeated life.. another chance to be Spiderman all over again. He didn't want it.
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend"Mary-Jane.. we need to warn.. her.." Well at least that hadn’t changed Peters first concern had always been for his wife and kids. Matt knew how much it hurt him that they had to be apart unable to live a normal life because of the danger his Spiderman activities put them in.
It was something Matt had thought about a lot. Would being Daredevil condemn him to the same fate. It seemed likely. The only woman he had ever loved had died in his arms, killed by the manic killer Bullseye She had been coming after Daredevil at the time thinking him responsible for the death of her father If she had never come in contact with me would she still be alive today. *Did my decision to put on a mask untimely cost Electra her life? * It was a question that was constantly at the back of his mind creeping out when he slept to wake him shaking and pale in the middle of the night.
He knew however that Peter had not entirely given up on his relationship with Mary Jane, hoping against hope that with the passage of time Spiderman would be forgotten, his enemies thirst for vengeance tempered as the years went by. Then maybe, just maybe, he could reclaim his family and lead a normal life.
It was a dream they had discussed on long empty evening round a bottle of good scotch. Now kneeling beside his rejuvenated friend he knew that if this transformation was permanent then the dream was gone.
Mary Jane was at least twenty years older than the young man sitting in the leather chair. And besides, knowing Peter as he did, Matt was certain that if he regained his full powers he would be incapable of sitting back and letting innocent people suffer at the hands of criminals. Whatever those who had done this to him had wanted to achieve it was clear they had done at least one thing; They had brought Spiderman back to life.
Suddenly his sensitive ears registered the sounds of sirens in the streets, distant for the moment but coming closer all the time. It happened regularly in this part of New York hardly a night going by without some kind of trouble but still. It could mean trouble for them this time. "Tell them I'll pass on reminiscing about old times.." Peter said dragging himself unsteadily to his feet. *So he thinks so to That’s a bad sign A very bad sign.* Matt had the utmost respect for Peters Spidey sense. If he was worried than it was time to get out of here right now.
"Will at least one of you help me.. no resting yet, I can rest plenty when I'm dead, dying or passed out, right now I'm none of the above." Matt couldn’t help but smile. His sense of humour seems to be intact as well he thought standing dose to give his friend the help he had asked for. Which was just as well as Peter’s body refused to cooperate falling forward into Matt’s waiting arms.
"Easy Peter! For once just sit back and enjoy the ride." Matt easily scooped the slender body up into his arms, slide his cane under his arm and walked towards the door, listening as he went to make sure that no one was around before opening the door into his secretary's office and then into the corridor.
*One good thing about working this late, at least it makes going home unseen a whole lot easier.* The building was in darkness the only source of light the faint illumination coming from the light switches strategically placed in the corridor walls. But of course that was not a problem.
Anyone watching Matts confident progress towards the stairs would never have believed that he was blind, which was why it was essential that no one was watching. It was not only Spiderman’s life that was in danger but also Matt Murdock’s carefully constructed world It would not take much to bring it crashing down around his ears. As he reached the street Matt frowned slightly
Now things got more interesting. Normally, if he wanted to leave the office unseen he took to the rooftops but of course this was nigh on impossible with Peter in this condition. So they would have to go under into the sewer system and along the two blocks that separated them from his apartment.
Fortunately it was close by. It was more convenient for someone who naturally couldn’t possess a car and who disliked the noise and bustle of public transport. Besides it was in an area where people minded their own business and left him pretty much alone. Hells Kitchen was a hard place but he had a certain reputation, had helped many of its inhabitants in the past. No one bothered the blind lawyer and that was just the way he liked it. Once at the apartment they would be safe. At least for now.
He waited in the shadows sifting through the various sounds in the street, people passing cars, thankfully not to many at this time of night. The sirens were definitly getting closer he would have to act soon.
Now! Swiftly he left the building and rounded the corner into the back alley conscious of the rats scuttling into their holes frightened by his presence. The sewer entrance was not far, he propped his friend up against the wall as he opened it then concentrated again to make sure that all was safe before throwing him lightly over his shoulder and dropping down into the dampness below.
Matt disliked the sewers, the smells assailed his sensitive nostrils forcing him to concentrate that little bit harder. He kept a check on Peters heartbeat hearing him slide in and out of unconsciousness.
He had caught the faint smell of some drug on his breath back in the office something he had not come across before but which he had now stored in his memory in case he ran into it again. Maybe it could help lead them to the people who had attacked Peter. Anyway, information was always useful.
Matt trudged his way through the dank passages hearing the sirens still screaming overhead. They seemed to be moving away from the direction they were taking. *Good* he thought *What Peter needs is rest not a fight. Besides confrontation with the police was to be avoided at all cost. After all we’re the good guys even if they don’t always seem to see it that way.*
He was making good time his sense of direction dependable and guiding them towards exit they required. He may not enjoy taking this route but he was no fool He had already mapped out all possible exits from his office just in case. Safety was not something a crime fighter could take for granted and exit routes saved lives.
Now as he mounted the iron ladder which would lead them back above ground he groaned with frustration Things had been going so well. T
here was a gang of youths hanging out on the street corner, not causing any trouble just talking and laughing. It was unusual, Matt had chosen his apartment carefully. Normally the street was quiet. But it seemed that these kids had been going home from a party when they had had a flat tyre. Piling out they joked as they worked on it not in any hurry, slightly high on beer and excitement. Still it was a problem.
*I could just wait till they leave* Matt thought but something about the way Peters body temperature was starting to rise convinced him that this was maybe not an option. *Fever’s setting in . The last place he needs to be is down here in the sewers.* He judged that the sewer entrance was slightly shielded from the youths line of vision *We should be able to get out without being seen. However getting to the flat is another thing.*
He had hesitated over choosing an apartment that could be accessed directly from the sewers but had decided against it He didn’t want unexpected visitors dropping in in the middle of the night, especially since it was then that he was at his most vulnerable. The specially constructed coffin like bed in which he slept effectively isolated him from the sensations which allowed him to be Daredevil but which nevertheless had to be constantly held at bay by his iron will. Inside it he could relax fully only needing to block the sounds of his own heartbeat to find some blessed silence. It was a risk but a necessary one Without it and his meditation techniques he would long since have been driven mad by the wealth of information flooding into his brain.
So there was a short journey to be made between the sewer exit and the apartment and that in full view of the youngsters still happily repairing their vehicle. *Oh well Even blind men can get drunk* he thought with a grin.
He pulled them both up out of the sewer and stood quietly for a minute propping his friend once more against the wall as he straightened his clothing and grasped his cane. *Wish I knew just how bad we both look. Oh well can’t be helped.* He slipped Peters arm over his shoulder hoping that he was still conscious enough to hear him and understand what he needed to do.
"Listen Peter there’s not far to go but I need you to make a last effort Ok. Just try to stay on you’re feet for a few more moments and we’re home and dry."
So saying he started out towards the apartment cane carefully tapping the pavement as he went Peter leaned heavily on him walking unsteadily the heat already pouring off him as the fever took hold.
"Yo! Man! Looks like you’ve got you’re hands full!" The shout was inquisitive but friendly. "You need some help?"
"Thanks but we’re nearly there ." Matt said with a smile "Last time I let him near the bar, he’s going to have one hell of a headache in the morning. And to think he was supposed to be seeing me home!"
The kids laughed in understanding. "Yeah guess some of us are not going to be too fresh tomorrow either!"
They had now reached the door Matt fumbling in his pocket to find the key. Peter leaned heavily against the door as Matt’s hand swept over the down finding the keyhole and turning the key in the lock.
With a last wave for the watching youngsters he opened the door and dragged his friend inside. Safe at last.
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend"Easy Peter! For once just sit back and enjoy the ride." There had been a few occasions when Peter's life rested in the hands of others, still his pride was hard to shake, his stubborness to stay strong and useful for those around him always driving him even past breaking point. There was a girl once, when Peter was younger, one of the first few times he had begun to truly hate Spiderman, there was a fan letter to him. Peter was always thought to have connections with Spiderman since only he was able to take so many great photo's, so the young girl had sent Peter the letter to give it to Spiderman. Peter had discarded it without a second thought, if it hadn't been for Madam Web, who amongst other things, had helped him by giving that letter back to Peter.
It was before he knew of DareDevil, before Matt probably put on his suit, back when things where new, just when he started to realize that it was far to painful to be a hero hated by half the world - sometimes it felt like everyone wanted a go at Spiderman. But that girl.. she had changed everything, she had adored him, read everything about him, even knew that JJ, Peter's old boss, was lying about most of the things he wrote for Spiderman. She had enjoyed his company when Peter spent some time with her.. she was at a hospital for terminal ill children. Somehow the young eight year old managed to get him to take her out for a web-sling around town. He had been attacked by Doc Ock, if it hadn't been for her, is she hadn't fought even when no one believed her, then Peter would have been killed, or worse knowing all of Doc's experiements. She had been one of the first to see his real face, something inside him told him that show her when she asked. It was her final wish, to see him, Spiderman, wall crawling menace, she wanted to meet him, to see the man behind the mask, behind the lies..
Barely aware of what was happening at first, it took a moment to realize he was no longer standing, he panicked, thinking he had fallen back down, they had to leave, he brought danger to Matt, they had to get somewhere safe. Too many people have already died helping him, being near him, loving him, simply knowing him, no one else was allowed to.. A fluttering sound caught Peter's attention, his eyes struggling open, fighting hard to see in the dark, he couldn't see the paper slip from his now relaxed hand that no longer clung to any surface it touched like while he had been tense.
The swirling blankess drifted over him, sometimes it would thin out enough for sounds and smells and thoughts to slip in, before thickening one more, the nothingness consuming him.
The feeling of 'rag doll' crossed Peter's mind as he felt his body being positioned and moved against a wall, only to be lifted and slung over his friends shoulder a moment later. A displeasing reek of the sewers played with Peter's drowzy mind, sometimes the shadows seemed awfully lizard-like, a ripple in the gross liquid threatening to have a hand or body lunge out and grab at them. It had been so long since he saw the Lizard-man, how many times had people hoped the geneticist would ind a cure for his radiation 'poisoning'? And when he had, Spider had to give it up for other reasons.. to save someone else, or something similarly noble. So many chances of a normal life had crossed his path and he turned his back on all of them with the bitter disappointment of loss each time, and yet growing stronger as not only a hero, but being true to himself.
A cold feel against his back, another wall, everything burned, he had a headache on top of the acidic seering in his stomach and throat. Peter's head dropped forward weakly as his exhausted form was pulled closer to Matt who was doing his best to support Parker's unstable weight.
"Listen Peter there’s not far to go but I need you to make a last effort Ok. Just try to stay on you’re feet for a few more moments and we’re home and dry."
The hot skin caused the cool nights care to chill Peter, he wanted to go home and go to bed in his nice warm house, he lived in his old home where his aunt used to live, something had possessed him to return there after she died. It wasn't surprising really, he loved her so much and when she left everything seemed so empty.. It had taken her so long to find out who Peter really was, and a little longer before she told him how she understood what he did as Spiderman, help him get over the murder of his uncle after he told her of his guilt for not stopping that theif.
"Yo! Man! Looks like you’ve got you’re hands full!" Peter's eyes parted slightly, enough to see the blur of a faint light in one of the windows before his vision darkened and his mind returned to a blank emptiness, the only thoughts that of 'one foot forward, now the other, almost there, keep going' "You need some help?" Thoughts faded now, his head hurt too much to think, actions became struggled but continued to follow Matt's lead as best as possible.
"Thanks but we’re nearly there." Help wasn't needed, Peter was perfectly fine with just Matt lugging him about, he didn't need the entire world tugging him this way and that. "Last time I let him near the bar, he’s going to have one hell of a headache in the morning. And to think he was supposed to be seeing me home!" Bar? They had been drinking? That made sense.. it would explain why his head and stomach hurt, why couldn't he just sleep, he didn't want to walk any more, he wanted to lay down and sleep. It's not like he hasn't woken up in the streets or an ally before, granted they were usually extreme cercimstances, usually involving him being thrown through a few brick walls and beaten or crushed.
Leaning his body against something hard, but not cold like the walls outside, still cool against his hot skin, a clicking sound, more movement.. he didn't want to move any more..
"Come on Peter Lets get you to bed."
There was the feel of his body falling against something, something soft, the shadows were already engulfing him, he was sleep before Matt had even helped ease his body down. The high stamina and strong will Peter possessed, amongst other things, helped him fight off the effects in his sleep much easier then any normal human. The fact Matt had given him something for the fever also was of advantage, it had helped over the few hours of rest he had been able to get, losing his fever but still seeming sickly with an uncomfortable look as he tossed and turned every now and then.
There was a groan as Peter rolled onto his back, mostly sleeping curled in a ball since his stomach still disturbed him for a while after he had fallen asleep. Another more groggy groan that hinted he had woken and the effects of everything settled back down onto him, his sore head causing his arms to reach up and rest over his face. Hungry. Thirsty. Seems room service forgot about him and his need to feed, the lght hearted sacasme faded in his mind, it hadn't occured to him until he moved one of his hands away and looked away that this wasn't his on room.
Sitting up, once again holding his tenderly painful head with the palms of his hands, Peter spent a moment trying to recollected the last moments he remembered, everything seemed a little groggy and blank right now.
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
Making sure that Peter was safely ensconced in the guest bedroom Matt went off in search of something to help bring down his fever . Fortunately or maybe unfortunately he had a ready supply of such things in the cellar. T
he upper floor of the apartment was where Matt Murdock resided, part of the careful façade of normality that he maintained. The cellar was the centre of Daredevils activities, concealed behind a trap door in his own bedroom. It was here that he lived, slept and trained when alone, staggering in from missions to shower and choke down painkillers after another gruelling night patrolling. He lacked Spiderman’s recuperative powers and each encounter took its toll on his body and spirit. The cellar hideout was his sanctuary, a secret place to which only one other person had ever been admitted. The man now asleep upstairs. The man who had shown Matt what it meant to be a hero.
Matt reached into the medicine cabinet his fingers brushing across the Braille etiquettes on the bottles till he found what he was searching for. *Well these always work for me so lets give it a try.*
He knew that it was out of the question to take Peter to a hospital, it was to exposed, too dangerous. *And they’d ask too many questions which I sure as hell can’t answer. So it was back to basics and hope for the best.*
Heading back upstairs he checked his friends condition frowning slightly. No doubt about it the fever was rising. *OK Peter I’m giving you till morning and then if things are no better I’ll have to come up with a back up plan pronto.* Easing Peter’s head from the pillow he helped him to swallow a few of the pills before laying him back down on the pillows. *And now we can only wait* he thought philosophically.
The idea of going to bed himself never crossed his mind, though he felt exhaustion tugging at him, urging him to give in and sleep. Groaning he dragged an easy chair across to the bed and settled himself into it, taking off his dark glasses and rubbing his tired eyes.
It was a measure of how close he and Peter were that he did not put them on again. He seldom left them off if anyone else was present, knowing that the blind stare and slight scaring left by the accident made some people uneasy. Or maybe that was just what he told himself. In a way they were another mask. One he was rarely without.
Now sitting by the bedside he was thinking more about his friends well being than anything else. *At least Ill be on hand if he needs anything and I’m close enough to register any change in his breathing even if I do drop off.*
He started to reach for his briefcase thinking to go over the notes on his latest case that he had printed out earlier in the day, then sighed realising he had left both briefcase and notes back at the office. *I’ll have to head by and pick them up tomorrow, no today, if Peters well enough to be left that is. Well I can always revise the appropriate points of law.*
He wandered into his bedroom and came back with a large book in his hands. *The American Penal code volume 10, just the thing for keeping you awake. At least I don’t have to put the light on to read it so Peter won’t be disturbed.* He sat for a while ,fingers translating the series of raised dots on the pages, then his eyelids dropped and he drifted off into sleep.
Movement from the bed awoke him some hours later. Peter was coming round from the sounds of things, his heartbeat stronger and more stable. Matt pulled himself up out of sleep as his friend groaned softly once or twice then sat up in the bed taking his head in his hands .
"Hey Peter. Glad you're back in the land of the living. You had me worried for a while back there."
Standing, he reached gently across and brushed Peter’s hand . *Warm but not burning.*"Great. Your fevers almost gone. Why don’t you lay back and I’ll rustle us up some breakfast. And then" he went on "I think we should have a talk about what happened last night"
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend"Hey Peter. Glad you're back in the land of the living. You had me worried for a while back there." The voice was easily recognised, but very loud, everything seemed to sway and his world was blanketed by a hazy fog "Great. Your fevers almost gone. Why don’t you lay back and I’ll rustle us up some breakfast. And then, I think we should have a talk about what happened last night" Everything ached, and although Peter wanted to speak, he merely surrendered into doing what he was told. Part of him still felt if he moved or talked he might throw up, his stomach unsettled from the drugging though it didn't hurt any more save for the tender bruises that had already begun to heal.
Twisting his aching body slightly so that he could rest on his side, snuggling up to the pillow which his hands gripped onto as the side of his face buried into the softness it offered for his throbbing headache. With his eyes shut, too sore and tired right now to open and just being content in trusting he was safe since Matt was around. He'd have been suffering a whole lot from the rough treatment of the soldiers working for A.Corp in his condition.
His mind had already began to black slip off back into a light sleep during the time Matt was gone, but not deep enough that he didn't notice when Matt returned. With a struggle, and easily seen effort, Peter strained to open his eyes, the bright hazel gaze clouded and dazed still, but much better the when last he had been looking around.
"What happened?" The groan of words were a little warped since he had also rolled onto his back when speaking, his arms crossing over and lifting to cover his face that was laced in a numb pain and slight dizziness. "I remember walking home and then.." Pulling his knees up, keeping them bent for a moment before one of them stretched back out, the second following a moment after since it took too much effort to keep it bent. "...Faces, legs, hands, fists.." Everything was so blurred and dark, none of it made any sense, all he really remembered as being pounced on and getting so startled from the sudden attack he just focused on trying to escape - Peter didn't usually get into fights, only Spiderman.
"I feel like I was hit by a stampeed.." The groggy statement had a hint of irritation, "..reminds me why I'm so glade it's all over." Attacking Spiderman was one thing, Peter's gotten used to that, he expected that, heck, he lived to get into those sticky situations, at least once he had lived for that. But Peter getting attacked, that wasn't ever allowed, because Peter had friends, Peter had family, Peter had innocent people that others would so easily hurt just to get to Peter's alter-ego.
And someone had attacked Peter.
"How did you find me?" Of course being so groggy it was bound for him to have forgotten a few things, given time it will all come back, but since he didn't know Jool's power nor could he see himself, he had no idea just how different he was, no idea what's happened to him.. and to the dreams he had hoped for.
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
Matt headed for the kitchen, hastily preparing some coffee and the rudiments of a simple breakfast. Not that he was really hungry. In fact his appetite melted away as he thought of the conversation that lay ahead of him.
*What on earth am I supposed to say Hey Peter have some toast and by the way you’re young again.* Preoccupied he almost poured orange juice into the coffee instead of milk, alerted just in time by the fruity smell emanating from the carton. *Great start! If I can even serve breakfast properly what’s the rest of the day going to be like.*
He frowned again contemplating his friends dilemma. Many times over the years the two of them had been in tough situations together. They were no strangers to the hardships that life could throw at them But this! It was so overwhelming, so unbelievable. If the effect was permanent then it would change Peters life forever.
*And its up to me to announce it to him. Well I suppose we’d should get it over with. At least he’s not going to go through this on his own. Though truth to tell apart from moral support there’s little I can do to help at present. Later when all the legal implications hit him then my expertise will come into it's own. *
This aspect of the situation had been running through the back of Matt’s mind, a lawyer’s response to an inexplicable problem. *All his papers will be useless, id, passport, driving license, all with the picture of a 48 year old man on them. Now Peter can’t even go into a liquor store and buy a drink. And what about his job? He can hardly turn up at the office tomorrow as if nothing has happened? What a mess!*
As for his relationship with Mary Jane and the children, that just didn’t bear thinking about *And there I can do nothing but be there for him, like he was there for me when Electra died. I hope its enough. Well that and offer him a place to stay till he figures out what he wants to do next. So, no use putting of the inevitable any longer. Its time to bite the bullet and tell him the truth.*
Matt pushed open the bedroom door with his foot and entered carrying the tray. He set it down carefully on the bedside table listening to his friend moving in the bed.
"What happened?" There it is the twenty thousand dollar question. And I really don’t want to answer it.
"I remember walking home and then……….. Faces, legs, hands, fists"
So there had been more than one attacker Matt had been sure this was the case. You didn’t overpower Spiderman that easily But did that mean that they knew who they were dealing with , that Peters carefully guarded secret had been discovered?
"I feel like I was hit by a stampede. Reminds me why I'm so glad it's all over.." *Oh but its not Peter*Matt thought bitterly *In fact I think its just beginning.*
"How did you find me?"
*So, he remembers nothing about what happened last night.That really helps. I was hoping he could come up with a clue, some explanation for what has happened. Maybe its just the drugs and it will come to him later but for now…………..*
"You found me Peter, don’t you remember. I know I’d said you should drop in when you were passing but that wasn’t really what I had in mind."
He tried to sound light hearted as he poured the coffee. *No point in panicking him straight off. This is going to be hard enough as it is.* However his unguarded eyes, so used to being protected from scrutiny by the dark glasses, betrayed his concern. "
"You turned up on the window sill just like old times. Guess you knew I was the only one dumb enough still to be working at that hour. Looked like you’d had a rough night."
He moved closer to the bed lowering his gaze to where he knew his friend was lying. "And I do mean you Peter not Spiderman."
Now that he was getting close to the heart of the matter even Matt couldn’t help but sound worried.
"Whoever attacked you Peter they weren’t just run of the mill criminals. For a start they pumped you full of some pretty sophisticated drugs and then......" He hesitated, not knowing how to continue.
"Look Peter there’s no easy way I can say this so I guess the best thing is to let you see for yourself."
Matt walked over to the other side of the guest room and picked up the mirror from the dressing table. As he handed it to Peter he said "Just remember that you can stay here for as long as you need to. We’ll work this out somehow, I promise."
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend"You found me Peter, don’t you remember. I know I’d said you should drop in when you were passing but that wasn’t really what I had in mind." Must have been a really big fight whoever ambushed him if he can't remember that, or maybe Peter's old age was starting to settle in. That'd be just his luck, manage's to survive to the rip old age of half a century and goes senile before he can enjoy the last half of that century leading as normal a life as possible considering his past. Peter however found himself watching the unconcealed eyes, waiting quietly, observing as Matt poured the hot liquid.
"You turned up on the window sill just like old times. Guess you knew I was the only one dumb enough still to be working at that hour. Looked like you’d had a rough night." Which was absurd, there was no problem the night before that he remembered, maybe it was a last minute fight, though he didn't wear his spider costume under his clothes often any more and unless Matt removed it before he slept, then Peter hadn't been wearing it at all. Though it wasn't unheard of for Spiderman to launch into action without his mask, making sure to stay out of sight while helping whoever was in trouble, "And I do mean you Peter not Spiderman." Now he frowned and just focused on recalling the night before, his mind was still groggy and he was still sleepy and not feeling his best, it made it so hard to concentraite.
"Whoever attacked you Peter they weren’t just run of the mill criminals. For a start they pumped you full of some pretty sophisticated drugs and then......" The concern caused Peter wake up a little more, looking back up at Matt's face, taking a second to register that he has been drugged, "Look Peter there’s no easy way I can say this so I guess the best thing is to let you see for yourself." Now Peter was slightly panicking, had something really bad happened? Had they maybe taken pictures, maybe it was all over the news, maybe something even worse, was MJ alright? If they knew about her.. he'd never forgive himself. It took a moment to realize Matt was now holding something out for Peter to take.
"Just remember that you can stay here for as long as you need to. We’ll work this out somehow, I promise." With the utmost confusion Peter reached for the mirror Murdock had been holding, stilling looking at the 'younger' man curiously. Had he been hurt? He ached all over so it was hard to tell.
The image that was reflected against the smooth surface was wrong, strangely alien and yet all too familiar, the deafening silence for Peter was almost too much, and yet even if someone was speaking with him he'd probably not hear a word. The only thing that was the same as the last time he looked in the mirror were the eyes.. slightly tired at the moment, but the same hazel orbs that greeted him everytime he walked into his bathroom. Slowly Peter's hand rose to touch the glass, as if hoping somehow the mirror was wrong, it wasn't showing him it was showing someone else. Lifting his hand then so that the tips of his fingers could examine the hair, lacking his gray that started to show years ago and only increase in amount as the years passed.
The skin was now smooth, the wrinkles that had started tainting it now gone, his skin looked so young, fresh and healthy. Moving his hand down in front of him, Peter stared at the back of it, balling it up into a fist and then dropping the mirror onto the bed as he looked quickly at his other hand.
"How long am I going to be like this?" The words blurted out quietly without really meaning to put Matt on the spot, he knew his friend wouldn't know, it was more a question he was thinking to himself. When he was younger there had been a time where he had been turned into an old man, his ppowers had faded and his only comfort had been Aunt May who lent him his uncles old jacket, not realizing the old man sitting in the gutter looking miserable was actually her nephew Peter. She had spoken to him, told him things that helped him realize so many things, she wasn't here now, she wasn't ever to make sense of anything, she wasn't here to make him feel better in her own unique way like only she'd ever be able to do.
Swinging his legs off the bed and standing up, which inself was a challenge right now, his heart was racing as the full threat of what this meant settled over his mind. He's had his age changed before, dealt with people not believing who he was, an 60 year old with a photo I.D. of someone that looked like his grand son didn't help him at all. Now it was exactly the same only reversed.
"It has to wear off right?" Racing with thoughts, Peter basically started babbling out ideas that sounded as if he just wanted to run out the door right this moment and set about fixing this problem. "We need to find a lab, get a blood sample, find a counteragent to whatever they gave me, maybe the effects will fade, but there's no point just waiting for that incase it doesn't happen." He was pacing now, the tips of his fingers tracing over his face as he spoke, he didn't want this, he had work, normal work, he was just a regular joe now, he was going to meet MJ and the kids in a week, he couldn't go like this!
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
Neither man spoke as Peter stared at his reflection in the mirror. But the room wasn’t silent, not for Matt. The sound of Peters heart pounding was loud in his ears, panic close now just waiting to break out.
*He’s taking it hard but then again how could it be otherwise. Strange, some people would give everything they own for a second chance like this Or at least they think they would There’s a hell of a difference between the dream and the reality, between wanting to be young again and actually having the years roll back.*
He wondered how he would have felt if the situation had been reversed. *I haven’t got a wife and kids he thought. No one but me would be affected if I changed. Well maybe Foggy but he’d get over it Which is a sad reflection on my life when you get right down to it but there you are.*
*I’d have to move if I wanted to continue practising law. Change my name, go back to university. Re sit my bar exams. Complicated but feasible. A fresh start Would that be so bad?*
*And I’d be able to function better as Daredevil that’s for sure. Even at my age my reflexes are not what they were. To have the body of a teenager and the experience that comes with age It would be a powerful combination. Maybe Peter will come to see it like that, if the change is definitive that is. But not now. Not today. Its too soon.*
*And besides the real problem is whoever did this too him almost certainly knew who he was, knew that Peter Parker and Spiderman were one and the same.*
*How did they find out? He's always been so careful, for his family’s sake as well as his own.* Did that mean they knew where Mary Jane and the kids were? Matt prayed that this was not the case but deep down inside he knew it was very likely.
*We have to get word to them, make sure they’re safe. Maybe that’s something I can do for him. There’s no way he can go himself. It would be like walking into the lions den. They’re sure to be waiting for him there. And if they’re this good these mysterious attackers may well have tapped the phones as well.*
*Damn, there’s nothing like being a crime fighter for bringing out the paranoiac in you. Still better safe than sorry. I’d rather assume the worst and look foolish than be complacent and risk anything happening them.*
He sensed that Peter had lowered the mirror and braced himself for a difficult conversation. "How long am I going to be like this?"
Peters question hung in the air. It was of course the one they needed to find an answer to but Matt didn’t know where to begin. Peter struggled to stand Matt almost put out a hand to help him then stopped himself. *He needs to come to terms with the physical reality of this for himself. But I’ll be there to catch him if he falls.*
"It has to wear off right?” Peter was prowling the room now his agitation spilling over in his movements. *I don’t know Matt thought in frustration. I don’t have any idea how this was done. Is it the drug that did it or something else. We have to find someone who can tell us exactly what’s happened to you. Then we can go on from there.*
"We need to find a lab, get a blood sample, find a counteragent to whatever they gave me, maybe the effects will fade, but there's no point just waiting for that in case it doesn't happen." Matt smiled as his friend's words mirrored his own thoughts. *That’s it Peter apply your mind to the problem. Find a way round this, a way to deal with it.*
"Sounds good to me. Trouble is I don’t have many contacts in that line of business. How about you ? Got anyone particular in mind who could help us out?"
Us! He used the word deliberately knowing Peter would pick up on it, sending him the message that he was not in this alone, that someone he could trust had his back. Edited by: Fengal at: 2/25/05 5:36 pm
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
"Sounds good to me. Trouble is I don’t have many contacts in that line of business. How about you ? Got anyone particular in mind who could help us out?"
What with Peter's unusual blood, he could never go to a normal doctor to get treatment, he had to rely on doctors or nurses that had earned his trust, and they were rare and far between. Trouble was the female doctor that Peter was currently in connections with, who allowed him to use her laboratory, she was a civilian, if people were after him, he couldn't put her in danger like that.
The offer of help, more like a statement of help whether Peter would agree to it or not, he knew Murdock would still try his best to help, even if Matt had to force his help onto Peter when the once feared - now often overlooked - Spiderman would need his friends help.
"Wolverine owes me at least one favour," There was a thoughtful comment as he struggled to think of second options that didn't result in endangering any innocents, "He might be able to get my access into Xavier's lab, it won't be the first time I've needed their help." There was a reluctant tone to his words, surely the X-men had the resources even if they didn't actually help themselves and just left him to work at it alone. But still, they worked so hard and so many important things, always in so much trouble and caring for the welfare of all those students, what if he managed to get them mixed up in something that he didn't realize was so dangerous?
For so long Peter's seeing things with their most worst possible situations, that way he prepares, even tends to over prepare now days in important occasions. That didn't mean he stopped charging into things head first without any back up plans, but he had become more responsible, too many people have hurt because of his recklessness. The way he spoke, though he seemed to have decided, at the same time he was looking at Matt as if waiting for either opinions or better options then heading off to Westchester.
"I have a spare suit stored in an ally a few blocks from here, it's on the way, we ought to swing by there, might as well suit up, doubt heading home is a very safe option. I'll contact MJ once we get to the lab, it's probably the safest way to get in touch with her," Even if he had to get one of those teleporters he's worked with once or twice from the school to take a message to MJ, he would do it. Even if no one could really bug the X-men's phone line, at least as far as Spidey hoped, Mary Jane was still in risk of being spied on and it wasn't a risk worth taking dragging her into even more trouble then she already was in.
Peter's been doing that for years now, storing suits in various hidden places, too many times he had been caught without a costume and risked being exposed. Although there had been concern about someone accidentally finding it, all his spare costumes were bugged so he could track them, only six were hidden throughout New York, in the areas he visited most. He kept them out of reach, stored them in places most people would have access to.
He had gone through a period where he spent all his money on creating different suits, most managed to get destroyed, some he only used when necessary due to them being specially designed for certain situations and where otherwise useless outside those situations. It wasn't difficult for him to make things, he was after all impressively intelligent, it was his smarts that got him out of a great deal of tough situations.
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
OOC Sorry Its short and not very inspired but it does get us started! Up to you to decide if we get to Xaviers safely or have a run in on the way!
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*Xaviers Institute.* Matt had heard of the place Indeed it had something of a reputation. *A school for mutants. Should be different if nothing else.* It was an interesting and controversial concept. to say the least and Matt found himself intrigued by the idea of visiting it.
* I wonder if that’s what I am technically now.* Matt thought to himself. *A mutant.*
*Certainly those chemicals changed something in me, something pretty damned fundamental. Just like that spider did to Peter. Maybe that’s why they’ll make him welcome. Because he's one of them*
However the reluctance in Peters voice and quickening of his heartbeat told Matt that this was not an easy decision his friend had come to. *Is that because he’s not sure they’ll help or is he just reluctant to get other people caught up in this mess. I suppose I’ll find that out when we get there.*
For at least it seemed that Peter was willing to accept his help *Good I thought he might have kicked up a bit of a fuss. But it looks as if I’m invited along for the ride. Only hope the folks at Xavier’s don’t mind me turning up.Still I suppose Peter wouldn’t have suggested it if he thought it would pose a problem.*
*Lets face it we’re going to need all the help we can get if we’re going to figure out what happened to him and a safe way to contact his family would be a godsend. All in all it sounds like a good plan and I certainly don't have a better one.*
"OK Peter if you’re sure feel up to it. Let me get changed and then Ill slip outside and make sure the coast is clear."
Matt descended to the lower level and swiftly put on the familiar red leather costume. *Maybe I should hide a few of these around town,* he pondered. *Its worth thinking about.*
Mask securely in place he took his favourite route up to the rooftops, crouching there like some strange gargoyle as he honed his concentration, letting his senses bring back to him the slightest hilt of a suspect presence in the area.
*Nothing. Seems they’ve lost his track for now at least. Better make the most of this opportunity because I got the distinct feeling that these people aren’t the kind to give up so easily.*
"Everythings OK" he told Peter as he re entered the bedroom. "We should be safe if we stick to the rooftops. Though we can’t afford to let anyone see you up there without your costume "
He listened attentively to make sure that Peter was well enough to navigate his way across town in this way, noting that his breathing and pulse were more or less back to normal. *Good he seems to be fine. Hope we don’t run into any trouble though. Wouldn’t want to push him too hard at the moment just in case.*
They left the room and made their way to the sheltered window that would allow them to exit the appartment discretely. As the were about to begin their ascent Matt turned once again towards his friend.
"We’d better take it slow and easy till we get to that alley. That way we can both double check that we’re not being followed. It’ll give you a chance to work the last of those drugs out of your system as well."
One last verification that all was well and they climbed up onto the roof and started making their way towards the much needed assistance that awaited them at Xavier’s School
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend"OK Peter if you’re sure feel up to it. Let me get changed and then Ill slip outside and make sure the coast is clear."
Feel up to it? All he wanted to do was sleep, but how many times has he given up the things he's wanted for something more important? Right now getting back his life that he's already waited half a century for was more important then sleep. While the other went off to get suited up, Peter stared down at his wrists, he hadn't been able to shoot webbing from his wrists for the last couple of weeks at all. He was just too tired, the effort so exhausting, he'd been using his old web shoots that he used to use when wanting to add a special attribute to his webbing. Like his electrical weblines, or his acidic ones.. different web shooters he had made have different effects, but lately he just used lab made webbing so he could get from one place to another in emergencies.
That above all else had been what pushed him to retiring, his lack of control, everything he had been fighting for had become so difficult to fight for now. The world didn't need someone like him any more, they needed fresh blood, younger warriors to take his place, and Matt was the perfect replacement. They were so alike in many ways, one being the fact their 'gifts' were not done by natural causes, in fact they were both exposed to similar things in a sense.. Spidey a radioactive spider, DareDevil radioactive waste. That spider had no idea what it had done, the powers it had granted the shy geek, and how it turned Peter Parker into a superhero.
Snapped out of his thoughts towards how he and Matt had suffered misfortunes and yet at the same time been ultimately changed into something beyond what they could have ever achieved. For better or worse, lives have been saved for them, Peter would never wish that Spiderman had never been created, because now he understands what kind of impact he has had on the world. But now he knew it was fading, coming to an end, and he didn't mind that at all. A sound and flicker of movement had pulled his thoughts back, a blink, a nervous look towards where Matt had disappeared, and then looking back at the webline shot towards the layers wall.
'Phew.. little to the left and I'd be offering to buy him a replacement window..' Peter tugged a little at the line, forgetting how sensitive his reactions had once been, it occurred to Peter that things might start to get difficult with his money budget.. He'd have to think all about that later, he had a layer at hand, surely that would help him somehow, he knew how excellent Matt was concerning legal matters.
Barely managed to very carefully detach the webbing by the time Matt returned, throwing the all too suspicious 'I'm not up to anything' smile as the biodegradable substance was discarded behind a chair. ...Before remembering that Matt would know he was up to something simply by the nervous heartbeat he would have had.
"Everythings OK" It was silly, Matt was going to give Peter a lecture for not being used to his more heightened abilities, at this thought Peter focused on the more important matter of trying to get to Xavier's. "We should be safe if we stick to the rooftops. Though we can’t afford to let anyone see you up there without your costume " Because heaven forbid if someone realizes Peter Parker from thirty years ago is the REAL Spiderman! No one really bothered to notice him in school, typical someone would finally start noticing him once he goes leaping from one rooftop to another in the middle of the night.
"Right, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for kiddies with night vision goggles." The dry humour was slowly spoilt by a thought that crossed Peter's mind, knowing his luck there'd be an army out there with 'spider' homing missions of some sort. Following after Matt, Peter hadn't yet realized he'd slept most of the night and it was going to be sunrise by the time they'd reach Xavier's school.
For some reason there was an odd feeling of actually 'being' young, as if he was younger then Matt, suddenly the one needing guidance and protection. Which was odd.. Peter's never really had anyone to look up to, he always tended to do things on his own, though never turned his back on help that he was offered, or forced to have. There was a thought teasingly pondering if he ought to start running amuck and getting into mischief just for the heck of being a troublemaker while he can. Of course being Peter, he rarely allowed himself the chance to relax and have fun, so the thought was humourlessly discarded before he almost stumbled into Matt who had stopped and turned to face him without Peter paying it much attention until nearly running into the now 'older' looking man.
"We’d better take it slow and easy till we get to that alley. That way we can both double check that we’re not being followed. It’ll give you a chance to work the last of those drugs out of your system as well." There was the spark of energy common to youths that Peter wasn't used to having any more, which made his 'Ok' in reply sound slightly restless as he wondered what it would be like to be back out there like this again.. young and fast.
There was a slight problem when Peter started following DareDevil up onto the room, his hands continuously stuck to everything he touched. Now he had to learn not to be so tense with everything he did, putting so much effort was now such a habit it was hard to shake. Jumping was something Peter wasn't as good at anymore, his strength was only just above normal still, for someone his age anyway, jumping, he was lucky to get three meters off the ground with every ounce of effort and that's with a run up.
So naturally when DareDevil starting moving quickly from one rooftop to another, Peter stared rather dumbly for a moment, amazingly enough absent minded for the fact that he was young again and ought to be able to leap from one roof to another without any webbing as aid. Moving to the edge of the building, Peter stared down.. waaaay down, but if he fell, then he had his webbing that he could use to swing back to the building top. Closing his eyes, the hazel orbs trying to picture how he used to be, convincing himself that he was able to do this.
With a run up, Peter leapt from the roof towards the other one, landing with perfect balance in a crouching position before he glanced over his shoulder. That had always been a weakness for Peter.. the thrill of the rush, the hunger for the chance of spending time out webslinging, nothing mattered when he was flying through the air, nothing could ever touch him. That's how it felt anyway. And considering he was still alive after all he's been through, it couldn't be too far off the truth. Looking relieved, and a little eager, Peter took off again, following after DareDevil, his legs propelling him through the air, the wind rushing against his face, stroking through his hair. This was his escape from everything, it’s the only time he doesn't think about anything other then the next location he's aiming for.
At first his was to forget about his uncle, then it was to forget about the ordinary life he had lost, after that it was about the stress of the new life he had. Now? Now it was just to forget about everything, nothing made sense, why him? Why now? What for? Questions that he longed to have answers to, but none would come, at least not yet, but right now none of that mattered, his family, his life, it was all just a faint memory. All that mattered was following DareDevil, trying so hard to keep focused and get carried away by doing any mid-air summersaults that even the older Peter had to resist doing.
When they closed in on the ally Peter had taken the lead, running ahead so that he could change quickly, stopping at the edge of the building, he glanced down to make sure everything was alright. The building they were on was the old library and video store, it wasn't very popular but it had been around for a long time and it did well since the people around this area rented from here often. Being a book worm, it was no wonder Peter had placed one of his uniforms here, though he did it a few years ago, he'd come here countless times since then to obtain his uniform for emergency situations.
There was another building just two meters distance behind the library, which made it the perfect hiding spot, because the small gap behind the library was too awkward for people to bother really going to explore. Sometimes a homeless person would snuggle up and sleep in the confined space for safety from other people and the elements, but that was it. Climbing a few feet down the wall, Peter removed some of the loose bricks he had fixed to hide his uniform behind, using his webbing to stick the bricks to the wall so they didn't fall. Hurriedly he removed his shirt, then his belt and his now rather loose jeans and shoes, shifting his position now and then so his actions were smooth and quick, taking long practiced skill to undress while still attached to the wall.
Glancing up nervously, then staring down at his chest, still adjusting the fact he was now so young once again, Peter shut his eyes and forced himself to stay focused, the drugs lingering and fading effects still helping to his mind wander off easily. Getting into his suit was a little more difficult, but still he managed to do so with well-trained skill, shoving his civilian clothes into the hole and putting the bricks back into place. Another pause was caused as he stared at his mask, just a few days ago he was saying he never wanted to wear this thing again. That this way of living was over, and now.. now it was as if it was about to start all over again, reluctantly Peter slipped the mask back over his head, tugging it down and then crawling back up the wall.
His hands reached for the edge of the building, both pulling up his entire body with ease, the pearl white lenses of his mask almost alit from the distant streetlights. There was a stronger sense of alert about him now, obvious Peter was recovering well from what had happened to him just a few hours ago before finding his way to Murdock's office. That and being so much younger made his usual tense posture seem all the more stress and ridged. Peter was always on guard, he had to be, with his spider-sense faded and his powers following the dismal fate, he had to be on constant alert.
Standing up and stepped over towards Matt, Peter placed his hand over his faintly queasy stomach, at least things weren't spinning about, he still felt a tiny bit dizzy but nothing he couldn't handle at the moment.
"I'm starting to wish I had eaten before we left," The fact his stomach wasn't doing too well would have probably meant that if he had of eaten he would have just gotten more sick from all the movements and ended up being worse off. The uniform still fit him perfectly, since Peter left his older suits out and about it meant they were slightly tighter on the older Peter who didn't have the luxury of being overly picky during emergencies. For once he was glade it wasn't looser, the thing would be uncomfortable to wear if it was loose, especially with all his quick movements.
There was a small moment where Peter seemed to just stand there, it was impossible to see, but being DareDevil he'd be able to sense the fact Peter was calming himself down by the way his heart slowed and his breathing steadied. Preparing his body for the next wave of assault as he jumped and swung this way and that, the air was really helping clear his head, he'd feel much better by the time they reach the institute, though still have the nagging exhaustion that wouldn't leave until he either slept properly or drugged up on coffee and focused on important work. It wasn't rare even now to walk in on Peter during important events and have him asleep or exhausted and still working at his desk, be it Spider related or for the paper.
"Sooner or later we'll run out of rooftops, maybe we should head down into the Morlock tunnels, at least that way we're not out in the open." Spiderman hasn't been down there often, but he did know they had a connection with the X-men, helped that the former leader was an X-men as well, Storm, he wasn't sure what her relationship was with them at the moment, if she was still leader or not. But surely they'd at least be able to get to the school via a safe route, last thing Peter wanted was to be walking around with someone or something after him and having DareDevil dragged into his mess more then the boy already was.
..Boy? Peter was going to have to get used to the fact that he was no longer physically twice Matt's age, it was going to be extremely hard not acting like the senior, would Matt think of him differently now that he wasn't the same like before? He looked like a kid.. how would Matt feel working with someone who looked like a child fresh out of high school or even just half way through it?
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
Matt sensed his friends hesitation as they reached the roof, the heightened heartbeat showing not excitement but trepidation as he no doubt contemplated the drop below him. *At least no one has to worry about me looking down * Matt thought sardonically.
He checked once again to make sure that all the readings he was getting from Peter showed him to be physically up to making this journey. *Everything seems to be fine, he’s just nervous. Well Peter its just like riding a bike. Once you’ve learned to do it you never forget. So come on old man. Let me remind you how its done.*
Matt launched himself into air, his body twisting, agile and sure, to land on the next rooftop, his heightened senses judging the distance, the necessary trajectory.
It was exhilarating. The speed. The sensations flooding into him. Ultimately the risk Knowing that each calculation had to be perfect, that the margin between life and death could be measured by the width of a fingertip. For him it was in some ways the ultimate test. The proof that darkness he lived in hadn’t beaten him but rather that he had conquered it.
Daredevil was the name he had chosen for himself. The man without fear was what the newspapers called him. It wasn’t true. *Fear is what keeps you sharp, keeps you careful* Matt thought as he sped through the night. *Lose it and you become reckless a danger to yourself and to others. No, fear was necessary. What you couldn’t do was let it rule you, let it stop you doing what had to be done. Even if it meant risking your life.*
He heard Peter speeding up behind him, sensed the initial wariness fading from his movements and grinned. *You see Spidey youth has its advantages! So much for slow and careful! I can’t hear anyone else up here but us so lets put on a show.*
By the time they reached the alley where his costume was hidden Peter had taken the lead, his progress smooth and fluent, the webbing flying unerringly from his wrists as he swung from building to building.
*I’d forgotten how good he was,*Matt thought, *but then I never knew him when he was this age. I’m going to have a hard time keeping up with him once he really gets into his stride.*
Matt waited on the rooftop as Peter changed into his costume, taking the opportunity to scan the area once more for any traces that they may have been followed. The only sounds that reached his ears were the normal night sounds of the city.*Good!* he thought.*It seems our luck’s holding.*
When Spiderman joined him a few minutes later Matt could sense the new strength that radiated from him, the alertness of his posture.
"I'm starting to wish I had eaten before we left,"
*OK So it seems all is not as right as his vital signs seemed to indicate. Oh well nobody’s infallible* Matt thought resignedly. *Sometimes it would be nice to be able to see if someone’s looking green or not. Preferably before they throw up on your shoes!*
However it seemed that Peter’s queasiness was fading, a few moments of calm breathing steadying him again. Obviously giving him some time for reflection as well as he announced
"Sooner or later we'll run out of rooftops, maybe we should head down into the Morlock tunnels, at least that way we're not out in the open."
*Morlock tunnels? What the heck are Morlock tunnels?*Matt wondered. *Doesn’t sound like the kind of place you’d want to take a day trip to. At least not if The Time Machine is any thing to go by.* He thought back to his schooldays when he had studied Well's classic novel *The Morlock’s in that book are definitely not the kind of people you want to invite back for tea.*
*Still* he reasoned *If Peter thinks we’ll be safer there than out in the open then I suppose that’s where we’re headed.*
*Looks like I’m about to make some new acquaintances!*
Re: Matt Murdocks office - Meeting with a not so old friend
No comment, no agreement or negative response, usually that meant 'Let's go for it then', but Spidey lingered for a moment just to make sure DD wasn't just thinking it over. It didn't occur to Peter that Matt might have not heard of them, even if they were a secret group of tunnel dwelling mutants, most of which had been at one point nearly wiped out during the Morlock Massacar.
There was an grin hidden behind his mask, a playful motion in his steps as he moved passed his 'younger' friend and moved over towards the edge of the building. Looking along the road, though ducking down as a police car casually drove by, it was common for them to patrol the streets, but Spidey was no way going to take the risk of being seen.
"There." Peter stared down at the manhole cover, looking over at DareDevil and then back at their entrance into the underground mazes. "That's our way in." Hopping up onto the ledge, stretching out his arm, Peter then shot a webbing line to one of the slightly taller buildings across the street "Meet you down there!" With that he leapt off the edge, swing across the street, another line from his other wrist shooting down and striking the metallic surface of the manhole cover and tugging it hard.
While the metallic plate spun towards him, Spidey used the momentum of pulling it to tug him downwards towards the now exposed hole beneath him. With his body dropping face first, his hands reached out and grabbed onto the metallic lid, the impact causing him to spin in a single summersault. During which he placed his feet onto the metallic surface and used his abilities to very lightly stick it to his boots. By the time he managed to fix his body once again, looking as if about to dive into a pool, Peter's arms stretched forward towards the hole, perfectly dropping through the hole and the lid slamming back in place. All taking but a few seconds, though for Peter it was all smooth and simple. He'd almost forgotten how easy it was to be Spiderman, it seemed to take so much effort now days, but it wasn't always like that.
A car drove down the road and passed over the cover, unaware of the events having taken place not even a whole minute before.
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