CHAPTER 3: NELSON & MURDOCK

"He isn't picking up. Do you think… something happened to him?" Karen says worried about Matt not showing up to the firm.

"Karen, you know Matt. He's rarely on time. To be fair, he's never been that late, but Matts a tougher guy. Tougher than you think" Foggy responds to her.

"Knock, Knock, Knock" Karen quickly runs to the door to see Matt, with wounds all over his face, because of his other self at night.

Karen: [gasps] "Oh my god Matt, we thought something happened"

Foggy: [lets a light chuckle out]" Well, it looks like something did happen. What happened to your face Matty?" 

Matt: [ meets his chuckle with a sarcastic smile] "Just took a tumble down the stairs. It's nothing.

Foggy: [concerned] Oh yeah? Like the other times you've 'fallen' off your chair or bed?"

Karen: [Smacks her lips together] "Come on, Foggy, give him a break! But... he's right, Matt. Is there something you're not telling us?"

Matt: [Pauses, giving them a reassuring smile] "I'm fine, really. You know how clumsy I can be."

Foggy: [Leans in, a bit more serious now] "Matt, we're your friends. If something's going on, you can tell us."

Karen: [Softens her tone, concern in her eyes] "We just worry about you, that's all. You don't have to deal with everything on your own."

Matt: [Sighs, then nods] "I appreciate it, really. But it's just a few bumps and bruises. Nothing I can't handle."

Foggy: [With a half-smile, trying to lighten the mood] "Alright, but if you keep 'falling' like this, we're getting you a full-body helmet."

Matt: [Chuckles, shaking his head] "Deal. Now, what's on the agenda for today?"

Karen: [Reluctantly drops the subject, but the concern doesn't leave her face] "We had a new client come in this morning. The case could be tricky."

Foggy: [gives him the files in Brailie] "His name is John Broaster. He lives in one of the more… cheaper ends of Hell's Kitchen. Four weeks ago, a new landlord showed up, allegedly harassing him and pressing him to sell his apartment, to sell the building to an uknown real-estate dealer. Now he decided to increase the rent by 50 %. The residents of the building refuse to pay and now, the landlord wants to just kick them out."

Matt: [Runs his fingers over the Braille] "John Broaster... Sounds like he's in a tough spot. Has there been any legal action taken against the landlord?"

Karen: [Leaning forward, concern in her voice] "Not yet. Most of the tenants are afraid. They think if they push back, things will get worse".

Matt: [raising his eyebrows] "This case seems… familiar"

Karen: [realizing what he means stands up and nervously putting her hands on her mouth] "No… It can't be… right? He's behind bars!"

Foggy: [walking to Karen to calm her and putting his hands on her shoulder] "Hey, these types of cases happen more often than you think! It doesn't mean that… he's back.

Matt: [still sceptical] "And what if he is?"

Foggy: [looking at Matt in despair] "Not helping Matt! You know what happened!"

Matt: [standing up] "I'm gonna call up a friend of mine. After that I'll see if the pd knows anything about…"

Karen: [calming down and washing her tear away] "Mr. Lincoln"

Matt: [gasps and assuring himself] "Did you say Lincoln?"

Foggy: [looking at Matt confused] "Yeah! You know him?"

Matt: "No, just… a name I've heard before. Don't visit his apartment! it may be dangerous!"

Matt: [leaves the firm and whips out his phone, calling someone] "Peter, I need your help. You free?

Meanwhile, back at Nelson & Murdock, Karen couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The name "Lincoln" gnawed at her, a loose thread begging to be pulled.

Karen: [biting her fingernails] "Foggy, come on, *puts her jacket on* let's visit Mr. Broaster.

Foggy: [rinsing his forehead] "That's literally the only thing Matt told us not to do."

Karen: [nodding] "I know, but I'm going anyway—whether you're with me or not."

Foggy: [nods, understanding her] "Yeah alright. Let's go somewhere dangerous.

As Karen and Foggy look upon the building they want to save, they notice in what state the building is in. Mold covering most of the building, parts of the brick stones, holding the building together, crumbled, forming holes in the structure and the residents, looking through the windows in despair, some of the looking at their letters and bills they need to pay.

Foggy: [changing his voice, to sound sarcastic] "Well, maybe Matt wasn't so wrong after all!"

While entering the building, the smell of marijuana and piss couldn't be ignored. Foggy and Karen start holding their noses shut. Flooding the hallways are junkies, taking various drugs like Fentanyl, weed and first and foremost methamphetamine.

Foggy: [bravely letting go of his nose and opening his arms] "Welcome to Hell's Kitchen, MS. Page! Enjoy your stay—if you survive!"

Karen: [still holding on to her nose for dear life while chuckling] "Alright, enough jokes. *points at the door to the left of them* That's his apartment."

They approach the half-broken door. As they get closer, quiet voices can be heard, tense and hurried. Karen and Foggy look at each other, sharing a moment of peace before entering the lion's pit. Before they could knock, the door opens.

John: [as he's getting kicked out of his own apartment] ", Courtney please just listen to me!

Courtney: [screaming] "No John, I've heard enough of you. JUST LEAVE *shuts the door aggressively in his face*"

Foggy and Karen look at John, his shoes shredded, trousers half-ripped, shirt partially covered in holes, eyes blood-red and his blonde hair infected with fleas.

As John bangs against his door, Karen speaks up.

Karen: [not knowing how to put her thoughts into words] "Ahm… Mr. Broaster!"

John: [mumbling and tumbling around] "What the fuck do you want? Huh? Money? If you're one of them bill collectors, you can suck my- "

Foggy: [interrupting with rush in his voice] "No! We're the lawyers you asked for."

John: [looking at them] "You think you can make a difference, huh? You lawyers always talk about "helping people" but u aint doing shit! The only thing lawyers want is money!"

Foggy: [confused] "You called us, Mr. Broaster."

John: [voice spiking] "YEAH, I DID AND NOW I WANT YOU TO LEAVE!

Foggy: "Mr. Broa-"

Karen: [interrupring Foggy and handing John a card] "I know you don't trust us, but if you change your mind, here's our address and number."

John nods and gives them a look of trust. As Karen and Foggy are about to go through the exit, a man enters the building. At least 6'7 and build like a bodybuilder, very well dressed, face mask covering his face, except for his eyes and mischievous grin, blue skin surrounding his eyes. Karen looked at him in awe. Something felt of about him. She felt something evil.

On the roof of the Bulletin, Matt awaits a certain spider in his red and black devil suit, feeling the cool air brush against his face. The city hums below him, a choir of incoming traffic, footsteps, people talking. He listens to the heartbeat of the city, each one of them telling their own story. From the far distance he can hear webs coming out of someone hands and landing on the bulletin s roof.

Peter: [walking towards Matt going in for a handshake in his red and blue spider suit] "Look who it is, the devil of Hell's kitchen." Peter notices his mistake and quickly takes his hand back. "Oh… yeah… sorry, I just went into…. you know?"

Matt: [chuckles heavily] "Yeah, I know. Trust me!"

Peter: [still ashamed about the handshake] "So, why am I here? What do you need?

Matt: Do you know someone named "Tombstone"

Peter: [shrugging his shoulders] "No, never heard of him! But he sounds like he kicks ass. What's his deal?

Matt: [noticeably disappointed] "He's involved in one of my cases"

Peter: [intrigued] "Well, how involved?"

Matt: [a bit sceptical, but trustful] "We got a new client today, telling us that he and everyone else in his building are getting kicked out of their apartments from their new landlord"

Peter: [sharply exhaling] "Sounds a lot like someone we know!"

Matt: [chuckling] "Yeah, I know. Was my first thought to but the landlords name was "Mr.Lincoln"."

Peter: [confused] "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

Matt: [waving his head] "No, but today, I "saw" someone getting killed in a dark alley. Before the man died he welcomed the murderer as "Mr.Lincoln". After he… killed the man, he said his name was "Tombstone".

Peter: [disappointed from Matt] "Why didn't you stop him?"

Matt: [regretful of his actions] "I couldn't… my unconsciousness didn't let me. It was like I was frozen, put down by the man's presence and for some reason he just whispered, never spoke up.

Peter: [coming closer to Matt, touching his shoulder] "I know how you're feeling right now. You can't blame yourself! Okay?"

Matt not responding.

Peter: [tapping his shoulder] "Come on, say it! It's not my fault"

Matt: [putting on a smile] "Thank you Peter but I'm good."

Peter: [shrugging it off] "You know, I've heard rumours about Fisk being back.

Matt: [Nods, his expression grim] "I know. I've heard. If Fisk is back, it won't be long before he tries to take control of Hell's Kitchen again."

Peter: [Concerned] "And with Tombstone in the mix, that's a dangerous combination. What's the plan?"

Matt: [Sighs, tension clear in his voice] "I need to dig deeper into Tombstone's operations. Find out who's backing him and why. If Fisk is involved, he won't stay in the shadows for long."

Peter: [ready to swing away] "Well, it was nice meeting you again Matt. If you need everything, physically or mentally, I'll always be there for you!

Matt: [smiling and softening his tone] "Bye Peter."

As Peter swings away into the far distance, Matt looks onto his city, hearing and feeling. The buildings, the food, the people and the animals. Matt thinks about Fisk. What he's done to him, al the pain he caused to his peers and Tombstone, who killed a father in broad daylight, without showing remorse

Matt: [whispers to himself, a vow under his breath] "I will protect you with all my might. Fisk or Tombstone can't stop me from my mission. Even if I die."

The wind picks up, carrying his words away as he turns, ready to face whatever comes next.