45/Of All the Lawfirms in all the Towns of the World...

Of All the Lawfirms in all the Towns of the World...
Date of Scene:	20 February 2020
Location:	Nelson and Murdock (New York City)
Synopsis:	Elektra comes to Matt for help. It goes about as well as you'd think.
Cast of Characters:	Matthew Murdock, Elektra Natchios

---

Matthew Murdock has posed:
The Tully case was coming to a head and Matt had gotten into the habit of heading home for a nap in the evening, then hitting the office for a bit more work before he headed out to hit the streets for his 'other job'. So, as night is falling on Hell's Kitchen, Matt makes his way up the stairs to the second floor and his firm holding a coffee and a bag from Nelson's Deli, fighting back a yawn, thinking it would only, hopefully be a few more weeks before they hand Armand Tully a loss and protect the Kitchen Arms from being another high-priced condo building leaving it's current tenants with few options but the streets.

"C'mon, Matty," he tells himself, echoing his father. "Get to work."

Reaching the door, he unlocks, it, food and cane under one arm, coffee in his free hand. When the lock clicks open he nudges it open heading for Karen's desk to drop off his food before putting the keys away...

Elektra Natchios has posed:
What a ride.

Getting to Hell's Kitchen was all but conventional, but here she was after a ride through the city when her attempt to get into Roxxon went haywire. But such is life. At least she had a good driver to get her here. And right where she wanted to be. 'Nelson and Murdock'. That brings back memories of older times.

Getting inside wasn't too hard, through one of those windows that offers a delightful view out to Hell's Kitchen but Matt may very well detect that the window wasn't fully closed, just the faintest draft coming from it. Other than that there are traces of a blood scent still in the air. Washed blood? Whatever it is seems to have been cleaned up. And it seems mingled with light traces of orchids. A perfume? Not many that would use such.

Elektra is sitting on the waiting couch when the door opens, wearing a dark-red dress, expensive italian shoes and a suitcase on the floor near her.

After all these years there's still one thing that is just like before. The way she says. "Hello, Matthew."

Matthew Murdock has posed:
That voice. It makes the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He freezes for a heartbeat, enough time to confirm for Elektra he'd not sensed her presence, before turning, arms crossing over his chest, "Elektra," he says in a breathy and slightly disaproving tone.

This was not what he had in mind for tonight.

Where as Elektra was (quite possibly literally) dressed to kill, Matt was severely underdressed for the occasion, in a pair of sweats and an old Columbia sweatshirt. Ten years on Matt was still very much Matt, and judging by the little scrapes on his nuckles and the bruise healing on his chin, he hadn't given up on what Stick had taught him all those years ago.

Brows arch above the red hued lenses of his shades, "Why are you here?"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Oh, don't give me that disapproving tone, Matthew. Here I was hoping for a warm welcome when I am back in New York." Elektra runs one hand through her hair, flicking it over to the other side, the curve of her lips turned up into an half-smirk, her eyes studying him for a time in silence. Scrapes on knuckles, on the chin. How interesting. Perhaps just what she needed.

And just what she had in mind for tonight too. At least for the moment she seems one step ahead.

But no matter how much confidence she may exude it would seem that the bathroom was used not long ago, the scent of blood coming stronger from there. Did she kill someone in there?! No, a lot less blood. Perhaps her own. She breathes slowly, in a controlled manner, pauses between each sentence. "Would you believe if I told you I missed you?"

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt's arms remained crossed his head tilting, "Well that's a bit optimistic, given how we left things," he remarks of the chances of a warm welcome from him.

He doesn't move when he smells the blood, he can sense it here as well as he could through walking the handful of steps to the bathroom, though where his attention's at shows in the concern on his face, followed by a frown, one that comes even as he's determined she hadn't murdered anyone in his bathroom.

Her question, gets a 'heh' noise from Matt, followed by a difinitive, "No."

He waits for her to get to her point.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"You -have- grown smarter with the years." Elektra notes, the soft rustle of her dress moving while she brings one leg up to cross over the other, elbow then resting on the back of the couch and she resting the side of her head against the hand. She continues her assessment of the man she hasn't seen in so many years. And such a controlled heartbeat. Does she even feel anything anymore?

"Even if not faster. Are Stick's teachings rubbing off of you?" She notes of the man's bruises. But it also seems to show that perhaps she isn't exactly aware that he is Daredevil.

"I am here to request the services of Nelson and Murdock, of course."

Matthew Murdock has posed:
For his part Matt settles more firmly on the desk, a sign that he doesn't think she'll attack him or he'd have kept more weight on his feet, as if a physical attack was what he had to worry about. Elektra was more one for going for his heart and his soul.

For someone else, they might not read the curiosity and caution in his features but Elektra can, that caution being as much aimed at himself as it is her.

"I've been using them," Matt admits, there was no point lying to her. "Though for my end not his war."

That last bit gets a wry laugh from Matt and he jerks his head at the bathroom. "Seems like you need a doctor more than a lawyer, besides I think Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz is more your speed. They're less picky about their client's body count."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
With the years Elektra certainly has learned all the ways there are to hurt someone. Even if with Matthew she focused on the heart. But people can change after so many years yet not tonight apparently. There is no aggressive shift to her stance when she notes that relaxed posture. In fact it appears like she does something similar, relaxing, a mirror perhaps. Did she really expect Matt could attack her? In the end maybe it's just those instincts that are hard to drop. Always be on your guard. Everyone is out to get you.

"And you called me the selfish one. How things change." Elektra murmurs quietly. "Yet here in your law firm you fight everyone else's wars." but then there is that effort of stopping herself before continuing to pick up at old wounds that never truly healed. On both ends.

"You continue as sharp as before though, but it was just a lucky shot. I will live, to the chagrin of many I am sure." but speaking of it does remind her of the pain, making her teeth grit and taking a pause on what she is saying. She lets out a slow exhale.

"I didn't hurt anyone tonight that didn't deserve it. And I can pay. Or wouldn't you like a nice boost on this place's finances?" She asks.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt notices the mirroring but doesn't remark on it beyond a wry little smile and letting his senses shift to take in the extent of Elektra's wounds. Yes, he's concerned even if he doesn't want to be.

"It's selfish to fight for people who can't fight for themselves?" Matt asks ever the lawyer, poking holes.

Matt grimaces as he feels the words forming, but he says them anyway. "Well no chagrin here, Elektra," he says of her living. His feelings about her may be complicated but he didn't wish her dead, but then Matt never wished anyone dead.

"You okay? I can help if you need a hand with some stiches," he says almost by instinct, someone was hurt so he helped no matter of the complications that might cause. As for the buisness matter. "Depends on the case, and what it has to do with the people who deserved to get hurt tonight," he takes off his glasses, the day-to-day mask he wore, the one without the horns, a subconcious switch between Matt Murdock the lawyer, to just Matt. Not many got to see that switch. "Elektra, what's going on?" he asks simply and earnestly.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Everyone can fight for themselves. They just don't have the grit for it. They don't embrace everything they can be." Ever the Elektra, whenever some connection begins to be found she finds a way to rip and tear at it. But the catch on her breath, the way her breathing alters means she most likely regretted saying that the moment she did. But words can't be taken back. And she never apologizes. "I am not here to fight." she finding a concession midway.

Some silence follows, then a faint smile when there's the mention of he not wanting her dead. "You may be one of the few then." and she seems to believe him fully because there is a clear lowering of her defenses and she reaches up with one hand to hold over her side.

"Roxxon company. You know my father had shares in it, correct? Turns out they have been in bed with a certain criminal organization, one I have been looking into. After tonight I imagine they will be working hard to take my position away and maybe even sue." Even if she notices that shift to just Matt, the earnest Matt, Elektra is still the same, having long since embraced her darker side. It is clear by her tone that she is not saying everything.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt grinds his teeth, Elektra's argument harkens back to things Stick had said about getting revenge for his father, that Matt's father was weak if he needed a kid to fight his battles for him. The irony was not lost on Matt that Stick had been training him to fight his battles at the time.

Though when the ceasefire is called Matt's jaw loosens and his mind returns to the present. He sets his shades with a click onto his desk and nods as Elektra tells her story.

"Seems like they're skipping firing and suing and going right to shooting," he says coming over from the desk to the couch, standing above her. "What did you take from them?" he asks nodding at the briefcase she had sitting on his floor.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
And while one of them refused to do that descent to their darker side, to become a warrior in a silent war the other embraced it fully. But her anger was ever too easy to manipulate and shape. Stick always knew how to work them. Just not to the one that got away.

Elektra sits up on the couch a bit when Matt approaches, reaching up to take the briefcase to her lap. She flips it open. "Papers that show a connection between Roxxon and the import of certain relics out of China. Have you ever heard of Black Sky?" she asks. Not that she mentions what organization is behind it, as if she was dancing around the subject itself. But nothing is ever easy with Elektra.

But with the case open there is another very, very faint sound that comes to the surface, a 'beep'? Inside the briefcase. Something electronic most likely. Not that Elektra seems to notice it at all.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Stick definitely knew how to work schemes and push buttons so much so that Matt had no clue Elektra had been his student.

"My old teachers dropped in a couple of years ago talking about that stuff, but he was short on the details, he skipped town and so did the Yakuza he was chasing."

But not before their leader Nobu had put Matt through the wringer before catching on fire and Matt assumed dying. "What is it..." he begins to ask before his senses zero in on the beeping from the briefcase. "Shit, Elektra, there's a tracker..." he goes quiet focusing, extending his senses to their limits to try and sense any unwanted guests. As he does he says, "We need to get that out of here, now. They've probably followed you this far, but I want to be out of the office if we have to take them on."

He keeps searching.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
That does perk Elektra's interest. Stick is aware of this? But then again she hasn't talked with the old geezer for a while now. "Then maybe we should go over this info during dinn-" but there goes her dinner invitation when there is the mention of a tracker. Her frown deepens and she immediately digs at the side of the suitcase's fabric, hand sliding within in search. She finds the nasty little culprit even as she begins to get up to her feet.

The beep dies when she crushes it between forefinger and thumb. But already there are sounds outside. SUVs stopping not too far from the building. Not that trackers are very reliable besides offering a general position of where someone might be so they may not be fully aware that they are at Nelson and Murdock's.

Yet just as the tracker is crushed Matt can hear someone cursing not too far from the building. "Lost track. Spread out. They want her alive, but dead suits just as fine if there's no other choice." Then steps starting to spread around the block.

Elektra says to Matt. "Let's go." briefcase is closed. She is ready, but then again she always is.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt chided himself for the little bit of excitement he felt at the dinner invite before the tracker put a quick end to that idea.

Hearing the voices outside, he says, "They're here, they're spreading out to surround the building, we need to get to the roof, it's the best way out of here."

Matt says it on the move as he pulls his senses back in as he ducks into his office for an old gym bag then grabs his food and coffee before joining Elektra out the door. "So they think you were the only one here," he explains about taking the food.

Then he's off leading the way to the stairs up to the roof, two floors up.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
To the roof? Well then, count her surprised. Clearly he wasn't joking when he said he had been keeping up with Stick's training. Elektra has always been amazed on how he could do without sight, and on how he had trusted her with that secret, that he could be so much more.

While Matt is getting his things she is already by the door, opening it. "For once I will be getting out through the door." nothing like some humor in a tense situation.

But then she is following after Matt. Stairs. Deadly to someone with a grazing shot wound. It means her breathing is more labored and the pain seems to pull at her to stop and just rest. But she trudges on, unwilling to stop.

Emerging out the rooftop they are greeted by the chill winds of a cold February day. She looks around, but seems to follow Matthew now, one hand on her briefcase and the other occasionally moving up to her side.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
There's a snort for her quip about leaving through the door and a bit of a smile, nothing like a bit of adrenaline to make bygones be bygones.

If she thinks his choice of the roof is impressive, Elektra hasn't seen anything yet. He ditches the food in a trash can in the stair well then starts pulling things out of the bag and pulling them on while they move, gloves, a black mask that wholly covered his eyes but left his mouth exposed. The rest of what's in the bag? That waits until they hit the roof, pulling on a black shirt with padding sewn in and a pair of cargo pants on over his sweats before finishing his ensamble with a pair of fighting sticks that he fits in a custom pocket on the bag before ditching the bag.

Anticipating something of a reaction to the get up he says, "You should see my other one," he say meaning the red suit that was sitting uselessly in his apartment right now. He kept this one handy for emergencies like this one. "And I really need to figure out one that goes under my clothes," he says like he's been thinking of that for a bit. "And yeah, I'm Daredevil." All so casual.

His attention snaps to her wound though, "You good to run? Or do we need to make a stand here?" he asks her as matter-of-factly as he could manage.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra is curious now. This is something she hadn't anticipated. A suit? She thought that perhaps he had found some a let to his anger, but that he was one of the Defenders? Well, well, well. The possibilities start going through her mind. "The devil of hell's kitchen... You have a flair for the dramatic, Matthew." yes, she has heard the nickname. And no the tone shows she is not impressed. Nope. Maybe she will be more when she sees the other suit. Definitely.

But one hand reaches up to brush through her hair and then she leans down, stepping out of her shoes. She sighs. "These cost me a fortune..." but she throws them to the side the same way Matthew tossed away the dinner.

"I can make a run for it." she says. Not that she'd ever admit she couldn't. But she actually feels she will be able to do so. It's just a few hops through some buildings afterall.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt makes a face, "I didn't pick the name," he says in his own defense, though as mantels to carry it's not a bad one to his mind.

There's a wry smile about the shoes, "Well if it makes you feel better these guys are ripping apart my office right now looking for the files," a beat. "But the shoes are probably more expensive."

He tilts his head a little before saying, "Good, because a couple of them are heading up the stairs, fast," he turns and starts heading for the edge of the building, "Two more down below," he calls back in a whisper, before leaping through the air and landing on the far side with a quick roll back up to his feet.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"In retrospect, I should had recognized that behind in the Daredevil photos..." Yes, adrenaline does make things a lot better where it comes to Elektra and Matthew. But then again, they have always reveled in violence and not so much in the slower moments. Where they actually have time to think on what they really are.

"Well, as I told you. Money isn't a problem right now. Let's focus in staying alive." A glance over her shoulder when Daredevil mentions there are men coming up the stairs. A sharp nod. She is all business now, the deadly assassin. She runs, barefeet across the rooftop and then jumps. Graceful as it should, then a roll. Followed by a gasp of pain and a stagger. But she gestures. "Lets continue." the door on the rooftop opens up, the two men beginning to pour out, looking for Elektra.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
He snorts, "What gives it away?" he asks her with humour in his voice. Yes, they're much better when they don't have time to think.

"Works for me," he says before breaking into his run for the other building. When they're both on the other side, one of the two men spots them. "Over there!" he shouts and takes aim across the roof tops. He's no marksman at this range, the bullet flies wide but they're seen.

The second one opens up, and Matt ushers Elektra on, "Go," he says before following behind her, putting himself between her and the bullets as they run. "Take a left after the roof, there's a building under construction that way, easier" bang, a shot flies past. "Way down to the street."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra can't help but frown when Daredevil puts himself behind herself and the shots, damn heroes. That's why she vouched never to be one. People have to be crazy to take a shot for someone else. But there is perhaps something inside her that warms up. At least -someone- cares, no matter how much they harm them in return. She ducks out of the way of further shots and then moves ahead. The left is taken, and then she is running towards the building still under construction. There is still scaffolding in place. Thank the heavens for Hell's Kitchen eternal building renewals. She jumps...

... and catches on to the scaffolding with her arms. A grunt and then she pulls herself up, slipping over. But it's just a little while further to the street.

She runs down it, feet reaching the street. "Did ..., we ..., lose them..?" she is breathing heavily now, her side dripping blood to the floor. A glance up and down the street. No goons visible so far. But for how long?

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt cares. He cares about a lot of people, but Elektra had a spot ahead of almost all of them if he was honest with himself.

When she jumps he jumps, catching the scaffold and swinging down to the street below, his booted feet landing softly. The smell of blood is stronger now, distracting, which is why he misses the SUV coming their way until it rounds the corner, there's only one goon driving right now, but he bears down on them pressing his foot down hard on the gas.

Matt's directly in his path but Elektra is just a bit off to the side where side window is thinner than the windscreen. He draws one of his fighting sticks and tosses it to her trusting she'd know just where to throw it to take this guy out of the fight before the rest of the goons caught up.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
All seems clear--- Or maybe not. The blood is distracting to her as well. Or the loss of it. Senses dulled perhaps, but this Elektra. She won't be defeated by some goon. She straightens when the goon is wheeling down their way. Towards Matt in this case. Should she care as much as she is right now?

She takes the stick with her free hand in a smooth motion and takes a small jump back, just to angle herself. A pause, it needs to be just right...

And then she tosses it. Smashing through the side of the window to find the goon on the temple and make the SUV wheel without control.

"Stop putting yourself in front of bullets and cars." Elektra hisses through gritted teeth.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
With nobody concious at the wheel the SUV plows right into the construction work until it finds concrete where it crunches to a stop. Matt pauses for a moment listening for the driver's heartbeat, he finds it, it's steady, doesn't seem too badly hurt, but definitely out for the count. Good enough.

"Sorry, you were you saying something?" Matt says of her hissed rebuke as if he hadn't heard every word of it. "C'mon, we're almost out of this," he says nodding down the street to where he could sense his building waiting. "You don't look like you're up to much more tonight."

He leads the way, senses scanning for any more goons coming up on them.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Smartass. Heard that one?" Is Elektra's following rebuke. She doesn't seem to give a damn about the driver though. In fact she is probably wishing she had used one of the knives she has hidden about her. Not as much breaking power for the window though. A pity. But she won't lose time going over to finish the job. They need to get out of there.

"You should know by now how much stamina I can have." She follows after Daredevil, her brows knit together and she also scanning for danger. Quite the pair, one dressed as a vigilante and the other a bare-feet woman on a red dress.

But they don't seem to have many more goons on their tail now. There was the SUV driver that was taken out, the two up on the building that are still trying to come down and the other two that had ran down another side street. The way does seem clear now.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt grins despite the danger, "Yeah, I heard that one," he says as he leads the way as the very odd couple heading down the streets of Hell's Kitchen.

"No comment," he says about the stamina remark making his way down the street towards his building. It was getting late but he could hear people awake even down the block, so when they reach the building he leads them down the alley and with a little jump grabs the ladder and drags it down to them.

"Sorry, can't risk the elevator with us looking like this, but it's only six stories and like you said you've got the stamina," he says before leading the way upwards.

Once they reach the roof he leads her to the roof access from his apartment throwing open the door and leading the way inside. His appartment is laid out below them lit in the garrish neon glow of the sign across the street, throwing the spartan furnishings and minimal decor in harsh relief.

"A little bigger than the dorm room I shared with Foggy but it's home," he says leading the way downstairs.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"You are such a gentleman." This said when Matthew mentions it's 'only' six stories up. On an emergency ladder. Oh joy. But she is a tough one. She will manage. Elektra makes the climb with only a few pauses to rest against the side of the building. But no complaining out of her. When they go in she places one hand against the wall, panting hard and fast but eventually begins to follow downstairs.

She pads quietly across the floor now, barely a sound to her feet. In fact if it wasn't for Matt's heightened hearing she wouldn't be heard at all. She looks around slowly. "Just a touch bigger. And at least it doesn't smell of Foggy." yes, maybe she still remembers. Damn dorm rooms. They were so young though.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt smiles as he pulls off the mask, "He's discovered deodrant and that there's more food groups besides anchovy pizza," he informs of Foggy's progress, "He was even dating someone when were interning at Landman and Zack." Big news, when most of his time in college was spent taking classes to get next to cute girls.

Yeah, they were young.

Matt tosses the mask on the couch then heads into the bathroom for the big EMT bag he stowed under the sink, "Make yourself at home, I'll be right out," he says. "There's beer in the fridge, stronger on the shelf above it."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Beer. Elektra normally wouldn't stoop so low as to go for beer. But this is an emergency, and she needs some alcohol. She will leave the stronger stuff for later, she needs her wits about. Padding over to the kitchen she says. "Sounds like he was better off than us, uh?" the clink of a beer cap being popped open is heard, followed by the chugging of it by Elektra. Followed by an exhale.

"Think I burst it open with all this action."

Then she makes her way back to the living room. She walks to the couch, looking at the mask and sitting next to it. "The infamous Daredevil. You caused quite the stir when you appeared. Where was I at the time when I saw it on the news? Russia? Japan? mmmm, can't recall.."

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt returns carrying the heavy reflective yellow bag by its straps, and sets it down by the couch. "You could certainly make that argument," he says of their influence on Foggy, before smiling at her chugging the beer like that. "Really slumming it tonight, huh?"

Then he sets down the kit and bekons her over to the couch. "Smells like it from all the blood," he agrees. "Thankfully a friend of mine got me a good kit, mostly for patching me up, but I still rememeber what to do from stitching up my dad."

There's a wry smile at the mention of his other name, "Yeah, that's me. Hope I can trust you to keep that to yourself," he says trusting that she would but he wanted to make sure it was out there. "And yeah? Was that the bombings or during the incident?" he asks. The first time he'd been accused of blowing various drug stashes and tenements in Hell's Kitchen, the second time he'd been fighting Frost Giants and Dark Elves in the same flimsy get up he'd worn tonight. "Didn't know I was /that/ infamous," he says with a shake of his head as if he was amused by the thought of Matt Murdock celebrity. "Should I ask what you were doing over in Japan or Russia?" he didn't know about the Hand stuff, but even the Elektra he knew in college had a way of finding trouble. Case in point tonight.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"I am going back to my roots. Beers after midnight. Out with blind men that are more than they seem to be. You know...." Though while the words Elektra speaks are flippant and quippy the breathing underneath is nothing like it, showing her tiredness and close she is to exhaustion. Not that she will ever admit to such. She settles down on the couch.

"Cross my heart and hope to die.." This in response when he asks her to keep it a secret. She is a veritable girl scout. Really! "The first instance. You caused quite the stirs as I said...." her eyes are slightly closed now. "They got close to sending me..." she perhaps shouldn't had said that last part. But she seems more off now than on.

"Well, one or the other I was rectifying trouble." again, why does she find it so hard to say what she has been up to? She turns about to 'show' the graze, a stray bullet that went close but mostly just tore off flesh. Of course that with all the motion it's bleeding almost freely now.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
There's a genuine laugh about her going back to her roots, "Guess we should steal a car and break into a place to make it feel authentic," he says referencing some of their very first encounters.

Matt takes her at her word about his identity, there were many things he might not trust her word on but that wasn't one of them.

He steps closer to examine the wound, though he does so with his hand not his eyes, determining with a touch that it was indeed just a flesh wound with no broken bones or bullet fragments hidden underneath all the blood.

"Clean wound," he remarks, as he moves to the kit at his side, getting out the things he'll need to sitch her back up. "So who's this they?" he asks as he yanks off his fighting gloves and replaces them with thin rubber surgical gloves.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Didn't we decide you'd never get into a car with me driving again after one of those?" Elektra muses in thought. It has been a while but she remembers a few things still. Or maybe most of it.

There is an hiss and then a grit of her teeth. Elektra then stirs at the touch on her side. Many wouldn't notice but there is almost a lashing out at it, as if she was programmed to lash out at physical pain. But then she calms herself down to let Matthew handle the wound. She still breathes hard and fast but she slowly slides to her side to give him space to work.

"The Hand." But then she goes silent, clamping up and walling off. But her gaze is still resting up on him, watching in scrutiny.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
"Yeah, a couple of times I think, but I kept getting back into them with you anyhow," Matt says with a smile at the memory of it. "God we were dumb back then.'

"Easy," he says at the hiss, "I'll get this done quick," he says as he begins to sew things shut. He works smothly despite by feel, fingers playing their part without much conscious thought needed. He may have done this a time or two more than when his father was alive.

The Hand, gets a reaction though, "Wait you were working for the Hand?" he asks expression caught between a frown and surprise. He'd heard of them, knew they had something to do with Stick's mission to New York a couple of years ago, but he wasnt sure they were really, real until now.

"What happened?"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Mmm, bad habits die hard. I should know." Elektra murmurs. But there's a brief smile that curls on her features as well, however brief lived as it is. With him she can allow some from time to time. It's not as if he can see them or.., well, he does have that uncanny way of sensing everything. That does live her pondering for a moment but then it's sewing time.

Teeth are heard gritting together but there is no further sound of complaint or pain at it. Used to being sewed up perhaps. Though eventually her breathing does start to slow and she is more relaxed. Or at least until the conversation stirs towards the Hand.

Some silence follows before she finally speaks up, "I have worked with them in the past." vague again, but then she inquires back, "What do you know about them?"

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt couldn't see the curving of someone's lips with his senses, but he could tell when someone was smiling, it came across in a dozen subtle cues of a lifting mood, so short lived as Elektra's smile is, Matt senses it and smiles a little more himself marveling at how easy it was to fall back into old rhythms with Elektra.. "Heh, yeah, bad habits," he says as he continues his work.

It doesn't take long for him to yank the old stitches, clean the wound and sew it all back up again as he applys a bandage over it all to protect his hand work he says, "You worked with them?" he says but finds he can't summon surprise at that. "Just heard they were some sort of mystical ninja cult with their fingers in all sorts criminal pies. They were backing the Yakuza here in New York a couple of years ago, one of them, a guy named Nobu, he definitely left his mark," instinctually Matt touches his side where he still bore those marks,. "But he's dead now. What can you tell me about them? And what sort of trouble are you in?"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Suspicious. Maybe he can indeed sense those smiles. Elektra will have to be more careful certainly. But for now it is fine. It was indeed easy to go back to being in sync, only needing some violence to crop up. Seems to be their thing apparently. She busies her gaze by watching him work over her side, replying, "I was never someone to stay idle and live the boring rich girl's life. You know that." of course that going from there to joining a ninja cult is a big, big leap. She is such an overachiever...

"And yes, your assessment of them is correct. They are connected to more than you imagine. But they having been here is ..., interesting." It makes her wonder too. Was that information kept from her? Clearly so. But before she has time to think of anything further she hears that name. Nobu. There is a clearly uncomfortable shift. "You met Nobu. Did you make sure he -was- dead?" she asks, propping herself up on an elbow. And of course, she continues to delay talking about her troubles.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
"Or do things in half-measures apparently," Matt remarks wryly. "Most people work their way up from bored rich girl to member of a mystical ninja cult, but guessing you jumped in with both feet." It's oddly not a criticism, he sounds almost impressed.

The bandage is set in place. "You should be all good, I cleaned up the area as much as I could but that's one thing I can't be sure of when I can't see it. Might be worth taking a shower later," he reports.

As he puts away the first aid gear, Matt's listens his brain taking notes like it would during a cross-examination, which brings a smile to his face again, no wonder he did so well at that mock trial in his later years of law school, a year of trying to get the truth out of Elektra had made him an expert. This time there's no pointed follow-up questions, just a frown and a shake of his head as the topic turns to Nobu. "You knew him?" he asks. "And sure? No, but when I left him he was on fire and the people with him didn't seem to be rushing to put him out."

Oddly that whole night pulled at his conscience, yes Nobu was clearly into some shady things and needed to be stopped, but to burn to death? He made a face, even as he told himself there was nothing he could have done, to stay, while to try and save Nobu while other enemies were still standing it would have been the end of him. Still he felt guilty.

Such was the life of Matt Murdock.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Of course that she doesn't mention all the work with the Chaste, or even that it was the plan all along. Ah, well. Always so many secrets with her. Elektra slowly begins to sit up when the bandage is all done, and set. "It does look good. And I am not leaking anymore, what more can a girl ask for?" Using both hands she gets herself seated more properly on the sofa before allowing another faint smile to reach her lips, one of wordless thanks. She and actually saying 'thank you' doesn't go well together.

"I knew him." Elektra admits, no point in denying it. "Nobu, the thrice-lived. There was a legend surrounding him, that he was a man that had lived three lifetimes already." and since they are talking about mystical ninja cults she does say it quite the seriousness. She has seen her fair share of mysticism in her years with the Hand.

Yet there is some surprise that crops up to her expression. "I thought you were against killing. Wasn't that the whole reason of why we went different paths?" Nothing like some renewed poking at their past, and stir some guilt at Nobu's death. Not that she actually thinks him dead but ...

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt was fluent in Elektra's non-verbal cues and takes the smile for the thank you it is as he zips up the EMT bag and rises to put it back under the sink. He was as in college the anti-Foggy, a consumate neat freak.

He delays his trip to put the bag away though when they start talking 'thrice-lived'. He blinks, "What?" he begins ready to question how that was even possible but then they were a world where he'd fought ice giants, that men flew and lifted airplanes, so how hard was it to believe in a man that can't be killed. Or maybe it was all just a story, fodder to keep the fires of the cultists devotion burning. "Well guess we're going to assume he's not dead then..."

As for Matt killing him. "I didn't save him, but I didn't kill him, some fuel spilled, and a light exploded and he burned, that was it," he says a bit defensively as Elektra expertly touches a nerve. Eager for a subject change and having recognized they've been off track for awhile now, he mentions, "You still haven't told me what your trouble with them was."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
While Matthew goes to put the EMT bag away Elektra takes a few moments to settle her breathing, hands brushing over her hair and holding it over to her side and front before letting go. One of those old habits for when she was feeling nervous. Gaining time. Not many that would know about it. "And you told me was here working on some drug business? Was that it?" not particularly convinced, but something to explore. Later.

For now she focuses on diverting the conversation away from the earlier topic. "You can't save everyone, Matthew." did she note the defensive tone? Most likely. And those words seem to have a deeper meaning. Maybe she was talking about herself. Yet when he goes back to what she had been aiming to avoid she can't help but grin in a mix of surprise and being impressed. "You have turned into quite the lawyer. Here I was thinking my misdirection was working."

A sigh and then she says, "Different views in some matters. Suffice to say that we do not see eye to eye anymore." Technically true, but not the whole truth. "Would you believe they do not think of me as trustworthy enough? But with good reason, I have been following their connections with Roxxon and those papers I retrieved mean there is a connection. One they did not want me to know about."

Matthew Murdock has posed:
"Drugs were part of it, he was working with a syndicate run by a man calling himself the Kingpin," Matt calls from the bathroom. He returns, missing the little cues of Elektra's nervousness. "What his part was is a bit unclear to me. We took down a lot of the low-level guys but the Kingpin got away."

"I can try," Matt replies tersely and with the same amount of double meaning.

He nods as Elektra finally explains what's going on and he nods, "So now that you have the link, what are you going to do with it?"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Kingpin, uh? Talk about being pretentious..." Elektra murmurs.. But is she really unaware of the Kingpin? Most likely not. The man isn't exactly one of those low level thugs anymore. Another angle to follow. She seems to be getting quite a lot of information tonight, even with the unfortunate side-effect of having to share so much too.

"Or die trying. Should I go over again on how dumb it is to get in front of cars and bullets?" Elektra's tone starts rising a bit but then she catches herself. Starting to get snappy isn't a good way to handle this. She lets the issue go and focuses on that last question.

"Clearly I will have to stay in the city for a while longer, follow Nobu's steps and see what I can dig out. Maybe have a chat with this Kingpin too." she says it all very casually but then asks. "Have you decided to represent me?"

Matthew Murdock has posed:
"He does seem that way, doesn't he?" Matt says of the Kingpin. He doesn't doubt that Elektra's heard of him before now he casts a long shadow.



"If I have to," Matt says of dying in the attempt to save someone, in this case her, "You brought this fight to my door, you don't get to judge how I fight it."

This was an old habit too, the fights, the sort that can only happen when two stubborn people refuse to bend.

There's a nod for Elektra staying in town before he answers about representing her, "Yeah," he says. "Foggy's going to kill me but yeah, I'll represent you, but if the cops come knocking on my door about a murder charge, then you're going to have to find different counsel. Deal?" Was he asking her not to kill or just not get caught? It was hard to say.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra Natchios bites back a snarky reply to what she believes is a ridiculous way of thinking. Selflessness, it makes no sense. Means people get to walk all over you. But that's an old topic and she doesn't go there. Instead there is a surprised cant of her head to the side. She was expecting he would send her on her way. Or was she? It does revive old feelings that she hoped were dead and buried. Damn these white knights.

"No cops will come knocking at your door." Such a neutral tone. Does she mean she will kill those cops before they get here? Maybe not, but she doesn't expect to be caught if things go south.

Elektra lets out an exhale she wasn't aware she had been holding. He really will be helping her. The smile now stays on her face when she says, "It is a deal." she brings her hand up for a shake.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
It's a very old fight, the value of selflessness, and for once Matt is glad they don't go there, letting it pass for now. As for helping her? He couldn't really help himself, besides, he told himself, if the Hand were back he'd need allies... because /that/ was why he said yes. Right.

He shakes her hand. "Good," he says. "We can work out the details during business hours, for now though, good to make it to wherever you're staying or should I make up the bed for you?" he'd give her the couch if he could but the garish light from the billboard sort of made it hard for anyone but him to sleep out in the living room.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Bed already? And you haven't even bought me dinner yet." Yes, she can tease when she wants to but then Elektra begins to get up to her feet. "I can make my way to my place. After 3am noone asks about bare feet women asking for a taxi." Though in reality it seems more she not exactly being ready to spending a night in Matthew's place just yet. She needs some time to cool down. To figure out what exactly is going on with her.

Slowly she gets up to her full height, "I will call you." she announces. Not that she leaves just yet, looking at Matthew.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt is a little relieved that Elektra's not staying, but given she was injured he didn't see any other choice but to offer, damn white knights indeed.

"Sure," Matt says about the taxi. "And it's not like you really have to worry about getting mugged." A lame joke but that's just a sign of the awkwardness that's building now that it's just them in the room without a mission or an argument to take their mind off of other things.

"Good," Matt says about her calling. "And watch out for yourself, from what I've seen these Hand guys don't like to give up."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Oh, they can certainly be tenacious." Elektra says with that first hand knowledge of someone that knows so much about them. There is just the faintest hesitations from her, a fraction that normal senses wouldn't catch on but Matthew might. But then she is fleeting away, padding across the floor in that quiet, silent manner of hers. Hand on the door handle. A brief look over her shoulder.

"Look at that, using the door for the second time tonight." And then she opens it and walks away, out into the night.