Adopted by the Devil - Matt Murdock (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 1

Jasper Cole knew the harshness of Hell's Kitchen since he could walk and experience the world. He knew it from the seat of his stroller as his mom pushed him, her smile and positive voice filling the air with kindness every morning when they walked around the park. He liked to remember those days when he didn't have to worry about what the park was really like.

These days, the park was more of a drug meet-up than a playground. The swings were broken, and the chains were rusted and snapped in two. The slide was always wet, either from the rain cloud that constantly covered the Kitchen or from some guy taking a piss at the bottom. Jasper walked the same route every day that took him to school. The same shithole of a school his dad went to and met his mom. He hated that everywhere he went, there was a reminder of them.

Jasper knew his route like the back of his hand, knowing everyone's routine around him as he walked with his headphones on full blast. He trailed behind his little sister who said good morning to everyone she passed. She wore similar headphones, probably blasted to the same volume as his. She knew he was right behind her, he never once left her alone, not until they reached the school. The corner store always opened when he walked by, the open sign lighting up as he passed on the uneven pavement. He swore he could hear the till ring up as he made his way past. The same girls on the corner out from a night out asking for smokes. He found himself always giving them one to share. He strolled down the street, moving through the people that littered them as he got out of the bad parts, and into the upper classes as he climbed the stairs up to the public school doors.

He pulled his headphones off and grabbed his sister by the collar of her jacket. She turned and pulled her own pair of headphones off her head, her beanie staying stuck atop her head. Jasper ruffled her hair a bit and chuckled. "Have a good day Izzie, meet you out here," he insisted, using the nickname he curated years ago. Lizzie giggled and nodded, adjusting her hat before walking off towards her wing of the school.

"Don't get beat up again!" She called behind her as she left. He scoffed, before heading inside the building he liked to call 'Hell'. He moved through the halls, through the crowds of people hurriedly, so he could grab his textbooks. Jasper arrived at his locker, pieces of paper sticking out from the bottom of the door.. He huffed a little too loudly, glares turning to him as the small pieces of paper fell to his feet as he opened his locker. He didn't care for the straight jocks that wanted to hook up with him in the bathroom, just so they could punch him in the face the next period, and he really didn't care for their girlfriends wanting to have a threesome.

Jaspers coming out was not planned. He didn't want the fact that he liked both boys and girls to be a thing, especially in this damned school. He tried; He wanted to bury that part of him until he was able to get out of the shit-hole he was forced to call his home, and out of this crime-ridden city. He never understood why some people wanted to move to New York so badly. It was hell. His coming out was a mistake — a drunk and high mistake. Someone gave him the wrong thing and the next thing he knew, his tongue was down some guy's throat. Jasper never found out who gave what to him that night. Those drugs really blurred his memories from the party.

Jasper reached down and snatched the papers up before he crumpled them up and shoved them into the trash after slamming his locker shut. He pushed through the inner circles forming in the halls before plopping himself in the homeroom. He wished the day could go by quicker.

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Matt Murdock's day started the same as always, waking up to his voice-optimized alarm and pulling himself out of his bed, and starting the coffee. He listened to the street below his studio apartment as he got ready for the day. He tied his tie around his neck after making sure his buttons were together, covering the discolored and healing bruises that lingered on his chest from the nights before. Only the people he kept close to him knew what he did during the night, once the sun went down. He pushed his red glasses up the bridge of his nose and over his eyes, grabbed his cane as he left the apartment, and locked the door behind him.

His walk to his shared office workspace was similar every day. He noticed the same people around him as his cane tapped against the cement of the sidewalk.

Matt walked up the few flights of stairs into the office space, the voice of his coworker Foggy Nelson filling his ears as he walked into the office space.

"Good morning to you too, Foggy." He placed his case down on his desk before collapsing his cane and then pulling off his coat.

"It is a good morning. D'you know why?" Foggy asked, pressing his hand against the door frame. Matt chuckled, leaning against his desk. He always found Foggy amusing.

"And why is that?" He questioned his eyebrow-raising past the frame of his glasses. Foggy chuckled, walking towards his friend.

"Karen got you a lead on those guys you've been checking out. They're gonna make a move tonight." Foggy explained quietly. Matt furrowed his brows, the gears in his brain turning and then clicking into place.

"Looks like I have a busy night, tonight," Matt stated, sighing as he shifted on his feet to lean the backs of his thighs against the edge of his desk.

"Let's do our day job before you go bashing heads." Foggy teased as he placed a few folders on Matt's desk. Matt chuckled a bit and nodded, turning his head towards Foggy. 

"Let's do it."