Matt Murdock Shorts

How Does it Feel to Know You Can't Go Home - I

You wrestle against your binds even though you know it won't do any good. Peter may have been the one who got that spider bite, but you've both been fighters long before he had superpowers. You had to be, your parents leaving the way they did, doing what you could to help Aunt May and Uncle Ben scrape by. Jobs were scarce and both May and Ben were insistent that you focus on school but the assignments were dull and nothing challenged you. So, you found a hobby. It wasn't a common one, but you're good at it and you don't have any moral qualms with pickpocketing rich people. Or shoplifting from corporations. You always assumed that if you got caught, it would be by Ben and he'd kill you point-blank. Or worse, he'd find the owners and make you return the items and apologize. But that isn't the point here. The point is that you've always had to fight, and now is no different.

At first, you thought Peter was playing a tasteless prank. But here's Peter, in his spider suit, upgraded to have working arachnid legs sprouting from the sides. When did he have time to do that? He has his mask off as he questions you about your activities. That familiar face that has teased you, that's been there with understanding when you were missing your parents, the face you patch up after a bad fight, the one that always looked up to and confided in you is now twisted with something you can only describe as madness. If you weren't seeing it with your own eyes, you wouldn't believe the psychopath before you is your brother.

"Peter, please, I— I would never hurt anyone, you know that. These people can afford it. An inconvenience for them is changing our lives. I have a savings account, we— I was going to get us out on our own when we turned 18, lift that burden off May and Ben."

"I don't care why you did it. You're a criminal, and you have to pay for what you did."

Even the way he moves isn't like Peter. Peter is always jumping around, fidgeting. His body language is always so loud. He speaks with his arms. But right now... whatever's happening, this isn't Peter. Whoever is wearing your brother's face is using the new legs of the spider suit to get around, to keep himself suspended and off the ground. Where he hovers in the middle, he's almost stationary. No, not Peter.

"You know, super strength is a real power trip. Practical too. You won't suffer, I promise it'll be quick."

You redouble your efforts to break free as his hands wrap around your throat, but it's no use. You see him tense up, brace yourself for the blinding pain that will come before darkness. But then, you're gasping as your eyes open, flailing as you get a grip on your surroundings and realize you're in your room. Matt is saying something to your right, the arm he grabbed when you woke in his gentle grasp as he lowers it, but you don't hear him. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest, the veins in your neck pulsing with it, the sound overwhelming as you try to breathe, letting the pit in your stomach shrink.

—0—

Matt wakes to you shifting next to him. It isn't a rare occurrence. Matt's a light sleeper, and you... aren't. Most nights, you wake him up moving your legs— enough that it feels like you're kicking him. He's learned to push you back to your side of the bed and go back to sleep. But tonight, your heart is beating faster than it should be and your breathing is picking up. He hears you mumble something incoherent, then you're struggling again.

"Hey, sweetheart, you're dreaming." Matt reaches out and runs his hand over your shoulder, hoping the sensation will pull you out of the nightmare you're having. It doesn't. If anything, the hard set to your brows deepens. He shakes you this time, and that does the trick, even if you do wake up with a gasp, flailing your arms out as you bolt upright so he has to catch the one en route to his face so you don't hit him. "Hey, it's okay. It's me, you're home."