a spider & the devil

03. johnny law

"What do you mean, they won't let you keep doing chemistry?!"

Peter raised his eyebrows at where he could hear Ned's agitated heartbeat ready to burst out of his cotton t-shirt that smelled faintly like the Italian he had had for lunch yesterday. They were standing outside the administrator's office, Peter having gone there after the chemistry teacher, Mrs. Briggs, had instructed Peter to leave the classroom, alongside future chemistry lab sessions, after he'd knocked a vial to the floor and it had shattered, spilling chemicals everywhere. The chemicals had been odorless, even for him, so he hadn't been able to detect its exact location.

"It's not the chemistry they're stopping me from," Peter muttered under his breath as he heard the administrator make a phone call that was completely unrelated to his predicament. "It's the labs."

Ned made sounds of utter flabbergast. "But don't you need those for your grade?!"

"Mhm." Peter unfolded his cane and took Ned by the elbow, shuffling him in front. "Take me to the library. Please."

"Uh, okay. Why?" Ned's footsteps quickened until Peter's nose picked up the musty smell of the library.

"I'm gonna sue someone," Peter said simply as they slowed to a stop next to the computers. Peter could hear all the parts whizzing and whirring inside them. He knew exactly what each one did, and he felt a twinge of sadness that he couldn't use the school library's as he stooped over and turned one on. Yet another reason to sue; they weren't accessible to him. "Now please look up 'lawyer' or something else relevant."

Ned gaped at him. "S-sue someone?! How are you gonna do that?"

"With your help." Peter tapped his folded cane on top of the computer. "Now start typing, Guy in the Chair. Find the cheapest lawyer out there."

- - -

Neither Peter nor Ned knew the first thing about law. There were a lot of words he hadn't heard before, a lot of info about the ADA he hadn't been aware of, but a few short days later a pair of knuckles was rapping on the apartment door.

The cheapest lawyer close to them also turned out to be blind, which made Peter excited since he hadn't met a single other blind person since the accident. It gave him a bit of hope, too, to learn about a blind guy who had built his own success from scratch.

He scrambled over to the door, socks sliding on the slippery floor he had just mopped. He could smell the man's cheap cologne, but it was a little faint, like it'd been put on the day before, and he was standing perfectly silent with even breathing and heartbeat. Nerves jumping, Peter made sure his hair was flat before throwing the locks open. Even though the other guy was blind, too, he still felt like he needed to put on a good impression.

Instantly, he could tell something was different about this guy. Something seemed off, almost, but that wasn't the right word, because nothing seemed to be wrong. The man's suit jacket rustled as he placed a hand on the doorframe, rubber squeaking in his other hand as he clenched it. Probably his cane, but it wasn't popped out like Peter would have expected it to be.

"Hi, there," the man said in a low, smooth voice. His breath smelled like black coffee behind strong mints. "My name is Matthew Murdock, I'm here to speak with a potential client."

"I'm here," Peter said nervously. "I'm--I'm Peter, I'm the one who was emailing you. Well, technically my friend was the one emailing you, but they were my words."

Matthew Murdock chuckled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Parker. May I come inside?"

"Oh. Yeah." Suddenly realizing that if he wanted to keep up his cover, it probably wasn't a good idea to be here alone with another blind man who would need guidance. He stepped aside and bit his lip. "Uh, my aunt's not home right now, is that okay? I mean, you know I'm blind, too, but I could try to guide you to the table and stuff."

The man hesitated, and Peter heard his heartbeat dip in disappointment. He clicked his tongue softly, giving his head a little shake. "Unfortunately, I'm going to need a parental guardian present since you're under eighteen," he said. "But in the meantime, if you want to look over section 504 of the ADA---"

With a sudden, distant snap that sounded like a gunshot, the man and Peter both froze. It was at least two blocks away. Peter heard sounds of scuffle, and only after a moment of silence did he realize what was 'off' about the lawyer.

He could hear it, too.

"Did you..." The man struggled to find words. "Could you hear that?"

Peter nodded. Then, realizing his mistake, he went to open his mouth to agree, but Matt Murdock seemed to hear that as well.

"So you're like me?" he asked slowly. "How is that possible?"

Peter chewed on his lip. "I..."

"It's okay," he said hurriedly, popping out his cane with a plastic click and taking a few steps back. "You don't have to talk about it."

"But---"

"Swing by Nelson and Murdock's office any time this week, with your aunt." He began walking down the hall, not bothering to raise his voice as he walked away, knowing Peter could hear him just fine. "We like to open up shop early and close late. Butcher's habits, my partner calls it."