Church Bells ｡ Matthew Murdock

EPILOGUE

ABOUT A YEAR LATER...
( set after the events of the defenders ) 

Soggy snow had turned brown against the grass and dirt, cold air made its journey through the city that had seen a lot of unbelievable things in the last few years; aliens from the sky, a green man that tore apart Harlem, men and women in masks and lately, the events that followed an earthquake and a city blackout. But for most true New Yorkers, they went along their usual business and stayed strong despite the chaos around them. They were indeed, the true heroes. Look in the mirror and see yourself for what you truly are — you're a New Yorker. You're a hero. 

Despite the hard times that had fallen upon Matthew Murdock; the loss and death of Juliette Allen and Elektra Natchios, the confession about his true nature to Karen Page, the grief that tore him apart with losing Stick, the oddly strange team-up with a bunch of misfits to save New York City and his own near death experience, he still found himself standing lonely in a cemetery talking to a woman that was long gone but still rested in his soul. 

"I thought the idea was crazy to begin with too, but they're a really great bunch. You would probably really love Danny, you both have a lot in common." Matthew's voice seemed tired, the bruising on his face had not faded since his last battle and there was a heavy fatigue in his bones. Even with a broken rib and a few new questionable scars on his body, he would always find himself standing at Juliette Allen's grave when his world grew quiet and he wasn't sure he could move on again. "Jessica asked about you too. She mentioned Ethan loved the homemade fruitcake you delivered to his doorstep after he helped us track down Markus and Kitchen Irish. Both of them didn't realise...they didn't know you died."

His voice dropped off suddenly, pain flaring harshly in his chest. Behind him, a girl was walking towards him, her head bowed against the chilly wind on the air. Her hands were covered in black mittens, her hair covered with a beanie. Matthew did not need to turn around to know who she was; a girl he had saved one night before the mess had showered down on his shoulders. A night the city had been cloaked in darkness and an earthquake had changed everything. A girl with a few of her own secrets up her sleeve with a boy bitten by a spider. Florence Parsons. 

"Mr. Murdock, quite an odd place to meet again." The young girl greeted him, her own voice stiff with tears. Behind her, a party of black cladded people were standing around a different grave, saying goodbye to a friend they had lost recently. She had been drying away her tears when she spotted a very familiar man nursing his own broken heart. Naturally, she couldn't stay away. 

Matthew bowed his head, having already witnessed the funereal by the saddened words about a poor teenager who had lost their life because of a villain that had placed unjust revenge on his shoulders. "I'm sorry for your loss, Florence."

Florence Parsons glanced down at the gravestone sadly. Juliette Margot Allen. Loving daughter, kind friend. Now resides above in the clouds with the Lord and her family. "I'm sorry about your loss too, Matt." The blind man who had saved her life in a dark alleyway months ago had once shared a tiny truth about a woman he had lost. Now, standing in front of her grave, Florence couldn't help but wonder what she was like. "How did she die?"

"She was killed by her father," Matthew answered coldly. 

The teenager sucked in a breath, "Oh, that's...terrible." 

Matthew nodded, "Don't worry, he got what was coming for him. The Devil made sure of that." Although the blind man trusted Florence Parsons, she knew his secret after all, he did not share the truth about Markus O'Harris, that was his own burden to bare. 

The two New Yorkers waited out the cold weather, standing lonely but together by the grave of a woman who watched from above now, loving and protecting the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. His very own Angel. Matthew Murdock had a very familiar crucifix necklace in his fingertips, while Florence Parsons nested her friend's ring in her palm. The unspoken question of how to move on from tragedy hummed in both their minds. That question it seemed, would go unanswered because all great stories are written about heroes with great tragedies. 

THE END

- AUTHOR'S NOTE - 

thank you for following me on this short bittersweet story. the ending had been planned for the very beginning, down to the very same line used in my epigraph with the ending of chapter twenty. not all stories have happy endings, not all good people get a happily ever after. juliette and matty didn't get that colourful hopeful future sadly. maybe that's the beauty of love, it doesn't always last forever. anyway, my timeline maybe off a little bit since this epilogue is set after the defenders but in my defence, I never set this story in any particular time frame within the seasons. I also thought adding in florence parsons was my little gift to you all for hurting you with a sad ending. this scene lowkey will link up with her story later down the track. again, thank you for the support!! 

- tinkertaydust