New York - Hell's Kitchen: Tuesday Evening
Matt stood on the roof of his father's apartment building, listening and "watching" as the snow fell. From here he could hear the noises and chatter of the denizens of Hell's Kitchen as they made their way through the city. He could hear the pigeons flapping from one rooftop to another as they searched for scraps of food. Down below in the apartment he could hear his father, Jack Murdock celebrating his son's accomplishment for being admitted to a fancy prep school with a full scholarship.
"You've done good, Matty!" his father had declared. "You're going places and out of this dump. I'm proud of you son."
Matt would have felt better accepting the praise if he had actually deserved it. No, his academic record had nothing to do with him going to this new school. It had more to do with the man who just silently landed on the roof behind him.
"Hey, kid. I hear you're going places," Stick said gruffly as he made his way to stand next to Matt.
"Which you had something to do with," Matt replied in a slightly accusatory tone.
"Yeah? Well, I thought you'd be grateful," Stick replied. "Isn't that what your father wants for you? To get out of this hellhole and make something of yourself?"
"My academic career wasn't something you ever worried about before," Matt replied. "Why this place? Why now?"
"Because I said so, kid," he replied with quick smack to Matt's head. "I've told you before that there's two sides to you. I'm hoping that giant brain of yours might learn something so that emotional part of you doesn't tear you apart. Or anyone else for that matter."
Matt frowned. It wasn't the first time Stick had yelled at him for his "emotional" nature. Matt still didn't grasp why it was so important. "What about my training?"
"You'll continue to do it. And I'll know if you aren't," Stick replied sharply. "For now work on your own. Alone. Keep up the blind kid act and tell no one of your abilities. Or at least don't tell anyone who doesn't know them already."
"What are you talking about?" Matt protested. "I haven't told anyone."
"You'll find out soon enough. Now shut up and quit stalling. It's time for your workout," Stick growled and with a few bounds was off leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Matt sighed and leaped after him, using the wind in his face, the sounds of the city and using all his senses to know exactly where the next rooftop was and where to run and jump after that.
There would be time for packing and goodbyes later. For now there was work to do.
"You've done good, Matty!" his father had declared. "You're going places and out of this dump. I'm proud of you son."
Matt would have felt better accepting the praise if he had actually deserved it. No, his academic record had nothing to do with him going to this new school. It had more to do with the man who just silently landed on the roof behind him.
"Hey, kid. I hear you're going places," Stick said gruffly as he made his way to stand next to Matt.
"Which you had something to do with," Matt replied in a slightly accusatory tone.
"Yeah? Well, I thought you'd be grateful," Stick replied. "Isn't that what your father wants for you? To get out of this hellhole and make something of yourself?"
"My academic career wasn't something you ever worried about before," Matt replied. "Why this place? Why now?"
"Because I said so, kid," he replied with quick smack to Matt's head. "I've told you before that there's two sides to you. I'm hoping that giant brain of yours might learn something so that emotional part of you doesn't tear you apart. Or anyone else for that matter."
Matt frowned. It wasn't the first time Stick had yelled at him for his "emotional" nature. Matt still didn't grasp why it was so important. "What about my training?"
"You'll continue to do it. And I'll know if you aren't," Stick replied sharply. "For now work on your own. Alone. Keep up the blind kid act and tell no one of your abilities. Or at least don't tell anyone who doesn't know them already."
"What are you talking about?" Matt protested. "I haven't told anyone."
"You'll find out soon enough. Now shut up and quit stalling. It's time for your workout," Stick growled and with a few bounds was off leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Matt sighed and leaped after him, using the wind in his face, the sounds of the city and using all his senses to know exactly where the next rooftop was and where to run and jump after that.
There would be time for packing and goodbyes later. For now there was work to do.