Sentinel x Daredevil ficlet for International Fanworks Day!
This is a short ficlet to celebrate International Fanworks Day 2017 (Feb 15). Ao3 prompted to write a short fic that has some of your favorite characters being fannish about some of your other favorite characters: a perfect opportunity for Blair Sandburg to geek out over Matt Murdock being a Sentinel! :D
=== Getting Back on Track
Matt was in his office trying to occupy his mind with the details of a pro bono eviction case when he heard a couple coming up the stairs: two men, both middle-aged but fit.
“Don’t go all Neanderthal this time, Jim, I’m begging you here.”
“You wound me, Chief. By now don’t you think I’m secure in who I am?”
“Sure -- but old habits die hard.”
“Then you better make sure you keep it in your pants, and wipe that drool off your chin.”
“Jim! Come on, man, this is purely professional.”
The door to the suite swung open and the two men came in.
Matt felt a creeping sensation he could only describe as hackles rising from the top of his head all down his spine. He rose to his feet but couldn’t bring himself to offer his hand to the men.
“Hey, there. You’re Matt Murdock?” the shorter man asked.
The taller man was staring at him.
The shorter one seemed so familiar somehow.
“Yes, and you are?” Matt asked.
“I’m sorry, my name is Blair Sandburg. This is my partner, Jim Ellison.”
“How can I help you?” Matt asked. They were from out of town -- maybe the Pacific coast? And they were definitely a couple. Maybe they somehow thought they needed legal assistance to get hitched in the Big Apple?
“The question is, how can we help you!” the shorter guy, Sandburg, said, bouncing on his toes.
“Excuse me?” Matt said. He leaned forward a little, bracing his hands far apart on his desk -- a position of strength in case the men were thinking of taking advantage of the blind man.
“Ha, ha, this never gets any easier,” Sandburg muttered nervously.
“Spit it out, Chief,” Ellison said. He stood like a pillar, looming over the shoulder of his partner -- not overtly hostile, but certainly a potential threat.
“We saw that vid -- the one that went viral, you taking down the cops,” Sandburg said. “Before the, ah, horns.”
“Armor,” Ellison said. “Smart. I like the horns, very eye-catching.”
“I’m not sure what you mean?” Matt said, keeping cool. “I don’t watch a lot of videos…” he said, waving at his glasses.
Sandburg leaned in and whispered dramatically, “You’re the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen!’”
Matt frowned. “Um, no?” But their hearts were steady. They thought they had him.
“Blair, the point….” Ellison nudged.
“Of course! Thanks, Jim, we flew all the way to New York City from Cascade, Washington, and I’m going to forget to get to the point. The point is, Matt Murdock, you’re a Sentinel.”
Matt shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t know what that is… and I’m certainly not Daredevil. Unless you’re looking for legal services, I won’t be of much help to you.”
“That’s what I’m saying, man! We’re here to help you!” Sandburg was irrepressible.
“I don’t think… “ Matt began.
“Blair, maybe cut to the chase,” Ellison suggested.
Sandburg heaved a sigh. “Okay, first of all, your fighting style is a dead giveaway. A man whose eyes are obscured behind a black mask may not be blind -- but you have three-hundred-sixty degree awareness. You can ‘see’ behind, above, and beneath you as well as straight ahead. And, you tilt your head in a way that suggests echo-location.”
“The feet,” Ellison prompted.
“Yes! Most MMA fighters are light on their feet-- but you take every opportunity to plant both feet firmly. Jim does the same thing -- to feel the vibrations through the surface you’re standing on.”
Matt felt his mouth drop open in shock. He’d never told anyone about his feet -- not Foggy, not Elektra, not even Stick.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Blair said. “Just, you know, we wanted to welcome you and your Guide to the club. Give you some pointers. Warn you about rogue Sentinels. That sort of thing.”
“Rogue Sentinels?” Matt asked.
“Sentinels --like you and Jim -- have extremely heightened senses, along with a strong instinctive urge to protect and defend your chosen territory. Rogues-- they don’t settle down into a territory, and they can go pretty far off the rails, especially without a Guide.”
“What’s a Guide?” Matt asked, trying not to think too hard about going off the rails.
“Sidekick,” Ellison coughed, and even though facial expressions were not his strong point, Matt could see Ellison’s bright grin clearly.
“The sensory input can be a lot to handle,” Sandburg said, with exaggerated patience, “so the Guide helps the Sentinel stay focused. The Guide greatly improves the Sentinel’s quality of life, wouldn’t you agree, Jim.”
“Absolutely,” Jim said, sincerity dripping from his voice.
“So,” Blair said. “Maybe we have a few beers, maybe trade a few tales about fighting crime with heightened senses, hm?”
Matt held still for a moment, searching out the two strangers. Neither gave any hint of duplicity. They smelled like each other. They’d shared a number of meals. They stood within each other’s intimate radius. Ellison’s big hands seemed to gravitate toward Blair’s shoulders. And strangest of all, so naturally that Matt hadn’t even noticed, their hearts beat calmly in tandem.
“I maybe could tell a tale or two,” Matt said slowly. “But I need to call someone first. Please don’t listen in.”
“Sure,” Ellison said, and Blair nodded.
“Make yourselves comfortable -- I’ll only be a moment.”
Matt walked down into the street, into the chilly air of early spring. The wind blew moist with fresh promise. “Call Foggy,” Matt told his phone, hoping it was never too late to get back on track.
===
The actors who play Jim and Blair are now 58 and 47 respectively-- Blair is two years younger than me and Jim is ten years older. Richard Burgi is getting plenty of work -- he was recently a serial killer on General Hospital! Garrett Maggart is married and had a kid in 2015. :) Weird facts that never cease to amaze: Garrett Maggart is what I refer to as a "racehorse" -- that is, his parents were both entertainers. So it's no surprise that his half sister is Fiona Apple, who incidentally looks just like him. I also adore the vocal stylings of another Maggart sibling, Maude Maggart. Here is a fantastic duet featuring Fiona and Maude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaFS6ql6Vo
:D What I recently found out is that Richard Burgi is also something of a racehorse! His parents were musicians, and his brother, Chuck Burgi, is a drummer for Billy Joel!! You can now purchase the full four season set of The Sentinel in a nice boxed set for about $45. I recently did so, and that show holds up a lot better than I remember--- if you can tolerate the compulsory heterosexuality of the two leads. :P There is a great meta series about the Sentinel on Ao3 by Zelempa. http://archiveofourown.org/works/763602/chapters/1429696
I have a lot more head canon about rogue Sentinels especially as pertains to Jim's runaway mom, Matt's runaway mom, Elektra, Stick, and the Chaste. Let me know if you are interested!!