5522/Tournament/Black Sky: A Yelling, Island Edition

Tournament/Black Sky: A Yelling, Island Edition
Date of Scene:	09 October 2018
Location:	Kairos, Greece
Synopsis:	Claire and Matt have a therapeutic discussion about Matt's place in Elektra's plans.
Cast of Characters:	Daredevil, Claire Temple
Tinyplot:	Tourney
Tinyplot2:	Black Sky

---

Daredevil has posed:
The beach was quiet, that's why Matt sought it out, gave him a chance to think, okay, fine, brood, but the point was, it was a place he could be by himself and try and get his thoughts together. It wasn't working particularly well, he'd been there an hour and all he'd managed to accomplish was get sand in his costume. He shifts his seat then sighing stands. It was pointless. More time wasn't going to change a thing.

Thinking of checking on Claire, he starts back towards the villa.

Claire Temple has posed:
Claire, for her part, is parked under the villa's extended eaves, sitting on a low wall with her back against a pillar. She watches the waves dash on some rocks and sighs, crossing her arms and looking intently at the folds of her sleeve for some minutes. "Trust these two nut jobs to ruin an island trip," she mutters under her breath. "Damn it," she hisses as she stretches her legs out and off the wall's surface with some force. "All this friggin' kabuki ninja bullshit..."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt doesn't have to search for a heartbeat to find Claire, the muttering shows him the way. He approaches slowly, not really looking forward to this exchange but not wanting to draw it out either. There was too much to dread already in his life, he didn't need to add to it.

"Guessing the fun in the sun isn't doing it for you?" he observes dryly by way of saying hello. The dry wit comes with no smile though and no feeling. "If it helps it'll all be over soon." The sentence is literally loaded to bursting with double meaning.

Claire Temple has posed:
"All, huh?" Claire replies, not giving Matt much time to clarify or to head to higher and dryer ground. "Clearly the life expectancy around here sucks." She peers at Matt with narrow eyes. "You're not...?"

Daredevil has posed:
"Let's not joke about life expectancy," Matt says sharply. "Not now." Then he parses what she was alluding to but didn't finish. "What? No. I'm not-" he says before he gives the question some thought. "What's going to happen, it will destroy me, I don't know what I'll do, but not that, I'm still Catholic, still a Murdock, we don't give up."

He takes a piece of wall next to Claire and holds it up with his back, "I just meant, that Elektra, and what my being with her has done to our lives, that will be over. Figured you'd be happy about that much. Hasn't that been your point, she was trouble?" he says head turning her way, before adding bitterly, 'Well, trouble solved."

Claire Temple has posed:
Claire snorts with little humor. "Trouble never solved, and you know better," she shoots back, turning to look at Matt before turning back to watch the waves again. "You brood like you breathe," she says. "This just means all the dramatic bullshit you two had going all this time going for your super amazing ninja destinies is going to be cooped up in one of you instead of two.

"Got enough room for that, Murdock?" she asks, returning Matt's sharpness. "You don't end things cleanly, even when you don't get a choice either way. This? This is a mess."

Daredevil has posed:
The problem wasn't solved, not at all, he'd said what he'd said out of bitterness, but he knew that while the Hand might be hurt by what would happen, he would bear scars too, perhaps ones that'd never fully heal, which in turn would make their own problems.

He lets out a disgusted grunt slamming his fist flat against the wall. "Then what am I supposed to about it?" he demands. "Everything I do seems to just make things worse. More than that, what's going to happen hasn't even happened yet, and I've got the next group of ninjas lining up to take their place," he says. "So, yeah, you're right, trouble never solved, but I'm in it now, and whether I have room to carry it all doesn't matter, I still have to fight, because who the hell else is going to do it?"

Claire Temple has posed:
"Name me one thing," Claire replies slowly and deliberately, "Just one, that you've gotten yourself into, that you haven't managed to make worse somehow, some way, by asking who else was going to do it -- ninja bullshit especially," she drops in with a dry voice. "She's made her choices and gone a hell of a long way to make sure they stick, and now you're sitting here driving yourself crazy trying to figure out how you're going to fight the whole damn thing. Admit it."

Claire turns around and dangles her feet down the wall, her back to the incoming sea breeze. "And where the hell do you get off thinking you're going to swoop in and save some day you don't even know needs saving, just so you can give your hero complex a bumper crop of warm fuzzies?" She braces her arms on either side of herself while she leans forward in emphasis.

Daredevil has posed:
"There's nothing to admit," Matt says, avoiding the original question, knowing he didn't have an answer. "That's the plan. She does what she does and we do what we can to build on that, bring them down," he says. The plan had more to it than that, but he wasn't going to explain it here.

"And the day needs saving, Claire, like I said, and I am one of the people who is going to do it, not because it serves some need," he says with disgust, "But because it needs to be done, these people," the Hand. "They don't get to get away with this. Just like the Foot doesn't get Hell's Kitchen," he says voice raising. "What am I supposed to do? Sit back and just let them win?"

Claire Temple has posed:
"That is one hell of a plan, right there," Claire drawls, rolling her eyes. "I don't think the plan's changed too much since I've seen you two in cahoots for ninja games," she says. "The plan never changes. And whatever difference it's supposed to make gets swallowed up by more and more fighting and... oh, wait, let me count it up... blood. You're a hell of a donor, Murdock.

"And what the hell is it you're expecting them to win here?" she asks, shrugging her shoulders. "If Elektra's set up her dominoes the way she wants, what do you expect running the sacrifice play to do for everyone back home? You trying for a longer obituary?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matt's jaw sets beneath the mask. "The plan is that we remove a weapon from the Hand's arsenal. A big one, then follow up with some other moves I can't get into right now," the vigilante grits out. It was a calous way to put it, removing a weapon from the Hand's arsenal, but it was all he could manage here. "Claire, the fight, the blood, all of it, it's almost over."

At least for now.

"And I am not going to do anything to get in the way of what Elektra's doing," he admits quietly, crossing himself. "God help me I want to but there's no other way, no other way that doesn't bring the Hand down on all of us until they get what they want from her. So, rather than fight that fight, and let all of you get hurt on her behalf she's taking herself off the board, for us. I know some appreciation of that fact is too much to ask, but you should be able to see that this at least pulls us from the line of fire, lets you, me, Foggy and Karen go back to something like a normal life again."

It made him sick to think of the cost of that life, he had no clue how he was supposed to live it.

"So, if you see her before it happens, say thanks, /she'll/ be the reaon we won't be looking over our shoulders waiting for the next batch of ninja to come out of the woodwork."

Claire Temple has posed:
Claire coughs. "In case it's escaped your notice, knowing someone in your line of work means that there's no "out of the line of fire" for known relations like me," she says. "Not sure what I'd be thanking her for, because you know what? Fucking dipshit ninja mobs don't just check their dance cards, see that Elektra's not in the neighborhood, and move on. They don't stop. Crime doesn't stop. Violence..." she takes a deep breath, "does not stop. So you're not looking over your shoulder on the ride home, and that's terrific, but that doesn't mean your ninja buddies haven't left you a fruit basket on your kitchen counter while you were away.

"This shit doesn't end, Matt. Whatever moves you can't get into until I have to reassemble your ass, it's all going to tumble back into more ninjas and fighting and bullshit when you get to New York. There's no question."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt shakes his head, "The Hand was only after us to use as leverage against her, once what happens happens, they won't need that leverage, it'll be done Claire. This thing with the Hand, it'll be done."

The key words were 'this thing', he knew he'd be going after them through Genus and through Stick, but he hoped that would put enough distance between his world and theirs to buy a little peace.

"And what do you want me to do Claire? Hang up the mask? Go back to a normal life and just ignore all the pain I hear every night?" he shakes his head. "I can't, just like you couldn't let some guy in a dumpster bleed out when you knew what sort of trouble he'd bring to your life."

Claire Temple has posed:
"Oh, I didn't know," Claire says, her voice flat, her eyes half-lidded. "I promisee you I didn't know. That dumpster is the just the Giving Tree of New York, I will tell you," she goes on. "You want to get back to your classical acrobatics and routine death defying once you get home? Sure, absolutely. There'll be a gurney with a dedication plate on the front of it, just for you. Have at it.

I have to stuff your insides back in because you decided to get extra heroic on your trip to Greece? So help me, you'll eternally prefer the ninjas."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt tilts his head considering Claire's words. They were fair enough, but still managed to hurt. "You could always walk away, you know?" he offers. "Daredevil stops visiting your clinic, the 'giving' stops."

He knew she'd just said she was fine with their arrangement, but given all that happened, he thought it was worth saying.

"And I'm not going to do anything overly heroic here, far from it, I am just going to sit on my ass and let someone I care about-" he can't finish the sentence. "You know what I am here to do. I promised Elektra I wasn't going to get involved, and I'm not, I'm just here to say goodbye."

Claire Temple has posed:
"I know you're here to get upset," Claire says, nodding at Matt. "That's a given. For all you're not getting involved, you're horrible about letting anything happen. Ask me how I know," she says, her voice dry.

"And you're swearing that this goodbye of yours is going to be peaceful, but for fuck's sake, Matt. I know better. And so do you. So how do you plan on keeping yourself from getting into the action? You know it's coming. You know you're bad at staying away from it. *I* know you're bad at staying away from it.

So exactly how do you plan on walking away?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matt blinks behind the lenses of his suit. Claire had a point. When everything was theoretical he could tell himself that he'd stay away and keep his word. In practice...

He wanted to believe he could honour Elektra's sacrifice by keeping his word, but, Claire was right, the precedent didn't support that.

"I don't know how it is going to happen," he admits. "Honestly, I've been afraid to ask, but I'll give you that you're probably not wrong, given half the chance, part of me is going to want to do something, to stop this."

His head drops, "I can't say I really have a plan. I know the smart play is to walk away now, I've got no fights left, no reason to stay, but at the same time, I can't leave Elektra alone to face this. I owe her that."

Claire Temple has posed:
"And there we go," Claire says, clapping her hands softly and looking heavenward. "Every time you say you can't do something? Given enough time and concern, you manage to get around your can'ts. Matt, this isn't some philosophical exercise. You get yourself into Elektra's spotlight while she's doing her best to get gone? You're toast.

"I can't make it any plainer than that," she says. "You go face this with her, and you're not going to do anything but make a name for yourself for how you died. Intervening here isn't heroic. You don't get to tell me you're not going to do it, but you can't leave Elektra alone to her fate. You're planning a last-second rescue as we speak.

"It's not going to help. You have to understand that."

Daredevil has posed:
"I am hoping for a last second reprieve, I don't have a plan to seek one Claire," Matt explains quietly, one hand against the wall and leaning.

"What do you want from me? A promise I won't interfere, I won't die with her, I've already given that to Elektra. I am not looking to die here, and Elektra, she's planned this out, odds are whatever she's got figured out has taken all of this-" he gestures encompassing himself and all of his desire to be heroic. "Into account."

He sags visibly, scanning his surroundings for any sign of interlopers or the tell tale buzz of electronics. Finding none, he pulls the cowl off the costume, blinking and rubbing at his eyes, not because of any change in his vision but in the sudden freedom from the costume. Once he's done he turns those eyes towards Claire, unfocused though they were they were expressive, saying with their tiredness, the way Matt's emotions pulled at the edges of them. "I need you to know I do understand," he says his voice pitched low. "Nothing I do is going to help. Hell part of me is proud of Elektra for doing what she's doing, for finding a way to rob the Hand of everything they were trying to do with her, but a part of me is always going to want to fight it, to find some way to change the outcome. You're worried that part will get me killed," he lets out a sigh. "I am too, so help me Claire, help me do the right thing here and save Elektra's sacrifice."

Claire Temple has posed:
Claire pinches the bridge of her nose between her fingers and takes a few deep breaths while the other hand rubs against the knee of her jeans. She stops and laces her fingers together with a sigh, giving Matt a long look before she speaks. "Saint Matthew," she says at some length and with a pause, "Sacrifices... don't get saved, else they mean nothing. She's made her choice. You need to step back."

The tone isn't harsh, and for the moment, she's done with any fulminating rants. "You won't be harmed if you're out of the line of fire. You just need to forgive yourself for putting yourself there... willingly, for once." She cocks her head. "That doesn't splice too well with a martyrdom complex."

Daredevil has posed:
"You're misunderstanding me, Claire," Matt explains lifting his hand from the wall. "Or maybe I mispoke, either way, I want to let her do this, I know it's the right thing to do, that's what I mean by saving her sacrifice. I don't want to fuck it up."

Maybe she did understand what he'd meant. "That part you're right about, I am not sure I can forgive myself for letting this happen. Even knowing it's the right thing, I still-" he can't quite make himself say it. "I know it makes me a hypocrite, because if given the chance to stop the Hand like she's doin, I'd take it in a heartbeat, but, it feels wrong for me to let someone else do it."

He tilts his head, "So you may be right about the martyr complex too, just not sure there's a damn thing I can do about it."

Claire Temple has posed:
"Yeah, that's the thing about martyr complexes. They're usually a lot bigger than anyone who has one," she notes. "Look, unless you plan on being on 24/7 call swinging up and down the street in your armor, you're going to have to let someone else do some defending when given the opportunity. That's physics. That's math. That's reality. And you do know that.

Claire stands up and crosses her arms as she regards Matt. "The damn thing you can do is willfully, purposely do nothing. You don't get to pick "actively easy" on this one. Back off, Matt."

Daredevil has posed:
Another time and Matt might have made a joke about not knowing for sure unless he tried. Tonight though he only nods slightly. "I know," he says. "And I try, but-" he begins and then stops himself. "I'll try and lean on the others more. If they're free." That last caveat was something of a massive loophole with Luke either out of town or busy in Harlem, Jess having cases to deal with, Danny having Rand Enterprises...

Though Matt does add, "There are a couple of others willing to help too. An old teacher of mine and a new guy with a story crazier than Danny's."

Claire's advice is taken in and this time he does offer a wry joke. "Might be easier just to drug me," he says and almost means it. "But yeah, I hear you, stay out of it."

Claire Temple has posed:
"That's the long and short of it," Claire replies with a shrug. "Sometimes that's the best thing we can do. No one much cares whether we like it or not." She gestures toward the pathway away from the water. "For now, rest. Everything will become clearer, but for now, let the pieces keep moving the way Elektra has them set to move. It's not yours to change."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt pulls his cowl back on, grimacing slightly as it rubs against his skin. Melvin worked miracles but the suit wasn't meant to be worn for days.

"Yeah? But how do we pick the times to let it go and the times to fight?" he asks, before she urges him towards the path. "A topic for another time, this time I know which way to go with it."

He'd let it be, deal with the pain later. It was the right thing to do, even if he'd hate himself for it.

"Thank you, Claire. I know you really didn't want to come here, but I am glad you did."

Claire Temple has posed:
"You're quite welcome," Claire replies simply after a few moments' length. "Come on. I'm formally prescribing rest and food, Murdock. Enough. Put away the suit for a little while and let everything be."

She huffs a small laugh. "Consult with Mother Mary if you need to. Pull away bit by bit, however you're comfortable, but Matt... Let it be. Seriously.

"Come on."

Daredevil has posed:
"Sure," Matt says about the rest and food, but to the suit. "The suit stays, can't have people seeing who I am." While on the island, he even slept with it on.

He nods to the rest, offering a smile in place of a laugh. "Fine," he says with patience, before nodding more seriously. "And I'll leave it be."

Then at Claire's urging he joins her on the trail back to the villa.