gotham. Ā a city with one foot in the grave, Ā one finger on the trigger.Ā Ā walking into the precinct invites a choking surge of secondhand smoke to thicken in his mouth,Ā a whole pack of marlboros right down his throat.Ā Ā gothamās finest must be calming their nerves,Ā Ā in this spliced calm before the proverbial storm.Ā Ā nicotine and sweat and the human condition, Ā clotting together to form a despairing city, Ā Ā bent and ribbed like a starving animal. Ā half the city must be snatched up in holding cells right now, Ā and he wonders just how many laws these officers have violated only in the past 48 hours.Ā but,Ā Ā he isnāt here for them.Ā Ā Ā
so, Ā he shakes the officerās hand. Ā he doesnāt flinch at the sticky residue of grime and sweat and oil that cakes it, Ā nor does he mention the snickering rat thatās burrowing a new home in the rotting trashcan at his desk, Ā nor does he ask the man to step back another five feet, Ā even if he is smoking, Ā even if his lunch didnāt agree with him.Ā Ā
OFFICER MONROE, Ā a fourty - something with a blooming lung condition and a raspy accented baritone is his guide. Ā and oh, Ā heās a talker.Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā this whole cityās gone to the fuckinā dogs, Ā i swear. Ā between those riots and the waynesā death and this CLOWN  ⦠what the hellās goinā on ?Ā Ā yāknow,Ā Ā back when i was a kidĀ Ā ā¦Ā Ā Ā ā Ā Ā Ā āā Ā matthew says nothing, Ā but he hmmās at the right moments, Ā and that is enough.Ā Ā Ā
āĀ Ā Ā Ā i mean, Ā look at this place Ā Ā ā Ā Ā uhh, Ā no offense, Ā mr. Ā murdock.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ā Ā
āĀ Ā Ā Ā none taken, Ā officer  ⦠ monroe,Ā was it ?Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ā Ā
āĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā yeah,Ā thatās me. Ā huh. Ā iāll just warn ya now,Ā youāre about to become the MOST HATED man in gotham short of this freak in here,Ā Ā yāknow that right ?Ā Ā Ā Ā ā Ā
āĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā i was well aware of his crimes when i was appointed his case, yes. Ā thank you.Ā Ā Ā ā Ā
the smoke worsens when the silence falls and monroe continues his slow - paced,Ā executionerās walk through the slender,Ā Ā sticky hallway of the police station.Ā Ā deeper,Ā Ā deeper they go,Ā Ā and matthew is not ignorant of the way they canāt quite talk to him rightĀ Ā āĀ Ā somewhere in the middleof loathing and disgust and pity,Ā Ā the way you might talk to a rabid dog taken out back to shoot twice in the back of the head,Ā Ā or a fish about to be butchered into chum.Ā Ā heās the defense attorney,Ā Ā all broken codes and no good,Ā Ā solid sense of justiceĀ Ā āĀ Ā slicker than an eel,Ā Ā and he makes no effort to correct those preconceived notions of theirs.Ā at the door,Ā Ā monroe slaps his palm to the curve of his back,Ā Ā and matthew does not flinch from this,Ā Ā either.
āĀ Ā Ā Ā ah, Ā officer monroe, is he handcuffed?Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā [ ⦠yeah, Ā he is.Ā Ā ]Ā Ā āĀ Ā can we please remove my clientās handcuffs? they wonāt be necessary.Ā Ā Ā [Ā Ā you sure about that, pal?Ā Ā ]Ā Ā yes, iām sure. please leave us the room.Ā Ā Ā Ā ā Ā
āĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā whatever you say,Ā mr. murdock. itās your funeral.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā
ā Ā Ā Ā Ā hello,Ā Ā mr.Ā Ā fleck.Ā Ā may i call you arthur ?Ā Ā Ā my name is matthew murdock. Ā iāll be your court - appointed attorney for all future proceedings.Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā to start, Ā iād like to remind you of your attorney - client privilege. Ā anything you say to me in here will not leave this room.Ā Ā Ā do you have any questions before we begin ?Ā Ā Ā ā Ā
whatĀ Ā aĀ Ā night.Ā Ā aĀ Ā taleĀ Ā forĀ Ā theĀ Ā ages,Ā Ā theĀ Ā nightĀ Ā thatĀ Ā arthurĀ Ā fleckĀ Ā ascendedĀ Ā toĀ Ā godhood.
hisĀ Ā mouthĀ Ā wasĀ Ā staleĀ Ā andĀ Ā crustyĀ Ā withĀ Ā dried,Ā Ā clottedĀ Ā blood.Ā Ā whenĀ Ā heĀ Ā smiled,Ā Ā hisĀ Ā faceĀ Ā cracked.Ā Ā heĀ Ā giggledĀ Ā toĀ Ā himself,Ā Ā andĀ Ā whenĀ Ā theĀ Ā madnessĀ Ā ofĀ Ā realityĀ Ā rearedĀ Ā itsĀ Ā stupid,Ā Ā bloatedĀ Ā headĀ Ā andĀ Ā blewĀ Ā raspberriesĀ Ā intoĀ Ā theĀ Ā howlingĀ Ā burningĀ Ā night,Ā Ā heĀ Ā laughedĀ Ā atĀ Ā that,Ā Ā too.
heĀ Ā slickedĀ Ā hisĀ Ā tongueĀ Ā overĀ Ā hisĀ Ā bloodstainedĀ Ā teeth,Ā Ā justĀ Ā toĀ Ā seeĀ Ā whatĀ Ā itĀ Ā tastedĀ Ā likeĀ Ā āĀ Ā itĀ Ā wasĀ Ā onlyĀ Ā rightĀ Ā thatĀ Ā theĀ Ā fruitsĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā laborsĀ Ā beĀ Ā tasted.
heĀ Ā drewĀ Ā circlesĀ Ā withĀ Ā hisĀ Ā fingersĀ Ā intoĀ Ā theĀ Ā palmĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā hand Ā āĀ Ā aĀ Ā godāsĀ Ā hand.Ā Ā thereĀ Ā wasĀ Ā littleĀ Ā elseĀ Ā heĀ Ā couldĀ Ā do,Ā Ā inĀ Ā theseĀ Ā stainlessĀ Ā steelĀ Ā shackles.Ā Ā butĀ Ā theĀ Ā worriedĀ Ā murmursĀ Ā tidedĀ Ā himĀ Ā overĀ Ā āĀ Ā hisĀ Ā deafenedĀ Ā nameĀ Ā dullyĀ Ā throbbingĀ Ā throughĀ Ā theĀ Ā precinct.
theĀ Ā nightĀ Ā wasĀ Ā likeĀ Ā aĀ Ā featherĀ Ā inĀ Ā hisĀ Ā throat,Ā Ā ticklingĀ Ā atĀ Ā theĀ Ā topĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā trachea.Ā Ā heĀ Ā startedĀ Ā withĀ Ā aĀ Ā giggle,Ā Ā andĀ Ā thenĀ Ā aĀ Ā louderĀ Ā giggle.Ā Ā anĀ Ā evenĀ Ā louderĀ Ā oneĀ Ā afterĀ Ā that.
whenĀ Ā theĀ Ā doorĀ Ā opened,Ā Ā heĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā move.Ā Ā whenĀ Ā theĀ Ā officerĀ Ā āĀ Ā whoseĀ Ā nameĀ Ā hadĀ Ā long-sinceĀ Ā passedĀ Ā hisĀ Ā mindĀ Ā āĀ Ā removedĀ Ā hisĀ Ā bonds,Ā Ā heĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā move,Ā Ā either.Ā Ā heĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā evenĀ Ā moveĀ Ā whenĀ Ā theĀ Ā attorneyĀ Ā addressedĀ Ā him,Ā Ā orĀ Ā rather,Ā Ā addressedĀ Ā theĀ Ā nameĀ Ā ofĀ Ā theĀ Ā huskĀ Ā heĀ Ā usedĀ Ā toĀ Ā be.
fleckĀ Ā didnātĀ Ā knowĀ Ā howĀ Ā longĀ Ā hadĀ Ā passedĀ Ā beforeĀ Ā heĀ Ā lookedĀ Ā matthewĀ Ā murdockĀ Ā deadĀ Ā inĀ Ā the ā¦Ā Ā tintedĀ Ā glasses,Ā Ā andĀ Ā withĀ Ā hisĀ Ā greasepaintedĀ Ā eyes,Ā Ā blinked,
heĀ Ā simpered,Ā Ā cockingĀ Ā hisĀ Ā head,Ā Ā andĀ Ā baringĀ Ā hisĀ Ā bloodiedĀ Ā teethĀ Ā likeĀ Ā fangs.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā š¹š¾šŗš“š
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ā¦Ā Ā š²ššĀ Ā šøĀ Ā ššššĀ Ā šĀ Ā ššššššššš ?