Bloody Hell - Daredevil Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Headphones and a Blender

Rush hour in the city. Everyone is so loud; each person wants to be louder than the surrounding hustle and bustle in an attempt to be heard. Vehicles bleat at each other as their drivers thump the steering wheel, gesticulating wildly out of their car windows. Some plodded along the pavement, shifting their feet and lolling their heads in a drunken sway; others strode along with great purpose, clutching shiny leather briefcases in their hands. Then there are the lunatics who think it's hilarious to leap in front of others and screech in their faces, like in a high school.
"Holy shit!" Karen whined as a passer-by bolted in front of her, raised their hands and shook them, whilst screeching something indecipherable in her face. Swiftly, she grabbed Matt's forearm before shooting a scowl at the "dickhead!" Matt's mouth grew into a smirk. He didn't jump, like Karen did, but did grow tense for a moment, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes in irritation.

"How did that not get you?" She glanced at Matt who was clearly restraining himself from laughing.

"It's happened to me enough times to know when someone's going to do it. And, plus, he did it to another person further up the street just now", he said.

It hadn't been long since Karen had been properly informed about everything which revolved around her friend. The scene in the office, then in Matt's apartment, replayed in her mind on fast forward every time she looked at him now. She found it difficult to conceal all her curiosities, and sometimes found Matt perking up as she inhaled to ask a question. As a result of Matt's abilities, Karen often found herself paying close attention to her own heartbeat, feeling how is pounded nervously around him sometimes, and how her breathing did change when she wanted to say something. It bugged her sometimes, too, that she felt awkward asking him so many questions; Karen was like a young child who'd met a blind person for the very first time: wanting to know everything, understand, and imagine vividly what he felt.

Karen inhaled – and sure enough, Matt's head turned slightly towards her – and asked, "does all this ever get too much?" She gestured the air.

"Occasionally". Matt said shortly. He wondered whether to add to his answer, then continued; "imagine everywhere you go you have your headphones on, and for the sake of this metaphor, your music is stuck at maximum volume and the same song, one you're not so fond of, is stuck on repeat. Now, if that wasn't annoying enough, when you walk through the streets you get a free sample of, well everything; everyone's deodorant, the washing detergent they've used to wash their clothes; you catch the scents of different toothpastes and mouthwashes, mints and chewing gum from people's breath; and then there are the less pleasing smells like cigarette smoke and car fumes. Not to mention, you can taste these smells in the air too, and most of them are chemical based, so you can guess how they taste. It's like being the blade in a blender: all the ingredients go in; you start spinning and everything collides and mixes into one big mess. Sometimes, too many ingredients go in and the pressure builds up until the contents leaks out".
Karen's eyes remained averted while he explained, and her fingers fiddled with one another. Once he finished, she pulled her sleeves over her hands and asked, "can't you take the headphones off? Ever? Or pull the plug on the blender?"

"Not really, no. I suppose, the headphones are glued to your ears and the blender just never stops", he said lowly before a loud silence forced itself between them for a brief moment.

"Sorry", Matt and Karen mumbled simultaneously.

"No, don't worry about it. You have every right to be curious and ask questions, Karen".

"If I asked everything, I thought we'd probably be here a while", she said.

"Well, better get started then", he smiled.