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IN A PERFECT WORLD, THINGS WOULD BE NORMAL. Matt would've still met Cassie and Foggy in college, and they'd still end up being best friends, but after that, things would be so different. At least they would've been, in Matt's mind anyway.
If there was no Devil, and he was just a normal man who started his own law firm with one of his best friends, Matt could only imagine what his life would look like. If there was no Devil, and he could go back in time, he'd confess his feelings for Cassie as soon as he realized them.
And if Elektra still somehow came into the picture, he'd push her away.
They'd lead a happy life, one with no danger, no sneaking around and having a new bruise somewhere else every day. Cassie would still go on to work at the same art gallery while Matt ran Nelson and Murdock with Foggy, and then at the end of their days, they'd come home to the same apartment. And as Matt would lay in bed while Cassie slept next to him, he'd constantly think of how lucky he is.
He'd think about how this beautiful, caring, smart, perfect woman, loved him, and he loved her.
Eventually Cassie would leave the art gallery, and open up her own. Matt would end up giving a big speech at the grand opening, and he'd gush about how proud he was of her. How he knew she was going to achieve her dream the very first day they met. He'd joke about how he may be blind, but even he could see how incredible she was. And again, he'd talk about how lucky he was that he got to witness first-hand, all of her greatness.
As she ran her gallery, and he and Foggy grew their firm and took on new clients, they'd still maintain that something special that they always had. Things would grow more serious, and Matt imagined that someday he'd propose, in this perfect alternate life.
He didn't know how he'd do it, but he wanted it to be a grand gesture. He wanted Cassie to see how much he loved her, and how he couldn't wait to spend the rest of their lives together.
Once in college, when he and Foggy had been discussing past relationships, Matt casually asked about Cassie. Foggy let it slip that she'd only ever been in one relationship, and it had ended pretty bad. But that ever since she was a young girl, she dreamed of a big fairytale wedding. In a perfect life, Matt knew that he'd give that to her if he had the chance.
But, this wasn't that perfect world. The Devil was very much real, and Matt still remembered every word about his conversation with Cassie.
Do you think we would be good together?
I— I think so, yeah. But not right at this moment.
Why not?
Matt, you're my best friend, and one of the best people that I know. But you've got a lot going on right now, and it's clear you don't want to share that, at least not with me. I don't think it's fair to either of us to start something when you can't even fully be honest with me.
He can't even be surprised that she figured out he was hiding something. The fact that he couldn't see what he looked like meant that even Foggy probably noticed countless injuries that he meant to keep hidden.
It nearly broke him, hearing her say that it was clear he didn't want to share what was going on with her. She was the first person he wanted to talk to whenever anything happened, good or bad. And he desperately wanted to tell her. That desperation felt like it was growing every day. But he knew he couldn't. If he told her, if he fully let her in to every part of his life, and something happened to her because of it, he'd never forgive himself.
Matt wasn't stupid. With all that he'd been doing to piss off the Russians, he knew it was only a matter of time before he had to face the consequences of his actions.
Because they've known each other for years, Matt predicted how he thinks Cassie would react. She'd probably be angry, and hurt, that he lied for so long. But then the worry would kick in. She'd want to know every detail, she'd want to know every time he had to fight someone so that she could take care of him. And if she really knew everything, she'd probably ask him to stop. He couldn't put all of that on her.
He'd been sat outside of a church when a man walked over and sat down next to him. It was the same man that took his confession.
I'm not seeking penance for what I've done, Father. I'm asking forgiveness.... for what I'm about to do.
When he realized that he was recognized, Matt's first reaction was to get up and leave. But he ended up staying and talking for a couple of minutes. After declining the offer for a latte, as he stood up to leave, he was caught off guard.
"What's her name?"
"Excuse me?"
"Come on. I know you're troubled with whatever else is going on. But you're thinking of someone, and I don't think it's your dad."
The most frightening part, was that he was right. Matt had been thinking about someone, Cassie. He'd been having yet another internal debate about what to do, should he tell her, no he couldn't, but if he didn't... and that's when he'd been interrupted.
As much as he wanted to drop everything going on and leave the office to go find her and see if she would even talk to him, he knew he couldn't. They were dealing with a new... problem, at work.
After being approached by someone who claimed to be employed by Confederated Global Investments, they were presented with an offer. Foggy was trying to keep the peace, while Matt had already gotten a bad feeling nearly the second that man opened his mouth. But they'd been given less than 40 minutes to get to Precinct 15, so Matt had all but brushed Foggy off, saying he'd meet him there.
He didn't trust the man who refused to even tell them his name, so he followed him until he could no longer hear the ticking of his watch. This caused him to end up being late, and interrupted Foggy just as he was telling Mr. Healy that they might not be the best fit. He could sense that Foggy was annoyed with him, but they had to take the case.
Matt had a plan. He just couldn't tell anyone that plan. And while the trial didn't have quite the outcome he'd hoped for, the Devil still had a plan of his own. Now, he had a name.
Wilson Fisk.
Meanwhile at the gallery, Cassie is in her office, signing off on her last email for the night. Just as she shuts down her computer, Penny knocks on the door and pops her head in.
"Hey, Cassie, there's still one guy left and he's just staring at the white painting. I asked if he was doing alright ten minutes ago, and he said he was fine, but he's... I don't know, he's still there."
Cassie was used to people hanging around when they were about to close. Sometimes they were old and just wanted some company, even if it came in the form of strangers and paint on a canvas.
As she walked out into the gallery, she saw a tall man, bald, wearing an all-black suit. Not wanting to be rude, she decided to just start a conversation in hopes that she could ease into letting him know that they were actually about to close for the night.
"There's an old children's joke, you hold up a white piece of paper and you ask, "what's this?" A rabbit in a snowstorm. Are you interested in purchasing, or just looking?"
"Interested," the man speaks up after a moment. He's talking so softly, that Cassie almost doesn't hear him.
"A lot of people ask how we can charge so much for gradations of white on a canvas. Really, it's not about the artists name or the skill required. It's not even about the art itself. The price is what the artist feels it's worth, and all that matters to any potential buyer is how does it make them feel?"
Cassie stops herself from saying anything else, aware that she's rambling.
The man turns to gave her, and suddenly she feels anxious. But she doesn't know why. Maybe it's just how intimidating this man looks. Not even a hint of a smile. And when he speaks up again, it sends chills down her spine.
"It makes me feel alone."
He finally leaves not long after, apologizing for taking up so much of her time.
Penny waited for her, sat behind the desk, pretending to be typing something. Really she could've gone home a while ago. But the man scared her, too. So she waited for Cassie so that they could leave together.
After the doors are locked, they end up getting in the same car after Penny ordered one on another ride-share app. She gets dropped off first, commenting about how weird that guy was.
As Cassie walks up to the main entrance for her apartment building, she turns around, having felt a sudden chill despite there being no wind. It's quiet out although it isn't really that late. After looking up and down the street a couple of times, Cassie tells herself that she's just tired.
But she still can't shake the feeling that she's being watched.
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