Matt and Hope: First Meeting

[x-trance.livejournal.com]

Hope meets the new version of Matt for the first time.

Clint was the archer. He practically lived with his bow in his hand. That didn't mean that he was the only archer in the Kimura family though, it was hard to learn at least a little around him. Therefore, Matt wore an arm guard and drew his bow, the little metronome sitting under the target lighting it up for his senses. This wasn't one of Clint's bows, oh no. He was damn possessive of his bows. Matt had his own, courtesy of Clint. He liked it, even if he wasn't quite the archer his brother was.

Reaching for an arrow, he nocked it and let fly towards the target, a second one already out in his fingers to follow. Sometimes, you just needed to go outside and let the arrows fly and there was no better day to do it than today. It was finally a proper spring day, sun out and plenty warm without being overbearing. And no rain. That was important. Taking aim again, he let another arrow fly.

Hope looked up as she heard the distinct twang of a bow and the knock of an arrow hitting the target. She had not heard anyone come out, focused as she was on the seating chart she was creating, her tablet with the online edition of Marquis' Who is Who open next to her on the bench. It was the first time Julian had passed on the assignment on and she had wanted to make the right impression.

Studying the figure in front of her, she didn't immediately recognize him. He had something familiar, but it wasn't until the glare of the sunlight made his hair light up red that she recognized him. Matt... Matt Murdock in a new version. Topaz had told her about him, but she had not yet met him. Not really...
The girl sitting on the patio was engrossed in what she was doing and Matt saw no reason to disturb her, so he had headed out to the grass and the target to get things set up without saying anything to her. At least, not until her heartbeat changed. This wasn't the first time that had happened either. It seemed a lot of people seemed to get agitated for no reason he could discern around here. He really wished he knew what it was, but he wasn't going to ask. It seemed personal.

Instead, he left her alone and continued to launch arrows at the target, then went to retrieve them when he ran out. It was good that Clint wasn't here right now, he wasn't interested in getting his ass handed to him with trick arrows or trick shots or whatever else Clint came up with. This was what he wanted, the...relatively quiet monotony of nature and movement.

And now the puzzle was if she was going to say anything or just keep hiding behind her work. At least she first finished scanning through the biography of CEO A and decided his interest in antiques might make a good match with the two museums the wife of CFO B was on the board of for the purpose of table conversations and she tentatively put them next to each other.

Looking up again from the chart in from of her, she studied the target in front of her. The Matt whom she had known had never shown an aptitude with arrows. The only weapons she could immediately think of were the billy clubs in the Slenderman dimension. Finally making a decision, she tucked the chart and her tablet away in her tote and rose to find a different spot. Maybe in a quieter spot she would be able to focus better.

Carefully passing behind the archer, she was still a little lost in memories and accidentally knocked against the case in which he kept his bow. Quickly crouching down she hoped to put it upright and slip away, but that much luck she did not have today.

"Did I disturb you?" Matt asked, not recognizing the girl, but then there were a lot of people here that came and went at varying times, like him. He didn't know everyone yet. "Sorry," he went to put the practice arrows and his bow away, he could find something else to do since she was there first. "I didn't mean to."

"No, you did not. I think I just picked the wrong place for this type of work, regardless of any distractions. Please, continue on..." Even his voice was the same... maybe a little deeper. She felt her heart jump again and she had to work to keep her voice even, lowering it and keeping her breathing measured.

"What are you working on?" he asked. Matt was nosy. He wasn't sure if he should continue the conversation or not really, given her heartbeat. She was stressed by something, but he had no idea if it was him or if she wanted a distraction from the stress.

"A seating chart for a charity event in a week or three." Hope explained briefly. "It is a bit of a challenge." She tilted her head slightly, even knowing he could not see it and neatly turned the conversation away from her. "Have you been an archer long? You seem quite skilled."  

A seating chart? That sounded....awful. Necessary, but still awful. "Nah, not really. My brother's an archer. I just fool around with it sometimes. Just felt like getting out and shooting a few, you know? Nice day out and all that." No comments about a blind guy shooting a bow and arrow? Interesting. Then again, this was Xavier's.

Still keeping her voice low she asked a little further: "Your brother? And I am sorry, but is that a metronome under the target?" She squinted a little at the small object, but it shape and the sunlight flashing of it made it pretty distinct.  

"Yeah. It is," he grinned, "Welcome to Xavier's?" He had no idea if she was new or not, "I'm blind so it helps me focus with my powers. And my brother is Clint. Have you met him? He's been around recently. I'm only here on the weekends and he was on leave from work. I'm Matt," he offered her his hand.

"I am Hope Abbott. A pleasure to meet you, Matt." She replied as she shook his hand. Clint... of course... that made sense. The archery brother. And this was why she had left for a break. "I don't think I have, but I have been away for few weeks. Matt... It sounds familiar. I think Topaz might have mentioned you?"

"I met her a few weeks ago," Matt agreed, it was entirely possible. She had freaked out a bit too, kinda like Hope. Huh, "What do you do then? Event planner?"

"I work as PA for Julian Keller. Doing some work on events is a part of my role." She easily explained. Even if that drew some weird looks because of her age.  

Fancy. "Sounds exciting," Matt replied, "What sort of event is this then?" She seemed more okay now, so that was good.

"A fundraiser dinner for one of the charities Keller Industries supports." Hope explained briefly. "What do you do in daily life, Matt?" She wondered if it had been something old Matt would have chosen as well.  

Going to retrieve the metronome, Matt returned a moment later,  "I'm a lawyer," he answered, putting the metronome away with the rest of his things. "That's why I'm only here on the weekends. Spend my weekdays at Worthington Industries," and his nights running around the rooftops of New York, but that wasn't here or there. The weekends were actually more relaxing than he had expected.

A lawyer. She could not quite picture her old friend doing that, but somehow it did fit. "That sounds intensive. Does the traveling back and forth not tire you sometimes? Even if it is only on the weekends." 

"Yeah, it can be," Matt agreed with a wry chuckle, "Especially with the train and traffic, but I can't just shut down my apartment and quit my job." Even if he was going to start his own firm, he still needed his apartment. "I like it here though. It's....relaxing in a way. Don't have to hide."

"Very true. It is something of a safe place." Okay, not completely safe, but still. Suddenly the ringing of her phone disturbed the silence and she stepped away with a quickly mouthed 'excuse me'. "Yes, that is possible. Let me check the calender, sir." She dug up her tablet again. "3.15 in the afternoon should work."

Gathering his things up, Matt gave Hope a slight, awkward wave. He wasn't very good at gesturing and things like that, but he tried. Heading back towards the school, he debated what he wanted to drink