◨ 2 | video ◧

[indenture]

[ The camera does not immediately focus on the face of the man holding it; it shakes a bit, the screen showing a white shirt, black suspenders, a right hand sporting two finger splints. Finally it levels to show Harvey's normally handsome face, except there a couple of things amiss:

One thing of note is the scar that goes down the left side of his face, from eye to jaw, a clean line of a cut through his plastic surgery that is not fresh but has not yet been "fixed." Another is his blackened right eye, and his lip swollen on the right side. He doesn't look particularly in pain -- or at least doesn't show it -- but what he does look is pissed off. ]

Too far. This has gone too far. Look at me -- look at this.

[ Harvey points to his face with his splinted fingers, still looking livid. His breathing is harsh, but even. ]

It's never enough, what I do. Bad enough I have to work with and against the system, "unsettled" and working the arms of law, but the big red weight on my shoulders sees to it I'll never see a moment's peace for the rest of my life. I'm no saint -- I know. Made mistakes. So now I wake up looking like a human punching bag.

Not to point fingers. But where's the justice in that?

[ He gestures, vaguely, with his splinted fingers as much as he can move them. He takes a sharp breath, exhaling slowly, looking like he's trying to calm down though his face is still red around the eyes, the temples, the forehead. His left eye looks particularly dead as it stares forward, his weary-but-professional expression making the fact it's a glass replica suddenly more obvious. It moves in not quite perfect synch with the right eye. ]

Just my two cents.

All that aside, I had something else to say. I was hoping to look my best for this announcement, but next time I'll know better than to put it off. Never mind the state of my face. My name's Harvey Dent, and for those of you that don't know me yet, I'm a Public Defender in Heropa. If you're ever in trouble and can't afford a representative, we might see more of each other. I won't rest until I see justice is served the way it's meant to be.

That's all. Good day to you.

Comments

[notdaredevil]

[ Ooooh, this is worse than Matt realized.

There's a silence on the other end of the line, while Matt tries to think of what to say, and how to say it carefully. ]

Why do you need a reminder, Harvey?

[indenture]

[ There's a silence, as if Harvey is thinking about just how to explain this, but finally, his answer is simple: ]

Hubris, Matt. It's ruined my life before.

[notdaredevil]

Even so, doesn't that seem like a particularly drastic reminder for something like that?

[indenture]

Drastic? [ Harvey says it sharply, then pauses. ] You think I don't need something more drastic?

[notdaredevil]

I think any measure that requires you physically injure yourself, or deny yourself medical treatment for injuries, isn't to your benefit, and it's not something I would encourage.

[ Which Harvey is certainly smart enough to know. ]

[indenture]

I wasn't asking for permission, Matt.

[notdaredevil]

You know that it's a bad idea.

[indenture]

Why? Because you don't like it?

[notdaredevil]

You really need me to tell you why?

[indenture]

Doesn't hurt anyone. It's no one else's business how soon I rush back to the plastic surgeon.

[notdaredevil]

[ God, Harvey, what's happened to you? ]

I would have thought, with all the effort you put into making it happen, that you'd be more concerned. But clearly you have everything under control. I don't suppose you even need me anymore.

[ This is a blatant lie. Matt's worried he might need to be there, more than ever...but that Harvey has moved past the point where he cares about whether or not Matt wants to help him. ]

[indenture]

[ A beat. ]

That's not what I said. Of course I need you.

[notdaredevil]

[ That was a dangerous card to play. Manipulative. Don't encourage him. He remembers the advice. It's a tightrope between keeping Harvey from falling over the edge and letting him get closer than arm's length. So very similar to the game he played with Typhoid Mary, all those years ago, right up until the moment he seduced her and left her naked in a hotel room to be committed.

There will probably not be a repeat of that scenario in this situation. ]

You don't need to do this to yourself, Harvey.

[indenture]

I don't know if you know what I need, Matt.

[ As much as Harvey really wishes he did, so he could tell Harvey what to do. But more and more frequently he's been realizing (or has become more aware of realizing) how ineffectual or outright useless other advice to him can be.

Even when they understand, they still don't. Not completely. They simply can't. ]

[notdaredevil]

I know that hurting yourself like this isn't a tenable solution.

[ He can only ruin his face so much before it's...ruined completely, again. And then what? What will happen to Harvey Dent, when all of that falls apart? ]