[001] - audio

[notdaredevil]

[Matt’s had a lot to think about, since he got here. A lot of decisions to make. But he never intended to be in hiding; he’s not going to stay out of the conflict, this time, if conflict comes. So it feels like it might be important to go on record, for this, and say some things.]

My name is Matt Murdock. Over the past two months, I’ve spoken to many of you about a lot of things. Law, super powered trials, registration, the quality of the sandwiches down 14th street…and some of you I knew before, from my life as a defense attorney in New York City. And I’ve noticed there’s at topic that keeps resurfacing, over and over, about what’s the right thing to do, and whether or not you have or should take what you’ve been given. I’m sure some of you have answers by now, but if you don’t, let me shed some light on the subject for you.

[He sounds perfectly at ease with this, matter-of-fact, an indisputable list of evidence laid out piece by piece, with full conviction that what he's saying is absolutely 100% honest and his decisions are the right ones:]

These are the facts as I know them: you do not have to register. You do not have to stay in the job you were given. I can and will personally testify to that; I’ve left my position as a probationary defense attorney with a firm in town to go out on my own. You will lose whatever grandfathered certifications you received from the government to continue working in your old field, or the field they assigned you. But you can re-obtain those under your own steam, if you're willing to put in the effort. I retook the bar a few weeks ago. I couldn’t stop them from pulling strings so I could take it ahead of their regularly scheduled sessions, and I don’t feel comfortable about that. But I decided it was more important to be answerable to my own principles than to have a secure job somewhere under someone else’s direction. I’m not interested in taking something I didn’t earn for myself, and I am not going to have that sort of leverage hanging over my head- that my career was something they granted me rather than something I did on my own.

[His voice picks up volume now, getting stronger, more definite, more sure:]

I will also testify that I have been here for well over two months, and I have still declined to register. I don’t believe in it. I will never believe in it. I can’t agree to forced oversight unanswerable to any process of law, and that’s the way it is. Nobody has come to twist my arm yet. [He pauses, for a second.] At least, nobody from the government here. So you have that option. Recognize, however, that there are consequences to being a vigilante, if that’s what you choose to do. There always have been consequences, and there always will be. Whether or not you feel that’s a risk worth taking is a personal decision you have to make for yourself. Whether or not you even feel there’s a cause worth standing for and taking that risk.

[You can practically hear him rounding the finish line, heading for the conclusion with full confidence:]

I hope that at least gives some of you some peace of mind. If there’s any questions you want to ask me about it, I can only speak to my personal experiences, but please feel free. You’re welcome to stop by my new office any time if you’d like to talk in person as well. I can’t say it’s comparably fancy to the old one, but at least it’s my office.

Comments

[notdaredevil]

Yes, it sounds...disproportionate. To be fair, the idea that so many people come from a world without superpowered individuals is pretty oustanding from my perspective. I suppose it's hard to conceive of the sheer destructive capability even heroes can have if you don't live it, or how many problems that can cause. It made sense to some people at the time, and it came from a sincere place, I'm sure. At first.

[And then it escalated crazily. It went so wrong, so fast, it's hard to even believe. Unreal, when he thinks too hard about it, how low some people who he'd always considered decent people before sunk. Even if they somehow patched it all up as best as they all could, in the end.]

Of course, I don't think the answer should ever be "throw out all legal precedent and guaranteed rights," let alone "punish people who don't answer to the government with goon squads."

[earnedmystripes]

We've got people with powers where I'm from, too. All that still sounds pretty crazy to me.

[He shrugs, though. Because Kotetsu is the type to believe in the better nature of people, so he can buy that they were trying to do the right thing before they went crazy with it.]

Though I guess if the people in charge weren't used to powered people being a thing, it'd make sense for things to go to hell like that.

[They've only been around for just shy of fifty years in his own world, so he supposes he has his blessings to count for not living in a situation like that. It's one thing he can be grateful to Maverick for, if nothing else.]

[notdaredevil]

If we're still having trouble smoothing out the wrinkles in legislation to fix problems from at least half a century ago, it would be unrealistic to expect all the problems to be fixed overnight. We do the best with what we have.

[Even if that means legal, and not justice. Even if what there is is inadequate sometimes to address the problems they have, and less than people deserve.]

If you've managed to work it out where you come from, I'm impressed.

[earnedmystripes]

I wouldn't say we've worked everything out completely, but the system we've got is still pretty good. And no one gets forced to work for the government, by criminals or otherwise.

[Though there is the implicit attitude--even among NEXTs--that a NEXT that isn't a Hero is basically worthless to society.]

[notdaredevil]

[To someone whose hearing is acute enough to pick up a heartbeat, the obvious gaps in the explanation are obvious.]

What do they do instead?

[earnedmystripes]

[It's less about intentionally dodging parts of the explanation (though to be fair he does that a lot too), and more about a problem with his society he doesn't exactly realize is a problem that exists because he thinks those things about himself too.]

Well, I mean, working for the government as a Hero is an option? But you don't have to. You can just...live your life. Have a regular civilian job, raise a family, whatever you want.

[A beat.]

...Not that being a Hero means you can't raise a family, or do other things on the side, [Kotetsu considers the latter a bad idea, generally, but it's certainly possible] or anything.