He heard the lie. He heard everyone's lies. A part of Matt wondered why people bothered at all with him when they knew what he could do. It left the onus on him to either call them out or accept it for the other person's sake. He was too tired to do any calling out. He was standing because he was pretty certain if he sat down he might not be able to get back up again. He'd put distance between himself and the three women, stowing himself near the exit in his crisis on leaving or not. That was also the thing, wasn't it? Matt wasn't ever truly alone. He couldn't be. Even standing by himself in the shadows, he heard what was going on outside. He could help more people if he went out there. If he made a mistake out there, he might bring enemies down on Josie's and ruin what they were planning for tomorrow.
He leaned one hand on the doorframe, letting his weight shift from one foot to another to give each aching foot a momentary break from carrying his weight. He listened to Kate, not forgetting how young she'd sounded in the car. How she'd been crying. 'There's a fire raging inside of you, Matthew. The only thing a fire cannot consume is a fire that is it's equal.' Perhaps Elektra had been right about that part, but either way, it did burn away everything else he cared about around him. And once the fire was out inside of him, what would even be left?
He didn't know who he even was anymore.
He gave a small nod at what she said. His voice sounded hoarse when he spoke. Had he even been yelling that much? Or was his body simply at its limits? "The internet will return when the power does, most likely. Fisk can't keep the city blacked out forever. Peter and Alice are good at technology, so they might be able to set up a secure channel that Fisk can't hack. If they can't, we go old school. We use burner phones with one another. We get the word out by mouth. People have rebelled in the past without the internet. We can, too. I've already contacted those I trust to come tomorrow. I told them to bring those they trust, too. Nothing in life comes easy, why should this be any different?"
Nothing in his life had ever come easy, at least.
As to Heather... "No." He didn't elaborate beyond that. He wasn't going to. He might love her, but he couldn't trust her. She might spill whatever he said to Fisk, and right now, he couldn't risk that.
He gestured up the steps.
"Go. Wash up, get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a big day. The coming days are all going to be big. We are taking back this city, Kate. I may not know everything, but I do know how to keep fighting."
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He leaned one hand on the doorframe, letting his weight shift from one foot to another to give each aching foot a momentary break from carrying his weight. He listened to Kate, not forgetting how young she'd sounded in the car. How she'd been crying. 'There's a fire raging inside of you, Matthew. The only thing a fire cannot consume is a fire that is it's equal.' Perhaps Elektra had been right about that part, but either way, it did burn away everything else he cared about around him. And once the fire was out inside of him, what would even be left?
He didn't know who he even was anymore.
He gave a small nod at what she said. His voice sounded hoarse when he spoke. Had he even been yelling that much? Or was his body simply at its limits? "The internet will return when the power does, most likely. Fisk can't keep the city blacked out forever. Peter and Alice are good at technology, so they might be able to set up a secure channel that Fisk can't hack. If they can't, we go old school. We use burner phones with one another. We get the word out by mouth. People have rebelled in the past without the internet. We can, too. I've already contacted those I trust to come tomorrow. I told them to bring those they trust, too. Nothing in life comes easy, why should this be any different?"
Nothing in his life had ever come easy, at least.
As to Heather... "No." He didn't elaborate beyond that. He wasn't going to. He might love her, but he couldn't trust her. She might spill whatever he said to Fisk, and right now, he couldn't risk that.
He gestured up the steps.
"Go. Wash up, get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a big day. The coming days are all going to be big. We are taking back this city, Kate. I may not know everything, but I do know how to keep fighting."