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Matt blinked as he was going through some papers, “We don't have a client heading in, do we?”
“Not until... 4, no 4:30, why?”
“I'm being Requested,” Matt was smirking and shrugging at Foggy's look. “Yeah, it's not a full on summons, but the desire is there. So, requested I guess.”
“Probably another 'find my lost dog' Deal. You've got time. I'll stall if it runs long.”
“Thanks, Foggy,” Matt smiled as he kissed his cheek before grabbing his cane.
“Eyes bothering you?”
“It's been... rough, I've been having problems keeping them focused so I figured why bother with a trip I've made thousands of times by now.”
“Keep this up, Murdock, you might hit 18 by the time I turn 80...” Matt rolled his eyes as he headed out.
Matt blinked at the face that was waiting for him at the bench, he sighed as his cane tapped the bench before his hand could reach it. “Guess that explains why you missed, huh?”
Matt snorted, “I didn't Miss, kid, I just wasn't aiming to kill anyone. Whatever happened, happened after that. Peter was it?”
“Yeah, um, Mr. Stark really doesn't want me talking to you... So, after everything, I figured- you might be someone I should know. He said to keep it in the gray area, pretty sure staying on the Devil's good side is pretty freaking gray, wouldn't you?”
Matt shook his head, “Something tells me, this is definitely something he wouldn't do...”
“Yeah, well, it definitely isn't something he would do either, so, gray area.”
Matt chuckled, “So, what are you doing here, kid?”
“I uh, asked around. I've heard about the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but- no one in Queens really knew much. Kinda an urban legend, but Here, you're just a Legend. There's all sorts of rumors and stories... Meet the Devil at Clinton Church, and he'll make you a Deal. Ya know, someone even said they met you... said you were a cat...”
Matt snorted, “That, was amusing. I was, working, Night Job, and this nice older lady stopped to have a seat. It's like, a siren's song when someone sits here with the right intent. Over your right shoulder, upward, do you see the ledge? I was there. I didn't wanna scare Grandma, she was known in the Kitchen, at least around here as Grandma. She'd come here some nights and have a seat. Just, talking. She, couldn't have children, no matter how much she wanted them, so instead she was one of those that would foster others. I had a standing Deal with her, but, lately, she hasn't been around that often...”
“She's, still Grandma, she's in a nursing home now though. I went and had a talk with her. What was the standing Deal?”
Matt snickered, “Best Chocolate Chip cookies in the kitchen. One of her Fosters had a bit of a life before he came to her, so she needed some legal advice a few years back. I made her a Deal, I'd help her out for some more of her cookies. He's been clean for at least 16 months, and hasn't so much as had a parking ticket since she came looking for help. It helps when they come from a loving home and know they have help when they need it, so- with a few exceptions, one of the easiest Deals I ever made.”
“Matthew,” Matt smiled at the old voice, “Oh, Matthew, no...”
Matt rolled his eyes when he glanced back, though his eyes were tired and Peter's face was mostly blur, it looked as if the kid was the one caught in the middle of an illegal act. “We're just talking, Father, relax, he's... a friend. He just didn't know any other way to contact me.”
“Then why does he look like I just caught him-”
“Father Lantom is an old... friend, he... raised me. This is Peter, a friend of his, an adult, well he fucked up I guess, I helped them out, no Deals or anything, just... helping.”
“Does this have anything to do with half my flock disappearing and then reappearing the other day?”
“Yeah, actually, that's what I helped with.” Matt shrugged, “Peter was told I was on the 'No contact' list, whatever that is.”
He heard the same exacerbated sigh he'd head so many times as he nudged Peter over to let the other scoot in on the end, “You know what they say about the Devil of Hell's Kitchen?”
Peter snickered and shook his head, “I've heard so many things about him... It all depends who you ask. Some, think he's the literal Devil, someone that descends on bat wings, horns gleaming, like some... rabid batman. Others, say he's the bet thing that's ever entered their life. I've heard so many stories, about... people finding the love of their life, people surviving on less than a percentage point chances, people that could suddenly walk and... I guess, it just depends who you ask, is what I'm getting at.”
Matt smiled at Father Lantom's laugh, “You get it, exactly right then. The Devil, is a symbol. Of how some of greatest things could happen during the worst times, and how some of the worst things could happen to some of the worst people. The Devil is a warning, one that's been twisted into Evil, but- The two, aren't the same thing. It, took me some time to understand that, when Matthew told me the truth.”
Matt smiled, “Do you want to know the True Story, Father? How close to right your philosophy is?” He chuckled at the wide eyed looks, “Um, you all know what the retold story of the Garden was... But, it's not the full truth- or at least, not all of it was True.” He was grinning at Father Lantom cleaning closer, “When did you ever think you'd listen to an old Bible story from the Devil Himself?”
“Matthew, I can hear an ages old story from a Source... Now, stop gloating, and start telling it.”
Peter chuckled and shrugged, “I'm kinda with him on this one. Spill!”
“When Adam and Eve first came into the world-”
“Which is really weird, I mean, didn't God take Adam's rib-” Peter shut up suddenly, scrunching down at the two sets of stairs and brow raising, “Sorry.”
Matt blinked at the chuckling, “You may not have come to us with your sight, Matthew, but you definitely learned our mannerisms...”
He just shook his head, “God, when he made Adam, he was... a prototype, or sorts. When the man first stood, much like any babe, he stumbled around, but he learned to walk on the two legs he'd been given. God tried to make something, limited, something unlike his, first born, for lack of a better term. In so doing, he stumbled across Man, Adam, the first human. But a species, a creation, like that, was still intended to be, limited. Adam, as a prototype, didn't have a killswitch the way, Man does now. A, timer, counting down or means of... cutting that timer short, the way we do now. And, of course, much like Us, his First Children, Adam had Rules, Orders to follow. Fear not the beasts, for they would not harm you, and they couldn't. Adam had an Aura if you will, something left over from Us. Something God took generations to properly weed out the source of, and- in a few Chose to reinstate-”
“Like Daniel and the lions?”
Matt snorted and nodded, “Yes, much like that. But, Adam, was- There was no real word for it then, he had an Angel's mind, and a human body. Now, we know it's called Apathy, a disregard for others or even himself. No survival instinct, no emotions regarding... any of it, I suppose. Not- not one single care, or worry in the world. For God hadn't come across emotion yet. He himself had, understanding of some things, like Boredom I suppose, Loneliness, Emptiness by then, he had already created Us after all... He understood how things can change and be forever changing, like Light and Darkness hold a common... similarity yet difference. How one effects the other, I believe that was about the time he had me scatter the stars in the sky, and- I believe his words were, it would translate to 'place a torch upon the night', it's, difficult to understand when spoken, because it wasn't in a language, it was in an understanding. We hadn't truly developed Speech, just, Understanding, so I hung the moon, and the stars... And while I was away, Adam grew lonely- Being the First, God took a piece of his creation, a- DNA sample I suppose, and, tried to figure out How he'd go about making this creature a companion.”
“Lilith,” Father Lantom's voice was soft and questioning.
“Not, exactly, though she was named Lilith by Man eventually. The first attempt was- missing, quite a bit more than just, lack of submission. She was, wrong- in ways I, can't comprehend. Lilith is a story about a woman who would not lay below Adam, if you're unaware, Peter- Some Religions view her by different names or stories, but, in most she refused to be the submissive roll. But, the True 'Lilith' wasn't a woman, not in a way one would identify. She was- More a female of a species all her own. God had practice and success with Many animals at that point. Making Breeding pairs and seeing them flourish, but- He couldn't quite comprehend how a Female Human should be made. Couldn't understand how she'd carry or produce a child. So, the being known as Lilith, ended up- a twisted attempt at Man. She was, much more Animal in her physical shaping. She'd, prefer walking on fours as apposed to two, she'd be hunched over, able to walk on two legs but her back would pain her if she tried to imitate Adam-”
“Like, Lucy? Um, I mean- Not, well, you I mean- Like, the oldest found Human Ancestor? An, ape like human that leads back all the way to- Shoot, where was it? Um, history isn't my best subject I'm more a Science kinda student.”
Matt shook his head and shrugged, “I, wouldn't know- I spent most of my time after Exile in depression- stuck somewhere between helping the humans I'd- wronged and being angry at Father and my siblings for, anyway... But, Lilith did have one thing that Adam lacked- She had an Understanding Humans didn't possess yet. She, walked the line between Man and Beast and Understood the instincts Man couldn't have yet. She Understood a Predator's and a Prey's Mind, because God wanted to be certain that a Pregnant Female would protect her Brood. In this, Adam was... Stunted by comparison, because God hadn't quite figured out how it should work in Humans, but he did figure it out in the beasts that came before him.”
“So, Adam lacked instincts? Like, all together?”
“Oh, it was amusing watching him figure out hunger and thirst... It was a good thing Adam had an Angel's Body by comparison to modern man. Pretty sure a certain Gardener was up in arms figuring it out with him...”
“Did God really cast her out for- being how she was?”
Matt sighed and nodded, “She wasn't the first, doubt she'd be the last, but God was just as Apathetic as Adam, it's why- all this happened. You'd have no feelings about playing with blocks or a ball of clay, would you? It'd be entertaining sure, but, you wouldn't have any emotional ties-”
“But those aren't people!”
“See? Even God can learn- There was just, no Understanding of, any of that then. So, the old phrase 'God doesn't make Mistakes' was a Half Truth, God never made 'Mistakes' only because there was no term for it or Understanding. A hunk of clay that is warped and twisted, however much, isn't a 'Mistake' it's... entertainment. Something to alleviate the Boredom. When that becomes Boring, you move on to whatever else you might find to entertain you.” Matt shrugged, “But then, He found the right formula, he took a rib this time, something from the structure of Adam, and started with that. She was- perfect to Him, and to Adam, so, she became the First Woman, but because he still wanted to ensure the continuation of the species, she also had the Understanding of Lilith. How, harm to her self, and harm to her offspring was not a good thing to happen. She had-”
“Anxiety,” Peter huffed out, causing Matt to crack up. “What, it's true...”
“Very true, actually. But, she also had Curiosity. And because she had Instinct, she would protect herself, or her children. So, when she first became pregnant, she was mindful. The Garden was a place where no harm could come of them. But it also held one Rule.”
“The tree of Knowledge?”
“In the time before Eve fell Pregnant, she, felt threatened- Anxiety, I guess would be one of the best ways to describe instincts when dealing with someone that's never experienced them before. A Bear, a mother herself, reared up to get a better look at what was coming close to her cubs...”
“Oh, no, did Eve-”
“She swung a branch at the Bear, scared it off, and the cubs with it, but God decided- a negative action required a negative response. Eve had scared off another who was merely wanting to feed her young berries from the bushes, so He, poisoned them-”
“No!”
“It wasn't, something deadly, but, Man became susceptible to the dangers of vegetation. Gone was their Immunity to poison. She was sick, for days. Adam was, confused, but, he knew without his Mate, there was only Loneliness, so, he made sure to care for her and stayed away from the bushes she'd eaten. He tried them some time after, Memory was not something God was very much good with at that time. He became sick, though, since he'd only eaten a few, it was... nauseating and amusing to God. But, Memory wasn't a thing, still. So I, took notice. Negative response after negative response. Adam took something from the water- A fish, or eel, I can't remember. Curiosity winning, he wanted to try and eat the creature, see if it tasted like the fruit they'd been eating. He enjoyed it, God replied by making the creature bite and thrash, first blood as it were, Man's Immunity slowly fading with each day passing.”
“And, you said, Memory wasn't, wasn't a thing, right? So, each day was- almost like a reset, so... Neither of them could Understand why- That's, cruel!”
“Exactly. Eve fared a bit better, her Understanding causing warnings of sorts, but, as time continued on- It slowly became worse. They needed Knowledge, and still, through all that, they stood by God's One Rule, never Eat the Apples from a single tree in the Garden. I, intervened...”
“You, You were the serpent in the Garden?”
“Humans weren't allowed, or capable, I'm uncertain which, to Understand Angels, but Eve- She had Some Understanding. She, Listened, as I made my argument. There was still no speech, no words then, but she could feel it- The Knowledge I tried to imbibe to her. They were in a cage. They were being... hurt, for not Understanding... Why would that be? Why this One Fruit, forbidden at all cost. A Fruit they could smell, Tempting them through the warm days, something they saw every morning, all Alone, atop a hill at the Center of their cage. And she Understood, and was Curious. So, she plucked one of the Apples from the tree, and took a bite.”
“Was that- really Knowledge of Good and Evil, or was it...Knowledge as in, Memory, Learning, Evolution?”
Matt shrugged, “Whatever it was, it clicked into place like a lightning strike. Eve was awoken the what Evil was, what Bad Deeds they'd done, and why things were Changing in the Garden.”
“So, she took it to Adam, to share that Knowledge,” Father Lantom finally spoke up.
“Yeah, she shared her Knowledge, and though Adam was still- in need of some Learning, she shared that Knowledge with his Children and Children's Children, all the way to today. But, Apathy is still in the world, and, God Needed an Example, of Punishment...”
“So you were named the Evil of the world.”
“I was Exiled, Cast out, but I was only the First as my Brothers and Sisters started Learning. Apathy is something that is tough to unlearn, but once that Empathy takes root, there's no changing that. We Fell, because we Cared. We watched and saw, over and over again, what happens when you don't Understand, and we couldn't watch it anymore. That's why we Fell.”
“God intended to make Angels and Humans separate beings, and instead, he discovered a third option.”
“The Fallen,” Matt shrugged then blinked when the kid jumped.
“Wait, that means Lilith's decedents are still alive too though, right?! I mean, we've found all these different lines dating back- Wait, so, Creationism AND Evolution are both right? OMG! I can't wait to- wait, I can't- It's not something you could really prove though, is it?”
Matt shook his head as he grinned, “Nope.”
Peter grumbled and hunched down, “Great... find out about the biggest freaking scientific discovery possibly in the known Universe and I can't site my source...”
Matt was chuckling as Father Lantom reached over the pat his shoulder, “Believe me, son, we're in the same boat.”
“Wait, the boat! Noah, was that-”
Matt snickered as he checked the time, “I've got to go soon, kid, so, we're gonna need to wrap this up.”
“Shoot, no, wait, um, can we talk some more later then?”
Father Lantom smiled as he stood and patted Matt's shoulder before he headed back to the church, “You came looking for a Deal, didn't you?”
“Deal? Oh, right! Deal, um, I- was wondering, what'd it cost to, call you an ally?”
Matt blinked before shaking his head, “Nothing, kid. Head back home, you've probably got homework to finish.”