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Matt leaned back slightly, folding his hands over the contract.
"Alright, Alex," Matt said. "If you're serious about this, I need something very simple. Tell me how you know. Are you a scientist? Psychic? Time traveler?"
Alex shook his head calmly.
"None of those. I just… see things before they happen. Like flashes."
Matt's expression didn't change, though he listened carefully to Alex's heartbeat. It was steady.
Colleen crossed her arms.
"Can you prove anything right now?"
Alex thought for a moment and then said,
"There is no other way. That's why we're even having this contract in the first place."
Matt nodded slightly.
"Think about it one last time. A million dollars is a big amount."
"I know," Alex said with a shrug. "But I'm not joking."
Matt let out a slow breath and shook his head.
"As you wish," he said, and then reaching out in his bag he took out some papers.
He set the papers in front of Alex.
"Sign here."
Alex picked up the pen confidently and signed his name.
Colleen signed next, and Misty followed, still looking unsure.
Matt closed the folder and locked it in his briefcase.
"It's official now. If what you said happens… you three will be working together."
Misty leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
"I still think this is insane."
Colleen nodded but smiled slightly.
"Well, if aliens fall from the sky, I guess we'll say sorry later."
Matt stood up slowly.
"And if he's wrong, you'll be rich."
Alex finished his coffee and stood.
"You won't have to wait long."
Matt raised an eyebrow.
"So you're that confident?"
Alex smirked.
"I'm not confident. I'm certain."
He walked to the door and paused, looking back at them.
"Prepare yourselves. When the sky tears open, you're going to need every bit of strength you have."
The bell chimed as he stepped outside.
Misty watched the door close.
"…What a lunatic," she muttered.
Colleen wasn't so sure.
"Maybe. Or maybe we just signed a contract with someone who knows more than we do."
Matt turned his head toward them.
"His heartbeat didn't waver once. He wasn't lying — at least, he believes what he said."
Both women froze.
Misty swallowed.
"…That's not comforting, Matt."
Matt sighed.
"No. It isn't."
He picked up his cane and turned toward the exit.
"Call me if anything else strange happens."
The door closed behind him.
Silence filled the room again.
Outside on the sidewalk, Alex let out a slow breath and slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Well… that was much better than I expected," he mumbled to himself.
He started walking, heading toward the subway entrance. The city lights reflected in the wet pavement, cars rushing past, people lost in their own worlds.
For a moment, Alex allowed himself a small smile.
Step one complete.
He had Colleen, Misty, and now accidentally—the lawyer of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen—Matt Murdock involved. Not a bad start.
"Okay, one thing done," Alex muttered to himself as he walked down the dimly lit street. "Next is a proper base. The warehouse isn't good enough. I need something secure."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Right now S.H.I.E.L.D. is up and running, so I can't just walk in and take the Lighthouse. But… not many people even know it exists. It could be the perfect base," he mumbled under his breath.
He continued thinking aloud.
"And if I need tech, I can grab the friendly Chronicom—Enoch. He's an anthropologist though, so he won't have much equipment on him. But maybe Skye can hack through his systems and pull some data."
He stopped at the corner of the street, suddenly feeling a presence behind him.
Alex slowly turned his head slightly.
"Why are you following me, Matt?" he asked quietly.
Matt Murdock stepped out from the shadowed alleyway, cane tapping lightly against the pavement, his expression unreadable behind the red-tinted glasses.
"I should be asking you the same question," Matt said calmly. "Why come to them? Why involve Colleen and Misty at all?"
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Is that concern? Or suspicion?"
Matt tilted his head, listening again—to Alex's breathing, heartbeat, the subtle tension in his muscles.
"Both," he admitted. "People who claim they can see the future are usually either delusional… or dangerous."
Alex chuckled lightly.
"Or correct."
Although Matt don't have eyes but as he faced him, Alex could tell he is dead serious.
"I don't know what you're planning, but if you hurt them—"
Alex cut him off gently.
"I won't. They're good people. And I need good people."
Matt didn't move, but his grip tightened slightly on the cane.
"What are you hoping to achieve?" he asked, voice low and serious.
Alex paused for a moment, then exhaled slowly and began walking again, hands in his pockets.
"Being able to see the future isn't pleasant, Matt," Alex said quietly. "I've seen a lot of death. And I know there are people I won't be able to save, no matter what I do." His tone grew heavier. "So I'm doing everything I can to save the ones I still can."
Matt stood there silently, listening.
"I'm gathering people who matter," Alex continued. "Finding future heroes and preparing them for what's coming. That's all."
Matt didn't respond, but his head lowered slightly, deep in thought.
Alex's footsteps echoed as he walked farther away.
Matt called out behind him,
"And what happens when the future doesn't match what you saw?"
Alex stopped walking. He didn't turn around, but his voice was clear.
"Then I'll be the first one to celebrate," he said. "Because from the flashes I've seen, the future is only going to get more and more devastating."
He took another step forward, then added with a faint smile:
"Don't worry—I'll invite you to that party."
Alex suddenly paused mid-step. His eyes widened slightly as he turned his head toward the sky.
"Well… I guess it all begins now," he said quietly.