Jessica Jones (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
superjoanjett) wrote2021-02-26 09:18 am
superjoanjett) wrote2021-02-26 09:18 am
Friday Evening - From Fandom to New York
Jessica had been in the middle of drinking dinner when her phone started going off. She had set up notifications to let her know if anything further might be happening in Harlem. Not that she was worried about Luke. Nope. Not at all. He could handle himself. He had bulletproof skin and could bench press a Buick. He didn't need her help.
That all went out the window when she saw a live clip of Luke getting the shit beat out of him by some weirdo in a high tech suit. Within a second of seeing what was going on she was out the door and made a giant "leap" across Fandom and towards the Portalocity office. After threatening a gnome with bodily harm she was sent back to her dimension and her New York.
She didn't make it in time of course. The press was still hovering around the streets. Damaged vehicles were being hauled away and there was one guy on the corner already trying to sell video copies of the fight that just happened.
"C'mon lady! You know you want a copy!"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Because I can't get it for free on YouTube," she said side stepping around the guy.
"Not in 4k!"
"Fuck off," she said, wading through the crowd to get to the barbershop.
Jessica stepped in to find the place completely trashed. Yep. Luke had definitely been here.
"We're closed!"
She looked over to see an old man clutching a folder of some kind. "I'm not here for a fucking haircut," she said rolling her eyes. "Where's Luke?"
"Jail," he said angrily. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm a friend," she said sheepishly. "I thought the other guy was arrested."
"He was," the old man said continuing to eye her suspiciously. "Turns out they busted him on some previous stuff. Stuff he's innocent of."
He was holding up the folder when he said that last bit. Jessica raised an eyebrow and snatched it out of his hand.
"Hey!"
"Relax," Jessica said, rolling her eyes and immediately started skimming through the contents of the file. "I'm a friend."
"He needs that to prove he's innocent!" The man said getting a bit more fussy.
"And you're going to need someone to corroborate all this. Relax! It's what I do," Jessica said waving him away and sitting down in one of the barber shop chairs. Carl Lucas. Huh. No wonder he changed his name.
"Relax, Fish. She's a friend."
Jessica looked up to see a woman standing in the doorway. She looked familiar but...
The look on her face must have clued the woman in that Jessica had no fucking clue who she was. "Seriously? Claire Temple."
Nope. Nothing.
"I helped you carry Luke out of the hospital after you shot him in the head?"
"Shit!" Jessica said wincing and smacking her head with her hand. "Sorry. I forgot."
Claire gave Fish an amused look and then pointed at a coffee canister sitting on a counter. Jessica squinted at the label on it.
"Swear jar?" Jessica asked with an eye-roll. "Fuck that."
"What are you doing here, Jessica?" Claire asked with a sigh.
"Trying to help," she replied going back through the folder and now just beginning to realize just how fucked up Luke's life was before Jessica had met him. "And this is what's going to do it."
"I know a lawyer-" Claire began.
"I know a better one," Jessica replied and not taking her eyes off the case file.
"He's really good," Claire protested.
"Mine's an evil bitch," Jessica replied.
"That's the one I'd want," Fish offered.
Jessica snapped the file closed. "Where did this come from?"
"Another evil bitch," Fish said with a smirk.
"Works for me. I'll take this to my lawyer," Jessica said shoving the folder under her arm.
Claire frowned. "Luke really can't afford-"
"I'll take care of it," Jessica said flatly.
Claire paused a moment looking hesitant. "Do you want me to tell him that you are-"
"No," Jessica said flatly and giving Claire a curious look. "How are you involved in this?"
"They go out for coffee," Fish said with a smirk and Claire's body language in response to that was enough for Jessica to fill in the blanks.
"Oh," Jessica said standing there and suddenly feeling like an idiot. Of course he moved on. "Right. You're banging each other."
Claire groaned and threw her hands in the air. "Really?!"
Fish just sat down and smirked. "She ain't lying."
"Okay. Fine," Jessica said waving it away and hoping she wouldn't be forced to apologize. "I'll make arrangements. Give me your contact info and I'll be in touch. Just don't tell Luke I'm involved."
"I don't even know who the hell you are," Fish said petulantly and then rattled off his phone number followed by Claire doing the same.
"I'll be in touch," Jessica said heading to the door.
"Jessica?"
Jessica sighed and turned back to see Claire looking at her with a worried expression on her face. "What?"
Claire stepped forward and put her hands on Jessica's arms. "Are you okay?" she asked, quietly.
Jess couldn't remember the last time someone had asked that question. She immediately felt weird, and awkward.
Ew. Feelings.
"I'm fine," she said and winced when she heard the catch in her voice.
Claire stood there looking at Jessica with skeptical look. "You sure?"
Jessica scoffed. "I'm great," she replied sarcastically.
Claire gave her a small sad smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
"Right," Jessica said wriggling out of Claire's hands, exiting the shop without saying another word. She walked at least two blocks before she finally stopped and leaned against a wall. She looked at the collection of documents in her hand and shook her head.
Should she really be getting involved in this? There were thousands of other people who could do this for Luke. Then again... she let him down. She owed him. With a heavy sigh she pulled out her phone and punched in Jeri's number.
"Jeri? It's Jessica-"
There was a groan at the other end of the line. "Do you have any idea how late it is?"
"Yeah. And I don't give a shit," Jessica snarked back. "I got a case for you and you're going to fucking take it. You're going to do it fucking pro bono or I'll-"
"Luke Cage?"
Jessica paused, feeling wary. Of course she already knew. "Yes."
"I'll do it."
"Fine. He's innocent."
"I don't care."
Jessica held back her angry retort. "I'll be in touch," she replied and hung up.
She leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh.
And then walked away, looking for the nearby Portalocity office.
That all went out the window when she saw a live clip of Luke getting the shit beat out of him by some weirdo in a high tech suit. Within a second of seeing what was going on she was out the door and made a giant "leap" across Fandom and towards the Portalocity office. After threatening a gnome with bodily harm she was sent back to her dimension and her New York.
She didn't make it in time of course. The press was still hovering around the streets. Damaged vehicles were being hauled away and there was one guy on the corner already trying to sell video copies of the fight that just happened.
"C'mon lady! You know you want a copy!"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Because I can't get it for free on YouTube," she said side stepping around the guy.
"Not in 4k!"
"Fuck off," she said, wading through the crowd to get to the barbershop.
Jessica stepped in to find the place completely trashed. Yep. Luke had definitely been here.
"We're closed!"
She looked over to see an old man clutching a folder of some kind. "I'm not here for a fucking haircut," she said rolling her eyes. "Where's Luke?"
"Jail," he said angrily. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm a friend," she said sheepishly. "I thought the other guy was arrested."
"He was," the old man said continuing to eye her suspiciously. "Turns out they busted him on some previous stuff. Stuff he's innocent of."
He was holding up the folder when he said that last bit. Jessica raised an eyebrow and snatched it out of his hand.
"Hey!"
"Relax," Jessica said, rolling her eyes and immediately started skimming through the contents of the file. "I'm a friend."
"He needs that to prove he's innocent!" The man said getting a bit more fussy.
"And you're going to need someone to corroborate all this. Relax! It's what I do," Jessica said waving him away and sitting down in one of the barber shop chairs. Carl Lucas. Huh. No wonder he changed his name.
"Relax, Fish. She's a friend."
Jessica looked up to see a woman standing in the doorway. She looked familiar but...
The look on her face must have clued the woman in that Jessica had no fucking clue who she was. "Seriously? Claire Temple."
Nope. Nothing.
"I helped you carry Luke out of the hospital after you shot him in the head?"
"Shit!" Jessica said wincing and smacking her head with her hand. "Sorry. I forgot."
Claire gave Fish an amused look and then pointed at a coffee canister sitting on a counter. Jessica squinted at the label on it.
"Swear jar?" Jessica asked with an eye-roll. "Fuck that."
"What are you doing here, Jessica?" Claire asked with a sigh.
"Trying to help," she replied going back through the folder and now just beginning to realize just how fucked up Luke's life was before Jessica had met him. "And this is what's going to do it."
"I know a lawyer-" Claire began.
"I know a better one," Jessica replied and not taking her eyes off the case file.
"He's really good," Claire protested.
"Mine's an evil bitch," Jessica replied.
"That's the one I'd want," Fish offered.
Jessica snapped the file closed. "Where did this come from?"
"Another evil bitch," Fish said with a smirk.
"Works for me. I'll take this to my lawyer," Jessica said shoving the folder under her arm.
Claire frowned. "Luke really can't afford-"
"I'll take care of it," Jessica said flatly.
Claire paused a moment looking hesitant. "Do you want me to tell him that you are-"
"No," Jessica said flatly and giving Claire a curious look. "How are you involved in this?"
"They go out for coffee," Fish said with a smirk and Claire's body language in response to that was enough for Jessica to fill in the blanks.
"Oh," Jessica said standing there and suddenly feeling like an idiot. Of course he moved on. "Right. You're banging each other."
Claire groaned and threw her hands in the air. "Really?!"
Fish just sat down and smirked. "She ain't lying."
"Okay. Fine," Jessica said waving it away and hoping she wouldn't be forced to apologize. "I'll make arrangements. Give me your contact info and I'll be in touch. Just don't tell Luke I'm involved."
"I don't even know who the hell you are," Fish said petulantly and then rattled off his phone number followed by Claire doing the same.
"I'll be in touch," Jessica said heading to the door.
"Jessica?"
Jessica sighed and turned back to see Claire looking at her with a worried expression on her face. "What?"
Claire stepped forward and put her hands on Jessica's arms. "Are you okay?" she asked, quietly.
Jess couldn't remember the last time someone had asked that question. She immediately felt weird, and awkward.
Ew. Feelings.
"I'm fine," she said and winced when she heard the catch in her voice.
Claire stood there looking at Jessica with skeptical look. "You sure?"
Jessica scoffed. "I'm great," she replied sarcastically.
Claire gave her a small sad smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
"Right," Jessica said wriggling out of Claire's hands, exiting the shop without saying another word. She walked at least two blocks before she finally stopped and leaned against a wall. She looked at the collection of documents in her hand and shook her head.
Should she really be getting involved in this? There were thousands of other people who could do this for Luke. Then again... she let him down. She owed him. With a heavy sigh she pulled out her phone and punched in Jeri's number.
"Jeri? It's Jessica-"
There was a groan at the other end of the line. "Do you have any idea how late it is?"
"Yeah. And I don't give a shit," Jessica snarked back. "I got a case for you and you're going to fucking take it. You're going to do it fucking pro bono or I'll-"
"Luke Cage?"
Jessica paused, feeling wary. Of course she already knew. "Yes."
"I'll do it."
"Fine. He's innocent."
"I don't care."
Jessica held back her angry retort. "I'll be in touch," she replied and hung up.
She leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh.
And then walked away, looking for the nearby Portalocity office.