5718/Black Sky: Lawyers Bearing Gifts

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Black Sky: Lawyers Bearing Gifts
Date of Scene: 05 November 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Matt pays a visit to Kate with sandwiches and money. They end up visited by Jessica Jones and Matt and Kate come to arrangement.
Cast of Characters: Daredevil, Hawkeye (Bishop), Jessica Jones
Tinyplot: Black Sky


Daredevil has posed:
The news was out about the whole Hellas International situation and Matt had spent most of the day fielding questions and going over paperwork. Though even though he'd escaped that, there was more work to be done for his other life, and the other legacy Elektra had left for him: the war with the Hand.

So, Matt made a quick stop by Nelson Meats, well, as quick as any visit there could be, the whole brood had emerged to say hello, there had been sympathies expressed, jokes about Matt's sudden winfall, and then after making excuses and exchanging hugs made it out the door with three Nelson special subs. One of the three, at the bottom of the bag a little more special than the others.

After that it was off to the Lower East Side by subway and a quick walk from the station in the blustry November air, until the GPS on his phone guided him to Hawkeye Investigation through the earbud he wore in one ear. Taking it off and putting his phone in his pocket, he knocks on the door.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate, meanwhile, had been clearing out her office. After her deal with Jessica Jones, the girl had given notice on the office space, though she still held her apartment (a girl needs a place to live! and she wasn't crawling back home with her tail between her legs). Her apartment looked like she'd annexed the archery sho, but she'd finally got the last bits and pieces out. Now all that remained was locking up, and handing the keys over to the landlord. If she got him the keys before 8am tomorrow, he would only charge her for half the month, rather than the whole. Turned out he knew some Armenian couple who needed a space for a tailor shop, and they were willing to pick up her lease /if/ they could have it before the end of the week.

She was going to miss this place.

She was looking around when the knock comes on the door.

"Sorry, closed for business," she calls out reluctantly. That really hurt. Like /really/ hurt to have to say. Sure, she was still in business technically, under Jessica, and Alias Investigations, but Hawkeye Investigations was no more. At least until the year apprenticeship ran out. "If you still need a PI," she's saying as she moves towards the door, "I can point you towards one."

Clever move, Kate. Send them to Alias!

Daredevil has posed:
The news that Kate was closing for business comes as a shock, his first thought was maybe she meant for the day, but when she offers to point him to another PI he knows it's something else.

"I know the other PI," Matt calls from the door. "She swears to much. Plus I owe you money."

Matt smiles to himself, leaning on his cane behind the door waiting for Kate to open it.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate hovers in her doorway - or what used to be her doorway - and chuckles at Matt. "Well, I hear she's hired herself a new assistant specifically to deal with those clients who would prefer the non-expletive experience. And I'm afraid I have no clue what you're talking about with regards to money."

Daredevil has posed:
There's a warm laugh from the other side of the door about the money. "Sorry did I say money, I meant subs. If you hadn't had the special from Nelson's Meats in Hell's Kitchen, you haven't lived."

As for the assitant bit, "And you signed on with Jess?" That was new.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Ooooo, subs, huh? Now, see, I'm not sure if I can accept one of those subs. That smacks really highly of trying to sneak payment past me in the form of delicious meat and bread slathered with cheese and special sauce."

She laughs at him, and gestures to the office, which is totally devoid of any trappings of business but for an empty desk and a single chair. (She'd taken the second chair home; it had been hers to begin with, bought at a second hand store around the corner).

"Can't really say come on in and we can discuss it, but my apartment is upstairs if you want to trek on up with me. I can make coffee. The milk is questionable. I have sugar. And not so much signed on as made a deal."

Daredevil has posed:
"I'd have to bring more than three subs to make things square," Matt says with a smile. "This is more of a thank you for helping gift. Two subs to eat now and a third for you to have tomorrow or whatever." He knew despite Kate's family situation she was living on shoe string budget.

Plus, he totally slipped the cash he owed her into the wrapper of the sub. She made this a game when she first refused, and while Matt was an honest lawyer, in this particular area, he wasn't afraid to cheat.

And he had to admit, it was also fun, and he needed fun right now.

His senses sweep over the office taking in the lack of furnishings reported by his senses. It was like staring into one of his own personal nightmares, Nelson and Murdock in a similar state.

"Sure, upstairs works," Matt says, "And sorry about your office. So, you decide to do this yourself or was that part of your deal with Jess?" he asks.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate gives the office one last look. She'd slip the keys under the landlord's door in an envelope on her way up to the apartment, but saying goodbye was hard. "Part of the deal," she murmurs. "Non-competition clause. It's not gone for good. Just for the interim. I can't seem to make a go of it on my own and I didn't want to have to go crawling back to my father and admit I'd failed."

She shrugs, and turns to Matt with a somewhat forced smile upon her lips. "It'll be good though. I'll get exposure, and experience, and I won't have to worry about making the books balance or all that other jazz. Just straight learning the ropes from someone who's already there. Won't be the first time I've gone that route."

And it wasn't. She'd learned from Clint in much the same fashion.
"Just let me lock up, and drop off the keys, and we can head upstairs."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt can't see the sad smiles but he can sense them and frowns, "If you want to keep it, I could talk to Jessica," he offers knowing he was walking on some dangerous ground there, not just with Jessica but Kate too, it was pretty clear she wanted to make it on her own steam but it was in Matt's nature to help.

As to experience and exposure, Matt can't help but nod. "Jessica is one of the best, you really couldn't find a better for teacher," he says honestly. "We send her most of our work form Nelson and Murdock."

"And sure thing, I can wait," he says grabbing a piece of wall to hold up. Matt was better shaven and better dressed than he was when she'd dropped by his apartment, but he still looked tired.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"So /you're/ why I couldn't make a go of it," Kate teases, trying to make light of her predicament. "And nah. I know it's for the better. Accepting your talking to her would just be one more person I owed things to. I can't keep racking up debts like that."

Even if it was a nice thought. Besides, other than his friendship, just what would Matt have to trade in to garner that favour. He was already sending Jessica and Alias almost all of his cases that needed a PI - he'd just said so.

Carefully, she locks up, and puts the key into an envelope, licking it and sealing it shut. A short walk down the hallway to a door on the far right, and she slips the envelope under the door, with a sighed and whispered, "Goodbye dreams. Hello sucking up my pride" before putting a smile back on her face and heading back to Matt and the staircase.

"Right. Top floor. Only door up there." Only the main floor had been split into two units: the small office space, and the larger apartment. The other two floors were single dwellings, one to a floor, making three tenants of the building, and the office space. It was going to be weird adding a commute to go to work in the morning.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt smiles a little guiltily at the tease. "Maybe," he says trying to play it off as a joke, even if his Catholic conscience was telling him otherwise. Kate's reasoning made sense, and put in the same position he might have done the same. "Neither a borrower or lender be, huh?" Matt asks. "I understand where you're coming from, but, if you change your mind..."

He leaves it at that, giving Kate at least the illusion of privacy while she said goodbye to her dreams.

Matt heads up with Kate to the door at the top of the stairs, waiting for her to let them both inside.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Something like?" Kate quips of the adage. And once she's delivered the keys, she leads Matt upstairs.

"It's not a mess, but it's pretty sparse, so you'll have to ignore that part. I'll let you have the loveseat, unless you don't mind being a bit cosy on it. Sorry, it was what was in the budget and it's not like I have a stream of guests over. And oh! You're not afraid of or allergic to dogs, are you ? Lucky is harmless, but he's also a bit of a suck. I'll put him in my room if you prefer. I know not everyone is a dog person."

And then they're there, at her door, which she unlocks and opens slowly to prevent Lucky from escaping in his joy that his mistress is home.

Daredevil has posed:
There is a smile for the quip and Matt follows Kate up the stairs, saying "Not going to make you stand in your own home, Kate, I don't mind sharing."

At the mention of the dog, he shakes his head. "Not alergic I don't think, and I like dogs, wanted one as a kid, never got one," he says as they climb the stairs.

He can already hear the dog stirring from his nap at the sound of Kate's voice and heading for the door, cocking his head, Matt says, "Yeah, he's heard us. Coming for the door. Anyhow, I'm good if he stays out with us."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
There's an inward wince from Kate who just now realizes he probably heard her lament downstairs. Not that there's help for it now. "Oh, I have the chair from the office - the one I had to buy for clients. Plus the one at the dinette table. I wouldn't have had to sit on the floor. I mean, I'm broke, but not destitute. Besides, this is only temporary. I'm still checking out paint swatches."

The lie drops blythely from her lips.

She swings the door open and Lucky is all nose and tail and wuffling first Kate, and then the newcomer - who is *infinitely* more interesting than his mistress by virture of the fact that he has food. And while she might be the font of all things kibble, he's got subs, which he remembers quite fondly from his street days. Second only to pizza crusts.

Kate attempts to shoo him back into the apartment. "We did not bring you dinner, you mangey beggar. If you stop it and leave Matt alone, I'll give you the gravy food." She asides to Matt. "It's not really gravy food, but if you put a half cup of hot water on it, he eats it fast enough that it doens't go soggy and it's really just like giving him gravy food. Actually, if you give me five, I can run him out to pee and be right back. Just make yourself at home?"

And without pause, she grabs Lucky's leash and coaxes the setter-cross into going out to do his business. Even if that nice man smells very much of tasty meat sandwiches.

Daredevil has posed:
Considering he'd tipped his hand at hearing what Kate said downstairs, Matt doesn't comment on her lie, though he hears the faint murmur of her heart clearly enough.

Then it's all about keeping the sandwiches out of Lucky's reach, which he does with a laugh, navigating his way inside the apartment as he does so.

"As long he eats it right?" Matt says of the gravy food, giving Lucky a chance to sniff his non-sandwich holding hand, before giving him a pat. "And sure thing," he says of Kate taking the dog out.

Then she's gone and he's in the apartment alone. He puts the subs down in the kitchen, then gives the place a scan with his senses, making a quick circuit of the living area so he can touch things as well as just feel them with his other senses. It gave him a more complete picture of the space.

Besides, who didn't like to snoop?

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Lucky, as it happens, takes his time. His business seems to involve sniffing *everything*, not once, not twice, but three or four times. Of course, it's not just a piddle he needs to make, and by the time Kate makes it back to her apartment, Matt has had plenty of time to snoop.

The place it pretty spartan, but what's there is decent enough. It's like she's made the choice to have less rahter than junk. There's the loveseat, and the chair from the office, the table and chair in the kitchenette, and a decent enough kitchen. A row of plants on her windowsills. A bookcase that isn't hurting for books and might need a friend in the very near future.

And, of course, all of Kate's bows, quivers, and arrows. Plus random fletchign materials that despite her best intentions have not kept to their corner of the room. Quit possibly because of the lack of an office.

Daredevil has posed:
The bows are to be expected, Matt's father's boxing gear sort of expanded into all parts of their place when he was a kid and he took it as a sign of passion. So, while the rest of the apartment is explored it's the bows that catch and hold his interest. He uses his senses more than his hands to explore them, not wanting to mess with another vigilante's kit, but the urge is there to pick one up and try the draw. Matt hadn't shot in years, not since Stick first taught him, the memory made his fingers hurt, but he also remembered it was calming, once he finally got the knack of using his senses at range.

He manages to avoid the temptation, but his interest leave a few arrows out of place, and a bit of fletching falls to the floor softly enough a truck outside masks it's fall from Matt's keen ears.

Snooping done he heads to the kitchen to find some plates to pull the two sandwiches without money out of the bag. He unwraps his and takes a bite while waiting for Kate to get back.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"I swear, you are the most annoying dog. You didnt' need to bark at Mrs. Neville. You see her *every* day. And don't you wag your tail at me like that. You are a bad dog, Lucky. A bad dog. Do you hear me?"

Of course there isn't a single iota of true scolding tone to her voice whatsoever. Which might be why Lucky continues to wag his tail at his mistress. He knows she's a soft touch. And of course one barks at Mrs. Neville! How would she know it was him otherwise?

Kate lets them both into her apartment, and out of habit locks the door behind her. "Sorry it took so long. Someone had to number two and couldn't find the perfect spot. Give me a minute to wash my hands..."

She lets Lucky go, who trots over to the loveseat and takes up a perch there (not that he's allowed on the furniture or anything; not that he cares). Kate washes her hands in the bathroom, and frowns as she passes by her things on the way back. She could swear she'd left those *there*, and unless Lucky had been poking at her stuff, *that* shouldn't be on the floor?

"Everything go okay while I was out? See you made yourself at home."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt smiles hearing Kate come up the stairs chiding Lucky, and still is when she enters.

"Sure," he says before taking another bite of his sandwich as Kate goes to wash-up. Chewing he sets his sandwich down and makes his over to Lucky, crouching to give the dog a proper hello and accompanying pats. Though when Kate returns he stands, "Yeah, I hope you don't mind?" the shift of her attention to the archery stuff is noticed. "Might have been admiring the bows," he confesses.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Might have been?" Kate scoffs, bending to right the few things he's touched, and pick up the small bit that has fallen to the floor. "And not a problem. They're not a secret or anything. If you weren't stringing the bows and shooting at my walls, it's not really a big deal."

She notes he's started eating, and laughs. He really did make himself at home. And now, given Lucky has gone to sit beside Matt, she takes up the office chair (simple and wooden) to sit across from Matt and enjoy the lunch he's so thoughtfully provided. "Mmffff This is good," she mumbles around an overlarge mouthful of sub.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt smiles, "I thought about it but figured it might be rude," he says as he takes a seat beside lucky. "It seemed like nice stuff though, better than what I was trained with."

The smile remains in place when she notes he's been eating already and that the subs are pretty good. "My law partner, Foggy, his family sells these, they pretty much kept me from starving in college," he says with a chuckle. "Right up there with Gino's pizza." Gasp! Sacrilege!

"Anyhow, wanted to check on you, see how your arm was, and maybe talk about a couple of things, if that's alright?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"You and a bow?" Kate sounds disbelieving, then remembers. "Right. You and your vodoo hokum powers or whatever it is. Same way you fight, huh? Or do you mean before you were blind?"

Because she knew, from her research, that he wasn't born that way.

"Enh, the arm hurts. Not as much as it did when he shot me. Seriously, who hands out firearms to the peons? Don't they know they're dangerous?" Like she'd never fired one. (Of course she had; and she had excellent aim, too).

Daredevil has posed:
The smile is still there but now, just a little bit cocky, "After," he says. "And yeah, same way I fight: my 'hookum powers'," there is a chuckle there. "It's like I can feel everything around me all at once, on top of that my regular senses are dialed up to 11 and it all comes together in a 360 degree mental image of what's going on around me. But anyhow my mentor, the guy you met the other night, he taught me to shoot a bow, I think it was mostly an exercise in trusting my senses, that said he's a pretty good shot when it comes down to it."

Matt lifts his shoulder in a shrug and has a bite of his sandwich, chewing and swallowing before he says. "Glad the arm's okay and sorry for mixing you up in all of that. I'd have warned you about the potential for ninjas if I'd thought they were actively looking for him, they were supposed to think he was dead." Matt wasn't sure what happened with that to be honest, except for the kid selling them out.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate chuckles. "Wait, you have a standard 'there's a potential for ninjas' speech?" She takes a huge bite of sub and drawls around it. "There's a story here, I just know it. And I want to hear that speech."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt's smile tightens, "I wouldn't say it's a 'standard' one, but a speech is shaping up since we started dealing with the Hand. " He sets his sandwich down. "That's what they're called, the Hand, they're this ancient cult of ninjas who have their fingers in all sorts of criminal enteprises," his expressions suggests he knows how that sounds. "I wish I was making this all up but they're real, and dangerous, and I should have warned you ahead of time."

There's a pause then he adds, "So, that was more or less it, probably needs a bit more detail, he says with a bit of a smile before becoming serious again.

"Anyhow, what we did the other night hurt them, Genus was the key to information on their operations and we got that key to SHIELD, who sound like they're willing to take the fight to them. So, if it helps any all that danger was for a good cause."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Oh god, I was only kidding!" Kate exclaims as he launches into an *actual* speech about the whole ninja thing. "You really have a speech. Oh my god. You really have a speech."

It takes her a bit to get over the whole thing and to focus in on what he's saying.

"So, wait, what. This chick you were dating, she was the Hand?" Because she's done her research and put the bits and pieces all together on who, what, when, why, where, and how. Except for, you know, these final little details. "And that's the reason we all nearly died there in the tunnels, because she set them up? I don't think I follow. Even if I buy that mystic.. whatever the heck it is you just told me."

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica has a knack for stepping in precisely at inopportune times, she was about to just check up on Kate, but instead, she looks directly to Matt. "Hold the press, you telling me Elektra was part of The Hand?" Jessica doesn't say anything, particularly after her last conversation with Matt, but she does have that 'I told you so' look on her face.

Daredevil has posed:
"Danger of my night job apparently," Matt explains about the speech. "I'm honestly beginning to miss mobsters and drug dealers."

Not that he didn't take time out of his night to drop in on them too, but they were far from his main focus at the moment.

"If you don't buy that, wait until you meet my friend who fought a dragon," Matt quips lightly before getting serious again. "The chick's name is Elektra, and yes, she was with the Hand. They were using her, and she used them back, got data out to SHIELD made sure that they couldn't use her for what they were really planning either."

Then enter Jessica, it was a testiment Matt had been focused on the conversation and didn't hear her come up. "Yeah, Elektra was with the Hand, she took out some of their leadership but it left them in a stalemate, so they conned her into thinking they were letting her lead them and that she was lessening the damage they were doing."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate just shakes her head as her apartment becomes grand central station so to speak with the arrival of Jessica. "Nice to see you too. Ever hear of knocking? And hold the presses, his girlfriend wasn't just with the Hand, she /was/ the Hand." Yeah, she'd figured that out with the whole Genus thing. If Matt was going to spill the beans, he was going to spill the entire can, not just the top juicy bits. ER.. okay, maybe that's not the best phrasing.

"And you," she nods her chin at Matt. "Seriously. We have to talk about your night job." There's a grin with that.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica does pause a moment as Matt speaks to Kate, if only to vouch for his ludicrous tidbit, "actually he's right, that guy totally fought a dragon. He apparently won too." She shrugs, "you know my thoughts about such thing, I don't even have a door, well, I do, it's just useless." As an aside to Matt, she quips, "broken again, payment refusals, go figure."

Jessica looks from Matt to Kate, than crosses her arms, "let's just say you're better off meeting Mr. Murdock in the courtroom. You have more of a shot there." Looking back at Matt, she notes, "girl knew Elektra was 'The Hand' as she put it, I'm sure she knows more about you than she's letting on."

Daredevil has posed:
There is a faint hint of levity in Matt's voice when he asks about Jess' door, "What's that now at lease one a month?" he asks before turning his head towards Kate. "Hope you can fix doors," he says. "As for the dragon, you can be sure our friend believes it," he says, that much Matt knew from Danny's heartbeat, but Matt wasn't quite sure he was ready to believe in dragons.

"Yeah, she was the 'Fist that Rules the Hand', it's what they called their leader," he says. "But like I said it was a scam and they just wanted to lull her into a false sense of security so they could turn her into some weapon called the Black Sky," he turns to Jess. "Like you said, it's like they got into science fiction," he says. "Anyhow," he pauses to consider his words, given how they effected Jess last time. "She took herself out so that wouldn't happen and left us a file that only that Genus guy could open with a bunch of details on the Hand. "

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Heh. Not a carpenter," Kate says. "Though I did do a Habitats for Humans weekend. No first aid necessary." She looks to her new 'boss'. "We might be okay? Though how do you keep losing doors anyway?"

She leans, setting her sub down, and moving Lucky, her dog, off of the loveseat and away from Matt. "You. Bedroom," she tells him, and looking sulky, the dog goes as he's told, leaving Jessica a spot to sit next to Matt.

Kate's gaze drifts between the two, fairly certain JJ's words are an indication that the woman knows more about Matt than what's on the surface, too, but reluctant to dump his secrets out into the open just in case. "More about Matt than what?"

There. Let them sort that one out.

Instead, she grabs the third sub - because it's damned rude to eat in front of someone else - and holds it out to Jess. "Look, we have an extra. Come eat. I promise Matt won't bite." No word on how she knows Matt won't bit. She just says it. "And wait, what? So she totally played them because they played her? And how does someone get to be the leader of an international criminal organization anyway, without being.. you were /dating/ her, Matt. How on earth does that work? You're a lawyer?"

Kate is pretty sure she's missed a vital piece of this story, all the while mulling the bit about 'took herself out', coming up with the only answer she can, "She killed herself?"

The news had reported suspicious circumstances, but that no charges would be laid.

Jessica Jones has posed:
As far as Jessica is concerned, she encountered the Devil himself, so it's easier for her to buy dragons. Maybe not in the full sense of the word, but than Danny was such a geek, and such paragon of candor, she just couldn't take him for a liar.

"As I was saying...it ranges from customers who refuse to pay, to assholes who deserve it, sometimes people accidentally fly out my door rather harsly, they realize they need to leave in a hurry..." Jessica more or less tells the truth as she answers Kate. Even if not the whole of it.

As Jessica takes the sandwich, she scoffs at Kate's shock at the idea of Matt dating the leader of a terrorist ninja cult, "feh! She's not even the most dangerous woman he dated, stick around long enough, you'll learn...Matt has a special power, he dates women that rank among the top 10 most dangerous in the world. Maybe the universe..." and here comes her first bite, food is good.

Even as she munches, Jessica notes with a full mouth, "Elektra was fucking brave, I'll give her that..."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt leaves the business of the doors to Jessica. Not offering any comment on her partial explanation about how it keeps getting broken, figuring Kate will see for herself soon enough.

As for the sub, it's good, one of the ones from Foggy's family butcher shop, Matt's likely brought one around, mostly because he gets them free on the 'family' discount and until recently Matt was almost always strapped for cash. Though, the sub in question isn't hurting for funds, because tucked in the wrapper is an envelope full of cash. Money Kate wouldn't take for work she did for Matt; money Matt forgot with all these questions about Elektra.

"Listen, Kate," Matt say leaving his own sub lie, he'd lost his appetite. "Dating might not be the right word for it and I know whatever it was flew in the face of the laws of God, man and the New York Bar association, but..." How did he explain she was the only person who got him, who understood Matt Murdock as a whole and not the masks he wore in his civilian and vigilante lives. "Anyhow, she was important to me and yes she was the head of the Hand, because she made them afraid of her, they figured better to buy her off with the hope of changing things than lose more members to her."

He sounds almost proud of it.

The question about Elektra's death brings it all back, the smell of blood and incense in the dojo, the last gurgle of her breath before her heart finally stopped. Matt's features go ashen and he stands. "More or less," he says. "Anyhow the point is Kate, I am sorry I got you involved and put you in danger, I should probably go."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate just groans at Jessica as she pieces together the how of the doors. "How is it we aren't being sued every other week?" Because the phrase 'at least once a month' had come up. Then her eyes narrow down on Matt. "Oh, my god. She's got you on retainer, doesn't she?" Kate nearly collapses in giggles over the whole thought.

Kate has no idea what's going on with Jessica's sub - especially as she's so busy shaking her head at Matt, caught between laughter, and a much more sober consideration of his relationship with Elektra Natchios - a woman the world wouldn't have seen as described here in her livingroom. And holy crap (crap is not a swear!), did Jessica actually say something nice about someone else?

"Fine. If you weren't dating, you were knocking boots. Is that really a distinction in a court of law? Did you know who she was and what she did while you two were.. what am I saying. Of course you knew."

She has the grace to look sad for him as he goes on, shrugging, "Enh. Not a problem. It's kind of what I do. You know, help those who can't help themselves. Put evil in its place - from a distance, of course." Girl being an archer and all.

Oh, yeah, JJ? there's a metric butt ton of archery equipment in this place.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica stops short of eating the cash, because it's totally she could absent mindedly do, don't underestimate the amount of alcohol she consumes. But today was a lucky day, and she actually noticed from the familiar money smell, making her take the 'sandwich' far away from her mouth. "Okay, this is either a prank, or one of you guys trying to sneak me money...which is it and why?" Looks like Jessica isn't the sort to just take money offered out of the blue like that.

"The reason I'm not sued every other week, is because I'm very convincing. Seems that after people get thrown through my door, they don't want to test whether I really can pull their underwear through their eye or not, so they keep away from me." Yeah, Jessica has a unique way of making beliveable threats. Not to mention vivid.

Daredevil has posed:
"Not me, but she's got another lawyer who looks out for her," he pauses, then adds, "Also the threats help."

"I knew," Matt says. "It was complicated..." Again he trails off not quite able to go into details about it. Not now anyways. "Anyhow still sorry that I didn't give you a better idea of what you were in for, Kate," he says before adding to Jess. "And thanks," he says to her earlier comment about Elektra's bravery.

Matt still hasn't made a move to leave when the money's discovered and when it is, he can't help but snort at the discovery. Damn it, this was the sort of day he was going to have, wasn't it?

"The money is for Kate, she was refusing payment, I had to get creative."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Of course it was complicated," Kate says rolling her eyes. Eye rolling that stops when she hears him confess about the money, which she now sees has been discovered by Jessica in the third sub. The third sub that would have been sitting in her fridge for a meal tomorrow if she'd not had the unexpected visit of her boss.

"That is so low, Matt Murdock." She gives him a glare.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica gets up and walks up to Kate, almost slamming the envelope with the money into her lap, "as your mentor, let me teach you an important lesson, when you're given pay for services rendered, you take it. That goes before any detective skills. Fuck, I need to break my door once a month to get people to pay sometimes, and you just get it out of thin air..." she rolls her eyes and turns to look at Matt, "or maybe I need more Catholic clients. In any case, all seems well here, so we'll talk more over at Alias, Kate, later Matt."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate fishmouths for a moment or two, because she's now caught in the cross hairs between Jessica, and Matt. And there isn't a graceful way out of this one that doesn't end poorly for her. Between the two, or Jessica, or Matt, Jessica has a firmer grip on her future than Matt.

Reluctantly she snaps up the envelop. "You win round one, Murdock. But you and me, on the rooftops at midnight for week. Round two."

Daredevil has posed:
"Catholic clients are hard to find, it's the divorce thing," Matt quips of clients like him. "Less need for PIs"

Not that being Catholic really stopped people from getting divorced this day and age, but the joke stands.

"Later, Jess," he says, as the detective makes her exit.

As to the payment, he offers a subdued smirk, "Probably was dirty pool, but, I've got the money to pay you so might as well get paid, right?" Then when she mentions rooftops and midnight, he quirks a brow above the lenses of his shades. "Are we teaming up or should I expect an arrow to the knee?" he asks gamely.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"How do you have.." She peers into the envelope and holds it out to him. "This much money. This is way over the top Murdock. I don't care if you are working for that pro-bono fund, I can't take this kind of cash."

"And teaming up, you dimwit. Why would I shoot you in the knee?" As though reasons to shoot him in the knee, and his dirty trick with the money aren't even on the same page.

It could be noted that overall, Kate is a forgiving soul.

Daredevil has posed:
That was the question. "Guess you didn't see the news, Elektra left me everything, the money, the island, her stake in the company," leave it to Matt to say that like it was grim burden set on his shoulders not a winfall of life changing proportions. "So, the money's no problem."

Even that was hard to wrap his head around, money had always been scarce for him, but now, given the statements provided by the lawyers, the amount in the envelope was almost meaningless, a drop in the bucket against his newfound wealth.

"And wanted to check, wasn't sure how much of a grudge you'd hold," he jokes. "But sure, could use the back up."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate takese that in. No, she hadn't seen the news. Not that, at least. She does some mental calculations. "Holy crap. You're richer than I am. I mean, richer than my dad even."

She looks trapped with the envelope of money, like she doesn't want to take it, and feels she has to protest on the grounds of it's too much, but then again, it's not even a blip in the daily interest he makes on the fortune he has if what he's saying is true.

"Wow. That's.." She shakes her head and laughs softly. "We can't let my dad find out about this. He'll try to find some way to hook us up. You're like one of the few friends he'd actually not look down his snooty nose at, and only because of the money."

She gives him an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, he's not all that big on lawyers. Money talks, though. At least in his world." His very small and limited world.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt takes his spot back on the love seat, nodding, "Guess so," he says, not really knowing how rich the Bishops were. Money while scarce had never really been something that interested him beyond bare practicalities. He certainly didn't fetishise it like Kate's father did.

Sensing Kate's distress, Matt levels with her, "If you feel honour bound to refuse the money I understand, I'll take it back and won't breathe a word to Jess. For my part I'm only pushing the matter because you made it a challenge and I needed a bit of fun right now. Also, you got shot on the job, so maybe there's a bit of guilt in there too," he shrugs a shoulder and offers a tired smile. "As Jess likes pointing out I'm Catholic."

There's a chuckle at the idea of Kate's dad hooking them up, "That the reason for your dating woes?" he asks, remembering her mentioning something like that in their earlier meetings. "Your dad runs off the ones not in your tax bracket?"

As for her dad not being big on lawyers, Matt smiles, "From what I read I don't blame him, he's had his share of legal scrapes," mostly of the litigous sort rather than the criminal. "Besides, it's a common afliction."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"I honestly don't know what to do about the money. I mean, part of refusing it was, you know, we were both broke." Not that Kate is technically, in all senses taht count, broke.

She's shaking her head, "My dad thinks all of this is some dream I'll give up when I come to my senses and realize what's important in life. He's all about the zeros. And I get it. Money speaks. And he thinks he's doing a good job in the world. I suppose he does somehow." Her father was behind a lot of the charity work his daughter did. He just didn't believe she should be living like any of the people they helped while doing so. It was a contradiction in terms they didn't see eye to eye on. "If he gets wind that I know you, and you have money?"

She's still shaking her head when the perfect solution to it all hits. "Hey, actually, I have an idea, if you're willing to consider going along with it?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matt chuckles, "I appreciate the solidarity," he says warmly. "Hold on to it for now, if you decide you want to keep it, no problem and if you want to give it back? Well, you know where I live."

"Sounds to me like you already know what's important," Matt says. "And it's not zeroes in a bank account, don't let him wear you down. You're doing good work," a smlie, "Even if it doesn't pay that well."

As for the idea? Matt grins, imagining this was going to be interesting, "What do you have in mind?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Well," Kate says with a sly grin, "It seems to me we might be able to help one another out. I mean, I don't like you any more than you like me that way, right? But nobody else knows that."

She goes on to explain, "You just came into all this money, and trust me, you don't know it yet, but women are going to come crawling out of the woodwork to fawn over you about it. That you inherited it because your girlfriend died is only going to make the sharks frenzy evven more."

A twinkle in her eyes joins the sly grin. "What if we kept all the sharks off of each others backs by pretending this tragedy had drawn us together and we're an item. I'm a consumate liar." She is. At least when it comes to fitting in. "And you're used to pretending almost every hour of the day. What say we stop the madness before it begins?"

Daredevil has posed:
Oh that sly grin comes through in Kate's words, and he can all but see the twinkle in her eye. She wasn't wrong about the feeding frenzy, by the time he got back from the Hellas press conference Karen had already been fielding calls from the society pages asking for an interview with the handsome lawyer from the press conference. Matt had played it off with his usual dismissive, 'there was a handsome lawyer at the press conference?' but it did worry him a little. The last thing he needed were distractions right now.

Kate on the other hand was perfect, they both needed cover, they could stand each other, and they knew about each other's other life.

Matt can't help but chuckle as he answers, "Sounds like a plan. How do we get started?"

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate had expected more resistance than that, so when he answers sure, she's taken back a moment. The envelope of money is set down, forgotten for the moment, as the young archer pushes a hand through her hair, looking thoughtful.

"Well, the obvious answer is to be seen together at a couple of the right parties. Let word spread on its own, and give some sort of society page interview where I giggle like a schoolgirl, and you look blushingly flustered that you discovered me.

She shrugs, looking almost pained. "I'm not really big on this dating thing. Last guy I liked still doesn't know I exist."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt didn't see any point in fighting the idea, besides the part of him that compelled him to make those wry little jokes about his secret identity practically demanded he do this, just for the amusement of playing that game on a much larger scale, even if it was for lesser stakes.

They didn't call him Daredevil for nothing.

"That works," Matt says of showing up to the right parties. "Was thinking of checking a few of them out anyhow, just for the novelty of being on the guest list," that statement makes it's own suggestions as to how he'd visited those parties in the past.

As for dating, "Hawkeye right?" he says of the guy who doesn't notice her. She'd mentioned him before. "And yeah, dated a bit before Elektra came back, only one was really serious, the rest," he makes a face. "I had to keep too many secrets. So, I feel your pain."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
Kate makes a softly groaning noise. "Fine, I'm not the best kept secret in the world, but some of them are dumb as bricks about the things that matter to me. If they actually knew I was the other Hawkeye?" She's not really sure what it would mean, other than trouble she'd prefer not to find out any more about.

It tweaks, though, finally, what me meant about Elektra. "That was it, wasn't it? You didn't have to pretend with her." She didn't know why he didn't have to pretend with Elektra, but it was clear he hadn't. "And yeah. Hawkeye. I'm just the dumb kid sister he never had. Didn't look twice at me that way. Turns out he's dating that friend of yours. Even taught her how to use a bow."

She laughs, but it's a sad sound.

"I can get you on those lists if you aren't already. Trust me, you're not missing much. At least not much more than you saw by sneaking in if I follow you correctly."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt can sympathize, "That's the other thing, finding a connection," he says. "I'm guessing whatever drives us to put on a costume and hang out on rooftops at night sort of makes it hard to connect to the people who don't. Different interests, different values. And yeah, I can imagine it'd take a lot of adjustment expecting another Upper East Side Debutante and ending up with a superhero. Anyone ever make the transition?"

Then she gets it, and Matt nods, sadly, "Yeah, she saw me, not just Daredevil, not that I was wearing the suit back then, or the version of Matt Murdock I show the world, but all of me, she understood it, even if she didn't exactly agree with everything and I think I saw her too, the real her. Though with Elektra, you could never be sure, that was part of the fun," he says with a fond if sad smile.

He moves onto Kate's love woes with the sound of that sad laugh. "Sounds like Hawkeye needs a new codename if just thinks of you as a little sister," he says. "How you feel about him seems hard to miss," he says with a gentle smile.

"And yeah didn't seem like my crowd back then either, but, it was fun sneaking in, so hopefully this whole dating ruse will make up for it, we can do the parties then retreat to Josie's to relax somewhere more our scene."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"No. Nobody ever made the transition. I guess I thought if I didn't worry about it like other girls it would happen to me. Only, you know, it didn't. And he just never saw it. I think I wanted to believe he might see it, but I always knew he didn't."

She gives a fond, if sad, smile of her own. "Still, would rather have him as a friend than not at all. Besides, he sounds like he's genuinely happy. What kind of a heel would I be to ruin that?"

She makes a point of saying, "And no worries. I know it sounds bad, me mooning over him and then turning around and assuring you I'm not going to fall for you, but trust me, I'm not looking for a ready made boyfriend. You're nice and all, but I don't know, the chemistry isn't there? Something. Just thought I should make it clear, you know, knowing your secret and all. But we can get you through these first couple of months relatively unscathed as far as the debutante set goes, and after that, if you want your freedom, we'll figure out a way to make a public enough splash taht everyone knows you're free."

A grin. "Josie's sounds like a good chaser to most of the parties you're going to get invited to. And I will let you buy me drinks there."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt flinches a little to hear no one ever made the transition, as for Clint, he nods, "I get that," he says. "Wanting him to be in your life somehow, even if it's not the way you wanted it to be." Lord knows he knew what was like, even if he'd been closer to Elektra than Kate had been to Clint.

There's a nod and a chuckle for the other, "I feel like I should almost be offended," he jokes, before raising a hand lest she get the wrong idea. "I'm not though, and for what it's worth, I'm just really glad you're my friend right now. I dunno, you make things brighter," he says with a shrug and a smile. "Maybe it's your optimism. Anyhow, dating's not even on my radar right now, because of Elektra and well, everything else. I barely have time to breathe. So, yeah., happy to patrol and tweak society's noses with you and cool our heels at Josie's, but not really looking for anything more either."

As for him buying drinks, "I guess I'm the rich guy, so sure, drinks are on me. Might even chip in for wings."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Ooooo, big spender. You might go broke keeping the two of us in wings. Certianly if you invite those other friends of yours." Kate smiles. "It's not an insult. I mean, can you imagine my suggesting this if I were interested in you? Would be a pretty stupid and complicated way of asking you out, and I know you don't know my all that well, but speaking my mind really hasn't been a problem for me."

Other than Clint. Somehow she'd never managed to find the words to tell him. Possibly because she knew what his response would have been.

"Anyway, it's okay now, between us. Clint and I, I mean. It would be really awkward if he found out now."

Daredevil has posed:
"Well, I can think of worse ways of going broke," Matt says. "And our friends are definitely invited."

The scenario she paints next gets a laugh, "Yeah, that'd be bordering on a Shakespearean comed," he admits before chuckling and assuring, her, "You're right I don't know you that well, but trust me, I did notice you speak your mind,"

He taps an ear. "Great hearing," he teases.

As for Clint finding out, Matt nods, "I understand and he's not going to hear it from me if that's the worry. I don't want to mess up anyone's life here." Especially since he had two friends involved now. "That goes for Skye too."

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"Hey, if that's code for lay off the girlfriend, remember me? Got shot rescuing her friend for you. Friend who shot me? At your ninja party?" Kate laughs. "You so owe me, Matt Murdock. So. What do you think. Start that seven days tonight?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matt laughs, unable to interject before Kate's already made her statement, he's chuckling too much, "No, no, saying I'm not going to go tell Skye about what you feel about Clint. No need for any of that drama in any of our lives right now."

As for the timing, he nods, "Seven days works, doesn't look like we hooked up as soon as I got back to the city," he says before adding. "Also, speaking of hooking up, if I'm going to have to sleep over occasionally to sell this thing to the paparazzi, you definitely need a futon or something," he pats the love seat. "Not a lot of room to stretch out." Not that sleeping was really something Matt does.

Hawkeye (Bishop) has posed:
"So with you on the drama business." But he has a point. Her place isn't really set up for guests. "Hrm."

Gaze flicks to the envelope on the table between them.

"There's probably enough there to get something suitable to sleep on, isn't there? I suppose I could make that happen." Even if it really grated to have to accept the money.

Daredevil has posed:
There's a solid nod of agreement on the drama business, it didn't help either of them to have lives blow up around them.

Matt finishes wrapping up the sandwich and stands reaching for his cane. "Probably, but don't use it if you don't want to, I can get something to sleep on, it's not a problem," he says. He probably did neet a mat or something to haul with him if he ever needed to run, he'd just store it here.

"Anyhow, it should be an interesting fake relationship, Kate," he says with a smile at the absurdity of the statement. "And I'll see you on the rooftops."