Disclaimer: I dont own Marvel, Or Mac Taylor :) (yeah thats right I've used him again)
This chapter may seem a little rushed, but I'd like to think it came out pretty well, it got to the heart of the issue. But thats for you to decide, enjoy.
She-Hulk: The Hunt
Chapter 4: Back to the office
A day after Herc's funeral and its back to business as usual. Sitting in this damn office all day irritates me, I want to be out there hitting something. But at the same time I know that Jennifer Walters's life is healthy because she has a job to support her living. I can't be like my cousin, with no security or relief from the fights, all anger and no peace. Unlike Bruce I've got great colleagues and a fantastic boyfriend.
It was another night of comfort for Jen, she passionately kissed Foley and led him the bedroom. This was their ritual for every day. First would come work, in which they would distract one another with glances and flirts. Then would come their lunches at subway and take out dinners whenever Jen wasn't working late. Even if she did work late, She-Hulk always found a way to get back home to make love to her boyfriend.
This is my life, my drug; I can't get enough of Foley now. My flirtations with Jack seem to be forgotten now; cause whenever I'm at work alls I can seem to focus on is my relationship with Foley, this ordinary boring man. But he's still an amazing kisser.
A giant green woman in a business suit would have been a disturbing sight. But not for She-Hulk's law firm. Right now the firm was abuzz with clients. In fact the office was filled with hundreds of men and women looking for a representative for one specific case. If that wasn't enough however Foggy Nelson had requested She-Hulk's help for a case he was working, a case that was very important to him.
"How's he doing Foggy?" Jen asked as she entered Foggy's office.
"He could use a lot of friends right now Jen, and I mean the kind of friends he made from the other life, Spider-man seems to be stuck swinging across the city and half of the old Avengers crowd wont go near Hammer. But Jennifer your above all of that now, Hammer ignores you why don't you go and visit Matt?" Foggy asked.
"I'm sorry Foggy, I've love to help you but there are bigger issues at the moment, yes Matt's trial is important but lets not forget that we've got hundreds of people out there and on the phones asking us for help on suing the United states government! Then there's the Ashford case and my Avengers duties, I'm swamped right now Foggy I'm sorry," She-Hulk explained.
Part of me feels guilty for lying to Foggy. I could visit Matt Murdock, if I wasn't so focused on Foley all the time. Whenever I have free time I run to Foley, ask him for advice, a date and then there's the kisses. I can't get enough of it.
"But Jen, I need your help on this case, I can't provide a good defence for Matt and he's depending on me to keep him out of jail. Please Jen I know you're busy but cant you put everything aside for a friend?" Foggy asked.
"Let it go Foggy, I have other responsibilities," Jen turned to Foggy, anger flashing in her eyes.
"AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS!" Foggy yelled.
Jen slammed her hand into the desk, leaning across the table and shooting Foggy a glare that knocked him into his seat.
"Matt Murdock has spent most of his life trying to do things alone Foggy and now at the end he needs help? Sorry but as far as I'm concerned Matt Murdock dug his own grave, he could have gotten help whenever he wanted to with this Shadowland mess, but now that's it happened Matt Murdock can rot in prison for all I care," She-Hulk explained.
She turned to the doorway, the desk splitting in half as she exited the office.
Why do I feel so angry? Foggy was only trying to help Matt and now that I step back and think about it he's right, Matt needs help this time and we cant just stand by as Hand locks him away.
"Miss Hulk!"
I'm overcome with joy as Foley walks up to me. Without hesitation I grip his mouth with mine. We stand there for just five seconds before separating.
"Miss Ashford is waiting for us She-Hulk," Foley smiled at Jen as they separated.
"Thank you, back to work it seems," Jen sighed.
"I can cook you something when we get home, then we can sit on the coach and maybe watch an old movie," Foley explained.
I instantly agree, being with him just fills me with so much joy. A part of me wants to forgo the Ashford case and just drag Foley into my office. But the part of me that's She-Hulk and Jennifer Walters knows that I have a responsibility, to my clients, to my family and especially my friends. Daredevil needs an attorney and Tony Stark needs a Hulk.
Jen straightened out her hair as she and Foley walked into the interview room. Mrs Ashford was sitting at the table, an untouched glass of water resting in front of her. Foley and Jen both took seats in front of her, the latter looked at the woman with a comforting expression. Jen laid out the documents in her suitcase, cycling through copies of police reports and photos of evidence that had been recovered. They and a few other things were vital to forming a case to keep Ashford out of prison.
"Okay Mrs Ashford, police reports state that you assisted your husband in concealing several crimes, obviously you want to plead innocent so I thought I'd get your side of the story. Explain to me how you've never assisted your husband in a crime," Jen crossed her arms and waited patiently as the upset woman spoke.
"Well She-Hulk…" Ashford paused, unused to referring to an attorney by a super hero name. "My husband provided our family with a very good life, financially we were always provided for and he was a good father. When we dated I could always tell that there was a darkness to him, but I guess you could say that's what attracted me, he took drugs but then he cleaned up, medical reports should say that…"
"I have read them Jen, Mrs Ashford is right, Mr Ashford had passed several drugs tests and whenever the police stopped his car he'd be free of alcohol and other illicit substances, even medical drugs," Foley explained, partly amazed by the perfect medical history.
"We had the best health care, our kids had the best education so there was never any reason for me to doubt my husband. But then there were days when Clyde began coming home in a state of extreme stress and one day he walks in with blood on his shirt. I demanded to know what was going on, but Clyde ignored me, he said alls I needed to worry about was being the good wife," Ashford explained.
"The neighbours didn't report of any disturbances," Jen said.
"Clyde had a way of threatening people without having to injure or shout, he made it clear that if I didn't do exactly as he said then he would hurt the children. So whenever he came to me saying he needed an alibi or help hiding something I did it, I never knew how severe his crimes were or how high up he was in the…I guess you could say crime family, I'd been working up the courage to call the police when I knew I had something."
Ashford stopped as she rubbed her eyes. Jen placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, patting it lightly.
"Its okay, go on," she said.
"One day, after the invasion Clyde walked into the house with blood on his suit. He was drenched, so drenched that he covered me when he bumped into me. All of a sudden he tells me that he's killed someone and that something is after him. I was waiting for him to leave the house again so I could call the police when all of a sudden this thing comes into our home. It wielded a scythe of some kind and attacked Clyde. The next thing I know Clyde's blood is spraying out of his neck and onto me, I screamed so hard that the whole neighbourhood was alert, I'm just so damn lucky that thing didn't attack me and the kids," Ashford sighed as she hugged her arms.
"Its okay Mrs Ashford, he cant get to you here. When we get to court you should tell the jury about that night, that along with the lack of evidence the police have should be enough to get you free, I promise you wont see a jail cell," She-Hulk explained.
Again Jen patted the woman's back, hugging her as softly as she could. With her job done, Jen returned to her office. She was surprised to see a man in a suit waiting. He had short brown hair and a face the reminded Jen of a movie star she once saw. The man reached into his pocket, flashing a NYPD badge.
"Miss Walters, Detective Mac Taylor, New York City Crime lab, I was the officer that examined the scene of the Ashford case," he said.
"Ah Detective Taylor I've heard of your work, the recent shooting of Osborn's son was unfortunate," Jen said, sitting at her desk.
"Mr Osborn is currently under intensive medical care and while I do have concerns about Osborn I'd like to put forward to the Avengers I'm afraid that's not why I'm here. I'm here to discuss you taking on the Ashford case," Mac narrowed his eyes slightly, causing She-Hulk to crush the pencil she held.
"I see," Jen growled slightly.
Jen felt her muscles expand slightly, a sign that she was getting very angry. But that seemed so strange for her when she had greater control than her cousin.
That's an understatement, I feel like I want to smash this guy but Bruce would be listening to him…even when he's Hulked out. Wait; shouldn't I be describing my feelings, like my muscles expanding?
You shouldn't even be aware of what I'm typing.
Well I am aware and where did you get the idea for my new costume? The headband look doesn't suit me. I prefer the jeans look, could you write me wearing jeans instead?
I could switch to that Frank Cho concept he did for Might Avengers, you know the one with your cleavage showing.
I don't know whether to be complimented or offended at his art. Still I did like the time he drew me wearing jeans, please switch me to jeans.
Fine…anyway moving on, despite She-Hulk's shift in mood, Mac showed no sign of hesitation.
"You seem to be having your own conflicts at the moment Miss Walters and while I do support the court system I wanted to say that I think you should be helping the Avengers, not trying to keep guilty parties out of jail," Mac explained.
She-Hulk suddenly rose from her desk, leaning so heavily against the desk that cracks former on the top.
"I've made my living keeping supposedly guilty parties out of jail, what gives you the right to say Mrs Ashford is guilty?" Jen asked, glaring as Mac.
The detective raised his eyebrows slightly at Jen's behaviour. But he didn't back down.
"I've worked hundreds of cases like this one, in most if not all of my cases the witnesses, victims and other parties involved have been hesitant to give details. In some cases I've found out that the details they've given me are half truths," Mac explained.
"And what's your point?"
"Mrs Ashford was willing to tell us everything, there was no hesitation in her statements," Mac said.
"Maybe she has nothing to hide," Jen shrugged her shoulders.
"That's what I thought at first but then when I looked around I found several pieces of evidence that made me question her story. First was the blood pattern on her shirt, some were consistent with sprays from a wound, but not the kind of wound Mr Ashford was given. His blood sprayed on the wall in a manner that didn't show any sign of Ashford standing with him. We also found traces of glass on the floor that match the material used in champagne bottles, the stain from when the bottle smashed to the floor was wiped away but not all traces of the glass had been collected."
As Mac speaks to me about the evidence he recovered, for the first time in this case I begin to doubt what I've been doing. Ashford doesn't seem like the typical abuse victim. She wasn't hesitant to talk about it, most rape or abuse victims I've met are ashamed of the fact that they were victimised in such a way. I unwittingly find myself thinking of Janet and how it took her to tell me confide in me about Hank hitting her. Poor Hank, Herc is dead, Black Goliath and Scott Lang are back to remind him of his failures, but the only person who doesn't seem to have been brought back is Janet. I then focus on Mac as he tells me more details on the case.
"Our autopsy on Mr Ashford's body showed signs that he had had sex before his death, finger print analysis on his belt had shown traces of Ashford's finger prints, with some being wiped away. Then from there I began putting things together, an image in my mind of how it happened if you will!"
I too begin forming a flashback of how things might have happened. But it's an image I quickly replace with the sight of that crying woman, a woman trying desperately to stay out of jail, for the sake of her kids.
"I'm sorry Detective, but while I do appreciate the information please keep in mind that whether Mrs Ashford is guilty of a crime or not I still have to defend her," Jen explained, her form shrinking slightly as she calmed down.
"So what? Your going to defend some stranger over your friend, I've heard Matt Murdock has been calling for someone very specific to defend him in court. Despite all the crap that's gone down in his life and all the things you've done to keep known criminals out of jail he still believes that though you may not be the best hero your still a good friend and a damn good defence attorney," Mac explained.
I feel my anger pass somehow. Matt Murdock thinks I'm a good lawyer and a good friend? I can't believe it for a moment but then I begin thinking, what am I doing here?
"Miss She-Hulk, oh Detective Taylor, good to see you again," Foley said as he walked into the office.
The doubts fade from my mind as I look at him. My boyfriend thinks that the normal people like him should be given second chances too. Herc will get a second chance, Matt will recover and the Avengers will recover and save the world from this new "Squadron" ruining the world. Ashford should get a second chance too.
"Just remember what I said Miss Walters, Foley," Mac nodded to Foley as he walked out.
Foley closed the door and smiled as he walked to Jen's side. They grabbed each other, passionately kissing.
"Foley, I love you," Jen said.
"I love you too Jen," Foley smiled as he kissed Jen's neck.
Their make out session didn't go unnoticed. Two costumed heroes noticed them kissing. One sat at the window, he had been intending to speak with Jen but was sidetracked by the shock of what he witnessed. The other one was shocked for a different reason. He had been shocked because a day ago, She-Hulk had been kissing him. Driver grit his teeth together as Starfox backed away from the window. No one noticed Driver disappear as he ran at super speed, out of the office, up and across the wall towards where Starfox floated. Before Eros could fly away, Driver grabbed the back of his shirt and ran with him all the way up to the roof.
"What the HEELLL!" Starfox screamed as Driver ran to the roof.
"No time to talk or pause I need an answer right now do you know if Jennifer's being mind controlled!"
"What, you need to pause human I can't understand what you're saying," Starfox said.
"Fine I'll put it slowly, you were once able to cast mind spells on people, you could alter their mental state when you were around them. The other day She-Hulk flirted and even kissed me as if Foley meant nothing to her, then all of a sudden when he's around she cant think of anything but him," Jack explained.
"True, she did seem distracted the moment Foley walked into the room, and her mood was continually shifting before hand, she seemed very confused. That is sign of mental conditioning similar to my former ability," Starfox put a hand to his chin as he paced around, thinking of what he had seen earlier.
"Is-Jennifer-under-mind-control?" Jack asked, emphasizing each word.
"She could be, but I've got no way of knowing for certain, I'll have to bring this up with Tony Stark when I next…" Eros widened his eyes as Jack disappeared.
Covering himself with his silver armour, Jack ran across the world. He wasn't moving at his full speed, but just enough to search every corner of the world for the person he was looking for. Finally, he stopped as a blade was swung inches from his neck.
"I knew you were coming…Jack!"
Driver shook in fear as he looked into the red eyes of the person he had been looking for. Starfox was uncertain, there was only one man who'd be certain.
"I need you to do me a favour," Jack said.
Deathblade lowered his scythe, looking away from Jack as he walked amongst his un dead Avengers.
"There is a truth that only my eyes can see, you want me to reveal this truth. Very well, I'll see what secrets are being hid from you Jack. But first I must reveal more important truths…amongst the Avengers!"
Next Final Chapter: Truths
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, the next one will also take a while because it'll take place at a certain point in the future of my Hunt storyline, and I've reedited it as the last chapter of the story, Jennifer's moral struggle comes to its close.