Ennui [Malcolm Ducasse].

"Just a Little Help."

The Defenders didn't meet up immediately after Elektra was taken out. Things were too raw, to think about back then. Plus, it was hard for them all to get the time to see each other. They were busy people, after all.

But, when they did find themselves together, no mention of what happened came up.

Matt would be suited up on a rooftop, listening for trouble, and Jessica would drop in to tell him about a case she was working on, silently asking him for his help without actually asking for help. An insult or seven were thrown in about his costume so he wouldn't think she was going soft or that she actually missed him after thinking he died.

Luke and Danny kept in contact with each other regularly. Colleen and Claire scheduled weekly dinners, and their attendance was mandatory. It didn't take long for the two to start meeting up with each other on their own, an idea to make a hero for hire business hatching between them.

Misty and Colleen took a page out of Jessica's book, forming a private investigation service. Misty's new bionic arm came in handy when her guns and Colleen's sword didn't. Sometimes, they teamed up with Luke and Danny, and lots of things got broken those days. Mostly, it was a villain's bones.

Jessica, Luke and Danny were introduced to Josie's one night when they noticed Matt was going down a dark, bloody path. They gathered around at the bar, Danny opening a tab for them, and began drinking and giving Matt the chance to spill in a safe space, free of judgement.

One shot for each quickly began several. Several might have been too many. The Defenders were banned from entering the establishment together again somewhere after they began to lose count of their drinks, when Jessica thought it would be okay to hop behind the bar counter and start helping herself to, "some better shit that doesn't taste like piss."

After that, the team started meeting at least once a month for Chinese and drinks with their respective friends and family, courtesy of the very rich Danny again. It was easy for everybody to grow closer, exchange numbers and share their skills when needed afterwards.

For once, things were stable for the vigilantes. That lasted just a few months, which was not very surprising to anyone.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Goddammit, Red! Get your head outta your ass, and start droppin' some bodies!" Frank Castle, loaded with two rifles that were blasting off so loud in the room that Matt could hardly hear him.

Shay screamed bloody murder as bullets flew through the wall beside her. Oh, God! I don't want to die!

Shit went south so fast.

When Matt dropped by her apartment with word that Jessica and Malcolm were spying for a case, Shay figured it would be fun to hang out with her second favorite lawyer (Foggy was everyone's favorite). Kindly, he offered to fill Malcolm's place for an art museum trip (because Matt loved to fuck with sighted people), and who would turn down that kind of fun?

If Matt hadn't noted that their was a suspicious smell of narcotics in one of the new exhibits, and the pair hadn't gotten too curious for their own good, they'd be getting dinner at some greasy spoon in their neighborhood. But, they did.

Shay, slipping back into the museum with Matt dressed in his costume - "You don't leave friends with sensitive noses around mountains of coke, Matt!" - disabled the security cams while feeling his judgemental...ears... listening to her every keystroke. The duo tiptoed their way to the lower level, and witnessed kilos being hidden in the picture frames of sold pieces.

Matt just had to step out of the shadows and threaten the gun-toting, pissed off mobsters. All he told Shay, in that demanding way of his, was, "Get back to the security room. I'll come get you when it's safe," sounding angry for letting her talk him into going with him.