Hellcat

Chapter Thirteen

Matt went to church that morning. I wasn't sure why, but I guess he needed to take confession or something. Maybe he needed counsel, I don't know. But I went home, still wearing Matt's clothes with my own suit hidden in a duffle bag. When I got to my apartment, I showered and dressed and headed into the office. I arrived outside of the building, smirking as I stared at Matt's approaching form. Pausing at the base of the stairs to the building, I waited for him to get closer.

"We have to stop doing this. Karen and Foggy are gonna think we're coming in together," I called out to him as he stopped in front of me. He let out a small, surprised laugh, shaking his head. "I guess we're just on the same internal clock," Matt teased. I smiled, my nose crinkling up at his comment. "Come on, let's see what trouble those two have gotten in to," I suggested, linking my arm through Matt's before the two of us headed into the office building.

"Yeah, that's how you get yourselves hurt," I heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door. Matt reached forward and twisted the knob, pushing the door open. "That's what I keep telling them," Matt called out as he held the door open for me before entering himself. He closed the door behind him as I offered Ben Urich a skeptical glance. I wasn't exactly shocked that he was here, but I had to play it off like I had never seen or met the guy before. "Maybe they'll listen to you," he added as I stripped off my coat and folded it over my arm.

"Ben Urich, Matt Murdock. Attorney at Why the Hell Bother," Karen introduced sourly. Matt stepped forward, holding out his hand. Ben took it, shaking it slowly. "Mr. Murdock," Ben greeted. "Matt," he countered with a small smile. "Uh, this is Allison Drake," Matt added, gesturing back at me while still facing Ben. I reached forward and shook Ben's hand. "Hi," I greeted shortly.

"My partner thinks we should be pursuing this through the legal system," Foggy informed Ben, who glanced between the two. "A lot safer that way," Ben commented. "Well, why don't we all just crawl under the covers, then?" Karen snapped. "No, Karen..." Matt started, but she cut him off. "Well, I'm sorry, but if Fisk is really behind everything that has happened, then we need to do something," Karen insisted. It was Ben's turn to speak.

"If we were the only ones after him, I'd tend to agree. Friend of yours came to see me the other night... the man in the mask," Ben spoke as Matt turned. I watched as he moved towards his office. "Terrorist cop-killer," Foggy grumbled. "Says he was framed," Ben defended. "I could say I'm Captain America but it doesn't but wings on my head," Foggy countered, gesturing to his temple.

"What did he want?" Karen stammered out. "Same thing we do... expose Fisk," Ben said before reaching into his bag and pulling out a large pile of papers. "Printed this from a thumb drive he gave me," Ben said, handing the papers for Karen to look over. Glancing behind me, I saw Matt set down his brief case, lean his cane against the wall, and take off his coat. "Oh, my God," Karen muttered, grabbing my attention. "Told me Fisk was behind the bombings and shooting those cops... said he owns half the police, that they helped him take down the Russians," Ben continued.

"But I don't understand. If you have all of this, then..." Karen trailed off. She was wondering why Ben hadn't published it. "Hearsay," Matt called out from his office. "Can't print any of it without corroboration, can you?" Matt pointed out. Ben nodded in agreement, but Foggy was more skeptical. "He could just be throwing smoke. I mean, he just killed Detective Blake," Foggy tried to rationalize. "Said Blake's partner, Hoffman, did it, probably on Fisk's orders. But yeah, it occurred to me," Ben countered swiftly.

"You could talk to Hoffman," I suggested with a one-shoulder shrug. "Tried. He's in the wind. Or bottom of the river. Either way..." Ben trailed off with a shrug. "He just shrugged," Foggy told Matt. "Sorry," Ben muttered to Matt before Karen spoke up. "Wait, what about the Union Allied money? Is there a way that we can tie it directly to Fisk?" she asked us. "Maybe. According to the Mask, a man named, uh, Leland Owlsley runs the books. But since getting roughed up by him, Owlsley's been surrounded by Fisk's security. Can't get anywhere near him. Same goes with, uh, James Wesley, the guy you said hired you to defend Healy," Ben explained.