A SON'S RESTITUTION

Chapter 11

(Walters-Murdock Law Office, Manhattan, NYC, 4:00 PM)

The Kree Eternal and the hooded man arrived from the portal as they stepped at the office building grounds. They entered the building and took am elevator going up to the 9th floor. The two saw an Asian looking receptionist in her late twenties. Jean Meir Montmartre or Methu-Selah and Miles Slader or Shadow Reaper confronted her as she looked at the two men.


" Do you two have IDs? " she asked and raised her eyebrows.


" Well...." Miles sounded unsure as he turned to his companion.


" My friend accompanied me to meet Ms. Walters, " Methu-Selah continued and showed his ID. " We need to speak to her. This is very urgent. "


" Yeah...he really needs a lawyer, " the hooded being added. " His wife is in big trouble. "


The lady receptionist blandly stared at the two while taking the Kree man's ID as she found them very suspicious. She was covering her mouth and touching her nose. Miles was nervously sweating as Methu-Selah secretly read the woman's mind and crossed his arms. They waited for her to respond while she was calling over the phone.


" Methu, is she taking us so much time waiting? " Miles lowly asked.


" I guess so..." the Kree Eternal replied and looked puzzled.


" Do you think she's gonna let us in? "


" I'm afraid so..."


After talking over the phone for more than ten minutes, the woman hung-up the phone and sternly glared at the newcomers when she returned the ID to the bespectacled mustached Kree man. Methu-Selah raised his eyebrows in doubt, upon taking his ID.


" I'm so sorry, Mr. Montmartre, " the receptionist blandly answered. " Ms. Walters cannot entertain new clients at this moment. She has a very important meeting. For Mr. Murdock, he's very unavailable. I'm afraid you and your friend have to wait or leave in this office. "


" Oh no..." Miles anxiously muttered.


" She's lying, Miles..." the Kree Eternal whispered.


" Wait...how did you know? "


" Look directly at her eyes. Did you notice she's blinking rapidly? "


" Oh...oh... I gotcha...." he nodded.


" She must be hiding or preventing something from us. "


" Right. Now, I knew. "


" Are you gentlemen waiting or leaving? " the lady receptionist asked.


" Yeah...we'll just wait... Sorry! " Miles or Shadow Reaper nervously smiled as he found a seat.


The two men had their seats and kept waiting for minutes as a tall muscular green woman in a suit with long hair came out of the office. In fact, she never met any clients which she was about to leave. The Kree Eternal was indeed right: the receptionist was indeed lying to the newcomers. Miles turned to him and smiled as he chuckled.


" Ayana, got any clients? " she asked.


" Ms. Walters, we have two visitors here, " Ayana replied as she seemed uninterested. " I'm not even sure if they're your clients. "


" I see, I'm not expecting anyone before we close the office in an hour, " Jennifer shrugged. " Let them in..."


" Yes, ma'am, " the receptionist replied and turned to the men. " Please follow me..."


Methu-Selah and Shadow Reaper entered to the working lobby to the office as Ayana guided them. The woman receptionist never realized that someone suspected her from lying. The Kree Eternal remained calm while walking to the office.


" Later on, I will report of your misbehavior, " he angrily thought and glared at her. " Your superior should have known you have been lying to us. Where is your integrity, young Earth lady?! "



Ayana felt very uncomfortable at the Kree man's grimm facial expression as she wryly smiled at him. She guided them to the office as him and Miles entered. Jennifer Walters took her seat as her assistant closed the door.


" Please have a seat you two, " she offered.


" Thank you, " they replied in unison while taking the chairs in front of the Defense attorney.


" Is there anything else I can offer: coffee, tea, or water? "


" No...thanks..." Miles smiled. " My friend needs your help. Well...it's a big problem..."


" Oh, I understood now, " the green lawyer nodded and recalled the St. Petersburg incident. " It's about Carol. Am I right? "


" Yes..." Methu-Selah nodded. " Just this afternoon, she has been arrested by the Interpol. They had explained why they were doing it, but I had no right to defend her. Will you help me out to support her case? "


Jennifer remained silent and deeply thought of considering the case. She was one of the primary witnesses of what had transpired in St. Petersburg two weeks ago. The green lawyer understood it well which her fellow Avenger was being accused of a horrendous act. She turned to the two gentlemen in front of her and knew how to answer.


" Honestly, I have never dealt any serious international cases before, " she seriously replied. " The last I time defended was a case of Jonathan Powers from five years ago. Since, this is an INTERPOL criminal case, I will be having so much time to gather a lot of evidences. "


" Is there a way to make it? "


" I'm sorry, Meir, international law is not my expertise. This is very difficult for me to handle a case of terrorism. "


The Kree Eternal sighed as his friend turned to him. The hooded being gently patted the man's back. Jennifer felt sorry for him. Miles or Reaper thought of something to convince the lawyer.


" Perhaps, there's a way to help her, " Reaper replied. " It's not too late to try it even it's too hard. "


" Look guys, I understood you want this to get resolved, " she raised her left hand in interjection. " But as far as my concern, this is the first time I will be handling an international case. "


" Please my wife is accused here, " Methu-Selah pleaded. " I just really need your help. I'm willing to pay even this case very expensive. "


" Yeah... please help this couple, " Reaper added.


Jennifer remembered those days when she got angry at Carol Danvers and demanded the verdict of Hawkeye's case several years ago. The half-Kree woman was silent as she couldn't tell anything. This time, the green lawyer was contemplating to accept the case or not. She intently looked at the Kree Eternal and his friend which it took time for her to decide.


" Okay... I'm willing to take it. Since, I'm helping out a fellow Avenger, this is a pro bono, " she determinedly spoke. " But if she becomes successful on this one, then she might face any consequences. "


Methu-Selah understood what Jennifer had said. He predicted in his mind that his wife would face public scrutiny and humiliation before their son would born. Reaper got curious of the two as he listened.


" See? She's going to help! " the hooded being smiled.


" Thank you so much, Ms. Walters, " the Kree Eternal replied and shook the lawyer's hands.


" You're welcome, but I'll be also needing your help as well. I need to gather evidences from you. You can be a witness, Meir, " Jennifer smiled back.


" Don't worry... Methu... I mean... Meir will do his best! "


" Oh yes, Of course, so you must be? "


" Miles Slader, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Walters. I brought my friend here to talk to you. "


" Oh, I see. Thank you for bringing him here. "


" You're welcome. "


" By the way, " the bespectacled pink Kree man spoke. " There is something you need to know about your receptionist. She has been lying to us earlier. "


" Lying?! " she raised her voice. " What do you mean? "


" Miss Ayana told us you were talking to another client when we came here. "


The green lawyer was hulking frustrated as she heard of her receptionist making any tattletales. Her eyes were turning green while clenching her both fists. Reaper got frightened to see her in this state. Methu-Selah never meant to make her angry, but he was telling the truth.


" No! I wasn't talking to someone! " she growled. " I was reviewing all those damn court cases! Now, where the heck is she?! "


" Miss Walters, please calm down! " the Kree Eternal cried.


" Please take it easy! " Reaper added.


The two men warned her not to exhibit her monstrous anger against her subordinate. Jennifer turned to them and heavily sighed when she took a glass of water and drank. It took few minutes to calm herself down and sat back on her chair.


" Fine... " she said. " Now, tell me what should I do to her? "


" Just keep an eye on her, " the dark hooded man replied. " She might keep some secrets from you and the others. "


" Then, you should have a serious talk with her, " Methu-Selah added. " Before you terminate her. "


" Thanks, I'll take your advice. Anyway, I'm glad working with you both. Let's get this case running. "



(THE NEXT DAY: INTERPOL HEADQUARTERS, LYON, FRANCE, 7:30 AM)



Carol Montmartre was still lying on her bed and feeling nauseous. Hearing her fellow female inmates taunting and laughing, she ignored them. The middle-aged lady warden was guarding and sternly glaring at her. The half-Kree woman slowly stood up from her position as she saw a nearby sink and started vomiting.


" Madame, ça va? (Madame, are you alright?) " she asked with a concern.


Carol was still blowing-up at the sink. Afterwards, she stood up and felt dizzy, when she passed out and fell on the ground. The other prisoners laughed at her, but some of them were murmuring. The female wardens exchanged glances as they got alarmed to see the heroine turned prisoner fainted.


" Est-ce une installation pour échapper? (Is this a set-up to get escaped?) " the other warden asked.


" Non! Elle a besoin de soins médicaux! C'est autre chose! (No! She needs medical attention! This is something else! ) " the second warden replied.

" Bien! Bien! Amenons-la à l'infirmerie! (Fine! Fine! Let's being her to the infirmary!) "


The wardens carefully took her out of the cell when the other staff brought a stretcher. They placed the unconscious Captain Marvel when they hurriedly took her to the infirmary.


For Carol, her mind was racing and anxiously worrying about her husband, her life, and future. Getting imprisoned, she couldn't imagine herself committing such serious crime aside from what she had done five years ago. Now, being unconscious, everything became bleak as she faced hopelessness and regret. Despite of her being the most powerful, she experienced physical and mental fraility, but deep within her, something was forming and growing.


Moments later, she found herself lying on a bed and covered her eyes from the bright light she was seeing. There were voices echoed in the place. Carol had no idea of where she was. Suddenly, a brunette woman in a white lab coat approached her and sat beside her.


" Bonjour, madame Montmartre. Je suis la Dre Amélie Glénat. Je suis venu vous observer pendant que vous étiez inconscient. (Good morning, Mrs. Montmartre. I am Dr. Amelie Glénat. I have come to observe while you were unconscious.) " she said.


Carol was a multilingual woman. She knew how to communicate fluently in Russian, Kree, and other alien languages. This time, she heard the physician spoke fluently in French. The half-Kree woman tried to comprehend in what the doctor said, composing her reply.


" Oui, pouvez-vous me dire ce qui s'est passé, docteur? (Yes, can you tell me what happened, doctor?) " the blonde prisoner asked.


" Vous avez vomi et vous vous êtes évanoui plus tôt, madame. C'est un signe précoce de grossesse. (You vomited and fainted earlier, Madam. This is an early sign of pregnancy.) "


Carol widened her eyes in shock as her husband's prediction came true. She was indeed two weeks pregnant and slowly beginning to smile when she began touching her abdomen. The half-Kree woman felt life inside her. Even inside the corners of the INTERPOL HEADQUARTERS, she found hope and joy despite of her hardship and despair.


" Toutes nos félicitations! (Congratulations!) "


" Docteur, je veux que mon mari le prévienne. Y a-t-il un moyen de le rencontrer? S'il te plaît, j'ai besoin de lui parler! (Doctor, I want my husband to let him know of this. Is there a way I can meet him? Please, I need to talk to him!) " the half-Kree woman desperately pleaded.


Dr. Glénat felt sorry to her as she couldn't respond to her statement. She never wanted to give any false hopes for the Montmartre couple.

" Je suis désolé. Je ne sais pas si je peux vous aider à rencontrer votre mari. Nous devons suivre le protocole. (I'm sorry. I'm not sure if I can help you meeting with your husband. We have to follow the protocol.) "


Carol's happiness turned into tears as she heard the bad news. Forming a child in her womb, she felt hopeless to see and talk to her loved one. Dr. Glénat hugged her to pacify the half-Kree prisoner.

" S'il vous plaît laissez-moi voir et lui parler! (Please let me see and talk to him!) " she bitterly wept.

" Madame Montmartre, vous portez un enfant jusqu'à neuf mois. Votre dépression peut provoquer une fausse couche. (Madam Montmartre, you are carrying a child until nine months. Your depression can cause a possible miscarriage.) " Dr. Glénat explained. " Regardez, je suis aussi une mère et une femme. Former une nouvelle famille est très important. J'ai cru comprendre que vous aviez besoin de votre mari à la fois dans la joie et dans des moments difficiles, mais nous devons attendre que les autorités vous laissent rencontrer. (Look, I am also a mother and a wife. Forming a new family is very important. I understood you needed your husband both in joy and dire times, but we have to wait for the authorities to let you meet him.) " 

(Pro Bono means denoting work undertaken without charge, especially legal work for a client with a low income.)