Church Bells ｡ Matthew Murdock

15 - ALIAS INVESTIGATIONS

The apartment building located in the heart of Hell's Kitchen was mostly dark and dreary. Like most buildings in New York City, there was evidence of life and sometimes, it wasn't a pretty sight. A homeless man that reeked of whiskey and body oder was perched on the sidewalk. A heavy dirty blanket was heaved over his shoulder, a holy beanie on his head despite the heat outside. He was rattling on about something that sounded like gibberish about a man with unbreakable skin. The three New Yorkers paused on the sidewalk, glancing up at the building that reached towards the sun.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Blair Suen asked with a frown, pushing her framed glasses higher up on the bridge of her nose. A strange smell of city garbage filled the air, which wasn't all that surprising in a city like New York, but it made her nose crinkle with disgust anyway. The asian woman was not thrilled about the idea that her pretty friend was scooping so low as to hire a private investigator to dig up dirt on Markus O'Harris, but Juliette Allen was pretty determined it was the only way to win the war against him.

Juliette glanced back down at the address she had typed into her phone notes. "Apparently. Foggy did mention she wasn't overly funded well. I was expecting an actual office, but I suppose living in your office comes in quite handy."

Lillian Peters was fishing out some dollar bills for the homeless man, always far too kind. "Well, I think it's pretty exciting. Are we heading up or what?" The dark skinned woman was beaming with glee today. She had never met an actual private investigator before and could only imagine some questionable male figure with a deerstalker and a pipe. In all honestly, she was only picturing Sherlock Holmes. "Come on, let's check her out."

Slowly, Juliette and Blair followed their perky friend into the building lobby. They waited in painful silence in the elevator, the thing dreadfully slow. Juliette Allen was a little nervous in meeting Jessica Jones, somebody Foggy assured was the best in the business. She had informed her best friends about her new plan last night, both friends reacting quite differently. In the end, they had come around and Lillian had even opted for paying, which was a kind gesture which Juliette declined, she had been saving her tips from work for something like this. All she did ask from her friends was company. Which was why, three worldly different girls stood in a crammed elevator, listening to some dreamy tunes from the speakers.

"Do you think she'll have a deerstalker?" Lillian queried randomly.

Blair shook her head, "You've been watching too much television."

"Come on, it was an honest question!"

The doors dinged open. Unsurely, the three girls poked their heads through the metal doors, catching a glimpse of a narrow hallway. The lights were darkened in the hallway, the doors lining the space locked tightly shut. Juliette was already debating if this was truly the right way to take down her father, but Lillian Peters was taking hold of her wrist and dragging her forwards and her thoughts were fading away quickly. At the very end of the hallway waited their destination. Alias Investigations.

Suddenly, the door at the end of the hallway swung open. "I really hate you, you know that, right?" A woman graced with thick midnight black hair was standing in the threshold beside a tall rugged man. His hair was dark blond and a beard lined his chin and cheeks. He was devilish handsome, knowing his good looks enchanted women. He was easing out an effortless grin, charm oozing from him in waves.

"You can't get enough," The man was assuring whom could only have been Jessica Jones, who didn't look very impressed with her guest and rolled her dark eyes, a very familiar action the investigator did on a regular basis.

Juliette was slipping her friends a little look, both whom were staring at the man. Lillian was already letting her gaze run up and down his body, noticing how his blond hair almost touched his shoulders and how she didn't hate it and how his jeans hugged his backside perfectly. Blair, who never remotely liked bad boys couldn't help but admire his looks either.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Jessica Jones huffed out, crossing her arms over her chest while watching him walk away with a fat smirk, one that used to make her heart flutter in her chest. Suddenly, her gaze rested upon the three girls standing in the hallway. "Are you three needing something?"

Blair was pushing pretty Juliette Allen forward hastily, while Lillian watched the man wander pass them, giving her a little wink. Her stomach was filling with wild butterflies, checking out the cut that hung off his shoulders. Boys of Menace, was the branding stitched into his biker jacket and that peaked her interest. "We're looking for Jessica Jones, from Alias Investigations." Juliette spoke quietly.

Jessica Jones pointed to the frosted glass door window, "If it says it on the door, it must be true, huh?" Nobody said a single word with her attempt at a joke, apparently these women were not the joking type. Clearing her throat she was shrugging her shoulders. "Well, anyway, I'm not currently in business. A little hiatus. Maybe come back when I'm in the mood."

Juliette's heart was falling in her chest, "Wait, please--"

"Look, I know a few other pretty decent investigators that would be willing to help you out. By the looks of your porcelain rich pretty face, you're a socialite, right? So, in your somewhat cliche attempt to get some dignity, your husband is most definitely cheating on you." The judgement was thick in Jessica Jones's voice. "I don't need to take pictures to dig up that dirt."

Lillian was already heaving out a sigh, a clear indicator she was ready to explode with fierce defence, but Blair was already letting her fingertips touch her shoulder to calm her down, knowing Juliette would take the lead on this fight. "That's a fair assumption but you're wrong." A wild courage was flaring in the blonde's heart, one that had ignited the night she had gone up against Markus O'Harris in his office. "My family was killed in a plane crash a few years ago. My life was ruined and a few months ago, I found out my father was not my real father, but the man that has taken over my company and murdered my parents for greed. You don't know me, Jessica Jones, but I need your help to finally get revenge."

The darkly beautiful private investigator was a little shocked, but mostly impressed with Juliette Allen in that very moment. She knew the heavy burden of wanting revenge, knew how that fire never faded in someone's soul. She could already see the pain it had started in the blonde's heart. Without speaking, she pushed open her door with a tiny smile. "Thank you, Jessica Jones." Juliette noted with a kind tilt of her head.

Jessica laughed, "Don't thank me yet."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I love connecting the Marvel-Netflix (and if you read my other stories) the MCU, and I haven't really done that in a massive way with Church Bells yet, lowkey dropped some Luke Cage references but nothing major because it can be hard. I really wanted to add in the other shows, but trying to work that in with your plot can be tricky, but I managed to get Jessica Jones in it for a little bit and I hope you liked it! Also, the new hunky man that cameoed in this chapter belongs in my new Jessica Jones story called Young and Menace, so if you're a big fan of our homegirl Jessica, please check it out!

- tinkertaydustt