Stories From The Island
Unsettled

Warning(s): Spanking; mentions of mental coercion and other potential triggers, suggestions of assault and mind control, spoilers for various MARVEL movies and television programs

***

"Just a situation I overheard while waiting for a client at the jail a few weeks ago," Matt said. "That girl that is on trial for shooting her parents...the PI who had just found her and brought her back home to them was trying to get information to help her," the young lawyer added.

***

Matt didn't react over-much as the door to the visitor’s area opened and someone entered, going to sit across from the girl a few tables away. Another woman...young from her walk...not a lawyer, if the way her clothes sounded was any indication...he refocused on his own client as the woman began to tell him and Foggy everything they'd asked about, hoping they would represent her. Matt still kept part of his attention on the other table, though. The heartbeat of the visitor was faster than a normal visit should warrant. Either she was scared of jails or she was possibly up to something.

Jessica carefully sat across from Hope and swallowed. "I'm going to find a way to get you out of here..." she said softly.

Hope met Jessica's gaze for a second and then looked down. "Even if you can... what's to stop him from making me do something else?" she whispered, not able to bring herself to say his name, as if that would summon him. Although, given what he could do, the outside wasn't safe... and at least here, in the prison, she knew what the rules were. She could keep her head down and survive, without having to worry about being forced into doing something against her nature.

"I'm going to stop him...and I'll find a way to get him to admit what he did...how he forced you to do everything you did...how he forced all the others..." Jessica whispered back, knowing that her nemesis had eyes and ears everywhere, even if it wasn't of their own volition.

Hope's eyes darted round, paranoid in a way she hadn't been before everything that had happened. "How can you stop him?" There was a hopeless note in her voice. Jessica was the only one who was immune to him, after all. No matter how strong a person was... Hope had firsthand experience of how a strong will could crumble.

"I...I'm immune. But we think we have a way to neutralize his ability...and if we can somehow get him in place with a proper filter...he can't influence other people either. All we need is him to confess that it was him that made you do what you did; that you had no choice because he pretty much brainwashed you...drugged you. He's done it to enough people, including cops, that if we can get a confession from him...." Jessica bit her lip. She knew it could be done, but explaining how she planned to do it in this place was dangerous. "I know it doesn't make sense, but I need you not to give up. I need you to fight your innocence, or it won't matter what I do."

"But even if I get out of here..." Hope shook her head, close to giving up. "He can't influence you... but he can influence everyone around you. How do you know he doesn't have someone here?" She knew people could act normal until they were triggered. She still had nightmares about going through that herself.

At this point, Matt could tell both women were nervous, if not terrified (in the case of Hope). It was obvious, whoever this person was they had an unreasonable amount of control over people. Just what did he have to hold over their heads that would make them obey him, though? He had a hard time believing he could brainwash anyone he wanted, even if Hope had been.

"I don't know," Jessica reluctantly admitted. "But if we don't take a stand and try and stop him, how many more innocent people will be hurt?"

"I don't know if I can." Hope's voice was barely a whisper, as she stared down at her hands. "I don't know what else he'll make me do... if he finds out... Who else is going to die?" Her voice trailed off into hopeless silence.

"It's up to you," Jessica sighed. "It will be easier for me if I have your help, but I'm going to do something even without it. I can't not do anything. He same back because of me. Everything he's doing is to teach me a lesson for defying him. If I ignore him, he'll keep hurting people to get my attention...and I can't give him what he wants, so..."

"I don't know... how I can help you. But if you figure out a way, I do want to try," Hope said softly.

"Right now...just keep your chin up. Cooperate with your lawyer. Be ready and when I need you, I'll let you know..." Jessica's voice was soft. "He won't get away with it..."

Soon after those words, Matt could hear a chair sliding away from the table and the woman was leaving. He would have followed her, except his meeting with their own client wasn't moving as smoothly. The woman didn't want to take the plea bargain he and Foggy had worked so hard to obtain for her...wanted to plead not guilty, even though she had been caught in the act by not only the police, but several other eye witnesses. It was frustrating, but he let Foggy handle it, sure he would say the wrong thing if he tried to convince her.

That... was easier said than done. Hope was almost certain she was just suffering from paranoia. Almost. The eyes she could feel on her were likely in her imagination... but it didn't stop her being afraid.

She co-operated with the guard, walking to the door in front of the man, convincing herself it was all in her head. And then the guard's hand ran down her arm... in a way all too familiar; a way reminiscent of him...

Matt had almost put the other prisoner out of his mind...almost. When her heart rate suddenly spiked, his attention was fully on her again. He couldn't help but turn in their direction, hoping that nothing was wrong, but not certain, considering what he'd heard earlier.

Foggy noticed his sudden preoccupation with the departing prisoner and guard. "Everything all right?" he asked, loudly enough to let the guard know he had an audience.

There was a slight pressure against Hope's arm... fingers pressing with enough force to be a warning, even if it didn't actually hurt. The guard's response, however, sounded normal enough. "Just escorting this one back to her cell," he stated.

Matt could tell that Hope was upset, maybe even scared. "Officer...?" He left the name an unstated question. "I'd actually like to talk to her as soon as we're finished here, so if you could please arrange for that..." He hoped that the knowledge someone might be talking with her soon, if not immediately, would keep the guard from misbehaving, or doing anything harmful. In normal people, it would.

A faint look of surprise came over the guard's face and he paused... just long enough to potentially look suspicious, but almost as if he didn't quite know what to do with that information. "Certainly." The response was flat as the guard all but pulled Hope back to her seat.

Foggy could tell something was odd about the guard's actions by the look on his face, even if Matt only had heartbeat and voice to go by. "Thank you, officer," he interjected clearly, not questioning Matt's actions. He turned back to his own client. "My recommendation is to take the plea bargain. There is no way, given the amount of witnesses and the video, that a judge or jury will buy your innocence."

"I'll think about it and let you know in the morning..." the woman finally said.

Matt nodded. "Good. You do that." He stood, motioning over the guard. If he seemed in a bit of a hurry, it was because he was anxious about what he'd sensed and was hoping the girl- Hope- or Foggy might shed some light on what he couldn't see.

Having seated Hope, the guard had a lost look on his face, turning towards the door as his colleague entered and walked over to him. After a brief exchange of words, the first guard walked towards the door... the lost look not going away.

Flinching, Hope hunched in on herself, before glancing at the two lawyers. It was impossible to tell if Kilgrave had got to anyone else... but she hoped that the man speaking up meant that he had his own mind. Of course, it could be Kilgrave playing more mind games...

Waiting until their first client had been taken back to her cell and he was sure that no one was close enough to listen Foggy hissed at Matt, "What was that all about?"

Matt was listening to heart-beats, so it took a while for him to answer, but he finally did. "She was nervous, almost afraid of that guard. I couldn't think of any other way to keep her from having to go with him."

Hope eyed the two men. She couldn't hear what they were saying... but she decided to trust them. She was fairly certain that Kilgrave had got to that guard... and whatever he'd had planned for her couldn't be good. "Thank you." Her voice was soft, barely enough to carry to Matt.

"You're welcome..." Foggy said when it became obvious Matt wasn't going to answer. "Are you able to tell us why you're afraid of that guard?" He wasn't really expecting an answer. If the guard had been bought off by someone, like those that Fisk had bought off, she might feel it safer not to say anything. Still....

Hope shook her head quickly. "It's... not safe." She hoped they wouldn't press her... hoped that she wouldn't have to explain what, to most people, would be the unexplainable.

"Yeah. Ok." Foggy's voice was gentle.

Matt looked a bit frustrated that she wouldn't answer, but he understood. "The other guard. Do you feel safe with him?" He kept his voice low.

Without making it too obvious, Hope glanced at the other guard. "Yes... I think so." She forced herself to sound certain. She couldn't suspect everyone... even if Kilgrave could get to anyone.

Matt could hear the uncertainty, but wasn't sure what more could be done for her that he hadn't already done. "We'll stay here and watch. That may be enough to keep him honest..." he finally said.

Foggy, still not knowing exactly what was going on, but knowing Matt never did anything without reason, nodded. "We'll contact you tomorrow," he said, loudly enough for the guard to hear, before motioning the guard over to take her back. Whatever she was afraid of, he could only hope that the knowledge someone planned to make contact with her again would help ease her worry, if nothing else.

"Thank you." Although a little confused, Hope didn't fight being taken by the guard. While she was still on edge... she did at least feel a bit better, knowing the first guard was gone.

Foggy waited until the girl had been taken away before he stood and took his friend's arm to lead him out. Once they were safely out of the correctional facility and there wasn't any risk of being overheard, he asked, "What was that about?"

"Something weird is going on with that young woman. I'm not certain what exactly; what little I overheard, it seemed as if she believes she was under some sort of mind controlling substance when she did whatever she did to be arrested. The one thing that was clear is that she was scared of the guard who was originally going to take her back; and no one should be that scared. Even if they did something wrong and are being punished, they shouldn't be that scared...not when they are unable to defend themselves." Matt's voice was soft, but almost defiant in his words.

"No...you're right. No one should be that scared. And it was obvious she was scared. I'll see if I can't get a bit of information on her..." Foggy responded, helping his friend into the cab then getting in beside him.

***

"I'll have to ask Foggy if he found out anything when we return," Matt said, with a crooked smile. "We came on this vacation the day after that encounter, so I don't know anything else about it."

Sam nodded. "When we're home, we can check in with him," he said; unnecessarily, since both his son and daughter would be doing that anyway.

"Goes to show, I guess..." Pepper began then winced, not sure if she should continue.

Tony blinked at his fiancé. "Goes to show what, Pep?"

Pepper sighed. "That we all need to be really careful who we trust...or at least we all need to be careful not to be alone in places where the bad guys like to hang out..." She swallowed. "...It's entirely too easy for ill-willed people to do things to unsuspecting targets..." She swallowed again, thinking about how lucky she was that she'd been found by a decent, respectable guy and didn't end up doing things that she regretted, or worse.

Steve squeezed Pepper gently. "I'm grateful to Remy for helping you... and I'm sure you learned from that time." He looked around at the other members of the family, implying he hoped they paid attention to the lesson as well.

"Yes sir..." Pepper answered softly. She'd definitely learned not to blindly follow people that she didn't trust implicitly, especially not into situations where she would be more at risk. She wasn't surprised when several other family members nodded, or answered along with her. She was glad her story was able to provide a cautionary lesson to the younger members of the family; she knew many of them didn't tend to think of themselves as being vulnerable when they weren't on actual missions. She knew you could be hurt or taken advantage of at pretty much any time, if you let your guard down.