With Jessica Jones in labor, Ms. Marvel flies her across the city at high speed towards the nearest hospital. There, Carol introduces Jessica to the receptionist and asks her to call Doctor Heinberg, Jessica’s physician. Another receptionist calls the emergency room and informs them they have a code gold. She knows Luke will be on his way, but first she must answer a few questions posed by the doctor. Jessica has only been pregnant for six months, and is rightly concerned.
Meanwhile, Luke makes his way to the street to find a taxi, but the place is crammed with vehicles that are moving nowhere fast. Janet Van Dyne is with him, and she calls Jarvis at Avengers Tower to put the call out. Jarvis cries, “Avengers Assemble!”
(The Daily Bugle)
Ben Urich is seated across the desk from the Bugle’s publisher, J. Jonah Jameson, as Robbie Robertson looks on. Ben informs him of someone called D-Man; a former Avenger and professional wrestler who got himself some powers. Jonah checks out the photographs Ben’s provided, and asks if he was a Great Lakes Avenger. Ben ignores the question, and adds that he’s been running around fighting crime. Most people think he’s Daredevil because of the resemblance, but it’s actually D-Man. The skeptical Jonah wonders if this is Ben trying to cover for his little buddy Daredevil, and reminds him that the feds are on his case. He’s going down.
Before Ben leaves, not happy with Jonah’s comments, Jonah calls him back and asks about this D-Man. Ben sits down and informs him that he seems to have gained his powers through some kind of chemical experiment, and dresses the way he does because he’s a big Daredevil fan. He’s been stopping robberies around midtown, but there have been three occasions where it seems that once the day has been saved, the owners are reporting stuff missing.
“An Avengers thief!” muses Jonah. “Isn’t Jessica Jones married to an Avenger now?” he asks. Ben replies that Luke and Jessica aren’t married. Jonah reckons she’s practically an Avenger. She’ll get them their D-Man. He asks where she is when he finally needs her.
(the hospital)
The doctor asks Jessica, who is in a great deal of discomfort by now, whether she has augmented genetics. Jessica says she has powers, but they’re not mutant powers. She gained her powers in an accident over ten years ago. He asks if she emits any radioactivity with her powers. Jessica doesn’t know, but the doc needs to know for their instruments. Jessica then replies no, and hopes to God she’s right. She grimaces in pain and calls for Carol, but she is turned away by a nurse because she herself is emitting energies that they can’t have in the hospital.
Carol complies with her request to leave, as the doctor asks Jessica to try and breathe through her mouth. Meanwhile, a woman rushes to the phone, and asks someone on the other end who may be interested, how much a super hero birth is worth to them. The place is bedlam, she explains, and they should get there right now.
Elsewhere, Luke Cage is on foot and dashing to the hospital. He passes an alleyway, where a drug dealer is bartering with a customer. Luke, despite his rush, is ever dutiful, and proceeds to pummel the dealer before continuing his journey.
(police station)
Ben Urich makes his way to the precinct and speaks with a Detective Davis about D-Man. The detective knows of him. Ben asks if he’s homeless, so Davis says they should take a look. They bring up his file on computer. Dennis Dunphy was arrested for vagrancy, and Davis is surprised that he can’t find a way to make a living when he has super powers. Ben notices his report is dated a month ago. Davis thinks Dunphy is a putz, but Ben adds that he was an Avenger. Davis asks if he was with the West Coast, but Ben assures him he was a real Avenger.
Davis asks what kind of story this is. He knows Ben as being the man who took down the Green Goblin and the Kingpin. What kind of story is this? he asks. Ben isn’t sure until he writes it, but believes that every story is important. Davis clearly doesn’t.
Back at the hospital, Jessica tells the doctor that she doesn’t want to lose her baby. He assures her that they’re doing everything they can. Her own doctor is on his way from Long Island as they speak, but there’s no guarantee he’ll arrive on time. He asks if she knows anyone they can call; maybe a super hero who’s also a doctor.
Before she can answer, the hospital administrator orders them to get Jessica out of there. She insists she’s in charge, and they cannot risk Jessica giving birth to anything unusual. Her manner is caustic and she stubbornly stands her ground as the doctor argues Jessica’s case. Unmoved, she tells the orderlies to remove her, but a voice behind her says that it won’t be necessary. She turns to see the Avengers, with Captain America informing her that they’ll take her. As they place Jessica onto a stretcher, Wolverine insults the administrator, calling her a piece of crap in a suit.
The Avengers manage to get Jessica aboard a quinjet, just as Luke Cage arrives on the scene. He sees them loading her up and runs, leaping from a parked car to grab hold of the access door. Wolverine pulls him aboard and the quinjet flies to somewhere more fitting. Before long, they arrive at Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, and the door is answered by his assistant, Wong. They are invited inside.
Ben Urich, meanwhile, visits a shopkeeper who was supposedly robbed by D-Man. He points to a sewer that he comes out of every day. He saw the guy yesterday when he was making his deposit. He’s relieved that it wasn’t Daredevil as he presumed, and thanks Ben for coming. He adds that if he gets his stolen bracelets back, he can get a discount on anything he wants. Ben descends into the sewer, only to have someone approach him from behind.
(Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum)
Dr. Strange introduces himself to Jessica, and mentions that he was at the birth of the last Avengers baby. The Scarlet Witch and the Vision, comments Spider-Woman. Spider-Man says this has to go better that that did. Strange closes his eyes upon hearing Spidey’s faux pas. Spidey realizes it himself, and thinks it was so much more clever in his head before it came out of his mouth. Spider-Woman doubts that.
Strange asks them to wait in the library. Once they depart, he informs Jessica that her contractions are getting closer. She’s doing great. The baby wants out, he says, and with her heightened genetics she shouldn’t worry about the delivery. He wants to cast a mood enchantment spell so she’ll be able to relax, but Jessica says no. She can do this.
