Legal Aid

There weren't enough days like this, Kyle Rayner thought to himself as he stretched out lazily on the grass. His sketch pad lay beside him should inspiration strike, but other than that he had no other thoughts besides relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. And he wasn't the only one; the park he had came to was full of people just enjoying the summer. A young mother pushed a pram while her baby gurgled contentedly within its carriage, A couple of old men were playing chess on a nearby bench. Kyle watched them with mild interest. Two more men strolled into view, the first was a slightly overweight individual who was babbling something or other to his companion, an athletically build red head who wore sunglasses and tapped a cane on the ground. A blind man. Both were dressed in business suits. Stockbrokers or Lawyers, Kyle figured, guys with timetables who had to be back in the office once their lunch break was over. Kyle pitied them. He worked as a freelance artist, and while the pay wasn't great it did mean that he could pick his own hours (within reason of course). Then there was his other job. On his right hand was an emerald green ring, and with this ring Kyle could do anything he could imagine. And this Green Lantern could imagine quite a bit. But he wasn't Green Lantern right now; right now he was just Kyle Rayner enjoying some well earned down time. Another figure sauntered into view. This one was unusually dressed; he was wearing a type of overcoat and a hat. Well, what he wore was his business, even if he was risking heatstroke. Something had caught the blind man's attention; he had turned his head in the direction that the weirdo had gone. His partner was cajoling him into moving but he seemed more interested in what ever it was that had disturbed him. Another man walked past the suits, a middle-aged fellow smoking a cigar. Whoever he was he looked important. Another second and Kyle recognised him. His name was Edward Barret; he was campaigning for the top chair on the local council. By the looks of things he was going to win too. Kyle said nothing, he had voted for the other guy. The blind guy looked seriously agitated. By now the other man had grabbed his arm and was trying to drag him in the direction of the offices across the road. Kyle distinctly heard the shorter man yell

"Matt, What is up with you! We can't be late today!". Barret didn't seem interested. He took another drag on his cigar, then dropped it and clutched at his chest as though he were having chest pains. Kyle went over to him.

"Excuse me Sir, are you ok?" He asked. Barret fell over. Kyle caught him straight on and lowered him gently to the ground. A small thin dagger was sticking out of his chest, blood staining his white shirt red. The woman with the baby screamed, the elderly men jumped from their chairs, forgetting about their game. Edward Barret was dead.

It's funny how time works, sometimes it drags over like it's making fun of the very idea of itself, others it flies by as if it has places to be and is scared it'll be late. Others, it manages the impossible and does both at once. The park felt like a million years ago even though the events after it flew past like a runaway train. Kyle had been arrested on suspicion for the murder of leading politician Edward Barret. The arrest and just about everything after were a blur in his memory. Before he knew it he was before a Judge at a preliminary hearing. What was even better was that there was no way Kyle could even hope to afford a halfway decent lawyer. He was running through ideas in his head, trying to find a way to work out what he was going to do. After the arrest he had called the JLA headquarters, The Watchtower, hoping that someone there knew something about courts and legal procedures. It had been Bruce Wayne, the Batman, who had answered. Right now Wayne was sat beside him and giving him a 'what are you doing' look as Kyle fidgeted nervously with his ring. By some miracle he had been able to keep it during the lead up to this.

"Your Honour, It is my belief that the defendant, Mr. Kyle Rayner, is guilty of the crimes of which he has been accused. And it is also my belief that I can prove this fact without a shadow of a doubt in a court of law". The Prosecutor was saying. A middle-aged man dressed to sharply that Kyle could feel it from where he was sat. Kyle had already explained the situation to Wayne, and he felt that there was more than a mere shadow of a doubt. He had already agreed to post bail, and it went without saying that he would be doing some investigating of his own later. The Judge spoke.

"The defendant will be bound over for a Grand Jury hearing. Mr. Wayne has already agreed to post bail, now to the subject of legal aid. Mr. Rayner, if you cannot afford a lawyer one will be..."

"That won't be necessary, Your Honour" These words had been on the verge of coming from Wayne's lips when someone beat him to it. The blind man from the park stood at the door. His cane in one hand and a leather briefcase in the other.

"Murdock, I should've known" Kyle spotted the prosecutor mutter to himself.

"I have every reason to believe Mr. Rayner is innocent. I'd like to represent him" Murdock approached the stand.

"Your Honour, Mr. Murdock was there at the scene. That should be enough to..."

"To what? I don't see how where I was affects my ability to represent Mr. Rayner fairly"

"Very well, but your making a mistake Murdock, The eyewitnesses, the murder weapon. All the evidence points to an open and shut case"

"So you intend to make an example of him to further your own career?"

"Councillors, you are reminded that this is a court of law and that it is not interested in personal disputes. I see no reason why Mr. Murdock shouldn't be able to represent Mr. Rayner" the Judge interrupted the warring lawyers.

"Thank you Your Honour" Mr. Murdock said

"The Grand Jury will convene on the nineteenth. Until such time the defendant is remanded to the recognisance of Mr. Bruce Wayne..." The Judge read out the requirements. Outside, once everything was done, the formal introductions were made.

"My name is Matthew Murdock, of Nelson and Murdock..." The lawyer began.

"Nelson and Murdock, I've heard of you. They say you've never lost a case" Wayne said as the overweight lawyer from the park caught up with them. This would probably be Mr. Nelson.

"That's true Mr. Wayne. My partner and I are proud of our record" said Murdock

"In that case I'm honoured that you are willing to take my friends case" Wayne said as he shook hands. Then he left Kyle with the lawyers.

"So, Mr. Murdock..." Kyle began

"Please, call me Matt. And this is Mr. Franklin Nelson, or Foggy, as he's better known"

"Nice to meet you". Foggy seemed distracted.

"Matt, was that Bruce Wayne? The mega gazillionare who owns Wayne Industries? THE Bruce Wayne?" He seemed to dance.

"Err... Yeah, it was" Matt adjusted his glasses

"I love you Matt! We're gonna be rich!" Foggy was glowing. He left to make a phone call. That left just Matt and Kyle. Something was bugging Matt, there seemed to be something very strange coming from the young man's right hand. Since Matt had been blinded in an accident in his youth his remaining senses functioned with superhuman sharpness. He couldn't see, but his ears were so sensitive that he could hear a whisper ten blocks away, his sense of smell put bloodhounds to shame, he could 'read' a normal newspaper by feeling the impressions on the surface and he could tell you the exact number of grains of salt were on a pretzel. Matt's sense of hearing gave off a kind of 'radar sense'. This was like complete 360 degree awareness in every direction for as far has he could hear. And something in Kyle's right hand was throwing his radar off. The faint sound picked up on Matt's radar like a blind patch. Whatever it was, Matt couldn't 'see' it. As they walked, discussing Kyle's case, Matt pretended to stumble and dropped his cane. Kyle picked it up. Matt heard a small clinking as a ring touched against the cane. Matt wondered what that meant.

Meanwhile, in a small, nondescript office building owned by the government, two men approached a small, plain office. The first wore a plain, nondescript suit; the second was somewhat more colourful. They entered the office to find that it had been broken into. The man was still there. He wore a black and white costume and was sat behind the desk propping his feet up. In one hand he held a newspaper that he seemed to be reading, in the other he was calmly flicking a coin.

"Who are you?" Said the first man.

"Word is that you're looking for the man who offed old Barret. Here I am" The intruder said all this without looking up from his paper. The larger of the two nodded to his companion, who drew a gun. The man in the black and white costume flicked the coin again, straight at the gun wielder. He choked, then slumped over. The assassin put down the paper.

"Now, who the hell are you and why are you so interested in my business".

The larger man, dressed in form fitting purple and orange, gave the fallen officer a disdainful look.

"You may call me Major Force, and I'm interested in your business because you implicated a young man by the name of Kyle Rayner" He spoke.

"And you want your friend out of trouble" the assassin laughed.

"You misunderstand, I want Rayner dead. But he didn't kill Barret, so he will be found innocent. That can't happen"

Major Force eh? I've heard of you. They say you're a nigh on indestructible, murderous bastard with all the morals of a dead dog. My kinda guy. You want me to take out Rayner for you?"

"Yes and there's something else. He wears a ring on his right hand. I want it"

"Souvenir? You didn't seem the sentimental type"

"And you are?" Major Force folded his arms. Arms that were as thick around as the intruders waist. If that troubled him he didn't show it.

"The name's Bullseye, and I'm not doing this for free"

"What did you have in mind, Mr. Bullseye"

"Mr is what you call old men who can't remember why they're still alive. I was thinking, I kill Rayner for you, you kill someone for me. We trade murders, sound fair?"

"Fair enough. You kill Rayner and give me his ring. Who do I kill in return?"

Bullseye picked up his paper again. He turned it to a specific page and folded it out before throwing it down onto the desk. On it was a picture of a vigilante clad in red, with devil horns on his forehead. Bullseye spoke.

"I kill Rayner for you, and you get his ring. All you have to do for me is kill this man. Daredevil"