Log: Wee Lawyers

[x-daredevil.livejournal.com]

Backdated to Feb 19 because we forgot to post it :(

Matt runs into another lawyer at the courthouse and finds that his reputation precedes him.



Angelo - was actually having a decent court day today. He hadn't had to wait around too long, and his client had been treated reasonably leniently for what he'd actually done.

He stepped out of the room, adjusting his jacket, and looked around.

Matt was just at the courthouse to file some paperwork. Normally a clerk would handle these things, but Matt had volunteered and it was pretty cut and dry. Other than having to wait in what was a ridiculously slow line, it had gone smoothly and the line was expected. Checking his watch he decided that there was no point in returning to work and instead thought he'd go be social for a change. He hadn't gone out as his alter-ego since meeting Asgardian and his thunderbolts.

Angelo's casual glance around was stopped in its tracks by the sight of Matt, his expression freezing for a moment before he caught himself. Nothing was wrong, he tried to project to the world. Nothing at all.

"Hey," he called over. "Murdock, right?"

Pausing, Matt didn't think he recognized the voice, "Yes," he answered cautiously, turning towards the voice. "I'm sorry, I don't think I know you Mister..." he was usually pretty good with voices and heartbeats.

"Espinosa." He didn't offer a hand, even knowing how much Matt could do but not wanting to blow his cover here and now if he had one. "Angelo. We haven't met, I just know you by reputation."

Matt was grateful that the man was bright enough not to offer his hand. So many did it without thinking though, it was just habit. Matt offered his instead, "Reputation? Should I be worried?" he had only passed the bar a couple months earlier and had graduated less than a year ago. It was too soon to have a reputation!

"Not at all", he said with a grin, shaking hands. "Just the usual scuttlebutt, you know the stuff, you landed a job at Worthington even with your disadvantage - yeah, people suck sometimes - so you must be something special."

"Just so long as they're not saying I meet some sort of quota, they can say whatever they want," Matt had learned a long time ago to ignore the 'they says.' 'They say' was a terrible thing and not worth his time. "Who're you with then, Angelo?"

"Today, Legal Aid. Some of the time, and what lets me do Legal Aid at all, Xavier. Out in Westchester." He turned slightly in the direction of the door, hefting his briefcase. "Hey, are you done here for the day?"

Xavier. That was the second time Matt had heard that name, though not in this context. He filed that away for later, "I am. Was just considering hitting the Library. Interested?" The Library was a nearby bar that had a mostly law-based clientele.

"Sounds good! I'm all done too, so we can go now if you like. Haven't been to the Library for a while."

He started towards the door, weaving through the foot traffic.

"Let me follow," Matt requested, voice pitched to Angelo so he would stop, "You can guide me. I'll hold your shoulder and you walk normally. Let me know a step or two ahead if there are stairs or anything else I should know. And try not to run me into a pole," he added dryly catching up and placing a hand firmly on Angelo's shoulder. He kept his cane ready too though, the first time someone guided anyone tended to be a bit of an experience.

"Sorry", he said ruefully. "I figured you probably knew this building well enough you wouldn't need it, but of course I will."

Matt did actually, but that wouldn't fit as well with being blind. "I can get there on my own, but it would take longer and be sort of silly if we're going together," he explained. "I don't follow or walk with so well. This is much easier."

"Fair enough", Angelo said easily. "I promise not to drop you down any stairs."

"That'd be appreciated," Matt agreed as they headed through the hallways and down the stairs, "I booked looking foolish and getting the crud beat out of me for later next week. Would hate to disrupt the schedule."

Angelo glanced sideways at him. "Getting the crud beat out of you?" he asked lightly. "Something I should be worried about?"

"Bad joke," Matt assured him. Oops. Time to adjust for his audience. Also, they weren't in middle school anymore. Kids could be cruel, but he had the last laugh. "Though you never know what can happen at judo classes."

"Yeah, I heard that." He grinned, keeping his voice light. "I'm more one for capoeira, myself."

"Not enough contact for me, too dancey," Matt replied, "I like getting more up close. But the spinny stuff's good for staying limber and working out," he liked capoeira, but it was not really that useful to him. Plus, it was ridiculously difficult to learn since he needed to be hands-on, quite literally.

"Ah well, there's a martial art out there for everybody. And just about all of them are good exercise if nothing else."

"Very true," Matt agreed, "It's all about finding the right combination of dojo, teacher and style," he didn't go any further as they reached the bar and headed inside, the sounds of the other people already there making conversation difficult for the moment. They headed to the bar to get drinks before going to find somewhere else to relax.

Finding a comfortable booth, both men settled down in it before resuming the conversation.

"So how'd you like working for the Worthington's?"

Taking a sip of his beer, Matt considered the question, "It's good. Long hours, but interesting work overall. I guess about what I expected?" They didn't balk at the electronics needed to help him do his work, but they held him to the same expectations as everyone else, which Matt appreciated. Not having to fight to get accommodation was a wonderful thing. "How's legal aid?"

"...Varies", he said with a crooked smile. "Some days, really good, some days it just gets soul-crushing."

"I'm sure. I've used it," Matt nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose as they began to slide slightly, "Well, my dad did, years ago. It's hard work, but...you're helping people that really need it. I had the idea that I'd open my own practice in Hell's Kitchen, my best friend Foggy and I want to, but we don't have the money to start it yet. That's why I didn't go the legal aid route. More likely to get the startup capital this way." And in a year or two, Nelson and Murdock would happen.

Angelo nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. Is that a friend from home, or one you met through work?"

"School, actually. We were roommates in college, then continued to room in law school. Decided to part ways before we turned into Joey and Chandler from Friends," also, no Rachel and Monica counterparts. "He's now at the DA's office," hiding his extracurriculars from Foggy had also been a challenge, so not having a roommate anymore helped. They still got together with regularity for drinks or dinner or whatever to plot their storefront and hang out.

"Better him than me", Angelo said with another quick crooked grin. "Although the pay's probably better there as well."

Matt laughed, liking Angelo's candor, "Agreed," he admitted. He made better money at Worthington Industries, but Foggy enjoyed the DA's office. It was a good fit for him. "So what's that Xavier's you mentioned? That doesn't sound like legal aid."

"It's a small school and research institute", he said smoothly, aware they were in public. "I'm the in-house legal, and I do whatever the Professor or the residents might need. Which feels a lot the same as legal aid sometimes. Kids."

"Sounds like two full time jobs," Matt noted. Impressive, actually. Westchester had some money, if Angelo got in with them, he was golden for his career. If that was what he wanted, and it didn't quite sound like it, "Oh yeah, kids. I stayed well away from juvenile law for good reason," not his thing. He liked kids well enough, but not enough to get involved in their special brand of laws. "Good for you though. Sounds like you help a lot of people."

"Just call me a workaholic. Everybody else does." He nodded. "I got a lot of help from Professor Xavier when I first came east, this is paying it back - and forward."

Weren't they all? "In that case, the beer's on me. To promote a healthy work-life balance," Matt waggled his beer bottle for emphasis, "You want another?" he asked. His was almost empty, but not quite and he wasn't sure he wanted a second just yet. Moderation. "Where're you from then?"

"If you're having one." He didn't want to look like a heavier drinker than his new friend, at least not today. "Los Angeles. Washed up out here as a penniless runaway and Xavier's took me in."

"Sure, why not?" Matt had planned on going out later, but that was a flexible thing, "Ouch. From runaway to lawyer, not too shabby. Sounds almost like a Lifetime movie," he wasn't trying to disparage Angelo, that was a hell of thing to do, "It's good to pay back those who help you. Or pay it forward. So long as you appreciate it and use their kindness to promote good."

"I do my best", he said sincerely, and then his phone rang. Looking at it, he said apologetically, "Sorry, I won't hear the end if I don't take this." And then he pressed the button and his accent completely changed. "Bueno, Mama.

Always answer when parents called, it was a cardinal rule. Matt didn't in meetings, but he always called out texted back as soon as possible. Clint could wait though. Still, it was interesting to hear Angelo code-switch from standard American English to a more urban style of Spanish. Matt was familiar with more formal Spanish which was as different from what Angelo was speaking as formal English was from the more urban vernacular he'd spoken growing up. Now he too spoke standard American English, albeit with a touch of a Manhattan accent. He was a New York boy, born and bred.

The conversation was brief, in rapid-fire New York Spanish, and mostly seemed to consist of repeated assurances that he'd been eating, ending with a promise to come and see her that night before Angelo made his farewells and hung up.

"Mama Lupe", he said with a ruefully affectionate tone and smile. "Queen of her domain and everybody's grandmother."

"Your mother?" Matt asked, curious. He'd heard both sides of the conversation with his hearing despite the noise of the bar, even if he didn't understand it. "Sounds like an awesome lady."

He shook his head.

"She's an awesome lady, definitely, but... not my mother. Just acts like it. Everybody calls her Mama Lupe."

"Ah," Matt was familiar with those ladies. It seemed that many neighborhoods had one. "Well," he fished out a couple bills that were folded in his wallet. Matt kept each denomination folded differently so he could tell them apart and made sure he had the same amount in his wallet each morning. At night he checked what he had and either deposited the change into savings or put it back in his wallet add needed. "I'll let you get to dinner then. It was good meeting you, Angelo."

"There's no rush", he assured him, "I just said tonight, I didn't say when... unless you've got places to be too."

Checking the time, Matt had enough to get something to eat, relax for a while, maybe nap and then go out. That sounded like a plan since it had been a few days, "I have things I should do, but here," he handed Angelo his card, the letters were embossed so he could read it and know the correct way up, "if you're at the courthouse again. Let me know."

"Definitely. And here." He fished out his own card, then on a second thought a pen so he could scratch into the numbers, indenting them deeply as a sort of makeshift Braille. "Give me a call sometime."

Matt also had a reader to scan and digitize cards. "I will," he agreed, taking the card and slipping it in his jacket pocket. "Have a good night."