Chapter Text
H. Bomb looks up from where he slurps his noodles, sauce splattering all over his chin. Ranboo wipes a droplet that landed on his hand.
“Yeah, that one,” Eret says, dabbing at their lips with a napkin. The courthouse cafeteria is busy at this time of the day. Niki can hardly hear them over the buzz of conversations between frustrated lawyers and cheery bailiffs.
“Been trying to block that from my memory, to be honest,” H. Bomb mutters.
“Why? What’s it about?” Niki asks.
“Mr Bomb here was arrested and tried for murder,” Eret says nonchalantly. Niki’s jaw drops, staring between H. Bomb and Eret.
Ranboo stares, wide-eyed. “Wait, what?”
“Yeah,” H. Bomb says. He finishes his broth and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I think I was, like, in my final year in college. Was at that stage where I started applying to universities.”
Now this Niki wants to hear.
“And I was a witness in that case,” Eret says.
H. Bomb laughs. “Yeah. You were pretty intimidating, actually.”
Eret flashes them a smile. They rise to put their tray away, leaving H. Bomb seated with Ranboo and Niki. H. Bomb clasps his fingers in front of him.
“Well, it was short and simple, but it was one of the earliest cases that cemented, well, the Dark Age of the Law.”
“So, one of the lawyers was corrupt?” Ranboo asks.
“Something like that.”
“For money?”
“For fame. And money, I guess,” H. Bomb sighs. “Well, it’s a rather wild story, I’d say. I don’t usually talk about it, but it’s not like I hate it. Alright.” H. Bomb shifts in his seat. Eret returns, sliding into their chair. “It began on a warm summer’s day…”
*
Palms sweating…heart racing…
Going to…die…
“Hello there.”
H. Bomb jumps, clutching at his chest. He turns to the sound of the voice, to a certain Mr Foolish Gamers having plopped down on the seat next to him. H. Bomb fidgets restlessly with the leather arm of the couch.
“Hi,” H. Bomb utters, staring back down at the ground. Foolish is supposed to be a seasoned defence lawyer, and the Bombs’ family friend. Not that H. Bomb has really talked to him much. Like, ever. It was his parents who settled the defence request.
“How are you doing?” Foolish asks, and H. Bomb bites back a snarky retort. How does he look? Not very fine, probably.
“I’m okay.” What else can he say?
“Well, it’s almost time to head in. I promised your Mum that I’m going to get you off the hook, so there’s that.”
H. Bomb hums, unsure of how to respond.
Get him off the hook? Sounds like a dream come true. Found standing over a body, murder weapon in hand, the very picture of guilt. H. Bomb can never quite forget that scene. His friend curled up in the closet, blood pooled on the ground, eyes opened in complete shock.
They’re all saying he’s the murderer, that he was the one who did it.
But that’s…those are all lies. He didn’t do it. He didn’t do anything…
“The prosecutor today’s a newbie,” Foolish says, patting H. Bomb’s shoulder. “We can totally crush him, Mr Bomb.”
“‘We’?”
“Yeah.” Foolish grins. “You’re joining me behind the defence’s bench. Isn’t that exciting?”
J-Joining him?
“Don’t worry,” Foolish says. “I’ll be doing the defence. It’s just…it’s hard to see my client in the defendant’s chair, you know?”
H. Bomb opens his mouth to reply, only for the bailiff to call from the courtroom’s doors. “Defence Attorney Gamers and the accused, please enter the courtroom. The trial is about to begin.”
Foolish jabs a thumb at the courtroom. “Come on. We’re going to get that not guilty verdict for you and get you out of that uniform, yeah?”
H. Bomb rises and follows Foolish into the courtroom. This is his first time stepping into such a place, and he wishes that it would be his last.
Oh, that’s to hoping that he would walk free after this, of course.