Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Natsume walked down the sidewalk phone to his ear. " Yes, yes, Athena, I'm getting your strawberry shortcake. " Natsume replied as he neared the bakery.

" And yes, I got the takeout." He cut in before whoever he was speaking to could interject. 

His long blond hair that goes past his waist, normally up in a tight bun, still in his black suit, one gloved hand carrying a take-out bag, "is Apollo joining us? Or is he having another all-night case session with Phoenix?" He asked as he entered the bakery. Ever since that odd explosion in the sky happened, new people appear, or well, new humanoids with gray skin with black hair, and candy color horns of different shapes can be seen down the street and in shops, and this one was no different. 

Natsume went to the counter and ordered a strawberry shortcake and a few other things , when " Gog ******it!" A voice shouted, fist slamming on the table, making the patrons mutter in shock and confusion. Natsume looked over his shoulder, his heterochromic eyes scanning the room, and then he spotted the source of the outburst. 

A troll with short horns, with a black sweater with a 69 symbol on the chest, face candy red in anger.

"Karkat, calm down. Don't make sense here." A man with glasses and a blue hoodie said, his dark eyes looking about.

"But this is 5 attorneys that turn down the case!" The troll now known as Karkat shouted, "We're running out of time if we don't get an attorney soon, they're going to put him on death row!" Karkat explains.

'Sounds like a case...' Natsume thought before he stopped to think about it, and he stepped over. 

"Excuse me." Natsume said, waving over to the du, Sorry for listening in, but.. you'rer looking for an attorney?" Natsume asked. 

The glasses-wearing male nodded, "We are, uhh, but who are you?" The male said, looking Natsume up and down.

"Oh, I'm sorry, allow me to introduce myself. I am Natsume Nekomaru of Wright and Co., a defense attorney company. "

He explained as he bowed his head slightly. 

Karkat's eyes widen, then narrow, finding this suspicious. "How come I never heard of you before?" The troll asked, " Ah, I...can't really blame you for that, we're working on a new number, so we can get clients ...in other words, we're working on an advertisement with a new number."

"What's wrong with the old one?" The glasses-wearing human asked.

Natsume fidgets with fingers for a second. "That's a long story, I'll uh explained  later.." Natsume muttered the lateral part before he took a chair.

" May I?" He asked the human troll duo nodded as natsume sat down.

The duo nodded as Natsume sat down, handing them a card, " Sorry for listening in, but I notice you want a lawyer? May I get the story?" Natsume asked as he looked at them.

"Well, my name is John, and this is Karkat." The human now known as John introduced himself, "You see...uhh." John started to say, almost finding it hard to explain the blink as he tilted his head, before Karkat cut in, " My...friend is being accused of something ...something I'm not sure he did. The cops were confident it was him." Karkat started to say.

"Who was the head detective?" Natsume asked, leaning on the palm of his hand, having a gut feeling who he thinks it is.

"Um, Gumshoe, he says his name was?" Karkat replied, "Yeah, that's all I need to know. Won't be the first time he was confident about a case." natsume pitched the bridge of his nose. His feeling was right, "Wait, you're going to take his case?" John blinked.

" Clearly, I refuse to stand for such injustices! "Natsume said as he stuck his hand out for a handshake. "I'll leave my personal number with you two. Tell me when the client is ready to speak to me." Natsume said as he wrote his number on a napkin, his heart doing leaps. He got a client, he got a case! he can do this!

The Next day, Natsume went to the police station. Karkat told him (in all caps) that his friend was ready to speak to him. Natsume brushed his hair and put it in a bun, grabbed his black suit from the closet, and buttoned up the white button shirt, throwing the coat as he put on white gloves, and buttoned up his suit and put his pin on his jacket, which has silicone moulded rabbit ears, Natsume put on some heeled boots to give himself the extra height.

Natsume ran on the pavement, heels clicking all the way, his breath foggy from the early morning air as he ran to the train station, briefcase in hand. ' Just need to talk to the client, oh shoot, I didn't get his name! ' He thought as he went down the stairs and into the train, panting, holding the railing.

The train doors closed, and then off he went. His phone buzzed, and he opened his phone.

carcinogenesis: THIS IS KARKAT, DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

Black rabbit defender: Oh! Karkat, I didn't know you were on this platform.

carcinogenesis: YEAH, MADE IT EASIER THAN FINDING YOUR NUMBER IN A WALL OF NUMBERS.

Black rabbit Defender: Wow, popular, I take it?

carcinogenesis: NOT REALLY, JUST...WANT TO KEEP EVERYONE CLOSE ...

Natsume blinked as he read that, before he replied.

Black Rabbit Defender: Do you wish to discuss it?

carcinogenesis: JUST..FOCUS ON GAMZEE'S CASE..PLEASE

'So my client's name is Gamzee..' He thought as he gripped the handle as the train came to a halt, but before a tall man put a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, " Now you're going to listen to me... you're going to tell whoever hired you, you're not taking that case."  Natsume blinked before he started pointing at the man, before grabbing the man's wrist...and twisted it, making the man howl in pain.

" Were you trying to use intimidation on me?" he asked as the man crumbled to his knees, and natsume tilted his head, still holding the man's wrist, " Is this how some of the lawyers drop Gamzee's case?" the man whimpers, "How do you know I was a lawyer? Were you stalking me?" Natsume asked as he twisted the man a bit more. Not only do you try to threaten lawyers into dropping cases, but you also stalk them? How lucky we're close to the police station," he said as he picked the man by the arm and dragged him out of the train to the police.

" Hello! This man threatened me and might be stalking me." Natsume said as he waved to the officer, " Huh? Ah, hey, you're the black rabbit attorney, right?" The officer said.

"I need to meet my client, and this man just threatened me...and officer, you know it takes a lot for me to get mad at someone," Natsume said plainly. This sent a shiver down a man's spine, " T-the heck?! I didn't know this guy was some nutcase!" the man snapped. Natsume looked at the man, "Huh..." he looked at the man, "What was that?" he asked in an icey tone. The man gulped.

Natsume gave the man to the officer before he headed to the police station.

The first thing Natsume did was request the case files; of course, Gumshoe was there.

"Huh, Wright isn't here this time?" The detective asked, " he out of town he aware I'm taking the case." Natsume explained as he looked at the detective, " Look, not sure why you're taking this case, because this guy was caught red-handed! literally." Gumshoe said proudly, chest swelling with pride, Natsume blinked before he smiled.

"Oh, like you were confident before? How many times have we had to prove you were incorrect?" Natsume hums, making  gumshoe confident, deflated like a balloon, "A-again with that sharp tongue of yours, but he had the victim's blood on his hands!" Gum Shoe pointed out, Natsume tilted his head, the smile on his face still  there, " And yet you didn't ask lock room, and there's always a chance..." Natsume leans up to Gumshoe's ear, "There's more than meets the eye." 

Natsume walked away, heels clicking, "Later!" he waved, heading to the visitor center to finally meet Gamzee Makra.

Natsume entered the room as he waited for his client. I wonder what he looks like. Maybe he is a troll like Karkat, or human?' he thought, then he heard the door a tall troll with messy/curly hair with black pants with poka dots, which looks like a mix of Pajamas and maybe clown pants with a black short sleeve shirt  with white face paint on his face his droopy eyes looked at natsume like he wasn't fully alert or awake or maybe..." M-Mr.Makara, are you high?!" Natsume asked.

Gamzee nodded, "One of the boys in blue gave me this rolled paper with leaves in it," he replied.

'What did I sign myself to?' he thought.

TBC

Chapter Text

Natsume looks at his client as he rubs his temple, 'Okay, okay, he's high, he was probably high when gumshoe cornered and questioned him,  which would explain why that guy was so confident in his inspection. ' Natsume thought as he sighed through his nose.

" Mr.Makara-" he stared 

"GaMzEe," the lean troll cut off, " ...Gamzee am natsume Nekomaru, your defense attorney. " he introduced himself, "WhOa, YoU mUsT bE lUcKy NuMbEr 7",  Gamzee said in awe

"7? I was informed you had 5 other lawyers, and I was number 6?" Natsume questioned. Gamzee shook his head. "That GuMsHoE gUy SaId I cAn GeT a 'CoUrT aTtOrNeY,' bUt As SoOn As ThE gUy ReAd My FiLe AnD mE aNd NoPe RiGhT oF hErE," He explained as he fidgeted with the rolled-up blunt in between his fingers, as he ran one hand over his messy locks.

Natsume blinked. He noticed the bags under the lean troll's eyes." Mr. Maka-Gamzee, did you get any sleep?" he asked Gamzee, who shook his head, " No, I dIdN't I cOuLdN't, ReAlLy" Gamzee replied, 'They're using that trick? And I thought gumshoe had some class.' Natsume thought bitterly.

"So YoU'rE aNoThEr OnE oF tHoSe CoUrT oRdEr OnEs Or SoMeOnE aSk YoU tO tAkE oN tHe CaSe OuT oF pItY?" Gamzee asked, leaning on the table, "Actually, your friend...uhh, Karkat asks me." Natsume said as Gamzee, who was in mid-smoke of the blunt, coughing and gagging in shock, " KaRbRo AsK yA? i Uh DiDn'T tHiNk He WoUlD i MeAn...UhH iT a LoNg TiMe AnD wE gOt SoMe..PrObLeMs WiTh OuR fRiEnDsHiP iN tHe PaSt...BuT .." Gamzee choked out, "Hm? Why are you surprised? " Natsume asked.

Gamzee blinked  before he inhaled the blunt, before exhaling."  I...rAtHeR nOt TaLk AbOuT iT rIgHt NoW, sO lEt NoT aNd GeT oN wItH tHe CaSe...I dOn'T lIkE bEiNg In ClOsE sPaCeS..." Gamzee said , "I see.." Natsume replied before he felt the pendant in his pocket 'please..I need to check.' he thought before he close his eyes and took a small breath, " Did you know the victim?" he asked Gamzee shook his head, "NoPe,OnLy MeT tHe MoThEr FeR tHaT nIgHt , So I hAvE nO iDeA wHo He WaS." Gamzee said as he rubbed his neck ' no reaction...' natsume thought.

"...Can you tell me what happened  that night?" he asked, " uRe,So I wAs LoOkInG fOr A pLaCe To StAy FoR tHe NiGhT,aM a BiT oF a Uh DrIfTeR yOu SeE ,aNd I fOuNd ThIs PlAcE hAd To BeG tHe OwNeR iT lEt Me StAy ThE nIgHt MaRcO tHe ViCtIm WaS a NiCe GuY hE dIdN't ReAlLy CaRe I wAsN't FoRm ArOuNd HeRe, EfF hE tOlD mE hE kNoW hOw I fEeL bEiNg OuT oF pLaCe.." Gamzee replied.

"He GaVe Me SoMe StUfF nOtCiNg I wAs ..HaViNg An IsSuE i ThInK i ToOk ToO mUcH aNd..BlAcK oUt WhEn I cAmE tOo MaRcO wAs AlReAdY dEaD..." Gamzee added as he held himself, "...Don't worry, Gamzee... I'm going to help you!" natsume said, "WhY? i KnOw KaRbRo AsK yOu BuT...iF yOu KnEw WhAt KiNd Of TrOlL i WaS, yOu WoUlD pRoBaBlY cHaNgE yOuR mInD." Gamzee said as he clenched his fist, " Simple Gamzee, I can't stand injustice!" Natsume said as he stood up, "See you." Natsume waved as he left.

'He trust us?' a voice in Gamzee's head mutter, 'HE MUST BE JUST A CRAZY AS US!'  another one screamed.

TBC.