To Kill A Mockingbird

[MICAH STOKES]

Police Report:

On the night of May 17th at approximately 5:47 a.m. the deceased, John Doe stood on the rooftop of The Silent Stone where the incident took place with YOSHI TAKIMOTO who had come up on the roof and making idle conversation with the deceased, where Yoshi states '[they] were getting ready for morning'. Yoshi then states he saw the culprit MICAH STOKES come through the door (located southwest corner) onto the roof with the pair. Yoshi states '[he] looked to be fucked up on drugs or something' speaking of Micah who after the dispute shoved John Doe off the side of the building just before sun up. The fall not only killed John Doe but a passerby by the name of SOPHIA WESTWICK who bystanders state 'a giant rock fell off the roof on her as she was jogging' and both victims were declared dead on the scene.

- Chief Officer on the scene Eric Gibbs

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May 18th at 10:54 p.m.

I'm just Tom Robinson, he thought to himself, seated at one of those grey rectangular tables in a metal fold-out chair. There was a nicer chair with padding just across from him with wheels under the legs for easy maneuverability. He didn't get that chair though. It was saved for Mr. Finch. Mr. Atticus Finch. At least that was what he was calling his representative. He had yet to meet him but was told by the guards watching him that his representative would be there shortly. He knew it didn't matter though, because he was Tom Robinson.

He was an innocent man who was going to be lynched for crimes he did not commit. That was why he was referring to himself as the black prisoner from To Kill A Mockingbird. Tom Robinson had been innocent although he was convicted of rape when in fact the sex had been consensual. And when he was found guilty he tried to escape only to be shot and killed. It was what the people wanted in the book. And it was what the people were going to want now with him.

Micah Stokes was going to be put on trial for two counts of murder that he did not commit. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and no matter how much he said it the words went unheard. So now the man sat there, on his cold metal fold-out chair, in silence.

He didn't consider himself a very lucky man. He was fortunate, and stayed out of trouble as much as he could. But he worked hard for everything he got. He didn't have the charm or good looks that others had. His dark blonde hair was on the shorter side, giving him the look of military. And his blue eyes looked tired and worn as if they had seen a lot in his time. He was fit and even in the ugly grey jumpsuit they had him in it was obvious that he was tough. His hands were cuffed together and rest on the table. He found them unnecessary but figured it was probably more for the safety of the 'guards' than anything else. It made them feel safe and powerful over him. The funny thing was that he knew these guards and they knew him.

The silence of the room didn't unnerve him in the slightest. He'd known men and women who could not sit in a quiet room without needing to make some sort of noise. When you were left alone with the sound of nothing but your own thoughts, some people didn't like the thoughts that became so clear in their own heads. Micah welcomed it and used the time wisely, going over everything that he knew to have happened just the night before.

His mind was also on the famous book To Kill A Mockingbird. It seemed so fitting to the situation. Because for one reason or another, he was being set up for a crime that he did not commit. And for some reason his case was being moved quickly.

When the door to the small room with the harsh fluorescent lighting opened, his eyes moved from the surface of the table over to see who it was coming through the door.

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

Eponine was not afraid of the jail. She had been there too many times for that. That didn't stop her from feeling the chill when she approached the building. It was so spare and the barbed wire topped fences were so hostile, she automatically felt unwelcome. But she knew there was someone in there who would welcome her. His name was Micah Stokes.

Eponine did not enjoy being a defense attorney. She was normally the prosecution, firmly believing that justice needed to be meted out to the guilty. As a defense attorney, it happened to often that the person you were dealing with was a liar trying to convince you they were innocent just as much as they were trying to convince the jury. Eponine couldn't stand being lied to. There was nothing more frustrated than knowing a person is guilty and being forced to defend them, or worse, knowing they were let off because you failed. But Eponine did not make it a habit to fail. She would work for twelve hours straight just to undermine every supposed hole the defense found in her case. Fortunately, she only dealt with Gargoyle clients in a courtroom, as not many other cases were tried at night. For this case, though, she had to make an exception to her prosecution only rule.

The circumstances of the case were weird and seemed like a half-assed cover job. They didn't even identify the dead man in the police report. The woman down below...well, that was just unfortunate. The supposed witness's account didn't even name the deceased, which was odd considering they were making "idle conversation." The whole thing was just odd. Not to mention, she had been specifically asked to defend Stokes by a senior Guardian, who had mentioned she had quite a reputation as a lawyer. That meant the senior Guardian respected Stokes enough to seek her out. The Council was probably involved in this, since they operated like the mafia, except not as smart. That thought alone irritated her. They were known to pin things on innocent people.

She went through a series of locked doors that made a loud buzzing sound when they opened. Some of the guards recognized her and she graciously greeted them with a smile, but she was anxious to meet Stokes. His personality would be a major deciding factor for a jury. If he was abrasive or crass, they would have to play it down. But if he was respectful and polite, she could use that to a vast advantage. Before she reached the room, she quickly smoothed down her sometimes unruly hair and her skirt. The last thing she needed was to look sloppy. Sloppiness in her mind meant incompetence and an inability to balance all of the aspects of your life. At last, she walked to the door and opened it for herself, walking into the sparse room.

The person she saw sitting in the fold out chair was not who she pictured Micah Stokes to be. She didn't know what she had pictured, but it clashed with the very tall, but otherwise ordinary man sitting at the table. He was tough and fit, that much she could tell, and he was even handsome, with what she would describe as a kind face. Not what you would expect a killer to look like. But her own surprise didn't show on her face as she stepped forward with a pleasant smile and offered her hand in greeting. "Hello, Mr. Stokes. My name is Eponine Gascoigne and I'll be your attorney," she said in her soft, smooth voice. She got close enough so he could actually manage to shake her hand with the handcuffs on. Her eyes fell to the cold metal at his wrist and she gave a slightly wider smile. "I'll see if the next time we meet they can't leave those off." Eponine wasn't known to be nice, but she didn't require her clients to be in handcuffs around her. It made her uncomfortable and more aware of where they were.

She took her seat across from Micah and set her briefcase on the floor beside her, leaning over to grab a legal pad from the black leather and a pen. With a smile she looked back at him, her large brown eyes noticing just how tired his looked. Who could rest easy in a place like this? She almost felt bad for the guy. "So, tell me your side of the story."

[MICAH STOKES]

He was surprised to see that his Atticus Finch was a woman. Not that he was sexist in any way but when he was told that 'Gascoigne' was going to be defending him he just automatically assumed it would be a man. Clearly he couldn't be more wrong. And this woman wasn't one of those who came in trying to look like one of the guys, either. She looked and walked the way a woman would. That also threw him off. He expected someone in a grey suit who had the personality of a piece of cardboard. But he tried not to seem too surprised, although his eyes seemed to give him away a bit since they looked like they were startled by the appearance of her.

When her hand came forward he started to stand up so he could lean across the table that was more a barrier than anything else between him in his opinion. But when he started to get to his feet the guard to his left pushed him back down into his chair which not only felt disrespectful but irritated him a bit. He tried not to show how irksome he'd become but he still leaned forward and shook her hand lightly.

Micah had never understood lawyers. The political route not only wasn't a choice for him but he never found it interesting. To defend a criminal made you no better than said criminal in his eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Stokes. My name is Eponine Gascoigne and I'll be your attorney,"

He didn't even utter a hello, but just nodded his head to show that he understood what she said. Maybe it was because he just didn't know where to begin or what to say but he remained quiet.

"I'll see if the next time we meet they can't leave those off."

The cuffs didn't bother him. It wasn't as if he was the antsy sort that needed to have his hands and move them around when he spoke. He was fine keeping them set on the table right where they were and it wasn't as if the cuffs dug into his tough skin. Maybe if he'd been born a human then they would be much more bothersome.

"So, tell me your side of the story."

His eyes moved to the pad and pen wondering if that was how she planned on getting all the information from him. Was she going to write it all down? Then again it wasn't so bad that way. He didn't have much to tell. He craned his neck to the left to look at the guard standing there and then looked to the right to the one standing there. They knew about attorney/client confidentiality laws and yet they weren't making any effort to leave.

So he eased into his uncomfortable chair and looked straight ahead at his attorney once again. It was her that needed to hear his side of things and not the guards. If they wanted to stay in the room and break the rules then he was fine with it. It wasn't like he had anything incriminating to say that could hurt himself.

"There isn't much to tell." He said in a raspy voice. It was the first thing he'd said since he'd arrived in custody. He had to clear his throat a bit so that his words would come out better next. He didn't want her mishearing what he had to say. "I didn't know the man and I didn't kill him."

It wasn't much of a story but it was what he knew as the truth.

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

Eponine noticed Micah look at the guards to either side of him. They were bothering her too. Why did they find it acceptable to violate attorney/client privilege? They could stand outside the door like any other guards would. If this guy had something incriminating to tell her, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it in front of witnesses. She felt like she was surrounded by idiots on a daily basis. Micah sat back in his chair, and any look of surprise he had given her was gone now. He relaxed in his chair like he was going to speak. Before she could advise him not to, he did.

"There isn't much to tell." She was surprised at how raspy his voice sounded mixed with the deepness of it. He cleared his throat, but there was still a roughness to his voice. Like he didn't use it often. "I didn't know the man and I didn't kill him." Somehow, she was inclined to believe him. He wasn't agitated as he said it, and he didn't avert his gaze. Micah said it like it was a simple fact. But she needed more than just, "I didn't do it." How could she focus on that, though, with two men in the room who did not belong there. She shot the two men a chilling look, not in the mood for stupidity at the moment.

"Officers, don't feel your presence is necessary. You may step outside and guard from out there as you would with any other person. You are violating attorney/client privilege and I am quite capable of defending myself against a handcuffed man," she said in a cool, commanding voice. The two of them looked at each other, obviously bewildered, which only pissed her off more. "In other words, please leave." Though her voice was cold and polite, there was no mistaking the fire in her eyes. If they didn't get out of that room in the next minute, there was going to be a problem. They did as they were told, and she watched them until the door was closed. When it was, she turned back to Micah, her face a pleasant mask once more.

"I'm sorry. I should have advised you not to speak until they left, but it's no problem," she said in her once more soft voice. With a small, quiet sigh, she crossed her legs carefully before settling into a long conversation. Her time limit was an hour, and she would make it last. "I know you said you didn't know the man, but did you happen to catch his name? It's not in the police report. And what did you see on the rooftop, if anything?" These were crucial details she needed to know if she was going to prove his innocence. She needed to hear his story, even if he didn't think there was much to tell.

[MICAH STOKES]

When his representative dismissed the guards he couldn't keep the satisfaction hidden as just the faintest hint of a grin passed over his lips and he watched them leave the room. Of course they knew better. They were just being moronic and thought they could get away with it. They clearly didn't know that curiosity killed the cat.

"I know you said you didn't know the man, but did you happen to catch his name? It's not in the police report. And what did you see on the rooftop, if anything?"

He knew saying that he was innocent was one thing but proving it... that was going to be the hard part. Especially when he has sure that he was being set up. His eyes moved down to the table and he began to tap his fingers against it gently trying not to make too much noise as he did it. He knew that sort of thing could get annoying fast and decided with how quiet it was in there it might be in his best interest if he just stopped now before it irritated her. He didn't need a lawyer who thought he was annoying.

Licking his dried lips he took his chance at speaking again, this time it appeared he had more to say. "Sometimes I work at The Silent Stone. The nightclub?" He raised his brows at her almost as if he were asking her if she knew of it with that little facial gesture and he was sure she knew it. The Silent Stone was a nightclub, a bar, and a lounge all in one. It was also a very popular gargoyle hangout. "It's sort of like an on-call bouncer position. Well I was working last night when this guy came up and told me about a fight on the roof."

Micah furrowed his brows and looked at his hands for a moment before looking back up at her. He had to think, make sure he got every detail right. "Then this guy runs off before I can get a word in. Just right out of the club." He found it odd that someone had come up to him and told him about the fight, when there was other staff closer to the exit that lead to the rooftop. But he didn't say that. It was just an observation he made and he didn't think anything of it.

"When I reached the roof there were four men up there and two of them pushed your dead man off just as the sun was coming up. Couldn't help him because there wasn't enough time to reach him. I bet nobody bothered to document where I was when the sun went down, did they?" His voice was calm and quiet as he spoke. There was no hint of malice, amusement, or even fear in his voice. Micah knew what was happening the more he spoke. He knew that he was being framed and he knew that no matter what this woman tried to do his fate was most likely sealed.

He watched her and studied any change in her expression. Did she care? Was he just another case to her? He figured his case landed on her lap because he hadn't even asked for an attorney when he was told that one had been appointed to him. Maybe she was here to see if there was anything he knew and she was going to report it back to the person who had it out for him.

Then he realized there was something else he remembered. "There was this little Asian man. It sounded like he was apologizing." He had to look away and to the side at the wall while he tried to recall what it was he heard just before the sun's light hit him and he went into his stone prison. "..'sorry Jared'."

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

Eponine waited patiently as Micah began to tap his fingers on the table. It was so quiet in the room, the sound of it was almost loud. But it didn't bother her. She was too focused on hearing what he had to say next. Her eyes rested on him, patient and calm, and she didn't shy away from his gaze when it came back to hers. He seemed almost unsure of what to say next, but not like he was spinning a story to tell her. Just like he was unsure of what to tell her. The sound stopped, and still she waited to hear his deep voice again. Whatever he could tell her, she waited eagerly for it. Finally, she saw him lick his lips and prepare to speak.

He mentioned his work at The Silent Stone, a lounge she was particularly familiar with. Once upon a time, she had frequented the place with her lover at the time, Sebastian Davenport. When he looked at her for affirmation of her knowledge of the place, she nodded in response. There were very few gargoyles who didn't know the place. "Well I was working last night when this guy came up and told me about a fight on the roof." Eponine made a note on her legal pad. She needed a description of the man who told him this. "Then this guy runs off before I can get a word in. Just right out of the club." She still needed a description of him, whatever Micah could give her. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but at least they would have an idea of what he looked like if anyone else came up in the investigation.

"When I reached the roof there were four men up there and two of them pushed your dead man off just as the sun was coming up. Couldn't help him because there wasn't enough time to reach him. I bet nobody bothered to document where I was when the sun went down, did they?"

This perturbed Eponine. Four men, two of which pushed this guy off a roof, a fellow gargoyle. Why? And why pin it on Micah, of all people? This reeked of the Council's work. But why would they want the guy dead? Was there a reason to single out Micah? Her brow furrowed slightly as she watched him watching her, but she wasn't really registering that he was there. The wheels in her head were just spinning out of control, and she hoped something in his demeanor or the words he spoke would help her answer some of her many questions. She was called from her thoughts by a sudden look of recognition in his face before he turned away.

"There was this little Asian man. It sounded like he was apologizing...'sorry Jared.'"

Her brow furrowed more. Where had she heard the name Jared recently? It hit her like a ton of bricks, and she couldn't stop the look of recognition from washing over her face. She scrawled down more notes before looking back up at him. He hadn't mentioned anything about that rumor...Quickly and suddenly, she stood from her chair, taking her pad with her as she pushed her chair closer to Micah. She sat caddy-corner to him now, so she could speak to him more quietly and have a better view of any emotion that crossed his face. Once more, she sat, looking him dead in the eyes.

"I believe you're being set up, Micah," she started, softly but in a convincing tone. She wanted him to be aware that she knew he didn't do what he was being accused of. "I don't know if you've heard the rumors, lately, but supposedly there is a ring that will allow us gargoyles to walk in the sunlight. Nothing's been validated about these rumors, but the gargoyle who came into possession of this supposed ring was a man named Jared." She waited for that to sink in before she continued. "Those men you saw on the rooftop? I think they were sent by the Council. I'm sure they're very interested in those rumors, and it wouldn't surprise me if they ordered someone to be killed." A thought occurred to her as she spoke, and she looked away for a moment, bringing her fingers to her lips in contemplation. "Perhaps the man that ran and got you was looking for there to be a witness to the crime. Instead, now you're getting framed." She said this quietly, almost to herself. Her eyes came back to his and she lifted her pen again. "Describe these men to me in as much detail as you can. Hair color, eye color, body type, any distinguishing marks. Even the one who ran and got you. If there's anything you remember at all, it could help identify the two men who actually threw Jared off the building." When Eponine was on a roll, she didn't notice how intense she could be. Right now, if she could step outside herself, she would see how eager her eyes were, how attentive she was, and it would be easy to see why some people thought her intimidating. Still, she waited for Micah's answer anxiously, ready to jot down his descriptions.

[MICAH STOKES]

Micah noticed a sort of fire in the attorney's eyes, almost a passion for the information that she was given. It seemed there was more going on behind the scenes than he knew about as she filled him in on some kind of ring. When rumors circled they went in one ear and out the other. Especially if it didn't seem important. But how could a ring like that not be important? A ring of that sort.. the possibilities were endless. And if somehow it became mass produced then Guardians would be able to do their duties much more efficiently. Politicians could run for office, and that was a bit of a scary thought.

His brows had furrowed a bit, knitting together in the center of his forehead but other than that his expression didn't reveal much. Micah was good at keeping a straight face. And he had a pretty good idea why him of all people would be perfect to frame. Because he would be the easiest and the most unlikely to be missed by anyone. "I was an easy target." He said gently, more as confirmation for himself than for her. But he knew that she would be listening to everything he said so he glanced at her and decided to pipe up a bit and explain himself.

"I'm all military training and that's it. I keep to myself and keep out of trouble. Others know me but there's nobody that could honestly say they know me." It was true. Those so called "friends" would say that they thought he was a pretty stand up guy but they couldn't be absolutely sure. "I've always been quiet and a bit of a loner. I make for easy bait." He couldn't wrap his head around what sort of problem anyone would have with him but as to why they would pick him it was obvious.

Micah fell silent after and stared down at his cuffed hands. He couldn't be sure if this woman truly believed him or if she was just saying that she did to get him to open up. It wasn't that he didn't trust her but he didn't know her. And it made it difficult for him to talk so much to someone he didn't know. When he grew quiet he shifted his weight in his seat and tried to get himself a little more comfortable.

"The man who said there was a fight I didn't recognize. He was there and gone too quick to get a good look. And under the lights in the club his hair looked dark. Brown or black possibly. Approximately one-hundred-ninety pounds and five-foot-ten in height." Details.. details.. everything was in the details. He was good with details when he had enough time to gather them. But he'd been so thrown off that night by what happened. Although there were a few things that he knew had to be true. "The two who pushed this Jared must have been human. They weren't there when I woke. The asian was though." He figured that could be useful.

"Man one. Medium build, roughly six-foot-two at two-hundred-twenty pounds with blonde hair. Man two. On the lanky side, six-foot-even at two-hundred pounds and dark brown hair. Didn't see either of their eyes since their backs were to me. Then the man that was on the roof with me. Black hair, brown eyes, he looked Asian. I recall the police talking to him I'm sure they have his description." Micah wasn't racist by a long shot, but he didn't feel it was necessary to describe someone that he was almost positive they already had a description of.

He watched her carefully once more. Although she seemed professional and almost hard in some instances he could sense that there was a soft side to her. "You think you can get me out of here before they finish building the gallows?" It had a subtle bit of sarcasm in what he said but it was true. She might have been sure that he was being framed but he couldn't be entirely sure that he was going to get out of this mess.

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

Eponine listened attentively, but what came out of Micah's mouth first wasn't what she was expecting. "I was an easy target." Her brow furrowed a little, not sure what he meant. How did he make an easy target? The man was huge and well-built. That would make him a more difficult target in her mind. Before she could ask about his statement, though, he answered her. "I'm all military training and that's it. I keep to myself and keep out of trouble. Others know me but there's nobody that could honestly say they know me. I've always been quiet and a bit of a loner. I make for easy bait." To hear him describe himself, Eponine felt that perhaps they were more alike than she thought. Nobody really knew her, either, not even Sebastian or Prestine. She suddenly felt more...sympathy...for this guy. Eponine knew too many people in the political world to make for an easy target. But if she had chosen a different path, perhaps the guardian path, would she be much different from Micah? No, she wouldn't. It was strange. Eponine didn't normally feel sympathy or empathy for anyone, but she felt it for Micah. What a mess he had gotten into just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She watched his eyes fall to his cuffed hands, and she wasn't entirely sure what to say. Eponine wasn't known for her ability to comfort people. But what could she do to convince him that she believed him? The silence lasted a long minute, Eponine watching Micah the whole time, waiting for him to describe the men he encountered. At last he began to talk about it and she jotted down everything he said, every description. The forerunner, the humans, the other gargoyle. Yoshi Takimoto. How many Asian gargoyles could there be? Her first step was going to be tracking him down. She needed to talk to him. Maybe she would go looking for him or any information on him when she left here. Perhaps she would have to hunt down Avery to help her with this case. The man was a little odd, but he was sharp as a tack and would be able to help her get some information on him. Where he lived, where he hung out, past criminal history, etc. She appreciated all the detail Micah gave her though. His military background came out in the short, simple way he spoke, and it made it easy for her to write down her notes.

Her pen was still working when he stopped speaking, but she finished just as he spoke again. "You think you can get me out of here before they finish building the gallows?" Her large brown eyes came to his again, and she gave a slow smile at his sarcasm. She didn't really know what to tell him, though. Could she get him out of here? "Don't be silly," she started with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "They aren't building a gallows. They'll just push you off a building." Her smile grew, indicating she was joking with her dark sense of humor. After a long moment, she really allowed herself to feel for the guy. He must be nervous for how this was going to work out. Eponine was awkward when it came to comforting others, but her hand reached out and covered one of his reassuringly. "I'm going to try my best to get you out of her as soon as possible, Micah. I won't let them hang you without a good fight," she assured, a serious look on her face. She made sure he could see how earnest she was in this promise by holding his gaze. It was strange how large his hands were. She'd never felt hands so large before. They felt powerful.

Quickly, she pulled her hand back, feeling strange about her thoughts on his hands. Why would she think about his hands? She sat back in her chair, a small smile coming to her face. "I'm not known for taking on cases I don't think I can win. I think we can build an excellent case if I can find Takimoto, the gargoyle who told the police you did it. I'll grill him until he's forced to say what he knows. If he can give me the names of those men who actually pushed Jared off the roof, our case is in the bag. It won't be easy, but I think I can do it," she assured. Sitting forward again, she prepared to write once more. "So, you said you have military training. I'll tell you, the man who suggested I take on your case, a senior Guardian, had nothing but good things to say about you. He seemed very impressed by you, which is why I agreed to take on the case. I don't like defending people who are probably guilty, but he seemed like a trustworthy person to me. Josephs was the last name," she told him with a small smile. The man had raved about Micah, ranting about how these accusations were a travesty and he needed the best counsel that could be provided, which is why he came to her. "Have you ever been in trouble with the law, even something as minor as a speeding ticket? Or have you been fired from a job for misconduct? Did you have any problems in the military?" If he had never been in trouble in his life, she could use that to her advantage. How could an upstanding citizen who did military service be responsible for murder? And why would he use drugs like Takimoto claimed and ruin his perfect reputation? The possibilities were endless for painting him the innocent bystander pulled into a crime he didn't commit by the actual perpetrators.

[MICAH STOKES]

"They aren't building a gallows. They'll just push you off a building."

As twisted as the little joke was Micah couldn't deny that it was funny and even chuckled quietly. He had an attorney with a sense of humor. That wasn't something you saw too often, and Micah didn't laugh that often either. Sure he had his own sense of humor and a bit of dry sarcasm but it didn't talk to many people and most of his little quips were wasted on himself.

"I'm going to try my best to get you out of her as soon as possible, Micah. I won't let them hang you without a good fight,"

She wasn't promising to get him off and he was actually relieved to hear that. He didn't like when people made empty promises, no matter how important it was. Nobody's spirit deserved to be lifted and then crushed from an empty promise. Micah admired her candor, getting nothing but honesty from her just the way he was being blatantly honest right back.

Gascoigne went on about how she believed she'd be able to win this case and how she didn't take cases unless she was certain she had a good chance. Then she mentioned the name of someone who had put in a good word for him. Josephs? The name was so familiar but a face wasn't registering in his head and he shook his head a bit. He was certain if the man put in a good word then he knew him. Must have been someone he'd known during his younger years.

"Have you ever been in trouble with the law, even something as minor as a speeding ticket? Or have you been fired from a job for misconduct? Did you have any problems in the military?"

Micah licked his dry lips again and began to shake his head side to side slowly. "Like I said, I'm very quiet. I keep to myself and I've always stayed under the radar. Never fired. Never problems. No speeding tickets." How had someone like him been accused of murder? Then again, since nobody really knew him he knew it was easy.

"The manager of the Silent Stone can't even remember my name." His blue eyes stared at the woman sitting near him, a dullness to his stare. He shifted once more in the uncomfortable seat and turned his body so that he was able to face her better. Micah leaned into the table to close some of the distance and lowered his voice a bit. "I'm nobody, Miss Gascoigne. I stay out of the spotlight. I don't get in trouble. I have no record."

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

"Like I said, I'm very quiet. I keep myself to myself and I've always stayed under the radar. Never fired. Never problems. No speeding tickets."

Micah seemed like an upstanding guy caught in a bad situation. He could be lying, anything to convince her that he was telling the truth, but there was no point to that. Surely he knew she would find out for herself if what he said was true. She would look into his background and find out if all of this was true. He had to know that, so it made no sense to lie. How had he gotten accused of murder? That was some kind of bad luck. With his pristine reputation, it would be easy to sway a jury that he didn't do it just based on that.

"The manager of the Silent Stone can't even remember my name." That statement made her frown a little, her eyebrows knitting together. He leaned in closer to her, his blue eyes, though dull, had an intensity to them now. She found herself waiting for what he would say. "I'm nobody, Miss Gascoigne. I stay out of the spotlight. I don't get in trouble. I have no record." The short, simple way he spoke only convinced her more that he was innocent. Liars embellished, made grandiose stories and claims. Micah simply told it as it was and looked her dead in the eyes when he said it. She respected him for that. Too many times people had tried to distract her with words.

But something else struck her in what he said. What was it like to be nobody? Even as a child, she had been popular, though she never asked for it. She had always been in some sort of limelight and she had made a home there. But here was this man with no record who stood out so little, his boss couldn't even remember his name. How many people like him had she written off? How did anyone go through life so entirely unnoticed? It made her wonder how different her life would be if she were the same. She had never met someone like Micah who was facing something so serious. It was odd and it didn't fit...like him calling her Miss Gascoigne. He was depending on her to save his lie; she could permit him to be a little more personal with her.

"Please call me Eponine," she said with a small upward turn of her lips. "And we can use your 'nobody' status to our advantage. If you've never been in trouble, then there's a lack of motive to kill Jared. You're an upstanding citizen with military service and no criminal record, not even a minor offense. Josephs will go on the stand and serve as a character witness for us. Is there anyone else you would like to a character witness? I know you said nobody really knows you, but just somebody who sees you on an everyday basis who could vouch for you." There had to be someone who saw him every day and who could comment on his demeanor, someone who could confirm what she already suspected: that he was a gentle giant.

She shifted a little once more, looking down to her legal pad with descriptions scribbled all over it. Then she remembered something. "Takimoto, the man on the roof, said you appeared high and on drugs when you came to the roof. I'll have to take a hair sample to the lab to confirm, but were you on drugs or any other substances? Just a standard question," she said, sure that he hadn't and probably never would. She waited patiently, staring at him with her heavily-lidded eyes. He looked so tired.

[MICAH STOKES]

"Please call me Eponine,"

Micah didn't smile or register any sort of emotion when she told him he could call her by her first name. He simply nodded to show he understood. First names were much more intimate in his opinion. It was personal. Then again, he was so used to addressing people by their last names and by sir or ma'am depending on their gender. He wasn't sure if she was trying to butter him up, try to get him to open up in some sort of way or if she was just genuinely being nice. He was sure it was the latter. He was sure he made it pretty clear that he wasn't anything other than what was sitting right there in that chair.

"And we can use your 'nobody' status to our advantage. If you've never been in trouble, then there's a lack of motive to kill Jared. You're an upstanding citizen with military service and no criminal record, not even a minor offense. Josephs will go on the stand and serve as a character witness for us. Is there anyone else you would like to a character witness? I know you said nobody really knows you, but just somebody who sees you on an everyday basis who could vouch for you."

"I knew being a nobody would pay off someday." He said flatly and leaned back in his chair and looking around the room. The harsh lighting cast rough shadows on the off white walls. Although he was sure it wasn't, the room actually looked a little dirty. That's what cheap fluorescent lighting would do to a room.

"I don't know." Micah told her and looked at her once again. Who did he know? Who was out there that would be willing to get up on the stand for him? "Another Guardian, maybe? I'll have to think about it." He didn't want to seem like he wasn't being helpful, but he really had to think about it. Some of the Guardians he'd worked with were major assholes, while others were a little more decent but not as trustworthy. This was his life and he didn't want to give the wrong person power over it.

"Takimoto, the man on the roof, said you appeared high and on drugs when you came to the roof. I'll have to take a hair sample to the lab to confirm, but were you on drugs or any other substances? Just a standard question,"

For some reason that statement was both funny and ridiculous at the same time. He'd gotten to the roof just before the sun had come up, having just enough time to register what was going on that night on the rooftop. How could this Takimoto get a proper diagnosis of Micah in such a short amount of time? The only answer that Micah could come up with was that Takimoto was definitely in on it. He'd had his suspicion but now he was almost positive.

The male shook his head lightly and looked down at the table for a second. "I smoked a little reefer my first night out of the service. And unless the effects can last over twenty years then I'm sure I'll come out clean." He was being mostly sarcastic, but what he said was true. He'd tried pot once. A comrade had given him a hit but he didn't like the stuff. He didn't like his state of mind to be compromised in such a way. The sarcastic remark actually made him smile a bit. It was crooked and he hardly showed any teeth but there was that hint of a smile nonetheless.

"You're awfully nice for a lawyer." He stated and realized it sounded like he was trying to change the subject. That wasn't his intention and he looked around once again, almost like he was analyzing the room. "It threw me off." He figured he owed an explanation for why he said something irrelevant to the case. He wasn't trying to flirt or even pay a compliment. He was just stating what was on his mind.

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

"I smoked a little reefer my first night out of the service. And unless the effects can last over twenty years then I'm sure I'll come out clean."

Eponine watched as a genuine smile played across Micah's face, lopsided and boyish, and she couldn't help but think it was actually cute. Not that she liked thinking those things about her clients. For her, it was strictly business, but it was a thought that came so quickly, she couldn't quell it. It made her smile and even give a small chuckle. "I think you'll come out clean, too, but we have to take precautions," she replied. His sense of humor seemed as dry as hers. It was a nice change of pace. Most of her clients were too angry to be concerned with humor. She had been worried being in an interrogation room with a prisoner accused of murder would be stressful, but Micah was surprisingly calm and it kept her level-headed.

"You're awfully nice for a lawyer." The statement was completely unexpected and she actually looked surprised. "It threw me off."

Eponine actually laughed, shaking her head as she glanced down at her knees. When she brought her eyes back up, there was amusement glimmering there. "That's not something I hear very often," she explained. "Normally people describe me as aloof. But you're awfully nice for a murder suspect. I was expecting to come in here to find a man with a shiv up his sleeve." She gave a wider smile. "You've thrown me off too." It never hurt to have a good relationship with a client, but most of the time she was faking it. With Micah, there was no faking required. He was cooperative and straightforward and Eponine appreciated that.

She stood and walked to her briefcase, pulling out a pair of tweezers and a plastic back to retrieve his hair sample. "Sorry, Micah, but I've got to take some samples for the lab," she explained, walking towards him. She stopped beside him and brought the tweezers to his hair and pulled quick and hard to pull out three short hairs. As she stood next to him, bagging the evidence, she said, "If Takimoto was lying about this drug incident, then it's pretty apparent to me that he's involved somehow. I'll find out how. Was he the one that said Jared's name as he died?" If that were the case, it may have been something this ring. Perhaps Takimoto tried to get the ring for himself and he sacrificed his friend to get to it. That thought made her angry and sick. Greed. It was pure greed, she thought. She would have to look into this Takimoto more thoroughly and see if he had any connection to a man named Jared.

"Did you get a view of his reaction when Jared was pushed? He could be behind this whole mess and his reaction could confirm or deny that suspicion," she said, her look growing serious again as she took her seat kitty-corner to him once more, waiting for his answer. Her long legs crossed as she picked up her pen, ready to record what he said.

[MICAH STOKES]

"Normally people describe me as aloof. But you're awfully nice for a murder suspect. I was expecting to come in here to find a man with a shiv up his sleeve."

The stereotypical murder suspect didn't usually look the way Micah did. They usually had a few body piercings, tattoos and a stare that could do real damage if they wanted it to. At least that was the stereotype. Then again, if this were a military investigation then he would look like every other run of the mill soldier. In the military there was no stereotype for murderers. "I do. I just can't get to it with these cuffs," he lifted his hands up in the air as if to show her the cold metal for the first time. Again, there was that dry sense of humor and he offered another partial smile to show that he wasn't serious. Not only had he not been there long enough to make a shiv, but if he did it would have been in his boot and not his sleeve.

He didn't see Ms. Gascoigne as aloof. Then again he didn't really know her and he wasn't trying to diagnose her as an individual at all. She wasn't the one who was going to be going to trial. The must misjudged calculation he had made was assume that she was going to be male.

"Sorry, Micah, but I've got to take some samples for the lab,"

Micah didn't mind. He sat perfectly still while she plucked out the hairs that she needed and watched her place them in a secured bag.

"If Takimoto was lying about this drug incident, then it's pretty apparent to me that he's involved somehow. I'll find out how. Was he the one that said Jared's name as he died?"

He nodded his head and his eyes met hers. "Yes. He was the one who said the John Doe's name was Jared. Clearly he thought that it wasn't valuable information for the authorities and must have believed I didn't hear," he explained calmly. His eyes narrowed a bit but not in a threatening way. It was almost as if he were thinking and trying to get a read on the female now. He didn't think it was important before but now? Maybe he should know a little more about her.

But before he could ask her any questions Ms. Gascoigne was asking him about Takimoto again, what his reaction was when Jared was pushed and if he was part of it. "He apologized. People who are caught off guard don't apologize. They scream. They run. Sometimes they freeze up and can't speak or move. They react to traumatic incidents in other ways but saying they're sorry isn't one that I'm familiar with." He'd seen people die before his eyes before. He'd taken lives. But in the military that was considered another day at work. He knew how to kill a man but it didn't mean he went around killing men.

"You don't take the role of defense attorney often," he said in another matter of fact statement rather than in question. "Josephs must have had one hell of a pull to convince you." He still couldn't place a face to a name but he knew he'd heard it before. It didn't matter right then though. He wanted to know about this woman who was either going to save or lose his life.

[EPONINE GASCOIGNE]

Not only did Micah confirm that Takimoto was the one who said John Doe's name, but he gave her even more useful information. "He apologized. People who are caught off guard don't apologize. They scream. They run. Sometimes they freeze up and can't speak or move. They react to traumatic incidents in other ways but saying they're sorry isn't one that I'm familiar with." He was absolutely right. "I'm sorry" was a phrase people used when they were guilty or felt they had done something wrong. If Takimoto said he was sorry, he felt responsible for what happened to Jared. That confirmed her suspicion that Takimoto was at least one driving force behind this incident, and probably a major part of this plot to frame Micah. She was going to find this man and do whatever it took to get the real story out of him.

Eponine was scrawling down notes in her neat handwriting when Micah made a statement that caught her attention. "You don't take the role of defense attorney often. Josephs must have had one hell of a pull to convince you." She brought her large brown eyes back up to him in mild surprise and then a smile played at her lips again. Her hand finished the note she was making as she began to speak. "You're right, I don't," she admitted. "I don't like defending the guilty. It goes against everything I stand for as a lawyer, and I want to see justice done. You being put in jail isn't justice." She brought her eyes back up to his. "I don't think you're guilty. And knowing who Josephs is, I'm willing to trust his judgement of you. He's a friend of my father and a senior Guardian. If my father respects him, and his experience is as good as my father says, then I'm sure he had his reasons for defending you and asking for my help. That's why I'm here. And it pissing me off to think the Council would put an innocent man in prison to cover up a crime."

She realized she was going off on a bit of a tirade, and she gave a small smile, almost as if to excuse herself. Eponine didn't like opening up to her clients. It was unprofessional in her mind, and it didn't really serve any purpose other than to make her more "human" to her clients. She didn't need to be "human"; she needed to be ruthless. But Micah...something about him caught her off guard, and she didn't mind letting hers down around him. It made her feel strange. Her hand ran through her hair briefly. "You must have done something to impress Josephs, if he came to me for help. What is your relationship to him? Did he train you? It seemed like he had known you for a while, from the way he talked," she said, trying to change the subject from her. She knew they only had a limited amount of time to talk to each other tonight, but she figured she could try to get to know him a little more. It wasn't like she could go much further without finding Takimoto anyway, so a little discussion with Micah wouldn't be a complete waste. She could stand to get to know him a little more.

[MICAH STOKES]

"I don't like defending the guilty. It goes against everything I stand for as a lawyer, and I want to see justice done. You being put in jail isn't justice."

Micah found what his legal representative said to be rather ironic. She didn't like to be the defendant because she believed they were guilty, and letting a guilty man walk was wrong. But as a prosecutor, if they were innocent then wasn't she putting someone who wasn't guilty of the crime behind bars? He let a little chuckle escape and he looked down at the table once more, not wanting the amusement that was on his face to be seen by the woman.

"I don't think you're guilty. And knowing who Josephs is, I'm willing to trust his judgement of you. He's a friend of my father and a senior Guardian. If my father respects him, and his experience is as good as my father says, then I'm sure he had his reasons for defending you and asking for my help. That's why I'm here. And it pissing me off to think the Council would put an innocent man in prison to cover up a crime."

He knew he was innocent. But the part about putting an innocent man in prison? That didn't surprise him. And prison was nothing for a gargoyle in his opinion. With how long their life span was twenty years behind bars wouldn't mean much. But only the lucky went to prison and the less fortunate were thrown off the ledge just before dawn. That's what he suspected was going to happen to him and even Eponine had said that he wasn't going tupito be hanged. She knew the system much better than he did.

"You must have done something to impress Josephs, if he came to me for help. What is your relationship to him? Did he train you? It seemed like he had known you for a while, from the way he talked,"

She was back to asking him about Josephs even though he'd said that he couldn't recall the man. But then again, he knew the name. He might not be able to recall the face but the more that the woman spoke about him Micah started to get a sense for who he was. He had only spoken to the man a handful of times in his adult life.. it was when he was just a boy that he'd seen Josephs around.

"He's an old family friend. He knows my father and he was the man that my father went to when he knew I wanted to join the military. Josephs made it happen." Micah furrowed his brows a bit and looked as if the thought of the man suddenly upset him, only it wasn't the man but it was the fact that he'd actually forgotten about Josephs that upset him when clearly Josephs still knew who Micah was. "I can't believe I had forgotten about him. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be who I am today."

He had to think about what he just said and then cocked a partial grin once more. "Not today." She had asked so many questions about him and Josephs that he figured maybe his response wasn't fulfilling enough for her. She was a lawyer after all and they always wanted all the facts. "He was always around when I was a boy. He tried to persuade me to join politics, saying I would make a fine council member one day. Except that my father chose the path of the Guardians. And his father before him and his before him. It's in our blood. We make better soldiers than politicians."

It seemed as if Micah had gotten a little off topic, talking about how he came from a family of Guardians. "Everyone in your family politicians? Or did you decide to branch off?" For all he knew she came from the brightest and bravest of politicians. Or they might have all been explorers. There was no telling and unlike most people, this woman didn't wear her story on her sleeves. In a way it was frustrating, since he found himself a great judge of character but unable to get a proper read on her, and in another sense it was fascinating.