Tony always hated being alone. It didn't just mean not having anyone to converse with, it meant being defenseless and unprotected. There was strength in numbers and one was the loneliest and weakest of them all.
Wandering around the dimly lit streets of Toad Town, Tony gripped his package tightly. "Just wanna get this done," he muttered into the cold air as he turned into a dark alley.
A gunshot rang out.
Tony's limp body collapsed on the ground in a heap, his life blood spilling delicately like a withering rose.
"Bleh heh heh!" A figure laughed as he ran from the alley into the safety of the elusive darkness.
Apprehension and excitement bubbled within Mario as he was assigned his first felony case. Driving back to his apartment after work, he couldn't help but take another peak at the file to confirm this surreal experience. The name Blumiere Bleck was always the first thing that caught his eye as when he peered into the group of folders. The charge against him was murder in the first degree.
Mario's mind was filled with fantasies about the case. He imagined himself acquitting Blumiere with a heartfelt and poignant closing argument. He saw himself demolishing witnesses on cross examination, peppering them with clever questions that even made the jury applaud. It wasn't until the Mushroom Apartments quickly came in sight that Mario returned to reality.
Hurriedly taking off his coat and leaping into his bed, Mario decided to call his fiancé. In two rings, the sweet voice of Peach Toadstool answered the phone.
"Hey Beautiful," Mario excitedly began, "I got my first felony case today! I'm so pumped but I kinda got the butterflies."
Peach, being a physical therapist, wasn't too knowledgeable about the law or being a lawyer, but she did know about her future husband and if he was excited, she should be too. She replied "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart!"
"Yeah, I'm defending this guy named Blumiere Bleck. He got charged for first degree murder. I think I got this one too! I only have two eye witness and a shaky alibi the convicted him but I know I could pull it off, hun! I could at least get him off on second degree!" Mario's enthusiasm was palpable.
Peach continued on to congratulate and encourage her betrothed and then subtly segued into describing her day at the clinic. Mario endured her complaining for two hours before finally saying goodnight. After hanging up, he turned toward his electric alarm clock. The time was 12:37. By this time tomorrow, he thought, he will have met the mysterious figure that started his career as a felony trial attorney.
Sitting across from Blumiere at the detention center, Mario felt that they were separated by more than just a glass window. Bleck wore a look of constant scrutiny and anger and he repelled all of Mario's questions. This was certainly not the mythical encounter the young attorney had in mind.
"Come on Blumiere," Mario said as he slammed his hands against the counter in exasperation, "you've got to answer me or I can't defend you! Why did you kill Tony? If he provoked you we could…"
"Any idiot could tell he started it," Blumiere pouted in his seat.
"But what did he do? Did he attack you? Did he steal something from you? Did he.."
In anger, Blumiere stood out of his seat and target his searing fury at Mario. "WHY ARE YOU HERE ANYWAY? WHO SENT YOU? I DON'T WANT ANY DAMN LAWYER!" After the outburst, Blumiere turned around and left the detention center quickly accompanied by a guard.
Mario sighed. So much for that first meeting…
"It's been a week and you still haven't gotten anywhere with that Bleck guy?" Peach raised her soft voice in a question. After another fiasco with Blumiere that morning, Mario wanted to meet his fiancé for lunch to vent his feelings. Being a lawyer was stressful, and if you didn't have an outlet to release your stress and exasperation, you would end up a burnt out husk of a man.
Poking a stray meatball in his spaghetti, Mario sighed and replied "Yup. I never had a client that was just so full of hate. It's like he doesn't even care if he gets put away for life."
Peach ate her salad in contemplative silence. As Mario opened his mouth to grieve some more, she sagely said "He seems like a person filled with pain. You should try and empathize with him. Show him that you're not just some official trying to push him aside and move onto the next case. Show him that you actually care."
Mario was shocked at Peach's wise tidbit of guidance. Maybe she wasn't the stereotypical blonde after all.
She continued. "It seems like lately you've been trying to rush and finish cases just to advance at the office. That might've worked then, but it's not going to work all the time."
Rubbing his signature cap, Mario had to concede. She was right. He realized he didn't even remember the name of his last client. In law school, Mario vowed he would never become this type of lawyer, that he would fight empathetically and enthusiastically for all his clients. When had his life become this? Quickly standing up, Mario said "Peach, you're right." In several swift movements, Mario paid the bill, kissed his beloved, and ran out of the restaurant.
"Hey wait," Peach yelled as she watched Mario sprint out the doorway. "Did you even finish your…." Looking back toward Mario's plate, Peach discovered it was licked clean. All she could mutter was "wow."
Let's hope this works, thought Mario as he watch Blumiere march into the detention center and haughtily sit down. "Didn't I tell you I didn't want no damn lawyer? You keep coming back again and again. No habla ingles?" Blumiere mocked.
Mario took a deep breath, almost as if he were trying to physically absorb his client's emotions. "Listen Blumiere," he began as he shuffled through his briefcase and placed a picture on the counter, "this is my fiancé." He turned the frame toward Blumiere.
"She's a cutie," he responded, "but what's that got to do with me?"
"She's the love of my life you know? She makes everything better, brighter. Makes life worth living." Blumiere grimaced as Mario went on. "I'm here, representing you because I want you to get home as soon as possible to the love of your life. If you haven't found her yet, I want to get you back on those streets as soon as you can so you can find her, settle down, and live a happy life." Mario thought this would appeal to Blumiere since he appeared to be in his late twenties and finding "the one" was a prime concern for people at that age.
Looking down at his feet, Blumiere muttered "Timpani."
"What was that?" Mario barely heard Blumiere's whisper.
"Nothing," Bleck quickly responded. With a sigh, he said "Well, Mr…Mario was it? If you're that interested in defending me, I guess I'll answer some questions for you." Blumiere smiled.
Mario returned his smile. This is how it should be, he thought. His first felony case had officially begun.