Despite his confusion and overall bad feelings on the matter, Marvin made his way to the park. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, with their pink petals blowing through the air as Marvin made his way for the picnic area, where he assumed this reunion would be held. When he reached the area, he saw six people seated. Some seemed to be enjoying bowls of noodles as others chattered away with each other. He recognized one person amongst the group. The blue on that suit and those dangerous looking spikes giving the man away easily.
"Ah-HHHHEM!" Marvin cleared his throat loudly, gaining the attention of every person in the area. Six pairs of eyes looked on at the man… Well, five pairs and one visor that seemed as if it was going to fire lasers at him at any moment!
"Ah, the guest of honor is here!" Phoenix exclaimed as he stood from his seat and made his way over to Marvin. "Mr. Grossberg, I'm glad you made it. Some of us were getting worried you wouldn't show."
"Yes, well, I only just received my invitation. And the idea of a reunion for my soon to be closed law firm rather piqued my interest." He then gave Phoenix a very serious look. "Care to explain what all this is about, Mr. Wright?"
Phoenix smiled. "It's exactly what it sounds like. We have a few people who wanted to reunite with their old boss one more time." He led the way over to a picnic table and gestured for Marvin to take a seat. He did so, however the extra weight caused the wood to begin cracking, prompting Marvin to stand back up. I think I'll stand, thank you very much."
"Fair enough. Now, I believe a few people have some things to say. Mia, why don't you start?"
Mia? Surely this man is off his rocker!
However, much to Marvin's surprise, Mia Fey stood from one of tables and walked up to him. She looked almost exactly as Marvin remembered her, right down to that iconic suit of hers. However, her normally chocolate brown hair was much more sandy blonde in color. "Marvin, it's been quite some time."
"It… It has. Mia… I'm practically speechless. You came back from the dead!?" Marvin asked.
Mia giggled. "I suppose that's one way of putting it. Actually, my young cousin is channeling my spirit. I know you were always skeptical of my family's powers, so no you have some living, breathing proof… Metaphorically speaking, of course." She flashed a smile at her former boss. "Now, on to a more pressing matter. I understand that you're planning to close your law firm."
"Ah, so the stories of my failures reach even the afterlife, it seems. Yes, it is true. I've come to terms with the fact that I've no right to continue practicing law after all I have done. Is that why you are here, Mia? To laugh at the old failure?"
"Pathetic!" Cried a new, yet familiar voice. Marvin and Mia tunred their attention to the new voice to see a man clad in a green suit, wearing a strange visor-like device on his face, sipping coffee from a to-go cup. The man stood and made his way over to the two. "Still hung up on old mistakes, eh, Grossberg?"
"That voice… DIEGO!? My lord, man, it's been ages! The last I heard of you, you were serving time for the murder of…" Marvin's eyes darted back to Mia, whose face didn't change at all.
"It's alright, Marvin. What he did, he did to help my baby sister. He really had no choice." Mia explained.
"Thanks for sticking by my side, Kitten." Diego then turned his attention back to Marvin as he took a long gulp from his coffee cup. "Now, as I was saying, you're still moping about your old sins? Get over it, man! Even the best of us make mistakes. Living proof, right here!" The man said as he flashed a toothy grin.
"Mistakes are one thing, Diego. Ruining lives is another matter entirely."
"Ruining lives, huh?" Yet another new voice chimed. It was also recognizable to the older man. Another man joined the group and looked at Marvin, his dark eyes immediately recognizable to the aging lawyer.
"Robert!? Lord, it's as if all my demons have come back to haunt me at once!" Indeed, before him now stood Robbert Hammond, dressed in a black suit, but now sporting long raven black hair that was tied into a topknot.
Robert Hammond laughed dryly. Demons, you say? Funny, I'd like to believe at least one of us here is an angel." He said, casting a glance at Mia. "You say you've ruined lives? I suppose that is true. You did sent a woman running in shame. But how many lives do you think I ruined in my time on this earth? Dozens, perhaps? I can't even count. I've had a lot of time to reflect on my actions in my time in the afterlife. You think you have no right to be a lawyer? What about a man who selfishly defended anyone who came to him for personal gain? Yogi truly was an innocent man, but I didn't care about that. I made him plead insanity and it got me a bullet. My time to repent is long gone. But you? You still have time to say you're sorry. And lord knows we'll all believe you."
"R-Robert…" Marvin glanced between his three former employees. Three people who, by all rights, should hate him. Yet they were instead offering him words of encouragement.
"Look over there, Marvin." Mia said, pointing at one of the picnic tables. Marvin did as he was told and looked to see Phoenix sitting with two other people. A man with two horn-like strands of hair pointing up on his forehead clad in red attire and a redhead with a side ponytail wearing yellow clothes. The three seemed to be laughing merrily about something.
"Those two are Phoenix's employees." Mia explained. They're two very bright and hopeful individuals who Phoenix has taught to the best of his abilities. And Phoenix in turn learned from me. And do you remember who I learned from?"
"Mia, you needn't offer such words to me-"
"That's right!" Mia interrupted the man, ignoring whatever he had to say. "I learned from you."
"So did I, Kitten." Diego spoke up.
"And I would have done well to have actually paid attention to your teachings." Robert added. "Whether you want to believe it or not, you have passed on a lot of wisdom to the current generation of attorneys. If you believe you have done else with your life, Grossberg, believe that you helped instill the knowledge these young ones will need to bring about an era of change for the better."
"Y-you all are far too kind." Marvin said. "I do not deserve such praise."
"Maybe not." Diego said as he emptied his to-go cup and produced another one seemingly from thin air. "But I don't hand out praise easily. So you damn well better take it, old man!
"I've no intention of taking back everything I said either, Marvin." Mia said.
"You know compliments from me rare, Grossberg. Take it or leave it." Robert added.
Marvin looked at the three before him before removing his glasses and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Thank you. All of you…" He placed his glasses back on his face and glanced at his watch. "Good heavens! I must hurry before it's too late!"
"Hurry and do what?" Mia inquired.
"Hurry and cancel that moving truck! If I don't hurry, they'll load everything and I'll have to carry it back to the office myself! Oh, my hemorrhoids are on fire at the mere thought!" The plump man began to move as quickly as his heavy legs would allow him back to his office. "Do forgive my rudeness, you three! You know how it is!" With that, Marvin Grossberg shambled away, his newfound confidence pushing him forward back to his office.