Mark Me Yours [Omegaverse]

Privacy Please

Guilty... Guilty... Guilty on all charges. The jury's verdict seemed to hang in the air. The judge banged his gavel, quieting the whispers of the spectators.

"In the case of Ryan Neel vs. the shipping company, the defendant is hereby found guilty of all charges, and is hereby required to pay all medical and rehabilitation costs, plus pain and suffering."

The judge's decree rang out clearly, followed by a very final sounding bang of the gavel. The bailiff gave the order for everyone to stand, and the judge left the courtroom. It was over. The big important trial was over. Some might have expected a cheer, but it was more a collective sigh of relief. An omega had sued a large company for discrimination, and won. Ryan won.

The room emptied in relative quiet, the few that had been allowed to spectate barely whispering amongst themselves as they left. Soon enough, it was only Scott, Ryan, Michael, Edwardo, and their lawyer left. It was partly because the reality of what just happened was still setting in, because really, nobody expected Ryan to win on all charges, but safety was also a concern. Surely by now, someone had tipped off the mob of reporters outside the building how the case had gone. If any of them wanted to make it out safely, they had to wait on their pre-agreed upon police escort.

"Holy crap! I can't believe we won!" Michael finally shouted in disbelief, running up to where Ryan was still sitting at the plaintiff's desk. "You won the case! All of it!"

Ryan still looked a little dazed, but the realization slowly dawned on him as he chuckled in disbelief. Scott patted him on the shoulder, offering his own congratulations. It was then that the judge came in, minus his ceremonial robe, to talk to them.

"Well, never in all my years on the bench would I have thought I'd have a case like that," The guy said. "I wasn't sure the jury would vote in your favor, but I wanted to personally offer you gentlemen my congratulations. And madam," the judge addressed Ryan's lawyer, "that was an impeccable job on your part. I've got high hopes for you as well."

They continued exchanging pleasantries until their escort came. The judge offered one final congratulations before their group was led out of the courtroom, through the hallways, and to the front of the courthouse. Outside of the big glass doors, reporters and camera men were milling behind a barricade. As Ryan and the group got closer, the people outside got more and more agitated. Cameras were flashing before the front door even opened.

And when those doors opened, oh, when they opened, the cacophony of competing voices was loud enough to make you want to cover your ears. So many questions! How were you supposed to even answer any of them if you couldn't hear what they were? Of course, they'd been advised to not answer any questions anyway. The lawyer didn't want the risk of accidentally antagonizing opposing groups. While Ryan did his best to ignore it, Michael marveled at the spectacle of it all, feeling safe enough amongst this crush of people kept away by metal barricades as he followed along the path cleared for them on the disability access ramp. Having Edwardo's hand to hold didn't hurt either.

Their group of four got through the gauntlet unscathed, if a bit deaf. The police kept everything orderly long enough for them to get in their respective vehicles and drive off. They met up again at a pre-determined location, a parking lot a few miles away where they could regroup and plan their next steps. It was there that Edwardo offered to treat everyone to a late lunch, mostly so they could have somewhere more comfortable to talk, but also to celebrate.

And celebrate they did. Edwardo suggested a fine dining spot that offered a slightly more relaxed lunch service, and picked up the tab on everything from the shared bottle of champagne to the dessert. While Scott and Edwardo had a glass apiece, Ryan only took a few sips of the alcohol. Michael probably would have gone back for more than a glass had Edwardo not stopped him, but he wasn't about to pout about it in public. And after Michael though it through, he knew it was probably for the better if he didn't get drunk.