Bad Company Blues - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 18: bad blood

A/N: No smut in this one. IT'S PLOT TIME! I apologize in advance for how mad some of y'all are gonna be at me. Most of the Matt Murdock stuff isn't gonna follow the show at all. If you're looking for canon, this ain't it, baby.

"Please, sit," Matthew says.

His voice is soft and calm. It doesn't take Eden long to figure out that he's blind. The cane in the corner is a dead giveaway, same with the sunglasses in a dimly-lit room. He moves around his office with ease, sitting down and gesturing for them to follow his lead.

Bucky and Eden exchange a glance and plunk down across from him in two somewhat rickety wooden chairs that squeak when they sit. There are no windows in the office, but there are a few pieces of art tacked on the walls. Eden wonders if the receptionist hung them up just to brighten the place up for when Matthew has to meet clients.

"Uh, Mr. Murdock–"

"Call me Matt," he chuckles. "Mr. Murdock makes me sound like a lawyer."

Bucky cackles. She can tell he already likes this guy. Eden clears her throat.

"You called him Mr. Barnes," Eden says, leaning forward. "My partner."

Matt smiles.

"I'm a good lawyer."

"What, you're psychic?" Eden asks.

He shakes his head.

"Your partner told me who he was when I told him I had no interest in helping someone who was working for Wilson Fisk. I was going to hang up on him, and that's when Mr. Barnes came clean and told me the truth."

"Are you really Rumlow's lawyer?" Eden asks.

"I was. Foggy and I defended him on a murder charge a few years back. Figured the money would be good for the practice. We won the case, and the money came and went, but when we found out what he did to Zemo's family, we cut him loose as a client. I try to fight for the wrongfully accused or people who can't afford a lawyer, the people that the system is stacked against. Rumlow just works it in his favor." Matt sighs and grabs a pen off of his desk, flipping it in his fingers. "I still feel like shit about taking that money."

"You didn't know what he was going to do," Bucky says softly.

"I also didn't know that he got you put in prison."

Bucky shrugs.

"Shit happens, right?"

Matt chuckles softly.

"All the time."

"Do you know where he is?" Eden asks.

Matt nods.

"I do."

"Can you tell us?" Eden asks. "We'll pay you anything–"

Bucky's arm juts out to silence her, laughing softly.

"Let's not be hasty here, sweetheart."

She rolls her eyes.

"I'm not interested in your money," Matt replies. "I'll tell you where he is, but I want a promise from you."

"Which is?" Bucky asks.

"When you find him, do the right thing. If you turn Rumlow into the cops, he'll be back on the street in no time at all. Even if he is put away, he'll get a slap on the wrist, the luxury of being in protective custody, and he probably already knows half the guys in Riker's. He'll be running that place in the blink of an eye. That's not justice." Matt sighs softly, tapping his fingers on the table. "I know you're loyal to your boss... uh, Sharon Carter, is it?"