indomitus | f. castle

XV.

"If you kill a killer, the number of killers in the world remains the same."
-Batman

XV.

"So, Miss Page, I drew this up based on your official statement to the police about the Metro-General shooting." The lawyer sitting in front of us hands some papers to Karen. The lawyer stopped by so that Karen could sign the statements and make sure they were correct. It was already 9am and Matt wasn't in yet, again, he's been m.i.a. lately and now I know why. He's too busy running around being Daredevil.
Foggy was here though as always.

"Is this your first case, Mr. Roth?" Foggy asks him.

"No, it's my second. I won my first case: domestic violence. I believe in protecting women." He nods and smiles at me and Karen.
Men. They think we should praise them for being decent human beings. I mentally roll my eyes.

"Thanks," Karen says.

"From all of us." I add. Foggy covers his laugh with a cough.

Karen tell him the little things he got wrong in the statement and he writes down everything on his notepad.

"Early start today?" Matt interrupts Karen as he walks in.

"This is Christopher Roth, he is the public defender assigned to the Castle case." Karen explains to Matt.

"I just stopped by to get Miss Page's signature and then we're done with this case." He says. I look to Karen confused. The case isn't over though.

"How so?" Matt questions him.

"Castle's awake. Soon he'll plead guilty, then it's open and shut." I shake my head. I know the idea of Frank getting out of all this was never going to happen. He's killed dozens of people, but the delusional part of my brain felt that there was still hope for him. I wasn't ready to just give him up. The idea of never being able to even hug him again scares me so I push the thought away.

"Open and shut is good. New York will sleep better knowing Castle's behind bars. I know I will." I won't.

"Sleep even better when he's dead." Mr. Roth says and my eyes widen.

"What?" I ask him.

"Lethal injection, probably, although the electric chair is a possibility." He explains. I think I'm gonna throw up. Everyone else looks to me with sympathy.

I swallow, "I though New York didn't have the death penalty."

"No, but Delaware does." He says.
He continues, "some Dogs of Hell were murdered out there and as long as DA Reyes can link the killings to Castle they can extradite him."

"I need some air." I say standing up from my chair. Matt goes to stop me but I shake my head. I walk out of the office and down the stairs and out on the street. The cold wind rushes through me and I feel like I can breathe a little better. I swear I was suffocating in there. Frank can't die. He just can't.

What he did was illegal and wrong on every level but... but what? He's a murderer. I shake the thought. He's a good person. I know he is. Killing him though? I never believed in the death penalty. Killing someone for killing someone is so contradictory and it doesn't give the person their just deserts. The thought of him being injected or sitting on that chair makes me want to scream. We can't let that happen. I won't let it happen. I'm no lawyer but Matt and Foggy are and I trust them.

"Matt has a proposition for Frank." I turn around to see Karen. She sends me a small smile as the lawyer walks out and nods at us before walking down the street.