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Drogons Rebirth	By : Xyaqom Category: -Misc Anime > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1864 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: You must be 18+ to read this story. I do not own To Love Ru or any of its characters. I also do not make any money/profit while I make this story.

Chapter List
- 35
- 36
- 37
Note: Hey guys, it's me, Xyaqom, here again. Axel had nothing to say for this chapter, leaving me to do the honors. I'll be honest. I didn't think this chapter would be as long as it was when Axel and I wrote it. Over 12,000 words long! That is insane! So, what happens in this chapter? Well, you'll have to read the chapter to find out.
In this chapter, you'll experience a lot of character interactions and how they handle being around each other and understand what type of person Lex is. Axel and I had a blast writing this chapter and had a lot of ideas we wanted to put into this chapter. Also, I know I'm late. I'm still trying to get back into the groove of
Anyway, when you're done reading this great chapter, be sure to check out Axel Emiya and his stories. Also, if you need a story that needs proofreading, he is the guy to do the job.
Anyway, I've gone on long enough. Let's get this chapter started!
Warning: This story is NOT for readers under the age of eighteen. The story will have coarse language, violence, nudity (including the private parts), and sexual scenes. (Including sex scenes). The story will explain a character's surroundings in great detail, especially with a person's body. If you are not over eighteen or do not like these things in a story, please do not read this book/story. You have been warned.
Chapter Thirty-Six:
September 28th, 2017:
The Pursuit For Freedom:
After a crushing defeat at the hands of Lex's group, Shiro and the girls were stranded on Mundus Magicus. In the central plaza of Ostia, Shiro dug through the rubble of the destroyed teleportation device, hoping to find some crystal that survived the explosion.
"Gah!" He growled, tossing a pebble to the side. "Nothing, it's all gone. Without any containers to harness energy. I can't craft a device that'll take us home."
"So does that mean we're stuck here?" Christina asked rather bluntly.
Shiro nodded his head stiffly, with his back still facing the girls. He couldn't bear to look at their distraught faces.
"Oh no! Now what are we gonna do!?" Alyssa whined. "Even if we go home we're still wanted criminals, and now stuck here with no clue what to do next!?"
"There has to be something we do. We can't just sit here and let Lex beat us to the treasure." Cassandra patted Alyssa's back. If we all work together, things will turn out alright. Right, Shiro?"
The girls all turned to Shiro, who had long since given up on digging through the destroyed portal. With a thoughtful look, he sat down with his legs crossed.
"Hmm," he nodded. "Well, it's a long shot. Actually it probably is the only chance to act now, before they have a chance to decipher the book."
"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked.
"It's written in ancient greek." He said as he sat up and dusted his clothes off. "Out of all the languages in the known universe, it's one of the most difficult to translate besides Drogon."
"Come to think of it," Christina chimed in, "Most of your spells are spoken in either Latin or Greek aren't they?"
"Oh!" Shiro smirked and jumped to the girls, "You picked up on that, have you?"
"This may be an off topic question," Christina nodded. "But how is it that your race is able to speak earth's native languages so easily?"
"It's not that we learned from earth or anything, it's that earth learned from us." Shiro shrugged as he walked past the girls. So he didn't really see the shock on their faces. "All of earth's mythologies that were told as legend or folklore, they're in fact creatures that currently live on Mundus Magicus."
"WHAT!?" Cassandra and Alyssa exclaimed
"I knew it," Christina replied. "When Chao called him an Inu earlier, I thought he was referring to the Japanese yokai creature. But then Shiro mentioned something about them being an alien."
"Where do you think H.P lovecraft found his inspiration for half the shit he writes?" Shiro replied with a cheeky grin.
"Oh my god, they're all aliens," Cassandra's eyes widened. "But wait! What does this have to do with the Records of Maxwell?"
"It's written in ancient greek." Shiro groaned. "That's why it took me so long to translate the whole damn thing. It's like trying to solve the Riemann Hypothesis while trying to find Waldo in a haystack."
"What an oddly specific analogy." Alyssa muttered,
"Well, the point is that it's gonna take a while for Lex to figure out where to go next." Shiro gave them a thumbs up. "Which means we can catch up to them and take the treasure for ourselves while they're distracted."
"That's well and dandy," Christina interrupted. "But how are we supposed to catch up with them, with no traveling equipment?"
The girls all looked toward Shiro with knowing expressions as he hung his head in shame.
"I do have one idea. But I'm not fond of it." Shiro muttered. "I suppose it'll do for now?"
"What is it?" Cassandra asked.
"Have you girls ever ridden a horse before?"
…
..
.
"Huh?"
Meanwhile, back in Christale City on Earth, the court session was about to begin.
Hank Briggs was going to be the defense. The prosecutor had yet to show up. Johnathan Livings was on the witness stand with an evil grin. Finally, he can send Hank to prison, where he belongs.
'Okay, this is it, the case that will decide my fate. I'm going to have to pull all the guns in order to get my innocent verdict.'
That's when a man stepped into the courtroom and made his way to the courtroom. The man was 6'5 feet tall and weighed 220 pounds. He had long black hair in a ponytail and brown eyes. He wore a black business suit, dress pants and shoes, and a red tie. He also wore glasses.
'Who is that? I don't think I've ever seen that prosecutor before,' said Hank. He then looks over and sees Johnathan grinning ear to ear. Johnathan said earlier that he had a secret weapon to put Hank away. Was this mystery prosecutor this secret weapon?
The judge soon walked in. He was an elderly man who appeared to be in his late fifties. He was 5'8 feet tall and weighed 230 pounds. He was bald and had dark brown eyes. He also had a long white beard down to his chest and wore the usual black judge robe.
"The case of Hank Briggs is about to begin. Is the prosecution and defense ready?" Asked the judge.
"The prosecution is ready, your honor."
"Before we begin, I just want to ask, who are you?" Asked Hank, pointing at the prosecutor.
"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Karter Leathenson. I've been appointed to be the prosecutor for this case."
"Is that so? Is this your first trial? Because I don't think I've ever seen or heard of you. And I've been a lawyer for a long time now," Hank told him.
"Technically this is my 10th trial. I have been a lawyer for the last four years now."
"How come I've never heard of you?"
"He normally deals with minor cases, like misdemeanors. He's never been involved in high profile cases that have been televised," said the judge.
"Are you sure he's eligible enough to be involved in a court case like this?" Asked Hank.
"Of course he's eligible! He's more than eligible! More eligible than you ever will be!" Shouted Johnathan.
"I'm sorry, what? How is he more eligible than me? I've been a lawyer for twenty years. That young man over there has only been a lawyer for four! How does that make him…."
"Now now, everyone just calm down," the judge interrupted, "There is no need for anyone to get into a fight before the case gets started."
"Also, your honor. Don't you think it's a bit too soon to have a court case? A court case in this high caliber normally takes months or years to get set up. Setting up a court so quickly gives us hardly any time to prepare!" Hank told the judge.
"Yes, that is true. But the police department and the government insisted that we hold the court case as soon as possible. In the end, there was very little I could do about the timing of this case," said the judge.
'Johnathon, you must have had something to do about this. You never did like me after what happened all those years ago. You're probably pulling all the stops just to see me in prison. Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not going to give you that satisfaction!'
"Now, Mr. Briggs, a few days before the court hearing, we asked you if you wanted a defense attorney to represent you, but you declined our offer. Is this true?" Asked the judge.
"That is correct, your honor. I will be representing myself for this case. I will also be representing Mashiro Yuuma, Cassandra Winterson, Christina Senshi, and Alyssa Frenteer, who have been falsely accused of this crime," Hank told the judge.
"Speaking of the accused, where are they?" Asked the judge.
"Unfortunately, we are unable to find Mashiro Yuuma and his accomplices. We are searching for them, but they are a slippery group. Their last known location was at a bunker near a rundown apartment complex here in Christale City. Knowing that we could probably track them, they have left behind their cell phones and credit cards," Karter explained.
"I see. Anyways, Mr. Leathenson, please start us off with your opening statement," said the judge.
"Thank you, your honor," said Karter as he bowed to the judge and stood back up, "Ladies and gentlemen of the court and to the jury, we are here today for the case of Hank Briggs, Mashiro Yuuma, Cassandra Winterson, Christina Senshi, and Alyssa Frenteer. Hank Briggs is being accused of being associated with the Christale City Museum robbery on September 8th, 2017, just a few weeks ago. Today, we will prove to the jury and members of the court that Hank Briggs played a role in the robbery."
'Okay, it's crunch time! It's now or never! I have to not only clear my name, but I also have to clear Cassandra and her friends' names as well!' Hank said.
"And what exactly was stolen from the museum?" Asked the judge.
"It was a book called the Records of Maxwell. It was written in an unknown language that has never been seen or recorded before. It was widely believed that this book was proof that there is life outside our planet. However, with no translator knowing how to translate the book, the contents in the book remained in speculation," said Karter.
"So basically an unreadable book was stolen? Why would anybody want to steal an unreadable book that is yet to be translated?" Asked the judge.
"The reason why they decided to steal it remains a mystery, your honor. But, there is no doubt that Cassandra Winterson and her friends stole that book."
"Objection your honor, that's hearsay!" Hank exclaimed. "We don't know for a fact that they stole the book, that's what we're trying to solve!"
"Don't kid yourself, we all know they committed the-"
"SILENCE! I'll rule the objection to hearsay is sustained," The judge looked toward Karter annoyingly. "Mr. Leathenson, please re-clarify your claim."
"Fine," Karter growled. "The reason why they decided to steal the book remains unclear, your honor."
"Very well!" The judge looked rather pleased that things were proceeding smoothly. "I shall remind everyone that this is an official legal proceeding. Anything you say can and will be used against you. Please be mindful of what you say during this trail. That is all."
"Yes, your honor," Hank bowed gratefully.
"Humph," Karter huffed and turned away, annoyed. "Very well. That is all for my opening statement, your honor."
"Very good. Now, please call in your first witness, Mr. Leathenson," said the judge.
"Thank you, your honor. I would like to call in my first witness at this time. He is a security guard who was stationed at the Christale City Museum, on the night of the theft!" He then turns to face the doors for the witness stand, "You may enter."
The doors open, and an overweight bald man walks into the courtroom and sits on the witness stand.
An officer then approached the security guard and had him place his hand on the Bible while making a vow.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Asked the judge.
"I do," said the security guard and sat at the witness stand.
"Please state your name, and profession for the court record," Karter told the guard.
"Charlie Lee, sir, I am a security guard at the Christale City Museum!" He saluted.
"If you may, Mr. Lee, please explain to the court where you were on the night of the theft."
"Will do."
'Okay, this is it. He's most likely going to give some damning statements or evidence. I'm going to have to try to find a hole in his testimony somehow,' Hank said.
Witnesses Testimony, Begins:
"Okay, let's see. I apologize if I accidentally leave some stuff out. It has been a long time since the robbery happened. I'm sure you understand. Let's see here, it was about 8:50 p.m., and the museum was ten minutes away from closing. The PA system had gone off, reminding the visitors that the museum will be closing soon. Me and a fellow guard were patrolling the bathroom area. My partner went inside the boys bathroom and I went into the woman's bathroom. When I did, I found a beautiful young woman, who looked to be finished using the bathroom. I and the lass got into an argument and suddenly I blacked out. When I finally came to, I found myself inside a vent. I had to scream for help just to get out. How they managed to get me in that small vent is beyond me."
"So you found a young woman in the bathroom? Did this young woman look like any of these three ladies?" Asked Karter as he held up pictures of Cassandra, Alyssa, and Christina.
"Yes, she's the one," said Charlie as he pointed at the photo of Cassandra, "That's the lady that I found in the bathroom," said Cassandra.
Karter grinned. This was music to his ears, "That concludes it, your honor. Mr. Lee saw Ms. Cassandra Winterson at the night of the robbery. This concludes that Cassandra Winterson played a part of the -"
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Hank, "Mr. Lee's statement proves nothing. There could have been numerous reasons as to why Cassandra Winterson was in the bathroom. She could have been using THE BATHROOM! This proves nothing that she played a role in the night of the robbery. And I will prove that now!"
"Very well then. Mr. Briggs, you may begin your cross-examination," said the judge.
Cross-Examination, Start:
"Mr. Lee. Why did you enter the womans' bathroom knowing that you were going to find a woman using the bathroom? Are you some sort of sicko!" Shouted Mr. Briggs.
"What? No, I'm not…."
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Karter, "Mr. Briggs, I understand that you have a close working relationship with the Winterson family, but I would like to ask you to not badger the witness. Mr. Lee was simply doing his job as a security guard!"
"Doing his job?! Does his job consist of going into women's washrooms and watching them using the bathroom?!" Mr. Briggs asked.
"No, that's not it all, I would never do that sort of thing!" Charlie told Hank.
"But you just said-"
"Order," said the judge as he banged on his gravel, "Order in the court!" He then finished banging on the gravel and looked at Mr. Lee, "Mr. Lee, why did you enter the women's bathroom?"
"Well, if that lawyer guy waited for me to finish, I would have told him that I entered the woman's bathroom to make sure that nobody was in there," said Charlee.
"To make sure that nobody was in there?" Asked Hank.
"Yes, you see, the kids like to use the bathrooms as hiding places while playing hide and seek. They normally don't respond when we call through the bathrooms to check to see if someone is still in there. And because they don't answer, that prompts us to go in there to check to see if someone is in there."
"Did you ask if someone was in the bathroom before you entered on the night of the theft?" Asked Karter.
"Yes I did," said Charlie.
"And did she respond?" Asked Hank.
"No, she didn't. It was like she couldn't hear me or she was ignoring me," Charlie told the court.
"Maybe she couldn't hear you because she flushed the toilet before you shouted out for her," said Hank, to which everyone gave him a disturbed look, "What? It's highly possible!"
"Maybe that is the case. It's been a long time since the night of the theft. I can't remember every detail," said Charlee.
"Two weeks is hardly a long time," said Hank.
"Only those who have a memory of an elephant. Me on the other hand, I have a memory of a cat. I barely remember what I did two days ago let alone two weeks ago," Charlie told Hank.
"In your testimony, you said that you found yourself inside a vent when you came to. How did you manage to get inside a vent? I don't mean to sound rude but, your…."
"My body isn't in the shape to fit in the vent? Charlie interrupted, "Yeah, I know. And yet they somehow managed to squeeze me in there. I literally had to scream for help just for someone to get me out of there!"
"They?" Asked Karter.
"You know, that Cassandra woman, and her accomplice," Charlie told the court.
"Mr. Lee! I would like to ask you to not accuse Cassandra Winterson and her friends of being responsible for putting you in that vent!" Hank ordered.
"Why not? It was obviously them? That Cassandra lady was the last person I saw before I blacked out," Charlie told Hank.
"Objection your honor! That is hearsay!" Shouted Hank.
"How is that hearsay?! The witness gets it! He knows what's going on!" Karter told Hank.
"The witness gets nothing! He knows nothing! Seeing Cassandra Winterson in the bathroom PROVES nothing!" Shouted Hank.
"How does it not prove anything?! Cassandra Winterson was the last person that Mr. Lee saw before he blacked out! ONLY AN IDIOT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PUT THE TWO AND TWO TOGETHER!"
"YOU'RE THE IDIOT FOR THINKING THAT CASSANDRA IS RESPONSIBLE!"
"YOU'RE THE IDIOT FOR BEING TOO STUBBORN TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH OF WHAT HAPPENED!"
"YOU'RE THE IDIOT FOR-"
"Order," said the judge as he banged on his gravel, "Order in the court!" He then finishes banging on the gravel, "Mr. Briggs! Mr. Leathenson! I would like to ask both of you to refrain from throwing insults at each other! This is a court of law, not a kindergarten! If you start acting like a bunch of five-year-olds again, I will throw both of you out of this courtroom and I will have replacements for this case! Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes, your honor. Sorry your honor," said Karter and Hank, feeling ashamed and embarrassed that they had let their tempers get the better of them.
"Now, Mr. Briggs. You seem to be convinced that Cassandra Winterson was not responsible for knocking out the witness and shoving him into that vent. Can you prove that to the court?" Asked the judge.
"Can the prosecution prove that it was them? Everything that the witness has said up to this point is all hearsay. He doesn't know who or what knocked him out? Just because Cassandra was the last person he saw before blacking out PROVES nothing. Sorry, but you're going to have to do better than that to pin the crime on Ms. Winterson," said Hank as he crossed his arms.
"That still doesn't explain who knocked him out and who put him in the vent!" Said Karter, "Knowing that Cassandra was the last person he saw before blacking out, it's only reasonable to believe that-"
"Again! It's all hearsay! It could have been anybody that knocked him out!" Hank exclaimed.
"Including Cassandra!"
"You don't know that!" Were you there on the night of the theft?"
"No, but-"
"Exactly! How do you know if you weren't there?! Unless you were there to witness it yourself, all you're doing is making accusations!"
Johnathan was growling out of frustration. His plan was falling apart. At this point, the prosecution and defense were just going in circles.
"And how do I know that you know that?! For all we know, you're just sending us to a wild goose chase!"
"And how do you know that? Can you prove that I am sending you into a wild goose chase? I highly doubt it!"
"Okay, that's enough!" As he slammed his gravel, the judge said, "How about we change our line of questioning? Because right now, we're only going around in circles."
"Very well then. Mr. Lee, how long were you out when you blacked out?" Asked Hank.
"I don't know. I guess for a long time. By the time I came to, the guys had pulled me out, it was already morning," Charlie told the court.
"The guys?" Asked Hank.
"You know, my fellow security guards. If I remember correctly, it took five of them to pull me out of that vent."
"How long did it take them to pull you out?" Asked Karter.
"For a good while. Took them an hour for them to pull me out," said Charlie.
"I'm surprised you didn't pass out due to air suffocation. Or worse," said Hank.
"Yeah, me too. I'm lucky to be alive," said Charlie.
"Do you know what time it was when you woke up and when you got out?" Asked the judge.
"Um…" said Charlie as he scratched his bald head, "Can't say I do. I was cooped up in that vent for at least eight hours. I was very dizzy, hungry, and thirsty by the time I got out. For a while I didn't even know who or where I was," said Charlie.
"Fortunately enough, your honor, we have a witness who knows what time Mr. Lee was found in the vent, and what time he got out," said Karter.
"Very well, then. We will take a twenty-minute recess for you to prepare your next witness," said the judge, slamming his gravel.
Meanwhile, back on planet Mundus, on Lex's ship, hovering over the planet.
"What is this gibberish nonsense?!" Lex growled as he slammed the Records of Maxwell to the ground. "It reads like Greek but I can't understand a single sentence!"
"Well, that's our ancestors for you. Were you hoping they were going to write everything in English?" Leon asked.
"Yes, actually!" Lex retorted.
"How do you not understand Greek?! It's one of the first languages we learn how to speak besides English!" Chao exclaimed.
"I know how to read Greek, you idiot! But when I try to read the book, all I'm reading is complete gibberish!" Lex told Chao.
"Oh come on, how hard is it?" Chao said when he picked up the book, "I think you're just out of practice. Here, I'll show you how easy it is," he then went to a random section of the book and read out loud after clearing his throat, "Eech long tech toe mo shom do. Slap dat dunky-donk six one nineno dinoro-" He then realized that he was reading gibberish, "WHAT THE HELL AM I READING?!"
"You see! This is exactly what I was talking about! The book is unreadable! Why would our ancestors make an unreadable book?! It makes no sense!" Lex exclaimed.
"Do you mind if I take a look at it?" Leon asked.
"Sure, knock yourself out," said Chao as he gave Leon the book.
Leon looked at the book. It was written in Greek, but the words were gibberish as he read them. He then took out his journal, also written in Greek, and compared it to the text. That's when he made the conclusion.
"I think I figured out our problem," Lex told the crew.
"And that is?" Lex asked.
"We were half right. The Records Of Maxwell isn't written in Greek. It's written in Ancient Greek!" Leon told them.
Chao looked confused, "What's the difference?"
"Modern-day Greek as we currently speak, took years of revision and refinement, to build on the foundation of our ancestors. It's nothing like the Greek from ancient times." Leon squeezed his temple, "I feel like I have a headache reading this nonsense."
"How did that moron brother of yours manage to even translate this with such little time?" Lex asks.
"What can I say, he's always been a nerd for this kind of stuff." Leon shrugged. "Kinda pointless if you ask me."
"No one asked you," Chao scoffed.
"It is useless if no one can read the damn thing," Lex snarled as he gave them a pointed look. "I won't be foiled by some dead-last loser! Get this damn book translated ASA -now!"
"Do you know how long it takes to translate Ancient Greek to modern Greek? Let alone English?" Leon asked.
"If your deadbeat, D-Grade mage of a brother is able to translate a chunk of the book in just a week then we'll translate the whole damn book in just a few days!" Shouted Lex.
"Is that even possible to do that?" Asked Chao.
"Make it make sense, dammit! That's what I'm paying you to do!"
"Do you have any experience in translating ancient Greek to modern Greek?" Chao asked Leon.
"Do you?" Leon replied.
"Well fuck, we're fucked aren't we?"
"Yep." Leon nodded nonchalantly. He waved the book back to Chao as he returned to his room on the ship. "Welp, have fun dealing with Lex. I might as well take my time as I work on this."
"Don't dare leave all me alone, you son of-"
BAM! Click!
It was too late. Leon had shut himself inside his room. Chao glanced nervously at a ranting Lex.
"…Bitch."
"Hey Chao! You don't look busy!" Lex snapped. "Want some extra overtime since you're slacking off?!"
Chao sighed as he rubbed his neck. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid happening.
"Man, what a pain," he muttered.
Meanwhile, the court case was about to reconvene back on Earth and in the courtroom.
"Court is now back in session. Mr. Leathenson, have you prepared your second witness during the break?" Asked the judge.
"That I have your honor," Karter replied.
"Very well then. Please send in your next witness," said the judge.
"Thank you, your honor. Members of the court and jury, my next witness is also a security guard at the Christale City Museum, who was there when he found Mr. Lee in the vent. " He then looks at the doors leading to the witness stand, "You may enter."
The second witness then stepped in. He was 5'8 tall and 175 pounds. He had slick black hair and brown eyes. His eyes were tired from returning from a long shift, and he wore a five o'clock shadow. He was still wearing his security guard uniform. He looked to be in his early thirties.
"Will the witness please state his name and profession for the court record?" Asked Karter.
"My name is… Is..." He gets cut off when he lets out a loud and long yawn. "Oh, sorry about that. I had a long shift last night. I had to work from 4:00 p.m. yesterday. I didn't get off until an hour prior," the guard said in a tired tone.
"Your honor, are you sure this guy is capable of being a witness? This guy looks like he's about to drop any minute!" Hank said.
"Will someone please give the witness a cup of coffee?" Asked the judge.
"And none of that bitter stuff. I want the-"
"You will take what we will give you!"
After a few minutes, the witness drank his new coffee cup.
"Okay, let's try this again. Will the witness please state his name and profession for the court record?" Asked Karter.
"My name is Bobbie Josine, I am a security guard for the Christale City Museum," said Bobbie.
"Mr. Josine, you said earlier that you had to work at the museum at 4:00 p.m. yesterday and didn't get off until an hour earlier. That's a sixteen-hour shift!" Karter exclaimed.
Bobbie nodded, "Yep, someone called in sick yesterday, so I ended up having a double shift. And then, I got notified that I had to take part in this court case. I had no time to prepare myself or to make myself look decent. You probably think I look like a slob for looking this exhausted," said Bobbie in a tired voice.
"What? Me? No, I would never," said Karter as he looked away sheepishly. He coughed into his hand and looked at the witness. "Anyways, we are sorry to call you in at such short notice. The court case was originally set at a later date, but the government decided to push the court date to today. We apologize if this has inconvenienced you," Karter said.
"Well, I'm here now, no point in crying over spilled milk. Let's get this over with," said Bobbie.
"Right. Please explain to the court what time it was when you found Mr. Lee in the vent and what time was it when you pulled him out?
Witnesses Testimony, Begins:
"It was about 8:00 a.m. when I entered the museum to begin my shift. While I was making my way to the locker room, I heard banging and screaming from the women's washroom. Since we weren't open at that time, I entered the bathroom to see what was going on in there. And to my shock, I found Charlie in the vent in the women's washroom. Afterward, I told management about my discovery and me and the guys got together to pull Charlie out. By the time we got him out, it was 9:00 a.m., mere moments before the museum opened up."
"My word. It took you guys an hour to pull Mr. Lee out?" Asked the judge.
"Well yeah. Charlie is a big guy. Although, how he got stuck in that vent is beyond me. When I asked how he got in there, he wasn't sure himself," said Bobbie.
"Very well. Mr. Briggs, you may begin your cross-examination," said the judge.
Cross-Examination, Start:
'Dammit! Nothing he said could be used as a defense for Cassandra and her friends. I'm going to have to probe him for information,' said Hank. He then clears his throat, "Mr. Josine, you said earlier that you entered the museum at 8:00 a.m., right?" Asked Hank.
"That is correct," said Bobbie.
"Then how did you enter the museum when it doesn't open until 9:30? " Hank asked, pointing at Bobbie.
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Karter, "Mr. Briggs, please use your head. Mr. Josine is a security guard for the museum. Obviously he would have a key to enter the building."
"Um… Yeah, I knew that," said Hank sheepishly.
"Then why did you ask me such a stupid question?" Asked Bobbie as he sipped his coffee.
"Um… let me clarify," said Hank, "What part of the building did you enter using your copy of the museum key?"
"The back entrance, obviously," said Bobbie.
"Why only the back entrance?" Asked the judge.
"Because the front entrance normally gets barred up during closing time. There's a gate that closes inside the front entrance. This prevents anyone from getting in or out of the front entrance. So, the morning shift guys enter the building while it's still closed, we are given the key to enter the museum from the back," said Bobbie.
"Is that where the bathrooms are located? Near the back entrance?" Asked Hank.
"Not just the bathrooms, but the locker rooms too. That's where we go in and get ready for our shift," said Bobbie.
"Your honor, permission to ask the witness a question?" Asked Karter.
"Granted," the judge nodded.
"Mr. Josine, let's say hypothetically, burglars were to break into the museum by staying in the building after closing. They steal what they came for and try to make a break for it. Obviously the front entrance is sealed up so they can't escape the museum from the front entrance. Would it be very easy for the burglars to escape from the museum by the back entrance?" Asked Karter.
"Nope, that would be impossible," said Bobbie.
"And why is that?" Asked Karter.
"Because in order to exit the Museum from the back entrance you also need a key," said Bobbie.
"So you need a key to enter and exit the museum from the back door?" Asked Hank.
"Yep," said Bobbie.
"Is this the same key that you use to enter the back door or is it a different key?" Asked Karter.
"It's a different key. Why do you think we carry a key ring everywhere we go? We have keys for every room of the building, where the visitors aren't meant to enter," said Bobbie.
"I see. Tell me, are you familiar with the thievery that took place two weeks ago at the museum?" Asked Karter.
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Hank, "Your honor, last I checked, Mr. Leathenson requested to ask the witness A question! Meaning, only ONE question! And here he is, asking the witness multiple questions! Last I checked, I was supposed to be cross-examining the witness, not him!"
"Overruled, I want to see where Mr. Leathenson is taking this with his line of questioning," said the judge.
"What?!" Asked Hank in shock, 'But cross-examining the witnesses is my job,' whined Hank.
"I'm very sorry for the interruption, Mr. Leathenson. Please, continue," said the judge.
"Thank you very much, your honor," said Karter as he bowed to the judge.
'Why do I feel like I just got demoted?' Hank pouted.
"As I was asking Mr. Josine, are you familiar with the robbery that took place two weeks ago at the Museum," Karter asked.
"Who doesn't know about it? It was all over the news the next morning. I saw the news while I was getting ready for my shift that morning," said Bobbie as he sipped his coffee. "Apparently, thieves broke into the museum and stole an old book. What about the theft, though? " asked Bobbie.
"In your testimony you said that the only way to get out of the museum from the back door is by using the required key given to the security guards, is that correct?" Asked Karter.
"It is," said Bobbie.
"And yet, despite this knowledge that has been presented to us, the thieves managed to escape the museum with the book. Is it possible that the thieves may have stolen a key from one of the security guards to escape the museum?" Asked Karter.
Bobbie begins to think about it while sipping his coffee, "Now that you mentioned it, Charlie's key ring was missing when he was in the vent," said Bobbie.
"Oh? When did you notice this?" Asked Karter.
"After we pulled him out. At first we thought that he was just sitting on them. But after giving the vent a thorough look, his key ring was nowhere to be found. Whoever put him in that vent must have also taken his key ring," said Bobbie.
"After knocking him out of course. Did you find anything else besides his keys?" Asked Karter.
"Oh, yes, how can I forget. Although we couldn't find his key ring, we did find a dart in the vent," said Bobbie.
"A dart?!" Asked both Hank and Karter.
"What kind of dart was it?" Asked Hank.
"You know, one of those darts that puts people to sleep for a long time if you get hit by them. The way I see it, someone shot Charlie in the neck with a dart, knocking him out cold. After he passes out that person shoved Charlie inside the vent. Of course, how they managed to push him into the vent is beyond me since he is a pretty big guy," said Bobbie.
"Do you happen to have the dart in your person?" Asked Karter.
"I gave it to the police the day after the robbery," said Charlie.
"Oh, yes, sorry about this, gentlemen. I forgot to tell you guys about the dart," said the evidence manager officer as he pulled the ebony dart inside a plastic bag.
"Why did… Hank slams his desk, "Why didn't Mr. Lee tell us this during his testimony?! This was an obvious clue that he left out! We should hold him the contempt of-"
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Karter, "Mr. Briggs, do you not remember what Mr Lee said during his testimony? He said that by the time he got out of that vent, he was hungry, thirsty, and dizzy. And for a short while he didn't even know who or where he was. If I were in his shoes and I was going through those symptoms, I would be more worried about my health rather than a dart that was found in the vent. He probably wasn't made aware that there was a dart in the vent that he was stuck in. And yet, here you are, more worried about something that was overlooked then a man's health," said Karter, crossing his arms while glaring at Hank.
"Now hold on, I…."
"Mr. Leathenson is right Mr. Briggs. A person's health is more important than something that was overlooked during his testimony. Do you really think he would be focused on something like that at his condition at the time?" Asked the judge.
"Now hold on a minute your honor-"
"No, he wouldn't. But who are we kidding? You don't care about someone's health when he's been stuck inside a vent for over eight hours!" Said Karter as he pointed at Hank.
"Agreed. You're a very cold-hearted man Mr. Briggs!" Said the judge.
"It makes me sick that you're more worried about a stupid dart than a man's health and safety," said Bobbie.
That's when the whole court erupted, telling Hank he should feel ashamed for being more worried about a dark matter than a man's life. Some people in the court even told the judge to give him the guilty verdict already.
'Why is everyone ganging up on me all of a sudden?!' Hank asked.
"Order! Order in the court!" The judge slammed his gravel as he tried to get everyone in the courtroom to quiet down, "Mr. Briggs, what is more, important to you, a dart or a man's well-being?!" Asked the judge.
"Okay, everyone, let's all just calm down and take a step back. Yes, a man's health is very important, obviously. And I'm sorry if I made it seem that I didn't care. I'm sorry for overreacting. But still, this dart is a huge oversight," said Hank, trying to calm the crowd.
"Yes, it is. However, this also shows that someone DID break into the museum. Most notably, that person was using the bathroom as a hiding spot no less," said Karter with an evil grin.
'Oh shit!' Said Hank in a panic.
"Let's go back to Mr. Lee's testimony. In his testimony, Mr. Lee-"
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Hank, interrupting Karter, "Your honor! What the prosecution is saying is hearsay!"
"How do you know what I'm going to say is hearsay? I haven't even said anything yet," said Karter.
"Yes you were! You were-"
"Overruled!" Interrupted the judge.
"WHAT?!" Asked Hank in shock.
"I want to see where Mr. Leathenson is going with this. He may be onto something," said the judge.
'No, no, no, no, NO! I need to stop him right now!' Said Hank, beginning to panic.
"As I was saying, Mr. Lee went into the woman's washroom to check to see if anyone was in there since children like to hide in the bathrooms while playing hide and seek and they often don't reply when a security guard calls out for them. When he enters the bathroom, he sees Cassandra Winterson-"
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Hank, with desperation in his voice, "Your honor! What the prosecution is saying is hearsay! There is no proof that-"
"Overruled!" Interrupted the judge.
"WHAT?!" Asked Hank, now beginning to panic.
"Mr. Briggs, if you interrupt Mr. Leathenson one more time, I will hold you contempt of court. Do I make myself clear?! " asked the judge.
"But your honor, I-"
"DO I make myself CLEAR!" Asked the judge, who was on the verge of throwing Hank out of the courtroom.
"Y-Yes your honor," said Hank in defeat. He was now on thin ice.
"My word Hank, you sound desperate over there! It's almost as if you don't want Mr. Leathenson to speak the truth," said Johnathan with an evil grin, making Hank growl in frustration.
"Chief Livings, I would like to ask you to keep your comments to yourself, please and thank you," said the judge.
"Yes, your honor," said Johnathan, keeping his evil grin. He enjoyed every minute of this, watching Hank squirm like a worm.
'Enjoy this while it lasts Jonathan! Because I will be wiping that stupid grin off your face soon enough!' Hank retorted.
"Sorry about that Mr. Leathenson. Please continue," said the Judge
"Thank you, your honor," said Karter as he bowed to the judge, "As I was saying, Mr. Lee went into the woman's washroom to check to see if anyone was in there since children like to hide in the bathrooms while playing hide and seek, and they often don't reply when a security guard calls out for them. When Mr. Lee enters the bathroom, he sees Cassandra Winterson. The two get into an argument, and before Mr. Lee knows it, he passes out and finds himself inside the vent over eight hours later. It is my belief that while Mr. Lee and miss Winterson were arguing, Miss Winterson stabs Mr. Lee with the dart, making him fall asleep. Afterward, she shoves him inside the vent and waits for the museum to close along with her accomplices."
"Very good, Mr. Leathenson. That was a well-thought-out evaluation," said the judge, clapping his hands.
"Thank you, your honor," said Karter as he bowed to the judge, "I aim to please."
Hank then nervously and cautiously raises his hand. "Objection?" he asks, not raising his voice this time.
"Nuh-uh, uh Hank," said Johnathan as he waved his finger, "have you forgotten already what the judge told you? He told you that if you interrupted Mr. Leathenson again, he will-"
"Objection sustained," said the judge.
"WHAT?!" Johnathan exclaimed.
"Technically, he did not interrupt Mr. Leathenson while he was telling his speculation. So I must hear out what Mr. Briggs wants to say," said the judge, making Johnathan growl in frustration. The judge then faces Hank, "What is your objection, Mr. Briggs?"
'Okay, this is it. My epic comeback. I sure hope you enjoyed seeing me look like a fool while it lasted Johnathan and Karter. Because I'm about to wipe that smirk off your faces,' said Karter and cleared his throat, "Yes, what Mr. Leathenson said was a well-thought-out evaluation. But an evaluation none of the less," Hank told the court.
"How so?" Asked the Judge.
"You see, your honor, Mr. Leathenson seems to be convinced that Miss Winterson was responsible for stabbing Mr. Lee in the neck with the dart and shoving him inside that vent, and yet he has no evidence to back his little theory up!" Hank exclaimed.
"Mr. Briggs, are you forgetting that Miss Winterson was the last person Mr Lee saw before passing out. It's only right to believe that it was Ms. Winter-"
"It wasn't Ms. Winterson," said Mr. Briggs with a smirk on his face while having his hands on his hips.
"How… How can you be so sure?! Ms. Winterson was the last person that Mr. Lee saw before passing out! What part of that do you not understand?!" Asked Karter while slamming his desk.
"Have you ever thought that maybe someone was in there with her at the time?" Asked Hank.
"Someone else…"
"In with her?" Asked the judge, with both he and Karter confused.
"Yes, you see. Mr. Leathenson was partially right. One of the thieves was using the bathroom as a hiding place, so she could be inside the Museum when it closed. The thief was most likely hiding in one of the bathroom stalls. However, something happened that the thief did not foresee happening, and that was Miss Winterson entering the bathroom to use… Well… The Bathroom. While Miss Winterson was using the bathroom, the thief stayed in her hiding place. After Ms. Winterson finished using the bathroom, something else happened that the thief did not foresee yet again: Mr. Lee stepped into the bathroom. Fearing that her hiding place might be compromised, the thief sneaks behind Mr. Lee while he and Miss Winterson were arguing and stabs Mr. Lee in the neck with the dart, passing him out. The thief tells Cassandra to get out of there while she puts the security guard in the vent. Afterward, the thief flees out of the bathroom and looks for another hiding spot, knowing that the bathroom would be the first place that other security guards would check to find their fellow security guard. So you see, members of the court, Ms. Winterson was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time," explained Hank.
"Very good, Mr. Briggs. That was a well-thought-out evaluation," said the judge, clapping his hands
"Thank you, your honor," said Hank as he bowed to the judge
"Yes, it was a well-thought-out evaluation. But an evaluation, none of the less," smirked Karter.
'Oh no, I don't like where this is going,' said Hank.
"You know, Mr. Briggs, it's quite interesting that you would bring up a second person in the bathroom besides Mr. Lee. Because as you may have already known, three known thieves were in the museum that night. It is highly speculated that Cassandra Winterson, a friend of hers, and a man named Mashiro Yuuma were those thieves. Now, rather or not if the second girl was Alyssa or Christina, that is up for debate, but the point still stands," said Karter.
"That is only speculation. You can't prove that it was them for sure!" Hank exclaimed.
"Can I though? Here's what I think. Ms. Winterson was planning on using the bathroom as a hiding spot. But something happened that she did not foresee, and that was Mr. Lee stepping into the bathroom. She and Mr. Lee get into an argument, Ms. Winterson's friend sees this, sneaks up behind Mr. Lee, and stabs him in the neck with the dart, knocking him out. Then, Mr. Yuuma barges out of the vent and tells the girls to shove Mr. Lee inside the vent. With their combined strength, they are able to shove Mr. Lee inside that vent. Afterward, the girls run off to find a new hiding spot to begin their thievery, but not before stealing Mr. Lee's key ring. After some time, their thievery commences, and they are able to steal the book. However, even after disabling the lights and security cameras, the backup generator activates, and the alarm goes off after the book is taken out of its pedestal. Xyaqom comes in, trying to apprehend the thieves. Mr. Yuuma gives the girls the book and stays behind to fight Xyaqom to buy his friends some time to escape the museum with the book. With the key ring that they stole from Mr. Lee after knocking him out, the girls are able to escape out of the museum and Mr. Yuuma is taken in by the cops shortly after fighting Xyaqom."
"Very good, Mr. Leathenson. That was another well-thought-out evaluation," said the judge, clapping his hands
"Thank you, your honor," said Karter as he bowed to the judge
'Dammit! What just happened?! I had him on the ropes, and all of a sudden, he came up with a comeback! I need to somehow get my comeback!' Said Hank slamming his desk and, "Objection to hearsay!" Hank exclaimed.
"Now what!?" Karter gritted his teeth.
"You can't keep objecting to an obvious outcome!" Jonathan slammed his fist on his desk, but the judge ignored his cry and slammed his gravel.
"Objection sustained."
"YOUR HONOR!"
"Be that as it may, Mr. Livings. Mr Briggs has every right to defend his client until the end of this trial." The judge glanced at Hank, "Now then, Mr. Briggs, you have the floor."
"Thank you, your honor!" Hank bowed before straightening up, "Now then, while Mr. Leathenson's evaluation might be solid on the surface, there are still some holes in his theory I'd like to poke at, if I may."
"Say what!?" Karter exclaimed.
"While true, Ms. Winterson and Mr. Lee had an altercation at the museum it's only under the assumption that the girls and the thieves are the same people."
"You don't believe so, Mr. Briggs?" Asked the judge.
"I'd be hard-pressed to believe otherwise, your honor." Hank nodded.
"That's a bold statement. What proof do you have that says otherwise?" Karter asked.
"As I said, everything you claim so far is under the assumption the thieves and girls are one and the same." Hank continued, "If that's true, may I present exhibit A! The sleeping dart used on Mr. Lee!"
The sleeping dart was nothing special. It had a small, little vail attached to the center and was made of ebony metal.
"As you can see, your honor, this is the dart that was used to put Mr. Lee to sleep!" said Hank, holding the dart in a plastic bag.
"Yes, I can see that," said the judge
"What about the dart?" Asked Karter, confused.
"What's been bugging me since you claimed that the girls and the thieves are one and the same? I began to wonder, how did they manage to get this dart? As you can see, this dart is made of ebony, one of the strongest and most expensive metals in the world. So I ask you, Mr. Leathenson, how did Ms. Winterson and her friends acquire this dart?"
Karter looked confused and thought Hank was losing the plot, "They bought it, of course."
"With what money?" Asked Hank with the most confident smirk.
"Mr. Briggs, are you starting to lose the plot? What do you mean by 'What money?' The Winterson family is the richest family in Christale City!" Karter exclaimed.
"That's what you think!" Said Hank as he pointed at Karter, "BEHOLD! EXHIBIT B! THEIR BANK STATEMENTS!"
That's when the Winterson family bank statements flash before the screen.
"Bank statements?!" Asked Karter, the judge, and Johnathan in shock.
"As you can see, Your Honor, the girls have been quite poor for the past year. And while I can't go into their personal lives now, you can see their transaction details over the past few months, all the way up to August 2016." Hank nodded to the judge, "As you can see, they have barely managed to keep up with their mortgage on the mansion while still attending college, and they use that same money to pay for their tuition fees and books."
"Oh my!" The judge exclaimed. He adjusted his glasses as he looked over the documents, "And how much would it be to afford ebony metal?"
"$150,000 per pound," Hanks smirked, "That's about six months' worth of mortgage money from the middle class," said Hank.
"My word! $150,000 per pound?! My salary is only that much every three months!" Said the judge
"That's… This is the first time I'm hearing about this! The Winterson family going broke?! Why?! What happened that made them go broke!" Asked Karter.
"Unfortunately, I can't say the reason why they're going broke. But, with this evidence, it proves that the girls and the thieves cannot be one and the same!"
"OBJECTION!" Shouted Johnathan. Everyone looks at Johnathan, who is beaming red with fury.
"Mr. Livings, what is the meaning of this?" Asked the judge.
"That evidence… That evidence is illegal! That is illegal evidence!" Shouted Johnathan, seething.
"Illegal?! How is it illegal?!" Asked Hank.
"You should know what I am talking about, Hank, since you're a lawyer. You should know that before every case, both the defense and prosecution MUST share information! They must share the information between evidence, witnesses, etc! Failure to do so will cause a false trial! This isn't the 1940's where one side would have a piece of evidence that the other side didn't to get the upper hand! And because you withheld evidence from Mr. Leathenson, you should be held in contempt of court and Mr. Leathenson should be announced the winner!" Shouted Johnathan.
"Normally, I would agree with you, Mr. Livings, if this court was under normal circumstances. However, because this court case was rushed to today, all of us had very little time to prepare for the case. So little time, in fact, that the defense and prosecution didn't get to meet until today. And may I remind you, Mr. Livings, that it was YOUR idea to push this court to today rather than the original date as planned!" The judge reminded him.
Everyone goes crazy and starts cheering for Hank.
"Wait, I… You can't… But…" Said Johnathan, seeing that his well-thought-out plan was blowing up in his face.
"Objection overruled," said the judge as he slammed his gravel, "A very well-thought-out counter, Mr. Briggs, but that still leaves Mr. Yuuma unaccounted for."
"As far as I'm concerned, he's a normal college student with a mid-class income," Hanks shrugs before glancing back toward the judge, "Do you expect him to afford ebony metal when he makes less than you, Your Honor?"
"I supposed not, Mr. Briggs?" The judge nodded, "But there was still a concern regarding him being taken in by Xyaqom."
"That I can explain, your honor." Hank smiled, "You see, jury members, Mr. Yuuma was only caught because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Again with this?!" Jonathan was seething at this point.
"You see your honor, I've only had a brief interaction with the young man. And I can tell he's very passionate about history-"
"Passionate enough to steal a valuable item," Karter snorted.
"Is what you'd like to think, Mr. Leathenson," Hank retorted, "But you see, I have undeniable proof that Masiro Yuuma had no association with the thieves. Behold Exhibit C."
Hanks slams a voice recorder down on his table.
"Is that a recorder?" Asked the judge.
"Yes, captured during a very important incident during the investigation with Mr. Livings," Hank smirks, "Shall I playback the audio for the court?"
"Wait, me?" Asked Johnathan, confused.
"Well, yes, please," said the judge.
"Very well," Hank smiled as he pressed the play button.
"That's right…." Jonathan's eyes widened as he recognized Shiro's voice coming from the device. I would never steal something that doesn't belong to me! That's because... I'm an architect and a fanatic! IN OTHER WORDS... I'M AN OTAKU! MUSEUMS ARE PRACTICALLY MY HOME!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The court fell silent. You could even hear crickets going off.
"What the hell did I just listen to?" Asked Karter.
"A voice belonging to a passionate young man who's enthralled by the past," Hanks's eyes twitched. He wanted to laugh out loud. It cracked him up every time he listened to the playback, "You see, your Honor. Mr. Yuuma wanted nothing more than to protect the Records of Maxwell and probably mistook Xyaqom as one of the thieves after the book."
"OBJECTION YOUR HONOR!" Shouted Johnathan.
"Seriously, who is the prosecutor? You or me? Why am I even here?" Asked Karter.
"Oh, Hank, you were so close. You were so close to walking away as a free man," said Johnathan as his left eye twitched, "Unfortunately for you, we have video evidence that proves that Mr. Yuuma was working WITH the thieves on the night of the robbery! I hoped not to use this, but you've left me with little choice!"
"It's funny that you said you have video evidence, Mr. Livings. Because I have video evidence, too. This video evidence shows Shiro trying to stop the thieves and mistaking Xyaqom for one of them," said Hank.
"Don't tell me that you're going to use that edited footage that you used to bail Shiro out, are you?" Asked Johnathan in a mocking tone.
"It's not edited," said Hank.
"BULL! Only an idiot can't tell the difference between edited footage from the real thing! I couldn't prove it at the time, but now I can! You know why?! Because I have the unedited footage provided by the museum," Shouted Johnathan.
"I'll be the judge of that, no pun intended. Let's watch both footages and then I'll decide if either was edited," said the judge. The judge then looked at Hank, "Mr. Briggs, we will watch your footage first."
After setting everything up, Hank's video plays. The video shows that at exactly 12:00 a.m., seven security guards were seen guarding the book as the job entitled in one footage. At 12:05, a blackout occurred, and the seven guards were knocked out along with the guards. A shadowy figure stole the book. At 12:10 a.m, Shiro confronted the actual thieves. However, it was when Xyaqom showed up. At 12:11, Xyaqom and Shiro fight.
"So you see, your honor, it's exactly as I said. Mr. Yuuma mistakes Xyaqom for one of the thieves and starts a fight with him. Unfortunately, Xyaqom is the victor of that fight," said Hank.
"I see," said the judge.
"Your honor, you don't possibly believe in this garbage, do you?! That video is obviously edited!" shouted Johnathan.
"Well then Mr. Livings, why don't you show the court the supposed unedited footage then," said the judge
"Gladly," said Johnathan as he took out his briefcase and went through his things, looking for the USB drive with unedited footage of the robbery. However, as he went through his suitcase, his confident, smug demeanor slowly faded into a pale, panicked look.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no," said Johnathan, desperately looking for the USB Drive.
"Is everything okay Mr. Livings?" Asked Karter.
"I… I forgot it back in my office," said Johnathan with pale despair.
"Wait, what?!" Asked Karter in shock.
"You forgot it?!" Asked the judge as his eyes widened.
Hank was trying his best not to laugh at Johnathan's mistake. "Wow, that's unfortunate."
"Indeed, it is. Unfortunately, since the supposed unedited footage is not here at the courtroom, I have no choice but to declare Mr. Briggs' footage as the real thing," said the judge.
"NO, YOUR HONOR!" Johnathan exclaimed, now panicking, "Please, I beg of you! Just put the court in a recess! It should take me no longer than twenty minutes to get back to my office and return with the USB drive containing the footage!"
"Mr. Livings!" The judge grunted as he asked, "Did you not wish to rush the proper courting procedure date?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes, it was Mr. Livings' idea to rush proceedings," said Karter.
"KARTER!" Shouted Johnathan.
"I'm sorry, sir, but what do you expect me to do at this point? Lie to the judge?" Asked Karter.
"I understand that every attorney would have all appropriate evidence, wittinesses, and testimonies all ready by today." The judge spoke sternly, "If you cannot fight the claims presented by Mr. Briggs, then I have no choice but to rule in his favor."
"NO! PLEASE GOD NO!" Begged Johnathan.
"In this case," At this point, the head judge stood tall on his stand. Leaning off the chair, "I hereby declare that Mashiro Yuuma, Cassandra Winterson, Christina Senshi, Alyssa Frenteer, and Hank Briggs are all innocent of all charges. All wanted posters published by the police force are hereby frozen, effective immediately," the crowd begins to cheer, "That's it, court is adjourned," said the judge, and he slams his gravel, ending the trial, and everyone in the courtroom cheers.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Screamed Johnathan as he fell to his knees, "DAMMIT! DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!" Screamed Johnathan as he slammed his fists onto his desk.
'I'm sorry, Johnathan. I couldn't help you. If you had remembered the USB drive, we could've won. Maybe next time, you won't rush through proceedings,' said Karter and walked over to Johnathan to pick him up, "Come on sir, let's get out of here," said Karter as he picked Johnathan up and had his right arm to rest on his right shoulder.
"We could've won; we could've thrown them in prison for life! If only I hadn't forgotten that stupid USB!" said Johnathan, now crying.
"I know, Johnathan, I know," said Karter as he carried Johnathan out of the courtroom.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I made your efforts be in vain," whispered Johnathan.
"Maybe next time, you won't rush through court proceedings," whispered Karter as his eyes flashed red for a split second.
"So, can I go home now?" Bobbie asked the judge who was still standing on the witness stand.
"Wait, you're still here?!" Asked the judge, surprised that Bobbie was still there.
"Well, yeah. You never told me I could leave," Bobbie replied.
"Why do I have to tell you to leave, when the court session is over?"
"I don't know," Bobbie shrugged, "Isn't it in the ruling though, something along the lines of, 'the witness can't leave the stand unless issued otherwise by the judge,' or something."
"That can't possibly be in a ruling," the judge glanced at the document for a quick reference. Holy cow, you're right! That's a ridiculous ruling."
…
…
…
"So can I go home now?"
"Yes, Bobbie, go home," The judge soberly slammed his gravel one last time.
"Finally, I can catch up on some sleep," said Bobbie as he took his leave.
Hank was happy to win the trial. Not only had he proved his innocence and sustained his freedom, but he had also proven Cassandra, Shiro, Christina, and Alyssa's innocence and sustained their freedom. If and when they ever returned to Christale City from wherever they fled, they would never have to worry about the police breathing down on their necks.
Johnathan was forbidden from relighting their charges unless he wanted to face the judge's wrath. Of course, if Shiro and the girls were stupid enough to pull a stunt like that again, Johnathan would have all rights to relight their charges.
Meanwhile, back on Mundus...
"By the way Shiro, there's something that's been bugging me," said Cassandra.
"What is it?" Asked Shiro.
"You mentioned earlier, The records of Maxwell were written in Ancient Greek. How come none of the translators on Earth have ever been able to translate it?"
"Do you know how long it takes to translate ancient Greek?" Shiro explained, "It took hundreds of centuries and dozens of refinements for modern-day Greek to get where it is today. It's practically a dead language. If the Records of Maxwell had been in the museum for five years, I doubt they had enough time to translate the whole book. "
"But we had the book for a week before shit hit the fan. How were you able to translate the book during that time frame?" Christina asked.
"I was always a nerd for this kind of stuff. Leon always said that I was wasting my time studying history and its past languages. Well, the joke's on him, because all that studying paid off!" Shiro said with pride.
"Yeah but without the records of Maxwell, it's a pretty useless skill to learn." Alyssa commented.
…
…
…
"It's not my fault, my stupid brother and his assassin friends took it from right under me." The girls were silent as Shiro silently wept while crouching down.
"That was a bit too harsh, Alyssa." Cassandra scolded.
"Sorry."
"Shhh!" Shiro's suddenly shot up, and he held his finger to his lip. Shut up and hide!"
"Weren't you just sulking a moment ago!?" Christina exclaimed.
"I said quiet," Shiro harshly whispered. He motioned for the girls to crouch and follow him. Over here this way,"
The girl sighed and followed Shiro's instructions. Soon, they heard large stomping sounds coming from the deep end of the forest. They scampered and hid behind Shiro, who poked his head out of a bush,
"It's a Lizardon."
"A Lizard on?" the girls questioned. That's when they saw a huge lizard-like creature with amber-colored scales. It had sharp horns coming off its head. It raised its head slowly before bashing its long tail against the tree, releasing a few fruits stuck on its branch.
"Listen to me carefully, Liz~ar~don," Shiro stretched his words carefully so the girls could pronounce the name of the said creature. The lizardman, these reptiles, usually avoid human civilization and prefer to live up in the mountain areas. Seeing one out all the way out here is quite rare."
Nobody except Christina paid any attention to Alyssa, who took a step back with a frightful expression.
"What's it doing here? There doesn't seem to be any mountain terrain around here for miles?" Cassandra asked.
"I can think of numerous reasons, none of which holds any merit to them." Shiro's eyes narrowed at the lizard-like creature casually eating before them. Suddenly, they heard a tree branch snap in the distance, and the group quickly turned to face Alyssa, who fell to the ground, shaken by fear.
"Shit, Get down!"
"GURROOOO!" Suddenly, flames shot from the Lizardon's mouth toward the group. Luckily, with enough reflexes, Christina and Shiro grabbed the person closest to them. That being said, Cassandra, who was next to Shiro and Alyssa, was tackled to the ground by Christina.
"It can shoot fire from its mouth?!" Cassandra exclaimed.
"Majin's can do more than just that," Shiro muttered. He was lying atop Cassandra, "They can be quite dangerous when provoked. Lizardons are especially known for having a nasty temper."
"GURROOOO!" Roared the Lizardon. It locked in on their scent and charged toward the group.
"Stay here, hide! And don't move a muscle!" Shiro exclaimed as he rushed out to face the Lizardon.
"Shiro, wait!" Cassandra cried.
"STAY BACK!" he yelled. I'll keep him focused on me and take Christina and Alyssa to a safe distance!
The Lizardon finds Shiro and tackles him. Shiro manages to dodge out of the way, only for the Lizardon to swing its tail at Shiro, sending him flying through a boulder.
"Damn it, I forgot these guys are smart fighters," said Shiro as he rubbed his head. I have to calm it down somehow."
The lizard quickly shot a huge ball of Fire toward Shiro, to which he held out his hand and started chanting his own spell.
Venite et colligite spiritus benedictarum aquarum et novam vitam inspirate in sphaeram caelestem; Sphaera aquatica. (Come and collect the spirits of the blessed waters and breathe new life into the celestial sphere, the Water sphere.)
Water began to form around Shiro's hand as he launched a high-pressure blast attack, clashing with the lizardon's mighty fire, causing a huge explosion in the aftermath. Hey, we're both breathing heavily after that last attack.
"Hey now! Why do you look so exhausted? Don't tell me you're done already," Shiro mocked. He wanted to laugh, but his legs were already shaking, so he couldn't muster the energy for a fake bravado. That's when he noticed blood dripping from the Lizardon's stomach, and his eyes widened in shock. "Don't tell me. You fought me with those injuries?!"
Shiro stepped forward, only for the Lizardon to take a step back with a snarling look on its face. He held his hands out and gave the Lizardon a stern look, "Look, calm down. I don't wanna fight you, alright. I can help, but you'll have to trust me."
The Lizardon thinks about it for a minute and nods at Shiro, trusting him. Shiro then approaches the beast and tries to figure out how to tend to its injuries.
"Hey, what's wrong? You do know that this isn't biology class, right? It's not dead or anything," Christina told Alyssa.
"It's not that I want to be afraid. I can't help it." Alyssa sat down, still shaken from the experience. "The look on their faces, messing with their insides, is disgusting. I can't stand to look at them."
"Did seeing that creature remind you of that frog from seventh grade?" Cassandra asked.
"Yeah, it did," said Alyssa.
"You'll have to get over it at some point," Christina commented. "There's probably tons of reptilian-like creatures out here. We can't have you fainting every time you see one."
"There, that should stop the bleeding until it's fully healed," said Shiro after wrapping a large leaf on the Lizardon's wound.
The Lizardon huffs while looking at the wound and Shiro. Then, it begins to pace around, getting used to the feeling of having a makeshift bandage on. It nods in approval, shooting a grateful look toward Shiro.
"Nah!" Shiro rubbed his head bashfully. "It's no big deal, really. Just don't strain yourself and it should heal properly on its own. Okay?" The Lizardon then nudges its head, "No, I need to get back to my friends, we really need to get going so…" Before Shiro finishes, the Lizardon grabs Shiro by the shirt and lifts him up, "Woah! Hey! No, no, no, I appreciate your love and affection, but THIS is too much!"
That's when the Lizardon puts Shiro on its back as if he were riding it as a horse. The Lizardon sniffs out the girls and charges toward them. Alyssa spots the Lizardon and screams in horror, thinking it will attack them, only for it to strip right in front of them.
"Um… hey girls… I… Um… I made a new friend," Shiro said sheepishly.
Before the girls respond, Alyssa faints in front of everybody, and her ghost leaves her body. The Lizardon huffs out irritated, looks at Shiro for approval, and nods at Alyssa's unconscious body.
"No, no, she's our friend, NOT food!" Shiro said, making the Lizardon huff out of disappointment.
And so, although our heroes' ticket back home was destroyed, they made a new friend. A hopefully useful friend that will help them cross over the large land that is Mundus Magicus. Will our heroes be successful in finding the ultimate treasure? Or will Lex and his posse get there first? Find out in the next chapter of Drogons Rebirth!
To Be Continued….?
Post Credit Scene:
Upon studying for what seemed like hours, Leon awoke from his desk, startled. He looked around his unlit room. The only light source was his lamp on the desk, emanating heat from being on too long. He felt his stomach rumble his time to eat. How long did he sleep? The last thing he remembered was studying the record of…Maxwell, Leon's eyes lingered on the book in front of him.
Written in ancient Greek, it read before him as
Μάξγουελ, Ευγένιος
This was about the only eligible writer he could make out of the book. It didn't take a genius to know this was the original creator's handwriting.
Eugene Maxwell, 1st born heir to the Maxwell Family. It's interesting to read how Mundus' history was always tied to this family. However, the first few pages were more of an autobiography of the said author, as some basic level information regarding the formation of Mundus and the rise of the seven noble houses. It seemed like useless, mundane information you could easily find in modern-day textbooks. And that was odd to him.
"Tch!" Leon snorted to himself. "As if it would be this easy to search for a treasure that hasn't been found in decades."
If the book was in Shiro's hands, he might have overlooked a clue when he found it. Leon skimmed through the pages over and over again, reading it instantly. He still couldn't make out even half the words written on a page, simply not having enough time to understand a new language. He closed the book, sat up from the desk, and left his room.
A few minutes later, Leon walked out of the kitchen area with a cup of coffee in his left hand and a bagel in his right hand. On the way to his room, he passed by the ship's deck and saw Chao and Lex arguing with each other.
"Chao, why aren't you translating the book?!" Asked Lex.
"That's because Leon has it! He's been humbled up in his room translating the damn thing since this afternoon," said Chao.
"And you're not translating it because?" Asked Lex.
"I told you, Leon has it! I can't translate what's not in front of me!" Chao told Lex.
"Then get it in front of you right now!"
"I told you, I can't read Ancient Greek!"
…Ya
...No
Rather than confronting the two idiots, Leon left the deck and returned to his room, resting in peace. He'll deal with this shit tomorrow.
…To Be Continued
- 35
- 36
- 37
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Drogons Rebirth