Enigma (Rogue #2)

43

"Your name?" Judge Abbot, the judge, asked Josanne. They were small and wiry, but Eniola guessed dealing with people's legal stuff did that to you.

Eniola looked over to Josanne, who stood before the judge. She traded a glance with Kain.

The judge looked down at her with steely eyes in the vast international LA courtroom. Security droids guarded the exits and the stands where people watched. Camera-droids clicked with every breath, and hungry journalists itched for the moment she opened her mouth.

Meanwhile, Eniola sat on a stand and was sandwiched between Iris and Jay. Lucia, Zaira, and Theo sat in the row in front of them. Everyone's parents and family sat at a separate stand.

Eniola had already given her statement a couple of days ago in these long-ass proceedings. She said what she had said for the past few months when everyone asked her what happened. She explained Paradox and then how the PSEUDO finessed them. Judge Abbot poked and prodded, but they had said nothing. She was only terrified based on anticipation. Eniola hoped she would never have to say it again.

Everyone else had said the same thing. Theo and Lucia talked about Howie getting murdered. Zaira explained her journeys around the world. Jay explained what had happened but conveniently forgot to mention their run-in with Bee. Iris also forgot to mention her cyborg hacking.

The good news was that no one thought to penalize them for being in cahoots with criminals and Eniola was just glad that they didn't bring it up. The only thing that they got in trouble for was illegally driving an auto car. Eniola almost burst into laughter when she'd first heard. Out of all the illegal things they could've been convicted for, driving took the lead. It was blissful madness.

Eniola took another glance back at Kain, who was in a crisp suit and raised an eyebrow. He sat across the other room, flanked by a public defendant. He looked different from the last time he saw her, which was a few months ago. During that time, Eniola's life had spiralled into a hectic mess, and she thought SCOPE had been the brunt of it. Hectic was a generous word in this case.

Enigma, Zaira's return, and the PSEUDO were all anyone could talk about for months. Every news station and every internet forum had turned into curiosity. And being one subject, Eniola just about had it with publicity. It had become a sport to dodge and swat away camera droids and journalists who were killing themselves just to know what had happened. She had gone tired every time they'd asked what had happened, and she had to give a statement. Some were even talking about a movie deal, which Eniola prayed wouldn't happen. It was so bad that Eniola turned into a house hermit.

But Eniola sighed. Perhaps this would be the last time it happened and this could blow over into social oblivion. Of course, the world almost ending wouldn't just be gotten over with.

"Josanne," the translator on the stand said when Josanne signed to her.

"Do you have a surname?" they asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "It's just Josanne."

"And how old are you?" Judge Abbot asked.

"I'm nineteen," Josanne replied. "I just turned nineteen years old."

"And do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Judge Abbot asked.

"Yes," Josanne replied. "I do."

Eniola sighed and peered closer. Josanne wasn't innocent either, so maybe she could plead her case, but it might not work.

Josanne took in a deep breath and sighed at the translator as they spoke. "My name is Josanne, and this is how I became part of the PSEUDO."