A couple days before the trial I was allowed to go home as long as I didn't leave Stark tower before coming to court. So Tony had me on complete lockdown. It was during that time that the news broke that Wanda and the rest of the incriminated avengers had been broken out by Steve. They were all on the run now. I thought of Wanda, where she was know and hoping we had forgiven each other.
Peter called me, but I never picked up. I didn't pick up anyone's calls. I was worried about what people would said, what they thought of me now. The news had covered my whole case in detail, a constant flurry of interviews of people giving their opinion on me- most of them bad. I hated to think what Peter, what any of them thought of me now.
The morning of the trial, i woke up early. I sat at the breakfast table with Tony, both of us to nervous to speak. Tony had the news on and the anchor spoke at length. "Clara Stark or the Shadow Hunter as we all now know her is due to appear in court today for the first day of what is thought to be many, of her trial regarding her involvement in the criminal under world." I dressed in the clothes Tony had bought for me for the court. It was just a pair of black trousers, a white shirt and a black blazer. I stared in the mirror. Did i look normal enough? Did i look like a killer? My face was still bruised and cut from Berlin and I flinched as i pressed my finger tips against my stomach.
Too soon did the clock tick to 10 am. My trial was at 11 but Matt wanted us to get there half an hour early to go over our plan. Happy drove me and Tony to the court. I didn't speak. Instead i looked down at my phone, seeing a text from Peter. 'Good luck today. I know everything will be ok :)' It read. When we reached our destination, I sighed at the sight of press and reporters. Happy opened the door for Tony first, who fastened his jacket as he stepped out. Next, Happy opened the door for me and pushed back against the people who pressed forward. "Clara, how are you feeling about your trial?" One man asked me, shoving a camera in my face. I quickly pushed it away. "Are you nervous? Do you think you will win?" A women reporter i recognized from the local tv station. "Did you really kill all those people?" Another women asked, pushing a microphone towards me. I pushed it away and followed Happy and Tony through the crowd, keeping my head bowed low. Two police officers met us at the entrance and escorted us inside.
Matt Murdock met us in a small room beside the court room. "Ok so Officer Kyle Parker and Brian Seacress, the head of the government department that deals with national threats, are testifying against you but Nick Fury and Tony are testifying for you." He briefed. "I was right about Dina Asher, but if she wants to press charges, that's a different and simpler situation." Tony chimed in, "Secretary Ross is speaking too, he isn't the happiest with me at the moment, and he's a strong advocate for control of vigilantes but he might be fair."
"The judge is Alexander Trice. He is fair. Honestly i think we have a good shot of clearing you but they might ask for some promises to be made. Given the circumstances of everything, i think you should be fine, it will be the government that we will have to deal with next and like Tony already said, cash is king in this situation."
A man knocked on the door and came in to tell us the court session was starting in 5 minutes and we would have to take our places. We were lead to the court room next door, but before i was allowed in, a police officer clamped my wrists with hand cuffs. "Just a precautions." He uttered before leading us inside. I sat in a chair in the long narrow table in front of the pews. Matt sat to my side and Tony sat to the other side of me. On the other side sat Ben Jefferson, the lawyer, sitting smugly beside Kyle Parker and the government man Matt had mentioned. To the side of us, sat Nick Fury, Dina Asher and Secretary Ross. I blinked at the camera's ahead of me. This was a big public trial and it was being broadcasted all over the world. Soon everyone would know the details of my past. I thought of everyone watching at home- Peter, MJ, Ned and I wondered if Wanda and Nat, where ever they were, were watching. To my right were seated 12 jury members. I glanced behind me and could see a few people dotted in the seats. Officer Jimmy Woo was seated behind us next to Rhodes and Maria Hill. Even more police officers and government people and Dina's parents and...Pepper? She was seated near the back in front of yet more cameras. Her strawberry blonde hair was pin straight and she was dressed smartly. She met my eyes and gave me an encouraging, but nervous smile. I smiled back. I hadn't seen her since that night in the hospital, neither of us had. I glanced to my side at Tony and saw he was staring too. His mouth parted slowly and then suddenly, the judge banged his gavel and everyone became silent. I turned back around to the front and tried to breath.
"Silence in court!" He boomed, the last straggling voices disappearing. "All rise!" The bailiff announced and everyone got up to their feet. "Department one of the superior court is now in session Judge Trice presiding. Please be seated." Everyone scrambled back to their chairs. I rested my hands upon the table and squeezed them anxiously. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the United states of America versus Clara Stark. Are both sides ready?" The judge called. I was on trial against the whole of America. The whole of America against me. The whole world maybe. Ben Jefferson stood up smugly. "Ready for the people, your honor." He spoke. The judge's eyes flitted to Matt. "Ready for the defense, your honor." He said, standing up before swiftly sitting down. "Will the clerk please swear in the jury?" The judge asked. The clerk stood up and started to speak to the jury, them chanting back words, but i couldn't pay attention. My head felt like it was spinning and it could burst at any moment and roll across the floor.
I felt a sharp jab in my right side. I shot out of my day dream and looked over to Tony who was attached to the jabbing elbow. He glared at me and, flustered, i looked up to the judge. "Ms Stark, how do you plead to the charges against you?" He repeated. I glanced at Tony and he nodded encouragingly. I opened my mouth, but the word got stuck in my throat like a sour lemon. "Well?" The judge prompted. "no contest." I said slowly. Murmurs erupted in the jury and behind me. The camera lens ahead of me focused on my face. The Judge turned to Jefferson, "Prosecution, you may proceed with opening statements." He spoke. Jefferson stood up, shuffling sheets of paper. "Thank you, your honor." He cleared his throat and turned to the Jury.
"Ladies and gentleman of the jury, the defendant has been charged with the crimes of aiding of a terrorist, unauthorized vigilante behavior, involvement in a criminal gang and human trafficking institutions and mass murder." How could they call what we did in Sokovia as terrorism? We saved so many people hadn't we? It made me angry, if they blamed me then they blamed Pietro. Pietro wasn't a terrorist, he wasn't a bad person. "The evidence will show that Clara Stark is guilty of all of these accusations." He slowly walked back to his seat, shooting us smug looks.
Matt stood up beside me and, with the help of his stick, walked up to the Jury. "Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury. During this trail you will hear many accusations made towards my client. Many of which, are uncalled for and desperate. But we have pleaded no contest. Some accusations are not falsely made." Mumbles rose through out the room. "However," He spoke loudly, bringing the attention back to him. "What must be known is that in these situations, Clara was manipulated and forced against her will, a victim of human trafficking." The jury hung on to his words. "You cannot prosecute a victim."
Once Matt was seated again, the judge announced the prosecution could bring it's first testifier to the stand. "The people call Dina Asher." Jefferson stated. Slowly Dina Asher rose from her seat and was brought forward. I tried not to meet her eye as she stood in the stand. "Raise your right hand." The clerk instructed and Dina did so. "Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" He asked. "I do." Dina replied. "Please state your first and last name." The clerk instructed. "Dina Asher sir." She replied nervously. Jefferson shuffled his paper again and started to pace in front of Dina.
"Dina, you are a student at midtown school of science and technology here in New York?" He asked. "Yes." She replied simply. "And for the past year, you were there along side Clara who joined at the beginning of this year?" He questioned. "Yes." She replied. "But you were on holiday yes? In south Africa? You didn't return to school until two weeks after it started." he queried. She nodded. "That's right." I could see a small smile forming on Jefferson's face. "And tell me Dina, what happened when you met our defendant here, for the first time?" Dina glanced towards me and then stood up more confidently. "We got in to a fight. She went proper crazy and started to punch me and stuff, she got me to the ground and then grabbed a knife off the table. It's a good job the teachers pulled her off me in time." She explained smugly. My breath hitched in my throat. How could i possibly win this? I had practically admitted to the crimes, no amount of evidence could say any different.
"If i may show exhibit 'a', your honor?" Jefferson asked. "Proceed." The judge ruled. Jefferson clicked a button of a remote and on the screen to the side of Dina popped up a freeze of the video of me and Dina fighting. "Can you confirm this is you in the photo, Dina?" She looked at the photo quickly and said yes. "And can you confirm that is Clara- the defendant-holding you down, with a knife in her hand?" Dina confirmed. After a long time of him getting Dina to detail the event, examining the footage, Jefferson grinned at the jury. "You see, this footage, this victim, is the only piece of evidence you need to show that Clara is a danger to society." The jury mumbled in agreement. I hung my head low. "Thank you, i have no further questions." Jefferson said to Dina. She was taken down from the stall and back to her seat. "Lawyer to the defendant, do you have a counter argument." The judge asked and Matt stood up. "The evidence you have just provided is that of a case of assault, that admittedly was carried out by the defendant. But charges were not pressed and the case was excused under the fact that Clara was suffering post traumatic stress." Jefferson grumbled with frustration.
"Prosecution, do you have any other testifiers?" The judge questioned. "Yes, your honor. The people call Officer Kyle Parker" The bailiff took Officer Parker up to the stalls. The clerk asked him the same questions as he had Dina. "Officer Parker, when the incriminating information arose about the defendant, you carried out the investigation yes?" Jefferson asked, Parker confirming. "And can you explain to us the evidence you found." He requested. "We found cctv from outside a warehouse in Manhattan from March 2015." On cue, Jefferson flicked a switch and a freeze of the cctv came up on the screen. "Exhibit b. Can you confirm this is the cctv you found?" He asked. "Yes." Parker replied. "Can you please explain to the court what is seen in this cctv." Briggs nodded. "This footage shows the defendant Clara Stark meeting with a wanted drug dealer, Jessie Staven, and shooting him in the head." I bit the inside of my cheek hard, so hard i think it started to bleed, or the taste in my mouth could have just been guilt. "The cctv then cuts to one from a different angle which shows her meeting with two members of the child trafficking gang, the Manhattan Santos and the man clearly passing her money." Seeing Chrissy and Thomas again resurfaced anger. Anger that they had betrayed me to HYDRA. I still didn't understand what had happened- if they had been working with HYDRA, the red room or both. Did the purposefully come and find me, stage the whole thing or did they negotiate with HYDRA after they had me?
"Your honor, permission to play the footage." Jefferson requested. "Granted." I inhaled sharply. A button was pressed and the video started to play. I watched with quiet horror as my 15 year old self walked into the abandoned warehouse, a cap and scarf covering my face . I stood about for a minute or so, though the wait felt like hours. Finally, Jessie Staven walked into view. The CCTV had no audio but i remembered what he had first said to me. He had reminded me Thomas owed him money. I then told him i sure that wouldn't be a problem anymore. I enticed him, he liked younger girls. He stepped closer to me and when he did, i pulled his arm forward. He didn't expect it and stumbled to the ground. I stepped on his throat and i heard people behind me gasp and murmur. You could hardly see Jessie's face but i could remember the fear in his eyes as i drew the gun. I held it to his forehead and i looked down into my lap as i pulled the trigger. I couldn't see it happen again. A few people jumped in the jury as they watched blood ooze from the man's temple. The footage switched to an angle from outside and i looked up as i watched my self approach Thomas and Chrissy. They mumbled some stuff to me. Something along the lines of, did you get the job done? I told them i had and Thomas passed me a bundle of cash, 'for your efforts and talent.' he had said. The footage paused on the frame of my arm out stretched the money in my hand- the screen zoomed in. "As you can see on the screen, a tattoo can be seen on the subjects arm reading 'Widow 178', Clara Stark's number from the red room, the same tattoo that can be seen on her arm during her attack on Ms Asher" And the screen cut back to the previous footage, me holding down Dina, on my arm the same tattoo.
I could feel all eyes on me. Especially Tony's from beside me and Pepper's from behind me. "As you can see," Jefferson stated, pacing slowly towards the jury. "This CCTV footage clearly shows the defendant killing a man and taking money from Thomas Sanksy, a notorious gang leader. Both of these offences are ones that need the consequences of being locked up for a long time." Jefferson smiled and laughed quietly, looking my way. The rest of that first day was spent revealing everything else I had done for Thomas and Chrissy- more and more CCTV footage of me attacking people, killing people. Every piece of evidence shown seemed to incriminate me further. I felt my chances of getting out of this slipping away, and in my mind I had already planned my run. I couldn't go to prison, I didn't want to have to leave everyone behind but I couldn't stay. All the while Matt Murdock making furious notes- I just hoped he had some sort of plan. On the way home, I didn't look at Tony. He didn't look at me. He watched proof of me killing people and I wasn't sure what he would see when he looked at me now.
On the second day the Jefferson called me to the stand. I slowly stood up. Matt had said this would happen and i should just stay calm and explain the scenarios. The Bailiff grasped my arm and took me to the stand. A million eyes were on me, in the court room, at home in their living rooms. Pepper had come again but so had everyone else, more even. "Please stand. Raise your right hand." The clerk instructed. I stood up on my feet and raised my right hand. "Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" He asked. "I do." I muttered. Jefferson strode in front of me. "Ms Stark, you pleaded no contest." He stated. I nodded slowly. He smiled again cruelly. "So you don't deny what you did? Why not let the government lock you up as they wish, as the people wish, for their safety." He was mocking me. I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the cameras. "Some of the things you are accusing me of may be true but if people understand the circumstances, they will realise i had no choice."
Jefferson stepped slowly closer to me. "Clara, there is always a choice." He stated. Was there? "Ok, let's just go over your crimes, tell me what you admit to and what you don't." He explained, pulling out a sheet of paper. "Involvement in a child trafficking gang." He stated. "Yes." I stated. More ripples of talk. "The involvement in the murders of Yevgeny Primavoka , Alba Karstrain, Marza Coriana, Borislav Stanivlak, Grischa Raxin, Albert Marr, Scott Romney, Steven Bradford, Yehuda Glick, Jose Fransisco Chaves, Jamal Clinton, Rick Stacy, Gavin Edmond and Jessie Staven and any others." After every name came new mutters, another stab of guilt. From my next words onwards, no matter the outcome of the trial, i would always be viewed as a killer. "Yes." I whispered, looking down at the ground. I thought of Peter at home watching on tv, finally understanding the person i am. I thought of MJ, realizing i wasn't the person she thought i was. I thought of Pietro, never knowing he was wrong when he said i wasn't a bad person.
"All of them?" He asked. "Yes." I repeated. There was a long silence. "Aiding of a terrorist and involvement in terrorist action." He stated. "No." I answered. "No?" He repeated. "What happened in Sokovia wasn't acts of terrorism. It was an AI gone rogue, I didn't aid Ultron." I spoke clearly. "But you were with Ultron, agreed to help him." Jefferson counter stated. "I fought against him at Sokovia, I helped the avengers." I told him sternly. "If you were to call what i did in Sokovia, terrorism, you would have to call all of the avengers terrorists." I stared down the lens of the camera. "You can't call the people who have protected you, who have saved you, terrorists. You can't call them heroes and me a terrorist when i have done only what they have done." There was a long silence after as people mulled over my words.
Still Jefferson continued to grill me about Sokovia, my involvement with Ultron, trying to get me to admit to something but eventually he dismissed me. The Bailiff lead me back to my seat between Tony and Matt. "Does the prosecution wish to call anyone else to the stand?" The judge asked. Then the government man, the secretary for defense of national threats was called. And for hours he spoke of my accusations, everything I had done, my threat to the country until finally, there was nothing left to say.
On the third day, Matt Murdock was invited to defend. There were a few short minutes whilst Matt organized his papers and the Jurys murmured between themselves. "Is the defense ready with it's case?" The judge asked, bringing everyone to a silence. "Yes, your honor." Matt said, confidently standing up. "I call Dina Asher to the stand." He stated. Dina looked nervous again as she stood to her feet, was taken to the stand and taken through the procedures again. "Dina, we already know about the fight however you did not press charges when given the opportunity by the school. Why is that?" He asked. Dina stared at me for a few seconds and i couldn't help but stare back. "Clara is crazy." She stated. I didn't know where Matt was going with this, surely he would just dig me into a deeper hole. "But, she had just experienced what happened in Sokovia." She stated. "And to be honest, hearing everything else she has gone through, I think i'd be a bit mental too."
"We all have stuff going on, we all have reasons we are how we are and we shouldn't be punished for that. I didn't press charges because she is just a girl like me, she has just had shitty situations. I would be pretty angry all the time too if that had all happened to me." My face softened. I felt a rush of gratitude towards her. "Besides, i kind of would have deserved it if she actually had stabbed me. I hadn't been the nicest to her." She caught my eye and her mouth turned up slightly at the corner. "Thank you Ms Dina" Matt stated. Dina was taken back to her seat and next Tony was invited up to the stand. "Tony, you made the Shadow hunter suit, yes?" Matt asked. "Yes i did." Tony stated. "And you have a approval for this type of technology?" He asked. "Of course, i'm iron man." He flashed a smile to the jury and some laughter rippled through. "I have a license for the technology, the weapons, all the avengers do that's the point of the avengers." Was the point of the avengers, maybe more past tense now.
"What do you make of the charge of unauthorized vigilante behavior Mr Stark?" Matt asked. "Well, as it stands there is no law prohibiting someone to intervene in a crime on public ground however I do understand that there is a law prohibiting an individual to use weaponry when doing so." Jefferson looked at me smugly. "Except, your honor, that only can be used against an individual not an authorized organizations." The jury murmured and so did the audience behind me. "What do you mean by this point?" The judge asked. "I mean that any individual registered under an approved private organization, such as the Avengers, is no longer a 'vigilante' but an official agent. And Clara Stark and the shadow hunter are registered under the Avengers meaning any action she took, was official business." Tony produced the official documentation of my registration from September 2016.
Beside me, Jefferson erupted in frustration. "Tony Stark is Clara's father, he is not a fair testifier!" He yelled from the table. The Judge banged his hammer to quiet him down. "You must not speak during the other sides case" The judge announced, silencing Jefferson. "Look I may be the defendant's father but i also know the facts and I am telling them to you- my daughter is a victim, in fact she is more than that, she has saved people, protected them and I won't let the government try to paint her out as a threat." Tony winked at me ."That is all." Matt declared. Then Secretary Ross was called up.
"Can you confirm that what Mr Stark said is true?" Matt asked. Ross looked at the papers that Tony had brought, studied them for a long time. "Well, it seems that the documentation is real and dates back to the emergence of the Shadow hunter." Ross admitted. "Look I believe that any vigilante or private vigilante group should be brought under government control, I mean that's why i put forward the Sokovia Accords. I also believe an enhanced individual such as the defendant should be registered otherwise they could become a threat." A threat. That word again. "But, in defense of the defendant, the Sokovia accords weren't in place when these actions were taken. Given she was a registered Avenger at the time- she hasn't broken the law- the same can be said about Sokovia, Clara was a HYDRA prisoner, and although she may have aided Ultron, she did not aid in his attacks."
Nick Fury was invited to the stand. "Mr Fury, you were aware of the files that Shield had on Clara Stark and the red room, yes?" He questioned. "Yes, i was aware." Fury replied. "And could you explain why Shield had those files and what those files hold?" Matt requested. "Shield had been keeping tabs on 'Alena Rose's' activity and had been working on tracking her down. We had been collecting information about her, any sightings of here, criminal activity she was involved in." He explained. Matt nodded and paced slowly. "And were you keeping tabs on Clara because you thought she was dangerous, a criminal?" He asked. "No, we knew who she really was, her true identity as Clara Stark long before Sokovia." Tony's head snapped up and I had a feeling he hadn't known that Fury had known before. "At SHIELD there was an initiative to track down the defendant- we were aware she had been trafficked by the red room, aware of her alias. She was an important person to SHIELD and we worked for many years to try and recapture her from the red room." I felt confused. Fury had told me he knew about my past, that they had tabs but I thought this was because of what I had done at the red room not because he knew who I had been. How did he even know that? Why was I important to SHIELD?
"The defendant was trafficked into the red room at 8 years old but SHIELD could never locate her until there were a few sightings of her in Russia in 2012. From that point onwards, we kept files on her sightings, her activity, her criminal involvement but unable to infiltrate the red room, we lost her track until she showed up at Sokovia." Matt Murdock thanked Fury. "the important thing to highlight here is that, as Fury has confirmed, the defendant was trafficked and none of her crimes with in the red room were done on her own accord." But what if they had been. I wondered often if I still would have carried out all the attacks, all the murders even if Dreykov hadn't told me to. I would have done anything for his approval.
We had practiced this, he had told me what he would ask me and i thought I was ready to speak about it. "Clara Stark, explain your relation to General Dreykov." My body tensed. In my head I could hear the grating sound of his laugh, the harshness of every constanant he spoke. I saw his blood shot eyes, beady behind his glasses. I was prepared for these questions but when I heard his name and saw the cameras. "Clara?" Matt prompted. I tried to speak. "He was the overseer of the red room, where I was trained." I managed to choke out." I had never spoken about the red room in detail to anyone, only Pietro had got the brief synopsis. And now I had to describe what it had been like to the whole world. He started as i stood in the stands. "For the benefit of the jury and judge, so people understand your crimes, please explain what the red room was like. What they made you do." I glanced down at the ground but forced my self to look up. "The red room was an institution created under the soviet union but when the USSR collapsed, it went underground." I started. "All the girls there, we had all been taken and were trained to kill people from a very young age. It was all we knew." I tried not to think to much about it as i said the words.
"How did you end up there?" Matt asked. I cleared my throat and tried to speak again, feeling embarrassed about how easily I flailed. "I was 8 years old." I managed to say. "When I woke up one night... there were three men in my house, all Russian, all working for Dreykov." I explained. "They..." I trailed off, struggling to say it. "They killed my mum and took me in a van- I don't really remember what happened, how we got there but they took me to the red room and I met Dreykov." Tony stared at me, taking in what I described.
"So you were taken, trafficked, into the red room. So tell us what you entailed." I stared out at the people who filled the room and tried to breathe. I thought of Natasha and felt guilty because I was revealing her past too. "We had no choice, there was no option to leave. The red room was it. We trained, we ate, we slept, we went on missions. We were brought up to believe this is what we were supposed to do." I spoke slowly. "And what would happen if you didn't do what they asked?" Matt asked. "I don't know because I never refused." I stated. "But girls went missing, never returning from missions- girls who weren't good enough and I think if they weren't killed during missions, he would do it himself." But that's not why I had never refused, it wasn't because I was scared of being disposed of, it was because I was scared of not being good enough, something sick in me had always wanted him to be proud of me.
"Ms Stark, can you describe for us what a mission would be like?" I nodded, trying to ignore the cameras. Trying to ignore the fact that Peter was probably watching. "Well, widows were selected for missions based on their level of skill set- the most difficult missions were given to the best girls- it was treated as an honour and privilege to be chosen." I explained. "We were given the targets and then we were sent out- people never saw us coming because in their eyes we were just girls." How wrong people had been to underestimate us. "We carried out the mission as efficiently as possible and then if needed we were made to dispose of any bodies. After that we reported directly to Dreykov, giving our mission report." I remember the sick pride in my voice all the times I had reported to him. I also remembered, too vividly, what was expected if you weren't successful. If you didn't perform, you were made to perform another way. Dreykov knew how to extract all the money from us he could.
"And how did that leave you mentally?" I shook my head, "With nothing." I told him. "They made us into robots, brainwashed us until we thought what we were doing was right, brainwashed us into killers." I wanted the questions to stop now and thankfully Matt turned to address the jury. "I would like to make it clear to the Jury that my client was kidnapped from her home, trafficked into an illegal human trafficking institution and entailed so much abuse that she had no choice to carry out any murders." But that wasn't entirely true. I had made the choice myself sometimes. Like that poor, poor girl. That girl who had been just like me. I had killed her in cold blood- with out instructions. That was my own choice. No punishment would ever be enough to make up for that. How I had described the red room didn't even scrape the surface of what it was like. They didn't know the half of the abuse.
"Does the defense rest?" The judge asked. "Yes, your honor." I was taken down to my seat and Matt came and sat beside me again with a confident smile on his face. But I could still see Dreykov's face in front of me, smiling cruelly at me like this is what i deserved for escaping his grasp. "Prosecutors, in a moment you may proceed with your closing arguments. First, I will address the jury with instructions to consider as they hear the final arguments." The Judge spoke. He spoke for a while to the jury, telling them to consider my punishment based on the facts, evidence and back story.
"Prosecutors, are you ready with final arguments?" The judge asked. "Yes, your honor." Jefferson replied. "defense are you ready?" Matt replied, "Yes your honor." Jefferson stood up and faced the jury. "Your honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury. I have proved to you all that the defendant is guilty of mass murder and involvement in a criminal gang. The defendant herself has admitted to these crimes." He stated. "These are punishable crimes, we can't make exceptions for people no matter their back story's or if they are an avenger or not or who their father is." He shot a look at Tony and I shifted nervously in my seat. "A crime is a crime, murder is murder the proof for which you have seen after the past few days." I shuffled my feet nervously on the ground. Jefferson was right, he was so right, how would people see differently. "People of the jury, based on the evidence you have seen, based on the defendants plead, you must find the defendant guilty and deserving of a sentence." There was a long silence. It was only broken by the tap of Matt's stick on the ground as he got to his feet.
"Your honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury." He started. "The claims of aiding a terrorist and illegal vigilante behavior have already been disproven over the course of this case. " He spoke clearly and the jury listened to every word. "As you have heard today, the situations in which these murders were committed was of an abusive, manipulative kind. My client was never given a choice, she can not be punished for that." He explained. "Her involvement in the Manhattan Santos was out of desperation. She had recently escaped from an institution that had trapped her and to survive, she became desperate and the trafficking of her into the gang meant she could only use the things she had learnt in the red room to survive."
"Please, based on the information you have heard, you must find my client undeserving of a sentence. Thank you your honor." We were sent out the room whilst the jury made their final decisions. "Are you ok?" Tony asked. I nodded. I could tell he wanted to ask about the red room, pry at everything I had said. But he didn't. I was seated on a bench outside the court room. "I think we have done enough." Matt said. "If the judge has any sense, he will see that you shouldn't be sentenced."
We sat in silence for the duration of the two hours it took for the jury to make their decision. I felt too much dread to speak, to listen to the people around me. We were taken back inside when the jury finally made their decision and only then did i become alert again. The court room was silent, the cameras focusing on my face. "Will the jury foreperson please stand?" The clerk requested. A man, about 40, balding and lean, stood up. "Have the jury come to a unanimous decision?" i felt like the world slowed down in the two seconds it took for the man to answer. "No." whispers erupted behind me and i turned to Tony who looked back at me coolly. It was up to the judge now. Everyone's heads swiveled to the judge as he mulled over his thoughts.
Again, it felt like 100 years passed in the short time it took him to speak. "Based on the evidence we have been given, the description the defendant herself has given us...I am not sure it would be fair of me to allow a punishment to be given out based on the context of the crimes." He stopped again, thinking. "I declare this a mistrial, no sentence will be given for the crimes. " I breathed out a sigh of relief, a loud chatter filling the room. "But," The judge declared and everyone went quiet again. "Even if no punishment should be given for the crimes, it is still my duty to protect the citizens of America and it is clear to me that the defendant is dangerous." What were they going to do? Where they going to send me away to some sort of institution? "For that reason, I will give conditions to this decision." Tony turned abruptly to the judge. "The defendant is not permitted to possess or use any sort of weaponry, she is not permitted to use her enhancement in public and if any of these conditions are broken I will sentence the defendant to two years of house arrest."
Me and Tony looked at each other in silence. If I couldn't use weapons or my shield- I was defenseless. But I guess he hadn't taken away my biggest aid...which was me. The court was dismissed. I stood up and Tony clapped me on the back. "I don't like those terms but we can't push it- we are lucky he is letting everything go." He muttered to me. An officer came over and reluctantly took off my cuffs. I rubbed my wrists, looking at the red lines they had left. "See, i told you i would get this sorted." Tony told me. I shook Matt's hand and thanked him profusely. Jefferson looked annoyed as he left the court room.
We all filed out of the room, the corridor packed with reporters. "Clara!" I heard pepper exclaim behind me. "I was so worried when i heard about your trial." She hugged me tightly and i thought she was going to suffocate me before she finally let go. "Tony." She stated, her voice softer. "Pepper, how have you been?" He asked awkwardly. "Not too bad, yourself?" He shrugged in reply. "I tried to call you when I saw the explosion on the news." She explained. There was a long silence as the two stared at each other. "I think we have much to talk about." Pepper finally said. "Yes, i believe we do. Maybe you could come to dinner." Tony suggested. "Yes, i would like that." Was Pepper coming back? I hoped she would. It was surprising how much i had missed her. "You could come back with us now, i could make pasta." Tony spoke. "Once we have fought through the gaggle of reporters outside." He added, producing a laugh from Pepper. "I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner plans." Said a voice behind me. I turned to see Fury, his eye patch on as usual. "But if you don't mind, i would like to talk with Clara at the SHIELD head quarters." Fury flickered his eyes towards me and then him and Tony exchanged a look i couldn't understand.
"If you must." Tony replied. "It won't be for long. I will have her dropped back at stark tower sharply." He assured. Fury turned to me now. "We will go out the back, avoid the press." I said goodbye to Tony and Pepper, hearing Secretary Ross call to Tony as we departed, and followed Fury to his car and driver with furrowed brows.