Alive

Judge & Jury (Part One)

TW: Court scenario, pretty heavy cursing, discussion of murder, violence, homophobia, handcuffing, police, rough treatment, f slur, blood, death threats

Virgil's POV:

The four of us are all sat in our respective chairs, in a line with a desk infront of us, and each of our hands cuffed on the table infront of us. I'm naturally bouncing my leg, and the police officer watching us keeps giving me the side eye for it.

The lights above us are bright and controlling as the guests to the trial file in. They decided to try all of us together for the sake of speed, since the three of us that aren't Janus are facing similar crimes.

There aren't that many people that have come to watch, but both of my parents and both of Remus' are here. I'd make the assumption that they telephoned our parents at some point in the two days that we've been locked up in the police station.

Roman, Patton and Logan are also here. They've each been throwing us supportive smiles or the occasional thumbs up, but it doesn't help much in retrospect.

I haven't even tried to make eye contact with either my mum or dad. I don't want to see the looks on their faces.
Maybe, the whole 'getting arrested and going to court' thing will make the whole 'getting admited to several mental hospitals' thing seem a lot more tame.

Remus managed to tell me that he gave the tape recorder into the police, along with the name and address of Zariah's father. Hopefully the evidance is sufficient.

As the last of the people that have come to watch the trial enter (including Remy, and Emile, who both look especially worried), one person enters which makes me lean away slightly in my seat.

I snake my eyes towards him and make eye contact with him and he smiles sinisterly, beginning to walk over to the four of us. I kick Remus, who is sat on my left, and he looks to me and then up to the man walking towards us.
"Shit. What the fuck is he doing here?"

He approaches, and places both of his hands on the surface of the table, leaning in. "You know, I did expect to see you kids again, but I didn't expect it to be on opposite sides of a defenant's counter in a courtroom."

"Fuck off, Thomas." Remus practically grows the sentence.
He smiles. Again.

"One of my assosiates gave me a telephone call to let me know about this. I'm not surprised you've ended up back here, Janus. Same goes for you, Remus. But.. Virgil? I didn't peg you for the delinquient type.. you were so scared and feeble when I first met you. You realise that escaping a mental hospital is illegal? Or did that not get through your thick skull when you decided to drag this girl along with you?"

I make the decision to ignore this man, but the girl sat next to me doesn't make the same choice.

Zariah recoils. "He didn't drag me along with him, you prick. You'd be surprised, I can make my own decisions."
"Well, yes, I suppose.. But they haven't exactly lead you to a good place, have they?"

He steps away, and looks up the clock. "You've got about ten minutes until the trial begins. Just thought I'd let you know, yknow, because I doubt any of you have the critical thinking skills to read a clock."

"Absolute wanker." Janus scoffs, looking up to the former hospital owner.
"Yeah, good luck with your little death penalty trial aswell, Mr Griffis."

Then he walks away to take a seat, and Janus groans, leaning backwards in the chair.
"God, I want to get away with my life just to spite that man."

Zariah raises an eyebrow. "Sorry, who is he again?"
"Dr Sanders." I spit his name like he deserves. "He ran a mental hospital that the three of us met at, and then we got it closed down. He, uh, he has a bit of a grudge against us."