Hard Light - A Teenage Superhero Story

32: The Jury Is In...

"I swear," My voice sounded emotionless as I stared at the clock in the back of the room, my hands still flickering in light. Once I could remove my hand, I placed them both in my lap and balled them into fists.

"Alright then, let's start with the evidence provided to the court by Mr. Roberts." The judge droned and gestured to the TV beside me.

The room fell silent as the footage played. I saw myself from the front, sitting in the chair from my skewed angle. A few minutes awkwardly passed, and someone cleared their throat in the audience. Then, the door opened and Elias was there. He handed a jacket to someone beyond the door frame, a fake smile on his face. He walked in, and I had to look down at my hands.

"You tried so hard, but you were never going to do it." Elias' voice came through the screen and I closed my eyes tight.

I listened as we exchanged words on the tape. As the minutes passed, I gathered the courage to open my eyes and glance up. Elias was staring right at me and I could feel his eyes burning into my soul. His hand was in a white-knuckled fist on the desk in front of him. I forced myself to look away from him. Titi's eyes caught mine next, and she nodded. I kept staring at her eyes, then glanced at Citadel. He nodded too, sending a thumbs up from on top of the desk. My eyes shifted to Lee's, then to my fathers.

"Did they tell you where they got the file?"

"No."

"Did they tell you when they got it?"

"No."

"Was anyone else involved?"

"Are you scared you don't have all the pieces?"

I could hear the smile in my voice. My eyes met Elias' as I heard him slam his fist onto the table on the tv screen. I held back a flinch. He held my gaze, but I could tell he was just livid. I could see his pulse tick, even from here.

"What did you do?"

A pause. A step, then,  "What do you know?"

"What the hell kind of game are you playing? Getting me to talk, is that it? You think I can't wipe the cameras-"

I held eye contact with Elias even while I listened to his shouting on the tv screen, trying not to relive that moment in my head. My face morphed from passive to angry, and I could feel the anger at what he's done to me while I was powerless. My hands were shaking, even in fists, flickering with light that turned red and orange.

The sound of the chair skidding backwards as he stood on the TV screen hit my ears and I swallowed my anger, then cast another glance at Titi. Her eyes were glued to the screen, as were almost everyone else's eyes. Finally I looked at my dad. His eyes were filled with tears, but I kept looking at him until my eyes caught his. His face was full of apologies and he shook his head. I just gave a small smile of reassurance to him.

"-can't even see half the big picture, little hero. You keep your little identity so close to your chest, hiding yourself away like no one can find you."

My gaze shifted back to Elias' as he boiled in his seat. His lawyers were speaking to each other, whispering. I heard the room mutter when my name was said, even if it was censored. It was just a bleep, and Elias' mouth had been blurred, but everyone knew what he'd said.

I heard myself in the video gasp and get to my feet, then the three strides Elias had taken to get to me. I hadn't realized the noise I'd made when he'd grabbed the front of my suit, but it was filled with pain. I heard him threaten me, my father, and the room gasped again.

"Are you threatening me?"

The choking sounds I'd made were gross, and painful to hear. I kept my eyes leveled at Elias.