Outsmart (G/T)

Trial

-I'm a slut for trial stories, I apologize. Also, if you read Confrontation in the first few hours it was out, I added more to the end of it to lead into this chapter, you should probably read it so this makes sense.-

POV: Nolan Queen

I sit at a 70 foot table, my attorney I've met once or twice right beside me. A lean human with jet black hair and toned skin wearing a suit greets me and sends me good luck. I send it back, knowing he's the difference between my conviction or Seth's.

Speaking of which, the table to our right is the same with a dressed up Seth and a giant lawyer next to him. They shake hands and the trial begins.

"We've gathered here today about an abuse report against a Mr. Nolan Queen from a Mr. Seth Cirn. Let's get started. Mr. Queen, would you come up to the stand and tell your side of the story?" The judge, miraculously a human, asks me.

"Oh, sure thing..." I don't know how to get over, but suddenly an unnamed giant whisks me to the front, in front of a microphone. "I've been... I've been... uh..." I have no choice but to tell them I've also broken the law. "I've been living with Seth and Laurie for the past month or so, or I used to. Laurie's never been that bad, but Seth started pummeling me one day when Laurie was gone. He's a microphobe as he's told me and we got into a small argument, which didn't end well for me I guess."

"What was the argument about?" Seth's attorney asks me.

"Laurie left, so Seth sort of kidnapped me to try and get to know me. He kept taunting me and I got sick of it, so I started defending myself verbally, since I obviously can't do anything physically, but he went physical," I explain.

"Okay, Mr. Queen. You stated you've been living with my client and a witness for about a month. Care to elaborate how you got into the situation?" Shit.

"I'm... I... I'm broke. I was kicked out of the house, and, and..." I trail off a bit as I struggle to hold in tears. It's all too overwhelming. "And I had to go somewhere, and the house was there, so I lived there and no one knew but I couldn't get money with the inflation and it's all getting so hard. I had to go somewhere or I'd be on the streets."

"You're a very lucky human, Mr. Queen. Most humans breaking into houses have been beaten harder or killed without anyone knowing," the attorney tells me, making me tense up. The judge bangs his gavel on the stand.

"We will not use this case to intimidate the victim further," he states.

"Did both inhabitants of the house know of and approve of you living with them?" Seth's attorney continues.

I pause. "Both knew after a few days, one approved."

"It's safe to assume the one who approved is not my client?"

"I believe so." Seth's eyes are burning into me whenever I speak.

"Thank you, Mr. Queen. Now, Mr. Cirn, our only suspect, will speak his side," the unnamed giant brings me back as Seth steps up.

"I'd been living with Laurie for 3 years, and only recently had we found the human living here. It- he was eating our food and taking up our space without having to pay or let us give consent." No one notices the pronoun slip-up that implies we're objects. "Laurie and I argued about it and she left me since she thinks I hate humans, which I don't. I talked to the human- Nolan- a few days after, and I thought it went well, with no abuse or anything taking place. I can't tell you how he got the marks all over him," he lies.

"Mr. Queen implied that you kidnapped him. Is that correct?" My attoerney asks. "We have evidence here suggesting that you called across the border to have him come to you, which could lead to a possible kidnapping."

"He came to the border and went with me. I carried him, but he consented." I didn't consent.

"We have a witness from that section of the crime," my attorney states, as a stout human is carried out and up front, onto the table Seth sits at. The border worker. His uncomfortable look is hilarious.

"At the border," she begins. "The human did walk across willingly, but was scooped up and away suspiciously fast. We have video evidence as well of the scene." The video is shown to the jury, showing me fly through the border and instantly get picked up. I was even lucky enough to have my terrified face plastered on the screen for at least a half second.

"There's no possible way you may have even caused unintentional injury to my client?" my attorney asks Seth as the border worker is carried away.

"I never hurt the humie, okay?!"

A gasp ripples throughout the crowd as Seth realizes what he called me.