The Ties That Bind Us

CHAPTER 19: Trial

Warning: EXPLICIT CONTENT [+18]

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For someone who'd woken up groggy and dehydrated not long before, Selina sure felt energetic stepping into that courtroom.

It would be a closed hearing, but Commissioner Gordon had pulled some strings to allow both her and Bruce to attend it on Bruce's request. And although it was for parts of interest only, there was a fair amount of people crowded in that room; whom they would come to realize later were all victims and families of victims affected by the Joker's reign of terror over the city. And although they hadn't officially made it into that list, they could both attest to his tyranny more than anyone else there.

They sat down on the far corner of the bench, near the central corridor, but on the last row, trying not to draw too much attention. Selina kept her sunglasses on, to both avoid a blinding hangover headache and keep herself less recognizable.

Bruce looked around the room for Jim Gordon when the doors behind the judge's stand were opened and the room fell silent.

Harley was led in guarded by five cops, even though she was in a wheelchair. She wore an orange jumpsuit over the many bandages on her right leg, and her eyes seemed lost and unfocused, almost unaware of her surroundings. She was even paler than usual, and her colored tips were fading.

Bruce glanced at Selina regardful, and she simply gave him a half-smile, assuring him she was alright. The public was asked to stand up for the judge to walk in as all paid attention to him making his way to the stand.

Except for Selina.

Her eyes immediately went straight to the narrow-backed petite woman standing beside Harley. She couldn't see her face, but she'd recognize those deep dark straight hair locks anywhere. She'd woken up to them many times.

As soon as they sat down, Selina reached out for Bruce's hand, gripping it like she needed support. He turned to her concerned, and asked quietly what was the problem. She had to cover her mouth and gulp to hold back the urge to throw up; she physically felt like she'd been punched in the guts.

Bruce patted her back anxiously, at a loss of what was going on. His questions were then immediately answered when they started going over the names and announced who was representing the defendant.

Eiko Hasigawa was Harley's lawyer.

Bruce stared appalled at the woman as she walked slowly and confidently to approach the judge. As soon as words started coming out of her mouth, Selina had to swallow again to the sound.

"Do you want to leave?", he whispered under his breath to her.

Selina took off her sunglasses and took a deep breath, still covering her mouth. She closed her eyes for a second and gulped again, and when she opened them she looked like she'd regained most of her composure.

"No, I'm fine," she mumbled in a strangled voice, then tried to speak steadier, "I'm staying."

The trial began and for the next four hours, they were obligated to sit through excruciatingly explicit displays of how Harley managed to swoop and snatch the Joker out of prison; then it was about how she helped him conduct the many assaults around the city for the following weeks, including Lucius Fox's death, and then culminating on the terrorist attack in Paris.

The prosecutors were sparing no opportunity to flash pictures and videos and police reports on the countless bodies the twisted couple had left behind. Harley was quiet for all of it, keeping her head down and not once looking up, seeming barely responsive. Once in a while, someone in the auditorium would get up on a whim and ask to be excused, rushing out of the room weeping.