A/N i feel like this story is off to a good start! Thanks for reading guys and i don't own anything!
Justin was fast asleep, holding Alex in his arms, when they came. He was roughly woken by a bright light in his face and someone shaking his shoulder. They wore long, black robes, and their faces were cast in shadows.
"Get up." They said sharply.
Justin was too stunned to move.
"I said GET UP!" One of them said, clearly the leader. He grabbed Alex's arm and dragged her from the bed.
"LET GO OF HER!" Justin shouted, leaping out of bed after her.
"SHUT UP!" The leader said, back-handing Justin across the face.
"STOP IT!" Alex shrieked uselessly from her prison of the wizard's strong grip.
Justin reached for his wand only to see that the other wizards already had both his and Alex's.
The man roughly pushed Alex out of the room and into the living room. The other two wizards grabbed Justin's arms to bind him and shoved him after them.
They flashed Justin and Alex to a room they recognized: the Wizard Council. There was a wizard they didn't recognize sitting in the judge's chair and to his horror, Justin saw his parents sitting in the audience.
"Mom?" He whispered, shocked and hurt. "Dad?"
They didn't answer, nor did they look up. Alex was glaring at them with hatred in her dark eyes and Justin found it easy to agree with her. How could their own parents betray them?
"Thank you, Delano, can you please stand by our prisoners so they aren't tempted to make an escape?" The judge asked coldly.
Justin and Alex were separated and each guarded by one of the wizards who picked them up, as well Delano was standing by Justin, smirking at him and leering at Alex.
"My name is Gregory Donavan." He said, sneering down at them from the judge's pulpit. "We had an anonymous tip off earlier tonight that you two," He said pointing at Justin and Alex. "Were involved in an incestuous relationship."
Justin had a pretty good idea who the anonymous tip off was and glared pointedly at his parents. They avoided his eyes and instead looked straight at Donavon.
"You two knowingly began a relationship when you two were brother and sister." Donavon said coolly.
"We're not brother and sister!" Alex burst out. "Justin was adopted so it's not incest!"
Donavon smiled then, but it did not comfort Justin in any way.
"Yes, but you were only informed of this fact five years ago." He said. "But Justin had been in love with you for months before that. So he knowingly fell in love with his sister."
Alex gasped and Justin felt sick. How could they know that? But then he remembered that some wizards that were very powerful could actually read people's minds. Justin felt scared and horrified. It was his fault Alex and him were being punished. Donavon was reading his mind and Justin didn't know how to keep him out.
"Stay out of my head." Justin growled at Donavon angrily.
Donavon grinned, but it was not one of happiness. It was cold and mocking. "Oh good!" He exclaimed. "You're catching on! And since your such a smart little wizard, you must know what the punishment is for knowingly having an incestuous relationship!"
Justin paled. Though he didn't know the exact punishment, he was sure it was going to be severe. The wizarding world had strange laws and enforced them fiercely.
"But we didn't start the relationship until after we found out that Justin was adopted!" Alex shouted.
"Ah, but you were raised as brother and sister." Donavon pointed out. "So you share the same last name. And Justin still thinks of Jerry and Theresa has his real parents, and calls Emma Arden by her first name instead of 'mother' which is what she is to him. So, since he still thinks of his adopted parents as his real parents, he himself is making your relationship incestuous."
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Justin roared at Donavon. He then felt a sick thump to the side of his head and knew that Delano had punched him there.
Alex was looking furiously at Donavon, but was saying nothing. Justin could tell she was doing some quick thinking, but then deflated when she turned towards him and he could see the panic in her eyes.
"So I think the fitting punishment is to take away your powers." Donavon said conversationally, like he was saying it was going to rain tomorrow.
"What? No!" Alex screamed.
"You can't do that!" Justin shouted angrily.
"Oh, but you see Mr Russo, I can." Donavon said cheerfully. "And I will."
Justin and Alex started to fight against the ties that bound them until Donavon started talking again.
"Just be thankful you aren't going to the wizard prison." He said. "In a way, you are getting off easy."
Justin knew the wizard prison was a gruesome and cruel place that he wouldn't wish on anyone. He exchanged a terrified look with Alex and he knew what they had to do.
"Alright." He said, barely controlling the fear in his voice. "You can have our powers."
Donavon smiled coldly again, "There we go. I knew you wouldn't want to go to jail."
Two of the wizards that had taken them from their apartment came towards Justin and Alex with strange glowing devices that looked a bit like metal detectors. They placed them just above their hearts and flicked a switch.
All of a sudden, Justin felt like he was dying. He could literally feel the life draining out of him. He looked down to see an orange-yellow stream of light being pulled from his chest. He looked at Alex to see a pink glow being pulled out of her heart. She had tears pouring down her face, but was silent.
When they were finally finished, it was quiet in the court room. Justin felt like he could never be cheerful again, like all of the light in the world had been snuffed out. He felt so cold inside, and so weak. He stumbled into the chair behind him. He couldn't stand, he couldn't support his own weight.
"Are you – are you giving our powers to Max?" Alex panted. She was also collapsed in a wooden chair.
Justin could understand why she was so tired. Their energy had been ripped out of them. And the force of magic being pulled from their veins was exhausting.
"No." Donavon said, surprising both Justin and Alex. "You're powers are tainted. They will be destroyed. Besides, Justin isn't even related to Max; of course we couldn't give him his magic."
"You're going to destroy our magic?" Justin felt a bit light-headed. "Can you even do that?"
"Of course we can." Donavon said coolly. "We will also be destroying Max's."
"Why?" Alex shouted. "What has he done?"
"As I said, your family's magic is tainted," Donavon said glaring at her. "So it's safer for everyone if we take it away."
Alex pressed a hand to her mouth. Justin knew she was trying not to cry. He was so tired. He just wanted to crawl into bed and forget all of this ever happened.
"Well then, all of our business is officially concluded." Donavon said, looking down the paper on his desk. "Since you are no longer wizards, if you decide to continue with your incestuous relationship, it will be the mortal realm's problem, not ours. You are free to go."
Justin stood up shakily then went over to Alex. He held out a hand and she clutched it gratefully. He held her hand all the way out of the courtroom, aware that everyone was watching them and judging them, but not really caring.
He walked passed his parents without looking at them once, but knowing they were staring at him and Alex. When they got outside the courtroom doors, he flashed them home.
As soon as their feet landed on the old wood floors of their apartment, Alex burst into tears. She was sobbing and clinging to Justin's ragged sleep shirt. She sunk to the floor, bringing him with her. He found himself crying with her. They could feel the absence of their magic as strongly as the loss of a limb. As well, he blamed himself for putting them in that situation. And their parents had just sent the wizard police after them. They cried and cried until Alex was sick from it.
As she leaned over the rim of the toilet and emptied herself into it, Justin rubbed her back and said, "Tomorrow you're going to the doctor."
She didn't even argue, she was too tired. She just nodded.
A/N umm, i suppose this chapter was a little upsetting. Jerry and Theresa are such jerks lol! Pretty please review!
