Honor Trip
- a Dragon Ball Z FanFiction -
Chapter Seven: Adjudication
Disclaimer: Dragon Ball, the glorious franchise it is, is not in any way a property I control. I can only wish to supplement its mystique with stories such as the one herein. The same is in regards to related characters, symbols, plot elements, etc.
With that said, I hope you enjoy the story!
Cell had realized ahead of time that many people were going to show up at the courthouse before he arrived.
He knew they'd want to be there early so that when he did arrive they could personally let him know how they felt.
He did not expect, however, to see quite as many people as he did.
'There must be hundreds of thousands of them,' Cell thought to himself. He was looking out the right window of the armored car as it approached the courthouse.
In fact, almost half a million people had come to show how angry they were. They had gathered on the courthouse's extensive grounds, all united in one specific purpose, to see that the ultimate justice was served upon the world's ultimate villain.
Cell could hear thousands of voices cursing his name, and saw through the tinted window a rather large and rather clever banner that 90 people were holding up in the air. The banner had an abbreviation, "PAC," followed by the words, "We don't need a Political Action Committee to show we're People Against Cell!"
The crowd would have rushed forward toward his car had it not been for the numerous legions of soldiers who had formed an extended barricade, keeping back those who wanted to take direct action.
There was to be order not just inside the courthouse, but outside as well. The last thing the authorities wanted was for a riot to ensue that could cause unnecessary injury.
The armored car halted so that the length of its right side lined up almost perfectly with the start of the two-kilometer walkway that spanned the distance from the armored car to the main doors of the courthouse. The walkway was made of marbled tiles, and had been constructed with its considerable length to fit a symbolic purpose, enabling those responsible for crimes to have time to reflect upon their misdeeds while considering how a clear, direct path of living with a sense of justice and integrity could have prevented them from having to have others force justice upon them.
Meter-high walls of marble flanked each side of the walkway, and the walkway had remained relatively clear up until this point because the legions of soldiers had emphasized that the walkway, unlike the grass on either side, was not presently open to the public.
Four armored vans full of soldiers had accompanied the armored car Cell had traveled in, and two had been parked in front of the armored car, while two had been parked behind.
The doors of those vans opened suddenly, and soldiers rushed to surround the armored car.
One soldier went to open the door on Cell's right while the other soldiers huddled around the car.
As the door opened, the two soldiers who had volunteered to sit on either side of Cell during the ride mobilized to action. The soldier next to the opened door quickly grabbed Cell's wrists, which were still bound by two sets of handcuffs, while the soldier on the other side pointed his gun at Cell's back, beckoning him to move.
Cell complied, exiting the car and almost instantaneously inciting the roaring voices of the crowd even more. The shouting that was emanating from the crowd intensified in its ferocity, and Cell saw a group of the soldiers refortify their positions in order to keep a flank of protesters near the left side of the entrance to the walkway from jumping over the meter-high marble wall that separated the walkway from the grass where they had been standing.
It was around 1:00 p.m., and as such the sun's accent on the rather cloudless sky was one of bright midday.
Cell, however, felt the gloom the crowd wanted him to feel as he somberly reflected upon his misdeeds during the 2,000-meter walk down the marble path.
Out of the hundreds of soldiers on the courthouse premises, 60 of them, armed with the latest and most effective personal weaponry tax dollars could buy, surrounded Cell as he walked down the path. Two of them were grabbing Cell by his arms in an effort to further safeguard the protesters by further restraining his movements.
The soldiers had also been tasked with the less important role of protecting Cell from the crowd, as West City's authorities had agreed to give Cell the same basic civil protections it would have commonly given to any criminal. The law had to be just and fair, and even though most regarded Cell as an absolute monster, the city's authorities had reasoned that this simple protection answered the need for an objectively sound, moral requirement.
Cell refrained from keeping his eyes closed while he walked, as he instead wanted to see and experience the full power of the protest against him.
Almost as soon as the procession down the path had started, a group of protesters on Cell's right had attempted to throw tomatoes at him, which many of the soldiers had to block with their shields.
One of the tomatoes managed to get through, as Cell had neglected to block it. It smashed into his right shoulder, and some among the crowd who had seen this happen began to snicker, while others laughed with hysteria.
About one minute into the walk, Cell saw two protesters to his right who were holding up signs that conveyed a fairly simple message the two protesters had wanted Cell to receive. They had taken the time to sum up their feelings toward Cell, sentiments they wanted him to be able to distinguish from all the shouts from the crowd, through the simple two-word message in black text on a white background on each of those signs.
"F*CK YOU."
A variety of similar signs and incidents of protester angst occurred over the next five minutes, but then, a protester leaped over the meter-high marble wall on the right and noticeably began to raise his right hand, which contained a gun that he was about to point straight toward Cell.
Before he could, nearby soldiers tackled him to the ground and disarmed him of that weapon, restraining him while Cell passed, without incident.
Cell was particularly disturbed by those in the crowd who he saw seemed to be visibly disappointed that the man had not succeeded with his attempt to shoot Cell.
'What good could even more killing possibly do?' Cell wondered to himself as he continued to walk.
About two minutes later, Cell saw among the protesters to his left an effigy of himself, made of crude paper, but made to be almost life-size. One of the protesters then vertically impaled this effigy with an extendable pole, and motioned for the nearby protesters to give him some room.
He then poured flammable fluid all over the effigy and used a lighter to ignite it, then held the burning resemblance of Cell up above the crowd for all to see.
Cell watched as his likeness burned before his eyes, to the delight of many in the crowd, who signified their satisfaction with superlatively audible cheers.
This was the epitome of what they thought of him.
He felt the shame they'd wanted him to feel, and he knew this shame was deserved.
He proceeded along the rest of the walkway's horizontal portion without any significant incident, then came to the marble stairwell which led up to the main doors of the courthouse.
The twenty steps of the stairwell, each 25 centimeters in length and 25 centimeters in height, were made to symbolize the perfection of justice that should be attained by the end of a perfect life.
Cell knew that his life, despite his earlier beliefs, was one that was far from perfection.
Each step was textually engraved with a virtue of excellence that Cell took notice of as he walked up the stairwell.
They read as follows: "Peacefulness; Compassion; Helpfulness; Kindness; Amiability; Productivity; Determination; Openness; Benevolence; Courteousness; Respectfulness; Truthfulness; Trustworthiness; Dignity; Fidelity; Diplomacy; Positivity; Integrity; Empathy; Responsibility."
The top of the step that symbolized responsibility extended beyond the lengths of the other steps and continued for 10 meters until it ended at the main doors of the courthouse.
Cell, noting the potential symbolism, wondered what aspects of his life might end as a result of the proceedings within.
The soldiers in front of him, in their duties as guards, opened the doors so half of the soldiers could enter the courthouse while the other 30 who had walked with Cell could watch him from behind. All 60 of the guards were to remain in the courtroom for as long as Cell was inside the courthouse during the proceedings, for precaution, above all else.
Soldiers other than the 60 who had been assigned to accompany Cell were now holding back many from among the crowd who were trying to make their way up the stairwell.
The courthouse had been filled to its maximum permissible capacity some hours before, save for the entering soldiers and Cell himself.
As Cell entered the building, the other soldiers quickly rushed in, and the doors were closed. The clamor from outside faded to a murmur.
It was an ornate interior, and Cell had arrived in the room where the main proceedings would be held, for there was no lobby. There were some rooms for private meetings toward the opposite side of the structure, where many discussions of legal intricacies had taken place in previous years.
The courtroom's walls appeared to be colored light mahogany, with small lighting fixtures spread along them. Five chandeliers graced the ceiling and further accented the room with their ambience and illumination.
There were about 400 people in the courtroom, and most of them were the relatively few members of the general public who had arrived so early that they had been allowed entrance.
Cell walked along the royal blue carpet, gazing to his left and right above the heads of most of the soldiers, to further observe the conditions of the room. Many of the spectators in front of him looked back as he walked, the anger and frustration in their faces readily apparent.
Some stood up to see Cell more clearly, while others remained sitting down on the mahogany benches, which were padded with cushions that matched the carpet in color.
As Cell approached the front benches, he caught a clear glimpse of his family and friends.
Most had come to testify, while others had come merely to support him.
Cell would have once considered it hard to picture Goku in a suit, but there he was.
Gohan wore a suit that was colored a slightly darker grey than his father's, and both wore red ties.
Vegeta sat in the row behind them, sporting his Saiyan training apparel. His arms, covered in the blue of the apparel, were folded in front of him, and Vegeta looked down as Cell strode past.
Cell saw that ahead of the front row, the tables for the prosecution and defense were set.
On the prosecutor's table to Cell's left were numerous piles and types of documents, some of which were affidavits, some testimonies to be personally delivered, others reports, and then also explanations of exhibits.
The prosecutor was seated at the table. He was a clean-shaved man, who looked at Cell intently as Cell made his way rightward to the table for the defense.
There were no specific clients sitting at the prosecutor's table, for, as it was made clear in pre-hearings, how could the entire population of Earth fit into one or two chairs?
Hardin was seated at the table for the defense, and he looked straight ahead toward the judge's desk, with one hand on his opening statement, the sole document on the entire table.
Four guards surrounded the table for the defense, one at each of its corners.
Cell pulled out a chair to Hardin's left and took a seat as best as he could.
All four guards then pointed their armaments at Cell, who continued to sit in his chair.
The next few minutes were somewhat quiet for Cell, as Hardin appeared grim, occasionally looking at his statement, making a few notes, and doing nothing more. Cell had expected as much from the attorney he'd been assigned.
Across the room, a law officer brought the gathering to attention.
"Please rise in the presence of the Honorable Judge Brian Seldon," the West City police sergeant said.
Cell stood up and looked at the man who entered the room.
He was of moderate stature, with a beard, but no mustache, colored charcoal-grey. His robe almost reached to the floor, and the golden tassels that adorned each of his sleeves rocked back and forth briskly as he walked with haste.
With a motion of the hand, Seldon asked all to take their seats.
He sat down upon his seat at the judge's desk, a tall, golden structure that had been constructed with about two meters of distance between it and the courtroom's back wall.
"The Grand Court of West City shall now commence in its proceedings for the trial of People v. Cell," Seldon said. "In court this session we have serving as the prosecutor Christopher Mallow, who is also representing the interests of the plaintiff party involved in this case. The plaintiff party consists, in record fashion, of all world residents other than the defendant. Serving as counsel to the defendant is Charles Hardin, also appointed by this court for the purpose of this trial's civil and criminal components. The defendant, Cell, is accused of numerous accounts of assault and battery, manslaughter, intentional homicide, assaulting uniformed officers, armed robbery, destruction of property and capital, and threatening the stability of the global financial system through his actions. We will hear testimonials from witnesses who were summoned to speak on these matters. As it is reasonable to assume all persons in this court's jurisdiction are familiar with the defendant and the defendant's history, and as it is also reasonable to assume that this would be the situation in all other available jurisdictions, this court, upon my affirmation, found it had rightful jurisdiction to hear this case. And as per that affirmation, we find it appropriate to utilize a jury that will have the ability to make recommendations of guilt and sentencing. It is vested in my position to make the final ruling on this case, including and not limited to decisions of sentencing parameters. We shall proceed with opening statements first from the prosecution, followed by statements from the defense, and then we will move forward with these criminal proceedings. There will be no recess unless the court so orders it. For security measures approved by the Municipal Government of West City, guards are permitted to have arms fixed on the defendant at all times during this trial. The prosecution may now step forward."
Mallow stood up from his chair and moved to the area between his table and Seldon's desk, turning around as if on stage for all the audience to see.
"Thank you, your honor. The world thanks you. We have an opportunity to do what is right and to pursue maximum sentencing options for a person who has confessed to all the crimes of which he is accused. The defendant has already admitted guilt on all of the charges that have been brought against him, and the main question now is to determine what his sentencing should be. This is a case that happens not too often in the justice system, as it deals with circumstances that are so black and white. A self-admitting murderer of thousands of people is here for questioning and we have the power to determine how he should pay for his crimes. He is not innocent. He admits it. He is here so that we may hear him out, and so the world can pass judgment on him for the crimes he's committed. He has informed me and the counsel for the defense that he wants to serve the terms the world prescribes for him. Lives were lost because of this person. Property was damaged. Little children were wrested from their parents. The whole of civilization was threatened. And, miraculously, lives lost were somehow restored. We have not been able to explain why, or how. The defendant has indicated he knows how this resurrection occurred, and he told me he would not reveal his explanations until called on to speak in court today. I am confident that this trial can be productive, that the witnesses will provide insights regarding the defendant, and that we might better understand the circumstances of the last few weeks and their broader implications for our global society. We look not to find the defendant guilty, for his guilt has already been admitted, but we instead look to find sentencing options that are appropriate given the circumstances. I look forward to my opportunities for questioning."
Mallow walked back to his table, pulling his chair out and taking a seat.
Hardin then rose from his seat and began to walk forward. He then turned around to address those who had gathered.
"My client has murdered. You all know this is true. He has confessed it. It is in the official record. Yet, we are presented with an unprecedented situation. Those he killed, in fact, as far as our investigations show, all of whom he had killed in recent weeks, are now somehow living and breathing as if their lives had never been compromised. It is most peculiar. Let us consider, then, the crimes for which we have gathered to discuss and debate. My client's victims are victims in name only. They were hurt by my client, and yet they are hurt no longer. The acts of killing were committed, but the results were dissipated. So yes, he had the intention. Yes, he committed the acts. And yes, people are no longer hurt by him in the physical sense. Emotionally, feelings of sadness and depression may linger. But is there tangible damage to people in the form of victims murdered? None. Just, for the good of the world, bad memories. My client has also confessed to crimes of destruction of property. For this, the results of his actions are quite tangible. It will take time to rebuild. Much money has been lost, as well as means to make money. However, as has been evidenced in official files presented to this court, the defendant is of an above average strength. In recordings of the beginning minutes of his recent tournament, it can be seen that my client hit Hercule Satan with such force that Mr. Satan soared in the air for the better part of half a kilometer. Mr. Satan has called such tactics 'smoke and mirrors.' Yet when Mr. Satan arrived back on camera after being struck that far, signs of physical wear and tear were apparent. The defendant's strength can be used to help repair those buildings. He told me he made the ring for the tournament himself. Such may be considered in sentencing options. What the defendant and I want to make clear is his admittance of guilt. We stand in court today because my client wants to explain himself to the world. And when sentencing is made, all of this should be considered."
After his remarks, Hardin began to walk back to his seat.
'That was exceptionally eloquent for someone who didn't seem to care all that much …,' Cell thought to himself.
Hardin sat down, now looking in Cell's direction.
In a whisper, Cell said to him, "I was under the impression you aren't too thrilled to be here."
Also whispering, Hardin said, "I wasn't, but then a thought occurred to me. Defending you is one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced in my legal career. I should be excited. I realized that more clearly when Mallow was talking. This case is testing the very limits of my abilities. I don't know what's going to happen, but I've decided that I'm going to work with you and give it everything I've got."
In another whisper, Cell said, "I thank you wholeheartedly."
"The bench will now allow prosecutor Mallow to begin his questioning," Seldon said for all to hear.
"Your honor, I would like to call Cell to the stand," Mallow said.
'This is it,' Cell thought as he briefly, to his own surprise, gulped.
Thanks so much for reading Chapter Seven!
Up next in Chapter Eight: Cell takes the stand as all in the courtroom watch in earnest. But nothing could adequately prepare one particular fighter for what's about to happen!
In fun and fanfiction,
American Vigor
Chapter Seven: (Completed 7/22/2009); (Revised: 6/8/2010)