Summary: A 10 year old girl appears to the children and is later accepted as a government esper. But what does she have to do with the recent esper organization's attacks, and what does the organization need her for?
Normal font = narrator
"Quotation marks" = things said aloud by characters
Italics font= the thoughts of characters
*asterisks* = onomatopoeia sounds and such
Disclaimer: I don't own Zettai Karen Children, the characters, or any of the places in the story that might be mentioned. All of that belongs to the writer, Shiina Takashi. I only own my OC.
Chapter 10: Court House Part 1
The court house had a soft buzz as its occupants talked quietly amongst themselves. The jurors are seated near the back discussing about their daily life. The front of the house is a completely different matter. In front sat B.A.B.E.L. The short desk was barely able to fit the five inhabitants on the right side of the court. They included: Moji, Minamoto, Kaoru, Shiho, and Aoi. Behind them sat the Chief, Kashiwagi, and a few others. The group was silent waiting for the Judge's arrival. The Children though couldn't help but steal an occasional glance at the left side.
There sat Aya, Haruko, and their lawyer. The lawyer, Daisuke, sat on the edge closest to the aisle and quietly shuffled his papers into proper order. Aya held a stern look on her face with her arms and legs crossed. She kept her gaze forward and didn't even glance at B.A.B.E.L. Haruko was completely different. Daisuke and Aya were composed and ready. She was not. The brunette rubbed her hand together nervously, and wiped them on her jeans to get rid of the collected sweat on them. Her eyes darted this way and that and never lingered on a spot for more than one second. The exception was The Children. She would stare until she caught one of their gazes. She would abruptly change her stare to elsewhere and pretend she had never seen them. Aya gently put her hand on her daughter's leg and gave it a calm reassuring pat. It helped Haruko settle for a while only for her to start up again afterwards.
The doors at the back opened smoothly. In stepped the judge with a binder in hand. The room became deathly quiet as the man walked in. Immediately, everyone stood up, resulting in a chorus of chairs and creaking benches in the process. The judge walked fluidly down the aisle and climbed into his seat. As he opened his binder he stated, "You may be seated." The judge looked through the overview of the case. He nodded to himself before turning to address the group.
"Normally, jurors are chosen at complete random. The same is true for today, but slightly different. For sure, six of you are espers and the others normals. Because of the circumstances of this case, this was done to make sure a fair decision was reached. It has been decided that it would benefit this case if there was an equal amount of each perspective.
"I'm sure you all have heard this before, but I will say it again. I request that you come into this trial with an open mind and no assumptions on the verdict based on the participants, looks, status, ESP, or any discerning features. I ask that you analyze all the evidence and take everything into consideration during you deliberation. Further, the fact that half of you are normals and half espers does not mean you need to stand up for the group you belong to. We just want a viewpoint. Nothing more, nothing less. Court is now in session." He slammed his gavel on the block creating a loud noise to echo the room for a brief moment. He turned to Daisuke. "The prosecution may now present their case."
Haruko stiffened as she felt all eyes in the room turn to them. She sat up straight and kept her hands clasped together beneath the table. She let out a sigh of relief as she realised it wasn't directed at her, but rather at their lawyer.
"Thank you, your Honor," Daisuke dipped his head slightly to show his respect, "My client, Aya Ito, is charging Japan's government organization, B.A.B.E.L., with kidnapping. She is asking for $10,000, a written letter of apology, and a restraining order for Haruko against B.A.B.E.L." He paused a moment to let the jury take their notes. "Haruko, my client's daughter, had decided to run away from home on June 14. She had gotten into a heated argument with her mother that day and decided leaving would be the best course of action for her to take. She used her ESP to fly and was met by unfortunate circumstances rendering her unconscious. It turns out Haruko had hit B.A.B.E.L. headquarters where she was later found and cared for.
"It was there she woke up and claimed to have no parents. While this could be a likely story, B.A.B.E.L. took no care to investigate whether this was true or not. In fact, they went ahead and tested her for ESP and soon after allowed her into The Children."
Kaoru clenched her hand to keep down the anger threatening to escape. It was true. That was how it happened, but it wasn't like that. It played out differently. He was putting it in a bad light. But she couldn't blame him. She'd heard the case that their side had prepared and it wasn't the exact truth either.
"Now, from what I know of The Children, they are B.A.B.E.L.'s best espers, and are assigned to missions too dangerous for their other espers. Does seem like a good place to place 10-year-old Haruko, who had just apparently lost both her parents? If anything, they should check if she's okay with the loss. Is she still suffering from it? There is no way to know for sure in such a short period of time." There were slight murmurs of agreement from the jury as they scribbled more notes down.
Minamoto had to remain calm. As soon as Daisuke was done, they would be able sway the jury in their favor and set more truth into the story.
"Not even a week later and they are already training her for the field. A few day after that and they send her out to face experienced level 7 espers who clearly stated that they do not like the government. Not only is that situation not safe for Haruko, it isn't safe for any child. Think about it. Would you like your child, your 10-year-old child, to be out risking their life if they were only physically capable?" Daisuke ended his speech there. He could tell by the atmosphere in the room that his speech had already swayed the jury greatly.
Taking his seat, he nodded at Aya. She truly planned this well. When he had first opened the folder he had been given he was surprised at how detailed everything was, since Aya had only started reading on law for two days at most. There was a response for every type of situation. From whether B.A.B.E.L. took the 'were guilty, but give us another chance' approach or 'Aya is a dangerous person, so you shouldn't vote in her favor' approach to if people in the jury were pro B.A.B.E.L. or not. She even had one in case her being the leader of the Anti-Government group came up. The only thing that had surprised Daisuke was the fact that there wasn't one for Haruko. There weren't varied responses for what Haruko may possibly say. "I guess that means she trusts her. But what if she was the one who brought up the organization?" The dark-haired man could only shake his head to dispel his thoughts. He would trust Aya.
The judge nodded at Daisuke's opening and turned his gaze to Moji. "You may now present your case."
"Thank you, your Honor. I would first like to first apologize to Aya Ito for keeping her daughter from her for so long. B.A.B.E.L. was not trying to purposely keep her from you. It was an error that we are now aware of and will assure will not happen again. Now, as my fellow lawyer has explained, Haruko did end up unconscious in front of our doors. We took her inside to treat and got our best doctor to make sure she was alright."
Aya hid a smirk. This was the stance she was hoping they would take. After all, what other option did they have? Deny something that is obviously true? The way they were carrying this case would eventually lead to her organizations identity being revealed, which she was planning for. If she could dissipate any suspicion about her here, her original plan could go ahead unhindered. And she had no doubt it would work. She had her secret weapon with her after all.
Daisuke continued, "We tested her for ESP not because we wanted her to join B.A.B.E.L., but it is our job to take records of the espers in Japan. It's why we do a yearly examination in schools. Asking her to join, in which she happily agreed, was solely so she could be with other kids her age, The Children, to help get used to things around the place."
Both Aya and Daisuke snorted at that. 'Get used to things around the place'? What a joke.
"We trained her so she could have better control over her ability and-"
"Better control?!" Aya stood up and interjected, "What for? So she could be a better weapon for you to use?! Obviously I didn't register Haruko as an esper because I didn't want her to be working for you guys! I'm sure once the government found out she was high level they'd obligate she work under them-!"
The judge smashed his gavel on his desk effectively silencing Aya. "Right now both sides are to explain their sides fairly. I will not have you interrupting during this point! Am I understood?"
"Sorry, your Honor, I was unaware." She sat back down. Daisuke took the opportunity to apologize again for not explaining the procedures to her. Of course this was an obvious lie. They both knew they weren't supposed to talk or object. It was done to get in the way of their presentation and get their opinion across, the opinion of a distressed and caring mother. Who wouldn't feel for her?
Haruko on the other hand was surprised at her mother's outburst. She felt the protectiveness in her mother's voice and couldn't help but feel worse for how she had treated her mother the past few years. It was always to protect her nothing else. Her mother was determined to keep her safe even if that meant having her daughter hate her.
"Continue defendant." The judge ordered.
"Thank you, your Honor," Moji continued, "High level espers need better control, more practise, and other people to relate to help maintain control on their ESP. Ask any of The Children and I'm sure they will say the same.
"Sending her out on that last mission was a grave mistake on our part again. She was working well with the Children and her powers were developing well, that we thought she could handle it. It turns out she could not since she was scared of the espers. Not because they were high level, but because she knew who they were and why they were here. They were espers sent by her mother to retrieve Haruko. These espers could have simply contacted police to search for the child or come directly to us. Instead they go and wreak havoc in an attempt to find her. They even wrote a note and aired it on T.V. saying: 'We know you're out there child, so why don't you make our job easier and come to us. She's not going to be pleased if you don't come back soon.' What kind of message is that? It screams threatening. Not only that, they had proclaimed that they hated the government. Suppose Haruko didn't know who they were, what then? Her own mother had sent strange people to go find her. What kind of mother is that?" Moji, too, ended his speech with a deep question. The jury's slight hum informed him that he had made a good start in this trial.
The tension in the room had shifted. It was no longer one sided. At this point it was unclear who would win the case. It all depended on this section right here; the evidence and questioning part. They could ask whoever to come up and answer any question, within reason. They would also portray their evidence in an attempt to prove they were right.
Daisuke sifted through his papers reading through the notes again to make sure everything was in order. He stood up and readjusted his suit. "Your Honor, I would like to call Aya Ito to the stand."
The judge nodded and Aya stood up, stopping in front of an officer. She swore to tell truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She then took her place up front and got comfortable. She knew already she was going to be here for a while.
"Aya, let's start from the beginning. Why did Haruko run away from your home in the first place?"
"She wasn't happy with me. I never let her go to school or to any arcade. I never gave a reason to her either. Thinking back now, I probably should've and this whole thing could have been avoided. I never let her go because she wouldn't be able to go. The law states that espers over level 2 can't go to school. If your ESP is too high you're not allowed anywhere with too much people. Rather than tell her all this, I avoided it." A few tears wetted her eyes. They weren't faked. She turned to Haruko and looked her directly in the eye so she knew she meant every single word. "I didn't want her to be ashamed of who she was. My way of going about it might've seemed restrictive for Haruko, but I didn't want her to experience the hate I did as a child." She carefully wiped her eyes that were threatening to spill her tears.
Daisuke took a moment to let the confession sink into everyone's mind. It would definitely be instrumental when the decision was made. "Is it true you sent the espers after Haruko?"
"Yes. They are good friends of mine and people that my daughter knows very well. I didn't know their way of getting her would frighten her." Another truth. When she had heard from Haruko how that had gone she had quickly gone and punished them for what they had done.
"Haruko is with you right now and is staying with you of her own will, correct?"
"Correct."
"If she really wanted to join the Government as a registered esper, would you let her?"
"No. I do not think it is good for children to be working for the government. Even if she really wanted to do it and had her mind set on it, I would continue to discourage her."
"Thank you. That is all your Honor."
Moji then stood up to interrogate Aya as well. "What are your feeling on the relationship between espers and government?"
"As it is right now, I don't think it's appropriate. For one thing I see the government as using espers for status in the world. And also, hiring children. I think that counts as misusing espers. Even if The Children are physically capable of stopping other high level espers and preventing disasters, I do not feel they are mentally ready. I'd rather a trained adult normal rescue me than a child esper." Aya meant everything she said. She had never been in the system personally, since her level was recorded as only Level 2. But she had personal experiences to show her how things worked.
From a young age her parents had always taught her to be proud of whom she was. Both her parents were espers living in pro-normal society. As such, though she was encouraged to show off who she was, she was also told to never use her ESP. Young Aya found it unfair that normal kids were allowed to show their proficiency in various aspects of life while she had to stay within the boundaries. It was then that her feelings of hate towards normals had started. Over the course of many years, she learned to live with it. The idea that being a normal was better was created by adults and instilled in kids. She decided to change it through her actions. It was during this time that she met Sakura, Hiro, and Goro.
The four were high school students who used their ESP to help people out. From getting a pencil off the floor, to teleporting homework forgotten at home, you name it and they helped in any way they can. In doing so their ESP started to increase gradually. That was when everything went downhill.
There were times when they didn't know their own strength. The first incident was with Hiro. After being handed his test he had touched it and accidentally gained the answers from the test. Till this day neither of them knew how, but everyone in the class had gotten the answers as well, all claiming it had just popped into their head. This incident made the teachers keep an out for them and their antics. The second was with Sakura. She was getting hit on by one of the school's top jocks. She had only wished it and it happened. The guy was stuck with a football in his shoulder till they could find a professional. No one wanted an amateur doing it. It was that moment that they started to get shunned by the entire school population.
University, however, was a complete change. They all applied to Tokyo U and made it. Tokyo was more accepting of high level espers, due to B.A.B.E.L.'s presence in the city. Any of them would openly admit that University was the best days of their lives. The most relaxed and free of prejudice place they had ever been. In fact it was where Aya had met Koji Irie. At the time, he was the best man she'd ever met. They had clicked so well. They decided to get married the month after they graduated. Two years later and she was with child. Aya had assumed Koji knew she was an esper. She had met him through her normal friends who knew she was. She presumed their feelings was the same as his.
Aya could still remember the day it happened. They had gone to the hospital to hear the baby's heartbeat. The doctor had showed it to them. The look on Koji's face was unforgettable. He was having a baby girl and with the only person he would ever want it with. Aya. It only took one sentence for him to change his mind.
"It seems like she has some ESP according to this chart."
"WHAT! WHY?" He demanded at the nurse. Aya was shocked at his outburst that she was stunned into silence. "Is there a way to get rid of it?!"
"Well there have been some experimental procedures, but they've only succeeded in lowering the ESP level, not erasing it." The doctor watched as the man paced the room deep in thought about what to do. "As to why, there have been many reports that esper children have been born to parents who haven't had an esper in their family history," She stood up and started to leave realizing that discussion on the baby's ESP would need to be a private thing. She opened the door, but before leaving, she added as an afterthought, "Isn't this expected though? Her mother is a high level esper, is she not? She checked in as a Level 6 on her firs tcheck-up." She shut the door behind her. On the other side, all hell broke loose.
Koji had demanded an explanation, and soon after a divorce. Her anger at his judgement of espers had sent her over the edge and unlocked level 7 in her ESP. Koji had been lucky to survive the outburst. He probably only did because she didn't want to stress her body too much with the baby due in only four months.
She had tracked down the high school university espers she knew and together they formed the Anti-Government Esper Group. While that was their main goal, getting rid of organizations like B.A.B.E.L., they also wanted espers to be recognized as the superior beings they were.
Moji's next question got straight to the point. This next question would become the main problem in this court house. It would determine not only who would win the trial, but Haruko's future with her mother as well.
"Aya, are these feeling towards the government what drove you to create the Anti-Government Esper group?"
A/N: Finally. After like two months. Anyway here it is. I was originally debating if I should put Aya's back story here or not, but I ended up doing so incase a good moment never presented itself later. Any hope you like like it.
NEXT CHAPTER: The conclusion (hopefully) of the court case and Haruko is put on the stand to share her part. How does she feel about everything?