Chapter 14: First Witness
Several weeks passed and the day of Jason's trial arrived. Pietro, Wanda, and Bucky had all been called as witnesses, and the rest of the Avengers were coming along for moral support. The trial was about to begin and they were all sitting in the lobby, waiting.
"I hate wearing a suit," Pietro complained, tugging irritably at the collar of his shirt.
"That's not a suit, Maximoff. You're not even wearing a tie," said Tony.
"Thank God for that," said Pietro.
"Yeah, then you'd complain even more," Bucky teased.
Pietro shot him a glare.
"I'm nervous. What if I say something wrong?" he said.
"Just answer their questions and tell the truth. That's all you can do," Steve said.
Because they were testifying, Pietro, Wanda, and Bucky had to wait outside until they were called to the stand while the others all joined the small crowd in the courtroom. After a little while, the bailiff called Pietro in.
"Good luck," Wanda and Bucky said as he stood and followed the bailiff inside.
It was a fairly small courtroom. Pietro scanned the crowd of onlookers until he found the other Avengers, then let his eyes wander to the defendant's box where Jason sat in handcuffs. Pietro tore his gaze away and stepped into the witness stand. They swore him in, then the prosecuting lawyer stepped forward.
"Mr. Maximoff," she said. "Please tell us how you know the accused."
Pietro took a steadying breath.
"We go to the same high school," he replied. "My sister and I moved here last summer. Jason asked to sit with us at lunch on the first day of school."
"The two of you dated for a while, correct?"
"Yes. He asked me out a few weeks after we met. It lasted about two months."
"Can you tell us what happened that ended your relationship?"
"He kidnapped my sister," said Pietro. "Him and his gang, Hydra."
"Were you aware that he was part of Hydra while you were dating him?"
"No. I found out that night."
"What else happened that night between you and him?"
"He threatened to kill Wanda and my friends. And then... he, uh... shot me."
There was a murmur in the courtroom. The prosecuting lawyer consulted her notes before looking back up at Pietro.
"Did you have any contact with the accused before the incident in March?" she asked.
"No. I saw him a few times at school, but I avoided him," Pietro replied.
"Now about the incident in March. What were the circumstances of Clint Barton's death?"
Pietro knew they would be asking him about Clint, but it still didn't prepare him for it.
"We were having a party at Tony's when Hydra attacked. Jason found me and was going to shoot me in the head. Clint ran in and pushed me aside and took the bullet instead. He died almost immediately."
"You and the accused had another encounter at the abandoned factory two weeks later, when you and your friends went to rescue Bucky Barnes. Tell us what happened."
Pietro looked down at his hands.
"I was angry because he'd killed Clint, and we fought, and... he tried to rape me. Thor came in before he could get very far..."
Another murmur swept the room.
"What was your intention when you returned to the factory that night?" the lawyer asked.
"To let him kill me," said Pietro quietly. "I knew he wouldn't stop until I was dead, and I didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."
"Thank you, Mr. Maximoff. Those are all my questions," she said, then returned to her seat.
"Will the defense please step forward?" the judge announced.
The defending lawyer stood.
"Mr. Maximoff, can you tell us what you were doing on the day your sister was kidnapped?" he said.
"It was a school day. I went to lunch off campus with the Avengers and then we sorta skipped class... we went back to the school to pick up my sister afterwards and I found a note on my locker saying to go to the mall parking lot that night if I wanted to see her again."
"Thank you," the lawyer said, shuffling his notes. "The night of Barton's death and Barnes' capture. You said you were all at a party?"
"Yes."
"Were there substances involved?"
"...Yes."
"What kinds?"
"Alcohol and marijuana..."
"Excuse me, your honor," the prosecuting lawyer interjected. "But how is this relevant?"
"Mr. Walters, please keep your questions on the subject of the witness's relationship to the defendant," the judge said. "Underage substance use is not the topic of this trial."
"Yes, your honor," the defending lawyer said. He turned back to Pietro. "Did you ever have any idea of why the defendant would have wanted to kill you?"
"No, not really," said Pietro. "I just sort of assumed that it was because we were part of rival gangs."
"And yet the two of you dated for a time."
"I told you before, I didn't know he was in Hydra then. He was sent to spy on me because I had spoken to Clint earlier that day and they assumed I was more connected to the Avengers than I was at the time."
"Did you and the defendant ever engage in sexual activities while you were in a relationship?" Mr. Walters asked.
Pietro blushed and looked down at his hands again.
"Once," he said quietly.
"How far into your relationship were you at that point?"
"It was a couple days before I found out he was Hydra..."
"Your honor, I repeat, how is this relevant?" the prosecuting lawyer said.
"Mr. Walters..." the judge warned.
"It will become relevant shortly, your honor," Mr. Walters said.
"Very well..."
"You claim that when you and your friends went to the abandoned factory to rescue Barnes, the defendant attempted to rape you," Mr. Walters said.
"I'm not claiming it. He did try," said Pietro, beginning to feel nettled.
"The two of you were sexually intimate in the past. There were no witnesses of the event."
"Thor walked in on it, he saved–"
"Please don't interrupt, Mr. Maximoff," said Mr. Walters. "As I was saying. Considering your sexual history with the defendant, were my clients actions really an attempted rape?"
"Objection!" the prosecuting lawyer said angrily.
"Since when does having sex with someone once make it okay to rape them later?" Pietro said, disgust dripping from every syllable.
"Mr. Walters, that comment is out of line," said the judge in a dangerous tone. "Please pursue a different line of questioning."
"Yes, your honor," Mr. Walters said.
The courtroom was buzzing. Pietro looked over at the Avengers. It looked a bit as though Sam and Tony might have been holding Steve back so he didn't try to punch Mr. Walters' face in. The judge called for order and everyone quieted down. Pietro turned back to the defense lawyer, trying (and failing) to not let his disgust show.
"You returned to the factory with the intention of dying on the same night of the attempted rape, correct?" asked Mr. Walters.
"Yes," Pietro said through gritted teeth.
"You say you went there to sacrifice yourself for your friends. Is it possible there was also another more selfish motive?"
"Sorry?"
"You had just suffered a trauma. Two weeks before, a close friend died in your arms. You recently were betrayed by someone you thought you loved. Those things can have quite an impact on your mental wellbeing. And very few people your age would have the emotional maturity to make the decision to lay down their life for others. Was your return to the factory perhaps less an action of sacrifice and more one of suicide?"
"Your honor, I once again am left wondering what the relevance of this question is," the prosecuting lawyer said.
"Mr. Maximoff, please answer Mr. Walters' question," the judge said.
"I did go back to the factory with the intention of protecting my friends," Pietro said quietly. "But... you're not entirely wrong either, Mr. Walters. I was miserable and didn't know how to make it stop. Death seemed pretty welcoming at that point."
"And are you still experiencing feelings of suicidal ideation?"
"No. Getting to that point and walking away with your life can sort of wake you up, I guess."
"Alright," said Mr. Walters, flipping through his notes. "I just have one more question for you, Mr. Maximoff. Were you in love with Clint Barton?"
Pietro stared at him, too taken off guard by the question to answer right away.
"Mr. Walters," the judge warned.
"Just a moment, your honor," the lawyer said.
"No, I wasn't," Pietro managed at last. "We were friends. He was like a brother to me. If you're wondering why he would throw himself in front of a bullet for me, sir, that's the reason. Nothing more."
"Very well," said Mr. Walters. "Regardless of my final question, I would still like to raise an inquiry to your honor as to whether you think, after hearing Mr. Maximoff's testimony, this young man is truly a credible witness. Suicidal tendencies, underage substance abuse along with other illegal activities no doubt, and a strong possibility of depression and/or post traumatic stress... there are a lot of things in there that could discredit the reliability of his testimony."
"And where do you think he could have gotten that laundry list of mental illnesses? Maybe from the defendant, his abusive ex-boyfriend?" the prosecuting lawyer shot back.
"Mr. Maximoff has been deemed reliable and his testimony stands," said the judge. "Your inquiry is denied, Mr. Walters. If you are finished questioning the witness, please return to your seat."
"Yes, your honor," said Mr. Walters, sitting back down.
"Mr. Maximoff, you are free to go. Thank you for your testimony," the judge said, then called for a break.
Pietro stepped down from the box and hurried for the door. The moment he was in the corridor, he sunk to the ground, his back against the wall. He felt out of breath, as though he had just ran a race, and it was making him dizzy. Someone called his name and he looked up to see the Avengers hurrying toward him.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked.
Pietro nodded.
"Just feeling a bit battered..."
"I don't blame you," said Steve. "Jesus, is this the tactic they're gonna take? Trying to discredit all the witnesses through emotional waterboarding?"
"It's not like they've got a very strong case," said Natasha. "Even if they couldn't prove anything else Jason did, there's too much evidence that he killed Clint for him to possibly he get off."
"So what's the point?" said Bruce. "Why didn't he just plead guilty and get it over with?"
"Probably to fuck with me one last time," Pietro muttered bitterly.
Then the judge called them back in.