Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for the wonderful feedback on the last chapter! As a token of my gratitude, here's the next chapter a little early!
Real World Notes: As a reminder, my research into the workings of the International Criminal Court involved wikipedia, Google, and a couple of very out-of-date law school classes. The ICC judges are all original characters, most a mix of real jurists and characters from other fandoms. Also, don't go looking to poison someone with cazlomine - it doesn't exist.
Canon Notes: Leonard Samson is an AUish interpretation, a mix of his comics and movie backgrounds.
Trigger Warning: Non-graphic discussion of non-consensual body modification and implied sexual abuse in this chapter.
Chapter Thirty-Five
AVENGERS, FORMER WINTER SOLDIER SURRENDER TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT!
Steve Rogers, James Buchanan Barnes, Clinton Barton, and Samuel Wilson met with counsel and formally submitted to the ICC's jurisdiction Tuesday afternoon.
ICC: AMERICAN SENTINEL AGENTS POISONED WANDA MAXIMOFF
American security personnel claim they drugged Maximoff to prevent her use of her powers against the Court, but she nearly died as a result.
The International Criminal Court's internal investigation panel formally released its findings regarding the poisoning of defendant Wanda Maximoff, who is under pretrial investigation for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Along with multiple other member nations, the United States contributed personnel to provide security for the ICC's proceedings, witnesses, and parties, who are, according to the Court's rules, required to follow the Court's instructions. However, the American contingent involved in guarding Wanda Maximoff admitted to introducing cazlomine, a powerful anti-psychotic sedative, to Maximoff's food while in custody. They claimed their intention was to prevent her from using her telepathic and telekinetic powers aggressively, even though Maximoff had surrendered of her own free will and had not used her powers at any time since doing so. Due to Maximoff's altered metabolism, the drug accumulated in her organs, making her increasingly lethargic and unable to focus, and she collapsed after a court session last Wednesday.
Avenger Vision realized Maximoff was going into distress and rushed her to a local hospital over her guards' objections, where doctors confirmed she had gone into a coma and was in critical condition. She was stabilized after 36 hours, but remains unconscious.
Judge Irina Ginsburg, head of the pretrial panel examining Maximoff's case, delivered a blistering condemnation of the American agents' actions, and the entire Court voted to revoke all American credentials for security. Additionally, American Judge Cate Darby was recused by a majority vote of the panel after Maximoff's attorney introduced evidence of social media posts describing human enhancement as "unnatural", an "abomination," and suggesting sympathy with radical organizations such as the Watchdogs and Friends of Humanity.
Upon their arrival at The Hague, the Avengers visited Maximoff at the hospital before surrendering to the Court, and sources report all four showed intense distress over her condition, fueling rumors that they and Maximoff had been in hiding together.
AVENGERS AND LAWYERS: BARNES NO LONGER AT RISK OF HYDRA CONTROL!
The "trigger words" revealed by Helmut Zemo in 2017 were read to Barnes in Court this morning and had no effect.
Barnes and his lawyers, Matthew Murdock and Fred Nelson, claim he is no longer susceptible to control from hearing the words. They confirmed what experts theorized after seeing the "training videos" from Hydra, that the words had been used to condition Barnes to obey his captors' orders, and Zemo had used them to gain control of him in Berlin after his capture.
However, two different bailiffs read the series of Russian words and phrases to Barnes before a tense session of the Court, and although Barnes displayed discomfort and nervousness, he did not obey any instructions. Afterward, he asked one of the reporters recording the proceedings, "Do me a favor and send that to Zemo."
Asked how he'd defeated Hydra's conditioning, Barnes claimed Wanda Maximoff had aided him with her telepathic power, although he could not explain exactly how that had worked. Until Maximoff recovers from her poisoning by U.S. Sentinel Program agents, Barnes' testimony can't be confirmed.
Apart from testing the trigger words, Barnes showed little emotion during the first day of testimony, except for when Prosecutor Damien Fallaci attempted to schedule a replay of the leaked Hydra videos. Barnes asked if he had to watch them, and Murdock objected to Fallaci's demand that Barnes be present. The judges instructed the attorneys on both sides to brief the issue and adjourned for the day.
"I don't suppose you guys had access to any mental health professionals wherever you were hiding out," Foggy asked Steve, Clint, and Sam.
"Uh..."
"Look, I'm pushing the line of attorney-client confidentiality here, but I can't imagine you all don't realize Bucky needs one, and I'd bet dollars to doughnuts you all do," Foggy pressed.
Everyone avoided his eyes at first, but it was Sam who finally started laughing and shook his head. "Yeah, you're not wrong, but seriously, who would you trust? Leonard Samson's on Fallaci's expert list."
"Hell, no, not Samson - that guy was so pro-Accords, he made Tony seem ambivalent," Clint exclaimed. "Why's he still here? Shouldn't he have been booted by the Court with the rest of the Americans?"
Murdock shook his head. "No, the non-security personnel got to stay so long as they submitted to 'extreme vetting' - and you'll never convince me Chief Judge Rahat didn't use that phrasing on purpose." They all grinned. "And none of them get access to any defendant or witness without a court reporter present and a few dozen cameras. So Fallaci got to keep his American legal team and his American experts."
Steve stiffened. "Does that mean this...Samson, he's gonna be able to question Bucky?"
"Yes, but not without both of us in the room," said Matt. "We're interviewing potential psychiatric experts too, but by law, they can't be his treating physicians - and I agree with Foggy. There should be a treating physician. This is going to be a long, painful process even if the Court does let Bucky out of having to watch those tapes."
"I know a few who might be trustworthy," said Sam. "Though they've got pretty full plates back home, and it's a big risk for anyone to have their name connected with this."
"Yeah, you're not wrong there either," Foggy sighed. "I already had a couple turn me down; none unsympathetic, but they're terrified of the risk to their families and their practices, not to mention their other patients."
When they returned to their lodgings for the day - the same complex as Wanda but with nearly the entire security force replaced - they found Tony and Nat waiting with Bucky. "Hey, have you guys had any word from...down south?" asked Tony with a tilt of his head.
Steve worked out quickly that he meant Wakanda. "No. I'd have thought you would hear before us."
"We've heard nothing, and that's what's worrying us," said Nat. "Complete radio silence. I sent a ping on the secure channel yesterday. No response."
Oh my God. T'Challa? Shuri? "Something's not right," Steve murmured. T'Challa had been all over the media the day they turned themselves in, expressing cautiously-worded surprise and feigned ignorance, as planned, then returning his attention to Wakanda's increasingly-public mission of ending human trafficking.
"How many days since we last heard from them?" Sam muttered, and counted on his fingers.
"Eight," said Nat immediately.
"What about Scott?" asked Clint.
"Scott's fine. He got picked up and ankle-tagged, but the feds are still trying to decide whether to charge him with anything, since his whereabouts were well-known before Leipzig, so the only charge he has to worry about is Leipzig itself."
"My guys in the States let the feds know Zemo may still have operatives gunning for Avengers' families. They've already got egg on their faces over what happened to Wanda. They agreed Scott should stay off the grid except for a few with high clearance," Tony said. "I'm a lot more worried about the other issue. Getting close to flying down there."
What the hell could've happened? The most obvious answer was that Pretorius or one of the other groups T'Challa and his allies had threatened might have managed a counter-strike.
Bucky held up a hand. "Don't do anything, not yet. This could easily be a trap - for us or for them."
Bucky wore long sleeves and a glove over his metal arm, and nobody (so far) had asked to examine it, so it was possible nobody had realized it wasn't the same one he'd had in Leipzig and Romania. Once it was discovered to be vibranium, things would get a little more complicated. The initial idea had been to suggest the vibranium had come from the rubble in Sokovia, but then Wanda had been hospitalized and all alibi planning had crashed to a halt.
Can we really assume nobody's already suspecting T'Challa was involved with us after we went into action with him in Indonesia? Bucky at least was partly visible, and any of the residents we took prisoner might've talked by now.
Steve sighed. "You're saying we can't do anything?"
Bucky put a hand on his shoulder. "We all knew it would come to that once we turned ourselves in. If we move, we guarantee exposing them."
Tony and Nat looked at each other, and she said, "If we don't hear anything in another twenty-four hours, I'll try some other channels. Vision can get pretty deep into communications, deeper than even Tony's probes."
"So Vision knows about..." Clint tilted his head expressively.
Tony and Nat nodded.
The following day, the Court was still in recess while the lawyers prepped and fought over how Bucky should be treated as a witness/potential defendant - and Tony and Nat still had no word from T'Challa or Wakanda.
To Steve's complete astonishment, the group of them were given permission to continue visiting Wanda at the hospital. "She's still not conscious, but two of us can go at a time," said Clint. "Give Vision a break."
And let Vision find out what the hell is going on in Wakanda.
Bucky wanted to see Wanda, and Nat insisted Steve always go with him. "The Court may have decided he's not an imminent threat, but a lot of people are nervous, and they'll be calmer if you're with him."
Still, Tony went too. Vision looked a little reluctant to surrender Wanda's bedside, but Tony sent him a message through the armor, and he quietly stepped out.
Steve and Bucky sat at either side of Wanda's bed, telling her about the week's events - Steve in English, Bucky in Sokovian - until Tony and Vision came back, and Tony gave Steve a wordless thumbs-up. They both let out their breath in relief. Vision beckoned Steve over, and murmured, "We have thirty seconds disruption of all surveillance."
Tony leaned quickly towards Steve. "Everybody's okay, but something did happen."
"Pretorius?"
"Worse. Attempted coup d'etat."
"Fuck!" Steve blurted. "Who the hell..."
"Let's just say W'Kabi and his tribe just lost a lot of standing, and that mountain guy Sam made such a good impression on is now on T'Challa's council." Tony motioned them all away, and Steve resumed his place at Wanda's bedside, trying to school his expression to pretend nothing had happened.
"How soon do the doctors think she might come out of it? She will come out of it, right?"
"Yes, they are certain. The drug accumulation in her system had to decrease naturally, but she is showing indications of recovery as she metabolizes it," said Vision. "She's more responsive to stimuli now and sometimes reacts to voices."
"Good," Steve said. He patted her hand. "You just relax, okay? Take your time. We'll be here."
"Can I stay a little longer?" Bucky surprised him by asking.
"Sure." Steve surrendered his chair to Vision and wandered into the hallway to talk to Tony. Can't talk about T'Challa, it's too risky. Damn it! W'Kabi had seemed like a good friend to the king; how could he have done that?
Then again...Princess Shuri had said something once, about W'Kabi not liking T'Challa's decision to admit the Avengers. Maybe W'Kabi and his tribe had felt more strongly about it than anyone realized.
Vision had studied James Barnes' interactions with Wanda very closely both times he was in the room, but his results were inconclusive. There was no mistaking that Wanda felt a connection to Barnes that went far beyond her connection to any of the other fugitives - but the nature of that connection was still unclear.
So when Wanda's brainwave monitors indicated she was not aware of any aural stimuli, Vision dared to ask. "Are you and Wanda in a romantic relationship?"
Barnes froze...and looked so shocked that Vision was satisfied as to the answer of that question - mostly. Barnes had clearly not even considered that a possibility - however, that didn't preclude the possibility that Wanda might harbor romantic feelings for Barnes.
"N-no," Barnes said, blushing. "No, nothing like that. She's been in my head. I told the Court the truth; she's the reason Zemo and Hydra can't get in my head again." Vision was quite certain that was only the partial truth, but on that aspect, he could understand why Barnes would be unwilling to disclose the details. If the details of how Hydra's conditioning had been undone were made public, they could be extrapolated and duplicated, if not against Barnes, then against others. "I guess it's hard not to get close to someone when they do that for you."
"That's understandable," Vision allowed. "But perhaps she has romantic feelings towards you." To confront Barnes about that possibility might serve little purpose, but for some reason, Vision found himself being less than rational where Wanda was concerned.
Barnes looked away and smiled, shaking his head. "Nah, she doesn't. Steve thought the same..." He stiffened, then turned and gave Vision such a piercing look that if Vision were capable of blushing, he would have done so. Barnes grinned broadly. "Not for the same reason as you, though, huh?" Vision didn't answer, but he knew that was all the answer Barnes needed. He hadn't expected the grim-faced, traumatized former Winter Soldier to be so perceptive. To his surprise, Barnes went on, "She had a brother once; I had sisters once. It just worked out that way."
Eager to keep the discussion off his own feelings, Vision said, "I fear that possibility is already under discussion by both your prosecution and defense, each for their own purpose."
Barnes blinked, then winced. "Of me and Wanda? Shit. Well, figures. Then all this really gets interesting." Seeing Vision's puzzled expression, he sighed and said, "Even if she wasn't way too young, that's...not a possibility. Not for me. Hydra needed an emotionless killing machine. Hormones and nerve connections got in the way, so they did the same thing they did with everything else that made me human: got rid of 'em. I'm impotent."
Vision had discovered very early in his life that he was capable of many emotions, from amusement to romantic and sexual interest - and embarrassment. He felt the latter acutely now. "I'm...very sorry. I didn't realize."
"It's all right. It'll come out eventually. Hell, she knows. She couldn't miss it after all the time she spent digging around for memories. I didn't know when they did it, but some of the handlers liked to joke about it in front of me."
Vision was unsure whether he was capable of the rage that humans sometimes expressed, but he was quite capable of anger, particularly on behalf of another. "That is appalling. I suppose there's little chance of any of your captors being found alive and brought to justice?"
"So far, no." Barnes sounded utterly resigned to that. "From what I hear, most of 'em are dead. That doesn't bother me. Outliving 'em long enough to find out my own name again...I guess that's revenge, in a way."
Vision was forced to reevaluate his own thoughts on Barnes since the events eight days before, and reached the uncomfortable conclusion that he had regarded this man with considerable bias. Motivated by jealousy, no less. My word has been taken as unbiased by many important authorities, including my fellow Avengers, yet it turns out I'm no less capable of malicious thinking than any human. He had hoped that Barnes would not be permitted to return to the hospital while his case was pending, and that he would be deemed too dangerous to be free. Yet the objective evidence to date indicates he is not only trustworthy but cares deeply for Wanda. I wanted to keep him away from her.
Fortunately, he'd never voiced his biased suspicions about Barnes or had the opportunity to influence anyone. But once Wanda awoke…how long would it take her to recognize what Vision had thought of someone so dear to her?
And I once lectured Tony Stark for being irrational on the subject of James Barnes. Somehow, this man inspires intense emotions in everyone he meets: either antipathy or devout loyalty.
There could be only one explanation for Wanda's sensing Barnes and trying to hold him at her side with raw power at a moment she was so weak she couldn't function without medical aid. It was the most powerful trust, an emotion very few humans would ever associate with James Buchanan Barnes, even those who sympathized with his plight.
In Washington, D.C., Steve Rogers had chosen to trust James Barnes or die trying, but given their history, it was understandable. Since arriving, only a little questioning had been directed to the other Avengers, but all four had attested to their trust of James Barnes. Vision had been quite certain none of them had lied to the Court.
Even Tony, who had every reason to be irrational on the subject of Barnes, had gone so far as to aid in his treatment in Wakanda. He claimed it was for Steve and Wanda's sake, and for the sake of reuniting the Avengers, which Vision entirely agreed with. However, even James Rhodes and Pepper Potts had remarked in Vision's hearing that they suspected there was more to Tony's choice. They'd decided among themselves not to question him amid the horrific revelations about Ross's actions, Barnes' and Romanoff's histories, and the pressure from so many different quarters. Vision had agreed.
King T'Challa was beyond the reach of any government, and if he had chosen to shelter Barnes and the other Avengers, there was almost literally nothing anyone could do without the risk of provoking massive international conflict. Since Tony had visited Wakanda multiple times and decided eventually to aid their efforts…the only logical conclusion was that he'd learned T'Challa's reasoning and agreed with it.
Vision, Rhodes, and Potts had elected not to question that. Now the result of those choices sat at Wanda's side across from him…and Vision suspected it was the trust, not the suspicions, that had been vindicated.
All Avengers were intensely relieved when the news announced T'Challa would be addressing the United Nations in Vienna – and even moreso when they saw T'Challa on the camera. It was frustrating as hell not to be able to give it away.
"Check it out – Ross is there," Sam murmured. That got him startled looks, and he clarified, "The other Ross, the CIA guy. Mini-Ross."
"Well, he and the rest of the CIA lost their clearance here. Must've been reassigned…" Rhodey frowned to himself. "Though I dunno if I like the idea of him sniffing around Wakanda."
T'Challa's speech was intriguing to say the least. "Is he saying they're gonna open the borders?" Tony demanded.
"I'm not sure," said Nat, looking intrigued.
Then when one of the representatives from Europe snidely asked what "a nation of farmers" had to offer, not only did T'Challa smirk...but Ross did.
Okay…that's weird. That's really weird. It was driving Sam crazier every day to not be able to talk about it, and judging by the way everyone else was fidgeting, he wasn't the only one climbing the walls.
Court questioning of Bucky resumed the following day – speaking of shit driving people crazy. A new army of lawyers for all sides descended on the place, and the frazzled judges decided to suspend proceedings on Steve, Clint, and Natasha while they dealt with the question of whether Bucky Barnes could be held responsible for…anything, really.
The doctors' reports on Wanda were positive, but she still wasn't awake, much less fit to be in the hot seat, so her case was suspended until further notice. At least that left Sam and Steve free to be in the courtroom behind the lawyers while Bucky was answering questions.
The judges won a lot of points in Sam's view by not requiring Bucky to be present for "the Hydra tapes" being played. During those sessions, only Natasha attended and answered questions about where she'd obtained the material. Steve and Bucky spent a lot of time at the hospital with Wanda, while Sam and Clint did research with some of Nelson and Murdock's paralegals or read recaps of the tapes if they were feeling masochistic.
The problem that quickly arose was a predictable one: experts for the prosecution, the defense, and the independent ones hired by the Court soon concluded that there was no way Wanda Maximoff, a twenty-three-year-old with the equivalent of a middle-school education, could have defeated Hydra's conditioning of Bucky on her own. "I do not believe he would have survived without thorough medical, neurological, and psychiatric assistance," the Court's expert said.
"How much do we actually know about the extent of Wanda Maximoff's abilities?" Murdock argued.
The Court expert brought up some diagrams and graphs on his screen that made no sense to Sam, but all the experts were nodding. "She can induce hallucinations, view memories, even manipulate what a person sees and feels, but the precision involved with undoing damage like this without rendering the victim a vegetable is simply not within her abilities. Some of the defendant's brain scans may reveal that he is healing from the damage, which is attributable to the serum. But not the kind of manipulation Wanda Maximoff's power engages in."
"What are you saying, doctor? What do you think is the cause of his recovery?" a judge asked.
The experts eyed Bucky's brain scans and shook their heads. "Some power or force beyond the known abilities of any registered mutant, inhuman, or enhanced individual. These readings indicate James Barnes' brain was exposed to electromagnetic fields and molecular manipulation with a level of precision that should be impossible."
Oh, shit. So close, yet so far, and now we've got ourselves another witch hunt, Sam thought.
Sure enough, the judges wanted Bucky back on the stand in the afternoon session, and Matt and Foggy warned them, "Look, I don't know what the explanation actually is, but it's pretty clear there is one way beyond Wanda, and suspicion is going to grow really fast if we're not willing to give it."
Everyone looked at each other. "So he hasn't told you?" asked Sam in susprise.
"Nope," said Foggy. "He's refused point-blank. I don't even blame him – or the rest of you – but whatever it is, whoever it is, they better be worth losing it all for."
Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. Bucky rejoined them in the conference room.
"What the hell do we do?" Sam demanded.
"Nothing," Bucky said. "We tell them nothing."
"Buck - "
"Steve, will you just trust me?! People believe what they want to believe, and no matter what we say, they're gonna spin this as the work of the devil!" Bucky insisted. "And even if we tell them everything, they're gonna want more gory details – things nobody should know who doesn't already, namely how to manipulate somebody's brain and mentally condition them. Tell them," he said to Nat.
She nodded. "He's right. Even I haven't revealed everything I found about what Hydra did to his brain, and for a very good reason: we don't want anyone trying to replicate it. That information is dangerous to more than just…friends of ours."
Steve looked stricken, but Clint backed them. "We can do two good turns by not making that information public. Yeah, they'll give Bucky a hard time, but when all's said and done, it's not gonna have that big an impact on whether he was responsible for what Hydra did."
Foggy and Matt looked at each other, and Matt said slowly, "As much as I want to give Bucky the strongest possible case, I don't disagree. Sometimes the greater good does even outweigh vindicating an innocent person – and there's no question in any decent mind that you're innocent. I just hope you really trust whoever does have this information."
For that, at least, they had a consensus. Sam exchanged a broad grin with the others. "Well, guess that answers that question," said Foggy. "But no, the judges are not going to be happy, Fallaci's going to try to plop every one of you into the hot seat, and when you all refuse to answer, he'll demand you be held in contempt. Some of the judges may be inclined to agree."
"So what happens if they find us in contempt?" asked Tony.
"They…fine everyone who's not in custody and confine everyone who is?"
Clint put the back of his hand to his forehead and deadpanned, "Oh, no, not house arrest!"
"They definitely won't let any of us near Wanda after that," Bucky sighed, but he shook his head. "She'll understand. Vision thinks she'll be awake in a day or so."
"And he is the only reason they don't have to explain a dead defendant in their custody," said Tony. "They owe him a lot of huge favors. I don't think they'll ask him. If they ask me," he put the back of his hand to his forehead, "oh no, not a fine!"
Everyone chuckled, but Foggy said, "You're not wrong, but let's try and not be too sarcastic when we're in court, okay? It's going to antagonize them enough when you refuse point-blank to tell them what they want to know, however wise your reasons. We need to make it clear that this isn't out of contempt for the Court or the law, but protection of the whole damn human race from monsters who've already accomplished this abomination at least once. Defying the International Criminal Court's not something to do lightly."
"Believe me, counselor, there is nothing light about our motives," said Natasha.
So after a little more coaching on how to respond if questioned, off they went to the Court's session to watch all hell break loose. Everyone except Rhodey and Vision sat in the gallery (Rhodey and Vision were at the hospital standing watch over Wanda) when Bucky took the stand.
The judges didn't bother letting the prosecutor control the questioning. The judges did it themselves. "Sergeant Barnes, our experts are of the opinion that Wanda Maximoff's power alone could not explain how you overcame Hydra's conditioning. Please tell this Court what person or persons other than Miss Maximoff were involved in your treatment."
Bucky took a deep breath, and next to Sam, Steve did as well. "I…respectfully refuse to answer."
A murmur rippled through the room. Steve was completely rigid; it was taking all Sam's self-control not to look directly at him, knowing every camera in the room not pointed at Bucky was pointed at the row of Avengers.
Another judge asked, "Are you invoking your right against self-incrimination?"
"No, your honor, there was no crime involved. I'm respectfully refusing to respond."
Prosecutor Fallaci shot out of his chair. "That's contempt of court!"
"Sit down, Mr. Fallaci, we know the definition of contempt," snapped Judge Ginsburg. She returned her attention to Bucky. "Mr. Barnes, have you been advised by counsel to refuse to answer this question?"
"No, your honor. I've chosen to."
"Can you explain why?"
"Because…among other things, the information surrounding my treatment is no less dangerous than the information surrounding how…how…" Bucky lost focus, and another murmur went through the room.
Shiiiiiiit! Sam dared to shift a little closer to Steve. Don't move, man, don't…
But Bucky recovered and finished, "How I was…conditioned in the first place."
"But we're not asking how," the third judge protested. "We're simply asking who."
Matt stood up. "Your honors, respectfully, my client has a very valid point. Wanda Maximoff has been poisoned. Any other person or persons with the skills or power to undo the conditioning and brainwashing we saw inflicted on Sergeant Barnes will immediately have a target on their back and forehead if they're revealed to the public."
"Or they could be engaged in doing God-knows-what with that information," Fallaci shot back.
"Well, so far, they've healed this man so he can no longer be wielded as a weapon by anyone who knows ten phrases," Matt answered. "Surely that's a point or ten in their favor."
But uneasy murmurs were growing, and the judges looked unhappy. Steve trembled, and Sam murmured, "Breathe, man, we knew this wasn't gonna be easy. He's doing good." He meant it; apart from that brief lapse, Bucky looked okay. Resolved and dignified. Sam would never admit it out loud, but he was proud of the guy.
However, the judges weren't satisfied. "There are ways to protect confidential information. We can dismiss all media and non-parties from the session and close it. Sergeant Barnes, will that satisfy you?"
Bucky didn't take long to shake his head. "No. I'm sorry. I won't answer."
Oo-kay, the judges were officially pissed. "Mr. Murdock, Mr. Nelson, is there any reason under the rules of procedures that Sergeant Barnes cannot answer this question?"
Matt and Foggy looked at each other, then Matt admitted, "No, your honor."
"Sergeant Barnes, do you understand that this Court can hold you in contempt - "
Someone came in. Everybody jumped when the doors opened, then the cameras started flashing and whispers rose, then chatter – then shouts of question as the reporters completely lost their shit. Sam craned his neck – then didn't believe what he was seeing at first glance and just stood up for a better view.
Holy FUCK, it's the cavalry!
Hell, fuck the cavalry. It was the Dora Milaje. It was Dr. Kelile and Dr. Damaris. It was King T'Challa.
Dr. Kelile slipped past her entourage – as if the king himself was part of her entourage – and walked briskly up to the defense counsel table. She handed a thick folder to Foggy, who looked down – and his eyes popped in complete astonishment.
"Uh, ahem, your honors…it says here that this is Dr. Kelile of…Wakanda…Sergeant Barnes' treating physician."
To Be Continued...
Coming Soon: Our heroes reunite with T'Challa, and Wanda wakes up, but their enemies rally and strike another legal blow at Wanda and Bucky.
PLEASE don't forget to review!
Original Character Guide
Dr. Kelile: Senior physician of Wakandan medical research and hospitals, head of the medical research team treating Bucky. Age 50ish, five-foot-one.
Dr. Damaris: Wakandan psychologist/psychiatrist who kept an eye on the Avengers at T'Challa's instruction and headed the psychiatric aspects of Bucky's treatment. Mid-40s, has studied both at home and abroad.
Damian Fallaci - a prosecutor with the International Criminal Court, American, mid-40s, still dedicated to the principles of the Sokovia Accords.
Judge Irina Ginsburg, Judge Cate Darcy, Chief Judge Rahat - judges of the International Criminal Court, from various countries.