RJ paced in the courtroom, uncertain as to what exactly to say or do. He had only really gone up since he didn't want to put Lily in that position for her sake, but now he was beginning to regret it.
Although he had kept his cool a lot more than Lily had, but he still had his own reservations, not least because in the incident that landed Mike here, he had been shot. He could still remember every detail of how it felt when the bullet tore through him. He remembered feeling his warm blood trickling through his fingers, and feeling himself fading, the fear he felt when he started to wonder if he would survive, or if he would leave his family behind.
There was so much he wanted to know, to be sure of before he could feel like he could relax with Mike coming back to town. He knew that Mike was under oath, he knew that the doctors had observed him closely, he was still fearful that he had somehow managed to pull a fast one.
"Mr. James..."
"I'm sorry your honour, I'm just trying to think." He told the judge as he tried to compose himself. "Mike, I think you understand well exactly why I'm more than a little curious as to your motivations for coming back to town."
"I can understand that Mr. James." Mike assured him. "I know that the things I did to your family are unforgiveable..."
"Anyone can say it, but I need to know that you're actually legitimate." He told him. "You got a teenage girl drunk and tried to have sex with her..."
"Believe me, in all the time at the hospital I've had nothing to do but think about what I've done to the people around me." He interrupted RJ. "I've thought about what I've put Liv through more than a few times. If I thought that apologising to her would do any good I would, but I know that no matter what I say, the words will only sound hollow. I can only hope that in time I can convince you all that I have changed."
"You turned a gun on my family." He reminded the young man. "You shot me. I was out of action for weeks because of you. If that bullet had been a couple of inches any other way..."
"I know, and you have to understand that I have no intention of acting against you." He told them. "Even if I was allowed a gun, I never want to own one again. I still get nightmares about the night I did that to you."
He fidgeted in his chair as he looked to the panel.
"Since I started my treatments, since I started taking the meds, I've seen things a lot more clearly. I've been able to understand how much pain I've caused, and although I know you couldn't ever believe me on this, every ounce of pain I've ever caused another person I've felt harshly, and I could never bring myself to do anything like that to another person. I never want to cause any more pain."
RJ wasn't completely convinced, but he could see that Mike was very upset with his predicament, and from his expression, the young man at very least believed that he was telling the truth. RJ just nodded, giving him a slightly warning glare. He had to be mindful of the fact he was in a courtroom, so there wasn't much he could do, but he gave him a wordless warning to stay away from his family. RJ turned to the panel.
"I have no further questions." He told them, before returning to his seat. Lily put an arm around him, as he reached across, stroking David softly.
"Thank you for your time Mr. James, I understand this must have been difficult for you." The judge responded. "We will now here from an expert witness, the chief therapist in Mr. Bishop's treatment, Dr. Edward Fisher."
In another part of town, Fred was using some of his lunch break to get a little bit of work done on The Fury. He and Johnny had managed to finish putting the engine together, and right now he was in the process of giving it a few tweaks. He heard the distinctive clicking of Julie's cane and smiled.
"You know, some people actually use their lunchtime to eat." She said a little sarcastically as she put a brown paper bag on his workbench. "I brought you something."
"Thanks." He responded. He took the bag and looked inside; finding the sandwiches his mother had made him that morning. He had forgotten to collect them from his locker when he had finished his last class. He looked to his sister. "How did you get into my locker?"
"Please, you always use the same combination." She sighed. "You always use her birthday."
"I guess I have become a bit predictable." He grumbled, putting the bag aside. Julie just took a seat on a nearby stool as Fran came into the workshop. Fred looked up as she approached him.
"What can I do for you Mrs. Martin?" He asked her.
"Have you seen the new girl Veronica?" Fran asked him. "You know, so tall, Goth kid, bit of a loner."
"Not since yesterday." He replied with a shrug. "I saw her outside Mr. Weaver's office when she signed up. Why?"
"She didn't come to my class this morning." Fran told them. "I already checked, she was in her first two periods, but then she disappeared."
"Usually kids take a couple of weeks before they start skipping classes." He remarked as he wiped his hands off on a rag. "So how did you find me?" Fran just looked at him in disbelief.
"You're awake, and you're not in class, where else would you be but with this rust bucket?" She asked him. She looked to the car, furrowing her brows as she considered it. "Um...it's looking very different than I remember."
"Yeah, we're giving it an overhaul." He told her with a smile. "It's mostly just bodywork left. I reckon we could have it finished by Christmas."
"Are you sure it's street legal?" Fran asked him.
"Barely." Fred told her with a shrug. "We did a lot of research to make sure we could get this bad boy on the road."
"Well, just remember you have other classes too." Fran told him. "I've got to go. I'd like to catch up with Veronica before anyone notices her cutting classes. Everyone should get a little leeway till they get used to a new school."
"So I can cut...?"
"You're not new anymore Fred!" Fran warned him. "Your free pass has expired. I'll expect to see you this afternoon."
Meanwhile, in the woods just outside of town, Veronica leapt through the trees, landing nimbly in a branch several feet from the ground in a crouch. She had remembered the route Gabby had taken to find this place from when she followed her, but it was now time for the next part of her mission.
Master Phant was wandering around his garden, tending to his plants, oblivious to her presence. He looked to be completely at ease in this place. He was humming contentedly as he went, even talking to some of his plants. She would have laughed at the display of the pathetic, lonely old hermit if she hadn't been concentrating on her assignment.
Master Phant put away his tools, before turning to a hidden path behind his home. Veronica had been right; this was indeed the time she had been waiting for. Keeping out of sight, she followed him as he made his way through the woods.
Master Phant stopped as he thought he heard something, and turned around, but could see no one. He used all his keen senses to scan around, but he couldn't find any sign of anyone. He shrugged, figuring that he had simply heard some woodland creature, and went back on his way. He was always nervous when he used this route. Where he was going, it would be courting disaster if anyone followed him. Obviously he was just becoming paranoid in his old age.
Back at the courtroom, the chief physician stepped down from the stand after his testimony. RJ, Lily, David, Liv and Johnny were still sitting in the audience, listening to the proceedings as they supported each other.
"We've now heard all of the evidence in this case, we will now recess to discuss the evidence and return with our decision in thirty minutes." The judge announced, banging his gavel. Mike and his lawyer started to confer as Liv leaned across to Lily, placing a hand on her elbow. After their talk earlier in the day she was worried this might set her off again.
"Whatever happens, we'll get through it." RJ assured his wife as he held David closely. Lily just nodded.
"I'll be alright." She told them. "I just want this to be over one way or another."
Meanwhile, inside the jury room, the judge arrived with the other two members of the panel. The bailiff opened the door, allowing them inside.
"The coffee should be set up by now." He told them. As they turned to the table though, the judge looked a little curious. He walked over to it, where he found a strange item in the middle of the table by the coffee pots.
It was a glass orb, about the size of a bowling ball, inside which was a golden dragon statue. It looked like a snow globe, but as the judge inspected it, he just seemed confused.
"What is this?" He asked.
"I don't know your honour." The Bailiff responded. "It wasn't here when I came in a few minutes ago. The door's been locked..."
"Who put this in here?" He asked. He reached out for the globe, touching it, at which the room was bathed in a deep red glow. All four men just stared at it, mesmerised as the dragon seemed to writhe and move. It turned towards them, its eyes glowing, and a flash ripped through the room, at which everything returned to normal. The judge just blinked as he looked around the room. No one knew what had happened, and by the time they came to, the orb had disappeared. The judge looked to the rest of the panel, who all nodded.
"Bailiff, recall the courtroom." He instructed him. "We've made our decision."
Out in the woods, Master Phant continued along the path, unaware of the fact Veronica was following him.
The stranger secreted herself behind some leaves on a branch high above him as he came to a crossroads. She watched as he bent down, stroking the earth below him softly with his fingertips. She watched on as the air before him started to ripple and shimmer. She knew that there would be mystical protections here; she just needed to see where it was.
She watched as Master Phant stood up, and walked through the shimmer, before disappearing from view. She smiled as she saw this. She had found the entrance at last.
Leaping from the tree, she landed on the ground almost fifty feet below with catlike agility, before rising to full height, sweeping her long coat behind her. Walking straight forward, she went on through the crossroads, only to find herself appearing at it again. She sneered at the mystical enchantment protecting the entrance from unwanted visitors.
"Child's play." She commented as she pulled out a small dragon amulet. Reaching out, she saw the air start to shimmer and move as it had before, and as she approached, her hand disappeared. She carried on through, finding herself on the other side of the barrier.
There, she found a large, sandstone temple before her, with a staircase extending up almost thirty feet to the main plateau. All around the large stepped sides of the pyramid were ruined statues of ancient Mystic Knights, Ninja legends, and Pai Zhuq masters. She smirked and nodded.
"Thank you Elephant Master." She commented as she turned to leave. "Now I know where to find The Vault. Everything's going to plan."
Back in the courtroom, everyone was brought back into the main room as the judge and the panel took their seats. The judge gestured to Mike.
"Would you please rise?" He asked. Mike did as he was told, accompanied by his lawyer. The audience did likewise, his mother looking around at the crowd cautiously. Lily took a deep breath as she awaited their verdict.
"After careful consideration of the evidence, as well as the testimony we've heard, we have found this a very difficult case to judge. The crimes you committed were very serious, though we all believe you are well aware of the possible consequences of your actions."
He shifted a little in his seat.
"However, we have taken into account the testimony of your doctors, your conduct reports from the hospital staff, and the remorse you have shown for your actions. It is for these reasons that we have decided that the hospital is not the best place for your continued rehabilitation."
There were a few murmurs from the courtroom. Mike breathed a sigh of relief and settled into his chair as his lawyer shook his hand. Johnny held Liv tightly, whispering something in her ear reassuringly.
"Your doctors have prescribed you a course of medication, together with regular appointments to see psychiatrists to continue your counselling." The judge continued. "However, for now, we see no reason to believe you present any significant danger to the public, and release you back into the public, subject to finding suitable accommodations. We believe your mother is willing to accommodate you?"
"That is correct your honour." Mike told him.
"Then it is the ruling of this court that you are released immediately." He replied, hammering his gavel. "You are free to go."
Lily and her family all got up and left the courtroom, leaving Mike to celebrate his release with his lawyer, though his mother just turned and left the room to head to the parking lot. His victory felt a little hollow. Although he had been released, nobody, not even his own mother seemed to believe that he had every intention of changing, of simply moving on with the rest of his life.
As his lawyer congratulated him, but in reality seemed more excited about bolstering his own statistics, Mike reached to his shirt, feeling the dragon necklace he had been given by his mystery supporter. He wished he knew who it was, right now he could do with someone who believed in him, and he knew that they were in short supply. He knew that getting back to Ocean Bluff wasn't going to be easy, not least because it wasn't as though anyone there really had any reason to cut him a break. With the exception of this one person who wouldn't even tell him a name, he was on his own.
