BACK TO SCHOOL

CHAPTER 22: JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER

Xavier was in the garage as he was being lifted into his limo, it had been decided to they would have to testify after all. He had Hank there with all the copies of the evidence they had given others to the police as well as the lawyers. So far this would hopefully prove that Spears had indeed killed several mutants with this chemical they dumped.

Photos of Spears' trucks dumping something into the sewers late at night that was illegal in itself but now they would have to proof the effects of the chemicals. Scott had opted to go, as well as Jean even though she had a larger pile of homework they felt they had to come.

Xavier also brought along Gale Hunter given that she had a type of innocence about her and she had been there with the Morlocks. Logan was going because he wanted to be sure things went off well, Kitty was picked to go too although if she would or wouldn't have to go up he wasn't sure. She had been one of the ones that had gotten sick though. Colossus was also there mainly for moral support in case Kitty had to. Plus Xavier expected that with how much of a powder keg this issue was it might be safe to have someone with them of his abilities just in case.

All of them left the mansion Friday evening right after school. He was thankful for the time of the trail so he could have his students with him for this he didn't want them to miss any classes although this was important.

Xavier had a feeling that this could be a very important moment in mutant history with the outcome of this trial. It could either be a step forward or back for mutant rights and he hoped that things would turn out that would show the world they were just as human as they were and should have all the rights they did.

While on the ride he could feel the nervous tension on everyone. Kitty's leg was nervously twitching she never thought she would have to do something like this. When she felt a strong arm move around her shoulder she looked over to see Piotr's kind face looking down at her. "It will be all right Katya I know you will do great and we are all there for each other."

She gave him back a small smile glad to have him here, she leaned her head into him as she just wanted to take comfort in him. He could be like a rock at times to sturdy and calming. And that's what she needed as well. Scott and Jean were in their own little world as they were holding hands both of them deep in their link. The closer they got the deeper this link seemed to go and so far they had been talking the entire time with just the link.

And not just talking they were sharing their feelings and emotions supporting the other and trying to assure the other one as well. Gale kind of wished she had someone else and her thoughts turned to Amy and she sighed. What was it with her and relationships? But she closed her eyes as she went to practice on her mental shielding.

Gale, Dani and now the new girl Betsy took special training sessions with either Xavier and/or Jean to help them with their mental powers. So far her control was going well and it was nice to have another girl in the group as well. She smiled to herself at how all the mutants with mental powers on the teams were girls.

Logan was driving while Hank was going through his notes, "Jeez Hank ya mind calming down a bit? I got enough nervousness in the air with the kids."

"Yes well then perhaps you would like to go up there and explain the effects of mutant physiology to a jury then?" He grinned at him as Logan made a gruff grunt noise.

"No thanks but just be sure not to use too many big words then." He said and Hank nodded his head smiling. This would be his first major public appearance since when he and Ororo had gone to Washington to appeal for mutants. He had been scared given his looks but he couldn't hide from the world and Ororo had been very helpful in that as well.

They rode their way to New York and through the busy streets until they came to a courthouse. It was one of those usual older ones with the stone pillars that most court houses seemed to have been built in. Outside there was many people the usual news vans with reporters, police keeping things clam were there and they needed to be.

When they got out of the limo they noticed there seemed to be a few different groups there was the usual anti-mutant group with sighs like 'Free Spears' and 'For Mutants it's not murder'. Scott noticed a few of the black armbands of the FOH in the crowd. But there were also other protesters there that ranged from condemning Spears for pollution to actually pro-mutant. It was a bit uplifting to see that there were some people in this world that were for them.

When they went to the courthouse they were many shouting people, reporters trying to get interviews it was all too much. So they quickly made their way inside as fast as they could. A man in a dark suit with a fading hairline came up to them. "Professor Xavier, I'm District Attorney Chapel I'm glad you could come although given how his lawyers are doing it's hard to say how much this will work."

"But how can he get off?" Jean asked him she just couldn't get how someone was using a biological weapon could get away with it.

"It's not as cut and dry as that, as you heard the means by which this information is coming under question. I'm hoping that your testimony will help our case. But we really should get going it's about to start soon." He led them into the court room there where they took their seats.

They already saw Spears with several high price lawyers with him as the DA took his spot with an assistant there next to him. It took a few minutes and then the judge came in as the jury was walked in as well. For the first part there was testimony on certain evidence of the trail and then Hank was called to the stand.

Henry was in the clothing he had worn for when he met those in Congress as he was sworn in. First up was the DA. "Now Mr. McCoy you have given evidence for what was making mutants sick in the area is that correct?"

"Yes it was."

"Can you describe what the effects where?"

Hank nodded his head, "It was a toxin that was in the water supply, at first I didn't know this until much later. But it would seek out the mutant gene and then attack the body by destroying the white blood cells. Because it was diluted in water it took time for the effects to accumulate in the body. When that happened that's when the first signs would show up."

"The people infected would get headaches, getting more and more tired. Then they would collapse at times as well as run a fever. In some cases with a mutant group such as the Morlocks they had several fatalities."

"And you found this in a sample you collected from the images of the trucks shown in exhibit 12A?" The DA asked Hank and he told him so. There were a few more questions and then it was the defence's turn at Beast.

"Now then you claim that is was this chemical that was doing this that killed these Morlocks. Well how come there have been no reports of this?" The lawyers asked Hank. He explained how the Morlocks had been treated and were mistrustful of humans and had been forced to live underground.

"So then if they live in the sewers how do you know it wasn't just because of their living conditions? That can't be a healthy place to live and that could have easily been caused by that."

Hank sighed to himself that he had to be honest, "It's true that their living conditions made them more susceptible and put more strain on their health but-"

He was cut off by the defence lawyer. "So it could be possible they were just sick from living in the filth of sewers then." He stated it wasn't a question and he didn't let Hank expand on that at all. By the end he felt like he could have done better then that.

Kitty didn't have any better of a time as he told everyone how sick she had gotten and how everyone around her was getting sicker and sicker. Of course the lawyer did his thing once more and Kitty felt sick at how the man had pretty much tried to insult her. Even by saying how thing she was he was amazed she could even stand. The judge didn't like that one but that had hurt still.

The lawyer for the defence made cases such as how the Morlocks were a pack of terrorist and nothing from them could be trusted and he didn't say it but he did imply that the X-Men being linked to them were also the same as them. He tried to say how they had a person issue with Spears and this was all just a public attack n a legitimate business man.

The rest of the trail was like this, when they went up to tell their side of things Spears' lawyers tried to tare them to pieces. Jean had to restrain herself as when she was pretty much verbally attacked she came close to launching him across the room.

Gale didn't do so well either when she was put she told about the sick she saw both at the mansion then at the Morlocks and once again the defence lawyer pretty much tried his best to tare through her testimony.

At this point Xavier wasn't sure how well this was going but then he sensed something it was on the edge of his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to see what he was sensing, then his eyes opened up. It was then that rattling noises. Then the whole side of the wall was just ripped out, as people started to panic through the wall there was Magneto along with a few of his Acolytes there.

Magneto floated down as a couple of bailiffs drew their weapons but with a gesture they were torn from their grips and crushed. Magneto looked across the room noticing the cameras this would be a perfect time for the world to know what it would deal with when they harmed mutants.

"Magneto!" A voice called out and he wasn't surprised to see Xavier there with a few of his students.

"Charles, why am I not surprised for you to show up?"

Xavier looked at him as the X-Men formed around their mentor, "Eric what do you think you are doing here?"

"For there to be justice here today Charles," He looked at Spears who was trying to get away but used the metal on his belt, tie, watch and buttons to pull him back. "You, you poisoned my kind, killed my people and yet why am I not surprised that you wouldn't be punished for this?"

"That's why he's here to get what he deserves," Xavier told him and he only looked at Charles like you would at a naïve child.

"Please you think they will actually punish one of their own in this farce of a trial? The guilty go free all the time, no Charles there is only one way to deal with this. Pyro." He commanded as the orange suited maniac from Australia came forward grinning like a madman.

"Oh goodie a get to barbeque me some mutie haters, I love my job!" He tossed some fire to Spears and pretty much anyone close to him. Jean quickly held her hands up as a force bubble of mental energy went up around him. "Hey! The Sheila is ruining my fun!"

"And here's another," Scott said taking careful ain and pulling up his shades to send an optic blast at Pyro knocking him down. By then the Acolytes came forward and so did the X-Men as others went to flee. It was total chaos at the moment.

Gale found herself fighting off this young man with what looked like rocklike skin. He was a new addition to the Acolytes in fact it was his first real mission and test. He was just a grey skinned man with tough skin but he was a good fighter and it was how he dealt with humans that were hurting mutants that had gotten Magneto's attention.

This new mutant who liked to call himself Rocky was a bit of a slow mover. Gale dodge out of the way as he threw a punch that smashed through the desks being used by the DA at the time. Logan made for Sabertooth but stopped to a halt as he looked at Magneto.

He saw the man holding out his hand as it felt like his bones were trying to break out of his skin. "Not today Wolverine," The mater of magnetism said before flinging him over the people through a wall on the other side. Most of the people had fled with the exception of a few camera crews that were ordered to keep shooting the battle.

Sabertooth rushed forward with his usual roar but was blocked by Piotr as he armoured up. He grabbed the feral mutant by each wrist holding him back with his strength. "You know I never liked you."

"Feeling is mutual ya never had the stomach for our kind of work," He larger man sneered as he tried to wrench himself free. Piotr let go of one arm only to use that now free arm of his to send a powerful blow to the chest sending him flying back.

Suddenly Colossus was the one sent to the ground as he couldn't move. He struggled and remembered that last time this happened. He saw his old 'boss' Magneto glaring at him and he just glared back. This was the man that had forced him to work all the while he had his own sister who he had been loking for locked up. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't move.

"Peter!" Kitty called out seeing this she phased her way through Toad and grabbed him and quickly phased his legs into the floor.

"Hey! That ain't fair Pryde! Let me out of this!" Todd yelled at her trying to get his legs free.

"Peter are you okay?" She asked getting close but Todd wasn't out yet and whipped out his tongue to snag a leg and pulled hard. Causing Kitty to fall onto the floor hard. Piotr called out to her seeing her fall but she was okay a little winded but okay.

Toad was grinning as he pulled back his tongue and tried to get himself out, "Yo Rocko over here I need a hand!"

"It's Rocky not Rocko!" The grey mutant said to him as he marched over.

Beast was already fending himself off against a blond young woman named Scanner who had the ability to apparently turn invisible and intangible at the same time. He was also battling another young teen with short brown hair named Gianna AKA Static the woman that had been getting close to Lance lately.

The two of them were putting his agility up to the real test as Scanner kept disappearing and reappearing and Static he had to avoid her touch as her powers were like getting hit with a stun gun.

Suddenly a canister hit the area and there was a loud sonic noise as everyone covered their ears from the high pitch and painful sound. "What the hell was that?" Toad yelled out and like everyone feeling like his head was used as a cat scratch post.

"Everyone hold where you are!" A loud booming voice called out and by the large opening there was a tall black man with a shaved hear with a thick moustache that ran to the corners of his mouth then all the way down. He wore dark shades with a matching suit and gloves. But flanking him were men that looked like soldiers.

All in green and black combat armour with masked helmets and pointed very advanced weapons at them all. The man spoke again, "I'm agent Joshua of the Genetic Security Agency, and you're all under arrest. Surrender now or…ah hell with it you ain't going to do that so let's just get this started them huh?"

Magneto turned to face this new man as his eyes narrowed. He had heard of this GSA well then so be it, this country seemed to be making it's own version of the SS just like Germany had. He remembered those storm troopers there came to his home. The uniforms could change but he could still see them for what they were.

He floated up and gave a look at them daring them to attack him, "So be it then, let us show you why we are the superior species then."

Meanwhile not too far away, Spears was running for his life. He should have known something would happen. The deal with the FOH had seemed too good to be true and now he knew that they would want to shut him up sooner or later. Then this group from that Hellfire Club a club he had tried to enter had just walked up to him offering him membership and the best lawyers.

Things were going well but then that Magneto guy had to show up and now here he was running for his life. He took a turn down an alleyway as the sounds of fighting could still be heard. His heart was hammering his ears as his legs and lugs burned as he pushed himself to keep going.

He looked behind himself and was glad to see no one chasing him. He had thought he had gotten away when he felt someone from the font hit him hard. He landed and looked up seeing a man in a trench coat there. He was tall and broad shouldered with short dark hair. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days and his features were set into a cold scowl.

"Well now I was thinking of placing a bomb in your car or a sniper rifle set up across the street but you've made this all too easy Spears." He said to him in a cold deep voice.

Spears backed away on hands backing up. "What do you want?"

"Easy…I'm here to kill you."

"Whatever the FOH is paying you I'll double no triple it, we can make a deal can't we?" He asked him there had to be a way out of this.

"I don't work for the FOH," he said and pulled open his coat to reveal that he was strapped with several weapons but that wasn't what drew his attention. It was the large white skull on his shirt, he knew all about this man. He had recently made a name for himself and Spears' hoped died just then as this man pulled out a large .45 calibre side arm.

"I'm the Punisher and I'm here to see that you are punished for what you did," He said to him as he levelled the gun at Spears' face.

NEXT UP CHAPTER 23: THE VERDICT IS IN