May 31

Courtroom No. 4

11:15 AM

Lily Shield

~ Witness Testimony ~

~ My Encounter With the Victim ~

- "Since you're clearly so insistent on hearing what I was doing when I saw the victim, I'll tell you!"

- "I was there to speak with him about the Oracle of the Law since he knew a lot about them!"

- "When I finally found him, he was alone by the water with some sort of bag!"

- "He was already dead! He was face down in the water tied to the dock by a rope!"

- "The garment was already there too!"

- "See?! The reason I ran away was because I saw him dead and was going to call the police for backup!"

- "I hope that satisfies you, damn good for nothing lawyers!"

The first thing that clicked in my head after this testimony was over was that this witness sure was filled with rage. I didn't know how else to describe her. Detective Ghunshotte looked more than ready to lunge for my throat and cut it out if she was given the chance. To say the least, it was enough to give me chills. Chrysalis seemed to think the same thing, judging by the way that her gloved hands were tightly gripping the defense bench sitting before us.

"Now that you have heard the testimony of the witness, what do you think, defense?" Robbie asked with his arms crossed. I could tell that something about it was bugging him. He seemed to be a bit more on edge than usual. I couldn't blame him. Part of me was saying that something about the witness' words was wrong as well. I couldn't say for sure what it was right then though. I'd have to take one last look through the evidence to say certainly what was wrong.

"I think that it's time for me to begin my cross-examination. I have a question to ask the witness," I declared. "What do you think of that, Your Honor?"

"Go right ahead," Judge Frost nodded. "That is, unless the prosecution has any objections on the matter. Prosecutor Cruz? Prosecutor Shield?"

"The prosecution has no objections, Your Honor," Prosecutor Cruz proclaimed. "Go on and get started already."

~ Cross-Examination ~

~ My Encounter With the Victim ~

- "Since you're clearly so insistent on hearing what I was doing when I saw the victim, I'll tell you!"

- "I was there to speak with him about the Oracle of the Law since he knew a lot about them!"

- "When I finally found him, he was alone by the water with some sort of bag!"

- "He was already dead! He was face down in the water tied to the dock by a rope!"

- "The garment was already there too!"

- "See?! The reason I ran away was because I saw him dead and was going to call the police for backup!"

- "I hope that satisfies you, damn good for nothing lawyers!"

"Objection!"

"I'm afraid, witness, that this does not satisfy me. I have a glaring issue with your testimony that I feel we must address," I explained with a small smirk on my face. "In your testimony, you told the court that you found the body by the lake and ran off to call the police because of it. Do you still stand by that statement?"

"Why would I take it back? Lying in a court of law is a punishable offense, you know," Detective Ghunshotte told me, tapping her foot impatiently. She scratched her nails up against the witness stand more, which was killer on my poor ears. Did she not realize how loud that noise was to the rest of us in the court?!

"I have some evidence that goes against that," I said, pulling up a piece of paper. "I was under the impression that the witness from yesterday, Cassidy Rinko, found the body and called the police after having seen it. If the prosecution doesn't mind my asking, is that correct? Did you hear that information as well?"

"We did," Robbie nodded. "We heard loud and clear from the operator who received the call that the one who reported the body was Cassidy Rinko. That means that you, Detective Ghunshotte, have just lied to the court. What was that about lying in court being a punishable offense again? Could you repeat that for me?"

Detective Ghunshotte glared at Robbie before looking to me. "So what if somebody else reported the discovery of the body? That doesn't matter! The point is that I did not kill the victim. Even if you thought that I did, you don't have a single piece of evidence to prove it. As a lawyer, I'm sure that you know this, but evidence is everything in court. Without something to back up an accusation, you're just spouting meaningless words," she told me with a twisted smile. She examined her nails before looking back up at me. "So, do you have anything to prove that I did it? I'm going to be on my way if you can't think of anything."

"Neptune seemed to have this all figured out... She seemed to know exactly what the evidence we were searching for to accuse her was. What could it be though?" Chrysalis asked, tapping her foot on the ground nervously. "Without that, our case is as good as garbage..." She continued to look down for another moment before letting out a gasp. "Wait a minute! If you're alright with it, Your Honor, I have a question to ask the witness. May I?"

"Go right ahead," Judge Frost said with a nod.

"Would you be able to describe the crime scene to the court one more time? I'd like to hear about it, if you don't mind," Chrysalis told Detective Ghunshotte. If we're being perfectly honest here, I had no idea what she was up to, but I was going to have to count on it if I wanted to continue this trial and keep on questioning her.

"I got there and saw the body floating in the water. Its foot was tied by a rope to the nearby dock so it wouldn't float away. There was a garment in the water nearby that was also floating. A bag was on the ground, clearly having been rummaged through. I saw a photo next to it. Since it wasn't a windy day, it somehow hadn't been blown away," Detective Ghunshotte told her before scratching her nails once again on the witness stand. I could have sworn I saw everyone cringe at the unpleasant sound. I know for sure I did, at the very least. "What's so important about it? To my knowledge, it doesn't matter at all."

"That's it!" Chrysalis hissed to me. "I think I finally figured it out! I know what evidence Neptune was talking about before!" She gestured for me to lean in a little bit closer so we could talk without anybody listening in. "The photo was said to be on the ground near the body when it was found, as far as I remember. Plus, the witness even said it was sitting there. If you ask me, I think that the picture might be our last little bit of evidence to pull this whole case together."

"I'm afraid I don't follow," I frowned. "How could that photo be the final piece in this puzzle? I mean, I know that it was found at the crime scene, but didn't we already deem it unrelated? I don't understand how we'd be able to tie it back into everything and still make our explanation sound clean and accurate."

"If you ask me, taking that photo out of consideration was our problem. Neptune's bag was a little bit messy when we found it, but I don't think that any gust of wind, no matter the size, would have been able to pull anything out of it. Even if it was as untidy as it gets, everything was still inside and it could be zipped shut. If that's really the case, then how would the photo have gotten out of it? It doesn't make sense, unless you say that somebody went through it and pulled the photo out on purpose," Chrysalis explained. "The witness just told us herself that it looked as if someone had gone through the bag. I bet that if we asked for a forensic examination on the contents of the bag, we'd get results that would tell us loud and clear that she was the one who got into it that day."

"I see what you're getting at now! If she went into the bag, then her fingerprints have to be on something inside! I bet that the photo no longer has traces of her prints since we've been holding it and passing it around a bunch, but there are other pieces of evidence inside that bag that must have her prints on them. If she went through it, then there's no way that she couldn't have done it," I whispered. "After all, the victim was the one who took it. If he stole it, then she would have had to try to take it away from him to get a good look inside. Because of his attachment to the bag, the only real option for her was to kill him so that she could take it for herself. Of course, she ended up being spotted by Cassidy and caught in her lies, which means that she won't be getting away with it."

"I bet that she was in such a hurry to get away after having killed someone that she forgot the bag completely when she realized someone was watching her. She was too focused on getting away to snatch it as she made her escape," Chrysalis responded. "We can use that to our advantage by having forensics examine it and show who the real culprit behind this case was. If we can reveal this much, then she's bound to break and confess to her crimes."

"That sounds good to me. I'd rather she confess than have to try and explain how the garment found near the body fits into everything. I have no idea how it could be related, to tell the truth," I admitted with an awkward grin. "At the very least, I don't have any solid evidence to prove any theories."

"I don't have evidence either, but I think that it has something to do with the way the victim was lusting after Neptune. I bet that she could have used her attractive figure to catch his attention and get him under her thumb in no time. Maybe she tried to seduce him and that happened in the process," Chrysalis suggested. "But we can worry about this later. For now, we need to tell the court that we've figured out how to catch the killer. That should be our priority."

I nodded and turned back to Detective Ghunshotte, who was examining her nails with a sly smirk on her lips. "If you don't mind, Your Honor, I have a request to make," I declared. "I believe I know exactly how to prove that the witness is the one who committed the crime. If you'd be willing to let it happen, I'd like a test to be done on the bag belonging to the defendant, Neptune Mercure. The bag was dismissed as being unimportant early on in the investigation, but the defense believes that the real killer got into the bag and thus got their prints on the contents of the bag. If we can figure out who got in there, then we can prove exactly who killed the victim. I believe that the witness is the killer, but we can't prove such until we can get the bag tested by forensics. Is that alright with you?"

"That sounds alright by me. What do you think of that, witness?" asked Judge Frost. I could see something akin to a smirk on her lips. Maybe it was just me, but I got the feeling that she was a little bit smug. It wouldn't surprise me. From the second that Detective Ghunshotte appeared at the stand, I got the feeling that Judge Frost wasn't exactly fond of her, but then again, I could join her in that boat. The detective was nothing short of completely infuriating to me.

Detective Ghunshotte had frozen at my suggestion when I looked back to her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her fingernails. "You... You really are trying to pin this on me, aren't you?" she asked softly, refusing to meet anyone's expectant gaze. "You can't be serious... I'm not a criminal... I'm no killer... You're just grasping at straws to try and put me in that dismal prison. That's what all lawyers do. You aren't any different from the rest of the people in that damn profession. Are you trying to be special or edgy or something? Huh? Is that it?"

I held back a comment about how she seemed to be the edgy one based off the way she was dressed. Instead, I let an innocent smile appear on my lips. "So... It sounds to me like you have an issue with that proposition. Why do you think you're so nervous? We're incredibly curious as to why this is. If you wouldn't mind, could you please explain that to the court? That is... Unless you feel that it will put you into prison... In that case, we'll have to lock you away right now, so an answer would be very much appreciated," I told her. I couldn't contain my smile. We were winning!

Detective Ghunshotte began to growl under her breath. Suddenly, she let out an ear-piercing scream. It echoed throughout the courtroom, making me flinch. I covered up my ears as it got louder. Detective Ghunshotte began scratching at her arms with her long nails, leaving deep red wounds that were impossible to look away from. She kept on yelling as her nails began to crack. With one final cry, they completely shattered, showing that they were stick-on nails to begin with. They fell to the floor as messy debris at her feet. Detective Ghunshotte stared down at the pieces, hair covering up her face. When she looked up, there was a smile of madness on her face. She began to laugh uncontrollably, pointing at me as she did so. I got the feeling she was trying to say something, but I couldn't figure out what the hell it was she was attempting to get across.

"You think that you've won this all, don't you?!" she roared. "This is just the beginning! Occisor will not be brought down by someone as simple as you! Our plans will eternally live on! Besides, you're a damn fool if you think I'm just going to give myself up like this! I may have taken a risk by seducing him into coming with me to the lake, but I won't be making any other mistakes! This is just the beginning of everything that was meant to play out here today! You're about to feel the full rage of the Occisor group! I hope you're all ready!"

A laugh escaped Detective Ghunshotte's lips once more as I heard the doors being flung open. I turned to see that a group of four other figures had entered. I couldn't say for sure who they were, but I was instantly made uneasy by their presence. They were all wearing nothing but black and had knives in their hands. Chrysalis let out a gasp and began to mess with the hem of her jacket. I found myself taking a small step back towards her. This couldn't be happening. I had been sure that Detective Ghunshotte was cornered. She was about to be forced into surrender, and then this had to happen! Could things get any worse at this point?! The people that she had called in were probably murderers like she was too! If they were part of Occisor, they just had to be!

"Occisor isn't going to fall here. We weren't meant to. There's a pesky Oracle that still needs catching. Just like that fool with the katana from two years ago, we're going to show them what we can do. They got too involved in something that doesn't involve them. It was inevitable that they be targeted by us," Detective Ghunshotte said with a small laugh. "If you all know what's good for you, you'll let us go. All of my friends in here have snuck guns into the courtroom that will open fire immediately should anyone try to make a move and restrain us. That being said, I'll be on my way." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room with her friends. Once they were out of sight, the courtroom remained silent for a few moments longer. Everyone was too afraid to even think of speaking. My knees were feeling weak, like they were ready to give out at even the slightest movement. I hadn't even noticed how labored my breathing had become.

Judge Frost stared at the door in silence for another two or so minutes after they disappeared before speaking. None of her bailiffs had pursued them, seeming to know that it would only result in trouble. The courthouse was filled with innocent people that could very easily be hurt should anyone attempt to pursue them. "I... I believe that it's time for us to bring this trial to a close," she declared eventually. "Are there any objections from the defense or prosecution?"

"I don't have any objections," I said. I was surprised that I had managed to speak those words without my voice cracking. I was ready to collapse from fear and adrenaline. This was all happening too fast. First, we had found the killer. Then, she'd broken down. After that, a random group of killers had shown up to make sure that she got out without being arrested. It was crazy. I hoped that I'd be able to avoid murder cases that were deceptively innocent for quite some time. Then again, giving my luck, that probably wasn't going to happen. It seemed that the agency and I were doomed to eternally get cases that were like this, if the murder at the prison on top of this drowning case weren't indications of that already.

"The prosecution has no objections either," Prosecutor Cruz declared. His sunglasses were making him hard to read, but I still could have sworn that there was something like fear in his eyes. He was probably just as scared as I was behind those glasses. I doubted he'd ever admit that much though, so I'd just have to trust my gut instinct on that for the rest of my life. I was fine with that. I wanted to leave this case and everything involved with it behind forever.

"In that case, I believe that it's time for me to announce my verdict," Judge Frost said. "But before that, did we ever figure out how the culprit committed the crime? I'd like to know how the garment was connected to the rest of the crime. I get the feeling that it was no mere coincidence that it wound up there with the body. If there are any explanations, I'd be glad to hear them now. The court files will likely require this information anyways, so we might as well get it out of the way."

"She said that she seduced the victim, so I'm going to guess that she met him by the lake and used his perversion to her advantage. With a little bit of sweet talk and alluring behavior, she could have easily gotten him under her thumb. Maybe the garment was removed as part of the 'sexy' ruse she was putting on before he died. Afterwards, it could have floated out of her reach where she couldn't retrieve it before making her escape," Chrysalis said. "Of course, that's just a suggestion, and I can't say for sure, but..."

"Thank you," Judge Frost nodded. "With that said, it's time for me to announce my verdict. This court hereby finds the defendant, Neptune Mercure, not guilty. Court is adjourned!" With a triumphant slamming of the gavel, the trial was ended. Conversation filled with fearful words erupted above me. I didn't say a thing. Instead, I collected my things and made a beeline for the nearby lobby. I wanted to get out of here as quickly as I possibly could. I wished I could erase this day from my memory forever.

May 31

Defendant Lobby No. 4

1:00 PM

Neptune Mercure

Once we finally got out of the courtroom, I dashed instantly for the couch. My legs were feeling weak after all of that, even if I had been sitting throughout all of it. Judging by the nervous chatter around me, everybody else was just as scared as I was. I couldn't blame anyone here. I hadn't expected something like that to happen. I had never anticipated that detective to end up being part of Occisor. I couldn't help but want to know more, but I decided to hold back on that. The woman who had turned out to be part of it was definitely dangerous. Her other companions were just as risky to be around. I wasn't even sure if Detective Ghunshotte was her real name. After all, Occisor's members seemed far too smart to do something like just reveal their actual names to the world upon being exposed.

"Um... Neptune?"

I looked up when I heard Chrysalis standing in front of me. She was clutching the paper I had given her before tightly. I moved aside and patted the space next to me so she'd want to sit down. She followed my gesture and took the seat. "You... You know a lot about Oracle, I see," she murmured softly. "I don't really know what else to say, so excuse my awkwardness... All of this is a bit overwhelming, you know? I'm sorry about how nervous I am in advance..."

"It's alright," I assured her. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her a bit closer. I could feel her shaking under my grasp. She didn't try to pull away, instead relaxing into my arms. "Are you feeling alright? I know that was rather stressful, but you seem unnaturally unnerved. Do you want to talk about it? I'll be happy to listen to you. You're a sweet kid. I feel like I should protect you, in some strange way. Is that weird? That probably sounds weird considering we just met a few days ago."

"It's fine... You know, you sort of remind me of my best friend. Well... Former best friend now. She died not long ago. I'm sure you've heard about Cassidy's older sister, Venus. She passed away in an incident involving Oracle. I had been hoping to stop thinking about them, but I can't. There's too much to look into. I need to know who they are so that I can hear the truth about her involvement. It's been nagging away at me ever since... Honestly, you're a lot like her. She was quirky and optimistic. She was also a bit motherly, always there if I was upset or something was bothering me. Plus, you're practically the spitting image of Venus. The main difference is that your hair streaks are blue while hers were pink. I never would have expected to end up finding her doppelgänger while in the middle of the grieving process, but I'm glad that we met, in a strange sort of way. I guess fate was smiling down on us despite this disaster of a murder case," Chrysalis told me.

"I'm glad we met also," I smiled. "The circumstances weren't exactly the best for our chance encounter, but it all worked out okay, so I think we're fine. I'm glad that I was able to get out of that scrape with your help. It wouldn't have been good if I had ended up in prison. I can tell you now that the people I'm living with now wouldn't have been happy to hear that I had gotten myself into trouble. As nice as they are, I wouldn't have wanted to be around when they heard about me ending up in jail should the verdict have gone sour."

"Where are you living anyways? I don't recognize the address on the paper you gave me," Chrysalis said. "If I'm going to come and see you, it might help if I know exactly where I'm going so I don't get lost or something like that."

"Oh, I totally understand your concern. I'd be happy to tell you. I live with a family that owns a large information gathering company. You probably have heard of Gather Law, correct?" I asked. "I live with the current CEO, his wife, his two children, and two of their workers. They're kind people. After an incident a few months ago, I needed a place to stay while I got back on my feet. They gladly took me in and have been helping me ever since. It means a lot to me that they've been so caring. I'll gladly introduce you if you ever want to come and talk to me about... Well, you know. I don't think I really need to say it again."

"Yeah... Speaking of that, I want to know... How did you learn about all of this?" Chrysalis questioned. "I apologize if my asking that is getting irritating, but I really want to know the answer. We're friends now, right? Can't you just tell me this one little thing? I need to know the truth about Oracle. It's critically important."

"It's only natural that I know about Oracle. I live with the family that owns the largest information gathering company in the area. It even rivals those all over the nation. Because of all the information I have at my disposal, it's easy to learn most things that are put on paper there," I explained. I leaned in a bit closer to whisper into her ear. "As a matter of fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the others all knew who Oracle was as well. They have just as much on hand to learn the truth about the spy. That being said, we're going to be on your side should you ever want to talk about it. I know that you'll be ready to face the truth soon. I have faith in you."

Chrysalis didn't say anything in response. She just gripped the paper I had given her a little bit tighter. I saw fear in her eyes even if she was trying to dodge my gaze. I held her a little bit closer in hopes that this action would be able to console her. "It'll be alright. I promise. I'll always be your ally in the face of uncertainty. I swear it on my life," I told her. She curled up a little bit closer to my chest before closing her eyes. Her shoulders were tense, but I still kept her near me in hopes that it would be able to calm her down.

We sat there for a few moments before standing up. "Well, I should probably take a cab down to the lake now. I need to pick up my car. It's probably still there because I was never there to take it back home," I said. "I'll see you later. We can talk more about the Oracle situation whenever you're ready. My door is always open to a friend. I hope you would do the same thing for me if something was on my mind. It's only what friends would do for each other, wouldn't you agree?"

Chrysalis nodded. "I... I'm glad that you were willing to talk to me about this. It means a lot to me. I'll see you around soon. I... I get the feeling that we're going to be crossing paths in the future regardless of if we like it or not," she murmured. "Until then, you stay out of trouble, alright? I don't want to have to defend you from murder charges again. Even if we can get you out of that scrape, it's still a bit more stress than I'd like to have on my plate... Well, I'll talk to you later, Neptune. Have a nice day."

We waved to one another and turned to go our separate ways. As I left the courthouse, I pulled out my phone and called one of the numbers in my contacts list. After ringing for a few times, the phone emitted a noise that sounded like a greeting. I didn't give the person on the other end a chance to speak. "I'm out of the trial. I got a not guilty. I'll be home soon. Give me a little bit to go and get my car... I started talking to her. She doesn't suspect a thing. The secret is safe... She might come over soon to talk about it. Can't say when... I'll talk to you when I get home. Bye."

And with that, I hung up.

You're probably wondering why this update is early. There's a reason for that. My birthday is today! As thanks for reading my stuff, you guys get an update a day early! Think of it as a party favor or something.

This update was a blast to write. I love Neptune and Chrysalis content. They had barely any interactions in the original, so I decided to pack this case full of them. Yay.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I'll see you all tomorrow!

-Digital