Elise barely slept on nights before big court appearances, and the night before her own trial had been no exception. From the window of the spare bedroom, she watched as the sun illuminated the sides of buildings, casting long shadows in the street and reddening the skyline.
Before Parmeri woke up, she went into the bathroom to shower. Still unable to stand on her injured leg, she sat down as the water splashed over her. It was still early by the time she felt clean, so she wrapped a towel around her torso and returned to the spare bedroom. She lay down on the cool sheets, the moisture from her skin and hair leeching into the pillows and blankets. After several minutes, she urged herself to sit upright, and she applied a new piece of gauze to the once-again bleeding hole in her ankle.
A knock came on the door. "Mornin', 'Lise," Parmeri called.
"I'm up," she responded.
"My wife left some suits behind when she left," he informed her through the door. "If ya wanna wear one, they're in my closet."
"Thanks."
Once she heard that the shower was on, Elise balanced on her crutches and hopped around the corner into Parmeri's room. Quickly, she picked out a black skirt and matching jacket and a blouse to go underneath. She returned to the room where she slept to change. With the jacket open and her belly sucked in, the fit of the clothing wasn't so bad. She didn't feel pretty, but she felt well-enough-dressed. Anxiety twisted her stomach painfully; she had to remind herself to take full breaths. She waited with the door open for Parmeri to be ready, biting on her forefinger to stop herself from fidgeting.
"You want breakfast?" Parmeri shouted at one point.
"Just coffee," Elise replied.
"You sure?"
"I'm not hungry."
With a bagel in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, Parmeri approached Elise and sat down next to her on the bed at a courteous distance. He extended his arm to hand her the warm mug.
"You're worried," he said.
"Yeah." Elise sipped the hot coffee carefully. "But that's normal, right?"
"Sure is."
They finished their breakfasts in silence.
"Let's get goin'," Parmeri suggested, glancing at his watch. "Cara's probably on her way already."
Traffic was heavy, and the cab ride to the courthouse lasted longer than it should have. Elise watched the stop-and-go from the window. Briefly, she turned her head to see Parmeri doing the same. As the driver pulled up close to the curb in front of the courthouse, he nearly struck a group of journalists, cameramen, and crew who hesitated to move out of his way.
"Stay close when we get out, 'Lise," Parmeri advised as he paid for the ride. "It doesn't look too good out there."
By the time Elise had gathered her crutches, Parmeri had circled around to her side of the cab to open the door for her. Unsteady, she stepped outside, and almost immediately, she and her lawyer were surrounded by cameras and microphones. The way to the courthouse was lined with protesters, holding poster board scrawled with phrases, from the accusatory to the violent. Police were stationed at the pathetic barricades intended to keep the crowd contained, but they couldn't contain the collective "boo" that erupted as Elise approached the steps. The trial wouldn't be brief, she knew; she would have to get used to this.
Slowly, but without incident, Elise and Parmeri made their way into the courthouse. The quiet inside was in stark contrast to the chaos through which they had just passed.
Parmeri took one last look at his watch. "That took longer than I thought it would. We better head in."
The public seating area was already packed by the time they approached the defendants' table. To Elise's relief, the spectators were quiet as she made her way in, instead glaring at her and whispering to one another. It was unsettling, but it was nowhere near as unsettling as the sight of Loki, already seated, a slight smile creasing his lips. Once again, Cara sat at the outer edge of the table, fidgeting with a pen and staring into an opening statement, and Loki sat to her right, with the seat on his own right unoccupied.
Parmeri gestured toward the empty, middle seat. "Go on, 'Lise."
"You first," Elise replied, shaking her head.
"I'm gonna have to get up anyway," Parmeri insisted. "I gotta sit on the outside."
Elise inhaled deeply and, abandoning her crutches, shuffled awkwardly toward the empty chair and Loki. At the crowded table, she was close enough to accidentally touch him, so she planted her feet flat on the ground in front of her and tensed her thighs so that they wouldn't move. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at them.
Loki stared straight ahead as he muttered, "I have lost my patience with you."
"I don't care," Elise retorted at full volume.
"Is that so?" Loki said, turning to look her in the eye. "Then you must not comprehend the enormity of your mistake."
"Cool it, big guy," Parmeri chided from the end of the table. "You too, 'Lise. We're all on the same side here."
At that very moment, Whitney Mercure entered from the back of the courtroom and made her way to the prosecutor's table. Elise watched as she carefully unpacked a heavy binder and two file folders from her briefcase, laying them out across the wooden surface in front of her. She sat down, then turned her head to regard the defendants, her stare sending a chill up Elise's spine. Elise turned her head to her left, but she then faced Loki. She averted her eyes one last time, staring at Judge Dames' empty perch as she waited for him to arrive.
The clerk arrived first, then the judge, and finally, the jury. There was nowhere left for Elise to look, so she looked down.
"The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is now in session, the Honorable Norman T. Dames presiding," the clerk iterated sleepily. "Today's case is the United States v. Laufeyson, docket numb-"
"Thank you," Judge Dames said, cutting off the clerk's reading. "Counselors, shall we proceed?"
All the attorneys, Parmeri, Cara, and Mercure, rose from their seats.
"Yes, Your Honor," Mercure crowed.
The judge nodded. "Has the prosecution prepared an opening statement?"
The two defense attorneys were seated. Whitney Mercure pulled a single index card from each file folder, circled to the front of the table, and strode confidently toward the jurors.
"May it please the Court, members of the jury," she began, "there are two types of people in this world: leaders and followers. One of each sits before you today."
Elise looked to Parmeri; he was listening to Mercure's opening statement intently.
"What does leadership mean?" Mercure posited as she walked the floor, seemingly inspecting the jurors. "It means taking responsibility for your own actions, doesn't it? Never making excuses?"
Some of the jurors nodded; they already seemed to be hypnotized with the prosecutor's words.
"I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot of excuses from Loki Laufeyson today," Mercure said. "But when it comes to the things he's done, the innocent lives he's taken... ladies and gentlemen, he was most certainly a leader. At least to Elise Milton, he was. Because, you see, she is the second type of person: the follower. She never questioned whether the things she was doing were right. Not when she was the middle-man in a terrorist plot against her own country, and certainly not when she helped Laufeyson kill two people and injure another such that he will never be the same again."
Elise clenched her fists as the prosecutor made these insinuations, unable to remove her anger from her assessment of Whitney Mercure's strategy.
"Unfortunately, you won't be hearing from Robert Cordero today," Mercure continued, taking on a tone of dramatized disgust and sympathy. "You won't be hearing from him because he is lying in a hospital bed with his jaw wired shut. All he has to look forward to is a lifetime of physical therapy as a result of injuries that he sustained when Loki Laufeyson threw him head-first into a tree." She paused for effect. "If you had seen this young man lying unconscious, barely breathing, on the ground, wouldn't you have helped him? Or would you have called someone who could have helped him?"
As if in a trance, the jurors nodded.
"Well, Elise Milton didn't help him." Mercure's speech became more impassioned. "Instead, she helped Loki Laufeyson murder Robert's girlfriend, the woman who he described in a statement that you'll hear during this trial as his 'soul mate and partner in life,' and Officer Joseph Rowcevski, a man who devoted his career to making this nation's parks and campgrounds safe for you and your family."
Parmeri nudged Elise to call her attention to something that he had scrawled on a piece of paper: She's laying it on thick.
"I don't think I need to recount for you the events that took place last year," Mercure went on, "and we will present a wealth of evidence related to those events in the coming days, evidence that proves, beyond question, Loki Laufeyson's responsibility for the deaths of at least twenty-five people and the destruction of both public and private property. You'll hear testimony not only from witnesses to those events, but also from the heroes who risked their lives to stop him from burning this city to the ground.
"As I've said, you'll also hear excuses from Mr. Laufeyson and his attorneys. You may hear that he didn't understand that what he was doing was wrong. You may even hear someone say that Mr. Laufeyson deserves our sympathy, that he is psychologically damaged, or at least that he was when he committed these atrocities. You might find that persuasive. But the fact of the matter is, these acts of violence and terror didn't happen because of Laufeyson's family, or because he's mentally ill. These were acts done of his own volition, and they should be treated as such. Don't be fooled.
"And don't let Elise Milton fool you, either. She wants your sympathy, too. Her attorneys will try to paint her as a victim. They'll argue that she was held hostage by a madman, and that she had no choice but to help him kill and destroy. As you'll soon see, though, that wasn't actually her position. I'll explain.
"Elise Milton was Laufeyson's attorney. Some mistakes were made with regard to security – I won't name any names, but mistakes were made - and Elise helped Loki exploit those mistakes in order to escape from Asgard and return to New York City. She then proceeded to initiate an inappropriate sexual relationship with Laufeyson."
Elise's cheeks felt hot as gasps and hushed chatter filled the courtroom.
Mercure didn't relent. "On multiple occasions, Elise had the opportunity to call the police, leave her apartment, or provide information that would have led to Loki's re-arrest. Instead, she chose to help him evade arrest. She chose to help with his plan – a failed plan, thankfully – to start a nuclear war. She wasn't scared of him. She was doing exactly what she wanted to do.
"So, as you'll see, there was a leader here, and there was a follower here, but each defendant played a role, and they both must be held accountable." Finally, Mercure lowered her voice. "I think that will become clear by the time you are asked to make your decision at the conclusion of this trial. Thank you."
A tense hush washed over the space.
"Has the defense prepared an opening statement?" Judge Dames asked.
"We have, Your Honor," Parmeri said as he rose slowly from his seat, gathering a cluster of papers and taking them with him as he made his way to the front of the defense table. He looked to the judge, and when he nodded, Parmeri began.
"May it please the court, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, to quote an old adage, 'an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' Thankfully, we don't live in a country where an 'eye for an eye' is law. We-"
"Objection!" Whitney Mercure barked. "Counsel is instructing the jury as to the law."
"Sustained," Judge Dames said, glowering from his raised seat at Parmeri.
Elise leaned behind Loki's back to get Cara's attention. "What is she doing?" she mouthed, barely whispering. "Who even makes an objection like that?"
Cara pressed a finger to her lips and turned her attention back to the action at the center of the courtroom. Elise retreated back to her place at the end of the table.
Parmeri picked up where he left off. "What I'm saying is this: Mr. Laufeyson and Ms. Milton are two people who got caught up in somethin' they couldn't control. For Mr. Laufeyson, that thing was mental illness. He's been through his fair share of trauma. He started life as an orphan. He was adopted, but his family never treated him like their own child. In fact, they used him as political capital, as a-"
"Objection!"
The voice came from the back of the courtroom. Elise didn't have to turn around to know that it belonged to Thor. She sighed and cradled her head in her hands; the trial was already off to a bizarre start, and it seemed only to be hurting her side of the case.
"Sit down, sir," Judge Dames scolded, already quite obviously exasperated with the disruptions in the court over which he presided. "Counselor, please continue."
Parmeri's shoulders heaved as he drew in a deep breath. "Anyway," he said, slightly shaken by the interruption, "before Laufeyson wound up here, he was tortured by aliens called the Chitauri. They directed him to attack earth, and in his fragile mental state, he saw no better option. No way out. The pressure he was under was enormous, and the pain he felt was more than what any of us could've coped with.
"Unfortunately, there was one other person who did have to cope with it. That person's Elise Milton. Ms. Milton isn't guilty of doin' anything but her job. She was Laufeyson's attorney, but she didn't know until it was too late that he was mentally unstable. She tried to be nice - especially after she heard his tragic story - and she wound up in a predicament. She was afraid of Laufeyson, and that was entirely reasonable. He didn't understand the consequences or morality of his actions. On top of that, he could easily overpower her physically, and, when his mental illness caused him to be impulsive, he did. You'll hear testimony on that later. The threat to Elise's life was very, very real.
"Now, I'm not denyin' that Laufeyson's done some things, and I'm not denyin' that Milton was there for some of it. But Laufeyson needs treatment for his sickness, and Milton wasn't responsible for what he did as a result of that sickness. Milton did what any of you would have done in that situation, and Laufeyson did what he genuinely believed was reasonable."
Elise looked to the jurors again. They appeared not only unconvinced, but bored. Perhaps they had already made up their minds.
"Put yourself in their shoes," Parmeri continued, stepping closer to the jury to draw in their attention. "Would you be able to go through what Laufeyson went through and come out of it no different than you were before? You might like to think so, but none of us would. And what would you do in a hostage situation? You'd probably play it safe the way Milton did. If stayin' alive meant being present while some things unfolded – and I want to emphasize that that's all that happened; she didn't participate – you probably wouldn't speak up.
"So that's all I'm askin' for," he concluded. "Don't hold these defendants to a standard you wouldn't wanna be held to. Thank you."
Before Parmeri could make his way back to his seat, Judge Dames turned his attention to Mercure. "Your first witness," he instructed.
She rose. "The United States calls Anthony Stark."
Tony Stark walked casually and confidently to the front of the courtroom.
"Raise your right hand," the clerk said as she held the Bible out for his left. "Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Amen," Tony mocked, tapping the Bible with his fingertips before he ascended to the stand.
"Please state your name for the jury," said Mercure.
Tony leaned back in his seat. "That's alright. They know who I am."
Mercure smiled, but somehow, she didn't seem amused. "Please, Mr. Stark."
"Okay, fine," he said. "Anthony Stark."
"Thank you." Mercure began pacing the floor painfully slowly. "What is it that you do for a living, Mr. Stark?"
"Well, I'm a billionaire, so I do whatever I want," he replied, "unless I get subpoenaed. I go to court if I get subpoenaed, and that's not at all what I want to do."
Elise perked up. If all of the prosecution's witnesses were as antagonistic as Tony Stark was, there was a chance she'd be off the hook.
"Answer the question, Mr. Stark," Judge Dames warned.
Stark rolled his eyes. "Inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist... superhero, I suppose."
Mercure nodded as though she were giving his answer deep thought. "Where did you first come into contact with Mr. Laufeyson?"
"In Germany," Stark answered.
"What happened in Germany?"
"Objection," Parmeri interrupted. "The question's irrelevant. Laufeyson's not on trial for crimes he may have committed abroad."
"Your Honor," said Mercure, "the events I've asked the witness about are inextricably linked to the charges against the defendant."
"Overruled," the judge declared. "Mr. Stark, you may answer the question."
"Well," Stark said, "at that point, I had started working for a certain... 'big brother' type of organization."
"Was that organization S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Mercure asked.
"That's the one," Stark confirmed. "Why? Do you know them?"
"Please, Mr. Stark, just answer the question."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. threw together this initiative called 'The Avengers' to deal with the Loki situation. You might have heard about us. Anyway, they sent in the Cap, but-"
"Who is 'the Cap?'" Mercure asked.
"Captain America," Tony clarified. "Steve Rogers. You really aren't up on your heroes, are you?"
Mercure removed her glasses to rub her temples. "What happened then?"
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Tony sassed, "Cap was supposed to deal with Loki, but he got his ass handed to him – no offense, Cap, I know you're out there – so I dropped in to save the day."
"Mr. Stark," Judge Dames interjected, "watch your language when you're in my courtroom."
"Why?" said Tony, playing dumb. "What did I say?"
The judge ignored him. "Please continue, counselor."
"When you got there," Mercure questioned, "what did you see?"
"I saw the Cap's... um... 'rear end' getting kicked left and right."
"What did you see Loki doing?" Mercure snapped. "What was happening with regard to the defendant?"
"Well," Stark scoffed, crossing his arms in feigned offense, "you don't have to be nasty about it. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, y'know."
Elise couldn't help but smile. Tony Stark, possibly the prosecution's star witness, was discrediting his own testimony in the name of humor.
Mercure sighed loudly. "Your Honor," she said, "I request permission to treat Mr. Stark as a hostile witness."
"I'll grant permission," Judge Dames replied without taking a moment to think.
"I'm not hostile," Tony protested. "You're hostile," he said, pointing at Mercure. He then pointed to the judge. "You're hostile, too."
Mercure resumed her line of questioning, raising her voice slightly. "Mr. Stark, when you arrived in Germany, you witnessed Loki Laufeyson standing over a crowd of people, all of whom were kneeling, is that correct?"
"Well, he was trying to, I think," Tony said, "but-"
"Thank you," Mercure interrupted loudly. "And is it true that he was then transported by S.H.I.E.L.D. to a temporary jail cell?"
"Eventually."
"And that he attempted to murder S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phillip Coulson by stabbing him with a small knife?"
"Sure," Tony responded, obviously agitated. "I wasn't there for that, but sure. Whatever you wanna hear."
"Defense moves to strike that last piece of testimony from the record," Parmeri objected. "Witness just said he didn't actually see that happen."
"So stricken," said the judge with a nod.
"Mr. Stark," Mercure continued, "did you or did you not witness Laufeyson leading what amounted to a full-scale invasion of the United States?"
"If it was full scale, wouldn't it have worked?" Stark mused.
"Yes or no, Mr. Stark," said Mercure, impatient.
"Fine, yes, I witnessed that. Happy?"
"And what happened after that?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "I took the team out for ice cream."
"May I remind you that you're under oath, Mr. Stark?"
"Fine," Stark said, "it wasn't ice cream. It was shawarma. And after that – since I know you're gonna ask – Thor took Loki back to Asgard, and I don't know what happened during that span of time, between then and now." He sighed, clearly agitated and, it appeared, very anxious. "Can I go now?"
"I have a few more questions," said Mercure. "Let's fast-forward to this past month. When did you become aware that Loki had escaped from custody?"
"He wasn't exactly flying under the radar," Stark testified. "He was carrying the Tesseract, basically a mega-powered energy source, which is easily traceable if you've got the technology, which I do."
"When did you start tracking his location?"
"See, that's what you have to understand," Tony said. "I wasn't tracking his location. I was tracking the Tesseract."
"Could you explain the importance of that distinction?"
"Sure I could, but I wouldn't expect lawyers to get it. Especially the scummy ones. I'm lookin' at you, Skipp."
"Please just explain the relevance of that distinction to the case, Mr. Stark."
"Alright," said Tony. "Basically, two things were happening. I started following the Tesseract's location when computers I didn't recognize started trying to get into my stuff. Later on, that big, shiny Tesseract signal split into two: one weak signal, which stayed in North Korea, and another signal that was still strong and getting progressively stronger, which moved around, I'm guessing, wherever Loki went."
"And, in your experience, what could the Tesseract possibly be used for?"
Stark shrugged. "Weapons of mass destruction seem to be a popular choice."
Mercure nodded, pausing her questioning to allow Tony's testimony to sink into the jury's collective memory. "How did you meet Elise Milton?"
"Broke into her apartment," he said. "Me and Cap, I mean."
"Was there a reason for that?"
"That's where the Tesseract was, so the natural conclusion was that we'd find Loki there, too."
"And what did you find there?"
Elise swallowed hard. She didn't want to hear this part.
"Let me start by saying that the place was a dump," Tony recounted. "I don't mean 'whoops, forgot to fold laundry,' or something like that. I'm talking busted furniture, plaster coming off of walls... I don't know if she trashed the place by herself or if Loki helped, but-"
"And what else?"
"I'm getting to it," Tony assured her. "Of course, by the time we got there, Loki was nowhere to be found – always seems to work out like that, doesn't it? - but Elise was there, and she just looked-"
"That's enough," Mercure said, raising a hand to stop him. "You can spare us the details. Now, Milton later admitted in your presence to having engaged in a sexual relationship with Laufeyson, is that correct?"
"Jeez... you make it sound even less sexy when you say it like that."
"Is that correct?" Mercure repeated.
"Yeah."
"Thank you," Mercure said. "No further questions."
As Whitney Mercure retook her seat, Parmeri left his and walked until he was within a few feet of Tony Stark.
"So, Mr. Stark," Parmeri began, "I think you got cut-off during direct. What'd ya say Elise looked like when you found her?"
"I was just saying she looked like hell," Tony answered. "Bruised-up, nose bleeding, pretty much unconscious... so, yeah, like hell."
"Now, I'm not gonna ask you to speculate as to what happened," said Parmeri, "but what was your first thought when you saw Ms. Milton lookin' like that?"
Stark cringed half-seriously. "Don't play with fire 'cause you might get burned, I guess."
"Whaddaya mean by that?"
"I mean don't let a violent maniac crash on your couch, because if he doesn't get his way, he's probably going to take it out on you."
"So it looked like Laufeyson injured Milton, is that right?"
"Sure."
"How would you describe Mr. Laufeyson?" Parmeri asked, moving on.
"Tall guy, dark hair, not all that cute, probably a four out of ten."
Parmeri seemed to be stifling laughter. "No, Mr. Stark, I'm askin' how you'd describe Laufeyson as a person."
"Oh, well, in that case," said Tony, "I think one of my colleagues put it best: 'his brain is a bag full of cats.'"
"Could ya explain that?"
"Kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it?" Stark replied. "It's not like there's nothing going on in there. It's just everything that does go on in that guy's brain is chaos. Loud, smelly, scratching, biting chaos."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Parmeri said. "No further questions."
"Thank God," Tony groaned theatrically. He stepped down from the stand and immediately retreated to the back of the courtroom and out through the doors while Whitney Mercure prepared to call her second witness.
"The United States calls Jane Foster," she announced as she pulled a stapled, hole-punched packet from her binder.
Elise turned to watch her rise from her seat beside Thor. Jane's lip curled slightly as her eyes scanned the faces of the defendants, but she sighed and tried to smile once she was at the stand.
"Good morning, Miss Foster," Mercure greeted in the most tender tone a prosecutor could possibly have mustered.
"Good morning," Jane replied quietly.
"Could you please state your name for the court?"
"Jane Foster."
"Thank you." Mercure approached her with the stapled packet she held in her hands. "Miss Foster, do you recognize this document?"
"Yes."
"And what is it?"
"That's a report from my hospital visit. A toxicology report, I think."
"I'd like to offer into evidence United States' Exhibit A," Mercure said, addressing the court, "a printed copy of the results of the witness' toxicology screen dated March eleventh of this year."
"Admitted," said Judge Dames.
"Miss Foster, during your stay at the hospital, did your physician explain these results to you?" Mercure asked.
"Yes," Jane replied. "He told me that that the test showed that I had taken benzodiazepines."
"Did you know what benzodiaepines were?"
"Kind of."
"Are you familiar with some of the brand names?"
"Yes."
"Can you name some of them?"
"Sure," Jane said, taking her eyes off of the prosecutor to think. "Xanax, Klonopin, Valium..."
"Did your doctor explain to you anything else about these medications?"
"He explained what they're used for."
"And what are they used for?"
"Objection!" Parmeri shouted. "That's hearsay."
"Overruled," Judge Dames said, scowling.
"They're used for anxiety disorders," Jane answered. "And panic attacks."
Mercure nodded thoughtfully. "And have you ever been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, Miss Foster?"
"No," Jane said with a nervous laugh, "though I probably could be."
"But you haven't been."
"Right."
"Then have you ever taken benzodiazepines for 'recreational' purposes?"
"Never," said Jane, shaking her head.
"Why might they have been in your body, then?"
"Objection," Parmeri interjected once again. "Calls for speculation."
The judge was silent for a moment before he said, "Sustained."
Mercure returned to the prosecution's table and pulled another sheet of paper from her binder. "I offer into evidence United States' Exhibit B."
"And what is it, exactly?" the judge asked.
"Your Honor, this is a photocopy of a prescription for Valium, dated March first of this year, which was found in Elise Milton's apartment."
Elise's eyes widened. She looked to her right and saw that Parmeri's expression matched hers.
"I object to this admission," Parmeri said. "This is private medical information that wasn't obtained in compliance with HIPAA, and-"
"United States' Exhibit B is admitted," Judge Dames said.
Parmeri groaned quietly and painfully, as if the very thought of the incriminating evidence's admission gnawed at his insides.
"Miss Foster, I understand if this is hard for you, but please, try to remember: was there any point in time when Elise Milton might have had access to your food or beverages?"
"Yes," Jane said, nodding fervently. "She ate dinner with us while she was in Asgard, after she talked to Loki."
"Did she and Laufeyson seem to get along well, Miss Foster?"
"Oh yeah, they got along great," Jane testified, staring daggers at the defendants. Despite her polite demeanor and kind voice, there was no mercy in her expression. "Loki even asked her to go back to his room with him after they finished eating. So I guess this all makes sense."
"What makes sense?"
"That they're... you know. 'Partners in crime.'"
"We move to have that stricken from the record!" Parmeri protested.
"I'm going to deny that motion," Judge Dames stated calmly.
"Isn't it possible that Elise Milton drugged you?" Mercure continued, overcome with false astonishment. "Is it possible that she used – no, abused - the prescription medication she carried with her? The medication that was ostensibly prescribed for an 'anxiety disorder,' but to which she possibly – and I'm only saying possibly – could have been using to get high? Or to get others high when there was a need?"
"Of course that's possible," Jane said. "I wouldn't put it past her."
Parmeri slammed his open hand down on the table in front of him. "I object to all of these questions as leading!" he shouted.
"And isn't it possible," Mercure went on, raising her voice to elevate it above Parmeri's, "that this is something she planned all along? Ever since she was assigned by her former employer as Laufeyson's counsel, I mean."
"Completely possible," said Jane.
"I object!" Parmeri hollered, now standing. "These are leading questions!"
"Enough!" Judge Dames yelled, the sleeve of his black robe flapping as he waved his hand. "I have had enough of these frivolous objections from defendant's counsel. Mr. Parmeri, if I hear another word out of you before this direct examination is through, I'll have you sanctioned."
Speechless, Parmeri was seated. Elise watched as the color drained from his face.
"Thank you, Your Honor," said Mercure, cool and smug. "Now, I'd like to offer into evidence United States' Exhibit C, Milton's résumé, which she submitted as a part of her application to the institution that granted her a juris doctor degree."
"Admitted," said the judge.
"Miss Foster," Mercure said, "would you call Elise Milton opinionated?"
"I suppose so," said Jane. "She seemed to have a lot of complaints about Loki's living conditions."
"Take a look at her résumé," Mercure instructed. "Does anything jump out at you?"
"She had a lot of extracurriculars during college."
"What kinds of extracurriculars?"
Jane scanned the page. "College Democrats, Feminist Collective, Pre-Law Student Association, Model United Nations, Students for the Abolition of the Death Penalty..."
"Interesting list," Mercure noted. "Do you see anything that might have informed Milton's apparent compassion for Laufeyson?"
"The death penalty club, for sure," Jane said.
"And you weren't the only person she drugged that day, were you?"
"No. Everyone at the table was."
"And that included Laufeyson's estranged brother, didn't it?"
"Thor? Yeah."
"And Thor was responsible for Loki's security, wasn't he?"
"He was."
"So, then, could it be possible that Elise Milton caused you and Thor to ingest a heavy dose of dangerous prescription pills to get you out of the way so that she could set her political agenda – her plan to free Laufeyson - in motion?"
"I think that's possible."
"Thank you, Miss Foster," Mercure concluded. "This has been enlightening. No further questions."
Elise heard a slight chuckle from Loki and turned her head to see him smiling a wry smile.
"She nearly had me convinced," he remarked. "She weaves a vivid tapestry, does she not?"
"God," Elise whispered, "will you shut up?"
"Mind your tongue, girl," Loki threatened quietly. "Were my freedom not assured, I would break these chains and-"
"Seriously?" Elise snapped. "You think they're gonna let you go when this is over?"
"Well, yes."
"I've got news for you, Loki. You're not going anywhere. Even if you win - which is highly unlikely - it's not a clean slate. You'll get a finding of insanity, and they'll ship you off to the looney bin where you belong."
He chuckled. "You underestimate me, my pet."
"Do not call me that. I'm not your fucking pet."
"Why so cold?" Loki taunted.
"This is neither the time nor place for..."
Elise was interrupted by the unmistakeable sound of the judge clearing his throat. She looked away from Loki and realized that everyone in the courtroom was staring – attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and the rest. Parmeri had already made his way up to the space in front of the stand, and Mercure was seated, her hands folded on the table, the expression on her face serene and satisfied.
"Are the defendants ready to proceed?" Judge Dames scolded.
"Yes, Your Honor," Elise replied, embarrassed. "I apologize for the disruption."
"Thank you," said the judge. "Now, Mr. Parmeri, do you think you can control yourself and your clients, or should we put off cross-examination until tomorrow morning?"
"No, Your Honor, we're ready," he said.
"Good. You may begin, then."
Parmeri took a brief look at his notes before he asked his first question. "Miss Foster, did you ever once see Elise take this medication she allegedly carried while she was in Asgard?"
"I don't think so, but-"
"Thank you. Did you see the food you seem to think she 'drugged' being prepared?"
"No."
"D'ya even know who prepared the food that day?"
"Probably Thor's family's servants, but Elise could have-"
"Yes or no, Miss Foster."
"Um... no..."
"Did 'Lise tell ya that she'd never been to Asgard before?"
"I mean, I assumed-"
"Assumed? Aren't you the only other person on earth who's been there?"
"Well, yeah, but I-"
"So can't we 'assume' that after spending a day or two out there, 'Lise probably didn't know how to get around without someone showin' her where to go? And that she probably didn't know how to get into the kitchen, especially given that there was no reason for her to go in there, 'cause, like ya said, servants, and all that."
Jane was obviously petrified; her mouth hung open, and she said nothing.
"Isn't it just as possible," Parmeri continued, "if not more probable, that someone else slipped something into your food?"
"Maybe, but I... um, I really think it was-"
"No further questions."
As Skip Parmeri and Jane Foster returned to their seats, Judge Dames spoke.
"I think today's proceedings have been sufficiently exhausting for all involved so far," he said. "Shall we recess for lunch and return in an hour to wrap up for the day?"
All seemed to be in agreement.
"Good," the judge said. "Then we'll meet back here after lunch and hear more from the prosecution before we adjourn for the day."
The gavel fell on its sounding block, and their lunch break began.