Elise had hoped that when the time came for her to argue on her own behalf, she would have shored up the confidence she needed. Unfortunately, Doctor Suramalian's unexpected "recommendation" had left her feeling doubtful about her chances. For a moment, she considered giving up, but for the sake of her own pride, she pressed on.

With all eyes on her, she called the only person willing to speak on her behalf. "I call Doctor Jalisa Washington to the stand."

At first, no one stood, and Elise feared that her witness had failed to appear. However, just as the terror began to settle in, the doors at the back of the courtroom opened, and the doctor – still wearing her white coat – made her way down the aisle and approached the stand.

"Sorry I'm late," Doctor Washington whispered as she passed by Elise.

Once the doctor was seated, Elise began her direct examination. "Could you please state your name?"

"Doctor Jalisa Washington."

"And your occupation?"

"I'm an emergency room doctor. I treat injured and acutely ill patients in a hospital setting."

"And where did you receive your medical degree?" Elise asked.

"Columbia University. I graduated in 1998."

"So you've been practicing medicine for quite some time?"

"Yes," said the doctor, "and I've been with the same hospital for the past six years."

"And have you ever testified as an expert witness before?"

"No," Doctor Washington replied.

"And you did examine me on two separate occasions – once for emergency medical treatment, and once again in anticipation of this trial – correct?"

"Yes."

"Your Honor," said Elise, "I tender Doctor Washington as an expert witness to testify regarding the details of my own medical care."

"Will the counselors waive voir dire?" Judge Dames asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Parmeri replied.

"The United States will waive voir dire as well," said Mercure.

Apparently, Elise thought, neither of them felt threatened by Washington.

"Very well," said the Judge.

"Doctor Washington," Elise asked, "as I'm sure you can imagine, I have some difficulty recalling exactly what happened when I was admitted to the hospital. Would you please recount those events for the court?"

"I'd be glad to," said the doctor. "You arrived by ambulance, accompanied by Steve Rogers. The triage nurse noted that you displayed disorientation, slurred speech, fatigue, and dilated pupils consistent with a head injury. Mr. Rogers informed us further that you had been found unconscious in your apartment, and that when you regained consciousness, you seemed unable to remember what had caused your injury. You were admitted immediately."

"And did you make any diagnosis while I was under your care?"

"Yes," said Doctor Washington. "I diagnosed a concussion and prescribed Zofran for the nausea you were experiencing as a result of that. I also treated you for swelling and bruising in your face and for what appeared to be frostbite on your forearm."

Elise raised her wrist once more. "Is this the 'frostbite' you treated me for?"

"It is," the doctor replied.

"What else did we discuss while I was under your care?"

"Well, as soon as we were able to remove your many visitors from the room, we discussed your relationship and... certain options related to that."

"Could you please elaborate on that?" asked Elise.

"Are you sure?" asked Doctor Washington. "You want me to-"

"Yes, please," said Elise.

The doctor sighed. "Well, it was fairly obvious from the start that you didn't just 'hit your head.' You had considerable bruising around your eye and cheekbone – which is looking much better, by the way – and your wrist was bandaged. This, and the conversations I overheard going on between your... acquaintances while I was out of the room all led me to believe that you were being victimized by an intimate partner."

"And when you raised that concern," asked Elise, tensing her thighs to stop them from shaking, "how did I respond?"

"At first, not well," Doctor Washington replied. "You had concerns of your own, that maybe your partner would find out that you had reported the abuse and retaliate. I had no idea at the time that he was... well, to be honest, I didn't know that he was a superhuman, let alone that he was Loki Laufeyson. In retrospect, I suppose it explains all your celebrity visitors."

"And what next?"

"Well, it seemed like you were ready to get help. I had planned to keep you overnight and conduct a more thorough physical exam to identify any additional health concerns that may have come up as a result of the domestic violence, then discuss safety planning with you."

"Is that how you would normally respond to a similar situation?"

"Yes," said the doctor. "But most of the time, victims don't have S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the room with them, pressuring them to leave the hospital."

"Can you explain that a little more?"

"Well, you signed a waiver and left the hospital with a woman named Hill," said Doctor Washington. "I gave you a referral to a shelter, but I couldn't force you to stay."

"Thank you," said Elise. "I think that's enough questions about that particular incident. Let me ask you this: have you treated victims of domestic violence on other occasions?"

"Oh, of course," said Doctor Washington. "It's far more common than most people think. It could happen to anyone."

"And in your experience, what sorts of complications can arise out of this type of abuse?"

"Well, as you and I discussed, one of the most immediate concerns is that the abuser will kill his victim, and given the severity of your injuries, that was my concern at the time," said Washington. "Even when the abuser is... physiologically unremarkable, for lack of a better word, even just pushing and shoving can result in death. I've seen instances of traumatic brain injury, which is what happened to you; I've seen stab wounds, broken bones, and other serious injuries. But those are just the obvious consequences; there are a lot of secondary health problems that can arise, too."

Elise nodded knowingly. "And what are some of those?"

"The physical and mental toll domestic violence takes on a victim can cause a broad array of problems with almost any system – musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal – and then there's the possibility that a victim could develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. The mental health implications also cause some victims to engage in self-destructive, high-risk behaviors."

"All of that because of domestic violence?"

"Yes, unfortunately," replied the doctor.

"I see," said Elise. "And in your experience, is it often easy for victims to leave their abusers?"

"Not at all," said Doctor Washington. "Fear can take over, and there are a lot of other factors that can make that decision more difficult, too."

"Would you say that it's possible for an abuser to exert complete control over a victim through violence or threats of violence?"

"That's the very reason why abusers do the things they do. It's about power and control. So, yes." The doctor paused, then added: "Of course, it isn't that victims can't be strong or powerful, it's just that they might not know it, or they might not have all the tools they need at their disposal." At that moment, she seemed to be speaking directly to Elise, not to the jury. "An abuser will want you to feel powerless, and he'll do everything he can to make you fear him. He'll try to convince you that you need him, no matter how badly he treats you. He'll try to cut you off from everyone else, and he'll try to put you in a position where you think you can't do anything but accept the violence. He'll use every manipulative tactic he's got. It isn't easy to fight back against something like that, especially when everyone else around you is oblivious to it, or when it doesn't seem like they care. But you aren't weak. You're just... stuck between a rock and a hard place."

That piece of testimony would have brought tears to Elise's eyes were it not her trial. However, at the time, she was preoccupied with the fear that Doctor Washington had assigned her too much autonomy. She needed the jury to think she was weak, that she had no choice but to do what Loki demanded of her. She wasn't angry – Doctor Washington wasn't a professional expert witness like Doctor Zoravar Suramalian, and she hadn't had much time to prepare, after all – but she was simultaneously disappointed and uplifted, and those two emotions did not coexist well in her mind.

"Thank you," Elise said. "I have no further questions." She returned to her seat, her crutch clattering each time it touched the floor.

Whitney Mercure sprang from her seat to pounce on Doctor Washington. "Doctor, are victims of domestic violence insane?"

"Of course not," replied the doctor.

"Are they incapable of making their own decisions?"

"No."

"So it's fair to hold them accountable for their actions?"

"Objection," Elise interjected.

"Withdrawn," said Whitney. "One last question: how much is Elise Milton paying you to testify that her being abused excuses her crimes?"

"Not a cent," Doctor Washington replied acidically. "I chose to testify because-"

"Thank you," Mercure interrupted. "No further questions."

"Does Laufeyson's counsel wish to cross-examine?" asked Judge Dames as the prosecutor returned to her seat.

"Yes, Your Honor." This time, Cara answered the Judge. It was a smart move; she would appear more sensitive to the situation than Parmeri would. She advanced on Elise's witness quickly and began questioning her. "Doctor, just how serious is a concussion, really?"

"I can't believe you're asking me that," said Doctor Washington.

"Just answer the question, please," said Cara. "Is it often fatal? Do people usually recover?"

"A head injury is very serious," the doctor replied. "Someone with that kind of injury is at risk for bleeding, neurological damage-"

"But if those things don't happen," Cara interrupted, "it's not fatal?"

"Not normally," Washington admitted. "But-"

"And in Elise's case," asked Cara, unrelenting, "was there any bleeding? Was there any neurological damage?"

"No, ma'am, but she could have been-"

"And in your professional opinion, do you expect that she will make a full recovery?"

"Yes," replied Doctor Washington, clearly frustrated, "but you have to remember that-"

"And don't you think that if a 'superhuman,' as you put it, wanted someone to die, they would be able to make that happen?"

"I object!" Elise shouted, standing on her one good ankle and leaning on the table in front of her to support herself. "That is entirely outside of the scope of the direct examination, besides the fact that it calls for speculation."

"Overruled," Judge Dames replied casually. "You may answer the question, doctor."

Elise wanted to scream.

"I can't answer that question," Doctor Washington said. "I have no idea what someone like Loki is capable of. He's never been my patient."

"But earlier," Cara argued, "you said that had you known that he was a 'superhuman,' you might have reacted differently. Why is that?"

Elise could hear Loki chuckling softly as Cara derided the inexperienced witness.

"I'll ask this a different way," said Cara. "Our client is accused of causing someone to be permanently disabled by picking him up and throwing him against a tree. Were you aware of that?"

"No."

"So, you probably didn't hear Elise testify that Mr. Laufeyson was able to kill a person with his bare hands, either. Is that right?"

"Right."

"Well, which is it?" Cara asked with a shrug. "Either he does have that kind of physical strength and he didn't use it against Elise Milton, or he doesn't have that kind of strength and couldn't possibly have killed three people at one time without Elise's help. So, which is it?"

"Abusers don't always try -"

"Abusers don't always try to kill their victims right away. Is that what you were going to say?" said Cara. "But for some reason, you said that the possibility that Elise would be killed was an immediate concern. Was it the case that he was trying to kill her and wasn't physically able, or was it the case that Elise wasn't in as much danger as you said she was?"

Clearly, Doctor Washington was no match for Cara. "I don't... I mean... maybe not at the time, but I thought... well, she was likely to..."

"Thank you, doctor," said Cara. "No further questions."

Parmeri & Associates were proving time and time again to be among the best legal team money could buy, and Loki had gotten them for free. As quickly as she had arrived, Doctor Washington was gone again, and without her, Elise was, once again, the only thing standing between herself and a conviction.

"Ms. Milton, this just leaves your statement, I believe," said Judge Dames. "Whenever you're ready."

Elise hoisted herself up once again, and this time, rather than pacing the floor unsteadily, she sat down behind the witness' stand and propped her crutches up against it. She hadn't planned on speaking for herself before the trial began, and she had nothing prepared besides a few mental notes she had taken. For a few seconds, she gazed silently out into the room. Her eyes scanned the faces of the spectators and attorneys before settling momentarily on Loki. The sight of him brought her immense discomfort, so she quickly turned to the jury and began to address them.

"I'm not going to sit here and try to trick you," Elise said. "I've already sworn to tell the truth, and I'm going to be honest. I just want everyone here to know what actually happened, and not just because I don't want to be convicted. I want to set the record straight because I know that some of the people here think I've hurt them on purpose. Jane and Thor, Skip and Cara, and the families who have lost someone... even Whitney and Judge Dames – they could have been in front of the building that day, and... well, anyway...

"I realize it doesn't seem like much of an excuse, but I agreed to be the point-person on Loki's case, I thought I was ready for anything. Never in a million years would I have expected things to end up like this. I mean, maybe I should have seen it coming. Maybe I should have known it when I first met him, when he was being... sweet. Because at first, he was charming – and I guarantee you, anyone could have fallen for that – and I had no reason not to think he was going to go through the justice system the way anyone else does. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. It was sudden. I didn't know he had taken my pills and dropped them into everyone's drinks. I was as surprised as anyone. Before I knew it, we were back at my apartment. I wanted to call the police as soon as we got there, but I was so scared. I knew I had to do it, but he threatened me. I remember, he said that no one would ever look for me if they noticed I was missing. So I didn't call the police, even though I wanted to. In the beginning, I tried to tell anyone who would listen, but he always found a way to keep me from talking.

"And then, everything just became... routine. And yeah, it's true, we started sleeping together. I started to... I started to come unglued. I felt so alone, not being able to talk to anyone, not being able to go anywhere. He was the only person who was there for me, even though he was the person who was putting me in that position. It was one moment of weakness, and everything went downhill after that. I started doing whatever he said. Sometimes, I did what he said because I thought he cared about me, that he wanted what was best for me, and other times, because I was afraid. And even when I was afraid, he had me convinced that it was good for me to be afraid, that that was just a part of... just a part of learning to love and obey him. He convinced me that I didn't need to think for myself anymore, because he would handle everything. I didn't question it when he asked me to do things for him – whether that was delivering a package or getting some kind of information for him – and when I did question it, he'd go crazy.

"By the time it started getting really out of control, I was to the point where... well, I think he had me completely brainwashed. The only chance I had to change the way things were going was when he gave me that concussion. It was right after the bombing. He told me what he was planning on doing – and make no mistake, everything he did was premeditated – and when I asked him not to go through with it, he hit me so hard that I... well, really, I don't remember a lot from that day anymore. But later, when I was at the hospital, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were there. S.H.I.E.L.D. was there. They told me that I would be fine, and all I had to do was tell them what they wanted to know about Loki. But I didn't do it. I guess I thought I loved him, and you don't do that to someone you love, you know?

"I eventually did go with S.H.I.E.L.D., but only because they promised to let me see Loki. That probably sounds so stupid, and it was, I know that now, but at the time, it seemed right. But that turned out to be another stupid decision, because do you know how we escaped? He threatened to break my neck if they didn't let us go. And I fully expected him to do it, too. I think the only reason he didn't was because they would have shot at him if he had.

"And then we got into the woods, and things got even... darker. He said he wanted me to steal some kind of tent so we would have some kind of shelter out there. And that's when I saw those two campers. I was just trying to trick them into leaving so we could steal from them, and I know that sounds horrible, but in the grand scheme of things, seeing some of the things Loki has done... it didn't seem that bad by comparison. I never meant for him to kill them. I didn't lay a finger on either of them, and I didn't lay a finger on the park ranger, either. Actually, Loki wanted me to kill one of them. It seemed like he just... wanted to watch me do it. But I wouldn't do it, so that's when he broke that girl's neck. And I remember what he said. He said that having someone's life in your hands is the best feeling in the world. I thought I was going to be sick.

"And then Thor came, and Loki... well, Loki messed him up, too. And I felt bad about it, but Loki had me so convinced that Thor was this awful, bully of a brother that I didn't think much of it. But as soon as we left and went to that... weird cabin – the place where S.H.I.E.L.D. finally caught up to us – I started to regret not asking Thor for help. I thought that was the end for me. I thought I was going to die in that house. Getting shot in the ankle was probably the best thing that happened to me in those last few days..."

Elise took a deep breath. She had gotten so caught-up in telling her story, so involved with the process of getting everything off her chest, that she hadn't thought of how she should conclude. "So here I am now," she said. "I watched Loki do a lot of awful things. But every time the prosecutor or my co-defendant's counsel tells you that I participated... that's not true. And even when that's closer to the truth, I wouldn't have ever protected him if I wasn't completely out of my mind at the time. Think about it. I wasn't just being threatened. It was more than that. He lashed out at me more times than I can count. And I knew that he killed people for fun sometimes, so I didn't think for a second that he wouldn't do the same to me. And on top of that, I started to get this sort of... Stockholm Syndrome type of feeling. It wasn't until I was away from him for a little while that I saw that that was all it really was. It was everything to me at the time, and now, I just... I can't believe I let him get to me like that.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you feel inclined to convict me of aiding and abetting, maybe even throw the contempt of court charge on top that, then okay. I never meant to 'aid and abet,' but I can see how that charge makes sense. But everything else... I had no say in that. He was completely inside my mind. Maybe you think it's my fault for being a weak person, but it could have happened to anyone in my position. So, I just hope you'll think of that when you're making your decision."

Judge Dames waited to be sure that she was finished before speaking. "Is that all?"

"Yes," Elise replied. "I'm done."

"Then, does the prosecution have any questions for cross-examination?"

"Your Honor, I've already had the chance to examine this witness," said Whitney Mercure. "I have no new questions for her."

Judge Dames nodded. "And the co-defendant's counsel?"

Cara conferred briefly with Parmeri before standing back up and approaching Elise. "Just a couple of brief questions. Elise, you mentioned that you thought this could have happened to anyone, didn't you?"

"Yes, Cara, I did," Elise replied.

Cara shrugged. "So, why didn't it happen to me?"

"You know what I meant by that," said Elise.

"No, I don't," said Cara. "Please, explain. You and I both worked at the same law firm, so I'm a bit curious. Who gave you the impression that what you were doing was acceptable?"

"Cara, please..."

"And," Cara continued, "although your story was a little scattered, a few more things stood out to me. You make this jump from wanting to call the police to everything becoming routine, but with no explanation of what happened in between. What did happen?"

"I don't know how it got that way," Elise explained. "It all happened so fast, it's a blur."

"So, you expect us to believe that you were just sitting there passively while this whole plot was unfolding?"

"Not passively, but-"

"And you forgot one other opportunity you had to get yourself out of this situation, Elise. Do you remember what that was?"

"No."

Cara frowned. "You went out to lunch with two of your coworkers. We asked you directly what was happening, and you told us that it was nothing, that we shouldn't worry about it. Do you remember that?"

"Cara," said Elise, "you don't know what he's capable of, do you?"

"What is he capable of, Elise?"

"He would have heard me!" she exclaimed, her strong veneer cracking. "He was watching me. He would have known it if I had told you anything. You don't understand."

"Now you just aren't making sense," said Cara, shaking her head. "No further questions."

"Defense rests," Elise mumbled as she descended carefully from the stand and followed Cara back to the table.

"Unless there are any final motions," Judge Dames announced, "we can move on to closing arguments."

The four attorneys exchanged glances, but no one moved for a directed verdict.

"In that case, we'll hear the prosecution's closing first," said the Judge. "You may proceed, Ms. Mercure."

"Thank you, Your Honor," she said as she stood and approached the jurors' box, holding a single sheet of paper in her hands. She consulted it momentarily before she began in earnest. "And thank you, to the members of the jury, for being here today." She paused, feigning thoughtfulness and reflection, then said, "There are many people who believe that a prosecutor's role is simply to... well, prosecute criminals. Some of those people also believe that prosecutors feel joy when a defendant is convicted of a crime, or that we always enjoy doing our jobs out of some sort of blind distaste for the defendants and their attorneys. But I assure you, I take no pleasure in arguing cases like these. I don't do this because I enjoy speaking at length about the amoral acts of a defendant like Mr. Laufeyson or Ms. Milton. I certainly don't do it because I enjoy presenting the sort of evidence I must present at a trial like this in front of the family members of victims. No, I do this because my job is to serve justice, and today, I come to you in pursuit of justice for people like Shannon Smythe." She returned momentarily to her table to retrieve Exhibit F – the photograph of the victims at Allegheny – and strolled along the border of the jury box, holding the evidence out for all to see. "It's never pleasant for me to hear that something like this has happened, but still, I have to do my job. I have to get justice, and I hope that you'll all be willing to help me do that here today.

"Here, we have two co-defendants. One claims to have acted maliciously, but who blames some sort of irresistible urge to kill for the crimes he is now charged with. The only evidence he has presented to support that defense is the testimony of his own brother – who is emotionally invested in the outcome of this trial – and that of a psychologist, who has confirmed what we already know: that Loki Laufeyson, if we do nothing to stop him, is likely to kill again. Our second defendant, on the other hand, has told us, in her own words, that she may or may not have committed all of the crimes of which she is accused, but that she certainly did commit some of those crimes. Even those she claims not to have committed... well, she surely did nothing to stop her co-defendant from acting. She came here today to ask for clemency. Both defendants hope that you will take pity on them, but the question they have failed to answer is: why should you?

"Why should you take pity on Mr. Laufeyson, when we have all seen and heard evidence of not one, but two plots, both masterminded by the defendant himself, to commit terrorism and take the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of innocent civilians? What, if anything, can justify the losses of Shannon Smythe and Officer Joseph Rowcevski in the eyes of their families? Would 'I couldn't help myself' be a sufficient explanation for Robert Cordero, or better yet, would it make him talk and walk again? And remember, as you consider all of this, that the psychologist who examined Laufeyson has said that he is not only a cold-blooded killer, but a compulsive liar as well. To his own psychologist, he lied for apparently no reason whatsoever. It's of little consequence if his co-defendant and lover is his wife or not, but it should make us wonder: what else will he lie about, and how much is he willing to lie to make sure that he leaves here a free man?

"And as for Ms. Milton, while she may present herself as a victim, she is just as guilty as her co-defendant is. She and her doctor have woven quite the convoluted love story here. Milton would like you to believe that she was too weak to say 'no.' She has asked you to accept the idea that although she was in a position of power relative to Laufeyson, he somehow wound up with such immense power over her that she had no recourse as she joined him in committing a litany of violent crimes. But even if that were all true, the 'toxic' relationship described by both Doctor Suramalian and Doctor Washington began with Milton's own professional irresponsibility. Someone with her level of education and experience should have known – and likely did know – that a relationship of this nature with a client believed to be mentally ill would be disastrous. Bad decisions don't excuse further bad actions, and for this reason, she must be held accountable.

"You're being asked to make a choice today. You can choose justice, or you can choose mercy, but you cannot have both. I'll leave you with this question to consider: do these two people – these murderers, these terrorists – do they deserve mercy? Or do they deserve justice? Ask yourselves." With that, Mercure turned on her heels and started back to her seat, turning back to the jury only briefly to say, "Thank you."

Instead of Skip Parmeri, Cara took the floor once again. "Ladies and gentlemen," she opened, "throughout this trial, Ms. Mercure has been hard at work trying to elicit an emotional response from you. But your job isn't to decide based on how you feel. You need to look past this smokescreen she's trying to put in front of you and make a decision based on reason. You must... um..." She faltered and stared into her notes. Her closing arguments never were very strong. "You're being asked to examine the evidence that has been presented and determine whether a person will live or die.

"This is a very serious decision, and that's why the standard of proof is high. 'Beyond a reasonable doubt' means that if you, being reasonable people, could conceive of any feasible scenario in which Laufeyson wasn't responsible or can't be held responsible for what the prosecution alleges, you must find him not guilty."

"Objection," Whitney crowed. "She's instructing the jury."

Judge Dames quickly dismissed her protestation. "Overruled," he said. "She hasn't improperly mischaracterized the standard of proof, Ms. Mercure."

The interruption seemed to have quite the impact on Cara; perhaps that had been Whitney's intention. Having lost her place, it took her an uncomfortable length of time to gather her thoughts and begin again. "Um... and the prosecution has left many questions unanswered, plenty of room for doubts. We've shown you, through clear and convincing evidence, that Mr. Laufeyson is unable to understand the consequences of his actions. He doesn't even know that he has done anything wrong, if he even was involved in some way with these alleged acts. He thought he was doing the world a favor. We were all shaken-up by the alien attack on New York – and I remind you that neither of the prosecution's witnesses who were present that day could actually testify to having seen Laufeyson at the scene – but again, this isn't about how we all felt. This is about facts, and the fact is that Lafueyson's heart wasn't in the wrong place. He never meant to cause pain or hurt anyone. Again, he legitimately couldn't have imagined that those would be the outcomes of actions that he believed to be altruistic.

"I won't ask you to put yourselves in Mr. Laufeyson's shoes, because you can't. No one can understand what it's like to be treated the way he's been treated, and to not understand why. You and I can connect our actions with consequences, but he doesn't have that benefit. And the only way he's going to develop that capacity is with the help he desperately needs. The only way to make sure he doesn't do harm is to get him to a hospital. And you can make that happen. You can find him not guilty by reason of insanity. If the testimony of a distinguished professional like Dr. Suramalian isn't 'clear and convincing,' then what is? He has explained, very clearly, that Mr. Laufeyson suffers from a mental disease, and likely has always suffered from this disease. He testified further that Laufeyson is incapable of appreciating the legal or moral wrongfulness of his actions. That's all you need to make this call.

"Don't let yourselves be fooled by this prosecutor. She doesn't think you're capable of thinking rationally. She has assumed that you'll be blinded by your emotions. That is why she has shown you these photographs over and over, why she's had you listen to all this testimony from people who hold grudges against Laufeyson, and why her final summation of her case centered entirely around subjective notions of 'justice.' She doesn't want justice – she only wants a conviction. Think of the facts, think of the law, and you'll see that those two things, taken together, lead to only one conclusion: a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. If we lawyers can do it, then so can you."

She consulted her notes one last time, then said, "Thank you for fulfilling this very important duty today. I trust that you'll make the reasonable, rational decision, and the decision that is best not just for our client, but for all of us."

As Cara returned to her seat, Elise took a deep breath and prepared to speak again. She stabilized herself, then hoisted herself up on her crutches to make her final appeal to the jury. Lacking a free hand, she brought nothing else with her.

"It's been a long day, I know, so I won't keep you from your deliberations for long," she said. "I've already had the chance to say most of what I needed to say, so I'll just summarize." She swallowed hard, knowing well that what she was about to say, on-record, would have severe consequences if she and Loki both went free. "I'm a lawyer, not a doctor. I can't answer the question of whether or not Loki is insane, but I do know him – very well, as the prosecution was... kind enough to point out – and I can tell you that he is a manipulator, a liar, and a murderer. You've seen what he's done to people. I've shown you what he's done to me. He doesn't do these things because he doesn't know they're wrong. He does these things because he likes to. There's something broken in him that can't be fixed, and if he isn't dealt with properly – if he doesn't get capital punishment – he'll do these things to someone else.

"And I say that capital punishment is the answer not just because I'm angry that he put me in this position. I am angry, and I'll be the first to admit that, but that's not at issue here. I know, first-hand, that there is no prison, no mental institution that can hold him. He'll talk his way out of a hospital in a minute flat. He'll muscle his way out of a prison, and if anyone gets in his way, well... look at what happened to me when I tried to stand in his way. He won't just do what it takes, he'll do what he wants, and what he wants is to watch this whole world burn.

"As for me, I'm not guilty of anything other than stupidity. I'll admit that, too. I was stupid enough to make the same mistake Skip and Cara are making now. I believed in him at one point, too. I believed him when he said his brother was torturing him – he wasn't. I believed him when he said he wouldn't hurt me if I did everything he said – if that were true, I wouldn't be here right now, hopping around on one leg and trying to explain to you why I happened to be in the wrong places at the wrong times. I even believed him when he said he loved me."

"I object!" Loki shouted, his restraints clattering as he jerked away from Skip Parmeri's hand on his shoulder. "I never said any such thing!"

Elise hadn't expected another outburst at this phase of the trial.

Judge Dames tried to stop him before he got going. "Mr. Laufeyson, may I remind you-"

"No!" Loki yelled, getting to his feet. His voice was loud, but he sounded wounded, perhaps a conscious decision on his part. "How could I ever love such a cruel woman? She helped me make my escape from Thor's clutches, and I promised to protect her – this much is true – but it was she who professed her love for me. She is ambitious and cunning! All she ever wanted was to be a queen. My queen. All I have done, I have done for her, out of gratitude." He cradled his face in his hands, and when he reemerged from his palms, his eyes glittered with tears. "I never wanted the throne. All I ever wanted was to appease her. I have lived a thousand years, and never have I seen a monster such as her."

Elise didn't buy it, but the jury, the attorneys, the spectators, and even the judge seemed to. All were speechless, and it took Judge Dames several moments to turn his attention back to procedure.

"Ms. Milton," he said quietly, "is there anything else you would like to say before the jury deliberates?"

She sighed deeply. Loki had completely blindsided her, and it was entirely possible that he had shattered her defense as well. "There's only one thing left to say, I think. Be careful who you trust. It's good to be skeptical." She felt a lump in her throat, and she knew that if she didn't conclude quickly, she would break down entirely. "Whatever happens to me, please, remember that. When people say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it's true."

The only sound that could be heard in the courtroom was the pathetic, intermittent tapping of Elise's crutches on the floor as she wandered, her head in a complete fog, back to the table.