Chapter XVII. In God (& Lust) We Trust
The day after the dinner party at Jafar's dorm, Hades leaned on the desk, chewing on the diced Red Leicester as his breakfast in the drawing room, waiting for the lawyer to pick him up.
The Red Leicester he ate was leftover from his previous meeting with the lawyer. He had noticed that the lawyer he hired for Zeus for some reason, seemed to refuse any food provided by him. It might be just because the young, beautiful lawyer was a cautious individual, but it might be because...in the lawyer's eyes, she knew Zeus was guilty of drugging the victim before they slept.
He opened the Discord app and clicked on Jafar's avatar, his account was always shown as "Do Not Disturb" unless he needed to turn off his computer. He scrolled up, the wall of gifs was there, a reminder of his own childishness when it came to his best friend.
Or are they still best friends?
He wanted to type something to wash away such records of his misbehaving. Even though he had decided not to tell anyone who did not share the same blood with him or anyone who was not his lawyer...he felt he was obligated to say something. Maybe it would be a sincere sorry, or it would be a greeting of everyday life.
Or maybe, just maybe, it would be the best timing for him to admit why he left Jafar in the first place. Even if it meant…God know what it meant to Hades, but he just couldn't bring himself to say anything now.
Hades was just too lost. What should he say to Jafar, after all?
The lawyer arrived at the mansion in her black Volvo, with Zeus already occupying the shotgun seat, leaving Hades relegated to the back seat. In his suit, his brother appeared...human. He was tall and majestic as a man, rather than the beast he had always been. The stifling silence suffocated Hades, as none of them was inclined to chat before the trial. The only audible companion they had was the hum of the engine.
The only thing Hades left to do was stare at Jafar's Discord DM, he'd rather watch those gifs dancing in his eyes than observe his brother's face.
After arriving at the court, Hades went through the security check and was escorted by a guard to a private room. Considering Hades was both a character witness in a sexual assault case and the elder brother of the defendant, the court decided to give Hades a separate room-for the protection of both him and the victim.
The guard was not impressed when Hades tried to perform a stand-up comedy in the waiting room. All he did was simply stood in front of the doorway, not even chuckling at any joke Hades made. So Hades just sat down and pulled out his phone, watching those gifs dancing in Jafar's DM.
Sometimes, he would look up at the ceiling, watching the red LED lights read "EXIT".
"Mr Hades, your testimony is scheduled in about 5 minutes. Please ensure you are ready and present in the courtroom at that time," said the guard before Hades thought he would be trapped here for eternity. Hades jumped from the chair and stood next to the guard as he had nothing to do now.
"...It's fine to sit down for now. When the court staff or officer notifies you that it's time for your testimony, I will escort you to the courtroom," the guard remained a stoic demeanour. Hades then went back, standing next to the chair as now he was simply too nervous to sit still.
After a while, there was a knock on the door, catching the attention of both the guard and Hades. The guard opened the door, exchanging a brief look with the staff member and confirming that it was time. Hades understood the unspoken cue and followed the guard, making his way towards the courtroom.
The guard opened the door for Hades as he stepped into the courtroom-too many faces for him to remember, the only familiar faces were the near-white blonde lawyer of Zeus and Zeus. He remembered the lawyer taught him about the setting in a courtroom-judge, prosecutor, and so on. But Hades' brain just went blank as he was led to the witness stand, he noticed there was a Bible on the table.
"Please raise your right hand," instructed a lady in front of Hades, "You do solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the case now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Yes, I do," Hades placed his left hand on the Bible and raised his other in the air.
"Thank you. You may now be seated. Please state your full name for the record," said the other lady who sat on the bench-Hades assumed she was the judge for the lawsuit.
"Hades Olympians. Do I need to name other personal information like..."
"No, thank you," said the judge. Then the lawyer stepped forward, Hades knew she would ask several questions first in the direct examination stage. It was all scripted and staged like a theatre drama.
"Mr Olympians, you have stated that you've known the defendant, Zeus Olypains for a significant period of time. Can you please describe your relationship with the defendant?" asked the Counsellor.
"Certainly. Zeus is my younger brother, and we have been closely connected since birth. We share a deep bond as siblings and have had many experiences together."
-Yeah, many experiences...Those disastrous ones made me crave another brotherhood in a career where only fanbase and fame ruled. Hades thought to himself.
"Thank you. Now, based on your interactions and observations of Zeus, can you tell the court about his character and personality traits?" the Counsellor's voice reminded him of the clashes of ice cubes in a glass of whisky-it was the voice he associated it with Jafar.
"Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to observe Zeus in various situations, and I have come to know him as a charismatic and lively individual. Zeus has always been known for his zest for life, his magnetic personality, and his ability to bring people together in celebration."
-And he wore those shiny personalities as a mask, so he could splash out every penny I've earned on the hottest girls he desired.
"Have you ever witnessed any inappropriate or aggressive behaviour from Zeus towards others, particularly to the alleged incident in question?" the Counsellor asked, Hades recited the oath in his mind: you shall tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God...
"...Never," said Hades, looking at the judge, but the judge just stared back silently.
"Thank you, Mr Olympians. Your testimony provides valuable insight into Zeus' character. No further questions at this time," said the Counsellor and she returned to the seat next to Zeus. A young man stood up after the Counsellor took her seat, and he walked toward Hades-he must be the Prosecutor, Hades mused.
"Mr Olympians, you've testified that you have a close bond with the defendant, Zeus Olympians. Is that correct?" asked the Prosecutor-this young man has such a smooth voice for a boring career, Hades thought.
"Yes."
"And you described the defendant as a charismatic and lively individual, known for his zest for life. Is that right?" continued the Prosecutor-ah, Zeus, that bastard has quite a resplendent voice for a man who lived for all the indulgence in the world, Hades realized as he widened his eyes.
"Yes."
"Now, Mr Olympians, you mentioned that you have observed the defendant in various situations throughout your life. Can you recall any instances where he exhibited aggressive or inappropriate behaviour towards others?" the Prosecutor gestured his hand as any good speaker would-like he used to teach a young Zeus how to perform a good speech on the stage.
"No, I have never witnessed any such behaviour from him."
"So, you're stating under oath that you have never seen the defendant act inappropriately towards anyone, including the alleged victim in this case?" asked the Prosecutor, but Hades found himself having eye contact with Zeus instead-He thought he read a hint of begging in his younger brother's eyes.
"True."
"Mr Olympians, isn't it true that you and the defendant share a close personal relationship? As his brother, would it be fair to say that you have a vested interest in protecting his reputation?" the Prosecutor moved his step, blocking his sight to see Zeus' pathetic, grimed face.
"I am here to provide an honest testimony based on my observations. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Of course, Mr. Olympians. However, would it be fair to say that your closeness to the defendant may influence your perception of his character and behaviour?" said the Prosecutor.
"I believe I can provide an unbiased account of his character based on my experiences with him. The final judgement is not mine to determine."
"Thank you, Mr Olympians. No further questions at this time," the Prosecutor nodded to Hades and returned to his seat. The judge turned her attention to Hades and announced, "Mr Olympians, you are now dismissed. Thank you for your testimony."
"Dear Judge, can I...stay here?" as soon as Hades left the witness stand, he stopped by and asked. Between "leave" and "stay," Hades couldn't believe he chose the latter.
"Mr Olympians, while it is not typical for witnesses to remain in the courtroom after their testimony, I understand that this may be an important case to you," the judge contemplated Hades' request. "I will allow you to remain in the courtroom as an observer, but please remember to maintain decorum and refrain from any disruptions. Please take a seat in the gallery."
Hades nodded and made his way to the empty gallery and found a seat, as he was about to sit down, he heard the judge say: "The prosecution may proceed with the rebuttal phase."
"Thank you, Your Honour. At this time, the prosecution would like to introduce two pieces of evidence: a transcript of a record and a sample of the drug allegedly involved in the case."
Hades couldn't believe what he'd heard-a sample of...the drug? What drug?
He felt dizzy upon hearing the sentences came from the Prosecutor, as one of the court staff handed in some piece of paper to the judge, and another court staff with gloves just raised his hand with a zip-lock bag filled with powder crystals that gleamed with a sky-blue hue.
"Objection, Your Honour," said the Counsellor, Hades could hear a glimpse of anxiety in her voice, "We question the authority and authenticity of these pieces of evidence as we believe that the transcript and the sample have not been properly authenticated. We question the validity of the transcript and the chain of custody for the drug sample."
"Your Honour, the transcript was obtained under the supervision of a notary public, ensuring its accuracy and authenticity," said the Prosecutor, but Hades' attention was fixated on the blue powder crystals in the zip-lock bag, "Both parties consented at the beginning of the recording, and the notary public certified the transcript as a true and accurate record of the conversation."
"Thank you for the clarification. The objection is overruled, and the transcript will be admitted as evidence. As for the drug sample, the court will address the chain of custody concerns separately during the trial," the judge shared a glance with the Counsellor, it read like sympathy in Hades' eyes, "Prosecution, please proceed with presenting and explaining the context of the new evidence to the court."
"We submit a transcript capturing a conversation between two anonymous individuals at a local bar, discussing the defendant's alleged purchase of a drug prior to the crime. Additionally, we present a zip-lock bag containing a drug sample, one individual in the transcript referred to it as 'Blue Passerine', authenticated as uncontaminated by forensic experts."
As the Prosecutor continued his explanation, Hades felt like everything in his world was fading away. He could no longer fathom the expression on the face of his monstrous, lustful younger brother. It should taste like justice, sweet revenge for his long-sit resentment, but it didn't.
Blue Passerine. Such a lovely name for such a sour taste, would forever contaminate Zeus' name. What Hades sacrificed for Zeus was now meaningless.
Hades Olympians would never escape from the courtroom, where the limited room felt vast and desolate. "...Boundless and bare. The lone and level sands stretch far away."