Author's Note: Hello there! This took me more than I thought it should but I finally got to the trial now. It's the starting point for things to go down, but I hope you guys enjoy it :)
On another note, I have to tell you guys something...IRIS HAWTHORNE HAS IT OWN TVTROPES PAGE!
Oh my god, it finally happened! I couldn't believe it! Whoever made the page, thank you so much for making this! I hope you guys can check it out
It's not much yet, but hopefully, with time, it'll be filled with juicy details and tropes. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Celeste stewed in her anger, grinding her teeth as she repeatedly jammed her finger against the elevator thumb.
Go down... she thought. Why won't you go down!
With a frustrated growl, she punched the elevator buttons and it was only a miracle that she didn't put a hole in the elevator.
After a few seconds, Celeste took her hand from the buttons and examined it to find any injuries. She believed she may have broken something, but she didn't feel any pain due to the searing anger that was lingering inside her.
"Damn that lawyer...!" Celeste hissed venomously, punching the elevator buttons again. "Damn her..."
. . .
Years ago...
Winter Cloud Building
The cold breeze blew onto Celeste's face. Her entire body shivered from the cold and she felt a deep weight in her stomach as she looked down at the ground that was ten stories below her.
just one step, she whispered to herself that day. Just one step and she'll finally be free...
No more mother, who managed her entire life and hurt her whenever.
No more mother letting horrid and perverted men have their way with her…
No more mother always telling her that she had to suffer for the sake of "family"...
Fighting back her tears and closing her eyes shut, she took a step forward...and fell to escape the prison that was her life…
…
"Huh!?" Celeste's eyes shot open and she screamed as she found herself now hanging from the edge of the building. She felt woozy and dizzy looking at just how high she was from the bottom.
"Don't look down!" a deep, male voice shouted. Turning her head upward, she saw that a large, muscular man in an orange and yellow tracksuit was holding her by the collar of her shirt, keeping her from falling.
His figure was looming and frightening, yet nothing about him seemed malicious or threatening. With a strong heave, the man pulled young Celeste up and gently placed her on the floor of the tenth floor. The two of them took a moment to breathe, their minds processing what had just happened.
After that, Celeste began to tear up again, curling her body into a ball as she kept weeping.
"Are you okay?" the man said, staring down at her. "What happened to you?"
Celeste's head shot up with a fierce glare. She was ready to chew this man out for stopping her attempt to kill herself but was stunned silent. Those innocent, childlike eyes and that droopy frown...she wanted to rant about how stupid and goofy looking it was, but the genuine concern that radiated from them caught her off guard.
"Look, miss, I-I don't want to intrude but…" he paused to sit down on the floor and think what words to say to this suicidal girl. "W-whatever you're dealing with, it's bad. It is...but you shouldn't kill yourself for it. Maybe...maybe there's a way I can help…?"
Celeste didn't remember what he said to Will that day...not that she wanted to. She knew they were loud and irrational, scolding the man for stopping her suicide. Her mother or any other person would've run off or called her insane...but Will? Will stayed. He sat there, waiting for her anger to fade away until she was finally ready to talk.
Once she did, she gave her the whole story about her. How her mom forced her into a life of stardom at a young age, how she starved her to ensure she always looked cute, how she let vile and perverted men have their way with her…
Will's face paled and his mouth gaped wider the more he heard about it.
"I'm really sorry to hear that…" Will said, gently placing his large hands on her shoulders. "But killing yourself won't change anything…"
"W-what makes you sure of that…?" she asked, sniffling.
Celeste didn't remember what words Will Powers said to pull her out of her suicidal stupor. Maybe his words were profound and well thought out or simple yet effective, but somehow, those words got to her. Once Will got close enough to help her step down from the edge, she suddenly went up and hugged him, bawling her eyes and letting her sorrows out. He hugged back and spent most of the night trying to console her.
. . .
Tears went down Celeste's face and onto the elevator floor as she recalled the first time she met Will Powers.
Will Powers. The actor who played the Steel Samurai.
Will Powers. The big, kindhearted oaf that saved her life.
Will Powers...the man she watched fall to his death…
. . .
Celeste's body trembled, too horrified to move as she looked at Will's dead, bleeding body. How the blood was oozing out of his large stab wound and seeping into the cold, concrete ground. How the bones were protruding unnaturally from his body, revealing torn muscles and skin. How the color was draining away from his skin. The sight of it made Celeste hurl in horror and disgust.
Looking up at the top of the Winter Cloud Building, that's when she noticed a figure wearing a Crystal Crusader Rose costume. Could it be…?
. . .
Yeah, that was her, alright, Celeste thought bitterly, her anger now tranquil and focused. Upon hearing the elevator ding, she went out of the elevator doors and quickly exited the Winter Cloud Building. Each step she took had a sense of determination as she went to her car with the intent of heading to where that prosecutor von Karma was staying at.
Will Powers saved Celeste's life, and now she was going to be the one to avenge his…
. . .
July 7
Detention Center
Iris and Pearl walked glumly toward the visitors' room where Viola was waiting for them. They hadn't talked since they got there, still upset over the incident with Celeste. Pearl felt sorry for Celeste, whereas Iris felt guilt for driving the poor actress to her limit.
It was all to prove Ms. Viola's innocence, Iris would try to rationalize, but it didn't excuse her actions toward Celeste. Cornering her, accusing her of murdering who was essentially her father…
Iris beat herself up mentally for what she did. She should've been careful, she should've been more considerate…!
She wanted to go back and make it up to Celeste somehow, but not only did she still have to work to do, but it was also certain that the actress wouldn't listen to her. It was an incredibly messy situation that Iris had only herself to blame.
Tomorrow, she thought with a sigh. I'll apologize to her tomorrow after the trial. Likely, she won't forgive me, but it'll be a start. I just need to talk with Ms. Viola first and I'll be done in-
Her thoughts were suddenly cut short when, upon entering the visitor's room, she saw Viola chatting with a familiar orange suited tiger man. The two of them looked at Iris, who gulped nervously as said familiar tiger man stood up and moved toward her with clenched fists.
"YOUSE AGAIN!?" he roared out, grabbing Iris by the collar of her shirt, hoisting the frightened lawyer up. "DIDN'T I TELL YOUZE TO SCRAMBLE, YA WORTHLESS BI-!?"
"Leave my sister alone!" a cute voice squeaked out and the tiger man looked down and tilted his head in confusion upon seeing the adorable Pearl. Her arms and feet were shaking at the intimidating figure staring down at her, but she stood her ground and gave a brave and fierce glare. "Didn't you hear what I said? Let her go!"
The tiger man blinked, bemused at the child standing up to him. "I-"
"Let her go, Don Tigre..." Viola said. "It's alright. They're with me...hee...hee...hee…"
The tiger man, Furio Tigre, glanced at Viola with a questioning look before looking back at Iris and Pearl. "Fine…" he grumbled hesitantly, letting go of his grip and letting Iris fall to the floor.
"Big Sis, are you alright?" Pearl asked in concern.
"I...I'm fine…" Iris said in between her breaths.
"I am so sorry for that, Ms. Hawthorne," Viola said, "and I'm certain Don Tigre is sorry as well..."
She then flashed a stern, chilling look at Furio that made him sweat nervously. "Y-yeah, sorry about that…" he grumbled. "Guess I pegged youse unfairly if Viola's thinks yer a friend."
Oh, really, no… Iris thought sarcastically before standing up and removing a few smudges of dirt from her dress. "I...suppose it's alright," she said before moving toward Viola. "How are you holding up?"
"As well as I can be…hee...hee...hee…" Viola said. "That prosecutor woman was difficult to work with. I had to tell her everything that I told you about myself so she wouldn't…" she paused to notice the vicious, protective snarl on Tigre's face, then turned to Iris. "...you know…"
Iris cringed, the few whip scars she retained from von Karma stinging from the memory.
"When I told her about Don Tigre, she went out to interrogate him too," Viola said before chuckling as she gestured to her old friend. "Funny enough, the moment she left was when he showed up to visit me…"
"I just found that youse got arrested in jail, Viola, I knew I couldn't just stand by and leave youze to rot!" Furio exclaimed, his voice echoing all around the Detention Center.
"And I appreciate that, but you shouldn't suffer because of my own problems…" Viola said, frowning. "Don Tigre, you already did so much for me. You already started a new, prosperous life with that restaurant of yours. Please, don't throw it away for my sake…!"
"But youse were the one that helped me to better!" Furio shouted. "I already got out of yer parents' radar, gettin' youse outta this joint will be easy!"
"Excuse me, but am I missing something here?" Iris politely interrupted, earning the ire of the large tiger man. Fortunately, Viola gave him a wave that seemed to calm him down.
"Remember when I told you that Don Tigre helped me escape from my family?" Iris nodded at Viola's question. "Well, it's more than that. Don Tigre used to be a thug who worked at Tender Lender, a loan shark company that was part of our family's operations. While he played the role of being the owner and enforcer for the company, he was just as disgusted and afraid of my family as I was. We bonded over that…"
Viola glanced at Furio, giving him a smile that melted his gruff exterior for a moment. He smiled gently back to her before turning to Iris with his usual intimating frown. "One day, we both couldn't take workin' for the Cadaverinis no more, so we left them together.." he finished for Viola. "The first few days on the run from them were rough…but we had each other."
Viola blushed at that, almost wanting to swoon for her dear tiger.
"I see…" Iris said, pondering for a moment. Unbeknownst to her, Pearl was pressing her hands against her cheeks, silently squeeing at how sweet Viola and Furio's story was. "Hmm, perhaps we can use this to our favor."
"Oh, really…?" Viola asked, raising a brow. "How so?"
"As you said, Ms. von Karma left to interrogate Mr. Tigre, but he's right here with us," Iris said, gesturing to the gruff tiger man. "Perhaps with all of us working together, we can find a way to prove your innocence, Ms. Viola."
"Not a bad idea, but how am I supposed to prove Viola didn't kill anyone?" Furio asked.
"By giving us leads on the true killer's motives," Iris said. "We know that the reason they framed Ms. Viola was due to her ties to her family. But given that her family had already made so many enemies, it's nearly impossible to specify. Perhaps we can finally track down their motive with your help?"
Furio opened her mouth to protest, but Viola cut in.
"He also worked for my family for five years," she added. "If there's any information involving my family's operations is important, he can give you that better than I can...hee...hee...hee…"
"W-Well, yeah, that's true but…" Furio scratched his head, trying to think of an excuse to say no.
"Please, Mr. Tigre," Pearl pleaded. "We need to free Ms. Viola and we can't do it without your help."
Furio paused for a moment of thought. He wasn't sure about this. While he did indeed come to help Viola, he didn't mean he'd actually participate in her trial! A lot of things can go wrong if he did. She could be declared guilty and arrested, sentenced to life, or even the chair. Hell, there was even a chance that HE could get arrested if his true identity was revealed!
But all those doubtful thoughts washed away when he took one good look at Viola, the sweet girl that put him on the road to be a better person...and he knew he couldn't just leave her to rot in a cell.
"Alright, alright…" he grumbled with a sigh. "Just tell me what youse want me to do."
. . .
July 8, 10:00 AM
District Court~ Courtroom No. 4
"Order! Order!" the Judge shouted, pounding his gavel against his desk, silencing the Gallery. "Court is now in session for the trial of Viola Cadaverini."
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor!" von Karma declared before striking her desk with her whip and posing dramatically.
"Is the defense ready-oh my goodness!" the Judge exclaimed, his heart skipping a beat from the sight of the intimidating tiger-like man beside Iris and Pearl. "M-Ms. Hawthorne, w-who is that person next to you!?"
Furio sneered at the Judge, raising the poor man's heart rate even further.
"This is Chéngsè Lǎohǔ, your Honor," Iris said, gesturing to Furio. "He's a man whom I ask help in-"
"Don't bother with the lies, Ms. Iris Hawthorne," von Karma cut in, crossing her arms. "I know that man is Furio Tigre."
Furio began to sweat nervously when he saw the people in the courtroom eyeing him suspiciously.
"Furio Tigre? Who is that?" the Judge asked.
"A thug who aided Viola Cadaverini in escaping from her family, Your Honor," von Karma said. "He had been arrested a few times for assault before changing his name and finding success in a Chinese restaurant called the Roaring Tiger. I hope you enjoyed that success, Mr. Furio Tigre…" she flashed a wide sinister grin. "...you're going to miss it once I'm done with you…"
Furio flinched, his legs shaking in fear as the Prodigious Prosecutor glared at him maliciously.
"HOLD IT! Those crimes have already been served with jail time, Ms. von Karma," Iris retorted calmly. "While Mr. Tigre did use an alias like the defendant, he has justified reasons due to being the man who helped Ms. Viola run away from her family in the first place."
She then turned to the Judge. "Your Honor, Mr. Tigre has worked with the Cadeverinis for five years before his defection. As such, I am sure he'd prove to be a useful ally in bringing the truth to this case to light."
"Hmm…I'm not sure…" the Judge said, stroking his beard. His face then paled in terror when he saw Furio's razor-sharp teeth being revealed from his snarling mouth.
"O-oh, alright! I-I believe this could work!" he said, chuckling nervously. "W-what does the prosecution think of this?"
Von Karma shrugged. "I will allow it, Your Honor. And besides, it's not like he'll be of any help once I show the perfect evidence that proves Ms. Viola Cadaverini did commit Mr. Will Powers' murder!"
The people in the court began to loudly discuss amongst themselves. Just what was this evidence?
"Order! Order!" the Judge shouted, pounding his gavel. "The perfect evidence, you say, Ms. von Karma? I don't suppose you won't show us this now?"
"I will in time, Your Honor," von Karma said. "For now, I would like to call one of yesterday's witnesses to the stand. There have been some recent discoveries that she would like to share for the sake of this case."
The Judge nodded. "Very well then. Please bring in this witness."
Von Karma grinned in excitement, laughing evilly as she made a pose with her whip. "Bring Ms. Celeste L. Starr back to the stand!"
"Hey," Celeste said loudly, giving a deadpanned wave to the people of the court. Upon making her way to the stand, she shot a hateful glare toward Iris and Viola, causing the former to look away in shame.
"It's nice of you to come back to further testify the truth of this matter, Ms. Celeste L. Starr," von Karma said, crossing her arms. "I'm well aware that this has been a tough subject for you to-"
"Save it," Celeste hissed. "Let's just get this over with so we can stop wasting time."
Von Karma chuckled. "Blunt and to the point. I love that in a woman."
TESTIMONY
"Ugh...I can't believe this shit is still going on…!"
"You all remember that I saw the Cadaverini pushing Will off the building, but there's more to it than just that."
"Ever since the Cadaverini ended up getting the Crystal Crusader Rose job, she'd been acting pretty chummy with Will."
"Sticking by his side, always clinging onto him and never letting him go…"
"Almost every day she wouldn't lose sight of him."
"Doesn't that raise any suspicion that something must be up?"
"That maybe...she was making sure he didn't rat her out?"
"I certainly think so...after all, she did kill him to prevent anyone else from knowing…!"
Everyone in the court took their time to process what Celeste had said.
"That's a very vague testimony, Ms. Starr," Iris said, "but from what I can gather from it...you believe that the defendant was watching over the victim like a hawk to ensure her true identity wasn't revealed?"
"Not think, know," Celeste hissed, matter-of-factly. She was about to say more, but von Karma raised her hand.
"Save the details for the cross-examination," von Karma said before turning to the court. "Now, the one problem that we have in regards to this case is the lack of detail. Even when we gathered evidence, there's still so much more of the story we haven't figured out yet."
"Get to the point," Iris chimed in, rhythmically tapping her foot.
"What I am saying is that to truly know the details, I suggest that Ms. Viola Cadaverini is called to the stand to defend herself during the cross-examination. We shall hear both her and Ms. Celeste L. Starr's stories to finally see what truly happened on the day of Will Powers' death."
"An interesting idea, Ms. von Karma," the Judge said.
"But what makes you sure it'll work?" Iris countered. "Ms. Viola is the defendant and Celeste, the witness. Those are two sides who will no doubt have biased, conflicting stories, especially with what we've seen of their relationship so far."
"Oh, there won't be any bias," von Karma assured her hated rival with a sneer before taking out her whip to menacingly point it back and forth between Viola and Celeste, who were bemused by the action. "If I find any inconsistencies in regards to what these two women have to say, there will be…"
whp-CRACK!
"...consequences…" von Karma said with a menacing chuckle that sent shivers down Viola's, Celeste's, and the Judge's spines.
The Judge gulped. "Duly noted, Ms. von Karma. I-I shall allow this. Let the cross-examination begin."
Iris closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to take a good luck at Celeste, her testimony now being prodded and picked apart in her thoughts. Iris then gave a glance at von Karma, however, and narrowed her eyes when she noticed the smug, assured grin on her rival's face.
This cross-examination while the defendant defends her idea doesn't feel right, Iris thought to herself. She was well-aware that von Karma wanted nothing more than to win this case, but allowing Viola to speak raised the likelihood of proving her innocence!
As she continued to observe von Karma's grin, there was only one thing that came into Iris' mind. What are you planning, von Karma?
Court Record:
Evidence:
1. Iris' Attorney Badge
2. Letter of Request
3. Security Cameras
4. Will Powers' Autopsy Report
5. Crystal Crusader Dress (Costume No. 1)
6. Key Card
7. Crystal Sword
8. Torn and Tattered Crystal Crusader Costume (Costume No. 2)
9. Mysterious Letter (updated)
10. Penny's Vehicle
11. Cart of Film Equipment
12. Flashlight
13. Holes
14. Missing Headlight
Profiles:
1. Pearl Fey
2. Viola Cadaverini
3. Franziska von Karma
4. Detective Gumshoe
5. Will Powers
6. Wendy Oldbag
7. Celeste L. Starr/Emerald Empress
8. Penny Nichols
9. Furio Tigre