One Of The People
“You may begin,” Vanessa declared before checking a document on her desk. Mona nodded before turning her head and gesturing towards Fox. “Phesx Caolia, much better known and called Fox, the same person, is one of a kind. Regardless of how improbably these words always sound, he has shown it before in… unethical, perhaps, manners. But that is only because he has sacrificed a lot of himself to this point.”
“Through the last few months, most of last year, he has spoken to me of his life and his current ongoing goals and objectives. He had none, none at all.” Mona looked at Fox with smiling, thin lips, wishing she could caress his hair endearingly. “Right now, Fox has nothing going on after servicing his country. But it changed just a little over a month ago. He has become one of the most influential political parties’ president.”
She looked at the Supreme Justice Minister, smiling with her rows of teeth showing, deep dark brown eyes narrowing. “He was the reason a district here in Proteros was cleaned of the ongoing expansion of the infamous illegal floor charge, which many people in this place refuses to see as a capital offense. Without him, Proteros would’ve welcomed the unhappiness of more selective business in the capital, not just that district.”
“Are you saying he was the perpetrator of the hundreds of civilians’ deaths?” Vanessa asked, frowning and tapping her pen on the front edge of her desk. Mona shook her wavy dull orange head, her eyes closed, before staring at the Supreme Justice Minister. “Those weren’t civilians. Maybe armed civilians, but all of their faces were known to the people from that district, and some were even targeted by those people in the past… again.”
“… People that this ‘exotic’ building here has let go of, unknowingly, every week.” Mona created a pause before saying those words. The courtroom fell into silence. Vanessa then breathed in and out before calmly asking, “So you’re saying the national guard, police forces, and even the army were mobilized just for this person’s whims at all?”
“I don’t know the details. All my works has been done with my client’s approval and my confidentiality.” Mona said with a more relaxed expression. Vanessa frowned, “And how do you know this information not even the Supreme Court Justice can revise?”
“I’m not sure of the power your Justice says the Supreme Court Justice supposedly has, as none of it is written in our constitution, but the president himself contacted me after realizing me and Fox could work together for my client’s benefits” Mona clarified at ease.
“So, in your words, is the accused a ‘hero’ fighting for justice that the authorities would otherwise not care about unless they are forced— unless they see the ‘enemy’ grow weak and show vulnerability?” The Supreme Justice Minister smiled a little at the end of her words.
Mona’s right eyebrow arched upwards for a long while until the minister finished her words. She shook her head and calmly answered, placing one leg over the other, further at ease. “I don’t find reliable your Justice’s words. Fox acted when his boutique was initially targeted, too. He isn’t a man who moves around for the sake of honor or anyone’s command. He… is a mad foxie.”
Fox tilted his head to the right in wonderment. Mona smiled, almost giggling. Vanessa commented immediately after seeing this, “Miss Mona seems to evaluate Fox’s acts as highly and to enjoy talking about?”
“I’m speaking about my client,” Mona shook her head yet again, “Not his record or what others think of him. As a therapist, my job is to exercise professional caring for my clients. As Fox’s therapist, it is my duty to let him see me as his ally, not a repair kit trying to change him.”
“Haaaa… You said the president met you after ‘realizing’ you were able to connect with Fox,” Vanessa sighed, holding an unprecedented irritation only she felt, and an observing Fox below secretly noticed. “When did you meet the accused for the first time?”
“At the start of last year.” Mona was concise in her answer. Vanessa followed up without delay, “What were the difficulties other psychiatrists, psychologists, or therapists faced that you were able to go through?”
Mona blinked. She looked at Vanessa for a few extra seconds before slightly breathing sharply in, “Fox didn’t want a systematic schedule or process to hear him, only to receive similar responses. It isn’t wrong to have more generalized methods, but…”
Mona looked at Fox, then at some cameras from the left side, and a couple of the right, before compassionately speaking. “I have noticed and… further confirmed, as many other experienced fellow doctors in this or similar area of expertise, that the ‘mental health help’ institutions or regulations fall short of the ever-increasing and developing matter of mental illness in our human history.”
“We might have stronger bodies, at least from the perspective of the rumors of a weaker human race before the Third Order, our mentality has never been evolved at the same level. It might be seen by ‘experts’ as an issue for our next generations from when we aren’t here anymore… but it’s a growing problem now. Fox sees that, differently, but the same.”
“During my time with him, these sightings have become more apparent, and I must say, my deficiency to connect with other patients has been… put aside, so to speak.” Mona glanced around the sides, looking at everyone before her eyes ended on the Supreme Justice Minister.
“As of today, Fox has gone from the tragedies he suffered to… work something in the name to— not honor them, but… make ‘their rest’ feel a sense of pride and belonging. This is even as his identity as a Ly, as you can see, is being questioned.” Mona concluded, remaining silent after those last few sharp words.
“What tragedies are those you speak of?” Vanessa calmly stared at the therapist after she finished, questioning once things seemed to settle down. Tension arose once again.
“The incidents of the 24th, the 11th month’s 1st week’s 7th day, your Justice. He lost the few people he relied on that day, and the… love of his life.” Mona expressed. Her words left the crowd contemplating. To know the exact date, she cared for ‘Fox/Phesx Caolia’, alright.
Vanessa stared at Mona, still with her calm face, before asking yet again as Mona’s eyes’ shaking calmed down. “Are those the only tragedies?”
“From what I understand of my client,” Mona rubbed her left eye. It wasn’t known if she was crying; it couldn’t be seen clearly. She stared up at the Supreme Justice Minister again, “The incident where too many good lives died without a need aren’t going to limit his capabilities or cripple his heart. It’s cruel, but what are the lives of unknowns compared to one’s love, to which one would gladly die for instead?”
“But things don’t work that way,” Mona shook her head, she was gentle and sorrowful, genuine. “Ifs are for the loggerheads. Fox is a young man, not even 20, not even after his birthday soon. He has much to learn, yet he has already given the world much to think about, even if he’s seen wrongly and as an evildoer now. It’s him why Lýmoca isn’t in the dark anymore— the world, even.”
“Fox has the potential to gain what many in Lýmoca only thought of as a possibility. It’s both because he is capable, and because he is unafraid to achieve it. In the future, I believe there will be something more to this, a ‘third’ reason, if you will it.” Mona shrugged a little, ambiguous.
“What is that?” Vanessa half-chuckled when she asked this. Mona formed a humorous grimace from the left corner of her mouth, “He will have people and things he wants to see flourish and live on after him.”
“…” The crowd exclaimed in unison, soft and low, but speaking a thousand words. Let alone Fox, who found himself becoming a little stunned, dazed. He almost looked back at Mona, his therapist who clearly felt for him more than he thought, but kept his attention to the front. However, Vanessa could see the slight change in his eyes, no matter how small.
“That was very empathic, miss Mona. I have to ask, and even though I’m pinpointing this for the second time, I don’t intend to target you, miss. Tell me, did he ever touch you?” Vanessa surprised the hell out of everyone. Fox even lifted his eyebrows until wrinkles formed all over his forehead. Mona was taken aback, but she breathed in and sighed.
“Your Justice, I feel offended. Fox and I’s relationship is a matter of trust and developing into a well-deserved future, not of finding a couple. I feel you’ve insulted my work and that of others!” Mona’s voice turned up a couple of volumes, and her tone wasn’t polite but remained proper.
“…” - “…” A strange sensation arose. Fox felt the tension build higher and higher as Mona and Vanessa stared into each other’s eyes; across the podium and aperture without the glass windows from the sides. Vanessa looked down, remaining calm but a little imposing. Mona returned the stare, patient but with tiny parts of her face twitching every now and then.
“Was there any romantic ‘connection’ between you two in your appointments?” - “No, there isn’t, and there won’t be.” - “Did he ever force himself on you?” - “No, your Justice. Please do not make accusing questions without any valid information or record of those insinuations.”
“Did you ever to him?” - “No, your Justice. My professionalism can be testified even by the distant relatives of the clients to choose me as their ally! I repeat, please refrain from-” — “Ahem! Was there a moment any of you two hinted for a romantic meeting or relationship?” - “I keep saying, your Justice, no such thing has, is, or will ever occur. This behavior is only adequate to the similarities of bigotry, your Justice. I suggest there’s no more of this insulting attitude to my person.”
Fox calmly scratched his nape as they went on about it, he was easily noticeable as the two halted and he raised both his arms in the air because of the handcuffs. The 2 guards at his sides and the 1 behind him nearly unholstered their handguns. Vanessa and Mona slowly relaxed.
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One was fast and concise, ending the questioning earlier than it might have regularly. The other was also concise, but she extended the questioning with her words, further aggravating and exposing the court’s injustice to her person. It was a distinctive, niche cat and mouse playstyle.
“The court has decided to conclude miss Mona’s speaking time, thank you for your time.” Vanessa looked down at her desk, not giving the Supreme Court Ministers even a glance before passing a paper sheet to her screen. Mona nodded and was about to walk to the left, when Vanessa lifted her face again and casually said, “You seem successful in your career, miss. May I know if your office still has a few empty spots? I figure any interested people might want to try this miraculous aid you possess, with the ability to calm even a mass murderer of this nation.”
“… I do, your Justice. My fair price is also renowned, I hope you, and anyone else here, can remember that.” Mona stopped and looked at the ground before firmly responding, once again looking up at the Supreme Justice Minister.
“Mister lawyer… Armando Peña,” Vanessa ignored the courtroom afterwards, writing on some documents before calling out. Following that, she looked at the left side and flashed a smile, “If that is all of your spokespeople, I will convo-”
Baam- step, step, step, step, step, step… The doors to the courtroom opened, sudden and loudly, with strength that the person walking in shouldn’t have. The doors crashed against the walls from the inside, nearly making those inside jump.
‘Why…? What an entry, heh…’ Fox was the first to look back, as he had tilted his head just a few milliseconds before this happened. Many people walked around the SCJ rooms, so he thought this was just another. The shoes and pacing this person had, a single one, was pretty similar to any other, albeit familiar.
When the person who ‘opened’ those doors entered, Fox nodded a few times, barely noticeable. It was Luis Heartez who came in without missing a beat. He was calm, serious, and handsome. Very handsome. Furthermore, that suit also seemed semi-empowered…
“President? Sir, I will remind you there are regulations and procedures for entering and exiting a court-” Vanessa Valyer remained seated, while the left side stood up one after another, and only a third of the right side did.
“Aah~, to another hound with that bone…” Luis walked directly into the center, speaking lazily yet heavily from the entrance. He passed by the guards. What were they going to do? Prohibit him from entering a large booth where only the most dangerous person in the entire world as of date was inside? Were they worried about Fox? Or were they going to block the president?
“President Luis Heartez, you have no jurisdiction in this court, in the judicial branch, and in no matter, my Supreme Court Justice!” Vanessa stood up, at last, but only to increase her volume.
“The Supreme Court Justice has no jurisdiction to command the police forces of any part of the country! Yet, there was an order of more than a third of a state capital State Police Department force to apprehend ‘the criminal’ Fox. Furthermore, the army and national guard’s leading official have both exposed their respective letters from the selfsame Supreme Court Justice to work with this order, as much!” Armando Peña exited the left side, nobody knew when, and practically shouted at the Supreme Justice Minister while pointing a finger at their 13 seats overall.
There was silence, alright. Both sides stale in checkmate. The one to negate the other, with both having proof, one on live camera feed but the other just as real; will lose.
“… 2 minutes, no more.” The Supreme Justice Minister sat down and acquiesced, although the Supreme Court Ministers behind her became noisy. She ignored them as the president arrived near the podium. Fox looked at Luis, who gestured with a jump of his eyebrows, “Let me.”
Fox said nothing and lowered his head to step aside and check a guard who was just moving the chair after Mona left; when Luis entered, and everyone became paralyzed. Fox chided the guard with a guttural exclamation, almost like wild animals communicating. He also nodded upwards at the guard. “Kkrr krr, bring that back here.”
The guard sweated and returned the chair to where it was. Fox kicked one of its legs and changed its angle to see both Luis and Vanessa before sitting down, slamming his butt to make a loud and unnecessary sound that spread throughout the courtroom.
Luis looked back. Fox stood there with an innocent expression, and one of laziness. Those handcuffs made for nothing but show, as there were Courusel machinery metals that were good enough for any human being and corrosion, were like toys for the young man. “Hmph.”
After harrumphing in a good mood with a slight grin, Luis turned to the front, where the 13 powerful figures, currently more substantial and even powerful than him in his own country, sat. Just before he said something, an old Supreme Court Minister stood up and pointed at him.
“This is illegal! You cannot be here, showing up without an invitation, nor as part of the accused defense’s stand. He even dared spread false information of the honorable Supreme Court Justice, misinforming the entire nation! All of Lýmoca! Guards! Retrieve this insolent crim-” - “…”
Vanessa didn’t even have to shout. She lifted her left palm and turned her head to the left, where the Supreme Court Minister stood with his arm still extended. When Vanessa lifted her hand, he didn’t notice, but when she stared, everyone else looked at him with wide, warning eyes.
The man retrieved his arm and slowly sat back down. His attendants had opened their eyes and now looked a bit afraid. Vanessa stared at the right side before focusing on the left, finally setting her eyes to the center, where Luis patiently waited.
“Now I will speak,” Luis ‘declared’ before looking at the left and right. Some knowns in his right received a flashing glimpse of his narrowed, couldn’t be bothered eyes. He pointed a finger at Fox, making the latter almost feel the same energy which Luis was pointed at just now.
“Who is this young man? A murderer, an assassin, a mastermind of operations involving the delinquency of his country’s suffering and losses. These are not questions but truths. What is this young man not? A traitor. Even when he was forced into a war of the unknown, even when he saw his endearing close ones die, he didn’t have the notion of ‘destroying, killing, and raping’ as the people in this court are focused about.” Luis finished those words with his eyes back at the high seats; the Supreme Court Justice ministers.
“No… and excuse me if you don’t believe in me, I’m not here to act as the president of this nation, because the president of this unique country does not have the right to focus on one sole person, group, or idea!”
“I’m representing Fox here, with my words, as his employer. Look at him! Who is he, if not you!? Why is he here, if not because of the ‘oh so high’ globes in this country that have maintained their positions for more than 200 years!? What does he represent now? Where is his position within the country? Within our land!? Where should he be? When will he be shown the recognition of the people he’s rescued and benefitted!?”
“I’m one of them, I’m his employer.” Luis breathed heavily, pretty much not a superficial reaction. Fox looked at the President with hardened, fully open eyes. “I don’t show it to him, for our differences, for our conflicting and even opposing circumstances. But he has gained my respect.”
“He has worked more than any of us, including me, in less than a year active under my ‘employment’. And this is even without failing the Lys short. Our people! His people! Our young man! This young man!”
Luis momentarily paused, his face sweaty and seemingly reddening, before getting back to it. “He can achieve what I can only dream in… another 12 years— in less than 12 months.”
Luis humorously laughed to himself. “He’s been working in the dark and reproachable covert of everyone’s eyes. Not for any other reason but because he wanted to. In all that time, he was conveniently paid for all these things he did for our country. This young man has had gone back into the forefront of a vast civil war, the worst in our human history in such a short period of time, all to find his mother.”
“What can a ‘terrible’ person like this do… if the people’s love is with him?” Luis’s eyes felt a bit heavy and sore, which the cameras caught. Just at this moment, Vanessa calmly echoed after gulping. Her jaw, neck, and right hand impassive as her tone was smooth yet low, “President, your time has concluded.”
“Not without these last few words…” Luis trailed those words off before facing the Supreme Justice Minister. “He has shown you how to do it. Not the killing, no, no. Not the violence… The heart to do it— to do something and show you can change it if you just want to. And whoever wants to stop you just has to try and force you to, whereas you just have to face it. All I ask is you employ that, for the first time, for him— to rescue this young man within this unwelcome licentiousness.”
“Presid-” Vanessa was rising her voice, when Luis stepped backwards while looking at the ministers and then turned around, “Eso es cuanto, courtroom.”
Luis departed after that, not returning, and checking his clock. Of course, all cameras moved to his back. He was busy, after all, and it was barely past 11:30 pm. The night was young, and the president too, but the country was not, and it needed so much caring…
“We will now debate the discussion of this trial!” Vanessa lightly tapped her desk and stood from her seat after the president left, still with his presence and words lingering in the courtroom.
She went to the Supreme Court Ministers, who formed an elongated circle behind her seat and discussed. Their voices were a little loud, giving the right side the notion to relax and do the same. Only the left side remained somber, and mostly quiet… more peaceful and accommodating.
Fox waited on his new chair, contented with the change for once. He stood before people in person and in front of the cameras for nearly 9 hours last time, after all. Now, Fox didn’t have to wait for more than 15 minutes, as the ministers' heated debate had finally reached a conclusion, it seemed.
“This courtroom has come to a conclusion,” Vanessa returned to her seat and started announcing the results. “With the found evidence and information, clear and precise in this trial. In the interrogation of both confrontations of this 2-w c-e, and the necessities of the people of this country, and the justice for them. This courtroom has found the accused, Phesx Caolia, alias Fox, guilty of his inhumane crimes!”
“… … …!” The right side didn’t respond with much to these shocking news, neither did the 13 ministers, but the left side shared glances as their side became cold and low in spirits. Who knew what the cameras were making the people watching from them think, but Fox was calm. Utterly and eerily calm.
“Phesx Caolia, alias Fox, do you accept this court’s claim as true?” Vanessa looked at Fox with downturned eyes. Fox looked up, his gaze sharp, his 7 pools in his polycoria eyes focused. “Yes, I do.”
“…May I take these off?” Fox’s face immediately became innocent, and his eyes even gullible. Vanessa looked at them in silence before nodding at the guards around him. She then prepared to leave her seat with her documents, instructing her attendants to help her with some, and differentiating them.
Crash!
Just as she turned to walk behind her seat, Fox lifted his handcuffs, showing them to the attentive cameras, which were every single one of them, and jolted his arms down. His left hand flashed ultra before jolting his wrist downwards, breaking them apart.
“!” Vanessa looked back at Fox, fearing the worst. But he was just standing there, looking at her, and the 13 ministers, with the same face. The 3 guards had their handguns out, aiming at him, with the other 2 on the other side of the glass gates hurrying over to do the same. Fox proactively voiced in a positive, slightly loud voice, “Thank you!”
…