"Hey, are you coming to watch? It's starting," shouted a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy, sitting on the couch in front of the television while waiting for his girlfriend.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she replied as she appeared, as ordinary as him, without any special feature that stood out.
They were, in every sense, the embodiment of normality. In a world where extraordinary events were part of daily life, heroes, villains, people with superhuman abilities, they belonged to the quietest group: ordinary people trying to live their lives in the midst of the new normal.
"How do you think it will end?" the girl asked, sitting beside him.
"Innocent, of course," said Michael, pounding his chest with pride.
Sara looked at him with feigned disdain. "You only say that because he saved you once."
And she was right. Although Michael lived a completely ordinary life, once he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Leonardo had foreseen a simultaneous attack in several parts of the city, and one of those places happened to be Michael's workplace.
For Leonardo, it was simple: he saw a crime and prevented it.
But for Michael, it was much more. It was a reminder of how fragile the life of a common citizen was in a world plagued by powers. It was also a revelation: heroes, no matter how extraordinary they seemed on television, fought for something very simple, so that people like him could continue living their everyday lives.
"I just don't think he's that kind of person," insisted Michael. "He's spent years saving everyone. Why would he hurt others without reason?"
"I don't know," Sara replied indifferently. "Maybe he just went crazy."
Michael ignored her as the trial began on live television.
---
The world had changed. There were no longer only common criminals. Now justice had to face everything from reptilian monsters to minds too brilliant for an ordinary process.
The answer was the creation of a special court. In that place, no one had powers; everyone, heroes or villains, had to appear under the same conditions. It was known that it had been developed by S.H.I.E.L.D., but no one knew the details. The only certainty was that it had never failed.
That day, the accused was not a villain nor a serial killer. He was someone everyone had known as a hero. One of the first. A pioneer of the superhero era.
"And what brought someone like him to this stand?" asked the judge, seated high above, embodying the solemnity of justice as he finished reading the defendant's introduction.
"The accused, Leonardo Valentino, also known as Laplace's Demon, is charged with attempted homicide, attempted instigation of international conflict, and suspected terrorism."
"On this occasion," he continued, "the prosecuting attorney will be Matthew Murdock. For the defense, attorney Jennifer Walters. Any objections?"
"None, your honor," they both replied in unison.
"Good. Let me introduce you to the particularity of this trial."
Contrary to expectations, the camera did not focus on the court, but instead showed a link that bewildered the television audience.
"The level of this crime has surpassed what a few can decide," explained the judge. "The defendant did not act against a city nor against a country. He acted against the world… and the world will judge him for it."
On every device that accessed the link, a page appeared. After registering with real data, the screen went blank, waiting.
"When it comes time to deliberate," the judge added, "all of you will be able to cast your vote. The entire world will be the jury today. With that said, I declare this session open."
The first to speak was Matt Murdock.
"The defendant, Leonardo Valentino, is charged with the events of Tuesday, June 17, 2015: an attack against representatives of seventeen countries, including all world powers. This was not just an attack against one nation, but a risk that could have escalated into a third world war with incalculable casualties."
He paused.
"Now, we do not have material evidence, given the nature of the case. Allow me to clarify, your honor. The defendant possesses widely known abilities, among them the power to foresee the future. Such a power allows him, strictly speaking, to commit crimes without leaving any evidence. Technically, he does not 'execute' the action, he simply fails to prevent it."
A murmur spread through the court, but Murdock continued:
"However, it is well known that seeing the future not only allows anticipation, it also allows altering events. The defendant could manipulate circumstances to reach the outcome he himself desired. In over five years, his visions have never failed, not once. Therefore, it is illogical to conclude that this time he simply didn't see it. The most reasonable conclusion is that he chose to ignore it."
The defense took the floor.
"Objection, your honor," said Jennifer Walters, standing up. "First of all, the accusation of 'not preventing a crime' has no legal basis. There is no absolute duty of foresight in our legal framework, much less when we are talking about abilities whose exact nature has never been disclosed. The fact that my client has not shown failures from a public perspective does not mean that he has never had them. The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."
She adjusted her glasses before continuing.
"Furthermore, the perpetrators of the initial attack were identified as members of the organization known as The Hand."
"Objection," Murdock interrupted firmly.
"Sustained," replied the judge.
"It has been proven that all the explosives from that incident were deactivated and destroyed," Matt continued. "There is no verifiable connection with The Hand. Most likely, the current conspiracy is trying to imitate their modus operandi to cover up the truth."
"Objection, your honor," Jennifer replied firmly. "The prosecutor is stating hypotheses as facts, which could bias the jury."
"That is true. Do not let it happen again," warned the judge. "Prosecutor Murdock, consider this a first warning."
For more than six hours, the trial continued without witnesses, without physical evidence, only arguments. The court remained under tense silence. Leonardo, during all that time, did not utter a single word.
Until the moment of sentencing arrived.
"At the government's request," declared the judge, "the sentence will not be imprisonment, but the submission of the defendant to governmental control of his powers. If there are no objections, the jury may proceed to vote."
"I have an objection, your honor," Leonardo then said.
The judge looked at him in surprise. The young man, only twenty-five years old, had remained completely silent all day, unshaken.
"You may speak" the judge granted.
Leonardo took a deep breath and spoke, looking straight at the cameras.
"I would like to propose my own sentence. What happened was a mistake, and I take full responsibility. I am very sorry. I know that after this, most will no longer trust me even if I tell the truth. That is why… I am retiring."
There was a murmur of astonishment, but he continued with serenity.
"My goal has always been to create a safer world. And if retiring is what it takes to achieve that, I will accept it. Still, I ask for one last chance. Not as a hero, but as an artist. I want to leave behind one last work, something that amazes everyone. That will be my legacy."
The judge remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.
"For years you have saved countless lives, Mr. Valentino. I can at least grant you the chance for the jury to deliberate on this. Proceed."
---
On every device, three options appeared:
1. Guilty
2. Innocent
3. Retirement
The third would neither acquit nor condemn, it was a vote of confidence, a second chance regardless of the legal verdict.
At home, Michael didn't hesitate and pressed the third option on his phone. Looking to his side, he saw that Sara was still thoughtful.
"Why are you taking so long? Isn't it obvious?"
"But..." she hesitated. "If he really wants to help the world, wouldn't it be better if the government supervised him?"
Michael laughed. "Supervise him? That would just turn him into a weapon at the service of one country. That would bring more war than peace."
He took her hand.
"Listen, if it weren't for him I wouldn't even be here. And not just me. Millions owe their lives to what he did. The Chitauri invasion, Ultron, The Hand... Forget those worldwide problems, even a simple mugging could take our lives at any moment. He gave me a second chance, and I'm going to give him one too."
Sara smiled faintly. "I'll trust you." And she pressed the third option.
All over the world, similar scenes unfolded. People who had been saved, or who knew someone who had, decided to give him one last chance.
---
The final count appeared on screen:
Option 1: 0.5 %
Option 2: 1.9 %
Option 3: 97.6 %
"The jury has decided," announced the judge, striking his gavel. "This session is adjourned."
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+15 chapters in advance on Patreon.
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(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)