Eagle of Zeus

The cuffs were an interesting choice. Ignatius Clement gave a soft flex of his arms and the chains clinked taut, his steel grey eyes locking with the metal. To pass the time he calculated the exact force of pressure needed to pry the metal in two and where to exactly apply the cuffs to do so. Then to pass another second he did it again and again. The seventh time included the use of a button from his suit. The fifty fourth included the door handle. The sixth hundredth included taking apart the clock on the wall and creating a small laser weapon. By the five minute mark of applying his attention to this problem he had to start designing his own traps, until he designed a pair of near inescapable cuffs and, promptly, escaped them. The ticking of the clock was politely tuned out as Clement's mind climbed higher and higher mountains of intellect, his eyes glancing back up from his wrists to survey his face in a two way mirror.

He looked older. More of his hair, once a shocking black as deep as the void between space, had taken on a white-grey look. His well aged face had begun to show wear and tear, obvious lines formed between his heavy brows and at either corner of his eyes. His cheeks had taken on a more hollow appearance, but he supposed that was less age and more the lifestyle he had been pushed into. Maybe the suit made him look older still? It was matching his hair, a slate coloured three piece with a black tie and white shirt. Cuff links were a silver to match his eyes, as were the buttons. His shoes had been tailor made to give him just a little more height then his opponent, no more then a inch. Clement didn't look like a man who was attempting to retake control of billions of dollars worth of Company or prove his innocence. He looked like an accountant. The thought made his lip twitch slightly in amusement.

Soon, someone would come to collect him and he would rather not spend any more time in the... holding pen then he had to, so Ignatius stood and approached the mirror. He brushes fingers through the perfectly measured moustache, carefully arranged his fringe and then adjusted his lapels, tie pin and even the handkerchief in his pocket. Clement's mind wondered to the little French Polynesia island that had been his prison. It was in ruins now, destroyed by his hand. No one had died but he had brought their little research station to a halt, ruined Elizabeth Jules' life and risen much like the phoenix from its ashes. Or was it Icarus, with his wings of honey and feathers? He'd know by the end of the trial of course. Another little thing he had arranged; a very public spectacle of an arrest, overshadowed of course by the New York Assault but still enough to make sure the Government didn't whip him off somewhere in complete secrecy.

A knock came from the iron door they thought could hold him. The judge was waiting for him, along with the Persecutor of this little trial. Clement adjusted his tie once more and approached the door. A cop gave him a wary look as he freed the smartest man on earth, whom simply smiled back with an a casual air. The next hundred years of his life was on the line if he was lucky. A group of men, armed with electrified batons that would have no effect, escorted him through the halls of justice.

The Judge's chambers were far more opulent then the holding pen. The centre of the room was dominated by a large antique oak desk. Neat books lined it, with a name plaque and a pile of notes and cases. A large comfortable chair was behind it, much more modern. The walls were lined with tall bookcases, detailing every little note of the law dating back to the 16th century, probably. Small windows, too small to wriggle out of, lined the upper parts of the room and let in adequate natural light. He was the first to arrive through a heavy oak door. Two leather armchairs sat before the Judge's desk for the Defence and Prosecution.

Clement sat heavily but did not recline, his elbows placed on an arm as his legs crossed at the knee. His eyes drifted around the rather clinical room. Any judge in the world could have owned a room like this and he supposed that a level of anonymity should be afforded to men and women who dealt with criminals everyday. A clock on the wall read 9:06 AM. Washington D.C, a city Ignatius was more then familiar with, began a new day.

Ignatius Clement hoped he would be a free man before its end.

Rey Miller, one of the youngest and most successful Lawyers in the business had just recently been given the biggest case of his career so far, perhaps the biggest he will ever be in. It was not a job he had expected or ever thought to have, Clement Technologies was one of the biggest companies in the world, right up there behind Apple and Google, and they were asking him to represent them in a case against Ignatius Clement himself? The man was rumored to be the smartest man alive, and pretty damn old at that too, Rey wasn’t even in the same ball park as the guy but if there was one thing he did know it was the laws, and what action brought about what consequence, and with the case load he saw sitting in front of him Mr. Clement would be lucky to get out of this without a life in prison sentencing.

At first, when given the proposal to take up the case he was hesitant, he wasn’t sure why the company was asking him when they more than likely had their own slew of Lawyers to do everything they wanted for them. Then of course he saw who it was he was asking to prosecute and realized why he was being called upon, Rey had an impressive streak of not having lost a case yet in his career. A streak that stretched back to when he was still working as a Defense Attorney before the Assault. Sighing he took one last look at the work, and all the papers spewed out in front of him before standing up and stacking them all together neatly before placing them in his brief case. Loosening his tie a little bit, looking in his mirror he let out a breath before walking outside to his car. He was not going to lie, he was a little nervous but everything should be fine. Who knew maybe Ignatius was as smart as they said and would take the Plea Bargin…Rey highly doubted it though, no one represented themselves unless they thought they were gona win, and even then… No one ever represented themselves.

It didn’t take him too long to get from the hotel he was staying at in D.C. to Court House, once there he parked the car and got out, letting out a low whistle as he noticed the people and news reporters all crowding around already. The trial its self hadn’t even begun and here they were waiting to get a shot at something, anything worth their while. Ignoring them as best he could he walked into the Court House and into the respected courtroom where he placed his brief case down on his table, nodding in greeting to the judge, and the rest of the Prosecution team. He then followed the rest of them into the judges room. He preferred to stand while they waited for the Defendant to come in if only because it was respectful, and he’d have to stand up in a bit anyway when he presented the Plea Bargain to the judge and Defendant.

Much to his surprise they did not have to wait long for the ‘man of the hour’ to come into the room. As he sat down Rey watched him before turning to the judge who acknowledged them both, standing up the judge spoke. “The Prosecution has agreed to present a Plea Bargain to the Defendant.” He nodded to Rey and Rey asked permission to approach the bench, easily being given it as they were the only ones in the courthouse now, as was customary for Plea Bargains. “Mr. Clement, the charges held against you, as I’m sure you know, are Aggravated Robbery, Burglarly as well as trespassing on both private and government property, Numeorus counts of Conspiracy,Criminal Negligence - Endangerment of a child, Espionage, Arson Vandalism in the second degree, Misprison of Felony ,Obstruction of Justice, and finally, Theft.”

Here Rey paused just to let all of that sink in a little before continuing on, “Now, as told by the Judge we have come up with a Plea Bargain, if you plead guilty now you may walk out of here with 50-80 years in Prison with the chance of Parole after the fortieth year. If you decline the offer I must inform you, you the death penalty will not be sought out in this trial, you will receive life in prison, because it has been considered more of a punishment for one such as yourself.” He said knowing that the man before him would understand that as a reference to his alleged immortality, death wouldn’t be justice for all he’d done, no living with himself alone in a cell forever with nothing for his brain to latch onto or hands to mess with that was what his punishment if found guilty was going to be. For what better way was there to punish an immortal genius than to not allow him to put his thoughts into action forever?

Clement took in the Judge and the Prosecution Lawyer with sharp eyes, his face not unkindly but set in a way that obviously showed he understood the gravity of the situation. He took in the Judge first, a Mary Zysk. Her father was a polish immigrant, her mother African American. She was younger then him by some forty years but looked certainly fierce towards either side, her black hair like a mane around her face. Clement bowed his head slightly as she spoke, to show he understood the words. Of course they'd offer to cut him a deal officially, they had tried to force him into more unofficial underhanded back room propositions already. Patiently the elder man turned to face the lawyer he would have to defend against, a mister Rey Miller. Blonde, Caucasian, handsome in a classical way Ignatius supposed. Clement nodded his head slowly as he was informed of the charges. He tried to be patient with each passing moment but his jaw set when he was informed of the Child Endangerment charge. The silence that followed left him stone still, the Judge's Chambers surprisingly quiet.

As the bargain was laid bare he actually was momentarily surprised. Only forty years? He could do that in his sleep. He could spend the vast majority of that re-hauling the entire world from his jail cell. Get around to producing safe cool fission. Create efficient, cheap cybernetic implants and better the whole human-technological interface. Ignatius Clement would not be imprisoned, no, he would be given the chance to focus purely on his true love; Science. And he would be out early, of course he would, Clement was not the type to create trouble unless truly necessary.

If he lost this trial he'd be able to devote his entire attention towards the simple goal of redeeming humanity.

It was a mechanical movement when he stood, something well practised. His shoulders were squared and the shoes did indeed lift him just perceptively taller then the other lawyer. He approached the desk, one hand sliding into the pocket of his trousers while the other hung comfortably by his side. "While I find the offer generous I will be inclined to reject it. I believe instead I will throw myself upon the mercy of the legal system and hope that the truth of the matter shines through." He then held out his hand to shake Mr Millers'. After all it would be good for the two of them to be on at least positive ground before they tore into each other in the courts. "I believe now, Judge Zysk, we are to move onto selecting the jury and finally moving into the courtroom?" The Judge gave him something of dark look, her face thunderous. He imagined that she considered him a pompous ass but he didn't much care.

Clements mind was instantly shifted away from the scene. He was quickly editing his opening statement and considering the facts and figures and geography of the crime scenes. They selected the 12 good men and women without much fuss. Clement overall liked the numbers when they were picked, diverse backgrounds with none too openly hostile or defensive of him. Then came the most interesting part; the courtroom itself.

Cameras had not been allowed into the room, but there were two rows dedicated solely to men and women holding computer tablets for notes or Dictaphones. Behind them were numerous political figures who weren't busy that day, the occasional soldier or marine in dress uniform and a few business figures. Clement recognised one he had kidnapped in one highly publicized heist. He walked between the two blocks and was shown through the fence by a guard. The older man was shown to the right side of the room, his table closest to the Jury. He sat straight in his seat, hands before him in a respectful but non-aggressive manner. Every bit of his body posture was screaming "I am an innocent man." He did not make eye contact with the jury or any one else but instead seemed content to look at the wall behind the Bench.

The room was atypical of a court. White windows ran along it's left side. A witness stand had been set up, as had a small podium between the Defence and Prosecutors desk. It would be there Mr Miller made his opening statement when he was ready and where Clement would follow with his own. Before the clock showed 9:30AM, the Usher called it, "All rise." There was a flurry of motion as many did, waiting as Judge Zysk too her seat before them. She shuffled papers for a moment before looking up. "The court will be hearing brief opening statements from the Prosecution and the Defendant, who has decided to defend himself. When you're ready, Mr Miller."

The Jury selection didn't take as long as he thought it would, and quite honesty he was fine with what had been decided on. Now, they weren't all his first picks but it would have to be work, the math teacher though he'd have to keep an eye on. From the start of the questions he had a feeling he'd end up being the speaker the jury is going to pick at the end to tell their decision. This perhaps was the quickest trial he had ever moved through but perhaps it was because of the obvious crimes and evidence against the defendant, and perhaps it was because so far there was no need for arguments. If done right this trial could be finished by the end of the week or even tomorrow if worked out. They'd just have to wait and see.

When they were all ushered back into the courtroom he walked over to his desk sat down and opened his brief case. They courtroom was already packed full with people, veterans, civilians, politicians, it was as if everyone wanted to see the trial of a super. This was going to get more publicity than he wanted and the jury would have to be watched even closer than he had expected at the beginning of the trial. He sighed letting out a small breath giving a quick prayer to God to give him the strength to do what he needed done, as he always did before a trial, and then stood its everyone else. It was now or never, the case was just about to 'begin'.

Rey nodded his head in response to Judge Zysk continuing to stand he asked permission to approach the jury bench, it being given as this was an opening statement. "Thank you your honor," he spoke out his voice raised now so everyone could hear what he was going to say. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, this is a case in which a man with power beyond human capabilities took advantage of his esteemed 'superiority' and not only did these things willingly but without the consent of the government." He paused before picking up a piece of paper, "as you know he has been charged today with not one or two crimes, but nine, nine misdemeanors and felonies mixed together." Here he once again paused letting the amount of crimes sink in again.

"While the defendant my try to claim he never committed these acts I would advise you to use your common sense and intelligence when listening to everything presented in this case." He spoke out still facing the jury but pacing back and forth from one end of the bench to the other, noticing Mr. Tindall writing down everything that was being said. Like he thought it seemed this man was who he'd need to focus on. "Most normal men can not commit the acts that 'Doctor' Ignatiuos Clement committed today but Doctor Clement is not most men. All of these acts have witnesses claiming it was done, and he surly did not try to hide the acts he committed." He looked over at the man and pointed at him, "That man is rumored to be the smartest man alive, and if you believe that he can't commit crimes such as Arson, Vandalism, theft, burglary or even Espionage I advise you to open your eyes. Normal men do these things almost everyday, why not then someone who believed he could outsmart anyone and everyone only to get away without a scratch? That is what he's doing today, he's trying to prove that he's smarter than the sheer amount of evidence clearly stating he did it; that he can get by people not as competent as him in his eyes, namely the legal system and yourselves, and leave this building as a free man. Do not allow this to happen if you have a shiver of common sense my fellow Americans." He nodded saying his thanks before sitting down again.

Clement remained passive as Mr Miller approached the Jury, beginning his emotive speech. It was rather a clever tactic, honestly. Most people didn't like being informed that there was someone better then them in some objective way. Of course there was always that bubbling, simmering dislike for the wealthy and the intelligent who seem to find life comes to them more easily then it would someone else. He did not lower his gaze from watching the Prosecutor however. He did not flinch at the words being laid bare before him. He did not even feel angry, because he knew Mr Miller truly imagined him an evil man that deserved punishment. When the lawyer had laid bare his opening statement and thanked Judge Zysk, she nodded idly. Her hazel eyes focused on Clement for a second. "Mr Clement." The Smartest Man on Earth, not merely a title but a fact, stood from behind his desk smoothly. He walked with a casual air around his desk and, with the Judges nod, moved to stand before the jury.

"I'm not going to insult your intelligence through trickery or obscuring the truth. I am a man of Science, where it is taboo to lie or form false impressions about the very real tangible data you have before you. You are here today not to determine whether I did or did not do the things my esteemed opponent has informed you of because I regretfully inform you now that there is only one count on that list which is a falsehood." He let that sink in, one hand moving to adjust his tie as he turned to the rest of the court, his face now showing a hint of the real regret he felt. "You are here to determine my innocence in doing them. I have evidence carefully provided to show that every law I broke, every felony I commited, was done so in the protection of myself and my family. As my right as a long serving American Citizen and as a human being." He paced away from the Jury somewhat, looking to the window on the right side of the room. When he turned back, he was before Miller's desk. His voice raised slightly higher, already a firm commanding tone getting slightly louder.

"It was the wish of this Government's Military to deny me access to the body of my only surviving family, Cassidy Rose Clement. A ten year old girl frozen in cyrogenic suspension for some sixty years. Driven by fear, regret and the loss of my ten year old son Adam in 1958 and his mother Julia in 1991, I did what any other Father would do. I tried to get my daughter home." He let that sink for a moment, before he continued, walking back towards them. "And then I discover the company that I founded through decades of work for the US Military is being controlled by a mad woman, Elizabeth Jules, whom came to posses Cassidy Rose and use her endangerment as a way to control me. If Miss Jules island had not been marked as a place of interest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I would still be there now, forced to perform the worst tasks imaginable. This is the truth. I am only guilty for wanting to protect my family from a new age. I willingly placed myself into custody so that the courts could remove from me the slander and lies expressed in the modern media, so that I might finally be legally allowed to search for a way to give my daughter a life again. Thank you."

Ignatius gave the jury and the judge a nod, moving to sit once again in his chair. With a hand as steady as rock he poured himself a glass of water and sipped it as the Judge reviewed her notes and let the Jury and Record catch up. He made a point of looking over towards the Prosecutor, hoping to have shaken him somewhat in the way he was building his defence. Judge Zysk looked up and said, to the jury, "You should note that what is provided in the opening statement does not constitute tangible evidence, upon which a verdict can be based. Now, Mr Miller will present his case more thoroughly against the Defendant."

Rey Adrian Miller listened to everything that was said by Dr. Clement, the man proved he was truly smart in what he said. He had apparently worked his way around everything Rey worked up in his opening statement and turned it heel toe focusing on the claim that the child endangerment was false and that Clement Technology was holding her and this was the reason why he committed all the crimes he did. It was touching and motivating if only that was the complete truth in all the actions he committed. He had witnesses that even stated that a certain young girl was running around with Ignatius when he committed these acts and had even been a part of them at certain points. He also knew that if he didn’t press down on this sole fact Dr. Ignatius Clement would walk out of this courtroom a free man, that was something he couldn’t allow happen, not with his rap sheet.

Yet, who exactly could he call up as his first witness he wondered to himself, there were many people that came to mind of course, and they had all agreed to come and he had talked to all of them more than once. Yet, he never truly had a specific order to present the witness in, not this case, not his last case, not ever. Rey Miller always waited till after the opening statements to determine which one he would call first and that carried over to this trial as well. Moving through the sheets on the desk in front of him he picked up one sheet and thoughts ran through his head, would this witness be the best to start off with, should he start off with this witness? Shrugging he looked up at the judge when she told him to present his first witness.

“Thank you your honor, I would first like time to discuss with my team if you wouldn’t mind.” He said turning to the rest of the lawyers that were supplied by Clement Technology to help him if needed in this case. He of course though having done much of the pre-case by himself hadn’t used their help but wanted to make sure that they knew who he was calling forward first, and why exactly he was doing so. When they agreed to the reasons he stood up smiled at the jury and judge, focusing his attention on her for a moment before calling out the name of his first witness. “The State calls Sean Michael Collin to the stand.” Here he stood and waited for the judge to motion for the bailiff to go back and get the man he met briefly once under the guise of the Ranger.

Sean sighed lightly as he wiped away a single strand of black hair out of his eyes, looking up to the plain ceiling of the limo. Aaron sat across from him, his hands intertwined within his lap and whistling a silent tune to himself as he waited for the vehicle to reach its preordained destination. He had somehow managed to get himself dragged into some sort of court thing, something to do with a Clement which sounded familiar but he could not quite place it. It was something that was right at the back of his mind, trying to claw itself to the forefront of his mind.”You angry with me?’ Sean ventured to ask breaking the tense atmosphere. Aaron turned his green eyes up towards Sean with what could only be described as a look of pure annoyance. It seemed like that he wasn’t very happy with the current situation.

”Angry would be an understatement Sean Michael Collin. You know that media attention like this will only bring trouble, especially if it’s something to do with a damn criminal!” his composure shattered at the last part of the statement before reforming into what could only be described as a hollow form of itself. He was not happy one bit and Sean knew that it would be a while before something like this would blow over. So Sean just kept to himself, mentally bemoaning the fact that he was even having to attend this trial. It was an inconvenience but something Sean was sure that would only get worse if he did not attend this thing. One thing Sean would not do was dress up in a damn suit for this thing, that was just one line he was less than willing to cross.

He had chosen to dress in simple clothing, a simple black t-shirt and khaki colored shorts. Arms crossed over his chest as the vehicle seemed to come to a stop, what looked like the courthouse visible through the dark colored windows. Finally after what seemed like an hour of silence Aaron spoke up, though what he said was brief at best. Sean had a feeling it was going to be a weird day indeed as he walked through the building and waited.

Finally he was called to witness by that lawyer who had contacted him, fetched by the bailiff as he was ushered into the courtroom with a trial already in progress. Silver eyes darted around as he could feel all eyes upon him as he did whatever was asked of his, eyes snapping to the lawyer in charge of prosecution as well as the accused. There was a flash of realization as he finally remembered who it was. So it seemed like he finally got caught,though for what he wasn’t really inclined to know it seemed. Sean was sure that he would know soon enough. Climbing into the stand he took a dull oath to tell the truth and then things would go from there.

Sean Michael Collin, a member of the Talons apparently and also a meta-human, with the recent events that occurred in New York Rey had hoped to move through the trial without having to use a Meta-Human but alas it seemed it couldn’t be so. He had to use at least two of them with the sheer amount of evidence they had hanging over this man’s head, especially one line that Sean apparently heard that would help with the opening statement that Rey had worked up not too long ago. When Mr. Collin walked in he smiled ever so slightly, the man had presented himself perfectly, showing that he too was a human and had preferences. He made it obviously known that he did not like to dress fancy or things of that sort.

When Sean sat down Rey smiled and stood nodding to the judge and the jury before continuing to ask his questions to Sean. “Hello Mr. Collin, now I am going to ask you a couple of questions the first of these questions pertains with a statement made to you and two other people by the defendant. All I want you to do is simply to read it aloud and then tell the jury if what it says did come from the mouth of the defendant.” He asked permission to approach the bench from the judge and when it was granted he stood up, walking over to Mr. Collin where he held up a piece of paper with this statement written on it.

Dr Cosmos wrote:”If I retained my presidency of the company, I could buy my way out of any court. And then run for President of the United States and win.”.

When Sean had read the paper he held his hand out turning to the jury and handing them the paper letting them read what Sean had said was indeed written on it. “Now, Mr. Collin you were there the night Dr. Clement interrupted Clement Technology to steal a machine, claiming to do so for the betterment of his daughter correct?” He asked the question pausing to let Sean awnser the question before continuing. “Was this also the night in which he gave that statement?” He stopped here having walked away from the jury and back over to where Sean was standing allowing his voice to be heard not only by the witness but by the Jury, the Judge, and the Defendant as well.
((sorry its kinda short))

Clement had lifted a curious eyebrow at the mention of Sean. He remembered the lad, the benefits of having an organic computer for a brain, that had helped him escape from Clement Technologies office in New York City. He had actually taken some illegal steps to help Cosmos escape with the Gene Resequencer, Sean attacking a squad car and earning the attention of the police with another man named Blackout. In his fine expensive suit he had turned in his chair. His mouth twitched with a hint of a smile at the unorthodox state of his clothing but Clement had wished he had made something of an effort; appearing like that meant the Metahuman was showing something of a disrespect to the procedures.

He listened attentively as the young man got comfortable, Clement's own hands folded over the table in front of him as he began to formulate questions of his own. Mr Millers took a few moments before he stood and then approached the witness stand, holding a piece of paper. He handed it to Sean and then removed it once more, giving it to the jury. When Sean had begun to read it aloud Clement knew immediately what it would mean if it was considered true, accurate evidence.

Quickly he stood, the chair bushing back to him. "Objection on the grounds that the statement has no relevance to these proceedings today. I am not currently the CEO of Clement Technology, nor have I attempted to bribe or harass the jury in anyway. In short, bringing up the phrase is closer to slander."

The Judge frowned down her nose at Clement, not pleased with the statement itself, but she nodded after a moment. She leant forward to look down at Mr Collin and Millers. "The statement has no bearing on determining the Defendants guilt for the crimes he has committed, so will not be administered as evidence. The Witness may answer the question about the night of the Robbery."

Objection, the words rang throughout the court room like the bullet heard round the world, except this time it was signifying a stop in his tracks not the start of a war. He didn’t let it faze him as he turned back around walking towards his table and leaning against it as he listened to the story told by Sean. “Now Mr. Collin would you mind telling the Jury who exactly ‘this guy’ was that appeared and convinced you to help him steal this object in question?” Rey knew it was Dr. Clement but he needed Sean to admit to everyone that it was indeed Clement who broke into the Gala and stole whatever the machine was. He knew it was a cheap trick but it was one that usually worked, it made the jury take notice of things better and sometimes swayed them over to the side you wanted.

After Mr. Collin had answered the question he gave a quick glance to the jury to see if anyone was writing anything down or if they were simply watching and waiting for things to happen. That was the problem with today’s people, with all the cop shows and NCIS shows if you missed one little detail or couldn’t show facts to what they deemed was the right way you could lose. It made the Prosecutions job that much harder. “Now, Mr. Collin you believed you were doing all of this for Dr. Clement to help save his daughter correct? Did you ever really see his daughter; did you even know the man had a daughter other than the words spoken from his voice?”

Rey knew he hadn’t, knew the only thing the man had ever known about Clement’s daughter was what Clement himself told them. To carry water to their cities the Roman’s built aqueducts, to carry the knowledge he needed to reach the Jurors’ brains he would build up his case around the daughter and the fact that Clement was doing this knowingly and voluntary, but not only that but that with just his words he could con people into doing whatever it was he wanted. He had a couple more questions he needed to ask Sean before he would finish with the man and excuse him off to do whatever it is he wished, of course he’d only get to do that after he fixed up anything Dr. Clement tried to undermine.

When Sean answered the questions the way he wanted them to be answered he simply nodded his head, giving a quick glance to the jury to see if any of them were paying more attention than the rest of them. Sadly none were doing so, though a couple of them were sitting on the edge of their seat, metaphorically speaking of course, because of the person who was sitting in the witness ‘box’. He needed to get Mr. Collin out of there much quicker than he had originally planned on doing because of this but he still had one last question he needed to ask the man before he stepped back to let Clement cross-examine his first witness, if the man did so of course.

Leaning against the prosecutor’s table he looked back towards Sean, he truly wondered if he should ask the question, part of him didn’t want to but in the end he decided on doing so. “Now, Mr. Collin on the night of the Gala, you did admit to helping Mr. Clement steal the device, this is correct? You yourself did not touch the machine, Mr. Clement was the one who ‘carried’ it out, correct?” He knew it was and the jury knew it was but he had to have this statement on record, he needed the jury to hear one of his witnesses at least saying that yes Clement was the one who stole the artifact. It wasn’t the most important question and probably not the best one he could have asked in this situation be he figured it needed to be asked and with it out there on the record now there was no taking it back.

When Mr. Collin answered the question he nodded his head and sat back in his seat. The judge of course asked if he had any further questions for Mr. Collin to which he of course replied that he did not. “No your Honor, I have no more questions for Mr. Collin at this moment.” Now all he had to do was sit back and wait for whatever questions Clement was going to ask Sean. They had to be based somewhat around the questions Rey himself asked and he couldn’t go off onto any subjects Rey hadn’t already opened up on the table. Rey knew the questions about his daughter were going to open up a multitude of questions but he had a feeling in his re-examination he could patch up any holes if need be.