The Silent Speedster (AU Young Justice)

Chapter 13: Trials of the Mind -

A/N: Thank you to everyone for reading this far, and for the votes! I hope you enjoy!

Two weeks later, Wally found himself seated in a court room, with Barry, Iris, and the rest of the Team near him, ready to hear the trial of Rudolph West. Looking to the left of him, past Barry, Wally watched as two decorated cops walked in, with his father in handcuffs, walking in front of them. Getting his father seated, the cops then sat on either side of him, and attached the cuffs to the table. Wally glanced at his father, and merely got a glare, then a smirk. Turning back, he slid closer to Iris, who put her hand in his, and squeezed gently. Behind them, was a group of people that they both knew, old friends and fellow employees alike. Finally, after getting settled, the judge and the jury entered the court room, and took their seats. Then, the trial began. 

The bailiff said, "All rise. Wallace West vs. Rudolph West, Part 32. The honorable Judge Wilson is presiding. Court is now in session." The judge said, "Prosecution, call your first witness." A man near to Barry stood, and said, "I'd like to call up Wallace West." Iris patted Wally on the back, as he stood up, and nervously went to the boxed in area by the judge. The bailiff asked, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Wally responded, "Yes.". and the bailiff went to stand by the judge. Wally took a seat, and was soon met with the man, who asked, "Wally, today, we are here on account of the abusive accusations you have made against your father, Rudolph. Can you tell me exactly when his abuse started?" The raven speedster gulped, then looked his father in the eye. He said, shakily, "Y-yes... he did abuse me. It started after my mom died." The man continued, "And how did things escalate?" Wally said, "At first, he would just slap my hand, but then as I got older, they got more intense. He would use a knife, and..." The teen fell silent, then whispered, shaking, "I-I'm sorry..." The man said, "It is alright. Can you show us what he did to you?" Wally nodded, and rolled up his sleeve, to reveal long scars and etched words on his arms. The jury took note, and when they were done, the judge said, "Defense?"

 Wally watched as a tall man, beside his father, rose to his feet, and came towards him. He asked, "Wallace, is it?" The teen nodded, and felt his throat go dry. The man continued, "Your father has shown you he does love you, right? He showed it to you as a child?" Again, he nodded, unable to speak. "Then, judge, members of the jury, Rudolph is a kind man. Why on earth would a man who loves his child, his own flesh and blood, abuse him? In my honest opinion, a father does have the legal right to discipline his son. Was Wallace really being abused, or was he just saying so to get our attention? Maybe he did do something deserving of it. Broke a house law or disobeyed? I urge you to consider these concerns in your judgement of this obviously honest and true father." The judge wrote something down, and said, "You may be seated, Wallace." Quickly, the young teen got up, and left the box, to go sit beside his aunt and uncle. When he was seated, the judge said, "Prosecution, you may call your second witness." The man from before stood up, and responded, "I'd like to call up Wallace's uncle, Barry Allen, to the stand." Wally saw Barry go up, and get asked the same question he had: "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Barry said, "Yes.", then took his seat.

 Listening, Wally heard Barry answer each question without a falter. Who was Rudolph to him? Did Rudolph ever display any aggression towards him or Wally, when they were together? How did Barry know his nephew was telling the truth? As the prosecution, and the defense questioned him, Wally noticed that Barry was not going to fall prey to the defense's objections and questions. Finally, Barry came off the stand, and Rudolph was called up. The bailiff asked the same question again, a third time, and Rudolph answered it with a "yes", when it was a sure "no". Then, the man on the prosecution side, came up for the third time. He said, "Rudolph, There sure has been a lot of evidence piling up against you. There was the cast cutting knife, found at your place with your fingerprints, and with it in your possession. How do you explain that?" Rudolph looked at Wally, then said, "I was trying to protect my son. I just want Wally to stay with me, for as long as he is able. He is getting older, and I want to make sure he knows just how much I love him, enough to discipline him, when it's due. Ever since his mother died, I am a single father, trying to keep the West family afloat." The judge asked, "Defense?", and the two men from opposite sides, switched. 

The defensive lawyer responded, "Rudolph, there is no way you could have hurt your son, as you told me you were at work. Is it possible he hurt himself to fight you?" Rudolph smirked at Wally, then said, "He is such a clumsy kid, so those scars are obviously ones that could have been made, from him tripping, not me harming him. As my lawyer said, I would never harm my own flesh and blood. I am always at work from six in the morning, to nine at night, to make sure my son has enough to eat. Then I go to bed, and do the same schedule all the next day. There is no way I could do anything like that." The judge said, "Rudolph, you may be seated. We have a twenty minute break, to allow the jury to think over both sides of the story, and to come to a conclusion. Court is dismissed until then." 

Wally looked at Barry, and said, "They've got a lot of evidence supporting my dad. What if the jury decides that my dad is innocent? What will happen then?" Barry responded, "Walls, we have more evidence than they do, about the case. All they have is a time schedule, and it's not solid. We have actual DNA proof that your dad is guilty. And we have the scars to prove it too. I promise...they will see that Rudolph is guilty." Wally whispered, "Okay...", then sat back down. Barry sat beside him, as they waited for the jury to make the final call. 

Finally, twenty minutes later, they all were back in the court room. The judge looked at the jury, and asked, "Have you reached a consensus?" A jury member nodded, and rose. He said, "Yes, your Honor. The jury's consensus finds alleged abuser, Rudolph West..."

A/N: And I shall leave you at that... I know it's a cliffhanger, but it helps to build tension, and I love creating mystery for my readers! Anyway, I based this script off a play's script I was in, many years ago. Plus, I am a fanatic of not just YJ, but also of crime shows, so this kind of idea, is one of my most beloved ideas yet. I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned over the next few day, for the next installment, when we figure out the truth... Until then, if you'd like, you can leave a vote or a comment with your thoughts.