Silence

Twenty-One

Matt nodded and he grabbed a remote from his pocket. "When you say that was when it started, what started?" I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second. "The sexual assault and psychological abuse and later it turned physical." Matt clicked the remote and an Xray scan of my body, the lower half popped up. I saw Dad look away and everyone else looked horrified. I bit my lip and felt like crying. "These pictures show an Xray of your intestines, it shows extensive bruising and ripping in the intestinal tract. How long did this occur?" My breath hitched and a few tears fell down my cheeks. "Five months." Matt hummed and turned to my direction. "And was there escalation in the time between and how many times he assaulted you?" I nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "The first month he would assualt me and let me leave. It was just one time. Then it escalated to three or four times, barely any time between the assaults. Then the last month, the month I had been in the hospital for a week, he assaulted me up to twelve times with no breaks in between." My eyes flicked to Wade and he grinned sadistically.

"Okay and you said he was psychologically abusive. How so?" I wiped my eyes and made eye contact with Dad. "He would tell me that if my Dad really cared, than he would've been arrested already. That he was the only one who cared for and loved me. He would say that one day soon everyone would forget about me. He called me a freak because of my disability and would often take my hearing aids and hide them during his assaults, when we were at his apartment. He would tell me how much he loved when I was skinny and would go easier on me when he learned I didn't eat. At one point he said that it was funny how my entire family was dead and here I was, looking pathetic while he used me." Tears streamed down my face and I hung my head, ashamed. "And the physical abuse, when did that start?" I sniffed and looked at the floor.

"I had tried to commit suicide last month. I swallowed five bottles of pain meds. Bruce found me on the kitchen floor, seizing. He made me throw up the pills and I was just fine. I was kept in the compound's Medical Bay for a week. When I started to go back to work, which our boss had shut down so he could go on vacation, Wade used it as a meeting place. No one would come in and interrupt him. Wade was furious. H-He was angry that I tr-tried to le-leave him. He punched me, kicked me and attempted to strangle me into unconsciousness. He broke my nose, four of my ribs and he stomped on my wrist, shattering the bone. The abuse was like that for three weeks and each time he would sexually assault me right after. Then just two weeks ago, the tenth, he was late to our usual meetup. I stayed there all day, scared that if I left and he did show up, I would get in trouble. It came to about nine and I went to leave. I had locked the door and he asked me where I was going. He pushed me into the door, unlocked it and shoved me inside. I told him that I needed to get home and he said that he was the only one that cared. He pointed a knife at me. He made me take off my shirt and he started to carve his name into my stomach." Matt clicked on the remote and a picture of the just carved name popped up.

The jury gasped and I squeezed my eyes shut. "When I screamed, he told me to shut up and take it. When he was done, he dropped me and said that everyone would know that I'm his. He left and it took me awhile before I could get up. I drove home, keeping my shirt pressed against my bleeding stomach. I didn't know it, but my family was planning to surprise me because that day was my birthday. I got inside and they all jumped out at me, collapsed and was taken into the med bay. We still don't know how he got in, but after the police were called and I had given my statement, Wade broke in and attacked me. He carved the words 'mine' and 'freak' into my forearms." Matt clicked the remote again and pictures of the bloody mess popped up. Matt gave me a nod and turned to look at the judge. "That is all." He sat down at our table and Wade's lawyer stood up. "Peter, can I call that?" I nodded and the lawyer smiled. "Peter, if you were really Spiderman, why didn't you just stop him?" Matt stood up, ready to object but the judge held up her hand. "Mr. Barton." I sighed and played with my hands. "Whether I protected myself or not, Wade Wilson would've gone to great lengths to get what he wanted. I was too scared of my own strength and what he would do if I had hit him to even think of the idea. I felt weak and helpless. And I shouldn't have had to rely on my powers, I'm just a kid."

"Peter, would you please explain why you were not in school in the very first place. In your police statement, you said you had been going back to school." I furrowed my eyebrows. "I-I'm sorry, I'm not sure what this has to do with the case." The judge looked at me and back at the lawyer. "You're suggesting his family did this to him? Mr. Rockwell that is a serious accusation." I looked to Dad and he nodded, telling me to answer the question. "I was out because I was sick. I was throwing up and had a high fever. After throwing up one night, Bruce had me taken into the med bay because he wasn't sure what I was sick with. He did tests and found unknown cells in my body and he called the Avenger's doctor, Cho. After running some more tests, I was found to have stage two liver and kidney cancer. Emergency surgery was called and I had all the tumors taken out. Cho said she wanted me to relax before I was put back in school. She said that work would be better because I wouldn't have to learn anything new and it was an easy pace."

"That will be all. Clint Barton to the stand."

I sat down next to Matt and Dad passed by me, ruffling my hair as he did. I smiled lightly and fixed the mess on my head. He swore to tell the truth and sat in the stand. "Clint, you never once noticed your son's supposed abuse?" Dad rubbed his face, looking guilty. "I didn't. When Wade first assaulted him, we couldn't find him for about six hours and I grounded him because he wouldn't talk about where he was. He had skipped school and I thought that he was up to no good. He didn't talk much, which we all completely wrote off as him being stressed and tired. He hadn't been sleeping much and we figured that it was because of stress or patrol. I tried to limit his hours, but he still wasn't sleeping. He lied and said he was eating and you don't accuse a kid of not eating unless you have reason to believe he isn't. Peter hid it well. I should've noticed the signs, but I didn't and I feel incredibly horrible that I let this happen to him." Rockwell nodded and Dad started to get up from the stands. Matt stood up and called Wade to the stand. "Don't make eye contact." Bucky whispered behind me and I nodded slightly. Wade swore the truth and got in the stand, a sweet smile on his face.

"Wade do you want to tell your part in this?" And the male laughed lightly before shaking his head. "Why would I? The freak told you everything." Matt stepped back, clearly shocked. "You're not going to defend yourself?" Wade shook his head again. "He was telling the truth. I did all of that and so much more. He's not going to be able to go one day without thinking about me. One day is not going to go by that he doesn't flinch, cry, or fear that I'll get out. No one is going to love him like I do, no one is going to love him with my name carved into his perfect skin. And while it is publicized that the famous Spiderman was abused, it'll also say that he's weak. No one wants a weakling to protect their city. And where will that lead him? Huh Pete, where will that lead you?" I lifted my head, staring at the man in disbelief. "Right. Back. To me." He whispered and a broken sob fell past my lips. "So throw me in jail. I've done my part. Peter is never going to be the same. I've effectively ruined his life. My work is done."