- Soul of Steel -

Chapter 17: Charm

Credits to 'Songbird' by Shannon & Keast for the version implied in this chapter

Note: This chapter contains an intense sexual scene with one character. Please consider this when reading the chapter. Thank you.

"So...you nervous?" Marnie said, walking down a long hall with Hop by her side. The fellow ex-Gym Challenger-turned-professor-in-training had joined her on her outing today as the marble hallways of the building they were in were lined up to wait for an elevator to come down.

As Hop was readjusting his tie, Marnie turned to him while clicking her tongue. "Ugh. Let me do it."

Hop stifled a sigh as the goth girl made sure his tie was tightened as the elevator reached the bottom lobby floor they were at, and went in. Pressing the big "4" on it, they rode on it together. "So today is 'day 1' isn't it? Suppose if nobody else heard about all the baggage before, they will today won't they?"

Folding her arms over each other, the fellow Dark Gym Leader would sigh while eyeing the elevator 'floor level' count. They were nearly there already. "Mmh. Haru was the one who invited me to come here, but since it's all going to be public record I would want to see this turned around in the end. After all, it's not about me today, it's about her.."

As the doors opened up onto a wide floor filled with news reporters shuffling nearby, Haru was seen wearing a grey suit. He sees Marnie and Hop come out and goes over to hug both of them. "Thanks for coming you two, she's already nervous as it is but knowing you all came it's going to be a bit less for her to take."

"Is she already inside, waiting?" Hop asked, peering over Haru's shoulder at the double doors that were opening and closing with press members walking around. Nodding and gesturing with a 'thumbs up' behind his immediate location, Haru reaffirmed as such.

"Yes. This will be my first hearing that I'll be attending, but I figured for everything that's gone on I should be here for it."

Marnie looks at the analogue clock hanging on the wall. "Well then, we should head inside and find some seats. I'm certain that things will be starting soon. Does she know we're coming by the way?"

Turning back to the double doors and opening it, Haru spoke quietly to his comrades. "I only said I would be coming, but I was unsure if you two would be able to do so, and Nessa is currently on a new model shoot for a magazine. While I look forward to that, this is something else I must do. The REAL post-hero support begins today..."

Inside the room were several familiar faces. They had come to show support for Syra during her first day of the court case against her dad, Ritsu, as Amiri and Gabriel were sitting in the immediate row behind where the girl was placed. Despite arriving armed with one of the best lawyers Haru and Sam were able to cooperatively find, the famliar velvet haired girl found herself nervous. She spots Haru and then Marnie and Hop.

/I...I didn't think anyone else that I knew would be coming! I know Mom and Gabe are here but.../ Syra did her best not to show tears in the one place where it would matter, but it really touched her heart to see at least several others come. Even Hop, who she had previously wronged in the past, showed up.

In short while later, Ritsu showed up in prison garb and handcuffs with his lawyer that was defaulted to him with Syra eyeing daggers in his direction. Though that would pale in comparison to the ice cold, murderous intent that came from Amiri who had to be held back by several people upon seeing his face. What could he say, however, that wouldn't end up making him look worse in the end?

For the moment, it mattered not.

In short order, everyone rose for the honorable judge that came and sat. As the gavel banged, Syra's first day of her case against Ritsu began. It would be a very long road ahead, but at this point she felt she was an expert in handling long-road challenges where everything was aimed against her. To a degree, it was almost poetic. Two parts of Team Rocket were, in a way, being tried. Giovanni back in Kanto, and now Ritsu in Galar.