The hero shook his head as he was called to the stand. As he took his seat, the prosecutor walked up to him.
"Must be nice to have abilities, right hero?"
"I refuse to answer that."
Judge Gibson looked over at him. "No, you have no right of silence within this court. You will answer the question."
Perseverance glared at the prosecutor. "No. No it is not, quote, "Nice to have abilities."
"Oh? Then when did you demand the research division juice you up?"
"When the hell is your proof? Any factual evidence of this or is it all hearsay? Please let the record show, this the same kind of justice Emmett Till had, a bunch of racists with a noose awaiting him."
The crowd and jury gasped at the accusation. Judge Gibson banged the gavel to regain order. "Clerk, please have that..."
"You will record my accurate testimony or you are trying to bury the truth, Judge. Don't you dare have my statement altered in any way."
The Judge retracted his statement and gave the floor back to the woman.
"So, what you're saying is that everyone who's accused you of these crimes, is like those who killed Emmett Till?"
"I have yet to see my "accuser or accusers". Yet, you claim I am guilty of these crimes. Show me the faces of my accusers and I will answer your questions."
The Prosecution motioned for the accusers to stand. As they did, Perseverance laughed.
"This is no laughing matter, Perseverance." The woman's tone only made him laugh harder.
"Perhaps there is something you wish to address to all of us, perhaps what the hell is so funny." The Judge said, glaring at him.
"Gladly!" The hero leapt over the stand and took center stage. "Ladies, Gentlemen, Citizens of Greater Ottawa! I present to you, the Kangaroo Court Accusers. People who have pre-existing grudges against me, people under Greater Ottawan Law 1808-21 paragraph are disqualified as accusers."
Madie Sue looked up as the courtroom burst into chaos.
"THEY ARE ALL CAPTURED NEW WORLD ORDER AGENTS FROM WASHINGTON D.C! SO FOR YOU DAN! YOU ARE A TRAITOR!"
The Judge slammed his gavel down so hard it broke. As the crowd settled down, Perseverance snapped the chains all over him and revealed the vestiges to everyone in the room. Badman Stagolee kicked his feet on from the Judge's Bench-Ledge. John, Lemuel and Curtis all stood by the hero.
"Well ain't this one fine gumbo pot they got you in."
"Stagolee!" Snapped John. "Get down."
Stagolee sighs as he takes the gavel with him. "Howdy y'all!" Stagolee said juggling the broken gavel with some voodoo dolls. I am Badman Stagolee. You all know me through the hero's Dr. V persona!"
As guards rushed towards them, John Henry gripped the sledgehammer in his hands tightly.
"I wouldn't get any closer fellas! Ole hammer-hands ain't so gentle. Now, miss lawyer, my shadow is telling me that your little file folder there is nothing but a shame of lies and a, forgive my language,...."
Voodoo heads appeared all over the courtroom and shouted, "A CROCK OF SHIT!" As the vanished, Stagolee motioned for Perseverance to take the lead.
"If it's one thing you can count on, it's voodoo to find the darkest deceptions. Look at them folks, take a good long look at the African American Heroes all of you seemingly discarded. Oh and Ma'am... Yea, this is blatantly a cry for racism."
The jury nodded and stood up.
"Before we say anything, do you have any proof of his alleged crimes?"
The prosecutor lowered her head and shook it no.
"Well then, that means you all fucking lied. Vestiges, return to me. Guards, cuff them all, then Dr. Sue, would you be so kind as to the second part of that article of Greater Ottawa's Law?"
Dr. Sue was uncuffed and read the part aloud.
"Should the accuser(s) be proven to be dishonest within the trial, they must face a punishment of the accused's choosing."
"Do a favor, Dan... I want to test a new move on you. After all, since you wanted me to quote, "Hopefully Executed", Dan and his co-conspirators are hereby sentenced to be executed as they had me set for execution pending a guilty verdict. Take them outside... Oh and the dear judge too."
As they got outside, Dr. V made an appearance for the last time. "Gentlemen, go ahead and face the giant voodoo mask-head. As they turned, soul chains brought them to their knees. "This.... This is for poor Emmett Till. TAKE EM BODYS!"
The New World Agents and Dan were dragged into the mouth of the massive voodoo head never to be seen again. Perseverance then marched to the top of the steps of the courthouse and spoke.
"IN THIS CITY! PREJUDICES OF THE PAST SHALL REMAIN DEAD!" He pointed to Washington Park, "THERE! LINCOLN STANDS IMMORTALIZED IN BRONZE! THIS SHALL BE OUR LEGACY! THE FRIENDLY! CITY! A CITY OF ACCEPTANCE!" He thrust his fist into the air, and the crowd went wild.
After everything was over, the Council met the hero within their chamber.
"We are terribly sorry for everything.."
"No need. We all make mistakes, however..." The hero glanced outside the windows of the building. His gaze seemed to carry on far past the city's limit as if he could see the future or maybe the past. It didn't matter. He turned back to the council members. "As my last act as the leader of Greater Ottawa, before I step down any way... I will be making several changes to our constitution that will better help us in the future, better help future generations avoid making the same mistakes like those that transpired in the last two months."
He gripped something in the palm of his hand as he grabbed a stack of files and made his way out of the building. He avoided people as he made his way to a spot that he'd picked out back in 2022. However, as he knelt down, Vik flipped out of a tree surprising him.
"What- Why are you here?"
"Cemeteries are quiet. I was just getting a good workout in. What about you, hero? Why come to a cemetery to do..." Vik glanced at his arm, "paperwork?"
"It's not the paperwork that brought me here." The four vestiges appeared next to him as he walked down the row of graves, finally stopping and kneeling before a single grave. As Vik and the vestiges made their way over, they saw it was one of a few headstones that wasn't covered in moss or overgrowth. "She's the reason." Perseverance ran his hand across the flat face of the memorial stone. As they all looked down, the headstone read, "Patricia May; Born April 28, 1937 - Died October 2, 2022. Here lies a woman of strength, a woman of family, and a woman of faith." Perseverance pulled out two things and, using his fist, put them one. The first read, "A woman too humble to call herself a Hero." As he revealed the second, it turned out to be a necklace with a dog tag on it. It read, "Grandson, in all things, know that you are loved, know you are strong and know you will succeed in the things you put your heart and soul into."
John and the other vestiges could feel the emotions stir with Perseverance as he locked the necklace and dog tag to the headstone. However, before the vestiges or Vik could speak, the hero bowed his head and spoke.
"Hey Grandma... I wanted you to meet Vik, someone with your kind of guidance, your kind of fortitude, your kind of heart... I wanted to show you... tell you..." The hero began to choke on his words but fought through it. "... I wanted to see someone like you... someone who inspires others, someone strong enough to defeat even the most vile of people and yet, gentle enough to help those struggling, back to their feet."
Vik nodded and with a flex smiled. "I don't stack up to her."
"No... but you do inspire others like her." Perseverance put his hand on the headstone. "I swear upon your name and the name of your firstborn son.... I am going to be a hero." His eyes burned with a passion like never before as he left a single steel-colored rose in the vase, walked up the hill and vanished back towards town.