Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Court
Peter took his final, terrified steps towards the looming building. His heart had jumped into his mouth, and he felt like he was going to be sick. He saw a red, old looking taxi with Matt closing the back-door, cane in hand. The car drove away when he had exited and Peter approached the blind man. Matt turned his head towards Peter and smiled warmly, slapping his shoulder when he came within arms reach.
Sometimes Peter wondered if he really was blind.
"Good?"
"Yeah... just a little... y'know."
"It'll be fine," Matt began to take a few steps towards the building. Peter looked at his watch, eyes widening. He would be too late in around... 2 minutes and thirty seconds.
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They both entered the room, Peter panting like a horse and Matt just walking slowly with his cane - without a care in the world. They were given a few judgemental looks as they both sat themselves down.
WARNING: I have no idea how court works - ive literally only seen small clips of Jhonny Depp's and amber heard's court case- ... I apologise in advance. OH and I haven't watched daredevil yet so idk how he acts. sorry
Following their arrival was the sound of shuffling papers and footsteps. People went back and forth for a few minutes, retrieving and exchanging paper work with the jury. A few stacks of paper were given to Peter and Matt to sign. When the papers were given to Peter he was given a few judgemental and perplexed glances - probably because of his youth.
Peter scanned the room for Skipp until he finally saw him seated at a table with his lawyer, to the right of them on the other side of the room. Peter shuddered and quickly looked away. That white hair was too familiar and brought up too many memories for his liking.
Stark had probably anonymously got in contact with Ned to find out where Peter was and if he was in court yet, which added to Peter’s struggles as he didn’t tell Ned anything. He had probably caught on that Tony fucking Stark was texting him, and that something was wrong, as he was blowing up Peters phone. It was vibrating continuously in Peter’s pocket.
In the rows of seats behind Peter weren't much people. There was his social worker who just looked like she didn't want to be there, let alone behind Peter instead of skipp. There were also a few serious looking people, 2 or 3. Behind Skipp, however, were a bunch of family and friends, loads of people who Peter had blurry memories of coming over whilst Skipp... babysat, and then people who Peter just straight up had no idea existed.
Sitting on a bench next to the door were... no... 4 of the other kids Skipp had hurt! Well, they were now teenagers but those people were the names he mentioned in the first case all those years ago! He would totally win with other victims on his side!
With a gesture from the Jury, everything went silent. "Just to clarify, we are all here because of two cases. The one we are doing currently is addressing the accusation that..." she looked at a stack of paperwork. "... Peter Benjamin Parker made, claiming that Skipp Westcott has been an abuser of the people he babysat as a career in his teenage years, specifically accused as sexual assault. From an anonymous source-"
excuse me, what?
"- we have found the possibility that Skipp Wescott could be innocent."
bullshit.
"The second case is regarding the home of Peter Benjamin Parker, and his guardians. We will go more into detail once this present case is closed."
what the actual fuck?
"Skipp Westcott, please take the stand."
Skipp stood up and walked over to it. He shot Peter a smirk, sending a shiver down his spine.
"For the files and recording, Please clarify your name."
"Skipp Westcott."
"Age?"
"28"
"Age put in prison?"
"19"
"Time spent in prison?"
"9 years"
"Accused of..?"
"Sexual assault."
"Where, when, how?"
"In the household of Peter's grandparents. Whilst I babysat him. As a small job I was a babysitter."
Peter shuffled nervously in his seat.
"And you never once made any move to touch or violate Peter Benjamin Parker sexually?"
"No, no I didn't."
Oh, he did much more than touching, that's for sure. That little lying rat-
"Skipp, please take your seat. Peter Benjamin Parker, take the stand please."
Peter shakily stood on his two legs and stumbled over. Skipp purposely took longer to get back to his seat, slowing down his pace and muttering in Peter's ear:
"Nice to see you all grown up, Einstein."
Peter shuddered.
"Skipp Westcott! Please make your way back to your seat." The Jury repeated. "No communication to the opposite (insert a word that means like- the main people fighting in court), remember that."
He shot a thumbs up and confidently strutted back.
Yeah, Peter was freaked out a bit by Spiderman's villains, but Peter Parker's villains were a different story. Peter Parker was helpless against them.
Peter was so paranoid he could practically hear the non-existent sound iron-man blasters in the distance, making him try and forget his shaking hands and get this done as quick as he could. "According to these papers, you are underaged. I'll need to know a little more information that skipp." The jury muttered to herself or the Peter, he couldn't really tell, whilst flicking through papers.
"Name?"
"Peter Benjamin Parker."
"Age?"
"15."
"Age of when you were sexually abused?"
"S- six." He tried to shake off the memories, failing miserably.
"Relationship with Skipp Westcott, when you were six?"
"He was my baby-sitter." Peter barely managed to stutter the words out.
"Status of birth-mother?"
"Mary Fitzpatrick Parker, deceased. Died in a plane crash when I was also 6."
"Status of birth-father?"
"Richard Parker. Uh- also d-deceased. Died in the same plane crash as... my mother."
"It says here you went into the care of your Aunt and Uncle... their status?"
"My uncle - Uncle Ben, Ben Parker, was arrested when I was 13 for- uh- abuse. After my aunt... mm-... after my aunt was also... gone, he started to... y'know..." Peter winced before his voice went quiet. "Hurt me."
The jury glanced up at him, a hint of sympathy in her glare that quickly hardened again.
"Aunt May... May Parker... she- ... uh... cancer. I was 11."
"Im sorry for your loss." The jury said that almost emotionlessly, flicking through a few more files.
Peter glanced down, his nerves biting at his insides.
“Michael Keller? Take the stand please.”
Peter quickly went back to his seat, Skipp’s lawyer standing up and walking arrogantly over to the stand.
“Name?”
”Michael Keller.”
“Age?”
“31.”
“relationship with Skipp Wescott?”
”Family friend, and recently I’ve become his lawyer, too.”
"Matthew Murdock, please take the stand."
He did.
"Please state your name."
"Matthew Murdock."
"Age?"
"39."
"Relationship with Peter Benjamin Parker?"
"I was his father's lawyer before the unfortunate plane crash, after that I became Peter's lawyer." Unlike the jury, matt had honestly sounded sincerely sorry for their loss. After all, it wasn't just Peter who had lost his parents. There was also Matt and so many others who had lost their friend (s).
"Please take your seat."
"Mr. Keller, permission given to take the stand and defend Mr. Westcott's case. You have 45 minutes."
The man stood up and strutted to the stand, barely containing his smug smirk. Fuck the other victims, Peter had a dark, sickening weight in his stomach telling him that he was hopeless. In trouble. Beaten. This man was going to make sure of it. He had everything Peter didn't, confidence, intimidation and trust. Trust of the judge.
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Natasha looked down at her phone, red blurring her vision. On this screen was the one thing she had been fearing since she found out about the court case. Peter. Gone. Out. Disappeared. And she was kill Tony for it. That stupid, egoistical, useless, careless bastard. Fucking slug. Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist? Nah. More like idiotic egotistic hooker 'guy in need of therapy and mental help'- Natasha silenced her thoughts before they got too cringey or weird before storming upstairs. People say never to backbite if you can't say it to the persons face? Well that's exactly what she did...
yeah...
along with a few other words...
She slammed the doors open before shouting at the top of her lungs: "YOU STUPID, IDIOTIC, EGOISTICAL, USELESS, CARELESS, GOOD FOR NOTHING GARGOYLE! BASTARD! TONY FLIPPIN' STARK, KNOWN FOR HIS MONEY AND HIS ACHIEVEMENTS FROM BEING IRON MAN! TURNS OUT IRON MAN IS AS MUCH OF AN AIRHEAD AS THE RICH GUY BEHIND THE ARMOUR! THE GUY WHO LET ALL THAT MONEY GET TO HIM, TAKING AWAY HIS COMMON SENSE! THAT IS, IF HE HAD ANY IN THE FIRST PLACE! IF I HAVE TO BEAT YOUR ARSE TO RESTORE THAT COMMON SENSE, TRUST ME, I WILL. I WILL BEAT YOUR ARSE EITHER WAY. FUCK YOU, TONY STARK! FUCK... YOUUUUUUUU-" her screaming rampage continued till she was in the room next to her destination, and he could practically hear Steve and Tony shaking and could practically feel their fearful stares at the door separating them. Childish... childish...
After using up so many, Natasha struggled to find another insult. Childish potatoes. huh... there we go.
"YOU CHILDISH POTATOES!"
When she was around a metre from the door, Clint came tumbling down from the vents in her way. "Who's a childish potato?"
"Get out of my way, Barton. Unless you want to be among the corpse I'm dragging into the trash in a few minutes."
"Who's corpse is it?"
"What?"
"I wanna know whose body ill be in the trash with before I choose."
"Stark- huh- just move out of the way."
"Hmm... I'll take the deal."
"..."
"Maybe he can buy me a cheeseburger when we're forced together. He always gets himself cheeseburgers now - he never gets us any."
"He'll be dead."
"So?"
"Move, thickhead."
She tried moving around him, but he carried own moving in her way. Eyes glinting murderously, she shoved him into a wall and stomped in, slamming the door behind her.
Expression of pure fear, Tony accepted his fate.
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"So you accused Mr. Westcott of sexual assault 9 years ago, leading to him being sentenced to prison. However, you had no evidence, whatsoever. Is this statement true, Mr. Parker?" Skipp's lawyer glared at Peter.
"Yes, I did report the assault 9 years ago. Yes, he did get sentenced to prison and for the evidence I had photos of injuries and also here I've noticed are a few other victims-"
"Objection here-say." Interrupted Mr. Keller. "Those... 'victims', you call them, are not here to support you, but Mr. Westcott. Also-"
Okay, now Peter was starting to panic.
"Mr. Keller, you asked the question. Mr. Parker, please continue."
Skipp's lawyer huffed.
"Uh-..." if the victims weren't here to support Peter, then he had nothing else to help him win the case. "I've finished my point."
"So, Mr. Parker, as I was saying, those witnesses are not here for you but for Mr. Westcott. Also, may I ask if you still have these images?"
"No, I deleted them off my phone as I thought the case was closed and I didn't want any memory of the abuse and trauma Ski- Mr. Westcott, has inflicted." Peter gulped.
"Judge? Do you have the photos from the court case 9 years ago?'
"No, it doesn't seem I do."
"Mr Parker? Care to explain?"
"I- uh- I dont- I can't rememb- uuuhhh-" Matt quickly tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear that he would handle it.
"In the court case 9 years ago, we didn't present the images as we had already won before they were required. We didn't keep them in a file for safe keeping because, as Peter has just said, he wanted to avoid any remembrance of this incident. Also, we didn't see the need to as we were told that Skipp Westcott's sentence was official."
The judge asked something. "Mr. Parker and Mr. Murdock? Do you have any further comment or point to make?"
But after their points there was nothing to say and they were stumped.
"Mr. Westcott's witnesses here to support his case, please take the stand."
They did.
"Please all state your names and ages."
"Bruno Stewart, 19 years old."
"Lilly Brown,16 years old."
"Taylor Mckenzie White, 17 years old."
"Zayden Wright, 14 years old."
"Thank you, Mr. Wright, please share your socialisation and interaction with Mr. Parker and/or Mr. Westcott, if any."
"Well, uh, Mr. Parker's sexual assault supposedly took place 9 years ago. Well, 9 years ago I was 5 and was a boy-scout. I don't have many memories, they are all really blurry. I just remember walking old ladies down streets and Peter's house. I remember visiting his house for cookies since he was really happy and energetic. I remember faintly him and his baby sitter having a really healthy relationship. Peter was really fond about him and was always talking about how nice Skipp was."
Bro!? That was a lie. Peter was terrified of Skipp and there were no boy-scouts that ever visited that house?
Lies.
Wait- how come all peter was doing was telling the truth like he should, and defending himself, and then these idiots start lying, breaking the rules and coming up with planned things to say, yet he was still losing? Always Puny stupid, penis parker losing so the others can win. Is that right? Well why can’t he win for once?
His anxious-ness was replaced by a bubbling anger rising within him.
“Mr. Parker? Any comments or questions?”
“yeah! Yeah, I do have some comments actually. Quite a few questions, as well.
Apparently you visited our house more than once to sell cookies? What road was it on, then? What was our address? Let’s start with that.”
”Well… uh- again, I was quite young so I can’t really remember-“
”Exactly! You can’t remember. You know why? Because it never happened. And if you did come, why don’t I remember it? Again, because it never happened! Also, how come you supposedly only sold cookies at our house? Because. it. never. happe-“
He was cut off by the biased judge.
“Thank you for that, Mr Parker. Mr. Westcott? Do you recall a boy-scout selling cookies?”
”Yeah, I do. It was quite cute actually- every weekend we would get a little knock on the door from him. Peter would beg me for cookies, so I got them for him. Chocolate chip cookies were his favourite.”
By now Peter was fuming. Peter opened his mouth to argue but got a small kick from Matt instead. "Don't lose your temper, be calm and organised with your words. We are already in quiet a lot of trouble, we don't want to make it worse," he whispered calmly into Peter's ear.
Peter shut his mouth.
"Considering the multiple witnesses supporting Mr. Westcott, including the boy-scout mentioned in the arguments, and also considering Mr. Parker's lack of evidence, I have to declare Mr. Westcott the winner or this case. Any objections?"
Matt quickly stood up. "Yes! Yes, uh, judge, miss, ma'am, I'de like to mention- uhm..."
Peter felt tears prickling behind his eyes as he realised not even Matt had an argument. (really I don't have an argument so- ehm- yh. I apologise again for making matt seem so clueless in the moments hes needed.)
"I... as ive mentioned before, I used to be close friends with Peter's dad. Since Westcott started his babysitting career, and started babysitting Peter, Peter- well, Peter started acting different."
"Have you not come to the conclusion that Peter Parker was merely a six year old upset from a bad day at school? Or upset that he didn't get the toy he wanted?" Asked the judge, bored, making Peter feel insulted and targeted at.
"No, Peter wasn't like that. He was fine for the first one or two weeks, but then whenever Skipp came, just- it was as if the colour had drained from his face. When he started being babysat, he went from a confident kid to an introvert, absolutely terrified."
"Growing up. Or at most, bullies at school." Said the judge, hitting her hammer on the table.
Peters heard dropped.
"Skipp Westcott has won the case."
Skipp flashed a dazzling but sly smile at Peter, who felt as if he was about to have a panic attack. His eyes were wide and sweat was beginning to form over his brow. He looked at Matt for reassurance, but he was just glaring at the judge and Skipp's lawyer with a burning hatred. Eventually he noticed Peter's state. "It'll be okay. By law Skipp can't come anywhere near you. I'll watch this pedophile closely and I'll call him out in court for even the slightest slip he makes." He nodded at Peter, which however did no comfort.
"A new case has been opened." Declared the judge, making matt and peter's gaze shoot towards her. "Where Peter will be staying, as avengers tower isn't a suitable home - nor a legal one."
Peter slumped in his chair, Matt placing a hand on his shoulder.
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"You good for nothing shithead-"
"Langauge," Steve muttered from the corner he backed off to.
"Shut your mouth, Steven." She turned back to Tony. "What the fuck was that?"
"What the fuck was what?"
"That."
"Oh, you telling Rogers to shut up."
"Not that, genius. Peter. What in the hell did you do?"
"Uh.."
"If you don't tell, so help me, I will look through the security footage and its audio, and-"
"He left."
"No shit, sherlock." Natasha looked at him expectantly.
"We... got into a fight."
"Can you hurry up? I don't have all day. Nor does Parker."
"He..." Tony sighed. "He wanted to deal with the court case himself, the kid was really stressed out about this Westcott guy, I told him to leave it to you, then he got angry, then I got angry, then I said some really nasty stuff and-" Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "God, what did I do? I shouldn't have- I got in contact with his friend aswell, what was it, Dem? Ken? Oh, right, Ned. Crap, I really am stupid. Anyway-"
"Get out."
"What?"
"Get. out."
"Look, im sorr-"
"Sorry!? You're seriously apologising? To me? I'm not the one you should be apologising to, you should be apologising to Peter. You should be apologising for many things. How do you think he feels right now? In court, getting his life ruined, do you think he feels proud of himself? Boasting and mature after your childish argument? Or alone? Hopeless? Overwhelmed, without you, or me, or hell, even Clint with him?"
"Nat, you don't even know what I-"
"Don't you 'Nat' me. I don't know what you said? Hmm? Well it must've been bad, considering your selfish self was feeling guilt. It must've been bad, if it left him so shattered. I swear to god, when we get my- ... the kid back, you are going to apologise. You are going to fix everything. 'Cause if you don't, the great Tony Stark is going to be tortured. But not until you meet your death, no. I will keep you alive just to cause you as much pain as physically possible. It will be like the ten rings in that cave all over again. I will burn you, I will cut you, I will- oh, what a thought. It'll really bring back some great memories from that cave. You will be waterboarded. And with each healed scar, I will reopen then and watch them weep with tears of blood. With each scab, I will peel them off and coat the flesh under in vinegar. I will-"
"Nat." This voice wasn't Tony, but Steve behind. "I think you made your point."
Natasha hadn't even noticed she was holding Tony by the collar, his breathing heavy and shallow from the brought up traumatic memories.
"Leave."
As both men left, Natasha brought up the footage of Tony and Peter's fight.
And then Peter's teary breakdown in the elevator.
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They were roughly fifteen minutes into the case. Peter had already mentally given up and just wanted it to be over. He put his head in his hands.
"Mr. Westcott, if it hasn't been clear before, you can leave now. Legally you are unable to take adoptive or foster care of Peter Parker, due to your past and history with him. There is only a few more papers you can sign outside about not being able to be within a 4 metre radius of Peter Benjamin Par-"
She was silenced by someone on Skipp's side going up to the judge and opening a shining briefcase. Peter tried to see what it was, but he wasn't tall enough, and he didn't want to stand up from his seat to peek as that seemed nosy. Matt, tho, being a grown adult, could manage a glance.
"Those sneaky bastards. That's illegal."
"What? What is?"
"Money."
"What about money?"
"They have lots of it. They're bribing the judge. Westcott really wants to adopt you, and I don't see-... this isn't right."
"Damn right it isn't. Can't you help me? I really don't want to go with him. Please."
"Sorry, I really am trying. I just don't have those contacts anymore that I need to overthrow this guy. And I don't even have the authority to do anything. You're still under eighteen, you don't get a say, I don't get a say, it's all up to those orphanage bitches. And they seem to be all in."
Peter put his head on the table, exhaling loudly through his nose. "Seriously?" His voice came out muffled from his arm which was between his face and the actual wood of the table.
"Like I said before, I'm trying. You might have to stay with this idiot for a bit though, before I can sort anything out. I'm sorry."
When the judge finally broke out of her mesmerised trance because of the money, at least Peters arm hid the few tears that slipped through his squeezed shut eyes.
"Peter Benjamin Parker, from now on, is in the care of Skipp Westcott."