Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Tenshi Trail: Shin Heart ❯ Vol. Two, Chapter Twenty-Three: Judgment Day ( Chapter 23 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Ume sat in the courtroom for the last day. This trial dragged on for close to a month and half now. Each day took more and more out of her. The teacher couldn’t feel anything anymore. It’s lucky she had support. Her students, co-workers, and Jet were all behind her. In fact, they were watching the case on TV right now.


The students gathered in a classroom next door. The math teacher has just turned on the TV. Soot, Bemmer, Daisuke, and Mandy all sat on the front row. They, along with the rest of the school, followed the case since day one. Some teachers even made up homework assignments to it. Most of the students didn’t mind, however. It just gave them an excuse to keep watching the case at home. Everyone knew the courtroom drama enough to act it out in real life themselves. They knew the Isamu family was lying through their teeth.


“Can you believe those people?” Mandy heard one of the teachers as the once-powerful mob family walked into the courthouse on TV.


“A judge would have to be an idiot to believe them,” another one said. “My four-year-old even knows they are lying!”


“Unless they bribed the judge,” a teaching assistant pointed out. The two teachers looked at her. The assistant gave them a shrug.


“What?” she asked. “It’s possible.” They didn’t speak at first. Then, the first teacher tried not to laugh.


“Please!” he said. “They are over! Ever since Isamu died, their connections have been falling to pieces! They don’t even stand a chance anymore!” The teaching assistant looked at him oddly.


“It’s still possible,” she said.


“Ha and I’m queen of Jupiter!” he shot down. Mandy turned to her friends. The boys gave her a small glance.


“Don’t you think she’s right?” she whispered. Soot brushed it off all too lightly.


“Nah!” he said.


“I don’t know…” Mandy replied. “The family seems bent on giving her hell.” Bemmer shook his head at her.


“They’re in for an epic fail,” he said. The girl thought about that for a moment. Then, she nodded.


“Maybe…” she mumbled.


“Shhh,” Daisuke whispered. “It’s starting.” The whole room went quiet.


On the Bebop, Jet turned on the computer and channeled to the public access channel. His girlfriend was getting his verdict read to her tonight. For weeks, he tried to get her to move in with him. She kept saying no at first. Her boyfriend lightly kept trying to persuade her. Finally, Ume gave him the answer he wanted in a sense.


“I’ll think about moving in with you after the trial, okay?” she told him in the middle of the trial. Her boyfriend gave her a little smile.


“Whatever you like,” he said. Today would be the end of the nightmare. Once the monitor was adjusted to a clear picture, Jet got started on his bonsai trees. Ed and Ein raced after Sakura’s ferret, Yuki, through the room. Jet quickly looked up.


“Keep it down!” he snapped. Ed couldn’t hear him over her louder. Jet just shook his head and turned up the volume. He snipped a large branch off as the trial began.


Ume sat in the defendant’s chair, trying to keep it together. Here it was. The last day of the trial. It took the judge three days to come out with a fitting judgment. Three long days of waiting. Ume tried not to let it get to her. But, waiting only makes it worse. Her mind only went back to the trial. She looked over at her former in-laws. They were all talking about what they were going to do with that new money they hoped to earn off of “that bitch.” The teacher tried to swallow down her butterflies. Would her suffering ever end? Ume felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up to see her lawyer with kind eyes.


“There, there,” he whispered. “We haven’t heard the verdict yet.” Ume only pressed her lips together. True, but still…


The door opened wide and all went silent. Everyone looked up to see the judge walking into the courtroom. He looked at the plaintiff and defendant one by one. They both waited for the verdict. The judge picked up his paper.


“Day three hundred and six, Isamu vs. Isamu,” he began. “The plaintiffs have filed a wrongful death suit against former daughter-in-law, Ume. They want 100,000,000 wolongs and payments for emotional distress. The defendant wants a restraining order against the family due to all the abuse she has suffered over the years.” He lowered his paper and looked at the family and the teacher. Dead silence sat on everyone for a long time. The people in the court and at home waited for the verdict. Anger broke through the judge’s eyes.


“This is ridiculous!” he shouted. “Why should this woman have to pay for the shit that this monster put her through?!? I don’t blame her for running off when she did! She wasn’t even there when he died. You all are just greedy, soulless jackals who only care about power and money who tricked this woman into marrying your son! Well, guess what? You yourselves just got tricked! Your request is denied and Mrs. Isamu’s request has been granted. Leave this woman alone! You all have a good day.” The judge banged his gavel. The students and teachers at the school all cheered at the outcome. Jet smiled as he finished up his last bonsai tree in his new collection. Ume slumped back into her chair and breathed out. The Isamu family just sat there in silent shock. It all became clear to them: their chance for revenge was just shot clean out of the water. They were dried up and empty to the planet officially. Ume’s lawyer panted her on the shoulder again.


“I told you it would be alright,” he whispered. The teacher only nodded. Maybe now she could finally get some sleep.