Another day began in the court for Black. He was set to stand early, and was still there when the audience took their seats. Judge Cromwell resumed his position, squinting at the boy and resting his wrinkly chin on his scruffy, leather hands. He let out a deep sigh and spoke, "Welcome back, everyone. Let's get this case done and dusted, shall we? Our first person to stand today, another witness." A young adult was let onto the pedestal. "Name?"
"Protector Ryan Merlin."
"May I thank you for your service to us, how do you come into this, Protector Merlin?"
"I was the first to reach the scene and take the students to the hospital."
"Did you know at first, the identity of the criminal on the pedestal?"
"No, I had no idea until we arrived and his neck was exposed to treat him."
"I understand. Please, if you would tell us your story from your perspective." The young Protector did as he was told, telling the judge his heroic story. Finally, the judge implored to him. "When you discovered his true identity, what was your reaction?" The audience was shocked at the unofficial question asked, in no previous case had a witness' feelings asked to be spoken.
The Protector stuttered, but went on. "Well, I, uh-- I was shocked. At first I thought maybe there was a red level beast attack, in which I was proud to save such a capable future-Protector, but the reveal caused me to think of what might of actually happened. Maybe, he was the attacker and the other students were the ones fighting him. From the other students' injuries, it seemed that way. And, if I may speak my mind, Judge?"
"You may." He hid a devious smirk under his ancient hands.
"I believe that to be what happened." There were a few quiet gasps, and Black gave him a horrified stare. "The Black Wall has stood true for many years, the guard has never had anyone slip through. And then suddenly, one descendent pops up and then the next two? I'm afraid I can't believe that many capable men and women can miss three slips of security! It's the only thing that makes sense to me that the boy on trial is the one responsible for all of this." The outraged murmurs filled the hall whilst Black hung his head, things weren't getting better like they had been the day before.
"The next to stand--!" Judge Cromwell shouted over the voices, demanding their silence indirectly. "Is a criminal who served the Crow bloodline quite a while, so he says." A rough bloke made his way to the pedestal, he made mocking faces to the audience and waved in a sarcastic overly cheerful manner. As he calmed himself, the judge questioned him. "Name?"
"Oliver Thompson."
"Arrested for?"
"Working for my dear kings and princes." He bowed to Black, lighting the ex-prince's eyes on fire with rage.
"I see. This is him?"
"Prince Black Crow, heir to the Crow throne. Very talented, very loved, much diabolical potential." The man was insane!
"Liar!" Black cried, "filthy liar! I've never seen you before--!"
"So, Crow, you admit you're the Prince of the Crow crime family, and still are?"
"What?! No! He's talking a load of dragon sh--!"
"Silence! You claimed you'd never seen the man before, correct?"
"Yes." Admitted Black.
"Oliver?"
"Don't worry, my Prince, all is well. The kings will come for you, if you don't feel like breaking out yourself."
Glares were shot at Black and weapons were grasped hastily. There was a moment of high tension before the judge held his hand up calmly. "At ease. The criminal knows it's over now."
Black painfully turned to the audience, a guard unsheathed a sword and secured himself on the first step of the pedestal. Black begged to them, friends and strangers together, "I'm not my father, I'm not the other heirs, I'm nothing like the one's you exile. I don't want to hurt people, I want to redeem my family's name. I want people to see a crow in the sky and smile, I want them to feel that whenever violence breaks out, fire will rain down to protect them and a lone crow will be their savour. If you don't believe that, then I won't be that, but I will happily rot in a metal cage if it shows you that you're wrong. I won't fight back, I won't break out, I won't commit a single crime, I swear on my mother-"
"After hearing all who signed to stand, I have come to a conclusion. Black Crow, you are sentenced to--"
"Actually, Judge Cromwell," A female voice was the one to heckle this time.
"For the love of the User, what now?!"
Cromwell banged his fist on his desk in anger, Headmistress Anne stepped forward confidently. She swished her twirl of hair from her eye and stepped toward the pedestal, standing in front of it. "There were three planned to stand today - we've only had two this morning."
  The old judge growled and cursed under his breath, then gave a long sigh of frustration and waved his hand at her. She thanked him and returned to her seat. "I believe our last one to stand at the pedestal today is the criminal's teacher for his Physical Year at the Protector's Academy. Let him in."
  Heavy steps came toward the pedestal, Headmaster made his epic entrance just in time to restore the hope of the defendant and his upporters before it was all completely lost, a formal expression but an informal tone to his voice. "Protector Grudge had a class today, so I stepped in for him," The judge shot up like a bolt and fixed his posture, stuttering for a reply, "I hope that's no problem?" Black had to hold in a rejoiceful laugh, whereas the audience broke into cheerful and confused discussions.
  "I-I, Head Protector, sir! Is it really necessary that you--?"
  Headmaster gave Black a discreet wink of mischief and rolled his eyes at the panicked judge. "Sit down, Judge Cromwell, and answer me this," the judge plopped down on his seat and sat at attention, all power was now in Headmaster's hands, "what crimes is Black guilty of?"
  Silence. No one had a response for such an obvious question. Eventually, the dirty old judge stammered. "Well-- well, I-- I mean-- he's the son of-- you know!"
  "No, I don't."
  "But-- he's a Crow!"
  "And you are a Cromwell, your point?"
  "He's a criminal, Head Protector!"
  "A criminal without a crime, is there such a thing?"
  "Well-- look--! this is--"
  "What? An exception? Black and his relatives are doomed to be punished for the actions of one man they reject, is that justice nowadays?"
  "Head Protector, the odds that--"
  "On the first day of his second year at my academy, Black Crow darted down from a tree and saved another student's life. Jack Blue! Can you confirm that?"
  Jack, in the audience, stood up nervously and answered. "Yeah, he did! How did you--?"
  "When Black's identity was forcefully exposed to his teammates, he fled the fight he could've conquered because he, one, did not have any intention to harm his friends, and two, refused his father's teachings. Alex Green! Roselyn Scarlet Fox! Jack Blue! Can you confirm?"
  All three stood up with confident smiles, they all answered in unison. "He did!"
  The judge was now in intensive shock, the pace of his case crumbling too rapidly to piece back together. Only one or two inhumane noises escaped his wide open mouth. "And when he fled, he hid. Not after long, he came to me," There was a pause and Black and Headmaster made eye contact. Black smiled to him, and the Headmaster was clear to continue. "Where he revealed his identity to me and begged he be sent anywhere other than Stirly. Before I could stop him, he took fire to his neck without hesitation. The birthmark, he deemed a curse because of us, he burnt a line through. You tell me that the burn on his neck doesn't look like a desperate attempt by a lonely boy to fit in." Silence again. Without any answer, Headmaster made a slow and gentle closing to his speech. "Headmistress Maria Anne. Black Crow. Can you confirm?" Black nodded at the judge, then looked to Headmistress who confirmed with a kind smile toward him.

The entire room was speechless. Headmaster swirled his head and spun his body to face away from them all. "Black Crow, grab your equipment and meet me outside with your team. You've missed precious training days!" He joked brightly. "Good day, Judge Cromwell. Good day, everyone." He tipped his invisible hat to everyone in the room and marched positively out the back door. The silence continued awkwardly, Black and the rest of the team quietly slipped out, careful not to disturb anyone.