Owner	Pose
Steve Rogers	The giant wheel of the legal system can take quite awhile to turn. A very long while. So when the summons for Lara Croft to come and testify at a trial arrived in the case of Michael Lombardi only a few months after his arrest, it was actually a little bit of a surprise. Steve and Lara had responded to news of a Punisher attack on a home in a rather prestigious area. Lombardi, the owner, survived by hiding in a safe room off of his office. While his gun-toting guards did not survive the Punisher's assault. Steve had been tracking the Punisher for awhile. So date night was interrupted once again. However, it was Lara that had made the big discovery. Noting some inconsistencies in a Taoist statuette of King Yan, the Chinese god of Death. She had opened it and found smuggled away inside carved gemstones representing the ten Kings of Hell. The survivor of the Punisher's assault had been immediately arrested by Detective Jim Reynolds and his partner. And now the trial of the smuggler was set to begin. Though not testifying himself, Steve Rogers had worn a jacket and tie to look appropriate for sitting in the court room when Lara takes the stand. The couple walk up to the courtroom doors, where they will be waiting for her to be called. The detective is there waiting for them. "Captain Rogers, Lady Croft," he says, smiling and moving over to shake both of their hands. "Can't believe this got on the docket so quickly. New DA is really trying to score some points with the voters I think. That story in the Times sure hasn't hurt his publicity, has it?" the detective asks.
Lara Croft	Lara moves with Steve toward the court room doors. Dressed in a black suit that accentuates her slim and athletic form, Lara looks quite lovely today. A light amount of makeup adorns her face, and her dark brown hair is clipped back, allowing it to fall in enticing waves down behind her shoulders. She stands beside Steve when they are greeted by the Detective, and a smile graces her red hued lips. She looks between the two, and shows Jim a soft smile. "Well, perhaps the haste of the trial indicates just how overwhelming the evidence is against Mr. Lombardi..." She might be biased about his guilt, since she discovered the gemstones almost 4 and a half months ago. Lara shakes the Detective's hand, then folds her hands together in front of her lap. "I'm just eager to do my part with this, and then move on though. Ultimately this is not my area of expertise... I learned that first hand a few years ago." She adds with her faint smile sticking, referring to the legal situations that followed the happenings on the island of Yamatai, of course. Lara had been court-ordered to attend therapy sessions following the traumatic events, which she'd already completed after coming to the United States, though there were many who believed she should have faced jail time for some of what happened on that island back then...
Steve Rogers	Detective Reynolds stays standing as Lara takes a seat on the bench outside the court room. "Oh yeah, we got him. In possession of the item. The guy didn't have a lot of paper trail. But I was able to get some people involved in the smuggling to talk. Unfortunately the wire I was wearing didn't pick it all up, but there's enough physical evidence to at least partially corroborate that my verbal testimony on it should be enough for the judge and the jury," he says. "We don't know what all he's into still, but it's definitely not his first time dealing with questionable import/export," he says, giving a soft snort. Steve smiles to the police officer. "Glad that you were able to find enough for the case to proceed," he says. Detective Reynolds visibly perks up under the praise. Steve swings his blue-eyed gaze back to Lara. "I have to admit, one small advantage of the kind of situations I deal with, is there's so many cell phones recording them now, they don't tend to require a lot of testimony from me." He rests his hand lightly on Lara's shoulder, eyes warm for her. While they are talking, the doors open up and a bailiff steps out. Detective Reynolds greets him. "Zeke, didn't know you were working this one. You good?" Zeke, a black man in his forties, chuckles and says, "I'd have tried to get on a different court if I knew you were going to be here," he jokes. He looks over to Lara then. "Lady Croft? The court is ready for you now," he says. He's ready to lead her in and take her to the stand then.
Lara Croft	Lara had taken the seat on the edge of that bench as she wasn't sure how long it would take. She had her phone out in a matter of moments, but hadn't looked at it yet to check the time. Instead her eyes were still up on Jim. She shows him a soft nod to what he says, as Steve responds to it. When Steve's hand touches her shoulder she looks back over to him, and is about to speak up once more when the door opens. It's then that Lara rises back up to her full height, wearing a pair of two-inch heeled pumps, Lara is a bit taller than usual! She smiles at the exchange between Jim and Zeke, before the man regards her. What he says earns a pair of small nods from her, "Very well. I am ready then." She replies, darting her eyes to Steve, to Jim, and then back. "Here we go then." She softly says before stepping in beside Zeke to follow him in to the court room, though she does offer her hand to Zeke to be kind toward him too, obviously he knows her name already though!
Steve Rogers	Steve's smile is there for Lara when she looks to him. Reassuring. Expressing his confidence in her as he knows the thought of being up in front of the court is likely to dredge up some less than pleasant memories. But those true blue eyes say he knows everything will be ok, far better than words can. As Lara rises and moves to head in with Bailiff Zeke, even Steve Rogers can't quite resist letting his eyes wander down her form so beautifully shown by the clothing. An appreciative light shows in his eyes. And then he looks up, only to find Detective Reynolds looking where Steve was. The Detective realizes he's being looked at, his eyes darting to Captain America. Steve's head tilts slightly to the side, his expression conveying the word 'Really' as well as his voice could. Detective Reynolds looks away abashedly, and Steve shakes his head, not quit grinning as he goes inside to take a seat. Michael Lombardi is at the defendants table. He swivels as do many in the court to watch Lara's approach. But Lombardi takes no joy from the Englishwoman's appearance. The bailiff walks Lara to the stand and has her be seated. He holds out a bible for her to swear on and asks, "Are you Lara Croft? Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God?"
Lara Croft	A handful of years ago and this entire situation might have intimidated Lara. But those days were gone now. Instead, she just strides where directed with a confident gait to her step. When she reaches the stand, she swears her oath, stating her name and that she's indeed only intending to tell the truth. Her eyes scan around the room, taking in the sight of all those within it, until she lastly looks to the Judge who gets a soft polite smile from her before she takes her seat when directed to. Lara watches Steve for just a moment, before she regards Lombardi for a second as well, but she dares not stare overly long at him... he's ultimately irrelevent to her. She's just here to tell what she discovered that night in the man's besieged home. Lara's left leg rises up and she crosses her knees one over the other, her fingers lacing together and going to rest atop her thigh. She sits with poise and elegance, denoting the ettiquette training she received as a young person growing up in English nobility...
Steve Rogers	Steve Rogers gives Lara one of his small half-smiles where one corner of his lips turn up more than the other side. Encouraging and reassuring, if at a distance. Lombardi is staring over at Lara a bit intently. Until his lawyer leans over to whisper into his ear. Perhaps telling him not to let the jury see him showing malice in his eyes. Because it was definitely there. He composes himself more as the prosecutor rises. Lara met with him briefly before this for a written statement on the events in question, so she is familiar with him at least a little. "Lady Croft. It's not often that we get an actual English Duchess in to testify," he says, making the jury aware of those aspects of her that might sway them. "As well as an agent of SHIELD. We appreciate you taking the time to be here," he says. After Lara might offer any reply, he begins, "On the night of January 28th, you and Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America, visited the home of Michael Lombardi after reports of gunfire there. An attack that police have attributed to Frank Castel, the vigilante known as the Punisher. Is that correct? And during your time investigating the scene with Captain Rogers, you saw something within the office of Mr. Lombardi? Could you please relate those events and what you noticed and found?"
Lara Croft	The initial greeting has Lara showing the man a soft smile. She doesn't respond to it though, as she just remains seated there, waiting for her line of questions. When they begin, that's when Lara's slim pointed chin dips down just a little. When it bounces back up she makes eye contact with him again, and nods once. "That is correct. Captain Rogers and I arrived on-scene, and initially I had only intended to be a background figure... and try not to interfere with the situation... it didn't take long for me to recognize something on the home owner's office desk." She states, her voice soft, laced with that soothing style to it... an English accent, but flavored by her world travels to create something unique all its own. "Normally when you see a Taoist statue, like the one I saw, you wouldn't think a lot of it. But in my time abroad, I learned that these types of statues were used to smuggle a wide variety of items inside of them. They're containers, quite simply put, and when I picked the one up from Mr. Lombardi's desk, I found it was sealed... in a way that was suspicious to me. You could call it a hunch, but it was based on experiences I've had, so I took a chance.. I cracked the seal and I found the rare gemstones within it. They are the true treasure there. Very valuable..." She relents there for now, keeping her eyes on the attorney speaking to her.
Steve Rogers	The prosecutor listens, nodding along as if to add weight to Lara's statements. "And you have degrees from University College London in Asian History and Archeology, to have gained familiarity with such statuary." he adds, "Plus your duties with SHIELD archiving such items." After Lara has had a chance to confirm this, the prosecutor moves back over to his table to pick up a sheet. He carries it over to the judge and says, "The People enter into evidence Exhibit 71A, an affidavit from the Museum of Natural History appraising the carved gemstones at a value upwards of $10 million financially. With an even greater cultural significance." After the judge accepts it into evidence, the prosecutor turns back to Lara. "Just one further question, Lady Croft. In your experience, how difficult is it for someone to get their hands on a cultural treasure such as the," he says, then pauses to look at a paper to make sure he has it right, "The 'Ten Kings of Hell'. They are a singular treasure correct? Is someone likely to stumble upon them accidentally?" The defense counsel raises his voice, "Objection, calls for speculation which the witness has no insight into." The prosecutor turns to the judge. "Lady Croft is an accredited expert in this field by a noted university, with experience from a law enforcement organization." The defense lawyer says, "But she has no insight into how likely anyone could be to come into possession of these particular items." The judge considers for a moment. "Objection sustained. Jury will disregard the question. You will refrain from answering it, Lady Croft." The prosecutor accepts it and says, "No further questions, your Honor." The judge looks to the defense. "Cross examine?" The defense lawyer stands to say, "No questions at this time," then sits back down. The judge turns to Lara. "You are excused. The Court thanks you for your testimony." Bailiff Zekes swings open the little door on the stand, holding it for Lara.
Lara Croft	Lara certainly could have answered that question, and had already formulated part of an answer for it.. but she held it back as the court room dramatics do as they tend to do. It's like a game of tennis, really... When she's excused, Lara nods her head softly before Zeke opens the door for her. He earns another soft smile, and a quiet 'thank you' as she steps out from the stand. With a confident stride, she moves past the attorney tables, and Mr. Lombardi. She sweeps herself back in to the ailes of onlookers, and is slipping down in to the empty seat beside Steve. Her right hand comes up to stroke a fingertip across the side of her nose, as she leans over to press shoulders with him. "Not too bad at all..." She says in a hushed whispery voice to him, showing him a sparkling smile there-after, her sense of humor showing on the edges of her expression for him. Her eyes dart forward though to the case as it continues onward.
Steve Rogers	As Lara walks up the aisle, Steve's smile is brimming with approval and confidence in the young woman. As she takes her seat by his side, Steve slips an arm about her shoulders. It lets him give her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and a little rub. "I think you did great," he tells her in as soft a voice as he can manage to not disturb the proceedings as the two lawyers go up to talk to the judge briefly. "I imagine they'd have tried to argue about the discovery if they could. With your credentials, I think they probably didn't want to ask you questions and give you a chance to be even more convincing to the jury." He reaches over with his free hand, gently taking Lara's in it. There's a look of pride in his eyes at how she handled the court room today. He had seen the way she looked at home, looking in the mirror in her outfit she's wearing. Visibly feeling butterflies. "Remind me not to do anything illegal with you around. I don't want you testifying against me," he whispers teasingly.
Lara Croft	It's true that Lara had been rather anxious about this. She'd been preparing a lot to cover, even had notes on her phone to make sure she had the right information ready. In the end, not even a fraction of it had been necessary, to a point where she kind of wanted to laugh about it. But instead, she just shows a smile over to Steve about what he says, her shoulder going in to his side as he holds on to her, then she returns the hand holding gesture, along with a light squeeze of his hand held within her own. Her right leg comes up to cross over her left knee now though, as her eyes go forward to the trial again, but she does whisper over at him a moment later. "I had so much to say..." She has to admit it, glancing to him again before she looks forward to the speaking attorney.
Steve Rogers	Steve's hand gives a little squeeze to Lara's. He leans really close to whisper into her ear. "When we get home, I'll swear you in and you can testify it. Though I have a different outfit in mind for that court session." Somehow he manages to just look composed after the whisper, like they were just talking about something pertaining to the case. Bailiff Zeke walks past, giving Lara an approving nod as he goes down the aisle. He opens the door and steps through, then returns just a dozen seconds later with Detective Reynolds following behind. Zeke walks him up past the lawyers, then lets him go to the witness box on his own. The other bailiff, a tall white man in his mid-forties, grabs the Bible that Lara had sworn on also, and walks over to where Jim Reynolds is just getting seated. Detective Reynolds spots Lara and Steve in the audience and gives them both a confident smile. The bailiff holds out the bible. "Are you Detective Jim Reynolds?" he asks. The policeman rests his hand on the Bible. "Yes I am." he says. The bailiff nods and his hand goes to his side arm. He draws it and a deafening bang fills the courtroom. Jim Reynolds falls over backwards, blood running out of the bullet hole in his lower forehead. The bailiff stands looking at him for a second, two, while everyone stands paralyzed with surprise. And then he brings the gun to the side of his head. The deafening sound repeats.
Lara Croft	The comment from Steve has Lara showing a hint of a reserved grin, an expression she has to hold-back due to their situation and where they are of course. She looks away from him in time to see the nod from the other bailiff on his way back in to the fray. She watches him the whole way as he goes to where Jim is settling in to where she'd been previously. And then it all happens. It all happens in a haze, as it does when a normal situation turns very abnormal. Lara's body tenses up, her senses all come a-light as she watches Jim get executed right there thirty feet away from where she is! Cap might see her start to rise up, just as the other bailiff turns around to turn the gun on himself too! But there's nothing she can do. It all happens so fast... She has no weapons on her, she has nothing she can do but watch the horror unfold!
Steve Rogers	There was nothing that anyone could have done to stop what played out, Super soldier or not. Steve comes to his feet at the same time as Lara, but even apart from the surprise there was no time to reach the bailiff or stop him. Steve's arms go around Lara as he sees the sight of the second bailiff's body on the ground. Trying to turn her towards him before she can see the aftermath. Witnessing the event bad enough for the woman who suffers from night terrors after what she went through on the island of Yamatai. All around them other people are finally reacting. Zeke is rushing over, his expression of disbelief. The people in the gallery are jumping up, as is the jury, and everyone is talking and yelling, even screaming, at once. A cacophony of sound, of people rushing out of the room worried about their own safety. The judge banging his gavel. The prosecutor rushing to check on Detective Reynolds who could not have survived. The only two still people in the moment are Steve with his arms around his Lara.