An Eye For An Eye: The Rise Of Cassius Lucas

This Court Is Adjourned!

Lucas’s fingers started shaking as he touched his forehead. Lowering his hand, he saw it stained with fresh blood.

"Oh no,"

"What have you done to me?” Lucas said, turning to the man standing over him.

"You should have listened to me," the security officer replied.

Without hesitation, he bent down, his right knee pressing against Lucas’s back as he put the handcuffs around his wrists.

As the officer tightened the cuffs, he lifted Lucas’s head, revealing a deep wound from which blood oozed from the wound in a slow trickle.

The invigilator, having witnessed the incident, signed heavily. He turned back to the students , addressing them once more.

"Young ladies and gentlemen, I trust you all witnessed what just happened in this examination hall. Now, tell me—how does someone who claims to be innocent choose to run rather than submit to an investigation? If he truly has nothing to hide, why would he flee?”

Students continue mummering among themselves.

Meanwhile, blood continued to ooze from Lucas’s wound, now running towards his nose. He turned his head, preventing it from entering his nostrils.

The invigilator turned to the security officers. "Please, hand him over to the appropriate unit," he instructed.

Without hesitation, the officers grabbed Lucas Ross and began dragging him out of the examination hall.

As they stepped outside, a crowd quickly gathered. Whispers turned into conversations, then into discussions. Hundreds of fingers pointed at him, their owners murmuring in disbelief and curiosity.

"Isn't this the so-called best graduating student? Why are they dragging him like that?" a female student asked, nudging her friend, who was too concentrated on his video game.

"Who? Who?" the young man asked, finally looking up as he paused the game he was playing. "He must have been caught cheating on his exam," he added with a dismissive shrug.

The female student fell silent for a moment. Then, with a smirk, she leaned back against the bench.

"I asked him out two years ago, you know," she muttered. "He turned me down, said he already had someone he wanted to marry." She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Let's see if his so-called girlfriend will still stand up for him now.”

With a huff, she sat beside her friend, her eyes lingering on Lucas as he was dragged away.

When Lucas was taken to the Disciplinary Committee office within the faculty, the security officer led him through the doors. Behind the desk was the secretary sitting comfortably.

The security officer approached him.

“Hello, Secretary”.

"I hope there's no problem?" the secretary asked, gazing at Lucas in a surprise way. "This isn't an examination malpractice case, is it?”

"It is," the security officer replied, holding Lucas more firmly. "He was caught red-handed."

He then turned back to the secretary. "Is Mr. Brown in his office?”

The secretary went silent for a moment, looking at Lucas with disbelief.

"Yes, sure. He's inside," he finally replied.

"Thank you," the security officer said before pulling Lucas to his feet and leading him toward the office door. And they stepped inside.

Mr. Brown rose from his chair, looking confused.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at the security officer and the disheveled student before him. "Isn't this our best student?”

The security officer nodded before releasing his grip on Lucas.

"I was standing outside the examination hall when one of the invigilators called my attention to the fact that he's cheating,” the security officer explained. "At first, I was shocked—Lucas has always been one of the university’s best brilliant students. But regardless of this, my duty is to report any misconduct. I had no choice but to apprehend him and bring him here for further investigation”

The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled sheet of paper and Lucas’s answer sheet.

The security officer stepped closer to Mr. Brown and carefully placed the two papers on his desk.

"He chose to answer the exact answers from this sheet of paper," the officer explained, pointing at the papers. "And we found the sheet of paper hidden inside his jacket.”

Mr. Brown remained silent. His eyes lingered on Lucas before looking at the crumpled sheet of paper.

With a frown, Mr. Brown pointed at the blood stains on Lucas's jacket. "But why was he brought in this condition?" he asked.

"He tried to run," the security officer said, lifting his hands from the sheet of paper.

"Tried to run?" he asked rhetorically, looking surprised.. "If he truly had nothing to do with this, why would he attempt to escape? He must know exactly how that sheet of paper ended up in his jacket.”

After the examination ended, Lucas Ross was taken to the moot court.

At the far end of the courtroom sat a panel of judges—the senior faculty members— on a long bench. To the left of the room, a long wooden table was occupied by the prosecution team, their documents neatly arranged as they whispered among themselves.

Directly across from them, the defense counsel sat, carefully reviewing their notes.

The clerk, seated near the judges, adjusted his paper. Behind Lucas, the gallery was filled with students, some whispering to themselves while others remained in silence.

The courtroom was silent except for the murmurs and the shifting of seats. Lucas Ross, once celebrated as one of the university's most brilliant students, now sat at the defense table, his heart racing.

The court clerk, a young student, stood and announced, "This court is now in session. The case of Lucas Ross versus the Washington University Disciplinary Committee will be heard. The prosecution may proceed.”

A tall student in a black suit—the lead prosecutor—rose from his seat. He adjusted his tie and stepped forward.

"Your Honors," he began. ."We are here today to establish one undeniable truth—that Lucas Ross was caught in possession of unauthorized materials during his final examination. This is not a matter of speculation; this is a matter of fact.”

He signaled to the security officer, who stepped forward, holding up two documents—the crumpled sheet of paper and Lucas’s exam script.

"This," the prosecutor continued, taking the crumpled sheet of paper, "was found hidden inside the accused’s jacket. It contains answers identical to those he wanted to answer in his question booklet. If this was not considered cheating, then what was it?”.

The lead defense counsel, a young woman in her thirties rose.

"Your Honors," she said. "The prosecution presents this sheet of paper as if its mere presence in my client’s jacket proves his guilt. But we must ask—how did it get there? Is there irrefutable proof that Lucas himself placed it in his pocket? Or are we rushing to condemn a man based on circumstantial evidence?”

She turned to Lucas. "Tell the court what happened in the examination hall.”

"I don’t know how that sheet of paper got into my jacket," Lucas said. "I walked into the examination hall with my writing materials only. I had no reason to cheat—I’ve worked hard for this degree. Why would I risk it all now?”

The lead prosecutor smirked, folding his arms.

"A compelling plea, Mr. Ross," he said. "But let’s address what happened when you were confronted. If you were truly innocent, why did you attempt to run?”

"I panicked," Lucas admitted. "The invigilator’s accusation caught me off guard, and I—I acted on impulse. But that doesn’t mean I’m guilty.”

The prosecution’s second counsel rose.

"So, we are to believe that this sheet of paper magically found its way into your jacket? That it just appeared there, by accident?" He said. "You claim innocence, yet the evidence is undeniable. And let’s not forget, that jacket is yours, right?”

Lucas nodded.

"Yes, it's mine.”

"And you wore it into the exam hall?"

"Yes, but—”

The prosecutor cut him off.

"No further questions. The accused admits the jacket is his. The cheat sheet was found inside it. There is no reasonable doubt left.”

The defense counsel took a slow breath before rising.

"Your Honors, we must not allow assumptions to replace truth. Yes, the jacket belongs to Lucas. Yes, the paper was found inside. But where is the evidence that Lucas placed it there? Anyone could have slipped it in while he was unaware. The university is home to rivalries, jealousies—who’s to say this wasn’t a setup?”

The judges murmured among themselves.

One of them, an older professor, finally spoke.

"Miss Counsel, your argument raises an interesting possibility, but the burden of proof remains on your client. Can he provide any evidence that this was, in fact, a setup?”

The prosecution seized the moment.

"The accused has no alibi, no explanation for the presence of the cheat sheet, and no reason for attempting to flee except guilt. Your Honors, we ask that you uphold the integrity of this university and charge him responsible for academic misconduct.”

The defense counsel clenched her fists, rising to her feet.

“Your Honors, the prosecution claims that my client, Lucas Ross, deliberately hid a cheat sheet in his jacket. However, I urge this court to consider the possibility of foul play. My client has consistently demonstrated academic excellence—why would he, of all students, resort to cheating?”

She turned to Lucas.

“Mr. Ross, can you tell the court, under oath, if you placed this sheet of paper in your jacket?”

“Yes,” Lucas said, nodding twice. “ I swear that I did not place that sheet of paper in my jacket. I had no idea how it got there.”

The defense counsel turned to the judges.

“There you have it, Your Honors. My client denies any wrongdoing. Furthermore, there is no direct evidence linking him to the act of placing the paper in his jacket. We cannot convict a man on mere assumption.”

The lead prosecutor stood, adjusting his glasses before moving to the evidence table.

“Mr. Ross,” he said. “You claim that you have no idea how the paper got there. You also claim you have no witnesses to prove your innocence. Is that correct?”

Lucas nodded. “That’s correct”.

The prosecutor smirked, as if expecting that answer. He picked up the crumpled sheet of paper and held it up for the court to see.

“Then, perhaps you can explain why the handwriting on this crumpled sheet of paper matches your own?”

Lucas’s face paled and people started whispering among themselves in the courtroom. The defense counsel’s eyes widened as she turned toward the prosecution.

“Objection, your honors!. There is no official confirmation that the handwriting is my client’s.”

The prosecutor remained calm. “Then let us confirm it.”

He turned to the forensic document examiner, a faculty member skilled in handwriting analysis.. “You have compared the handwriting on this sheet with Lucas Ross’s previous exam scripts. What is your conclusion?”

The examiner stood, adjusting his glasses.

“After careful analysis, I can confidently say that the handwriting on the sheet of paper is a match to Lucas Ross’s known handwriting samples.”

The lead judge rapped his gavel.

"Mr. Ross, do you deny that this handwriting is yours?”

Lucas gazed at the paper, then at the expectant faces of the judges, the prosecution, and the audience.

“I…” He said, his voice shaking. “I don’t know how that paper got into my jacket. But I swear, I didn’t use it.”

The prosecutor spread his hands.

“Your Honors, we are not only dealing with possession of unauthorized materials but there's also a clear evidence that the accused himself wrote the content of the cheat sheet. The defense counsel may try to argue possibilities, but facts do not lie.”

The lead judge rapped his gavel once more, his gaze fixed on Lucas.

“Mr. Ross, I will ask you again—do you deny that it is your handwriting?”

“Your Honors,” he began. “I won’t deny that the handwriting looks like mine. But I have a reasonable explanation. I often help students solve questions they are finding hard. Many of them come to me for guidance, and I sometimes write out solutions for them to study.”.

“It’s possible that someone took one of my written explanations and used it to frame me. I have never cheated—I’ve always worked hard for my grades.”

The prosecutor, who had remained silent during Lucas’s explanation, finally stepped forward.

“Mr. Ross,” he said. “This court does not deal in possibilities. It deals in facts. Let’s not waste time with theories. I urge you to answer with a yes or no. Is this your handwriting?”

Lucas signed heavily. “Yes,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s my handwriting.”

The prosecutor smirked, turning to the panel of judges as he spread his hands in a gesture of finality.

“Your Honors, there we have it. The accused himself has admitted that the handwriting belongs to him. The very content of this crumpled sheet of paper matches the examination questions.”

He turned, looking around the courtroom before continuing.

“How on earth would he have known the exact questions beforehand, written their answers on a sheet of paper, and then hidden it inside his jacket? Are we still going to call all of that a coincidence?”

"But... I don't….." Lucas started, but before he could finish, the prosecutor cut him off.

“Not only was unauthorized material found in his possession, but he also cannot deny that he wrote it himself. Whether he copied it beforehand or intended to use it later makes no difference—possession alone is enough to violate the examination rules.”

The lead judge adjusted his glasses, as he looked at Lucas. He took a deep breath, then tapped his gavel against the wooden desk.

“After thorough review of the evidence, this panel finds Lucas Ross guilty of examination malpractice. The evidence presented against him is irrefutable—unauthorized material was found in his possession, and he has admitted that the handwriting on the sheet of paper is his own. The rules of this institution are clear, and the consequences of violating them are non-negotiable.”

“Effective immediately, Lucas Ross’s academic journey at this institution is hereby terminated. His student portal shall be permanently closed, and all awards and recognitions previously granted to him shall be revoked. Furthermore, any scholarships he has received under the university’s sponsorship will be immediately withdrawn.”

“Lucas Ross is to vacate the school premises within two days. Failure to comply will result in further disciplinary actions. This court is adjourned.”