I'm writing again! Aren't you thrilled? After finishing Yes, Sir, I decided it would be a good time to go through my old files of oneshots and oneshot ideas and finish them up. For instance, this story's been sitting on my computer for about a year, but I never bothered posting it. Until now!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Ace Attorney series or any of its characters.
Klavier Gavin had an exhausting day at his office. He had spent the entire day investigating a grisly double homicide. After a day of the Fraulein detective's insults and Snackoo barrage, he was swamped, despite the fact that he had obviously caught the killer.
Klavier knew he did it. He had found two solid pieces of evidence and two solid witnesses. But the guy knew how to invoke his right to counsel and immediately requested a lawyer. And unfortunately, he requested the Forehead.
Klavier sighed. He summoned Ema into his office after receiving the letter of request.
"Fraulien Skye…would you mind running to Herr Wright's office? Justice has a request, and I'm swamped." At this, the former Gavinner immediately found a Snackoo in his hair.
"Oh, and I suppose that the fact that I was the one who has been dealing with your paperwork the last three weeks means nothing. Is that how it is, fop?"
Klavier quietly cursed as she left the room. He gathered his files and slowly made his way to his motorcycle in the parking garage.
After entering the Wright Anything Agency, it was obvious that it was no ordinary place. The fifteen year old assistant was practicing pulling a table out of her panties while her father clapped quietly.
"Herr Wright…Fraulien…is Herr Justice around?"
The recently reinstated veteran attorney smiled.
"Oh…I decided to give him a day off this month. I think he's earned it."
"But it is Sunday, Mr. Wright," Klavier said, confused.
"So what?"
"…never mind. Where does he live?"
Trucy piped in to answer. "He lives in the Yates complex on Brown Street. The really creepy building!"
Klavier gasped before responding. "I…I see. I'll be leaving now. Good luck, Fraulein," Klavier called as she seemed to be struggling with a table leg and a snag.
Brown Street was not a very nice place to live. The buildings were falling apart, and it was a regularity to find gang-related murders and shootings. Klavier never investigated those murders – they were never high on the priority list. As he found the Yates complex, Klavier felt a twinge of guilt on his flashy motorcycle. He decided to park his bike further away from the entire neighborhood and walk a few blocks.
He knew he was being watched. Many pairs of curious eyes stared at the rock star in his designer boots and jacket, as if he was some kind of ghost. Klavier never even considered that Apollo could possibly live here of all places. He didn't seem like a slum kind of guy.
As he found the stairs of the building, he heard a gunshot. Alarmed, he whirled around. But there was no reaction. He frantically looked around and began to take out his cell phone, when an old man's voice broke the silence.
"You'll get us killed."
The old man smelled like rotting salmon, and he had very little hair and a very few yellowing teeth.
"You have to report a murder…" Klavier began, but the man simply leaped on him, knocking him down. The man didn't let go.
"YOU'LL KILL US! YOU'LL KILL US!"
The old man's nails were digging into Klavier's wrists, and Klavier was not exactly strong. He simply stared as the man spit in his face. As Klavier began to panic, he heard a voice.
"Oy…Percy!'
The old man blinked and turned, completely forgetting Klavier, who was rubbing his wrists in pain.
"Ah…Justin! How you doing boy?"
"Run along Percy. Here's a gift."
Justin tossed the old man a banana and watched him run off into the alley, squealing excitedly.
"You okay? You shouldn't be...wait. PROSECUTOR GAVIN?"
As Klavier looked up, he noticed the man called Justin was actually Apollo Justice, complete with spiky hair and red suit.
"Forehead…"
"Wh…what are you doing here! You of all people should know not to come here."
"I was told this is your residence…"
Apollo sighed and looked around.
"Take off the necklace, and follow me."
As Klavier walked with Apollo through the Yates complex, he knew he was being stared at. The old woman in the lobby jumped in front of Apollo.
"Boy…is that one of your lawyer friends?"
"Just a colleague. We have a case to discuss."
The woman shrugged and left them alone. As Apollo opened the door, Klavier thought this place couldn't belong to the defense attorney. It was dark with peeling paint, and the room just had a bed, a desk, and a chair with a tiny fridge and a microwave.
"Forehead…"
"What?"
To Klavier's dismay, Apollo didn't get defensive. He didn't seem to be bothered about where he lived, and he seemed to be…comfortable. Apollo studied the confused prosecutor and quickly changed his demeanor.
"O - Oh! Right! I forgot you might be a little surprised."
"You're a lawyer…can't you afford a larger space?"
"I don't need it. I only come here to sleep really."
"But…security…aren't you worried?"
"I don't have anything in here…most of my stuff is at the office. And they don't mind my being a defense attorney to protect the innocent. And for the time being…you're one too. "
Klavier said nothing as Justice pulled two beers out of the fridge and tossed one to him.
"Gavin, what's this about?"
Klavier sighed and pulled a file out of his bag and handed it to Apollo. Apollo opened it and skimmed through it before looking up.
"Mr. Gavin? You're hovering…"
"Ah…sorry."
Klavier couldn't help but watch Apollo as he sat at his desk perusing files. Apollo looked up after he finished reading, disgusted.
"Did you read this letter of request?"
"No, Herr Forehead. You know that's privileged."
"He wants to strike a deal. Give you names of his associates in exchange for immunity," Apollo said, clearly bothered by the whole affair. "Tell him to get a public defender. I want no part in this."
"Ja…I could tell he did it…just a feeling. You can tell who the real guilty ones are, ja?" Klavier muttered in his German accent. "But he's offering a lot of money, Forehead."
Apollo just laughed.
"Come on, you really think I became a lawyer for the money?"
"Well…why did you?"
"See that building over there? That's the orphanage I grew up in. There was an aide there…I forgot her name, but she was good to us. She was always smiling and making us laugh…until I was about eight years old."
Klavier watched as Apollo turned his chair around to face the prosecutor. Apollo continued.
"Anyways, one day, she stopped coming to the orphanage. We asked one of the other aides where she was, and they said she quit. But I heard from one of the teenagers – she never quit – she got arrested. For murder."
Klavier listened intently. Apollo was clearly still sad over the whole affair.
"Her boyfriend was in a gang, and she was involved with some shady people, sure. But she never so much as jaywalked. She always reminded us to respect the law – that the laws were there for our own protection. There was just no way that she was guilty. But nobody cared. She couldn't afford an attorney, and the public defender basically ignored her case. This area…the legal system does almost nothing to protect it. So I became an attorney for these guys if they ever find themselves in a similar situation." Apollo took a sip of his beer. "So when I get a request from someone like that, who deserves to be handled by the law, I get annoyed."
Klavier sighed as Apollo finished, then took a swig of his beer.
"Justice…you don't need to stay here…I mean, Herr Wright lives better than you do, and his house is a fire trap."
"Heh…most of my junk is in there. They offered me a space to live over there, but I couldn't leave my home. I grew up here. It's where I belong. It's probably like Germany is to you…"
"Nein," Klavier replied quickly. "Germany doesn't hold many fond memories for me…"
"Really? Mr. Gavin, I thought…"
"My parents were never home. I mean, they had a second house in America, and they would stay there, leaving me and mein bruder alone. Kristoph…he…I was always a burden to him – some unnecessary responsibility that hindered his dreams. Did you know he wanted to be a soccer player?"
"Wh…what?"
"He was quite good, too. He was successful at anything he attempted. But he was stuck with me, so he followed the practical plan my father gave him – go to law school, become a defense attorney. Sometimes, I think if he could follow his dream, like I did, he wouldn't have turned out…the way he did."
Apollo looked at the floor. Klavier was clearly getting emotional, but then he started laughing.
"Justice…you and I…we're nuts."
"Wh…what did I do?"
"Nein…I mean…you lived in an orphanage. You grew up there, and you're holding on to your childhood with fondness. I had every advantage, and yet, I hated it."
"Hated what?"
"I hated everything being handed to me on a platter. That's why I took up music. It was something I had to work for."
"I can appreciate that."
"And the beautiful women didn't hurt either…"
"I can appreciate that too."
Klavier chuckled, watching Apollo blush a little. Apollo then turned to the prosecutor with a more serious tone.
"Klavier…are you okay?"
"Eh?" Klavier made an indistinct noise. "Of course I am."
"I mean…I never got the chance to ask you. First Kristoph…then Daryan...are you sure you're okay?"
Klavier pondered a moment before replying quietly.
"Obviously, it's been pretty rough, Forehead. But I needed to know the truth. That's who I am. As long as I know that…to quote a certain red-faced attorney…I'm FINE!"
Apollo made a face.
"Hey! It's not that bad!"
"Justice…it's that bad."
Apollo tried to protest, but he couldn't help but chuckle. The two men smiled at each other as they finished their beverages. Klavier looked at his bottle and laughed.
"You don't skimp on the beer, eh Forehead?" Klavier asked, laughing. "This stuff's better than what I drink."
"Well, when you don't spend money on other things, like a motorcycle or 20 guitars…" Apollo began.
"Or air conditioning…" Klavier mumbled.
"Hey, who needs air conditioning when you've got good beer?"
"Ja…you're right about that, Forehead."
Hope you enjoyed it. It feels so weird to be writing Apollo without Kristoph. Anyways, if you haven't read Yes, Sir yet, you can read it knowing that it's finished. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed! Reviews make me smile!
