AN: First Ace Attorney story! I'm really excited about it. I tried to make the characters sound like themselves, but there is probably a bit of OOC-ness. My timeline may also be a bit wonky with where these characters would've been at in 2024.

Naomi Akiyama has a some elements of L, Near, and Mello from Death Note, Sherlock Holmes, and a little Nancy Drew (I kind of love detectives haha).

Please read and review! Happy reading! :)

Date: ? Time: ?
Location: ?

"I can pay you a lofty fee," a woman's voice said over the phone. Her voice was low and frantic, with a sense of urgency. Justice Jenkins was well aware that she had reached the point of no return. There was no turning back from this, but she didn't care.

She awaited a response from the other end of the line. Beads of sweat started to form on her head, and Justice was suddenly paranoid that someone would barge into her tiny studio apartment. Better yet, that it was being bugged and someone would hear her every word and bust her on the spot. She was half-inclined to repeat her statement, but she tried her best to quell her impatience.

Finally, she heard a soft crackling on the other end. "Name your request." The voice was mechanical and obviously distorted. She had expected as much. After all, Shelly de Killer had to be careful to cover up his tracks. de Killer was an assassin that had been around for about 100 years. Justice wasn't sure who succeeded each one or how they were chosen, but she didn't care.

For the past seven years, Justice was dedicated to catching and imprisoning people like de Killer. In another world, she would be chasing his whereabouts, not requesting his services. But times change. People change.

"Her name is Franziska von Karma," Justice said, referring to the prized prosecuting prodigy. Franziska had made quite a name for herself in Germany, America, and even with Interpol. She was a force to be reckoned with, and a true challenger in the courtroom. Justice even had the pleasure of working with her a few times. Yet the name now left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Justice sat at her desk, with a dim lamp on, and stared at the newspaper in her hand. Prosecutor Franziska von Karma Receives Prestigious King of Prosecutors Award was the headline. Just looking at it brought more feelings of rage inside of her. There was Franziska, with a fierce stare into the camera, as though she couldn't be bothered with silly awards and couldn't be bothered to smile at them either. Just below it was a different article:Serial Murderer Jefferson Jenkins Found Dead in Prison Cell. It was much smaller; just a small sliver of space in the newspaper. Her father's mug shot was the photo they used. An prison riot had led to one of the other inmates to murder her father while he was serving a life sentence. A life sentence that he didn't deserve. A life sentence handed down to him by Franziska von Karma. Justice didn't care what anyone said or what the evidence supposedly proved, she knew her father would never, ever do such horrible things. It was all Franziska's fault.

Someone had to pay.

"She is a prosecutor, currently working in Los Angeles," Justice continued. "I want you to kill her."

"That can be arranged."

Justice had to stop herself from jumping up with joy. This would be easier than she thought.

"You will have to destroy this phone within a few minutes of the end of our conversation," de Killer added. Right, of course, she thought. That's why she'd bought a burner phone about a month before she had made this call.

"I know," Justice said. "So you'll do it?"

"…I can."

Was it too tacky to say thank you? Justice wasn't sure. But she felt like things were finally started to look up. Franziska was going to die. What a present. And it wasn't even Justice's birthday! Justice didn't care the cost. Franziska was the reason her father was dead. She hadn't killed him with her own hands, but she had practically put the noose around his neck. And know she would know how it felt.

Except… Justice suddenly felt a brief moment of panic. "Franziska has worked closely with Naomi Akiyama. No doubt she'll investigate the murder. She's one of the best detectives in the world. Make sure you cover up your tracks," Justice couldn't help but say.

Of course, it would never be that easy. Justice hadn't even thought of Naomi. An esteemed detective at 23, Naomi Akiyama transferred over from an agency in London two years ago, and she was nothing short of a genius. She graduated college at 16 and became a detective shortly after.

"…" Silence on the other end from de Killer. Had she made him nervous with this new information? Surely he'd heard of her. Naomi had been making quite a name for herself. I'm surprised she hadn't been taken out already by a hit someone else may have put on her. "I do not need your warnings."

"O-Oh…Right. I-I'm sorry," Justice stuttered out. "I just wanted to make sure you were aware."

"Oh, I'm aware." There was something sinister in de Killer's voice; the tone came through even with the distortion. "It will be handled."

Date: April 24, 2024 Time: 3:36 AM
Location: Edgeworth's Bedroom

As soon as Miles Edgeworth heard the first loud ring of his phone, he groaned. For a moment, he thought it was morning, but the lack of sunlight shining through his curtains told him otherwise. He had already been up late reading some old case files and was looking forward to some much needed sleep. Such was the life of a prosecutor.

He briefly thought of the situation with Wright at the Hazakura Temple all those years ago. But what were the chances that Phoenix Wright would take another nasty spill and Larry Butz would call him in need of his services yet again?

…Actually, he didn't like those odds.

Then again, he hadn't heard anything from Wright since his disbarment five years ago. The entire situation seemed a bit suspicious, but Wright had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth since then. He had heard an odd rumor about him having become a pianist at a restaurant, but even Edgeworth knew that to be ridiculous. Phoenix Wright, piano player? The thought had almost made him laugh when he first heard it.

Still, he rolled over and picked up his phone, squinting his eyes at the brightness of the screen, and answered, placing the phone to his ear.

"Edgeworth speaking."

"…Mr. Edgeworth! You gotta get down to the hospital, quick, pal!" Detective Dick Gumshoe said on the other end. He and Gumshoe had worked together for a number of years. He had come to respect Gumshoe's grit and ability to make through all of his many, many salary cuts.

His urgent voice caused Edgeworth to sit up in bed almost immediately. Was it Kay? Wright? Even Larry? "Gumshoe? What is it?"

"It's…It's Ms. von Karma! She's been stabbed!"

Edgeworth thought he'd been sucker-punched, but, that wasn't possible. Yet the wind felt like it'd been knocked out of him anyway. Franziska von Karma, the woman who became his adoptive sister when he was taken in by her father when Edgeworth's father was murdered when he was nine. They grew up together and had taken the same path towards prosecution, a road molded after Manfred von Karma.

"Wh-What?" Edgeworth managed to say. He didn't realize his hands were shaking until he almost dropped his phone onto the bed.

"We're at the crime scene now, at People Park. Ms. von Karma's been taken to the hospital. It's not looking good, pal," Gumshoe said solemnly.

Edgeworth managed to say something about being there as soon as possible, then hung up the phone and stumbled through the darkness to change into proper clothes. His thoughts were swirling all over the place. Who would stab her? Surely she had her enemies, but who would be foolish enough to go after a prosecutor?

He told himself that Franziska would be okay. She was tougher than almost anyone. It's not looking good, pal… Gumshoe's words echoed in his mind like a loudspeaker. He couldn't lose her. He thought back to when she had been shot in the shoulder. Even then, despite the fact that she was still up and moving, he was concerned during the entire day. It was a wonder he had even made it through that trial.

He rushed to the hospital as fast as he could, but nobody would tell him anything. "I'm family!" he would exclaim, both frustrated and terrified. Finally, a doctor emerged and told him that she lost a lot of blood and hadn't woken up yet. But, she was in stable condition.

When he was able to see her in her hospital room, that's when he felt himself almost completely unravel. There, in the bed, she didn't look like the unrelenting, determined woman that he'd known since she was two years old. The whip that he was so accustomed to seeing in her hand was nowhere to be found. He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. He could see her steady breathing. She looked so…vulnerable.

"Franziska…" he whispered.

He half-expected her to open her eyes at that, even though the doctor had expressly told him that he wasn't sure when she would wake up. Franziska never fully forgave Edgeworth for leaving her behind when they were kids, even though he hadn't even realized he'd done such a thing. The last conversation they'd had was about that very topic.

But now…he didn't know what he'd do if he'd lost her. Franziska von Karma, who knew and understood him better than anyone at this point. They'd grown up in the same environment, the same pressures to be perfect, and had each realized that there was more to being a prosecutor than perfection. They'd each learned how to break free of Manfred von Karma's shadow.

"You're not allowed to leave me behind just yet," he breathed softly. His eyes traveled to the heart monitor every so often, afraid that at any given moment something would go wrong. "That would be horrible payback."

"What are you doing worrying about me, you foolish fool? Go and find the person who did this!"He could practically hear her say it. Edgeworth knew that's what she'd say to him if she could. She'd crack her whip in her hands and look at him with those beautiful, icy gray eyes.

Edgeworth nodded, although she hadn't really spoken. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. He knew he would've been whipped for sure if she'd been awake for that. "I'll find the person who did this to you," he declared. "And I will have him tried and found guilty in court."

Date: April 24, 2024 Time: 4:57 AM
Location: People Park

Naomi Akiyama had a process of working. Namely, don't get in her way. Which is why, when she arrived to her latest crime scene, she was surprised to see a certain black-haired, magenta-wearing prosecutor barking out orders to her police force.

Okay, she wasn't in charge of the police force per se, but they would be close to helpless without her.

Naomi knew she was somewhat late to getting there. But, in her defense, she was a heavy sleeper. Actually, she was awake, but watching reruns of the Pink Princess on TV. Just a guilty pleasure of hers. And when she'd decided to check her phone, she found more than a few calls from Detective Gumshoe. So she slowly got herself ready and made herself a cup of coffee before heading over to the crime scene in jeans and a hoodie.

Of course, she listened to the messages. Prosecutor Franziska von Karma had been stabbed almost fatally. She'd worked with von Karma on a few cases. She was one of the few that Naomi actually liked. Naomi hadn't worked in Los Angeles for long, having come from the United Kingdom, but she found the people far less entertaining in L.A.

She walked to the entrance of the park with a thermos full of coffee in her hands. Naomi had heard about Miles Edgeworth. She'd even spoken to him once or twice. And she was fully aware of the special place in his heart that Franziska held, and vice versa.

"There must be some clue he left behind, Detective!" She could hear Edgeworth say. Detective Gumshoe looked apologetic. He said something, but she was too far away to hear.

Other officers were huddled together, while some were busy looking around the park. Naomi sighed. This was going to be a long day. There was police tape wrapped around the entrance to the park, and some blood on the freshly cut green grass where Franziska supposedly fell when she was stabbed. One officer was carrying a bag with a whip inside of it.

"Mr. Edgeworth," Naomi said, coming to a stop in front of the two of them. "Good morning."

"Morning, Miss Akiyama." His eyes were tired and frazzled. Not a good combination.

"What brings you out here? It's still early, we can do the investigating and you can come back in the morning," Naomi said, knowing full well that he had come straight from the hospital.

"No, I need to be here," Edgeworth said, shaking his head.

"Hmm…" Naomi pursed her lips. He was going to be a problem, she just knew it. "How is Franziska?"

His eyes went dark. "Stable. For now."

Naomi nodded, then turned her attention to Gumshoe. "So, what've we got?"

"Ms. von Karma was stabbed in the lower back on her way home from the Prosecutor's Office. She must've cut through the park here. A bystander called it in about an hour ago. We thought it was a standard mugging. She didn't have her purse on her when the ambulance arrived," Gumshoe said.

"But it's not a mugging?" Naomi asked.

Gumshoe shook his head and held up an evidence bag. Inside it: a single card. On the card: a pink shell.

Naomi's eyes widened and she snatched it from Gumshoe's hands. So it would be an interesting day, after all."Is this…?" She tried not to smile…it wasn't the right time for that, and they would surely look at her like she was insane.

"de Killer's card," Edgeworth said. "Precisely."

Everyone on the force knew about de Killer: the assassin that'd been around for over 100 years. And now…Naomi would get to catch him. She had no unsolved cases in all the years that she'd been a detective, and that record certainly wouldn't stop now.

"You'll look for prints on this?" Edgeworth said. Naomi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Surely de Killer wouldn't be so clueless as to forget to wipe off any prints.

"Criminals have done more foolish things and made more foolish mistakes, Miss Akiyama," Edgeworth said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Did I say that out loud? Naomi thought. Judging by the disapproving look he was giving her, she had done just that. Naomi just shrugged. "I'm just saying. Of course we should still check, but we shouldn't put our focus on that."

"I am not implying we make this our focus, Detective," Edgeworth countered. "Just that we make sure we cover all of our grounds."

Gumshoe looked between the both of them with a worried expression on his face. Naomi definitely didn't play well with others, and that was showing.

She huffed and twisted the card around in her hands. "So, someone hired de Killer to off Franziska," Naomi started. "Now who would want a bold prosecutor with a strong record of convicting criminals dead?" She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Detective, this is not a joke," Edgeworth said.

She pursed her lips again. "Just trying to lighten the mood a bit," Naomi said cheekily. "Is there protective detail on Franziska? Chances are our de Killer will try to finish the job once he realizes that he's failed."

"Yes, I personally waited until they arrived before leaving the hospital. I know all of their faces and names, and none of them could be de Killer," Edgeworth said.

Odd, Naomi thought. It's not like de Killer to botch a hit."Where's the person who called it in?"

"Another officer is talking to her now. She's pretty shaken up," Gumshoe said. He gestured over to where a petite woman with curly black hair was holding herself as another officer held up a notepad and chatted with her. Beside her was a tall, brunette man that had his arm around her. "She was walking home with her boyfriend after a birthday celebration when they saw her in the park."

"Yeesh. Talk about a way to end a birthday," Naomi said. She squinted a bit to get a better look at the officer. "Ugh, no, why is Jenkins interviewing the witnesses?" Naomi didn't work with her often, and with good reason. She wasn't fond of Justice Jenkins. She'd had a little breakdown after her father was sentenced to prison for serial murder. It was right after Naomi had joined; so she wasn't present on the case, but she'd arrived just in time for the meltdown. Justice took a leave of absence after that, but she'd been back for about six months now and assured everyone that she was fine, which Naomi didn't believe for a second. And she certainly didn't want to work with incompetent officers.

"I thought the Chief put her on paperwork duty," Naomi groaned.

"Yes, is it really wise for her to be conducting the interviews?" Edgeworth agreed warily.

"Well, she's really improved and shown herself as capable, pal," Gumshoe offered.

"She's probably drawing unicorns and stick figures of her and her father on that pad, not taking notes," Naomi said harshly. Justice had always been a bit of a space-case. And when she sprang her adamant refusal to believe that her father was guilty, even though he admitted to it and was found as such beyond all reasonable doubt, Naomi was completely and utterly done with Justice Jenkins. "I'lltalk to them afterwards. Don't let them leave."

"No, I'll do it. You investigate, Detective," Edgeworth said.

"That's quite, alright, Mr. Edgeworth. Why don't you get some sleep?" Naomi said. And now he was encroaching on her territory? He was not going to go into this with an unbiased mind - well, most of the officers weren't, but he was too close to the victim for Naomi to want to have him as part of the investigation.

"I will be the prosecutor for this case, it's only fitting that I take part in the investigation."

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea," Naomi said.

"Why is that?"

"You're far too close to this case, Miles," Naomi said. "You should be with Franziska. Or sleeping. I am specifically going to request a different prosecutor, and I'm sure that my request will be granted due to your conflict of interest." The words came out harsher than she intended. She always did have trouble with the whole softness thing.

He folded his arms across his chest, tapping his finger against his arm. "…Very well. But I'm going to stay and help with the investigation today."

Naomi sighed. This was the best that she was going to get. "Alright." Naomi made her way over to the spot where the blood stain was. It was quite a distance from the entrance to the park. "So, she cut across the park as a shortcut?" Naomi looked at Edgeworth. "Does she do that often?"

"I…don't know," Edgeworth admitted. He felt a little upset at himself for not taking the time to figure out Franziska's habits more. And he knew that Naomi was silently scrutinizing him for his lack of information. "It certainly seems likely. It would cut the distance in half to get to her home from the Prosecutor's Office."

"Hmm," Naomi said. "de Killer must have been following her. He follows her to the park, and then bam!" She pretended to stab Edgeworth in the back with an invisible sword. He was not amused. "He stabs her. Why here though? I mean, if he was following her, of all places, why choose here?" Naomi took a sip of her coffee. "Ack, gross, I forgot to put cream in this. Blecch."

Naomi opened up the lid and tossed the remnants of the coffee onto the grass on the side. Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't speak. "What?" she said. "Did you want it?"

"…Let's get back to the investigation," was all he said. "But you do raise a valid point. Are we sure that she was walking home?"

"Yes, sir," Gumshoe butted in. "We've got footage of her leaving the office on the security cameras at the Prosecutor's Office. She was working with another officer trying to finish up some paperwork. He said she told him that she was heading home. He said she brought her purse too. That was about 2:55 AM, he said," Leave it to Franziska to stay up until 3 Am finishing up paperwork, Naomi thought.

"So if we assume that she was telling the truth and was, in fact, walking home, then she would get to this area at around 3:05. She gets stabbed. de Killer leaves. Eventually someone walks by the park…when did the witness call it in?"

"Uhh, 3:17."

"She was bleeding out for twelve minutes?" Naomi said. "Actually longer. When did you arrive on the scene?"

"About 3:30."

"Correction: she bled out for 25 minutes. Give or take a few," Naomi said. She knelt down to look at the blood. There wasn't much of it. "This is for sure where she was found?"

"Yep! That it is." Gumshoe sounded oddly proud of that fact.

She felt a presence next to her and saw Edgeworth get down to her level. "That's not a lot of blood," Edgeworth mused. "Detective, how was she found?"

"Sir?" Gumshoe said, confused.

Naomi sighed. "What did she look like when you found her?"

"Oh! Well, she was lying on her stomach. A single stab wound to the back. There was no knife found at the scene, though."

Naomi looked at Edgeworth. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion as her. Alright, guess you'll be useful after all. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Naomi said to him.

"If you're going to kill someone, why not make sure they fall on their back, where the wound was, so that the bleed out faster?" Edgeworth questioned. "This is…"

"Mediocre," Naomi interrupted. "If I were de Killer, I wouldn't have been this sloppy."

"I wasn't going to say mediocre, but…your point does stand," Edgeworth admitted.

"And, why not go for a straight kill shot?" Naomi continued. "Why not go for the jugular or a major artery?" Naomi studied the card that she'd forgotten was in her hand. "You follow someone, decide to stab them in the park, but a non-lethal stab wound. Still took her purse." Naomi could feel her disappointment growing. de Killer, why be clumsy on the case that I'm working? You're not making this fun at all.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she looked at the card. Of course. It had been too obvious. Plus it was too sloppy of a job. "Well, I'm hungry. Anybody want breakfast?" Naomi said.

"Well, I could go for some…" Gumshoe started.

"Excuse me, Detective…?" Edgeworth said, bewildered. "You can't seriously be thinking of food at a time like this?!"

"This case shouldn't take long after all," Naomi told him, holding up the bag. "This isn't de Killer's card. I'm kind of craving pancakes."

"What do you mean it's not his card?" Edgeworth took it from Naomi's hands and studied it. Slowly, he got the same expression that Naomi had just seconds ago.

"What? What is it?" Gumshoe said, his shoulders slumped.

Naomi folded her arms across her chest. "The card is close, but not exact. I've studied de Killer's cards well enough to know that this is not the same shade as his usual cards. Moreover, the shell's spiral is too long, and de Killer's shell has three parts, not four. A cheap knockoff." Naomi said dejectedly.

"Well, don't look so down," Edgeworth scolded. "This is good. This person is sloppy and careless. We will catch this copycat and bring him to justice."