Chapter One
Disclaimer: I neither own, nor am I in any way affiliated with the Ace Attorney series. If I were, this'd probably be an actual game, but alas, this medium will have to do.
Special thanks to thelegendofamy, who was kind enough to Beta this dreck, making it that much better.
August 3rd, 9:02 P.M.
The Perfect Sixth
"I did it… I really did it."
Phoenix was still in awe. Ever since he had departed the courtroom, he had been smiling almost nonstop. Even dealing with Larry's usual histrionics didn't serve to irritate him (not much, anyway).
"How does it feel to taste success so early?"
Phoenix, having been momentarily lost in his own thoughts, looked up to see Mia also smiling, albeit a touch more playfully than he was. The dim light of the bar they were in added a yellowish tint to her otherwise peachy skin tone.
Phoenix lifted his drink - a lemon-lime soda - and took a drink before replying, "I'm still trying to process it. I'm still kinda shocked everything went as well as it did."
Mia quirked a brow, and her lips moved to make an 'O' shape. "Why do you say that?"
Phoenix responded with a shrug, "I'm aware of my tendency to act like a spaz?"
Mia didn't respond to that, as much as she could and likely should have.
"Not to mention Larry. Remember the scene he caused?" Phoenix asked. At Mia's nod, which was compounded by a look of exasperation, he continued, "That happens all the time. I didn't think he'd change, even for a judge, and I was totally right."
Mia's expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "Doesn't that make winning the case even more impressive?"
He looked down, a layer of pink dusting his cheeks. Still looking at the table they were seated at, he responded, in a bashful tone, "It's nothing. Even if I didn't know Lary, any lawyer worth anything could have pulled out a win based on the evidence." Phoenix brought his eyes back up to Mia's level, running a hand through his spiky hair and laughing awkwardly.
"Even if that's the case, " she said, taking a sip of her own beverage. "You're the one who pulled it off. That's worth praise in every scenario."
Phoenix wanted to respond, but one look at Mia's face told him that further insolence would not be tolerated. Or, less dramatically, she wouldn't hear any more of his self deprecation. They settled into an amicable silence after that, each sipping their drink intermittently while smooth jazz permeated the air and their ears. He surveyed the room they were in, finding it to be fairly distinguished, though not by any means high class. Mahogany brown walls, maroon vinyl booths, and a well stocked bar with various beverage of many origins. As many suited waitstaff walked briskly from table to booth to table, Mia set her drink down and renewed the conversation.
"I really mean that," she said, fixing him with a serious, sincere look, practically piercing his soul. "Regardless of everything, you did it. What's more, you did it without breaking under the pressure; with a cool head and a smile. Even when it seemed hopeless, you didn't stop searching for the truth. That's everything a lawyer is supposed to do, Phoenix."
Phoenix blinked, his eyes widening directly afterward. "I... " He swallowed and cleared his throat, which had become somewhat choked up. "Thank you, Chief. That really means a lot coming from you."
She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm just saying the same things any defense attorney would say. Well, ones who know what the hell they're doing, that is. And Phoenix," she said, bringing her hand atop his, calling his attention to herself, "No need to call me 'Chief'. We're off the clock, so 'Mia' will do just fine."
"Alright, Mia," he replied, her name a tad foreign on his tongue, at least in her presence. "Huh, that feels new…"
She laughed at that. "It is, isn't it? I forgot how little time we've spent together outside of work. Though, since you got your badge, and won your first case, I think calling me 'Chief' has kind of lost any real requirement."
He offered his own laugh. "You're probably right, like always."
"Oh?" Mia adopted a teasing smirk to paint her face with, eyes sparkling with mischief. "'Always'? Trying to butter me up, Nick?"
"N-no, I-I..." Phoenix stammered for a brief moment before realizing the humorous intention. He narrowed his eyes slightly upon said realization, and promptly responded, "Nope. Just pointing out a pretty common occurrence." He punctuated that sentence with a cheeky grin.
Mia's eyes fluttered closed as she giggled at that astounding display of wit (charitably speaking, anyways). Another sip of his soda preceded Phoenix's next question.
"'Nick', huh?'
She shrugged. "I heard H-, no, Larry call you that. I wanted to try it out," she said, simply.
"Thoughts?"
A grin split her face. "I like it. I might even use it on the clock."
"Larry Butz: rather skilled craftsman, and a not too shabby nicknamer."
"Hear, hear!" She raised her glass, earning her an odd look from a few patrons scattered throughout the establishment. Phoenix just smiled a touch, and kept any thoughts he had to himself.
The conversation continued in a similar vein - each engaging in amusing small talk - for roughly another hour before the time became an issue.
"Wow," remarked Mia, looking down at her watch. "The time really got away from me; it's after ten!"
Phoenix groaned at what that entailed. "I am not gonna sleep much at all now."
They finished their drinks swiftly after that, departing and spilling out into the brightly lit streets of Los Angeles. Seeing as they were miles away from the Law Offices of Fey & Co., Mia attempted to hail a taxi, though she was far from the only person with the idea, and thus their time spent waiting was extended. They spent said time in companionable silence, with Phoenix staying back on the curb, scratching his head and looking around at nothing in particular, and Mia staking the streets for any sign of yellow.
'I've finally made it,' Phoenix thought, staring at the passing vehicles, his mind full of tranquil elation. 'I guess I know what it means to achieve a dream now. But…' His countenance shifted from content and joyful to contemplative and determined. 'But I have more things to accomplish. This is just the first step. Now, I need to keep going for miles.'
"Nick, come on!"
The sound of Mia's voice pulled him from his reverie, and he looked over in the direction it emanated from. Mia was beckoning him with a hand as she held the door of a yellow taxi open. He hastened to join her, sliding inside directly after Mia, and then they were off.
August 3rd, 10:58
Outside Fey & Co. Law Offices
"I could have paid him, you know."
"Please," she replied, rolling her eyes as the cabbie drove away, money in hand. "Consider this my reward for pulling a win out of that mess."
'And here I was hoping for a promotion or something…'
"Thanks, Mia; my wallet appreciates the sentiment," he said, a crooked smile appearing on his face.
"Don't mention it." She briefly turned towards the door to the offices before turning back towards the blue-suited attorney. "Are you sure you can make it back home safely?"
"Don't I always?" he replied, half-sarcastic and half-serious.
She shrugged before responding. "Yes, but it's really late, it's a big city where all kinds of terrible things can happen…" she trailed off, her point becoming clear.
"I think you might be being a little paranoid."
"Hey, we see what happens to unfortunate people all the time doing this job," Mia pointed out. "I don't wanna be called in to defend someone accused of killing you is all."
"Trust me; I'll be fine. I only live a couple of blocks away, remember?"
Mia's expression became one of concession. "Fair enough. I suppose that by my logic, I'm in just as much danger."
Phoenix quirked a brow. "Don't you literally live right around the corner?"
"Yeah, but any creep who wanted to could still get me."
"Well, I'm here. Hopefully that would turn said creeps away."
By all standards, Mia could have delivered a masterful zinger after that brilliant setup. She was certainly sharp enough, but thankfully for Phoenix's ego, she let it be.
"In any case, make sure to get home safe," Mia said after a silent spell. "I wouldn't want to lose my protege before he even hits his prime."
"I will; I'm not much use to you dead, right?"
She nodded readily, while letting out a laugh at the apparently successful attempt at humor. As she turned away from him and began to enter the offices, Phoenix decided to get one final thing off of his chest.
"Hey, Mia," he said, causing her to look back in his direction with a quizzical expression. "Just… I..." His mind almost shut down at the thoughts that now circulated throughout it. Thoughts that he had attempted to bury for a long, long time.
"Phoenix?"
The man in question blinked rapidly, the brief haze he had entered dissipating just as quickly as it had formed. He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, letting it settle against the back of his head and plastered on a wide, tooth-baring grin of questionable sincerity before responding.
"Oh, i-it's nothing."
"Really?"
He managed to regain his composure, and spoke calmly and evenly. "Yeah, really."
"Well, goodnight then, Phoenix. See you tomorrow."
"Likewise."
Phoenix then turned and began walking back to his rather small apartment, placing his hands in his pockets as he did so. He heard Mia close the door shortly thereafter.
'I guess I'm in the big leagues now. All thanks to Mia…' He stopped and stood still at that thought, and drew a deep breath before releasing it slowly. 'I really owe her a lot. I still don't know why she even took me on after all the grief I caused her.' His legs moved almost of their own accord, as he was still lost in the expansive world of his thoughts. 'I mean, she kind of said why, but I still don't exactly understand it.'
He came to his building around the time that thought entered his mind, opened the door, and climbed the three flights of stairs that led to his abode without any further dwelling on the matter. After taking his suit and tie off, though, the train of thought passed by the forefront of his mind once again.
'Even then, I guess I should be happy she gave me a shot at all. Especially with how nervous I was...'
March 23rd, 11:23 A.M.
Outside Fey & Co. Law Offices
(One Year Earlier)
'Here it is,' Phoenix thought, sweating a little at the prospects of actually going inside.
In truth, the Law Offices of Fey & Co. were established in a rather nondescript building. One story, grey bricks… Really, buildings like that were a dime per dozen in Los Angeles. The bright, warming sunshine and clear blue skies were also conforming to the status quo for the city.
And yet, Phoenix was practically shaking with anxiety.
'C'mon, get it together. Just walk in, and ask if you can have a job. The worst she can do is say 'no'.'
He walked towards the entryway, attempting to slow his racing heart as all the numerous insecure questions he had thought of sprang forth relentlessly. Why would she bother giving him a chance after the grief he had caused her? What had he done to deserve it? Even if she entertained the idea at all, what were the odds that she'd give him any kind of a shot?
All of these and more came like tidal waves, attempting to turn him around. Phoenix reached the door in spite of these mental obstacles, and paused for a moment as he clutched the handle. Inhaling and then exhaling in a last attempt to calm himself before the moment of truth, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.
She clearly hadn't been here long, if the boxes strewn about the floor were any clear indication. At both a glance and upon further inspection, Phoenix saw that the color scheme of the office was very sterile and clinical in appearance. Cold, mechanical looking greys and eggshell whites dominated everything, and even with the sunlight gleaming off of them, there was almost no warmth to be found. The only spot of color that didn't resemble a hospital or inhumane science lab was a potted plant whose species Phoenix couldn't identify.
'Looks like I was wrong. This is foreboding. I feel like I'm gonna be strapped to a gurney and have some scary people put me to sleep and experiment on me…' A brief shudder served as his response to that visualization. 'Anyway, where is she? I don't see her anywh- Oh!'
His internal exclamation was delivered not in response to the lawyer in question appearing, but rather the bell situated on the front desk. Approaching it, Phoenix noted the mostly barren bookshelf behind it (though, the boxes behind it were partially open, revealing stacks of monstrously thick legal tomes) and then rang the bell.
The sound of a crash ensuing could only be a good sign.
"Sorry! I'm coming!" This time, a thudding resounded throughout the building. It boded well.
A door opened from somewhere in the back, and Mia came out from a corner that was directly adjacent to the desk. She'd foregone the suit Phoenix last saw her in, and was wearing an ensemble more appropriate for lifting boxes and organizing the contents within, that being a nondescript blue T-shirt and and some worn, comfortable looking jeans. She also had her hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Sorry again; it's still a bit of a mess here. How can I help you, Mr…" She had been looking slightly downward as she proceeded towards him, and raising her eyes to meet his face, her face showed mild surprise. "Mr. Wright?"
"Uh-huh," he replied dumbly, keeping his eyes from peering directly into hers.
"It's been awhile…" she stated after an awkward moment's silence. "What brings you here? And, how did you even know to come here, by the way?"
"I… Uh… I stopped by Mr. Grossberg's offices, asking to see you, and somebody there - I think his name was Adam - mentioned that you'd left the firm and started one of your own, and gave me this address."
"I'm not exactly taking cases at present, so I hope that's not why you're here," she said, gesturing to the unorganized mess that the office currently was.
Phoenix tried to diffuse the tension. "I've been a good boy this time; that won't be necessary." He failed. Miserably.
When Mia didn't respond for a prolonged period of time, he tried to get to the heart of his reason for coming here. "But, uh… Do you remember what I said after the the…" He gulped as the memories came flooding back over his shoddily erected dam. "The trial?"
Her face scrunched in remembrance before lighting up as the answer hit her. "You were studying to become a lawyer, right?"
He nodded in response, still a tad tongue-tied. "And, well, I got my degree."
Her face, which had been neutral throughout the conversation, broke out into a small, kind smile. "That's excellent. How does it feel?"
He grimaced. "My head hurts." At her bamboozled expression, he attempted to clarify. "I was majoring in Art and minoring in Law, but during my Junior year, I kinda… Almost dropped Law entirely. This past year, I've really had to buckle down on my studies, and I managed to get everything done in two semesters. I'm a bit burnt out right now is all."
She took that in with a knowing, almost empathetic look. "So, does that mean you're asking me for a job?"
Mia was as sharp as he remembered her being. "Well, yes, but there's something else." He directed his gaze to the floor, feeling the same thing he'd felt all that time ago. "I remember that after the trial, I was too caught up in my own grief to say anything about how difficult I was."
He looked back up, directly into Mia's eyes for the first time since they had begun talking. "I'm so, so sorry for doing that. D- she nearly got away, and it would have been all my fault."
Mia didn't try to interject, apparently aware that he needed to get this off his chest.
"I was a fool. I could have died from swallowing the necklace, I accidentally kept her out of prison, I made your job incredibly hard…" He trailed off, feeling the telltale stinging of tears that were about to form. Thinking about Dahlia in any capacity tended to result in that eventually. "I…" He paused and took a deep breath, pinching his brow and discreetly wiping his eyes. "I'd like to make it up to you as best I can," he said, righting his posture and standing tall. His stomach kept fluttering relentlessly.
'Here comes the moment of truth.'
Mia, still as silent as she had been during his spiel, cupped her chin with her right hand's thumb and index finger, and placed her left hand underneath her right arm's elbow. Phoenix kept quiet, allowing her time to contemplate.
After a spell, she came out with a question. "You graduated recently, correct?" At his slightly inquisitive nod, she continued. "When are you planning to take the Bar exam?"
"Ah, that… Remember how I said I managed to catch up after a lot of slacking?" At her nod, he kept going. "The only way I pulled that off was through a lot of cramming. I'm not saying I didn't retain anything, but I don't feel confident enough to take it right now. I'm gonna hit the books once my head clears, though."
"Then, what exactly are you asking me for here?"
"Anything you can think of, I guess."
Her inflection turned knowing. "I think you want me to tutor you."
Phoenix blinked, gobsmacked at how easily she had seen through his request. "I… Yeah, but I don't feel like I have the right to ask you for that."
She exhaled heavily, seemingly due to consternation. "Look, as much as I appreciate the apology - and it's fine, by the way - if you want my help, ask me directly. To be frank, I don't want to waste my time on somebody who can't be upfront and decisive."
Phoenix faltered under her suddenly stern expression. He stood for a moment, bucking up and mustering every bit of courage and fearlessness he had within him before following through.
He inhaled, and then spoke. "Ms. Fey, would you please help me pass the Bar exam? I'd be forever in your debt - again - if you did."
Tugging at his collar, which suddenly felt very constricting, he saw Mia adopt an approving look.
"Yes, I will." As Phoenix sighed in relief, she hastily added, "But I'll have none of that 'Ms. Fey' stuff, you hear me? I'm not even thirty yet!"
"Oh, alright. So…" He stretched his arms above his head in an attempt to appear more casual. He might have been overcompensating. Just a smidge. "What do you want me to do in the meantime?"
She gestured to the many units of storage strewn about the room. "I think that should be clear enough. Come back here and I'll let you know where I want everything to go." Mia turned around and walked back from whence she came, this time with Phoenix following close behind.
"Righty-O, Chief," he said with a grin.
The 'Chief' in question stopped and turned her head back to face him. "'Chief…' Now that, I like."
September 5th, 1:43 P.M.
Fey & Co. Law Offices
"Yep. I'll be waiting, Maya."
Phoenix heard the click of Mia hanging up the office phone as he entered the building, coffees in hand.
"Who was that?" he inquired.
"Oh," she said, just now noticing him (she was seated at the de facto reception desk) "That was my sister. She's coming over tonight to catch up over dinner."
"Really?" He handed her her caffeinated beverage, earning him a 'thanks'. "Gonna take her out to a high-class gourmet restaurant with dim lighting and classical music in the background?"
Mia snorted. "Hardly. She has a craving for burgers, so we're hitting up this joint we both love."
Phoenix simply moved over to his desk at the rear of the room, but halfway there, Mia spoke once more.
"Say, Nick," she said, using the name she had seemingly fallen in love with over the past month. "Wanna join us?"
He blinked in confusion. "Isn't this a bit of a reunion? I wouldn't want to impose…"
Mia rolled her eyes. "You're not imposing; I'm inviting you. And besides, we have that pretrial meeting, remember?" His exaggerated groan at the prospect made her laugh out loud before continuing. "I'm gonna be beat after that, and Maya is a bundle of energy the likes of which you've never seen. I could use some help keeping up with her."
"What a compelling case you've made," he stated dryly, causing her to almost drop the coffee she'd been raising to her lips due to her snorting. "I don't think I can find anything contradictory to point out." He punctuated the sentence with a smile.
"That, and I think you two will like each other."
He took a drink, relishing the sugary, creamy, caffeinated concoction before replying. "Alright, I'll tag along. That burger joint sells more than just burgers, right?" he asked, hopefully.
""You'll be able to get your sacred chicken sandwich, don't worry," she said with joking admonishment. "Now, let's get work out of the way. I don't want us to fall behind on all this paperwork again."
"Okey dokey, Chief."
She glanced up at him, amusement dancing in her eyes, but she looked back down just as quickly and smiled, shaking her head and starting on her paperwork.
"Oh, and Phoenix?" she said, capturing his attention yet again. "Try not to be late. Last time I was waiting for ten minutes."
"Sorry about that," he responded bashfully. "I'll be on time, I promise. What time should I be here?"
Mia stuck her pen in her mouth as she deliberated internally. "Let's say nine o'clock."
"I'll even be early."
September 5th, 8:57 P.M.
Fey & Co. Law Offices
'Ha! Here with three minutes to spare. How do you like me now?'
Phoenix, still gloating about conquering the god of punctuality's attempts to impede his arrival, didn't immediately register the crash he heard from Mia's office. After a moment, the sound of glass shattering decisively pulled him into the situation.
Worried, he called her name. "Mia?"
He heard a muttered curse, and then more crashing and banging. One sound, though, kickstarted his heart with fear.
"PHOENIX!"
Phoenix scrambled for the door, nearly tearing it off its hinges when he reached it. He heard even more glass shatter, the sound of something hitting the carpeted floor, and the sound of someone's feet slapping against the pavement as they were running away. None of that mattered, though.
Mia was slumped against the wall, underneath the office's window. Bleeding from the head. Unmoving.
He hastened over to her, hoping beyond hope that she was still alive. Dropping to his knees once he reached her, he reached for her hand with his own, shaking one.
'Pleasedon'tbedeadpleasedon'tbedeadpleasedon'tbedeadpleasedon'tbedead…'
Her hand was still warm, and her skin was soft and smooth, but he couldn't focus on that. He pulled her sleeve up and clutched her wrist.
'Is that a… P-pulse? It is! It's weak, but it's there.'
Phoenix wasn't ready to succumb to relief, though. A pulse meant she wasn't gone, but it could very well be too late. Relinquishing her arm, he then placed his fist underneath her chin, lifting her face up to unobstruct her airway.
'She's breathing,' he noted, judging by her nostrils flaring and her chest softly rising and falling. He backed away from her, momentarily overcome by relief, but he realized that she needed medical attention. Before he could fish his cell phone out from his pants pocket, he heard a scream.
"SISSSSS!"
A blur of pastel pinks and purples flew by him as if he weren't even there. In an instant she was at Mia's side, tears streaming down her face. There was a hint of resemblance between them, further exemplified by their faces literally being right beside each other.
"S-sis." she sniffled out. The mystery girl - apparently Mia's sister - clutched Mia's left-hand lapel and gently shook her.
"R-red… White… Bl-blue…"
Mia's words had different effects on the two who heard them. Phoenix was further relieved, though he was also confused at what the hell her words could possibly mean. The girl, meanwhile, looked utterly gobsmacked at them, and then, apparently noticing him for the first time, stared directly at Phoenix like a doe in the headlights before fainting.
The plans for dinner had been interrupted by a complete turnabout.
A/N: Yes, yes I'm evil. Making you all wait until I put up the next chapter... I should be ashamed of myself.
Anyway, as the summary states, this is a rewrite of the first game. To be a bit more in-depth with that, I'm going to be changing many things, such as a lot of the circumstances of the cases (time, location, murder weapon, etc.) as well as some of the evidence. Of course, the same culprit will be caught in the end, and the victim won't change, but otherwise, unless it's absolutely vital to the case that a certain piece of evidence is revealed, assume that the majority will be reworked. Throwing Mia into the bunch will also shake things up, so expect her to play a larger role in the story. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Otherwise, more will become clear in the upcoming chapters.
Read, review, and I'll see ya next time.
-TheNotSoTalentedPoet