I've been writing an Ace Attorney-inspired FFXIII AU for a while now, and I thought I'd finally post the first chapter in an attempt to motivate myself to continue working on it. I've always wanted to write a mystery, and I guess this is close enough!
So I originally wrote the bulk of this chapter in response to a prompt by lotuskasumi on Tumblr. She requested Hoperai, but since Ace Attorney was all I had on my mind at the time, this was born. This fic is just an experiment of sorts that I hope to finish writing eventually, and as such, I may modify the content of previous chapters every now and then...with prior notification, of course!
Please do let me know what you think - feedback of any kind is greatly appreciated, especially since this is an experimental project. Thanks in advance!
Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
The soft creak of a door amid deathly silence.
A weapon raised, poised to strike.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean-"
Blood pools around her form; the warmth begins to fade from her body.
"…help…me…"
A smile.
And then it ends.
"Mr. Estheim, I need your help."
Mr. Estheim. The last time he had been called that, he had been dozing off during a Criminal Law lecture in law school several years ago. As punishment, his professor had forced him to stay back after class and list out every type of federal offense that he could remember. It had been a frustrating experience, to say the least–
"…Mr. Estheim, are you listening to me?"
His head snapped up and he met the gaze of the woman sitting before him. Her expression was stony and her eyes were cold, but he could see traces of exasperation in her gaze.
"Sorry…could you say that again?"
She let out a sigh. "My sister has been convicted of murder, and I want you to defend her. Believe me when I tell you she's not guilty."
"I…need more information," he insisted, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible. But deep down, conflict was already brewing within his mind.
At the age of 22, Hope Estheim had already made a name for himself as a "prodigy", having earned his credentials as a defense attorney in the short span of four years. He had started out at a small private firm merely months ago, and as a result, he had not done much aside from non-essential paperwork since his arrival. He did not have a single case to his name; yet this woman had managed to locate him somehow, and was now asking for his help.
Under normal circumstances, he would have taken the opportunity in an instant. It was rare for a lawyer without prior experience to be offered the chance to defend someone in court, and a win would boost his reputation significantly. But this situation was different. Hope had never expected his first potential client to be a murderer, of all things, and he wanted to turn this case down as kindly as he could.
'It's not that I don't want to accept…it's just that I don't think I'm qualified for this kind of thing just yet…'
"The victim's name was Yeul Ballad," the woman began, and Hope directed his attention towards her, refusing to get distracted again. "She was my sister's co-worker."
He nodded, only vaguely interested since he planned to turn her down anyway. "And what is the suspect – I mean your sister's full name?"
"Serah Farron. The two of them worked at a store just a few blocks away."
Farron. Where had he heard the name before? It seemed so familiar…
Then it hit him, and he stood up with a jolt. "Farron…then you're…Detective Farron?!"
The woman's eyes widened slightly, but her expression did not change. "Yes. You've heard of me?"
'Who hasn't?!' he wanted to say, but he held back. Detective Claire Farron, known to most as "Lightning" for her ability to crack cases in record time. Her name was always in the papers when a large-scale incident was involved, and she was considered one of the best detectives on the local police force.
"I-I have," he replied, trying to prevent his voice from shaking. Finding out that a renowned investigator was sitting in front of him was more than a little intimidating, and turning down this case suddenly did not seem like an option anymore.
Just then, he frowned. "If you're a detective, shouldn't you be looking into this case yourself? Why come to me?"
"Because I quit this morning."
His jaw dropped. "W-what?!"
The woman, Ms. Farron, averted her gaze. "My superiors claimed that Serah was guilty, and our department was forced to look for evidence that incriminated her. I refused, and when they insisted, I turned in my badge."
Hope shook his head slowly. He understood the situation she had found herself in, but he could not process the fact that she had given up her job for such a trivial reason.
"Why…why is family so important to you?" he asked hesitantly.
Ms. Farron closed her eyes, and he wondered whether she had taken his words as an insult. Any moment now, she would probably stand up and decide to take her business elsewhere–
"Serah…is all I have," she replied suddenly. "Our parents died years ago, and I've been taking care of her ever since. But she…she's a good kid. She's very responsible, and she wouldn't hurt a fly. You have to believe me, Mr. Estheim."
Hope was taken aback by her response, or rather, her expression and tone of voice. Detectives at her level were generally detached and unemotional, and she had been no exception when she had first walked into the office. However, while speaking about her sister now, she sounded desperate. The woman was practically pleading with him – he could see it in her eyes, and he recognised that look. It was the same look he had given his father, all those years ago.
"You have to believe me, Dad! It wasn't him!"
"We have enough evidence to prove that he is guilty, and that's all there is to it."
"But, there's even more evidence that shows-"
The bespectacled man gave him a stern look, and Hope clamped his mouth shut. "I don't care who you want to blame; the fact is that the police chief and I have come to a mutual decision, and we will see it through to the end. Now, this discussion is over."
He could only stand in place helplessly as his father walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Hope clenched his fists at his sides, forcing the memory to the back of his mind. He had seen a person being wrongfully accused of a crime they did not commit, and he would not allow someone else to go through the same thing.
"…I'll defend her."
Ms. Farron looked at him with genuine surprise, raising an eyebrow. "…you will? Even though you were trying to kick me out a few minutes ago?"
Hope smiled sheepishly. 'So she noticed…just as I'd expect from someone with a name like "Lightning".'
"Yes." He ignored her second statement. "Your sister doesn't seem like the type who would commit murder…though I'd like to meet her first and see for myself. After that, I'll make my final decision."
She nodded. "That won't be a problem. I'll take you to the detention centre right now. If you're free, that is."
He sifted through some papers on his desk in an attempt to seem like he was actually busy with some form of paperwork – hopefully, it would improve her first impression of him. "I've got time," he replied nonchalantly, and then slid the pile into a folder. "Alright, Ms. Farron. Let's go."
She responded with a soft "hmph", and he wondered whether she had seen through his brief charade as well. But all she said in response was:
"You can call me Lightning."
As Hope followed her out into the hallway, intuition told him that this case had much more to it than met the eye. But he had already started down this path, and he would not turn back now.
Not even with the ominous feeling that rushed into his heart as soon as he closed the door behind him.
