Autumn Lakes stepped cautiously into the dark restaurant, stooping low and grasping the doorframe for reassurance. Scoping out the shadowy room, she saw a man hunched over an old piano that, like him, had seen better days.

As she approached the man, he looked up at her with a smug little smirk on his face that told her he had seen it all. "Welcome to the Borscht Bowl Club. You wanna request something?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

She leaned on the piano, smiling devilishly back at him. "I'd rather talk. Can that be arranged?"

"Well. You're here to play, then?"

Autumn shook her head. "No… I'm not too good at poker, I'm afraid. I just don't have the face for it. I'm here to speak with Phoenix Wright, the defense attorney."

"You're seven years too late, miss," the man, Phoenix Wright, answered. A dismal plasticity crept into his grin.

"Oh, I know. Listen, how about I buy you a drink? What would you like?"

"Grape juice is fine."

Autumn snapped her fingers at him. "You got it. I'll be right back."

She returned shortly with two bottles of grape juice. Phoenix had migrated over to a table, and she joined him. Handing him a bottle, she sat down across from him and leaned in secretively. "Just thought I'd drop by. I'm between cases right now; I just got another not guilty. So I thought to myself, 'Why not?' Y'know? Might have some good times."

"Excuse me…" Phoenix interjected, putting his hand up to cut her short, "I hate to interrupt, but… do I know you? You seem… well, a little familiar."

Autumn laughed darkly. "Of course, I wouldn't expect you to remember me. It's been eight long years, and I was just a silly, dreaming, scheming little girl back then. Perhaps this will jog your memory." Her brown eyes twinkled mischievously as she slid a dirty, beat-up old notebook across the table. Across the front were tattooed the words, "Court Record." Curious, Phoenix cracked it open and looked inside.

The pages were filled with notes printed in childish, sloppy handwriting. He was also slightly surprised when he came across a rough sketch of himself, his finger pointed victoriously in the air. Okay, he was more than a little surprised. Under it was written the word, "Objection!" and his signature. But on the opposite page was perhaps the most important thing of all. It was an attorney's badge, but at first glance he could tell it wasn't real. It was simply a fairly accurate replica, cut out of cardboard. The words "Future Ace Attorney Autumn Lakes" were drawn around the pasted-in badge in dramatic bubble letters.

"My first badge," she sighed fondly, "And perhaps my favorite one. Such innocence, such insignificance to the world at large… yet it was my most prized possession."

"Autumn Lakes, Ace Attorney…" Phoenix mused thoughtfully, mulling the words over in his head. "That's…"

"Wren Griffin trial, November 11th. Eight years past. It was the most important trial of my life, and I wasn't even on the defense's bench. I was on the witness stand."

Phoenix beamed. "Now I remember. You were fourteen, right? That's just a year younger than my daughter. And now, you're…"

"Twenty-two. I just began making a name for myself as a defense attorney two years ago." She paused. "At the age of twenty," she added as an afterthought, and then mentally kicked herself. As if the great defense attorney Phoenix Wright couldn't do simple arithmetic!

Phoenix didn't seem to notice the insult to his intelligence. "So, you're pretty good, then. I don't quite keep up nowadays, I must admit."

She shrugged, not quite sure how to take the compliment from her childhood hero. "I'm decent. Nowhere near as legendary as you, though."

"Oh, I don't know about that. But…" He stopped abruptly as they both hear a loud bang.

"What the…" Autumn cried, jumping up out of her chair so quickly that it toppled to the ground. "Listen, Phoenix, why don't you hold that thought and, um… keep the juice, okay?"

"Are you kidding? You're not actually going to look for the… I'm coming with you! It's dangerous!"

Autumn was about to argue when there was a second bang. There was no mistaking it was a gunshot. "Argh… no time! Come on, it came from outside!"

Autumn dashed nimbly out the door, with Phoenix running at her heels. He wondered how she got such quick reactions. She had leapt straight into action, while at her age he would have sat in shock for some time, wondering what to do.

The air outside was cold, almost as cold as the Borscht Bowl Club. The streets were empty, and the crisp winter air blanketed the world in a bitter silence.

"Where now?" Autumn cried. She stood motionless for a moment, casting about anxiously with her head tilted to one side. She suddenly became aware of a dull moaning. "Over there!" she shouted, pointing the way for Phoenix. "It's coming from the alley!" She darted into the black alleyway and was met immediately by the body of a large man lying face down in a pool of his own dark blood.

"Nobody here!" she announced darkly. "Well… alive, that is."

Another moan escaped from the man, as if to prove Autumn wrong. Swallowing her fear, she stepped cautiously over to the man, bending over him carefully, almost tenderly. "Hey… hey, sir, can you hear me? What happened?"

"He…" the man groaned, struggling to utter a single syllable.

"He? He who? Give me a name!" she demanded harshly. She didn't wish to be so cruel, but rational thoughts in a dying man were like water droplets in a strong wind, too soon blown away by the slightest disturbance. In order to help, she needed to give directions strictly before they themselves were blown away from this world.

"He… killed me…"

Autumn decided it was time to change tactics. "Well, where is he?"

"In… hyding…"

"Hyding?" Autumn puzzled, momentarily distracted. "What kind of accent is that?" She gasped, the pieces suddenly snapping into place. "The Hydeout!" she realized, referring to the hidden basement under the restaurant. "He's got to be in the Hydeout! Don't worry, sir, we'll get help!" Autumn whirled around to where a small crowd had gathered. "Hey! One of you idiots call the police, got it? And an ambulance! Can't you see there's a man dying over here?" she yelled at them, snapping her fingers authoritatively. "If you're coming, Mr. Wright, get a move on! Before he gets away!"

"No!" Phoenix protested. "If we go down to the Hydeout, it'll be impossible to get out fast if there's a killer down there! It's the police department's job to find people like this!"

"It's the job of whoever's on hand at the time to help out!" Autumn snapped. "Now come on, I'm not completely helpless! Just stick with me!" Without a word or a look more to Phoenix, she ran back into the Borscht Bowl Club, noticing with satisfaction that Phoenix had indeed followed her.

"Now," she whispered as they tiptoed apprehensively through the restaurant, "how many entrances are there to the Hydeout?" She held a finger to her lips, silently begging him to answer as quietly as possible.

Phoenix held two fingers up, pointing to the stairs as one and a bookcase as another. "There's another bookcase downstairs," he told her quietly.

Autumn nodded, then made a circling motion with her finger. Phoenix gazed at her in confusion. She sighed, then pointed to him, and then the bookcase. "Whatever happens, stay there. If he comes this way, make noise like ten men. Or sound like a cop. Got it?"

He nodded anxiously. "Ms. Lakes, I'm just a pianist. I can't do anything…"

"I know!" she hissed. Just trust me, okay? I sort of know what I'm doing!"

With that, she ran down the stairs to the Hydeout.

Phoenix stood nervously at the bookcase for what seemed like hours. What if Autumn got hurt? She may be grown up now, but in her eyes he still saw the childish beliefs and stupid courage of her fourteen-year-old self.

He was quite suddenly snapped out of his reverie by the sound of a single gunshot. "Autumn!" he shouted, trying to pull the bookcase aside. It wouldn't budge. Crying out in frustration, he ran towards the door and wrenched it open, running down the stairs at full speed.

When he opened the door, he was met by a heart-stopping sight. Autumn lay sprawled across the floor, unmoving. "Autumn!" he yelled, falling to his knees beside her and shaking her shoulder. "No…" he muttered. "Oh, God, no…"

Autumn moaned, and her eyes fluttered open. "Uungh…" She looked at Phoenix groggily. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, her eyes snapping into focus. "Idiot!" she shouted. "Didn't I tell you to stay put? Now they've gotten away!"

"But… there was a gunshot!"

"That was my gun!"

"Why do you have a gun?"

"No time to explain!" Autumn snapped belligerently. She whipped out her phone, scanning a text message at near light speed. "Police are here," she announced tightly to Phoenix. "I'll have to squeeze them out." She punched in a couple on her phone. "Hello? Yeah, I'm bringin' 'em your way. Heads up." She snapped the phone shut. With a mighty heave, she tugged the bookcase aside, revealing the now well-known "secret" passage. Cocking her gun to the ready, she proceeded cautiously down the dark hallway. Phoenix followed her even more apprehensively, thinking to himself that the girl was either mad or there was something about her – something big – that he didn't know yet.

They emerged into the quiet restaurant. Autumn looked around quickly, then went outside.

"Fr-Freeze!" a skittish cop screamed hoarsely, holding his gun in front of m\him like a protective talisman.

"Easy, guys. It's only me." Autumn sighed, holding up her hand as she moved importantly through the crowd of police officers and detectives. "Oh, and the pianist," she added as an afterthought.

A large man in a police uniform met them. His face was broad and open, his expression friendly in spite of the tense situation. His brown hair was cropped short and his eyes showed the recognition of someone meeting an old friend. He beamed widely at her, waving at her in a short but exaggerated gesture. "Autumn!" he called out happily, his arms spread wide in greeting.

"You get him?" Autumn asked briefly, her impatient expression unchanged at the big man's approach.

"Yep!" The man answered. "Thanks to you. Ran out a moment ago, all in a panic. We have no doubt it was the murderer." He paused. "Unfortunately," he continued, "we weren't able to save the victim. He passed away before we arrived.

Autumn nodded, but she seemed concerned. "And you just caught one, correct?"

"Yes. Why?"

If Autumn had suspicions about the man's answer, she chose to keep them secret. She shrugged and moved on. "No reason. Anyway, I believe some introductions are in order. Phoenix, this is Officer Scheild – Charles is his first name. Charles, this is Phoenix Wright, ex-attorney at law and currently a pianist at the Borscht Bowl Club. We were both talking in the restaurant at the time of the murder."

"We might have to have you testify, then," Scheild replied apologetically. "You know how those prosecutors are. Meticulous to the last."

"Don't I know it," Autumn sighed. "Well, I'll have to let you know about the testifying bit. I'm a busy woman, after all."

"Well, your important and busy life will have to wait. You guys will both have to come in for questioning."

"Aw, what a pain," Autumn groaned.

"Hey, you gotta admit, it feels good to be doing this together again, doesn't it?"

"Sure does," Autumn laughed in response, clapping the huge man on the back. It was the greatest show of affection Phoenix had seen from Autumn today.

"Yeah, a real team, through and through. After two years, it still feels natural as breathing." Scheild sighed nostalgically. "Hey, speaking of which, did you bust any doors down this time?"

"No!" Autumn cried indignantly. "I'm not a cop anymore, and what's more, I don't have the money to pay for broken doors!"

"Ah, well. You can always come back, if you miss it. We've all been missing you." Scheild smiled at her.

Autumn shoved him playfully. "Shut it, Charles! You know that's not going to happen!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just thought I'd ask. Don't you miss it at all?"

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted finally. Autumn giggled with a girlish frivolity that totally contradicted her gruff exterior. "Can someone please explain what's going on?"

Scheild chuckled. "Mr. Wright, meet the best and most legendary detective to ever grace the force."

"Ex-detective," Autumn corrected him curtly, crossing her arms.

"You're a detective?"

Autumn laughed darkly. "Used to be. Anyway…"

Scheild shook his head. "He's not satisfied, he commented, looking meaningfully at Phoenix's expression.

Autumn's visage darkened. "Yeah, well, he'll have to be." Autumn started to walk away.

Scheild shook Phoenix's hand abruptly and almost apologetically. "It's nice to meet an old friend of Ms. Lakes's. I hear she was nearly livable back in the day, and a heck of a lot more agreeable to boot. Must've been nice. Well, I guess I'll be explaining everything. I…"

"MIS-TER. SCHEILD," Autumn snapped suddenly, using the man's last name for the first time. "Do you insist on wasting my time? Let's get this over with!"

"That's a nice way to treat your friends!" Schield called back over his shoulder. "Sorry about that," he continued, unfazed. "Ms. Lakes is a big believer in the whole need-to-know basis thing."

"Sometimes I wish you did!" Autumn shouted. Although she was traveling farther and farther away, her voice had not diminished.

Scheild winced. "She's got killer hearing, too," he added as Autumn stormed back towards them in an effort to encourage the officer to get moving. "Autumn, come on. Was that such a horrible time for you?"

"NO!" Autumn protested. "It's just…"

"Autumn, why don't you want me to know about this?" Phoenix asked, not making eye contact to show that he didn't care either way.

"Wha…" Autumn started, flabbergasted. "B-but, Mr. Wright… I thought… you'd be disappointed… in me…"

"'Course I'm not, silly!" he laughed. "Why don't you tell me about it?" He smiled at her, and for a split second, he looked just like the blue-suited defense attorney that Autumn had put on a pedestal as a young girl.

She blushed, then shrugged. "There's not much to tell," she informed him nonchalantly.

"Aw, c'mon! That's not true!" Scheilds persisted. Turning to Phoenix, he continued excitedly, "She doesn't like to boast it, but she's got the record for arrests down at the precinct! She could put together a case based on a scrap of clothing and a rotten apple core! She was a defense attorney's worst enemy! And…"

"And-then-she-actually-became-a-defense-attorney-and-everyone-thought-she-was-insane-especially-Ema-Skye-the-end," came a sarcastic, grumpy-sounding voice.

"Stormy Skyes!" Autumn cried happily, turning around to meet her friend. The young woman was slightly older than Autumn, and wore a white lab coat with a brown messenger bag. Her brown hair was partially drawn up, the rest of it framing her face. "What are you doing here?" Autumn asked.

"Hey, it wasn't my choice. The department was all over this practically before it happened. They're having a field day down at the precinct. Naturally, what with my luck, I got slapped down here like a piece of fly paper."

"Hopefully some evidence will stick to you," Autumn replied, smirking. "And anyway, the police were all over this before it happened."

"No, you don't count anymore," Ema countered angrily. "Not since you just up and left like that."

"Why is everyone so upset about this? Look, first of all, it was two years ago, and second of all, it's not like no one saw it coming! I figured everyone knew I was leaving! I just did it for experience! Finally, you two were the ones who sent me out here in the first place!"

"Um… no, we didn't," Scheild argued, confused.

"Yeah, since when?" Ema queried crossly. She tugged on a piece of her hair. "Like I would even talk to you after your dirty betrayal."

"Then… who…"

"That would be me," they heard a smooth, suave voice announce.

"Oh, just great," Autumn muttered under her breath. She didn't even need to turn and see the source of the voice to know who'd sent her on this crazy chase. Turning to face the young man, she asked him savagely, "Forging signatures again, Sir Prosecutor?"

"You and I both know you wouldn't have listened to me. Also, that's an art. I just got the Chief Justice's perfect the other night," he joked. "Finally, I specifically need your skills for this, Mademoiselle Attorney."

"Ooh. French," Autumn hissed, pretending to be impressed.

Phoenix sighed loudly. "Okay, listen guys. I've been patient, I've sat in the background and let you all catch up, but everything's basically gone downhill since Autumn showed up, and now I'm not even entirely sure you're still speaking English!"

Autumn sighed. "Well, if I explain anything more, my jaw will fall off…"

"You've explained the least of anyone!" Phoenix protested.

"…But," Autumn went on, glaring at Phoenix for interrupting, "this is Klaus Luminero, possibly, no, definitely THE most annoying prosecutor around. Gossiping is his area of expertise, so…" she patted the man violently on the shoulder, looking almost like she wanted to knock his brains out. "Go for it, you foppish scamp."

The prosecutor, Klaus apparently, stepped forward. He had jet-black hair and stormy gray eyes with a mischievous grin. The two things Phoenix noticed the most were his flashy outfit (leather jacket, studded boots and belt, the works) and a gold key that hung around his neck.

"Scamp? Really?" he snickered at Autumn. "What are you, a grandma?"

"Only in soul. Now, chatter away. I will not be home late tonight," Autumn commanded with severe authority.

"Very well, Autumn Dearest."

Autumn glared angrily at him. "You may call me Ms. Lakes, Mr. Luminero."

"Ah, well then. You can call me Klaus."

"In your dreams, Italian Boy."

"Half Italian, actually. Ma was Scandinavian and German. Anyways, Mr. Wright, it was a couple of days ago that I became aware of a conspiracy. I didn't know the details, but I knew someone was going to be killed at the Borscht Bowl Club. So, I sent Autumn…"

"MISS Lakes."

"…to go and monitor the situation. Apparently, though, she didn't do much."

"Yeah, actually I have something to say about that," Autumn protested, coming to her own defense immediately. "I don't think this was what you were looking for, Luminero. I think this might have been… a distraction. Or else, things didn't work out as planned."

"But a man was still killed, Autumn! I don't care if the killer meant for him to be dead or not! It doesn't change the fact that a man is dead when we knew that someone was going to die… when we could have stopped it!" The calm and collected prosecutor quickly lost his cool, his expression knit up into what could have been despair or even self-hatred. Phoenix frowned. The man had seemed so jovial only a moment ago.

"Come now, Luminero," Autumn persuaded serenely. Her calm exterior was almost disturbing, given the fact she was talking about a man's death. And it was a death she had witnessed herself. "You and I both know," she went on, "that while I may have been on the force, I am by no measure superhuman. I am not necessarily capable of stopping a murder… only finding the responsible party. And if the fact that someone was murdered bothers you so much, perhaps you should not be a prosecutor."

"How can you be so cold to the death of a human being?" Klaus yelled.

"Because I realize that I still have things to do, Luminero. A death won't stop me, not while those things still need doing. As long as justice still exists in this world, there is still a purpose to life. Now come on, let's go."

"But…"

"Chop chop, Mr. Luminero! I will not be kept waiting!" Autumn called over her shoulder in a singsong voice.

"I'll be questioning you, Autumn, so don't think you'll get off easy!" Klaus declared.

"Oh, I've no doubt about that, Luminero. And it's Ms. Lakes, by the way."