A/N: I'm sorry this took so long! On the bright side, it's longer than the last chapter. The goal is to finish this story before Dual Destinies releases so I will try to be better about uploading!
-LAX-
After almost an entire day of airports and flying, Miles Edgeworth's mood had considerably soured. That morning - or whatever time it had been in this time zone - he had been almost eager to leave for California, though his eagerness may have stemmed more from worry than happiness at a reunion as Phoenix had still failed to contact him the rest of the night. Checking his phone after he disembarked from his last flight, Miles noted that still no calls had come since his last transfer. This might have more worrying to Miles if jet-lag wasn't starting to kick in. Instead, he shoved his phone back into his pocket with spite and groggily made his way to baggage claim.
He had had to sit in the economy class, which had been awful. Miles didn't like to admit it, but he had definitely grown used to the luxury of first class- or at least as much luxury as a giant metal can careening though the air ten thousand feet up could provide. Bumping around in the back of the plane had not been a pleasant experience combined with his fear of heights and... turbulence.
No, Miles was not overly fond of flying.
Somehow during his travels, Miles' concern for Phoenix had transformed into irritation over what he had to go through to get here.
Miles begrudgingly picked up his suitcase from the baggage claim. As he tiredly made his way to the rental car garage, his luggage rattling along behind him, he continued to curse Wright's foolishness for dragging him all the way out here. Miles Edgeworth was having to rent a car. Unheard of. Given the situation, Miles supposed that he would just have to do without his precious red sports model, but the SUV waiting for him was not something he ever pictured himself behind the wheel of. Wright was going to pay for making him look like a soccer-mom.
Not to mention that, of all the possible colors, the accursed vehicle just so happened to be blue.
Wright, you'd better appreciate this.
Miles climbed into the SUV with haste, but before driving off he checked his phone once more.
No missed calls.
He stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Something metallic clacked in protest against the plastic. Miles felt around until his fingers grasped the offending object.
It was his ring.
Miles pulled it out of his pocket and toyed with gold band a little, shifting it from hand to hand. Phoenix would probably be glad to see him wearing it, and it would definitely cheer the other man up if he was actually hurt. Still, Miles was hesitant to put it on. In the end he slipped it back into his pocket and started the car, which stalled a little before the engine turned over.
Damn you, Phoenix Wright.
-Hickfield Clinic-
It was the second day of his first trial as a member the Wright Talent Agency, and Apollo was ready to completely reconsider his choice of career. Not only was the case itself one big, unrelated mystery after another, but there was also the matter of the opposing attorney.
Whoever made Klavier Gavin a prosecutor should be smacked. Repeatedly. That guy could not possibly be related to Mr. Gavin. No way, baby. And then there was that crazy detective they had run into. What was her name again- Ema Skye? Apollo made a mental note to steer clear of her in the future. Although, she was pretty handy with her science – uh—gizmos.
And then there was the fact that his client may or may not have tie-ins with vicious gansters (he most definitely did) and more than just Apollo's beginner's luck record was at stake if he lost this case.
Talk about putting his neck on the line for this kid.
I'm fine! Everything will be okay!
At the moment, Apollo was back in Wright's hospital room, sitting in one of the visitation chairs along the wall. The second day of the trial was over and he needed to look at the facts again, not to mention mull over the story Mr. Wright had just told him about how he'd lost his badge. It was pretty heavy stuff. Of course, Mr. Wright wasn't being much help. He seemed to be far more interested in some kids' TV show he was watching on his DVD player than the case at hand. Apollo vaguely recalled it from his childhood as being call "The Steel Samurai". Actually, Mr. Wright's hospital room barely looked like the resting place of a sick, recuperating patient. Apollo supposed that the stacks of DVDs were okay, but the amount cluttered around the room were a bit overkill. Stacks and stacks of DVD cases were all balanced so precariously that Apollo was sure just breathing on them wrong would send them tumbling. Some of the disks weren't even in their cases, just scattered around within Mr. Wright's arm-reach. After seeing the office yesterday, this mess only added to Apollo's concerns about the organizational habits of the Wrights. He wasn't sure if he should even ask about the mini piano. Mr. Wright couldn't play the one in his office, let alone the one at his job. And why on Earth was it pink?
Can I really work for this man?
Apollo sighed. What had he gotten himself into?
More precisely, what had Mr. Wright gotten him into?
The credits for the episode Wright was watching started rolled and he reached for another disk. Since sitting here wasn't accomplishing anything, Apollo wondered if he should take this opportunity to skip out while he still could. Maybe he would grab Trucy on the way and consult her with the case instead, seeing how she was being far more helpful than Mr. Wright at the moment. She had left him to fend for himself against her father while she looked for a vending machine.
Probably to make all the snacks magically disappear, Apollo thought, as he hadn't seen Wright hand her any cash on the way out.
Yep, now was definitely a good time to leave. Being alone with Mr. Wright for too long was bad for his health.
I need to get a better social life, Apollo realized bitterly.
Just as Apollo was preparing some excuse to get up, there was a loud commotion that resounded through the door from the hallway. Apollo sat back down. What he assumed were the voices and footsteps of several distressed nurses could be heard drawing closer, as well as an obnoxious scraping noise that was echoing down the hall.
Maybe Apollo would just stay put for now...
I hope Trucy didn't get into any trouble... Or that that Hickfield guy isn't slinking around again.
"Sir, you can't bring that in here!"
"The hell I can't!"
"Please slow down, sir! No running in the halls!"
"Don't go down there! You have to sign in first!"
"MMMMM!"
The disruption was getting louder still; it must have been right outside the hospital room now. Apollo wasn't sure if he should peak out the door to make sure everything was okay, but when he glanced at Wright he stopped in his tracks. For the first time since Apollo had met him in person, Mr. Wright looked stricken. One hand was still holding a DVD, ready to be popped in and played, but all of Mr. Wright's attention seemed to be solely focused on the commotion coming from the hall.
The door slammed open. A man in a very shocking maroon suit came strutting in, wheeling a small red suitcase behind him. That would explain the awful sound Apollo had heard, the poor object's wheels were obviously not designed for speed. Three nurses rushed in before the door could shut again.
"I'm sorry, sir, but this man-" one of the flustered nurses began, only to be stopped short by the man causing all the ruckus. He was a very pretty man, Apollo noted. A very pretty, angry man.
Actually, he looked kind of familiar...
"Phoenix Wright, you have a lot of explaining to do."
Apollo turned back to Mr. Wright. If he had looked stricken before, he looked absolutely astonished now. The hand with the DVD was still raised, but now the other was resting on his beanie, pulling the brim of it back so he could squint at the trespasser in disbelief.
"M-Miles? Is that really you?" He said when he seemed to find his voice again. Apollo had certainly never seen Mr. Wright act like this.
More ghosts from the past? Apollo wondered. Though that name definitely sounded familiar... Miles... Miles...
"Oh, don't act so surprised, Wright," the man in the suit reprimanded. Apollo couldn't say much about his suit, given the color of his own, but this guy was even wearing a cravat. Talk about stuffy. And angry. This must be the man he had spoken on the phone with, Apollo realized. He'd forgotten about the whole ordeal that had happened yesterday until now. But seeing this guy in person, Apollo had no doubt.
I must have seen him before, Apollo thought. He looks so familiar... Maybe from the television? No, that can't be it. No one on TV would bother with Mr. Wright. But, why would a guy like this bother with Mr. Wright, either? He looks so... professional.
Mr. Wright was absolutely not professional.
One of the nurses was holding a clipboard and promptly used the next silence to shove it under the man's nose.
"Sir, I really don't care what you bring in here, but you must sign in."
The man sighed and took the clipboard from her, as if breaking his cold glare at Mr. Wright was some great inconvenience. He jotted something down before handing it back. She gave him an odd look after she read over it, but left with the other two nurses after her request was fulfilled.
It was just the three of them now. Though, judging by the fact that neither of them had spared a glance in his direction for the past few minutes, Apollo supposed he was more of a spectator.
The man crossed his arms and returned to glaring pointedly at Mr. Wright after the door shut behind the nurses. Intensely glaring. Apollo was glad it wasn't directed at him. This guy was scary. "I think you know why I'm here, Wright."
Suddenly, the Phoenix Wright that Apollo was all too familiar with returned. Mr. Wright pulled his beanie back down and smirked coyly from underneath it. He looked pretty smug for a guy in a hospital bed.
"Actually, I have no idea. Why don't you enlighten me, Miles?"
After a few moments of the suited-man glaring and Mr. Wright smiling playfully back, 'Miles' reached one hand down and dug into his pant pocket.
He pulled out a prosecutor's badge.
"Phoenix Wright, you are under arrest."
What?!
This was a turn of events. Though maybe that was why the nurse had given the man a strange look. Maybe he used some sort of secret police override code or-
Shut up, Justice. That doesn't exist.
Wait a second. Miles? Prosecutor? Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth? The great court rival of Phoenix Wright? Apollo almost jumped out of his chair when it all came together. Of course! That would explain the weird suit. And the cravat. Apollo knew all about Miles Edgeworth. He was even more of a legend than Phoenix Wright! But why was he trying to arrest Mr. Wright? Did he still harbor some sort of grudge from their court days?
And why did Mr. Wright refer to him so familiarly? Last time Apollo checked, they were rivals. Or had been, at least.
Maybe Mr. Wright was just trying to goad him. It would be something the ex-attorney would do. Or, at least something he would do to Apollo.
Polly...
Apollo shuddered.
Edgeworth had slipped his badge back into his pocket and folded his arms over his chest again. It was rather… intimidating. Apollo may have involuntarily sunk back in his chair.
Wright, however, remained unperturbed by this development.
"Is that so?" he asked nonchalantly. "What are my offenses?" He tilted his head to the side, eyes taunting.
Mr. Wright what are you doing? This guy is trying to arrest you! Don't egg him on!
Mr. Wright was seriously stressing him out. This whole ordeal was going to give him an ulcer. Apollo decided it would be best to remain silent and not draw attention to himself. Mr. Wright seemed to know what he was doing.
...But then again, Apollo didn't trust Mr. Wright very much.
That's right, Justice. Be the chair...
Mr. Edgeworth continued his assault.
"Well, for one, you haven't been answering your cellphone, or any other number for that matter. Number two would be all the trouble I had to go through to find out that you were in the hospital because you were hit by a car," the prosecutor ground out every syllable like they personally offended him. "Phoenix, why didn't you call me? Look at yourself!"
's easygoing demeanor finally cracked. He set his DVD aside and attempted to get up from the bed, pulling the covers aside carefully around the swaying piles of cases and disks.
"Don't stand up, you idiot! You're going to hurt yourself." Edgeworth rushed forward and forced Wright back down onto his pillows, abandoning his suitcase by the door.
"Miles, Miles, stop. I'm okay, really," Mr. Wright tried to reassure the man while he pushed his hands away. Edgeworth ignored him, though, and continued to fret.
"You call this okay?" Apollo could have sworn that he was actually trying to tuck Mr. Wright back in.
Okay... Now Apollo was completely lost.
"Um..." he decided to speak up, clearing his throat when he failed to catch their attention. Two heads snapped towards him. Edgeworth withdrew his hands quickly from where he had been fighting with Mr. Wright's over control of the hospital sheet, as if he had just realized that Apollo had been sitting there the whole time.
So much for being the chair. Apollo straightened up a little now that the attention was on him. "So... you're not going to arrest him?"
Mr. Wright started laughing. Edgeworth gave him a strange look.
"Of course not," the prosecutor replied. His tone insinuated that Apollo should feel like an idiot for even asking. It was working.
"Give the kid a break, Miles," Mr. Wright said, for once coming to Apollo's defense. "He's kind of slow." Or not.
Hey! I'm just fine, no thanks to you.
Apollo was going to raise an objection, but it seemed that the two men had forgotten about him again.
"What... what are these?" Edgeworth asked, delicately picking up one of the carelessly scattered disks on Mr. Wright's bed. The piles had become even more muddled during their scuffle with the bed sheet.
Oh, good, Apollo thought. I'm not the only one who finds his choice in TV shows weird. It's just not natural for a man of his age to-
"Wright," the prosecutor said, interrupting Apollo's internal monologue. "Are these from my collection?"
Apollo sputtered. Not him too...
Mr. Edgeworth was glaring again, and this time he seemed even angrier than before. The hand that was not holding the disk was firmly planted on the bed frame and he looked prepared to chew Wright out.
Mr. Wright hid further under his beanie.
"Actually, Maya sent them. So there."
"I was lending them to her."
Mr. Wright's smirk disappeared.
"Oh, well then, yeah. They're yours."
Mr. Edgeworth turned pale for a moment, as if his life was flashing before his eyes. The one DVD he held was clutched protectively against his chest.
I think this is the most surreal situation I've ever been in, Apollo thought. And he had been in some pretty weird positions, including the events of his first trial and meeting… Klavier Gavin. Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright are fighting over a children's TV show... And Mr. Wright is losing.
Mr. Edgeworth regained himself.
"Phoenix Wright, if there is even one scratch on these disks than so help me-"
"Hey! Look! They're perfectly fine!" Mr. Wright gestured to the haphazard piles of cases. "Perfectly fine" were not the words Apollo would have used. "We can even watch them together, now. If you want."
That quieted Edgeworth down, though Apollo could have sworn that he heard him mutter something about an "extremely rare collector's edition" while he picked through the piles and began to neatly put the unprotected disks away. His new piles looked much more stable than Mr. Wright's had been.
"I'm still not happy with you," Edgeworth grumbled as he continued his work.
"Aw, come on. We can start with episode one..?" Mr. Wright's face emerged from his beanie now that he wasn't being attacked.
Edgeworth chose to ignore him, continuing to stack cases. Apollo thought he might have seen the slightest crack in the man's frown.
"Miles..."
"..."
"Don't be like that." Mr. Wright pleaded, though it was in his usual off-handed manner. Apollo was beginning to feel like he should excuse himself.
Actually, he really should excuse himself. This whole meeting felt... private. Apollo really didn't want to think about it, but with the way the two men were acting it was almost as if they were... well... very close.
"I'm just going to-" Apollo started, but he was interrupted by the door opening. He glanced over.
This time, Trucy was standing in the doorway. Just standing, with her hand over her mouth. She looked surprised. Apollo supposed anyone would be surprised when getting their first glimpse of Mr. Edgeworth- and all that maroon- but Trucy was failing to recover. Maybe it had something to do with the way the prosecutor was looming over her father.
Apollo looked back to see that both Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth had their attention turned to her. Mr. Edgeworth put his DVDs down.
"Ahem," Mr. Edgeworth straightened up. "Trucy. I didn't know you were here."
So he knows Trucy... Apollo felt like his theory was getting dangerously close to confirmation. But that would be so...
Maybe he's just a good friend of the family?
Trucy unfroze a little, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "...Papa!" she exclaimed before launching herself at the man.
Papa!? But that means Mr. Edgeworth really is...! Apollo watched Trucy jump gleefully into Edgeworth's arms. Wright looked unsurprised by her reaction, only smiling at the two of them.
I really need to get out of here!