Daylight streamed through the window, filling the room with patches of illumination. By some odd coincidence, one of those patches was exactly where Wright's face was. After a minute of resisting, the defense attorney finally consented to the fact that it was morning, and he should get up.
("…Oh man, what a dream,") Wright thought, sitting up. ("Kidnapped by demons and made to defend their boss…and the prosecutor was Manfred von Karma! I'll never have old pizza again…")
"Mr. Wright, dood?"
Wright froze. Turning his head slowly, he looked at the Prinny standing in the doorway.
"Lord Laharl says that you've slept long enough, and that you should get back to work, dood." The Prinny told him, walking away once it was done.
Wright realized that he wasn't lying in a bed, but a sleeping bag- and one of poor quality at that. He also realized that the 'bedroom' was actually made of stone with moss growing here and there- with bars on the window.
"Ohhhh noooo…" Wright groaned, "It was real!"
Episode 4
A Bird In The Hand
October 7, 7:07 AM_
Overlord's Castle Shop.
After some initial wandering, Wright was able to find his way back to the Shopping Area. There, he encountered Etna, talking to a random Prinny.
"So, I want them to be daisy fresh when you're done," She was saying, "And don't even think about- Oh, hey Wright! Glad to see you're up!"
Wright smiled. Even though he wasn't completely happy to know that yesterday's events weren't a dream, it was nice to see a familiar face.
"Good morning!" A cheerful voice sang. Wright and Etna watched Flonne skip into the area. "And how are we today?"
"Hi, Flonne," Etna greeted, "I don't know about the lawyer, but I'm fine."
"Wait, aren't you supposed to be at the hotel?" Wright asked.
"It's my day off." Flonne replied.
Wright noticed that the castle was comparatively quiet. "And where's Laharl?"
"Oh, the Prince is sleeping in." Etna explained.
"Sl-sleeping in?" Wright exclaimed, "But he's still the main suspect of a murder! How can he sleep at a time like this?"
"Because proving he didn't do it is your job." Etna replied.
Wright winced. That familiar feeling of no respect was back again. It was, in hindsight, incredibly sad that such a feeling was familiar.
"So, with that in mind, what's your plan?" Etna asked.
Wright snapped out of his funk. "We're going back to the hotel. I want to talk to this 'Miss Bird' who fingered Laharl."
Etna shrugged. "Have fun with that."
Wright did a double-take. "Wait, what?"
"I've got to stay here and keep the castle in order," Etna explained, "You're on your own for this one."
"But…I can't go alone!" Wright cried, "What if I get attacked by those pigskin monsters again? What if something more dangerous than those pigskin monsters attack me? What if I get a fine? I need protection!"
"Boy, you sure whine a lot." Etna remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm just a lawyer!" Wright continued, "My greatest weapon is my mind! I can't fight the forces of evil literally!"
"Don't worry, Mr. Wright," Flonne cut in, "I'll go with you. We defenders of justice have to stick together!"
"Uh, thanks?" Wright said unsurely.
"And we won't be alone," Flonne went on, "I brought in another defender to help our cause. An actual Defender of Earth!"
("She looks so eager…why do I have a bad feeling about this?") Wright thought, and decided to just get it over with. "Who is it?"
Flonne smiled. "Come on out, Mr. Thursday!" her eyes fired up. "It's your time to shine!"
There was a sound of a motor running, and a new figure came out from the shadows.
Wright stared at the newcomer. "It's a…" He began to sweat. "…jukebox?"
"No! Mr. Thursday doesn't play music!" Flonne said fiercely, but then paused. Looking confused, she said, "Actually, that's an interesting thought. Mr. Thursday, can you play music?"
"AFFIRMATIVE, FLONNE," the 'jukebox' replied in an electronic voice, "PLEASE CHOOSE FROM LIST OF MP3 FILES. BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."
Wright blanched. "It talked!"
"Mr. Thursday is an All-Purpose Super Robot, programmed to bring justice wherever he goes," Flonne explained, "Oh! Speaking of going, we're supposed to head towards the hotel, right? Come on, everyone! We won't find the evidence to clear Sir Laharl's name if we just stay here."
"ROGER. CONTACTING PORTAL KEEPER TO PREPARE FOR TRANSPORT TO HOTEL." Thursday replied, trundling away as Flonne skipped after him.
Wright watched them go, the expression of shock still on his face. He felt a pat on his back and knew at once that it was Etna. He also knew (Or at least, had a very good feeling) that Etna was smirking.
"Well, you heard the lady," Etna said cheekily, "Get to it!"
Wright forced himself to join Flonne and Thursday at the portal, wondering what other weird surprises the Netherworld would throw at him.
-AAD-
October 7, 7:08 AM_
Blair Forest_
Gates Hotel_
The portal dropped the three of them at the entrance of the hotel as it did the day before, when Wright was accompanied by Etna and her Prinnies. The hotel's appearance hadn't changed, but Wright couldn't help but wonder whether or not something should be different.
"Well, here we are," Wright said, and after a moment added, "Again."
"Hey, wait up, weddo!"
Wright found himself cringing as Flonne and Thursday turned to look. In spite his better judgement, Wright forced his head to point itself in that direction. Sure enough, the three little pig demons from yesterday were there, looking just as hopelessly menacing as before.
("Oh, lord, not these guys…") Wright thought, sweating. ("Just what I need.")
"Remember us, homes?" Cholo asked, patting his club into his other paw.
"I wish I couldn't." Wright groaned.
"Si, we're pretty unforgettable," Chewie remarked, "We got like, muy mucho charisma, ese!"
Flonne raised a finger. "Excuse me, but…who are you?"
The three demons fell over, hitting the ground with a collective WHAM!
"These are some monsters that attacked me and Etna yesterday." Wright explained.
"That's right!" Churro yelled, getting up. "We are the legendary Vato Bros.!"
"Vato Bros.?" Flonne asked, frowning cutely in thought.
"CHECKING DATABASE…BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…" Thursday said, making actual computer noises. There was a sound like a bell ringing. "CHECK COMPLETE. NO ENTRY NAMED 'VATO BROTHERS' EXIST."
The Vato Bros. fell over again with yet another collective WHAM!
("Such high expectations…and yet so easy to dash…") Wright thought, slowly edging himself towards a tree to hide behind.
Getting up, Cholo said, "Yeah, well, when us and our friends get through with you guys, we'll be legendary for sure! Muchachos!"
Out from nowhere, over a dozen demons- some looked like walking scarecrows with pumpkins for heads, some were shambling undead creatures, and a few that looked like tree stumps with scowling faces.
"Okay, fellas…" Chewie said, and pointed his club at the trio. "Attack!"
The monsters lurched forward. As they got closer, Flonne held out a hand in the universal gesture for stop.
"Wait! You can't attack us!" She cried, "We're investigating a murder!"
"That's why we're attacking you, weddo!" Churro responded.
Flonne gasped. "You're knowingly obstructing justice! I won't let this stand!" She pointed. "Let's get 'em, Mr. Thursday!"
"ROGER," Thursday replied, "PREPARING FOR COMBAT."
Two spindly metallic arms sprang out from Thursday's side and gripped the ground. The robot's barrel-like body then flipped over to that its bottom was pointing directly at the Vato Bros. and their allies. A cannon barrel extended from it.
"COMBAT MODE INITIATED. ROBO-BAZOOKA READY TO FIRE," Thursday reported, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."
Flonne nodded excitedly. "Okay! Now it's my turn! This is something I've been working on for a while…" She pulled out a staff and began to wave it around. "Durian Dragon Dranyago!"
The ground began to shake, and then something unexpected happened. Something that Wright, even after all he had seen in the Netherworld, could not have predicted.
The monstrous skeleton of some dinosaur-like creature burst from the ground, roaring in a voice that seemed to echo out from the abyss.
("Witchcraft!") Wright thought, his voice lost from the shock. ("What sorcery be this!")
Flonne blinked, sweating slightly. "Hmm…it looks different that it did the first time. Is it because I'm a Fallen Angel now…?"
("You mean it's not supposed to be that?")
Shaking it off, Flonne pointed at the attacking demons. "Well, never mind that! Let's win this battle! For justice!"
"ROGER." Thursday replied as the skeleton roared.
Wright, having found an appropriately-sized rock to hide behind, slumped down. Once again, tears seemed to be running down his face.
("How did this happen…?") Wright thought, ("We came here to investigate a murder, and now there's a war going on! Is my time in the Netherworld always going to be like this?")
Behind him, Wright could just faintly feel the shockwaves of the battle going on. However, due to him plugging his ears and keeping his eyes shut, Wright was unable to find out what was going on.
("Ever since I became a defense attorney, my life has gone from one headache to another,") Wright continued to internally monologue, ("Maybe I should have become something less taxing…like a member of a bomb squad.")
By a stunning coincidence, a great explosion occurred at exactly this moment. Luckily, with his ears plugged, most of the deafening volume had been prevented from reaching his eardrums. Unluckily, that didn't stop the force of the blast from lifting Wright off the ground, only for gravity to send him crashing down on his stomach.
"Urgh, I didn't need to feel that after breakfast…" Wright muttered.
Getting up, Wright turned around to see that the battlefield had undergone a change since he last looked at it. A great many craters and scorch marks had been added to the terrain, including what looked like a giant footprint belonging to something out of a giant monster movie. Inversely, the Vato Bros. allies were now missing (Wright privately suspected the skeleton Flonne summoned, but disregarded the suspicion due to a lack of digestive organs), while the Vato Bros. themselves looked like they had been run through the wringer.
Churro coughed. "Gotta hand it to you…you got some grade-A protection this time, weddo…"
"I guess we'll let you off wit' another warning, homes…" Cholo suggested, leaning on his club for support.
"But don't think this'll be the last you hear of the Vato Bros., ese…" Chewie finished.
And with that, the Vato Bros. limped away.
Flonne pumped her fist, her eyes filled with fire. "Once again, love and justice prevails over the forces of evil!"
Wright sighed, and looked toward the hotel. "Now can we investigate…?"
-A-A-D-
October 7, 8:13 AM_
Gates Hotel Lobby_
The lobby hadn't changed since Wright had been in there the day before, nor had he expected it to. The only difference was that instead of Flonne, there was a Prinny standing behind the desk.
"Welcome to the Dates Hotel, dood," The Prinny said, "Can help- oh, it's you, Flonne. What's up, dood?"
"We're looking for Miss Bird," Flonne answered, "Do you know where we might find her?"
"Miss Bird? She's down in the kitchen, dood," the Prinny reported, "Anything else?"
"No, we're fine."
("Hmm, the Prinnies are more polite when they're talking to Flonne…") Aloud, Wright said, "Well, I guess we're going to the kitchen. Where is it?"
"This way, follow me." Flonne replied.
-A-D-D-
October 7, 8:21 AM_
Gates Hotel Kitchen_
The kitchen for the hotel reminded Wright of the one in the pretty-looking but poor-tasting French restaurant, Tres Bien. That place was the center of an earlier case he had worked on. The main difference between the two places was that unlike Tres Bien, the hotel's kitchen didn't smell of bad perfumes. Instead, it smelled of…sweets. Upon further consideration, he recalled that most of the food sold at the castle's Shop was filled with sugar.
("Does diabetes exist in Hell?") Wright thought, ("Or are demons immune to cavities?")
"Oh, look, there's Miss Bird, over there," Flonne pointed, and began to wave. "Oh, Maggey!"
"Maggey?" Wright repeated, unnerved. He turned to where Flonne was pointing…
"Oh, Mr. Wright! I can't believe it's you! Long time, no see!"
Wright's jaw dropped. "…Maggey?" ("Miss 'Bird'…Oh my God…")
Standing directly before him, in an elegant gothic version of her old Tres Bien uniform, was Maggey Byrde, his previous client from not one, but two trials. Maggey was constantly changing jobs, as her atrocious luck would continually cause her to be fired. When Wright had first met her, she was a cop. The second time he saw her was during her tenure as a waitress. That was the last time he saw her, but he heard from Gumshoe that she spent some time as a security officer at the local prosecutor's building.
Maggey saluted. "It's good to see you again! What are you doing here?"
"I…I could ask you the same," Wright managed, "How did you end up here?"
"How? I applied for the job, of course!" Maggey replied, "I answered an ad in the newspaper."
"Is…is that so?" Wright asked faintly.
"That's right!" Maggey nodded, then looking thoughtful. "I think it's for an amusement park that hasn't opened up yet…everyone I see if wearing a costume."
Wright looked to Flonne for answers. Looking somewhat awkward, Flonne whispered to him, "I haven't had the heart to tell her she really is in the Netherworld…"
"It's been a bit confusing, but I'm having a blast so far!" Maggey continued, "No one gets too upset if I break something, or lock myself out, except for the manager, but… I think my luck's finally turning around!"
("No, Maggey, you've just hit rock-bottom…") Wright thought glumly. He could only hope that Maggey's inability to hold a job would kick in before she upset a really blood-thirsty demon. Deciding that it was time to get down to business, he asked, "Maggey, could I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure! I was just about to go on my break," Maggey said, "What do you need?"
"Could you tell us about the murder that happened yesterday?"
"Oh, you're working that case? With pleasure!" Maggey saluted.
MAGGEY'S TESTIMONY: What happened in the hotel.
"I arrived for work early at 5:30," Maggey began, "I came in early because almost all of the other employees were on some kind of holiday. Anyway, Flonne and I made some of those special snacks the hotel serves."
("That's basically what Flonne told me yesterday.") Wright thought, but didn't interrupt.
"At 8:15, I relieved Mr. Maderas at the front desk." Maggey continued, but was cut off by Wright.
"Who's Mr. Maderas?" Wright asked quickly.
"Oh, that's our manager." Maggey answered.
"So that's what he was doing…" Flonne murmured.
Wright filed the name of the hotel manager in the court record. "Okay, so you took over for this…Maderas. Did anything happen before the victim showed up?"
"No, it was pretty boring," Maggey admitted, "I almost fell asleep a few times, but managed to stay awake."
"At what time did Tramus arrive at the hotel?" Wright asked.
Maggey crossed her arms in thought. "You mean the man dressed as an angel? I think it was…3:49. Yeah, that sounds right. If you want, you can check the hotel's log."
"Thursday, could you do that?" Flonne asked.
"ROGER. CHECKING HOTEL'S LOG," Thursday announced, and trundled off. "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…"
"Anyway, around 4, the power went out…" Maggey continued, but was cut off by Wright.
"The power went out?" Wright asked, and looked to Flonne. "You never mentioned that!"
"Oh! I'm sorry! I must have forgotten!" Flonne fretted, "But it didn't last very long…"
Maggey nodded. "That's right. The lights were out for only a few minutes. The manager must have been close to the breaker when it happened."
"Breaker?" Wright repeated thoughtfully.
"You know, the switches that control the electricity in the hotel," Maggey explained, "I know there's one here, because I heard Mr. Maderas talking about it to another employee, but I don't know where it is."
"You don't? But you work here!" Wright commented.
"Mr. Maderas apparently is a bit paranoid that someone might fool around with the hotel's power," Flonne explained, "So the circuit breaker is hidden."
("Is that safe?") Wright thought, ("Or is the discipline problem that bad?")
"Anyway, where was I?" Maggey thought for a moment before saying, "Oh yeah! After the black out ended, some weird short guy showed up."
"What?"
Maggey nodded. "Yeah, strange little fellow. Wore a brown cloak and hood. Couldn't tell what he looked like."
"Did…did anyone else come by?" Wright asked, his fingers tightening.
Maggey shook her head. "Not during my shift. Just one guy, and he was completely covered."
Wright promptly made his epic finger-point. "OBJECTION!"
"GAH!" Maggey cried, flinching.
"EEK!" Flonne shrieked.
"I'm sorry, Miss Byrde," Wright apologized, "But there is a clear contradiction in your testimony!"
"What?" Maggey asked, "What's wrong?"
"You just admitted to not knowing what the only visitor to the hotel looked like," Wright said, "But in court yesterday, the prosecution claimed you fingered the defendant!"
"I never fingered anybody!" Maggey protested, her cheeks puffing out in anger. "All I did was describe the hooded person as I saw him…or her. If it's anybody's mistake, it's that laughing woman's!"
Wright blinked. "Laughing woman?" ("I think I know what's coming…")
"Ooh, she makes me so mad!" Maggey ranted, "She calls herself an investigator, dressed like that? And that condenscending attitude of hers! She's an insult to real policemen like Detective Gumshoe!"
("If she's worse than Gumshoe, than Marjoly must be really bad…") Wright thought, and said, "I'm sorry if I insulted her. But what did you tell Marjoly?"
"Just what I told you- a little hooded man came by," Maggey reiterated, "Didn't say a thing, just kept walking."
"And you're absolutely sure you didn't see what he looked like?" Flonne asked.
Maggey nodded. "That's right."
"Okay, go on." Wright said.
"All right," Maggey nodded, and continued. "After that hooded man came by, things pretty much slowed down. At 5:20, I had to go to the bathroom. So, I had to leave the desk."
"You left your post?" Wright asked.
"It was only for a few minutes!" Maggey defended, "Anyway, at 5:39, Flonne took over for me, so I went down here to the kitchen. And that's about it. Does that help?"
"A bit…" Wright tapped his chin in thought. ("If Maggey saw that hooded person before 5:20, then that means it couldn't have been Laharl.") He added the profile of the hooded stranger to the court record, along with Maggey's testimony. ("Looks like we have a new suspect. Now to find out who it is-") He thought of the feather. ("-And I think I know where to look…")
"Oh, Mr. Thursday's back!" Flonne noted as the barrel-shaped machine entered the kitchen, "Did you find the log, Mr. Thursday?"
"AFFIRMATIVE," Thursday reported, "CONFIRMED ARRIVAL TIME OF TRAMUS; 3:49. BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."
Wright nodded. "Thanks, Thursday. That helps.
"It does?" Flonne asked.
"Every little detail, no matter how insignificant, can lead us closer to the truth," Wright explained, "And speaking of which, we should get going."
"Okay. Good bye, Mr. Wright, and good luck!" Maggey said, saluting. "I'll be rooting for you!"
"Thanks for that, Maggey," Wright replied, "And it was good to see you again. Bye!"
As Wright, Flonne, and Thursday left the kitchen, the Fallen Angel turned to the lawyer. "What should we do now?"
"We let's go back to the castle and plan our next move," Wright told her, "We still have plenty of time until the court reconvenes tonight, and I'd like to spend it in…what do you call that angel place?"
"Celestia?" Flonne asked, "Why would you want to go there?"
"We still don't know who left that extra feather in Tramus' room," Wright explained, "And I think whoever it was will be the key to winning this case."
Flonne's face fell. "Mr. Wright… You don't really believe a fellow angel killed Lord Tramus, do you?"
Wright tried not to look her in the eye. "As a professional, I prefer to reserve judgment until after I get the facts." ("But right now, that's the only lead I've got…")
Episode 4
End
Court Record
-Defense Attorny's badge: My symbol as a defense attorney. I hope I don't lose it…
-Defense Investigation Bill: Permission from the Dark Assembly to investigate the crime scene. At least, that's what I hope it says. The writing's kind of illegible.
-Passports: These passports belonged to the Vato Bros. Apparently, they live in a place called, 'Evil Academy.'
-Angel Feather: Found at the crime scene. It came from a feather different from Tramus.
-Devil Food Cake Wrappers: These papers once contained Gates Hotel's exclusive Devil Food Cakes.
-Prinny Day flyer: The Prinnies get only one day off a year…glad I'm not them!
-Broken Spear: The weapon used to kill Tramus. The blade end is still stuck in the body, apparently.
-Nether Venom X Mk II: The most lethal poison the Netherworld has ever known. Found on the murder weapon.
-Laharl: My client, and the brattiest demon you will meet. He's been accused of killing an angel.
-Etna: Laharl's, and mine, less-than-trusted assistant. I wonder what her true agenda is…
-Tramus: The victim. He was a high-ranking angel from Celestia when alive.
-Vato Bros: Churro, Chewie, and Cholo are three orcs with nothing better to do than harass people. They rely on their lackeys FAR too much.
-Flonne: One of Laharl's friend, a ditzy Fallen Angel. How can someone so sweet be friends with that brat? I'm jealous!
-Flonne's Testimony: What Flonne witnessed on the day of the murder.
-Marjoly: The detective investigating the murder. She's human, but has demonic powers. Don't make fun of her age.
-the Judge: Normally the overseer of the trials I take part in on Earth, he's been brought here to act as a neutral party.
-Manfred von Karma: The most fiendish prosecutor I've ever faced off against. Even though he died in the human world, his spirit lives on in the Netherworld. Should be a Prinny, apparently.
-Thursday: An 'All-Purpose Super Robot', built to defend the Earth. If that's so, how come it's in the Netherworld…?
-Maggey Byrde: A human who works at a demon hotel. Plagued by atrocious luck, but still remains chipper.
-Maggey's Testimony: What Maggey witnessed on the day of the murder.
-Hooded Stranger: A mysterious being who came to the hotel.
(A/N: I haven't much to say, except that I hope I get lots of reviews.)
Etna: When one's faith in others is questioned, only sorrow can be found…
Wright: Huh? Are you acting serious for a change?
Etna: Reveal the secrets of this impure world… Sexy Etna, P.I!
Wright: Guess not…
Etna: With her never-ending supply of money, brains, and sex appeal, Etna throws herself into a realm of confusion and intrigue!
Wright: Do you posses any of those three quailities?
Etna: Can she solve the mystery, and get her payment?
Wright: Don't you have a never-ending supply of money?
Etna: Next time on Demonic Investigators, final episode! 'We Will Avenge You, Phoenix Wright!'
Wright: Wait, I've been killed off!