January 14, 1:25 PM, District Court, Los Angeles, Defendant Lobby #3

The police swept the lobby and then left Apollo, Armando, and Caroline with two guards. Ema was still asleep; Apollo wondered how long she was going to nap. In any case, there was no one waiting in the lobby, no bombs, no hidden guns, and above all else there were no alarms going off. "This really is just a tentative sweep," one the guards said, "there's no proof of an attacker, really."

"Oh, no, there is," Caroline said. "Mr. Armando, I must congratulate you. You were, once again, correct."

Thanks for telling me that too, Caroline… Apollo thought. "So, you don't mind going to prison, but you do mind getting killed?" he asked.

"Yes," Caroline said. She flipped through her book and snapped it shut. "Mr. Justice, my death is not part of the schedule," she said, "there are still things I wish to learn, to uncover."

"That's the police's job now," Armando said. "Org's been proven to be a criminal in court. We have Kamosinko's word, and the CIA's not protecting him anymore. Hopefully, they'll be able to take them down."

"Oh, please," Caroline snapped. "The police are utterly incompetent."

"Oh, come on!" the guard who'd spoken earlier said, "we're not that incompetent! Right, Claude?"

"Right!" the other guard said.

And then the door slammed open and a woman tackled Claude, sending him to the floor, and jabbed a Taser into the other guard. Then, pulling a gun on Apollo and company, the woman, who was wearing greasy jeans and a sweatshirt and had her blonde hair in a ponytail, carefully shut the door, put the unconscious policemen in front of the door and said, "line up on the wall."

"Who are you?" Armando said, entirely undaunted.

The woman switched her gun to him. "My name… that's not important," she said.

"Caitlin Adams, right?" Armando said, and then he added, "Red, Caroline, go stand against the wall. I've got this."

What was he going to do, shoot lasers out of his mask!? In any case, he kept calmly sipping coffee while Apollo joined Caroline at the wall, opposite the still-sleeping Ema. All they needed was one gunshot and surely she'd awake-!

"Yes, that's my name," Adams said after a moment. "Y-you despicable people… you- you lawyers!"

"Technically, I'm a prisoner, and Caroline's a secretary," Armando said. "And we need Red. So don't shoot him."

"You're all just part of the capitalistic kyrarchial commercial-governmental complex that's killin' the planet and the poor!" Adams spat.

"Really?" Armando said, and he smirked at her. "So, where does working on trains fit in there?"

"By taking jobs traditionally designated for men, I ensure that I'm able to smash the kyarchy!" Adams said, "and when you smash the kyarchy and the gender binary, it means that you have less people to pollute the planet!"

"Are you one of those people who try and stick two causes together without knowing a thing about either one?" Armando said, with a devilish smirk plastered on his face, "one of those holier-than-thou hypocrites who sit on their butt and whine online all day crossed with nuts who think the moon landings are fake and hoard guns to fight off the feds?"

"I! I am not one of those people!" Adams snapped. "I am doing something!"

"Like killing people," Apollo said.

"Shut up or kill your masked friend!" Adams yelled. "Anyway, I am doing something! And for your information, the kyrachy is completely real. It's a combination of-"

"The Illuminati, the Zionists, and the Patriarchy, right?" Armando said, "the greatest conspiracy theory organizations of the last hundred years?"

Adams violently twitched and stepped forward. "Shut up," she hissed, "why do you hate the environment? Why are you in the way? You're Mexican, you should side with us!"

"Ha! I'm Brazilian," Armando replied. "Well, born in the US to Brazilian immigrants, but you get the idea. Shows how much you know- anyway, who says I hate the environment? I just don't like hypocrites like you."

"I'm not a hypocrite…" Adams hissed. "I'm fighting for social justice and the planet!"

"Thanks to your sabotage, a whole bunch of innocent people almost died," Armando said, "what do you say about that?"

"Sacrifices must be made. Besides, rural Japanese people? Patriarchal," Adams said.

"It's a women-dominated society, you know," Armando said. "Or how about trying to kill Detective Skye?"

"The ends justify the means," Adams said resolutely. "Surely Ms. Caroline agrees."

"Why were you ordered to kill us?" Armando said.

"Shut up!"

"How do you fight for social justice when you're trying to kill random people who've done you no wrong?" Armando said.

"Be quiet!" Adams barked, and she advanced further towards Armando, but kept out of his arm's reach. But he kept standing there, one hand in his pocket, the other hand on a coffee.

"Hey, ever heard this? 'The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which'," Armando said. Adams' teeth were bared and she made a screeching sound.

"I am not a pig!" Adams snarled.

"Are you?" Armando said, and then he glanced at Apollo. "Hey, Red. You practiced your Chords of Steel today?"

"I, no," Apollo said, his heart hammering. What was Armando doing?

"Then practice," Armando said. Adams raised her gun up to Armando's mask.

"I- Objection!" Apollo yelled. Adams jumped and turned her gun to Apollo and then back to Armando, before he could lunge.

"That won't work on me!" Adams yelled, "we trained in Mexico!"

"Oh? Trained for what?" Armando said, "how to fail to kill three unarmed hostages?"

"I'm not done," Adams snapped. And then there was a terrible bang as a gun was fired.

And Adams collapsed. Ema was sitting up on the couch, her gun in her hand, glaring at the attacker. "Now I'm done," Ema said. "I mean, now you're done!" She ran over to Adams to put her in handcuffs, but Adams simply glared at her and put her gun in her own mouth. "Wait, no!"

Another gunshot, and Adams graphically died right in front of everyone's faces. Caroline dropped her notebook. Apollo tried to look away but found himself strangely transfixed. Armando kept sipping his coffee. And Ema looked startled.

"Go get the cops, Ema," Armando said, "it looks like we found our assistant."


January 14, 1:45 PM, District Court, Los Angeles, Prosecution Lobby #3

Apollo, Armando, and Caroline were moved to a much heavier-guarded prosecution lobby, which looked the same as the defense lobby and currently had Pearl, Mr. Wright, and Mrs. Wright in it. When they entered, Dr. Kamosinko had passed them, apparently to go take an initial look at the body; "Even despite what he's done, for now he's the coroner," Mrs. Wright commented when Apollo kept staring after him.

Ema had stayed at the scene of the crime to help the police officers Adams had knocked out. Apollo was surprised that she was able to knock them out so easily, although his surprise lessened when Mrs. Wright mentioned her apparent penchant for exercise and wrestling and physical sports that meant that theoretically, she would know where to hit to take out one of the guards, and then taze the other.

"In other words," Mr. Wright had said, "if there had been more than two conscious guards, her plan would never've succeeded."

"If that's the case," Pearl said, "then why was Ms. Caroline so worried about her?"

"She had a gun and I'd seen her in the court room many times. She clearly had no concern for her life," Caroline said. "She had threatened me once in the detention center- although that time she was wearing a police uniform. That was when I was first brought there."

"I see," Mrs. Wright said, looking away again. "Ms. Caroline. Did you know about the train derailment?"

"I see no reason to speak to you," Caroline replied, "you have tirelessly fought for my imprisonment."

Mrs. Wright looked directly at Caroline. "'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth'," she said, "at this moment, I know exactly who the defense is going to accuse of murder and she has an alibi I've already collaborated. I'm afraid that with the way this court works, you are the only other option."

"And yet, there's a massive amount of reasonable doubt," Armando said. "You're a lizard who keeps jabbing at an imaginary insect."

But Mrs. Wright shook her head. "There's a definite motive and there's still no real proof that Caroline's telling the truth about being threatened or Morgan about Blue Earth," Mr. Wright said, a hand on his hip and an infuriating smile on his face. "I think we can still make a case."

"Boss, why are you siding with her?" Apollo said, pointing at Mrs. Wright. She blinked. "I mean, Mr. Wright, it's just- I know what the Judge said, but could you please not make such specific theories?"

"You do keep accepting the defense's theories, though," Armando said. "Although it makes sense that he's siding with her, Red. He's co-counsel to the prosecution, and even if that's not his normal job he should still keep focused on what he's doing in court."

"Yeah," Mr. Wright added, looking a little less cheerful, "it's harder than you think to be a prosecutor in the first place. I'm still kind of thinking of how to get Caroline out."

"Feel free to help," Apollo said.

"Feel free to ignore him," Mrs. Wright said sternly. "Apollo, if I hadn't covered for Phoenix your case would've gone nowhere."

"Why did you do that, then?" Armando said, "your typical love martyr?"

"No," Mrs. Wright said. "I… I try not to do that. Dr. Kamosinko is a friend of mine, if an eccentric one, and I could tell that he was lying to the court. Why do you think I objected so little during most of his testimony?"

"It was better that we find out the truth then push our case," Mr. Wright said, "and the best way to do that is to see how the truth backs our own case."

"Even if it turns out that it really doesn't," Mrs. Wright added.

Ema entered the room. "More paperwork," she grumbled, "it's not my fault she shot herself… so, how's everyone?"

"Disturbed," Apollo said. He had purposefully not been thinking about Adams because whenever he did, her suicide ran in his head again. "I just… I can't believe they both killed themselves."

"That's the way with some people, Red," Armando said, looking down, and said bitterly, "some people become so vested in their warped view of the world that they're more willing to pointlessly sacrifice themselves to change nothing then ever wake up and truly smell the coffee. They blame others for their own deficiencies and if they're lucky, the only ones they mar are themselves."

"Mr. Armando…" Pearl said, looking down.

"Besides that, it also means we can't get anything out of them," Ema said. "I don't want to be insensitive, but… we still don't know the whereabouts of everyone in that cell that attacked the Mexican farm. Assuming they were all part of this, we have three dead and two arrested but there were a lot more."

"Yes, well, I think that this trial will be finished shortly," Mrs. Wright said. "Caroline. Were there any other people who attacked, or anything else that you have not lied about, assuming you did not commit the murder?"

Caroline shook her head. "There were no other such ill-tempered persons," she said, "just that train engineer."

"Mrs. Wright," Ema said, "are you guys going to keep going after her? Now that they've tried to kill Apollo twice, and they were clearly trying to silence Caroline…" The vision of Adams killing herself ran through Apollo's head again. He looked at the ground and began taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable reason for that," Mrs. Wright said. "And I will not let the actions of terrorists dictate what a prosecutor should do. I will keep at my job. That's my role."

"I see," Ema said, "but… well, you were wrong with Mrs. Fey and with Dr. Kamosinko."

"I've worked with Dr. Kamosinko for years," Mrs. Wright said, and she added bitterly, "and I thought that my mother had finally let go of her hatred. I was… wrong."

"Were you?" Mr. Wright said. "All she had to do was start pleading the fifth or stonewalling instead of answering the questions that lead to Armando figuring out about the train. Maybe, on some level, she really doesn't want Kurain destroyed?"

"Wright, what are you talking about?" Armando said. "Don't put sugar in the coffee of your close friends when they don't need it."

"Yeah, Mr. Wright," Apollo said, still not looking up, "there's no point in lying."

"We can tell you're just trying to make Iris feel better, Mr. Nick," Pearl said.

Mr. Wright sighed. "Okay, yeah, but she's still bothering me," he said. "Why did she mention Blue Earth? It's such an oddly specific thing to mention."

"I do not work for them," Caroline said promptly.

"We're not accusing you of doing that," Mrs. Wright said. "Hmm… are we looking at this wrong?"

"Yes," Apollo said, glancing back up. Ema and Mr. Wright seemed to be looking at him in concern, and then they quickly shifted their focus back to Mrs. Wright.

"No, that's not what I mean," Mrs. Wright said, and she went back to her 'thinking' pose. "What's going on here?"

"Mrs. Wright. Mr. Justice," a bailiff said, entering the room, "his Honor wishes to resume court. Do you have your last witness?"

"Yes, she's under guard at the detention center," Mrs. Wright said. "Please give me fifteen minutes. Until then… please escort the defense and defendant back to the courtroom, Detective Skye."


January 14, 2:15 PM, District Court, Los Angeles, Courtroom #4

It was time for the final witness. Apollo and Armando were at the defense stand. Apollo was still nervous and was desperately trying to stave off memories of the suicide from his head. "You need a drink to calm your nerves, Red?" Armando said, and he slid a cup of black coffee to Apollo. Apollo nodded and drank the bitter stuff, and then slid it back. Hopefully the heat and bitterness would stave off the memories and his still-fast heartbeat.

Across the court, the Wrights were talking between themselves. The Judge was at his stand, looking around the courtroom, and there were even more bailiffs and guards than usual. And somehow, the gallery had swelled in attendants. But most puzzling of all, the defendant still hadn't emerged.

"I-I call this court to a-attention!" the Judge said, and he swung his gavel down. Apollo jumped in spite of himself; how was this worse than when the first assassin tried to kill him? Had Clay just calmed his nerves that much? "W-well, I heard there was another death-"

"Four witnesses to the assailant committing suicide, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said. "The body's already been taken to the coroner's."

"And she was the missing train saboteur?" the Judge said, wide-eyed. "But… how could she take out two policemen?"

"The officers attacked normally do not provide security, and Ms. Adams was a proficient fighter," Mrs. Wright said. She glanced at a paper on her desk and added, "and according to Dr. Kamosinko, she 'got lucky' on her first attack and knocked the first officer unconscious in one blow. In any case, once again Detective Skye saved Mr. Justice from an untimely death. As well as Mr. Armando and the defendant."

"I see!" the Judge said. "Well, then it's time for a verdict! In light of the frequent attempts to kill Mr. Justice, this court finds Caroline-"

"Objection!" Armando shouted. "Your Honor," he said, summoning a coffee cup and shaking his head, "a man who seeks a conviction without finding the truth is just playing into the hands of a criminal."

"…that's one of your rules?" the Judge said.

Armando smirked and nodded. "Thanks a lot," Apollo hissed.

"Well, in any case," Mrs. Wright said, "the prosecution will now call its final witness: Irene Chandler-Chavez, one of the leaders of the cell that attacked the maize farm in Mexico whose recently had two members try and murder key members of this trial."

A woman took the stand. Her skin was tanned, although less so than Mr. Armando, and her hair was long and black. She was wearing a yellow sundress of a sort and had what appeared to be a floral crown in her hair. Her expression was graced with a small smile, and there were numerous rings on her fingers. Finally, she had expensive-looking necklaces, bracelets, and earrings on; she certainly seemed to be a child of wealth.

"Name and profession, please," Mrs. Wright said.

"My name is Irene Chandler-Chavez," Chandler-Chavez said with the slightest hint of a Latin accent, "I am an environmental activist and biology major."

"Ms. Chandler-Chavez," Mrs. Wright said, "you are aware of why you were arrested, correct?"

"Of course," Chandler-Chavez said, "on suspicion of working with Henry Orson to destroy incriminating evidence, yes?"

"Yes," the Judge said. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez. I am told that you were Mr. Orson's 'sweetheart'?"

Chandler-Chavez made a "tch" sound and suddenly looked rather angry. "Henry Orson is a pig," she said, "he's a would-be Casanova and I had him thrown out of my hotel."

"If you wouldn't mind me asking, why were you in Los Angeles in the first place?" Mrs. Wright said, "don't you attend a school in the northeast?"

"Did you know that some species of dolphins mourn their dead?" Chandler-Chavez said, and she added, looking down at a flower she was wrapping around her finger, "in that respect, humans and dolphins are not that much different."

"So you were here for a funeral?" Mr. Wright said.

Chandler-Chavez nodded. "Marvin and I had been going out for some time when he died in that car accident," she said, "so I came out to California for his funeral."

"She did not arrive in California until the Friday before the murder," Mrs. Wright added, submitting her airline information to the court. "We've already confirmed this with security recordings. Furthermore, Orson's claim about being ejected from the hotel have also been proven. Now, Chandler-Chavez, you are aware what you have been accused of?"

"By Orson?" Chandler-Chavez said, and she curtsied. "Of course. Being the true murderer of Marvin's father."

"Please testify regarding that," Mrs. Wright said, "please explain your alibi."

Apollo tensed up. Here we go. Chandler-Chavez started winding that flower around her finger again. "The murder took place on Monday, right? Well, I was in my hotel room at the time of the crime. At my hotel, there are security cameras that cover anyone going to any rooms on the floor I was at. I didn't leave, and that can be easily proven."

"Well, Mrs. Wright?" the Judge said, "has this been proven?"

"Yes, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said, "security recordings have confirmed that Chandler-Chavez did not leave her room."

"Objection!" Apollo shouted. "Doesn't the possibility exist that she simply stayed elsewhere and only appeared to stay in her hotel room until after the murder?"

"No," Mrs. Wright said flatly. "She entered her room at around noon. She did not leave until 7 PM. And the only visitor she had was Henry Orson, who entered her apartment and was quickly thrown out and escorted out again about five minutes later, around 6 PM."

"Was Orson holding anything?" Armando said.

Mrs. Wright nodded. "He was, a gift for Ms. Chandler-Chavez. A necklace he was storing in a paper bag."

"It is a very nice necklace," Chandler-Chavez said, gesturing to one of the necklaces she was wearing, a gaudy gold-and-silver thing that looked like it needed to be polished. "Although he started making advances on me so I had him thrown out…"

Apollo couldn't blame her. "Her alibi seems rock-solid," the Judge said, "in any case, Mr. Justice, please begin your cross-examination."

"Yes, your Honor," Apollo said. "Mrs. Wright, before I begin I want to confirm one thing: when was the pot poisoned?"

"It had to have been after the afternoon washing by the defendant," Mrs. Wright said, "which was at 1:23 PM, exactly, according to her. Even though the hotel is only five minutes by car from the company building, as the witness was in her room starting roughly an hour and twenty minutes earlier, it is impossible for her to be the murderer."

"Well, what if she poisoned the soap or something?" Apollo said.

"That's very unlikely, Mr. Justice," Mrs. Wright said, "seeing as no poison was found in the first pot. Right now, we believe that the poison was contained the sugar container and put into the second pot that Mrs. Fey so 'helpfully' cleaned out for us."

Well, there was one potential way out gone. So Apollo thought. He thought and thought and thought. There had to be a way out of this! "Ms. Chandler-Chavez," Apollo finally said, "do you have any idea why Mr. Orson would try and implicate you?"

"He's a bitter fool. Surely you've met him?" Chandler-Chavez said.

"I have," Apollo said. She had a point. "Perhaps… you could've escaped via rope ladder?"

"There are external cameras too, Mr. Justice," Mrs. Wright said.

"I- well-"

"It seems the defense has no meaningful objections," Mrs. Wright said.

The Judge nodded. "I assume we can move on," the Judge said, "now, Ms. Chandler-Chavez-"

"Hold it." Silence reigned in the courtroom as Armando shook his head and sipped his coffee. "The best coffees require a good mug to hold them. Too many cracks and it all leaks out. That's exactly what's going on here."

"…what?" the Judge said.

"I'm- I'm confused," Mrs. Wright said.

"Someone please translate! Mr. Justice?" the Judge said.

"Your Honor, I'm as confused as the rest of you," Apollo said.

The courtroom filled with chatter that the Judge silenced with one jump-inducing gavel bang. "Mr. Armando! Please explain yourself! We can't keep up with your metaphors!" the Judge said.

"It's human nature to focus on previous presumptions. Ones like 'the witness is the one with wrong testimony'," Armando said, "and in this case, the court's looking at Chandler-Chavez's testimony all wrong."

"I am not lying, Mr. Godot," Chandler-Chavez said.

"No?" Armando said, "we'll see about that."

"I'll ask again: please explain yourself," the Judge said, "or face a penalty!"

"Calm yourself, your Honor," Armando said. "It's very simple. There's one question we never asked, but Chandler-Chavez isn't the one we need to ask, now is she?" He smirked and said, "Mrs. Wright."

"Yes?" Mrs. Wright said, putting her hand on her desk.

"Tell me," Armando said, "what kind of hotel was Chandler-Chavez staying at?"

"A luxury hotel," Mrs. Wright said. "Why?"

"Well, surely you've been to one before?" Armando said, "how about you, Red? Did you notice anything when you visited?"

"I was too focused on the attack on Kurain and the case to notice anything," Apollo said.

"In that case, could pictures of Chandler-Chavez's hotel room please be provided?" Armando said. Mrs. Wright sighed and nodded.

The court record updated with the pictures, and there were quite a lot. Her hotel room was far larger than Apollo realized, with all sorts of things that made Apollo and Clay's apartments look like piecemeal. Her kitchen alone seemed to be bigger than their apartments, as did the built-in laundry room and the bathroom with a hot-tub in it. There was a hallway leading off to a locked door and a second hallway that lead to a spare bedroom. And finally, there was all of her luggage and things: from her toiletries lined up by the police as well as her mourning clothes in the bathroom, to a box of expensive-looking imported tea next to a coffeemaker with a shiny coffeepot, it was clear that she wasn't exactly traveling in poverty. Still, Apollo wasn't sure what this was proving… unless…

"Mrs. Wright, where does that locked door go?" Apollo said, "I don't remember the entry door being at the end of a hallway."

"That leads into the room next door, which was unoccupied," Mrs. Wright said. "However, it can be locked from both sides, and it was locked from both sides when the police found it. Furthermore, that hotel room was undisturbed."

Apollo nodded. Another dead end, it seemed… "And there's your problem," Armando said suddenly, "Tell me, Iris. Have you ever checked if anyone ever went in and out of that room?"

"Well, of course she would," Mr. Wright said. "Right, Iris?"

But Mrs. Wright looked troubled. "I… actually, no," she said, "it was deemed unnecessary because both doors had been locked."

Armando smirked and Apollo crossed his arms. "Mrs. Wright," Apollo said, "the defense requests that that security footage be checked."

"I did not leave," Chandler-Chavez insisted, although she didn't seem to notice that she had just decapitated her flower with her hand. "I did not!"

"We-we'll check," Mrs. Wright said, looking bothered, "I'll send in a call."

Five minutes passed, and Mrs. Wright's face soured when she received a call from the police. "Two people went in and out of that room," she said, "Henry Orson and an unidentified person wearing a black veil. I'll submit that data now." The court record updated with a chart: at 12:50 Orson entered the room, and then he left with Chandler-Chavez (or the unidentified person) at 12:59. Orson entered again at 3:30 and left at 3:37; Chandler-Chavez arrived once more at 5:00.

"Thanks, Mrs. Wright," Apollo said, and he crossed his arms and addressed the court: "Your Honor, it seems that Chandler-Chavez's alibi just shattered."

Chandler-Chavez bared her teeth in a look of outright shock. "I-I-"

"You will explain yourself!" Mrs. Wright said sharply.

"I- I had to escape from Orson," Chandler-Chavez said, "it was easy enough to have him just steal a key or something and unlock the door next to me."

"So you used him to create an alibi for the time of the murder?"

"No!" Chandler-Chavez insisted, "I was not at the company! I have never even had plans to meet with anyone there!"

"That's a likely story," Apollo said, "then how do you explain the true words on the 12-2 Report that you told Henry Orson to burn?"

"I-I did not-" Chandler-Chavez said, "I am not there! I do not know the murdered man!"

"Objection!" Apollo shouted, "according to the note, you were to meet with Org this Friday, for the delivery of $500000 to Blue Earth! Your name was specifically written there- how do you explain that, Ms. Chandler-Chavez!?"

Chandler-Chavez leaned forward and looked like she had been slapped in the face. She seemed utterly dumbfounded. "How…" she said, "how…"

"There's no point in lying," Mrs. Wright said. "We know that you were a cofounder of the group that attacked the maize fields. Orson implicated you, as did Fey. Your boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and Org represents a political view you hold as toxic. Correct?"

Chandler-Chavez said nothing and simply clutched the witness stand, in a manner reminiscent of Kamosinko earlier.

"Your Honor," Apollo said, "the defense wishes to formally indict Irene Chandler-Chavez as the leader of Blue Earth and the true killer of Gus Org."

The Judge nodded. "Mrs. Wright, any objections?"

"No, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said, "the prosecution believes that a better case can be made against Chandler-Chavez at this point."

The crowd's noise began building up as the Judge nodded. "Very well. This court finds the defendant, Bertha Caroline-"

"Hold it." The court fell silent again, and Chandler-Chavez began shaking. Her long hair was falling into her face, and her rings glittered in the light. Or was that… sparked? Electricity began crackling along the rings as Chandler-Chavez stood up, openly laughing. "That was remarkably quick," she said, and she smiled at the court, one corner of her mouth upturned higher than the other. To be honest, her smirk was scaring Apollo. "It's good to see you people know how to find your way out of an obvious lie, only to walk into another one."

"What are you talking about?" Apollo said. Chandler-Chavez cracked her knuckles and electricity crackled across all of her rings. Her crown also electrified and mostly burnt away, revealing a sparking tiara. She tilted her head first to the left, and then to the right, and then around, her eyes closed, and then opened her eyes to show her gray eyes that complemented her cruel smile.

"My name is Irene Chandler-Chavez," Chandler-Chavez said, "heir to the Chandler mining conglomerate and the Chavez agricultural empire. I am a daughter of privilege and that is what I wish to extend for myself."

Apollo suddenly felt chilled by her mere look. The Wrights looked unnerved, as did the Judge, and Armando just smirked. "I take it you don't don't believe in environmentalism?" Armando said, "or are you a repentant anti-capitalist?"

"Oh, please," Chandler-Chavez said, igniting a flower. "Environmentalism has its uses, at least right now. It's a religion, you know. A dogmatic, ignorant religion that throws out all it despises no matter how little that makes sense. You saw what happened to the assassins. They gave their lives for a false ideal and a false movement."

"And what bearing does that have on the verdict?" Mrs. Wright said, "it'll be hard to manipulate the masses behind bars, you know."

"Oh, I didn't do it," Chandler-Chavez said calmly. "I didn't kill Gus Org. That had to've been Caroline. So please tell me, Mrs. Wright. What is my motive? Where is the proof that I am the murderer?"

"I have already stated that," Mrs. Wright said resolutely, "as has Mr. Justice."

"I know that," Chandler-Chavez said. "But your Honor, I wish to provide additional testimony that may change things a little."

"What?" Apollo and the Judge said.

"Testimony about what?" Mr. Wright said.

"About a little group called 'Blue Earth'," Chandler-Chavez said, "and her leaders."

"Very well," the Judge said. "Please tell us."

Chandler-Chavez curtsied. "Thank you, your Honor," she said, in mock-politeness, and then she began: "Ten years ago, electronics billionaire Ian Phillips first began funding an ecoterrorist group that he founded, called Blue Earth. But Phillips couldn't fund them alone or he'd be caught. So he got two anonymous co-donors."

"Kamosinko and Org," Apollo said.

"Yes, little man," Chandler-Chavez said. "But they were both snakes. Kamosinko worked for the CIA and was eventually found out and cut out of the loop thanks to his assistant, Waxman, being discovered by Org. And Org used Blue Earth to simply try and destroy his competition."

"So that's how Waxman knew about Org?" the Judge said.

"Yes. Waxman was snooping where he didn't belong, from what I understand," Chandler-Chavez said. "But Waxman remembered Org and went back, if Dr. Kamosinko was telling the truth in the last trial."

The Judge nodded, and Apollo wondered how Chandler-Chavez had found out. Had it been relayed to her somehow?

"Blue Earth was seemingly defeated… however, we weren't gone. You see, after Org was released my mother's corporation began snooping itself into the matter and found out about Org. And we decided to use it," Chandler-Chavez said. Her electricity crackled loudly, and she said, "we threatened Org with the information being revealed and used it to secure favorable business deals. And quite frankly, I have no intention of letting go of that."

"So you had no motive?" the Judge said.

"While I'm sad that Marvin died, it was a car accident. Not some conspiracy," Chandler-Chavez said. How had she heard Kamosinko's testimony without finding out about Caroline's role in Marvin's death? What was going on? "And besides, there are other men out there."

"More like a Dahlia, eh?" Armando said, leaning forward on his desk.

"Dahlia Hawthorne was a fool incapable of making an intelligent plan," Chandler-Chavez stated flatly, and she looked at Mrs. Wright. "I would think the prosecution would know that. She was a sociopath with no understanding of how the human mind works, and it cost her dearly."

Like you're any different? Apollo thought. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez," Apollo said, "you claim you have no motive, then."

"That's what I just said. Pay attention, little man," Chandler-Chavez stated, switching her impressively icy glare to Apollo. "I was going to get $500000 on Friday from him to fund Blue Earth. Most of the money would be laundered and sent to my personal accounts."

"Why are you so blasé about this?" Mr. Wright said, looking utterly bamboozled.

"…I don't have to explain everything," Chandler-Chavez said. "And that is what I say now. I may not have an alibi, but you have no proof linking me and I do not have a reason for murder."

"Then what about the paper?" Apollo said, "the one that Orson was supposed to burn?"

"That thing? Oh, that was to get rid of evidence tying me to Org," Chandler-Chavez said.

"Then I take it you've met Org before?" Armando said.

"We met in prison in Mexico," Chandler-Chavez said, "that's where I made my demands known. I would obviously be released from prison, and he had no way of killing me. I was not as foolishly trusting as Phillips ever was. And I and my family had the blackmail needed. He wrote down the notes on the report. So I wanted that gone. That's all."

"I see," Apollo said, "and how long were you held in prison?"

"Overnight," Chandler-Chavez said, "you can check it if you want. Just ask the Mexican government."

"Very well," the Judge said, "it seems that you don't have a motive. Well, Mr. Justice- do you still want to continue your indictment, in the wake of this information?"

Apollo crossed his arms and smiled. "Of course, your Honor," Apollo said, "Chandler-Chavez just destroyed her own testimony."

"What are you talking about?" Chandler-Chavez said arrogantly.

"Mrs. Wright. Can you please tell the court about the 12-2 Report?" Apollo said.

"It was released on the 2nd of December, 2026, by a team that included Morgan Fey," Mrs. Wright said. "It had the damages and attackers on it."

"Exactly," Apollo said, "things that would take some time to compile."

Chandler-Chavez looked momentarily surprised and then clenched her fist, sending electricity crackling across her fist and seemingly not hurting her. "The attack occurred in late November," Mrs. Wright noted, "Ms. Chandler-Chavez. If you are telling the truth, then Mr. Org must be a time traveler."

"Clearly, you didn't meet until after December 2nd," Apollo said, "and for you to hide that implies that there's some significance to that."

"And it'd have to be before January 9th," Mr. Wright said. "Because that's when Orson first started working. That leaves about a month-long period for you to meet with Org and set up this plan."

"Yes," Chandler-Chavez said. Some of her cool seemed to be lost; she was starting to breathe harsher and her hair was starting to become uncombed. "I suppose that's not the truth. I flew out to visit Marvin's family and met him there. I made the demand. That was December 27th. I left the next day. That is all."

"That would put in the right timeframe," Armando said, "but that still doesn't answer all the questions."

"What do you mean?" Apollo said.

"Your Honor. The defense requests that Chandler-Chavez testify about her relationship with Marvin Org."

"I'm afraid I don't see how this is relevant," the Judge said.

"Your Honor, the prosecution wishes to know this as well," Mrs. Wright said. "We are… interested in finding out something."

"Very well," the Judge said. "Miss Chandler-Chavez?"

Chandler-Chavez nodded. "If I must," she said dismissively again. "Marvin and I met in college. We began dating quickly, and together we were part of the original co-founding of the new Blue Earth. He was an FBI agent, I was using Blue Earth for my own ends. Unfortunately, he died in a car crash."

"I see," Mrs. Wright said, her face still blank.

"Your cross-examination?" the Judge said.

"Miss Chandler-Chavez," Apollo said, "how did you find out that Org was an FBI agent?"

"If you know how to use your body, you can get anything out of anyone," Chandler-Chavez said. "Just look at what I used Orson for. Destroying that paper."

"Yes," Apollo said, deciding to wait to pounce on that. "It's just that you've been showing odd knowledge, Ms. Chandler-Chavez. You knew about Waxman torturing Org, but you didn't know that Caroline provided the natural gas and that Org likely killed his own son?"

Chandler-Chavez looked off towards the side and began toying with one of her necklaces. "…I didn't know," she said. Mr. Wright's eyes narrowed; Apollo could tell Chandler-Chavez was tensing up. But why…

"Ms. Chandler-Chavez. Whose necklace is that you're touching right now?" Apollo said.

"Objection!" Mrs. Wright shouted, and said, "that has no bearing."

"Also, it's Orson's," Mr. Wright said.

Apollo nodded. "Mrs. Wright," Apollo said, "did the police ever find the phone Orson used?"

"No," she replied, "furthermore, Orson was under surveillance by at least one of the guards at all times. While the detention center security cameras can't pick up sound, they would be capable of finding out if Orson had called anyone."

"There are no blind spots?" Armando said.

Mrs. Wright shook her head. "After a certain crime about seven years ago, cameras were installed throughout the prison and detention center," she reported.

"Then the prosecution charges that Orson couldn't contact Fey?" the Judge said.

"…no," Mrs. Wright said, "the prosecution believes that Adams was the go-between for Orson and Fey."

That was exactly what Apollo was thinking. Now, to extend this… "Ms. Chandler-Chavez," Apollo said, "I have a little theory for you, one that can be easily proven. That you knew about Kamosinko's trial proves that you had some sort of connection to the court to find out what was happening. Your Honor, the defense wishes to examine one thing on her person."

Chandler-Chavez gripped her necklace tightly. Bingo. "Explain," the Judge said, "and I will allow it."

"It's very simple, your Honor," Apollo said, "Adams was in contact with Chandler-Chavez."

"Objection!" Mrs. Wright slammed her hand on the desk and said, "Mr. Justice, need I remind you that during Kamosinko's second testimony Adams was likely in the courthouse? No civilians or police were being allowed in to the court building once the trial began, and she likely would've had to sneak in with the police at the beginning of the day."

"She couldn't have sneaked in at all, then?" the Judge said.

"No, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said, "there were guards stationed at every entrance point."

The Judge nodded. "It seems your theory is sunk," he noted.

"No, your Honor, it's just starting to set sail," Apollo said. "Mrs. Wright, the prosecution's theory involving this is that Adams was told what to tell Fey and Adams made it clear to Fey that Orson was the one who was giving the message, correct?"

"Yes," Mrs. Wright said.

"Furthermore," Apollo said, "a phone was never found."

"No," Mrs. Wright said. "There was no phone in the prison."

And Apollo crossed his arms and smiled. "Actually, I think there was a prison the entire time, Mrs. Wright," Apollo said, "and I think that we played right into Orson's hands to get it to him."

Mrs. Wright looked surprised, as did the Judge and Mr. Wright. The crowd began conversing loudly. "Wasn't Orson some rich clone of that Laurice guy that Wright knows?" Armando said.

"That's what he wanted us to think, perhaps," Apollo said. "However, it's been bugging me for the last few days that Orson caved so easily to Mrs. Wright and I," Apollo lied; he hadn't thought about it once, but now his theory was starting to make sense… "so the defense claims that that was entirely intentional."

"Orson is a fool, you know," Chandler-Chavez said, "you're giving him far too much credit."

"Am I?" Apollo said. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez, I can't help but notice that necklace you're clutching right now is rather grimy-looking compared to your other jewelry, at least when they're not sparking. Is there a particular reason for that?"

"I'm afraid I don't have time to polish all of my jewelry," Chandler-Chavez said, letting go of the necklace and looking away from the court with an arrogant expression.

You were in the detention center! How did you not have the time!? Apollo thought, but he pressed on, "or perhaps the dirtiness is there to hide something," he said, "or, just maybe… have blackmail material."

"What?" the Judge said, his eyes wide.

"Are?" Mrs. Wright said, looking surprised.

"You?" Mr. Wright said, also looking stunned.

"Talking about!?" demanded Chandler-Chavez, slamming her hands on the witness stand and sending great arcs of electricity into the air.

"Ha! I see," Armando said, smirking, "let me guess. That necklace she keeps holding is our missing phone."

"That's right," Apollo said. The crowd rose to a cacophony as Apollo explained. "As Mrs. Wright said, there's no sound recording in the detention center, which means that if someone used a small, thin phone like one contained in a necklace, or perhaps one that is the necklace, that as long as they kept their back to the camera they wouldn't be caught!"

"Objection!" Mrs. Wright shouted, "if this is the case, then how did Orson get the necklace to the witness!?"

"You answered that yourself!" Apollo said, "Adams herself!"

Mrs. Wright cringed and then slammed her hand on the desk. "So you claim that Adams brought the phone to Orson?" she said.

"Yes," Apollo said. "Yes, I do. When she arrived at the detention center, Adams passed on a message from Orson and Chandler-Chavez gave her her necklace. Then, with his back to the camera while appearing to talk to Adams, Orson was able to speak to Fey even if the cameras seemed to show no contact."

"But… then how did Chandler-Chavez find out while Adams was in court?" the Judge said.

"Um… your Honor, I think that's rather obvious," Mrs. Wright said, pointing at Chandler-Chavez' necklace. "If the defense's theory is true, then Chandler-Chavez ordinarily has the phone."

"But… would she know how to use it?" the Judge said.

"Perhaps not," Mr. Wright said.

"Perhaps so, Mr. Wright," Apollo said, crossing his arms, "you can't bluff your way out of this."

"He was bluffing?" the Judge said.

"You need your ears checked, Red," Armando commented.

"No! I- never mind," Apollo said, and Mr. Wright smiled congenially at him. "Ugh. Of course she'd know how to use it. Come on, she was holding it!"

"And?" Mr. Wright said, "Apollo, if you were given a spy gadget by a friend of yours and you didn't know but still wanted to keep it, would it matter that you didn't know what it was for?"

"That's a false analogy, Wright," Armando said, "Chandler-Chavez and Orson aren't friends."

Mr. Wright smiled and said nothing, but Mrs. Wright said, slamming her hand on the desk, "need I remind you of your own theory, Mr. Justice? That Chandler-Chavez was using the necklace as blackmail? Perhaps she's simply trying to safeguard that."

"But that doesn't even make any sense," Chandler-Chavez said, gazing coldly around the courtroom. "Orson brought the necklace to me, his fingerprints would be on it. How stupid can you people be?"

"That all depends on one thing, though," Apollo said, "if Orson got his fingerprints on the necklace when he brought it to you."

"And what makes you think he didn't?" Mrs. Wright demanded.

"Nothing, except for the fact that Chandler-Chavez never cleaned off that necklace," Apollo said. "It's odd that for someone with so many fine jewels, she'd have one gaudy, grimy necklace along with all her nicer, more electrifying jewelry."

Chandler-Chavez extended her arm at Apollo and electricity crackled along her rings. "Listen, little man," she said, "when the magpie collects shiny objects, it doesn't care what they are. Money is money."

"Perhaps so, but there is one thing Red missed," Armando said, pointing his coffee cup at Chandler-Chavez. "It's not the fingerprints themselves that matter. It's the placement."

Chandler-Chavez looked surprised, and an arc of electricity went between her hands, making her appear to have electrical handcuffs. The crowd, meanwhile, was growing in noise again. "Order! Order! Mr. Armando, please explain!" the Judge called.

"It's simple, your Honor," Armando said, "the question is not if his fingerprints are on it. The question is where. If, as the defense claims, it's a communications device and Orson knew how to use it, then his fingerprints should be in an odd pattern that does not resemble how someone would actually hold a necklace. And if that is the case, and Chandler-Chavez has not polished it to keep those fingerprints there, then that means that Chandler-Chavez knows about the necklace too… and thus knew about the phone."

Chandler-Chavez growled and slammed her fists together, electrocuting herself. "I-I admit it," she said, pulling her fists apart and bracing herself on the stand with one hand, "take the phone." Then she smirked and said, "Orson brought it to me after the murder and showed me how it worked. And then I had him kicked out. However, to keep it safe I kept it on me… which meant it went with me to the detention center. Like you said, Adams gave it to me and I was able to listen in on the trial."

"Was there any point when you did not?" Armando said.

"The communication cut out shortly after the defense accused William Waxman of being the true torturer," Chandler-Chavez said. "However, I know that must be the truth… the logic was perfect."

"Uh… thank you?" Apollo said, scratching his head, and then he said quickly, "wait, why did the communications stop?"

"How should I know? Adams is dead, you'd have to ask her," Chandler-Chavez said, and she smirked at Apollo. "I don't suppose you'd know, little man?"

"I-I don't know," Apollo said. Was there a reason? "Well, if that's the case, then I want to return to the original topic of conversation," he said, "Marvin Org. Your Honor, the defense requests that Ms. Chandler-Chavez testify concerning what she knows."

"The prosecution has no objections," Mrs. Wright said, "Ms. Chandler-Chavez. Please testify about the death of Marvin Org."

"Very well," Chandler-Chavez said, while a bailiff took away the phone necklace. Once it was gone, she grabbed a smaller platinum necklace, electrifying it, and began nervously twisting it. "Marvin died on January 1st, of this year. He was an FBI agent, who I was working with to try and destroy Blue Earth, because they were a threat to my own ambitions."

"But didn't you found it?" the Judge interrupted, earning him an extremely icy glare. "Eep!"

"Yes, I helped found it," Chandler-Chavez said after a moment, "I was approached by Marvin and Orson as the three of us are some of the wealthiest people at the school we went to. Orson was in charge of recruitment, Marvin planning, and myself funding. Using my mother's resources, I was able to do that marvelously well."

"I see," the Judge said, "then why destroy it?"

"Because extremists are bad for business and bad for money," Chandler-Chavez said. She looked at the Judge with the smallest of smiles and said, "I know it's been a long time since you were in college, your Honor, but perhaps you know how young people think?"

"We have no time for your soapboxing," Mrs. Wright said flatly. "Continue your testimony."

"Hmph," Chandler-Chavez said, "Birds that breed in colonies like gulls will mob to protect themselves, and especially their young, from predators."

"Uh…. what's your point?" the Judge said.

Please stop engaging her, your Honor… Apollo thought, and he said, "I think she just likes birds, your Honor."

"No," Chandler-Chavez said, "what I'm trying to say is that humans and animals aren't that different. Young people, well, all people, function in the same manner. And that mob is dangerous to people like me. But if you can get it to gather, and catch it all, then that's less enemies for you to deal with in the future."

"What?" Mr. Wright said.

"The less radical environmentalists, the better," Chandler-Chavez said, "if they're behind bars instead of blowing up my mines and fields, then that's a success."

"Look, just get back to Org," Mrs. Wright said. "Now."

"Hmph. Fine," Chandler-Chavez said, looking away. Then eyeing the court again, she continued, "the circumstances of Marvin's death was very simple. He crashed his car into a wall, and the natural gas containers exploded. According to some, it was foul play thanks to remains of a release mechanism and a cigarette found with the wreckage."

The courtroom quietly chatted amongst itself. Mrs. Wright's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. "Just to be clear," Mr. Wright said, "your communications device cut off during Kamosinko's second testimony earlier today?"

"Yes, spike-head," Chandler-Chavez said, "you can check the phone itself. It keeps a record."

Mr. Wright nodded and Mrs. Wright nodded to the bailiff with the necklace, who brought it over to her. "Well, I don't see any problems," the Judge said, "Mr. Justice. Your cross-examination."

"Of course, your Honor," Apollo said, "Ms. Chandler-Chavez. It's amazing how often you make contradictions in your testimonies."

"Oh?" Chandler-Chavez said, "whatever could you mean, little man?"

Apollo smiled and crossed his arms. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez, how did you find out about the foul play involved in Marvin Org's death?" he said.

"Yesterday, when Dr. Kamosinko first brought it up," Chandler-Chavez said. She smiled and added, "to assume foul play otherwise would be ridiculous, Mr. Justice."

"Is that so?" Apollo said, and he slammed his fists on his desk, then pointed at Chandler-Chavez and shouted, "how did you really learn about the device and cigarette!?"

"What are you talking about?" Chandler-Chavez hissed.

"We're referring to the fact that your phone died," Armando said, "and it died before Kamosinko told the court about the rogue cigarette. Considering the fact that it was thought to just be an accident and that police reports aren't usually available to the public…" Armando smirked, summoned his coffee, and drank from it, before slamming it down and saying, "you already knew about the cigarette, though, because you knew it was foul play from the start."

Chandler-Chavez growled and slammed her fists together, electrocuting herself again. "That's not good for out health, you know," Mr. Wright said smugly, "at this rate, your little magpie is going to become a jailbird."

"I-the phone cut in-" Chandler-Chavez hissed.

"Objection!" Mrs. Wright shouted, and she slammed one hand on her desk. "I've just finished with the disassembling of your phone and no, it did not!"

Chandler-Chavez recoiled, electricity crackling off of her rings and into the air. "Listen here, you little peasant-"

"Objection!" Apollo shouted, and he slammed his hands on the desk again. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez! You will tell the court how you knew about the cigarette!"

"I- there was an email with the information, it was sent anonymously," Chandler-Chavez said.

"Really? Then I suppose we can simply go find it again," Armando said, and he smirked at her. "Don't tell me you 'accidentally' deleted it."

"I- well, so what if I did!? My computer is my private life, you cannot look through it!" Chandler-Chavez snapped.

"With a warrant, yes," Mrs. Wright said. "Your lies are starting to run out, Ms. Chandler-Chavez. If you knew about the foul play, then there's a strong possibility you knew that Org was the likely murderer. You were in California for the murder and stayed at a hotel only five minutes away. You no longer have an alibi- at least not one that you've told us- and you are the only other person with the opportunity."

"Have you- I- well, I was at a movie! No, a museum!" Chandler-Chavez said, sweating.

"If you actually were someplace besides the company, surely you'd tell us," Armando said, and he added, smirking, "or did you just come down with amnesia?"

"I- well- you have no proof!" Chandler-Chavez said, "no witnesses!"

"We have Orson's testimony," Mrs. Wright said. "Orson couldn't've done it, but you could've. And while Orson did destroy that paper, he claims that you told him not to drink the coffee."

"I'm- I'm being framed!" Chandler-Chavez said, but she was tensing up and electrocuting her necklace again.

"Even if you are, that doesn't change the fact that the opportunity is still either Ms. Caroline or you," Mrs. Wright said, "and that there is a way to prove if you've been there."

What? "There is?" the Judge said.

"How?" Apollo said, "how would the police miss something?"

"Simple," Mrs. Wright said, "I would like to turn the court's attention to something specific that the witness has on her- those rings."

"What about them?" Chandler-Chavez said, "I'm always wearing them, if that's what you're saying. I wouldn't lose one."

"That's very true," Mrs. Wright said, "but what I'm wondering is- are they always on?"

"Are they-" Chandler-Chavez stopped talking and looked surprised again. "Well, I- um- no-"

"Then let's take them off and see if we can turn them off," Armando said. "…somehow."

"Well, actually they're motion-activated," Chandler-Chavez said. She made a motion like she was opening a door and the rings stopped being electrified. "See?" And then she did it again and they came back on. "Usually I keep them on, but that's the only thing that turns them on or off."

"That's an oddly specific motion," Mr. Wright commented.

"It's for just in case someone tries to attack me while I'm going in and out of doors," Chandler-Chavez said, "if I don't have my bodyguards or something."

"Then I've got to thank you, Ms. Chandler-Chavez, for digging your own grave," Apollo said, smiling. "Mrs. Wright, your Honor! The defense charges that the decisive evidence is at the scene of the crime- a slight electrical burn by the door!"

Mrs. Wright nodded. "I'll send Detective Skye to the scene of the crime to look for those," she said.

Chandler-Chavez violently twitched. "How dare-" she hissed, "how DARE you-" And she slammed her fists together, electrocuting herself one final time until her hair was all frizzled, and then she fell backwards. The gallery erupted into conversation as the Judge shook his head.

"Let's await the results of Detective Skye, and then I'll announce my verdict," the Judge said. "Mrs. Wright. I expect the police to be ready?"

"Of course, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said, "Chandler-Chavez will pay for what she did." The court waited for almost fifteen minutes, the gallery loud, until Mrs. Wright's phone rang loudly. She said something and then hung up, and put her hands on the desk. "Your Honor," she said, "the electrical burns have been found. The prosecution believes that the true killer is Chandler-Chavez. The prosecution rests." And she bowed slightly.

Apollo could almost imagine the confetti falling. "We did it!" Apollo said, his arms crossed, "Apollo Justice has brought justice again!"

Mr. Wright looked relieved, Mrs. Wright was looking through her papers, Armando was sipping his coffee, and Caroline was flipping through her bag. "Ahem," the Judge said, "there's been a lot of twists and turns, but I think we've finally found what happened. This court finds the defendant, Bertha Caroline-"

"OBJECTION!"

And someone threw a coffee cup at the Judge himself. "Ah!" the Judge said, "Mr. Wright's trying to kill me!"

"No I'm not!" Mr. Wright yelled, "that was Mr. Armando!"

And so it was. Armando's arm was still outstretched, his face serious. And then he slammed one fist on the desk. "This trial isn't over!" Armando snapped, "so don't declare it done just yet."

"What are you talking about!?" the Judge said, seemingly still in shock about the coffee now covering his face, "but they caught the killer!"

"Did we?" Armando said. "Your Honor! The defense demands that Chandler-Chavez testify about what happened last Monday- about the crime where she killed Gus Org!"

The crowd's noise level became incredibly loud, to the point that Apollo almost couldn't hear Mrs. Wright shouted, "what are you doing!?"

"I'm finding the truth!" Armando shouted, and the Judge began banging his gavel down.

"Order! Order! Order! ORDER!" the Judge roared, "bailiff! A little help please!"

Order was quickly restored, and everyone's eyes seemed to be on Armando. "What are you doing?" Mrs. Wright said again, glaring at him, "are you trying to sink your own case?"

"No, I want to know exactly what happened," Armando said. "If you don't find the whole truth, then someone else is going to die. That's one of my rules."

Mrs. Wright narrowed her eyes but said, "the prosecution will resume the case, then, your Honor."

"V-very well," the Judge said, now cleaned off mysteriously. "Ahem! Mr. Armando, there will be no more throwing coffee, or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Armando said, summoning another cup of coffee, "penalize the man who spends his time in prison? Well, I have some black nectar of the gods for you if you do that."

"Eep! Forget I said anything!" the Judge said.

"Please don't strong-arm the Judge," Apollo muttered, and then he stood a little straighter and said, "your Honor, I'll go along with Mr. Armando."

Chandler-Chavez was revived, her hands now in handcuffs, her electrical rings gone. "I- what do you want?" she said forlornly. "Have you come to laugh-"

"'Look at me, the tragic clown, no one to match my brilliance so I was forced to create my own arch-rival,'" Armando said, "give or take a few zvarris, right?"

"What?" Chandler-Chavez said.

"No one cares. Get down to it," Armando said, "we know you went to MBA and we know that you had a vendetta against Gus Org for his killing of his own son. We know that someone like you would be more than capable of acquiring the poison and that you had a reason to give in to Morgan's blackmail because you want to look out for yourself. Now tell us how you did it."

"…fine," Chandler-Chavez said. She coughed and said, "it all began last January. I received a phone call from a man using a voice changer, who told me that Marvin was dead, and that his father killed him. I didn't find out that that really happened until tomorrow." She began coughing again, and Apollo noted that there was very little tension: she didn't seem to be lying. Mr. Wright leaned over and whispered something to Mrs. Wright.

"Do you have a recording of that phone call?" Armando said, seemingly oblivious.

"Why would I?" Chandler-Chavez said. Then she continued, "I planned on confronting Org when I met with him tomorrow. But then I found out something chilling… the same voice-changer man called and told me that Org was planning on killing me too."

"And you believed him?" the Judge said.

"He was right about Marvin, your Honor," Chandler-Chavez said. She groaned and stood up straighter, and added, "I really did like Marvin a lot. He was very… dedicated. He was one of the few people who wouldn't put up with my attitude, and he was very helpful with my plans for Blue Earth, because he said that the FBI was only concerned about arresting the actual terrorists."

"Wouldn't that be entrapment?" Mrs. Wright said, "lure in unstable students…"

But Chandler-Chavez shook her head. "The new Blue Earth combined with a previous group," she said, "the old group was already being lead by Orson and Marvin. That's how I met Orson, by the way. And using my superior wealth and the information I had on Org, we decided to make a new Blue Earth."

"I see," the Judge said, "it sounds like true love. Please continue."

"I knew that Org couldn't be trusted, and I couldn't turn him in because there was no real way to prove he was the killer," Chandler-Chavez said. "That man who called me had a picture of Org putting the tanks in Marvin's car, but I couldn't submit it because by itself it'd never be real proof…" She straightened and took her tiara off her head, then pulled a folded photograph out of the back of it. She handed it to a bailiff, who brought it to Mrs. Wright, and a second later the court computer showed Gus Org carrying several natural gas containers to an open car.

"This doesn't prove anything," Mr. Wright noted.

"Exactly," Chandler-Chavez said. "We only know now that he did because of Caroline."

Wait a minute… "Did you know Caroline?" the Judge said.

Chandler-Chavez nodded. "My mother's company had people who assisted her in finding those files," she said, "and while Caroline was only interested in sending Org to prison, we realized we could still use those to destroy his reputation."

"Please get to the murder," Apollo said. He was starting to see something very wrong…

"It was last Monday," Chandler-Chavez said, sounding utterly defeated. "I used Orson for the murder, because he would do whatever I told him. He was entranced me. So I arranged for him to steal a card and then be thrown out of the hotel. Because it was coming from someone like me, they moved him out so quickly they didn't even check to see if he had a key. Then, with the key, he was able to open up that trick we used to dodge the immediate security."

"Well, it worked, if only because I was a fool," Mrs. Wright said.

"That's very true. We're both fools," Chandler-Chavez said. She grabbed her head and put her elbows on the stand, much like Mr. and Mrs. Wright did when utterly defeated. "I… what I did was unforgivable. I gave in to what he was. Orson helped me get into the building, although I had to open the door since he was lagging, and then we went to the eighteenth floor. Then, I… I took out a sugar shaker Orson had found that I'd put poison in, and dropped that into the coffee. I gave Orson the shaker and told him to dispose of it, then I told him to find Org's office and that paper and destroy it, and then I left to go watch a movie. I still have the ticket stub, you know."

"I see," Armando said, "and you didn't use it?"

"It would be useless," Chandler-Chavez replied, straightening again. "It was for 1:15, and I was three minutes late even though the theater was only across the street and down a little from the company building."

"That's an oddly specific number," Apollo said. Could it be…? "Are you sure-?"

"Of course," Chandler-Chavez said, smiling weakly at him, "if you doubt me, just check the security footage. I saw a camera there."

"I'll have it checked," Mrs. Wright said.

"Well, now that we know the full story of this tragic tale, it's time for my verdict," the Judge said. "But I must say that it's always sad to see how murder and death can treat people. To tear apart a loving couple and cause them to turn on the world itself…" He shook his head, and then said, "well, I suppose now it's just our job to punish those who give in to their darker sides. This court finds the defendant, Bertha Caroline-"

"OBJECTION!" Apollo shouted. This time, it was his turn to do this. The Judge looked surprised, as did Mrs. Wright, and Mr. Wright just looked away and put his hand to his chin. And Armando just smiled slightly. "Your Honor! We have not found the true killer!"

"What are you talking about!?" the Judge demanded, "Mr. Justice! Surely you are not claiming that Chandler-Chavez is not the true killer, when you have been claiming for most of this trial that she is the killer!"

"…I think I can see where he's coming from, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said, putting her hand on her desk, "however, I hope he understands that if Chandler-Chavez is not the killer, then Caroline necessarily is."

"Well, first, explain this to me," the Judge growled, "but if your explanation is not satisfactory than I shall press on regardless, and give you a penalty to apply at your next court."

Oh, come on! That's not even necessary! Apollo thought, exasperated, but then he slammed both his fists on the desk. "Your Honor," he said, taking out a piece of paper, "I would like to remind the court of one crucial detail. That Bertha Caroline washed out the coffee pots at 1:23 PM."

"And?" the Judge said. The gallery seemed to pick it up quicker, however; they were conversing loudly. "Am I not getting something!?"

"Yes, your Honor," Armando said, "remember what Chandler-Chavez said. She claimed that she poisoned the coffee before leaving for a movie that she arrived at at 1:18 PM. In other words, she never successfully poisoned anyone."

"But why would she add poison to an empty pot?" Mrs. Wright said, "that makes no sense."

"It does if you know nothing about schedules," Armando said.

The crowd conversed louder still. "Order! Order!" the Judge yelled. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez! How much coffee was in the pot when you poisoned it?"

"Not much," she replied, "to be honest, it was Orson's idea. He said that the boss usually had the last of the coffee before making a new batch."

And Apollo's blood ran cold. Of course… everything came back to this man. "Your Honor," Apollo said, "I'd like to remind everyone of something. We've been overlooking something massive."

"And what's that, Mr. Justice?" Mrs. Wright said. "Let me guess. That there's a possible third party?"

"Yes," Apollo said, "Henry Orson."

But Mrs. Wright shook her head. "He was under watch by the company the whole day," she said, "company supervision."

"Then how do you explain him assisting Chandler-Chavez?" Armando said.

"While it was considered, we decided against it," Mrs. Wright said, "he was on lunch break from 12:45 until 1:30 and under supervision the rest of the day until he slipped away to burn the paper."

"That may be the case, but was there any point when Morgan was watching him?" Armando said, "for all we know, that's the crime she witnessed."

"Fey was in charge of him between three and four," Mrs. Wright said, "the new coffee was apparently brewed around four and the death was about a half-hour later, during Fey's meeting with Org."

"Exactly," Apollo said, "if we assume that Morgan saw the first poisoning and blackmailed Orson and Chandler-Chavez, then she might've let Orson go."

"…no one saw me, at least," Chandler-Chavez said. She examined her hand and said, "I almost wish someone did."

"Enough of the self-pity," Armando said, "it doesn't matter if Chandler-Chavez saw her. What's important is that Morgan found out, and if Morgan found out then and waited until Orson was alone, then that explains what happened. As it is, it's impossible to say."

"Wait, so Orson could've been the murderer?" the Judge said, wide-eyed, "I'm afraid I'm confused!"

"Yes, your Honor, that's what the defense is now claiming," Apollo said. "And now we'll lay out what happened. Orson participated in the first poisoning, and was given the shaker and orders from Chandler-Chavez. But after she left, Caroline washed out the pot- and the poisoned coffee. At the same time, he was caught by Morgan, and together they made a plan. The defense thus charges that the true poisoner of the coffee pot was Orson, who finished what Chandler-Chavez started!" The gallery began growing noisier again.

"Objection!" Mrs. Wright suddenly yelled, and she slammed her hand on her desk. "Mr. Justice! If this is the case, then you're missing something crucial- the fingerprints!"

"Objection!" Apollo shouted, "we already know that Orson left! Who's to say that he wasn't wearing gloves!"

"Objection!" Mrs. Wright shouted, "that's not what I'm talking about." She slammed her hand on the desk and then said, "need I remind you about what Fey did?"

"About what?" Apollo said.

"About her removal of the coffee pot," Mrs. Wright said, "washing it to remove the fingerprints. Or did that not happen?"

That… that was a good question. "If our theory's right, then Fey's actions no longer make sense," Apollo said to Armando.

Armando nodded. "So it seems," he said, "but who's to say that once again, we're making one of those deadly assumptions? Doesn't Wright have a rule about this…?"

Turn the situation upside down and look at it… "Yes," Apollo said, and he closed his eyes. Time to try and figure this out. Henry Orson was the probably killer, and by the sound of it, decided to take matters into his own hands and kill Org himself. Morgan Fey watched the first crime and assisted in the second crime in return for the wealthy Orson hiring mercenaries to attack Kurain. Chandler-Chavez had likely already decided to frame Caroline because of her hatred of Org from Waxman's death, which she seemed to know about; Orson continued this plan and poisoned the pot of coffee after Org was killed. One of the pots was emptied, probably by Morgan, so that Caroline would use that one…

But why that one? Why was it emptied in the first place? Unless… it had to be. But why? Why not poison the first pot? Was there a reason? Apollo looked through the evidence, desperate to find something. He could vaguely hear the Judge asking questions and Armando stonewalling. There had to be something. And then he took out the picture of Chandler-Chavez's apartment, of her kitchen. Of her nice, shiny coffeepot.

Eureka. "We've made one more fatal assumption, Mrs. Wright," Apollo said, coming out of his thoughts. Mrs. Wright blinked.

"What did we do?" the Judge said, "were you wrong about Morgan Fey's involvement?"

"No, your Honor," Apollo said. "Everything that happened with the coffee pots happened. But there's a specific reason for that, and it's not to poison Gus Org."

The courtroom was silent you could hear a pin drop. "What do you mean?" Mrs. Wright said, "what are you suggesting? That Fey was trying to be altruistic or something?"

"No, Mrs. Wright," Apollo said, "I would like the court to take a look at the photograph of Ms. Chandler-Chavez's hotel room kitchen. Specifically, that it has a coffee pot that looks like it's of the same make as the ones used by MBA."

"What's your point?" Mr. Wright said, "these… aren't exactly uncommon, Apollo. Not to mention, this would just implicate Chandler-Chavez more…" And then he stopped, put his hand to his chin, and said, "wait a minute."

Apollo smiled and crossed his arms. "Evidence is everything in the court of law, Mr. Wright," he said, "and that's exactly what Henry Orson knew. We've been played for fools this entire time."

"What are you talking about?" the Judge said. "Mrs. Wright?"

She had her hand up to her mouth, and then shook her head. "Your Honor, there's something very specific that we'll find in that pot," Apollo said, "and that would be the poison used to kill Gus Org."

"What?" the Judge said.

"Are?" Mrs. Wright said.

"You?" Caroline said.

"Talking about!?" the Judge said again.

Mr. Wright leaned over and said something to Mrs. Wright; Armando smirked. And the gallery erupted into noise even louder than when Armando's accusations came to light yesterday. "How?" "Is he crazy!?" "What in the world!?" "That's impossible!" "She stole the pot!?"

"Explain yourself!" the Judge yelled over the noise, silencing everyone with his gavel. "Mr. Justice, explain! Mrs. Wright! It doesn't matter who, I'm hopelessly confused!"

"Your Honor," Apollo said, his arms still crossed, "of course I'll explain. It all started after Chandler-Chavez tried to poison Gus Org. However, Caroline washed out the poison and Morgan Fey caught Orson and blackmailed him. Or, perhaps, he suggested the plan. After all, he did seem to have a lot of knowledge of Mrs. Wright's past and would have an idea of exactly what Fey wanted."

The Judge nodded. "The court already accepts that," the Judge said, "however, what I'm confused about is your claims about the pot."

"I'm getting there, your Honor," Apollo said. "At 3:00, Orson began working for Fey. However, they'd already begun working out a plan. That's where Orson's trip to Chandler-Chavez's hotel room comes in. He visited to steal something: the coffee pot there."

"Because he planned on using it as the murder weapon, so to speak, and then pin the blame on Chandler-Chavez?" Mrs. Wright said.

"Exactly," Apollo said, "Orson brought the pot to the company and had Fey empty out the the other pot and bring the second pot downstairs to the 17th floor. Then Orson put the poison in the stolen pot and brewed coffee using it. With no other options to use, Caroline waited for the coffee to be done and then used that coffee, which had no signs of being tampered with because it was poisonous from the beginning. Then, once she left, Orson went to burn the paper. Meanwhile, Fey dumped the poison into the toilet and gave the stolen pot back to Orson, and then cleaned out the pot she'd brought downstairs and locked it in her filing cabinet, leaving the poison container as a red herring in the trash and the tea cup to trick the police."

"Which means that Fey never even switched the pots to fool the culprit," Mrs. Wright said, "she simply switched pots when Orson brought them to her."

"Yes," Apollo said. "Since the first pot that was emptied was probably just moved to the side by Ms. Caroline or something, it would've been the natural police find."

"Then what was with Orson's terrible testimony?" the Judge said.

"He was misleading us, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said. "I think he always intended on throwing Chandler-Chavez under the bus."

"There is one thing, though," Mr. Wright said. "If that's the case, then how did Orson get rid of the pot?"

"It was during his visit with the necklace," Armando said instantly. "The hotel's only five minutes away, and it was closing time anyway. Simply slip past a few officers, clean out the pot in a public restroom, and then put it back in the hotel room. Then he brought the pot back in that paper bag."

"Then how didn't Chandler-Chavez notice?" Mr. Wright said.

"The second room," Apollo said. "Every room probably has a coffeemaker. I'm assuming you don't have to pass through the kitchen to exit, because that certainly didn't happen to us when we visited yesterday, Detective Skye and I."

"I see," Mr. Wright said, "so he went into the next room to switch back the coffee pots without Chandler-Chavez noticing?"

"There's probably a way he could get rid of her," Armando said, "say… giving her a shiny new necklace and telling her about the phone feature and leave her to examine it. Then, while she's busy in a different room, switch the pots, leaving the poisoned one in her room. At the same time, that's probably when he locked the door from the other side- when he was kicked out, he went to go lock the door."

"Yes, but… but why?" the Judge said, scratching his head, "I don't get it! Wasn't he a poor, love-struck fool?"

"No, your Honor, he never was," Mrs. Wright said, and there was something about her Apollo hadn't seen her do: there were tears in her eyes. "I-I know exactly what kind of person he probably is…"

Mr. Wright put his arm around her while Armando said, "Your Honor, the defense requests two things: first, that the coffee pot from Chandler-Chavez's room be studied. There should still be traces of poison in it, or at the very least recent cleaning when Chandler-Chavez doesn't drink coffee. If there is, then we charge that our theory is correct."

"And the second?" Mrs. Wright said, and she pulled away from Mrs. Wright, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, and then put her hands on her desk. "Well?"

"Calm down, kitten," Armando said, smirking, "I was getting there. The second- the defense requests a cross-examination of Henry Orson."

"The prosecution has no objections," Mrs. Wright said, "I'll send for Detective Gumshoe, he's currently at the crime scene."

"Very well," the Judge said, "then there shall be a brief recess until Orson arrives and Detective Gumshoe's investigation is done. However, I want Chandler-Chavez brought back to the detention center for now."

"Of course, your Honor," Mrs. Wright said.

The trial was finally coming to an end.


January 14, 4:01 PM, District Court, Los Angeles, Prosecution Lobby #3

Apollo, Armando, Caroline, the Wrights, Pearl, and Chandler-Chavez were escorted to the prosecution lobby, where they met up with Ema, who lead Chandler-Chavez away towards the door. "Everything's coming to an end," Mr. Wright said, "I feel exhausted."

"I just want to go home and curl up in bed," Mrs. Wright complained.

"Eh, I'm game for spending a few more hours out of prison," Armando said.

"You're only in for ten years though, right, Mr. Armando?" Pearl said softly.

Armando nodded. "I'll need a job," he said, summoning a coffee, "I wonder what there is for disgraced prosecutors."

"Well, maybe I could arrange something," Mr. Wright said, still with his hand on his head.

Armando nodded and Apollo glanced at Chandler-Chavez and Ema. They were yet to leave the room since a few police officers were still standing in front of the door, and Chandler-Chavez was back to her haughty self. Ema visibly sighed and brought Chandler-Chavez back to the group. "No leaving until court's done," Ema said, pouting, and she took out her Snackoos.

"You don't look very sad anymore," Pearl commented, looking at Chandler-Chavez.

Chandler-Chavez smiled. "Of course I'm sad, little girl, but that doesn't mean I can't make the most of it," she said.

"Most of what? You're an attempted murderer," Apollo said.

"Am I?" Chandler-Chavez said, "or was I acting in self-defense?"

"You poisoned a free-to-use coffee pot," Armando growled, "that's murder."

"Unless there's something you didn't bother telling us," Mrs. Wright said.

"…I have a secret email I use for Blue Earth communications," Chandler-Chavez said, "one that wouldn't come up during an initial search of a computer. But I don't delete emails there. One of the people I contacted with that was my financial backers, one of whom was Gus Org. And I received an email from him timestamped last Friday threatening to kill me for my part in the death of Marvin."

"You had a part?" Apollo said. Why couldn't she bring this up? What was she doing?

"Marvin and I had an argument over the phone on the 31st," Chandler-Chavez said, "it was the reason he left on the 1st and subsequently died. So in a way, I'm at fault, and that's what Org claimed."

"There didn't happen to be anyone else at the Org mansion on the 31st, did there?" Mrs. Wright said.

"I heard it was a large party held by Org, and some of Marvin's wealthier friends attended," Chandler-Chavez said, sweeping the group with her cold stare. Then she looked away from everyone and said, "I don't know who was there in particular, though."

"I do," Caroline said suddenly, and she flipped through her notebook. "There was a large amount of well-to-persons, along with myself and a handful of other employees. Hm. Interesting. Amongst the persons there was a certain Henry Orson too."

"The case is growing stronger," Mrs. Wright said. She pointed at Chandler-Chavez and said, "Ms. Chandler-Chavez. Did you know that you were being manipulated?"

"I… didn't think it possible," Chandler-Chavez replied, lacing her fingers together and looking down. "To think that that idiot was able to accomplish something so well… especially since he's the one who urged me to kill Org and told me that poisoning the pot would kill Org since he always drank what was left."

Apollo and the others nodded. Yes, Apollo thought, you were stupidly manipulated, and now you're going to use that to get out of jail too, huh. "Ms. Chandler-Chavez," Apollo said, "is there anything else you know that's related to Orson?"

"He's an extreme womanizer and somehow usually gets the ladies," Chandler-Chavez said, and then added, examining her fingers, "although not me, obviously."

"Yeah, we got that," Armando said, "what he means is what was the arrangement with Morgan and everything."

"I didn't find out about Morgan Fey or her plot until yesterday," Chandler-Chavez said. There was no tension; she seemed to be telling the truth, or at least not concerned. "Further, Adams and Ingram answered to Orson, not me. Orson was the original founder of the environmentalist group that I ended up running, and he was in charge of recruitment too."

"Well, then your plan was bad from the start," Ema informed her. "What were you thinking, letting him be in charge of your troops?"

"Did you know that there are some species of ants that form armies to take out other ants?" Chandler-Chavez said, now holding a flower from nowhere, "and that when such a thing happens, it's easy enough to simply try and kill them all?"

"What, hit them with a flamethrower or something?" Apollo said.

"Ha. I don't think that usually happens," Armando said, shaking his head. Then, pointing his coffee cup at Chandler-Chavez, he said, "and I've grown tired of your animal metaphors. Detective Skye, carry her away. And tell the guards to let them through or Iris here's going to dock their pay."

Ema nodded and lead Chandler-Chavez off. "We don't need her anymore," Apollo said, "I hope."

Armando nodded. "She's back to being her usual self, I think. The best time to get information was just post-trial, and that's worn off," Armando said, "always strike when the iron's hot. That's one of my rules."

Gumshoe ran into the room just as Ema escorted Chandler-Chavez out. "M-Mrs. Wright, sir!" Gumshoe said, running over to the group, "the results are in! There are traces of the poison in the coffee pot, sir!"

"It seems our theory's right," Armando said, "well, now that that's cleared up…"

And then Ema reentered the room with Chandler-Chavez and Orson. "There's a problem," Ema said, looking utterly serious, "a big one."

"What?" Mr. Wright said, "did something happen?"

"You could say that," Ema said, sounding… nervous? "There's been a little problem."

"The detention center is in open riot," Chandler-Chavez said, "the Mexican mercs were let out and stormed the armory. The officer said that they're coming this way."

"We need to evacuate, then!" Pearl said. Apollo nodded. Were they that dedicated to killing him and everyone else!?

"No." Everyone turned around to see Orson playing with his comb. A police officer was behind him, Orson's handcuffs in one hand, the officer's gun in the other. "You wondered what happened to the rest of our group," Orson said, and he smiled. "A city-wide manhunt is the best way to get people in, dudes. Just a handful of people who can be mobbed and tied up and then my people can come in."

"And there'll be no attempting to stop us now," the other officer said. "Put your hands up. Gumshoe, Skye, I want your guns."

"Hey, sweetheart, get 'em for us, will ya?" Orson said, kicking Chandler-Chavez in the leg, "and no tricks, or Sylvester here'll kill ya."

"Hmph, fine," Chandler-Chavez said, "I'll even stay in my handcuffs." Armando nudged Mrs. Wright and then she grabbed Gumshoe and tried to put him behind her.

And then, with a terrible crack, Mrs. Wright was on the floor, bleeding from her waist. "Iris!" Mr. Wright yelled, but Armando grabbed him. She struggled up and rooted around in her coat and then fell to the floor, her hand curled around something.

"Serves ya right," Orson said, "get 'em! Now! And whatever was in the lady prosecutor's hand!"

"I am, I am," Chandler-Chavez said, and she quickly collected the guns from Ema and Gumshoe and dropped them on the floor at Orson's feet. Then she walked over to Mrs. Wright, crouched, and extricated something from her hands.

"Well, what is it?" Orson said. "Tell me!"

Chandler-Chavez rose to her feet, her rings back on. "I haven't the slightest idea," she said, and then she held up the necklace. "Except for this, of course."

Orson nodded. "At my feet. Now," Orson said.

Chandler-Chavez made a complicated thumbs-up gesture and then walked over to Orson, knocking Apollo out of the way while she was at it. Armando was still holding Mr. Wright up, Pearl clutching him, and Mrs. Wright seemed to be out cold now, blood pooling on the floor. Gumshoe and Ema looked terrified and powerless, as did Caroline. And Apollo knew he mirrored them- not even when the gunmen had been trying to kill him had his heart beat this fast. Please let there be other cops…

Chandler-Chavez dropped the necklace at Orson's feet and walked next to Slyvester. Apollo looked around the room, and noticed that there were no other cops in there anymore. Where had they gone? "Whatcha looking for, dude?" Orson said, smirking, "all the cops? Don't worry. They've all been lead away already. Gotta stop those mercs, you know."

"You're not going to get away with this, you know," Armando said stoically. He grunted and pushed Mr. Wright away. "Without the prosecutor-"

"You're in no place to talk," Orson snapped.

"I'm not. But Chandler-Chavez is," Armando said. And Chandler-Chavez lunged at Sylvester, grabbing his gun with one hand and holding her rings close to the gun.

"I touch this, gun goes off," Chandler-Chavez said, and she pushed the gun to point at Orson's back. Orson yelped and jumped out of the way, as did Sylvester; and, taking advantage of that, Chandler-Chavez tackled Sylvester and pressed both sets of rings into him, electrocuting him.

Orson growled and started charging, but then Apollo and Ema tackled him, bringing him to the floor. There was a gunshot, and then more sounds of electrocution. And then Chandler-Chavez was standing over them, a gun in one hand, her handcuffs broken. She pointed the gun at Apollo's head… and then she pointed it at Orson's. "Henry Orson," she said coldly, "Sylvester is out cold. I wouldn't be surprised if he never breathes or thinks normally."

Apollo glanced at Sylvester; he had two large electrical burns on his clothes now and was unconscious. Armando had let go of Mr. Wright, and now he and Pearl were tending to Mrs. Wright; Gumshoe had the other two guns now.

"Listen up, pal!" Gumshoe yelled, "I-I've got a gun, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Your point?" Orson said, sighing. "What do you want?"

"You'll agree to a trial," Chandler-Chavez said, "or we kill you right now. Not to mention I'll have every single member of your little gang executed too."

Orson glared at her. "I don't care about them," he said, "we're all martyrs for the cause."

"Oh, in that case then I guess I'll just electrocute you to death now," Chandler-Chavez said, handing her gun to Ema and then crouching low and holding her zapping rings dangerously close. "I do know how to kill with these things… and even if you survive, you'll never be the same."

Orson swallowed and reached for the necklace-phone. He slid it open, dialed something, and said, "everyone, stand down. Tell the goons to just hold the detention center for now."

He shut the phone and looked at Chandler-Chavez. "I'll stand trial for Gus Org's death," he said, "but you need a prosecutor."

"Ha. Don't worry about that," Armando said, standing up. "I'll even make you a little deal. You get proven guilty, you go quietly for every crime you did. You get proven innocent, and we'll see about softening your role in Iris' attempted murder."

Mr. Wright, who had been busy wrapping Mrs. Wright's wound in his suit jacket, glared at Armando. "How can you do that!?" Mr. Wright demanded.

Armando just sipped his coffee. "…I accept your terms," Orson said, and he pulled his comb out. "Let's get this done."

"Someone find those paramedics," Mr. Wright said, "Gumshoe, Ema, go! We need all the help we can get!"

"Hold tight, pal," Gumshoe said, and he ran off, but not before handing the final gun to Armando.

"Good luck, Apollo," Ema said, "find this scumbag guilty." And she ran off too.

"Let's do this," Armando said, gesturing at Orson at gunpoint. "It's time for the trial."

"I'll stay here," Mr. Wright said, "Iris needs me right now. Pearls, please help Apollo."

Pearl, who had tears on her face, nodded. And then, a second later, was replaced with a much older woman, her hair still the same, with a large bust and a small mole on her chin. "Who's that?" Orson said instantly.

The woman looked around, and her eyebrows shot up when she saw Armando, with his gun, and Mrs. Wright on the floor. "Diego!" she gasped.

"The unkempt young man behind you had her shot," Caroline said, speaking up for the first time. "Ms… Fey?"

"Fey, yes," the woman said, "Mia Fey. What's going on?" Apollo explained the situation, and at the end of it she nodded. "Well," Mia said, "this is quite the situation. The detention center held hostage, terrorists running wild, someone trying to kill Maya."

"Could things get any worse?" Mr. Wright said.

Orson smiled. "Oh, I forgot something," he said, "I, ah, had some bombs shipped out, you know. They're all over the place now. Mr. Armando, if you try and go soft, or if I get the wrong verdict, then I start setting them off." His eyes fell on Mr. Wright, and his smile grew uglier. "And I know which one to set off first."

Mr. Wright grabbed the gun from Armando and pointed it directly at Orson. "What are you planning?" he demanded.

Orson shrugged. "Let's just say that I never sent all of my mercs to the boonies."

A bailiff poked his head in. "W-w-w-we'll be starting court soon!" he squeaked, and then he ran off.

The door opened yet again and Amulek Josephson arrived, a rifle in hand. He glanced at Orson and Armando and nodded. "I'll help," he said, "it's good that I was here." Armando lead Orson out, and before Josephson left, he paused and said, "by the way, Mr. Wright, Mr. Justice, Ms. Chandler-Chavez, I'd suggest reading up on the Engarde trial."

He left. "I didn't know he was still here," Mr. Wright said, and he turned back to Mrs. Wright. "Iris…"

"The paramedics will be here soon, Mr. Wright," Caroline said. "Well, Mr. Justice?"

Apollo was only half-listening; what did Josephson mean?

"I… asked him…"

Apollo, Caroline, Mia, and Mr. Wright glanced down at Mrs. Wright. She was half awake now, but she was pale and blood was starting to drip out of her coat. "Don't try to talk," Mr. Wright said quickly.

"No… Orson goes down… you need… the file," Mrs. Wright said, and she coughed. And then she went slack, and Apollo felt like he'd had a heart attack. Had she just…?

No. It couldn't be…

The door burst open, and Ema and the paramedics charged in, while Mr. Wright started sobbing. One of the paramedics reached down to her wrist, and then nodded. "She's barely alive," he said, "we'll get her out. Joe, get the burned guy."

Thank God, at least she wasn't dead... Mr. Wright was still crying and grabbed Mrs. Wright's hand, but somehow, Apollo knew he would be okay.

"Let's go," Ema said, putting her hand on Apollo's shoulder, "come on. Time for trial."

Ema escorted them away: Apollo, Mia, Caroline, and Chandler-Chavez, who had the necklace now. "Engarde…" she was muttering, "what does that even mean?"

They were lead all the way to the front of the courtroom, where Josephson was waiting with Edgeworth. "Go in, we need a word with Justice," Edgeworth said, and Ema lead Mia and Caroline in. "Justice. You have to win this."

"The Judge might be under threat too," Josephson said, "the problem might not be finding Orson guilty but buying time… or convincing him that he needs prison."

"Engarde," Apollo said. What else had happened in that case? "So there was a kidnapping, and Mr. Wright had a guilty client…"

"There was also an assassin," Josephson said, "the real killer. And two attempted frame jobs… not that different here, eh? Hired goons, the client's a killer, Caroline and Chandler-Chavez being implicated…"

Chandler-Chavez took the phone out and walked out towards a corner of the room. "Communications are being disrupted," Edgeworth said, "radio and cell's out, and the phone lines seem to have been cut. Orson's guerillas are running around the courtroom too."

"We'll be watching from the gallery," Josephson said, and then he rummaged around in his coat and handed something to Apollo. "I thought you might need this."

Josephson and Edgeworth entered the courtroom, followed by Chandler-Chavez, who was still fiddling with the phone. Ema stepped out and looked deadly-serious. "We need to win this," she said, "everything's riding on this verdict."

"The Judge already knows he's guilty, though," Apollo said.

Ema frowned. "Apollo, I heard about what happened against Chandler-Chavez," she said, "and about Kamosinko. There's something I've been thinking about."

"What?"

"The cigarette," Ema said, playing with her hair and looking away from Apollo. "I called in a check on the way to the crime scene, and, well, only a tiny bit of it was found. But the funny thing is that the Orgs and Chandler-Chavez don't smoke."

"Maybe a repairman?" Apollo said.

Ema shook her head. "Not only was it a new car, but it's almost entirely manufactured by robots," Ema said, "basically, it had to be one of Org's slimy friends."

Apollo nodded. "Thanks, Ema," he said, "I hope that this is what cinches this."

Ema nodded and shuffled her foot. "Well, good luck," she said, "I hope my science ended up being useful. I, uh, kinda recreated that file from scratch." The file… the one she'd gotten. Mrs. Wright said it was what he needed, but what did she mean? And then Ema did something unexpected: she gripped Apollo in a vice-like hug, and then shoved him towards the door. "Go get 'im, Apollo," Ema said, "I… have something to go check."

And she ran off. Apollo wasn't sure what to think, so he took a few breaths and turned to enter court.


A/N: And time for everything to come to a close. Apollo vs the legendary prosecutor Godot, Iris hospitalized, and Orson's seemingly untouchable. Or is he?

So now: can Orson be stopped? As always, feel free to review, follow, and favorite! A huge thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!