Chapter Ten: Lone Wolf
A/N: Sorry for the kinda long update for a short chapter. I've been really busy with WAY too many papers, exams, projects... psh, you name it... My term card is coming up... wow I'm tired.
And so I begin the random reign of defending... myself.
Yay! *fail*
No matter, it will be fun. At least I no longer have a defendant distracting me! (Unless I am capable of distracting... MYSELF!) Plus, Maya will be with me all the way, helping me out.
Wait, that's a bad thing... T.T
September 7 7:24 PM
Grossberg Law Offices
It was seriously dark out when I stepped out of Redd White's building and into the outside world.
"How long was I in there?" I asked myself. "I could've sworn that I was only in there for a few minutes..."
I looked at my watch.
"7:14!!!" I exclaimed. "No way!"
I got onto my bike.
"What the heck did Redd White do to me?" I asked myself.
As I pedalled, I did a physical check-up.
"Nothing's sore except my cheek when he punched me and my leg for some reason... but it has a bandage so it was from some previous accident..."
I thought back.
"I don't remember injuring my leg..."
I just ignored it and continued to pedal along. I soon made it to Grossberg's office and didn't bother with anyone's permission as I just walked in uninvited. I opened the door to see Grossberg just standing there, seeming to just stare at the ceiling or something. He didn't even know someone opened the door.
Maybe he was sleeping with his eyes open...?
"And so I'm back here!" I exclaimed. "Wow, do I need to get a life!"
Grossberg just continuously stood in the middle of the room, clearly not noticing my presence or just plain ignoring me.
Or sleeping with his eyes open...?
And so I do an over-the-top clearing of the throat.
"AH-HEM!!"
"Oh my gosh, m'boy! I never knew you were here!" Grossberg jumped.
It was really funny and at the same time very creepy seeing a fat man jiggle like that.
Almost as bad as the thought of April May jumping.
I shuddered.
"What's wrong, m'boy?" he asked me. "Is it cold?"
"No, it's fine." I replied with a sheepish look on my face. "And stop referring to me as 'm'boy'. I'm clearly a girl!" I looked at him with a crossed expression, but then he was about to make a comment about his haemorrhoids, so I stopped.
"Oh! You!" he exclaimed.
You're pretty late.
"What did you do with that huge picture on your wall?" I asked immediately. "What the heck is it doing on Redd White's wall?"
Why am I asking all these questions?
I already know the answer.
Hello.. I played the game!
Oh well, it's the attack of the decision-making gamer, I guess.
Yes, I understand that the line was from the Golden Sun abridged series, but I don't care!
Don't sue me, because I know a good lawyer!
(Too bad he's fictional...)
On the bright side, I'm admitting that it's not mine, so there.
"Ah, so you noticed..." he sighed.
"Well, it was a rather large painting..." I sighed in return.
"Very well, this may be the chance I've been waiting for." he told me then after such quick thinking. "Maybe it's time to get this off my chest so I can rest easy again."
Wait.
What does 'this' refer to?
Oh my gosh, you're gonna throw all your blubber off of your chest onto me???
Just so YOU can rest easy again???
And stop snoring so loudly so your neighbours don't sue you???
You're such a shellfish.
"Umm..."
"After all, you were Mia's understudy. Perhaps it was fate?"
Umm..sure...
Wait?
You did this to Mia too???
And so Grodyburger explained to me everything I basically knew from the start. (Thank God)
He also told me random stuff about the DL-6 Incident that I would prefer not to go into because it was long, boring, and monotonous.
And I already knew that garbage (not that DL-6 is garbage).
All this reminded me of the history classes I used to take.
Long, boring, monotonous, and a waste of time.
I mean, what's the point of learning about the debacles of the past when right now, it's the present?
(A/N: In your reviews, you better not go off acting like some smart-ass telling me the purpose of history, because I will HATE it! Sorry...)
Okay... well, Grossberg then told me his crime and whatnot. Probably the only interesting thing that happened in that rather stuffy room.
"I sold out Misty Fey to Redd White in hopes of riches, but he just used it against me in the end."
"Oh my gosh, you're a criminal!" I yelped. "I'm calling the police!"
I pulled out my blue cell phone. Tapeless, mind you.
"No, wait!" Grossberg exclaimed.
He grabbed the cell phone.
And shoved it into his mouth.
I just gawked.
"Y-you just ate m-my c-cell p-phone..."
He nodded solemnly and started to sweat like a live pig in an oven. His cheeks went completely pink in utter embarrassment. "I'll pay for a new one." He took out a cheque and wrote it for one thousand dollars.
Jackpot!
"Umm.. I hope you know that batteries are poisonous..." I told him as I accepted the cheque.
He started to gag.
And gurgle.
Oh snap, he's having a heart attack!
On the bright side, I got to hear his 'final words'.
"Mia probably recorded information on Redd White as she investigated him! Go look for some!"
Then he collapsed.
"Oh my gosh, Grossberg!" I exclaimed, but then I stopped short.
He started to snore loudly.
He actually fell into a deep slumber.
"What the heck?" I yelled out, and it still didn't wake him up.
I walked out the door and biked back to my office.
"Are all fat guys like him!?" I grumbled. "I thought he had died of battery acid, but nooo...."
September 7 7:30 PM
Fey and Co. Law Offices
I flicked on the lights as I entered the office. The police dudes left, so I figured that it would be alright for me to go into the office...
even though this was a murder scene.
"It's funny." I thought. "Looking at this room, it seems so.... awkward. I still can't believe I somehow ended up in the world of my idol. Hard to imagine that I used to be a teenager taking seventeen paged exams and whatnot on a regular basis when I'm in this world where spirit mediums are real and I would be able to see locks on people with some magical jewel."
I looked over to good old Charlie who needed a nice watering, so I did just that. I then looked over at the many files beside it.
"Grodyburger said that there may be some clues that Mia left behind here... Guess I'm stuck looking..."
I looked at the files and seeing that they were in alphabetical order, I immediately took out 'E'.
"Edgeworth, Edgeworth, Edgeworth..." I scanned the sheets and found that I had accidentally skipped it after I went through it again. "Aha! Edgeworth! Let's see what it says about me..."
My eyes grew wider as I read through Mia's notes as she was training me.
"You burned my pink sweater?!?" I yelped! "I never knew you had the guts to go and burn it on that camping trip! No wonder my marshmallow tasted weird then!!"
I was honestly surprised I remembered that memory.
I closed the folder in shame, tears welling in my eyes. I then went and looked for the files labelled 'S', then looked for the crappiest suicide with the word 'White' on it.
I then took note that the file labelled 'W' was stolen (probably the several scattered files about blackmailing and Bluecorp I spotted in the dumpster that I used for practising my origami yesterday).
I NEVER KNEW AT THE TIME!!!
There's also stuff about Misty Fey, but I figured that the stuff was pointless, so I didn't bother reading it.
Well, I closed the folders and shoved them back into the bookshelf, wiping away any final tears I had from the sweater thing.
I then ran back outside and biked back over to Redd White's office.
September 7 7:48 PM
Bluecorp Inc.
CEO's Office
"Well, aren't you persistent?" Redd White said in a very dissapointed tone with a smug posture on him. He basically seemed really disappointed in me, except for his smile which actually semmed to reveal the insides of his soul.
'I'm so glad you're back! We can have more fun together! Whee!'
Yeah, I'm not gonna peer into people's souls much after that.
"Sorry, but there's something I need to ask you." I shot back.
"Ms. Lawyer..." he replied smoothly and calmly as if I were just some lowly pawn and he was the king on the chess board. "I really hate having to repeat myself... but it seems that the message hasn't yet penetrated your papery hair!"
Hey! I'm not THAT thick-headed!
Wait?
What?
"Stop bothering me!" he yelled at me while I tried to think his logic through. I looked up, only to see that every part of him was angry except his eyes who seemed to let me peer into his soul.
'Don't leave me, damn it!'
I shuddered. What a split brain personality right there.
He just stared at me and looked around. After he found out that I wasn't shivering because I was cold, but rather trembling because I was scared (and to some sense, I was), he continued.
"If you try my patience further, another accident make occur."
And so his posture was just see-through.
I didn't bother digging deep again in fear of what I would find.
"Transparent..." I thought.
And ironically, that was a quote from the game.
Well, to annoy him to some extent, I decided to stick around and do what I biked all the way here for.
"This is an article of about a suicide a politician committed. This isn't the only one like it too. Take note that at the corner, it reads 'White'. My question is if you were the one who lead these people to their death!"
"Umm.. no."
"You were blackmailing them!" I shot back.
"Blackmail? When did I say that?" he asked with a questioning look on his face which was clearly pumped with Botox.
"Just now."
"Oh my gosh!" Redd White exclaimed in shock.
"I was right?" I accidentally let that slip out of my mouth like a newly caught flopping fish.
"No, no, no." he muttered, regaining his posture. "You should be looking for the one who murdered Miss Fey."
"Don't you think I know that!" I yelled back, giving him a cold stare. "I already found the murderer too!"
"Who is it?"
"It's you!" My cold stared was beginning to give me the shivers. "You should know because you're the one who killed her, you murderer!"
One little flinch and I knew I was right.
Knowing stuff ahead of time can be useful.
For all anyone knows, a bit of perceiving can help my investigations any day!
Thank goodness I've been practising this at school ahead of time when my friends were lying to me and such! Woot!
Redd White clicked on the intercom while I was reminiscing on the good times.
"Secretary's office, how may I help you?" a muffled and frizzed out voice said through the speaker.
"Ms. Wedge-earth will be leaving now." Redd White responded.
"Yes sir, I will send someone right away." the voice replied.
"Wait a second, Mr. White!" I yelled just as the intercom turned off. "You're wrong!"
"Excuse me?" he said in that strangely smug smile once more.
"I know you killed her! Even a teen could figure it out!" I exclaimed.
Heck, a teen DID figure it out!
Redd White clicked on the intercom once more.
"Secretary's office."
Oh my gosh, that voice makes me think that the secretary's name is Delores!
"We won't be needing an escort for Mr. Wrong." Redd White said into the mic on the speaker.
Woot!
"Instead, please connect me to the public prosecutor's office."
Waat?
"Of course sir. One moment please."
And the normal ring came through the speaker. I half-expected it to be decent elevator music, but I guess even a rich CEO can't change that.
"White? Is that you? What are you doing calling me at a time like this?!"
Even through the muffled and fizziness of the speaker, I was still able to recognise who was speaking through the intercom.
I had just faced him yesterday.
If some idiots thought that it was the judge, give me your address so I can come and personally slap you on the back of the head.
"Hello. Chief prosecutor?" Redd White replied. "I've changed my mind. I want to testify tomorrow."
"What's this about?" the voice responded with a confused but casual tone.
"The Mia Fey case." Redd White declared. "I witnessed the murder, you see. And, thus, as a very important witness, I want to testify."
"What? Why now? I thought you didn't want to go to court?"
"Quietude!" Redd White shot back. "I told you I changed my mind, didn't I?"
There was no response from the speaker, but I really was hoping that Phoenix would fight back like he normally would.
"Oh, and one other thing." Redd White continued. "Send the police over here right away. The murderer is standing right in front of me. She looks dazed, but could be violent!"
"Maya has escaped the detention centre?"
"Are you even listening?" Redd White annoyingly replied. "The true murderer!"
"And now I'm the murderer?!" I yelled, hoping the intercom would pick it up.
It did.
"Edgeworth, is that you?" Phoenix asked though the intercom.
"Yeah, it's me!" I exclaimed. "I can guarantee you that I did no such thing. Redd White is lying!"
"Mr. White..." Phoenix asked with a knowing tone. "This isn't another one of those..."
"Chief Prosecutor." White interjected. "I do not believe that you are in a position to freely offer your opinions to me, correct?"
There was a silence over the intercom once more. I backed down again.
"I'm telling you to send the police, NOW!" Redd White barked.
He then clicked the intercom off, cutting me away from my only hope in this awkward situation.
"That was very rude of you to interject in my conversation." Redd White taunted. "Normally I would punish you myself..."
"And that would be to your own dirty pleasure, correct?"
"but you, being the murderer of Mia Fey, must be handed over to the police."
I said nothing.
Even though I know what I have to do, being in this position... being FRAMED for something I know I didn't do... was much tougher than I thought it was. I felt so helpless, standing in front of a man who had control over every force available to bring my 'murderous act' to fruition. I was but a mere lawyer.
No.
I was but a mere high school student.
Heck, I didn't even belong in this world.
I didn't know what to do.
He basically gave me his speech on how I was going to lose and such which nearly drove me to tears. I was gonna end up with the worst lawyer possible who would be wanting my imprisonment most likely.
Well, Gumshoe came and next thing I knew, I was thrown into a patrol car and arrested.
September 9 1:37 AM
Detention Centre
Lowly Cell
Well, to be honest, I've always wanted to see what it would be like in the other side of the detention centre.
And to be honest, it sucks.
So for those of you who want to see what it's like, don't bother.
Their toilets are always backed up, the floors are never clean, and there is barely any light.
I don't even think they filter the air.
The air is thick with smoke, pollution, AIDS, and anything else you think is disgusting in air.
(Oh yeah, I know AIDS doesn't travel through air, but that was meant to be a corny joke. Sorry!)
I was just sitting on my bed in my lowly cell. It wasn't much, but I still eyed the camera in my cell.
"Wow, and to think my first trial on my own was just yesterday..." I thought. "Now my trial's starting tomorrow."
I looked up at the security camera. I hoped it could pick up sound as I looked at it straight into the lens and spoke into it as if it were my own personal video log.
"White's going to set a trap for me. I know it"
The security camera lens moved just slightly, but considering how late it was at night and the eerie silence other than the occasional snore there was around me, I could evidently hear the gears turning and the lens zooming in on me.
Perfect.
"The prosecution will be in on it as well. Phoenix included." I stated, eying the camera with a confident look on my face. I bet the security guards were watching this right now, but I didn't care.
"You security guards up there should know that an attorney was assigned to me by the state just yesterday!" I yelled at the camera. "I refused, remember?!"
"Hey, keep it down over there lady!" some guy yelled at me. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"
You're a criminal for law's sake! What the heck?
I then stood up off my bed and whispered, but made sure it was loud enough for the camera to pick up.
"I have an idea."
I then jumped back into my bed, bounced, hit my head on the upper bunk (which fortunately had no one in it) and fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.
September 9 6:15 AM
Detention Center
Visitor's Room
To be honest, I couldn't believe that the visiting hours can start so early. It was pretty good too because at least we managed to get a chance to talk before the trial.
I was called out to meet with someone early in the morning from my cell.
I was grumpy and my back was sore because the detention centre owned cheap mattresses. Heck, sleeping on the floor would've been more luxurious.
"Someone has arranged a private meeting with you, Ms. Edgeworth." the security guard declared sharply as he came to escort me to the visiting room.
I walked along with him slowly, but walked anyway in fear of the baton in his hand. I was okay with meeting with someone, but I was still really tired. Then again, for all I knew, that stick was probably some new-fangled taser!
I met up with Maya.
"Edgeworth!" she screamed through the glass when she saw me all sleep-deprived and unhappy with my situation. "Ms. Edgeworth!"
Then again, when would someone be happy to be arrested?
"Oh, Maya!" I exclaimed. I tried to smile, but it was harder now. "Great, they let you out of detention!"
"Just now, yes!" Maya smiled a tiny smile, but it was enough. "It's all thanks to you!"
It actually was true. I sacrificed my freedom and I'm now risking my entire well-being just to let her out of detention. She was a spirit medium IN TRAINING for goodness sakes and now look at what I've put on the line to get her out!
"Hah!" I said, Godot-style. "Now I'm afraid we've switched places."
"What? You mean... you..." Maya started to whimper, holding back sobbing outbursts. "You didn't do it though!"
I basically then explained everything that happened, avoiding to discuss my leg, the possible 'whipped cream' in Redd White's closet, and when I peered into his soul.
"I don't believe it!" Maya exclaimed. "How many lives does that man need to destroy before he's satisfied?!"
Clearly the answer would be OVER NINE THOUSAND!
Sorry, that was bad.
"Ms. Edgeworth, please tell me, is there anything I can do to help?" she then asked with a determined look on her face.
"Well..."
I could ask her to be my personal slave.
Or give me the magatama right now.
Or call up Mia so she can give me advice.
Or get me some ice cream.
Instead, I said this.
"Umm... you could cheer for me in court..."
"Cheer for you..." Maya took a second to think about that. "You mean... like a cheerleader?"
"Huh?" I jumped. "Um, yeah, like that..."
"Alright! Leave it to me!" she announced with that determined expression back on her face. She clenched her fist as adrenaline rushed through her bloodstream.
Chill kid.
It's not THAT big a deal.
It's not as if I just told you to go save the world or something.
"I'd better go get a uniform and some pom-poms...!"
I remember this part of the game! I actually wanted to see what Maya would look like in that.
So I said...
"Yeah, go do that!"
And so she ran out of the door.
"W-wait! Wait. Wait. Wait." I yelled back after her.
Why? I don't know.
It's the ATTACK OF THE STUPID DECISION MAKING GAMER!
"What what what?" she asked back.
"I'm kidding!" I exclaimed. "It was meant to be sarcastic!"
"No way!" she exclaimed.
Wow she actually believed me.
"I've got to give that man a piece of my mind!" she growled.
"What mind? Heck, you couldn't even tell the sarcasm in my last statement."
"Fine." I said in mock defeat. "Just come to court later this morning."
"O-okay. I'll be there!" she responded with a gleeful tone. "I'll show them a thing or two!"
"Okay. Just make sure it isn't anything violent, revealing, or requires the removal of clothes." I jumped in.
And so we went our separate ways for the morning so I can have breakfast and put m plan into action and so Maya can have breakfast and not go to the cheerleading store.
Wow, is this morning going to be insanity.
A/N: Yes. Compared to the other essays and assignments I'm stuck doing, this is considered SHORT (even though in my fanfiction train of thought, this is pretty decent).
Alright, sorry if you were disappointed about the fact that there was no Edgeworth, but I was too busy to add it in.
Sorry! I'll try and do a full Edgeworth chapter next anyway! ;)