Chapter 9: A Trap Sprung.

Disclaimer: Apollo Justice, Ace Attorney, and all related characters, situations, logos, ect, belong to Capcom. The Original Characters who are portrayed in this fiction are technically intellectual property of Spadework2 and Kongu123.

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"Betrayal. It's one of the worse feelings that a person can encounter. Whether it be a friend, wife, husband or lover, it's a feeling that can tear apart your reality and make you doubt any connections that you have formed.
It's worse when you know that a person is out there conspiring against you, ready to put the knife in your back, ready to take everything away from you yet you don't know exactly who they are...
Your father really was too trusting... then again... I guess... we all were..."

Late August 2003
Outside Sunshine Coliseum.

Gant was tapping his foot impatiently. He stole another glance at his watch. He cursed to himself. He should have been here by now. He was running late...again, on today of all days. He looked around again... until he felt something sharp dig into the centre of his spine which caused him to flinch. "Reach of the sky, partner." said a familiar voice behind him. Gant could help but allow a grin to crawl across his face. He spun round and faced the young man in the cowboy hat pointing his finger at him.

"Jakey, my boy, it's good to see you!" he said loudly while hugging the young detective a little too tightly.

"Gant... Sir... you keep squeezing me like that you'll kill me..." he said between gasps of breath.

Gant let him go and gave him a sinister grin. "I hope not. Today... all of our preparations come to their conclusion."

Jake's face became serious. "So... today's the day boss?"

Gant nodded. "Indeed."

Jake crossed his arms. "What's the plan?"

Gant put his hands behind his back. "Lead the lieutenants here. We'll deal with the rest."

Jake looked around at the massive crowd of people. "Here boss? Awfully crowded don't you think?"

Gant shook his head. "We can't take them to a deserted area. They'll smell the trap from a mile off. It needs to look authentic. A deserted area in LA isn't authentic."

Jake snorted. "Whatever you say. This is your cattle drive boss."

Gant smirked. "And don't you forget it boy." He then stroked is chin. "And make sure that Kurtious or any other leading figures don't come along. We want to weaken them, not destroy them. There is no point in destroying one pack of animals if another uses the opportunity to get bigger. We just want to keep them a manageable size."

"Boss?" asked Jake with concern.

"What is it?"
"Does the prosecution office know what we are doing?"

Gant chuckled. "What do you think, Jakey?"

Jake grimaced, "Sir, if we get caught doing this unauthorised..."

"I'll sort it out." said Gant without a worry. "They'll listen to reason."
'And anyway,' Thought Gant 'They will all be under my control... one day. It's just a matter of time and opportunity.'

Jake looked around to check if anyone was looking. Satisfying his curiosity, he asked another question. "Who we got to bring these guys in? I know these guys and they won't be reigned in so easily."

Gant shrugged. "Special Protection Against Gangs squad."

Jake shot back. "SPAG's! Shit. You really don't want these guys to get away do you?" Gant shot him an evil smile answering his question. Jake looked over to a man helping a child get a balloon out of a tree. "How about him? Has he got the guts to do this?"

Gant looked over at where Jake was facing. "Who? Gummy? Don't worry about him. He's willing to do anything to get this 'Apollo' character." He pushed his sunglasses up his nose. "It's almost cute..." he sighed and faced Jake. "You got a good decoy to bring them here."

Marshall smiled as he tipped his hat. "Don't worry hombre. With the recent clashes with the Cad's, I've got the perfect plan..."

Late August 2003
The Marionette.

Phil looked up from his cards eyeing the young lady directly opposite him. She was surrounded by a wall of chips. Phil looked down at his meagre amount and groaned. However his luck would change now. There is no way he could lose this hand. The river had just been dealt. The cards on the table were in his favour. An ace, a ten, a three, a seven and a Jack. Phil tried his best not to smile. He had two other tens. A three of a kind. There is no way that Thal could have a better hand than that. He cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I have no choice...what a shame..." he said in a fake voice of concern. He slid all of his chips in. "I guess I have no choice but to go all in..."
This action solicited some gasps from the crowd around the table entranced by the game. Thal and Phil's eyes met. Thal's face was completely stoic as she twiddled her thumbs. Phil returned the look while his was smiling internally.
'Come on lass. Match the bet. You know you want to.'

Thal continued to observe Phil for a few minutes before breaking into a big grin. "Okay Phil. I'll match your bet." She slid the correct amount of chips in.

Phil couldn't help but reveal the big evil grin he had been surprising and flipped his cards over in triumph. "Three of a kind tens!" he shouted while the group around them talked excitedly. He then moved his hands in to scoop up the chips. "I'll be taking that now, thank you very mu-"

"Wait!" interrupted Thal while slapping her hand down on top of Phil's greedy paws. "I haven't flipped my cards yet..."

Phil blinked in surprise. "No...You've got to be shitting me..."

Thal tilted her head to the side and smiled. She then flipped her cards showing two aces. "Three of a kind aces. Guess I win." She then scooped in the chips at the centre of the table while the men started laughing around her and congratulating her. Phil's eye twitched violently.

"But...how...that's...no...way..." Spluttered Phil. He then shook his head. "How do you do that?"

Thal drummed her fingers on the table. "Give me my winnings and I'll happily tell you."

Phil looked at the other defeated people around the table and they shrugged. They all then delved into their pockets and slapped down the $200 wager they all agreed on. Thal bundled the money up and counted. Satisfied she had been paid enough, she slipped the bills into her pocket. She then looked at the men staring at her. "Well?" asked Phil.

"Oh yeah," responded Thal "Well it's quite simple really Phil." she then put a finger to her chin. "When you have a card in your hand that is quite a high numbered card, you rub the corner of that card unintentionally."

"...what?" muttered Phil barely audibly. Thal ignored him and continued.

"So when are saw you rubbing both of the cards in the centre, I figured you must have a high ranking double in your hand. This was confirmed when you tried to bluff that you had no choice but to go all in."

Phil slammed the table with his fists. "How the hell can you tell when I bluff?"

Thal blinked. "Your muscles in your left arm tenses up when you lie." Phil's eye twitched. Thal continued. "Anyway, seeing as though I had the highest ranking pair in my hand, I'd thought I'd match you. Simple logic really." she said with a shrug. The crowd all looked at her in dead, surprised silence. "What?" she asked.

Phil rubbed his forehead. "There is no way that a normal human can... 'perceive' that much..." He looked up at her. "How'd you learn to do that?"

Thal sighed and looked at her bracelets. "I never learned it. My family have always been able to do it. We can always tell if someone is lying..."

"Which makes it a bitch to be in a relationship with her..." said an amused voice behind her.

Thal spun around and saw Damion with his arms crossed. Thal gave a cheeky grin. "Like you've ever complained."

Damion returned the grin then looked at the table. "You taken these poor saps money yet? You should have really have told them about your unfair advantage before you started playing." He looked up at his mentor. "Ain't that right Phil?"

Phil grumbled and rubbed his temples. "I need a drink..."

Damion sensed an opening. "Well, if you're making it, it'll only make things worse." earning a few chuckles from the men surrounding them.

Phil glared at the younger gangster. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he said standing up in a faux stance of aggressiveness.

Damion shrugged with a smirk. "Well, it's well known that your drinks work better as drain cleaners then as actual drinks." The crowd cheered at this insult earning a few 'whoops' from the crowd.

Phil returned the playful smile back, more than willing to join the banter. He thrust his finger forward. "Well, at least I didn't screw one of the youngest people in the gang in a sewer pipe and keep it quiet." This caused the crowd to cheer even more and Thal to blush. Damion just folded his arms letting the remark fly over his head.

"What's the matter Phil? Jealous? I've heard it's been awhile for you since..." The rest of the 'argument' was drowned out by the jeering.

A man outside the crowd leaning against a wall with his arms folded had something else on his mind. "So, she can tell if someone lies..." said Braggart to himself. He scratched his chin. "...now that's interesting..." Braggarts ponderings were interrupted when someone burst through the door at high speed and doubled over. Braggart shot an annoyed glance at the man and saw who it was. "What's the matter Brett?"

Cowboy gathered his breath back and walked over to Braggart. "For you." he said holding out a piece of paper. Braggart raised an eyebrow. He then snatched the paper and started scanning it. His pupils became more and more dilated with every sentence he read.

'T-This can't be right...' Thought Braggart with worry.
He turned to Cowboy. "Stetson! You sure this is correct?"

Cowboy nodded. "Surer then a sheriff who caught an outlaw near a safe."

"Shit!" exclaimed Braggart. He stormed towards the crowd who were still involved with the banter. "Hey guys!" he shouted trying to get their attention. However, he was ignored.

"Yeah well, at least I have a proper hairstyle," continued Phil "unlike that spike shit you have going on..."

Braggart sighed while the crowd cheered again. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a pistol and fired into the ceiling. The bullet shattered a light fitting which instantly fell on top of Earnest's head. Earnest rubbed his head vigorously. "Ouch! What the Fu-"

Braggart shot his finger forward. "Shut up Samson, I'm in no mood for your retarded shit." Earnest closed his mouth instantly and did what the other gang members were doing; giving Braggart an evil stare. Phil turned to him.

"What's up Braggart?" Braggart said nothing but thrust the sheet of paper into Phil's face. He then started to nervously pace up and down. Phil read the page, his face slowly doing what Braggarts did earlier. "Is this...correct?" Braggart continued pacing but nodded. "Oh bugger..."

"What's up bro?" asked Earnest sensing the drastic change in atmosphere. Phil opened his mouth but Braggart answered for him.

"The Cad's are preparing a war party up at Sunshine Coliseum." he said while waving his hands about.

Earnest's face showed his alarm with the others. "War party? What the hell they up there for?"

Braggart stopped pacing and gave Earnest an annoyed glare. "To sell balloons and ice cream," he said sarcastically "They're coming here you idiot!"

A deadly silence swept over the group. Jerimiah appeared from the crowd. "So, what's the plan?"

Damion turned towards Braggart. They looked a each other then nodded. Braggart turned to the others. "We'll hit them first." he said smashing his fist into his hand. "All lieutenants get tooled up. The rest stay here and defend the bar."

All of the fists in the crowd raised and a chorus of yes indicated they understood. Damion and Thal turned to get ready, but before Thal could get away, a firm hand clasped her shoulder and spun her around. She met face to face with Braggart. "You can see through any lie right?" asked Braggart.

Thal, confused, nodded. "Er...yes."

Braggart produced his trademark arrogant grin. "Good... I have a special job for you..."

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Damion, Thal, Phil, Earnest, Vlad, Jerimiah, Cowboy, Moe and Romeo all met outside of the front of the bar. They looked quite the imposing army in their red suits, dark sunglasses, various sizes and shoulder bags full of weaponry. Earnest turned and faced the rest of them. "How are we getting there?"

Cowboy straightened his hat. "We walk."

Earnest's shoulders drooped. "Walk? Ah come on man..."

Vlad muttered something about the van and vodka, but otherwise remained silent.

Cowboy smirked. "This isn't just an attack. We'll also be patrolling for any bandits making their way to the bar," he then shot a thumb in the direction of Vlad. "And anyway, our good friend here crashed his loyal steed into a sex shop."

All the eyes turned and rested on Vlad. Vlad looked up. "What? The brakes failed when I was driving past."

Earnest rolled his eyes. "Yeah right..." he then turned and faced Cowboy again. "But still...walking dude. Come on."

"It's only twenty minutes away Samson," came a familiar voice from the doorway. "and anyway, you need the exercise." Braggart walked out of the bar inserting a clip into his pistol. The rest of the men looked surprised.

"Er... what are you doing?" asked Cowboy.

Braggart snorted then slid the pistol into one of his jacket pockets. "I'm coming along. This operation is far too delicate to leave in your idiotic hands alone."

Cowboy gulped and try to hide his worry by tilting his hat down.
'Dang. The boss didn't want any of the bosses or potential bosses to get hurt...'

Earnest chuckled. "You're coming with us to do work? You do realise that we could be in serious danger, guns and all, right?"

Braggart gave Earnest a glare. He walked towards him and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "My father said I had to work with 'Apollo'. I follow my fathers orders to the word...unlike some." He then smiled. "And anyway, if any bullets come my way, I'll make sure your close by to be my bullet shield."

"Hey...wait a min-" started Earnest but Braggart raised a hand silencing him. Braggart faced Damion.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

Damion nodded. "Ready as we'll ever be."

Braggart looked at Thal who nodded gently as well. He nodded back. "Okay. Lets roll."

They soldiered on in silence for several minutes, the people on the pavement avoiding them or bowing as they walked past. The Crew kept their eye out for anyone suspicious. Scouts, soldiers maybe even a crooked cop. However, they saw no one like that. This continued until Thal became bored. She turned to Phil. "Phil?"

"Mmm?" he responded in a bored tone.

"Why did you join the Collins Crew?" she asked, her tone the seeming epitome of innocent curiosity.

Phil looked taken aback by the question. "Bit of a random question to ask isn't it?"

Thal just shrugged. "I was just wondering how you became who you are now."

Phil smiled, took out a large cigar and placed it in his mouth. "Now that," he lit the cigar "is a long story."

"Yeah. Do tell us what it was like to fight in a Roman legion old man." quipped Moe.

"Smart ass." growled Phil while blowing smoke into the air. He looked back at Thal. "My story began a long time ago. I grew up in the Shoreditch area of London. My parents were poor but they did their best to look after me." He looked up into the sky. "Got into crime in my early teens. Selling dodgy goods, stealing lead roofing, half inching cars...heh... I was a right little bastard." He took a another puff of his cigar.
"All was fine till the 70's. Britain's economy went to shit with strikes and low employment. Nobody had any money. My old man lost his job. So they saved up all the money they could and moved here to chase the 'American dream.'" Phil chuckled. "What a fucking joke that was. All we found out was that if you're rich here you're fine. If you're poor...well tough luck. Met Kurtious soon after that. Nothing more than street kids then..." He smirked again. "We've come a long way..."

"It's good to know I wasn't only one fooled by incentive of American Dream, Da" said Vlad, hands in pockets as he walked past.

Thal looked towards him. "How did you join?"

Vlad let out a painful sigh. "I was born in Moscow. My father was proud military man. My mother tended the home. I did okay at school and joined the army."

Jerimiah raised an eyebrow towards his friend. "You were in the Red Army?"

Vlad smirked a little. "Not just the army, no. I was Spetsnaz."

Jerimiah almost choked. "No shit! Really?"

Vlad nodded slowly. "I do not as you say... do things by half's, no." Vlad sighed again. "I was very and foolishly loyal to my country until it's collapse. When that occurred, I had nothing... literally and figuratively. My beliefs broke like a glass bottle..."

"So then you decided to embrace the hug of freedom by coming here bro?" said Earnest with a smirk.

"Freedom..." Vlad let out a dark chuckle which left Earnest confused. "You are still young boy. As you get older and lived what I have lived... Communism, Capitalism, Fascism... it does not matter. Power is held by the few while the others are left to struggle, and the only way to acquire it is with a stick and a gun. It happened in Russia, it happens here, it happens everywhere." Vlad smirked a little. "However, that is why I became a member of this family. It sticks up for the weak. Protects them against the angry and the bitter. I'm happy with my life now."

Jerimiah shook his head. "Wow makes my reason look like shit."

Thal walked to the side of him. "How come?"

Jerimiah pointed to himself. "Who me? Well I joined after leaving the Crypts..."

Romeo looked behind him. "You used to take cars to the chop shop for them did you not?"

Jerimiah smiled. "Among other things."

"Why'd you leave?" asked Thal

Jerimiah scratched the back of his head. "Guy who I worked with got real crazy. Started accusing me of selling out to the cops. High as a kite he was." Jerimiah looked down and shook his head. "They chased me out and Kurtious was the only one willing to take me in."

"Hmmph...pathetic..." Muttered Romeo causing Jerimiah to glare at the back of his head.

"Oh yeah. What's your reason for joining then?"

Romeo shrugged. "I don't need a reason."

*Ba-Bump*

Thal's eyes widened as her bracelets tightened. She glared at Romeo. "You shouldn't lie Romeo..."

Damion almost froze.
'What did she say?'
He looked over at Braggart who had his hand on his gun and was staring at Romeo.
'So that's his game,' Thought Apollo 'He's using her ability to find the Traitor.'

Romeo froze as well, not realising the three glares he was getting behind him. He rubbed his eyes. "The truth is...I need the money to provide for my family. I follow no creed."

Thal breathed a sigh of relief. No reaction. Damion and Braggart clocked her reaction and stood down as well.

"Hey doing it for family is nothing to be embarassed about." said Moe to Romeo.

"You do it for loved ones too?" asked Romeo.

Moe nodded. "I got two sisters and no parents. Times were tough. However, they're getting older now." He smiled a bright smile. "Ones becoming a nurse now. Still, I'd do anything to protect them."

Romeo nodded. "I know how you feel."

Moe looked over at the far front of the group. "Hey, Cowboy, you got any family?"

Cowboy let a small smile slide across is face. "Family hombre? Yeah... I got a little brother..."

Moe chuckled. "Let me guess... you joined the family to provide for him right."

Cowboy chuckled. "Yes... I joined the 'Family' to provide for him..."

*Ba-Bump*

Thal looked at Cowboy as an alert flashed through her eyes. Before she could voice anything, Earnest said something. "We're finally here. Jeez that took an age..."

Cowboy walked ahead through the entrance of the stadium while the others followed. Damion whispered to Braggart. "I don't like this... I don't see any Cad's."

Braggart nodded. He walked ahead a little of the group. "Bret. Where are they?"

Cowboy just chuckled. "I liked you guys... I really did..." He turned around silently and removed his hat. "Drop your iron comrades, and I'll make sure your turned in to the sheriff nice and safe."

"What the..." said Braggart as the others looked on with shocked faces.

Damion and Braggart pulled their guns out simultaniously and pointed them at Brett. "You're the grass. We're not going anywhere...Traitor!" shouted Braggart.

Cowboy just smiled. "Resisting arrest huh?" he then pointed one of his index fingers at the group. Swarms of police appeared behind him armed with a variety of guns. Citizens screamed, hit the ground, ran from the scene or just plain froze when they saw firearms. Through the chaos, Cowboy stood motionless. "They shoot you for that in Texas y'know..."

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Kristoph and the Mistake with the Post

Phoenix: "Kristoph, I really think we need to talk."
Kristoph: "Yes, Phoenix?"
Phoenix: "I recieved this letter from you, threatening to kill me if I don't reveal the location of Benny Redneck?"
Kristoph: "Oh, dreadful mistake. Sorry about that. I meant to send you a letter with an invitation to my christmas party."
Phoenix: "...so the letter I got was actually supposed to go to someone?"
Kristoph: *Light shines off of his glasses as he stares at Phoenix*
Phoenix: *gulp* "So... about this christmas party..."

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Authors Notes-

Kongu- "From the Authors of 'It's not Easy Wearing Red' we would like to wish you a very happy holiday season. Isn't that right Spadework?"
Spadework- "Yes indeed my friend. This year has been good all round, and next year looks better story wise, with the follow up and seq- *Gets elbowed sharply* Ouch!"
Kongu- *Clears throat* "Yes, next year does look good even though we have absolutely nothing planned yet... right Spadework...Spadework?
Kristoph- "Hi."
Kongu- *Screams in Terror!*

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!