June 21st, Court Room 3, 11:20 AM

Enter Phoenix

"Ladies, Gentlemen, let's wind the clocks back around two days… Up above, in Court Room 101, a debate of the innocence of the victim of this very case was being held. The charge was for murder. The prosecutor of that case is the very man standing right next to our Defense Attorney: His name is Asmodeus Ex Machina, The Half Life Prosecutor." Levi said, making sure she was heard.

Asmodeus seemed to be displeased with the new attention he was getting.

"The Defense Attorney who defended the victim was one… Apollo Justice…" Phoenix could feel and hear Levis voice softly melt as she said Apollo's name, and she leaned over the desk to support herself.

"The two were in the heat of debate, but then the unthinkable happened!: Mister Justice suddenly passed out! Mister Ex Machina, perhaps in an act of shock, followed suit." Levi said, returning to her standing stance.

Phoenix could hear Asmodeus scoff at the very thought, but said nothing.

"The courtroom went wild! During the commotion, the accused, Franziska von Karma, was… (drum-roll please…) abducted!" Levi said, expressive hands flitting about.

"…So tell me… is that man sitting in the Defendants Chair? How do you plead… Phoenix Wright?" Levi said as she crossed her arms and focused all of her might into her golden eyed glare.

"Last chance to throw this case…" Asmodeus muttered to Phoenix, smiling.

"I plead Not Guilty." Phoenix said, returning the stare.

Phoenix studied his green haired opponent intently, drinking in every fidget of surprise that his action elicited from her and everyone else: The Judge, the gallery, and Asmodeus Ex Machina. Energy flowed into his veins and he felt like a man of twenty four again.

Levi Gaudiums ruby red lips curved slowly into a small smile.

"Very well…" she fanned out a mixture of five red and blue backed cards. "Pick a card… but choose wisely…" Levi said, her eyes squinting and her eyes narrowing.

"How far does she expect her magic tricks to take her?" Phoenix thought. "I choose the second one from your left." He shrugged as he guessed.

The other cards contracted back into the deck and it slid into her sleeve. Levi held the singular blue backed card between two white gloved fingers.

She closed her eyes and slowly sunk the card from her head down to her chest as she spoke.

"Very well. This witness was there at the scene of the crime, waiting to be cross examined when he witnessed the kidnapping. Nobody knows his name or face, but this masked man may be the sole solace for us to learn the truth…" she said silently.

It was then that Phoenix finally caught on to what Levi did.

He didn't just pick a card: He picked a witness.

Levi opened her eyes quickly and slammed the card face up on the table. On the card was an abstract art of a man dressed in all black, wearing a black mask that concealed all of his features. The cards suit was the spade.

"With this, the defense has called its first witness to the stand!" Levi said, pointing dramatically. The crowd applauded as the witness walked to the stand, two bailiffs at his side.

He wore a black overcoat and a black mask that covered his entire head. He was clothed in all black.

"Witness, grace this court with your name and occupation, if you please!" Levi said, crossing her rms.

"Silence. My name is Silence. I am currently unemployed." The black covered man explained.

"Allow me to shed more light on the subject, ladies and gentlemen. Silence was a man who desired Witness and Identity protection after witnessing Franziska murder Detective Gumshoe. However…" she said, looking around for peoples reaction.

"After Asmodeus and Apollo-kins passed out, he witnessed the very crime!" she said, slamming down on her desk. Small fireworks came from the spouts on the sides of her desks. They sizzled into the air just above Levi and disintegrated with a hissing sound. The judge still seemed to be transfixed.

The gallery broke into whispers before all died down into silence with the bang of the Judges Gavel.

"You are to address this with your testimony at once, Mister Silence!"

"…Very well." Silence answered gruffly.

--Testimony Of Silence—

"As previously mentioned, I am a witness in State versus von Karma that required Witness Protection."

"Hence my mask and the two bailiffs at my side."

"Anyway, I was waiting to be cross examined: Apollo was cross examining the Half Life Prosecutor, over there…"

"And then all of a sudden, he just passes out, right over his bench!"

"Ex Machina followed suite. His attendant caught him from his fall, but he was out cold."

"The gallery went nuts! Baliffs swarmed the area trying to keep the place intact, including the guards at my sides."

"I was defenseless, and out of pure fear, I ducked down under the commotion: I feared that someone was prepared to kill me!"

"Then I looked up at the defendants bench, and someone dressed like a baliff was up there alone. He kidnapped Franziska von Karma, and quickly ran away."

"That Shelly deKiller is a horrible coward!"

--End Testimony--

"The Witness has spoken, Phoenix. The stakes have been raised: All the cards are on the table now... Do you want to go all in, or are you gonna fold?"

"Levi, are you aware of my past Poker legacy at the Borscht Bowl Club?" Phoenix asked.

"Of course… Beating the Phoenix Wright at two of his games is part of the reason why I took this case." Levi said, smiling.

"Well, I'm not about to lose either of my games yet: I'm going all in!"

The crowd applauded, and the judge seemed a few steps behind clapping himself.

"The Defense would like to Cross Examine the witness!" Phoenix said, pointing.

"Very well." The judge said.

"Better be careful, Wright. I know Levi: She never misses a trick, Magic or otherwise… If you don't present that evidence, and soon, you could find yourself in big trouble…" Asmodeus said crossing his arms as smoke blew out of the pipes on his back lazily.

"I'm going to go without it. Levi isn't my favorite prosecutor, but she doesn't deserve what I had to go through." Phoenix said, looking at Asmodeus from the corner of his eyes.

"Self righteous to the end? So be it. Don't say I didn't warn you." Asmodeus muttered to Phoenix.

"Without further ado, Let the Cross Examination… begin!" Levi said, holding her arms up high and at length. Another applause from the gallery led into the Cross Examination of Silence.