Chapter Twenty
"You ask what this is, Your Baldness? It is none other than when Block-dono met the victim."
So the tape makes an appearance. Took it long enough.
Kay couldn't bring herself to feel surprised. All she knew was that, for whatever reason, Prosecutor Blackquill wasn't ready to admit the police went to court too early. They didn't have enough evidence to convict Mr Block, and she highly doubted Mrs Block had left more. If she had, she would have been suspected from the start.
Oh wait... she was. As of January second, Klavier Gavin had been anxiously waiting to arrest her for his brother's murder. All he'd been waiting for was waiting for was for one more piece to fall into place.
Then the medical report went wrong. But what had been wrong with it? Was that when they'd found out the time of death was vague? That the victim's other injuries could have been what killed him?
Or had it been something else?
All Kay knew was the next day, Klavier had gone from considering holes in his case "the next guy's problem" to begging for the right to prosecute. He was denied, and Prosecutor Blackquill arrested Mr Block instead. Clearly, the two prosecutors had held distinct visions for where the case was headed.
"Upon reaching this juncture... I realize even he can be correct at times."
What did that mean? "My deductions were wrong, so I'm gonna take his for a spin"? If that was it, he'd be better off letting Mr Block go and waiting another day.
But of course, he wasn't going to.
"...it is for those reasons, Your Baldness, that this trial must continue. I have all the evidence I need to ensure this heartless woman pays for her crimes. Had the fop been willing to cooperate before now, I would have struck much sooner," she could have sworn she saw his eyes flash red as he spoke. "The trial will be held on this day. A delay at this juncture would have no purpose."
"OBJECTION!" Ingrid Block's voice had gone up an octave since she spoke last. "Prosecutor Blackquill said the same thing about his ability to prove my husband guilty, and look where that led him. He claims Prosecutor Gavin visited him during the recess, but if that were true, he should have spoken up the instant court resumed. And yet, and yet, he was silent. Utterly silent, and perfectly content to continue his condemnation of my client until he realized the truth: he lost the like he has every single time since returning to prosecution.
"To hide this shameful fact from our eyes, he waits until the very last second to present his new evidence. I visited the victim the same day I brought what I thought was ant poison to my work. That much is true, and, according to this man, that is enough for the police to suspect me. According to this man, that is enough to formally accuse me in court mere minutes after failing to convict my husband. Well... I suppose no one will ever say you aren't persistent."
She sighed, having calmed down a little. "For once today, I agree with the prosecutor: there is no reason to continue this farce any longer than necessary. I will ensure that both my client and myself leave this courthouse unshackled, and I will do it all in one, single testimony."
"You agree to testify on the matter?" Prosecutor Blackquill raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaffected.
The defense attorney nodded. "It will be the final testimony of this trial. Once the cross examination is declared over, there will be no more evidence, no more testimony, and no more debate. There will be no need for further discussion. The judge will hand down a legally binding verdict, and the prosecution will accept it. Am I clear?"
"Yes. And I accept your deal," he smirked, causing Trucy to flinch. "At this point, I have fought with every sword physically available to me. Had you insisted on a separate trial, I could have easily brought more."
Kay growled. What is this? "Do what I want and I'll wait until another day to cash in on my blackmail"?
I can't believe I ever trusted in you. Why did Mr Edgeworth even bother?
"Wait! Prosecutor Blackquill, Mrs Block!"
They turned to face him in unison. "What is it, Your Honor?"
"If Mrs Block is going to be the one testifying... who's going to cross examine her? Who is her defense attorney?"
"Is there any reason I cannot be the one to interrogate her?" Prosecutor Blackquill questioned. "I interrogate all my suspects."
"Cross examination is the right of a defense attorney, not a prosecutor," Mrs Block insisted. "Give me fifteen minutes. I know other courtrooms happened to be in session, and I'm confident I can convince one of them to help."
The judge nodded. "Very well. Court will now adjourn for a fifteen minute recess, effective immediately!"
And with a bang of the gavel, the gallery emptied itself out. Kay wanted to run up to the Blocks, but what could she do? She wasn't a lawyer.
"Kay!"
She turned to Trucy, who had her fists on her hips and fire in her eyes. "What do you want?"
"We should go find Daddy, Polly, and Athena! I bet one of them can cross examine Mrs Block."
"I'm sure they can too. But does Mrs Block want them? She'll probably ask for somebody from her own firm."
"No she won't! Remember the last recess? They're all banned from getting involved because Mr Gavin is poison."
"But didn't you say she got into a fight with your father?" Kay tilted her head, confused. "I doubt he'd be eager in helping her out."
"Daddy would do it, if it meant finding the truth. I know he would! We just have to make it happen," the teenager grabbed Kay's wrist, pulling her out of her seat and towards the exit.
It didn't take the pair long to find all four lawyers, plus Mr Block one of the people Kay had seen last recess. What was her name again?
"Marcy, no. You know I have to do this."
"But Mrs Block! You can't! I watched the trial where Mr Gavin got arrested, and it's all because he agreed to testify after someone ridiculously accused him. The parallels are all there, and if you get arrested, our firm isn't going to survive. We're all gonna be disgraced, no one's ever going to hire us ever again, the Bar Association's gonna investigate every single one of us, and-"
"Use your head, Miss Love," the girl's boss gripped her shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "I'm insulted you think I would do such a thing. How does that make any logical sense?"
"I don't know..." Marcy Love gulped, grinding her thumbnail between teeth. "But promise me you didn't kill him?"
"I swear it on my life."
"What about your son's life?"
"I'll swear it on whomever's life you wish. I didn't kill anyone."
"Mrs Block!" Phoenix Wright called out from a few feet away. He walked up to her, his two employees trailing closely behind. Trucy and Kay ran up to the group as well, not wanting to miss the action.
She looked surprised to see him there. "Mr Wright! What are you doing here?"
"We've been watching the trial this whole time," he explained, a serious expression on his face. "I... I wanted to offer my help. In cross examining you."
"I'll do it, if you don't want him!"
"Me too. Mrs Block, I don't know if you remember me, but-"
"Mr Justice," Kay thought she paled at the sight of him, but it might have been the light. Do they know each other? "I forgot you were still practicing."
He shrugged. "I get a case every now and then. It's enough to pay the bills."
"Iggy, come on!" Mr Block was impatient. "You don't have much time."
"Time to what? Choose?" the brunette lawyer asked. "Obviously, she's choosing me! I'm her employee!"
She shook her head. "Absolutely not. Did I not promise that no one else from my firm would ever get tangled up in this mess? If people can't trust my word, I ought to resign as an attorney right now."
"Urgh! I'm going back to the firm."
Her boss just nodded, as if it didn't affect her either way. "Good. You shouldn't be here in the first place."
And with that, the mousy haired lawyer left the building, to a period of silence.
It was Phoenix Wright who broke it. "Mrs Block, please-"
"Hush," she cut him off, opened the door to their Defendant Lobby, and motioned for everyone to come in. Unsure of whether to follow or not, Kay was the last one to enter before the door was closed.
Ingrid Block turned to face the three lawyers, not even noticing that Trucy and Kay were there. "Now... why should I accept help from any of you?"
The lawyer in blue sighed. "Look, I know we've had our differences in the past, but the fact is that the police are hiding something. From all of us. I'm just trying to figure out what it is. I want to be involved in this case, you want to prove your innocence, and we both want to find the truth. If that's not a reason to work together, I don't know what is."
Mrs Block listened attentively, only to shake her head at the end. "One could never be an attorney without the trust of their client. At this point, how do I know you won't just throw me under the bus? I haven't exactly made life easy for you, and 'the parallels are all there'," she put her finger to her lips before he could object. "You aren't some hero, Mr Wright. You're nothing more than a straw man idealist bent on revenge. I wouldn't trust you in a kangaroo's court."
Trucy opened her mouth to speak, only for Mrs Block to keep talking. "Mr Justice. I won't deny it, I've made several mistakes when it comes to treating you fairly. I regret what I did, but is it enough?"
"Look... I don't care about any of that. I just want to know who killed Mr Gavin!" he clenched his fists. "It seems like everyone in that courtroom is lying to us."
"How do I know you don't take after your new boss? How do I know you won't seek revenge on the one who gave your life conflict? I know how it feels, to be tempted that way. You know how it feels too.
"It seems I have only one option left... Miss Cykes?"
"Huh?" the redhead perked up at the sound of her name. "You want me?"
"Explain to me this: why do you defend others?"
"Hm..." the younger girl paused, flicking her earring as she thought. "I do it because I know they're innocent, and one day, I realized I can't just watch anymore. I can't just wait for someone else to save the people I care about: if I don't do this, no one else will.
"That's the reason I started with, anyway. Now that I've accomplished what I set out to do, I realize just how many people landed in the exact same situation I was. But sometimes, they don't have the skills or abilities that I do. Or they received another calling. But that doesn't mean they don't need someone to stick up for them, and... I wanna be the one who does. I want to be their hero, on the days when they can't be their own. No one's at a hundred percent all the time, but if we can all be there for each other, there will always be someone who is. That's why humans live in societies, isn't it? We could be alone, but we choose not to."
The room was silent as everyone processed the lawyer's words. Even Kay was touched. Powerful stuff.
Finally, Ingrid Block broke the silence. "How long have you been an attorney, Miss Cykes?"
"Almost a year. But that doesn't mean I'm not qualified! I promise, I know how to handle a cross examination. I'm so good at it, I cross examined an orca once! Well, the boss did, but I was there, and-"
"Miss Cykes! Calm down," she offered an amused smile, glancing about the lobby. "I miss the days, when I was as young as you. Everything looked so bright, back then..." the elder pinched her nose, giving it a long, slow sigh. "I trust in you, Miss Cykes. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes! Oh, and before we begin..." she ran up to the older woman, whispering something into her ear.
As that happened, Kay turned to face the male attorneys. Phoenix Wright shrugged, resigning himself to the new development. But Mr Justice wasn't finished.
"Athena! I'll stand up there with you. We can-"
"Absolutely not. I choose who cross examines me, and that includes the co-counsel," then, to Kay's eternal surprise, her eyes went to Trucy. "Miss Wright, you visited my office insisting my husband was innocent. Will you do the same for me?"
"Of course! And don't worry, I've assisted on the bench before, and I know what I'm supposed to do: just provide hints and yell at the lawyer every time they're wrong!"
That got everyone to laugh. Trucy put a fist to her hat, shrinking back. "Well, there's more to it then that... Daddy? Are you okay with this?"
"...Sure. I know you girls can do it. How many times can you mess up in one cross examination?"
Apollo Justice winced. "You have no idea."
That made Mr Block considerably less comfortable. "Let's not find out, okay?"
"Got you loud and clear, Mr Block," she flashed him a peace sign. "Let's do this!"
"Court is back in session for the trial of... the Blocks!" the judge declared as he struck his gavel against the bench. From the gallery, Kay sat in Athena Cykes's old seat, sandwiched between Mr Justice and Mr Wright. They'd been kind to invite her, but honestly? She couldn't care less where she sat, so long as she had a clear view.
:Are the defense and prosecution ready?"
"The substitute defense is ready, Your Honor!" her voice rang out loud and clear, shaking Prosecutor Blackquill out of his stupor.
"...Cykes-dono? Why on earth would you-"
"I offered to take over for this one cross examination, and Mrs Block accepted me," she sent him an over-friendly smile. "Isn't it great?"
"You have no place in this case," he insisted, then turned to Mrs Block, who was waiting by the witness stand. "I thought you said you would check the neighboring courtrooms."
"They were all in session. The bailiff refused to let me interrupt their trial," she explained. "Then I found out three lawyers had been watching from the gallery all along."
"What's wrong, Prosecutor Blackquill?" the judge blinked, seeking to understand. "What do you have against Miss Cykes?"
His eyes went wide as he searched for an answer. "...Nothing, Your Baldness. I was merely surprised to see her again, so soon." Aren't they friends, outside court?
"Hmph," Ingrid Block tutted. "Whatever your relationship to her may be, you need to accept that she was my choice for defense. I suggest you get over your shock soon, as I intend to begin testifying as soon as the judge allows."
"Oh! Of course," the judge nodded frantically. "Please begin whenever you're ready. But I do have one question, before we begin."
"And that is?"
"What exactly are you going to testify about? Oh, and would you please introduce yourself for recording purposes."
"My name is Ingrid Block, and I am an attorney at law," she spoke confidently to the court scribe, who nodded and wrote down her information. "Today, I will testify about this case as a whole, and why we've been looking at it the wrong way all along. But before I begin, Miss Cykes wanted to submit one last piece of evidence."
"You do?!"
The redhead nodded. "Yes, Your Honor. But before I submit it, I would like to assure you of its validity," she smiled once more to the opposing end of the courtroom, this time with a hint of malice in her expression. "Prosecutor Blackquill can back me up on this one."
His hand flew straight to his chest, as if it'd grown wings. "Athena, don't. You promised-"
She shook her head resolutely. "I promised to hold the truth above everything. Only now do I realize what I did was wrong."
"You don't understand. You can't just-"
"Your Honor? TAKE THAT!"
The gallery watched in awe as she threw an envelope into the air. When the evidence landed on the judge's desk, scattered applause took to the air as well.
The yellow lawyer spoke as everyone else held their breath. The judge was opening the envelope. "This was mailed to my apartment yesterday by Prosecutor Blackquill himself. He insisted his belongings weren't safe. He told me that he... he trusted me to help him, that what I was doing would bring the culprit of this case to justice. But Your Honor? He lied."
"What is this?" Inside was a single piece of paper. The judge squinted as he tried to read the words. "'Lady Justice...'"
Oh. My. God. Did she just-
"It's the last thing the victim wrote before he died," Athena explained. She'd had her hands on her hips, but removed one arm to point. "If that doesn't turn the whole case around, I don't know what does!"
A/N's: (Is busy rocking out to "Courtroom Revolutionnaire" like the Athena trash she is.)
(Looks up.) Oh wait! I need to write my author's note! Coming, guys! (Runs over to the keyboard)
So... I kinda screwed you over. This isn't the chapter where I reveal virtually everything. That's next chapter. But don't worry! I'm gonna start writing it as soon as I post this chapter on both websites (which it now is. If you want slightly faster updates, follow the story on ao3. I post chapters up to a day earlier, because that's where I keep incomplete chapters and often post late at night).
Another thing that I also post on ao3 is my rather silly fic: Epic Rap Battles of Ace Attorney. I plan to post the next rap battle tomorrow, as I already have it written. The participants are... a surprise. Haha, Cyked y'all out!
Sigh... I'm such a jerk, especially when I'm sleep deprived.
And oh my gosh, I was listening all four variations of Athena's theme song ("Tragic Memories", "Athena Will Take on Your Defense", "Let's Do This!", and, of course, "Courtroom Revolutionnaire". The latter may just be why I chose her over Apollo for this job) during the writing of a single chapter. I think I have a problem.
Also, let me clear up some name puns:
Allan Roe Block- "all a roadblock" even his name knows he didn't do it
Alwayne Watcher- "always watching" pretty obvious, if you ask me
Marcy Ana Love- "mercy and love" the softer side of justice, a bit at odds with this minor character's nature
William Crane- not really a pun. Just a reference to Jill Crane, a minor character in the fan translation of AAI2
Now, since I'm sure you all want me to start on twenty-one... thank you again for all of your support, don't forget to leave your review below, and I will see you on the far side! (runs away, then runs back to press the "post" button)