Here's another trial (the first part of it, that is)! Note: the testimony is in italics, thoughts are in parentheses, and actions are in brackets.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!
Chapter 25 – Turnabout Difficulty
Judge: Court is now in session for the trial of Serena Sterling.
Phoenix: Phoenix Wright, defense team leader, is ready, Your Honor.
Blackquill: Hmph. The prosecution is also ready.
Judge: Right. Prosecutor Blackquill. Your opening statement?
Blackquill: Your Baldness. This is case is sickly simple. Must we waste time with an opening statement?
Judge: Well, I suppose we could…
Athena: Objection! Your Honor, it is unorthodox to not have an opening statement!
Blackquill: Silence! It's just a waste of time. Although, you like to waste your time, don't you Cykes-dono?
Judge: What do you mean, Prosecutor Blackquill?
Blackquill: Cykes-dono here likes to spend her time with rock stars and going to clubs to scope out young men. Surely she must enjoy wasting time like that.
Athena: You take that back!
Judge: Is that true, Ms. Cykes?
Athena: No! He's just being stupid!
Blackquill: How dare you call me stupid?!
Athena: I dared!
Judge: Oh my! This is quite exciting!
Phoenix: (It seems they've both forgotten that we're here to run a trial, not for them to have an argument! And it looks like His Honor is distracted by them. *sigh* I guess I should be the adult here.) Your Honor. We really should be getting back to the case at hand, shouldn't we?
Judge: Oh, yes. Of course. Ahem. Although this was getting quite interesting, I'm afraid we must move on with the trial.
Blackquill: I'd like to call the first witness. [A detective is brought to the stand.] Witness. Your name and occupation.
Detective: The name's Harley Quinn, and I'm a detective at the LAPD!
Judge: Please testify as to what you saw the day of the murder.
Quinn: You've got it, Your Honor!
1) I was just doing my daily rounds in the prison.
2) I was walking by the entrance to the prison when I heard a gasp.
3) I bolted down the hall to where I heard the noise, and that's when I saw that awful site!
4) The doctor was sitting near the victim's corpse with blood all over her.
Judge: Alright then. Mr. Wright. Your cross-examination, if you would.
Phoenix: (Hm…Where should I start? I guess I could press every statement and see where that leads me.) So, Mr. Quinn.
Quinn: Please call me Officer Quinn. I am technically a police officer, and Mr. Quinn sounds way too official!
Phoenix: Of course. Officer Quinn. You said you were doing your daily rounds in the prison. Could you elaborate on that?
Blackquill: Hmph. What's his prison rounds have to do with anything, Wright-dono? Don't tell me you like to waste your time like a certain other defense attorney.
Athena: Objection! That was unnecessary!
Judge: Objection sustained. Prosecutor Blackquill, please refrain from making unnecessary comments.
Phoenix: Thanks Athena.
Athena: Boss. You should press another statement. I don't really think we're going to get much information from pressing that statement.
Phoenix: …(Is that not what Prosecutor Blackquill was saying?! Oh well. I guess they both do have a point.) R…right. Sorry. You don't need to answer that question.
Athena: You said you heard someone gasp? Who was it?
Quinn: I believe it sounded like a woman gasping.
Athena: A woman? I wonder if it was Serena?
Judge: Hm…Officer Quinn. Please add that detail to your testimony. The defense may continue.
Phoenix: (I don't see any need to press the third statement, unless I want Blackquill to insult me and for Athena to indirectly agree with him.) Er…You said the doctor was sitting near the victim's corpse. Was she the only one at the scene?
Quinn: Nope. There was another inmate there. Mr. Guasto.
Phoenix: (Alright then. I've pressed the statements that needed to be pressed. Now it's just a matter of finding a contradiction.)
Athena: Boss! I see a contradiction! He said in his second statement that he heard a woman gasp when he was at the prison entrance, but then in his third statement, he said that he bolted down the hall!
Phoenix: You're right! How could he hear a person gasp from that far of a distance? I just need to present…the diagram of the prison. Take that! I'd like to call the court's attention to this diagram of the prison. As you can see, there's a large distance going from the prison entrance to the cell where the body was found. [Slams desk] Clearly, this proves that there is a contradiction in the witness's testimony!
Judge: You're right! Officer Quinn. Please explain this!
Quinn: Oh dear. It seems to be that I have remembered things a little differently. Forgive me. I tend to goof up remembering things like that! Now, thinking back, I heard a gasp when I was near the entrance, but that was actually one of the inmates. When I checked on him, I found out that he was taken by surprise by how the prison served such tasty desserts. I think he even said something along the terms of, 'being in jail isn't such a bad thing after all!'
Phoenix: (Great! The last thing we need is for people to commit more criminal acts with the reassuring thought in mind that prison serves good food.) So you didn't hear a woman's gasp.
Quinn: Oh but I did! I was near cell number 2107 when I heard the gasp, and I went over to cell 2109. That's where I saw the doctor and the body and the inmate.
Judge: I see. Well, I believe the cross-examination of this witness has gone on long enough.
Athena: Hold it! Your Honor! How can we completely rely on this man's testimony?! Clearly he doesn't remember things well enough!
Judge: Hm…that is a good point.
Blackquill: Hmph. That's not the main point. The main point is that this witness did see the defendant at the crime scene, with blood on her person no less. What more do we need to know?
Phoenix: (Whoa. Is he really trying to get the trial to end this quickly?! Think Phoenix. What's our next step?...That's it!) Your Honor! The defense would like to have the defendant testify!
Judge: Hm…that seems to be a good idea. Prosecutor Blackquill, do you have any objections?
Blackquill: Hmph. Do as you please. Obviously the whole lot of you have time to waste away.
Judge: Alright, Bailiff. Please bring the defendant to the witness stand. [Serena is led to the stand.]
Blackquill: Name and occupation.
Serena: My name's Serena Sterling. I'm an ER doctor.
Athena: She looks kind of down in the dumps, doesn't she Boss?
Phoenix: (Well, she is being tried for murdering someone. I can assure you it isn't the best feeling in the world, but yeah, she does seem down.)
Judge: Dr. Sterling. Please testify as to what happened that day in the prison.
Serena: …
Blackquill: Well, what are you waiting for?!
Athena: Hey! Give her some time to get her thoughts together!
Serena:
1) I went to the prison for a visit.
2) When I got to the cell, there was a man there.
3) Soon, the detective came into the cell and saw the body.
4) He called for backup, and I was arrested.
Judge:…
Blackquill:…
Phoenix:…
Athena:…
Judge: Is that all you have to say?
[Serena nods]
Phoenix: That was the vaguest testimony I've heard in a while.
Athena: So, what are you going to do, Boss? Are you going to press her statements?
Phoenix: That's exactly what I'm going to do.
Blackquill: A cross-examination is pointless. We should just get on to giving out the verdict.
Athena: Objection! We have a right to cross-examine a witness, don't we Your Honor?
Judge: That's correct Ms. Cykes. The defense may begin its cross-examination.
Phoenix: Ms. Sterling. You said you went to the prison to visit someone. Who was that?
Serena:…A…a friend.
Phoenix: A friend? Was it someone worked there?
Serena:…
Blackquill: According to the police report, she went to visit one of the prison inmates. One Mr. Thomas Guasto.
Phoenix: (Thomas Guasto. That's right. Edgeworth told me about him. I didn't know she was friends with a prison inmate…hm. I wonder what he has to do with all of this?) Ahem. Anyway, moving along. You said when you got to the cell, there was a man. Who was this man?
Serena: He's another inmate.
Phoenix: And what exactly was this man doing?
Serena:…He…he was…talking…
Phoenix: Talking to who?
Serena: The person in the cell.
Phoenix: The person you were visiting. Mr. Guasto.
Serena: Yes.
Judge: Please add that bit to your testimony, Dr. Sterling.
Athena: You see the inconsistency there, don't you, Boss?
Phoenix: I do. Ms. Sterling. That statement you made and your third statement contradict each other. You just claimed that the man was talking to the prison inmate, but then the detective came in and saw the body of the same man? When did the murder happen then?
Serena: !
Judge: That's a good point, Mr. Wright. Dr. Sterling. Please explain.
Serena: I…uh…well…
Blackquill: Isn't it obvious what happened, Wright-dono?
Phoenix: ?
Blackquill: The defendant is missing one very important part of her testimony. The part where she commits the murder.
Athena: Objection! No she isn't!
Blackquill: Objection! Yes she is.
Athena: Objection! She isn't!
Blackquill: Hmph. I don't have the patience to engage in such a juvenile argument with you. Witness. You will admit to the crime!
Athena: No! Ms. Sterling! Don't let him use his powers of suggestion on you!
Serena: I…can explain.
Athena: Please. Go ahead. We're listening.
Serena: I…I saw the man…and I…I…
Phoenix: (She looks…scared.)
Blackquill: Stop sounding like a broken record and speak up already!
Serena: !
Athena: Can't you see you're scaring her?! Please. Ms. Sterling. What was it you wanted to say?
Serena: I…I can't.
Phoenix: Please Ms. Sterling. Work with us here.
Serena: No. I can't.
Blackquill: Witness. Do us all a favor and admit to your crime. It will be a lot less painful and time-consuming that way.
Athena: Objection! No! Boss!
Phoenix: Yeah Athena?
Athena: I think we need to run a little therapy session for Ms. Sterling.
Phoenix: You sense something, Athena?
Athena: I felt a little bit of something initially. She seems to be trying to suppress her emotions, and she's good at it. Really good, but now, her noise level is pretty high.
Phoenix: Alright Athena. Let's try it out! Maybe this'll get her to talk.
Athena: All right! Ms. Sterling! If you or His Honor doesn't mind, I'd like to give you a little counseling session.
Serena:…
Judge: I'm alright with that. Um…how about you, Prosecutor Blackquill?
Blackquill: It won't do any good for the defense's case, but I don't see why not.
Athena: Okay! Come on Widget! Time to use the Mood Matrix! Let's work you magic, Widget!
(AN: Yeah, so here's my attempt at the mood matrix. I can't say it's very good, but I tried!)
Mood Matrix
1) I went to the prison for a visit. Blue
2) When I got to the cell, there was a man there. Blue and Yellow
- He was talking to the prison inmate. Blue
3) Soon, the detective came into the cell and saw the body. Blue
4) He called for backup, and I was arrested. Blue
Athena: This is a weird emotion here. When she saw the man there, she was shocked.
Phoenix: (Hm…that is strange) Ms. Sterling. You were obviously shocked or surprised when you saw the man. Why is that?
Serena: I didn't expect anyone else to be visiting, that's all.
Athena: Hm…that's odd. The noise…it didn't decrease.
Phoenix: It didn't?
Athena: No. I wonder…maybe she's…lying?
Phoenix: Hm…I guess that is a possibility. (Gee, it sure would be nice to have Apollo here with us. But…we've got to keep going.)
Athena: Let me run an update.
1) I went to the prison for a visit. Blue
2) When I got to the cell, there was a man there. I didn't expect to see him there. Blue
- He was talking to the prison inmate. Blue and Green
3) Soon, the detective came into the cell and saw the body. Blue
4) He called for backup, and I was arrested. Blue
Phoenix: Ms. Sterling. You were happy when you recalled seeing the victim talking to the inmate. Why is that?
Blackquill: Isn't it obvious? She was happy to see her victim.
Athena: Objection! Don't say stuff like that!
Judge: Please explain, Dr. Sterling.
Serena: I…was happy to see the prison inmate.
Athena: The noise went down a little Boss.
Phoenix: Good. We're on the right track then.
Blackquill: Hmph. This proves nothing! A few out of place emotions are worthless!
Athena: How could you say that?! This is analytical psychology at work here! You can't insult it!
Blackquill: It's quite easy to tell that the defendant is guilty without the use of analytical psychology, Miss Fancy Pants; otherwise, why would her fingerprints be on the murder weapon?!
Phoenix: Ugh…(I kind of forgot about that tiny little detail).
Judge: Dr. Sterling. Can you explain this to us? Why were your fingerprints on the murder weapon?
Serena: I…I…I touched the murder weapon.
Phoenix: What?!
Judge: Why did you do that, Ms. Sterling?
Blackquill: The answer is easy: she used it to kill the victim!
Athena: Objection! She was going to explain herself before you rudely interrupted her! Please go on and say what you were going to say, Ms. Sterling.
Serena: I touched it…because…
Blackquill: Must you continue to be so weak and nervous, witness? Speak up or I'll have Taka here make you!
Serena: !
Blackquill: Tell us about everything that happened that day! Tell us the truth and stop lying!
Athena: Boss…
Phoenix: What is it?
Athena: Ms. Sterling…her heart. It's…emitting many emotions right now. She seems to be distressed, and I think it has something to do with her testimony.
Phoenix: Alright. Let's go back and check it out.
Blue, Yellow, and Green
1) I went to the prison for a visit.
2) When I got to the cell, there was a man there.
- He was talking to the prison inmate.
3) Soon, the detective came into the cell and saw the body.
4) He called for backup, and I was arrested.
Athena: All we need to do is find out what is the cause of all of the emotional turmoil in her heart.
Phoenix: (Hm…it can't be the Phantom. She only seemed shocked when she saw him. The body wasn't it either. What could've caused these emotions?)
Judge: If the defense has nothing else to add, we will end the cross-examination here.
Phoenix: (Looks like I'll have to bluff my way through this one.) Your Honor! The defense is going to continue. Ms. Sterling. You seem to have a lot of emotions raging inside your heart about this whole crime. And I believe the cause of these emotions is…the prison inmate you went to visit!
Serena: !
Phoenix: (Given her reaction, I'd say I'm on the right track! I just hope no one asks me to explain my reasoning…)
Athena: Boss. Do you have an explanation to back up that claim?
Phoenix: Er…well…[Darn it!]
Judge: Dr. Sterling. Please explain yourself. Why did seeing the prison inmate cause so much emotional upset in you?
Serena:…
[Serena's eyes widened and her skin had gotten visibly pale. She tugs at her necklace desperately.]
Blackquill: I've had quite enough of your silence, witness! Speak now!
Serena: I…I can't. I…I can't…say it.
Athena: B…Boss.
Phoenix: (What's wrong with Athena? She sounds…worried.) What is it?
Athena: We…we need to stop the trial. We need to stop it right now.
Phoenix: What?! Why?!
Athena: We just have to, Boss. Please listen to me!
Blackquill: Witness! I demand you to talk!
Athena: Stop Simon! Stop badgering her!
Blackquill: Why?! She's wasted our time here!
Athena: No! Just stop forcing her! Can't you see she's really distressed?!
Judge: Dr. Sterling. Please…
Blackquill: What will it take to get you to speak?!
Serena:…
Gasps were heard in the courtroom when Serena collapsed on the ground.
Oh boy! I can't believe I actually posted three chapters today! That's a major milestone for me! And another major milestone! This fanfiction is officially the longest one I've written and posted to date! That actually makes me really happy! I hope this chapter didn't really bore you guys much. Hopefully, things are going to get better in the next chapters, although the upcoming chapter might be a little long and confusing (and probably boring, although I hope that's not the case!). I don't know when I'm going to get the next chapter up because I've got finals coming up in two weeks, but I'll see what I can do in what little free time I might be able to salvage. Thanks, and feel free to leave me a review or private message me!