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Arctis Tor - Defendant Lobby(?)
"..." Apollo was sitting on the couch, his eyes locked on his evidence, going through it again and again to try and find any clues that might help them in the coming final contest. Rayfa sat next to him, just as silent, her eyes on the ground. If Apollo hadn't had his mind focused on trying to find a way to win, he would have tried to cheer her up.
A few feet away, Athena was pacing while Nahyuta stood, looking composed. That facade dropped the second the door opened and Harry stalked into the room, his long legs covering the distance from the door to the others quickly. "Where have you been, wizard?" The prosecutor's voice wasn't outright hostile, but it removed any chance the others could think he was actually calm.
Perhaps someone else would have been intimidated by the tall attorney's attention, but Harry Dresden had almost an entire foot in height over Nahyuta, and the inability to show respect to almost anyone. "I've been saving your ass, O Holy Monk of the Filed Lawsuit," Harry said, and it was only then that Apollo noticed in his peripheral vision that he was hurt. In addition to the wounds they'd seen him with before, now he was limping badly, a chunk of his jeans torn off near one knee to reveal an open wound underneath, and a gash on his forehead was bleeding into an eye.
Athena stopped her pacing, rushing over to Harry to look over his wounds. "Estrellas y piedras, Harry!" She pulled out a handkerchief from a jacket pocket, reaching up on her tip-toes to dab away some of the blood on his face. "Hold this on your forehead, the pressure should help."
He did as she asked, though seemed to see something funny in it as well. "Appreciated, but I feel the need to point out I'm more than twice your age and have been in worse shape than this more times than I can count."
"What happened?" Nahyuta asked, looking Harry's body over with his stoic mask on. "You should speak to a guard, they can arrange a medic for you." Apollo smiled. Nahyuta liked to act aloof, but he still couldn't help, well, helping.
Harry let out a bark of laughter. "The day I let the Winter Court treat my injuries again is the day I die for the third time, and it'll be because they killed me." Everyone there, Rayfa included, paused to consider what he meant by having already died twice, but Harry just kept talking, as he was want to do. "As for who did this to me, you can thank a couple trolls who ambushed me coming here." Then he reached into his duster, pulling out a thin file, and handed it over to Apollo. "After what we talked about yesterday, I realized you could need this. The fact I was attacked bringing it to you might be a sign of how badly someone didn't want you to have it, or it could be my bad luck." From what Apollo had seen of Harry in the last few days, the latter might be more likely.
With some new evidence to look at, Apollo set aside what he'd been working on and flipped through the file. "What's that?" Athena asked, trying to read it upside down while leaning over Apollo.
"It's a report on the previous Mask DeMasques, or at least as much as is publicly available about them. The Horned Avenger here said he wanted to dig deep into the background for this case, so I thought this might help." Harry's explanation matched what Apollo was looking at, but he didn't reply. "Uh, is he okay?"
"My dear brother tends towards overfocusing when he encounters difficult problems," Nahyuta explained, humor in his voice. "We had to be homeschooled together, and even back then he'd frequently shut down while studying for a test." Those words brought up fond memories, but Apollo filed those away for later. It was time to read.
The first Mask DeMasque was Ron DeLite, a former security guard who invented the character himself. After his first heist, he was blackmailed and assisted by Luke Atmey. That same man then was the one to commit the fifth heist, using it as part of a plan to frame DeLite for a murder. This was the only previous Mask DeMasque that Apollo really knew about, as Ron DeLite had been defended for all his crimes by Phoenix Wright.
"Oh, Harry, did we tell you we ran into your apprentice?" The wizard suddenly started choking. Apollo wondered if it was the best idea to bring that up, but didn't speak up about it either.
The second Mask DeMasque was Ka-Shi Nou, though his crimes weren't nearly of the same caliber as the first. After four fairly unremarkable but successful thefts, he was hired to steal an important statue from an embassy. However, someone killed him in the process.
It took a while for Harry to say anything back. Clearly, he hadn't expected to hear that. "Is she doing okay?" Apollo remembered what Molly had asked when they said they knew Harry, and thought the symmetry was pretty sweet.
The third Mask DeMasque was never identified, and never caught. Their targets weren't as lofty as the first's nor as lowly as the second's, instead all targeting different members of the same wealthy family. During the fifth heist, the thief was spotted at the scene and escaped without their quarry. They were never heard from again.
It seemed like Athena had to think about how to respond to the question. "Yeah, she's running with an...interesting crowd?" Apollo agreed with her choice not to mention his apprentice was now a member of a world-famous thieving trio. "Oh, she mentioned something about not being welcome here in Arctis Tor, do you know why that is?"
The fourth Mask DeMasque was caught just a year before Apollo's career started. Currently the only one to be successfully sentenced for their crimes, Maria Lamb was the first confirmed woman to be Mask DeMasque. Her thefts were all of famous paintings, and she was only caught on her fifth heist because she'd been betrayed by her partner-in-crime Lotta Hart.
"Hell's bells..." Harry muttered, scratching his head. "To simplify things, a lot, Molly used to be one of Winter's Queens? But she isn't anymore?" That earned him stares from everyone, even Apollo. Shrugging with his narrow shoulders, Harry just said, "I know it's confusing. She got the Mantle of the Winter Lady out of nowhere, then she found a way to transfer it to someone else."
Turning his attention back to the file, flipping back and forth between the pages, Apollo noticed a connection. Something about the number five...Bringing out his report on the newest Mask DeMasque, he realized the pattern still held. What that meant, though, he didn't know for sure.
"A 'mantle'?" Athena asked, tapping a finger to her chin. "What is that, exactly?"
Now listening very intently to the conversation, Apollo got out his pamphlet about magic, which already had numerous notes scribbled on it, and prepared to take another.
To everyone's surprise, it was Nahyuta who answered the question. "A Mantle is a transferable identity that comes with various abilities and restrictions. They're created, most often, when large groups of people all recognize an entity as existing, even just in people's minds. Assuming the Mantle grants the strengths normally attributed to that figure, but also applies any penalties that people associate with the legend behind it."
Not that Apollo didn't trust his brother, but he waited for Harry to confirm or deny that before actually writing it down. "Damn, that's not a bad way of explaining it," Harry grudgingly admitted. "They can empower mortals, but they can also be used by immortals as a way to live on in new faces." Another bit of magical info that Apollo saved in his Court Record. There was no telling what would or wouldn't prove useful in the upcoming encounter.
Suddenly looking rather downtrodden, Athena asked Harry, "Did you hear about what we just learned in court? About Anna Fanna?" Her question reminded Apollo of the bond those two had shared, they'd even gone out on a date.
Harry seemed to take it remarkably well. "What, that she's a naiad? Yeah, I already knew." It didn't take long for the wizard to realize everyone else in the room was glaring at him. "Sorry, but that was something you had to learn on your own. My hands were kind of tied." When he said those last words, his eyes were on Athena, who seemed to understand what he meant, even if Apollo didn't.
For the first time in the conversation, Apollo decided to speak up. "What can you tell me about naiads?" The word was vaguely familiar, but despite his name Apollo didn't study a lot of Greek mythology.
"Keep in mind I'm not a walking Fae encyclopedia," Harry said first, letting Apollo know not to necessarily take any of what he said next as gospel. "But since I knew walking into the situation what she is, I was able to do some research ahead of time. You know dryads right, they're like tree people? Well naiads are that but for rivers and streams and stuff like that. A really famous one would be someone like the Lady of the Lake, but Anna is nowhere near that powerful." Oh good, Apollo thought, there was no risk of her distributing swords as a system of governance.
Apollo was taking notes as Harry spoke, adding it to Anna's profile. "With magic, running water is something that grounds it, they're a strong barrier. So because of that, naiads usually have pretty strong defensive magic, they can put up shields that would put mine to shame. As you'd expect, their water magic is damn good, but Anna's of the Summer Court, so she can dip into fire when she needs it too. Rivers also have connections to the mind, so mental magic, and the idea of washing things off, so ripping enchantments apart. A big thing though is that, unlike a Sidhe, she doesn't have enough extra juice to be sharing her magic with other people. Since she's a Fae, she also can't cross thresholds or empowered magic circles by herself."
"The trial is ready to resume," one of the guards said, looking directly at Apollo. "Return to your position, immediately." With a long, slow breath, Apollo collected his evidence, collected himself, and collected his resolve. This was going to work. He could do this. He was fine.
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Arctis Tor - Courtroom
It didn't take long for everyone to get back to their places. It wasn't wise to make Mab wait, after all.
"The trial will now reconvene," she announced. Then she, as well as the rest of the court, looked toward the witness stand. Anna Fanna still stood there, looking largely the same as she had before. Same frizzy auburn hair, same slightly crumpled business suit, same magnified eyes hiding behind thick glasses lenses. But her posture was different. She was looking serious. "Witness, would you care to tell the court your name once more?"
A touch of humor played at the corners of the witness's lips. "I suppose there's no point in hiding it any longer. My name is Thes, and I am a naiad of the Seelie Court." As she spoke, the glamour she'd hidden under disappeared. Hair that once looked so untamed it seemed as though it had never seen a brush before smoothed into locks that ran down her shoulders like running water. Skin that looked all too pasty and human became perfectly beautiful, unmarred by mortality. Her clothes were no longer made of cloth, but running water that seemed to slowly circle her entire body, obscuring her flesh under peaceful streams.
"...ha! A devil's bluff has revealed a neptunian siren." A new cup of coffee slid down the prosecutor's bench into Godot's waiting hand, and after a sip he gestured the mug at the witness. "Now I've got to wonder, why this she-wolf came here bleating like a sheep to begin with." Remove the poetic nonsense, and Apollo knew what he was asking, what everyone in court was wondering: Why was Thes pretending to be a human?
The faerie seemed to consider the question, and Apollo was ready to see a new side of her. After all, by this stage, most witnesses in her situation were ready to show their real selves, and they had never physically transformed as much as she did. Instead, he had to watch as all that poise and grace disappeared, and Thes shrank in on herself, arms crossed, her inhumanly beautiful face twisted in fear. "I never lied! I can't! I just...said that I worked as 'Anna Fanna', and anyway! You called me here as her, not as myself!"
Apollo Justice slumped forward on his bench, hair horns drooped over as beads of sweet slid down his face. Next to him, Athena was looking similarly exasperated. As it turned out, 'Anna Fanna' hadn't been that far from who she really was. Still, Apollo straightened up and jumped into the conversation. "Objection! Witness, that excuse won't work! You've hid something major from the court, and the defense wants to hear your testimony as to why!" Just like before, Thes shrank back from Apollo's words, as if afraid they could physically hurt her.
"'Something major,' Injustice? I don't know about all that." Godot was grinning, so confident even as the trial began to approach the end. Apollo felt a primal desire to wipe that dumb look off his face. "Anyway, go ahead, you can have another testimony." He sipped at his coffee. "It won't do you any good."
Thes took a breath, then gave her testimony. "What Mr. Justice said before is right, I'm not human. But, that doesn't change the rest of my testimony, not really!" Apollo stood there, waiting for her to continue...but she didn't.
"I-is that it?" he asked, once again starting to sweat.
Looking sheepish, Thes hid behind her hair and murmured, "...yes..."
From above them all, Mab spoke up, her voice showing amusement once more. "You are the one who has pushed the trial in this direction, defender. Cross-examine the witness if you'd like, but remember that a failure to find anything noteworthy will end this trial." Apollo wasn't about to forget that.
"Apollo!" Athena called out, trying to throw in some advice before Thes started reciting her testimony again. "Faeries can't lie, so that means being vague and avoiding your questions is the only way for her to avoid telling the truth! If she isn't saying what you need, you'll have to corner her into it."
It wasn't bad advice, but Apollo had to add, "Yeah, and she's been 'not able to lie' since long before even Mr. Godot was born. This isn't going to be easy, no matter how I try to approach it."
The cross-examination began in proper, and Apollo let her say the first statement without jumping in. There was no point in digging there, at least not yet. With the only other statement, Apollo shouted, "Hold it!" Everyone was looking at him. Good. Even if he had no real plan yet, years at Mr. Wright's office had improved his bluffing ability. Standing tall (well, as tall as Apollo could get), he crossed his arms and smirked at his target. "What kind of testimony is that, Ms. Thes?"
Scooting a little to the opposite side of the court from where Apollo stood, Thes didn't seem to know how to answer the question. "Um, I, well..."
He wasn't going to let her keep waffling. "That statement is far too vague! What do you mean that this revelation of your true nature 'doesn't change' your testimony?!"
The heat from those verbal attacks sent Thes reeling again, her mouth sputtering as she tried to find something to say. Luckily for her, someone else jumped in. "Objection!" Godot's baritone voice got her to stop trying to reply, leaving everyone to look at the mask-wearing, coffee-drinking prosecutor as he continued pausing for dramatic effect. "That's no way to talk to a lady, Injustice, even if she isn't human. If you think her testimony is too vague, you'll have to be more specific in what you want from her."
That was what Apollo had been hoping wouldn't happen, it would have been better to force Thes to flounder until she said something she couldn't take back, but he'd have to roll with the punch regardless. "Alright then, how about your job? Is it normal for a Faerie to be hiding out among humans, working at a traveling art exhibit? Especially one which has artwork of the other court's queen?" That detail hadn't been mentioned in court before, and the gallery clearly found the news that a Seelie fae was handling a portrait of Mab scandalous.
As if it would help her avoid the question in some way, Thes had grabbed long handfuls of her hair and was holding them in front of her face as a shield. "Well, no, it's not exactly normal, but..."
"The defender raises an interesting point. Witness, add your response to his questions to your testimony." Mab's command was delivered with a tone that brooked no argument.
Looking more scared than Apollo had ever seen her before, even when she'd thought he threw iron at her, Thes mumbled her way through some new additions to her testimony. "The Unseelie Traveling Exhibit is a mortal company run indirectly by Queen Mab. I was commanded to craft a mortal disguise and be hired there so that I could keep an eye on it, but I have always loved art anyway. Can I go now? Shouldn't you be trying to find the killer?"
There was more meat to her testimony now, as she started from the top, but that wasn't what got Apollo interested. As she'd added to it, his bracelet had reacted. It was time to watch her testimony carefully. He focused on her, narrowing his vision, as she continued to talk. "...mortal company..." Nothing in her face, or her hair, so Apollo looked lower. "...disguise and be hired..." No signs of any tics in her arms, her hands...Apollo was running out of the usual targets, and started just scanning her entire body. "...find the killer?" There!
"Gotcha!" The thing he'd been looking for was in her dress, of all things. When she talked about finding the killer, the water stopped flowing smoothly, forming whirlpools and looping currents that looked like they'd pull a lone swimmer under the depths. "Ms. Thes, I wanted to compliment you on your dress. I've never seen anything like it."
The complement seemed to bring her a little out of the shell she was starting to hide in. Still, she looked at Apollo suspiciously, as though she was scared smiling would be a fatal mistake. "Y-yes, well, you're a mortal...it's really nothing special...but I'm glad you think it fits me well. It's made from the waters of my home, the Bethesda Fountain, and the water moves to fit my emotions." That was exactly the kind of thing that Apollo needed to hear.
Taking a small breath to prepare him for what was to come next, Apollo prepared for his attack. "It does? That's very interesting...especially because the second you mentioned that I should be trying to find the killer, the calm waters in your dress become rougher, more dangerous. Why would that be, I wonder?" It felt like a gamble, letting her answer the question, but Apollo didn't want to monopolize the conversation too much. Fae or not, Thes didn't seem particularly gifted at subterfuge.
"Oh, um, this is all so nerve-wracking, it's quite scary having to stand here..." It was an excuse, but one Apollo could easily talk around.
His eyes were still focussed on Thes, the rest of the world didn't matter. "That's true...especially considering you're the real killer of Ringo Raith." It had been his guess for a long time. He might as well get it out there.
"What?!" Thes gasped, looking shocked. "B-but there hasn't been any evidence in this trial that connects me to his death!" Wasn't that a telling response? Not 'No, I didn't kill him' or 'That's not true'.
In a way, her reply only confirmed what he'd suspected. The rest of the world was starting to come back, but before it fully had, Apollo was already prepared. Pointing at the witness, Apollo shouted, "Your Honor, the witness's statement has not been entered into the testimony, and I would like it added immediately."
There was something overwhelmingly predatory in Queen Mab's gaze as she looked down at the witness. "Request granted."
With no other choice left to her, Thes resumed her testimony, this time including a statement about how there was no evidence thus far that connected her to the murder. Which was what Apollo had been trying to get her to claim this entire time. "Objection!" Pulling out a piece of evidence no one but he and Athena had yet seen, Apollo was ready to really get to work. "It's time I brought a matter to the court's attention. Investigating the various crimes for these trials has been rather difficult for the defense because our client isn't able to tell us anything. You see, she has no memory of the night of the murder."
From across the courtroom, as Apollo expected, there was a laugh to answer him. "...ha!" A new cup of coffee came to Godot's waiting palm, ready for him to take a sniff of it's aroma before he said anything else. "Trapped mares will buck and run to escape a trap, Injustice. Is there any reason the court should pay her whinnying any mind?" It had not missed Apollo's attention that Godot kept referring to women as different kinds of animals, and it was really rubbing him the wrong way.
But that was something to argue with him about another time. Gesturing to the paper he'd pulled from his Court Record, Apollo explained. "Prosecutor Godot, this isn't something I'd bring to court on the word of my defendant alone. I had an expert in mental magic examine Queen Rayfa's mind, and they found that it had been heavily tampered with. All memories of the night of the murder were removed completely, and there had been a portion of that evening where she'd been controlled like a puppet!"
Rather than immediately replying, Godot took a long sip of his coffee first. "I thought Godot Blend No. 32 was hard to swallow, but I think your claim will give it a run for its money. Why exactly should this court accept the testimony of a witness you refuse to even name?" Unlike with the affidavit, there was little chance that the witness would confirm Apollo's point for him this time.
Luckily, Molly had thought of that. "Your Majesty," Apollo said, looking up at the judge. "If you could please look closely at this evidence, the expert in question believed you would be able to validate it for the court." Now that Apollo knew that Molly had once been Mab's right hand woman, it made more sense as to why she'd given Apollo that instruction.
That didn't mean that Apollo was ready for the fact that one second Mab was up in her judge's seat, and the next she was standing directly in front of him, on the other side of the defense's bench. Both he and Athena did their best not to flinch too much, though. Their instincts knew damn well how dangerous Mab was, and recoiling in front of a predator at the top of the food chain was a good way to die.
"..." The Queen of Air and Darkness considered the report in its entirety, including the little message at the bottom for Mab which simply read, 'Hope your schemes are going well, from Molly'. After a few seconds of looking at it, the judge tutted and said, "What does she think she's doing?" Then, just as soon as she appeared, she disappeared, returning to her traditional place in the court. "The court accepts this report as valid evidence, prosecutor."
Even though Godot was still smiling, Apollo could tell he wasn't happy to hear that. "What's the point then, Injustice? How does your evidence have anything to do with this witness or her testimony?"
For a second, Apollo almost felt bad for the prosecutor. Almost being the operative word there. "I didn't tell the court about one other fact from this report: the expert was able to identify that the one who affected the defendant's mind was no mortal wizard, but a creature of Faerie." Apollo took a second to pause thoughtfully, before saying, "I actually learned earlier today that naiads are actually quite good at mental magic. Isn't that interesting?"
It didn't look as though Thes was going to respond to that, she was cowering behind the witness stand. Which meant that Godot was on his own to fend off Apollo's theory. With any other prosecutor, Apollo probably would have felt good about that. But he'd read about how Godot acted when cornered. This trial wasn't over yet. Smiling from across the courtroom, Godot seemed completely at ease. "Interesting? Sure." He sipped at his coffee. "But 'interesting' doesn't get your client free.
"Let me make it clear what you've proven so far, Injustice: This witness was at the palace that night; She pretended to be a human being; It's possible she was the one who did some mental mojo on your defendant." Apollo tried not to let his doubt show. Godot, frustratingly, had a point. "You're fixing to paint the she-wolf as the killer. It's an old trick, one I know all too well." He wasn't wrong. "Tell you what though, let's pretend you're right. What does it mean? Why'd she play puppetmaster and amnesia-giver?"
"It would be prudent to provide evidence for your claim as well, defender," Mab reminded Apollo, though she still seemed quite interested, as though she were watching a sport.
Was that part of why she'd allowed the trial? Entertainment?
Better make it a show, then. From Apollo's side, Athena gave some advice. "Okay, so, we know they did something to Rayfa, we just need to prove what and why! Is there anything we can specifically point to, that would make it obvious she was being controlled?"
Looking through the evidence and the profiles in the Court Record, Apollo quickly racked his brain, thinking back over everything they'd seen thus far.
Then his eyes caught something, and he knew he had it. "Of course, Your Majesty," Apollo announced to the court, arms crossed and a confident smile on his face. Pulling out a previous witnesses profile and the photo of a piece of evidence, Apollo knew where to go. "I ask the court to remember the testimony of Da'ra T'ee Ka'ash. I know it's been some time since the scorpion plagued the court, but there was one part of his testimony that was very important: He saw the defendant carrying the stolen portrait, which was later found in her bedroom!"
The court was quiet, and Apollo could hear the silent question, 'So what?' Of course, it didn't remain silent for long. "So what?" Godot asked, unperturbed by Apollo's argument thus far.
Which just made Apollo all the more happy to explain. "The court has yet to really examine the strangeness of my defendant's actions that night. Godot, you have claimed that after killing the victim, my client took the painting he had stolen back to her room. Why? You expect a teenage girl to have murdered a man, taken a painting in the process, and calmly taken it back to her room to put under her bed? No rational person would act that way! Not unless...she wasn't under her own control! Queen Rayfa took that painting back to her room because the witness made her do it!" That got the audience talking, now that they understood where Apollo was going with this.
"And what about the missing memories?" Godot asked. "Do you have a convenient explanation for those as well?"
"Rayfa had gone to that room to study magic, but it ended up being the crime scene of a murder! The real killer took her memories of the incident because it would have implicated her in the crime!"
Having just finished another mug of coffee, Godot waited for a new one to come to him, drawing out his response in the process. "So you keep saying. But calling someone a killer over and over again doesn't make them one, Injustice." Godot took a sip from his coffee, though Apollo's sharp eyes caught a hint of a recoil from the action. Was that blend too bitter even for him? "You've supported your claim that she's the one who whammied your client, fine. But that isn't proof that she's the real killer."
Athena groaned. "I hate it when they do that! We already know she's been lying, and she mind controlled someone! She's obviously the bad guy!"
Apollo didn't disagree, but he didn't have time to complain. "We'll just have to connect the dots," he muttered, before raising his voice to address the court once more. "I trust the court remembers the traces of explosive residue found at the scene." Judging by how they talked when he pulled out the baggie with the glass shard on it, they definitely did. "It was the real cause of death for the victim, and the defense's argument was that it was contained using a magical barrier." Looking directly at the witness, who refused to meet Apollo's gaze, he asked, "Naiads are quite good at protective magic, isn't that right?" Thes didn't say anything, but she did nod her head.
"...ha!" Godot exclaimed. "It feels like your case is a bit short on evidence, Injustice. You've made clear it's possible she's the killer, but that isn't the same thing as proving she did it."
Oh, that was exactly the kind of thing Apollo was hoping he'd say. "You're not wrong, Prosecutor Godot. But let's think this through: What is more likely? That my defendant, a teenage girl barely trained in her magical powers roasted a vampire to death using a chemical fire accelerant, then took a stolen painting back to her room, with no explanation for how a faerie invaded her mind? Or that this witness killed the victim with magic we know she has access to, then manipulated Queen Rayfa's mind to implicate her in the crime? They're both possible. But I think the prosecution's argument isn't nearly as strong." It wasn't very Mr. Wright, Apollo reflected, but it was what he had. As the time he'd spent in Khura'in had made clear to him, not every case could be won with obvious contradictions and convenient evidence. Sometimes arguments were just as important.
Something changed in that moment, on Godot's face. He was still grinning, teeth bared, but was it wider? Had it faltered? Even Apollo's eyes couldn't quite tell. "That's new," is what Apollo is pretty sure Godot said, though it was quiet enough that he couldn't be sure. More clearly, Godot said, "You're forgetting one thing: motive. The victim was a man who knew what he wanted, and the Queen the type of spirited mare who would buck at a touch. But what about the she-wolf? Why would she bite?"
That...was an avenue Apollo hadn't really thought through. He knew where Godot probably wanted him to go. Thes was a victim of Mask DeMasque, so if Ringo was the criminal, it would give her a motive.
But Apollo had already made clear he thought there was more to it than that. And what if Godot had something up his sleeve there, some hidden dagger waiting for the right weak spot?
No, he had to take a different route. The one that felt right. "I feel as though the answer is obvious, Prosecutor," Apollo said, trying to bluff up some surety that he didn't necessarily feel. Why did Thes kill him? Did they have some tordid past? Was it self-defence? Or... "This witness was summoned because I called into question the true identity of the famous thief, Mask DeMasque. But that assumes that only one person was responsible for those crimes.
"Let's look at all the crimes committed by the fifth Mask DeMasque, shall we?" Apollo pulled out the file, ready to go one by one down it. "The first victim was a member of the White Council of Wizards. The second, the Jade Court. The third, a Dragon. The fourth, the Fomor. And the fifth target was a painting of our very own judge, the leader of the Unseelie Fae." He paused, letting those names sink in for everyone there. "Isn't it interesting that there are two supernatural powers that didn't get stolen from? Ringo Raith was a member of the White Court, so of course they weren't touched, and..."
"...the Summer Court of Faerie wasn't hit either," Godot finished, no longer smiling. In fact, he was scowling like he'd taken a bite out of a lemon.
That sight definitely added some pep to Apollo's step. Athena looked energized too, smashing one fist into her other hand's open palm, smiling savagely. "Of course! They were in it together! Ringo went everywhere Queen Rayfa did, making it easy to frame her and travel where they needed to go, and Thes's art connections and magical abilities made crimes possible!"
A voice Apollo hadn't expected to hear piped up, as it's owner peaked up over the top of the witness stand. "Um...I hate to interrupt...but I've never worn the Mask DeMasque costume. I'm not Mask DeMasque." At first, Apollo was ready to ignore that, it was just the real criminal trying to hide their guilt.
But then he remembered what she was, just as the court started erupting into conversation in the gallery.
Thes was a Faerie. She...couldn't lie.
"Uh oh," came out in stereo, out of Apollo and Athena's mouths at the same time.
And of course, Godot was gloating. Finishing off the cup he had, Godot said, "I've always felt Godot Blend No. 234 was the most bitter thing on this forsaken planet. But it looks like I was wrong." The smile was back, in full force. "Because you've just been given quite the bitter pill to swallow, Injustice."
He was right, Apollo reflected, but there was no time for sour grapes. He had to think this through.
Looking over Thes's exact words, at first it didn't seem as though there was any wiggle room. She had never worn the Mask DeMasque. She wasn't the thief herself, she hadn't been sharing the role with the victim. But that meant...
Apollo took a deep breath. He had to think this through.
If Thes wasn't Mask DeMasque, then who was she? She was Ringo's accomplice. But without her in the costume, how did Mask DeMasque perform the magic? Mask DeMasque is a Mantle. But then why did Thes kill Ringo? The fifth heist of Mask DeMasque never goes well.
That was it. She must have helped Ringo take on the Mantle of Mask DeMasque, giving him magic to help with being a thief. But it also meant that the fifth heist had to be the last one, it couldn't end well.
"I know that face," Athena said, looking happy for him. "You just figured it all out?"
"Yeah," Apollo told her.
Judging by the look on the judge's face, Queen Mab was not feeling as enthusiastic about things. "Defender, have you given up your front? If so, I have a verdict prepared."
"Objection!" Apollo shouted, perhaps more forcefully than he needed to. "My apologies, Your Majesty, but I've realized exactly what I was missing! As things stand, there is a major contradiction in front of us all!"
Godot looked ready to face that challenge. "Of course there is. Go on, tell us how the witness is weaseling out of the truth, despite the fact she can't lie."
Apollo shook his head. "That's not my point, Prosecutor Godot. The defense stands corrected, the witness is not Mask DeMasque." Crossing his arms, Apollo readying for the start of the real final fight. "However, she did assist the victim in his crimes. Including helping him take on the Mantle of Mask DeMasque." That got a lot of murmuring from the monstrous audience.
"I thought I was the one with a penchant for fancy wordplay, Injustice," Godot said, but from the way he said it...
...it was clear, he didn't know what Apollo was talking about. Well, Apollo decided, it was time he educated Godot. "According to our own expert witness testimony on magic, Harry Dresden, a 'Mantle' is a type of magical title," Apollo said, reading from his notes on the pamphlet. "They're built from large groups of people forming impressions on a figure, and by taking on that figure's identity, they can get powers from it as well. The succession of Mask DeMasque's over the years have solidified a reputation strong enough to make for a Mantle, one that gave Ringo the magic needed to commit his crimes."
Apollo could watch as Godot absorbed that information, but it was clear the implications of it hadn't hit him. "So what? If that is true, all you've done is fill up a hole in my case for me." Even as he tried to sound confident, Apollo could tell Godot knew something was up.
Best not leave him waiting, then. "The problem with Mantles is that they're not all power, Prosecutor Godot. They also come with drawbacks, ones that fit what people know about the legend. Every fifth heist of a Mask DeMasque has been the last, usually because they failed, were caught, or even killed. That was the witness's motive! In order to ensure the Mantle held, the fifth heist was always going to end in betrayal!" Godot recoiled, sparks emanating from his mask as he did so.
"He's right." Thes wasn't hiding anymore. She still looked scared, terrified even, but she stood tall, her back straight, and faced Apollo. "Or at the very least, you're right that I killed Ringo Raith, and framed Queen Rayfa for the crime." As inhuman as the woman looked, there was pain in her voice that Apollo found himself empathizing with nonetheless. "I didn't...the Mantle wasn't the only reason. I...covet beauty, in all its forms. Ringo was beautiful, but only on the outside."
That...wasn't the motive Apollo had expected. But then again, he had to remind himself, she wasn't a mortal. But someone else had a question for her. With a voice like a deadly winter wind, Mab called out, "Why? Child of the Seelie, for what purpose were your crimes committed?" There was something more than just words to what she said. Even though they weren't directed at Apollo, he felt a sudden urge to confess his most terrible crimes. Which, being Apollo, were things like being short with a cashier or ignoring his friends' text messages.
"That does hurt when you do that, you know," Athena told him, having apparently guessed what he felt guilty about.
The entire court recoiled from Mab's question, but the witness was shaking. "I...can't..." Thes managed to say, through gritted teeth. "We...it was a plan...to upset the balance...but I can't...I'm bound..." She continued to babble like that, on and on, seemingly in agony over the fact that she genuinely could not answer Mab's question. The Sidhe guards took her away, and all waited to hear what Mab would say next.
Looking down at Apollo, she began her final pronouncement. "You may not know this, defender, but among my people, threes are not things to be taken lightly." Apollo was in fact not aware of that, but he didn't have to take a note for it, the case was finally over. Rayfa had taken the stand, and with her frosty eyes on the royal teenager, Queen Mab announced her verdict. "For the third time in three days, this court finds Queen Rayfa Padma Khura'in, sovereign ruler of her nation and signatory of the Unseelie Accords, NOT GUILTY."
That was it. Once again, there was no fanfare, no courtroom celebration. The monsters emptied the audience, Mab disappeared to whatever she did when she wasn't scaring Apollo to death, and Rayfa went to the lobby. Athena was heading there too, looking at Apollo with a question unspoken. "I'll be right there," he told her. "There's something I have to do first." Perhaps she knew what he meant, or perhaps she didn't. Either way, Athena left Apollo to what he had to do next.
Apollo crossed the courtroom, coming up to the icy prosecutor's bench, where Godot still stood, once again looking pleased with himself. "What's wrong, Injustice? You afraid I'll come in and spoil the fun, tell you that the mare is actually being charged a fourth time?"
"No," Apollo told him, though he was sure he'd have that exact nightmare sometime soon. "Amara is going to end your channeling soon, so I wanted to talk to you." There were so many thoughts and feelings running through Apollo's head, but he didn't have enough time to get into all of them. So he just went for the biggest thing he had to get answered. "Why?"
The prosecutor laughed. "Why what? You'll have to be more specific."
"I'm not in the mood for games," Apollo told him, starting to get frustrated. "Why did you take this case? Why did you come back from the dead? Rayfa has never done anything to you, but you just spent three days trying to ruin her life. Your original time as a prosecutor? I get that, I've read the files. You had a grudge against Mr. Wright, you wanted to beat him in court. But that's done. You're dead. So why are you bothering her?" It just didn't make any sense to him.
Godot turned away from him, looking up at the shimmering walls and ceiling of ice around them. "If you know my past, you shouldn't have to ask. I couldn't care less about the filly you were defending."
There was something callous in Godot's voice. How had this man once been a defense attorney? "So you came back to face me, I had guessed that, but you're still dodging my real question. What's the point of coming back from the dead to battle me in court? Didn't you already hash out your problems with Mr. Wright?" Even if he hadn't, Apollo didn't care for the idea that people were still trying to get at his old boss through him.
"Ha...!" His laugh sounded different, more full of life, in that moment. "Don't you know anything about legacy?" Apollo didn't see where he was going with that. "Back when I stood on the side of the court you do, I taught everything I knew to my Kitten. Then, when I drank liquid death and fell into hell in a hospital room, she took what I had given her, and made it her own. Then she took on an apprentice, Phoenix Wright. She died, but he kept on living. It took a while for him to find his successor." Godot turned back to look at Apollo, then reached up and took off the visor.
Underneath the contraption, Godot had a scar on his face, likely from where he'd been injured in his final case. His eyes were cloudy, and Apollo was sure that without that piece of technology, he was completely blind. Yet, the sightless orbs still focused on Apollo. "A man deserves to see firsthand the legacy his life has born."
It wasn't what Apollo had expected. In a way, it might have been touching. But it also hit him in a sore spot. "I'm not Mr. Wright's successor," Apollo snapped. "I'm...I'm grateful for everything he taught me, everything he did for me. But I am Apollo Justice. I run the Justice Law Offices. I am my own man." Godot faltered, blinking his eyes as though only now realizing he couldn't see what had been in front of him this whole time.
Pointing to where the lobby was, Apollo made something clear. "You want to know where Mr. Wright's real apprentice is? The person who'll be taking up the torch you helped ignite? She's in there. She stood by my side this whole time. Athena Cykes is her name. Don't forget it." With that said, Apollo started to walk off, to join everyone else.
"I used to forget, you know." Apollo stopped, letting himself listen to the last words he'd hear from Prosecutor Godot. From Diego Armando. "That I was blind. This damn visor helped me pretend I could see, and if you lie for long enough, it feels like the truth." Godot drew a long, shaky breath. "Can I hear it? One last time, for the road. I'll savor it like a fresh cup of coffee."
Apollo couldn't bring it in him to deny the dead man one last wish.
"OBJECTION!"
"The Queen is safe!" Ahlbi exclaimed, tears running down his face. "I only wish I could have been more helpful to you, Mr. Justice! Even worse, that thief took more food while I slept! This time, they didn't even leave money! Just something about how your debt was paid?"
"Ha!" Queen Rayfa proclaimed, turning her head sharply to send her hair into a flip. "There was never any doubt things would turn out well! I was innocent, and Horn Head is my brother!" Then, for just a moment, the confidence disappeared, and she shyly added, "I knew he could help me again."
The desk was covered in paperwork. "We have had to bring in several independent investigative powers from outside the country," Nahyuta explained. "Da'ra T'ee Ka'ash was not alone. Khura'in cannot allow Ga'ran supporters to corrupt our system. We will not fall again."
On the oldest phone Harry Dresden could find, he was reporting to his superior. "Hey, Listens-to-Wind. No, I am not calling you 'Black King'. Anyway, thanks to that kid, the Green Pawn got captured. Next time I see Franny, I'm going to have bragging rights."
Somewhere on the farthest edges of the universe, a wizard with an eye that isn't really an eye considered the outcome of the events he'd set in motion. Even then, no one but him knew of the impact his interference had caused.
In a deep prison cell, once used to hide political prisoners against Ga'ran's regime, Da'ra considered his situation. There was a bowl of prison slop at his door, the mark of a scorpion on the rim. It was a sign, from his people. There was no escape coming. None except his own sting.
"How was I supposed to know the Queen was innocent?" Grim Moir asked, clearly annoyed that anyone was asking him about the trial at all. "Listen, I don't have all day, I'm...you know what? Forget it." Then he tore open a hole in the air and walked through it, disappearing.
In a well-kept LA home, an old man felt odd. "Why do I have the feeling that I missed something?" Then, the bearded gentleman slammed a hand into his palm, as though it were his gavel. "That's right! Yesterday was my birthday. When you get to be my age, they just seem to come and go."
Ema Skye was binge-eating Snackoos. "Okay, so, the coroner came back, and I guess he 'hated what I did to his workspace' and 'will kill me if he ever sees me again'." She rolled her eyes. "Just because he's having problems with his husband, doesn't mean he should take them out on me."
Three women were aboard a train they had no tickets for. "Well, once again the Yatagarasu has triumphed!" Kay Faraday said, grinning. "The truth is out, our foe is defeated, and we made it out scot free! The only question is, what next?"
Cass shrugged, but Molly Carpenter had an idea. "You know, I'm pretty sure Torchwood has truth that needs stealing." That idea made Kay's eyes sparkle with delight. It looked like they were heading to England.
The phone only rang twice before being picked up. "Yes?"
"Hello, Mr. Wayne? It's me, Athena."
"Go ahead."
"I just wanted to call and let you know that, uh, I ran into your daughter recently, Cassandra."
"..."
"She's...she seems like she's doing something she really believes in. And she has great friends with her."
"Thank you for letting me know, Ms. Cykes."
*click*
It felt good to be able to relax, for real this time. His usual workload was lighter, there was no more magic crime to worry about, and Apollo Justice could drop the stress and unwind.
He'd sat on his office's couch, opened up his long-neglected manga, and barely read the first page when a strange *VWORP-VWORP* sound filled the apartment air. A strange machine faded into existence, right in the middle of the room, and someone emerged from out of it. "Hello, are you Apollo Justice? I'm afraid I have need of your services."
He couldn't even pretend to be shocked anymore. Apollo just set the manga down, took a deep breath, and asked, "What kind of help do you need?"
Then, someone both familiar and completely foreign emerged from the device. The spiky hair was there, the sharp-jawed face, the sharp eyes...but it was all wrong. No vest under the jacket. Too much youth and happiness in the expression. No stress wrinkles around the eyes. "Hello?" asked a Phoenix Wright who was even younger than Apollo was. "Uh, weird to ask, but apparently you're supposed to assist me with a case?"