Phoenix stood in the middle of the lobby, hands clenching and unclenching. This was it. He could not call himself a regular of the court, not yet, but he knew that this would be a make-it-or-break-it moment for Iris.

Franziska was not with him. She had stayed silently inside her dorm, and he had understood why. The two of them had left the Ivy Law School not five minutes after the scores were unveiled. It was perfectly conceivable that Mrs. von Karma had come in after them and had taken a look at her daughter's less-than-perfect score.

Phoenix shook his head, and a flash of white caught his attention from the browns and yellows of the lobby. He turned. It was a figure covered head to toe in heavy-looking, off-white leather. A black faceplate covered the face, but a pair of eyes and a smile had been drawn on it with a white market. This person was wearing a hazmat suit of the kind donned by Ivy University lab students. The same kind of student that would have worked alongside Doug Swallow. And Phoenix could already tell this one would be something of a character.

He made his way over to the lab student. "Hi, I'm Phoenix Wright. What's your name?" The student just pointed at the nametag on the left side of their torso. Mary Masque.

"Oh...ok, then." Phoenix struggled to smile. "What brings you here today?"

The voice that came from behind the faceplate was loud, scratchy, and reverberating, but clear enough. "I am here to testify against the defendant."

"What!?" Phoenix stepped forward. "What do you know about the case?"

Was that a chuckle? Phoenix couldn't tell for sure, but Mary resumed talking, "I cannot speak for what I know already. But I can speak for the case. Done deal."

"Wh-"

"Pardon me."

The voice was low, but pierced Phoenix's heart. He stood, frozen, as Mrs. von Karma stepped into his field of vision. Mr. Gray was close by, his face looking somewhat more haggard than it had been yesterday.

Mrs. von Karma smirked as she pushed her green spectacles up. Phoenix shivered. "I will not have anyone badgering the witness. Is that not correct, Gray?"

The rookie prosecutor sighed. "The trial's about to start. You can go back to the gallery."


"Court will reconvene for the trial of Iris White." Old Raccoon let his gavel rest on his stand.

From the gallery, Phoenix looked first at Mia, who was standing straight at the defense's seat, then to Iris, who was sitting blank-faced in the defendant's chair, and finally to Mr. Gray and Mrs. von Karma, who were at the prosecutor's stand. Mary was standing in the center of the courtroom, the chief witness of the day. Phoenix finally forced his gaze back up.

"So," Old Raccoon began. "I was under the impression that the prosecution has new ground to stand on."

"We do, Your Honor." That was spoken by Mr. Gray, but it was Mrs. von Karma who looked at the Judge and cut in. "The good Detective Dick Gumshoe has assured us that the Lysol testing on the weapon, the rock, has traces of Mr. Swallow's blood." She looked at Mia Fey, whose face was unreadable. "And he has personally assured me that the rock has Iris White's fingerprints on them."

Iris' face crumbled, and Phoenix grabbed the railing of the balcony even as the other spectators grumbled and mumbled around him.

"Speaking of which," Mrs. von Karma's face broke out into a wide smirk. "The prosecution has come to the conclusion that the broken watch of the deceased has no bearing on this case, in the light of these developments. We now contend that Iris White committed the murder a month before, and set out to attack Doug Swallow before he could say too much!"

Old Raccoon nodded. "This certainly seems conclusive."

"Now, then," Mr. Gray cut back in. "I believe the witness needs to be heard out. Witness, please state your…"

"I am Mary Masque, Ivy University student." The masked lab rat was curt. "I work in the university labs alongside the likes of Doug Swallow. On the day of the murder, I was taking a walk. I saw the defendant walking away from the direction of the gardens. Her hands were covered in blood. That is all."

Mr. Gray was flummoxed. "...Thank you, witness." He coughed, and looked back up at the Judge. "That, too, seems conclusive. Would you not agree, Your Honor?"

Old Raccoon nodded a second time. "And it does not contradict any evidence or testimony we have received thus far. Mr. Dodder, too claims he saw the defendant near the scene of the crime."

Mrs. von Karma looked over at Mia Fey, who somehow still had that maddeningly serene expression on her face. What will you do now? She thought. Cross-examine the witness? Too bad. It is short, and matches the old man's testimony. Bring in new evidence? Impossible. The crime scene was stretched too thin, as it were, and nothing can shake off a combination of bloodstains and fingerprints. Call another witness? Equally impossible. We have both the old man and Ms. Masque. Pull another stunt over the watch? As I explained earlier, it just feeds into our theory, now. Try the question of 'motive?' No matter. The evidence and testimony are already set….posterity can care about motive later. Bring out Ms. White to testify? It is her against Mr. Gray and myself...I know by her deposition that she will not last. Hide behind that spiky-headed assistant in the gallery? I will drag you out from behind him. She frowned, noticing that Mia's demeanor had not budged in the slightest. What will you do? What can you do?

Old Raccoon coughed. "Will you cross-examine the witness, Ms. Fey?"

"No."

"No?" Old Raccoon's sunglasses slipped ever so slightly.

"No?" Mr. Gray slammed his fist on his stand.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mrs. von Karma glared at Mia. "Does this mean that you plan to throw your client upon the mercy of this court?"

"No, ma'am." Mia folded her arms. "It means I wish to call one more witness to the stand."

"...Who!?"

"Doug Swallow."

Phoenix felt the gallery's turmoil, but did not hear it. Only the slam of Old Raccoon's gavel brought him back to Earth.

"Order! Order!" Old Raccoon looked down at Mia. "You mean to bring an unconscious patient from intensive care to talk?"

"The issue of unconsciousness is not an issue, Your Honor. I have phoned the hospital, and they say he has regained consciousness." Mia looked directly at Mrs. von Karma. "And as per the prosecution's documents, of which I have a signed copy of…" she slammed a piece of paper on her stand... "Mrs. von Karma has agreed to interview all witnesses for this trial." She looked over at Mrs. von Karma. "You can communicate with him when he's on the gurney. Would you kindly fetch him?"

Phoenix was open-mouthed, but even now he could see that Mr. Gray was stunned silent and that Mrs. von Karma was very close to losing control. She had both hands on the stand, her head was lowered….and then she quietly straightened up, stone-faced.

"Fine." Her voice was flat. "I will retrieve Doug Swallow. But be warned…." She gnashed her teeth. "You had better hope you did not gamble your career on one witness."

"It's called 'calculated risk'." Mia brushed her hair from her forehead and smiled serenely. "Now, I believe a recess is in order."

-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 29; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.