"I have to say, Ms. Fey…." Iris lowered her head. "This sounds very risky."

"It cannot be helped." Mia stepped forward. They were the only two people in the courtroom lobby for now, but they both knew the bailiff was going to come back any second. "When things are dire, us attorneys need to think outside the box. And…" She sighed. "Things really are dire. What with the evidence and the Judge's current stance." She put a hand on Iris' shoulder.

"I swore I would do whatever it took to prove your innocence. And this witness might just be the key to doing it.'


For the first time in Phoenix's memory, the gallery was completely silent. No mumbling, groans, or boos. All eyes were trained on the witness stand.

Doug Swallow was turned vertical on the gurney. He was still dressed in the teal scrubs he had worn when he was taken into intensive care. Bandages covered his head from the eyes up. Both eyes were black and puffy, and his mouth kept opening and closing, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

Mr. Gray walked from the prosecutor's stand over to Doug. He had a long silvery device in his hand with a microphone stuck at one end. He placed it on the witness stand, carefully angling it so that the microphone rested just above Doug's eyes. He used his other hand to hold a glass of water to Doug's lips. The student consumed half of it.

Mr. Gray turned back to the court, using his free hand to tighten his "IU" ascot. His experiences over the past few days told him that he should look at Mrs. von Karma, who was at the prosecutor's stand, but he instead looked up at Old Raccoon and cleared his throat.

"As I am sure it is already known, Mrs. von Karma brought this witness in to testify." He turned around in a half arc, waving his arm to point at Mia. "The defense has become so….desperate...as to drag this injured, half-conscious young man into court." He turned back around and let Doug take the last of the water, before placing the glass on the stand. He cleared his throat.

"A good point, Prosecutor Gray," Mrs. von Karma spoke for the first time since her return. "If it pleases the court…"

"Excuse me."

The courtroom seemed to drop a few degrees as Mrs. von Karma refocused her attention on Mr. Gray. Her eyes narrowed behind her green lenses.

"Excuse me? What are you…"

Mr. Gray raised a hand. "I thank you for your time and effort in directing me, Mrs. von Karma. And I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you. But…" He coughed, cleared his throat. "I wish to see the end of this trial on my own terms."

And for the first time ever, Phoenix saw Mrs. von Karma close her mouth and half-stumble, half-step backward. Mr. Gray nodded and addressed Old Raccoon.

"I would like to make a suggestion if I may, Your Honor. We arranged for this witness in spite of his obvious discomfort and the perilous state of the defense's claims. Should this course of action not yield anything of importance, I do not think the unlimited penalty should be out of the question.

Old Raccoon grunted. "Agreed." He looked down at Mia. "I hope for your client's sake that you are prepared for any possible outcomes of this witness' testimony. And for your sake, for that matter."

Mia touched her attorney's badge for reassurance. "Yes, Your Honor." She stood resolutely, and Phoenix could not help but admire her grace.

"I would rather not bother our witness for his name and occupation," Mr. Gray continued. "He is Doug Swallow. Student of Ivy University." Phoenix watched as Mr. Gray ran his hand down his ascot. "Furthermore, I would not like to bother him with a typical testimony. I will ask him if he saw who attacked him, and who it was."

Phoenix clenched his fists, but he watched Mr. Gray stepped forward until his face was a few inches from Doug's. "Witness, can you identify who attacked you?"

Phoenix was stone-faced. Mia bit her lip. Mrs. von Karma stared. Old Raccoon tightened his grip on the gavel. The gallery waited with bated breath.

And then Doug Swallow began to speak.

"Alia…...thorne..."

"Excuse me?"

"Dah….a...ha..thorne…"

"Dahlia Hawthorne."

The gallery began to call out and boo, only to be silenced by the gavel. Phoenix and Mia heard Old Raccoon call out for order, but their eyes exchanged a dawning horror. Iris shrunk back into her seat.

"Dahlia...Hawthorne." Doug Swallow repeated.

For a moment, Mr. Gray looked lost. "What? What does that mean?" Then Mia sprang into action. "Your Honor, this is vitally important! Dahlia Hawthorne was a suspect in two previous crimes!"

Old Raccoon looked down at Doug. "Are you sure, witness?"

"I saw...her face." Doug choked out. "I fell when….she hit my head….I was on...my back. She...called me 'Dougie'. Like in the….old days. Said….I was a….loose end. She hit me...again."

Old Raccoon rubbed his chain. "Are we to understand that so many people could mistake this Dahlia Hawthorne for the defendant? And that the defendant's fingerprints were on the rock anyway?"

"That is simple, Your Honor!" Mia pointed. "Dahlia Hawthorne and Iris White are identical twins! Same fingerprints, faces, everything!" The gallery began to shout and murmur, and Old Raccoon had to swing the gavel again.

"Order! Order!"

"This...is absurd…" Mrs. von Karma slammed both fists on the prosecutor's stand, gnashing her teeth.

'Your Honor!" Mia called once more. "I propose a recess! I have materials at my office that can verify Dahlia Hawthorne's criminal status and her familial relation…"

"There is such a thing as overextending yourself." Mr. Gray's composure had come back to him. "We have indulged you far enough. You cannot seriously expect us to let you go back to your law firm on such short notice and on the word of one witness."

Old Raccoon held the gavel loosely. "Is there anyone else who can verify the details of this Dahlia Hawthorne?"

"I can, Your Honor!"

It was Phoenix. He leaped from the gallery onto the courtroom floor. Mr. Gray choked in surprise, but Phoenix stood up straight and looked directly up at the Judge. "Forgive me, but I can verify! Well, not me, personally, but I know someone who can!"

"And who is this someone, Mr…"

"Wright, Your Honor. Phoenix Wright. That 'someone' has the physical records we need!" Memories of that meeting at IV Chinese came rushing back to him. "And that person is…" he forced his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He flicked it open, scrolling down the list until he found what he was looking for.

"Franziska von Karma!"

-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 30; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.