"Court is in session for the trial of Mr. Miles Edgeworth." The Judge did not have to silence the gallery with his gavel this time. No one was saying a word. Everyone was alternating between looking at Edgeworth, who sat in the defendant's seat with a surly air, and Manfred von Karma, who stood in front of the prosecutor's stand. The Judge, a little nettled by the still air, chose to not ask the prosecution a third time if preparations were set.
"Is the defense ready?"
Phoenix shifted a little behind his own stand. This was the first time he had brought something other than his papers to court. After much wheedling and pleading from Larry Butz, he had finally conceded to taking the metal detector with him and placing it beside him at the stand. He had tried to respectfully refuse, but Larry had insisted over and over that it would be for "good luck," and just in case Prosecutor von Karma tried to stun him again. Shaking off the memory, he nodded.
"Yes, Your Honor."
He knew better than to think what he had seen would be a crowd stopper. Von Karma was right across from him, watching him like a hawk, his pupil shrunk, a vein starting to pop from his forehead. This was the last day to decide Edgeworth's fate, and Phoenix knew the prosecutor would not miss a step.
"To review," The Judge cleared his throat. "Miles Edgeworth has been proven innocent in the murder of Robert Hammond, thanks to the….testimony of one Maya Fey. But he has confessed instead to the murder of his father, Gregory Edgeworth, and that he is the uncaught culprit of the DL6 incident. Bailiffs, please bring Mr. Edgeworth to the stand."
In the gallery, Franziska clenched her whip in her hands as she saw the bailiff escort Edgeworth. The younger man gripped the sides of the wood panel, as if to steady himself. His eyes still looked hollow, and his skin was still pale. But even so, he mustered the strength to look up at the Judge, wearing his poker face to the end.
"My testimony, please?"
The Judge nodded. Manfred von Karma smirked. Franziska winced. Phoenix began to sweat as he put his file on his own panel. Finally, Edgeworth cleared his throat.
"That day, I had gone to the courtroom to observe one of my father's trials. As we went to leave, an earthquake struck, trapping us in the elevator. My father and Mr. Yogi lost their composure, and began to argue. Just then, something heavy fell at my feet. I pocked it up, and threw it at Mr. Yogi. I wanted them to stop fighting. A moment later, there was a single gunshot, then a scream. The ballistic markings of the bullet that was pulled from my father's body can be matched to the pistol found in the elevator."
"Hmmm…" The Judge fiddled with his gavel.
Manfred von Karma took a few steps closer to the witness stand, his eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth turned up into a snarl. He reached upwards, clutching his right shoulder. His voice was low, but audibly cracked. "So you mean to say that you tried to break up the confrontation, but tossed the murder weapon, a pistol, and mistakenly killed your father?"
Edgeworth let his gaze fall to his shoes. "...Ye-"
"OBJECTION!"
Phoenix leaped into action, pointing towards Edgeworth. He did not bother to give Manfred von Karma time to delay or wait permission to begin the cross-examination. He moved out from behind the stand, not bothering to look out at the gaping Franziska behind him.
"Mr. Wright," The Judge began, "you must not…"
Phoenix ignored him. "Mr. Edgeworth! There is a hole in your testimony!" He held up the photograph in his free hand. "Do you recognize this?" He could tell Edgeworth could, even from a distance. The young prosecutor shuddered.
"It's the official crime scene photo."
"And it shows your father with the bullet hole in his chest. From the single gunshot, you say?"
"Yes…"
"Then why is there a bullet hole in the elevator window, too?"
The whole of the court was silent for about three seconds. Then the Judge shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. Only one bullet was found at the scene of the crime. The police never found another one."
Phoenix grit his teeth. Of course it would not be that easy. He forced himself to speak, his words coming through before his thoughts did.
"Well, maybe...the culprit...took it with him?" More silence from the court. "Because...it...hit him? I mean, you can't just go digging for bullets right there on the spot, right?"
"Let
The court was still quiet. Finally, the Judge spoke up. "That is a truly outrageous assumption, Mr. Wright." He scratched his bald head. "And yet I suppose...not out of the question."
Phoenix blinked. Wait, he thought. I was just spitting out ideas, but...what if that really happened?
"Unbelievable!" Manfred von Karma scowled, and gripped his shoulder harder. Phoenix watched the older man as he took a few steps forward. "So it's come to this? I would not expect any less! Running from idea to idea!"
"I could say the same for you, Prosecutor von Karma!" Phoenix shouted back. He slammed his stand with both hands. "You want to convict my client for DL6 because you can't convict him for murdering Mr. Hammond!"
"I...you…" Manfred von Karma stepped forward a few more steps. He was now parallel with the witness stand. Edgeworth watched, mortified, as the prosecutor seethed in a way he had not in years.
"And you absolutely will not accept the court accepting the blame of another party in DL6! It's a court case you won't allow to be solved by anyone else, even if it hasn't been solved in fifteen years!"
"You wretched…" von Kamra stormed right over to Phoenix, and the metal detector rang.
As confusion flowed through the courtroom, Phoenix whipped out the detector without thinking.
The disc at the tip hovered right over von Karma's right shoulder and began ringing louder. Manfred's face was flushing red now.
Phoenix nodded, equal parts in disbelief and conviction. "It's you, isn't it? You have a bullet in your shoulder."
Edgeworth watched the scene, his body going suddenly cold. "No…"
The Judge almost dropped his gavel. "Mr. von Karma...are you…"
"No!" von Karma wrenched the detector from Phoenix's hand and flung it aside. "You lie! This has nothing to do with DL6! I had that bullet long before then! I mishandled a gun from another case! I.."
"What about the ballistic markings, Father?"
All eyes turned to Franziska von Karma, who hoisted herself over the gallery barrier. Her eyes were wide, and her lip trembled, but her voice came out steady.
"If we remove the bullet...we can check it for ballistic markings. We will know what it was fired from."
Phoenix looked at her both apprehensively and appreciatively before turning back to Manfred von Karma.
"What about it?"
No response. Just a stare.
Phoenix sighed. "Then it's settled. You are the culprit of DL6, and the murderer of Gregory Edgeworth."
-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 26; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.