"Edge...worth…" Manfred von Karma snarled and groped at the air around him, not caring that the eyes of every single person in the courtroom were focused on him. Franziska unconsciously moved closer to Phoenix, unfurling her whip and letting the tip touch the floor, just in case.

Miles Edgeworth had stood from his seat and was watching the older prosecutor from behind with disbelief. "So….it was you? It was you, all this time?"

"Edgeworth!" von Karma did not move from his spot. "You….you still defy me!? You shame me in court! You scarred my arm!" It was impossible to know whether he was referring to Gregory or Miles Edgeworth. Sweat poured from his forehead, and his mouth was stretched far enough to expose the gums between his gnashing teeth.

"Father."

The single word stopped von Karma cold. He stared ahead to see his daughter Franziska face-to-face with him.

"Why, Father?"

von Karma finally found his strength, moving back to his straight posture, and making a supreme effort to take a few deep breaths. He began to speak again, even as his body continued to tremble.

"It was...in this courtroom. I was against Gregory Edgeworth, and….I was given a penalty. The first, and only penalty I have ever received. But it made an irreversible mark on my record." He half-chuckled, half-spat. "Me, penalized? It took hours for me to regain my composure."

"And then the earthquake struck, and disabled the electricity. Everything was dark, but I made my way to the elevator. And then, I heard one gunshot, and a searing pain unlike any other went through my shoulder! But it was at that point that the lights came back on. When I could see again, I could hardly believe the situation. Edgeworth lying in the elevator, unconscious, a gun at the entrance. I knew then...it was destiny!"

von Karma mimed pointing a gun. "I fired the one bullet through Gregory Edgeworth's heart. He died in his sleep, having never seen his killer. When he was summoned by a medium, he falsely named Mr. Yogi as the culprit. It was the perfect crime….the perfect crime…"

"That's all?"

Phoenix stepped forward, fixing a hard gaze on von Karma. "That's why you did all of this? You got one black mark in that trial? Did you even lose it?"

"Of course not!"

'You ruined my life…" Edgeworth spoke up, his voice cold and hard. "You mean to tell me that this was all to satisfy your ego?" He clenched his hands into fists. "Why did you even take me in, and teach me, to begin with?"

"I'm disappointed you don't see it," von Karma's face twisted into an ugly smirk. "That was the path to the only finale this story deserved! Gregory Edgeworth loses his life, and then his son, after such a promising career for the latter no less! And I was close...so close…"

By now, the bailiff had made his way over. Manfred von Karma did not resist as the other man produced a pair of handcuffs and locked his hands behind his back. The Judge rubbed the bridge of his nose in consternation as the defeated murderer was led through the double doors of the courtroom.

Finally, he took hold of his gavel and coughed loudly.

"At this point, the truth is abundantly clear. Mr. Edgeworth, you were innocent fifteen years ago, and you are innocent now. The court finds you not guilty!"

He slammed down the gavel. "Court adjourned!"

"Congratulations, Edgeworth!"

Miles Edgeworth stands awkwardly before Phoenix, shifting his gaze from side to side. He still has not recovered from what he had witnessed in the courtroom. But the fact remained that he was now standing in the lobby, his wrists free of cuffs.

"You...did better than I thought, Wright."

"Thanks!" Phoenix stands between Edgeworth and Franziska, trying to keep a smile on his face and his arms extended. He is especially worried about Franziska. Her face was downcast, her spirit clearly shaken by the image of her father being led away to face charges of murder.

"He's right, you know."

All three turn around to see Polly Jenkins standing outside the gallery door. She takes a deep breath and approaches them. She turns to Edgeworth first.

"To be honest...I couldn't in a million years have predicted something like this happening. I've spent the last fifteen years dreaming of seeing the justice I wanted meted out. I was so sure you were the one who killed your father, and caused what happened to my fiancee to happen. And now….it seems everything has been turned upside down. But…." Polly ran a hand through her disheveled hair.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

Edgeworth made his first attempt at a smile for the day. "There's nothing to apologize for, Mrs. Jenkins."

Phoenix shrugged. "Today's the day we can finally move forward from all this unpleasantness. You know as well as I do, Edgeworth, that you'll be remanded for another day or so. But after that's over, maybe you and me and Franziska could meet together sometime." He began to turn. "How does that sound, Franziska…"

He paused. She was gone. He turned back to Polly, who looked suddenly perplexed.

"What? Did something happen? Did she need to do something?"

In the topmost room of the Prosecutor's Office, the Chief Prosecutor sat in the middle of his personal office. The adornments filling it, the motorcycle wheels, awards, and the pinned magazines did nothing to help his mood. His desk was covered with file after file of past court cases. There was quite a bit of variety in the names of the defense attorneys and the defendants, but the same name was written in for the name of the prosecuting attorney.

Manfred von Karma.

The Chief Prosecutor rubbed the scalp under his wig and groans for the umpteenth time. He'll have to review every case here, and there were no interns to shove them on.

Damn it.

In the small hospital room, Mia Fey lay prone in her bed. Her scrubs were fresh, her hair was combed back, and her breathing was steady.

And her fingers twitched ever so slightly on both hands.

-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 27; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.