The Assembly of a Turnabout

Author's Note: This story was co-written by Fabula.et,Dolum and sushi4427.

So everyone remembers what Kay said at the end of Miles Edgeworth: "I'll make a team with three lovely ladies my age!" (Or something to that effect.) I can't believe it took me so long to think of this: when Kay were to make that team (maybe not entirely made of "three lovely ladies her age"), what would happen? And how would she assemble this team of her's?

Well, here it is.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Ace Attorney series.

Chapter One

When it comes to a robbery, it's all about timing.

It was that way when my late father, Byrne Faraday, stole evidence that could make a major company crumble. And it's that way when I steal student records from my high school's counseling office.

The key to not letting your classmates know that you're about to steal information about them is to act... well, is to act natural. So I talked to my friends as I walked to school, and I pretended that the lock-pick that fell out of my backpack was a bobby pin that I promptly put in my hair, thinking it would be a better hiding place anyway. And, as nonchalantly as I could, I entered the building and headed towards the counselor's office as opposed to my locker.

It was not unnatural for me to be at the counselor's office. I had had counseling ever since Dad died, even at my old school. When Mom moved back and I met Mr. Edgeworth, I had counseling here too. Granted, this counselor sucked and I planned to stop seeing her as soon as possible, but first, I needed the records. I needed the records to form a team.

I needed the records to form the Yatagarasu.

My father was not the ordinary thief. He was the modern day Robin Hood, the "Noble Thief". Yes. The Yatagarasu. He would find evidence that a company was corrupt, and using his prosecutor knowledge of everything criminal, he would steal it without the company knowing and send it to the public when it was too late. But not alone. And this would turn out to be unfortunate.

He had the help of defense attorney Calisto Yew, who could tell him the precise location of evidence, and Uncle- I mean Detective- Tyrell Bad, who got rid of the evidence before anyone even saw it. The team would've been invincible... if it weren't destined to fail. Calisto Yew, or whatever her real name is, was meant to betray the other Yatagarasu from the beginning. And... hence "late father".

But I think my father and Uncle Badd and even Calisto Yew had something going. I mean, they were bringing down the worst of the worst. And they had them running for their mommies, too! Sure, one of them was a horrible smuggler and murderer, but at least for a while she could pass off as a good person. So, wouldn't it just be fabulous if I got a team of people I knew I could trust, and we picked up right where Dad left off?

So that's why I didn't really feel guilty as I walked into the office, looking past the secretary and into the open door of the counselor's office. I happened to know that Mrs. Bullock wasn't in there at the moment; every morning she ate breakfast in the cafeteria at 7:45 and came back to her office at 8. It was 7:52. Not as much time as I would've hoped, but I once read one of my dad's secret Yatagarasu logs that said he performed a robbery involving two guard dogs, three military-style security systems, a half-asleep security guard that was convinced he was in a dream, and an padlock on a drawer. Leaving minimal evidence. All in fifteen minutes. I decided that I could rob an empty office in eight, no sweat.

"Good morning, Mrs. Corbin," I chirped to the secretary. "I was hoping to see Mrs. Bullock this morning."

"Of course, Kay," Mrs. Corbin replied. Her face clouded. "But, she's not here, as I thought you knew. Maybe you could come back later?" Time to turn on the sad girl-who-did-everything-but-see-her-father-get-brutally-murdered act. Or, kind-of act.

"Oh, that's fine," I sighed, looking down. "It's just that, today's Dad's birthday and all..." Mrs. Corbin froze, then began to click desperately on her keyboard, confirming what I just said. She found nothing contradictory. Of course I felt bad about planning my first real robbery on Dad's birthday; but I needed a reason to go into the office in case she wouldn't let me go in. As a fellow thief, I think he'd be okay with it. Maybe even... proud.

"Well, I suppose it's okay to wait in the office until Jacqueline comes back," Mrs. Corbin murmured, leaning back into her seat and looking at the screen. Am I the only person who hates it when adults call teachers or administrators by their first names? Then you're thinking: Jacqueline? Who the heck is- oh, wait...

"Thank you." I scurried around the desk and into the office. I couldn't believe it! I was in! My first robbery was under way. Unfortunately, looking at the clock, I realized I only had five minutes to pull it off.

"Dad could've done it," I whispered to myself. Then, I tugged on my ever-present gloves and set to work.

At my last school, when I was still really little, my counselor told me something: in every office of every counselor in the entire district, there was a box of files that had every permanent record of the students. Not the actual records, just copies; those were on the computer, and these old files were hardly ever touched. Mrs. Dean had told me that they were basically just a formality, and it was a pain to add the new records every year or to update them. I had this in mind when I came to this new school, with fantasies of a second-generation Yatagarasu forming in my mind. Mrs. Bullock told me that yes, they did have files like that, but she didn't tell me where. That's what I was doing now. Finding them. And hope that Mrs. Bullock never looked at those files, either.

No evidence left behind, right?

First thing first, I checked the world's biggest filing cabinet. As I used my lockpick to open the locked drawers, I reviewed my plan in my head: get the files today, put them back tomorrow. I definitely wouldn't be able to do my homework, sorting through all the files and all, but the downfall of some of the most corrupt companies in America was worth a few minor zeroes.

Surprise surprise, the records were in the cabinet. The drawer I had opened had the records for the current sophomores, but I certainly hadn't expected so many. I carefully lifted them out and put them in my gym bag. My grade in P.E. would have to suffer as well, but it happens. I opened the drawer under it, extracting the files for the freshmen, not thinking I would find anything interesting. I opened the drawer that was second to the top, hastily stuffing the junior files in my actual backpack. Both bags were getting heavy now, and I knew that not only would my grades be suffering but my back as well. Finally, I opened the top drawer: the one with the seniors, and I was aware that somewhere in there was my own file. Because I was sure that my team would mostly consist of people my age, I took extra care with these. Unfortunately, my care went to waste: a couple of rogue files fell from my bag when I tried to zip it up and floated gracefully across the room.

I slung my half-open backpack to the wall, and mercifully more files didn't fall out. I chased the stray ones, scooping them up and gathering them up in my arms. As I was running past Mrs. Bullock's desk to secure the last one, which was lying on a sofa that I sat on whenever we had our talks, I caught a glimpse of the time. Three minutes until she was supposed to be back. This was going better than I-

"Kay?" I spun around, switching hands so that the files were behind my back. For the first time since she began working here, Mrs. Bullock had come back early from breakfast.

"Mrs. Bullock!" I exclaimed. "I... I didn't think you'd be back so early."

"Well, Mrs. Corbin told me about what today is, and I felt obliged to come talk to you about it." Oh, great. Now she becomes a good counselor.

"Well, um, okay!" I replied hurriedly running over to the couch and sitting on the file. Hopefully she wouldn't notice that my backpack and gym bag were lying right by the filing cabinet, overflowing with student's secrets.

"So, why don't you just tell me about your father? Anything about him." How could I get her out of here? Would she notice that I was so jittery? Why did she have to be so nice now?

"He was so noble," I found myself saying. "He fought for justice in more ways than one. I want to fight for justice like him." Suddenly, I found myself bursting into tears. Mrs. Bullock rushed to my side, trying to console me.

"There, there. Is there anything that I can do to make me feel better?" That's when it hit me. I wiped my watery eyes and pulled out a dollar bill.

"C-c-could you g-go get me a w-w-water?" Mrs. Bullock snatched the dollar and promised she'd be right back. I prayed that she wouldn't.

Wiping my eyes in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the crying, I raced over to my backpack and miraculously stuffed the files into it. I zipped it up (also a miracle), then slumped against the wall and cried some more. I didn't get it. I hadn't cried this much the day he died. And I hadn't cried for him in a while altogether. Why now?

Don't worry, Daddy I promised him. I'll finish what you started.

Mrs. Bullock appeared and gave me the bottle of water, which I gulped down in two swigs. She didn't ask why I'd moved to the other side of the room, only sat there with me and tried to comfort me. After this going on for about an hour and a half (and a few more bottles of water from Mrs. Bullock's own wallet), and the tears showing no sign of letting up, she suggested I just stay home. I agreed that this was a good idea, since I'd been feeling nauseous anyway, and she called my mom while I moved back over to the sofa with my bags. My mom came quickly, and I sucked down all the tears, and I swore that I'd never cry for him again.

After all, he was the Yatagarasu. And I'd just become the Yatagarasu.

And you can't cry for someone who has been reborn.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope to have the next chapter up soon, so hopefully no one will have to wait long. Please review!