AN: Thanks for waiting. Since it was such a big shift, I had to really think about the direction of writing carefully. This one is stupid and serious. Added some cameos in this one as well! For fans of the Milyn ship, check out my side fic Mischievous Turnabout! Besides shipping, I plan on having more comedy and another case that doesn't really fit in FT. Anyway, the next one, it's safe to say shit will be really hitting the fan and things won't be the same...Hope you all had great holidays and a great start to the new year! As usual, thanks for you guys for reading, reviewing, faving, and following!
DJJ680: Haha, glad you think so! Lol if Lyn and Edgeworth were to have kids, Miles would end up wondering if he had additional child with the way Lyn acts. I could already see her somehow winning the kids to her side lol. Well, stranger things have happened I think ;).
H. Emerson: #winning! Glad you're having a good time :D. It could be fun hehe. Well, you're not wrong, she didn't belong there to begin with. Unfortunately, yes that's the main con of leaving. Klavier will be back...though not in a way you expect most likely. Thanks!
TheWriteGuy: Likewise! I wished I could have the food they were having. Yeah, that's why I decided to make a separate fic for Milyn since I'm aware it's not everyone's cup of tea. So far writing it has been fun~ for me, it's just writing two characters expressing themselves. Lyn shares some personality traits with me, but we ain't the same person. So it's easy to write a variety of things happening to her. Oh, then you'll really enjoy this chapter hehehe ;). Yes! Pearls and Trucy is now my favorite cute combo.
Crimson's AXZ: Lol, I'm glad you think so! I think it's better than two serious people being serious so that adds xD. Lol, it'll be interesting to see your response to this chapter in that case ;).
Yes, I really wished we got more details into Klavier's feelings and thoughts. Beyond his bro being put in the slammer, he had to put his best friend there too. There's no way he'd be totally sunshine and rainbows about it. Heck, I'd be good with an actual conversation between Phoenix and Klavier in the aftermath! Instead it was a completely ignored point. But then again, the 4th game was kinda swept under the rug with DD.
Lol can't go wrong with Pearl! Haha maybe, maybe not. Glad you enjoyed it :)!
It's a strong possibility he could end up with Phoenix since Kristoph's career prospects aren't looking good at the moment...
Muhammad Sban: Glad you enjoy it! Indeed it is! It was the nice calm before the storm blows it all away ;). Hope you enjoy the ride for this chapter!
OBSERVER01: Indeed it was! Glad you thought it was interesting. Will probably be more of that soon hehe.
Jack54311: I like the phrase myself. Naw, I have not. I was sorta turned off his vid about why Phoenix is a criminal...which had a lot of ridiculous reasons lol. He was missing a lot of details and it seemed like he didn't play beyond the first couple of cases.
But AA was created as an over the top satire of the Japanese legal system- which has improved since the time of release. It really depends on how it's viewed- if we're looking at it from an American legal system POV, God so many things in AA would never fly LOL. 3 day trials, interrogating animals?, the defense snooping around like they're detectives... I think the list of things that could never fly in real life continues to stretch lol.
I'm glad you liked it! It would be interesting if the two interacted and it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility ;). Indeed...soon we'll find out how it all goes down!
JordanPhoenix: Yes! LOL Pearl is a savage, I'd be fearful to feel her wrath when it came to getting in the way of her otp or anything seemingly against Maya xD. Haha I mean, certainly Gumshoe has his preferences too. If he didn't have Mags, I bet he might ship himself with Edgey xD. Nawwwwwwwwwww, totally different entity lol. I'm glad you enjoy them as a pair...otherwise it'd be a misery to read. And more misery since this chapter has more of it lol.
Unstopable8000: Yep, it makes sense in my head as to how it happens ;). I imagine Miles reading so much in tiny print hehe. Thanks so much for your continued support :)!
CureCaligraphy: Glad you like it! Lol Lyn never got the chance to play DD. He may not personally remember, but no one will ever let him live it down ;).
May 18th, 9:17PM
Miles Edgeworth's residence, living room
It had been one of those rare days when Miles had come home at a decent hour, at least, in my eyes. With my car fixed, I would leave work on time. He'd almost always say at the office late working past 6 or 7...sometimes even later. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I wished he could be back earlier more often. But the workaholic in him didn't relent.
It got rather lonely at times, considering Maya returned to Kurain and I heard from her here and there. Ema was away in London still preparing for the forensics examination and more focused. I wouldn't hang out with Larry again lest I want some type of disaster to strike.
I did invite Kay over once...and while it was fun for us, I'm pretty sure Miles was aggravated. Like a tired parent, he eventually kicked us out of the house and told us to expend energy elsewhere.
So, we did.
With rather interesting results…
...Results so interesting, that if we got together again anytime soon, I'm certain Miles would have a stroke.
I was starting to think I was a bad influence, but I couldn't help it. I always liked when kids looked up to me. It was like having younger siblings I never got to have, so I was more than thrilled to teach them a thing or two on having some fun. And well, she taught me a few handy techniques on lock picking amongst other things. It was a beneficial and mutual exchange if any.
She still wasn't Maya though, as much as I liked her. People like to joke that the female assistants were all the same, but it was far from the truth. Sure, Kay, Ema, Maya, and from what I saw of Trucy so far showed they were upbeat and spunky personalities, they were so much more than the outer makeup.
Weird as it was to say, Maya was by far the most grounded out of all the girls. I'd chalk it up to the amount of trauma and hardship she'd been through thus far, but she was quite responsible and mature at this point. Yes, she had her silly moments, but she was a comfort to speak to if you were burdened or troubled by something, perhaps because she understood or was that empathetic, I dunno. I found her to be more calming in any case.
Trucy, I could see was more of an intellectual on some level. She was already in the habit of stuffing her feelings so they wouldn't get in the way. But even without that baggage, she used her mind first, thinking and rationalizing before acting. She wasn't really the type to act on sheer emotion without thinking and it seemed to me her feelings were processed through a mental filter.
Kay was just sheer fiery energy. Act first, ask questions later. She was definitely more willing to run right into danger than any of the other girls...more reckless, impulsive, and more emotionally driven. I think that's why I liked hanging around her. She was willing to be a little bit risky and get a rise off of the thrill of something going wrong or getting caught. That and she was rather blunt too.
Ema? Ema for all her science talk is pretty idealistic. She's also incredibly fun to tease, especially when it's about her crush on Klavier. But unlike the others, she's pretty good at making me suffer in response when I do make fun of her.
I was still concerned about Klavier. I hadn't heard or seen anything from him yet. It's like the guy vanished off the face of the earth.
I talked to Miles about it, but he told me not to worry. After he had his wake up call, with his beliefs he'd built his life upon being destroyed he needed a year off to figure things out. Klavier probably just needed time to cool off and be away from courts.
I hoped he was right. I had worried a bit that Kristoph might try to do something to him, but what reason would he even have to do so? Before he was planning on using Klavier unknowingly to advance his career in a sham of a trial, but would he go as far as to harm him?
...No, probably not. The only people he hated were Zak and Phoenix. He wanted to kill the Mishams to remove loose threads. . . And at this point, probably me, as well.
A couple of weeks ago Kristoph went before the bar association and received a 3 year suspension of his license, meaning he couldn't take any cases whatsoever in that time span. It had been all over the news for some time.
While it was satisfying in a way, I was still peeved that he didn't get his badge revoked like Phoenix originally did. However, I figured that because Kristoph had a silver tongue and a decent reputation that he managed to lessen the blow...though I imagined he was fuming at this change in circumstance.
If I were him, I'd be planning my revenge plans about now. Our guards were already up, but with that new development, we had been more alert and aware than in previous times.
And well, considering how someone ransacked Phoenix's office for the poisoned objects he'd taken from Misham, Kristoph was most likely going to strike some time soon. It wasn't enough to go get a search of his place, unfortunately.
However, the police did manage to catch a man breaking into my apartment. For what purpose, they hadn't found out since the guy wouldn't talk. They had asked me to come and take a look at the man to see if I may have seen him before and get a possible motive, but I hadn't seen a pale, ghostly looking person around me ever. I swear, it looked like he was dying, or maybe he was a goth? He had a bad dye job with the black stained on his forehead, with long stringy hair and a pierced eyebrow. He was on the lanky side, and was wearing nothing but black. Believe me, I would have noticed anyone who looked remotely like that. He was going by the name of Joseph Jackson, but the police said it was an alias.
The police said they'd keep me posted on any new developments as they tried to figure out who this guy was and what he was after. My apartment was still on lockdown since he could be working with other people. In the very least, they were going to charge him with breaking and entering.
But besides the kinda good, kinda crappy news, there was a glimmer of FULLY good news. Vera's condition had improved. She was now conscious and due to leave the hospital some time at the end of the week. I was going to visit her tomorrow.
"...To be continued on the next episode of the Pink Princess!" said the narrator as the screen held the image of the Pink Princess trying to protect her child she had with Steel Samurai from an ambush.
Miles grumbled, eyes glued to the screen. "Writers can be incredibly malicious with cliffhangers."
I snorted in response, as I grabbed the TV remote which was in between us on the couch. "But that's what keep the audience excited. Hanging on the edge of your seat...dying to know what happens next...till it drives you mad."
I flicked the channel, to the Jammin' Ninja. The Pink Princess only had one new episode tonight so it was my turn to watch what I wanted. Or at least have moderately less annoying background noise.
"Of course, I'm complaining to the wrong person," he said wryly.
I grinned. I had told him that I loved to write, and how the cliffhanger was one of my favorite techniques. "Yep!"
"I still don't know why you and Kay favor this over the Steel Samurai," Miles said turning his attention to the TV.
"Steel Samurai is a bit too hammy at times."
He grunted and turned to me with a dissatisfied expression. "Right, as if a ninja who bursts out into song every 5 minutes isn't hammy."
I rolled my eyes. God forbid anyone criticize the Steel Samurai in front of Miles. The last time I did it, it turned into a long never ending debate, the type you'd see on internet chat forums. He could be such a fanboy and then added with being a professional arguer...it drove me up a wall.
I wouldn't take the bait. I wasn't in the mood to debate personal preferences.
"So you're going to that gala thing this Thursday?" I asked to change the subject. From what I heard, basically everyone from the prosecutor's office and police department was going. It was essentially a fundraiser to raise money for victims of crimes.
"Mmhm," he said. "You're welcome to accompany me. I'd rather prefer if you did."
"Why's that?"
"Sometimes the people at these events are dreadful. I go because I have to, not because I'd like to."
"Heh, so you like my company after all?" I ask nudging him in the arm with my elbow.
He rolled his eyes. "No, I loathe your company, so much I invited you to live with me and share a room in my house."
I chuckled. "Ya, don't worry I hate your guts too. I especially enjoy when you're not here and I get to have the place to myself. Now, if only I could take that sports car for a spin..."
"You're never driving my car without my presence," he remarked sternly.
As it turned out, Miles wasn't much of a material man, but he really loved his car. He took care of it and maintained it well. So well, it might as well have been his child.
"I'll steal it one of these days just to get your attention," I teased, placing my hand lightly on his leg.
"You already have it," he said taking my hand and greeting it with a kiss.
"I doubt it," I pulled my hand back feigning hurt. "All you focus on is work...leaving me oh so alone."
"Lyn, I'm sorry I've been busy lately-"
I fake sniffed. "It's okay, Miles. I know there's just not enough room for me here. I accept it. Just give me the invite to the wedding. The prosecutor's office is one lucky woman."
The prosecutor sighed. I guessed he really did feel bad about it, although sometimes I had my doubts. But I understood. He really believed he could make a difference in his job and I wouldn't dare get in his way.
"Relax, Miles. You know I'm just teasing you."
"Yes, but you've expressed your feelings to me before on it and-"
"And I understand. As annoying as it is," I said giving him a hug. "Not...like this thing is gonna last long anyway, right?"
We couldn't really avoid the inevitable, right?
Miles didn't respond directly to my question. "Just come along. It shouldn't be that bad. And it does give a us a little more time."
"Then you have to entertain me the entire night, so I don't drink a bunch," I said sticking my tongue out. He'd better or else I might have 2 or 3 to cure the boredom of the gala.
He returned my half joke with a usual sigh. "For my sake, just have one. And only ONE."
I laughed. He was only annoyed because the last time we'd gone out I had gotten him drunk...unbeknownst to him. I told him I wanted him to try my tea, which happened to be a Long Island iced tea. Heheh. And well, conveniently, there happened to be murder at the inn we were staying at for a weekend. Did we have to solve the mystery? No. But if you know Miles, he has to be the hero and stick his nose into someone else's business... so he essentially solved a crime, whilst drunk. It was pretty impressive.
"Then it's settled," the prosecutor said standing up.
"Where you going?"
"You can stay and watch this mockery of entertainment. I'm going to prepare for bed by showering since it takes you a day," he said flicking me in the forehead.
"Ow...! That's not true. It's only like 20 minutes!" I called after him as went upstairs.
"Tell that to the cold water I've occasionally bathed in thanks to you," he remarked dryly as he vanished from the stairwell.
I'd have to be better with timing, but I was so accustomed to long showers it was hard to stop. I was a little disappointed that he had left, but it was time to myself. Or well, my selves actually.
Yeah, so about that. The whole thing with the merging personalities was starting to happen, though I didn't really mention too much of it to Miles or anyone else. As of now, it wasn't too bad. It was simply...strange feeling to say the least. For the most part, my time in this universe was simply me in another person's body. Sometimes I would feel an occasional bubble of strong emotion from the other Lyn, but that was about it. Now, it's different. Now, I feel her all the time.
And let me tell you, it's...intense.
Now, we may think we know a person down to what they do and how they think, but it's another thing to feel someone else's visceral reactions to your actions. Constantly.
Other Lyn is unhappy that she's here in Mr. Edgeworth's home. Though, not for reasons you might think. She's nervous. And ashamed. On the one hand, she is fascinated in seeing his home and how he lives when he's not at work, but on the other hand she thinks it's violating their mentor - student bond.
She sees Edgeworth as...an idol. Of course, I did at first, but I gradually dropped that. Other Lyn has not. Other Lyn admires him and would defend him to the death. She would not dare sully him, his reputation or inconvenience him in anyway.
So, she hates that I have feelings for him and that I'm acting on them. She loathes that we share a room together.
You would think that it'd be the end of it, but it's just the beginning.
The rumors were right. She's head over heels over the guy. The problem is she wants to be professional. She thinks this is dangerous. She's afraid of disappointing. It's sorta like if Gumshoe were a female, but smarter and bit colder.
I can say she's smarter than me, but the emotions can be lacking at times. Either they're over expressed or not expressed enough. So, to be honest, I have to be careful around Edgeworth. There's really no problem with anyone else. It's just that being around him puts this woman into a love struck frenzy and she's harder to control.
See, I'm in control of her body still, though sometimes her emotions slip through and it's hard at times not to act on some of them. That said, the longer I stay here, the worse it's going to get. I'm going to lose myself to her and that point we'll be acting as one.
Regardless, she berates me all the time for being here, but she never moves to leave. She doesn't even leave the room that we share. Honestly, I find her to be a bit of Puritan. The repressed sort of person. But she hates me for staying around, yet deeply enjoys all the benefits of being there. She'd never admit it, but I'm taken quite often by strong surges of lust. Edgeworth does not have to do much. If I wasn't a babbling idiot before, I am now.
So to level the field, I try to do more things by myself if just to keep my mind or mind away from him. I can at least say that work happens to be a bit easier now with other Lyn's impeccable focus and attention to detail which I usually lack due to boredom.
If I didn't do the dumb things that led up to this point, she'd still be trying to deny her clear as day feelings and remain strictly professional. And not like Edgeworth would do anything about it, since he's rather oblivious until something is thrown directly at his face. Like Oldbag aggressive.
But beyond Lyn's passion for Edgeworth, she had equally as strong feelings about Kristoph. Just on the other spectrum. If I hated him, she hates him times infinity. I try to not think of him much before I break something nearby. Luckily, she was repressed when I met him in London; she would have broken his face in, I'm certain. I don't think there's anyone in the world she hates more, besides the people who got her Dad put away in prison.
Of course, I needed to be wary of Kristoph, but she just sees red thinking about him. I feared what would happen if I actually encountered him now. He's probably looking for a fight, and while Lyn is up to giving it, Kristoph would beat her ass in a second. He's too physically imposing. And honestly, I'm probably more cowardly than a fighting spirit and I'm more apt to run.
I needed a solid plan in case that happens and I couldn't keep a hold on her. I did bring my knife from my apartment that I keep with me at all times. And there are guards still. But one can never be too sure. Worse come to worse currently, I'd try to shiv the guy and run off if he didn't get me first. The chances still sucked, but it was better than nothing.
Before I thought myself to death, I decided to go upstairs. After work, we were going to visit Vera tomorrow and I couldn't wait. I was glad that there was a turn of good fortune for a change.
The sound of water running passed the closed door, told me that Miles was still showering. As I was headed towards the bedroom, I'm grabbed by a feeling of need. I turned around to face the door. A flush spread across my face.
(Damn, I should have waited longer.)
Lyn wanted to be a pervert and crack open the door to the bathroom for a view. I did my best to shake it off as I went to grab clothes I left in his bedroom. Apparently, other Lyn also started an online fan club some years ago totally devoted to Edgeworth. Unsurprisingly it has quite a bit of members, and well, she's always on the look out for "new material".
I'll leave it to you to imagine what materials make their way to the fan meetings, but anyway it was why she hated being in the house. She didn't want to do something so base, yet at the same time this was every fan's dream. His house was a goldmine. And she couldn't resist.
It was difficult for her to be here, But, I couldn't keep doing this. As painful as it was to think about in terms of giving him up, if she wanted even the slightest bit of chance with Edgeworth after I left, she'd need to pull her shit together and act normal around him. Unless she could drop the idol worship, it'd be difficult to proceed.
I dragged my feet away from the bathroom door and into the bedroom to change into sleepwear. I knew even if I went to the guest room, I'd end up back here regardless. So, I'd suck it up and climb into bed, hopefully passing out before I did something ridiculous.
The only way I could calm down was to think of something else with less of a charge. The best way to calm down was to think of something utterly revolting.
...Jean Armstrong it was.
I'd be hard pressed to find something just as revolting to turn me off. It worked like a charm. Perhaps Jean Armstrong was good for something after all. In any rate, Miles returned from the bathroom fully clothed in his pink pajamas. I had thankfully unplugged any intense feelings and was starting to nod off, looking forward to the next day for a change.
May 19th, 5:01PM
Hicksfield Clinic
It had been the run of the mill day at the prosecutor's office. With Lyn's mind it made the days go by less tediously. More work got done and I wasn't bored so it was a win win. Right after work, Miles and I left for the clinic to see Vera. I was damned happy that she was still alive despite taking in more poison than she could have handled.
Out in front, which is usually littered with the sight of regular cars, was swarming with a few police cars. Had something happened? You usually didn't see this many cops at the hospital.
"What do you think happened?" I asked Miles as we had found parking and walked inside the main lobby.
"Hard to say, but probably nothing good."
That much was obvious. Especially considering this was Ace Attorney and I hung around with one of the main characters, of course something bad was happening. Of course.
We couldn't even approach the front desk to check in because the police had it covered, questioning the woman at the desk. There were a couple of policemen stationed on both sides of the sliding glass doors where we entered. Other police officers were looking for something on this floor.
"Excuse me, but could you inform us of what's happening?" Miles asked one of the men guarding the doors.
The man saluted. "Sorry, sir, but at this time we aren't allowed to disclose that information."
"I see," Miles said tapping a finger on his arm as he always did. "Can we at least check in to visit a friend now?"
"As of right now, we're securing the area and locations of everyone in the hospital so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until our search is over."
Miles nodded curtly in response.
We moved to the waiting area with a bunch of chairs in front of a flat screen television, and a bunch of anxious visitors.
"They're being awfully tight lipped today."
"A pity they couldn't be like that for my investigations," Miles said rolling his eyes. "But he did provide a hint that there is a search for something."
"Well, hopefully it's not a bomb or something," I joked lightly.
"Don't be silly. We wouldn't have been let in if it were the case."
True, true. But it still didn't answer the question as to what was going on. I still wanted to see Vera so we just stayed in the waiting area until the police were done resolving whatever issue they had.
Well, I had tried to anyway. I was bored and started to walk around on the floor back and forth. We weren't allowed upstairs or through the double doors down the hall that led towards patients rooms. So I just paced the areas where I could move freely. I did this for about 10 minutes and was planning to at least do so for another 5.
"Aren't you tired of that yet?" Miles said approaching me in the middle of one of my strides.
"No," I said snorting. "I'm tired of waiting! What is happening here? I feel like a caged animal!"
"It's...a real...shame hehe. Real shame. Hehe. Sorry you have to wait."
I turned to see a short older man, in brown sleepwear covered by a doctor's coat. The pink tuft of hair on top of his pretty much bald head made me shudder. But not as much as the gaps from missing teeth, gold caps, and that ridiculous stethoscope shoved in his ears.
Ugh. It was Hotti. And boy was he even uglier in person.
"It's not your fault, doctor...?"
I looked at Miles incredulously. He...couldn't be falling for this flimsy get up...right?
"Heh. Heh. Director Hicksfield."
The prosecutor nodded.
How the hell...I paused. It wasn't worth being irritated about at the moment. If anything we could probably pump him for information now.
"Alright..." I bit my tongue almost appalled that I was going along with this farce. "...Director Hicksfield. Can you tell us what's going on? The police won't say."
"Hm yes," he said observing me holding out his creeper hand in a squeezing motion with a grin. "If you're in a rush for a physical examination I can do one for you now hoh hoh."
I jerked backwards flushed. "N-no! I've already had it! Now, tell me what's going on! There's a friend I wanted to see today that's who's a patient here."
"Hm, hm," Hotti started to scratch himself. "I see. I know all the patients here. Especially the hotties, hoh hoh."
(Just let this moment die.)
The other Lyn wanted to knee him in the balls and I didn't blame her.
Begrudgingly, I presented Vera's profile to the guy who was clearly on crack. He had to be on some type of drug. Or I at least hoped so.
"Oh, hm. Yes, yes. Her. Cute. She'll be good 10 years from now," he mused as he scratched himself. Then he leaned with a hand slightly covering the side of his mouth. "That is, if they find her."
"Find her?" asked Miles. "She's missing?"
"Hm. Actually, kidnapped they're saying," he said matter of fact.
My jaw dropped. Kidnapped?!
"Vera's been kidnapped?! But how?! Why!?"
Miles shared my shock. "What on earth...? Why would she be taken?!"
Hotti scratched himself. "If you ask me, I think it's cause she's so cute and quiet. Easy to take. Hohoh. A shame, truly."
Vera was gone. And she had finally woken up. She'd woken up, only to be taken. By who? And why? She was just a kid. Drew had no reason to kidnap his own daughter; he'd probably be the most excited that she was still alive and kicking and would be returning home with him.
Amidst the surprising news, I could feel a tug of clarity coming via the intelligence of the other Lyn. "What makes the police think this was a kidnapping?"
Scratching, Hotti continued gossiping. "Well, right before she was discovered missing, there was a disturbance down the hall. The girl's room had guard presence, but they were both called down the hall to stop whatever was happening. When they both returned, the girl was gone."
"So, they were lured away from their posts." Edgeworth had closed his eyes. "And I doubt Vera would simply walk away with just anyone considering her demeanor. That and the simple fact that she was only getting used to being awake after a period of no movement."
Of course. Someone definitely took her. Though, who remains the question. Could it have been someone she already knew? Or was it a total stranger?
"Well, thanks for your help, director," I sneered unintentionally. Again, I couldn't blame her, but this was the easiest way to show disgust without punching the guy.
Hotti gave a toothy grin, well, as toothy as you could get with all the missing gaps in his mouth. He made a squeezing motion with both hands this time. "Glad to be service. And I'm always around for a special checkup when you need one."
I walked away, repressing the urge to vomit. Edgeworth followed.
"What should we do now?" I asked him. "There's no one to visit..."
"The police won't say much, but perhaps we could ask Detective Gumshoe for more details."
"Yeah! To the precinct!" I couldn't let myself get down. We'd figure out who took Vera and bring them in. She'd go back home where she belonged soon, I kept telling myself, managing to squash some of the cynicism gurgling up.
May 19th, 5:46 PM
Criminal Affairs
Inside the police department, officers for a change were busy. They were at their computers typing and glued to their monitors. Some were huddled at desks talking in speculative tones. Others were reviewing documents. Edgeworth caught one of the patrolmen and asked him to grab Gumshoe. In a few minutes, the scruffy detective emerged from one of the meeting rooms.
"Mr. Edgeworth, Ms. Doom! Surprised to see you guys here at the precinct now," he said with a grin. But it didn't last very long. "Though, you've come at a bad time."
"Vera's kidnapping, right?" I asked.
"H-How did you know?!" Gumshoe jumped up. "We've been keeping everything on the hush at least until tomorrow. We've only released the fact that she was missing to the media so far."
"Try as you might, but I suppose gossip has a way of getting around." Edgeworth said wryly. "Regardless, would you please be so kind to inform us of what's happening with the case as of now?"
The burly man sighed. "Well, since you already know, there's no point in hiding anything. Besides, I trust you a whole lot."
Gumshoe wriggled his eyebrows as his eyes looked upward towards the ceiling for the moment. "Right. So, today we were called in by two guards who had noticed that the little girl they were supposed to watching had vanished. They left their post because of cries from help down the hall- someone had attacked a nurse with a knife, so they were handling that situation. By the time they had returned to the room, Vera was gone. Without a trace."
My eyes widened. "Did the catch the assailant with the knife?"
The detective stomped on the ground. "No! They let whoever it was get away. With a performance like that, they may get an even worse salary than me!"
"Hm, so it definitely happened in that case? The knife attack?" asked Miles.
"Yup. No doubt about that, sir. The nurse needed to be treated for her injuries. Her, a couple of other patients, and those guards can confirm it was no hoax," Gumshoe said scratching the side of his face. "But, you're probably thinking, that the timing was too perfect. And you're not the only one, pal."
I pressed my glasses up. "So plan an attack, and then capture Vera. But why? Who would do that?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Gumshoe frowned. "We've already questioned Drew Misham, and believe me he has no part in it. The poor guy is devastated. I mean, in general the Mishams were hermits. They barely interacted with anyone, which leaves a problem of potential suspects, especially considering how no one saw her get taken out of the hospital and we couldn't capture the knife wielder."
He paused, as though he didn't want to speak any further. But he changed his mind. "The only real possibility right now, is one I don't even want to consider, but it's the only lead we have."
"Pray tell, what is it?"
Gumshoe looked off to the side as he spoke lowly. "...Kristoph Gavin."
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. "No. That can't happen."
"I...I don't want to think that either, sir. But he's the last known person who would hold a grudge against the Mishams, you know considering how we almost nailed the guy in court."
"W-well? Did you find her? Have you tracked Kristoph down yet?" My voice quivered.
Gumshoe's shoulders slumped in response. "He's at home. We checked the premises and Vera is nowhere to be found. Not a trace that anyone has been to that home besides Kristoph too."
Miles took an aggressive stance. "...But that doesn't mean much. Our friend tends to not get his hands sullied directly, considering the purchase of forgeries."
The detective nodded in agreement. "For now, it just means he's not directly implicated as we have no other potential leads for the moment. He could have hired someone else to kidnap her."
"...I just hope she's alright."
"Likewise," Gumshoe said quietly.
My heart sank. If Kristoph had asked for her to be kidnapped, it could only be for one reason: to finish the job. The poison hadn't done her in, so he might as well get someone else to kill her. After all, she could still identify him if given another chance. And while is reputation had tanked at the moment, it didn't mean it was totally impossible to turn around. Given some time he could have a comeback considering it wasn't a hundred percent proven that he was indeed the one to send the poisoned objects. There was just enough leeway for him to wiggle out of the situation. But Vera definitely needed to be out of the picture.
But...but maybe we were wrong. It was best not to jump to conclusions. Yes, I just needed to slow down. We didn't know for certain if it was Kristoph who took her. She's probably...okay if that's the case. Or in the very least, not automatically murdered as she would be if Kristoph was the one to order the kidnapping. It could be that she was kidnapped for a ransom.
"Do you think she could have been kidnapped for money?" I asked almost hopefully. "The Mishams are certainly not without cash."
"It's a possibility. We're waiting to see if the kidnappers call Misham to make any demands."
"I see."
"For now, we can only keep looking for any leads at the hospital and wait to see if the kidnappers make themselves known," the detective said.
The poor kid. She'd already been through so much. And now this.
"Hey Dick, you're needed!" called someone from the meeting room.
"Coming!" Gumshoe yelled back. "I gotta go, since I'm leading the case. But, I'll keep you posted if anything major happens."
"Thanks, detective," said Miles bowing.
"No problem," he said looking off towards the room as he shuffled back.
It was a sorry sight. Gumshoe was normally so upbeat despite personal setbacks. But you could see he was just as concerned about Vera as we were.
"Lyn," started Miles placing a strong hand on my shoulder. "We can't stand here all day. As unsavory as this whole affair is, worrying won't solve anything. We just have to let the police investigate."
Lips curving downward, I nodded. The police were hustling in here and it was best to leave em be as they worked on it. Together, we left the precinct and headed home.
May 20th, 6:20 PM
Miles Edgeworth's Residence
"Um, can you help me zip this up?" I asked Miles as he walked into the guest room. I didn't bother trying to hang up my dress in his closet full of suits, so I left it in the guest room so it wouldn't need to be steamed and all that.
He smirked as he walked behind me to zip up the aqua colored dress. "Are you trying to be like one of those tacky movies again?"
I flushed. "What do you mean again? I just can't zip this damn thing by myself. You wouldn't know unless if you ever wore a dress...got something to tell me?"
My back was covered up by the chiffon material, no longer exposed to the open air.
"Oh, please," Miles said as he stepped in front of me, rolling his eyes.
"Alright, then stop picking on me for at least trying to dress up for this thing," I said jabbing him in the side. "I have to keep up with your fancy pants outfits, you know."
Since we were going to this dumb gala thing, the attire was expected to be formal night stuff. At least I wasn't lazy like the last time at that mansion party. This was a step up for me in a gown and heels. Miles wore a black suit, grey vest, cravat and white shirt. He looked rather regal, at least to me. But then again, he usually dressed stuffy so honestly it wasn't that different.
While I didn't want to go, it still beat the alternative, which was staying here by myself ruminating about Vera and worrying about Kristoph. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night. After we got back from the police station I called Phoenix. He heard about Vera's disappearance on the news, but also had no clue (besides the obvious) on what could have possibly happened to her. We just had to hang tight and be wary. Hope that everything would turn out for the best...
But for something like me, waiting and hoping was just a painful process. I never thought I'd say it, but the fancy pants event might help me calm down.
...Maybe a drink would too.
"Nonsense, you always look fine, and right now rather exquisite."
"Flattery will get you a lot of places," I winked.
"Hopefully, the right ones," the demon prosecutor said lowly as he delivered a peck on my lips.
Someone was happy. Take a guess.
"Hm. Good thing I didn't do lipstick," I grinned, taking a step back before Lyn lost her mind. "Anyway, shouldn't we get going? If let you tease me like that we'll never leave."
"I suppose you're right. I'll do my best to remain a gentleman," Miles smirked as he offered me his arm. "Are you quite ready, my lady?"
"Most assuredly so," I said grabbing his arm firmly. Might as well have some fun with this.
May 20th, 7:01 PM
Florian Hall
I had to admit this place was out in front of some beautiful scenery. By the concrete parking, directly in front of the building were grassy fields and a nice view of the coast reflected by the moonlight. I wished we could have stayed out in front instead of going inside.
But alas, we checked in and left our coats in the coat room. The party was already in full blast. People in suits and ballroom gowns were crowding the main hall. Waiters and waitresses were walking around with appetizers and drinks. People were chatting it up to their peers loudly. Of course there were tables, with some folk sitting down, but it appeared that most people were milling about.
I'd felt a bit nervous when we went to Mrs. Rothman's estate last summer, but this was totally different. This was suffocating. I found myself clinging to Miles more than I would have liked, but the other Lyn seemed to be a-okay doing just that. I sensed that she was of a higher breed and could probably handle this type of event better than the queen of casual could.
I could get there with time, but I just couldn't relax. A large of amount of people recognized Miles, adored him even. He was quite popular for one reason or another amongst those in the prosecutor's office and the police department.
For someone who didn't really care for this type of event, he was handling the dullness of conversation well. Miles had introduced to me to a few older men and women, associates he'd known since the von Karma days, but I just as quickly forget their names. I didn't feel like I'd get much of a chance to talk to Miles alone, so it was great nerve I excused myself from the small group that had congregated around us.
Reaching into my purse, I checked the time. 7:45. God, it felt much longer than that. I felt like I'd been in here for an eternity. Groaning, I dropped my phone back in my purse. I figured since I was out of the fray, I'd grab some appetizers and a drink. I managed to stop a waiter and grab a bunch of cheese cubes, crackers, and grapes. Might as well pig out since there was nothing better to do unless I wanted to awkwardly stand next to the demon prosecutor the whole night.
With little to do, I wandered off to the far corners of the room that held only a handful of people and munched against the wall. I snagged up a wine glass with some type of alcohol as well. It was a dark red, so I guessed it was wine. Not like it mattered much to me at this point. I wasn't into wine but I was willing to try to get myself to calm down.
I chugged the whole glass.
(Yuck. Note, despite both tasting bitter, wine is not beer. Not even close.)
A passing waiter took my emptied glass off my hands. It was now time to get the party started.
Aimlessly, I walked around in circles. Maybe I'd catch a glimpse of an interesting conversation to join. But before I could close in on something fun, I bumped into somebody.
"Oops! Sorry bout that buddy," I said patting, what appeared to be a guy on the back.
"It's okay, ma'am," he said in a bit of a high pitched voice. Turning around, it was revealed to be some kid. Poofy brown hair, with a piece standing up, blue suit, gloves, and a ...pointer of some sort.
"...Wait a second," I began. "I'm no ma'am. For your information, I'm 25 years old! That's not ma'am material. Got it?"
The boy started tearing up. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to obscure you!"
Oh. Oh. Oh. Now it was coming back. This kid was Sebastian. Son of that douchebag, Blaise. Or something. Evil flame guy.
"Hey, hey," I said realizing my mistake. "It's cool. Don't cry on me, please. I'm just messing with you."
"Ahh, s-sorry. I'm glad you're not upset with me," he said sniffing holding his pointer tighter, regaining some posture.
"Uh, let's try this again," I said extending a hand. "I'm Lyn Doom, nice to meet you and sorry for bumping into you early."
The gloved hand took my lightly. "Sebastian...Debeste."
"Great! Perfect!" I said grinning. "What's going on, buddy? You seem awfully young to be here."
Dramatically, he pointed his pointer sideways as though he were explaining something to a class. "Well, I'm a prosecutor, and I wanted to come to this event to establish myself...and to meet new people!"
"Ah, I see. Stepping into the limelight, sounds fun," I said adjusting my glasses. "I wish I could say I wanted to be here, but that'd be a lie. I'm only here cause Mr. Edgeworth wanted to hang out...around at least 60 other people."
"Oh! Mr. Edgeworth's here? I should have figured he'd come to something like this," the boy said eagerly.
"Well, if you want to talk to him, and I'm sure he'd love to, he's around some old farts in the upper left corner of the room," I said.
Sebastian nodded with the excitement of a kid on Christmas day. "I think I'll go and do that! Nice meeting you, Ms. Doom!"
With that he ran off. So much for a conversation partner. But then again, he's pretty sensitive and I wasn't sure how to handle that. So all for the best. Poor kid. He was probably here trying to get out of his terrible father's shadow.
I sighed, raising my hand up another waiter, this time for what appeared to be champagne. One more, shouldn't hurt.
(I think.)
I had already made one friend. Surely, this would help make another. I took a sip and couldn't resist. I should have been drinking champagne a long time ago. It was WAY sweeter and better tasting than the other alcohols I've tried. With little thought, I had sadly finished my whole glass...but not too sadly as there were many more waiters and many more drinks to consume...
Eventually, my head started to swim. I wondered if champagne and wine were a good mix together? Before I could really figure it out, a rather handsome young man dressed in black and white approached me.
"Lyn san, how are you?"
"Simon! I didn't know you'd be here at this dump of a party!" I squawked.
He blinked for a moment and that roared in laughter. "Not enjoying the festivities?"
"I know it's for a good cause and all that, but it's so B- O - R - I - N - G. I could name 100 other things I could be doing right now."
"Watching the Steel Samurai?"
"Jammin' Ninja, thank you. You and grandpa like the Steel Samurai."
Simon smirked and I heard the clang of his sword. "While the Jammin' Ninja is talented in the art of hiding, he's no Steel Samurai. I prefer to boldly chop down enemies."
"Psh. I'm a chicken, so I prefer stealth. I'm sorta thinking of making a stealthy exit," I said twirling my glasses.
"Oh? But where is Edgeworth sama? Did you come alone?"
"No, he's being hoarded somewhere in here. I might as well have come alone," I sighed. "But you know, I'm surprised to see this many people here. There's a surprising amount of cops here despite what's going on..."
The party was full of prosecutors from the office as well as some cops. I suppose it made sense since this was to raise money for victims of crime.
The Brit furrowed his brows. "You mean with the missing girl?"
"Yeah," I frowned. "I hope they find her soon."
"Well, people are still on the case. It's standard in these...galas that everyone has some type of representation. Don't doubt that they aren't doing their jobs," he paused. "But I understand the sentiment. If something were to happen to Athena I would be worried and do everything in my power to keep her safe."
You know, for all the weirdness he'd bring to most settings, he had a good heart. He was a good dude. "Aww, so you do have soft spots after all, eh?"
His face flushed. "It's just...the samurai way."
I laughed slapping his arm. "You're a dork."
I looked around the room for moment and then made up my mind.
"Well, it's been good to see you, being my savior from boredom. But I'm gonna peace the hell out."
"Lyn san, shouldn't you tell Edgeworth sama? If you came together, how will you go back?" he queried. "Besides, I get the feeling that you aren't in the right state to drive."
I flushed at this notion. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm...fine."
He smirked. "You normally aren't so loud, nor touchy, Lyn san. You're also struggling to stand on those heels."
"Fine. Fine. You're sooooo coool with your PSYCHOLOGY." I folded my arms. Simon didn't move, but waited for me. I sighed. "Whatever. I guess I'll find the demon prosecutor..."
"Ja mata, Lyn san."
I waved as a walked off, away from the wall and into the bigger crowd. Stupid Simon. I wasn't that obvious, was I? I shrugged it off. I mean, I warned Miles that I would get a couple of drinks if he wasn't with me. And well, he was being Mr. Popular tonight so my company was booze. After navigating as best I could, I manage to spot the frills.
Right now, he was talking to this...mature woman with long black hair that was somewhat braided. The black evening gown she wore with a silver sash around her waist showed off all of her curves. And it didn't hurt that she also had a nice sized rack. Worst of all, she was tall.
She was super hot.
I felt a jolt run through me. Not a good one. I don't think Lyn cared for her off the bat. I wasn't sure if I did either. I wasn't in the zone, but I was close enough to hear a bit of their conversation.
"I look forward to the opportunity of having you preside over one of my cases."
"As do I." The woman clasped her gavel, with a small grin. "Prepare yourself for a fair and impartial trial, as I won't tolerate the usual shenanigans I hear about from Udgey in his courtroom."
Miles twitched at the suggestion. "I assure, that's only when I have cases against Mr. Wright. He's the kangaroo court magician, not I."
"Mhm."
Ugh. I couldn't let this continue on.
"HEEEEEYYYY THERE," I chimed in. "What's going on?"
The woman, raised a brow. "Hello," she said curtly.
"Where have you been?" Miles asked me. "By the way, this is Lyn. Lyn this is Ms. Courtney, as I'm sure you know."
"Yeah, cool to meet you," I said quickly. "Hate to interrupt, but I'm going home. If you don't want to take me that's cool, but I'm outta here."
"Now, hold on a minute-"
"What?" I said starting to walk away.
He looked at Courtney, then back at me. "Sorry, please excuse me," he said to her as he followed me.
I couldn't be here any longer. This rich bitch society event was killing me. As I moved further out, away from the crowd and into the empty hallway leading out of the main room, a hand grabbed my arm.
"Lyn, what are you doing?"
"I told you, I'm going home. This party thing sucked and I didn't want to come to begin with so, I'm out of here."
"To be fair, you left and wandered off somewhere."
"Yeah, because you were Mr. Popular as usual. I couldn't get a word into you without your legion of fanboys and fangirls in the way," I said arms folded. "How can we hang out like that?"
Miles sighed. "You're such a child, sometimes I swear."
"Well, YOU'RE a...a...a big meanie."
"Wow, that was pathetic," he said shaking his head. "...You've been drinking haven't you?"
"Nu-uh."
Miles wasn't fooled. He saw right through me. "How many did you drink?"
"...Just 2," I muttered.
"Lyn, I told you not to drink," he scolded.
"Ugh, you're not my dad, you know," I said rolling my eyes. "And you didn't talk to me much tonight so what could I really do? I was bored. And it made being around that many people slightly more bearable. Especially when you're out talking to attractive women."
"You're drunk AND jealous? I can't say I was anticipating the latter," he mused.
I grabbed his arm tightly. "Don't belittle me! If that's how it is, I'm going to find Simon and talk to him for the rest of the night if I have to stay around."
That caught his attention. "Lyn," he laughed incredulously. "You can't be serious."
"Well, he's younger, just as handsome, funny and can at least talk to me," I said pressing his buttons. "Who knows, what else he might be packing? Perhaps his samurai sword is better than yours?"
As I mockingly turned on my heels to return to the hellish hall, the prosecutor forcefully grabbed my hip. "Hm?"
"When you drink, you can be such a pain," he said lowly. "Test me. I dare you."
The pangs of guilt started. I just couldn't stand the idea of someone more attractive taking what I thought was mine. "...Sorry. I don't really mean it. I... can't stand the idea of anyone like that lady stealing you from under me. She's smart, in a high position...and she's smoking hot! Did you look at her boobs?! How could I ever compete with that? I can't compete with that."
"...There's no need to worry about something so asinine," he said and he turned me around to face him. "It's no competition happening here. It's just in your head, made up."
"Then you'll have to prove it."
He tapped a finger against his arm. "How could I?"
I smirked. The only ones outside the fray were us. I looked at the empty coat closet. "Let's go there."
"Lyn..." he said looking at the closet space shaking his head. "We can't."
I bit his chin. "You made me come to this stuffy boring adult party. I think we're both entitled to actual fun."
I wobbled down towards the room. "But of course, you can go back to hanging out with the busty buxom in there and I'll just...ask someone else to join me."
He grumbled something incoherent under his breath, but his footsteps followed mine. Heheh. The coat closet was a room without a door, but plenty of space to hang up one's coat on a hanger. Many many coats.
Miles was peering out of the door. "Lyn, this is a terrible idea."
"I mean, it was a terrible idea to come here at all, but I'm here anyhow."
"We're going to get caught-"
"Oh, come on! Stop being a pusssssssssssy. Everyone's inside the hall hamming it up. Some of them are simply kissing ass, just so they can kiss actual ass tonight," I hand waved. "Even if someone came out and saw, what's the worse that would happen?"
"I'd lose my dignity and pride," he said matter of fact.
"Miles, you already lost that when you presented your dick to everyone who'd look at the hospital. You might as well throw the rest away," I jabbed. "Come, haven't you been a kid? I used to mess around. Did you know I had my first kiss in the back of my parent's car? With my parents inside? The thrill of being caught was at it's peak!"
The man looked flabbergasted. "You're crazy."
"I'm fun," I corrected. Tired of talking, I shoved him into the coat rack, causing him to lean into the many big darkly colored coats hung up. Today, I didn't need to stand on my toes because of the heels. For some reason the shoes made me feel like an unstoppable god, despite the pain they were starting to cause. Still caught off guard, I kissed him hard on the lips.
When I was done, I took a step back with a grin, slightly staggering.
Miles glared at me. I wasn't sure if it was the booze or the fact that I dragged him into the coat closet, but the glare wasn't as powerful and harsh as it normally was. Instead of the usually, how dare you vibe, I got more of I hate you right now, but not really vibe.
He eventually sighed and gave in, knowing he was in a losing battle here. He gave a quick glance to the outside of the door again, before looking back at me. "You know, you're an idiot."
"Can't argue with that."
"But at the same time..." the man looked off into the empty hallway clutching his arm.
He was conflicted. He clearly wanted to tell me off, but he did seem interested in the risk of this situation. I could tell he was a noob to risk. I was a risk taker. Risk maker. Aficionado of all things risky. At least when it came to a kiss or two.
"You wanna try it out cause you're curious," I beamed.
"Please, shut up," he said before returning my kiss to silence me. He pulled me against his chest, and tugged on my hair. With my neck craned upward, as he pulled my head of hair back, he bit my exposed neck.
"H-hey!"
"You wanted this, so you're going to be absolutely quiet," he said before returning to attacking my neck.
"I don't know if I can be," I gasped. "Q-quiet if y-you're doing that!"
He ignored me, taking time to look over his shoulder. He then returned to torturing me, forcing me to be quiet the whole time, which was almost impossible. We messed around for some time, that is until Miles stopped dead in his tracks.
"Wh-what is it?" I breathed.
"We have to go. I heard footsteps-"
"What are you doing in here whippersnapper...Edgey poo?!"
It was too late. We were caught. And caught by the worst possible person. Wendy Oldbag was standing in the doorway to the coat room in her blue security guard getup, gaping at us.
There was a long silence.
"Why, I had no idea my Edgey poo did such naughty things," she smirked. "Instead of playing with such riffraff, why don't you come to Wendy? I have far more experience and expertise than that little whippersnapper."
Miles already had his back towards the coat rack, but if he had super strength I'm sure he would have broken through the bar of coats and the wall. "NGHOOOO! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU OF ALL PEOPLE TO SEE THIS?!"
"IT MUST BE FATE! NOW COME OVER HERE AND LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE!" she said puckering up her grandma lips walking into the coat roam.
"LYN!"
"W-WHAT?!"
"You got me into this mess, now you're going to get me out!" he said as he cowered behind me.
"Wh-what do you want me to do?" Unsure, I put up my fists in a fighting stance. "Uh, don't step any closer, oldbag! I know how to give a clean left hook!"
"Feh! You can't stand in the way of love, kid!" she said unfettered as she charged directly at me.
I mean, I wasn't a fan of Oldbag, but even in my state I didn't want to punch an old lady. However, I stuck both my hands up, pushing her back, or damned well trying to. This woman, was a goddamn bulldozer! She had to be on some kind of steroids, because I was struggling to push her back.
"Miles! Get out of here while you...have the chance!" I said between gritted teeth.
Edgeworth didn't hesitate. He started to flee from his hiding spot behind me.
"Edgey poo! You'll never escape me-!"
She started to pull away in order to chase after Miles who had just step foot out of the room, but I managed to wrap an arm around her bony neck and keep her in a headlock. It gave Miles enough to escape either back to the inside of the crowed hall or back to the car. Either way, it bought enough time.
"Whippersnapper! How dare you keep me away from Edgey poo!" she cried. With the strength of Hercules, Oldbag flipped me over and dropped me onto the floor.
"Augh..." I couldn't believe it. Was I just body slammed by Wendy fucking Oldbag? Was her love for Edgeworth really that strong? I had to guess so. Or maybe that was why she was always employed as a security guard despite her old age. Either way, my back was killing me.
"Hmph. No matter, I'll have him to myself yet," she mused to herself.
"Urk...Why...did you even...come in here...?" I asked, started to see green and different colors in my eyes.
"...Oh! That's right. The sight of you getting frisky with my Edgey poo upset me into a stupor that I almost forgot." I was quite sure, that that wasn't what stupor meant... But it didn't matter. My vision was going hazy, as I heard the sound of hangers and swishes of coats being moved around.
"Ms. Courtney wanted her coat. Bit too heavy, if you ask me. Why in my day, we'd wear rain and shine coats to these kinds of events and they were the talk of the town, especially my coat because mine was a bright beautiful pink, unlike all these dark black colors and..."
I knew I didn't like Justine for a reason. This was her fault.
There was a lot of rambling I was wholly uninterested in happening, but thankfully, I passed out so I no longer had to listen to it.
May ?, Time ?
Location ?
"Ugh..." I garbled out. "Man, what a horrible dream..."
"Oh? You had a dream? And what was it?" asked a familiar voice.
"I went to some stupid party, drank too much, made out with you in a coat closet and then got my ass handed to me by Wendy fucking Oldbag. Everything was lukewarm, at least up until the coat closet anyway...but Oldbag totally killed the vibe."
"Uhuh. You know it wasn't a dream, correct?" Miles asked.
"...Aw man." That shit really did happen. I kinda didn't want to believe I got beaten by an old hag, but I guess that was the truth. I sat up, with my head throbbing. Looking forward, I saw that there was a road and cars out in front of us.
"How long have we been driving?"
"Not too long," he said. At a red light, he passed me a bag that was warm. "Here, eat this. I'm not listening to you whine about being hungover tomorrow."
I gasped. It was...Burger King. Not any lame, rich snob food, but my favorite trashy food. "...You really do care, huh?"
"...Just eat your burger."
I could tell he was taking every fiber in his being not to murder me in the car. But he didn't have to tell me twice, I reached into the bag and pulled out the most holy of all items in my life. A blessed burger. Specifically a whopper. A double whopper. Miles Edgeworth. You are a gem of a human being. Taken by the aroma, I happily stuffed my face in silence. When I was finished I disposed of the wrapper in the bag.
"So, what happened after I passed out?"
"...I encountered that woman again. And she bragged about how she clobbered you."
"Hm...wait. How did you get away from her afterwards?"
"...We made a deal," he tapped the steering wheel in repetition before the signal turned green.
"What deal? Did you snog her?" I asked.
"No!" he quickly denied.
"Then what? How could you make that fly go away?"
A flush tinted his cheeks. "I don't want to talk about it, let alone think about it."
This was going to drive me nuts. "Did you sell her your soul?"
"It feels like I did," he said. "But never you mind. Especially since it's your fault."
"...Fair enough."
"Lucky or unlucky for me, she promised not to mention our tonsil hockey stint in the coat roam because of the deal. But I shouldn't have listened to you to begin with."
"Oh, but you enjoyed it. Despite being a chicken."
"No," he said blankly keeping his eyes on the road.
"Yes," I nudged him with my elbow.
Wearily, he sighed. "But I suppose, I'm partially at fault for the happenings tonight as well. I was unaware of how uncomfortable you were in these types of situations."
"And, I should have just stuck to one drink," I admitted. "But you can't tell me, that you didn't have fun in the coat roam. Don't lie like that."
"...Perhaps, it was slightly entertaining."
"Yeah, since you're so traditional and stuffy about location," I said. "Heh. So...how about we call it a truce, tonight?"
He took a second to ponder before nodding. "Alright."
There was a long silence.
"Okay, seriously, what deal did you make?"
"Lyn-"
"Come on! I fought her off for you and she beat my ass!"
"..."
She's obsessed with him. So if it wasn't a kiss or anything like that...
"You gave her something of yours maybe?"
Miles said nothing, trying to maintain his poker face, but I saw a slight twitch in his eye.
"So you gave her something. Now what would it be to make her go away and keep that secret...something personal...probably perverted...that could be given the same day..."
I froze.
Oh no.
"Oh, you didn't."
He didn't respond.
"Tell me, you didn't give her your underwear."
He only flushed in response.
"No wonder, she shut up. She must be in heaven-"
"I DO NOT want to hear what you think she's doing with my undergarments!"
"F-fair enough," I said trying my best to sound serious and not laugh. To be honest, I didn't want to imagine it either but...the fact that he willingly gave her his underwear...my lord.
As I was repressing my laughter since he was being easier on me tonight than usual for some type of fiasco I've helped to create, I felt a buzzing in my purse on my lap. Unlatching it, I reached in and grabbed my phone, wondering who would be texting me now since I was sure it was probably late.
My eyes were glued to the screen in shock.
I couldn't believe it. After all this time...
It was Klavier.
Evidence:
Prosecutor's badge: With this, I can prove I'm a prosecutor. Dunno why we don't wear them on our lapels like defense attorneys though.
Magatama: Magical sacred charm that should allow me to communicate with Mia.
Profiles:
Maya Fey: Age 20. Probably my best friend at this point.
Miles Edgeworth: Age 27. My...partner in crime in a sense.
Detective Gumshoe: Age 34. The guy who's saved my hide more times than I can count.
Judge: Age ?. Oldtimer judge. No one knows his real name.
Mia Fey: Deceased. My spirit guide who pops by occasionally to give advice.
Phoenix Wright: Age 27. Pretty awesome dude. We make fun of Miles together.
Klavier Gavin: Age 17. Rockstar and new prosecutor. I'm totally not a fan.
Kristoph Gavin: Age 26. Called the 'Coolest Defense Attorney in the West'. He makes me uneasy.