Chapter Eight: Train Disdain

"Yuck. Look at the state of this place." Maya stuck her hands on her hips and craned her neck around what was left of the scorched train compartment. "It's so bad in here, you'd think it was Nick's office."

"Hey, I don't have melted metal blobs all over my office, thanks." Wright picked up a piece of shrapnel and tossed it to the side. "Well... not anymore, anyway. Trucy and Athena melted the front desk when they were trying out her new 'lava-escape' trick, but we needed a new desk out there anyway, so I just got a new one, gave the old one to the recycling guys, and told Trucy flamethrowers were for outside use only. So in the end, it all worked out."

"Wright, I will never understand how you have no qualms with letting Trucy run wild all over your workplace, even if she is one of the associates." Edgeworth stood in the doorway of the compartment, eyeing Wright with rife disapproval. "In order to achieve success in one's profession, there needs to be a separation between professional life and life outside of work. Surely you know that."

"That's easy for you to say." scoffed Wright. "You don't have a life outside of work."

"Wha~?! I do so-" Edgeworth protested and immediately cursed himself for taking the bait. Wright always knew exactly what buttons to push in order to get a rise out of him. It was infuriating.

"You do? Really?" asked Ema from underneath the passenger bench seat where she was parked. "I didn't know that, sir."

Edgeworth snorted derisively.

"Yes, Detective Skye. I have a life outside of my work. I just don't let it bleed into my professional life, nor do I see the need to discuss it with any of you. So, drop it or I'll dock your pay."

Ema promptly buttoned it, but unfortunately he had no control over Wright's salary.

"So, what, you actually have a social life? Like, going on dates and stuff?" Wright prodded. "You? Mr. 'I'm in a long term relationship with the Prosecutors' Office and have the social skills of a wounded wolverine'?"

"I... well, I wouldn't say that, but-"

"Aha, I knew it!"

"Wright, don't you give me that, you have no right to throw stones when you yourself are a walking glass tower of insecurity when it comes to the fairer sex-"

"Nick, stop picking at him. We already learned at the last trial you two are totally inept with anything to do with women, so you guys don't need to rehash." Maya stepped over Ema and opened the overhead storage compartment. "Don't throw shade when you belong in a lamp store."

"We are not- well, I can't speak for him-" Wright hooked a thumb at Edgeworth. "But I'm not inept!"

"Tch, yes you are." grumbled Edgeworth.

"If I might, I think I have a solution to this issue." suggested Ema from the floor. "Have you two ever considered dating each other?"

Both men instantly stopped bickering and stared at her, one with his mouth hung wide open and the other sporting a blush so powerful, his coat paled in comparison.

"What? It's a perfectly viable option." Ema slid back from the seat so she was fully visible again. "You already have known each other for a long time, so no need to worry about concealing personality flaws, you both can communicate with each other fairly well, though it's usually by shouting at each other in front of an old man wielding a fancy hammer, and if you date each other, that takes the female aspect right out of the equation. Besides, I always sensed some sexual tension lingering between you two, and I can't be the only one who noticed, so no one would be surprised if you decided to go down that road."

Edgeworth and Wright glanced at each other sideways, blushed again, and moved to opposite sides of the carriage.

"What?! What are you guys so embarrassed about?! There's no shame in it, it's perfectly natural!" Ema's cheek puffed out indignantly. "It happens all the time in all sorts of animals, ranging from penguins to cats to certain horses. It's just nature's way of being nice when attempting to limit population growth of a specific species. In fact, in some bonobos-"

"Detective, don't you have something else you could be dealing with in the next carriage right now?" Edgeworth interrupted tersely, the cheekbones behind his glasses practically glowing. "Anything else you could be doing? I think you do. Go. Now."

"Fine." Ema got up off the floor and stomped into the next compartment. "Jeez, what is it with lawyers and being so uptight? Everybody did it all the time in ancient Greece and Rome. Heck, if you didn't, people thought you were a weirdo-"

Wright slid the door shut after her, cutting off her opinionated rant.

"Thank you." Edgeworth pushed his glasses up his nose in an effort to camouflage his blush.

"Y-yeah, no problem." Wright awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and wouldn't look at anyone.

"Hate to break it to you guys, but she does make a good point. Anyway, it's sure a shame Detective Gumshoe isn't here." Maya shut the overhead compartment, removed one of the seats, and stuck her hand underneath the back cushion. "I've already found about two dollars worth of change from fishing around in the seats. He'd go nuts if he knew what a goldmine we struck. He'd be able to get the high quality noodles in a cup, y'know, the ones with the flavoring packet."

Edgeworth and Wright suddenly looked uncomfortable again, but not because of what Ema had said a minute ago.

"Hey, speaking of which, how is good ol' Gumshoe these days? I haven't seen him in ages." Maya ferreted her hand underneath one of the other seat cushions and pulled out what looked like year-old gum. "Ew. Well, it might not be gum on a shoe, but it's gum in a seat. It doesn't look like it's recent, so it's probably useless as evidence, but it doesn't make it any less gross-"

"Hey, Maya?" Ema slid the door back open and stuck her head through the slit. "Could you come help me with this? I need another set of hands to jimmy this custodial panel open."

"Coming!" Maya dropped the cushion and scampered into the next compartment, leaving the two men alone in the carriage.

"You... haven't told her yet?" Edgeworth inquired discreetly once the door slid shut and clicked into place.

"I thought you might want to." Wright replied circumspectly.

"Why would I want to?"

"He was your underling."

"She was your assistant. Wright, she's going to find out sooner or later. You may as well tell her."

"Why don't you tell her?"

"Because, I... it's not my place to tell her such things." Edgeworth stiffly straightened his suit coat and directed his attention to the nearby shattered window. "She's closer to you than she is to me."

"Edgeworth, Maya is closer to Charley than she is to you. However, that doesn't mean the houseplant is qualified to break the news." Wright rolled his eyes and pulled a coin out of his pocket. "How about we flip for it? Loser tells her."

"Fine." Edgeworth crossed his arms over his chest like he always did in order to stave off excessive exacerbation. "Do as you will."

"Call it in the air." Wright flipped the coin upwards with his thumb and it soared high above their heads.

"Heads." said Edgeworth just as the coin reached the zenith of its trajectory.

Upon coming back down, however, the coin bounced off of Wright's hand, torpedoed upwards, smacked Edgeworth in the center of his forehead, and ricocheted in the other direction.

"Whoa! Catch it!" Wright dove for it, promptly missed, and landed on the floor with a thud.

The coin then fell to the floor, bounced three times, rolled on its edge and fell through the grate on top of the vent.

"Welp, there goes my coin." Wright peeled his face off the floor and glared at the grate. "Got any ideas?"

"I surmise we will need to get a new coin, for starters." Edgeworth rubbed at the sore dent on his forehead where the coin had struck him. "How is it that you always manage to make the simplest of situations downright chaotic?"

"I don't know, I'm just gifted." The defense lawyer put both of his hands flat on the ground and pushed himself up. "I'm going to have to go after that coin, that was my only one, and we can't finish the toss if there isn't a coin to- Ow!"

Wright crumpled back to the floor in a heap of elbows.

"Wright?" Edgeworth arched an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"No." moaned the floor.

"Is it your back again?"

"Nope, I'm just down here because I like the linoleum. What do you think?!"

Edgeworth snorted disparagingly.

"Wright, no matter how much pain you are in, there is no need to shout." He picked up one of Wright's arms, slung it over his shoulder and hoisted him up. "Come on. Up you get."

Edgeworth expected Wright putting too much strain on his back was bound to catch up with him eventually, so the fact that he collapsed while in the midst of being an idiot didn't surprise him much.

What he wasn't expecting was just how heavy Wright ended up being.

"Good lord, man." Edgeworth managed through clenched teeth as he steered him towards the passenger seat one labored step at a time. "You're… much weightier… than I expected you to be."

"Hey, don't you body shame me. I'll sic the internet on you." Wright tried his best to counteract some of his own weight, but the damage he'd done to his back rendered him nigh immobile. "Actually, I've been working out lately ever since I got my badge back and I gained some muscle, so that's probably why I'm harder to lift than before. Shame it didn't help reign in my spine any, though."

Eventually, they made it to the seat that hadn't been torn apart by Maya and as soon as they were close enough, Edgeworth deposited Wright on it with a flump.

"Ouch. Ooh... when did the world start spinning and can I get off?" Wright stuck his arm over his eyes and rolled off his back so he was on his stomach instead. "I'm getting dizzy. I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Don't you dare. This is a crime scene. We don't need your half digested, stolen snackoos all over the place." snapped Edgeworth, whose own back was threatening to stage a coup' after that extemporaneous heavy lifting exercise. "What kind of exercise have you been doing, exactly?"

"I've been doing a lot of weight reps and running ever since I got my badge back. I figured it'd be a great time to shake off the dust and get back into the swing of all things legal. I still don't get why I couldn't wear the sweatpants in court, though."

"You know very well why." scoffed Edgeworth. "They were a crime against fashion and you know it."

"You're just jealous you don't have your own pair. Edgeworth, you need to live a little and get some pants that don't have a crease in them. Anyway, my workout's not anything close to the insane stuff you get up to, but it's giving me pretty good muscle tone results, so I had to change up my wardrobe to match."

"Is that why you bought a new suit?"

"Sort of. I tried wearing the old one, moved my arms forwards, and ripped the back out like Tarzan. Speaking of which… man, my back is killing me." Wright groaned in agony. "I want a spine-ectomy, stat."

"You'll need to talk to one of the Paynes, then. They had theirs removed long ago. Perhaps you will be able to get the name of their surgeon." Edgeworth dusted off his coat with a few flicks of his wrist. "Wright, you really ought to consult a chiropractor about your back issues. It's possible you may have a degenerated disc."

"Yeah, 'cause that's going to do us a heck of a lotta good right now." replied Wright through strained breaths. "Hey, can you get the coin for me? I can't bend anymore, or move, or do anything. They're gonna have to get me out of here with a winch."

"It's just a coin. Use another one."

"I told you, I only had the one, and unless you have one on hand, that's our only option."

Edgeworth resisted the unbelievably strong urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and spared the grate where the coin had gone a contemptuous look.

"Oh, very well. I'll see if I can reach it." He took off his coat, dumped it on top of Wright's head, and rolled his sleeves so they were up to his elbows. "Here, hold that and make sure you don't get any of your hair product on it. That coat is worth more than your office furniture."

"Seeing as how all my stuff came from Ikea, I wouldn't doubt that." came a grunt from underneath the coat.

Rolling his eyes, Edgeworth knelt down on one knee, pried the grate off with his fingers and gingerly stuck his arm inside the hole. It wasn't that deep, but the narrowness of the opening meant he had to proceed with caution, lest he accidentally get himself wedged in the hole, thereby giving Wright a reason to laugh at him.

"Ow!" Wright pulled the coat off his face and the old journal from Mrs. Voyant tumbled out of one of the pockets and clocked him in the back of the head. "What's this thing?"

"It's a journal I received in the midst of my investigation." said Edgeworth, still feeling around for the coin in the vent; where was the damn thing?! "It's unreadable in its' current state because it's written entirely in braille, but Miss Fey suggested you might know someone who could decipher it."

"Why would I know- oh, never mind." Wright wrinkled his nose at the book and tucked into one of his own pockets. "Eh, I'm not sure if I do or not, but I'll ask around if it helps."

"Thank you."

"So, what else have you got in here? Hmm..."

"Wright, leave my coat alone!"

"You're the one who dumped it on my head. So, I get to nib." Wright grinned, despite obviously being in a substantial amount of pain. "Besides, you're not exactly in a position to stop me, now are you?"

"Nnngggh..." Edgeworth's eyelid twitched. And Wright actually had the gall to call Maya the immature one?!

"Now then, let's see…" Wright began rummaging around his coat's pockets. "Wallet, train pass, allergy medications, handkerchief, keys, funny looking stopwatch thingy with a wand attached, weird... moldy old book? Ew. Why would you carry this thing around, let alone in your coat pocket? You're gonna get tetanus if you're not careful, Edgeworth... why are there marshmallow cakes in here?"

"Wright, leave those alone or I'll have the detective arrest you." hissed Edgeworth.

"Uh... okay, then. You really like marshmallow cakes that much? I never pegged you as the kind of guy who got territorial over sweets."

Edgeworth shot him the blackest of looks, though the overall effect was dampened since he was arm deep in a drain.

"Alright, alright, you don't need to get so testy." Wright put the cakes back in the pocket. "Did you find the coin yet?"

"If I had, do you think I would still have my arm in this vent?" Edgeworth's fingertips grazed over the top of something smooth. "Ah, I think I've got something."

He retracted his arm with the thing he felt inside his closed fist and pulled out what looked like a molten, mottled harmonica with half its white paint job missing.

"Hey, that's not my coin." said Wright.

"Thank you, Wright. I never would've figured that out on my own. What would I do without you?" Edgeworth rolled his eyes before returning his attention to the melted harmonica thing. "No, it looks like it is, or rather, was, a cigarette lighter."

"A lighter?" Wright leaned forwards as best he was able from where he'd been draped on the seat like a beached sting ray. "What's that doing in here? This compartment's non-smoking, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. I remember when I specifically requested to not be placed in a smoking carriage upon coming here, so for all sakes and purposes, it shouldn't be here at all. Yet it is."

"Hm. That's a contradiction if I've ever seen it."

"My thoughts exactly. Wright, take a look at the logo." He rotated the lighter over until an insignia featuring a bright blue star outlined in silver was visible. "What do you see?"

"A blue star. That's the name of the train we're on." murmured Wright. "So this must be a company brand lighter."

"From my experiences on this train, the attendants attempt to sell an assortment of goods to unsuspecting passengers, such as magazines or other such sundries. This must be one of theirs." Edgeworth's thoughts harkened back to Milly Time, the overly enthused train attendant and her pornographic paper peddling.

"It looks like it's already been used, though." Wright pawed the lighter from his grip and pointed at the edge of the lighter that was still intact. "The wrapping's off and the cap's undone. It's also all melted, so it has to have been in here during the blast."

"Detective Skye will have fun lifting fingerprints." Edgeworth opened an evidence bag he happened to have on hand and Wright dropped the lighter inside. "That is, if she can find any."

Standing back up to his full height, Edgeworth stripped the latex gloves off his hands, rolled down his sleeves and re-buttoned them. It was very fortunate he hadn't chosen to wear the shirt that needed cufflinks, or else he would've surely lost them by now.

"Wright, which pocket did you put the CO detector back into?" Edgeworth took his coat back from Wright's possession and replaced it upon himself.

"Side pocket, I think. That's the stopwatch with the funny wand, right?"

"Yes."

"Side pocket, then."

Edgeworth reached a hand into his coat, pulled out the CO detector, removed the wand from the side hinge and surveyed the fractured compartment with a discerning eye.

"What are you doing?" inquired Wright, his expression nothing less than bewildered as Edgeworth proceeded to brandish it all around the room.

"Checking for carbon monoxide." said Edgeworth. "The doctor gave me a portable detector, so I decided to put it to good use. It never hurts to be thorough."

"Are you getting anything?" Wright glanced at the broken shards of glass that used to be the window. "It's pretty ventilated in here, so that'll make your checking just a little tricky."

"Be that as it may, I'm still inclined to check." replied Edgeworth. "I don't intend to allow something such as that to sneak up on me ever again. Also, there are trace amounts of CO still lingering inside this train compartment."

"What?! There are?! We have to get out of here, then-"

"Wright, calm down. The amount in here isn't hazardous, so you won't have to be rushed to the hospital for anything other than your Jenga tower of a back." Edgeworth's eyes narrowed as he read the information on the tiny screen. "According to this device, the traces are about the same as sitting next to a fire outdoors. The CO concentration is nothing too dangerous, especially after the fire brigade doused and aerated the place, but it is picking up some lingering fumes."

"It could've been generated from the fire." suggested Wright. "CO burns off a fire, and there was one heck of a blaze caused from the bomb going off."

"Perhaps." Edgeworth pocketed the detector. "Though it wasn't as complete as I would've preferred, I think that should be all that's necessary for this scene. We should move on to the next issue at hand."

"Yeah. This wasn't the most clue enriched crime scene I've ever seen." Wright clawed his way up the seat and wheezed when he made it up to a seated position. "Most of the relevant evidence burned away."

"I agree." nodded Edgeworth. "I'll go see how Detective Skye and Miss Fey are faring. Perhaps they've had better luck than us."

"Fine, you do that." Wright rested his head against the arm of the seat. "It's not like I'm going anywhere at this rate."

Edgeworth made to leave, but as he put his hand on the door, his grip stayed on the lock. Thoughts of speaking with Maya brought back memories of what had transpired earlier that morning, and that reminded him of something.

"Wright, there's something I wish to ask you." Edgeworth turned away from the door and looked at him sternly. "And since I don't want unnecessary ears listening in, this is a prime opportunity."

Wright blanched.

"Uh... if it's about what Ema was suggesting, I'm, um, really flattered and all, but I'm still trying to get to know myself better after getting my badge back and Trucy's going through some teenage hormonal stuff, so I'm not really looking for anything right-"

"Not that, you melon. What do you know about black psycho-locks?"

Wright's pale face quickly darkened.

"Black psyche-locks?" He repeated. "Why do you want to know about that?"

"Just answer the question, Wright." said Edgeworth. "What do you know about them? Judging from that reaction, you know something."

"I know they're bad news."

"Elaborate."

"Okay, okay. Yeesh, a 'please' in there wouldn't kill you." Wright cleared his throat and tried to sit up as straight as he could. "Alright, you know how a psyche-lock is a representation of a mental barrier that keeps people's secrets hidden, right? The stronger the mental barrier and the urge to keep their secrets hidden, the more locks show up, and as you present more evidence and point out the weaknesses in their barriers, the locks break and the secret will be addressed by the person with it. You follow me?"

"Yes, I am aware of that much." nodded Edgeworth. "Continue."

"Okay. Well, when the locks are black, that means that the person with the secret doesn't know they've got one. The secret is generally something the person can't bear to face and they've buried it so far deep down within themselves, they don't even know it's there." explained Wright. "The black locks manifest themselves because of the secret and glue themselves onto their soul, protecting the person from ever discovering what the truth they can't come to accept is."

All the hairs on the back of Edgeworth's neck stood stiffly on end like they were in a military parade.

"So... a black lock is a sign of a subconscious mental barrier that the victim isn't aware is there." He summarized, all the while attempting to ignore the pounding of his pulse in his ears. "Moreover, that mental barrier is caused by a secret that the possessor isn't aware of and refuses to acknowledge. Is that it?"

"Yeah." nodded Wright. "Most of the time, they don't even know they're doing it, but they've got a secret buried so deep down in their soul, they can't bear the idea of letting it come to light, not even to themselves."

"What causes this?" Edgeworth pressed further. "Is it a personal issue, or is this more of a whole truth they cannot accept on a grander scale?"

"Hoo, a whole raft of things. Denial, trauma, refusal to admit unflattering truths about themselves, unfounded narcissism or pride, general ignorance, a personality deformation, a misnomer to which they stubbornly cling, it could be just about anything. However, from my experience, the more locks there are, the more destroying the secret is to the sufferer who is desperately keeping it under lock and key."

"So it's more personal, then." Edgeworth ran a hand down his face; this was getting worse by the minute. "Have you run across these in the past?"

"Twice." said Wright. "Once with a defense lawyer I knew, and again with Athena."

"What were their causes?"

"Well, I'm still not entirely sure to this day what caused the lawyer's locks, but Athena's were directly involved with the murder of her mother and having been so traumatized by the incident that she blocked it off completely in order to defend herself. You remember that trial, I hope?"

"How could I possibly forget? The courthouse blew up."

"Yeah. Actually, I always figured if I'd had the magatama back during your trial in 2016, I'd have seen some on you."

"You might just get your wish." Edgeworth muttered bitterly under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"… okay. So, how'd you find out about black psyche-locks?" Wright pointed curiously at him. "You only ever got to use the Magatama when I was in the hospital after that nasty fall off Dusky Bridge and, the last time I checked, you didn't carry around your own."

The magatama pressed next to his chest hung heavily against his pectoral in protest.

"… Wright, if I tell you, you must swear to secrecy about this." Edgeworth stared him down like an eagle would a salmon. "It came up during my investigation about a matter that Miss Fey wished for me to look into."

"Yeah, sure, of course. I promise." said Wright, his brow rife with concern. "Is Maya okay?"

"This part doesn't have much to do with Miss Fey, but I found it out as a result of my investigation." Edgeworth took in a deep steadying breath. "Do you remember when Maya mentioned I was undertaking some business for her as a favor? Well, I went to go speak with a medium about something pertaining to that business, and during the conversation, she told me I… I had some."

"Had some? Had some what?"

"Black locks. She told me I had black locks."

Wright's jaw dropped.

"You've got a black lock?! Er... just how many are we talking here?"

"Five."

"Five?!" Wright sputtered, which did nothing to assuage Edgeworth's concerns. "Wha- how?! I thought you worked through all your drama years ago."

"If I knew that, do you think I would be asking you about it?!" snapped Edgeworth. "And keep your voice down, will you? I only just found out myself a little under an hour ago."

"Okay, okay, let's just… take a breath and calm down here. Before everybody panics and calls ToD, let me take a look." Wright fished a hand into his pocket and brought out a bright luminescent green nine of his own. "I've got my magatama right here, so let's just take a little peek and see if the old bird's onto something."

"A second opinion would be most welcome." said Edgeworth.

"Okay. Hold still, Edgeworth." Wright rubbed the magatama in between his palms to warm it up. "Alright, let's ask you a question that might trigger the locks to show up."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Let's see... Oh! How about, 'what are you hiding from yourself that you don't want to admit?'"

"That's a little on the nose, isn't it?" Edgeworth commented lightly.

Wright's brow furrowed.

"I suppose it was. Nothing showed up." He rested his chin in the crux of his thumb and forefinger. "Well, okay, how about... er... 'what damning secret about yourself is so soul crushing, you would bury it?'"

They waited for a minute.

"Anything?" asked Edgeworth.

"Nope, nada." Wright pocketed the magatama. "Was this source who told you about the black locks reputable?"

Edgeworth snorted.

"Not that I could see. She holds a sizable amount of influence among the mediums, but all I saw was a blind, rhyming lunatic." He folded his arms against his chest and looked away. "I knew it. That old lady was a crock. I should've figured as much."

"Hey, c'mon. Don't be so hard on yourself." Wright attempted to cheer him up. "If a medium'd told me I had black locks, I would've checked it out, too-"

"I was a fool to even consider her words." Edgeworth wasn't listening; he was far too embarrassed to listen. "Gaining black locks is a result of lying to oneself, is it not? I should've known that she was full of it the instant she said as much. I stopped denying the truth a long time ago. In fact, ever since DL-6 concluded all those years ago, I have not lied to myself once!"

Wright's black eyebrows skyrocketed.

"Uh... Edgeworth?"

"Besides, I am a man of the law and I mean to uphold it to the best of my ability. Trading in lies, especially about myself, is not part of my being, nor my creed. Candor is my policy and nothing else."

"Edgeworth-"

"So, on that vein, what possible reason would make me, a man who's dedicated himself to finding the truth, no matter what it is or where it leads, lie?! I can think of no reason to-"

"Edgeworth!"

"What?! Wright, I'm in the middle of being annoyed with myself, I don't need you interrupting my-"

"I see them."

"What? What do you see?" Edgeworth's tirade stopped on a dime. "The locks?!"

"Uh huh." Wright nodded, his eyes bigger than hubcaps. "And, uh... eheh, those are some big'uns you've got right there."

Edgeworth's complexion grew green and he glanced down at his chest, though he still couldn't see anything.

"They... they are?" He swallowed hard and turned his attention back to Wright. "Well, tell me what you see! Out with it, Wright! Time is of the essence."

"I see big, black locks all over your soul, Edgeworth." Wright breathed out a long puff of air. "I don't have any idea why you've got them, but they're pitch black and from the looks of things... one of them appears to be stabbing you."

Edgeworth blanched.

"Stabbing me?"

"Yeah, the one right here." Wright reached forward and poked Edgeworth dead in the center of his chest, the exact spot where Mrs. Voyant had done. "It looks like this one is gouging you with a big spike right in the middle of your chest. I've never seen pokey parts on a lock before. That's new."

"When did they show up?" Edgeworth winced at the pain where Wright had poked him. He felt like a vampire who'd gotten staked for overstepping his boundaries.

"When you said you hadn't lied to yourself since DL-6." said Wright. "Apparently, that's not nearly as true as you think it is. I don't know what you lied to yourself about, but it's obviously one heck of a tale you spun."

"But I- I'm sure that I haven't- I mean, that's-" Edgeworth was so flustered, he could barely speak. "I-I don't- I don't know what you're talking about. What tale?! I told no such-"

"I know you don't think you did. That's the problem." countered Wright. "And what's worse, when you started denying it again just now, that one big spiky lock in the center dug into your chest. Are you feeling okay?"

"... Actually..." Edgeworth put a hand to his chest and winced; his sternum throbbed terribly. "No. I'm not. I have a strong ache in the center of my chest and it's not improving."

"Yeah... that's what I thought." Wright's expression grew grim. "I can't say I'm surprised. Just feeling what's coming off those locks is enough to make a guy consider getting his hands on some anti-depressants."

"You're getting a sensation off of them?" asked Edgeworth. "I didn't know you could do that with psycho-locks."

"Only with the black ones. Do you want me to describe it?"

"Please."

"Okay..." Wright focused on where Edgeworth suspected the locks were placed. "They feel... desperate."

"Desperate?" Edgeworth repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. I'm getting feelings of desperation and... desolation and grief." Wright's face grew uneasier the more he kept searching. "Um... I'm getting sadness and despair and… Edgeworth, I'm sorry, but I can't really describe it as anything else other than resigned sorrow mixed with rampant distress."

"Alright, that's enough." Edgeworth swallowed down a labored breath. He had enough of a description. He didn't need more.

"Edgeworth, I know stating the obvious is your thing, but this secret of yours isn't just big. You lied to yourself about something huge and now it's trying to rip you apart." Wright wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"

"None." Edgeworth shook his head.

"Well... I don't pretend to be an expert here, but if I was going to summarize, it looks to me like whatever it is, your subconscious has resigned itself to it and your body is actively rebelling against the decision." said Wright. "You'll have to talk to one of the Feys for an official opinion, though. I'm just a veteran amateur and this calls for a pro. However, if you don't get that secret off your chest soon, it just might kill you."

"I... I see." said Edgeworth soberly. "Then how do we do that?"

"We leave them alone for starters. I'm not going near those things with a forty foot pole and neither should anybody else until we get more information on them."

"Why?"

"Because messing with locks like those aren't worth what they could do if they break before they're ready." said Wright. "Edgeworth, that lawyer I mentioned suffered a mental breakdown because one of his locks was removed by brute force. If we tamper with these before they're ready, you could end up in a catatonic state with a ton of irreversible mental and spiritual damage just like he did."

Great. There was nothing quite like a threat of ending up a vegetable to liven up his day.

"Then what is to be done?" asked Edgeworth. "I'd prefer avoiding catatonia if at all possible, but these can't be allowed to stay adhered to my chest."

"Well, in the case of Athena, the only way she managed to break through these locks was to figure out what had happened on her own with time and a little bit of luck." Wright puffed out a tired breath of air. "This is something you'll have to figure out on your own, Edgeworth. However, I'm already hopeful you'll pull through."

"Why is that?"

"While you might not be sure what it is, you're already acknowledging there's something up. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have asked." Wright offered him a small smile. "That's one step up on that lawyer. He never admitted there was a problem, and then when he was forced to face it before he was ready, that's when it all came crashing down. He hasn't been responsive since. However, you've already figured out there is a problem, and remember, the first step to fixing a problem is admitting there is one at all."

Edgeworth snorted again.

"It's a shame you didn't take up a career in writing greeting cards, Wright. That, or fortune cookies."

"Heh, you're right. Hey, speaking of fortune, you never did get my coin back."

"Oh, to hell with your coin. I am not sticking my arm back down that vent-"

"Hey, Nick? Mr. Edgeworth? Are you guys still in here?" Maya slid back the door leading to the next compartment and poked her head through the slot. "We found something really interesting in the custodial panel that Ema sent off for testing, so- Nick, why are you flumped on the seat?"

"Hi, Maya." Wright waved at her. "I fell down and I couldn't get up."

"Are you really getting that old?" Maya's nose wrinkled at him and she stuck her hands on her hips. "That's it, I'm getting you life alert."

"He hurt his back trying to retrieve a coin." said Edgeworth. "Would you have Detective Skye call a few officers to remove him? He can't walk on his own right now."

"I think... I can probably do it now." Wright peeled himself off the sofa and forced himself upwards. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I don't need to be sent to the home yet."

"Well... okay, if you're sure you're alright." Maya eyed Wright with a skeptical stare; she clearly wasn't buying it any more than Edgeworth had. "So, if Nick's done re-enacting 'Thoracic Park', Ema just said she's gotten some information about the body's identity and she's already left to get it, so if you guys want to get a first crack at the autopsy report, now's the time."

"Right. I'm on it." Wright hobbled to the door, but paused right at the edge. "Hey, Maya? You said you found some loose coins in one of the seats. Will you do me a favor and flip one for me? It's already been called, so all you have to do is flip it."

"Sure, no problem." Maya plucked a coin out of her pocket, flipped it into the air with her thumb, caught in her palm and immediately smacked it onto the back of her other hand. "Okay, it's flipped."

"What is it?" Both Wright and Edgeworth looked at her hand.

Maya took her hand off the coin.

"Tails."

Edgeworth's shoulders sank.

Damn.

"Right. I'll go head out with Ema to talk to the cops about who our dead guy is, so I'll see you guys in a bit. Have fun." Wright waved and almost sprinted, which Edgeworth found suspicious because he claimed he hadn't been able to move a minute ago, out of the train compartment.

"Tch. You coward." Edgeworth glowered at the door as it slid shut, leaving him and Maya alone in the train refuse.

"What was that all about?" Maya stuck her hands on her hips again after pocketing her coin.

"Wright and I merely had a wager about something, nothing of much interest." Edgeworth deflected. "I appear to have lost, however."

"Is that why he threw his back out? He was chasing after a coin?" Maya shook her head. "I should've figured as much. Nick's no good with wagers, or flipping, or dexterity. You should see what happens when he tries to shuffle cards."

"Is it 'fifty-two pick up'?" asked Edgeworth.

"More like 'fifty-two get your cards out of my hair'." groused Maya, though she quickly brightened. "So, what was the wager about? Details, gimme."

Edgeworth pinched the bridge of his nose. As much as he didn't like it, it seemed as though it fell to him to break the news to Maya about... the incident.

Damn it all, where was the houseplant when you needed it?!

"Before I do, I wish to ask you something." Edgeworth swiftly navigated away from her question; he needed time to formulate what he was going to say.

"What?"

"What did you find inside the custodial compartment?" He folded his arms against his chest and lightly tapped the crux of his elbow with his fingers, though he ended up wincing because it hurt; he'd forgotten about all the holes dotting the landscape known as his arm.

"Oh, that?" Maya smirked knowingly, held her hands behind her back and leaned forwards. "Oxygen canisters."

"Oxygen canisters?" Edgeworth's eyebrow arched. "Like the one I was hooked up to while in the hospital?"

"Mmhm. Three big ones with the 'O' on them and everything. See, the next carriage over isn't really a carriage. It's a glorified storage closet." Maya explained. "We found all sorts of things in there, baskets, magazines, snacks, lighters, newspapers, personnel uniforms, lockers, brooms, orange cleaning scraps, mops, buckets, all burned beyond repair, of course, but still, the whole shebang. Speaking of which, I even found a magazine of Oh!Cult! magazine that had me as the featured article. Me!"

"... O-oh, really?" Edgeworth cleared his throat as discreetly as he could manage.

"Yeah. Jeez, talk about creepy." Maya shuddered. "I read a little bit that wasn't fried and from the way the writer was going on about me, you'd think he was trying to talk people into snatching my panties off the clothes line. And the pictures… eesh. Not gonna lie, I'm feeling pretty violated right now. I mean, why'd they have to go and take a picture of me right after I fell asleep that time I ate too much cake? There was white frosting all over my face and everything. I looked like a melty drunk clown with half my robes off."

Edgeworth's expression blackened.

"Do you want me to sue them for you?"

Maya stared at him.

"Wh-what?"

"I... I don't claim to be a litigations expert, but... it can't possibly be that difficult. I just..." Edgeworth cleared his throat again; he hadn't meant to make that offer out loud. "I just thought I'd offer."

Maya smiled at him, looking very amused.

"You're sweet, but no. I'm okay. I'm a big girl, I can handle one creeper with a magazine article. Don't think they're not gonna hear about this, though. I'm prepping a speech and everything so I'll let 'em have it when I've got some time."

"Are you sure?" asked Edgeworth.

"Mmhm. However, tell you what. If they ever do any of that stuff again, or the pictures continue after I have at them for breaching my privacy, I promise to let you know and then you can slay them with your lawyer powers. Sound good?"

"… lawyer powers?"

"Oh, y'know. Logic, intimidation, credentials, sharp looking suits, pointing. Lawyer powers. Anywho, do you want me to continue about the things we found?"

"Please do." said Edgeworth.

"Okay. Well, somebody had stashed three big oxygen tanks inside this custodial panel, the poor brooms were just thrown out of the way and pushed up against the corner, and slammed them inside." said Maya. "However, even with them being stashed away like that, that wasn't the weirdest thing about them. Wanna know what it was?"

His eyebrow arched again.

"Of course I do."

"They were empty."

"Were they ruptured?" asked Edgeworth.

"No, they weren't. Other than their labels scratched half off, the canisters themselves were in perfect condition. They were just empty. We checked the gauge twice on each canister." Maya wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. "Why would anyone put empty oxygen canisters in a custodial panel? I mean, if you're keeping them in case of an emergency with a passenger, that's one thing, but why have empty ones?"

"I haven't the faintest idea." said Edgeworth. "Was there any indication of where they came from?"

"Well, the only place I can think of is the hospital." suggested Maya. "We should check and see if they're missing any. I'm sure Dr. Bolysm would love to see you again."

"I think Wright is in more need of a doctor at this point than I." retorted Edgeworth. "However, that is an excellent idea. Well done, Miss Fey."

Maya beamed at him.

"Okay, enough beating around the bush. What were you and Nick talking about?"

Edgeworth cringed on the inside.

Maya was remarkably singleminded in her pursuits.

He blamed Wright for rubbing off on her too much.

"Oh… very well. I'll tell you. It pertains to something that was brought up before, Miss- I mean, Maya." Edgeworth began carefully. "You see, Wright and I talked it over and-"

"You guys are going to go out?"

"What?! No, of course not."

"Really? Aw, that's a shame. You two would be so cute."

"M-maya!"

"Oh, relax, will ya? I'm just teasing you."

"... oh. Well... good."

"Nah, Nick's way out of your league."

"Mmph~!"

"Hee hee, sorry, sorry. Sometimes I just can't help myself. I have to poke the prosecutor with a stick." Maya glowed cheerily. "Now, what was it you both talked over?"

"It's..." Edgeworth inhaled deeply in an effort to assuage his rosy pallor and readjusted his cravat. "It's about what you mentioned earlier. You might wish to sit down for this, because it might come as a shock, but-"

He didn't get to finish.

Out of nowhere, the carriage began jostling and shaking violently as tremors plowed through the metal container, throttling it and the people inside like an out of control bartender mixing drinks.

"It's an e-earthquake!" Maya shrieked, the metal floor beneath her feet rippling like an ocean wave as each explosion of the quake's fury tore through the poor, unsuspecting compartment.

Edgeworth's mind went blank.

... earth... quake?

Like someone had flipped a switch, Edgeworth's knees buckled and he collapsed. His head and back crashed into the metal wall of the compartment behind him, sending a whirlwind of pain cascading throughout his body, but he was too far gone to care.

He wasn't in the train compartment anymore.

He was back in the elevator again.

That cold, barren elevator.

The dark one.

... so dark.

He couldn't see.

He... he couldn't breathe.

The air was too thin.

They'd been in there too long.

... he couldn't breathe...

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Out what was seemed like nowhere, a voice called through the darkness. "Mr. Edgeworth, can you hear me?"

... who...?

Why was someone calling his father's name...?

Was it help?

No.

No help was coming.

Help should've come by now, but… it hadn't.

They'd been trapped in the elevator for hours now and no help came.

He was still trapped... in the elevator.

Everything was black.

He couldn't see, he couldn't feel anything.

He was too cold.

He... he couldn't breathe.

"... Mr. Edgeworth, if you can hear me, focus on my voice..."

He could... he could see the bailiff and his father fighting.

No...

No, stop.

Stop.

Don't hurt him!

"... Mr. Edgeworth, do you know where you are...?"

He couldn't let this happen.

He had to stop it somehow.

There had to be something he could do.

Anything.

He looked around for anything, anything at all that he could use to help his father-

The sound of a door beginning to slide open echoed in his ears and he sharply turned towards the sound, though it was still so dark, he couldn't see.

That was the elevator door.

He could hear it being opened.

No.

No!

He had to do something.

If he didn't, his father would be murdered.

He couldn't let that happen.

Wait.

There was someone moving around in the darkness near him.

The only person who ever got that close to him was his father.

So... so that had to be him!

With everything he had, he lunged forwards, seized the person in front of him and forcefully yanked them towards him so they crashed into his chest.

"Mr. Edgeworth?!"

His blood rushing in his ears, he pressed himself flush against the figure as tightly as he could and and pivoted them both away from the door just as it slid open all the way.

The gun wasn't getting his father this time.

It'd have to go through him first.

"Hey, is everybody okay in here?" A voice came from outside the elevator as someone entered. "I felt the earthquake go off and- M-maya?!"

"Nick, get out of here now! I'm fine! Just guard the door and don't let anybody in here! I'll take care of it! Just go!"

"Er, right! Leave it to me, nobody'll get in. I got it!"

He didn't know who was talking, nor did he care. All he knew was the only thing he cared about was protecting his father from the bullet and he wasn't letting go for anything.

They'd have to shoot him first.

He had to protect him.

He had to protect...

He... wouldn't... let... him die.

He wouldn't.

... wouldn't...

"... okay..."

... huh?

"... it's okay..."

Someone was talking to him.

Someone… with a soothing voice.

"... over. It's all over..."

... over...?

What was over?

He took a deep breath.

He... he could breathe?

"...You're alright. It's alright..."

He wasn't too sure.

His head hurt.

"... Mr. Edgeworth, you're okay. You were okay before, you're okay right now, and you're going to be okay. I promise..."

Wait...

The voice was talking to him.

That was his name.

"Mr. Edgeworth, if you can hear me, listen to me. You're in a train compartment. Nobody's going to hurt anyone. You're safe."

... safe...?

Wait...

He... he was safe...?

Was he?

"Mr. Edgeworth, you're safe. It's okay. You're okay. You're going to be okay."

He... he was... okay.

"Mr. Edgeworth, you're not in the elevator. You're in a train compartment in Kurain Village. You're 35 years old, you're the Chief Prosecutor, and you're okay."

... the voice was right.

He wasn't in the elevator.

He was in a train compartment.

His head hurt unbelievably and the more he hazily found his vision returning to him, the more he found the voice wasn't lying.

He was indeed in a train compartment and he was a grown man, not a scared nine year old boy.

However... he distinctly remembered having tackled a physical body and he was still clinging to it, so...

... so if it wasn't his father...

What was he holding onto?

He looked down.

"... m... Maya?"

"Hi." Maya smiled reassuringly at him from where she was squished inside his arms' constrictive grip, though from the look on her face, she couldn't breathe all that well. "Back with us?"

"I... I, er... what did... what did I-" He managed in a harsh whisper. "Why are you-"

"Why am I sandwiched between you and the wall?" Maya turned her head from where it was hooked over his shoulder, since that was the only part of her that could move from where she was pinned, to look at him properly. "You were in a bad way when the earthquake hit and... the confined space didn't help your case any."

"I... I see."

"You gave me a right scare, y'know." She tried to laugh a little to ease the tension, but her voice was strained from being squeezed so tightly. "You usually curl into a ball and start shivering or pass out, so I didn't know... you could react like this, too."

Hot shame washed over him like a bucket filled with boiling water that had just crashed onto his head.

"Maya, I... I didn't mean to... I-" Edgeworth leaned backwards so she was no longer pinned to the wall and slackened his grip so she could breathe better, but he couldn't bring himself to let go fully just yet.

He was... too scared to let go.

If he let go, he could end up back in the elevator.

He didn't want to go back to the elevator.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." Maya wiggled an arm out of his taut grasp and patted his arm palliatively. "Scars run deep, and sometimes they don't fade all the way, no matter how much lightening cream we apply. Are you alright?"

"... I think so." Edgeworth inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "My head hurts."

"I'm not surprised. You hit it pretty hard when you fell. Is it okay if I check it? I won't if you don't want me to touch you."

"Mm."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Edgeworth assented. "You may."

"Okay." Maya wriggled her way upwards, though Edgeworth still didn't let go, until both her arms were free and her bust pressed itself firmly against his sternum. "I'm going to check now, so when you feel something touching you, it's me. Just me."

Removing his glasses so they didn't get in the way, Maya moved her own head so they were about only half an inch away from touching noses and stared into his eyes intently.

Edgeworth's breath hitched.

No one had ever gotten this close to him before.

"Your pupils are the same size, so you don't have a concussion, but-" Maya closed her eyes and gently touched her forehead to his. "You're a bit warm, but that's probably just a residual from the episode, so I'm not going to worry too much about that right now. Now, about that head..."

Her forehead still touching his, she raked her fingers through his hair and against his scalp, which elicited a spasmodic gasp to escape out from somewhere in his breastbone.

"I can tell you frogged yourself a good one when you hit the wall." Maya told him as her hands moved around his crown in an intrinsically circular fashion. "You didn't break the skin, but you're going to have an egg there, so when we get out of here, we'll have to get you a bag of ice for that-"

Edgeworth wasn't listening.

He wasn't able to.

He was too focused on how utterly amazing her fingers pressing and moving against his head felt. In the past, he had never been one for any type of physical contact among people, especially not in the form of massages, but this...

This was magnificent.

So magnificent, in fact, that his neck muscles gave way and his face fell into the crook of her neck with a light thud.

"Mr. Edgeworth?!" Maya stiffened for a split second as her eyes swiveled towards the inert head laying on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." murmured Edgeworth limply. "I'm fine."

"Does... my touching your scalp feel good?"

"... Yes."

"Do you want me to keep doing it?"

"Yes."

"… Are cravats silly looking?

"Ye-"

He stopped midway and snorted irritatedly, though he didn't lift his head up to properly glare at her.

"Just seeing if you were paying attention." Maya laughed and patted the back of his hair. "That means you're doing better than earlier. That's a good thing. Your ire at me will keep you grounded. We need to keep you grounded right now. It'll help."

She didn't stop her perusal of his hair, though.

If anything, her hand strength grew more deliberate with each movement of her fingers.

Breathing out an extensive sigh of relief at the touch, Edgeworth's head's sank deeper into her shoulder as his muscles uncoiled and his eyelids slid shut.

This was nice.

He could've gone to sleep right then and there, which was quite astonishing considering what he had just re-experienced.

Normally he didn't sleep for a week after an attack like that.

"Hey, just letting you know, if this helps you get back to how you were before the earthquake hit," Maya's hands massaged their way down his head until they were working on the back of his neck. "I can do this for as long as you want. Just tell me when you've had enough, okay?"

She would… do this for as long as he wanted her to?

Really?

Hmm.

He hoped she didn't have anything pressing to attend to for the next three weeks, then.

(A/N- I am truly blown away by all the feedback I got from you guys. It really makes my day knowing that my work's being appreciated and really helps motivate me to write more, so thank you all so much :D. Not gonna lie, I beamed like a headlight when I got all those messages. Also, just to clarify, there was a little bit of confusion regarding my previous note about the whole hospital situation. I wasn't the one in the hospital, I was just camped out there for support, so there's no need to be concerned. I'm fine. Just tired. Knock on wood. Anyway, thank you all for reading, thank you for all of the favorites, comments and reviews, and as always, please review!)