DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the installments of Ace Attorney or any of its characters.

A/N: This chapter is courtesy of a prompt from the lovely JordanPhoenix. Thanks for another great prompt and I hope you enjoy!

ACE ATTORNEY SCRAPBOOK
Chapter 44: Bargaining Chip

Case Tag: 6-2
Quote: User Suggested Prompt!

May 4, 2028, 12:30pm
Wright Anything Agency

It was with a breathless chuckle that Athena Cykes raced into the office at the Wright Anything Agency, slamming the door behind her.

"Trucy!" she called out to the empty room. "I got the badge!"

Athena waited, listening for the sound of approaching footsteps, but heard nothing. She tossed Apollo's attorney badge up in the air before catching it, repeating the action after the cool metal landed in her palm. Twirling it between her fingers, Athena looked over the badge.

"I wonder what Trucy wants to use you for in her magic show…" she mused aloud.

"Apollo mad!" Widget chirped.

Her mind wandering through the various possibilities on what Trucy might have wanted her to steal Apollo's badge for, Athena was caught off guard by her necklace-companion's comment and dropped the attorney's badge. It landed on the carpet with a soft thud before rolling on its side across the floor. It crashed into Trucy's box of props for her magic show and then came to a halt, landing pin-side up.

"I can't lose you," Athena remarked as she headed over to pick up the pin. "If I did, Mr. Wright would have to defend Apollo in court after he kills me!"

Scooping up the pin, Athena stuffed it in her pocket. She eyed the box the pin had landed against. There was a piece of paper splayed across the top of the box that read "Trucy's special props, keep out!" in said magician's handwriting.

"Special props?" Athena put her fists on her hips. "I wonder what those are."

Getting down on her knees in front of the box, the young attorney checked the lock hanging from the case.

"Pick the lock!" Widget squeaked.

"You read my mind!" Athena replied.

She pulled a bobby pin out of her hair and inserted it into the lock, fiddling around with the mechanism for a few moments before it opened with a click. Putting the lock on the floor beside her, Athena opened the box and peeked inside.

The box was primarily empty, save for a single white envelope sitting on the bottom. Athena reached in and scooped up the envelope, taking a look at the contents inside. At the sight of the photos, the young attorney instantly burst into a fit of giggles.

"What are you looking at?"

Athena nearly threw the photos up in the air, managing to snag them before they flitted about the room.

"Busted!" Widget chimed in.

"Not helping, bud," Athena tapped her necklace.

She gave the figure in the doorway a guilty grin.

"Hi Trucy," Athena said. "Um, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you picked the lock on my special prop box," Trucy said, frown on her face and his fists on her hips.

Despite the appearance of being annoyed, Athena could discern no anger from the magician. Instead, she felt...giddy?

"You're not mad?" Athena asked.

"Not really," Trucy shook her head. "You did ruin the surprise, though!"

"What surprise?"

Trucy pointed at the photos Athena still held.

"Those photos!" she said.

Athena glanced down at the photos again and was enveloped by another fit of laughter.

"These are hilarious!" she could barely get the words out.

The photos showed Apollo dressed in a souvenir/cosplay purple suit and blond wig, mirroring a certain rockstar prosecutor, save for the defense attorney's two trademark hair antennae sticking up and out from beneath the fake blond tresses. His cheeks were redder than the color of the usual suit he wore.

"Remember how Apollo lost that bet with you on who was going to win that trial, Mr. Edgeworth or my Daddy?" Trucy said, referring to Phoenix Wright. "When you made him dress up as Prosecutor Gavin for the day, I almost died!"
"I didn't realize you took pictures!" Athena calmed her laughter and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Trucy smiled brightly.

"A magician has her ways!" she said. "I made sure to snap some photos for, you know, posterity."

"Posterity?" Athena repeated. "This looks more like blackmail to me."

"Maybe from a lawyer's point of view," Trucy said. "But, for me, it's posterity...and a really good way to get Apollo to agree to be in my next magic show! I mean, that is, unless he wants Prosecutor Gavin to see him cosplaying him."

"So, what's the badge for?"

"To get Apollo here. Once he's at the office, I'll make him an offer he can't refuse," Trucy imitated the infamous line from The Godfather. "If he refuses, he doesn't get his attorney's badge back and I show Prosecutor Gavin the pictures. If he wants his badge back, Apollo has to be my magical guinea pig! And I literally mean that. I have a guinea pig costume for my next show."

"Trucy, you are bad!" Athena couldn't stop the giggles from bubbling up and out once more.

"ATHENA!"

Trucy and Athena both whipped their attentions to the door of the office at the sound of Apollo's voice. Athena popped up from the floor and handed Trucy the attorney's badge.

"Your bargaining chip, Miss Wright," she said.

Trucy made the badge disappear and have Athena a wink as the door to the office flew open, revealing a very annoyed Apollo.