iv. Turnabout Corner

Apollo Justice gazed at the door in front of him. "Fey and Co. Law Offices" was emblazoned on it in cheap gold lettering. Beneath that was a handwritten sign, stuck to the door with scotch tape, which read "Wright Talent Agency."

It had been over two months since Mr. Gavin was found guilty of murder. Two months since Apollo had punched the legendary Phoenix Wright in the face, and received a business card in return. Two months of Clay paying all the rent on their apartment instead of moving into the Space Centre. Two months of fruitless interviews at every other law firm in the city that was hiring.

And then he'd got the phone call.

He'd never met Mia Fey. He'd never paid much attention to her cases on Court TV; Phoenix Wright was the star, the one he'd always looked up to… until he turned out to be a jerk. She had the makings of a legend, Mr. Gavin had told him once, before her unfortunate accident. Sadly, her repertoire now consists solely of flashing her cleavage to distract the prosecution. It was a description he couldn't shake, even though Mr. Gavin had been exposed as a liar and a murderer. But she was hiring, had taken the time to call him personally, and Clay couldn't keep carrying him.

Apollo took a deep breath and let it out. I'm Apollo Justice, and I'm fine. He opened the door and stepped inside.

He blinked in surprise – the right side of the small office area was taken up with magician's props. At the end of the room there were two doors: one closed, one open to reveal a tiny kitchen area. To his left was a vacant desk with another handwritten sign stuck to it. Apollo walked over and examined it.

"Ring bell for assistance." Apollo looked at the desk. Phone, laptop… His shoulders slumped as he spotted a handbell next to a diary. Feeling extremely silly, he picked it up and rang it.

For a few minutes, nothing happened. Apollo was considering whether to ring it again, call out, or just leave when the door behind the desk opened. A tall, white-haired man in a silver mask stepped out, a mug in one hand. He looked Apollo up and down and took a sip of his drink.

"Ice-cream parlour's down the street."

"Wh-what?" Apollo asked. "No, I'm – I'm here for an interview." The man tilted his head to the side and – well, it was difficult to tell with the mask covering his face from his nose to his hairline, but Apollo was pretty sure he was frowning. "I got a phone call this morning. I'm here to see Mia Fey."

"Uh-huh." The man set his mug down and sat on the desk. He licked his thumb and leafed through the diary. "Name?"

"Apollo Justice," Apollo answered.

The man hummed low in his throat. "Ah, here you are." He picked up the phone and shot Apollo another maybe-frown as he dialled. "You're late."

Apollo shifted from foot to foot. Actually, I was here on time, I just dithered about coming inside because I'm worried about working for a bimbo and her asshole protégé. And I'm pretty sure I don't have a choice, anyway.

"Mia? There's a little lost kitten out here to see you," the man said. "…Well, it says here you're expecting him. Okay, I'll send him in." He hung up the phone, and shot Apollo an unsettling smirk. "Go on through to the back, Mr. Justice."

Apollo walked apprehensively to the closed door at the end of the room. He glanced back, and saw the masked man still smirking after him. Apollo gulped and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Mia Fey – almost legend, one-trick pony, mentor to Phoenix Wright – didn't even look up as he stepped inside. She was engrossed in a sheaf of papers, flicking through them with a frown.

Apollo coughed, and Ms. Fey looked up. Her frown disappeared and she gave him a warm smile.

"Ah, hello." She put the papers aside – oh boy, there was the cleavage – and extended a hand. Apollo shook it and did his best not to stare. "Please, sit down."

Apollo did so. He waited while Fey continued to go through her papers.

"My associate tells me you have an appointment," Fey remarked, her eyes on her notes. Apollo could see part of a scar on her temple, the rest of it hidden by her hair. She gave him a wry smile. "I'm afraid it slipped my mind. When you get hit over the head, you don't remember things the way you used to." She finished with the papers and straightened up. "Now, you were Phoenix's attorney a couple of months ago."

"That's right," Apollo replied. Boy, those things are practically in my face. He wondered if Mr. Gavin had been right about her after all, and she was trying to distract him. "I'm – "

Fey held up a hand. "Don't tell me." She closed her eyes for a few moments. "I want to say… Sputnik."

Apollo slumped, his spikes drooping over his forehead. "It's Apollo. Apollo Justice."

"Yes, of course," Fey replied, slapping herself lightly on the forehead. She picked up a pen and a pad of post-its and began to write. "A-poll-o… Jus… tice." Apollo started as she slapped the post-it to his chest. "Don't worry, I'll remember eventually. Now…"

She bent over her notes again, and Apollo began to wonder if coming here was such a good idea.

"…what was the most important thing you learned from your mentor?"

"Uh, evidence is everything," Apollo replied. Fey looked at him for a few moments, then wrote something on the paper in front of her.

"Mm. We're short-staffed at the moment," she continued. "How would you feel about having an assistant who isn't strictly speaking a lawyer?"

"Um…" Apollo nervously ran a hand through his hair. "F-fine! I mean, I've never had an assistant, so who am I to complain?"

"That's the spirit," Fey murmured, writing again. She looked up at him. "Last question – do you know how to make coffee?"

Apollo felt a slight pang of disappointment. He was used to playing barista for Mr. Gavin, but when Ms. Fey had mentioned giving him an assistant, he'd hoped that meant that someone would be serving him coffee for a change.

"Yes," he answered.

"Ground or instant?"

"Ground," Apollo clarified. "Mr. Gavin hated instant coffee."

"Excellent." Fey scribbled something down and punctuated it with a flourish. She looked up at him and held out her hand. "You're hired."

Apollo stared at her in surprise as he shook her hand. "R-really? That's it? You don't want…references, or…?"

"Well, your previous employer's in prison," Fey replied, a teasing note in her voice, "so I doubt he'd give you a glowing recommendation. Besides…" She picked up an elegant wooden cane and pushed herself onto her feet. "…Phoenix vouched for you."

"He… he did?" Apollo asked, rising with her.

Fey nodded. "He was impressed by your performance in court, Mr…" She leaned forward to look at his post-it and Apollo did his best not to look down her top. "…Justice. And I've always trusted his judgement." She straightened back up. "Come on, let's get you started."

Fey limped around the desk and opened her office door. Apollo followed her. She stopped and looked at him with a slight frown. "You did say you could make coffee?"

"Yes," Apollo answered.

"Take a cup to your new colleague, Mr. Armando," Fey replied. She gestured to the kitchen area. "Hot, black, strong. No sugar. And don't worry." She patted him reassuringly on the arm. "He doesn't like anyone."

Ten minutes later, Apollo knocked apprehensively on the door behind the reception desk, a steaming mug of hot black coffee in one hand.

"Mr. Armando?"

"Come on in, kitten," the older attorney called. He glanced up from his computer and smirked as Apollo walked in. "So, you got the job, huh?"

Apollo nodded. "Ms. Fey told me to bring you this." He handed Armando the mug and waited nervously while the man sipped the contents.

"Not bad," Armando remarked. "Brew it for a minute longer next time." He set the mug aside. "Now, I'm tired of playing secretary, so your first assignment is to go to the hospital and find the little chickie who usually mans the reception desk." He handed Apollo a thermos. "While you're there, give this to her daddy and tell him to stop malingering."

"Um. Okay," Apollo replied. "How will I know –"

"She's fifteen, about yea high," Armando said, gesturing with his hand, "brown hair, big blue eyes."

Apollo slumped. "That's it?" That could be anyone! I don't even get a picture?

"That's it," Armando replied with a smirk. "Don't worry, you can't miss her. She'll be the only one dressed as a magician."

Apollo stared at him for a few moments. Armando stared back.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked, shooing Apollo towards the door. "Scat, kitten! Coffee's no good when it's cold."

"R-right." Apollo turned and headed out. He closed the door to the law firm and leaned against it with a sigh. His first day on the job was turning into a series of fetch quests.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. A text from Clay.

did u get the job?

Apollo smiled in spite of himself. At least he had a paycheck again. And that meant Clay could move into the Space Centre when their lease was up. Both their careers were back on track.

He texted back.

yeah :) tell you about it at dinner