Apologies for the delay on this chapter and many thanks to modernpolymath for proofreading this!

For those who are interested, Huang Longxin's name is written 黄龙心.

Chapter 2

March 8 2028, 9:10 AM

District Court - Defendant Lobby n°2

Longxin Huang looked far from comfortable. Her broad face had gained a certain pallor due to the night spent in the detention center, and it made her look far older than the 43 years her file indicated. The documents had gone on to say that she'd been born in Chongqing and had been working for the Shanghai branch of Industrial Illusions since 2007. She had transferred to California only two years ago. She looked like she used to smile a lot. She wasn't smiling now.

"I swear I didn't kill Cyan," she whispered with a furtive glance at the bailiff. "I didn't! She was such an amazing scientist. I was devastated when I heard she was dead!"

Apollo glanced at the clock. They'd be called in any minute now, and he had nothing to go on but an autopsy report, a defendant he didn't even know was innocent, and a statement from the victim that probably wasn't admissible in court and didn't help him anyway.

That should teach you to get involved in random cases, Apollo.

"Mrs. Huang," he said quickly, gesturing for Athena to come closer. "We don't have a lot of time left, so I need you to be very honest with me. Did you kill Cyan Sammons?"

"No, I would never!"

"Were you in any way responsible for her death or involved with it?"

"No!"

Athena shook her head. "No noise," she whispered. "I don't think she's lying."

Apollo's bracelet hadn't reacted either. She was telling the truth. He didn't know whether to be relieved or baffled at the incompetence of the police.

When's the last time they arrested the guilty party right away anyway?

"But what's the motive?" Athena asked. "What grounds do the police even have to arrest Mrs. Huang? Just because she's Ms. Sammons' lab partner?"

Apollo grimaced. This whole case was just weird.

"Athena, Apollo!" came Pearl Fey's voice from the other side of the room. She made her way through the crowd to them. "Mystic Maya found the person she was looking for."

"Where is he?" asked Athena.

"He's with the prosecutor," Pearl said with a frown. "The one who really likes loud music?"

"Prosecutor Gavin?" At least someone shared his opinion on the Gavinners' music. Between Trucy and Athena, Apollo had started to feel a distinct sense of betrayal. "I guess he'd like this kind of trial. Very… glamorous."

"Could've been worse." Athena grinned. "Could've been Payne."

Apollo shuddered. Prosecutor Gavin wasn't very likely to attack him or give him an ear-splitting headache, at least. Just a normal one.

"Court is starting!" the bailiff called. Mrs. Huang seemed to shrink as she was escorted away to the defendant's stand. Apollo straightened up and took a deep breath. He hadn't been able to investigate the murder scene, but if Prosecutor Gavin had received the news last night as well, at least he hadn't been able to either.

"Cheer up, Apollo!" Athena told him. "She didn't do it, so we'll get through this!"

"Right." Believe in your client. Always believe in your client.

March 8 2028, 9:27 AM

District Court - Courtroom n°2

Ema's testimony hadn't taught them anything new. A tangent about killer whales had led them to the decision that, even if a killer whale had made it this close to the coast, it still hadn't killed Ms. Sammons. The killer whales in the nearby aquariums had been dismissed as well, as, in Ema's words: "There was no water damage anywhere. And no, she didn't just dry up before we found her."

"You think we should mention the channeling?" Athena whispered as Ema was making room for Mrs. Huang. "Does Prosecutor Gavin even know about that?"

"Let's hold off for a bit. I still don't quite believe her story. There must be some other explanation." Preferably one that didn't involve mythical creatures coming to life from a piece of cardboard.

"And could you tell us who you are?" Prosecutor Gavin asked. Mrs. Huang had taken the stand. She looked even worse than she had in the defendant's lobby, but when she spoke, her voice was clear.

"My name is Huang Longxin," she said. "I work for Industrial Illusions. I transferred here two years ago from Shanghai and have been working with Cyan ever since."

"How would you describe your relationship with the victim?" Prosecutor Gavin asked.

"Cyan was my friend. We've been working on the same project since I came here."

"She was quite a bit younger than you are, isn't that right?" Apollo asked, eyes on the list of profiles he'd received.

"Does it matter?" Mrs. Huang narrowed her eyes. "Cyan was incredibly motivated. We'd work five days a week, but I know she came in during weekends as well."

"That's quite the dedication," the judge marveled. "What is it you and Ms. Sammons worked on?"

"Inter-dimensional physics."

Silence in the courtroom. Athena's baffled look told Apollo she had even less of an idea than he had.

"Why don't you explain for our ignorant Herr Forehead over there?" Prosecutor Gavin asked. Apollo glared.

You have no clue what she said either, you liar.

Mrs. Huang cast them all a long-suffering look. Now that she got to talk about her job, she looked far less nervous than she had just a few brief minutes ago. "Inter-dimensional physics deals with different universes, the way they influence each other, and how they connect. It's a little-known but vital part of Industrial Illusion's work."

Prosecutor Gavin leaned forward. "You must excuse me, Mrs. Huang, but I find all of this to be quite… incredible."

Subtle, Gavin. Very subtle. Then again, Apollo couldn't blame him. First dragons, now other dimensions?

"The research is very precious to Chairman Pegasus. It is vital for the continued production of Duel Monsters." Mrs. Huang was lecturing now. "Ask him yourself. We wouldn't be developing any new cards without this research. We've even got specialists all over the world working on it."

"This Duel Monsters… What exactly is it?" the judge asked.

"It is a… It's a card game, Herr Judge," Prosecutor Gavin replied before Mrs. Huang could. "Very popular, especially in Japan. I myself was unaware that it involved physics, however."

Mrs. Huang shook her head. "Of course it involves physics. Cyan had made some incredible discoveries. We'd almost figured it out and—"

"Ah, I see."

Apollo didn't like that tone one bit. He exchanged a look with Athena, who leaned forward to ask, "See what, exactly?"

"You must have noticed, Fräulein Cykes," Prosecutor Gavin said, "that this trial isn't what we'd call… conventional, ja?"

Athena narrowed her eyes. "There is no evidence our client even killed Ms. Sammons."

Mrs. Huang seemed to shrink at those words. Prosecutor Gavin shook his head theatrically. "You are quite right, of course, Fräulein Cykes. We cannot say that Mrs. Huang was anywhere near the scene of the crime last Monday morning. But as she has so helpfully revealed to the court just now, she is the only one with a motive."

Apollo slammed his hands down on the desk. "And what's that supposed to be?"

"Do you need to have your ears checked, Herr Forehead? The defendant was quite clear on the matter."

There was chatter in the courtroom. The judge straightened up. "I'm afraid I don't follow either, Prosecutor Gavin. Please explain for the court."

Prosecutor Gavin shook his head. "Very well. Mrs. Huang, you said Ms. Sammons had made a breakthrough, am I right?"

Mrs. Huang narrowed her eyes. "She had, yes. How is this relevant? I didn't kill her."

"And yet you explicitly credit Ms. Sammons for this breakthrough of hers. It is easy to understand, isn't it? Ms. Sammons, seven years younger than you, a new hire at the company, and yet she was already outshining you after you had been the most prolific scientist in Shanghai? I can't help but feel that any person in your situation would feel some… resentment, no?"

"OBJECTION!" Apollo shouted. "Your honor, this is pure conjecture!"

The judge slammed his gavel. "Sustained. I must agree with Mr. Justice, Prosecutor Gavin. While I have seen a great many crimes motivated by jealousy, that alone is not enough reason for me to pass a guilty verdict on Mrs. Huang."

"The judge is on our side, Apollo!" Athena whispered. Apollo suppressed a grin. For one in his life the judge agreed with them. He was going to enjoy every second of it.

But Prosecutor Gavin just smirked at him from the other side of the courtroom. "Not so hasty, Herr Forehead," he said. "Of course I am aware that, up until now, I have not presented this courtroom with any concrete proof. And as detective Skye so succinctly explained, there is no evidence linking Mrs. Huang to the scene of the crime. But I have something I think will prove quite convincing to the court."

Apollo clenched his hands. He didn't like the sound of that one bit. Knowing Prosecutor Gavin, they were going to lose their edge in just a few seconds.

"Don't worry, Apollo," Athena whispered. "Whatever he brings out, I'm sure we can handle it. Besides, Prosecutor Gavin wouldn't present anything false, right?"

That was true. For all that the prosecutor got on his nerves sometimes, at least such embarrassment didn't compare to hawk attacks.

Prosecutor Gavin got out a sheet of paper. "I have here the testimony of a very special witness. While she could not be here with us today, the legitimacy of it has been attested to by, among others, Detective Skye."

Can't be. Ema wouldn't give that to him.

"Yesterday evening, Master Maya Fey of the Kurain Channeling Tradition channeled the victim and got her testimony."

Uproar. The judge slammed his gavel.

"Prosecutor Gavin, the victim was channeled? How is it the court is not aware of this?"

"Ah, yes, the Fey clan has a special gift which allows him to serve as a medium for—"

"I am familiar with the Fey clan and their gifts, Prosecutor Gavin," the judge said. Prosecutor Gavin looked momentarily taken aback. "Why was this evidence not presented earlier? It is rare that we have a chance to hear testimony from the victim herself."

"Ah, yes." Prosecutor Gavin fumbled with his sheet of paper. Apollo felt a momentary stab of sympathy. Sometimes the judge turned out to be far more astute than any of them expected. "The testimony took a while to be cleared by the Chief Prosecutor. While I did not witness the channeling myself, I've been informed that reliable witnesses were present."

"Who would those witnesses be?" the judge asked. Athena slumped. Apollo was very tempted to do the same.

"The defense counsel, Herr Judge."

The judge leveled them with a stare. Athena swallowed, but faced it head-on.

"Prosecutor Gavin is correct, Your Honor. Unfortunately, we were only alerted of the trial when it was too late to admit evidence of our own."

"I see. Well then, Prosecutor Gavin?"

Prosecutor Gavin had recovered from his brief surprise and raised the paper with Cyan Sammons' testimony. What followed came as no surprise to Apollo—he'd been there when Sammons had said the words herself, after all.

"Prosecutor Gavin really likes being dramatic, doesn't he?" Athena whispered when the Prosecutor lowered his voice to recount Ms. Sammons' encounter with the Sapphire Dragon.

"He shouldn't hold out for any acting awards."

"Don't be mean, Apollo."

Everyone's a critic. Apollo sighed as Prosecutor Gavin finished acting out the testimony with a flourish. Silence fell in the courtroom once more.

"Ms. Sammons… Claims to have been killed by a dragon?"

"It is an incredible story, Herr Judge, I agree. But I do feel it's this court's duty to give the victim's words due consideration."

"I have a bad feeling about this, Apollo," Athena whispered. She was right. They should at least try to stop this argument.

"Prosecutor Gavin!" Apollo called out. "Are you seriously suggesting Ms. Sammons was actually killed by a dragon?"

"Whose word should be more trustworthy than those of the victim?"

"Isn't it far more plausible that Ms. Sammons was merely in shock and did not recall the events surrounding her death properly?"

The judge blinked. "Yes, it is very strange. Normally such outlandish theories are the trademark of the defense team."

Oh, thanks for the support, Your Honor.

Prosecutor Gavin was unfazed. "It is an extraordinary case, no doubt. But might I remind you of the project the victim and the defendant were working on? Inter-dimensional physics. Surely one so involved in this project could easily bring over a dragon to kill her victim? Mrs. Huang commanded a dragon from another world to kill Ms. Sammons, knowing that this case would never be taken seriously."

"OBJECTION!" Athena and Apollo shouted together. "That's just impossible!" Athena continued.

"But is it? I'd like to draw the court's attention to a specific part of Ms. Sammons' testimony. Ms. Sammons told us about the card preferences of her and Mrs. Huang, and while she preferred Diamond Dragon, she tells us that Mrs. Huang was very fond of the Sapphire Dragon card." Prosecutor Gavin hit the wall behind him. "The very dragon that killed Ms. Sammons!"

"Ack!"

On the witness stand, Mrs. Huang looked almost in tears. "Well, yes, it was my childhood favorite," she said. "But I swear! I wouldn't kill Cyan!"

She was still telling the truth, and seeing her in tears was almost too much to bear. Apollo gritted his teeth. "The prosecution still hasn't provided us with any proof that Ms. Sammons' testimony is accurate! It is impossible for dragons to exist, let alone for Mrs. Huang to have summoned her favorite dragon to kill her lab partner!"

Mrs. Huang looked like she was about to interrupt. The judge shook his head.

"While I have seen a lot of strange events in my lifetime, I feel once more compelled to side with the defense on this matter, Prosecutor Gavin. Without proof that this murder was even possible the way Ms. Sammons described, I will declare a non-guilty verdict at this stage. I have seen no decisive evidence indicating Mrs. Huang's guilt whatsoever."

"We're winning this one, Apollo!" Athena hissed, but Apollo was staring at Prosecutor Gavin. He looked wholly unconcerned. This fight was far from over.

"The prosecution has proof, Her Judge, in the form of a witness who will prove, incontrovertibly, that the murder could happen the way Ms. Sammons described," Prosecutor Gavin said. Apollo swallowed. He'd been afraid of that.

"This is turning into a trial of little evidence and many witnesses," the judge said. "Very well. Where is your witness?"

"He is in the prosecutor's lobby, Herr Judge. I propose a short recess, so I can go over the facts with our witness."

The judge frowned. "All right, Prosecutor Gavin. But if your witness does not shed new light on this case, I will declare this trial over. Court is in recess."

March 8 2028, 10:48 AM

District Court - Defendant Lobby n°2

Mrs. Huang was still tearing up when they met her in the lobby. "I think it's just hit me that Cyan's really gone, you know? And I don't even know what's going to happen to the project if both Cyan and I are gone," she said. "Maybe Coral could—"

"They will not find you guilty, Mrs. Huang. Apollo and I will make sure of it!" Athena said, loud enough for everyone else in the defendant lobby to hear. Apollo smiled. She'd been practicing.

"We're going to be fine!" he added.

Mrs. Huang gave them a watery smile. "You're good kids, you two. That Prosecutor didn't really seem to know what he was doing, did he?"

Apollo's smile disappeared. "No, he knows perfectly well what he's doing. Prosecutor Gavin is far from stupid. What I want to know is who got Ms. Sammons' testimony submitted in court. I thought Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth didn't want her to be channeled."

"Oh, Daddy did that!"

"Gah!" Apollo almost jumped. Trucy appeared from behind Mrs. Huang. "Trucy, at least let us know you'll be here!"

"Don't be such a wuss, Polly, I was in the gallery all the time with Pearls. It's Mystic Maya's witness Prosecutor Gavin is bringing in, you know!"

"Wait, really?" Athena asked. "Isn't he supposed to be on our side, then?"

Trucy raised a thoughtful finger. "Yeah, I guess so. He can't be that bad, right?"

"Did you say Mr. Wright had Ms. Sammons' testimony admitted?"

"Yep! Daddy called Mr. Edgeworth this morning and said it was important. It is kinda important, isn't it? Wow, I wish I could've met a dragon!"

"They're quite scary, young lady," Mrs. Huang said. "You don't want to meet them."

Apollo had the sinking feeling that case was about to get a whole lot more complicated. The judge might be on their side now, but if they couldn't find another culprit, it would be very hard to get Mrs. Huang her non-guilty verdict.

"Oh, looks like they're starting again!" Trucy said. Indeed, the audience was slowly trickling back into the courtroom. Apollo squared his shoulders.

"Let's see what this mystery witness has in store."

Comments, questions and concrit welcome as always!