CHAPTER 18
Miles Edgeworth watched as Franziska unsuredly entered Mia Fey's old law offices. After she had closed the door behind her, Phoenix spoke up; "I haven't changed it all since the day she was killed...as a memorial, you know?" Edgeworth nodded in understanding. "Yes. I see." The light from his computer shown on his face to reveal bloodshot eyes hiding a false smile.
He spoke up again; "Edgeworth...I'm defending a man that not only I know, but everyone else knows is a killer...but if I don't get him an acquittal...Pearl dies." He began crying and put his head on his desk. "I just can't do it...there's no way we can save Pearl...I can't get this man an acquittal...even if I wanted to!" As soon as he had put his head on his desk, Miles noticed something in the dark, unilluminated corner of his desk rattle; it sounded like a pill bottle. He reached over and picked it up, reading the label; Atroquinine.
"Wright...what is this?" He looked up for a second to see what the prosecutor was talking about. After seeing what he had had found, Wright put his head back down. "Edgeworth...I just can't do this...it's too much for me to bear..." Edgeworth slammed his hand on Wright's desk. "Phoenix Wright, this is a coward's way out. I know you; you're not weak like this. You've always fought to the very end; no matter how bleak it looked. You can do this; I'm prosecuting this case, and we will find a way, just like we always do." Phoenix didn't look back up and continued sobbing into his arms. "Thanks for trying, Edgeworth...but it's not really helping. This case is beyond hopeless; and if I don't..." Edgeworth slammed his hand on Phoenix's desk once more and gritted through his teeth; "Don't be so weak; it's only hopeless if you say it is. I've seen you get an acquittal on cases far more hopeless than this one...and that little girl is depending on you." He cleared his throat and continued. "Just think...if you choose death as an escape, you won't be the only one who dies. That little girl is counting on you to save her life; and if you kill yourself, she'll become expendable, and do you know what people like de Killer do with expendable people?"
Phoenix looked up meekly; "Y-yes...yes I do." Edgeworth continued on; "So you know what you must do now, I hope."
"Y-yeahh." Phoenix looked up with a sense of strength; "I see what you're getting at."
Edgeworth nodded back. "Good." With that, Franziska and Maya walked out of Mia's old office together. Maya was jubiliant, which caught both men off guard, but even more surprising is the fact Franziska was laughing with her, as if they had been best friends their entire lives.
"I see you cheered Maya up, Franziska." Edgeworth said with a hint of happiness at the new friendship. She replied with a smile; albeit, a smarmy one, but it wasn't intentional, it was inherited. "I think I did a good job." She picked her whip up off of Wright's desk. Maya spoke up; "Hey, Nick! Maybe, you, me, Franzy and Mr. Edgeworth could all go get a hamburger later! She's never had one! Can you believe that!?" Phoenix pondered his answer; Edgeworth knew what he was thinking; If he says yes, he'll look bad, but if he says no, he'll be lying.
Wright responded without answering the question; "If it's alright with Edgeworth and Ms. von Karma, then I don't see why we shouldn't..."
Maya jumped up with joy. "Alright! Did you hear that, Franzy? You're going to get a hamburger tonight! You're going to love it! We go to this place all the time. So much, they have a special burger called the 'Mayaburger', and it's what I order everytime we go. Let's see...it has ketchup..." Edgeworth tuned her out and looked back at Wright; "Wright...don't forget what I told you just now. I'll see you tonight for dinner, ok?"
"Ok."
After Maya got done rambling about how much she liked hamburgers to Franziska, the two prosecutors left Wright & Co. Law Offices.
"So...'Franzy'...I see you made a new friend?" She replied with a smile; "Yes I did. She's...strange...but I think I can make due."
They shared a laugh at this as they both went back to the apartment to prepare for dinner that night; although he seemed to be able to pick himself back up, He still worried about his old friend.
After those thoughts of worrying left his mind, he could only think about one other thing; How he was going to bring de Killer and Mick Vick down during this trial.