Yes, I DID say you would get "Turnabout Deception" but I thought this would sound better. Also, I've drawn a picture of Julias on Deviantart. If you're curious, just search "Julias Freedom: Ace Attorney"
Oh and, belated disclaimer, I don't own Ace Attorney...
-Turnabout Graveyard-
One man prepares to steal from the past.
A second merely looks back on it.
"This is it!" The first man cried, at his wit's end.
"This is the only way out!... No-one remembers THIS incident... Right...?"
Are they chased? Will they die?
Perhaps so, as you hear one gunshot, and two screams rent the night air.
July 1 6:05 AM
Hawkfenn Legal Offices
"Chief!" Julias called out, entering the office. "I got your text. Whatever you need to tell me, it'd better be good. Do you know what time it is?!"
No answer.
It was then that Julias realized that the lights were out. (... If this is a joke, I'm putting that guy in the nuthouse, chief or no chief!) Julias was pulled out of his thoughts by his cell-phone ringing. The ringtone was an intense melody, somehow fitting should it accompany some heated debate.* Julias flipped up the screen to answer, "Hello?"
The voice on the other end was unfamiliar, though laden with concern, "Is this Julias?"
"Julias Freedom? This is he."
"Would you come to the Hickfield clinic right away?"
(This is about Lex, isn't it? He probably broke his arm this time... Again.) "Is something wrong?"
"A Mr. Hawkfenn has asked for your company, now that he's awake."
(Awake? Adrian? Who...?) "Wait, WHAT?!" Julias couldn't believe his ears! Regardless, he had already run out the door when he processed the words. "What's happened to him?! Is he hurt?!"
"Yes, he's been shot." The man hang up before Julias could ask anything else.
(This... Is not what I expected! Adrian, shot? By whom?!) Julias made his way to the clinic. He stopped when necessary, though he himself was entranced.
July 1 6:25 AM
Hickfield Clinic - Waiting Room
Julias arrived at the waiting room, out of breath. He had dropped himself on a chair when he was approached by... A man...
"You must be Mr. Freedom, yes...? Correct?... Hmm." Asked the imp-like man, furiously chasing an itch.
Julias was aghast at the man's appearance. Was this the doctor that called him in?! He certainly didn't look the part! Did the hospitals really hire doctors such as these? Julias saw that the man had one tuft of pink hair on his otherwise bald head, observed his many missing teeth and... Was that a gold tooth he saw? Eventually, he answered the man's question, "Yes, where is Adr- Mr. Hawkfenn?"
"Oh don't worry!" The man - Julias still didn't believe he was a doctor - reassured, "I prefer first name basis myself... Hmm... Especially with the more... Hmm... Attractive patients... Hmm... Yes..." The man finished in a hunched posture, holding up his stethoscope, and flexing his fingers oddly.
Julias knew exactly what the man was implying, and would've slapped him cross-eyed, had he not considered possible consequences. He decided to voice his disbelief, "Excuse me, but do you work here?"
"Hmm... Well I should hope so... Hmm... Name's Director Hotti."
(D-director?! Oh and I suppose Tarzan's in charge of physical therapy!) "Either way, where is Adrian?"
"This way... Hmm... I think it's this way..."
July 1 6:30 AM
Hickfield Clinic - Adrian's Room
After guiding Julias, the "Director" walked off to some other errand, leaving Julias alone, standing in front of the door to Adrian's room.
Julias opened the door, and there was Adrian, lying on the bed, his right shoulder heavily patched up.
"... Chief...?"
Adrian snorted awake. He strained his eyes to focus on Julias. "Oh, hello, Julias, fancy meeting you here." He croaked tiredly, "I suppose the good doctor called you here, right?"
"Well... Someone did."
Adrian chuckled, it was obvious they were talking about the exact same man.
"Well... What happened?! You had me worried sick!"
"Well..." Adrian began, eyes wandering in recalling, "I was walking by the cemetery, on the other side of the street, when I was shot. In the shoulder as you see here... Not to mention that someone was killed in the process."
"Someone was killed?"
"Correct, a homeless man identified as Homer Lester."
"Did they... Wait, 'in the process'? What do you mean by that?"
"Just my lucky day," Adrian joked, "someone shot Lester in the left shoulder. The bullet made it all the way through, and into moi."
"Are there any suspects?"
"Why so curious? You wanna play detective for a little bit?" Adrian flashed that humorous smile that Julias was terribly familiar with.
"Well... I'm still new at this lawyer business, I thought maybe I could get more... Experience with this case...?"
Adrian gave his disciple a disciplinary glare, "... I see... On one condition: your gut tells you he's innocent."
(I suppose that would be best, for Adrian's health... Wait...) "'He'? So there IS a suspect."
"Don't know what he's like, only that he was arrested... Oh, that's right! Did you get my text?"
"Yeah... Does this have to do with anything?"
"In fact, yes." Adrian nodded, "It's actually involved with why I was walking by the cemetery."
"All right... Why were you walking by the cemetery?"
"I was on my way back from the Police Department."
"What? What were you doing there?"
"I asked one of the detectives for permission to the Evidence Vault."
(The Vault? If I remember correctly, the Evidence Vault is for evidence pertaining to closed cases, un-solved or not.) "What were you looking for there?"
"What else? Evidence!" Adrian declared jokingly.
(Give it up for Captain Obvious...)
"Anyway, if you're gonna take whoever's case this is, you'll have to get to the detention center before it's too late."
"Right!"
"Oh, and make sure to get familiar with the crime scene."
Julias nodded. He turned to leave Adrian's room.
July 1 6:35 AM
Hickfield Clinic - Adrian's Door
Julias had just left Adrian's room. He had hardly closed the door when...
"Athena!" Someone shouted, "We told you already! You have to watch the office until we come back!"
"No way!" Came the stubborn reply, "Adrian needs all the cheering up he can get, capisce?!"
"Two is company, three's a crowd." A third voice reminded, sounding tired of the argument.
"Look, you're needed back at the office before Trucy makes the whole place disa-"
"Stop it, you two!"
Julias looked for the source of the voices. There, standing a short distance away, were two men and a young woman. Their clothes were blue, red and yellow, respectively. It was the man in the blue suit who was keeping the other two from arguing. Julias noticed the attorney badges on all three of them.
"Seriously, what are you, six and seven?!"
"But..." The man in the red suit insisted, his hair hanging low, "The office..."
"Look, Apollo, it'll be fine. Trucy's with Valant and Lamiroir on their Canadian tour. She's safe and so is the office."
"... That was today...?" The man in the red suit, the one called Apollo, asked, before admitting defeat, "Alright, Athena... You win..."
"Hmph!" The woman, named Athena, grunted, "Took him long enough!"
"Excuse me," Julias entered the conversation, "do you need any directions?"
"Yes," Apollo confirmed, "do you know the way to Adrian Hawkfenn's room?"
(These people know Adrian?) "We're... Right at his door..." (... Wait a minute!) Julias stared wide-eyed at the one man to remain unnamed, (Anyone knows that hair! This is Phoenix Wright! He's a legendary defense attorney, nicknamed "The Ace Attorney" by the public! Why hasn't Adrian ever told me about him?!)
"Right here?" Phoenix repeated, bringing a finger to his chin, "Ah, then you must be his student, Julias Freedom?"
"Uh, yes."
"Well then, I suppose introductions are in order: I'm Phoenix Wright, this is Apollo Justice, and-"
"Name's Athena Cykes!" Athena cut in excitedly, slamming her fists together, "Attorney and Psychologist at law! Representing the Wright Anything Agency! ¡Hola, Señor!" She finished with flashing a peace sign.
"Sorry," Julias apologized, "Mr. Wright, but I can't wrap my head around it that you know Adrian..."
"He's never told you about me?" Phoenix inferred, "We've known each other for... Three years, I think it is?"
(That's around the time that Adrian started changing... AGH!) Julias bent over, clutching his left hand.
Apollo showed immediate concern, "Are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah..." Julias searched for an excuse, "Hand just cramped up..."
Apollo didn't look convinced.
"... Does that often..." (What was that?! I grew up in Canada, and I never felt my hand get THIS cold!) He glanced at his hand and saw the ring the boy gave back at his last trial, (... Well, I don't really have the time to think about it right now.)
"Say," Athena spoke up, "is Adrian still awake?"
"Yeah."
"But you're leaving already?" She asked, playing with her earring.
"Well I'm... Investigating, I guess you could say."
"You're first case?" Phoenix assumed.
"Second." Julias corrected. He began telling them the information he got from Adrian.
"Wow!" Phoenix remarked, "Very unfortunate Adrian was caught in the crossfire."
(More like Through-fire.)
"Perhaps..." Phoenix trailed off, then resuming, "You could use some help?"
"Well... Wouldn't it look kinda bad that I'd need the help of another lawyer?"
"True," Phoenix validated, closing his eyes, "but regardless of whatever career you choose, the ones new to the business have to learn to swallow their pride, once in a while. I'll have Apollo help you."
(Hey! I still didn't ask for-)
"HEY!" Athena snapped at them, "Why'd you choose Apollo?! What about me?! What if I want to investigate?!"
"You already have Mr. Wright's permission to visit Adrian," Apollo told her, squinting his eyes in frustration, "don't push your luck, missy..."
(Not to mention that investigating isn't really that much a candidate for a hobby.)
"You just said Adrian needs all the cheering up he can get." Phoenix maneuvered, "What better to do that than the people-person of the office?"
"I did say something like that, didn't I...?" Athena thought aloud, "All right, Apollo, this one's yours!"
(What am I, a trading card?!)
"Just remember, dibs on next investigation! Arrivederci, Jules!"
(Hyperactive, thy name is Athena...) Julias remarked internally as Athena entered Adrian's room, chatting a mile a minute once the door closed. Whether or not Adrian was awake for it probably didn't matter to her, Julias guessed.
"I suppose I'm needed!" Phoenix laughed, leaving the room as well.
"So," Apollo said, "you say Adrian was shot just across the street from the cemetery?"
"Yeah."
"That would be the Harbingine Cemetery. I've been there a few times myself."
"Oh?"
"For an old friend..." Apollo answered with a nostalgic look in his eyes. The red lawyer adjusted his tie, "Well then, let's get started."
July 1 7:00 AM
Harbingine Street
Harbingine Street looked like a normal city street, if you could excuse the graveyard on the left-hand side. It was located at the north side of the cemetery. There was body tape already placed down near the north-east exit.
(So this is Harbingine Street, named after the cemetery.)
"Looks like the police are already here." Apollo noted, "Remember, we have to do our best not to get in the way."
"No stone unturned!"
Apollo looked around for someone, thinking in his confusion.
"Something wrong?"
"Sort of. Usually, with these incidents, there's usually a detective overseeing the investigation. I don't seen any..."
"Well, where's the harm in asking around? Officer?"
"Yes?" The officer answered, "need something?"
"Where's the detective in charge of this case?"
"He's at the south side; at the digger's hut."
"We can get to that later," Apollo advised, "right now, let's see what we can find."
They scanned the scene. Julias was looking at the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. Something caught his eye. "What... Is this blood?" Julias was examining a large patch of red on the sidewalk. It seemed straight in line with the body tape.
"Whoever bled this much must've had a nasty injury." Apollo concluded, "You think this is where Adrian was shot?"
"He didn't tell me anyone else was hurt." It could only be Adrian's. It possessed a silhouette that looked like a right shoulder: curved downwards.
Adrian's Bloodstain added to Court Record
Julias went on to the other side to investigate, "Footprints, you think?" He asked. He found prints of mud on the cement that formed the shape of a shoe. They pointed in all directions.
"What else could they be?" Apollo rationalized.
"Whose could they be? The suspect's?"
"You do realize we just started on this case, right? We hardly know anything yet."
(How was I supposed to know your... Level of intelligence?)
Footprints added to Court Record
Apollo made one last sweep of the area. "Doesn't look like we'll find anything else."
"I suppose this is where we meet the detective...?"
"The next step, I suppose."
July 1 7:05 AM
Harbingine Cemetery - South Side
On one side there was the gravedigger's hut, and the other, obviously, a few dozen gravestones. Julias and Apollo looked around for a detective.
"There! I bet that's him right there." Julias pointed. Just some yards away, there was a bald man in a dark tan trench coat, appearing in his late thirties, standing idly by, brushing dust off a blond toupée.
"Excuse me," Apollo spoke, "are you-"
"GAH!" The man squealed in fright, hastily plopping the toupée on his head. If he was wearing it from the beginning, then the duo might've been fooled, except the wig's color, contrasting with the grey hair that sided the man's head, made the innocent façade blatantly obvious. "What's the meaning of this, youngsters?!" He yelped irritably, "Don't you know it's not polite to sneak up on people like that?"
"Weren't we walking right towards him...?" Apollo asked with a tired expression.
(My thoughts exactly.) "Excuse me, are you the detective for this case?"
"Um... Yes, that's right." The detective answered, adjusting the wig, "Detective Gaten Bulder, homicide."
"Do you have any details you could spare?" Apollo asked.
"Details...?" Bulder quoted. He stopped fidgeting with his hair and looked at them dead on. "Wait a minute!" He took out a small notepad and started scribbling something down, "Why should you be concerned with MY case?" He asked without even looking.
"'Cuz we're... Um... His lawyers...?" (Shoot! Completely slipped my mind to go to the detention center!) "Um... What was his name again, Apollo...?"
"You know well as I do that we haven't even seen him yet." Apollo dead-panned.
(Argh! Why can't I just say it was your idea?!)
"Well then," Bulder continued, still taking notes, "you'll just have to ask him yourself."
"Uh, yeah, we'll... Get Right on it." (2 plus 2 is 17. Makes sense, right?)
July 1 7:25 AM
Detention Center - Visitor's Room
Julias got shivers at the foreboding aura the room gave off. In front of him were a large pane of bulletproof glass, separating lawyer from client.
"You'll want my help?" Apollo assumed.
"I might, and I might not." (I'd much rather go solo if I could, but Mr Wright insisted.)
"One coming in." A guard informed.
The man that came in looked somewhat Italian. He wore a black, blue-buttoned vest, over a dark blue dress shirt. His hair was jet-black, as well as his eyes and the small mustache he wore. "Ah... Hello..." Surprisingly, he spoke with an American accent. Julias almost half-expected him to be babbling nonstop about pizza. Greatly agitated, the prisoner fiddled with his mustache, "Casey Nerio, at your service."
"More like OUR service." Julias corrected.
"Heh, yes well..." Nerio was certainly at a loss for words.
"Your name is Casey Nerio?" Apollo made sure.
"Oh! Yes! Owner of Nerio Casino." Nerio's eyes brightened at his sales pitch. "And you are?"
"Apollo Justice." Apollo smiled.
"... Justice? I think I remember... Oh, yes, Aren't you the little boy that Nick told me about...?"
"You know Mr Wright?" Apollo asked, pressing his forehead, "How do you... Wait," Apollo's posture slouched, "never mind, I know EXACTLY how you know Mr. Wright."
As if for the first time that visit, Nerio noticed Julias. "And who is this?"
"Julias Freedom. Attorney at law." Julias answered
"Attorney? You mean you want to defend me?"
"Why else would I be here?"
"With such suspicion on me, I'm surprised I'm still allowed a trial!"
"They're pretty sure you did it then?"
"Yes," Nerio sighed, "after all, I was stupid enough to touch the gun."
"... ... With your bare hands?"
"Got my prints all over it."
"But you didn't do it."
"No! of course not! What did I ever do to that bum?! Nothing!" Nerio breathed heavily in aftermath of his tirade. After settling down, "So... Will you take my case?"
...
"... I see... On one condition: your gut tells you he's innocent."
-Adrian Hawkfenn
(Casey Nerio got his prints on the murder weapon, that's irrefutable evidence! How can my gut possibly be right on this occasion? Even if he is my mentor, I think Adrian still has a thing or two to lear-)
"He'll do fine!" Apollo answered for Julias.
"Huh?!" Julias stared at Apollo, "Wait, what?! Are you nuts?! How am I supposed to prove him innocent?! 'I was stupid enough to touch the gun.' His exact words!"
"I know you can do it!" Apollo reassured, gesturing with his fists, "I just happen to be... Very good at reading people. If our client is lying, I would know."
"You'll do it then?" Nerio asked for a final confirmation.
"I will." Julias sighed with skepticism.
"Yes! Bingo!" Nerio shook with excitement, "I've rolled the highest number! I just know I'll win!" For a brief instant, Nerio's voice shifted into an Italian accent.
(Sorry, mister, I'm the one playing, here.) "Now that you're officially our client, can you tell us where you were at the time of death?"
"I was in the casino. I was in my office, making some plans, when suddenly, somebody was crazy enough to throw a gun through the window. You can guess what happened next."
(An attempt to dispose of the murder weapon.) "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Nerio. Now I think we're ready to talk to Detective Bulder."
The duo left Nerio alone with much higher spirits.
July 1 7:55 AM
Harbingine Cemetery - South Side
"C'mon, young lady," Bulder's voice came, "aren't you finished yet? You wanna make a good impression on your first day, don't you?"
A young woman, almost Julias' age, scribbled nonstop on a sketchpad. Frequently, she looked up from her work to view the fences that enclosed the graveyard. She gave no reply to Bulder's commands.
To Julias, this looked perfectly normal: it's only standard that a map of the crime scene would be sketched out. Apollo, however, had his eyes wide open.
"Vera?!"
"Quiet, son," Bulder instructed, "let her finish."
(Son? We're old enough to be his brothers!)
"... There," the woman, named Vera by Apollo, tore the page out and gave it to Bulder, "Finished... Apollo?" Surprised, she placed a fist on her cheek, "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question." Apollo returned, "Long time no see... So... You're working with Detective Bulder?"
"With the police anyway," Bulder corrected, "Ms. Misham draws up a map of our crime scene, including the escape routes provided by witnesses."
"... Police work? What happened to painting?"
"Oh..." Vera nibbled on her thumbnail, then shifting to a smile, "I'm still doing that.. This is just... On the side..."
(What, she couldn't take up stamp collecting or something?!)
"Anyway, young lady," Bulder referred, "that's it for now."
Vera didn't say a word in reply. She just left, rather hurriedly. Assumedly back to her home.
Apollo was silent as well. He only stood there, squeezing his wrist.
"How do you know that girl?" Julias wondered.
"Back in my first year of being a lawyer, she was one of my clients..." Apollo answered automatically.
"Is something wrong with your wrist?"
"Remember what I told you about reading people?" Apollo released his wrist, "I read Vera just now: when she chewed her nails, her ring finger wouldn't stop twitching."
(How did he notice that?) "But you didn't point it out! Why not?"
"That... Wouldn't feel right." Apollo confessed, "After I proved her innocence, we became good friends. It wouldn't be right dragging out whatever it is she doesn't want us worrying about. Besides, Mr Wright says that trust between lawyer and client is essential to winning a verdict. I imagine that also goes for after the trial."
(So I'll have to defend Mr. Nerio with all I've got, then...)
"Ahem!" Bulder reminded them of his presence, "Now if you're done catching up with your girlfriend, would you mind leaving my crime scene."
"Wait!" Julias interjected, "We're on this case now! We're defending Mr. Nerio. So... Just like last time, could you spare us some details?"
Bulder looked apprehensive. He continually looked over his shoulder, "Listen, youngsters," He said discreetly, "detectives are supposed to work with the prosecutor and prosecutors ONLY. Just this once, okay? If Prosecutor Contammis gets wind of this, he'll... Frighten me bald!"
(Looks like he already did.) "He's the prosecutor for this case?"
"Prosecutor Brutus Contammis," Bulder stated, "and if you're defending Mr. Nerio, you're in for one heck of a ride. There's a reason he's nicknamed 'Prosecutor Hades.'"
(As if lawyers hadn't already earned a bad reputation...)
"So," Apollo straightened, "what's there to know?"
"The victim was killed around 4:50 in the morning." Bulder explained, "Death was caused by a bullet through the left shoulder. I have a copy of the autopsy right here."
Lester's Autopsy Report added to Court Record
"How'd the killer escape?" Julias asked.
"Harbingine Cemetery only has two exits; the northeast and the northwest. Our witness said that he escaped through the northwest exit."
"I assume that Ms. Misham took note of that?"
"Yup, I took a picture of the diagram she drew up. Take one."
Cemetery Diagram added to Court Record
It looked like a diagram of the north side. In the lower right corner, an N was placed to signify Nerio's position. Nerio faced the northeast exit, which was on the other side of the sketch. Lester was located just outside the northeast exit. The rest of the drawing showed Nerio's escape route, which took him through the northeast exit.
"You said you had a witness, detective. Who is he?"
"U-uh." Bulder stammered, "... Well..." He said nothing else, only taking his wig off and continued dusting it, Julias' presence completely forgotten, as well as Apollo's.
(Looks like he's too scared to say anything else.) Julias kept wondering who the witness was...
Court Record
Evidence:
- Attorney's Badge: This badge is a must for all attorneys. Taking the defense bench without one is a federal offense.
- Amethyst Ring: A ring offered to me by a peddler. A souvenir from my first trial.
- Adrian's Bloodstain: A bloodstain on the sidewalk. This is where Adrian was shot in the right shoulder.
- Footprints: Found near the cemetery's northeast exit. Not sure whose they are.
- Lester's Autopsy Report: Time of death was around 4:45-4:55 AM. Death was caused by loss of blood due to a bullet wound in the left shoulder.
- Cemetery Diagram: A map of the cemetery, showing killers, the victim and other things.
Profiles:
- Adrian Hawkfenn - Age 36: My mentor. He has just suffered a gunshot and is currently recovering at the Hickfield Clinic.
- Casey Nerio - Age 41: My client for this case. Currently runs the Nerio Casino.
- Homer Lester - Age 29: The victim of this case. Was homeless before his death.
- Gaten Bulder - Age 39: The detective for this case. As far as detectives go, he certainly wasn't what I was expecting...
- Phoenix Wright - Age 37: A legendary attorney. Apparently a very good friend of Adrian's.
- Apollo Justice - Age 26: Another attorney. Employee of the Wright Anything Agency. Sub-ordinate of Phoenix Wright.
- Athena Cykes - Age 21: Another attorney of the Wright Anything. Energetic co-worker of Apollo Justice.
- Vera Misham - Age 23: Close friend and former client of Apollo. Currently working with police as crime scene sketcher.
- Director Hotti - Age ?: So-called "director" of Hickfield Clinic. Certainly not someone I'd make friends with...
*Objection 2001, if you haven't figured it out, yet.
What's this? Vera's back? Trucy's absent? Don't worry, they do have a role to play
THX & God bless
~RLS legacy