(At first, I couldn't believe what the police were telling me. I had woken up just outside the Bluecorp building, in police custody. I was too confused to process what was going on, but things started to drift back as we drove toward the police station. I remembered confronting White in her office, and figuring out what she had done, but it was still a blank from there on.
Once we arrived, the officers dragged me into questioning. I still couldn't believe that I was now the one under suspicion, and I asked to speak to Detective Gumshoe, but I was told that she had been taken off the case entirely. I learned that Matty had been released, and I called him as soon as I was given the chance.)
September 7th, 6:40 PM
Detention Centre
Visitor's Room
"You've got twenty minutes." the guard said from the back of the room as Matty dropped onto the seat on the other side of the window.
"Ms. Wright, what's going on?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. Phoenix hesitated before answering. It was almost unreal, sitting on the inner side of the visitor's room, across from Matty, when just hours ago, it had been the opposite.
"It's definitely not looking good, Matty. I went to White's office with my evidence, but she got the better of me."
She turned aside, staring down at the floor. "I was careless. I went too far accusing White."
"So, she had you thrown in prison?" Matty asked. "But, why did they let me out?"
"White must have a much greater reach than we thought. She's set one hell of a trap for me. I never would've guessed that her blackmail went that far, but somehow, she's managed to make me the defendant in the case, instead of you." Phoenix said.
"But... you can already prove that you didn't kill Micah, right? The detective from the trial said that she was talking to you at the station when he was killed, didn't she?"
Phoenix shook her head. "White's taken care of that, too. When they brought me in, I asked to see Gumshoe, but they told me that she's been taken off the case. There's no way Edgeworth would let her testify now."
"B-but, she already said it in the trial! Doesn't everybody already know?"
"White wouldn't let that get past. No doubt she'll have had Gumshoe's entire testimony removed from the record."
Matty was silent for a few seconds. "You've... really put a lot of thought into this."
"Not much else to do in here." Phoenix said solemnly. "Like I said, it's a hell of a plan White's got."
"Ms. Wright, you saved me in the trial today. There has to be something I can do to help you!" Matty said, almost pleadingly.
"... We'll see, Matty. I wasn't planning on leaving you out. Meet me at the courthouse, before the trial tomorrow."
"I will, Ms. Wright."
Matty was standing to leave, but stopped suddenly. "Who's going to be defending you tomorrow?" he asked.
"They already sent a lawyer in. I refused. I'll be defending myself." Phoenix answered.
"... OK, Ms. Wright. I'll be there."
He turned to leave again.
"Matty?" Phoenix called just before he reached the door. He turned back.
"Yeah?"
"... Just call me Phoenix." she said, smiling.
September 8th, 9:51 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
Phoenix watched the doorway patiently.
(Still have a few minutes... I know he'll be here.)
As if on cue, the doors flew open.
"Phoenix!"
Matty rushed into the room, looking both relieved and winded. Taking in a deep breath, he gasped, "I was worried I might not get here on time."
Phoenix smiled. "It's alright. We've still got about ten minutes before the trial starts." she said. She moved over on the bench, motioning for Matty to sit. He dropped onto the seat.
"So, this is it, right?" he said.
"Yep. Whatever happens, this trial ends today. White and Edgeworth are gonna put up a strong fight, so we'd better-"
She froze as the doors opened again. Edgeworth walked in, giving the guard a dismissive nod.
"Edgeworth?" Phoenix said, staring.
"Wright," Edgeworth said, "I received a call from the Prosecutor's Office this morning. I was told that whatever Ms. White says today will be regarded as the absolute truth. Try as you might, if I raise an objection, I have good reason to believe that the judge will listen to me."
She spoke with the utmost severity, never once breaking eye contact.
(Sounds like White's got the judge in her pocket, too.)
"So, you're saying that I don't have a chance. I'll be found guilty, right?" Phoenix replied.
Edgeworth paused. "Know that I will do anything to get my verdict, Wright. That is why I stand in court."
"Is that all you're here for?" Matty cut in, jumping up from the bench and glaring at Edgeworth. "You're just here to taunt us?"
Edgeworth froze.
"How can you torment an innocent person like this?" Matty demanded accusingly.
"... 'Innocent'? How can anyone possibly know that? It doesn't matter who they are, the guilty will always lie to save themselves. Nobody can tell who is guilty or innocent. All I can do is ensure that the accused are always convicted. I make that my policy." Edgeworth said fiercely.
"Edgeworth..." Phoenix muttered, taken aback. "... You've changed." Edgeworth glared briefly at her before assuming a neutral expression.
"Don't expect any special treatment, Phoenix Wright." she said. With that, she turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the room.
"What?" Matty asked, astonished. "Phoenix? Do you know Prosecutor Edgeworth from somewhere else?"
Phoenix didn't answer. "Court will be starting soon. We'd better get inside." she said, standing up.
"But..." Matty trailed off as Phoenix left the room.
September 8th, 10:00 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 1
The drone of voices from around the room seemed slightly more subdued and secretive than on the previous day. Matty stood next to Phoenix behind the defense bench, glancing around at the observers in the gallery. Many of them, it was clear, were discussing their thoughts about White's accusations against Phoenix. They stopped at once as the judge struck his gavel.
Clearing his throat, the judge said, "Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Phoenix Wright."
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honour." Edgeworth said from across the room.
"The defense is ready, Your Honour." Phoenix said stiffly, aware of the many faces watching her from around the gallery.
"Ms. Wright? Are you certain that you're ready for this?" the judge asked.
Phoenix nodded. "Of course, Your Honour. I'll be defending myself."
"Very well. It is most unheard of, but certainly within the law. Ms. Edgeworth, your opening statement, please."
"The court is already aware of the details of the crime, so we will be hearing from another witness this morning." Edgeworth said.
"You may call this witness." the judge said.
(That seemed too simple... Why didn't the judge ask why White didn't testify yesterday? It's almost as if he already knows...)
"Objection!" Phoenix shouted.
The judge looked surprised. "Already?"
"Ms. Edgeworth, you owe the court an explanation!" Phoenix said. "Why wasn't this witness called in the trial for Mr. Fey yesterday?"
Edgeworth gave a supremely arrogant and dismissive shrug. "My apologies. Ms. White is a particularly busy woman, and prior to yesterday's proceedings, I thought that Mr. May's testimony would suffice for this case. As I was clearly incorrect, I again offer my apologies to the court."
"Excellent, Ms. Edgeworth. I appreciate your sincerity." the judge replied. Phoenix stared at him in disbelief.
(My BS detector's going 'ding'...)
"Now then, I would like to call Ms. Raine White to the stand." Edgeworth said.
White threw the main doors open and entered before Edgeworth had even finished her statement. She approached the stand, an arrogant stride in her steps.
"Please state your full name and occupation." Edgeworth ordered as White settled at the stand.
"You wish to be graced with my full and grandiose title?" White asked, giving the room a frighteningly wide smile.
"Er..." Edgeworth looked unnerved. "Your name will do."
"That's what I said, Ms. Prosecutor! The personal titles assigned to my-"
"Name!" Edgeworth ordered, slamming one hand onto the table.
White rolled her eyes. "My name is Raine White. I am the CEO of Bluecorp."
"Did you know the victim, Mr. Micah Fey?" Edgeworth inquired.
"Not even remotely. I have absolutely no connection to that poor man. Nothing in my past or present relates to the affairs of the deceased in-"
"Yes, very well!" Edgeworth cut in, raising her voice. "Now, you were, I suppose, at the Gatewater Hotel on the day of the murder?"
"That is entirely correct."
"And you witnessed the crime itself?"
"Undoubtedly."
The judge nodded. "In that case, you may begin your testimony. Ms. Wright, you know what to do."
"I can't stand listening to her... Let her have it, Phoenix!" Matty said quietly.
White gave a high false laugh. "I do hope you've settled your debts, Ms. Lawyer." she said. "On the night of the murder, I was devoting my attention to some work-related papers while sitting by the window. Suddenly, there came a terrible noise from the building across the way! I turned to the window, and there, in the office building opposite, was a dark-haired woman attacking the victim! That woman, of course, was you, Ms. Lawyer. I saw the poor man dive to the side in an effort to escape, but your cruel determination drove you to pursue him. Then, you-"
"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted, relieved to have finally spotted something. "Witness, you claim that I chased the victim away from the window, right? Could you be slightly more specific about this?"
"I see no reason to, Ms. Lawyer. Surely you recall the moment you killed Mr. Fey quite vividly?" White said sharply.
"Is something wrong, Ms. Wright?" asked the judge.
"Wh-!? Of course something's wrong! This is an entirely new piece of information!" Phoenix said, staring between the judge and White.
"Hmm. I suppose you have a point. Ms. Edgeworth, do you have any objections?"
Edgeworth paused for a moment, eyes closed in thought, but shook her head. "Let Wright have her fun."
The judge struck his gavel. "Let's hear a bit more about that, witness."
White glowered at Phoenix for the briefest of moments. "... Alright. Like I said, you chased him. He ran to the left side, and you followed."
Phoenix held a hand to the side of her face, thinking this over. She pulled the office's floor plan from her bag. "Doesn't that seem odd to you, witness? If we look at the room's floor plan, we can see that, to the left of the window, there is only a wall. If the victim had run to the left, he would have been running directly away from the door. Not only does that not match up with where his body was found, but running away from the only escape route is hardly the best thing to do when escaping, isn't it?"
White twitched. "It could be said that that point isn't unreasonable..." she said, averting her gaze from Phoenix.
"Phoenix," Matty whispered, "look at White's face. Call me crazy, but I don't think she's lying about this."
Phoenix had to admit that there did appear to be a trace of confusion on White's face.
"I'd like to present a theory, if that's alright with you, Your Honour." she said, her confidence rebuilding.
"Very well. Let's have it, Ms. Wright."
"I propose that Ms. White is not mistaken about this." Phoenix began.
"Ha! If that's the case, what is the purpose of this line of questioning, Wright?" Edgeworth interrupted, smirking.
"I wouldn't get too excited, Edgeworth. If we assume that the victim really did run to the witness's left, then there's really only way scenario that makes sense." Phoenix shot back.
Edgeworth seemed to consider this for a moment. Realizing Phoenix's meaning, she flinched. "You aren't really suggesting that-?"
"Indeed I am, Edgeworth." Phoenix said. She slammed her hands down on the table. "I assert that the witness was not seeing the crime from the hotel at all, but rather, from inside Fey and Co. Law Offices itself!"
At these words, White's face drained of colour, and she let out a shriek of panic. The gallery suddenly began to buzz with voices.
"Order! Order!" the judge shouted, repeatedly striking his gavel. As the chatter subsided, he continued, "Ms. Wright, are you suggesting that the witness was, in fact, present at the crime scene itself at the time of the murder!?"
Phoenix nodded. "That's correct, Your Honour. If we're to trust her word on where the victim ran to, then it's the only possibility that makes sense."
"Objection!" Edgeworth shouted. "Nobody's memory is perfect, Wright! It is entirely possible that the witness is simply recalling the moment incorrectly!"
"Objection!" Phoenix yelled back. "That's hardly fair, accusing your own witness like that, Edgeworth. I suspect that Ms. White remembers it quite clearly, considering that the victim was found near the centre of the room. If we take another look at the floor plan, it shows that, if he had run to the side that she describes, but from the inside, he would have gone right by that location!"
"... Gaack!" Edgeworth choked, falling back a step from the bench.
Phoenix stood upright, a hand on her hip, facing the prosecutor with a sly grin. (I've almost got her. One more push ought to-)
She was pulled out of her thoughts, however, as White suddenly began to laugh. (Wh-? What's she up to now?)
"It appears that I am moderately mistaken, everyone. I hope you can all find it in yourselves to forgive me. When I spoke of the moment that the victim was being pursued, I forgot a minor detail."
"Wh-what!?" Phoenix choked, her confident posture collapsing instantaneously.
"Yes, Ms. Lawyer, when I told you all about the victim's attempt to escape, I forgot the specifics. You see, the victim first ran to my left, probably in a state of blind panic, and then, when he found himself in a dead end, he turned, and you fiercely struck him over the forehead. He stumbled, and in a last-ditch effort to flee, he ran back in the other direction. It was then that you struck him again, knocking him to the floor in the centre of the room." White rambled, having returned to her affable façade. The courtroom fell into silence as she finished. "... What are you still smiling about?" she asked, seeing Phoenix's grin return.
"Oh, it's nothing, really, witness. I just thought that you'd be able to do better than that." she answered.
"What!?" White yelped.
"I thought you'd have known to check the court's facts first, as well. Even a quick glance at the autopsy report would have told you that the victim was struck only on the back of his head. But then, I suppose you wouldn't need to do that anyway, if you were the one that struck him down in the first place!" Phoenix finished, slamming her desk again.
"Gaaaah!" White yelled out, hunching back and pulling at fistfuls of her own hair. The courtroom exploded into conversation once again.
"Objection!" Edgeworth shouted, visibly panicked. "Your Honour, the witness is clearly confused! I suggest a ten minute recess, to allow her to sort out her-"
"Objection!" Phoenix cut in. "She's only confused about her own lies! I strongly advise against such a break!"
Shouts of approval sounded from the gallery. "Yeah! Don't let her get away!", and "A break would just give to her time to make something else up!" were among their number.
"Order! Very well, Ms. Wright. If the witness would care to revise her testimony," the judge said.
(Perfect! The crowd's on my side! There's nowhere to run now, White!)
"Er, you see... I..." White stammered, sweat running down her face.
"Objection!" Edgeworth shouted. "That's far enough, Wright!"
(Ack! I forgot about Edgeworth!)
"No matter how long we stay on this line a questioning, we'll never be able to prove your scenario right or wrong." the prosecutor said, "You have no clear evidence to support your claim, but I will come forth and admit that I too lack the evidence to support my own. So, I suggest that we move on to a different angle. Can you, Phoenix Wright, prove that Raine White had any reason to kill the victim, Micah Fey?"
(Sorry to knock that grin off your face, Edgeworth.)
"Of course I can!" Phoenix replied, returning to her confident posture.
"What!?" Edgeworth gasped; whatever she had been expecting to hear, it clearly wasn't that.
"I ask the court to recall one of the cell phone conversations that was brought up in yesterday's trial. The victim and I were discussing a blackmailing case that he was investigating. Mr. Fey sent me to the police station to retrieve some related files for him. I happen to have them right here."
"Whaaaaaat!?" White practically screamed as Phoenix drew the folder from her bag. She seemed to have struck a nerve.
"This file details a rather high-profile information leak from fourteen years ago. The police attempted to find the person responsible for the leak, but ultimately failed. This incident, as a matter of fact, involved the victim's father, Milo Fey, as well as his mentor, Marta Grossberg. As I've been told by the victim's brother, Mr. Matty Fey, the victim was compiling a file of incidents that he suspected a certain person's involvement in. More specifically, a string of similar incidents, in which the police failed to track down a culprit in information leaks and the like. The victim suspected that the perpetrator behind these cases was none other than our witness, Ms. Raine White." Phoenix explained, slamming the folder down onto the desk as she finished. Once again, voices sounded all around the room.
"Nice one, Phoenix! Mic must have been about to catch her, and that's why she did it!" Matty said.
"My thoughts exactly, Matty." Phoenix replied, watching Edgeworth's expression. The prosecutor's face was devoid of all colour, and her mind seemed to be working furiously to find an objection. The judge was striking his gavel, attempting to silence the riled crowd. White, on the other hand...
"Hah! Ha ha ha hah! You think you've got this all squared away, don't you, Ms. Lawyer?" she laughed. Her face was twisted into a smile, but she was still sweating profusely.
(What!? How can she possibly get around it now!?)
"You say that Mr. Fey had put together a file on me, but can you possibly show it to the court? I doubt so very much!"
Phoenix flinched. "I... I can't-!" she gasped.
"Hah! I thought so!" White roared, leaning forward over the stand and looking nearly deranged.
A long silence followed. Finally, the judge said, "Ms. Wright, I applaud your effort. But, if you really can't provide this file to the court, I am afraid that I cannot allow you to continue this line of questioning."
(No! Not after all this-!)
"I... I... can't, Your Honour..." Phoenix admitted, her voice shaking.
"I see." the judge said. Suddenly, White broke into a fit of laughter, throwing her head back, eyes wide. The entire courtroom stared in shock.
"Phoenix! Are we really... gonna lose it now?" Matty asked desperately. Phoenix found herself unable to answer; her breathing was suddenly laboured, and she couldn't speak.
White's mad laughter continued, until...
"OBJECTION!" Every head in the room turned again, this time to face the defense bench.
"Matty-!?" Phoenix began, freezing as she turned to face him. The person standing next to her wore Matty's clothes, but was much taller, appearing to be several years older. He stood facing White, his arm outstretched.
"Not quite, Phoenix." said the man next to her, giving her a defiant grin. It was loud enough for her to hear, but the rest of the court seemed not to notice. Phoenix gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth.
"M-... Micah!?"
"Now you've got it." Micah said. "Raine White! We've reached the end of your rope! I know that you blackmailed Grossberg into exposing that information about my father, I know that you stole the files from my office, and make no mistake, if you don't admit it right now, I will ensure that everyone in this room hears your whole story for themselves!"
White froze. She began to convulse, and let out a horrible scream. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she tore a great amount of her hair out, throwing it aside. Finally, she slammed her head down onto the stand with a staggering crash.
"I... I admit it. Everything. I... I killed Micah Fey." she said tonelessly. Phoenix had to resist the urge to give a shout of victory, but couldn't prevent a wide smile from crossing her face.
It was nearly a full minute before the judge could silence the crowd. White was dragged from the room by two guards, making no effort to resist. At last, the judge faced the defense bench and said, "Well, Ms. Wright. You've done it again. That was a truly impressive defense."
"Thank you again, Your Honour." Phoenix said, rubbing her neck in mild embarrassment. Edgeworth was slumped over her bench, barely holding herself up.
(There goes your perfect record, Edgeworth.)
"Now, I suppose it's time." the judge went on. "This court finds the defense- er, the defendant, rather, Ms. Phoenix Wright, not guilty."
A deafening applause broke out as a shower of confetti rained down again, just like in Lexine's trial.
"That is all! Court is adjourned!" the judge shouted, striking his gavel one final time.
September 8th, 1:14 PM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
"Micah, what the hell is going on?" Phoenix asked, her confusion back in full force after the trial's hectic end.
"You know, I figured you'd have pieced that together by now, Phoenix." Micah said, tilting his head to the side and smiling.
"Matty... he managed to channel you, didn't he?"
Micah's grin widened. "See, I knew you'd get it. I feel bad for him, though. It took him a huge effort to pull me back, and he didn't even get to see you finally send White up the river."
"But, I didn't even get the job done, Boss, it was you that-"
"Come on, Phoenix. Don't do this to yourself now. It was you that pushed White to the edge, and there's no shame in needing a little help to wrap things up." Micah said, setting a hand on Phoenix's shoulder.
"I... Thanks, Boss." Phoenix said, returning the smile.
"Hey now, there's no need for the 'Boss' thing now." Micah said. Phoenix was about to respond when the doors flew open.
"Ms. Wright!" came the voice of Mrs. Grossberg. "You did it! I can hardly believe it, but you managed to put that horrid woman in her place."
"It's about time, too." said Micah, turning to face his ex-mentor.
Grossberg gasped. "M-Micah? Is that you?" she asked faintly.
"You bet. Not quite in the flesh, but it's me, all the same." Micah said.
"Your brother..." Grossberg mumbled.
"Yep. We've all got Matty to thank." Micah said. "If he hadn't come through at the last minute, this might've been a different show entirely."
"Micah... I..." Grossberg said softly.
"It's... alright, Mrs. Grossberg. I don't blame you for what happened to my father. You were just one of the dozens of people that White got after. Even if I did, White's going to prison, where she belongs. It's all in the past."
As Micah finished speaking, he stepped forward and embraced his ex-mentor. The veteran attorney suppressed a sob, and a moment later, they separated.
"It's time for me to get going." Micah said, taking a step back. "Until we meet again, Phoenix, Mrs. Grossberg."
A faint sort of glow seemed to be emanating from his body. Suddenly, his features began to change. His height decreased, and within a few moments, Matty Fey stood in his place.
Opening his eyes, Matty looked up. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he looked exhausted. "It's over, right, Phoenix?" he asked, sounding extremely concerned.
Phoenix smiled. "Yeah. It's over, Matty." she said. As bright a smile as Matty could still manage lit his tired face. "You saved us in there." Phoenix added.
"I... I did? That's... good..." Matty's voice began to fade. He shuffled over to the bench against the wall and dropped onto it.
"Matty?" Phoenix asked. Matty didn't respond.
"He's exhausted." Grossberg said, giving Matty a motherly smile. "I suppose your car isn't here, is it, Ms. Wright?"
Phoenix shook her head.
"Bring him out to my car, then, and I'll give you both a ride home."
September 8th, 1:33 PM
Criminal Affairs Department
"Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Grossberg. My car's just been released, so I can get Matty home."
"Alright. Congratulations again, Ms. Wright. Do drop by my office if you ever need a word in the future." Grossberg said, driving out of the lot. Phoenix crossed the precinct parking lot and approached her car. Matty, who was still unconscious, was hanging over her shoulder. She shifted his weight to retrieve her keys, and opened the car door. After securing a seatbelt onto Matty, she stepped into the driver's seat.
September 8th, 4:50 PM
Phoenix Wright's Apartment
Matty blinked slowly; his eyelids felt heavy. He looked around. He was in a warmly lit room, lying on a couch.
"Are you still with us, Matty?" a voice drifted in, and he looked up.
"Phoenix...?" he mumbled.
"Nice to see you awake." Phoenix said, ruffling his hair with one hand. Matty sat up.
"Is this your apartment?" he asked, his words slightly slurred.
"Yep. I brought you here after you passed out in the courthouse." Phoenix answered, giving him a warm smile.
"Oh... thanks."
Phoenix laughed softly. "Not a problem." she said. She stood up, crossing the room. As she left what Matty guessed was her living room, he felt something in one of the pockets of his robes, and pulled it out. It was a small handwritten note. He immediately recognized the handwriting.
(Mic...)
-Hey, Matty.
I can't thank you enough for what you did in the trial. Don't tease Phoenix about it too much, though, OK?- it began.
Matty felt tears sting his eyes as he finished reading Micah's note. He put it back into his pocket as Phoenix returned to the room.
"Say, Matty?" she asked, sitting down.
"Yeah?"
"When you were on the phone with Micah the other day, you said that you were working out a deal to get yourself an apartment, right?" she inquired.
"Yep."
"Well, I've been thinking, if that doesn't work out, I'd be happy to let you move in here."
Matty's face brightened. "Really?"
Phoenix nodded. "Definitely. It's lonely like you wouldn't believe around here." she smiled again, but gave Matty an odd look as he began to chuckle. "What're you laughing about?"
"Heh, I was just realizing, that works out pretty well." he answered.
"What do you mean?"
"Well," he said, pulling the note back out of his pocket, "see for yourself." Phoenix took the note. She read it under her breath.
-Hey, Matty.
I can't thank you enough for what you did in the trial. Don't tease Phoenix about it too much, though, OK? You'll have plenty of chances to, as I expect you to stick with her in the law office. We both know you need something to do with your time, and if today's trial is any indication, you two make a great team. Make sure she gets a strong start, would you? She'll need it, if she's gonna be running Wright and Co. Law Offices, after all. If you ever need help again, you know what to do.
Love, Micah.-
"Wright and Co..." she muttered in disbelief.
"Yep." Matty said, grinning. "Sounds like Micah wants you to run the place. Living here just makes it easier for me to help you out. So, anything you need me to do, Boss?"
Phoenix stared at him. Her mind was reeling. "Just, uh... just get all the rest you need, Matty." she said distractedly, turning away.
Matty laughed. "I think I'll be set for this job."
~Look at me and my stupendously large work ethic~
I'm gonna try and do better after this one.
Anyhoo, you know the drill; please leave feedback and the like.