Chapter 9: Turnabout Arachnid

Plain text is Japanese

Italicized text is English

Phoenix Wright, known as Nick to his friends, was used to sleeping on his desk, with the amount of dedication he put into his work back to back to back overnight stays at the office were not as uncommon as one might have thought. Even so he was usually up earlier than his companion Maya who fought with very ounce of strength each morning to stay asleep. Today however his hyperactive friend was up before him screaming at the top of her lungs about something incomprehensible jolting him awake. Yawning he pushed himself upright into his computer chair "What's wrong" he asked. Maya's face did that strangely adorable thing where her face puffed up like a chipmunk while her eyes narrowed into her best version of a death gaze. "Listen to me" she groused crossing her arms petulantly "Everyone is speaking in a weird language!" Nick quirked an eyebrow "How late last night were you up watching Steel Samurai?" he asked dryly rubbing his eyes.

"I'm not sleep hallucinating Nick, people really are talking weird" she insisted banging her hands down on the table. "Can I get a cup of coffee first" He asked yawning again "Actually can I go home first, I could really use a shower." "Noooo" his friend whined "Nick, I'm serious, people are talking crazy." Before he could reply a knock came from his door, Maya had pushed it open so whoever wanted to enter had to knock on the doorway. The guy at the door was a sharply dressed business man who shot the pair of them a winning smile oozing confidence which was slightly undermined by the heavy bags under his eyes as well as well as the slight strain in his smile. "Hello, are you the lawyer Phoenix Wright?" he asked causing the pair of them to jump.

"See Nick, see" Maya shouted pointing unabashedly at the stranger "He's talking crazy!" Not one to fault towards the unknown Nick's mind was a blur as he tried to deduct what the hell was happening. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" he asked the man concluding he might have misheard him or the man's voice was garbled in some way. "Aww crap, of course the only lawyer Jameson didn't get to is speaking Chinese or something" the man muttered confirming that he was indeed speaking different language. 'Alright that's not strange; it could be some kind of tourist. He could be lost or something' the lawyer reasoned turning to a hysteric Maya. "Calm down Maya, I'm sure he's just a tourist or something. I think he's speaking German or something." This did not console Maya in the slightest "Then how do you explain how everyone outside is now a tourist, besides Franziska speaks German and that doesn't sound like whatever comes from her mouth." Maya made a minor point, one the prosecutor's he had faced in court did like to resort to German at times, usually when she was lashing him from wall to wall because he had destroyed a piece of her evidence in cross examination. "Maybe a large bus of French or Armenian or Spanish tourists let off in front of the building" he reasoned before looking at the guy in his doorway 'How the hell am I going to get him to leave?'

The man in question had pulled out a phone and was speaking with someone on the phone in low tones in his foreign tongue. "Do you think he wandered in here by mistake" he asked Maya who was empathetic in her refusal of his logic. "No, I've seen this before" she explained intensely "In Steel Samurai episode 14 season 8 aliens took over the population of Earth by transplanting themselves into the brains of their victims. While this hostile takeover was going on all who were brain-jacked would converse in alien." Maya shuffled around behind Nick "We're part of the one percent of the population who can resist their diabolical brain high jacking attempts." Nick deadpanned, he was used to his partner's rambling attempts to colorfully explain the unexplainable that happened before them far more often than he would have liked but this was just taking it onto a whole new level of crazy entirely.

Ignoring Maya's jabbering about tin foil hats and rubbish Nick began to apply cold hard logic to the situation that had presented itself in front of them. Clearly the man was talking in a different language and he was unable to understand Japanese, hence Nick concluded this was a foreigner. This foreigner had wandered into his law office without any indication that he was lost; there were no facial expressions or non verbal clues which were universally interpreted as signs of confusion. Thus this man had arrived here on purpose; he had sought out this particular building. However it could be seen that the man had been confused when they had started their one sided conversation, perhaps he had assumed that Nick spoke his native tongue? That seemed flawed, perhaps you could assume that confidently in Europe where being a polyglot was a part of many cultures found in that continent but this was Japan where the majority would spend their lives speaking only their native tongue. It could be theorized that Nick's full name, Phoenix Wright, which was not a purely Japanese name had made the foreigner guess that Nick spoke other languages?

The mystery man in question seemed to be arguing with someone on his very high tech phone, his face was creased with anger and his voice rose into a steady but not in an overbearing crescendo. With a click he stopped his conversation looking both successful and annoyed. Arrogantly he sat down on one of the chairs in the office preserved for clients crossing his legs with an air of finality. Nick frowned at the man's poor manners as well as his refusal to leave his office, clearly he wanted to talk about something but by being unable to do so thanks to the language barrier he had plopped himself down for the long haul like a stubborn child. Sadly Nick was many things but he was not assertive, his best friend Miles Edgeworth had drawled that should an elephant find reason to sit on the poor defense attorney that Nick would allow the life to squeeze out of him rather than impose on the poor animal to simply shift its weight five feet to the right. Thus did the next half hour go by with the man seated in front of Nick and Maya without a care in the world save what he was fiddling with on his phone.

"How rude" Maya commented angrily puffing her cheeks out once again the tips of her ears red "Aliens have even worse manners than Westerners." The man looked up at her, his attention drawn by her voice, and he gave her a sly wink making Nick doubt his initial analysis that the man couldn't speak Japanese. Not wanting to appear the fool he quietly waited at the man hoping he would leave while Maya swapped between rage at the stranger's abrupt behavior and flattered that such a handsome man had paid her a compliment. Time seemed to tick by slowly but eventually a pair of footsteps could be heard out in the hallway and a second man entered the room. The pair was as different as night and day, the first interloper was neatly dressed in a suit with an air of refinement draped about him like a silken cloth. This second man had a wild look in his eyes that soaked every other aspect of his character from his windswept hair, to his less than pleasant odor, to his clothing which was mostly cheap leather and cotton, to his way of talking which was short and rough. "Can you translate for me, Logan?" the refined gentleman asked gesturing to the pair in front of him "You're a polyglot right?"

"Damn you to hell Stark" the wild one snapped back, his large canines causing Nick to flinch with every word the man sneered "You entangle my daughter in your damn Avengers racket and now you want me to be your Babelfish? Screw you." "We can talk about your daughter and her voluntary action to join my Avengers later" the refined one bit back looking annoyed "Peter's in trouble and right now this guy is the only lawyer Jonah hasn't gotten to yet. This isn't for me or the Avengers but for Spider-Man." The rough man looked conflicted for a moment "If you're not careful Stark you're going to find my claws rammed up your gut, I don't care how many of those glorified tin suits you have, I will kill you." He shifted his attention to Nick which made the poor soul flinch with fright "Alright Leisure Suit Larry what language do you speak? Talk!" he barked "Please don't hurt me" Nick wailed placing his hands in front of his face in supplication "I'm broke, honest to righteousness" "So how the hell are you renting this apartment then" the wild man asked in perfect if archaic Japanese "This flat could easily go for half a million on the market today." "All my attorney's fees go straight into rent" Nick explained pathetically "For food sometimes I…wait!"

He jumped up out of his chair caught completely off guard "You speak Japanese?" "I'm this guy's translator" the wild man explained "Why the hell are you here in New York City if you can't speak a lick of English?" "New York? We're not in New York, we're in Tokyo" Nick replied, which got him a funny look from the wild man. But before he could reply Maya called out to him "Nick, you better get over here and look at this" her voice sounded blunt from shock. She was looking out the window of his office like something unbelievable was going on right there on the street her mouth slightly agape. As he walked over to Maya he noticed the calculating stares of both men, it sent a shiver down his spine the one he hated because it portended some kind of catastrophic event was about to go down in a few brief seconds. Hesitantly he switched his gaze from his visitors to the window and nearly fell over from shock. Having lived in Tokyo all his life Nick was familiar with the great city's skyline, the shape, size and location of her skyscrapers as well as the neon lights filled with adorable advertisements for different Japanese goods and services.

What stood before him were skyscrapers which were indistinguishable from their Eastern counterparts in style but vastly different in placement and the neon signs presented their wares in a foreign language. Nick stood there stunned his mind racing to piece together an explanation to this ridiculous truth that had placed itself in front of them. Absentmindedly he went over to check his dinosaur of a computer, used mostly for documenting his cases than actual internet surfing, the time on the bottom of the screen showed that it was about seven in the morning and, most importantly, that it was the day after tomorrow. Definitively he crossed out the conspiracy plan growing in the irrational part of his mind that someone had kidnapped both Maya and him, drugged them and transported them to an office in America which had been painstakingly made to look like a replica of the original in Tokyo.

Not wanting to fault to Maya-like theories Nick tried to use logic to come up with how his entire office, Maya and he had been transported half way around the world to New York within the span of eight hours. Naturally that proved to be impossible leaving Nick at a loss of what to do which was interrupted by the wild looking man. "We have a case for you" he explained gruffly "a friend of mine's being prosecuted for something he didn't do." Nick frowned, normally he would have jumped at a case like this but with the extenuating circumstances he really didn't have time to spend defending someone. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know how to…put this exactly but…" he trailed off trying to find some way to explain to the translator the situation he was currently in "I don't know how we got here to America." It was weird and stupid sounding making Nick blush when it came out of his mouth but the wild man didn't laugh or give him a strange look. "Find out later" he advised the hapless lawyer "Office buildings like these cost a pretty penny here and without income you won't last a month here." Grabbing a brief case he shoved it into Nick's arms "Open it" he instructed him. The lawyer did so and was shocked once again; heavy green bricks of American money filled the container to the seams.

While Maya ogled the money of his arms Nick dumbly tried to calculate how much it would be when it was converted into yens, he was no math whiz so he couldn't come up with an accurate number but logically since the American dollar was the basis every other currency was measured against he knew he had a small fortune in his arms. "Do we have your services" the wild man asked, snapping Nick out of his reverie "Um…that is…um…"Nick felt completely overwhelmed by what was going on, luckily Maya had somehow managed to keep her head level "We'll do it" she chirped excitedly "When do we start?" "Right now, c'mon" the man replied grabbing Nick's arm and dragging him outside where a huge limousine waited on the curb. All of them clambered in; Maya, the translator, the refined gentleman, and he were stuffed into the back. "The courthouse please" the refined gentleman barked to the driver before pouring several glasses of champagne which he distributed amongst the group. Frustrated with the dead ends his mind was bouncing off of Nick sighed angrily "Will someone please tell us what is going on?" The translator grunted emptying his glass with one rude gulp before doing just that.

Nick had been in interrogation rooms before but never with a so called super hero. He had defended an actor who had played a super hero before sure but this was an actual super hero or so Logan claimed. As the pajama man sat tiredly down in his chair Nick took the liberty of closing his eyes and reviewing the deluge of information Logan had given him as they drove to the courthouse.

Court Summary

Spider-Man has been accused of aiding the zombies in their attack of New York City. His accuser is Jay Jonah Jameson who is the editor of the Daily Bugle. It's my job to clear the defendant of his crimes.

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled.

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya.

Court Record: Profiles

Maya: My friend and a medium in training. She's able to channel the dead.

Logan L. Logan: Our translator working for Stark. He seems to know the defendant…

Tony Stark: The CEO of Stark industries who hired us to defend Spider-Man. He seems to know the defendant…

Spider-Man: Our client who is being accused of aiding the zombie attack on New York City. He is apparently a super hero, not that I believe it for a second.

Jay Jonah Jameson: Also goes by the moniker JJ. The editor of a large newspaper and the one taking our client to prison. He is a very vocal man.

The guy in front of Nick was dressed in a crazy suit made up of red and blue with a mask that has two large, white ovals that probably are what allows him to see. With them in the room is Logan who is acting as a translator between Nick and his client. Both Maya and Stark are looking in through the observatory window made up of one sided glass on the right wall of the room. "Hello my name is Phoenix Wright and I will be your lawyer for the upcoming trial." He said introducing himself the way he did with every client he had defended. Turning to Spider-Man Logan translated for him to causing Nick to frown a bit, this trial was only going to get trickier with that language barrier in the way. "He's your lawyer, his name's Phoenix Wright" Logan said which made his client eye the lawyer warily "Want to explain to me why Stark got me one lawyer who doesn't even speak English over the best law firm in the city?" Spider-Man asked crossing his arms grumpily "I didn't call for Tony for his advice on what suit to buy for the trial." "Look kid, your biggest fan bought all the lawyers in the city of New York and the surrounding suburbs." Logan explained gruffly "Unless they were small time kids who just graduated law school or the ham and egg guys who deal with divorces JJ had them so well plied with money and favors not even the crown prince of Stark Enterprises could get them to defend you except that one, deal with it."

Nick watched the entire conversation with the look of someone who didn't speak the language but wanted to be a part of it, out of either curiosity or politeness. Spider-Man slunk back in his chair dejected "I need to win this Logan, if I don't they get to de-mask me and while I can handle that MJ can't. Who knows what sort of whack job I sent to the slammer would go after her to get back at me?" Logan just smirked "Listen kid, if that wimp lawyer over there can't cut the mustard the minute that judge says guilty I'll rip the courthouse apart. Ain't no way in hell you're getting de-masked, not while I'm around." Turning to the aforementioned wimpy lawyer Logan gestured to the client "He's happy to meet you and wants to know if you have any questions" "Um...yes, does Mr. Spider-Man know the breadth and width of what he is being accused of?" Logan nodded without even consulting with the client "Anything else?" "Does the client know the person accusing him?" Another nod from his translator "Yeah, this guy's been after Spider-Man for years, he carries one hell of a grudge against the guy too."

Nick frowned, if the accuser was well known for hating his client, what possible evidence did he have that condemned his client without making the accuser look like he was attempting slander? He posed the question to Logan "Hey kid, you wouldn't happen to know what JJ's got on you, do you?" "From what Deadpool told me JJ has gotten hold of some kind of pictures that show I helped the zombie attack" Spidey replied "Doctored for sure, so they shouldn't be too hard to disprove." "Don't get too hopeful kid, JJ's not the brightest bulb in the box but he wouldn't go to court unless he had something concrete to work with." He turned to Nick "From what he knows JJ, the guy accusing him, has some pictures that apparently show him helping with the zombie attack." The lawyer's frown deepened quite bit, a picture was worth a thousand words and that was true ten times over in a court of law. "The kid claims they were doctored and I know for a fact they are." Nick sat back in his chair rubbing his temples, unless he could definitively prove they were doctored they would inevitably leave a psychological impression on the judge. The longer they sat there without being disproven the more likely the judge would become biased towards the prosecution's side; he had seen it happen before to devastating effect.

His mind wheeled feverishly with how to deal with those photos. "How long until the trial" he asked Logan hoping there were a few more hours until then to allow for some evidence digging. "It starts in a half hour" Logan muttered back looking at the clock on the wall of the interrogation room, it read 7:30 a.m. Grimacing Nick scratched out his plan for finding contradicting evidence for now, later he would hopefully have some time to sniff around. Instead he set his mind on a different track, how to get the court to adjourn long enough to give him enough time to gather evidence. On an instinct he guessed that JJ would want to railroad the trial straight into a verdict on his pictures alone which was both a problem and a blessing. The speed at which the trial had been set up meant that little other evidence would be gathered during it forcing the prosecution to rely on whatever evidence it initially used to build the case. With the right piece of counter evidence as well as some speed he could effectively nullify their blitzkrieg using their initial hastiness to lead to his own sought after verdict of 'not guilty'. The problem was how to delay the court proceedings, it would be sloppy but Nick hoped the judge supervising the hearing would be neutral to both prospective parties.

Nodding in agreement with himself Nick stood up offering his hand to his client "Don't worry, as long as you're innocent we'll get a 'not guilty' for sure" he promised hoping to heaven he would be able to keep that it. Logan translated his sentiment before turning to Nick glowering at him like a feral animal "You better keep that little promise of your or I'll cut your tongue out." Paling Nick nodded fervently steeping aside for the short brute to exit the room while his client was escorted by a judge back to his cell until the trial started. The lawyer stepped out of the interrogation room with a massive sigh watching the receding back of Logan and Stark as they retreated into the courtroom talking quietly to one another. "Isn't this so exciting Nick?" Maya gushed popping up at his side "An accused superhero, his number one detractor, all within the city limits of the Big Apple. This is the best case ever!" Her friend wasn't as optimistic as she was "It's going to be tough though, I have no real idea of who my client is or his relationship with the public, there is the whole language barrier as well." Annoyed with her companion's downer attitude, she smacked him in the head "Please, you've had harder cases then this; not to mention you know for sure that your client is blameless, the evidence will prove it." Nick looked at her quizzically "How do you know he's innocent?" Maya rolled her eyes like if it was the most obvious thing in the world "Cause he's a super hero, duh. They never do anything to harm the innocent masses they've sworn to protect. With great power comes great responsibility." In return Nick rolled his own eyes "Could we get any cheesier, Maya?"

The half hour dwindled quickly and soon Nick and his client as well as Logan were seated at the table near the judge's stand with the accuser shooting them death glares at the pair of them. "Hey crazy hair lawyer guy, I'll give you double whatever Stark paid you if you ditch that Spider menace right now" he yelled ignorant of the language barrier "Are you deaf or something, wing hair?" Leaning over to his translator Nick whispered "What is he saying?" "He's wishing you good luck" Logan told him "Ok…" Nick replied unsure of what to say, he felt like Logan was lying "Tell him thanks for me then." Turning his head to one side he barked at JJ "He said shut your damn piehole, asshole." The editor turned a vivid shade of red and was about to explode but mercifully the baliff cut him off screaming "All rise for the honorable judge Laverne Wexler." All in the courtroom jumped up in attendance as the judge entered the room. She was a tall black woman in her late forties, early fifties with long braids of hair cascading down her back; she took her seat and scanned the room. Her face was taut with the look of a professional while her brown eyes glittered intelligently behind her slim frames. "You may be seated" she called out allowing the audience to seat themselves with the accompanying whoosh of air that always happens when a group sits down simultaneously.

"This is case number 543125784 The state vs Spider-Man" she proclaimed in a deep alto as she read the file on her stand "Are both sides prepared to argue their cases?" After a quick translation by Logan Nick nodded as emphatically as he could "We are your honor." After a quick translation the brow lifted her eyebrow quizzically "Mr. Spider-Man is there a good reason why your lawyer is jabbering in Japanese?" "He was the only one I could get on such short a notice you honor" his client replied shooting a venomous look at Stark who merely shrugged nonchalantly. Laverne pursed her lips "This is highly unusual but seeing as how his credentials check out and there is no law preventing a non-English speaking lawyer from acting on behalf of the accused I will let it slide." Turning to the prosecution's table her eyes narrowed "I do have umbrage with the prosecution having forgotten that in this great country the accused may defend themselves the prosecution most certainly cannot be without legal counsel." JJ was not put off in the least by the death glare "Don't you worry your honor my lawyer will be here shortly." The judge gave an amused little smile "Trust me sir I'm not worried in the slightest, you however should be. Without a lawyer acting on behalf on the prosecution this trial is a farce and I cannot condone dragging it onward."

Raising her gavel she prepared to end the trial prematurely giving Nick a glimmer of hope he might be able to win this one via presence alone "I hereby-" A large crack stopped the judge short and made Nick's heart sink, he knew that sound from the depths of his nightmares. "Your honor the prosecution, Franziska von Karma is here and ready to proceed with the trial." The well-dressed lawyer strutted down the aisle basking in the radiant glow of the massive amount of paparazzi present who were snapping her photo for tomorrow's tabloids. While the masses were enthralled with her dynamic entry the judge was not "I pray for your sake honey you have got a hell of a reason for waltzing in here to my courthouse fashionably late." "Please forgive my late arrival your honor. My plane just landed from my home country of Germany and I rushed to make it here" Franziska replied in perfect English bowing her head meekly "Please do not cancel this justified trial because of my negligence." Looking about the courtroom Laverne could see all of the reporters' pens poised on their notepads, would tomorrow's headline be the verdict or the declaration that the judge had thrown out the case due to a thin breach of etiquette. Pressured by the stares of the audience she lowered her gavel to the side of her stand "Very well but be warned, you are not in my good graces." Franziska smiled serenely at the judge before turning her head and hammering a crestfallen Nick with a snotty, little smirk. 'Of course it would be Franziska' he thought glumly watching her caress the hilt of her whip knowing that soon it would be smashing into his backside.

"Very well, the trial shall commence here and now" the judge cried nagging her gavel to silence the murmuring of those relieved that the trial would commence "The prosecution will step forward." Franziska took the floor oozing confidence "Your honor we are here today to plead for justice." Dramatically she whipped her entire right arm forward; her index finger pointed straight at Spider-Man "This man has conspired with malevolent forces to destroy your beloved city for no reason other than to please the evil leeching out of his heart. Look upon him my fellow human beings at this monstrosity who claims to do heroic things yet hides himself under a gaudy mask hoping to fool you into a sense of security. Will you allow this monster to roam the streets unfettered as your loved ones suffer from his necrotic ambitions?" The entire audience behind Nick answered her "No!" thundering with applause from her delightfully patriotic speech. Franziska ended with a bow to the judge before taking her seat next to a beaming JJ.

The judge's eyes swiveled about until they landed on poor Nick "The defense may step forward with their opening statements" Together Nick and Logan stepped up towards the judge's stand which sent a sickening twist of panic slaloming down Nick's gut, everything he said would come out of Logan's mouth. The gruff looking man would then stand as the visual representative of Nick's words, something the poor lawyer really wished he could change. Clearing his throat he began "How accurate can one judge a man by the color of his clothes, the curl of his cuffs, the fit of his pants? We ask those in attendance to reflect on this question as this event unfolds. Spider-Man may be masked but no garment can conceal the heart of a hero which beats within him. Our client would never betray those he has sworn to protect and we pray fervently that those in attendance here today would judge though the action of this great hero instead of by the mysteries hidden by his mask."

Much to his dour predication the audience was not nearly as moved by his speech as they were Franziska's. There was the psychological xenophobia of being addressed by someone who was different from you which doubled thanks to the language barrier and tripled because it came from the rough, uncultured voice of Logan. In Nick's eyes he might as well have growled the whole thing at them for how much effect it had not to mention balefully coloring any and all impact his words would have in the future. Once Logan was through the pair returned to their table, Spider-Man gave him a weak thumbs up; not out of any selflessness of supporting a fellow human being but to ensure that his lawyer wouldn't lose all his morale and head for the hills. "The prosecution may now call their witness" the judge proclaimed following protocol.

Facing the judge Franziska gestured to the empty witness stand "You honor the prosecution presents their first witness." With all the energy and vitality of a kid on Christmas morning JJ jumped out of his chair and rushed over to the witness stand the joy bubbling from out his very being. "Your name and occupation please" Franziska asked following procedure. "The name's Jay Jonah Jameson and I'm the editor and chief of the Daily Bugle" the man said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear "And that masked man sitting there is a menace to society." Laverne smashed her gavel down "Mr. Jameson please do not make a statement unless you are asked a question" she chided him. "S-sorry" he replied looking a bit put off by the judge's admonishment. "Please continue Ms. Franziska" The sadistic lawyer gave her client a discreet, sharp look to warn him of any more outbursts "Mr. Jameson you are here because you feel that the defendant, Mr. Spider-Man, has made multiple attempts to inflict chaos on the great city of New York correct?" Jameson paused a bit, the warning still fresh in his mind, and gazed up at the judge questioningly. She gave a slight nod in confirmation "Yes, that's correct" he spoke slightly unsure of the proper length of time he should be talking for.

"And you feel that this Spider-Man has recently attempted to attack the populace of New York City by aiding and abetting the criminal or criminals who saw fit to flood the entire downtown with zombies?" Franziska continued prompting Jameson to reply. "Yes, that's correct" the editor replied more confident this time, he was about to elucidate his statement further but a quick shake of his lawyer's head made him shut his mouth quietly. "Do you have proof that Spider-Man committed these crimes?" the judge asked. "We do your honor" and with that Franziska returned to her desk grabbing a manila envelope from inside her briefcase. She fished out three packets and distributed them, one to the judge, she placed one on a projector to show the audience, and she gave one grudgingly to Nick. 'Here it is' Nick thought noting the glossy sheen on the papers in his hands 'this is going to make the case or break the case.'

There were three pictures in all, 8x10 glossies, of Spider-Man presumably causing chaos during the zombie attack. The first one was Spider-Man having just landed from one of his super hero jumps, his figure crouched as it braced for the impact. The photo had been snapped perfectly, it showed him the minute he landed on top of a police car denting its hood. A few inches to the side was a terrified police officer who had dropped her weapon from the sudden encounter with the web slinger. Behind them was a mass of the undead bearing down on the pair from a few feet away. The entire picture seemed to support that Spider-Man had been out and about on that day crippling police forces while leading zombies to easy prey. ' Ok, this is bad but I can work around this' Nick thought studying the photo critically 'It's a matter of perspective really, maybe my client was trying to get the police officer out of danger as she was being assaulted by the undead.' It was weak but it was the best way to rebuff the picture if the worst case scenario happened.

The second photo would be much harder to work around, it was another 8x10 glossy showing a stranded civilian in the midst of a mass of a hungry horde of zombies. The poor sap in particular was swinging upside down suspended from a lamppost like a piñata with several zombie faces jutting in from the edges of the photograph slavering at the easy meal. The camera angle was surprisingly low, as if the photographer had been lying on his belly on the sidewalk to take this particular picture. The angle did wonders though; the sheer terror on the victim's face was evident as well as what had entangled him to the lamppost. Silky strands of Spider-Man's signature web fluid cocooned the man's body leaving him as helpless as a slab of meat in a slaughterhouse. 'Ouch' Nick thought flinching at how damning the photograph was 'Yeah, I really hope we don't have to slug this out in court today.'

The third and final photograph blew the other two out of the water with how shocking it was. Spider-Man could be seen standing on top of the edge of a roof pointing heroically at something at the edge of the photograph. Following the angle of his gesture the human eye was drawn to the bottommost right edge of the photo graph where a small family lay huddled in the corner of an alley. Even though the focus was not as great the fear on their faces still radiated through the picture. Their fear was due to the horde of zombies stalking upon them from the bottommost left corner making the entire picture look like Spider-Man was pointing out survivors to his undead friend. It was pretty damning if the audible outbursts of noise from the audience was anything to measure each picture by. 'Stick a fork in me, we're done' Nick thought helplessly understanding far too well what sort of impact it would have on any person who saw it.

The room began to crescendo with voices of outrage and the shuffling of the audience, it was clear they were being roused into actions by the photos being shown on the projector screen. Before it could become a problem the judge smashed her gavel down "I will have order in my court" she demanded shutting everyone up immediately. On a roll Franziska began to quickly lay down the foundation of her argument "Mr. Jameson, where did you get these pictures?" "A freelance photographer took them for me" Jameson replied brimming with confidence "A real photographic genius this one, I plan to give him a full time job after the work he did here." "Please just stick to the question Mr. Jameson" his lawyer warned him gripping her whip so it gave a barely audible squeak of well-polished leather. Jameson colored a bit but remained quiet "Why did you obtain these pictures?" the editor cleared his throat to regain his poise before replying "I got them for my newspaper."

Franziska nodded in understanding "You're obviously a patriotic citizen of your country Mr. Jameson" she turned to the judge "That'll be all you honor." The prosecutor returned to her seat as the judge turned to Nick "Your witness Mr. Wright." Nervously Nick swallowed as he and Logan stepped up to the witness stand. Jameson shot the defense attorney a look that oozed absolute confidence, his evidence couldn't possibly be overturned. "Mr. Jameson, do you and your newspaper seek the truth?" Nick asked forced to wait a second as Logan translated his question. JJ looked put off by the question "Of course it does, the Daily Bugle is objective in its search for the truth" The judge banged her gavel lightly but firmly to remind JJ to keep his answers brief and to the point which was something Nick hoped the editor wouldn't listen to. Nick cupped his chin with the palm of his right hand "Odd considering these photos don't look like they're on the up and up." He had an idea in mind to get the court to adjourn for the day but in typical Phoenix Wright style he was accumulating it by the seat of his pants.

His accusation sent a faint ripple of intrigue amongst the audience in the courthouse which was promptly drowned out by JJ screech of indignity. "How dare you accuse me and my paper of slander, boy" the Editor screamed waving his arms in the air in a wrathful fashion "I'll have you know that the Daily Bugle puts nothing in her papers that ain't the honest truth." The judge slammed her gavel down hard "Mr. Jameson I have warned you once before about outbursts in my courthouse yet apparently I wasn't clear enough. If you don't calm yo tits down and answer the defense's question in a calm and concise manner there will be consequences." She leaned over until her mouth was inches away from his ear "Am I making myself clear to you, candy ass?" JJ was as stiff as a board, red as a campfire with his lips clenched down as hard as he could unable to so much as look at the judge lest he lose his temper. "Yes, ma'am" he grumbled between his lips taking great pains to control his temper.

Settling back her seat the judge calmed her ruffled feathers before gesturing at Nick "Answer the defense's query." Humbled but bitter JJ gripped the stand in front of him with white knuckles "The photos have not been doctored in any way." The room seemed to fade for a second as Nick felt a warm thrum coming from the pocket of his suit jacket 'My Magatama' he thought excitedly 'He's lying!' Palming the mysterious jewel Phoenix asked "Could you repeat that please?"

"The photos have not been tampered with in any way."

Nick watched as a mass of chains swallowed JJ in their steely might obscuring much of his being with their links. As they rattled ominously three key locks attached themselves to the chains binding the entire mess. The Magatama Phoenix wielded had been in cared for by a family of Mystics whose generations stretched back for centuries. His friend Maya and mentor Mia had been a part of that family; they could channel the dead who helped lead Nick to critical pieces of evidence in the past. The Magatama was able to react to lies hidden within the hearts of men and, with the right amount of evidence; it could bust open the locks holding the chains together forcing the liar to reveal the truth. 'JJ's lying, the photos were tampered with' Nick mused studying the locks glinting before him temptingly 'All I got to do is figure out how to prove they're of bullshit.'

Keeping his grip of the divine jewel Nick began his rebuttal "I don't believe you.' JJ looked shocked at first then got red again but a quick glance at the judge made him keep his cool. "You calling me a liar, boy" he asked in a low threatening tone. Nick nodded resolutely "These photos you claim are the whole and absolute truth are in reality full of lies meant to slander my client's reputation." The audience was quick to react with more surprise, the judge quick to try and silence them but all were left in the dust by Franziska who reacted to Nick's statement like grease lightning. The crack of the whip was simultaneous with its sting causing Nick to straighten up in pain as the lash stung the small of his back. "Objection" Franziska shouted retracting her whip so it coiled back into her hand effortlessly "What proof does the defense have that my client is lying?" Choosing not to notice the fact the prosecution had attacked the defense the judge glanced down at Nick "That's a good point Mr. Wright, how do you plan on proving that Mr. Jameson is lying?" The hapless attorney mentally flailed for a moment 'Crap, what do I have to work with here?'

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya

Jameson's Photos: The prosecution's star evidence. They show Spider-Man abetting zombies

'I bet somewhere in these photos there is a mistake' Nick thought as he shuffled through them 'JJ is lying, I know that but which one had the mistake in it?'

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Take that!

With a dramatic slam of his hand Nick smashed the third photo, the one showing Spider-Man and the unfortunate family, down onto the witness stand. "This photo is obviously doctored!" Jameson scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest "How so" he demanded. "Um…well…" Nick fought to find something substantial to remark upon as he looked at the photo. "The angle…uh…way too high how is the average cameraman able to fly in order to take this photo?" Humming with disproval the judge examined the photo "I know where this is; your client is on the Westbrooke building near the center of downtown. Any old cameraman would have been able take the elevator into the neighboring building's lounge and snap the photo from the lounge's observation window." She lowered the photo, a manicured finger pointing to a spot near the upper edge of the photo "Here, there's a streak of light proving it was taken from a window." Nick backpedaled at being proven wrong; behind him he could hear the guffaws of the audience at his lack of observational skills.

"Mr. Wright, look at me" the judge instructed and Nick meekly complied. He looked eyes with her and nearly wet himself, her gaze looked slightly demonic. "In this courtroom I do not allow two things, impulsive outbursts and baseless accusations. If you can't prove that Mr. Jameson is lying them please keep your gob shut thank you very much" she said rounding on him. 'Ergh, that's strike one' Nick thought knowing from prior experience grating on the judge's nerves anymore was going to land him and his client in hot water. 'Still I'm not wrong' he thought studying the other two photos 'One of these has to have some kind of flaw in it I can expose.'

Photo 1

Photo 2

Retract statement

Take that!

"This photo has obviously been tampered with" Nick proclaimed waving it in the air which earned him a giggle from Franziska. "Do you have proof of that" she asked in flawless Japanese smug with the knowledge her most grating nemesis was blowing hot air again. "As a matter of fact I can" Nick proclaimed shooting her a confident grin that made her turn red with fury. Ignoring her, Nick turned to the judge and placed his copy of the second photograph, the one with the man tied to the lamppost, on the judge's table. "You see here" the defense attorney explained pointing at the man's face "To get this angle the photographer must have been laying on his belly. What person in their right mind would lie down in the midst of a crowd of the undead to snap a picture?" The judge and audience studied the picture intensely while JJ gave a guffaw "Boy you sure can be a real idiot at times, why don't you just give up and go back to your rice paddies?" The editor expected his joke to resonate with the crowd but as the seconds ticked on he realized that they were beginning to doubt the photo.

"That's an excellent point Mr. Wright" the judge stated causing Nick to beam and Franziska to grimace "I'm no camera buff but even a yeoman like me can see whoever took this was lying down and who the hell would do that?" She turned to JJ drilling a powerful look into him "Can you please explain this Mr. Jameson?" The editor's earlier confident demeanor shattered, his mouth hung open while he tried to come up with a solution."Well…er…gee you know…um" he stumbled scratching the back of his head like a fool, luckily Franziska managed to save his bacon. "Objection!" she shouted pointing an index finger at Nick "I don't see how this has anything to do with the fact that man is guilty. The defense is clearly attempting to waste the court's time speculating over nitpicky details." "Objection!" Nick jockeyed back with his own index finger thrust "How this photo was taken is inconsistent with the accuser's statement that all these photos are objectively true." "Objection!" the prosecution screeched using her whip to beat Nick aside as she strolled up to the judge's stand "The evidence is right here, that man should be jailed and if the defense cannot bring forth its own concrete evidence to counter it then this trial should be concluded here and now!"

Bracing himself against the whip's lash Phoenix piped up "I'd like to call to attention the fact that the accuser has been carrying a grudge against my client for several years now!" "How dare you Mr. Wright" Franziska cried raising her weapon to assault him again but her arm was caught at the height of its reach by Logan's hand. "Get off of me you brute" she screamed struggling to get out of the wild man's grip but he easily endured all the physical blows she hit him with. The judge's gavel rang down a multitude of times "I will have order in my court! The prosecution and defense will return to their seats for the duration." Defeated Franziska slunk back to her corner while Nick and Logan returned to theirs. "Feisty little minx, huh" Logan commented evenly appraising the German prosecutor with his gaze. "You could say that" Nick grumbled rubbing whatever lash wounds he could touch slightly bitter that Logan hadn't intercepted her earlier.

The court sat restlessly for several minutes as Laverne studied picture number two, the entire duration of which JJ sat in the witness box looking utterly alone while sweating it out. On a whim Nick checked his Magatama, none of the locks had been broken unfortunately but the chains had been rattled quite fiercely. 'I got close to breaking one of them' Nick thought strategically 'I'm going to need some hard evidence though.' Eventually the judge looked down at Franziska "Is the photographer here in court?" The lawyer shook her head no "I didn't think we would need his testimony for such an open and shut case" she admitted shrugging "Is there a reason to ask the poor man to take time out of his undoubtedly busy schedule to come here and summarize what we have gone over?" "I believe there is, for now court is adjourned until bright and early tomorrow." She slammed her gavel down and Nick could have jumped for joy at the sound it made "I want this photographer here tomorrow in the witness stand. In the meantime I will personally get an expert to verify these are in fact the real deal."

He wasn't out of the woods yet, not by a long shot, but Nick had managed to avoid the worst case scenario. The courthouse sighed with the relief of a few and the disappointment of many as all of the media had to pack up their equipment without getting the climatic verdict they had come here for. Maya ran up behind Nick from her position in the courthouse seats and jumped onto his back jubilantly. "Woo-hoo" she cried hugging him happily "You did it, you managed to buy us time!""Owowowowowowowowow" the poor attorney cried cringing from all the sore lash wounds Maya was prodding" Yeah, it's great, please get off my back!" The mystic jumped off twirling around excitedly "Where do we start then?" Before Nick could reply the crack of a lash and the subsequent pain turned his reply into a howl. "Foolish fool!" Franziska denounced walking over to their table "You foolishly think this changes anything? Fool!" Beating her whip into a tattoo she made the poor attorney dance about trying to dodge her attacks "Buy all the time your foolish little heart foolishly desires. It matters not for I, Franziska von Karma, shall not be beaten by you fools again!" With one final crack she sent him down into the fetal position and stormed out of the courtroom whipping aside any unfortunate paparazzi still standing in her way.

"And here I thought court was all about two old guys quibbling about taxes" Stark commented looking at Nick writhing on the floor in pain with amusement "With less clothing this could have been a lovely pornography piece." "Can the fetish talk Stark and help me pick the guy up" Logan snapped back grabbing one of Nick's arms "We need to discuss what the plan for tomorrow is." Helping him gather up the emasculated attorney the trio as well as Maya, Spider-Man, and a guard returned to the interrogation room. After applying several bags of ice to his sore spots Nick began to draw up a plan "First we need to find those people who were present in those photos JJ had and see if they'll testify." Stark raised his hand in a voluntary fashion "Leave that to me, I'll flush them out and see if any of them will be willing to come to court. I just hope JJ didn't get to them first." The lawyer nodded before turning to Maya "To be honest I'm not really sure where to go next, it's not like there's a crime scene or something for us to examine." Spider-Man leaned over and whispered something into Logan's ear "How about the Daily Bugle" the translator offered after pausing for a second "Spidey here thinks we might be able to find some clues if we chat some of the employees up."

"That's probably not a bad idea" Nick remarked scratching his chin "Let's meet up before the trial tomorrow and discuss what we managed to find." Agreeing that was the best idea the group split into separate parts all of them wishing Spider-Man a good night as he was lead back to his cell. Outside in the blazing late morning sunlight Stark gestured to the limo waiting outside "She's all yours for today Logan, try not to scratch her up too badly now." Logan replied with a feral growl and a rude gesture but pushed the lawyer and his friend in all the same. The ride to the Daily Bugle's headquarters was a bit slow thanks to traffic but uneventful all the same giving the trio a chance to ruminate over the case. "Who do you think this freelance photographer is" Maya asked rummaging through the mini fridge "Does the Daily Bugle normally buy the stuff they peddle?" Logan shrugged "How the hell should I know? From what little I've heard that bastard JJ only pays for really good pictures from freelancers." Nick nodded affirmatively, that made sense considering the quality of the pictures that had been presented in court.

"He must have been fearless" Nick commented looking over the three photographs "Walking around inside a zombie invasion for a few pictures must have taken some real courage." Once they had arrived at the Daily Bugle a secretary directed them to the floor where all the photographers worked. The place was a small microcosm of controlled chaos with reporters dancing about, frantically pulling together sheets of paper and photos, writing the openings to their newspaper articles on their phones or trying to find the weasel who had stolen their yogurt from the fridge. Logan led the way, not afraid to push people out of his path while Maya and Nick trailed in his wake, unsure of where to start. Apparently their translator had an idea; he soon stopped in front of a desk in front of a large office which was covered in shades to provide sanctuary from the chaos outside. "We're looking for Robbie Robertson" Logan growled at the secretary behind the desk "Parker sent us." She nodded in affirmation before hitting the button on the intercom system in order to speak with one of her bosses.

After giving whoever she was talking to a thank you she nodded her head over to the office behind her "He's waiting for you guys inside" she informed them before returning to her work. The trio entered the office which deadened the outside cacophony to a bearable level. It was a pretty generic looking office with a desk and a computer and a planter with some personal paraphernalia about the space to give it a sense of territory. A large black man was seated behind the desk, middle aged but with whitening hair, who smiled at them in a congenial manner. "Welcome Mr. Logan, what can I do ya for" he asked rising out of his chair to shake their translator's hand. "Parker sent us" Logan replied gruffly "He wants to know if you still have the pictures he sent to Jameson." Robbie's eyes flashed mischievously "Those two foreigners behind you wouldn't happen to be Spider-Man's lawyer and legal assistant would they?" Logan nodded "I don't suppose you'll help us out regardless?" Robbie shot the man a knowing grin "For Parker, anything. Just don't tell the boss man."

Reaching into a side drawer of his desk he extracted a manila envelope with the name 'Parker' scrawled hastily on top "I think you'll find this to quite helpful in tomorrow's trial." Logan took it from the assistant editor as well as a copy of the company's paper that Robbie had grabbed from the top of his desk "This'll seal the deal" he remarked with a secretive wink. Logan shoved both articles into Nick's hands; the poor lawyer was trying his best to understand what the two men were talking about. "Could you also point out who the freelance photographer is who took those photos of Spider-Man" Logan asked oblivious to his foreign friends needs. Walking over to the door Robbie lifted the blinds with his index and middle finger scanning the colliding reporters with an expert eye. "That's him there with the leather jacket, sitting on the desk towards the middle of the room." All three of them peered out at the freelance photographer who had produced the damning evidence. Even from a distance they could tell he had a really laid back manner, as the room whirled around him he studied it all with a look of absolute disinterest as he sipped from a beige coffee mug. He had short dark hair and an impressively sexy five o clock shadow that really enforced that naturally good looking vibe he seemed to thrum with. Along with his leather jacket he wore underneath it a white oxford shirt with the top three buttons undone, a camera hung loosely around his neck in place of a tie. He wore jeans and some ordinary black shoes which had never seen a shine in the entire amount of time since he had bought them. He was an average man with above average good looks; that seemed to summarize him best.

"His name's Frank West and he popped up right after the zombie attack waving his pictures around like he had won the lottery." Robbie explained behind them "Jonah took one look of those photographs and he was hooked. They're going to be the lead story in the day after tomorrow's news." "Funny, I was under the impression the old battle axe didn't give freelancers the time of day" Logan replied looking back at Robbie who smiled "That's the million dollar question right there. I have my suspicions but I'll let your little lawyer friend do all the deducting by himself." "Hey look, it's Jameson and Franziska!" Maya exclaimed pointing at the door to the floor. The pair emerged arguing vividly amongst each other making their way to Frank's position. "Crap, I was hoping we could talk to him before Franziska could" Nick griped as they watched the pair lead him out of the room. "Was that desk he was sitting on his" Logan asked. "Yes, and that's all the time I've got today to play Twenty Questions with you folk" Robbie replied ushering them out "I've got a newspaper to run so time is short, I wish you the best of luck." He closed the door behind him leaving all three of them stranded amidst the reporters who weren't even dimly aware of their presence.

Logan recited his entire dialogue with Robbie which gave Nick an idea "Follow me and try to stay casual; I'm going to check out Frank's desk." Together they passed by the ignorant mass in the room until they got to the desk, while Nick rummaged about inside Maya and Logan blocked what he was doing with their bodies. Frank hadn't been with the Daily Bugle long and his desk confirmed that. Most of the drawers were empty save a few stuffed with leftover fast food wrappers or empty cartons of protein shakes. 'Please, let there be something' Nick prayed before one of the drawers refused to open, a small one located near the bottom. Wrenching it a few times he found it was tightly locked into position "Damn," Nick swore straightening back up. Logan bent down to examine the box before grinning cockily "Just give me a second." Both Nick and Maya had to suppress a gasp as a pair of bright metallic claws came out of his left hand which he then used to pick the lock. "Ommygosh, you're a super hero too" Maya gushed gazing in a amazement at his claws "That's so cool, you're helping us clear your super hero friend." Logan rolled his eyes "Listen kid, while me and Webs have worked together before we are not friends and I ain't exactly a super hero either."

Maya completely ignored this little statement as she continued to pester Logan with questions about the super hero group he was working for which he firmly denied gruffly before getting into a small argument with her over whether he was a true super hero or not, While they fought behind him Nick reached into the desk and brought forth it's only content, a pay stub that had been given to him signed by none other than Jameson. 'It's all starting to fit together' he thought, hope began to glimmer once more inside his chest 'I think I can prove he's innocent.' Logan suddenly grabbed Nick by his collar and hauled him up onto his feet "Let's get out asses into gear, JJ and his little lash lawyer are headed in our direction." Ducking down the trio maneuvered around their opposition using the chaos as a cover until they made it to the floor door. They disappeared into the elevator just in time to hear JJ roar about some sort of paystub missing from Frank's desk.

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled.

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya.

Jameson's Photos: The prosecution's star evidence. They show Spider-Man abetting zombies

Parker's Photos: Pictures taken by a Daily Bugle reporter. They seem to be quite different then Jameson's

Daily Bugle Newspaper: A newspaper received from Robbie Robertson. A picture of Spider-Man is on the front of it

Paystub: A used paystub. Apparently Frank West received a sizeable amount of money from Jameson for his photos.

Court Record: Profiles

Maya: My friend and a medium in training. She's able to channel the dead.

Logan L. Logan: Our translator working for Stark. He seems to know the defendant…

Tony Stark: The CEO of Stark industries who hired us to defend Spider-Man. He seems to know the defendant…

Spider-Man: Our client who is being a accused of aiding the zombie attack on New York City. He is apparently a super hero not that I believe it for a second.

Jay Jonah Jameson: Also goes by the moniker JJ. The editor of a large newspaper and the one taking our client to prison, a very vocal man

Franziska von Karma: The vengeance seeking daughter of my greatest foe. A formidable prosecutor and a staple in my nightmares

Robbie Robertson: Co-editor of the Daily Bugle. Is much more reasonable than his boss

Frank West: A freelance photographer who sold photos to JJ.

After a good night's sleep Nick was back at the defense's table ready and waiting to put this sham of a trial to rest. The first matter of business attended to was the conclusion over whether the pictures Franziska had presented had been doctored in some way. Predictably the expert Laverne had consulted had come back with a resounding yes; the photos were not doctored in any way despite the weird angle of the second photograph. Wanting to hammer this particular point home Franziska immediately called Frank up onto the witness stand in order to get his testimony."State your name and occupation" she instructed gazing warily at the witness as if he were dynamite. The man gave a relaxed smile before propping his feet up on the witness' stand "Name's Frank West, freelance photographer. I've covered wars ya know?" The judge slammed her gavel down with a fury "Mr. West I hate to break this to you but this is a courtroom not a stripper's bar. Get yer Bigfoot feet off the witness stand and behave yourself or I will throw you and yer testimony out on its skinny white backside, Am I making myself clear?" Startled by the judge's intimidating stare Frank lowered his feet meekly to the floor and gave a whimpering "Sorry your honor."

It dawned on Nick that Franziska was nervous because of how whimsical her witness could be 'Chuckle while you can' that cynical part in the back of his mind hissed 'After all once she's done we're going to have to break him in the cross examination.' "Mr. West, you said you are a freelance photographer correct? Did you sell any of your photos to Mr. Jameson?" the prosecution asked trying to get back on track. "Yep, that I did" West replied recovering quickly from his chiding "There were three of them in all and after a little of the old West charm I managed to get ole JJ to buy them from me. Wish I had known they were this important though, I would have charged more." He gave a small laugh before the judge's gavel scared him back into silence. Grabbing her copies of the pictures Franziska laid them out in front of the photographer "Are these the ones you took and sold to Mr. Jameson?" she asked. Frank barely even glanced at them "Yes sir, those are mine alright! High quality stuff wouldn't you say?"

'Indeed' Nick thought looking at picture number two, hopefully this would be all that he needed to shoot hole in Frank's testimony. "Finally, Mr. West, are all these photos objectively true?" Franziska asked cutting to the heart of the matter. "Absolutely, I didn't sell anything that wasn't caught in its natural state with this here camera" Frank stated hoisting the device around his neck up in pride. The prosecution nodded thoughtfully "No further questions your honor." Nick eyed the modern day cowboy in front of him warily; the man seemed to be staring past him passively as if the defense was invisible to him. " , you claim that all these photos were not altered from their original state in any way?" Nick asked, for once he was grateful it was Logan who was translating for he added an edge of threat to the translation that made Frank jump a bit. "I just said that didn't I" Frank shot back looking miffed "Ain't nothing that leaves my hands that ain't the honest truth, plain and simple." He could feel a shuffling behind him, probably Franziska moving her seat out of apprehension. "Very well then" the attorney replied grabbing something in his suit pocket "How do you explain, this?"

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Take that!

He placed picture two on the table in front of Frank who stared at it without any fear 'Not good' Nick thought studying the witness' facial features thoroughly. "This photo was taken from an angle that would have required you to be lying on your belly while surrounded by hungry zombies. I ask the court, does this man look insane enough pursue something like?" Nick strained to listen closely above the crescendo of noise from the peanut gallery, there would be one particular sound that would clue him in to how close to the truth he was. Yet it didn't come, in the past whenever he had been pounding down Franziska's evidence he had been forced to endure stinging assaults from her mouth and her whip. The fact she remained quiet was sinister. After getting her court back under order the judge appraised Frank "I agree with the defense, this doesn't seem to be on the up and up, care to explain your methods Mr. West?" The man gave a huge cocky grin "Well sure, this ain't my first rodeo and I got this feeling it'll be far from my last."

Within an appallingly short amount of time Nick found himself strung up a few feet above the ground. Franziska's whip was wrapped around his middle keeping him aloft with the rest of its length across one of the ceiling rafters to give him the lift he needed. Franziska acted as a weight to keep him from falling back on the ground while Logan, Stark, Maya and Jameson had all been recruited to be zombies. Satisfied that this little simulacrum would be enough to provide evidence of his technique and skill Frank backed himself into one of the court's corners. 'How do I get into things like this?' Nick wondered dourly knowing full the danger of being forced to rely on the sadistic Franziska von Karma for anything. "See you honor, this is how I took that photo' Frank explained 'I'm well known for my dynamic photography as well as the dangerous situations I've thrown myself in to get the shots I need. I've covered wars ya know? When you're dealing with angry Taliban or slavering zombies you don't just walk up and ask for a picture, you take one like this!"

With a running start he dodged around Maya and Logan with ease before entering into a back slide during which he snapped a photograph of a nonplussed Nick. With a grunt he shot back onto his feet using the slide's inertia to get enough air to clear Stark and Jameson easily. He landed on his feet with the grace of an Olympic gymnast causing everyone to clap in awe for his talents. The photo spat out of the camera, Frank swaggered forward waving it back and forth to get it to develop quicker before presenting it to the judge. "A Frank photograph your honor, no one does it better" he crowed, crossing his arms and leaning on the witness stand's box, confident of his skills. Pursuing it with a critical eye Laverne studied it, and then picture two, then the pair together "I must admit I didn't think it was possible but Mr. Frank is telling the truth." Handing them over to the bailiff he walked about showing everyone who was interested the photographs side by side, they were almost identical. Taking into account natural human margin as well as a few other factors the photographs showed the exact same thing, a hostage being bound from above with hungry zombies about them, the perspective and angle were completely similar.

"Why didn't you stop and help that guy who was being attacked" Nick asked aimlessly. "I did, after I shot the photo I took out the zombies and lead the guy to safety" the freelancer replied pounding his chest. "You expect me to believe you can take out zombies" Nick asked sarcastically which didn't end well for him. "Objection" Franziska announced letting go of her whip to perform the dramatic finger point "What does this have anything to do with the fact my witness took that picture without altering it in the slightest?" The judge chewed over this for a minute before slamming her gavel down "Sustained, we are here about the pictures Mr. Wright not about whether Mr. West is capable of taking down undead foes by his lonesome." Nick in the meantime had plummeted helplessly a few feet onto cold hard ground with a bang now that Franziska was not keeping him anchored. Climbing back onto his feet the hapless defense lawyer winced as he tried to balance on his left foot, the toes might have been broken from the fall. "I have a few more question for the witness" he said hobbling over to the stand.

Frank returned to his seat triumphantly shooting a grin at Nick that dared him to try and trip the freelancer up again. Glancing behind him the smug grin on Franziska's face mirrored that sentiment; she was sure any holes in their story had been covered up thanks to Frank's antics. "Have you ever met with Mr. Jameson before?" Frank shook his head "Nope, never saw they guy before" which triggered a reaction in the Magatama. Relief swirled within him as he brought the mystic jewel to bear in front of Frank "Could you please repeat that for me?" he asked as darkness began to envelop everything save for himself and the witness stand. Caught off guard by the otherworldly gleam of the jewel Frank reiterated

"I've never met Jameson before I sent those pictures in."

Chains quickly wrapped themselves around the freelance photographer's form connected by a single gleaming lock. 'He's lying' Phoenix thought, his eyes narrowing in concentration 'Is there anything I have that can prove he knew Jameson earlier?"

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled.

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya.

Jameson's Photos: The prosecution's star evidence. They show Spider-Man abetting zombies

Parker's Photos: Pictures taken by a Daily Bugle reporter. They seem to be quite different then Jameson's

Daily Bugle Newspaper: A newspaper received from Robbie Robertson. A picture of Spider-Man is on the front of it

Paystub: A used paystub. Apparently Frank West received a sizeable amount of money from Jameson for his photos.

Take That

"You claim that you haven't met Jameson before" Phoenix claimed slamming the evidence down in front of Frank "but according to this paystub you've known Mr. Jameson longer than just a few days ago." "Objection" Franziska roared "The only thing evident by that paystub is the fact that Mr. West was paid for his work." "Indeed it is" Nick concurred getting a look of utter confusion from the prosecution "Look at this date here your Honor, the day the check was issued." Passing it up to the judge Nick watched her scrutinize the evidence "Well, well, look at this. Mr. Wright is correct; this check was written out last week." A small cacophony of surprise arose from the courtroom's audience which required several minutes to calm down "Mr. West, need I remind you that perjury is punishable under the law?" the judge barked slamming her gavel down as she tried to get a hold of her courtroom. Realizing he was about to go head first into deep shit Frank backtracked quickly "No, um, I meant to say, um, Your Honor I knew Mr. Jameson before I set in the pictures" the freelance photographer said rubbing the back of his head "It's just that, um, I met him face to face for the first time the day I sent him the photographs. Yeah, that's it, I only knew the guy through some phone conversations and I only really met him when I went to his office a few days ago to submit my photos."

"Is that so" Nick commented nonchalantly "why would he be calling you and why did he give you a check for no reason, are you hiding something Mr. West?" The Magatama gleamed unleashing the full power trapped within, unable to hide the truth any longer the chains unraveled, "Mr. Jameson called me about a week and a half ago wanting to hire me to take photos of Spider-Man." His testimony dropped like a bomb sending a chaotic wave throughout the courtroom. The judge was banging away while Franziska screamed and whipped Nick who whined at her abuse, Maya was jumping up and down excitedly unaware that Tony was trying to sneak a peek up her robes. Finally the noise settled down allowing Franziska to rebut "I'm sorry that I brought this man in as my witness, obviously my judgment of his character was erroneous" she glared a Frank who looked crushed "However this does not prove that Spider-Man was not responsible for aiding and abetting the zombie invasion." "It does not, but the next witness will prove without a doubt that my client was innocent." Nick admitted before thrusting his finger forward straight at the prosecution "Your Honor the defense calls Mr. Jay Jonah Jameson to the stand!" The audience murmured excitedly as they waited for the editor to retake the stand, in the meantime he was arguing quietly with his lawyer over some matter.

"Mr. .Jameson if you would take the stand sometime today" Laverne ordered sarcastically prompting the editor to slink up to the witness stand. His attitude had changed completely from the day before; instead of brimming with confidence he looked harried and defensive. Bringing the Magatama to bear Nick summoned the chains and locks enveloping the editor 'Let's put this sham of a trial to bed'

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled.

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya.

Jameson's Photos: The prosecution's star evidence. They show Spider-Man abetting zombies

Parker's Photos: Pictures taken by a Daily Bugle reporter. They seem to be quite different then Jameson's

Daily Bugle Newspaper: A newspaper received from Robbie Robertson. A picture of Spider-Man is on the front of it

Paystub: A used paystub. Apparently Frank West received a sizeable amount of money from Jameson for his photos.

Take That

Nick presented the paystub again "Mr. Jameson, do you typically pay freelancers for photos they haven't taken yet?" The editor squirmed in his seat debating with himself for a split second "N-no, I don't really like using some amateur's photos in my paper." "Then why did you use Mr. West's?" Nick prodded waving the paystub lazily in the air. For a second JJ's eyes flew over the defense's shoulder looking straight at Franziska pleadingly only to get a frustrated shrug in return. "The-the, uh, the usual guy who takes the photos, uh…" A lock rattled and broke leaving only two more to keep the truth from getting out. "Interesting that you should mention Pater Parker" Nick interrupted reaching into his pocket.

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled.

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya.

Jameson's Photos: The prosecution's star evidence. They show Spider-Man abetting zombies

Parker's Photos: Pictures taken by a Daily Bugle reporter. They seem to be quite different then Jameson's

Daily Bugle Newspaper: A newspaper received from Robbie Robertson. A picture of Spider-Man is on the front of it

Paystub: A used paystub. Apparently Frank West received a sizeable amount of money from Jameson for his photos.

Take That

"Here are Mr. Parker's photographs" Nick said presenting the evidence "Take a good look at them." He handed them over to Laverne who looked them over with a critical eye "If the defense could be a little more specific" she groused "because I don't see what you're getting at here." "Are Mr. Parker's photos any different from Mr. Frank's?" Nick asked placing Frank's photos on the judge's stand to allow for side by side comparison. After some critical examination the judge looked at Nick "Mr. Parker's photos are very different, Spider-Man looks like he's doing hero stuff in his while Mr. West's photos make Spider-Man look like a villain. It's a matter of perspective." "It's more than that your Honor, why would Mr. Jameson get an outside photographer to take Spider-Man's pictures when he already had one who had been with him for years and was capable at that time of snapping photos of similar quality?" The room fell silent as every gaze needled JJ waiting for him to answer the question. The normally vociferous man, however, was petrified in his seat with his lips frozen into the beginning of some syllable that might erect some sort of defense. "The reason being that J Jonah Jameson wished to slander my client's reputation." Nick proclaimed shattering the second lock before the sentence had even ended.

"Objection" Franziska cried out "Where is the evidence that my client is lying?" Buried deeply within her tone was a note of panic, the prosecution lawyer had been on the receiving end of this many times and the pattern had already taken shape. Phoenix Wright was about to prove his guilty without a doubt client was in fact innocent.

Court Record: Evidence

Attorney's Badge: This badge proves that I'm an attorney. Whenever I look at it I feel fulfilled.

Magatama: A mystic jewel that allows me to see the truth in a person's heart. It was given to me by Maya.

Jameson's Photos: The prosecution's star evidence. They show Spider-Man abetting zombies

Parker's Photos: Pictures taken by a Daily Bugle reporter. They seem to be quite different then Jameson's

Daily Bugle Newspaper: A newspaper received from Robbie Robertson. A picture of Spider-Man is on the front of it

Paystub: A used paystub. Apparently Frank West received a sizeable amount of money from Jameson for his photos.

Take That

The newspaper settled noiselessly onto the witness stand but JJ looked like he had been hammered in the breadbasket repeatedly the minute it had landed. "Your Honor please note the picture used on the front page as well as those on pages A-5" Nick instructed. "Well I'll be, one of Parker's photos is on the front page but it's all Mr. West's photos from here on out." Laverne noted scathingly "Is there a particular reason Mr. Jameson you didn't credit Mr. Parker's photos in this issue?" "Th-that's because I…uh…" Jameson licked his dry lips trying to come up with a reason. "I also see that there is no attempt to argue that Spider-Man is a hero using Mr. Parker's photos" she continued folding the paper up "Do I detect a hint of bias here?" "No, never, I would never try…to…" JJ said trying to whip himself into a frenzy but his eyes were pulled towards the gem as his third and final lock shattered. Unable to resist its power JJ blurted out "I admit it, damnit, I admit it. I hired Frank to take photos that would make Spider-Man look bad" Before anyone could twitch Franziska tried one last gambit "Objection, even if the photos were biased that doesn't prove that Spider-Man is not guilty of aiding the zombie invasion."Laverne gave the lawyer a withering look "True but your forgetting something baby, you got to have evidence to prove someone is guilty and Mr. Wright here just sank your evidence. You wouldn't happen to have anymore that would legitimize this trial any longer would you?" Franziska gnashed her teeth but stayed silent prompting the judge to slam her gavel down "Without any more evidence to convict the defendant I hereby dismiss this trial and all charges levied against him."

The room descended into madness after that, the judge left quickly unconcerned with the noise level now that the trial was over. The paparazzi and reporters swarmed Jameson blinding him with a barrage of flashes; his heartbroken mug would be on every rag by tomorrow morning. Meanwhile Maya had glomped Nick on the back "We won" she shouted joyously "We won!" "Not bad kid" Logan remarked stroking the stubble on his chin "Didn't think you had it in you." "Phew, thank goodness this thing is over" Spider-Man remarked rubbing his wrists which had been freed from the cuffs "I think I'm going to take a few days off to celebrate" "Actually I'd like to talk to you and Logan before you head out" Tony whispered into his fellow English speaker's ears "It won't take more than a minute of your time." "You should be grateful I'm giving you that much, bub" Logan replied jabbing a finger into Tony's suit "And don't think for a minute you're going to persuade us to rejoin your little Avengers." Even though Spider-man nodded emphatically behind the hairy Canadian Tony gave a small, smug grin.

"So what are you going to do now, kid" Logan asked turning to Nick "New York's no place for wimps in blue pinstripe suits who can't speak a lick of English." "That's right" Nick muttered his joy instantly metamorphosing into a deep anxiety "We gotta finds out how we got here in the first place."Maya bopped him on the head playfully "Silly Nick, why worry about what's already happened? We've gotten out of scrapes worse than this one. Besides I always wanted to see New York and all its tourist attractions, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Cats…" The list went on and on forcing Nick to sigh dejectedly 'Of course, Maya's not taking this seriously." His angst was broken by a flutter of paper pieces smacking him in the face "What" he asked waving a hand to get rid of them. "It's confetti" Maya explained holding up a sheaf of yellow notepad paper "Gumshoe's not here so you'll have to settle for the cheap stuff." "Speaking of things you'll miss" Nick replied dodging another handful of the stuff "What about ramen. Surely you can't last more than a week without it" "Oh come on, you can't tell me that America doesn't have ramen, silly" Maya shot back blowing a raspberry "That's like saying the sky isn't blue."

While the pair argued over the state of their affairs their American acquaintances excused themselves out of the courtroom. Finding an empty interrogation room to use Tony sat down on one side of the table while his former comrades relaxed on the opposite side."I want you to rejoin the Avengers" Tony opened which immediately had Logan up on his feet headed for the door. "No chance in hell, Stark" he replied placing a meaty hand on the doorknob "I'm not that pansy ass Captain America, I actually hold grudges." The mutant slammed the door behind him prompting Spider-Man to pipe up. "I agree with Brigadier BO, as grateful as I am for helping me out of this jam you still technically almost ruined my life." "Agreed, I certainly don't expect you to forgive me Parker but I'm asking you to put your feelings aside for now" Tony crossed his arms looking Spider-Man right in the eye "Something big is going down, it's been going on for a couple of weeks now at least, and I need your help." Spider-Man stared at Tony uncertainly for a moment as if deciding whether or not to hear him out "This had better be good or I am out of here" he finally said leaning back in his chair. For the next two hours Tony spoke without so much as a muscle twitch in protest from the younger hero. At the end of it all Spider-Man lifted a hand in order to massage his temples "If you're right Stark, and I will check the math, this could be the biggest shit fest we've ever gotten into." "Do I have your cooperation then" Tony asked leaning over the table "Time is of the essence here." The hero sighed frustrated with the situation at hand but after a while he glanced back at Tony "Alright, I'll rejoin your little group but I swear the minute I smell the faintest whiff of bullshit I'm out." The two heroes shook hands in agreement before beginning to strategize.