Hello everybody! Here's the absolute final chapter to this story! Actually, it's more of an epilogue than anything. Still, I thought I might as well go all the way with the traditional "Phoenix Wright" theme and add the character summation. Then again, there were just a couple more things I wanted to touch on that had nothing to do with the last case. As such, this epilogue chapter was born. So don't expect anything apart from senseless talking and how everybody's doing now that the case is over and the shadows of their past resolved.
Yeah, it's basically just a few days after the resolution of the LK-9 Case. It's the aftermath left behind Mephiles's surprising indictment and the mess he created in the legal world. I promise you that there isn't going to be anything crazy apart from some normal playful antics and whatnot. Just enjoy this stress-free and trial-less chapter along with my attempts to put in some funny bits. I swear; there probably wasn't a lot of them in this due to how serious everything was with the investigations and whatnot. Then again, I'm sure I unintentionally put in some funny bits along the way without me knowing it.
Thank you all once again for having read and supported this story with your reviews and compliments. Seriously, I don't think I'd ever have gotten this finished if it weren't for all of you guys. What with college and work going down on me, it was pretty hard to really stay committed to this story. Still, I pulled through it and am glad that I finished this. Now I can move on to other stories that have been on my mind. And who knows? Maybe one of them will serve as a sequel to this story. You never know, but I will say that it's currently stewing away in my head right now. See you all on one of my other stories that are on here!
Epilogue
Amy Rose
"So, is the story any good to you?" Amy asked as she sat across from the editor for the Mobius Times in her office. It was a simple room filled with typical office furnishings along with its own personal homey touches. A large window served as one of the walls which served as a good vantage point for all the cubicles and employees that occupied them. "I wrote it the best I could with all the materials I managed to gather. Granted that there was a lot for me to go through since I had a keen interest with the trial from the moment it started. It's probably going to be the top read of the week!"
"Oh, I don't doubt that for a minute, Ms. Rose," the woman agreed as she put down the paper and took off her glasses. She was the boss of the Mobius Times and had just finished looking at Amy's first ever piece of journalism work outside of high school. "Ever since the prosecutorial scandal was brought to light a few days ago, I've been stormed with journalists with differing experience. All that they've presented has been nothing but subpar articles with hardly any hands-on facts to back up their claims.
"However, your article certainly has an adequate amount of factual information in it," she added. "And taking into account that you were also called as a witness in the case that preceded the infamous incident down at the Mobius Harbor; all the material you've presented certainly has a hint of your personal experience to it. You definitely have a talent for writing a captivating story while also sticking within the boundary of your sources. I still find it hard to believe that you're only a high school student."
"Well, journalism has always been my passion," the pink hedgehog replied with a bright smile. "I've been nominated as president in my school's journalism club two times since I first joined as a sophomore. I also happen to have good intuition for what might be a good story and keep good records of any information I come across. I always keep up-to-date with the news, and I want to make that possible for everyone else."
"Hmm, perhaps you would be interested in working for the Mobius Times under an internship program," the lady suggested after a moment of consideration. She then reached into her desk and pulled out a piece of paper with something printed on it while the young girl looked on in shock at what she just heard. "We just so happen to offer intern positions here for students such as you who strive for a career in the world of journalism. It's obviously a position that has no salary, but the experience you get will help give you a bit of a leg up in this business. We also allow you to play a role in the editing of stories as well as seeing how the entire process works. I'm sure it might be redundant of me to ask; but would you be interested in enrolling for our internship program?"
"I'm certainly more than interested!" Amy exclaimed so loud that some of the workers outside the office looked through the window to see what was happening. Even the woman was slightly taken aback, but she quickly recovered and chuckled at the other's eagerness. "I always wanted to work for a newspaper company, and this will definitely be a step in the right direction. You have no idea what this chance to work here means to me. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity!"
"I'm more than glad to have you onboard with the newspaper," the woman said with a smile before offering a hand to the other who gladly took it. "All we need to do now is have your parents sign a form that allows you to intern with us. Once we have their permission, you'll be allowed to intern here for as long as a year starting at the moment when we receive the form. Of course, we'll always be happy to renew your internship if you want to.
"And since you'll be an official part of the Mobius Times family, your article will be eligible for a position in the newspapers. I'm sure it'll also have a small position in the front pages seeing that this is going to be rather big news."
"Oh, I'm definitely going to have a fun summer this year!" the pink hedgehog squealed in delight as she happily took the consent form that was handed to her. "And to think that me being called as a witness would serve to jumpstart my career!"
Salem and Leon
"Did you finish your report yet, Leon?" Salem asked as he walked into the office the two of them shared at Interpol Headquarters. It was sparsely decorated with only a desk and few other bits of essential office furniture, but it was clearly well used as noted by the weathered carpeting and the overflow of papers in the paper shredder. "We need to get them turned in to the higher-ups by the end of today."
"I'm almost done, but the stupid recorder keeps acting up," Leon grumbled as he pawed at a machine that had no doubt been created for him to use. He had been mashing at a button but was receiving no response. "This thing keeps shutting down on me. I've already complained to maintenance about it, but I guess their time is more important than me keeping my job."
"You sure you're not doing something wrong like last time?" the black cat teased as he walked on over. "Remember how you accidentally pressed the erase button and was recording nothing the whole time?"
"How long are you going to keep reminding me about that? It was my first time using this thing; I think I was allowed a learning curb then. And it didn't help that they just gave it to me without any instructions. I had to figure it all on my own!
"But anyway, let's forget about this for now," the lion dismissed before abandoning the machine and walking to the desk. "How about you tell me what the big guys talked about at the meeting? Have the higher-ups decided how they're going to proceed with the smuggling case? I mean, we did literally risk our lives to get them this info."
"Well, I've got some good news to report," the other replied as he took a seat on one of the chairs. "Thanks to the efforts of Sonic and his friends, we managed to get enough evidence to say that we've got the smuggling ringleader. There're still a couple of things that need to be cleared up, but the higher-ups are confident now that we have enough to convince the judge. I think the only thing left to do is to file the paperwork on it all.
"And to make things better, we managed to figure out a few of Mephiles's smuggling connections," he added with a hint of pride in his voice. "Now that we're comfortable saying we got our main man, we looked even closer to his actions over the past five years. Oddly enough, all of the cases Sonic took were connected through those he managed to convict.
"Mr. Eulb was the harbor worker who used his position to sneak around smuggled goods and alter the cargo manifest. He was one of their access points for smuggling in stolen goods. The now deceased Detective Sleuth was a respectable officer of reasonable rank where he could listen in on conversation concerning smuggling actions. He was also able to alter any police reports which concerned known members. And Espio served as Mephiles's second-hand man just under Dr. Robotnik and used his skills to handle any covert operations and to plug up any potential leaks like Kuro Rose. It's just too bad he got to her right after she said she was going to defect from the ring and provide us with information in exchange for immunity. Seriously, we need to work on getting those witness protection papers processed faster."
"Jeez, I didn't Sonic would've been even indirectly involved for one of his trials much less every single one in his career. Then again, I guess it makes sense now why he and his friends were targeted. All this effort was so they could kill the only witnesses who could potentially solve the LK-9 Case which could unravel the smuggling operations if solved. It's amazing how they went through all that effort just to be beaten at every turn by a rookie defense attorney. How's it feel to finally have it all this craziness come to a close?"
"Not as good as knowing you're okay after having gotten yourself into some big trouble during the whole thing. I still can't believe you let an old man get the better of you and lock you in the warehouse office. I've been worried the moment you didn't give me a call. Haven't I taught you anything about keeping yourself safe?"
"Alright, Salem; you don't have to keep reminding me about that!" Leon groaned. "I've already been embarrassed enough when I explained it to Dr. Robotnik. I don't need you going down my throat about it again. I'm just happy that the Chaotix Detective Agency were able to find me and that Sonic was able to prove the old hedgehog was responsible for it all. At least we can slap him with assault on an Interpol agent on top of everything else."
"Seriously, I don't think I'm ever going to let you out of my sights again after this," Salem grumbled as he pinched his nose. "You always find some way or another to make me worry about you. And the fact that you have Feralisis Syndrome and insist on working in the field doesn't help things much."
"Hey, I think I can hold my own well enough. I mean, Interpol wouldn't have hired me if I didn't show good field skills."
Instead of answering back, the black cat simply picked up the phone resting on his desk and began dialing the numbers. Leon took this as a hint to drop the subject and returned to trying to make his recorder work again.
Dr. Ivo Robotnik
"Hmm, I hope I packed everything," Dr. Robotnik mumbled to himself as he closed his suitcase. His apartment had since been emptied as part of his relocation situation, and it was all as bare as if it were a newly built place.
After Sonic and his friends managed to solve the LK-9 Case, the smuggling group went into shambles without Mephiles to guide them. Before excommunicating himself from the crime syndicate, he heard that many of the smuggling officials were going underground and wait until a new leader was appointed. Fortunately for the man, he knew most of the smuggling members in Mobius and was going to report them back to Interpol.
He was soon jolted out of his thoughts from his cell phone ringing. He quickly dug it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID before answering it.
"I was expecting you to call me sometime soon," he bluntly greeted. "How are things going back at headquarters, Salem?"
"It's pretty good considering the case-breaking details we've just been served," Salem sighed, clearly used to the other's way of talking and paying little attention to it. "To be honest with you, the higher-ups have been calling a lot of meetings just to make sure all the information Sonic and his friends obtained for us is legit. I understand why they're hesitant about it since the new information was received by attorneys who had nothing to do with our smuggling case until they revived the LK-9 Case. Still, shouldn't the fact that it was obtained during an actual trial be enough to at least convince them of its validity?"
"Hmm, I take it then that you want me to come back as fast as I can and talk some sense into them?" Dr. Robotnik asked with a hint of amusement in his tone. "You do know that there's only so much I can do even if I'm there, right?"
"I know, but these bigwigs seem more willing to believe things when they hear it coming directly from your mouth. You pretty much have more experience than most of those guys, so they tend to bend an ear to whatever it is you have to say. With me, it's like I'm still a rookie who doesn't know what he's talking about. I still remember how they shot down my suggestion that the lighthouse was a central hub for the smuggling. I'm sure you can guess how that ended up going for them."
"Well, five years isn't that much time to be working with Interpol. It takes time for some to warm up to you and your potential, although I will admit they tend to jump the gun a lot when making their decisions. Even my words aren't heeded every now and again. And speaking of potential, how's your brother doing? I hear he's gotten a good talking-to once Interpol got wind he was kidnapped."
"He's right now trying to finish up his end of the report, but we're right now having some trouble with his recorder," the black cat explained. Leon could be heard in the background cursing about how the technicians were just a bunch of lazy idiots. "The tech staff haven't been on top of their game lately, but there's nothing new about that. Other than that, he's pretty much the same as ever."
"That's good to know. Anyway, I've got to get going now. I'm coming to headquarters right now so I can figure out what my next undercover mission is going to be. If you two are still there, then I'll see you later."
"Alright. Try not to get into any trouble while you're out there. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the smugglers caught wind of you being relatively fine despite Mephiles now behind bars and soon to be tried as the ringleader."
"Your concern is unnecessary but appreciated nonetheless," the portly man humorously replied before turning off the phone. He then put it back into his pocket before picking up his suitcase and making his way to the door for the final time.
"At least I can leave here knowing that I'm leaving the law in good hands," he thought aloud as he exited into the hallway. "He may be a rookie, but Sonic definitely has the makings to be one of the greatest defense attorneys this city's ever saw. And with Tails working beside him as his partner, I'm sure there's nothing that'll stop them from finding the truth.
"Speaking of the truth, I better send those detectives the results of our findings," he continued on as he began typing something on his phone. "I'm sure they'll be more than interested since it pertains to some of the cases they've worked on. At least they can now say those incidents are fully resolved with this."
Silver and Knuckles
"Boy, I never thought those idiots would stop bombarding me with questions!" Knuckles heavily sighed as he sank into his chair so hard it actually made an unusual sound. The Precinct had seen little progress actually being made due to the aftermath that saw the resolution of the LK-9 Case. Because of that, everyone was in panic mode while waiting for the results that the bombshell of a conviction would have on them. "Did they really have to go at me with so many things in an attempt to find an excuse to fire me? Seriously, these auditors are going overboard with their investigation!"
The day after the LK-9 Case was officially resolved, a few independent auditors hailing from neighboring cities quickly occupied the Precinct. They wasted no time and immediately got started with their corruption investigation. Every detective on the payroll were told to line up outside of the captain's office for an on-the-spot performance and ethics review. It was warned that the process would take the entire day, and it was already late in the afternoon by the time Knuckles's review was done. This meant that he along with everybody else was going to have a backlog of work once tomorrow came around.
"How you holding up, Knuckles?" Silver asked as he approached the echidna's desk with two cups of coffee and set one down. He was one of the first to attend his review and get out of it unscathed. "I hope the auditors didn't give you too much of a hard time."
"If a hard time doesn't constitute being questioned about the same thing over and over and being threatened with firing for lying, then they didn't," the other sarcastically replied. "In fact, I think they're having a lot of fun trying to make us detectives suffer while they try to weed out those they think corrupt or incompetent."
"Well, at least you're able to make it back to your desk with only those misgivings about this," the senior detective reassured. "I've already seen a few detectives fired and cleaning out their desks. And judging by how you're just pissed at how they do their work, I'm guessing that you're not going anywhere anytime soon."
"You better believe it, Silver. They better have said the same thing to you or I'm going to march back in and demand they reverse their decision!"
"Don't worry; I had a pretty clean record when I faced them. They literally had a hard time trying to find anything bad to say about me. The only thing they could be critical about were my minimal interactions with Mephiles. Even then, they were forced to admit that my hearing might be the shortest they'll ever have today.
"Still, I'm not happy with how they're doing on-the-spot firings simply because all the negatives add up to what they define as an unfit detective," he added with clear dissatisfaction. "I know these guys are independent auditors, but they don't have to act like employment gods and judge us through their standards alone. It's like they're doing anything they can to cleanse as much of this department they can! I hardly see how that can be fair."
"Go ahead and put this under the list of things we can blame Mephiles for putting us through," Knuckles replied before taking a long sip from his coffee. "I swear; he's probably laughing in whatever rotten cell he's being held at all the trouble he's caused. The Prosecutor's Office is also being audited, and I'm willing to bet they're being grilled just as hard if not more so. I'm sure Shadow and Vector can fend for themselves well enough, but I've no doubt their auditors are just as ruthless as ours."
"There's not much we can do about it but wait. That's the only thing I hate Sonic and Tails having done. We wouldn't be going through this if it weren't for him, but I can't hold it against them. Most of this was Mephiles's fault for having been so corrupted and potentially planting his views amongst other prosecutors and detectives."
"I don't care either way," the echidna nonchalantly brushed aside as he picked up a file and began browsing through it. "All I want to do now is catch up with the mountains of work the auditors forced me to put off. Most of these are cases that've already been solved, but I still need to get them sorted out. At least the captain can't grill me if I file in a report late, even he got himself audited and forced to put off everything."
"Mind if I stuck around to help?" Silver suggested while pulling up a spare chair nearby. "I managed to get most of my work done, so I'm free right now."
"If you don't mind filing burglary reports and sifting through evidence for a potentially prosecutable case, then go ahead. I want to get as much of this done as fast as I can. Don't forget that we got somewhere to go later. And before I forget, thanks for sticking around to help get my mind off of all this."
With only a nod of his head, the senior detective picked up a file and began browsing through it. Not even a minute into figuring out what it was, he felt his phone ring and looked to see what was going on.
"…Hey, Dr. Robotnik just sent me some files," he said as he opened said documents and browsed through them. "It looks like they have something to do with some cases. I wonder why he'd send me this."
"Probably because he's got some info from Interpol he can share with you," Knuckles replied offhandedly without looking up from his file. "I still can't believe that he's actually an Interpol agent. He definitely did a good job hiding it from everybody with his cover as a law agency. It sucks now that he'll have to leave Mobius; he was one of the best defense attorneys apart from Sonic."
"Wait a minute; this is information on all the cases that Sonic worked on prior to going against Mephiles!" the senior detective exclaimed. "According to this, all the suspects that Sonic successfully proved were responsible for murder were also members of the smuggling ring. The reason for them committing their crimes was because it was under the boss's orders. Put that together with the fact that all the kidnap victims from five years ago were being framed for it and he was trying to kill two birds with one stone."
"So we finally got proper motive for all those cases?" the echidna asked before shuffling through the mountain of files. "I think I got those files somewhere here. Better put it in so we can officially call them fully solved. Still, it doesn't help with trying to get all this done before the day's over."
Instead of answering back, Silver continued to read the files that Dr. Robotnik had sent him. Noticing that he was not going to be getting further help anytime soon, the other detective irritably groaned while continuing to search for the specific files.
Shadow and Vector
"The LK-9 Case has certainly caused everybody a lot of trouble," Shadow sighed as he sat at his desk with a cup of coffee in his hands. He had just finished taking care of the work that had piled during his time with the auditors and was relaxing from the day's hectic events. "The entire office is being turned upside-down by the auditors in search of corruption and shaky job performances. Everyone's fallen behind in their work because of the extensive amount of time we have to spend defending ourselves from them. And it doesn't help that they have us drop everything and wait in line for our review like were in elementary school."
"Knuckles just told me the Precinct is going through the same thing," Vector stated with the same sigh after flipping through the unread messages in his phone. His headset was resting on his neck with the music blaring out of them as he sat on a sofa enjoying his cup of coffee. "Apparently, they're not just looking for signs of corruption there. They're also putting each detective's performance review under scrutiny and seeing if they're worthy enough to continue working. I'm sure Knuckles and Silver are going to get out of it fine, but I can't imagine how the others are going to take it. It's a shame since there are some perfectly fine detectives about to be laid off just like that."
"I don't see how that's any different from what we're going through right now," the ebon hedgehog said after taking a sip from his cup. "We've already seen a couple of prosecutors leave thanks to the auditors. However, I think its good their gone. I've already had my suspicions that some of them were in league with Mephiles even before this. At least now I don't have to worry about some people trying to fix their cases."
"And it's not like this auditing thing was all bad," the crocodile added. "It also managed to weed out those who are completely incompetent at their job. Do you remember that old guy Payne or something? I can't tell you how many times he's asked me to help straighten up his files so he won't be going to court disorganized. At least I'm happy for this audit finally getting him out of here and keep him from bugging us with his idiotic antics."
With only an amused chuckle as a response, Shadow put down his coffee and picked up a file that was resting on his desk. On it were the words "LK-9 Case" typed on it.
"For the past few years since I became a prosecutor, I've been doing everything I could to solve this," he said. "I know I've told you this before, but Maria was both my tutor and good friend during high school. It's because of her that I actually became interested in law. When I heard she was killed trying to save me and the others, I wasn't going to just sit back and let the police try to solve it. I guess you could say this was my way of trying to get revenge for the one who killed her.
"And then there was Sonic's uncle also getting killed trying to save us. I wouldn't be surprised if he became a defense attorney because of that. It's good that we both have closure now, but I still can't believe the results of our findings. I mean, I personally feel like an idiot for having stared at my target all these years without knowing it!"
"Hey, you can't go beating yourself up for that," Vector reassured the other. "Mephiles literally had the entire office and Precinct in his hands. There wasn't a single person in either department who thought he was a murderer. Even the questions that lingered about his unusual courtroom tactics were unfounded and disappeared after a while. Being the cunning man that he was, I'm amazed that we were able to name him as a suspect much less convict him. As a fellow prosecutor, I never dreamed I would've gone against him in any shape or form. I can see why defense attorneys dreaded going against him now."
For a couple of minutes, both prosecutors merely sat in silence as they mulled over all that has happened. Neither of them liked being played for fools, and here was a man who was able to manipulate everyone in the Mobius law enforcement into believing he was a powerful and unstoppable force. Yet despite all odds, they were able to work together alongside their friends to unmask the man and reveal him to be the murderous monster he was. And now there were questions of his involvement with the local smuggling ring, question that were currently being looked into by Interpol and would no doubt be solved. After all, most of the new info they received was courtesy of the trial that Sonic and Vector had conducted.
"But yeah, there's nothing more we can do about it now," the crocodile suddenly said as he got up and stretched his arms. "We've done all we could on our end of the law. Let's leave the rest up to the guys at Interpol. I'm sure Salem and Leon are working their butts off to keep our efforts from going to waste. With guys like them working the smuggling case, I'm sure they'll be able to pin Mephiles as the ringleader in no time. They agreed to keep me posted on it, so I'll tell you about it once I figure it out."
"I'm holding you to it, Vector," Shadow replied before getting up himself and checking the time on the wall clock. "Well, it's almost six-thirty. I believe we need to be somewhere by seven if I'm not mistaken."
"Oh yeah, I actually forgot about that! We better get going then if we're going to want to beat traffic. That and I don't want to be dragged into another review with the auditors. Once is enough torture for me."
As the two continued with their idle conversation, they gathered their stuff and walked out of Shadow's office. The hallway was pretty bare of people, so they had no trouble going to the elevators and riding it to the ground floor where they would finally be able to escape the air of oppression created by the presence of the independent auditors.
Sonic and Tails
"Geez, I still can't believe that I own this place now," Sonic said as he sat at his desk. Ever since he was given ownership of the law firm, he and Tails had taken steps to give the place some of their personal touches. They rearranged some of the furniture and brought in some of their pictures to give the place a more welcoming feel. They even changed Dr. Robotinik's old office into a room dedicated to storing away old case files. Both were in consensus that changing the room into anything else would be a disservice to the man who helped them land a more steady life.
"You better start believing it, Sonic," the fox replied as he finished hanging a picture that he and their friends took during their celebratory dinner party a few days ago. The whole thing depicted such a festive mood; it was near impossible to tell it was in celebration of solving a cold case. "This is going to be your life until the moment you decide to retire."
"It's going to be our life," the hedgehog corrected. "Don't forget that Dr. Robotnik put your name on the papers as well. As of now, you're officially my partner-in-crime in running this place. And that's not even mentioning the license he was able to net you which allows you to be a detective for this firm."
"I still can't believe that he was able to give me this," the other murmured as he reached into his gloves and pulled out a badge that was like Sonic's. Instead of certifying him as an attorney though, it showed that he was a certified detective. "He said that I'll still need to take a course to make the whole thing official, but he managed to pull some strings so I can at least work beside you with investigations."
"I still can't believe that he's been a member of Interpol this entire time. I guess it kind of makes sense seeing how he was more out of the office than he was in. But to think that he was at such a high level. I mean, he had to be pretty high up to get it so that you can take an investigative course that Interpol agents take."
"Well, I can't say I'm complaining," Tails said with a shrug while making his way into the kitchen. There was a bit of cluttering going on as though he were moving some cookware around. "I won't lie when I say that wasn't at least a bit curious about how they go about with their field investigations. From what Salem and Leon taught me about the logic chess technique of interrogation, what they learn must be on a scope that's different from what your everyday detective learns."
"Heh, I'd never dream you'd get a career opportunity at the age you're at now," Sonic chuckled. "It already took me quite a bit of effort to convince the court that you'll be good in my custody. Now you're actually going to become my partner-in-crime once you pass the Interpol certified investigative course. Still, it's going to be a bit quiet around here with you gone."
"But isn't this why you and the others planned this party?" the fox questioned as he brought out a tray filled with bowls of differing party foods from pretzels to popcorn.
With merely a shrug of his shoulders, Sonic got up and went to help with the party set-up. He went into the kitchen to get the drinks while Tails was busy setting up the coffee table. It was going to be a rather tame party, more like a going-away kind of thing than anything else. And it was also going to serve as an extension to the congratulatory party from a few days ago, so they were all pretty excited about it.
After a few more minutes of setting up, the two heard a knock at the door. The cobalt hedgehog motioned that he was going to get it while the other made the finishing touches.
"Glad you guys could make it," he greeted as Knuckles and Silver walked in. "Just make yourselves at home in our new office and we'll serve you shortly."
"Look who's gone sounding all high and mighty now that he's his own boss," Knuckles teased as he hung his coat on a nearby rack. "You might want to leave the door open; I saw Vector and Shadow coming in behind us."
"And I'd say we caught up pretty quickly," Vector's familiar voice answered as both prosecutors appeared and entered the office. "So this is where our friendly neighborhood rookie defense attorney calls his office, huh? Boy, I can't believe how far you've gone from when I first faced off against you in court."
"Thanks for the compliment," the defense attorney thanked with a roll of his eyes.
"Just make sure you don't let it get to your head," Shadow scoffed in a lighthearted fashion. "The last thing we need is a lawyer who's gotten drunk from his newfound power and throws the entire legal system up in limbo."
"I think it's a bit late for that," Silver joked as he took a seat on the sofa. "He's already got the Precinct and Prosecutor's Office subjected to an audit. It was all Knuckles and I could do to keep the dogs away."
"That was the same for me and Shadow," the crocodile responded as he put on his headphones. However, these ones seemed more casual as they lacked the badge that normally stuck out on the muffs.
"Hey, I already said I was sorry for putting you through that," Sonic murmured irritably. "If you really want to blame someone, then blame Mephiles for the trouble he caused."
"Hey, let's just forget about all that crap and enjoy the party," the echidna announced as he picked up a cup filled with soda that had been set up by Tails. "I'm happy that we're out of that misery, and I want to go pretending it never happened."
"Well, then how about we start off with a toast?" the senior detective suggested as he picked up his own cup followed by everybody else. "Not only is this the birth of a new business; it's also a start to Tails's very first job training."
"Uh, I don't think we need to do that," said fox replied with a light blush.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," the cobalt hedgehog agreed as he raised his cup to the air. "This is to Tails's big break at becoming both an investigator and my equal partner in our new business, 'The M&M Legal Agency'!"
"I still can't believe you decided to base the first half of the name off of a popular brand of candy," the ebon hedgehog groaned before taking a sip of his drink.
"I already told you, the M's are the initials to our legal first names! I didn't want there to be a sense of superiority, so I figured the M's would work better."
"I guess it works," Knuckles replied with a shrug. "I mean, calling it 'Maurice and Miles's Legal Agency' or the other way around would be kind of a mouthful. Still, just hearing the first part of it makes me feel like having some candy now."
"I still can't believe your first name is Maurice!" Vector added with an amused snort.
"Hey, it was the name my mother gave me. You got something against it, then go take it up with her! Why'd you think I prefer to be called Sonic? And why aren't you bugging Tails about his first name?"
"Because yours kind of sounds more serious when you're actually more of a goofball," the croc continued with his lighthearted teasing. Everyone else joined in with the laughing in agreement to what he said.
Instead of answering back, Sonic merely rolled his eyes as he drank from his cup in completion of the toast turned conversational joke. Of course, he was not sore about what they were discussing. Even he admitted that it sounded more like a candy brand. Still, he wanted things to sound as equal as possible between him and Tails. After all, they were now partners in this new chapter of their life. Things could only go up from here.
They now had friends and allies both in the Precinct and the Prosecutor's Office should they ever need the help. They had connections with an independent detective agency that so happened to be owned by Vector himself. And Tails was about to go on an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how Interpol agents perform their investigations thanks in no small part to Dr. Robotnik's influence with the group. And to think that it all started the moment when he first started working as a defense attorney.
Well, that's it for this epilogue and this entire story. I hope you liked it all! And yes, I decided to try my hand at one last joke involving M&Ms. I wanted the new law firm to sound short but good, and putting "Sonic and Tails's Legal Agency" just didn't look right. Then I decided to use their actual first names before coming up with the idea to use their initials. That's how this little funny bit was born!
But yeah, I think I will be starting to work on a sequel now. I mean, the ending I've written has left the possibility open. That and I'm quite curious with what else I can come up with now that Tails is officially Sonic's partner and about to get some actual detective training courtesy of Dr. Robotnik. Let's see what he'll learn from Interpol, huh?
And sorry one last time for those of you who were hoping that Dr. Robotnik would've played more of a role in this story. I honestly meant for him to be more of a front-line player for the LK-9 Case, but the storyline kept going in a way that it would've been impossible. I was barely able to squeeze in him covertly giving Sonic and Tails the picture along with a note that he was with Interpol. Still, I'm sure some of you were thinking that he was actually a member of the smuggling ring what with how I had his movements kind of suspicious and whatnot.
But yeah, that's it for me on this story. This is my last chapter and author's note, so I hope you enjoyed it all. I'll see you all on the next story I write! Hopefully, it'll be a sequel to this. You never know, right? Later!