A/N: Leave it to life to get in the way when you feel the ideas flowing, yet leave you alone when nothing's coming to you. Anyways, here are the ages of the characters introduced in this chapter…

Klavier: 6

Ema: 7

Gant: 57

Badd: 49

Kristoph: 15

With that, I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

The sun was shining bright in a cloudless sky, basking the beach in a warm, golden light; though contrary to what one would think, the sand was not too hot on account of a light breeze, yet not too cold either. The same could be said for water, which was also at a decent temperature, in addition to being choppy enough to feel entertained, yet not too rough as to get repeatedly toppled over by monster waves. Children frolicked about, doggedly chasing down the poor ice-cream vendors that were making their rounds throughout the beach like starving lions pursuing an antelope on the Serengeti.

Yep, it was a perfect day to have fun in the sun… unless you were part of the von Karma family, who chose to stay seated in Blaise's leather beach chairs underneath his watermelon-print beach umbrella.

"Foolish Blaise and his foolish 99 Cent Store umbrella… Did this to me on purpose…" Manfred grumbled to himself.

"S-Sir…" Edgeworth, who was wearing a maroon bathing suit, said through chattering teeth, shivering as he covered himself with a Dukes of Hazard beach towel for warmth. "W-W-We've been sitting underneath this umbrella for thi-thi-thirty minutes now. C-C-Can I please go out on the b-b-be- OW!" The adolescent yelped as he felt the riding crop of his irritated adoptive sister strike his bare arm.

Franziska, who was wearing a bluish-grey one-piece swimsuit and a large white beach hat, looked up from the legal book she was reading and shot her 'little' brother a death glare.

"Miles Edgeworth, you've been complaining since we got here! How am I supposed to become a prosecutor if you keep foolishly interrupting my study time with your foolish whining?" Franziska cast her gaze at her father, who was wearing a black swim suit and a thick layer of sunblock that made his complexion look even paler than normal. "Papa, make Miles Edgeworth stop whining!"

"Miles, what purpose do you need to go out on the beach? To tire yourself out with unnecessary exercise and throw off your perfect sleep schedule? I think not. You don't see Franziska complaining now, do you?"

"T-T-That's because she's wearing a one-piece; p-p-plus, her back's to the wind!" Edgeworth objected. "A-A-All I'm asking is that you let m-me take a walk."

Manfred let out a sigh and crossed his arms. "Fine. If it will keep you quiet, you can take a walk. But I want you back here in 30 minutes, on the dot; and if you even so much as think of feeling drowsy tomorrow, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear, boy?"

Edgeworth nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Without wasting any time, Edgeworth got up from his chair and left the umbrella, exposing himself to the warmth of the sun; but before he could commence his stroll, he heard a playful "Don't let a sea monster eat you!" from Franziska.

"Don't be ridiculous, Franziska." Edgeworth responded as he turned to face his younger sister, who was wearing a smug grin on her face. "Sea monster are merely myths- like Bigfoot, crop circles, or a defense attorney capable of besting your father."

"Amen to that." Manfred chimed in.

"But Miles Edgeworth, sea monster are real."

"No they aren't, Franziska, and we both know this. You're only starting an argument for the sake of starting an argument."

"If sea monsters aren't real, then show me some evidence supporting that foolish theory of yours."

"After you show me evidence of your own supporting their existence. Perhaps some eyewitnesses; permitting you can find any…" Edgeworth sneered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Franziska waggled her finger. "A lack of witnesses would only serve to enhance my argument, Miles Edgeworth."

"How so?"

"Simple. Any eyewitnesses would have been eaten before they could report their findings."

"This is getting ridiculous! I'm not going to stand here a second longer and perpetuate this pointless debate." Edgeworth stated with a tone of mild annoyance before walking away from the umbrella.

"Don't come crying to me when you're being digested in a sea monster's stomach! Oh right, you won't because you were eaten!" Franziska called out in an attempt to get the last word. "So how'd I do, Papa? Are my debating skills up to snuff?" The young girl asked as she looked at her father with glimmer of hope in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to receive his approval for once in her life.

"That was mediocre at best, Franziska. If you had even the slightest mastery of my teachings, you'd know that to before break your opponent, you must first break their spirit- their hopes. That is why you mustn't even let them retort your first statement; for how can a fool stand against a von Karma's perfect argument if they haven't even a leg to stand on?" Manfred smirked at his daughter, who stared at him with a hurt look in her eyes.

"But Papa, I-"

Manfred snapped his fingers. "I will hear no excuses, girl! Now return to your reading. One cannot become a perfect prosecutor without a perfect understanding of Law; and if your grasp of your current study material is as shoddy as the argument that I just witnessed, then you need all the knowledge you can get. So you are not to even look up from that book unless I say so. Understood?"

Franziska hung her head in shame as she returned to her book. "Yes, Papa…"

Five minutes later, Franziska was still reading her book as Manfred looked out at the ocean, watching the waves go in and out. Normally, Manfred would be the first to voice how scenery is a waste of time and how he was above it, but there was something about these waves that was just so… hypnotic. The way that they'd crash, come in, and then return back to sea in a perfect cycle was something that a perfectionist prosecutor could appreciate, as shown by his eyes becoming heavy.

Manfred shook his head, snapping himself awake. No. This isn't the time or place to sleep. The veteran prosecutor started to feel his eyes getting heavy again. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to rest my eyes for a few minutes… Manfred pinched himself. What am I thinking? This is a public beach. Sleeping in such a place is something only a lesser being would consider- someone like Gregory Edgeworth. I… Manfred let out a yawn. N-No… I will not give into these primal urges. I'm Manfred von Karma, the perfect prosecutor. I will not… will not...

Despite his valiant efforts, Manfred was lulled into a deep sleep, completely unaware of a small boy standing over him and flashing him a mischievous grin.

Manfred was savoring this nap as he felt his body loosen and his stress start to melt away; but alas, all good things must come to an end, and for Manfred that end came in the form of something cold and sticky hitting him square in the chest.

"What in the Sam Hill…!" Manfred yelled as he quickly jerked up, growling at the sight of the offending item that awoke him- an ice-cream snack on a stick in the shape of Signal Yellow's head- falling in his lap with a splat.

Picking up the ice-cream by its stick, Manfred glared daggers into the gumball eyes of the snack based on a beloved children's television hero. "Who…?" The veteran prosecutor growled.

"Heh-heh-heh! Looks like you aren't dead after all, eh Grandpa?" A young voice sneered.

Manfred cast his gaze upwards, where he saw a small young boy with short blond hair, wearing a reddish-purple bathing suit and black sunglasses, leaning forward with his hands on his hips as he flashed the veteran prosecutor a smirk.

"Do you have any idea to whom you are talking to, boy?" Manfred sternly asked as he crossed his arms.

"Based on what I see, I'd say Gower the Grumpy Ghost." The boy sneered.

"I am the man who has made criminals and defense attorneys alike weep tears of pure fear; I am the man who has singlehandedly brought justice and order to the greater Los Angeles area;" Manfred got up out of his chair and started to walk over to the boy. "I'm the perfect prosecutor, Manfred von Karm-aaagh!" The veteran prosecutor screamed as he tripped over the exposed tip of a shovel that was buried right in front of his chair, causing him to fall face-first in a large pile of sand.

Manfred slowly looked up, growling as he shot the boy a death glare. "Look like you're Prosecutor Sandybutt now! Smell you later, Sandybutt!" The boy sneered, giving Manfred a raspberry before running off laughing."

Manfred quickly picked himself off the ground, trying to brush the sand off his torso, but to no avail. "No! The sunblock! It's working against me…! No matter, I can handle this later. First, I must hunt down that boy like the dog he is, for no one shames a von Karma and lives to tell about it!" Manfred picked up his cane and proceeded to chase after the boy.

As this was happening, Franziska pretended that she didn't notice, afraid to stop reading her book out of fear of how her father would react.

For the next five or so minutes, Manfred chased after the brat who dared to wrong him, even managing to catch up to him. Manfred may have normally been restricted by his cane, but when angry or excited, the perfect prosecutor could overpower his physical limitations; running surprisingly fast as he held his cane at his side.

"Try and run, you'll never win! You'll never catch me 'cause I'm Klavier Gavin!" The boy sneered, turning his head so he could give Manfred another raspberry.

"We'll see about that, boy!" Manfred yelled as he tossed his cane like a spear, managing to hit Klavier in the back and causing him to fall to the ground with a yelp like a wounded buffalo.

Seeing his enemy downed, a smirk spread across Manfred's face as he picked up his cane and slowly approached Klavier, who tried to crawl away from the demented man whom he pushed too far.

"End of the line, boy!" Manfred wryly stated as he raised his cane above his head, preparing to literally knock some sense into this ruffian. "Any last words?"

Klavier burst into tears as he put his hands over his face. "Don't hit me in the face! Mommy says I'm real handsome!"

"But not as handsome as me." Manfred sneered as he swung his cane downward at the crying boy; but before he could strike Klavier, his cane was stopped midair by someone grabbing the end of it.

Manfred turned his head to see what fool would have the gall to get in the way of his vengeance. "Who dares interrupt-" Manfred stopped himself upon seeing that this new thorn in his side was a well-endowed woman with long, straight jet-black hair in a black two-piece swimsuit who was wearing a bit too much make-up and stood a full head taller than the veteran prosecutor. "Look, ma'am, despite my air of sophistication and prestige, as a prosecutor and a man above animal urges, I refuse to pay for any lewd services you may wish to provide."

The woman let go of Manfred's cane to slap his cheek. "Ew! Like I'd ever consider doing that with a guy who could be my granddad!"

Manfred flinched. "G-Granddad!? How old do you think I am?!"

"Old enough to know not to pick on little sweet, innocent boys!" The woman angrily retorted, pointing at Klavier, who was still on the ground sniffling and wiping tears out of his eyes.

"Oh, I can assure you that boy is no saint. He threw an ice-cream at me, tripped me with a shovel, and called me sandybutt!" Manfred objected as Klavier got up and ran behind the woman's legs for protection.

"He's just a kid; he doesn't know any better. That doesn't give you the right to try to beat him with a cane, you big bully!" The woman stated with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah!" Another woman- one who was only half Manfred's height and a little pudgier, though equally as endowed as the other one, with curly blond hair- stated as she stormed over to the seasoned prosecutor. "Like, what gives you the right to beat up kids?"

Manfred looked around the area, noticing that besides the two women who were currently confronting him, there was a plethora of attractive women trotting around.

"Is Hugh Heffner here or something?" Manfred asked, earning him another slap from the first woman.

"No! We're models preparing to compete in the Miss Beach Babe pageant and you barged into our practice area."

"Sorry, ladies, just turn over the boy to me and we'll get out of your hair."

"P-Pwease don't make me go wiff the scawy, scawy man, Ms. Pretty Lady! He wants to hurt me real bad!" Klavier whimpered, his lower lip quivering.

"Bah! Quit being overdramatic and take your punishment like a man, boy!" Manfred huffed as he put a firm hand on Klavier's shoulder, but was immediately pushed off by the model.

"Well, if you're such a man, then why don't you pick on someone your own size!?" The model stated, stiffening her posture to emphasize the height advantage that she held over Manfred.

A smirk spread across Manfred's face. "Well, if we're talking about brain size, then you'd have to rally every airheaded, scatterbrained model here to have even a tenth of my intellect. I've seen foolish defense attorneys with more-"

Not wanting to take any more of Manfred's attitude, the model pulled out a bottle of mace and sprayed the veteran prosecutor right in his eyes, causing him to scream out in pain.

"Uuaaaaaaaargh! My eyes! My perfect eyes!" Manfred bellowed at the top of his lungs, rubbing his eyes as he fell to his knees before getting kicked in the chest by the second model, knocking him on his back.

The shorter girl then proceeded to repeatedly stomp on Manfred's chest. "C'mon, girls! Let's show this guy how, like, 'scatterbrained' we really are!" The model called out, quickly being joined by about ten other girls who started to stomp on Manfred's chest and kick his shoulders.

The taller model got down on her knees and wiped the tears off Klavier's reddened cheeks. "Don't worry, little guy. That big ol' meanie won't be hurting you anytime soon." The woman softly told the young lad with a smile on her face, gesturing over to Manfred who was being abused, both physically and emotionally, by the hoard of models.

"Th-Thanks, Ms. Pretty Lady." Klavier sniffled. "One day, when I get big and famous, I'll repay you for this! Promise!" Klavier jovially proclaimed.

The model chuckled as she ruffled Klavier's hair. "And I bet you will, shug. You know, I can't put my finger on it, but I've got a good feeling about you… Here's my card. If you ever decide to enter the music biz when you grow up, give me a call." The model sweetly said as she handed Klavier a business card; causing the young boy's eyes to widen as if he was handed gold.

"Thanks, Ms…" Klavier read the card to learn the woman's name. "Tinas!"

"You don't have to be so formal with me, shug. Just call me Sonja. And don't mention it, from my experience in both the modeling and music industries, guys like you skyrocket in their prime!"

"You sure?" Klavier asked as a smile formed on his face.

"100%." Sonja got back on her feet, but not before giving Klavier a kiss on the cheek. "See ya 'round, shug." The woman waved to him before gracefully walking off.

Back at the von Karmas' umbrella, Franziska was still reading and was actually starting to get into a grove- the kind of grove where you feel like you're actually starting to get the material and each page feels shorter than the last. But alas, like her father before her, Franziska was interrupted by her own pest-child; but unlike the mischievous boy who pranked her father, Franziska's came in the form of a girl with long brown hair with a little topknot, wearing a moss-green one-piece bathing suit and a pair of pink-tinted glasses that were way too big for her face, who was excitedly breathing over her.

"Hiya! My name's Ema Skye, future forensics scientist! What's yours?" The young girl jovially asked, earning her an exasperated huff from the blue-haired girl.

"None of your business." Franziska curtly replied, not even bothering to look up from her book. This foolish girl wasn't worth potential punishment from her father.

Being the persistent sort, Ema paid no regard to Franziska, who anyone could tell couldn't be less concerned with whatever anyone had to say.

"This beach has such interesting sand composition. You see, the white sand here is due to the presence of coral; yet my science teacher says that there aren't any major sources of coral in the area. But the proof's in the pudding, or rather in the sand! Oh, I have to write that one down! It'll make me a big hit at the talent show next week!"

"If by 'big hit' you mean that people will want to throw stuff at you and push you off the stage, then you're correct." Franziska wryly commented, which flew right over Ema's head.

"Oh, speaking of pushing, did you know that there's an average of about 12 hundred beached marine mammals each year? Or that contrary to common belief, beached whales aren't usually blown up, but are rather buried ten feet under the beach it was found on? So for all we know, we could be right above a dead whale! Isn't that exciting!?" Ema asked with a surprisingly large grin for a girl talking about dead whale disposal.

"And you foolishly felt the foolish need to tell me such a foolish fact why?"

"Well, my sister told me that the best way to make new friends is to talk about things that interest you until you find someone that agrees."

"Then why don't you do that with other people?"

Ema lowered her head in embarrassment. "I did, but all the other kids I found either ran away or laughed and called me mean names like 'science freak' or 'birdy nerdy' or 'big butt'! I can understand the first two, but 'big butt'!? I don't have a big butt! Do I..?" Ema nervously asked as she turned her back to Franziska. "Do I have a big butt? Be honest! I can't fix issues that I have no knowledge of!"

"I do not care about your foolish issue nor do I want to care." Franziska growled. "Now please leave. I can't study to be a perfect prosecutor like my papa with you foolishly pestering me."

Ema perked up, her eyes lit with excitement. "You want to be a prosecutor? Well, what a coincidence: my sister's in college studying to be one!"

"Oh, so now they're letting just any fool who can yell 'Objection!' become a prosecutor?"

Ema clenched her fists. "Hey! Don't underestimate Lana! Her professors say that she has what it takes to be the next Manfred von Karma."

Franziska put down her book as she broke out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Hey! What's so funny!?" Ema pouted.

"Like your foolish sister can hold a candle to my papa's glorious, perfect splendor! That's rich!" Franziska wailed with laughter as she pounded the arm of her chair. "She probably couldn't fold Papa's socks right, let alone be his equal in court!"

However, instead of being hurt by Franziska's remarks, an idea popped into Ema's head, prompting her to put her hand on Franziska's shoulder.

"Say, pal, would you-"

"Like me to tear of your hand if you don't get it off my shoulder in the next three seconds?" Franziska wryly commenting, prompting Ema nervously gulp before quickly retracting her hand.

"As I was saying, how'd you like to help me build a really cool sandcastle?" Ema asked with an excited grin.

"And why would I want to do that?" Franziska curtly responded before returning to her book.

"Well, while we're building the sandcastle, you could teach me your dad's courtroom tricks. That way, I can help Lana get her homework done faster so she can spend more time with me!" Ema cheerfully explained.

"One, Papa's perfect techniques aren't 'tricks'. Second, as I've asked previously, why would I want to do that?"

"You scratch my back, and I scratch yours…" Ema leaned close to Franziska. "You teach me your dad's techniques that he uses in court, and I'll teach you how to make the meanest potato clock this side of the Mississippi! So, whaddya say?" The young girl whispered as if she was selling national secrets.

Franziska used her tiding crop to slowly push Ema's face out of her personal space before glaring daggers at the aspiring scientist.

"Sure! My papa may zap me with a stun gun if I cease my daily reading; but there's nothing in the world that I'd want to do more than foolishly work on some foolish sandcastle while foolishly revealing von Karma family secrets to a foolishly foolish girl in exchange for foolish information on how to build a foolishly foolish toy for foolish children who have nothing better to do than to act like fools!" Franziska replied in an overly-sweet, overly-sarcastic tone that could give even her adopted brother a run for his money.

But unfortunately for Franziska, sarcasm was not a part of young Ema Skye's dictionary- a lesson she learned the hard way when the science-obsessed girl grabbed her arm and dragged her off kicking and screaming.

15 minutes later, after much yelling, pouting, and several failed escape attempts on Franziska's part, she and Ema had finally managed to complete a pretty decent sandcastle- complete with four spiraling towers, windows, and a little moat.

"We did it!" Ema triumphantly proclaimed with her hands on her hips. "Thanks for helping me out!"

"Don't mention it. Really, don't. So can I leave now?" Franziska disinterestedly asked.

However, before Ema could respond, she gasped in horror as Klavier, who was on all fours, plowed through her and Franziska's sandcastle with a toy bulldozer.

"Breaker! Breaker! Just knocked down that grungy old building! Returning to base for next job! Over and out! Vroooom!" Klavier said as he accidently rolled his bulldozer into Ema causing her to yelp in pain. "Sorry, didn't see you there."

"If you're going to be sorry for something, then be sorry about how you knocked down our sandcastle, you big jerk!" Ema fumed.

Klavier shrugged his shoulders. "What? It had to come down. It was filled with mold and asbestos."

Ema stomped her foot as she fought to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. "No it wasn't! It was filled to the brim with joy and science before you came along and knocked it down you… you… anthropologist!"

A grin spread across Klavier's face as he put his arm around Ema's shoulder. "How's about I help you calm down with a nice juice box. My family's got a cooler full of them back at our umbrella."

Ema forcefully pushed Klavier off of her. "No! I don't want any of your crummy juice!"

"Are you sure? We've got pink lemonade…" Klavier amorously stated as if he was offering the young girl a sip of the ambrosia of legends; which Ema responded by throwing a wad of sand in the young boy's face. "Oh well, your loss…"

Klavier, being the natural ladies' man that he was, quickly redirected his attention to Franziska.

"Hey gorgeous, how'd you like-" Klavier was cut off by Franziska's riding crop hitting him in the face, causing him to scream out in pain. "Ow! What'd you do that for!?"

"You were acting like a fool. A woman of my social standing ever allowing herself to be romanced by a fool such as yourself? You had it coming." Franziska sneered as she brandished her trusty riding crop.

"You could of just said 'no'! You didn't have to whip my face!" Klavier wailed.

"Serves you right! Now I'm going to have to spend even more time with this foolish girl who keeps foolishly insisting that Pluto is a planet!"

"Pluto's a trans-Neptunian object! It's like saying that a whale's not a mammal because it lives in the ocean!" Ema objected.

"But thanks to you, I'm now ugly! See!?" Klavier yelled, gesturing to the freshly-formed red mark on his cheek.

"Trust me, that ship sailed long before I ever met you." Franziska sneered.

"You… YOU…!" Klavier fumed, his becoming red like a ripe tomatoe, as he struggled to think of a good comeback. "Let's see how smug you are after my big brother's done with you! He's 15 and will be very angry to know what you did to me."

"Fine. Bring him here. I'll just whip him just like every fool who dares to cross me." Franziska boasted, puffing out her chest in pride as Klavier stormed off.

Meanwhile, Manfred was neck-deep in the ocean- not because he wanted to, but because he needed to find a way to both clean the sand off of him and hide the bruises that he obtained from his little scuffle with the models.

"Foolish models, ganging up on an upstanding guardian of the law such as myself… I swear, they will rue the day they chose to mess with me…" Manfred grumbled to himself as he wadded around in the water; which abruptly ended when his foot kicked something hard and smooth.

"Ah!" Manfred yelled, grabbing his wounded foot. "Di-Did I just hit a shark?" The nervous prosecutor asked as he nervously scanned the area for signs of a giant dorsal fin piercing the water's surface.

But instead of seeing a dorsal fin, something much worse rose before Manfred in the form of a smiling Damon Gant.

"Hiya, Karmamel! Jolly good to see you relaxing for a change and get some swimming in!"

On second thought, maybe a shark wouldn't be so bad. At least I'd die a quick and painless death. "Gant, how many times must I tell you that my name is 'Manfred', not 'Karmamel'?" Manfred sternly asked.

Gant started laughing and clapping his hands. "Ha! Same ol' Manny! I swear, one of these days I'll get you to let me call you Karmamel."

"Yes, but today isn't that day." Manfred said, crossing his arms and inadvertently revealing some of his bruises from earlier.

"Manny, you're covered in bruises! What happened!?"

"I was attacked by band of defense attorneys."

Gant cocked his head in confusion. "Killer defense attorneys? I've been on this beach all day and haven't heard of any incidences involving violent defense attorneys; though if it's any consolation, I did hear something about an old guy getting beat up by some supermodels."

"That information is completely unrelated to the situation at hand. You see, I was sitting under my umbrella, minding my own business, when suddenly this little hellbrat comes out of nowhere and throws an ice-cream at me. Not one to tolerate being disrespected, I got up to confront the boy, only to find that he had partially buried a shovel in front of my seat, causing me to trip and fall face-first into a mound of sand. So, having been pushed to my limit, I chased after the boy at full-speed…"

Gant chuckled. "Yup, I can see that happening. You've never been one to spare a child the rod when they dare defy you. Reminds me of that one Christmas two years back when Santa visited the Precinct and you literally threw the girl in front of you off to the side and into the buffet table!" Gant laughed while clapping his hands before flashing Manfred a stern look. "So Manny, did you kill the boy?"

"No, as much as I wanted to, he unfortunately escaped me."

Gant gave Manfred one of his infamous thousand-yard stares for what felt like an eternity before grinning once more.

"Good to hear! Not that I'd have charges pressed on you if you did, considering our history. I just wanted a heads-up so I could be on the lookout for dead bodies floating in the water. Nothing kills a good swim more than bumping into a corpse!"

"Can I get back to my story?" Manfred asked with a tone of irritation.

"Go right ahead! I'm not stopping you."

"So I chased after the boy when he decided to run into the bad part of the beach- you know, where the paupers who rent condos reside- when suddenly, four attorneys- wearing their cheap, ugly suits and reeking of their putrid discount store aftershave- ambushed me from behind a bunch of umbrellas and knocked me to the ground like a bunch of filthy hyenas! I fought valiantly to the best of my abilities, swinging my cane as Paul Bunyan would his mighty ax; but alas, their numbers and envy for my perfect record were too great and I was overwhelmed. And, satisfied with their victory, the attorneys triumphantly trotted off, leaving both my body and dignity battered and bruised." Manfred said solemnly as he lowered his head.

Gant started playing with his hair. "That's horrible, Manny! Don't you worry; I'll personally bring those attorneys to justice! Just tell me what they look like and I'll have them arrested in a jiffy!"

Manfred started to break out in a cold sweat, his lie on the verge of unraveling before his very eyes. "You know that I don't bother remembering the appearances of mere defense attorneys."

Gant flashed Manfred a Gant Stare, which soon ended with the detective grinning. "Well, that's too bad."

Manfred breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, wanna have a nice, rousing chicken fight?" Gant jovially asked.

"If I refuse to play it in your pool at your foolish Fourth of July parties, then what makes you think that I'd want to play it in the ocean?" Manfred objected.

"C'mon, Manny, it'll make you feel better! Everyone likes a good chicken fight every now and then!"

"Well, I don't; and there's no way that you'll get me to play it with you. Now if you'll excuse me, I wish to return to my chair."

Manfred proceeds to wade away from Gant, but was stopped when Gant said the one comment that could get the infamous Manfred von Karma to do practically anything conceivable.

"Well, if you don't have what it takes…" Gant said with a sly grin, causing Manfred to turn around a flash the detective a scowl of fiery determination.

"Bah! There is no activity that I, Manfred von Karma, am not perfect in!"

"Then why don't you bring one of your kids here and show me what you've got… Unless, of course, you're chicken!"

Manfred growled. "Five minutes. That's all that I require for preparation."

A little bit later, Edgeworth was calmly walking along the shoreline, taking in the scenery and thoroughly enjoying this rare moment of rest from his prosecutorial studies, when suddenly he was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled into the ocean screaming.

"No! No! No!" Edgeworth screamed, flailing about as he tried to get his bearings. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! Franziska was right! Sea monsters are real! I have to escape! I will-" Edgeworth was interrupted by getting slapped on the back of the head before being greeted to the cold, all-too-familiar glare of his mentor/adoptive father.

"Get a grip on yourself, boy. I won't tolerate any student of mine behaving in such a foolish, unrefined matter."

Edgeworth scratched the back of his neck. Sorry about that, sir. You dragging me into the ocean was the last thing that I was expecting today. By the, why did you drag me into the sea?"

I need you to help me defeat Gant in a chicken fight." Manfred said matter-of-factly, like this was something that he'd do on a regular basis, as he proceeded to drag Edgeworth by the arm as he made his way back to said detective.

"What?" Edgeworth asked with a look of confusion on his face.

"Here's the boy." Manfred said as he presented Edgeworth to Gant.

"Hello, Detective Gant." The adolescent calmly stated.

"Well, now that Worthy's joined the party, let's get this chicken fight started!" Gant said with a clap of his hands.

Edgeworth nervously raised a finger. "Um, sir? Don't you have a teammate? It would seem awfully unfair for the two of us to face only you."

"Quick to assume just like your mentor, eh, Worthy…? C'mon, Baddy! We've got a chicken fight to win!" Gant called out, prompting a man who towered over Manfred in term of height, wearing a black bathing suit and twiddling a stick in his mouth, to approach the trio and stare down at Manfred with a look of indifference.

"…von Karma."

"Bah! Of course you'd be here to give me a hard time, Badd! Is it you're mission of life to be a thorn in my side, you old bloodhound?" Manfred complained.

Bad pulled out the stick he was tiddling in his mouth, revealing it to be a lollipop, before putting it back in. "… Only while you keep calling me 'bloodhound'… Let's get this over with."

"S-S-Sir!" Edgeworth stammered, his face going pale upon seeing the towering man who would be his opponent. "That man.. He's huge! Logically speaking, with his height combined with that of Detective Gant's, we only have a point three percent chance of defeating them- and that's if we're lucky enough for the massive meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs to hit them or God turns them into a pillar of salt!"

Manfred grabbed Edgeworth by the shoulders. "Miles Edgeworth, what are you?"

"A human?"

"Yes, but that's not what I'm referring to. What are you family-wise?"

"'The son of a filthy, no-good defense attorney', but I don't get how belittling my late father's line of work will help us now."

"I didn't mean your blood family, boy. I was referring to your legal family. What are you legally?"

"A von Karma."

"That's right! And no von Karma, whether by blood or adoption papers, will ever lose to a pair of imperfect mutts such as these! So what are we going to do?"

"Perfectly crush them under our combined might." Edgeworth smirked.

"As if they were mere defense attorneys." Manfred smirks back before turning to face Gant and Badd. "We're ready…"

30 seconds later, Manfred stormed out of the water, a piercing scowl on his face, as Edgeworth chased after him.

"Once again, I'm so sorry, sir! I tried my best!" Edgeworth pleaded.

"'Your best'? Miles, that was one of the most disappointing, embarrassingly-bad performances that I've ever seen- and this is coming from the man who watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. But perhaps our complete and utter defeat wouldn't have been quite as soul-crushing had you not been pushed off my shoulders in the first 10 seconds! Setting up took more time than the actual match thanks to you!"

"Well, sir, maybe we wouldn't have lost so easily had you actually tried to move out of the way of their first attack."

"Bah! You and your excuses…! I knew I should have gone with Franziska. At least she could have put her riding crop to good use. Speaking of which, go fetch her, boy. I wish to return to the beach house."

"Yes, sir…" Edgeworth sullenly replied before going out in search of his adoptive sister.

Meanwhile, Franziska and Ema had finally rebuilt their sandcastle, only for it to be immediately destroyed once more by someone crushing it with their foot.

"Hey!" Ema yelled. "What's… the… big… idea…?" The young girl was silenced when she looked up to see an adolescent boy, wearing a navy-blue swimsuit, with his long, blond hair tied into a drill-shaped braid on the left side of his head staring down at her and Franziska with a smirk on his face, the light from the sun reflecting off of his glasses to give him a more foreboding presence.

"Hello, girls. Which one of you assaulted my little brother?" The boy calmly asked as the two girls got up off the ground?

"I told you my big brother would come and kick your butt!" Klavier boasted. "That's her, Kristoph! That's the girl who made me ugly!" The young lad yelled while pointing at Franziska.

Kristoph sauntered over to Franziska. "Is this true?"

"Yes, but that's because he foolishly tried to romance me and that foolish girl with me with juice boxes. He had it coming!" Franziska defensively stated as she bent her riding crop.

"I know that. I have to live with that little nuisance; but he's still my little brother and I shan't tolerate anyone hurting him on my watch. Still, I'm a peaceful sort who doesn't like to stoop to violence, so if you just simply apologize to Klavier, I'll let this slide. How about it?"

"How about THIS!" Franziska yelled as she whipped Kristoph, who was completely unfazed by the blow.

Kristoph pushed up his glasses, covering his mouth. "Now, now, that was rather rude, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, that's what you get when you ask foolish questions like that. Perhaps if your family wasn't so full of foolishly foolish fools, then I wouldn't have to whip the lot of you." Franziska wryly retorted.

"You know, little girl, perhaps someone ought to… knock you down a peg!" Kristoph angrily said as he forcefully pushed Franziska to the ground.

"Woo! You go, bro!" Klavier cheered as he pumped his fists.

Kristoph gazed down on the young, silver-haired girl, who was fighting back a tear.

"Aw, what's wrong, little girl? Gonna cry? Well, maybe that'll teach you what happens when you mess with the big boys. Why don't you go home and play with your dollies or hold a tea party or what else annoying little girls such as yourself do." Kristoph stated.

"I am not a little girl! I'm-" Franziska snarled as she tried to pick herself off the ground, only for Kristoph to push her right back down.

"On the ground." Kristoph sneered.

"Stop it!" Franziska pouted as she tried to get back up, only for Kristoph to push her back down.

"I mean it!" Franziska tried to get back up, back was shoved once more.

"Let me stand back up, you foolish fool, or I swear, I will make you rue the day that you messed with me!" Franziska hissed.

"Alright, but only because you asked so nicely." Kristoph replied, allowing Franziska to get back up.

Franziska pulled out her riding crop. "Now, where was I? Right! I'm-" Franziska was cut off by Kristoph yet again pushing her to the ground.

"Back on the ground… where you belong." Kristoph sneered.

As Franziska and Kristoph continued this cycle, Ema repeatedly cried out for help in the hopes that someone would end this; which came in the form of Edgeworth, who was already walking towards their position, but looked over when he heard the cries for help, where he saw Kristoph repeatedly pushing his adoptive sister to the ground off in the distance.

Oh no! Franziska! Don't worry, Franziska, I'll save you from that brutish girl! Edgeworth thought to himself as he rushed over to his sister's aid.

"Are you ready to admit defeat and apologize to my brother, or do I need to knock some more sense into you?" Kristoph asked Franziska who was lying on the ground, her face red as she struggled to hold back her tears.

"I-"

"Franziska!" Edgeworth called out as ran over to the group, cutting off his sister as everyone directed their attention to him.

However, the person most affected by Edgeworth's arrival was not Franziska nor Kristoph, but rather Ema. For while everyone else merely saw a toned adolescent boy wearing a maroon bathing suit, little Ema instead thought of it like a scene straight out of Baywatch- a slow-motion shot of this tanned, muscular specimen of a man- with abs that looked as if one could use them to wash clothes and firm pecks that resembled window frames- as droplets of water flew off of him and his silky hair flowed in the wind. To Ema Skye, this being was not a boy or man, but a demigod- like Heracles! No! Heracles looked like some ugly three-legged puppy that hadn't been fed in three days when compared to this perfect Adonis! But his level of hotness was not important at the moment, for he was running in her direction and Ema had to think of the perfect thing to say to him. She had only one shot to win his heart!

"Franziska, I-" Edgeworth was interrupted by Ema stepping out in front of him. "Um, can I help you?"

"Humina-humina-humina-humina-humina-humina…" Ema sputtered, her eyes wide and her cheeks bright red.

"Okaaay…" Edgeworth said as he hesitantly walked around Ema, who was as motionless as a statue, to confront Kristoph.

"This may be the 21st Century and all, but where I'm raised, it's expected that a lady…" Edgeworth cut himself off upon noticing that Kristoph was actually a man, causing him to flinch. "S-Sorry… It's just that your hair…"

Kristoph glowered at this boy who was obviously fashion-blind. "Oh, and like you're one to talk, Mr. I-Wear-a-Pink-Swimsuit!"

"P-PINK! I'll have you know that this swimsuit is not pink, but maroon. Maroon! Say it with me now: 'Ma-rune'. Maroon!" Edgeworth snapped, tired of every person he meets wrongly thinking that his color of choice is pink.

"Look, did you come over here to give me a lesson in colors?" Kristoph asked with a tone of irritation.

"No, I came here to stop you from abusing my little sister."

"Hey, she started it when she whipped my little brother and then proceeded to whip me!" Kristoph objected.

"When it comes to Franziska's short-tempered response of whipping every male who even so much as breathes funny around her, I am the first one to condone her behavior; but she's still a human being- a child, no less- and does not deserve to get literally pushed around for it!"

"Oh, and just what are you going to do about it?" Kristoph sneered.

Edgeworth reached into his mind and, after thinking through all the extracurricular activities that Manfred required him to do over the years, recalled the set of skills that would be best suited to fisticuffs.

"This…" Edgeworth thrust out his arms, spread his legs, and assumed a position similar to that of a linebacker.

"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you get!" Kristoph stated as he attempted to punch Edgeworth, only to miss as the boy moved his head to the left.

Lucky dodge, but let's see how you deal with this!" Kristoph tried to punch Edgeworth again, but like last time, the magenta-suited teen dodged the attack by moving his head- only this time to the right.

Kristoph growled. "Alright, playtime is OVER!"

Kristoph tries to attack Edgeworth with a series of punches and kicks, but the adolescent dodges them with moves that he had learned from taking ballet- including, but not limited to, plies, arabesques, and grande jetes. After a minute or two of dodging, Edgeworth noticed that Kristoph was starting to tire out, his motions becoming sluggish and sloppy, and decided to seize this opportunity to perform his finishing attack.

Edgeworth started to spin, raising his arms over his head and touching his fingertips together as he started to spin faster and faster, building up more and more speed. And upon reaching maximum speed, Edgeworth immediately stopped spinning, putting all of his momentum into his right hand, and slapped Kristoph in the chest; sending the adolescent flying back a bit before his back hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Khris!" Klavier yelled as he ran over to his brother. "Khris, ya gotta get up and avenge me! Ya gotta!"

Kristoph sat up. "*huff* *huff* Klavier… A proud man continues to fight, but a smart man knows when to retreat and plan his next attack." The adolescent got back up on his feet and glared at Edgeworth. "You may have won this time, but don't think that this is over yet! I'll get you for this!" Kristoph yelled, shaking his fist as he and Klavier fled from the area.

After making sure that the two blond boys were gone, Edgeworth help Franziska, who was still red in the cheeks and sniffling, back on her feet.

"Are you okay, Franziska? Did that ruffian hurt you?" Edgeworth asked with a tone of concern as he dusted some sand off his little sister's back.

"Y-Yeah, I'm.. I'm fine." Franziska sniffled as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Franziska, are you… crying?" Edgeworth asked, feeling a combination of pity and hope that Franziska would actually express her feelings for a change instead of bottling them up. Sure, Edgeworth wasn't one to talk, but for a girl of Franziska's age to be so emotionally restrained was unhealthy.

"N-NO!" Franziska yelled, whipping Edgeworth with her trusty riding crop. "Don't be so foolish! I just merely got some sand in my eyes."

Edgeworth stroked Franziska's hair. "Sure you did, Franziska… Sure you did… Now let's get going. Your father's ready to leave and he sent me to retrieve you; and based on his mood when I last spoke with him, if we aren't back with him soon we'll both be on the receiving end of the stun gun."

"Well, then I guess that I have to get back to him first!" Franziska chirped, her mood undergoing a 180 degree shift. "Last one back to Papa is a rotten defense attorney!" Franziska yelled as she ran ahead.

"Not if I get there first!" Edgeworth playfully replied as he ran after Franziska, but not too fast in order to preserve her lead.