IMPORTANT NOTE: Hi, everyone! Earthcub12 here! Just thought I'd sincerely apologize that is took so long to publish the next couple chapters. School has been kicking my arse and I just have not had the time to sit down and write this. With that said, the rate of the chapters being released may be dying down. Not extraordinarily mind you, but I do ask that you all be patient and understanding that I have important things going on (i.e. school, non-Fanfiction projects, and straight-up time). Anyway, to make up for lost time, here are TWO chapters from Your Truly! Thank you for all the support and love! I'd love it if you all could take the time to drop a review to let me know what I can improve on and what I am doing right! Again, please be patient with the rate of publishing! I may have many affairs going on right now, but that won't stop me from doing what I love: writing! Anyway, here goes! Enjoy!

Earthcub12 Presents

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney ~ Courtroom Champions

-Turnabout for a Prayer / Trial 1-4-

-September 4, 11:30 AM-
-District Court-
-Defendant Lobby No. 4-

Phoenix and Apollo entered the lobby and approached David Vaughan, who was hunched over, his hands clasped together, and a hint of shame in his face.

"Mr. Vaughan," Phoenix confronted the priest. "Is it true?"

"Blue Apostle… please." David whimpered. "I did not mean to-."

"Please show me your hand, David." Phoenix softly said to him. David sniffed and slowly rose his right hand up and pulled down the sleeve. Underneath, a pair of white bandages bound his hand. A red smear was visible through the bandages. "Damn…" Phoenix whispered. "Why didn't you tell us beforehand?"

"I'm sorry." David said to Phoenix. "I was afraid that… I was afraid if I were to reveal this to you… I would fail you; that you would have doubts about me. I… I am so sorry."

"It's fine, David." Apollo told him. "We… we can work through this. How did you get this injury? Be honest."

David began to sweat. He put his head and started to whimper. "I… I am sorry. I cannot…" Suddenly, everything beyond David turned black. Phoenix noticed great, steel chains leap across. Then, three Psyche-Locks appeared. Phoenix's mouth was trembling.

(No… no, no, David, this is not the time!)

"I… I cannot tell you." David Vaughan said. "I'm sorry."

Athena Cykes suddenly approached the three guys and said, "WHOO! What a rush! Good job out there, guys! You're doing great!"

Phoenix was silent. He was still eyeing David. All Phoenix could think about were the Psyche-Locks. That is when Athena flicked Phoenix's ear. The locks and chains vanished as Phoenix turned to Athena.

"GAH! Where'd you come from!?" Phoenix cried.

"You okay, boss?" Athena asked, a concerned look on her face. "You're acting kinda weird."

"I… er, I'm fine. Just a long trial, that's all."

Apollo clenched his fists. "Well, it's not over yet! We just need to break that pompous anchor down and we can say we survived the day!"

"Man… there sure was some tension in there." Athena commented. "Any idea as to how David got Owen's blood all over him?"

Apollo pondered that and put his finger to his head. "No idea. Any thoughts, Mr. Wright?"

(Hmm… there was something in the crime scene that I've been thinking about. Maybe it's time to finally get the facts straight.)

"Athena, I have a favor to ask." Phoenix told her. "It's a big one."

"Anything at all." Athena agreed.

"In the crime scene – now this is going to sound REALLY, really weird-, there is a large jar of blood."

Athena went pale and hunched over. "Er… a what?"

"That's right. A jar of blood. I want you to take a sample and head towards the precinct and explain the situation. As soon as you get some results, take them over here pronto. Can you do that?"

"I, uh… yeah, boss. I'll do it. You can count on me!"

"I knew I could! I'll see you later, Athena!"

"Sure thing, boss! Don't go anywhere without me!"

With that, Athena rushed out of the court. When she left, Apollo gave Phoenix a puzzled look. "Boss? Do you really think?"

Phoenix nodded his head and said, "I really think so. If I can get some kind of a result of that blood, I think I know what comes next."

The bailiff entered the lobby and said, "Court will resume shortly! The defense and the defendant may now enter the courtroom!"

Phoenix and Apollo looked over at David and nodded. "You ready, David?" Phoenix asked him.

David put his head back up. "Y-yes… let's go."

(David had Psyche-Locks… but why? I feel like this is going to take a long, LONG time to process. But for now, I need to focus on the trial. Even if my head is all racked up on those locks…)

-September 4, 11:55 AM-
-District Court-
-Courtroom No. 4-

The Judge slammed his gavel on his bench to get the court's attention.

"Court is back in session for the trial of David Vaughan. Before we took our recess, an interesting, new fact was presented to us. The fact that David's coat was drenched in the victim's blood; however, as the defense has proven, there was a tear made before the blood splattered on the coat and was found outside with the shattered glass. A huge contradiction in the chronology of the murder, if I say so myself. Does the prosecution raise any objections?"

Hera Novak stood at the prosecutor's desk, her eyes closed. After a short moment of silence, the prosecutor said, "Well done, Wright. You have managed to finally show the court your true colors." Hera, then, opened her eyes and glared at Phoenix like a hawk. "However, the trial is just beginning. For I have one, decisive witness that can confirm David's role in the murder last night. May I bring him out, Your Honor?"

The Judge nodded. "Yes, Prosecutor Novak. Please bring this witness in!"

(Here we go, Phoenix. Don't mess up now! Your client is counting on it!)

After a short moment, Jack Anchor approached the stand. His shiny, red suit, red shirt, and white-as-snow tie made his appearance known. His hair was still combed over and a piece of gum was in his mouth.

"Your name and occupation, witness." Hera ordered.

Jack smiled, his teeth glittering because of the gum's minty goodness. "Of course, madam! And might I say, you don't look a day above nineteen! Would you want to grab a meal sometime after we're done here?"

Hera was mute. "I'm flattered. But, no. All I want is your name and occupation.

Jack smiled as he grabbed his ID badge and showed it to the court. "Name's Jack Anchor, everyone! Award-winning news anchor and writer, at your service!"

The Judge's face lit up. "J-Jack Anchor!? THE Jack Anchor!?"

Jack smiled, his teeth once again shining. "The one and only."

"OH DEAR! Must I say, I am a HUGE fan of your work! Whenever you're on, I gather my grandchildren and watch your coverage every day!"

(Wow, grandfather of the year, I say.)

Jack smiled. "Thank you, young man! And you, old-timer!" Jack looked over at Phoenix and said, "I must say… you look awfully stressed. Can I assist you with that?"

"Huh?" Phoenix replied. "What do you mean?"

Jack held up a thick book. He is on the cover. "Take a nice look through this book here, sir. Just sit back and unwind. My treat. Just look under your desk."

"Huh?" Phoenix bent down and saw the same book Jack has in his hands. Phoenix picked it up and examined it. "What is this?"

"It's my personal memoir! Coming out soon!" Jack explained.

The Judge had a face of disappointment in his face. "Oh… I wanted one…"

"That's okay, Your Honor! Look under your bench!"

"Wh-?" The Judge bent down and pulled a book from under his bench. "I-IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!"

(It's not even October, Your Honor…)

"Hey! Yo! Everyone!" Jack called out. "Look under your seats! All of you get to walk out of here with a free memoir from Yours Truly!"

The people in the gallery began fiddling underneath their seats, pulling out Jack's memoir. People all over the gallery began to get excited and started to instantly read the book.

(So is this a trial, or…?)

'WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AN AVERAGE JACK; BY JACK ANCHOR' ADDED TO COURT RECORD

ITEM DESCRIPTION: Memoir written by Jack Anchor. Includes original, award-winning chapters like, "How to Be Me" and "How to Tackle the Game of Life, Today".

The Judge began scrolling through the book, but then lit up and placed the book away. "A-anyway! That is all well and good, but the court would not like to hear your testimony regarding what you saw on the night of the murder. Is it true you were there in the church that night?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. That is true."

"The court would like to recall what you saw that day. But I shouldn't need to remind you that a priest's life is at stake. Please be as honest and detailed as you can be."

Jack chuckled, then smirked at Phoenix. "Yes… I am positively aware of that, Your Honor."

Phoenix caught the evil grin and growled.

WITNESS TESTIMONY

"I WENT TO THE CHURCH THAT NIGHT FOR NO SPECIAL REASON."

"ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THIS TIRESOME PRAYER, I DECIDED TO HEAD OVER TO THE CAFETERIA TO GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE."

"BUT ON MY WAY OUT, I NOTICED A FIGURE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM ENTERING THE OFFICE."

"SO I QUICKLY AND QUIETLY WENT TO THE DOOR AND PEEKED IN TO SEE WHAT WAS UP."

"AND GUESS WHAT I SAW!? THE DEFENDANT ATTACKING THE OLDER FELLOW, HITTING HIM WITH THE STATUE MULTIPLE TIMES!"

"So," the Judge said, "you personally witnessed the accused commit the murder. Is that right?"

"I did indeed." Jack told him, smiling. "I was an eyewitness, if you would."

"I see. Mr. Wright, your cross-examination, please."

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, Your Honor. Right away."

CROSS-EXAMINATION

"I WENT TO THE CHURCH THAT NIGHT FOR NO SPECIAL REASON."

"Hold it!" Phoenix blurted out. "No 'special' reason? Can you elaborate on that, witness?"

"Basically I had nothing else better to do." Jack explained. "I've always wanted to check out this church. So, I decided to check the place out. That is all."

(Liar! You're just looking for dirt to find! If only I had something to pin him on that.)

"But then I realized that a white wall is more interesting than this church. I couldn't take it."

"Okay, so what happened next?" Phoenix pressed.

"ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THIS TIRESOME PRAYER, I DECIDED TO HEAD OVER TO THE CAFETERIA TO GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE."

"Hold it!" The attorney pressed. "You went to go grab a cup of coffee? Did you happen to run into the coffee-lady, Maria Cupp?"

"I'm afraid not, for a couple reasons." Jack Anchor answered. "I already had some coffee earlier when I walked into the church. The amount of caffeine and espresso she puts in her coffee is sickening! I nearly had a heart attack! Me! She's lucky I won't be filing charges against her!"

"Uh-huh." Phoenix said, rubbing his chin. "My condolences. But why did you want to leave the room so bad?"

"Oh, you weren't there, Wright." Jack told him in a dead-serious tone. "It was AWFUL. Literally ten minutes of some guy talking! Like, hello!? Some of us have places to be!"

"I take it you're not really much of a church-goer?" Phoenix asked.

"Used to. But I outgrew it all. I look for more 'literal' things."

"So you were on your way out, but then something happened, is that right?" The Judge said. "Will you delve into that, witness?"

"BUT ON MY WAY OUT, I NOTICED A FIGURE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM ENTERING THE OFFICE."

"Hold it! By office, do you mean Father Owen's?" Phoenix questioned.

"That's right. If you remember, the office doors are located in the back of the hall, right behind the balcony where the sermon was." Jack detailed. "I caught the figure from the corner of my eye, so I decided to investigate."

"What happened next?" Hera asked him.

"SO I QUICKLY AND QUIETLY WENT TO THE DOOR AND PEEKED IN TO SEE WHAT WAS UP."

"Hold it! Why 'quickly' and 'quietly'?" Phoenix asked him.

"I heard the priest was still speaking on the balcony." Jack told Phoenix. "The gentleman I am, I decided to inconspicuously head towards the office doors, as I didn't want to interrupt the priest and bring attention to myself."

"Or do you think people would think you're just being too nosey?" Phoenix interrogated the anchor. "It's not very common for a new guy to just walk around during a church's sermon."

"Objection!" Hera interrupted. "Irrelevant! The fact of the matter is that this witness saw the murder firsthand!"

Jack grinned, his teeth shining. "Thank you, ma'am. You sure you don't want to grab a coffee sometime? My treat."

Hera stared at the witness, then placed her left hand to her hip. "Continue this testimony, witness. Now!"

"Hostile AND bossy. I like it!"

"Witness! Focus!" Phoenix confronted. "If you got up to leave, how did you manage that without crawling over people next to you?"

"Simple. I was sitting at the far end of one of the pews." Jack explained to Mr. Wright. "Take a look." Jack Anchor displayed the Church Diagram to the court. In the room where main service is held, vertical lines are visible: the pews. In one of the bottom pews, an 'A' was displayed at the bottom end of the pew.

"I was sitting here," Jack pointed out, "so I managed to easily walk out without ever being noticed by anybody next to me."

Phoenix said, "So is it true that you, in fact, went to the back of the room to check in the office?"

"Yes, I did." Jack answered.

"AND GUESS WHAT I SAW!? THE DEFENDANT ATTACKING THE OLDER FELLOW, HITTING HIM WITH THE STATUE MULTIPLE TIMES!"

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted. "And you are absolutely positive, without a shadow of a doubt, it is the accused?"

"I never forget a face, buddy." Jack told him. "It was clearly that little wimp over there. With his dorky hair, his forgettable face, and his big nose… I know it was him!"

"And you say you saw the defendant hitting Mr. Miles with the statue… how many times?" Phoenix questioned the news anchor, rubbing his chin.

"Not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES, mind you!" Jack exclaimed, leaning on the stand. "This man is a monster, I tell you! A monster that must be put down!"

Hera just stared at Jack Anchor, in total silence. Jack turned to her and blushed. "Sorry, sweetie. I shouldn't have raised my voice. I'll be quieter next time."

(Hmm… Hera went awful silent on that statement. Maybe… maybe she caught something that's wrong?)

"Whatcha thinking, boss?" Apollo asked Phoenix. "Something seems to be bothering you. Thoughts?"

"Mr. Anchor seems pretty proud of his testimony." Phoenix observed. "I'll hand it to him, it's a fine testimony. But his pride and ulterior motives are what's going to hurt his credibility."

"Right! Let's knock this anchor down a peg or two!"

"AND GUESS WHAT I SAW!? THE DEFENDANT ATTACKING THE OLDER FELLOW, HITTING HIM WITH THE STATUE MULTIPLE TIMES!"

"Objection!" Phoenix yelled while aiming his finger at the witness. Phoenix, then, slammed his desk. "Would you like to rephrase your statement, Mr. Anchor?"

Jack shook his head and smiled. "No? Why would I?"

"Because it doesn't add up to the victim's autopsy report." Phoenix revealed Owen's Autopsy Report to Jack.

"Au-autopsy report?" Jack slowly said, droplets of sweat rolling down his face.

"It says here, 'An instant kill by a David statue'." Phoenix read the report. "It says nothing about him getting hit more than once. Would you like to explain this contradiction?"

Jack eyed Phoenix, then turned away, still sweating. "Th-there's something wrong with that report. I know what I saw."

Phoenix slammed his desk. "You're lying, damn it! Or do you just not want to admit that the great, amazing Jack Anchor… was wrong?"

Jack snapped his head to Phoenix. "Wh…WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Jack's head flew back while screaming.

The gallery began to converse until the Judge's slam of the gavel quieted them down. "That is an interesting point, witness. Care to explain?"

Jack started to sweat, his gorgeous hair drooping down his face. "Well, I… gee, that is a VERY good question in need of a VERY good answer… um… let's see… oooh…"

"I would like an answer as well." Hera said, her left hand at her hip. "Witness, explain yourself."

(Yes! I even got the prosecution at my side!)

Suddenly, Jack stood straight up and smiled, his sweat reducing. "Oh! I-I remember now! Hey, yo, chief! I mean, uh, Your Honor! Can I testify again? I just remembered something!"

The Judge nodded. "Very well, witness. I will allow another testimony. But please, remember to keep it relevant and true. This is your final warning! I will not accept perjury in this courthouse!"

"Yes, Your Honor! Of course!"

WITNESS TESTIMONY

"WAIT! I REMEMBER NOW!"

"THE REASON I SAY HE WAS HIT MULTIPLE TIMES WAS BECAUSE OF THE FIGHTING GOING ON IN THE ROOM."

"IT WAS A PRETTY NASTY FIGHT, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF."

"AT ONE POINT, I HEARD THE SOUND OF SOMETHING BREAKING, LIKE GLASS OR SOMETHING."

"THE VICTIM WAS FINALLY SHOVED TO THE WALL AND THEN THE KILLER HIT HIM ONCE WITH THE STATUE."

"SORRY, I WAS JUST CONFUSED IS ALL. SO… FORGIVEN?"

"And you are sure it is accurate this time?" Phoenix interrogated, trying to intimidate the news anchor. The witness smiled instead.

"I guarantee it." Jack answered. "I have never once told a false story. It's just not in me."

"Witness," Hera said, her eyes glaring at the witness, "if this is another lie…"

"It's the truth. I swear. It was dark and the two chums were moving around a lot. I was only confused. My bad."

"Well, let's hope your eyes didn't trick you this time." The Judge said to him. "Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination, please."

"Yes, Your Honor." The lawyer responded.

COURT RECORD

-Attorney Badge: My personal badge proving my profession. I never leave home without it.

-Owen's Autopsy Report: Cause of death was an instant kill by a David statue to the victim's head. Time of Death: About 8:00-8:30 PM. Victim is covered in bruises.

-Body Outline: The aftermath of the crime. Blood is splattered around the head and facial area. The statue sits to its left.

-David Statue: Depiction of Michelangelo's David statue. The murder weapon.

-Shattered Coffee Mug: A cup that was likely to have been shattered during the fight between Owen and the killer. Owen probably used this cup against said killer in defense. Was made by Maria Cupp for an ill Owen.

-Jar of Blood: A jar of blood found in Owen's office. Why he would have a jar of blood is the question.

-Child's Drawing: A drawing showing Owen, David, and an unknown woman. A bloody smear is on the side because of me.

-Bloody Print: Some kind of bloody print from a shoe on top of the dumpster. Could it be involved with the murder?

-Glass: Shards of glass littering the floor. Must have come from the broken window next to it. A shard has blood on it.

-Black Cloth: A black strip of cloth. Origin unknown.

-Crime Scene Photo: A photo taken of the crime scene. Drops of David's blood left a trail between Owen's desk in the background to the shattered window.

-Church Diagram: A detailed diagram of St. Owen's Baptist Church. The crime scene on the left side is highlighted.

-Bloody Priest Coat: David Vaughan's official priest coat. It is completely coated in Owen Mile's blood. There is also a small tear in fabric over the blood.

-Raya's Statement: "David Vaughan was covered in the victim's blood and his right hand was bleeding profusely. We had doctors patch his right hand up on the way to the Detention Center."

-What it's Like To Be an Average Jack; By Jack Anchor: "Memoir written by Jack Anchor. Includes original, award-winning chapters like, "How to Be Me" and "How to Tackle the Game of Life, Today".

PROFILES

-Apollo Justice: A strong, but loud and persistent, attorney who works with me at the agency. Is friends with the defendant.

-Athena Cykes: A gifted attorney that can read people's emotions though their hearts.

-David Vaughan: The suspect of the crime. A priest at the church where the murder took place.

-Jack Anchor: A prestigious news anchor who prides himself a bit too much. Witnessed the murderer.

-Raya Novak: A no-nonsense detective in charge of the investigation. Only been working for a few short months.

-Phineas Filch: A tricky thief that was a witness to a crime a long time ago and is now a janitor at the church.

-Damien Hope: A happy-go-lucky priest that was Owen's apprentice. An overall loving, trusting guy.

-Maria Cupp: The kind, eccentric coffee-lady that works at the church. Called the police.

-Hera Novak: The prosecutor of the case and sister to the detective. This is her very first trial, but showcases great skill.