Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: End of an Era
Episode 5: Turnabout Towards Darkness
Bang! The gavel struck once from its place on the judge's desk, bringing silence back into the courtroom.
Silence came, but the mere absence of noise wasn't enough to calm the anxious crowd. This murder trial was on its final day, and attendants were eager to know who would emerge victorious. The prosecution... or the defense? Things had been so sure at first, but then, just like the victim's car, the case swerved. No one could have guessed the direction it was taking now. How had a greenhorn presented such a compelling argument for their first case? Who was the rising talent standing at the left hand bench?
Across the courthouse, another trial came to a close. Not for a murder, but a hacking. That skinny man in the defendant's chair. Could he really have connections with cyber terrorists? Did his friend deserve the verdict he'd received all of one day before? Whispers had bounced around the courtroom like the echo of the gavel, one that continued to emanate in the air.
These two prosecutors… so different at first glance. One still bearing a youthful face, one wise beyond his years. One new to the profession, one forced into it before he even knew what it meant to be a man. One covered in striking darkness with a light inside, one clothed in refinement with eyes of eternal doubt.
I see the same drive in them. The same burning need to bring a case to a close and the truth to the light. I see it in that boy as well. But his trial from the gaming convention… it's not courtroom ready. Let's set it aside for the moment.
And her…
In the courtroom sandwiched between was a far more somber trial. It was murder, but not an ordinary one. This one had been an act of cruel betrayal committed by one of the police's own. The atmosphere in that gallery was split between officers grieving their broken trust and reporters made rabid by the rank scent of scandal. There had been no way to keep them out. Despite all the emotion surrounding her case, the prosecutor held strong to the facts.
More than her gimmicks and flustering, I see a strength in her eyes. She isn't one of the district's prosecutors, but I wish she was. I don't think I would have said that had I not met her in person. She… surprises me.
A towering gun, shot into an electric pulse. A victim who collapsed the day before, only to watch as her heart monitor flatlined. Only the cruelest of debtors made people pay with their lives. The balance on the line? A protective heart, a corrupted career… an unknown buried passion.
What did it matter? No reason was ever enough to cut a life short.
As the clock ticked down to a verdict, the lines between cases blurred. At the core, all these stories were the same. Wherever their paths diverged would be accounted for in the coming day. The reckoning the city's courts had brought on themselves.
Some might say it started last spring with the antics of that one attorney. I, however, have a different view. I say this darkness has been living in our hearts all along. About time we all noticed it.
"Now that there is silence in this courtroom, I will hand down my verdict." Three judges announced as they lifted their hammers of justice for a final time.
Truth and justice, two traits that ought to be important to every prosecutor. A prosecutor fighting with these weapons can bring a light to shine bright as the sun into their courtroom and onto the legal system as we once envisioned it.
"I find the defendant…"
Three prosecutors, three attorneys, three defendants... but a thousand bated breaths.
In this present day and court, that light is fading from our eyes. Our city turns away from the sunlight and into the dark of night. The truth of our courts has not changed, but our perspective and efforts have.
"...Guilty."
Night will not come right away. The sun's light does not disappear all of a sudden. I suppose we should celebrate victories while we still have them.
Was that a tear that rolled down the defendant's cheek? Did he finally feel the weight of his crimes settling on his shoulders? Or was he making a final effort to shake it off for good?
These prosecutors will do everything they can to see justice done. I do not doubt their efforts. Sure, they may still succeed on occasion. Such as this one.
"...Guilty."
But I wish they knew what lay ahead for them. I hope they don't blame themselves, when their skill and talent alone don't bring the truth to light. Stars shine too distantly in the night to reveal every gory detail to the eye. Criminals will still find ways to escape from the justice that they deserve. These prosecutors ought to know that what's coming… it's not their fault.
Nor is this:
"...Not Guilty."
A/N's: PTV and RJ worked together to bring you the final case opening of this work. However, all three authors wish to leave notes.
PTV: This opening is a bit different from what we've done in the past. Rather than focusing on the case itself, we zeroed in on the theme of this story. Why we're calling this fangame End of an Era. We've hinted at approaching darkness in every episode, but this finale deals the most with such material. I wish the Dark Age of the Law had been more clearly demonstrated and defined in canon, and this project is, in part, a manifestation of that wish. I hope you all will strap in and enjoy the ride on which we plan to take you. Isn't that right, my dear co-authors?
AA: Indeed. It really is a pity we never got more Dark Age exploration, though I can't exactly blame the devs and writers considering the original… less than enthusiastic response for the fourth Ace Attorney game (and that is its own can of worms that is not going to be discussed here; we'd be here all day otherwise). Honestly though, I would have loved to see a spinoff surrounding it. Perhaps another Investigations taking place right in the middle of the seven year gap we know next to nothing about other than "DARKNESS, CORRUPTION". All that being said we hope that we've done a good job slowly introducing the more problematic elements of this period because for this case, ooh boy, will we be going places. Stay on your toes and be ready, we are really about to enter the dark age.
RJ: It's exciting to bring you all the grand finale opening! It would have been nice if we could have gotten more on the Dark Age of the Law, but I guess in a way for us at least it wasn't completely a bad thing that we didn't get as much of it in canon, because we were able to be more free with this topic in our fangame. This case will rise a turnabout of events that will be a fun read for you all, and will be fun for us to write. Now I really can't think of anything else to add, without repeating too much of what PTV and AA have already said: So I'm going to pass the A/N writing off to one to either PTV or AA now. Also was my dear co-authors a Sherlock Holmes reference?
PTV: Not an intentional reference, no. But yes, it is hard to say more here without offering up any spoilers. Notice how none of us said much about what's actually being discussed here in this opening.
Regardless, I hope everyone enjoyed this sneak peek, thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the far side!