Author's Note: Hello, everyone! It's been a long while since I updated you all on this fanfic. For the followers of "Iris Hawthorne: Ace Attorney", I apologize for how long you've waited for an update. The last year and a half (Feb 2022 - Dec 2023) had been incredibly stressful for me. I've been busy with my college work, my job, and my other projects that this fan fic had fallen to the wayside for a long time. For a long while, I had lost interest in it, but it does not mean that this fic is dead.

I may not be as free as I was prior to have started this fanfiction, but I still want to see this series develop to the end and continue it further. I have lots of plans for Iris and co, and I'll make sure to post the next chapter around the end of January/around early February. I hope you can understand the wait and I promise it'll be worth it. I'll also make it a point to go back to past chapters and correct them grammatically too.

Overall, thank you for reading/staying so long through this fic and I hope you enjoy this sneak peek to the next chapter of Farewell, My Turnabout.

Sept. 20, 4:30 PM

District Court~ Defendant Lobby No. 3

Iris sat on the couch of the Defendant Lobby, curled up into a ball as she wept, tears streaming from her eyes while her late mentor Diego looked at her sympathetically.

"P-Pearl...!" Iris whimpered through her sniffles, her hands pressed against her tear-coated face.

"Flower..." he paused, trying to think of the right words before placing his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright..."

"B-But I couldn't get Mr. Engarde acquitted!" Iris shouted, a look of despair on her face. "I-I couldn't save Pearl...!"

Diego sighed. "It'll be alright! Everything may still work out."

"How...?!" Iris asked through her tears.

"The condition was that we had to get a not guilty verdict, right?" he asked, to which Iris answered with a nod. "So far, the kidnapper has kept his word and hasn't hurt Pearl. And for now, he won't since Mr. Engarde hasn't been given a 'guilty' verdict yet."

Iris paused for a moment to think. "...That...that's a good point..." she whispered through her sniffles.

Diego then let out a huff before standing up and motioning himself to be in front of Iris. "Look at me, Iris. Look at me," he said in a firm but gentle voice. Iris did so. "Somewhere out there, your sister is in trouble, cold and alone with two psychopaths ready to kill her the moment you fail your job as a lawyer. And is that job of yours over?"

"...N...no..." Iris mumbled as she took in her late mentor's words. She sniffled again, wiping away a few more of your tears.

"Come on, Flower, are you seriously still crying right now?" Diego asked strictly, crossing his arms. "I thought I taught you better than that. Don't you remember one of my rules? The only time a lawyer can cry..."

"Is...is when it's all over..." Iris finished.

"Yes, and is it already over for you?" Diego asked. "Are you just going to stand there and wallow in your own misery?"

Iris paused for a while, soaking in her mentor's words as she stopped her tears from flowing.

"No..." she mumbled, clenching her fists.

"Are you just going to sit there and weep while your sister is out there in the hands of De Killer? In the hands of Dahlia!?"

"NO!" Iris shouted, standing up from the couch and staring at Diego with a fiery look in her eye.

"Then what are you going to do about it, Flower!?" Diego asked.

"I'm going to save my sister! No harm's ever going to come to her!" Iris declared before jabbing her finger at Diego's chest. "That's one of my rules!"

Diego chuckled, gently brushing the finger to pat Iris' shoulder. "Good to see you got your fiery passion back, Flower. Now let's get out of here. We got work to do."

Iris nodded, determined as she and Diego were about to leave the court.

"Hey! You guys! Glad I caught you, pal!" Detective Gumshoe suddenly shouted from behind them, causing them to turn and face the giant, scruffy detective.

"Detective Gumshoe?" Iris asked to which Gumshoe sighed in dismay

"It's just plain ol' 'Mr. Gumshoe' now..." he mumbled, frowning as he shook his head.

"Oh...right..." Iris said, frowning in sympathy for the poor detective, remembering he was practically fired from his job during the trial. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine," Gumshoe said with a shrug, trying to sound not too bothered by it. "It stinks, sure, but I can pick myself back up."

"Oh, so you already have a new job in mind?" Diego asked, an amused smirk on his face.

Gumshoe tilted his head in confusion. "A new job?"

"Well, you've been fired. Do you have a new job lined up yet?" Diego asked, his smirk turning into an almost condescending grin, much to Iris' chagrin.

"Oh, that!" Gumshoe chuckled as his face flustered before panic started to set in. "A-Ah... What am I supposed to do now, pal!? I... I don't have anything coming in at all until my next payday!"

"Prosecutor von Karma fired you from your job," Iris pointed out. "You don't have another payday."

Gumshoe's shoulders slumped down in defeat. "Aww..." he sulked until a thought came into his head. "...I guess...I guess that means I'm just gonna have to work at your place, pal!"

"WHAT!?" Iris shrieked out, her mouth agape in disbelief while Diego broke out into a fit of amused laughter.

"You'll be searching for things that will prove Mr. Engarde's innocence all day, right?" Gumshoe asked.

"Um...yes..." Iris answered hesitantly.

"So yeah! I'm going to help you, pal!" Detective Gumshoe declared. "I've got lots of experience in investigating and watching over people's places! And I'm great at making really simple meals, pal! I'll take care of it all!"

"I think he has what it takes, Flower," Diego said, somewhat jokingly. "I say we give him a chance and let him take care of things."

Iris turned to glance at her late mentor disapprovingly before turning back to Detective Gumshoe. "Um...I...I guess that's alright? What's your best dish?"

"Instant noodles, pal," Gumshoe answered with a dopey smile, earning even more laughter from Diego.

"We're in the presence of a master chef, Flower!" Diego said in between his laughing. "You better give him the job now! You'll be fed for life!"

Iris then turned to glare at her mentor and nudged him in the chest to shut him up. He stayed quiet after that, but his mischievous, condescending smirk was still present.

"I don't think I'd ever need extra noodles, Detective Gumshoe..." Iris began.

"I'm not a detective anymore, remember? Just call me Dick," Gumshoe insisted with a dumb, oblivious grin.

"...I'm not calling you that," Iris said bluntly before continuing to the main topic. "Job application aside, was there anything else you wanted to tell us?"

Gumshoe shook his head. "Honestly, that was it, pal. I just wanted to check on you and ask for a job now that Mr. von Karma fired me," he said, shuddering in fear. "I only heard of that guy from some of my pals at the precinct, but I never thought he'd be that scary..."

"But because of him doing that, we got the truth finally," Diego pointed out before humming in thought. "Or so it seems..."

"The truth..." Iris mumbled in thought. Was Ms. Andrews' last testimony really the truth? There's nothing strange with the testimony itself, but why does she want-no, NEED to frame Mr. Engarde...it just doesn't make any sense!

"Truth or not, we're still going to have a tough battle ahead of us," Iris said with a sigh. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss his daughter. She was a pain, but she was manageable pain...!"

After a frustrated sigh, a thought came into Iris' head as she turned to Gumshoe. "Speaking of Ms. von Karma, do you have any more information on her condition? She was shot, right!?"

Gumshoe frowned and nodded solemnly. "Ms. von Karma was shot yesterday by a pistol, pal."

Iris gasped at this information, while Diego just frowned.

"B-But she's going to be fine, right?" Iris asked urgently. "I mean, Prosecutor von Karma said she was in stable condition, but..."

"Well, she was shot in the shoulder, so she's OK and still hanging in there," Gumshoe said. "They should be done taking the bullet out, so she's probably resting at the hospital."

"Which one...?" Iris asked.

"Oh? Are you going to pay a visit to her, Flower?" Diego asked teasingly, his signature grin on his face, making Iris blush.

"N-No...!" she tried to deny quickly, but her face was still flushing red. "...well, I was kind of thinking about it..."

Gumshoe chuckled from this. "Hey! You've actually got a heart, don't you!? She looked like she was being tortured to death, not being able to go to the trial today, so maybe it'd be good for her if you went and let her whip you for a bit, pal!"

"Oh, yes, go and get whipped, Flower!" Diego said with a laugh. "Go and make your rival happy!"

"Okay, now I'm DEFINITELY not going!" Iris shouted in protest.

"Even if it means missing out on potentially key evidence?" Diego pointed out; his condescending smirk still ever-present. "Who knows, maybe whatever von Karma says to you might help win this case."

Iris opened her mouth to retort, but only a sigh came out. She knew he was right, and there was no way of denying it.

"Ugh, so what was the hospital's name?" Iris asked hesitatingly before turning to glare at her late mentor.

Gumshoe scratched his head, deep in thought. "Um... let's see... The name of the hospital... Oh yeah! The Hotti Clinic!"

Iris perked up at this new piece of information.

The Hotti Clinic? Mimi Miney's old workplace? Iris said in deep thought. I'm surprised someone like Franziska von Karma would be admitted to a place like that...but regardless, a place is a place. I might as well head there and get my whipping over with...

"Thank you for the information, Mr. Gumshoe," Iris said, flashing a smile. "Mr. Armando and I are going to visit Ms. von Karma and then look for clues afterward. Perhaps you should come with us?"

Gumshoe shook his head. "As much I'd love to, I can't. I gotta pack up all my things from the precinct now that I'm not a detective anymore..." he said glumly, forcing a confident face to Iris and Diego. "But I'll come back to help you as best I can afterward! I'll let you know when I'm back!"

Iris took a moment to think about it before flashing a kind smirk. "Of course, that would be much appreciated. Thank you, Gumshoe."

Gumshoe then nodded in response and walked off to do what he needed to do. Once he was gone, Iris and Diego then turned to visit Franziska von Karma to get clues to solve this case hopefully.

. . .

Sept. 20

Hotti Clinic~ Reception

Iris and Diego stepped into the Hotti Clinic after driving their way there. Diego walked there as confident as he usually was while Iris was nervous, scared of whatever pain she was about to endure from Franziska von Karma.

"I already asked you once, so I will only repeat myself one more time," a familiar, intimidating voice spoke. Iris and Diego felt a chill up their spine upon hearing that voice. Turning in its direction, they saw Manfred von Karma glaring down at a frightened, pink-haired old man wearing a lab coat over what appeared to be a brown hospital uniform.

"Are you really the Director of this place, correct?" Manfred asked in a no-nonsense tone, indicating that the old man answer.

"Y-Yes... I'm Director Hotti...he...he...!" the old man-apparently Director Hotti-answered with a nervous chuckle, sweating heavily in fear of Manfred.

"Oh, really?" Manfred said, looking down and giving 'Director Hotti' a cruel smirk. "Then who was the man I spoke with earlier. He told me he was Director Hotti..."

"Eh...h-he...he just...assistant director...yes...!" the old man quickly answered, backing away as Manfred stepped closer. "We have...s-same name...! He...he..he...!"

"Oh, that's a relief for you then," Manfred chuckled sinisterly before crossing his arms. "Can you imagine what would happen to you if you were arrested for identity theft? It is a federal offense, after all..."

"R-really...?!"

"Indeed, it is. I might have to prosecute against you in court if that were the case," Manfred paused for a moment to lean even closer toward 'Director Hotti's' face. "And judging by how thorough I am in my cases, I'd say you'd probably end up having 10 to 15 years in life. Possibly even a life sentence if I were to allow it. Don't you agree?"

And with that, fear overtook the fake director as he turned and ran for his dear life. Manfred chuckled smugly at this.

"Mr. von Karma..." Iris said to him from behind, to which he turned to face her and Diego with a look of indifference.

"You..." he said with an ominous growl, already intimidating Iris. Iris' sweated nervously from his glare until his expression turned to that of a mix of irritation and confusion. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Iris raised a brow at that. "Huh! Of course we have! I'm...Mr. Engarde's lawyer...!"

Manfred hummed in thought for a second before letting out a scoff. "Mr. Engarde's...oh, I remember now. You're the rookie defense attorney that humiliated my daughter. Twice..."

Iris gulped, sweating nervously. "That's me..."

"I beg your pardon, my dear," he said both politely and menacingly. "You see, I rarely remember defense attorneys. They are like...bugs to me. Needless things...to be crushed."

Manfred then let out a sinister chuckle that shook Iris to the core. But still, she was a professional, and as such, she tried her best to maintain a professional look.

"What are you doing here, anyway...?" Iris demanded, trying to sound brave.

"Checking on my daughter, of course," Manfred said condescendingly as if it was obvious. "The real question is, what are you doing here? Don't you have more pressing matters to attend to?"

"Well, yes, that is true, but we felt like talking with your daughter might provide a good lead to the case-"

"I wasn't referring to your case," Manfred simply said, and it only took a few seconds for it to dawn on Iris. Slowly her face paled and contorted into an expression of horror and shock.

"How...how did you know about...?!" Iris paused, hesitant to finish her sentence. Manfred shrugged.

"I simply guessed," Manfred answered. "While I don't remember much on the defense attorneys I've defeated, I do have the experience to recognize...patterns."

"Patterns?" Diego questioned, crossing his arms and glaring at Manfred.

"A constantly nervous expression throughout the trial," Manfred began, eying at Iris' worried look. "Constant sweating, unprofessional bursts of emotion, trying to end the trial with a pre-made verdict abruptly...it all reeks of desperation. As if there's something you have at stake. Or is it...someone?"

Iris couldn't help but flinch at his response. "Y-you knew...this whole time, you knew...!?"

"It was obvious," Manfred responded. "Defense Attorneys such as yourselves are all too...predictable. Pathetic, if I must be honest."

Iris' turned to glare at her Manfred, her pale hands curling into fists. "Pathetic...pathetic!? Mr. von Karma, my sister's life is at stake!"

"And whose fault is that?" Manfred retorted, his face showing no emotion. "As far as I know, you put your sister at risk the moment you associated yourselves with people like the defendant."

"But Mr. Engarde is innocent...!?" Iris tried to shout back, but her voice trembled.

"Is he, though?" Manfred pressed. "If I recall correctly, you already have a few noticeable cases under your belt. Think back to them...the one involving that spirit channeler...the one involving the Cadaverini...they were both harrowing cases where it was certain the client was guilty, but they were

Manfred simply rolled his eyes. "Believe whatever that makes you feel comfortable, Ms. Iris Hawthorne. If you need me, I'll be off to conduct proper education."

With that, Manfred rudely walked past Iris and Diego, only glancing away to give a huff of contempt before walking away.

Iris gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she glared at the leaving prosecutor.

"Can you believe the nerve of that...that...!" Iris then growled out furiously, too caught up in her own rage to make a coherent sentence.

"Calm yourself, Flower," Diego said, placing his hand on Iris' shoulder. "As infuriating as he is, we have larger problems to deal with."

Iris then sighed, finally managing to calm herself down. "You're right...I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Diego responded, flashing a comforting smile before turning his expression to a serious one. "Now, we need to plan our next step."

"Yes," Iris said with a nod as she pondered her next move. "Right now, we have two things we need to do. Revisit Mr. Engarde and look for more clues at the Gatewater Hotel. Knowing von Karma, he'll be having the police interrogate the man for a while...so it's best we investigate the Hotel first!"

"I'll let you and Maya work on this one," Diego said. "I'll head back to the Land of the Dead for now...I might be able to help Pearl more effectively there."

"That'll be good!" Iris said, perking up at the idea. "Please, the sooner we rescue Pearl the better!"