Here we go the beginning of Episode 5, enjoy
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DM77's Ace Attorney Chapter 41
A Familiar Situation
We open on a dark and rainy night in Cyber City. Thuder is clapping along with lightning. We see a silhouette of a woman holding a knife in her hand getting ready to strike. We then see her freeze and a similar silhouette appears next to her side by side as it appears a similar murder was happening in two different locations.
We see a switchblade being flung as it breaks a vase and see a familiar mascot plush the Blue Kuriboh. We then see that woman again wearing a teachcoat like a cape having appeared to have stabbed someone in the trunk of a car.
We see J in her mental world begin to write as she says "It's been two months since Jaden left the office…Two months without a single trial. I've had offers…. But none I took. That is…until the day that girl showed up.
February 22, 10:02 AM, J & Co. Law Offices
J sighs as she walks into her office rubbing her head and sits on her chair by her desk after watering Terra's Piranha plant Petey and thinks 'Why do I come here to the office every day? It's not like I want to work…'
"There you are! Finally!" A female voice said all of a sudden. J jumps and sees a girl, about high school aged, with brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matches her hair colour, redish-brown eyes. She wore a a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck, black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose and black-brown ankle boots. She also wore maske like goggles with red lenses. She then asked annoyed "Where have you been?! My sister's trial is tomorrow!"
J stares at this girl in confusion blinking a bit before asking "Um….who are you exactly?"
"It doesn't matter who I am! It only matters who YOU are!" The girl said to J, then said "The famous defence attorney, Terra Yuki!" J and the girl look at each other, J not saying anything as the girl seems to figure out the mistake by herselg then said sadly "Oh, uh…You're not Terra Yuki, are you?"
"I'm sorry but Mr. Terra Yuki no longer….works here." J said sadly, despite months she still wasn't comfortable saying her mentor is dead.
"So, you are…? The coffee drone?" The girl asked smiling.
"I'm Serial Designation J…A defence attorney." J said flatly with a deadpan look.
"J…J…Wait!" The girl said writing it down on a notepad before realizing something and said "You're THE J?! The J from the Hunter murder case?!"
"Um, yes, that's correct." J said and thinks 'It wasn't Hunter who was murdered, though…'
"That's a relief then! You're better than nobody!" The girl said with a smile.
"I'm sorry…I'm afraid I'm not taking cases right now." J admits sighing sitting back in her chair.
"But you are Serial Designation J, right?" The girl asked him. "The undefeated defence attorney?"
"Look, I'm not accepting any new cases" J told her firmly. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to try elsewhere."
"Please! I'm out of time!" The girl said looking down sad.
"But…" J said looking at the girl.
"Please, you have to help! I-it's my sister!" The girl said sadly.
Upon hearing that, J couldn't help but see Jaden in the girls place as her mind goes back to the night Terra was murdered and she first met Jaden. It was all too familiar, a sibling concerned for older sibling.
'Jaden…? Could it be…?' J thinks on it but she snaps out of it and looks at the girl. She then said "Okay. I'll hear you out."
"R-really?! Thank you so much!" The girl said cheering up "My name is Makoto, Makoto Niijima. I'm a scientific investigator."
'Scientific investigator?' J thinks confused, she then asked "Makoto, was it? So you're a 'scientific investigator'?"
"Yes! That's right! Is…something wrong?" Makoto asked her.
"No, it's just, you seem kind of, er, jumpy. Or maybe just…young?" J said rubbing her head
"Young?" Makoto asked smiling. "I'll be sixteen years old this year!"
"Oh, I see…wait! Only sixteen?!" J said in shock.
"I'm set to be formally assigned to Forensics in three more years." Makoto said smiling putting on her goggles for a bit. "My work is becoming quite well known…At my age, no less!"
"Um, so what exactly is your current position, then?" J asked arms folded.
"Well, legally speaking…" Makoto said awkwardly "I guess you'd call me an 'Eleventh Grader.' But I'm ready to do my job! At may age, no less!" She looks determined.
'Great, another future professional in training…' J thinks as again this is a lot like Jaden only a girl this time. She then asks "So what's this about a case? You said the trial's tomorrow?"
"My sister didn't do it!" Makoto said firmly and added sadly "She wouldn't stab someone with a knife! She wouldn't!"
"So…it's a murder case." J asked, why wasn't she surprised she seems to attract only those.
"I don't care if there's a witness who saw her do it! She didn't do it!" Makoto told her and added smiling "I know she didn't do it! It's a scientific fact!"
"And…there's a witness." J said sighing and face screening.
"J-just talk to her! You have to talk to her!" Makoto said to J.
"Right…I suppose I will." J said with a nod.
"I promised her I'd bring Terra Yuki, but…" Makoto said thinking.
'That's interesting…How would she know Terra?' J thinks curious. She then asked "So, you want to be a scientific investigator when you grow up, then?"
"E-excuse me?" Makoto said annoyed as she adds "I'm not a child, I'll have you know!"
"Still, it's good to have a goal. Albeit a very unusual one." J said smiling.
"I believe investigations should be done scientifically!" Makoto said proudly. "Don't you?"
"Um, yeah." J said and thought 'Sure can't fault her for a lack of enthusiasm.'
"If this case is handled scientifically, I'm sure my sister's name will be cleated!" Makoto said sadly.
"Your sister…?" J asked thinking.
"I've been doing research you know!" Makoto said smiling "I'm developing a new scientific method of case investigation! I'll show you when I'm done!"
"I'm looking forward to it." J said with a smile. She thinks 'Guess I should get down to the Detention Centre and talk to her sister.' She prepares her stuff.
"My sister asked for Terra specifically." Makoto told her. "This 'Terra Yuki' person…was a few years below her in school."
'So they went to the same school, huh.' J thinks.
"She always told me to go to Terra if I ever needed a defence attorney…" Makoto said and looks down "And, well…I need one."
"Um, incidentally, Terra is a man." J tells her.
"Now that you mention it…I guess it IS more of a man's name than a woman's…" Makot said thinking.
"Well, it's nice of you to help your sister out like this. You must be close." J said with a smile. But then notices a sad look on Makoto's face.
"Well…" Makoto said looking down said "Actually, when she gets like she is now, I kind of hate her."
'Huh?' J thinks confused.
"But…But she's my only family." Makoto admits.
"Your only family? What about your parents?" J asked her.
"My mother died when I was very young and my father died in a car accident when I was little a few years after." Makoto explained.
"Oh…I'm sorry." J said sadly.
She decided to head to the detention centre with Makoto.
February 22, Detention Centre, Visitor's Room
J and Makoto enter the room and sit while Makoto looks down nervous.
'Hmm, I wonder what's wrong with Makoto?' J asked confused 'She got quiet all of a sudden as soon as we arrived.'
"Guard…I thought I told you I didn't want visitors." A female voice said annoyed.
"S-s-s-sorry, ma'am!" The scout trooper guard said nervous "It's j-j-just, your sister…"
"No excuses!" The female voice said, "Or did you not want a raise this year, hmm?"
"U-u-u-understood, ma'am!" The scout trooper said nervous.
'Wh-wh-wh-what was that all about?' J thinks nervous.
J then see a woman sit in the chair with her back to them she was a tall and beautiful woman with upper-back length, ashen-brown hair that is asymmetrically parted on her right side wearing a black business suit with a black turtleneck. Her blazer's cuffs and the lower front have clamshell-like designs earrings and a few dark hair clips can be seen above her right ear. She has violet fingernails and wears dark gray pantyhose with black high heels. She also wears a necklace of a section sign.
"H-hi, Sae." Makoto said nervous.
"Funny." The woman said not turning round "I seem to remember specifically telling you NOT to come here. Perhaps my memory is failing?"
"L-look…" Makoto said and looks down "I didn't want to come here either, okay? But your trial's tomorrow and you still don't have a defence attorney!"
"I'll be the one in court tomorrow. This has nothing to do with you, Makoto." The woman said. She then turns around showing her brown with a hint of mauve red eyes and with a serious look at J. "Isn't that right, Miss. J?"
"Hey! How do you know me?" J asked surprised.
"Terra mentioned you. I've heard…quite a bit." The woman explained.
"Er, I'm sorry. What exactly is it that you do…?" J asked confused.
"My name is Sae, Sae Niijima." The woman introduced herself "I'm Chief Prosecutor for this district."
"Y-you're a prosecutor?!" J said shocked, now that she thinks of it, her voice was familiar as she heard it back in Jack's office when he called them. But then thinks 'Two siblings…one a lawyer. Could this be a coincidence? Makoto…Sae…I mean, they're just like…'
"Is something wrong, Miss. J?" Makoto asked her. J snaps out of her thoughts and decided to talk to Sae.
"There's something you should know from the start." Sae said to J.
"W-which is?" J asked.
"The suspect in this case has confessed to the crime." Sae said firmly.
"Huh?" J said confused.
"W-wait! But the suspect…The suspect it…!" Makoto said in shock.
"Me. I did it." Sae said nodding "Well, Miss. J?"
"Well…why don't you begin by telling me exactly what happened." J asked her.
"The crime took place yesterday, February 21, at 5:15 PM." Sae explained.
"That's quite specific." J said surprised.
"It was in the witness's deposition." Sae explained. "A witness clearly saw me committing the crime."
"Uh…My, that was a bit of bad luck, wasn't it?" J said sweat dropping.
"The crime took place in the underground parking lot at the Prosecutor's Office." Sae continued to explain. "The body was found in the trunk of my subordinate's car."
"The Prosecutor's Office, huh?" J said and thought 'In your subordinate's car trunk? Classy…'
"I was arrested on the spot. Caught red-handed, as it were." Sae states.
'Well, that's just great…' J thinks rubbing her LED eyes. "So, who was the victim?"
"An investigator with the Police Trooper Department." Sae tells her. "I suppose the correct term is 'Detective.'"
"A detective…?" Makoto asked thinking.
"Death was due to a loss of blood. He was stabbed once in the stomach." Sae explained.
"By…you?" J asked her.
"Death wasn't immediate, but the wound was fatal." Sae added.
"I see…" J said nodding.
"Allow me to repeat myself, Miss. J. The victim was a detective." Sae said firmly "You know what that means, don't you?"
"Uh oh!" J said realizing what it meant
"What? Miss. J? What does it mean?" Makoto asked concerned.
"Well, it means…" J began to say.
"The police trooper department will consider it a matter of pride to have me found guilty." Sae finished. "They will use any means at their disposal to do so."
'This case gets worse and worse with everything I learn.' J thinks concerned "So, you're the Chief Prosecutor?"
"That is correct." Sae said nodding. "I'm responsible for overseeting every trial handled by prosecutors in this district. I make sure the prosecutors have what they need to do the job, and manage every aspect, I even command the Law PurgeTroopers there too. Those are my responsibilities in a nutshell."
'That's an awfully large nutshell.' J thinks wide-eyed
"Still, I'm a little surprised." Sae said and adds "I would think you'd recognize the district's Chief Prosecutor, Miss. J."
"Huh?" J said.
"If fact, it seems impossible you wouldn't…" Sae said concerned holding her hand up and J notices it was bandaged.
"Um…. Sae? What happened to you hand?" Makoto asked concerned seeing it.
"Oh, this?" Sae said and put it down and said "I cut myself by accident. When I stabbed him, that is."
"Huh?" Makoto said surprised.
"I'm not very good at being a criminal, I suppose." Sae admits.
'How am I supposed to defend this?!'J thinks shocked 'Time to change the subject…Wait, she was in the class ahead of Terra, wasn't she…?' She then asked "Um, you were in school with Terra, correct? A few years above him?"
"…Makoto told you that, too, did she?" Sae asked.
"W-well why not?" Makoto said to her "I did drag her all the way here from his office!"
"Although it seems she has very little in common with Terra…" Sae admits.
'Hey!' J thinks with an annoyed look.
"It was in law school. I was in my third year, and he was auditing the class." Sae explained her history with Terra "He was different than the other students."
"Different?" J asked.
"He was strong…He'd do anything to become a defence attorney. Anything." Sae said firmly "That…was probably why he was attracted to me."
"E-excuse me?!" J said surprised.
"Intellectually attracted!" Makoto corrected firmly stating it was not romantic "Sae was top of her class in school."
"I was the best there was." Sae added nodding.
"Oh…" J said understanding.
"I'm doing pretty good in school too, by the way!" Makoto said firmly.
'It sounds a bit different when Makoto says it…' J thinks.
"Well, Miss. J?" Sae said suddenly.
"E-excuse me?" J asked confused.
"As you can plainly see, I am admitting my guilt." Sae explained "I think it's safe to say…there's no way you can take this case. None."
"B-but, Sae!" Makoto said concerned. She looks down sadly "Why…? Why are you doing this to me?" She looks up in a teary glaed "You never think of anyone but yourself." Sae looks surprised, the first sign of emotion from the Chief Prosecutor. Makoto continues and said "I know you didn't do it, Sae, I know! So…So how can you say you did?!" Sae remains silent. "If I lose you…" Makoto said sadly. "I'll be all alone! I…I hate you, Sae!" She runs out of the room.
Sae was surprised but then turns her back to them but said "Miss. J?"
"Y-yes?" J said awkwardly.
"I believe our discussion here is ended." Sae states. "The rest…I leave to you."
J was surprised and asked "Um…you mean, you're requesting my services as your defence?"
"Don't lose any sleep over it." Sae told her "Your client has confessed, after all. The case is over."
"Right…I'll do what I can to get to the bottom of this." J told her. She then thinks 'Sae has confessed to this crime, yes…But something doesn't fit.' She looks at Makoto 'It's that look in Makoto's eyes. There's something else going on here…and I'm going to find out what!'
We come back to J & Co. Office with J and Makoto, the young girl was still a bit upset.
"I'm sorry, Miss. J." Makoto said.
"Huh? About what?" J asked her.
"My sister…She's not always like that you know." Makoto told her.
J thinks and says, "I just never expected to be defending another prosecutor again."
"She's changed a lot." Makoto admitted and added smiling "She used to be so gentle, always smiling. Everybody liked her."
"I see…" J said but thinks 'Sorry, but I'm having trouble imagining that.' He then asked "What happened to her?"
"I don't know for certain myself…" Makoto said thinking. "I think maybe she…Well, maybe not."
'Sounds like there's something there that defies a simple scientific explanation.' J thinks and says "Let's go check out this underground parking at the Prosecutor's Office, shall well?"
"O-Okay!" Makoto said nodding.
J nods and the two head back out.
Well a familiar scenario sort of and an almost impossible case, let's see how J does.
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