Well time for the final trial in this episode, where J will work to defend herself and prove Handsome Jack guilty but it won't be easy with Hunter aiming to win as well.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this
DM77's Ace Attorney Chapter 10
Defending One-Self
September 9, 9:52 AM, District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 1
J was in the lobby with Jaden, the drone girl was a bit nervous as she was about to go in for her own trial. It will be the fight for her life.
"Well… I guess this is it!" Jaden said to her.
"Yeah." J said with a nod. "One way or another, this case gets decided today."
Jaden looks to his right and said "Woah! J-J! Look!"
J looks and is surprised to see Hunter there with his mask on and two Purge Troopers escorting him. This surprises her as she thinks 'Prosecutor…Hunter.'
"I received a call from the Chief Prosecutor's office yesterday." Hunter said taking his mask off and looking serious as J was confused. He adds "I was told that whaever Mr. Jack says today, it will be the 'absolute truth.' No matter how you try to attack his testimony…If I raise an objection, I have it on good faither that the judge will listen to me."
'What, does Jack have Maccadam in his pocket, too?!' J thinks shocked and asked "So… you're saying I'm going to be guilty. End of story?"
Hunter glares at J and says, "I will do anything to get my verdict, Miss. J. Anything."
"Why… Why?!" Jaden said in anger "How can you torment an innocent person like this?!"
"'Innocent'….?" Hunter asked looking right at Jaden "How can we know that? The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out." He shrugs "There's no way to tell who is guilty and who is innocent! All that I can hope to do is get every defendant declared 'guilty'! So I make that my policy."
"Hunter…. You've changed." J said to him simply
"Hmmm?" Jaden said caught off guard with that as were the two Purge Troopers "J! You know him?!"
"Don't expect any special treatment, Serial Designation J." Hunter said putting his mask back on and leaves.
"J…." Jaden said concerned,
"Well… court will be starting soon." J said to him.
"What? But wait!" Jaden said in shock "Your defence attorney isn't even here yet! They're not…"
"I'll be defending myself" J told him.
"Whaaaa?!" Jaden said in shock.
"Okay, let's do this." J said heading for the door. Jaden concerned follows
September 9, 10:00 AM, District Court, Courtroom No. 1
People were in court ready as the people talk. Hunter and J stand opposite each other at there benches. Maccadam again presides.
Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Court is now in session for the trial of Miss. Serial Designation J."
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Hunter said without his mask and staff.
"The defence is ready, Your Honor." J said with a nod.
"Miss. J… Are you sure you're up to doing this?" Maccadam asked concerned.
"Yes, Your Honor." J said with a nod "I will be defending myself."
"Understood." Maccadam said nodding. "Very well Mr. Deamonnne, your opening statement, please."
"As the details of the event are already quite clear to the court, today we will hear the testimony of a witness to the defendant's crime." Hunter explained.
"I see." Maccadam said nodding. "The prosecution may call its witness."
'That went far too smoothly!' J thinks concerned 'Why didn't Maccadam ask Hunter why his witness didn't testify before?! It's like….it's like he already knows why! Hmmm. If anyone's going to raise an objection about this, I suppose it's me…' She slams her hands down "Mr. Deamonne, you own an explanation to the court! Why didn't this witness testify in the trial against Mr. Jaden Yuki?!"
"Hmph." Hunter lets out smiling and shrugs before saying "I'm ever so sorry! Mr. Jack is a busy man, and besides…at the time, I thought that Miss. Walker's opinion was all that would be needed. Again, my sincerest apologies to the court."
Maccadam shakes his head and smiles saying "Excellent, Mr. Deamonne, I appreciate your demeanor." Hunter grins and bows.
'Great. He gets to show off and I get nowhere.' J thinks sweat dropping.
"I would like to call Mr. Handsome Jack to the stand!" Hunter calls out.
A while later Handsome Jack stands at the Witness stand in the centre with his usual smug grin.
"Please state your full name." Hunter said to him.
"You wish to know the title of my identity?" Jack asked smiling and posing.
"Er… your name?" Hunter asked a little off guard with that.
"Yes! That is what I said kid!" Jack said with a nod "Oh does my mere awesome presence confuse you?"
Hunter annoyed slams his hand down and said "Name!"
'These two are great together…' J thinks mentally chuckling.
"Okay, okay. My name is Handsome Jack. Jack is my actual first name but that is all you'll get." Jack explained "I am the current CEO, which for you low IQ people who don't know is the term for President of Hyperion."
"Did you know the victim, Mr. Terra Yuki?" Hunter asked him.
"That will be a big fat nope! No, I did not." Jack said shaking his head.
Hunter thinks and asked "You were at the Tipton Hotel the night of the murder?"
"That is correct." Jack said nodding.
"And you witnessed the murder from there?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah, why should I tell you what you already know?" Jack asked him.
"Very well, Mr. Jack. You may begin your testimony." Maccadam said nodding.
'If I can't rip this guy's testimony apart, I'm done for.' J thinks at that. Then thinks worried 'Why do I always feel like it's the end of the world and I'm the last drone standing?'
Jack chuckles and poses again and said to J "I hope you made your peace with whatever god you worship, Miss. Lawyer!"
J was surprised at that and Jaden next to her said "Let him have it, J!"
Jack begins his Witness's Account testimony saying "Let's see, iw was about 9:00, I believe. I was quietly perusifying….er, that's 'reading' to you, some papers by the window. Then I heard a bedlam coming from outside! Surprised, I turned to look at the building across the way."
"It was then I saw her: the pig-tailed haired drone girl attack a man with spiky hair!" Jack continued "Needless to say that drone was none other than you, Miss. Lawyer! I called Miss Walker over at once. She, too, was flabbergasted of course."
"The victim, he…. he ran away, but you gave chase!" Jack said finishing up his testimony "Finally there was a terrible impactation! Then it was all over…"
"Hmmm…" Maccadam said thinking "If things occurred as you testify, then I'm afraid the defendant is guilty. Very well, defendant… er, I mean, Miss. J. Your cross-examination…"
"Yes, Your Honor." J said nodding. She checks the recording of the testimony and presses the first statement "Hold it! How do you know what time it was?"
"Because I am always absolutely, awesomely perfect, you know?" Jack said proudly.
"No, no, no, you're not getting away with that!" J said sweatdropping.
"My, you're so mistrusting Miss. Lawyer!" Jack said smirking. "So… what was the proper term for 'secretary' again…? Anyway, Miss Walker order room service for 9:00. It happened soon after the room service arrived."
'Hmmm. That's what Miss Walker said, too.' J thinks but presses further saying "True, the Servant Droid who brought the coffee saw Miss Walker." She slams her hands on the bench "But he testified that he did not see you at the time!"
"Well, this is your concern?" Jack asked grinning "Silly Lawyer! Miss Walker received the coffee outside the room! Of course he could not see me, he would need X-ray vision upgrade to pull off something like that!"
'Hmmm…' J thinks that does make sense. She keeps going and presses the fifth statement saying "Hold it! P-pig-tailed?!" She sweats then presses the next one saying "Hold it! What you just said directly conflicts with Miss Walker's testimony! Miss Walker clearly stated that the assailant looks like a 'boy'!"
"I've always been proud of my eyesight, Miss. Lawyer." Jack said smugly.
"Just what is your eyesight?" J asked him.
Jack poses before saying "Counting both eyes… 40!"
"40?! Don't add them together!" J said sweat dropping.
Maccadam nods and said, "I think the witness is trying to say his eyesight is good."
'Hey, whose side is Maccadam on, anyway?' J thinks and then presses the eighth statement saying "Hold it! Can you be a little more detailed about that? I think it's worth knowing exactly what happened."
"Of course! Comprende! I understand!" Jack said smiling "The victim was attacked, by you, and ran to the left. You gave chase and struck him down!"
"Are you sure?" Hunter asked Jack.
Jack poses and said "As you know, I am always absolutely, awesomely perfect!"
"Perhaps you could change your testimony to reflect this new detail." Maccadam said.
Jack nods and the testimony was updated to replace the eighth statement with "The Victim ran to the left, and you gave chase!"
J hearing that finding something odd about that and looks at her Court Record, huh well guess she can use this then and said "Objection! Wait right there! Mr. Jack, you've dug your own grave!"
"What is this?!" Jack asked to that.
"You said the victim ran to the 'left.' But that directly contradicts Miss Walker's testimony!" J said and brings up Kitten's Testimony "She clearly stated that the victim ran 'right'!"
Jack was a bit surprised at that and said "Oh, hahaha. It's simple. You have misheard her."
"I think not." J said shaking her head "Look at the floor plans…" She brings up the floor plans and places a K on it "The killer was here. And the victim, here." She places a V in the spot. She then moves the Victim as she explained "If the victim ran to the left, as you claim, he did…He would have been running directly away from the door! He would have been running into a dead end! Don't you find that odd?"
Jack looks shocked and loses his composure to that and said "Very strange…I did see her run to the left… I did."
"J… look at his face." Jaden whispered to J "I don't think he's lying about this one."
"True." J said nodding and thinks 'Maybe he really did see the victim run left…? So, he did witness the killing…? Wait a second!' Her eyes widen in realization.
"Miss. J?" Maccadam asked.
"Yes, Your Honor?" J said.
"Miss Walker says 'right,' and Mr. Jack says 'left.' Can you explain this contradiction to the court?" Maccadam asked.
"Of course, the answer to this is simple. Both Witnesses are telling the truth." J said smiling and thinks 'For once this whole case…'
Hunter chuckles shrugging and said "Hah! I doubt it! Um, rather, that does not clear up the contradiction!"
"There is one scenario that would explain their conflicting accounts." J explained.
"What?!" Hunter asked surprised.
J slams her hands on the bench and points saying "Obviously, the witness was not viewing the crim from the hotel!"
This made the members of the court to murmur in surprise of this and Maccadam slams his gavel down and asked "Miss. J! What do you mean?"
"Yes, what do you mean, he was not 'viewing the crime from the hotel'?!" Hunter asked shocked, slamming his gloved hand down said "If he was not in the hotel, where could he have been?!"
"In the law offices of Yuki & Co, of course!" J said smiling. This made the members of the court murmur and Maccadam slams his gavel down several times "More specifically, he was standing here!" She looks at the floor plans and moves the cursor to the K and said "Take that! This is where he was!"
She then demonstrates moving the V right as he said "Look! When the victim ran for the door…If he was watching from this point to him it would appear that he ran to the 'left.'
Hunter annoyed slams his hand down and said "Please! This is no time for jokes in ill taste! This is where the killer was standing!"
The members of the court murmur confused on this and Maccadam slams his gavel "Order! I will have order! Anyone disturbing the order of this courtroom will be held in contempt!" He then looks down at J "Miss. J! What are you suggesting?!"
"G-G-Goddamn scrap-pile!" Jack said sweating bullets and glaring.
"Objection!" Hunter calls out and said, "The postulations of the defense are a distortion of the truth, Your Honor!"
"Indeed. They do seem a bit far-fetched…" Maccadam said thinking.
Jack then recovers assuming his prideful pose and chuckles saying, "You provide us with so much entertainment, Miss. Lawyer!"
'What now?! He's…laughing?!' J thinks concerned
"The hilarity of the moment made me remember something…" Jack explained. "It appears I have been unclear, and for this, I apologize. Mr. Your Honor…Might I be allowed to testify once more?"
Maccadam nods and said, "Very well, let's hear your revised testimony."
'Good luck. You can't fix a broken testimony, buddy!' J said looking at him.
Jack then began his testimony of He Ran to the 'Left' saying "Miss Walker's testimony was correct… as was mine! When you assaulted the boy, he first ran to the left. And then you hit him, savagely! This is what I saw."
"Next, with the last of his strength, he ran to the right." Jack continued "You chased him and delivered the final blow. That is what Miss Walker saw. You, see? You hit him twice! Don't you remember, Miss. Lawyer?"
"Hmmmm…That does seem to make sense." Maccadam said thinking and looks to J "Will you be cross-examining the witness's testimony?"
"You bet I will! I mean, yes, Your Honor" J said nodding. She looks at it and presses the fifth statement saying "Hold it! What do you mean 'next'?!"
"'Next' is what comes after 'first.'" Jack told her.
J slams her hands down and said, "I know that!"
"Then that is all you need to know, Miss. Lawyer." Jack said smugly "As I said, she turned and made a desperate dash to the right."
J then presses the final statement saying "Hold it! So were you watching both times?"
"I suppose I was." Jack said simply "And please excuse me for not testifying to this sooner!"
J grins she got him and presents the evidence that contradicts this statement saying "Objection! Mr. Jack! The victim died from a single blow!" Jack again loses his composure at this as J brings up the Autopsy report "What do you have to say to that?"
"Er…. Erp!" Jack said loss for words.
'Now's my chance to hit him where it counts!' J thinks and slams her hands on the bench and asked "Mr. Jack. Wasn't it you who told this court you were absolutely, awesomely perfect?"
"Mmph." Jack said to that "I will refrain form using this phrase from now on."
"Your Honor, if you could ask the witness for a new testimony…" J said.
"Objection!" Hunter called out and said "The witness is obviously confused, Your Honor! I would like to request a 10-minute break!"
"Yes… yes, quite." Maccadam said nodding.
"Objection!" J called out "The witness is confused because he's lying!" He then points and said "I emphatically request that there be no break, Your Honor!"
"Yeah, we want justice…! Don't let him get away!" The members of the court yelled out in support of J.
Maccadam bangs his gavel to quite them "Very well. If the witness would care to revise his testimony…"
'The crowd's on my side! No slipping out of this now, Jack!' J thinks smiling.
"Mr. Jack?" Maccadam asked looking at him.
"O… okay…" Jack said still nervous and began of his testimony on The Two Accounts "Umm, well, see—I looked at the other window when I heard that thing fall. Then, the next moment, I saw Mr. Terra run to the left!"
"The killer you, attacked him… but he dodged." Jack continued "Ummm… and then…He turned and ran for the door! Then you did him in with a single blow! Thwap!"
"Hmmm. 'Thwap' indeed." Maccadam said thinking "Very well, you may begin the cross-examination."
"Mr. Your Honor…My stomach, you see, it is hurting…." Jack said worried.
J shakes her head and says, "Deal with it." She smirks "This is almost over." Jack looked worried as J begins cross-examination and presses the first statement saying "Hold it! You heard 'that thing fall'? What exactly was 'that thing'?"
"Huh? Oh…. Oh, that? Umm… the glass light stand!" Jack said smiling.
'Right… the one that had fallen over at the scene.' J thinks
"J! Doesn't something about that strike you as odd?" Jaden asked her.
'Yeah, that is odd. I'll press further.' J thinks nodding. "Mr. Jack."
"Huh? W-what?" Jack asked concerned.
"You're saying you saw the glass light stand?" J asked him.
"Y-yes." Jack said nervous.
"Then change your testimony to reflect that!" J told him.
"S-sure, sorry. My mistake…" Jack said.
"The witness will revise his testimony." Maccadam said.
"Okay okay. Of course." Jack said and indeed the first statement was now "A light stand was lying on the floor when I looked."
J nods and gets the Glass Shards from the Court Record to present them and said "Objection! Mr. Jack. It was impossible for you to have seen the light stand!"
"Whaaaaat?!" Jack said in shock.
J showing the glass shards explained "The stand broke into pieces when it fell!" Jack yelps and nearly collapses in shock "Just by seeing the broken pieces you would have no idea it was a light stand! So tell me, exactly when was it that you saw the stand?" She slams her hands down and points "Answer the question!"
Jack sweats and is very nervous, this wasn't going as planned and said "I-isn't it obvious? I saw the stand before it fell over!"
"So… you saw the stand before the victim was attack, then?" J asked him.
"C-correct! That would be no problem, right buddy?" Jack asked.
J thinks then said shaking her head "There's a big problem here buddy."
"What problem is this?" Jack asked her.
"Mr. Jack, let me make sure I have this straight…" J said and explained "You saw the glass light stand through the window, from the hotel…before the incident occurred?"
"Correct! That is so! It's conclusive, definitive, undeniable… unimpeachable!" Jack said panicked.
J slams her hands down and said "No, it's impossible! You couldn't have seen the stand!"
The members of the court murmur at this and Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "What? Why couldn't he? You have proof?"
J nods and said "I sure do, Your Honor! A person in the hotel could not have seen the stand before it fell over" She then presents the Floor Plans smiling and saying "Take that! Look at this!"
"These are the floor plans to the scene of the murder, yes?" Maccadam asked.
J nods saying "Correct, Your Honor. Now, look…" She goes to interact with it on the screen "If you were to look through the window at the office…This is the area you would be able to see!" She puts in light to show what could be see "Here! Well…? Note that the stand is not within the visible area!" Indeed the light stand wasn't in view of the window if it was standing "Well, Mr. Jack!" She slams her hands on the bench and points looking serious "What do you have to say to that?!"
"Er…. Erp!" Jack said for the first time he was speechless. "Ri… dicu…. less…"
"Mr. Jack. If you were in the Tipton Hotel as you claim, you could not have seen the stand before it fell over!" J said to him pointing "In fact, you wouldn't have been able to see it after it fell, either!" She shows the glass shards "There's no way you could have recognized the broken shards as a glass light stand!" She smiles "So, when did you see the stand, Mr. Jack?" She slams her hands down "It must have been the moment that it fell! And the only place you could have seen that from… is inside the Yuki Law Offices! In other words, you were at the scene of the crime, when the murder took place!"
"Gaaaaaaaaaaa!" Jack screams out loud and bangs his head on the witness bench cracking his mask.
The members of the court murmur and Maccadam bangs his gavel. He then looks at Jack concerned and said "Mr…. Jack?" Jack doesn't lift his head.
"Mr. Jack." J said and Jack still doesn't move so she asked "You did it, didn't you?"
Jack without lifting his head said "Mr. Your Honor. I… I… Mr. Terra…" He trembles.
'Heh. Looks like we're about to get our verdict!' J thinks with a smile.
"Objection!" Hunter suddenly said and smirks saying "That's far enough, Serial Designation J!"
"W-what?!" J said in shocked and thinks 'Training retreat! I forgot about Hunter!'
"Mr. Jack…" Hunter said looking at the man whose head was still down "I think the time has come. Shouldn't you confess your crime now, hmm?"
"W…. what?" Jack said looking up showing his face with the cracked mask.
Hunter shrugs smugly and said "I said, you should confess your crime. Ergo, confess that you place the wiretap!"
"The w-wiretap?!" J said nervous.
The members of the court murmur and Maccadam bangs his gavel and said "Order! Order!" He looks at Hunter "Mr. Deamonne! Explain to the court what you mean by this!"
"Distinguished members of the court…" Hunter began smiling "Mr. Jack is slightly confused. Allow me to explain."
'I really don't like the way this is headed…' J thinks worried.
"As you know, Mr. Jack is the CEO of Hyperion." Hunter explained. "He ordered his secretary, Miss Kitten Walker, to tap the law offices of Mr. Yuki."
"What does that have to do…?" Maccadam asked.
"Your Honor." Hunter said and grins "The question is: When was the wiretap place in the office, and by who?"
"No! You wouldn't!" J said very worried.
"Mr. Jack. In order to place the wiretap, you entered Mr. Yuki's office." Hunter said grinning "Am I correct…?"
Jack thinks and realize what Hunter was getting at and immediately recomposes and stands pridfully despite the cracked mask and said "C-correct! You are most correct, Hunter!"
"Give me a break!" J said shocked.
"Yes…. In order to place the wiretap, I breached the Yuki & Co. Law Offices!" Jack explained. "That is when I saw that accursed light stand!"
The members of the court murmur and Maccadam bangs his gavel then said "Now I'm confused. Please explain to the court what all this means, Mr. Deamonne!"
"Glady, Your Honor." Hunter said grinning. "Miss. Serial Designation J has made her position quite clear. She has determined that Mr. Jack knew the glass stand was in the office. She has shown that there was only one-time Mr. Jack could have seen the stand: at the very moment of the murder! Thus, Miss. J would like you to believe that Mr. Jack was the murderer!"
"I see." Maccadam said nodding.
"However!" Hunter said to continues smirking "It is a fact that Mr. Jack has been to that office well before the murder took place! When he went to place the wiretap! He could have seen the glass light stand then." He looks serious and slams his hand down "Ergo, Miss. Serial Designation J's theory is revealed for the baseless conjecture it is!"
The members of the court murmur and Maccadam bangs his gavel and glares at Jack and said "Mr. Jack! You will testify to the court about this wiretapping!"
Jack poses and clears his throat "Leave it to me!"
'I… I feel faint.' J thinks worried.
Handsome Jack begins testifying about The Wiretapping saying "It was the beginning of September… the week before the murder. I had entered the Yuki & Co. Law Offices. Of course, I had done so to place the wiretap. That is when I saw this glass light stand."
"Hmmm…." Maccadam thinks "So, you saw the stand before the night of the incident…And this is how you were able to identify what had fallen over. By the sound?"
Jack poses and said "Correct! That is right."
"I see. Very well, Miss. J, you may cross-examine." Maccadam said.
'Dental plan! What am I supposed to do now…?!' J thinks shuddering.
"Good luck, J…" Jaden said worried.
J couldn't see any obvious contradictions so try to rattle him and see what drops starting with the first statement "Hold it! D-do you have proof?!"
"Objection!" Hunter said and explained "Miss Kitten Walker knew the details of Mr. Yuki's phone conversation! This proves that the wiretap was placed before the murder!"
"Huh… right." J said sweating she presses the second one "Hold it! Was it really you that went into the office? Or was it Miss Walker?"
"Objection!" Hunter said and again explained "Unidentified fingerprints several days old were found in the Yuki and Co. Law Offices. Those were obviously Mr. Jack's." He smirks.
'And if I know Hunter, he's already run a check on those prints…' J thinks. Hunter bows to that. She then presses the third one "Hold it! Why did you tap Terra's phone?!"
"Objection!" Hunter said and tutted as he said "This has no bearing on the current case, Your Honor."
"Hyperion's sub-division here in Cyber city is a detective agency of sorts." Hunter said shrugging and grinning. "We have a responsibility to protect client confidentially!"
"Hold it!" J said pressing the final statement and asked "Why did you notice something as innocuous as a light stand?!"
"The light stand was made entirely out of glass." Jack explained "It was quite stylish, so I guess it made a lasting impression on me. Such a beautiful thing deserves attention, am I wrong? That is all."
J realized she pressed everything and thinks worried 'Uh oh! Don't tell me I've run out of ammo!'
"Tsk, tsk." Hunter said with a smirk "I'm afraid that's as far as you go, Miss. J. The time has come for you to admit your defeat! I'll admit you fought… honourably." He bows.
'No more….' J think worried 'I can't take this anymore…'
"Miss. J?" Maccadam asked looking at her "Are you giving up?"
J grips the table worried and sadly and said "Y-yes, Your Honor."
"(J!)" A voice said nearby her. J confused looked to where the voice was "(J! Over here!)"
'Wait, I know that voice!' J thinks on that and her eyes widen 'Terra?!"
J looks to where Jaden was but the boy was gone and Terra was there standing like he never died and he said looking serious "Never give up, J!"
J yelps jumping and said "T-Terra…!" She then falls over fainting.
Well things got weird, it's looking bad for J and she seems to be hallucinating, but is she really?
Please Read, Review and Suggest. Thank you.