Chapter Text
Kristoph stands up straight before the court with a small smile, hands folded in front of him. Apollo had just presented an ace with a single drop of blood on it to the court.
This proves that he had a reason to swap the cards! Apollo thinks, wiping the sweaty palm of his free hand on his slacks before balling it into a fist. So… why is he smiling?
“Justice,” Kristoph says, breaking the room’s silence. “Where did you get that card? We went through the evidence before this trial, and I don’t recall it being in our possession.”
“I uh… it was given to me. By a weird girl. During the last recess.”
Murmurs begin to fill the courtroom. Apollo’s sweating has gone far past his palms at this point. Kristoph tilts his head, but doesn’t open his eyes.
“Strange. Was this girl associated with the police?” The blond turns to Mr. Payne before Apollo can answer; the balding man is silent, sweating bullets, and twitching. “Was the prosecution aware of this evidence?”
Mr. Payne gulps. “N-no, Mr. Gavin, sir. The prosecution wasn’t aware that this card existed.”
“The girl was young,” Apollo jumps in. “She was wearing… a magician’s costume, or something.” He stares down at his feet. “I doubt that she was associated—”
“That was my daughter,” Phoenix interrupts, his face blank.
Kristoph opens his eyes, his icy glare cutting into his former friend. “How convenient that the defendant’s daughter would bring something to the court to ‘prove’ my guilt, especially considering this ex-attorney’s track record.”
The murmurs grow to a roar, and the judge is forced to bang his gavel. Once the court calms, he continues, “Mr. Wright, do you have an explanation for the court?” he asks, a stern frown adorning his beard.
Phoenix grins, scratches his stubble, and turns to the floor. His turquoise beanie covers the upper part of his face. “I do not, your Honor.”
“Objection!” Apollo shouts, slamming his fists down on his desk. “What about the colors of the cards? You knew they were blue, sir—Mr. Gavin!”
“My apologies, stating that the cards were blue was an assumption. My deck at home just so happens to be blue.” He beams, moving his hands behind him. “And, as you stated, the photos we had received before the trial were black and white.”
“B-but, his bald head! How did you—”
“I was referring to his hat. I disliked it strongly enough for it to be noticeable as I passed him on my way out of the restaurant.” He chuckles to himself. “The color of it happened to remind me of bone china. The rim looked silly to me, as well: like a plate.” He clears his throat, moving his spiral of hair to the other side of his head. “As the court can clearly see, what the defendant as well as the defense have brought up are simply misunderstandings that the defendant would like to use in a petty attempt to change his inevitable verdict.”
“Yes! Yes!” Payne finally joins the discussion, back to looking skeezy and over-confident. “That card is illegal evidence, and the defense cannot disprove any of Mr. Gavin’s claims.”
“I have to agree with the prosecution on this matter,” says the judge. “Does the defense have any further objections?”
Apollo stares at Kristoph. He doesn’t detect any strange body language. In fact, he’s seeing a fuzzy version of his mentor. His jacket’s bleeding into the collar of his shirt, and… are those black spots? he thinks. He looks to Phoenix, but the man’s gaze hasn’t moved since his previous statement. Apollo barely manages to get out, “No, your Honor.”
“The prosecution would like to add that the defendant, Mr. Wright, must be guilty, as there is no other plausible reason for him or his daughter to forge evidence to frame someone else,” Payne adds.
The judge nods. “I agree. The witness may leave the stand.” Kristoph gives a small nod and leaves the courtroom. He doesn’t look towards the defense on his way out. The judge looks to Phoenix and shakes his head. “I had thought that the repossession of your attorney’s badge would have taught you a lesson. It appears that I was wrong. It saddens me to say this… but I must lay down my verdict.”
Apollo blinks. He waits. Surely, Phoenix will say something. Someone will say something, right? Every time the famed defense attorney, Phoenix Wright, found himself in an unbreakable bind, something would come through. He continues to wait, but it dawns on him that he’s the only one who will say something. However, it’s no use; he has nothing to say.
“This court finds the defendant, Phoenix Wright, guilty.”
Nobody says anything. Nothing strange happens. Phoenix Wright, the defense attorney who never loses, had just lost for the final time. Apollo can’t hear the rest of the judge’s statements; his ears are ringing like mad. Phoenix pulls out his phone and hurriedly calls someone. He holds it close to his mouth and is barely speaking above a whisper. He hangs up, and the police take him away.
Apollo wanders aimlessly out of the courtroom. He’s merely putting one foot in front of the other until he spots Mr. Gavin.
“Are you ready to go, Justice?”
“Mr. Gavin, I—”
“I’m taking you back to the office, correct?”
“I—”
“Now, Justice, I know that one’s first case is quite difficult, but we have work to finish today. Besides, if you’d like to discuss the case, this is hardly the place to do so.”
Apollo simply nods and lets Kristoph take his arm. They stroll through the parking lot until they eventually find Kristoph’s car. The drive to the Gavin & Co. Law Offices is silent.