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The Turnabout Terror was on the rise again.
It was incredible- though Miles Edgeworth would be loath to admit it- that Wright could so easily step back behind the defense bench with the very same unshakeable confidence he had had nearly eight years ago. And as more time passed and more desperate clients came he proved that he was ready and willing to take on even the most absurd, hopeless cases and win them.
He could see through any lie, outwit any foe, and had an uncanny knack for finding even the smallest of contradictions. Among younger attorneys he was often spoken of with reverence- as if he were some kind of unstoppable legend- but for those who knew him- namely a certain Chief Prosecutor- that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Phoenix Wright was not infallible, in fact he was a very real, very mortal man, and that would be an innocuous statement any other day, but today it might as well have been a death sentence.
Larry hadn’t said much over the short phone call, but the words ‘Nick’ and ‘shot’ were more than enough to get the Chief Prosecutor out of his comfy office chair and into the hall. Little else could be gleaned from the frantic man- he had apparently hung up with the arrival of the ambulance.
And so Miles Edgeworth was left standing there, phone held in a vice-grip and heart racing. In his mindless hurry he had made it halfway to the elevator.
With a deep breath he pocketed his phone and altered course. Taking the stairs would only add an extra 27 seconds- he knew- and that hardly mattered in the long run. He would make up for it in the drive.
The hum of his cherry red Mustang was a blessing, but the radio got on his nerves. He switched it off as he sped out of A-Block.
The radio had been a nuisance, but the longer Miles was left with his own traitorous thoughts the more he would have welcomed a sudden interruption from the greatest hits of the early 2000s. He vaguely wondered if one could safely run red lights- preferably while avoiding tickets. Maybe Kay Faraday would have ideas- he suddenly wished he could ask her.
As he pulled onto the freeway his mind strayed back to what Larry had managed to get across in so little words.
Phoenix Wright had been shot.
Phoenix Wright, the Turnabout Terror. Phoenix Wright, brilliant defense attorney, loyal friend, dedicated father, and all around saint had been shot in court and could very well have been dead even before the ambulance arrived.
The thought seemed unreal. Inconceivable. ‘Phoenix Wright’ and ‘Death’ were two subjects that never brushed- never flirted- and never even shared the same area code as far as Miles was concerned.
It could hardly be pictured- the man was much too lively to ever be a corpse- he wasn’t even that still while he slept- always tossing and turning and stealing the sheets and who could forget the time he had (accidentally) thrown a mean right hook at 3am. Miles certainly never let him live it down- no matter how many times he groveled apologies. Now, though, he would be all too happy to forgive him.
It had been a while since his car was this silent- he had long ago resigned himself to chauffeuring crowds that were considerably more boisterous than his dog.
All too often half the Wright Anything Agency would be packed into the backseat arguing amongst themselves about dinner plans and before even that when it was just Phoenix and Maya screaming out their own perfect rendition of ‘Hollaback Girl’ in time with the radio. And on the even rarer occasion just Miles rebuffing the defense attorney’s attempts to pull him into some broadway duet- which Phoenix never did manage.
It was unfair, he thought, that Phoenix be snatched from his life just as everything was falling into place.
What a mess it would be- clearing out his office. Arranging a funeral. It seemed an insurmountable task that pushed him closer to that old siren’s song of booking the next flight to Germany. It would be so easy. Just get on a plane and leave. Miles almost chuckled at the thought. Shroedinger’s Phoenix- he could still be alive if Miles just up and left, never looking back. He could tell himself that as long as he liked.
But no, that wasn’t possible now. He had settled. He had connections- lives he certainly couldn’t just disappear from with no consequence. The prosecutor’s office needed his guidance- lest a Payne be put in charge- and furthermore- his heart nearly sputtered to a stop when he remembered the daughter Phoenix would have left behind.
The bright young girl who always suffered in silence to make others smile. She’d be losing yet another father. Oh, God, what was she to do?
She was still young- hardly 17 (she would be in another three weeks) and yet here she was- perhaps orphaned for the second time in her short life.
No, he thought, that is certainly not an option. Trucy had people- many people who cared for her. She would not be alone. It was hardly a question in his mind of what would happen to the young magician- in the years he had known her, Trucy Wright had wriggled her way into the prosecutor’s life wherever she could- determined to be well-acquainted with the man her father seemed so enamored with. And truly there was little she had to do to win him over- he remembered the card trick that did it- the genuinely shocking sleight-of-hand that no 8-year-old had any business possessing and that dazzling smile as she pulled the king of hearts from thin air. He remembered well- nearly 8 years on and he still had that card in his wallet.
If Phoenix was...unable to care for Trucy, then Miles would take her in- it was only natural. The thought came with a sense of conviction that very nearly frightened him. But the more he thought about it the more he knew it was true- he could hardly imagine Trucy as a ward of the state- in fact the thought disgusted him.
Though a cruel part of Miles whispered that it was uncanny- the idea of a prosecutor adopting the child of a defense attorney who had been mercilessly gunned down. He shivered the thought away. It was not like that. Never. As long as Miles lived and breathed he would make sure Trucy knew only love in her life- never cruelty. It was the least she deserved.
He took the offramp a little faster than its designers intended, practically skidding into the turn towards the hospital parking lot. The building loomed tall and concrete- backlit by a cloud-heavy sky. It had rained the night before and typically Miles Edgeworth would be much fussier about stepping in puddles, but the thought never even occurred to him as he abandoned his Mustang and all but sprinted to the main entrance. The air was chilly for springtime, biting- a gust of wind tousling his hair. He must have looked a mess- he certainly felt a mess.
The receptionist must have recognized him because she didn’t ask his relation. He could have been mad at the lack of security, but he was too relieved at the lack of interrogation. He headed for the stairs and took them two at a time- something he would admit was rather unbecoming, but there were far too many floors between him and the knowledge of whether that man would ever be coming home.
Once he was at the right floor, his pace slowed considerably. He didn’t want to know. He had to, but he didn’t want to. There was no turning back- the door wasn’t far now. He stopped dead in his tracks, hand on the door handle, trying to calm his breathing. He had to be prepared for the worst.
Steeling himself for whatever lay beyond that door, Miles took a breath and held it, listening.
The lilting sounds of muffled laughter hit him like a brick.
Without further hesitation he turned the handle and stepped through the door and-
And there he was, Phoenix Wright, sitting up in bed, staring at him with those wide blue eyes- shirtless aside from a small bandage taped across his chest, and blessedly alive.
Miles very nearly collapsed with relief, outstretching an arm to brace himself in the doorway, still desperate to catch his breath. All eyes had turned to him, unfortunately.
Athena and Trucy had commandeered the two bedside chairs, the latter holding out a handful of cards for the attorney to choose from. Klavier stood awkwardly in the corner alongside Apollo who seemed too anxious to notice that prosecutor Gavin had an arm around him- which was basically the Apollo version of second base. It was all a bit overwhelming to take in all at once and Phoenix, damn him, had the nerve to smile.
“Hey!” He said in that excessively cheery way of his, “It’s my boyfriend! What, no flowers?” He laughed, “...You alright? You look like you just ran up six flights of stairs.”
“That’s because he probably did, Daddy!” Trucy- ever merciful- bounced out of her chair and gently took hold of his arm, pulling him over to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. Phoenix at least had half a mind to look sheepish.
“Ah, that’s right, sorry! I probably should have called- wait. Who told you-?”
“Larry.” Miles gasped out between breaths.
Phoenix winced, memories of a certain fire and a certain bridge and a certain river flashing across his face. Not the happiest of times. “History often repeats itself, huh?” He gave a humorless laugh, “At least this time you didn’t have to charter a private jet.”
“Wright.” The Chief Prosecutor’s tone quickly shut him up, “What happened?”
“Uh…” He chuckled, pushing back his mess of black hair, “Well, y’see it’s a funny story...”
The circus was in town again.
Well, not the circus exactly- more of a carnival if Phoenix was being honest. And whether it was too many people in one place or perhaps the uncharacteristically gloomy weather, but people just couldn’t stop killing each other. Why, he would never understand.
And so, court was in session on that gloomy Thursday afternoon. Phoenix had taken the case with little hesitation- it would be an easy win- especially since Athena and Apollo had tagged along if for no other reason than the fact that this particular murder had kinda screwed over their day off. Poor kids, they could really use a break. At least they didn’t have to work too hard today.
The case of State V. Missy Fire was simple, really. A trio of sharpshooters who did performances for the fair crowds were thinking of disbanding, planning to do one last performance before moving on to new careers, but before the performance one of its members- a man called Glock Gunner- is found dead in his trailer. It was obvious foul play, and the one who found him there- his girlfriend and co-worker, Missy Fire, was blamed. The third member of the troupe, who had supposedly seen the crime, was the prosecution’s key witness, as well as their downfall.
“Ms. Trickshot-”
The woman giggled, lounging against the rails of the witness stand, “Oh, please, Mr. Defense Attorney, I told you, call me Trixie!”
Phoenix frowned, “...Trixie. Where were you when you witnessed Ms. Fire shoot the victim?”
There was a moment of hesitation where her smile grew tense, “Well...I-I saw through the window! When I was going to see Glock! I watched through the window as Missy took her rifle and shot him right between the eyes!”
Phoenix glanced back at Apollo and Athena at the defense bench. And, oh boy, did they have a lot to say about that. Athena was scowling, and shook her head emphatically, mouthing the word ‘Liar’ . Apollo must have thought the same- he gave a thumbs down. It took some concentration to keep from laughing at how screwed this lady was.
He turned back to the witness stand, “Witness, are you absolutely sure you saw this happen through the window?”
The woman’s eye twitched, “Of course I did!”
Got her.
“Hm. That’s odd, because this report states that when officers arrived on scene, the curtains were closed! So, tell me, how could-”
“Objection!”
All eyes turned to the other side of the courtroom where Klavier Gavin stood, smirking. “Herr Wright, you must admit it’s entirely possible that the defendant closed the curtains once she realized there was a witness to her crime.” The rockstar gave a dazzling smile, winking at the defense bench. Phoenix was sure he heard Apollo scoff.
“Well, prosecutor Gavin, that would make sense if not for the fact that those curtains have been glued in place! They’ve been immobile for quite some time.”
Klavier only shrugged.
“So, Ms. Trickshot, I’ll ask you again.” Phoenix strode closer to the witness stand, “Where were you at the time of the murder?”
The woman growled- which was pretty promising. “I-I...I was outside...the trailer.”
“So you didn’t see the murder occur?”
“Ghkg! I-”
“If you didn’t witness the murder, then how could you have possibly known that Ms. Fire’s rifle was the murder weapon? Or that the victim was shot between the eyes?”
“I-It’s-!”
Phoenix made his way back to the defense bench, “Which brings me to another interesting point! You claim that Ms. Fire used her own rifle to kill Glock Gunner, but oddly enough the only fingerprints found on it were your own!” He held up the photo of the fingerprints to the court, reveling in the collective gasp. Damn, it still felt good to be back.
“So, Ms. Trickshot, it would appear that you are a bit more than just a witness to this crime.”
The woman in question let out a nasty shriek, gripping the rails of the stand with white-knuckled fury, “How dare you! I just wanted to talk with him! It was gonna be our last show before he went off with his precious Missy and left the performance rights to me!”
“...But he didn’t, did he?” Phoenix attempted to sound sympathetic. There had been no paperwork indicating that kind of transfer- not on the victim, or anywhere in the victim’s trailer. It was entirely possible that this was a crime stemming from a broken promise.
At that point Phoenix would have expected the prosecution to raise some kind of fuss about relevance, but Klavier seemed content with just letting it play out.
Ms. Trickshot slumped forward, “No! That no good lying scumbag decided to take it all with him into retirement!”
“Then you’d be out of a job wouldn’t you?”
The woman’s face had turned a bright red, her fists slamming against the rail as she yelled, “I swear I just wanted to talk to him! I thought I could change his mind, I never wanted to shoot the bastard!”
The judge’s eyes widened, “Ms. Trickshot!”
The woman’s hands suddenly clamped over her mouth as if she could reverse the damage she had already done incriminating herself. The gallery erupted into a cacophony of shocked murmurs and whispers. Across the courtroom Phoenix caught a glance of Klavier doing air guitar. Guess he was waiting for this moment too.
“Order! Order!” The judge rapped his gavel against the stand, “I believe I am ready to give my verdict.”
Phoenix stared across the courtroom, watching Klavier like a hawk, but the prosecutor’s eyes were only on the judge. No more objections.
“In the case of State V. Missy Fire, I declare the defendant-” He raised his gavel, “Not guilty!” With one sharp rap the trial had ended.
The defendant slumped in her seat with a sigh of relief. The witness was still raging as the bailiff approached her- taking her by the arm and leading her away. Phoenix was sure he saw Larry in the gallery cheering as well.
“Nice one, boss!” said Athena. Widget cheered along with her, it’s face a pleasant green.
Apollo sighed, “Glad that’s over with.” He ran a hand through his spiked hair, “I don’t think I could stand anymore air guitar from the prosecution.”
Athena snorted, elbowing him a little roughly, “Oh, come on! Those goo-goo eyes you were making at him say otherwise!”
“That was my intimidating glare!”
“And he looked super intimidated, sure.”
Phoenix couldn’t help but smile- there was something so heartwarming about listening to his employees tease each other. Reminded him of the good old days with Maya when all he had were bluffs and the occasional cryptic guidance of his deceased mentor. Things had certainly gotten a bit easier since then, but that came with the experience he supposed- as well as the larger arsenal of competent co-councillors.
Besides- they were much easier to listen to than the screaming woman who was still being ushered away from the witness stand. Phoenix watched her out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t often a ‘witness’ got so angry- murderer or not- and her own trial had yet to even be scheduled! Her outburst certainly said more ‘guilty conscience’ than ‘righteous indignation’.
Looking back, it had happened ridiculously quickly.
There was a shout and very suddenly Phoenix was staring at the woman across the courtroom as she- in one swoop- took the bailiff’s weapon and aimed.
A single gunshot rang out in the courtroom.
Chaos erupted and Phoenix felt as though he had been punched in the chest. The gun was quickly taken from her and with little fanfare she was whisked away. Phoenix was left stunned.
“Boss!” Athena yelped. She stood back, eyes running over him as if he was about to topple over, “Are you okay?”
At first his eyes fixed on Widget, which had turned a deep, fearful blue. He looked down at himself and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, “Uh- yeah? I think she missed-?”
There was a sudden gasp from Apollo who pointed to a spot somewhere on Phoenix’s jacket. Athena’s eyes widened.
“Boss, you’re bleeding!”
“O-Oh my gosh.” Apollo stammered.
Phoenix looked down and saw it then- a small hole in the breast pocket of his jacket, seeping blood. “Oh, wow.” He said dumbly.
Apollo only stared, but Athena, hands flapping, jumped into action.
“WE GOTTA PUT PRESSURE ON IT!” She said, lunging forward to slam both hands against his chest- nearly knocking him off his feet in the process. Phoenix pressed his back to the wall to regain any semblance of balance.
“Hey, hey! Chill out.”
Athena just stared at him in horror, “Chill out? You’re telling me to CHILL. OUT?” In her defense blood was beginning to seep through her fingers so that was fair. Also gross.
“Uh…” This kinda put a wrench in his plans for the day. “Hey, uh, what time is it?”
“THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT?”
He ignored her in favor of glancing around for a clock and- ah- there’s one. Oh no. It was nearly 2:15. He frowned.
“Hey, Apollo?”
The young attorney looked at him from where he had braced himself against the bench, wide-eyed and sheet-white. Poor kid.
“Y-Yes, Mr. Wright?” He asked gravely.
Jeez, kid, don’t look at me like that! This isn’t my last will and testament. “Could you do me a solid and pick Trucy up from school? I don’t think I, uh...”
Apollo nodded, squaring his shoulders to look a bit more confident than he probably felt, “Don’t worry, Mr. Wright. I-I’ll take care of Trucy!” His voice wavered.
“...Apollo, I’m not dying.”
He didn’t seem convinced, and neither did Klavier, who was skulking around a little ways away, looking very worried. Bad timing for Phoenix to notice how much blood was currently outside of his body. A good bit of his jacket was soaked through- a few red streaks running down Athena’s arms and making little droplets on the floor. Which he shouldn’t have looked at. Because he was beginning to feel a little faint.
“Oh, boy.” He mumbled, more to himself than anyone else there, “That’s-blood- that’s a lot of blood-” Suddenly his legs buckled a bit and Athena screamed, pressing harder as if that would keep him up, but he didn’t fall. And before he wondered why he looked over at none other than Klavier Gavin who was holding his arm and effectively keeping him off the ground. Phoenix must have been delirious, because he was kinda grateful.
“I will take Herr Justice to get Trucy.” The prosecutor said with a finality that almost no one could argue with. Almost.
“No motorcycle.” Phoenix grumbled.
Klavier chuckled good naturedly, “Then it’s a good thing I drove today.” He turned to Apollo who still looked more than a little freaked out- probably because oh God that was a lot of blood and it was starting to make a little puddle- oh God-
“I’m fine!” Phoenix said, giving a shaky thumbs-up despite the fact that he was kinda sliding down the wall now, “Just go. We’ll see you at the hospital, ok?”
Apollo didn’t move for a good few seconds until Klavier jerked his head in the direction of the exit- let’s go. Once Apollo was able to tear his eyes away from the grisly scene he all but ran through the doors, Klavier hot on his heels. At least that was taken care of. Phoenix gave a tired sigh.
“Boss, stay with me!”
“Athena, I’m not passing out.” He was light-headed, sure, but definitely not passing out in court. That would be embarrassing.
Actually, no, it would be completely understandable because he was just shot in the chest.
Did it go all the way through? Did it hit anything important? Oh my God, am I gonna die? No, shut up you’re not gonna die. It’s fine, you’re just in shock. Wait, can’t people die from shock?
“Oh, thank God, the paramedics are here!” Athena pulled her hands away for a second, but a gush of blood made them both scream and she slammed her hands back against the wound, “OH, CRAP!”
“Ow! Athena, please.” Phoenix laughed, “You’re killing me here.”
“DON'T SAY THAT!”
It took a lot to stifle his laughter both for the sake of his employee and the new pain blossoming in his chest.
“Sorry, Athena, I’m going towards the light.”
“NO!”
“Tell Edgeworth I love him.”
“TELL HIM YOURSELF!”
“- So, I was loaded into the ambulance against my will-”
Athena bristled at that, “You were bleeding out-!”
“-and here we are!”
Miles stared at Phoenix for a moment before getting up and grabbing him- pulling him forward to look over his shoulder for an exit wound.
“Wow, hey, save the manhandling for later-!”
“It didn’t go all the way through.”
“Oh! Yeah, you’re not gonna believe this!” He dug around in the pocket of his bloodstained pants to produce a gold chain- at the end of which looked to be a mangled piece of metal, “Trucy saved me!” He declared, as if that explained everything. He held up the ruined locket, staring at Miles through the bullet hole in the center. “I’ll have to get a new one. Thankfully I’ve got plenty of photos of her.”
The girl in question whined, “Please not my 6th grade school picture…”
“Aw, but that one’s my favorite!”
Miles could only shake his head in disbelief. What else could you expect from Phoenix Wright and his own patented brand of ridiculous luck. Of course the one thing that could save him from near-certain death would be his unwavering love for his daughter.
Athena flopped back down in her seat with a sigh, “It was really scary to see you like that, boss. It looked really bad.” She held up her blood-smeared hands for emphasis, earning a collective noise of disapproval. She laughed a bit mischievously, shoving her hands towards Apollo, “Hey, Polly, check it out!”
“Oh my God.” He practically gagged.
“Miss Cykes!” Miles scolded, “I should hope you plan on washing your hands at the earliest convenience.”
“I used hand sanitizer!”
Klavier was desperately repressing an amused smirk at Apollo’s groan. Thankfully, with an even slightly perturbed look from Trucy, Athena disappeared off down the hall in search of a bathroom. Apollo went as well, mumbling something about getting a drink and of course Klavier followed as if they were attached at the hip.
Noticing her distress, Phoenix turned back to his daughter who had crawled up next to them on the bed. He pulled her closer in a half-hug. She leaned against him.
“I’m sorry about all this. I hope I didn’t worry you too much, sweetheart.”
Trucy’s laughter was charming and bell-like, “I think Polly’s the one you should be apologising to! He was sure you were a goner!” She tilted her head, chin resting against the palm of her gloved hand, “Actually, it was kinda funny…”
It wasn’t until they got out of the car that Trucy realized something really must have been wrong. Well, her first clue was when no one had come to pick her up- that was for sure a red flag. She could typically count on her dad or Miles to meet her out front of the school around 2:20 (or in Miles’ case 2:20 on the dot), but today there had been no one.
That was ok, though, really! Trucy knew better than to think she had been forgotten so she had parked herself on a rather comfortable bench, content to practice a few card tricks until someone came.
That was until the dark purple sports car rumbled its way through the empty parking lot. It was 3:00.
Apollo had popped out of the car first, walking up to her with trepidation, Klavier ambled along behind him- hesitant.
“Hey, Polly!” She chirped. He wouldn’t look at her, which was weird. She leaned over to look at the man behind him, “Hi, Klavier! Thanks for bringing Apollo to come get me!” She bounced to her feet, pocketing her cards and swinging the bright blue backpack onto her shoulder, “Ready to go?”
Apollo was still staring at his shoes, hands stuffed into the pockets of his firetruck red slacks, “You...aren’t wondering why we’re here?”
She looked at him strangely, “To...pick me up from school?”
Apollo took a deep breath, “Trucy-!” She winced at his volume and he clamped his mouth shut- trying a gentler tone, “Trucy...we’re here instead of...uh, Mr. Wright, because…because…” He crossed his arms, glaring holes into the sidewalk for a long moment. She was about to say something, but suddenly he turned away, throwing his hands up in defeat, “I can’t do it! I can’t- Klavier?”
The man in question looked sideways at Apollo almost pleadingly. Trucy could have laughed at the pitiful, wide-eyed expression on the rockstar, but it was gone in an instant as he steeled himself for whatever it was he was about to say. He looked at her remorsefully.
“Uh...Ms. Wright. The trial today did not quite go as planned. Your father was exceptional in finding the truth, as usual,” He was stalling- beating around the bush as Apollo paced behind him, “He discovered who the real killer was, of course, but, uh, sadly as she was being led away she managed to get a hold of the bailiff’s weapon and...she, uh…” He hesitated and suddenly Apollo was back at his side.
“She shot him!” Apollo said a bit too loudly, “She shot your dad, Trucy! I’m so sorry!”
There was a beat of silence before she spoke up, shockingly chipper given the circumstances, “It’s ok! I’m sure he’ll be fine!”
The two shared a look.
“Truce...I-I don’t...know…”
“Your father did seem...rather poorly when last we saw him-”
Now that sounded like a load of- what was it that Miles would always say? Poppycock.
“Really? But he just texted me-”
“What?”
“Yeah!” She pulled out her phone- the case was blue and sparkly, “He said- ‘Court went a little sideways. Sending Apollo to get you. Meet you at the hospital’ exclamation point, smiley face, heart emoji!” She held her phone up for them to see.
“W-When did…?”
“About two minuted before you pulled up!” She stepped around the two and made her way to the car, “We’re going to the hospital, right? Come on, I wanna watch them take the bullet out!”
“You...wanted to watch them take the bullet out?” Miles was still in shock.
“Yeah! We got here a little too late, but I got to see the stitches go in! Daddy screamed.”
“Only once!”
“I had to hold his hand.”
Phoenix sighed, “And I’m very grateful that my wonderful and empathetic daughter only laughed at me a little bit.”
Trucy giggled, “You’re welcome, Daddy!”
He pulled her close to press a kiss on the top of her head. She scrunched up her face in that adorable way, “But Apollo really was worried. Klavier too.”
“Aw, what? They care about me or somethin’?”
Trucy, who apparently didn’t appreciate the joke, elbowed him in the side, “Yes!”
“Alright, we can...have an office pizza party to make up for it.”
Unbeknownst to the three, Apollo had reappeared in the doorway, “We’re doing what?”
“We’re gonna have a ‘I’m glad Daddy’s alive and sorry for freaking you out’ pizza party!” Trucy chirped.
“Oh, that’s…” Apollo couldn’t seem to find the right word so he settled for a shrug, shuffling back over to reclaim his place in the corner.
“And,” Trucy added, reaching out to tap Miles on the shoulder, “Prosecutors are more than welcome to join us.” She sent an exaggerated wink to Klavier, who had returned to his spot next to Apollo. He flashed his typical stunning smile.
“How thoughtful of you, fräulein.”
Apollo rolled his eyes, “Just don’t bring your guitar.”
“Why not? Worried I’ll serenade you?”
“Try ‘terrified’.”
Their bickering became a familiar and comforting background noise. Outside the hospital window rain began to fall.
It could have been the culmination of an intensely upsetting hour or perhaps the way Phoenix looked at him, but Miles was left feeling shockingly vulnerable- enough to be a little more honest than usual, reaching over to lace his fingers with the attorney’s and revel in that feeling of warmth- knowing he was alive and breathing.
He sighed, “...I thought I’d lost you.” He left out that he was halfway through planning a funeral, but apparently his face said it all because Phoenix grimaced.
“I’m sorry, Miles. I really didn’t mean to let you get so freaked out but someone,” He looked pointedly at Athena who had just slunk back into the room, “took my phone once we got in the ambulance.”
Athena scoffed, plopping down in her previous chair, “It was in your jacket which you handed to me.” The poor thing was left hanging over the arm of Athena’s chair, and while it hadn’t taken the brunt of the bloodbath it was still a bit darker than Miles remembered it being. He shuddered at the thought.
Phoenix demanded she hand his phone over, reaching across for her to pass it to him. As soon as he unlocked his phone the color drained from his already paler-than-usual face. Both Trucy and Miles leaned in to catch a glimpse.
12 Missed Calls From Maya Fey.
5 New Voicemails.
“Oh no.” As Phoenix stared down at his phone in horror, it suddenly started vibrating with a ferocity that startled him so much he almost threw it, but the caller ID made him think better of it. He answered with trepidation, putting her on speakerphone.
“H-Hey! Fr-”
“Phoenix Wright.” The sneer was evident in her voice, and he could picture it as clearly as if she were in the room with them and not over 5,000 miles away, “Would you care to explain why Ms. Maya Fey has just called me, crying about your sudden and tragic murder? ”
“Uh...huh…the reporters got on it that quick, huh?” He should have expected as much from a trial prosecuted by a rockstar. Paparazzi tended to crawl around cases Gavin was involved with. He glanced towards said rockstar who winced apologetically.
“I have the article right here, would you like me to read it?” She didn’t allow him a response, “‘Recently reinstated defense attorney Phoenix Wright was tragically gunned down in court this afternoon after accusing a witness of being involved with the crime the trial was investigating-’”
“They make it sound like I died!”
“‘-Just as the witness was being taken from the court to be held in detention the accused apprehended the bailiff’s weapon and shot the defense attorney in the heart. Mr. Wright leaves behind his infamous law practice as well as a young daughter. He was a pillar in the Los Angeles legal community and played a huge part in reforming the law as well as seeking the truth.’ It goes on for another two pages of nonsensical drivel. Where are you right now?”
Phoenix barely had time to process the question, “Uh, I’m...in the hospital. Miles and Trucy are here too.”
Now that shut her up for a good few seconds. But just barely.
“...You are alright.” It was a statement, but somewhere in there was the hint of a question. Maybe some concern as well. He tried not to let it go to his head.
“Yeah, I’m fine! Just a flesh wound.”
Trucy leaned in, “Hi, Aunty Franziska! Don’t worry, we’re making sure Daddy’s ok!”
“Hmph. I trust that you are, Ms. Trucy.” A pause, “Little brother.”
Miles sat up a bit straighter, as if she could just sense his guard was down.
“I expect you will call me later once things have settled.” She always did have her own roundabout way of showing concern. No doubt she understood how such an event would stir up some of his more painful memories.
“Of course.” He answered. Her scoff of approval was punctuated with the slam of the receiver as she hung up. There was a collective sigh of relief as Phoenix handed the phone back to Athena. “Charming as ever.”
“Well, I’m glad to know at least one person didn’t think I was a goner.” Phoenix laughed, “You guys don’t even know what kind of flowers I’d want at my funeral!”
“Actually, I have your post-mortem wishes right here!” Trucy chirped, hopping off the bed to seize her bright blue backpack, pulling out a purple accordion folder decorated with a smattering of glittery stickers. She searched for a bit before retrieving the paper she was looking for, “You want us to keep your skull, but cremate the rest of you into two gems to put in the eye sockets so you can always watch over the office and Apollo will never be rid of you! Here, it even has your signature.” She held up the flimsy sheet of binder paper for him to look at.
“I-what- when did I write that?”
“Last year!”
“You- okay I don’t remember that. Also that’s not legally binding.”
“I mean, you initialed it here. And here.”
He stared at her.
“Also!” She pulled another paper from the folder, “This one says that in the event of your untimely death the agency goes to me and Apollo!” Trucy looked over at the young attorney, “We’d have to change the name though...how about Just-Wright Law Offices?”
Apollo looked between them, eyes wide, and for a second Phoenix was reminded of that starstruck kid he had met in the courthouse what seemed like a long time ago now, “M-Mr. Wright, you’d leave the agency to-?”
“Ok, slow down! You two can rename the place when I’m dead, but cross out the skull thing.” He had to cut in before Apollo got too misty-eyed.
“And you wanted sunflowers and forget-me-nots at your funeral.” Trucy added.
“Ok, that one’s good. Cross everything out but that.”
She happily magicked a gel pen from thin air to do as asked.
And then someone else stepped into the room.
Hat gone and tie undone, Larry Butz stood in the doorway in his full bastardous glory, loudly announcing that his search for a vending machine had been ultimately useless, but he did get a nurse’s number- which he counted as a success. It took him nearly a full minute before he realized the Chief Prosecutor was glaring at him.
“Oh hey, Edgey! I didn’t know you were here.”
“I came as soon as you called.”
The man laughed obnoxiously, “Just like old times, right?”
Miles crossed his arms, still glowering at him, “You did not think to inform me that Wright-”
Larry scoffed, “I gave you pertinent information!”
“You made it sound as though he were dead!”
“Hey, I never said he was dead! You came up with that all on your own. And just look at ‘im! He’s okay!”
Phoenix shrugged, wincing at the movement of his left shoulder, “Pretty much.”
“He just got shot in the boob!”
“I-what? ”
“Couple inches lower and she woulda blown your nipple clean off, Nicky!”
Athena and Trucy tried valiantly- and unsuccessfully- to stifle their laughter at this bold statement. Even Apollo had to force down a smile. Miles only sighed.
“...In any case,” He said, turning back to the attorney, “I’m...glad you’re alright, Phoenix.”
“Aw!” Suddenly an arm was thrown around his shoulder, Trucy dragging him closer to them in a group hug, “I’m glad you’re alright too, Daddy!”
Miles was close enough to hear that lovely laugh rumble through the man’s chest, “Thanks, Truce.”
The magician looked over her shoulder, beckoning the others to join.
Athena needed little invitation, launching out of her seat to wrap her- thankfully now blood-free- arms around them, “Same here, Boss!”
Apollo begrudgingly shuffled over to join in, “Please never get shot again, Mr. Wright. I don’t think my heart can handle it.”
Klavier chuckled, leaning up against Trucy and Athena, “Who else would raise objections to my perfectly solid accusations?”
And horrifyingly enough Larry Butz deemed it necessary to fling himself onto the bed along with them, giving his own whining rendition about how a life without Phoenix wouldn’t be a life worth living at all- a sentiment that would have been nicer had his cheap cologne not been an assault on the senses. But that hardly mattered in retrospect.
It had been a rough day, but Miles hugs his boyfriend who is definitely not dead and he hugs Trucy who is definitely not an orphan and it feels like coming home.