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Phoenix looked at the gold detailed mailbox, then his own arm. The address matched up. Larry had told him he was crazy going after Edgeworth, but he had to know. He had to know why Edgeworth had just left.
The three story mansion in front of him seemed ancient, rising out of the earth as if it had grown from it. The glow from almost every window illuminated the outside panelling and brickwork, that faded down into a snarl of vines and shrubbery at the base.
The estate wasn’t fenced in, but Phoenix caught a glimpse of a singular security guard shining a flashlight through the area surrounding the path around the house, before continuing on patrol.
He stayed crouched in the outer shrubbery. The mansion seemed so much taller up close.
Phoenix didn’t even know which of the windows would lead him to Edgeworth, if any even would.
But that didn’t mean he would turn back now. He waited until the security guard was out of sight, then started checking the first floor windows. Inside the brightest window, an ornate dining room greeted him, although completely empty.
He checked the next room. A staircase, lavishly carpeted, and a woman descending them. Phoenix ducked before he could make out any details, trying to not panic. She hadn’t given any indication of seeing him.
So there was a woman, but no Edgeworth. The brush at the base of the mansion was scratching through his pants as he tried not to make any noise while moving.
The next window was dark, and he couldn’t make out anything inside. But it was open slightly, and with enough effort, Phoenix could pull it completely open.
Before he could make a judgement on whether or not it was worth sliding inside, the beam of a flashlight from behind decided for him.
Thankfully he made it inside before the security guard rounded the corner. He hadn’t been able to close the window again, and closing it now would seem too suspicious.
The room around him was suffocatingly dark, but he could just make out the outline of a chair next to him.
He still hunched under the window, hugging his knees until he was certain the security guard was gone.
‘Rich people have really quiet windows-’ He thought to himself as he finally slid the window back to its original position, thinking of his own windows at home. They would give a screech of protest in either direction. He hadn’t even used a window to get out of the hotel, rounding enough corners to lose any suspecting teachers, before blending into a crowd of party guests down in the lobby who were making a boisterous exit.
He hoped the hotel staff hadn’t noticed, as they would certainly alert the chaperones if they’d seen an unsupervised kid walk out alone. He’d hopped on a sequence of buses, using almost all of the euros he’d gotten from the airport atm, before finally arriving in what he’d hoped was the right neighborhood.
Which had led him here. The address he’d been given, and a house that he’d technically broken into without confirmation Edgeworth was even here.
He had two options now. Risk going forward into the pitch black room, or continue trying windows outside.
Phoenix fished his phone out of his pocket, using the dim lit screen as a flashlight to navigate. He didn’t know what this room was supposed to be. A spare furniture room perhaps? The chair beside him was uncovered, but other pieces of furniture were covered by white sheets, and varying layers of dust.
Phoenix had to fight the urge to sneeze, covering his mouth and walking towards the door on the far wall. He flicked the phone closed, then carefully tried the doorknob. It didn’t turn.
Swearing quietly to himself, Phoenix tried once again before noticing a switch above the knob. But right before he slid the bolt back, the wailing of a child caught his attention.
“Hey hey calm down. It’s okay. You’re okay.”
The first thing he’d heard was the angry, upset babble of a very young child having a tantrum, but the second voice-
“Edgeworth.” Phoenix breathed, resisting the urge to jump out of the room and run to him.
The child cried louder, and he heard Edgeworth’s tone turn desperate.
“You have to be quiet, please, and go back to bed.”
“What the hell is going on down there?”
A third voice joined the noise, angry, and male.
“Sorry sir it’s-”
A woman interrupted, speaking in what Phoenix assumed to be German. Her voice was coming from right outside the door in front of Phoenix. He froze, stepping back.
The man responded in German, still absolutely furious.
Phoenix listened to the gentle click of heels on wood, followed by the woman murmuring soothing words.
“She just wandered down into the kitchen, I assumed she wanted some water or something-” Phoenix could hear desperation in Edgeworth’s voice, as if expecting some heavy punishment.
“Miles, it’s okay. You haven’t done anything wrong.” The woman’s English was heavily accented.
The child’s screaming was quieted, and no one spoke again. From the footstep patterns it sounded like everyone had climbed the stairs.
But Phoenix grinned to himself in the darkness. The private investigator had been right! Miles was here.
He waited another minute to be sure of no more movement, then carefully opened the door.
The stairs were right across the hallway from where he stood, and he closed the door quietly behind him. More lights had been turned off, but there was enough light from the upstairs to see.
So Edgeworth was here, and now Phoenix had to get him alone.
Phoenix gave a silent thanks to whoever had decided to carpet the stairs, crouching down before the top ones to see if anyone was in the hall.
Empty. And half a dozen doors stood closed. One of them had to be Edgeworth’s room.
Worried about his shoes making noise, Phoenix slipped his sneakers off and into the backpack he wore. His socks slid over the polished wood with no friction or noise at all.
As he approached, he noticed one of the doors was actually open.
He snuck a glance inside, only to freeze.
The man sitting at the desk was Manfred Von Karma. It had to be. The man who had taken Edgeworth after his father’s death.
His lips were curled into a snarl and he tugged at the cravat he wore as he sifted through a stack of papers, crinkling them as his frustration grew, before he eventually wadded them up and tossed them onto the floor. Phoenix ducked back as soon as he turned to the door, once again praying for his life. The door slammed outward, and Phoenix was able to duck behind it, wincing when it smacked him in the forehead.
But Von Karma apparently didn’t notice, his boots echoing down the wooden floor with an anger that made Phoenix glad he wasn’t on the receiving end.
Phoenix peeked out from behind the door just enough to see the door that Von Karma slammed his fist against swing open to reveal Edgeworth.
Phoenix’s heart leapt into his throat at the familiar face, only for it to sink when he saw fear in Edgeworth’s eyes as Von Karma started yelling.
“The notes you took for me were sloppy and illegible. Completely useless.” Phoenix watched Edgeworth step back from the door, nearly obscured from view.
“I can redo them-” Edgeworth’s voice was uncharacteristically small and weak.
“Don’t bother. You can just explain to my client tomorrow why he won’t get the justice he deserves!”
“No sir, I’ll redo them, please, give me another chance!” Edgeworth pleaded, only for Von Karma to shake his head. “Go to bed. I’ve decided I don’t want to see your face at all tomorrow.” Von Karma took the door and slammed in Edgeworth’s face.
Phoenix stayed rigid as moments later the door hiding him slammed shut as well, thankful Von Karma still hadn’t noticed him. When he finally let out the breath he’d been holding, his attention went to inspecting the angry red crescents he’d unknowingly dug into his palms while watching the scene that had played out.
He needed to get into Edgeworths room. Knocking on the door would attract attention. And if he went outside again, he likely wouldn’t remember which window corresponded to Edgeworth’s.
Phoenix placed his chin in his hand, walking to the door adjacent to Edgeworth’s. It was propped open, and Phoenix swung it back to reveal a bathroom. With the slivers of light from the hallway reflected off of multiple gleaming surfaces and decorations, it seemed almost too ornate to seem like a functioning bathroom in Phoenix’s opinion.
But the window behind the toilet opened smoothly, and Phoenix glanced below it to see a ledge. Perfect.
As quietly as he could, Phoenix slid out of the window, gripping tightly to the windowsill until he felt his socks touch the cold wood of the ledge.
The outside of the house was bricks that he could dig his fingers into, pulling himself along the side of the house in the direction of Edgeworth’s room. Inch by inch, Phoenix tried not to focus on the tangle of shrubbery beneath him, or that it was very far beneath him.
Phoenix didn’t know if the pounding in his chest was the prospect of finally talking to Edgeworth, or the fact that a wooden beam of questionable age was the only thing holding his weight at the moment.
The light from Edgeworths window creeped closer, until Phoenix could step and crouch on the much wider ledge made of stone. He took a deep breath, willing his heart to calm, before peering inside.
Edgeworth was at a desk, and Phoenix watched his hand tremble as he held the pen, though not writing anything.
His head was in his other hand, obscuring his face. But it was still the same Edgeworth.
Phoenix took a deep breath, and rapped his knuckles against the glass panes, hoping it wasn’t loud enough to draw attention to anyone who might happen to hear.
He watched as Edgeworth jumped, glancing to the window and almost falling out of his chair in his haste to get to the window.
Phoenix could barely contain his glee as the glass panes slid up and Edgeworth pulled him inside.
Directly underneath the window was the end of Edgeworth’s bed, and that’s where Phoenix landed, Edgeworth himself sliding to the side where the head of the bed was.
“Hey Miles!” A grin was still plastered to his face, but Phoenix kept his voice down, remembering the proximity of Von Karma.
“What are you doing here? How did you find me?” Edgeworth fixed his hair, propping himself up on his elbows.
“Let’s see-” Phoenix crossed his legs, glancing around the room once before looking directly at Edgeworth. “Well after you left I knew I had to do something, I couldn’t just let you disappear like that and Larry agreed with me so I took all the money from like, my birthday cards, and won some money from a couple bets at school, and I did a bunch of odd jobs for some old ladies, all so I could hire a private investigator to find you, and he laughed at me at first, then only took like half the money and after like four months he gave me this address so I convinced the teacher we should do a class trip to Germany, and then I snuck out of the hotel, I hope Larry is okay, he’s covering for me, and uhhh-” Phoenix checked his bag, “Yeah I used all my money for bus tickets to get here and then I kind of broke in through a downstairs window and I heard Von Karma yelling at you he’s really scary-”
“Phoenix-” Edgeworth cut him off, and when Phoenix looked at him again, he noticed there were tears falling down the other boys cheeks.
“Did I say something? I’m sorry-” Phoenix reached out, not entirely knowing why, but Edgeworth knocked his hand away.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“But I came to find you-”
“You shouldn’t have.” Edgeworth stood, turning away from Phoenix and crossing his arms. “I left for a reason. You’ve messed everything up by following me!”
Phoenix had never seen or heard Edgeworth cry before.
“Miles, I don’t understand. I thought you’d be happy to see me-” Phoenix stared into his lap, the weight of the past day finally sinking into his stomach.
“I am-” Edgeworth started, then made a small hmph. “I am not.”
At the sound of those words, Phoenix felt like crying.
Using Larry for cover had been a horrible idea, and the chaperones probably knew he was gone, and would be looking for him. If they hadn’t already called the police.
He needed to get back to the hotel. Everyone would be mad at him for leaving, but that didn’t hurt as much as Edgeworth being mad at him.
“I don’t understand.” He repeated softly. “I miss you, Larry misses you too. You just left Miles, you left without saying goodbye.”
“Well consider this my goodbye.” Edgeworth still wasn’t looking at him. “Goodbye Phoenix Wright. Now get out of my house.”
“This isn’t even your house.” Phoenix snorted. “It’s Von Karma’s.”
That caused Edgeworth to spin around.
“How do you know that?” He put his hands on his hips.
“Weren’t you listening? I hired a PI.” Phoenix shrugged. “He gave me more than an address. He also told me some guy named Von Karma took you to Germany after- after your father died.”
At the mention of his father, Edgeworth seemed to collapse in on himself. He put his head in his hand again, fingers curling through his bangs.
“So you know then.”
“Know what?”
“DL-6.”
“Is that what they call it? The murder of your father?”
“So then you don’t know.”
“The PI mentioned something about DL-6 but that’s not what I hired him to investigate. I figured you’d explain when I found you.”
“Phoenix-” Edgeworth pulled his desk chair forward, sitting down across from Phoenix. “I watched my father be murdered in an elevator, and then watched his killer walk free.”
His hands trembled in his lap, and Phoenix leaned forward and grabbed them.
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”
“So I’m studying to be a prosecutor. So that the guilty never walk free again.” Instead of pulling his hands away, Edgeworth unconsciously slotted his fingers through Phoenix’s. “Von Karma is going to train me, and I’ll be unbeatable, just like him.”
Phoenix nodded.
“Von Karma doesn’t seem like a very good person though.”
“He demands nothing short of absolute perfection.”
“But you’re not perfect, no one is. Not even Von Karma.” Phoenix frowned.
Edgeworth let out a small, bitter laugh.
“Try telling him that.” He shook his head. “Von Karma has never lost a case, and I’m going to follow in his footsteps.”
“I think I understand.” Phoenix nodded, squeezing Edgeworth’s hands lightly. “You want justice.”
“I want justice for him.” Edgeworth’s voice was barely above a whisper, and Phoenix could see he was crying again.
“I’m really sorry Miles.” Phoenix repeated, but Edgeworth shook his head. Neither of them spoke, but Edgeworth didn’t try to pull away from Phoenix either. Both of them remained still, Phoenix almost scared to move, as if it would startle Edgeworth.
But he could see that Edgeworth was far away in thought, his thumb idly tracing up and down one of Phoenix’s fingers. His hands were warm, and much softer than the brick that Phoenix had been clawing at to get here.
“Your forehead’s red.” Edgeworth pointed out, and Phoenix laughed quietly.
“Got hit with a door while sneaking around.”
“Idiot.”
It was comforting, hearing Edgeworth call him an idiot, as if Phoenix had just tripped on their walk home, or forgotten his lunch.
But Edgeworth would call him an idiot, right before helping him up or offering part of his own lunch.
Phoenix didn’t even realize how tightly Edgeworth was holding his hands until he pulled away. Phoenix could only stare in silence as Edgeworth wiped his face again and stood.
“You should go. They’ll be looking for you.” His voice dropped. “But I’m sorry for earlier, I’m glad you found me.”
When Phoenix made eye contact with him again, Edgeworth was glaring.
“But never do it again. You’re already in too much danger.”
“But how can I see you again?”
“You won’t.”
“What if I become a prosecutor too? Will I see you then?”
Edgeworth scoffed.
“They can’t put two prosecutors on a case that’s not how it works.”
“Then I’ll be a defense attorney.”
Edgeworth bristled at that, but Phoenix only grinned.
“I don’t care if you win every case we have together, if I have to become a defense attorney just to see you, I will!”
“Phoenix-”
“You can’t stop me.”
“You’re right. I can’t.” Edgeworth seemed almost amused now, and he started rifling through his pockets. He handed Phoenix a big wad of euros, explaining which buses to take to get back to the city where Phoenix was staying.
“I can let you out the side stairwell and distract the security guard but after that, you’re on your own.”
“Thank you.” Phoenix smiled, and before Edgeworth could protest he threw his arms around the other boy.
Edgeworth stiffened, then returned the embrace for a fleeting second.
“You have to get out of here before he finds you.” He murmured into Phoenix’s ear, pushing the two of them apart.
But his fingers closed around Phoenix’s wrist, leading him along and for a second, Phoenix felt completely at home.
This was how it was supposed to be, the two of them.
Which is why it hurt so much to be pushed outside, his socks quickly capturing moisture from the damp grass before Edgeworth whispered “When I signal, run!”
But Phoenix followed orders, not even realizing until he’d reached the street that he’d forgotten to say goodbye.
That’s okay. It wasn’t a permanent good-bye anyway, he told himself on the ride back to the hotel. He had a plan to see Edgeworth again someday, and it started with looking up how to become a defense attorney.