Chapter Text
Felix looked in the mirror for the sixteenth time. He looked fine. He looked good. He looked professional. His hair was tied back in a slick bun. His suit was free of all cat hair. His tie was perfectly acceptable, as far as ties went.
He could do this.
He would do this.
He only had to collect his notes and step out to the courtroom. It was a simple enough case and he had every confidence he could handle whatever would happen.
Probably.
If not, his entire career was probably fucked.
Felix stepped out of his small waiting room, his heels clicking against the smooth wooden floor. The hallway twisted and turned and opened up into a wide lobby.
Two security guards nodded as Felix presented his ID. They stepped back and Felix walked forward, his spine straight and his shoulders squared.
The courtroom looked different than in law school. It was bigger, noisier, cleaner. There was a group of onlookers all settled together in rows above them and two benches on each side of the wall with a podium set right in the center. The bench at the front of the room loomed menacingly, as did the man sitting behind it.
“Fraldarius.” The man - Judge Hanneman - inclined his head ever so slightly.
Felix refused to be intimidated. He could not - would not - show fear. Not here. Not now.
“Sir.”
“You do realize that weapons are not allowed in my courtroom, don’t you?”
“It’s a foil. It’s blunt.” Felix replied as calmly as he could.
“It’s a sword.”
“Bylaw 84.3.2 says that weapons that puncture, maim, murder, mutilate, or eviscerate are not allowed. The worst thing this can do is set off a metal detector.” Felix puffed up, determined. “I have everything copied in my folio, if you need to review.”
Hanneman raised an eyebrow and then looked past Felix. “And your mentor approves?”
Felix stiffened.
“It’s fine.” Byleth Eisner said with a shrug. “He’s not wrong.”
Somehow, she always managed to sneak up without a sound. She hadn’t been anywhere near the defense area before, right?
Best not to think too hard about it. Byleth was the best mentor anyone could ask for but made as much sense as lion-leash laws in Old Fhirdiad.
“Well, I hope you are as familiar with defense law as you are about weaponry.” Hanneman glanced downwards at his docket. “Prosecutor Gwendal?”
Felix’s opponent was an older man with a rugged gray beard and sharp eyes. He wore a silver suit and looked, somehow, like a stuffed pigeon.
“Prosecution is ready.” Gwendal bowed.
“Very well. Let the trial of one Raphael Kirsten commence.” Hanneman banged his gavel twice.
Felix knew the story. Two days ago at the local gym Alliance Abs, an older man named Kostas was murdered using a blunt instrument. It was after-hours and there were only three people present - Raphael, the victim, and the witness to the crime.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Byleth asked as Raphael was led in by a guard. Behind them, a bailiff led a light-haired brunette towards the witness area.
“I’m fine.” Felix said, resting his hand against the pommel of his sword. “I’m ready.”
Probably.
Either way, there was no turning back now. He looked to Raphael - tall, big, muscular, the perfect size to indeed smash someone’s head in, and totally innocent.
Felix couldn’t screw this up.
Hanneman banged his gavel again. “We will call the witness, Metodey Uno, to the stand.”
The brunette walked stiffly to the podium. He looked around and stood straighter and all Felix could think was rat .
“State your name and occupation.” Gwendal began.
“Metody Uno.” The man - Metody - said as he stood taller behind the podium. “I’m a college student.”
“Please state your testimony for the court.” Gwendal directed.
This was it. Felix leaned forward, ready, waiting.
“Thursday night I did some running.” Yeah, right. The witness hadn’t done a day of genuine running since high school . “I was so into it that I forgot that the gym closed at 8PM until the lights went off. And then, as I was heading to get my gym bag, I heard a really loud noise. Like a bang. And then when I went towards the exit at around 8:30, I saw this guy on the floor bleeding out from the head. And there was this huge guy right behind him holding onto something big! That guy!” Metody pointed excitedly towards Raphael. “He killed him!”
Felix’s wrist burned.
“You catch all that?” Byleth asked quietly. “You know what to do.”
He did.
“The weapon found at the scene of the crime appears to be a 25 pound dumbbell. The attacker swung at an angle and hit Kostas on the back of the head with enough force to crack his skull. Twice, in fact. Time of death is estimated to be around 9:00 PM.” Gwenda held up a bright green dumbbell wrapped in a plastic evidence bag - or tried to.
Instead, the dumbbell fell out of his hand and dropped onto the wooden bench with a loud, unpleasant crack .
“Forensics found many different fingerprints on the dumbbell - as expected, given that the murder happened at a gym. The accused’s fingerprints were also present. Prosecution has presented its evidence, Your Honor.” Gwendal bowed.
Felix looked briefly down at his folio. He had everything relevant compiled and ready at a moment’s notice. Victim data (40-something musclehead,co-owner of the gym), floor plans (normal gym with a disappointing boxing area), crime photos (Kosta face up, a bloodied dumbbell beside him, severa; towels farther away).
“Please present your cross-examination.” Judge Hanneman ordered, staring at Felix.
Just like everyone else.
“Uno.” Felix tilted his chin upwards, daring the weasel of a man to provoke him. “You said you were there even after they turned the lights off, didn’t you?”
“Yes. That’s what I said, right?” Metodey nodded his head firmly.
“Then how did you see anything?”
Beside him, Byleth gave the barest hints of a smirk.
Metodey glanced at Felix then back at Gwendal then back at Felix again. “Well - it wasn’t completely dark, you know? The security lights were on. They always come on once the gym closes down.”
“So you stay in the gym a lot after closing?” Felix continued, his adrenaline rising. Pull the fishing line as soon as you feel the bite , Byleth always advised. Keep on reeling them in no matter how much they fight . “That seems a little illegal, don’t you think?”
“Objection!” Gwendal snapped. “The legality of overstaying your welcome in a business is not related to the legality of murder.”
Hanneman banged his gavel twice just as Felix grit his teeth and forced himself to back down. “What point is the defense attempting to make?”
Felix crossed his arms and glowered Metodey. Was he sweating now? It looked like it at least. “Merely that perhaps our witness isn’t being entirely forthright about that college student part.”
“Witness, please clarify - why were you at the gym so late?” Hanneman directed.
“Okay. Fine.” Metodey began tugging on the edge of his overly-large brown hoodie. “I volunteer there sometimes. Just under the table in return for a discounted membership rate. But that’s not murder! After the gym closes, sometimes I help clean up and sanitize everything and put equipment back in place. So that’s why I was there.” He shrugged. “Nothing serious, right?”
Felix looked down at his folio and flipped through the case file. It did indeed look like the gym was in need of some serious cleaning up - several dumbbells of various shades were all scattered around the floor and the multicolored rack was -
The rack was bent .
Felixi tilted his head, considering. That wasn’t right at all. Different colors were in different rows and the top, meant to hold the lightest weights, was curled downwards.
“See something suspicious?” Byleth asked as she glanced down at the case photos.
“What were you cleaning that night?” Felix demanded as he held his hand over the photograph.
“Cleaning the dumbbells. That’s why I witnessed the murder. That guy picked up a red dumbbell and hit the owner right in the head!” Metodey tugged harder on his hoodie. “Can I go already?”
Wait.
Felix’s eyes flicked up, then to the murder weapon awkwardly leaving cracks on the prosecution bench.
“WItness, repeat that last line.” Felix ordered.
“Seriously?” Metodey gritted his teeth. “Like I said, that big guy grabbed a red dumbbell and clubbed the owner with it.”
Gwendal raised an eyebrow. Beside him, Byleth’s smirk grew wider.
“What color is her hair?” Felix jabbed his thumb at Byleth.
Metodey looked baffled. “What?”
“Objection!” Gwendal barked. “Irrelevant!”
“I don’t think so.” Felix narrowed his eyes as he extended his finger. “Witness!”
Metodey nearly jumped.
“You’re colorblind, aren’t you?” A few pieces were falling into place, even if it didn’t really make complete sense yet. But he was getting there. He was getting closer .
“Yeah?” Metodey shrunk down, glaring. “So what? A lot of people are.”
“What are you trying to prove?” Gwendal demanded. “Colorblind does not mean murder blind.”
“But it does mean the witness can’t tell the difference between dumbbells. Look at the photograph.” Felix smirked. “All the 10 pound weights are red and go on the top row. All the 25 pound weights are green and go two rows down. But if you place the 25 pound dumbbells on top…”
“The weight would cause the rack to give.” Hanneman finished. “But I do not see the relevance of this particular theory.”
Felix didn’t either.
But Byleth was always clear about thinking outside the box, even if it usually involved strange fishing metaphors.
Well, he’d gotten this far.
“Say someone overloads the top and a dumbbell falls. Maybe even falls when someone is walking by that has no idea what’s about to happen.” Felix powered through. “Maybe, for instance, a dumbbell drops right on someone’s head.”
“That is a possibility.” Hanneman nodded. “Witness - your thoughts?”
Metodey’s body language went frantic. “No way. It was definitely someone else.”
Liar. Felix’s wrist ached and he curled his fingers, forcing his irritation down. Aches in his body didn’t matter when it came to the law - only evidence.
“I also wanted to question why, if you witnessed the victim being struck from behind, he was found lying face-up.” Felix crossed his arms, waiting. “Any opinion on that?”
“Gah!” Metodey grimaced. “He twisted! When he fell!”
“Impossible!” Felix snapped his arm out again, pointing directly at the witness. “Not with that level of force!”
Metodey yanked so hard on his hoodie that the fabric began to tear.
“What are you insinuating - that the witness moved the body?” Gwendal raised an eyebrow. “We did not find his fingerprints on either the weapon or the victim.”
“Why would you?” Felix held up the photo again, daring Gwendal to interrupt him. “He said himself he was sanitizing the area and there were plenty of towels present.”
Gwendal scowled.
He was there. He was so close. Metodey was practically quivering .
Time to go all in.
“It also confuses me how our witness states only one blow to the head around 8:30 PM but according to the autopsy, the victim was hit twice and didn’t die until 9:00. Meaning that there had to be another blow.” This - this Felix was less certain about, as much as he hated to admit it. It seemed so utterly ridiculous that no one with an ounce of common sense would attempt it.
Then again, someone that lied so easily was already lacking common sense.
“You’re not wrong.” Byleth said quietly as Metodey became more anxious on the witness stand.
“Then tell the court - why was the victim hit twice?” Judge Hanneman said, staring down at Felix expectantly.
Why indeed?
“To plant fake evidence.” Felix smirked as Metodey yanked harder on his hoodie. Good. He was almost there. “The witness had already cleaned most of the dumbbells and in doing so, erased the fingerprints. He took one of them that he likely knew the accused touched and struck a blow to mislead us. And - “
Felix pointed his finger at Metodey, triumphant. “The second blow was the one that killed the victim!”
The entire courtroom went briefly utterly silent.
And then Metodey let out a panicked wail. “It was an accident! An accident!” He yanked so hard on his hoodie that the fabric let out a loud, anguished tear. “I heard a thump and walked in and he was on the ground. I thought he was dead!”
Idiot. Bastard. Liar . Felix bared his teeth, however briefly. “Instead of calling a hospital, you made sure of it.”
Metodey howled louder as Judge Hanneman pounded his gavel.
Finally, a guard went to stand next to Metodey. Across from Felix, Gwendal looked mildly disgusted.
Good.
“Given the confession, I have no choice but to pass judgment on both the witness and the accused. We will set a trial date for Metodey Uno for next Tuesday And in the case of Raphael Kirsten, I find the defendant Not Guilty.” Judge Hanneman bowed his head.
Felix didn’t hear the claps or feel Byleth touch his shoulder. He was too busy letting his heart rate settle.
He’d done it.
He - and his client - survived.
Felix made it outside staying close to Byleth as a few people shoved microphones in his face and a few others snapped photographs. He had no interest in becoming some sort of legal star and the thought of talking to any press for any reason was utterly abhorrent.
The lobby, at least, was quiet.
At least until he was jumped from behind and lifted up to be wrapped in a crushing hug.
Felix squawked, his legs flailing as he tried to grip his sword in self-defense. “Ghk! Ob - objection!”
“Oh, sorry!” Raphael set Felix down and awkwardly patted Felix’s shoulder - and still Felix felt as though his bones were being crushed. “I really thought I was a goner there.”
“I promised Leonie I’d try my best.” Felix grumbled as he hastily straightened his tie and suit. His poor sword had at least survived the bear hug from hell. “So I did.”
“Still. Your first case - guess I was just unlucky, huh? Although I guess I’m lucky that I got you.” Raphael grinned. “Seriously. Thanks. I’ll repay you somehow, I promise!”
“We’ll hold you to that.” Byleth nodded her head. “Send Claude my regards.”
Claude?
“Sure thing.” Raphael grinned. “Oh! I know! I can buy you dinner tonight at my sister’s restaurant. My treat!”
“I think I’ll pass.” At least for now. Socializing just wasn’t Felix’s idea of a fun night out.
Felix stared sullenly across the lobby where Gwendal was speaking to some unfamiliar man with bright red hair.
For a moment, he dared to imagine he’d see a man dressed in blacks and blues.
Soon.
Felix would meet him soon.
He’d make certain of it.