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"Again, uh - sir, we have a lot of proof that you spent plenty of time outside of the Space Center. The 'Fey Defense' just doesn't apply, not when the Phantom is well-known to not leave the Space Center he calls home..."
"Wait," Phoenix said. "Is he implying that he'd let that pass if the guy had only been seen in the Space Center? Is he - does Payne actually think the Phantom of the Space Center is a real thing?"
"'Fey Defence!'" Maya exclaimed indignantly. "That's not the kind of name recognition we want! I wasn't even the one to commit that murder, channeling or not!"
"Those who have seen my face," The Phantom sang aggressively, ignoring the prosecution's protests, "Draw back in fear / I AM THE MASK I WEAR!"
He dramatically ripped off the mask of Detective Fulbright's face he was wearing, to reveal an identical one underneath.
Trucy booed, while Mr. Hat simultaneously clapped enthusiastically. Somehow. Then she started arguing with the puppet about the merits of such a trick.
"Oh c'mon, now he's fumbling the lyrics," Athena complained, over the ventriloquist fight erupting next to her. "We all know it's supposed to be a duet! He should stop trying for the higher notes, he really can't reach them."
"Do you think this is because of my influence?" Phoenix asked no one in particular. "Edgeworth's always telling me I get ridiculous in court - but even I know the difference between real people and musical characters. I would never do something like that in court!"
"In fact, with these documents, we-" Payne began.
"Niiiick, who do I sue for that 'Fey Defense' thing?" Maya said. "Can I make them put up posters for the village in payment? Ooh! Or maybe they could put in a second phone booth!"
"No, YOUR performance is wooden!" Trucy, or possibly Mr. Hat, yelled.
"THE PHAAAANTOM OF THE SPACE CENTEEEEER," the Phantom wailed. There was an electric guitar accompanying him now, which sounded suspiciously like Klavier Gavin's.
"Th-these documents-!" Payne attempted to screech over the noise.
"Oh, stop!" Athena wailed, hands over her ears.
The Canadian Judge had been banging his gavel for at least three minutes, but it was hardly noticeable in the din.
Apollo took a deep breath. He hated when the Wright Talent Agency dragged him along to heckle other trials, but things were getting really out of hand here - and he just might be the only person who could help.
Sure, they all mocked him for his daily Chords of Steel practice, but once he single-handedly restored order here, that was all gonna change. He opened his mouth, heart pounding with excitement, and yelled: "EVERYONE, SHUT-"
"SILENCE!" commanded Prosecutor Simon Blackquill, appearing out of fricken nowhere.
A deathly silence fell instantly.
"UP!!!!!" Apollo roared into the quiet, naturally. About seventeen different people shushed him. Athena, who had just taken her hands off of her ears, winced and smacked him on the shoulder.
He glared at the world and crossed his arms over his chest. Down in the courtroom below, Blackquill stormed up to the prosecutor's bench; Payne squeaked and fled without protest.
"Let's try that testimony again, Fool Fake," Simon hissed menacingly.
"Uhh, yup!" The Canadian Judge said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that no one was really paying attention to him at all. "I guess that sounds aboot right. Defendant, start over, eh?"
For a moment, the trial seemed salvageable.
A moment.
"But... he is there." the Phantom said, thankfully at least no longer singing. "The Phantom of the Space Center."
"Not again," groaned Athena.
"What about burger deliveries to the training waterfalls!" Maya gasped. "Nick!"
"Yeah, okay, maybe I would argue that my client was possessed by a fictional ghost, but only to buy time," Phoenix grumbled. "And the Phantom wasn't even a real ghost in the story, it's too easy to disprove. This is a disgrace."
Trucy punched Mr. Hat in the face.