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Chapter Text

On a foggy April morning, Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth sat on a porch, playing with action figures, backpacks slung across their shoulders. Phoenix had slept over, even though it was a school night. 

“Do you believe in magic?” Phoenix asked, extending from his crouch to fly his samurai through the air.

Miles shook his head. “No. Why would anyone believe in magic? It’s all illusions.”

Phoenix pouted. “How do you know? Have you ever seen real magic?”

“There’s no such thing,” Miles responded simply. 

“I think magic is real,” a warm, deep voice interjected from above them. Fatherly hands cupped both kids’ shoulders. “Maybe you’ve never seen magic because it happens right under your noses.”

Phoenix stuck his tongue out at Miles, happy to be defended.

“There’s nothing magical about sleight of hand, or optical mirages,” Miles argued, crossing his arms.

“There’s magic in the sky. And the trees. And a warm cup of coffee. And getting to see another day, and getting to see your smile across the dinner table,” Gregory explained playfully. Miles laughed as he rustled his hair. “Now collect your things. The bus is here. Don’t be late.”

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked blearily, rolling his chair back and checking the time- why was he at his desk?

He stretched his taut limbs and eyed the papers scattered across the table and, oh yeah, he had a case today. He’d spent all night reviewing case files and must not have made it back to his apartment.

After a few more seconds of dwelling, the unbearable alarm became too much to handle- he should really change that. He hated that alarm. He smacked the off button on his phone (yes! A real iPhone! Maya had finally gone feral while dealing with their ancient brick phones and forced them to upgrade!) and discarded it, rushing to grab his suit. 

It was a good thing he’d showered last night. He grabbed his emergency hair gel and spiked his strands, fastening his coat and tie and grabbing his backpack before rushing out the door. He’d have to hurry if he wanted to make it to the trial on time.

He rushed down the stairs and unlocked his bike, throwing the lock in his backpack and hopping on.

It was bright and sunny out, the wind whipping through his hair as he rode through the city. Good weather was always a motivator for a good trial. And boy, was he feeling good about this trial.

“Oh, watch out!” 

He skidded to a stop and let his bike fall, running into the street to pull a little old woman out of a car’s way. The car rushed by, and the woman looked none the wiser.

“Close one!” Phoenix chuckled, unsure if she even knew she almost got flattened. 

“Oh my God!” Someone from across the street exclaimed, rushing over to meet them. “Grandma! I’m so sorry, I thought you were still behind me!” They turned to Phoenix next, expression full of gratitude and relief. “Thank you so much. You’re a real hero, sir.”

Phoenix laughed at that, patting the tween’s head. “High praise, kid. Keep an eye on her!”

Then he rushed to hop back on his bike, two minutes later than anticipated.

He showed up and locked up his bike, just a couple minutes left before he’d technically be late. Considering the preparation that needed to be done, he was already late.

“Looking slick, Wright,” a familiar voice hummed backhandedly as he walked into the building. And, fair enough, he hadn’t showered that morning and he’d slept on a desk and almost got hit by a car. But that’s pretty much what he always looked like.

“Cheap wins, Edgeworth. I’ll show you a real victory later today.”

Edgeworth laughed that velvety laugh that Phoenix had come to treasure, rare as it was. Edgeworth must be in a very good mood today, exchanging pre-trial banter and laughing at the insinuation that he’d lose. Well, Edgeworth had seen the case files, it was pretty clear the guy was innocent. It felt good to pursue justice rather than a petty victory, these days.

He rounded the hall to where he was meeting his defendant, who looked rather chipper himself.

“Walters! How are you feeling today?”

The client raked a hand through his oak hair, sighing. “Excited to get it over with.”

“I’d imagine. Such heavy accusations can be tough. Lucky for you they only have one witness, and we have mountains of evidence and corroborations of your innocence.”

Walters smiled. “Thanks so much, Mr. Wright. This has been so hard for me, I’m glad I have such a good lawyer to have my back.”

“Of course,” Phoenix returned the grin, shaking his hand. “Just a few things I’d like to go over, and then we should be all ready.”

“Gotcha,” Walters nodded, charming as ever.

They discussed how the case would proceed and the logistics and boring stuff that Maya skips in favor of getting stuff from the vending machine (which was looking pretty tempting at the moment). At around eleven they filed into the trial room.

“Nick! Hi!” Maya greeted with a mouthful of food.

Phoenix joined her behind the defense’s table, raising an eyebrow. “Where have you been?”

Maya responded with a garble, but Phoenix, getting very fluent in the language of Maya-Has-Food-In-Her-Mouth, translated it to: “New noodle restaurant next door!”

“Very cool. Good luck noodle?”

“Ofcuourse!!” Maya responded in gibberish, reaching in her pocket and pulling out a foot long noodle.

“Thanks, Maya,” Phoenix nodded determinedly, taking the good luck charm and swallowing it like a baby bird.

The Judge, very familiar with their pre-trial ritual, just rolled his eyes. 11:15… court was in session!

Blah blah blah, judge says something, Edgeworth says something..

He says something. “The defense is ready.” …

Blah blah blah. Same old same old.

“I’d like the defendant to plead their case.”

Walters cleared his throat. Edgeworth scrutinized him like a shark circling its prey in the water.

“I was having dinner with my lovely… lovely wife, Amelie..” Walters paused, already tearing up at the mention of his late wife. “We were talking about… stocks, I think. What a boring thing to be talking about. God, I’d give anything to go back and talk about anything else, to tell her how much I love her..”

“Stay on topic,” Edgeworth snapped, patience limited.

Walters stiffened, wiping his nose. “I.. I heard a knock on the door, so I went and checked. It was a man I’d only met through Amelie, she’d met him at a park once and they’d hit it off. Turns out… turns out..

Topper Williams was desperately in love with her. He came in with his dog all ready to attack, yelling about how she was his and he was twisted with jealousy. He was crazy! I was so scared.. I couldn’t believe what was happening.”

Walters stared at his palms, composing himself. “I, of course, asked Amelie what was going on. She said she didn’t love him.. she’s always valued fidelity.. and then he just snapped.

We’d just had steak and our knife box was out, and he reached over and grabbed one. I tried to stop him, I really tried, but his dog came at me and sunk his teeth into me..” Walters stepped out from the stand cautiously and pulled up the cuff of his pants, presenting a giant, purple, scarring dog bite. 

“I couldn’t stop it. He said if he couldn’t have her in life, he’d have her in death. And he stabbed her so many times, a countless amount of times.”

“Seven times.” Edgeworth offered.

“Yes. Seven times.” Walters wiped a tear. “And then he was gone. And I called the police right away, but it was too late. He took my darling Amelie away. You can throw me in jail, you can kill me. None of it will hurt as much as losing her.”

The Judge nodded. “The prosecution may take the stand.”

Edgeworth looked very complacent. Not much fire. Phoenix had seen that look before, like when they’d taken down Gant. That was his ‘time to put up the lamest prosecution ever to allow this innocent person to go home’ face. “I’d like to call upon my witness, Elisha Banks.”

A woman walked up to the stand, arms crossed, clearly uncomfortable.

“Witness, please state your name and occupation.”

“Elisha Banks, realtor.”

Walters looked upset from behind the stand.

“How do you know the accused?”

“He’s my neighbor. I.. I heard the crime happen.”

The jury hushed.

“Please testify.”

“It was late in the evening, I’m not sure when exactly but I’d given my daughter supper a few hours before and tucked her in, so probably around six or seven.

I saw an unfamiliar car roll into their driveway. A hispanic man came out, he had the most striking curly hair, and he was followed by the cutest little border collie.”

The Judge nodded. “Topper Williams.”

A picture of Topper was displayed, next to his dog. They both had visible rashes on their cheeks.

“What are those rashes?” Phoenix interrupted inquisitively. 

“Ringworm,” the Judge answered. “Not much is known about Topper Williams, but in every photo he has the same fungus. His dog likely has a chronic ringworm infection, which makes it virtually impossible to avoid.”

Edgeworth scowled. “We’re off topic. Elisha, please continue.”

“A few minutes later I heard yelling from inside. Two men and one woman. And… and then the yelling turned into screaming. And the dog started barking. And then everything went silent.

I figured the fight was over, so I didn’t think much more of it. Walters and Amelie have always been such good neighbors, I figured this would be a one off thing. I went to bed shortly after.”

The Judge hummed. “And you think Walters could’ve committed the crime?”

Elisha frowned, but nodded. “It’s possible.”

“No! I wouldn’t kill her, I loved her!” Walters cried from the stand, tears starting to gush down his cheeks.

“Walters! Compose yourself!” The Judge demanded, and Walters snapped his mouth shut.

“She’s gotta be crazy, she thinks Walters killed his wife?” Maya thought for a minute. “He didn’t, right?”

Phoenix grinned. “Nope. Watch this.”

“You may now begin your cross examination.”

Phoenix cracked his knuckles for the theatrics. Edgeworth simply sighed in exasperation. 

“Elisha Banks, this car was unfamiliar, correct?”

“Yes. I’d never seen it before.”

“You submitted a report, correct?”

“To the best of my ability. I.. I might’ve gotten the license plate wrong.”

“You didn’t,” Phoenix rebuked confidently. “It was a white Hyundai, recently stolen from a San Diego dealership. Isn’t that suspicious? If Walters had committed this crime, why would he escape in the car that Williams had stolen? Wouldn’t it make more sense for Topper to commit the crime and then escape with a vehicle that couldn’t be traced to him? This would also explain the disappearance of Williams. It’s the perfect escape.”

Elisha didn’t say anything. Edgeworth trained her well.

“Tell me about the yelling. Could you hear anything that they said?”

Elisha considered that. “Not much. The woman, Amelie, sounded very heartbroken, though. She was distressed. And the dog was going wild.”

Phoenix nodded. “Yes, a wild dog would cause a wound so severe.” He continued. “You said everything just went silent?”

“Yes. I assume that’s when… when she died.”

“And this was all between six and seven?”

“I think so, yes.”

“The time of death was at precisely 6:57.” Edgeworth corroborated.

“Then it all adds up. The house went silent as Amelie died and Williams made his escape.”

Edgeworth scoffed. “Tell me, Wright, what was Walters doing when Williams was escaping?”

“He’d just sustained a major laceration from a savage animal and seen his wife be stabbed seven times. It’s safe to assume he was suffering for a little while.”

“In complete silence?”

Phoenix pursed his lips.

“I… I was in so much shock,” Walters whimpered from the stand, and Phoenix felt his heart skyrocket, because when defendants spoke they usually just put themselves in deeper shit. “I was crying. I was crying but I was so overwhelmed, it was like I was dissociating. I wasn’t in my own body.”

Edgeworth seemed to accept that, holding his wrists behind his back. “Everyone deals with trauma differently. It’s peculiar, though.”

“I’m sorry,” Walters said, and Phoenix was just embarrassed.

“I’m going to continue the cross examination now,” he insisted, turning his attention to Elisha and putting them all out of their misery. “You tucked your daughter into bed.. do you know what time this was at?”

Elisha blinked. “Hm.. I don’t think I checked the clock. She would probably know better than me, though. She checks the clock every ten minutes when she’s trying to sleep.”

“Is she kept awake often?”

“Oh yeah. Poor girl’s got the worst insomnia I’ve ever seen. We’re picking up some medication for it next week.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. How old is your daughter?”

“She’s seven.”

Phoenix nodded, filing that back in his mind for later. Just in case.

“There’s one thing we haven’t addressed,” Edgeworth chimed in after the conversation lulled. “Topper Williams doesn’t exist.”

Walters looked distressed. “Huh?”

“Not in America. Williams is not a legal resident of the United States. He’s from Tijuana, it appears he overstayed a work visa and was never documented.”

Walters fidgeted. “So… that means you can’t track him down?”

“That means he won’t be sent to an American prison. He can still be found, everyone leaves a trail,” Phoenix reassured. 

Walters nodded and sniffled. “Ok.”

“Thank you, Ms. Banks, for your testimony,” Edgeworth dismissed, and she left the stand, looking unsatisfied.

“This seems like a pretty open and shut case. Any final remarks, before we let the jury discuss?”

Nothing was said.

“Wonderful. We will reconvene when the jury has reached a conclusion.”

Phoenix hated this part. It was just a lot of waiting.

Maya must have sensed his urgency, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “You did great out there. It would be impossible for them to reach the wrong verdict, at this point.”

Phoenix nodded. “Yeah. Thanks Maya.”

“No problemo, Nick. Thank the noodle.”

Phoenix laughed.

“You did really well. Once again, thank you so much,” Walters sighed. 

“Of course. You didn’t do too bad yourself.”

Walters smiled, a little shy. “Thanks. We should go out for drinks sometime, on me, my thanks.”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. You haven’t been acquitted yet,” Maya reminded.

“Oh, be nice,” Phoenix teased. “We’ll keep in touch.”

Walters saluted in gratitude, then they parted ways.

“Very convincing display,” Edgeworth took his place, not looking too cranky about his impending loss. “That sure was a tricky one.”

Maya huffed. “You practically could’ve done that one with no memory.”

Phoenix shuddered. “I’d rather not try that again.”

“Let’s go out,” Edgeworth proposed, humming. “Celebrate another day of justice.”

“Sorry, I gotta pass on this one,” Maya rejected uncharacteristically. “Training to do. And stuff.”

Edgeworth smirked. “Funny that your training lies, coincidentally, at the exact same time as the season two Pink Princess rerun marathon, Ms. Fey.”

Maya huffed, dignified. “Funny that you would, coincidentally, know that by heart, Mr. Edgeworth.” 

“Touché,” Edgeworth hummed. “Wright, would you still like to go out, even without someone to pressure you into thirds of the main course?”

“And seconds of dessert?” Phoenix added, exasperated.

“And zeros of the healthy side salads?” Maya grinned.

“Big flip flops to fill,” Phoenix mused. “I suppose.”

With Maya retiring to Phoenix’s apartment, they decided to go to a classier place. Well, classier as in offering wine with the grub and at least pretending to wipe down the seats. That was their compromise, as Edgeworth ordered a classy glass of Pinot Noir and Wright celebrated with a good old burger cocktail combo. Maya would be proud. 

They chatted for a while, catching up a bit, discussing Franziska’s transcontinental exploits, engaging in a friendly debate over their college experiences.

“I told you, Wright, Ivy League schools are just an American thing.”

“There’s no way you weren’t practicing law at the most elitist, pompous school on the continent.”

“I’ve told you what school I attended.”

“Exactly! I researched it, the campus looks like a kingdom!”

“Culture shock,” Edgeworth dismissed. “While I’m flattered you looked into my scholarly history, it should then be clear why my education was better than yours- I attended a law school.”

“So did I!”

“At a graduate level. You originally attended a school that also offered majors in the arts, correct?” 

Phoenix rolled his eyes at the reminder of his prior major. “Yeah, well, at least I wasn’t a trust fund baby.”

The table went silent, and for a moment Phoenix worried that he’d gone too far. Luckily, Edgeworth started chuckling good-heartedly a moment later.

“A trust fund adolescent, for your information.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Phoenix laughed. 

They conversed a while more. Phoenix ordered a couple heavier drinks, Edgeworth indulging in some as well. He ran to the bathroom, changing his annoying alarm while he was in there for good measure.  

Phoenix slipped back into his seat a few minutes later. 

“I just got a call from the Judge,” Edgeworth informed, a smirk lilting the corner of his lips. “Word is you got a full acquittal.”

Phoenix’s eyes shined as he processed the news. Yes!

“Don’t get too excited,” Edgeworth reminded half-heartedly, amused. “Celebrate tomorrow when they announce it in the courtroom.”

“Okay. Sorry,” Phoenix smiled, not sorry at all. “Another round?”

Edgeworth rolled his eyes, entertained. “On you.”

More drinks were downed, and the last thing Phoenix could remember was rich, silky laughter, and golden light melting into soft silver.

The air was sharp and unforgiving as they walked home. Phoenix blinked glaze out of his eyes.

“Wha…?”

“Have you sobered up?” A comforting voice from above him, chastising and exasperated yet fond regardless. 

Phoenix looked around, recognizing the streetlights as they walked toward his apartment. He then realized that Miles was doing most of the walking, and he was clinging to him like a dizzy koala.

“Ah, shit. Sorry, Edgey, must’ve had more than I planned,” Phoenix mused, nickname slipping out easily. Edgeworth didn’t comment on it.

“I feel bad for discarding you onto Maya Fey,” Miles rolled his eyes. “Can you walk on your own?”

“Sure, sure,” Phoenix answered, failing to convince the prosecutor or himself.

“You are insufferable,” Edgeworth sighed, stopping. It took a few moments for Phoenix to realize they had made it back to his house. 

He blinked the glossiness from eyes a few more times. Miles was staring at him.

For a minute, a tangible tension bloomed, Edgeworth narrowing his eyes and gently grabbing Phoenix’s chin like it had personally offended him.

Phoenix held his breath, confused, flushed red under the scrutinous proximity, until Miles let him go.

“Try not to throw up on her,” he warned, then rang the doorbell, then pivoted and walked away.

Maya opened the door a few seconds later, in her pajamas and Steel Samurai slippers, and raised an eyebrow. “Geez, Nick. You really partied hard, huh?”

“Perchance,” Phoenix burped, and stumbled inside.

“And you didn’t even bring me any.”

“You’re still not legal.”

“I’m close enough. Who cares?”

“I’m literally a lawyer.”

“Irrelevant,” Maya dismissed, taking his arm and guiding him to the couch, where he let the world go dark. “I’ll protect you from hitmen while you’re drunk. And take embarrassing blackmail photos of you. Nerd.”

He simply hoisted up a thumbs up, then passed out.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked blearily, rolling his chair back and checking the time- why was he at his desk?

Again?

And- ah, dammit- didn’t he change that god awful alarm yesterday?

And.. wait, why was his alarm going off at all? The debate was closed, he didn’t need to be back to the courthouse for hours. He must’ve accidentally left it on.

He shut it off, rubbing his face exhaustedly. Did he get black-out drunk last night? Why were his trial papers everywhere? Why was he even in his office? He was supposed to hang out with Maya at his apartment, right?

Gross, he was in his sweatpants and t-shirt from two nights ago. Oh well, it is what it is. He probably really needed a shower by now though. And some laundry.
 
He shuffled on his shoes and ran outside to his bike, unlocking it and driving off in the opposite direction as yesterday, toward his apartment. Another beautiful day, like the world knew he’d won. He’d just reached the complex when his phone went off.

“Edgeworth?”

“Wright. Where are you?”

“I’m at my apartment, what’s up?”

“At your, wh- huh? Why are you still at your apartment? It’s 10:55.”

“Yeah, and the sky is blue. You just calling to give me a reminder that it’s 10:55?”

Edgeworth paused, absolutely baffled, and Phoenix couldn’t help but think he’d messed something up.

“Wright… I’m calling because the trial starts in fifteen minutes.”

“The… the trial?”

“Wright. Dear Phoenix Wright. Did you forget you had a trial today.”

Phoenix raked a hand through his hair. What? Whoever he was defending was one unlucky person. “Whose trial?”

“...”

“Miles, please.”

“Henry Walters. How have you-”

Phoenix tuned him out, feeling his blood run cold.

“Is this a prank?”

Edgeworth stopped speaking. “A prank.”

“Miles, you’re being serious?”

“Wright, don’t even bother showing up if you are so thoroughly unprepared and-”

“Did you hit your head? I won, yesterday. The trial is closed.”

“...Excuse me?”

Phoenix exhaled, paranoid. “Something’s really messed up, Edgeworth. You’re serious.”

“What in god’s name are you talking about?”

“What day is it?”

“The tenth?”

“It’s not. It’s the eleventh. The trial was yesterday. I know it was. I got a full acquittal.”

“.....are you sure you didn’t hit your head?”

“I think I must’ve. Edgeworth, if it was all a dream, or hallucinations or something, it was really fucking vivid. Maya ate noodles from the new shop around the corner, and you were joking around with me, and.. and your witness’s name is Elisha Banks.. and..”

“How do you know my witness’s name?”

And now Phoenix was crying, hysterical. “I don’t know, Edgeworth! Because she testified yesterday! And she was Walters’ neighbor, and her little seven year old girl has insomnia!”

“Wright, I’m not going to say anything because I respect you as an attorney and as a person, but the information you’ve just revealed is confidential to the prosecutors department and we do not take kindly to illegal searches.”

“Edgeworth! I didn’t, I didn’t…”

“Wright… I’m concerned for you. I will find a replacement attorney, I recommend you seek help for whatever delusions you are currently suffering.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. I’ll see you later, Edgeworth.”

They disconnected with a deafening click.

All of a sudden the bright weather felt insulting. 

He was stepping through the front door to the complex when several ambulances rushed by, sirens blaring.

“What’s that about?” Phoenix asked another curious couple, one checking their phone to find out.

“Oh no,” the man frowned, scrolling down some local news site. “Looks like a car crash. An old lady was in the middle of the road, she got hit.”

Phoenix felt faint. “Oh.”

“How sad,” the woman added.

“Yeah,” he nodded, feeling a little lightheaded. “Thanks.”

He ran inside and up the stairs and collapsed on his bed, holding back tears. What the hell? 

Maybe this was all just a really bad dream. Maybe he just needed to go back to bed. He’d been exhausted for days.

He shut his eyes and let himself succumb to peace.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. 

He checked the date on his phone.

Fuck!

Okay. Okay, either he was in the worst coma of all time or this was some kind of spiritual thing, fate punishing him. Either way, there was one person he needed to go to.

He slipped on his suit, for appearances sake, hopped on his bike, and went riding towards the courthouse. 

There was the old lady, alive and well, and in the middle of the road.

He let his bike fall carelessly, walking into the middle of traffic and guiding her out as he did the first time.

“Close one!” Phoenix recited, but she didn’t hear him. She didn’t the first time either.

“Oh my God!” The kid cried, right on time. “Grandma! I’m so sorry, I thought you were still behind me!” “Thank you so much. You’re a real hero, sir.”

Phoenix remembered the ambulances, the headline with this kid’s grandma’s name. “Keep an eye on her.”

He got on his bike, doing a wheelie on his way there.

“Maya!”

“Nick??” Maya exclaimed through a mouthful of noodles. “Whrudoinhr?? Areusuptobeadacourthouse?”

Translator activated: “what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the courthouse?”

“Maya, I’m gonna say something crazy, okay? Just please, try to believe me.”

Maya nodded. “I’m ready.”

“I’m in a time loop.”

Maya pursed her lips, steely eyes flashing with determination. “What day?”

Well that was easy. “Uh.. Just three. Today was two days ago, I mean.”

“Oh cool! Well aren’t I a special Maya, huh? I believe you wholeheartedly. If you’re at the start of your loop days, we need a system to make things more efficient.”

Phoenix blinked. “Huh.”

“Well you’re not gonna want to repeat this conversation every time!”

“Okay… what’s the system?”

“Well I have to make the entire thing, because I won’t remember any of it..”

“Got it.”

“So you start by telling me we’re in a time loop. As I’ve demonstrated, the first thing I’ll do is ask what day it is. Probably around like loop four I’ll stop asking whether we have a system and just assume we do. Next I want you to tell me what we’ve decided the purpose of the loop is, and what we’ve tried to change it.”

“Maya… what on Earth are you talking about?”

“Well, a time loop is very tricky. It’s fate’s way of telling you that you fucked up so royally that you needed divine intervention to fix it.”

“Great. What did I fuck up? And why do you know so much about time loops? They’re not real.”

“I don’t know what you fucked up, that’s what we’ve gotta find out. And the sooner the better. And of course they’re real, you’re in one! However I am basing all of my assumptions around what I think a time loop would be like, but I’m right like ninety nine percent of the time, so.”

Phoenix just stared at her, exasperated.

“So… what happened the first time around?”

“Uh… I woke up, saved an old lady from being hit by a car-”

“What??”

“-defended Walters, went out for drinks with Edgeworth, drank a lot, then went back to my apartment to hang out with you.”

Maya furrowed her brows. “Well, it’s simple! You did something wrong.”

Phoenix groaned, dropping his head against the table. “We’ve established that.”

“You gotta go through the day again and fix the mistake. Maybe you said something really awkward to someone and fate is throwing you a bone. Or maybe granny was actually a serial murderer and you saving her will cause a triple homicide in the future.”

“Interesting theories,” Phoenix nodded, but felt a little better. He could work with this. Just make little tweaks until everything fixed itself. Bluff his way through a time loop. Very on-brand.

“Okay. Well,” he checked his phone, wincing at the time and the several missed calls from Edgeworth. “The trial started ten minutes ago, so this loop is a lost cause.” 

“Shoot, yeah. Wanna go out for ice cream instead? I could eat.”

“You are literally currently eating.”

Maya raised an eyebrow, slurping up a stray noodle. “Your point?”

Phoenix laughed. “Fair enough.”
 
—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. Ok, he could do this. He’d alter one thing at a time, and eventually he’d have to fix the right thing, right?

He rubbed his eyes, threw on his suit, threw on his hair gel, ran outside to his bike, muscle memory guiding him easily through the motions. He biked quickly, avoiding the intersection entirely on his way to the courthouse. The easiest place to start would be revoking his hero status.

“Looking slick, Wright,” Miles hummed sarcastically as he walked into the building. And, rude. He hadn’t even almost been hit by a car this morning!

“Cheap wins, Edgeworth. I’ll show you a real victory later today,” Phoenix recited anyway, letting Edgeworth’s laugh echo through his head. 

The trial proceeded about the same as the first time, but- turns out- was very tedious and annoying to repeat. Shocker there. A few times Phoenix forgot what he said the first time, and couldn’t exactly grab a script for help, so he just ad libbed and hoped he wasn’t creating a butterfly effect the size of Gumshoe’s pay deductions. 

By the time the trial was concluded, Phoenix was feeling adequately worn out. He debriefed with Walters, then reconvened with Edgeworth and Maya, who was on her phone. 

“Woah, look at this you guys! Some little old lady got hit by a car just two blocks away from us!” Maya frowned, reading the article on her phone. 

So it had worked! He’d changed one thing, and everything else had remained the same- maybe, miraculously it would work, and he could be out of the loop by tomorrow. (That had to be a new world record. Did people speedrun time loops? That was kind of confusing.) Phoenix sighed a breath of relief, a smile tugging at his lips. 

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow at him, suspicious. “Bad history with elderly women?”

“Oh, no! It’s very sad.” Phoenix quickly wiped the smile from his face. Great, now he looked evil. “I mean… yes?”

Edgeworth was quiet for a moment, then leaned in, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He lowered his voice to a whisper, then murmured, “You are not alone, Wright. Sometimes my daily life is disturbed by the memory of her too. That rat-tat-tat-tat…”

Edgeworth shivered.

“Okayy..”

“I digress. Let’s go out,” Edgeworth proposed, humming. “Celebrate another day of justice.”

Later that night, as he lay on the couch next to Maya, blackout drunk, he smiled. Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney, Time Loop Extraordinaire. This would be a crazy story to tell people one day. Rest in Peace old lady.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked blearily, rolling his chair back and checking the time. Wait.

Shoot.

Well, looks like Granny wasn’t a serial murderer. On to the next thing.

—

“Why on God’s green Earth are you wearing red?” Edgeworth seethed the moment he laid eyes on him. 

“Why not? I have more than one suit you know.”

“It conflicts with your eyes.”

“It conflicts with your eyes,” Phoenix rebuked smartly, hands on his hips.

—

“Who on Earth is this?” Walters pressed, astounded.

“I just saved this little old lady’s life,” Phoenix announced, sitting Granny and her grandkid down next to him. “And they will be helping me defend you.”

“And me!!” Maya reminded.

“Kenny, you’ve grown into such a handsome young man,” Granny cooed at Maya, petting her arm.

“Thank you!” Maya beamed happily. 

—

“Wright, you are twenty minutes late. What is the meaning of this?” The Judge glowered.

“Sorry. I walked.”

“You could have asked for a ride,” Edgeworth criticized. “Or woken up earlier.”

“That is quite literally the one thing I can’t do.”

—

“I’m in a time loop!! Help me!!!”

Walters’ face looked ashen. “Oh God. I’m going to jail.”

“Wright, stop this nonsense.” Edgeworth seemed embarrassed on his behalf.

“Hey! Quit judging him! He’s not crazy!” Maya barked, hopping on the stand. “I’m a magical spirit medium, and I can confirm he's in a time loop!”

“You can?” Phoenix whispered, hopefully.

“No,” Maya whispered back. “This is fun though.”

At least she had his back.

—

“Die… verteidigung…… ist.. Bereit!” The defense is ready!

Phoenix set down his translation book to see how he did. Edgeworth looked personally affronted. The Judge looked stupified. 

“Why are you… attempting… to speak in German?”

“Du… würdest es… nicht.. verstehen.” You wouldn’t understand. 

Edgeworth rolled his eyes. “Warum muss ich die dümmste Person auf dem Planeten lieben?”

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He was running out of ideas. It had been just about two weeks, and living the same day over and over was driving him crazy. Bluffing only got him so far. He needed something decisive. 

He went through the motions of the day as normal, reciting his lines thoughtlessly.

The case went smooth, like always. Walters approached him afterwards, like usual. “We should go out for drinks sometime, on me, my thanks.”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. You haven’t been acquitted yet,” Maya reminded.

“Actually,” Phoenix deviated. “You’re allowed out on bail now, right?”

Walters nodded, eyes lighting up.

“Let’s go out tonight. To celebrate.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Walters agreed amicably. 

“Very convincing display,” Edgeworth joined them, not looking too cranky about his impending loss. “That sure was a tricky one.”

Maya huffed. “You practically could’ve done that one with no memory.”

“Let’s go out,” Edgeworth proposed, humming. “Celebrate another day of justice.”

“Sorry, I gotta pass on this one,” Maya rejected uncharacteristically. “Training to do. And stuff.”

“Walters and I were planning on going out,” Phoenix informed, again straying from the path.

“Oh.” Edgeworth looked like he was being pinched. “I see. No worries.”

Phoenix felt bad all of a sudden. He had to deviate, he had to. But he wondered what happened to all the Edgeworths that didn’t count. Where did they go? He felt bad for this one.

“You can come with,” Phoenix offered fruitlessly.

“That’s alright. I did just try for hours to sentence him to jail. I’m not sure we’d get along.”

“You tried to sentence me to jail, and we still get along!” Maya debunked. 

Edgeworth winced at the reminder. “Let’s… Let’s just raincheck.”

Maya threw him a bone. “Why don’t you come with me to… help me with training?”

Edgeworth lit up when he realized the implications. “Season two of your training, to be exact?”

“Oh yeah. HD Reruns, specifically.”

“I suppose I can be of assistance.”

And then they were gone, and Phoenix was left with Walters.

They decided to go out to a rustic little tavern, for a change of pace. Certainly less classy than Edgeworth would’ve appreciated.

Phoenix ordered a Dirty Shirley Temple. Walters just got a beer.

“Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Mr. Wright.”

“Of course,” Phoenix returned. “It’s tragic what happened to you.”

“Yes,” Walters agreed. “I still miss her. I wish she was still with me.”

“I just hope we can find Topper, and bring him to justice. A man like that needs to be found.”

Walters looked a little sick. “Yeah.”

“You alright?”

“Sorry, yeah. It just hurts to talk about,” Walters dismissed. “You should get another one. I want some more sips.”

Phoenix chuckled. “Get one of your own.” He ordered another anyway, good naturedly.

“I’m just ready to put this all behind me, y’know?”

“I’d imagine,” Phoenix sympathized. “It must be hard, losing someone you care about like that. And in such a traumatizing way. You should go see a therapist.”

Walters laughed. “Most certainly.”

Phoenix smiled at his casual amicability. He then sighed, feeling back to square one of his predicament. “What do you do, Walters, when you’re just… stuck? And you can’t figure out how to get out?”

Walters contemplated this, lips wrapping around his bottle. “Well… I’d say get a lawyer.”

Phoenix snorted. “What if you’re stuck in a cosmic, mythical time loop?”

Walters laughed, short, sharp. “I’d say… get a cosmic, mythical lawyer.”

Phoenix huffed in amusement, head resting on the counter. Then he jolted up.

He knew a cosmic, mythical lawyer.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He got dressed, ignored Edgeworth’s phone call, and met Maya at the noodle restaurant.

“Maya, I’m in a time loop. I’m about two weeks in. I need your help.”

Maya blinked. “Okay.”

“Can you summon Mia?”

Maya frowned. “Oh, I see. You don’t need my help.”

“Maya,” Phoenix insisted, exasperated. “Please.”

“Alright, alright,” Maya sighed. “I’ll do it. But remember, I’m still in training, so it won’t be easy. And I’ll need lots and lots of help.”

“Anything. How can I help?”

Maya clenched her eyes shut, face pinching as she started the difficult channeling. “It’s hard to say…”

“Anything! Water? A jacket? A massage?”

“I think…I need…”

“Yes?”

“I need….”

“Anything!”

“...Four more plates of yakisoba.”

Phoenix deadpanned her.

“Worth a shot. Alright. See you soon, Nick.”

Light drowned his vision, a syrupy scent seeping through the diner. In a blur of growth, Mia took her place.

“Woah,” Mia blinked, her eyes adjusting. Her fingers flexed as she adapted to the new physical body. “Phoenix… what’s going on?”

“Mia, I’m really stuck here, I need your advice,” Phoenix pleaded. “I’m… I’m stuck in a time loop. I know it sounds crazy, but-”

“Less crazy than you think,” Mia soothed. “Spirits, magic, time, they all exist in complex planes. Even I can tell that yours has been interrupted.”

“How? What’s happening? Why am I the only one who can remember the loops?”

“Destiny has a set path,” Mia explained gently. “The chances of it veering off course are practically infinitesimal. But, somehow, something is desperately wrong, and the spirits have chosen you to fix it.”

“Why me?”

“You’ve always been special. Might as well be the reciprocal for an empyrean intervention.”

Phoenix frowned, trying to understand.

“I’m so lost,” Phoenix sighed. “I don’t know what I’m trying to fix. I’m a lawyer. I like being given facts and building from there.”

“You’ve won cases with less to go off of than this,” Mia teased, light-hearted. “And I’m sure the answer is in plain sight. You just have to see it.”

He groaned. He was hoping Mia would have some immediate answers for him. A bit naive, he realized in hindsight. 

“Phoenix… whatever needs to be done, it must be done by you,” Mia enlightened. “And it must be done today. That’s why these conditions have been placed.”

“I… I don’t know how,” Phoenix whined, still feeling lost. 

“I know you can do it,” Mia encouraged, blurring as she began returning to her respective field. “Don’t give up.” 

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk.

He didn’t know. He didn’t know what to do. He was alone and confused and he’d never felt so stupid and helpless in his life.

He spent days scrolling through the depths of Wikipedia, cracking open the spines of chalky Mythology paperbacks, studying horology articles on the floor of the library until his eyes burned and leaked. 

Days flew by. Some he tried to salvage, tried to reach out and talk to his loved ones, others he didn’t even bother. He’d just research. When he’d hit a roadblock with a case, couldn’t find evidence, couldn’t prove a theory, through the years he’d always been told to just research. Learn more and more until you were an expert and the question answered itself. 

Phoenix was… bored. He was tired of feeling trapped and hopeless. Tired of reliving things. Tired of having no consequences. Tired of talking to people, and learning things, and finding meaning in interactions and relationships, and them being erased and reset immediately after.

He was growing very, very tired.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk. He silenced his alarm, unlocked his phone, and made a virtuous round of phone calls.

Not ten minutes later, two cars parked across the street.

“Nick!” A shrill voice squeaked, and Maya leaped out of Edgeworth’s car, frantic, a fat noodle hanging from her teeth.

Edgeworth followed her, both rushing across the street to meet him.

Next came Larry, abandoning his insulting attempt at parallel parking and following them.

“We came as soon as we heard,” Edgeworth insisted solemnly.

“The trial?”

“Postponed,” Edgeworth eased. “Walters is already searching for a new attorney.”

“Good.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Maya asked, pleaded, heartbroken. “We would’ve understood. We’re here for you!”

“Seconded! Why’d you only tell us now that you’ve got thirteen hours left to live?” Larry pouted. “I can’t schedule a skydiving date that soon! Or buy deep sea snorkeling gear! Or buy us disguises so we can seduce Empresses who are sisters and then have a joint royal wedding! And then have a group orgy that’s slightly uncomfortable for our wives because they’re sisters and equally as uncomfortable for us because it’s a little gay and we’re very close but not that close! And then we start asking who even pitched the foursome idea in the first place and you throw me under the bus right before you die so your last words are ‘Larry pitched the gay incest orgy!’, and then you pass away! Why, Nick? Whyyyyy?”

Phoenix blinked, taking that in. “I’m… sorry. I just found out. But I know just what I want to do in these last hours of my life. You guys ready for a road trip?”

Larry’s eyes sparkled with determination. “I’ll drive!”

“Absolutely not,” Edgeworth rebuked, snatching his keys away and successfully shutting that down. “I will drive us.”

“You will get a speeding ticket,” Maya snarked under her breath, speaking from traumatizing experience, and Phoenix couldn't help but laugh. 

“As long as I get the aux!” Larry agreed, and everyone groaned. 

The intensity of Edgeworth’s driving was only enhanced by Larry’s experimental prog rock songs, each around fifteen minutes in length.

“Wasn’t that awesome?” 

“No,” Edgeworth answered honestly and unanimously for the rest of the car. 

Larry considered that. “Yeah, it was pretty bad.”

“Why don’t we let the dying passenger pick the music?” Edgeworth pitched.

“I guesssss,” Larry conceded. “Only if you play car games with me.”

Maya practically leaped in her seat. “I’ll play with you!”

The two squealed and began playing slugbug from the backseat, and Phoenix turned the music to a calming radio station.

Rain started pattering down on the windshield, and he basked in the serenity of a calm, rainy car ride (tuning out the giggling and chittering from the back seats). 

Within a half hour, the rain (combined with a ‘sleep competition’, suggested sneakily by Edgeworth) had lulled both Maya and Larry into a nap, and the car was finally quiet. Phoenix melted into the comfortable velvet interior of Edgeworth’s vehicle, and took a minute to just watch the driver.

Edgeworth was very fluid and elegant with his movements. His eyes would flicker smoothly from the GPS and back to the road. He’d click the turn signal with his middle, ring finger, and pinky, and cusp the gear stick with his other palm. He’d wet his lips inattentively, tuck back stray silver strands behind his ear. Endlessly devoted to being focused and absolute, even with no jury or father to scrutinize him.

Edgeworth had a beautiful profile, now that he took time to appreciate it. A sharp jawline, deep, entrancing eyes, smooth cheeks- cheeks that Phoenix had seen blotched red and covered in tear streaks, in his youth and in his darkest moments of adulthood. Phoenix had saved him then, but he wanted to do more than that. He yearned to hug him, to tell him nothing could hurt him anymore, to kiss his tears away. He still wanted to, in fact.

Maybe it was in that moment that Phoenix realized what the time loop was for, or maybe he’d known for a while now. 

Edgeworth met his eyes, likely having felt his lingering gaze for a while, but providing him the mercy of not commenting on it. “You look very healthy.”

Phoenix blinked out of his little trance. “Huh?”

“For being terminally ill. What is it you’re dying from, again?”

Phoenix looked away, watched raindrops race down his window. “I’d rather not talk about it. Don’t want to spend my last hours thinking about why I’m dying.”

Edgeworth considered this, clearly didn’t believe him. He was a prosecutor, for god’s sake. Seeing through lies, especially Phoenix’s lies, was his literal job. Regardless, he murmured out a soft “okay.”

Phoenix heard the subtext to the simple word. I trust you. And for some reason, Edgeworth did trust him. It seemed like since defending him, he always would.

“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow,” Phoenix joked.

Thank you.

Edgeworth gave a dignified snort. 

They both turned their attention back to the road, and the rest of the trip seemed to float away.

It was only when he heard obnoxious giggling from Larry and Maya, and violent shushing a few seconds later from Edgeworth, that he realized the car had stopped moving, and he had fallen asleep.

“I’m hungryyyy,” Maya whined in a mimicry of a whisper. 

“Here,” Edgeworth sighed. Phoenix heard the exchange of crumpled papers, and a tiny cheer from the younger girl. 

“Go grab us food. I’ll wake Wright.”

“I’ll set up our towels!” Larry announced quietly.

He heard tennis shoes and sandals patter away in the sand.

It was quiet for a minute, and Phoenix figured he should get up about now, but the sun felt so nice on his skin and the seat cushions felt more expensive than his mattress. 

He felt himself sinking back into sleep, but was awoken soon by a hand on his shoulder blade. 

Another minute of silence, and the thumb on his shoulder rubbed in soft, languid circles.

Finally, Edgeworth shook him. “Wright, we’re here.”

“Five more minutes…”

“I’m not waiting here for you. If you can take a power nap and manage to wake yourself and join us in five minutes I will consider it a biblical level miracle.”

“Fineeee,” Phoenix peeled his eyes open, the sunlight waiting oversaturated and consuming. He took Edgeworth’s offered hand and crawled out of the car, at once feeling at peace on the beachy sands. 

“This was the GREATEST idea you’ve EVER HAD!” Maya declared, mouth stuffed with a haphazardly enclosed crepe. “You should be terminally ill waaay more often!” 

“Seconded!!” Larry announced, joining them. “Although it has to be specifically this beach. I’m banned from every other beach in this county.”

“For what?” Edgeworth prodded, but the moment Larry started tallying up the reasons on his fingers, reconsidered. “Nevermind.”

“Let’s play beach ball!!!” Maya segued, running over to the volleyball court.

The day was an amalgamation of stupidity and hijinks. Edgeworth and Maya completely demolished Phoenix and Larry in volleyball (they were both insanely committed and competitive. Phoenix could see the fleeting moment in both of their eyes where they considered going professional), Maya tried to assault a seagull for stealing one of her potstickers, a crab pinched, and attached itself to Larry’s butt (to which he claimed he needed to go to the ER for, so he wouldn’t get… Crabs…), Phoenix let a random kid bury him in sand (and Maya made him sand nipples), etc., etc.

“Did you see that?” Larry cried, and they all rolled over on their towels like hot dogs in a gas station. Phoenix could already feel the stinging pain of a developing sunburn all along his back.

“See what?” 

Larry pointed across the beach, where a tail flickered in the ocean waves.

“It’s a mermaid!!” Maya exclaimed.

“Or a sea-lion!” Larry offered.

“Or a gigantic mega-fish!” Maya pitched.

“Or a kid with a reflective swimsuit,” Edgeworth sighed.

“That’s no fun,” Larry huffed. “I’m going in to investigate.”

“Hey, leave that job to the detective,” Maya leapt to her feet, racing him there.

“You’re a paralegal! To a lawyer! Not even close to a detective,” Phoenix reminded, but hopped up to follow them regardless.

Edgeworth groaned in typical Edgeworth annoyance, unfastening his hardcover book to read instead while they played.

Maya ran into the refreshing cerulean water, Larry doing a vertical belly flop into a huge wave. They quickly got into a splash battle, Larry and Maya enforcing bioterrestrial warfare attacks by slapping and throwing water at each other as obnoxiously as possible. Phoenix opted for more graceful attacks, extending his arm and wielding the water like a waterbender. Or a sprinkler. A deadly sprinkler.

“You’re out Larry!!” Maya commanded. “I drenched you with my H2O Grenade!”

“Well you’re out too!” Larry pouted sorely. “My Aqua Nuke hit you at the same time!”

“I guess that means I win,” Phoenix declared, crossing his arms proudly. But before he could gloat in their faces more, a hand from behind him shoved him down, dunking him under the water.

He resurfaced, frazzled, spitting water out and gasping for air. Maya and Larry were both hunched over with laughter. He turned around to face his assailant, to find out who sneak-attacked him. 

There swam Miles Edgeworth, smirking.

“What?! That’s not fair!!” Phoenix whined. “You’re not even playing! I thought you were reading!”

“I was. The Art of War,” Edgeworth simpered. “I needed to prepare for my ambush.”

The others cheered. Phoenix rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I want a rematch.”

“You’re on,” Edgeworth grinned.

They played for hours, until the sun melted under the skyline like watercolor. The bugs sang in harmony with the waves, a melody as old as the Earth itself. The warmth faded into a pleasant chill, the world lit up by constellations.

Phoenix stared at the stars, the water kissing the tips of his toes. Edgeworth, Larry, and Maya had all come to lay next to him on their towels as well, sand beneath and sky above, morphing together at some unidentifiable point in the horizon.

“I’ll have to tell Pearls that you’re not coming back,” Maya mused, sadly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Phoenix soothed simply.

“I’ll get to tell Franziska,” Edgeworth mused, not so sadly. 

“Lucky.”

They laughed.

“What time is it?” 

“Two minutes till midnight.”

Cicadas and crickets chirped behind them. The tide rose to their ankles.

Maya took his hand, wrapping her fingers between his. Even through the darkness, he could see the tears stuck to her lower lashes. “Love you, Nick.”

“I love you too, Maya.”

Edgeworth saw their embrace from Phoenix’s other side, and in a rare display of affection, offered his hand also.

“I LOVE YOU AS WELL, NICK!” Larry chirped from Edgeworth’s right, and tried to take Edgeworth’s hand to form a long train of hand holding.

“When’s the last time you washed that?”

“Just a couple hours ago! C’mon Edgey, I swear!” 

Edgeworth sighed in defeat, and took his hand. 

“Love you too, Larry,” Phoenix laughed. 

And finally, Edgeworth. “I…”

…

“I appreciate you deeply, Wright. I think you have an intelligent mind, and a remarkable heart. It was a pleasure working with you.”

Phoenix laughed. “Love you too, Miles.”

He watched the ocean, held his loved ones close, and exhaled.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm blaring in his ears.

He calmly silenced the alarm, ran a comb through his hair, put on his suit, and strolled outside. He unlocked his bike, and biked down the path.

He dropped his bike, guided the little old lady out of the road, and sat down. 

He heard someone else scream, the squeal of tires as someone stomped on their brakes, and the sound of collision.

Then, he felt red-hot agony.

Then, nothing.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

Well. That answered that.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears.

—

“Wright, what in God’s name is so important that you needed to call an urgent three hour recess?”

“Just, follow me,” Phoenix urged, practically dragging Edgeworth by his jabot. 

“It’s a cravat…” Edgeworth butted into his internal monologue. 

Edgeworth looked more and more confused as they made their way to the parking garage, then to his car.

“Do you need a ride someplace?” Edgeworth looked suspicious, but unlocked his doors at Phoenix’s prompting.

“Something like that,” Phoenix shrugged, opening the driver’s side door and sitting down.

Edgeworth’s face was almost comical.

“What do you think you are doing.”

“Get in,” Phoenix insisted. “Teach me how to drive.”

“In my car?”

“Yes!”

“When hell freezes over.”

“I figured you’d say something like that,” Phoenix sighed, pulling the stack of bills from his pocket. “I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars to teach me to drive.”

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have so much money on you? You absolutely cannot afford to pay me ten thousand dollars, Wright.”

“I’m doing it right now.”

“You’re being irrational. What will you do when rent comes up?”

“I’m not too worried about that,” Phoenix chuckled, mainly to himself. “Please? Pretty please?”

“No.”

“Fine,” Phoenix sighed. “Guess I’ll just teach myself.”

Edgeworth’s eyes widened in alarm. “Absolutely not. You’ll kill yourself.”

Phoenix gave his puppy dog eyes.

“Ugh. Alright,” Edgeworth acquiesced, sliding into the passenger’s seat. “If you get a single scratch on this vehicle you will suffer a fate beyond human comprehension.”

“Epic!” Phoenix cheered, taking the key and starting the car. “So… what do I do first?”

“I’m parked, so you’ll have to reverse.”

Phoenix grabbed the gear stick and began to shift it, only to receive a slap on the back of his hand.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“You told me to reverse!”

“You will destroy my car,” Edgeworth groaned, anguished. “First, you need to push down on the clutch. It’s the pedal on the other side of the gas and brake.”

“There’s a third one?”

Edgeworth visibly held back a face palm. “Push it down gently, and hold it while switching gears.”

Phoenix did as he said, and he swore Edgeworth was holding his breath. Finally, the car began rolling backwards.

“Woah! We’re moving.”

“Yes. Turn your wheel so we’re facing left.”

Phoenix did, and the car instantly swerved right.

“The other way,” Edgeworth corrected, exhausted. “You’re reversing, Wright.”

“Yeah! Yep, I knew that.”

The car lined up, and Phoenix braked, the car jolting to a stop with its sensitivity. Edgeworth looked like he’d lost about thirty years of his life.

“Now, this is the part that takes some getting used to. Listen carefully: push the clutch in, and switch to first gear. Gently release the clutch and barely accelerate at the same time.”

“Ok,” Phoenix nodded. He could do it. He could do it!

He lifted his foot gently, heard the engine revv as he put pressure on the other, and-

The car spluttered pathetically and loudly rumbled to a stop.

“Wait, what? What happened? I had it!”

“You killed it,” Edgeworth explained morosely. 

“Really?” Phoenix’s eyes widened in alarm. “What! No way. I actually killed your car? Oh God, I’m so sorry Edgeworth, I don’t know what I did! I’m so sorry, honest-”

Edgeworth held up a hand to silence him. Phoenix shut his mouth, terrified, flooded with guilt.

“Brake, and turn the key.”

Phoenix awkwardly followed his directions, and practically gasped when the ignition worked and the car fired back up. “But, huh?”

Edgeworth remained neutral, but couldn’t restrain a shit-eating smirk entirely. “Well, go on. Try again.”

Phoenix just sat there, baffled, before regaining his composure and giving it another shot. “You’re an asshole.”

And Edgeworth fully smiled.

They spent the next few hours learning the basics, until finally Phoenix was successfully driving around the parking lot. They made one attempt at second gear, but gave up immediately when someone walked toward their path and Phoenix killed the car in his panic. Eventually, the time approached to return to court.

“I could’ve done better,” Phoenix pouted, annoyed at the prospect of having to live through this stupid case again instead of continuing to practice. 

“Well. It’s nothing you can learn in a day.”

Phoenix smiled.

—

“Absolutely not. You’ll kill yourself,” Edgeworth gawked. “Ugh. Alright. If you get one scratch on this vehicle..”

“I know, I know. You’ll destroy me and everything I care about,” Phoenix beamed, accepting the keys eagerly. He started the car, and began reversing.

“Wait! Make sure you-”

“Hold the clutch in, yeah yeah, I know,” Phoenix finished for him. “I’m not an amateur.”

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow in clear disbelief. “Well. I’m glad you have at least an inkling of common sense. Makes my job easier.”

Phoenix huffed in offense on behalf of himself from yesterday. Yeah… yep. That made sense. Sure.

“Turn the wheel so we’re facing left.”

Phoenix almost turned it the wrong way, but corrected himself at the last moment. Edgeworth looked vaguely impressed.

“Nicely done,” he said simply. Phoenix flushed under the praise.

“Now, this is the part that takes some getting used to.”

—

“If you get a single scratch on this vehicle you will suffer a fate beyond human comprehension.”

“So cranky,” Phoenix teased, catching the keys and firing the car up. Edgeworth just narrowed his eyes. The von Karma eyeroll.

Phoenix went through the motions, tuning out Edgeworth’s instructions, focusing all his attention on shifting into second gear, then back into first. He drove until Edgeworth stopped him, time melting away.

“Hmm,” Edgeworth commented lightly. “You’re a natural.”

“I’m a natural at everything, Edgeworth.”

“Sure. Other than humility,” Edgeworth ridiculed. “And law.”

“Uncalled for. Who’s winning the case upstairs?”

“It’s practically a charity case.”

“I don’t think so. You thought you’d win it.”

“No. I just took the case because I love filling out paperwork.”

Phoenix snorted.

“If anyone could, it’d be you.”

—

“Absolutely not. You’ll kill yourself.”

Phoenix did his puppy eyes.

“Ugh. Alright. If you get one scratch on this vehicle…”

“Gotcha!” Phoenix grinned, catching the keys, lighting the car up.

He showed off a bit, reversing with ease. He shifted into first, then second, even using turn signals. 

“Hmm,” Edgeworth finally commented, after a while of silence. “You… you’ve never had a driving instructor before?”

You. “Sort of.”

Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed in a way that Phoenix couldn’t help but overanalyze, his expression growing imperceptibly darker. Unnoticeable to anyone who hadn’t been a foot away from him every day over and over.

“You have?” He sounded… upset.

“Yeah. Can you tell?”

“Yes. Your posture is terrible. And you’re missing many essential blind-spot checks when turning. They were neglectful in their teaching.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. If you ever see them again, tell them that.” 

Phoenix blinked at the absurd childishness of that. “Uh… alright.”

It’s only when they walked up to the courthouse an hour later that Phoenix realized Edgeworth was jealous.

—

“If you get one scratch on this vehicle…”

“Yep!”

…

“Hmm,” Edgeworth recited. “You… you’ve never had a driving instructor before?”

“I have, actually.”

Edgeworth’s face twisted.

“He said that my posture was very bad. And that I was missing a bunch of blind-spot checks when I turned.”

Edgeworth sneered. “That’s ridiculous. Your posture is fine. Actually, it’s better than fine. Impressive, even. And you haven’t missed a single blind-spot check since we started driving. Your previous instructor was clearly an imbecile.”

Phoenix held back a laugh. “He wasn’t that bad.”

“Perhaps he was blind, then.”

Phoenix actually did laugh at that. “He’s halfway there.”

“Would you…” Edgeworth considered something intensely. “Would you like to drive on a road?”

“That’s so illegal,” Phoenix reminded, but giggled with glee and started driving toward the exit.

“Just stay on Sycamore. There’s usually very little traffic. We can go over street signs out there.”

“Ok,” Phoenix nodded, and drove into the broad daylight for the very first time.

—

“Stop worrying,” Phoenix begged.

“If you don’t pull over this instant I will call the cops on you,” Edgeworth babbled, gripping the seat handle in a panic as Phoenix ascended the on-ramp.

“Relax. I’ve been taking lessons in secret. I just wanted to show you how good I’ve gotten.”

“You got your temps?”

“Yep,” Phoenix lied, chuckling nervously. Edgeworth did look much calmer though, so it was worth it.

“As long as we’re back to the courthouse in time,” Edgeworth insisted. 

“Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t matter.” 

Phoenix rolled down the windows, feeling the wind whip through his hair as he sped down the freeway. A little finger-fumbling and he found Edgeworth’s convertible roof button, and in a second the top was down as well.

The sun beat on their skin, but Edgeworth’s eyes bore much hotter holes.

“Doesn’t matter?”

“Yeah,” Phoenix nodded, tired. Tired of the facade. “I just mean, like. It actually doesn’t matter. Like, cosmically. Like, you won’t remember any of this, and I’ll be back to the same old case, again and again. And we’ll just repeat it.”

They rode in blissful quiet for a few minutes.

“Wright, you sound depressed.”

“Oh, no,” Phoenix quickly remedied.  “It’s just, it’s inevitable. We’ll just wake up tomorrow and do it again.”

Phoenix elected a familiar off-ramp that led to a little park where they could park the car and have a nice view of the water. The car purred calmly beneath them, soothing rumbles as they watched the frothy ebb and flow. 

“You should talk to someone about this.”

“I wish I could,” Phoenix huffed, amused. 

“I mean it,” Edgeworth continued, turning to face him. His hair was tousled from the wind, strands of silver interlaced and wind-slicked against his cheeks. “It may feel as though every day is the same, as if there is no purpose, but there is so much to see in this life.”

Phoenix pursed his lips, being mindful to simply listen. It was rare that Edgeworth engaged in Ted-Talk mode.

“I once said the same things you’re saying, too. I didn’t understand the depth there is to life. Not in the way I do now.”

“Edgeworth…”

“I found out that getting a verdict is not about victory, but about justice. I found out that people are not for manipulation, but for cherishing. And I found out that waking up each day is not to just survive, but to live. Do you know how I learned these things, Wright?”

“Edgeworth.”

“You taught me.” Edgeworth paused to breathe. “You. I defended you in grade school and you fought me and despised me and saved my life. You save my life every day. You matter so much. Every day, you matter to me.”

Phoenix felt his eyelashes grow damp, blinking away the confusion, the shock of the words. 

“Edgeworth.”

“Phoenix.”

He knew what he had to do.

“Edgeworth, I have to tell you somethi-”

Ringing. From Edgeworth’s phone.

He recognized the song.

Edgeworth scrambled to pick it up, embarrassed. “Hello? Yes, we’re on our way. Apologies for any inconvenience.”

He hung it up, turning back to Phoenix. “We’re late.”

“That was the Signal Samurai.”

Edgeworth blinked, surprised. “You remembered.”

“How could I forget?”

A pause.

“We should go back. Uh, to the courthouse.” Edgeworth pursed his lips, and Phoenix knew the moment had passed.

He put the car back in gear and started heading back. 

He had to tell him.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked blearily, rolling his chair back and checking the time. This was it. He would confess today.

He biked to the courthouse, saving the old lady. He quoted his dialogue like a Broadway professional. The trial went smoothly, easily, and the debrief approached in a blur. 

Edgeworth smirked. “Funny that your training lies, coincidentally, at the exact same time as the season two Pink Princess rerun marathon, Ms. Fey.”

Maya huffed, dignified. “Funny that you would, coincidentally, know that by heart, Mr. Edgeworth.” 

“Touché,” Edgeworth hummed. “Wright, would you still like to go out, even without someone to pressure you into thirds of the main course?”

“Big flip flops to fill,” Phoenix recited, heart thumping in his chest. 

They went out to the same restaurant as usual. Phoenix ordered a soda. They did their typical post-trial banter, which Phoenix recited over the thumping of his heart in his ears. 

“Edgeworth, I have to tell you something. I know you won’t believe me, but at least try and hear me out,” Phoenix swallowed nervously. “I’m in a time loop.”

Edgeworth just blinked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I know it sounds crazy, but listen. I’ve been stuck for ages. I’ve lived through Walters’ trial over and over. I’ve saved an old lady dozens of times.”

“I’m cutting you off.”

“I’m not drinking!” Phoenix whined, gesturing to his almost empty ginger ale. “I promise. The Judge is about to call you. He’ll tell you I got a full acquittal.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Edgeworth looked baffled. And nervous. “Are you sure you haven’t been drinking? Are you alright?”

And then, his phone started ringing. Both sets of eyes glued on the vibrating phone, daring one another to say something.

“Answer it,” Phoenix pleaded.

Edgeworth picked it up. “Hello?”

Phoenix watched his lips thin into a flat line. 

“Certainly. I will let him know.”

He hung up.

“How did you do that?”

“I told you,” Phoenix insisted.

“Is this some sort of practical joke?”

“Just, entertain the idea. For like, two seconds. Even if it’s crazy.”

Edgeworth sighed. “Alright.”

“Maya says that to break the loop I have to fix something that I messed up the first time. Like, messed up really bad.”

“Maya knows?”

“Not this time.”

Edgeworth cringed. “So, you’re living the same day over and over?”

“Yeah,” Phoenix confirmed, exhausted. 

“This… this has all happened before?”

“Yeah. I drink too much, and you help me stumble back to my apartment. And then we…” Phoenix trailed off. “You tell me you feel bad for discarding me onto Maya. And you drop me off.”

“How many times have you done this?”

“I lost count a while ago. Maybe like, sixty?”

“Two months?” Edgeworth paled.

“Probably,” Phoenix swallowed. He felt like a witness being interrogated. It wasn’t so fun being on the other side of the stand. “You never believe me. You usually think I’m crazy.”

“I still think you are crazy.”

“Yeah.” Phoenix frowned, scrutinizing the silverware on his napkin. “You taught me to drive.”

“Really?”

“Mhm. Stick shift and all.” 

“My car?”

Phoenix snorted. “It took a lot of convincing. I bribed you with thousands of dollars every time.”

“And I didn’t see through it?”

“See through what? The time loop?” Phoenix laughed. 

“This is absurd.”

“I’ve never told you about it all before,” Phoenix confessed. “It feels good.” Liberating.

“So… what is it you have to do to… fix? To.. end the loop?”

Phoenix considered his words, fiddling with his straw wrapper. Edgeworth watched his fingers in the absence of an answer. “I… I don’t know. I’ve tried so many things, but nothing ever works.”

“That must be frustrating.”

“It is,” Phoenix exhaled, tightening his fists. “And it’s frustrating that so much happens and I just can’t tell anyone. Because they don’t remember. I feel so alone.”

They were quiet. Phoenix felt tears build up, and he averted his gaze in shame. Tears streaked down his face like acid. He just felt so helpless. 

“Wright,” Edgeworth whispered gently. He slid his hand beneath Phoenix’s chin, guiding his face back up to meet his eyes. “It’s okay. It will be alright. Let’s go for a walk.”

Phoenix nodded, sniffling, embarrassed.

They quickly paid for their drinks and left the restaurant, walking together down the breezy sidewalk. Phoenix didn’t know where they were going, and he didn’t ask.

They were silent. They walked past a man tying his dog to a pole, the dog whining and whimpering desperately. 

“Shut up,” the man chastised obnoxiously, kicking the malnourished dog right in the ribs.

Phoenix locked eyes with Edgeworth in shock. 

“Sir,” Edgeworth began, and Phoenix’s adrenaline skyrocketed. He wasn’t prepared for an altercation. 

The man looked over, scowling. “What do you want?”

“I believe this is yours.” The man looked down at Edgeworth’s hand, and was met with a fist to his face.

“Oh my god!” Phoenix screeched, feeling his hand get yanked by Edgeworth’s as they started booking it away.

“Run!” Edgeworth reminded, two steps ahead of him.

When they had sprinted at least three blocks away and to the left, they finally slowed down, buckling forward to catch their breaths. 

“What was that?” Phoenix gasped, stunned.

“He was hurting an innocent animal.”

“So you punched him?” Phoenix spluttered, but the dumbstruck expression was slowly lilting into an exhilarated smile.

Edgeworth had a tiny smile too. His cheeks were splattered with crimson from the wind, and tufts of air were visible in the cold as he panted. “I… I figured, if the whole world is a time loop, there wouldn’t be consequences. Either the day resets and it never happened, doing it helps break your time loop and is therefore worth it, or you’re entirely crazy and I can be crazy too.”

Phoenix burst out laughing, tears from earlier springing back, but bittersweet. “You could’ve been killed.”

Edgeworth’s focus on him was intense. “It would have been worth it.” 

Phoenix smiled, nodding. “For the dog.”

Edgeworth’s brows furrowed, confused, before he nodded abruptly. “Yes. For the dog.”

When they had finally caught their breaths, they took in their surroundings.

“You know where we are?” Phoenix realized.

“Yes.”

“There it is,” Phoenix pointed. 

“There it is,” Edgeworth agreed.

They walked for a minute, and approached their old school. The playground was liminal and empty, cold in the dead of night. They stopped at the chain-link fence, looking in at the catalyst of so many of their shared memories.

“We’d need a permit to go in there,” Phoenix mused, referencing some dusty memory from when he briefed trespassing laws.

“You’re in a time loop,” Edgeworth reminded, absurdly. “There are no laws regarding that. Everything we do is legally ambiguous. And we are clearly not of sound mind. Let’s jump it.”

“You’re crazy,” Phoenix chuckled, baffled. “Who are you and what have you done with Edgeworth?”

“I’m Miles,” Edgeworth responded, as if that made any sense, and climbed over the chain.
Phoenix hesitantly followed, channeling his inner Spiderman and hauling himself over the cold fence. He barely avoided crushing his valuables on the top, and landed unceremoniously in the wet grass on the other side.

Edgeworth helped him back up, brushing off his palms. 

They drifted to the playset. Phoenix ran his fingers across the plastic tubes and slides, feeling his shoes sink into the sand. 

“I miss this,” Phoenix whispered nostalgically. 

“As do I,” Edgeworth agreed, sitting on a swing. It was low to the ground, and his knees bent to accommodate his height. He looked silly. Phoenix vaguely remembered how he looked sitting in that exact spot twenty years ago. So small, but so smart. So passionate.

“Come swing with me!” A young Miles had insisted, grinning, all teeth.

Phoenix sat next to him.

It was so sunny. The light bleached Miles’ hair as he sat there. Larry ran over, stealing the swing next to him before Phoenix could reach it.

“Larry!” Miles frowned. “That’s Phoenix’s spot.”

“Move your seat, lose your feet,” Larry stuck out his tongue. “Anyways, I was playing Samurai with the girls, and I wanted to be the yellow signal Samurai but Emma Rodney also wanted to be the yellow Samurai, so she said I could be the Princess instead, and then when the Samurais saved the day Emma kissed me on the cheek! It was so cool. Then we played wolves and I got to be a gray healer wolf and…”

Phoenix sat down next to Miles, who had stopped swinging. One of them offered a hand. The other took it. 

Phoenix offered his hand.

Edgeworth looked down at it. It was too dark to see his expression.

“You are… a sentimental man, Wright.”

They sat in silence. Phoenix looked up at the stars. It was hard to see the stars in the city, but back here there always seemed to be a perfect view. 

He couldn’t see Edgeworth take his hand, but he could feel it. 

“Does it… hurt?”

“Hmm?” Phoenix felt his toes scrape the sand through his shoes as he swung languidly.

“Being in a time loop.”

Phoenix snorted. “No. I just go to sleep and wake up again, and it’s the same day.”

“I see,” Edgeworth murmured, seeming lost in thought. “I would give anything to relive some days of my life. To fix them.”

Phoenix hadn’t thought of that. One man’s curse, another man’s dream. 

“I didn’t get to pick today, though. Nothing went wrong. I don’t understand.”

Edgeworth looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I don’t know what to do to break the cycle,” Phoenix emphasized, weary. “There’s nothing to fix. Some lawyer I am.” He flopped backwards off the swing into the grass, depressed.

“So you’ve come to talk to me about it,” Edgeworth prompted. He laid down next to Phoenix, staring up at the big black ink. “Why?”

“Because,” Phoenix started, and trailed off. He fidgeted with his fingers. “I don’t know. It made sense. You’re smart, and you’re important to me, and… it just.. Made sense.” 

Phoenix could hear the smirk in his voice. “You think I’m smart?”

Phoenix rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Obviously.”

“Smarter than you?”

“Maybe sometimes.”

“You think I’m smarter than you.”

“I’ll think you’re smarter than me when you solve this time loop, Miles,” Phoenix provoked, rolling over on his side to meet his eyes.

“Fine,” Edgeworth huffed. “I’ll solve it for you.” And he pushed his shoulder back, bridged over him, and kissed him.

It was short and heavy. When Edgeworth pulled away Phoenix couldn’t decipher the expression on his face. 

“Edgeworth,” Phoenix exhaled, confused, unfettered. Edgeworth’s fingers tightened around his wrists involuntarily.

“Miles,” Edgeworth revised, suddenly anguished.

“Miles,” Phoenix amended, soft. 

And when they kissed again, Phoenix felt Miles’ tears on his cheeks. 

It felt, frankly, overdue. They kissed each other like they needed it to breathe, like a game of tug of war that they both wanted to lose. It was charged with years of familiarity, burning vulnerability, a thousand emotions unexpressed. Years of love, unspoken, finally being declared.

Now that it was in his grasp Phoenix knew he could never let this go. He wanted to feel the feelings he’d so long suppressed, experience the life he had only dreamed of. He wanted to kiss Miles again, make him laugh again, make him cry again. 

He was Michelangelo and Miles was so much more beautiful than David and he could never carve such beauty to justice but God did he want to try, and try, and try, every day for the rest of his life. 

He barely noticed Miles create distance between them, catching his breath. Miles kissed both of his eyelids in a surprisingly tender gesture, resting their foreheads together.

They embraced for what seemed like forever, time seeping away into the great glittery cosmos.

Eventually, Miles accumulated a castle’s worth of sand in his pants, so they migrated to the slide. They cuddled together in the cramped space, unbothered, at peace.

Phoenix slid his hand over Miles’ right shoulder, only to have his wrist caught.

“Careful. I have ringworm.”

“That sucks,” Phoenix laughed, because that was absurd. They sat in silence for another long while, drifting off.

Pinned between the stiff plastic of the side of the slide and Miles’ warm torso, Phoenix had never felt like the universe had been more correct.

“Hey,” Miles shifted. “Don’t fall asleep. You wouldn’t want to wake up on a slide, would you?”

“Yes, actually.” Phoenix laughed into his collar. “If you don’t mind. Just stay with me. Please.”

“Of course,” Miles reassured, running a thumb through his cowlick. “Of course.”

“I love you. Please stay.”

A kiss on his forehead. “Of course. I love you. I’ll be here when you wake.”

And everything was right. 

Chapter Text

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked blearily.

No.

No!

Dread weighed like a stone in his stomach, his blood pumping ice. His vision tunneled onto the alarm, unable to believe his eyes. No! No. How?

He pulled down his taskbar to confirm the date. The same. Fuck. Fuck! How?

He didn’t bother putting his suit on. Just tied his sweatpants an appropriate level above his hips and tucked the ketchup stain on his t-shirt under his waistband. He hopped on his bike. He drove.

“Nick??” Maya exclaimed through a mouthful of noodles. “Whrudoinhr?? Areusuptobeadacourthouse?”

“I don’t get it, Maya! I did everything right! What did I get wrong?”

“Huh??” Maya spluttered confusedly, a noodle flying out of her mouth.

“I’m in a time loop. Day, like, sixty something.”

“No way!!”

“I’ve tried so hard to fix it, Maya. I finally confessed.”

“To murder??”

“No,” Phoenix groaned. “To Edgeworth.”

“Confessed to him about your murder?”

“I.. Maya! I didn’t kill anyone!”

“Ohhh. Oh!” Maya pursed her lips. “What? You like Edgeworth?”

“No! Wait, I mean… Yes!”

“Pearls is gonna lose her mind.” Maya chewed her noodle, baffled. “How did I not see that coming?”

“There’s a reason you’re not the lawyer between us.”

“Hey!” Maya huffed, offended. “Whatever. You’d make a terrible spirit medium.”

“I can’t even take a cold shower,” Phoenix acquiesced in agreement. “Wait! We’re getting off topic! I confessed my love and it didn’t end the time loop.”

“Then… that wasn’t the problem.”

Phoenix felt his heart sink. How was that not the problem? That’s always the problem in the movies and the books. He felt cheated.

“It took so much courage,” Phoenix admitted, anguished. “And he won’t even remember it. It was all for nothing.”

Maya frowned.

“Sixty something days ago, did you know you loved him?”

Phoenix considered that, not expecting it. He could hardly remember what was running through his head before the loop had begun. “I… I don’t know.”

“Well, then it wasn’t all for nothing. Now you know for sure that you love him, and he loves you too. And once the loop is over the Judge can officiate your wedding or whatever.”

“I never said he loved me too.”

“Yeah, but he does, doesn’t he?”

Phoenix pursed his lips, and nodded, bittersweet.

“Exactly. I’m stupid, but I’m not blind.”

“Thanks, Maya.”

He slumped, tired. Back to square one.

“You gonna keep trying?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I am.”

Well, it was too late for this loop, the trial had already started. “In the next one. I’ll just enjoy this one.”

He made his way back to his apartment, ignoring the frantic calls from Edgeworth and plopping down on his couch. What would be a productive way to spend his time? Something he’d never considered doing before, but now had infinite time to try?

Binging Love Island, of course.

After far too many episodes and a billion “I’ve got a text!”s, the season had finally come to a conclusion. He mustered the energy to put on a nice outfit (a coral button up and some skinny jeans with only two holes in them), slicked back his hair, and made the walk to a little gay club he’d only visited once or twice.

A wave of hot, stuffy air spilled into the frigid street when he opened the door, the ground vibrating with the depth of the bass. Lights blinded him as he meandered inside, forgoing the dance floor and slipping onto a leathery stool at the bar.

A few drinks and some forgettable indietronica later, he felt better. The bartender was nice, and there was a dog competition on one of the TV’s above the bar, so Phoenix was set.

A hand tapped at his shoulder, and he turned to see a stranger slipping into the seat next to him. The man was conventionally attractive, with dark, sharp features. Curly black hair. A nice pressed shirt adorned with some logo he didn’t recognize.

“Looking for company? I’m Anthony.” His voice was low and grainy, a bit abnormal.

Was he? Phoenix wasn’t sure.

“Nick,” Phoenix replied cautiously, offering a hand. “What brings you out here?”

Anthony hummed. “Looking to get lucky. You’re just my type, Nick.”

Phoenix instantly lit up red. It’d been a long time since he’d… well… And even longer since someone else had desired him in such a way.

“Let me take you home, sweetheart,” Anthony purred into his ear.

And his mind, and his nether regions, screamed yes yes yes!

But his heart screamed no.

“I’m sorry,” Phoenix sighed, mad at himself. Move on! Don’t think about him! But since when could he pursue an achievable goal? “I’m not interested. You’re very handsome and all, but I have eyes for someone else.”

He felt like he was on Love Island.

Anthony’s frown twisted, something cruel in that symmetrical face. “You should reconsider. I’ll blow your mind, baby.”

“No, that’s alright. Sorry.” Phoenix scooched away, mildly nervous. Anthony was sweating like a defendant whose lies had just been exposed.

Anthony abruptly leaned forward, grabbing his wrist with a claw-like grip. “Let’s fucking go.”

“Woah, let go of me!” Phoenix demanded, trying with no avail to wrench his arm out of the hold.

“Shut up!”

And before things could escalate further, Anthony was being punched in the nose by Phoenix’s knight in shining armor.

Edgeworth? Phoenix thought for a moment, childishly.

“The man said let go!! You’re lucky I ain’t willing to face charges or I’d break more than just yer nose!!”

Oh boy. He’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“Lotta?”

Lotta turned his way, face lighting up. “Well if it ain’t Phoenix Wright! Got yourself in a bit of a situation, huh?”

Phoenix watched as Anthony stumbled out of the club, blood pouring into the hands cupping his nose.

“I had it handled.”

“Sure ya did.”

“If he tries to sue I’ll defend you,” Phoenix offered, thankful.

“No need. I got evidence of the attempted assault!” Lotta declared, yanking out a developing picture from her pocket. Not the prettiest photo.

Lotta hopped onto the now empty seat next to him, ordering some cider gleefully. Phoenix ordered a heavier drink as well, needing to de-stress from that.

“Pretty bold of you to come here without your ring on. Is your husband okay with that?”

Phoenix blinked, a hundred miles away. “My... whah?”

“Your husband? That prissy gun slingin’ prosecutor of yours? Did y’all break up?” At his confused stare, she rolled her eyes. “Edgeworth?”

He burst out laughing, which came out more as crying. “No, no, we were never together.”

“You weren’t?” Lotta scratched her head. “Well I’ll be darned. You’d think as a photographer I’d see a more accurate picture.”

“Just friends,” Phoenix reminded, like smearing salt in his own wound.

“Really? I ain’t too sure I believe you. Every hot scandal is as good as true if there’s pictures. And I got some pretty sexually charged photos of y’all in that courtroom.”

“That’s… illegal. And no! We’re just friends.”

“Lovers.”

“Friends!”

“Forbidden romance.”

“Friends!”

“Situationship.”

“Good grief,” Phoenix sighed in exasperation, overwhelmed with relief when their drinks arrived.

“So you’re here to find a decent man then, huh?”

“What? Oh, no, I’m just here to drink,” Phoenix remedied.

“I can tell,” Lotta responded, judgmentally, eyeing how much he’d already drank. “At a gay bar?”

Phoenix stumbled over his words, stumped. “Well, what are you doing here? Are you here to find a woman?”

Lotta immediately started hooting and hollering and snorting out in laughter, slapping her knee. “Naw! I’m here lookin’ for a new scoop. Realized I’d been a little hetero-normalative in my reporting.”

“Heteronormative?”

“That’s what I said, ain’t it?” Lotta huffed defensively. “Who’s the reporter here?”

“What if some girl hits on you? What’ll you do?”

“Hmmm,” Lotta paused, considering the hypothetical. “Is she pretty?”

Phoenix laughed. “Like Clint Eastwood, but with longer hair.”

Lotta whistled. “Well, what’s the point of living if you ain’t gonna try new things? She sounds lovely.”

Phoenix raised his glass. “Cheers to that.”

They clinked glasses, and the night had just begun.

Lotta was a surprisingly fun clubmate. She was very extroverted and never turned down a dance on the dance floor, busting out moves Phoenix had never even seen before. Whenever a country song played she’d openly scream in delight.

They both got smashed, and once they were drunk enough not even a brick wall could stop them from doing karaoke. They duetted Sweet Home Alabama, of course, Lotta singing alto and Phoenix singing… whatever notes he could hit. Not his greatest performance, but certainly his most memorable.

At one point Lotta saw a hunky looking Bear that she wanted to take a bite of, and dragged Phoenix to the bathroom so she could fix her hair and make sure she looked presentable.

“He’s gay,” Phoenix reminded, stumbling over his own toes. “He probably won’t be interested.”

“Maybe he’s one of those both-sexuals!” Lotta suggested optimistically. “Both-sexual pride!”

She got less than a foot from the mirror, picking something purple out of her teeth. Phoenix just stood awkwardly, hoping nobody would notice his presence in the women’s restroom.

It dawned on him in a moment of sober clarity that he should probably get a ride home soon, as it was getting too dark to walk home. And time loop or not, he refused to pass out in a club. He sent a text to Edgeworth, dreading it the moment he sent it. Curse Edgeworth for being his only reliable nearby sober friend with a car.

His heart dropped when a woman walked in, slotting herself at a sink next to him to wash her hands.

“Hey girly,” she greeted, unphased. “I love your top!”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” Phoenix smiled, bashful at the unexpected compliment. Man, gay clubbers were so nice.

Lotta suddenly jolted up, excited. “They’re playin’ Shania! Hurry up!” She grabbed Phoenix’s wrist and yanked him back onto the dance floor, and they were back at it again.

An hour later, they collapsed at the bar after they grew exhausted of club shenanigans, resting their heads to catch their breaths.

“What’s torturing your soul, Phoenix?” Lotta asked out of the blue, laying her head so she could look at him.

Phoenix paused, waiting for his brain to catch up and answer the question. “I’m stuck in a time loop. And I’m in love with my coworker.”

“He ain’t your coworker, silly. He’s your worst enemy. And your best friend.”

“Yeah,” Phoenix sniffled. “He is.”

“You’re a powerhouse Phoenix. You achieve the impossible all the damn time. A time loop can’t stop you. If you love him you’ll break the very essence of time to prove it. That’s who you are, bud. You’re strong.”

“Thanks Lotta. You’re very kind.”

“Well, they don’t call me Lotta Hart for nothin’.”

Phoenix smiled.

“They call me that because it’s my name.”

Phoenix snorted in laughter, mood lightened. “That it is, Lotta. That it is.”

“Well, looks like your ‘friend’ is here to pick you up,” Lotta informed, affectionate sarcasm lacing her southern drawl. “And he don’t look real happy. Good luck, partner.”

As promised, Edgeworth was staring at him from across the bar, visibly fuming.

Phoenix made his way over with his tail between his legs, hearing Lotta murmuring about “such a great scoop” and “the inescapable curse of investigative talent”.

The walk of shame made him realize truly how drunk he’d gotten, the world swaying as he struggled to put one foot in front of the other. Edgeworth didn’t say a word as he escorted Phoenix out to his car, scoffing when Phoenix slipped while trying to get into his seat.

“God, Wright, get yourself together!” Edgeworth sneered, disgusted. “This is ridiculous. If I wanted to work with children I would’ve been a teacher.”

“I’m not a child!” Phoenix slurred defensively. “I am a lawyer.”

“You are an idiot toddler with a law degree,” Edgeworth corrected. “If even that. I’ll be shocked if you still have your badge after that disappearance stunt you pulled this morning. You have a lot of nerve calling me for help after you wasted my time earlier.”

His words stung. Like frost. Nick wanted to cry.

The ride home was bitter and uncomfortable. Phoenix drifted in and out of alertness, stumbling up the stairs to his apartment as Edgeworth guided him. Edgeworth set him on the couch, where he shifted slightly and slid to the floor.

“You love me,” Phoenix whispered deliriously, drunkenly. “You… you love me. You said so.” He whined onto the carpet, eyes darting around, unable to focus on anything. “On the swingset. And on the slide. A-And… you.. fuck, sorry, you said you missed it.” He felt tears welling up.

“Missed what?” Edgeworth pet his hair like he was a dog, invested, concerned, pitying. “What are you talking about, Phoenix?”

“At… at school… and then you said we’d wake up, and, and, you lied,” Phoenix could barely speak now, words wobbly and broken. He openly cried as Edgeworth maneuvered him back onto the sofa. “You lied to me. It’s all gone.“

Phoenix barely had a moment of recognition before he knew he was throwing up.

Edgeworth grimaced in repulsion. “Oh, Phoenix.” He sighed, grabbing a towel.

After a tender moment of cleaning the puke from Phoenix’s cheek and the couch beneath him, Edgeworth sighed and threw the rag aside.

“I’m sorry,” Phoenix offered quietly, ashamed. “Are you leaving?”

Edgeworth crossed his arms. “Well, thanks to you, my tomorrow is clear. So sleep, and I’ll make sure you don’t asphyxiate on your own vomit.”

“My hero,” Phoenix huffed. The world was fading away.

He barely registered Edgeworth strolling off to fix himself a drink.

The moment before sleep claimed him, he was jolted back awake by Edgeworth grabbing his wrist. “What is this?”

Phoenix blinked drowsily. “What?”

Edgeworth just stared silently, eyes growing darker the longer he looked. “Did someone hurt you? You have fingerprint bruises.”

Oh. “Mm, yeah. Grabbed me. Tried to… tried to go home with me. Didn’t want to.” Sleep was coming back. Yeah baby!

Edgeworth scowled. “Why didn’t you want to?”

“…Not interested. Just in you.”

A low, angry sound tore from Edgeworth’s throat. They were inches apart now, Edgeworth hovering over him as he inspected his injured wrist. Their breaths mingled, hot and heavy and tainted with alcohol.

Phoenix saw where Edgeworth’s gaze was landing upon his lips, and put a few pieces together, and blubbered out the only warning he could think of. “Miles- I just threw up-”

“I don’t care, Wright. Fuck,” Edgeworth interrupted immediately, voice wrecked and desperate, then held him down and kissed him deeply, possessively. Phoenix was drunk, and filterless, so he didn’t really think too hard after feeling the heat pool in his gut before rutting upwards, wanting more and more everywhere.

And to his intoxicated shock, Edgeworth reciprocated, hands traveling south and grabbing and stroking and claiming, and Phoenix felt like there were fireworks in his brain, like every neuron in his body was being lit up and loved. He felt like he was drowning in ecstatic bliss.

And before it could even start, it was gone.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked wearily. He was so cold.

The hedonistic part of him was tempted to repeat the previous loop in search for a similar outcome. The realistic part of him knew that would be self-inflicted torture, and that he had work to do.

So, off to the courthouse. Into the flames.

Phoenix sighed, not too keen to start the same case for the thousandth time. He headed over to talk to Edgeworth, heart still sore.

“Come over to gloat, Wright?”

“You think I’m going to win?”

“It’s quite a simple case,” Edgeworth dismissed, leaning on his elbows casually. “Call this exposure therapy.”

“For your phobia of losing cases?” Phoenix chuckled.

“Well, yes,” Edgeworth laughed. “It never comes easy, even when it’s well deserved. The von Karma legacy.”

“You know, you and Franziska are the von Karmas now. So… the legacy can be whatever you want it to be.”

“A tree can’t escape its roots, Wright.”

“But you can choose to water it,” Phoenix shrugged. “You can choose to grow away from those roots. To the sky.”

“To the sky,” Miles repeated, pondering that. “What prose. Yes, I suppose.”

He grew lost in thought, wincing when he absently itched his shoulder.

“How did you get ringworm?” Phoenix asked, suddenly reminded and curious.

“Hmm. I presume it was from your client. He patted my shoulder when we met a few days ago, and he had it on his wrist. Under his watch.” Edgeworth deduced. “Wait- how did you know I had ringworm?”

Walters gave Edgeworth ringworm. Where did Walters get it?

Topper had ringworm all the time, because his dog always had ringworm.

…Walters was still in contact with Topper.

“You have ringworm!” Phoenix laughed, breathless, at this breakthrough. “This is huge!”

“It is?” Edgeworth frowned.

“Yes! This means so much for my case.”

“What does me having a fungus have to do with your case?” Miles sighed tiredly. “Wright, what wild coincidence have you managed to make into a theory?”

Walters was still in contact with Topper!

He knew what he had to do. And he couldn’t wait another second! He needed to ruin this loop so royally that fate couldn’t dare let it go on.

“Maya!” He declared, darting across the courtroom. “I’m in a time loop! I need you to do the craziest shit you can think of right now! There will be no consequences, I promise! Can you do that?”

Maya blinked, comprehending, then slowly grinned the evillest grin Phoenix had ever seen.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you to say something like that.”

Maya walked to the center of the courtroom, clearing her throat. The whole room went silent.

“I have an announcement to make,” Maya projected, and grabbed a microphone from the Judge’s stand. And then she pulled off her shirt, twirling it around her finger. She held her phone up to the mic and blasted Kesha, awfully singing along.

“Tik Tok, on the cock, DJ blow my titties off.”

Maya walked around the Judge’s podium, standing next to the stunned judge. “Stand up.” The Judge obeyed, frazzled.

Maya proceeded to pants him, then take his spot, smashing the gavel and screaming “NOT GUILTY”.

People screamed and laughed and guffawed, and somewhere a fight had broken out with the bailiffs, starting a full out brawl.

“Hi Edgeworth!” Maya giggled, having made her way back to the court floor, and threw her Pepsi in his face.

Edgeworth was so baffled he couldn’t speak, soda dripping down his silver hair and onto his nose. His eyes drifted to Phoenix, and narrowed. “What the hell are you doing?” He murmured, not loud enough for Phoenix to fully hear, but enough to decipher.

Phoenix couldn’t even begin to explain, so he just laughed.

“Sorry everybody! Gotta make a phone call quick,” Maya announced over the microphone, then put the call on speaker.

“Maya Fey?” A familiar voice echoed through the courtroom. Edgeworth’s eyes comically widened.

“Hi Franziska! How are you doing?”

“What is the purpose of this call?”

“Would you, Franziska von Karma,” Maya prefaced. “Make me the happiest girl in the world, and marry me?”

Three beeps bounced off the walls as Franziska hung up.

Finally, finally, the bailiffs cuffed Maya.

“Was that good, Nick?” Maya asked as she was dragged by Phoenix, looking proud, not at all bothered by the fact that she was being arrested.

“Incredible,” Phoenix responded, honest. “I can’t believe you just had that locked and loaded.”

“Anytime, buddy,” Maya winked, and was escorted away.

“You’ll need to come with us too,” a bailiff informed him, extending handcuffs in warning.

“I will struggle,” Phoenix warned. “You better knock me out to make sure I don’t cause another scene.”

The bailiff looked simply exhausted, but sighed and thwacked him with the baton.

As the floor approached, Phoenix laughed. He hadn’t felt this alive in so long.

—

“Sorry Edgey!” Phoenix chuckled, elated. “I’m gonna miss the trial today. I’m shitting and puking and pissing like a racehorse.”

“A… A simple, ‘I’m feeling sick’ would have sufficed, Wright.”

Phoenix threw his head back in laughter. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“…………No. You’re Wright.”

“A joke,” Phoenix observed. The world couldn’t get any wilder. “You just made a terrible dad joke.”

“I did not. You have no evidence.”

“I’ll never forget this moment.”

“Forget what moment. There was no moment. Moving on. I will let the Judge know the trial must be postponed, and offer Walters replacement attorneys if the need arises.”

“Thanks Edgeworth.”

“Yes. Feel better as soon as possible.” And he hung up.

Topper was still in contact with Walters, even after the crime. This was massive. But why? And how? Phoenix knew he must be missing something significant, but he knew Walters wouldn’t reveal anything new.

There was one stone he hadn’t overturned yet.

“Ms. Banks? This is attorney Phoenix Wright, I’m working the case of Amelie Walters’ murder.” He’d fished her number from the deepest depths of his old phone book. Hey, Maya’s new iPhones were cool and all, but sometimes you can’t beat the classics.

“Am I late to the trial? I’m so sorry, I’m just getting in the car, I just had to get my daughter ready for school.”

“Oh, no, you’re not late! Don’t worry. In fact, the trial has been postponed.”

“Really?”

“Yes, just a minute ago. They’ll send out an email I’m sure. That’s not actually why I called, though.”

“Oh. How can I help you?”

“I’m doing more investigative work into what happened with your neighbor- I was hoping I might be able to talk with you and your daughter.”

Twenty minutes later, he rang the doorbell, picking at the flaking plaster on the entryway columns. It was unnerving being back in this neighborhood, after all the investigative work he’d done in the house next door. It felt like ages since he and Maya had first explored the suburban pad (and immediately started arguing over whether the walls were “baby blue” or “sky blue”... they were very clearly baby blue. Obviously), but technically it had only been about a week.

Tiny white paws pressed against the frosted glass, accompanied by a high pitched barking.

“Sorry,” Elisha greeted, opening the front door. Instantly the little white maltipoo hopped against his legs, tail wagging as it barked excitedly. “Cashew, down!”

“She’s so cute!” Phoenix cooed, tangling his fingers in the little puppy’s curls.

“You want to talk to Emersyn?” Elisha prefaced, offering him a glass of water.

“Yes, if that’s alright. I know this is very sudden, so I’ll be light with her.” He fished his credentials out of his pockets, offering them to her.

Elisha fingered his badge, eyes darting around his documents. “Oh, I recognize you.”

“Yeah?”

Her expression dropped. “I suppose that means you’re defending Walters.”

Phoenix considered his response carefully. “I’m only looking to find the truth, Ms. Banks.”

She nodded, lips pursed. “Alright. Her room is this way. Just... be patient with her. She doesn’t communicate like most kids.”

Elisha led Phoenix to a secluded corner of the house, knocking on a bedroom door.

“Emersyn,” she cooed, opening the door. Phoenix could make out the shape of a little girl in the dim light. “This is Mr. Wright.”

Emersyn didn’t look at him.

“He’s gonna ask a couple questions about that scary night a while ago. Just answer whatever you remember, okay? I’ll be right in the kitchen if you need me.”

And with that, Elisha tucked out of the little bedroom and left the two of them to talk. Phoenix sat down on a chair next to her bed, not too close but in a comfortable conversation range.

Emersyn was extraordinarily small. She hugged her knees as she sat on her bed, her race car sheets clinging to her sneakers as she stared out her window. Her backpack lay heavy on the floor.

“Hi, Emersyn. Your mom called me Mr. Wright, but if you want, you can call me Phoenix. Like the bird.”

Emersyn was still quiet. She turned to look at him, and scanned his face with her soft blue eyes, but never met his gaze.

“These are some pretty cool sheets. Do you like race cars?”

Subtly, almost imperceptibly, she nodded. He could work with that.

“I like race cars too. Do you like animals?”

She nodded.

“What’s your favorite animal? Mine is a dog.”

She mumbled something very quietly.

“What was that?”

“…” She spoke again. “Zebra.”

A word!

“Zebras are awesome! They’ve got really cool stripes.”

She was quiet again.

“So… a little while ago there was a night where your neighbors were being really loud, huh?”

He looked at where she was sitting. If she was laying in her bed on the night of the crime, and her blinds were up, she would have the perfect view of both her alarm clock and the next door driveway.

“And you check your clock all the time, right?”

She nodded.

“Do you remember what time a white car left?”

“Yes,” she answered right away, and Phoenix lit up with hope. “6:15.”

6:15…

“And 6:45.”

What.

“What do you mean?”

She was quiet.

“Emersyn… did the white car come back after it left?”

She nodded.

“And then it left again?”

She nodded.

The car left twice. It didn’t make any sense. And why would it leave at 6:15? Amelie died at around seven, so the crime must’ve been shortly beforehand.

Hmm.

“Did you know your neighbors? Henry and Amelie?”

She just watched him blankly.

“It’s okay if you didn’t.”

“I…”

Silence.

“Don’t like them.”

Several words!

“You don’t like them?” Phoenix prodded, a little too eagerly, quickly reigning it in. “Why is that?”

“He is mean to Lilly.”

Quiet. “Who’s Lilly?”

“Our cat.” She hummed.

“How so?”

“He kicks her.”

“Does he kick Cashew?”

“No,” Emersyn responded quickly. “He says he has… a soft spot for dogs.”

Phoenix nodded. Interesting.

“He is mean to Lilly. She is not.”

She isn’t mean to anyone anymore, Phoenix thought sadly. “Amelie was a good person.”

“Maybe,” Emersyn agreed, wrapping her little arms around her knees and rocking back and forth.

“Have you ever heard them fight before? And did you hear anything they were saying when they fought?”

Emersyn tucked her head between her knees, rocking. She didn’t answer.

“Emersyn?”

Nothing.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Nothing.

“Do you like school?”

Silence. That seemed to be all he was getting out of her.

“Okay, I’ll go get your mom. Thank you for talking with me, Emersyn.”

She didn’t look up as he left.

“How was she?” Elisha asked, looking anxious, palms nurturing a hot cup of tea.

“I learned a lot. I wonder if Walters is as good of a man as I thought he was,” Phoenix confessed. Elisha’s face lit up at the admission. “She did stop talking at the end. Is she okay?”

“Oh, yes. She just goes nonverbal sometimes when she’s overwhelmed, or when she doesn’t know what to say. She’ll be alright, but I’ll check on her just to be sure.”

Phoenix nodded. “Thank you. And thank you for your help.”

“Of course,” Elisha relaxed, leading him to the doorway. “Of course. Good luck.”

Hmmmm.

—

“The car left twice,” Phoenix explained, high-strung, as Maya shoved noodles in her mouth. God that girl could eat.

“That doesn’t make sense,” she pitched in helpfully, cheeks stuffed.

“That’s what I thought,” Phoenix agreed. “And why would the car first leave almost an hour before Amelie died? The times don’t line up. Topper couldn’t have shown up at 6:15, attacked Amelie, left, came back half hour later, and then left again, all before Amelie died and Walters called the police. It doesn’t line up at all.”

“Maybe she got the times wrong,” Maya shrugged. “You said she’s seven? And has insomnia? Oh, and her mom is testifying against your client? Doesn’t sound like a recipe for reliable information.”

“I guess,” Phoenix huffed, stealing a bite of her noodles. “But Miles got ringworm from Walters, and Topper was known for having ringworm because of his dog. They’re still in contact. How? There’s something deeper to this case. I just need someone who can get me information, you know? Like, actual, substantial information.”

“Hmm, can’t help you there,” Maya dismissed. “Hey, Gumshoe’s a detective. Maybe he can help you find someone with information.”

“Yeah,” Phoenix nodded absently. Wait. “Gumshoe!”

Ignoring the buzzing in his pocket (…from Edgeworth, of course. Calling to let him know it was 10:55. Like usual…), he opened the door to the precinct. It was a busy day, apparently, as detectives were bustling around like busy worker bees. A receptionist, busy filing papers, spared him an irritated look.

“Can I help you?”

“Uh, yes. I’m looking for Detective Dick Gumshoe?”

“What do you need?”

“Um… I’m an attorney. I need his assistance on a case.”

“He’s busy. I’ll let Detective Gumshoe know you stopped by.”

“You’ll let me know who stopped by?” Gumshoe asked, halting in his tracks upon hearing his name. “Oh! Heya, pal!”

“Hi,” Phoenix waved, exasperated.

“Come, walk with me,” Gumshoe insisted. “Don’t let Matt get to you. He’s stressed, especially today. Today’s our bi-annual Dump and Dust Day! Or as I like to call it, our Double-D Day!”

“Oh?”

Gumshoe nodded, patting another detective on the shoulder sympathetically as they hastily crossed paths. “The most stressful job us detectives have! We have to clear out our desks, organize files, move really really old documents from the records room to a storehouse… it’s a nightmare!” Gumshoe was fully pouting by the end of the sentence.

“I’m sorry to hear it.”

“Thanks, pal. We’ve been at it for hours already. But the hardest worker here is definitely the coffee machine! It’s been through at least thirty pots today.”

Christ. No wonder they were all darting around like hummingbirds. Their hearts were probably beating at about the same rate.

Momentarily, Phoenix felt guilty, absurdly, for repeating the day so many times. Poor Gumshoe went through this stress every reset, 24/7. What a bumming thought.

Gumshoe dropped a thick stack of papers into a recycling bin, then hole-punched a dozen folders with startling efficiency. “But enough about me… what’s the visit for, pal?”

“Well… I wouldn’t want to interrupt… all of this… but I need your help looking into a breakthrough in my case.”

“Your case…?” Gumshoe furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, isn’t your trial today?”

“Uhh, nope. It was postponed.”

“Oh, okay. Then I’m sure all this buzzing in my pocket with Mr. Edgeworth’s ringtone isn’t about you and is not urgent!” Gumshoe saluted.

“Um,” Phoenix blinked, pale. “That’s right. No need to answer that!”

“Well… I’d hate to leave my coworkers to fend for themselves,” Gumshoe deliberated. “But… your case is time sensitive, and therefore priority! How can I help?” His eyes glittered, betraying his glee at getting out of Dump and Dust Day.

“I need you to look some things up for me.”

They migrated to Gumshoe’s computer, covered in dust. Gumshoe blew on it, bashful, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he unlocked it and began opening a bunch of classified files.

“How long has Walters owned his house?”

“What’s the address, pal?”

Phoenix listed off the address, and Gumshoe inserted it, a date flashing on the monitor.

“That’s… about three years.”

“That’s not very long,” Phoenix murmured idly, tapping a pen against his lip. “They must’ve been paying off a mortgage, right?”

“Hmm… nope! They bought the whole house upfront!”

Phoenix could feel his eyes widen. “How much did the house cost?” If Elisha Banks was a realtor and was their neighbor, he had assumed it was a substantially pricey pad.

“Two million, pal.”

“…”

“…”

“Holy shit,” Phoenix gawked. They paid for a two million dollar house upfront? Even Edgeworth would shudder at that prospect. Phoenix would probably have to sell a kidney to afford that.

“Well, were they a working couple?”

“I’m not sure, could you look it up?”

“Yup. What are their names?”

“Henry Walters and Amelie Lohst.”

Gumshoe scrolled through a bunch of text and pictures that Phoenix could hardly understand, and he wondered for a moment just how authorized Gumshoe was to simply hand out this information. Well. Better to not look a gift detective in the mouth.

“Looks like she was unemployed.”

Alarm bells.

“And… he worked at a junkyard. Bout five minutes from his house.”

“That’s not enough,” Phoenix stressed. “That’s not a high paying job. And with Amelie being unemployed… there’s no way they could buy that house. Did either of them receive an inheritance?”

“I.. I don’t think I can see that. I can check the net worth of their family members, though.”

Phoenix nodded, and they skimmed through their family trees.

“Net worths of parents are all very average. Nothing extraordinary. In fact, most of their grandparents are alive too. Not looking like any inheritances.”

“How did they get so much money?” Phoenix pursed his lips, stumped. “I don’t get it.”

“Probably something illegal, pal.” Gumshoe hypothesized, quite sadly.

“Insurance fraud, maybe?” He sighed. “I don’t think it was Amelie.”

“You think it was your client?” Gumshoe frowned. “That’s unfortunate for him.”

“Yeah, well. I need to find the truth. Can you find where Walters lived before he moved in with Amelie?”

“I can try.”

“…”

“…”

“He lived in California in an apartment for about a year. He was evicted.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. It says on his transcript, his exact words to his landlord were, umm: “eff you, I just met the love of my effing life and I’m gonna treat her right.”

“That’s when he must’ve met Amelie. Where did he live before that?”

“…”

“…”

“…San Diego. I can print the exact address for you.”

Bingo! That’s where Topper stole his Hyundai! So, Topper was residing in San Diego before the crime, the same place Walters was living before he moved and met Amelie. Was it some wacky coincidence?

“Who’s living there now?”

“Hmm… it looks like nobody.”

“Is it for sale?”

“……no. In fact, it doesn’t show up on any realtor websites at all. It’s as if it’s not even there anymore.”

“But it is.”

“Yeah, according to our system, see.”

“As if someone doesn’t want people knowing he’s living there.”

“Mr. Topper Williams?”

“It makes sense. He’s undocumented, he couldn’t buy a house. He’s probably been squatting there since Walters moved out. But why wouldn’t Walters re-list his house after he moved out?”

Unless he knew Topper was there.

Unless they were in contact.

“Was there any transcript about why he moved out?”

Gumshoe nodded. “Yup. All it says is, ‘creative differences’.”

Hmmm. What does that mean? Maybe Walters didn’t get along with that landlord.

“Oh, one more thing. Could you trace this license plate for me?”

“Sure thing, pal!”

Gumshoe copied the plate number from Phoenix’s offered file.

“Well… it looks like the car’s out of commission.” At Phoenix’s blank look, he continued. “The car was destroyed.”

“When?”

“Looks like… this date.”

Phoenix squinted his eyes, leaned in, and read the text. “That’s the day of the crime. It must’ve been destroyed right after the crime.”

The car left twice.

The car must’ve been driven somewhere, come back to the house, and then been driven someplace to be destroyed.

“The nearest junkyards all close at five thirty,” Gumshoe commented, brows furrowing. “Whoever was driving that car to be destroyed would need a key to get in after hours.”

“A key that they’d have if they… worked there,” Phoenix confirmed, stomach like lead. “Which would explain why the car came back- to grab the key to the junkyard.”

“…You’re thinking Walters destroyed the car?”

“Maybe. But that makes no sense. Why would he, if Topper committed the crime? And where would the first stop have been? And where would Topper be at all?”

“Not sure, pal. Sorry, I wish I could help more.”

“You’ve already helped a ton, detective. Thank you.”

Gumshoe saluted as he blushed, beaming at the appreciation. “Thank you!”

“How can I repay you?”

Gumshoe blinked, not expecting that. “No need! Maybe just… don’t tell Mr. Edgeworth that I slacked on Double-D Day.”

“Scouts’ honor.”

They walked to the doors of the precinct.

“Gumshoe… do you believe in magic?”

Gumshoe bit his tongue, and squinted in concentration as he dissected the question with more thought and attention than Phoenix had expected.

“Well. You know… and not many people know this…”

“What?”

“…You can’t tell anyone! It’s confidential.”

“I promise! My lips are sealed.”

“Well, when I was a kid, I used to want to be a wizard.”

“…And?”

“Well, that’s it.”

Phoenix blinked. That was anticlimactic.

“Well, what I mean is… I thought it would be so cool to do magic and make people gasp and laugh because they couldn’t figure out the trick, see. Everyone grows up and learns everything about the world, and I just wanted to surprise them with a little childlike wonder.”

“But you also wanted to be a homicide detective? That seems… grim, in comparison.”

“No! You see, they’re the same.” He considered that for a moment. “These people lose their loved ones and face the worst cruelty of the world, and they can’t even imagine finding closure and justice in the middle of so much tragedy! And then, I work hard, and eventually they have that same hopeful feeling, knowing their loved ones will rest easy, with their perpetrators facing the justice they deserve. Knowing that there’s good in the world too.”

“That’s… optimistic.”

“Maybe. But I think the magic is the same in both.” Gumshoe paused to think. “I think magic is good.”

Phoenix sighed. “Well. That makes one of us.”

—

The San Diego house was a cozy loft, parked above a little three floor industrial complex and coated in eggshell white paint. Certainly not the worst Phoenix had ever seen. Much nicer than his apartment, by any measure.

He exited his Uber across the street, crossing the traffic and buzzing the doorbell.

“Hello? This is Attorney Phoenix Wright, I have a warrant to investigate this home. If anyone is home, please open up.” That was a lie. It sounded like something Edgeworth would say though. So… professional enough.

When nobody answered, he fished the hairpins from his pockets (courtesy of Maya, who peppered them around his office like nobody’s business), and set to work on the lock. He’d never picked a lock before, but he’d researched it once to indict a criminal once. How the tables turn.

It took about twenty minutes, thirty hand cramps, and a few prayers, when finally the lock clicked open and the knob loosened. Phoenix invited himself in, looking around cautiously. The building opened with an innocuous staircase, leading up to the main floor of the loft.

Upon first glance the home seemed nicely kept: freshly watered plants, vacuumed carpets, dusted cabinets. But little traces of struggle poked out of the corners, most prominently a remarkable stain on the wood floor peeking out from a rug. Innocent enough, but Phoenix had seen it before- a vinegar and baking soda stain. Most likely in an attempt to get blood out.

Phoenix wondered if he should reset the loop and call Ema Skye before coming back, and then they could confirm with her luminol. No- too far in now.

He continued his venture into the house, admiring the view from the fourth floor windows.

A painting hung just a little too crooked- hiding a safe. Phoenix could only wonder what was in it. His lockpicking expertise didn’t cover that.

Two bedrooms. Both neat and untouched. However, one stank. Maybe beneath the pretty exterior of the bed was a bunch of unwashed sheets. Or a dead rat. Or a questionably old taco. Or something.

And that’s when he heard it.

A whimper. Not a human whimper. A dog.

From the closet.

“Hello?” Phoenix murmured, voice strikingly loud in the silent ambiance.

The response to his greeting was a frantic thrashing, combined with a weak little bark.

“Who’s in there?” Phoenix asked, a little stupidly, creeping up to the closet doors. His heart pounded in his ears, fingers shaking as he set them on the knob.

He unfolded the door.

There sat Topper Williams. Mouth gagged with fabric, arms and ankles tied stiffly with rope. And next to him, a malnourished border collie, black and white stained with grime.

“Holy shit.”

Phoenix quickly dropped to his knees, taking the rope from Topper’s lips. The dog instantly was on top of him, licking his cheeks, whining in his face.

“Are you okay?” Phoenix interrogated, as Topper deliriously caught his breath.

“I… who are you?”

“Phoenix Wright.”

“Please… save her. He hasn’t fed her. Leave me and save her.”

“The dog?”

“Yes! Her name is Dog!” Topper scrambled to his palms as Phoenix untied the knot on his wrists. He learned that one from boy scouts. “Please save Dog. She does not deserve this. Feed her.”

“We’ll save the dog. I’ll save both of you,” Phoenix insisted, untying his ankles. “Who’s been keeping you hostage?”

Topper didn’t answer, suddenly beginning to tremble violently.

“Topper?” The hostage closed his eyes, tucking his head into his knees. “Topper, what’s wrong?”

A sound at the door, and Phoenix turned around. “Oh.”

Walters stood there, eyes wide.

No.

“Damn it,” Walters exhaled, defeated. “You really believed me, too. This is unfortunate.”

“You…” Phoenix responded, gaping like a fish out of water. “You kidnapped Topper. Why?”

Well. That explained the ring worm.

“He knew too much,” Walters answered simply, sadly.

“But… he killed Amelie?”

“...Yeah. He did.” Walters responded, tone dark. Phoenix didn’t need the magatama to see the lies behind the words.

Topper shuffled into the corner of the closet, sobbing quietly. Dog caught sight of Walters and a low rumble left her throat, protective.

“Why weren’t you at the courthouse?” Walters asked pathetically. “Why’d you have to do this to me?”

Phoenix was silent.

“I won’t find another lawyer like you,” he sighed, anguished. “Shit. What the fuck do I do?”

“Turn yourself in,” Phoenix offered uselessly. “Why did you kill her?”

“You think I wanted to kill her?” Walters seethed. “I loved her! It’s this piece of shit that forced my hand!” He pointed accusingly at Topper, who just whimpered and curled further into his fetal position.

“What did he do? Confess his love?”

Walters looked a little confused, but it blossomed into amusement. “Oh, that’s what I said, isn’t it.”

Phoenix swallowed.

“I was exposing him,” Topper whispered, likely as loud as he could. “The things he’d done.”

“We’d done,” Walters corrected. “You were as complacent as I was.”

“I had no choice!” Topper wailed. “I would be deported. You gave me a home.”

“Yeah. Nice way of showing your gratitude.”

“I repaid you with my encryptions!”

“And if I didn’t still need you for them, you’d be six feet under holding hands with Amelie.”

“Encryptions?” Phoenix pried, softly, hoping to not break their exposing argument.

“On the safe. For the drugs,” Topper answered simply.

“Beautiful encryptions,” Walters preened. “He’s the only one that can open them. They’re the only things keeping you alive. We had such a good thing going. Why’d you ruin it?”

“You did not have to do such things to customers,” Topper rebuked. “They did not deserve death for their mistakes. You deserve to rot along with them.”

“Maybe so,” Walters acquiesced. “I guess, save me a good spot in hell.”

And he raised his arm, revealing a gun that had gone unnoticed, and he fired.

Phoenix fell to the ground at the intensity of the sound, tuning back in to a mixture of ringing and barking. And then the barking was silent.

Blood oozed into the carpet.

“Ah, damn. Now how am I gonna un-encrypt that safe? It’s got like thirty different mainframes. Or something.”

Phoenix couldn’t believe his eyes. Topper and Dog laid motionless and depraved in the closet, twin bullet wounds in their foreheads. He couldn’t breathe.

“You made me kill the dog too. God damn it. I really didn’t want to kill the dog.”

For a moment, he forgot that death would be of no consequence. Shock took over and he pressed himself against the wall, standing up on shaky knees.

“And what am I supposed to do about you? Dang, I thought we were hitting it off, too. Sorry, you’ll have to go as well.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. It felt like his brain was rebooting.

“How am I gonna play this off? I’m gonna have to flee the country. Hah, that’s ironic,” Walters joked, throwing a thumb at Topper. Phoenix couldn’t even fathom how insensitive that was.

“Well, I’m out of witty one liners. My charm isn’t endless, you know,” Walters shrugged, shooting a golden grin.

He grabbed Phoenix by the lapels, and Phoenix had half a mind to fight back, but it was too late- one careful shove and Phoenix was crashing through the window.

The glass in his back pulsed in a sharp array, worsened by the adrenaline that careened through his veins.

He breathed once, twice, and hit the ground.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He fell from his chair, screaming. He could still feel every bone in his body breaking, the force of impact drowning him. Tears cascaded relentlessly down his cheeks, his chin, onto the carpet. Oh God.

It took a few minutes to collect himself. He stripped his shirt off, brushing his fingertips along his spine and scapulas to confirm there was no glass lodged in his skin.

He hardly noticed his phone ringing.

“Edgeworth.” His hands shook as he answered it.

“Wright. Where are you?”

“My office.”

“At your, wh- huh? Why are you at your office? It’s 10:55.”

“Yeah.”

“Wright… the trial starts in fifteen minutes.”

He couldn’t see Walters. He could still feel his fingers against his chest, shoving him to his doom. What was he going to do? So many thoughts were battling in his head. Walters was guilty. Walters was guilty. He needed to prove him wrong in court. He had to go.

He didn’t think he could bike in this state. “Could you pick me up? You know where my office is, it’s only a few blocks away.”

Edgeworth hesitated. “...I suppose. Be ready the moment I get there or we will both be late.”

Edgeworth arrived in about three minutes, drifting a U-Turn into a parallel parking spot on the side of the road.

Phoenix had done his best to look presentable, but he still looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“Are you alright?” Edgeworth prodded as he climbed in, avoiding eye contact. He could still see the pavement growing nearer and nearer.

“Yes,” Phoenix answered, worrying Edgeworth more.

“You look dreadful.”

Less dreadful than I looked when I was mangled on the sidewalk in San Diego, Phoenix thought bitterly. “You’re no supermodel yourself.”

Edgeworth pursed his lips. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” Phoenix reassured quietly. “I’m sorry.”

The drive was too short. They rushed out of the car, guided by Edgeworth, the trial beginning in less than ten minutes.

“Sorry,” Phoenix whispered, to no one in particular, when he remembered about the old lady.

Walters was on him the minute he rounded the corner.

“Mr. Wright! I was nervous you weren’t gonna show up,” Walters laughed nervously, breathless. “I’m excited to get this out of the way.”

Two gunshots. The pavement growing closer so fast.

“Yeah.”

They were escorted into the courtroom.

Maya was already there, cheeks stuffed with noodles. She waved happily in greeting.

“I went to the new noodle place!” She mumbled through her mouthful.

“That’s awesome, Maya. Was it good?” He felt numb. He watched Walters fidget and sidestep from behind the defendant’s desk.

“Delicious! Good luck noodle?”

“Of course.”

The Judge started the session. He tuned the Judge and Edgeworth out, unable to hear anyways over the ringing in his ears.

“Wright?”

“The defense is ready. I’d like to ask the defendant a few questions.”

Walters blinked, skittish. Like Phoenix had just told him to give a presentation he hadn’t prepared for. Edgeworth watched them both like a hawk.

Phoenix wet his lips. He had so much evidence. He could do it.

And then, he couldn’t.

He’d never felt so overcome with anger, at what Walters had put him through, the suffering that was astrally reduced to nothing. He defended him for so long. He trusted him. And Walters had killed him. And two innocent people. And a puppy, for God’s sake.

Phoenix was never the kind of person to truly hate someone, but all he could think of was a poor, starving man and his dog, a dead wife, a shattered window, pavement coming ever closer. Pain, fear.

“You wouldn’t lie to me, Walters. Right?”

Walters looked more and more nervous by the second. Reasonably so, Wright hadn’t shown any doubt before this moment.

“Of course not,” Walters insisted, lied.

“What is wrong with you?” The rage bubbled to the surface. The courtroom hushed instantly.

“...What?” Walters rebuked meekly.

“Do you enjoy watching others suffer?”

“What are you doing?” Maya gaped, thwacking his arm. “Whose side are you on?”

Walters blinked. “You are out of your mind.”

“Do you like watching Topper starve in your closet? Do you think he deserves it?”

Now Walters looked insanely alarmed. “How…?”

“I bet you were waiting for the chance to push me out that window,” Phoenix babbled incoherently, fists clenching and unclenching. “I bet you were waiting for an excuse to put rationality to the wind and just get rid of Topper. I bet you reveled in it.”

Walters paused, seemed to realize not only how unhinged Phoenix had grown, but how much he knew. “I’m such an idiot,” Walters mused out loud, panicked, manic. “I thought you believed in me.”

“I did!” Phoenix cried, desolate. “I did! And you lied to me! You’re a murderer!”

He felt every eye in the courtroom on him. Maya had stepped away, like he was a stranger.

Walters’ eyes flitted around, landing on the bailiff. “You know what?”

Before anyone could stop him, he leapt at the officer, yanking the gun out of their holster with practiced precision.

“You’re right.” And this time it was Phoenix at the end of his barrel.

The sound of the gunshot ricocheted off the walls of the courthouse, mingling with screams and panic. He felt it hit his chest. He tasted copper.

He dropped to the floor in acute pain, curling up into a bloody heap on the ground. He heard shouting, chaos, flash from cameras, another gunshot. He panicked for a moment, quickly finding Maya and Edgeworth to make sure they weren’t hurt.

He saw Maya first, frozen in shock, cheek wet with splattered blood, a quiet, anguished sound escaping her throat. He saw it in her eyes. Not again.

Then Edgeworth, rushing to place a hand on her shoulder, pupils wide and traumatized. He covered Maya’s eyes with his hand, holding her as she trembled, uncomprehending. Phoenix saw it in his eyes too. Not again.

He thought, ironically, that this was worse than death.

A bunch of people swarmed around him, speaking garble to him even as his vision vignetted at the edges.

“I’ll get it right next time,” he reassured, to no one in particular.

He would.

—

Phoenix woke up at his desk, alarm wailing in his ears. He blinked blearily, rolling his chair back and checking the time. This was it. He was going to get it right.

He smacked the off button on his phone and discarded it, rushing to grab his suit.

He grabbed his hair gel and spiked his weave, fastening his coat and tie and grabbing his backpack before rushing out the door.

“Oh, watch out!”

He skidded to a stop and let his bike fall, running into the street to pull the little old woman out of the car’s way.

“Oh my God!” Someone from across the street exclaimed, rushing over to meet them. “Grandma! I’m so sorry, I thought you were still behind me!” They turned to Phoenix next, expression full of gratitude and relief. “Thank you so much. You’re a real hero, sir.”

Phoenix hummed. “I try to do the right thing.” And in case it was the last time, “take care of her. And yourself.”

He then made a phone call, requesting a two hour postponing of the trial.

He had evidence to collect.

Hours later, he showed up to the courthouse and locked up his bike.

“Looking slick, Wright,” Miles greeted, as usual.

“Cheap wins, Edgeworth. I’ll show you a real victory later today.”

Edgeworth laughed good naturedly. Little did he know.

“Edgeworth,” Phoenix paused, approaching him.

Edgeworth’s smile dulled slightly as he sensed the shift in tone. “Yes?”

“For this trial… I just need you to trust me. Okay? I might do some unorthodox things. I just…. It needs to be done.”

Edgeworth blinked. “What are you planning?”

“Just trust me.”

Edgeworth considered this, and murmured a soft, “okay.” And Phoenix realized how silly he was to not hear the love in it.

“Thank you.”

He rounded the hall to where he was meeting his defendant, who looked extra chipper. Not for long, Phoenix presumed.

“Walters.”

“Hi.” The client raked a hand through his oak hair, sighing. “I’m excited to get this over with.”

“Me too,” Phoenix responded honestly.

Walters smiled. “Thanks so much for your help, Mr. Wright. This has been so hard for me, I’m glad I have such a good lawyer to have my back.”

“I’m not the greatest lawyer,” Phoenix resigned. “I can make pretty major oversights if I try.”

“Well. I think you’ve been doing a great job,” Walters reassured, charming as ever.

“Thank you,” Phoenix sighed. “Today will be my best performance.”

At eleven, they filed into the trial room.

“Nick! Hi!” Maya greeted with a mouthful of food.

Phoenix joined her behind the defense’s table. “And where have you been?”

“Newnewdulshopuhnextdoor!”

“Very cool. Good luck noodle?”

“Ofcuourse!!” Maya responded, reaching in her pocket and pulling out a foot long noodle.

“Thanks, Maya,” Phoenix recited, eating the noodle. He’d need a lot of luck for this.

The Judge rolled his eyes. 1:15… court was in session.

“Is the Prosecution ready?”

“Yes, your Hon-”

“Yes, your Honor,” Phoenix interrupted. Edgeworth looked at him like he’d grown a second head. Maya stared at him, baffled.

“Am I mistaken? Are you acting as the Prosecution, Wright?”

“Yes, are you?” Edgeworth annexed, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.

“I am,” he confirmed confidently, exhaling. He would’ve done it a million times over just to see the look on Walters’ face again.

“What?” Walters spluttered, hysterical. “You’re my defense?”

“Actually, I’m your defense,” Edgeworth butt in, walking over to take Phoenix’s position. He looked more amused than annoyed now. Then, hushed, to Phoenix, “You have lost any modicum of sanity that you had in the first place.”

Phoenix smiled.

“Well…” The Judge cleared his throat. “Is the Defense ready?”

“Yes, your Honor,” Edgeworth snorted, watching Phoenix slot himself behind the prosecutors’ stand, Maya at his heel like a confused puppy. “I always like a good challenge.”

“Before we start, I’d like to request Walters be handcuffed,” Phoenix precursed. “I will not proceed with the trial if not, for safety reasons.”

The Judge hesitantly tipped his head in agreement, a dumbfounded Walters being cuffed by the bailiffs.

“Now with that settled, I’d like the defendant to plead their case.”

Edgeworth leaned against the Defense stand, thoroughly unprepared. Walters cleared his throat. Phoenix was ready to rip him to fucking shreds.

“I was having dinner with my lovely… lovely wife, Amelie..” Walters paused, already tearing up at the mention of his late wife. “We were talking about… stocks, I believe. What a boring thing to be talking about. God, I’d give anything to go back and talk about anything else, to tell her how much I love her..”

“Stay on topic,” Edgeworth micromanaged, before Phoenix could.

Walters stiffened, wiping his nose. “I.. I heard a knock on the door, so I went and checked. It was a man I’d only met through Amelie, she’d met him at a park once and they’d hit it off. Turns out… turns out..

Topper Williams was desperately in love with her. He came in with his dog all ready to attack, yelling about how she was his and he was twisted with jealousy. He was crazy! I was so scared.. I couldn’t believe what was happening.”

Lies, lies, lies. Lies lies lies lies lies! Lies! Lies!

Walters stared at his palms, composing himself. “I, of course, asked Amelie what was going on. She said she didn’t love him.. she’s always valued fidelity.. and then he just snapped.

We’d just had steak and our knife box was out, and he reached over and grabbed one. I tried to stop him, I really tried, but his dog came at me and sunk his teeth into me..” Walters stepped out from the stand cautiously and pulled up the cuff of his pants, presenting his giant, purple, scarring dog bite.

A dog lashing out to save her owner’s life.

“I couldn’t stop it. He said if he couldn’t have her in life, he’d have her in death. And he stabbed her so many times, a countless amount of times.”

“Seven times,” Edgeworth offered.

“Yes. Seven times.” Walters wiped a tear. “And then he was gone. And I called the police right away, but it was too late. He took my darling Amelie away. You can throw me in jail, you can kill me. None of it will hurt as much as losing her.”

The Judge nodded. “The prosecution may take the stand.”

“Your story is clever. You’re a smart man, Walters. But there are cracks in your silver tongue,” Phoenix prefaced. “I’d like to show you, and the court, the whole truth, from the beginning. Detective Gumshoe will assist me.”

Gumshoe bashfully revealed himself from the wings, shuffling up to the stand. Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. Maya waved enthusiastically.

“Topper was not just some parkside acquaintance of Amelie’s- in fact, Amelie did not even know him. Walters, on the other hand, was more than acquainted; they were roommates for some time.”

“This is baseless,” Edgeworth challenged. “Topper Williams was an undocumented immigrant- how would he co-own a house?”

“Gumshoe,” Phoenix prompted.

Gumshoe pulled out a folder at this cue, presenting files to the court.

“Topper lived in Walters’ San Diego home. This is corroborated by the vehicle that Topper used to drive to the crime scene- a white Hyundai, recently stolen from a San Diego dealership nearby,” Phoenix explained, Gumshoe presenting facts and files to support his claims. “They ran a drug ring there together.”

Gasps echoed through the court.

“What are you talking about?” Walters cried, looking to Edgeworth desperately.

Edgeworth gave the prosecutor’s version of a shrug. “This is… a new low, Wright. Why have you reached this nonsensical conclusion?”

“Hear me out. Topper needs a place to live, Walters needs security and encryptions for the drugs he’s selling. They move in together, things work out.”

Edgeworth slammed the desk. “Hold it! If they were running such a successful operation, why did Walters move out?”

Gumshoe answered happily, holding up the scripts. “Creative differences!”

“Precisely,” Phoenix agreed. “Topper starts realizing how Walters is treating his clients. Specifically the ones who can’t pay. Walters creates space, but continues the business from afar. Topper can’t turn him in without losing his house that is still, technically, Walters’.”

The jury murmured.

“This is madness. These are mere coincidences weaved into a storyline with vaguely related evidence,” Edgeworth objected.

The Judge shook his head. “I’d like to hear where this is going.”

Phoenix swept back his hair, steeling himself to continue. “Next, Walters meets Amelie. They fall in love, and want to move in together. She’s unemployed, he works at a junkyard. No inheritances, average net worths.”

Gumshoe flashed these facts.

“They buy a two million dollar house upfront.”

Phoenix took satisfaction in watching Edgeworth’s eyes widen.

“And you attribute this wealth to the drug ring?” Edgeworth clarified dubiously.

“Yes,” Phoenix nodded simply. “Amelie and Walters move in together. Things are peaceful for a while, but Topper can no longer live with the guilt of what he’s done and condoned from their practice. He can’t call the cops- he’s undocumented. He needs someone else to see the truth and expose Walters from the inside. So, he drives to their place to tell Amelie.”

He saw the puzzle pieces align in Edgeworth’s brain. “Oh.”

“Walters has to kill Amelie, because she knows too much. He doesn’t kill her right away, but stabs her a few times to sedate her.”

“I wouldn’t!” Walters screamed, broken. Truly a Tony winning performance. “Mr. Wright, why are you doing this? You’ve been defending me and I’m so conf-”

Phoenix cut him off, uninterested in his theatrics. “He keeps Topper alive, because Topper understands the encryptions on their drug safe, and Walters doesn’t. He needs him. He doesn’t kill Topper’s dog out of fear of leaving evidence, and perhaps a soft spot for dogs. This results in the dog’s violent attack- of self defense. Please show your bite again, Walters.”

Walters, like a deer in headlights, does as told. Refusing would just make him look worse.

The crowd makes conflicted noises at the sight. The mark just fills Phoenix with a deep sadness. The lengths the animal went to protect her loved one…

“Moving on,” Phoenix insisted, all business. “Topper steals a car to travel to Amelie. He steals it because he is undocumented, and steals it in San Diego, from a dealership right near the loft that he’d shared with Walters, and was now squatting in alone. After the crime, Walters knew he needed to take the stolen car to kidnap Topper, so as not to frame himself. Then he needed to destroy the car to remove any evidence of the crime. The car was destroyed at 6:47, as Gumshoe’s records prove, which was after the junkyard closed. How would someone gain access to the junkyard after hours? By working there, of course- which Walters did. He stopped back at home after the kidnapping, grabbed his keys, destroyed the car, and walked home.”

“Why would Walters need to stop back at home if he knew the car would need to be destroyed? Wouldn’t he have his key on him anyway?” Edgeworth argued.

“The crime wasn’t premeditated. Walters was thinking on the spot- he only realized he’d need his keys after he’d left once.”

Edgeworth hummed, not looking convinced, but not pushing any deeper.

“To further prove these claims,” Phoenix bared his teeth, “I’d like to call upon my witnesses.”

“Elisha Banks,” Edgeworth announced for him.

“And, Emersyn Banks,” Phoenix revised, as the family made their way to the podium.

Walters looked terrified. Honestly, Edgeworth did too.

“You may proceed.”

Elisha stood at the stand, clearly uncomfortable. Emersyn held her hand at her side, still wearing her backpack.

“Witness, please state your name and occupation.”

“Elisha Banks, realtor.”

Walters looked upset from behind the stand.

“How do you know the accused?”

“He’s my neighbor. I.. I heard the crime happen.”

“Please testify.”

“It was late in the evening, I’m not sure when exactly but I’d given my daughter supper a few hours before and tucked her in, so probably around six or seven.”

Emersyn tugged her mom’s sleeve, and whispered something in her ear.

“6:15, Emersyn says.”

Edgeworth interrupted. “Hold it! Why would your young daughter be coincidentally noting the time during the altercation?”

Elisha blinked. “Well, I had just put her to bed soon before. She checks the clock every ten minutes when she’s trying to sleep.”

“Is she kept awake often?”

“Oh yeah. Poor girl’s got the worst insomnia I’ve ever seen. We’re picking up some medication for it next week.”

Emersyn hid behind her mom’s legs, clearly uncomfortable at being the center of attention.

“I saw an unfamiliar car roll into their driveway. A hispanic man came out, he had the most striking curly hair, and he was followed by the cutest little border collie. A few minutes later I heard yelling from inside. Two men and one woman. And… and then the yelling turned into screaming. And the dog started barking. And then everything went silent.”

“And this all occurred at 6:15,” Phoenix added, nodding. “Forty-five minutes before Emile’s actual time of death.”

“I figured the fight was over, so I didn’t think much more of it. Walters and Amelie have always been such good neighbors, I figured this would be a one off thing. I went to bed shortly after,” Elisha concludes.

The Judge hummed. “And you think Walters could’ve committed the crime?”

Elisha nodded. “Yes.”

“No! I wouldn’t kill her, I loved her!” Walters cried from the stand, tears starting to gush down his cheeks. Phoenix’s blood boiled. What a liar. What a clown.

“Walters! Compose yourself!” The Judge demanded, and Walters snapped his mouth shut.

“Emersyn,” Phoenix addressed, knowing he was playing a risky game. “When you were looking out your window and checking the time when you couldn’t sleep, what did the white car do?”

She was silent, reclused.

Phoenix opened the bag behind his stand, and approached her with a little gift he’d packed. A small, stuffed zebra. She took it slowly, eyes wide and twinkling.

“Everything’s alright, Emersyn. What did the white car do?”

“...”

“...”

“Came back,” Emersyn whispered, almost so quiet that no one heard her.

“And what time did it come back?”

“6:45.”

The crowd gasped.

“6:45,” Phoenix echoed for emphasis. “After Walters kidnapped Topper, he had to stop back home to grab his junkyard key. This aligns with how long it would’ve taken to drive to San Diego and back. And then, after scrapping the car and walking home, it’s time to finally kill Amelie so the times align.”

“The time of death was at precisely 6:57.” Edgeworth corroborated. “Walters formulates his story, calls the police, and there’s no evidence to the contrary.”

The jury was silent.

“Do you have any contradictions, Edgeworth?” The Judge prompted.

Edgeworth looked helpless. “Erm… well, I truly think there are few things wrong with your testimony.”

Phoenix sighed in relief, like he’d just finished running a marathon.

“Where… where is Topper now?” Edgeworth segued, nervous.

Phoenix regained his composure, knowing this was the final stretch. “Prosecutor Edgeworth, can you confirm that you have ringworm on your shoulder?”

“Uhh… yes. Why is that relevant?” Edgeworth asked, startled. “And… how did you know that?”

“In every photo of Topper Williams, he has the same fungus. His dog likely has a chronic ringworm infection, which makes it virtually impossible to avoid. Tell me, Edgeworth, when exactly did you contract this virus?”

Edgeworth pondered this. “I suppose… when Walters and I met. He had it on his wrist, and gave it to me when he pat my shoulder.”

“What a coincidence,” Phoenix mused. “It could be presumptuous, but it seems entirely possible that Walters could have contracted ringworm from Topper while keeping him kidnapped.”

“And where would you say Topper is being held?” The Judge implored.

“The same place Topper had been squatting. Off the radar, home to the drug safes. He’s being held hostage in his own house.”

“This is all baseless!” Walters cried, a bit hysterical. “This is a kangaroo court! This is improper defense! Can’t you all see?”

Phoenix clenched his fists, feeling that familiar rage bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He stayed silent. He could not ruin this. Edgeworth spared an aloof glance at Phoenix, gaze lingering, curious.

The former Prosecutor then circled Walters’ stand, raising his chin. “You’re right, Henry Walters. It seems we’ve dissected your character quite extensively without giving you an opportunity to demonstrate it yourself.”

“Thank you,” Walters panted for breath angrily, mildly confused.

“If you are truly innocent, and can tell me to my face that you are not holding Topper Williams hostage, I will request a retrial and veto any search operations of your San Diego home,” Edgeworth bargained. He stepped closer, just a foot away from the defendant. They locked eyes, stern, two bulls colliding horns. “Tell me, Walters. Are you holding Topper Williams hostage?”

Walters swallowed, eyes narrowing. “I am not holding Topper Williams Hostage.”

The courthouse was silent. No one breathed.

Edgeworth didn’t break their stare.

“Send a SWAT team.”

The room alit with frantic discussion and movement as the Judge approved the motion. “What?” Walters’ jaw dropped. “But… you said…”

“I was giving you one last chance to clear your conscience,” Edgeworth held his arms behind his back. “And demonstrate your character.”

“You… you lied. You can’t lie in court!”

“You seem to do it all the time,” Edgeworth shrugged, coy. Phoenix could’ve laughed. Or cried.

“You are lawfully bound to follow through with your promise!” Walters growled. “This is illegal! You are liable to your word!”

“You have committed heinous acts of perjury in this courtroom that exempt you from further legal defense,” Edgeworth explained, subtle condescension lacing his tone. “And, if we’re getting petty, I began my promise with: if you are innocent. Which you are not. Liability gone.”

Walters grappled with this, yanking at his handcuffs manically. “Please. Please. Don’t.”

“Why? Will we find something?” Edgeworth prodded, smirking. “Is this a confession?”

Walters ground his teeth together. “No. Don’t, because there’s no use. There’s nothing to find.”

Edgeworth sighed, disappointed. “As I thought.”

The bailiffs restrained Walters, who thrashed and struggled in their guidance until they had disappeared from sight. Phoenix hoped it’d be the last time he ever saw him.

“Come, Wright,” Edgeworth gestured. “We should follow.”

The raid was quick. Edgeworth and Phoenix lingered outside with Gumshoe while a small team investigated the house. The doors were lined with police tape, and within ten minutes paramedics were assisting Topper and Dog out of the apartment. Topper’s cheeks were coated in a thick layer of tears and grime, blood scattered across his malnourished and ill frame. Dog walked between and around Topper’s legs, never losing physical contact with him and snarling the minute anyone got too close.

“You are Phoenix Wright?” Topper asked suddenly as they passed.

“Yes,” Phoenix confirmed, remembering the last time they had spoken with a desolate feeling.

Topper set his hand on Phoenix’s shoulder. “They told me what you did for Dog and me.”

Phoenix nodded.

“Thank you,” Topper whispered, with such earnestness that Phoenix felt it in his bones.

Then they were loaded into an ambulance, and they were gone.

“Well, Pal, this is definitely enough to get Walters convicted for life,” Gumshoe informed happily. “You are an awful defense attorney!”

Phoenix laughed, feeling like a weight was off his chest. “Yes I am.”

“Not such a bad prosecutor,” Edgeworth juxtaposed. “I have so many questions for you.”

“Save them for tomorrow?”

Edgeworth exhaled, amused. “Alright.”

“Thank you. For all of your help,” Phoenix quickly added. “For everything, actually.”

“Thank you for finding the truth,” Edgeworth deflected. “I’m quite impressed.”

“It took me long enough,” Phoenix huffed, settled.

“Would you like to go out for drinks?” Edgeworth proposed. “To celebrate?”

“Sure,” Phoenix smiled. “Would you like to go on a date with me? Tomorrow night?”

Edgeworth’s eyebrows shot up. It was probably the most expressive face Phoenix had ever seen on him.

“A date?”

“Yes,” Phoenix emphasized. “I’d like to go on a date with you.”

Edgeworth blinked. “I… don’t see why not. Tomorrow night. We will… go on a date.”

“Tomorrow night,” Phoenix grinned.

…

They split up and planned on meeting at a familiar restaurant for drinks. Maya had stayed at the courthouse after the trial, so Phoenix met her back there.

“Maya?” Phoenix called, searching for the little medium. Instead of finding the younger Fey, however, Mia was waiting for him.

“You did it,” she beamed in lieu of introduction.

“I did,” Phoenix sighed, relieved.

“Phoenix, I found out why this loop was formed.”

“I thought it was so I could bring justice to Amelie. And save Topper and Dog?”

“Absolutely,” Mia agreed, “but there’s more.”

She extended her hand, an ethereal offering. Phoenix placed his palm in hers, feeling each particle of her hand individually, translucent cold against his solid, real body. And suddenly, he could see glimpses into her world.

Blue wisps around the corners of the room, energy in constant motion. Light and dark coalescing in an infinite dance of yin and yang.

“What is this?” Phoenix asked, breathless.

“When someone dies, their spirit travels to a new plane. Their spirit needs a vessel to inhabit, which forms from loose energy.”

He watched said energy whiz and twirl around, destinationless. Clusters of molecules, sheets of light.

“A new vessel took shape as soon as Walters received an acquittal. It began to fade when you finally got a guilty.”

“So that means… if Walters was freed, someone would have died?”

“Yes, Phoenix. He would have killed them.”

“But… who?”

“The only person who knew the truth.”

She gestured to a dimming amalgamation of energy, and all of a sudden Phoenix could recognize the shape.

A little girl with pigtails.

“No,” Phoenix whined softly. Emersyn.

“The energy is fading and dispersing. There’s no use for the vessel anymore,” Mia turned his head away gently, pulling him against her into a soft hug. “You changed fate. You corrected it.”

He breathed deep, and wound his arms around her, reciprocating the hug.

“You saved her,” Mia praised.

And suddenly the time loop didn’t feel quite like an enemy anymore.

…

Dinner felt like closure. He told them the truth over drinks, even though he knew it sounded far-fetched. He figured sounding crazy would be better than lying forever.

“A time-loop?” Gumshoe repeated, suspicious. “Is that how you knew all of that stuff about this case?”

“Yes,” Phoenix confirmed, even though it wasn’t quite that simple. “I’m sorry I made you re-do Double D-Day repeatedly.”

Gumshoe’s face lit up. “Woah! That was today! I believe him!”

Edgeworth still looked unconvinced. “I’m… glad you have escaped the shackles of this… time-loop. That must have been difficult.” He looked like he was trying not to laugh.

“You never believed me at first,” Phoenix shrugged coyly. “But I think deep-down, you always wanted to. Because you trust me, unconditionally. Even when I’m acting crazy.”

Edgeworth looked sufficiently nonplussed, considering that, swirling his drink with his straw. “Interesting. Perhaps I will believe you someday, when you prove it to me.”

Phoenix snorted. “I’ll take it. Thanks, Miles.”

Edgeworth’s expression shifted. Fondness, that’s what that look was. Phoenix smiled.

“I think being a spirit medium has given me glimpses of these loops,” Maya informed cautiously, sipping at her Kiddy Cocktail. “I keep getting really fuzzy visions of things I did, but… don’t remember doing.”

“What have you seen?” Phoenix jolted, thrilled at the idea of someone sharing the experience.

“Did I…” Maya began. “Did I pants the Judge in one of the loops?”

Phoenix burst out in laughter.

…

The night grew dark. They celebrated the successful case, and Phoenix celebrated his impending freedom. Edgeworth had parked inconveniently far away, so Phoenix slipped his keys while he was in the bathroom and stole away to bring it closer.

He felt cathartic, at peace. He had learned so much recently about the world, his friends, and himself. He felt like a new person. He was going to savor each day in the future, be grateful for life’s spontaneity and unpredictability. He was eager to relearn consequences to decisions. To value pain, to carefully consider actions before leaping without looking, to create intricate relationships that would be remembered, and would matter, and could not be erased or altered. He wanted to cut his palm and feel it and bleed and then heal. He was ready.

Phoenix stepped out of the car, facing all of his friends, his family, who loved him, and looked- utterly horrified.

Phoenix quickly looked down at himself, self conscious. “What? What’s wrong?”

They were all quiet for a while, when finally, Maya broke the silence.

“You can drive??”

Edgeworth’s jaw was dropped.

“I… I believe you now.”

—

Phoenix woke up. There was no alarm. His back wasn’t aching. He was wearing actual pajamas, in his actual bed. The slits in his drapes bathed the room in sunlight.

He was free.

—

Many, many years later, destiny thought it would be real funny to gift him with a magician as a daughter.