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The air in the courtroom lobby is heavy, thick with disappointment. Defeat. It has been a while.
Mia and Phoenix stand in the lobby like they’ve just been hit by the judge’s hammer. Both grappling with the bitter taste of injustice, they remain silent. Mia doesn’t offer to get lunch, Phoenix doesn’t phrase his questions or frustrations. But she is a mentor now, and she plans to be a helpful one at that. Her intern has just seen her fail to get an acquittal for her innocent client, and there is a lesson Phoenix must be taught.
Mia glances over at him. She knows this moment well: the first time a young attorney witnesses the crushing weight of a wrongful conviction. Phoenix’ knuckles are white as he clutches his legal pad. His spiky hair flop onto his face, hiding an expression that Mia knows is there. The bitter taste of defeat. What were Diego’s exact words? Mia can’t remember. But it’s bitter alright, and thinking about her comatose boyfriend doesn’t help one bit.
She could offer Phoenix to get some coffee.
“Wright, look up.”
He doesn’t. He only sniffs loudly. Oh god, don’t tell me he’s crying.
“Phoenix, look at me.”
When he finally raises his head, Mia’s stomach lurches. She’s seen Phoenix cry before. Hell, she made him cry on their first encounter. But this is different. Those aren’t childlike tears that come from innocence. Those are tears of anger, of incomprehension. His eyes are screaming it’s not fair.
Phoenix is right. It’s not fair. The trial was rigged. There was nothing that could be done. When you go up against Manfred Von Karma, you know it’s going to be a tough fight, but Mia never despairs. Mia despises Von Karma, not just for his tactics but for the way he twists the truth, bending it to fit his narrative. She’s seen it all— the planted evidence, the coerced witnesses, the ‘selective amnesia’. And yet, she fights on. One day, she’ll get him. One day, justice will prevail. One day, she’ll change that system for a fairer justice.
But today, Mia has lost.
Her intern tastes the bitter taste of injustice for the first time. His raw idealism is shattered. He’s in disbelief. He’s angry. He’s lost. It’s Mia’s role, as his mentor, to teach him everything about law, yes. But also about the system’s flaws, and how he can fight against those. How he has to fight.
“This isn’t the end, Phoenix. It’s a setback, but we keep fighting. For our client. For justice.”
“But they lied!” Phoenix’ voice cracks, and Mia can feel something pricklein her throat. “The witness—”
“I know,” Mia interrupts. “But we play by the rules, even when the prosecution cheat. We’re defense attorneys.”
Phoenix isn’t one yet, but he will be. Mia knows it. He will be the best. In ten years, probably. Maybe more, maybe less. It all depends on how well she can guide him.
Phoenix swallows hard and asks quietly, “How can you stand it? ”
“Prosecutors may bend the rules, but we don’t break,” Mia says. “We fight with honor, even when they don’t. Our job is to dismantle their case, brick by brick, until the foundation crumbles. Just like I taught you. One loose thread can unravel the entire tapestry.”
“But it didn’t,” Phoenix says. “The prosecutor… he patched everything right up.”
Mia knows. And god, she only wants to scream right now. Could she have done better? Pointed out another inconsistency instead of the ones she chose to focus on? Would things have gone differently? Would her client have walked out free?
It’s too late anyway. No use in lingering. You learned something important today, and you must make sure it’s also the case for your intern.
Phoenix wipes his eyes. Mia wonders how many more tears he’ll shed before he learns to channel them into resolve. She hopes he’ll remember that feeling. She hopes he’ll remember the helplessness, the anger. Use it to fan the flame.
“Can we appeal?” he asks, but of course he knows the last regulations made it impossible to appeal for murder charges.
Mia doesn’t even have to reply. Phoenix knows. The tears well up in his eyes again.
“Remember this, Wright. If there is one lesson you must learn from me, it’s this one.”
Mia takes a deep breath and holds the side of her intern’s shoulders, looking deep into his eyes so he understands how critical it is for him to remember the lesson.
“There will be times when the prosecution will play dirty. There will be times when your client will not trust you enough. There will be times when you won’t be able to save them, no matter how hard you try. Always keep a smile on your face and fight until the very last second. The only time…” Mia stops, her breath catching in her throat. Is it her place to say those words to him? What else can you say? “The only time a lawyer can cry is when it’s all over.”
Phoenix puts his head down, trying to hide just how much he wants to let the tears fall down. He starts sobbing again. Mia sighs and pulls him in a hug.
“And until the next fight, it’s over.”