Work Text:
Lana Skye barely slept the night before the trial. Maybe it was because she found the mattress of the holding cell's bed uncomfortable. Maybe it was because of her paranoid feeling that she was being watched at all hours by the Detention Center's jailers.
Or maybe it was because his words kept playing over and over again in her head...
Damon Gant. He had a reputation as a great gift-giver. He didn't wait for special occasions like a holiday or a birthday--he would just hand out presents apropos of nothing at all. When she first began working with him all those years ago, Lana thought he did this merely because he was a nice man who was quick to show just how much he appreciated those who worked under him. Soon enough, however, she realized the truth. These extravagant gifts were merely one part of his non-stop campaign of intimidation. He wanted to give each and every one of his underlings a physical reminder of his influence. Damon Gant was always eager to reinforce the pecking order; you worked for him. You answered to him. You did whatever he said, no questions asked. And if you started asking too many questions or defied this simple, strict hierarchy...well, things were sure to get messy.
A few days after Christmas, as Lana was busy managing the fallout of the trial of Miles Edgeworth and the arrest of Manfred von Karma, Gant walked into her office.
"Lana! Just the gal I wanted to see!" He said, giving her that big, warm smile. He placed a big tiered tray chock full of cookies, cupcakes, fudge, and other sweets on the edge of her desk. "Ta-da! Here you go, a little post-Christmas gift from me to you!"
"Ah...thank you, Chief Gant." Lana said, eyeing the present with suspicion. "Really, you shouldn't have..."
"Oh, but you've been working oh so hard recently, I know!" Gant said, laughing and clasping his hands together. "Trust me, this nasty business involving von Karma and DL-6 has been keeping us quite busy at the Police Department as well. I can only imagine what you lovely folks at the Prosecutor's Office must be going through."
"Yes...it's been hectic." Lana said, clearing her throat. As Gant gazed at her expectantly, she cautiously grabbed one of the cookies from the tray and bit into it.
"Who would have thought a great man like von Karma would have been behind such heinous things!" Gant said, shaking his head. "Though I am, of course, happy that justice has been served...it is a shame that we lost such an skilled prosecutor."
Lana looked up at him. She suddenly realized what was going on. The fallout of the Edgeworth trial and von Karma's arrest...it frightened him. Von Karma was the second most powerful figure in the LA legal scene--right behind only Gant himself. If someone like von Karma could be taken down...well, surely that unnerved Gant. He was no doubt taking inventory of his empire; checking in on all his pawns to weed out any and all weak links...
"You know, Lana...it's been almost two years since that day..." Gant said, his expression suddenly turning stoic and scary. "...I just wanted to make sure you remember the favor I did for you back then. How kind and helpful I was in...burying an inconvenient truth."
"...I am aware, Chief Gant." Lana said. "There's no need to remind me. I promise...I shall always be grateful for your help."
Gant laughed. He took a cube of fudge from the top of the tray and popped in his mouth.
"Good!" He said, going back to his usual jolly self. "Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page! ...Now, I should let you get back to your work. Enjoy the sweets, Lana! You know, you and I must go and grab some coffee and donuts sometime, in order to catch up! I'd love to hear how you are these days...you, and your sister."
"...Of course." Lana said. "Sounds good. Thank you, Chief Gant. Have a nice day."
"...Farewell, Miss Skye." Gant said, giving her one last grin before walking out of her office.
__
"Miss Skye...Miss Skye...Miss Skye...?"
Lana suddenly snapped out of her flashback. Waking up, she found herself staring at the ceiling of the cell as one of the Detention Center guards called out to her.
"Time to go, Miss Skye." The guard said. "Your trial begins in an hour."
__
She barely had any time to wake up before she was dragged out of her cell, hauled to the courthouse, then dragged into Defendant Lobby No. 2 by a bailiff. She found Phoenix Wright sitting on the lobby's sofa. As she walked in, he stood up and went over to greet her.
"Miss Skye." He said, looking rather tired himself. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Lana said, looking around. "...I was under the impression my sister would be with you."
"Ema's here." Phoenix said. "She showed up at the courthouse hours before I did. She spent the whole morning sitting in this lobby, looking over the evidence, trying to figure out who the true killer might be...with little success. I told her to head outside and get some fresh air for a few minutes."
"I see." Lana said. "...How foolish of her. I've already told her that I am the true killer. And yet she continues to deny it."
"...Miss Skye, Ema believes in your innocence." Phoenix said. "And so do I."
"Hmph." Lana said, turning to the side. "You're an even bigger fool, then. A defense attorney should never 'believe' in their client."
"Why not?" Phoenix said.
"...Because inevitably a defense attorney will end up defending someone who is well and truly guilty." Lana said. "And when that day does come, Mr. Wright, you will have to defend your client regardless of if you 'believe' in them...merely because it is your job."
"I do not fight for victory in the courtroom." Phoenix said. "I fight to find the truth."
"...How noble." Lana said. "Yet I find that hard to believe. No one in the justice system truly fights for the truth's sake...but rather, for their own sake. Defense attorneys and prosecutors fight to win. Detectives, too, are motivated solely by reputation and pay. You're not special, Mr. Wright. Even if you truly do fight for such selfless, valorous reasons at the moment...one day, someday, you shall abandon these ideals for fame and fortune, just like everyone else in this profession. ...When you are older and more experienced, you will understand where I'm coming from. In the meantime, I must beg you to drop me as your client."
"Why on earth would I do such a thing?" Phoenix said.
"Because I am guilty." Lana said. "Guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. My case is hopeless. You shall lose. And your perfect record will be broken."
"My perfect record...?" Phoenix said.
"Don't act so naive, Phoenix Wright." Lana said. "You have an unbroken win streak--a legendary reputation to live up to. In just the span of a few months, you defeated Miles Edgeworth in court twice and took down both Redd White and Manfred von Karma, among the most powerful individuals in this entire city. The press has already taken notice of you. Your name is known and respected by every lawyer, judge, and detective in Los Angeles. Even if you won't admit...I know deep down that you are afraid of losing your perfect record; of suffering the shame and indignity of defeat. Thus, it would be mutually beneficial for us both if you withdrew as my defense attorney while there is still time."
"Miss Skye...if you honestly think I care about my reputation or my 'perfect record', then it's clear you don't know me at all." Phoenix said. "I've seen what chasing fame and perfection in this career can do to a person. I don't care if I win or lose...so long as I fight as hard as I can to save the people I believe in and make sure justice is delivered, that's all that matters to me."
"...We'll see how much well these ironclad ideals of yours hold up when you are forced to suffer the sting of defeat later today." Lana said. "When you reflect on this trial years down the line and think about how your path to perfection was sealed off on this very day...don't blame me. I tried to warn you."
"...Sis!"
Ema walked into the lobby. She ran over and hugged Lana.
"Ema..." Lana said, standing perfectly still. "Go home."
"Wh-What...?" Ema said.
"I don't want you to be here." Lana said. "...I can't bear the thought of you seeing it...me being declared guilty and being hauled off in handcuffs."
"Sis...that's not gonna happen!" Ema said. "Mr. Wright and I are gonna prove to everyone that you're innocent!"
"...Ema's right." Phoenix said. "You can count on us, Miss Skye. Even if you insist that you're guilty...we believe in you regardless, and we'll keep fighting until you're free!"
"Mr. Wright..." Lana said, shaking her head. "...I can't say I've ever met someone more stubborn and stupid in my entire life."
"...Mr. Wright, Miss Skye!" The bailiff suddenly spoke up. "The trial will begin shortly. Please make your way inside the courtroom."
Lana turned away from her sister and her attorney. She walked into the courtroom and looked up. She saw the Judge sorting through some documents, Miles Edgeworth standing solemnly at the prosecutor's bench, people filing into the gallery as they whispered among themselves. Then she saw Phoenix and Ema walk in and take their places. Ema looked to her sister, smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. Lana felt like crying. Once again, she turned away from her.
Ema... She thought. ...Everything I've done over the past two years, it's all been for your own good. When this is all over with...please find it in your heart to forgive your fool of a big sister.