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Phoenix stood before the bar association, keeping his head high, an appealing smile plastered over his face. The room is dark save for the bright spotlight pointed upon him, it stung his eyes from how bright it was and made it hard to see the faces of the bar association. The bar association sat in elevated stands surrounding him in a semicircle. His trial begins and Phoenix sings, he convinces, he pleads his case, like he always does. His hands gesture wildly around him, voice loud and unwavering performing like a circus monkey on a stage.
“No, I did not knowingly present forged evidence.” “No, neither me nor my client forged said evidence.” “Why did I admit to presenting forged evidence during the trial itself? Well, I- I-”
The words he said in court haunt him:
“Your Honor, wait! I understand that presenting forged evidence in court is a serious crime. But you cannot hold my client responsible for actions I undertook as an individual.”
The words lay so plainly in the trial transcript, repeated back to him in voices that are not his own. He had said those words in the spur of a moment to defend Zak Gramarye without second thought to how it sounded. Phoenix had to tread carefully now, no more impulsive words, he had to straddle the line of defending himself without casting suspicion on Zak. If he could find a way to win Zak’s acquittal without him present, Zak would be able to return to his regular life with his daughter after paying the fines for evading the courts. He was counting on him at this moment.
Phoenix revealed his reasoning, “I raised the idea purely as a hypothetical. As a matter of fact statement it’s true, isn’t it?” The defense was weak, even as the truth.
“He’s trying to change the meaning of his words,” spat another member. “Why do you believe that your client could not have been the one to plant the forged note?”
There was no use bluffing, he had to bargain for more time. “I don’t have enough evidence at this time.”
The questioning continued, “Where did the forged note come from?”
It was that little girl, Trucy Enigmar who handed the note to him. Naming his daughter would only cast further suspicion on Zak. He had to choose his words very carefully, there was no witness to cross examine for new information, no recess to recuperate in his current position.
“I cannot say.”
There was a mutual frustration between him and the council before him.
“You said, I quote ‘you cannot hold my client responsible for actions I undertook as an individual.’ you understand this, yes?”
“Yes.”
“You deny the possibility that your client may have committed foul play in order to win an acquittal but you refuse to tell us why, which brings us to the only conclusion we can draw-”
“Again, I don’t have enough evidence at this time.” The barest bit of his own exasperation leaked into his voice. “If I can be allowed to continue with- ”
The gavel hits the wooden plate, not letting another word come out of Phoenix. “Do not speak out of turn, Mr. Wright. Admit to the possibility your client planted forged evidence or stand by what you said, be warned Mr. Wright. Choose your words carefully.”
Phoenix stood straight, held a steady gaze and spoke without hesitation.
“I stand by what I said.”
A moment passed in silence, to give Phoenix the chance to take back what he said but that hesitation never came. The voices of the association talk around him, about him, as if he wasn’t there. “Disbarment,” the words had been casually tossed into the conversation between the board members, Phoenix almost didn’t catch it.
He raised his voice, “Disbarment!? Doesn’t that seem a little extreme? Wouldn’t a suspension or a penalty on my record be more in line with- that is if I had committed evidence forgery? Before, attorneys caught for forging evidence had far lighter sentences, I could recall a prosecutor who was given practically a slap on the wrist-”
He was quickly reprimanded for speaking out of turn. Phoenix grit his teeth and resists the temptation to raise his voice again or beg them not to take his badge, he needs more time to investigate. He looked up, looking for sympathy, pity, anything, and found his gaze settling on a man who was gazing right back.
A pale blonde man with hair twisted over one side of his shoulder of his indigo suit stares at him down, eyes looking up from beneath his furrowed brow, and a frown. It reminded him of a way Dahli- Iris used to look at him; a way Edgeworth looks at him. To the untrained eye it was an expression of intimidation, something meant to plainly show disappointment but under that it was an expression of worry. The name plaque reads Kristoph Gavin, likely a man of the Gavin family from the same platinum blonde hair and facial similarities as Klavier Gavin. How he is related to Klavier Gavin, he does not know. The man nodded at him and Phoenix felt compelled to nod back. Kristoph stood up, commanding the attention of his fellow association members.
“I believe we should give Mr. Wright a second chance, disbarment is the strictest possible punishment, such cruelty is far beyond unnecessary. Mr. Wright has been responsible for bringing down corruption within our legal system himself. Why would he forge evidence knowing the damage it causes. Perhaps we are only considering if it was Mr. Wright or his client who forged the evidence but have we considered perhaps a possible third party?" His voice was smooth as silk, the silence revered his opinion.
A wash of relief fell over Phoenix. (Yes! Yes! Thank god, thank you. Someone on my side.)
Another board member took their turn to speak. “I believe you’re aware, across both the Prosecutorial committee and the bar association there is pressure to carry out heavier sentences for those who forge evidence following the arrest of Blaise Debeste, even those who are responsible for vanquishing corruption can be corrupt themselves. As far as we are concerned you have already confessed to your crime.”
The air grew thicker and there was a growing pressure in Phoenix’s chest.
“We will cast a vote. All members of the board association that are in favour of disbarment, raise your hand.”
One by one hands raised, some hesitant and some certain but everyone voted against him. Nobody believed him, except the man who stared him down, Kristoph Gavin.
“For the crime of forging evidence, Phoenix Wright is declared guilty. His defense license is to be revoked and will be barred from practicing law from now on.”
The gavel bangs, the thunderous noise of wood on wood echoes in the large room like a final heartbeat before a flatline. All eyes turned towards Phoenix, he could feel their gazes crawling on his skin. Kristoph gavin had his head downturned, the glare on his glasses hid his eyes.
“It’s over, hand over your badge,” commanded a board member.
“You are making a mistake, I didn’t do it!” Phoenix pleads.
“You are no longer a defense attorney, hand over your badge.”
Phoenix’s composure cracks, his smile falters. “All I ask of you is more time-”
“Ex attorney Wright, remove your badge or we will.” A board member turns to the guard at the door, “Bailiff.” The guard stepped forward and Phoenix instinctively stepped back. Backed into a corner, no escape. How could he not turn this trial around, he was the man who could turn any situation around or at least that is what Miles thought of him but he could think of nothing he could say, nothing he could do, no bluff he could come up with.
His fingers shook as went to take off his badge, he fumbled the back piece that held the badge to his lapel unable to get a good grasp. Out of all of the hundred times he has taken off his badge to flash it, how could be unable to pull it off in front of the most high ranking defense attorneys in the country. To imagine what those attorneys must be thinking of him at the moment, a stupid clumsy loser who wasn’t smart enough to not get caught. If they knew, if they just believed him he wouldn’t think of him that way. If those idiots actually believed in trying to help him, getting to the truth.
Bile in his throat, a bubbling frustration, the sweat on his fingers were making his grasp slip, he needed to get this badge off, he needed to get away, run with his tail between his legs. His teeth were starting to hurt from clenching them, his breath seething between his teeth. He failed to clear his client’s name, he failed to clear his own name, he failed being a defense attorney, he failed everyone who has ever remotely looked up to him. He’s no use to anybody like this.
He grabbed his badge and attempted to tear it off, the threads snapped but the suit refused to give way, the blazer fell off one of his shoulders. He didn’t need the suit if he wasn’t an attorney. If they wanted his badge, they could tear it off themselves. Phoenix pulled off one arm and the other before throwing the blazer down with a thwap, it laid crumpled on the ground like a shot animal. He turns tail and begins his walk of shame, past the bailiff, out the door.
He snapped back there, lost composure, like the common murderer he himself would send to behind bars. The shame gathered dark and deep at the pit of his belly. Biting the inside of his cheek, he fought back the tears, wrangling the darkness under his control.
“A lawyer is someone who smiles, no matter how bad it gets.”
That’s what Mia taught him and that’s what he carries with him, even as not a lawyer. He couldn’t, not now, the trial wasn’t over, the investigation wasn’t over, not for him.
Heading down the hall. A male voice called out to him, “Mr. Wright!”
What now? He has already given them his badge, what more could they want from him? Phoenix whipped around to see who had called out to him and Phoenix felt a rush in his body as he saw who it was. It was one of the bar association, the man in indigo, Kristoph Gavin.
Phoenix stopped, stunned in his place. “It’s you.”
“Are you alright?” His voice was slightly androgynous, warm and melodic.
“Haven’t I made that obvious enough?” The ex-attorney sighed, he bit the inside of his lip to stop himself from crying.
“I’m sorry,” Kristoph said, offering his condolence.
“It’s not your fault.”
“No. Wright, I mean it. It’s an unjustly extreme punishment for you to have lost your badge for forging evidence. I should have defended you harder,” it was the most genuine thing Phoenix had heard all day, spoken so casually it had only come from the man’s heart.
“What does it matter? Nobody believed me. I didn’t do it! Except-,” the words died in his throat.
This close up, Kristoph’s blue irises did nothing but accentuate his piercing pupils. The lack of glare in the room no longer hid his eyes. He was blonde, a genuine blonde, Phoenix could see the roots of his hair. A cascade of gold that fell over his shoulder like a waterfall.
“I believe you,” Kristoph said.
He reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. Kristoph couldn’t save him but he tried, that was everything to Phoenix. The relief opened the floodgates and he cried.