Chapter Text
Thunder.
Rain drummed on the rooftop, faintly heard through the ceiling.
Thunder.
Wind howling outside, causing the rain to splatter loudly on the glass.
Thunder.
And the power went out.
April May sighed and rummaged through her purse for a lighter. She found one, flicked it on, and held it up so that she could see. Outside, thunder rumbled again. She walked by a mirror- and paused.
A gun barrel glinted in the flame. She dropped the lighter, and the fire cut out. There was a bolt of lightning outside, and the harsh light illuminated the gunman's blank face. And then he fired.
The building shook from the thunder.
January 3, 9:54 AM, District Court, Los Angeles, Defendant Lobby #3
"C'mon, Nick, I'm telling you, I didn't do it!" Larry Butz wailed.
Once again, Phoenix Wright's old friend Larry had been accused of murder. Admittedly, it had been over a decade since the last time he was accused. And Larry was no longer the bumbling idiot he'd been; now he was a well-off bumbling idiot. That didn't stop him from grabbing Phoenix's shoulders and shaking him as he plead his innocence.
"Your old friends are weird, Mr. Wright," Athena Cykes commented.
"I didn't do it!"
"Ok, we know!" Phoenix said. Larry backed off, wide-eyed. "Don't worry, I know you're not the killer."
"I'm not sure you'd have the ability," Athena said, "you don't look very competent."
It was true: even if Larry was richer than he used to be, his clothes were scruffy artiste types and had paint stains on his poncho-thing. "Aren't you an animator?" Phoenix said, looking up and down Larry.
"So what!? Who says I can't dress how I want!?" Larry said. "By the way, who's this other girl?"
"This is Athena Cykes, one of my attorneys," Phoenix said. "Didn't I mention her and Apollo to you?"
"No," Larry said flatly. "So, uh, is she any good?"
"Of course I'm any good!" Athena said, "Mr. Wright brought me with him, not Apollo!"
"…so you're not just his assistant?" Larry said.
"Actually, Athena'll be handling this case," Phoenix said, "since not only is this about the time when Payne shows up again, but it's you…"
"Hey!" Larry said, "I can't believe you're not taking this seriously, Nick!"
"What, you don't trust me, Mr. Butz?" Athena said. She was obviously trying to sound hurt, although the effect didn't seem noticeable.
"Hmm…" Larry said, "well… I know! Who's the murder victim!?"
"Um… a Miss April May," Athena said. "I think she works as a receptionist."
"And the cause of death?" Larry asked, wringing his hands.
Athena pulled out her autopsy report. "One bullet to the forehead," she reported.
"Oh. So that's what happened," Larry said, wide-eyed. Phoenix felt the sudden urge to face-palm. It seemed that Larry still hadn't changed.
January 3, 10:00 AM, District Court, Los Angeles, Courtroom #6
The courtroom was mostly in order. The Judge, dressed in his black robe, his impressive beard as gray and bushy as ever. Phoenix and Athena were at the defense's stand. The crowd in the gallery and theoretical jury were there as well, as well as the security, clerks, and bailiff. All that was missing was the prosecution.
"…it seems as if the prosecution has chosen not to arrive," the Judge said. "They must have decided that the defendant is not, in fact, guilty, which would not be a stretch for Mr. Wright's clients. Especially when it feels that Mr. Payne should be prosecuting. With that in mind, I declare Larry Butz NOT GUI-"
"OBJECTION!"
A coffee cup when flying through the air and smacked into Phoenix's face, covering him in the scalding liquid. By the time he was done cleaning it off with a hastily-grabbed towel (which every defense stand had for just this emergency) he could see the newly-arrived prosecutor: tan-skinned, red-visored, with a green suit, white tie, and white-striped vest. And, of course, a smirk.
What was Godot doing here?
"The prosecution was taking a moment to find out what was going on, your honor," Godot said, taking his place.
This all seemed strangely familiar...
The Judge was as wide-eyed as Phoenix felt. "P-Prosecutor Godot!?" the Judge said, "weren't you in prison-"
Godot shook his head and took a long draught of coffee. "Always keep yourself up-to-date on the news, or it'll come back to haunt you in court. That's one of my rules," Godot said, and then he elaborated, "for some reason, a large portion of the local jails has been pardoned. They gave us clothes to change into and threw us out onto the streets. Then I swung by the prosecutorial offices and the chief prosecutor gave my badge back and sent me to take this case. Practically begged me to go since apparently all the other prosecutors are busy and he didn't want to take this one."
As if to prove it, he quickly showed it off, and then pocketed it again (any self-respecting lawyer would pin their badge to their coat. But for some reason, no one ever believed Phoenix on that regard). "I-I see," the Judge said. Then he banged his gavel. "Very well," he said, "court is now in session for the murder of Miss April May. Mr. Godot, your opening statements please?"
Godot leaned on the desk and did his usual 'summon coffee psychically' trick. Then he took a long sip of coffee.
"Prosecutor Godot?" the Judge said.
And then Godot - was it Godot? Phoenix couldn't quite remember now - slammed the cup down on the desk. "I see that there's a new defense attorney," he said. "Your outfit's been growing, Wright. And I heard you were disbarred until just last year."
"Mr. Godot! Please focus on the case!" the Judge demanded.
Godot shook his head again and took another long sip of his coffee. "The facts are simple," Godot said. "A member of hotel security named Wendy Oldbag witnessed the defendant, Larry Butz, shooting the victim, April May. Apparently he demanded her money at gunpoint, and when she refused, he shot her. Thanks to, ahem, Miss Oldbag's raygun, Butz retreated. Miss Oldbag then contacted the police and had Butz arrested."
Athena looked both exasperated and perplexed, if that was possible. "Raygun…?" she said.
"The prosecution calls Miss Oldbag to the stand," Godot announced. And then he took another sip of his coffee.
Wendy Oldbag was still dressed in that security uniform Phoenix had seen her in back in the Matt Engarde case. Actually, she still looked completely the same despite the eleven years that had passed since then. And she was currently glaring at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright," Athena said, "do you… know this woman?"
"Darn right I do!" Oldbag snapped. "Phoenix Wright again, eh? Well let me tell you about that whippersnapper! Of course I remember him, he was always the rival of the much more handsome young man who I saved the life of by the way multiple times but yes I know Phoenix Wright and I know what kind of trouble he is and he once accused me of murder and he wants nothing more than to demonize meandIdon'tknowwhatthepolicearethinkingbringhimtoacourtcasewithmeinit-"
"Objection!" Phoenix said. "I request that the witness simply state her testimony and allow us to continue with the case!"
The judge banged his gavel. "Objection sustained!" he said quickly, "will the prosecution please commence the trial?"
Godot took another long sip of his coffee. "Now is the time for the coffee to begin drip down into the cup," he said, "witness, name and occupation." Jazz played faintly in the background.
"Wendy Oldbag," Oldbag said, "member of security, you whippersnapper! Can't you tell from how I'm dressed!?" She put her globe helmet on and pointed her raygun at Godot. Then it made a whirring sound. Ratatatatatatatatatatata!
"How did that scare off the culprit?" Athena said.
"Something tells me that Oldbag isn't going to be the most truthful witness," Phoenix said.
"What did you just say about me you whippersnapper when I was your age I respected my elders you're not going to accuse me of murder again-"
"Objection!" Godot said, "witness! Your testimony."
"Ah, right," Oldbag said. She took off her helmet again. "Let's see… it was ten at night. I was walking down the hallway when I saw it- the door to the dead whippersnapper's room was open. A strange blond man was showing that whippersnapper over there squirming in that seat where Miss May's room was. Two hours later, I came back by this room to see what had happened, and what did I see but the defendant leveling a gun at April May from the hallway! He said, 'give me all your money or you get it!' and then she refused. So he shot her! And then I pulled out my raygun and scared him off!"
She finished her testimony, and the entire court was silent.
"Does… does anyone even talk like that?" the Judge said.
Athena turned to Phoenix. "Boss, she's lying!" Athena said, "and I think I can prove it!"
"It's not really that hard," Phoenix said.
"What did you say about me!?"
"Focus, Ms. Oldbag," Godot said.
"Very well. The defense may begin its cross-examination," the Judge said.
"Ms. Oldbag," Athena said, "according to the autopsy report, the bullet wound had a burn mark, implying that the gun was pressed against her. Can you tell the court where exactly Miss May was?"
"Uh… she was in her room," Oldbag said, sweating nervously.
"You're lying, Ms. Oldbag!" Athena said, "I can tell!"
"W-what!?" Oldbag said.
"Objection!" Godot said, "the defense will refrain from accusing the Oldbag of anything until they have proof."
"¡Por supuesto! If it's proof you want, it's proof you'll get!" Athena declared. "Just look at the autopsy report! It had to be point-blank range… and yet Ms. Oldbag clearly said she saw the defendant 'leveling a gun from the hallway'… meaning that the victim wasn't in the hallway!" Athena slammed the bench. "Ms. Oldbag! Where was the victim!?"
"Uhhhh," Oldbag said, sweating. "I- you- now listen here, sonny!"
"Objection!" Athena shouted. "I'm not a sonny, and I want an answer to the question! Because I can already answer that- the crime scene photo clearly shows that she was killed in front of the mirror in the hotel room!"
The crowd broke out into chatter, causing the Judge to bang his gavel repeatedly. "Order! Order! Order in the court!" he declared. "Miss Cykes, can you explain where this mirror was for the court?"
"Certainly, your Honor!" Athena said. She pulled out a hotel schematic. "The mirror is here," she said, pointing at the schematic, "just next to the door in the bedroom!"
"…Exactly," Godot said, and he smirked, his coffee raised to his lips. "If the victim was shot right inside the hotel room… then it stands to reason that the defendant could have held a gun to her even if he was standing in the hallway."
"Wh- no!" Athena started. "Hey!"
"Athena, calm down and take another look at the court record," Phoenix said quickly. "Specifically, look at the schematic."
Athena glanced at the schematic again and pointed dramatically. "Objection! This hallway is too long for that to happen! The only explanation is… the witness is lying!" She slammed the bench again.
Godot gave off the distinct impression of raising one eyebrow skeptically. "Why would the witness lie? What purpose would that serve?" He slammed his coffee mug on the bench. "Oldbag! Explain yourself!"
The wicked witch of the witness stand was sweating like a sinner in church. "Uh… I… huh… y-you whippersnappers! How dare you doubt me? Every time I get dragged in this horrible courtroom I get accused of the most awful things like lying and even murder and of course you're going to accuse me of being 'the real killer' next won't you you disrespectful unsophisticated whippersnappers! Back in my day-"
The Judge banged his gavel. "The witness will explain herself! …please."
"Hold it!" Phoenix yelled. "Actually, the defense requests that the witness testifies about the 'strange blond man' she mentioned in her earlier testimony."
Athena looked at Phoenix, puzzled. Phoenix grinned at her.
"Um… does the prosecution have any objections?" the Judge asked.
"Does the finest coffee come only from the best beans?"
Phoenix rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Godot's coffee metaphors are somewhat… lacking, don't you think?"
"I wouldn't know." Athena replied.
"They didn't feed me real coffee while I was in prison. All I got was instant," Godot said, his voice flavored with self-pity. Phoenix accepted this a suitable explanation.
"Anyway, I'll take that as a no," the Judge said. "Witness, please testify about this strange blond man."
"Oh, fine," Oldbag said. "As I said earlier, the defendant was being shown the room by a blond man with shiny glasses. His blond hair was like a pony-tail. Back in my day, no self-respecting man would-"
"We get it," Godot said. "You can begin your cross-examination, Yellow."
"Yellow?" Athena said, and then she shrugged. "Ms. Oldbag! Do you know why this blond man was showing the accused where Ms. May's room was!?"
"EH!? Uh, I mean, whippersnappers stick together!" Oldbag yelled.
"Objection!" Phoenix yelled. "That's not a real answer! Why would the blond man and my client work together in the first place!?"
"I! He! He has guilt written all over his face!" sputtered Oldbag.
"Objection!" Athena shouted. "The defendant normally looks like that! Furthermore, do you even have any evidence besides your testimony-"
"Objection!" Godot said. The court room fell silent as Godot summoned a coffee cup and drank from it. Then he slammed it down on his desk. "The murder weapon was found in the room of the defendant!" The gun was submitted to the court record; there were no fingerprints, and apparently, the police had determined that only two shots had been fired.
Wait, two…?
"Objection!" Athena shouted, "there are no fingerprints on the gun!"
"Objection!" Godot said, "the defendant might've worn gloves!"
"Objection!" Phoenix said, "the defendant is too stupid to do that! This is Larry Butz we're talking about!"
"Objection!" Larry shouted from the defendant stand. "Why do you guys always gotta be so mean! I would totally have worn gloves if I was trying to kill someone!"
The entire courtroom fell silent again. "Can Mr. Butz dig his hole any deeper?" Athena said to Phoenix.
"That's Larry for ya," Phoenix replied.
"...I see that even the defendant agrees with me," Godot said. "In any case, there is no reason for the witness to choose a coworker from ten years ago as her phony murderer. Clearly, Oldbag saw something, and the prosecution charges that it was, in fact, Larry Butz!"
"Someone doesn't know Wendy Oldbag," Phoenix muttered.
"Hold it!" Athena yelled. "There is still an inherent contradiction in what Ms. Oldbag claims she saw!"
Apparently talk of the blond man would be put off. "And what would that be, Miss Cykes?" the Judge said, "and remember, there must be evidence!"
"Of course, your Honor!" Athena said. "According to the gun that Mr. Godot submitted to the court record, it was fired twice! And yet, Ms. Oldbag testified that it was only fired once!"
The crowd broke out into an uproar again. "Order!" the Judge said, banging his gavel. "Perhaps the witness, in her old age, simply mistook the number of shots-"
"Objection!" Oldbag shouted. "My ears are just fine you black-robed whippersnapper I'd think that at least the oldest man in the room would know to respect his elders but no he just claims that my hearing is bad well when I was your age I could hear-"
"Objection," Godot said, "we're not here to hear you attack the judge. You can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that the gun was fired only once?"
"Darn right!" Oldbag said.
"Perhaps the gun was fired prior to its use in the crime," Godot said. "As it is, the only sign of damage in the hotel is when Ms. May's body fell over and cracked the glass. As proof, here is a second photograph of the crime scene." Phoenix examined both pictures. In the first, the source of the crack on the mirror appeared to be about head-level. It seemed likely that it had been a bullet that shattered the mirror, but apparently a bullet had not been recovered. In the second picture, there was an open window with a soaked carpet but no sign of a bullet.
"Mr. Godot," Athena said calmly, "can you explain why the window was open and the carpet was wet."
"It is unknown why the window was open," Godot said. "However, the carpet is wet due to the thunderstorm in the area that caused a power out for fifteen minutes at the hotel, starting at midnight." He submitted the electrical company data and the weather report. "Further, when it rains and the window is open, things do tend to get wet."
Athena looked smugly at him. "You're right," she said, "they do, Mr. Godot. Now, Ms. Oldbag, at the time of you seeing the murderer, was there a blackout!?"
"Eh!?" Oldbag said, "why, of course there wasn't-"
"In that case," Athena said, "then how do you explain that Ms. May was shot at 12:05 AM, after the blackout had already begun!?"
The crowd broke into an uproar. The Judge banged his gavel several times. "Order! Order! Witness, how do you explain that?"
"I, eh, well-" Oldbag said, "young people these days! Back in my day you wouldn't see them doubting their elders like this little things like light don't matter to old experienced people like me and anyone could tell you that those clothes are the most obvious thing in the world a blackout doesn't matter when the lightning from the room lights everything up-"
"Hold it!" Phoenix said. He slammed his hands on the desk. "Ms. Oldbag, could you please testify on those last two points?"
"What?" the Judge said.
Godot took a long sip of coffee.
Athena looked at Phoenix. "Boss… you were listening to her?"
"Eh?" Oldbag said.
"About the clothes and the lightning," Phoenix said.
The Judge nodded. "Please inform the court of these two points," he said.
"Well," Oldbag said, "it was true that the lights went out. And it was also true that I'd forgotten my flashlight. But it didn't matter because the lightning that came from the room lit up the attacker! I'd recognize that paint-stained poncho and blond hair anywhere!"
"Blond?" Athena said to Phoenix, "I don't think Mr. Butz is really all that blond…"
"Exactly," Phoenix said.
"Er… and why exactly is the defendant wearing a paint-stained poncho anyways?" the Judge said.
"The defendant purports to be an artist," Godot said. "However, he is normally employed as an animator."
"I… I see," the Judge said. "You may begin your cross-examination, Ms. Cykes."
"Ms. Oldbag," Athena said, "I want to make something clear. You are absolutely sure that you saw the defendant."
"I'd recognize those clothes and hair anywhere!" Oldbag said, heaving.
"What about his face?" Athena said, "did you see the defendant's face!?"
"Objection!" Godot said, and he threw his cup of coffee at Athena. "How does that have any relevance to the case? She already said that she was absolutely sure about the clothes and hair!"
Since Athena was covered in scalding-hot coffee and currently trying to dry off Widget, Phoenix took over for her. "If she didn't see Larry's face, then Oldbag has no proof that the murderer was Larry Butz! Instead, the murderer is attempting to frame Larry Butz!"
The crowd broke out into a discussion. "…that's how it always turns out with your clients, isn't it, Wright," Godot said.
It's not like it's my fault! Phoenix thought.
"Further," Athena said, mostly recovered, "you said that you saw him thanks to a flash of lightning coming from the hotel room, implying that the door to the room was open. And yet, there is no sign of the bullet that was supposedly fired!"
"What are you implying?" Godot said.
"I'm saying that either that bullet was never fired," Athena said, "or that it went out the window that's been established to be open! Further, the defense has already proven that Ms. May was killed at close range in front of her mirror!"
"Then are you saying that Ms. Oldbag is still lying?" the Judge said.
Athena opened her mouth to speak, but Phoenix said, "I don't believe so, your Honor." He scratched his chin, and then added, "I think that she saw exactly what the killer wanted her to, though."
The crowd's discussion became a full-blown uproar. "Order, order, order!" the Judge said, "well, Mr. Wright, what are you charging!?"
"Simple, your Honor," Phoenix said, "that when the killer yelled threats at Ms. May and shot at her when he was in the hallway, that she was already dead!"
"Objection!" Godot said, "prove it!"
"It's simple," Phoenix said, with absolute confidence, "the gun was fired twice and we know from Ms. Oldbag's testimony that the window was open. Therefore, the defense claims that the bullet that was fired never hit Ms. May but instead went out the window!"
"Th-that's not proof!" Godot said, hunched over with his visor smoking.
"Then we request that the building opposite the victim's room be searched for bullet impact or broken glass!" Athena said.
The Judge brought his gavel down. "Very well," the Judge said, "Mr. Godot, please look into that. While you do so, the court will take a thirty-minute recess."
January 3, 11:21 AM, District Court, Los Angeles, Defendant Lobby #3
"I can't believe anyone would suspect me," Larry said, tears in his eyes. "Don't they know that I was at an empty bar all night?"
"Empty bars aren't exactly air-tight alibis, Larry," Phoenix said.
"What about the bartender?" Athena said.
"I said empty," Larry said. "And I meant it."
"Still, that blond man is still bothering me," Athena said. "We should go back to him during the trial, but who is he?"
"…I might have an idea," Phoenix said. "Someone who would know Larry, at least indirectly, and would know he's kind of an idiot, who has blond hair and may have recently been released from prison."
"You mean Kristoph Gavin?" Athena said, "Apollo's old boss?"
"Exactly," Phoenix said. "There was still one mystery about him…" The black psyche-locks, Phoenix thought.
"Well, we don't have any proof that he was behind it," Larry said.
"Not necessarily," Phoenix said. "Larry is innocent, so it really could have only been him. Which means there's proof somewhere; it has to exist."
They were interrupted by a security guard. "Court will resume shortly!" he announced.
"We'd better get going," commented Phoenix, rather pointlessly.