127 Turnabout Retribution

“The best people possess a feeling for justice, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.”
~Ernest Hemingway~

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Phoenix Wright and Kristoph Gavin
District Court, Courtroom No. 2
April 20, 2026, 12:14 PM

“Court will now reconvene.” The judge pounded his gavel. “Has our witness, Ms. Olga Orly, recovered?”

“Y-Yes, Your Honor!” Mr. Payne was visibly discomposed. “Er, well, she’s regained consciousness, anyway…” His voice trailed off uncertainly.

Apollo eyed the prosecutor inquisitively and cast a sideways glance at his mentor, who was once again his normally cool, calm, and collected self, having used his brief time during the recess to compose himself once more. Kristoph was like a stealthy cobra targeting his prey, poised to strike, and ready to take advantage of any oversight Olga made when she got back on the witness stand, to ensure she took the fall for the crime. His very life depended on it!

“Perhaps we can hear her version of the events again?” Kristoph’s cadence was steady and even, betraying none of his earlier inner turmoil before the courtroom break.

“That’s the thing,” Mr. Payne squirmed. “You see, she’s quite fatigued, as you can imagine, having unceremoniously passed out the way she did and all… ”

“You’re looking a bit fatigued yourself, Mr. Payne,” the judge observed with concern, as the sweaty-faced older man’s face looked more drawn and haggard than usual.

Kristoph couldn’t have cared less about the questionable state of either Olga Orly or Winston Payne. As far as he was concerned, if both the witness and prosecution were slightly ill-prepared, or off-kilter, so much the better for him.

“Sadly, fatigue is insufficient grounds for refusing to testify…or prosecute,” he stated coldly, infamous ruthlessness fully in play. “The defense would like to request that Ms. Orly take the stand.”

“Very well.” The judge nodded in agreement. “The witness will take the stand!”

Ms. Orly slunk her way up, shaking like a leaf in a wind storm.

“Perhaps you could repeat your name and profession,” Kristoph requested politely.

Olga didn’t reply and merely cowered down beneath the witness stand, the uneasy clattering of her domed porcelain bowl only slightly superseded by the chattering of her teeth.

Unmoved, and completely indifferent to Olga’s jumpy disposition, ultimately deciding it would be better to take advantage of her frayed nerves, the blond man proceeded to steamroll ahead in his customary aggressive manner.

“Or perhaps you’d rather admit that you’re a poor liar and a poorer loser?” He derided, affixing the terrified-looking woman with his most withering stare.

The scare tactic was the final straw that broke the camel’s back, and just what had been needed to get the ball rolling.

Yet nobody, least of all Kristoph Gavin, could have possibly foreseen what came next.

“L – Loser?” Olga spluttered in disbelief, gaping at the defense attorney just before something in her expression changed in the next instant.

With sudden dramatic showmanship and a giggle that sounded more cunning than coy, the waitress yanked her woolen outfit off her body with an impressive flourish, revealing a tight-fitting black-and-white dealer’s uniform underneath, complete with a red bow tie. Even her hat was gone and a bright red bandana with printed dice took its place. In a blink of an eye, the innocent young woman with soft rosy cheeks was completely gone, and in her place stood a deadly femme fatale, in a fully confident, hand-on-hip pose, coupled with full, scarlet-red lips. Her formally shy, dark eyes were now twinkling with mischief as she gazed out at the courtroom.

Out in the gallery, a completely gobsmacked Dick Gumshoe’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the dramatic change and turned to Trucy, who looked as astounded as he felt.

“In all my years of being a cop, I’ll be the first to admit, while I wasn’t always quick on the draw, I did possess some innate sleuthing skills and akin suspicion instincts where there was probable cause when it counted!” Gumshoe exclaimed to the magician. “But this dame here…” He jerked his chin in Olga’s direction. “She somehow flew right past my radar! I never saw didn’t see that one coming – did you?!”

“I knew she was lying before and concealing something,” Trucy admitted, shaking her head. “But no way could I have possibly figured out that she was hiding her entire identity! Don’t feel too bad Uncle Gumshoe… I don’t have the keen ability to perceive the secret alter egos of people either!”

Kristoph was completely taken aback at the waitress’s impromptu transformation, but of course, managed to maintain his outward composure, unlike his protégé.

Apollo, on the other hand, was full-blown, unabashedly, gawking at the now smirking blonde beauty, who was idly playing with a lock of her golden curls, alternating between tugging and winding it around her index finger.

The timid, Russian waitress had entirely been replaced, not only in physical appearance but in persona as well, into that of a professional, slick, pro dealer. The new Olga, “Quick Fingers,” Orly was devoid of any accent, as well as supremely cocky and confident; she seemed almost boastful of the cheating scam she’d pulled with the victim.

She explained, with utmost confidence, that despite being out-conned by the defendant, which she attributed to nothing more than pure “dumb luck”, the plan itself had been one of pure and simple elegance. It was during her explanation about the moment of the crime that Apollo’s stupefied expression began to transform into one of deeper comprehension and wariness.

Kristoph cagily shifted his gaze over to his assistant and took note of the fact that the red attorney was now rubbing his wrist, the one which bore his thick, gold bangle. He’d seen the young man do it on numerous occasions at the office, always out of the blue, and seemingly for no reason. The difference was that this time, Apollo seemed fully aware, albeit anxious, of something intangible.

“Hold it!” The young man bellowed. “Wait…isn’t that a little odd?”

“Wh-What’s odd!?” Olga demanded, although her suddenly weary eyes belied the belligerence of her tone.

“You searched Mr. Wright, er, thoroughly…and found nothing? Which means he didn’t cheat … Which means – he had no reason to strike the victim!”

Olga attempted to remain her cool at this obvious contradiction, but continued to agitatedly squirm, her fingers reflexively stroking the back of her neck, as she had been doing during her testimony. Apollo eyed her skeptically.

The horn-fringed lawyer kept pressing the dealer on particular points regarding the moment of the crime. He pressed the witness so excessively, that even Kristoph had no inkling where Apollo was going with this! Finally, the red attorney seemed to arrive at his point.

“Ms. Orly…Perhaps you are unaware of this yourself…” Apollo folded his arms across his chest and gave the formerly timid Russian waitress turned female pirate-dressed witness a knowing smirk. “Whenever you get to a certain part of your testimony, you touch the back of your neck with your left hand.”

Olga’s self-assured disposition began to waver. Kristoph was utterly befuddled, a most unfamiliar sensation for him, and not one he particularly liked.

“What indeed, Justice?” The bemusement was evident in Kristoph’s voice as he addressed his assistant. “I certainly hadn’t noticed anything of the sort.”

Apollo flashed his boss what could only be described as a cocky grin, as if to say “don’t worry, I’ve got this,” startling the blond man about exactly where and what this abrupt certitude had stemmed from! Before he could say another word, though, his protégé was already elaborating in a surefire manner.

“When she says that part of the testimony, she’s subconsciously recalling something. Her body reacts to the memory, and she touches her neck! I’m sure of it!”

Kristoph’s eyes roved around the courtroom, observing the nonplussed expressions of everybody else around him at this impromptu turnabout… Save for one person.

Phoenix had been idly fiddling with his locket this entire time but seemed to feel the defense attorney’s prying gaze upon him at that moment. Lifting his head, he caught Kristoph’s stare, and flashed him the mother of all shit-eating grins, which only further proceeded in making his blood boil!

The now enraged blond man turned back to his apprentice, ready to object with regard to his own admitted incomprehension of things when he saw that his underling had already pulled out the picture of the deadly bottle.

“Whenever she talks about the moment of the crime, she touches her neck!” Apollo announced proudly. “And what reminds us more of that moment than this bottle, the murder weapon!”

Olga merely glared back defiantly at him in response.

“But something doesn’t fit.” The red attorney’s trusty thinking finger was back on his forehead. “If you were only the witness to the crime, why would that make you touch your neck like you’re in pain? It was Mr. Smith that was hit, not you!”

The witness was outright fidgeting now.

Winston Payne looked as lost as last year’s Easter egg, although his ludicrous hairdo was nowhere near as comical as the expression on his face!

Phoenix barely swallowed back a chuckle at how the muddled look on Kristoph’s face was every bit as hilarious as the prosecutor’s! It appeared his little chat with Apollo during the recess had had some effect after all! Evidently, the young man was at last beginning to subconsciously tap into his inherited powers of perception!

“Objection!” Squawked Mr. Payne. “This is a cross-examination, not a cross-wild conjecture! Th-The habits of the witness?! They’re completely irrelevant!”

“Justice…I’ll admit, I’m a bit confused myself,” Kristoph admitted, looking none too pleased with having to admit such a thing. “This is certainly a … unique cross-examination.”

“I’ll explain later!” Apollo dismissively waved aside his boss’s confusion, unwavering brown stare solely focused on Olga. “Just, trust me! Now’s our only chance to break her!”

Kristoph gulped as those words sank in. “Trust me,” his protégé had urged him. That was easier said than done! Not because his subordinate was untrustworthy–far from it! In all actuality, the greenhorn’s steadfast honesty and dedicated veracity were two of his most admirable traits as a lawyer, and the German had no doubt the little champion of justice would indeed have an unflappable plan which would successfully “break” the witness and uncover the truth.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the same “truth” the blond man had initially envisioned!

Olga was now noticeably flustered as she shakily claimed to never have lost sight of the defendant that night, but for every falsity that escaped her lips, the now-on-a-roll Apollo Justice was right there to combat it, this time counterattacking her lie by presenting Phoenix’s cell phone.

“Ms. Orly!” Apollo’s expression was fierce as he pointed his famous courtroom finger at her accusingly. “We have a record here that clearly contradicts what you just said! It states that the police were alerted by a report… from the defendant! And we know that the defendant left the room, climbed the stairs … and made that phone call – from the first floor of the Borscht Bowl Club!”

“Ack!” Olga tightened her grip on the now precariously wobbling dish in her unsteady hand, beginning to visibly sweat drop for the very first time.

Damn, this guy’s good! Phoenix bit back a smile of appreciation, focusing on ensuring his poker face remained intact. Just how did she manage the impossible feat of keeping an eye on me whilst being unconscious – and when I’d left the premises? That would be a neat trick indeed! I can’t wait to hear her try to wriggle her way out of this one!

“So!” Apollo thumped his fists on the table. “Explain how you kept your eyes on the defendant … when he left the room entirely!”

You’ve got her against the ropes now, Apollo! It took all of Phoenix’s willpower not to stand up and cheer for the Clarion of Revelations, whom he was most fortunate to have on his side! Time to go for the big KO! The former attorney turned his head to study the face of Kristoph Gavin, gauging the other man’s reaction to his employee’s shrewdness, and couldn’t resist a slight smirk. In the case of your mentor, a looks like somebody already gave him the ultimate sucker punch – right in the kisser!

“Eeeeeek!” Olga screamed in horror, releasing her wobbly grip on her borscht bowl and sending it flying in the air.

The courtroom went to complete and utter chaos at this revelation.

“This is better than any scripted courtroom drama I’ve ever seen on TV or in the movies!” Gumshoe grinned broadly at Phoenix’s daughter. “All that’s missing is the popcorn!”

“That Apollo guy is going to make sure that dirty dealer’s lies disintegrate like cotton candy in the rain!” Trucy enthused, eyes sparkling as she reached into her magic panties and pulled out a small box of popcorn, grandly presenting it to the Police Chief. “I hope you like extra butter, Uncle Gumshoe!”

Apollo remained as still as a statue, arms crossed resolutely over his chest while he stared down the conquered card dealer, her face now a mask of pleading desperation.

A hush fell across the courtroom.

Then, as Phoenix watched in total amazement, Olga folded like a bad hand of cards, her act of bravado completely vanquished now. She slumped in defeat on the witness stand, her formerly rebellious eyes now bearing a look of resignation.

“Wait!” She whispered pleadingly. “Enough already, please! I – I’ll talk. I’ll tell you the real truth about what happened that night.”

Apollo didn’t answer but just kept staring at her, less hostile now, but still with grimly determined anticipation.

“The man who picked up a bottle and swung it that night…” Olga swallowed hard. “It – it wasn’t the defendant.”

Thank you, Olga. Phoenix closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. Thank you for doing the right thing in the end. Although I still can’t fathom what took you so long to finally tell the truth, I’m just grateful that you did!

“Smith grabbed the bottle from next to Wright…” The dealer continued unsteadily. “And he… he hit me!”

Olga’s lips and body trembled as she recalled her trauma from the events that’d transpired in the hideout, except this time, it was quite obvious it was no longer an act, but the completely genuine, reflexive reactions of a woman who was trying desperately to forget the entire harrowing experience of nearly being bludgeoned to death.

“When I came to…” Her voice broke slightly as she stared out at the court with frightened eyes.

“The victim was already dead…Is that it?” The judge probed gently.

“That’s why I couldn’t reveal who I really was!” Olga nodded miserably. “If it came out that I was in league with Smith, I’d be a suspect for sure!”

So she didn’t have a personal vendetta against me, Phoenix realized, feeling ridiculously relieved that he had one less enemy out there than he’d originally thought. She was just trying to save herself from being in the defendant’s chair – just like I am right now!

As though sensing his thoughts, the card dealer suddenly looked up and caught his gaze, and Phoenix saw the genuine remorse on her face, limpid orbs pleading for his forgiveness for her treachery. He gave the slightest, surreptitious nod of assent in her direction, and visible tears of relief and gratitude filled her eyes for the reprieve.

Silence hovered over the courtroom like a heavy cloud in the wake of Olga’s shocking confession.

Phoenix noticed that Apollo was just quietly studying the witness with an expression of combined sternness and sympathy, while Kristoph looked as though he’d sucked on a lemon, and the sweaty Winston Payne continued his impersonation of being a soggy hog!

OK, fine! Maybe not a hog, the pianist conceded wryly. But only because he’s too spindly to be one! Perhaps more of a drowned rat?!

“Well…” The Judge’s face was thoughtful. “Where does this leave us?”

“M-Madness!” Bleated Mr. Payne. “Th-This is madness! I’m dreaming! It must have been me who was hit with a bottle and I’m imagining all of this!”

At least then you’d have an excuse for that banshee-wailing voice of yours! Kristoph cringed at the shrillness of the other man’s ululation. My eardrums may never recover!

It wouldn’t surprise me if that had been the case! Phoenix bit his lip to keep from cracking up. Nobody would argue against a case of acquired brain damage in your case, Payne!

Kristoph watched as his case began to crumble like a dry biscuit – and all because of that boy! What was with this newfound … perceiving gimmick he now seemed to possess!? Where had it come from?! With a sinking sensation in his stomach, he instinctively sensed it meant nothing but doom for him! Closing his eyes and shuddering slightly at the notion, his panicked mind frenetically attempted to grope for a way out of this fresh hell he had suddenly found himself in when the judge’s voice brought him back to reality.

“It appears our prosecution is at his wit’s end, and frankly, I can’t blame him! Mr. Gavin, what do you think about this turn of events?”

Oh, thank God! Kristoph expelled a long breath of relief. The well-meaning, but ever-dimwitted judge appears to have finally given me a way out of this mess with this innocuous query!

Apollo regarded his mentor nervously, cringing at the sudden icy glare and poisonous inflection with which he fired out his response.

“I believe that, as the defense, in this case, we are compelled to call Ms. Orly a ‘big, fat, liar’!”

“Wh-Whaaaaat!?” Olga wailed plaintively, as Kristoph’s reaction was exactly what she had been most dreading. “No! Wait! I – I’m not…”

“Three were in that room the night of the murder,” Kristoph went on, relentlessly cutting off the dealer’s frantic protests to her innocence. “The defendant, the victim, and her … And she has a motive.”

“A motive?” Apollo asked blankly.

“Her plot foiled, the witness got into an argument with her client, Mr. Smith!” Kristoph explained exultantly, as though this explained everything. Olga’s latest confession was indeed the answer to his prayers. “And the denouement of that argument…was murder!”

“What!?” Olga broke out into a cold, nervous sweat at the accusation. “I didn’t…I’m no killer! It’s a trap! Someone’s trying to frame me!” There were panicked tears in her eyes as she stared beseechingly out at the courtroom, her desperate gaze landing on Phoenix, of all people, as she tried to convey her innocence.

The dealer’s expression of genuine fear and helplessness was not lost on Apollo at all, and he frowned as he felt his bracelet once again tightening on his wrist. He now recognized it as the same twinge he had felt in the past whenever he had been skeptical about there being more than met the eye to something he had seen or heard… And with a start, he realized it tended to happen most often around his mentor, and particularly regarding this entire case!

With a sickening sensation filling him, the defense attorney realized his reservations regarding Kristoph Gavin throughout this trial hadn’t been for naught. More than anything in the world, Apollo had yearned to have found a mentor – the very man who had given him his first shot at success – whom he could wholly trust, even become the father figure he’d never had. Nevertheless, he now knew, at that exact moment, as surely as he was certain of Olga’s innocence of the crime, that his boss had it an entirely different agenda for the trial that day, and that justice was the very last thing on it!

The courtroom was once again clamoring with the confused, excited mutterings of the gallery at this latest development.

“I don’t know what to think now,” Gumshoe murmured, taking a long sip of the accompanying soda that his niece had also fished out of her magic panties to wash down the popcorn. “I mean, it’s one thing to be a liar and a con artist, but quite another to be a killer! I think she might be telling the truth this time!”

Trucy’s perceptive gaze surveyed Olga’s stricken face intently for another moment, before turning to her Uncle.

“She’s not lying this time, Uncle Gumshoe,” the magician assertively confirmed. “I can tell. And she’s obviously not fully a bad person for finally telling the truth about my Daddy! I know this woman isn’t the murderer!” Her thoughtful eyes landed on the shark-eyed German then, and they narrowed suspiciously. “What I don’t know is why that man seems so intent on making the court believe that she is!”

The courtroom was still loudly buzzing as the viewers all speculated on the guilt of Olga Orly, when suddenly Phoenix once again reappeared on the witness stand, laughing mirthlessly, while eyeing Kristoph condescendingly; as if he were an impoverished panhandler begging him for pity change.

That was when the veteran defense attorney knew he was proverbially screwed in every sense of the word.

However, instead of lowering his head, he raised it high, a stony glare carved into his hate-filled eyes. Fury blurred his sight, but he tightened his jaw and stared with loathing at his arch-nemesis.

Nein! Fahr zur Hölle sie saukerl!

The commotion in the room came to halt as Phoenix Wright cut through the defense attorney’s rancorous accusations with the actual truth.

“What tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive,” he intoned mysteriously. “So tangled, we catch ourselves in the process.”

“M – Mr. Wright?!” The judge gaped at him. “What –?”

Phoenix ignored him, his intense eyes now boring holes into Kristoph’s as he uttered his next words.

“Such a hasty conclusion,” he admonished, his light tone belying his piercing gaze. “It’s not like you… Kristoph Gavin.”

“What are you saying?” Kristoph countered defensively, his left eye beginning to twitch as his foe then proceeded to emit the very words he had been desperately trying to prevent and dance around all this time.

“Why not consider the other possibility?” Phoenix arched a brow. “That there was another person in the room at the time of the murder?”

Kristoph opened his mouth to refute such a cockamamie theory, but his words died on his lips as he saw his assistant was now leaning forward, fists resolutely perched on the bench before him as he somberly nodded his agreement with his idol’s theory.

It is becoming more and more glaringly evident that I have lost my loyal assistant as my ally to you in this fight, Phoenix Wright! Kristoph’s blood was beginning to simmer at his employee’s unwitting duplicity. But I’ll be damned if I let you win this battle!

“A single card was swapped into the victim’s hand after the murder,” Phoenix pointed out, with what Kristoph considered maddening calm. “And the one who swapped the card didn’t know two colors of cards were being used. …A fourth person.”

“Objection!” Shrieked Mr. Payne. “Hah, this theory again! Your “fourth person” doesn’t exist!”

“Indeed.” Phoenix was completely unaffected by the prosecutor’s rebuttal. “That’s why I decided to bring this case…to court. You see, here, there’s no escape and no chance for deception…The perfect place to catch the real criminal.”

Drop-dead, Phoenix Wright. Kristoph’s hands were clenched into such tight fists, his nails cut into the flesh of his palms, but he was mindless to the pain. To everything…except for the surging rage rapidly building within him. I knew I should have just killed you when I had the chance!

“The r-real criminal?” The judge echoed incredulously.

“And we’re in luck.” There was a wicked glint in Phoenix’s eye as his gaze shifted back to Kristoph, whose stomach lurched with the pianist’s next words. “A clue to the real criminal’s identity was kindly provided for us. And right at the beginning of the trial, no less.”

Looks like it’s time for me to eat my words. Fear bubbled up in the German’s chest, but he refused to let it show. And I know just which ones that Hurensohn going to throw back in my face too…

Flashback to the beginning of the trial …

“It is true that the defendant was engaged in a game of poker with the victim. Yet it was only that: a game in the purest sense,” Kristoph announced grandly. “A competition, Your Honor.”

“A…competition?” Inquired Mr. Payne.

“Yes.” The German nodded. “A test of wits, a silent clash of passions…Only the cards, their backs wreathed in blue flame, know its final outcome.”

End Flashback

Apollo had already begun to mentally put together the pieces of the puzzle from the moment Phoenix had commenced speaking. The foregone conclusion he’d arrived at was not one he had ever dreamed he’d be seeing and was still a tough pill for him to swallow.

Which was why he answered the way he did when the ex-attorney suddenly directed his next question at him.

“Apollo.” Phoenix’s voice was quiet but unyielding. “Perhaps you know what I’m talking about?”

“Um, no, sorry,” Apollo lied, feeling the sweat already forming at his temples as he raised his hand and awkwardly scratched at the top of his skull.

Never before had he felt more ethically and morally conflicted.

Kristoph is my boss, my mentor! He taught me everything I know! Without him, I would’ve just been another penniless legal graduate looking for a job as a lawyer, just like half of my classmates still are!

His heart cried with anguish.

But I can’t ignore the fact that Mr. Gavin was with Mr. Wright that night! He was at that club, and he made the mistake about the color of the cards being blue – aloud – for all the court to hear! I realize now what my bracelet has been trying to hint to me all along, and all my life! It’s trying to signify to me when I can’t and shouldn’t trust somebody! It’s telling me what I’ve known, deep in my heart, ever since this trial began…that I can no longer trust Kristoph Gavin.

He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat.

I would give anything in the world right now for things to be different…

Phoenix observed the visibly discomfited young man with knowing sympathy. He knew Apollo was lying about his ignorance, and a part of him almost felt terrible for what he was about to coerce the attorney to do. The pianist knew exactly how the kid felt – he was certainly no stranger to finding out the inconvenient truth that the person you’d built up in your mind for the longest time was, disappointingly, not the person you’d thought they were.

“Remember what I said,” he prodded gently, peering searchingly into those gloomy Bambi eyes. “The fourth person who swapped the cards made one critical error.”

Right before answering, Apollo risked taking a gander at Kristoph, who’d been glowering at the Phoenix with nothing short of unmistakable hatred, which had now graduated to sheer, undeniable loathing. The pianist merely smirked and stared at Apollo expectantly, patiently awaiting his response.

“He or she wasn’t considering the color on the back of the cards…” Apollo replied dully, pressing his finger against his forehead to make it look as though he were seriously contemplating the answer he’d known all along.

“Yes,” Phoenix nodded. “But how could such an obvious mistake occur? The cards used for the last game were red. Yet, there is one person here, in our court…who thought those cards were blue.” He flashed a small, encouraging smile. “Well, Apollo? Think you can figure out who it was?”

Shut your damn mouth, Wright! The ever-mounting fear was like a constant hammering to Kristoph’s head at this point. Stop trying to sway the boy, damn you!

“I-It’s not me, I swear!” Mr. Payne was sweat-dropping profusely, a look of absolute terror on his face, as though he genuinely thought he could be considered a suspect at this point.

“Who is this fourth person!?” The judge pounded his gavel.

“Let’s hear what the defense has to say.” Phoenix directed his piercing stare at the courtroom. “Who was it? Who thought the cards used in the final game were blue?”

Gumshoe’s jaw dropped as the awareness of just who his friend was hinting at sunk in at that moment. Next to him, Trucy gasped and clutched his arm, the answer dawning upon her at the same time.

Apollo took a slow, deep breath for courage, knowing it was too late for him to back down after all he had unearthed thus far. He knew what the right thing was to do, but that sure as hell didn’t make him feel any better about it! His steady gaze met Phoenix’s at last, allowing his childhood hero to see his resolve, however reluctant.

Kristoph scrutinized his protégé, pathetically attempting to utilize all his telepathic powers of persuasion to sway the young man into giving the incorrect answer. Never before, with every fiber of his being, had he so fervently yearned for another man’s failure as much as he did for Apollo Justice’s at that very moment.

Apollo cleared his throat and spit out the answer before his nerves got the better of him.

“Kristoph Gavin.”

A plague on both your houses! Kristoph seethed, shutting his eyes for a split second before directing his hateful glare, which he had hitherto reserved for Phoenix, and now affixing it onto his morose assistant. You’ll pay for this treachery, Apollo Justice! Both you and that degenerate hero of yours will rue this day! You can bet your lives on it!

“As I expected.” Phoenix cocked his head and studied the red attorney with undisguised admiration. “Your eyes and ears are as sharp as your hair.”

The facetiousness of the compliment notwithstanding, under different circumstances, any sort of praise given to him from the great Phoenix Wright would have been music to Apollo’s ears. However, now that the moment had finally come, he was unable to bask in it, as he’d never before felt so numbingly despondent.

“I-I was right?” Apollo asked quietly, although his face conveyed that he was still desperately hoping he’d be told otherwise, despite ruefully acknowledging there was no possible miraculous contradiction that would surface with regards to Kristoph’s knowledge of the card backs.

Sensing Apollo’s angst, Phoenix gazed at him compassionately for a split second, before turning his attention back to his adversary.

“Well…Kristoph?” He prompted, noting the other man’s sudden deathly pallor.

For once, Kristoph was at a loss for words. He knew he was cornered.

“Kristoph Gavin.” Phoenix eyed him stonily. “You were the fourth person that night.”

Kristoph listened to Phoenix, Apollo, and the judge’s voices in succession, with his assistant feebly protesting that it was natural for Kristoph to know what color the backs of the cards were since he had investigated the crime scene photos, and Phoenix coolly refuting the argument by stating the photos had only been black and white, with the actual colors only being known to the parties who had been present that night. Even as the German frantically wracked his mind for a way out, ultimately, he knew that like a wild animal trying to escape his predator, he’d finally been cornered, with no means of escape.

“Mr.…Gavin?” Apollo studied his employer anxiously, observing that the older man looked like he was going to be sick. “Are you alright?”

Shut your trap, you little two-faced worm! Don’t you dare pretend to be concerned about me now, when you’re the one who put my bloody head in the noose!

“Mr.….Gavin?” The judge’s eyes were the size of saucers as he regarded the defense attorney, whose previously white face was now making him resemble a doppelgänger for Kermit the Frog! “Mr. Gavin! I-Is something the matter?”

Only everything! Seven years of plotting and scheming and covering up my tracks, by any means necessary … All of it is about to come crashing upon my head because of one overly ambitious, self-righteous little pipsqueak with an inflated and sanctimonious sense of justice, and his accursed, vengeful, fallen idol, who is nowhere near as dumb as he looks!

The blond man swallowed hard against the wave of nausea building within him before he was able to reply.

“Hm? N-no, nothing. Excuse me, it was just so…sudden,” Kristoph murmured demurely before regarding his nemesis, searching that smug countenance for traces of mirth. “Wright. You aren’t seriously accusing me…are you?”

Much to Kristoph’s great chagrin, however, Phoenix wasn’t laughing. He took a very careful, hard look at the blond man and chose his words carefully.

“Oh, Kristoph?” The ex-attorney purred, who, while bearing zero traces of humor on his face, sounded very much like the satisfied cat who had just eaten the cream. “You know even I’d never take a joke this far.”

“Objection!” Screamed Mr. Payne. “This has gone beyond ridiculous, beyond dumb…This is insanity! The defendant accusing his own defense attorney of murder?”

You tell them Cue Ball! I guess Payne hasn’t become completely irrelevant to this trial after all! At least someone here has some common sense and knows better than to suspect an upstanding lawyer at the top of his field, of unquestionable character, especially when he’s being accused by the likes of a hobo bum lowlife like you, Phoenix Wright!

“I assure you…” Phoenix flashed an impish grin at the aghast prosecutor. “I’m quite sane.”

“But what possible connection could Mr. Gavin have to the victim?” Rasped Mr. Payne.

“I wasn’t aware that I had a connection to Mr. Smith, either,” responded the former Ace Attorney, raising a brow at the completely discombobulated prosecutor.

Touché, Arschloch. Despite his contempt for the other man, Kristoph had to give credit where it was due for that brilliant refutation.

Phoenix went on to present the possibility that Kristoph may have had time to meet with the victim on the night of the murder.

Apollo couldn’t take it anymore. He knew that there was only one way to get to the bottom of all this.

“Mr. Wright! The defense would like to request that you testify for the court!” Apollo commanded forcefully, right in his mentor’s ear, as was tradition.

Would you shut your blathering pie hole, Justice?! Kristoph gritted his teeth as he glowered at his protégé. Haven’t you done enough already?!

“Objection!”

This time, it wasn’t the high-pitched squeal of Winston Payne that reverberated throughout the courtroom. Kristoph Gavin had found his second wind, and there was no way in hell he was going down without a fight!

“The defense would like to do no such thing,” he demurred coldly, his countenance unreadable.

Apollo stared, completely appalled, at the man he had once revered more than anyone. Within the blink of an eye, his mentor, whom he’d admired above all else, had suddenly transformed into an evil, manipulative fiend who desperately was trying to slither off on his belly and away from the hands of justice!

“Testimonies must relate to the case,” Kristoph growled, sparks shooting out of his eyes, first at his apprentice, and then at the smug Phoenix. “How could anything happening before the game of poker be related?”

“I’m not sure I follow, Mr. Gavin.” The judge shook his head.

“As I explained before, the defense believes that Ms. Orly…” Kristoph began his previous argument, but for once, the wayward the judge cut him off in his tracks.

“Am I to assume you speak for Mr. Justice in this?” The old man asked brusquely. “After all, he is the defense, not you.”

The humiliating truth behind the bluntly stated words was nearly his undoing. Kristoph felt bile rising in his throat. It was true… He was merely the co-counsel. It was Apollo who was the actual lead defense in this case. That no good, degenerate, Phoenix Wright, had made sure of that!

Do the right thing, Apollo Justice! Kristoph felt the room around him beginning to spin. After everything I’ve done for you, you couldn’t possibly betray me even more than you already have, surely?! Have I taught you
nothing about loyalty in all my teachings?!

“Mr. Justice.” The somber dark eyes behind the bench rested squarely on the nerve-rattled Apollo. “The matter of Mr. Wright’s testimony is up to you. Does the court, in your opinion, need to hear Mr. Wright’s testimony?”

Apollo squeezed his eyes shut against Kristoph’s imploring gaze as he reflected on everything he had gone through in his life to have finally arrived here. From the time he had first turned to law because of his admiration for Phoenix Wright, to the day that he had set foot in the Gavin Law Offices as an employee, he realized his fate had been predetermined.

As the red attorney struggled with the biggest inner dilemma of his entire young life, his thoughts briefly drifted over to his best friend. There was a song that Clay had always played for him whenever he had been struggling through life and particularly during law school, and had threatened to just give up at times when it seemed like things were getting too tough.

Well, I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down

No, I’ll stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down

(I won’t back down)
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
(I won’t back down)
Hey, I will stand my ground and I won’t back down

Well, I know what’s right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down

He couldn’t, wouldn’t back down! Not after everything he’d resolved to do. He would get to the truth!

This was Mr. Wright’s strategy! He was planning this all along! And I intend to see it through!

Apollo banged his fists down on the defense bench.

“The defense would like to request that Mr. Wright testifies for the court!”

There was a stirring in the gallery at this announcement.

“I gotta give kudos to this kid, for following through the way he did,” Gumshoe praised, turning to the quiet magician beside him. “Going against his mentor like that… That couldn’t have been an easy thing to do.”

Now I know why Daddy always looked so uneasy whenever that creepy German came to visit him at the bar! Trucy thought, then looked up at her Uncle, her sky-colored orbs filled with indignation.

“Kristoph Gavin is an evil man, and I’m glad his employee turned the tables on him! I hope they send him up the river!”

“If anyone can turn this case around, it’s your father,” Gumshoe assured the fuming teenager, playfully ruffling her silky hair beneath her magician hat. “He doesn’t need an attorney’s badge to do that, mark my words!”

“Et Tu, Justice?” Kristoph whispered shakily, his expression slightly pained as stared at his assistant. “You would betray me, your teacher?” His voice was hoarse as he lowered his cadence and whispered fiercely in the younger man’s ear. “Out of the hundreds of applicants to my law firm, I chose to take a chance on you! And this is how you repay me?!”

Apollo shook his head sadly, but he didn’t even flinch, and his voice never wavered once.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Gavin. This isn’t about loyalty. This is about the truth!”

I’ll get you for this, Justice!

“Very well,” said the judge. “The defendant…Mr. Wright will take the stand, please.”

The DILF was quite composed as he gave his statement.

“That evening, Kristoph and I had dinner. We sat at the table in this photograph. Shadi Smith walked in five minutes after Kristoph left. When the “trap” failed, Smith hit the waitress. The girl was knocked out cold, and Smith was uncontrollable. I had to call the police. When I returned, he was dead, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead. That’s when I made another phone call…To Defense Attorney Gavin.”

“Mr. Gavin!” The judge exclaimed. “This confirms it! You were at the Borscht Bowl Club the night of the murder!”

“I dine with him rather frequently. After all, we were really good friends,” the hobo drawled sardonically, unable to resist adding that slight little dig, and then smiling broadly at the scathing look it earned him from the visibly fuming German.

“A-And he talked to the defendant on the phone directly after the murder!?” Mr. Payne sounded incredulous.

“Quite against my will,” Phoenix informed him archly. “After all, it was in a professional, not personal, capacity that I made the phone call, in this case, it was because I had become involved in a murder. I thought I might be in need of a lawyer, so I figured, who better to call than The Coolest Defense in the West?”

Kristoph was sure at this point his teeth would be worn down to mere nubs at the rate he was grinding them, so incensed was he by the former attorney’s continuous sarcastic barbs which were thinly veiled as legitimate testimony!

“You were planning this all along, weren’t you, Wright?” Kristoph hissed. “Just because you wanted to drag me into your little murder trial…”

“The only thing I want…is the truth.” Unlike the defense attorney’s, the beanie wearer’s voice was calm and level. “As I did back then…and now.”

You’re a dead man, Wright.

“I thought my office was doing you a favor when we took on your defense,” Kristoph retorted menacingly. “It appears that I was wrong.”

Get used to it. Phoenix shrugged apathetically at the words. You can’t be right all the time.

“Very well.” The judge pounded his gavel. “The defense may cross-examine the witness.”

“Justice!” Kristoph snapped

“S-Sir!” Apollo replied nervously.

“He’s lying, and you’re going to expose him,” the blond man ordered.

“Uh…Understood, sir.”

Mr. Gavin vs. Mr. Wright…This can’t end well! Apollo groaned inwardly. Why couldn’t I have a normal trial !? All this talk of exposing everybody… Even a flasher case would be more welcome than this!

The horn-haired youth decided to press the defendant about the failed trap he spoke of.

“About this failed “trap”…This is the same “trap” that Ms. Olga Orly mentioned?”

“Yes…” the pianist answered. “A harmless prank, in essence. It was by a quirk of fate that I happened to discover it…”

As usual, nothing but pure dumb luck! Kristoph muttered darkly to himself. It brought you a lifetime of undeserved success, and it brought me a lifetime of misery! You will pay for this Phoenix Wright … Even more than you already have! I swear it!

“A “quirk”…?” Mr. Payne questioned.

“I happened to put my hand in my pocket…and found a card,” Phoenix elaborated.

“The card she planted!” Apollo crowed – with way too much enthusiasm for Kristoph’s liking.

Excellent job of deduction, Captain Obvious! The German mentally jeered. Shall we reward you with a gold star sticker?

“Yes. I snuck a peek at it and found it was the Five of Hearts.” A mystical smile crept over the pianist’s visage then. “I had a ‘feeling’ something might happen, so I disposed of the card…before the game.”

“Disposed of?” The judge repeated. “Where!?”

“There was an empty bottle of grape juice I had been drinking right beside me. I threw the card inside the bottle.”

“An empty bottle of grape juice…” Mr. Payne echoed, furrowing his brow.

“The murder weapon!?” Apollo yelped.

“Yes. I rolled it up and shoved it in. The colored glass makes it hard to see.”

“Hmm…” The judge murmured. “A battle of wits between the deceiver and the would-be deceived! That sounds like terrific drama…”

“I’ll say!” Agreed Gumshoe, out in the gallery, now munching on some licorice sticks that Trucy had provided. “This kid is something else! Today’s courtroom drama could be called ‘Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney!’ What do you think, kiddo?”

“Hmmm…” Trucy thoughtfully mulled this over as she bit off both ends of her Twizzler and popped it into her soda can, using it as a makeshift straw. “I would think given the card angle, a more likely title should be ‘Turnabout Trump,’ Uncle Gumshoe.”

The judge pounded his gavel.

“Mr. Wright! The “Poker Head of Courtroom No. 3” approves of this battle of wits!” The old man’s merry eyes were twinkling now as he smiled down at his one-time favorite defense lawyer. “Please revise your testimony with this new information.”

“Sure thing, Your Honor.” The card shark flashed the judge an impish grin, then continued with the revised testimony. “I discovered the “trap” during the game and disposed of the card in the bottle. The girl was knocked out cold, and Smith was uncontrollable. I had to call the police. When I returned, he was dead, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead.”

“Objection!” Yelled Apollo. “Mr. Wright… if I may?”

“Yes?” Phoenix blinked innocently.

“Take a look at this photograph of the crime scene.” The red attorney gestured to the item in his hand. “See the victim here? He’s wearing a hat. …”

His voice trailed off, and his cheeks began to grow warm as Phoenix continued to regard the red attorney with a trace of a smile playing over his lips as if to say…. “Go on…?”

“Um…” Apollo felt his forehead beginning to perspire slightly and grow clammy as he awkwardly scratched the top of his head. “So…I wouldn’t think you could see blood on his forehead?”

Good job! Maybe there’ll be redemption for you yet, Justice! Kristoph crowed silently. Go and do a complete turnabout against the former King of the Turnabout and shove all his sordid, filthy lies right back down his permanently bluffing throat!

Oh dear, Phoenix thought worriedly, noticing how unsure of himself Apollo appeared to be now that he’d potentially put his mentor’s neck on the line. I’ve got to help him get that newfound confidence restored if he’s going to help me ensure that justice is served today!

“Good point,” he responded neutrally while making sure he still treated the young man to a small, but reassuring smile, which he hoped conveyed the message: relax, you’re fine!

“Justice!” The German snapped peevishly. “Next time you point out an inconsistency, put a little more “oomph” into it!”

Of course, seeing as how the poor greenhorn has an egotistical megalomaniac as his boss, who basks in receiving the praise of others, while reluctant to bestow anything of the sort himself, yet is quick to dish out criticisms …Phoenix let out a silent sigh. I may have my work cut out for me here ensuring that the young Mr. Justice still has any self-confidence left, since it’s pretty evident that Kristoph Gavin is out for both his blood, along with mine!

“Mr. Wright, can you explain this to the court?” The judge no longer looked tickled by this contradiction.

“Ah…I forgot to mention something,” Phoenix said casually. “I was the one who put that hat on his head.”

Taking a page from Winston Payne’s book, this time Apollo’s shocked chin hit the floor upon hearing this statement, at the exact same time as the prosecutor’s jaw did the same thing!

“You put the hat on the dead man’s head?” The judge’s voice was nearly unrecognizable, as it’d gotten so high-pitched with incredulity.

“He wore it the entire poker game. After calling the police, when I returned to the scene, his head was in full view. Shining bright…Just like in this photograph.”

“And…?” The judge prompted as the defendant paused in his statement then.

“I picked the hat up off the floor and put it on his head,” the poker champ informed them, with almost deliberate insouciance, as though tampering with a crime scene was only a minor misdemeanor.

“Wh-Wh-Why’d you do a thing like that!?” Shrieked the flabbergasted Mr. Payne, who Kristoph had determined at this point had decided that if he couldn’t go with reason, he would just go with volume!

“All I can say is … I’m sorry.” Phoenix’s visage was sincere enough, despite the flippancy of his tone. “But that’s the only thing I touched at the crime scene.”

“So…Ms. Orly didn’t see it?” Apollo probed. “It being the victim’s ….er, his head.”

“I’d think not. She was out cold. I believe I was the only one who witnessed his head.”

“Ah, here we go again…” Kristoph heaved a melodramatic sigh and shook his head in mock despair.

“Mr. Gavin?” The youth asked hesitantly.

“Ahem,” the blond man cleared his throat, ignoring the quizzical look on his assistant’s face. “Pardon. It just seems that our “client” is determined to lie his way through this case.”

What the heck is going on here?! Apollo was completely flummoxed. H –he’s still our client! Isn’t he?!

“Hmm…” The judge furrowed his brow as he pounded his gavel. “In any case, please continue the cross-examination. I’m afraid decisive contradictions call for decisive evidence.”

“Push him harder, Justice!” The blond man barked, trying to ensure that it came across as more of a command than a cry of desperation. “Break him! It’s just you and the witness in the ring. Go for the KO!”

Ugh. Apollo felt his horns beginning to droop at this latest conflicting order. Why do I get the feeling we’re not on our client’s side anymore?! Time for me to begin the cross-examination… This is not going to be pleasant.

The red attorney pressed his client on the disposal of Olga’s planted card in the glass bottle.

“I’ve examined the bottle.” Apollo nervously scratched his head, indicating he was uncomfortable with this confrontation. “And I don’t see any card in here.”

“Hmm? No?” The defendant didn’t seem at all fazed.

“Mr. Wright!?” The judge exclaimed dubiously. “Surely that isn’t all you have to say for yourself!?”

“I can’t say that I know what happened to that card.” Phoenix still didn’t seem overly concerned about this particular discrepancy. “I did put it in that bottle, however.”

His client’s blasé attitude was starting to become unnerving, rendering Apollo entirely speechless for the moment as he pondered how any man could appear to be this nonchalant when he was still facing first-degree murder charges, and consequently, death row!

“Perhaps a fifth person came and took it out?” Kristoph scoffed, curling his lip with disdain. “Oh, and a sixth person could’ve helped?”

You’re such a douchebag, Kristoph! Phoenix thought cheerfully, as delightfully colorful visions of strangling the German with his own tie briefly danced through his mind. I am going to enjoy frying you way more than I ever could have dreamed!

“Mr. Gavin!” The judge looked scandalized by the defense attorney’s mockery. “Mr. Wright is your client!”

“…My apologies, Your Honor,” Kristoph forced himself to sound repentant. “I have no idea what came over me just now.”

“I won’t have you disparaging our investigation, either!” Mr. Payne scowled at Phoenix. “We looked inside that bottle! And there was nothing!”

Please, tell me that I can at least trust you, Mr. Wright, since my own boss is now questionable! Apollo pleadingly eyed his poker-faced client, desperately trying to read any sort of emotions that were lying beneath the stoic surface. Are you hoodwinking us yet again…? Or did the card just somehow…disappear?!

“I believe that’s enough of that.” There was a blast of Arctic in his employer’s cadence.

“Um, Mr. Gavin?” Apollo’s head jerked up, completely startled by his boss’s tone, but Kristoph ignored him and continued on his warpath.

“This witness’s ‘testimony‘ is more like a ‘travesty’. It’s riddled with lies.” The hobo didn’t even blink at this onslaught, so the German pettily opted to throw in some more venom for good measure. “I’m beginning to see how you came to lose your attorney’s badge seven years ago!”

You crafty, insidious, son of a bitch! Buried deep within the sweatshirt pockets, the card shark’s hands clenched into enraged fists as the sole indication that the hateful man’s words had had any effect. His poker face was fully in place as he responded to his nemesis in an unreadable, neutral cadence.

“Well.” Phoenix slowly raised his head and affixed the defense attorney with a wicked grin. “You certainly have a unique way of treating your clients, Kristoph! I never knew.”

“I believe it was you who threw the first stone…?” The blond retorted, a biting edge forming in his tone.

Apollo wisely chose this exact moment to intervene in what was sure to become a heated argument by loudly thumping his fists on the defense bench, then turning his pleading Bambi eyes towards his idol.

“Mr. Wright! If you intend to ever tell the truth about this case, it’s now or never…!”

“Don’t be misled…” the former blue attorney replied evenly. “I haven’t told a single lie here. When I noticed the “trap”…I put the card in the bottle to dispose of it. And when I put the hat on the victim’s head…Let’s just say I had a reason for doing that as well.”

“A … reason?” The judge echoed.

“That reason … is right here.” Phoenix whipped out his self-proclaimed “dumb phone.”

“Your … cell phone?” Apollo gasped.

“That night…Recall that I spoke with Defense Attorney Gavin after calling the police. Just in case, I recorded our conversation.”

“What’s this…?” The alarm began to creep into Kristoph’s voice once more.

“Now that we’re all here, I see no reason why I shouldn’t play it back for the court.” Phoenix proceeded to play the recording for the courtroom right there and then.

“Hello?”

“Kristoph. I seem to be in a bit of trouble,” Phoenix said quickly. “Right after you left, at the eleventh hour, I partook in a card game from a spontaneous, out-of-the-blue challenger.”

“What’s this?” Kristoph inquired mildly. “Game not going well?”

“Something like that.”

“That gentleman who challenged you…He turned out to be good?”

“He turned out to be dead.” Phoenix gulped. “Someone hit him. Hard.”

“You mean someone cracked that flawless, bone china pate?” The German drawled. “It…wasn’t you, was it?”

“Me? Please,” Phoenix mocked. “The cops should be here any minute. I’m in your hands … Should it come to that.”

There was a hushed silence over the courtroom as everybody digested what they had just heard.

“That’s my Daddy for you!” Out in the gallery, Trucy proudly beamed at Gumshoe. “I’ve always told him he should always think like a magician and have an extra trick up his sleeve!”

“Your father never fails to disappoint!” The Chief chuckled appreciatively.

“Bone china ‘plate’…?” Apollo asked blankly.

“A kind of porcelain, very smooth and shiny,” Phoenix informed him. “And not ‘plate‘, but ‘pate’. I believe he was referring to a certain gentleman’s balding forehead.”

“Hmm…” Murmured the judge of an equally shiny, bald forehead. “The court appreciates the defendant’s
discretion in not indicating my forehead.”

“No problem, Your Honor.” The accused cracked a half-smile in the judge’s direction.

“So, after Mr. Gavin ate dinner with you…” Apollo was in his full-blown, index to the forehead discerning mode. “He left the Borscht Bowl Club?”

“Most certainly.”

“Then…then how did he know?” Apollo demanded. “When did he see this ‘bone china pate’?”

“Yes…” The accused murmured softly, immensely pleased that the bright young man was finally catching on. “That was when I began to see my good friend in a different light.”

The rage building within Kristoph felt like a volcano erupting; fury sweeping off him like ferocious waves as the despised man continued to speak.

“Troubled, I returned to the crime scene,” Phoenix continued. “And when I spotted Mr. Smith’s head again, I knew exactly what was wrong.”

The pianist ceased speaking then and jutted his chin so that there was no mistaking the full-blown accusation in his dark blue eyes as he stared unwaveringly at the veteran defense attorney.

“Well, Mr. Gavin. The stage has been set. Perhaps you would like to explain this to the court? Exactly how did you come by your privileged knowledge of the victim’s head?”

“So, this is your ‘reason’, isn’t it?” Kristoph’s voice was nearly unrecognizable to his own ears at this point, as it had grown so high-pitched, it would’ve nearly put Winston Payne’s to shame. “The reason why you put the victim’s hat back on.”

“Your point, Mr. Gavin?” The ennui in the spiky-haired man’s voice was hard to miss. “Care to call a spade a spade?”

Oh you’re just a punny Scheißkerl when you think you’ve got the upper hand, aren’t you?

“It’s come down to this, has it … Phoenix Wright?” Kristoph was baring his teeth at this point, uncaring about maintaining his cool any longer.

A loud chorus of excited spectator voices spread like wildfire across the courtroom.

“Can you believe this, pal?!” Gumshoe was completely floored. “It was him! Kristoph Gavin’s the one who committed the murder!”

“And that horrible man is trying to pin it on my Daddy!” Trucy gasped. “I know Daddy presented that recorded phone call as his secret evidence to prove he wasn’t the culprit, but what if it’s not enough proof to take the blame off him?! Then what are we going to do?!”

“Order! I will have order!” The judge pounded his gavel. “Mr. Payne!”

“Y-Yes, Your Honor!” Mr. Payne was sweating buckets.

“I believe this court has been left with no other choice…Are you prepared to hear Defense Attorney Gavin’s testimony?” The judge demanded.

“Eh?” Mr. Payne was visibly shaken by this latest turn of events. “Ah…Urk? Ahem! Well, as the prosecutor, I…”

“Very well!” The judge pounded his gavel while the flustered prosecutor spluttered unintelligible gibberish. “We’ll break for ten minutes. After which Mr. Gavin will take the stand for a cross-examination! Are we all clear on that?”

“Crystal clear, Your Honor,” Kristoph managed to utter, grateful for the reprieve because at that minute he felt as though he was going to be violently ill immediately.

“This will be the final recess for the day!” The judge declared, slamming his gavel down one last time before recess began at 2:32 PM as he summoned both Phoenix and Kristoph to his chambers.

The minute she heard that gavel come down, Trucy shot out of her seat like a lightning bolt.

“Hey pal, where are you going?” Gumshoe called after her as she raced towards the door, in search of the one person that could help her, who, as luck would have it, she knew would be by themselves right now.

“I’m just running to the bathroom, Uncle Gumshoe!” The magician called over her shoulder. “I’ll be back before the recess is over!”

Trucy hated deceiving her beloved Uncle, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she knew there was no way he would approve of her intended actions any more than her father would.

The moment she was out of the Chief’s line of sight, the teen made a beeline in the opposite direction from the restrooms and headed straight for the defendant lobby, a steely glint of determination in her eye.

Someday, I hope you’ll find it in your heart to understand, Daddy. I’m only doing this because you mean the world to me.

The time had come. Trucy Wright knew what she needed to do.

Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 3
April 20, 2026, 2:32 PM

Apollo anxiously paced the lobby floor, uncertain of what to do with himself now that he had been left to his own devices during the brief recess, as both Mr. Wright and Mr. Gavin had been summoned to the judge’s chambers.

Today had just been one unexpected shocking twist after another, and he was still reeling from the chain of unanticipated events when suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes on him.

“…May I?” A stranger’s voice asked quietly, from just directly behind him.

“Huh? What?” Apollo spun around and came face to face with a girl, oddly dressed in a blue magician cape and top hat. She was very baby-faced, even though she appeared to be in her teens. He supposed she would’ve been pretty, had she been smiling. However, her expression was completely somber, doe eyes peering up at him unblinkingly.

Trucy silently studied the young man to whom her father had entrusted his life, noting his open, honest visage as his big brown eyes stared at her in mystification, obviously surprised by her sudden presence. The magician could tell he was a very nice guy, but her perception also told her that while he was indeed trustworthy, he was also still very new to the legal field, and his odds against a sly snake-like Kristoph Gavin would be dicey at best. Her Daddy might fully trust Apollo Justice’s lawyer skills, but she could not be so willing to gamble with something as important as her father’s life – which was why the red attorney was about to become the latest (unknowing) participant in her own “Plan-B.”

“Hello, sir.” Trucy plastered on her best, engaging ‘stage’ smile. “Please, pick a card.”

She then proceeded to whip out a handful of playing cards, waving them under the startled lawyer’s nose.

Wh-What’s all this about? The girl obviously had zero intention of leaving until he did as she asked, and Apollo only obliged because her unwavering gaze was starting to get to him and his nerves were already shot after the whole courtroom drama!

“Uh… Is this one OK?” Without really looking, he plucked the card closest to him, which seem to be poking out slightly more than the rest of them.

“Excellent. I have a message for you.” The puzzling girl’s solemn blue eyes peered earnestly into his, as though trying to convey an underlying message beyond just the words she was speaking. “The last hand is about to be played. You’ll need a trump card to make it.”

“A trump card…?” Apollo was bewildered. It just looked like an ordinary playing card to him.

“The card you have chosen is magical.” The teen informed him enigmatically, her voice laden with meaning. A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips. “Use it wisely, and the game is yours. That’s all.”

Apollo glanced down at the card in his hand, and his eyes widened as he realized exactly what he was holding.

The missing fifth ace that Olga was talking about! Wait… This blotch of red … Is this blood?!

“You have your trump card. Now it’s up to you to cut the deck and draw… the truth.” The girl’s tone suddenly changed from mysterious to earnest, and the pleading on her face was evident as she spoke again. “My father’s fate is in your hands. I know you can do it!”

With those being her final parting words, as stealthily as she had appeared, the magician suddenly vanished, as if into thin air, leaving Apollo blinking with surprised confusion in her wake. Their peculiar exchange had been so brief that he would have thought he’d imagined it, had it not been for the telltale card he was still holding in his fingers.

“This blood-stained card…is my trump card for finding the truth?” Apollo spoke the words aloud, despite being alone now, while his mind frantically replayed the last words the strange girl had spoken to him.

“I know you can do it!”

Why was this simple sentence ringing such an inexplicably déjà vu bell in his ears? When had he heard those very words before, spoken with the same intensity? And why did that girl look so familiar to him? He was positive he had seen her somewhere before – but where?!

Apollo’s memory flashed back to the very last words of encouragement Phoenix Wright had bequeathed to him before they’d headed into the courtroom to commence his very first trial.

“…It’s time.” A slight upturned curve hovered over the pianist’s lips. It was only a slight gesture, one he was no longer unaccustomed to making, but it was still a completely sincere smile that he directed at the somewhat awed-looking attorney. “The real trial begins now. Do your best, Apollo Justice. I know you can do it.”

That was when the attorney made the connection.

Same cryptic way of speaking.

Same enigmatic smile.

And lastly, the exact same emphasis on their selectively chosen, but few spoken words, utilized to best get their intended point across.

A slightly amused smile tugged at Apollo Justice’s lips.

Like father, like daughter.