District Court
(Okay, calm down, this is just another ordinary
trial…)
"Mr. Lawyer, please don't let them take me
away!" a childish voice cried.
Phoenix Wright looked down at his client, a
small, innocent-looking boy named Parker William. The poor guy was shaking all over and
crying like a baby. A 13-year old being put on trial for murder… What had become of
this world?
(Stop lying to yourself, Phoenix. This case is
far from ordinary.)
"Say, Parker, what's that you've got in your
hand?" Phoenix asked, trying to act as friendly as possible.
The little boy was holding what looked like a
miniscule TV with arms and legs sprouting out of it and a smiley face plastered on the
screen. "Oh, this? This is Bob! Max made him!" he was practically shoving Bob
into Phoenix's face. For a 13 year old he did act a bit too much like a child.
"Uwaaah!" the lawyer cried out as the
TV suddenly started to move on its own. It started to say in an electronic voice,
"Hello!"
"Wow!" exclaimed Maya. "That's
really neat! Hey there, Bob!"
"Hello!"
"Just… Get that thing away from me…"
Phoenix huffed.
"Mr. Wright, all I can say is… Good
luck," said Parker's 24-year-old brother Max.
"Don't you worry, Mr. William!" Maya
chimed in. "Nick always wins his cases, even if his clients ARE guilty!"
"M-Maya!" Phoenix stammered nervously.
Max chuckled. "Really, now? Then clearing
Parker's name will be easier than I thought since I know for sure that he's innocent. I'm
counting on you, Mr. Wright. I'm counting on you to obliterate that poor excuse of a
prosecutor."
"Huh?" It sounded like Max had
something against the prosecuting for the case.
"I'm just kidding around, Mr. Wright. But
seriously, everything is in your hands."
(Great, more pressure…
My name is Phoenix Wright. The girl in the
funny-looking clothes is my assistant, Maya. It's been a while since I've defended anyone,
but I'm ready this time. Even if this new prosecutor everyone's been talking about is the
"bane of the accused" as everyone's been calling him. I don't really know the
details, but supposedly he's one sketchy character. But you know, I've faced and beaten
the most ruthless and calculating prosecutors this world has ever seen, so he should be
just like the rest of them…. Right?
Well, here goes nothing…)
Courtroom No. 2
Phoenix entered the courtroom. The audience was
chattering as usual, but once he took his place at the defense's bench, there was a bang
of a gavel and all was silent.
"Court is now in session for the trial of
Parker William."
"The defense is ready, Your Honor."
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor,"
came a smooth and unusually warm voice.
Phoenix looked at the man standing across from
him. The prosecutor looked young, though it was hard to tell because most of his body was
concealed in what appeared to be a black ninja outfit, with a red business suit and yellow
tie clumsily worn over it. He wore a half mask as well as some sort of eye patch over his
right eye, though his left eye was closed. His hair was purple… And spiked, much to
Phoenix's chagrin.
(Ugh… Why do the prosecutors keep getting
weirder and weirder?)
"The prosecution is… Xuan Wu Sinistral,
correct?"
"Indeed, Your Honor. Is something the
matter?"
The judge furrowed his brow. "I'm just
curious as to why you have… Such attire…"
"Oh, I do believe that is none of your
concern. I do have good reason to be dressed like this, however," Xuan Wu replied.
(What in the world would be a good reason to be
some Ryu Hayabusa ripoff?!)
With the clearing of a throat, the judge
continued. "In any case, your opening statement, Mr. Sinistral."
"The murder victim is known as Doctor Ishni
Sanshi. He was the adoptive parent of Parker and Max William."
The judge looked over Sanshi's profile, and a
look of curiosity struck his face. "Hmm… It says here that he was an
inventor?"
"Yes, that's what it says," Xuan Wu
confirmed coolly. "He never had an occupation and spent much of his life creating
things. In order to support his family, he apparently made a counterfeit money printer and
hacked into many bank accounts. It was only after we investigated his house after his
death that we found out all of this. He also had a penchant for creating robots."
(How in the world was this guy eligible to adopt
those kids?!)
"So then, what is the prosecution's reason
for accusing this… adorable, harmless-looking boy?" the judge asked, gesturing
to Parker, who was cowering at the stand with Bambi eyes.
"Looks can be deceiving, Your Honor. If you
take a look at this medical report, the boy has… unique mental health, I must say. It
makes him quite violent, actually." Xuan Wu presented a piece of paper.
"The court accepts this evidence in the
court record," the judge stated.
Phoenix studied the report. The top of the file
looked like this:
------------------------------
|Hotti Clinic
| Examination
Record
|Psychiatrist: Dr.
Hotti
|Nurse: Talia Liata
|Insurance: Banguard
|
|ID:
1232145
|Date of Exam:
1/12
|Weight: 110
|Parent/Guardian: <hard to read this
part>
|
|Reports from family:… Threw violent tantrums, toppled
|bookshelves, kicking, says "they were out to get him,"
|rapid garbled speech, stays up all night, fights with
|family members often, only in episodes….
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Putting the record away, Phoenix turned his
attention back to Xuan Wu. "So, are you implying that my client murdered Dr. Sanshi
while in a rage from one of his violent episodes?"
"Well, it is the most likely motive,"
the ninja prosecutor answered, arms crossed and strumming his fingers.
Then, Phoenix noticed that Maya was next to him.
He had forgotten that she was even there. "Maya… You've been awfully quiet. Is
something the matter?" At first, the spirit medium only stared off into a space.
After a few seconds though, her head whipped around to face him. "Huh? Did you say
something, Nick?"
The ace attorney sighed. "Never mind."
"Of course, I can not establish a motive
without giving reason why the defendant is to be suspected," Xuan Wu continued.
"The prosecution would like to call Eliza Sanshi to the stand!"
After a moment, a little girl dressed in a white
dress silently walked up to the stand. She had a vacant stare, as if she were in her own
world. For some reason, Phoenix felt a chill run down his spine when he looked into her
cold, steel gray eyes.
"And who is this adorable, harmless-looking
little girl?" the judge inquired.
"My… My name is Eliza Sanshi. I'm Ishni
Sanshi's biological daughter and I was his assistant along with my surrogate brothers
Parker and Max William," she stated.
(What the… Since when does a little girl
talk like that?)
"Ms. Sanshi, please tell us about what
happened 2 days ago," the prosecutor requested.
"What part of 2 days ago would you like me
to tell you about?" the girl asked innocently.
Xuan Wu seemed taken aback at this. Choosing his
words carefully, he replied, "About what happened to your father."
Eliza nodded. "Very well."
"It was around midnight," she began.
"I was in bed but I got up because I wanted a drink. As I made my way to the kitchen
I passed by my father's room and noticed that he was not in it. I thought that he was
working late on his new robot again, so I paid no heed to it. But then I saw him in the
kitchen. And Parker was there. Before my eyes I saw Parker plunge a knife into my dad's
chest. Scared for my life, I ran back to my room and called the cops."
"Hmm…" the judge took this in.
"So the defendant stabbed the victim in the chest."
"Here is the autopsy report and the murder
weapon. We've already done tests on the knife, and it does indeed have Parker's
fingerprints," Xuan Wu stated.
Autopsy Report: Died due to multiple stab wounds at around 12:01 AM.
Kitchen Knife: The murder weapon. Has Parker's
fingerprints on it.
"Wait a minute, but the kitchen knife was an
everyday item! It wouldn't be strange to find the fingerprints of someone living in that
house on it!" Phoenix protested.
"Objection…" Xuan Wu's voice
suddenly grew sharp, and even though he had objected as soft as a mouse it demanded the
attention of everyone in the courtroom, and all fell silent. For the very first time in
the trial he opened his eyes. "Perhaps, but that does not change the fact that the
witness saw the defendant stab the victim with it. Also, I regret to inform you that the
fingerprints are upside-down, which is a position best suited for plunging a knife
into someone's chest rather than cutting up a slice of turkey."
"Urk!"
"Excuse me… But should I be being
cross-examined now?" Eliza added.
"Mr. Wright," the judge said, glaring
at Phoenix. "I know how you cross-examine your witnesses, but keep in mind that you
are dealing with no more than a child, and that her father has just passed away. If I see
even a hint of unnecessary badgering then I will have to penalize you."
"U-Understood," Phoenix said, gulping
nervously.
(I can already see a contradiction, but just to
be safe… I need to gather information before I tackle this testimony's weaknesses.)
Phoenix cleared his throat, prepared to start his
questioning. But something was amiss. Usually this was the time that Maya started cheering
him on, but she was still silent. Trying to think nothing of it, he began the
cross-examination.
"Eliza, you mentioned that your father was
working on a 'new robot.' Can you tell us more about this?"
"My father was good at making robots,"
she explained. "Although they were more like androids. Most of them were failures
too."
"Androits?" the judge repeated
incredulously. "Is that a type of microwave? I could really use a new one, you
know!"
"Er, no, Your Honor," Phoenix said.
"An android is a robot that's supposed to mimic a human."
"Robots that act like humans?! I've never
heard of such a thing!"
(I bet you've never heard of Star Trek either,
you poor, deprived man.)
"Yes, my father took quite a liking to
building them, even if he didn't succeed."
"Ahem," Xuan Wu interrupted. "I
believe we're going off topic here. The subject at hand is the murder of Ishni Sanshi. Mr.
Wright, your next question, if you please."
(Alright, didn't get anywhere with that…
Might as well just show some evidence now.)
"Ms. Sanshi, did you or did you not see
Parker stab Ishni once and only once?"
"Yes, he stabbed him once and only once…"
"I'm afraid that contradicts with the
evidence!" Phoenix's voice boomed with confidence. "The autopsy report states
that-"
"OBJECTION!" Xuan Wu abruptly yelled,
followed by silence. Then, he casually said, "I'm very disappointed, Mr.
Wright."
"And what are you disappointed about?"
Phoenix dared to ask.
"I've heard stories about your outrageous
hair, but taking one look I'm afraid to say it is nothing compared to mine," he
stated.
"Uh… Is that all?" the defense
attorney queried.
"Of course not. You were about to say that
the autopsy report stated Mr. Sanshi was stabbed multiple times, which contradicted with
Eliza's statement that she only saw him stabbed once. Am I right?"
(Argh! Why do the prosecutors always seem like a
step ahead of me?) "Y-Yes, that was what I was going to say…"
"Now, now, Mr. Wright.. Remember that once
Eliza saw Parker stab the poor doctor, she ran away to call the police. Wouldn't it have
been possible that the defendant had been stabbing the victim before the witness arrived
at the scene, and after she fled?"
"Er, yes…"
"Good. Your next question, please."
It took a while for the ace attorney to finally
regain his composure. "Eliza, are you absolutely sure that the person you saw stab
Ishni was Parker, the defendant?"
"It had to be him," she replied.
"But…"
"But what?"
"Ah! Well, there was something different
about him. There was look of absolute rage on his face. I had never seen him like that.
And it's hard to believe that he would actually do something like that. He was always such
a nice brother to me. Always there for me when I was down…"
Phoenix slammed his palms on the table.
"Your Honor! The witness has made a number of statements! These need to be added to
the testimony!"
The judge nodded. "Very well."
(I think I might be going somewhere with this…
That testimony just proved that Parker wasn't a "violent" individual…)
"Eliza," Phoenix started. "You
said that you had never seen Parker like that, referring to the look of rage he had on his
face. Are you telling us that he had never acted violently at all?"
Eliza thought for a moment. "Well, actually,
no. It wasn't that violent, but he would regularly throw tantrums."
(No! That's not the answer I wanted!)
"F-Fair enough," Phoenix said, trying
to recover from the blow. He then presented the medical record of Parker's mental health
examination record. He felt awkward showing it to a little girl, but there was no harm in
doing so. "Can you confirm that this is indeed Parker's examination?"
Eliza carefully examined the report. Finally, she
looked up and said, "Yeah, I've seen this before. I remember when Parker had to go to
the doctor and this was shown to me afterwards."
"I see," Phoenix said, retrieving the
record. He was going nowhere. If he didn't think of something fast, then the trial was
over. But what could he do?
And then he noticed it. It was so miniscule, and
yet so obvious. At once he palmed himself in the face for not realizing it the first time.
With renewed determination he banged against the table. "Your Honor!" and with
his hands on his hips he declared, "the adorable, harmless-looking witness has just
told a lie."
"W-Whaaaaaaat?!" the judge blurted in
disbelief.
"Objection!" Mr. Sinistral's posture
had not changed, but there was a tone of nervousness in his voice. "You don't mean…
No… It can't be…"
"Does the prosecution know what the defense
has in mind?" the judge asked.
"I believe so," Phoenix answered.
"First take a look at this medical record, which the prosecution had presented to us.
This record was supposed to be proof that Parker William had a disorder where he would
behave violently. If you scan the report quickly you would miss it, but there is one
little mark on it that proves it has nothing to do with anyone in this case!"
"Hmm… I can't seem to find it,"
the judge stated as he perused the record. "Hold on, let me get my spectacles."
"No, no… That won't be necessary, Your
Honor. I'll point it out for you…" Mr. Wright said.
"It's right… Here!"
"The patient's name? What about it?" As
always, the judge was clueless.
"There is a comma, denoting that the last
name is stated first, and then the first name. So, the name of the patient in this
examination is William Parker."
"W-Wait! But the defendant's name is Parker
William!" the judge finished.
The ace attorney nodded. "Exactly. 'Parker'
and 'William' can be both surnames and first names, which caused all of this confusion.
This 'evidence' was presented to support the claim that Parker had a mental disorder, and
that the motive for murder was due to a violently manic episode. However, now that we know
that this is not in fact a record of Parker William, the prosecution's claim has been
shattered!"
"Mr. Sinistral!" the judge remarked.
"You look awfully distressed." And his observation was correct. Xuan Wu was
slouched over, gripping the edge of the table and breathing heavily.
"Perhaps you wouldn't be sweating so much if
you didn't have all those ridiculous clothes on, Mr. Sinistral," Phoenix taunted.
It took a while for the prosecutor to catch his
breath and stand back up. "Now, now, Mr. Wright, I believe I've already stated that
my choice of attire is absolutely none of your business," he said, anger subtly
rising in his voice.
"Anyways…" Phoenix quickly put in,
"there's something that really bothers me. Recall that the witness said she had seen
this report before. But if this record was of someone that she didn't even know, then how
could she have known about it?"
"Ah…." Was all Eliza could say,
but her expression didn't change.
"I'll answer that," Mr. Sinistral
interjected. "I retrieved this record in the victim's house. She could have seen it
there."
"It was at the victim's house? Why was it
there?" Phoenix wondered aloud.
"It's because… I… I planted it
there," Eliza said.
Phoenix thought he was hearing things.
"W-WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" (No way!)
"I… I murdered my father. And that's
the truth…" the girl finished.
And then there was complete silence. Nobody knew
what to say. This little girl had suddenly confessed to killing her own father, but not
even she showed any sign of breaking down. Finally, there was laughter, and it came from
Xuan Wu Sinistral.
"Heh heh, I see you're not very adept at
theatrics. Such terrible acting…" he remarked.
"W-What are you saying?" Mr. Wright
asked, feeling uneasy.
"Mr. Wright, I'm sure you've noticed it. How…
unusual this little girl is. You see, when we look at someone, our brain takes note of
miniscule movements all over their face. It is these tiny movements of life that reassures
us that the person we are talking to is… human," and suddenly, the ninja
prosecutor brandished a 4-starred shuriken, it's blades gleaming in the light of the
courtroom.
"Mr. Sinistral what are you-!"
"Hya!"
THUNK.
…
(I gazed in horror at what Mr. Sinistral had
done, but it took a moment for me to actually look. The whole courtroom was dead silent,
and I knew that everyone one of us couldn't believe it.
Eliza Sanshi was standing with the shuriken
deeply embedded into her skull. Black fluid drizzled from the wound, and there were sparks
of electricity crackling out. And yet she was still conscious, and her expression was
still vacant and cold.
All she could say was, "Oh dear, you've
found out my… Little… Secret.")
"Yes, Ms. Eliza Sanshi is a robot,"
Xuan Wu said.
"So… What does this mean?" Phoenix
said, feeling lightheaded. (This has to be a dream…)
"Mr. Wright… Do you really believe that
Ms. Eliza Sanshi murdered Doctor Ishni Sanshi?" Xuan Wu asked him. "Choose your
words carefully."
(I have to think hard on this one. Saying yes
could win me this case very quickly. But something's not right. No… There's more
behind this murder…) "The defense proposes that… The defense proposes that
Eliza Sanshi did not murder Doctor Sanshi, at least not of her own free will. Being a
robot, there is the possibility that someone could have programmed her to say whatever he
or she wanted her to say… Including confess to murdering the doctor if things started
to look behind."
"That's what I think as well," Mr.
Sinistral said, nodding his head. "But now ask… Who? Are there any
suspects?"
(…! Actually, there is! But… Is it
really him?) "I think I know who did it," Mr. Wright declared.
"Really? Well, hurry up and tell us who it
is!" the judge shouted excitedly.
"First, the medical record of William Parker
was found in the Sanshi house. Someone who had access to the house must have planted it
there in order to throw us off and provide a possible motive for Parker murdering Mr.
Sanshi. Second, the murderer knew that Eliza Sanshi was a robot and had the skills as well
as the opportunity to reprogram her. And for my third point… Well, recall when the
examination record was presented. The prosecution claimed that Parker had a violent
episode, when in fact he didn't. Don't you find it odd that someone in this very
courtroom, who knew Parker best, didn't object to the prosecution's statement? He
knew that Parker wasn't that violent from the very beginning, but he didn't say a word!
Your Honor… The defense accuses the defendant's brother, Max William, for the murder
of Ishni Sanshi!"
"….I see," Was all Xuan Wu could
say.
(The court was in an uproar. For a long time the
judge's call for order fell on deaf ears. Eliza just stood there, with that shuriken still
in her forehead. I remembered that Maya was next to me and turned to her, but she still
wasn't talking. I looked at Mr. Sinistral and saw that he was looking up with the glare of
a predator in his eye. Following his gaze, I saw that he was looking at Max William.
Once order was finally restored, the judge called
for a thirty-minute recess. After that Max William will be testifying. And then,
hopefully, the truth will all come to light.
It's going to be a rough ride.)
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 3
"Whoa, looks like I just made it in
time!"
Phoenix recognized that loud, gruff voice. It
could only have been Detective Gumshoe, the man who was supposed to be his enemy, but had
aided him in countless cases over the years, sometimes at the expense of getting his
already almost-non-existent salary lowered or the crack of a whip.
"Alright, Mr. Wright, I've got some evidence
for ya," the detective began. "Hopefully it will help in the trial. I went
through a lot of work to get these pieces of evidence!" and his chest heaved with
pride and an overdramatic sense of self-worth.
"Wait, but shouldn't you be giving this to
Xuan Wu?"
"Well, I was going to, but he just wouldn't
accept it. He sure is a strange guy," Gumshoe replied, scratching his head.
(No kidding. He was the one who found and
presented evidence that turned out to be completely irrelevant and misleading to the case,
so there's no reason he wouldn't trust any more evidence. But should I?)
"Alright, what've you got?"
Gumshoe pulled out a few files. "Well, all I
did was skim through the whole house and collected whatever looked really important, so….
Here you go!"
(As always, Gumshoe does his job thoroughly.)
Phoenix perused the files.
------------------------------
Kitchen Map (scene of the crime): Marked to recreate the scene of the crime (pictured below)
--------------------------- ------------ (W) ---------
I--I I--I (P) |Fridge | -------
_________ |_ ______| | |
| Table
|
-------------- (V) -------------
I--I I--I | Stove |
----------------------
To Laboratory
P = Parker's location when police found him V=Victim's location
W=Eliza's location from her testimony
Ishni's Log: It says, "Eliza has gone
missing. She was playing with Max and Parker, but they have no idea where she went off. I
hope she's okay…" "… Thank goodness! Max found her by the river! I was
worried that I had lost her. She, along with Max and Parker mean everything to me. Good
grief, all this stress is not good for these old bones…" "… Eliza has
been acting strange ever since she got back. Sometimes I wonder what she was doing while
she had gone missing. Her eyes have gotten darker too. Why can't she just talk to me? It's
heart-breaking to see my only daughter like this. If only her mother were here. Maria
would know what to do."
Photo: A picture of a younger Ishni holding a
baby girl. Her bright blue eyes stand out the most in the photo.
Photo 2: A more recent picture of Max and Parker,
playing by a river with the same girl.
Eliza's Birth Certificate: Born on June 15 to
Ishni and Maria Sanshi.
Laboratory Photo: A box of latex gloves lays in the center of the room, while mechanical parts are strewn about. A half-completed android can be seen in the back.
------------------------------
"Wait a minute!" Phoenix bursted when
he saw the birth certificate. "Eliza Sanshi was an actual person?! But that doesn't
make any sense!"
Detective Gumshoe glanced to the side.
"Well, that's all I have for you. Hope that's enough. Say, where's your client,
anyway?"
"He was taken away by the bailiff after I
accused his brother. I'm not sure I can even look at the poor kid anymore..." Phoenix
said.
"Nick," Maya said quietly as she looked
at the clock. "It's about to start again."
"Okay. Let's go."
(I'm not sure what all of this new information is
supposed to mean, or if I should even trust that it's real. But I know who did, and I've
got to bring him down. This guy... Max.... He killed his father and was willing to pin the
murder on his own brother! I can't allow a monster like that to get away!
I'm sorry, Parker...)
***
13 years ago...
Kurain Village
Mia ran as fast as she could, but her assailant
was gaining up on her. It was hard to run barefoot through the woods, especially in the
dark, but still she pressed on, ignoring the pain. Her life depended on it.
She let out a scream as she was tackled, sending
her rolling out of the thicket and by the river. Her attacker was on top of her now, and
he brandished a knife, its blade glistening in the moonlight. Mia kept screaming. She was
so far from the village, so her chances of anyone hearing her were nil. Besides, only five
feet away from them the river dropped into a waterfall, enveloping any other noise with
its flow. Was this the end?
"Let her go!"
From out of the darkness a shuriken dug itself
into the man's back. He let out a roar and whirled around. He saw the boy he had thrown it
and lunged for him, and the two were locked into a fierce brawl. Half-scared and
half-relieved, Mia looked up, trying to recognize her savior.
"Xuan Wu?"
In a rage, the man made a dash for Mia and
grabbed her, holding her up threateningly above the waterfall before the boy.
"You coward!" the boy spat. "Let
her go!"
"The Feys do not deserve the the inheritance
of the Master! Their blood will soak the soil of Kurain, starting with this girl!"
and the man tossed Mia in the river like a ragdoll. She let out a scream as she was swept
by the current and disappeared over the waterfall.
"NOOOOO!!" Xuan Wu charged at the man,
embedding a second shuriken into the man's stomach, causing the man to slip into the river
and tumble down the waterfall as well. Xuan Wu scrambled to the edge and peered over, but
Mia was nowhere in sight.
"MIIIIAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
***
May 21, 11:40 AM
District Court
Court Room No. 2
"The court will now reconvene for the trial
of Parker William."
"Cutting right the chase, the court has
called forth Max William," Xuan Wu stated, gesturing to the man who was already at
the witness stand. "Now, Mr. William, would you please testify as to what you saw at
the stroke of midnight on April 19th."
"Before we begin though," the judge
interrupeted, " The court should knoew that since Ms. Eliza Sanshi was not.... A
qualified witness... We can not consider any part of her testimony as reliable.
"So basically, pretend it never
happened," Xuan Wu summed up.
(Great, back to square one then) Phoenix thought.
He was alone at the defense's bench, for he had no idea where Maya had gone off to.
Max cleared his throat to remind the court that
he existed. "I understand that I am under suspicion, so I will gladly testify to
prove my innocence."
(That's weird, this guy doesn't put up much of a
fuss. Maybe he's just confident.)
Max began his testimony. "I awoke at 12:00
to loud noises that were coming from downstairs. It sounded like someone was fighting. I
stood by the kitchen door from the hallway and to my shock saw Parker unconscious . It was
Eliza who stabbed Ishni-"
"Hold it! You saw Eliza stab Mr. Sanshi?
Then why didn't you tell anyone before?!"
""I'm sorry, I'm... I'm not the sort of
person who can speak up," Max responded.
(That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard!)
"Anyways," Max continued, "At that
moment I knew that Eliza had malfunctioned. Mr. Sanshi built her after all, and I'd say
he's terrible when it comes to robotics... And that's the end of my testimony."
"So... it was actually Eliza who murdered
Mr. Sanshi? Then that means Parker is innocent!" the judge exclaimed.
"Yes, it appears that would be the
case," Xuan Wu affirmed. "Phoenix Wright, this testimony shows that your client
is innocent. Are you satisfied with it, or will you cross-examine Mr. William?"
"I will cross-examine the witness, of
course. Even if it does prove my client innocent, I intend to leave no stone unturned in a
case. I still have questions about this what really happened, and I will not be satisfied
until I get the whole truth."
Mr. Sinistral nodded. "Very well."
Suddenly, the prosecutor went into a coughing fit, but it died down after about ten
seconds, and he gestured for Phoenix to go on.
"Okay, my first question: Can you be a bit
more specific about where Parker was at the scene?"
Max thought for a bit. "Well, I'm positive
that he was on the leftside of the fridge."
"You're absolutely sure?"
"Yes."
(Too easy.) "I will now present this map of
the kitchen, the scene of the crime,"" Phoenix declared.
--------------------------- ------------ (W) ---------
I--I I--I (P) |Fridge | -------
_________ |_ ______| | |
| Table
|
-------------- (V) -------------
I--I I--I | Stove |
----------------------
Laboratory
"You said that you were in the hallway,
correct? Marked with a (W)?"
"Sir, what are you trying to get at?"
Max asked uneasily.
"Well, it's just that if you were in the
position you were at the time, Parker would be on the rightside of the refrigerator
to you."
Max flinched. "But, but... What does it even
matter where he was?"
"Yes, Phoenix Wright, what significance does
the witness' perception of his brother's location make?" the judge inquired.
"It has great significance, Your Honor. If
you're viewing this kitchen from the laboratory's side, Parker would indeed have been on
the left side of the refrigerator. However, when viewing the room from the hallway, he
would be on the right. The witness is telling the truth about Parker's location, but he
lied about his own location!"
"So at the time of the murder, Max William
was actually in the laboratory, and not the hallway." Xuan Wu concluded.
The ace attorney nodded. "Exactly."
"Then what does it mean?"
"Pardon?"
It was Max who had asked the question. "What
does it mean if I was in the laboratory at the moment of the crime?"
"Mr. Wright, do you have an explanation for
why the witness was in the laboratory?" the judge asked.
"I.... No, not yet," Phoenix said.
"But I hope to find out through by continuing my cross-examination."
The judge nodded. "Very well."
Phoenix looked over the testimony. (Okay... So I
have to find a reason why Max was in the lab... Wait a minute...) He shuffled through some
papers, then looked back at Max's testimony. He wasn't sure if it meant anything, but he
had to try. "Mr. William, you said that at the moment of the murder you knew that
Eliza had malfunctioned. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Then this means that you had known that she
was a robot?"
"Yes."
Phoenix took out Eliza's birth certificate.
"Did you know that there was a girl, a human girl, of the same name?"
"Wait! Let me see that!" the judge
said. "You mean Eliza Sanshi was a real person?!"
"That's what I'd like to know," Phoenix
replied. "Witness, answer the question. Did you know that Eliza was once a
human?"
Max paused. "Yes," he said finally.
(Gotcha.) Next, Phoenix produced Ishni's log.
"I would like everyone to take a look at the parts I have highlighted in this
journal. Actually, pay specific attention to the last part."
"What's this?" the judge asked, and he
looked over the log before passing it on to Xuan Wu. "'Eliza has been acting strange
ever since she got back. Sometimes I wonder what she was doing while she had gone missing.
Her eyes have gotten darker too. Why can't she just talk to me? It's heart-breaking to see
my only daughter like this. If only her mother were here. Maria would know what to
do,'" he read.
"This journal clearly implies that Mr.
Sanshi wasn't aware that his daughter, Eliza Sanshi, had become an android. He refers to
the robot as his daughter, and also mentions the girl's mother." Phoenix explained.
"An androip?" the judge asked. "Is
that some kind of toaster oven?"
(We already went over this! And last time you
said it was a microwave!) "Anyways... If Mr. Sanshi had not known Eliza was an
android, then it would be logical to say that he didn't build her. But then who else did?
It couldn't have been Parker, he's too young. No, Max William, you are the only one who
could have built her! And you are the only one who could have murdered Ishni Sanshi!"
"But-" Max began, but Phoenix went on.
"Around midnight on April 19th, you were in
the laboratory to program Eliza to get her to lie about what was about to happen. After
that, you knocked out your own brother who was in the way, and stabbed Mr. Sanshi! Max
William the murderer of Ishni Sanshi was-"
SPLASH!
He never saw it coming, for all of a sudden his
face was soaked in ice cold water. Phoenix yelped in surprise, and when he could see
again, Xuan Wu was casually tossing a shuriken-shaped water balloon up and down in his
hand. Those who were in the courtroom were honored with the previously-thought-impossible
sight of the defense attorney's spikey hair completely flattened. "Have you cooled
down yet, Mr. Wright?" the ninja prosecutor queried. "I believe you need to slow
down and think things through. You do not have enough evidence to make such claims, and if
you haven't noticed the witness has been trying to testify."
"Thank you, Mr. Sinistral," Max said.
"Look, the old man was delusional. Eliza Sanshi, the real one, died two months ago.
He was so overcome with grief that he built a replica of her and thought that she was
real. I didn't know at first, I didn't even know that she had died. But she had changed,
so I went into his lab to get answers, looking through all of his files and notes. When I
found out what he did, and what really happened to Eliza, I was stunned. That's when I
walked out and saw her stab him. There's no way I could have built Eliza. I don't even
know a thing about robotics, so-"
"OBJECTION!" Phoenix shouted. "You
don't know anything about robotics, but I'd say you do! I remember before the trial began
that Parker showed me a neat robot of his. Bob was his name. And what did he say? He said
that you were the one who created Bob for him. Isn't that right?"
Max gritted his teeth. "Okay, so I do know a
thing or to, but Bob is nothing compared to a full blown, realistic android that could
pass off as a human for two months. Plus, why would I even go through so much trouble and
build her, anyway? Personally, making some android replacement for a human is just too
creepy for me."
"An androig?" the judge asked. "Is
that some kind of vacuum-" SPLASH! "Ahhhh! My beard is soaking wet!"
"Your Honor, that's the third time you've
asked that question, and the last two times you thought it was a microwave and a toaster
oven," an irritated Xuan Wu stated. He had another water balloon readied just in
case.
"As I was about to say," Phoenix
interrupted, "The reason why you would build Eliza had been bothering me, but I think
I've got an answer. If you look back at Ishni's log, it says that Eliza had disappeared...
When Max was around. Then, after a while, Max found her. I believe it was between these
two events that the robot Eliza was being built, by known other than Max William."
SPLASH! (Gah! And I had just dried, too!)
"That doesn't answer WHY the witness would
build her, Mr. Wright," Xuan Wu explained.
"Take a look at this photo," Phoenix
said.
"They're soggy," Xuan Wu said curtly.
(Because you were the one throwing water
balloons!)
"So what are we supposed to be looking
at?" the judge inquired.
"The river," Phoenix replied. "One
day, Max and Eliza were playing by the river. Then she disappeared. Max had claimed that
he had no idea where she went or what happened to her, but in actuality, she could have
fell in and drowned. Max, who could have already been working on an android, desperately
made a replacement for her, thinking that he could hide her death, and he succeeded.
That's why he would have built Eliza."
.....
SPLASH!
"Argh! It's dripping down my back!"
Phoenix cried.
"Oh, that was just me thanking you for
telling such a fascinating story," Mr. Sinistral said.
"But that's all it is. A story. Do you have
any proof to validate your story?" Max asked smugly.
"I.... I...." Phoenix began. The
attorney gritted his teeth, rummaging through the court record but finding nothing. (I've
come this far... I can't give up now! But... What can I do? I've presented all the
evidence I have! I'm all out of ammo!) He looked around. All eyes were on him, waiting for
an answer. (So many times have I been in a situation like this. And I've always found a
way. But this time? Can I pull through this time?)
"Mr. Wright, you stated that the witness was
responsible for the death of Eliza Sanshi, and building a robot to replace her in order to
cover up what had happened. You have also accused him of murdering Ishni Sanshi and
reprogramming the robot Eliza in order to lie in this court. But do you have any evidence,
decisive evidence to support any of these claims?"
"I..... No, I do not have any decisive
evidence to support my claims," Phoenix finally said, defeated.
"Well then, now that that's settled, can we
all agree that it was Eliza who killed my father?" Max chimed in with a smirk on his
face.
(I know he did it! He was the one who killed
Eliza, then Mr. Sanshi, then initially tried to frame Parker! I can't let him get away
with all of this! He's going to go after Parker next!)
"I suppose that is what we can
conclude," the judge affirmed. "You may leave the witness stand, Mr.
William."
"Thank goodness," Max said, a look of
pure triumph on his face.
"HOLD IT!"
Everyone in the courtroom looked at Phoenix, but
then they realized it was not him who had objected. Heads turned over to the prosecution's
bench.
"Just a moment, Your Honor," Xuan Wu
said. "Mr. Wright does not have any decisive evidence, but I do."
"Wait.... WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Phoenix
exclaimed in disbelief. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming, or if he had heard the ninja
prosecutor wrong.
"Xuan Wu.... What is the meaning of
this?" Max growled, who was now sweating bullets.
"I was not able to present this at the
start. I had to make sure there was enough of a foundation to support this and justify my
actions. I had to wait until enough suspicion was put on you. I had to wait until you were
cornered, with no escape... In this very courtroom. Max William, you know that I
was keeping a close watch on you. But what you didn't know was to what extent I was
watching you. I had your room bugged, and I happened to pick up something very
interesting. You like talking to yourself, don't you? Well, I'm afraid that will be the
reason to your downfall. I will now present this recording of a monologue the witness had
in his room."
Xuan Wu brandished a complicated-looking casette
player seemingly out of nowhere and pressed the play button. A voice that was clearly
Max's came on. "He's coming on to me. That old man knows my connections with the
black market. And I think he knows she's dead. I didn't think I could pull it off for this
long, but... Damn... What am I supposed to do?"
The casette player clicked, signaling that that
was the end of the recording. Max William was on the witness stand, his head bowed down,
and his breaths heavy. Phoenix Wright was still in daze. Why was Xuan Wu spying on Max?
Did they even know each other? And where in the world was Maya? She still hadn't come back
since the court had gone into recess.
"Xuan Wu..." Max panted hoarsely.
"Why... Why couldn't you just accept your punishment? You ruined my father's life,
you bastard... Xuan Wu..... XUAN WU!!!!" and he broke into a frenzied dash, taking
out a knife and diving for the prosecutor. Mr. Sinistral dodged, but as the knife went
down it made a clean slash across his face and left arm sleeve. Xuan Wu knocked the knife
out of Max's hand, then put him in an armlock as the bailiff arrived to detain the crazed
witness. As Max was led away, the ninja prosecutor turned to face Phoenix, and the ace
attorney gasped. The tears in Xuan Wu's costume from Max's knife revealed what looked like
deformed burn scars all over his body, including half of his face.
"Xuan Wu, I'm sorry. Maya wasn't sure it was
you, but she just told me you were here."
The purple-haired man looked at the person who
addressed him and smiled. "Mia... I'm so glad I get to see you... One last
time..."
(Mia and Xuan Wu... Know eachother?) Phoenix knew
best to stay out of the conversation. Although the two were conversing in front of the
whole court, whatever they had to say to eachother was their business.
The judge didn't think so though. "Wha...
What is the meaning of this?"
Xuan Wu sighed. "I believe the court does
deserve an explanation. After all, it's the very catalyst for this case.
"It all started 13 years ago. I was an
orphan at Kurain Village. I had no idea who my parents were. I heard that they had just
abandoned me there. I wasn't very well-liked since I was always starting trouble, but
there were two children who were very kind to me. They were Mia and Maya Fey. Everyone in
the village hated me, but I stayed because of them.
"Then, it happened. There was a man... He
was a very well-respected and honored man in the village, even though his ancestors were
beaten by the Feys for position of the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. Because
of that, he wanted to kill every single one of the Feys, and he started with Mia. I saved
her, but..."
"The man was put in critical condition, and
I had suffered from amnesia after the attack, so I believed, along with the other people,
that Xuan Wu had attacked him without provocation," Mia added solemnly.
Xuan Wu nodded. "I was then exiled from the
village. From then on I tried to start a new life, and I managed to get my career as a
prosecutor in the hopes of seeing you again, Mia, in court. Then, three months ago,
someone poisoned me. At first I didn't think anything of it when I saw his hand wave over
my coffee, but... It's an extremely slow-acting poison that gradually but surely destroys
the body, and the doctors didn't even know what it was, so there was nothing they could
do. Still, I decided to spend the last moments of my life prosecuting, in the hopes of
meeting Mia. That's when I managed to locate my father. The father that had abandoned me.
I was debating whether or not I should go and meet him, but then I realized that he had
adopted the children of the same man who had tried to kill Mia. And one of them I
instantly recognized as the person who had poisoned me. And before I knew it, he killed my
father."
"Hold on," Phoenix blurted out in
bewilderment. "You don't mean..."
"I do, Phoenix Wright. Ishni Sanshi was my
biological father. And Max William was the son of the man I almost killed to protect Mia
13 years ago. I vowed that Max wouldn't get away with this, so I immediately jumped on to
the case as the prosecution and prayed that the defense would be able to help me uncover
the true culprit. And you did just that, Phoenix Wright. Thank you. The boy, Parker, he
has a good heart, so this chain of hate can finally end. I could never have done it
without you..." and suddenly, Xuan Wu collapsed.
"Ah! Someone.... Somebody get a
paramedic!" Phoenix shouted as he and Mia dashed over to Xuan Wu's side. The
prosecutor's eyes were glazing, and his breaths were getting shorter with each passing
moment. "Sorry," Xuan Wu muttered. "The poison attacks the heart as well as
disfigure the body, and Max pulling out that knife on me was a pretty big shock. It's time
for me to go now..."
"No... Hang in there, Mr. Sinistral!"
Phoenix shouted.
"Xuan Wu, I'm sorry," Mia said, tears
welling up in her eyes. "I only recovered from my amnesia after it was too late. If I
hadn't lost my memory, you wouldn't have been outcasted. I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay, Mia. It was bound to happen
anyway, with me being such a troublemaker. But Mia, when I was banished from Kurain, I was
still happy. All that mattered was that you were safe. And.... Mia Fey.... I..... I love
you." and his eyes slowly closed, and he died with a sad yet contented smile still on
his face.
Mia pulled him close to her and wept.
May 21, 3:21 PM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 3
(It's over... It's finally over...)
"Mr. Lawyer! Why?! Why did my brother do
it?"
(Well, not really. I still don't know what I'm
supposed to say to this poor kid.)
Parker was bawling all over the place. "I
thought my brother loved me.... But he hates me! He killed dad and tried to blame me for
it! All those years together... How he cared for me... They were all a big fat lie! He
framed me! He even went so far as to plant fake evidence to incriminate me!"
(Ugh, what in the world am I supposed to do?)
"Parker..." Maya said in a comforting
tone, "It's okay. Nick knows just what to do."
(You're not helping at all, Maya!
Although, is there something I can show him?
Ah!)
"Parker, Max did love you," Phoenix
said. "Just look at Bob. It took a lot of trouble for him to build him, but he did it
just for you. It's just that... He did something terrible, and it only lead to him doing
even more terrible things to cover for himself. He loved you, but then his crimes caught
up with him and..."
"Parker," a man said, approaching the
group. "Come on, we're going to find you a new home."
The man led the boy away, but as they were about
to walk out, the boy turned back to face Phoenix. "Mr. Lawyer.... Thank you...."
he said, and then he was off.
"Well, now that that's settled, I believe
it's time that we finally go out for lunch!" Maya suggested.
"Yeah, I'm actually really hungry,"
Phoenix commented. "Alright, I guess we should go as well. It's been a long..... And
strange day."
(Xuan Wu... Max William... It seems that the
Kurain Village always has a bloody history. It seems that that place can affect people
other than the Feys. And I realized something as well. When I defend my clients, I'm not
doing it just for them. It's for the people who are counting on my clients to come home.
It's for those who had been affected by the true culprit. Xuan Wu passed away, but he died
in peace. That's why I'll continue to be a defense attorney. For as long as I can.)
THE END