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In Justice We Trust (2153 words) by thesavagesabretooth
Miles Edgeworth meets with Phoenix Wright to discuss a delicate political matter.
December 21, 10:15 am
“I’m sorry what?” Phoenix nearly spat out his drink.
Miles grimaced, and looked around just in case anyone had heard. But the two of them were alone at the Wunder Bar, and it was closed. They’d been let in as a special favor. Miles knew that no one would be eavesdropping here.
“I’m sorry, Phoenix. I know it must be… frustrating. But if we punish the Phantom too harshly, then we’ll never find out who his handlers are. We’ll never find out who actually is responsible for this.”
“So what? he’s cutting a deal?” Phoenix hissed. He held his coffee cup tightly.
“I haven’t offered it to him yet. But yes. If he accepts. Otherwise he’ll be executed swiftly. We’re already in the process of releasing a statement that he died of his wounds in the hospital. The papers will run the story tomorrow.”
Phoenix made a low noise. Unlike this phantom, he wasn’t one to conceal or suppress his anger.
“Great. So either he’s executed, or he gets a slap on the wrist? Edgeworth, this is the man who killed Athena’s mother we’re talking about. The man who killed Apollo’s–” he hesitated. “Best friend.”
Miles pinched the bridge of his nose and adjusted his glasses.
“I know, Wright. Trust me, I don’t like it either. But wouldn’t you– and they– prefer to be able to bring to justice the people who are truly responsible?”
“Trading favors for information doesn’t exactly sound like something outside of ‘the dark age of the law’, Miles,” Phoenix cautioned.
“Tch,” Miles shook his head. “Phoenix, I’m insulted. What could be more truly just than being able to pursue and hold responsible the instigators of a crime– no matter how privileged and powerful they may be. Don’t you think something like that is better to restore faith in the justice system?”
“Maybe,” Phoenix admitted bitterly. “But a man getting away with murder for it?”
Once again Miles pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Who said anything about ‘getting away with it’, Phoenix?” he sighed. “This man will be monitored by our government for the rest of his life. Possibly even called upon to act in his… capacity… on our behalf, though I don’t like to say so. There’s more than that, though– and this part is my doing.”
Phoenix frowned and leaned across the table. “Go on.”
“I want him to undergo psychiatric therapy,” Miles said. “I saw Athena start to get to him in court. I’d like to see how much more she can do with him.”
This time Phoenix didn’t spot out his drink– but only because he hadn’t taken a sip.
“You’re kidding me!” Phoenix protested. “Miles, that man killed her mother! He left her an orphan, traumatized for years!”
“Exactly,” Miles nodded in satisfaction. “Which means I can trust her not to be manipulated by him, or swayed by her sympathy for his position.”
Phoenix stared in disbelief.
“You think someone might be sympathetic to him?”
Miles sighed. “You don’t know much about the international espionage community, Phoenix. And that’s a good thing. I’ll admit I didn’t know much myself until taking on my current position. But I promise you, it’s not all James Bond.”
Phoenix frowned, and took a thoughtful cup of his coffee.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Have you considered, Phoenix, what it might take to remove a man of his entire identity and all of his emotions?”
That stymied the lawyer.
“Remove?” he repeated. “I just assumed he was. You know. Born like that.”
Miles sighed.
“That would be the preferable thing to believe, wouldn’t it? But no, Phoenix. Almost nobody’s born like that. But people like that can be created. And it isn’t pretty.”
“Oh.” Phoenix felt the wind knocked out of his sails. “I guess I can imagine why you might want him to have psychotherapy.”
Miles’ smile was thin, and a little mean.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if he actually felt guilty for his crimes?”
“Cold, Miles,” Phoenix huffed a laugh. He lifted his glass. “Cheers to that, I guess. But you really want Athena to do it? I mean– I hope you don’t mind me saying– I don’t know if she’ll say yes. Especially if you expect her to be alone in a room with this guy.”
“Phoenix!” Miles was aghast. “Perish the thought. I’m hoping Simon Blackquill will agree to work with her, as a secondary therapist– and a bodyguard.”
This time Phoenix laughed outright in disbelief.
“You’re serious? That’s a hell of a reversal, putting Blackquill in charge of this guy,” he snorted. “That’s assuming Blackquill doesn’t kill the phantom himself, like he nearly did in court.”
Miles shrugged.
“It would be unfortunate if he did so. But you can’t try a man for the murder of someone who’s already dead.” That mean smile cut across Miles’ face again. “So if that’s what fate has in store, so be it.”
Phoenix whistled.
“Damn, Edgeworth. This whole Chief Prosecutor gig has really brought out the politician in you.”
“I know,” Miles sighed– though a trace of the smile still remained. “It’s dreadful.”
“Kinda sexy though,” Phoenix teased.
Miles flushed. “Behave yourself, Wright. We’re in public.”
“Nobody’s here,” Phoenix shrugged. “But I’m glad to know our relationship’s a secret you’re more worried about keeping than the secret deal with a foreign spy.”
Miles laughed and pushed up his glasses.
“Phoenix Wright, you are an ass. Will you speak to Athena for me before I ask her officially?”
Phoenix nodded.
“Sure. You might wanna give her a day or so though.”
“I need time to make the arrangements in any case. Assuming our Phantom even agrees to talk.”
“You really think he’d take it to the grave?” Phoenix asked.
“Who can say? We’re dealing with a phantom after all.”
In Justice We Trust (2153 words) by thesavagesabretooth
Miles Edgeworth meets with Phoenix Wright to discuss a delicate political matter.
December 21, 10:15 am
“I’m sorry what?” Phoenix nearly spat out his drink.
Miles grimaced, and looked around just in case anyone had heard. But the two of them were alone at the Wunder Bar, and it was closed. They’d been let in as a special favor. Miles knew that no one would be eavesdropping here.
“I’m sorry, Phoenix. I know it must be… frustrating. But if we punish the Phantom too harshly, then we’ll never find out who his handlers are. We’ll never find out who actually is responsible for this.”
“So what? he’s cutting a deal?” Phoenix hissed. He held his coffee cup tightly.
“I haven’t offered it to him yet. But yes. If he accepts. Otherwise he’ll be executed swiftly. We’re already in the process of releasing a statement that he died of his wounds in the hospital. The papers will run the story tomorrow.”
Phoenix made a low noise. Unlike this phantom, he wasn’t one to conceal or suppress his anger.
“Great. So either he’s executed, or he gets a slap on the wrist? Edgeworth, this is the man who killed Athena’s mother we’re talking about. The man who killed Apollo’s–” he hesitated. “Best friend.”
Miles pinched the bridge of his nose and adjusted his glasses.
“I know, Wright. Trust me, I don’t like it either. But wouldn’t you– and they– prefer to be able to bring to justice the people who are truly responsible?”
“Trading favors for information doesn’t exactly sound like something outside of ‘the dark age of the law’, Miles,” Phoenix cautioned.
“Tch,” Miles shook his head. “Phoenix, I’m insulted. What could be more truly just than being able to pursue and hold responsible the instigators of a crime– no matter how privileged and powerful they may be. Don’t you think something like that is better to restore faith in the justice system?”
“Maybe,” Phoenix admitted bitterly. “But a man getting away with murder for it?”
Once again Miles pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Who said anything about ‘getting away with it’, Phoenix?” he sighed. “This man will be monitored by our government for the rest of his life. Possibly even called upon to act in his… capacity… on our behalf, though I don’t like to say so. There’s more than that, though– and this part is my doing.”
Phoenix frowned and leaned across the table. “Go on.”
“I want him to undergo psychiatric therapy,” Miles said. “I saw Athena start to get to him in court. I’d like to see how much more she can do with him.”
This time Phoenix didn’t spot out his drink– but only because he hadn’t taken a sip.
“You’re kidding me!” Phoenix protested. “Miles, that man killed her mother! He left her an orphan, traumatized for years!”
“Exactly,” Miles nodded in satisfaction. “Which means I can trust her not to be manipulated by him, or swayed by her sympathy for his position.”
Phoenix stared in disbelief.
“You think someone might be sympathetic to him?”
Miles sighed. “You don’t know much about the international espionage community, Phoenix. And that’s a good thing. I’ll admit I didn’t know much myself until taking on my current position. But I promise you, it’s not all James Bond.”
Phoenix frowned, and took a thoughtful cup of his coffee.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Have you considered, Phoenix, what it might take to remove a man of his entire identity and all of his emotions?”
That stymied the lawyer.
“Remove?” he repeated. “I just assumed he was. You know. Born like that.”
Miles sighed.
“That would be the preferable thing to believe, wouldn’t it? But no, Phoenix. Almost nobody’s born like that. But people like that can be created. And it isn’t pretty.”
“Oh.” Phoenix felt the wind knocked out of his sails. “I guess I can imagine why you might want him to have psychotherapy.”
Miles’ smile was thin, and a little mean.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if he actually felt guilty for his crimes?”
“Cold, Miles,” Phoenix huffed a laugh. He lifted his glass. “Cheers to that, I guess. But you really want Athena to do it? I mean– I hope you don’t mind me saying– I don’t know if she’ll say yes. Especially if you expect her to be alone in a room with this guy.”
“Phoenix!” Miles was aghast. “Perish the thought. I’m hoping Simon Blackquill will agree to work with her, as a secondary therapist– and a bodyguard.”
This time Phoenix laughed outright in disbelief.
“You’re serious? That’s a hell of a reversal, putting Blackquill in charge of this guy,” he snorted. “That’s assuming Blackquill doesn’t kill the phantom himself, like he nearly did in court.”
Miles shrugged.
“It would be unfortunate if he did so. But you can’t try a man for the murder of someone who’s already dead.” That mean smile cut across Miles’ face again. “So if that’s what fate has in store, so be it.”
Phoenix whistled.
“Damn, Edgeworth. This whole Chief Prosecutor gig has really brought out the politician in you.”
“I know,” Miles sighed– though a trace of the smile still remained. “It’s dreadful.”
“Kinda sexy though,” Phoenix teased.
Miles flushed. “Behave yourself, Wright. We’re in public.”
“Nobody’s here,” Phoenix shrugged. “But I’m glad to know our relationship’s a secret you’re more worried about keeping than the secret deal with a foreign spy.”
Miles laughed and pushed up his glasses.
“Phoenix Wright, you are an ass. Will you speak to Athena for me before I ask her officially?”
Phoenix nodded.
“Sure. You might wanna give her a day or so though.”
“I need time to make the arrangements in any case. Assuming our Phantom even agrees to talk.”
“You really think he’d take it to the grave?” Phoenix asked.
“Who can say? We’re dealing with a phantom after all.”
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