#Mikes Edgeworth | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pyropsychiccollector · 1 month ago

Text

Ace Attorney: IF (... Part 3)

Time waits for no man. A couple of years after the resolution of both the original KG-8 and the reopened IS-7 incidents, the curtains rise on the Second KG-8 incident. The mysterious Yatagarasu has long since entered the public eye, revealing quite a few dirty dealings in the legal and business worlds. In the latest headlines, the Yatagarasu broke into a foreign embassy and stole something, sending it to the police. Deid Mann was set to testify against the smuggling ring, and was murdered by Mack Rell, whose crime was caught on tape.

Of course it doesn't end there. (人◕ω◕) Mack refuses to go down without a fight. Originally, he claimed to be the Yatagarasu himself; but as those dreams of stardom were dashed due to his own ignorance of the evidence sent to the police, he switched gears and claimed that the real Yatagarasu ordered him to murder Deid Mann. He further claimed to know the identity of the real Yatagarasu. (人◕ω◕)

This causes quite the stir as Mack accuses the prosecutor in charge of being the Yatagarasu. The defendant begs the judge to believe him. Forced to at least investigate this new possibility, the judge calls for a recess so that a replacement prosecutor can be called in, as well as witnesses that could testify to the veracity of these claims.

Byrne wastes no time in dragging Mack to the defendant lobbies to interrogate him on this rash and unsettling accusation. Tyrell, who was originally scheduled to testify as an expert witness on the Yatagarasu, felt something might go wrong for his longtime friend and decided to call for a detective from the precinct to guard the lobby until the trial was to resume. He waited downstairs at the main entrance of the courthouse for the ten minutes it took for Gumshoe to get there.

During this ten minutes... Quite a bit happened. Kay was waiting for her dad to wrap up the trial, and Simon was asked to come pick her up since it looked like the trial was going to drag on for a while. At 17, Simon was close to finishing high school and looking into prospects of becoming an actor. What drew him to the silver screen wasn't the fame, it was the various tricks and stunts, working out how to make movie/TV magic happen. Simon already had quite the reputation with the stage plays he'd participated in, and a few talent agencies were looking his way.

... But more than that, what originally got him thinking about acting was what his father was getting up to in recent years. Byrne and Tyrell tried to keep the children in the dark, but Simon was a teenager, and a rather sharp one at that. It didn't take much effort to confront his dad about his nightly escapades with clear evidence that Byrne couldn't refute.

While the acts of theft and upending corporations with their dirty laundry didn't upset Simon on their own - even if the courts had some uses, they were still pretty freaking powerless against people that literally bought verdicts and hid evidence - Simon was miffed that Byrne's life choices may result in Kay robbed of a father.

So the two of them reached a sort of... agreement. Whenever Byrne accomplished his goal of catching the leader of that smuggling ring, crushing the ring, whatever Byrne wanted to do... He needed to hang up the cowl, so to speak. Simon wouldn't say a word, especially not to Kay, but Byrne needed to limit the crimes he was actually committing. They both knew Byrne would turn himself in at some point, his conscience wouldn't allow anything less. But Byrne mustn't allow his ambition to consume him and thus abandon his daughter.

Byrne didn't want to abandon either of his children. So the Yatagarasu was always careful about how much they actually did, what they stole. Doubtless, they would face jail time eventually... But it wouldn't be a life sentence. All members of the Yatagarasu were members of the legal profession and law enforcement, so they knew the laws. Calisto always towed the line, pushing for more extreme shows of force, but Tyrell and Byrne kept the Yatagarasu... tempered.

The current case was... a rare exception. It was important, having direct ties to the smuggling ring. Simon heard all the justifications from Byrne, and while the judicial circus with Mack's accusation chafed the young man wouldn't meddle. He'd pick Kay up as requested, and they'd go out somewhere until the dust settled.

... That was the plan. But in that first ten minutes during the recess, Kay was pretty insistent on getting "therapeutic swiss rolls" (Simon had to help correct her on that first word). Hence, Simon helped her purchase four of them, even though that meant $12 down the crapper. And though he wasn't supposed to, he waited around with Kay so that she could give swiss rolls to their dad and Uncle Badd. It was hard to say "no" to that girl, even if she was 10 now and still clinging to the cutesy phase...

Calisto was forced to modify her plans with the kids around. If it was only Kay, the traitor could ignore her. But Simon and Calisto were rather... tense around one another. He never did like her very much, and the brat could never identify why... It was some gut instinct, and consequentially Calisto didn't like Simon very much either. She knew perfectly well why he distrusted her; on some level, he perceived that there was something fake about her, and the brat wasn't wrong. From the beginning, Calisto was planted here to deal with enemies of the smuggling ring.

Something that was rather difficult to accomplish with Simon's paranoid check-ins. More than a few times the brat stayed up past bedtime and eavesdropped on Yatagarasu meetings while held at the Faraday household. She's pretty certain Tyrell noticed, but never did much about it; probably because Simon's actions were all tied back to protecting Kay, and the old man had a rather notable soft spot for that girl. Byrne probably noticed sometimes, but that man got caught up in the heat of the moment and would often overlook people and things around him.

It was like baring his neck to Calisto. The way he trusted people so easily... Byrne was clearly the softer target between him and Badd. And that's why Calisto planned to eliminate him and abandon Badd to the legal fallout.

Except... with Simon and Kay lurking in the hallway, Calisto didn't trust for one damn minute that she could kill both Byrne and Mack, arrange the crime scene, and set up that tape to obfuscate the time of death. If one of Simon's check-ins happened during any of that setup, Calisto would be screwed. Arranging for someone to keep Simon busy wouldn't work; he'd absolutely see right through Calisto. She had no choice but to assume the worst when it came to that kid, Simon was a damn complication she didn't need right now. Acquiring the Yatagarasu's Key would have to wait for a better opportune moment.

Getting her hands on the key might be delayed... But arranging for Byrne's demise was doable. Death by poison was far from ideal, left a lot to chance, but Calisto needed that time delay to throw suspicion off her. It further helped that Byrne already poured himself a cup of coffee and had forgotten it while questioning Rell; the prosecutor didn't bat an eye when Calisto entered Lobby No. 2 under the pretense of checking on the evidence. Likely believed it was Yatagarasu-related.

Idiot.

After slipping the slow-acting poison into the coffee, and some fake fishing around the evidence bag and writing something in her notepad, Calisto excused herself and cast Rell one last warning look before leaving. Smuggling in that poison had not been easy... But with Byrne having Simon as a kid, the young woman knew better than to leave anything to chance. She still had a gun on her if the absolute worst came to pass and she came under suspicion... And that was looking incredibly likely since she'd had no choice but to leave Rell alive in this altered plan. The stooge caved to two things: Money and authority. If opportunity presented itself, she was definitely going to put a bullet between his eyes. Fingers crossed he kept his trap shut long enough for her to achieve her goals...

Simon saw Calisto go in and out of Lobby No. 2, of course. But she was only in there for a couple minutes, and from what he was able to see Byrne was still fine so he didn't think much of it. Kay tried to use that time to give her dad his swiss roll, but he wasn't in the mood for the treat and asked the kids to wait out in the hall. Byrne wound up finishing his coffee shortly after that, unaware of the poison he ingested as a consequence.

A short while later, Tyrell returned with Gumshoe and got pulled away by Calisto who wanted to talk in Lobby No. 1. Simon didn't much appreciate Gumshoe's ability to get distracted by a vending machine of all things... But Kay being the angel she was, wanted to help the big guy get a swiss roll; Simon unfortunately didn't have a spare dollar to exchange for Kay's coins, so she ran off to find someone that could. Kay still encountered Miles who was waiting for the trial to start with his mentor, and exchanged money with him.

During the remainder of the recess, Simon watched Kay bond with Gumshoe, reluctantly acknowledging the guy wasn't so bad... Simpleminded, absolutely. But his heart was in the right place, keeping Kay amused. Simon occasionally peeked on Uncle Badd and Calisto, as well as monitoring the "replacement" prosecutor that Chief Von Karma assigned to the case. If it wasn't for Kay's whims, Simon would have gotten her out of here already with how tense everything was...

Eventually the recess came to an end.

Tyrell went to fetch Byrne and Rell for the trial, and has Gumshoe escort the defendant while the older detective waits for his friend to freshen up a bit as he isn't feeling well. Byrne gets a drink from the fountain, waving Tyrell off to go in ahead of him and he'll be in shortly. And a few minutes into the trial resuming… Byrne collapses in his seat, Tyrell instantly at his side and checking on him. He isn't breathing, and announces this to the court that Byrne needs urgent medical attention. Everyone scrambles to action as the judge calls for immediate adjournment until they figure out what's going on. Byrne is rushed to the hospital, while that courtroom and attached areas are cordoned off for investigation. Mack Rell is detained as a suspect of the attack, no matter how unlikely. Courtroom spectators are temporarily held for questioning and then sent home until the case gets resolved; both for their safety and in case the police need to get back in touch with them.

Byrne's condition at the hospital is kept highly classified, but it's clear he's not well. It takes Tyrell a good hour before he returns to the courthouse, and grimly he reveals Byrne has passed away to investigators. The case is treated as a homicide as it was a variant of strychnine found in his system. Badd wants the murderer found, and orders the courthouse turned upside down; reluctantly he allows Von Karma's pupils to participate, and for Calisto to investigate what she wants so long as she doesn't get in the way.

In a cruel twist of fate, Calisto plants the container that originally held the strychnine on Gumshoe, and he still falls under suspicion as the police find traces of poison in the coffee Byrne drank. Simon and Kay are both unconvinced of Gumshoe's guilt but are dismissed by investigators and Tyrell has to step in to watch over them.

Partly because of Gumshoe's personality, and partly because he thinks it's too easy, Miles stubbornly looks into the case to seek the perfect proof. He wants to bring honor to his mentor… Despite the unsavory rumors about him so prevalent these days. And of course, Franziska wishes to make it a competitor between them.

… The investigation is a lot tougher because there's so few clues and testimonies. But eventually, through Simon and Kay's side of the story, and supplementary testimony from Rell that Gumshoe never set foot inside the lobby during the recess, Miles builds up a case of Gumshoe's innocence. And through Rell, they get him to crack and sell out Calisto. Cornered long before she can snatch the Yatagarasu's Key, Calisto tries making a hasty escape, take a hostage… But Simon trips her up mid-escape and buys enough time for Tyrell to catch up and arrest her. Simon gets chewed out for recklessness, especially by a grief-stricken Kay… But Tyrell thanks the young man for his heart being in the right place. For keeping another regret from being thrown onto the pile…

In resolving the case, it's revealed Byrne is actually alive. Hanging on by a thread, but alive. They went through with a charade to put the culprit in a false sense of security, and to lockdown the crime scene. As such, Calisto cannot be charged with murder… But she is tied up in Rell's murder of Deid Mann, and she is a member of the smuggling ring. She's also revealed to not be Cece Yew's sister… Privately, Tyrell makes a plea for cooperation in dealing with the smuggling ring. He knows now that she was never on their side, and that the embassy tied to the key is intimately connected to the ring. But all the same, Tyrell can see that on some level, Calisto is relieved her plan fell apart so spectacularly. She could easily try to return to the fold with the ring… But would they take her back after failing? In the end, what did Calisto herself want for her life?

It wasn't easy talking with Calisto. Tyrell was honestly enraged at what she tried to do… But in the end, the Yatagarasu had a bond. Calisto might have only been there superficially, but it wasn't so cut and dry. Calisto herself admitted her assignment was… unpleasant. And she was getting a fair deal out of this - a few years in prison, and then Badd could arrange for her transfer into the precinct as an investigator under him, provisionally. She simply needed to prove she wanted that fresh start. Oh, she would be watched like a hawk… But given that the ring would be trying to gun after her even if she turned the deal down, Calisto felt this was her best chance at any kind of life. The only drawback is that Calisto was bitter about being anywhere near Tyrell or Byrne after this… As much as she tried distancing her emotions from their partnership, Calisto didn't think she deserved redemption after stabbing them in the back. Byrne barely survived. Calisto would rather discard her emotions and stay loyal to the ring until the bitter end…

But ultimately, they still had the Yatagarasu's Key. The ring would come for her. Badd knew full well how serious they could be; his damn jacket testified to that. … But in the end, Calisto was a conflicted woman that wanted to live. That wanted to have purpose. The ring held her loyalties for personal reasons, but if she was just going to be cut off like she was expecting… Calisto might as well wait out the storm and see where this new life would take her. She grudgingly accepted Tyrell's offer, privately doubting Tyrell would actually make the effort for her a few years from now… She was resigned to disappointment. Yet in a few years, after feeding the police intel on the ring, Tyrell would surpass her expectations and she'd have a job as an officer waiting for her. And it wouldn't be difficult at all to work her way up, with her knowledge and experience. When Alba was ousted as an ambassador, and taken to court for his crimes… The same with Manny Coachen… Calisto didn't feel guilty at all.

This wasn't the only change, however. Tyrell also took pity on Miles, who seemed so pitiful as a pup of Von Karma. He filled the "boy" in on his father's last case getting resolved a few years back, how Von Karma wasn't as perfect as he puffed himself up to be. It was quite a wakeup call for Miles… And it only got worse for him as he tried confronting Von Karma. The Chief Prosecutor dismissed and fired him, on the grounds that the prosecutor's office didn't need idealistic whelps so quick to slander. Manfred was disappointed in his pet project fizzling out so pitifully… But it was bound to happen with IS-7 cleared up. He's only shocked that Ray Shields or Badd didn't try anything sooner. Regardless, Manfred turns all his attention to his daughter's inevitable debut and cementing his position as the Chief Prosecutor.

As for Miles… Ray got alerted to the fallout from Badd, approached and gave Miles the offer to work at his dad's agency that Ray was keeping alive and well. Left with nowhere else to go, disowned by both Von Karma's (Franziska in heated denial over her father's true nature), Miles decides to give the bar exam another try, this time as a defense attorney. He feels numb and lost… But Ray won't give up on him. And he'll have a "little brother" in Sebastian. Gumshoe also keeps in touch, and is all too willing to help at crime scenes… Much to Miles' chagrin.

Simon lets Kay have her reunion with her dad, but gets dragged into the affair by an amused Tyrell. There's still the allegations that Mack brought up, that Byrne is the Yatagarasu… But they "clear it up" in court in the coming days and prove it couldn't be him. Calisto's cooperation helps the investigation into the smuggling ring move along, but it still takes some time to build a case against Alba and Coachen. In the meanwhile, the Yatagarasu quietly retires, and for now Byrne resolves to be there for Kay and Simon and carry on with his pursuit of the ring through proper legal channels. His brush with death leaves Byrne in a shaken state, but he will continue to live and make his own peace with Calisto… However long that may take him. Kay won't learn about the Yatagarasu's identity for a few more years at least, but Simon convinced Byrne and Tyrell it needed to happen someday.

For now, they're a family. Simon's on his way to leaving the nest, but not leaving their lives. Can't let Byrne to do anything harebrained so soon after nearly losing his life~… Tyrell is just as determined to keep the Faraday's safe and reform Calisto. They haven't lost yet. (人◕ω◕)

#ace attorney investigations #byrne faraday #tyrell badd #Simon Keyes #Kay Faraday #Mikes Edgeworth #dick gumshoe #Calisto Yew

8 notes · View notes