Back from the Dead

Defending and Offending

The next day at 9:47am, Miles and Gregory met with Iris in the defendant's lobby. They assured the girl that Larry did not know anything about her real secret and that he believed she was in love with him. This greatly relieved the girl, but the calm didn't last long because a curly haired man entered the room.

"Yo Miles, uncle Ray heard you're defending someone. Finally decided to take the path of a defense attorney like your old man?"

Miles groaned. "What are you doing here Ray? How did you even know about this?"

"Eh, come on Miles don't be like that, I came to wish you good luck on your first case." 

Gregory cleared his throat. "I may, or may not...have let it slip to him that you are defending someone when I asked his opinion on this case last night..." His father at least had the decency to look sheepish as he chuckled nervously.

Miles pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, since you're here you can probably have no case, so you ca-"

"Can take over the case for you? Yeah, no such luck kid. I have the next case scheduled right after yours. But don't worry, uncle Ray'll be in the gallery cheering you on."

The silver haired prosecutor sighed, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I see."

Gregory opened his mouth to say something when a whip cracked near the door. They turned around to see the one and only Franziska von Karma. 

"Miles Edgeworth!" she said triumphantly. "Prepare yourself to get defeated. I shall be the one to win this trial!"

"Franziska-" started Miles but got interrupted as the whip hit his shoulder.

"Quiet defense attorney! From this moment on you shall address me as Prosecutor von Karma. In the courtroom we do not know each other, are we clear?"

Miles blinked at his sister before smirking. "Of course, I look forward to facing against you, Prosecutor von Karma."

They shook hands as an understanding passed between them. This was their trial.

...

The two Edgeworths took their seat behind the defense bench. Miles called judge Courtney last night and explained the situation. While she herself was unable to preside, she suggested they arrange for judge Tanner, from his debut trial to oversee the trial. Since he would not recognize the prosecutor. Although she also warned Miles that this is the only time the Goddess of Law will allow something like this.

And so, with a judge that won't recognize him, a prosecutor that won't tell on him and someone in the P.I.C. keeping it under wraps, Miles could focus on the trial at hand. The judge banged his gavel and the trial officially began.

"Court in now in session for the trial of Sister Iris of Hazakura Temple. Are the defense and prosecution ready?" said the judge.

"The defense is ready, your honor." said Miles.

"The prosecution stands ready." said Franziska.

"Ah...Mr. Edgeworth, I'm pretty sure I've seen you somewhere before...am I imagining things?" Miles and Franziska made eye contact from across the courtroom. The judge wasn't supposed to recognize him, this wasn't good. Luckily their saving grace came from the defense's co-counsel.

"I believe you're thinking of me your honor. Gregory Edgeworth, ex-defense attorney. This is my son, Miles Edgeworth. It's pretty easy to confuse us around."

"Ah yes, I suppose...Although I was pretty sure the Edgeworth I was thinking about was a prosecutor...nevermind. Let us continue with the trial, Prosecutor von Karma your opening statement please." 

"The victim is the famed children's book author Elise Deauxnim. Her body was found in the Hazakura Temple courtyard. She had been stabbed through the torso by a ceremonial sword that is part of the statue of Ami Fey from Kurain Village. There is no mistake that this is the doing of sister Iris, for there was a witness to the murder." said Franziska.

"Very well, please proceed." said the judge.

"The prosecution calls forth the first witness." As expected, sister Bikini took the stand. "Witness, please state your name and profession to the court."

"Little old me? Oh, well I'm the head nun of Hazakura Temple on Eagle Mountain. My name is Bikini. You got it? Bikini." and then she laughed loudly. "Nice to meet everyone."

"...But you don't appear to be wearing a bikini right now..." said the judge, which earned him a whipping and Franziska's disgusted glare.

"...The courtroom is the garden of holy judgement. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!"

"What you said was rather unprofessional, your honor." added Gregory.

"I-...yes I suppose it was. Forgive my ungentlemanly behaviour Sister Bikini." said the judge.

"Now, now, don't get your bikinis in a twist. I forgive you, your honor. After all, I am quite a sight to behold in the summer." and then she laughed again.

"In any case..." said Miles. "Witness, you claim you saw the crime take place on the night in question."

"Please give the court your testimony." said Franziska.

Bikini testified that she was supposed to stay in the Inner Temple, but her bad back was causing her pain, so she left Iris with Maya while she went back to Hazakura Temple for a hot bath. However that was impossible since Iris claimed she never went to the Inner Temple. While Franziska said that Iris was obviously lying, Gregory pointed out that it would have made more sense for her say that she went to the Inner Temple, since it gave her a better alibi.

The defense pressed Bikini about her movements after her bath and made her reveal that she heard a noise from the courtyard, which led her to see Iris stabbing Deauxnim with the Shichishito. She believed that the stabbing must have occurred after Deauxnim fell from her room, but Miles pointed out that the autopsy report said she was pushed after being stabbed, proving that the scene Bikini witnessed did not happen. This made the court believe the murder occurred in the victim's room, however this contradicted the state of the room as there were no traces of blood found in the it. 

More pressing from the defense and a little bit of arguing with the prosecution, made the head nun reveal that she didn't actually see Iris stab Deauxnim, but the sword was already in place. After further inquiry made by Gregory, Bikini added that she saw Iris with the sword, which was in the victim to the hilt, being pulled out smoothly. Miles objected, pointing out that would have been impossible for her to smoothly pull the blade out of Deauxnim's body, due to its seven branches. The defense also concluded that the wound was too large for the sword to stop the bleeding completely and there was only blood on the tip of the sword. This made the court question if the Shichishito really was the murder weapon.

Bikini suggested that the killer could have disposed of the real murder weapon and that combined with the photo of single set of snowmobile tracks and the weather report proved that someone had gone to Dusky Bridge with the snowmobile while it was still snowing, and returned to Hazakura Temple with it after the snow stopped. The prosecution stated that it could only have been Iris since she had the only key to the snowmobile, however, Bikini pointed out that, after leaving Iris at the Inner Temple, she hadn't seen the snowmobile at Dusky Bridge on her way back, but had seen it at Hazakura Temple.

This prompted the judge to ask if there was another witness who might have seen the snowmobile at the bridge. And so, "Laurice Deauxnim" aka Larry Butz was called to testify. Both the defense and prosecution could feel a headache coming.

After all, when something smells, it's usually the Butz. 

(A\N: School just started physically where I live so I'm afraid I'll start posting at a much slower pace, at least till mid July. I'm not abandoning the fic, but it'll be a while until the next chapter. That's all, Crazycousins202 out.)