Back from the Dead

Miles and Franziska Go Feral

The court adjourned for a twenty minutes recess and the defense team met with Iris yet again in the lobby. Once there, Miles asked her about the snowmobile and she confirmed that she had been the one to use it. Gregory asked her why but she refused to say while until Maya's safety had been confirmed. This brought greater suspicion against her, but they couldn't do anything about it until she talks.

Recess had ended and Larry Butz was summoned to the stand. And from the start the trial was going horribly. Apparently he was detained for suspicious behavior in the gallery when he attempted to draw Franziska. The german woman was clearly not amused by her depiction as a "terrifying woman, armed with a demonic face and a vicious whip." Miles snorted at this which earned him his sister's ice cold glare. Eventually Larry was dragged before the court and Franziska threatened him with contempt of court before whipping him. Someone is going to go home with irritated skin...Thought Gregory.

"Hey! I was only trying to artistically render- Ouch!" yelped Larry.

"You tried to run away from the bailiff who was trying to hand you your subpoena, correct?" spat Franziska, whip ready for attack.

"Look, I'm just a poor struggling young artist. I'm here for paint! Paint I tell ya! Green paint! ...Or well, to use the technical term "viridian"."

"Larry, this isn't a paint store." said Gregory.

"I know ok! I graduated junior high after all!"

"Could have fooled me..." murmured Franziska.

"Hear me out! Being an artist is all about working in the fields-"

"Fieldwork." corrected Miles without skipping a beat.

"Fieldwork. That's what I said Edgy! And I just, y'know took a detour to look for a new muse. That's all I swear! I've got nothing to do with this trial."

Enraged, Franziska unleashed her whip on him several times. "That is a faultily made lie. It is stated here that you were the one to make the phone call to the police about the murder! Now! Cease your pathetic babbling and testify like a man! State your name and occupation before I whip you again!"

"Waah...This is too much for me!" and he got whipped again. 

"Ok, ok I'm talking sheesh...The name's Laurice Deauxnim artis- Ouch!"

"Your real name!"

"But that is my real name! -Ouch!"

Gregory let out the long suffering sigh of a fed up parent. "Larry please just- Just state your name and answer our questions. You've already wasted so much of the court's time, I wouldn't be surprised if you do actually get held in contempt of court."

"Ach! Come on Mr. E, I wasn't really doing anything and I did answer truthfully."

"Larry-" started Miles.

"Ok, ok, gimme a minute. My name's Lorenzo "Larry" Butz, "Laurice Deauxnim" is my pen name. I'm a freelance artist."

The entire court breathed a sigh of relief when he finally answered. Gregory saw 2 bailiffs hugging in the corner like they just won the lottery when Larry talked.

"State what you saw on the night of the murder." said Franziska, exhaustion evident in her voice despite this being the starts of the testimony.

"I was at that lodge out in the mountains, looking for some inspiration and the stars. I walked a few times to the bridge but I didn't see no snowmobile! In fact I didn't see anyone! My beautiful muse had stood me up...and my teacher died on me, literally! I'm all alone now! Aren't I Edgyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

"W-witness!" said the judge. "Please refrain from conversing directly with the defense during your testimony!"

 "I-I...I'm just a nobody! Nothing but a small, worthless man, aren't I? Couldn't even stop Nicky from taking a swan dive from that bridge! And now he might dieeeeeee!"

Gregory felt himself growing tired, sure he was used to tough witnesses, but never to this caliber. Was Larry actually trying to annoy himself out of testifying? Because if yes, it was definitely working. Luckily the judge intervened and they were able to proceed with the cross examination. Miles quickly realized that what Larry had said was a bold faced lie, since he met with Wright. In fact, had just stated that during his ramble a few minutes ago. Larry changed his testimony and stated that he had seen lightning strike the bridge from the shack and gone to check it out and ran into Wright. However Gregory pointed out that lightning had struck the bridge at 10:45 pm, meaning that Butz would have arrived there around 11 pm, at the latest but at that point Wright was still in Hazakura Temple, as stated by the man himself at the hospital. 

After more pressing, Larry admitted that, upon seeing the burning bridge, he had given into the urge to draw a picture of it. Miles prompted him to submit it to the court but the artist refused.

"No way Edgy! If I give you my beautiful drawing it'll get locked inside that stupid evidence locker for all of eternity, like my Thinker clocks."

And apparently that was the thing to snap Miles because his way to calm answer was. "Respected witness, forgive my ill-mannered phrasing as I can only tell you this: There are approximately 1,010,300 words in the English language, but I could never string enough words together to properly express how much I want to hit you with a chair. If you do not submit that drawing to the court, I will, in fact, be forced to demonstrate."

This threat seemed to terrify the drawing enough for him to give away the drawing. The drawing itself was depicting a figure flying over the burning bridge. Butz claimed that it was Iris; he had seen her fly that night, at least 30 feet above the bridge, with her hood fluttering in the wind. Miles said that was impossible because 1. humans are incapable of flying and 2. Iris had given her hood to Wright earlier that night, meaning that the person Butz had seen "flying" could not have been her. However Larry was convinced that it was Iris and claim to have proof of it. After going to Dusky Bridge to look for her, he had found a crystal sphere half-buried in the snow, and claimed Iris was the only one who could have lost a crystal sphere that night. Miles quickly shut the idea down as he proved that one more person had lost a crystal sphere, Elise Deauxnim. There had originally been a sphere on her staff, but it had disappeared after the murder.

The prosecution claimed that the "scribble" is ridiculous since people could not just fly. And Miles agreed that the idea of flight was impossible, but the important thing was that the crystal sphere had been found near the bridge. This proved that Deauxnim had left Hazakura Temple that night. Franziska argued that that the killer could have dropped the sphere, but Gregory pointed out that the sphere had been half-covered in snow. Since the snowfall had stopped by the time Bikini witnessed the murder, the sphere must have been dropped at Dusky Bridge before. Miles deduced that the snowmobile could have been used to move the body to Hazakura Temple. This brought forth the idea that that the real murder had taken place somewhere else, and made the court wonder why the body had been moved in the first place. The judge agreed that the case required further investigation and the trial was ended for the day.

Once all of the people in the gallery, the judge, witnesses and bailiffs were out of the courtroom, the siblings slumped over their respective benches. Miles had his head in his arms and his eye was twitching. "That had to be the longest and most annoying in my entire career..."

Franziska punched the prosecution bench in frustration. "Mein Gott, how does Wright put up with this guy?"

"Sheer will? Grace of gods? Satanic rituals made to give you the patience of an angel?" said Miles. "Either way for the sake of my blood pressure I hope I never have to deal with him in the courtroom again."

"I have to agree with you on that one, little brother."

Gregory couldn't help himself but also agree with the siblings. While he liked Larry, even he had to admit that this whole thing was a nightmare he didn't want to experience again.

(A\N: Fun fact, while making this chapter I had to rewatch a playthrough of Bridge to the Turnabout in order to fact check some of the things Larry said. And one thing I can say is that, Edgeworth was just absolutely brutal with Larry. Like, my god Miles, you look like a salt shaker.)