Sorrow & Mercy: a Great Ace Attorney AU

Swift Departure

Once again, Susato received a summons from Lord Stronghart. But there was nothing social about this visit. A telegram had arrived from Japan bearing terrible news—Yujin Mikotoba was sick with an extremely high fever.

Immense fear for her father gripped Susato, threw her into a haze as she silently prepared to make her departure. She did her best to seem normal during dinner with Gina. And then something else happened, something horrible.

A desperate late-night rush into the pawnshop nearby. A flash of light snapping apart the gloom. Sholmes, shot. Susato's body clutched by panic. And then, as Ryunosuke ran out into the darkness, Susato cut a hole into a door where there was none, tampering with the scene in her desperation to find Gina. Yet, even though she found her, all Susato could do was hold Sholmes while he was prone on the floor, and wait for help.

And then Gina was arrested and accused of murdering the man who owned the shop, Mr. Windibank. Ryunosuke was determined to act as her defense, so they launched into a long investigation. But Susato had to leave. Before the trial. Before she knew if Gina would be exonerated. What she did know, was that Barok would be acting prosecutor.

At least Susato was able to visit with Sholmes first, and to ensure his complete recovery from the attack. That was her lone solace as she mounted a carriage early in the morning to make her departure.

Only two months after her long-awaited return, Susato had no choice but to leave.

***

Rain lashed Britain intensely. Susato sat in the carriage, staring through the water-streaked glass at the world beyond, heavy and grey. Traffic crawled, trundling slowly towards the harbour. Susato picked up the newspaper beside her. Put it back down. Laced her fingers together. Picked up the paper. Set it down.

At least the ships would be unable to push out into sea during such a torrential downpour. She would not miss her chance to return to her father's side. Even if she was missing everything else.

Susato leaned her head back against the seat and shut her eyes. She tried to picture the courtroom, to imagine how it was going. She trembled at the thought that everyone was going to find out about what she had done. That Barok was going to find out that she had desecrated the crime scene in such a way.

Her mind slid from that topic, falling into something even more distressing: her father's condition. Susato had no idea just how intense his fever was, and if he would even still be alive at the end of those relentless 50 days at sea. She was terrified he would perish, just like Genshin had. That she would return home to an empty house, her entire family torn away from her.

Maybe Yujin had been right. Maybe Britain really was cursed. It was as though her return had caused sickness to clutch his body, the past repeating itself.

Susato shivered and clutched her fingers together so tightly it hurt. She forced her eyes open and blinked until her vision cleared. Glancing through the window, she saw a figure darting through the heavy rain. Memory stumbled into the present.

They are sitting in the van Zieks carriage. They have just left the theatre after an afternoon showing, and now the world is held within the still breath of a wretched storm. The roads are clotted with traffic as a terrible mix of rain and ice slants down. Susato is beside Lady Baskerville, and Barok and Klint are sitting across from them, respectively.

Klint and Lady Baskerville stare at each other. His smile looks sheepish and he gives a little shrug. Barok has his head turned, gazing through the glass. Susato watches him, looking at his handsome profile, his chin lightly cupped in his hand.