Sorrow & Mercy: a Great Ace Attorney AU

Reunited Blood

To say that helping Barok prepare his record of the truth was a welcome distraction would be a gross exaggeration. But it was, in some ways, a mercy.

Stronghart's execution had been nearly impossible to dislodge from Susato's mind. It haunted her dreams and her thoughts whenever she was not actively focused on other matters. It had been far more horrific than she could have ever imagined, and she regretted witnessing it.

She did not speak of it to anyone. It was not the sort of thing one could even put into apt words. So she devoted herself to helping Iris with dinner and organising the flat, and even assisted Sholmes with testing some of his inventions. And then, only a few days later, she was standing beside Barok's desk as he wrote.

Barok released a heavy breath through his nose and lowered his pen. His hand hovered over his scar. Pain tightened the planes of his face momentarily, and then he dropped his hand away.

"It is finished," he said, and he pushed the parchment towards her. "If anything seems befitting of corrections, please make them freely."

Susato leaned over the page, reading each word carefully.

"Here. It's a bit too dry. And here I think there's a bit too much detail," Susato said, pointing at a few different spots.

Barok wrote some corrections then looked up at Susato. She nodded. He turned to the next page.

"So, it's time is it?" Kazuma said, entering the office with a file in hand.

"Yes. I will deliver these to the paper tonight," Barok said.

"You aren't still planning to run, are you? I would hate for you to prove me right," Kazuma said.

"Woe the day you ever have cause to call me a pathetic coward," Barok said dryly.

Susato pointed at another sentence. Barok scrawled a correction and she shook her head. He scratched it out and wrote something else. She nodded.

"Um, Lord van Zieks? ...Do you intend to include the entire letter as well?" Susato said.

"Yes. That is my intention. I can explain events, however, I think the public deserves to see my brother's own words as well," Barok said.

"...Are you certain?" Susato said.

"Not ready for people to scorn the van Zieks name openly in the streets?" Kazuma said, crossing his arms and arching a brow.

"I will never be ready for that," Susato said. "But...it has to be done, I know that. If it means finally telling Iris the truth too...well, then I'm more than ready."

"You know his life will probably come under some measure of danger because of this. I imagine some people will want revenge. Misplaced as that would be," Kazuma said. "So...no diving in front of guns."

"Oh. Kazuma-sama knows about that?" Susato said, looking at Barok.

"Yes, Kazuma does," Kazuma said flatly, arms crossed. "Susato-chan. Are you really still doing this?"

"...I'm sorry that you have to rewrite all of this," Susato said.

"It is best this way. Your corrections were very astute," Barok said. "I am not the best at delivering news in a palatable manner."

"I don't think there's any pleasant way to say that your brother killed people. Mostly at the behest of the Lord Chief Justice, no less," Kazuma said.