Ask to Join Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Strands of Fate

[Mechanist Gamma]

(Discussion thread: https://pokecharms.com/threads/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-strands-of-fate-discussion-thread.15523/)

TURNABOUT HUNTER [Part 1-1]


"Look, I can't allow you to do this any further, Jeger."
"Hersenen?"
"Orion, you've been poaching here for too long, this is a nature reserve."
"What's it to you?"
"It's not just that, we know your background"
"!!!"
"I'm afraid Interpol has to take you in."
"... You know, Grote. I have a feeling none of your agents will hear anything from you."
BANG! SNAP!
The form of a girl rose among the shadows.

July 5th, 11:00 AM
District Courthouse, Defendant Lobby #5
A man wearing a light green suit was sorting through his notes in the lobby. His shining Attorney's Badge marked him as a defense lawyer. He closed his folder one last time.
"Alright... I think I'm ready." Ace Attorney Max Fencer said, stretching. He grabbed the Autopsy Report from the table to the side, and went over to the man sitting on the sofa, looking like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
My name is Max Fencer... a junior defense lawyer. One year ago, I began my career when I first stepped into court. I won... and I've won each of the trials I've had since. But now... I'm defending a man named Guru Don. Yes, that unlucky sap right there. He's an old pal of my friend, so I've come to defend him. He's accused of murdering Grote Hersenen, an undercover officer. I have to admit, it doesn't look good for this guy... but no matter what, I'll pull through! I know he's telling the truth when he says he's innocent... I just have to prove it!
Max sat down beside his client. "I'll get you out of this mess, Mr. Don. I promise you. I know you're innocent... and if I'm right, then we'll be able to find out why."

 

[Mewtwofan259]

"Thank you Max. Believe me, I have nothing to do with any of this! I only met Mr. Hersenen in collage!" Guru Don said, talking fast, his glasses starting to slip off his face. He was a Hunter and a Teacher at the district's University. He is a nice and charming man, however he does have a tendicy to... snap. "It looks like the prosecution, Payne, the Rookie Killer, has a lot of evidence and a witness, but I'm confident you can do it, Max!" Guru said with a smile.

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Never failed before. And I don't plan to now!" Max said. "But before I go into court, can you tell me about what you were doing at the time of the murder again? Just to refresh my memory on the circumstances of the case. I've read the facts over multiple times, of course, but the records could be missing something that you might have picked up. I always need everything I can get, so anything would be helpful."

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Guru smiled and slid his glasses back into place and began to explain. "Well, it was about, say, 4:40. I was walking through a Nature Reserve scouting for snakes and other creatures. I noticed Grote Hersenen standing in a clearing. I went over and talked to him for a little bit, and showed him my limited edition explorer's kit. Including my Gold-Plated Crossbow. I heard an animal howl, so I put my explorer's kit on the ground, taking only my flashlight. I'd say I was gone for about... 5 Minutes. I heard a huge boom and ran back to the clearing, only to find Grote dead. Some hunter named, 'Orion Jeger' saw me in the clearing and reported the crime. Here, I'll give you a pamphlet about the nature reserve." Guru fiddles in his jacket pocket and gives Max the pamphlet. *Nature Reserve Pamphlet added to Court Record*

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"The time of death aligns with the Court Record... Alright, this should help a lot. Thanks." Max got up, but he turned back to Don. "Actually, I do have one quick question. Do you have any idea what that "boom" you heard was? And what could have caused it?"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Guru looked off to the sides, and replied "For ease of operations, Crossbows have 2 stages. Stage 1 will pull back the arrow and Stage 2 will launch it at high speeds. Something about the sudden change in air currents or about the compressing air, when the arrow is released, it will make a large boom sound. And apparently Orion Jeger is going to be testifying today... I'm a little worried about her."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Who knows?" Fencer said. "Anyways, thanks. The bailiff should be here very-"
Before the defense lawyer could finish his sentence, the bailiff walked in. "Mr. Fencer! Mr. Don! The trial is about to begin! Please, follow me!"
"Alright. Let's go." Max said, smiling.

"Court is now in session." The Judge said, pounding his gavel.
"The prosecution is ready, your honor." An old man with a squeaky voice said.
"The defense is ready, your honor." Max said, fully prepared.
"Very well!" The Judge replied. "Mr. Payne, your opening statement?"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

"Certainly." Payne says, a big smile across his face. "Grote Hersenen was shot in the back of the head with an arrow that was determined to belong to a crossbow also found at the scene. This crossbow has the Defendant's Fingerprints on it. There's an eyewitness who saw the defendant at the scene of the crime and plenty of evidence. There's really no doubt who the killer is."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Please. I've heard this all before. There is always some truth either hidden or overlooked that will unveil what really happened... and for the sake of my client, I will bring that truth out into the open!" Fencer said, jabbing his finger towards Payne.
"My, quite confident, aren't we, Fencer?" the Judge said. "Since you're both seasoned attorneys, this should be very professional."

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne puts his finger on his forehead. "The prosecution would like to submit evidence to this court that proves the defendant is guilty with out a reasonable doubt. The arrow that was found in the back of the victim's head, and the crossbow said arrow was fired from." Payne says.
The Judge shakes his head, "The court accepts these as evidence." *Arrow added to Court Record.* *Crossbow added to Court Record*
Payne looks Max straight in the eyes. "The prosecution would also like to call the lead detective to the stand, Detective Gumshoe!"

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

An absent-minded-looking detective wearing a scruffy, worn coat with a barely shaved face took the stand.
"How is this guy a detective?" Max asked himself quietly.
"HEY! I heard that!" Detective Dick Gumshoe said, getting a bit angry. "But I honestly don't know. I can barely afford instant noodles with how bad my pay is..."

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne smiles and adjusts his glasses. "Before we start his testimony, I'd just like to say something to Max Fencer. I've followed your cases sense your first case, and I'm impressed. However, I'll show you why they call me the Rookie Killer. Besides, I've studied your cases, I know all about your strategies."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"..." Max was thinking. Those glasses... that bald spot... that squeaky voice...
"...I'm sorry, have we met before?"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne flinched. "Wh- how do you not...?! Whatever. Detective Gumshoe, please begin your Testimony."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Alright, sir!" the detective said, smiling.
Gumshoe looks like an honest person... Max thought to himself. But he also looks pretty scatterbrained... Even if he's not lying, he may have missed something. I'll find what that is... and shove it in his face! ...well, maybe gently. I don't really want to hurt his feelings.

GUMSHOE'S TESTIMONY - FACTS OF THE CASE
"Hersenen was found dead in the middle of a clearing."
"In this photo, you can see 3 things."
"You can see the victim, a stump, and some animal tracks."
"You can clearly see the bolt sticking out of the victim's head."

"Detective, before we begin..." the Judge said, a pondering look on his face. "What are you talking about? A photo and an bolt?"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne replies to the judge, "The arrow that I showed you earlier, and a photo that Orion Jeger took of the scene."
"I see. That makes sense." The Judge said, shaking his head, "The court accepts the photo as evidence."
Crime Photo added to the Court Record.

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

There are some questions I have about what he just said... What should I ask about? Max thought. "Mr. Payne! Who is this 'Orion Jeger' that you mentioned? I think the court deserves to know."

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne taps his forehead, "Orion Jeger is a witness to the crime. But I think that we should get on with Gumshoe's cross examination before the court rots on top of us."
The Judge pounds his gavel. "I agree. Max, you may now begin your cross-examination."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Alright, then." Max said, a glint in his eyes.

CROSS-EXAMINATION: GUMSHOE'S TESTIMONY - FACTS OF THE CASE

"You can see the victim, a stump, and some animal tracks."

"Detective." Max said. "You can see a lot of other things, too. What's the importance of these things? Aside from the body, of course."
"Well, the tracks are kinda unimportant. But they do look cool." Gumshoe said. "However, the stump is very important. The tree was broken by the killer. How do we know? Well, the main section of the tree was cracked, and we found bark all over the shirt of the victim. Also, we found Mr. Hersenen's prints on the tree."
"I see." Fencer said. This feels like an important detail. I'd better add it to the Court Record.
*Snapped Tree Stump added to the Court Record*
Wait a minute! Max thought. He pulled out the Crime Photo and looked at it. In the photo, the stump was undamaged. There it is! he thought, whipping out his pointing finger.

Boy, it's been a while since I've done that! Max thought. "Detective Gumshoe! I ask you to correct your inaccuracy of your observation!"
"W-what?! What do you mean by that, pal?!"
"If everything truly happened as you stated in your testimony..." Max said, slamming his bench. "...THEN WHY IS IT THAT THE TREE REMAINS STANDING IN THIS PICTURE?!"
"Hey! You're right, pal!" Gumshoe said, bewildered.

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne starts tapping his forehead again. "And why does that matter, Max? So what if the tree stump was broken before or after the murder took place? Orion Jeger still took this picture and there's still evidence pointing to Guru Don."
The Judge slammed his gavel. "The Prosecution is correct. Although I agree the contents of this photo are important."
Animal Tracks added to Court Record
The Judge shakes his head. "Now then, would the defense care to explain who broke the stump? It must have been broken after the murder." Payne adjusts his glasses and says, "Well then? Who broke the stump?"

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Your honor... I can't answer this question yet." Max said. "I lack the decisive evidence so far as to prove who broke the stump. But despite what the prosecution would like us to believe, the stump is important! Detective Gumshoe has stated the following; 'The tree was broken by the killer. How do we know? Well, the main section of the tree was cracked, and we found bark all over the shirt of the victim. Also, we found Mr. Hersenen's prints on the tree.' The tree is a very vital part of this case. I request further testimony from Detective Gumshoe!"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

The judge pounds his gavel. "Order in the court! Prosecutor Payne, what do you think about the defense's request?"
Payne chuckles. "The prosecution has no objections."
The judge looks surprised. "Very well then. Detective Gumshoe, we're all stumped at this point, so please begin your testimony."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

The Judge didn't even realize the pun he just made... Fencer thought.
"Uh... what about?" Gumshoe asked.
"Please testify as to the state of the crime scene." Max said. "Perhaps any new information we learn here can be used to deduce who broke the tree stump."
"Alright! I'll do my best, pal!"

GUMSHOE'S TESTIMONY - THE CRIME SCENE
"For the most part, the crime scene as depicted in this photo is what it looked like."
"However, there were three differences. The first was the broken tree stump, as pointed out by Mr. Fencer."
"The second was the presence of a bag that belonged to Mr. Don. It's what the murder weapon was held in."
"The third, however, is a bit stranger. It's that the size of the deer prints changed."
"Aside from that, we found nothing strange."

"The prints... changed size?!" The Judge exclaimed. "How is that even possible?!"
"I-I don't know, sir!" Gumshoe said. "But it's the truth. Scaling the size of the prints in the picture to the size of the prints in the photo using the tree stump as a reference reveals that the prints grew."
"This case gets stranger by the minute." the Judge said.

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne adjusts his glasses. "And the investigation team has done a little digging into something else that was found at the crime scene. Something that was given to us by Ms. Jeger. This was a boot that was found by her, it appears to have military origins and belongs to the defendant. Not only that, but it's covered in blood. The most interesting part is that analysis shows that it was used to enlarge the prints."
The Judge looks surprised. "Oh! So that proves that the defendant was the one who enlarged these prints. The court accepts the boot as evidence."
Bloody Boot added to Court Record
"Mr. Fencer, do you have any questions to ask of these 'Mysterious Animal Tracks'?"

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"Oh, most definitely." Max said, smiling. "There's a lot more here than seen at first glance. And I think I just got handed the evidence to prove it."
"Very well." the Judge said. "The defense may begin the cross-examination."

CROSS-EXAMINATION: GUMSHOE'S TESTIMONY - THE CRIME SCENE

"Aside from that, we found nothing strange."

"Detective Gumshoe." Max said. "I have one question for you. Was there any blood in the deer prints? Or, as a matter of fact, anywhere at the crime scene?"
"No, but- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAH! I getcha, pal!"
"What is it?" The Judge said, bewildered. "Please explain so that I may be shocked with the rest of the court!"
"It's quite simple." Max said with a knowing smile. "If there was no blood at the crime scene… THEN WHY ARE THESE BOOTS SOAKED WITH THE VICTIM'S BLOOD?!"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne taps his forehead. "Max, there's a very simple explanation to all of this. The deer prints were enlarged after the photo was taken, and most of the blood is on the bottom of the boot. This means that the suspect must have stepped in the victims blood afterwards."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"This photo shows the crime scene... Including the arrow sticking out of the back of Hersenen's skull. And in this photo, there is no blood!"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

The Judge pounded his gavel and shouted, "Order, Order! Max, the look on your face tells me that you have someone you think knows all the answers. I should know because my wife made the exact same face when her box of cookies went missing."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

"That's because I do, your Honor. Now, I think that we need more information. And who could give us that information but the witness! The defense claims that Orion Jeger holds all the answers to this case!"

 

[Mewtwofan259]

Payne starts to look of the side and says. "She's already been prepared for a little bit. But it seems as if we have a different question to ask of her. The prosecution requests a 10 minute recess to prepare Ms. Orion Jeger."
The Judge pounds his gavel. "Very well then, the court will suspend for a 10 Minute Recess. During this time, the prosecution may prepare the witness. Court is adjourned!"

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

TO BE CONTINUED...

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TURNABOUT HUNTER [Part 1-2]

Max was still thinking. "I managed to pull this 'Orion Jeger' onto the stand... but what next? I'm going in blind. I don't have any information, evidence... The only clue I really have is that Jeger's the only one who could have seen the two versions of the crime scene that we know about. If I don't get anything I can use from him... or her. Orion's a pretty gender neutral name. But still. Is there something I'm missing? Do I not have something...? No, I don't. Zack isn't back yet. Where is he...?"

 

[Ry_Burst]

A man wearing a scruff orange jacket, with darker elbow patches barged through the crowd and made beeline for Max. In his hands were a stack of papers.

"Here's some juicy tidbits that'll give you and edge, Max." He said in a gruff, but suprisingly cheerful voice. "Apparently, first off Jeger has been accused of multiple poaching crimes. However we have no proof of this. Our victim, Hersenen is actually an undercover cop, and was working on a poaching case. We have no solid footing on this right now, so you'll have to work some of your lawyer magic on this one."