Ace Attorney: Web of Mistrust

Turnabout Masquerade Part 1 (Niamh)

The line between good and bad is thought to be clear.

But what happens when it's not?

"I'm going to save her."

Those who intend to do good end up hurting those close to them.

"I... I'm sorry... For everything."

In attempts to keep the innocent from the guilty, choices are made.

"Fire!!"

Mistakes butterfly into unstoppable disasters.

"She's gone..."

One action can put the world around an individual come crashing down.

"How could you have forgotten me...!?"

The one pulling and cutting the strings must be eliminated in order for the wounds made, whether they be inside or out, to finally heal.

"I didn't expect to see you again this way... Dad."

//December 9, 2029. Morix Law Offices, 9:34 AM//

I was walking to work just like every other day. I was just outside the door when I heard loud footsteps running towards me.

"Niamh!"

Yuri was sprinting my direction. Her left shoulder wasn't moving. I suppose that makes sense after the last case. "Any new cases?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Sorry." An odd smell hit my nose. Was it...blood?! "Is that blood?!" I exclaimed. I turned to the agency's door and sniffed again. It was coming from inside!

I tried the doorknob, but it was locked. In my moment of fear and desperation, I leaned onto the door. It burst open a few seconds after Yuri joined in.

I was shocked at what I saw, to say the least.

In the corner of the main room was a pool of blood. A small statue was nearby.

But most surprising of all was that Ms. Shield was a few feet away, not moving and unconscious.

Yuri gasped and ran over to her. "Lily!" she shouted, shaking the woman. "She's not waking up!" It didn't take my psychological ears to hear the fear in her voice.

I felt for a pulse on Ms. Shield's wrist. Thankfully, I found one. "She's alive," I said, letting out the breath I had apparently been holding. "But what's that blood pool about?!"

"Wait! That statue! It was the weapon used in that case you took on a couple months ago with Prosecutor Bloom!" Yuri pointed out, giving the statue an accusing gesture. "And with Mr. Morix, Satoki, and Shane!"

"We should try and look for what caused this blood pool. Ms. Shield has no injuries, so she clearly wasn't the victim," I suggested.

"What's going on?!"

I looked up to see Ms. Jones walking in. "I'm calling the police!" she exclaimed.

I nodded. "Yuri and I are going to see if we can find the victim of this. You wait for the police to show up."

Ms. Jones nodded in agreement. "Tell me as soon as you find something!"

Yuri and I dashed down the stairs and found a piece of paper on the ground. I picked it up and read it aloud. "'Move to evidence room of prison,'" I said.

And there was dried blood on the paper!

"That must be where the victim is!" Yuri exclaimed.

I nodded. "We must go there immediately."

//December 9, 2029. Local Prison, 10:03 AM//

Upon arriving at the prison, Yuri and I made a dash for the evidence room Ms. Starr had led us to a while back. We found it rather quickly from memory.

"How are we supposed to get in without Chrysalis, though?!" Yuri pointed out.

"Last time, you were looking at that section of the wall and the door opened," I replied, pointing to the wall at a green section.

Yuri nodded and leaned in to the wall. Her right eye was inches away when the door opened. "I guess my eye scar opens this door. A scar reader would allow Chrysalis in and nobody else," she deduced.

"That's probably tru-"

I was cut off by staring into the room.

The victim we had been looking for was right there.

It was a woman with red hair in short curls. She was slumped against the wall, the perspective almost entirely hiding the strangulation marks (made by hand) on her neck. The woman had a wound in the area of her right temple. There was a small patch of blood in that general area.

Yuri screamed upon seeing the gruesome sight. I, too, was surprised at seeing a corpse in here. I had been hoping that note was unrelated, but I suppose that dream was nothing but an illusion.

A few guards swarmed into the room upon hearing Yuri's scream. I suppose that the door had been left open.

"What happened in here?!" one demanded, facing me sternly.

"We simply walked in to find this scene!" I replied.

Yuri and I were practically shoved out of the room shortly after. "Who do you t-think will be a-arrested for it?" Yuri wondered, still shaking slightly.

"I don't know," I frowned.

//December 9, 2029. Morix Law Offices, 11:01 AM//

Until a suspect was decided for the case, I found it reasonable to head back to the agency so we could check on Ms. Shield.

As if the day wasn't already filled with surprises, I walked in to see Prosecutor Umber pushing Ms. Shield towards the door, handcuffs around her wrist.

"But I didn't do it!" she retorted tearfully. "I don't even know where or who the victim is!"

"What's going on?!" I demanded.

"This woman was found at a crime scene. The blood found here matches up with that found in the hidden evidence room of the prison," Prosecutor Umber answered, a smirk on his face.

"Help me..." Ms. Shield whispered.

"Niamh and I will defend you! Right, Niamh?!" Yuri shouted.

I nodded. "If you'll accept our offer, we'll be your lawyers."

Ms. Shield smiled. "Please..."

Prosecutor Umber rolled his eyes and pulled her out of the room. I frowned. There was a lot of investigating to do.

//December 9, 2029. ???, ???//

"I have to get in there... The suspect is innocent... I know it... But how do I prove it?"

A hooded figure leaned against the wall in the shadows. Their arms were crossed and a shimmer flashed over their eyes.

"The only way is to testify... Even if that means my crime comes to light..."

The figure stood up straight and smiled slightly, thought the bottom half was covered by a rather large scarf.

"Oh well. She's worth that sort of sacrifice anyways... Isn't she... Lesa?"

The figure laughed with false pleasure before beginning the long walk to the true crime scene.

-------------------------------------------------

Oh my gosh I have this whole case planned out soooooooooo cryptic.

I got overexcited for this case during cases 3 & 4, so here we are.

This case is one of my favorites (I know I said that in case 3). I've been planning this out since when the characters back in book one were being sent in, so it's been a while.

Well, I'll just...

*poofs away*

-Digital