Ace Attorney: Crashing Fates

The Treacherous Turnabout, Part 6 (Thomas)

//October 24, 2031. Prosecution Lobby No. 2, 12:36 PM//

The prosecution lobby looked pretty much normal (if you count the walls being painted with large amounts of blood and white tape 'normal') when we walked in. Sophie clung to my arm, as she had done ever since we left the courthouse shortly before. 

"Do you have any idea who this witness could be?" Kyo asked.

"I'm not sure, but she must pretty important for court to have been adjourned over her sudden availability for questioning," I deduced.

"She is important."

The four detectives (who Sophie had nicknamed 'the detective squad' since we met them) who we had seen at the crime scene the day before stood in the doorway. Mukuro and Aiden led the older two into the room. 

"I guess you'll be wanting to hear about what the witness claims to have seen the day of the crime?" Mukuro asked us.

I nodded. "If that would be okay, then that would be great," I agreed.

"She says that she saw somebody with red hair leave the crime scene covered in blood. She says he was pretty tall, too," Aiden told us.

"What was her name? I don't think we ever caught it. Either that or my really short term memory forgot," Sophie said sheepishly.

"Neptune Mercure," Detective Erikson reminded her. "She was wandering the courthouse the day of the crime when she saw this mysterious man wandering around covered in blood, which it seems would divert suspicion away from the defendant since her hair is closer to brown than red."

"Where is this witness now?" Kyo questioned. 

"She's being questioned by the prosecution," Detective Stanhope replied. "Prosecutor Yin, Lin, whatever the heck her name is, took her away as soon as court was adjourned, love."

"I hear that purple haired bailiff guy has a thing for her," Mukuro smirked. "Maybe they're going to start going out."

"You're acting like Chrysalis with all this sudden talk of romance," Aiden muttered. "The scary duck girl..."

"Speaking of Chrysalis," I cut in before Sophie had to ask what he meant by 'the scary duck girl'. "Are there any updates about her condition?"

"No. None of us have dropped by yet today," Detective Stanhope answered.

"In that case, why don't I take the lawyers down to check that out? They seem pretty curious about the subject, so it couldn't hurt at all," Mukuro suggested.

Detective Erikson hesitated. "Could I come alone? I'm not really comfortable having you alone in a hospital..."

"Why are you so worried, Toby, love? It's not like anything bad could happen to her there," Detective Stanhope told him, a frown appearing on her face.

"It's nothing..." Detective Erikson muttered, eyes downcast. 

"All of that aside, let's get going," Mukuro cut in. "Off we go!"

//October 24, 2031. Hospital Room No. 801, 1:03 PM//

Once we arrived at the hospital, the weird fur ball of a hamster was still present, curling up next to Chrysalis' cheek. 

"Aw! Look! Alon-Z's here!" Mukuro exclaimed, picking up the hamster gently and holding the black puff up next to her face with a broad smile.

"Alon... Z?" I asked, not understanding why somebody would name an animal something so weird.

"One of Nevada's hamsters. She has her four hamsters with her all the time," Mukuro answered.

"So that's who she was talking to when I walked in to see her...!" I recalled, thoughts running back to GJ's odd conversation from the day prior.

"Regardless of that, I don't think I ever gave you this," Detective Erikson cut in, his voice laced with concern. It didn't take me and my 'thinking overly deep into speech patterns' abilities to realize that his past experience with hospitals wasn't exactly pleasant.

"What is it?" Sophie asked as the detective pulled out a photo from a large pocket of his coat.

"A photo taken of the crime scene before the victim was removed," Detective Erikson explained, handing me the photo. I looked over it. Just as I thought it would look: Chrysalis pinned to the wall with blood on her stomach and hands where the scissors were. But one more thing bugged me... I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something off about the picture. Something that wasn't supposed to be there.

I decided to leave this thought for later and go back to my thinking. "There isn't anybody involved in this case that has red hair..." I whispered.

"Well, other than you," Kyo told me. "But you were babysitting Sophie when the crime occurred, so you're off the list of potential suspects."

"I guess we'll have to wait to hear from our mystery Mercure witness or for Chrysalis to wake up to find out more..." I frowned.

"Y-you don't h-have to w-wait..." 

I gasped and turned my head to see Chrysalis sitting up in her bed, hugging her blankets up to her chin. Chrysalis' eyes were wide and fearful as they met mine. "W-where's N-Nevada...?" she asked.

"Who cares about that now?!" Sophie exclaimed, trying her best (and doing pretty good at it, as a matter of fact) to hide the truth. "You're awake!!"

Mukuro hugged Chrysalis, the latter of which began muttering 'ow' over and over again until Mukuro released her with an apologetic smile.

"Could you please tell us what you remember about the crime?" Detective Erikson asked, crossing his arms with a frown.

"Uh... Sure..." Chrysalis began. "E-excuse my stutters..."

"It's fine," I told her, eager to get on to the explanation.

"Well... I was t-talking with N-Nevada in a prosecution l-lobby... And then this g-guy came in... H-he stole Nevada's t-taser that she u-uses for emergencies and knocked her out..." Chrysalis began. "A-and then he grabbed h-her chloroform and he... He must have... Used it on m-me... Because everything goes black there..."

"Wait... Nevada was attacked also?!" I gasped.

Chrysalis nodded. "Y-yeah... I-I don't even know who did it...! He just attacked us for no reason...! He had red hair and green eyes..." 

I frowned. "I guess that's cue for us to go looking for our other witness..." I declared.

"Look? For me? No need. I'll let you rest your legs for a little while, Mr. Lawyer In Green."

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

Because I was in the mood to skip DBD

-Digital