Ace Attorney: Criminal's Masquerade

Turnabout Vault, Part 1 (James)

Sirens blared.

"There's an intruder in the building!"

"Where?!"

"The police are here!"

"Somebody stole the gems from the vault!! You have to help us!!"

Footsteps clicked as a woman made her way down the stairs into the vault deep below the crime scene. She glanced around curiously, on the lookout for any sort of clue that she would happen to run into.

Suddenly, the woman let out a scream. She took a few steps backwards, right into the grip of a security guard. The guard snapped handcuffs onto her wrists, much to the woman's dismay.

"Jasper! Jasper! I need your help!"

//July 23, 2033. Morix Law Offices, 9:34 AM//

I walked into the agency with a sigh. Here it was. First day as an official lawyer working for the agency. I had been waiting for this day for years, and now that it was finally here... I was just hoping that things turned out okay. Maybe I'd even get a case.

Upon walking in, I noticed that there were two people already in there, sitting on the couch. One was my boss, also known as Cotoli Morix. He was pretty well known in these parts of town for his involvement in huge cases like the GC-9 case from a few years back.

Next to him was his younger sister, Chrysalis. We had known each other for a few years, but she had changed after a while. She had also gotten her badge after working at the agency for around eight years as an assistant.

Chrysalis was the first to notice me. "Nice suit," she joked.

I bowed dramatically. "Do you like it?" I asked her. My suit was all black over a white dress shirt. A blue bow tie was tied around my neck.

"Yeah. But your hair is the real shocker," Chrysalis told me, noticing my blonde hair, which now had baby blue dye at the tips.

"You act like your hair is normal," I smiled.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and stood, twirling the turquoise tips of her hair. Now that she had gotten her badge, her appearance had changed as well. She wore a dress with a black upper section and turquoise skirt. She also wore white tights and black ballet flats. A gray jacket covered her arms up to her wrists, where black gloves took over. The typical blue-green Magatama she had always worn was around her neck.

"You two seem to be getting along better than usual," Mr. Morix joked.

"When do we not get along?" Chrysalis asked.

"When you two are competing for the love of some person or another," Mr. Morix pointed out.

"You mean the love square?" I questioned.

"The love... The love square?" Mr. Morix asked, arching an eyebrow. He looked just as baffled as Chrysalis did.

Before I could answer, the door was flung open. A man came crashing into me, sending me flying to the ground. I let out a cry of pain as a gasp reached my ears. "Sorry!" the newcomer exclaimed, his hands flying to his mouth.

"It's okay," I muttered, pushing myself to my feet. "Who are you?"

I looked up and down the man. He had dark blonde hair that framed his face in curls. He wore a rather formal attire, so I assumed that he was one in a more serious line of work. Despite that, to me, he seemed like he was as clumsy, or perhaps more so, than Mukuro. And believe me, that's saying a lot.

"I can't really tell you my name, but... I need your help!" The man stared at me with pleading eyes.

"What do you need help with?" Mr. Morix questioned.

"My girlfriend was arrested," the man told him.

"Can you tell us your name first?" Chrysalis asked, looking slightly distressed. What was with her...?

"I work with Interpol, so my real name is classified, but... You can call me S," the man answered.

Chrysalis looked ready to scream (which happens a lot). "Nice to meet you, Mr. S! Because this is the first time that we've met! Not any other time before!" She broke out into awkward laughter, leaving Mr. Morix and I to exchange confused glances.

"Could you tell us the name of who was arrested?" I asked, getting back on task.

The man nodded. "Her name is also classified, but... She goes by T," he answered.

"What was she accused of?" Mr. Morix questioned.

"Murder..." S whispered, his voice cracking for a second. "But I know that she didn't do this! You have to help her get off the hook! Isn't that what you guys do?!"

"We do make up the most well known law agency in the city," Chrysalis smirked, having stopped her awkward laughter. I'd have to ask her what that was all about later on...

"Will you help?!" S asked.

I looked to Mr. Morix. "This could be a nice opportunity for you two to practice being in court as lead defense team members," he said slowly. "I say that you two do it."

I smiled. "We're in," I told S.

"Thank you!" S cried. "She's down at the detention center. I bet that she's out of questioning now... The lead detective is new to the job, so I bet that she let Lap-T off the hook early."

"Maybe we could call and get Anton and Niamh on the case, too," I suggested.

"Yes. The love square in court," Chrysalis declared before pausing. "I mean a courtroom! Not a courthouse where people get married and stuff!"

I smirked mischievously. "That day will come soon enough and you know it just as well as I do," I told her, only to receive a playful slap on the arm.

S interrupted out playful remarks by grabbing my arm in one hand and Chrysalis' in the other. "Let's go!" S declared before dragging us out of the agency and to the detention center.

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NEW BOOK

NEW BOOK

DIJ HAS GOT A NEW BOOK

DIJ HAS GOT TWO NEW BOOKS

-Digital