Ace Attorney: Criminal's Masquerade

The Winged Turnabout, Part 8 (Aiden)

//September 4, 2033. Defendant Lobby No. 3, 9:34 AM//

I was pacing the length of the defendant lobby when James and Chrysalis walked in. Mukuro was with them. "Hey," James said. 

I stopped walking to meet his eyes. "Do you think you'll be able to get me out today?" I asked, hoping desperately that they'd have a way to get me out. I hated being locked up in the detention center. That place smells like feet and broken dreams...

Chrysalis nodded. "Yeah. I think so," she told me. "Hopefully, everything will be over by the time lunchtime comes around. I sure hope so. Cotoli is getting me Chinese."

"I'm pretty sure that I know who the real killer is," James told me. "I'm pretty sure that somebody threatening me is a sure sign that the person I'm talking to is the killer, but maybe that's just me."

"I mean, it's not like anything else is going to be the case," Chrysalis said with a shrug. 

"I hope that you guys are right... The detention center is one of the worst places I've ever been... Well, other than the Prosecutor's Office... When I go there, I always think of the duck costume incident," I whispered, shuddering at the thought. 

Chrysalis sighed in exasperation. "I don't know why everybody is making a big deal out of this! You chase a guy around the Prosecutor's Office one time while you happen to be in a duck costume and you're suddenly labelled for life! I was just trying to get your attention so we could talk about a case, but since I had just come from a play dress rehearsal, you started screaming!" she exclaimed. She seemed to notice that everybody in the lobby was staring at her, so she looked down quietly. "Please don't tell anybody that I made a big deal over chasing Aiden around while wearing a duck costume," she whispered. 

"I won't tell. Well, I might tell Anton, but I think that telling him is fine. He already knows the you do this stuff," James said. Chrysalis elbowed him in the stomach and pouted in response, which made James laugh. 

"Defendant! Defense! Please enter the courtroom now!"

I looked at the purple haired bailiff by the door. He waved us in with a smile. He seemed pretty nice... 

"I guess that means we're supposed to go in now," James said with a small shrug. 

Chrysalis nodded. "Yeah. Let's go in there and prove that Aiden is innocent!" she cried out as she thrust her fist skyward. 

//September 4, 2033. Courtroom No. 3, 10:00 AM//

The judge slammed his gavel against the bench before him. "Court is back in session for the trial of Aiden... Aiden... Excuse me, what was your last name again?" he asked me. 

I gulped nervously. I didn't need this attention. In fact, I didn't want this attention in the first place. "Healy..." I choked out. "Aiden Healy is my name..."

The judge nodded. "What he said," he declared. I could have sworn I heard Chrysalis and James say something sarcastic to one another, but I wasn't entirely sure. I was too distracted by the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears. 

"Let's call the first witness," declared Anton from the other side of the court. I was surprised that he had managed to get through a sentence without stuttering. "Um... Ms... Aya... C-could you come up t-to the witness s-stand to testify f-for us?"

There are the stutters I was expecting. 

A pink haired girl appeared at the witness stand. She was smiling shyly as she looked around the court. I could tell that she was a little bit afraid no matter how hard she tried to hide it. 

"Please state your name and occupation for the court," the judge declared. 

"M-my name is Aya... Aya Eve-Fox," she declared. She glanced around desperately. "Aya... Eve-Fox..."

Another person hustled up to the witness stand. The person had strawberry blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and wore all black. Their shirt was a Rolling Stones shirt. Red flannel was tied around their waist. They wrapped an arm around Aya's shoulder and began to stroke her hair. 

"Who are you?" the judge asked. 

"To keep the witness from panicking, a friend was called in," Mukuro explained, standing up for a moment to explain the situation. 

"What is your name?" the judge questioned of the newcomer that now stood at Aya's side. 

"My name is Arena Ryan," they declared. 

"Let's focus on the subject at hand," said the judge after a moment of hesitation. He wasn't all that happy with this sudden and new arrangement. I could tell. I guess that the judge wasn't the type to enjoy change...

"S-should I start my testimony?" asked Aya, staring up at the judge with wide and fearful eyes. 

The judge nodded. "Go right on ahead, witness," he declared. 

WITNESS TESTIMONY: AYA EVE-FOX - WHAT I SAW AT THE DUCK POND

-I was at the duck pond looking around when I saw something...

-I saw a man pushing something on a man's ankle as he handcuffed him and pushed him to the ground...

-I saw a body in the duck pond, so I ran away out of fear...

-I-I overheard a woman saying that she was happy he was dead... 

-She called the victim Zhu Keep, so I guess that's his name...

-I don't know who else would know his name besides his killer, but I guess it's up to you guys to interpret that...

"This is a rather strange thing," the judge whispered. "I guess that it's time for the cross-examination to begin."

"Yes," Anton said with a small nod. He looked at the defense. "G-go on and get it started, you two... Y-you two are b-better with this stuff than I-I am..."

Chrysalis nodded. "Okay! Sweet!" she cried out, nudging James gently. "You go on and do this. I believe in you."

James nodded as well. "Okay," he said. "Now, Ms. Eve-Fox, repeat your testimony for the court."

Aya nodded. "Okay... I can do that," she told him. 

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I had a choir concert tonight and we messed up but tbh I don't even care

-Digital