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Chapter Text

The point of this meeting was purely logistical. Pearl’s mother was imprisoned for conspiring to frame and overthrow her own niece. Again. Maya was old enough to inherit what was hers as the Master of the Khurain Temple and was acting as Pearl’s guardian. But, she was not her legal guardian which prevented them from doing several things that would benefit Pearl, such as enrolling her in school. Phoenix had asked him for his assistance in combing through the child custody laws and clauses to potentially find some potential solutions. 

The meeting itself did not remain on course. Both realized quickly that these specific laws in Japanifornia were as numerous as they were extensive. The task was more time consuming than expected and although they had made great progress, there was a considerable chunk of documents left after the sun went down. Edgeworth could tell by how Phoenix stared aimlessly at a document that the other man’s brain had effectively mush-ified, but he would not be pried away from the files without contention. 

He broke the silence within the room, “You won’t be able to find what we’re looking for if you’re barely getting by running off of fumes.”

“Oh? And how well are you fairing?” Phoenix sarcastically asked as his gaze switched from the papers on his desk to the circles that had darkened under Edgeworth’s eyes. 

(Miles Edgeworth was a serial over-worker. He rarely rested until he was satisfied with his efforts towards the task at hand and had spent many nights in his own office. It was a habit that he had picked up studying under his mentor and, unlike his other unhelpful teachings, had yet to unlearn. He was too stubborn to be accepting and aware of his limitations in that regard.)

“You should at least take a break.” He suggested, as he knew it would be easier to convince him to call it a day if he was already resting.

“If I’d known I’d be bossed around, I would have asked someone else for help.”

“Funny, I remember being told that I was the only one who could help with this. And if you didn’t expect to be, as you eloquently put it: bossed around, then you are in need of a break much more than I initially thought.”

“Fine, what do you want to do instead?”

“Just relax while I continue to look through the papers.” 

Phoenix frowned, his eyes narrowed. He was suspicious about something, perhaps it would be more difficult to get him to rest than expected. That was when Wright had gotten the grand idea to get alcohol involved. 

Phoenix pulled out a cheap bottle of wine from his office’s mini-fridge (Allegedly there for special occasions only.) and poured himself a generous amount into a disposable plastic cup.

“Wright, you are still recovering from that cold. You don’t need to add a hangover.” Edgeworth criticized.

“I’m feeling fine, doctor.” He sassed before he sniffled. “You want it?” He asked, offering the plastic cup of cheap alcohol.

“Even if I wanted to drink…that, I’m trying to finish the task at hand.” He huffed, his mind too fried to think of an insult. 

“Hmmm? Then why did you take a cab here?” He questioned with that aggravatingly smug grin. 

“I told you already that my car is at a repair shop.” He quickly spoke.

Without looking away from Miles, without removing that stupid expression from his stupid face, he walked over to the table with the documents stacked upon it and slowly reached for the magatama that was being used as a temporary paperweight.

“Oh shut up.” Edgeworth groused. 

“Haven’t said a word.” His grin grew wider. 

This was not the first interaction like this at the late hours of Wright and Co. Law Offices. And this was not the first time that the prosecutor’s high end sports car was suddenly unavailable. 

It was somewhat of a routine that they had. Though Edgeworth merely tolerated the taste of the low quality alcohol, the inebriation softened the restraint on his own words in a place where no one else should hear them. A retreat from the expectations set upon him and set by him. It was like their own personal world outside of reality.

He could not recall much about that night, he had been too indulgent with the wine. But he could remember one moment. He was sitting carelessly sprawled on the black pleather couch. Wright’s head rested on his uneven lap as Phoenix laid on the rest of the couch. His legs dangling over the armrest. They were just there, unwound and content, staring into each other’s eyes. Phoenix with his stupid grin let out a giggle. Miles’s own mouth betrayed him as he parroted with his own inane laugh. A sober Edgeworth would have pulled out his own hair in embarrassment. 

“Your face is red.” Phoenix stated like it was a compliment.

He urgently felt his own cheek to inspect it. His fingers haphazardly smushed into his face. 

The display made Phoenix laugh even more. And then he laughed again as his worry relinquished. Everything else that happened before and after was a muddled, incomprehensible blur. 

Chapter Text

It had been about a week since he last met with Miles. Phoenix had decided to take a break from work and cycle down to Gourd Lake. It was a slow day anyways and the cool breeze was perfect. He walked his bike down the path, taking in the spring scenery. Very few things could ruin this day.

“Hey pal! Nice to see you again!” He heard a very familiar voice call behind him.

Great , Phoenix thought to himself as he rolled his eyes, who is getting accused of murder this time?

Detective Gumshoe happily jogged over to him with Missile, his K-9 unit, in tow. 

“How have ya been?” The detective greeted with a toothy smile.

“Good for now, but we’ll see. My cold is gone so that’s a plus.” Wright paused, “I’m afraid to ask but, what brings you to the lake?” 

“Just making sure Missile here gets his exercise. I’ll tell ya pal, I needed the fresh air. The station feels a little empty today.” 

Relieved, they continued to walk side by side down the path. 

“Empty?” Phoenix asked him to elaborate.

“Mr. Edgeworth called in sick today. I’m glad he’s taking care of himself. In the past, I had to drag him to his home to get some rest.” Gumshoe chuckled at his own reminiscing, then his smile stopped and his brow furrowed. “I know that he’s been out in the world for a while now, but he had a job here to do and I was looking forward to working with him more today.” 

Phoenix did not share, but he hoped that Edgeworth didn’t catch his cold. “I’m not allowed to know what this job is, am I?”

Gumshoe’s smile returned, “Even I don’t know the info pal.”

Missile tugged on his leash; hard. The detective needed both hands to hold on. He diverted from the path and towards the woods.  The dog’s teeth were bared as he barked to the trees.

“What is it boy?” Gumshoe asked.

He motioned to Phoenix to follow. He did not want to leave his bike unattended, but he didn’t have much of a choice. With his luck, he might miss something important and not the dog getting excited over a squirrel. 

They were led far off the path and deep into the woods. Missile stopped and pointed with his nose at a plot of dirt where the ground looked recently disturbed. It was as long as Phoenix was tall. He felt a wave of nausea at the intrusive thought of there being a buried body underneath. Undeterred, Gumshoe pulled out a small plastic red shovel, the kind kids would use to make sandcastles, and handed it to an unwilling Phoenix.

“You just have these on your person?” 

“I'm surprised you don’t carry a shovel at all times. Thought a guy like you would be more prepared.” Gumshoe responded, holding his own green plastic shovel.

Missile had already started digging with his paws. Gumshoe dug as if whatever was below was running out of air. Phoenix joined the detective and his dog with less enthusiasm. Didn’t the police have a specific team for something like this? It’s not like he was going to be paid for the labor. His wrist and arm grew sore as the hole became deeper and deeper. What seemed like ages passed before plastic struck metal. 

“Missile heel! That’s sharp!” The detective called as he used his hands to block the dog. 

Gumshoe instructed Phoenix to help him lift the object out of the ground without harming themselves. A rather heavy grid of thick metal wires linked to each other to make a collapsible net. Each intersection point was adorned with a knife sized point that slightly curved inwards making it hook-like. One entire side of the net was covered in these blades, but the most harrowing detail was the fact that, from a quick inspection, every blade appeared to be covered with a dried dark reddish substance. Blood.

And that was only half of it. Literally. The bladed net’s other half rested still within its secret grave. 

The primary question that resided in Phoenix’s mind was who or what this had cut.

“Gumshoe,” he gulped, “Does Gourd Lake have any bears or mountain lions?” 

The detective stayed staring wide-eyed at the dreaded contraption, “Oh my goodness. I think Gourdy might actually be real.” 

Chapter Text

Phoenix woke the next morning with a terrible ache in his back. Hopefully he had just slept a weird way and his plummet from a burning bridge didn’t have unchecked consequences. He was unsure if he could afford the medical bills if it was serious. He slowly crawled out of bed and took some over the counter pain pills from the bathroom. He would be running late regardless of his pain because he had more pressing issues: a mystery where someone or something may or may not have been murdered. 

Quickly downing a bowl of cereal, his bike was headed towards the police station where Gumshoe had brought the metal net to for further examination. Although no crime has been proven to have been committed with the net alone, other than it was likely not legal for that thing to be in or left at a public park, it was clear that something serious had occurred. Phoenix knew by intuition that if the detective had his way, then there was already an investigation team at Gourd Lake. 

He found Gumshoe alone in a room scratching his chin in front of the aforementioned bladed net. Two metal tables were utilized to hold the two net halves beside each other as the entire thing covered a lot of surface area. Phoenix didn’t think that the inanimate object could get anymore menacing, but the sterile room inside the precinct had a chilling effect.

“Mornin pal, been curious about this too huh?” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this… thing.” Phoenix stared at it with unease.

“Me too pal. That’s why I’ve been trying to figure out how this works. Look.” Gumshoe pointed to the broken split of the two halves.

“This part is different from the rest. See these are clasps, not hooks. And they go horizontal instead. The trap’s too busted to test, but I think those are there to connect the two ends together. It's like a spiky tube.”

Where the trap was unevenly split, little pieces of metal had been placed on the table like bones at a dig site forming a dinosaur. The severed ends had broken off to form jagged edges. Gumshoe motioned to the other end of the object at the ends of the combined table.

“See how clean those wires were cut? You could only do that with a tool. Not like whatever happened where the two parts connect. We keep finding pieces of that out in the woods. And they said having a metal detector around was pointless. Ha!” 

If the detective is right , Phoenix thought, then the net trap was cut and also broken into two parts at some point. Then, it was hidden by being buried in the park.

“Detective Gumshoe,” an investigator walked into the room, “the DNA analysis of the blood sample is done.” 

“Man, you fellas are quick.” He chuckled.

“Well, we didn’t test to determine the species. There’s a match in our database.” 

“A match? Whoever got caught in that death trap had been arrested before?” Phoenix encroached on their conversation.

“Not always,” Gumshoe explained, “We keep records of our own people too. Just in case something happens.” 

The investigator looked over to Phoenix, “I’m sorry, but are you from the precinct?”

He didn’t answer. His only tie to this case was Gumshoe and even then he probably wasn’t allowed in this room. 

“Detective, can we move to discuss this privately?” The investigator requested. 

“But-“ Phoenix interjected.

“Sorry pal, this is a police matter only.” 

To his luck, the two only stepped out into the next room. He quietly snuck to the closed door to not call attention to himself. In an attempt to hear their conversation, he pressed his ear against the cold wood. Their voices were muffled, and difficult to understand. But he could hear one part clearly-

“WHAT! BUT HE’S-“ Gumshoe yelled ten decibels louder.

As he heard footsteps approaching the door, Phoenix frantically returned to his spot and tried to act natural. The detective was pale, with sweat trailing down his face. For a moment his gaze looked out into the empty distance and not at Phoenix. But when his head turned to the lawyer, only one message was seen in those watering eyes: Help.

He made sure the inspector had left before speaking, he inhaled slowly to prepare himself. “Mr. Wright, I don’t want to complicate you with this situation, but I’m not sure I’m going to get an answer alone.” Gumshoe’s voice was uncharacteristically sullen.

“Who?” Was his only response.

The detective didn’t answer directly, Phoenix was not sure he currently had the nerves to. He was led out of the room in silence. They both wordlessly walked up to a familiar office. Although he mostly worked abroad now, Edgeworth’s office stayed as it was. The door was locked, but the prosecutor resided inside. Phoenix couldn’t remember a time when this office had ever been locked during Edgeworth’s working hours. 

Gumshoe knocked on the door and pressed his face against the small window. The man on the other side glanced up from his desk and responded with a shooing hand. He knocked again repeatedly until Edgeworth relented. The man took his time as he slowly rose from his chair and walked to the door. 

“What is it, detective?” He spat in a more surly mood than usual. The kind that made it seem like the temperature dropped five degrees lower with his presence. 

He only opened the door a small crack, but Phoenix could easily tell that he was still not well. His face was somehow even paler than it normally was and he had dark circles under his eyes. His teeth clenched. With how his sweat clung to his brow there was a chance that he was feverish. 

“We’ve got some questions to ask ya, Mr. Edgeworth.”

“We?” He looked around and found Wright. He hadn’t noticed that he was here until now. “And for what reason is Mr. Wright involved with this interrogation?” 

“We both found … something that you should know about.” Gumshoe couldn’t even say what that awful trap was. He looked a little ill himself.

And then it clicked. The sick day. Gumshoe’s sudden change in attitude when he discovered whose blood had been spilled. Edgeworth’s own health. Phoenix’s mouth gaped from the shock and horror. There was so much blood on those terrible blades. 

But…how? 

“You’re telling me that you’ve pried me away from my work to ask about something ?” Edgeworth tried to maintain his professional demeanor, but it was evident that he was restless and agitated. “Wright, what are you gawking over?” 

“How are you standing right now?” He blurted out.

“With my legs. The question is why I am standing now. Oh silly me, I already know. You’re both here wasting my time.” Edgeworth started to close the door.

“Wait! Why were you at Gourd Lake that night?” Phoenix questioned.

Edgeworth stopped. Spiritual chains wrapped around him as red locks began to form. Five. Phoenix held his magatama closely and discretely inside his pants pocket. Edgeworth glanced down, rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. He had quickly caught on to Phoenix’s little trick after he learned about the magatama’s properties during his time as a temporary defense attorney. 

“Sorry, but this is important.” Said Phoenix with his “it’s for your own good” tone.

Miles removed himself from the door but did not open it further. Despite Gumshoe’s hesitation on whether this was an invitation, Phoenix walked into the office with no concern of overstepping. Both found the prosecutor leaning against his bookshelf as they entered. He was attempting to maintain his perfect posture while supporting himself against the surface. 

“Lock the door behind you. There will be no eavesdropping on this conversation.” He instructed, as stern and serious as ever.

“I need both of you to trust me when I say that I am not harboring information to be difficult. My current investigation must remain confidential. And although you may think that you should find answers yourself-,” He stared directly at Phoenix when he said that, “countless innocent lives will be at stake if this becomes compromised.”

Edgeworth paused to let his words settle in. To emphasize how dire this case is and crucial it was to heed his warning. 

“For reasons I must not and will not explain, the individuals that I am after must not know my relation to the discovery at Gourd Lake. Ergo, the public cannot know either. The situation is far too… bizarre for the word to not spread.” 

“So, you haven’t seen a doctor?” There was a twinge of panic in Phoenix’s voice. 

Edgeworth said nothing. 

“We’ve seen the crime scene. Ya need to take care of yourself, Mr. Edgeworth.” Gumshoe added.

“I assure you I’m f-fine.” He pushed himself away from the shelf to approach the two men. But his legs gave out before he could take a proper step.

“Edgeworth!” Gumshoe and Wright yelled.

The man inhaled sharply as he tightly wrapped his arms around his abdomen. Both men rushed to his aid. 

“We need to call an ambulance!” Wright told him.

“Nhhhgh … you can’t… the press.” He protested through the pain.

“You dying in your office is worse!” Phoenix argued, his voice rising up a pitch. 

“I have an idea.” There was a glint of fire in Gumshoe’s eyes, “I know first-aid, but people are going to know something’s wrong if I take the kit in the precinct. I always have a first-aid kit in my car. No one else will be there.”

“H-…” Edgeworth winced as he failed to sit up, “ow?” 

“Miles, take it easy.” Phoenix looked at the detective, “how are we supposed to get him to the car?”

“Now I know it’s a bit unconventional, but it worked in a movie I saw.” 

Those who viewed the spectacle in the precinct did find it disturbing, but for a reason different than the one they were hiding. The three men walked through the hallways shoulder to shoulder. It was a tight fit for the width of the space but they seemed to refuse to break apart. Phoenix and Gumshoe were nervously alert on the ends of the human wall. Both were smiling sheepishly and avoided eye contact like the plague. In the middle, with his arms slung over the two men, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth had the contrasting expression that looked like he was either dying or about to commit murder. Or a combination of the two. With the strange display and the death glare, no witness dared to question what they were doing as they exited the building. And no one noticed the prosecutor’s legs being dragged across the floor as he wasn’t walking with the other men, but was being carried by them. 

Despite how much he fought, the pain was too much to bear and Miles passed out by the time they reached Gumshoe’s car. There wasn’t much space, but with Edgeworth being laid down along the backseats they had their private infirmary. 

“Get his top off of him.” Gumshoe instructed as he fiddled with the kit to get it to open. 

Phoenix hated that his cheeks went hot as he undressed Miles Edgeworth. Had he dreamed about this? Yes, but the other man was supposed to be conscious and not dying and looking into his eyes lovingly and in a bed with rose petals bestrewn. It was not the time to get flustered. Unbuttoning the last layer revealed  bandages wrapped taut around his torso like a mummy. Fresh red spots aligned in neat rows on his body had bled through the white. Some were the size of marbles, others were golf balls. Gumshoe cursed under his breath, and left the back to start the car. 

Phoenix stayed crouched next to the backseats the entire drive to the hospital. He held onto Miles’s hand tightly, as an act of reassurance. Not for the injured man, no. He doubted that Miles would accept the consolation if he was awake. It was reassurance to himself that Miles was still alive because he could feel his pulse. His faint warmth. And if he was alive now then Wright’s mind told him that Miles would survive. 

Arriving at the hospital was a bit of a haze due to the emotional turmoil. Too much was swirling in his head to take in the details. But he couldn’t remain in a numb daze when the doctor asked them what had happened. That she had never seen a patient injured like this.

“Knife fight with a robot.” Phoenix blatantly and instantly lied.

“Don’t worry, the machine is detained.” Gumshoe confirmed after an encouraging elbow from the other man.

They could not visit him as the medical professionals worked to keep him stable. They would not know when or if they could see him again until they got the call from the hospital. The detective tried his best to convince Phoenix to come back later. 

“Pal, I can hear ya stomach grumbling from over here. There’s a noodle joint a block away with good prices.”

His stomach was distracting and loud, especially for 10 in the morning. The emptiness certainly didn’t help the feeling of dread that was slowly burning into frustration. What monster would dare try to make Edgeworth swiss cheese? In Gourd Lake of all places? He had seen his fair share of convoluted murders but this didn’t make any sense. And poor Edgeworth was pressured to keep it all a secret, almost losing his life by suffering through the pain. Though he didn’t agree with the choice, it made some sense as he could see the headlines: “World Renowned Prosecutor Gravely Injured by Medieval Torture Device at Public Lake” catching people’s eyes. What had Miles gotten himself into? Why had he tackled this by himself? 

Phoenix felt something touch his shoulder. He forced the contact away with his arm and turned to face this intruder. Gumshoe held his palm up in surprise. He was not expecting this response, but his gaze didn’t falter. Phoenix hadn’t noticed how angry he felt. He hadn’t noticed how tense his body was. How his hands clenched into fists and his teeth gnashed. He slumped down into his chair and held his head in his shaking hands.

“Sorry.” He apologized softly as he attempted to keep himself together.

“Heyyyyy it’s alright Mr. Wright.” Gumshoe tried again to hearten his mood, without physical touch this time, “This has been rough for all of us, but Mr. Edgeworth wouldn’t want the both of us feeling useless on his behalf.” Gumshoe paused, realizing his choice of words, “What I mean to say is, we need to look out for each other too, pal. And I don’t think you are much like yourself when you’re hungry. Errr, a detective’s observation. The hospital has both of our numbers and will call as soon as there’s any news about Mr. Edgeworth.” 

Phoenix wiped the tears from his face and hands. For a moment there, he had forgotten that he wasn’t alone. 

Chapter Text

“We have to do something, Gumshoe.” He stated after gulping down a mouthful of broth. 

“I hear ya pal, but from what Mr. Edgeworth said this is a very sensitive situation.” The detective pointed at him with his chopsticks, “If ya in the dark, ya more likely to trip over. That’s why I always carry a flashlight.” 

“Flashlight?” Phoenix’s genuine smile brimmed with hope. The detective had an ace up his sleeve. 

“Yup.” Gumshoe boasted proudly.

“What is this flashlight?” Some secret precinct tactic or protocol? He thought to himself.

“Now? Okay then, here ya go.” Gumshoe rummaged through his trench coat pocket and placed a rather scuffed looking flashlight that was held together by duct tape. 

“I don’t really know why you need this in the late morning, but I’m happy to lend it if ya need it.” Gumshoe’s brow raised when he looked at Phoenix again, “Ya seem strangely surprised. Mr. Wright, you have seen a flashlight before?”

“I-I thought you meant a fig- Oh never mind!” The attorney returned to his noodle bowl to sulk in sriracha. 

Gumshoe slowly stirred the noodles around in his bowl. He wasn’t that hungry, it wasn’t that close to lunchtime yet, but he didn’t want to be impolite either. So, he ordered the simplest and cheapest item on the menu. He wondered if it would be a good idea to offer his to Phoenix, who was about to finish his third bowl of noodles. Gumshoe was right, Wright had been starving. 

“Do you know when the police will end their lake investigation?” Phoenix asked him.

“I can find out, but I doubt they are still over there unless they found something else. Most of it was just metal pieces.” 

“Good to know. See you around, detective.” Wright rose from his chair and placed enough money to pay on the table.

“What? Where are you going?” He almost dropped his chopsticks in shock.

Phoenix looked down at the man. It was not an expression of disappointment, Gumshoe recognized that one too much to mistake it, but contemplation. He had paused to think about what to tell him. 

Then, he leaned closely to Gumshoe’s face and spoke softly, “You and I both want to make sure that those people don’t hurt Edgeworth again.” 

Gumshoe quickly nodded.

“I’m going back to the lake. You can help me or not, but you can’t stop me.” It almost sounded like a threat.

“But Mr. Edgeworth said to not look into this.” He warned.

“The police have already investigated the area. The culprit should be aware of this if they’re smart. And if it's supposed to be a secret, I’d rather know for sure that his blood was the only link to the incident.” 

Now it was Gumshoe’s turn to think. He wanted to help Edgeworth, but he hated to go against his word. It was a violation of the trust they had built through the years. However, if his opponents could successfully use a contraption like that, then Edgeworth needed all the support he could get. And there was a chance that Wright was correct about not being able to stop him. It would be better to go with to keep that attorney out of trouble.

“Don’t make me regret this, pal.” Gumshoe agreed to join.

They arrived back at Gourd Lake. After walking far from the public paths they found the place where the broken trap was buried. No one was present at the scene and there were a few pieces of equipment that had been left for the time being. They could have easily shown up during the investigation team’s lunch break, but Phoenix wasn’t planning to wait to find out. Small, brightly colored flags stuck in the ground marked places of interest. 

“See that’s where we dug it up yesterday. Now, the police found little broken-off metal pieces in the hole and that way. A great deal of ‘em were over by that big tree over there.” Gumshoe pointed to the tree with a large trunk that had been marked with a yellow flag. 

Phoenix walked around the scene’s marked border over to the yellow flag. It looked like the police found a trail leading to the burial spot. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary beyond it. Why had it been moved if the broken halves were going to be buried anyways? There were no signs of digging anywhere else. How had this trap been sprung in the first place? 

Looking up the tree, he spotted it. Gumshoe gasped when he discovered what Phoenix was looking at. Above where the police had found most of the broken metal, there was a patch on the tree trunk where the bark was visibly damaged. 

Gumshoe held out his hands creating a foothold, “Climb on my shoulders. I’ll get you close to it.”

To call this a balancing act would be an understatement. It was a miracle that neither one fell over due to Phoenix’s inability to stay level and Gumshoe’s overcorrecting. But he was able to better observe the spot at this height even with the swaying. The tree had scratches in it with some even deep enough to cut beyond the tree bark. They didn’t look like they were created by an animal. How did this all connect?  

“Are there any known witnesses?” Phoenix asked once his feet returned to the ground. 

“Not that I’ve heard about, pal. Maybe the park ranger might know something.” 

And so their next destination was the small cabin used as the park’s base of operations. It was built close to the entrance and a recent installment. The city thought that after the infamous murder of Robert Hammond, a physical reminder of the park’s enforcement would deter any future crimes. Clearly, it had not been enough. 

There was a makeshift display on a wall that looked at home in a classroom. Colorful block letters spelling out “IS GOURDY REAL?” were taped up. The old photo and news article of Larry’s Steel Samurai were below it. An artist’s rendition of Gourdy had been colored in red with crayon. But in the center of it all was a framed photo taken of what looked like ruby red flecks on the cabin’s front desk. A ruler had been placed there in the picture for a size comparison. The smooth flat red shapes were close to the size of a tennis ball. 

“Can I help you?” Asked the park ranger who looked like they worked at Yellowstone. 

“Hiyah. We’re here to ask some questions about what happened two nights ago.” Answered Gumshoe. 

The ranger raised an eyebrow, “Are you news reporters?” 

His confident demeanor diminished, “I’m a detective, pal. Doesn’t the coat give it away?” 

“We’re from the precinct.” Phoenix added.

“We?” Gumshoe’s head turned towards the defense attorney, only to be quickly elbowed.

“I was already questioned this morning. Why would I need to tell you what I know again?” They asked. The ranger’s brow furrowed and their eyes narrowed.

“We were tasked with reinterviewing in case the first group missed something. Please, any piece of information could be an important lead.” Phoenix gave a serious plea. 

“Alright I’ll cooperate, but you cops better find that scum for Gourdy’s sake.” 

“Gourdy?” Gumshoe couldn’t help but ask.

“Isn’t it obvious? Some poacher had it out for Gourdy!” Their eyes were filled with ferocity as they began to give a passionate tirade, “Poachers are the scummiest humans on this planet! Doing awful things to beautiful creatures for money. I’ll never forgive what they did to western black rhinoceroses! Never!” 

“Those poor rhinos…But why do you think the motive is poaching?” Asked Gumshoe. 

“For all we know, Gourdy is the only one of their kind. A super rare animal like that is going to attract greedy humans.” The ranger said. 

“You actually believe that Gourdy is real?” Phoenix was not tolerating this conversation well.

“Ha! You probably believe that the Easter Bunny isn’t real either.” The ranger mocked. “If I could direct your attention to the Wall of Gourdy, we now have unquestionable photographic evidence: Gourdy’s scales. I even got to hold one in my hand.” 

“Why do you have a picture on display instead of the real deal?” Phoenix smiled smugly. He suspected the Gourdy business must have returned to boost the public’s interest in the lake.

“Errrr. Well. They were stolen. A police report was filed for the theft but I haven’t gotten a response yet.” The ranger solemnly looked down to the ground.

Unlike Phoenix, Gumshoe wasn’t satisfied with their answer. “When were Gourdy’s scales stolen?” 

“A couple days before the poacher’s trap was discovered. Now that I think about it, they were found near that spot as well.” The ranger’s fervor reignited, “You don’t think the thief and the poacher are the same?!?”

I highly doubt it. Phoenix thought to himself. The victim was human, not a made up lake monster.

“Do you know if anyone was in the park overnight two days ago?” Phoenix attempted to change the subject to something actually helpful. 

“As I said to the other cops, there’s only one person I know who could have seen something. I was in the cabin the entire time and no one came up on the entrance’s camera. There was a camper who had been here in a tent for about a week, but he was camping across the lake away from that area. So the other cops didn’t see it as important.” The ranger explained.

No one showed up on the camera that night?

“Do you know how we can get into contact with him?” 

“Unfortunately I don’t know anything about that guy. Don’t know his name or any method of contact. He might be from somewhere else because that’s the first time I had ever seen him. But I’ll let him know and ask for his number if I see him again.” 

Speaking of numbers, Gumshoe’s phone began to ring. He answered it, and then looked to Phoenix. 

“He’s awake.” 

Chapter Text

The sterile scent and white walls were as uncomforting as they were recognizable. His own pulse being broadcasted by a machine’s steady beeping confirmed his suspicions about where he was. His grasp on consciousness felt slippery as the world around him seemed to swim and his limbs felt like heavy sandbags. In an uncoordinated manner, he pulled up the neck of his hospital gown to access his injury. 

His bandages had been replaced. The clean wrappings were wound much more neatly than he had done before. But this still did not change anything. His folly would bring everything they had worked for the past few months to ruin. He would be forced to wait and lose precious time, and the time would not come if the cuts on himself scarred. 

Speaking of, he raised his sandbag-heavy arms to inspect himself and ran them through the hair on his head. Everything is as it should be. Good. 

A doctor walked into his room. Her relief was evident when she saw him awake.

“Mr. Edgeworth, I was not expecting you to wake up so soon from the anesthetic. FYI, we do have you on some pretty strong painkillers.” So that’s why he felt so off. 

“How long have I been unconshhh not sleeping?” It was hard to think of the right words.

“A couple hours now. You’re quite lucky actually. The wounds were more shallow than they looked and no internal organs were damaged.”

He was fortunate that the wounds were not as severe as they could be, but he certainly wasn’t feeling “lucky.” 

“When can I…gooooo?” He asked her.

Her expression became serious, “I suggest that you stay the night just in case, and I’m not going to permit any discharge unless you have supervision outside. The bandages are there to protect your stitches from becoming undone. Until those heal, your physical activity should be limited. No limboing or sit-ups or anything else that would strain them. Don’t skip meals and drink plenty of water. I’ll make sure you get the rundown again when you leave in case the painkillers fog your memory.”

He couldn’t help but grimace at this revelation. A setback indeed. At least the doctor was straightforward with him. But he needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

There was a long pause, he had nothing to discuss with her. He was far too tired for pointless chatter.

“So,” the doctor tried to start some small talk, “That must have been quite the machine to get into a scuffle with.” 

She wasn't exaggerating the strength of the painkillers. It took him a moment to process what she said to ensure he heard her correctly, and he still was baffled. 

“Machine?” 

“The machine you fought gave you those stab wounds. The two gentlemen who brought you in told me about it.” She explained nonchalantly as if what she had said was sane. 

Two gentlemen? Suddenly he felt much more awake. His heartbeat quickened. He gripped the stiff hospital bed tightly. It took all his will to stop his rising anger from igniting. He specifically told them to keep quiet. He inhaled deeply before stating, “A machine is a generous term to describe that infernal contraption.” 

She mistook the direction of his ire, “I’d be pretty mad too if a robot did that to me too. At least it was apprehended in the end.”

A robot? 

The two “gentlemen” themselves barged into the room. Their smiling expressions full of relief and joy. 

“Mr. Edgeworth!”

“Edgeworth!”

They eagerly approached him, only to slow down when they noticed that the high levels of irritation in his gaze were dangerously above the daily recommended intake. 

“We were just talking about what you told me earlier.” Said the doctor, unaware of the hostility. 

“Yes. The….robot. Tell me more. My memory is….spotty.” Edgeworth requested venomously. Despite his condition, he was more than capable of delivering a familiar concoction of ridicule and sass.

Gumshoe smiled sheepishly. Sweat rolled down his face.

“You got into a knife fight with a robot. A printer, technically.” Phoenix lied with the same facade of convincing overconfidence that helped him bluff in court. Edgeworth could tell from experience, but the doctor could not. 

“A printer?” She asked inquisitively, if she had been told by anyone else she would have been easily able to detect the impossibility in the absurdity.

“Uh…Y-yuh.” Gumshoe contributed, sweating even more now.

Phoenix, who said a printer because it was the most evil machine he could think of, and did not consider the practicality of the imagined scene, decided to keep digging to get out of his self-made hole in the ground. “Yep. It wasn’t printing even though it had enough ink. So Edgeworth decided to troubleshoot the issue and the printer didn’t like that. All of a sudden a large knife shot out of it and it started trying to stab people by printing the knife into people. That’s why the wounds are spaced so neatly. I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen the aftermath. You think Edgeworth here is in a rough shape? The printer got the worst of it.” 

“Mr. Edgeworth fought so valiantly, I almost cried. Didn’t know he had it in him.” Gumshoe added to the story.

“It sounds like you are quite the hero Mr. Edgeworth.” Said the doctor.

“Anyone would have done the same.” Wright ignored the psyche locks for now.

They all waited until the doctor left the room and closed the door behind her to continue the discussion.

“This is the last time I will ever hear either of you mention it.” Edgeworth said sternly.

“Miles, please let us help you!” Phoenix loudly whispered to not draw attention from passersby in the hallway.

“You can help by taking me to my house when the doctor approves… lets me go. I would be much more….comfortable if I can rest at home.”

“I mean let us help you with the….printer manufacturers.”

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, then sighed, “If the circumstances were different, I would. I cannot involve you with this.”

“But Edgeworth-!”

“Do you really think I want to hide-! …. Sorry. I can’t think well with…drugs. I’m surprised I’m not completely loopy.”

“Hide what.”

“Information, obviously.” He yawned.

“And what did you mean before about anyone else doing the same?”

“Wright, I don’t think I’m….awake enough to remember this conversation. I’m not sure I’m giving accurate answers.”

“Just try.”

“Anyone would have panicked. Let me get some rest, please.”

After saying that cryptic message, he refused to speak more about the situation. As stubborn as he was, Edgeworth did need to rest to heal. Phoenix and Gumshoe left with even more questions than before.

Chapter Text

They were at the mercy of the park ranger’s potential mystery witness. Which meant they could not do anything about the issue until they showed their face, if they ever did. What they could investigate was already combed through, and they illustrated the scene like this:

Thursday night, allegedly, Miles Edgeworth had been caught in a deadly trap that had been set far out in the woods by Gourd Lake. He was not seen by the park’s camera at the entrance and there’s one known person who possibly could have seen the incident. The trap was rammed into a nearby tree high above and moved a distance away from its original spot. At one point, it was broken in half and cut into two pieces before being buried. 

Friday, Edgeworth calls in sick due to his wounds. That afternoon, Phoenix, Gumshoe, and Missile found the buried trap. 

Saturday, Edgeworth returned to his office to avoid suspicion and to continue his confidential work. What he was doing at the lake and why the trap was there is unknown. But was somehow related to the serious and secret mission. 

Repeating the story in his head, attempting to approach it at all the angles, felt impossible as the awful pang in his back kept him distracted. The aches had gotten worse, not better, since they started. The throbbing came in waves with a feverish heat. Sometimes the uncomfortable sensation spread beyond his back when it started acting up. Over the counter medication wasn’t helping this. By Tuesday he was seriously considering going to the doctors, but he had a sudden client in need of defending. 

Two agonizing days later he proved them to be innocent and found the real culprit. It was far from a complicated case, and turnabouts were his specialty, but he certainly wasn’t operating at his best. If anything he was just trying to survive long enough to help his client.

He trudged out of the courtroom looking like he hadn’t won the case. His client expressed their gratitude, but kept it brief as they were aware of the clear fatigue he had even with his confident front. 

He was about to make his exit when the doors from the adjacent courtroom swung open and he heard a familiar click-clacking; a certain individual’s high heels. He remembered this sound as a cautionary measure since the strike of a whip tended to follow suit. Franziska von Karma marched proudly with her head held high. Whatever trial that just concluded, it was clear that the prosecutor had brought it to flawless justice. Her steely eyes made contact with him. A grinning look of superiority formed on her face. Heels began to click-clack towards him. He did not have the energy to deal with Franziska, but he certainly didn’t have the energy to run either. 

“You seem troubled, Phoenix Wright. Has another loss marred your foolishly amateur reputation?” She gloated.

Amateur? And does she really think I care about a perfect record? He bared his teeth into a forced smile, trying to not show that her words got under his skin. “The case went well. I uh… thought that you went back to Europe.” 

“I did, but I have returned to this godforsaken country to fill in for my foolish little brother.” Franziska said.

That was odd to Phoenix. If a prosecutor ever needed a replacement, the Chief Prosecutor would just assign someone else who worked within the same department to the case. There would be no need to hire someone from abroad. And if Edgeworth asked her specifically…..

“When did you arrive back in Japanifornia?” 

Franziska frowned, “I know that look Phoenix Wright! You are making up some foolishness. Your foolish mind is making foolish conclusions as I speak.” Psyche locks: Three. 

Wright recoiled, expecting a whip. “No! I-I just thought Edgeworth hasn’t been sick for long….ssssso you likely did not have much time to prepare for this case.”

One lock broke, but her haughty expression returned, “A von Karma goes where she is needed, no matter how sudden.”

“Sudden” only meant that the trip wasn’t planned ahead of time. He wasn’t going to get a straight answer. “I should probably get going.” 

“Yes. Stop polluting my eyes with your foolish appearance. Do take better care of yourself, Phoenix Wright. It will not be satisfactory to crush you in court if you are in such a foolish condition.” 

I can’t believe I’m being told to take care of myself by the woman who tried to leave the hospital after getting shot. “Oh, like you give a damn.” He mouthed impulsively. Instantly, his eyes widened with regret. 

Franziska’s hands gripped tightly around her whip, “I would give you a mouthful of whip for spitting such foolishness if you didn’t look like you would keel over from a sneeze. Phoenix Wright, you are fortunate enough that I would rather not waste the paramedics’ time with your unconscious body.” 

How considerate of you. He sarcastically thought to himself because there was no way in hell he was going to risk another word in front of Franziska. So he left the courthouse without saying anything else. The whole conversation left a sour feeling in his gut that continued to churn as he walked home. 

Dead certain that Edgeworth requested for Franziska’s sudden appearance, he dialed up Gumshoe’s number to try to get more information. 

“Detective Dick Gumshoe here.”

“It’s Wright. Any news about that witness?”

“No new news about anything related to the lake. I’ll call you when I do get some, pal.”

“By the way, do you know when Franziska von Karma decided to come back to town?” 

“I picked her up from the airport early Friday morning. Mr. Edgeworth asked me to since he was…ill. You know. Are you facing her in court?”

Phoenix, who had been walking down the sidewalk, stopped dead in his tracks.

“Mr. Wright?” Called Gumshoe on the phone.

“Not now, but I might be facing her. Depends on how long Edgeworth is M.I.A. I need to get going. Bye.” Phoenix hung up before Gumshoe could respond.

Friday morning. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Thursday night Edgeworth gets injured and the morning after, Franziska shows up? Flights from Germany to here were long. Friday morning would have been the earliest she could have arrived if Edgeworth requested for her Thursday night. A von Karma goes where she is needed, no matter how sudden. 

What really got to Phoenix was the fact she knew. She was the first to know that Edgeworth had been severely hurt. He never attempted to hide it from her like he did with him and Gumshoe. Edgeworth told her himself, and it was likely one of the first things he did getting out of that inhumane trap. He had a hunch that she knew what was going on too. 

Edgeworth did not trust him. He did not trust the detective. He would rather have her sister travel overseas than call them within the city. After everything they had been through he did not trust them enough to help him and keep a secret, and it hurt. 

He could not think of another explanation to why he had been excluded. (Okay, with the amount of information Phoenix shouldn’t have gotten from Gumshoe over the years he understood why the detective might have been excluded.) He couldn’t find a reason to justify his envy; his aggravation. Inflamed, he ran back to his apartment to hide from the rest of the world. The last thing he needed was to freak out in public. He was fuming and the ache in his back became angry too. He was too hot; too volatile. A pin could drop and he might explode.

He knew he had to calm down. Phoenix threw his head into the sink and turned on the cold tap. The water made a chilling hiss when it made contact with his skin. He tried to regulate his breathing, but it was difficult as when his furious emotions subsided and the heated sensations in his body did not. The backache was drowned out by the molten lava that replaced his stomach acid. It didn’t hurt but it certainly wasn’t comfortable and it definitely wasn’t normal. What is happening to me!? The heat inside began to rise. He clutched his gut as an attempt to prevent himself from exploding. 

A puff of gray smoke escaped from his mouth as he belched. 

He recoiled in shock, and covered his mouth with both hands to stifle a scream. Phoenix watched in silence as the smoke dissipated. And just like that, it was over. The uncomfortable fire burning inside was gone. Besides the thin stream of smoke trailing out of his nose, and the smell of the aforementioned smoke, there were no traces of this fright ever occurring.

He was starting to think that a doctor would not be able to help him. 

The “Ol Reliable” brick of a Nokia rang within his pocket. Phoenix took a few seconds to calm down a little before answering.

“Heeeeeeey. Phoenix Wright here.” He shakily answered.

“Nick! How are you!” Hearing Maya’s cheerful tone only made him more anxious.

“Fine. Fine. F-fine. Did you two make it back okay?” 

Maya had some business in Hazakura Temple to deal with that pertained to her becoming the Master of the Kurain Temple and items that Misty Fey had left her. Although he had offered to provide support, she decided to do this with Pearl and her alone. Phoenix understood that she needed this time to process this on her own accord. They would not be back for a while. 

“Nick, are you feeling alright?” Cheer switched to concern.

“Of course, I’m Wright!” He forcibly laughed at his own joke, instinctively using his courtroom voice.

Maya paused, “Nick, I know when you’re bluffing. I’ve heard you do it enough times to tell.”

“Did you remember to tell Pearls to give Sister Bikini the drawing she made for her?” He asked; still maintaining the facade.

“Nick…You’re freaking me out.” 

“Look…Maya I’m sorry but pretending nothing is wrong is the only thing keeping me from freaking out.”

“What’s going on?” She asked loudly.

“I don’t know!” He yelled, freaking out.

“Can you explain what happened?” 

Phoenix paused, “I don’t think you would believe me if I did.” 

“Nick please, I channel spirits and we cross examined a parrot. There’s not much I would think as impossible anymore.” 

“I burped smoke.” He blurted out.

“What?”

“I got really mad and then I burped smoke. My insides became super hot and-and it just released out of my mouth.” He eloquently elaborated.

“Huh?”

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me!”

“No I do believe you! It’s just that….HUH?” 

Phoenix nervously scratched his arm that was holding his phone with his other hand. The texture seemed…off. He held his phone between his neck and shoulder to better inspect his shirt. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then, he peeled back his shirt sleeve. 

“AUUUGH!” Phoenix Wright screamed.

“Nick! Nick what’s wrong!” Yelled Maya from the cell phone that landed on the floor unscathed.

Maya could only hear incomprehensible panicked ramblings from the distance. 

“Get a hold of yourself!”

Phoenix grabbed the phone off of the floor and shook it back and forth like he was violently shaking someone by the shoulders.

“There’s these freaky dots growing on me! Not freckles-I thought they were freckles but they’re too big to be freckles anymore! They’re tough and hard. It’s not skin Maya, but it’s there! Oh shit! Shit-shit-shit-shit-shit this is probably skin cancer! Skin-smoke cancer! Maya! I’m too young to die! I have so much to live for! I DID NOT SURVIVE FALLING FROM A BURNING BRIDGE TO DIE FROM CANCER MAYA!”

“Nick!” She interjected, “Remember those breathing exercises I taught you that I do for meditation?” 

Shakily, he placed the phone back between his neck and shoulder. Sitting on the floor, he began to do one of the breathing exercises to the best of his recollection. His stomach rumbled, and another puff of smoke escaped from his mouth. 

“Nick, I’m coming back on the next possible train ride.” 

He did not want to be seen in this state, but he couldn’t think of a better reason why she shouldn’t. 

Chapter Text

He was alone for three days. No phone call about a witness. No Maya. Hazakura Temple was quite remote. The trains did not travel to their nearest station on a daily basis. He dared not attempt to leave his apartment.

The aching did not relent. What made things worse was he had gotten a fever which seemed to sap away his energy. The only positive of this illness was that he hadn’t smoked since. It would have been a nightmare combination if he had been coughing and sneezing as well.

He didn’t hear them enter his apartment. He was asleep in his bed until Maya shook him awake.

“Pssst! Nick, are you dead?” She whispered.

“Hrrrrng. Not yet.” He replied drowsily.

“Nick, no offense, but you smell awful.”

Wright pulled his sheets towards his face to better conceal himself. He did not want Maya to see him like this. She’d be horrified.

“Do you want me to get you anything?”

“Water. Please.”

Maya returned with a glass and set it on the nightstand. With an arm under the sheet, he held it close to his face to keep himself hidden. Slowly he sipped from the glass, not wanting to waste any drop of the refreshing liquid. 

“With what you said before, about freaky dots and smoke, you might be cursed.” Said Maya.

“Cursed?” He asked, feeling a bit more awake.

“Well, does this resemble any medical illness you've ever heard of?”

“No.”

“But I haven’t heard of a curse like this before. The most I’m aware of aren’t physical. Could you show me so I could get a better idea of what this is?”

“No! No.” 

“Niiick.” She grumbled.

“It’s not pretty.”

“Most curses aren’t.”

“If it is a curse.” He added, “I just don’t want to scare you.”

“What did the fever do to your brain? Nick. No matter how spotty, smoky, and smelly you are, you’re still you.”

“I guess you’re right.” He sighed.

“No, you’re Wright.” She smirked.

He couldn’t help but smile at that. Maya motioned for him to sit up. It took some effort, as his body did not like to be moved. Leaning on the headboard, his arms were on full display. 

Littered in patches, dark blue scales were upon his skin. At first they were a few specks on his forearms, but now they had multiplied into clusters that spread up to his shoulders. His fingernails had turned black and elongated, making them almost claw-like. Maya looked not with disgust, but intrigue.

“Yeah I have no idea what this is.” She admitted. 

“Same.” When he yawned, Maya could swear that his canine teeth were sharper than they should be. 

“We’re going to have to consult the expert.” 

And then Maya left his bedroom without telling him more about who this “expert” was. He unintentionally dozed off again while waiting, so he couldn’t really tell how long it had been. 

“Earth to Nick, do you copy?” Maya said, nudging his shoulder.

He wasn’t expecting to see Mia of all people wearing Pearl’s clothes and hair.

“Chief! Maya, you brought PEARLS?!”

“Of course I did! She would have had a fit if you were unwell and she couldn’t come with.”

“Hello again, Phoenix.” Mia greeted. Her hand hovered over his arm, “May I?”

Phoenix nodded. Every time he saw her again he was reminded of how much he missed her. He hadn’t expected to see her again after Iris’s trial, at least not so soon. Mia gently traced the scales on his arm. It was weird, they were as sensitive to touch as his skin but a much stronger substance. Mia held her hand up to her chin; lost in thought.

“Have you encountered any strange people or objects?” She asked.

“Nothing.” At least nothing that would be out of the ordinary in his crazy life. Maybe the spike trap, but then Gumshoe and Edgeworth would have had the same problem since they both touched it. 

“Maya told me that you burped smoke?” 

“Uh yeah, but not since. I was really…upset at the time.” He elaborated.

“Although figuring out the type of curse could help, our goal should be to find out why you were cursed. Usually that can tell us how to break it.” Mia explained to Maya and Phoenix.

“Well, I have made a couple enemies as a defense attorney. Mostly murderers.” He said sheepishly. 

Maya turned to Mia, “You don’t think it was Dahlia who did this?”

Mia shook her head, “Even if she did target Phoenix, I don’t think she would strike so soon.” 

Maya paused, hesitant to share her theory, “Aunt Morgan?”

“With what we know, neither of them would have a solid motive to only target Phoenix. The person who caused the curse doesn’t need to have the ability or knowledge, they just need someone else who does or an object that can curse a person.”

“So we still don’t know anything.” Maya frowned.

“I haven’t seen a curse like this. It’s still a mystery.” Mia looked at his arm again, puzzled. “Who has sewn scales into your skin?”

“Could you repeat that?” Phoenix raised one eyebrow.

“Ah, sorry. This reminded me of a fairytale I was told when I was little. That is all.” 

“Sewing scales? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.” Maya said with a pleading face and starry eyes. 

Mia smiled at her warmly, the look in her eyes bittersweet. “It went like this: There was this skilled hunter who fell in love with a woman, but she did not love him the same. No matter how many times she told him no, the hunter would not relent. Then, he lost his temper. He pursued her, but could not catch her. The following night, she snuck in while he was asleep and sewed scales into his skin. In the morning, his hunting entourage believed him to be a monster and killed the man.”

Mia’s eyes widened as she realized, “Ah! Sorry Phoenix. That old story probably didn’t help your nerves.”

The mental image of someone sewing in scales with a needle while he was sleeping was definitely going to haunt him, but that wasn’t the only thing about the tale that caught his attention.

“I think I’ve heard this story before; with the hunter. But the woman wasn’t human in the version I know. She was secretly a dragon. And the hunter went after her for being deceived. The way it was told to me made it sound like you were supposed to feel sorry for the hunter, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for the dragon.”

“That is the most common version of the story. But she often took creative liberties.” Said Mia. 

She. So that’s why Maya was so interested.

With not much else she could do, Mia said her goodbyes and left. Maya decided to call Sister Bikini. The Fey Clan archives at the temple documented generations of knowledge. There was a good chance that Phoenix’s curse was somewhere in the written records. Meanwhile, still exhausted, Wright tried to get some rest without any nightmares about hunters after his scales or dragon women adding more.

Luckily his slumber was uneventful, but he was not expecting to wake up and see Pearl Fey with a coloring book sitting by the nightstand.

“Pearls?”

She looked up at him, her eyes widened with excitement. “Hello Mr. Nick. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.”

“What are you doing?”

She quickly covered the sheet of paper with her hands. “That’s a secret!”

He meant to ask what she was doing here in the apartment and not what she was coloring. 

“If it’s a secret then why are you coloring in front of me?” He couldn’t resist asking.

“You were asleep! And I didn’t want you to be all by yourself when you were cursed.” Pearl pouted.

He couldn’t help but smile. No matter how strange or dire the situation was, there was sweet little Pearls. “Thank you.” 

“Are you feeling better Mr. Nick?” She asked with eyes aglow. 

“I might be a little bit better, but the fever is still pretty high.”

“If you’re too hot, then why are you under the sheet?” She asked.

Uh oh. He could lie and say that he wasn’t wearing any pajamas, but Phoenix was unsure if he could lie to the young girl. But how could he explain it?

“You know those horror movies that you aren’t allowed to watch because they would give you nightmares? This curse, if it is a curse, is like that. It’s too scary.”

“But those movies are make-believe, this is real life. And I’m a very brave lady!” She protested. 

He wasn’t going to be able to talk her out of it. So he did what he thought would be the less frightening way to show her. Slowly he revealed the arm closest to her.

“It doesn’t hurt.” He assured.

“Whoa!” She stared with wide eyes, “That is scary. But I’m not scared Mr. Nick! I know you’re not scary on the inside.”

“Never change, Pearls.”

He went back to sleep so that Pearl could finish whatever secret she was coloring. The next morning the finished sheet was on top of his nightstand with the phrase, “Get well soon!” written in crayon. The fever could not overpower the warmth he felt looking at the gift. Despite it all, he was not alone. 

Although he was still ill, he was at least well enough to take a shower. And Maya was right: he needed one. And a cold shower sounded heavenly.

Phoenix consciously avoided looking into the bathroom mirror as much as he could. He was not ready for that self reflection yet. The cool water hissed as it touched his heated skin. If he didn’t have to worry about the water bill, he could have stayed there for hours. But no, his ease from the alleviating shower’s rain was cut short. 

Not focused on it much, he scratched his upper back. The itch didn’t go anywhere, in fact it started feeling less like a mere irritation. He sensed something move. Just beneath the surface. Inside. Before he could react, it happened. A stabbing pain. But the metaphorical knife did not strike inwards. No, instead it originated from the inside cutting out into the world. Phoenix lurched and hunched over in shock. His hands clutched his knees to keep himself from falling. He could not see them directly, at that moment, but he could see the silhouettes cast with his shadow. The new pieces of him.

He screamed.

Out of all the people who could have rung the doorbell, Maya was not expecting Detective Gumshoe to be at Phoenix’s apartment. She hadn’t been sure that he knew where he lived until he showed up. Whatever Gumshoe wanted would have to wait because Maya was certain that Wright didn’t want others to know about the curse.

“Morning Gumshoe! Long time no see.” She greeted as she opened the door.

“Heya pal! I wasn’t expecting to see ya today! How have you been?” Asked the detective, friendly as ever.

“I’ve been okay. Got any cases you’re investigating?”

“Eh, I’ve got one I’m doing but I can’t do much until the lab results get in. Oh that reminds me! I got to talk to Mr. Wright about another case. He wasn’t at his office.”

“Sorry detective, but Nick isn’t available to chat right now.”

“Oh, I don’t mind waiting. He’s going to want to know my discovery.”

“Discovery?”

“It’s a long story. But since you two work together it should be okay to let you know. But the word can’t get out about it, capisce? I can tell ya while we wait.” As much as Maya was intrigued about the details, she needed Gumshoe to leave.

“You should come back another day, otherwise you might be waiting a very long time. I’m not sure when Nick will be ready.”

“I can hear the shower running from here, pal. He can’t be in there for days, can he?”

“Uh, but Nick is sick! It’s pretty bad. We’re here to make sure he doesn’t get worse. So he won’t be able to talk with you today.”

“Ah. You should have told me sooner. Tell him that I hope he gets better soon. Hey, is there anything I could help out with? I’d hate to leave you three on your own.”

Before Maya could answer, Phoenix Wright screamed. 

She couldn’t stop the larger man from instinctively heading towards the perceived danger. Pearl looked at them both with worry as Maya tailed behind Gumshoe.

“Mr. Wright, are you okay?” The detective called from the other side of the bathroom door. The only answer was the continuing noise of running water from the shower.

“I’m going in.” He muttered to Maya.

“But you can’t!” Maya pleaded as a last ditch effort, “He’s in the shower so he’s naked!”

“Don’t worry about me, pal. I’m a homicide detective. These eyes have seen it all.” He assured, though that was not what she was worried about. 

“Mr. Wright, I’m going to enter okay?” Gumshoe warned one last time. No response. The detective pointed to Pearl, “Avert your eyes.”

Pearl quickly covered her face as the detective turned the doorknob.

The shower’s frosted glass door provided some privacy when Gumshoe barged in. He could see Wright’s slightly blurred shape; hunched over but fortunately standing. He was not responsive to his words. A towel with a familiar shade of blue hung on the rack nearby. 

Without any other plan, the detective thought the best course of action was to slowly open the shower door just enough to quickly offer the towel. Attempting to maintain as much privacy as possible, Gumshoe did not face the other man. That is until he screamed again. The sight he saw was nothing his eyes had ever seen before.

Thankfully, the towel in his hand covered most of the bottom-half view. But that wasn’t the point of concern. Wright, who was screaming at him, had glistening and navy blue splotches on his body. And right behind his head were a pair of bat-like wings of the same stuff. Dark blue with a membrane composed of fiery oranges and reds. They were proportionately small, the wingspan didn’t surpass his shoulders. But their existence alone was a gargantuan shock.

Gumshoe’s gaze switched from the man’s wings, to the fear in the man’s eyes.

“M-Mr. Wright, are you doing okay?”

He opened his mouth, but instead of responding with words a small cloud of smoke poured out.

“Uh-huh. How about you put on some pants, and when ya ready I’ll fix something up for ya to drink.” Said Gumshoe. 

When the detective left the bathroom, Maya confessed that Phoenix had been cursed and she had tried to keep it secret. After swearing that he would never tell a soul for Wright’s sake, he asked Maya about his tea preference. Whenever Edgeworth was…on edge, a cup of warm tea usually would soothe his nerves. But Maya was unsure if Wright even liked tea and he certainly didn’t have any at home. But the detective found something even better in the fridge: milk and chocolate sauce. 

After spiraling with a million questions and nightmare scenarios going through his head, Phoenix finally built up the courage to meet the others in the kitchen. His fever was suddenly just done after that happened, but he still would have locked himself into his bedroom anyways if that hadn’t been seen. Sweat pants were worn and a towel was hung over his shoulders like a cloak. He had no idea how he was supposed to wear a shirt. To complete the ensemble, he donned a neutral poker face. Not to hide from his companions, but to keep himself together. But it was difficult to keep his guard up when he saw all three sitting at his table with a glass of chocolate milk each, and a glass next to an open chair that was clearly for him. 

“What is this for?” Phoenix inquired; distracted.

“Well, I thought it would help.” Said Gumshoe.

Oh right. That. Somehow he almost forgot. How the hell is milk supposed to undo the wings that had grown out of my back?

Sitting in a chair was a little awkward. He had to rotate it around so that the back of the chair was to his side instead of behind. The beverage did not help with the wings in the slightest, but the taste of syrupy chocolate and cold milk was bliss. The treat did ease his mind for the moment.

“Sooo can we see?” A milk mustachioed Maya pried.

Gumshoe choked on his drink slightly, “Now?”

Wright let out an audible sigh. It wasn’t like he could keep that hidden anyways. He opted to rip off the bandage now instead of later. After taking a swig of chocolatey goodness, with both arms he moved the towel to cover only his chest and not his entire upper half.

“Oh my.” Maya mouthed.

“They’re really pretty Mr. Nick!” Yelled Pearls.

Phoenix’s face turned red with embarrassment. Those things? Pretty? Sure, he only saw the shadows but that was enough to tell. Pearl was acting as if they were a bouquet of flowers instead of something inhuman. 

“Can you fly with them Mr. Nick?” The young girl asked; practically bouncing.

“They are way too small for that, Pearl.” Maya commented.

“If we don’t figure out how to get rid of the curse soon, he probably will be able to.” Gumshoe added.

Wright stood up, the wings outstretched from his reaction. “I can’t live like this! How am I supposed to do my job? To put on a shirt?”

“I don’t know Nick, I think you could really intimidate the prosecution with these babies.” Maya smiled mischievously.

“Even if I’m not carted away to some lab, how am I supposed to wear a suit?”

“Just cut the back a little to make a hole.”

“Maya!” He yelled.

“Relax Nick, I’m joking. It’s good to see that you’re feeling more like yourself.” Her demeanor changed, “We will find out how to fix this.”

Gumshoe scratched his chin as he thought, “I may not know anything about curses and magic, but I might be able to make something to help hide the wings. Temporarily of course! Until the curse is broken.” He offered.

Suddenly, the detective jumped up from his chair and snapped his fingers, “That’s it! I know what to do. Gotta test it first but I’ll be back later, pal!” He rushed out the door, slamming it behind him.

“Hey Nick, Gumshoe said that he was here to talk about a case. Mind sharing the details?” She asked, intrigued about what other things her friend had gotten into while she was gone.

And so he told them both the bizarre events that had occurred before his strange transformation, leaving out the more grisly information for Pearl. The cage, Edgeworth, Franziska, Gourd Lake. Until he was interrupted.

“Wait. You just said that there’s now proof that an actual Gourdy exists and you’re just glossing it over?”

Wright crossed his arms, “It was just a photograph, those can be easily faked. What’s important is that we might have a witness.”

Maya slammed her hands onto the table, mimicking the courtroom, “But someone stole those scales! Why would they be stolen if they were fake? Someone is trying to keep Gourdy for themselves!”

“The ranger is just lying so they can stir up tourism again. We already know Gourdy doesn’t exist!” 

“I dunno, Nick. If I started growing scales after I investigated a park that was home to a big scaly lake monster, I wouldn’t ignore it.”

Pearl gasped, “The curse! Mr. Nick, did you make Gourdy angry?”

“No, because Gourdy doesn’t exist!”

Maya shook her head, “The proof is right there, Nick. You better apologize to Gourdy.”

“When we finally find our witness, that will prove there were no lake monsters involved that night Edgeworth got hurt. And if anything, Gourdy should be apologizing to me. But it wont, because Gourdy isn’t real!”

“We’ll see.” Maya said with a smirk.

Everything was banking on this witness. If they were ever going to find him. If he saw anything in the first place. 

Chapter Text

There was still no word about the potential witness from Gourd Lake. Phoenix Wright was desperate to find more leads, but leaving his apartment risked being seen in this state. He certainly didn’t want Edgeworth to see him like this. The prosecutor didn’t need another helping of weirdness on his plate and any attempt of getting more information from him would be easily derailed to Phoenix’s predicament. He wouldn’t be able to get any answers from him until this curse was lifted.

Pearls and Maya were currently at the Kurain Village, searching for more information about curses. Alone, Phoenix felt stuck. Perhaps he was getting cabin fever after staying inside for so long. But the dire circumstances led him to resort to something he'd never thought he’d do: he turned to the internet to search for answers.

Phoenix was well reminded that his technological prowess and attitude was that of a man from a generation much older than himself. He knew how to create documents and print pages with a computer, and that was about it. He saw no valid reason why he should trade in his Nokia for a newer phone. It could make calls just fine, why would he need anything extra? But as willing as Maya was to point out that he was “behind the times,” she would also insist just as much that “you can find anything on the internet.” 

But the computer was three blocks away residing at his office. Which meant he was at the same roadblock: the risk of being seen. Mulling it over, he was finally convinced that taking the leap of faith was worth it. Besides, he wasn’t meeting with anyone and he would be outside for ten minutes at most. If he was careful enough, no one would notice.

The key was hiding as much skin as possible, which is where the sweatshirt hoodie in the back of his closet truly shined. Long sleeves and pockets to hide his hands. A hood to conceal most of his facial features. Plus enough room for his wings to fit comfortably which created a slight hump in his appearance.

Gumshoe came up with this idea yesterday after the discussion about wearing clothes with wings. He brought an old backpack that he cut a decent sized hole in the back before leaving for an investigation. The hole was large enough to have plenty of room but not enough to be visible when wearing it. It would not save his clothes from also having holes cut, but it would conceal the extra appendages with little suspicion. It easily hid the hump that the small wings created.

With his disguise, all it took was a casual stroll to Wright and Co. Law Offices. 

Finding the internet search engine took as long as booting the computer up. However, when it was found the only restrictions were what words he typed into the magic search bar. “Dragon Curse” was not as helpful as he hoped. He was given fantasy novel upon fantasy novel upon tabletop gaming tutorials. “Dragon Scales” was more or less the same, until he made a discovery. The numbers at the bottom of the website brought more pages of websites. The amount of information at his fingertips was effectively limitless. 

“Dragon Scales Curse” led him further down the digital rabbit hole. Page after page until he spotted something familiar. It was the story Mia had told without Misty Fey’s personal edits. The website documented a lengthy list of them. “Myths of the Dragon-like” was the title at the top. Phoenix opened a new tab.

“Dragon-like” led to an interesting definition, “a fictional creature that is known for its ability to shift its form from a range of a human to a full-sized dragon. Originates from mythology.” The definition matched the dragon in the story, but he had not been aware that it was popular enough to have its own term. 

He scanned through the list of Dragon-like myths. Their origins did not restrict to one area, but were scattered throughout the globe. He did not want to spend his time reading them, Phoenix doubted an old tale would be much help, yet his curiosity distracted him. 

There were some where the dragon was benevolent. Either rewarding the hero with riches or sharing wisdom. One that stuck out in particular was where a man had fallen in love with the dragon and they used their magic to turn him into a dragon so that they could stay together. A sort of reverse Beauty and the Beast that contrasted the stories where being turned into one was a punishment or a curse. 

Most of the myths in that list had a pattern that was familiar to the version Phoenix knew first: the dragon was the tricky monster that the hero would slay. They came up with just about anything in those stories to make a dragon seem even more threatening. Half-dragon half-humanoid forms. There was one where the dragon couldn’t shape-shift, but swapped bodies with a human. A dragon’s kiss being certain death. (He rolled his eyes reading that one.) Several of the stories stated that the dragon was incapable of love, and some made it a plot point in figuring out who was a dragon in disguise. 

She wasn’t interested in you. Grow up. He thought to himself.

None of these tales were useful in finding a way to break the curse. However, he got this eerie feeling from how many similarities a lot of the stories had. He was unsettled by how easy it was to put himself in the shoes of the shape-shifting dragons. He had to remind himself that they were just stories; old fictional stories.

Phoenix needed to tackle this at a different angle. If “curse” wasn’t leading to any non-fictional findings, then he would have to try to direct the internet toward some. If a person today had the same problem, there was a chance that they wouldn’t initially suspect that they were cursed. He doubted he would have if he had not been familiar with spirit mediums. “Scale Disease Help” was his next direction. But page after page was only concerned with types of illnesses a reptile pet could have. He then changed it to “Human Scale Disease Help” and began to scroll. 

Many search pages in, he finally found something. A sliver of hope that this was the right way forward to his lead. It was a shady looking forum for medical advice that did not look like it belonged to any credible healthcare organization. The web link brought him to a discussion that had been erased years ago. Only one statement remained, “Discussion post deleted by moderation for violating rule 4: Topics must be legitimate ailments recognized by professionals.” There was no trace of what the title “Help!!!!!!! I’m Growing Scales!!!!” had once entailed, but there was now a chance that he wasn’t the only person. 

Further and further he scrolled, committed to finding anything else. Page after page until he stumbled upon exactly what he was looking for. It was another forum that was mainly in another language that he couldn’t recognize, but there were posts in English as well. He didn’t need to know what the posts were saying to see the images. Most had a picture attached that combined showed a collection of many different people’s arms and a colorful assortment of scales. They looked exactly like the ones growing on his arm. 

The posts that were in English were usually written about how the scales suddenly showed up and that they didn’t know what to do. There would be a handful of comments by other users about how they had the same experience. Nothing mentioned how to get rid of them, but this was still incredible to find. How could there be so many people but seemingly no public awareness? It all seemed too good to be true.

He had to make an account to use the forum. It took a couple of minutes filling out information, but the newly created Phoenix_Wright was ready to find some answers. Surprisingly, after typing out a brief description of his condition, it only took about twenty minutes for his computer to make a “ding!” sound. 

Emerald_Elf496: I saw your post. My experience is somewhat similar, but there is too much to discuss over messages. I live just outside of LA, are you in that general area? The cure that worked for me might work for you.

The anonymous Emerald Elf contacted him not by commenting, but through a private message system on the site. 

Elated, he sent a response.

Phoenix_Wright: It is such a relief to finally reach out to some who knows more about this. I live in LA. Do you know what this website is? Do you know the other people on here? 

Emerald_Elf496: I am free tomorrow afternoon. Are you available to meet me at Gourd Lake around 12?

Phoenix_Wright: Yes! I have no plans then.

Emerald_Elf496: See you then. 

Someone who was less desperate for answers would have taken the time to think about what was being said before agreeing to meet. Someone who had more experience with the internet would have seen the sudden request to be face to face as a red flag. Maybe Phoenix would have been cautious if it was not only himself who was at risk. But all that mattered in that moment was that he found a path, a trackway that would lead him somewhere, out of the dark uncertainty. There was no concern about the nature of the oncoming light.

Chapter Text

The lake was actually quite busy with picnics and passersby along the lakeside. It made sense as it was a beautiful day outside. He scanned the scattered crowd, not sure who he should be looking for. Then, Phoenix made eye contact with her from a distance.

He immediately turned around and walked briskly in the opposite direction.

“What are you doing here, Phoenix Wright?” Franziska von Karma tailed after him.

“Investigating while under the weather again? I will not be your chaperone this time.” A gloved hand grabbed his shoulder.

He turned around to face her. “I’m just meeting with someone.” 

“A foolish lie.” She accused. Franziska then spoke in a hushed tone, “This case is dead. Stop wasting your time, you will not find anything.” 

“Then why are you here? If there's nothing to investigate?” Phoenix questioned with no concern about lowering his voice.

“That’s confidential, Phoenix Wright.” If looks could kill, her glare would have caused another crime scene.

One accusatory finger pointed straight at her as Phoenix removed his hand from his pocket, “Then you are here because of what happened at the lake. You do know what’s going on, don’t you!” 

Unexpectedly, she didn’t retaliate with her own denial to his claim. He could have said anything, but Franziska already decided that something else was more worthy of her focus than his foolish words. She was too preoccupied with staring intently, studying, the fingernail pointing towards herself. The charcoal black sharpened claw. 

Phoenix quickly hid his hand back into his sweatshirt pocket and produced a fake smile, “What? You’ve never seen a man wear acrylic nails before?” He acted defensive, attempting to redirect her efforts to pry but he knew that the nervous twinge in his voice would ruin the slim chance he had. 

She did not wait for permission to step forward and inspect. Reflexively, Phoenix clutched the inside of his pocket tightly to prevent his hands from being forced out. But that action left himself vulnerable as Franziska took hold of the left side of his jaw. Using her gloved thumb she pushed back his cheek to reveal fangs. The definitely should not be in a human looking mouth type of fangs.

Franziska’s eyes widened. Her owl-like stare glanced down at where his hands were hidden and at his mouth. She took a step back, not out of aversion, but to better observe his appearance. How his seemingly casual outfit covered most of himself, as if she could see every individual scale beneath. 

Uncomfortable, Phoenix also took a step away. She did not react. The only sign that Franziska hadn’t completely froze was her expression. Something was playing within her mind, synapses were firing off as she processed this new information, but what she was thinking was unclear. 

“Before you freak out, I am actually meeting with someone to fix this.” 

“To fix? What do you mean by fix?” She asked him like fix was a word not belonging to her English repertoire. 

“What else could I mean? To make this go away for good.”

“Who told you they could make this go away?” Her expression darkened. He was reminded of the crack of her whip.

“Just someone I found on the internet. I met them on a website tha-Ow!” Franziska grabbed his free hand and held onto it tightly. Keeping him in place while threatening to crush his bones in the process.

“Mr. Phoenix Wright, you will not meet this person.” She demanded. 

The look on her face could have been easily mistaken for pure anger. But Phoenix had seen that expression in court enough to notice that this was something more. Something he didn’t think could be possible.

With her free hand, she dialed her cell in a flash, “Scruffy! You will meet me at the lake and escort Phoenix Wright to his office. Now! You are to stay with him while I do my job. And don’t you dare let him out of your sight until I get back!”

Hanging up, her commands switched to him, “Phoenix Wright, you are to go to your office and stay there until I can accompany you. I shall be there at 2pm sharp. If you foolishly decide to leave before then, I will consider you missing and call for a search. This is a threat.”

He recognized the look in her eyes, but had never seen it before from her. He couldn’t believe it, but he couldn’t deny it either. Brave, unrelenting Franziska, who always presented herself as the one in control, was visibly afraid. And if Franziska von Karma was afraid of something, then there must be a very good reason. 

Chapter Text

It did not take long for the detective to arrive. He knew better than to keep the prosecutor waiting despite the strange request. However, he had something else on his mind.

On the road within the privacy of Gumshoe’s car, he began to give Phoenix the intel. “This actually works out great cause I got something big to share with ya. That’s why I went to your place the other day but errr….uh. I got distracted. I was going to talk to ya after work today.” 

“Information about the case? Did the witness return?” His eyebrows raised as his spirits lifted. At long last some good news.

“I found,” Gumshoe paused, grinning and giddy to say it aloud, “a contradiction.”

“A…contradiction?” This wasn’t the news Phoenix was hoping for, but if Gumshoe was excited about it then it couldn’t be against their favor.

“Yep. A pretty big one too. I really need your help to figure it out because I don’t know what it means.” 

The detective continued, “The metal trap. It’s pretty big and the blades are quite large as well. We’re talking the size of the really big kitchen knives you see in cooking shows. We can get a rough picture of how…deep the blades went in by the…traces of…blood.” He gulped, becoming more queasy as he continued to describe its brutality.

Gumshoe shook his head, pulling himself out of it. “I talked with the doctor. The wounds on Edgeworth are nowhere near that bad. They weren’t deep enough to…hurt anything important. The stab marks are smaller than they would be as well.” 

“So we have the bloodied weapon, the supposed victim, but the evidence doesn’t match up.” Phoenix summarized.

The detective nodded, “I’m telling ya, no human being would have survived being ensnared by that metal contraption.”

“It does seem like an over elaborate way to kill a person. And it’s not very cost effective. What were the chances Miles would show up there anyways? Heck we don’t even know why he did do that!”

“I still don’t know how the trap was set up either. It doesn’t look like it would trigger on its own.”

The contradiction between the mismatched crime scene and wounds brought new questions in need of an answer. If the trap was not what had stabbed Miles Edgeworth, then where was this smaller version that did? What else would have made an array like that? But if it wasn’t the metal net that they had found, then why was his blood all over it? He needed to think about this from a different direction. Why did the blades and the punctures fit each other in everything but scale? 

He mulled on the facts, trying to think of the answer. But then his phone rang. 

“Nick, where are you? We’re at your apartment.” 

Crap. He forgot to tell Maya what he was doing. 

“Sorry, I should have told you. Can you meet us at the office? We’ll be there soon.”

Phoenix had his own findings to share with the others. He immediately showed the detective the forums and messages while he went over the details. 

“So you don’t know this Emerald Elf person?”

“Yeah.”

“Why would you meet with a total stranger like that? What were you thinking!” Lambasted Maya. Pearl crossed her arms and pretended to be angry to show that she was also upset. 

“They said they had answers.” 

“And you still didn’t think meeting with them so soon would be…dangerous?” Asked the detective.

“I didn’t think there would be a risk.” He groused that his reckless action was being pointed out by Gumshoe too. “Franziska thought the same as you.”

“And she was right! Who knows what could have happened if she hadn’t caught you.” Added Maya.

“She didn’t order me to bring you here to stop you from investigating the lake?” The detective was surprised to hear this.

“She didn’t like that either, but Franziska wanted me gone the moment…Ah!”

Like an electric current flooding through a wire, the lightbulb in his mind switched on and illuminated two crucial pieces of information from his brief meeting with Franziska. She knew much more about this website to have reacted that way. And she knew about people turning into dragons, but how much he did not know. 

The confidential investigation that Miles, and now Franziska, were involved with which was related to the mysterious injury. It couldn’t be connected. Could it? But it seemed even less likely for Franziska to be harboring information about all of those things by coincidence. And if they were connected, that led to another question: What connected the forums about dragon people to the investigation? 

Franziska upheld her word and walked through the office entrance just as the clock changed to 2pm. Wanting to keep this conversation private, she closed the door behind her. Though she quickly realized that her efforts would be in vain as she saw two extra people in the room.

Franziska pinched the bridge of her nose, “Is there anyone else you have foolishly blabbed to?”

“This is everybody. Wait shoot, Mia also knows.”

“The late- never mind, don’t tell anyone else. Phoenix Wright, tell me how you found this website.”

“First, you tell us what you know.”

Her eyes narrowed as she scoffed at his demand, “You are in no position to negotiate.”

“Why do you know about this dragon-stuff?” He pressed.

“There is an extremely high chance that the person who contacted you is part of an illegal operation. Quit being difficult so I can find out if that is the case.”

“What!” Yelled Maya.

“And this is what you and Edgeworth have been investigating?” Phoenix asked.

“Don’t play this game, Mr. Phoenix Wright.” She seethed, placing one hand on the whip at her side.

“Fine. But you better tell me what’s happening to me afterwards.” 

“That was my intention.” She smirked.

Phoenix showed her what he had presented to the others. 

“You’re telling me, that by pure foolish luck, you found their forums on the seventeenth page on a sketchy search engine? Is that Bonzai Buddy!?!” Franziska’s voice raised.

“Yes.” Answered Phoenix.

“You’re just upset that you didn’t find it yourself, Franziska.” Maya teased.

“What utter foolish nonsense. We knew about this already. It took ages to decipher it.”

“Decipher the forum?” Asked Gumshoe.

“See how the phrases repeat in the posts? It’s a code.” She explained in a boastful manner.

“Why are dragon-people messaging each other in code exactly?” Phoenix questioned.

Her expression turned serious. “It’s not the Dragon-like who are communicating. See how every single photo is the same? One forearm over a solid background? These are uploaded by the organization I am after. Hiding in plain sight.”

“Franziska,” Maya frowned, “What would have happened to Nick if he met with them?”

Franziska von Karma clutched her own shoulder, and sighed in frustration, “This group runs a human trafficking operation that has a very specific type of merchandise: dragon parts. They mainly use this forum to show inventory to potential buyers.”

A chill ran down his spine and through his wings as his stomach churned. All those photos were of different people that had been taken. What had Edgeworth said before? Countless innocent lives would be at stake? Gumshoe looked a little green as Pearl looked mostly confused. Franziska tightly squeezed her shoulder as her face remained stoic.

“Nick!” Maya yelled, half angry and half horrified.

“Just in case, I will remind you all to keep quiet. This group is rather skilled at keeping their tracks covered. If they believe that they are being pursued we might lose sight of them.” Franziska explained.

“Phoenix Wright,” she continued, “It appears that you are unknowingly becoming a Dragon-like. Humans who can shape-shift into dragons and dragon-like humanoids. They tend to not be public knowledge as they are extremely rare to the point that most countries deny their existence.”

The room remained silent for a moment as everyone else processed what Franziska just said. From the look on their faces, they all had questions about what she just revealed.

“What?” Asked Gumshoe.

“Wait, becoming a dragon?” Maya asked.

“Can I be a dragon too?” Pearl loudly added.

“But how did this even happen?” Asked Phoenix.

“One at a time!” Franziska exclaimed as the others talked over each other. 

She exhaled in annoyance at all the foolish questions she would have to answer, “There are two ways someone could be a Dragon-like. You are either born with it because of a biological parent or you’re turned.”

“Like a vampire?!?” Maya interrupted.

She sighed again, “Yes, like the foolish made-up monster. Those who are born a Dragon-like do not develop until adolescence so Phoenix Wright was undoubtedly turned. The process will take time, but once completely turned it should be more manageable. It is not something that is fixed.” 

“But I was never bitten!” Phoenix protested.

“Remove your foolish thoughts from vampires! It works differently. A Dragon-like shares their breath with the other person. They…” Franziska paused as she tried to explain it in English, “kiss passionately. Usually. Make out.”

“You kissed a dragon, Mr. Nick?” Pearl’s question clearly rang out within the suddenly silent room.

Then it happened. The piece that was needed to connect everything together finally clicked into place. The answer was hiding in plain sight. Why the blades had cut deeper than the wounds. Why the metal net had broken by force high off of the ground. Why Edgeworth lied about anyone doing the same as he did. Why Franziska was back in this county. Why he was turning into a dragon. It was one reason in the center of it all. 

“You know waaaay too much about this Dragon-like stuff.” Phoenix told Franziska.

“Wait! FRANZISKA ARE YOU A DRAGON-LIKE?” Maya’s jaw dropped.

“You’re keeping this a secret to protect him, aren’t you?” Phoenix continued before Franziska could answer Maya.

She scoffed, “You have no evidence to support whatever foolish claim you are spouting. I am here to instill justice. There is nothing else.”

“The blood on the metal net we found is some pretty conclusive proof. Miles got hurt because the dragon trafficking group was after him. You grew up with him, you of all people would know if he is a Dragon-like!”

From the few instances where he was with Franziska, he knew what was coming. With her whip she would lash out to correct anything that would threaten to take the reins. To steer the present off course and out of her control. Despite painful past experiences, his pursuit to solve this mystery would not hesitate when he was this close. Franziska’s nostrils flared and her teeth clenched in anger. But her whip never  left her side. There was no deafening crack. 

“I don’t know what to say.” Blurted Gumshoe.

She just stared at Wright in silence, waiting for his next move. A faint smile formed from her lips. Her composure returned.

“I wouldn’t believe it myself if the facts didn’t point to it. Miles is an extremely private person, this wouldn’t be something that he would confide with others about. Was he turned by someone too? I doubt Manfred von Karma would want to have a shapeshifter under his roof.” Phoenix continued.

She spoke with her nose upturned and held her shoulder tightly, “Say what you want about our upbringing, Phoenix Wright. But I shudder to think what would have become of my brother if he had grown up in the foster system. To Papa, it was an obstacle that needed to be overcome if Miles Edgeworth was to continue the path of a prosecutor. Information about the Dragon-like and how to control his attributes became part of his study. And I learned everything I could.”

“Those human-dragon traffickers, they set that trap to stop Edgeworth didn’t they?” Asked Maya.

“In a sense, yes. But it is impossible that they would have known his identity and involvement. Miles Edgeworth made a foolish mistake, he got comfortable.”

Apparently having no concern about withholding information anymore, Franziska shared what she had gathered about the incident, “This group primarily targets regular individuals who they turn for their own profit. However, due to their greed, they will not refuse the opportunity to take a Dragon-like. Miles Edgeworth was visiting the woods area secretly at night for recreational purposes. These visits caught the attention of the group and they attempted to capture him.”

“That’s awful.” And Maya was right. It was somehow even worse that he was attacked because he had tried to relax. Phoenix hadn’t thought about it before, because the existence of dragons was still recent news to him, but there were not many places in the city for a dragon to be.

“But no one showed up on the camera that night.” 

“Foolish Phoenix Wright, that proves my testimony. It’s a public park, not a building. There is only one camera at the entrance. The short fence that borders the land is very easy to get over. Neither party wanted to be seen, why would they walk through the front?”

Gumshoe shook his head in disbelief, “It’s just so crazy that it’s true. Lake monsters I was starting to believe, but somehow this is even more outrageous. Our evidence points to Mr. Edgeworth being a dragon and it even solves most of my questions. Still dunno how the metal net was set up though.”

“My current theory is that when they found the broken trap they salvaged what they could and then buried what was too jagged to move safely. But I won’t know for certain until their base of operations is located.” She explained.

“Does knowing how the trap sprung even matter now?” Asked Maya. 

“My mission is to find their hideout and bring these criminals to justice. Once they are arrested and the kidnapped are safe, confiscating their equipment and gathering evidence is the next priority.” Answered Franziska.

“You could have just said no.” Maya said.

“Why are you telling us all of this?” No one ever just tells me everything , Phoenix thought to himself.

The smile on her face was almost devilish, “Because we both want the same thing: revenge.”

So that’s why she’s been so cooperative. She wants us to help her get those monsters who hurt Miles.

“My team will be able to continue our mission alone despite this setback. However, if I allow you to participate there will be mutual benefits. Phoenix Wright, you’ll be able to get back against the fools who tried to trick you and who attacked Miles Edgeworth.” She offered; grinning with every word.

Phoenix was already sold, but he didn’t show it on his face. He still had some questions. “Then what do you get out of this?” 

“I can easily keep Miles Edgeworth away from the investigation, minimizing our mission’s delay.” She answered smugly.

“What gives!” Gumshoe shouted. “Mr. Edgeworth gets jumped, and now you’re gonna kick him out?”

“Zip it, Scruffy. Miles Edgeworth had a crucial role, but it would be in his and my best interest if he steps down. Despite what my foolish brother thinks.”

“What role?” Maya frowned.

“Our initial methods were not working. If we were too aggressive in our approach they would quickly abandon their hideout taking their victims with them. It was decided that we were going to take a riskier strategy, and Miles Edgeworth was the perfect candidate.”

Franziska continued, “Undercover, he was to pretend to be a turning Dragon-like and catch the attention of the traffickers. They would take him to their base and we would be able to locate them with a tracker planted on him. Unlike the Interpol agents I am working with, he wouldn’t be at risk of being turned. And he can mimic the physical symptoms of a turning Dragon-like, which the traffickers would deem less dangerous and less profitable to ‘harvest’ immediately than a mature dragon. It was the safest disguise in case something went wrong. Now that is not possible because they will recognize the scarring caused by their trap made for a dragon.”

“You want me to be bait.” Stated Phoenix.

“Yes.” She unashamedly confirmed.

“Those people just hurt your brother and now you want to throw Nick to them on a hook? I can’t believe you!” Maya criticized Franziska.

“Of course. I consider Phoenix Wright more expendable than my brother.”

Maya turned to Wright, “Nick! You can’t be considering this. This is crazy!” Tears welled in her eyes.

But deep down she knew that he had already made his decision. She knew that it was not unlike him to take such a leap. 

“And who takes this role if I refuse?” Asked Phoenix.

“My brother will foolishly try. If they find out they had attacked him before, they will be suspicious and they won’t take any chances when handling a man who can turn into a dragon at any time. So I won’t let him. I have already discussed with the agents about posing as a regular civilian. It will take more time to catch the trafficking group’s attention and whoever volunteers will run the risk of being turned into a Dragon-like. But we will do what we must.”

“Nick.”

“Hey.” His gaze switched to Maya, “I’ll be back okay? Franziska and Edgeworth put a lot of effort into this mission, so I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I know, but there’s people who are in danger. The sooner the bad guys are caught the better.”

“Promise me! Promise me that you’ll come back. I can’t- Nick, I can’t-“

Pearl butted in, “You have to pinky promise Mystic Maya!” She exclaimed with a pout on her face.

“I will be back. I promise.” It was a promise he intended to keep. He had to come back. 

Gumshoe spoke to Franziska, “Sir, I know that I am not part of this Interpol operation, but is there anything I can do for either you or Mr. Wright to help?”

“I have an important job for you, Scruffy.” Her eyes narrowed, “Don’t disappoint me.” 

The detective flinched under her stare. Ignoring him, Franziska had one final inquiry, “Phoenix Wright, what is the soonest time that you will be ready?”

“Uhm. I don’t have any plans so I guess tomorrow. Is there supposed to be training or something I have to do?”

“Perfect. I’ll have everything prepared by then.”

“Wait really?!” He yelled, utterly shocked. Just because he was available the next day he didn’t expect this would come so soon.

“Tomorrow!” Maya shared his surprise. 

“Meet me here at eight in the morning sharp. Scruffy, follow me. We have much to discuss.”

Maya was adamant that she had to stay strong. For Pearl. For Nick. For Mia. For everyone. It was something that she had told herself not too long ago.

But to watch the man she considered as a brother be thrust into this situation, to see him decide to put his life on the line for a good he believed in despite the danger, she couldn’t help but remember the scene of her own sister slumped down in this very office.

Maya must have not presented herself as put together as she liked, because when Phoenix turned around and looked at her, tears formed in his eyes. She practically tackled him as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Maybe if she never let go it would prevent the inevitable. 

“I will be back.” His voice quavered despite his conviction.

“You better. Or I’ll find a way to reverse haunt you.”

He laughed.

Pearl joined the crowd, “You better keep your promise to Mystic Maya! We have one more mystery to solve.”

“What is that?” Maya looked at Pearl.

“The dragon who kissed Mr. Nick.” She gleefully smiled as Wright coughed.

With everything else, Maya had forgotten that Franziska had said that Dragon-likes were turned by mak- She gave a dramatic gasp, “You know what happened! Nick, are you seeing someone? And you didn’t tell me!”

Embarrassed, he smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

Chapter Text

Miles Edgeworth could not recall much from that night, a night that seemed to have happened eons ago. But Phoenix remembered that night all too well.

“Wright, you are still recovering from that cold. You don’t need to add a hangover.”

At first, he thought it was amusing how much of a hypocrite Miles was. How he had advised Wright not to drink too much but would pour his own whenever Phoenix reached for the bottle. By the time he realized that Miles was attempting to prevent him from getting wasted, the other man was thoroughly sloshed. Instead of standing straight up like a pole as he usually does, he swayed like a tree with his hair as ruffled leaves.

After a lengthy protest of mumbling words, he finally conceded and sat down on the couch. The plastic cup with half a sip of wine abandoned. Phoenix sat next to him on the other side of the couch, it was a condition he had to uphold with their recent agreement, otherwise Miles would try to stand up again due to the breach.

“How do you do it?” 

Miles spoke softly, staring intently at the ceiling. It took Phoenix a moment to realise that question was directed towards him and not the drywall above. 

“Do what?” He asked.

“Do it. Run blindly without thinking. Without thinking of the dangers and how you could die and dying. Without freezing. Because you know you have to.” 

Although it was not as eloquent, even with a few missing consonants Wright could understand the words Miles was trying to get across. After falling off the bridge, when he arrived at the hospital to visit him, Edgeworth was rightfully angry at his recklessness. But there was a trial to defend and not enough time to address; to process. He could tell that it still affected Miles now. Resting on the couch, staring at the ceiling, his fists tensed glued to his sides. Like his visit to the hospital, he was desperately trying to not show that he was afraid.

“I’m not sure how I did it. I just did. There wasn’t much time to think about that stuff.”

“But what if there was time to think? Is it still possible?”

“Even then, the thought of making sure she was safe would be more important than the danger.”

Edgeworth contemplated his answer, “I see.”

The room got uncomfortably quiet. 

“Look, I’m sorry.”

“How could you be sorry?”

“It wasn’t my finest moment. And it wasn’t fair to scare you like that.”

Edgeworth paused, “Oh.”

“I told you you drank too much.”

The man turned his head to glare at him for that comment. The all too familiar icy stare. Not to be confused with his general-use glare, this was specifically for moments of actual irritation. The kind that sent shivers down your spine and after frequent exposure made Pheonix feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“I wanna kiss you so bad.” Phoenix meant to keep to himself.

The glare remained. “What.” 

“Nevermind!” He quickly turned his head away; breaking eye contact.

“Why won’t you?

Phoenix felt his face flush, “Uhhh too drunk. You’re too drunk it wouldn’t be right. I’d rather kiss when you’re sober.”

A lopsided, accusatory finger pointed directly at him, “Objection! You haven’t kissed me sober, silly. That may be true but you’re hiding the truth.”

“I’m uhm waiting for the right time.” He laughed nervously.

Miles laughed with him, “Pop-eeee-caw-kuh. That time won't happen. What if- what…if-wuh-what if- …things.”

“I guess I don’t have an answer for that. You win the trial or whatever.” He didn’t have the energy to tipsily argue with a drunken Edgeworth about this.

The other man crossed his arms and pouted, “It doesn’t feel like I’ve won.”

Silence. He turned his head back around to face Edgeworth. The man muttered to himself “So he won’t kiss me.” as if it was a puzzle. 

 Wright could see the gears turning in his mind as he was lost in thought. His arms remained crossed and his eyes were shut tightly. It was a look that was usually reserved for tough cases, but he doubted that Miles was thinking about crime scenes right now. Not that he knew what he was actually thinking of. Phoenix leaned closer to him to try to get his attention.

“Arrre you drunk?” He asked Phoenix.

“I’m a bit buzzed, but not as bad as y-”

“Eureka!” A hand shot up triumphantly into the air, accidentally striking Phoenix’s face in the crossfire.

As he recoiled and clutched his stinging cheek, two hands pulled on his shirt and a pair of lips smacked into his. 

It was nothing like what he had imagined in the past. Not the gentleness or prowess he had encountered in misty dreams. The kiss was, to put it lightly, clumsy. And Miles wasn’t waiting for him to kiss him back.

He didn’t expect the near aggressive yearning in the way the other man’s mouth moved against his. There was a hunger there; ravenous. Miles’s hands latched onto Wright’s shirt like he was holding on for dear life and letting go would kill him. Before he knew it, the tongue that had pushed against his lips found its way inside his mouth. He could feel his teeth vibrate against the low guttural sound from the other man. Is he…growling? 

Phoenix felt a chill run down his spine. The tingling sensation spread from his lungs to his toes and fingertips. The temperature in the room had dropped. It was a refreshing reprieve from the L.A. heat the building had trapped in, but it should not have been possible. He knew that it was not natural for a kiss to feel like this, but the numbing euphoria was too inviting to resist.

It was Edgeworth who forced himself away from Wright after his mind finally caught up with his actions. 

“Ngooh! What have I done? I’ve been so careful I-I…I”

Phoenix, whose brain was blue screening, did not have the processing capacity to take in external stimuli. Miles Edgeworth kissed me was the only remaining thought in his head. His body, which had been leaning towards Miles, fell without any support against gravity. 

“Stay away!” The other man shrieked.

It took Wright a second to find his way back to reality and notice that it wasn’t the couch that had caught his fall but rather Miles’s lap. He haphazardly turned himself around to face his distraught friend.

“Relax. Just give me a warning next time.”

“Relax? This is nothing to be calm about!…I’ve ruined-”

He’s really upset about this. “It’s fine, really.”

It had been many years ago since he last saw Miles break into tears, “H-how….how do you know? How can you know that?”

“I just do. Trust me.” At that moment, he couldn’t think of a better explanation to calm him down.

There was a brief pause before Miles spoke again, “O-okay.”

“If you want to again, we’ll be both sober next time so you won’t have to worry.” 

Another pause, “Ok.”

That seemed to do the trick. Great going Nick, you finally got kissed by Miles and he ended up crying.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

Miles laughed back.

“Your face is red.” Whether it was from the crying or the alcohol, he couldn’t tell.

He watched Miles urgently prod at his own face, and he couldn’t stop laughing again.

When he woke up the next day, both had gone home eventually that night, Phoenix noticed the claw-like tears in his shirt. They were right where Miles had grabbed him. It was surprising to Wright that he managed to do that. He didn’t think that the other man had such an extreme hold on his shirt that night, but the evidence was right there. 

The first thought was to phone Edgeworth to tell him that he owed him a shirt, but with how much he drank that night there was a good chance he wouldn’t remember. And with how much of a disaster last night was, Phoenix was starting to think that maybe it would be better if he didn’t remind Edgeworth about what happened. The ripped shirt was tossed into the laundry bin; a future Wright problem.

Chapter Text

Phoenix spent most of his remaining hours before the operation barely getting any sleep. He had consumed just enough coffee to stay alert and also not too jittery. Timely as always, Franziska arrived holding a large tote bag the moment the clock struck eight.

“Hello, Phoenix Wright. I hope the foolish way you’re carrying yourself is part of the act because I will not tolerate any errors. I admit it is quite convincing.”

“Thanks.” He said dryly.

She placed the bag on his desk and took out a change of clothes. They were similar to what he was wearing yesterday and today with the long pants and baggy hoodie. A pair of tennis shoes along with what looked like gardening gloves were also included. She even brought a backpack with the backside cut out to conceal his wings and the hoodie appeared to have a cut in the back as well for his comfort.

“I purchased these from a local thrift store for you to wear for your convenience. They have been washed.”

“Couldn’t I just wear my clothes?” He asked.

“I assumed that you would rather have a disposable outfit in case we cannot retrieve them afterwards.”

He frowned, “What do you think they’re going to do?” 

“We are positive that you will be searched thoroughly. If you are wearing anything of value or concern it will likely be confiscated.”

“And by we you mean the Interpol team?”

“Yes. Moving on, you are to meet with the individual who uses the alias Emerald Elf at Gourd Lake today at eleven. That gives us three hours to prepare.”

“I’m supposed to do what you told me not to yesterday?”

“That was before you volunteered. I simply contacted them with your account and told them plans had changed.”

“My account on that website? I didn’t give you that!”

“My methods are not of your concern, Phoenix Wright!” She tensed.

The morning was mostly spent with the two rehearsing how Wright should act and react when he was to meet the criminal. They had to make sure that nothing he did would be considered suspicious to their target. Like a role in a play, he caught on very quickly. Though Franziska’s meticulous methods made staying in character more challenging.

“I don’t think they will threaten me with a whip, Franziska.”

“You will need to know what to do if they threaten you with something worse!”

“What do you think they’re going to do?!”

“I must have perfection, Phoenix Wright. We must be prepared for any outcome.”

He rolled his eyes, which was responded with a whip crack near his feet. Unbothered by the sour look he gave, Franziska took out her cell phone to check the time.

“This is as much practice as we are going to get. I have a few things to relay to you before we depart.”

She held out the pair of pants that she had brought, bringing attention to one specific spot  on the waistband.

“Sewn into these is a tracker smaller than your pinky. This is how we will monitor your location to find their hideout.” 

She then pulled out a small black box from her pocket. Inside was another device the size and shape of a pill.

“Of course, there is a chance that the criminals will remove the pants from you and their location. This, is what the Interpol refers to as The Tardigrade. It is the most resistant tracker at our disposal. It will survive temperatures and chemicals that you won’t.”

Phoenix stared intently at the specially named gadget, “How do I wear it?”

“It’s not supposed to be worn. It’s consumed. Don’t worry it’s safe. Mostly. Use the facilities first so we can keep The Tardigrade in your person for as long as possible.”

His throat felt sore when he realized where The Tardigrade was going.

“Do I also get a pen that explodes?” He laughed nervously.

“No. That is utterly foolish and I would never allow a fool like you to handle explosives.”

She handed the clothes, backpack, and little box to Phoenix with hardly any concern if he could hold them all at once.

“It’s time. Phoenix Wright, you must play your role perfectly. If I don’t have perfection Phoenix Wright, then it is your life that will be in danger. I-“ Franziska paused, “Ms. Fey will be very upset if you do not return.”

That’s a funny way of saying you’re worried about me.

“I made a promise and I will keep it.” He told her.

Before he was out the door, he took The Tardigrade from its box and placed it in his hand. Trying to not think of the last time he stomached something that wasn’t supposed to be there, he popped it in his mouth like a mint and swallowed it as fast as possible. No going back now.

Wearing the outfit that Franziska brought, he walked alone to Gourd Lake just as he did yesterday. The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the day before. Instead of large crowds there was not a soul to be seen or heard. A murky fog had overtaken the area making it difficult to see.

He was unsure if he should call out to draw attention to himself, or wait in the cloudy domain. Eventually, a silhouette came into view from a distance. It was human shaped, so no Gourdy today. The woman who walked up to him wore a long dark coat and had earrings shaped like green guitar picks dangling by her neck.

“Are you Phoenix underscore Wright?” Her voice was barely audible.

“My name is Phoenix Wright.”

The alleged Emerald Elf held out her hand towards him, “May I?”

He glanced down to her hand, but stayed still. Phoenix could not tell what she was asking of him.

“Can you show me your arm? I want to get a better understanding of your current condition.”

“Oh.” He said.

There was something off about the way she smiled, and he had the context to know why. Her hands carefully traced the scales growing on his arm. 

“I’m going to ask you a couple of questions. They might sound weird but it's all important. Trust me.”

I am absolutely not trusting you. “Whatever you ask, it can’t be worse than this. Anything, if it will help.” He presented his rehearsed desperation. 

“When did you start having symptoms? This could show up in other ways other than scales. Usually a fever, aches, or lethargy.”

Phoenix pretended to think for a moment, “I think I started getting aches almost two weeks ago.” Which was the truth, and was what Franziska instructed him to tell them.

Emerald looked at him quizzically, then continued her questioning, “Do you have a romantic relationship with anyone?”

“No. Why you ask?”

“With how dragon’s breath is transmitted they would also be infected. Have you hooked up with anyone?”

“Funny you ask that,” He said sheepishly, “I went clubbing before this stuff started happening and things got pretty wild.” Franziska never asked him how it had happened to him, but she was persistent in making sure his story would be as anonymous as possible. Neither wanted to create a target for the trafficking group. This explanation was what the both of them had come up with.

“Do you remember any of them?”

“No, the whole night is foggy to me. I was pretty sloshed.”

“I see.”

For a brief moment, Emerald looked away from him, past his shoulder. Before he knew it, a bag was thrown over his head. All he could sense was the strange smell it had before passing out.

~~~

“Hello?”

The first thing that came to his senses was the cold steel his shoulder rested on. The words calling to him not yet having meaning beyond creating noise. The blurry picture in his vision sharpened into a dull industrial room.

“Is someone there?”

Still feeling faint, Phoenix turned his head towards the source. He was expecting to encounter hardened individuals with cold faces, not a woman in a nightgown behind two sets of metal bars. She must be someone they kidnapped. The poor lady looks so lost. A large iron cuff was clamped around her neck and connected to a thick chain.

Slowly, Phoenix pulled himself up and regained his balance. He could not walk far before he was stopped by the first set of bars between him and his new acquaintance. With a quick glance, Phoenix realized that the first set of bars surrounded himself and that they were both inside separate cages. The kind you’d see holding a tiger with bars spaced closely enough for it to be impossible for most humans to squeeze through.

“Whuh-wha-?”

“Hello?” The woman looked towards him, but her eyes searched over his shoulder.

“Where are we?” He asked with a careful whisper.

“It’s my room. Well, I guess it’s also your room now.”

“Where is this place?”

“I…don’t know. I haven’t been anywhere else since…” 

“Are we the only ones here?” The only ones who were taken? Who are still alive?

“No. But they don’t stay in this room. From what I overheard, you’re here instead of there because they like your wings.”

“My wings?” 

“Yes. Our hosts are very strange.” She spat the word host with disdain.

“Is that why they put you in this room?”

“I’m not sure. They keep me here to… share kisses.” The last part was spoken softly.

Why would they….Wait. But Franziska said the only way a person could turn into a Dragon-like was-

No. That's it! ….But then why am I also h- No!

He didn’t know whether he wanted to throw up or scream. The garbled noise that he made as a compromise caught his acquaintance’s attention.

“Did you really think we were put in cages for a good reason? If you think less of me, I don’t know what they would do if I did not.”

“Hey, hey. I’m not saying that it’s your fault.” We will get you out of here.

He had to change the subject, he needed to prove that he was someone she could trust, “My friends call me Nick, and I don’t know everything about what’s going on. But we will get out of here. I‘ll make sure we do.” 

“How can you be so sure?”

“Well I just said I have friends didn’t I? And we’re both dragon people right? I doubt the bad guys would be prepared to fight two dragons and my acquaintances.”

She grabbed the restraint around her neck, “You are aware of the chains around our neck? We’ll suffocate.

“They didn’t chain me, I’m just stuck in a cage. See?”

“Oh.” She paused. “I cannot.”

Phoenix suddenly had a terrible thought, “They didn’t…hurt your eyes did they?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’ve been blind for as long as I can remember.”

“Don’t worry, once I figure out this dragon stuff, I’ll break open the cages and free you.”

“Figure out? You haven't before? Are you sure that you can yet?”

“Can’t know if I don’t try. How do you do it?” Phoenix asked.

“I don’t know how to explain it. I can’t do it that well.”

Muffled shouting was heard from outside. Blaring sirens all subdued by dense sturdy walls. 

“They’re here!” Phoenix exclaimed to her.

Both began to shout at the top of their lungs to attempt to get the Interpol’s attention from beyond the room. He kept yelling until his throat felt raw. She kept going, drowning out any other sound. 

“Hold off for a second, I can’t hear them.” He told her.

The wailing of the sirens was faint. It was farther away from them than it once was.

“They’re going to come back?” She asked Phoenix.

What’s going on? What if something went wrong? They have to come back. Franziska wouldn’t leave him.

He was going to tell her to not worry, but a cough from all the shouting stopped him. 

And that’s when he got an idea.

“Hey, these cages are probably fireproof aren’t they? That seems like a smart thing to do.”

“You can breathe fire? I can’t do that.”

“We’re about to find out.”

From recent experience, he seemed to generate smoke whenever he was emotionally distressed. So the logical conclusion was to try to make himself angry. Thinking about what the traffickers did to this person, what they did to Edgeworth, and what they were doing to innocent people he didn’t know was effective motivation. He took long deliberate breaths to try to create a blaze. Unbeknownst to whether that was actually helping or not, it just seemed like it would. He could feel the heat beginning to grow inside. Rising up.

It was the largest cloud of smoke he ever made so far. But he didn’t need smoke. As soon as it was released, the fire inside died. Instead of trying again, he stopped to think. It didn’t make much sense if Edgeworth would use this method to tap into his abilities because he had transformed into his dragon self for leisure. Phoenix decided that he must be missing something. 

The only person who has ever talked to him about experiencing magical transformation was Maya Fey. It had been brought up in a conversation about spirit channeling that led to him asking what it was like. Although the technique was complex she summarized channeling into some key aspects. The first being the use of breathing techniques to help focus. The second was envisioning herself reaching out to the spirit she wished to contact was beneficial when doing the act of channeling. It wasn’t a necessary step, especially for experts, but it made establishing a connection easier.

Was there anything similar between channeling a spirit and shape-shifting? Probably not, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Phoenix had his own, less calm, breathing technique that he was already using. Huffing and puffing like The Big Bad Wolf was helping him focus on breathing fire despite the confused and judgmental looks from his mystery acquaintance. Instead of envisioning reaching out to a spirit, the next step of dragon channeling was imagining hot fire forming in his gut and using it to melt these stupid bars.

“Nick, what are you doing?” Helping us taste sweet freedom. I made a promise, we’re getting out of here.

Phoenix kept going until something made his breathing hitch. A new sensation ran down his spine. He couldn’t see them when he turned his head but he could feel the line of hard spikes under his shirt with his hand.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea.” She shared her concern with the other. 

“It’s gonna be fine.”

“You might hurt yourself if you force it.”

“Has that happened before?”

“I don’t know! I’m not an expert!” 

“I’ll be fine. We’ll get out of here.”

Maya told him there is a brief moment in her transformation where she is aware of the spirit taking control. Even with her practice it can be terrifying feeling her body becoming less like hers as the temporary inhabitant enters. But in those moments she knows she has to keep going, not after all effort. Not when she was this close.

His entire focus was on breathing fire. Anything else was ignored. The tracker he swallowed would be put to the test as his insides grew hotter than they’ve ever been before. Not knowing how much it would take, he kept building until the pressure was volcanic. All he had to do was release it, and he felt the fiery force get stuck in his throat. 

After some smoke-filled coughs, the fireball flew past the bars.

It hit a large metal vent cover on the wall; melting through it and the vent instantly. A loud hiss followed a soft bang. Like a small explosion. Like the fireball exploded or caused something else to explode. An orange glow began to form behind the opening as a thin tail of smoke escaped from the vent. 

“I smell something burning!” She called.

They needed another way out of here. Fast. But Phoenix was considerably preoccupied to come up with a new plan. He discovered how to tap into shape shifting so that he was just enough of a dragon to breathe fire. How to stop continuing to turn into one was something he hadn’t figured out yet. The doorway he had unlocked doubled as a floodgate that he could not close. 

He was predominantly covered in scales when he noticed. His hands no longer looked like they belonged to a human. The clothes Franziska had thrifted were no longer fitting. And it wasn’t stopping, he didn’t know how to stop.

“What was that? What are you doing?” 

The metal cage broke from the pressure, the bars detaching from its ceiling and floor. Ow. Limbs that were now his awkwardly galloped over to her cage. 

The quick decision to put himself in between her and the oncoming fire was what shielded the still imprisoned Dragon-like from the unexpected second explosion. 

Everything shook as Phoenix ears rang. Taking the brunt of the explosion, his claws held on tightly to the bars of the cage as his grasp on reality began to blur. The sudden plunge into cold water brought a brief clarity to his senses. Wherever they were, it was above some sort of body of water. Broken chunks of the building were sinking downwards around them. Still holding onto the cage, his wings flapped uselessly as he tried to use them to push themselves up. He did not have the strength, but they had to make it out alive. He promised.

The last thing Phoenix saw before he lost consciousness was a creature swimming towards him with the red scales of Gourdy the Lake Monster.

Chapter Text

Miles Edgeworth sat at his desk, attempting to distract himself with work. He was able to return to his job as long as, as the doctor put it, took things easily. In actuality, he should have spent more time recovering before committing to working, but he could not lie around when there were things to be done. All things considered, he should be grateful that his injuries were not as severe as they should be, but he could not shake the guilt of his own shortcomings.

The Interpol had been after the dragon poaching and trafficking operation for quite some time before Edgeworth had been briefed about it. As an agent, Franziska had been brought into the team for her own knowledge about Dragon-likes. Reluctantly, in her own way, she had asked Miles for help to provide more insight. He initially did not know what this meeting would be about, but the fact Franziska had asked him for assistance told him that it was incredibly dire.

There was a setback to his contribution that he never thought he would ever have issue with. Miles was under the impression that he had lost the ability to tap into his Dragon-like attributes a long time ago. Although Von Karma’s assistance had been a godsend in concealing himself, those methods were focused on subduing rather than control. If possible, he would have happily rid himself from that side of him at the time as it only reminded him of his past. Now and then there were always times when he slipped a little outside of humanity, but he had never purposely used those abilities. 

It became a side project for the mission. As Edgeworth worked on relearning and his own rediscovery, the Interpol got information about how Dragon-like transformations worked in addition to how turning worked from a primary source. It was interesting to see how something Miles had seen as a burden was now contributing to an important cause. He never expected how comfortable he would feel regularly exercising this part of him; how relieving it felt. It was like a heavy weight that he never noticed before had been lifted. 

Then, after multiple failed attempts to catch their targets, there was the decision to rethink their strategy. Edgeworth volunteered to be the undercover spy because even if he wasn’t a trained field agent, being a Dragon-like made him the most logical candidate. The Interpol agents understood this too and agreed despite Franziska’s disapproval. He secretly had concerns about the danger he was putting himself in, but kept that to himself. And now, everything that they had been working towards was ruined by his own carelessness.

He didn’t think he was ever followed. He thought he had been so careful. He just wanted a place where he could stretch in secret. The woodlands by the lake seemed to be perfect. No one would go out there at night. If he was ever spotted, it would be under the guise of tourism for the park.

His injuries left scars. Rows of a star-like shape across his body. The markings far too strange to not be seen as suspicious. If he had continued to act as the Interpol’s spy, these scars would have jeopardized the entire mission. And the traffickers would be looking for wing marks and scales.

His folly had effectively pushed back their efforts for who knows how long. His actions would put more people at risk of falling victim to the trafficking operation. Franziska was unfortunately right, he couldn’t be a spy for the plan anymore. But there must be something that he could do to make up for it. 

Mulling over it, he did not notice Detective Gumshoe walk into his office.

“Afternoon Mr. Edgeworth. How are you doing, pal.” He asked with a gentle smile.

“Fine. The same as when you asked me one hour ago, and the hour before that, and so on.” On a different day, Edgeworth would not be welcoming to this distraction.

“Sorry. Just keeping an eye on ya. No offense.”

Of course the whole fiasco had caused the detective to fret, Edgeworth deduced. Another addition to the pile of pain caused by his blunder. 

“In that case, I’ll have you know that I was planning to leave the office early to do backflips in traffic. Afterwards I’m going to fly to Barcelona.” He sarcastically commented.

“That far?!” Surprised, the detective’s eyes widened.

“Detective, though I appreciate your concern it is not warranted. I won’t be anywhere else until I catch up with my paperwork.”

“Oh, good. That makes my job easier.”

Edgeworth began tapping his finger on his desk, “Surely you have actual work you should be doing instead of conducting these routine check-ins. Which I did not ask you to do.”

Gumshoe cringed. He knew he’d been caught.

“Detective, are you doing this because you are truly that worried about my whereabouts? Or has someone else convinced you to do this?”

“I uh… It’s kinda both?” He laughed nervously.

“I suspect that my sister is why you’ve been periodically interrupting my work.”

Gumshoe sighed, defeated, “Nothing ever gets past you, sir.”

“It had to be someone who is worried about my well-being and Franziska has been rather agitated by my injury. She also would have no problem bossing you around. I suppose Wright would also work as a potential suspect if he paid you.”

“Who do you think I am, sir? I’d never take a bribe! I ain’t getting any money from this!” He boasted proudly.

“Then Franziska it is. You may leave now. I’ll be calling her to have a talk about threatening precinct officials into snooping on me.

“Oh. That reminds me. She likely won’t pick up because she’s busy right now.” The detective’s hand quickly slammed over his mouth once he said those words.

If Edgeworth wasn’t glaring at him yet, he was now. “Busy you say? Care to explain?”

“Uhhh you would know. Just your regular prosecutor stuff.”

“Is that so? From your reaction, it did not seem like the normal prosecutorial responsibilities.”

Gumshoe didn’t respond, but he did look like he was about to make a run for the door.

“Detective.”

“Y-yes sir?”

“The truth, please.”

“Yes sir.”

~~~

The car ride was frigid regardless of how much Detective Gumshoe cranked up the heater. Not that it had been functioning properly for years, but it at least made it seem slightly warmer. The temperature went unnoticed by Miles Edgeworth, who was preoccupied with thinking of how he was going to politely tear off the heads of his sister and his idiot friend. He decided that Gumshoe would be spared for his cooperation. For now.

The seaside port had already been sectioned off by the International Police. Partitions were being used to block off the view within. The guards closest to them only needed to see Edgeworth and his already tested patience to understand that it would be better to let him and Detective Gumshoe in. Though she was heavily involved, Franziska was not the one leading the mission, that would be Agent Callum, and those involved knew that Edgeworth was part of the mission’s team. 

Interpol motorboats could be seen traveling to and fro out in the distance. An oil rig was a speck far away in the horizon. Living in the area for quite some time, it was common knowledge that the rig had been decommissioned and abandoned for decades. Its only purpose was to house the ocean life that moved in, but with the direction the boats were traveling it was becoming more apparent that the sea creatures were not its only inhabitants. 

Several tents connected to one another to form a field hospital for rescued survivors. With the sudden change in plans, they did not have enough accommodations to support the incoming survivors. I told them that we would need more room than this. With the tracking efforts of the agents, they were able to get an estimate of how many people had been captured, if the numbers were correct it would be a tight fit. All it would take is one dragon-sized patient and the tents would not be enough space for everyone. 

Riding in the small motorboat’s bow, Franziska’s demeanor changed from stoic to aggravated as she spotted familiar shades of maroon and green waiting at the port. Her suspicions were confirmed as they drove closer and the colors did in fact belong to the two people who should absolutely not be present. After ensuring that the rest of the agents would escort the other passengers, and arrested traffickers, her wrath returned for her foolish brother.

“Your presence is not warranted, Miles Edgeworth.” She warned glaring daggers.

“And this has gone spectacularly without me.” He retaliated sarcastically.

“File your complaints at the door.” As her next move, she pointed at the exit.

“I think not. I’d rather relay them to the one responsible.”

“Stop acting like it originally was my idea to have a civilian involved in the field work!”

“There is no reason Wright should be involved in this other than that you know he has the self preservation of a lemming!”

“Bold words from my fool of a brother!”

Gumshoe could not follow the rest of the argument between the two siblings as it switched into German. Fighting now wasn’t helping anything, especially with everything happening, but he couldn’t get that message across. Anytime he tried to get their attention he would be ignored or yelled at in words he didn’t understand. 

It was so faint that he wasn’t sure if he saw it. Far off in the water, a trail of something was rising from the oil rig. But the rig hadn’t been in operation in forever, so he wasn’t exa-

Boom. 

It sounded like a cannon, and from where they were standing, it must have been even louder up close. Miles and Franziska both went silent and turned their heads towards where Gumshoe was looking. The trail of smoke had grown considerably. Something at the oil rig exploded, there were still people there. Culprits, victims, and agents alike. The Interpol were suddenly on a dire timeframe to evacuate everyone from the rig. 

Whatever the siblings had been arguing before did not matter now. Franziska called out orders to get as many agents manning the boats as possible. In the midst of the frantic rush, Gumshoe and Edgeworth boarded one on their own and sped towards the rig. There was no protesting from the Interpol as they needed every hand that they could get. 

However the explosion happened, it was strong enough to split the rig in two. The middle of the structure collapsed with the halves slightly leaning towards each other. Large chunks were missing and had likely fallen into the ocean. Someone could have fallen in. Edgeworth thought. 

“Detective, hold onto this.” He told him while taking off his jacket.

“Yes sir.” Gumshoe responded as he held out his hands to take it.

But he didn’t stop handing the detective clothes until there was nothing left on his person save for his boxers and socks.

“Uhmm, sir?”

“We do not have the time to address my indecency, detective.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen a lot worse on the job. But I don-“

He was cut off by the sound of a splash as Miles dove into the ocean.

He didn’t think that much about how treacherous the waters would be to navigate with the burning broken structure above. If someone was under there, they needed help now. He certainly didn’t think about his injury, the stitches were going to be removed in a couple days anyway.

Waiting for any sign of Edgeworth, Gumshoe leaned over the boat to get a better view of the water. His clothes folded and placed on the vehicle’s bench. The detective could not tell how much time had ticked by, but to him it was too long. Out of the blue, a large streak of red scales appeared under the water. Surprised, Gumshoe fell backwards into the boat when Edgeworth swam under the boat carrying it a couple feet in the process. Driving the motor, Gumshoe followed behind the swimming dragon.

“Get out of the way! Move!” He yelled at the people at the port’s edge to make room.

Water surged upwards as the dragon resurfaced. His front limbs grabbed onto the ground as his tail carefully lifted what he was holding and placed them onto the port: a smaller dragon and a large metal cage. Not waiting for the others to move out of the way, he pulled the rest of himself onto the port. He went over to the cage and held it as if it was delicate as an egg. With the force of his jaw, he broke off some of the bars so that the medical staff could quickly reach the person inside. Beside him, the other dragon coughed. They were unconscious but breathing. Satisfied, Edgeworth removed himself from the caged human and dragon and slinked back into the water.

As paramedics aided the chained woman, Gumshoe kept his eyes on the ocean. Standing on the port, he couldn’t see Edgeworth anymore. Did he go back to the rig? He thought. Hopefully he’s not pushing himself too far. 

“Detective!” A breathless voice called nearby.

There, gripping onto the edge of the boat they had taken like it was a lifeline, was a drenched and tired prosecutor. Gumshoe told one of the medics to get him a towel as he pulled Edgeworth to safety. He quickly removed his trenchcoat and wrapped around him to provide some amount of privacy and warmth. As he helped Miles unboard the boat, Edgeworth suddenly hunched over in pain.

“Are you okay, sir?!” He held his hands over Edgeworth to catch him in case he fell.

“I’m fine.” He said with a shaking breath, “We can’t stop yet, detective.”

“Okay sir. But please be careful.”

Switching Gumshoe’s for a towel, Edgeworth briskly walked to the nearest place of privacy to change into his suit. Gumshoe stayed close just in case. When he returned, the only thing out of the ordinary was his damp hair. The detective knew from past experiences that his friend was quite skilled in keeping up appearances. With how he presented himself, it would be very hard to tell if there was anything wrong with his well-being, especially compared to mere minutes ago.

As Edgeworth suspected, the field hospital did not have room to shelter the dragon. The Interpol tried to cover them with tarps as members of the medical staff attempted to examine for injuries. With the lack of data about Dragon-likes, there was not much a trained medical professional knew about any specific needs. Let alone the medical needs of a literal dragon. The unconscious dragon seemed stable, but very exhausted. 

He could tell that this person was considerably new to being a Dragon-like by their appearance, and it made sense given the unfortunate circumstances. The small size, the off proportions, the strangely humanoid hands and feet, the complete absence of horns. He feared that due to the stress they had shifted prematurely, although it was just a guess. From what he learned, the first transformation into a full dragon marked the completion of the metamorphosis into a Dragon-like. It was involuntary, and it should not look like this. 

Shape-shifting can be quite energy taxing until the body gets used to it. That with the early transformation would potentially explain the high exhaustion if there were no injuries that could better explain it. If his conclusion was correct, then it would likely take some time before the new Dragon-like would be able to return to their human form. They would need a place to recuperate, something he doubted the Interpol had accounted for.

Edgeworth relayed his observations. With the commotion, Agent Callum appeared to handle the scene. Shouting orders, she commanded the present agents to carry the dragon into one of their cargo vans that the Interpol had originally used to transport resources.

“Mr. Edgeworth,” she addressed, “I was told that you would not be available today.”

“I apologize Agent Callum, I must have missed the memo.”

“If you are able, I would like you to watch the dragon.” She requested. “The situation has likely been traumatic for them and they would likely be more…cooperative with someone like them.”

“Of course. Where will they be transported?”

“For now, nowhere. You know we need to keep them hidden. If word got out it would be one hell of a mess.”

Edgeworth’s brow furrowed, “With all due respect, if they do wake up during this time, how do you expect me to keep them calm in such a claustrophobic space?”

“It’s the best we can do.”

Your best involves cramming the poor thing because you didn’t listen to me in the first place. “I may have an unorthodox solution. My garage is quite spacious. If you allow me to, we can use it as a concealed temporary shelter. Until you can obtain better lodgings.”

With the pressure from the oil rig evacuation, Callum didn’t say no. “The public can’t know about this. Not yet at least.” She warned.

“I take full responsibility if that were to occur. Detective!” Miles called for Gumshoe.

“Yes sir?”

“This is Agent Callum. Gumshoe, if Agent Callum permits, I ask that you continue to assist with the evacuation process.”

“Yes sir!” Gumshoe gave a salute.

“Then I shall be off. If you need me, you have my number.”

The drive was incredibly quiet compared to the chaos happening at the port. He was left to own thoughts, and there was nothing to distract him from the irrational dread he felt in the back of his mind. He had not seen Phoenix at the port. With how hectic it had been, there was a chance that he had just missed him. He feared the possibility of Wright being on the rig during the explosion. That man survived falling from an extreme height into a deadly river, but a fiery blast? Stop being a fool. Edgeworth thought to himself. Worrying helps with nothing. Franziska and Gumshoe will find him. Alive. They must.

Edgeworth parked the cargo van into his garage and moved his own car out of the garage to make more room. It would be a tight squeeze to get the dragon out of the van, but it would give them more space. Though the cold hard floor wasn’t the most comfortable. He left the garage and walked around his house to ransack the few cushions and blankets that he owned. 

It happened as he was carrying his things. The sting of pain stemming from his back. Not again. He knew that he had overdid it at the port. Healthy enough to shape-shift, and that led to other complications.  But he didn’t have the time. He could rest later if he held out a little longer. Leaning against the wall, he took deep breaths until he could regain his composure. 

With the blankets strewn on the garage floor, he opened one of the van’s back doors to start to figure out how the hell he was supposed to move a dragon. Miles was met with a pair of blazing eyes. For a split second, he could see fear within until those eyes locked with his. Their pupils dilated, erasing the previous intensity that they had. How long have you been awake?

“Hello. I mean you no harm. My name is Miles Edgeworth, I am working with the international police. We had you moved to a different location for the time being. I assure you that you are safe here.”

“Mmmaaaah-woawls.” 

He knew that they would not be able to speak like a human in this form, but it certainly did not stop them from trying. And they continued to try to form words, repeating the same unintelligible phrases. There was urgency in their voice. They were trying to tell him something important. 

“If this is about the woman you were with, your friend is currently under the care of our medical team. She will be okay.”

The dragon let out a loud exhale. Any tension in their body deflated. Relief. They woke up in a cramped van to a stranger while in a body that they likely weren’t used to, and they were relaxed. They trusted his word instantly. If the dragon wasn’t this awake and responsive, he would have suspected that the traffickers had them drugged.

“You are surprisingly calm given your situation.” He told them.

“Mrrrph.”

“I see.” Responded Miles who had no idea what they just said. 

“Now, I do not intend to have you stay in this compact space, and prepared a place for you to rest just outside of the van. Though I still don’t know how the devil I’m going to move you out of the vehicle. It’s not luxurious, but it is the best I could do in such a short- Ngh!”

He wasn’t expecting his new guest to get up and move on their own, and his guest wasn’t going to wait for him to get out of the way. Limbs shaking like a newborn deer, the dragon stumbled their way to the blankets and pillows he had set out for them. The dragon unceremoniously plopped down on the ground, not having the strength to walk any further.

“Please try not to overexert yourself, you need to rest.”

Was there anything else that they would need right now? Ah. 

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

He grabbed a bucket and entered the door to his kitchen. When he returned with the bucket filled with water, his guest gave him a judgmental look.

“I know it’s unflattering, but we can’t have you dehydrated!”

As he set the bucket down, the dragon let out a big drowsy yawn. Miles couldn’t help but do the same. Stretching his arms, he accidentally pulled something he’d been trying to keep a hold of. 

“Maowew?” 

His guest noticed his sudden pang, it would have been difficult not to when he hunched over and grabbed his shoulders tightly.

“No fear! I’m f-fine. Really. It looks worse than it is.”

“Maowohl!” The dragon stirred.

“Stay there! Don’t get up for mmmmmmmph!!”

He could hear the back seam of his suit jacket rip. Great. He couldn’t stop himself anymore, he was out of time. All he could do was attempt to hold back just a little longer to salvage his attire. Suit jacket, cravat, and vest were urgently discarded onto the floor. Miles was fiddling with the buttons of his dress shirt when his wings broke through.

They slumped to the floor as he did not have the strength to keep them upright. The weight of his wings made it harder to stand. The dragon let out a loud whine at the sight of him. He already knew that his wings looked dreadful.

“I assure you, it looks worse than it is.” He stated, missing the conviction he had before. 

He couldn’t stay standing like this for long, and when he took a step towards the driver’s seat in the van he stumbled over his own wing. 

“Mrremph.” The dragon called to get his attention. 

Slowly, they lifted one of their wings. Exposing their side, the dragon stared at him waiting expectantly. It was a shorter distance to rest next to his guest than the van seat, so he gave in to the dragon’s volunteer. He landed gracelessly onto the dragon’s side. The warmth emanating from their smooth scales hampered his already precarious fight to stay awake. The dragon lowered their wing, blanketing him from the rest of the world.

“I’m the one who’s supposed to be caring for you. Ironic.” Was the last thing he said before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

It was a miracle that the decommissioned oil rig did not collapse any further. Franziska did not have the time to meet with Gumshoe again until the rescue trips had died down. The Interpol were able to investigate the whole structure, and it appeared that everyone who was on the structure had been taken to the port. Now the agents had begun collecting the evidence that they could while the scuba team continued their search below.

“Scruffy! Why is my fool of a brother not with you?”

“Agent Callum told him to keep watch on a rescued dragon.” 

“Ah. Is Phoenix Wright with him?”

“What?”

Franziska tensed. “Phoenix Wright. Have you not seen him?”

“He’s not with you!?” The detective asked with a dumbfounded look. 

She did not utter a word, but the furious look on her face was enough to make the detective befuddlement turn to a grim expression. No . Franziska was thorough. She had covered every possible outcome and variable to make sure she had complete control of the sting operation. But no one could be in multiple places at once. And her efforts to make sure no one slipped through the cracks would not be in vain. She refused it.

There were two possibilities to where that fool of a man could be. The first was that he somehow arrived at the port with somehow neither her nor the detective being informed. Where he was exactly was another question. There were few places for him to stay out of sight. Either he was with Edgeworth, wherever that may be, or he was at the field hospital. Why he would need medical care after such a short time since Franziska had seen him was a chilling question. 

Or, the next possible location of Phoenix Wright, she had failed because he had been within the depths of the ocean long after what a human could survive. 

Detective Gumshoe followed after her as she went to find the agent in charge of the tracking technology.

“Agent Lindon! I must see the signal feed. Now!”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll turn on the receiver.”

“Turn on? The tracking receiver was shut off!”

“Well, there wasn’t really a reason to keep it on once we got the location.”

Fools! All of them! “Quit standing there and get that running, you sorry excuse for an agent! She yelled.

The threat of the whip was enough to get the agent to start moving. They followed her to a large tablet that had been set aside. As they waited for the tablet to receive a signal from the tracking devices Phoenix had, Agent Lindon looked puzzled.

“I’m not getting a signal. But it was working before.”

No. No!

She knew it had been a calculated risk. Franziska was planning to take the role herself to ensure that those monsters would never hurt her brother again. But then she found Phoenix Wright walking right into a similar and horrible trap. It would take weeks for an average person to get the attention of the trafficking group, but a Dragon-like? The traffickers would be in the Interpol’s hands before Miles Edgeworth had the time to notice anything amiss. And what candidate would fit the job other than the man who would be as stubbornly determined as she? She took the risk and the highest cost had been paid for it. A man who trusted her was dead, his blood was on her hands.

“The Tardigrade! It must still have a signal!” She demanded to see it. I will not accept this until I have been shown proof.

“Switching to The Tardigrade. Huh. That’s nowhere near here. Maybe something is broken.” 

“Hey.” Gumshoe interjected, pointing at the map overlay, “Isn’t that the street where Mr. Edgeworth’s house is?”

~~~

Of course, Franziska had her own key to his house. It made just enough sense that under the pressure of the present circumstances Gumshoe decided to not question it. The first thing amiss was the complete lack of cushions on the small couch Miles owned. The second thing amiss was that no one answered when she called out their names.

“Scruffy, you search upstairs. I’ll cover the ground floor.” She ordered.

Her brother’s house was small, with very few places for a grown man to hide. Even if Phoenix had…removed the Tardigrade from himself, here for some bizarre reason, she could not think of any logical reason why he would be here without at least communicating his whereabouts with the Interpol. Why he wouldn’t try to reconvene with Franziska once he left the trafficker’s hideout. 

As she reached for the door to enter the garage, she recalled that Miles had left his car out in the driveway. It was unlike him as he had always been fussy about it ever since he got it. She was certain that someone was here, or had been here. Franziska slowly opened the door. She froze when she saw the dragon lying asleep, and the Interpol vehicle behind them. 

Gumshoe had told her that Edgeworth was keeping watch over a dragon that had been rescued. Which now meant there were two fools that were unaccounted for. Why would he bring the dragon here of all places?! To not disturb the dragon, she quietly entered the garage to investigate. She did not find answers, only more confusion as she saw Edgeworth’s clothes littered on the floor among white scraps of fabric. What the hell happened here?

“Murrrrrrrr?” Bleary-eyed, the dragon spotted her.

She tensed, not knowing how the dragon would react to her sudden presence.  After such a harrowing experience, they could reasonably be untrusting to strangers. But they seemed to be too tired to care if they viewed Franziska as potentially dangerous. They gradually lifted one of their wings, and her eyes widened from surprise upon recognizing who was hidden behind it.

There was her brother, unconscious but breathing. Wrapped within his own damaged wings. She knew what had occurred already from the horrid phone call she received that night. But this was the first time she had seen this injury with her own eyes. Rows of holes that marred the wings she hadn’t seen since she was a child. Oh how she was going to relish prosecuting the fools who dared harm her brother. But that was to occur in the future, what mattered now was that her brother was safe. 

Her eyes met with the dragon who was accompanying him. The phrase stating that the eyes were the windows into the soul did not seem to have meaning in the real world until then. Because she could swear that she could see a sense of understanding within those exhausted yet fiery orbs. Wait-

“Phoenix Wright?”

The dragon gave a slight nod, and then rested his head on the floor. He returned the lifted wing to where it had been before. He closed his eyes as he was too tired to stay awake.

“We did it.” Thank you. 

Quietly, Franziska left the garage and closed the door behind her. Although it wasn’t the most comfortable place, those two needed their rest so she decided it was better to have them there for now instead of trying to get them to move. She spotted Gumshoe down the hallway having finished his search upstairs and continuing on the ground floor.

“I ain’t having any luck, sir.” He said with a heavy heart. 

“I’ve located them both, fatigued from today and asleep.”

Gumshoe sighed a little, “I told Mr. Edgeworth to take it easy.”

“And I won’t return to Germany so that he does until he actually is healthy enough to return to work. Scruffy, call Maya Fey and tell her our location.”

“Yes, sir.”

~~~

It was tempting to stay within the warm oasis that he had awoken in, but there was work that had to be done. If Agent Callum hadn’t accounted for a dragon, then there was no reason that they would have prepared to care for one while they recovered. And as long as they were his responsibility, he was going to be a good host. 

Any beginnings of a plan were thrown out the window when he left the garage and found that his dragon companion was not the only guest. Both Maya and Pearl Fey were sitting on the cushion less couch while Gumshoe and Franziska were at the table.

“Woah.” He heard Maya blurt.

Without saying a word, Edgeworth turned around and headed back to the garage.

“Miles Edgeworth!” Franziska called.

He stopped and turned to face her, his wings covering his chest, “We will continue our conversation later. I’m not decent.”

Without responding with words, she held out one of his robes to take. He took it and then put it on backwards to provide space for his wings. Then in her other hand, she offered a glass of water. Not expecting the gesture, he hesitantly grabbed the glass and took a sip.

“To allow you to rest, I’ve already informed Agent Callum about the situation. Overall, the rescue mission has been deemed a success.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“It’s the next morning. Don’t complain about me not waking you up sooner. You needed it.”

“And they still haven’t found accommodations for the dragon?”

“I made the decision that it would be the best if he stayed here instead of being supervised by the Interpol.”

Contemplating, he held up the glass to his lips. “I assume Wright also invited himself in as well if the Feys are here?”

“Technically, no. That is what I must discuss with you.”

His brow furrowed, “Is he okay?”

“Yes. Miles Edgeworth, I know you don’t agree with my decision to involve Phoenix Wright, but he was already involved before I gave him the opportunity.”

“And yet you didn’t attempt to stop him.”

“I found Phoenix Wright in the process of turning. Being lured by the fiends who punctured holes into your wings. I did stop him.”

He paused, taking his time to process this new information. “He?”

“Won’t say who it was who turned him. He didn’t know what was happening to him until I informed him.”

Miles stood incredibly still.

“I see that you are taking this as well as I thought you would.” Franziska commented.

He tilted his glass to take another sip, but the water did not reach him. It had frozen over.

“I suppose you are also planning to find the irresponsible ass who caused this to have a chat.”

Franziska grinned, “I wouldn’t be against a collaboration.”

“Where is Wright at this moment? I want to speak with him soon.”

“The garage, you found him first.”

“I see.” So that’s why they-he was so calm before.

“Mr. Edgeworth?” Maya walked down the hallway towards them with Pearl in tow. Unbeknownst to them she had been eavesdropping for the right moment to butt in, “Is Nick awake? Can we see him?”

“I believe that he is still asleep, but as long as he isn’t disturbed should be no issue.”

“Mr. Ej-ee-worth?” He looked towards Pearl. Her eyes wide and teary while she hid behind Ms. Fey. His wings flinched as he thought about the dreadful looking holes scattered on them. I on the other hand must be rather disturbing.

“Are you hurt?”

It was not the response he expected. “I….oh. I was injured, yes. But I am getting better.”

“That’s good.” The little girl looked much more relieved after hearing that.

The two followed behind him until they reached the garage door. He hesitated when he reached to open it. 

“You might find it strange seeing Wright in this form. I assure you that he is still the man that you both know.”

“Edgeworth, relax. We all know it's Nick.” Maya said.

Taking a deep breath, Miles opened the door. They did not find their dragon friend sleeping on the floor. But they did see a smaller version of the same dragon actively and gradually shrinking in front of them.

“Wright!” Edgeworth scolded. “Stop that! You are in no position to even attempt to shape-shift!”

“Nick!”

“Mr. Nick!”

His reproach was drowned out by the excited cries of the Feys, who in their elation tackled the almost human-sized and human-shaped dragon. 

Phoenix was panting like he had just run a marathon, “You…you all recognize me.” Despite his clear exhaustion he was brimming with joy. 

“You better not scare us like that again!” It was Maya’s turn to scold. 

“Yeah!” Pearl added.

“I came back didn’t I? I kept my promise. And look! I can control it now. Watch!” Grunting, Phoenix shook his arms back and forth until he lost balance. Very tired, he slumped to the floor, “This dragon stuff…this is harder than I thought.”

Edgeworth let out an annoyed sigh, “Your body isn’t used to shape-shifting yet. This is what happens when you try to do it again while you are still recovering from yesterday.”

“But I couldn’t fit through the doorway if I didn-” He let out a long yawn.

“We’ll rearrange the couch for you to lay there comfortably. We’ll talk more later.”

With help from Gumshoe, the already dozing Wright was carried over to the main room. It was a surprise to both Franziska and Miles that he had even awoken this early let alone managing to shape-shift. Edgeworth had initially assumed that the transformation into a dragon had occurred due to stress or even as a fight or flight response. But it appeared that Phoenix had gotten a grasp on this ability alarmingly fast to the point he accidentally drained his already spent energy the day after. As the siblings both presumed, a Dragon-like Wright was going to be more trouble than before. 

“Franziska?” Maya whispered to her, “Can we talk? Alone?”

“Of course, Maya Fey.”

The two excused themselves and headed down the hallway.

“I get it now.” Said Maya.

“What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t understand how you could try to convince Nick to go on some dangerous mission because you could get the bad guys faster. That it was about revenge. But seeing Mr. Edgeworth today, I realized you didn’t want him getting hurt again. I still don’t think what you did was right, but I’d be lying if said I wouldn’t do the same in your shoes.”

“I don’t regret my actions, Maya Fey. However, I do apologize for any stife I may have caused you.”

She held out her hand to shake on it, “Still friends?” Maya asked.

Franziska stared at her blankly, “We’re friends?”

“Of course silly! Now don’t leave me hanging!”

To Franziska, it was a handshake she’d never forget. 

~~~

By the next day, Franziska and Gumshoe had already left. They both had their own jobs to do with the detective assigned to a new investigation and Franziska balancing between standing in for her brother and preparing for the trafficking case. Maya and Pearl Fey returned in the morning. Miles had given Maya some money to buy some groceries so that they would have enough food for four people since he was not going to go out into the public with his current appearance. To not have a repeated incident, Edgeworth was ordered by Franziska to wait until he healed more before shifting his wings away. Begrudgingly, he obliged but only to set an example for Phoenix. The aforementioned individual had slept through the morning. 

Miles did not hear his friend awake while he was reading at the table, but he did hear the thud from his friend falling off the couch in an attempt to get up from it. 

“Sorry…I forgot about the tail.” He mumbled.

Leaving the table, Miles helped pull his friend up. 

Peering beyond his face, aghast Phoenix mouthed, “Edgeworth.”

“I’m fine. Really. I just need time to rest.” 

“But Miles, this looks like its serious. Could you still fly after this?”

Unfortunately, I could not find any documentation about wing tears. “I’ll find out that answer eventually. Regardless, I’ll live. I’ve already accepted the consequences of my reckless behavior.”

Wright suddenly looked stern, his brow furrowed, “None of that was your fault. You were attacked.”

“I suppose you’re right. It is good to see that you are in livelier spirits.”

Wrapped in a blanket, Phoenix followed Miles to the dining table. As he was asked to sit down, he watched the other dragon-like fill up a pitcher of water and then place it with a glass onto the table. 

“You’re probably starving. I don’t have much to offer, currently. The Feys went out grocery shopping. They should return soon.” 

He grabbed a spoon and a half-empty box of yogurt cups and placed them beside Phoenix. Then, he sat across from him at the table. 

Wright didn’t know what was weirder, the fact he was eating yogurt with a dragon head or how strangely domestic this all felt. He also didn’t know he was that hungry until he ate the first yogurt cup. He wasn’t keeping track, but there weren’t any left when he was done. The whole time Miles waited patiently.

“Now first and foremost,” Edgeworth began, straight into business, “I will gladly assist you with anything pertaining to this. It is the least I can do. Although, from what I’ve gathered, you have already gone through the worst of the turning process. You’re still in an adjustment period. You will still need to know how to master your abilities, and how to keep yourself healthy. I can teach you all that you need to know.”

“Wait. Through the worst of the turning process? Do you mean I’m still turning?”

“Of course, your horns haven’t even grown in yet.” He stated matter of factly. 

“Horns?!?” Phoenix grabbed the sides of his head.

Edgeworth rolled his eyes, “Please tell me you’ve seen a dragon before.”

“But you don’t have horns!”

“Not in this form. I would demonstrate but I have been told that I am forbidden from shifting until I’ve recovered. Do you have any questions right now?”

Phoenix shook his head, his hands still upon it.

Edgeworth’s gaze suddenly grew serious. “Moving on, I am going to ask you a couple questions. It will be best if you answer truthfully.”

Uh oh. Phoenix thought, He was buttering me up for an interrogation.

“I was told by Franziska that you did not know that you were turning. However, with how you acted she suspects that you know the individual who did this to you and that you are keeping their identity a secret.”

“Edgeworth-” Phoenix was cut off.

“Let me finish. Wright, I understand that you likely think highly of this person if you are willing to cover for them. But what they did was extremely irresponsible and you were grossly mistreated. I only want to know who they are to clearly communicate to them that they should not do such a thing to anyone.”

“But what if they didn’t know?” Phoenix asked sheepishly.

Edgeworth’s brow furrowed, “Wright, only a fully-fledged dragon-like can share breath. They would know. If they told you that, they lied.”

Oh god how do I tell him? “But what if we both got drunk and he doesn’t remember?” Wright laughed nervously.

“That does not change the fact that I want to have a talk with him about this disregard for your well-being. If they are not lying to you.”

“Oh, I’m pretty confident about him not knowing.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep.” Phoenix’s eyes darted away from Edgeworth.

“Can I ask why?”

Phoenix took in a deep breath before answering, “Do you remember the night I asked you to help look over child custody laws? There was wine involved?”

Miles held up his hand to his chin, trying to recount that day. “Did your…acquaintance arrive when I left? I do not recall meeting another person.”

“He was already there. Miles…we got drunk and made out. You were really upset afterwards and at the time I didn’t know why.”

Tensing up, Edgeworth stared off towards the table in disbelief. He looked like he was ready to bolt out the door, but he stayed frozen in his chair. The room gradually chilled. Wright’s breath condensating into a mist in the cold air, but not Edgeworth’s. 

“Miles?”

He finally spoke, “I- I’m terribly sorry.”

“It's okay.” Said Wright nonchalantly.

His eyes looked up to meet Phoenix,“Ngnoh! None of this is okay! I betrayed your trust!”

“Honestly, with how quickly you are willing to help me out without even knowing that you caused it, it seems to me that you didn’t. And like, how exactly is accidentally granting dragon powers a betrayment of trust?”

“Don’t overgeneralize what happened! This is permanent! You know that the process is not pleasant. But I had the luxury of knowing what was happening to me. You were on your own and the wrong people took advantage of that. They would have taken you away if my sister hadn’t found you.”

“Miles, don’t blame yourself for what the traffickers did. It was scary, not knowing what was going on with me, but I wasn’t alone.”

"But I still stand by what I said! The circumstances do not change the fact that I have hurt-" Edgeworth’s gaze returned to the table, his once rigid posture slightly slumped. The intensity in his voice had been taken away.“I had spent so long keeping this aspect of myself constrained because I feared that if I lost control... I just... I don’t understand how you could forgive me so easily.”

“I would have said yes, you know.”

“What?” 

“I mean-! I would have wanted to kiss you even if you told me all this stuff would happen. I probably would have waited to think about it first, but eventually I would have.”

“Why?”

“I love you, a lot. And I’m not going to wait around anymore to admit it. And if you like me back that way, I don’t want you feeling like you have to hold back when it comes to physical affection. People change all the time, just usually not into dragons? If I’ve changed, then I would rather it be because of you.”

The skill he possessed to effortlessly articulate while in the courtroom had mysteriously vanished. Perhaps it had also taken a sick leave due to injuries after hearing those pesky first three words. Edgeworth’s attempt to speak his mind was a speech composed mostly of sputtering with a few complete “Yes”s and “Well I”s masterfully placed throughout. It did not help that Wright was grinning the whole time and looking even more ridiculous with that dragon head. The combination rendered his face an almost equally ridiculous, flustered tomato.

“Your face is red.” Phoenix pointed out.

“Shuddup.” Edgeworth grumbled.

“I don’t want to put you on the spot but, do you like me too?”

“Yes.” He admitted softly, though he did not wish to. He couldn't lie about this.

“REALLY!?”

“YES!” Miles stood up from his chair.

His scowl was met with an excited thudthudthudthud of a dragon’s tail hitting the hardwood floor. Unaware of the sound’s source, Wright looked around the room until he checked what was behind him. The realization led to his new boyfriend’s hysterical laughter over his own tail. If you exist, Lord help me I love this idiot. Edgeworth thought to himself.

Phoenix, still catching his breath from laughing so much, blurted, “I’m so happy I could kiss you right now! I mean, only if you want to. No rush whatsoever, forget I said anything.”

Although he did not say it aloud, Miles did want to even though it did not feel an appropriate time to him. Because there was no longer that consequence. No longer the concern of rejection, because it was requested. It was not like the dreams he encountered where upon kissing his date he would sprout wings and fly away in terror; subsequently hitting an airplane causing a terrible accident.  He wasn’t dreaming, and that man loved him for who he was. Miles eyed the Dragon-like’s face like he was staring down a burger too tall for its bun. Planning where he was going to tackle this hurdle. In Phoenix’s current form, his mouth was considerably bigger and his head was a different shape than Edgeworth’s. Staying hand's length from the other's face, Phoenix had grown impatient and chose to take that step for him.

For all the anticipation, the embrace was brief. A muffled “Wright” brought Phoenix’s attention to the fact that he had gotten carried away. The lower half of Edgeworth’s head had ended up in his mouth. Releasing his soggy face, Miles then took the handkerchief he had in his robe pocket (of course he had one) and began to wipe off the slobber. 

“Sorry. Maybe we should wait.”

Setting the handkerchief down, Miles held the other Dragon-like’s chin up so that he was facing him. He gently pressed his lips on the end of Phoenix’s beak-like snout. Wright felt like he was turning into putty in his hands as Edgeworth enjoyed the warmth emanating from him.

There was a lot to figure out, when it came to the whole dragon thing and their relationship. But in this fleeting moment, it was like they had all the time in the world.