Well, it's finally here... The Lowee case for RR:AA! This one's not going to be quite as... epic as the previous case, but I hope you enjoy it regardless!

And now, ON WITH THE SHOW!

Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney

Turnabout of the Mobile Tank

by Derald Snyder

Prologue

April 14, 1:34 PM

Outskirts of Iris Field

The large vehicle rumbled down the snowy road, the large, imposing cannon on the front serving as a warning to any would-be evildoers or troublemakers in the area. Inside, the two pilots, a young man and young woman, were monitoring the area for any problems... Suddenly, a high-pitched scream echoed from not too far away.

"Hey Sophie, you hear that?" the young man, who was driving, asked.

"Affirmative, Jacob," his partner nodded. "I'm picking up two heat signatures up ahead... one appears substantially weaker than the other."

"OK, let's go!" Jacob nodded as he revved the engine, the mobile tank charging forward...

*THUMP-THUMP!*

"What the heck?!" the driver cried as he and Sophie were nearly thrown from their seats, their seat belts doing their job.

"We must have hit an obstacle!" the young woman muttered.

"But I didn't see anything but snow!" Jacob protested as he unbuckled. "I'm gonna go out to see what we hit. Stay put!" The cockpit opened, Jacob jumping out, dressed in a red-and-white powered armor-suit, donning his helmet once he was outside. Walking around behind the vehicle, he saw something brown-colored in the snow, the tank's tire-track clearly visible on it.

The youth quickly ran over to the brown lump, clearing the snow away... and seeing a tuft of light-brown hair. "What th- a human?!" He continued digging, exposing the arms...

"AAAAAAAAAHH!" a high-pitched scream emanated from close by, Jacob looking up to see a pretty young woman with a horrified expression on her face. "Murderer! MURDERER!"

"Wha- no, wait!" Jacob waved his hands in protest. "I didn't- I wasn't- this isn't what it looks like!"

April 15, 9:03 AM

Samson & Co. Law Offices

The toilet flushed, Rei Ryghts looking on in satisfaction as the green water swiftly turned clear. Standing, she retrieved her suit jacket and slipped it back on. Walking out of the bathroom, she stated, "T-the toilet is c-clean now, Mr. Samson..."

"Ah, thank you, Rei," Bartholomew J. Samson looked up from his desk and nodded. "It's always such a hassle for a man my size to try to bend over and scrub that thing... Not that I don't appreciate your other talents, mind."

"I'm g-guessing it was a s-struggle for you while I w-was g-gone?" the former goddess smirked wryly. "N-not that I was g-gone the whole t-time, but..."

Bartholomew just snorted. "Well, given that you've had a pretty good international tour, it was worth the trouble. Winning three out of four cases in foreign courts- that's a very good record for a defense attorney." As Rei blushed from her boss's praise, there was a sudden knock at the door. "Ah, it appears we have a client..."

The door opened, revealing a young blonde woman with gray eyes, dressed in what appeared to be a white mechanic's uniform. "Hello... are you Bartholomew J. Samson, the best defense attorney in Lowee?"

"That I am," the large man affirmed. "And this is my protege, Rei," he gestured to his fellow lawyer.

"H-hello there," Rei bowed in greeting. "N-nice t-to meet you, miss..."

"Sophia," the girl introduced herself. Looking Rei in the eye, she seemed to realize something. "Wait, I know you..."

(Uh-oh, here it comes...) Rei braced herself, taking a step back.

"You're that one lady Jacob and I saved from freezing to death!"

Rei blinked, her brain briefly locking up at her ears having not heard 'you're Rei Ryghts the psycho goddess' or something similar. "Uh... what?"

"You don't remember?" Sophia blinked in confusion. "I mean, sure it was almost two years ago, but..."

(Almost two years ago?) the lawyer pondered this for a moment, before her brain finally restarted and flashed back...

*Several months before...*

Rei lay on the ground, huddled next to a building as the the wind howled, snow blowing in her face, wearing nothing but the suit on her back. (So... cold...) She'd tried to at least get to shelter, only for someone to immediately recognize her and kick her out in abject fear...

(I would have prefered being thrown in jail for life compared to this...) the former goddess lamented as she shivered in a fetal position. (Or is this... how I die...?) Already, her consciousness was slipping away... then her ears picked the sound of a vehicle nearby. (But once they see who I am, they'll drive right on by...) she thought before passing out...

But then, she was suddenly roused as she was lifted up in someone's arms. "Hey! Can you hear me?!" a young male voice yelled over the wind. "I got you! Just hold on!"

The next thing Rei knew, she was inside a truck or something similar, a warm blanket wrapped around her body and a hot compress on her forehead. As her eyes re-focused, she saw a young blonde girl staring at her with concern on her face. "Who...?"

"It's okay, ma'am," the girl reassured her, "We're gonna get you somewhere warm, okay? What's your name?"

"R... Rei..."

"I'm Sophia," the girl replied back. "Just hang in there, you'll be alright..."

*Back in the present...*

"Ahh!" Rei gasped. "Now I remember! You and your friend brought me to the hospital, and managed to get me admitted despite my reputation!"

Sophia nodded with a smile. "Yes, I can recall Jacob saying, 'I don't care if she's the Deity of Sin reincarnate, nobody deserves to freeze to death like that!' That convinced them, however reluctantly..."

"Well," Bartholomew nodded with a smile, "this certainly must be fate for you two to meet again here. I assume, miss Sophia, that since you're here by yourself, that Jacob is in some sort of legal trouble?"

"Worse than that," Sophia shook her head. "He's been accused of vehicular homicide!"

"V-v-vehicular? As in he r-ran somebody over w-with his t-truck or something?" Rei asked.

"Mobile tank, not truck," the blonde corrected. "But it was an accident! Neither Jacob or I saw the man until we hit him! He would never run down a person intentionally!"

"If that is the case, then why was he arrested?" Rei's boss inquired.

"They have a witness who insists it was murder," Sophia stated solemnly. "Surely you know how it is... Once they have an accusation, evidence, and a witness..."

"Most attorneys in Lowee simply go for a plea bargain, rather than contest the charges," Bartholomew finished.

"W-well, I suppose the t-time has come for me t-to repay my d-debt," Rei said. "I'll take your case, pro bono. And I promise to find the truth of what really happened!"

"I thank you, miss Rei, from the bottom of my heart," Sophia smiled, the two women bowing to each other.

*THUNK!* "OW!"

...and promptly banging their heads together, eliciting another chuckle from Bartholomew.

To be continued...