Hello, loyal readers! Here's a new case for Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney! This story's going to be a bit shorter than the last one, mainly because it's a two-day case instead of three, like the previous story... That being said, I hope you enjoy this prologue!

Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney

The Dead Thief's Turnabout

By Derald Snyder

Prologue

The airplane touched down on the runway without incident.

It taxied to the exit tunnel, the passengers getting off without incident. Among said passengers was one woman who was trying her best to keep a low profile, which wasn't too hard, given her small size.

As said passenger approached the security check point, however... this is when the incident happened.

August 16, 12:05 PM

Leanbox City Airport

Security Checkpoint

(So far, so good,) the lawyer thought to herself as she walked toward the security checkpoint. (Now let's just hope the security guards don't make too much of a fuss...) Fortunately, the guards seemed to be preoccupied with screening passengers who were getting on the next flight out of Leanbox... Unfortunately, one of said passengers happened to notice the lawyer's heather blue hair and segmented horn-like protrusion.

"REI RYGHTS!" he screamed, pointing a finger. Immediately all the guards in the area whipped around, their guns clearing leather in a split second, pointing them at the former goddess.

"W-wait a minute! I'm n-not here t-to c-cause any t-trouble!" Rei squeaked, even as she dropped her rolling suitcase and spread her hands. Her assertion apparently fell on deaf ears, as she was swiftly grabbed and shoved against the wall by two of the guards.

"We're not about to give you the chance to do to Leanbox what you did to Planeptune!" growled one of the guards, taking out a pair of handcuffs.

"HOLD IT!" yelled a strong male voice. Several of the guards turned to see a Leanbox Army soldier, decked out in full greenish-brown armor (including a helmet that covered his face), wielding a .30-caliber assault rifle. "In the name of Lady Vert, I command you to release that woman!"

"And just who are you?" inquired one of the guards.

"Petty Officer Adrian-118," the soldier stated, saluting. "I was sent by Lady Vert herself to escort Ms. Rei Ryghts from the airport. So, if you'll just release her into my custody, we can consider this incident resolved." The guards looked uncertain at this, until...

"Hey! What's going on over here?!" An older man with a greying mustache and beard walked on to the scene.

"Chief!" One of the guards responded, saluting. "Look who we found trying to infiltrate our country!" He pointed to the lawyer who was still pinned to the wall.

The security chief blinked as he peered over his sunglasses to get a better look. "Is that who I think it is?"

"I'm not infiltrating!" Rei protested. "I was invited here by Lady Vert herself!"

"You think we're gonna buy that?" Another guard spoke up.

"Actually, she speaks the truth," Adrian-118 cut in. "I was asked by Lady Vert to escort Ms. Ryghts to her Basilicom..."

The chief glanced over at the petty officer, before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, soldier, but this is a civilian airport, not a military base. I'm afraid you have no authority here... and I'm certainly not taking any chances with this psycho, of all people."

"Well then..." a familiar female voice spoke up, "It's a good thing I decided to come along, then." Everyone save Adrian turned and gasped to see none other than Leanbox's CPU herself, a stern look on her face.

"Lady Vert!" gasped the chief, standing at attention. "With all due respect, what's the meaning of this?"

Vert just sighed. "Clearly none of you have been following the news lately. This woman here is no longer the insane goddess who tried to destroy Gamindustri... She is, in fact, a successful defense attorney who managed to clear one of my fellow goddesses from false charges recently. I invited her here from cold, snowy Lowee as a reward for her stellar work. So then, if you'll kindly release her..."

"B-but, Lady Vert..." the security chief protested.

The blonde woman's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't tell me you're about to defy a direct order from your goddess..."

The elderly man recoiled at this. "Ahh! N-no, of course not! Perish the thought, Lady Vert!" Turning to his subordinates, he ordered, "You heard the lady! Let her go!" The guards reluctantly complied, Rei pulling away from them as soon as their grip loosened up, retrieving her suitcase and walking over to the CPU's side.

"That's better," Vert smiled radiantly. "Well then, we'll be on our way now, gentlemen..." Turing to the gathered crowds, she raised her voice, "False alarm, everyone! There is no cause for panic! Please return to your normal business! I repeat, there is no cause for alarm, please return to your normal business." The people slowly dissipated, returning to their previous tasks, though the conversation was still somewhat muted compared to earlier.

Rei breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Th-thank you so much... I th-thought for sure I w-was g-going to jail j-just for b-being me..."

"It's no trouble," Vert chuckled. "Honestly, it's been years since that ruckus you caused... you would think people here would have forgotten it by now... Anyway, shall we be going?"

August 16, 12:13 PM

Leanbox City Airport

Main Lobby

Rei Ryghts nervously glanced around as she was escorted by Vert and Adrian-118 through the airport... several citizens were glancing curiously back at her, some of them turning disgusted or upset upon recognition... However, a quick glare from Vert caused them to quickly return to their previous tasks. The added presence of a Leanbox soldier also seemed to help set the peoples' minds more at ease.

"So, um... Mr. Adrian, was it?" she spoke to the soldier. "You aren't scared of me at all?"

"I trust Lady Vert's judgement," Adrian-118 responded without missing a beat. "Of course, now that I've seen you up close and personal, I find it hard to believe you were the cause of the chaos in Gamindustri some years back, with the anti-goddess Citizen's Group and all."

"Technically, she wasn't," Vert spoke up. "According to Neptune and Nepgear, an evil fairy from another dimension bestowed power on Rei that came from an ancient CPU who had been something of a tyrant in the past... though, it sounds like she's now seen the error of her ways." Had Vert been looking at Rei as she said this, she might have noticed the lawyer silently gritting her teeth...

"Oh, I see... so that evil power caused Ms. Ryghts to become an evil tyrant herself, then?" Adrian asked.

"N-not b-by choice," Rei muttered. "I-I'm kind of g-glad I d-don't actually r-remember it... I'd p-probably still b-be having n-nightmares..." Taking a breath to clear her head, she continued, "At least I'm t-trying my best t-to b-be a productive member of society now..."

"Well, good for you, ma'am," the soldier nodded. "Lady Vert said you cleared one of her fellow goddesses from false charges?"

"Nepgear, actually," Vert supplied. "You should go read 'The Mech Suit's Turnabout' for further details..."

"Um, uh, I'll do that," Adrian muttered, his voice indicating he was somewhat confused.

"S-so what were we going to do on th-this... vacation?" Rei asked Vert as they walked through the doors to the parking lot.

"Well, I have such a backlog of video games to get through, it'll take an eternity for me to do them all," Vert sighed. "I was hoping we could have some fun with the two-player games in my pile..."

(That actually doesn't sound too bad...) Rei thought to herself, before something occurred to her. "J-just as long as you d-don't make me do any BL g-games..."

The Leanbox CPU's face took on a look of disappointment. "What a shame... but I suppose that narrows down the choices a fair amount..."

"No comment," muttered Adrian. Suddenly, a small man with wild dark hair dressed in rags came running out of nowhere, crashing into the trio, knocking Rei and Vert down.

"What in the world?!" Vert protested.

"Oww! Why always me?!" moaned Rei in despair.

"Yoink!" said the man, as he yanked something off Rei's jacket, before dashing off.

"Huh...?" Rei blinked in confusion as she patted her chest... then she realized something was missing. "My badge! He took my attorney's badge!"

"Hey! Stop, thief!" Adrian yelled as he took off after the man, who was surprisingly fast despite his short stature.

"Ha ha!" the thief laughed. "Fast as fast can be, you'll never catch meeeee!"

"Oh no," Vert groaned as she righted herself. "Not him again..."

"Huh? You know him?" the lawyer asked.

"He calls himself Klept O. Maniac," the goddess explained as she helped Rei up. "He literally steals anything he can get his hands on. The police have been chasing him for weeks now... But Adrian isn't the police. I'm confident he can succeed where the local authorities have failed..."

"S-shouldn't we b-be g-going after them?" Rei pointed out.

Vert nodded. "Yes, I suppose we should..." The two women started running in the direction that Adrian and the thief disappeared...

"Outta the way! Leanbox Army coming through!" Adrian shouted as he pursed Klept O. Maniac through the crowd, which parted quickly for him.

Klept gritted his teeth as he saw that the soldier was still hot on his tail- those fat, sluggish policemen would have given up long ago! Breaking free of the crowd, he took a quick turn down a narrow alley to try and lose his pursuer...

Only to run into something- no, someone, causing him to fall to the ground. Klept looked up...

"And where do you think *you're* going?" There was the sound of cracking knuckles, as the thief broke into a cold sweat...

Meanwhile, Vert and Rei were doing their best to try and catch up with Adrian, though Rei's shorter stature caused her to have trouble keeping pace with the blonde goddess, forcing Vert to slow her pace so as not to leave her behind, even as the crowds remained parted for their CPU...

A loud report sounded from a short distance away, echoing down the street, causing the people to turn their heads toward the source of the noise.

"Was that... a gunshot...?" Rei gasped out.

"Oh dear..." Vert grunted as the two of them jogged toward the alley the thief had ducked into... Their pace slowing to an exhausted walk as they entered said alley, where they were confronted with quite the sight... It was Adrian, standing over the prone body of Klept O. Maniac, blood pooling around his head. The soldier looked up at hearing the two ladies approach...

"Th... this isn't what it looks like!" he insisted. "I didn't shoot him! I swear I didn't...!"

To be continued...