“What the heck is this?”

“Oh, uh.” Alexi looks up from the box he’s sifting through. “That’s a flare, y’know? Sometimes we use ‘em during shows.”

“Ooh, I like it. You could illuminate the whole night sky with enough of these!”

Kay rummages through the box of props with glee. It’s doubtful they’ll find his bass in the storage tucked under the stage, but Alexi can’t help smiling as he watches her try. She’s got a few different boxes open now, forming a little cardboard castle around her.

“Just be careful not to set any off, alright? You don’t got any matches you’re hiding from me, I hope.”

“A great thief always carries the right tools.” Kay winks conspiratorially. “But a great thief also knows the right time to use them.”

Not the most reassuring thing to hear, but he’ll take it. She pulls a kazoo out of the box and toots it a few times. Just to be sure it still works.

“Hey, not bad. Maybe I’ll ask Klavier if you can be our kazooist.”

“Ninja by day, and kazooist by night… or also by day! I’d be just like the Jammin’ Ninja.”

Alexi pauses. “Wait-- you’re into the Jammin’ Ninja?”

“Yeah! He’s my inspiration. Torn away from his life of peace and music, he takes up the mantle of justice,” Kay jumps to her feet, sweeping a hand through the air, “and fights crime to save his dearly beloved! What’s not to love?”

“Right?!” Unable to help himself, Alexi’s voice rises a few pitches. “Man, the Jammin’ Ninja -- that’s what I wanna be, y’know? He’s the reason I started playing bass, specifically after I watched the arc where he faces down the first guy in the Muromachi Five, y’know, the one with the beetle helmet who summoned the horde of roaches?”

“Aburame, right?”

“Yeah, that guy! Aburame just crushes him, the roaches eat through his guitar, it’s awful… but he just gets back up and does it again, fixes up his guitar, and fights on -- that’s just so cool, right? It’s true passion!”

In a burst of excitement and laughs, they exchange high fives.

“... oh, uh, right,” Alexi sighs, “we’d better keep looking.”

“Oh, yeah.” Kay pouts a little. “I almost forgot… we can talk Jammin’ Ninja after we find your bass, though.”

The gloom of the situation settles back in. Klavier always gets so upset when things don’t go as planned… and now Kay’s got an impossible deadline to meet on Alexi’s behalf. He frowns, looking through a box filled with nothing but crunchy packing peanuts. He squishes them between his fingers idly.

“So what’s the whole, uh, thief thing you’ve got goin’ on? Not that it isn’t cool. But I’m pretty curious.”

“To earn a secret, you must trade a secret. That’s the rules.”

“Haha, alright -- the pact is sealed. But you go first. What’s the story behind lil’ miss Yatagarasu?”

“That’s ‘The Great Thief Yatagarsu’ to you, Mr. Plectra.”

“Right, sorry -- my mistake. O Great Thief, please share thy wisdom.”

“That’s more like it.”

Kay pulls a glittering pom pom out of the box of props. The sunlight catches and sparkles in its ribboning threads. “The Yatagarasu’s job is to steal the truth from the hands of those who seek to hide it away. A lot of the time, people with money and power will make it that much harder to get the truth -- so I’m dedicated to stopping them. That’s what I do, with Mr. Edgeworth’s help. We uncover the lies and secrets of the world, one case at a time… even if it means sticking our nose in everybody else’s business, or facing down a killer in the flesh. Sometimes you have to take risks for justice, y’know?”

“Gotcha… yeah, yeah. Makes sense. That’s, uh,” Alexi laughs slightly, closing another box. “That’s how I feel about it, too.”

“Really? Maybe you should join us in our quest!”

“Nah, I think I’m good -- this warrior has his own quests to go on. Thanks for the invitation, though.” She’s real passionate, Alexi knows -- it’s plain to see. But awfully young, too, to be carrying such a heavy weight. “I’m more into the courtroom aspect of justice than the sneaking and fisticuffs.”

“Oh? See, I knew your pointing was too good for an amateur! Are you a prosecutor, too?”

“Nah.” Jingling a bell attached to the end of a green hat, Alexi raises a brow and sets it down. What show was that for, again? “Klavier’s a prosecutor though, and Daryan’s a detective. I’m a defense attorney, myself.”

“Aha. So you’re like Mr. Edgeworth, but less cool.”

“Yowch! Ya got me there.” Laughing, he shakes his head. “Mr. Edgeworth seems like a great guy. I’ve heard some things, but honestly? Meeting him, I have my doubts. Everybody’s all ‘he can kill you with his eyes’, but… he’s pretty nice.”

“Right? He is. But I’m pretty sure he can still kill you with his eyes. I’ve seen a whole lotta people break down when he confronts them! It’s like a superpower.”

A quiet shuffling draws Alexi’s attention underneath the stage. Leaning down to peek, he spies Kay crawling along on her elbows like a sleeper agent. Resting his chin in his palm, he chuckles and watches her go.

“Don’t get stuck, alright? I don’t think anybody would hide a bass in there.”

“It’s good to be thorough, just in case. We can’t afford to overlook anything.” At some point, Alexi can only make out her silhouette as it navigates the dark like an earthworm. “But hey, it’s your turn to share a secret!”

“A deal’s a deal. Ask away.”

“What’s wrong with your face?”

“Huh? Oh.” Gotta love kids. They just say what’s on their minds, don’t they? Alexi smiles, carefully removing his shades. “I don’t think you can see from all the way over there.”

The quiet scraping of dirt approaches until Kay’s face pops out from under the stage. She looks up and stares unabashedly at the scar, the discoloration of his right eye. Alexi’s seen it enough times in the mirror that he can trace every curve by memory, map out the path her eyes are taking over the bumps and grooves. He looks away with his good eye, but the other doesn’t follow.

“Wow. What happened?”

“Uh, it’s… kinda gross. Not sure if you wanna hear about it, kiddo.”

“Listen, buddy.” Kay’s voice flattens, her expression unamused. “I can take it -- I didn’t almost die in a fire and get held at gunpoint so you can tell me I’m a baby.”

“Whoa.” No way. She can’t be older than fourteen, maybe fifteen… what kinda wild life does this kid have? “Dang, I’m sorry. That sucks.”

“Yeah. It did.” She frowns. “But c’mon, you can tell me.”

“Okay, okay. Guess it’s only fair.” Alexi sighs. “So, basically, I had a client once who was pretty darn guilty. I mean, I had suspicions, but I wanted to believe her… and I didn’t quit believing her ‘til she tried attacking the prosecutor.”

“No way! Right in the middle of court?!” Kay gasps. “That’s what happened to Mr. Edgeworth, too! A long time ago, but it did.”

“Guess it’s a small world. Glad he made it out okay.”

“Don’t change the subject, mister. The ears of a great thief can’t be fooled.” Kay crawls fully out from under the stage, sitting beside Alexi and leaning against it. “What’d the crook do?”

“It was a pretty brutal case. I won’t go into details, but it was in a forensic lab -- involved a whole lotta acid. They could barely figure out who the victim was, the way the body looked… but anyway, my client, she just whipped out a vial of the stuff right there in court and popped the cork. She swung it at the prosecutor, and I… y’know, I couldn’t let my client kill somebody else.” Looking up, Alexi breathes in deep, exhales slow. “So I moved without thinking.”

“Wow… that’s pretty brave.” Kay folds her arms and closes her eyes. “But I know how you feel. The day I met Mr. Edgeworth, he could’ve died.” She strums her fingers against her elbow. “The witness pulled a gun on him right there in the courtroom. I just ran into the room and I yelled for him to duck -- he was just standing there frozen, so I just had to, y’know? I couldn’t let somebody else die. Even if it meant getting hurt.” Opening her eyes, Kay looks down at the ground. “Being the next Yatagarasu means accepting the mantle of responsibility. It means not letting anyone down in the pursuit of the truth, even in the darkest nights and the most blinding days.” Her gloves tighten at her sleeves, scrunching up fistfuls of the fabric. “I can’t forget that.”

The wind plays the silence like a harp, gliding on by. Alexi exhales through his nose. He shifts a bit, resting an arm across his knee and looking at Kay.

“Hey, listen. Mr. Edgeworth wouldn’t be here, if not for you.” Alexi’s voice softens. “You did a real good thing for him. And I know he appreciates it. So don’t you ever worry about letting him or anybody else down. You’re doin’ the best you can -- hell, even better than best. And if you keep at it, I bet you’d be a great asset to law enforcement some day. We need people like you.”

“Thanks.” Kay smiles, sniffling as she wipes her face with her scarf. “I bet the person you saved is happy, too.”

“Haha.” Alexi rubs the back of his neck, casting a glance toward the dressing room building. “I sure hope so.”

“... you can ask another question, if you want.”

Oho. It’s a game now, huh? Okay. Alexi grins. “Alright, I gotta ask: Mr. Edgeworth. Is he your dad, or what?”

“Oh, no! I just hang out with him and fight crime.”

Y’know what? Power to her. That’s pretty much what The Gavinners do, in their own way.

“My dad… he’s not around anymore.”

“Oh.” Alexi blinks, recovering fast. “Hey, that’s okay. I don’t talk to my dad. Far as I’m concerned, he’s not around either.”

“Do you have any other family?”

“I’ve got my mom. I visit her whenever I can… when we’re not touring, anyway. Hard to get in and see her at the right times, but, y’know. Better than nothing.”

“Geez,” Kay snorts, “you make it sound like she’s in jail.”

“Yeah, that’s… that’s ‘cause she is.”

“Oh.”

Kay sets down the stack of posters in her hands. “I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just the way things are right now. Sometimes, if prosecutors get their way…”

Alexi slips his shades back on. “Even good people end up in jail.”

“Hey, hold on. Only some prosecutors are like that, I promise. Mr. Edgeworth isn’t. He knows what it means to be a really good prosecutor -- he always fights for the truth, not just a guilty verdict. He’s not like the others. And he has the power to change the hearts of every prosecutor out there who does it wrong!”

“Haha.” Alexi reaches out and ruffles Kay’s hair. “I’m real glad to hear it. I bet my mom will be, too.”

“You guuuuuuys!”

Alexi’s gaze shoots upward as a wrenching sob rips through the air. Up on the light fixture, way over their heads…!

“It’s the Bad Badger!” Kay leaps to her feet, pointing. “And he’s got the bass!”

“I-I surrender, okay?! You’re makin’ me cry up here! It’s just too sad! All of that stuff… it’s too sad!” The badger waves his comically oversized mittens defensively. “I can’t take it! I give!”

“How the hell did you get up there?” Alexi yells up to him, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Never mind, just -- just stay put! Don’t you dare run!”

“I can’t!” He shrieks, clutching one of the lights. “It’s too high up! I can’t come down!”

Oh, great -- why didn’t he think about that before climbing up?

“I’ll handle this, Alexi!”

Footsteps move full throttle in his ears, and before he can turn around Alexi staggers forward as Kay’s foot pushes off his shoulder. She soars through the air and latches onto the piping of the light fixture’s base, climbing fast to the top. Alexi’s eyes widen.

“Kay, stop! Get back down! It’s not safe up there!” He sprints over and tries to reach her, but she’s already too high. “We can get him down some other way!”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!”
“Damn it -- you!” Alexi hollers at the quivering badger. “Do something! She could get hurt!”

“I-I’m too scared, I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorryyyyyyy!”

----

Miles takes one step outside of the dressing room when he hears a deafening screech rip through the air from the stage. His heart catches in his throat, and he starts running.

“Achtung! Herr Edgeworth, wait up!”

Not again. Pleading to no one but his own conscience, Miles crosses the distance as fast as his wretched legs can carry him. If Kay is in danger again, if she…

“The hell is going on-- watch it!” Mr. Crescend, finally sauntering back toward the stage, jumps back out of Miles’ path. “What are you doing?!”

“Come on, Daryan! Don’t just stand there!”

Whatever Prosecutor Gavin snaps at Mr. Crescend, it doesn’t matter -- it lives in a reality far removed from Miles’ frantic steps, far behind and over his shoulder. As he reaches the stage, his chest tightens at the sight of the unfolding chaos. Kay, Mr. Plectra, and…

“A badger?!” Miles yells. “A badger, of all things -- Kay! Stop this instant!”

“I tried to stop her,” Mr. Plectra sputters, “she just kept going!”

Ignoring him, Miles scans the stage and spots a single ladder leading up to the light fixtures, most likely for maintenance. Without a second thought he jumps on and begins climbing. On the ground, he sees a small crowd of parkgoers gathering, Gavin among them. He’s on his phone, gesturing wildly. By the sound of it, he’s antagonizing security; if they get here, they might be able to--

The ladder trembles. Miles’ thoughts screech to a halt. His vision blurs and he leaves his body behind, merely watching as phantom hands grip the ladder tight. Kay is up there, Kay is in danger, but his legs won’t move. They lock in place, joints brittle and useless, useless. He gasps, struggling to hold onto his mind as the shaking swells in waves… curse this weakness! Why? Why now? Not now, please, not when she…

“I’ve got you now, Bad Badger!”

Kay’s voice cuts through the crowd’s frightened murmurs. They applaud, cheering. Gavin holds both sides of his head. They must think it’s part of some godforsaken show…

“Okay, okay! I surrender!” Blubbering pitifully, the Bad Badger holds up both hands. “I’m not movin’! Come take me away! Lock me up, for all I care!”

“Hah! Your fate was sealed the moment you challenged the Great--”

A crooked light snags on Kay’s boot as she walks toward the Bad Badger. The wind is ripped from Miles’ lungs as she slips and tumbles down toward the stage. Screams tear through the crowd.

“Kay!”

A blaze of red flashes like a flame as Kay hits the stage -- or doesn’t.

Mr. Plectra cradles Kay in his arms, sprawled out and shielding her from harm. Kay stares up at him, wide-eyed.

“Nice catch.” She manages a weak laugh. “Bet the Jammin’ Ninja would be proud.”

“Heh-- agh.” Mr. Plectra winces, struggling to move his shoulder. Still, he chins up and offers a smile. “Damn right he would.”