Hearts of the Multiverse

Chapter Three: The Phoenix

"It might not be a bad idea," Luz chimed in. She stood up. "I mean, our friends are out there. If we sit back and do nothing, they could be in danger."

She looked over at Hunter. "I'm not going to let any of my friends or family down."

Hunter gave her a half-hearted smile and murmured a 'thanks.'

"And we'll make sure no one gets hurt, either," Makoto said. She winked at Miles. "It's good to know there's more than one person who can manipulate electricity."

"I can't sit back and do nothing," Usagi said so quietly it was almost as if she never said anything.

"I'd prefer if you stayed back for a while, until we can fix your compact. The girls and I have got it," her boyfriend, the masked guy, Mamoru said.

"Because roses are so effective," Sokka said flippantly. This earned him a glare from the boyfriend. "What? It's true. You could at least use a boomerang. I mean, I used to have a space sword. It's something!"

"He's got a point," Josuke agreed. "Who in the hell uses roses to be intimidating?"

"Please friends, let us not fight," Starfire said. "We should do as our friend, Giorno, suggested. We should stay on track and try and find these monsters—perhaps even locate a centralized area where they have come from."

"Great idea," Giorno said with a nod. "At least someone is being rational."

"Harsh," Anne said.

"But not wrong," Miles said reluctantly. "Look, we've got to try and get entire scope of our situation. I mean, it seems like we've found a few of our friends here, but it's like Luz said: our friends are probably out there."

Well, their friends, anyways. And he was Spiderman.

"Those monsters could be anywhere, and it doesn't sound like that lady is going to give up so easily. Who even knows where they'll pop up next? But I can tell you one thing: I'm not going to sit back and just let them hurt people. I'm going to figure out how to beat them, and everyone here will be safe."

He was his universe's Spiderman. He wouldn't let anyone else get hurt. No matter what. That, despite Miguel O'Hara's opinion on the matter, was what he signed up for.

...

In an office building some distance from the shrine, Phoenix Wright's left eye twitched as Gideon Graves melodramatically shifted through the list of accusations carried to him by Seto Kaiba's legal team. The most prominent of that legal team being Phoenix's old friend-to rival-to friend again, Miles Edgeworth.

"I didn't steal his stupid plans for whatever-the-fuck graphics!" Gideon complained. "And he's coming at me with the best prosecutor in the country? I didn't even ask to be here! I was just drinking mocha with my girlfriend, plotting the demise of that dramatic idiot Patel, and inventing better technology than that kid could ever dream of! It's absurd, Wright!"

Phoenix wasn't sure what exactly to make of Gideon Graves. It was rumored he'd made a league of evil exes and put himself at the top just to win back a certain Ramona Flowers. Toxic dedication? Maybe. The only reason Phoenix had agreed to this case in the first place was since Graves had seemed so sincere in his innocence, and the magnatama had pretty much proved he hadn't taken anything.

But the whole crux of the issue was someone who looked very much like Graves had been seen sneaking files out of the building.

"Mr. Graves," Phoenix spoke up. "Have you tried reaching out to Kaiba Corp in any way, shape, or form? I mean, they have to acknowledge with all the weird stuff going on lately, there could be foul play."