#thisisnotashippingfic

An Ace Attorney fanfic in which a legendary prosecutor guides a rookie

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Godot stood at the counter of the Prosecutor's Office break room as he waited for the old and broken down coffee machine to start up. Ordinarily he wouldn't settle for this second rate "instant" stuff, but he was running out of his own blend and he had to conserve what was left for the trial tomorrow. Godot had stayed behind late at the office, making his final preparations for his first trial as a prosecutor. The case itself was nothing special, an urn stolen by an unusually popular thief. What mattered was his opportunity to defeat Phoenix Wright in court, and claim his vengeance. The machine finally started up, making a noise more akin to a ten ton truck or a double decker bus than a coffee maker, and his drink slowly dribbled out, mere drops at a time.

Godot jumped slightly at the sound of somebody humming, given the time of night he had assumed that he was alone at the office. A strange looking man in a grey suit opened the door and walked in. He gave a cocky smirk and looked at Godot.

"I don't believe we've met before. Part of the new batch eh?"

Godot ignored the man, wondering to himself why who he presumed to be a member of the janitorial staff was wearing a suit. A cheap one, but a suit nonetheless. Oblivious to his lack of interest, the man walked forward and held out his hand.

"Winston Payne. You?"

Godot didn't even look at the man, keeping his head locked directly forwards. He wouldn't normally be so rude, but he wasn't too happy about being interrupted by a man with seemingly no traits worthy of respect. Besides that, he wasn't interested in small talk right now. He had exactly two goals for the night, drink some coffee, and prepare a case that would destroy Phoenix Wright. He didn't intend to disrupt his progress towards either of these goals.

"Godot."

Payne stared at Godot for a few more seconds, before eventually getting the message and lowering his hand. After regaining his wits he restored his prior smirk.

"Mr Godot eh? Seeing as you're still around at this time of night, I'd guess that you're getting ready for your first case. Which one are you on?"

Godot grabbed his coffee as the machine stopped whirring. His tone was slightly less cold now that he realised there was no escaping this conversation.

"The Masque De Mask case, supposedly he stole a precious urn this time."

Payne nodded while making some strange hand motion above his thinning hair,

"And the defence?"

"Mr Phoenix Wright."

Godot's grip on the mug tightened as he ground his teeth. Payne carried on talking casually.

"Wright hmm? You know I'm something of a rival to him. I'll be honest, looking at the way he handles his trials I'm not too sure he's been running them honestly. Attorneys these days just can't be trusted not to forge evidence. Of course it's happening over here too, I'm sure you've heard of that "demon prosecutor" Edgeworth."

Edgeworth, where had he heard that name before? Godot pondered this as he took his first sip of the prosecutors office coffee. His first impressions were... not good. His face contorted as he swallowed down possibly the worst coffee he had ever drunk. Payne didn't seem to notice as he carried on his monologue.

"You know I'm something of a courtroom legend in my own right. Back in the day I was known as the rookie killer, I went seven years without a single loss. If you were a rookie defence attorney... well, let's just be glad you aren't one of them. Of course as a veteran of the prosecutors office, I feel obligated to give you some advice. Show you the ropes if you will."

Godot smirked slightly. So this was the one his kitten dominated while he was gone. He turned to face Payne for the first time.

"I remember reading about you now. Mia Fey defeated you in her second case as a defence attorney. And what have you achieved since? You haven't won a case in four years."

Payne gave an almost comical physical reaction to this, as he stuttered to defend himself.

"W-well, I can't help it that defence attorneys are cheating scum now, somebody has to stand for the truth!"

Godot continued his offensive, "Surely the truth would grant you a win here and three."

"Well- well..." Payne's tone shifted to a quiet, embarrassed one.

"I won a competition to name the prosecutors office hotdogs..."

Godot turned back around and took another sip of his coffee.

"I fail to see what you of all people can offer me."

Payne, desperate to restore his lost honour, returned to his strange stance and renewed his smirk.

"Then perhaps you lack vision my friend. I'll say to you now what I said to my brother before his first trial, "It's all in the evidence". If you can find one piece of decisive evidence and cling to it, the trial's yours. My brother took my advice to heart, and since then he's always managed to find the most incredible piece of evidence mere moments before the trial starts."

Godot kept his gaze on the far wall.

"By which you mean to say that his evidence lacks credibility?"

Payne did yet another of his comical double takes.

"You're not accusing Gaspen of-"

He cut himself off and returned to his prior pose.

"I'll just forget you said that. Anyway the other thing I wanted to tell you is this. Trust your witness. If the defence jumps on the witness and tries to pin the crime on them, don't intervene. Take a backseat and let the witness rebuke them with a decisive testimony. If you follow these two pieces of advice, the trial will be over in a day."

Godot gulped down the last of his coffee and placed the mug on the counter.

"I'm sure it will be," he said bluntly as he headed towards the door. Payne scrambled after him.

"Wait! Maybe we can talk again after the trial tomorrow? I don't get much conversation around here. Most of the rookies place too much stock in win records, no interest in the truth."

Godot opened up his office and on walking in made sure to immediately gain control of the inner door handle.

"Goodnight, Mr Payne."