Unum Solum

Unum Solum (Latin: The Only One) is a short story crossover between Subjugation (and, to an extent, Viva la Rose Warriors) and Capcom's series of point-and-click adventure games. The story was written in commemoration of the Canon Crossover community art prompt.
== Story ==
"A visitor? We don't tend to allow civilians to enter this prison." Yuki mused. The Japanese woman didn't look up from her sword, which she polished with a cloth as white as her long hair.
The four members of the elite prison guard of Guillotine's End Institution were somewhat shocked of this news. They were tasked with keeping watch over the superhuman prisoners that were incarcerated within these impenetrable walls; quite possibly, they suspected that this was the most dangerous job on the planet. No one was allowed in, no one was allowed out. Even the two men in charge of the prison, Dr. Yaroslav and The Overseer, weren't known to leave the compound.
"Boss said someone asked him for a favour he couldn't deny." Liz was the most loyal of the four members of Vier Wasserspeier, so the others knew not to ask for any further details; whatever The Overseer says, Liz will obey without a a second thought. Though it could be good in some circumstances, in others it was somewhat infuriating.
"Who could possibly have so much power?" Yuki sighs. Truthfully, she didn't care who was visiting or why. Rather, she knew that without this conversation, they'd just repeat one of the others they'd had who-knows how many times before. Or, more specifically, Liz would force them to repeat an old conversation.
A buzz sounded through the room, followed by a curt voice from the wrist of the man sitting silently in the corner. "Six. Report to my office, immediately."
Sixty-Six was a former military general who rarely speaks. Even though the other three members of Vier Wasserspeier were the ones who heard him speak most often, even they would have trouble identifying it. The two women in the room didn't expect a reply from him as he silently stood up and, like a ghost, glided out the door.
It took Sixty-Six five minutes to reach the office of his boss, the mysterious man known only as "The Overseer". He said no words as he was given instructions to escort their incoming guest to their destination. One that was rarely used.
--🐦--
Cardinal sat down in a flimsy chair. He needn't even look, he knew that, the moment he sat down, his red cloak was immediately caked in a shell of dust that had long remained undisturbed. In front of him was a white desk, with a thin glass pane raising down from the centre to bisect the desk in two. He could feel the piercing gaze of Sixty-Six on his back as he looked at the two figures on the other side of this transparent wall.
"Mister Solus, thank you for meeting with me." The man sitting in the chair on the left said. His blue suit was a welcome distraction from the otherwise grey room, and his spiky black hair contradicted his surprisingly calm tone of voice. "My name is Phoenix Wright."
"Please, call me Cardinal." The prisoner sighed. He hated being reminded of his old life, the one he could never forget but didn't want to bring himself to remember. "What could a defence attorney want with me?"
"How could you tell I was a defence attorney?" Phoenix asked, clearly shocked. Cardinal didn't answer verbally, instead he just pointed directly at a small badge pinned to the lapel of the lawyer's suit.
"Wow. He's good." The girl next to Phoenix Wright spoke for the first time. She had long black hair with a small bun bouncing off the top of her scalp. The most prominent part of her appearance was the clothing she wore. A traditional Japanese kimono with a line of four white orbs and a golden magatama draped around her neck.
"And you are?" Cardinal asked the girl, who flinched at suddenly being addressed.
"Oh right! I'm Maya Fey. Nice to meet you, Mr. Criminal."
"Maya!" Phoenix snapped before turning back to the prisoner in red. "Sorry about that Mister... uh, Cardinal."
Cardinal shook his head. "She isn't wrong. I did kill multiple people. That's something I can't change." Letting a gap of silence hang in the air, Cardinal decided to be forward with the lawyer and his assistant. "So, why are you here?"
"Ah, right. My client was accused of serial arson that resulted in the death of a woman. The reason I'm here today is that the location where the crime took place is the exact same location where you..."
"I understand. You came to see me to check to see if there is a connection between me and this person." Cardinal leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry. It's nigh-impossible to contact anyone outside this prison."
"See, Nick. I told you it'd be impossible."
"Maya, hold on a minute." Phoenix fished through his blazer for a small item, which he finds after a few moments. He presented it to Cardinal. "Take a look at this. This is the victim of this case."
Cardinal's eyes widened when he saw the woman in the photo. "That's...!"
"Yes. It's your aunt. This is the real reason why I wanted to contact you. Are you aware that--"
"She's an information broker? Yes. I'm aware of her criminal activities."
"Well, this makes it so much easier. Mister Cardinal, can you please tell me everything you know about your aunt's illegal connections?"
"No." Cardinal's answer was curt and short.
"What!?" Maya shouted. "Why not?"
"There's nothing in it for me."
Phoenix put his hand to his chin as he began to think. "My apologies, Mister Cardinal, but I doubt I'd be able to overturn your Guilty verdict."
"That's fine. I don't mind atoning for my crimes, anyway."
"Okay, let's go Nick. I don't think we're going to get anywhere with this strange guy." Maya whispered, but Cardinal could still hear her through the glass.
"I don't think it's apt for a spirit medium to call anybody 'strange'." Phoenix replied in a normal voice.
"Wait. What did you say?" Cardinal's mind focused on two words in the sentence that Phoenix Wright said to his assistant. "You're a spirit medium?"
"In training." Maya corrected.
"I'll tell you anything you want if you can let me speak to my sister."
"Your sister?" Maya asked. "Sure, just tell me where I can find her."
"Maya. If he's asking you, then she's probably..." Phoenix explained to Maya, who slowly understood what he meant as the words exited his mouth. Silently her mouth expands into one of understanding.
"Oh! In that case. I guess I could see what I can do. What's her name?"
"Adriana Quod Solus."
"You're going to need to give me some time." Maya said, as she began to walk out of the room.
"Your sister?" Phoenix asked Cardinal as the spirit medium exited the room. "Wasn't she one of the people who..."
"Yes. I killed her and my parents when my powers awakened." Cardinal looked away, but Phoenix Wright could notice his eyes becoming glossy.
"I understand. You want to apologize to her, I presume."
Cardinal didn't speak.
This sad silence hung in the air for a couple minutes, only breaking when Maya returned a couple minutes later.
"I'm sorry. I can't channel her."
"What?" Cardinal and Phoenix both asked her simultaneously. Cardinal then continued. "What does that mean?"
"It means she either doesn't want to be channelled, or, more likely, isn't dead."
"She's... not dead?" Cardinal couldn't believe his ears. He'd assumed he had killed his beloved sister just as he did his parents; he hadn't heard otherwise, not back then or during his trials. All these years, Cardinal had believed that he had failed in the task of protecting his sister in the worst way possible, but hearing that she might not be dead lifted a weight off his chest.
For the first time in years, Cardinal's face skewed. He'd always shown an apathetic, almost tired, expression. But now, Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey saw a side of Cardinal that no one before had ever seen. Cardinal finally let out all of the pent up stress within him, just by hearing that his sister could be alive.
He cried.
Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey didn't know what to do as they saw this. Even Sixty-Six, the ever-stoic guard, expressed shock at this break in character. All the three of them could do was watch. Watch as the most dangerous criminal in the world broke down in tears of relief.
This lasted for ten minutes, but for Cardinal it felt like an eternity. Finally, he managed to regain his composure.
"Anything. Anything you want to know. I'll tell you." He addressed the lawyer and his assistant, tears still silently falling from his red eyes.
"And... thanks. You gave me a greater gift than what I could have asked. I am forever in your debt."
Category:Crossovers
Category:Stories
Category:Ace Attorney (series)