Ace Attorney vs. Criminal Clan

I was a top lawyer with an undefeated record.

One day, I woke up inside a novel. The System tasked me with defending a pop star who was also a serial killer, telling me to find his redeeming qualities and get his sentence reduced.

Instead, when I saw the defendant taunting the victims' families in the courtroom, I flipped on him mid-trial and submitted the key piece of evidence that had been overlooked.

Before the judges gavel could even fall, his brainwashed fan club was still outside, screaming about their idol's innocence.

If they wanted to be with him so badly, fine by me. I reported the fan club for illegal fundraising and sent them all off to do hard time.

Seeing that I was about to take down everyone else involved, the System shrieked and threw me into a "pampered villainess" novel.

This time, you're the older sister of the pampered villainess! Blood is thicker than water, so you can't possibly turn on your own family!

Warning! You are forbidden from using legal means to send the villain to prison!

The moment the System finished its rant, I turned around to schedule my pampered little sister for a prefrontal lobotomy.

If I can't send her to jail, she can spend the rest of her life locked up as a mental patient.

As long as shes not a danger to society, a slightly dumbed-down sister could be kind of cute!

01

I stood outside the private observation room, looking through the one-way glass at Melody, who was strapped to a bed, writhing.

She was screaming, her cries muffled by the rubber guard in her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue.

The doctor stood beside me, holding a surgical consent form. "Ms. Hayes, are you absolutely certain about the prefrontal lobotomy? This procedure is irreversible"

I adjusted my glasses. "Doctor, my sister has suffered her whole life from being too intelligent. It makes her want to hurt people."

"As her sister, I can't just stand by and watch her walk down a path of crime."

"Just a small incision, and she can become a carefree little angel."

"She'll stay with us, sweet and obedient, forever. Isn't that the greatest form of love we can give her?"

A burst of static screeched in my head.

Paige! Are you a monster?!

In the original story, Melody frames you, gets you canceled by the entire internet, and you die a miserable death on the street!

Your mission is to reform her with love and guide her onto the right path, not turn her into a vegetable!

I calmly capped my pen and replied in my mind.

System, you need to think bigger.

Melody is a villain because she has the high IQ necessary for complex crimes.

I'm solving the problem at its root. A physical rehabilitation is still a rehabilitation.

Besides, I haven't killed her, and I haven't sent her to prison. In fact, I'm spending a fortune to get her medical treatment. Am I not the most responsible sister in the world?

My warped logic seemed to short-circuit the System for a full two seconds.

But but the rest of the Hayes family is on their way!

The eldest, Harrison, is a ruthless CEO. The second, Morgan, is a genius surgeon. The third, Wyatt, is a pop superstar. And don't forget your parents, who treat you like dirt.

If they find out you sent their precious treasure for a lobotomy, they will tear you to pieces!

As if on cue, a frantic clicking of high heels and an enraged shout echoed from the end of the hallway.

"Paige! What do you think you're doing?!"

I turned to see a whole entourage storming toward me.

At the head of the pack was my mother, the foundation on her face unable to conceal her twisted fury. Close behind were my oldest brother, Harrison, in a bespoke suit, and my second brother, Morgan, who had clearly rushed over in his white lab coat.

My mother charged at me, her hand raised to strike.

"You vicious creature! Let Melody go this instant!"

I didn't flinch from the incoming slap.

But just as her hand was about to connect with my face, I whipped a thick copy of the Penal Code out of my briefcase.

Her palm smacked hard against the leather-bound cover, and she let out a pained shriek.

I smiled faintly and tucked the book back under my arm.

"Assaulting a lawyer may not be a felony, but I will be suing you for battery and seeking damages for emotional distress."

"Melody's stay here is quite expensive. Your settlement should cover her medical bills nicely."

Harrison stepped forward to support our mother, who was hissing in pain. His eyes were dark and menacing.

"Paige, have you lost your mind?"

"Melody can be a bit impulsive, that's all. How could you have her committed?"

"Tell the doctors to stop the procedure immediately, or Ill make sure you're disbarred and never work in this city again!"

I looked at this domineering CEO, whose brain was filled with nothing but mergers and acquisitions, and shook my head in disappointment.

"Harrison, how can you say that about our sister?"

"She isn't impulsive. She's sick."

I pulled a stack of printed chat logs and surveillance photos from my bag and tossed them at his chest.

"Last month, she put herbicide in my milk, said she was 'helping me pull weeds.'"

"Last week, she cut your brake lines, claiming she wanted to 'test the car's safety features.'"

"And yesterday, she boiled all of Morgan's lab mice into a soup, saying she wanted to 'help him build up his strength.'"

I let out a sigh, my eyes misting over as I summoned my best performance.

"Harrison, would a normal person do these things? This is a clear case of severe antisocial personality disorder!"

"If I don't get her treated now, it'll be too late when she decides to boil one of us for dinner."

02

Harrisons face shifted as he looked at the evidence.

They all knew about these incidents.

But every time, Melody would just cry and act cute, and they would dismiss it as their "sweet, innocent sister" being playful.

Morgan picked up the papers from the floor, his brow furrowed.

"Even so, a lobotomy is out of the question! It's an inhumane procedure!"

"I'm a doctor. I have the right to take over my patient's course of treatment."

With that, Morgan tried to push past me into the room.

I took a sharp step to the side, blocking the door.

"Morgan, this is a psychiatric hospital, not your operating room."

"I am one of Melody's legal guardians, and I have the right to decide her treatment plan."

"Furthermore" I pushed my glasses up, the lenses catching the light.

"According to the Mental Health Act, when a patient poses a severe danger to others, their guardian has the right to enforce involuntary commitment."

"I have already secured a court order for compulsory medical treatment. Right now, the law is on my side."

"If you try to force your way in, Ill sue you for disrupting medical order and report you to the medical board for practicing outside your specialty."

Morgan froze.

He hadn't expected this. The meek, people-pleasing Paige he knew was gone. In her place stood this sharp-tongued, immovable woman.

He was so taken aback by my sudden authority that he didnt dare move.

But he was, after all, the "brains" of this world's cast. He recovered quickly.

"Guardian? Mom and Dad are right here. What makes you think you're her guardian?"

Our father, who had been standing silently in the back, finally spoke, his voice heavy with authority. "Paige, you don't run this family."

"I am Melody's father, and I am ordering you to stop this farce immediately."

"Otherwise, I will publicly disown you and take back everything you have."

The original Paige would have collapsed into a puddle of tears, begging for forgiveness.

She was desperate for their affection. But Im not her.

Im a legal machine, devoid of sentiment.

I looked at my father with mock surprise. "Dad, are you feeling alright?"

"Disown me? You can't legally sever ties with a biological child in this country."

"That's a statement born of legal ignorance. I suggest you pick up a book sometime."

My father's mustache trembled with rage. "You you insolent girl!"

"And as for taking back everything I have?"

I glanced around at my well-dressed, morally bankrupt family and let out a small laugh.

"The apartment I live in? I bought it with my own mortgage."

"My car? It's provided by the firm."

"The clothes on my back? I bought them with money I earned."

"You haven't given me a single cent since I turned eighteen."

"You said it was to 'build my independence,' then you turned around and bought Melody a fifty-million-dollar yacht."

"So, tell me, Mr. Hayes, what exactly are you going to take back? My non-existent fatherly love?"

"If its that, I suggest you just throw it in the trash. It's filthy."

My words hit him like a volley of cannonballs. He clutched his chest, his face turning ashen as he swayed on his feet.

Harrison rushed to support him, pointing a finger at me.

"Paige! Are you trying to kill him?! Have you no conscience?!"

"My conscience is alive and well. It's your brains that might need a little surgery alongside Melody's."

I glanced at my watch. "The procedure should have started by now. The anesthetic has been administered."

"Since you're all here, why don't you have a seat and witness Melody's rebirth?"

Just then, the door to the room flew open.

A young nurse ran out, her face pale with panic. "We have a problem! The patient she broke free from the restraints!"

03

I frowned. Those were medical-grade restraints for psychiatric patients.

Unless Melody had the strength of an ox or was a trained contortionist, breaking free should have been impossible.

A second later, I saw her. Melody, brandishing a scalpel, burst out of the room.

She was in a patient gown, her hair a wild mess, her eyes filled with raw, murderous intent.

"Paige! I'm going to kill you!" she shrieked, charging straight for me.

The System screamed in my head: Host, watch out! It's the villain's plot armor! She gets a power boost in desperate situations!

My family, however, didn't look scared at all. They looked relieved.

"Melody! Come to Mommy!" my mother cried.

"It's okay, Melody, your brother's here!" Harrison added.

In their eyes, she was just a frightened girl seeking their protection.

But Melody ignored them completely. She genuinely wanted to kill me.

Faced with the gleaming scalpel, I didn't back down.

I held my ground, even subtly adjusting my stance to be perfectly framed by the security camera.

"Melody, put the scalpel down. It's dangerous."

"I know you hate me for bringing you here, but I'm doing this for your own good."

"Go to hell, you bitch!" she roared, thrusting the scalpel at my throat.

When the tip of the blade was just inches from my skin, I moved.

No fancy combat skills. Just a precise sidestep and a well-placed foot.

Melody's own momentum sent her flying, and she landed face-first on the hard tile floor.

The scalpel flew from her hand and, by a stroke of perfect misfortune, embedded itself in Harrison's expensive leather shoe.

"Aaaah!" Two screams echoed at once.

One was Melody's. She had likely broken her nose and her face was a bloody mess.

The other was Harrison's. The scalpel had pierced the leather and sunk deep into his foot.

The scene erupted into chaos.

I calmly brushed off my slacks and addressed the stunned doctors and security guards.

"You all saw that."

"The patient is extremely aggressive and has even assaulted someone with a weapon."

"If that scalpel had hit me, I'd be a corpse right now."

"This constitutes severe violent tendencies, falling under Article 30 of the Mental Health Act, and requires the highest level of compulsory restraint."

I pointed to Melody, who was still twitching on the floor, then to Harrison, who was bleeding profusely.

"See? She even stabbed her own brother. This is a very serious case."

"Doctor, perhaps the initial lobotomy plan was too conservative."

"I recommend we add electroconvulsive therapy to the treatment."

"If we can't cut out the problem, maybe we can shock it out. It might dry up some of the water in her brain."

Morgan, who was trying to stop Harrison's bleeding, snapped his head up. For the first time, there was real fear in his eyes.

"Paige, are you the devil?"

I smiled down at him, my eyes behind my glasses as cold as ice.

"No, Morgan."

"I'm a lawyer. And I specialize in putting people back in their place."