Logic and Trickster
is a crossover fanfic between Ace Attorney and Persona 5. Started in early 2018 and originally hosted on Deviantart, the series has since moved to Archive of Our Own and can be read in full here.
This is still an ongoing story, so be advised that this page will contain plenty of spoilers for the most recent happenings of the story. Caution is advised!
Logic and Trickster tells a story that weaves the action in and out of the courtroom, and in and out of the Metaverse. The premise beings simple enough, with Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey journeying to Japan in order to research the Fey Clan's history. However, they are quickly wrapped into events beyond their control as mysterious murders and betrayals happen all around them.
Akira Kurusu and the Phantom Thieves of Hearts find themselves learning about these murders through discovering a dark and dangerous conspiracy that seems to have worked its way into global politics.
They pursue an elusive foe who goes by the title of "The Director," who has the ability to force mental "Contracts" onto "Actors" in order to forcibly create distortions in the Metaverse for their own purposes. These new Metaverse locations, now known as "Facades," prove to be possibly the greatest challenge yet for the Phantom Thieves, as they have to learn entirely new methods to combat these Facades and break the Contracts.
Not only that, but whoever is pulling the strings behind the scenes seems to embody the most powerful Arcana of all, The World. Their power is so dire that even the Velvet Room has been warped, twisted, and stolen away. The Director has subconsciously turned the Velvet Room into a chilling opera house known as the Velvet Theater, whether they realize it or not.
Our two universes collide spectacularly as Akira is caught and arrested during an infiltration, and Phoenix Wright is the only lawyer who can save him from a guilty verdict. Though it takes some time as well as some trust, Phoenix and Akira eventually begin to see eye to eye, and form a dynamic partnership together both in and out of the courtroom.
Igor and his Attendants call upon Akira, as well as Phoenix and Maya, to become guests of this new Velvet Theater, which they will all work together to try and wrest control back from the Director. Through viewing performances on the Velvet Stage, our heroes gain precious glimpses into what the villains may be truly planning.
From thereon, Phoenix and Maya are joined by the Yatagarasu Team of Miles Edgeworth, Dick Gumshoe, and Kaya Faraday. These three honorary Interpol investigators hop right on board with the investigation, and all of them are welcomed with open arms into the New Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It will take the combined skills of the veteran Phantom Thieves as well as the legal and logical expertise of their new allies to defeat these Facades, crack this conspiracy wide open, and save the world!
Christmas of 2016 saw rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright and his partner Maya Fey defeat a fearsome prosecutor, making a name for their office in the legal world and kickstarting a successful career of defending the innocent.
That same Christmas Eve, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts saved the world from oppression, even knowing their heroics would go unsung and they would continue to be judged as vigilantes. Their leader, Akira Kurusu, took the fall for the group's actions and sacrificed his reputation to ensure justice would be served and his friends' involvement would never be discovered.
Two heroes were forged, both righteous in their hearts. But, by nature, Phoenix values and trusts in the system. Akira's path has left him far more jaded.
It's the Spring of 2019, a little over two years since Persona 5's True Ending. Akira, formerly Joker, has been trying his best to live a normal life... without much success. When bizarre murders, betrayals, and uprisings begin to happen around the world, Akira and his friends realize something must be done.
Phoenix and Maya, now tourists traveling to Japan to learn more about Maya's clan, realize their vacation isn't going to be as relaxing as they thought. Soon they too are wrapped into this dark mystery and dangerous conspiracy—along with a certain prosecutor's team, who all wish to help.
The mysterious mastermind behind these international incidents seems to embody the strongest Arcana of all. Their ambitions are so grand and their threat so dire, even a special room outside time and space has been corrupted with wicked intent. Now that it has been warped into a chilling opera house known as the Velvet Theater, it is clear this Director wishes for the The World to be the stage for their performance.
Akira is called upon by Igor as a very special alumni, only to learn it will take more than just a Trickster to save the world this time. With the help of a few logical lawyers and co, it's up to the new Phantom Thieves steal the show!
Tropes:
- Amplifier Artifact: The Orb of Heart strengthens Akira's powers and allows the Phantom Thieves to overpower the Orb of Mind's influence on Actors.
- Battle Couple: In this story, Akira and Makoto are dating. As this is the case, Joker and Queen really show off great synergy and teamwork while cleaning house in the Metaverse.
- Being Good Sucks: Even after the charges against Akira were dropped, getting them in the first place and being known as a vigilante follow his reputation. The stigma makes it impossible for Akira to find employment in Japan. Additionally, these continuous rejections and the bleak chances for his future have made an impact on Akira's mental health, creating depression. It's to the point that it affects Arsène.
- Brainwashed: The Collective Unconscious is again used to manipulate events and people in the physical world.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Several people over the last weeks have shown unexplainable personality changes in-story when they killed their friends or trusted colleagues, always seemingly without motive. It's discovered that the new Big Bad, the Director, is forcing personality changes through an incomplete Metaverse and imposing 'contracts' on the targeted. Part of said contract for some victims seems to be that they kill influential people -often their friends- to steer Japan's politics into a specific direction.
- Call-Forward: Act 15L introduces us to the Cosmos Space Center, as well as younger versions of Ace Attorney characters who ultimately appear in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
- Code Name: In addition to the Phantom Thieves, the new members pick codenames as well:Phoenix — Knight
Maya — Ghost
Edgeworth — Samurai
Gumshoe — Jackpot
Kay — Ninja
Ritsu — Hawkshaw. - Costume-Test Montage: Maya inspires the idea that Phoenix should get a stylish outfit that looks like a 'Phantom Thief'. Ann takes charge of the ensuing shopping trip where he goes through various outfits that are shout-outs to different franchises. Eventually, she settles for an ensemble that resembles cut concept art from Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.
- Crossover: Between Ace Attorney and Persona 5.
- Didn't See That Coming:
- The Phantom Thieves are stunned when an unknown thief, who seems to be flying, steals their target first! Which is to be expected, since Mask☆DeMasque never appeared in Japan in public before now, so that counts as an Unknown Unknown.
- Phoenix doesn't know that Persona or the Collective Unconscious exist (Unknown Unknown). So he's surprised when he uses his magatama, it interacts with the Collective Unconscious as he questions Akira, who touched the Orb of Heart, leading to both Arsène communicating with him and Mia appearing.
- During the group's escape from the first Facade, a powerful Shadow chases after Morgana's bus form and catches Phoenix and Maya. The team has to leave them behind for the time being. This is the case of an Unknown Known, since the Phantom Thieves know what Shadows are, but they didn't expect that behavior or that powerful an opponent to come to them first.
- Fell Asleep Standing Up: The story's first Metaverse dive leaves almost everybody who ventured inside comically falling unconscious or asleep on their spot from exhaustion and / or adrenaline crash. Edgeworth is the one who does so while he keeps standing.
- Flat "What": When the Yatagarasu Team, Sojiro, and Sae show signs of understanding Morgana, Akira can only think this:Akira: What?
How did they-
What?
*beat*
What? - Hero Antagonist: Yashin Yokubō, the main prosecutor opposing Phoenix, is far more in the Klavier Gavin mold than Manfred von Karma; she's unpredictable, holding onto evidence until dramatic moments, but she's friendly, cares more about solving the case than her record, and quite clearly isn't prejudiced against Akira despite knowing he's the leader of the Phantom Thieves, trying to avoid bringing that up to not bias the court against him.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: It's technically the curator's own "no touching the exhibits" rule that turns his fingerprints into the very evidence that proves his guilt.
- Improvised Zipline: Maya's persona Sanzang, who wields a staff similar to Sun Wukong's, extends it between a Radio Tower and the office building she and the others need to enter. Maya, Sanzang, and Phoenix slide across the staff with Raikou's sword.
- Indy Ploy:
- Phoenix improvises on the spot in his court trials as usual, because new information regularly upturns the understanding of the cases.
- The second heist relies on improvisation and the group planning on the go, since they only discover what to expect once they arrive at their destination in the Collective Unconscious.
- In Medias Res: Similarly to both Persona 5 and Royal, the story opens in the middle of the Phantom Thieves performing a heist. This time it happens in the real world. The reason and circumstances for the heist only become clear over the following instalments -called "acts"- and chapters of the story.
- Interquel: This story takes place in 2019, which makes it a Sequel to Persona 5 and its spin offs, as well as a sequel to most of the Ace Attorney games. However, it is several years prior to the Apollo Justice trilogy of Ace Attorney games, making it a Prequel to those.
- Lampshade Hanging: Maya points out how many people they know are currently in Japan. Edgeworth expresses that he's not surprised to see her and Phoenix despite being on the opposite side of Earth.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: The Phantom Thieves, their allies, the Ace Attorney crew, and the OCs split into two new teams, on heading to the U.S., one staying in Japan to gather more intel. The reasons range from how they can use their skills, pre-existing responsibilities like school, and / or pursuing goals that are independent to the investigation.
- Magically-Binding Contract: The Director uses these to brainwash people for their goals. The Contracts use aspects of Geas, as they magically enforce compulsions in the victims about how to act, but thankfully without the lethal backlash. At least two kinds of Contracts exist: One to forcefully recruit and enforce general compliance, as seen with some individual Shadows. Another to alter personalities by distorting the victims' minds and creating artificial Palaces, called "Facades". The Phantom Thieves call the latter group of victims "Actors".
- Medium Awareness: Played with for humor where the Legal Team and the Phantom Thieves compare their adventures in the Metaverse to being like a video game.Kay: I think I've got all the elements memorized! With all of these strengths and weaknesses, I'll just think of things as if we were in an RPG!
Yusuke: How charming; imagine that. Us, inside of an RPG. I can picture it now.
Phoenix: Hmm. Personally, I just can't imagine myself being in a video game. - Oh, Crap!:
- The Lieutenant's appearance in Mizusawa's Facade evokes this reaction because of how strong he is. He follows after Morgana in Bus Form at full speed and can keep up with several of the Persona users!
- Mizusawa orders the soldiers to attack the Lieutenant / Raikou and Maya and Phoenix on sight, having seen through his deception of still being loyal to him.
- Outside-Context Problem: Part of the reason that the heist at the museum goes wrong and complicates following events is that another thief got to the Phantom Thieves' target first.
- Playing Card Motifs: Deliberately evoked in conversation between Joker, Igor, and the four Velvet Room Attendants (Elizabeth, Theodore, Margaret, and Lavenza).Joker: Are all of you related? You certainly are four of a kind.
Theodore: That we are. And now that you're here, we have a full house, in fact.
Igor: Four aces and a Joker—how delightful. I certainly know which hand I'll be betting on. But, pleasantries aside, we have much to discuss. - Pun-Based Title:
- Logic and Trickster works for both franchises. Logic and Trick is a recurring musical theme in Ace Attorney used in the court segments. Trickster is the title Akira is granted with as a rebel in Persona 5. The characters of both games have been involved in court trials and are investigating a conspiracy.
- Act 12 Chapter 2's title Fashionably Late refers to two characters arriving later than the others at a location. Later, several people go on a shopping trip to buy a new outfit for one of their own. It turns into a impromptu fashion show that becomes sillier and sillier.
- Punny Name: Many OCs are named in the tradition of Ace Attorney games. Several are nods or references to other media, such as Metal Gear.Ritsu Chitsujo — law and order
Fantomu Payne (who himself is a relative of the Payne family from Ace Attorney) — Phantom Pain
Kaz Mizusawa — Mizu being the word for water, a nod to Liquid Snake, and Kaz is the first name of Kazuhira Miller, whom Liquid impersonates
Vi Aipi — VIP
Governor Geetu D. Choppa — "Get to the chopper," a famous line spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who she is a parody of. - Purely Aesthetic Glasses: Akira doesn't wear glasses anymore, and he admits in some of his inner thoughts that he never truly needed them. It's softly confirmed that he only wore glasses during his year at Shujin to appear more unassuming.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Miles Edgeworth and Ritsu Chitsujo are this to the rest of the protagonists. Both of them are completely open minded to working together with the Phantom Thieves despite the group being vigilantes. Edgeworth's stance on understanding the limitations of the law is just one way that this story shows his change and growth from the events of his spin off games. Phoenix recognizes this as almost the opposite reaction to his own, considering he had a serious morality crisis of To Be Lawful or Good before finally working with the Thieves.
- Running Gag: There are a handful:
- Our favorite Judge from Ace Attorney somehow winds up presiding over multiple court trials. Beyond just the increasingly bizarre circumstances for being in Japan in the first place, each instance is also followed by an even more unbelievably specific law explaining why he's legally able to oversee the trial—but only on that specific day of the week.
- As with the actual Ace Attorney games, the legendary debate between "ladder" or "stepladder" comes up at in context at least twice. The second time, the otherwise humorous distinction actually would matter for the practical purpose of trying to reach Mask☆DeMasque as the masked thief is flying around a courtroom at the time.
- Ryuji's excitement still gets the better of him and he sometimes shouts secrets he shouldn't. So does Morgana.
- Sequel Goes Foreign: On the side of Ace Attorney games, since the English localization has shifted the setting from Japan to the U.S.A.. The various members of the Ace Attorney cast all end up Japan—either deliberately for a vacation, for criminal investigations work, or by coincidence.
- Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: Yashin immediately makes an uncomfortable impression on Phoenix, as she's immensely friendly for a prosecutor about to face him in court. Come the case, and no, it turns out she's a genuine Hero Antagonist.
- Shout-Out: After Phoenix is taken hostage in the prologue, Payne's reaction is to hide under a cardboard box and crawl to safety. Then the Judge lets out this glorious line:Judge: Payne, where are you going? Answer me, Payne! PAYNE?! PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYNE!!!
- Simultaneous Arcs: Starting with Act 14, the story splits the main characters into two parties led by Akira and Phoenix. Phoenix takes half of the main characters with him to Los Angeles, and the Acts involving his side are denoted as "L" Acts. Akira stays in Tokyo with the other half of the cast, and his side is denoted "T" Acts. The L and T notations both describe the involved cities, but also allude to the title of the story, L for Logic and T for Trickster.
- Title Drop: Act 4's two chapters both are named 'Logic and Trickster'.
- Taken literally in the case of the "titles" that Igor and the Velvet Room attendants bestow upon Phoenix and Akira. Akira is canonically referred to as being the "Trickster," whereas once Phoenix is welcomed into the Velvet Room, the title he is given is "Logician." Humorously used to make a literal title drop, as Phoenix expresses that the juxtaposition of "Logic and Trickster" just sounds good together.
- To Be Lawful or Good: The initial conflict between Phoenix and the Phantom Thieves stems from this, especially after they went back on their word not to break the law. Should he help in their illegal endeavours, even if it is for a good cause and to save others?
- Villainous Breakdown:
- Prologue: A spotlight shines on Kaz as an alarm blares and he tries to escape it no avail. Two more then shine on him, blinding him as several guards pile on him and hold him down.
- Act 6: Hebi's serpentine hair strands lash out every which way in a frenzy as the curator shakes, holding his hands up in complete defeat. He then freezes as his skin and clothes turn gray like a statue before collapsing.
- Wacky Racing: Act 15L and 16L deal with A palace whose owner views the Cosmos Space Center as a futuristic race track. This leads to the Phantom Thieves having one of their most unique infiltrations to date, a Grand Prix involving Queen driving Johanna and Jackpot driving Mona's bus form as they compete across the stars in a galactic-scale racing championship.
- Wham Episode:
- Act 4: The Magatama and the object the Phantom Thieves try to secure during their first heist, interact during the interrogation scene between Akira and Phoenix. They're both are drawn into a pocket of the Collective Unconscious where Arsène manifests to challenge Phoenix, as does Mia to calm the situation down. Phoenix feels Arsène trying to force him to Awaken. No time has passed in the physical world once the effect fades. These scenes establish several things. First, how powerful the object is. Second, how people still can enter the Collective Unconscious without the Metaverse. Third, and more subtly, something is going on with Phoenix. Maya was unaware of said confrontation and she has actual spiritual powers.
- Act 7, Chapter 1: Edgeworth, Kay, Gumshoe, Maya, Phoenix as well everybody else present who isn't a Phantom Thief suddenly can understand Morgana. This leads to the reveal of who the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are in chapter 2 and the different groups joining forces.
- Act 10, Chapter 1: Yorimitsu / Raikou reveals that the Director knows that physical objects can be taken from the Collective Unconscious. They intend to use resources that would be too expensive or otherwise unfeasible in the physical world to have things created like impossible Weapons of Mass Destruction.
- Weapon of Mass Destruction: The Icarus because it was created in the Collective Unconscious, without the limitations of the physical world.
