This was difficult to write. I initially thought this was going to be a oneshot when I took on the prompt on the kink meme, but I thought it would be best if the fic was divided into two parts. Not only that, I've had experienced struggling with school many times, as I'm sure a lot of people here have. So I hope I do this justice and I hope you can all enjoy this!

Disclaimer: Ace Attorney and all recognisable characters belong to Capcom

Against All Odds

Moments ago, the first year first semester law students finished their exam. The tension in the air had dissipated, but it quickly turned into stress for some students. One of the students being the youngest student in the entire campus, hailed as a genius amongst her peers. Some others simply just call her by her name, Athena. She was only sixteen years old and she stood out in the campus with her blazing red hair, she managed to squeeze between her older peers to escape the hundreds of conversations that were focused primarily on the exam. She was in no mood to speak about the contents of the exam. There were far more pressing matters on her mind.

The girl rushed to the quietest area of the campus, where only she dared to venture to. It was far away from any of the main buildings, and any noise that travelled in that direction had too much distance to cover. She managed to jog the entire way there, despite her throbbing headache acquired from the exam.

It was a strange little hangout spot on the outer edge of campus. It was a rock formation obviously planned by a landscaper to be part of the campus as 'artwork', even though they were just a bunch of large stones placed in a certain way. The large rocks served as good seats with an amazing view of the campus, which was perfect for relaxation. Athena climbed on top of one of the rocks, until she reached the flat summit, letting her legs dangle over the edge.

The peaceful atmosphere she longed for felt disturbingly uneasy. The thoughts she had forced to the back of her mind during her exam suddenly went to the forefront her mind. For a sixteen year old, she carried a huge workload. She was studying for a double degree in Law and Psychology. However, she was also set to pick up an online, an accelerated Juris Doctor in less than six months' time.

Such a workload was a heavy burden upon Athena's shoulders. If there was more time, she would've taken that path long ago. Hell, she wouldn't be here if she decided to stick around her age group during her education. However, there was one reason that she rushed through the grades and pushed her academic abilities. She had to prove Simon Blackquill innocent of her mother's murder.

Athena knew he was innocent thanks to her heightened sense of hearing, as his grief and sadness from that trial echoed in her head. She was a witness in that trial, but nobody believed her or listened to her when she claimed Simon didn't kill her mother. After that harrowing courtroom experience, she had no clue what to do to save the innocent man convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Until one day almost two years ago, she was convinced she needed to become a lawyer.

Now that she was in university and six months into her course, she couldn't turn back her decision she made that day. It was far too late to have second thoughts about the path she chose. Yet, she couldn't help but question her resolve, especially after that stressful exam. Athena had a horrible feeling she flunked the exam, thus failing the subject, as it was worth half of the marks. And she couldn't afford failure, especially on a law subject. That would put her back half a year. Half a year of time she might not have.

Athena wrapped her arms around her legs and lowered her head. What if she did fail the law exam? She couldn't show her face around the campus if she failed. Every student saw her as gifted because she consistently got high grades in every topic in a subject that she did. Not to mention she was at least three years younger than the average first year student. How could she let everybody else down by failing the first major law exam in her course?

She hated the pressure that came with her genius status on campus. Athena didn't believe she was a genius despite her high grades. She simply just worked very hard and understood how the education system operated better than other students. The only thing she considered herself a genius in was psychology, all because she inherited her mother's aptitude for the science.

However, her work ethic gravely hampered her social life. In high school she never made any friends due to being so focused on her studies, and not being interested in any of their pointless conversations. Athena accelerated through high school, finishing it in three short years. This meant she never suffered through the dramas of being a teenage girl, forming relationships with other students, exploring her sexuality and going out and having fun.

But Athena realised that completing three higher education courses in the space of three years could be too much for her. And it was too late to go back on her decision to take on that course load. If she did, finishing whatever she decided to do next could possibly take an extra year, or two. She couldn't afford to waste time when an innocent man's life was on the line and she was the only one who could save him.

Athena clawed her hands through her hair. There was nothing she could do but wait. Though, it was killing her from the inside. She wanted those results – now – before she lost her mind. Before she cried herself to sleep believing she failed not only herself, but Simon Blackquill. Before she completely lost faith in the path she had chosen.

"Thank God you're here Athena! I was looking all over for you!"