The Hospitable Turnabout - Introduction

November 18, 2029 7:22 AM

Athena Cykes' Apartment

For the first time in a long time, Athena woke up an hour later than usual and not drenched in sweat, aided no doubt by her prescription for sleeping pills. The bright yellows of her walls were a hard sight for her still bleary eyes.

I should have chosen an easier color to look at every morning… Maybe blue or red...

She went through the motions of her morning routine, tending to her awful bedhead by brushing it back - she didn't bother with a ponytail; her hair needed a rest - and cleaning her teeth. Then she got into her athletic wear and slipped out the door.

She jogged with nothing major on her mind; her boss had given her the week off for Thanksgiving, giving her time to relax; there weren't any cases at the moment.

I should give Junie and Apollo a call though. Catch up with them both…Junie'll probably be home herself… And I promised Apollo I'd call soon.

It was only once Athena had jogged back upstairs to her apartment that she realized she'd run twice her usual distance. Not that there was anything wrong with that; it helped wake her up, and she'd been lying if she didn't say she was starving.

A quick shower and back into loungewear, she moved to the kitchen to fix herself breakfast; pancakes seemed the best idea. She didn't have too much experience with cooking, but at least she didn't burn water unlike some people she knew, namely Apollo. She didn't even know that was possible until she met him. Apollo, as always, was a lost cause…

Anyways, she was starting to get a bit better at making food. She could make a few simple family recipes, like her great-grandfather Sugiro's gyūdon. Her mother and great-great-grandmother were the two exceptions of the family, moving away from Japan to other countries.

Her mother's original name was Mari Kizuki. She was inspired by Greek literature during her college years and changed it to Metis. Metis had, of course, moved to the United States where she lived and lost her life.

Her great-great-grandmother, on the other hand, had moved to France during Japan's Meiji era, choosing to mostly assimilate into French culture, but never forgetting their roots. Her great-granduncle Sugiro was a part of this European wing of the Kizuki family.

They took Athena in out of the kindness of their hearts, after learning of her mother's demise. Their Japanese counterparts had all but forgotten about Athena, disowning Metis when she left and they heard she got herself pregnant. This had also been when Metis changed her last name to Cykes, in order to sound more American.

Athena couldn't help but feel some resentment toward this part of her family, but she didn't specifically hate them, not knowing them herself. She loved her European side of the family, though, and they loved her back. It was hard to separate from them after nearly seven years of living in Europe, but having lived in France during the early part of her exile and then in England (she had graduated from Gressenheller University), she knew she had to do it for Simon.

She had always wondered about who her father was, though. Her mother never mentioned him much during her childhood and what with Athena usually being put to psychological tests during her time in the Cosmos Space Center, there had never been a right moment to broach the subject. She had thought about having Metis channeled shortly after the retrial of the UR-1 incident after learning of it from Pearl, but she declined shortly thereafter. Although she had forgiven her mother for those tests after learning that it was for her and not against her, as Simon had reassured, she couldn't quite bring her courage up to face her again.

It's far too late for that...

She shook her head, taking her back to the present.

Getting the flour out of the cupboard, she poured the appropriate quantity into her bowl. She then got out the other dry ingredients: sugar, baking powder, and salt. She added the precise quantities her aunt had told her. Then, she took out the eggs, milk, and butter. She sifted the dry ingredients and poured the wet ingredients, also mixed together, into the dry.

Taking out a whisk, she mixed the ingredients together, creating a batter of the appropriate viscosity. She then took out a large spoon, taking care to properly spread the dough on the griddle she had heated. She had just enough dough to make three near-perfect pancakes. She put some butter on top and poured some maple syrup on them. She grinned and, griddle still on, decided she wanted an omelette and some bacon (she was going to eat well today).

She took out two eggs, chopped up a small onion, and mixed them together with some salt and pepper. She poured the mixture onto the griddle, cooking it quickly so as to avoid burning it, before throwing a couple of strips of bacon onto the skillet as well. She took comfort in the sizzling sounds and the heady, fragrant aromas; it reminded her of those weekend mornings at her aunt's breakfast table.

Transferring everything onto plates, and pouring herself a hearty glass of orange juice, Athena made her way to living plopped herself down onto the cushions and suddenly realized she had forgotten two important things for a lazy day in: her blanket and her phone. She jumped off the couch and sprinted into her bedroom to retrieve them before finally making herself comfortable.

She had nothing major to do today, nor the next week really, and she was going to enjoy her time off. She turned on the television, tuning into a random reality show, which was already halfway through. It seemed as though the presenter - a rather red-blooded, angry British man with a love for profanity - on the screen was trying to fix a hotel, whose owners were being difficult as all hell.

Was it just another rerun of 'Hotel Hell'…?

The series had ended nearly five years ago, but reruns were still found on FOX, which was now just another subordinate of the Walt Disney Company. She just looked over the channels again and found another channel hosting the Steel Samurai. She loved watching these, fondly remembering how Simon pointed out every inconsistency to her as a child.

She watched two episodes as she devoured her breakfast, before turning her attention back to the phone on her lap.

Should it be Junie or Apollo…? I call Junie every week, so I guess it should be Apollo now…

Pushing the numbers on the screen on her phone in the order she knew so well, she clicked the call button. It dialed a few times before the attorney halfway across the world picked it up.

Deciding that it would be best to put on an Apollo impersonation, Athena yelled into the receiver with everything she had, "Athena Cykes is doing fine!"

Almost immediately, she heard a thunk, clearly from Apollo's phone being dropped. She guessed that he also wanted to play along because, just as suddenly, Apollo's finely tuned Chords of Steel rang through her line. "Apollo Justice is doing fine!"

Athena's eyes looked up as she sat in thought for a moment. "…Good. Could be better. I'd give it a nine out of ten."

She could feel Apollo's head shaking from the other side. "Could say the same to you. Seven out of ten for you."

"Hey, you jerk. I gave you a nine!" complained Athena.

"Eh. I've trained for years, so I'd have expected that. That means that at least someone appreciates me…" said Apollo, with a sigh.

"Don't get in over your head, Mr Screaming Attorney," joked Athena, with a small laugh. "Or you might be screaming from something more than just training."

"…Please don't tell me you mean…" groaned Apollo, with a sigh. She could see him with his face in his hand.

Athena's eyes widened, a blush crossing her face. Really? Now? "Of course not, you pervert! I meant in pain. Are you still as much of an idiot as you were when I first met you? Wait, scratch that, you're probably more of an idiot."

"Jeez, you don't have to be so mean about it," said Apollo quietly.

Athena rolled her eyes. "Around you, I don't even have to be on the lookout for anything to get a good laugh at."

She heard a loud sigh in response. "Anyways…what do you want?"

Athena faked a pained reaction. "Oh, can't a girl simply call her best friend for nothing more than to discuss the news?"

"…Don't Blackquill on me. I still remember how much Rhino Calcifier I had to apply after he was done with me," said Apollo, shivering slightly.

Suddenly, Athena remembered Apollo running into the courtroom bathroom after the first day of the Tenma case, his spikes drooping. When he came out, they were completely straight, if slightly wet with a type of gel. When asked what exactly it was, his answer was that it was some type of hair hardener called 'Doctor Rhino's Coif Calcifier.'

Athena pressed on. "Anyways, let's stop beating around the bush. What's up over there in Khura'in?"

"Oh, a lot, as usual. Rebuilding a country's legal system isn't easy, but it's happening. I got my first sign of good news, though," stated Apollo.

"Yeah, and what's that?" asked Athena.

"A new generation of defense attorneys have graduated from Schoo'olau Academy. We have freshly barred defense attorneys! Can you believe that? And guess exactly who they've signed up to learn from?" said Apollo, his voice brimming with excitement.

Athena smiled proudly for her friend. "Let me guess. They've signed up to learn from the great Apollo Justice?"

"Yup!" exclaimed Apollo. "I haven't told anyone yet! Not even Mr Wright. They only graduated a few months ago, in September. I'm still in the process of reviewing the applicants. So far, about fifteen of the graduating class have submitted resumes to me. I've only gotten the chance to interview one so far. Her name was Sav'eya Sole. She seems like a nice girl; I'm not going to lie, I think I'm going to accept her. I probably won't be able to take them all, though."

"I can see that someone's excited," said Athena, grinning from ear to ear.

"Of course I am! Not only is this the first generation of defense attorneys in over two decades since Ga'ran that I personally get to train, but now I don't have to take all of these cases alone!" shouted Apollo, sighing in relief.

Smiling gently, Athena truthfully said, "I'm so happy for you, Apollo. How many cases have you had to take in the past few months?"

Apollo's voice lost some of its earlier energy. "I've lost count. The hardest part is doing these cases completely alone, but I know I can handle it."

At this, Athena couldn't help but feel a little bit intimidated—jealous, Widget would say. She hadn't taken on a single case alone. Almost all of them needed Apollo, Simon, or Phoenix himself there in order to help her along. Even in the last one she took, with Mr Amenda and Richard Bosse, she still needed help from Phoenix in order to solve it. No matter what they said, Athena couldn't feel completely confident, though she acted otherwise.

"So what about you?" asked Apollo, interrupting Athena's train of thought.

"Oh me? I—erm—I haven't done much…" said Athena, hoping to quickly change topics. "But you'v—"

Hold It!

Athena jumped at hearing Apollo's sudden use of the courtroom phrase. With his Chords of Steel at work, Athena had to hold the phone an arm's length away for a few seconds.

"Athena… I don't need a special sense of hearing to tell me that you're lying," said Apollo, his genial tone disappearing.

"As I said, I haven't done much," replied Athena. It was the truth.

"Athena!"

"Okay, fine, I've taken on a few cases, but never alone like you! Most cases I've taken, I've just been an assistant to Mr Wright and the one case that I did take, I needed his help to win it," said Athena, practically lightning fast.

"Athena…"

"But it's the truth! That's literally all I've done!" said Athena, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm useless, Apollo. Useless."

"No, you're not! When I began as an attorney, even Trucy was better at making conclusions in court or during investigations than I was. I was barely able to stand up to the prosecution," said Apollo. Athena heard no discord in his voice.

"But I'm not just beginning as an attorney, Apollo! I'm supposed to have over two full years of experience at my back! I'm supposed to be better at this!" Athena shot back.

"No! Back when I defeated Ga'ran, I also had Mr Wright on my side, Athena. He stood next to me as my co-counsel. Surely you remember that!" said Apollo.

"B-but I-I'm not…I'll never be as good as you or Mr Wright," said Athena.

Silence pervaded the conversation for a long time.

"No, you won't," said Apollo simply.

Athena's head and shoulders drooped. She felt ashamed, tears stinging slightly at her eyes. If even Apollo had given up on her, then…

"But you don't need to be, Athena," continued Apollo after a short pause, his voice quiet.

"…Huh?" said Athena, her voice still rough from holding back tears.

"…Your name is Athena Cykes. Athena Cykes. Not Apollo Justice or Phoenix Wright," said Apollo, steadily getting louder.

"Apollo, if this is just another attempt to patronize me, I swear I'm going to—"

"For Pete's sake, Athena," replied an exasperated Apollo. "I'm not trying to patronize you! Face it, Athena, you aren't me or Mr Wright, but you don't have to be. You have to be as good as Athena Cykes can be."

…Apollo…

"Athena, as your best friend, I'm telling you that you're fine. Now say it with me: 'My name is Athena Cykes and I'm fine!'"said Apollo resolutely.

"A-Apollo…" said Athena, too shocked to speak.

"C'mon, let me hear it!" demanded Apollo.

"My name is Athena Cykes…and I'm…fine…" Athena whispered into the phone.

"What was that?! Louder!" replied a firm Apollo.

"My name is Athena Cykes and I'm fine!" replied Athena, louder as requested.

"Still not enough. Scream it out loud for the world to hear, Athena!" ordered Apollo.

"My name is Athena Cykes and I'm fine!" roared Athena, finally nodding at her voice. She smiled with happy tears glazing her eyes.

"Now that's what I like to hear!" replied Apollo. Athena could imagine a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, Apollo…" said Athena quietly. "I…I really needed to hear that."

"…Just remember Athena, you're not alone in this. You have people who believe in you, like me, Juniper, Mr Wright, and Mr Blackquill."

She sniffled slightly.

"Don't flood your apartment, there, you big baby," said Apollo, lightening the mood.

"I won't, you big jerk," said Athena, though she was grinning by now.

This is why she loved having Apollo as a friend. He almost always knew what to say, except when he didn't. The only reason he was suspicious of her during the Terran case was to be able to trust her fully. And after that, he did all he could to make sure she could trust in herself. Him, Mr Wright, Simon, and Junie.

Darn… I almost forgot to call Junie. But… I can just call her whenever.

"Thanks…for everything, Apollo."

"Don't mention it. I know just how it feels to doubt yourself. It's hard enough being an attorney for others, but when you can't be one for yourself, it's just… urgh," said Apollo gently.

"...When do you think you can come back, Apollo?" asked Athena out of the blue.

Apollo didn't reply for a long while. "…I…I don't know, Athena. Maybe two to three years, maybe more or less. I have to train a few protégés of my own now. But I promise that once that's over, I'll be back. They can take over my firm. Scout's Honor!"

Athena's heart sank. "…You can't even come to visit?"

"I think I might be able to show up for Christmas, though I have to get a look at a few of the prospective attorneys and celebrate Her Benevolence's birthday..."

Athena felt a bit happier, knowing he could show up at all. He hadn't been to America in nearly a year.

"Anyways, I think I'd better get going, Athena. I have a lot of work to do, unlike you. I've got five clients to defend this week!"

Athena giggled at Apollo's workload. "Well then, I guess I'll talk to you later, Apollo."

"Oh, and Athena."

"What?"

"Happy Thanksgiving, if I can't call to say it."

"…Happy whatever festival they have there, Apollo."

BEEP!

I'm so lucky to have Apollo on my side. She shook her head happily. I don't know if I deserve people like him sometimes.

"I'll just call Junie later," Athena whispered to herself. She just didn't have it in herself to call anyone at this moment.

No, even better, I can go visit her this week! The Boss invited me to his apartment for Thanksgiving, but I can go see her before that. And it would be rude to refuse either of them and, unlike Apollo, I'm not a jerk.

She switched the television back on for some background noise, wrapping herself deeper onto a blanket. She slowly lowered herself onto the sofa, feeling extremely comfortable under all the cushions…on the soft…soft…sofa.

"On the charges of murder and arson, this court hereby declares the defendant, Ms Malitia Atishon-Remmings…"

"Guilty!"

"The defendant will submit themselves to a higher court, pending further trial to be awarded their sentence," ordered the Judge, slamming his gavel. "Court is adj—"

And then it began. A small chuckle at first, becoming louder and louder every second, until it sounded less like a laugh and more like a shriek. She laughed until her lungs were very nearly out of air.

"…Congratulations, Prosecutor, you've won your gift…"

Blackquill didn't reply, simply looking on at the event before him with a stern gaze, too shocked to move. Her gaze shifted to a spot above him. She was now looking directly at Athena, whose eyes were still closed, her ears still ringing from the assault.

With that, she laughed again. Athena covered her ears, trying to block out the noise, but it was all too much for the young girl. She wasn't ready for anything like this. She hadn't ever heard these emotions before; it was so harsh, so cold, full of shock and anger. And...was that fear?

Suddenly the woman stopped laughing. Athena cracked open an eye, focusing her gaze on the wood of the witness stand.

"Here is your gift, now. I hope you like it. Ha!" she said, with a mirthless howl.

Athena's gaze moved upwards; she could see the woman reaching into her suit pocket for something…

Whatever it was, she didn't want to see. So she closed her eyes again, hoping that whatever it was, it would go away. She was scared—no, completely and utterly terrified.

She wanted Simon.

She wanted Aura.

She wanted her mommy.

"Athena, get down!"

Athena woke up immediately after that. She stared at the clock for a few seconds before realizing that the time was nearly one o' clock. She'd been asleep for nearly three hours. She ripped off the blanket and ran into her bathroom, washing off her face with the cold water. She dried off her face, immediately feeling a bit calmer.

If I was going to sleep, I should have taken my damn pills. What the hell was that? It was never as detailed as that was. Maybe it was just because of how tired I was, especially after that talk with Apollo… and the fact that I stayed up late last night watching reality TV…

She walked back into the living room, sitting herself on the couch, wide-awake and alert this time. She put her face in her hands, sighing at the recurring terrors. After the Phantom had been locked away, her life had taken a turn for the better. She was able to move on from her mother's death and Simon was a free man, but just as suddenly as that nightmare had passed, this one had reared its ugly head again.

She shook her head, finally clearing herself of the emotions she'd been feeling. Imagine that… she could help others deal with their emotions, giving them therapy, but couldn't even do the same herself. It was like Apollo said, she wouldn't have anyone to defend herself if she was the one beating herself up. She looked up at the television only now noticing that it was on.

My power bill's going to be off the charts. Thank goodness I don't have to pay for insurance.

"…and he was found stabbed, though investigations are still ongoing."

Wait, what's going on?

She looked up at the television, seeing that a breaking news broadcast was going through the screen. On the top left, it showed a rather intense looking man, with small, black rectangular glasses perched on his nose, covering his blue eyes. His crimson hair was neatly combed back. He had on a black suit, which only accentuated his rather masculine figure. He was not fully muscular, as Bosse or Runner were, but he was still physically fit.

Wow…that's…I don't even have words to describe him…

"The accused is the Head Bellboy of Gatewater Imperial, William Boye. The motive behind this crime is unclear for now."

A picture was shown on-screen of a man with brown eyes, mostly coffee-brown hair with a streak of lighter hair above his right eye, who carried a tray with tea-serving items laden upon it. He wore a Gatewater Hotel branded suit and had a small smile was on his face. He was sunk halfway into a bow, looking at the camera.

Hmm… That's the defendant? He doesn't look like he'd hurt a fly.

The reporter pressed on. "When asked to comment on Mr Abaddon's death, he replied that he had 'ab-so-lutely no connection' to the murder."

Abaddon? Is that the victim's name?

"As many in the legal world know, Mr Alexander Abaddon was an international prosecutor who worked with Interpol notably with fellow international prosecutor, Franziska von Karma. Ms von Karma has made it known that she will seek justice for Mr Abaddon and his family by prosecuting his killer," said the news reporter nonchalantly.

"C'mon look at that guy! He wouldn't kill anybody. He doesn't even look strong enough to do it!" Athena yelled at the television. She shook her head.

These people… Assuming guilt before innocence. This is why the dark age of law happened, people. Get it through your heads!

"The defendant does not yet have a defense attorney, and many are reluctant to defend him, especially with Ms von Karma prosecuting the case. The Gatewater Corporation has already fired him and refused to appoint a lawyer of their own..."

Now that's just not fair! ...I know I'm supposed to be on break now, but I can't just let this happen.

She got up immediately to change and head over to the detention center. She picked up her phone, dialing the number for Phoenix, but then hesitated to press call.

…The Boss really wanted to enjoy his Thanksgiving break. My case is just going to ruin that.

Besides…If I want to become better, I'm going to have to start taking cases on my own, so why don't I just start now?

She pressed another button, taking her back to the home page. She hoped she was making the right decision, but then firmly nodded and headed to her room.

November 18, 2029 1:45 PM

Detention Center

Visitor's Room

On the other side of the glass sat the bellboy she'd seen on the television. He looked a lot more nervous than she'd ever seen a criminal. He was a bit jumpy as he walked in and his breathing was a bit more rapid than a regular person but he kept himself mostly composed. He carried a tray of tea items with him.

"Hello, Mr Boye," said Athena, giving smile.

"Might I ask of you your name, good lady?" asked Boye, raising an eyebrow.

"Athena Cykes and I'm a defense attorney," said Athena, showing him the badge proudly sitting on her lapel.

"Are you going to defend me, Ms Cykes?" asked Boye. His eyes gleamed with unsung hope.

"Well, that depends. I'm going to have to ask you to tell me what exactly happened," stated Athena. She loved how professional she was sounding here.

Boye leaned back on his seat, still looking at Athena. "Well, Mr Abaddon had an accident this morning in the fitness center trying to lift his weights. It seemed he overexerted himself."

"What happened?"

"He was helped up and taken to his room. I was asked to bring him a cup of coffee. But when I found him...he was already dead."

"Already dead?"

"Well, he sort of twitched and I got scared. I ran out because I thought I'd be suspected of killing him. I left my coffee carrying plate and supplies there."

No discord there, so he probably isn't lying.

"So you don't know how exactly he died?" asked Athena, looking at him beseechingly.

"…Nope. All I remember was seeing a rather expensive scarf around his neck."

Athena remained silent, trying to process this new information. Then, she opened her eyes and grinned at him. "Prepare them, okay?"

"Prepare what, Ms Cykes?"

"The documents to request that I be your attorney. I'll go investigate the crime scene and I'll be back, okay, Mr Boye?"

"Are…are you...?"

"Yes, I am going to defend you, Mr Boye. Don't worry about a thing because Athena Cykes is on the case!" exclaimed Athena. She just wanted to jump out of her seat and rush to investigate, but it would have looked too unprofessional.

"Thank you, Ms Cykes," said Boye, bowing low. He looked absolutely relieved at having her take the case. His breathing had slowed down quite a bit from where it was. She looked down at her watch and received a shock: She didn't have much time. It was two o'clock already. She needed all the time she had left to go and investigate the murder.

"…So I guess I go to the Gatewater Imperial Hotel now, right?"

"Yes, Room 1337."

This guy must have either been the luckiest man alive or the most egotistical maniac in the world. I'd go with the former.

She got off the seat and gave her client a nod and left the room, intending to go to the hotel. She fumbled with the phone in her pocket one more time, as though deciding whether or not to call Phoenix. Eventually, she shook her head.

She was all alone with this today.

And that was just how it was going to be…how it had to be. She had to prove herself worthy of Apollo, Simon, Phoenix's belief. She was going to show them how much she'd grown. She could do this. Her name was Athena Cykes and she was going to be just fine!

Court Record:

Evidence:

Attorney's Badge: This is proof of my profession. Without it, nobody would believe that I'm a lawyer.

Profiles:

Phoenix Wright (age 37): An excellent defense attorney, known widely as the 'Turnabout Terror.' He's my mentor and role model, but he isn't here right now.

Alexander Abaddon (age 44): An international prosecutor who was working with Franziska von Karma in an investigation. He was killed in his hotel room.

William Boye (age 38): The head bellboy of the establishment, who was arrested for murder. He's my client.

Franziska von Karma (age 29): A famous international prosecutor from Germany, who aids Interpol in their investigations when they're out of their league.