It was about time she comes back. Also, thanks for any Guest reviews too (and of course subscribed reviews too!)! I can't thank you privately like I'd usually do, so I'll say it here! As always, criticisms are welcomed!

Disclaimers: I don't own Ace Attorney and its characters. Capcom owns them.

Chapter 10: Two Silent Hearts

August 8th 2029, 10:03 AM
International Airport, International Arrivals Area

Phoenix remembered well.

Last August 2nd was their first "antagonists" trial that had taken more than a day to solve. They were about to hit the three days' limits before Ms. Julia Jordy was sure to be pronounced guilty by the jury. Despite all the indications and the obvious but theoretical profile of a tall and strong person as the true culprit, the prosecution had refused to put the sly and slender girl who was Julia away from the suspects. To drop the bomb on the defense, they had begun accusing her of accomplice instead.

Luckily, Apollo had managed to turn the table to their favor by proving that few of the evidences the prosecution had submitted were deemed completely irrelevant. The young attorney did not leave the prosecutor unscathed either when his unexpected aggressiveness had reached its peak. Apollo was ready to strike his rival with a fierce fist until his mentor intervened to stop him.

However, when he had prevented the fight, he really thought he had heard Apollo whispering something that had sounded like "Paa". When he did, Apollo had suddenly frozen dead for a second.

It had petrified Phoenix.

Bearing alone the burden of the siblings' strange acting was starting to become a little too overwhelming for him. Fortunately, today in this airport, waiting for a particular individual, he wanted to scream of relief and joy when he found a certain red haired girl among the upcoming walking mass. With such delight, he found himself intensely waving at her. Upon noticing the man, Athena Cykes waved back at him with a shout.

"Boss!" the young attorney called the man, letting her big grin out. "You came to pick me as promised!"

As they approached closer, both went for a quick friendly hug, though for some funny reason, Phoenix was the one who clutched after her tighter. Athena never knew her boss was a sentimental one. "I'm sorry Simon couldn't come to pick you. He's currently very busy with a case," Phoenix commented as he caught some of Athena's luggage.

"It's all right!" Athena blissfully exclaimed. "Let's discuss of everything over food, all right? Gosh I'm starving!"

And that was on their way to the food court that everything spiced up for the worst. A frown made its way on the young girl's visage.

"So how had it been during these last weeks without me?" Athena asked more seriously.

Phoenix sighed to this simple, yet very crucial question. He hoped his reply will be mostly pleasing to Athena. "It's been all good," he answered like he'd been practicing this single response for days and trying to keep up with his impassive expression. "We all missed you, especially Trucy because she felt alone as the only girl in the agency."

He finished his sentence with a giggle, but the frown on his pupil remained like she could see through his poker face. Well, actually, he knew she could.

"There's something wrong, boss, and I can totally hear it. Please tell me what's in your mind," Athena exposed.

The man let a long weary huff out, then a sad chuckle. "Guess I can't really hide anything from you, especially with my subtle voice and rapids heartbeats, right?" he muttered. "Actually I was waiting to share my burden with you."

Witnessing her boss down like he was about to cry, Athena decided to give him a chirper smile, to assure him he won't be alone in this. "Hey, I knew something was up ever since I read about the siblings' detour to the Steel Samurai resort!"

Phoenix jolted after her words. "Wait, you knew?"

"Duh, of course I knew!" Athena yelped. "I mean, who haven't seen their posts on their social page online? I think I've probably been as upset as you when I read it!"

Phoenix suddenly burst out laughing, giving Athena a jumpscare. "Actually, I never thought anyone else would have noticed something wrong in their posts online," the man commented. "I mean, since their mother had left for Borginia few days ago, I felt like I was left alone with their problems, and… yeah, that's it."

That was it. The talk about the oddities surrounding the siblings lasted much longer than expected, Athena even having a hard time gulping her dinner and her boss's as well. Clearly, she needed to fill up with the few enduring energies left inside her body. Both Phoenix and Athena had tried to remain inexpressive during the entire discussion, but at one point, few tiny tears had spurred out from the man's lids. In a silly manner, Phoenix thought his manliness had been stripped away from him in one instant, but indeed, it was completely natural for human beings such as him to cry from times to times. Last time he did was… on his first days struggling to raise the innocent child Trucy all by himself out of exasperation, didn't he?

Of course, being the talented one with psychology, Athena didn't mind Phoenix's tears.

"And so that's the story of my short life," Phoenix ended this with a small but grieving smirk. "Now you know what's up. I'm just… worried about them. It's like someone had taken the kids away from me and replaced them with robots or something. Everything had been so strange in these days… Their mother has noticed about their abnormal behaviors too but she tossed them aside, blaming her absence during their childhood and everything… It's true she still doesn't deeply know her children personally like I do, but… it doesn't take a genius to see what's wrong with them! Even Pearls and Jinxie had stopped calling Trucy, and this saddens me to see her and her brother drifting away from everyone…"

"So you want me to help you find out what's wrong with them, don't you?" Athena added with another hopeful grin.

"Well, yes," Phoenix answered, albeit shyly. "I'm not the type to request the help of a lady, but I feel like you're the better one who can help in this, with your talent with emotions and the human's voice and heart… I wish I was brave enough to deal with my own daughter, but… I guess being a parent isn't so easy…"

And with this, Athena stood upright, looking up and pointing at the ceiling, imitating these silly poses from animation shows her friend Simon would always watch with her. "Of course, I'll help you! I owe you so much. Even if I didn't owe you anything, you're such a nice man that I'd help you anyway, for free! I don't know how I'll do this, but I guess I'll just go with the flow of things!"

When Phoenix glared at Athena with a raising eyebrow, he decided to ignore her silliness to focus on the bright, gentle and passionate eyes of the young woman with an enthusiastic resolve. Somehow, he knew Athena will be the key to solve the siblings' problem. Maybe then, they will be able to help them too.

"Thank you so much, Athena…" Phoenix did everything to not explode with reassured tears, and he was glad he could contain most of them. When he regained his composure, he chose to bluntly change the subject. Touchy sentiments would only be in the way, after all. "So tell me about your trip in Europe with your distant family."

Phoenix's request rendered Athena numb. The change of subject was so sudden both went silent for about a minute.

"Well, Mr. Wright, guess it doesn't matter now," Athena remarked with an uncomfortable sulk. "I think your comment just killed the mood…"

Perhaps the moment to kill that mood was poorly chosen…

August 8th 2029, 11:41 AM
Wright Anything Agency, Main Office

What awaited her was much worse than what she had envisioned.

As expected, Apollo and Trucy attended their own occupation. Apollo dealt with the latest paperwork from his recent larceny case on his laptop. Trucy took a break from her summer studies by watching TV. When both siblings acknowledged Athena's presence, they immediately called her with glee, bouncing forward her. Trucy offered Athena a hug and Apollo rested his hands over her shoulders. Welcoming her back to the office, they demanded if she was hungry so Apollo could cook something.

But it didn't matter if she had already eaten in the food court earlier. It didn't matter if she was hungry or not. It didn't matter if the situation right now struck as charming and heartwarming to the blind or the deaf.

Athena's entire body halted upon observing the siblings as soon as she heard them, a chilling bolt crawling down her skin. Obviously, the siblings noticed it.

"Athena, what's the matter?" Trucy innocently asked.

"Hmm, it's nothing really! I just had missed being in this place so much!" Athena answered with an awkward giggle.

However, when she had her eyes over the older brother, she discerned him gripping onto his bracelet. Athena knew exactly what that meant, and she suddenly experienced a bigger terror than she was already having. She started a clumsy laughing session. "Ha, ha, ha..." the young woman gracelessly stuttered. "I think I'm simply tired from the many hours trip in the plane and all... Ha, ha... Phew!"

To her gratification, the siblings appeared to accept her answer. They smiled and began asking about her trip to Europe. Athena seemed a bit uncomfortable to speak about it with them, but she believed she had to for the sake of toning down the atmosphere enveloping her. Good to know it worked like charm when the two friends played along with her!

Phoenix had been behind their conversation, leaving the youngsters to do as they pleased. Somehow, kind of selfish of him, he was extremely reassured the turn had come over Athena to endure all the siblings' bizarre acting. Now sharing the burden with another one, he knew he wouldn't be alone in this anymore.

The rest of the working shift was spent with a slight tension in the air, though everyone did as if they didn't know anything or they faked their ignorance. Each agency members would simply do their work on their side like any other boring day.

After the clock hit six in the afternoon, Apollo and Trucy left for home, at last. It truly was like the pressure had been released in the atmosphere in one short instant, like a balloon emptied of its stressful, weighty air. Athena stayed in the agency, however, lying and pretending to the siblings she wished to work overtime because of the longer vacation she had taken. The siblings trusted her lie, commenting it made sense for her to work a little more for the lost time. Besides, she might really need the extra overtime income (hey, Phoenix paid double for these extra hours!).

Except this time, Athena wasn't being paid double. Drained, the woman simply rested deeper on the office couch among Trucy's scattered magic props. She didn't even mind sitting over them as she just needed to unleash all the evil, or whatever it was called, from the inside. Phoenix approached her, truly wishing his protégée actually had a lead to the siblings' problems.

Luckily, it appeared Athena might have discovered something interesting.

"So, what have you found?" Phoenix asked her, now glad the two kids had gone home so they could finally speak of the subject out loud.

However, what leaked out from the young woman was something that sounded like a bizarre grunt, like supreme exhaustion, or he wasn't sure anymore. She soon managed clearer words. "There's something," she finally revealed. "To summarize things, I remember seeing their posts about going to the Steel Samurai resort instead of going to see their mom. From what you said, everything went downhill since then."

"You're right," the man pronounced, pensive. "It makes me wonder if they really went there."

That was when Phoenix saw it: that extremely stern frown on the young girl with a glitter of fear cornering her stare. He recognized the answer he will get won't be a satisfying one.

"Mr. Wright, that's not the only thing..." The voice Athena had used was hoarse and hard. The very outlook of her tone and comment sent him shivers.

Phoenix wasn't really sure if he really desired to hear the answer Athena had to offer now. There was a thing that wasn't definitely natural in the siblings' acting and he wondered if it could be worse than it already was. "Huh? There's anything else?" the boss asked, baffled.

"Their... voices and hearts..."

So it really had to do with their inner selves, after all. "What did their emotions say?"

Phoenix was prepared for anything.

Athena hesitated to continue, but they had already reached the point of no return. "...That's the thing... There was literally... nothing," she slowly mumbled.

Maybe Phoenix wasn't THAT prepared, but he had dealt with people without emotions or at least with no normal ones before. Perhaps Trucy and Apollo had learned to control them too...

"You couldn't feel their emotions? Like... with the Phantom?" he curiously asked, concerned.

But Athena shuddered even more from his question. Reminding her of that vile criminal who had murdered her mother and Apollo's best friend wasn't much of a good idea. "...It's even worse than that... I'm sorry, Boss..."

Now Phoenix was definitely NOT ready for anything worse than the Phantom, but he must learn the truth of everything if he wished to help the siblings. His next remark was completely filled with discords, which almost hurt Athena's sensitive ears.

"I-I-I'm ready to hear it, even if this is about my own daughter... and her brother," Phoenix said with a firm tone, but he was obviously terrified.

Athena finally chose to frankly drop her discoveries without hesitation. "I perceived... absolutely no emotions from their voices and heard no heartbeats from them, none..."

...

...

The man had not expected this. At all.

Dozens of possibilities, hundreds of reasons and lastly, thousands of news more questions escaped his mind. Phoenix's palms pressed against his head, almost wanting to relieve his brain from the pressure over that devastating revelation. He didn't know if he should be thankful or upset, or maybe he'd just let the confusion rush through his soul and lead his following actions. After all, he had been living along confusion for weeks and he was used to its constant presence! Adding a greater confusion in his life right now might just be okay, maybe...!

No, no, no, this didn't make any sense at all! There was definitely something wrong, and probably more wrong than he thought, in both Trucy and Apollo. But the truth must be searched by him in a mean or another one day, because he had the feeling the truth will never come out by itself.

"W... What...?! How's that possible?!" the father finally stammered with a worried tone.

Witnessing his pupil giving him a drained shrug as a reply, Phoenix already gave up for an immediate clear answer to his question. There was no way he will be getting it today.

"I don't know..." Athena said as she dived herself lower into the couch like she wanted to disappear in it.

If the boss's hair wouldn't have been so sturdy, he would have ripped all of it with his hands already. "But there's no way for someone to have no heartbeat!" Phoenix exasperatedly yelled. "I'm no scientist, but I know that's biologically impossible. It's common sense! If that'd happen, that means they are dead!"

"Or they are robots..." Athena added, a small hint of sarcasm barely audible.

"Athena, this is no time for jokes!" the man begged for a serious discussion, grabbing her shoulders to shake her back into the world.

"I know, of course!" Athena complained like a kid. "It's just... well... that's the first answer that came to me because I've been living with them during most of my childhood! It's in my nature, I can't help it!"

Acknowledging his own futile whining, Phoenix settled down, releasing the girl from his grasp and in turn, he bounced on the couch alongside his upset student. He deeply breathed before he spoke again. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry for my outburst," he declared, ashamed of himself.

Fatigued, he laid his arms down and faced the ceiling with tired eyes, his mouth agape and his hazed mind unable to process clear thoughts. He tried searching for an explanation how all this was possible, but he couldn't find anything. "I can't explain why Trucy and Apollo have no heartbeat," he began. "Is that even possible? I know for sure that they are alive and well, seeing there are psyche locks around them. And guess what, psyche locks mean their hearts are still there... Unless it's another secret or mysterious Gramarye power Thalassa has yet to mention but... Seeing no emotions from either siblings raises more questions than answers. I'm not so sure about anything anymore…"

All of a sudden, determination surged back upon Athena when she stood straight up again, her fists on her hips, looking above with a convincing enthusiasm. "I guess we'll be in need of investigation in this matter, boss!"

While an unexpected stream of encouragement arose from his well-being, Phoenix had a lack of confidence about Athena's upcoming idea of an investigation, regardless of what it will be. "How do you suppose we should investigate?" the man questioned, doubtful. "I don't want to spy on my own daughter. She's a big adult girl on her own now!"

Pondering, the young woman put a finger on her chin. "I... don't know," she told him, not really sure of a solution to this before she went back to her strong-minded persona. "But hey! I might have to hang out with them a little more! I heard even Pearl and Jinxie don't visit them anymore since Trucy always declines their invitation, so maybe it'll do them good if I go out with them! They won't doubt my presence around too much since, well, I'm kinda in the same age generation as them and we see each other five days a week. We're close friends and co-workers so I guess it'll work!"

In the end, the father let a single weary but appeased laugh escape his lips. He knew he could count on this red-haired girl when all hope seemed lost. No matter which answer will come out of this special investigation, he was willing to find and accept the truth.

"I really hope you'll do fine, Athena. Thank you for being here," Phoenix expressed.

Author's note: This chapter was such a pain to write. It's probably because I find it to be the most boring chapter so far. Also, Athena's pretty hardcore, coming from the plane, only to work immediately after as with the Tenma Taro case…