Thanks all again for the reviews! Also, responding to one of the Guests, I'm actually not too familiar with the Robocop concept (I know a little of it from the 80s movies), but from what I knew back then, I thought the concept of using a human to create a robot was still original for the time, lol. I think my biggest inspiration for that concept came more from the Dragon Ball series, with Android 17 and 18. Yes, I'm a fan of the original manga series (not the anime), haha.

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

Chapter 13: Two Happy Slaves

August 13th 2029, 12:01PM
Wright Anything Agency, Main Office

"Boss, Apollo's been acting very weird. I know both Trucy and he have been acting weird all the time recently, but... it's even weirder right now...He suddenly ran away and mentioned Trucy on the way. Has something happened to Trucy too?"

Relief was all Phoenix could experience, knowing he was dealing of the event with someone else over the phone. In case he would have confronted Athena face to face, she'd try to read his emotions. He managed to keep his straight composure with his voice.

It seemed Trucy had really been telling the truth if Apollo had reacted similarly at the same time, despite being far away from each other... He didn't know how, but since they were now simple robots, they were probably able to communicate with each other remotely whenever it pleased them.

Technically, he shouldn't call them "simple". Robots were made of so much complexities that a mere human like him couldn't understand. Actually, especially someone like him.

"Trucy... ran away too. I don't know where she went," Phoenix revealed with a gulp.

Athena sighed. "There's really something up with the two. I wonder what it is..."

Phoenix couldn't bring himself to share their secrets with Athena. He hadn't made a strict promise to not tell anyone, but the secret might be too huge for her to bear as it already was for him. Poor Athena didn't deserve to live under such burden; not now at least. "I don't know either, but I'll continue with the investigation on my side," he lied.

"Do you need me to investigate with you again? I really want to know what's up with the two."

"No, you should investigate for Kina's brother's case. She shouldn't be abandoned over personal matters."

"Oh, that's right, I'll continue with the case investigation alone, but I'm missing Apollo already..."

Phoenix let a sad giggle out. "Don't worry. Knowing them, they'll come back eventually."

Except he wasn't even sure they'll ever come back.

"All right then, good luck, boss! I'll see you later today!"

After he hung up his phone, he collided his back against a wall, crying more tears now that the girl wasn't present to hear him. Pitying Trucy's and Apollo's fate as non-human, probably for the rest of their existence, he sank his face in his palms, muffling his sobs. It must be such a heavy weight for them, knowing they had been changed into synthetic monsters and being aware that part of their humanity had been stolen away.

How could he even save them from their eternal doom? Obviously, no magical fairy was going to turn them back into flesh and bones.

When some hard knocks coming from the entrance fifteen minutes after his call with Athena caught his attention, he let out a low yell that, "The door's unlocked, come in."He was still down, sitting miserably on the floor when someone sneaked in to meet him.

A tall and broad police officer stood in, but he was not just any officer.

It was his good old friend, Detective Dick Gumshoe.

"Hey, pal," the impressive but gentle detective called the attorney, massaging the back of his neck out of insecurity. It had been more than a year since their last meeting but he still managed a smile. "It's been a while. How's Trucy-girl?"

Phoenix looked up, sniffling a little more before he tried to whip the remaining tears out of his eyes. "Trucy's… all right," Phoenix answered, his voice barely audible.

"Unlike you! You ain't looking well at all," Gumshoe exclaimed as he slowly approached the man, crouching over him."We just got a call from a citizen that something, or someone, fell down from your office. I don't have any idea how the thing survived or disappeared, but apparently no one was injured, so the force sent me alone. Knowing you, you couldn't have pushed anyone out of the window! That'd make you a criminal, pal, and I'm sure you ain't one!"

Phoenix softly laughed. "That's kind of you to say that, Detective."

Gumshoe's grin brightened slightly. "Guess I'm not needing a warrant against you since no one was injured in the incident, but you gotta have to pay for the repair and the cleaning, pal!" It would have sounded like a sarcastic, mocking comment if it didn't come from the detective. Soon, Gumshoe gave his tone more seriousness. "So what happened exactly?"

Well first my little girl and her brother had been murdered and some mad scientist or something had changed them into robots to revive them and they had been doing weird stuff ever since and when my girl told me the secret that they were robots she started acting weirder and she rammed into the window to escape and apparently her brother escaped too during his investigation and now I am crying tears because I have no idea what to think and what will happen to my children because yes even the boy's kinda my son.

It would have been so much easier for Phoenix to reply with the truth. Given the circumstance of this peculiar truth and the half promise with Trucy, he chose to let a lie out instead. "My daughter's been depressed recently because of a love story with her now former boyfriend and she... thought using a bat to destroy the window... was fun. I got furious at her and she ran away, you know, like a normal, delinquent teenage girl..."

This came out as ridiculous as the truth...

Thankfully, Gumshoe had something that could be called a childish innocence, gifting him with the ability to be easily swayed by his friends, even with far-fetched lies. Outraged, the detective began to actively breathe in and out repeatedly, his mind pumped for action. "All right, pal!" the taller man started excitedly. "Who's the boy causing her heart to be broken?! He's gonna need some words!"

Phoenix hadn't expected this reaction from the detective. Lost in the clouds of few seconds, it took him a clearing of the throat to speak up. "I don't think that's how this works, Detective," the attorney responded with a sigh. "But don't worry about Trucy and Ap... her boyfriend. I'm going to meet with the guy myself."

"If you say so, well then! Give her silly boyfriend the justice he deserved, pal!" Gumshoe hollered, a little too much enthusiast.

Actually, the detective's words brought him back a genuine smile. "Thanks, Gumshoe," Phoenix expressed his gratitude. "How're your kids by the way? I haven't met them for a while."

"Oh, thriving with life as usual! Our oldest one's scared of her upcoming new preschool life and the youngest one's starting to speak! I love these little devils!"

August 13th 2029, 5:30 PM
Wright Anything Agency, Main Office

"They're still not back, aren't they?"

When Athena had done questioning her client in the detention center as a part of her investigation, the first thing that came across her mind was to meet with her boss. Apollo's and Trucy's matter wouldn't leave her concern and she had to ask him about what exactly transpired with them.

From the discord in his voice, Mr. Wright clearly knew more than she did.

"No, they're still gone," Phoenix answered.

"Please tell me what happened," Athena took a sober shift.

Athena was attempting to read the grief flowing through him and Phoenix knew she probably suspected that he was hiding something. However, the siblings' secret appeared so great he didn't really want Athena to acknowledge anything.

There was surely a good reason why neither Trucy nor Apollo ever told it before.

Was it for everyone's safety? What greater secrets lurked behind them? Perhaps they thought no one would believe them?

"I'm just as confused as you are," Phoenix partially lied. In a way, he was glad Athena's talent wasn't focused on lies and tells because he didn't sound too suspicious to her ears with his comment. "However, I'm just sad that Trucy ran away like that with Apollo."

Raising her shoulders with her fists down, Athena's aura shifted back to her usual decisive and quirky persona. "Really, we should help them! I just hope they'll be back soon!" she exclaimed.

Determination leaving her in the span of a second like the pressure released, Athena let her body sink on the couch. Upon landing, a long huff slipped out of her throat. She shut her eyes briefly before they suddenly met the main window.

There was something bizarre about it.

She asked, lifting an eyebrow, "Huh, boss? Did you clean the window? It feels new and shiny..."

"Yeah, I did," Phoenix lied once again, reassured to see his student clueless of the broken window issue that had occurred earlier. He was grateful for the repair service company for their extremely quick action when he had called them. "You know cleaning toilets appeases my stress. So does cleaning window."

"I know that," Athena replied, disdain in her voice clearly picked up by her boss. "Sometimes, I'm wondering about your obsession for a clean toilet... and windows."

OBJECTION!

The objection scream had been so sudden it prompted the two attorney to jump, with a yelp from Athena as a bonus. Phoenix awkwardly grinned as he grabbed his cell phone from his pocket, noticing his flashing led light that indicated a new text message. Athena's mouth formed a small "O", realizing the shout did not originate from her boss, but his cellphone. "Oh, sorry about this notification sound," Phoenix murmured, embarrassed. "Trucy had recorded Apollo doing his chords of steel exercises and used one of his objections as my main notification sound…"

The girl frowned in complete shock, almost in distaste. "That's… a pretty original sound…" she expressed back.

The jolt of life came back upon Phoenix when he read the sender of the message.

1st Trucy Wright

"Trucy…!" Phoenix blurted, excited his daughter was still wishing to communicate with him despite her revealed secret.

Raising a curious eye, Athena stared at him, wondering how the text message suddenly initiated a full revert of feelings inside her boss.

1st Trucy Wright, Monday, August 13th 2029, 5:36 PM
Hi daddy… Remember the secret I told u about? I need to tell u more secrets about it. Plz don't tell anybody, not even athena. Meet me in this address at 7pm in this link. Its in teh city. I dun want anyone else to know, so plz come alone…

…

The man wasn't sure what to follow anymore. What was Trucy doing in that address?

"What's the message about? What did Trucy write?" Athena asked, trying to stay on her toes to get a good peek on her boss's cellphone, but Phoenix immediately retreated the device in his pocket.

"She… plans to meet me somewhere."

"Let me come with you!" Athena implored out of excitement.

"No, Trucy wants me to come alone," Phoenix told her, his half-smile boasting obvious sorrow. "After I meet her, we'll see if I can give you more information."

The young attorney folded her arms in disagreement. "Why would Trucy want to meet her father alone? That's so unfair! Everyone deserves to know the truth! I still want to ask her and her brother why they put some sleeping pills in my drink or something!"

"You didn't ask Apollo?"

Athena bit her lips. "I admit I didn't have the courage to ask while I was alone with him…"

The man approached the girl, giving her a friendly pat on the back. "Don't worry. I don't think it was anything that bad," he persuaded her.

However, even after being told the secret, Phoenix still didn't know why the siblings would try to knock Athena out of consciousness. Were they afraid she'd discover their new artificial nature? "If I was you, I'd ask for a blood test to see if they really put anything in your drink."

The young woman looked up, pensive. "I think you're right, boss. Let me get myself prepared and I'll ask for a test. In the meanwhile, you go meet Trucy! Tell her we miss her already and tell her to bring Apollo back!"

The man snickered. "Of course. Thank you, Athena."

August 13th 2029, 6:53 PM
Greenstone District, 1845 Happytree Street

He looked down to his device again to see if this was the right address from the link given by his daughter.

…

It was indeed the right one.

The surprise embraced him when he first stepped out of his cab. Why would Trucy evade to this rich district of the town of all places? Anyone would see her wandering around, the area having a wide open place for everyone to spy on everyone. All the children playing gleefully outside, fathers cleaning their luxury cars and mothers cooking dinner in the backyard. To be honest, it was like the perfect suburban town from these old movies, where all citizens acknowledged all actions or gossips from each other. No one could avoid the grasp of Big Brother.

Phoenix tried to keep his self-control, but the pressure of the secret and eventually meeting Trucy frightened him to no end. He shivered from the inside, and soon outside when he stood before the entrance door. He dreaded what will be coming up after he will knock on this wooden barrier that might separate his daughter and the rest of the outside world he came from.

Whatever Trucy and Apollo had become, they were still part of his family as long as he lived, and he wanted them to know this.

It took him more than few minutes before he finally succeeded to move his index finger on the door bell. Another minute was needed to press the button.

When someone opened the door for him, Phoenix was prepared to spread his arms wide, ready to welcome the daughter he was already missing. He felt like he had practiced this move forever, as if he was going to act in a play in front of all his high school peers. It was like a slap on the face when the one behind the entrance door was an old man with a gruff on his face.

"Hello?" the elder calmly addressed but there was a hint of irritation in his eyes. "Who might you be, young man?"

Ashamed, Phoenix shyly smiled at the man, gritting his teeth awkwardly. The disconcerted attorney introduced himself, "Huh, my name's Phoenix... My daughter told me to find her here, and I'm not sure if I got the right address."

The old man was struck by silence for a moment, like confusion had hit him hard. He quickly shook his head before he said, "Sorry, my ears aren't used to be what they were in their younger days. Can you come closer?"

Timidly, Phoenix hesitated to step in, but the poor man appeared a little frail. He complied with his wish, approaching the elder, trying to not shout and yet making his voice louder by clearing his throat. "Well I'm searching for my daughter and her brother. The girl has a magician outf-"

He was cut by the door automatically shutting behind him along with a spray in the face. Endlessly waving his hands before his head like he was shooing a fly away, Phoenix angrily yelled after the old man."What's your prob... probleeeeemmm..."

Unable to end his question when drowsiness followed by a deep slumber stripped him from consciousness, the last thing Phoenix saw was a smirk over the old man's lips.

August 13th 2029, 11:43 PM
?

It was as if they had been running in this valley and dense forest for an eternity. However, that eternity was short when they comprehended their technical immortality. Time didn't really matter to them.

All they wanted was to wander out from humanity, for the sake of these living beings to stay safe from the mere killing machines they had become.

And for that, they suddenly experienced happiness, because they were too far from the nearest human town. They knew no humans were close enough to be found and be "deleted".

Especially not that specific human with the ID: 79134, that someone called Phoenix Wright.

They scrutinized this abandoned grand mansion that stood unattended in this extremely remote area. All trace of humanity had begun falling apart and the place had now become home to few small animals and bugs. Upon further inspection, no humans had lived inside for decades and the only light source came from the bright stars above. Nevertheless, as machines enhanced with nocturnal vision and everything that would make the most skilled spy envious, they could perfectly distinguish everything in here, even if it was near total blackness.

Signals from human devices were scarce and rare in this area, and this somehow appeased their own soul. Gently smiling over their new fate far from their former kin, they both sat down on the dusty floor, their back leaning against a degraded wall. The numerous gaps on these walls caused the gust to flow harshly inside, enough for their clothes and hair to experience its effect.

Trucy clutched onto her brother, her head resting peacefully on his arm. Apollo replied by laying a hand on her opposite shoulder, wrapping her from the back. They remained like this for long minutes without moving. They enjoyed the loneliness, the silence of the natural choir of the wild night.

Trucy soon broke the peaceful song.

"It's soon midnight, Polly."

Apollo amicably chuckled along, "Yeah, I know."

Since their awakening as intelligent robots, they first dreaded the fearful time that would come to haunt them each night. Midnight induced them to become mindless murderers for the so-called justice mantra their Papa followed so much like a sickly, extreme religious. Within weeks, they had learned to accept the terrifying time that midnight had become. Come what may, it especially horrified Trucy when she realized she was truly speaking of midnight like it was such a casual hour of the night.

Well, midnight would have been truly a simple, normal hour of the night, if they were still human.

She leaned closer to her brother, cherishing their moments together. "Do you think Daddy will... be safe from us?"

Indeed, the name of their father and boss was still impregnated in their internal list of humans to delete, and it will not go away.

"We're too far from the city, Truce," Apollo responded. "The closest human town is about three hours and half away from here. Everyone, and especially Mr. Wright, will be safe from us. We're too far to find any random baddies to delete."

The young robot girl smiled, soothed by her brother's answer. She knew these facts already, but to hear him say these words comforted her. It melted her non-existing heart. "That's good," she murmured. "I think we should stay here, forever. Everyone will be safe from us. Don't you think?"

Apollo threw a melancholic sigh out. "Maybe. We'll miss everyone, though."

"Polly, if it's going to save everyone, then I don't mind missing everyone."

The countdown had begun. Only six minutes before midnight.

However, their loneliness was soon shattered when the sound of a growling car from around suddenly blared in their sensitive ears. Worried, Trucy gasped at the sound and went to hug her brother tighter. After Apollo returned the move, he turned around to check where the noise came from.

They could detect from few dozen meters away the outline of a car and the silhouettes of two humans. One of them appeared inert as the other dragged them in the mansion. Was the unmoving human dead?

No, they could clearly see the heat level on both bodies and their up and down movements of their chests as they breathed for air.

"Are we going to delete them?" Trucy exchanged her thoughts with her brother.

"I do not know," Apollo replied, troubled. "We must get out of here."

Just when they were about to disappear, a chilling, familiar voice stopped them from their escape.

"Apollo, Trucy, stay!"

Both robots unexpectedly sustained a lingering energy clouding their reasons and their minds when they perceived their own names, their programs forcing them to obey at the voice they immediately recognized as Papa's.

No way… What was Papa doing here of all places?

Papa's strict voice continued. "I know you two are here. You won't run away from me."

Slowly gaining their self-control, Trucy gripped to Apollo once more, staring at the voice's direction to take a good look on their Papa's face despite the near full darkness. They were taught that even though they had observed the physical self of Papa only once, they were able to retrieve, in their deep database, the facial recognition program with the data of his face and other information about him.

Just like a normal robot would do.

However, the horror filled their wires and cables as soon as they started using their facial recognition program over the slumbering human's face. The unconscious man Papa was dragging inside the mansion was none other than him.

Assigned ID: 79134. Name...

...Phoenix Wright.

"NO!" Trucy screamed, her whine hollering her painful torment. "Please Papa! Don't make us delete Daddy!"

Keeping Trucy against him, Apollo glared back at their Papa, a terrified but furious frown glued in his brightened eyes. "You…! How did you know we're here?" the brother shouted after the old man, the rage in his voice priming over all his other feelings.

But the man wouldn't give up to his creations' comments. He wouldn't listen to mere robots; machines shouldn't even reason on their own, after all. "Do you think I was silly enough to not insert a tracking chip into you two?" Papa disclosed with an allusion of mockery. "You will delete this man like I've ordered you in your list, so that's why I'm obligated to bring your target here."

Only three minutes before midnight.

Three minutes before their programs will provoke them to lose control over their free will. Two minutes and fifty-five seconds before they will be forced to delete their father and mentor. Two minutes and fifty seconds to escape...

But there was no way out. It was too late to move away from their target.

With a tiny amount of hope, moaning her anguish out, Trucy cried to their creator, stepping forward and giving him some pleading eyes. "Please, Papa..." she urged, trying to act more human by whipping her invisible tears. "Daddy's a good human! Do not force us to delete a good human! This isn't the justice your programs taught us! This isn't the justice we were taught when we were human! We've accepted to become your machines! We've accepted to comply with your orders! We've accepted to d-del... k-kill bad humans for you, because they deserved justice, true! But Daddy... he's fighting to bring justice to bad humans too, in his own way!"

One minute and fifty-nine seconds.

She dropped down on her knees, and then on her palms, begging more of Papa's mercy. To her shock, the old man was listening. "We've been doing the things you wanted Polly and I to do. This last month, we've lied to people. We've d.. k-killed people. We've lived under orders and fear."

"We promise... we promise that if you spare my Daddy, we'll... agree to be... your two happy slaves for as long as you wish. Control us as much as you want, reprogram us how it pleases you and make us your loyal, obedient robots... Take away our humanity if you want...! But please, don't make us k-kill Daddy or any of our friends! They did nothing to deserve death like this! Please..."

One minute and twenty seconds left.

...

Giving a long sigh, Papa released Phoenix, letting the man lying unconscious on the dusty floor. Trucy whined harder as she watched her peaceful father in his sleep on the ground, unaware of the fate awaiting him. Hopeless, Trucy turned to Apollo, pleading him to find a solution to this mess. Unfortunately, the poor big brother was as clueless as her. Both began hugging each other, trembling and knowing the horror they will cause very soon. The thought of sullying their own hands with the blood of their loved ones invaded their remaining rational souls like their most dreadful nightmare.

For a second, knowing their humane reason will completely fade away eventually, they started wondering if it was simply easier to fully give up their lasting humanity, and forever. That would pull them out of their misery and maybe they'll live happier if their souls gave up all their memories and their loved ones. It would be restarting everything anew and they would be theoretically unable to feel anything for all their following targets and perhaps even someone like Phoenix Wright. But that would be too selfish from their part.

Because Papa wasn't changing his mind. They will delete Phoenix Wright tonight.

Fifty-seven seconds left.

Trucy's voice quivered. "Can we... at least, tell Daddy goodbye...?"

Papa laughed at them. "Oh, you will tell him goodbye, Trucy, and you too, Apollo."

The siblings stiffened at their names again. Suddenly, with their own human willpower rapidly diminishing, they were more and more inclined to surrender to his wishes and wait for his orders.

"Apollo, Trucy, it doesn't matter if I remove Phoenix Wright's name out of you. You've been programmed to delete anyone who knows about your robot secret from the start. Trucy, you should have never told your father your secret. It's your own fault if this is happening. You'd delete him even if his name is removed. It's part of your implemented rules."

"I am sorry, Papa."

"Don't be, just remember your target tonight," the old man reminded them with a wicked smirk while he returned in his car. "When your target wakes up, I want you to do the usual. Let him know what it's like to fear and suffer. Do not deceive me, so be a good boy and a good girl, will you, Apollo and Trucy?"

Before their internal clock even hit midnight, Apollo's and Trucy's eyes glowed crimson red and a gentle smile materialized on their lips. It was about time they made their Papa happy, because knowing him being happy gave them happiness too. Obeying Papa was the right thing to do.

This mere human with the ID: 79134 was their new target, and he must be deleted. That was Papa's wish.

Papa was great and he must be obeyed.

"Yes, Papa," they responded together just before midnight.

They locked their sight on the targeted human, never leaving him from their view. They waited for him to wake up. Only then, they will be able to bring terror, torture and agony upon him as they were conditioned to.

Author's note: It's in my nature to never really pair characters in my fics or focus on pairings because to me, they can totally ruin the enjoyment of a story (like some stories did for me), unless it's a story deliberately focused on pairings. From how I wrote it, Gumshoe appears to be a married man or at least in a lasting relationship, though details given on the mother of his children don't exist in this fic. Normal guesses would have said Maggey Byrde, but it can be anyone you wish (yes, even OCs or self-insert characters if you're a fan of Gumshoe). I also don't call him "Dick" because he doesn't canonly like to be called that, lol.