"Hey, Apollo? Are you alright? Apollo!"

It was the last word that let Apollo snap out from his mild panic. At first, he was ready to defend Thea if ever she was considered a suspect to the incident. But with the international implications and the prospect of a death penalty looming, Apollo felt unsure if he was up to the task. The legal system in Khura'in still wasn't solid and there were bound to be loopholes, but the death penalty for possession of illegal drugs had been around in Khura'in even before the terrorizing regime of the previous queen.

"I… I'm alright," he lied. "I'm just surprised about the international implications." For some strange reason, he could feel his bracelet compress.

"The gravity of the situation is going to escalate," Nahyuta forewarned. "But the first order of business is to find out if the victim was still alive when the container landed here."

Apollo looked up. ("From a fall at least a hundred feet from the air?")

"The plane was flying at a low altitude," said Nahyuta. "If the container were dropped from at least two hundred feet from the air, there would be no chance for the victim to be alive upon crash landing."

("So what Nahyuta's trying to establish if… Thea… might have killed the victim here…")

Apollo took a deep breath, ignoring the pungency of the smell. "Nahyuta, how did you know the victim was an American lawyer?"

"The cargo plane's takeoff point was in New York City," he answered. "While it is a bit presumptuous, I can only assume, for now, that the victim may have been in the cargo plane from that point on." Nahyuta further explained that the air traffic in Khura'in traced the route of the plane by contacting air traffic control stationed in the east coast, which also picked up a signal that was ultimately traced to New York City.

"That's… quite high-tech," remarked Apollo.

"It's basic in the aviation industry these days," said Ema.

Apollo frowned. He had to wonder how an American lawyer ended up on the wrong end of the cargo plane. ("Did she just happen to be on that cargo plane that time?")

"The fact that the airport picked up the signal as an unidentified plane flying at low altitude is something that concerns me," said Nahyuta. "And the fact that it came from the United States and dropped this container all the way out here in Khura'in, it makes up for quite a convoluted plot."

("I guess all the roads we can pave will ultimately point out to why this happened in the first place.")

"But all we have is a dead body and tons of illegal drugs," Ema said, her voice lower than usual.

"Making matters even more complicated," finished Apollo.

The three of them pondered over the situation for a few seconds before Apollo started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Ema asked.

"Back to the office," answered Apollo. ("I need to tell Thea about this. If I can convince her to speak up, then I can present her as a witness.")

September 21
Justice Law Offices

When Apollo returned to the office, he found Thea sitting on the office couch. She appeared restless.

"Thea?"

When Thea heard her name, she nearly jumped. "M-Mr. Justice!"

Apollo told Thea to calm down and take a deep breath. "Listen, Thea. I've gone to the area and found out a few things of my own. However, I will have to ask you a few more questions. And this time…" He raised his wrist to emphasize the bracelet. "… I'll be watching your every move."

Thea looked forlorn. However, she could not lie to her boss.

"What exactly happened last night, Thea?"

Thea sighed. She repeated the same story she told Apollo an hour ago, this time with additional detail as if she remembered them in better detail.

"This object, could you recognize what it was?"

"N-No," she answered. "But I know it was long because I tried to pierce the box, but to no avail."

"Did you throw it aside?"

Thea tried to remember. "I… I think I did."

Apollo frowned. "But we saw nothing of the sort during the investigation. Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes, Mr. Justice! Please believe me."

Apollo did not feel his bracelet contract. While Thea was being nervous about the possible consequences of her encounter, her truthfulness on being at the scene of the incident solidified Apollo's belief that she did not do anything wrong to commit murder. However, he was still puzzled on one aspect of Thea's story.

"You said the victim was still alive when you saw her?"

Thea nodded. "Yes sir, she was. Her eyes opened for the briefest of moments. But that's all I saw."

Apollo pressed a finger to his forehead to digest Thea's story fully. ("Judging from her reaction and the events she did, I guess she was trying to save the victim. However, it was just circumstance that made her extremely lucky because…")

"Thea, I think you should know something else related to the incident," Apollo told her. He explained to Thea calmly that the container containing the victim's body had traces of an illegal drug, and Thea knew too well the consequences of possession of such.

Thea's voice was trembling. "A-Am I g-g-going to b-be put to –"

"Don't even think about it!" Apollo stopped her.

At that moment, helicopters whirred from a distance as the noise grew louder.

("That's strange. There's only one helicopter in the entire country and that's used to transport prisoners to the Royal Penitentiary.")

Quickly, Apollo went out from his office and scanned the skies.

("W-What in the…?")

As the deafening whirring of the helicopters, or some modified enlarged version thereof, passed over the city, some of the Khura'inese in the streets were looking up in confusion or horror. Many of them were pointing up to the sky and babbling in Khura'inese.

"What's going on?" Apollo asked one of the nearby locals.

The local was too terrified to answer, his eyes still transfixed on the helicopters, which now held steady over the city.

In Khura'inese, another local shouted, "Get inside!"

Just as the locals started springing into panic mode, the helicopter doors opened, revealing soldiers in strangely-suited mechanized-like armor. What happened next would be one that Apollo and the rest of the country would not forget.

September 21
City Outskirts

One of the officers in the outskirts quickly stepped inside the container. "Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, there's a situation going on in the city proper!"

"What's going on?" Nahyuta asked.

"The city is under attack!"

When Nahyuta heard this, his eyes widened. "What?"

The three of them immediately escaped from the container and watched the skies. They watched in sheer horror as the unsettling-looking helicopters started to open fire at the city. They were firing lasers, something that the Khura'inese knew from watching foreign sci-fi flicks, but none would ever witness them up close until today.

"A-Apollo," Nahyuta whispered.

September 21
Justice Law Offices

"Apollo? What's happening? I can't hear you!"

Apollo had told Thea to seek cover under the table while Apollo had crept behind the sofa. He was on his cellphone, with Phoenix Wright on the other side of the line, which was peaceful. Was Phoenix in the courthouse?

"Mr. Wright, it's complete pandemonium!" Apollo had to brace himself as an explosion sounded nearby, startling the warba'ad in the bazaar. "This strange cybernetic army appeared out of nowhere! The city is under siege!"

Mr. Wright exclaimed in a voice Apollo could hear even over the pandemonium around him. "What?!"

"Listen, Mr. Wright, I've… I've got something to tell you."

"Apollo! I'm not going to lose you like this!"

"No! It's nothing like that! Listen what I have to say." In rapid order, Apollo detailed the incident about the container and what he knew. In less than a minute, Apollo completed it with a request for Phoenix to hunt for details about the American lawyer.

"How about the others there? How about Her Benevolence?"

Another explosion, a softer one, rocked the office. "No update. The soldiers can't fight back with their weapons."

There was a pause. "Listen, Apollo. If anything happens, keep us updated. I'll be dispatching Athena there shortly to help you out."

"A-Athena? B-But why?"

"Apollo," said Phoenix. "Your investigation is at a dead end because you don't have enough info. What your witness could be experiencing is a level of fear that you cannot comprehend. She can help you going. But in the circumstances…"

("Air travel to Khura'in is going to be very messy after all this.")

"Can you ask Prosecutor Edgeworth to help out?" Apollo asked.

"I'll try, but I can't promise. Stay safe."

"I will," said Apollo as he ended the call.

The yelling just wouldn't stop.

Apollo had the law office quickly boarded up when the chaos dramatically escalated. He could hear laser-like shots as if a war was going on, but he could not fathom the kind of destruction that was happening outside. Through the small window slits of his office, Apollo watched the Khura'inese citizens run through the streets while strange-looking men in blue-and-white clothing pursued them. They were holding strange handguns that shot out red beams of lasers, reminding Apollo of sci-fi space adventure flicks he used to watch with his best friend years ago in the Space Center. However, the horrifying reality was unfolding before him.

"Search the premises," one of the soldiers ordered. "It must be somewhere in this city."

And somewhere not very far off, someone was speaking through a megaphone. "People of Khura'in. We do not want to bring harm to you or your children. However, if you do not give us what we want, then you will leave us no choice."

Apollo was gritting through his teeth. ("Dammit. If only I could do something.")

The terrified voice squeaked under one of the desks in the office. "W-W-What's happening?"

"Just stay down," he told the terrified person. "If they get in, I'll reason with them."

Just as Apollo closed the folds, the door suddenly burst open and one of the warring soldiers entered the room. He pointed his laser gun at Apollo, who had his hands up.

"Where is it?"

Apollo had been in this situation before. However, the circumstances at present had changed, and he knew that this unnamed soldier would shoot him on sight if he didn't give them the answer. "W-What are you looking for?"

The soldier, impatient, loaded his weapon. "You know what landed here last night, don't you?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the slightest clue," he told the soldier, reasoning with him. He did his best to look clueless.

The soldier pointed the gun for a few seconds before he lowered it and exited the office. Apollo took a deep breath.

"A-Are they gone?" squeaked the voice under the desk.

"For now," Apollo answered. "Just stay down until I tell you to do so."

He quickly peered outside the office. The chaos was already focused on the other side of the bazaar, giving Apollo the opportunity to board up the office once more. He had never felt this tense and defenseless.

("I can't believe I'm doing this, but Holy Mother help all of us.")

And at that precise moment, a fierce explosion rocked the area as Apollo's office was caught in it. In that fraction, Apollo lost consciousness.

September 21; 6:22 PM
Justice Law Offices

Apollo woke with a start. He could smell rubble and fire. His head was gazed to the sky so he could see the moon. The light of the moon allowed Apollo to see the extent of the damage caused by the last explosion before he lost consciousness. The office was completely blown apart. Apollo, partially protected by the sofa he hid behind after the confrontation with the soldier early, looked terrible but was otherwise unharmed. He was slightly thankful that he did not lose his memory in case he bumped his head as the explosion occurred.

"T-Thea," he said weakly. Slowly, Apollo clambered to his feet, only for his right foot to stumble as a sharp pain caused Apollo to wince. His right foot was twisted. He cursed under his breath.

Using his left foot and his hands to support his search around the office, he slowly pushed aside, with great effort due to injuries he sustained, desks and tables. He lost his balance once, causing him to fall on his right foot, which shot an amount of excruciating pain, causing Apollo to scream.

It occurred to Apollo that the sounds outside were those of cries of help. He could very well join the cacophony, but his mind was focused on one thing: searching for Thea. He refused to believe that the explosion took her life.

"Thea?" Apollo called out weakly as he clambered up, using the back of a sofa as support.

The sirens of ambulances could be heard nearby.

"Thea?"

Apollo continued his search. He saw his desk, damaged but not upturned. Thea was hiding on the desk next to it, so she could not be far.

"Unnngh…"

Despite the soft cries outside, Apollo heard it.

"Thea!"

There was movement under one of the damaged tables. Immediately, Apollo limped over to the table and delicately lifted the table as he knelt. As he tossed the table aside, he fell over to his right, causing his right foot to twist even further, registering another level of excruciation. Apollo cursed loudly.

If the pain was something unbearable for Apollo, what Apollo saw was utmost terrifying.

Thea was still alive, but her breathing was laborious. The light of the moon and the soft lights outside the office from the partially-damaged buildings made Apollo see a severe wound on Thea's left shoulder. A wooden splinter from somewhere was piercing it.

"Thea!"

Apollo crawled over using his left leg to where Thea was.

"H-Help," Thea whispered.

("Oh no… at this rate…!")

Apollo looked around. It was difficult to see the rest of his office in semi-darkness. He could not make out a cloth, or anything that could help with Thea's wound. Yet, Apollo knew it would not be wise to pull out the splinter without doing serious damage leading to blood loss. He had to seek help.

But how? He was injured himself and he could not stand properly. Could he ask for help?

"Help! Somebody!"

No help came even after a minute. Most of the cries were concentrated on the other side of the street. The sirens of the ambulances were not getting louder.

"A-pol-lo," Thea said weakly.

"You're not going to die here," he told her reassuringly. Without thinking, Apollo pulled out his cellphone. Unfortunately for him, while his cellphone was still working, the siege somehow destroyed cellphone communication. Even while emergency calls would still be working, there were none responding. The influx of emergency calls made it impossible for Apollo to reach emergency services.

"Dammit!" Apollo shouted at the helplessness over the situation. ("What could I do?")

It was a long shot with a lot of risks, but the only way for Apollo to get some help was to endure through the unbearable pain. Slowly and delicately, Apollo helped himself up and dragged a nearby desk so that he could kneel on his left and help Thea to her feet. It was a laborious process as Apollo had to be very careful that the splinter would not come into contact into something solid. One careless mistake and he would kill her – literally.

"Apollo," Thea whispered.

"I'm going to get you help," Apollo told her reassuringly. "Stay awake."

"I…"

The first step was unbearable. He was wobbling on his left leg while supporting Thea through the rubble.

The next step was even more unbearable than the last. Apollo persisted.

The third step was not even better. His mind was focused on one thing: save Thea or she dies.

The fourth step ultimately became the coup de grace. His left leg stepped on something that caused his angle to twist, causing immeasurable pain for Apollo. That also meant he dropped the severely-injured Thea down to the floor, which would ultimately cause instant death if the splinter hit.

Apollo quickly massaged his left leg as he looked over. His few seconds of panic turned into relief.

Thankfully for Apollo, Thea was lying face-down, which meant that the splinter did not hit the floor, as Apollo feared. However, it was delaying the inevitable. His assistant would die in front of him because no one responded for help.

"T-Thea, are you alright?"

Thea was not responding. She had a far-off look in her face.

"No, no, no!"

In his drive to help his assistant, Apollo tried to clamber back to his feet, but the twisted left ankle and the bones on his right one fractured meant that it was completely impossible for Apollo to even stand up. He reached up for the sofa nearby him, but it was out of his reach. Even crawling for mere inches was herculean without suffering through severe pain.

The soft cacophony in the distance without anyone nearby to help them brought a message to Apollo.

("Is this how it feels to watch someone die in front of you?")

As his mind started to numb, he thought of his best friend long passed. His passion as a defense attorney was always kindled in his desire to help people who had no one on their side. But the painful and grueling experience of today reminded him that he was just a man with limits. And realizing his limits made him open up to the reality that he could not save everyone.

His hopeless eyes met Thea's, her breathing started to slow down. He knew it was the end for her. And he would be bringing the suffering and regret of not being able to help her fully in the time of crisis.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed.

In a more audible voice, Thea responded with a very weak, "Thank you."

She closed her eyes.

Tears flowed out from Apollo. Thea's imminent death in front of him lit something else inside Apollo. Through the tears and the unbearable pain, Apollo felt that spark to help his friend even as she had given up. With the golden thin string of possibility and hope that Thea could still be saved, Apollo shouted at the top of his lungs.

"ANYONE? HELP!"

"Apollo!"

There was movement outside the office followed by heaving panting.

"Apollo!"

Apollo slowly raised his head. The savior was already helping him to his feet, but Apollo buckled.

"Can't you stand?" The voice of Ema Skye registered.

"I can't," Apollo said weakly. "B-But please! My assistant!"

Ema's attention was drawn to Thea's lifeless body.

Swiftly, Ema went over to Thea and examined her. She checked for vital signs. "She's still responding," she said. "But we don't have enough time."

"Take care of her first," Apollo said weakly.

Another voice joined. "Apollo!"

Apollo recognized this as Nahyuta's.

"They're here," called out Ema. "Prosecutor Sahdmadhi, please direct emergency services here. We have someone in critical condition."

Nahyuta looked around and assessed the situation. He nodded and was off in a dash.

"What happened here?" Ema asked worriedly.

"An explosion," answered Apollo. "Our office was caught in the blast."

"This is your assistant, right?" Ema asked.

"Yeah," answered Apollo.

Ema explained that they witnessed the pandemonium from the city outskirts, but they could not enter the city because of the chaos. The remainder of the police was able to secure the city once the invaders left. She also said that EMTs were in full activity to assist anyone injured. Ema also assessed that casualties of the siege could be in the hundreds, giving a painful reminder to Apollo that Thea would added to the list if her help was not administered.

"What happened to the container?"

"It seemed that those soldiers in strange suits were after the container," answered Ema. "When they saw it, all action was directed to the container. They… they flew off with it." She sighed in relief. "Thank goodness they didn't open fire at us. We were hiding under one of the nearby trees. Still, I am glad to see you're alive."

"Please help Thea," he told Ema. "S-She…"

"I understand your drive to save her, but you didn't have to be so reckless," Ema said softly.

"It's not that," said Apollo. "Thea is my assistant. And… she knows something about last night."

Ema gasped but quickly regained composure. The life of the witness was now top priority. "I… I see. Very well. I'll do everything I can."

"Thanks, Ema," Apollo said weakly as he exerted a great amount of effort to sit up behind the couch.

Apollo processed the incident. The drive to help people who have no one in their side was the very reason he became a lawyer, and he understood it fully. He looked sadly at the lifeless Thea, her head on Ema's knees as she kept Thea's head steady above her body. ("Thea doesn't deserve to die this way.")

He cursed under his breath. The key to understanding more about the unfolding incident was gone. And with the container, the soldiers in strange suits left a city in ruins and an amount of unnecessary bloodshed. Apollo clenched his fist. If Thea died from the meaningless bloodshed, he would make sure that these people would pay the price. ("Whoever was responsible for this, it's no simple matter. Given the surprise attack, something else is at play. And given the circumstances, people on the other side could very well be involved. And the only way to gain closure from all this I guess… is to find the truth.")

The siren from the ambulance was getting louder.

Author's Note: For such a minor character, it was heartbreaking for me to write a death scene especially when that death is in front of Apollo. Well, of course it isn't Apollo's first time he's seen someone die in front of him (Turnabout Serenade *cough* *cough*). Anyway, I won't be uploading new chapters frequently since school season is back (I'm a teacher and classes in our country start in June). However, once the chapters continue to roll, I hope you guys continue to be invested. More suggestions welcome, and I'd also like to hear your predictions as well!

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