So I couldn't sleep tonight. Had nothing else to do. So I decided to WRIGHT!... I don't think that will ever be a joke. Anyways I am very impressed with my skills for this chapter. I really wanted this chapter to happen and just had to find the right time to include it. Hopefully the whole chapter isn't too cliched/obvious and you enjoy the journey we travel down. Enjoy!


Apollo and Trucy were frozen in their positions. No thoughts or feelings came across Apollo's mind. He just stood there staring at the dark figure that loomed in front of them. He knew that this incident was going to happen but he failed to prepare himself mentally for what to do. The figure started walking towards the two and they continued to stand there as if they were Medusa's latest works of art.

"I told you we were after you Mr. Justice. And yet here you are all alone. Now then I would say this is almost too easy for us but I already know two things. One there is no one here to follow us when I take you." The figure turned towards Trucy and held his left hand out. He pulled his right hand from the shadows and produced a gun. "And two, you there little girl will kindly turn over that bug that you have on your person."

Apollo and Trucy's eyes both glanced down towards the gun. Trucy very slowly drew her left hand across her torso and reached inside her cape. She pulled out the microchip that Kay had given to her earlier. She slowly reached her hand out to the figure and dropped the microchip into the figure's hand. He looked at it and started chuckling madly. He threw the chip over his shoulder.

"H-ho..." Apollo's mouth was dry. His tongue felt like cardboard and would break at any second if he even uttered to speak. His stomach was doing flip flops and his heart was trying to break out of the 12 barred prison hold it in. Apollo was going through autonomous actions at this point and yet somehow the words just fell from his mouth. "How did you know about the chip?"

The madman's chuckling came back down to simple laugh and he soon quieted himself in order to respond. He grinned a devilish grin that was only outlined better by the shadows protecting his face. "It's simple there Mr. Justice. You think that just because you are based out of the Detention Center now you are any safer? You all are just playing our game out exactly as we planned. We knew exactly what you would do from the start. We preempted your moves. Who would be on this case, who would go where, and what relocations you would pursue. So of course we could hear what you were saying there at the Detention Center."

Apollo just stood there unsure of what to say. The Red Kakumei had the upper hand. They always had. Was this it for the young attorney? His sister? Everyone he knew? The thoughts were racing around in Apollo's head causing a migraine but Apollo felt nothing. The still air around them just lingered. It was as if the entire scene was just a picture hanging up on the wall. No feelings, no words, and yet a tense atmosphere just lingering and never leaving.

"Now then," the figure said raising his hand up high, "this may hurt just a bit." With a swift motion his hand came down and everything went dark for Apollo.


"Apollo? Hey sleepy head come on wake up!" Apollo felt a warm touch on his shoulder nudging him. His eyes slowly opened. The morning light basked the room and lit up the bright blue walls surrounding the attorney. He could feel the warmth of the sunbeam heating up the blankets that hugged him very tightly. He felt the tap of a warm hand on his shoulder again. The direct warm contact alerted his attention and he looked at his shoulder, only then realizing he didn't have a shirt on. His eyes followed the hand up it's smooth arm up to the owner.

Phoenix was looking down at Apollo with a kind look. He had a very small smile on but even that shined brighter than the sun outside. He was wearing a white tee shirt that was carelessly falling away from his body as he leaned over Apollo. Their eyes finally met and Apollo could just sense himself melting in his sheets. Phoenix leaned down and kissed Apollo on his forehead.

"Ni-nick?"

Phoenix chuckled. "Good morning sleepyhead. Come on, it's time to get ready for work. You have a trial today remember?" Phoenix stood straight up and Apollo lifted himself on his elbows. He took a look around his surroundings. There was a nightstand to his left and right. A dresser straight a ahead with a heart locket on it. There were red clothes on his side of the bed where Phoenix was now standing. and blue clothes on the other side.

Apollo continued looking around confusingly, "Wait, where are we?"

Phoenix closed his eyes and smiled and proceeded to put his hands on his hips, "In our bedroom of course!" Apollo fell back onto the bed and stared straight up at the ceiling. "Hey, no going back to sleep now!" Phoenix playfully added.

"How?"

Phoenix crooked his head and looked at Apollo. "What do you mean how? This is where we sleep every night!"

"No, how did we get here?"

Phoenix started scratching his head. "Well when we got home last night we walked up the steps came through the door and you were thoroughly exhausted so you just took your shirt off and collapsed on your bed."

"No, no. I was just in a warehouse. You... You weren't there."

Phoenix grimaced and his entire face seemed as if it drooped. He slowly sat down on the bed facing away from Apollo at first but drew his arm over Apollo's torse and rested it on the opposite side of him allowing Phoenix to look directly at Apollo. "Did you have that dream again?"

Apollo shifted himself back up onto his elbows again and stared hard at Phoenix. "What do you mean that dream again?"

"That recurring dream replaying the events that happened back then. What happened this time?"

"What do you mean this time? I was trying to find a way to save you because you were kidnapped. So I went to the warehouse to get kidnapped an-" Apollo immediately reached for his left hand as if it were burning and on fire. "Ow! My hand!"

Phoenix immediately stood up and ran out of the room. He ran back with a tube of lotion. He opened it up and squeezed a small bit of green lotion on his finger tips and grabbed Apollo's left hand. There were severe scars that seemed to have been made from lacerations long ago. Phoenix slowly rubbed the lotion on Apollo's hand and the pain soon subsided.

"It's ok Apollo. That's all behind us. Although your wounds never seemed to have healed on your hand because of what they did after they captured you, you're safe now."

Apollo just looked over his left hand. He slowly sat up and the blanket shifted to reveal Apollo's full torso and a small bit of the khaki pants he had slept in. It draped over his legs and Apollo crossed his arms and put them on his bent knees. Phoenix walked around the bed to sit next to Apollo. He put his arm around Apollo and drew himself closer.

"It's ok Apollo that whole incident is over. Actually it's quite interesting. As of tomorrow a full year will have passed since that incident."

Apollo tilted his head towards Phoenix, "So it's all over? No more Red Kakumei?"

Phoenix smiled at Apollo. "No more Red Kakumei."

Apollo snuggled closer to Phoenix. He rested his head on Phoenix's chest and tears started to slowly fall from him. Phoenix tilted his head down to look at Apollo as he felt the wetness on his shirt. "Apollo? Is everything ok?"

Apollo nodded his head up and down on Phoenix's chest. "Yes, I just, that dream was just so vivid. It felt so real and I was so scared. I'm just so happy it is all over."

Phoenix smiled and patted Apollo's shoulder. "Alright come on, we have to get ready. I have a couple of things to look at today and you have a court case." Phoenix kissed Apollo on the cheek and slowly released himself from the embrace they were in. He stood up and walked over to the closet. He pulled out a white shirt, neon pink tie, and a bright blue suit jacket of his. "You know I have to admit. Ever since you told me to get this new suit with a brighter look I have had a lot more people take me more serious. It is almost as if it was a new me." Phoenix started laughing.

"It isn't just that. You are a new you. People should take you more serious. You were part of a team that took down a very destructive underground group. You were successful in your past and always have been. You just needed a suit that matched that personality!"

Apollo stood up and the blanket half followed him draping over the bed side and onto the floor. Apollo started walking over to the closet and noticed half the closet contained blue suits and the other half contained red vests. He crooked his head but shrugged it off. He grabbed a new pair of khakis, a white shirt and a red vest. Apollo and Phoenix both headed into the bathroom. Apollo turned the shower on and grabbed a towel. He dropped his pants and tied his towel around his waist. He proceeded to drop his boxers afterwards not allowing Phoenix to see anything.

"Oh, looks like you got debriefed! Ha ha, at least it wasn't by Miles this time!"

"Heh, yea."

Phoenix chuckled, "You would think after dating for a year now you wouldn't mind being naked in front of me." Phoenix headed over to the sink and grabbed a razor.

"Oh heh, I don't know. I just felt weird that's all."

"Ha, you're silly Apollo." Phoenix started to shave the small amount of stubble that had formed from the previous night.

Apollo stepped into the shower and threw the towel over the curtain rod. "Aw, come on Nick. You know I hate it when you shave that sexy stubble of yours."

"Well you know how I feel about having that stubble. It reminds me of my bum days and a lawyer should have a clean shaven face."

"Come on, just leave a bit? Like maybe a goatee or something? I think that would look great on you."

"Ha ha, I guess I can leave some if you insist Apollo. You know I can never say no to you."

Apollo stood there basking in the warmth of the shower and feeling heat from inside emanating out. Phoenix always knew what to say to cause Apollo to blush.

"So what are you investigating today?"

"There seems to have been a grand larceny at a tech company. Apparently a very important piece of technology was stolen by some Little Thief."

"Some little thief? Like a kid stole it or something?"

"No, that's just what he calls himself. He left a card or something at the scene so I wanted to head down and see it because I don't think my client could have ever left something like it."

"Oh." Apollo continued to wash his hair causing his bangs to droop right in front of his face. As he rinsed the soap out of his hair he turned off the faucet and grabbed the towel. He wiped down ever surface of his body thoroughly and wrapped the towel around his waist. He stepped out of the shower to see Phoenix finishing up at the sink. He had left a bit of stubble around his mouth and chin area. "See? You look sexier like that."

"Ha ha, whatever you say. But you aren't complete without your spikes."

Apollo smirked and walked over to the sink and grabbed a bottle of hair gel and squirted it directly onto his head. He rubbed his hands over his hair getting the gel mixed in really well and proceeded to form his two long spikes.

Phoenix started giggling and walked over to Apollo. He put his hands on Apollo's hair and started messing the two spikes up and twirled them together. "Look! Now you're a unicorn!" Phoenix couldn't contain himself and started laughing.

Apollo simply rolled his eyes and started untangling his spikes and brought them back straight. "Ha ha Nick, you're so funny."

Phoenix proceed to button his white shirt up and tuck it into his pants. He tilted his collar up and threw his pink tie over him. However Phoenix froze as he stood there looking at himself in the mirror.

Apollo looked over at Phoenix. "Something wrong?"

"I uh, just forgot how to tie my tie."

Apollo shook his head, "Come on Phoenix. You are a lawyer, can't you tie your own tie now?" Apollo walked very close to Phoenix and proceeded to tie his tie for him.

"Thanks Apollo." Phoenix put his suit jacket on and buttoned it up. "Well I'm off to investigate. Good luck in your case today!" Phoenix stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. He got right to the door before Apollo called after him.

"Wait Nick!"

Phoenix stopped and turned around to look at Apollo walking after him. "Yes?"

Apollo walked right up to Phoenix and stood up on his tip toes and kissed him right on his lips. Phoenix immediately responded by drawing his right arm around Apollo's waist and pulled him tightly into the kiss. They soon parted lips and stood there for a moment staring into each others' eyes.

"Alright, well I'm off. Goodbye Apollo." With that Phoenix stepped out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Apollo continued to busy himself around the room and got ready. As he was about to leave the bedroom he noticed the heart locket was still sitting there on the dresser stand. He walked over to it and opened it up. He smiled at the two pictures that were in there. One of Trucy and one of him. He closed it up and placed it back down on the dresser.

Apollo exited the bedroom and walked down the hall into the common area. Just as messy as ever. Trucy was sitting on the couch already dressed, cape and all. She was sitting looking at a magazine. Apollo moved over to his office and stepped inside. He saw his briefcase sitting on top of his desk. Thinking he had packed it the night prior he reached out to grab it and noticed the scars still on his left hand. He could feel pain just trying to escape from them. He sat there for a moment and stared at his hand. He turned it over and noticed that there were more open cuts on his palm. He almost thought that they started to bleed right there. He shook his head and the scars reappeared. Apollo grabbed the brief case. He headed back out of the office.

"Well Trucy, are you coming with me to the trial?"

Trucy closed up the magazine and placed it on the table. "Sure it's not like I have anything better to do today." She stood up and walked over to Apollo. "You have this case in the bag anyways though so it's not like you need my help!"

Apollo smiled, "Yea I never need your help! And this case I-" Apollo stopped mid sentence due to a small bit of pain that came from a headache. He reached for his head with his right arm. "Ah, actually Trucy I forget what case is this?"

Trucy gasped, "Apollo you forgot about your case? Your client is detective Meekins! You're defending him because apparently he was found to have murdered someone named Robyn."

"Oh." Apollo continued rubbing his head and the headache soon subsided. "And he didn't do it, right?"

Trucy squinted her eyes at Apollo, "'Polly are you sure you're feeling alright? Daddy told me you had another dream again last night."

"I'm fine Trucy. It just, shook me up that's all." Apollo looked down at his feet and kicked something imaginary on the ground. "Let's get going I don't want to be late." Apollo and Trucy started making their way out of the office when they heard a muffled sound go off. It sounded closely like the theme song to the Steel Samurai.

Trucy threw her arms up in exasperation. "Did Daddy leave his phone again?!" She walked over to the piano and opened the piano bench up. She reached inside and picked up Phoenix's cell phone. "He always leaves it behind. We'll just take it with us. He's supposed to see us at the courthouse when we get out anyways." Trucy slipped it into her cape.

"Wait, Nick doesn't play piano anymore. Why would he leave it in there?"

Trucy looked at Apollo and just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, just does. Come on 'Polly let's head out."

Apollo and Trucy left the office and walked down the hall and down the stairs. They eventually made it to the courthouse steps. Apollo walked up them and into the courthouse. It was very cold and there were gigantic wooden panels everywhere. Apollo and Trucy walked down the all too familiar hallway and into the defense lobby Apollo was assigned to. Apollo sat down at the couch in the room and opened up his briefcase. He started assembling papers together and piling them up. Trucy walked over to Apollo and grabbed the papers from him and started looking at them.

"So do you think you can really prove him innocent?"

"Well I mean I must have all the proof somewhere in the notes. Let me see the court record."

Trucy tossed a small leather-bound book. Apollo opened it up and stared at the pages. All of which were blank except for a few black squiggles. "Trucy! I didn't take any notes of the evidence in here! Now what?!"

Trucy reached over and grabbed the book from him. She huffed and opened the book up to a page and looked into it. "You just had it opened to the wrong page. See it says right in here. There was a burnt match found at the scene located near the victim."

Apollo leaned back onto the couch and looked up at the ceiling. It seemed so far away from him as if it was constantly moving upwards. Apollo closed his eyes and scrunched them shut. He felt his headache coming back again and the pain in his hand was back as well. He started to grimace.

"Are you ok 'Polly? You're making a very pained expression."

"My hand hurts again. It feels like something is trying to burst out of it. It just hurts a lot."

"But your hand has fully healed up it shouldn't hurt anymore. Maybe you just have dry skin or something. I think I have some of that lotion Daddy uses on you."

Apollo rolled his neck and brought his right hand up and started rubbing his neck. "Yea, if you have some of that it would be great. It felt a lot better after he put that on for me earlier." Apollo brought his right hand back down and rested it on his lap. He immediately glanced down and look at his right hand. Something didn't feel right. He turned back towards Trucy. "Trucy. Where's my bracelet?"

"You're not wearing it? Oh, you must have taken it off last night then."

Apollo squinted his eyes and brought his right thumb up to his mouth and bit on it. "No, I wouldn't have taken it off. I never take it off when I sleep. In fact there was only one time I ever took it off."

"Well it's not here so you must have taken it off again."

"No, because I would remember. The only time I ever took it off was when my right arm was broken and I had to have a cast on it. I no longer have a cast on so why am I not wearing it?"

"I don't know Apollo. You're the investigator not me."

Apollo closed his eyes and tilted his head down. The headache started to grow worse. The pain in his hand flamed up and was even stronger than before. This caused Apollo to bite down harder on his thumb, but wait-

"Why can't I feel pain from my thumb?"

"What do you mean? I thought you were going to bite that thing off you must have felt something."

"No, I didn't." The pain in his head gradually grew worse and worse. "And why am I not wearing my bracelet? I only remember the last time I took it off. So why can't I remember this time?" Apollo brought both his hands up to his head. The pain was excruciating and causing everything around him to become fuzzy. "Trucy, why can't I remember anything? Why can't I remember how everything ended?"

"How what ended?"

"The Red Kakumei case! Trucy! How were we rescued!"

"Apollo, do you need me to call a doctor? You look like you are having another episode!"

Apollo's left hand flew from his head and he started thrashing it about. It felt as if he had just came in contact with the sun. "Trucy! Answer me how were we rescued!"

"What do you mean how were we rescued!"

Apollo's headache started to cause him to lose eyesight the room started to fade. "You don't know do you?!"

"I... Don't!"

Everything started to go black for Apollo and he muttered. "Because we weren't."


Apollo's eyes shot wide open. His head was throbbing and felt as if there was an ax in the center of his forehead trying to split his head down the center. He looked at his surroundings and found himself sitting down with his arms tied behind his back at awkward angles. His legs were immobilized as they were tied to a chair. He looked to his left and saw Trucy sitting there still unconscious. He looked to his right and started to cry. Phoenix was sitting right next to him.

There was a giant blood stain and a hole in the pants. His face had a lot of bruises all over and his head just drooped there lifeless.

"Nick. Nick please wake up. I woke up from my dream, please. Just... Just wake up. I don't want to live this nightmare anymore."