The pen continued tapping on the desk, like a clock. 'That trial… that trial...' the words kept echoing in his head.
'That trial was very easy, almost… planned,' he wrestled against the thought.
The man began to flash back to the trial.
Courtroom No. 5
Date: September 3 Time: 10:25 a.m.
"OBJECTION!"
The words echoed through the courtroom. The spectators riled as the defense attorney was about to make his claim. The judge slammed his gavel, "Order! Order in the court!"
"That's nothing but a baseless conjecture. You cannot see in the security footage that she had a weapon." Phoenix shouted at the prosecutor with his famous pointer.
Gaspen Payne patted the silly lock of hair and continued. "Yes, but you also can't say she didn't attack him." He stood pompous and content with his accusation.
"He attacked first!" Phoenix slammed his signature hands against the defense desk. "It was self-defense! And the lack of weaponry and clarity cannot point her as a suspect!"
Payne smiled and looked back, "She was the only one near the scene of the crime. No one had intervened between 1:25 to 1:35 a.m."
Phoenix stood there gaped. The prosecution had a point. He stared back at his client on the witness stand. Calm as ever with her arms folded as if enjoying the exchange of defense and prosecution like a street show. 'How can she be so calm? I should really be like her right now, but she was the only one there'.
There was a moment of silence. Athena and Apollo watched from the benches as their boss look disheveled. Athena couldn't help, but look at the defendant ironically grand behind the witness stand, which her boss had previously unraveled witnesses' lies before.
"Apollo?" Athena nudged.
"Yeah?"
Athena hesitated at her words at first, but spoke fluidly eventually, "I know the boss believes in his client, but there is something strange about her. Almost… ominous. She hasn't spoken besides her testimony. She's not even offended by Payne's accusations."
"She has faith in Mr. Wright, Athena. Don't you?" Apollo said sincerely.
"Of course!" She responded quickly, "It's just… she may be innocent, but her presence doesn't feel the same way."
Apollo shook his head as and looked back at the heated debate Payne managed to pile on top of Phoenix's reprimands.
Regina looked up and unfolded her arms and looked directly at Phoenix. Her stare was serious yet comforting and she spoke, "Phoenix…?"
"Y-Yes?" he answered.
She smiled, her teeth slightly showing, giving him shivers. The words she spoke later would erupt a volcano of emotion within him.
"A Lawyer is someone who smiles no matter how bad it gets..."
Those words sent so many vibrations through him he thought he would shatter. 'HOW?! WHY?!'
"Now do your job...," she continued. "...And smile for me!"
His body went full throttle, against his will, his lips curved and he smiled, but it wasn't a normal smile, it was a mischievous one. His brows furrowed and his pupils enlarged to the point that his blue irises disappeared.
"Objection!" he shouted. Almost inhumanly.
The judge and prosecutor were in shocked by his sudden change in demeanor.
"Eeeeep!" Athena muffly shrieked through her hands. Apollo directed his view towards her. "Are you okay?!"
She began to tremble, holding herself as her boss continued to speak.
"LIghten the video settings where the dark areas are visible!" Phoenix demanded.
The videos brightness showed a vague struggle between the suspect and the victim for about a minute and let go. Until it hit 1:35.
"As you can see, your Honor! There's no room for debate." Payne interjected his voice proudly, "This woman obviously attacked the victim."
"HOLD IT!" Phoenix yelled. "Now look at the camera after 1:35!"
"What?! NO!" Gaspen shrieked.
Athena again jumped in her seat as Phoenix's words vibrated in the air. Apollo tried his hardest to keep her from making a scene. "Athena? What's wrong?"
The video showed the victim being dragged away by another into the dark alley way while Regina was already down the block from the view of the camera.
"TAKE THAT!" Phoenix projected. His infamous index finger stroke the air so fiercely that a small gust of wind came from the wave of his arm.
Apollo began vibrating as much as Athena and tried convincing her to get ahold of herself. He looked down at Widget to see it shifting violently between yellow and blue.
"As you can see, your Honor. There is another witness, or should I say, suspect, who had contact with the victim after 1:35 a.m.!"
Regina smiled. She snickered quietly.
Phoenix clenched his fists tightly and this time slammed the desk sending a small aftershock to the floor, "My client couldn't have assaulted the victim by the report!" he growled through the last words.
"But… B-But!" Payne tried to raise an objection, but was greeted with rejection.
Phoenix and Regina looked at Payne. Soon he did feel pain. The deathly glares they were giving him was soul crushing. He looked at Phoenix first, he leaned back in intimidation as the defense lawyer looked at him with a grimace that showed his teeth clenched tightly with a lip quivering snarl almost as if he would lunge across the courtroom and attack him.
Payne shifted his view to Regina. She greeted him with a glare that told him a whole entire library of threats that if he made one argument out of the peep hole, his fate would be down one. A very dark and deep hole.
Payne began to panic and his legs became jelly with freight, passed his fear of the bomb that had threatened to blow courtroom to smithereens like last time. His suit was tight against him and reinforced with sweat. He darted out the courtroom with whatever dignity he shoveled left.
Regina let go of her hold by the wave of her fingertips.
Phoenix finally came back to complete consciousness as he realized his nails were digging holes underneath the defense bench. He shook his head and wiped a cold sweat from his forehead confused by what just happened.
"Well Mr. Wright. I expected no less from you!" The judge applauded. "This was a very… quick case. And you somehow managed to make Payne… soil himself silly."
Phoenix stared confusingly at the judge and to his client who had her head down and arms folded in satisfaction and smiled with an evil grin.
"I guess I did", he smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. 'What happened?'
Athena slowly gained control of her quivering muscles and looked at Apollo. Apollo was teeming with concern on his face as his hands were holding her shoulders. "Athena, it's okay. The boss won."
Her eyes widened and darted to the defense bench. Apollo shook her lightly to prevent her from having another episode. "Athena?!"
"Just don't scare me like that either, Mr. Wright. You nearly gave me a fright!" the judge added.
'What did I just do? I know, what I did, but…?' he fought back his thoughts as the judge raised his gavel.
"We will have to pursue further investigations on this new suspect." The Judge proceeded. "For now, I find the defendant…" There was a minor pause.
"Not Guilty."
There was an applause and the spectators clapped. Athena was still transfixed in her frozen state, looking at her boss and then his client with utmost fear.
"Court is dismissed."
Everyone gathered outside in the lobby.
"Wow boss, you did a great job. That case was really quick!" Apollo appeased. He fixed his view at Athena with concern.
"Yeah, that sure was… something." Athena stuttered.
Phoenix looked concerned at Athena. "Athena, is there something wrong?"
"It's just that… I don't know," she added. "It felt like, you weren't there." She held herself.
"What do you mean?" Phoenix asked.
"I sensed that you…" she paused. She began to tremble again. "Disappeared…"
Apollo and Phoenix looked confusingly at her. "Why's that? I was there in the courtroom, wasn't I? Phoenix sassed.
"Your heart… it felt empty… dark… enraged, like a void, like it wasn't you." Athena started shaking violently. "But you're back now?"
Phoenix knelt down and settled her on the lobby couch. He held her shoulders in concern trying to keep her still. "Just breath, Athena."
He couldn't help, but feel a certain guilt. He did in fact felt like he was transfixed in an empty space for sometime in that courtroom. Like his shell of a body was taken over. But he didn't want to admit that this feeling felt strangely…
...Good…Satisfying...
"Don't worry, Athena. It's all over! And if anything happens like that again, please let me know," he assured her.
He felt a sudden darkness behind him. A feeling that made him jump quickly to his feet. He turned around to see his mystery client. Athena quickly hid behind her boss, like a cowering child.
She smiled. Phoenix felt uncontrollably and uncomfortably close to the woman. He backed up a bit, but stopped before bumping into Athena. She looked at him, a bit of hurt in her look.
"I do have to say, thank you, Mr. Wright." She lifted her hand to him for a shake. He slowly made contact to her cold hand. Once he made contact, he could of sworn he heard the screams of people dying.
His hand began to fumble back down to his side as he felt his skin crawl. She blinked rather slowly to reveal her beautiful visage back at him.
"I assure you, for what you have done here, I will reimburse you grandly," her voice soft. "May I compensate your hard work as well as your young colleagues to dinner?" Her hands slowly greeted together in delight.
Phoenix felt Athena shaking uncontrollably and poking pulling his blazer to usher in disagreement.
"No that is fine! We have plans to ourselves!" he hesitantly uttered.
She looked at him and pondered. Her eyes looked at his chest, almost sizzling through his body to see Athena cowering behind him. She inhaled and exhaled.
Again, the cold breath hit Phoenix hard. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn she gave him frost bite.
"Very well." she nodded. "I will discuss the charges and fees later tonight with you, Phoenix Wright…" she stretched his name.
Apollo froze and finally had some sort of idea of how intimidating this woman is. He saw, in a frame of a second, how her teeth had sheathed sharply, as she said his boss's name, to a very thorny figure until it quickly dissipated as her mouth closed.
'Now I know what Athena is scared of...' he thought.
"Sure," Phoenix regained his posture.
"I will ssssee you then, Mr. Wright." she smiled again. She walked through the exit and later disappeared.
"Boss…," Athena struggled. "Her heart… it… it's… it's…!" She began breaking down in tears in front of everyone in the lobby.
Witnesses began eavesdropping, but soon was shoved away by Apollo and Trucy.
"What's wrong Athena?!" Phoenix held her trying to comfort her.
"It's… It's… so…" Her gasps and cries were interfering with her coherence. "So… dark… and cold...Inhuman…" she finally bursted out in an emotional mess.
"LIKE HOW I SENSED YOU!"
Phoenix was in complete shock. "WHAT?!"
