Chapter Text

Wright Anything Agency
September 5 9:30 a.m.

Apollo opened the door along with Athena behind him.

The office was quiet. Empty.

"Mr. Wright?" … "Boss?"

Phoenix heard his name. His mind foggy and groggy from last night after comforting Tucy. He heard Apollo calling out his name. He fumbled around, head still in pillow, blindly trying to grab his phone on the table by his bedside. He finally grabbed his phone, trying to press the main button. He looked up, sleep still in his eyes and groaned. He forgot it wasn't his old cinder block phone, but a new smartphone that Trucy dragged him into getting. He could remember it like it happened yesterday.

"Daddy, you need a new phone! That thing is as old as the original Harlem Shake!" He chuckled at the memory and pressed the bottom button. The time read 9:31 a.m.

He shook his head, fumbled upward and rubbed the sleep out his eyes. When he finally focused, he tumbled out of bed to see a bit of blood on his pillow.

Apollo and Athena heard a thud. They went towards the sound and knocked on their boss's door.

'Shit!' Phoenix thought as he turned over the pillow and wrapped himself in the blanket.

"Mr. Wright, are you okay?"

"Ugh…yeah. Just gimme a minute!" Phoenix yelped.

"He probably woke up late." Apollo looked at Athena.

"Hmmm… well…," she stopped. "Hurry up boss! No time to start the day late."

They headed back down the hall, passing Trucy's room. They looked into her room, bed was disheveled and a bit of a mess with certain posters knocked down and some pajamas on the bed. "Looks like she headed out early." Athena said with confusion.

Phoenix fumbled around in his closet trying to find his suit. 'Oh wait… Dammit!'

He thumped his forehead with ball of his palm and realized his clothes were tattered, along with his throat. He inspected his wardrobe. There were extra white dress shirts, a black vest for special occasions, a beige vest, and a green dress shirt. 'Psh! No way. I'd look like Godot with that on!'

He took out the black vest and a white dress shirt and threw them on the bed. He went back to the wardrobe and removed a pair of black slacks from a hanger. "It'll have to do." His bottom lip protruded in a bit of melancholy knowing that his original blazer is no longer with him.

'Rest in Peace: Wright's blazer. 2026-2028. Add stars if you cried.'

Wright closed the closet door, went to his drawers and grabbed an extra pair of undergarments, a red tie and socks. As soon as he picked up the sock, he found a picture of his former assistant.

He lifted it up with his free hand. Feelings partly happy and partly grief as he looked at the spirit medium in the photo. He finally mustered a smile. 'I miss you so much...' Raising the photo to his lips, he kissed it, wishing it was her.

Phoenix missed Maya. Her youthful spirit, her joyous attitude, her playful and bothersome antics. His burger loving spirit medium, how he yearned for her. She always made him happy and kept his spirit as young as hers when she was around. When she left for her Masterful duties in Kurain, he saw a large chunk of his life stripped from him. He did have Apollo, Athena, and Trucy to keep him at bay, but they never gave that 200% that Maya gave to him. He knew what was between them was more than platonic. She proved that to him before she left. Twas a wonderful night for both of them.

He gazed at the beautiful and smiling spirit medium one long moment before placing the picture back in the drawer. His heart now ached with long and loss.

He grabbed the rest of his clothes and ran straight into the bathroom.

Athena and Apollo quickly turned, but he was gone when they looked.

They heard a shower tap and proceeded onto the office couch. They stared at the clutter of magician tricks and bobbles before speaking.

"He's always late." Apollo nudged Athena.

"Yeah…" Athena spoke lowly.

Apollo detected something troubling in her tone. "What's wrong, Athena?"

She slowly started, "The boss seems troubled." she sighed.

"You think that…" he had trouble coming out with the word," ...woman has something to do with it?"

Athena slowly turned her head away from Apollo. "Maybe…"

Phoenix was in the shower quickly washing himself. The cold water helped suppress the rest of the sleep his body yearned for. He shampooed his hair and messed around with his hair, trying to flatten the spikes, but they slowly returned to their positions with foamy bubbles intermingling each crevice. He proceeded to lathering himself as a thought juggled in his mind.

'The night before… the night before… the night beeeeeffffoooooooooorrrre...'

He felt a twitch in his throat and clicked his tongue. He brushed it off. He washed off all the soap, slowly the soap trickled down his body as his face took the streams of water head on. He turned off the tap, slid the door open and grabbed the towel hanging from the side. Drying himself and proceeded to wrap it around his waist.

He looked at himself in the mirror, 'no need to shave'.

Phoenix grabbed his toothbrush, clipped open the tab of the toothpaste and spread the red, blue and white substance on the bristles of his brush. He brushed his teeth thoroughly, making sure those teeth were squeaky clean. He proceed to brush his tongue, but accidentally hit his tonsil. "GAH!"

He coughed and gagged, little splotches of blood hit the sink. He grunted, grabbed his throat to rub the pain away and washed his brush off with the other hand. Settling the brush back on its stand then proceeded to wipe away the blood under the running water. Phoenix looked up and stared straight into his eyes. His teeth gritted, his lips quivered, arms firmly grabbing the sink, he growled and he violently shook his head. Water splaying all over the floor from his hair.

He recaptured his focus, breathing in and exhaled slowly. The condensation of the mirror quickly cleared up as his breath touched the mirror. He quickly brushed his hair into his trademark spikes, dried himself and soon clothed himself. He flexed his chest while adjusting the tie and arms akimbo as soon as he finished.

Looking at himself in the mirror, "Not bad, Phoenix. Not bad at all," a smug grin formed on his face. The last thing he put on, was his attorney badge, prideful and dedicated on the side of his black vest matching directly with the golden buttons.

It was a long pause until Phoenix finally came out of the bathroom. Apollo and Athena looked at their boss in astonishment.

"Wow… you look… bigger?" Athena sounded.

He stopped and a bit of tinge in his face. 'Bigger?'

"Like… fatter…?" Phoenix asked with growing concern.

"No! no! Bigger as in more... " she fumbled the word. "Muscular?"

"Yeah, I just noticed it, Mr. Wright." Apollo added. "And I like the new clothes in a way."

"I don't remember working out, you two." Phoenix said sheepishly with his hand rubbing the back of his neck. He patted his chest, "but you like the clothes?"

"Yeah, they're pretty cool. If you would've worn a black dress shirt, I would've thought you were darker than Blackquill!"

Phoenix swallowed and looked down at his attire. The opinion did stick, but he did like the new dark look. Made him feel and look more refined and sumptuous.

The young attorneys shook their heads and turned on the TV.

Athena gasped. The news anchorwoman began to speak.

"Police are investigating on a missing person. He was last seen walking in this very block on his way to work for the night shift, but hasn't been seen since. His coworkers were certain that they saw him running near the block of his workplace. If you have seen this man, please contact the local police department. Thank you."

The news displayed a picture of the man, about his later thirties, barely built, and had a small physique holding onto what would seem to be either family or friends surrounding him. The news anchorwoman was questioning one of the employees who sounded very concern about their missing coworker.

"Hey! Isn't that like five blocks away from here?" Athena roused.

"Oh! Yeah! It's next to that Deli where they make those really tasty subs. Awww. Yeah." Apollo leaned back and licked his lips with his hands on the back of his head.

Phoenix's eyes were still fixed onto the TV, his brows furrowed when he saw a familiar figure far in the background. 'Violet suit? Blonde hair?'

It was his previous client! She was listening to a tall man in a dark suit and a trilby hat. She didn't have her blazer on and the sleeves of her dress shirt were folded neatly up to her forearm. Her arms were folded, but her head shifted towards the camera. She looked towards… no...directly into the the camera? No. She was looking at Phoenix. His mouth became dry. His gaze was stuck, he couldn't move his eyes. They were stuck on her.

"Mr. Wright… what are you doing?" Apollo questioned the man. Phoenix was in front of the TV, drooling…

"Too much TV is bad for your brain, boss." Athena said wagging her finger attentively.

Phoenix felt an invisible force push him back as he settled between Athena and Apollo. His trance was finally broken when the news anchorwoman finished. "...and back to you."

"Mr. Wright?" Athena was waving her hand in front of Phoenix's face until he finally realized he was long gone. His eyes teared up, realizing he wasn't blinking. He held his eyes shut and rubbed them. "You okay?"

"Yeah yeah. I just wasn't blinking."

Athena frowned. 'What's wrong with him?'

The TV broke the silence between the attorneys.

"This just in. Update on the missing person. An investigation was done recently around the area of a previous attack that occurred. Forensics has shown that the amount of blood found at the scene have investigators believe this to be a homicide."

The News cast continued themselves on their worried and sympathetic concerns on the victim and the victim's family, soon proceeding on later with celebrity news and the weather.

"We should check that out!" Apollo insisted. "It's like right around the corner."

"Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea," Phoenix responded his face finally cleared.

Athena shrugged and followed her colleagues. Still a little concerned on her boss.