Wright Anything Agency

September 5 1:25 a.m.

They were all back at his office. No sign of Pearl. 'Where could she be?' Phoenix thought.

He settled down in his office chair. Athena nestled down onto the office couch. "Oh! That little spirit medium! If she wasn't so cute, I'd give her a spanking… with words…"

"Hahahaha! Boss, you're too much." Athena looked over her shoulder and gave a look of confusion. Apollo was leaning against the wall, arms folded, one hand on his bracelet. His eyes were focused painfully on Phoenix. His brows were almost glued together with the most stern look she had seen on Apollo's face. She got up and walked towards the thinking attorney against the wall. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. His eyes didn't blink, trying to read Mr. Wright. 'There's something weird here.'

"Apollo?" Athena asked lightly.

'He's been acting weird. I can't read him...'

"Apollo?" Athena repeated, her voice slightly higher pitched.

'Dammit… not even my bracelet is acting up, but I can't help but feel something out of place.'

"Apollo?!" Athena gave an angry look, her hands on her hips.

'Wait! Did I just see-?"

"APOLLO!" Athena smacked his shoulder.

Apollo flinched back, quickly unfolding his arms, his focus now fully on Athena, "OW! What?!"

She pursed her lips, "There's no time for daydreaming Apollo." She waved her hand at his face to make sure he was still with her, at least mentally on the same note. Her facial expression slowly changed to one of concern. "What's bothering you, Apollo?"

Apollo blinked at her several times before lying through his teeth, "Nothing…"

Athena's eyelids dropped halfway, 'He is such a bad liar...'

"I know you're lying Apollo, I don't even have to hear your heart. Your face says it all." Her arms were crossed. Apollo thought about telling her what his mind was really thinking about, but he was afraid that she would judo kick him through the office building if he told her. He thought for another moment and took a deep breath. He turned around to notice that Phoenix was no longer in his office chair. 'Where did he go?'

"Well!" Athena made sure that she was in front of Apollo, still awaiting for an answer. "Are you going to tell me?" Her foot was now tapping the floor in anticipation.

"I- Well- you see. I'm," Apollo's coherence was about as clear as a whisper in a traffic jam. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Out with it, man." Athena said in a serious but collected voice.

"Well, I'm ugh… a bit worried for Mr. Wright…" He euphemized his words.

"Why?" she asked, but then added her opinion, "Was it the incident the other night?"

Her demeanor changed from demanding to empathy.

"Yeah, kinda…" Apollo ushed the words, trying his extreme to keep the pokerface, but the attempt was failing.

Athena saw it in his heart that he was obviously hiding some of the truth. She raised her gloved hand at neck level and looked him in the eye. "Apollo… don't make me do this." Her hand was heading towards Widget.

Apollo leaned more against the wall, his hands gripping the wall, "Athena! You promised you wouldn't do that to me!"

Her hand was now around Widget, about to tap her finger and bring up the mood matrix. "Well, c'mon! Tell me!" She gave him a devious look. Apollo just wanted to run out of the before his friend would read him like a book right in front of him. He clenched his fists by his sides and cringed, "I'm just really worried about the boss! Just please don't use Widget on me!" Chords of Steel were working nervously.

Phoenix poked his head out his office room. He cleared his throat and stepped out of the doorway. Closing the door slowly behind him, he looked very dashing, almost in slow motion. He tilted his head up pompously with the biggest grin on his face. His demeanor changed as he slowly approached the younger attorneys in front of him. He looked down at Athena and Apollo, Apollo still holding his head down. "Did something happen?" Their boss tilted his head to the side.

"No, Mr. Wright." Apollo muttered through his teeth in defeat. Phoenix stretched his hand out to the vest of the red attorney, patting his shoulder and then squeezed it. The touch on Apollo's shoulder was warm and welcome. Apollo opened his eyes slowly and proceeded to slowly rotating his head towards his more experienced mentor. This sudden feeling of relaxation and comfort came over him, the very source starting with the very shoulder that Mr. Wright had his hand on, like a cool mint refreshing experience. Mr. Wright's face displayed energy and authority over his junior employee.

Apollo's lips, involuntarily, began to shape a smile. Amazed in a scary way how just a small gesture can make him forget the questionable behavior earlier to the most comforting defense attorney again. "Are you sure, Apollo?" His voice with a minor sass.

"Yes, Mr. Wright. I am fine!"

Phoenix was pensive on why Pearl would called him all of a sudden to his office. 'She didn't seem troubled, nor was she too excited. Ugh!'

"Oh! That little spirit medium! If she wasn't so cute, I'd give her a spanking… with words…" Phoenix lowly yelled out. He didn't realize he was thinking out loud.

"Hahahaha! Boss, you're too much." Athena laughed as she sat on the office couch. 'Oops' he thought to himself.

His hands were together, fingers intermingled, as his chin rested on the clasped hands, deep in thought. 'Why would she suddenly run out? Trucy said it was an emergency, but Pearls would at least tell me! Maybe it's… nah!'

His foot was now tapping the ground. He didn't notice that Athena was slowly making her way across his desk and towards Apollo. 'Maybe Pearls doesn't want me to worry about something? What if…' the thoughts juggled in his mind. 'Did something bad happen in Kurain?'

Phoenix stood at his desk, his elbows extended from his knees to his desk. His face was straight, but his mind was in dischord. His heart lightly leaping faster in his chest. 'What if something happened to Maya?!' Phoenix swallowed hard, gripping the hand rest of his seat. The attorney against the wall was eying him, but Phoenix was too caught up on his now worried thoughts to even notice. 'But if something really did happen to Maya, Pearls would inform me first… right?'

He shuffled a bit in his seat. 'But if something did happen, why not tell me to go to the train station? Why the office?' Phoenix leaned back on his seat trying to relax. 'I'm just going to have to wait until she gets here.' His hand glided through his hair and threw his hand back on his lap with his head arched back over his chair. 'Oh, Maya...'

Phoenix swallowed harder. Every time her name was mentioned, he would have a sudden feeling in his chest until it reached his neck. A hot and tingly sensation of worry crept, finally making its way to his back. He tensed his muscles, the black vest was getting tighter against his flexing muscles. Shooting out of his chair, he quietly went to his office room. Apollo looked over Athena's shoulder and realized that his boss was gone.

Phoenix closed his office door and locked it behind him. He swiftly made it to his drawers again and shuffled around. His hands violently searched around and finally stopped. His hands reached for the photo in the most agonizing pace. He caught it by the corner, making sure not to smudge the frame that held an illustration of the most treasured person in his life besides his daughter.

His jaw was losing strength to keep his mouth closed. She was beautiful in his eyes in every way. He laid back on his chair, feet propped on his desk and met the picture with his lips. He brought the picture down to his chest and inhaled with great passion before exhaling through his nose. HIs eyes slowly closed. Darkness comforted him with a still image of her in his mind. 'She's okay… I can feel it… I just know! I may not have evidence, but my belief is all I need.'

Wright's fond memories came to a halt when he heard a yell coming from the opposite side of the door. Feet falling to the floor, he stood up from his chair and walked to the drawer. His gaze on the picture one last time before he placed it back into the drawer, closing it shut. 'I'm going to see you, Maya. One day, when I get the chance, I will.'

The door opened to reveal his tall stature once again, emerging from the confines of his office room. He closed it behind him and looked at his employees,"did something happen?"

"No, Mr. Wright." Approaching Apollo, he squeezed his shoulder and felt it in his heart that everything would be okay. "Are you sure, Apollo?" His contagious demeanor spreading into the attorney he had in his firm grip.

"Yes, Mr. Wright. I am fine."