April 3rd, 2027
Time Unknown
Location Unknown
"Thank you, Wright, for being able to meet on such short notice."
"Of course, Miles. What's the occasion?"
"I have someone I'd like you to meet. Kay?"
Edgeworth's twenty-six year old daughter stepped out from behind the corner, a ginger peeked out from behind her. She was only about an inch shorter than Kay, but seemed worlds smaller.
"This is Doctor Cykes."
"I didn't realize she was already in the country."
"Her visa arrived a little earlier than expected. Her caretaker and I decided it might be best to get her into the country early and let her settle. She's quite gun-shy." He turned towards the two young women. "Athena? Would you like to meet your new boss?"
Athena stepped closer. The first thing Phoenix noticed on her was the strange, frightened looking necklace. Once she was close, her head threw up and gaze hardened. That's when he noticed the strange scar circling her throat like a collar.
"She's one of Franziska's rescues, and the missing witness from the Blackquill case. A seasoned fighter both in and out of court."
"Really? I didn't know Von Karma was involved."
"Ever since the crackdown on illegal entertainment began, they've had a flood of people, mainly children, come into Interpol custody. Of course, because she was seized by Interpol, I've had some trouble finding a residence for her. Typically, I would have offered her the spare bedroom but, she's… afraid of Pess."
"Afraid of your dog? He wouldn't hurt a fly."
"She's afraid of dogs, large ones especially."
"She's got a pit history!" Kay blurted, clasping a hand over her mouth.
"Oh."
"As you can see, it's detrimental to her health for her to live with us, considering her history. Pess is currently boarded for his own safety, but it would be in his best interest to relocate Doctor Cykes as quickly as possible."
"There's the back room of the office. It wouldn't be ideal permanently, but it would let you bring Pess home, and it'd give her plenty of space."
"What do you think, Athena? Would you like to go with Mr. Wright in a few weeks?"
She wouldn't look up at him, but bowed her head even more. "Of course, sir."
Phoenix knelt down to her hidden height. "Well, I'm excited to work with you, Athena. My daughter, Trucy, is so excited to meet you."
Her head sunk even further into her shoulders, if that was even possible, and spoke in a hushed, rushed voice. "I won't let you down. I'll make you see my worth, sir." Finally, she looked up at him. "You won't regret me."
"Oh… Athena, why would I regret you? You're a promising young lawyer."
Edgeworth's face crinkled as Athena took a few steps back. "When Franziska found her…" He gestured for Athena to step behind him. "She came from human trafficking, Wright."
"...oh."
"I'll do anything you say, Boss, anything at all, in fact, I'll-"
"Cease your rambling, Athena. You're worth more than that."
"Yes, sir, yes, sir, I'm sorry, sir." Athena's voice was growing louder, but her words were becoming faster.
"Kay? I… think Athena has had enough for one day. Help her get somewhere quiet, would you?"
"Of course!" Kay held out one arm towards Athena, and the young lady had instantly darted into her arms before they exited the room.
"Her abusers were mostly male, so it's been a pain getting her to open back up."
"How… how long-?"
"Since the incident, it seems. Our investigation into how she got there is ongoing. But Athena, and her special power, will be ready for you in time. She's recovered vastly in the past week or so, and Kay thinks that one experience will cause the dominos to fall and for her to show her true self. She has an astounding temperament, Wright. I've no doubt that she'll be a force to be reckoned with once she comes out of this state of extreme self-preservation."
December 19th, 2027
3:30pm
Wright Anything Agency
She was sitting there, watching the world go by below. Apollo hadn't wanted to talk to her, and the Boss had essentially just let her be.
This time, Apollo hadn't apologized. It was their first day after being discharged (excluding their little escapade the first morning of Juniper's trial,) and she already knew he wasn't going home with her.
The lease was in his name, so it was only a matter of time before she was in the shelter. Edgeworth would try to take her in again, but she couldn't do that to him. Not again.
Not to poor Pess.
She'd been so stupid.
Stupid to believe someone would truly love her.
Stupid to believe everyone would trust her.
In this Dark Age, of course everyone was looking out for themselves. No one was willing to just go along, not without a price.
She tasted the blood already. The blood would never fall upon her hands or lips, but that didn't stop the taste from rushing through. And honestly? She was overcome by the nostalgia of it. She looked forward to it, as much as one could without absolute psychopathy.
She ripped off her jacket and discarded it to the floor. The cuffs, warm from body heat and the space heater running nearby, glistened with a threat newly realized. The mark was well concealed, less she go feral.
Perhaps she should take the risk, health-wise and social-wise, and look for ways to get blood back in her diet.
What can she do? Old habits die hard. She was already legally insane, so she could freely blame that little tidbit. Of course, at the rate things were deteriorating, she may not have a chance to blame.
She'd nearly finished it off many times, stopped only by the coexistence of hope and fear. The hope was quickly dying, and the fear was rapidly consuming it. And she cared too much for the fear than to discard it to be trod on like the jacket.
Vivid as some parts were, recollection was denied. As much as fear and sorrow strangled her, the reasons why were lost. The reasons why she knew things that weren't hers to know, the reason for the silver streaking through the lower layers of her hair when she had the burning feeling it wasn't always so…
And those fuzzy memories mess with her temper.
"Daddy! Thena! We're home!" A young magician burst through the door, ending her haunting.
Athena gathered the jacket from the floor, before one of the security guards passed by and called Fulbright on her for noncompliance… again. "Afternoon, Trucy! How was school?"
"School. I like being home with you, Daddy and Polly more. I can practice my magic here!" Trucy shrugged. "You warm, Thena? You can take your jacket off, there's no one here but us." She flashed a grin and bounced on her toes. "And I'm not going to call the cops on you!"
"Thank you, Trucy. But I'm good, I was just… thinking. How was the weather, Apollo?"
"Not bad, gonna investigate more later. Got a few interesting leads, a few people willing to talk. Things better done covert and solo."
"I see. That's good at least. I shouldn't expect you for dinner?" She unconsciously dipped her head away from him at the mention of dinner. He hadn't even come home to sleep since Clay passed. Why would he bother to have a meal in her presence?
He never outright said it, but the reason was not because of Clay, it was because she lived there too… for the time being.
"Can't. Crematory."
"I… didn't realize that was today. I'm sorry." It hurt, hurt deep inside. She knew in her heart of hearts that he'd scheduled the appointment during the dinner hours for the sole purpose of ignoring her.
"It's alright." She couldn't tell if that was genuine. "We've both been busy."
All she could do was nod and burst out her suspicions. Last thing she wanted was yet another fight with him. The last thing she wanted was his anger.
He heard that she wouldn't respond. There was no way she could edge herself back in, he was just too stubborn.
She could only watch as he approached their boss with one eye, almost no exposed skin and a body full of business. "Sorry. But I'll be taking a leave of absence."
"Wait! What do you mean by a 'leave'?!" A-Apollo? No… please… please no…
Her boss' brow furrowed. "Can you at least give me a reason why?"
The expression in her beloved's eyes didn't change. He was still focused on something far beyond them. "I can only say… that this is something I must settle on my own."
Before she could process what he said, he had left and shut the door behind him.
When it finally made sense to her brain, a full five seconds after he left, she bolted out the door behind him. "Apollo, wait!"
Unlike his previous announcement, she realized she'd made a mistake instantly. And before she could talk sense into either her or him, she had been knocked backward from the force of his hand against her neck, and had slammed into a table nearby.
The shooting pain was just below her shoulder. The way Apollo looked at her before running off, with fear and uncertainty, she knew everything was already falling apart. She gathered herself back up, bit back her tears and re-entered the Agency. This death was ugly, and despite what she'd experienced, it was kindest to finish it off while the wound was fresh. "If we're going to solve this…" She threw her head up in the air, once more flashing the odd, thin scar circling her neck as if it threatened to suffocate her. "Then there's something I'm afraid I must tell you, Boss. A… confession, of sorts."
No turning back now, but the beast just needs to die.
Her boss, obviously immensely bothered by Apollo's odd and quick departure, bit into his frown. "Of course, Athena. What's on your mind?"
A heavy sigh escaped her. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but, well…" She threw herself around, back facing towards him, as Uncle Simon always did. If her uncle really was the only dependable entity, she may as well lean into his mannerisms.
"I'm not Athena Cykes."
