(Sorry about the wait, guys. I was hoping that I'd get more reviews from the people who were once reading this after the holidays were over, but oh well. Might as well just keep going. Hope you like this one! If you look at it in the right way, this one ends up being kind of cute, but sad at the same time.)
Chapter 13
"Okay, according to Tilea, we don't have a lot of time." Ares was pacing back and forth in front of the other three, who were sitting on the edges of the beds in the hotel room, considering there were really no other places to sit. "Miles is in bad shape, and there's only so much she can do without attracting any suspicion. We need a plan of attack, because according to her, we're outnumbered."
Gumshoe frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Well, pal, aren't you the tactical guy?"
"Well… yeah, but…" Ares stopped pacing to face them. "Of course I'm the professional, but anyone can come up with ideas. Besides, considering we're doing this without the permission of the FBI, I don't exactly have access to the wealth of information I'm used to."
Wright appeared to be in deep thought. "But… he knows who all three of us are; it won't be easy to fool him like Tilea was able to."
Ares shook his head. "You're right, that's why we can't come up with anything that would count on him having forgotten you two." He was looking at the two men. "Especially you, Mr. Wright. Manfred von Karma is not likely to forget the face of the only defense attorney to ever defeat him. By the time he sees any of you, it should already be too late."
"Or perhaps a distraction." It was Franziska who had spoken this time, and she looked to be thinking just as hard as Wright.
The others looked at her, Ares frowning. "I hope you don't mean yourself," he said. "Allowing you to put yourself in immediate danger would--"
"You would do so for Tilea." She was gazing up at him, a fierce determination in her eyes. Both now recalled their conversation earlier that day, and Ares seemed to recoil at this.
"W-well… Of course I would, but…"
"I didn't come all the way back to Germany to just sit around in a hotel room while everyone else runs to his rescue. If there is something I can do that could ensure his safety, I will not hesitate. I've never let anyone stand in my way, not even for my own protection."
Everyone was silent, shocked by the sudden reappearance of the Franziska von Karma they had all grown used to. She still looked sad, but that fire had returned, and it was plain to see that they weren't about to convince her to stay behind.
"…Very well then…" Ares cleared his throat. "Perhaps… a distraction would be an effective approach. If you could convince your father that you came looking for Miles alone, we might have a chance to take them by surprise, or even get Miles out without notice."
"And where would we come in?" Wright asked nervously.
"I haven't gotten that far yet," Ares said, sounding stressed now, but excited. "Look, I highly doubt we'll be able to avoid a fight, and that's where you two will most definitely be able to help."
At this, Gumshoe grinned eagerly, while Wright appeared to want to run. "Come on, pal," Gumshoe said, smacking him on the shoulder. "We saw you fightin' that Sanders guy! You had him beat until he bashed you with that hammer!"
Wright grinned sheepishly. "Well, that was--"
"What?" Franziska was staring at Phoenix Wright in shock. "Y-you…"
He suddenly felt like melting into the floor, and this feeling increased as Gumshoe took it upon himself to recount the story. "You heard me right, Miss von Karma! Defense Attorney Phoenix Wright fought Serial Murderer Brad Sanders! I didn't get to see the whole thing because I was fighting some other guy, but Wright here was vicious! He was trying to throttle the guy with his gun and everything! It was spectacular!"
Wright's cheeks were now a vivid red despite his trying to hide his face, and it appeared as if he had stolen the color from Franziska's. "You two were…" She looked up at Ares, who was leaning against the dresser in front of them with his arms folded.
"I suppose we didn't ever find the appropriate time to bring it up," he said. "But yes, Mr. Wright and the detective both joined Tilea and I, as did Miles and a couple of other agents. Tilea sent Miles to go find you while the rest of us fought. The other agents were killed along with Sanders' cronies, and the rest of us were incapacitated. That's how it came down to a one-on-one battle, or a one-on-two as luck would have it."
Franziska turned once again toward Wright and Gumshoe, and then lowered her head. She had retained the hope that they had not known what had really happened to her, but now that she knew they had come as well, there was no chance of that. She suddenly felt exposed, her humiliation known to people she had once had respect from.
"Look…" Ares said, feeling the unsettling atmosphere in the room. "…I don't think this is a topic we should be discussing right now. Miles needs help, and Tilea can't save him alone."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Miles cowered in frightened anticipation as he saw the needle in his master's hand once again. He whimpered and closed his eyes as it came toward him, and his body gave a violent jolt as he felt it pierce the side of his neck. A sharp intake of breath as the poison entered, and then he screamed as the pain climaxed. It felt as if every nerve in his body was on fire, searing him deeper then any other type of pain could.
This had become von Karma's favorite method of torture, for it always initiated the best reaction. Ironically enough, it required the least amount of effort on his part.
Phoenix put a hand to her mouth in horror, muffling a scream of her own. The only urge she had resisted upon witnessing this was to rush at von Karma and strangle him. Once again, had this been almost anyone else, she would have felt nothing at all, been able to stand idly by and watch with her usual steady expression. In fact, she had administered this torture on prime suspects during difficult interrogations on numerous occasions, but before her lay her friend, guilty of nothing and suffering the agony of nerve toxin. This chemical was specifically designed to cause pain, and it did not lack in this area at all. It was pure Hell. Ares had once described to her exactly what it felt like, for he had once been overpowered during an interrogation and made to suffer it until help arrived. Apparently there had been another incident as well, but Phoenix refused to recall it.
She wasn't sure why he had brought her down here to watch this, but she concluded that it was to frighten her, make her aware of his power. As such, she figured this would be one of those rare times when losing her composure would be the best approach to authenticity. She continued to stare in horror, working up tears as best she could, and when the needle went in again and his scream reached her, she cried out again as well.
"Stop it!" she shrieked, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Just leave him alone!"
A sudden quiet filled the room with the exception of Miles' whimpers and the sobs of both of the younger two occupying it. Slowly, von Karma stood up and turned to face the girl, who was standing with her back against the wall staring at him in utter terror.
"H-How… c-can you do this?" she choked out. "How… can you do this to another human being?"
"It's quite simple, actually." He was now advancing on her, a smirk resting comfortably on his sinister face. "You fill this needle with some of the contents of this container, find a vein, and-"
"You're sick!" He was too close now for her to move away. "W-what could he have possibly done to deserve this?" Her voice trembled as he towered over her, and a surge of adrenaline shot through her as his hand flew out and closed around her throat. She had to resist the powerful urge to knock his ass out.
He leaned down a bit so that she could see his face clearly illuminated by the flames nearby. "Are you questioning me?" His voice was pure venom, and had Phoenix really been who she was pretending to be, she would have crumpled before him.
She gave no response, partly due to the fact that she couldn't breathe. With great force, he thrust her away from him to the cold floor and she began to cough as she rolled onto her back to stare up at him.
"Speak another word, and you will join him!" He let his threat explain itself as he moved off to continue his activity, his anger at her now directed at Miles, making his assault even more vicious.
Phoenix didn't move again until he had left the room, wondering all the while how such an evil man had only recently been convicted of anything. 'He couldn't have always been this sadistic,' she thought to herself. 'Prison must have driven him insane; this is one of the worst cases I've seen in a long time.' When he had finally exited, slamming the door behind him, Phoenix got up easily and moved cautiously toward the man lying just a few yards away crying and shaking.
When he heard footsteps coming near him, he panicked. "N-no more… Please, Mater!"
"Miles!"
Not having heard the voice he associated with his master, he looked up to see the redheaded girl coming to crouch beside him. He stared up at her, his face shining with sweat and tears in the firelight as he continued to sob.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked softly, doing her best to smile though the sight before her made her want to start crying as well.
Miles hesitated, continuing to gaze at her as a sob rattled him. "Y… Yes, Phoenix," he finally choked.
"Very good," she said, her smile widening. She drew a cloth from inside of her sleeve and began to mop up some of the moisture from his face, then pressed it against each of his new wounds in turn to stop them from bleeding. "It's okay," she whispered as she did this. "He's gone now. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
He looked up at her, opening his mouth as if to say something, but then closing it again, looking nervous.
"You may say whatever you like," Phoenix assured him. "I won't get angry at you for saying something."
He opened his mouth again and took in a deep shuddering breath, and when he spoke, his voice quivered with anxiety. "He'll… be back… M-Master… always comes back…"
Phoenix couldn't help but smile. This was the most he had said since she had found him, and it was definitely not a programmed response. Those words had been his own, strung together in his head of his own will, not planted there by anyone else.
He was fighting.
She leaned down to lie on her side, supporting herself on one elbow so that she was now on his level. "Soon, he won't come back," she told him. "In just a little while, you won't ever have to see him again."
He continued to look at her, his mouth opened slightly once more as he prepared to speak, and she could practically see the wheels beginning to turn. "But… he is… m-my master. I… belong t-"
"No," Tilea stopped him, having no desire to hear that phrase. "You do not belong to him, Miles. He is an evil man and he tells you only lies."
Miles lowered his head, trying to make use of thoughts he had not exercised in so long. He was being told two different things by different people, and he was expected to obey both of them. So, to whom was he to listen? That man called himself his master, but this girl was now telling him that he was not that man's property and that he was being lied to. Who then was he supposed to obey? Something told him that he should listen to Phoenix, because she never hurt him and never made him afraid, which were two things he didn't like to feel. He was sure he was supposed to obey someone, and he didn't like obeying that man at all.
Finally, he looked up again to see her watching him. He took in another shaking breath, hoping that this was what he was supposed to do to make things better. "Then… will you… be my master… Phoenix…?"
She made an odd face upon hearing this; it hadn't been quite what she was hoping for, but once again it meant he was starting to think for himself. "I won't be your master," she replied, reaching out to tuck his long bangs behind his ears to get them out of his eyes, and he lowered his head in disappointment.
"I… I don't want to… listen to that man anymore…" He said, tears springing once again to his dull eyes. "Please, Phoenix…"
"You don't need a master," she said, moving to put an arm around him in a comforting hug. "People aren't supposed to; only dogs have masters, and you're not a dog."
"I… want to listen to you, Phoenix," he said, speaking toward the floor now. "You… are different. You… don't hurt me."
"I'm only different from them," she replied. She sat up and carefully readjusted him so that he lay against her again with his head on her shoulder. "There are lots of people here who want to help you, and you'll get to see them soon. You can listen to me if you want to, but I'm not your master. Nobody is your master."
"I want to listen to you," he repeated, a bit more confidently this time. "You don't hurt me."
She smiled warmly at him, having to imagine she was speaking to a child during these interactions for her own sake. "Then will you do something for me?" she asked gently.
"Yes, Phoenix," he replied without hesitation.
"When he is around, can you pretend you think he's your master?" She was hoping he'd understand this, but the questioning look he gave her told her he didn't.
"What… does that mean…?"
"When he is around," she began, trying to find the best way to explain. "…I need you to pretend to listen to him. If he finds out you listen to me now, he'll hurt you even more, and I'll have to go away."
He gave a small gasp, this prospect obviously frightening him a great deal. "Yes… I-I will pretend, Phoenix."
"That's very good," she praised, tightening her grip on him for a moment in a small embrace. "Just one more thing." With the arm she didn't have around him she reached back and picked up her black wig from the floor, doing the best she could to slip it on one-handed. "Now, what is my name?"
He opened his mouth immediately to reply, 'Phoenix', but hesitated. Somehow, that didn't seem right at all, even though he knew it must be Phoenix. Taking a moment to decide, he finally spoke, hoping he was right. "Miss Aria."
"Great job!" she exclaimed happily, hugging him again and pulling the wig off. "Remember, he can't know you listen to me now, and when I wear this, I am Miss Aria. Do you understand?"
"Yes…" He looked and saw red hair. "…Phoenix."
"You're doing very well," she said, smoothing his bangs back again as he rested his head and closed his eyes, feeling content for the first time that he could remember. With that, she began to speak again, and this time it wasn't a question or command for him to respond to. She was telling him a story, a story about people whose names he thought he remembered her say once before. She even included him in the story too, though he couldn't understand why. All he knew was that these were his favorite times of all, when he sat with Phoenix and she spoke to him, not wanting a response at all. No one else ever just talked to him; they only talked to each other. It made him feel important somehow, like an equal, like a human being.
And, as always, his weariness eventually overcame him in this relaxed state and he fell into a true sleep, not a semi-alert doze or a state of unconsciousness brought on by pain or weakness like usual. Then came the part that Phoenix always hated, to carry him back to where von Karma had left him and to turn away. She knew that this was going to be difficult to keep up for too much longer; Manfred was sure to get wind of something one way or another. It was here that she had to rely entirely upon the others and wait for any mention of a plan to reach her. All she could do was pass on the information; it was up to them to make use of it.