Heartbeat

An Ace Attorney Fanfic

Chapter 1 – The secrets of death

Juniper dashed down the street, holding on to the sunflower that adorned her hat as she hurried on toward the Wright Anything Agency. She was late again! How come every time Apollo asked her out she was late?

She had barely made it in time last time, having to catch the bus for the last ten minutes. Juniper wasn't one to use public transport, preferring to walk herself, or even bike, to the places she needed to go to. She was seriously regretting that now.

"Juniper!" she scolded herself as she skidded to a halt, brushing her clothes off in an attempt to look respectable. "Calm down… Calm… *cough *"

The sun in the sky was beginning to go down as she made her way across the final street. The entrance to the Wright Anything Agency was clearly visible to the eye on the other side as Juniper checked her wristwatch.

11:51 AM.

The teenage girl let out a sigh of relief and waited for the street to clear before stepping over the curb and onto the street, walking at a normal pace.

When she reached the agency's doors, she spoke gently into the speaker her name, and the door clicked open. Juniper had suspected they had registered her name, but she had been doubtful as well. She turned to start up the stairs when a familiar face appeared.

"Hey, Little Chick!"

Juniper smiled. Only one person in the world would call her by that silly nickname. The silly nickname that she loved dearly.

"Good morning, Apollo…" she murmured, fixing the sunflowers and tugging slightly at her dress. "Where are we going today?"

Apollo huffed slightly and leaned against the staircase, thinking. "Well… I was thinking we should go to People Park. Get an ice cream or something on the way and just… hang out I guess,"

Juniper nodded, before Apollo took her hand and they walked out again. She squinted slightly in the harsh sunlight, and tried to calm herself even slightly. It wasn't woring.

"Juniper? Are you okay?"

"I'm… fine, Apollo," she quickly replied, blushing a bit for spacing out. "Sorry."

She isn't quite sure what hits her, or really when, but when it hits it hits hard. There's a scream, quite possibly her own, and then a blurry redness. Apollo's there, she can feel it. Juniper can feel his presence, yet she can't feel anything else.

Why can't she feel anything else?

She can't hold on.

I'm sorry, Apollo.

The black and red overwhelms her, and sends her into sleep.

BANG.

Juniper wakes with a jolt, blinking sleep out of her eyes. The young girl jumps. This isn't my room.

The walls are white, as is… well… pretty much everything is white. White door, white walls, white bed, white furniture.

The door clicks open and the young girl whips around, backing away in almost fear and shaking her head. No.

A girl not much older than her stands in the doorway. Everything about her is… strange. The strange girl is wearing a black dress, a black skirt, gray school socks and black boots. But that's not what throws Juniper off.

It's the wings.

Arching over and around the girl's back are a giant pair of black angel wings.

"They're fake," Juniper whispers gently to herself. "They're only fakes!"

The girl laughs and steps further into the room, shutting the door behind her. "No, Juniper Woods, these wings are very much the real deal, as real as you are."

Juniper sat down on the bed, coughing. "Who… Who are you? And where am I?"

"You are in… heaven," The strange angel holds up a hand to stop the question Juniper had just opened her mouth to ask. "I will prove it to you later, when we go outside. To be precise, you are in the Angel Association, where some of us work. We have many different types of angels working here, from life givers, to freedom angels… and even Death Angels. No, you aren't dead. You were hit by a car, and are simply in a coma in the mortal world until we're finished with you,"

"But… why me?" The high school student tipped her head to the side. "And you still didn't tell me who you are,"

"My name… is Death. That's all I'm known as. I used to have a mortal name – I think, but if I did I've long forgotten it," Death remarked slowly. "I run the Angel Association. You on the other hand, are here for a very special reason.

Your boyfriend, Apollo Justice, is in big trouble, We've been receiving death threats from Demon, leader of the underworld. The threat demanded for you to be killed, and Apollo along with you. You will be embarking on a mission to stop him, paired with one of our Death Angels, who will help you capture and control the soul of the Demon himself."

"But…" Juniper paused and faltered. "I'm not ready to do all of that!"

"Don't worry. I will send an Angel to care for you until the mission starts. You will be accompanied at all times. We can't have you falling under the wrong wings,"

Juniper stared as Death pulled her up by the hand and led her through the door. Outside two other angels waited. The first had long brown hair and kind eyes. Her wings were a deep shade of purple. The angel beside her however, was a completely different story. His black hair contrasted with pale skin and cold brown eyes. His wings were considerably smaller, and a deep shade of blue.

Death smiled briefly at Juniper, before signalling to the first Angel. "Here are two of the angels you will be working with. First is your mentor, an angel who has been here for many years and has the experience to teach you. Her name is Mia Fey, and when she's not teaching she is a Life Giver, giving life to those in coma's or fatal conditions,"

Mia gave her new apprentice a nod before Death pointed out the second Angel. "And this is the angel who will accompany you on your mission. He's also an apprentice of Mia."

The second angel turned away disdainfully, and Mia hit him around the back of the head. "Well, Clay? Aren't we happy to see Juniper?"

Clay narrowed his eyes. "N-"

Before he could finish, another slap came his way. Death simply sighed. "That's Clay Terran. He died a year ago from a fatal stabbing. He's a Death Angel, responsible for taking the souls of those who are dying."

Juniper nodded, but coldness swept across Clay's gaze. What is it? She thought. Clay had been acting all upbeat before they were introduced.. so… Why are you acting like this?

Death swiftly left, and left them with a message.

Wouldn't you mortals like to know the secrets of death before you die?

A/N;

First chapter up! What did you think? I wanted to write a bit of Dead!Clay, so here he is!

Review to keep my interest in this story up!