Apollo looked at his phone hesitantly. Go on, the little voice at the back of his head whispered. It's now or never, go for broke, you only live one life. The maxims kept coming, but Apollo's finger felt brittle. He had seen Klaire Gavin again. He had bumped into her as he walked through the lobby of the courthouse. He had claimed he was looking for documents, but that was just a pretext. He had hoped to run into her again.
She had been as radiant as ever, and her blonde hair and light eyes pierced him like they always did. Even the starchy uniform still looked good on her. He had stuttered and nodded as he listened to her talk about her week. He had once again forced himself to not utter the name of Kristoph Gavin. That she was so bubbly even after what her brother had done and what had happened to him was impressive.
She had told him she needed to reapply her makeup, and he had let her walk away to the restroom. So here he was at the train station, faced with the impossible task of asking her on a date for the first time. Carefully, one by one, he hit each key. There was just the "call" button now. He stood a little straighter, took a deep breath, and began to move his finger through the air, centimeter after centimeter.
And then the phone started ringing.
Apollo swore under his breath. He knew who it was. The phone was to his ear in an instant.
"What is it, Mr. Wright?"
"Hey, there." We have a new client in need of help at the Detention Center. Swing by there. I've already let them know you're coming."
The woman was sitting down, but even then she towered over the standing Apollo. A blue shaw was wrapped around her head and shoulders. Two braids hung from the folds of the shawl and moved across the dark purple dress below whenever she shifted. A black veil covered the lower half of her face. Her eyes were a soft blue, almost the same shade as her hood, but they did not seem to focus on him.
Apollo cleared his throat as he adjusted the bracelet on his wrist. "Hello, I'm..."
"Mr. Justice," The woman's voice was low, but went straight through the Detention Center's glass pane all the same. "I am Lamiroir. Thank you so much for coming."
"No..no problem." Apollo scratched his head. "I'm happy to help you in court. Um..." Apollo paused. Most defendants would be panicking, sullen, or stonefaced, considering the case that had fallen in his lap. But Lamiroir sat casually, her eyes eventually drifting up and down. Now that he was thinking about it, her eyes were not really that serene...they looked...not dead, but perhaps in a death rattle of some sort...
"Would you like to ask me about the case?"
"Well..."
"I'm sure such a man as young as you would have already picked up the details."
Apollo nodded. There had been an explosion at the Gatewater Hotel. There was one confirmed casualty and some injuries. The dead man was Daryan Crescend, former Interpol detective. Lamiroir had been seen on camera going into the room before the explosion, and another camera had shown her moving towards the exit. She had been put in cuffs afterward and taken straight to the Detention Center. It was taking every ounce of Apollo's willpower to not slap his forehead. Why was Mr. Wright saddling him with this case, of all things? Why?
Lamiroir suddenly shifted, and she brought her pale arms up so she could rest her chin on her hands. And Apollo gasped. On her right wrist was a gold bracelet. His eyes darted. He was not just seeing things; the client had the exact same bracelet as his own, the one he had always thought was one of a kind, the only one in the world! So weird...
"That's for the courtroom, Frau Lamiroir."
Apollo actually yelped out loud as he spun around, not even bothering to question how his client had not noticed the intruder sneaking up on them. His mind went through whiplash as he went from feeling panicked to feeling...still.
The man looked older than him, but still a young one, dressed in leather clothes. A silver necklace with a shining "G" hanging from the middle was clasped around his neck. as Apollo studied the man's long blonde hair and light eyes, two other faces flashed before his eyes...his old mentor, and his crush...
"Hello, there." The man grinned and leaned forward a little. "I'm used to being inspected by the ladies, but this is the first time this has happened with a man."
"Wait, wha-no!" Apollo waved his hands. "It's not like that!"
But he almost rivals Klaire...
No!
"Ha, ha, ha!" The man tapped a finger to his forehead. "No need to get testy. Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, at your service."
"G-Gavin?" Apollo stuttered. Like Kristoph?
"You might be the first real challenge I've had in a while, junge. Anyone able to beat my brother must be a force to be reckoned with."
"Is this how you make new friends...Herr Klavier?" Lamiroir spoke up as Apollo floundered. "By intimidating them?"
"Nothing of the sort." Klavier waved a hand. "The three of us will be playing soon. Nothing wrong with a little chat first. And the subject is this: before the first day is over, someone will be held to account for the tragedy at the old Gatewater!"
-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 15; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.
