BlackHeart Biohazards

In Justice We Trust (80768 words) by thesavagesabretooth

catch up here.

With Simon Blackquill and Athena Cykes assigned as their psychologists, the Phantom and Fulbright must grapple with their identity, their deeds, their future, and their love for the twisted samurai whom they betrayed.

All the while, Edgeworth and Wright find their relationship tested as they walk the narrow path between pursuing real justice, and the dark age of the law.

–

December 25, 5:45 am

Athena Cykes woke up in a foreign hotel, mostly still dressed in travel weary and now sleep rumpled clothes, with two men in bed with her.

“Gwah??” Her eyes fluttered open to the light of the morning…and for a moment the memory of what had happened eluded her… enough that when she half rolled over and found her arm flopping against the snoozing form of Simon Blackquill she found herself yelping audibly in surprise.

It all came flooding back…the sleep deprived therapy session, the breakthrough, the horror of the Phantom’s past…the sleepover.

It hadn’t exactly been the fun kind of sleepover. Mostly just clean up after their therapy session. But it had ended with the three of them in bed, none of them willing to let the others sleep on the floor.

Simon, she noticed, had one arm protectively drawn over their third bed patterns’ broad frame. He made a low noise as Athena touched him, and wriggled in the bed.

Half-awake and groggy, the clinical half of her heart notated that the not so subtle gesture on the other side of the bed was consistent with her observations over the past few days…as the flickering emotions took on a mingled essence of warmth and embarrassment inside her.

She drew her hand back with a yawn, and instead attempted to slip from the sheets without disturbing them. 

“I can see why he wanted to handcuff me,” a smooth voice murmured as she slipped out of bed. “He’s out like a light.”

Athena’s heart stopped for the briefest beat. 

“Yeah.” She settled herself on the edge of the bed, shifting to cross her legs with a turn towards Halblict’s voice. “It’s kinda funny isn’t it? I had no idea he was such a heavy sleeper.” 

“I doubt he’s slept much this week, admittedly,” Robert offered quietly. “But I think you may be right about him being a heavy sleeper in general.”

He turned very slightly toward her– just enough to look at her without disturbing Simon’s arm. He looked strange without those ever-present amber sunglasses on; like when she’d seen him that first time in the hospital room.

She took the opportunity to study it, to see the man behind the sunglasses– she’d been too distraught the first time, too surprised and torn up over the job Mr. Edgeworth had set on her and Simon’s shoulders.

She leaned on her hand with a nod. 

“I can relate..it’s been kind of a terrible week for sleep all around, yeah?” She could sense Simon still sleeping between them, hearing the rise and fall of his breath. “I don’t remember a lot of when we were younger aside from fits and bursts, but…I think Aura used to tease him about it before she stopped talking to me.” 

“Funny thing to tease someone about,” he considered. “Sleeping well. ‘The sleep of the innocent’– so they say.”

As Athena studied his face, she picked out the similarities and differences from the face he’d presented with his prosthetic mask. It was strangely– almost eerily similar– just different enough to make her question it. The jaw and chin was perhaps slightly thinner, but structured the same, and his nose too was not as pronounced. His eyes were more heavily lidded, with a trace of eastern influence, and his brows were narrower.

Robert’s face was of all things, softer than Bobby’s– a little less chiseled. A little more delicate. Younger, perhaps. Of course, it made sense that a mask could only make someone’s face larger and bolder than the reality– but it gave her the odd feeling that she was looking at Bobby through a soft focus lens.

“The sleep of the innocent, huh?”

Was it luck, choice or some sort of strange fate that the man had impersonated someone who appeared so similarly? How strange was it that the girl who was left behind by his hand would be one of those to see the truth behind the mask…figurative and literal.

He almost looked nice…kind. She held the hope that he was, under and past all the horrors the organization had perpetrated upon him. Maybe their work might bright it out again as he healed.

“Guess that’s why I used to sleep like crap, huh?” she joked with a wry half smile. “…Aura had a habit of teasing her brother for anything and everything.” 

“I’ve heard that’s something siblings do,” he nodded, and painted a small smile on the edges of his lips. “As for sleeping like crap– probably the same for me.”

“Something else we’ve got in common, I guess.” Athena whispered as she tucked her hair over her ear. “I’d shake your hand but I’d feel bad if that’s what finally woke sleeping beauty.” 

“What are you two idiots muttering about?” Simon grumbled face down on the bed.

Robert huffed. “Too late for that, it seems. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Simon.” Athena chirped with a lean towards him. “mostly muttering about how you sleep like a baby!” 

“Athena, babies sleep very poorly,” Simon said, hefting himself up from the bed and pushing the waterfall like cascade of black and white hair out of his face. “If anything, I sleep like a drunkard.”

“He has you there. Ms. Athena,” Robert nodded.

Athena stuck her tongue out “It’s a turn of phrase, Blackquill.” She harrumphed “You sleep like a drunk baby then.” 

Simon wheezed and slapped his pillow. “And you have me there. Fine, I sleep like a drunk baby. I see Detective Halblicht didn’t see fit to sneak off while we were in slumberland.”

“As I said, it would have been counterproductive.” Robert reached onto the desk, and grabbed his sunglasses, and Simon’s hair tie, offering him the latter.

Meanwhile, Athena fumbled around for her own on the end table, as well as Widget to put him back around her neck.

“I can’t see what you’d gain out of it..” she agreed in a quiet musing. 

Simon harumphed as he tied his hair back. “Indeed, I suppose. Well, at least I got a decent night’s sleep for the day ahead. What about the two of you? Or were you up all night critiquing my own sleep?”

“Only for a few minutes. I slept.”

“I fell asleep eventually.” Athena smiled as she began working her tangled hair into a side ponytail. She’d have to properly brush it later, of course. She didn’t know how late ‘eventually’ was, but…”I shouldn’t hold you all back today.” 

“Good. You’d better both give it your best if we’ve all bothered to come out here.”

“I certainly intend to,” Halblicht mused as he slipped on his glasses. “We should shower, in that case, and eat, if either of you have an appetite. Before we lose the opportunity.”

“Is this a new mask, Half Bright?” Simon drawled sardonically, “Are you playing mother hen, now?”

Athena couldn’t help but laugh…maybe at the absurdity of it. The mundanity combined on top of everything else.

“I’ve always got an appetite, even at the worst of times,” she offered cheerfully. 

“So I’ve noticed,” Simon agreed with a smirk. “Well, Halblicht?”

He shrugged smoothly. “I’m only being practical. Shuffle onto the scene of the crime like a couple of half starved and disheveled noir detectives if you two like– but I hope you won’t tell me not to shower.”

As he mentioned it, Athena actually caught a flicker of emotion in his voice– just the barest trace of sorrow, and anxiety. Perhaps there was an old wound there.

The sympathy from the night before pinged through her internal matrix, and she bit her lip. 

“Take a shower, Robert. The first one.” She glanced at Simon with a look she hoped he caught and understood. 

Simon caught her gaze and she saw his jaw subtly tighten, and though he didn’t nod, she understood that he’d caught on by the wave of emotion that went through him.

“Obviously we’re going to shower and eat, Half Bright, I was giving you hell about it,” he snapped. He fluffed his hair. “I didn’t spend seven years in jail not to shower and eat at every opportunity.”

Halblicht saluted– it seemed almost automatic. “Understood, Prosecutor Blackquill. And thank you, Ms. Athena.”

There was a little smile at the edge of his lips. Athena couldn’t tell for a moment whether it was Robert or Bobby.

Athena saluted him in return. 

“You’re welcome. Mr. Halblicht!” As the salute lowered, she lowered herself back onto the bed with a flop and a huff. “Today should be one heck of a day. We’re gonna need all the creature comforts we can get!” 

December 25, 6:10 am

Robert stood luxuriating under the shower’s hot water, letting it run down over his shared, still tired body. Even after a whole year of them, regular hot showers every morning were a foreign luxury.

He ran his fingers through his wet hair, lingering on the sensation, and the realization that unlike every day for the past year– aside from the last handful– he wouldn’t have to sit at the mirror and painstakingly apply that prosthetic mask.

Though he was still puzzled by how much he looked like the mask anyway when he looked in the mirror.

“I don’t know what to say, Robert, you’ve always looked like that as far as I know,” Bobby shrugged internally. “Maybe it was some kind of destiny that we ended up like this.”

“Maybe. It’s true I have little idea what my own face looks like. But it seems strange the way it looks so much like yours. And it could be dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Like if someone recognizes us?

"Exactly. I probably should have changed our features just to avoid that.”

“But you don’t want to.”

Silence hung in their mind between them as they stood in the hiss of the shower’s water.

“… it’s pointless anyway. You’ll give us away no matter what. Especially now that Simon and Ms. Cykes know about you.”

Bobby gracefully allowed him to change the subject– or maybe he’d just succeeded in distracting him.

“That went really well, didn’t it?” Bobby’s mental voice was filled with the golden sensations of warmth and hope and relief, so much that it sent an involuntary shudder through Robert’s physical body as they showered.

“Unexpectedly well. Almost shockingly well,” he agreed. “I’m not sure how it happened.”

Bobby paused– and they paused washing themselves for a moment as he processed, before starting again.

“You really don’t, do you?”

“No. It’s not very practical or self-interested for them to be so… kind. It’s their job to give us therapy, but they seemed…”

“Sympathetic? Robert, I told you. I know you don’t believe it but any sane person who saw the injustice of what was done to you would be moved to tears. The look on Simon’s face when we were telling him about it…”

Robert felt their throat tighten, and he leaned their body against the shower wall.

“He seemed angry. Violently angry, even,” Robert mused. “He was shaking.”

“I was shaking too. Athena was shaking. Robert, what happened to you was monstrous. It doesn’t excuse killing people, but– it makes it easier to understand.”

“I suppose. I’ve never known anything different. Not until you… moved in. It just seems normal to me. Obvious. Was it really that bad?”

“It was worse than that! However bad you might think it was, looking at it inside from outside? It’s the most sickening and unjust thing I’ve ever seen. And I think…” Bobby sniffled. “I think it really moved Simon and Miss Athena.”

Robert didn’t know how to feel about that. He didn’t know how to feel about anything. But Bobby… he could feel Bobby’s hope, and his relief, and his joy. And he let the foreign sensation sit there, where his heart was supposed to be.

“Bobby– let’s… not waste this second chance.”

The hope from Bobby Fulbright radiated inside them with the same glowing warmth as the shower did on their skin.

He shut off the water, and stepped out of the shower. As he passed the bathroom mirror, wreathed in steam, he put on a practiced smile. Bobby’s joy– Bobby’s face– made it all the more real.

December 25, 6:35 am

Ema had woken up in the supposedly shared hotel room by herself.

Her mouth tasted of the dregs of a whiskey bottle, her eyes squinted and glaring at the woeful lances of light that passed through the slats in the hotel window shade. Her head pounded…and her arm felt a cold spot beside her as she rolled over.

Ms. Cykes had slunk off somewhere overnight. The cold of the bed and lack of any lingering impression made it obvious it wasn’t recent. Given the early hour, even with the eternally active Athena’s famous morning routines, she’d have had to leave far too early in the morning in an unfamiliar place for it to be a morning run.

She yawned, wincing as the bolt of pain crossed behind her eyes, and the yawn turned into a low grumble as her thick and tangled hair fell over her eyes with the rising of her body.

“Meaning she likely crept off to someone’s room in the middle of the night.” She finished out loud. 

At least it meant she wasn’t there to offer to drag her on her morning run. Ema could have her hangover in what little peace she could claw from her pounding head.

There was an interestingly limited pool of suspects for Athena to have slunk off to join, of course, if Ema wanted to speculate. But that would have been rude.

WIth another painful yawn, Ema pushed herself out of bed and shuffled towards the bathroom to freshen up…or at least manage her eyes all the way open.

Athena would, in typical Athena fashion, show up with a smile and the energy of a small sun at some point or another…and Ema wanted to be ready for it.

Preferably, ‘a few cups of coffee later’ ready. 

As she was coming back out of the bathroom, slightly freshened, but not nearly enough– there was a sharp rap on the door.

“GhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHH” She tied her hair back with a band…a messy lock falling over her face as she threw the door open. “What???” 

Apollo Justice stood there, his hair limp, and his buttoned up shirt incredibly wrinkled.

He managed a polite smile, but only barely, as he winced at Ema’s forceful greeting.

“Hi, Ema.”

Ema flushed, smoothing her hair back and out of her face with a sheepish grin. “Whoops. Morning, Apollo. You look rough as I feel.” 

He rubbed the back of his neck, and nodded. “Yeah, I’d believe it. Long flight, huh? Sorry to bother you so early.”

There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked as distant as he did tired. HIs posture seemed different than usual– but Ema could hardly blame him with the crushing week he’d had.

She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Justice. You’re a face I’m always happy to see, yeah? Even before my frickin’ cup of morning coffee.” 

He smiled a little wider at the contact. “Maybe we could grab one together, after I get dressed. I was hoping to find my suitcase. Athena had it for me, and Mr. Wright told me you two were sharing a room.”

“Apparently we’re supposed to be,’ Ema drawled as she waved him inside. “I haven’t seen her since I passed out last night.” 

“Really?” his smile faded, and he leaned a little on the doorframe as he came inside and let the door close behind him. “Did she leave my suitcase in here?”

“Uh….” Ema glanced out at the things with a furrow of her brow. There was Athena’s suitcase…and her own…and nothing else. “Oh…fuck.”

The last time she’d seen it, Detective Halblicht had carried it for Attorney Cykes…meaning…

“Well, good news, I know where it is.”

“What’s the bad news?” Apollo asked, his dark eyes narrowing.

“Uhhhh.” Ema stared at Apollo as her mind kicked into groggy overdrive. “It’s in a grumpy prosecutor’s room?” 

“Mr. Edgeworth’s? I would have thought Mr. Wright would have known if he had it…”

“No, no, not Edgeworth’s.” Ema laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Blackquill. Simon. Detective Halblicht carried it for Athena an—”

She mentally wondered why the fuck an international espionage agent and assassin went with an obvious pun for a name when he didn’t want to be recognized by people who might want to strangle the life out of him the moment he made himself known.

“Yeah.”

Apollo stared at her in obvious confusion for a moment. Then slowly he asked, “So should I go get it from Prosecutor Blackquill, then?”

“Uhm.” Athena was likely there, so that would be…probably fine. But the detective would probably be there too. And Apollo wasn’t stupid.

“Uh. Hey, you look tired, Justice. Want me to go and grab it for you?” 

“That’s nice of you, but I thought I looked as tired as you felt, Ema?” He paused. “Is there something you’re not–oh.”

Apollo stopped dead, and Ema watched his eyes widen.

Ema’s smile twitched at the corners. If he was reading the fact that she was lying with that fucking power of his, she’d have to tear his eyes out to save face.

Or just buckle down for the fallout.

“What?” 

He put his hand over his mouth, and asked in a low voice. “Did… did Athena and Simon spend the night together?”

Ema stared at him with dark circled eyes, the weight of exhaustion and the utter stupidity of this morning threatening to crush her at any moment.

“Yes.”

It wasn’t even a lie. She was 98% certain that’s where Athena slunk off to. 

He rubbed the back of his neck, and she could see he was flushing now. “Okay, uh, in that case, how about I take you up on the suitcase, and I’ll see about what I can do for some coffee for both of us when you bring it?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, Apollo” She flashed a sleepy thumbs up. “I’ll take an espresso.”

As thanks for the narrowly avoided calamity. 

December 25, 6:40

By the grace of hotel amenities, the water was still hot by the time it was Simon’s turn to shower. He’d left the room quickly while Halblicht was in it, in order to get the promised iron from the night before from housekeeping. If Mr. Edgeworth even noticed the extra charge he’d simply take it out of the detective’s pay.

They were paying him, weren’t they? Simon realized as he wrung the excess moisture out of his hair that he didn’t know.

He also didn’t know why he was trusting the man alone in the room with Athena while he was busy showering, but– he just couldn’t bring himself to think that he’d do her harm now. As he’d said, there was no benefit in it to him…

Simon couldn’t believe how the world had turned upside down in one night.

He toweled off, and made himself decent in his pants at least– he’d left his shirt in the room at Halblicht’s insistence that it too be ironed.

So the emotionless man did have his preferences. A certain fastidiousness, perhaps– well that tracked with the terrible things Simon now knew about his upbringing. Who wouldn’t want the chance to eat well, and take care of one’s clothes and body after…. that.

Cringing at the thought, Simon pushed the door open to the hotel room proper and glanced around.

Halblicht was, as promised, in the middle of ironing– standing shirtless over the ironing board with a pensive look on his face.

Athena was spread out on the bed, her hair in a messy half moon around her face as she held her hands up in the air and fiddling around with Widget’s AR display. She was still in her pajamas, and was babbling away seemingly to herself when he stepped inside.

“I wish I’d brought it with me, genuinely. But I couldn’t bring myself to wear it , and it’d just be wasted space, you know? Not that the outfits I did bring aren’t cute or anything– but is cute really what I want to be wearing on a murder investigation?”

“It would have been a shame to get it dirty,” Halblicht agreed. “But if it’s a style you’d like to wear maybe you should get a less sentimental one that you wouldn’t mind possibly damaging?”

Simon leaned on the bathroom door, looking over the absurd scene. The three of them, Simon, Athena, and the Phantom, half dressed in a hotel room and chatting as if everything was normal.

Absurd. Completely absurd.

“Didn’t want to wear what?” he asked.

Athena sat bolt upright, and Simon had the treat of seeing her face go through the AR display and send it scattering into holographic pixels with Widget’s chirping little ‘oh NO’.

“Ah!!” Athena squeaked as she turned pink. “uhm…a kimono, Simon. I found the ones mom left me while I was packing.” 

Simon chuckled as she jumped and shook his head. “Ah, it’s a shame you didn’t wear it. We would have made quite the striking group. Which would please the popinjay here, I’m sure.”

Halblicht– Bobby– bristled, and whined out. “Popinjay? Because I want my suit to look nice?”

“Yes–”

Simon’s answer was cut short by the sudden knock at the door.

“It’s true , we would make a stri—” Athena’s train of thought was utterly jarred as she hopped out of bed without thinking and made for the door. “I’ll get it!” 

Despite his lunge, Simon didn’t make it to the door before she did, only succeeding in standing awkwardly behind her with fire in his eyes as she pulled it open.

December 25, 6:45 am

When the door to Simon Blackquill and company’s hotel room opened, Ema saw pretty much exactly what she’d expected to see.

Athena, smiling brightly and in her pajamas answering the door. Simon, furious and wet and shirtless right behind her like a snarling cat.

Admittedly, “Halblicht” standing in the background ironing a shirt was kind of a surprise. She’d expected him to be still asleep…or hell, in handcuffs nearby with Simon glowering at him instead of looming over the smiling Athena and turning the full force of it on her instead.

“Morning, campers.” Ema said with a wry smile, staring for a moment at the shirtless Simon. “Having fun?” 

“Oodles,” Simon drawled. “What can we do for you at this lovely early hour, Skye-dono?”

Halblicht looked up from his ironing and flashed her a bright grin and a salute.

Ema saluted him back with an incredulous look on her face. “Apollo needs his clothes. Athena never brought them back from this little uh…get together you guys are having.”

Athena rubbed the back of her neck.

 “it’s a long story Ema I…” her eyes suddenly widened “APOLLO’S SUITCASE! OOPS!” 

“Sweet justice,” Halblicht winced. “I’ve got it, Ms. Athena! Ahhhhh…. it’s right over here, let me get it!” He put the iron down– first face down, and then just in time, set back upright so it wouldn’t burn anything. And then he rather buffoonish scrambled to grab the suitcase from where it was leaned next to the desk.

Simon meanwhile, gave Ema a look as if daring her to say something.

“……….” Ema Skye rubbed her tired eyes with a long stare into Simon’s eyes.

“………………………….” Simon stared back at her, unflinching.

She sighed. “Look, let’s just pretend I didn’t see anything, alright? Whatever kinda clown show this is ain’t my business.” 

“We’re practicing our tightrope act,” Simon drawled. “I’m sure you’ll see a full performance this afternoon.”

Halblicht wheeled the suitcase over, and offered it to Ema with a bashful grin. “Signed, sealed, delivered, Investigator Skye!”

Ema took the suitcase with a wry chuckle.

“Thanks Bob. Bobby. You’re a peach.” She glanced at Athena, who seemed like she was trying to vanish into thin air. “Looking forward to the performance. I’ll buy a bag of snackoos so I can throw ‘em.” 

December 25, 6:50 am

The tension in the room that had built like a static charge when Ema had shown up at the door lingered after she was gone, the trio standing in awkward silence for a moment.

Bobby pushed up his glasses uncomfortably. “Um, Ms. Athena… I wasn’t exactly paying attention when you handed me that bag. It belongs to Mr. Apollo Justice?”

“Auhhh…..” Athena managed to say awkwardly. “Y-yeah. He asked me to take his bag for him ‘cause he was running late. I completely forgot with everything going on…” 

“And he’s going to be here? On this investigation?”

Simon leaned his chin on his knuckles watching Bobby. “I believe he and Athena are meant to represent the defense together, as usual. You weren’t aware.”

Bobby shook his head. “No uh, no I didn’t know. Does he….”

Athena shook her head with a nervous look. “I don’t think so, Bobby.” 

Bobby grimaced, and wrung his hands together. “Oh, lady justice, this is going to be…”

“Awkward?” Simon huffed. “I don’t think that even begins to cover it. We’d better get our strategy straight.”

Athena leaned near the door. “I don’t suppose keeping them separate the whole investigation is ah..feasible, is it?” 

The question hung uncomfortably in the air.

In Justice We Trust (80768 words) by thesavagesabretooth

catch up here.

With Simon Blackquill and Athena Cykes assigned as their psychologists, the Phantom and Fulbright must grapple with their identity, their deeds, their future, and their love for the twisted samurai whom they betrayed.

All the while, Edgeworth and Wright find their relationship tested as they walk the narrow path between pursuing real justice, and the dark age of the law.

–

December 25, 5:45 am

Athena Cykes woke up in a foreign hotel, mostly still dressed in travel weary and now sleep rumpled clothes, with two men in bed with her.

“Gwah??” Her eyes fluttered open to the light of the morning…and for a moment the memory of what had happened eluded her… enough that when she half rolled over and found her arm flopping against the snoozing form of Simon Blackquill she found herself yelping audibly in surprise.

It all came flooding back…the sleep deprived therapy session, the breakthrough, the horror of the Phantom’s past…the sleepover.

It hadn’t exactly been the fun kind of sleepover. Mostly just clean up after their therapy session. But it had ended with the three of them in bed, none of them willing to let the others sleep on the floor.

Simon, she noticed, had one arm protectively drawn over their third bed patterns’ broad frame. He made a low noise as Athena touched him, and wriggled in the bed.

Half-awake and groggy, the clinical half of her heart notated that the not so subtle gesture on the other side of the bed was consistent with her observations over the past few days…as the flickering emotions took on a mingled essence of warmth and embarrassment inside her.

She drew her hand back with a yawn, and instead attempted to slip from the sheets without disturbing them. 

“I can see why he wanted to handcuff me,” a smooth voice murmured as she slipped out of bed. “He’s out like a light.”

Athena’s heart stopped for the briefest beat. 

“Yeah.” She settled herself on the edge of the bed, shifting to cross her legs with a turn towards Halblict’s voice. “It’s kinda funny isn’t it? I had no idea he was such a heavy sleeper.” 

“I doubt he’s slept much this week, admittedly,” Robert offered quietly. “But I think you may be right about him being a heavy sleeper in general.”

He turned very slightly toward her– just enough to look at her without disturbing Simon’s arm. He looked strange without those ever-present amber sunglasses on; like when she’d seen him that first time in the hospital room.

She took the opportunity to study it, to see the man behind the sunglasses– she’d been too distraught the first time, too surprised and torn up over the job Mr. Edgeworth had set on her and Simon’s shoulders.

She leaned on her hand with a nod. 

“I can relate..it’s been kind of a terrible week for sleep all around, yeah?” She could sense Simon still sleeping between them, hearing the rise and fall of his breath. “I don’t remember a lot of when we were younger aside from fits and bursts, but…I think Aura used to tease him about it before she stopped talking to me.” 

“Funny thing to tease someone about,” he considered. “Sleeping well. ‘The sleep of the innocent’– so they say.”

As Athena studied his face, she picked out the similarities and differences from the face he’d presented with his prosthetic mask. It was strangely– almost eerily similar– just different enough to make her question it. The jaw and chin was perhaps slightly thinner, but structured the same, and his nose too was not as pronounced. His eyes were more heavily lidded, with a trace of eastern influence, and his brows were narrower.

Robert’s face was of all things, softer than Bobby’s– a little less chiseled. A little more delicate. Younger, perhaps. Of course, it made sense that a mask could only make someone’s face larger and bolder than the reality– but it gave her the odd feeling that she was looking at Bobby through a soft focus lens.

“The sleep of the innocent, huh?”

Was it luck, choice or some sort of strange fate that the man had impersonated someone who appeared so similarly? How strange was it that the girl who was left behind by his hand would be one of those to see the truth behind the mask…figurative and literal.

He almost looked nice…kind. She held the hope that he was, under and past all the horrors the organization had perpetrated upon him. Maybe their work might bright it out again as he healed.

“Guess that’s why I used to sleep like crap, huh?” she joked with a wry half smile. “…Aura had a habit of teasing her brother for anything and everything.” 

“I’ve heard that’s something siblings do,” he nodded, and painted a small smile on the edges of his lips. “As for sleeping like crap– probably the same for me.”

“Something else we’ve got in common, I guess.” Athena whispered as she tucked her hair over her ear. “I’d shake your hand but I’d feel bad if that’s what finally woke sleeping beauty.” 

“What are you two idiots muttering about?” Simon grumbled face down on the bed.

Robert huffed. “Too late for that, it seems. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Simon.” Athena chirped with a lean towards him. “mostly muttering about how you sleep like a baby!” 

“Athena, babies sleep very poorly,” Simon said, hefting himself up from the bed and pushing the waterfall like cascade of black and white hair out of his face. “If anything, I sleep like a drunkard.”

“He has you there. Ms. Athena,” Robert nodded.

Athena stuck her tongue out “It’s a turn of phrase, Blackquill.” She harrumphed “You sleep like a drunk baby then.” 

Simon wheezed and slapped his pillow. “And you have me there. Fine, I sleep like a drunk baby. I see Detective Halblicht didn’t see fit to sneak off while we were in slumberland.”

“As I said, it would have been counterproductive.” Robert reached onto the desk, and grabbed his sunglasses, and Simon’s hair tie, offering him the latter.

Meanwhile, Athena fumbled around for her own on the end table, as well as Widget to put him back around her neck.

“I can’t see what you’d gain out of it..” she agreed in a quiet musing. 

Simon harumphed as he tied his hair back. “Indeed, I suppose. Well, at least I got a decent night’s sleep for the day ahead. What about the two of you? Or were you up all night critiquing my own sleep?”

“Only for a few minutes. I slept.”

“I fell asleep eventually.” Athena smiled as she began working her tangled hair into a side ponytail. She’d have to properly brush it later, of course. She didn’t know how late ‘eventually’ was, but…”I shouldn’t hold you all back today.” 

“Good. You’d better both give it your best if we’ve all bothered to come out here.”

“I certainly intend to,” Halblicht mused as he slipped on his glasses. “We should shower, in that case, and eat, if either of you have an appetite. Before we lose the opportunity.”

“Is this a new mask, Half Bright?” Simon drawled sardonically, “Are you playing mother hen, now?”

Athena couldn’t help but laugh…maybe at the absurdity of it. The mundanity combined on top of everything else.

“I’ve always got an appetite, even at the worst of times,” she offered cheerfully. 

“So I’ve noticed,” Simon agreed with a smirk. “Well, Halblicht?”

He shrugged smoothly. “I’m only being practical. Shuffle onto the scene of the crime like a couple of half starved and disheveled noir detectives if you two like– but I hope you won’t tell me not to shower.”

As he mentioned it, Athena actually caught a flicker of emotion in his voice– just the barest trace of sorrow, and anxiety. Perhaps there was an old wound there.

The sympathy from the night before pinged through her internal matrix, and she bit her lip. 

“Take a shower, Robert. The first one.” She glanced at Simon with a look she hoped he caught and understood. 

Simon caught her gaze and she saw his jaw subtly tighten, and though he didn’t nod, she understood that he’d caught on by the wave of emotion that went through him.

“Obviously we’re going to shower and eat, Half Bright, I was giving you hell about it,” he snapped. He fluffed his hair. “I didn’t spend seven years in jail not to shower and eat at every opportunity.”

Halblicht saluted– it seemed almost automatic. “Understood, Prosecutor Blackquill. And thank you, Ms. Athena.”

There was a little smile at the edge of his lips. Athena couldn’t tell for a moment whether it was Robert or Bobby.

Athena saluted him in return. 

“You’re welcome. Mr. Halblicht!” As the salute lowered, she lowered herself back onto the bed with a flop and a huff. “Today should be one heck of a day. We’re gonna need all the creature comforts we can get!” 

December 25, 6:10 am

Robert stood luxuriating under the shower’s hot water, letting it run down over his shared, still tired body. Even after a whole year of them, regular hot showers every morning were a foreign luxury.

He ran his fingers through his wet hair, lingering on the sensation, and the realization that unlike every day for the past year– aside from the last handful– he wouldn’t have to sit at the mirror and painstakingly apply that prosthetic mask.

Though he was still puzzled by how much he looked like the mask anyway when he looked in the mirror.

“I don’t know what to say, Robert, you’ve always looked like that as far as I know,” Bobby shrugged internally. “Maybe it was some kind of destiny that we ended up like this.”

“Maybe. It’s true I have little idea what my own face looks like. But it seems strange the way it looks so much like yours. And it could be dangerous.”

“Dangerous? Like if someone recognizes us?

"Exactly. I probably should have changed our features just to avoid that.”

“But you don’t want to.”

Silence hung in their mind between them as they stood in the hiss of the shower’s water.

“… it’s pointless anyway. You’ll give us away no matter what. Especially now that Simon and Ms. Cykes know about you.”

Bobby gracefully allowed him to change the subject– or maybe he’d just succeeded in distracting him.

“That went really well, didn’t it?” Bobby’s mental voice was filled with the golden sensations of warmth and hope and relief, so much that it sent an involuntary shudder through Robert’s physical body as they showered.

“Unexpectedly well. Almost shockingly well,” he agreed. “I’m not sure how it happened.”

Bobby paused– and they paused washing themselves for a moment as he processed, before starting again.

“You really don’t, do you?”

“No. It’s not very practical or self-interested for them to be so… kind. It’s their job to give us therapy, but they seemed…”

“Sympathetic? Robert, I told you. I know you don’t believe it but any sane person who saw the injustice of what was done to you would be moved to tears. The look on Simon’s face when we were telling him about it…”

Robert felt their throat tighten, and he leaned their body against the shower wall.

“He seemed angry. Violently angry, even,” Robert mused. “He was shaking.”

“I was shaking too. Athena was shaking. Robert, what happened to you was monstrous. It doesn’t excuse killing people, but– it makes it easier to understand.”

“I suppose. I’ve never known anything different. Not until you… moved in. It just seems normal to me. Obvious. Was it really that bad?”

“It was worse than that! However bad you might think it was, looking at it inside from outside? It’s the most sickening and unjust thing I’ve ever seen. And I think…” Bobby sniffled. “I think it really moved Simon and Miss Athena.”

Robert didn’t know how to feel about that. He didn’t know how to feel about anything. But Bobby… he could feel Bobby’s hope, and his relief, and his joy. And he let the foreign sensation sit there, where his heart was supposed to be.

“Bobby– let’s… not waste this second chance.”

The hope from Bobby Fulbright radiated inside them with the same glowing warmth as the shower did on their skin.

He shut off the water, and stepped out of the shower. As he passed the bathroom mirror, wreathed in steam, he put on a practiced smile. Bobby’s joy– Bobby’s face– made it all the more real.

December 25, 6:35 am

Ema had woken up in the supposedly shared hotel room by herself.

Her mouth tasted of the dregs of a whiskey bottle, her eyes squinted and glaring at the woeful lances of light that passed through the slats in the hotel window shade. Her head pounded…and her arm felt a cold spot beside her as she rolled over.

Ms. Cykes had slunk off somewhere overnight. The cold of the bed and lack of any lingering impression made it obvious it wasn’t recent. Given the early hour, even with the eternally active Athena’s famous morning routines, she’d have had to leave far too early in the morning in an unfamiliar place for it to be a morning run.

She yawned, wincing as the bolt of pain crossed behind her eyes, and the yawn turned into a low grumble as her thick and tangled hair fell over her eyes with the rising of her body.

“Meaning she likely crept off to someone’s room in the middle of the night.” She finished out loud. 

At least it meant she wasn’t there to offer to drag her on her morning run. Ema could have her hangover in what little peace she could claw from her pounding head.

There was an interestingly limited pool of suspects for Athena to have slunk off to join, of course, if Ema wanted to speculate. But that would have been rude.

WIth another painful yawn, Ema pushed herself out of bed and shuffled towards the bathroom to freshen up…or at least manage her eyes all the way open.

Athena would, in typical Athena fashion, show up with a smile and the energy of a small sun at some point or another…and Ema wanted to be ready for it.

Preferably, ‘a few cups of coffee later’ ready. 

As she was coming back out of the bathroom, slightly freshened, but not nearly enough– there was a sharp rap on the door.

“GhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHH” She tied her hair back with a band…a messy lock falling over her face as she threw the door open. “What???” 

Apollo Justice stood there, his hair limp, and his buttoned up shirt incredibly wrinkled.

He managed a polite smile, but only barely, as he winced at Ema’s forceful greeting.

“Hi, Ema.”

Ema flushed, smoothing her hair back and out of her face with a sheepish grin. “Whoops. Morning, Apollo. You look rough as I feel.” 

He rubbed the back of his neck, and nodded. “Yeah, I’d believe it. Long flight, huh? Sorry to bother you so early.”

There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked as distant as he did tired. HIs posture seemed different than usual– but Ema could hardly blame him with the crushing week he’d had.

She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Justice. You’re a face I’m always happy to see, yeah? Even before my frickin’ cup of morning coffee.” 

He smiled a little wider at the contact. “Maybe we could grab one together, after I get dressed. I was hoping to find my suitcase. Athena had it for me, and Mr. Wright told me you two were sharing a room.”

“Apparently we’re supposed to be,’ Ema drawled as she waved him inside. “I haven’t seen her since I passed out last night.” 

“Really?” his smile faded, and he leaned a little on the doorframe as he came inside and let the door close behind him. “Did she leave my suitcase in here?”

“Uh….” Ema glanced out at the things with a furrow of her brow. There was Athena’s suitcase…and her own…and nothing else. “Oh…fuck.”

The last time she’d seen it, Detective Halblicht had carried it for Attorney Cykes…meaning…

“Well, good news, I know where it is.”

“What’s the bad news?” Apollo asked, his dark eyes narrowing.

“Uhhhh.” Ema stared at Apollo as her mind kicked into groggy overdrive. “It’s in a grumpy prosecutor’s room?” 

“Mr. Edgeworth’s? I would have thought Mr. Wright would have known if he had it…”

“No, no, not Edgeworth’s.” Ema laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Blackquill. Simon. Detective Halblicht carried it for Athena an—”

She mentally wondered why the fuck an international espionage agent and assassin went with an obvious pun for a name when he didn’t want to be recognized by people who might want to strangle the life out of him the moment he made himself known.

“Yeah.”

Apollo stared at her in obvious confusion for a moment. Then slowly he asked, “So should I go get it from Prosecutor Blackquill, then?”

“Uhm.” Athena was likely there, so that would be…probably fine. But the detective would probably be there too. And Apollo wasn’t stupid.

“Uh. Hey, you look tired, Justice. Want me to go and grab it for you?” 

“That’s nice of you, but I thought I looked as tired as you felt, Ema?” He paused. “Is there something you’re not–oh.”

Apollo stopped dead, and Ema watched his eyes widen.

Ema’s smile twitched at the corners. If he was reading the fact that she was lying with that fucking power of his, she’d have to tear his eyes out to save face.

Or just buckle down for the fallout.

“What?” 

He put his hand over his mouth, and asked in a low voice. “Did… did Athena and Simon spend the night together?”

Ema stared at him with dark circled eyes, the weight of exhaustion and the utter stupidity of this morning threatening to crush her at any moment.

“Yes.”

It wasn’t even a lie. She was 98% certain that’s where Athena slunk off to. 

He rubbed the back of his neck, and she could see he was flushing now. “Okay, uh, in that case, how about I take you up on the suitcase, and I’ll see about what I can do for some coffee for both of us when you bring it?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, Apollo” She flashed a sleepy thumbs up. “I’ll take an espresso.”

As thanks for the narrowly avoided calamity. 

December 25, 6:40

By the grace of hotel amenities, the water was still hot by the time it was Simon’s turn to shower. He’d left the room quickly while Halblicht was in it, in order to get the promised iron from the night before from housekeeping. If Mr. Edgeworth even noticed the extra charge he’d simply take it out of the detective’s pay.

They were paying him, weren’t they? Simon realized as he wrung the excess moisture out of his hair that he didn’t know.

He also didn’t know why he was trusting the man alone in the room with Athena while he was busy showering, but– he just couldn’t bring himself to think that he’d do her harm now. As he’d said, there was no benefit in it to him…

Simon couldn’t believe how the world had turned upside down in one night.

He toweled off, and made himself decent in his pants at least– he’d left his shirt in the room at Halblicht’s insistence that it too be ironed.

So the emotionless man did have his preferences. A certain fastidiousness, perhaps– well that tracked with the terrible things Simon now knew about his upbringing. Who wouldn’t want the chance to eat well, and take care of one’s clothes and body after…. that.

Cringing at the thought, Simon pushed the door open to the hotel room proper and glanced around.

Halblicht was, as promised, in the middle of ironing– standing shirtless over the ironing board with a pensive look on his face.

Athena was spread out on the bed, her hair in a messy half moon around her face as she held her hands up in the air and fiddling around with Widget’s AR display. She was still in her pajamas, and was babbling away seemingly to herself when he stepped inside.

“I wish I’d brought it with me, genuinely. But I couldn’t bring myself to wear it , and it’d just be wasted space, you know? Not that the outfits I did bring aren’t cute or anything– but is cute really what I want to be wearing on a murder investigation?”

“It would have been a shame to get it dirty,” Halblicht agreed. “But if it’s a style you’d like to wear maybe you should get a less sentimental one that you wouldn’t mind possibly damaging?”

Simon leaned on the bathroom door, looking over the absurd scene. The three of them, Simon, Athena, and the Phantom, half dressed in a hotel room and chatting as if everything was normal.

Absurd. Completely absurd.

“Didn’t want to wear what?” he asked.

Athena sat bolt upright, and Simon had the treat of seeing her face go through the AR display and send it scattering into holographic pixels with Widget’s chirping little ‘oh NO’.

“Ah!!” Athena squeaked as she turned pink. “uhm…a kimono, Simon. I found the ones mom left me while I was packing.” 

Simon chuckled as she jumped and shook his head. “Ah, it’s a shame you didn’t wear it. We would have made quite the striking group. Which would please the popinjay here, I’m sure.”

Halblicht– Bobby– bristled, and whined out. “Popinjay? Because I want my suit to look nice?”

“Yes–”

Simon’s answer was cut short by the sudden knock at the door.

“It’s true , we would make a stri—” Athena’s train of thought was utterly jarred as she hopped out of bed without thinking and made for the door. “I’ll get it!” 

Despite his lunge, Simon didn’t make it to the door before she did, only succeeding in standing awkwardly behind her with fire in his eyes as she pulled it open.

December 25, 6:45 am

When the door to Simon Blackquill and company’s hotel room opened, Ema saw pretty much exactly what she’d expected to see.

Athena, smiling brightly and in her pajamas answering the door. Simon, furious and wet and shirtless right behind her like a snarling cat.

Admittedly, “Halblicht” standing in the background ironing a shirt was kind of a surprise. She’d expected him to be still asleep…or hell, in handcuffs nearby with Simon glowering at him instead of looming over the smiling Athena and turning the full force of it on her instead.

“Morning, campers.” Ema said with a wry smile, staring for a moment at the shirtless Simon. “Having fun?” 

“Oodles,” Simon drawled. “What can we do for you at this lovely early hour, Skye-dono?”

Halblicht looked up from his ironing and flashed her a bright grin and a salute.

Ema saluted him back with an incredulous look on her face. “Apollo needs his clothes. Athena never brought them back from this little uh…get together you guys are having.”

Athena rubbed the back of her neck.

 “it’s a long story Ema I…” her eyes suddenly widened “APOLLO’S SUITCASE! OOPS!” 

“Sweet justice,” Halblicht winced. “I’ve got it, Ms. Athena! Ahhhhh…. it’s right over here, let me get it!” He put the iron down– first face down, and then just in time, set back upright so it wouldn’t burn anything. And then he rather buffoonish scrambled to grab the suitcase from where it was leaned next to the desk.

Simon meanwhile, gave Ema a look as if daring her to say something.

“……….” Ema Skye rubbed her tired eyes with a long stare into Simon’s eyes.

“………………………….” Simon stared back at her, unflinching.

She sighed. “Look, let’s just pretend I didn’t see anything, alright? Whatever kinda clown show this is ain’t my business.” 

“We’re practicing our tightrope act,” Simon drawled. “I’m sure you’ll see a full performance this afternoon.”

Halblicht wheeled the suitcase over, and offered it to Ema with a bashful grin. “Signed, sealed, delivered, Investigator Skye!”

Ema took the suitcase with a wry chuckle.

“Thanks Bob. Bobby. You’re a peach.” She glanced at Athena, who seemed like she was trying to vanish into thin air. “Looking forward to the performance. I’ll buy a bag of snackoos so I can throw ‘em.” 

December 25, 6:50 am

The tension in the room that had built like a static charge when Ema had shown up at the door lingered after she was gone, the trio standing in awkward silence for a moment.

Bobby pushed up his glasses uncomfortably. “Um, Ms. Athena… I wasn’t exactly paying attention when you handed me that bag. It belongs to Mr. Apollo Justice?”

“Auhhh…..” Athena managed to say awkwardly. “Y-yeah. He asked me to take his bag for him ‘cause he was running late. I completely forgot with everything going on…” 

“And he’s going to be here? On this investigation?”

Simon leaned his chin on his knuckles watching Bobby. “I believe he and Athena are meant to represent the defense together, as usual. You weren’t aware.”

Bobby shook his head. “No uh, no I didn’t know. Does he….”

Athena shook her head with a nervous look. “I don’t think so, Bobby.” 

Bobby grimaced, and wrung his hands together. “Oh, lady justice, this is going to be…”

“Awkward?” Simon huffed. “I don’t think that even begins to cover it. We’d better get our strategy straight.”

Athena leaned near the door. “I don’t suppose keeping them separate the whole investigation is ah..feasible, is it?” 

The question hung uncomfortably in the air.