Chapter Text
June 1st, 2028, 4:17 PM
Simon Blackquill’s Office
“No.”
“Oh, come on, Simon!” implored Athena. The determined woman had made her way to Simon’s office in the hopes of convincing him to come to Shipshape Aquarium with her and Apollo Justice.
Simon, on the other hand, had no intention of agreeing to such a thing. “Athena—”
“No! I can tell you’re trying to make up an excuse and that you have no previous engagements.”
She was right. “Ngh…” Simon groaned in defeat.
“Come on, please?” Athena pleaded. “I want to spend time with you like we used to. You can’t coop yourself up in your office or your apartment all the time, you know.” Her pout turned to a grin as she punched her fist into her palm. “I’d find a way to break your apartment door down anyway!”
She wants to spend time with me… I cannot let her down, he resolved. “Very well. I will go. You are right. There’s no use in me making a cell out of my home or work. I’ve spent enough time in one already.”
“Exactly!” Athena lit up. “Apollo and I will be at your apartment at 9 AM! Unless he wakes up late,” she added as an afterthought.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t,” Simon replied.
Athena walked backwards out of the office, waving as she went. “Well, see you tomorrow!”
Simon nodded. “See you, Athena.”
June 2nd, 2028, 9:45 AM
Shipshape Aquarium - Entrance
The prosecutor stood at the entrance next to the two lawyers, who were busy continuing an argument from earlier—who was responsible for being late. Simon pretended he wasn’t paying attention, but, in reality, he was listening intently. Not because he actually cared who was responsible but because it was simply nice to hear his niece speak in a way that didn’t feel rehearsed or overthought.
Slowly but surely, Simon and Athena were on the way to mending their friendship, getting closer every time they spoke. Now that both could afford to let their guard down around the other, it was slowly starting to feel like it used to, before he was imprisoned.
“Simon!”
“Hm?”
“I’m sick of arguing with Apollo. Let’s go in already!” Athena exclaimed, smiling.
“Hey! You started it!” Justice retorted indignantly.
The three made their way into the aquarium.
Upon entering, they were immediately greeted by a familiar face. A woman dressed in a peculiar getup.
“Athena! Apollo!” she called jubilantly. “And… wait—!”
Before anyone could say anything, the woman donned a fake moustache and brandished a sword at Simon. “Dread Pirate Nostache! Why have ye returned?! If it’s a fight ye want…”
Simon took a step back, shocked. Sasha Buckler, the orca trainer… from the orca case, he remembered. Eyeing the sword, he considered taking a fighting stance, but it was futile—her sword was fake and could do him no harm.
“Whoa!” Justice cried, flinching. “Why do so many people have swords?!”
“No, no, Sasha! He’s a friend!” Athena exclaimed, coming between the two, arms outstretched.
“No fighting!” Widget added.
“Arrr…” Buckler put the sword away and removed the moustache. “Any friend of Athena’s is a friend of mine!” She smiled at Simon.
She is forgiving. “...Good morning,” he greeted awkwardly.
“Good morning to you too, Prosecutor Nostache.” Buckler held her hand out.
Simon took it, and the trainer shook it firmly, gripping his hand a little tighter than necessary. …Maybe not that forgiving, he reconsidered.
“How are you, Sasha?” Athena asked, changing the subject.
“So we’re not talking about the sword…” Justice muttered.
“Oh, I’m fin-tastic! How about you, Athena, Apollo?”
Athena flashed a peace sign her way. “I’m doing just fine! And I’m sure Apollo would say the same!”
“Huh? Oh, yes!” Justice exclaimed. “Apollo Justice is FINE!”
Simon and Athena flinched at the loudness of the man’s voice. “Easy on the Chords of Steel, champ,” Athena retorted.
“Right, sorry.”
Buckler turned to Simon. “And what about you?”
Simon was mildly taken aback. “Me? I am… fine.”
“We’re all fine!” Athena proclaimed.
“That’s good!” Buckler replied, holding up two hand gestures Simon didn’t recognise. “Well, feel free to look around, guys! If you need anything, come find me or another staff member, and we’ll be happy to help!”
Athena clasped her hands together. “Thank you, Sasha! I think we’ll just look around the Aqua Tunnel for now.” She turned to the two men. “Is that alright with you guys?”
“Yep,” Justice answered. Simon merely nodded.
“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
June 2nd, 2028, 10:27 AM
Shipshape Aquarium - Aqua Tunnel
The trio had walked idly through the tunnel, marvelling at the fish and making small talk. Simon had gotten better at it but still preferred to keep quiet while Athena and Justice chatted. Eventually, he had something to say.
“I would like to see the penguins.”
“What?” Athena and Justice asked in unison, turning to him.
“The penguins,” he repeated. “I want to see them. Rifle and Sniper, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, right! The penguins!” Athena gasped. “Sniper must be all grown up now, too! Awww…”
Justice looked around. “Where are the penguins?”
“Uhhh… I don’t know.” Athena looked around with him. “I’ll go find Sasha and ask her. You two wait here!”
With that, she was off, running to find the trainer.
“She really is fast, huh?” Justice commented.
The prosecutor nodded. “Indeed.”
The two stood in silence, observing the fish until Athena returned with Buckler in tow.
“Hey, guys! We’re here!” she called, running back their way, dragging Buckler along by the hand.
“What a workout! I should challenge you to a race sometime, Athena,” Buckler laughed. “So, you wanted to see the penguins?”
“Yes,” confirmed Simon.
She turned around and pointed to the other end of the tunnel. “Keep going that way, and you’ll find the penguin enclosure. You can’t miss it!” Buckler turned back around to look at them. “I’d call for our new keeper to escort you, but he isn’t answering his walkie-talkie…”
“That’s okay, Sasha! I’m sure we can handle it,” Athena reassured.
“Fin-omenal! I’d escort you myself, but I have to go talk to Marlon about the next Swashbuckler Spectacular. You’re all invited, by the way!”
“Trés bien! We’ll be there!”
I wonder if “all” includes me, Simon pondered.
The trainer departed, and the trio were left to their own devices.
Athena stepped forward and pointed in an ‘Objection!’ pose in the direction Buckler described. “To the penguin exhibit!”
June 2nd, 2028, 10:42 AM
Shipshape Aquarium - ???
Athena, Simon, and Justice wandered aimlessly around the aquarium, trying and failing to find their way to the penguin enclosure.
“We’ve been walking around for fifteen minutes. I think we’re lost,” said Justice.
“Hmmm… do you think we should split up?” Athena suggested.
“No,” Simon shot down. “We will be even more lost if we do that.” He glanced around the area they were in. “You would think a place such as this would have better signage.”
“Yeah, well, I’m somehow not surprised,” Justice sighed.
Athena let out a groan of exasperation. “We haven’t even seen a single employee…”
The room fell silent, and the three lamented. So much for seeing penguins… Simon thought to himself disappointedly.
“Uhh… do you guys need some help?” asked a voice. A strangely familiar voice.
Athena gasped and turned around. “Yes, we—aaagh!”
Simon and Justice turned in the direction Athena was facing and saw why she reacted that way. The voice belonged to an employee dressed in a white t-shirt, light blue overalls, matching rubber boots, blue protective gloves, and oval-shaped glasses perched on his nose. Yet, even with the starkly different attire, that face and hair were unmistakable.
“Bobby Fulbright?!” Athena yelped in surprise. “When did you get out of the hospital?”
He went pale. “Er… do I know you?”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Athena replied, realising. “But I heard you were in the hospital from the news!”
Upon seeing that familiar face, Simon’s heart stopped dead in his chest. The Phantom! …No, no, no. Fulbright. Not the Phantom, he clarified. The latter was still in prison, and the former, the real Fulbright, had been hospitalised, like Athena had stated.
“R-right.” Fulbright looked at the three of them, clearly unsure what to say. “You… didn’t happen to meet…” he swallowed. “ Him, did you?”
“If you mean the Phantom,” Simon began without thinking, “then yes, we have been acquainted.”
Whatever colour was left in the man’s face promptly left. “A-ah.”
“ Simon! ” Athena hissed at him, covering her ears with her hands and grimacing in discomfort.
Simon then realised that in hindsight, mentioning a person’s assailant to that person so blatantly was perhaps not the best idea he had had. He is clearly traumatised, which is unsurprising, Simon thought. Though, he could hardly blame himself for talking about the Phantom—as unfortunate as it was, Fulbright’s face was the face he now associated with that deplorable man, despite how much he wished it wasn’t. Besides, Fulbright had asked.
Fulbright weakly cleared his throat. “W-well, anyway… Did you guys need any help?”
“Y-yes, actually,” Athena replied, getting her bearings. “We were on our way to the penguin enclosure, but we got lost.”
Fulbright’s eyes widened. “I just came from there! I-I misplaced my walkie-talkie, so I’m looking for it.”
“You work here?!” Justice asked incredulously before getting elbowed in the ribs by Athena. “Ouch!”
He nodded. “Y-yep. I’m the new animal keeper. Well, n-not that new. I’ve been here for about a month. D-did you want me to show you to the penguin enclosure?”
“Yes, please!” Athena said. “Oh, wait! You said you lost your walkie-talkie?”
“Ye-yeah.” Fulbright looked around. “Not sure where I could’ve left it…”
“I can look for it if you want!”
“Really? Th-that would be really helpful! But what about the penguin enclosure?”
Athena waved a hand airily. “I’ll be as quick as lightning! It’ll be like you never lost it! Besides, Simon was the one who wanted to see the penguins.” She gestured to him. “You can go ahead!”
She gave Simon a look as if to say, “don’t screw this up”, before running off in search of the walkie-talkie.
What in Hell’s name is she doing?! he thought, but his mouth wasn’t quick enough to say anything, and so he stood dumbfounded.
“Wait for me, Athena!” Apollo cried, chasing after her hurriedly, leaving Simon and Fulbright alone.
To Be Continued