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tanzanite-zircon · 4 years

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Collabwithmyself Chronicles: The Ace Powerpuffs Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Starting today, You’re a Father

Phoenix groaned as he regained consciousness. He fought to re-open his eyes, despite the pull to just lull back to sleep. He was finally able to open them to a squint. He could barely make out the night sky through his limited vision and tears. He grunted as he slowly pulled himself back to a seated position, rubbing the back of his head.

{Ugh, how long was I out? Ow, my aching everything.}

“Daddy?”

That made Phoenix’s eyes shoot open and his back straighten, ignoring the waves of pain that shot through his body as he did so. His eyes fell onto the child in blue. He wanted to protest being called daddy again, but he stopped as he met their eyes. They had heterochromia eyes, just like he did, but the positions of the blue and brown eyes were switched. Phoenix’s focus broadened as he took in the rest of the child’s appearance. They have brown skin and very curly brown hair. The blue color came from their clothes, which consisted of a blue dress with a black stripe around their waist. They also had white leggings and black shoes.

“We looked all over the house,” they mumbled, “but we couldn’t find anyone else in the there. Maybe your friend got out before we found you.” Phoenix felt his heart dip a bit in his chest.

{They couldn’t find Kristoph in the house. … THE HOUSE THAT IS ON FIRE! I LET THREE KIDS GO INTO A HOUSE THAT IS ON FIRE!} Phoenix’s heart and mind began to race as he struggled to get on his feet, but he couldn’t even manage to get into a kneeling position. His back protested in agony, but he had to make sure the other two kids were safe! Phoenix suddenly felt his body begin to lift. He turned his head to see Blue flying behind him and lifting him to his feet. All he could do was stare at the kid in shock and amazement as they began to steady him on the ground.

“Is that better Daddy,” they mused. Phoenix was just captivated by the child’s strength and adorable smile that he temporarily forgot about the house.

“Y-yeah,” he stammered, “T-thank you. That was … incredible! How did you …”

{THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE YOU IDIOT!} His brain screamed at him to snap him back to his initial task. Phoenix shook his head as he turned back to the house.

“N-never mind, you can tell me later! Right now, we need to get the other two out of the … burning … house?” The burning house … wasn’t burning. Actually, from the outside, you couldn’t even tell there was even a fire. The white, two-story house was spotless; there was no smoke rising from the open door or within the windows.

“W-where … where’s the fire?!”

“You mean that warm, reddish-orange stuff,” Blue pondered, “Red sneezed on the black stuff that came from it and one of the fires just went away. We saw that they didn’t like air stronger than them, so we blew the rest of them out!” More shock and amazement coursed through Phoenix’s body as he turned to look back at Blue.

“You … you three blew out a house fire!?”

“Yep! … Are you okay Daddy? Your mouth looks ready to fall off!” The instant they stated those words, Phoenix could feel his wide-open jaw threatening to lock up. He quickly closed his mouth, fighting the urge to rub his cheeks from the sudden and fast movement.

{Man, I’d hate to see what they’d do to birthday candles.}

“I-I’m fine,” he stuttered, “I … I just … This is just too much at one time.” Phoenix could feel his brain begin to ache from all the excitement he just endured. He didn’t get the chance to even attempt to process what was going on when Blue grabbed his hand and started pulling him into the house.

“C’mon Daddy,” they giggled. Phoenix could hear a high-pitched sound, along with his own terrified shriek, as the child literally flew both of them through the house and into the kitchen. Phoenix could only catch a brief glimpse of the living room and part of the upper floor as he was rocketed into the house, but he could see that the areas did not have any fire damage. It looked like the fire stayed within the kitchen. Phoenix could feel his feet touch solid ground as Blue let go of his hand. He stumbled from the momentum, but was able to keep himself from falling forward.

“Hey, you’re back!” Phoenix snapped his head down to where the voice came from. This kid was wearing the same dress, leggings, and shoes as Blue, but it was in yellow. Their skin was a more medium shade and their eyes were a soft, light blue color. They also had bright orange hair that was tied into a side ponytail by a bow the same color as their eyes. They flew up into the air and stopped once they reached his eye level.

“How are you feeling,” they inquired, “We saw you take a nap once we put out the weird, warm, orange thingies.”

“Daddy says it’s called fire,” Blue interjected.

“Oh, so that’s why you were trying to call a fire department,” Yellow declared.

{Can you please stop calling me daddy?}

“I still don’t see anyone.” Phoenix jumped at the voice behind him. As he turned around, he saw the last of the three kids fly into the kitchen. Same as the other two, they wore the same clothes, but theirs was in red, almost pinkish. Their skin was nearly the same color as Yellow’s, but was tanner. They had short brown hair with it styled to have two horns sticking up and their eyes were brown. They froze once they saw Phoenix.

“Oh,” Red gasped, “H-hey mister. … I’m sorry, but … we looked everywhere in this place like three times, but no one’s here but us.” Red rubbed the back of their head and averted their eyes from Phoenix’s. Phoenix couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt in his heart as he stared at Red. He remembered how worried this one looked when he mentioned Kristoph being inside when the explosion happened.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Phoenix reassured as he placed a hand on Red’s shoulder, “I can see that you all searched the house very carefully to find Kristoph. I’m just glad that you three are ok. … And so is most of his house.” Phoenix turned and took notice of the state of the kitchen. Some of the cabinets were just hanging on their hinges and their doors were splintered on the floor. The top of the stove was chard, but surprisingly still had the black cooking pot seated on top of it, Kristoph’s beakers and containers were broken on the floor, along with a few remnants of Phoenix’s cereal, and the walls were stained with the soot from the fire. But there was no sign of Kristoph anywhere. Phoenix could feel both relief and worry wash around in his heart.

{The kids said that there was no one else in the house and there are no Kristoph bits anywhere. They have to be right; he must’ve gotten out. … But where did he go? Is he okay? What on earth was he even making? Why did he leave me in here? Where did these kids even come from? How did …}

“Uhh, mister? Are you okay,” Yellow asked, “Your heart sounds really sad and confused?” Their voice snapped Phoenix out of his varying thoughts.

“Oh, uh y-yeah, I’m fine,” Phoenix stuttered, “I’m just trying to wrap my head around … wait, did you say my heart sounds sad and confused?”

“Yeah, I can hear it,” Yellow exclaimed, “It’s telling me you’re upset.”

“And we noticed you chewing on your lower lip and running your hands through your hair when you looked around the room,” Red added pointing to Blue, “We can see that you’re really worried sir.” Phoenix stared at all three kids with wide eyes, full of awe.

{… These kids can fly, are fire proof, can carry a full-grown man with ease, Red and Blue can read bodies, and Yellow can literally hear someone’s heart! This is insane! How did they get these powers? How did they even get here?}

“Daddy,” Blue called, “you’re doing it again.” Phoenix could suddenly feel his teeth on his lower lip and released it. He looked back to the kids and each of them looked concerned. Phoenix took a deep breath to calm his thoughts.

{Okay, I accidentally ruined Kristoph’s project, blew up his kitchen, Kristoph is missing, these three mysterious superpowered kids suddenly appeared, and Blue keeps insisting that I’m their daddy … Yeah, I have no idea how to put these together. … But maybe these kids can shed some light about what happened. Just take it slow Phoenix, you don’t want to make them more worried.}

“Umm,” he began as the kids looked on, “W-well, firstly, t-thank you getting me out of the house and searching for my friend. I really appreciate it.” The kids smiled, seeing that he wasn’t as jittery or sad as before. Phoenix continued, “This night has been … interesting to say the least. … I hope you three don’t mind, but I’d like to ask you three some questions about you and what happened when you found me. … Oh, and I guess I should also introduce myself. My name is Phoenix. Phoenix Wright.”

“Hello Phoenix Wright, it’s very nice to meet you,” all three kids beamed.

{Awww! I was too out of it to notice at first, but these three kids are adorable!} Phoenix couldn’t help but give a warm smile back to them.

“Heh heh. It’s very nice to meet you too … uh, wait, what are your names?”

“… I don’t know,” Yellow shrugged, “Do we even have names?” The other two shrugged their shoulders in response.

“You … you don’t have names,” Phoenix gaped, “But w-where did you come from?”

“From that,” Blue stated as they pointed at the black pot. Phoenix did a double take once they said that.

“W-W-WHAT,” he screamed, “Bu-but how?”

“We don’t know,” Red replied, “The last thing we remember was waking up above that thing and seeing you slumped by the wall.” Phoenix slowly walked over to the pot, the overly sweet scent slightly lingering around it. Phoenix thought back to what the pot was doing when his cereal fell into Kristoph’s concoction: the primary colored sparks that flew from it, the way it nearly bubbled over, the bright light that shown from it before it exploded.

{How did Kristoph make something so … dangerous? What was he even trying to do with it?}

“Kids,” Phoenix stammered, “Did you find anything while searching the house?”

“Well, the house was mostly empty, but we did find some books and a blue block thing in the other room,” Blue shared, “We put them in that box over there.” Blue pointed over to a medium sized cardboard box on the floor by the back wall. Phoenix carefully made his way over to the box with the three kids following behind, carefully stepping over the broken glass and bits of cereal oats and marshmallows. Once in front of the box, Phoenix knelt down and shuffled through its contents, briefly wincing in pain from his still hurt back. He stopped when he saw a familiar item, the blue box that Blue mentioned.

“My phone,” Phoenix gasped. He snatched it up and quickly stood up, making another wave of pain shoot through his spine. He grunted in response, but quickly pressed the up-direction button, holding his breath to see if the phone was damaged and no longer usable. A sigh of relief exited his lungs once the light of his phone screen came on.

{Thank God, it still works!} He quickly selected his contact page and scrolled through the few names he had listed.

{C’mon! Mom … Dad … Miles … Larry … D-dahlia … Kristoph!} Phoenix quickly pressed the select button and called Kristoph’s number. He held the phone to his ear, listening to it ring and praying that Kristoph would pick up.

“Bring … Bring … Bring … Bring … Hello, this is Kristoph Gavin.”

“Kris,” Phoenix sighed in relief, “Oh thank God, I thought that you were …”

“You have reached my cellular voice mail. If you leave your name, number, and a brief message, I’ll see when I can get back to you.” The relief vanished. Phoenix could feel his phone leave his ear as he let his arm fall back to his side.

“… Mr. Wright,” Red cautioned. Phoenix turned back to the kids, sharing in their concerned stares. No one could muster up any words as the voice mail message sounded.

“At the tone, please record your message. When you are finished recording, you may hang up, or press one for more options. … Beep.” After the beep sounded, Phoenix slowly returned the phone to his face, thinking of what words he should say.

“… K-kris, it’s Phoenix. … Uhh, good news! Your house is completely fine! … Well the kitchen will need some new cabinets … and probably a new stove top … and your chemicals will need to be replaced. …” Phoenix paused. He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? He looked back to the kids; the worried expressions still present on their faces. He breathed in and exhaled slowly, attempting to speak again.

“… Kristoph, I’m so sorry. Please … call me back to let me know you’re ok. There’s … a lot that I need to fill you in on. Something … amazing happened.” Phoenix gave the kids a soft smile, which the three returned. Phoenix turned off his phone and placed into the front pocket of his hoodie before returning his attention to the contents in the box.

{Calm down Phoenix. Just because Kris didn’t pick up doesn’t mean he’s … He’s gotta be okay.}

“Maybe something else in here can help us out,” Phoenix muttered. He slowly knelt down to the box and recognized some of the books as his old college textbooks, notebooks, and sketchbooks. Kristoph allowed to let him keep them at his house, as long as they didn’t take up too much of his space. Phoenix carefully shuffled through the books until he came across a notebook that he didn’t recognize. It was a plain beige color and had very neat handwriting. Phoenix gasped as he recognized the handwriting as Kristoph’s.

{These must be the notes he was talking about! Now we can know what he was working on!} Phoenix picked up the notebook, careful to not lose any of the note cards sticking out between the pages. He slowly stood up and read the cover of the book: “Project: Chemical X.”

“Chemical … X,” Phoenix questioned. Phoenix opened the notebook to the first page and began to read.

March 24, 2016

I have secured a benefactor to fund my research, and Wright has agreed to be my assistant. He is the only person in Los Tokyo who actually believes in my work and doesn’t refer to me as crazy. Quite ironic that an art major can recognize the brilliance of my work while the chemistry majors at Ivy University are blind to it. His enthusiasm and puppy-love state can be sickening at times, but at least I’ll have someone to run errands and perhaps provide some form of companionship.

I’m completely dedicating myself to perfecting the compound that I created during my experiments back at Ivy: Chemical X. My Chemical X is a powerful mutagen that can react with nearly any substance, albeit unpredictably. Its chemical reactions produce interesting result, be it completely destroying the substance or creating a new one. It is my current goal to perfect my recipe and make it more stable. With that in hand, I can test it against non-organic and organic materials. It is my hope that I can utilize my mutagen to be used for materials, medicine, or, if push comes to shove, weapons to use against the multitude of gangs and madmen running rampant in the city.

Phoenix paused after reading the first page.

{Chemical X is a mutagen! I can’t believe that Kris invented this stuff!} Phoenix turned to the next page to see if Kristoph wrote down another journal-like entry, but all he saw was a scribbled-out page with only a few substance names and amounts left alone. Phoenix could make out what looked like a recipe.

{Right, Kris wrote that he was trying to find the perfect recipe to make Chemical X. This must be a failed one.} Phoenix continued to flip through the pages, seeing mostly pages with angry scribbles covering them. There were the occasional sticky notes with bits of information on how the mutagen reacted to certain substances, such as one that stated “Sugars make Chemical X bubble.” Phoenix kept flipping the pages until he reached one that wasn’t scribbled out. Phoenix could read the latest recipe, but he could not understand what each substance was.

{This must be the current recipe! And this must’ve been what was in the pot when I … dropped my cereal …} Phoenix could feel his blood chill. Chemical X reacted unpredictably with any substance it came into contact with. And his cereal definitely caused an unpredictable reaction. But, could his cereal really have created these three kids? Phoenix looked to the floor, staring at the oats and marshmallows coated with the sugar and cinnamon.

{Did … did I really make these three kids with sugar, spice, and … marshmallow cereal?} Phoenix thought back to when he bought the cereal at the convenience store and remembered what the name of the cereal was: Everything Nice.

{Wait … sugar, spice, and everything nice. … That was a rhyme used to describe what girls were made of! … Oh my gosh, could I have really … But how can life be made from food?!} Phoenix went through the book again, reading each non-scribbled out word and sticky note to hopefully find an answer. He stopped at a page near the last one with a single sticky note on it which read: “Important note! Anything with DNA has been shown give the product of the reaction life or life-like qualities. In theory, when stable, Chemical X combined with any DNA will result in the making of a living thing of the DNA’s sample.”

{DNA … If memory serves me right, it’s the building blocks of life for everything on Earth. But, if Kristoph found that DNA really could produce life if added to the Chemical X …how did it get into …} Phoenix paused again as his blood cooled again. He realized how DNA could have gotten into the Chemical X: himself. Phoenix remembered when he first made that bowl of cereal, he had spooned some out into his mouth to taste it and had somehow decided that it wasn’t sweet enough. He put his spoon into the cereal as he went to add the sugar and cinnamon. His spit must’ve mixed in the everything that fell into the Chemical X, giving the concoction the DNA needed to make the three girls.

{I … I can’t believe it.} Phoenix leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself from his realization.

“Mr. Wright,” Red cautioned. Phoenix once again met the eyes of the kids … his kids.

“You … you were right,” Phoenix stuttered, “I … I did make you. I … I made three little girls.”

“… I’m not a girl,” Red complained. That made Phoenix jolt out of one shock and into another one.

“Y-you’re not,” Phoenix questioned.

“No,” Red replied, “… At least, I don’t feel like a girl. I … think I’m a boy. Why did you say that Mister?”

“Oh! Uh. Well,” he sputtered, “I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that there is an old rhyme about what girls are made of: sugar, spice, and everything nice. It was these things that combined with the Chemical X to make you three. I just assumed that’s what you three were.”

“… Well, maybe boys are made of the same thing,” Red asserts.

{… Is … is Red saying they’re transgender? … Well, that rhyme is pretty dated. And Red does not look comfortable when being addressed as a girl. I’d hate to make them feel more uncomfortable. … Well, if Red says that he’s a boy, then he’s a boy.}

“… Correction,” Phoenix replied, “I made two girls and a boy. … Uh, you two do feel like you are girls correct?” Red’s face brightened at Phoenix’s words while Yellow and Blue nodded in response. Blue suddenly gasped in joy.

“You made us,” she cheered, “so you really are our Daddy!”

“HUH,” Phoenix shrieked, “W-well, I uhh … t-that is …” Phoenix’s mind raced with all of the information that he had just learned and his body slightly shook and chilled.

{W-what am I going to do? What can I do?! I made three kids! With Kris missing and no job, how can I even provide for them, let alone myself? Am I even qualified to be a father? How can I …} Phoenix’s racing thoughts were stopped by something pressing against his chest. Phoenix looked down to see Blue hugging him, nuzzling her head against the fabric of his hoodie. Phoenix looked back up to see Red and Yellow. Yellow flew over and carefully wrapped her arms around him as well. Red was a bit more aloof, but Phoenix could make out a hopeful look in his eye and slight smile as he came closer and placed a hand on Phoenix’s arm. Phoenix could suddenly feel a warmth appear in his heart, and he could feel it overpowering the chill. Just seeing these three kids warm up to him so quickly and how kind and considerate they were made Phoenix’s nerves relax. He could feel a soft smile break onto his face as he stared at the kids with gentle and loving eyes. He carefully wrapped his arms around the kids, returning the hug. His mind still felt a few pings of panic, but he breathed in and out slowly to carefully think.

{… There’s no doubt about this anymore. I made them. I made three children. I … I’m a father. I’m a father. … Along with finding Kristoph, taking care of them is my new priority. I’ll have to name them and I need to find a job or two. I’m sure many places are looking for workers with everything going on. I’ll also need to enroll them into school. They look like they’re around six years old, so they should qualify for kindergarten. … Miles … Maybe he can enroll them into his class. … I’ll have to talk to him first. … I haven’t really talked to him much after what … she did to me. … I’ve been meaning to talk to him about that … and apologize for being so cold and distant. … One thing at a time Phoenix. I think the first thing I should do is give them names.”

Suddenly, a familiar jingle broke the silence of the room. All four of them jumped in surprise. Phoenix was quick to figure out that it was the Steel Samurai ringtone of his phone.

{It … it could be Kristoph!} Phoenix scrambled to pull his phone out of his pocket and answer it. Ignoring the caller ID, Phoenix pressed the accept button and placed the phone by his ear.

“K-Kristoph,” Phoenix blurted, “Is that you? Are you ok? Where are …”

“WRIGHT!” Phoenix flinched at the screaming voice and thrust the phone away from his ear, somehow managing to still hold onto it. He could feel a cold sweat begin to drip from his forehead as he recognized the voice. Calling him was his shifty land lord, that shared a pretty scary resemblance to himself: Furio Tigre.

“M-Mr. Tigre,” Phoenix squeaked, “W-what a surprise! Is this about the rent? I already paid this month’s …”

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, WRIGHT,” Tigre roared, “ALL TENANTS NOW HAVE TO BE IN THEIR APARTMENTS BY MIDNIGHT OR THEY LOSE THEIR LEASES!”

“W-WHAT?! You didn’t say anything about that this morning!”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER! YOU’VE GOT AN HOUR TO GET HERE OR I THROW YOUR SORRY ASS ON THE STREET!” With that, the call ended. Phoenix growled under his breath. Furio Tigre was always doing things like this to his tenants, and Phoenix was one of his favorite targets. It seemed as if Tigre found a new way to make Phoenix’s life more hell every week, from suddenly raising his rent to withholding his water or electricity. To make matters worse, there was nothing he nor the other tenants could do. The city wouldn’t send anyone over to check the apartments, no matter how many times they complained. The crime wave stretched the police thin. Even if someone were to come, Furio could either scare them away or charm his way out of it.

“Who was that Dad,” Red asked.

{Well that was fast. The others are already calling me dad.}

“That … was my landlord,” he sighed, “I’m sorry, but we have to get going if we’re gonna make it to my apartment by midnight.”

“This isn’t your house Daddy,” Yellow puzzled.

“Well, no,” he replied, “This is Krisoph’s house.”

{Well, I guess it is partially mine, as I help with the mortgage when he forgets to do it.} Before Phoenix could explain any further, he once again noticed the state of the kitchen. He groaned at the mess. He didn’t want to leave Kristoph’s kitchen in this state. It was about a 20-minute bike ride from Kristoph’s place to his apartment, so if he hurried, he could at least sweep up the broken glass, cereal bits, and wood splinters off the floor tonight and finish the rest tomorrow.

“Kids,” Phoenix began, “as I said, we have to go. I just need to clean up the kitchen a bit.” Red, Yellow, and Blue looked around the room and nodded to each other.

“Don’t worry Daddy,” Blue grinned, “We’ll take care of it!” Phoenix’s vision was suddenly filled by streaks of Red, Yellow, and Blue light flying all around the room as the same high-pitched sound from before fills his ears. Phoenix squinted his eyes from the sudden bright lights, but managed to still see what the kids were doing. With lightning fast speed, the kids swept up the debris from the floor and even found a way to get the black stains off the walls. It looked as if the explosion never happened! Phoenix, once again, could only just stare on in shock and amazement. What would’ve taken Phoenix at least 15 minutes to sweep up the floor, the kids cleaned the entire kitchen in less than 15 seconds!

“Is this better,” Yellow inquired.

“Umm, y-yeah,” Phoenix stammered after a few seconds, “Th-thanks. … Uhh, well, I guess we should get going now. I’ll … just grab the box and we’ll leave.” Phoenix figured that he could keep Kris’ notes safe with him. It should be safer than just leaving it in the house when Kris wasn’t there, and not even knowing where he was. Phoenix began to kneel to pick up the box, but stopped as he winced in pain from his back. He could still feel the deep pain in his back muscles from when he was blasted back. Before he could even attempt to pick it up again, Blue flew by and lifted it up in her arms.

“I got it, Daddy,” she beamed. Phoenix jumped in surprise at her suddenly appearing in front of him, but before he could respond, he felt his body lift from the ground. He yelped in surprise and turned his head to see Yellow lifting him up with one hand.

“Don’t strain yourself,” she warned.

“You’re gonna hurt your back,” Red added. Before Phoenix could even attempt to reply, the kids began to move out of the house, with Yellow still carrying him.

“W-whoa, whoa, kids,” he shrieked, “W-what are you doing?!”

“You said that we had to go to your apartment, Daddy,” Blue declared, “So we’re going to your apartment.”

“Bu-but you don’t know where it is,” he gulped

“You can just tell us where to go,” Yellow said.

“But, w-what about my bike,” he quivered as the kids exited the house and stopped on the front lawn, “I’m sure I can …”

“I’ll carry it Dad,” Red offered, “Besides, we’ll get there faster this way.”

“Bu-but …”

“Trust us Daddy,” Blue gushed. Not even Blue’s hopeful voice could quell Phoenix’s nerves as the kids angled themselves toward the night sky.

“Hold on tight, Daddy,” Yellow grinned. With Blue holding the box, Red holding Phoenix’s bike, and Yellow holding Phoenix, the kids took off into the sky. The sound of their high-pitched flying and Phoenix’s terrified screams penetrated the quiet stillness of the night.

The new family of four took off, unaware of the pair of menacing eyes watching them from the back of the house. They have been watching them since Phoenix first entered back into the kitchen, seeing and hearing everything that had happened. The figure stepped out from their hiding place to watch the beams of the kids’ light fade away.

“… Interesting.”

Author’s Note

Here is the second story from the Collabwithmyself Chronicles. Collab has also written his vision of his au, so consider this my re-imagining of the au he has written so far. You can find his writing on his Tumblr page under the ppg au tag.

#collabwithmyself #collabwithmyself chronicles #ppg au #ace attorney #the ace powerpuffs

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tanzanite-zircon · 4 years

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Collabwithmyself Chronicles: Phoe-nix Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Just an Average Day

“Put on your Sunday clothes,

There's lots of world out there

Get out the brillantine and dime cigars

We're gonna find adventure in the evening air

Girls in white in a perfumed night

Where the lights are bright as the stars!

Put on your Sunday clothes, we're gonna ride through town

In one of those new horse-drawn open cars

We'll see the shows at Delmonico’s

And we'll close the town in a whirl

And we won't come until we've kissed a girl!”

The Hello Dolly show-tune definitely does not describe the current state of the Earth. The beautiful shades of blues, greens, browns, and whites of the entirety of Earth have been dulled to a murky brown. The atmosphere surrounding the planet is littered with satellites and other space debris. Once you actually penetrate the pea soup-like smog that drapes the landscape, you can make out the outlines of the beautiful mountains … of trash … if you squint. Buried under and surrounding these mountains are decommissioned wind turbines, nuclear power plants, factories, telephone and power lines, and long abandoned cities and buildings. A truly depressing and eerie sight to behold.

The bubbly show tune and the sound of wheels crunching paper, glass, metal, and plastic are the only sounds that can be heard within the sickening silence of the abandoned street as Phoenix skates his way through the pathways, carrying Trucy on his shoulders. Phoenix was wearing dirtied, light brownish-orange jumpsuit with grey sleeves and gloves, had black accents on his arms, and black boots. He also had a pair of goggles resting in front of his spiky black hair that aided him whenever a little, or big, dust storm ever picked up. Trucy had brown hair tied up into a side ponytail and was wearing a little black dress with gold buttons, white gloves and boots, a light blue cape, and a red ascot tied around her neck. Trucy looked like a magician, as she was programmed to know magic tricks in order to entertain children. Trucy had started to come with him to work after a few months of becoming a little family. While she couldn’t really help with compacting and sorting trash, she did keep him company and help find new trinkets to add to their collection back home. Since Phoenix was the only Fen-10 unit with a ‘soul,’ the rest were not much for conversation.

Once arriving at his destination, Phoenix knelt down to let Trucy, who was carrying the small, portable cooler they had for storing new treasures, off as Phoenix removed his backpack-slash-trash compactor and placed it on the ground. He glances at his surroundings, seeing the huge skyscrapers of trash cubes he and his fellow Fen-10 units created over the centuries. Despite many of these trash towers being taller than most of the abandoned buildings, he and the other androids barely made a dent in the sea of trash. This task has only been harder ever since the last Fen-10 broke down nearly three centuries ago. Phoenix couldn’t help but give out a sad and tired sigh as he gently rubbed the side of his face where a noticeable scratch lied. He turned back to the section of trash and fastened his gloves.

“C’mon Phoenix, just do a few more cubes and you’ll be done for today,” he whispered to himself. With Hello Dolly still blazing through his portable radio, Phoenix scoops two armfuls of aluminum cans, paper cups, and other miscellaneous pieces of trash into his compactor and starting it up. The loud sounds of the machinery crushing the trash muted out the song until the trash cube came sliding out once the machine was done. All that was left was to carry the cube to the stack and do it over again, and again, and again. As he and Trucy trekked up the already very tall structure of trash cubes, Trucy noticed a new treasure.

“Hey daddy,” she chimed, “look at this!” Trucy pointed to a silver disk that was lodged within one of the trash cubes as Phoenix began to tug it free. The two androids stared at disk, trying to figure out what it could be used as, when it began to reflect the light of the sun as it began to set, shimmering within its light.

“Wow, it’s so pretty,” Trucy stated in awe, “Can we keep it?”

“Heh, I don’t see why not,” Phoenix replied, “But it looks too big to keep in the cooler with the other things we found. I’ll carry it in the compactor until we get home.” With that, Phoenix places their newest trinket into his compactor before turning off his radio.

“I think this is enough for today,” Phoenix tiredly sighed, “Let’s go home sweetie.” Phoenix put his backpack back on and helped Trucy and the cooler up onto his shoulders. He then activated his retractable skates and carefully made his way back down the newest trash-scraper. The size of this paled in comparison to the others that Phoenix had created over the many years. Countless mountains of trash have been made by Phoenix over the years, and it look that there would only be even more in the future.

________________________________________________________________

The trek back home gave the two androids the full tour of the abandoned city that they lived in. They once again passed the huge Buy N Large Ultra Store that they have become all too familiar with. The store was absolutely massive and used to carry practically anything a person could need or want. It was as a great place to find supplies, tools, or just fun treasures to take home. The android family then passed by the gas station with one too many pumps and then the bank, which had many ATM’s and had the ground littered with abandoned currency. There was even a speaker that was still playing the Buy N Large theme song, as it was solar powered like Phoenix. Next was the ‘hall of advertisements,’ as Phoenix would playfully call it. Nothing but BNL advertisements of varying products and sizes as far as the optics could see. Phoenix and Trucy then made their way up a broken-down escalator, making their way to the monorail system. Phoenix paused as he approached the rail, checking to make sure it was safe to continue. His demeanor saddened as he knew that they would soon be approaching ‘the graveyard,’ the sight where hundreds of other Fen-10 units broke down. It was always hard to come this way, seeing basically himself lifeless. His daughter knew this all too well.

“Will you be okay Daddy?” she softly asked, “We can go a different way.” Phoenix snapped out of his thoughts and turned to her.

“No, it’s alright,” he replied, “This is the fastest way home. I just … need a moment.” He took a deep breath and gently shook his head.

{Just take it slow Phoenix. You’re going to be ok.} Phoenix squeezed Trucy’s hand, letting her know that he was alright. He then reactivated his skates and carefully made his way along the rail. The deactivated androids soon came into view. Large piles of Fen-10 units surrounded the monorail system, with each droid caked in rust and dust. Phoenix tried to focus on the rail or at the sunset, trying to avoid seeing what he would look like if he ever went offline. Suddenly, just when they reached a patch of solid ground, Phoenix’s deteriorating treads finally gave out. Both androids began to feel the quick, shaking movements of Phoenix’s broken treads unevenly traveling on the path. Phoenix carefully came to a stop to check on Trucy and the condition of his treads.

“You alright Truce,” Phoenix asked.

“I’m fine Daddy,” she replied as she slid off her father’s shoulders. Phoenix lifted his ped to inspect the damage, only to groan in frustration at how bad it was. There was no way to fix these treads with the tools back home, they were completely destroyed beyond repair. He needed a new pair to tread boots. His optics then landed on an offline Fen-10 unit slumped to his left, with a pair of tread boots in perfect condition. Phoenix looked between his destroyed boots and the unit’s boots. Phoenix sadly sighed and looked at the downed unit with guilt.

{… I’m sorry}

________________________________________________________________

After switching the boots, Phoenix and Trucy got back on the rail that lead them back to their bunker. Taking equipment or parts from the other Fen-10 units was always difficult, but sadly necessary. The factory where Phoenix was built ran out of parts practically in the first or second century. The plans, equipment, and supplies needed to recreate the parts Phoenix could need were lost or destroyed. This left Phoenix with no choice but to use the countless androids that littered his home. Since there were so many and the droids were built with durability that would make a cockroach jealous, Phoenix practically had an endless supply of equipment and parts that he would ever need. Even though they were never really ‘alive,’ he would always feel a bit guilty after taking the parts. He took some comfort knowing that Trucy will not have to deal with that. The local Tru-3 factory still has parts and they were able to secure the plans and equipment if Trucy ever needed new parts. The android family carefully continued on the rail, passing by abandoned apartments and destroyed factories and equipment, before finally coming to the downtown transit station. As Phoenix skated on the terminal floor, he passed an automatic advertisement that displayed exactly how the human population left the Earth.

“Too much garbage in your face,” the voice asked, “There’s plenty of space out in space! BNL Starliners leaving each day. We’ll clean up the mess while your away.” The advertisement had four individual screens, each showing a different scene when Phoenix moved passed them. The first was just an animated growing mountain of garbage, the second showed the BNL Starliner, the Axiom, soaring past the Earth, the third screen showed two Axioms taking off from their docking points, and the fourth one displayed about six Fen-10 droids doing their jobs as another Axiom takes off in the background.

{I guess it’s more like “I’ll clean up the mess while you’re still away” these days.} Phoenix and Trucy made their way to the end of the platform and pushed through the exit terminal gates. Just then, another, larger screen appeared above them with another advertisement of the Axiom.

“The jewel of the BNL fleet, the Axiom,” the voice exclaimed, “Spend your five-year cruise in style! Waited on 24 hours a day by our fully automated crew while your captain and auto-pilot chart a course for non-stop entertainment, fine dining, and with our all-access hover chairs, even grandma can join in the fun! There’s no need to walk! The Axiom, putting the star in executive starliner!” This advertisement showed hundreds of humans being pampered in a number of ways by all kinds of androids, be it by massages or by cooking hibachi-styled meals. It also showed the captain at the time and his android auto-pilot. Phoenix was always put off by the auto-pilot. He had slicked back grey hair, striking yet cold red and black eyes, and a stern face with noticeable wrinkles, making him look very old. It was almost as if that android could see right through your hardware. Phoenix’s paranoia about the auto-pilot android was interrupted by the image of the CEO of Buy N Large, Shelby Forthright, appearing on the screen.

“Because of BNL, space is the final fun-tier,” Forthright cheered as he waved to another Axiom taking off into the stars.

{I just wish you all would come back from that final fun-tier.}

______________________________________________________________

After a few more minutes, the android family finally arrived back at their bunker. It was set up on an abandoned, half-finished highway with a few deteriorating cars and construction vehicles in front. The bunker was designed as a place where Fen-10 units could power down after work, but Phoenix and Trucy made it into a suitable home over the centuries. Phoenix gained a good knowledge of machinery, electronics, and energy from reading books and downloading memory files, which helped him set up a small, yet sufficient home. Phoenix was able to fix the solar panels on the outside of the bunker to power everything in their home. They had working lights, heating and cooling systems, mechanics, and even an entertainment system with a DVD and VHS player, iPod that functioned as their television screen and sound system, and a few gaming systems. Phoenix was even able to repair a transceiver and screen that was capable of communication with a person in space if it linked with the other signal code. While they have never been able to reach anyone in space, they could still use its screen for their gaming system. Phoenix pulled up to a control panel, allowing Trucy to a lever that activated the door to their bunker. As the door slowly began to open, the sun’s light shown on the multitude of treasures they have collected over the years, be it a chandelier made from miscellaneous junk, a birdcage full of rubber ducks, or even a collection of clocks of varying types and sizes.

{Home sweet home.} Phoenix grabbed a power strip and flipped its switch, activating the lights in their bunker. Phoenix’s mood brightened as he stared at many treasures that he and Trucy collected over the centuries. Each item was a cherished memory he shared with his daughter. Phoenix helped Trucy off his shoulders before zipping off the top part of his jumpsuit, revealing the white undershirt underneath, and tying the sleeves around his waist. Phoenix began to hum the Hello Dolly show-tune as he strolled over to the entertainment system, taking the copy of Hello Dolly on VHS out of a decommissioned toaster to continue watching from the night before.

To say that phoenix loved Hello Dolly was an understatement. While there were other movies or shows that he and Trucy could watch, Hello Dolly had a special place in Phoenix’s core processor. The joyful music, lovable characters, and mesmerizing dance numbers always helped Phoenix and Trucy cheer up after a long day of trash sorting, treasure hunting, and seeing how badly the world keeps deteriorating. Moreover, this was her favorite musical. The favorite show of the Phoenix’s first and only human friend before every person evacuated the planet.

Phoenix placed the tape into the player and adjusted the large magnifying glass over the iPod’s screen, making the image of the town’s people in the scene bigger to see. With the familiar tune playing in the background, Phoenix and Trucy began to sort their new treasures, starting with the silver disk. As Phoenix turned what now appeared to be a hub cap from a car, he turned to look at the screen and took notice of the hats that the towns people were using in their dance number. Phoenix began to turn the disk above his head, mimicking the choreography of the scene.

{Well, that’s one thing we can use this for.} Phoenix placed the disk into one of the many shelves that lined the wall of the bunker. Trucy then opened up the cooler to take out the other treasures they had found throughout the day. Inside the cooler was a spork, a Rubik’s Cube, a hand-powered mixer, a light bulb, and an old BNL lighter. Trucy took out the spork and Rubik’s Cube, admiring the strange objects she found near the Ultra Store earlier that day. She placed the cube in a section that also housed one of her father’s art sculptures, which was a red clay heart with a spiked dog dollar around it on a spring. Trucy then moved to the section next to it to place the spork, trying to decide on whether to place it with their collection of forks or spoons. She eventually decided to put it in between the collections, as it was a fusion between the two. As Trucy placed the spork in its section, Phoenix pulled out the BNL lighter.

“What made you want to take this Trucy,” Phoenix questioned, “We must have nearly one hundred of these things by now.”

“Oh, it has something in it” Trucy replied, “I heard liquid inside when I picked it up. The others we have are empty. What do you think is in there?”

“I’m not sure,” Phoenix declared, “I don’t remember reading anything about these in our books or memory files. Let’s just put it with the others we found for now.” Phoenix moved to the end of the shelf and pressed the lowest button on its control panel, making the Ferris-wheel like mechanism begin to rotate the shelves until it reached the one with their collection of lighters. After placing the newest lighter in with the others, Phoenix’s audio receptors picked up a familiar sound. That song was playing again.

“And that is all, that loves about.

And we'll recall, when time runs out...”

Phoenix was always captivated by this song and scene. Seeing the two humans sweetly sing to each other, intertwine hands, and stare lovingly at each other made Phoenix’s core processor swell with happiness, but he also felt hints of jealousy and sadness. Phoenix let out a quiet sigh, surrounded in love and loneliness that Trucy managed to hear. She looked over to the screen, and anticipated her father’s next action.

“That it only,

Took a moment,

To be loved...

Whole...

Life...

Long.”

As the song began to end, Phoenix intertwined his own hands, mimicking the two humans on screen. There is was. Her father always held his own hands whenever he watched that scene. The scene was beautiful, but it also unintentionally rubbed what the two characters had that her father didn’t: Love.

This was not to say that Phoenix did not love her, extremely the opposite. Ever since Phoenix found her in the landfill her original ‘family’ left her in and re-activated her, he has been the greatest father she could ever ask for. He was always thinking of her and would do anything for her. He helped her recover and cope with her feelings of abandonment, shared with her everything he knew about the world, and would always make time for her for whatever she needed. Phoenix loved her with every ounce of his processor, no doubt about it.

But this was a different type of love. The two characters shared a romantic type of love, and her father did not have someone to share that kind of love with. He would try to hide his sadness over this from her; he did not want her to believe that their bond did not make him happy. Trucy understood how he felt, she did not have someone to share this kind of love with either. While she didn’t feel that strong of a desire for romantic love, probably due to her programming, she could see that her father wanted to experience that kind of love for himself, and not just watch it from movies. Trucy slowly walked over to her father and placed her hand on his arm.

“Daddy,” she carefully whispered. Phoenix slightly jumped at her touch. He looked over to her and then his hands, slowly separating them.

“I’m doing it again,” Phoenix softly mumbled, “I’m sorry Pumpkin, I …”

“Please don’t apologize Daddy,” Trucy reassured as she cupped her father’s face, “It’s not a bad thing to feel sad over this. You told me years ago that we have to feel what we need to feel. So please, if you need to feel sad, don’t hide it. Not even for my sake.” Phoenix held Trucy’s hands and gently pressed his forehead against hers. He knew that she was right. He shouldn’t be ashamed of his emotions. She’s not a naïve little android; she has changed and grown over the centuries. He shouldn’t be afraid to feel sadness around her, but he practically conditioned himself to in an attempt to spare her from feeling any undeserved guilt. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and cupped her face.

“What did I do to deserve the world’s most perfect daughter,” He softly asked.

“Saved me from becoming one of the many trash cubes you have to make,” she jokingly replied. Phoenix couldn’t help but giggle at her clever comeback. He hugged her close as they turned toward the screen, watching the two characters walk off, hand-in-hand. Phoenix hugged Trucy tighter as the sadness and jealousy seeped back in. Trucy placed her hands on her father’s, staring up at him to see what he would do next. Phoenix sighed and turned his head towards her.

“Trucy,” he began, “I know that you already know this, but I love you. Without you, I’d be so miserable here. But … I wish we weren’t the only two beings left on Earth. I wish we didn’t have to do the same things all day, every day. I’m so tired of cleaning and making trash cubes. I’m frustrated that I’m the only Fen-10 unit still working. I’m angry that I was the only one alive. I hate that there is still so much trash left, and we have to take care of it ourselves. I wish that the humans were back. I wish that there were other androids we could interact with. I wish that…”

“Easy Daddy,” Trucy interrupted, “Don’t overload your processor. Just take it slow.” Phoenix’s voice was getting faster and higher in pitch. Anymore and he might have needed to change his voice box. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts.

{Easy Phoenix, you don’t have to say everything on your mind right now. Like Trucy says, take it slow.}

“… I want more out of life Truce,” he continued, “I don’t want to sound ungrateful for what we have now. Having you with me, collecting treasures together, making art, … it does make me happy. You make me very happy. … But that scene … it reminds me of what we could have … or what we never may have.” Phoenix knelt down to be at eye level with his daughter, placing his hands on her shoulders. He tried to speak again, but his melting pot of emotions made him stop to think about how he should say what needs to be said. However, Trucy caught on to what he wanted to say.

“I feel the same way Daddy,” Trucy revealed, “I love going with you to work and treasure hunting, but … I also want to do more. I want our lives to change.”

Change. Change is something that many people often fear. After all, fear is the result of not knowing something. But when you have been doing the same things for centuries, you might welcome a change of pace with open arms.

“I want to do the things that the humans in the movies can do,” Trucy added, “I want to meet people. I want to go on picnics, go to the beach, travel the world. I want an ..”

“Adventure,” Phoenix interjected. Phoenix gently sighed, feeling a weight lift off of his shoulders after sharing his frustrations, and remembering that he does not need to hide anything from his daughter. He couldn’t help but quietly laugh at how he fell for the cliché plot of hiding his true feelings to spare another’s; one of the curses of having a human ‘soul’: you have human flaws and make human mistakes. Phoenix pulled Trucy into a gentle hug.

“Truce, I really am sorry for hiding how I’ve been feeling, but I’m happy that you finally got it out of me,” Phoenix apologized, “I should have known that you were feeling the same way.”

“I’ve been hiding it too Daddy,” Trucy replied, “I was worried that I would hurt your feelings if I told you how I was feeling about this.”

“But this …. This is good. It feels good to talk about this. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk to each other about anything like this anymore. Trucy … if you ever feel unhappy, frustrated, or anything, never be afraid to talk to me about it. And I promise to do the same.” Trucy wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, tightening their hug. Phoenix felt his core processor swell with relief and happiness, knowing that the unneeded burden of hiding their true emotions was lifting. He knew that it would take some time to break this habit, but they took the first step. With more open talks and support, they can and will cope with their situation.

{An adventure would be nice. It would be great to do something else, go somewhere new … Wait a minute! Somewhere new!} Phoenix straightened his posture as an idea entered his mind.

“I think I know a little adventure we can have,” Phoenix exclaimed, “There’s a section of the city that we haven’t gone to, not even once! I think it’s called Sector 358, South-West from here. I’m supposed to finish Sector 174 tomorrow, but how about we skip it and go there instead!” Trucy looked up at her father in surprise and excitement.

“Really, a new sector,” Trucy thrilled, “You really mean it?”

“Of course. I’ll still be doing my job, but we’ll have a change of pace. What do you say?”

“Y-yeah! That sounds great! Think of all the new treasures we can find! This is gonna be awesome!” Trucy began to pace around the bunker, happily listing all of the new things she and her father could do and see. She began to speak faster and her voice raised in pitch. Phoenix waved her down and then spoke.

“Heh, take it easy Pumpkin! Now you’re gonna overload your processor. But, I’m glad your excited. Why don’t we plan out what we can do at the sector while we finish sorting our new treasures?” Trucy took a deep breath and calmed her excitement. She then joined her father by the cooler, trying to find a fitting place for the hand-powered mixer.

________________________________________________________________

The sun had finally set and the night sky began to sparkle with the lights of the stars … is what one would see if the smog wasn’t blocking the atmosphere. Phoenix and Trucy had finished Hello Dolly and placed their new treasures in their collection. Trucy was on top of the bunker trying to catch a glimpse of the stars while her father was carefully banging the cooler on the ramp of their bunker to clean out the dirt and dust from the day.

“Hey Daddy,” Trucy called, “The smog is clearing a bit! You can see the stars!” Phoenix looked up to the sky as a grin grew on his face, joyful to see that his daughter was right. It was a small hole in the smog, but it was enough to see the silvery dots speckled across the black darkness of space. The beauty of the sight made Phoenix couldn’t help but think back to the song “It only takes a moment.” The soft lyrics and melody did fit the sight of a calm sky well. Phoenix pulled out a tape recorder and pressed the play button. The song, which Phoenix had recorded earlier began to play as Phoenix continued to stare at the night sky. Phoenix sighed as the beauty of the song mixed perfectly with the calmness of the shimmering stars.

However, the song was only able to play the first line as the smog once again covered the sky. The sound of the song was then replaced with the blaring siren of Phoenix’s alarm system. Phoenix stiffened and gasped at the sudden change of sound and quickly pulled his goggles over his eyes to see what and where the danger was. Phoenix’s line of vision fixated directly in front of him.

[WARNING! LEVEL 3 DUST STORM APPROACHING!

SPEED: 249 MPH

ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME TO CURRENT LOCATION: 30 SECONDS

SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!]

“Oh no,” Phoenix quietly gulped before turning to warn Trucy, “TRUCY! SANDSTORM COMING IN FAST! GET INSIDE, QUICK!” Trucy quickly sat up upon hearing her father’s cry and scrambled to her feet. She quickly climbed down the bunker’s side ladder and sprinted into the door. Once she was safely inside, Phoenix flipped the switch on the power strip to close the door. Phoenix and Trucy moved to the back of the bunker, watching the door slowly close. They hugged each other and held their breaths as they saw the storm quickly approach. Once the door finally closed and locked, they let out a sigh of relief.

{These storms are getting more and more common. No matter how many we face, it never gets easier.} Phoenix and Trucy stayed silent for a few seconds, listening to the wind blow around their bunker and the song. Trucy was the first to notice that the song was still playing and began to giggle at the unfitting music after narrowly escaping the dust storm. Trucy’s giggles alerted Phoenix to the song and he couldn’t help but laugh along with her. As he pressed the off button, Trucy let out a yawn. She pressed the button that held her cape together and checked her stats. Her energy was low.

“Heh, it is pretty late,” Phoenix chuckled, “We should get some sleep. We’ve got quite a day tomorrow.” Phoenix and Trucy made their way to the very back of the bunker to their beds. Phoenix was able to hook up Trucy’s charger to her cot so she could be charged when she went to sleep. Trucy removed her cape, gloves, ascot, boots, and pulled her hair out of the pony tail while Phoenix completely removed the top part of his jumpsuit and pulled off his boots. After Trucy settled into her bed, Phoenix strolled over to tuck her in.

“Good night sweetie,” Phoenix cooed as he kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight Daddy,” Trucy yawned. It only took a few seconds for Trucy to power down and fall asleep. Phoenix softly smiled as he made his way over to his cot and pulled the quilt over his body. Phoenix stared up at the ceiling, letting his body relax after the long day.

{Just an average day. … With a few changes.} Phoenix closed his eyes and allowed himself to power down, letting himself drift off to sleep.

________________________________________________________________

Author’s Note

Man, I did not mean for this to take so long.

As you can see, this au follows the story of the Disney and Pixar movie Wall-e. If you have seen the movie, then you know around 85% of the story’s plot. If you have not seen this movie, then this will contain spoilers for it. But I am adding new scenes to the story to keep it interesting, so I hope you all continue to enjoy it.

The scene with Trucy and Phoenix in the bunker was difficult to write. I wanted to write that scene in a careful, honest, and respectful way. Being someone who suffers with depression, I know first-hand how important it is to one’s health to talk about one’s emotions and feelings. If you are struggling with your emotions and how you feel, please talk to someone you trust or seek out a therapist or councilor. And if you know or see someone struggling with this, please help them in the best way you can. You could save a life. Your feelings and mental health matter, always remember that.

So, can you guys guess which Ace Attorney character is Auto? If you remember what Auto does to Wall-e near the end, then you should get your answer.

And who is this mysterious woman that Phoenix befriends? Who is the woman that Phoenix has the highest regard for? See the next chapter to find out!

#collabwithmyself #collabwithmyself chronicles #phoe-nix #ace attorney #wall-e au

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