Thank you magic anon on the kink meme for requesting this prompt. Without the request, a fic wouldn't have been written about Athena's sensitive hearing anytime soon. I was saving up a moment in my major fic (hasn't been published anywhere yet) where Athena is affected by somebody is exploiting her sensitive hearing, but I decided writing this would be a good warm up for that scene and to get more in touch with myself.

With that being said, being the person that wrote the analysis on Athena's sensitive hearing, it's overwhelming in a good way that people are interested to learn how sensitive hearing works and how it affects people who live with it. I've lived my life with the condition, and it's a huge part of me. I've shown both my mother and father my analysis and they were happy that there's a character with a realistic portrayal of sensitive hearing. So thank you for reading it if you can read it. If you haven't, I'll provide a link in my profile.

Enjoy the final chapter!

Kryptonite

My eyes slowly flickered open. I couldn't hear discord or any high frequency noises. The only pain I felt was my pounding headache and my sore muscles from the lack of movement. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't allow me to.

From what I could see, I knew I wasn't in the courthouse anymore. I noticed a shelf full of books and case files behind a desk, and a potted plant right next to the desk. I had a feeling this place was familiar but why leave me here when I should be resting at my apartment?

"Athena!" I heard a sense of relief in the voice of the man, wherever he was in the room. He then moved to my line of sight, revealing that he was Apollo Justice. I smiled, as his appearance confirmed I was safe. "Thank God you're awake. We've all been worried about you!"

"How long have I been out?"

Apollo quickly checked the clock on the wall and answered, "Almost a day."

I couldn't believe it. Was I really out for that long? I don't exactly remember if sensory overload had knocked me out for that long in the past. Although, I hadn't experienced it in such a long while, my body was probably unprepared for such a hammering.

"Did you and Simon find the truth?"

"Yeah. Dessie Bell was the murderer, just as you suspected. She's getting charged extra for disrupting court procedures. As for Megan Hertz, all charges are being dropped against her."

All of a sudden, I was overcome with joy. All the pain and suffering I went through was worth it. I barely remember what was going through my mind at the time, having adrenaline overriding most of my thoughts. But I refused to give up and somehow heard exactly where the sound was coming from. Even though I wasn't the one who ultimately proved Ms. Bell's guilt, I felt that I had a major part in doing so.

I attempted to sit up again, but this time Apollo gently placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down on the couch. I groaned in frustration, wanting to stretch to get rid of the soreness in my limbs.

"Don't push yourself Athena. I'll take care of everything," Apollo reassured.

While he was patting my shoulder, he looked up at the clock on the walled behind me. Then, he swore under his breath and quickly headed towards our boss' desk. I craned my head, trying to see what he was doing, but it was difficult to see anything from my position on the couch. I managed to move my body up the couch so I could peek around it, but Apollo wasn't around the desk anymore.

"Athena, relax. I'm not leaving you alone," Apollo said in a soothing voice.

I turned my attention towards him, spotting a package and card in his left hand. He kneeled and bestowed the items in arm's reach, so I managed to receive them easily. As I placed the gift on my stomach, Apollo had gotten up on his feet again.

"I have to give Mr. Wright a call. He was getting lunch for us and, well, I don't want you to get left out since you're awake now. So... what do you want?" Apollo asked, dialling the number.

"The usual," I answered lazily, as I couldn't be bothered to think.

While Apollo was pacing and waiting for our boss to pick up, I had a better look at the card he handed me. It was a 'Get Well Soon' card, with a rose on the cover. I chuckled, it wasn't the appropriate card given my condition, but the thought was much appreciated.

I opened it up, surprised to see more than three individual messages. I felt touched that other people that cared about me had the time to come over and write in this card. Reading through the messages, I smiled when Junie said I was brave and overcame my sensitivity to catch the culprit, amused when Simon scolded me to not overdo it again and glad when my boss wrote that he was proud of me and did my best fighting adversity.

The next article was written by Trucy, and it was a bit longer than the other three. It read: Hey Athena! I wish I was there to see you in action. Daddy told me you were like Superman, removing your meek persona and turning into the fearless woman you truly are! Without your help, the culprit would've gotten away with it! Although, you probably shouldn't push yourself too far every time your ears hurt. Anyway, Daddy and I got you the most appropriate present for your victory! And I hope you make a full recovery! Trucy Wright.

I felt grateful hearing from Trucy. Her optimistic and bright outlook on things always made me feel a better when I'm down. Although, I doubt what I did in court made a huge difference to the entire case. Trucy though did have me wondering what was inside the gift that she or my boss wrapped up. But I couldn't unwrap it yet; I had to finish reading the last long entry from who I assumed was Apollo's.

"Are you finished reading?" I jumped hearing Apollo's voice, pressing the card to my chest. I stared at him to confirm the voice did belong to Apollo Justice and not anybody impersonating him.

"I was just about to read yours."

"Oh. Looks like my timing couldn't have been better," Apollo stated as he lowered his body to my level, "I... kind of didn't know exactly what to write. So I was thinking of saying it to you, if that makes sense."

"If you prefer it that way that's fine. But there are a few things I want to know first... and you can think about what you want to say to me," I quickly responded. Apollo was slightly dazed by my request, but he didn't openly object to it. "How did Ms. Bell get the device in the courthouse in the first place and how was it hidden from the police who searched her during the recess?"

"You won't believe it, but I heard that the boots she wore were steel toe boots. Since the device was located in her shoes, Ms. Bell was able to pass it off because her shoes already had a piece of metal in them. And when the bailiffs and police searched everybody during the recess, I saw that they didn't check the shoes. It's understandable, there was no time for a completely thorough search of everybody and I doubt they would suspect anybody hiding it in their shoes, of all places."

I was bewildered that she wore steel toe boots, as they were commonly used by people who work on construction sites. Although, I suppose the steel toe aspect managed to make its way into more fashionable footwear. The lack of a completely thorough search I understood immediately due to the circumstances of the recess. The facts made sense, and I was happy with Apollo's explanation. However, there were a few questions that bothered me.

"That's reasonable. So, how did this device work?"

"There was a switch that she could easily change the intensity of the sound it emitted. I didn't get a close up look of the device, but it's a crafty piece of work by her company."

"Her company?"

"She works for a business that cons individuals and companies... and they also create some gadgets. You might not realise it, but because we found the device in her boots, we were able to trace her other criminal activities and form her motive for killing Mr. Watt."

I was speechless. Trucy was right, if I didn't do what I did yesterday, Dessie Bell could've potentially gotten away with everything. It was hard to comprehend that my struggle with my sensory overload and finding the device actually made a huge breakthrough in the case.

"It's fine Athena. Sometimes we don't know how significant our actions are in the scheme of things. That... goes for me too."

Apollo looked away from me for a moment. I swore I heard his voice crack too, with a lot of complex emotions laced in his last sentence. I wanted to dig deeper into the cause of those emotions, but this wasn't the right time to do so. There was one last question I had to have answered.

"It still doesn't explain one thing though. How did Ms. Bell know about my sensitive hearing? And take advantage of it in the way she did?"

"Funny. I thought you would remember that."

Was Apollo being sarcastic? No, he couldn't be. But where did I slip up? I was confused, and searching through my memories didn't help.

"I don't. My head is a bit fuzzy. Can you remind me?"

"Just before Ms. Bell was stolen from us by the police, you said 'Ms. Bell, you don't sound upset that a man died in front of you.' And then the policeman thought you were being rude to her because she appeared 'distressed and traumatized.' So, he escorted her away from us."

Again, I was blown away. How could I forget that? It didn't seem significant, yet it explained everything. Ms. Bell became distressed because I pointed out an abnormality, then the policeman led her away from me and Apollo. She suspected that my hearing was susceptible to faint sounds and tones, so she prepared for it in court. Turns out her suspicions were right and her device caused me pain. Her ominous smile I witnessed revealed how pleased she was seeing me in agony, as her plan to remove me worked.

What Ms. Bell didn't count on was me being capable of finding the root of the high pitched noise. I had no idea how she reacted, but I wasn't interested finding out what else happened while I was unconscious. What Phoenix, Apollo and Simon had done was proof enough that Ms. Bell was forced to answer for her crimes.

"Thanks Apollo. That's all I needed to ask." I smiled meekly, knowing that everything I wanted to know had been cleared up.

"Good to hear. I better tell you what I wanted to say, before I forget." Apollo took several breaths before he continued. "There's a part of me that regrets putting you through sensory overload again, to further our case. I can't imagine how it feels, but seeing you with your hands over your ears and your head down had me distraught. That's why I was so worried about you in the lobby and when you asked me to make you approach Ms. Bell. I couldn't stand to see you in excruciating pain."

I didn't know what to feel about what Apollo just told me. I was gratified that he was so considerate about my sensitive hearing, yet I felt horrible for forcing him to see me suffer. What else could I do? It was my case, my responsibility. I couldn't just abandon Ms. Hertz because I was being affected by an abrasive sound that triggered my sensitive hearing.

"If it wasn't for Mr. Wright, the other part of me would have been overshadowed by my regret. He told me to be considerate of your condition and to keep a close eye on you. The most important part of it though was... to trust you. Mr. Wright wanted me to trust you because you would've figured it out but Ms. Bell was doing everything in her power to keep it covered. I know I've lost trust in you in the past, but when I let you do what you did and it revealed the truth... I felt so relieved that I can trust you again. So, I'm sorry for putting you through all that, but I'm thankful that I can depend on you."

I was touched by his speech, and reached out to Apollo. His lips formed a grin, and leaned over to embrace me. His arms felt gentle around my body as mine wrapped loosely around his shoulders. After the whirlwind of a trial we had been through, we both needed a hug.

Soon, he carefully placed me back down on the couch. I immediately felt the upper half of my body felt better from the soreness, so perhaps I could get up on my feet sometime soon. Apollo though, seemed distracted by my present dropping to the ground while we were hugging. He picked it up and handed it to me.

"You should open it. I think you'll like it."

With that vote of confidence, I tore into the wrapping paper. In no time at all, I removed the paper and gazed at my gift. It was an action figurine of Superman. What an ironic sense of humour my boss had.

"That's... a bit childish," Apollo chimed in disapprovingly, "Why Superman?"

"I think it serves as a reminder."

"A reminder of overcoming your sensitive hearing and making a huge breakthrough in our case?"

Apollo was close. Yet, Superman represented much more than that to me. Superman was born with a ton of superhuman abilities, but he had to hide them because the world would be afraid of him. I was born with a special ability, yet I didn't know how to use it, forcing me to keep it concealed. However, there was a major flaw. Superman's greatest weakness was a rare material called Kryptonite, where he would become weak and human if exposed to it. My sensitive hearing often gave me sensory overload, and I was unable to live a normal life. To fit into society, we both were forced to be normal. Superman had to be a man named Clark Kent and work as a journalist. I had my hearing desensitised so that I could tolerate most noises, then I grew up to be a lawyer that used Widget to prove the contradictions between the emotions and statements witnesses had, instead of just my own innate ability.

How Superman used his abilities was less complicated than mine. He had the ability to save lives from people that threatened to take them. His enemies were somehow in possession of Kryptonite, but with lives on the line, Superman didn't need to think twice. He fought his enemies, even though he could be severely weakened by them, because of his resolve and determination to save the human race.

My ability though, gave me a choice. I could see my sensitive hearing as my Kryptonite. So I'd end up relying on Widget all the time and disregard what I heard. Although, I could see my special ears as my greatest gift. That it made me attuned to my surroundings and people, so that I have complete awareness and that I could uncover the truth.

I can't imagine life without my sensitive hearing. After all the pain and adversity I had experienced, I wouldn't be the person I am today without my special ears.

Name puns
-Megan Hertz = MegaHertz (MHz). Basically 1 million hertz is a MHz. A unit for sound frequency.
-Dessie Bell = Decibel (dB). Used prominently to measure acoustics.
-Pascal Watt = Pascal is a unit for sound pressure. A Watt is a unit for Sound Power.

I remember saying in an earlier chapter that I used Superman related media such as music (like 3 Doors Down's Kryptonite) and movies (Man of Steel) to help me write the fic. Well, I kind of left out one of them. The other movie that helped me write the fic is Kill Bill Vol.2, where there's a scene where Bill says 'Superman is born Superman, and Clark Kent is his disguise.' The context of that scene isn't as uplifting, but it certainly helped me establish the fic and give more similarities between Superman and Athena Cykes.

And that's it for the fic. I'll be working on Direction (which I am close to finishing) and another other project for Ace Attorney. Thank you for reading this!