Author's Note: Fair warning: we're slowly moving into spoiler territory for Persona 4. There is a rather minor-major one below (though, frankly, I've already spoiled the biggest plot element of the game in chapter 1). But if you haven't played Persona 4 (and I doubt you haven't otherwise why would you be reading this?), please read on with caution. I apologize for the pacing of this story, it's not going nearly as fast as I want it to but the set-up is necessary before the real fun can begin. Your patience is highly appreciate.
Chapter Three: Inaba
The train screeched to a shaky halt on a tiny, dark, run-down platform. The BAU members and Akihiko all awoke and stretched their aching, travel-worn muscles. They couldn't wait to get to their hotel and get an actual restful night's uninterrupted sleep. Hotch picked up his bags and lead the team off the small train.
On the platform they could see the faint glow of a cigarette from a lone figure on a bench. The figure stood and walked towards the group, stepping into the light from a single pole light above them. His dark hair was short, but it stuck out in many directions, as though he'd been running his hand through it all night. It looked like it had been a couple of days since he'd shaved, and his tie was loose around his neck.
Akihiko strode forward and shook his hand firmly and bowed. He spoke to him quickly in Japanese and then turned back to the BAU members.
"This is Ryotaro Dojima. He's the chief of police here in Inaba," explained Akihiko.
He bowed to them and everyone bowed in return. Through Akihiko's translations, he welcomed them to the Inaba area and explained that they'd first be heading to the Amagi Inn, where they would be able to get a full night's sleep. As Dojima began to talk about their presence, they could see that he wasn't meeting their eyes and seemed highly uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"He says that they just told him this evening about your arrival, so he hasn't had time to look at any case files or anything," explained Akihiko. "He said he'll have that as good to go by tomorrow morning as possible and requests you meet him at the Inaba police office first thing tomorrow morning."
"Please tell him we'll be there at 9:00 sharp," said Hotch. "The rest of us will get as much sleep as possible."
Akihiko explained to them what was going on and Dojima nodded to the group and began to walk away. They followed him down into the parking lot where two uniformed officers awaited them with large cars, which took them across the tiny town and further west, up into the hills around town. The trip was mostly silent; nearly everyone was still in a stupor and only Garcia seemed to have any energy as her head spun around excitedly, looking towards the town and up to the inn they were approaching.
"Garcia," whined Prentiss in a voice thick with exhaustion. "You keep bumping into me… can't you wait till tomorrow?"
"But it's so clear up here! You can see the stars everywhere!" Garcia said, breathlessly. "This isn't a view you could ever get in DC!"
"Doesn't take much to get you excited, does it?" commented Akihiko, grinning from the bench of seats in front of her.
"I like to think of myself as low-maintenance in the fun department," she replied.
The vans slowly rolled up to a very ornate-looking building. On the porch steps stood two figures, both clad in expensive-looking kimonos, their hair done up in a bun with chopsticks sticking out. As the BAU members stepped down, the younger of the two moved forward, bowing low.
"Welcome to the Amagi Inn," she said, in very heavily accented English. "We have been forewarned of your arrival. Please, follow me."
The BAU members walked into the entrance hall, each more awake with the new sights and sounds. The pillars rose up around them, the ceilings remarkably high. Sculptures and paintings and works of art hung around the walls, while comfortable-looking couches sat below them, providing plenty of seating. Other staff members carefully collected the BAU members' bags and took them off towards the rooms. The kimono-clad girl who spoke English stood before them again.
"You are fortunate to have arrived at such a time as this," she explained. "It has been slow the past two weeks so we were able to secure each of you a room. Restroom facilities are located at each wing, and our hot spring area is centrally located for your convenience."
"I can't foresee us getting a lot of use of that," said Rossi.
"Are you kidding? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take advantage of Japanese hospitality and culture! I'm totally taking a soak," said Garcia. "Miss… uh… I'm sorry, what's your name?"
"Amagi Yukiko," said the girl, bowing. "May I answer any questions you have?"
"Is the… uh… hot spring… are there one for girls and boys?" asked Garcia.
"I'm afraid we only have one and we alternate the hours for both men and women," replied Yukiko, bowing her head apologetically. "You will find a schedule of hours in your rooms. I understand it is late, so please, allow me to show you to your rooms."
"Thank you very much," the others replied, walking in.
As each entered the room, they found their bags stacked neatly in the corner, a futon spread cleanly across the floor. Too exhausted to consider anything else, the entire BAU team each quickly climbed into their beds and their eyes closed, falling into a deep slumber.
The two ran together, their eyes wide and their faces paler than they should have been. The darkness crept up behind them as a sole figure seemed to be chasing them. He raised a gun, but pointed it to his own head… and with a bang a great winged creature rose up, flying towards the two others who were running.
The flash of darkness flew across their field of vision and everything disappeared.
It came as no surprise to Hotch that he had four voicemails from Strauss the next morning when he woke up. They were all much of the same: where are you, did the trip go okay, and we're going to have a very long discussion about this when we get back because the higher ups are going to have a fit when they learn of this diversion. He sighed and went to the boys' wash room on the far wing, hoping to freshen up before they were taken to the police barracks.
Once he packed a day bag with only the files, folders, and tools he needed, Hotch headed downstairs to meet up with the rest of his team. He saw J.J., Prentiss, and Morgan were already in the sitting area in the entrance way, dressed and ready to go. A few seconds later, Rossi joined them, holding a steaming cup of coffee, and Reid walked into view a few minutes later, his face buried in a pamphlet.
"You can read Japanese, Reid?" asked Morgan.
"Most of it," replied Reid, absently scratching his chin. "It's one of those languages I can… y'know… read it and understand it, but I can't understand it verbally. You know how that is?"
"Oh, right, sure," said Morgan, as he and Prentiss shared a grin and eye-roll. "I gotcha."
"Garcia and Sanada aren't here yet, then?" asked Hotch.
"I actually ran into Akihiko this morning; he went for a jog to get his blood pumping," said J.J. "He should be here shortly."
"And Garcia?" asked Hotch.
Everyone glanced at each other and sighed, some cracking smiles. Lord knows were Garcia probably was, but they had a feeling she'd make a grand entrance when she did show up.
They weren't disappointed. A few minutes later, after Akihiko arrived, they heard a wooden clacking noise. Sprinting (as best she could anyway) down the hallway was Garcia. She was wearing a brightly-colored kimono and the wooden shoes to go with it. With three of her brightest bags slung over her arms and rolling behind her, she also had a paper parasol balanced over her right shoulder.
"You've really outdone yourself this time," commented J.J.
"We need to get moving if we want to be there on time," said Hotch, without any further comment from Garcia's attire.
"I'm not sure I can handle these shoes all day," said Garcia, looking down at her feet. "They're made of wood, which is super cool, but also super painful and I think I'm going to end up with killer blisters by the end of the day."
"You look fantastic though," said Morgan, taking one of the bags from her. "Where'd you find that get-up anyway?"
"It was hanging in my room! It's like they knew me!" said Garcia, grinning.
The ride to the station took them into the heart of downtown Inaba… or what was left of it. They passed a few students in uniform walking towards the local schools, and passed even more shuttered businesses on their way past the shopping district. Akihiko remarked how Inaba had apparently had recent issues with a department store moving into the area, driving a lot of other places out of business.
"It's like a ghost town in some spots," said Prentiss, glancing out the window.
"It's actually a little better than it was two years ago… they also had a huge wave of mysterious fog that lasted nearly a month and that drove down the usual tourism, not to mention the murders," said Akihiko, glancing at a shrine as they drove past.
"So tell me something, who actually caught the suspect… Adachi?" asked Rossi.
"If I'm being honest… I'm not sure," said Akihiko. "That information was not made available to me. We're going to have to speak with Dojima-san about that."
"Dojima-san?" asked Morgan.
"Honorifics," said Reid. "-san is one that's used as a general mark of respect… sort of like how we us Mr. and Mrs. in English."
"Are there any others we might need to be aware of?" asked Hotch.
"I don't foresee it… there are others, such as –chan, -kun, -sensei, -sama…" said Reid. "But those first two are more familiar and you don't want to risk offending someone by using the wrong one. Sensei represents often a teacher or master, someone who is higher than you… and –sama…"
"Are… you sure you even need me here?" asked Akihiko, his head cocked to the side.
"Trust me, you're a much safer translator than Reid," said Prentiss in a low whisper as Reid tried to explain more differences to Morgan.
The barracks for Inaba were very basic. The group entered, much to the surprise of many of the uniformed officers in the area, and they immediately saw Dojima as he came to greet them. Through Akihiko, he explained where each area was in the tiny facility, as well as where Garcia could set up her stuff.
"Not much to work with," she commented, glancing around the barren room she'd been assigned; one of the old holding facilities. "I'm going to need to turn the charm up to eleven if I want to survive this case."
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Garcia," said Hotch. "But before you set up on the only sizeable table in this place, let's show Dojima our case files and get his input?"
"Of course, sir, I'll just start with the mess of wires and build up from there," said Garcia, wandering over to the far wall and zipping open one of the briefcases, digging right in to the mess of wires.
"Dojima-san," said Hotch, addressing him directly and causing the lead detective to look up sharply. "The reason we're here is because we think you can help us with a very familiar case. We need to know everything you know."
Akihiko explained and Dojima nodded. Reid took out his paper copies of all the case files and pictures and began to lay them on the table in front of Dojima. As his eyes moved across the crime scene photos, they bugged and he began to sweat profusely. His legs seemed to be shaking and he almost fell to the ground.
"What's wrong with him?" asked Hotch, concerned.
Akihiko questioned him and Dojima responded in a hoarse whisper. Akihiko's own eyes widened and he asked him another question, receiving another shaky reply. Akihiko turned his eyes to the BAU and back to Dojima, and then back to Hotch and the others again.
"He says… he says he can't believe it's happening again, especially since they've got Adachi locked up still. But he's not here, he's held in Okina City, which is close by…" said Akihiko.
"What else did he say?" asked Rossi, stepping forward.
"That's… pretty much it," said Akihiko, but he gave the briefest of glances back to Dojima.
"There's something you're not telling us though, isn't there?" asked Rossi. "Or, rather, something Dojima-san isn't telling us."
"… He says you won't believe how the crimes were committed in the first place," said Akihiko. "And the way he just explained it to me… it doesn't make sense. It's not physically possible."
Hotch felt his heart sink as he flashed back to Igor and the Velvet Room, as well as the voice he heard back in his office. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and, for some reason, he felt his muscles tensing against his own accord.
"Well it does seem unbelievable, when you consider the geographic area," said Reid. "And the—."
"I… that's not what he… means… I think…" said Akihiko, who was also beginning to sweat. "He literally means that there is no physical way that the murders you have in America happened in this world."
"I don't get it," said Prentiss, flatly. "Are you saying that there's some other world in which the murders could have happened and the bodies just happened to turn up in all those different towns?"
"… precisely," said Akihiko, sighing and rubbing his forehead.
The silence that followed that was punctured only by Dojima's heavy breathing. Prentiss and Morgan's mouths were both hanging open, Reid's face was a mask of confusion, J.J. and Rossi both had unbelieving, raised eyebrows and Garcia had wires tangled all around her kimono, but had stopped maneuvering when she'd heard that. Hotch also felt himself begin to sweat, and the uneasy feeling really grew.
Dojima broke the silence finally and said something in Japanese to Akihiko. Akihiko spoke a little heatedly with him for a moment before he sighed and turned back to the members of the BAU.
"He says that, as unbelievable as it is, he can actually prove to you everything you want to know, but that it will take several hours," said Akihiko. "Because he isn't capable of… showing you… that world."
"You've got to be kidding," Morgan practically shouted. "We flew halfway across the planet for you whack-jobs to sit there and tell us our murders took place in some other dimension!"
"It may be possible that there are other dimensions out there," said Reid. "But… nobody has yet discovered one, and I don't think the first thing it'd be used for is murder on a wide scale…"
"Hotch… you brought us here, what do you think we should do?" asked J.J., looking a little irritated.
"… Can you have our proof here in two hours?" asked Hotch, gripping the Velvet Room's key in his pocket.
"According to him," said Akihiko, after he translated. "He needs to fetch a few people from around town, but several of them are currently in school and will be until late this afternoon. He says he can get them, but requests that Hotch-san accompany him to the school."
"I can't believe we're wasting our time with this bullshit," said Morgan, sitting down in one of the chairs at the table Garcia was carefully taking over. "We're gonna have a dozen bodies by the time we get back to Quantico… this is a wild goose chase."
"You're still getting paid and we have no other leads back there anyway," snapped Hotch. "Let's hear them out."
Everyone was silent for a moment, surprised to see Hotch showing irritation. Hotch himself was a little shocked; maybe the jet lag was affecting him worse than he consciously realized. After a few minutes of tense silence, Garcia cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her.
"Um… so… who caught the unsub the first time anyway…" she asked quietly.
Akihiko translated to Dojima and Dojima sighed and said a few words back to Akihiko. A stunned look crossed his face and he turned slowly back to the BAU members.
"He said… those people we're going to see later are responsible for his capture…" said the young agent.
That was all Hotch needed to know. He requested that he, Dojima, and Akihiko immediately head out to the school and meet up with the students. The drive was a silent and still tense one. Dojima still seemed shell-shocked and brooded the entire way there. Akihiko's brow was furrowed the entire way, and he was deep in thought. Hotch spent the entire time wondering if his sanity was finally leaving him and debating on how best to explain the situation to Strauss, especially if more bodies were found.
The Yasogami school was small and ancient-looking, but still seemed to be kept up to a decent condition. The three adults entered the school and spoke very briefly with the principal, who nodded and lead them up to the top floor. The floors creaked as they walked; Hotch wondered if the building was going to collapse under them after all. They arrived at a classroom—3-1, according to the sign above the door—and the principal entered.
"He's fetching three students that you need to speak to," explained Akihiko.
The three students came out to face him. Two girls (one dressed in a boy's uniform) and an enormous guy stood before him, smiling politely and shifting uncomfortably. Dojima spoke quickly to them, apparently introducing them to the two detectives and, after a brief pause and glance to Hotch, said something that made all three gasp, their eyes widening.
"Agent Hotchner," said Akihiko, shifting back to a more formal English, "These three students are among a group of eight who were responsible for capturing Tohru Adachi. I present to you Rise Kujikawa, Kanji Tatsumi, and Detective Naoto Shirogane."
Each of the three students bowed gracefully (or clumsily, in Kanji's case) as their names were spoken. Hotch stared at Naoto, the girl in male's clothing. She met his gaze and then stepped forward, extending her hand.
"It's a pleasure," she said. "I urge you to hold your skepticism back until we explain fully what's going on."
"So you speak English too," said Hotch.
"As a descendent of the Shirogane clan, it is expected of me," said Naoto. "We consult with law offices all over the world. A second language is a must."
"Hey! Don't forget about me," said the other girl, Rise, in an extremely high-pitched but heavily-accented voice as well. "I speak some too!"
"Rise Kujikawa… hm. Never thought I'd actually meet you," said Akihiko, grinning.
"Ehehe… you can call me Risette if you want," she said, winking coyly at Akihiko.
"Rise-san is a bit of a star here in Japan, and even internationally," explained Naoto. "Perhaps you're familiar with her?"
"No," said Hotch flatly. "I'm not."
Rise looked momentarily pouty, but affixed a smile back to her face and quickly turned her attention back to Akihiko, whose vague, aloof interest at least went well beyond Hotch's flat out apathy. Meanwhile, Kanji and Dojima both looked confused; it was obvious neither one understood English fluently enough to keep up with the conversation.
Naoto began to help Akihiko with translating as they exited the school and headed back towards the station. They still hadn't revealed any details on how they caught Adachi; Naoto and Rise both explained that they wanted everyone to be there so that they didn't have to tell the whole story twice. When they entered the old interrogation room a few minutes later, they saw that, in addition to the BAU members, the girl from the inn was there.
"Yukiko-san! It's good to see you again," said Rise, rushing forward to embrace her. "I'm so sorry I haven't visited, school's been a nightmare with exams coming up!"
"It's all right…" said Yukiko. "Please, don't worry about it Rise-chan."
The two girls abruptly switched into Japanese and began talking very quickly. Naoto sighed and reprimanded them, shutting them up long enough for the bewildered BAU team to ask Hotch how the trip had gone.
"They're preparing to reveal the truth to us," said Hotch. "They just wanted to have us all gathered at once."
"Yes," said Naoto, striding forward. "And allow me to introduce myself. I'm Naoto Shirogane and these are my companions Kanji Tatsumi and—."
"RISETTE!" squealed Garcia, barreling out of the hot mess of wires exploding on the far side of the room.
"I. Love. Your. Hair!" both girls exclaimed as they nearly collided in their excitement. Then they realized everyone was looking directly at them and they relented.
"Yukiko, how come you're here?" asked Akihiko.
"Oh… they asked me to come and translate," said Yukiko.
"Nobody at this police station speaks a word of English," said J.J. "It was short notice and the only real way."
"Well now that you have Naoto-kun, perhaps I should return to the inn…" Yukiko said, taking a few tentative steps toward the door.
"That won't be necessary," said Naoto. "In fact, having you here is more important now that we know the nature of these agents' visits."
Kanji, who had been quiet, finally seemed to have reached his peak confusion and began to ask Naoto and Dojima a lot of questions in Japanese, his face flushed and his eyes wearing a heavy scowl. Naoto's quick and curt explanation seemed to change his attitude completely as a look of dawning comprehension replaced the scowl and his face went from flushed to uneasy.
"There are actually four others who should be present, but only two of them are currently in town," said Naoto, half to herself and half for the benefit of the BAU.
"Look. We've been patient with you all up to this point, but this is getting ridiculous. We've got a murderer out there who has already killed seven people and is planning to kill more," said Morgan, picking up one of the files. "Now we come here and get told that a bunch of school children are going to solve a mystery in a mysterious world not of our own. You better start explaining how these people ended up like these pictures show and do it fast."
Naoto fixed him with a fierce stare and it looked like she wanted to say something to him, but she instead took a deep breath, relented, and accepted the folder of pictures from Morgan. She only had to look at the first one before she gasped loudly and dropped the folder, spilling the pictures out all around them. As the other Inaba teens saw the pictures, they, too, screamed and took a few steps back, each looking sick.
"No… not again…" muttered Rise, falling to her knees.
The entire BAU was shocked by the reaction. They'd all reacted far worse to the photos than they'd expected.
"Listen…" muttered Naoto, her entire face crushed as she knelt to pick up the photos. "I know this is going to be hard to believe… because I was once in your shoes. But believe me when I say that there is an explanation that will answer all of your questions. I only ask that you give us one chance to prove it."
"Please, as soon as you can," said Hotch. "We will wait."
"Thank you. Now, as I was saying… two of our four companions are out of town at university at the moment. I will do my best to contact and recall them to Inaba but it will be at least a day's travel from Kyoto and Osaka for them. In the meantime, the other two people we have to see, will undoubtedly be at Junes."
"Junes?" asked J.J.
"Yes. The department store," said Naoto.
"Oh, so it's basically Inaba's Wal-Mart or something," said Prentiss.
"And at this…. 'Junes' place, that's where you'll answer our questions?" asked Rossi.
"Absolutely. I just, once again, urge you to keep an open mind and hear us out completely," said Naoto. "Because, and I can assure you of this, you will not believe what you see."