This chapter introduces some new characters in a new location. Enjoy.

Persona/Shadow is owned by Atlus. The below characters are mine.

Chapter 3

A Reason to Fight

"Hey, Weakly. How's your sister doing?"

Wesley Rhazar looked up from his locker and saw Tripp White leaning against the next locker, smirking at him.

Turning back to his locker, Wesley tried to ignore him.

"You got something in your ears, Weakly? I asked you a question."

Wesley's fist tightened, but he did his best to stay calm. He knew Tripp was just trying to get him angry, and he was determined to not give him the satisfaction.

"Cause, you know, I'd say she's doing well. Or at least, she was after I was done with her."

Wesley ground his teeth, and grabbed the coat hook in the locker, squeezing it between his fingers. Stay calm. He's just trying to goad you. You just need to stay calm.

"Then again, she seemed to know what she as doing. She has some great experien-"

Tripp never finished his sentence, because at that moment Wesley turned out of his locker and slammed his fist straight into Tripp's jaw. Then, he grabbed his collar and slammed him into the lockers, and slammed his head against them again and again.

Wesley pulled him up to his face, and met his eyes, his voice dangerously low and calm. "You will shut you fucking mouth about Danielle. If you ever, and I mean ever, even say her name, I will snap your neck like a twig. Do you understand me?"

"Mr. Rhazar! You will release him at once!"

Wesley looked up at the principal, Mr. Beasley, with a mob of students behind him. One of them, his closest friend Samantha Rose, pushed her way through and ran up to him. "Let him go, Wes. He's not even worth it."

Sam's gentle hand on his arm calmed him down, and he pushed Tripp back against the lockers and let him go, so he slid to the floor.

Sam patted his arm, and took it in her hand. "We need to go, now." As they started to walk away, Sam turned to look back at the fallen Tripp. "Remember this. I won't tolerate Dani being insulted any more than Wes will. The only difference, I fight like a girl."

Wes shook his head, and let Sam lead him away. He had forgotten that she could be just as violent as he was. Except he was more obvious in his attack. Sam, however, hit you when you couldn't see her coming.

Since school was over, Sam and Wes walked out to the benches around the flag pole. Wes dropped in his seat, and Sam sat down next to him. "Feeling better?"

Wes rubbed his face with his hands, and cracked his neck in frustration. "Not really. He got off too lightly in my opinion."

Sam patted his shoulder. "I understand. I suppose it can't get any worse, can it?"

Wes sighed. "Actually, it can. Now I have to go home and face my dad. And I can tell you he is not going to be happy about this."

Wes walked slowly up the stairs of his Los Angeles home. He had been holding off getting home for as long as he could, but he couldn't wait any longer.

Taking a deep breath for support, Wes opened the door, and came face to face with his irate father.

Isaac Rhazar, the president of the most prestigious law firm in Los Angeles, stared at his son with the same intensity he used to intimidate the numerous lawyers who worked under him.

"Boy. What, in the name of God, caused you to get into yet another fight at school?" He started pacing in front if Wes, rubbing his forehead. "I have warned you, time and time again, to not let your emotions get the better of you. And yet you seem determined to put yourself in the position where you must do such. I am just so," he paused, as if to find the right word, "disappointed."

The fingers of Wes' right hand curled slowly into a fist. "Well, I'm so sorry to disappoint you dad. It was so selfish of me to defend my twin sister's honor. Next time, I'll let the asshole rant about how she was so skilled when she was with him."

Wes stormed past his father, and went up the stairs two at a time, got to his room, and dropped on his bed. He laid back, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

When someone knocked on his door, Wes didn't even bother answering. Then when he felt a weight on his bed, he looked up.

His mother, Miranda, was looking him over. "Hey, mom."

"Why did you do it, Wesley? Really?"

Wes pushed himself up on his elbows. "Tripp White was talking about Dani. Saying that he had slept with her, and that she was experienced with pleasing a man."

His mother's face was full of shock at the explanation. "He said all that?"

Wes nodded. "I tried to ignore him. I really did. But I just couldn't let it go. It's not in me, especially not with Dani."

Miranda sighed and rubbed Wes' hair. "Your father managed to get you off on assault charges, but the school still wants to make an example of you. You're going to be punished."

Wes just shrugged. "Whatever happens happens. I can't do anything about it."

"Well, whatever you father says, just know I'm proud of you for standing up for your sister."

"Thanks, mom."

"Suspension and a paper? That's what they gave you?"

Sam and Wes were sitting on the porch swing at Sam's house, just after the meeting at the school.

"Trust me, the look on my dad's face was punishment enough. To him the reasons don't matter, only the actions."

"Well, if you need any help, you know you can ask me."

"And I probably will. You always were smarter than me."

Sam laughed and punched his shoulder. "Darn right, boy."

Wes ran his fingers along the books, looking for the one he needed. Sam was looking on the next shelf..

One black book caught his attention, and he pulled it down and looked at the cover. "'Ego Sum Sententia quod Sententia Sum Ego?'" He flipped through the pages, but stopped when he saw most of the book was blank. Only the first bunch of pages had anything written on them.

Wes walked over to Sam, and found her talking to Jennifer Andrews. They looked up as Wes approached.

Jennifer ran her hand through her dirty blonde hair. "Hey, Wes. I heard what happened, and Sam asked for my help."

"Well, the more the merrier, I guess."

Sam laughed, and then noticed the book in Wes' hand. "What do you have there?"

Wes shrugged, the flipped the book open. "This book seemed weird. The title isn't english, and most of the book is blank." He flipped to the first few pages. "The written part talks about three characters. Kevin Harris, David Robbins, and Jason Andrews."

Jennifer's eyes went wide. "Jason Andrews?"

"Yeah. Is the name familiar?"

She nodded numbly. "That's my brother's name."

Wes closed the book and raised an eyebrow. "You have a brother? I've never seen him around."

"That's because he doesn't live here. Our parents are divorced, and my dad and I moved here, while mom and Jason stayed in New York. I haven't seen him in two years."

"Weird coincidence. Anyway, the story goes on till Jason and Kevin save David, and then they leave the world."

Sam put her hand on Wes' arm, and looked over the book."How does the story start?"

Wes flipped back to the first page. "Huh. It's just two sentences."

Jennifer pulled the book slightly toward her, and looked at the text. "'I am thou and thou art I. Thou art the one who opens the door?'"

Then the book started vibrating, but none of them could move. With a blinding light, leading to darkness, Wes passed out.

Jennifer slowly came to, and sat up slowly, rubbing her head. "Where am I?"

As she got to her feet, she looked around and saw she was in what looked like a stone tunnel.

"Wes? Sam?"

There was no answer, and Jennifer started to walk down the tunnel, past several shelves covered with statues and carvings.

Confused, Jennifer went closer, and her eyes widened as she realized that they were the kind of things found in an Egyptian tomb.

Whirling around, Jennifer studied the walls, and saw they were covered with symbols and hieroglyphics.

But what caught her attention the most was the sarcophagus leaning against the wall, a grotesque mummy lying dead in it.

At least she thought it was dead, because as she stepped closer, its eyes shot open. And with a groan, it pulled itself out of the casket. Raising its arms, it shuffled toward her, its red eyes hungry.

"Not...good!" With a stumble, Jennifer turned and ran from the mummy. As she ran, she hoped to find Sam and Wes in this tomb. Because if I don't, we're all going to die down here.

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