A/N: I'm very happy to be giving you all another chapter of 'Antihero'! I hope you all enjoy and give me a review (Please)! Also, anyone who writes persona fanfics, take notes! This is how Early Modern English is done! It's not hard!

Chapter 3: Planning for a Future

10/4/2009

"So, you ready to start giving an explanation?" Makoto sat on the bed in his room as a small, white, glowing orb drifted slowly around him.

From it, he heard a reply: "As I told thee when I came to thine aid, my name is Janus."

"Roman god of time and such, yeah but why are you here now? It's not that I'm ungrateful, but what did I do differently this time that made you come?"

"It is as thou suspectest: thou no longer hast the power of persona; thus, I have come."

Makoto's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about? Aren't you my persona now?"

Janus continued slowly orbiting Makoto, never showing any reaction to what Makoto said to him. "I am not a persona: I am what some persons would call a 'god'; others may call me a daemon. Thine abilities have surpassed those of thy friends."

That last word left a sour taste in Makoto's mouth; but he was more than capable of ignoring it, especially now, when there were much more pressing matters at hand. "Then, you're not in my head? You're real? How many things like you are there?"

"Many," Janus answered plainly; "Am I wrong in saying that thou hast encountered another like me before? And that thou art in a contract with them as thou art with me?"

"A contract? Is that how this works?" Makoto enquired, ignoring the first question.

"We are in an agreement whereby I am at thy service until thou no longer needest mine help."

Makoto took a moment to take all of this in and sort out the new information, before continuing his line of questioning. "I've one more question: why are you helping me?"

Janus's answer was calm, yet ominous: "What thou art trying to accomplish will affect much more than thine own life, Makoto Yuuki. I have foreseen this; and now that I am able, I will help thy cause will all my strength."

Makoto slowly nodded and smiled before replying. "That's good enough for me."

Meanwhile, S.E.E.S was discussing their latest member in the Command Room.

"He's agreed to help us. With this many members, it might be time to start exploring Tartarus," proposed Mitsuru to the rest of the squad.

"Alright, it's about time," responded Akihiko excitedly.

"Whilst I admire your enthusiasm, I think it'd be best to wait for just a little longer," said Ikutsuki.

"Huh? Why!?"

"I should want to… have more confidence in our new recruit when sending him on a mission with the rest of you," answered Ikutsuki cautiously.

All the members in the room made complicated faces after that remark. Surely, Makoto's recruitment had been slightly unorthodox; and his demands unusually blunt.

"I don't want any special position; just let me work however I want and I'll follow orders as best I can. And take that damn camera out of my room," he had said.

"Seriously, who does he think he is?" Yukari muttered under her breath as she looked at the table; Makoto's evoker was still there: he had refused to take it, insisting that he didn't need it.

Ikutsuki, having rewatched the footage of Janus's summoning several times, conceded that he could leave it; though he was still puzzled by how Makoto could summon a persona on his own: the only explanation was that he'd years of experience doing so, which led to more questions and suspicions about the boy.

"So what exactly will we be waiting for, then?" Akihiko asked; ending the silence that had enshrouded them.

Ikutsuki, brought back out of his ponderings, looked back at the squad. "I want to know about it if he does anything unusual. Yukari, can I ask you to keep an eye on him at school?"

Yukari was appalled at the idea, and it showed on her face, but she held back her objections. "I'll… try to, whenever I can."

Ikutsuki nodded, and then faced Akihiko. "Should he go out late at night again, we'll let you know. See if he's going anywhere in particular during the Dark Hour." Akihiko silently nodded.

"If nothing of note happens with him in a few days, we can lower our guard; understood?"

The squad gave their affirmatives and the meeting was adjourned.

11/4/2009

Makoto sat silently in the classroom. Keeping his back straight and his hollow gaze towards the board, he allowed the teachers monotonous words to flow freely by him; whatever sound waves hit his eardrums made no impact on him as he sat there. His unfocused eyes rarely moved as he remained confined to his own inner cognitions.

Janus silently observed his lifeless behaviour, until he heard the teacher addressing Makoto.

"Sixty-four," Makoto dully responded, not looking any livelier than he had prior. The teacher gave a short "Good job," and turned back to the board.

Yukari looked worriedly behind her, but had to turn back when she noticed that her staring was going completely unnoticed by the zombie, lest she become miserable herself.

Makoto was again sitting at the edge of his pier. He had made his way here the very instant the bell's chime resounded throughout those monochrome halls. This was the first time he had brought company with him.

"Thou answeredst that question from memory," the white sphere stated; speaking for the first time in a day. Makoto gave no response: none was needed.

"I would like to know thy feelings, Makoto Yuuki. A human in a situation such as yours is something remarkable."

'This is beginning to sound like a social link,' Makoto bitterly remarked in his head; putting him in a negative mood. "I don't want to talk about the past, or the present."

"Thou wilt not have to. I can see for myself, if thou wilt let me."

Makoto considered this, making no outward response. After some time, he conceded. "Go ahead."

The ball floated towards his head until it was in very close proximity and began to orbit him, a little faster than usual.

Janus made no comment on what he saw, and Makoto didn't ask for one.

The world was once more bathed in green as Makoto strolled calmly down a street near Iwatodai station. He'd not returned to the dorm; he knew that S.E.E.S were trying to survey him and that Akihiko was no doubt already looking for him. He was confident, however, that he wouldn't be found: Akihiko was searching a part of the city miles from where he was now.

Finding the shop for which he was looking, a small one-room affair that hardly stood out amongst the others along the road, he stopped and turned to face it in front of the door.

"Feels kinda stupid that this is the first thing I'm using you for," Makoto remarked.

"Not at all, a simple task such as this is perfect for the sake of practice; now, relax and do as I have instructed."

Makoto obediently closed his eyes and raised his right arm straight up above him. The white orb swiftly flew into his open hand and erupted into a dazzling flash.

After reopening his eyes, Makoto looked up and saw Janus floating above as he had when he was first summoned. Janus hovered forward and slowly landed before Makoto with a low 'Thump' upon hitting the ground.

Taking a further step forward, Janus wielded his hefty broadsword and thrust it precisely into the side of the door; leaving no obvious marks on the outside.

His job done, Janus's armoured form disappeared, leaving behind a floating white light. Makoto noted that even in this brief time he could feel the effects of summoning Janus on his 'Energy'.

"It useth the same strength as Personae do. In time, thou wilt not notice it at all."

Makoto approached the shop door and pulled it open with little effort. Walking inside, he browsed around and picked what he liked before exiting, now with a small supply of clothes.

"I was expecting something more especially designed for protection," Janus said as Makoto stuffed his loot into his schoolbag.

"Lighter gear is best for avoiding attacks; I don't know why I never questioned having to wear a school uniform at first: they're no good at all for exercise."

Makoto opened the doors into the dorm loudly and walked in at a quick pace. Mitsuru, who had been waiting in the lounge, stood up and called out to him.

"Yuuki, what have you been doing out at this time!?" she swiftly gave out.

Makoto paid her no attention and continued on his way, his earphones blasting out loud rock music that could be heard from the floor above.

"Yuuki! I'm talking to you!" Mitsuru raised her voice as she started following him up the stairs.

She made a few more attempts, even after Makoto had hurriedly closed and locked his door before she could catch up to him, before letting out a frustrated sigh and retreating to the command room to let Akihiko know of Makoto's return.

Ikutsuki had watched this all unfold with his surveillance cameras; and had it been someone else, he'd've found such antics hilarious; but instead, he just frowned and returned to his desk to think.

"What will we do? He's now completely out of our control," the goblin-like man angrily let out.

"We can't simply act in reaction to when he makes a mess of things. Henceforth, we will be playing a direct part in the events of his world," responded the masked man plainly.

"… Will that be alright?" asked one of the other two who were present, two young-looking women in blue uniforms.

"Nyarlathotep has been taking indirect action on them for years now. As long as what we do only interferes with his interference, it will be fine."

"But master, such rash actions-"

"Rash? This is the fate of humanity in an entire world we are discussing here, and you say that the necessary actions are rash?"

"I'm saying that we could act indirectly as well," the creature hinted.

"… Of course. In doing so… we won't need Yuuki anymore."

"If the replacement is powerful enough, Master."

"We will make him powerful enough. I will give him all the strength I can."

"Then, direct action won't be needed?" asked one of the women.

"If all goes well. With all these changes, even that puppet isn't certain of what the future holds," answered the Masked Man.

"Who will be the new guest, Master?"

The Masked Man looked at the table before them. Upon it were placed several trump tarot cards: "The Magician", "The High Priestess", "The Empress", "The Emperor", "The Hierophant", "The Lovers", "The Chariot" and "Justice".

"The Emperor," the Masked Man exclaimed. "I'll see him personally; after that, the rest will be up to you until my return."

"Yes, Master," the creature responded as his master disappeared from the Velvet Room.

The room descended into silence as its residents sat and stared at the one remaining card on the table. All they could do was wait for the arrival of their new guest…

Short Chapters, because being worth the wait is too mainstream.

Don't worry, the next chapter could be ten times the length of this one, for all I know.

Also, I'll likely be following a rule whereby I'll not be allowed to have more chapters of this story finished than my other "Persona" fiction; so, if you want me to update this faster, you could try also reviewing my other story to motivate me.