Disclaimer: Afuera
A/N: More afeura.
Thank you to my readers and reviewers! Milia, I'm glad to hear you say that. I was a little worried about portraying Ellen/Eriko in that way for fear that my trying to make her more human would backfire. I'm glad that you didn't think so :-D Skye, this is the chapter you will find out what Tatsuya's been wanting to share.
I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! (SPOILER) and (SPOILER) will be back next chapter. :-D
\/\/\/
Dance to the WaltzChapter Ten
A Little Good News
\/\/\/
Her body was trembling. She was sweating and out of breath. It was difficult to clutch those two tiny pink guns in each of her hands.
Was it over?
Her friends were still beside her: Lisa in an offensive stance, Eikichi with his guitar gun, Jun armed with roses, and Tatsuya before her, protectively, with his blade.
But he remained standing.
Nyarlathotep.
He cruelly assumed the form of Jun's father and laughed at their attempt to slaughter. Philemon stood next to him, eyes unreadable just as they always were.
"Were your emotions swayed when he acted as each of your fathers?" Philemon, the butterfly man, eyed Jun in particular. "He is the Crawling Chaos—Nyarlathotep! You must all understand what it was I was trying to tell you earlier."
"And say what?" Nyarlathotep chuckled. "You've seen it too, haven't you? These just might be the results we were anticipating after all this time."
Lisa looked back and forth between her adversary and the one she had placed her trust in all this time. "What are you talking about? Philemon, what is he saying?"
No one expected the response to come as nonchalantly as it had come.
Philemon offered the shadow of a smile and explained.
"We are the origins of human souls. We are the personification of the Collective Unconscious—one unified existence. Since the beginning we have observed the affairs of mankind. I guide those who possess strong souls—souls worthy of this power. On the other hand, the Crawling Chaos drags the weak-willed souls into hell." Maya felt something sickly enter her body. When she looked at the others, she could tell that they were experiencing the same thing. Still, the butterfly man continued, "The events that have transpired and have enveloped you only happened because we were watching you. We wanted to find out if the human soul—the magnet of contradictions—can transcend into a perfect existence. All this time we have been watching you, and I have seen through your actions that you have displayed this potential. It's rather wonderful, actually. You see, if more people who carry your kind of potential are born, then humanity will one day discover their purpose and live a perfect existence."
A surge of hatred, betrayal, and disbelief fed through Maya like poison. All of this...None of this was supposed to happen.
"All of this..." it came out as a whisper at first, but it wasn't long before Maya found her voice. "Everything was set up by you two!?"
"Don't deprive me of my glory," Nyarlathotep swept a hand through his locks. "I believe you would be more accurate by just saying 'you,'" he pointed to himself. "For while Philemon is confined to merely watch, I am different."
Different?
Different how?
Maya couldn't take it in right away. None of them could.
There was a set of footsteps from behind them and Maya turned her head. Someone was looming over her shoulder.
Spinning on one heel, the raven-haired woman recognized the former Seven Sisters High School teacher. She had always been a strange one—accused of lunacy—and with the spear she was wielding, Maya was sure she would have to agree.
"You...!" Maya's hands were in the middle of cocking her pistols, but Maya Okamura was faster.
Readying the spear, she made no hesitation as she impaled the journalist in the stomach. Maya felt numbness spread over her body and the guns quaked before dropping from her hands. As fast as the woman had appeared, Okamura disappeared with the spear. With nothing left to support her, Maya crumpled to the ground. Something warm and sticky spread over her lower body. She used the last of her strength to bring a hand to the wound, touch the warm liquid, and reveal the truth to her eyes.
Blood.
Of course it was blood.
Dammit...
She was staring up at the ceiling of Philemon's endless gazebo. It was beautiful...gazing at all of the stars like that. Then Tatsuya was there, blocking the stars, and forcing her into a sitting position. The others were gathered around, too, crying and screaming. Lisa's Persona was materialized, and the girl tried her best to heal the wound. A shimmering light engulfed Maya, as it always had when the group was in trouble throughout their battles.
But nothing could stop the agonizing pain that had a vice-grip on her now.
"Dammit, Ginko!" Eikichi slammed his fists against the floor. "Use a different healing spell or something!"
The tears from the blonde girl's eyes were pouring faster now.
"I—I'm trying! But...The blood...The blood just won't stop!" Lisa paused for a moment. "Why...? Why can't my spell cure this wound!? Philemon!?" She leaned forward to try again. The shimmering light reappeared.
The butterfly man was above them now. Maya, though her vision had grown fuzzy, wondered why she hadn't seen him move closer before. He appeared angry, and clenched a fist.
"Nyarlathotep! So...this is why you brought about the rumor of the holy lance!"
Maya couldn't see the Crawling Chaos, but his voice rang throughout the air.
"It is said that blood poured endlessly from the wound caused by the lance that pierced Christ. It's absurd...really. Two-thousand years later, and you humans continue to tell this legend. This rumor. And now it means that this is surely a fatal wound, am I right?"
Lisa let out a wail and fell back onto her bottom.
Maya couldn't help but chuckle as a thought crossed her mind. She turned to Tatsuya and whispered, "I know...what is...worse...than...a forgotten...woman...It's a...woman...who holds back...others..." She grunted, and her unfocused eyes tried to meet those of her friends. "Everyone...you've got...to...forget about me...quickly..."
"What the hell are ya talking about!?" Eikichi cried out and immediately brought a hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Forget about you? Never! You...You still need to see my live debut, remember? You...promised..."
"That's right..." Lisa was pressing both of her hands against Maya's abdomen. "This wound's not bad. It's gonna heal right up!" She ignored the blood that gushed in between her fingers, and stained the girl's hands and uniform. "Your clothes...They're all dirty, Big Sis. I'll go with you and help pick out some new ones. We'll go shopping together...I promise!"
Jun leaned in, "I want to show you all my favorite place! There are so many kinds of flowers that bloom there...It's just beautiful..."
"You can't die here..." Tatsuya uttered through gritted teeth. "You can't. I won't allow it!"
But Maya simply brought a hand up to his cheek and whispered, "Thanks...all of...you. You...really...became...strong..." Her hand dropped and fell on top of something attached to her side. Tugging on the chain, she displayed her most prized possession. Though covered in blood, it was easily distinguishable, "Look...If anybody cries...Mr. Bunny's gonna...laugh...at...them..." The rabbit slipped from her shaky hands and her body sank back against Tatsuya's arms. "Nobody...has the right...to make...your dreams come...true...except...you...You'll be okay...if you just...hang...on...to...your...dreams..."
Her world went dark, and the screams grew louder around her cold form.
\/\/\/
Screams...
Maybe it was her...
Maybe she was the one screaming.
"Maya...! Maya!"
Someone was shaking her. Someone unfamiliar in that territory. That...dream.
"You're having a nightmare! C'mon, wake up!"
Maya snapped her eyes open and instead of staring out into the stars above a golden gazebo, was looking up at a ceiling fan.
She felt herself stop screaming as her surroundings changed.
But...unfamiliar...
Wait...This wasn't her room...
"Thank God," came a male voice. "You nearly gave me a heart attack..."
The journalist's eyes glanced to her right and she recognized the navy-haired youth as her good friend and ally. He was kneeling beside her, and her eyes caught sight of an armrest belonging to a black, leather couch.
"H-Hero?" she managed. Her voice cracked from being so hoarse and raspy.
"Oh, let me get you some water," he jumped to his feet and bolted into the next room over. "You must be thirsty," he called from somewhere far away. "Just a second!"
Then there was running water. Maya struggled to sit up and look around. Glancing down, she realized she was clad in nothing more than a pink bathrobe. Feeling her face go bright red, her attention whirled on the hallway that she had last seen Hero disappear into.
That peeping tom! How did he—?
"Hero!" she grabbed the ends of the robe and pulled them tighter around her. "Hero, why am I in my bathrobe and not the clothes I stepped into my apartment in earlier!?"
There was no answer. Maya frowned.
I'll ambush him when he comes back.
Trying to take her mind off of the matter, she averted her eyes.
The setting was unfamiliar, but a lovely room was unveiled before her. There were photos all over the walls—some strictly for décor, and others were presented as family photos. A chandelier hung from the other side of the large room, and there was a dying flower arrangement on the other side of the room. Carnations...? They were too wilted to tell. Different antiques lined the wall—there was a gorgeous grandfather clock—and a large staircase that spiraled to the upper floor behind her.
I want to get a closer look at the pictures...
Slowly bracing herself to disengage her body from the couch, she made sure she could balance, and then turned. Slowly padding over to the wall, she stared up at the set of family photos. Sure enough, Mr. Stonefield was a bright faced American and Mrs. Stonefield could pass for one, if Maya hadn't already noticed the Japanese in her. Each photo shared a different time in history. A full head of brown hair Mr. Stonefield was playing with a bubbly baby who had only a few navy locks. Little baby Hero was clad in a diaper, waving his arms, in a home that looked different than this one.
In the next photo, Mr. and Mrs. Stonefield were hugging in an open field. Mr. Stonefield had a perfectly chiseled face and a solid chin. Still, his pearly teeth were perfect and his hair was rustled by the wind coming from behind them. He was a built man, and his clothes revealed their worth. Mrs. Stonefield was a gorgeous Japanese woman with dark locks and red highlights. Her eyes were light brown and her smile was even bigger than her husband's.
They look so very much in love. I'm jealous.
Another picture revealed a toddler Hero, who was playing with a remote controlled helicopter with his father. The one next to that was Hero as an elementary school student with his mother. The two were in a black car waving out the window.
Maya smiled.
He must have wonderful parents. What a wonderful way to grow up. I'm envious.
Then something occurred to Maya. A frown replaced her smile and she peered up closer at the photos.
"Like what you see?" she heard her friend come back from the kitchen. "I really wish mom would take down my baby photos. Makes it hard for me to get a date when all girls see are my poopy diapers and swollen face from crying."
The joke went unnoticed as Maya used a finger to point up at the family photos.
"You don't look like either of your parents. Not at all."
Something unreadable flashed across Hero's face and he stepped forward to hand Maya her glass of water.
She didn't bother to take it.
"Seriously? You can tell that?"
Maya rolled her eyes. "You don't even look half Japanese, Hero. You expect me to pass you for one? Your father is American and your mother is Japanese. Neither have the blue hair or blue eyes. And you don't have their nose."
"Oh..." Hero turned away and rubbed the back of his neck. He again held out the glass of water to her without meeting Maya's eyes.
She glanced down at it.
"Thanks," she took the glass, and stared back up at him. "So, you gonna tell me the truth?"
"All right, all right," he snapped, but it wasn't in any way or shape considered as rude. "I'm adopted. Satisfied now?"
Maya blinked and nearly dropped the water from her hands. Was he being serious? He wasn't often serious, especially about his own life. But his hard eyes told her he was very much serious. "Oh...I...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a sensitive subject..."
He waved a hand at her. "Don't worry about it. You're pretty much the only one who knows anyway." When she didn't say anything more, Hero shook his head and a smile crossed his face. "Look, all right, Ms. Journalist. Here's the scoop. I, Hero Stonefield, was originally born as a Murakami. My father had already bailed by the time I was born, and my useless mother was a man-chaser—often known for robbing the cradle. Long story short, there was an accident that really doesn't classify itself as an accident. My mother was killed and I was placed into the foster system. It didn't take long before I was adopted by the Stonefields, and, for that, I'm eternally grateful. And we all lived happily ever after."
His story was finished with a shining grin. Maya, on the other hand, appeared horrified.
"I...I..."
"Sit down, Maya," Hero gestured back toward the couch. "You appear pale, and you have had quite the night."
She allowed him to guide her back to her warm spot on the leather couch. She was still cupping the glass of water with both of her tiny hands, in complete shock over what he had told her. Still, he remained composed, and he commanded her to take a drink of water. She absentmindedly complied as he took a seat beside her on the couch.
"Now then," he cleared his throat. "I'm sure we're not really here to talk about my upbringing, right? I appreciate that you like the place though. We have other things to discuss. Do you remember what happened earlier this evening?"
Now that he had mentioned it...
"I..." her mind was reeling in reverse. She clutched the cup even tighter. "I was on the bed..." Her head whirled around to meet his waiting eyes, "Ulala moved out! I...I had just seen her empty room and..." She trailed off and felt the tears brim at her eyes. "Ulala..."
"I have a hunch that she decided to move out after seeing you with Baofu," Hero suggested. "I don't know the details, but Baofu made it sound like they have an...interesting...relationship."
"If that's what you can even call it," she grumbled. "Damn Baofu..."
"What about after? What then?"
Maya took in a deep breath and craned her eyes heavenward to stare at the ceiling fan rotating endlessly above them.
A voice. Red. Warm.
"Someone..." Maya paused. "Someone said...'Mother Rhea, don't you cry,' and then I felt my body being...dowsed...Dowsed in..." she fell silent.
"I suppose that's about the time I pick up." Hero cleared his throat and then began, "Tatsuya was there when I managed to make it into your apartment."
The woman's eyes widened in horror. "Tatsuya? Are you serious?" A series of thoughts flooded her mind. "Why was he there? Did he encounter the one who attacked me? Does he remember his Persona—"
"Maya, calm down." Hero placed both of his hands on her shoulders. She suddenly recalled the pink bathrobe.
"And how did I come to be dressed in nothing more than this?" she gestured to the robe.
Hero wisely dropped his arms and leaned back, eyes vacillating back and forth. "That...uh...That can be explained...and...uh...will be explained. Just...Just give me a minute."
She crossed her arms, only pretending to be angry, "You have thirty seconds."
"Thirty seconds? That's not nearly enough time—"
"Twenty-four seconds left."
"Tatsuya called me to your apartment. He said he had news that couldn't wait—sounded pretty happy, too—but by the time I got here, both you and he were unconscious. To answer your question, his Persona forcibly awoke to protect him. Apollo, I think it was...Anyway, his Persona spoke to me through my Persona. Your attacker was one of the Brass Petals we encountered in Kasugayama."
Maya fell pale. "O-One of them?"
Hero nodded. "I chased him off and called Baofu over. We tried to clean you up, but there was so much blood. Not yours, we concluded, but definitely human. That's why we had to change your clothes." Red managed to find the raven-haired woman's face. "I didn't peek!" he shrieked. "Honest! C'mon, what do you take me for?" She didn't answer right away, and he took the opportunity to mutter, "If you want your clothes back, you're going to have to dry clean them, Maya. Sorry. Blood's hard to get out of clothes, you know."
She changed the topic, despite the desire to stomp on his foot.
"Does Tatsuya remember the 'Other Side,' Hero?"
He looked away, "I don't know. None of us will know until he wakes up. He's staying at Baofu's right now."
"Baofu?" her eyes widened and she tried to blink away the confusion.
"Yeah," Hero nodded. "We thought it was safe if we keep you two separated for a while. I have a hunch that the Brass Petals know who you both are. They know about the 'Other Side,' and they know about Tatsuya's part in the story."
Maya's eyes fell.
"I...I was hoping that that part of my life was over. I wanted a normal life. After everything..." she looked back up at her friend, "...is that too much to ask?"
Hero turned away. For once, he didn't know how to console her.
Maya stared up at the ceiling fan again, allowing her mind to reel backward. Her eyes clouded up.
"Ulala hates me...Katsuya's dead...Tatsuya doesn't remember who I am..."
She could feel the hot tears brimming at her eyes. She didn't want them to fall, but simply thinking of them all...everything she had lost.
"Maya, please don't cry," Hero was at her side when she finally broke down, her hands gluing themselves to her face. "Please, please. None of this is your fault. We'll make it better. Come on, smile for me."
She wanted to.
She wanted to think positive.
But not right now.
\/\/\/
"You bastard!" Tatsuya clutched his cell phone tightly and punched the stone wall to the outside of Peace Diner. His bike was in the parking spot behind him. "How come it took this long for you to contact me!?"
He was pacing back and forth, his hand on his head and grabbing at his hair. His helmet was on the sidewalk below him. He had the sudden urge to kick it.
"Tatsuya, please calm down. I wanted to call earlier, but there was paperwork to be done. We only made it out of that cave earlier today. Believe me, I will be having a talk with the force here. You were the first one I wanted to call!"
"I hate you," Tatsuya spat into the phone, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments.
"...Feel better now?"
"Dammit, Katsuya!" the younger Suou clenched his teeth together, but couldn't suppress the lump in his throat. "You had us all really worried, you know!"
"I do know that..." Katsuya's voice changed to a mixture of regret and sadness. "I'm really sorry, little brother."
"Tell them we're suing," Tatsuya decided to kick his helmet after all. It flew in the shape of a rainbow down the sidewalk, clanked hatefully to the ground, and rolled some feet away after that.
"No, we are not suing. I accepted full responsibility entering that cave, Tatsuya. I knew the risks."
"You could've died! That doesn't warrant a lawsuit? You're too soft!"
Katsuya merely chuckled on the other end.
Tatsuya wiped his tears away and walked brusquely down the sidewalk to retrieve his helmet.
"When will you be home?" he asked.
"I've been dismissed from the case here because of the accident. I'm catching the first morning flight out of here. I hope that's all right with you. I haven't quite rested since it's all happened. I should be home sometime tomorrow evening."
Tatsuya took in a deep breath and then exhaled. "Yeah, you probably are pretty tired. All right, big brother. I'll straighten the apartment for when you get home. I expect some accounting of what happened, all right? And you need to call Maya, too. She was especially worried about you."
Something seemed to catch itself in Katsuya's voice, "O-Oh...is that right?"
"Yeah. It was really bad. Hero had to come over and take care of her and—"
"Hero? ...Who's 'Hero?'"
"Oh, that's right. You don't know him. He just moved to Sumaru a couple of weeks ago. He and Maya have been hanging out quite a bit actually. I think he's a pretty chill guy, if you ask me." A thought crossed Tatsuya's mind and he was forced to chuckle. "Actually, it's hilarious because Maya keeps getting teased that he's her new boyfriend. I mean, the three of us were at Peace Diner the other night and—"
"Y-You know, Tatsuya. Why don't you tell me another time, all right? I need to go."
The phone clicked and Tatsuya paused. He stared at the screen that had reverted back to his wallpaper and frowned.
"What the hell is his problem? We all think he's dead and that's his attitude? Maybe I won't clean the apartment after all."
\/\/\/
That's right. Katsuya was alive...
"Prometheus...It has been a while since we last fought along side each other..."
That was the news...The reason why he had been trying to get a hold of Maya.
"Apollo...You shouldn't be here."
"Why not? Are you referring to the boy? I am sure you would agree we are beyond secrets."
He had been searching the ward for Hero, who had run out hours before. He was a tough guy to hunt down. Tired, he had decided to stop at the diner for a burger and try calling the navy-haired man again. But he hadn't gotten two feet inside the door when his phone jittered and an unknown number appeared across the interface of his screen.
"But is it worth the risk of the world? Surely you understand the consequences if he remembers. That day...we agreed never to speak of it again."
Normally, he didn't pick up for unknown numbers; he let them go to voice mail. He didn't know what had compelled him to answer.
"Prometheus...I regret to inform you that those who wish him harm already intend to do away with this world. With or without our influence...he will remember."
"Katsuya?"
"You ever gonna wake up?"
There was a kick down toward his lower legs, but not exactly aimed at his body. It startled Tatsuya awake, nonetheless, and he found himself staring up at Baofu, whose hair was dangling only inches from the teen's face.
"Baofu?" Tatsuya squinted and swatted Baofu's locks out of his face.
The wiretapper stepped back, giving the boy room to sit up on the couch. He held a hand to his throbbing head, trying to recall the events from before.
"How...did I get here?" the teen asked, though his mind was still a whirl of thoughts.
"I brought you here," the wiretapper reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He fished one out and put the pack back.
"And Maya? What about Maya?"
"You walked in during a robbery. The assailants clocked you upside the head and Hero came in after."
Tatsuya's brows furrowed together and he didn't bother to look at Baofu.
A...robbery? That doesn't make sense. I clearly remember the blood...Maya...and the creature named "Drayevarg" who attacked us. He called me the "Paradox Boy."
"That..." Tatsuya shook his head. "That can't be. I remember walking into the apartment and seeing Maya covered in blood." He finally glanced up to the other man, "Who's the 'Paradox Boy,' Baofu?"
He thought he saw the wiretapper flinch, but then Baofu took a long drag from his cigarette.
Maybe he had imagined it?
Baofu chuckled, "What the hell have you been smoking, kid? Maya's fine—you can even ask her in the morning. It's still too early now."
"What time is it?"
"About four-thirty. Too early to do anything but late enough to have a conversation."
"Conversation...?" Tatsuya suddenly released a frown. "Why would I want to have one with you?"
The wiretapper moved backward to his desk and flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the glass tray.
"You're still sore about the morgue scenario, huh?"
"And with good reason!" the teen pushed himself off the couch, but dizziness overwhelmed him and he found himself falling back down onto the cushion. He waited for the rush to clear before he continued. "Then you found out about what happened to Katsuya and you walked out on me. I thought you two were friends."
"Depends on how you define the word 'friend.'"
"With you, I guess it's loosely," Tatsuya rolled his eyes and glanced around the messy room. It reeked of bourbon. "I want the hell out of here. Now."
Suddenly, Baofu turned serious. He stood straight up and attempted to block the boy's path.
"Now, hold your horses, kid. I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, how do you think you're gonna get home, anyway? Your bike's still over at Maya's."
"Never stopped me before. That's why I've got two thumbs." Tatsuya stood up again, more slowly this time.
"Hitchhiking is out of the question. Look, sorry you're still pissed at me, but let's be rational about this, all right?" He put his hands out to stop Tatsuya, but made sure to keep the cigarette pointed in a different direction. "Besides, you're still injured. You could have a concussion after all."
"Oh, get off of it already," Tatsuya slapped his hand away. "And you're not telling me the truth, either. I imagined a cloaked guy in Maya's apartment? Sure. He called me the 'Paradox Boy' and kept telling me to release some kind of...'Persona' or something. And what's the 'Other Side,' huh? I'll bet you know all about that, Baofu."
The ends of Baofu's mouth were twitching.
Still, he kept his composure.
"Kid, it sounds like nonsense—"
"And, yet, he managed to get into Maya's apartment without my knowing. And douse her in blood."
"Look, how about we wait until Maya and Hero wake up and we'll explain it all then?"
Tatsuya's eyes widened, "W-Where are they, anyway? You never finished telling me what happened."
The wiretapper appeared to have relaxed. He leaned back and took another drag from his cigarette. Gray swirls rose up around his head.
"You kept interrupting me. The scenario was a robbery, all right? Dunno how Stonefield did it, but he managed to fight them off."
"That reminds me..." suspicion rose in the teen's voice again. "How have you come to meet Hero, anyway? He never said anything about you..."
"We just met, actually. Amano introduced us. I'm sure she, at least, has mentioned me."
Tatsuya said nothing, but kept Baofu's stare. While it was possible that they had met, it still left the question of why. Hero was a far better person than Baofu with a seemingly more cleaner conscience. Why hang out with a crazy like Baofu?
He noted the question and would make sure to ask Hero later.
"Anyway..." Baofu drug the word out, as though he were anticipating more interruptions. When he got none, he said, "I was on my way to meet up with Maya anyway. Guess her roommate, Serizawa, has flown the coop and she wanted to talk to me."
"Why would you care about that?"
Another drag. "Serizawa used to work for me."
Tatsuya frowned. "Point taken."
"I made it there after the robbers fled," Baofu flicked his cigarette into the ashtray again. "In case they came back, Stonefield took Maya back to his place and I brought you here."
The teen decided to sit back down on the couch. His knees were beginning to ache.
"That's dumb. Why separate us?"
"I wanted to talk to you, actually. In private. I heard you muttering your brother's name and you told Hero you had some kind of big news. Are the two related?"
Tatsuya took in a deep breath.
That...That's right...The news I was going to share with Hero and Maya...
"I got a phone call last night," he began. "It was from Katsuya." With a big smile, he finished, "He's alive."
Baofu dropped his cigarette to the floor.
\/\/\/
They weren't far from the hospital before Yuki's face lit up and she asked the others if they could stop by Yin and Yan.
"That's my part-time job," she explained. "I want to let them know I'm going to be a few minutes late to work since we're going to go and see Mary."
It wasn't far out of the way, so no one complained—save Mark.
He appeared edgy and impatient.
Of course, that was how Mark always was. His mother spoiled him, since he was an only child. Despite that, he never treated her with much respect, which bothered Hero. He referred to her as his 'old lady,' and avoided her whenever possible.
Once, Hero and Mark were finishing lunch at the Peace Diner in Sun Mall when Mark suddenly had the desire to pick up a new baseball cap.
"Hey," he nudged, "let's hit up Rosa Candida."
But upon entering...
Mark's eyes widened, his body tensed, and he immediately reached back for the door. "Oh, shit! It's my mom's friend!"
"Ma~rk!" a frumpy woman with short, curly hair bounced up the boy. Mark appeared frightened. "Mark! You came at the right time! Your mom is supposed to come by any moment now to shop for clothes with me! Why don't you come with us? We can all shop together!"
Mark's hand was already cupping the doorknob and pushing it open.
"Mark," Hero whispered to him. "Mark, that woman is talking to you."
Offering the phoniest smile he could, Mark said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Oh, really? Shoot, I gotta go actually."
The woman's hand shot out and wrapped around his arm, "Wait, Mark! Why don't you just come shopping with us? Have your mom buy you a sweater or something."
"Mark," Hero whispered again. "Why don't you just wait here for your mom? I can walk home from here."
"No!" the other hissed through clenched teeth.
The woman released her hold on Mark, but appeared very unhappy in doing so. "Why not? I'm sure your mother would be really happy if you came. She should be here soon. Why don't you at least just talk to her?"
"Because I...I left my books at school, that's why. Come on, Hero. I hope we make it before the janitor locks the school gates!"
Tearing out of Rosa Candida, Hero reluctantly followed, not wanting to see the woman's sad stare. He found his friend hiding behind a trash can across the way next to the antique store.
"Let's just wait here a while for her to leave. I still want a new hat, dammit!" Mark crouched lower and tried to make himself comfortable.
They waited an hour.
"Okay, my leg's cramping," Mark stood up. "Have you seen them come out of the store yet?"
Hero shifted his eyes to the store doors, "Uh...actually...I never saw your mom walk in."
"Well, then we might've missed them. Let's go back into Rosa Candida." He moved around the trash can and back into the store.
"Mark," Hero called after him. "You should try to be nicer to your mom, you know..."
His advice went unheeded as Mark opened the doors again and peered inside.
"My mom isn't here, right?" he slowly peeked around the front counter, feeling a little more courageous. Hero moved in behind him. "And her friend?"
"Mark! Did you decide to come shopping with us after all?" the frumpy woman was spotted at the back of the store. She came waddling quickly toward them. "Your mom just called. She hit some traffic, but she's pulling into the parking lot right now!"
"Damn, she's still in here!" Mark whirled around and pushed Hero out of the way as he fled out the door. "Let's get out of here!"
Mark was unbelievable sometimes.
Pulled back into the present, Hero watched his friends point at the different houses on the street. Nate had stopped and given special attention to a house that sat far off. It was dumpy and falling apart. Boards were sprawled out on the dying lawn.
"How can a house like that manage to stay in the neighborhood without getting laughed out of society? I mean, what a small and undesirable house!"
"Psh..." Mark followed the rich boy's gaze. "Any house would be small compared to your twenty million dollar mansion, Nate! Damn spoiled brat..."
Yuki followed up by stomping on Nate's foot. He screamed in pain and began to hop about while holding it.
"This is T.J.'s house, Nate! Geez, only you would be able to insult her twice in one day!"
"T.J.'s, huh?" Mark blinked and stared back at the shed of a house. "Man...it looks...terrible..."
"Can you believe she works to help her family out?" Yuki sighed and turned away from the house. "I mean, I work, too, but it's all going into my future." She remained silent for a moment longer before pushing onward again, "Come on, we have to get to Yin and Yan."
Mark continued to stare at the house. "I get all choked up." Then, turning his attention to the still screaming and hopping Nate, "You should get a part-time job, too, Nate! That way you can pay for Alfred's salary!"
The rest of the walk was filled with bickering from Nate and Mark and an occasional scolding from Yuki, who eventually stormed far ahead of the others. Hero kept in the back to himself, hands in his pockets, and he stared up at the trees above them. The wind had come along, making it a little colder.
Yin and Yan was on the other side of the street, nestled in between some other shops, and Yuki took a deep breath before going inside.
"He~y," she sang out, which was unusual for her.
Come to think of it, her working part-time was unusual, too, considering her punk background. Nevertheless, Hero found it commendable.
A woman in red uniform peeked her head out from behind the counter. She recognized Yuki at once and smiled.
"Yuki! What's up? You're early."
Standing in front of the counter, Yuki put on her most professional face, and said, "I just wanted to let you know I was visiting a friend in the hospital and may be a little late to work, if that's all right."
The woman laughed, "Oh, Yuki. You're so responsible. Thank you for letting me know."
"Psh," Mark rolled his eyes and made a secret imitation of the woman to Nate. He raised his pitch to match a valley girl, "Like, oh mah Gawd, Yuki! Shoooo reshponshible!"
Nate elbowed him.
"Stuff it, Mark. You couldn't get a job if they were hiring at a lemonade stand."
Mark saw red and began to roll up his sleeves. "Oh, yeah, asshole? Wanna say that again?"
Hero slipped around the corner. It was best to pretend as if he didn't know his other male counterparts. Sidestepping down the aisle, his eyes were still on the arguing duo, and he didn't realize until he felt the collision behind him that someone else had been there.
"Oh!"
Hero turned around just in time to see cans raining to the ground from a woman's arms. She watched them tumble, crash, and roll in different directions around the aisle.
"Ahhh," Hero rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry about that, ma'am..."
She leaned down, her light brown ponytail falling over her shoulder. "No, no," she scooped the cans back into her arms. "It's all right. I didn't see you either."
Feeling guilty, he got down on all fours and collected the cans. "Still, I should've been paying attention." He examined a can and handed it to her, "This one's dented. You might want to get another one. Sorry again..."
"Maybe I should've gotten a basket after all," she lightly laughed and took the can. She stared Hero over a moment longer, "You go to St. Hermelin, don't you? My son goes there too. Maybe you know him? His name's Chris. Chris Kido."
Hero thought a moment.
Oh...That's the troublemaker we met in that closed off classroom. Best not tell his mother that.
Chris was an odd one. For a moment, Hero's mind reeled back to a few days before. Mark had wanted to show him and Nate something (Yuki had been along at the time because she had just gotten off work) at his "hideout." Hero had imagined something cool, but all he got was the old, abandoned factory.
"This place is dirty and gross!" Nate held his nose. "It reeks in here!" Then something caught his attention as something flickered in the shadows. "Hey, Mark, is that your 'homeboy' over there?"
"Huh?" Mark followed Nate's gaze. Chris was standing behind some old rigs. Mark gave a friendly wave, "Oh, 'sup, Chris! What are you doing here?"
Chris looked on with a stony glare. He moved away from the rigs, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stopped in front of the group.
Frowning deeply, he said, "You guys shouldn't come here. You'll get killed."
He made his way to the front door and didn't stop, even while Mark was screaming, "What's up! Hey! Wait up, Chris!"
Once the loner had made it evident that he wasn't going to "wait up," Mark quieted, but puffed out his cheeks, frustrated.
"I wonder what he's up to?" Yuki tapped a finger against her cheek. "He's been wandering around all over the place a lot. Remember the sealed classroom?" She turned to Nate, who was rather indifferent. He seemed more disgusted by the smell and the dank vicinity.
"He's a punk," Nate shrugged. "He does punk things. Who cares?"
Hero's memory bubble was popped when someone touched his arm. Chris' mom was staring back at him.
"Oh...Y-Yeah," Hero put on a wide, goofy grin. "I know him. We're in the same class together, actually."
Her eyes sparkled enthusiastically. "Really? Is that so? That's wonderful!" Then something changed in her face and she looked down at the cans she had collected into her arms, "I mean...I know that Chris isn't very sociable..." She stood up, arms full of cans, and Hero handed her the last one he could find, "I hope I'm not asking for too much, but could you be friends with Chris? He doesn't show it, but I know he's lonely."
Hero fidgeted a bit.
I doubt he's lonely. But his mom looks so desperate...and I did dent almost all of her cans...
"Of course," he grinned again.
"Really!?" she beamed even wider now. "Oh, thank you so much! Please, come over to our house sometime! I'll give you the address..."
She went to the other side of the store, settled her things into a basket, and then reached into her purse for a pen and paper. She wrote down the address, even added in oral directions, and handed the paper to Hero. Around that time, Yuki began to call for him, telling him it was time to go.
"We can't keep Mary waiting," she said. "They're all right if I come in an hour late or so, meaning we have plenty of time to visit her."
Mark was back to leading everyone to the hospital, though he still appeared sore with Nate. Nate was rubbing his arm and sulking. Yuki surmised that Mark had punched him.
It made Hero chuckle a bit. He knew the rich boy took grief from no one, and it was odd to see that he had accepted a blow from Mark. The last time he had seen Nate get close into a fist fight was at the Sebec Building a couple of weeks ago. Hero had often caught the rich boy staring at the towering building. He would glower, clench his teeth, and stomp past it.
Hero had no idea what had Nate so riled up.
But then, one day while Mark, Hero, and Nate were all hanging out together, curiosity got the best of the Nanjo boy and he walked in. Hero was expecting the receptionist, and some answers as to why they were there.
But all they got was the bodyguard who came off as though he had left his job at the World Wrestling Championship for a lower-grade salary working for Sebec. His face was like an oddly shaped boulder and he was nearly bald. Hero was surprised he could fit into that little black suit at all.
"What the...?" he left his post at the front desk and accosted the children, thundering with each step he took. "What are you kids doing here!? Get out!"
He was rolling up his sleeves. The bodyguard was about to pick Mark up and hurl him out the door...without even opening it, of course.
But before he was allowed the chance, another man had entered the room. He wasn't as built as the bodyguard, but he was tall, and loomed over the children with even greater intimidation.
Hero didn't know why, but he felt a sudden shudder, and thought he could hear voices. But hearing voices was like admitting to insanity.
He shook the thought immediately from his mind.
"Tiny, what's the commotion?" the man asked, but he was already eying Nate.
"Guido!" the rich boy accepted his stare and even took a step toward him.
The man named "Guido" broke out into a round of sophisticated chuckles. "My, my, what a pleasant surprise! To what do we owe the honor of a visit from a rich heir to a small and simple company such as ours?
Nate clenched his fists. "I...I didn't come to see you. I'm just tagging along with my friends."
Hero wondered why the rich boy wasn't coming clean. After all, it had been Nate who had broke away from the group to come into Sebec. Mark and Hero had only followed after.
"Well, either way, it is surely an honor for the Great Heir and his friends to come visit me at my humble and lowly establishment," Guido spread his arms big and gestured to the interior of his lobby.
"Drop the sarcasm!" Nate's fists clenched even tighter. "We didn't come here to play around with you."
The bodyguard jumped in between them, now wanting to sumo-squash Nate in front of everyone. "You little brat!"
"Stay back, Tiny," Guido put an arm on his shoulder. Confused, Tiny did as he was asked, but still shot glares at Nate and the rest of the group. Guido straightened his back, "Remember, child, you're the one who came into my company. It seems like your parents never took the time to discipline you. But that's no matter. As you are in my company, I'll make the time to teach you how to address people with respect."
Mark cracked up laughing and pointed to Guido, "Man, wassup with you!? You're an old fart!"
Guido's attention turned, and his face was budding red.
Before he could respond, Tiny intervened.
"Mr. Sardenia. I regret to interrupt you but...it's almost time."
As wonderful as punching Mark and nutcrunching Nate sounded, Guido had to restrain himself. Gathering his composure, he offered a small smile and, while still staring at the group, said, "I'll be right there. If you'll excuse me...children."
He turned and walked through a door at the far end of the room. Nate shook a fist at Guido.
"I hope your company goes bankrupt!"
What Nate had against the CEO, Hero couldn't figure out.
By the time he had refocused, Hero and his friends were standing outside of the hospital, looking up at the large, white building.
"We're here!" Mark cheered. "Let's go see Mary!"
Hero smiled.
It took him a long time before he realized that the voices he had heard in his head was Persona Resonance between him and Guido and that he hadn't been going crazy after all.
\/\/\/
The phone in Hero's pocket startled him awake a little after five. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why Maya was sleeping next to him on the couch. His body reacting automatically, he fished into his pocket, grabbed his phone, and looked at the screen.
"Baofu..." he slurred, tired thoughts trying to put together why the wiretapper would be calling him only hours after they had last seen each other.
...Had something happened?
"Hello?" Hero tried not to sound half asleep, but was certain he had failed.
"Stonefield? You sound drunk."
The navy-haired man slowly pushed himself off the couch and walked into the next room over, which happened to be his oversized dining room.
"No, I was asleep. Not sure if you remember the crazy night we had."
"Oh yeah? Well, it's about to get crazier. Amano still asleep?"
Hero turned around and peeked back out into the other room.
"Yeah. Well...she was awake about forty-five minutes ago. She's doing all right now, except she's still shaken about the whole thing."
There was a chuckle on the other end of the line.
"She say anything about her new dress attire?"
The younger man blew air out from his mouth and rolled his eyes. "I think I explained it rather well. Her thoughts were more concentrated on what happened earlier."
"That so? Did she see who attacked her?"
"No. She said that all she remembered was someone saying something like, 'don't cry, Mother Rhea,' and then being doused in red. She blacked out after that."
"Mother Rhea, huh? Do these cloaked cult freaks really believe Amano to be her?"
"Search me," Hero shrugged, though he knew Baofu couldn't see. "I think it might have a connection, like you said. Tatsuya and Maya's histories together at least."
"And now I'm even more than certain that their connections are legitimate. I had an...interesting chat with Tatsuya."
"Oh?" Hero's brows furrowed together and he found a place to sit at his large dining room table. "I'm curious."
"The first thing he asked me about was why that cultist freak called him the 'Paradox Boy.'"
The younger man slapped his forehead, feeling something horrible coming on. "Oh no..."
"You're telling me. He asked about Personas and the 'Other Side' as well. You said earlier that your Persona made resonance with his. It's possible that his made the same connection and he's recognized that."
"That's bad. That's really bad."
"Don't I know it? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that these cult guys have a clear idea of the 'Other Side,' what took place, and they're trying to get little Suou to remember. They want the two sides to merge. Still...I can't piece together the ritual acts. Why are they killing people?"
Hero chewed on the inside of his cheek and thought for a long while.
"I can convince Maya to stay away from Tatsuya, but Tatsuya's going to wonder what's going on. He'll become suspicious. And then, if I think I know him well enough, he'll rebel. It won't be good for our standings. The Brass Petals will pick him off."
"I'm seeing the same scenario play out. But..." Baofu chuckled all of a sudden, "Little Suou told me something that's in our favor—very much so."
"What's that?"
"His brother's alive. Katsuya didn't die in the ruins after all. And he's coming home. Tomorrow."
Hero felt his jaw drop and he nearly did the same with the phone. "W-What!?"
"Yeah, I reacted about the same. I don't know much of the details, and Suou ain't gonna confide in his little bro for the same reasons you and I are discussing. That means Suou might have some information on the IC case and what's going on. We gotta ambush him as soon as possible. I tried calling his cell, but the wuss has his phone turned off."
Hero was grinning. "So...that's the big news Tatsuya wanted to tell us. No wonder he sounded so happy. Man, this is really gonna make Maya's night."
"Don't say anything to her yet, all right? There's something else I've contemplated, too."
"What's that?"
"Someone's setting Tatsuya up. Maybe it's not his brother calling after all."
The younger man's grin was swallowed and a frown was born. "Wait...what?"
"Don't get me wrong, I always thought Suou was alive, but hear me out, all right? Those cultists know about Tatsuya inside and out. They could be impersonating his older brother, given the circumstances, to try to get close to him. We won't know until Katsuya comes back. Until then, this news is between you and me, got it?"
Hero sighed and sunk lower into his chair. "Man...Maya would've been so happy, too."
"Don't think I don't wanna tell her. Hell, if Serizawa wasn't such a bitch, I'd be phoning her, too."
Shaking his head, the younger man held the phone closer to his ear. "All right, all right, I won't say anything. But then...I wonder...if Katsuya made it out alive, what about Mark?"
"Your buddy, right? I've thought about that, too. If Suou comes back, we'll ask. Maybe the two met or something."
"Yeah...I might give Nate a ring and just ask...out of curiosity."
"You do what you need to do, but don't blow our cover. I have an inside source who I've been working with for a while now. I'm going to give him a call later on this morning and I'll call you back. Until then, make sure to keep an eye on Amano."
"Got'cha," and Hero hung up the phone.
\/\/\/
"If I was there right now, Mark, I'd bust you in the face!" Brad was pacing back and forth, his cell phone pressed tightly up against his ear. His other hand was ruffling through his unkempt hair.
Nate watched the actor intently, excitement and relief overwhelming him. Chris, although the stolid type, was having a hard time keeping his normally silent demeanor. Yuki, who didn't have to be in to work until noon, was sitting in the recliner across from Chris, and while her relief was made known, she had earlier entered the Nanjo penthouse looking frail and unfocused. Nate was surprised she had arrived at seven that morning. He hadn't gotten much sleep, along with Chris, and Brad wasn't showing any signs of a early morning hangover. Already it was turning out to be a busy morning.
Brad stopped pacing. "What do you mean? ...You're coming to Sumaru with that detective, right? ...Whaddya mean 'no!?'"
"Oh, come on!" Chris shouted from across the room and jumped to his feet. "Give me the phone, Brad. I'll talk some sense into that punk!"
Brad held the phone away from him ear with a smile and turned to Chris, "He heard you, man. You freaked him out. He said he'll be on the plane."
"That's what I thought," Chris said with an added, "hmph," and sat back down.
"Well, you'd better be on that plane," Brad's attention was back to the conversation on the phone. "If not, you're in for a world of hurt.I will hunt you down, Mark. After the shit you pulled, we'd better see you tonight...All right, ciao." The actor closed the lid to his phone and turned back to his friends with a gigantic grin on his face. "He's alive! They're both alive!"
"Detective Suou, too?" Nate's smile was almost as wide. "I can't believe this. It's remarkable! Did he say how? What happened?"
Brad shook his head, and appeared as though he wanted to sit on the couch, but his excitement wouldn't allow him.
"Dunno, he said he met up with the detective in the ruins, but couldn't go into much detail because the police were in the room. Guess it was a Persona thing. That detective's a Persona User, too, ain't he?"
Nate nodded, "Correct. It explains a lot, really. And, yet, nothing at all."
"Saves us a trip to Lunarvale at least," Chris turned to Yuki.
"Yeah," her eyes narrowed, "thanks again for calling me in the middle of the night, Chris. Really appreciate it."
"So?" Brad interrupted. "We're gonna do something special for him, right? They're heading to Sumaru tonight on the plane."
"I don't trust him," Chris folded his arms. "He'll get cold feet or something. I'm picking him up at the airport. Did he say when they'd get in?"
"About eight. So we should start planning on a party, right?" Brad smiled as his eyes slyly wandered over to Yuki, "It was your idea in the first place."
She averted her eyes from his, "As relieved as I am that Mark and Katsuya are alive, I don't think there's any way I can get the day off from work. My boss chewed out Maya on a report and then me for being late. Mizuno is on edge because a famous author that she fantasizes about is coming to Sumaru in a week or so. She's pissed because she wanted Maya to write a report and she didn't like what was written."
"You've been going through a lot," Nate said. "I'll take it from here. I'll call Parabellum and ask to reserve the bar for the night."
"You really think they'll loan us the bar?" Yuki crossed her legs. "I mean...it'll cost a fortune to have them serve drinks and food all night."
"Ha!" Brad laughed. "You're forgetting who you're talking to, Yuki."
She gave a smaller laugh, "You're right. I wasn't thinking straight."
"Great!" the actor slapped the top of the couch behind Nate, causing the Nanjo boy to become startled and jump. "I'll start inviting everyone! Let's see...Gotta ask Ellen—Do you think it's gonna be a problem to invite Mary?"
"Mary's one of us," Yuki's brows furrowed and her lips fell into a deep frown. "Mark's just gonna have to get used to it."
Nate took the opportunity to stand up. "I'll make the phone call to Parabellum. Excuse me..." He left the conversation on the talk of inviting Chunky, Tammy, and Tad while he fished for his cell phone. Stepping outside, he let the door shut behind him and Nate took a deep breath.
While the intention was to eventually call Parabellum, the Nanjo heir had other things on his mind. He dialed a number and brought the ringing phone to his ears. After three rings, the phone picked up.
"This is Stonefield."
"Hero," Nate turned his back against the door and talked lowly, even though he knew the others couldn't possibly hear him. "It's me, Nate."
His friend's voice picked up with slight enthusiasm. "Nate? It's been quite a few days, eh? What's going on?"
Nate wasn't quite sure how to announce the good news, and he was worried that he would get tongue-tied while trying to speak. Taking in a deep breath, he quickly blurted out, "Mark's alive, and so is Detective Suou. Mark just called Brad this morning."
There was a pause on the other end and then it was accompanied by a low whistle. The whistle eventually evolved into a, "Yes! Thank God, yes! Katsuya called Tatsuya last night, actually, but to hear that they're actually alive...!" Hero trailed off and made more "woot!" noises. The heir chuckled a bit, not often hearing his friend be so emotional or talkative. It was a relief, actually.
Then he became puzzled.
"Detective Suou called Tatsuya last night? Wait...I wasn't aware that you knew Tatsuya, Hero..."
There was sudden silence.
Then Hero said, "I ran into Maya and Tatsuya during the first couple days of my visit. I had no idea that they were connected to Katsuya, who was in the same cave-in with Mark. If I had known, I would've notified you."
Notified? Nate chewed on the inside of his mouth. He wanted to say that the scenario appeared fishy, but decided to leave well enough alone until they could talk face to face.
He changed the subject, "I wonder why Mark took so long to call. After all, they strolled into the police station together from what Mark told Brad."
"R-Really? They ended up crashing into each other in the ruins?"
"Apparently so. I wanted to tell you the good news, Hero. You see, they're coming into town tonight—about eight or so. Yuki and Brad are planning a party-reunion event of sorts at Parabellum. Are you familiar with that place?"
"I'll manage to find it. About what time?"
"Eight-thirty. Just about everyone is here in Sumaru anyway except for Alana anyway. I haven't heard from her in a while."
"Let me take care of that, Nate. I'll be there at Parabellum at eight."
The rich heir swallowed and then looked to the sky. "Actually, I was wondering if you could be there at seven-thirty. There's...something I want to talk to you about."
"Something wrong?"
"Maybe. I don't quite know. Just...Just meet me there at seven-thirty, please?"
"I'll do that. See you then."
"See you then."
But trouble seemed to follow Nate, even after he ended the call.
\/\/\/
He didn't care if he was being followed. He didn't care if Baofu was upset he had left.
Tatsuya Suou wanted answers, and it was difficult enough waiting for his brother to get back to get them.
It was a quarter after eleven when he phoned Maya, but received no response. Tatsuya wondered if her phone had been damaged in the robbery. Then he called Hero's new cell number, but it went to his generic voice mail. Irritated by the lack of results he had gotten, the teen phoned one of his best friends and asked her out to Peace Diner in Yumezaki.
It was a pain because he didn't have his motorcycle, but taking the bus across wards was no big deal. Tatsuya had been in worse predicaments before. It took him a little less than an hour, but when he arrived, Anna Yoshizaka was waiting out front, her own motorcycle helmet in hand. She was dressed in her cycling gear, accompanied by a dog tag around her tiny neck.
"Haven't seen you in a while, stranger," she smiled and motioned for him to go inside.
"Thanks for meeting me here," Tatsuya opened the door for her, but Anna was hesitant to go through.
"What's with the sudden gentleman act? You've never opened the door for me before."
"Oh..." upon that remark, Tatsuya went through the door with Anna behind. "I've been hanging out with an older woman lately. Force of habit, I guess."
"Older woman, huh?" Anna chuckled as they walked to the corner of the restaurant and settled in at the same table Tatsuya and Maya had eaten at last week. Anna set her motorcycle helmet in the chair to reserve their spot. "She your girlfriend?"
The restaurant smelled of grease and hamburger meat. Tatsuya went to stand in line, his friend at his heels.
"Hardly," Tatsuya stared at the menu for the moment but found it to be useless. He was just going to order the same thing he did every time. "She's my brother's friend."
"Brother?" she blinked. "You mean the detective? Tatsuya...I saw the paper...I'm sorry, I totally forgot to call and say—"
"It's all right," the teen chuckled. "He just called me last night." His remark drained the color from Anna's face. Tatsuya quickly added, "He's alive. Him and the other guy that got caved in."
"R-Really?" her eyes fell to the floor. "But...But he was in there for almost a week and a half without food or water. Could he really survive?"
Tatsuya shrugged. "Regardless of how he did it, he did. My brother's flying back in to Sumaru tonight, so when I find out the details, I'll let you know."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
When they got to the front, Tatsuya made his usual three double cheeseburger order with a side of seasoned fries. Anna asked for the chicken finger pieces and a coke. They sat back down at the table to wait for their order to come up.
"I don't understand how it happened..." Tatsuya's eyes were on the glossy surface of their table. "But he's alive." A smile crept along his face. "I'm so relieved. I called my mother and father, and I swear I've never heard them as happy as they were when I told them Katsuya was alive."
Anna shared a weak grin. "A lot of things have happened, haven't they? I've had bad experiences, too. But...at least someone's smiling on us, right?"
"You're telling me," his eyes shined brightly. "When I was telling you about the older lady I was hanging out with, there's also another guy—he helped me out a lot through the rough patches when I first heard Katsuya had died. Between the two of them, they really kept me afloat. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't had them around."
"Ha, ha, they sound like good friends. I'm envious."
"Order number thirty-two!" rang out over the loudspeaker.
"Hmm..." Tatsuya gazed up at the ceiling where the speaker was. It dangled over the front counter. "That was fast. I'm not complaining though."
"I'll get our food," Anna stood up and walked to the front counter.
While she balanced the trays in her hands, Tatsuya caught sight of a familiar blonde walk into the establishment. Her hair was up in barrettes, and she was wearing the recognizable Seven Sisters uniform. For once, she was alone, which surprised Tatsuya. Normally, she was grouped with her cliquey friends.
Lisa Silverman spotted him and gave him an enthusiastic wave before bouncing over toward him. She took Anna's chair without thought, causing the helmet that had been placed there to topple to the floor.
"Tat-chan!" she looked him directly in the eye with a glimmering smile. "Fancy meeting you here. Are you alone?"
Tatsuya, who only knew the girl as a younger classmate of his, watched her. He decided not to enforce the fact that she should call someone she wasn't exactly friends with (not to mention, someone older) "Senpai." Nevertheless, he jerked a thumb back to the approaching Anna Yoshizaka, who was carrying two trays of food, plus a drink. She stared dumbly down at the blonde who had stolen her seat.
"Anna was originally sitting there," Tatsuya informed.
"...Oh..." Lisa flushed and quickly scooted out of the seat.
"It's all right," Anna smiled. "You can sit there if you'd like. I just got a text from Noriko. Apparently, something's going on down at the track and field." She stared down at the tray in her hands. "Damn...I ordered food and everything, but I don't want to have to eat fast food before running the field." Glancing back at Lisa, she said, "Sorry if it's not what you want, but help yourself to my food. Talk to you later, Tatsuya." Then she turned to him, "Call me when you find out what happened with your brother. I'll be home later."
She stooped down to pick up her fallen helmet, waved goodbye to both of them, and walked out the door.
"Sorry," Lisa stared at the empty seat, wondering if it would indeed be okay to sit in it again. "Were you two on a date?"
"She's not my girlfriend." Tatsuya gestured to the chair, "Go ahead and sit. It was nice she offered you her food."
"Y-Yeah..." Lisa sat down and focused her attention on the chicken nuggets and coke. "Is it...really okay?"
Tatsuya was already digging into his own food. "Unless you want one of my burgers."
Lisa beamed. "Can I, Tat-chan? Oh, thank you so much."
He handed her a burger and watched her begin to eat.
"So, I didn't realize you were a fan of Peace Diner," Tatsuya took a bite out of his burger. As bad as he knew the food was for him, he loved Peace Diner and their burgers.
"Yeah, well, I was in the ward and it's pretty much the only good food joint they've got here." She mirrored his actions, took a bite, and looked up. "Say, your friend just mentioned something and I remembered...I saw your brother's obituary in the paper, Tat-chan. I'm so sorry..."
"Actually, he's not dead," Tatsuya stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He called me last night. Apparently he survived the cave in."
"Haime?" she blinked, food still nestled in each of her cheeks. "How can that be!?"
"I don't know yet," he confessed. "He's coming home tonight. I imagine I'll get the whole story then."
"Wow...But, I'm so happy to hear that," Lisa followed with a smile, despite her attempts to rid the food she already had in her mouth.
Tatsuya chuckled a bit.
The front entrance bells chimed out again as two more ladies walked through the door. One was a redhead that Tatsuya vaguely recognized as his brother's friend.
...The other was Ellen Kirishima.
"Sorry about wanting to stop here..." the redhead apologized. "I usually come here after my workouts at GOLD Gym, and since you wanted to talk—"
The redhead had spotted him, and her words died on her lips. Ellen, who wondered why her friend was no longer speaking, had turned her attention as well.
"Oh!" Ellen quickly made her way over to the table. "Tatsuya! I...I didn't expect to see you here!"
"It's a hangout of mine," he frowned, trying to scoot away. He failed when Ellen embraced him in a tight hug.
"Oh, Tatsuya...I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your brother. If there's anything I can do..." she pulled back and stared sadly down at him.
Something boiled inside of Tatsuya and he couldn't explain quite what it was. He wasn't sure if it was because he didn't like how she had tried to mother him, or how she had tried to become his brother's girlfriend.
Hell, he didn't know if it was just because he didn't like her.
But he didn't like her, and didn't know why.
He wanted to shout things like, "Where were you when we all first found out?" or "Why am I just hearing this from you now?"
But he didn't.
He merely scooted his chair back, ignored the rest of his food, and said, "My brother's alive. He called me last night."
Ellen gasped and took a step backward, allowing him to pass her and out the door. He didn't even look at the redhead. Tatsuya heard little clicks of footsteps behind him, and prayed Ellen wasn't following him.
"Tat-chan! Tat-chan!"
Oh. It was just Lisa.
"Tat-chan!" she caught up to his side as he brusquely made his way down the sidewalk. "That wasn't very nice. Did you know that lady?"
"Yeah," he breathed, trying to calm down. "I don't know. Something about her. I just..." He frowned. "She wanted to date my brother a while back. I just...I don't know...It didn't feel right, I guess."
"That's no reason to dislike her."
"I know, I know. I guess...well...for someone who was a close friend of my brother's, where was she when I first heard he had died? Hero was there...Maya was there...Not her."
But...still...Was that a good enough excuse?
Probably not.
"Tat-chan," Lisa smiled and sidled up next to Tatsuya. "You didn't even finish your food."
"Yeah. I lost my appetite."
She laughed. "Well...Let me walk you home. You can tell me about that lady all the way."
He tried to smile, but something was bothering him.
\/\/\/
Triumphant news of duume. Please don't flame me. More drama to come next chapter!
ML