XIV: Laws
He sees her disappear. He hears her gasp of shock echo down the hall. He's too slow, though, too far behind. She went on ahead, scouting, and something took her.
Akihiko's heart is in his throat even as he shouts her name. He runs faster, hearing Junpei and Mitsuru break into sprints behind him. He rounds the first corner, and the Shadow that nabbed her hasn't gotten far. It does have friends, though. Reaching fingers have wrapped around her body, pinning her, dragging her away. Laughter and chatter leaks down the hall to pool at his feet.
Akihiko doesn't think, he acts, shouting for Caesar and feeling the pull through his veins as his Persona falls on the offending Shadows. He vaguely hears Mitsuru's voice before two of the Shadows turn on him, clicking their fingers together and groaning. Caesar fries one of them, the other staggers closer. The one holding Minako begins an escape down the hall. She struggles, but she's pinned; she can't get to her Evoker.
Stupid, running ahead. Reckless. He always hates how reckless she is, as if her life means nothing to anyone. He growls through his teeth, and another burst of blue light explodes in his peripheral vision. The other Shadow screams and fades.
"Go get her, Senpai! We'll take this last one!" Iori gives him a shove in the shoulder, and he doesn't need more encouragement. Akihiko nods and runs, weaving around the Shadow in a graceful dodge, feeling the familiar whistle of a missed blow graze his ear.
Have to find her, have to catch her. She won't fall easily to a measly Shadow, but she was unprepared, miraculously caught off guard. He frowns and traces the Shadow's steps deeper around corners, following the shuffling and the muffled sounds of her voice. He catches a handful of very undignified words, and then his name.
He runs faster, pushing himself down the last stretch of hallway, and sees her. Still caught, still restrained. There's wild terror in her eyes, and they lock with his wide and too bright. Something in his chest clenches, and his Evoker is to his temple and Caesar is crackling Ziodyne between his fingers and the Shadow—
The Shadow is dead.
Minako falls to the ground with a muffled oomph, and Akihiko is at her side in an instant, Evoker holstered and hands brushing mussed hair from her eyes. Thank God; he caught her. "What did I ask you?"
Her hand catches his wrist and holds it; her breath is shaky. "If I… could lead from somewhere next to you." Her gaze meets his; her eyes are wide, not apologetic but stunned.
"I'm making it a law, Minako." He kisses her briefly and helps her to her feet. "Damnit… you can't do that to me."
"I know. I was distracted." She shakes her head, blinking, holding his arm. "I'm sorry."