Pre-Chapter Review Answer Corner GO!
Delta XIII - I posted the chapter about 20 minutes before Christmas in my timezone XD But yes, impending dread! Soon to probably become actual dread!
sykoticsonik - Of course I'm going to do this, and nobody is ever ready for the pain train that is December 3rd in P4 :3c
And now, on with the chapter!
The Investigation Team practically piled into Nanako's hospital room, watching the little girl as the doctor spoke to Dojima about his daughter's condition. There was commotion outside, but they all did their best to ignore it.
"...What the hell's that supposed to mean!?" demanded the detective. "Can't you see how much pain she's in!?"
"We're trying everything we can, but..." the doctor let out a frustrated sigh. "All we can do is monitor her condition closely. If this blasted fog wasn't slowing down the shipment of medical supplies, we might have better new for you..."
Dojima chewed his lip. "...But you'll do everything you can to save her?"
The doctor nodded sharply. "You have my word, Dojima-san. For now, I must ask you to step outside..."
The detective and the team all stepped outside, the air feeling thick with the worry they all carried in their hearts.
"...Rgh... Hey! Can't you do something?!" exclaimed Yosuke, spinning on his heels to face Teddie. "This all has to do with the world you came from! Can't you figure something out?!"
"Yosuke-san, please calm-"
"And what about you and Roy?!" he demanded, whirling around to glare accusingly at the two of them. "You guys know this shit inside and out!"
Roy grit his teeth. "I know, and that's why it's eating me. There was only one instance of a kid in the Dark Hour that I know of, and we got her out of that crap as fast as possible, but..." He sighed. "...Maiko was in there for less time than Nanako was. There's no telling what being point blank when Namatame went all Shadow Possessed did, either..."
"Damn it!" shouted Kanji. "Why does this have to happen to a little girl like her...?!"
"Just... calm down, please." said Rusei, a weak smile on his face. "Nanako wouldn't want to see us fretting when she wakes up, now would she?"
The hall fell silent as they all looked at him. No one had the heart to say anything in the face of the desperation plain on the faces of Rusei and Dojima. The silence hung in the air until Adachi approached the group.
"You guys still here?" he asked, glancing at his partner. "...You holding up okay?"
"I'm managing." replied the detective. He looked at the group of teenagers for a moment, then turned towards Adachi. "Anything new with the investigation on Namatame?"
"...About that..." he began, also shooting a glance towards the Investigation Team. "Wait, don't you-?"
"Just. Answer me. Please."
Adachi sighed. "I won't mince words. I double checked with the guys are the station... we're gonna have a hell of a time making these charges stick. It'll be next to impossible to find him guilty in court, especially given why we took him off our list of suspects for the first case..."
Rusei crossed his arms. "...He had an alibi, right?"
"Yeah, and that whole angle about him putting people into TVs?" the detective shook his head. "There's no way that'll stand up in court. Nobody would believe it when what they want is when, where, and how Namatame killed these people."
Dojima bit his lip. "...I know."
"Well, ain't you calm about this." Kanji snarled, taking a step towards Adachi. "And you call yourself a cop?! Huh?!"
"Kanji-kun, stop." said Yukiko, standing up from her seat. "Taking our your frustration on Adachi-san won't solve-"
The door to Nanako's room suddenly flew open and a nurse bolted out from inside and down the opposite end of the hall from the group.
"What the...?"
The same nurse returned a moment later. "Is Nanako-chan's family here?"
"What happened?" asked Dojima and Rusei in unison.
"Hurry inside!" she pleaded. "Please talk to her!"
The two of them practically shoved Adachi to the ground as they ran into the room with the nurse, the door shutting behind them and leaving the Investigation team in the hall.
"What the hell's going on...?!"
"Nanako-chan..."
"Daddy...?"
"I'm right here, Nanako." said Dojima, kneeling beside her bed and gently holding her hand. "I made sure to bring your big bro, too."
She smiled weakly. "Yay... I miss you."
"We miss you too, Nanako." Rusei said as he knelt beside his uncle. "We were looking at kotatsu earlier, b-but we couldn't decide which one you'd like best..." He smiled at her. "We figured we'd have to bring pictures to show you so you could pick."
"O-Okay, big... bro..."
Panic flooded the minds of both men at the lack of strength behind her words.
"S-Stay with us, Nanako...!" said the teen, placing his hand on Nanako's beside her father's. "You're tougher than some silly flu, right?"
A weak giggle escaped her. "Just like... Dad..."
"Yeah... Just like your old man." said Dojima, eyes widening as he felt her grip weakening. "...Nanako?"
"...I'm... scared..."
"D-Don't be! We're right here...!"
Nanako's eyes slowly began to slide closed. "Big... bro... Daddy..."
"Nanako?"
The sound of the heartbeat monitor registering a flat line cut through the air.
"Nanako!?"
Footsteps from behind preceded the monitor suddenly going silent.
"...I'm sorry, sir."
"...No..."
The next few minutes were lost on Rusei, save for how long they felt. He barely comprehended the cluster of people who entered the room or what was being said, even as a nurse ushered them all out into the hallway. He just slumped onto one of the benches, his whole body numb as he stared at his hand. It wasn't until someone started shaking him that he snapped out of his daze, finally noticing that his uncle was gone.
"Senpai!" exclaimed Rise, still shaking him by the shoulder. "Dojima-san might've gone after Namatame!"
"What?"
"Turns out he's in this hospital according to this guy." said Roy, shaking Adachi's shoulder.
"You transported him to the same hospital?!" shouted Yosuke. "For crying out loud, he's the suspect in the case!"
"Wh-What are you getting mad at me for?" Adachi countered. "This is the biggest hospital, and he's in no condition to be moved!"
Naoto shifted in place. "And I presume you said nothing on account of this exact scenario..."
"Of course! The details of a suspect's hospitalization are confidential information."
"We ain't got time for that shit! Tell us where he is!" exclaimed Kanji. "Dojima-san's on his way, ain't he? Who wants to bet that he's gonna do somethin' really stupid when he gets there?"
"I don't, in which case!" Roy turned and hoisted Adachi off the ground by his shoulders. "Where the hell is Namatame's room?"
"Urgh! T-Top floor in the second surgical ward, furthest room back... b-but there's a police guard..."
The redhead dropped the detective in an instant. "Sort it out when we get there. Let's move!"
As the group rushed away, a reluctant Adachi in tow, they'd failed to notice one of their own was missing... A certain bear had remained in Nanako's room, beside himself with grief.
"Let go of me..." Dojima demanded, glaring at door to Namatame's room. "I need to speak to him."
"Like we said, without permission-"
"Permission...? Who gave him permission to kill Nanako? Tell me that, huh?" he growled. "The hell with you all...! Why is he still alive when Nanako's dead?! Give me back my daughter... give her back!" rage gave way to despair. "She's... all I have...! The only one in the... world..."
The detective sank to his knees, his voice half choked with sobbing.
"Give her back...!" he pleaded, staring at the door to Namatame's hospital room. "Please... Give me back Nanako..."
"Dojima-san!" shouted Adachi as he rushed up to the small struggle. "Dojima-san...?"
A strangled, half-scream of anguish was the man's only reply before he broke down crying, earning Adachi a worried look from both of the officers standing guard. The younger detective rubbed his neck, then sighed.
"...Help him up. Let's... Let's get him to a visitor's room." said Adachi.
The officers nodded, helping the grief-stricken father stand up and leading him away. The 'fortuitous' presence of Roy lead to them requesting he stand guard while they tended to Dojima, to which the redhead naturally accepted. Once they were around a corner, Roy sighed as the Investigation Team approached from where they'd been watching.
"...Dojima-san... was he seriously gonna...?"
"Grief is a powerful emotion." said Aigis somberly. "It can make you lose sight of what's in front of you... or drive you to unspeakable acts."
Yosuke chewed his lip. "...Dojima-san probably knew there's little to no chance Namatame would be convicted. Damn it... He killed Senpai, and now Nanako-chan, and the bastard's gonna walk away without paying for what he did...!"
"That's not right!"
"There's so much fucked up about this whole situation, I wanna punch something." Roy grumbled as he leaned against a wall. "Preferably not something that breaks easily..."
A loud thump from inside Namatame's room cut off his train of thought. The group hurried inside, finding Namatame on the floor and the window open.
"What are you doing?" asked Aigis.
"I-I was scared..." answered the dark haired man. "So I... I..."
"You have your life... now you want your freedom, too?!"
"It's your fault that Nanako-chan's...!"
He shook his head rapidly. "I-I, I didn't, I..."
The hum of static came from the large television in the room. The form of Namatame appeared on the screen in his deliveryman uniform.
"Twelve o'clock... The Midnight Channel?!"
"I failed to save her." said the Namatame on the screen. "It's because you got in my way."
"How the hell is he in two places..." Roy began trailing off as he realized something. "...Wait, his Shadow never came out of him... but then why's it still in there?"
"What... the...?"
"I failed. But it wasn't my fault." Shadow Namatame grinned. "And the law can't touch me anyway."
The man on the floor weakly backed away from the TV. "Wh-What...!?"
Rusei was silent as he looked between watching the man on the screen taunting his friends and the confused, nervous wreck on the floor. Even in the depths of his grief, something in him felt there was more to what was going on than what they were seeing. He just kept a quiet vigil till the screen went blank once again. Namatame just keep shaking his head, muttering pleas for everything to stop.
"...He wants us to stop." Yosuke noted with uncharacteristic bitterness. "What should we do?"
"...What're you getting at?"
"We can't let this bastard do whatever he pleases." stated Kanji.
The brunet nodded. "Yeah. No way I'm gonna walk out of here doing nothing."
"I-I understand, but..."
"This must be a luxury suite. Most hospital wards don't have such large televisions..." Naoto noted. "With something like this in the room, this man could escape at any time..." she cringed and turned back towards the group. "Although once he enters... he may find there's no way out."
"Wait a second! Y-You don't..." stammered Rise. "Are you... serious?!"
"You just gonna turn your back and walk away?"
Roy took a step forward. "And one murder justifies another? The hell is wrong with you!?"
"Everyone... Listen to me. If we're gonna do this... now is our only shot." began Yosuke. "We won't get a second chance. At this rate, the guy's gonna get off the hook... And he'll go around 'saving' people again! You just heard what this bastard's really thinking! If that happens, it'll be just like Nanako-chan and Senpai... Who knows how many innocent people will die this time? I can't let something like that-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, HANAMURA!"
In a span of time almost no one could comprehend, Rusei had crossed the room and slugged Yosuke right across the jaw, sending the teen staggering to the ground.
"How... DARE you even CONSIDER that!" he spat, the fury coming off him in nigh palpable waves. "Do you expect me to believe you'd forgotten what we all swore we'd do when it was the four of us out to rescue Yukiko!? We swore to catch the murderer, not condemn him to death by our own hands! And what would his death even accomplish, huh?! The case would still be open, and..." Rusei began trembling, tears streaming down his face. "...It wouldn't bring Nanako back! The world would just be left holding a bloody sack trying to figure out what happened and nothing would ever be right!"
"Rusei-"
"I TRUSTED YOU, HANAMURA!" he screamed, cutting off the brunet's words. "AND THIS HIS HOW YOU SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION FOR IT?! By plotting MURDER?!"
The room was dead silent, save for Rusei's heavy, ragged breaths. They remained still, the moment in time seeming to stretch on endlessly until finally a choked sob escaped the charcoal-haired teen.
"...I... I need to..." he said quickly, pushing past Chie and Aigis on his way out of the room.
Silence reigned again once he left, till finally Roy let out a heavy sigh.
"...Shit, and I thought I was getting pissed off." he said, walking over to Yosuke. "Hey, you okay man?"
The brunet nodded, still clutching his jaw as the redhead helped him up. "Y-Yeah... good thing I can heal."
"Damn... I knew he must've been hurtin' bad, but..." said Kanji, running a hand through his hair. "...Shit, I feel like an ass now. I was all caught up in how mad I was, I didn't even think Senpai would be worse..."
"You and Yosuke-senpai both." noted Rise. "...I can't even imagine what's been going through his head."
"I don't think any of us can." Aigis said. "The depth of the pain in his heart is... likely unfathomable."
Chie nodded, but before she could say anything Adachi barged into the room with a doctor.
"H-Hey, you guys can't be in here!" he exclaimed.
"W-We were keeping an eye on the suspect!" Naoto said quickly. "The officers outside seemed to have their hands full with Dojima-san, so we stayed here with Fortune-san to make sure Namatame didn't escape."
"O-Oh, I see..." he sighed. "Thanks..." Adachi paused, looking around. "Wait, where's Rusei?"
The group was silent as the doctor approached Namatame.
"...He's not doin' so hot." Kanji finally replied. "C'mon guys, let's get outta here. The Doc's probably gonna kick us out anyways."
The Investigation Team muttered replies, filing out of the room and heading back vaguely in the direction of Nanako's.
"...Rise-san, do you know where Rusei-san is?" asked Aigis as they trudged down the hallway.
"...Yeah. He's..." she paused, stopping as they reached an intersection. "...By the stairs by himself. I'd go talk to him, but..." a sigh escaped the idol. "I wouldn't know what to say to him."
"I'm not sure any of us do..." said Yosuke. "...He probably won't even talk to me right now."
"...I'll go speak with him."
All eyes turned towards Naoto.
"I should... apologize." she said with a sad, somewhat bitter tone. "I was the one who drew attention to the TV, after all..."
"...Yeah. You're probably the only one close enough to being in a good space in their head right now, anyway..." Kanji said, glancing over his shoulder.
"Speaking from experience, times like this are when someone needs someone else there with 'em." Roy commented, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Even if all that happens is you just sit 'n listen."
Naoto nodded. "Yes. Hopefully I'll be able to do more than that..."
The young detective parted from the group, slowly approaching where Rusei was. She could faintly hear him still sobbing as she approached, finding him curled up on a hospital bench with his head in his arms atop his knees. She was quiet as she strode over, taking a seat beside him.
"...What happened?"
Naoto was startled by the sudden question, pausing a moment before replying.
"...Adachi-san returned with a doctor after you left. We had to leave the room."
"...Namatame?"
"Being tended to by the doctor as we left."
He hummed. "...Good."
Silence fell between the two of them. She'd never claimed to being good at helping others with emotions, but with Rusei, she wanted to try. He'd helped her. He'd given her his heart and asked for nothing in return. It was the least she could do for him in his current state.
"...She's really gone, isn't she...?" he asked, sorrow think in his voice. "I'll... never see her again. Never hear her laugh... call me 'big bro'..."
"...As much as I don't want it to be so, yes." Naoto said quietly. "And... I'm sorry."
Rusei's head turned slightly. "...For what?"
"...I shouldn't have brought attention to the television in Namatame's room. If I hadn't, then..."
"...He was already dead set on doing something." he hummed. "I wasn't... going to let a friend become a murderer."
A soft, bitter laugh escaped Naoto. "Better that you had struck him than Roy, at least..."
"...Yeah."
Silence fell between the two of them again, save for the occasional sob. Naoto started to say something, only to stop when she felt something brushing against her hand. A glance down revealed Rusei had softly grasped her hand, her heart fluttering for a moment despite the sorrowful emotions. They sat in silence for another minute or so before hurried footfalls caught their attention.
"Oh, there you are!"
Rusei looked up slightly as a Nurse approached him and Naoto.
"Please, come with me immediately!" she exclaimed. "It's about Nanako-chan."
The two teens exchanged a look before Naoto helped him to his feet and they followed the nurse. Their friends were already waiting outside the room, though it wasn't until Dojima arrived that they were let in.
"Good, you're here." said the Doctor, turning to face them with a smile as the distinct sound of a heartbeat monitor resounded in the room. "Nanako-chan came around!"
"Huh...?" sputtered Rise. "Wh-What did you just say?!"
"Nanako-chan's... alive?!"
"Nanako..."
The doctor nodded. "Yes. It's very rare to be resuscitated after one's heart and lungs fail, but as you can see, it does happen. Until I know why she collapsed in the first place, I can't say for sure how well she'll recover from here on. Still, Nanako-chan's a fighter, and she's trying desperately to stay alive."
"...Alive..." Rusei sank to his knees. "She's... alive..."
"...Heh. Not goin' down without a fight, huh?" Roy noted with a wry grin. "Make your dad proud, Nanako-chan."
A tired, happy smiled settled onto Dojima's face, despite the redness of his eyes. "She always has."
Naoto sighed, the stress of the evening flowing away. "Miracles do happen..."
"But, she still needs her rest." said the doctor. "You all should go home for the night as well, and I need to speak with Dojima-san about her treatment. It's rather chilly outside... If it starts snowing, be careful not to catch a cold."
"Don't wait up for me, Rusei." chuckled the elder detective.
"Just don't be here all night, Ryotaro." said Rusei as he and his friends filed out of the room, most of them in a half-muffled mix of happy sobbing. It was only once they were outside the room did someone notice something.
"...Where is Teddie-san?" asked Aigis, looking between everyone.
"He's right..." Yosuke trailed off as he realized the bear really wasn't there. "...Wait, where is he? I noticed he didn't come with is to Namatame's room, but, well..."
Chie stifled a sob. "You're right... that's weird. I figured he wouldn't leave Nanako-chan's side..."
"Think he went home already?" asked Kanji.
"I dunno... He has a cell with him, but I'll wait to call him till we're outside." said Yosuke, glancing at Rusei. "...Hey, Naoto? Think you can make sure he gets home okay?"
She nodded sharply in reply. "Of course."
The group started to part ways for the night, leaving Rusei and Naoto alone outside of Nanako's room.
"...Thank you, Naoto."
She simply smiled. "You needn't thank me, Rusei."
"Oh, there you are!"
The two teens turned towards the voice, seeing Adachi walk towards them. "I forgot to tell you, don't pull that again! You can't just meet with the suspect like that, even if you've got those Public Safety guys with you."
Rusei's gaze flattened slightly. "Says the man who runs his mouth around teenagers."
"Man... and here I was hoping I wouldn't get ragged on for that today." whined the detective. "Anyway, I heard Nanako-chan's on the road to recovery again! With how dramatic you guys were, I was getting worried, but this is good news! She'll be well again in no time."
"I hope so." hummed Rusei. "It doesn't feel... quite the same coming home after school every day."
"Well, enjoy the peace and quite while it lasts." Adachi laughed. "It's gonna be busy there again once Nanako-chan's better and Dojima-san's not being a worry wart!"
Rusei rolled his eyes while Naoto took a step forward.
"Thank you Adachi-san, but I really should be getting him home." she said. "We'll see you another time."
"Yeah, I gotta head back as well..." he sighed, starting away from the couple. "See ya, kids!"
Rusei shook his head as the detective left. "I still worry about my Uncle's blood pressure because of that man..."
"I think we all do, Rusei." chuckled Naoto. "But for now, we should be on our way."
"Yeah..."
Rusei practically collapsed into his bed once he was home, completely drained from everything that happened at the hospital. To his surprise, however, he found himself in a familiar, blue room shortly after he fell asleep.
"It's been quite some time..." remarked Igor, folding his hands under his chin. "Do not be alarmed, I have once more summoned you within your dreams. Now then... Your journey has taken you quite a distance thus far. Do you believe you'll be able to successfully solve this mystery...?"
"...I do." Rusei answered with a firm nod. "I've come too far to give up without finding the truth."
"Splendid. The precise destination of this vehicle... That, too, is getting rather hard to judge. If we continue driving blindly, we may end up leading you further away from the mystery that you must reach..." Igor held up one hand, a small ripple passing through the air as he did. "Why don't we take a moment to look back on your journey? It was for that purpose that I summoned you here tonight."
One by one, voices Rusei recognized reverberated through the air. Kou. Daisuke. Naoki. Yumi. Ai.
"We are experiencing the words engraved into your memory during your journey..." explained the master of the velvet room. "And it seems you have comrades with you as well... Those heading in the same direction through this dense fog."
There was a shift as Rusei felt the Velvet Room come to a stop.
"We'll be parked for the moment while I confirm our current heading." explained Margaret.
Igor turned his attention back to the Wild Card across from him. "As I mentioned previously, this year will signal a great change in your life. Though there isn't much time left, it can be worth your while to take the time to stop and reflect."
"People are like water flowing in a river. There is only one stream, but all who pass through it are affected differently." Margaret said, tapping the cover of the heavy tome in her lap. "Some travel fast, some change their course... Experiencing countless events as they travel down the river of time...
"Just so." Igor agreed with a nod. "The state of this room reflects the scenery of your heart... Perhaps this may be a time for contemplation rather than action..."
Rusei attempted to ask something, only for a familiar sound to draw his attention. After a moment, he found himself sitting up in his bedroom, the doorbell ringing. He groggily stood up, shuffling his way downstairs and opening the front door.
"...Yosuke-san?" he asked, still half dazed.
"Look, I know you just woke up but... Teddie's missing." reported the brunet. "I looked all over the neighborhood, but I couldn't find him anywhere..."
Rusei shook his head, trying to get himself slightly more attentive. "He's just... gone?"
"He's been acting all weird lately, but I didn't think he'd just disappear on us..." Yosuke ran a hand through his hair. "Rise and the others are checking the TV to see if he's gone back to the other side. We're gonna meet up at Junes in about an hour, so y'know. You've got a sec to get dressed."
A groggy nod prefaced Rusei's reply. "Right... Uh, third shelf in the fridge, can you put about half of what's in the blue container on a plate and microwave it for two minutes for me?"
"Yeah sure!"
A hasty shower and breakfast later, and the two of them were off to meet up at Junes. By the time they arrived, the team was already gathered at one of the tables in the food court.
"Yo, Rusei!" Kanji called out. "You guys spot him on your way over?"
The Wild card shook his head. "Sadly, no. Did you have any luck?"
Rise sighed. "No... I didn't sense anything over there. The fog's so dense, it might be affecting my readings..."
"That Ted... Don't tell me he really went back to his world this time..." Yosuke grumbled as he took a seat. "We told him over and over that he could stay here..."
Rusei sighed as he sat down as well. "As much as I'd rather know he's alright, I think we have some things to discuss..." he glanced around at the empty food court. "...Not as if there's anyone to overhear us right now anyways."
"Yeah... He's pretty attached to us by now, he wouldn't just disappear without saying anything. But what's on your mind?"
The charcoal-haired teen crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "...There's something that's started bothering me this morning. As I'd said before, Dojima and I couldn't find any holes in Namatame's alibi, there was no reference to Mitsuo Kubo in his diary."
"There were also references to Namatame having dealings with Yamano-san and Konishi-san, and to our kidnappings." Naoto added, recalling the short chance she'd had to study journal for herself.
"Even when you say you've got doubts, hearing it like that sure makes it sound like the dude's guilty."
Roy nodded. "It does... But that bit about having an alibi's still a sticking point. He'd also need a motive to do it, but if he doesn't have one, then... Well, either the dude's beyond crazy, or we've missed something big."
"I'd actually like to bring back a topic from earlier." Aigis began. "Amagi-san, while we were searching for Teddie earlier, you mentioned something had been on your mind since our confrontation with Namatame. What was it?"
"Well..." Yukiko shifted in her seat. "Do you guys remember what he said when we first encountered him?"
"No... Actually, I don't remember a lot from before we fought him because I was in a lot of pain for a lot of reasons..."
"He said 'You're the ones I saved. Don't worry, I'll save this girl too'..." she frowned in confusion. "If he thinks killing people is 'saving' them, wouldn't he have 'failed' to save us? We all got rescued..."
Naoto's eyes went wide. "And the Namatame who appeared on the Midnight Channel last night said he failed to save Nanako-chan..."
"Wait, so then... he really was trying to save his victims by putting them inside the TV?"
"...Norimoto, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that the entire core argument of that 'Killer and Kidnapper' theory? That the kidnapper didn't know the TV World can kill people?"
Rusei nodded. "Indeed it is. And if that's the case, his testimony would definitely prove it..." His eyes went wide. "...And there's the matter of the warning letters I received."
"Wait, letters!? You got another one!?" Rise exclaimed.
"I did. It's why Ryotaro and I were at the police station the night Nanako was kidnapped." replied the Wild Card. "This one was more direct. While the first merely said, 'don't rescue anymore', the second stated 'if you don't stop this time, someone close will be put in and killed'."
Yukiko's expression turned confused. "Why would someone who thinks they're saving people by killing them say things like 'don't rescue' or 'kill'?"
"Yeah, and wouldn't they say something more like 'I'll put in and kill' if they were the killer?" asked Kanji. "That'd make way more sense..."
"Then... someone else wrote the letters..."
Rusei nodded. "The true culprit. If Namatame considers placing people into the TV to be a safe choice, it's unlikely he'd have continued to do so if those he 'rescued' perished instead. It would also explain why the kidnappings persisted even once it became clear the victims were surviving; Namatame would've seen it as proof he was right about it being a safe haven, even if he didn't understand how they were getting back out."
"But... then who killed Saki-senpai and the announcer!?"
"That's the million yen question right now..." noted Roy. "But once we get the answer? This criminal's hosed."
The team all nodded in unison, though they then all jolted in surprise as Roy suddenly yelped and toppled over in his chair.
"Ow... my eyes..."
"What happened?"
The redhead groaned as he tried to push himself up off the ground. "Two back to back bright as hell flashes of blue light..." he shook his head. "Good grief, Rusei, you hear any spooky voices just now...?"
"...Something about Judgment, why?"
"Oh. Okay..." He finally stood up, blinking rapidly. "Oh god damn it, I'm seeing spots..."
"What even is going on?"
Roy dismissively waved his hand. "Wild Card power thing for Rusei, don't worry about it..." he shook his head quickly. "I swear, I wanna know why I still see that happening... It's not even happening to ME anymore! But, whatever, don't mind my insanity, we have bigger fish to fry..."
"Like what, talk to Namatame?" asked Kanji. "How? After yesterday, they're probably gonna tighten security..."
Naoto smirked. "I have a plan, but there's no time to waste. Let's hurry to the hospital!"
The officer on guard outside Namatame's room arched an eyebrow as he saw Detective Dojima, Naoto, and Aigis approaching the door.
"Something wrong, Detective?" asked the officer.
He shook his head. "No. Shirogane, Tokutate, and I just wanted to ask our man a few questions."
The guard nodded, grabbing his radio. "This is unit 252 requesting confirmation on two IDs. Names of Naoto Shirogane and Aigis Tokutate..." He paused, nodding his head a moment later. "Ah, understood." he turned his attention back to the group in front of him. "You two are on the list, so you can go in." He looked at Dojima. "You have a recorder on hand, Detective?"
Dojima nodded, producing one from his pocket. "Grabbed a fresh tape before I came up."
"Alright, then I can give you a few minutes. Just keep in mind your conversation's going to be recorded for security purposes, not that I expect you'll get anything coherent out of the guy. He's been spouting nothing but gibberish."
"Very well, officer."
As the guard reached for the door, he paused, then answered his radio. "This is unit 252." A pause. "Huh...? I see..."
"Has something happened?"
"Something about a suspicious object out in the lobby..." replied the guard.
"Take no chances." said Dojima. "The three of us will keep an eye on Namatame-san." He checked his watch. "...I'll time us at fifteen minutes. We can't have something go wrong while we're dealing with the transport procedures."
The guard nodded. "Right. If anything happens, hit the nurse call button."
As the officer scurried away, the rest of the Investigation Team approached the room.
"As much as I don't want to dupe my own coworkers, you kids might be on the trail of the real break in the case." sighed Dojima. "C'mon, get in there quick. I doubt Shirogane's 'suspicious object' will keep them busy for long."
"That's what Mira's for." Roy said with a smirk as he opened the door, the group quickly slipping into the room.
Namatame's gaze was predominantly on the window as the Investigation Team stood near the end of his bed, though he slowly turned to face them all, a curious, if dazed, look in his eyes.
"Namatame-san, there's something we'd like to ask you." Naoto began, watching the man's eyes focus on her. "It's tempting to think you were the culprit behind this entire case, but we are hear to learn the truth. So please... answer our questions."
He simply stared, but Rusei could tell it seemed as if he understood what they were saying.
"Is 'saving' someone killing them?"
"No. If nobody saves them, they'll be killed... That's why... I put them in there."
Rusei hummed. "Did you kill those two girls?"
Namatame shook his head. "They were killed... I couldn't save them..."
"Who did you put in first?"
Weakly, the man pointed towards Yukiko.
"Huh? Me...?"
"Why the warning letters?" asked Dojima, earning a confused look from Namatame.
"What are you talking about?"
Roy hummed. "That puts the pin in it. This guy ain't our murderer."
Namatame blinked, eyes drifting towards the redhead. "...You... believe me...?"
"Yeah. We're trying to narrow down who the actual murderer is, and for that, we need to hear your story."
"My story...?" he slowly looked at everyone in the room, his gaze lingering on Dojima for a moment before he slowly nodded. "...All right."
Over the next few minutes, Namatame told his tale. His disgrace, his return to Inaba, his first encounter with the Midnight Channel, how he came to believe the TV World was a safe haven from the murderer, and everything that transpired until the fateful night when he attempted to save Nanako Dojima.
"...And you know the rest." he said, a sigh escaping him. "When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed."
"I can't say I approve of your actions, but..." Dojima sighed. "I can understand them. From how you saw it, once you started 'saving' people, nobody who was on the Midnight Channel died. And even these kids don't fully understand that place still."
"What's done is done.." Rusei noted. "Though even removing counts of murder from the charges against you, you still kidnapped four people..."
"And I have no intentions of running away from my crimes." said Namatame with certainty. "I'm prepared to face the consequences."
Roy shifted in place, placing a hand on the side of his head as if checking an earpiece. "...Time's up for us anyways. The guard's on his way back."
"Thank you for your time, Namatame-san." said Aigis, bowing at the bedridden man.
"Wait..." Namatame began as the group began to file out of the room. "I beg you... Please find whoever's behind this. You're the only ones who know about that world."
"That's our plan." Rusei said, leading the team out a moment later.
As the group headed down the hallway, Dojima spoke with the guard for a moment before catching up with the teens.
"Not quite the break I was looking for, but it's a start." remarked the detective. "The trouble now is finding the one who killed Yamano-san and Konishi-san..."
"The police at large consider the matter closed, so the only option left is for us to do our own investigation from here on out." said Naoto. "The logical place to start would be to revisit the first two incidents and see if we can turn up fresh details."
Chie frowned. "But it's been over six months... Wouldn't the trail be cold by now?"
"It could, but we can't give up." Yosuke said firmly. "And you never know, people might remember some things because they've had so much time to think about it."
Dojima nodded. "It's a long shot, but he's right. Get people thinking back that far can make some details stand out when they didn't before."
"Our best option would be to split up and talk to people all over town tomorrow." said Rusei, turning to look at his uncle. "If we find anything, we'll let you know immediately."
The detective nodded. "I'm gonna have my hands full helping make sure everything's in order for Namatame's transport all day tomorrow, but I'll be here at the hospital. I'll make some time if something comes up."
Despite the Team's early start and their best efforts the following day, there was little that to be learned. Between remarks of not remembering, complaints about the fog, or in Rise's case getting bombarded with unrelated questions, no new information turned up. It was the early evening when the team finally gathered to talk about their findings, ducking into the Aiya diner.
Chie sighed, slumping in her seat. "I'm seriously pooped... This stuff's a lot harder when you don't have a badge to flash. I walked around all day and didn't hear anything good..."
"I had a badge to flash and it didn't get me anything." remarked Roy. "But after the third guy to demand why I was asking about the case instead of the fog, I gave up on that..."
"There was absolutely no talk of the case whatsoever, let alone the true culprit..."
"Ditto for me." added Rise.
"What should we do...?"
"Well..." Chie waved at the chef. "One steak bowl, please!"
"That's now what I..." Yosuke trailed off with a sigh. "Y'know what, we could use a break." he turned around in his seat. "I'll have a crab and egg fried rice."
"Roast pork ramen with extra noodles for me."
Roy held up his hand. "Shrimp fried rice, and just hand me all the bills at the end of this, I'll pay for it."
"You sure, Roy-san?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Just keep it reasonable is all I ask."
One satisfying meal later, the team fully recounted what little they had. Chie put it best once everyone finished talking.
"So, to sum up: There really was no new information..." she sighed. "The end?"
"The police had an unusually large number of officers in their initial investigation of the first two incidents. To find facts that even they overlooked would be difficult indeed, now that over half a year has passed." said Naoto. "There wasn't a single report of suspicious persons being witness to begin with..."
"Y'know, every time I tried to ask about the case, everyone ignored me and kept ranting about the damn fog," Kanji chimed in, sounding frustrated.
"Yeah. That or the Midnight Channel." added Rise. "I asked around about Teddie too, but no one's seen him... I wonder where he could've gone."
Aigis hummed, leaning back in her seat. "...What sort of criteria needs to be met for us to even attempt to narrow down the suspect?"
"The killer must have a connection to both Konishi-san and Yamano-san, they must be in a position to observe our actions periodically to some extent, and finally they must be someone who could approach Rusei's house without arousing suspicion..." answered Naoto, a sigh escaping her a moment later. "I need some fresh air before I give it more thought. I'll be outside."
"Likewise..." added Rusei, following Naoto out of the diner.
As the two stepped outside, the noticed the gentle snowfall coming down.
"No wonder it's chilly..." chuckled the blue-haired detective, glancing over her shoulder as Yosuke also joined them outside.
"I rather enjoy the cold..." Rusei said with an absent tone, slowly sorting through the list of people he knew. His fellow students, the various people around town, his friends, his family... His expression changed as one person in particular passed through his mind. Someone who they encountered frequently, knew the area, and above all else, could approach the Dojima Household without anyone who saw him batting an eye. Even with a doubt in his mind, he still spoke the name aloud.
"...Tohru Adachi."
Yosuke gave Rusei a curious look. "Huh? What about him?"
"He fits the criteria." replied the wild card, his gaze still focused forward. "Almost... too well, if you only look at the circumstances."
"Detective Adachi... That is an interesting approach." Naoto remarked, a hand on her chin. "...It would certainly explain the lack of witness reports for reasons not unlike Namatame's truck."
Yosuke nodded. "This is a small town, so everyone must know who he is. And since he's a detective, nobody would've thought of him as suspicious."
"...In fact, he could use his position to his advantage and hide critical information."
"I mean, if you think of it that way, I guess it's possible..." Yosuke crossed his arms. "But we're talking about Adachi here, right? He's your textbook lousy detective. Are we really on the right track here...?"
Naoto hummed. "Actually... regarding Detective Adachi... I'm not sure how to put it, but there's something that's been bothering me about him for some time now..."
"...Let's go back inside and see what the others think." suggested Rusei, heading back in side with Yosuke and Naoto in tow.
"Welcome back." said Roy with a small wave as the three younger Persona Users as he handed over payment for the group's dinner. "Any luck brainstorming? We've got nothing in here..."
"Yes, just... wanted to see what you all thought." Rusei answered as he took a seat again. "Just looking solely at circumstances, it occurred to me that Adachi fits the criteria Naoto outlined..."
"Adachi-san?" asked Yukiko. "That can't be... I mean, he said he came to escort Yamano-san and..."
Naoto's gaze more intently focused on the dark-haired persona user. "What? Was he at your inn when the announcer was staying there?"
"When Yamano-san was staying at our in, the media were swarming all over it. That's when Adachi-san arrived, saying he had been assigned to guard her... He told our waitress that fame could be rough..."
"Guard her...? He didn't spend the night there?"
Chie hummed. "I wonder if he knew Yamano-san..."
"I dunno about that, but I heard he did call out to a girl in my class." said Kanji. "I found out this afternoon, but I thought... Y'know, that's just how cops are."
"...Roy, didn't one of the other officers mention Adachi-san had questioned Konishi-san several times?"
The redhead nodded. "...Yeah, I remember that. Said it was because there was so little to go on at the time..."
"It's unusual to question someone with as strong an alibi as hers multiple times, however..." noted Naoto.
"Then you think he had something else on his mind?"
"And that 'something' is what connects those two victims to Adachi-san...?" Yosuke inquired aloud, his expression changing as a realization dawned on him. "Come to think of it, we've run into that guy a lot, in all sorts of places! And every time, he'd start talking about what the police were doing before either saying 'Oops, I said too much' or Rusei yelling at him to stop running his mouth. Was that all to throw us off the trail?"
Rise sat up straighter in her seat. "It'd be no problem for him to drop warning letters into Rusei-senpai's mailbox, either. Not to mention he could just destroy any evidence that might point to him."
"Then... is it really Adachi-san...?"
"We need to confirm this."
Naoto already had her phone out as Rusei said those words, quickly dialing a number. "...This is Naoto Shirogane. Something has occurred to me about the case, and I'd like to get input from Detectives Dojima and Adachi on it..." she paused, her eyes widening. "The transport? It's right now!? ...Right, I-I see... Thank you!"
"The transport's happening now!?" asked Roy. "I thought Dojima-san said they were still prepping it!"
"We can worry about that later, we need to get to the hospital!"
The team made impressive time to the Hospital, getting directions from a few of the staff to where Adachi was last seen and getting a message to Dojima to look for his partner. They quickly crossed paths with the detective as he finished speaking with a nurse.
"Huh? What are you guys doing here?" Adachi asked, giving the group a perplexed look. "Nanako-chan's room is in the other wing..." he let out a sigh. "Geez, with Namatame finally relocated, I was looking forward to going home..."
"So... he's been relocated." remarked Naoto, sizing up the other detective. "I've been wondering... You seem to be in a terrible hurry to get him out of this hospital."
"Huh? Oh, well, yeah..." replied Adachi. "I mean, we can't leave him here with Dojima-san hovering around Nanako-chan... Didn't you guys think so, too?" He paused. "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you think you should leave before Dojima-san finds you? He's probably gonna yell at you guys to stay out of things if he catches you..."
"Adachi."
The detective span around, startled by the sudden appearance of his partner. "D-Dojima-san! Don't scare me like that..." He straightened his tie a little. "Don't worry, I was making sure the relocation didn't hassle the staff."
Dojima hummed, glancing in the direction of the Investigation Team for a moment. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Adachi. Who authorized that transfer anyways? None of the other officers gave me a straight answer, just that you kept egging them about it..."
"Huh? I thought they all knew..."
"And another thing... We closed a lot of loopholes on the basis of his testimony, but something's still nod adding up." Dojima continued. "His motives are shaky for those first two murders, and his alibi is rock solid."
Adachi sighed. "Is this more of your 'detective's intuition'? He's already been relocated, it's no use hassling me about it..." He turned towards the Investigation Team. "And you kids should really get home, too. You're gonna get in the way of police business."
Roy hummed. "Nevermind that three of us 'kids' are part of said police business."
"What's gotten into you today?" Dojima asked, eyeing his partner suspiciously. "It's odd to see you taking work so seriously..."
"C-C'mon, I'm always giving one hundred and ten percent when it comes to the job!"
The older detective made a slightly disbelieving hum, then turned his attention towards the Investigation Team. "So what did you guys need to talk to me about?"
"Actually, we came to confirm something..." Yosuke's gaze shifted slightly. "...With Adachi-san."
"Me? Uh, okay. What'd you need to know?"
"What were you doing when Yamano-san vanished?"
"When the announcer went missing...?" mused Adachi, scratching his head. "I can't say for sure offhand... It's not like I saw her or anything. That was months and months ago, too. My memory's kinda hazy that far back..."
Rusei nodded slowly. "What about during Konishi-senpai's interrogation? I've heard you were the one who questioned her."
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" asked the detective. "She discovered the announcer's body, but she didn't know much about it. I only talked with her once or twice. Was that all?"
"No, I only have one more question." replied the charcoal-haired wild card. "What happened to those warning letters I received?"
Adachi arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Warning letter?"
"The ones that were delivered to his house. It's in police custody now, correct?"
"Uhh... I don't really remember."
Dojima took a step closer to his partner. "What do you mean you don't remember? I told you to take them down to the crime lab for processing. You're telling me you forgot!?"
Adachi began laughing nervously. "I'm sorry... Your accident was right after that, and what with one thing and another, it sorta slipped my mind... B-Besides, those were just part of a prank right?" his expression turned agitated. "Geez, what're you asking me all this for!? For crying out loud, what's this supposed to be about!? Dojima-san, the two of us need to get to the station to report in." He turned towards the Investigation Team again. "And you all need to go home right now! Do you have any idea what time it is!?"
As Adachi tried to walk past, the teens closed ranks, trapping him between them and Dojima.
"Just one more thin, please." began Naoto. "We know for certain now the first two murders weren't Namatame's doing. Someone else killed them. Adachi-san... Do you have any idea who that might be?"
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about..."
Kanji took a step closer, looming over the detective. "Hmm. 'Cause we think it mighta been you."
"What!? That's ridiculous!" Adachi exclaimed. "We already know Namatame's the one who put them all in!"
As those words left the detective's mouth, he suddenly felt a very powerful hand on his left shoulder. A slow turn of his head revealed Roy leaning closer.
"I'm sorry Adachi, care to run that by me again?" asked the redhead. "I'm a little hard of hearing..."
"Put them all in...?" Dojima repeated, stepping closer to Adachi as well. "Funny, I don't remember you being around to hear anything about that..."
Naoto likewise stepped forward. "I finally understand something as well. To tell the truth, Adachi-san, I've been fixated on something you once said. Before, I didn't know why... Only that it sounded a wrong note to me." Her gaze sharpened into a glare. "Do you recall when I read Namatame's diary at the scene of Dojima-san's accident? At the time, I said, 'Even the victims who survived and were never released to the public are written here'. And in response, your words were, 'Wow...Then that proves it'. How, I wonder, would that 'prove' anything? At the time, the police had no idea that there had been other attempted murders related to the case... You had no reason to say such a thing. After all, there are countless examples of people disappearing for a few days... Yet when I read the list of names, you raised no objection. Odd, that. What do you say to for yourself, Detective Adachi?"
"I-I don't know!" he said, his eyes darting between everyone present. "I-I said I'm busy...!"
With a sudden motion, the detective managed to wrench free of Roy's grasp and push his way past the team, sprinting down the hall. Yosuke, Roy, and Kanji were the first ones after him, but despite their efforts, Adachi's tiny head start was just enough to keep enough distance between them that by the time the whole team caught up, he was nowhere to be found despite there being no other way out.
"I swear he ran this way...!" said Yosuke, looking around inside of what had once been Namatame's hospital room.
"Dammit... where the hell did he go?"
Roy's eyes passed over the large TV in the room, then darted back to focus on it. "...Oh don't tell me..."
"...I'll contact security just in case." said Dojima, starting towards the door. "But if they tell me he hasn't been seen leaving the ward..."
"Then there's only one other way out, accessible only by the killer..." Aigis noted, her gaze also fixed upon the TV in the room.
Chie nodded. "Yeah... we find him on the other side, there's no way he can't be the killer."
"...We'll regroup tomorrow." said Rusei. "We don't know if he used this TV for certain, and we don't know what's on the other side of it regardless. Best to stick to the route we know is safe."
Rise bobbed her head. "Yeah. So long as we're ready for him, we'll crush that jerk in one strike."
Rusei once again had a less than normal night's sleep that night. Rather than simply another instance of being called to the Velvet Room, the Wild Card found himself there... and alone with Teddie. Despite the layers of confusion, the two held a fairly lengthy conversation. Within it, Teddie revealed a truth that had returned to him; that he was simply a Shadow that had desired to be liked by humans, thus it sealed away its own memories. Rusei in turn told the bear of everyone worrying over him, and that Nanako had in fact survived. Alas, Teddie still left on his own, disappearing from the Velvet Room and revealing the three normal denizens within. Igor was quite curious about the bear's presence, though he seemed rather happy about it before he bid farewell for till Rusei returned of his own volition.
Unfortunately, once the team assembled to see about locating Adachi, they found their efforts stalled by exceptionally dense fog. Kanzeon could tell the detective was on the other side, absolutely proving his guilt, but not where on that side he was hiding. She spent a solid two hours trying, but when she kept coming up with nothing, they stepped out of the other world to give Rise a chance to rest. As they did, Teddie finally returned, revealing his true nature to the entire team. To his shock, they weren't terribly surprised by the revelation, though Teddie certainly was when they informed him Adachi had been identified as the killer. With the bear once again back with them, and after Rise had caught her breath, they returned to the other side. Teddie immediately set to work attempting to sniff out Adachi, and while he wasn't entirely certain he was on the right trail, he directed the team to a place some of them had long forgotten; The very first place Rusei, Yosuke, Chie, and Roy had come to so many months ago one afternoon after falling into a world they didn't understand.
"That damn bitch..." snarled a familiar voice as the team entered the bloodstained room. "I noticed her first... and she just had to run off and have an affair..." The figure seemed to realize someone had arrived, spinning around. "Who's there!?" His posture relaxed when he saw the Investigation Team, sans Dojima, standing before him. "Oh... it's you guys. You're very persistent."
"Just give it up." said Rusei. "You've got nowhere left to run."
The corrupt detective simply smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Cut the crap, you've killed two people. I ain't in any mood for your shit." Roy snarled, gesturing to the room they were in. "You're literally standing in the scene of your first crime, for fuck's sake!"
"It was an accident." Adachi replied dismissively "She started struggling... What else was I supposed to to?" He frowned. "I called her out to the lobby because I wanted to ask her something, and then she started getting all hysterical on me..." he shook his head. "Such a shame... I just pushed her towards the TV, and she fell in... I didn't even know that could happen before then!" A chuckle. "Good thing for me no one else was around there in the middle of the night."
Yukiko shivered. "That... happened in our lobby?"
"...Y'know, I found out about my power the same way..." mused the murderer, a demented smile on his face. "It happened when I heard about that Midnight Channel rumor... Just touched the screen to see if my TV was busted, and my hand slipped in! I burst out laughing at that. Knew right away it was going to make things interesting!"
"So you tested it out on Mayumi Yamano."
Adachi shook his head. "Nah, it was nothing like that. I'd like to think I'm a very sincere fellow! I was just trying to punish that bitch a little for betraying me, putting them in the TV was never the plan." Another sigh. "But both Mayumi and that dippy high school girl struggled for no reason..."
Yosuke's body trembled with rage. "Then you were the one responsible for Saki-senpai's death!"
"...Saki? Oh yeah, her name was Saki Konishi or whatever..." said the murderer with the most casual indifference, as if remembering he forgot to buy socks while at the store. "I just called her in 'cause of work stuff, what with her being the one who found Mayumi's body and all. Naturally, if there was any chance she'd seen something, I'd need to know, right? So I was all set to be a nice guy to her, and then that bitch..." He scowled. "Slapped me for no reason, so I had to show her what I did to girls like her." a chuckle bubbled out of his throat. "It was a lot easier the second time. High school girls are thinner, y'know? Lighter."
Roy simply put a hand on Yosuke's shoulder as the brunet clenched his fists tightly.
"Oh what's with that look? Gimme a break! I didn't know it was dangerous inside the TV." he remarked, that self-satisfied smirk on his face again. "It's not like I was trying to kill them. I mean, they were hitting on Namatame anyway... A council secretary? He was on his way to a public office, they were just gold digging."
"Shut the hell up!" screamed the headphone-clad brunet. "You knew from what happened to Mayumi Yamano that people die in here!"
"So?"
Rusei worked his jaw for a moment before he spoke up. "Did you trick Namatame?"
"Nope! He called the police in the middle of the night, just after they found that Saki girl's body. The rest of their force had their hands full with the double homicide, and it happened that I was the one who took the call."
"Namatame said the police refused to take him seriously..." remarked Naoto. "I can certainly see why now."
Adachi held up a finger. "Oh, quite the contrary. If it had been anyone but me, sure... But I did believe him. He went on about how he saw someone else on the Midnight Channel, and how he wanted them to be taken into police protection to escape the killer..." He laughed again. "Isn't it amazing? Of all the people who could've received Namatame's call, it ended up being me. Talk about luck! All I did was give him a little push, and he completely bought into his vision of this world. Even better, since you guys kept saving people, he kept kidnapping people! Both sides had the best of intentions, so the game of cat and mouse would never end..." yet another laugh. "It was awesome."
"Then where did Mitsuo Kubo fit into your twisted plans?" Aigis demanded.
"Kubo? Ah, nothing special for him. Got him to an interrogation room, turned off the lights, then shoved him in quick while he was startled. Never even saw me." His grin widened. "It'd been a while since I last put someone in, so I really got a kick out of that one. After all, I couldn't have someone actually show up and say stuff like 'I did it! It was all me!', especially around then. The police were desperate to pin it on anyone, and since they'd obviously be able to prove he based in the head of that teacher, they might have announced the case was closed. If that happened, Namatame would stop 'saving' people. I couldn't let that happen, or the game would be over. It's why I told the other I sent him home; Came up with the idea to put him in the TV on the spot."
"The game would be over..?" Yukiko asked, her voice rising in anger. "You just threw him in so your fun wouldn't end!?"
"You gotta have some excitement in life, don't you agree?" he asked. "Sure, you guys almost ruined my fun when you actually caught him, but thanks to you two Public Safety dips, they figured knew he wasn't the real one so they never quite committed to saying they had the killer." He laughed. "Good thing, too! Meant good old Namatame kept saving people. Must've developed some kinda messiah complex... what an idiot."
Roy's eye twitched at the word 'messiah'.
"This is all a game to you..." snarled Yosuke, still shaking with fury. "How dare you murder people... murder Saki-senpai for such a stupid reason! You bastard... I'll never forgive you!"
The corrupt detective waved his hand dismissively. "You can keep your forgiveness. Our world will probably become just like this place soon enough anyways..." He tilted his head slightly as she smirked at the Investigation Team. "Didn't you notice? The fog's leaking out. Everything on that side's pretty much screwed... The two sides will merge soon, and then there will be no difference, no 'sides' anymore."
"Wh-What the hell's he talking about...?"
Rise's eyes widened. "This isn't his real body... The real Adachi is somewhere else!"
"But this guy feels different from an ordinary Shadow... It doesn't seem like he's going berserk..."
"Wow, you can tell that much?" asked 'Adachi', sounding impressed. "This me is just around to greet you guys and thank you for wasting your time by chasing me in here. I'd say this world has taken a real shine to me... I feel like it's given me everything I've ever wanted."
Roy hummed. "That's not the real you? Just a Shadow?"
"Ha, of course! Like I'd come to you brats in person."
"Good to know."
Before another word could escape the fake Adachi, its head was immediately reduced to black, shadowy pulp by Roy's fist. The team jumped in surprise at the sudden, exceptionally aggressive action by the redhead as the fake Adachi faded away like a normal Shadow.
"Aw, taking out your frustration on a dummy?" quipped Adachi's voice, seemingly coming from all around them. "How pathetic."
"Yeah, but at least I ain't a little bitch." said Roy, a smirk on his face. "It's the little victories you appreciate the most."
A scoff reverberated through the air. "Big talk for a guy who's doomed. By the end of the year, Inaba will disappear completely into the fog. Soon, this place will be reality. I'll be in this world, so if you want me, come and get me. This place has a mind of its own... We'll see which of us it favors."
"You're still a little bitch!" Roy called out halfheartedly. He didn't particularly care if he got a response.
"...You think he was serious about that stuff?" asked Yosuke, glancing at the redhead as he walked back over to the group. "With this world's mind and this place becoming our reality?"
"The rest of his confessions were consistent..." Naoto admitted, uneasiness in her voice. "We'd best proceed under the assumption that it's no lie."
"It felt like... he's gained some strong power after coming here." said Rise.
"I don't care."
Almost everyone turned towards Roy.
"I really don't. He's some dumbass punk who thinks he's hot shit because he managed to be crafty enough to not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar for eight months." stated the redhead. "...Just. Don't let me near him. I don't trust myself enough right now to say I wouldn't do something really stupid if I got my hands on him."
"Roy...?"
He held up a hand to Aigis. "I'm not saying it here. He doesn't get that satisfaction."
A moment after that was said, a sudden vortex appeared on the window in the room, warping it into a jagged hole made of scrap road signs and police tape, a black and red vortex in the center.
"...I can sense Adachi's presence from that direction." Rise reported, glaring at the portal. "He's taunting us."
Kanji cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on! Let's go kick his ass!"
"Wait! I suggest we prepare ourselves first. We can't let him stab us in the back, ever again." Naoto stated. "We must face him with all the power at our disposal, and defeat him without fail!"
"I'm a little worried what he means, 'by the end of the year'... But now's not the time to freak out!" Chie bounced in place a few times. "Let's get prepared! Let's get OVERprepared and leave footprints all over his stupid smug face!"
The team nodded... all save Rusei, who seemed lost in his thoughts.
"Senpai... Rusei, please don't go on alone." said Naoto, snapping him out of his daze. "I understand it must hurt, given you've had something of a personal relationship with him... but please, don't approach him by yourself."
"Maybe that's why... I feel a presence kind of like yours up ahead." noted Rise. "He might be calling..." she shook her head. "No, nevermind. Forget I said anything! We're all going together, okay?"
Roy nodded. "I'm right with you guys. Even if you do wanna put a spike-toed boot right up his ass, I'd rather wait it out and get the whole gang after him."
"I agree." added Aigis. "And you could be playing right into a trap he's set."
"Promise us, Rusei." Yosuke said, looking the Wild Card right in the eye. "Promise us you won't try to come and fight him alone."
Rusei chewed his lip before he sighed. "...I promise."
"Besides... I'm pretty sure your Uncle's gonna wanna be in on this." added Kanji. "Wouldn't be right to leave him out if we're going after his partner..."
"...No. It wouldn't."
The team left the TV World in silence, parting ways to head home to rest before their clash with Adachi. At least, most of them went their separate ways. Naoto made it her top priority to see to it Rusei went home and stayed there.
"Do you have something to eat?"
"Yes."
"Do you have something to occupy you?"
"A book I haven't finished and three games I have yet to remove the shrink wrap from."
"Do you-"
"Naoto." he said, holding up a hand. "I said I won't fight him without you all there and I meant it. Katsuro-sensei would never let me hear the end of it if he found out I fought such a pathetic excuse for a person alone."
She stood still, slowly closing her jaw as she gave Rusei a probing stare.
"...Alright." She sighed. "I just... worry, I suppose..."
"It's quite alright." he replied with a smile. "I'd honestly be concerned if you didn't."
"...I see." she said, blushing faintly. "W-Well, I should be going..."
Rusei chuckled before lightly kissing her on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naoto. Goodnight."
"G-Goodnight, Rusei..." stammered Naoto, tugging her hat down a fraction before she walked over to the door, slipped on her shoes, and left.
Rusei sighed, heading up to his room. He heard Naoto's scooter driving away as he picked up the book he'd mentioned. Seeing as Dojima wasn't home yet, he must've been dealing with the fallout of Adachi's disappearance within the police department. He glanced at the clock in his room, musing to himself that he could easily make it to Junes before it closed if he left immediately.
It only took another few seconds for him to set the book down, retrieve his coat, and head out to his scooter, quickly starting it up and making his way towards Junes.
A part of Rusei was grateful it was so late, the already few people in the store were nowhere near the electronics department. With no sign of either of the two who could've possibly been on the clock at Junes either, he slipped into the TV quickly. Doing his best to avoid getting lost, he retraced the steps the team had taken earlier, returning to the twisted room. It was quiet as he walked in, save for a soft, unnerving hum from the portal Adachi had created. Before he could get within arms reach of it, however, it vanished.
"This is a problem..."
Rusei turned to look over his shoulder at the doorway behind him, but nobody was there. A faint click and the feeling of metal being pressed against the back of his head made him freeze.
"Why didn't you bring the rest of 'em?" asked Adachi. "You're such a party pooper. Couldn't even bring your wannabe detective friend, or one of those Public Safety clowns?"
"I need to talk to you." Rusei replied evenly. "Alone, as you can tell."
"To... What, change my mind? Don't kid yourself."
The Wild Card span around, but Adachi was gone before he'd fully turned.
"Your whole gang should be here." he commented, causing Rusei to turn once more. Now he was seated on the lone chair in the room. "You know, work together, beat the bad guy." He sarcastically waved his gun around. "Friendship, effort, victory... you guys love that stuff."
"So what if we do?" Rusei asked. "It's what we believe in. We never forced them on you."
Adachi scoffed. "So what, you believed in some version of me you created in your head... that's why you're here?"
"You're wrong. It wasn't 'belief', Adachi. It was respect."
"...Respect?" He parroted. "You say the dumbest shit."
"It's the truth." said Rusei. "For all the faults you appeared to have, for all the complaining, for all the mishaps you pulled, I respected you because even with all of that working against you, you were still a police officer. You still had some kind of willingness to help people, even if you hadn't had that in mind when you became a detective. The sheer fact you didn't just give up and find a new job was inspiring."
Adachi smirked. "And now?"
"Now I know the truth." the teen stated coldly. "You're not someone worthy of respect. Just a sad, pathetic human being."
He scoffed again. "You 'respected' what I appeared to be, and now that's let you down. Not my fault you're an idiot."
"You're not in the position to make that claim."
"And you are?"
"I'm certainly in a better one than you." stated Rusei. "And from where I'm seeing things, you have two options. Give up and make some effort to turn your life around in jail, or leave and have to deal with us coming to drag you out of here kicking and screaming."
The killer scowled. "It's people like you who come to me alone, naively thinking you can 'turn me around', that piss me off the most." He pointed his gun at the Wild Card. "What do you think will happen if I-"
"Do it."
He paused. "...Come again?"
"Do it." Rusei repeated, switching his Persona as he thought of a conversation he'd had with Roy once. "I'm here. Alone and unarmed. You have a gun." His gaze intensified. "I'm sure even you can do the math."
"...Ha... what are you, stupid?" Adachi asked. "Or are you banking on me not shooting you?"
"I'm not quite that optimistic." Rusei said dryly. "Now are you going to pull that trigger or not?"
To the teen's surprise, Adachi actually hesitated.
"What, too scared to do your own dirty work directly now?" asked Rusei, stepping closer. "Do it. Pull the trigger. Do it you cowardly piece of-"
BANG
The bullet dropped to the floor at the teen's feet a moment later, his forehead stinging from the heat despite Yoshitsune rendering him bulletproof. Adachi took a step back, his eyes wide with fear.
"Wh-What the hell!?"
"You're far from being in control of this situation, Tohru Adachi." stated the Wild Card, kicking the bullet aside. "But that likely never occurred to you, did it?"
The murderer took half a step back, trying to maintain some semblance of control over the situation by keeping his gun pointed at Rusei. "What the hell are you!?"
"Just a seventeen year old with aspirations." he replied. "And a considerably better opinion of the world we live in than the pathetic excuse for a man standing in front of me.
"That world is full of shit, kid!" Adachi snapped. "You'll be a lot better off if you face the facts!"
Rusei sighed. "I faced facts long ago. Perhaps you should do the same with what freedom you have left." He started striding towards the door. "Then maybe you'd realize the only thing full of shit around here is you."
"Big talk for somebody with no way to fight back." BANG
Instead of hitting Rusei harmlessly, a reactive ability of Yoshitsune's sent the bullet straight back at Adachi, knocking the gun out of his hand.
"Ow! How the-!?"
A sigh escaped Rusei, holding onto the door frame of the room. "Consider this conversation the last dregs of whatever I could have called 'respect', Adachi." he glanced over his shoulder. "Next time... you won't have the chance to pull the trigger."
Adachi took a step back, retrieving his gun from the floor. "Tch. We'll see about that..."
"...I suppose we shall." remarked the Wild Card before he simply walked away.
"Welcome back."
Rusei sighed as he slipped off his glasses, turning to face Yosuke. "You noticed your own loophole?"
"Nah. Naoto did." replied the brunet. "Asked me to make sure you didn't do anything crazy..." he sighed. "C'mon man. You should trust us more."
"I do. I was true to my word; I didn't fight Adachi." said Rusei. "I wanted to talk to him, and talk we did." A bitter laugh escaped him. "Though... it would be more apt to say I warned him."
Yosuke arched an eyebrow at the statement as the two of them began to walk out of the electronics department. "Warned him about what?"
"How far in over his head he is." replied the Wild Card, finally letting his Persona settle back to Tsukuyomi. "I have a great many doubts he's been able to discern how to fight the way we do, much less on the level of either Roy-san or Aigis-san. And I'm sure you can guess what happens when someone fumbling through the basics of combat is faced with no less than ten people with a far greater level of experience goes..."
"They get their ass beat. Hard."
"Exactly."
Author Notes - Is now a bad time to mention I've never understood why the P4 animes played up Adachi as some massive threat? Because I really haven't. Though now comes the real fun part, because hey... isn't there a certain Detective who worked directly with Adachi acting as a guest party member for the Investigation Team right now? That couldn't possibly change things a bit, could it?
Right? :3c