A/N:
The time has come, the first chapter that will mark the beginning of the end of this arc. Today I give you part one of Futaba's final battle. The Phantom THieves will acually be fighting Wakaba Isshiki in the next chapter, but that will come on later today. Sorry for posting it so late, but I was editing it to make sure it was perfect. Not to mention I just haven't been motivated into writing anything for awhile, and that can really kill your enthusiasm when it comes to writing. I don't know what it is, I still wanna keep writing Persona stuff, but for some reason I just can't fuckin get around to it. I don't feel like writing anything new either so I don't really get what it is. I've been planning the next palace infiltration, and I will say, the next infiltration will have a Palace combination, two palaces for the price of one, rather than two palace being split up, the Thieves will be exploring one palace and the second will be connected to the first. Okumura's Space Station will be one of them obviously, but the original one will be revealed when it's revealed.
So for now, I hope you enjoy the last of this arc, though I understand if you don't since it's been rather disgusting to see the stuff Shimizu has been doing. But you'll all see the climax of this arc which will be the fight with Wakaba and Shimizu. I assure you, it'll be a good fight.
Hmm...I don't really have any other things to say, no news for the story or anything. But if you have any questions feel free to ask me. Or if you have suggestions for what the Phantom Thieves will do during their days off in between Mementos missions, or if you want to see more Mementos, which I haven't written a lot of, then feel free to suggest something. I need to explore more of Mementos as it is a big part of the story. I dunno, it's just hard to write something that is literally just you driving around fighting shadows, thoguh I guess the conversations will be the meat of it, especially when Futaba joins the hunts.
Well...see you all later with Chapter 38. I will do another double post but once we hit Chapter 40, they will slow down to one every few days until I build them up. Just know that the next arc of the story will be about twenty chapters or so, as this arc has been about twenty chapters give or take, and there is a lot of filler at the end, which I do apologize for. But yeah, that's my ballpark estimate for the arc sizes. Also for you naughty dogs, Christmas and Valentine's Days are smutty days, so you'll get to see some hot action happen during those two days. I will say, the first two will be single lemons and then Valentine's Day will be Takumi living every man's dream, sleeping with two girls. Maybe three if Toni gets in there, because it's Toni. Anyway, I'll see you later.
Persona 5
Codename: Songbird
Chapter 37
Steal the Treasure I:
Futaba Sakura
Date: Monday August 1st 20XX
Time: Evening
Location: Cafe Leblanc(Yongen-Jaya)
Weather: Torrential Rain
Objective: Send out the Calling Cards
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
"So, how was Shimizu's Palace?" Makoto asked, a firm business like look on her face. Ren sighed, placing a notebook on the table, pushing it toward the adviser of the Phantom Thieves.
"Let's just say, it's been a long goddamn day. We begun the infiltration today from the sixth floor. We were able to see just how sick and twisted Akihiko Shouji truly is, but we were able to take him down." he replied.
"Sick and twisted? Care to elaborate?" Morgana asked, taking a tentative lick at his paw. The Phantom Thieves that had explored the Movie Temple all shared a look.
"Me and Rise weren't there to witness this part of the infiltration...I know it may be hard, but it will shed some light on everything over all." Yukiko added, placing a hand on Takumi's who caved and gave her a nod. He took a shaky breath, glancing at his friends.
"Akihiko Shouji...he's a victim of Shimizu as well...however he is just as fucked up. He beat anyone he wanted just because he didn't like them. I managed to read his personal diary while I was in there...I only read out loud some of the entries. However, they are very very sick...in those entries, he described in detail how he drugged and raped his victims. The youngest being a girl that was seven years old."
"You can't be serious...he did something that dastardly?" Yusuke exclaimed, almost falling out his chair.
"I can corroborate this...I looked through some of those entries myself. I can say that he was in fact very detailed, he was a troubled young man. It seemed that his desires were fueled by the fact that he wanted to impress his father, who didn't see him as a good actor. He let himself become Shimizu's tool, going as far as to drug and rape his victims." Mitsuhide said, jotting several things down in a composition book.
"You seriously let your little sister look at something that messed up?" Ryuji asked curiously, glancing up from the manga he was reading.
"She can handle it, remember she may be nine years old. But she's far wiser and smarter than people give her credit for. This is all stuff that she's going to use to further her interest in being a psychologist. Yes, it's fucked up, yes my mother would kill me. But then again, we're moonlighting Phantom Thieves for a reason right?" he asked.
"I suppose that's true...still it's her choice if she wants to see this stuff. Anyway, would you mind continuing?" Rise asked politely. Takumi nodded, leaning back in his seat.
"Well, another room that we saw in there was one that represented his desire. He had pictures of Kanami in there, along with various etchings on tables expressing his desire to see her dead. The final room was represented the area where he would commit his devious sexual acts. We found various drugs in there."
"Cocaine, Succinylcholine to paralyze them, PCP and Heroin, most likely for himself. There were syringes as well, and a full idol outfit based on Kanami's stage attire. He most likely forced them into that outfit while he was raping them to satisfy some sick fantasy of his." Haru said, earning curious looks from everyone.
"Well...I'm assuming you managed to defeat Shouji's shadow correct? Did you run into anyone else while you were in there?" Makoto asked. Ren nodded, watching her flip through the pages of his more detailed report.
"We ran into Shouji himself. He considers Kanami his Shrine Maiden, but that was true for all of his stars. He started filming pornographic films because his heart was broken by the love of his life. He ended up killing her in front of her seven year old daughter and then proceeded to rape her. I presume he used her as a subject for his films before getting rid of her. He said that women need to die, that they are only here to serve men and help them satisfy their sexual desires. He also said that little girls aren't safe because they grow up to be women, so they are also a subject of his films. Then he proceeded to summon an octopus monster with dicks as tentacles." he said.
"What? Are you shitting me?" Ryuji said.
"No...no he isn't...one of them wrapped around me...it was throbbing." Yukiko shuddered, trying not to think about it.
"It had acidic cum, it was going to blow it's load at us, though thankfully Yukiko managed to take it down with Sumeo-Okami. I don't think we would have gotten out of there unscathed if she hadn't." Takumi said.
"Ugh...I thought we were over the penis jokes." Ann muttered, brushing one of her ponytails over her shoulder.
"Hey, it isn't my fault the bastard thinks about penis tentacles...he probably wants to film tentacle porn or something." the brown haired actor said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Moving on, we were able to secure the route to the treasure. Of course, it was a bit hard, the elevator got stuck on the seventh floor, thus making us climb up to the eighth. That also meant we would have to find an alternate route to the tenth floor."
"So, did you?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Yukiko who gave him a nod.
"We had to break a window and launch a grappling hook to the nearby fire escape. Worry not, Ren set up a circle that will teleport us directly to the garden on the tenth floor. That concludes our infiltration, we are ready for the calling card, which my brother shall take care of. However we require Futaba Sakura's technical no how in order for it to work." Mitsuhide said, finishing the preface of her thesis. Takumi glanced at her writing, noticing she had written it all in calligraphy, not to mention it was all in English.
"Well, I suppose I can relay the information we recovered from Futaba's Palace. Sadly, we weren't able to reach the treasure room...we managed to explore the entirety of her palace, but there's a door in front of the treasure room. One that needs to be opened by Futaba herself. We also learned a lot about her childhood." Morgana said.
"Details?" Ren asked, earning a nod from the feline. Ryuji closed his manga, pulling out a notepad, handing it to their leader.
"It's some pretty heavy stuff...we found these HD television panels, which correspond to memories she's had. The first one showed two people dressed in black, holding a piece of paper in their hands. The next one, was one where she saw her mother throwing herself in front of a car, and the last one was of her grabbing onto her mother's shirt, she had a rather disappointed look on her face." he said. Ren nodded, skimming through the notes before handing them to Mitsuhide, who looked at them with a close eye.
"Hmm...from what you have said, I can conclude this. It seems that Futaba Sakura believes she is the cause of her mother's suicide. I can see here that these voices you all heard were telling her that it was her fault...those men in black you spoke of, might be some people showing her a suicide note...maternity neurosis?"
"Do you know what it is? We were having a bit of a hard time trying to figure it our ourselves." Yusuke said. The ravenette swept some of her hair behind her ears, flicking her phone open, quickly going to her browser.
"Neurosis is a mental illness, it is caused by symptoms of depression, nervousness, obsessive behavior, hypochondria and anxiety. Usually, it can be treated with medicine that will calm a person down. However, if left untreated it could potentially turn into psychosis, or a mental disconnect from reality...I believe this is the true origin of Psychotic Breakdowns, people just disconnect from reality and go haywire. However, I do not believe Maternity Neurosis lead to Futaba's mother killing herself...in fact, Maternity Neurosis isn't even a disease. It was just a bullshit lie created to make Futaba think she killed her mother."
"So you believe this was all fabricated in order to destroy the connection Futaba had to her mother?" Ann asked.
"Well...let's look at the facts, Boss said that she was working on Cognitive Psience research. That she would focus on something and see it through to the end, and Futaba has shown these quirks as well. Like mother like daughter...so maybe, and this is a theory here, her mother was eliminated and her research was stolen. Why else would a prosecutor come here threatening the man with custody bullshit?" Takumi asked curiously.
"That is a pretty interesting theory...one that could very well be through...what did he say her name was again?" Makoto asked. Ren pressed a finger to his forehead as he narrowed his eyes in thought.
"He never said her last name...but I believe her first name was Wakaba." he said, causing Mitsuhide to gasp, her phone dropping out of her hand.
"What...what's wrong?" Rise asked, sounding a bit concerned. The girl regained her composure, picking her phone up from the floor.
"Pardon me, I have something I'd like to ask Boss, may I be excused momentarily?" she asked.
"Um...sure?" Ryuji replied. The little girl stood up, brushing the wrinkles from her tee shirt. She grabbed a hold of Takumi's collar, pulling it as she walked. He sighed, standing up from his seat.
"We'll be back." he said, giving his friends a friendly wave as he followed his little sister downstairs to the cafe.
"So yeah...this guy totally creeps into our apartment complex, and knocks on our door. Rise thought it was my kid brother, so she opens the door, and it's this dude who's kneeling in front of the door, begging her to marry him. Shit was crazy, I've never seen anyone dial 119 that fast before. It was funnier because Rise was packing heat." Kanami said, taking a drag of her cigarette. Sojiro leaned back against the counter, a small smirk on his face.
"Honestly, I would have just shot him in the knee. Being a fan is one thing, but when you data mine people's places of work and their social media, just to find out where they live...that's a serious problem. He'll be facing serious jail time since that's considered harassment."
"Ain't that the truth...still you can't trust anyone nowadays...oh, hey you two...is something the matter?" Kanami asked, turning to face her siblings. Takumi quirked a brow, glancing at the apron she had been wearing.
"Not really...you know you shouldn't smoke...that shit stunts your lungs. You're an idol, think about your fans." he said. She sighed, giving the boy a nod, putting the cigarette out.
"Sorry, I'm just a little stressed...I got a message from Akihiko earlier, saying if I didn't show up to set, he was going to set fire to my apartment. Of course I know that was just a petty threat, he doesn't have the gonads to do it...anyway, since I'm staying here with Boss, I figured I could make myself useful."
"I have to admit, having someone like her here has increased business. A lot of youngsters have come here not just to see Kanamin, but also for our curry. I've had to step out twice for ingredients." Sojiro said happily.
"Hey, you're curry is awesome...maybe you should team up with Rise, her curry is amazing too. It could be like a clash of flavors, washed down with an awesome cup of coffee...seriously, this place is gonna get a full five star review from me when all of this crap is over. Hope you don't mind cute idols invading the place from time to time Boss." she said, giving the man a wink.
"As long as I get business and they're well behaved, I don't mind it. Anyway, is something the matter? You've been staring at me for quite awhile." the man said, glancing at Mitsuhide, who had been leaning against the counter, her arms resting on it since she was only a few inches taller than the counter itself.
"I'd like to apologize beforehand for this, but this is a question that has been bugging me for awhile. I was filled in with the story of your daughter, I'm quite interesting in learning about her behaviors. I feel like I could help her deal with some of the issues regarding her current mental state. I do understand that she doesn't want to see anyone, but I believe that a full psychological evaluation will give us some insight on her cognitive views of the world."
"Cognitive views? Huh? I'm sorry, I had assumed you were just a playful little girl, where does this scientific side come from?" Sojiro asked, clearly not expecting Mitsuhide to speak so eloquently. She stifled a giggle, a smile on her face.
"I assure you sir, I am quite above my grade level. In fact, next term I shall be joining my siblings in high school. I'm a prodigy child you see, way ahead of my classmates. I think Futaba will make a perfect subject for my thesis, but in order to understand her behaviors, I must know about how she got that way. Do you know any details in particular?" he asked. The man sighed, a frown on his face.
"Not exactly...she clammed up as soon as it happened. I do recall her saying something...about these men in black, coming to tell her something, in front of her family. Poor kid, everyone just shunned her, treated her like garbage...and that uncle of hers...I took custody of her, because I know it was what her mother Wakaba would have wanted." he replied.
"Hmm...that does show some insight...now then, is her mother Wakaba Isshiki? I recall her doing research on Cognitive Psience, in fact one of her dossiers is online, explaining about a possible other world that rests side by side with ours. It all has to do with how our cognition perceives things."
"Something like that is on the internet? Well, it doesn't surprise me...she might've released some information...to make it public. That way, people like that prosecutor couldn't destroy it or hide it. She could be bullheaded when she wanted to be. Still to think someone so young would be interested in Cognitive Psience of all things."
"Trust me Boss, this one keeps surprising me on a daily basis. It's always something new with her, she's already written three college level thesis's about her views on cognition, which she's planning to submit to a prestigious university." Takumi said, earning a flush from the ravenette.
"Big brother! Don't talk about that stuff, it's supposed to be a secret!" she cried, sounding a lot more childish than normal. Kanami let out a giggle, leaning forward on the counter.
"It's like an eternal struggle between the adult you and kid you...I find it really adorable. Still, I don't get any of this Cognitive Psience stuff...I wish you luck on your studies, trust me kid...if you can score a degree in it, you're set for life. I'm content with being a glamour cow for my fans." she said.
"Yes...then creepy fans can follow you home when they want a picture of your udders." Takumi said, causing the brunette to go wide eyed. She rolled up her sleeve, about to jump over the counter when an elderly couple walked into the shop.
"Evening Boss, hope you aren't closed yet...we just came back from visiting our grandchildren and wanted some of your famous curry for dinner."
"Not at all, grab yourselves a seat, I'll make your usual." Sojiro happily replied.
"Well, thanks for the conversation Boss, it was quite enlightening. As I said before, if Futaba needs someone to talk too...just contact my brother. I'm not certified, but at least you'll save hundreds." Mitsuhide said, giving the man a bow, pulling her brother along.
"Huh...did you know your sister was that smart?" Sojiro asked, earning a shrug from Kanami.
"I never noticed...I don't really spend as much time as I'd like with them. Actually, it wasn't until Takumi came back to Japan that I started hanging out with them again." she said. She shook her head, turning to the elderly couple.
"What kind of coffee would you like? I'm still in training, but I can make you a badass cup of Joe if you'd like." she said, a happy smile on her face.
"So...did you satiate your thirst for information?" Morgana asked, once Mitsuhide and Takumi had returned, the little girl gave him a nod.
"Indeed, it turns out the woman that I am a fan of, is the mother of Futaba. Now I see the motive, it seems the government is up to some dirty tricks. Maternity Neurosis was just a lie, in order to break Futaba's mind, so she wouldn't ask why her mother lost her mind. The truth is this, she was killed for her research."
"Killed? Isn't that a little excessive?" Makoto asked, earning a quirked brow from the little girl.
"A theory perhaps...when was the first recorded case of a Psychotic Breakdown?"
"Um...the first one was that bus driver, he ended up killing a bunch of people...that was two years ago." Ryuji replied.
"Yes...ironically enough, Wakaba Issiki's death happened to be three and a half months after that initial breakdown. There had been one reported case, a trucker losing control of his vehicle. He was a man that had connections to the government, an Ex-Agent, who was also doing research on Cognitive Psience as a hobby. He was an associate of Wakaba Isshiki." Mitsuhide said, holding her phone up at the Thieves, all of them seeing the news article she had pulled up.
"So someone is using the Metaverse as a way to eliminate people...could this be that black mask Kaneshiro and Madarame alluded too?" Ren asked.
"We can't be certain...however, what we do know is that Futaba Sakura and Ryoutaro Shimizu's palaces are ready. The infiltration routes are secure, but without getting Futaba's permission, we're stuck dead in the water. We need to talk her into opening her bedroom door to us." Morgana said firmly, jumping onto the table.
"Takumi, I think you're the only one who'll be able to do this...you relate with her more than any of us here. You've lost your mother young to a car accident. Not to mention she likes video games and anime just like you...do you think you could coax her into opening her door?" Makoto asked. The boy blinked a few times, glancing at the table.
"I...I mean...maybe. I'm not sure okay...she's a really troubled girl, I'm not sure if I can actually get her to open the door. But I'll try, I need her help to stop Shimizu anyway." he said.
"I've already written her calling card...I figured we could kill two birds with one stone. We get her to open the door and deliver the card at the same time. So it'll be up to you, got it man?" Ryuji said.
"Yeah, I got it...just as long as you help me with my calling card...let's just say this one is more suited for film than card. However, I have already emailed my design to Yusuke, if he can handle it that is." he said, earning a chuckle from the artist.
"Hmm hmm hmm...of course I can handle it. I made two thousand cards before yes? I can definitely handle this one. However, placing them all will be dangerous...this is a film festival after all, there will be people there, as well as police officers." he said.
"Don't worry about that...Toni has been teaching me parkour, might as well put it to good use. Besides, this card will be delivered at night, and we're hopping into the palace right after. I'm just glad this festival is being held in Akihabara, it makes it so much easier on me. We've all got our tasks, it's all up to the boss man now." he said, clapping Ren's shoulder. He glanced at the gathered Thieves, a smirk on his face.
"We leave at dawn."
"Ugh...dawn? Can't it be like a little later than that?" Rise whined, earning a frown from the boy.
"Alright fine...we leave at ten."
"Ten? Come on man...who gets up at ten in the summer?" Ryuji said, earning a growl from the teen.
"Fine, we'll leave at the crack of two thirty...Jesus, I'm gonna have to set my alarm for this one."
"Wait...Rise what are you doing that you can't go at dawn?" Yukiko asked, earning a flush from the idol.
"I promised some kids from the local hospital I would read them a story. They're terminally ill, so I wanted to make them happy...I've already prepared the CDs, autographs and everything beforehand. I know this is important, but since the infiltration route was secured, I figured we could be a little lenient with the time. I don't know what Ryuji's excuse is though." she said, glancing at the blond, who just sighed.
"There's a marathon of Tokyo Ghoul that I don't wanna miss, it's on at eight tonight and ends at five am."
"Ryuji! You're a Phantom Thief, you have to prioritize that over anime...sheesh, what a rookie."
"Ah...shut up you damn cat."
"Whatever, it's time for us to break for the night...we shall meet here at 2:30, no excuses. I understand if Yukiko-san and Rise-san cannot be here, but no one else should have an excuse." Makoto said firmly.
"I've already agreed to help out as much as I can, so I can't bail on you now. Besides, my boyfriend is looking for colleges in the city, and he asked me to accompany him here. I can use the time in the morning to prep my gear...thanks for allowing me to be a part of this group." Yukiko said, bowing politely to the teenagers.
"It's no problem Yukiko...be safe getting home." Ren said, earning a smile from the young woman, who followed Rise out of the attic.
"Well...I guess it's time for all of us to hit the trail then...I'm gonna make sure my gear is ready. Make sure we got enough medicine for this, we might need it." Ryuji said.
"Indeed...we'll need only the best stuff, only you can procure that for us Ren." Makoto added, earning a nod from the boy.
"You know, I never understood how medicine works in the Metaverse. Here, they look like pills, which is understandable. But in that other world, they work like potions...how is that possible?" Takumi asked.
"I believe it has to do with cognition...perhaps the palace rulers don't view them as actual pills, but restorative items. Just like we can use fake guns as real ones...or conjure teleportation circles with ease. Don't think too much about it." Morgana explained. Ann stood up from her seat, stretching her arms above her head, causing the feline to glance at her breasts, his tail wagging back and forth.
"Finally, I was waiting for this meeting to end...what do you think Takumi, chocolate or vanilla?"
"Huh? What are you asking me for?" he asked, clearly confused. She puffed her cheeks, hands on her hips.
"For the cake remember? You said we'd get cake after we finished the infiltration...are you telling me you're gonna leave me hanging?" she asked. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"I did make you a promise...how about cheese cake? I haven't had any in awhile, strawberry swirl is my favorite." he said.
"Okay, that works. I haven't had any cheese cake in god long...well, we'll see you tomorrow." the blonde model said, grabbing her purse and phone, shoving the latter into the former. Mitsuhide followed along, giving the others a wave.
"Huh...when you messaged me saying those two were dating, I didn't believe you." Ryuji said.
"What can I say, they have chemistry...I think for Ann it was love at first sight...she was always looking at him whenever we were together." Ren said.
"It is odd, but fitting as well."
"I agree with Makoto...young love blossoming between two teenagers...ah that is the most magnificent kind of love. Do you think they'd allow me to sketch them while out on a date? I still believe passion needs to be my next art piece." Yusuke said.
"Remember what happened out on the lake? That couple turned out to be siblings. They didn't like being sketched either, do you actually think Takumi and Ann would like that?" Ren said, earning a frown from the artist.
"Whoa what...you two were out on a lake sketching random people?" Ryuji asked, arms crossed over his chest.
"Yeah, and it was awkward as hell." Morgana added, stretching his body out, before sitting down on his haunches, licking his paw.
"That's...not creepy at all." Makoto added.
"You misunderstand, in order for an artist to find the correct subject, one must search for the perfect models. It just turned out those two were family, but our friends...they have the love I search for...I'm gonna ask Takumi next time I see him...I'm sure he'll agree."
"Yeah...sure, just as long as you don't draw them mid coitus, that would be gross and fucking weird." Ryuji said, shoving his manga in his bag, turning to leave.
"Thanks for the image Ryuji, now I'm gonna think about it all damn night."
"You're welcome Miss Prez." he said jokingly, earning a chilling glare from the girl, that made him trip down the stairs in fear.
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
Date: Tuesday August 2nd 20XX
Time: Afternoon
Location: Sojiro Sakura's House(Yongen-Jaya)
Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)
Objective: Send out the Calling Cards
xxx
Takumi once again found himself in front of Futaba Sakura's bedroom door. It had been a couple of days since the last time he had been here, the last time he had been there, was by himself. Now, the rest of the Phantom Thieves were with him. All of them were giving him expecting looks, after all he was the one who was going to do the talking. He knew Futaba was in her room, he could hear the keys of her computer as she typed. He knew that without her help, he wouldn't be able to get back at Shimizu, but he also felt bad, like the only reason he was doing this was to get something from her. Technically they were, since Medjed was still a threat, just the previous night, a company's information had been leaked by them. He knew what was at stake, and he wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't do this. He rose a single hand up to the door, pausing before he knocked.
"Dude, come on...we've been waiting for five minutes, either you knock your let Makoto do it." Ryuji said, earning a glare from the boy.
"Would you hold your goddamn horses? Can't you see we're dealing with a mentally scarred girl here? Jesus, we have to be careful with what we say, or we're fucked. So let me think, and keep your damn mouth shut." he hissed angrily, causing the blond track star to clam up. Ann put a hand on his shoulder, which was enough to calm him down. He steeled his nerves, knocking on the door.
"Futaba Sakura, this is the meme police, open the door right now. I have reason to believe you've stolen stolen memes in your possession and I have come to get them back."
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"She likes memes, shut up. Anyway, in all seriousness...listen, we came to steal your heart okay? But in order to do that you have to open the door. Come on Futaba, I know it's hard...but you have to do it." he said, placing a hand on the door. It was silent on the other side of the door, even the typing had ceased, making him frown.
"Futaba please listen to us...I know it's hard, facing everything head on is the only solution. We're going to help you no matter what, but you can't expect us to help you, if you don't help yourself. Help us, help you...open the door." Makoto said firmly. Takumi's phone buzzed loudly, and he reached into his pocket, pulling it out.
Alibaba: Why are you here?
Alibaba: Are you seriously here to steal my heart?
"Yes...we're here to do just that...but we can't do it with this door between us. Listen, we've been inside your heart...my friends here say that the path to your treasure is sealed by a door. A door that only you can open...in order for us to take it we need you to let us in."
"Can I have some time to think about it?" Futaba's muffled voice cried, sounding rather shy.
"Ten seconds." Makoto replied, causing her to scream.
"Gah...that's to little time! Come on, give me a few minutes at least... I gotta mentally prepare myself...I need to hide my underwear!"
"You can worry about that later...come on Futaba, I'm giving you five minutes...or else I'm kicking this door in." Takumi said firmly.
"Mwehehe! My door is an out door, so you can't kick it in."
"You little shit, just open the door!" Ryuji cried, grabbing the door handle, rattling it loudly. Ren grabbed a hold of his wrist, pulling his hand free from the handle.
"That isn't gonna get us nowhere...let's just give her time." he said, earning a groan from the boy.
So, they waited...hoping that Futaba would open the door. A minute passed, and that turned into two, and then five, and then ten. Finally, after twenty minutes of waiting, the Phantom Thieves were getting a bit impatient. Takumi grabbed a hold of Ann's purse and opened it, reaching for the drill he had brought with him, putting one of the bits into it.
"Alright, twenty minutes is long enough. If you don't open this door right now, I'm gonna drill the lock." he said, turning the drill on for emphasis.
"It's not enough time!"
"Futaba Sakura for the last time, just open the..." the actor paused as the door slowly creaked open. They all shared a look, not having expected the girl to actually open it. He shrugged, grabbing the door handle.
"Well then...we're coming in." he said, entering the room.
His jaw dropped, not just from all of the electronics that he could see, but also because of all of the trash bags that had been piled up inside the room. It was clear that this had been at least months worth of trash. Aside from that, the room looked rather normal, he noticed the same curtains that Mitsuhide had in her room were hung up at the windows, effectively blocking any incoming sunlight. There were some anime figurines on some shelves at the far left side of the room, next to a very beefed up looking computer. He noticed several Ethernet cords taped down on the hard wood floor and the wall, along with some long HDMI cords, which were attached to four television sets mounted to the wall. He glanced around the room, it was small, it was cozy...and it was safe, so why did she think of it as a tomb. He was about to ask her that when he noticed she wasn't in the room. He walked over to the window, but saw that it was locked tight.
"Okay...either she has the cloak of invisibility, has an escape route, is as nimble as a damn hobbit, or she's hiding."
"I vote for the cloak of invisibility!" Haru said, earning a glare from the boy. She giggled dryly, shivering a bit from how cold the room was.
"Look at these books...Medical Science, Information Technology, Psychology, all of these are technical books."
"Hmm...she has quite the extensive selection...perhaps she will be a worthy candidate after all." Mitsuhide said, scanning the books Futaba kept on her shelf.
"I can't believe she keeps herself cooped up in this room all the time...it's so sad." Ann said.
"I was like this after my mom passed away...I didn't want anyone to see me. I didn't care that my father was concerned, I didn't care that I had to eat, or bathe...I just wanted to be left alone...I wanted to see my mom again. The only thing I had left of her was her nightgown...and that fucker...he took it from me...that's why...that's why we have to help Futaba. I can't let her stay like this forever...I feel like shit...because I prioritized Shimizu's palace over hers. I didn't know it was this bad."
"Takumi it's alright...we know how you feel...we had no choice, but we are here now, we can still save her." Ren said, placing a hand on his shoulder, earning a nod from the boy.
"Where's Futaba? I don't see her anywhere...she isn't hiding under the bed is she?" Yusuke asked.
"I doubt she can fit in there...the only other place here is in closet." Haru said, pointing to the wooden doors on the very left of the room. They all sighed.
"So, she'll shut herself away to the bitter end hm?"
"It doesn't matter if the bedroom door is opened. If she's still hiding, we won't be able to do anything. I bet you a fence or something formed in front of the treasure." Morgana noted.
"T-this makes no sense! Explain yourselves!"
"Whoa, she talked!" Ryuji said, turning to face the closet doors.
"We needed to change your cognition. Unless you do, we can't steal your heart." Makoto said. Yusuke stepped forward, a pensive look on his face.
"I doubt she'd understand, even if we explained it to her..."
"So basically, my cognition is being a hindrance, keeping you from reaching the core of my cognitive world?"
"She understood that?"
"Don't underestimate her capabilities Ann...she is the daughter of Wakaba Isshiki, meaning she must have seen some of that research. It would make sense if she could understand what we are speaking about." Mitsuhide noted, arms crossed over her chest. She shivered a bit, wishing she had brought her sweater with her.
"Hey...why did you name yourself Alibaba? If you wanted our help why didn't you just ask us?" Ryuji asked, making a valid point. The girl mumbled something, earning confused looks from everyone.
"What was that? We couldn't hear you."
"Because I was embarrassed!"
"I think I get it, it's hard to ask for help sometimes...I should know that better than anyone at this point." Ann replied, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. Takumi took a hold of her hand, giving her a reassuring smile.
"So...did you know about the cognitive world because of your mother? Because she was researching Cognitive Psience?" Makoto asked.
"Science with a PSI at the front, less science more supernatural, that's super important."
"I suppose that answers our question...but only a part of it. What was your mother doing Futaba? Was she researching this for the government? What do the men in black represent to you? Why do you wish to die?"
"Hey kid, mine toning it down with those questions? She's been through some heavy shit in the past. I doubt she'll answer that." Ryuji said, earning a sigh from Mitsuhide who just continued staring at the door.
"I have a question for you...I wasn't there for most of the exploration, but I did read the notes. Futaba-chan...did you really kill your mother? Wasn't it just an accident?"
"Ann, maybe you shouldn't..." Takumi said softly. She shook her head, pulling her hand from his grasp, getting closer to the closet doors.
"Is maternity neurosis the true cause of her death? We want to hear it from your own mouth...just tell us."
"My...mom was...I was the one...nngn.."
"Hmm...perhaps the distortion in her heart has caused her memories to distort as well." Makoto said, placing a hand under her chin.
"This reminds me of a game...Kingdom Hearts...one of the games had the main characters memories changed and distorted. But now matter what his memories were turned to, no matter if they were deleted, the true memories were recorded in his heart. It could be, that the memories she has, are fake...distortions created by those fucked up adults in black that you saw in those drawings. That lead to the memories in her heart to warp and distort, which is why her heart is giving us all trouble...the true cause of her palace." Takumi said firmly.
"Wow...that's some deep shit, that I didn't understand...mind explaining it for me?" Ryuji asked, looking at Mitsuhide.
"Excuse me? I'm sorry but I'm not here to dumb things down for you...if you'd like more information, you'll have to wait until my preliminary analysis is complete. The correlation of fake memories and her distorted heart is quite accurate...I commend you big brother, I believe you deserve a cookie for your efforts."
"A cookie, why would I want a...chocolate chip or oatmeal?"
"Chocolate chip of course." the little girl said, reaching into her fanny pack for one of the cookies she had been saving. He smiled, giving her a pat on the head as he accepted the cookie.
"Would you focus? We're onto something here, I think what Takumi said has some validity to it. I've seen how distorted Shimizu's heart is, and that is just by his lust and avarice alone...but here we have something else. It might be...that paper that those men in black were reading, was a suicide note...one that had lies written on it that fed to Futaba's current dilemma." Haru pointed out, earning a hum from Mitsuhide.
"I'm...I'm so sorry Futaba-chan...a lot happened so...sorry." Ann said, bowing her head. The girl was still not coming out, further distressing the Phantom Thieves.
"This isn't working...I don't think she's gonna come out." Morgana said. Takumi glanced around the room, smirking a bit.
"You know Futaba...you have a nice collection of games...since you can't come out of the closet. That means you won't be able to stop me from taking them."
"Huh? You wouldn't dare do that to me Firewire...I thought we were friends!"
"Oh we are...but you are being stubborn...so I'll...what the fuck...you have Blazblue Central Fiction with the collectors edition? Are you serious, do you know how long I've been looking for this? You have two of them what the...okay...I guess I let my inner nerd out there. So yeah, I'll be taking that with me." he said, reaching for the box.
"No! The unopened one is for my collection! You can't take anything from this room...or I'll...I'll!"
"You'll what? You're too busy hiding in that closet...look at this, Neir Automata Steelbook, that would look amazing in my collection as well...and you...are you shitting me? You have the Final Fantasy 13-2 Ps3? Those are fucking expensive...and you have the Final Fantasy 14 collectors edition? Tales of Xllia 2 complete...oh my god..."
"Um Ann...I think your boyfriend is broken." Ryuji said, earning a glare from the blonde model. Takumi straightened up, an jealous look on his face.
"Okay...I'll admit, you have a more decent collection than me. Well, I guess for a few minutes, I'll be taking all of this with me. If you want it back, you'll have to come get it at my house. I live in Shibuya by the way, and I'll...no way...you have the discontinued Golden PS4...look at this thing, it's fucking beautiful...screw the collectors editions, I'm taking this home with me!" he cried. The closet door suddenly opened, causing him to whirl around. The orange haired girl jumped at him, fist raised toward his fist. He caught her hand with ease, a smirk on his face.
"Gotcha."
"Eh...you t-tricked me!"
"Sure...I wasn't kidding about that PS4 though, I'll give you a million yen for it, no joke." he said.
"Absolutely not, it isn't for sale!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand free from his grasp. She glanced around the room, instantly clamming up. She glanced at the floor, hair covering her eyes.
"Um...well, I'm out...go ahead, steal it." she said softly.
"Oh...we don't steal your heart right here...we just needed to make you open that door. Sorry about letting Takumi say all of that, but it was necessary to change your cognition." Makoto explained.
"I...I see...so...what now?"
"Well...do you not know how the cognitive world functions?" Mitsuhide asked, causing the girl to look up. She blinked a few times.
"I've never seen crimson eyes before...ah...no I...I don't know."
"Hmm...so it seems she's aware of the cognitive world, but doesn't know how a change of heart occurs." Morgana said, pressing a paw to his chin, his eyes firmly trained on Futaba.
"How much do you know of the cognitive world?"
"I know that it's a world that exists next to this one...but I don't know how to get there. Can you get there? You said you saw my heart earlier."
"We can...we use a smart phone app to dive into your palace. It's like a dungeon that has to be explored and slowly unlocked. That way we can get to the bowels of your heart, where your most sacred treasure lies." Takumi explained, earning an odd look from the girl.
"You use a smart phone app to get there? How does it work?"
"Well...you have to find the key words...usually it's a name, a place and a distortion. In this case, it would be Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura's House, and your distortion, what you see this place as." Ryuji said, deliberately leaving the last word out.
"Interesting...still why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"
"We did, you didn't want to open the door! Regardless, we achieved our mission here, now the door has been opened and we can get our Thieving on." Haru added, a small smile on her face. The glint in her eye was enough to make Takumi nervous.
"Um...can you take me with you?" Futaba asked, glancing up at the teenagers.
"We must apologize...in order to safely traverse in that realm, one requires spirit armor. Taking you with us wouldn't just be a hindrance, but it will also slow us down. We also do not know what ramifications bringing the real palace ruler within their own palace could bring. It could cause that world to collapse, squishing us all flat as a pancake, destroying our very existence and..."
"Mitsu! Enough, you're gonna scare the piss outta her!" Takumi hissed, causing the ravenette to sigh.
"My apologies...I didn't mean to frighten you."
"I-it's alright...I'll just leave it to you...still, I can't believe you're taking someone my age with you. I thought you were all adults." Futaba said, glancing at the others.
"Your age? How old are you?" Ann asked curiously.
"Fifteen...and a half."
"Oh...Mitsuhide is actually nine years old...she's just tall for her age." Takumi said.
"Eh...but she's just as tall as me! How is she only nine?"
"It seems my eloquent manner is speech lead you to believe I was older...hmm...perhaps I can use that to my advantage. Regardless, we have acquired the necessary information. Let us go, Rise and Yukiko are waiting outside and they must be getting antsy." she said, taking the lead, the others were slowly filing out of the room with Ryuji stopping.
"Oh yeah...we still have to give her this...think you can handle it Takumi? I know you wanted to speak with her real quick." he said, handing him the card.
"Yeah...I'll handle it, just wait outside." he replied, glancing at the card. Ryuji bumped fists with the boy, before leaving the room, the only one that remained being Morgana.
"You...wanted to talk to me?" Futaba asked shyly, glancing away from the boy. He gave her a nod, kneeling down to her eye level.
"Listen...your palace isn't the only one we're dealing with right now. We have to take care of another sick and evil man, Ryoutaro Shimizu. I need you to help me with the calling card, it's going to be a video. I've already recorded my voice, I need you to put the video together for me, putting all of those articles that you find in it, along with my voice. You did an excellent job with killing his computer, but this is what's going to allow us to change his heart. Do you think you can do it?" he asked.
"Easy...you are changing my heart after all...I'll take care of it right now, it'll keep my distracted from this stuff. I'll email it to you once it's done, it'll take me fifteen minutes tops." she replied. He smiled, handing her the crimson flash drive, which had the emblem of the Phantom Thieves printed onto it.
"Thanks...once this is all over, we can hang out. I'm sure we'll be the best of friends...oh yeah, one last thing. Wait until I'm gone to read this okay? It'll be the trigger that'll allow us to change your heart." he said, handing her the calling card Ryuji had written.
"A calling card?"
"Yup, we'll save you...no one deserves to die...this isn't your tomb, it never was." he replied, finally taking his leave. She waited until he was entirely out of the house before reading it.
"Dame Futaba Sakura, you have committed a great sin of drowning in sloth. You blame yourself for a death that you did not cause, and lock yourself away from the world. Though your sin has been confessed, we shall still steal your distorted desires without fail. From the Phantom Thieves of Hearts..."
Morgana, who was hiding under her bed, looked up in time to see the girl's Shadow Self standing in the center of the room. He smirked inwardly, knowing the plan had worked. He jumped up onto her bed, giving the girl a nod.
"Good, everything is going smoothly!"
"Wah...kitty, you again?" she cried, watching the feline darting out of her room.
xxx(Take Your Time)xxx
Date: Tuesday August 2nd 20XX
Time: Afternoon
Location: Futaba Sakura's Palace
Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)
Objective: Steal Futaba's Heart
xxx
"If I had known it was going to be hot in here, I would have come in beachwear, or at least brought a sunhat." Rise muttered, fanning herself. Like Yukiko, she was wearing her Yasogami High uniform, an article of clothing that she cherished a lot, though she was wearing the summer outfit. Yukiko had decided to wear a sleeveless red cardigan over her tank top, but even she was having trouble with the heart.
"It is quite impressive to be seeing a pyramid though...a Movie Theater Temple, and a Pyramid...these palaces sure are impressive." Yukiko admitted, wiping the small beads of sweat that had started to form.
"I can sense the palace's security has risen...my furs are standing on end...her cognition definitely changed...so let's fulfill our end of the bargain and take her heart." Mona said, earning eager nods from his fellow Thieves. Joker lead them toward the pyramid entrance, a firm look on his face.
"I'm so glad we're finally doing this...I've been carrying this thing with me most of the morning now. I've been dying to show you the new rifle I picked up last night." Songbird said, kneeling down placing his guitar case on the ground.
"You bought a new rifle? Wait, what happened to your old one?" Skull asked.
"Shouji's Shadow broke it when we were fighting. I wasn't able to fix it since it was snapped clean in half. My Vortex Viper had a cracked ocular lens, so I had to get a whole new set up. Panther saw it last night, but I've been eager to show all of you...I'm sure you're gonna like it." he said, flicking the case open. Grabbing the guitar, he pulled the false bottom away, pulling out the rifle that was hiding within. He snapped the barrel into place, placing the bolt into it as well.
It was a sleek black rifle, being 49 inches in length, the barrel itself was 24 inches. It had an adjustable stock that was black in color with a stockpad to help with the recoil. It had a round angled bolt, which was extended back leaving the chamber completely cleared. It had a long rail at the top, which had a large scope attached to it. The bottom had a folded bipod on it, the barrel's tip had small slits on either side which would help with the gasses that built up within the barrel. He had a nylon strap attached to it as well for easy carrying purposes. He stood up, holding it out to his friends.
"Whoa...what the hell is that? It's a fuckin beast!" Skull cried, eyes widening in surprise.
"I must say, this rifle is quite the dangerous looking piece...it fits you." Fox said, earning a smile from the young actor.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you my new partner, her name is Viper. Yes, I had her name carved into the steel. Since you want the technical stuff, I'll clue you in on it. This is a Savage BA 110 Stealth, chambered in .338 Lapua. It doesn't have the pistol grip lower I wanted, but it has an adjustable trigger which I can adjust to my needs, currently it's set to ten pounds per pull. The magazine box normally holds 5 rounds, but the seller gave me some 10 round magazines if I got him some information from some bum in Shibuya." he said, a grin on his face.
"Yeah...that wasn't a fun time for me and Duchess, we had to wait at the diner for until you were done. I was so scared something was gonna happen." Panther said, a worried look on her face.
"I know, and I did apologize to you...remember, I bought you that new extended magazine you wanted. Anyway, the scope I have attached to it is a Vortex Viper HSLR with a sun-shield. This scope is the beast of scopes, geared toward mid to long range shooting. This allows me to shoot targets at a thousand meters out by easily adjusting the dials. I can adjust elevation, windage and even the size of the reticle. I also selected the Mil-dot reticle since I'm used to that type. That's my basic set up, no silencer this time sadly." he said, placing the box magazine into the reliever, pushing it until it clicked.
"I didn't know you had so much knowledge on firearms Songbird...I'm impressed."
"Actually Rise, don't be that impressed...he walked into the store and after being grilled by the guy for bringing a nine year old with him. He proceeded to point to the biggest model gun on display asking to buy it. He didn't know what the hell this was until he explained it to him."
"Aw come on babe, why'd you have to tell them that?! I wanted to look badass, now you just cramped my style." the boy said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder, earning a grin from the girl.
"Sorry, you know I'm an honest person."
"Bullshit! You totally lied to that guy when you asked about that magazine, you said you didn't know how to load it. Just so he could show you all of the other calibers of blanks he had! You used your boobs to get a discount!" Songbird cried.
"Yeah, I did, or else you would have payed five million for that rifle and an extra two million for the ammo and box magazines. You should be thankful." the girl teased, earning a glare from the boy.
"Guys, we should focus on stealing the treasure." Queen said firmly.
"Alright then, Futaba needs to have her change of heart...she's been suffering for far too long. So, let's go take it...and kill her demons for her." Songbird replied, flicking the safety off his rifle. Earning a nod from Joker, he retook his role as the scout, leading his friends into the the tomb, and toward her treasure.
xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx
Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)
Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)
Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)
Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)
Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)
Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 7)
Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)
Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)
Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)
Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)
Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)
Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)
Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)
Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)