Chapter 36: The Judgment of the World
Yu had just left the bathroom after having washed his hands in preparation to eat. His footsteps led him towards Naoto, about to sit on the opposite side of her, the side closest to the door. The bell to the shop jingled, causing Yu to glance up, pausing mid-stride as a man walked in.
He thought the man to look something like a Detective. He had that sort… look to him that Dojima had. "Shirogane-san?" He asked. An alarm sounded in Yu's head, just a little too shy of the revolver being drawn and the first gunshot going off. It sounded like a canon.
Yu turned, horror filling him as he looked to Naoto, watching crimson splatter against the dark hard wood of the countertop. "Naoto!" He screamed her name, legs already turning, arm coming up to try and get in the way, to get her down. Crimson began to stain the white of the Shujin Academy shirt. One of the girls, all the girls maybe, screamed.
Click, click. Time seemed to feel sluggish. Yu moved to drag Naoto down. The cannon sounded again. Naoto took another shot to the chest, her body jerking and blood coming out of her mouth as she made an almost inaudible sound. He wrapped his arm around her as another click began to sound, the revolver cycling its cylinder, the hammer being cocked back by the double action. The cannon sounded a third time and Yu felt fire along his right shoulder as he fell, dropping with Naoto to the floor. He would keep her safe.
"Ryuji!" Akira shouted as something broke, the sound of porcelain shattering echoing in Yu's ears. The cannon sounded a fourth time, though Naoto's body didn't jerk and Yu didn't feel anymore fire.
The blond sprinter had been getting up from his seat and was already moving by the time Akira shouted. He tackled into the man with the revolver, actually bursting out into the street with him. Ryuji struggled with the man as Akira leapt over the bar and went to go help Ryuji out.
"No, no, no." Yu was quick to get off Naoto. She had been shot twice, both times in the left side of her chest. The Detective had been skilled with his choice of firearm, the holes being mere millimeters away from one another. "Naoto, stay with me." She looked so pale, so frail. And her lips were bloodied.
Yu quickly got his jacket off and almost tore his shirt off, buttons popping. He bundled it up to turn it into a makeshift compress, putting pressure on the wound. "You're going to be okay." Yu didn't know if he was lying to himself or not. His first thought was to possibly take her into her into Mementos, that he could do something to stabilize her there. Only one thing stopped him. A simple question.
Could Naoto even survive the trip?
The trip was not the smoothest of things. It was jarring, and often nauseating. If he took Naoto into Mementos, would it kill her even faster? Would he have even the chance of casting Salvation? But then he would also have to get the rounds out if they didn't pierce all the way through.
Naoto swallowed thickly, licking her lips. "Call. Grandpa." She said, pulling her phone out and shakily handing it to Yu.
"Okay, okay. I will." Yu said as he took the blue phone and tucked it into his pocket. "But don't talk, save your strength." He watched her nod her head. Yu was distraught with horror. There was nothing he could do, he didn't have the knowledge or training to save his beloved.
Within the Metaverse, he was almost akin to a God. He could bring people back to their feet, heal them of ailments that plagued them, cure their injuries with but a gesture, and lay waste to their enemies with just as simple of a gesture.
Out in the real world? With Naoto beneath him, bleeding from being shot?
He was just a man. A scared man. A man that didn't have the skills to keep her alive.
Akira came in, skidding beside him a moment. "Yu." Yu didn't hear him. He was shaken roughly. "Yu!"
"What?!" Yu asked, tears streaming down his face, as he faced the younger teen..
"Doctor Takemi's clinic is just down the street! Take her there! We'll call emergency services and take care of the rest, now go!" Akira said.
Takemi's Clinic. It was generally not good to move an injured person, but it could in fact save Naoto's life. Yu looked to Naoto before with a slight grunt from Naoto, as well as the burning in his arm, he scooped her frame up into his arms. It meant taking pressure off the wound, but he quickly adjusted his arms to hold the shirt tight once more and took off out of Le Blanc. He knew blood dripped behind him on the ground, but he raced quickly through the backstreets of Yongen-jaya. He knew it wasn't the most dignified thing to do with Naoto, but he had to get her to someone that could keep her alive.
He ignored the looks of people, focused on just getting Naoto to the clinic, thankful for his size as it meant he could actually move. He turned, slamming the back of his left shoulder into the door and turning, making sure not to hit Naoto against the frame. "Help!" he called out, his voice clearly showing how distraught he was, how scared he was. "Female, Two gunshots to the chest!"
Takemi got up out of her chair and swung the door open to the back. "Bring her through." She said, motioning to the opened door to the bed. She quickly washed her hands and slipped on a pair of latex gloves, practiced ease coming back into play.
Yu stepped through and carefully set Naoto down, his hand moving to clutch the makeshift compress a bit again. He was still terrified, still so scared. His once white shirt was almost crimson, his undershirt that he wore was stained with her blood as well. "Akira said he's sending emergency services here."
"Good." Takemi said. "They're not bad in this area, we'll have an ambulance in under five minutes." Under five minutes. Would Naoto last that long? Yu didn't know. He watched Takemi grab a package as well as a pair of scissors. She then moved beside Yu. "Move your hands a little further towards her side, but keep the pressure. I need to get under her shirt."
Yu did as he was told and watched as Takemi quickly used the sharp scissors to cut through the cloth of the shirt and the thicker cloth of the chest binder rather quickly. Yu swallowed, seeing the blood that stained his lover's skin. But he would hold strong.
"What's her name?" Takemi asked. Yu gave her a look, probably looking like a deer in headlights. "You're clearly not in the right place now, what's her name kid? I need you to focus because right now, you're my extra set of hands."
"Naoto." Yu said. "Her name's Naoto Shirogane."
Takemi nodded. The package was some sterile bandages. She set to work packing the wound as best she could, shifting Yu as she needed to so that the release of pressure wasn't all at once. "What's your relationship with her?" She asked.
"I'm her boyfriend." Yu said. "Of almost two years."
"Good for you, and good job for not freezing up too badly." Takemi said honestly. She then went to get a needle. "Naoto-san." she said. Naoto's eyes opened blearily, something Yu was grateful to see. "Morphine." She said before she took the cap off the needle and injected near the injury. "Do you know if she has any allergies?" Takemi asked.
"None that I'm aware of." Yu said. He swallowed thickly. It felt like the time was dragging on. Where would she be taken?
Eventually however, sirens sounded out and the door to the clinic was almost thrown open. "Back here!" Takemi yelled out, and the paramedics came back with a stretcher. Yu was forced to stay back as Takemi headed out to the ambulance with them.
"Where are you taking her?" Yu asked, following as they loaded Naoto up into the ambulance.
"Red Cross Medical Center is the nearest Emergency Room." One of the paramedics said as they loaded Naoto up. Takemi was quick to climb in the back, even as one of the men went back around to the driver's seat, almost immediately the ambulance was off.
Yu swallowed and looked at his stained hands, his stained shirt. He pulled out his phone and quickly looked up the hospital that was mentioned. It was less than two kilometers away. Without a concern of how it looked, that he was covered in blood and some of the scars on his back showing through the thin white shirt, Yu took off running.
He didn't quite barrel through people, but people quickly got out of the way. He was larger than the average Japanese citizen, stuck out with his silver hair, and was covered in blood. People got out of his way. He ran for the hospital, he wasn't going to not be there. He had to be there for Naoto. He had to. He barely even obeyed the traffic laws, pacing anxiously anytime he hit a red light.
But when he got to the medical center, he headed for the emergency room entrance quickly, the doors sliding open and the sterile smell of the place hitting his nose as he headed for the receptionist. "I'm looking for a patient brought here." He said half panting and out of breath. "Female, blue hair, one hundred fifty two centimeters, approximately fifty eight kilos, two gunshot wounds to the chest." He said.
The receptionist stood up. "Sir, I need you to calm down. You're clearly inju-"
"I'm fucking fine! It's my girlfriend's blood from holding a compress on her! Where is she?!" Yu demanded. He was past the point of being polite and well into the realm of purely irate with dread and fear.
The receptionist leapt back a bit. And Yu could see a security guard beginning to move towards him. Instinctually, Yu began to look for ways to take the man down. The man had a baton that was noticeable. If Yu got his hands on that...
"Kid!" Takemi barked at him, making Yu jump and look at her as she was coming down a hall. "You're not fine, you're dripping blood. Your girlfriend is already being rushed to surgery." She said.
"Where?!" Yu completely ignored the dark haired doctor's comment about dripping blood. That was until a wave of dizziness overcame him and his knees almost gave out on him.
"Allow me Doctor Takemi, this one's a stubborn one." A familiar voice came from the nurses' station. A hand was pressed against his shoulder, and Yu turned to look at the dark haired woman. "Narukami-kun, you have a wound in your right shoulder. You can't help anyone if you pass out from blood loss. The adrenaline has kept you going so far, but I'd rather not see you as a patient of mine anymore than I would have to. Didn't you teach me about not overworking yourself?"
Yu blinked a bit, his vision clearing as he took in the appearance of the beautiful woman with a small mole on the upper left side of her chin. She was almost traditionally Japanese looking with her dark hair and eyes, but there was no mistaking her for anyone else. "Uehara-san?" The surprise of meeting her was enough to snap him out of his panic.
Sayoko Uehara, the nurse Yu had formed the Devil Arcana with, gave him one of those playful grins she used to give. "That's right. Now come on, let's get this looked at. I doubt your girlfriend was the only one that took a bullet. She's in good hands right now, so get yourself taken care of. I'll show you to the surgery waiting rooms after." She moved under his left arm and grabbed him by the back of his belt. "Doctor Takemi, would you mind helping me?"
"Sure." Takemi moved over and followed while the pair walked to a room where they could dig the bullet out of Yu's shoulder and patch him up.
"I'll get his insurance information later." Sayoko told the nurse that worked as the receptionist.
"I thought you were in Africa." Yu resigned himself to just not knowing about Naoto's condition for the time being. She was there though, she was in the hospital being looked after. That was all he could ask for.
"I was." Sayoko said. "I came back about six months ago and started to work at this hospital. I think I might go for a Doctorate so I can help people more." She said. Once in the room, she helped Yu sit down on the bed so that they could get at his right shoulder. "Do you think we can remove his shirt or should we cut it off?" She asked Takemi.
"Narukami-san," Takemi clearly remembered his last name. "You're friends with Akira, right?" she asked.
"That's right." Yu said.
"I'll message him, tell him to bring you a change of clothes. We don't want to tear the wound anymore than it already has been, probably." Takemi said. In moments, she was washing her hands and putting gloves on. "You're lucky you're as big as you are, the blood loss would have made anyone else pass out by now. As it is, I bet you're barely awake."
"I'll manage until I've heard word about Naoto." Yu said. The scissors made short work of his own shirt and he could feel it sticking to his skin with tacky blood.
"Naoto?" Sayoko asked. "As in Naoto Shirogane?" Yu could feel as he was given an anesthetic to deal with the pain. He then felt as the pair worked to clean up the wound, though no pain really.
"Yes. She became my girlfriend during my time in Inaba. Shortly before the incident with Nanako."
"No wonder you came in looking like some spirit of war and vengeance." Sayoko said. "But good for you Narukami-kun. She's in good hands."
"I'll get the story later." Takemi said as she set to work on his shoulder. It was, thankfully, less work than two gunshot wounds to the chest. "You're lucky. It was mostly in the meat of the shoulder. It could have very easily hit bone and made this a lot more problematic. What were you doing? Tackling her to the ground?"
"Yes." Yu said bluntly. "I was prepared to take the rest of the shots with my back if that was what it took." He could sense the pause as the two women took a moment to digest the words.
Takemi soon had the round out of his shoulder, depositing it in a metal tray. No doubt it would be collected when the police came to question him regarding the incident. "Uehara-san, can you go get me an evidence bag?" Takemi waited until Sayoko had left the room. "So, you good friends with Akira?" Takemi asked.
"Fairly close, I would think." Yu said. He wanted to shrug his shoulders but didn't. Not when Takemi was about to start stitching him.
"So you know about his… let's call them extra-curricular activities." Takemi said a bit questioning.
"I do. Where are you going with this?" Yu asked.
Takemi touched the lichtenberg figure scarring upon Yu's back a moment. "How old is this? Why does it look like actual scarring?" She asked a bit pressingly. "Is Akira going to have similar? How did you get it?"
"Old enough to know it's not going to fade." Yu said. "And I'll keep Akira from getting similar. Let's just say I went through an experience similar to his and leave it at that." he said.
Takemi was quiet a moment. "And that's all you'll tell me?" she asked.
"That's it." Yu said in a confirmation. He was glad that he wasn't dosed with a stronger anesthetic as there would be no telling what would come from his mouth.
Takemi nodded her head and continued working. It took just under an hour by Yu's estimate to get sewn up. He was also given a sling to help keep his arm from moving too much, It wasn't something that he was particularly happy about, but he would learn to deal with it. He was also given a patient gown to wear over his chest and bloodied pants, at least until Akira got there with a change of clothes.
Once he was ready, Sayoko lead him towards where Naoto was in surgery. "She'll be okay." The nurse said. Whether she was lying or trying to make Yu feel better, it was impossible to tell. He knew he couldn't actually go in, and he knew he couldn't see anything, so he just resigned himself to a chair and stared at the floor. "Here, it'll help." Sayoko gave him two boxes of juice and a bag of chips. "Especially if you're going to be stubborn about wanting to stay here. Just… give it time, Narukami-kun." she said.
"Okay." Yu said politely. He then watched the nurse as she walked off, no doubt onto the next task that demanded her attention.
He choked back the sob that wanted to escape. He felt so powerless, sitting just meters away and knowing that there was nothing he could do. This wasn't something that he could take into the Metaverse and be done with it. This was… It tore at him. His girlfriend could be in there dying for all he knew.
'Please… If anyone is out there listening, let her have the strength to pull through. Please.' Yu silently begged to whatever deity was out there and listening. Let her represent his Wheel of Fortune and her luck be just a bit higher than usual.
Yu took a few deep breaths, slowly exhaling them. He still had a very difficult task to do before he could break down. One that Naoto had entrusted him with. Slowly, he pulled out the blue smart phone and looked it over. It was, thankfully, unscathed from the event. He also knew the pin to her phone. It was, after all, their anniversary.
The nineteenth of november. The day Naoto had professed her love for him. The day they had truly become a couple.
He shakily went into her contacts and scrolled down to the one tilted simple as 'Grandpa.' His thumb hovered over it for a while and Yu fought the rising bile in the back of his throat as his stomach rebelled. He swallowed thickly as he pressed the button and brought the phone up to his ear.
It rang twice. For a moment, Yu hoped that it would go to voicemail. He could leave a message with the details. However, that hope was swiftly dashed when a masculine voice answered the phone. "Naoto, you're calling late. What can I do for you?" The older man's voice came across, curiosity mixed with genuine joy at the chance to speak with his granddaughter.
It was definitely not Yakushiji. Yu knew the other man's voice. So it most certainly could only be Naoto's grandfather. He inhaled and let it out. "Shirogane-san, this is Yu Narukami." Yu's voice felt thick, his throat felt tight and his tongue felt like it wasn't going to work. He knew the older detective was bound to pick up on it. "I have some news regarding Naoto. Are you sitting down?" He didn't want to spring this on the man if he was standing.
Yu knew he was about to collapse as it was.
"No, no… No, you are not calling me to tell me this…" Takashi's voice broke a little. "Now I don't know what-"
"Are. You. Sitting. Down?" Yu asked again with a little more bite to it.
There was an audible sound over the phone before a very softly spoken, "Yes."
Yu inhaled slowly. "Naoto has been hurt." Yu said carefully. He didn't use the words like attack or accident. While it had been an attack, it would be difficult to pin the blame on anyone. "At this current point, she is in surgery at the Red Cross Medical Center of Shibuya. When I have more information, good or bad, I will let you know."
There was a choking sound on the other end, as though Takashi Shirogane had choked down his own sob. "So there is still hope." He said. Some relief sounded in his voice, and Yu couldn't help but feel some at the idea of hope for Naoto.
"Yes Sir." Yu said. "I won't be leaving until I've had word, one way or another."
Naoto's grandfather inhaled a bit, the sound shaky and raspy. "Okay. Yakushiji and I will be along as soon as traffic allows." He said a bit shakily. "This is my personal cell phone number Narukami-kun, feel free to call it whenever you hear even the slightest bit of news. If I may, how was my granddaughter injured?"
Yu was quiet a moment. "I think… It was someone she is after. They forced someone to attack her. She took two gunshots to the chest."
This time, Yu did hear Takashi's sob. No doubt the older man's grief was just as tangible as Yu's. As it was, Yu was barely able to have the conversation. If it hadn't been for his promise to Naoto, he wouldn't have called.
The older man composed himself after a while, inhaling deeply. "Thank you, Narukami-kun. I look forward to meeting you in person. And for what it is worth, I am thankful that my granddaughter has chosen a man of such integrity. I know calling me must be difficult."
Yu stared at the blank, gray colored wall across from him. "It doesn't compare to the pain I felt when I first saw the blood splatter."
"No. I imagine not. Keep me posted." The line went dead and Yu slowly brought the phone down from his ear.
He just stared at the phone for a long time. He felt sick to his stomach. But he still had one group to contact as well. He brought up his own phone and took a moment to start up a chat, bringing in the members of the Investigation Team in, the obvious exception being...
He took a moment, debating what he wanted. No, he knew what he wanted. He wanted Naoto safe. Unfortunately, he had yet to find out what the outcome was. 'Naoto has been shot.' He typed. 'Do NOT come to Shibuya. I've already contacted her grandfather. I'll keep you up to date with any changes.' He then shut off his phone.
If he needed to call Takashi Shirogane, he'd use Naoto's phone.
Take Your Time
Akira replayed the events in his mind a bit more as he packed up some clothes for Yu. Thankfully, he knew where the spare key was to Yu's house, so it was pretty easy to get in. He got a new pair of jeans, and a thicker long sleeved black shirt. Takemi had said he had been pretty bloodsoaked. Whether it was Naoto's or his had been impossible to tell.
He wasn't certain if Yu would appreciate the white shirt or a blue shirt at the time. Or if anything would piss the man off.
It was also about three hours after the incident already, with Akira having already given a statement to the police. They had also taken statements from the rest of the Phantom Thieves and Sojiro. He and Ryuji were, thankfully, not in any real trouble for essentially attacking a police officer, especially since said officer had already opened fire without, seemingly, provocation. However, he and Ryuji would be under surveillance for some time to make certain that they weren't just making it up.
Questioning around the neighborhood did in fact prove that people heard gunshots. They were sort of impossible to miss.
The police were still there, but they had allowed Akira and the others to go with the understanding that they might be called in for more questioning. While not something he was thrilled about, he did at least acknowledge that the police seemed to be doing their damned job.
The concept of justice was still a bitter one for Akira.
He didn't need to make quite as mad of a dash for the medical center as Yu did, but he still made good time. Thankfully, he saw Doctor Takemi at the reception desk, apparently talking with someone the woman knew. She was devoid of her usual lab coat over her dark dress, but the woman's sense of fashion was still quite noticeable.
"Doctor Takemi." Akira greeted. "I got the clothes."
"Ah, see Uehara-san, this is a good assistant." Takemi turned to look at Akira, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Does as he's told, though he was a little slow in doing it."
"Sorry," Akira said with a roll of his eyes, his tone dry. "Cops held me up with questions as I'm sure you've had to deal with before."
That soured the look on Takemi's face. "Akira, Sayoko Uehara, Uehara-san, Akira Kurusu." Takemi made a proper introduction. "From my understanding, it sounds like your friend knew Uehara-san pretty well."
"A pleasure to meet you." Akira said politely.
Sayoko gave a bit of a teasing smile. "I wonder if you'd react the same way that Narukami-kun did."
Akira really didn't want to know. He didn't. No, he did. But he'd ask Yu. After Naoto was confirmed safe. "So… Where is he so I can deliver the clothes?" He held up the bag simply. Hospitals didn't bug him as they might other people, but he couldn't afford to stay very long.
He did have school the next day and it was already pretty late. It was dark out.
Was he trying to get away from Sayoko Uehara? Absolutely. She reminded him entirely too much of Ohya.
Takemi gave him instruction to get where Yu was and Akira was quick to set off. He didn't quite run, but he definitely didn't want to give the playful nurse anymore desire to toy with him than he had. His feet took him down the halls until he spotted Yu, sitting in a chair.
Akira drew up short at the end of the hall. Two things stopped him from approaching. The first was the almost defeated, lifeless way that Yu sat. His hands were between his thighs, leaning forward and staring at the tiles of the floor. In that moment, Yu was not the strong, almost invincible wall that the various members of the Inaba Investigation Team and the Shibuya Phantom Thieves had seen. In that moment, he was a man absolutely terrified for the life of his most beloved partner.
And he looked so weak and frail because of it.
The second thing that stopped Akira from stepping towards Yu was the pair of Detectives, clearly questioning Yu and getting a statement from him. Akira strained to hear. He did notice that one of the pair, likely the older one, noticed his presence, but Akira didn't bother trying to hide or approach.
"Did Shirogane-san have any enemies?" One of the Detectives asked.
That actually made Yu look up at the one that Akira thought of as the younger of the pair. Akira could almost picture the droll way that Yu was looking at the Detective, as though asking if the Detective was stupid. "I'm sure if I asked Naoto's grandfather, he could help me come up with a list. Would you like it numerically or alphabetically?" Akira bit his tongue to keep from snorting. "I'd start with the damned mental breakdowns."
"Those have-"
"No bearing, yeah, yeah. As you have said before." Yu said, shaking his head. Akira could only imagine Yu's frustration.
The older Detective stepped in. "Narukami-san." He said. Yu eventually looked at him. "I can't begin to imagine the pain you're going through. But I remembered Shirogane-san coming to Shibuya and doing good work. He-She," The man corrected himself. "Is one of the good ones. We just want to keep this from happening again. The Detective involve has already been taken into custody, we're just trying to figure out why he did it."
Yu shook his head a bit. "Why did any of the mental shutdown victims do what they did? Why did a tram driver with twenty years experience suddenly fail to brake? Why did a bus driver suddenly drive up into a bank despite having a full load of passengers?" Yu looked to the older Detective. "Naoto said it best. You have to look at them all together, as a giant picture. Only she…" Yu trailed off, a sob suddenly taking him.
The older Detective sighed softly before standing straight up. "Alright, alright. Your story matches up with pretty much everyone else's, we'll collaborate with Doctor Takemi to make certain that's where you ran to. I think we have enough people that witnessed your run through the streets to the hospital that we don't need confirmation that you ran here. Take care Narukami-san, and I hope Shirogane-san makes a recovery."
The two Detectives began to make their way towards Akira. The older of the pair watched Akira a moment, with them making eye contact. Akira offered a slight, respectful nod of his head. While he believed the whole thing was a waste of time, he had to admit they were at least doing it by the books.
He didn't get that.
Akira moved down the hall towards the other Wild Card slowly. He took the bag of clothes and dropped it at Yu's feet. "Takemi asked me to pick that up. Not really sure what you wanted, so…"
"I appreciate it." Yu barely looked into the bag, before he just seemed to stare off.
"Hey, if you want to get changed, I'll wait." Akira said. "I also put a thing of curry in there, it's not the freshest since I made it last night, but I'm sure you'll get hungry." Akira really didn't know what to say.
He knew how Naoto was doing already. Yu wasn't showing any relief, but he wasn't worse off. It meant there was no new news.
Yu grunted and grabbed the bag. He took a moment and forced himself to stand. "If there's any word," Yu said, almost desperately pleading with Akira.
"I'll call." Akira said. "I promise."
"Naoto's phone. Mine's… off right now." Yu said before he moved towards the nearest bathroom.
Akira sighed, staring after the silver haired teen a moment. Damn. He really didn't want to see the rage that would come from this. He just knew there would be a level of rage. He closed his eyes, leaning his back against the wall.
He pulled out his phone and accessed his contacts, going into the group that didn't have Yu and Naoto. He had left Morgana with Futaba, so he knew the cat would see the chat. 'What's the chances of Akechi contacting us?' He asked.
'I was actually thinking about that.' Makoto sent. 'Loath as I am to do so, especially what has occured, I think we may need to let it happen. Sis is staying away from home more and more. We might be able to question him about the police movements.'
'Such a thing would undoubtedly be a trap.' Yusuke pointed out.
'Has there been any word on Naoto-kun?' Haru asked.
'None yet.' Akira sent. 'But if we have to work with Akechi, I want it to be done soon, and I want it to be done and over with quickly. If Yu has to ever see Akechi, we WILL NOT be able to stop him. So even if it's a trap, we'll handle it.'
'I've been hearing rumors. Most the students at Shujin are wanting to ask that bastard to speak as a guest speaker for the festival.' Ryuji sent across.
'Futaba, you still have those plans from the laptop, right?' Akira asked.
'Of course.'
'Good, once Akechi has made his play regarding us, we'll start to make a counter plan. I'll be the one to speak with him the most no doubt. Makoto, you'll also be working with me. I need you to bury your feelings on this. Yusuke, we'll need a fourth.'
'I understand, and I will try to be as focused and on task as possible.' Yusuke said. Ah, Akira was glad for Yusuke's unflappability at times.
'Are we really just supposed to act like he did nothing?' Ann asked.
'No. We're supposed to act like he's telling us to break up the Phantom Thieves. I don't know if he will or not, but if we want to trap Akechi, then we need to spring his own trap. Except we know the walls are closing in.' Akira could understand her frustrations. Most of the group probably had them.
'Morgana says it's a bold move, but he's not surprised by your course of actions.' Futaba typed across. 'Also, he raised a good point, what will we do about Mementos requests while Akechi is working with us?'
'Either handle them with him, or handle them on our own. Akechi isn't going to make any overt moves while we're there with him, not until he is absolutely certain of either our disbandment or our capture. He wants to be the one to take down the Phantom Thieves for one reason or another. And there's a good chance he might have evidence. We weren't discreet when we left Haru's Father's Palace.' And while Akira hated bringing it up, he knew they all were aware of that disaster.
'Could we use that against him someway?' Ryuji asked.
'Doubtful.' Akira had been a half second slower on the draw, letting Makoto type things out. 'Not without implicating ourselves in the process, and the way Sis has been acting, all the Phantom Thieves have a target painted on their back. It wouldn't matter if we're a grieving Heiress, the Sister to a well known Prosecutor, or someone with a criminal record. We'd all be going down. And I don't particularly feel up for mutually assured destruction. Call me greedy, but I want to come out ahead.'
'We'll talk more on this soon.' Akira said before he tucked his phone away. He saw Yu coming back from the bathroom, already dressed in his clean clothes. His jeans were tucked into the bag that Akira had brought for him.
"We, the PT I mean, are working on something." Akira said as Yu took a seat across from him. "Now I know you are stronger than me, by a considerable margin." Akira wasn't too proud to admit that. In a one on one fight, Yu was going to run circles around him. Akira might not go down in one move anymore, but Yu was still more comfortable with the versatility and arsenal that he had. "But I want you to sit this one out. Take the time you need, wait for Naoto to make a full recovery."
Yu looked up at Akira. "You're baiting Akechi." he said bluntly.
Akira hesitated a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah we are. I have a feeling he'll do everything in his power to keep us from connecting that he's the masked individual running about people's Palaces, but we're baiting him." He inhaled, bracing for the inevitable explosion of anger. But when it didn't come, he just looked at Yu a bit longer. "How'd you know?" he asked.
"Haru told me." Ah. That explained why Haru had been relatively quiet in the chat. "Smart girl that Haru. Knew I'd probably be keeping an eye on Naoto's phone and not mine."
Akira nodded his head. "Smart and sweet." He said. Akira watched the older Wild Card for a while longer. "Yu." He said and waited until Yu looked at him. "Are you going to be okay?" Maybe a dumb question. There was really only two outcomes. Either Yu would be okay, or he would be destroyed, but it had to be asked.
Yu inhaled and his fist tightened into a ball. "I don't know yet Akira." he said.
Akira nodded and held up his phone. "If there's any change, let me know. I need to get going, School is still on tomorrow, and we both know Naoto would want us to go." He watched Yu nod. Akira had a feeling that Yu would not be going to school until he knew Naoto was safe and would make a good recovery.
Akira paused as he had turned to leave. "Yu. Before you do anything reckless, talk to me okay? I don't want to see more of my friends hurt." He then began to walk off. He doubted Yu would take his advice, but Akira had to try regardless.
Now, how to catch Goro Akechi?
Take Your Time
The waiting. It was awful. It was more awful than Yu could remember. The last time, he had at least been surrounded by his friends, talking and keeping his mind off of it. Now, now he was stuck by himself with only the lead ball in his stomach to keep him company. The anesthesia he had been given for his wound had worn off, as had the adrenaline, so he was reminded his shoulder was injured with a dull throbbing.
He likely pulled something a bit when he put the long sleeve shirt on, But he didn't feel the warm, wetness of blood so maybe he didn't pull his stitches open.
He had, at one point, forced himself to eat the mild vegetable curry. It was… good. But Yu's stomach had rebelled against it regardless. It was too twisted into a knot of anxiety for him to want to eat or drink anything, and he had been banned from drinking anything with caffeine in it for the time being.
Takemi had ordered it. Maybe as a way to keep him from staying up? He didn't know, but he wasn't sleeping until he had heard word about Naoto.
He felt nauseous. He could remember carrying another small, slender, female form in a dead sprint. While it had not been nearly as far as the first time, he still was having flashbacks to Nanako. He brought his hand to his mouth, trying to hold back the sob that wanted to rip from him as he thought about similar happening to Naoto.
Calling out in such a quiet voice for someone she wanted. Her grip slowly becoming more and more laxed until finally, her hand slipped. The bleating of the heart beat monitor flatlining.
It was not a good thing for Yu to dwell on, but he couldn't help it. He clenched his hands tightly. He needed to have hope. He needed to try and have hope for his beloved. She wouldn't give up on him, and he wasn't going to give up on her.
He inhaled deeply and sat back in the chair, letting his gaze shift to the ceiling. She had to get better. She just had to.
"So you must be the infamous Yu Narukami that Naoto has told me so much about." Three things kept Yu from snapping at the newest person to arrive when he so very much wanted to sit in solitude and just wait for any word that would come from the doctors regarding Naoto.
The first thing was that they were someone that Naoto had mentioned Yu, by name, to. That immediately meant that they were someone that Naoto trusted and liked.
The second was that it was well after midnight. Anyone that was there to talk to him was there to wait for word on Naoto.
The third was that Yu had just spoken with the man not that much earlier. Though he sounded different than he had over the phone, there was no mistaking the voice of one Takashi Shirogane.
Yu actually stood up, stood up to greet the man that Naoto had wanted him to meet for so long. That Yu wanted to meet. He wished it was under better conditions that he was meeting Naoto's grandfather, but there was just no way around it.
Yu took stock of the man. He looked similar to Dojima in a way. He had on a pair of brown dress slacks with a white dress shirt. The tie was missing, whether it had been there at one point or not was up for debate. And a brown coat was held over one shoulder. The man's hair was salt and peppered, with a heavy leaning towards the salt. He had Naoto's eyes too, older and wrinkled around the edges but defining the same shape and color. It might be more appropriate to say that Naoto had his eyes.
"Shirogane-san." Yu said. It felt so strange saying that. Not when he had spoken to Naoto in a comfortable, friendly manner for so long. The last time he had honestly used Shirogane-san before that day had been… When she joined Yasogami.
"Narukami-kun." The older man said. He swallowed a moment. "I realize that this is very likely a rhetorical question but… Have you heard anything?"
"No." Yu said. He knew the man knew Yu hadn't heard anything yet. Yu had assured the man that he would be the first to know, but the question still had to be asked. He walked over towards Naoto's grandfather slowly. He noted the height seemed Naoto's family had a penchant for being short.
Not that he would ever say such a thing to her.
"Takashi Shirogane." The older Special Investigator held his hand out to Yu. Not that Yu didn't know who he was, but this was the very first time they were meeting face to face.
Yu reached out and took the hand in his, shaking firmly. "Yu Narukami. And it is an honor to meet you sir." He managed to speak through the tightness in his throat, the thickness of his tongue. "I just wish it were under better circumstances and that Naoto was the one to introduce us." Yu knew he was on the verge of tears, the thought of losing Naoto hung over him…
Still, the older man shook his head. "It's okay. There is still hope. Hold onto it until the very end, tie it around you and cling to it. Only once hope has run out should you think of giving up. Naoto is still fighting."
"You're right." Yu said as he moved away. He ran his left hand through his hair. "You're right. It's just… It's been five… five and a half hours without any word."
"I know." Takashi said. "Sit down Narukami-kun, you look dead on your feet." At the recommendation of the man, Yu sat down and let his shoulders slump once again. Takashi sat down across the hall from Yu on the other bench. He leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on his thighs, watching intently.
Yu glanced up a moment. "Do you have a place to stay?" He asked after a moment. "I'm sure Naoto wouldn't mind if you stayed in her bedroom for the time." He said. The fact that Naoto didn't often sleep in it would likely not go unnoticed, but Naoto had mentioned that her grandfather already knew that she had stayed the night that Christmas so very long ago.
The man had to have some inkling as to the extent of their relationship, and while Yu didn't want to think about it, Takashi Shirogane had at one point been a married man as well.
"Yakushiji is making arrangements at a local hotel." Takashi said. "The offer is appreciated, but I am not without financial resources after my long career." He said. Yu supposed not. Naoto never seemed to hurt for money herself. Yu knew he could ask her, but he didn't feel it prudent to pry into how much she made. She helped out with groceries, and that was enough for him.
There was a giant elephant in the room between the two of them. Yu was thankful that Takashi Shirogane hadn't asked yet, but he knew it was coming and already he could feel himself reliving those moments with shocking crystal clarity. Takashi was a Special Investigator. And that meant, especially considering it had been Naoto, he was going to undoubtedly ask. So Yu stayed quiet, gathering his thoughts.
Maybe a minute stretched out in the silence. The question was coming. Yu could feel it in his bones. He was going to be asked one of the hardest questions to answer that day. "How did you first meet Naoto, Narukami-kun?" There it- Wait, what? The difference in line of questioning actually caused Yu to startle a little, sitting up a little bit more. It was a jarring experience to be expecting one question, to be getting his thoughts in line for that question, only to be asked a completely different question.
Not that it was a difficult question to answer. Yu thought back to the very first meeting that he had with Naoto Shirogane. "I was in Inaba during the… incidents there two years ago." Yu said. He still looked back on that time fondly. Even if he was scared that some of his friends would die, even if they had died, he still looked back on the time fondly. "Me and a few others at the time we… foolishly and stupidly, stuck our noses into investigating the incidents due to unforeseen circumstances. The police, with all respect intended to them and my uncle, didn't know their ass from their own elbow. But we held suspicions that Kanji Tatsumi's mother might be the next one to go missing at the time." Yu gave a snort of amusement. "How wrong we were. But we went in, just to ask if she had seen anyone suspicious around. She was already talking to this slender boy dressed in blue complete with a blue hat."
Yu leaned back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. "After that, a pair of friends of mine foolishly followed Kanji and Naoto as they were going to discuss something. We didn't know who Naoto was at that point, so had no idea she might be called into investigator something. But when Kanji turned up missing, I was pointed to that same slender boy that frequented the Junes shopping center."
The older Shirogane smiled lightly and nodded his head. "What made you think that Police didn't know anything?" he asked.
Yu shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me, even if Naoto was here to collaborate." he said softly.
"Try me." Yu looked at the older man at that small statement. "Narukami-kun, I have had a very, very long career. I have seen a number of things for a number of reasons. I've learned to be a bit open minded to things. If you say that my granddaughter can collaborate your story, I'd be hard pressed not to listen and believe it."
Yu rubbed his chin a moment as he thought about it. He might be appearing as a crazy before his girlfriend's only relative. But he could bear with that. Yu sighed a moment. "I am aware it is as delusional as it sounds." He said, holding up his hand to hopefully head off that statement. "But, the killer, Tohru Adachi, had pushed people into a television. Like the screen was the surface to a pond that they could just fall through." Yu could see the skepticism growing on Takashi's face. It almost brought an amused smile to Yu, thinking back to the Port Island trip and the original King's Game where Rise had blabbed everything to Naoto.
Better times, simpler times.
"As I said, it is as delusional as it sounds, but it's true." Yu said. "Taro Namatame had a similar ability, and from Yukiko Amagi onwards to Naoto, with the sole exception of Mitsuo Kubo, was putting other people through the TV, thinking it was a haven, a land that would save them." He could see that Naoto's grandfather was starting to get interested, wondering where Yu was going with this. "One night, after following up on a silly rumor, I decided to touch my TV, and my hand sank inside of it. Almost woke up the house with how hard I fell backwards."
"Why though?" Takashi asked.
Yu sighed softly. "There's another world on the other side of the TV. It's usually peaceful, but it can quickly turn violent and unpredictable. It was a world filled with fog." He shook his head. "Naoto would be better at explaining everything." He said a bit somberly. "But… the police aren't going to look at something as asinine sounding as a world through a TV screen. Hell, Naoto was furious with us when one of our friends told her the truth, thinking we were making her out to be a fool."
Takashi nodded his head. "I may very well ask Naoto about this TV World." he said. It was clear he still held some skepticism, but would at least try to confirm Yu's story with a source he had much more reason to trust. And a source that could explain everything to him a lot better. "But you said that Naoto had been kidnapped. Tell me about that. Naoto had only said she made a mistake and paid for it."
Yu was quiet a moment. "After a while, we began to hypothesize that the killer was using people who appeared on television, we still thought the original murders and the subsequent kidnappings were one and the same. Naoto went on TV, discussing her thoughts that the police were too hasty in declaring the case closed. Kubo being labeled as the killer did rub me wrong as well, I admit, but my friends thought it had been case closed. He admitted to killing them." Yu looked to his hands. "She approached us, made a statement about how she worked things out. How we were actually saving the victims. I think she was placing her trust in us, to save her if the worst happened. She had no idea she'd be thrown into the TV World with no way out."
Yu glanced up to Takashi again. "I had struck up a cordial relationship with Naoto. A sort of friendship before that. I had to wait on a bus to take me up to the hospital for one of my night jobs and I'd occasionally see her at the bookstore. It was a little thing, but I'd see her at it all the time." Yu finally did give a small sound of amusement. "Not that I knew she was a girl before that. It just felt like I found a kindred soul. Someone that had bounced around, place to place, without really belonging anywhere. I didn't ask about what it was like being a child detective, I just asked if she could recommend any good books. She looked so surprised the first time I did so."
"Narukami-kun," Yu looked to Takashi a bit directly, being brought back to the present. "I had my reservations about you." The older man admitted. "What parental figure wouldn't when their charge comes home, saying she got a boyfriend, that she found love?" Yu could hardly blame the man for it. "But I see now that you're a good man, and that my daughter is the light of your world just as much. You had my respect when you called me, no doubt under her orders." Yu was about to make a comment when Takashi held his hand up to forestall it. "It's okay to get tunnel vision when our loved ones are hurt." The man spoke from experience no doubt. "But you have my approval, Narukami-kun."
"Yu then." If he had the man's approval, Yu would insist on his name being used.
"Yu." Takashi said. The man sighed and inhaled, leaning in. "My granddaughter loves you. And when you left Inaba, a little bit of this bright beacon dimmed, just slightly. It didn't go out, but I could tell that you were a good influence on her. You taught her how to be a bit more honest and open with herself. I could see that pretending to be a boy wore on her. She didn't have the mindset of one. She wasn't a boy trapped in a girl's body. She was a girl that wanted success and recognition in a male field and found her hobbies to be very boyish. She had no time, and admittedly no one to help her, recognize and embrace her femininity. And as time grew on, this beacon diminished little by little."
"I was… choking in Shibuya." Yu said.
"Say no more." Takashi held his hand up "I understand. When I was sixteen, I lived in my own apartment while working a case for the better part of eight months. When I went back to my family, I felt stifled by the small town. You'll eventually come to appreciate the bigger towns, even if you do go back to the small town."
Yu nodded his head softly. "Naoto's been helping me figure things out." he said softly.
There was a pause in their discussion for a little bit. Finally, Takashi spoke. "What happened?" There it was. The giant elephant in the room. The eldest Shirogane wanted to know what happened to his granddaughter.
Yu took a deep breath. "Do you want the full scope of the story? Or just the events of today?" he asked.
"The full scope." Takashi said.
Yu knew he would have to edit the version he told Takashi, and that the older Special Investigator would know that Yu was editing it. "I asked Naoto to come to Shibuya to help me with something. Something with the TV World." Yu explained, hoping that the older man would understand that it wasn't something so easily explained. "She made arrangements, I had a place she could stay. When she got here, she offered her services to the local police prefecture." All of it seemed like pretty normal stuff. "Naoto dove into the case of the bizarre cases where people have had their cognitive functions seem to… shut down. The media has been calling them mental shutdowns. It doesn't always kill the person that it happens to, but it does tend to lead to accidents."
"I've heard about those." Takashi said. "A few contacts of mine warned me that I might be asked to join the investigation."
"Well Naoto didn't look at them as each a separate incident of some pandemic or a disease. She looked at them as a whole picture. And whatever she found, it has to implicate quite a number of people. There's just been too many incidents." Yu said. "On a favor from a colleague, she went on to give an interview, to try and put a more… productive spin on what Goro Akechi has been saying. He's been saying a lot of 'I feel' or 'I felt'. Intuition is great and all for the job, but facts and things that can be proven are a lot better."
Takashi nodded his head, taking everything in. He didn't frown, he simply kept a straight face.
"Well, on the interview, Akechi pushed a few buttons and Naoto let it slip that she found his work too convenient, too easy. That what he has done doesn't sit right." Yu swallowed a bit. "And let it slip she'll be sending her findings to homicide." Yu got quiet as he began to remember the event
"It was about five… It was a bit later than we might usually meet up with our friends. We were going to go have dinner as a group, talk about the upcoming exams. We were at Le Blanc in Yongen-jaya. I came out of the bathroom from washing my hands. I work in the food industry, it's become habit for me to wash my hands before handling food, even to eat it." It was also just good hygiene, but not everyone followed that. "A man had come in and addressed Naoto by name." Yu choked on a sob as he could still hear the thunderous retort of the revolver. Never before had one sounded so loud.
"Take your time." Takashi said, keeping his voice as even as possible.
"The red flags raised a little slow. By the time I even thought she was in danger…" Yu's voice broke. He held up his index finger like a gun and mimed it shooting. "She had already taken a round to her chest. I was in the middle of reacting when a second one slammed into her, not far from the first. I just… I dragged her down to the ground. I took a third round to the shoulder." Yu motioned to his injured shoulder.
"Did you see who did it?" Takashi asked.
"Yes, the police even have him in custody. But I doubt he's anything more than a pawn for the people Naoto is after." Yu said. "I knew I shouldn't, but I thought about looking for any information." Yu held up Naoto's phone. "Give something to the police. But I couldn't find anything."
"No surprise." Takashi said. He produced two older flip phones from his pockets. "That's Naoto's personal phone. She won't keep her work on it." Just like her grandfather apparently. "So you don't have any clues right now." He concluded.
"No." Yu said quietly, looking at Naoto's phone and tucking it back into his pocket with his. "But they had better hope that Naoto survives this." Yu said.
"Yu?" Takashi sounded concerned.
Instead, inside Yu, something shifted on its own. His Persona changed, the ability of the Wild Card activated on its own. He switched from Izanagi-no-Okami to Lucifer. The Ultimate Judge. Yu raised his head up and stared at the older Shirogane properly. He sat up and squared his shoulders. When he spoke, he knew it was being witnessed by his Persona of Judgement, so his voice was firm and clear.
"If Naoto dies, I will kill everyone responsible."
Chapter End
A/N: After some basic ass research, I found out it takes about six hours of surgery to treat emergency gunshot wounds like Naoto suffered. And about two weeks recovery time.
Also, the Red Cross Medical Center Naoto was taken to was the closest place with an emergency room that I could find to Shibuya Station. It was 1.6 km away. I know I stretch a few things with the suspension of disbelief, but I did try to pick a real place.