Alright, first of all, The reason why the writing in the last chapter was so jumbled was because Minato was very tired when it happened.
Actually, that's a lie. I want to apologise if any of you felt that there was a drop in quality in the last chapter. I wrote it when I really, really should have been sleeping, and I'm sorry if the story suffered because of it.
Now, General Generic, I fixed the mistakes in the last chapter. No, Minato does not think that Naoto is a guy, it was meant to be sarcasm, not emphasisation. Should have made that clear. Probably with a 'dammit, sarcasm in Japanese is still hard…' type of line. Ah well. And Naoto is my favourite P4 girl too, she's kinda like a cross between Tifa and Batman, only not at all. And not useful? Dude. Light, Dark and Almighty? Sure, not a good choice for boss fights, but she makes short work out of mooks. Also, if she was a Persona user by this point in the story and could channel like the rest of S.E.E.S., then can you imagine the kind of damage she could do with a Light and Darkness infused bullet? That was my original plan to kill Shinji.
Also, sorry for bland Katsuya. Remember, I haven't played P2, and tired. I watched a good amount of the cutscenes from eternal punishment to get a grasp on his character, and remember, should've been sleeping.
Now for the shameless plug of the day. I've started doing Beta work for Uatu's 'What If? Naruto', which is a lot like your standard over-powered Naruto story, only instead of amping up Naruto's power levels, he makes him a Magnificent Bastard. Well worth reading.
And now, we return to our hero who is running very fast to catch a date with a little girl.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
"Pant… Pant…"
"You're late!" Maiko pouted. "You promised you wouldn't forget!"
I lifted the Game Panic paper bag to her as I gulped in the air. "H-happy…" I gasped, "B-birth…day…"
"It was yesterday you know." Maiko sighed, taking the bag and opening it. "WOW! A Jack Frost Doll!" She smiled. "You didn't forget after all!"
I stood up, smiling. I actually had forgotten until on the way here, so I got the doll out of a vending machine on the way here. Luckily, the person before me gave up without getting a prize, so I only had to play a couple of times. And Jack Frost Dolls go down well no matter who you're giving them too. You just gotta love the little guy.
Last night's freaky dream excluded, but that was King Frost. He's probably a dick.
"Hey! Stripe-shirt!" Maiko called, turning around, "Look what Ao-san got me for my birthday!"
I followed her gaze to see a thin young man who looked like he was knocking on death's door. "That's…" He smiled. "Very nice…"
"He's more than knocking." Pharos told me. "He's braying the door down."
"You don't look so good…" Maiko pointed out. "Are you sick?"
"Kinda, yeah." Replied the terminal young man. "I'm surprised you could tell."
"Huh?" Maiko's eyes near popped out. "S-So, you are sick?"
The guy laughed. Sun Arcana. "I'm kidding. You're so easy, Maiko"
"No fair!" Maiko pouted, folding her arms under her doll. "I'm an innocent girl, so I actually believed you!"
How long does he have?
"He's past due." Pharos told me. "If you're gonna do a social link with him, best be quick about it."
Damn… "Hey, Maiko?" I asked. "Do you wanna go get some Takoyaki?"
Maiko smiled. "Yeah! The nice lady promised me one as a present!" She ran down the stairs. "I'll be right back!"
Once she was out of sight, the young man collapsed on a seat. "And you are..?" He asked me.
"Minato Arisoto." I replied, sitting down next to him. "I'm a friend of Maiko's."
"So you're the guy she was talking about." He nodded. "I wondered what you were like... Are you 'too old' to play with kids?" He asked, "Or are you still young at heart?"
I smirked. "Men are forever boys." I quoted "We are never too old for toys."
The guy shook his head, leaning back. "It's weird to see people hanging around the temple..." He said, not necessarily to me. "It's usually a graveyard around here."
"Yeah," I agreed, "But I like graveyards."
That got his interest. Gets most people's actually. "It's the peace." I replied. "You just feel at peace with everything. Life, Death, and everything in between."
He scoffed at that, though not sarcastically. "How long do you have?" I asked.
"I… beg your pardon?"
I leaned forward on the bench, looking ahead. "You're dying and you know it. Do you know how much time you have?"
He sighed behind me. "Doctors say that I won't live to see spring."
"Plenty of time." Pharos pointed out. Dude, time and place.
"Hey!" Maiko called, running up the steps. "I got the Takoyaki! You eat with us too striped shirt!"
"Nah, I'm okay." He declined. "Thanks, but I'd better head back. It's starting to get chilly."
In this heat? Man, he really is dying. "Looking for something?" I asked.
"Somewhat…" He said. "I lost something important to me… it was taken by a red eyed demon…" He sighed. "But, it appears to be lost forever…"
Red eyed demon?
Koromaru used to live here right?
"I'll keep my eye open." I called to him as he walked down the stairs, but I'm not sure he heard me.
"I usually see him around the shrine on Sundays" Maiko told me. "On my way to cram school sometimes too. Oh well!" She opened the box. "Takoyaki time!"
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
"It's so hot I might burn up!" Maiko said. "I remember last night, at the party, Dad burned his mouth on this takoyaki! ...'Cause I put too many in his mouth at once. He was like, 'Fungaaaaaah!'"
That'd be hilarious to see actually. "I told you that they'd remember."
Maiko nodded. "...We haven't really eaten together as a family for a while." Okay, this is the part where we all feel down… "We used to eat dinner together every night... How come Mom and Dad don't get along anymore?"
Okay, now how to answer that one.
"I know!" Maiko exclaimed. "I'll just ask them why they wanted a divorce!"
Aaand the simple solution wins.
"If I can get rid of the reason, everything'll be fine, right?" She asked. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get my parents back together! You'll do what you can to help, right?" She asked, smiling. Hey, whatever works.
SMASH!
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hanged Man Arcana…
You bet I do.
Now to visit the Velvet Room.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
"Well well." Igor announced as I came in. "You carried yourself quite well last night."
Well? "What are you talking about? I lost, remember?"
Igor chuckled. "While the lack of a conclusion against the Arcana Justice was disappointing, I am in fact referring to what transpired afterwards."
Hm? "Running from the cops?" I asked. "Entering the crime scene? What?"
"Why, your incident with King Frost, of course."
Wait, what?
"It had been a long time since one has stood up to him like that." Igor replied. "Until recently, the Demonata were free to interact with the human world however they pleased, and conversations between man and demon were not rare." Igor chuckled. "Were it not for the actions of Kishima a few years ago, then this would still happen today."
"You're being surprisingly talkative for once." I told him. "Normally you sit back and let me figure it out myself."
"Indeed." Igor nodded. "But I feel that I must warn you of the world you are about to enter into."
Hm? "Go on." I told him.
"Very well." Igor replied. "A few years ago, this world was destroyed by the rampant actions of the Demonata."
"First," I interrupted, "What's the Demonata?"
"They are the gods and demons that reign over the other side." Igor explained. "Until recently, they roamed freely between your world and theirs."
"And this world is in between, right?" I asked. "We are reality, theirs is dream."
Igor chuckled. "Correct. As such, they would often create contracts with mortals in exchange for power over in your world."
"This power destroyed it?" I asked.
"Correct." Igor replied. "With the human race extinct, the Demonata had free reign over in your plane, and the earth was laid to waste."
"And Kishima hit a reset button."
Igor chuckled. "He had a power very similar to yours." He explained. "He became a demon himself, and restored the human world to how it was before the apocalypse, with one exception." Igor smiled. "In the new world he created, the Demonata cannot roam freely."
"So they become my Personae then?" I asked.
Igor chuckled. "They will try anything to influence this world." He said. "Some influence cyber space, others the world of dreams. However, the most prominent doorway from their world to yours is you my boy."
I nodded. "That makes sense, since Orpheus is my only Persona that looks like everyone else's."
Igor chuckled. "Orpheus is indeed a true persona; a manifestation of your psyche, a façade you wear when you brace life's hardships. The rest however are indeed the influence of gods and demons sharing the power and refuge of your mind, in exchange for their name and strength." Igor chuckled. "You could say that you represent them. However, this also means that a defeat on your account may suggest weakness on theirs, and many will not accept that."
"Like King Frost?"
Igor nodded. "Despite his playful appearance, he is a rather cruel character. However…" He held up a card.
It showed the King Frost, but showing an expression of fear behind chain motifs covering his image.
"You rejected his authority." Igor explained. "And robbed him of what little freedom he had. Some demons may take this as a threat, while others may see this as a challenge." Igor smiled. "The longer you keep the King of winter sealed within that card, the more attention you will draw from more… malevolent beings…"
"Not all of it bad though! Hee ho!"
I turned around to see… "Jack Frost?" I asked.
"It's Black Frost!" it corrected. "Don't confuse me with that weakling! Hee ho!"
"Black Frost was once a Jack Frost." Igor explained as Black Frost waddled over to us and took a seat at our table. "However, upon remembering his true memories as a demon, he gained much greater power."
I looked at the Frost properly. It's bigger than the regular Jack, and his skin is black instead of white, with red ebil eyes and a purple hat. It also lacked the normal blue glow that Persona normally have.
Wait, does that mean…
"I'm the real deal, Heeho!." Black Frost told me. "The Black Jack. The master of Fire and the Ice, The Darkness and the Despair. Hee Ho!" Damn, he's almost terrifying until he adds that little tic.
"I see." I said. "And… what're you doing here?"
Black grinned. "You put that cold bastard on ice." He told me. "Anyone with that kind of skill is bound to make me even stronger." He grinned. "And besides… kingy and I go way back, Hee ho."
Although, when he says it quietly and calmly like that, the nightmare fuel burns again. "…So..?" asked.
Black Frost slapped his head. "Igor, you said the kid was smart, Hee ho!"
Igor chuckled. "He is new to the concept of forming Demonic Contracts, so please, give him some time."
Demonic Contracts?
Click.
"So as well as Persona, you want me to wield the power of a demon?" I asked.
Black Frost chuckled. "Nah, why would I do that, Hee ho?" He smiled. "I'm offering you the power of my Persona, on the condition that you keep King Icy locked up in that card."
I got a better plan. "Or, we could create a Demonic Contract, where I get you."
The room got cold. "And why would I do that, Hee Ho?"
I reached into my pocket and handed him the Chained King Frost card. "Because I'll give you the King."
That shocked him into silence while Igor chuckled. "Splendid."
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
"So, you made a contract." Pharos commented to me dryly as I walked up the alley out of the Velvet Room. "What did you sell for the demon's services?" He asked.
King Frost.
"Oh." Pharos replied. "Well, that's not too bad. King Frost was a liability anyways, and for something like that…"
I get a very loyal ally out of Black Frost.
"Ah, Doctor-san." Oh, I recognise that voice.
"Young Naoto." I replied, turning around. "How can I help you?"
"I was wondering if you could possibly help me with my investigation?" 'He' asked. "May we talk somewhere in private?"
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
"So, what is this about?" I asked Naoto once we got to the shrine.
"I would like you to tell me about your involvement with the incident at the munitions warehouse last night."
I sighed. "Look, I told you, I was investigating the scene."
"There is no record of any 'Doctor' in any of the police detective records." Naoto told me. "What's more, your attitude and manner of carrying yourself is much closer to that of a high school student than that of a private detective."
"What're you getting at?"
"How is your wife?"
"She's good." I nodded, wanting out of here.
"And your daughter?"
"She's already walking." I told Naoto. "Why the personal questions?"
"Because last night you mentioned that you had a son."
…
"Oh, she got you good." Pharos pointed out. "Hook, line and sinker."
"Alright, you got me." I shrugged. "I lied about having a family and being a detective, alright?"
Apparently, Naoto wasn't. "And you ran straight too the irregular crater." The detective said. "Suggesting you knew the situation of the scene beforehand."
"And if I did?" I asked.
Naoto smiled. "Then I will take a recording of our conversation," She pulled a Dictaphone out of her pocket and showed it to me, keeping it out of reach, "And let the police decide how to deal with you."
Now, I could try to bargain with the kid, but that'll just make me look guiltier, and this kid's obsessed with being proper detective. I could threaten the kid but again, proper detective. Running would be useless and not helpful, so I did what I did best and cheated.
I groped the detective's chest.
"AH-HEY!" She yelped, (Yep, I was right), bringing her arms into her chest instinctively, which made grabbing the Dictaphone easy.
When in doubt, Grope.
"HEY, return that this instant!" Naoto's hand shot out for the recorder, but I ran past her and jumped onto the back of a bench.
"He shoots…" I said as I rebounded off the bench and threw the damn thing to the ground as hard as I could. "HE SCORES!" I finished as it broke into little pieces. "Who's your daddy!?" I taunted, "Who's your daddy!? Who's-?"
Holy crap I am acting like Tanaka. I stood up straight and apologised. "Sorry." I said, "But I'm not going to let you ruin yourself like that."
"Me?" She asked, shocked. "What the hell are you talking about!?"
I sighed then walked to the steps. "If you want to be a detective, you can't just go for the easiest answer. Most people's lives are based on what is reasonable and common sense." I leaned on the fence to face her. "Truth is apt to be neither. Now, you can go run along to the police with the first sniff of a clue that you find," I warned, "Or, you can realise that clues get in the way of an investigation. You dig past all the clues, assumptions, lies and unknowns until you find the truth."
Think man, finish this... "And once you get the truth," I added, "Real detectives try their damned hardest to smash it into lies, just to see if the truth you found hold weight." I got up. "Also, if you really want people to believe you're a dude, don't deepen your voice as much and shove a sock down your trousers." I started walking down the stairs and waved with the back of my hand. "A pair if you're ambitious."
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
I got back to the dorm around at around three O'clock to find everyone gathered in the lounge. "There you are." Yukari said as I came through the door. "The Chairman took Ken-kun out for the day so we can plan our attack for tonight."
"Cool." I said. "And I got some bad news."
"What now?" Junpei asked wearily.
"The police are still crawling all over the case." I said. "In fact, they'll still most likely be there tonight."
"So?" Akihiko asked. "We go in after the Dark Hour begins."
"That's not it." Fuuka told him. "The Shadow was about to launch a powerful laser attack when the last Dark Hour ended."
"So all the transmogged cops will get caught in the blast…" Shinji groaned. "Shit."
Akihiko turned to Shinji. "I thought you swore off swearing?"
That was a surprise to everyone else. "I deserve this one." Shinji retorted. "People are gonna die and it's our fault."
"We need to get the police out of there when the Dark Hour starts." Yukari stated. "If we can figure out how to do that, then we can focus on figuring out how to beat the Shadow."
"Alright then." I set my iPhone on top of the TV with a countdown set.
(08:00:00)
"We leave at eleven so we get an hour's grace time." I looked around the team. "Let's get to work."
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:52:05)
"Got it!" Junpei announced. "We get a van full of donuts and coffee and hold a party two blocks away!"
"Real cops are professionals." Akihiko sighed. "Even if we could do that, it wouldn't get many officers."
"We gotta keep trying." Yukari said.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:41:32)
"Could we purchase the property and ask the police to vacate the premises?" Aigis asked.
"Property exchange takes a good few days." Mitsuru sighed. "And even if we could do it in time, the warehouse was military property, and the government has no reason to sell land that is currently being investigated by the police."
"Understood." Aigis replied monotonously.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:37:17)
"Why don't we start a riot somewhere else?" Shinji asked. "All the cops gather for that."
"Good plan." I told him. "We just need someone who could ignite a riot for us with perfect timing and keep it going through midnight, which is when most people are in a particularly non-riotous mood."
"Tch…"
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:25:25)
"Wait, didn't you say that you encountered a police sergeant who was a Persona user?" Fuuka asked me.
"Yeah, but I doubt that he'd have the authority to order off an investigation like that."
"Why don't you give it a try regardless?" Mitsuru suggested. "It's the best option we have so far."
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:25:10)
"Hey, Tatsuya?" I asked. "Look, can you call your brother Katsuya and get him to make sure no-one's around the warehouse at midnight tomorrow night?"
_/\_"Call him yourself."_/\_ Tatsuya replied. _/\_"Want his number?"_/\_
"Thanks."
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:24:25)
Ring…Ring…
Ring…Ring…
Ring…Re-Click!
_/\_"Sergeant Suou."_/\_
"Hey, it's me." I told him, "Minato, from last night?
_/\_"How did you get this number?"_/\_
"Your brother gave it to me." I told him, "But listen-"
_/\_"He hates me."_/\_ He sighed. _/\_"He really does."_/\_
Oookay? "Anyways, we need you to clear the area of last nights explosion for midnight, or people are gonna die."
_/\_"We don't have the units to patrol that area tonight as it is."_/\_ Katsuya replied. _/\_"You're open."_/\_
"Thanks." I replied, hanging up. "They were gonna do it anyway."
Junpei couldn't believe it. "Well, that was a waste of half an hour."
Sigh. "Alright, now how're we gonna kill this thing?"
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(07:12:46)
"Missiles?" Akihiko suggested. "Worked last time."
"Last time we had missiles." Mitsuru told him.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(06:32:46)
"Hey, how does your Persona thing work?" Shinji asked me. "I mean, you can change Persona and all, but you keep changing the ones you can change between, right?"
That's right, Shinji didn't get the memo, and even then I didn't go into detail. "Well, I can hold twelve at a time." I told him. "As I get stronger, I can fuse the Personae I have to make stronger ones."
"Fusing?" Junpei asked. "What, like in Dragon Ball?"
"Kinda." I told him. "Though I can also get Personas from killing Shadows, though they're weak as hell compared to the fused ones."
Junpei clicked his fingers. "So all you have to do fuse a bigger one!"
"I do that all the time." I told him. "I got the biggest ones I can handle right now."
Yeah… this planning session is going crap.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(06:15:46)
"I've got it!" Fuuka shouted.
"Let's hear it…" Junpei replied oh so very enthusiastically.
Fuuka looked very enthusiastic, for reals this time. "Well, I've been going over the Aerial photos of the battle ground," She told us, "And I figured out what we were doing wrong!"
YES! Progress! "What is it?" Mitsuru asked.
"We were fighting it on the ground!" Fuuka explained. Wow captain obvious, I really thought you were onto something there. "But if we were to fight from the rooftops," Fuuka continued, "Then we would be fighting on equal ground!"
"Uh, newsflash?" Junpei told her, "but the thing can still fly."
Fuuka shook her head. "Not far. In fact, I don't think it can go more than fifty metres in the air, from floor to foot." Fuuka countered. "Judging from its wingspan and size, I'm guessing that it can actually only hover and propel itself in the air. It lacks the ability for true flight."
SNAP! "Fuuka, how big was that thing's gun?"
"Um… at least thirty metres long." She said. "I'm sorry I can't give you an exact figure…"
I shook my head. "But if what you're saying is true, then it won't be able to manoeuvre its gun up to eye level because of the buildings."
Everyone was impressed by that except Shinji "Unless it decides just to smash through the buildings with it…"
"That is not the case." Aigis replied. "The barrel of the cannon is hollow and designed to withstand internal damage. It could collapse against the steel structure of the building if used as a blunt instrument…"
"So that's why it waited outside…" Fuuka gasped. "Not because it didn't want to fight indoors, but because it couldn't…"
I nodded. "Yep. It'll be like punching Junpei in a barrel."
"Hey!"
"Since you couldn't move your arms." I explained.
"Oh, okay."
"Aren't we forgetting something?" Yukari asked. "It had a shield and an energy sword too."
…
Damn.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(05:34:02)
"I'm hungry…" I pointed out. It was half five after all.
"Want me to order take-out?" Junpei asked. "Don't have the money to pay for it though."
"I'll pass the bill onto the Chairman." Mitsuru replied, passing Junpei the dorm phone. "Make sure to get us something good."
"No Takoyaki." I told him. I'd eaten too many of those today.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(05:21:48)
DING!
"I'll get it." Akihiko sighed, getting up for the door. We'd still made no more serious progress in our strategy.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(05:20:23)
Tell you what though. These noodles are good.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(04:47:19)
"Maybe…" Shinji suggested, "You can make a bigass drill and stab straight through it."
I sighed. "If only…"
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(04:34:59)
You could use my magic, Heeho.
Huh? I snapped my head up to see a transluscent Black Frost standing in the corner.
Now that you've given me the King's power, hee hee… Black smiled malevolently, I can just drop an avalanche on the guy's head.
"Sweet!" I said aloud.
"Huh?" Yukari asked. "What is?"
Dammit, forgot other people were in the room. Well, new information should be shared. "Apparently I can drop avalanches on Shadow's heads now."
"Hey, not bad!" Junpei shouted.
"But, that wouldn't hold it for too long…" Mitsuru admitted.
…
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
(04:32:24)
Aigis lifted her voice.
"What if you melted the ice?"
"Then the melted water would turn to blood, flowing into the street." Mitsuru told her.
Akihiko raised his head. "Hey… Blood's got iron in it, right? So it should conduct electricity really well…"
"It would also freeze pretty hard." Yukari said with a smile. "That should hold the Shadow, right?" She asked everyone.
I like this plan.
[}~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~{]
Oooh, where am I going to go from here!?
Yeah, this chapter dragged on for longer than I expected, but Justice will be fought next chapter, I PROMISE!!
And is this plan going to work?
No seriously, you guys tell me because I have no idea.
