A/N: Hey long chapter in bound, so ready thine butts.
Day: April 15th: Friday
Time: Afternoon
Location: Aoyama-Itchome
Ryuji and Kyotaro stood beside a soda machine at the train station, getting drinks for everyone. The two were in an awkward position, both hesitant about starting up a conversation. After exploring Kamoshida's castle, it seemed like they were on good terms again but it was too uncertain where they stood.
But Ryuji ultimately caved in, "Hey, I… I want to say sorry about bein' a dick to you. I honestly shouldn't have rush into that asshole's office, and I shouldn't have gotten angry at you."
"No, it's okay…" Kyotaro waved off, "I… was going to apologize to you and Akira for not backing you up back there. Maybe if I was there, then I might have convinced Kamoshida…"
"Nah," Ryuji shook it off after getting two bottles out from the vending machine, "That bastard had us on his shit list, he would have gotten us expelled sooner if he could."
"Still…" Kyotaro couldn't continue to speak any further. It was like breathing underwater, trying to force himself to speak about such an uncomfortable topic. "...Are we good?"
"Of course, man." Ryuji clapped his shoulder with a wide smile, "Phantom Thieves stick together, right?"
The two walked over to Akira and Ann, who waited for them by a payphone. Kyotaro clicked the cap off of his drink and began to down it.
"Which one do you want?" Ryuji turned to Ann as he held up two bottles of soda.
"Whichever's not carbonated."
Ryuj looked down at the bottles in his hands, "Uh, they're both actually…"
Ann sighed as she took the cola soda, Akira taking the leftover melon soda from Ryuji. As they held onto the bottles, Morgana popped his head out from Akira's bag. Looking between them with a tinge of indignation.
"Hey, what about me?" He asked Ryuji.
"Huh? But you're a cat." The faux-blonde brought up.
"And before you go on and say something, you're a cat right now." Kyotaro interjected, "And soda might not mesh well with your diet."
Amidst this, Ann began giggling at the absurdity of the situation and her experience with these four in general.
Morgana looked over to Ann over Akira's shoulder, "Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?"
Ann blinked at the sight of the talking cat, "Um… Morgana, right? I really am talking to a cat… This feels so strange… Oh, sorry! You're not a cat, right?"
"It's only natural that you're confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much." Morgana nodded his head in understanding.
"Friggin little…" Ryuji grumbled at Morgana's attitude towards Takamaki. When they get confused, they get nothing but name calling‒ but apparently, it's a whole 'nother story with her!
"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened…" Ann brushed aside one of her pigtails, "And that power… my Persona…"
"It's the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann." Morgana explained like before, "With it, you'll be able to fight in that other world."
Ann bit her lip in thought, "So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Is it really possible…? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?"
"Everyone is keeping quiet about him," Kyotaro sighed, "Students, teachers, parents. And if we report him to the police, they won't even lift a finger. So we have to be the ones to bring him in."
"Then let me help too." Ann gave a determined nod of her head, "I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her… I'll never forgive him."
Ryuji was taken aback by this, "Wait, did you just say, 'let me help'? You mean, you want us to take you along?"
Ann's lips tightened into a frown as she faced Ryuji, "Don't act like I'm going to drag you down. Weren't you watching? I can fight too."
"Well, we do need all the help we can get…" Kyotaro shrugged as he turned to Akira, "What do you think, dude?"
Akira took a lock of his hair and began to twirl it in thought, "It will be dangerous, but that power she showed back at the castle…" He looked to Takamaki with a light smile on his face, "Alright, welcome to the Phantom Thieves, Takamaki-san."
"Thanks," Ann mirrored smile back at Akira, "But I'd prefer you guys just call me 'Ann', if we are going to take down that pervy bastard then there's no point in formalities. Even if you did say no, then I'd just go in alone."
Ryuji let out an exasperated sigh, "Alright, fine… I'd guess would be dangerous than turnin' her down. What with that stupid app…"
"Then it's decided. Well, I hope we get along!" She gave a warm smile towards her new teammates, Ann's expression steeled as she announced to her fellow thieves. "I'm going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho's sake, but for everything he's done. I won't let any more people suffer because of him. I'll do whatever it takes!"
Akira smiled, feeling Ann's fighting resolve run through him. Noticing a bond beginning to form between them.
I am thou, Thou art I
Thou hast established a new vow
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity
With the birth of the Lovers Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and a new power
Lovers… Ann is another confidant, huh?
"Just let me know when you're heading back in." Ann's voice brought him back to reality. "Oh wait! We don't have each other's info."
She pulled out her phone and opened up her contacts app, " Hey, give me your number and chat ID. And, um…"
Ann looked between the three Shujin boys, "I'll be counting on you, then." She lowered herself to meet her eyes with the cat inside Akira's bag, "Same goes for you, Morgana."
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann." Morgana dipped his head into a bow as he saw Ann walk off after they all shared their contract info.
He waved his paw in goodbye, a love struck smirk written across his feline face. "What a kind girl… Such admirable consideration for others…"
"Oh boy…" Kyotaro facepalmed as they braced himself for more of Morgana's swooning.
"And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal…" The cat trilled at the thought of Ann. "She cares about her friends, and she's beautiful to boot… What a girl! She's captured my heart…"
The three Shujin Students looked at Morgana in exasperation, uncomfortable with how much the cat had been infatuated with Ann. But they decided against spending much energy into getting into that topic. Especially with Akira and Ryuji's expulsion on the horizon.
A sudden idea popped into Ryuji's head, "You know, it'd be better if this group could get together quick from now on."
"True." Morgana nodded his head in agreement, "Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things."
"Like a base, huh?" Kyotaro rubbed his chin at the thought. "Hm… What about the rooftop at Shujin? No one goes there and best of all, it's free."
"Seems like a perfect hideout for the time being," Morgana smirked from Akira's bag, "As for my situation, I won't be able to contact you from inside a Palace, so I'll stay in this world. That being said, I'll need someone to take care of me."
"Uh, Ryuji? Kyotaro?" Akira looked to his teammates with a weak smile.
"Sorry dude, my mom can't afford to take anyone else in." Ryuji waved him off.
"And I don't want to, so you're stuck with him." Kyotaro shrugged with a shit-eating grin, contrasting Akira's frown.
"You should feel honored." Morgana perched onto his shoulder.
"Sure don't feel honored…"
The sounds of an announcer began to call for the passengers to board. Ryuji turned to the two of them and said, "Well, we now have our hideout, so let's meet there tomorrow!" before taking off.
Akira turned to Kyotaro and they began walking for the train to Yongen-Jaya. He looked to Morgana as he rode in his bag, "I don't think Sakura-san is going to like seeing me with Morgana, he doesn't even like me…"
"Hm, seemed like a nice guy when I visited his place with my aunt as a kid." Kyotaro rubbed his chin, "Guy makes damn fine curry… Hey, mind if I come along? My aunt's pretty lenient about curfew, so long as I'm with someone. And… I don't think she's making dinner today after what happened last night."
"Uh, sure." Akira rubbed the back of his head as the two of them boarded the Ginza Line back home. "Wait… what happened last night?"
TAKE YOUR TIME
The two entered Cafe LeBlanc, tired from the events of today. Once they stepped in, they saw Sakura-san tending to the counter. Inside the restaurant were two patrons, a woman with short blue hair who was dressed in a punk-style of attire. The other…
"Aunt Ayaka?" Kyotaro's eyes widened in surprise as he saw his aunt sitting at the counter, a coffee cup in hand as she chatted with Sakura-san. "What… What are you doing here?"
"I came here for the atmosphere," She laughed before taking another sip, "When you texted me you were heading here with a friend, I wanted to meet him. And I was in the mood for some of Sakura-san's A1 coffee as well."
"Thanks," Sakura-san smiled at the compliment before turning to the two teens. "So, you've been hanging out with Kyotaro Watanabe… Strange coincidence, huh Ayaka?"
"No kidding…" He turned to look at Akira, examining his facial features. "This is the kid you're looking after? Doesn't seem like the type…"
"Well his record says otherwise," Sakura-san sighed before looking over to the two of them, "But I appreciate you hanging around him, Kyotaro-kun. I'm glad that he has a good influence."
"That's what you think," Kyotaro and Ayaka simultaneously said, not bothering to acknowledge it as Kyotaro took a seat and ordered curry for himself.
"Hey, are we there yet?" Morgana's voice called out to the two of them from Akira's bag. The two teens blanched at the eyes they got from their guardians.
"...Man, did anyone hear something?" Kyotaro gave a shaky laugh as Akira repeatedly nudged him in the shoulder.
Amidst this, the customer at the tables walked up to Sakura-san. "Thanks for the coffee, I'll see you later. And it was nice meeting you as well, Watanabe-san…"
"Same here, Takemi-san." Ayaka gave a light smile to the doctor as she headed off.
"Come back again." Sakura-san said as he handed Kyotaro his food, to which the boy immediately began to dig into.
"So… Who was that just now?" Akira asked the cafe-owner, who shrugged in response.
"Tae Takemi, the head doctor over at that clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations, and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that's what I've heard. I haven't been there myself."
Ayaka decided to add her two cents into the mix, "I don't want to buy rumors like that, it must be annoying for Takemi-san to deal with." Sakura-san nodded in agreement.
"Well, I gotta go soon." Sakura-san looked to Akira, "When these two are done here, close up for me will you?"
"Yes, sir." Akira said before heading up stairs. Leaving Sakura-san with his two customers.
"How'd you end up taking care of some kid from Nikko?" Ayaka asked, causing Sakura-san to let out a sigh.
"I owed his Dad a favor," He explained, "He was an old buddy of mine, he helped me set this place up. But it seems like after what the kid did, his folks barely want anything to do with him. They've barely checked in with him. Not a single phone call so far."
Overhearing this, Kyotaro couldn't help but feel bad for Akira. To have parents and have them abandon you at the drop of the hat, it seemed so painful…
"What the…!? What is this place!? Is this some kind of abandoned house…!?" The muffled sounds of Morgana's complaining caused them to all freeze in surprise. Kyotaro assumed that the two of them could only hear meowing but that didn't really help their case here.
"Excuse me for a moment," Was all Sakura-san said before heading up stairs.
"... You two smuggled a cat here didn't you?" Ayaka asked her nephew.
"Yep."
"Cool."
Kyotaro expected to see Sakura-san holding up a frightened Morgana and throw him out the door before scolding Akira. Instead, he saw Sakura come back down and move to the counter with a blank look on his face. The owner took Kyotaro's empty plate and took it to the back before heading out with another one. On it was a pile of diced chicken that he took upstairs.
"What a big softie…" Ayaka laughed as she finished up her cup of coffee. She stood up from her seat and turned to her nephew, "Come on, kiddo. Let's head out."
The two walked out of Cafe LeBlanc, Kyotaro gazing up at the building in curiosity at how Akira was living here. Ayaka walked in front of her nephew and began to speak, "Seems like a nice kid."
"Hm? But… You know about the whole…"
Ayaka laughed, "I may not be a cop but I've worked in this police industry long enough to know a lot about people, how they are somethings that you can't take at face value. Besides, I know you aren't the type of kid to hang around bad people. I raised you better than that."
"You seem… quite confident in that, Ayaka." Kyotaro raised a brow at his aunt's assurance.
"Yeah, because I know I'm right." She laughed, causing Kyotaro to shrug.
In a way, she was… But still.
TAKE YOUR TIME
Akira stood beside his bed as he watched Morgana devour the plate that Sakura-san had given him. The old man seemed to be quite generous when it came to the matters of bringing in‒ what looked like‒ a stray cat. Perhaps Sakura-san was beginning to warm up to him, or… he just really liked cats. Either way, Morgana was a member of his humble abode.
"Let me make myself clear," Morgana began after finishing up his food. "Our living situation won't be one sided. I have plenty of knowledge concerning infiltration methods that will help you in our mission to steal Kamoshida's heart."
"So instead of a teacher's pet, I get a pet who is a teacher." Akira gave a quiet laugh as Morgana frowned at the title of 'pet. "Alright, what would these 'infiltration methods' be?"
"Whoa, I can't tell you more unless we settle a deal." Morgana explained as he licked the plate clean, "So how about it? I get free rent while you hone your craft as a thief?"
Akira twirled a lock of his hair and shrugged, "Sure, guess I kinda have to… Especially with Sakura-san already taking a liking to you."
"Hehehe…" Morgana laughed as he grinned like a cheshire cat. "Then it's a deal."
Akira couldn't help but smile as well. Despite the overall smug attitude from Morgana, he couldn't help but notice a bond forming between the two of them.
I am thou, Thou art I
Thou hast established a new vow
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity
With the birth of the Magician Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and a new power
Hm… Well, there you have it.
"I'll start with the basics, so it won't be too hard on you okay?" Morgana explained with a wide yawn. "Mmm… It's getting late, I'm gonna sleep… If you have the energy, why don't you clean up your room or something."
The cat laid himself onto Akira's bedsheet, curling into a ball as it let out peaceful trills. As cute as it was, it was going to be a pain to get into bed. But as he began to look around his cluttered room, his phone began to ring as it let out a text chime.
[Ann T.] Thanks for everything today.
[Ann T.] You guys saved me, and I didn't even thank you properly.
[Akira K.] I didn't do much, you should thank Kyotaro and Ryuji.
[Ann T.] I already did, but you did help me as well.
[Ann T.] You help me stop feeling sorry for myself and stand up to Kamoshida.
[Ann T.] I don't think I would have made it out of there if it wasn't for you.
Akira paused and scratched his cheek. What he said was off the cusp, he wasn't really thinking straight when he did say it but he was glad he was able to help her. Even if it was a simple speech he came up with.
[Akira K.] You're welcome then.
[Ann T.] I'm going to give it my all next time, see you tomorrow.
Akira slipped his phone back into his pocket and let out a yawn. It was getting pretty late, so may as well head off to bed. Just needed to figure out how to get into bed with Morgana on top of his blanket.
Day: April 16th: Saturday
Time: Afternoon
Location: Shujin Academy
[Ryuji S.] Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?
[Ann T.] Don't text now. We're in class.
[Kyo W.] You guys have Ushimaru, right? You're gonna want to be careful.
[Akira K.] Why?
[Kyo W.] Hopefully, you won't find out.
[Ann T.] Forget that right now. Where is this 'hideout'?
[Ryuji S.] The school roof.
[Ann T.] Wait, we can still go up there?
[Ryuji S.] Yeah, me and Kyotaro will let you in.
[Kyo. W.] Just head straight up when school's over, and we'll discuss what to do about Kamoshida.
[Akira K.] Gotcha.
[Ryuji S.] I'm gonna fine you if you're late!
As Akira began to lower his phone, he felt a murderous intent directed towards him.
"You!" Mr. Ushimaru shouted, "Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you!?"
Akira leaned back in his chair as he saw the fire burning in Mr. Ushimaru's eyes. It was enough to make the most willful sweat buckets.
"Hey Kurusu!"
"Y-Yes?‒"
Akira didn't even have the chance to blink as Ushimaru sent a piece of chalk jetting towards him. It struck against his forehead, nearly knocking him out of his seak and left a bruise. The class cringed at the smack it made when it hit him.
"That's what you get for daydreaming! Kids these days have no respect for their elders." Ushimaru grumbled as Akira was seeing stars.
"Good grief…" Morgana softly murmured in his desk, "You're gonna need a lot more skill to dodge that next time."
"N-Next time...?" Akira mumbled as he rubbed his bruise.
Ann turned to him and whispered, "You okay, Akira?"
Akira shook off his headache, grumbling to himself. "I'm gonna kill Kyotaro…"
TAKE YOUR TIME
Kyotaro and Ryuji were seated at a table near a small farm on the rooftop. They turned their heads to the sounds of the doors opening. Seeing their fellow thieves walk up to them with blank faces.
"Hey, you're here…" Kyotaro lingered on that last word seeing Akira stare daggers into him. On the right side of his forehead was a small bruise with a faint layer of chalk dust on it. "So… I'm guessing he got you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, thanks for the warning by the way." Akira grumbled as he took a seat. "I don't think I'm ever looking away from the board from now on."
"Alright, let's forget all about that." Ryuji waved off as he announced to the five of them, "And let's get goin'!"
Morgana peeked his head out from Akira's bag, "Hold on, it's still too early to head into a Palace like that."
"But why?" Ryuji asked as Morgana stepped onto the table, "Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?"
"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place." Morgana shook his head, "We need to prepare."
"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?"
"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it." Morgana spoke clearly as he faced the four students, "Remember, Personas take plenty of energy to summon. And if we make a single mistake, we're all dead."
The two blonde gulped at the finality of that sentence. Morgana continued as he paced on the table, "Our best bet is to prepare our inventory for a heist."
"But where do we get that?" Ann asked.
"Wait, you guys talkin' about' like weapons? Because I know a kick-ass place in Shibuya!" Ryuji announced with an energetic smile.
"In that case, you can handle that side of things." Morgana furrowed his brows in thought, "What we also need is medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace."
Ann played with one of her ponytails as she asked the cat, "So, are we gonna head to a drug store for it?"
"Actually, me and Akira have a place that will give us just what we need." Morgana smirked.
"We do?" Akira asked the cat.
"Just come with me," Morgana hopped into Akira's bag. The cat poked its head out and looked at the other three thieves, "You three can go head home already. Tomorrow, we'll check out that shop that Ryuji was talking about."
"Tomorrow?" Ann asked, "Do you guys mind if we head later in the day? I'd like to go visit Shiho in the hospital."
"Of course," Akira nodded, "Whatever works for you, Ann." The other three thieves shared similar sentiments, causing Ann to smile at their understanding.
"Well, it's settled then." Ryuji pumped his fist in excitement. "Our battle plan is set."
TAKE YOUR TIME
After heading back home, Kyotaro was busy helping his Aunt clean out the basement. Stuff like stray lint or boxes of used clothes filled up the place. But as Kyotaro was digging through it all, he found an odd box of items in the corner hidden behind other ones.
He opened it up to find numerous firecrackers, the ones that he and Ayaka were never able to find for the Summer Festival. He thought for a moment, he could tell his aunt about it or… they could come handy in Phantom Thieving.
Immediately, Kyotaro began shoveling the firecracking into his school bag.
"Kyo! When you're done stacking them, just throw out the ones we don't need!" She called up from upstairs, tending to the dishes.
"Sure thing, Ayaka!" He said with a devilish grin on his face.
After doing his chores, Kyotaro snuck his bag into his room. He emptied out the contents of his schoolbag into a spare box he had in his closet. Now he just needed to get an exact idea of what to do with these things in the castle.
Perhaps a means of attack? No, they already had Personas. How about stealth? A good distraction would be helpful, maybe even daze the enemy.
With that train of thought, Kyotaro began to work. Back in Nikko, he remembered how his uncle and him used to go out near the mountains and lit these things during holidays. And there was one way to basically turn them into smoke bombs.
The repetitive process was kinda boring but whatever helped the team. He needed to make himself useful since it was clear he couldn't contribute much in a fight.
Everyone else seemed so powerful, the least he could do was spend a bit of time on this little project. That… may or may not work.
He shook those thoughts aside and continued, setting his mind on making these smoke bombs.
Day: April 17th: Sunday
Time: Afternoon
Location: Shibuya
"This is it," Ryuji announced as they stood in front of an airsoft shop named 'Untouchable'. "This was where I got those guns we used at Kamoshida's castle. Ann, you might need one as well."
"Oh, yeah…" Ann put a finger to her chin in thought. "Hm, I don't know much when it comes to military stuff."
"We'll figure it out once we're inside." Akira assured as he stepped into the shop.
Upon entering, the five thieves saw the middle-aged shopkeeper laying his feet onto the desk as he read a magazine. He looked quite unapproachable; dark clothing, gray hair with sideburns and a bit of stubble on his face, a gray cap on his head along with yellow ear defenders around it. The five stared at him blankly as he kept on reading.
"What do you want…?" He spoke in a gruff voice as he kept a lollipop in his mouth.
Akira cleared his throat before speaking up, "We're looking to buy some airsofts. Do you have any recommendations?"
"...I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you." He shrugged, not bothering to look up at them hovering over his counter.
Ryuji groaned at his attitude, "Ugh, some customer service…"
With that, they were able to get him to look at them. "Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"
"Uh, automatic…?" Ryuji scratched his head at that, "Dude, why're you talkin' about cars now!?"
"No, I think he might be talking about guns… Right?" Ann attempted to piece together, causing the shopkeeper to sigh.
"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let casuals like you two hang around."
Ryuji hiked a thumb at himself in response to that, "I'm not a freakin' casual! I bought shit from here like, last week!"
The man rubbed his stubbly chin at that, "Huh, can't remember you."
"You bastard…"
The shopkeeper looked to Akira and Kyotaro, "Well, what about you two? What do you want."
Kyotaro rubbed his temple at how to phrase an answer without sounding‒
"Something realistic…"
Utterly suspicious…
"Oh? You guys plannin' a nice big bank heist or something?" He raised a brow at Akira's answer.
Ann immediately stepped in to attempt to diffuse the situation, "No, no, no! We just… like how they look. Sure do…"
The shopkeeper hummed in acceptance, "Well whatever you do with them, not my business. Just don't go 'round pointing 'em at other people. Keep 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. Oh, and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em. I don't need them comin' around here."
Akira shrugged, "Don't worry about that, we hate the cops."
"How 'bout that? Me too." The man smiled at the same synergy they had. "Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns feel… different. Maybe someday I'll show you the real good stuff though… But for now, you get the beginner's selection. I also got some other stuff if you're interested."
TAKE YOUR TIME
"We got a nice haul here…" Kyotaro smirked as he held onto the duffle bag of weapons, armor, and new guns they were able to get. With a bit of money they pooled together along with some yen they found in Kamoshida's castle, they were able to get some nice items.
He and Akira broke off Ryuji and Ann after riding the train back to Yongen-Jaya. After buying their equipment, it was decided that Kyotaro would be the one to bring them to school. As he had a knack for smuggling strange items during the day. The two thieves walked side-by-side, readying themselves for tomorrow.
"With these, we shouldn't have any problem with infiltrating the castle." Akira said confidently, pressing up his glasses by the bridge.
As the two walked, Kyotaro hesitantly brought something up. "We're on a deadline, right? If we don't change Kamoshida's heart soon, then you and Ryuji will be expelled. And since you're on probation…"
Akira shook his head, "Honestly? I'm not even worried. I guess I have that much trust in you guys. Trust that we'll be able to bring that perverted bastard to justice."
"Well, you're gonna feel stupid if we do fail…" Kyotaro let out a weak sigh.
"No," Akira let out an airy chuckle. "I don't think that will happen. Call it overconfidence, but I can see us succeeding in our goal."
Despite Kyotaro's words telling otherwise, he was appreciative of Akira's outlook. And his trust in their team, despite how they only met just a few days ago. He could see something forming between them.
I am Thou, Thou Art I...
Thou hast opened thine heart to a fellow outcast seeking to free thy selves from captivity
Let thy comrade's mask be a wellspring of strength and guidance
And thou shall serve as a guardian for thine comrades in return
With the advent of the Fool Arcana,
I have obtained a new power that will breaketh thy chains and will lead to tranquility
"Kyotaro?" Akira's voice brought him back to reality, "You okay? You were just staring off into space…"
"Huh? O-oh, yeah… I'm fine."