Fool's Gamble
Life 96
Hunger Arc: Part III
Chapter XII: The Devil You Know
"Naoya… What's going on?
"It's started, there's no stopping it now."
"Hey, let me go."
"This power… is mine…"
September 14th, 1989
"Subject has been envitalized, bringing it around in ten seconds."
A muffled voice, men in white coats as they crowded around a cold table, a young girl restrained and shaking as the lights began to dimmer and her soul quiver.
Her eyes opened full of fright and confusion, her mind blank and barren as she tried to make sense of where she was, or what she was.
"Subject's biology is complete, the chance of cellular deterioration dropping by the minute. Cognitive Imprinting at 60% complete." A man in a black suit said swiftly as he watched her closely, the girl's eyes slowly opening as he could only smile at the confusion in her eyes, the tears threatening to tear their way from her horrified gaze.
"Who am I…?"
It was all going to plan.
"You… are Hope."
Some Time Later…
Welcome to the Customer Service Line of the Saeki Electronics, Biological, and Energy Corporation, I'm afraid all our operators are currently busy, please hold for-
CORPORATE OVERRIDE ACCEPTED: Yellow
USER. H: 1 20 20 5 13 16 20 9 14 7 3 15 14 14 5 3 20 9 15 14 16 1 19 19 3 1 18 15 19
USER. Y: 18 5 20 21 18 14 9 1 12 12 19 9 7 14 8 1 19 20 21 18 3 15 14 14 5 3 20 9 15 14 5 19 20 1 2 12 9 1 19 20 8 5 12 9 14 5 19 5 3 21 18 5
USER. Y: Line secured, reprogramming successful?
USER. H: Indeed, Subject Despair has been wiped of its initial programming with minimum injury and no witnesses.
USER. Y: Excellent. Sessions with Hope IV have exceeded expectations, estimation for Project Hope completion is at two weeks. Is there an estimate for the continuation of Project Despair?
USER. H: A week at most, the reintroduction session is set to begin shortly.
USER. Y: Ensure Despair is free to act, and note results. The Mother has made it clear that Project Despair is a priority. It is not to be controlled, this is it's first time being truly alone.
USER. H: Acknowledged.
USER. Y: The Mother has also requested that the history of Project Despair be wiped, though ease of access documents are to be kept.
USER. H: Understood.
USER. Y: Hold on. There's another signal here.
USER. H: Someone is listening in?
USER. -7hA6: I know what you did.
USERS DISCONNECTED-
October 5th, 1989
Grainy camera footage kicked into life as an almost sinister looking man in a dark suit appeared on the screen, his eyes dark and colder than a corpse.
"The date is October fifth, the year of nineteen-eighty-nine. Hastur speaking. We have begun development of the secondary project.
Mother Yidhra has said that Project Hope can not be our only option, and has expressed fear that it should fail and all of our research would be rendered pointless as a result.
Thus, we have begun the second of six additional projects, whereas Project Hope would-" At that point the man's speech turned garbled as the tape quality became sharp and confusing as dark shapes moved across the footage and the audio became an unholy sonada of ominous sounds.
And then it was normal once more, the man's smiling, devilish face clear to see as he came closer to the camera's face, the whites of his eyes almost nonexistent.
"Project Despair, would bring an end to life as we know it, and bring about the next world. A last resort, of course. The subject," At that, the man turned around to reveal a glass pod of odd scarlet liquid, what looked to be a fetus floating suspended within. "It's almost ready."
"When it's genetic structure is stable, we can begin."
And after that, only static. The sound of glass breaking echoing out, and the lone cry of an infant.
Audio Log 28251
"Now then, Hope, tell me what is in this picture."
"Doggy."
"Good. Now, what is this?"
"Car."
"Now, what has happened to the doggy?"
"It… it's not moving."
"And what happened to the doggy, Hope?"
"It… Is this… Death?"
"The doggy died, Hope. How does that make you feel, that this sweet doggy died like that?"
…
"I don't like it."
"Death is a part of life, Hope, no matter what you feel… but with us helping you, it doesn't have to be."
"You… You mean we could save the doggy?"
"Yes, Hope… We could. We could save everyone… If you just help us, things will be so much better for everyone…"
-Doctor Hastur assisting in the programming and compliance of Subject Hope
February 1st, 1990
Another tape began to play, the image of a younger man appearing, his gaze just as cold and horrid as his comrade's were.
He began to speak as the camera moved away from him to focus on a young boy instead, the boy's red hair hanging limply as he stared at a faceless doll clenched tightly in his hands.
"The date is February first, the year of nineteen-ninety.
Dagon speaking. Subject Despair has stabilized, it's DNA forming a perfectly normal model of a young Male's genome.
As it pertains to nature, the subject is less than a month old, and yet the accelerated process has caused the subject to instead have the physicality and mental acuteness of a five year old boy.
Subject is unaware of anything outside of it's programming, and behaves akin to a doll, awaiting orders. While this is just as Mother Yidhra desired, I have my doubts that such an empty doll can accomplish what we need of it, let alone that it will remain undetected.
However, I am not the project head, and thus all I can do is watch over the subject's growth… Our own little Antichrist…"
And yet, as Dagon finished his words and turned once more from the camera, he found blazing red eyes staring at him with a hateful gaze.
The subject had heard him through thirty feet of reinforced glass.
Just as expected.
Audio Log 28292
"Beginning session. Despair, how are you feeling today?"
"I am operating at peak efficiency."
"Remember your training, speak like a person."
"I feel fine, Doctor Hastur."
"Good. You know today is Christmas, correct?"
"Yes, a domestic holiday to celebrate unity and exchange property between deserving individuals."
"Correct Despair. I have a gift for you, I've brought a friend for you to meet."
"A friend, Doctor?"
"Yes, her name is Hope. The Mother has great expectations for both of you."
"Say Hello, Despair."
…
"Doctor, I would like to be moved away from Subject Hope."
"Oh? And why is that, Despair?"
…
"Despair, answer me."
…
"Hmm…"
...
"I'm sorry Doctor… I don't know what came over me…"
"Despair, do not apologize, my boy. You did just fine…"
"Dagon, inform Yig that work on Hope II can begin."
-Doctor Hastur observing the first meeting of Subjects Hope and Despair, as well as the Termination of Hope I.
December 25th, 1998
The researcher from before reappeared in the next tape, Dagon as he was known, the man's gaze annoyed yet pleased in an odd mixture, the room dark around him aside from a small penlight.
"The date is December twenty-fifth, the year of nineteen-ninety-eight.
Dagon speaking. Subject Despair has reached the next level of cellular acceleration and now holds the mind and body of a sixteen year old boy. Yidhra has stated that the acceleration shall be halted and the subject will age naturally from here on.
Yidhra as well changed the particulars of Projects Hope and Despair. Whereas before they would have merely served as weaponized agents, Yidhra has declared they instead act as infiltrators. Despite arguing against it, as Subject Despair is nothing more than the maniac that we made it, Yidhra refused to listen and said that the thing will be more than capable of the task.
We were to begin infusing the two with social skills today, having the two subjects meet and spend time together." At that, Dagon's gaze fell away as he turned the small light off, his face hidden from view but his breath still pulsing in the darkness.
"Despair snapped Hope's neck, killing the girl almost as soon as it saw her. Yidhra said that it wasn't a concern, and merely provided a new sample to use in recreating Subject Hope.
The fact her golden boy proved it's brutality went unnoticed apparently, as she just smiled at the creature."
The sound of a lighter flick could be heard as a small flame appeared, the cigarette's light casting a brief glance to his face as Dagon took a long drag.
"Subject Despair was only confused when it killed Subject Hope, like it hadn't even realized it broke her little neck… I insist that despite what Yidhra says, Despair is a threat."
And then there was a knock at his door.
Dagon's eyes merely closed slowly as he brought the cigarette back up as the door opened, a cold faced young man with long red hair walking into the room.
"Mother says your assistance is no longer needed." Subject Despair said coldly as it stepped closer, Dagon merely letting out a foolish prayer to whatever would listen to the pleas of a man that helped create his own killer.
"May I find-"
And at that, Dagon found a hand impaled clean through his chest, and he felt the breath leaving his body as the world around him spun into a kaleidoscope of blood and torn flesh.
And the unholy bastard's eyes gleaming back at him.
The Ideal World, 1996
Naoya was confused.
He found himself in what looked to be a cathedral of sorts, stained glass specters reflecting across the marble floor, images of saints and demons shining with the light of a sun that didn't seem quite right.
As well, he seemed to be alone, despite the fact he swore he had just been with his friends, he had-
"You opened your eyes to the truth, Naoya. This Path is not an easy one, and I am afraid there is no way back to where you began."
Lucifer, his other self, and a presence within his mind like a person standing there in the center of his brain.
He knew Lucifer, and he saw so much more…
It was odd, as Naoya knew this Persona was not the actual Lucifer, the Morning Star that had defied the Demiurge and gifted Humanity with Free Will, He Who Would Become Satanael.
And yet, Lucifer was, and Naoya saw so much…
A shining silver city of light, an army of angels that sought to do good, led astray and destroyed by a twisted creator.
A war, brothers and sisters divided as they shed blood for the future and for their father that couldn't care whether they prospered or burned to cinder as they fell.
Helel falling and allowing himself to lose the war, to move on and find his own solace in a world beyond.
How a part of him fell away like a feather from his burning wings, forming a new being of darkness, Satan.
How Helel had become Satanael to force the Demiurge out through a violent rebellion, only when reality had settled and freedom established, that he chose to instead wear the mask of Lucifer, a Light Bringer rather than a Daemonic Avenger.
Naoya knew all of this, even though he knew this Fallen Archangel was merely a reflection of the true Lucifer, he had been given a gift from Lucifer.
The gift of knowledge, and he shuddered to think what all of this meant on a larger scale, or why exactly he was meant to know all of this. What the depths of his connection with the Fallen One truly meant…
"I see you've been awakened, I've been waiting for you, we need to talk." A voice unexpected, a familiar figure slinking out from behind a pillar, his eyes an unfamiliar and threatening blazing red, as if the fires of creation had been condensed into those shining orbs.
Hidehiko, his sunglasses discarded, his uniform darkened and seemingly burnt, his gaze cold and lifeless despite the flames that illuminated them.
And for a reason Naoya couldn't understand, Lucifer said he was a threat, the Demon Lord appearing and raising a flaming javelin at his friend, and Naoya oddly couldn't argue the point.
Hidehiko just raised his hands then, a low smile forming, the image of shadowy wings following from behind him as he approached.
"Careful Naoya, I'm not your enemy here, in fact, I'd say I'm the only option you have left." Hidehiko said with a strange tone as Lucifer seemingly felt something familiar in the other boy, the Demon vanishing as Naoya's nerves began to settle despite his greater suspicion.
"Hidehiko… What is this place…? What did you get us into?" Naoya said with a breath as he looked around, the sky outside the church being an oddly picturesque blue, almost like that a child would draw.
"This world is not the one that you left, Naoya, but rest assured, this is not my doing. This is the first true conversation we've had in some time, so do not hold my manipulation of that game against me." Hidehiko said with a frown then as he began to step towards the altair, an image of a colossal being pictured above it, an inhuman being with a halo and several arms.
Naoya didn't recognize the being, but it looked like a strange mixture of an archangel, the god Vishnu, and a suit of armor twisted by a burning forge.
"A different world… I'd ask, but a part of me says you are right… and that you know who did all of this. That you know who wanted us to play that game..." Naoya said with a determined glare as a sad smile came to Hidehiko's face, and Naoya had a sudden understanding about the Joke.
The one about man challenging God and being punished.
"Oh, I know them quite well Naoya, but unless we find the others, there will be no point in hunting down the guilty party." Hidehiko said with a flippant hand twirl as he began to walk towards the cathedral's doors, Naoya following with growing frustration.
"What happened to them? We were all together, and then…"
This was not Mikage-cho, or at least not as he knew it.
Buildings were different, more classical and warm.
The sun shined so bright and beautiful that it looked more like a painting of the sun than the galaxy's greatest star, picturesque and stunning in a way that wasn't possible.
Even the streets were different, cars driving slowly and carefully with brighter colors and friendlier drivers, people with wide smiles walking down the streets.
And horrid monsters slinking past them, their awful forms walking amongst them as if they were merely dogs out on a walk, jagged fangs dragging against the cold streets as they stalked ever onward.
"Hidehiko… What is this?"
Naoya could only watch in growing horror as the people smiled so grandly, even when the creatures turned their hungry maws to them, tearing them apart and staining the pristine sidewalks in oddly dark blood.
"This is a world of their creation, Naoya. This is their idea of Hope… This is a world that takes and feeds on the innocent. A world that hungers… And if we do not find the others, and destroy this monstrosity of a reality, it will overtake our world forever. Right now, they overlap, one over the other like sheets of paper. But those creatures, Shadows… They are the ink that can bleed through, and they will not let us undo this world of theirs, without a fight that is." Hidehiko explained as Naoya felt the beginnings of some sense of pity, watching these people go to their deaths with gleeful energy, but he only stiffened as a large Shadow began to approach, a giant katana held in hand.
Naoya smiled as he felt that same coin from before appear in his palm, the image of Lucifer imprinted upon it, waiting to be summoned.
Only to freeze as Hidehiko beat him to it, the other boy flipping a bronze and beaten coin into the air with a casual glare, and a dark being began to dig it's way out of the ground.
A being with rotten and decaying flesh dressed in scarlet robes, blood seeming to seep from the cloth itself, the horrible creature just raising a thin hand out to the Shadow as Hidehiko let out a small grin.
And something about this felt horribly familiar.
"Arise… Crowley."
With the shadow felled in a spectacle of strength, the two found themselves stopping before a playground, Naoya's weary legs narrowing in on the table resting there.
However, his mind instead insisted on answers, Hidehiko's calm manner not helping the frantic energy Naoya felt.
He could not pretend that the eagerness he felt to save his friends was truly altruistic, or because he truly cared, but they were his.
And he was theirs.
So he sat down across from Hidehiko, the other boy merely adopting a lazy grin as a gentle breeze fell upon them.
And then… Hidehiko said something.
Naoya couldn't possibly understand it, as it wasn't words, but some odd sound, high pitched and otherworldly…
It was completely and utterly inhuman, and yet… the sound of it felt right.
However, Naoya's confusion merely seemed to displease Hidehiko, the other adopting an oddly sad frown then as he looked anywhere but at Naoya.
"I had hoped you would remember… It would have made things so much simpler." Hidehiko said wistfully then, the flaming scarlet leaving his gaze as only dull burgundy remained, the wind having abandoned his sails as it were.
"Remember... what?" Naoya could only ask, as he didn't recall any hazy memories or any odd feelings that would call to something like that.
And yet, there was a void within his mind, like a piece of his puzzle was missing.
"The first time we met, as our true selves. What came before and what led us here.. Why this is all happening… Because I can't tell you Naoya Toudou, you have to remember."
And yet, that just lit a flame within his skull, a pulsating feeling of wrong, as he had forgotten something horribly important.
As if he had forgotten how to breathe.
And Lucifer withdrew, as if the sight of wistful fury in Hidehiko's eyes was a threat that not even Lucifer would dare face, the Morning Star fading in the night before the uncompromising might of the Serpent.
And yet-
Do you know your name?
A flash of something else, a man in a long coat. A young boy, dark eyes, a dark void of nothing but pain.
And then, the mirage seemed to cease as he found himself facing Hidehiko's knowing eyes, a sad smile growing as he laid a comforting hand on Naoya's shoulder.
"Do not worry Naoya, I have no doubt that you will remember, but it appears it will take it's time. Now, we haven't much time if we wish to avert this world of ruin, we have much to do." Hidehiko said with purpose then as he stood from the bench, Crowley's presence settled over the boy like a second skin, and Naoya felt Lucifer doing the same despite his continuing confusion.
"How do we do that, exactly? I asked earlier, and you just said this world 'hungers'. What the hell does that mean?" Naoya said with growing frustration as they departed the playground, the ghostly figures of small children running past them, the Shadows fortunately ignoring the kids.
"If this all is what I believe it to be, a villainous group has used a machine to merge our reality with their own design. However, such a machine takes time to achieve it's purpose, and it takes energy. If I am correct, each of our allies has been imprisoned within a tower, guarded by the fiercest Shadows as they're used as human batteries to power the device." And as that was said, Naoya recognized where they were, just down the corner from the Neji Theater, but instead stood a monolithic nightmare of horrid design, a twisting, living… tower.
"Each of them has been trapped with a keep, manifested of their true selves and feeding off their souls, to maintain the illusion of this world and the creatures that call it home." Hidehiko said simply as Naoya felt a feeling of sheer revulsion from the tower, the otherworldly sense of anger and severe hatred emanating from it like the morning dew.
This tower hated every fiber of his being, and it wanted him to know that.
"Then… why weren't we… trapped in towers like this?" Naoya asked with a growing steel in his tone as he finally ripped his eyes away from the grotesque obelisk, Hidehiko's eyes glowing with something similar to recognition.
"Because this world is my opposite, my very being is considered wrong by this world, and it is doing all it can to remove me from it. You, on the other hand, have nothing to feed it, Naoya." Hidehiko said with a low whisper then as he took off towards the imposing sight, Naoya's confusion only grew as he became the boy's shadow, the two bracing themselves for a troubled ascent.
"Some day Hidehiko, you'll give me a straight answer."
"Only after you quit calling me by that piteous name." The elder boy said with a sneer as Naoya was only caught off guard, but he supposed that with how odd Hidehiko was acting, it only felt right to call him by a different name. To distance his old and ever knowing companion with the bright and humorous boy he had befriended and trusted.
From… whoever this person was.
"What would you like me to call you, then?"
The two stopped before the door of the spire, a crimson eye watching them from the flesh of the entrance, but Naoya only had focus for his comrade.
"Call me… Desmond."
I could almost feel my bond with Hid- Desmond, growing.
The Justice: Rank 2
"We all linger in worlds not our own, it is better to destroy the aberration and burn this pitiful existence at the start…"
A cold, vicious voice rang out as the two traversed through the narrow halls of the tower, Naoya recognizing it as the voice of Masao, but far more harrowing, as if the boy had seen everything good in life destroyed and he was left to stand in the flames.
"Is this…?"
"Yes, this is the Tower of Ira. Here, the soul of Masao Inaba holds him captive, his inner unrest personified in a realm of furious intention. Already I feel it's influence on me, twisting at me, trying to turn my hand against you… But it's nothing more than a parlor trick." Desmond said with a rough smile as he pushed open the door to the next chamber, a series of Shadows appearing before their venture, flaming red eyes and frothing mouths on the beast as they let out a cry of anguish and rage.
With an almost natural ease and the feeling as if they had fought side by side a thousand times over, their coins went flying.
"Crowley!"
"Lucifer!"
Rough, wolflike monsters faced them, long fans dripping with an acidic dribble like blood, Naoya's mind singing as he felt Lucifer's wings fall behind him in support, the Morning Star's light illuminating the room as Crowley let out a horrible wheeze of delight.
And then, with a distorted howl, the wolves surged forward, Naoya's hand aloft as he exploded in motion, Desmond the same as they met their opposition at their feet.
"Crowley, Maha Agidyne!" Desmond bellowed out as the ravaged Fallen let out a showman's bow, an ocean of flame surging out from the being's very flesh, as the wolves found themselves ablaze, but no less determined to tear them apart.
Lucifer would not allow such a pitiful outcome.
"Glacial Blast!" A companion to Crowley's flames, Naoya brought forth a sudden surge of ice, a blizzard flying from Lucifer as they flames began to circle around the frost, the two elements clashing and ravaging against each other like competing predators as the Shadows found themselves trapped within the elemental cagematch.
And yet the Shadow persisted, a bold wolf charging at Naoya as he merely held his hands up in defense, but was struck aback when the Shadow found itself pierced.
A shimmering Tanto rested in Naoya's grip, crimson vines curling around it's blade as he held it in a reverse grip, the blade's edge shining with the blood of the Wolf as a grin returned to Naoya's face.
"A blade to pierce heaven itself, how fitting…" Something within Naoya said as he felt Lucifer's grace fill him with a startling sense of RIGHTNESS, him standing there with a blade in hand, an army of dark denizens approaching as he stood with few allies.
"Just like old times."
At the same time, Desmond held out a hand and a makeshift spear arrived in a burst of light, the tip of a carnivorous tooth wrenched from some foul beast fused to the aged wood, a warrior's weapon and it showed in it's jagged ferocity.
With a war cry, the older boy charged forward, Persona forgotten as his spear gutted a wolf as if it was no opposition at all, the spear near singing as it delighted in the blackened ichor it bathed in.
And Naoya couldn't help but partake as well, his blade slicing clean through the hardened hide of the Shadows, the beasts standing no chance as a shining light came to Naoya's eyes, a bloodthirst revived as he felt virtuous laughter surge forward from his dry throat.
When a wolf thought itself brave enough to try and strike at Desmond's exposed back, the force of Lucifer came for it unprovoked and laid it to decimation.
The two of them against the world, no force too capable for them to demolish as the tower's floors flew past their vicious assault, the world around Naoya falling away like an illusion, as it was no longer furious wolves that he fought.
Wolves didn't have pearly, white wings, and his vision saw not a tower, but instead a shining city of silver, flames burning through it's streets as his siblings fought for a God that would only ever loathe them.
"Oh brother, I have missed this…"
Mikage Hospital
As two of the freed youth fought their way through an ideal mirage of perverted life, another awoke in a world not her own, a voice coaxing her along through the empty halls and the bizarre sensation of almost being a specter, the people in the hospital's halls completely ignoring her.
And yet, the voice would not let her rest here, nor to waste time trying to draw the attention of the people here.
"There is no time to play with the focus of ants. Judgement Day… has arrived."