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One Breath For All

Saturday—June 13, 2021

Ren gasped as something sharp prodded him in the side; his hand immediately flew to his ribs, but the chains kept him from reaching over. It did not take him long to figure out where he was, but something was different. Ren lifted his hand, eyes following the chain and realizing it was not attached to only his wrist but someone else's. His heart did a funny jolt as a surge of panic had him scrambling to his feet the best he could.

"Calm down," came a very familiar voice. "That hurts."

Ren stopped fidgeting in the dark and narrowed his eyes, trying to see through it. He could vaguely make out the silhouette of—

"Crow!"

"Great deduction," Goro teased and sat up, putting a hand to his head.

As he did, Ren's arm jerked forward; they were tethered together by the wrist, sharing the same manacle. He stopped short and gave his right arm an experimental tug, causing Goro to grunt in protest. A dim light burned through the blackness, causing him to wince and turn away from the garish glow. Goro pressed himself into Ren and put a hand on his back, a feat much simpler when they had one free hand.

"Why are we like this?" Ren wondered and gave his right arm two tugs, causing Goro to roll his eyes and return the favor. For once, the Trickster did not mind the cool metal on his skin.

"The way we fell asleep?" Goro hypothesized but he shrugged his shoulders and put a hand to his chin. "It's guesswork and I can't say for sure."

"The headphones, you mean?" Ren clarified as his eyebrows drew together, biting the inside of his cheek. "So I did this to us?"

"Relax," Goro said and patted his back, looking around their now-shared cell. "I'm not complaining."

A smile flickered onto Ren's face before it disappeared. The two walked over to the cell door and looked out, trying to find a familiar face or two. As predicted, Lavenza came over to the bars and bowed her head in acknowledgement.

"What a wondrous feat," she murmured as her yellow eyes surveyed their shackled wrists.

"Why this now?" Goro asked, gesturing to it with a bit of a pointed tone. "Aren't I supposed to be over there?"

Lavenza, for the first time, laughed. The smile she wore seemed unnatural, but it lit up her face. "I am surprised you have not figured it out."

"Figured out what?" Ren asked, tapping his fingers along the bars with purpose. "Can you open this?"

"Surely you know the Deceiver must stand before our master first," Lavenza replied and tilted her head to the side. She raised a hand and released the cuffs around the brunette's wrist. "Your rehabilitation has grown. You are ready to grow."

Goro exchanged looks with Ren, who stepped forward, refusing to let him stray away from him too far. "Where is Igor?"

"As one says, punctuality is a virtue," Igor said as he appeared from seemingly thin air, sitting at the podium in the courtroom. He waved a hand to Lavenza. "Bring him here."

Ren stepped in front of Goro and looked down at Lavenza with a troubled expression. "What is happening?"

"Good things," Lavenza said gently and held out her hand for Goro to take, smiling softly. She uncharacteristically winked to the White Mask. "I promise."

"It's okay," Goro said to Ren, giving him a firm nod of affirmation. When Ren had reluctantly stepped to the side, Goro slipped past and took her hand, mask burning off in a gentle breeze of flames.

"Deceiver," Igor greeted and crossed his legs, looking down at Goro, who stood unafraid. "To hold pride in my heart for another is a rare feat."

Lavenza's eyes widened. "Master!"

"Sir?" Goro asked, confusion lacing his voice as he failed to understand the context of the subject.

"Your rehabilitation has shown to be successful thus far," Igor said and rested his chin on the back of his folded hands. "But only future trials will determine your personal triumphs."

Goro cleared his throat, tongue swiping over his lips a bit nervously. "Future trials?"

"To recover what you took," Igor replied without providing much of an explanation. However, his eyes moved slowly to Ren and Goro understood. He hung his head and held his breath. "There can be hope for you to find your place."

Goro looked hurt, taken aback, and slightly indignant. "My place? I—it's not—I'm with him."

He stopped short when another figure stepped out from the shadows that not even the galaxy above could penetrate his identity. Goro's eyes flared up with anger as his Shadow came to greet him with a leering grin. He slammed his hand against the wooden stand and tried lunging forward, ready to do whatever he could to kill his Shadow again.

"My, when you think I've gone," Shadow Crow simpered and ripped off his mask to reveal the face behind it, one identical to Goro's. "It's written in the stars above us. You and I have finally become one."

Goro snorted in disgust. "Are you sure?"

"I am," Shadow Crow said earnestly and adjusted his attire to match the appearance of Goro as a student. "After all, I have your confidence."

Goro watched in horror as he saw Ren running up to him in the darkness...only he wasn't running towards him. Ren must have seen his Shadow, thinking it was him. Goro tried calling out, but even he could not hear his own voice.

He watched in horror as Ren raced over to Shadow Crow and skid to a halt, hand going up to rest on the copy's shoulder. Fire suddenly spiraled around the Trickster, changing his attire to his old school uniform.

It did not take much to know Ren had felt unthreatened by the Shadow enough to detach the mask of Joker and expose himself...vulnerability and all. Shadow Crow lifted a gloved hand and placed it flat on Ren's chest.

"What's happened?" the former Shujin student demanded, eyes searching him hungrily. "I couldn't see you...or hear you. I didn't know what was happening."

"There's nothing we can do," Shadow Crow said softly, hanging his head and feigning sadness. Goro watched in horror as Ren's face turned gentle; but how could he be mad at the ravenette for believing this fraud to be him? Shadow Crow looked up at Joker through his lashes. "There is no us."

"No...no," Goro moaned and tried yanking his legs free, which were fastened by some invisible force. "Not again…"

"There's a place out there," Ren said, speaking up and stepping forward, eyes locked on Shadow Crow. "For us."

Goro never heard Ren speak with such confidence, it had taken him by surprise. He stood in visible awe and shock, jaw hanging open slightly and eyes wide.

"You've seen what I'm capable of doing," Shadow Crow warned in fake anguish, shaking his head as he tried to step away. "I'm no good for you."

Ren reached out, but the Shadow pulled back.

"When these broken hands are whole again," Ren said, voice sounding close yet far-off. "We'll take the world by storm."

Was this how Ren really felt? Goro looked down at his own hands, which released their tension, and flexed his fingers. He remembered how he had summoned enough courage to hold Ren's hand, even if it was for just a second or two…

"We were made for so much more," Ren insisted and gave Shadow Crow a reassuring expression of tenderness. "Exactly who you are is enough."

Shadow Crow stepped forward and caressed Ren's jawline as his eyes betrayed nothing but perfected fondness. Ren bit his lip as his fingers tangled themselves in the collar of Shadow Crow's shirt, drawing him closer.

"Will you finally let me?" Ren whispered, bringing the breath of new hope to light.

The Shadow closed his eyes and wrapped his hand around Ren's neck, bringing them less than an inch apart. Ren smiled, one so true it made the stars above look dull. The ravenette pulled the Shadow in and let their lips meet.

"Don't forget this," he murmured against his lips. "Please."

Goro's heart seized in pain, causing him to double over, hand flying to his chest. Shadow Crow returned the gesture with false reciprocation, running a hand through Ren's hair as they shared such a passionate moment together...one Goro wanted to himself...one he dreamed would happen someday…

And it was! It was happening, but he was nothing more than a ghost.

Shadow Crow's hand came up behind his back, fingers curling around the trigger of a black handgun.

"No!" Goro bellowed as tears sprang from his eyes and ran down his cheeks. "Stop! Stop this! I've had enough, damn it!"

Ren pulled back from the kiss, drawing in a few shaky breaths, but his face reflected such contentment that even Goro wondered if he could ever genuinely provide for him.

"Too easy," Shadow Crow murmured with insidious gentleness.

At once, Shadow Crow and Ren transformed; Ren was back in the attire of Joker but he lacked a mask while Shadow Crow turned into the Detective Prince. Goro let out a wail as he tried reaching out, eyes locked onto the scene before his eyes. Suddenly, he felt an unnatural weight in his arms, vision going black for a second or two before he blinked.

Blood splattered his white clothes and gleaming blade as it struck through Ren's abdomen from the back; Goro wordlessly gaped as Ren stared past him with blank eyes, body limp in his arms, impaled on Goro's own sword.

"Oh God...oh God!"

Goro tried removing his hand from the handle, but he was simply stuck the way he was. His hand flew to support Ren's lolling head, but the other was staring at nothing...seeing nothing.

Tears streamed down his face as a howl of grief ripped from his throat—

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Goro!"

The brunette sat bolt upright, gasping as he clawed at his neck, feeling like he was being suffocated in his sleep. Ren grabbed him by the shoulders and held on tightly, fingers digging in almost painfully, but it was exactly what he needed. Goro put his face in his hands as he tried to control the uncontrollable sobs that wracked his body.

"Focus on me," Ren murmured as he buried his face in Goro's shoulder, his own voice shaking as badly as his body. "Don't fight it."

Goro sniffled loudly as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and sleeve, trying to regain some composure now that he was awake and knew where he was. He looked down at his hands, glad to see there was no blood on his clothes or anywhere else. He couldn't look at Ren quite yet, the sight of him would surely kill him with shock, but his head spun so bad, it was impossible to keep it held up.

"It was just…" Ren panted and trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Damn it..."

Goro focused on the music still playing in his ear before he was able to twist just enough to see Ren from the corner of his eye, alive...moving…

"A dream," he rasped, throat arid and in desperate need of something to drink. He rolled his sleeves to his elbow and raked a hand through his brown hair. "It was just a dream."

"Do you want—"

"No," Goro said before he finished, knowing exactly what was about to be asked. "No..."

"You can lay your bet," Ren said with a nod and pulled out the headphone, pausing the music as he gripped his shoulder tightly. He eyed the end of his bed with a look of suppressed concern. "I need to find Morgana."

"It's time to get up anyway."

The pair emerged from Ren's room and migrated to the bathroom, taking turns getting ready for the day. Goro was grateful for the sunlight, warming himself up in its rays that streamed through the glass. By the time Yusuke and Ryuji joined them in the kitchen, Ren had brewed enough coffee for them all.

Goro already had his hands wrapped around the warm mug, sipping gratefully although he was still shaken from the night. He could not bear the thought of staining his hands red with Ren's blood but the Velvet Room insisted on making him relive his worst visions, greatest fears, and strongest regrets.

"Where's Morgana? Have you seen him?" Ren asked them as soon as they were in earshot.

"Sorry," Yusuke said with a shrug.

"No…" Ryuji said and shuffled to the kitchen bar, slumping over in one of the stools. "He's prolly out doin' somethin'."

"But—"

"Dude, relax. He can handle himself. How'd everyone sleep?" Ryuji asked through his yawn. "Shit, sorry, guys. I'm effin' tired."

"You just woke," Goro deadpanned.

"Yeah, but…" Ryuji trailed off as he took a swig of his coffee, spluttering at the heat. He was not much of a coffee drinker, so he must have been exhausted and in desperate need of the caffeine. "I dunno. I had this nightmare…"

"You as well?" Yusuke asked with a frown, looking down at the brown liquid as he drummed his fingers on the table. "I, too, had a rather unpleasant night."

Ren and Goro exchanged looks but neither said anything.

"Coincidence or was it 'cause we had a rough time in the Metaverse?" Ryuji asked, addressing Ren for his answer.

"Probably the Metaverse's doing," Ren said logically and poured himself some coffee. He leaned against the kitchen counter, elbows bracing his weight. "But we can't let it get to us."

"You're too damn—" Ryuji paused for another yawn, "—chipper this mornin'. Ease up with the optimism."

Ren rolled his eyes and tapped the table's counter with the palm of his hand. "Seriously. Where's Morgana?"

"Right here," the black cat said from the open window, arching his back with a big stretch. He shook out his fur and bounded over to the counter. "I was up looking for scraps of news."

He paused.

"It'd help if I could read English—"

Ren reached out a hand and grabbed the feline off the counter, hugging him close to his chest and taking everyone by surprise. Morgana yelped in protest, but he did not try wriggling his way out of Ren's arms.

"Don't wander," the ravenette castigated, holding Morgana out and glaring at him with no real venom. "I don't know what they'd do if they saw you. They'd think you're a stray."

"Sorry, sorry," Morgana huffed impatiently, but flattened his ears as he allowed a moment of cuddling. "All right, what's the plan today?"

"Try to find the Treasure, right?" Ryuji asked around a mouthful of egg and rice that Ren had cooked for them.

"That's the objective," the bespectacled Leader said with a nod, setting him back on the counter. "And then figure out how we would send out a calling card."

"Shit, I forgot 'bout that," Ryuji muttered.

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes," Ren said with a wave of his hand. "While we work on narrowing down more dates, we'll explore the top floors. Hopefully Morgana's...sixth-sense-for-Treasure thing will help us hone in on it."

"It's not a sixth sense," Morgana huffed and lashed his tail. "It's way more complicated than that."

"We're callin' it that, so shuddup," Ryuji said and grinned at his friend. "So...are the others comin', too?"

"Let's hope."

"Great…it's not even a guarantee."

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Getting everyone back together was never an easy feat when it was three Phantom Thieves, but now that the group had expanded it was even harder to keep everyone together. It felt like Ren spent most of his time and energy making sure the group didn't end up splitting apart, but despite his best and strenuous efforts to keep tabs on everyone, there were times where he missed one or two of them.

"It ain't my fault," Ryuji said and threw his hands up in surrender before pointing a finger at Sophia. "She keeps running off."

Ren subdued a flash of annoyance and closed his eyes briefly, wondering how much more they could take. They only made it to the twelfth floor and it felt like they had spent the entire day searching this complex. It was long hallway after long hallway but with nothing to show. He was beginning to doubt himself and whether or not this was a massive waste of time. He thought he knew what to do, but he was starting to second-guess himself now.

"Wait," Ren said suddenly, head jerking up as he studied Sophia eagerly. Why had he not thought of this sooner? "You hear something, don't you?"

"I do," Sophia said cheerfully, nodding and pointing down at the floor. "The voices are below us."

"But you wanted to explore the top floors," Makoto said and rubbed her wrist thoughtfully.

"Forget that plan," Ren said and swiped an arm out, focusing his attention on the AI girl. "Sophie, what do you hear?"

Sophia cocked her head to the side like a puppy listening to its owner. She held out her hand for Ren, fingers wiggling in invitation. Ren swallowed the surge of awkwardness and grabbed her hand, fingers interlocking. Immediately, he was overwhelmed with voices, having gone from mostly silence to a cacophony of cries, but the hand in his kept him grounded...focused.

Ren's ears managed to pick up not only a murmur of voices but an overbearing feeling of power coursing through his fingers and arms. His chest tightened as he tried pulling his hand away only to find it held fast as if he and Sophia were glued together.

Power.

Satisfaction.

Confidence.

No fear.

Hope.

Happiness.

Ren finally yanked his hand free and stumbled back, caught by Yusuke. He grunted his gratitude and pushed himself to his feet, stemming the flow of concern that now filled the empty hallway.

"Downstairs," Ren breathed as his chest heaved. "We need to go downstairs."

No one argued (not that he had given them the time or chance to when he felt so close) as they followed Sophia and Ren to the fourth floor of the complex, going down a few different halls and taking turns that no one could remember in order. Sophia skidded to a halt before a door first, followed closely by Ren. They had stopped so abruptly, Ryuji had body checked the AI girl and let out a string of apologies as she crashed to the ground with a shrill whimper.

"Keep it down, Skull," Ann hissed as she helped Sophia back to her feet. "You'd better get used to that."

"Hey!"

"Listen," Ren said softly, putting a hand on the door. He could feel it vibrating underneath his fingers, buzzing like it was anxiously waiting for their arrival. "It's here."

"What is?" Sumire asked curiously, stepping up to his right and glimpsing up at him. "Can you feel it?"

"The memory here," Ren confirmed as his hand travelled to the doorknob. "It's important. I can hear it."

He closed his eyes and pushed it open, looking around an empty room of blackness. He had a feeling it would come at a price, but he didn't know how high it would be. It was something he would have to wait to find out.

"It's strong here," Morgana said uneasily and flattened his ears against his head. "I can feel it."

"Me, too," Sophia said and hummed as she started to slowly walk around fearlessly, hand up in front of her as if she was feeling for something in the air. "I can hear it."

"Hey, man," Ryuji said, holding out an arm to stop him for a moment. "You sure you wanna do this? One of us...can do it."

"It's fine."

Goro recalled the words of the Leader as he watched Ren take off his mask; this time it came off with no difficulty though it still brought him to his knees. The familiar chains came snaking out and wrapping themselves around his ankles, wrists, and knees. Ren, now at the mercy of the room, closed his eyes and bowed his head as the light around him began to spread...illuminating the rest of the room.

~FLASHBACK~

Ren stared at the chess piece with determination, mind reeling from their conversation. He turned the black king in his hand a few times before drumming his palm against the counter, picking his head up to address Goro before he could leave.

"I'll win next time."

Goro caught the piece that came flying at him, opening his palm to reveal the king. It was still warm from when Ren was holding it although there was something else that made it feel hard to hold.

Ren stared at him from behind the counter, eyes flashing behind those unassuming glasses. He lifted an eyebrow ever so slightly, just enough where Goro could see, but would have missed if he were not watching carefully.

"Keep that until then."

~END~

Goro felt the determination, stubbornness, frustration, and confidence come to him tenfold. Whatever Ren had felt during this time was exactly what he was feeling now. Goro remembered that very day himself, catching the piece that was thrown to him. It was then that they started spending more time together, wrapped up in the heat and excitement of competition. The scene began to morph into something else, oscillating until it came back to a standstill.

~FLASHBACK~

"I'm going to be entirely honest with you: I hate you."

Ren shifted his weight, taken aback, but ensuring his expression did not reveal the slight indignation. He pulled a hand out of his pocket, twisting his fingers against each other as he watched Goro glare at him.

"Your deft handling of your unfortunate circumstances, your uniqueness, your ability to surpass me — all these irritate me…..you're the one person I refuse to lose to."

Ren worked his lip for a moment before finally finding his voice. "Really hate losing, don't you?"

His tone was starch and dry, curt at the very least, but it delved into something much deeper than the surface-level question he inquired. His eyes sought an answer out for themselves as he waited for the verbal response.

Goro picked up his head and narrowed his eyes. "Without a doubt. Even I was unaware that it was this severe."

Ren stuffed his hands back in his pockets as he tilted his chin up.

"I'll let you have this win today—but next time, I will be victorious. Let this be my proof."

Ren watched with curiosity as Goro worked a bit at his glove, tugging at each finger before he managed to pull it off. Without warning, he chucked the glove into Ren's chest, who had to react quickly to catch it. He clung to it, soaking in its warmth with fervor. He was surprised the Detective was willing to part with it as he was never seen without it. Goro had bared himself to him.

"There's a tradition in the West to throw one's glove at their opponent when demanding a duel," Goro explained coolly, eyes calculating him hungrily. "Should the opponent accept the glove, the duel is also accepted."

Ren felt a fire within his chest as he met Goro's gaze evenly and unwavering. He gripped the glove tighter in his fist as it went into his pocket and nodded. "I accept."

Goro sneered although he shook his head. "Make certain that you never forget: I am the one who will defeat you."

Ren lifted his eyebrow at the threat, but refused to rise and take the bait. He merely nodded stoically.

~END~

Goro, too, remembered that day. He was frustrated, angry, and bittered that he had lost to the attic rat. He squeezed his eyes shut as he played out the scene from his memories, only able to observe what he saw from his perspective. But, this...it allowed him to finally gain some insight into the mind of his rival….

It was finally the wish he had been asking for. He could finally read him...feel what he felt…

The flashback changed once more.

~FLASHBACK~

"Don't misunderstand," Goro said, eyes still locked onto Ren with his gun aimed for his face. "You're the one who's going to disappear!"

Goro sent the bullet into Shido's cognition of himself and watched it disappear in a cloud of smoke. The next bullet flew past Joker's head and destroyed the emergency hatchet, causing the bulk door to slam shut. The cold metal echoed loudly, but not as loud as Ryuji's cries from the other end.

The blonde ran forward and pounded his fists against the door. "Akechi!"

Ren looked down at his hand and opened it, gasping slightly as he stared at the black king, mouth open slightly.

"You can have that back!" Goro's voice shouted from the other end, causing Ren's breath to falter. "In exchange for a deal! You wouldn't refuse me now, would you?"

Ren was frozen as he listened.

"Change Shido's heart in my stead. End his crimes!"

Ren wanted to say no….to abandon their mission in favor of rescuing Goro from the other side. His eyes searched the door and even though he was vainly and feebly trying to think of a way to get to the other end, all he could do was stare in one place.

"Please, Ren…" Goro murmured.

Hearing his name pass Goro's lips brought Ren from his stupor. He gritted his teeth and set his jaw, although his heart ached with each beat.

"All right."

"Go, you wolves in sheep's clothing."

Ren held his breath as he was met with the sound of bullets raining against the metal. His body began to shake as he listened for sounds of movement.

"His signal...is gone," Futaba whimpered.

Ren's breathing came back heavier than ever. He looked at the king, then shoved past everyone and slammed his fist against the bulk door, fingers wrapped around the chess piece tightly. Tears threatened to fall as they pooled in his eyes, taking in trembling breaths.

"Akechi…" Morgana groaned in disbelief.

"That dumbass…" Ryuji growled in a raspy voice.

Haru removed her hat as she bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"Joker…" Ann breathed, almost scared of what he was going to do.

Ren's grief and anguish could be felt around the room, suffocating as if stealing the air. No one commented on his labored breathing or shaking frame, but it was visible to all. His grief became overwhelming, but it could be felt.

"Let's go."

~END~

Goro was not sure his heart could handle the damage that had been done to it. It was hard to remember it was only psychic agony, only a mere echo of what the ravenette had endured during these memories. He could vaguely hear the cries of Haru, the gasping from Sumire, the grunting from Ryuji…

It was no surprise the rest of the Phantom Thieves would fall at the intensity, although Goro was surprised he was still standing. Perhaps it was some intestinal fortitude or something completely different, but he craved more.

The flashback warped into something different once more. Goro tried looking at Ren, but the latter just kept his head lowered, hiding his face.

~FLASHBACK~

Ren's pain filled the room as he lay sprawled out on the ground, staring up at the divine god with its weapons bared at him. He closed his eyes and let himself drop to the ground, unable to find the strength to hold himself up anymore. His weight felt immense and the pressure on his chest felt too constricting. He let his mind drift off...he was so fatigued, it felt nice to just...lay down.

"Phantom Thieves!"

"Phantom Thieves!"

Ren could hear the cheering but none of it mattered. He merely kept his eyes closed, body stiff against the cold stone. Perhaps this wasn't so bad...if this was dying, he was no longer afraid. He would, at least, be able to find him again.

"What's the matter? Get up."

Ren's ears pricked up at the familiar voice, one that jolted him from his restful slumber. His heart screamed at the voice inside his head, deafening and drowning out the chanting from the masses below. Now more than ever, it meant so little to him.

"It's too early for checkmate."

Ren's eyes flew open as he could feel the light weight of the king in his hands. Red against black, his fingertips brushed the cross on top of the piece, drawing in a sharp breath.

~END~

The room began to shake as it warped, revealing the finale. Bernard Gahr was much younger in this memory, most likely eleven or twelve.

~FLASHBACK~

The young boy stood before another kid, shorter and smaller, but around the same age.

"Are you sure?" the shorter boy asked cautiously.

"It's the only way we can be together," Bernard insisted and pushed the bottle closer to his friend. "Go on, Hector. We can't wait forever."

Hector gave him a look of pure trust before he downed the liquid in one, long gulp. He winced painfully as he clutched his stomach.

"It's supposed to hurt," Bernard said reassuringly and put a hand on Hector's shoulder, pulling him in closer. "I won't leave until you fall asleep."

Hector closed his eyes as he rested his head on Bernard's chest; the two boys stood there, embracing one another until Hector started to fidget uncomfortably, moaning as he doubled over. Bernard stared at him as his friend toppled to the ground in a writhing heap; Hector began gagging, shoving his fingers down his throat as if he was trying to expel whatever he consumed.

"No!" Bernard said and seized him by the wrist to stop him. "It's working! It's working! It'll be just you and me!"

Hector pleaded with desperation as he clung onto Bernard's shirt, fingers tangling in the fabric. His eyes fluttered shut as he began to aspirate from the foam around his lips. His pinched expression and furrowed eyebrows began to relax as he loosened his hold. Bernard watched with an expressionless face as his friend lay twitching on the ground; he made no move to call for help nor did he look like he had any intention.

~END~

The bottle that rolled to the ground with a clatter began to glow. At first, no one made a move, but it was Ren who spoke up.

"The Treasure," he rumbled tiredly. "Take it before it's gone!"

Morgana leapt into action, seizing the glass bottle from the memory, which materialized in his paw.

The room began to quake dangerously, the door flinging itself wide open. Goro and Ryuji seized Ren by the arms and helped him to his feet, half-dragging and half-carrying him out of the room as the rest of the Phantom Thieves made a break for the exit.

"Get us out of here, Violet!"

Sumire, who was more prepared, pressed the button; the world began to distort itself into a blur. The others continued running as their world warped into their living room.

Ren, Ryuji, and Goro could not stop in time after sprinting at full speed; all three of them slammed face-first into the wall and flew backward in a heap. Ryuji howled in agony as he clutched his nose, rolling around on the ground and cursing whatever and whoever he could think of. Goro moaned as he rubbed his forehead though he was hardly as dramatic as his blonde friend. Ren, too, felt pangs of agony somewhere in his nose and right cheek where he hit it the hardest.

"Please get off," Yusuke's muffled voice said from somewhere underneath Ren.

The ravenette yelped and sat up quickly, looking at Yusuke squashed underneath him.

"You're on my legs!" Ann gasped to the artist and tried wriggling free. "Get off!"

"Ouch, Ann!" Sumire said shrilly as she tried yanking her hair from underneath Ann's body. "Hang on! Don't move so much!"

"It's Yusuke's fault," Ann grumbled and winced as she tried twisting her legs out from underneath him.

"Ow! Just wait!" he squawked and tried moving Ren off him.

"Hang on!" the Leader hissed and tried getting off, only to roll on top of Ryuji, who howled even louder. "Hang on!"

After a few moments of struggling and a lot of complaining, the Phantom Thieves managed to gather their legs underneath them and stand on their own; the transition back felt harder than the infiltration. Once they were all untangled, the group of friends were able to reorganize themselves, each finding their own space to rest while they went over the events.

"Wait!" Morgana yowled and leaped around, not caring who he was jumping on and landing on. "Where's the Treasure?"

"I don't think it was the actual Treasure," Ren groaned as he rubbed the back of his head with a grimace. "It's the Treasure of the memory. It's what we've been looking for."

"Someone care to fill us in?" Ryuji deadpanned.

"Makoto, Goro, and I came up with it before we left," Ren explained as he flopped onto the couch next to Yusuke, resting his arm on his taller friend's shoulder. "The Treasure wouldn't show itself until the calling card, but the memory would reveal what the Treasure would look like."

Goro, who had taken the barstool from the kitchen, shifted awkwardly on the seat and rubbed his lower back with a pinched expression. "You want to talk about spinal realignment, Sakamoto?"

Ryuji just gave him a theatrical, dead look as he rolled his head to the side.

"Anyway, that memory served as our biggest clue," Goro said, picking up where Ren left off. "Now we know what to look for when we search for the Treasure. We assume it will be with Gahr...not somewhere separate. It is a secret he holds so dear to him, it would never leave his person."

"What's that bottle gotta do with anythin'?" Ryuji asked, waving a hand in the air.

"Gahr doesn't kiss and tell," Goro said with a shrug of a shoulder. He crossed an ankle over his knee and folded his hands around his propped up leg. "It was Gahr's first murder."

There was a collective silence in which no one spoke.

Everyone was frozen, unsure if they heard correctly.

"Holy...shit…" Ryuji said and lifted his head with comically wide eyes. "Are you effin' serious?"

"Yes," Goro said in a rather indifferent voice; after all, it had been his line of work before. "He must have convinced this friend, Hector, to take a bottle of arsenic with the promise they would be together."

"I have the article in my room," Ren said as he gestured lazily to the hallway. "Hector Hernandez died of an apparent suicide...poisoning by arsenic, but his family insisted there was more than meets the eye. Be that as it may…"

"Gahr is hiding a hellish secret," Goro concluded with a hand cupping his chin, something he did when he was deep or lost in thought. "Because he had gotten away with murder once, he developed a newfound sense of power...invulnerability as it were."

"Oh…" Ann said, head dipped low. "If he's invulnerable, how are we going to fight him in the Metaverse? I bet he's going to be really powerful."

"Most likely, especially if what you say is true," Morgana chimed in and curled his tail around his paws, ears twitching. "That calling card is going to be more important than ever."

"How do you suppose we go about it?" Ren asked the feline.

"Discreetly," Goro said decisively, dropping his hand back on his knee and sitting up straighter. "We cannot afford publicity right now and nor can he...otherwise he will feel it to be nothing more than a bluff."

"How?" Sumire asked curiously.

"If we call attention to it," Goro said thoughtfully, knitting his eyebrows. "Gahr might think it as a prank...we can only be so direct with it. If we are too forward, his Treasure won't appear; he would have hid it so well by then, we would never retrieve it in the Metaverse. However, if we are indirect, all his fears of his secrets being revealed will cause the Treasure to materialize."

Everyone just stared at Ren and Goro with their jaws open.

"You really thought this through," Ann said in surprise.

"Indeed," Goro said pleasantly and wore a genuine smile. "There are perks to having the mind of a practiced detective."

Ren rolled his eyes in fond exasperation, but even he could not disagree. It was helpful to have someone who was able to make deductions like this; fortunately, Goro and Makoto made quite the pair.

"Goddamn," Ryuji said and whistled low, throwing his arms behind the couch and tapping his hands on it. "Got anythin' else to take us by surprise? Did ya figure out the cure to cancer or somethin'?"

"Not quite in my scope of study," Goro replied smoothly, earning himself a snort of laughter from the box-dye blonde. "We did enough for tonight however."

"We'll talk more in the morning," Ren said and rose to his feet a bit stiffly. "I think we're all tired."

"I know I am," Ann said and looked to Sumire. "Ready to head back?"

"Ready!" she said with a warm smile.

The girls bid their weary farewells and headed out. Morgana chided them for not being gentlemen and not walking them home, although the teens insisted the girls would only be offended at the offer.

"You know Ann!" Ryuji said and threw his hands up in defeat. "She woulda been mad and assumed we thought they were weak or like they couldn't take care of themselves."

Morgana rolled his eyes and stretched, fur rippling along his spine. "Anyone else tired?"

There was a chorus of yeses.

"Then let's get some rest before tomorrow's trip," Morgana instructed firmly, but no one wanted otherwise.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The four boys and Morgana took up varying places in Yusuke's room, which was far more preferable than Ryuji's given its cleanliness. Yusuke took the bed, sketchbook customarily in his hands, while Ryuji sat on the floor, back leaning against the footboard, wrapped up in three or four blankets. Goro clutched onto the cup of coffee Ren had made and had taken residence in the wooden chair, situating it near the window. Ren sat on the window sill with Morgana near his knee.

Each had made themselves comfortable, allowing the ambience to soothe them after their time in the Metaverse. With the window thrown open, they could see the stars flecking the black vastness, lighting the skies up above them. Some shone brighter than others, but Ren found them all beautiful.

"Have you heard from Futaba lately?" Yusuke asked casually, eyes not straying from the pages of his sketchbook.

"Nah, not really, man," Ryuji said as he punched his pillow a few times to get its fluffiness back. "Not outside of the chat."

"Why?" Ren asked curiously.

"Merely curious," Yusuke replied a little too quickly.

Goro lifted an eyebrow but said nothing else. Instead, he sipped from his drink and crossed his legs at the knees. "It turns out you were right, Ren. I did not expect it to turn out the way it did."

Ren merely hummed at that, but he wore a smile. "Guess you won't be the only ace detective."

Goro chuckled at that and gestured to the floor, shaking his head at Ryuji's snoring even though he was just talking to them a few moments ago.

"Perhaps we would all benefit from some rest," he said and slid off the chair; he grabbed the extra blankets and laid them out large enough for him and Ren to sleep side by side. "We can talk more in the morning."

Ren thought the idea sounded as perfect as it was tempting. He and Goro laid on the blankets, using the last one to cover themselves.

For the first time, Ren was not the last one to fall asleep. Through the darkness of the room, Yusuke's dim phone light could still be seen through their open window all the way until morning's light.

What could Yusuke be up to now? I swear, it's either Ryuji or Yusuke who get into the worst shennanigans.