Note: I mention an ending spoiler for PQ2 in my A/N. For those of you who have not finished the game, search end spoiler if you want to read my A/N!
Intermission #1
Ken hadn't really expected there to be an actual movie theater.
"So we were really in a movie…?" Haru asked, before she shook her head. "I find it hard to believe."
"Yep! It's kinda hard to wrap your mind around it but it's kinda…" Futaba tilted her head, "cool?"
"Haru, you do have to remember that Kamoshidaman did act like almost comically evil," Ken remarked, readjusting his grip on Kaito. Kaito shifted in his arms but he didn't wake up. "Like a Saturday cartoon's villain." But he couldn't help but frown." But still… it was an odd feeling that we could be watched from the other side."
"But still… why him?" Ryuji made a face. "Kamoshida's the total opposite of a hero!"
"According to Nagi-san and Hikari-san," Akechi interjected, "he was not always Kamoshidaman."
"He was apparently called someone else… until we arrived," Yusuke explained.
Haru frowned. "That's very peculiar."
"Well… we know that the superhero was very adamant on forcing his will on others." Makoto folded her arms over her chest. "Anyone who disagreed was… punished."
Ryuji and Anne immediately began to frown, before exchanging a look.
"Yeah… that definitely fits Kamoshida to a T," Anne spat out, a bitter frown on her face.
"So… you're saying that Kamoshida was essentially cast into this role?" Ren asked, before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I can definitely see that."
"Kamoshida… he must have been pretty awful," Minako-san said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "For you to cast him as a villain like that…"
Ryuji made a face. "Trust me, Minako, he's a total ass."
"He would use the male volleyball club members as punching bags," Ren spat out. "And he'd assault the female members. He broke Ryuji's leg out of spite 'cause he was leading the track team to victory. And he was after Anne in particular."
"Oh my god!" Both of Minako-san's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. "That's horrible… I didn't know it was that… that…" She then shook her head. "…I can't even find a word to describe how awful that is."
"But Kamoshida is rotting in jail, atoning for his crimes," Morgana interjected. "We brought him to justice… just like we have with Kamoshidaman."
"It's nothing more than he deserves," Makoto added.
"Everyone!" An unfamiliar woman and a girl approached them. It was the woman who had spoken. "I'm so glad that you're safe. Nobody is hurt, I hope?"
"Not everyone," the girl said somberly, her eyes going to Kaito in Ken's arms. "The twins are—"
"They're just sleeping," Futaba blurted out. "It's okay, Hikari!"
…Hikari? Ken couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. So this girl had his mother's name. At least she looked nothing like Mom…
"Ken, Haru, this is Nagi-san—" Yusuke introduced, pointing to the elegant woman, and then he pointed to the girl, "—and that's Hikari-san. They were in the movie theater before we arrived. They've been very kind to us… doing whatever to help us."
"Thank you," Ken said, slightly smiling.
Nagi-san frowned, her eyes flickering to Kaito and then Miyuki. "The poor dears… they must have been worn out."
"Yes." Ken nodded. "Oh, and I'm Ken Amada."
"I'm Haru Okumura," Haru introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Hikari-san didn't say anything, just ducking behind Nagi-san.
"Oh…" Haru frowned. "Was it something I said?"
"It's not your fault," Makoto reassured. "Hikari-san is just… rather shy."
"She reminds me a little of Futaba when we first met her," Ken remarked.
"I was not that bad!" Futaba glared at him. "Hmph… if you weren't holding Kaito, I'd smack you."
"You can deny it, Futaba…" Ren gave her a playful smile before ruffling her hair, "but we know the truth."
"Heh, I even say that she has some strong similarities to you now, Futaba-san," Akechi remarked.
"You're all bullying me…" Futaba said sulkily.
Anne just giggled, putting an arm around Futaba. "Aw, you know that we love you, Futaba!"
"But anyways!" Ryuji quickly interjected, grinning Hikari's way. "So, Hikari, did we put up a great show or what?! We kicked Kamoshidaman to the curb! Did you see it?"
"I did," Hikari said softly. "You were so brave…" Then she gave a small frown. "…Unlike me. I could never do that."
"Hey, never say never!" Minako chided. "Don't degrade yourself like that, Hikari-chan!"
"But anyways, I hope you enjoyed that proper ending, Hikari-san," Akechi said.
"Yeah!" Ryuji nodded enthusiastically. "Better than watching that shitty movie constantly!"
"Mm…" Hikari slowly nodded before glancing Ken and Haru's way. "I'm glad that you managed to save your friends. You were so worried about them…"
She seemed almost… wistful.
"All in all, a happy ending!" Anne said cheerfully.
"But you get it, don't you?" Morgana said, placing a paw on his chest. "Anything's possible for us!"
"Don't get too cocky," Ken said dryly.
"Ken?!" Morgana practically squawked out.
"Guess that since the twins are out cold, someone's gotta poke fun at you," Ren teased.
"Oh god," Ken sighed. "What kind of damage have they done?"
"Nothing much," Makoto said, even as an amused smile tugged at her lips. Then she leaned close so she could whisper to him. "Unless you count Morgana's ego."
Ken couldn't help but snort. Yeah, that was no surprise. Yukari-san always had a sharp tongue. And the twins had taken to mimicking her since they could talk. Though he was somewhat curious on what exactly they had said to Makoto. He would have to ask Ren later.
"Though, are you seriously telling me that they know what eff is?" Ryuji asked.
Ken sighed, shaking his head. "I apologize in advance if they've given you a few gray hairs."
"Just a little," Akechi quipped.
"Why couldn't you just play along, Ken?" Morgana whined. "I was trying to make us look good!"
"Actions always speak louder than words," Ren said. "We'll just have to prove ourselves right again, to convince Hikari."
…Yeah okay, this was gonna be weird for him.
Nagi-san then cleared her throat. "But anyhow… I suspect that the changed ending… was actually meant to be the original ending."
"You really think so?" Haru gasped out.
"It really was a horrible message, the original movie," Yusuke stated with a frown.
Something flickered in Nagi-san's eyes, before she nodded solemnly. "Mm. Those in power must not err in how to use said power. Using it to save the weak. And punishing evil ones… That is how a true hero should behave. I believe that's the true purpose of the movie."
"Ohh, that does make sense!" Minako exclaimed. "Though the "saving the weak" reminds me of how we would save the Lost in Tartarus!"
This earned her a few confused looks. So Minako-san hadn't really "told" them about Tartarus. That's good. They needed to keep Akechi in the dark as much as possible. They would be screwed if Akechi knew Ken's connection to the Shadow Operatives.
"I like that interpretation, Nagi-san," Haru said with a smile.
"Yeah, that's like our entire purpose as the Phantom Thieves!" Anne chimed in.
"U-Um… actually, I see it differently," Hikari-san said timidly. She seemed to shrink in herself as this caught everyone's attention and they turned their eyes on her. She bit her lip before she spoke again. "I always saw it as… if you stand up to someone in charge, they'll punish you for speaking out. You'll get singled out for disturbing the peace. And the people look at you for being strange due to that. S-So… isn't it just easier to go with the flow?"
"Even if you know in your heart that it's wrong?" Makoto asked. "That's no way to live, Hikari…" She bit her lip. "…Believe me, I know."
"I couldn't do it," Anne said, shaking her head. "Especially if it forced me to leave behind my friends!"
"You can't let anyone dictate what the truth is," Ken added. "It's not easy… but just closing your eyes and letting someone force a lie on you like that. That's no way to live."
"Yeah, just letting someone force that opinion on ya?" Ryuji scowled. "Eff that! Can you be proud of yourself if you do that? I sure as hell wouldn't. It'd be like I'm lying to myself."
Hikari-san bit her lip again. "I… I don't know."
"But the important thing is that you have friends to stand with!" Futaba quickly interjected. "I know that I wouldn't have been able to face the truth if it wasn't for everyone's support."
"Futaba…" Yusuke said quietly. "That was surprisingly heartfelt, coming from you."
"What's that supposed to mean, Inari?!" Futaba growled out.
"That's enough," Ken sighed out. "Don't start this now."
"My heart…" Hikari-san put a hand on her chest, shaking a bit. "It feels so twisted up. I don't know what the truth is."
"Take your time," Ren stated. "There's no rush."
But then loud thudding footsteps sounded. A Shadow-like creature loomed over Hikari-san.
"A Shadow?!" Haru cried. "But we can't—"
"Doe!" Anne cried out. "What are you doing here?!"
"…Can someone please explain what's going on?" Ken asked.
"This is Doe, the projectionist," Makoto hastily explained.
"But why is he here now…?" Minako-san asked.
"…Maybe he's upset that we changed the movie," Akechi stated. "He is in charge of the film, after all."
Morgana frowned. "Wait… he's a bit off, wouldn't you say?"
"A bit…" Ren trailed off.
…Well, he couldn't judge, considering this is the first time he's met this 'Doe'.
But suddenly Doe hunched over, moaning in pain. Nagi-san pulled Hikari-san to her as Doe continued to convulse. It was… disturbing to watch, to put it lightly.
"I really hope that we won't have to fight…" Futaba said nervously.
"Don't drop your guards, guys," Ren snapped at them, as Doe started to clutch at his head. It almost reminded Ken of how Haru had awakened to Milady. "Be prepared for—"
But then Doe started to claw at himself, his groans of pain just getting louder.
"…Anything?" Ren said uncertainly.
"What the hell is going on?!" Ryuji demanded. "Futaba, can't you figure out what's going on?!"
"I specialize in Shadows not… whatever Doe is!"
It was really a miracle that the twins were out of it. Ken really hoped that they wouldn't have to battle Doe, though. This wasn't exactly the same as fighting in the movie…
"Can we even fight this…?" Yusuke asked.
Hikari-san just whimpered, hugging herself as she backed away from Doe.
"Hikari!" Minako-san rushed forward, gently hugging Hikari-san. "We're here for you… Don't be scared!"
"Seriously, is Doe okay?" Haru asked in concern.
"It feels like he's gonna explode!" Anne yelped.
"Don't be ridiculous, Anne-san—" Akechi protested. "It's not possible!"
"We literally went inside a movie, anything's possible!" Futaba retorted.
"Will everyone calm down?" Ken snapped out. He could feel his patience running thin. Very thin. "Freaking out is not going to accomplish anything!"
Minako-san blinked at him. "Why are you so calm, Ken-kun…?"
Ken shrugged the best he could with Kaito in his arms. "I've seen a lot of weird things."
But then Doe hunched over once more, some black vicuous material dripping out. It formed a… key? It was certainly a key that Ken had never seen, though… The teeth formed a K of all things… This was just. Bizarre.
And to add that, Doe just dropped the key, heading for the exit. Doe even ignored Ryuji's yelling at him to come back and give them answers.
"…Seriously, what the fuck," Ren deadpanned.
Ken sighed. "Well… at least it's over."
"Perhaps we should try using that key on one of the chains," Akechi suggested.
"Chains?" Ken asked.
"We found a door but there are several padlocks on it," Yusuke explained. "The locks are very bizarre… But if my memory serves correctly, this key may just fit one of the locks."
"That's great!" Minako took a step away from Hikari-san, sporting her usual bright smile. "Oh, but what about Miyuki-chan and Kaito-kun? They're so worn out…"
"Yeah, they're really out of it," Futaba commented, before poking at Kaito's cheek. Ken quickly shot her a look. "All this yelling and not even a peep."
Ren nudged her in the side, giving her a playful smile. "Don't think you of all people can talk."
"Yes, well… they take after their father," Ken said dryly. Then he caught sight of Minako-san and quickly coughed. "Though I probably should lay them down somewhere…"
"We have a backroom you can use," Nagi-san suggested. "May I show you the way, Ken-san?"
"Please."
Ken then met Ren's gaze. He really was the best one to talk to about this. Ken didn't like feeling adrift. He felt disoriented. He really needed to be caught up to speed. And Ren was the perfect person to do so.
Ren seemed to catch onto what Ken was asking, so he cleared his throat. "Hey, Haru, you must be tired. Let me take Miyuki."
Haru looked confused for a moment, but then she nodded and held out Miyuki. Ren seemed to glance at how Ken was holding Kaito before taking her.
Nagi-san then led them to the backroom she was referring to. But as they passed by the concession stand, Ken saw Theodore-san manning it. Great, who was next? Elizabeth-san? She may be a friend of Minato-san's but she was just so… so bizarre.
"Here we are," Nagi-san announced. "I'm afraid we don't have any blankets, though…"
"It's all right," Ken answered. "I'll just go without my jacket while they sleep."
She nodded, giving Ken a small smile. "That sounds like a plan, Ken-san. I'll let you to it, then."
Once Nagi-san was gone, Ken didn't waste any time and turned to his friend. "What have you told Minako-san, Ren? Furthermore, why the hell is she even here?"
"We managed to keep it pretty quiet until we went to rescue you and Haru for the first time," Ren said. "She also knows that the twins are children of a member of SEES."
Ken frowned, before pursing his lips together. "And she didn't question it at all?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not complaining. And uh, no clue."
Ken sighed before laying Kaito down. He motioned for Ren to do the same with Miyuki. He then shrugged off his blazer, draping it over the two children. "…You did your best with the situation," Ken said. "I can't be really angry with you being forced into a corner."
"Yeah but she wants to talk to you…"
Ken blew his bangs out of his face. "I'll have to remind her of the butterfly effect, on why I can't speak much on the future."
Ren nodded. "Smart." Only for him to wince. "I do not envy you right now."
"That makes two of us," Ken said dryly. "This is one… complicated situation."
"Yeah, no kidding." Ren huffed. "Good luck, Ken."
"…Thanks. I'll need it."
Miyuki suddenly shifted, catching their attention. She then turned onto her side. She threw an arm around Kaito, hugging him close. She snuggled to him, letting out a content sigh.
"But anyways… while you have your little chat with Minako, we have some time to kill." Ren's eyes then gleamed. "So I think I'll spend it with Anne."
Ken rolled his eyes. "Don't do anything that requires me using a spray bottle."
Ren just cracked a grin. "We'll see. See ya, Ken."
Ken sighed, shaking his head as Ren left. He was about to follow when he heard a soft thump. He turned to see that one of the twins had pushed off his jacket and it was now on the ground. So he picked it up, tucking it around them once more. He then removed the headband from Miyuki's head.
Ken ran his fingers through Miyuki and then Kaito's fine hair. He was glad that they were safe. And it didn't seem that his friends were too ragged from babysitting.
The door opened and Makoto slipped inside. "Hi," she murmured.
Ken straightened up. "Makoto…"
"I wanted to catch you before… you went to go talk to Minako-san," she stated.
Ken pursed his lips. "About what?"
"About what?" she repeated. "How about the fact that you just decided to push Futaba and me through the portal?"
"I was doing what I thought was best," Ken mumbled out.
Makoto frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "And deciding that you should face on a dangerous Shadow is what's best."
Ken winced. "You don't have to phrase it like that."
"I don't know how else to," Makoto said flatly. "I was worried enough and then we saw you and Haru on TV…"
Ken sighed, before stepping closer to his girlfriend. He tilted up her chin. "But I'd do it again. Put myself in danger so you'd be safe."
Makoto then grumbled, irritation flashing in her eyes. "You make it very difficult for me to stay angry at you…"
He flashed her a smile. "Oh, what a pity."
"Don't pull a Ren," Makoto quipped, smiling even as Ken slid his arms around her waist.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Ken murmured before leaning down and kissing her.
He felt her melt against him. Their kiss started out sweet but it quickly grew heated. Makoto sighed against his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Her fingers then threaded into his hair and she gave a slight tug.
Sudden knocking sounded. "Ken-kun!" Minako-san called. "Is everything okay?"
They hastily pulled apart, sharing a sheepish look. Then Ken cleared his throat. "Everything's fine, Minako-san! Um, just a minute!"
Makoto sighed, dropping her head against Ken's shoulder. "What I wouldn't do to have access to your room right now…" she moaned out.
Despite himself, Ken felt himself flush. Makoto had been in his room before, but that was before he had asked her out. "W-We'll figure this out… But I really should go talk to Minako-san."
Makoto nodded, before pushing herself up on her toes and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Good luck," she said, sincerity shining in her eyes.
"Thanks." Ken pulled her close and gave one last quick kiss. "I'll need it…"
The door finally opened. Ken stepped out, uncertainty in his eyes.
Minako clasped her hands behind her back. "Hi, Ken-kun."
"Hello, Minako-san," he greeted her cautiously.
Minako bit her lip. Was it weird that she felt a little… jealous of the Phantom Thieves now? Ken was obviously comfortable with them, with the merciless teasing that Ren and Futaba had heaped on his head. Had something happened? Were they even in contact in Ken's time?
The idea of losing even one of her friends… absolutely terrified Minako. Her friends meant so much to her…
"Why don't we sit down?" Ken suggested tentatively. "We do have a lot to talk about."
Minako nodded. "Okay."
With how the lobby was set up, they settled for the hall in front of the theater. Minako took the moment to study Ken. Between with how her first glimpse of "Ace" had been Yusuke's sketch of him and then seeing him on TV later… maybe it wasn't a surprise that she hadn't connected the dots.
Ken's hair was a lighter shade of brown now. There was a softness in his eyes that was absent in the eleven year old Ken's. Sometimes she felt that her Ken was skittish… almost like a wild animal.
Admittedly, she hadn't thought much of what Ken would look like when he was older. But it was kinda funny that he turned out to grow up to resemble Akihiko-senpai.
Minako felt a pang at the thought. Akihiko-senpai… She hoped he was okay. He always had her back but… was he fighting Shadows right now? Was he safe?
"…Minako-san? Is there something on my face?"
"No, it's just…" Minako shook her head. "I was just thinking about how well you grew up," she added teasingly.
Ken's face flushed. "Minako-san!"
Minako couldn't help but frown. "Even after all these years, you still won't drop the honorific? Right now I'm younger than you."
This earned her a helpless shrug. "It'd be odd to call you that otherwise."
Minako frowned. "You address the Phantom Thieves without any honorifics," she said quietly, before biting down on her lower lip. She didn't want to ask the question on the tip of her tongue, because she felt that she might not like the answer.
Are the Phantom Thieves more important to you than SEES? Is that it?
Ken's eyes seemed to search her before he pursed his lips. "You may be physically younger than me right now, but I still think of the woman who reached out to me. Was kind to me when I was only met with condescension."
Minako's eyes widened.
"The Phantom Thieves are very important to me," Ken continued, a serious look in his eyes. "But I'll never forget what you and everyone else in SEES has done for me."
"Ken-kun, that's not…" Minako trailed off. Her eyes suddenly felt wet. "I think you're exaggerating."
"It's not…" Ken shook his head. "You really have changed my life. For good."
"God, you sound old!"
"Don't forget that you're still technically my senpai," Ken protested, all while laughing.
Minako couldn't stop and stare.
"…What?" Ken frowned.
"It's just… I haven't heard you laugh," Minako said softly. "Ever."
Ken then coughed, smiling awkwardly. Some things never changed, it seemed.
"So… about the twins," Minako began.
Ken sighed. "…I can't tell you their parents, Minako-san. You would freak out. I promise you that."
Well… Ken was eighteen. And the twins were… five? Six? So they were born even before their parents were legally adults. That was a… yikes.
…Wait a minute.
Mommy's the Pink Argus on Feathermen! She's so cool! She can do so many tricks with her bow!
Oh… Oh god.
"Yukari-chan is their mom," Minako gasped.
Ken's awkward fidgeting was all the answer she needed.
No wonder that she liked the twins so much. They were her best friend's kids. But still, it didn't seem that Yukari would be the type to become a teen mom. She wasn't even dating anyone! And there was just no way that Yukari would just hook up with someone.
And… they mostly didn't take after Yukari. She could see some of Yukari's facial features in the twins' faces but… It was almost like… they were—
No. That was just wistful thinking. She would not project her regret about Minato onto them.
Minako cleared her throat. Ken looked… anxious. "What can you tell me?" Minako pressed. "How did you even meet the Phantom Thieves? They mentioned something about Shujin Academy…"
Ken pursed his lips. "Shujin Academy is in Tokyo," he said finally. "Another Shadow incident caught Mitsuru-san's attention but due to… circumstances, we had to act discretely." Minako opened her mouth, but he held up a hand. "I can't tell you the exact circumstances, Minako-san. You're aware of the butterfly effect, aren't you?"
Minako fell back against the wall before she grumbled, "Of course…" She sighed. "Do you even have your Evoker still?"
"Of course I do," he answered easily. "I don't have it on me right now but… I keep it with me. I'd never throw it away."
"What about what happened back there? You summoned your Persona even though you were tied up…"
Ken pursed his lips. "Well… it is possible, Minako-san. In my time, you've been able to summon in the real world without an Evoker for years."
"Really?!" Minako gasped, her eyes wide. "That… That sounds amazing." Then she frowned. "But… What else can you tell me though?" Minako asked. "I'm sorry, Ken-kun, but… I just want to know. I don't want to be in the dark."
"Well… I transferred to Shujin," Ken continued cautiously. Then his cheeks suddenly dusted with pink. "I was put in the same class as Makoto."
Minako couldn't help but giggle. "Ohhh, I see how it is."
"Stoooop…" he groaned out, blushing even harder.
"She was really worried about you, you know," Minako said softly, suddenly becoming serious.
Ken winced. "…I know. It wasn't… my best moment, I'll admit."
"I was a bit confused by how they kept referring to you and Haru by your codenames," Minako-san continued. "But it became so much clearer when I realized it was you."
Ken huffed. "Am I going to have to smack Ren?"
"Don't!" Minako cried, before letting out a nervous giggle. "But I'm glad in a way though," Minako-san said softly. "We rescued you. And we'll find the others!" She then bit her lip, her eyes growing sad. "I've been so worried for them."
"You know how they are, Minako-san," Ken reassured. "They're all tough. They'll be fine. And they have Mi—"
"I know. Mitsuru-senpai is a great leader." Minako-san smiled slightly. "I just… miss them. A lot."
Ken looked startled for some reason, before he slowly nodded. "…Though I gotta ask," Ken said slowly. "Why the popcorn suit for poor Theodore-san?"
"That was Elizabeth's idea," she informed him.
"…Yeah, no surprise there," he deadpanned.
Minako-san giggled. "Another long story, huh? I'm surprised you recognized them."
Ken just smiled slightly. "Trust me, Minako-san, I've got a bunch of long stories that could fit an anthology."
"Ooh, fancy vocabulary." Minako-san then winked. "Smart, athletic, handsome… I can see why you can be a could-be ladykiller. Too bad Makoto came along and stole your heart."
Ken stared flatly. "Minako-san, that's almost as bad as a joke by Ikutsuki…san."
The honorific felt… tacked on. That was weird. But Minako quickly shook that off.
"So… Ace, huh?" Minako asked, raising an eyebrow. "It does suit you."
Ken's cheeks flushed. "It… wasn't my idea."
"It does fit you." Minako nudged him. "So… are you like Mitsuru-senpai then?"
"Actually… no." Ken shook his head. "Ryuji is somewhat Ren's right hand man. The team was pretty established by the time I got to Tokyo. I do help with battle tactics a bit though. Makoto is our main tactician."
"Ohhh, I see." Minako grinned. "So you and Makoto work together a lot, huh?"
Ken glowered at her before letting out an indignant huff. "I'm not answering that."
"Don't be shy!" Minako couldn't stop herself from giggling. "You guys seem to be cute!"
"Stop being so nosy," Ken grumbled out.
"Come on, I want details! How'd you start dating?"
"Well, that's too bad," Ken retorted. "Because you're not getting any."
"Aww…" Then Minako's face brightened. "Hey, I bet Ren-kun or Futaba-chan would tell me if I asked—"
"Minako-san!"
After Minako-san decided that she had her fill of teasing him, they went to meet up with the others about testing the key. They weren't kidding when they said that the locks were… strange. No wonder Morgana couldn't pick the locks.
"Okay… so we need to discuss one last thing," Ken stated. "The twins."
Haru winced. "Um… is it possible to leave them in the theater?" she asked hesitantly. "I'm not too comfortable with bringing two children with us, when they could be caught in the crossfire."
"You're joking, right?" Morgana huffed. "They'll just whine and pout until they get their way!"
Ken looked at him flatly. "Look, Morgana, I apologize if the twins have been harassing you but they're not brats."
Morgana shrunk back at his sharp tone, his expression turning contrite. "S-Sorry, it's just… hnngh… they know just how to press my buttons…"
"Besides, they're powerful," Anne pointed out. "Remember how they knock Kamoshidaman flat on his butt?"
Yusuke began, "Perhaps it would be prudent if we—"
Ken narrowed his eyes. "We are not letting them battle," he cut Yusuke off. "Out of the question. I will not budge on this."
Yusuke blanched. "I-I apologize."
Ken blew his bangs out of his face. "Futaba healed us in battle," he said. "Maybe the twins can occasionally step in like she does, but I'm not letting them fight the way we do."
"I have to agree with Ken-kun," Minako-san chimed in. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack when they ran in like that!" Then she tilted her head. "But I've gotta wonder if they have the potential to become Wild Cards eventually. That attack was similar to Jack Bros."
"Jack Bros?" Makoto asked.
Minako-san's expression turned sheepish. "Sorry. I have the ability to summon two Personas and launch special attacks. That attack basically knocks down Shadows."
"Holy crap!" Ryuji gasped. "You can use two Personas at the same time?!"
"Well… a select few," Minako-san said. "It's… weird, but you just gotta roll with it."
"That's very… useful," Akechi remarked. "Though I must say, Ken-san, I did not expect that you've wielded a Persona for… years."
"It's nothing to brag about," Ken replied. "Besides, I haven't joined the fray in years."
This was going to be a… sticky situation. He had been purposefully vague but this had thrown a wrench into everything. This was going to be more complicated when they found SEES.
Minako-san flashed him a confused look, but Ken just quickly mouthed later.
"But… if you can use two Personas naturally," Ren said slowly. "Maybe you should lead, Minako."
"What makes you say that?" Ryuji looked bewildered. "You're doing a kickass job!"
Ken fought the urge to sigh. Looked like Ren's insecurities about being a good enough Wild Card were rearing up again.
"Yeah, Ren, you've always been a great leader!" Anne protested.
"Utter nonsense," Yusuke stated. "…Ah, no offense to you, Minako-san."
"None taken," Minako-san answered. "I dunno why you think that, Ren-kun, but I think you're a stellar leader! You're great at strategy, you've been the one to figure out the puzzles… I don't see why I should take the reins!"
Ren just blinked at her, shock clear in his eyes. "R-Really?"
Ken caught Ren's eye and mouthed at him You're doing fine.
He really hated that Ren was insecure about this. He did his best to reassure his friend but Ren just… did not believe it. Maybe working with Minako-san and later Minato-san would help Ren in the long run.
"Ken-san?" Nagi-san suddenly approached him. "I apologize but the children are awake. They want to see you."
Ken bowed his head. "Thank you for telling me."
"Uncle Ken!"
Ken braced himself as they latched onto his legs, so they would not knock him down. Though something nagged at him… Just why were they here? Then again, why were any of them in this strange place to begin with?
"…Uncle Ken?" Miyuki piped up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he quickly lied, reaching down to stroke the top of her head. "I'm just… tired."
"Do you need a nap?" Kaito asked, releasing his leg.
"Don't be stupid, Kaito!" Miyuki pointed at her brother. "Uncle Ken's a grown up—why would he need a nap?"
Ken glanced around for a seat. But there was nothing, so he settled for just sitting against the wall like he had with Minako-san not too long ago. The twins quickly scrambled to sit on both sides of him.
"So," Ken began. "I need you to tell me something."
"What do you mean?" Kaito frowned.
"How did you get here?" Ken asked. "I was with my friends before all of this. But I don't know about you."
"Uhh…" Miyuki chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "It's actually… really weird!"
"Miyu and me were watching a film. U-Um, it was about two kids who got to meet their daddy after he had to leave their mommy for some reason. And we were talking about how we'd love to meet Daddy…"
Ken bit his lip, letting his bangs to fall forward so to shadow his face. He couldn't exactly remember when the twins started to ask about Minato-san but… It always hurt. It hurt to know that Minato-san never got to meet his children.
"And then we got sleepy," Miyuki said. "Auntie Mina came in and told us that it was time for bed. She tucked us into bed and we woke up in that scary city."
That was… weird. They just fell asleep and ended up here?
Was this astral projection of some sorts then? Was that even possible? Then again, he couldn't really be skeptical with all the crazy stuff he's seen over the years.
"B-But it's not so bad!" Kaito said. "W-We miss Mommy and Auntie Mina and everyone but…"
"We got these cool superpowers!" Miyuki said. "We can join in, right?"
"Yes, and Yukari-san would happily use me as target practice if I let you join in." Ken frowned. "Just what were you thinking? You said yourself that you threatened to go after everyone if they didn't let you come. Do you have any idea how I would've felt if you got seriously hurt by not listening to everyone?"
The twins stared down at the floor. Ken tried not to sigh. He didn't like scolding the twins, but he wanted to emphasize how serious this was.
"I… I'm sorry…" Kaito mumbled out.
"Me too…" Miyuki said.
This time Ken did sigh. "Well, what's done is done…" He ran his fingers through his hair. "The others wanted you to stay here so you'd be safe. Speaking of that… we need to talk about how you two have been treating my friends."
"Um… we love you?" Miyuki said, trying for a cute smile.
Ken rolled his eyes before lightly tapping her nose. "I love you too, but it doesn't mean that you can be naughty. You wouldn't do this to Yukari-san. Or anyone else in our group. What am I hearing about with how you're treating Morgana, hmm?"
"He's bossy," Kaito whined. He then pouted. "And he's kinda mean to Ryuji-san! I dunno why! Ryuji-san's nice! Like Kanji-san!"
"Let me handle Morgana, okay?" Ken said. "You need to stop picking on him so much."
"Okay, but…" Miyuki faltered. "Can I ask you a question, Uncle Ken?"
"Sure."
Miyuki then clasped her hands together. "You're gonna marry Auntie Makoto, aren't you?! Auntie Makoto freaked out when we said it but… it's gonna happen, right?!"
"I…" Ken felt his face start to burn.
"Auntie Mina keeps complaining that Uncle Shinji's a total slowpoke with Auntie Fuuka," Kaito said. "But you won't be like that with Auntie Makoto, right?"
"Slow down!" he blurted out. "I haven't even really thought about marriage! Makoto and I have only just started dating, anyways!"
The twins blinked owlishly at him.
"…But you love Auntie Makoto, don't you?" Miyuki asked, a shrewd gleam in her eye. (She was going to become a gossip when she got older, wasn't she?) "Uncle Junpei says that it's a miracle 'cause you never looked at a girl twice—"
"Which I don't get because you've definitely looked at Mommy, Auntie Mina, Auntie Fuuka, Auntie Mitsuru, Auntie Aigis, and Auntie Chidori more than once!" Kaito chimed in.
Ken just pressed a hand to his burning face.
Dammit Junpei-san…
"Look. I think you should pester Shinjiro-san about this. He and Fuuka-san are much closer to that than Makoto and me."
"But Ren-san said something 'bout you guys—"
…Yeah, he was going to have to find a way to punish Ren about this. Ren was a good friend, but he was just a piece of shit sometimes.
"Never mind what Ren said," Ken said sternly. "Listen to what I have to say about it."
"Okay…" they grumbled.
"And I know that it's easy to forget, but Minako-san… She comes from a time where you weren't even born. You have to be careful about what you say to her."
"Auntie Makoto talked to us 'bout this," Miyuki said. "But… okay. W-We'll try not to tell anything." Then she chewed on her bottom lip.
"What's the matter, Miyuki?"
"Um… it's just…" Miyuki wrung her hands for a moment. "Auntie Mina… she hasn't said anything about Daddy. A-And doesn't everyone say that we look a lot like Daddy?"
That was a good point. He was stressing over what to say to Minako-san that… he didn't notice that detail. But why? Why wouldn't Minako-san say anything about that?
"I… I don't know," Ken admitted. "But keep quiet about Minato-san, okay?"
"O-Okay." Kaito then perked up. "Oh, Auntie Makoto!"
Ken looked down the hall to see that it was indeed his girlfriend, making her way towards them.
"Ken, Nagi-san has informed us that… there's a second movie that has opened up," Makoto said as Ken rose to his feet. "Ren wanted to know if… you're done talking to the twins so we can investigate."
"I am." Ken then took Makoto's hand. "So… it's back to business then, I assume."
SPOILER WARNING FOR PQ2 ENDING
My take on the twins is similar to how Hikari and Minako made it to the theater to begin with. They weren't in a Shadow nest, and in the ending, Minako and Hikari both are shown waking up from slumber. Same deal with the twins.
END SPOILER
In between the movies, I will be titling the chapters intermissions. I will also be taking suggestions/prompts, especially since I have mostly ideas for the third movie and not the second.
Like the baton pass and the scanners' skills, the twins would be able to use their powers at the cost of the battle points (forgive me, I forget the exact term). And they don't quite have the Jack Bros Personas, but they will slowly grow to develop most of the Fusion spells (just not Armageddon because that spell is too OP).
And lastly, I'd like to announce that Ace in the Hole (as well as this fic) now has a TV Tropes page! Thank you to hirowriter for approaching me about creating one! Feel free to add to the page as you see fit! ( tvtropes pmwiki / pmwiki . php / FanFic / AceInTheHolePersona5)
I'll do my best to try and get out the update for the main fic as soon as possible, but I have finals to deal with.
