Howdy, y'all! Doing well? Me? I'm doing great. Busy as heck at college, but I'm managing to get some writing done. Make sure to read and review. Your opinion is really important.
A few warnings: (Yes, I put those before every chapter to avoid issues)
-There will be spoilers for all games! You've been warned.
-The Main characters from each game in this fanfic are called Minato Arisato (P3:FES), Minako Arisato (P3P) and Souji Seta (P4)
-There'll be some cursing. (Anyone that played any persona games knows that some characters on it curse quite a bit.) as well as some heavy subjects.
-Main Pairings in this fanfic: MinatoxYukari, ShinjiroxMinako, SoujixYukiko, KanjixNaoto, AkihikoxMitsuru, YosukexChie.
-Hinted Pairings(in later chapters): JunpeixChidori. (Hinted because Chidori doesn't appear much on this story) KenxNanako (Ya know those little girl's crushes on older boys? It'll be along those lines) FuukaxKeisuke (Other than Minato and Junpei, Fuuka only displayed some sort of close relationship with Keisuke the club president. I found it kinda cute.) TeddiexRise (Just for giggles. They are after all the two hyperactive cuties of the team X3)
Have fun ya guys. On with the show!
Chapter 7: Return of the Fool - Part one
The Velvet Room…
"Welcome back, my children." Igor greeted. His smile seemed bigger than usual today. The Velvet siblings seemed to be in a good mood as well. "I see you've progressed a lot on your quest since our last meeting."
"Indeed, Igor." Minato said. "But now we request your advice again."
"Of course, I am always willing to assist my guests." Igor said, the creepy grin never vanishing from his face. With a motion of his hand, a set of tarot cards appeared before the trio. Two cards separated from the deck and placed on the table. "Shall I read your fortune?"
The Wild Cards nodded.
"Let's see…" With a wave of Igor's hand the first card flipped. "The imminent future is represented by the Devil in the upright position… It means you must to look beyond superficial appearances and to go deeper into the truth and meaning of a situation… Remember that when you're feeling restrained you nearly always hold the keys to your own freedom."
The trio nodded, understanding. Igor waved his hand again and another tarot card flipped. "Ah, the future beyond that is indicated the card of The Hanged Man in the upright position. This card represents 'self-sacrifice' and 'paradoxes.' Very interesting indeed…" He continued. "It seems that the three of you will reach a crossroad, meaning that choices must be made as well as sacrifices… Look at things in a new and different way... Perhaps there you can find your answer."
They remained silent to soak in what Igor had said. The long nose man waved his hand one final time and the cards vanished. "That is all I can tell you for now," he said. "The rest, my children, is up to you."
"Gotta make do with what we've got…" Minako said. "But there's something else we'd like to ask. About the World Arcana."
"As you already know, the bonds you create with others are what shape your world," Margaret started. "Through the bonds with others, the World Arcana channels its powers to your initial Personas and awaken their true power."
"Their true power… As in Orpheus Telos?"
"And Eurydice Telos…"
"And Izanagi-no-Okami…"
"Correct. While that power can be only used by a Wild Card on a decisive situation, by forging a Social Link of the World Arcana, the three of you can recreate it," Theodore elaborated.
"As vast as The World is the power you three wield. The possibilities your power as The Fool brings are infinite," Elizabeth added. "You shall be able to unlock new Personas and attain even greater power should you strengthen the bond you share with each other."
The twins and Souji exchanged glances and smiled. The bond they shared when they were kids is still strong as ever, but they knew that there's always room for improvement. After all they spent over ten years away from each other and, while some things never change, there were some that did and they could learn together.
"Now my children, time marches on in your world. As soon as we come across any valuable information, we'll inform you," Igor said. "Feel free to use my Persona Fusion services and talk with my assistants to check your Compendiums."
They did so. They updated some Personas and talked a few trivialities with the assistant siblings before they left the Velvet Room to meet with their friends at Junes.
"Are you sure you want to go dungeon crawling in there?" Rise asked the group, a look of disgust on her face. That particular dungeon wasn't one of her favorites, as it brought back memories of a sadistic and psychotic teenager.
The SEES members looked at her quizzically. Since everyone was free that day, Minato had suggested that they all go for a training run in the TV World. Of course, Akihiko was the only one who got pumped at the word 'training'. The others agreed since they needed to be prepared and in shape for the next Dark Hour.
"Why not?" Yukari inquired.
"That place is like Tartarus, right?" Junpei added, grinning widely. "It's just a Shadow nest. Nothing we can't handle without you and Fuuka as outside support." His teammates nodded at that.
"Oh, quit whining Rise- chan. We need a place to train where the Shadows are strong, but not too strong so that they'll overwhelm us," Chie scolded, hands on her hips. "And 'his' dungeon happens to be just that."
"We haven't had to use our powers for the past three years, and if I'm not mistaken almost a year for your team. With that much time in between, our skills are bound to get rusty," Mitsuru said. The grip on her fencing rapier tightened, as if reminding herself that her skills were still as sharp as before. "We just got lucky the previous two times."
Rise looked at her feet, somewhat uncomfortable. Of course, the Investigation Team never told the others about their embarrassing revelations when they had to face their True Shadows and so far the SEES members never had a chance to step into their not-so-respective dungeons.
"I'm sorry about this, Rise. But Chie and Mitsuru-san are right. We have to train," Souji said calmly, patting the underclassman's back. "Besides, that is the only place that wasn't made by any of us. It's sort of like neutral territory." Rise finally calmed down at that piece of logic, but her frown remained slightly.
"You said something about a copy-cat murderer in your story. We will be going to a place created by him?" Metis asked.
"Yeah, that's him alright. But I have to warn you, your eyes will be sore by the time we're done," Yosuke supplied, chuckling. "I couldn't even look at a computer screen or play video games for a month after we caught him."
SEES just looked at each other in confusion, wondering what Yosuke meant by that.
"Oh, before I forget," Teddie spoke up. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses with metallic red rims. "These are for you, Mina-chan!"
Minako thanked Teddie and put her glasses on. "Wow, this is so cool! It's like the fog doesn't even exist!" she exclaimed. "Now that I can see, fighting will be a lot easier. What are you guys waiting for? Let's go!" She pumped a fist in the air enthusiastically. Her cheerful personality was infectious as even Rise smiled at her antics.
Fuuka now understood what Yosuke meant in his earlier statement about their eyes being sore when they reached their destination: Void Quest. The bright colors and blinking pixels threatened to blind her as she adjusted her eyesight. "M-my eyes…" she grimaced. "This is just as bad as that one block in Tartarus with the disco theme!"
Junpei was ecstatic, jumping up and down like a child on sugar-high. "Awesome! We're going to be actual heroes in an actual video game! Will there be a princess at the end of the journey?" The class clown then struck a cheesy pose with his broadsword as the others tried hard not to laugh at his ridiculousness. His excitement was cut short when Akihiko smacked him, and given death glares by Shinjiro and Mitsuru. Ken just shook his head in a disappointed manner.
Yukari looked at Minako and Minato – who had stars in their eyes – with disapproval, as she knows both twins were just as bad as Junpei when it came to video games. Aigis, Metis and Koromaru just stared at the entrance, and back at the group.
Souji cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. "So here's the plan…" he started. "Since we have two scanner-type Persona users, we will divide ourselves into two groups. The rest will stay with Rise and Fuuka-san to protect them. And I also need at least two people with healing skills to take care of Teddie." Souji stopped to look at the blonde human Shadow, who was supported by Yosuke and Kanji. The silverette didn't want to bring him at first, but then again nobody else could make an exit out of the TV World.
Teddie could hear the hesitance in Souji's voice. He looked up to him and smiled. "Don't worry Sensei. I promise I won't fight or do anything but rest."
"I'll stay with him, Souji-kun," Yukiko chipped in. "You know you can count on me."
"Thanks Yukiko." Souji sighed with relief, and adjusted his katana on his waist. "Yosuke, Chie and Naoto, you guys are with me. Aniki, can I borrow Ken for my group?"
Minato smiled. "Go ahead. I'll take Akihiko-senpai –"
"Yes!" Akihiko whooped. Shinjiro just rolled his eyes at his best friend.
" – Metis, Koro-chan and Mitsuru-senpai, and maybe Junpei too. I don't want him causing trouble for the scanners."
"Hey, I resent that!" came Junpei's reply, but he was happy to be chosen nonetheless.
Minako frowned, puffing her cheeks a little. "Hey, what about me?" she whined.
"Aneki, like I said before someone has to stay out here and protect Rise and Fuuka-san. You're the leader for the team out here," Souji told her. "Remember, this is the Shadow's domain. They can come and attack from anywhere."
"Fine," she pouted. "Yukari-chan and Aigis can help with Teddie's healing session while we wait for you guys."
"Souji-kun, you should go ahead of us since you guys are more used to this place," Minato said, already taking out his short sword and swinging it around a little, familiarizing himself with its weight.
"Yeah, ya got a point there. Come on guys," Souji said, gesturing his group inside. A few minutes after that, Minato and his group entered the dungeon as well.
As they were fighting Shadows inside Void Quest, Souji couldn't help but feel as if they were being watched. But it didn't deter him from their training, and help Ken familiarize himself with the TV World. He was reluctant to tell his friends about the strange feeling though, so he decided to ignore it until he reached a solid conclusion.
"Watch out, partner!" Yosuke shouted.
Souji managed to dodge a Bufudyne spell from one of the Strength Beetles. He quickly switched his equipped Persona to Isis to restore his stamina by absorbing the flurry of ice attacks. Chie managed to land a critical hit on one, but they were still outnumbered.
"They're tough…" Ken panted. He was starting to feel the strain of battle as he clutched his spear tightly.
"Is it just me or the size of the Shadows in this place just got bigger?" Yosuke grunted, slashing off an antenna from one of the oversized beetles.
Souji didn't know how to answer his friend. He would be a fool not to notice it, but right now that wasn't their concern; making it out alive was. "Rise, have you got a lock on their weakness yet?"
"Just got it!" Rise's voice rang in his head. "They're weak to Darkness, but be careful because they reflect everything else."
"Time to up the ante…" Souji said, grinning. "I need you guys to stay back, especially you Ken." A tarot card formed in his hand as the others backed away.
"Nebiros, Mamudoon!"
A tall, thin male figure wearing a red cape, his face and body painted black and white while holding a voodoo string doll appeared before the giant beetles. A glowing purple seal appeared on the floor when the Marquis of Hell raised his doll and cackled. The majority of the Shadows were wiped out in an instant. Nebiros' intimidating aura was having an effect as well; the massive insects were paralyzed with Fear.
Now it was easy for Chie, Ken, Naoto and Yosuke to land multiple critical attacks, flipping the oversized bugs on their backs.
"Time for an All-Out Attack!"
The only things left after they were done are the shiny shells from the Shadow's corpses. "We sell these to Old Man Daidara," Yosuke told Ken. "He uses them to forge new weapons or create armor for us. That's where the money really comes in handy."
Rise's voice echoed in their heads once more. "Good job, guys. The stairs to the last floor is somewhere nearby, and I don't sense any Shadows around there either."
"Can you tell me the status of Aniki and his team?" Souji asked, loud enough so everyone can hear him.
"Oh that…I almost forgot to tell you," the teen idol said, sounding excited for some reason. "Fuuka-senpai and I discovered that we can do a cross-communication between teams. Do you know what this means?"
The Inaba Persona-users weren't sure they wanted to know. Given Rise's nosy personality, this could either be a good or bad thing.
"Uh…and what would that be, Rise-chan?" Yosuke asked hesitantly.
"It means that I can share information with the other teams without intruding in her 'network'," Rise explained, not bothering about details. "This also means that we can help two teams communicate directly with each other. Want to give it a try?"
Souji was skeptical at first, but curious nonetheless. "Sure, give it your best shot."
There was a slight sound of buzzing static, but then Minato's voice could be heard clearly in his head. "Banchou-kun, is that you?" Minato inquired. "Fuuka said you wanted to talk to me."
Ignoring the weird feeling he felt earlier, Souji shook his head slightly hoping that his pseudo brother wouldn't be able to read his thoughts. "Yeah, it's me. Where are you and how is your team faring?"
"According to Mitsuru-senpai, we're on the eighth floor. And I gotta tell you, the Shadows here are tough. Good thing Rise-chan is helping Fuuka with the scanning."
"Yeah, I noticed. Listen, my team is on the ninth floor. We'll rendezvous on the tenth."
"Fine by me. Oh, before I forget, Junpei wanted to open one of the treasure chests earlier but something didn't feel right so I forbid him from doing so. What was that feeling anyway?"
"Oh, that. You're lucky you didn't open it, or else the Reaper would jump out and attack you."
"Yikes! And I'm guessing only Wild Cards can detect his presence, right? Anyway, we'll meet you there. Gotta go…there's another group of Shadows begging to have their asses kicked." Minato broke off the connection.
A shiver ran up Souji's spine, and he turned around to look behind him. But all he could see was a dark corridor.
"You alright there, Leader?" Chie prompted, noticing the disturbed look on Souji's face.
"No…it's nothing. Nothing at all…"
Meanwhile, Minako was brooding as she and the rest waited outside of the dungeon. Behind her, Yukiko, Aigis and Yukari were using Diarahan to heal Teddie's remaining wounds, being careful not to exert themselves. Souji and Yosuke took him to the hospital for a check-up yesterday on Mitsuru's insistence. The doctor was shocked when he didn't find anything but a few minor burns after they told him that Teddie had been 'electrocuted'. However, he could not find anything else as his x-rays were still blurry when it was taken, therefore making the diagnosis inconclusive. Teddie managed to convince everyone that he feels fine though.
The bear sat up straight, swiveling his head with his nose in the air as if sniffing for something. He shrugged and remained silent when he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Shinjiro was on the lookout, adjusting his glasses every now and then. He could have sworn something was sneaking behind a few bushes made entirely of green pixel blocks, but then again it could have just been a trick of the fog. Kanji was pacing back and forth on the bridge crossing the moat. At least, that's what he was doing before a Shadow attacked him from behind. His string of curses alerted the rest to his plight.
"Kanji-kun!" Minako and Yukiko shouted at the same time.
"Soul Dancers!" Teddie gasped, scrambling to stand. It took him a while in his bulky bear suit.
Kanji kicked the Shadow away to create some distance between them. "Damn you…" he growled as he was surrounded by three pairs of Dancers. He held up his metal plate to block a slash attack.
Shinjiro came to his rescue. "Pegasus, Akasha Arts!"
The strike attack took out one of them, but managed to cause heavy damage to the rest. He swung his axe at another, and hacked it to pieces. Kanji followed Shinjiro's example and pounded the remaining Shadow to oblivion.
Yukiko took out her ougi from her belt. "Teddie, can you scan them for us?" she asked. "We can't bother Rise-chan and Fuuka-san since they're providing support for the teams inside."
"I promised Sensei I wouldn't fight, but he didn't say anything about scanning," the bear said with a cheeky grin. He turned to Minako. "Ready when you are, Mina-chan!"
Minako swung her naginata. "They don't seem to have resistance to physical attacks," she observed. "Kanji-kun, Senpai, keep hitting them with physical attacks until Teddie-kun can find their weakness!" As soon as she said that, they were surrounded by another six more Dancers.
Yukari shot two with her arrows. "They just keep coming, don't they?" she grumbled, nocking another one into her bow.
"My sensors must be malfunctioning…" Aigis said, shooting ammo from her fingers. "I couldn't detect their presence much earlier. Could it be because of this fog?"
Instead of a physical attack, Yukiko opted to blast the Shadows with fire. She scorched three, but it wasn't powerful enough to kill them.
"Guys, I've got it! They don't have any weaknesses, but no resistance either," Teddie said, dancing a little at his victory. "I wish I can tell you more but my scanning abilities aren't as great as Rise-chan's."
Minako grinned at his antics. "Okay, here's what we do," she said, turning serious. "Just concentrate on keeping them away from Fuuka, Rise-chan and Teddie-kun. Once we got them far enough, I'll attack them all at once with Myriad Arrows so make sure you get out of my range by then."
The others nodded, and scrambled to different directions. Yukiko used her flames to discourage the Shadows from getting too close, while Yukari blasted them away with wind. Kanji and Shinjiro preferred brute force, punching and kicking their way through. Minako slashed them with her naginata with Aigis as her backup.
When the Dancers were far enough to Minako's satisfaction, she signaled the others to get out of the way as she readied her Evoker. "I summon you! Cybele, Myriad Arrows!"
A voluptuous woman with long horns holding two curvy daggers floated above Minako, smiling sultrily. She crossed her daggers above her head as a shower of arrows fell from the sky. It pierced the defenseless Dancers multiple times, until they weren't moving anymore.
"I don't sense any more Shadows," Teddie informed them, sighing with relief. 'But what was that smell earlier…before those Shadows attacked?' the bear thought to himself.
When they had enough of battling Shadows, the gang took a small break at the Entrance Hall. They were either sitting on or sprawled on the floor in exhaustion. After consuming some of the Fox's leaves (they had to pay her 120,563 yen to be exact) they felt somewhat better after Yukiko or Yukari healed their wounds.
"Alright guys, let's call it a day. I'm beat!" Chie exclaimed. "I wonder what's for dinner…I hope its beef sukiyaki!" She drooled a little at the thought of her favorite food group.
Yukiko broke into small laughing fits at her best friend's longing expression. "But Chie…" Giggles. "You bullied Yosuke-kun into buying you a beef bowl and beef croquettes earlier…" More giggles. "At this rate, you're going to turn into a meat head!" There was no stopping her after that.
A slight blush stained Chie's cheeks. "Hey!"
"Oh my poor wallet…" Yosuke said oozing sarcasm, his amused grin making Chie even madder.
Everyone, including the usually serious Mitsuru, laughed at Yukiko's joke. "I never knew there was another person who is as serious about beef bowls other than Akihiko," she said, covering her mouth with a perfectly manicured hand, trying to contain her laughter. "I didn't expect it to be a girl though."
"So Satonaka is just a female version of Aki," Shinjiro snickered, followed by Junpei's hoots of laughter.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" This time it was Akihiko's turn to blush. More bouts of giggles and light teasing ensued at the former boxing champion's expense.
However, Souji didn't join in the laughter. The uneasy feeling of being watched reared its ugly head again, only stronger; he was sure he felt this before during his first Journey, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was, causing his anxiety to increase. All he knew is that they have to get out of here, and fast.
Naoto noticed her upperclassman's discomfort, silently approaching him. "Senpai, what's the matter? You seem to be out of it."
"Oh, it's just you Naoto," Souji said, a bit startled. He let out a long sigh. "Sorry, it's just that I get this feeling of being watched. And the weird thing is…it feels familiar somehow."
Naoto frowned after he said that.
"What's that?" Kanji interrupted in his usually rough and loud voice. Unlike the others, he didn't have a death wish for teasing Chie because her bite is worse than her bark. A certain memory of last year's camping trip was proof enough. "You sayin' someone's spying on us?"
The Entrance Hall became silent after Kanji's outburst and everyone now had their eyes on Souji.
"What do you mean, it feels familiar?" Naoto questioned as her dark blue eyes narrowed slightly.
Souji's grey eyes hardened. "I don't know, okay. It just does!" he said in a frustrated tone.
"Souji-kun, what's wrong?" Minako demanded in a soft voice, placing a hand on his arm to comfort him.
"We need to get out of here…NOW!" he snapped, standing abruptly. He picked up his sword and sheathed it back in its casing, took off his fingerless gloves and roughly stuffed them into one of his pockets. "I need each and every one of you to head straight home after we get out of here, got it? I have a bad feeling about this." His frown has yet to disappear and his eyebrows furrowed as he headed for the stack of televisions.
Rise got distressed when she saw him like that. "Senpai, do you need me to scan – eeep!" She immediately shut up and hid behind Kanji after Souji shot her a very serious glare. Teddie, who was already healed completely, didn't waste any time to make an exit as the others hastily packed their equipment. Even Shinjiro felt a bit intimidated by that.
The twins were extremely bothered by this, but they didn't dare ask any more questions. They have long learned to trust their instincts no matter how baseless they might be, especially when their Wild Card abilities made them much more sensitive to their subconscious. Souji's wasn't any different. All of them exited the TV World without another word.
It was already late in the evening. Souji walked halfway with the rest of the gang before they had to split up to head to their own homes. He wasn't worried about Yukiko as she was heading back to the inn with the rest of SEES, and Chie lived close to her. Teddie lived with Yosuke so he didn't bother with them. He reminded both Kanji and Rise to accompany Naoto to her house before heading to their own homes at the shopping district – together.
While walking down the street that leads to his own house, Souji got a feeling that he was being followed. But every time he turned around, nobody was there. Cursing softly, he quickened his pace.
He swiveled his head around once more, and saw somebody's shadow slither behind a wall. Now he's convinced that he's being followed!
'Damn it, first in the TV World now out here in the real world,' he growled inwardly. 'I have to lose it quick before it can catch me by surprise.' He searched among his numerous Personae for one that has the greatest speed and agility, and who could be stealthier and faster than a ninja? One Persona came to mind.
'Fuu-Ki…'
Souji walked calmly, his pace steady. As soon as he reached a corner, he made a sharp turn and sprinted as fast as he could before taking another random turn. The sounds of rapid footsteps were distinctly heard somewhere behind him. Since he already equipped Fuu-Ki, Souji managed to leap high enough and stealthily climb a wall that was a bit taller than Kanji. He landed on the other side softly and stayed low, his heart beating fast. He heard the shuffling of feet on the other side; it was pacing for a few seconds before giving up and ran to another direction.
After staying quiet for a few more minutes, Souji was sure that the stalker lost his trail, but to be on the safe side he decided to cut through a few of the neighbors' back gardens and take an alternative route to his house. He was careful not to let anybody see him, using the shadows and silhouettes to his advantage.
The sun was beginning to set when he climbed over another wall and landed in his uncle's yard. The house was quiet and dark as Souji unlocked the sliding door connecting to the living room. He took off his shoes, placed them near the door and tip-toed to his room. He took a quick shower and changed into fresh, clean clothes.
Dojima and Nanako arrived when Souji came downstairs. Nanako was happy and bouncy as usual when she saw him, and rushed to the kitchen to unpack their dinner. He turned to his uncle, but the older man avoided his gaze, his face held a grim expression as if bearing dead weight on his shoulders. In Souji's experience that meant something unpleasant happened at work. And if he predicted correctly, Dojima will accompany his meal with a few cans of beer or sometime after that.
Nanako was happily watching a quiz show, occasionally singing the Junes theme song when the commercial popped up, while her father ate silently and not even attempting a conversation. Souji didn't mind the silence, but his uncle's behavior was starting to worry him. After dinner, Souji helped Nanako with her homework before tucking her in early. He found Dojima smoking in the living room when he came down, the sliding door to the back yard wide open. A few cans of strong beer were on the table in front of him. "Souji, come here. I need to talk to you," Dojima called out in a solemn tone, cracking one can open. After the Dark Hour incident, his uncle did not interrogate him again. However, something was bothering him and Souji intended to find out what it was.
Dojima took a long swig of beer as Souji seated himself opposite of him. He felt his nerves loosened a bit before dropping one bombshell of bad news on his nephew.
The Amagi Inn, late at night…
The female SEES members invited Yukiko to hang out with them in the lounge. For once, Yukiko wasn't busy that night and obliged to their request. They chattered about everything and anything that wasn't Shadow related, occasionally apologizing to the other guests for all the noise they were making, and giggling afterwards. Koromaru rested his head on Minako's lap as she scratched him behind the ears. He wagged his tail in euphoria.
"We should invite Chie-chan, Rise-chan and Naoto-kun to join us sometime," Fuuka suggested.
"Oooh…a slumber party! I'm all up for that!" Yukari chimed in.
"That would be fun." Mitsuru nodded with a smile. "Of course, after Minako moved into our room, it's been like one every night."
"Oh, but you do enjoy trying brushing each other's hairs and talking about girls stuff with us before bedtime, don't you, Senpai?" Minako giggled, making Mitsuru chuckle herself.
"I don't think Chie and Naoto-kun would want to do those kinds of activities with us," Yukiko said, sweatdropping a little.
"The last time I came here was with the Tennis Club. We ended up telling ghost stories until we fell asleep," Minako said, giggling at the memory. "You should have seen how scared Yuko was. But I felt sorrier for her boyfriend, Kazushi-kun. She almost choked the poor guy to death because she hugged him so tightly. "
Yukiko smiled at the crimson-eyed girl. "I'm sure Chie would like that. She doesn't get scared easily from stuff like that."
"Umm…can we do that some other time?" Yukari moaned, shivering a little. "You know…with all this talk of spirits and ghost fire after what we experienced, so we should be more careful!"
"Is that what people call 'jinxing it'?" Metis inquired, tilting her head slightly. "What exactly does it mean?"
Fuuka decided to answer that. "Well Metis, to 'jinx' something means that the unlucky situation that we do not want to happen will come true if they speak about or even mention it."
Metis looked at her in a confused manner. "It seems illogical that anything bad can happen just by mentioning it…though I do believe we should take extra precautions during the Summer Festival."
"That's right. Speaking of that, the Summer Festival is just around the corner. Have you guys prepared your yukata for the festivities?" Yukiko asked, her mood brightening. The atmosphere shifted from almost gloomy to a cheerful one.
"That sure would be a sight to see!" said a distant masculine voice.
The girls turned to the direction of the hallway that led to the hot springs. The guys have just returned from their bath, clad in the standard inn yukata, their hair still wet. Junpei was grinning like an idiot again, minus his baseball cap. "I'm trusting that you lovely ladies will be wearing your yukata for the festival. I can't wait for it!"
Yukari just gave him a dry stare. "And what makes you think that I'm going with you? Obviously I'm going with Minato-kun." Taking that as his cue, Minato claimed the seat beside her.
"You make it sound like I haven't been to a summer festival with a girl before," Junpei pouted. "For your information, I went to one at the shrine back home with Mina-tan," he stated proudly, blissfully unaware of the death glare Shinjiro threw at him. Akihiko and Ken sweatdropped.
"That was three years ago," Yukari snorted.
Following Minato's example, the other guys took their seats to join in the conversation. Akihiko sat on the armrest beside Mitsuru, Ken between Fuuka and Aigis, Shinjiro claimed the one beside Minako and took over scratching Koromaru. Before Junpei could blink, all the couches in the area were already occupied. "Hey, where the hell am I supposed to sit?"
"Don't sweat it, Junpei-kun. You can just sit on the floor with Koro-chan!" Minako chirped.
"Mina-tan, that's not funny!"
Shinjiro snatched the remote on the small end table and turned on the television, hoping to drown out Junpei's annoying voice. The late night news came on.
"…We have received urgent news from the Ayanagi Police Department that a dangerous criminal by the name of Tohru Adachi has escaped from a maximum security prison, and is currently on the loose. According to prison security, there were no signs of forced break out nor were there any witnesses to his escape. Anyone with any information regarding this criminal, do not hesitate to contact your local authorities or dial the emergency hotline listed below…"
Yukiko started to tremble violently and felt weak in the knees when she heard the news. She tried to steady her shaking body, but her actions were noticed by the others.
"Oi, you alright?" Shinjiro asked gruffly.
"Yukiko-chan…?" Minako got a bit worried.
The raven-haired girl stood up, and pointed a shaky finger towards the television screen. It was showing a recent picture of Adachi, most likely taken while he was in prison. He still looked the same, except his hair had grown a bit longer. However, the arrogant smirk on his face and the evil glint in his dark eyes gave Yukiko the chills. "That man…" she began. "He was the real culprit behind last year's murders, the one we put behind bars!"
Everyone's eyes went wide as they looked at the television again.
"It's here, in this very lounge, where he pushed the TV announcer into the other side and left her to die just because she rejected him."
"No way…" Ken said under his breath.
A sudden thought clicked in Minako's head. "Aniki, could this be what Banchou-kun was feeling earlier?" She grabbed her brother's arm, looking at him straight in the eyes.
"No doubt about it!" Minato said, growling a little. He got to his feet and took out his cellphone. He dialed Souji's number which he already put on speed dial.
After ten ring tones, the call went to voicemail. Cursing under his breath, Minato tried again, but no avail. "Why isn't he picking up?" he grumbled. His twin looks worried, and began her nervous habit of twisting and turning the fabric of her night shirt. Her red eyes never left Minato's grey-blue ones.
By now everyone started to crowd around Minato, looking concerned. Shinjiro tried to calm his girlfriend down by holding her hand. 'They're already ice-cold. She must be very worried,' he thought, rubbing his thumb on her palm to comfort her.
Bells and whistles were ringing in Yukiko's head when her own cellphone rang. At first she wanted to ignore it, but Yukiko knows from experience that any calls coming in this late had to be an emergency. She took it out from her pocket and looked at the caller ID; Chie.
"Chie, what happened?" Yukiko asked immediately after pressing the 'answer' button.
"I don't know if I should tell you this, but Yosuke called me earlier to call you. He said he tried to reach Souji-kun after watching the news but he didn't pick up, so he tried his house line but nobody answered, which is weird because usually Dojima-san or Nanako-chan would pick up. What the heck is going on here?"
"I don't know, Chie. I know as much as you do right now. Minato-san is trying to reach him too, but so far he's not picking up."
"Yosuke said that he'll get Naoto and Teddie to go to his house and check on them. Can you do me a favor and call Rise and Kanji? I'll meet you at the inn soon."
"Alright Chie, I'll do that. Be careful on your way here." After Yukiko said that, Chie was the first to hang up.
She immediately dialed Kanji's number. After a few ring tones, Kanji's gruff voice answered. "Yukiko-senpai, I've been trying to reach you. What the hell –"
"Kanji-kun, I need you and Rise to meet us at the inn. We're going to Souji-kun's house," Yukiko interjected, leaving no room for argument. "I think he and his family are in danger!"
There was a short silence on the other end before Kanji said, "I'll tell Rise to get ready and sneak out before Ma notices. Damn it, this whole mess is getting more and more screwed up!" She ignored his cursing and hung up.
"Yukiko-chan, what did they say about Souji-kun?" Minako questioned. She looked like she was about to cry.
Yukiko bit her bottom lip. "Yosuke-kun, Teddie and Naoto-kun are on their way to his house right now. Chie is on her way here with Kanji-kun and Rise-chan as we speak."
The tension in the air was thick. Mitsuru decided to cut through it. "Then we should go get ready. If Seta and his family are in danger, then we will set out for his residence after Tatsumi and Kujikawa gets here," she said in a cool, crisp tone.
"Damn it, even Nanako-chan is involved. We have to hurry!" Junpei prompted, serious for once. The others nodded and headed to their rooms to prepare for a potential battle.
Dojima Residence…
When Yosuke, Teddie and Naoto reached Dojima's house, the first thing they noticed was that the house was dark. Not even the front lights were lit.
Naoto took out her cellphone and dialed Dojima's number. After a few more tries, nobody picked up. 'Never a good sign…' Red flags were popping up everywhere in the young detective's mind. She handed Yosuke and Teddie a flashlight each. "We're going to have to search the premises. Be careful not to contaminate the scene."
"I wish Koro-chan was here. He'd be able to sniff out the entire place," Teddie mumbled, sticking close to Yosuke. He never really liked the dark.
"Dude, give me some space. I can't move around with you clinging on me like that," Yosuke stated, trying to shake off Teddie who was hugging his right arm as if his life depended on it.
Naoto ignored their bickering and pointed her flashlight to the front door. There were neither signs of forced entry nor any indication that the lock had been tampered with. She put on a pair of latex gloves and began to poke and prod the door. It was locked.
She flashed the light to the ground under the front windows. No mess or markings of any kind. "No signs of invasion either," Naoto said, talking to herself.
"Hey Naoto, there are some footprints back here!" Yosuke said loudly. The young detective made her way to the back yard to where her senpai was standing. She looked down on the ground where he pointed his flashlight. The ground wasn't very soft, but Naoto could spot the almost distinctive pattern of a shoe print.
"Yosuke-senpai, your shoe size is almost the same with Souji-senpai's, right?"
"Yeah, it is. What about it?" Yosuke said, a bit puzzled.
"Just making a comparison. Put one foot beside this shoe print please."
Yosuke obeyed. Teddie stood behind him, wondering what in the world Naoto wanted with Yosuke's foot.
Naoto compared the size, using her thumb and middle finger as a ruler. "It's close enough," she mused, then turned her attention to the wall. "Give me a boost!"
"Why?" Teddie asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"I need to confirm something," she simply said. Yosuke entwined his fingers and boosted her up. Teddie helped by supporting her other foot for better balance.
With the help of the flashlight, Naoto was able to prove that someone had indeed climbed over the wall; there were small clumps of dirt which shouldn't have been there in the first place. "Okay, you can put me down now," she ordered.
After she got down, Naoto took out a small notebook and began to scribble in it. "This is strange…" she muttered, talking to herself again. "If that shoe print belongs to Souji-senpai, why did he climb over the wall like a thief instead of using the front entrance?"
Her thoughts were cut short when the rest of the Investigation Team arrived with SEES. The expression on every single person was grim.
"I take it you must have seen the news," Naoto said, snapping her notebook shut. "And I must say even I couldn't have predicted this outcome."
"Bastard must have broken out during the Dark Hour," Kanji growled. "There's no other explanation."
Minato stood in front of his team, with Minako beside him. "Have you tried calling his workplace? Or any other places he frequents?" Minato asked, his tone even despite the worry evident in his eyes.
"Did Dojima-san try to interrogate him again?" Minako spoke next, talking mostly to herself.
"No, I have not. I will try that first before we break in. Koromaru-san, please be prepared to sniff out any clues," Naoto told their doggy teammate. He barked twice in response. The ace detective took out her cellphone again, this time dialing the police station.
Kanji screwed up his face in disgust. He never did trust cops in general, the exception being Dojima and Naoto. Akihiko noticed this and snickered a bit despite the tense atmosphere.
A few short conversations later, Naoto shook her head. "The police haven't seen Dojima-san after he clocked out of work. They told me he said he was going to go pick Nanako-chan at her friend's house and buy dinner, but that was all they know."
Cursing under his breath, Minato ran a hand through his blue hair. "Damn it, I should have seen this coming when he was acting weird in the TV World. I should have pried it out of him!"
"Aniki…"
"Minato-kun…" Yukari said softly.
"Stop blaming yourself, Minato. Nobody saw this coming," Shinjiro reprimanded lightly. "All we can do now is try to figure out where Souji, Dojima-san and Nanako-chan are, and maybe find out more about this Adachi guy."
"Senpai…"
"He's right, guys. Shirogane, what else you got?" Akihiko interrupted. Even though he hadn't earned his badge yet, the former boxing champ had been training for this.
Naoto reported her findings, earning nods every now and then. "And if I didn't know any better, I think he was avoiding someone," she concluded. "There were no signs of forced entry, even through the back door, and Souji-senpai doesn't strike me as one to sneak into his own house unless he was seriously avoiding something. He's the type to face things head on."
The others were silent after hearing that, but they agreed on it. Koromaru barked a few times before sniffing the dirt around the wall.
"Koromaru-san says that he can smell slight traces of Souji-san, and he can trace where he had been after we left the other side," Metis translated.
"We can talk while we walk," Mitsuru said. Shuffling of feet followed Koromaru as he began to sniff Souji's trail.
"So tell me, what is this Adachi guy like?" Minako asked, curious about her little brother's former nemesis.
"Asshole…" Kanji said unapologetically.
"Thinks the frickin' world revolves around him," Yosuke said, crossing his arms against his chest.
"That creep was manipulative. He sent us round in circles just for his own fun!" Chie spat, anger starting to bubble inside of her.
"He tampered with evidence given his position in the police force. It is foolish to assume that he's stupid," Naoto said coolly, but the loathing was there.
"Before he transformed into Ame-no-Sagiri, Adachi tried to dodge the blame saying it wasn't his fault that Namatame kidnapped and threw us in the TV. He just loves playing mind games," Yukiko said sourly.
"I must say he was a really good actor," Rise said. "Playing the bumbling, goofy cop but in reality he was enjoying the twisted game he created, watching us play it."
Junpei wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Reminds me of that bastard Ikutsuki." The SEES members' expressions tightened.
After a few twists and turns in the neighborhood, Koromaru began to growl softly when he stopped at the crossroad where they had separated earlier that day. Aigis translated this time. "He says that this is where Souji-san's scent is mixed with another smell…the scent of an enemy."
"So I was right…he was being followed," Naoto concluded. "That explains the unusual route Senpai took to get home, and sneaking into his own house. I taught him myself on how to lose a tail when being followed." She exchanged knowing glances with Akihiko. "Let's head back to his house. There may be some clues we missed inside."
Teddie began to shiver, the blood draining from his face. "Guys, I just had a thought…" the blonde mumbled. "What kind of torture is Adachi putting Sensei through? After what happened, I'm sure he hates Nana-chan and her dad too!" Tears were bursting out of his eyes like a leaky pipe.
"Dude, don't say stuff like that! You'll jinx it!" Yosuke scolded.
Minako placed a hand on the little blonde's shoulder before patting his head. "Teddie-kun, don't let those thoughts control your emotions. We're going to do everything we can to get them back," she said gently. "Besides, Souji-kun is a strong person, and smart too. Just have faith in him."
"You…you're right, Mina-chan," Teddie sniffled, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "Sensei is strong! He can endure anything!" Minako smiled at him, easing her own anxiousness.
Akihiko cleared his throat to break up the moment. "Let's go guys. The more we waste time, the longer Souji and his family spends with Adachi."
There was no arguing with that logic. The gang picked up their pace and headed back to the youngest Wild Card's home.
Back at Dojima's residence…
"Is this even legal?" Junpei asked, looking around nervously every now and then. It was silently annoying Shinjiro, and he would have smacked his head in if Minako wasn't clutching his arm.
"Don't sweat it Junpei," Akihiko said, holding Naoto's flashlight for her while she picked the lock with her detective tools. "The only thing we have to worry about is any of us doing this other than Naoto. She's a pro."
As Naoto fumbled with the lock, she blushed at Akihiko's praise. Within seconds the door was unlocked and she slid the door open. "Wait here," she told the others, taking out her revolver. "I'll make sure the coast is clear before any of you can come in."
Kanji was about to protest, but Akihiko gave him a warning stare. He understood the former delinquent's worry, but like it or not they have to follow police procedure.
"Please be careful Naoto-chan," Minako said worriedly.
Naoto nodded and readied her revolver, switching on the mini-flashlight in her wristwatch. A few agonizing minutes later, she emerged from the door and gave the all clear.
Minato turned around. "Wait, all of us can't go in, it's a small house," he said. "I just need my sister, Naoto, Akihiko-senpai, Koromaru and probably Yosuke. The rest of you keep watch out here."
"Why him?" Yukiko asked indignantly. She didn't want to be left out, especially when her boyfriend was concerned.
Minako comforted her. "Please Yukiko-chan, just be patient. You're not the only one that's worried."
As the six of them entered the house, the other thirteen remained outside.
They searched everywhere, including Dojima's room, but they didn't find anything out of the ordinary. The last place to search was Souji's room; what caught Naoto's interest was the lingering smell of citrus. There was a small pile of colored paper on Souji's working table, where he liked to fold origami cranes. Beside that pile was a stray piece of paper. She picked it up and examined it. It wasn't anything unusual, and it felt a bit thick to be used for origami. After Naoto sniffed it she dashed to the kitchen, much to the surprise of the group.
"Did you find anything?" Minato asked as the others followed her.
The Detective Prince remained quiet. She turned on the stove and held the paper above the flame.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Yosuke yelled. "You're going to burn our only clue!"
"Relax Hanamura. Just watch and learn," Akihiko smirked, having already figured out what Naoto was doing.
"I knew I recognized this…and to think he'd use the same trick, most probably because he didn't have enough time to think up a more complicated clue," Naoto said, holding up the paper for everyone to see. There was a messy drawing of a sun and a few squiggles with burnt edges on them. "Invisible ink. He used lemon juice to write on the paper, just like the clue he helped me figure out in one of my minor cases."
Yosuke squinted his eyes to make out the writing. "Oh come on, partner…" he huffed. "Your handwriting is much better than mine. You can do better than this crap!"
The twins exchanged knowing glances. "This sure brings back memories, right Aniki?" Minako smiled.
"Yeah, you said it…" Minato replied, studying the message. "When we were five, Minako and I taught Souji-kun how to leave secret messages using cryptic symbols and alphabets we made up, mostly to tell each other where we hid our stash of candy from our parents. I can't believe he still remembers how to use it."
"If I'm not mistaken, this is a symbol for 'pinwheel'," Minako deciphered. She held her chin and pouted, thinking. "What does he mean by 'sun' and 'pinwheel'? What is he referring to?"
Her twin looked around the room and spotted a framed photograph, the one when they were toddlers at the summer festival with their parents, and smiled. "I think I know..." He picked it from the wooden shelf and opened the back of the frame. A folded piece of paper fell out. "Bingo!"
"A letter! What does it say, Aniki?"
Minato unfolded the paper and begin to read:
"Dear Aniki, Aneki and friends,
Sorry I couldn't call and tell you guys this directly. My uncle's superiors ordered him to take me and Nanako to an undisclosed location, after they heard that Adachi has escaped. They didn't want to take any chances knowing how involved Uncle was in the murder cases. Even he doesn't know where we're going and any type of outside communication is forbidden. I didn't want to leave at first, but I had to think of Nanako. I hope you understand. Other than that, I think it was Adachi who was spying on us during our training run in TV World, and followed me afterwards. For what reason, I don't know…
Can you guys do me a favor? Don't bother looking for me. Please take care of yourselves and each other. I'll try to contact you soon. That I can promise.
P/S: Could you guys go to the Velvet Room on my behalf? We still have a mystery to solve, ya know. And please tell Yukiko I'm really sorry I worried her. Thanks…"
After reading, Minato folded the letter and placed it in his breast pocket. "Well, at least we now know he isn't kidnapped and tortured." He felt some relief, running his hand through his hair again.
"Let's go tell the others," Akihiko suggested. They cleaned the place up a bit before Naoto locked the doors.
As they left for the inn, Naoto reiterated their findings and the contents of the letter to the others. Yukiko and Teddie exhaled in relief, knowing that all three of them were safe, and far away from Adachi.
"Witness protection…" Ken mumbled under his breath. "This is even bigger than I thought it would be."
"So what now?" Rise asked. "What do we do without Senpai?"
"We go back and rest," Minako answered. "And wait for Souji-kun to contact us."
"And the only thing we can do," Minato added. "We find Adachi."
Unknown location, somewhere in Okina City…
Souji was pacing back and forth in their makeshift room. He knew it was only temporary, and there were cops guarding the door, but he felt restless nonetheless. Looking at the bed where Nanako slept, he exhaled the breath he was holding a bit loudly.
"Calm down, Souji," Dojima demanded. "You'll wake her. Just go to sleep." He was sitting on the couch by the window, nursing a can of beer.
"Sorry…nervous habit."
"I know you're worried about your friends, but not getting enough rest will help nobody."
"I'm just wondering if this is the right choice. All I know is that I'm Adachi's prime target, and by being away from them will keep them safe," Souji explained. "But my gut says otherwise. I don't know how to describe it to you." He sighed, defeated.
Dojima was beginning to wonder if the boy was really his nephew instead of his son. The only family resemblance was their eye color, and as far as he knew Souji didn't inherit any of his sister's traits or quirks. But in terms of personality, gut instinct and stubbornness he could possibly replace him one day. "Look, I was going to tell you about this tomorrow…" Dojima said, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, "but I guess it can't be helped."
The older man gestured Souji to sit beside him on the couch, and he obeyed. "I'm going to say this once, so listen up." His voice then lowered to a whisper. "I'm going to help you sneak out of this place tomorrow after lunch, during change of shift. You're going to wear a disguise, and catch the train back to Yasoinaba."
Souji was stunned. He tried to speak, but he was rendered speechless by his uncle's idea.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I trust you to take care of yourself. Like I said before, you and your friends are the only ones who can stop this nonsense. Adachi is by no means a normal criminal, and from what I've seen you guys can do we need unconventional means to apprehend him."
"Uncle, I don't know what to say…"
"From what I found out, we should be staying here for another two days. But I know your friends need you, so I'll cover for you and focus on protecting Nanako. Just promise me you'll stay low until I come back."
"Yeah, I promise. I can't thank you enough."
Dojima then held his nephew's shoulders firmly, and gave him a warm gaze. "Now go to bed. You look like you're about to drop."
The next day…
Just like Dojima promised, Souji managed to sneak out of their hiding place with his help and took a cab to Okina Station. He was wearing a red checkered shirt with a thin cotton black t-shirt underneath, baggy cargo pants, sneakers and a cap to cover his unique silver hair. He also wore a pair of sunglasses so nobody would recognize him, and tried his best to stay out of plain sight. He made a mental note to thank Naoto and his uncle for teaching him the ways of the detective.
'I can't believe I have to spy on my own friends,' he grumbled inwardly. 'Now all I have to do is try to contact them without blowing my cover.'
Souji made his way to a public phone after he reached Yasoinaba Station and dialed Minato's number. And Minato himself answered.
"Hello…?" came Minato's voice.
"Aniki, it's me."
On the other end of the line, Minato almost fell off his seat. He was hanging out by the koi pond alone, trying to collect his thoughts and ponder over what their next course of action would be. "Banchou-kun, where the hell are you?" he hissed into his phone.
"I can't tell you. I promised my uncle I'd stay low until he returns in another two days."
"Why?"
"I'm Adachi's main target. If I stay away from you guys he'll likely leave you alone to come after me."
Minato felt his anger bubbling inside. "What kind of stupid logic is that? You're not the only one that was involved in his capture, remember?"
"Anyway…" Souji said, trying to change the topic. "Please watch each other's backs. I gotta go."
"Banchou-kun, wait –"
The line went silent. Minato is now determined to catch Adachi even more, just so his little brother wouldn't have to carry this burden alone. He turned around to find Minako staring at him, looking like she was about to cry. 'When did she get here?'
"That was Banchou-kun wasn't it? What is he thinking, playing bait like that?" she whispered sadly.
Sometimes Minato didn't really have to explain everything to make his sister understand. It's a connection they share by being twins; they can communicate their thoughts and feelings to each other without words. The serious look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
"Let's go to the Velvet Room. We have to find Adachi before he gets to Banchou-kun first."
As they were about to leave the inn, they ran into Shinjiro. He raised an eyebrow at them. "Where are you two going?"
"The Velvet Room, to see Igor," Minako answered, playing with the hem of her skirt. She was frowning and looking at the floor. "Um…Souji-kun called Aniki from a public phone. He said he was okay, but…"
It unsettled Shinjiro to see her looking so down, so he offered to go with them. Minato didn't object, and texted Mitsuru that they were going out.
The three of them arrived at the shopping district about twenty minutes later. It wasn't crowded, but after the news about Adachi's escape came out the streets were quieter than usual. The twins took out their Velvet Keys and entered.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear guests," Igor greeted. "It has been a while."
Minato, Minako and Shinjiro took their seats in front of the eccentric old man. The first thing they noticed was the lack of assistants.
"Hey, where are Theo-kun and Elizabeth?" Minako asked.
"My younger siblings are away for the moment, investigating the leak in the Great Seal," Margaret's answered, sitting herself beside her master. "Now, how may we assist you?"
Shinjiro remained silent as the twins retold Igor and Margaret about everything that has happened after the last time they were summoned, including why Souji wasn't with them. He still didn't understand the inner workings of the mysterious blue room, but came to respect it as an integral part in the destiny of the Wild Cards.
The eldest Velvet sibling closed her eyes for a moment, and reopened them. "I am sorry to say that we have not found anything regarding to the threat. My research also came out empty, which is one of the reasons why I sent Elizabeth and Theodore out to investigate."
"But fear not," Igor said. He waved his left hand, and the stack of glowing blue cards on the coffee table floated above them in a circular pattern. They arranged themselves into three rows on the table in an orderly fashion, facing down. "Let us shed some light on this, shall we?"
With another wave of his hand, a card on the bottom row is flipped upwards, showing the reversed picture of a tower being struck by lightning. "Interesting," Igor mused. "The first card indicates the past, represented by the Inverse Tower. This means that whatever catastrophe and obstacles you three have encountered in the past is still effecting what is happening today, most likely something similar in nature. You must take note however, that I mean this in the most general of terms. It is something you have to figure out for yourselves." He flipped another card in the middle row. It showed the picture of a crescent moon, with a howling coyote and a crayfish swimming in the water. "Ah, the Moon. It means that whatever you are facing now is not what it seems. It represents illusions, confusion and hidden things. Quite a mystery we have in our hands here. And now, the last card…" A card on the top row flipped over, showing the picture of a golden wheel. "Now this is intriguing. The Wheel of Fortune may represent many things; luck, chance, or good fortune. However, the cards are telling me that you will have a fateful encounter somewhere in your future. With who, I cannot say."
Margaret noticed the look of disappointment on the twins' faces. "I am sorry that we cannot tell you more. But please be assured that we will contact you when any information turns up," she said.
The three of them left the blue room. They walked past Madam Shiroku's shop when Minako's stomach started to grumble loudly. She blushed a dark crimson when the guys turned to focus on her. "S-sorry, I didn't have much of an appetite d-during breakfast so I didn't eat m-much," she stuttered.
Shinjiro smiled. At least some things never change. "What am I going to do with you?" he sighed playfully. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards Aiya Diner. "Come on, let's get you something to eat before you pass out."
"Good idea, Senpai. We can meet the rest there to discuss our plan of action," Minato added. They talked a bit about Igor's tarot reading, pondering over what it could mean.
As they were passing in front of the shrine, Minato began to get an uneasy feeling, as if they were being watched. He observed his surroundings. His eyes settled on a lone delivery truck parked in front of the vacant shops. Without warning, the vehicle roared to life and tried to run them over!
"LOOK OUT!" Minato yelled, leaping out of the way.
Shinjiro acted on reflex. He grabbed Minako and pulled her to the side opposite of Minato, causing both of them to land in the shrubs growing at the foothill of the shrine.
The screech of tires alerted Souji, who was sitting in front of the offertory box. The Fox and her cubs were also startled and gave him confusing looks. "What was that?" he whispered to himself. He got up and went to see what the ruckus was all about. To his horror, Souji saw a delivery truck trying to run the twins and Shinjiro over, and Adachi was behind the wheel! He was afraid that this would happen; Adachi hurting his friends to lure him out instead.
Having failed to hit the two Wild Cards, Adachi reversed and doubled back, wanting to have another go. Minato was busy picking himself up to notice the vehicle facing his way. Seeing how much danger his friends were in, Souji sprinted down the shrine steps and what he did next was on pure impulse.
"OI ADACHI!" he shouted, running across the street. "AREN'T YOU LOOKING FOR ME?"
The distraction worked, because the former cop heard him and turned his head to his direction. Souji could make out the evil smirk he gave him from behind the wheel. Without wasting a second, Adachi hit the accelerator, intending to flatten the silverette.
Souji made a run for it. He sprinted down the road and turned a sharp corner, buying him some time because Adachi was driving too fast and missed it. But the bastard was persistent, and soon enough was hot on Souji's heels again. By now he was close to the residential area, and there would be more places to hide.
The chase went on for a while before it was taking a toll on him. Souji could feel his stamina depleting, his lungs and legs were burning as he tried to gain speed. Despite the effort, he was failing as his vision began to blur. 'No, but I'm so close…' he thought.
Adachi was relentless. No matter how many sharp turns his target made, he still managed to chase him down. He spotted him and accelerated, vaguely acknowledging the sounds of police sirens behind him.
The youngest Wild Card was about to pass out before he felt somebody yank his shirt collar and pulled him to the side. The person threw his right arm across their shoulder and supported his weight, dragging him to a nearby alley behind a row of houses. The sirens were getting closer and the police cars came to view. Adachi was forced to give up and drive away if he didn't want to get caught.
Having felt his head become clearer, Souji lifted his head to get a good look at his savior. Before he could do so, his rescuer gently put him down and ran away. All he saw was a long yellow scarf as the figure jumped over a fence.
Moments later, Minato, Minako and Shinjiro along with Kanji and Rise arrived where Souji was sitting, still trying to catch his breath. Minato and Kanji helped him stand up.
"Senpai, are you okay?" Rise asked on the verge of tears. She saw the whole thing from her grandmother's shop and called the police. Kanji also heard the commotion from the textile shop. Unlike Rise, he came to check it out because he thought it was the motorcycle gang.
"I'm fine Rise, thanks for asking. Although I could use a drink," Souji joked, trying to smile.
Minako engulfed him in a bear hug. "You idiot! He almost killed you! And where have you been hiding?" she scolded, failing to hold back her tears.
"Come on, Minako. We can do this later," Shinjiro reasoned, trying to peel her away from the silverette. "Souji is tired, and as far as I know he shouldn't be here. Let's get him to the inn and patch him up."
"Yeah, Senpai's right. For the next two days he's going to have to stay us. We can inform the others later," Minato said.
During the walk to the inn after assuring Kanji and Rise that Souji will be fine, Minato told Souji what Igor had told them during their visit to the Velvet Room. Souji told them what he saw in the alleyway. The twins stiffened in response, and exchanged knowing looks. 'It couldn't be 'him'…' they both thought at the same time. 'Could it?'
Oh yeah, things are getting tricky, no? I'm sure you guys by now must know who Souji's savior is, but I'll keep it quiet for now. 3 All I can say is that next chapter will have some really intense scenes.
If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask.
Don't forget to Read, Review and Enjoy!