Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona series
Chapter 15
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts took a moment to observe Kamoshida's injured and bruised form, the Shadow in no position to oppose them any longer. After waiting for Kamoshida to attempt to get back up, the four relaxed as they became sure that he was no longer a threat. Morgana quickly cast Dia on Izuku, restoring some of his physical health so that he wasn't in so much pain. Bated breathing huffed from each of them, the adrenaline beginning to wear off. Izuku spared a glance around, looking to see the once gigantic crown revert back to the size a human could wear. Izuku slowly wobbled over to the Treasure, kneeling down slowly and picking it up off the ground. Holding it in his hand, Izuku felt a deep sense of accomplishment wash over him. Sparing a look back at his friends, Izuku gave them all a genuine grin.
"We… we did it!"
Ryuji and Ann looked up at Izuku, small smiles of their own spreading across their lips as they began to laugh. "Hell yeah!" Ryuji exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. He turned to Ann, the two quickly giving one another a high five in their excitement.
"Let's save our little victory dance for after we get out of here." Morgana chuckled, no less as enthusiastic about their victory, but also trying to see reason. "Once the Treasure has been taken outside of the Palace, the cognition will crumble and Kamoshida will be changed… likely."
"Geez, why you gotta rain on our parade with your cryptic promise?" Ryuji sighed, looking back up at Izuku. "But I guess he's right. Let's hurry up and get outta this place. I'd say we've been in this shitty castle long enough to last a lifetime."
"Right. Let's go." Izuku nodded, putting the crown under his armpit and walking forward to meet his friends.
"No… y-you can't… please don't take it!" Izuku stopped in his tracks, quickly spinning around and getting on guard once he heard Kamoshida's voice. It immediately dropped though, his shoulders relaxing as he realized that Kamoshida was pitifully crawling out from the hole he made in the throne room wall. "That crown is… is my reward! It makes everything here possible!"
"That's right. And we're going to make sure that it all crumbles to the ground, you bastard." Ann spat, walking up with Ryuji and Morgana at her side to look down on the beaten Shadow.
"B-but it's what I earned! After everything I do for those vultures, reaping the benefits of my success! I've done so much for them and the school!" Kamoshida cried, teeth grinding anxiously as he struggled to grasp for an excuse. "Wh-what's wrong with demanding a reward for all my hard work!"
"Makin' up excuses now. Can you get any more pathetic?" Ryuji huffed, shaking his head. "Ain't no one gonna feel bad for you, Kamoshida. "But don't worry. Once we change your heart, you might seem less like a scumbag. Though that's not sayin' much…"
"Asking for a reward is one thing. But a reward that demands people take your beatings and have their lives ruined is beyond terrible. None of those you've hurt deserve to be treated like that just for your entertainment!" Izuku exclaimed, teeth gritting together as he felt his emotions bubble up and surface.
"Y-you don't know anything! All the pressure a-and the expectations! It got to me! I-I just-"
"Shut up!" Ann growled, immediately causing the Shadow to clam up and cower back from her. "Hearing you make excuses is making me sick! You're just trying to make light of everyone you've hurt!" Ann raised a hand to her mask, casting it aside and materializing Carmen behind her. The busty Persona stretched her arm out, picking Kamoshida up by his cape and raising him into the air. Kamoshida kicked and struggled in her grip, whining out in fear as Ann carried him across the room.
"Ann, what are you doing?" Ryuji asked, widening his eyes along with Izuku and Morgana as she moved to an open patio at the edge of the room. It overlooked the entire castle, and was a very far fall to the ground below.
"I'm showing him how Shiho felt." Ann declared, not looking back at the others as she stomped forward. Carmen hovered after her, Kamoshida still struggling in her grip to escape. "Now, Carmen." Ann ordered, her Persona giving a brisk nod before moving forward. Extending her arm over the edge of the patio, Carmen now suspended Kamoshida over the edge, causing the Shadow to squeal in fear.
"N-n-no! Please d-don't! I-I'll do anything!" Kamoshida begged, looking back at Ann with the fear of death plastered across his face.
"Scared, huh?! This is how Shiho felt! Afraid and out of options! Nowhere to go but down! Do you get how she feels now, you sick son of a bitch?!" Ann exclaimed, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.
"A-Ann-sempai, you don't want to do this!" Izuku cried out, causing the twin tailed blonde to hesitate in her rant. "I-I know it's tempting, bu-but if you do this… you'll cause the real Kamoshida to have a mental breakdown, and-"
"At this point, I could care less!" Ann exclaimed, looking back at Izuku and causing him to flinch. "After everything, he deserves whatever happens to him! And I plan to give it to him…" she turned her attention back to Kamoshida, her hand shaking at her side.
"N-no, Lady Ann! You don't understand! Izuku will-" Morgana began but was too late, watching in fear as Ann raised her arm. Carmen flexed her arm, making a motion that slowly began to lower Kamoshida.
"Please, no-"
Only to whip him back and toss Kamoshida on the ground in front of Ann, the Shadow coughing in pain as he sprawled out on his stomach in front of Ann. "As much as you deserve it, you wouldn't be able to admit your crimes if you died." Izuku, Ryuji and Morgan felt their bodies relax at that, convinced for a brief moment that Ann might actually go through with ending Kamoshida.
"What…" Kamoshida mumbled, pushing off the ground and sitting on his knees. "What do I do..? I've lost… I've lost everything. Once you've lost in life, it's over for you… where do I go from here...?" Despite his previous pride and overconfidence, here Kamoshida's Shadow now groveled before them. Defeated and completely humbled. Izuku's eyes softened, releasing a soft sigh. He felt no sympathy for Kamoshida, but he knew what needed to be said.
"Repent for your sins. You can't make up for all the damage you've done to everyone, but you can own up to it." Izuku said, his voice coming out firm rather than soft. "You've left scars on a lot of students. They'll be able to begin fading away once you've admitted what you've done. It's the best thing you can do for them now."
Kamoshida closed his eyes, water misting the Shadow's eyes as he gave a small smile of understanding. A strange white light started to surround his body, causing the four to widened their eyes in surprise. "All right. I will return to my real self… and make certain that I-" Before he could finish, the Shadow was enveloped by the light, disappearing altogether in front of them. No words could be spoken by the thieves, though, as the entire building began to shake violently.
"We don't have time to waste. With the Palace ruler gone, it'll have the same effect on this world as the treasure being taken." Morgana quickly explained, causing the others to look at him in shock.
"What?! Why didn't you mention that before?!" Ryuji complained, only for Izuku to quickly grip his shoulder.
"We don't have time to argue, let's go!" He told him, Izuku's words quickly reinforced as the terrace above them began to fall apart from the tremors around them. No one argued, quickly following after Izuku as he began to run for the exit. Descending down the winding stairs with all their speed, Izuku led them to the closest hallway, recalling their previous path on a dime. "This way!" Izuku shouted, skidding against the ground as he made a quick 90 degree turn.
"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Ann cried out in fear, the constant shaking and collapsing building around them further strengthening her fear.
"J-just keep goin'! We're almost out!" Ryuji shouted, doing his best to keep Ann from getting distracted by the impending doom falling around their ears. That became difficult as a piece of rubble fell in their path, though not large enough to stop them completely.
"Jump! Don't slow down!" Izuku huffed out, pushing through the exhaustion he felt. While Morgana had healed the muscle strain with Dia, his stamina was still completely depleted and left him running on fumes for this last push.
As the four evaded the rubble, Izuku widened his eyes as a light at the end of the tunnel quite literally materialized. "Almost there, don't stop!" He called out, pointing forward as he put the last of his energy into picking up speed. Much to his surprise, he felt a small albeit familiar weight hop on top of his shoulders, Izuku blinking in surprise as he looked sideways to see Morgana perched there. But instead of the small mascot form that he was used to seeing in the cognitive world, Morgana was now in his cat form.
"Mrroww~!" Morgana suddenly purred, causing the two behind them to blink.
"What the hell?! Why's he a cat again?!" Ryuji cried out in confusion before his face contorted in pain. Looking down at his leg, Ryuji suddenly felt a familiar pain flame up in his right knee, letting out a croak of pain as he suddenly tumbled on the ground.
"Ryuji!" Ann and Izuku cried in concern, immediately coming to a stop and running to help the faux blond to his feet.
"I-it's okay. My knee just took some damage earlier, is all." Ryuji said, trying to dismiss their concerns. A violent tremor quickly reminded them of their current predicament, the four looking back to see the hallway they came from beginning to collapse in on itself. "Oh crap!" He cried out, quickly turning forward and accepting the helping hand of Izuku to stand him up. Not wasting anymore time, the three sprinted with all their might, Ryuji doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his knee.
"We're not gonna make it!"
"Don't stop! It's so close!"
"This effin' sucks~!"
Izuku wasn't sure how or why, but the four of them suddenly found themselves back in the alleyway leading to Shujin Academy. His lungs screamed in need of oxygen, but Izuku first looked to his friends to reassure himself that they had all made it out. Ann and Ryuji were leaning against the wall of the alley opposite of him, the former leaning on her knees while the latter had his back pressed up against it. Their thief outfits were gone, replaced by their typical school clothes once again. Looking down, he saw that Morgana seemed completely fine, the feline currently licking the fur of his foreleg. Seeing that they had all made it out, Izuku took a deep breath of relief. "We… made it…"
"Just barely, I thought. I honestly thought we were gonners for a sec…" Ryuji huffed out, giving a dumb grin in appreciation.
"Yeah. Your knee acting up at the end was pretty scary…" Ann admitted, pushing off her knees to stand up straight. "Looks like we all made it out in one piece, though."
A moment later, the three suddenly heard a tone chime from each of their phones. Blinking, Ryuji was the first to pull his out and widen his eyes. "Dude, look at the nav!"
Izuku quickly pulled out his phone, opening it up and clicking on the familiar icon.
"The destination has been deleted."
"So it's true. We can't go there anymore." Ann mused aloud, looking up from her phone to the others.
"W-wait, where's the treasure?! You had it, right Izuku?" Morgana asked, looking up at the green haired teen in panic.
"Don't worry, Morgana-san. I still have it." Izuku reassured, reaching into his pocket before producing the Treasure. However, it was no longer a crown. In its place was an olympic gold medal. "I felt it start to change size as we were getting closer to the exit, so I put it away before we got back."
"W-wait, what? But… why's it a medal now?!" Ann blinked, taking a step closer and inspecting it for herself.
"The treasure took the form of what caused Kamoshida's heart and desires to become distorted." Morgana explained, drawing their attention to him now. "To him, this medal is as valuable as that crown we saw in the Palace."
"Makes sense. The guy was hangin' on to his past glory and let it get to his head in a big way." Ryuji huffed, though feeling satisfied to know that it was definitely over now.
"So-he's going to change, right? His heart should have changed after everything we did." Ann asked, looking down at the cat for answers.
"I mean, yeah… most likely." Morgana said, looking to the side and showing some doubt.
"Dude, we're gonna get expelled if you're wrong!" Ryuji exclaimed, causing the cat to wince back from him.
"G-guys, I think it's okay." Izuku cut in, stopping them from jumping all over the cat for his doubt. "I'm willing to believe Morgana-san when he says his heart should change. We just have to wait and see." he reasoned, looking down at Morgana. "Do you know how long it should take for his heart to be affected?"
"Not entirely sure, to be honest. It should have begun the moment his Palace collapsed. Whether we'll see results for it immediately is the question." Morgana admitted, rubbing his face with a paw. "I'm sorry that I'm not completely sure. This is the first time I've seen a successful heist of a heart for myself."
"Damn it, I wanna be happy, but I'm effin' antsy about how things turned out!" Ryuji groaned, scratching his head furiously. "Why don't we go find him and see if he's changed any?"
"I think we should be patient, Ryuji-sempai. We'll find out tomorrow if he's changed at all, won't we?" Izuku suggested, though he couldn't hide his own anxiety over the situation as he rubbed his arm.
Morgana looked around at them, frowning as he could feel the tension suffocating the air. "Come on, guys. Cheer up. The hard part of it all is over and Suguru Kamoshida's heart was definitely affected by what was done. You should all be happy!"
"We just don't know if everything is alright, yet." Ryuji admitted with a sigh, looking up at Izuku. "Hell, it's even worse for Izuku I bet. You've got way more on the line then I do. It's just a good thing Ann didn't cream his Shadow in the end, right?"
"Yeah, that would have been catastrophic. Good job holding yourself back, Lady Ann. That would have been pretty bad for Izuku here." Morgana smiled, turning his attention to Ann. Despite their words, Ann could only blink in confusion.
"What are you talking about? Why would it have mattered for Izuku?" Ann asked, causing the three to stiffen. They each looked at one another before looking back up at Ann.
"Crap… did we forget to tell her?" Ryuji muttered, glancing at Izuku.
"I-I just thought it wasn't important to bring up since we had our goal in mind…" Izuku mumbled out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"I'm uh… I'm sorry. I thought that it was among the things you discussed with her." Morgana coughed, looking down in shame.
"What am I missing? Did something happen?" Ann asked, blinking as her confusion continued to build up.
"W-well, I guess it's not important now, but-" Izuku began, only for Ryuji to interject.
"Izuku was plannin' to turn himself in if Kamoshida has a mental breakdown. He didn't like the idea of killing the guy, so he figured if things went wrong and he does end up dying, he'd take responsibility." Ryuji explained simply enough, causing Ann to widen her eyes in disbelief.
"What?!"
"R-Ryuji-sempai!" Izuku whined, biting his bottom lip as he was exposed to the blonde.
"She does deserve to know, Izuku. It's not fair to keep it from her." Morgana cut him off, looking up with a bit of sympathy.
"Why didn't you guys tell me?! I was seriously thinking about killing him there for a second!" Ann exclaimed in frustration, causing the three to recoil in fear.
"I-it honestly slipped my mind! We had to catch you up on everything and I totally blanked!" Ryuji said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"I… I have no excuse. I'm sorry, Lady Ann…" Morgana sighed, bowing his head in apology.
"W-we should have brought it up before, Ann-sempai, I know, but…" Izuku muttered, trying not to wince as she turned a glare his way. "... I was really proud of the choice you made. I was… happy to see you made the right choice on your own."
"You're lucky I did! Damn it…" Ann huffed, rubbing her forehead in irritation. "Just… clue me in next time, would you?" The three immediately nodded their heads in acceptance. "Good. Now let's get out of here. I'm completely exhausted."
"Sounds good. I could sleep for a week after all that…" Ryuji grunted, rubbing his neck tiredly. With that, the four walked out of the alleyway, heading to the train station together before inevitably heading home alone.
Izuku couldn't have been more happy to see the neon sign of Leblanc hanging overhead. It was strange to just come from all of the peril and drama that accompanied the Palace to going home like nothing so life changing had just taken place. Walking in, Sojiro was loitering behind the bar, same as usual. Looking around, Leblanc was void of any customers, something that was far too familiar of a sight for Izuku to feel comfortable about. A coffee shop needed customers after all, right?
"Oh, you're back." Sojiro said, eyes lazily shifting to regard Izuku.
"Yeah, I am. I'm really beat, too." Izuku chuckled tiredly, sluggishly dragging his feet forward as he made one last push to the stairs leading to his room.
"I can tell. But you also look pretty satisfied, too." Sojiro remarked, giving him a sideways look as he sipped on a cup of coffee. "That's good to see considering you've been walking around like you've got a chip on your shoulder."
Izuku stopped in his heavy footed stride and looked at Sojiro, blinking in surprise. "O-oh… sorry if I was bothering you like that… some good things happened today, is all."
"It's fine. It's just nice to see you don't look like a kicked puppy anymore. Maybe that cat was a good idea, after all." Sojiro chuckled, leaning forward on the bar. "But don't get too comfortable. Life likes to hit us when things start going our way."
"R-right." Izuku sheepishly nodded, knowing that it was Sojiro's style to be neutral on most subjects. He was a fairly guarded man despite his smaller que's that hinted at his sincerity. With nothing more to say, Izuku trudged up the stairs of the shop, ready to collapse the moment he saw his bed. He heard the tone of his phone chime from his pocket, but didn't make to answer it immediately, instead allowing himself to sprawl out in the sheets on his stomach. Part of him didn't want to check his phone, wishing to allow himself to fall asleep right then and there. But wanting to be considerate of whoever messaged him, Izuku weakly felt for the phone in his pocket, sliding it out and peeking at the contact name.
"Ann-sempai…" Izuku muttered, lifting his head a bit higher to see read the message with more attention.
Ann: Thank you. Because of you guys, I was able to get revenge for Shiho. Though I suppose it was from both of us for her, huh?
Ann: Either way, thank you so much. I don't know where I'd be at if it wasn't for you and Ryuji. Morgana, too. I owe you a lot.
Izuku gave a small smile, happy to see that Ann was able to resolve the chip on her shoulder as he had.
Izuku: You don't owe me anything. I'm glad we could help you out. I'm sure Suzui-sempai will be happy to know too.
Ann: No, really. I owe you guys a lot. But yeah. I'm excited to tell her. I'm gonna be visiting her for the next few days, so i probably won't see much of you guys for a bit. But once everything cools down, we should totally do something to celebrate.
Izuku: That sounds good. I'm sure Ryuji-sempai would be happy to hear that.
Ann: Awesome. Hopefully this whole thing will be behind us soon.
Ann: Still the cognitive world is so strange. Its like a dream that we experienced in real life.
Ann: speaking of that, what was up with Morgana's transformation? Why'd he turn back into a cat while we were still in the palace?
"I'm happy to see Lady Ann is thinking of me." Morgana chuckled, the cat plopping down on Izuku's shoulder and peering at the messages. "You see, in the cognitive world the Treasure manipulates the shape of things, like with your clothes and my appearance. Once the cognition started to fail, the change was beginning to falter. Though the reason I changed my appearance first was because I'm just that good, after all."
Izuku felt a bead of sweat trickle down his brow after hearing Morgana's strange boasting, but turned back to his phone.
Izuku: Morgana said its because the cognition started to fail. As well as because he's skilled I guess.
"What do you mean you guess?!"
"N-nothing…" Izuku chuckled quietly.
Ann: Oh right, Morgana's with you. I forgot he reads your messages too.
Ann: Well anyway, Im headed to bed. I'm gonna thank Ryuji for everything, too. Thanks for chatting with me. I feel better now after talking to you.
Ann: I know we haven't seen the result, but I'm holding hope that it really is over. It's a huge weight off my shoulders.
Ann: Sorry if I'm droning on too long. I don't wanna be a bother.
Izuku: Not at all. I'm glad you are willing to talk to me about this stuff, Ann-sempai.
Ann: That's good to hear. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow.
Izuku bid his farewell for the night before placing his face snugly against his pillow. Despite lacking an immediate answer to whether or not it worked, Izuku was sure he would sleep well tonight. Their result was going to be revealed tomorrow, right? No need to feel anymore anxious than need be.
"Hey, any sign of Kamoshida?"
"N-no, none at all." Izuku muttered, biting his bottom lip in worry. Izuku had arrived at the school just a bit early to see if he could catch sight of Kamoshida in hopes of ascertaining his current state. Unfortunately, he couldn't find him anywhere on campus. After texting Ryuji about it, the two met up for lunch to look for him. "I hoped you might have seen him since we last texted."
"Nah, I haven't seen him either. It's makin' me nervous…" Ryuji admitted, rolling his shoulder anxiously. "W-we did everything right, right?"
"Of course." Morgana answered, popping his head out slightly to look at Ryuji. "We didn't even kill the Shadow. Everything should work out… probably. So stop worrying."
"Your vague answers ain't helpin', you know?!" Ryuji complained, scratching his head furiously.
"Hey, you two." Morgana silently slipped back into Izuku's bag, the two students stiffening slightly as they turned to regard Kawakami as she approached. "I'm just informing you both that there will be no P.E. today. You will be having study hall instead until further notice."
"W-wait, why? What happened?" Ryuji asked anxiously.
"Kamoshida-sensei has taken the day off." Kawakami said, causing the two to widen their eyes.
"He's not here?" Izuku blurted out, far too curious to stop himself. "I-is he sick?"
Kawakami peered around them, eyes narrowed as if making sure no one was close enough to listen to their conversation. "Don't tell anyone you heard this from me, but… we received a call from Kamoshida-sensei." She explained, causing them to lean in closer as she had hushed her voice. "Apparently he's placing himself on suspension. Principal Kobayakawa went to his house to talk sense into him as the big tournament is coming up, but-"
"Suspension?!" Ryuji exclaimed, having little regard for his own volume of voice, even causing Izuku to flinch as he wasn't prepared for it.
"Not so loud!" Kawakami quietly reprimanded before shaking her head. "Anyway, yeah. I've informed you both of the situation. Make sure you go to study hall instead for your P.E. period." With that, the tired looking teacher turned her back to them before leaving. Ryuji and Izuku loosened up their shoulders, letting out breaths of relief before looking at one another.
"I guess that's a good sign, right?" Ryuji said, kicking the the ground with his foot. "I mean he didn't have a mental breakdown as far as we know."
"Y-yeah, I suppose so…" Izuku muttered, a small silence falling between the two. As positive as they would like to be about the situation, the absence of Kamoshida was still causing them both a bit of apprehension.
"Hey, chins up. Stopping being so negative." Morgana tried to encourage them, popping his head out form the bag once again. "This is a good sign. No mental breakdown and an obvious change has overtaken Kamoshida. All you have to do is wait for it to come out for everyone to hear."
Ryuji and Izuku looked up at Morgana, a sigh escaping the faux blond. "Guess we don't really have much choice. We should probably let Ann know."
"I'm sure she's heard from Kawakami-sensei, too. I think she has her for homeroom." Izuku suggested, tilting his head down in thought. "I wonder if… I should let Koto-san know…"
"Oh, I'm well aware of this development." Izuku felt his entire body tense as a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, the green haired teen slowly cranking his head to see Makoto now standing there, a dark smile on her face. Ryuji jumped back in shock, the third year's presence having gone unnoticed by him. "From the sound of it, you had a role in this, right?"
"K-Koto-san… h-hi…" Izuku awkwardly laughed, sweat beginning to pour down his face.
"S-so I'm gonna grab lunch…" Ryuji muttered, slowly turning around and getting ready to leave.
"Not until I hear what happened." Makoto said with finality, the sternness in her voice immediately causing Ryuji to freeze in place. "What exactly did you guys do?" Makoto asked, turning her attention back to Izuku, the green haired teen trembling in her grip. "The situation is unprecedented. There's no way that you guys just went and beat him up or something. He suspended himself and was apparently talking irrationally. It has to be something else…" Makoto blinked, eyes widening as her grip on Izuku's shoulder loosened a bit. "Midori, did you… develop a Quirk?"
Izuku opened his mouth but closed it. He had planned to tell her everything once they had beaten Kamoshida, but there was still the problem of knowing the results. Izuku wanted to let her know the truth when they were in the clear. When he didn't have to worry about his own expulsion. Even with the danger gone, "N-no, it's not a Quirk, but… it's complicated… I just know that this isn't over yet."
"It's not? What do you mean?" Makoto raised a brow, releasing his shoulder finally to let him relax. "What else are you waiting for?"
"Well you see, the whole point of this was to make Kamoshida confess to everything he did." Ryuji declared, causing Makoto to raise a brow. "He's actin' weird or somethin', we get that, but it's not what were were hoping for."
"Even though he hasn't done it yet, it's a good sign that he's changed somehow." Izuku said this time, tilting his head and holding his chin. "As things are right now, it's just the waiting game before we find out if our plan worked or not… though I'm fairly confident it has."
"Wait-wait, stop. Confess to his crimes? If it's not a Quirk, how is it you could get him to do that?" Makoto asked, her confusion only growing over the situation before her eyes widened. "W-wait, did you guys find evidence and blackmail him with it? Is that what's going on?"
"N-no, Koto-san. Nothing like that, it's just…" Izuku didn't know how to find the right words. Not for explaining the phenomena that was the Cognitive World. He didn't even have the time to explain it if he wanted to, the lunch bell ringing to signify its end. Looking back up at Makoto who eyed him with suspicion, Izuku gave a small sigh, his eyes casting to the ground. "I-I told you that when this was all over I would explain, right? Well… it's not over yet, Koto-san. So please… wait a little longer."
Makoto frowned, once again feeling a pang of dejection from Izuku's words. Frustration bubbled up inside of her, wanting to push the subject further and be in the loop. But Makoto suppressed her feelings, trying to take Izuku's position into consideration. Still, it was difficult for her to let it go. "Fine. Have it your way." Makoto huffed, turning around without bidding goodbye, heading for her own class.
Izuku watched her leave, guilt beginning to fill his heart. "Maybe I… just should have told her…" Izuku muttered, reaching up and rubbing his neck.
"You said you'd explain it in due time. But you certainly need to learn how to treat a woman better. Especially one who's going out of her way to try and help." Morgana scolded though he was mostly joking, hoping to alleviate the mood. Judging from Izuku's deepening frown, his humor failed to get through.
"Come on. We should get to class." Ryuji suggested, patting Izuku's shoulder as he walked past him. With little else to discuss, Izuku followed his lead, heading to his next period.
"Aw, man! This sure brings me back!" Ryuji laughed, sweat glistening off his skin. School had moved at a snail pace for him and Izuku after hearing the news and speaking with Makoto. With the Palace gone and Kamoshida out of commission, the faux blond asked Izuku to work out with him. The two were currently in their school gym fatigues, taking their training to a small back area of the school. They had just finished with their warm ups
The green haired teen was stretching his legs out, trying to get them loose enough for a run. "I'm honestly surprised you wanted to work out so soon after yesterday…" Izuku said honestly, though he himself didn't mind the idea.
"Yeah, normally I might not after all that, but I kinda needed to get some steam off. I'm still antsy about what's gonna happen with Kamoshida, but this definitely helps get some of the butterflies out." Ryuji admitted, stretching his arms out as he did a rolling arm swing. "Plus, I was feelin' pretty crappy when we were moving around in the castle. I just don't move like I used to, you know? Didn't have a reason to work out much after I stopped track."
"Ah, I see. It's been kind of the same for me." Izuku admitted, wiping the sweat of his brow on his sleeve. "Before I came here, I was training really hard to try and take the UA entrance exams. After everything that happened though, I stopped working out as often. It honestly feels pretty good to be active like this again. Well, and not have our lives at stake." he half joked, eliciting a small chuckle from Ryuji.
"Yeah, I totally get that. With that in mind, I say that from now on, we should be work out pals. It's always nice to have someone to help you stay in shape and keep ya accountable. So I'll make sure we both get some good workouts in." Ryuji suggested, earning a nod of acceptance from the green haired teen. "Alright, let's get to sprinting. I'm gonna do some knee high sprints. You can do normal ones or try them out, too. Up to you."
"Sprints? Are you sure you can do that?" Izuku asked with a bit of shock. "Your knee is bad so you might hurt it again." He remembered how bad it was for Ryuji in their escape from the castle. He had been fine up to that point, but had a rather serious tumble during their desperate dash out of the palace.
"My knee isn't that bad now. It hurts like hell when I use my Quirk and stuff, but I can run without too much problem. With how scared shitless of dyin' we were, I wasn't paying much attention to how my knee was doing is all." Ryuji suggested, beginning to jog in place. "Now no more delay, let's get goin'!"
"O-oh, right!" Izuku quickly nodded, doing as ordered and running at Ryuji's side. The two took a long sprint around the school. Izuku, even after going through some of his own tough training, he was barely able to keep pace with Ryuji at first. Even doing his more physically exerting form of knee high sprints, Ryuji was fast. Izuku was no less impressed by his form and speed, trying his best to stay at Ryuji's side through the rest of the run. As they started to near the end though, Ryuji's pace began to slow, his knee highs reduced to a normal sprint. Izuku could see on his face how much the running was starting to strain him, especially his knee. Despite the pain he might be in, Ryuji made sure to finish their lap without stopping his stride. Once the two arrived back at his training spot, Izuku slowed to a stop, putting his hands behind his head and opening his lungs up to breath in more air.
"D-damn it, my legs are friggin' on fire…" Ryuji huffed out, leaning forward on his knees. "I-I really am outta shape. That used to be… nothing."
"You're still really fast, I was surprised." Izuku admitted, giving his partner a small smile as he caught his breath. "You must have been… really fast during track."
"Like you wouldn't believe, dude." Ryuji chuckled, turning sideways to look at Izuku. "I was fastest on my team, once upon a time. Though that's not to say the others were slow. Our track team was actually the biggest thing at Shujin for a bit…" He excitedly said, but his smile quickly faded as his eyes hardened. "That was until… Kamoshida, of course."
"He wasn't always the coach here?" Izuku asked, his air intake slowing enough to be silent.
"Yeah. In fact, he didn't get here 'til last year. Kamoshida didn't start with me to ruin the track team, he started with our coach." Ryuji explained, teeth gritting together in anger as he tapped his foot incessantly. "Ended up getting him fired and took over as our sub. But he couldn't stop there. He started makin' us do crazy effin' workouts. He'd work us half to death then he'd pile more shit on top of what we already did!"
"He wanted you all out of the way. He wanted to make his own spotlight." Izuku knowingly said, Ryuji nodding in confirmation for him.
"That bastard picked on me, especially. He knew I… I had a short temper. That I'd fight back eventually." Ryuji admitted, though shame colored his expression now. "He would cuss me out if I wasn't fast enough, make me do extra sprints, and on top of that talked major shit about… about my parents."
Izuku saw Ryuji's expression fall, taking a moment to realize that Kamoshida said more than just some curses about his parents. "If… if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to." Izuku offered, knowing that it was likely a very personal matter. Looking up at him, Ryuji seemed to consider the idea before shaking his head.
"Nah, it's alright. I feel like if I can tell anyone, it'd be you." Ryuji said, pushing off his knees and standing straight. "To tell you the truth, my mom is the only one I got. My dad was a piece of shit drunk. Sometimes he'd even beat on me… or worse, my mom. And of course, somehow Kamoshida found out. Aired it out and hung the whole thing in my face in front of the rest of my team. So I just lost it and threw a punch. Of course, that seemed to be what he wanted…"
"I'm guessing he used it as grounds enough to shutdown the team. But he still got away with breaking your knee in the process?" Izuku asked, feeling a familiar anger boil up inside him for the teacher.
"Yeah… called it 'self defense'. Used me to end it all for my team. Now the guys all treat me like a traitor… and they're not wrong. Because of me, we lost a chance at the championship. We woulda gone all state. I'm confident enough to say maybe even nationals." Ryuji sighed, his head hanging low in disappointment. "I don't blame 'em for being mad at me. But it still sucks…"
Izuku looked down in thought, feeling some sympathy for his friend. Hearing about the rest of Ryuji's team, one question in particular stuck out: why didn't they stand up for him? Ryuji was singled out and had his dirty laundry aired out in front of them. And they only stood there and let it happen. Just like the students and teachers of his old school stood there and let him be bullied. Ryuji's team might not have done it out of amusement or carelessness like they did, but they were just as guilty of allowing their teammate to suffer, picked out of the group to be Kamoshida's biggest victim. Izuku wanted to ask Ryuji why, but couldn't. Considering his guilt over the situation, it was likely that Ryuji didn't consider their idleness to be a betrayal of its own.
"Do you… want to go back to them?" Izuku ended up asking, looking up at Ryuji curiously. The faux blond bit his bottom lip, looking up to the sky as if it would have the answer.
"Kinda but… kinda not. Things'll never be the same with them, even if what we did makes Kamoshida confess. Those guys probably won't forgive me, and… hell, I'd say I've got my best teammate right here now, anyways." Ryuji said, turning a dumb grin up to Izuku, causing the green haired teen to blink in surprise. "Same goes for Ann. And Morgana too, I guess. So I'm gonna let it go and stay in the present. I'm ready to move on and think about what's ahead for us. Sound good, partner?"
Izuku was surprised by the maturity of Ryuji's statement, the punk showing him a new side of himself by his willingness to move on. It was likely thanks to their actions, but nonetheless it was impressive to Midoriya. It was inspiring, if Izuku were honest. Until they had gone to the cognitive world, Izuku couldn't stop thinking about how he could never be a hero now. But now, with new friends at his side, those thoughts had drifted to the back of his mind. Together they had taken down a true villain, even if it was illegal. They had become heroes of a different kind. And they all now had a chance to move on with their lives.
Giving a small smile, Izuku gave a heavy nod. "Yeah. Let's keep pushing forward." He agreed, holding up his hand. Ryuji laughed and high fived him, though with enough force that it caused Izuku's hand to whip back, the green haired teen laughing sheepishly as he rolled his arm.
*SMASH*
Izuku blinked, looking up as the world darkened around him and a familiar chainlink and card formed before his eyes.
Chariot Link: LEVEL TWO
Izuku felt odd watching the link upgrade, unsure if it was good that it might strengthen his Persona, or bad because part of him felt it somehow diminished the meaning of his friendship with Ryuji. Looking back at the punk teen, Izuku pushed such questions away and smiled. Whatever the case with the Confidant Links were, they wouldn't damage the way he viewed Ryuji. His first true friend in a long time.
*ring ring*
"Hey, I think both our phones went off. Must be Ann or somethin'." Ryuji informed him, causing the green haired teen to raise a brow. He looked over to their gym bags sitting on the grass several meters away from them, the two digging in their bags to fish out their phones. Looking at the chat log, Ann's name slid across the screen. Opening it up, the two read her message. In an instant, their eyes widened in complete shock.
Ann: Shiho is awake!
Ann walked through the sliding doors to the urgent care wing of the hospital. At this point, Ann had become far too familiar with the song and dance of visiting this place. The desk clerk was basically familiar enough to remember her name since she had visited almost every day. The sound of heart rate monitors and the sterile stench that hung in the air were almost unnoticeable to the twin tailed blonde by now. Still, despite the routine that she had become accustomed to, Ann could never shake the feeling of dread that washed over her every time she walked through the doors. The thought that every time she walked through those doors, just one of the visits could drastically change. Shiho was stable, but she heard the doctors say before that she wasn't completely out of the woods. She still had much to keep fighting through.
Ann shook her head, trying to brush the thoughts away. She would act like normal. She wouldn't let the dark ideas fill her mind. Like always, she walked up to the now familiar female clerk, offering a plastic smile. "Hi. I'm here to visit Suzui Shiho."
The clerk looked up, giving a smile. One that was brighter than usual, surprisingly. "Ah, Takamaki-san. Feel free to sign yourself in and go ahead. I figured you would be here after the news came in."
Ann blinked, looking up at the clerk with a raised brow. "News? What news?"
The clerk blinked for a moment before breathing in. "Oh, you don't know? I think you should hurry and see your friend. Something good has happened."
"Something good...?" Ann repeated quietly, blinking in confusion. Looking down the hall, Ann suddenly took off, forgetting to sign in like she was supposed to. A mixture of feelings welled up, pushing her legs to move faster and faster down the hall. No way… is she actually… her emotions started to overwhelm her, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. The voices of patients and doctors were nothing but noise, her greatest concern giving her tunnel vision to her destination. The door was just ahead of her, yet it felt like miles away. She was ready to push the door open with a slam, wanting to see her best friend's condition without wasting another moment. But just as she arrived, the door slowly creaked open before she could grab the doorknob. Ann hesitated, eyes widening as she looked down at a much shorter old woman, not even half Ann's height. Despite her small size, Ann immediately recognized her; a face she only dreamed of seeing so close since Shiho's hospitalization: Recovery Girl.
"My, my. Aren't you in a hurry. You should take a moment to slow down and catch your breath, young lady." Recovery Girl admonished, leaning on her syringe shaped cane for support.
"Recovery Girl… you're really here…" Ann muttered, a smile of relief and joy spreading across her lips as she looked up at the closed door behind the old woman. "You really came…"
"Of course. When a teenager desperately calls for a heroes help, they answer as soon as possible." Recovery Girl chuckled, reaching into her white coat and pulling out a stack of papers attached to a clipboard. "It's nice to see when kids try and support those who need it, these days. Sometimes they forget being a hero really means. You should thank this Mishima boy who sent this petition to me whenever you get the chance."
"O-of course, thank you!" Ann nodded quickly, wiping away the tears of joy that were streaming down her cheeks. "So is she all better now? Did you-"
"Now wait just a moment. She's not fully recovered."
Ann froze at that, her heart skipping a beat. "What?"
"Don't worry, she's out of any danger of dying. But for now, I've left her legs and arms in a state of stiffness so that she can't walk on her own just yet." Recovery Girl explained, Ann blinking in shock.
"Wh-what? Why? Were they that badly injured, or-"
"I did it on purpose." The fabled rescue hero declared, causing Ann to completely freeze. "Now before you get too riled up, I-"
"Why would you do that?! If you can heal her completely, then-"
"Quiet!" Recovery Girl demanded, cutting Ann off and causing the twin tailed blonde to recoil from the volume of her voice. Giving a deep sigh, Recovery Girl's expression became more sullen. "The reason that I've held off on fully healing her body is because I want to know the state of her mental health. This girl just attempted suicide and was in a coma. Now it's not completely common, but sometimes when a one makes an attempt and fails, they try again. I want to be sure that before she is walking around on her own that she's in a stable state that such is no longer a worry."
Ann's previous rage had fizzled, Recovery Girl's words making a lot of sense. She didn't like it, but she understood. Looking up at the door, Ann's lips morphed into a thin line. "How is she, then?"
"As far as mentally, she doesn't seem to be thinking of doing it again. The doctors here are going to continue watching her closely. I'll be back every day for the next week to check on her condition. Once I'm confident that her mental state is more stable, I'll heal the rest of her injuries." The elderly hero explained, looking up at Ann with a more gentle smile. "It's good that you're stopping by, though. She needs as much care from her friends as she can get. Help her make it clear to us and herself that she's no longer in such a state of mind. Okay?"
Ann looked up at the door, sniffling a bit as she failed to mask her emotions. "Th-thank you… I'm sorry for getting upset." Ann apologized, only receiving a giggle from the elderly hero.
"Don't mention it. It shows how much you care. Now go on, I won't hold you back any longer. If you come by again tomorrow, I'm sure we'll see each other again." Recovery Girl said, giving her one last encouraging wrinkled smile before walking past the twin tailed blonde. Ann followed the elderly hero with her eyes before turning back to the door. Taking a deep breath, Ann slowly reached forward and pushed the door open. Inside, her heart nearly leapt at the sight of Shiho sitting up in her bed. But what joy she felt quickly faded as she began to observe her best friend's details a bit closer. Bags now rested under her lids and her eyes were half open, looking completely exhausted despite likely recently waking up.
"Hey, Ann." Shiho croaked out, her voice weak and a bit parched. She gave a faint smile, though Ann could easily see how forced it was. "You came."
Ann stared for a moment, trying to sort out her torrent of emotions after seeing Shiho awake. She was happy no doubt, but seeing her in such a diminished state still stung at her heart. Ann perished her thoughts, putting on a as happy of a smile as she could muster. "Hey, Shiho… I have to say… you look like garbage." Ann admitted jokingly, though part of her regretted it, thinking that Shiho might take it seriously.
Much to her relief, her best friend mustered up a weak laugh, though it caused her to cough a little. "Well, you know me… I've always had the worst bed hea-" Shiho broke into a fit of coughs, her voice sounding parched. Looking around, Ann found a bottle of water with a straw in the top at the side of her bed, quickly reaching for it and putting it to Shiho's lips. Her friend sipped with some vigor, thankful for Ann's help as her arms moved stiffly up at her sides. "Thanks… I probably should have told her how thirsty I was."
"No kidding." Ann gave a half hearted giggle, pulling a chair up next to her bed and taking a seat. There were quite a few things she wanted to say, but first she would ask the most important: "How are you feeling?"
"Alright, all things considered. I can't move my arms and legs because… well, you know." Shiho mumbled, eyes cast down to her stiff limbs. Ann figured she heard their argument outside, they weren't exactly quiet.
"Do you… think it's necessary?" Ann asked seriously, dreading whatever answer that Shiho might have for her.
"Honestly..?" Shiho muttered, her empty eyes narrowing as she bit her bottom lip. "... I don't know. I know what I did was dumb, but… it felt like it was the only way out."
"And what about now?" Ann asked, her hands gripping anxiously at her side. "You don't think that anymore, right?"
Shiho's eyes trailed up to Ann, vulnerability shimmering behind her brown orbs. Tears started to fall from her eyes, her breath hitching in her throat. "I… I don't know…" She muttered out, weakly clenching her eyes shut as she let out a weak whine. "A-Ann, I… I'm so sorry… I just felt like no one could help. Like no one could see what I was suffering. And if they did… they would just be disgusted-"
"Don't you dare think that!" Ann shouted, causing Shiho to look up at her in shock. For the umpteenth time that day, water streamed from Ann's eyes. "I-it's true that I couldn't see… I'm so stupid for-for not seeing what you suffered… but no one thinks you're disgusting because of it! Not me, not your class, not anyone! The real disgusting one is Kamoshida, and don't forget that!"
Shiho inhaled a breath, looking up at her best friend in understanding. "I… I remember hearing your voice… while I was in a coma." Ann blinked in surprise, not realizing that Shiho might have actually heard her voice. "A lot of it's muddled and I can't remember much, but… I remember you were saying you were going to take him down. W-was… that just a dream?"
Ann's eyes softened, shaking her head in confirmation. "No. You heard right. Me and my friends, Ryuji and that new student Izuku, we took him down yesterday. And soon he's going to admit to his crimes."
"Admit to his crimes..?" Shiho repeated in confusion, pushing up on her sofa to position herself better in her seat.
"... You'll see. I guarantee it." Ann said, deciding to save such a confusing explanation for another time. "Just know that it's almost over, okay?"
Shiho stared at her in question, unsure what all of this meant for her, but nodded. "Okay… if you say so." Looking back down at her lap, Shiho's frown deepened. "You said… Izuku, that transfer student, helped you right?"
"That's right. He's actually a really nice guy. Kinda jumpy and really nervous around girls, but genuinely nice." Ann giggled, thinking of the green haired teen for a moment. "He said you made him feel better after he came to the school. He was really thankful for that."
"I made him feel better…" Shiho muttered before her eyes trembled with guilt. "But I… but I hurt him in the end, didn't I...?" She asked, her voice coming out choked and shasky. "I made him think that… that it was his fault that I jumped, didn't I? He was up there trying to save me and I…" Ann cast her gaze to the ground, unsure what could be said. Izuku had carried the burden of her attempted suicide since the beginning of it all. Trying to convince Shiho of otherwise would be a lie.
"I… I thought I heard his voice while I slept…" Shiho mumbled, forcing herself to look up at Ann. "I could hear him say that… that he was sorry. Did you… bring him here?"
"... Yeah, I did." Ann admitted, though showed no signs of shame over it. "He needed to say everything that he did. And he wanted you to know that he was still fighting for you."
"... but will that mean anything in the end?" Shiho asked, skepticism lacing her voice, causing Ann to widen her eyes. "I want to believe that you guys really could stop him, but… I-I don't see how." Shiho began to tremble again, eyes tightening as her mind raced with dark thoughts, a voice of shame and fear whispering at the back of her mind. "N-no one's been able to stop him, a-and those who could just don't care… I just don't see how you guys could beat him… and let's say you do pull off a miracle, then what?!" She asked, looking back up at Ann for answers. "A-am I supposed to walk through that school again, expecting everything to go back to normal?! All of those eyes of disgust and pity watching me every single day! I can't take that! I can't-"
*slap*
Ann didn't let Shiho's rambling continue, giving her a wake up slap right across the cheek. Ann didn't feel good doing it, but she knew that she had to pull her best friend back to reality. "You don't know any of that. You don't know what any of the students will think! And no matter what, you won't be alone anymore!" Ann exclaimed, fighting back the furious tears threatening at the edge of her eyes. Closing the gap between them, Ann tightly wrapped her arms around her best friend, her voice coming out softer this time. "I don't want you to give up on us. I want you to see for yourself that you still have a place to go back to. And once this is all over, you can walk through Shujin with your head held high! Alright?!"
Shiho held her cheek, rubbing the sore spot with her numb hand slowly. Her erratic thoughts had weathered themselves, Ann's intervention helping to silence them. But still, a shadow of a doubt lingered in her thoughts. "Even if you guys can make Kamoshida do what you say… do you really think a place is left for me there?"
Ann released her from the hug but still gripped her shoulders in both hands, giving as confident of a grin as she could muster. "Once Kamoshida confesses, everyone will see the truth. You'll see. People will see him for the monster that he really is and won't think about what you did. So please… give us a chance, okay? It's almost over. Very soon."
Shiho stared into Ann's eyes, absorbing her words gradually. Hope and uncertainty clashing in her heart. She wanted to believe Ann's words, to be able to wake up and know that Kamoshida had paid for his crimes. But the dark clouds of fear fogged her sight. Little that Ann could say to her now would clear them from her mind. Looking back down at her lap, Shiho couldn't be so faithful. But still, the inkling of hope instilled by Ann was still there. "... I hope you're right." was the best she could muster out, unable to commit to the ideas that Ann pushed.
Ann knew that it was the best answer she could get in Shiho's current state, giving a small sigh and nod. "You'll see. I promise you." Ann looked down at the ground, trying to muster up anything else to say to Shiho. With little else in the way of words, Ann just gave her a small smile. "I'm going to let you rest. I'll be back tomorrow, okay? So keep hanging on. And make sure you convince Recovery Girl to heal you up all the way soon, okay?"
Shiho only nodded in response, unwilling to give much else as her mind began to wrestle with itself. Ann didn't push for a response, lingering only a moment longer before turning around and leaving. Ann quietly shut the door behind her, a deep breath released once she escaped the heavy air that hung around Shiho's sullen state. As happy as she was to see Shiho awake, Ann had realized that the fight truly had one last push. Kamoshida's confession could not come sooner.
As she walked down the hallway of the hospital, Ann soon realized that others would want to hear this news. Pulling out her phone, Ann quickly began to type away into the group chat.
Ann: Shiho is awake!
She held her phone at her side, knowing that it likely wouldn't take the two long to respond, whatever they might be doing. He text chime soon went off, Ann immediately pulling her phone up to look at the responses.
Izuku: Really?! So soon?!
Ryuji: Holy shit, for real?
Ann: Yep. Recovery Girl got the petition and came to the hospital. Shiho's awake and out of any danger. But before she fully heals her body, Recovery Girl wants to make sure that Shiho-Ann hesitated, not entirely sure how to word it kindly or sound too depressing-is okay to be left alone. I wanted to argue, but I see her point. She's going to stay in the hospital for a while, so I'm going to keep visiting her until she's out. Okay?
Izuku: Of course. I'm glad to hear that Recovery Girl came through for her.
Ryuji: Nice to know somebody finally looked our way. We'll keep hopin' Suzui gets fully healed soon, so keep your chin up, alright?
Ryuji: And once this is over, we should all have a party or somethin to celebrate!
Izuku: I agree. Once Kamoshida confesses, we should do something. I've never been to a party, but I'll try my best! So tell Suzui-sempai to keep doing the same for us!
Ann let out a soft giggle, a genuine smile spreading across her lips. It was strange how quickly she became fond of the two. Rekindling her friendship with Ryuji was a surprise but not unwelcome. The two had been on decent terms before high school started but their separate classes drifted them apart. But now, she honestly felt like the two had a better understanding each other more than ever. Izuku was a the same, the boy convicted of a crime had turned out to be the boy with the biggest heart she had ever seen. Someone she could rely on without hesitation. Even for their faults, Ann couldn't have asked for two better people to have fought so hard alongside her.
Ann: Yeah. One things cool off, I would love to do that. So I'm going to keep my head up and trust that our plan worked. I'll keep you guys posted about her condition. Thank you both for everything.
To be continued…
Thanks goes to nitewind, who has decided to take up the role of beta a second time for me as he does with my other story A Devil's Diamond!
And that's the chapter! Obviously the pace has slowed down, as I didn't want everything to be resolved so quickly. Persona is a game that revolves around the small interactions as much as the big ones. Depending on what links I might be able to form in the upcoming chapter, we'll see whether or not the confession will come then or not.
I do hope that the scene at the end was able to convey the right tones and feelings. I struggled a bit toward the end when it came to how Shiho might react now that she's awake far earlier than before. Leave a comment and tell me how I did and whether something could have been better or not :)
This was also a good chance to show the mild possibilities of the shifting world. I know things up until now have been relatively close to the canon of Persona 5, but as the story continues on things are going to be shifting more and more, from the world around them to even the Confidant Links that Izuku makes. How it will all change will be revealed in due time. So look forward to that!
Anyways, that's it for this chapter, please leave a review, a follow, and a favorite if you'd be so kind~!