Begin!
~Normal POV
They still had plenty of time left in the day to begin their trek through the Jail for real. This visit was mainly for three reasons. To get an idea of the kind of security they were up against. (Which immediately proved to be quite a lot.) And to get a feel for the area. The Jail encompassed much of Shibuya, but the city layout was not exactly the same as in reality. And finally, it was Sophia's first heist! She had no trouble learning from her fellow thieves, and quickly grew accustomed to their group dynamics and teamwork. Only needing to ask the occasional question here and there.
However, running around the Jail and making good progress figuring out how it worked only ended with a literal roadblock. Alice was eventually made aware of their presence and promptly sealed off the entrance to her castle with an impenetrable metal wall. This left them no choice but to retreat and think of a strategy. Once they were back in reality, it was already evening. They were currently walking back to LeBlanc through the backstreets.
"Man, how are we gonna get past that wall? It sure ain't going anywhere…"
"A more pressing issue has arisen- I'm famished…"
"Seriously, dude… Actually, that was pretty exhausting work, I could eat too…" Ryuji said.
"It's probably better if we do then; no sense trying to strategize on an empty stomach," Haru said.
"Would you like me to find you a restaurant," Sophia asked.
"No need, Sophia! Our target's already been decided." Futaba said, gleefully. "Sojiro's curry or bust! I bet he'll hook all of you up, too!"
"Do you mean it?!" Yusuke asked.
Makoto sighed. "Go easy on Boss, he's treated us ple-"
Before she could finish, a loud man's voice shouted from nearby. "EHHH! I don't even care!"
"What the hell was that," Morgana asked.
They looked forward and saw a very drunk man in a suit staggering in their direction. He was being followed by a sober man who seemed to be trying to reign him in before he hurt himself.
"All those drunk bastards-" The drunk man slurred. "Making me look like crap!"
"It's ok, sir- eh, hey kids get outta the way!" The sober man said.
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "It's just some plastered suit…" He didn't hold people who drink in any kind of high regard.
The drunk finally noticed their presence as they were blocking his path. "Huh? What are these little shits doing out…?" He tried to walk forward again and settled his gaze onto Ann. "Hey… You're a real looker! How's about you and I go back to my-"
"Back the hell off of my girlfriend," Akira said, glaring daggers at the man.
"Eh? Your girlfriend?" The man replied, confusedly.
"Please, don't work him up any worse than he is already," The sober man said.
"He's the one who started it, jackass…" Ryuji pointed out.
The drunk man only got more annoyed with them. "Aw, that's it! I'm gonna teach y'all some manners!"
"If you don't walk away right now-" Makoto said, clenching her fists in warning.
"Alright, break it up. That's enough." A new voice said.
They looked and saw a suited man approach them and step between the gang and the drunk man. Akira recognized him as the customer he saw in LeBlanc recently.
"The hell is this?" The drunk asked.
The mystery man put a hand on his chin in thought. "Hm, how do I put it? I'm just a knight in shining armor." He said, smirking smugly. This only earned more confusion from the team. This guy seemed a bit odd…
"Knight in shining armor my ass!" The drunk shouted. "I'm- I'm gonna… punch your lights out-!" He tried to take a swing at the man.
But unfortunately for him, the mystery man quickly subdued him and knocked him to the ground with several well placed punches, as if this situation were an everyday affair.
"The fuck…" Akira muttered; he could see the others shared his sentiment.
Their "knight" casually wiped his hands like it was no big deal. "Careful now… Ooo, you really ate it there. You ok?"
"Um, you totally just knocked him on his ass…" Ryuji said, bluntly.
"Oh come on, you were watching. That was legitimate self defense," The man said, glancing back at him.
"Hey, this is assault! You want me to call the police," The sober man said.
The other man chuckled casually and pulled out his wallet. Pinned to it was a shiny gold badge. "I am the police. Now scram."
Any good faith Akira was about to have to this man for stopping that guy went completely out the window. He kept his hands clenched in his pockets. They watched as the sober man apologized profusely and quickly ran off.
"No wait! Take this guy with you!" The cop pleaded, but the man left too fast. He sighed. "Wow, not a great subordinate. Eh, I guess he'll come-to eventually…" He turned to them at last. "You kids alright?"
"We would have been fine." Akira said, as politely as he could muster.
"Oh? Did I just steal your thunder on protecting your girl here? Sorry about that," The cop said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest.
"You're not a uniformed officer, yet you carry a badge," Yusuke said, looking the man over with disdain. "Are you perhaps with Public Security?"
"Good guess!" He replied. "Although, it may be more like common knowledge, considering the number of tails on you." He then gestured behind them and added. "For example, have you noticed the one over there yet?" Not far behind them was another man hiding rather openly behind a telephone pole.
"Dumbass!" The hiding man said, "What are you doing!?"
"Sorry, my bad! Could you bring this drunk in for me?" The cop said, nonchalantly.
At first the hidden man tried to argue with him on this, but eventually conceded and carried the unconscious man away leaving them alone at last. This behavior didn't make any sense. This cop saved them, and told them they were being followed, seemingly without any real reason. It was incredibly abnormal.
"The hell is with this guy?" Ryuji asked.
"His suspicion level is off the charts…" Futaba added.
"Aw, no need for that look." The cop said, noticing their distrusting glares. "I actually do have a reason to be here. But you're right, I should introduce myself first." He held out his hand politely towards Akira. "Inspector Zenkichi Hasegawa, Public Security."
Akira didn't even bother with his "model student" facade, and outright refused the handshake.
Zenkichi was quick to get the message. "Ooookay, denied. I see…"
"I learned my lesson after the last time I shook hands with a cop." Akira replied, firmly. "Now, what do you want?"
"Getting right to it, huh? Ok. I'll be blunt. I want to talk to you, Kurusu-san: Leader of the Phantom Thieves. It's an important matter."
Akira narrowed his eyes dangerously at him. "...Follow me…"
~...
Once they'd entered LeBlanc, the first thing they did was let Sojiro know who they were dealing with. Much to the gang's approval, Sojiro wasn't as welcoming to Zenkichi as he had previously been. As much as Sojiro didn't like admitting it, he really cared about Akira and his friends. He would never let anything happen to them. Futaba was a Phantom Thief too after all, and even if she weren't taken in, she'd be devastated if everyone else was. Akira sat down across from Zenkichi in a booth, with Ann sitting dutifully beside him, while everyone else took seats nearby to watch over their leader. Morgana was sitting on the wall next to the table. Zenkichi didn't seem fazed by the open hostility in the room; he didn't even flinch when Sojiro nearly broke his glass of water when setting it on the table.
"Sorry about that." Haru said, with an unsettlingly bright smile. "We just despise the police."
Zenkichi frowned. "It's- it's kinda weird when you say it with a smile like that…"
"He's a condescending dick, who just insulted my girl's smile. Great first impression there, cop." Ryuji said, crossing his arms in a huff.
"Alright, inspector, get to the point we don't have all night," Akira commanded. "What the fuck do you want?"
Zenkichi took a sip of his water before replying. "I'll start with a simple question. Did you hear about that mess on the chat show this morning? With Alice Hiiragi?"
"Yes. Why?" Akira answered, bluntly.
"Yeah, of course you heard. It wasn't exactly a hidden story. Well, since the interview, there's already been a full investigation into the incident… There was no indication the m.c. was planning to propose. Everyone questioned said he didn't even know who Alice was before this week. Not only that, he'd already been engaged to his co-host for quite a while. There isn't a whiff of motive to be found. So, the police have concluded, 'Doesn't this sound like the work of the Phantom Thieves?' A whole lot of similar cases last year, no? Sudden personality shifts, abnormal behavior, psychotic-"
Akira interrupted him by smacking his fist on the table in anger. "The psychotic breakdowns were caused by-!"
Zenkichi put up his hands in surrender. "I know! …I know… I am fully aware of his testimony… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up. I can see why you're still pretty testy about that. But let me finish. Ahem, What I'm trying to say is if that m.c. went bonkers because of a change of heart, you're gonna be suspect number one: Akira Kurusu. The leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. We don't know if it's drugs, or hypnosis, or what, but they wanna charge you with criminal mischief. It's only a matter of time before you're arrested-"
"He hasn't done a god damn thing!" Ann screamed.
"That is outrageous!" Yusuke added, with venom in his voice. "What fucking proof do you have?!"
Akira swore heard Haru whisper something about "getting her axe" before Makoto quickly silenced her.
"Sure it's outrageous!" Zenkichi replied, nodding in agreement. "But we don't have any actual proof yet. That's why I'm here. So, I'll ask straight up: Are you the one doing this?"
Akira kept his death glare on the man and replied in a stiff tone. "No. We're getting framed. But, heh, I don't trust you to believe a word I say. After all, that's how cops are. They don't give a shit who's telling the truth."
Zenkichi took that response rather lightly. "...You didn't do it? Yeah. That's what I thought. It doesn't fit your modus operandi. Hang on a second." He pulled out his phone and made a call; though honestly it was hard to tell if he actually did or if he was just pretending. "Hello? Commissioner, I'm with the Phantom Thieves' leader. I just asked for a confession, but he says he's innocent… Yes, that's right… No, I haven't been drinking… Huh? Kidding? No, no, this is all real… That's enough nonsense? …Ok. I'm on my way to the office." He put his phone away. "Well, as you saw, I reported what you said to my boss, but if you ask me: I don't think she's convinced-"
"What are you trying to prove here?!" Makoto asked, through gritted teeth.
"No matter how hard you claim to be innocent, there are people chomping at the bit to arrest you-"
"Like you." Akira interrupted.
"Whoa!" Zenkichi replied, looking offended. "I'm not here to arrest you."
Akira chuckled softly and folded his hands in front of him. "Look, if there's one thing I hate more than a cop… it's a politician, but besides that: it's a liar. I might actually have some god damn respect for you if you just came out and said what we're all thinking. Because, inspector, I gotta say: I've known you for about-" He checked his wristwatch. "Ten minutes or so, and already I would love to kick your ass if I could. Hell, you should be proud, you broke the previous record. I knew Akechi for a whole day before I wanted to kick his ass!" He paused to catch his breath, because he wasn't finished yet.
"Now, I'm gonna say some things that you're gonna find rude, but hey, the truth hurts sometimes, right? Let's see, you're a middle aged cop with a career that has been remarkably average. A few decent arrests here and there, but nothing outstanding. So, once a few odd phenomena start happening you get the brilliant idea that you'll just waltz right up to the Phantom Thief leader and ask him if it's his fault. You had to get special permission from your boss to do this though; cause they were already gonna send a whole team to bust down the door, and take everything that's not nailed down. So you begged, and begged, and asked 6 times, but she said no every time. But seventh time's the charm! She gave you permission, and you do exactly as you said you would. You get the testimony you say you were expecting, then decide, 'Hey, while I'm here, how about I just ask the Phantom Thieves for their help with this case!' And then you force me to help with your investigation. And once you've proven that a separate culprit was responsible all along, you'll arrest them. Hurray, everything's all wrapped up, happy ending, right? And then, oops! You can't let the Phantom Thieves go free! Even if they weren't responsible for this! He's right in your grasp! Ooo, think of the promotion I could get for bringing in the most wanted fugitives in the country! So, I get a, very much expected, knife in my back and get slapped with handcuffs."
Zenkichi stayed silent through that whole rant, merely staring at Akira with an impassive expression.
"Have I got it right, inspector?"
Zenkichi cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "Ahem… You're a… pretty jaded kid. I can see where you got all those assumptions… I'm not gonna pretend that there aren't some people who would do everything you just described and not bat an eye… But I just told you, I'm not here to arrest you, or any of your friends. I mean, if that was my intention, I could have done it well before now. In fact, here, I'll even prove it."
He emptied his pockets onto the table. The only things he set before them were his wallet and badge, his phone, a set of keys, and a small cloth, presumably for cleaning his glasses. "There. See? No cuffs. No arrest or search warrant. No weapons. Nothing. Completely vulnerable. I'm here to make a deal with you. I want to solve this case. And as I said already, that thing that happened with Alice does not fit your M.O. In order for me to figure out what really happened, I need the intel you've gathered. At the moment, I don't have anything that even resembles a lead. I'm totally at a loss. You, though, you just don't want to get arrested. I can do what needs to be done so that won't happen. Bureau men are a trustworthy lot in the force. There won't be any problems. Sound like a fair deal to you?"
"After you just tried to tell me there's such a thing as a trustworthy cop? Go fuck yourself, you shady bastard," Akira answered.
"Me? Shady? Well, that makes two of us."
"Fuck off." Ryuji said, bluntly. "We have no reason to trust you."
"What do you think, Akira?" Morgana asked. "You don't have to do anything until you decide whether you trust him or not…"
Zenkichi glanced at the cat. "Noisy cat you got there."
Morgana hissed at him in response. But it at least proved one thing, Zenkichi could not understand him. Good.
"Well…" Zenkichi looked at the time. "It's getting late. I guess I don't need an answer right at this minute. I can see that this is gonna take some heavy thinking for you. You can get back to me once you've thought it over." He gathered up his belongings and stood up. "I hope you'll see things my way, Phantom Thieves. Alright, Boss. Be back soon for some curry!"
"Sorry. The curry's eighty-sixed. For you." Sojiro replied, casually.
"Oh, now that hurts…" Zenkichi said, frowning in disappointment. The second he was out the door, the room erupted in chatter.
"What is with that jackass?!" Ann shouted. "He is absolutely fucking ridiculous!"
"He appears to have a great many bats in his belfry," Yusuke said.
"And that means…?" Morgana asked.
"He's crazy," Yusuke clarified.
"And did you see his hair? What a fucking dweeb…" Futaba grumbled.
"But if he was telling the truth…" Haru said, worriedly.
"They're gonna arrest Akira…"
"What a fucking bullshit deal!" Ryuji said, "He wasn't even hiding the fact that it's a fucking threat…"
"It is. Without a doubt." Makoto said, "But it still beats losing our leader… Walking into a trap isn't smart, but the intel might still pay off for us…"
"The only thing we learned from him is that the police are on the move… I know none of us want to admit it, but that is a benefit." Morgana said, simply. "So… How much can we trust him?"
"Not even a tiny bit." Akira replied, his anger still evident on his face. "He's a cop. We're thieves. It's the natural fucking order. There can never be any chance at trust. He'll arrest us all without a care once it's all over…" He couldn't let that happen. It was his job to protect this family.
Nobody could argue with his words either. He was absolutely right.
"So, fess up: what'd you do this time?" Sojiro asked, crossing his arms in a stern way.
"N-Nothing! N-No worries, Sojiro!" Futaba answered, sheepishly.
"This is about that Alice girl, right? You're suspected of causing that whole mess on tv somehow?"
"It's totally bull!" Ryuji replied, "We know Alice is the one doing it!"
"We're sorry, Boss." Makoto said, quietly. "We really didn't want to bother you again…"
Sojiro's stern gaze softened. "Well, you didn't do it right?"
"Exactly." Akira answered. "We'd never do something like that."
"Of course you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't. So, keep your chin up. If it's 'totally bull,' then you gotta prove it. If you need anything, just let me know. I'm gonna head out, don't stay up too late. Futaba, you'd better come straight home once your little meeting's done."
Once Sojiro left for the night, they closed up the curtains so they wouldn't have any chance of eyes watching them from outside. Luckily for them, the café was bugged but only hooked up to Futaba's home computer. Akira set up his phone stand so Sophia could join them.
"Alright, here's the plan. Inspector Pain-in-the-Ass can't do a damn thing to us if we make Alice confess that she's the culprit. So, all we have to do is change her heart and we can get on with enjoying our vacation. Now, about getting past that wall. I'm open to any suggestions," Akira said.
"In trouble? I can help." Sophia chimed in.
"What have you got?" Akira asked.
"Hm… getting past the wall… How about hacking it, Futaba?"
"If it's linked to a terminal, then I could do it…"
"I registered a control panel on the other side of the wall when we entered the castle courtyard the first time," Sophia said. "Can you not simply hover over it in the Necronomicon?"
"Ehhhh, no- sorry. Following you guys around in her already takes a lot of my stamina. She is a part of me after all. And if I went in by myself, I wouldn't survive if the Shadows spotted me. I'd need bodyguards."
"Is the Necronomicon not able to hold more people?"
"She's smaller than she looks. Only enough room for me."
"We could climb the wall with her," Haru suggested. "I don't think it's too high for us."
"There are too many searchlights in the area; we'd be quickly surrounded." Yusuke pointed out.
"Then we just need a decoy to put a dent in their defenses for us…" Morgana said.
"...I'll do it." Akira said.
"Are you sure, Akira? That still sounds dangerous." Ann said, worriedly. "Alice is probably seriously pissed by now. Someone should back you up at least."
"I can provide support." Sophia said, smiling. "I will divide the enemy's attention between him and myself. This will lighten the burden placed upon you, Akira."
"That'd be helpful, Sophia, thank you. You ok with that, Ann?" Akira asked.
"Yeah, as long as you're not out there all alone…"
They finished talking out their plan of attack before heading home for the night. Despite how he tried not to worry, Akira couldn't stop thinking of that inspector. What did the man hope to gain by acting in such an intentionally suspicious manner? Well, whatever his reason, it didn't matter. Akira would not let Hasegawa anywhere near his family. Especially not right now… a very important occasion was coming soon. And the last thing he wanted was to have to spend that day in a jail cell.
~End of Chapter
