I own nothing. Monika does.
"That's it… huh?" Ann commented, looking up at the gaudy Palace. "What's going on here?"
"We are looking at the courthouse, aren't we…" Futaba said, a stern expression on her face.
"Seems like it…" Makoto replied, her hand on her chest.
Everyone stared past the large building in silence for a few moments, each lost in deep thought. Sayori did as well, though she felt rather differently from her teammates. Looking up at the bright neon lights of the casino sign, she felt oddly… hollow. It was hard for her to describe, as this was the first time she had seen this Palace.
But perhaps that was it.
This was the first time she had seen this Palace, and it should be the same for everyone else. But… Sayori got the strangest sense that for her teammates, it was different. That part of her that acknowledged her reality as nothing more than a game; the odd sixth sense she had that made her feel the weight of a meaningless existence, which she always tried so hard to ignore, was pressing into her at full force. She almost felt afraid to go into the Palace, like she wouldn't be allowed in.
"Let's go," Goro suddenly spoke, with Akira sending him a curt nod. Sayori froze at the words, as everyone else began to walk forward.
Why can't I bring my body to move…? I thought I was ready… Sayori thought to herself, feeling as though her feet were rooted to the ground.
Suddenly, a hand lay on her shoulder, and Sayori looked to the side to see Goro looking at her. He looked calm, and Sayori could sense his curious concern, wondering if she was getting cold feet. Though, the look he gave her was full of expectations that Sayori had promised to fulfill.
"Let's go forward together… towards our goal…" the detective removed his hand from her shoulder suddenly, as if she had burned him. "Sorry… that probably wasn't appropriate."
"No… it's fine, and you're right," Sayori said with a deep breath, before taking a small step forward, and then another. She picked up the pace as Goro walked alongside her, and Sayori knew she had to keep going. I can't let them down… I can't let him down, or myself…
Of course, Sayori was starting to find it was easier to face her reality with someone by her side.
With the casino looming in the distance, Goro and Sayori rushed to catch up with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. They had promised not to separate from them, after all.
"The courthouse is a casino…" Ann said in shocked awe, as if she were only realizing it now with the full grandiose building in front of them.
Goro looked around the rest of their surroundings, taking in the stark contrast of the rest of the area. It was like putting a circus in a graveyard. "Everywhere else seems to be a normal cityscape."
Yusuke looked behind them as well, apparently shocked by another detail of the terrain. "Isn't that-"
"The police station, yes," Makoto interrupted, her tone strict and emotionless as she too looked at the building.
"I didn't know that the station and the courthouse were next to each other," Haru commented softly.
I… suppose it is a shock that the police station wouldn't also be part of the Palace… Sayori thought to herself, glancing back at the short brick wall that separated the group from the casino entrance. With the flashy exterior, she wondered what the inside would be like.
"Our attire hasn't changed… That must mean we aren't considered threats or hostiles yet," Goro noted, looking down at himself and the rest of the group.
"Right… Areas outside her courthouse Palace must not be worthy of her attention," Morgana explained with authority on the subject.
However, when everyone turned to look at him, he was quick to lose his cool. "... Wait, I always look like this! I'm special! Besides, I can't do anything in my cat form."
"The police station's also part of her work area though, whenever arrests are made for her cases," Makoto said, leaning her chin on her fist in deep thought. "I brought her food and belongings when she was sent on loan to the police."
"Do you guys think we might have to go in there? It's not part of her Palace, though," Sayori pointed out, before another thought occurred to her. "I guess that ghost town in Futaba's Palace proves me wrong…"
"I doubt it will be the same, since it's not distorted," Morgana assured, looking at Sayori as though he were as worried for her mental capabilities as he was for Ryuji.
"That reminds me, he'll need a codename, too," Makoto said, looking up at Goro with a look of consideration.
How did any of that remind you about codenames…? Sayori thought to herself, reviewing the conversation in her head.
"... Code name?" Goro asked curiously. Though he had followed the group a number of times, he had never been close enough to hear much of their conversations.
"Wow, Sayori really didn't fill you in on the way we operate, huh?" Ann asked, giving the girl a playful nudge.
This snapped Sayori out of her stupor, as she looked at the group with a sheepish smile. "I was a bit preoccupied…"
Ryuji stepped up to the detective and began to explain, though it wasn't nearly as in depth or explanatory as what Makoto and Morgana had been about to say. "Phantom thieves can't go around usin' their real names, right? It ain't cool, either."
"Just for reference, what is everyone else's?" Goro asked after a moment of pause, simply deciding not to question it further.
"Skull."
"Mine's Fox."
"We pretty much decided on them with how we look, didn't we?" Ann said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Anyway, I'm Panther."
"Joker."
"I'm your narrator, your navigator… Oracle!" Futaba said with a little hop.
"My codename is Queen."
"I am Noir…"
Sayori counted the number of people who had introduced themselves in her head, realizing a second too late that it was her turn. "Um… I'm Valiant, but Ryuji used to call me Val," She said, suddenly self conscious of the fancy name she had come up with.
"It suits you…" Goro said with a smile, managing to avoid smirking as Sayori's face became as bright as the bow in her hair. Instead, he devoted his attention to his own codename. After a moment of consideration, thinking of the future explanation, and appearance the group would have to get used to, he had an idea.
"Hm… Well, perhaps "Karasu" would be best for me. You know, like a raven."
"...Are your clothes all black or something?" Ryuji asked, unaware of how right he was.
The realization caused Sayori to pause. Goro had admitted to being Black Mask, yet his mask had been red the only time she had actually seen him in the Metaverse. I suppose the outfit I saw him in is not the only one he has…
"The reverse, actually," Goro clarified with a smile. At least, for now that's how it is… "If our code names are to hide our identities, wouldn't that be better?"
"Karasu… He'd be the only Japanese-sounding one," Futaba mumbled to herself, taking the topic surprisingly seriously.
"Why not go with 'Crow' instead?" Ann suggested.
"All right, from here on out, you're Crow," Morgana declared, looking at the detective sternly.
"Wait… we all got to pick out our own code names," Sayori objected, "Goro should get the same treatment!" Despite the circumstances that had led them all into this situation, Sayori wasn't going to allow discord to be sown into the group. She didn't want what happened with Ryuji and Morgana to repeat itself with Goro.
"It's alright, Sayori. I think it suits me, and I suppose it rolls off the tongue much easier," Goro said, not wanting to spend time on this topic when there was work to be done. Though he also couldn't ignore the light happiness he got at the thought that she was defending him.
"Much easier than Valiant," Ryuji teased.
Sayori blushed and shook her head. "You all said you liked it…"
"Let's drop this for now," Makoto interjected, shaking her head with a frown. She felt silly for bringing it up now.
"Yeah. Let's focus on getting into the courthouse," Morgana agreed with a stern look. The rest of the group nodded and turned to Akira, who was using his abilities to examine the casino for an entrance acceptable for Phantom Thieves.
"Dude, you plannin' on stealin' stuff in that getup?" Skull asked with a groan. He turned to Valiant accusingly. "You coulda mentioned he was dressed like the effin' Boy Wonder…"
Neither the newly dubbed Crow, or Valiant, were really listening to the blond. Their focus had been drawn to much more intriguing areas.
For Crow, he had made a sudden epiphany that he had never really seen Sayori, up close, in her Phantom Thief outfit since her Palace, and in that place it had been darkly lit. The distant glimpses he had gotten of her had painted the illusion that the black attire was loose and fluffy like the girl herself presented herself to be..
Now, he was being confronted with reality. The girl's outfit was tight. The sheer black fabric of her jacket and pants accentuating every single curve of her body. It did not help in the slightest that the black cape she also wore only reached to the bottom of her back. Crow felt ashamed of the base desires he felt in that moment, knowing he was a hypocrite for lecturing Valiant on how important it was to focus on their investigation. Yet, he could not for the life of him turn his eyes away.
Valiant, at the very least, had no intention of hiding that she was looking at Crow. She had seen him only months ago, too focused on the issues of her Palace to pay attention to how he appeared. Though she knew the princely outfit was hiding a darker outfit of some sort, she couldn't help but admire the outfit he was wearing now, anyway. A lie or not, he looked good in it.
"Skull… please don't compare a Crow to a Robin…" Valiant mumbled loud enough for the blond to hear and roll his eyes. The girl smiled nevertheless and walked up to Crow, who blushed at her sudden closeness. "You look so handsome…" She breathed, even as a feeling of curiosity and concern bloomed inside of her, concerning what his "Black Mask" appearance would look like. She knew that the prince facade was meant to represent, so what was hiding even deeper?
"Oh… thank you," the detective said, almost nervously as he stared at her, transfixed. "You… look nice, too."
In the background of the couple's fawning display, the Phantom Thieves mostly wondered how best to break it up and get back to business. The only one who was thinking anything different was Fox, who came to a sudden realization after examining the garb of the two.
"Is this just me… or do their outfits match to a certain degree?" He asked Panther, who would also be able to tell with her eye for fashion. "Valiant is meant to be a noble from the style of her clothing, and Crow is a prince, from what I can tell."
"Oh, you're right!" Panther whispered excitedly. She clenched her hands tightly in barely contained excitement at the revelation. "I just thought you meant they both had capes or something, but this is even better!"
While those two continued to chat about their recent discovery, and Valiant and Crow continued ogling each other, Joker finally decided to break it up and get back to business. He walked up behind Crow and put his hand on the boy's shoulder in an attempt to get his attention.
Crow whipped his head around and smacked the poor leader in the face with the long beak of his mask.
Joker backed away and clutched his face with his hands, in more shock than pain, though it definitely did hurt. Crow immediately turned to him and tried to apologize, though it was hard to find it sincere when the pure comedy of it had their newest recruit struggling to hold in his laugh. Skull, Mona, Panther, and Oracle seemed to be doing much of the same thing, though with varying degrees of success at holding back laughter. Only Fox, Queen, and Noir found no humor in the situation, checking on their leader with some concern.
"Well, as I said earlier," Mona said after a few moments to check that their leader was alright, "It just means that's what you think a rebel looks like, Crow."
Though the mood was rather ruined by the earlier display, Crow clenched his hands into fists above his chest, at least able to say his next statement was truthful. "No, this is my mental image of a person who sticks to their justice." A princely, noble figure with virtue and chivalry, and he was not one, no matter how often he pretended. Still, the fact that this outfit can even exist on me must mean something… Or so was the lie he kept wanting to hold onto.
Valiant listened to his words and took them to heart, some semblance of a spark of hope lighting in the hearth that was her heart, adding to the dying embers of what had once been a raging inferno. She had always suspected he was lying to her… though she never truly believed that the kindness he showed to her was a lie. The princely facade, and charming, polite smile he saved for television appearances? She knew that was a lie, but she held onto the fragments of clues that he gave her without knowing that he was more than his failings. This was just one more thing he had given her unintentionally, and it was why she found herself gazing at him even now, though she was once again more focused on the mission in front of them.
"Well, that aside, the people in here look completely normal," Noir observed.
"What?!" Valiant and Crow cried, going over to where the other thief was looking down. When they saw that she was right, their hearts both sank, dread at what this meant.
If the one leaving messages is a Metaverse user like us, then they could blend in with the crowds all too easily…
As Crow looked at Valiant in palpable distress, and she looked at the crowds with a growing dread, the other thieves misinterpreted their reactions greatly.
"Those aren't actual people down there, Crow," Mona assured with a worried look on his face. "That's just the way Sae Niijima views the people around her."
"Shouldn't he have already figured that out?" Oracle asked no one in particular.
"Yes," Crow said stiffly, standing up along with Valiant, who looked paler than normal. "I am aware of that much, at least. Still, would it be too much trouble to ask for more information? Though I have been following you, I have had a sore lack of a verbal explanation, and I do not want this to cause trouble in our infiltration."
"I see.. Well you seem to already know what cognitive beings are, but you should be wary that certain ones, particularly ones who hold a position of power are dangerous," Fox explained.
"We've had to fight a couple already in other Palaces," Panther said wearily, looking down at the crowd for anyone of note.
"I would have assumed so, given that you have established such a pattern," Crow replied, looking at Joker as he spoke.
"Well, I guess you were hiding somewhere for both of them, but you were in the Palaces where it occurred," Queen commented.
"Yes… But I suppose this is my first attempt at actively participating in one of your heists. I find myself rather nervous being faced with all of these professionals," Crow said with an almost tired look. He knew all of this already. What he really needed to know what the actual process of infiltration was.
"Don't slow us down, Crow," Mona said sternly.
"I will not allow that to happen," he replied, reinvigorated by the thought of proving his worth.
"I promised you all I wouldn't either. I'll pick up his slack if I need to," Valiant said with a humble smile.
"Then especially don't slow us down!" Mona demanded with a whiny tone of voice.
"I will work especially hard, if that's the case," Crow said with a note of urgency in his voice.
Valiant looked rather dejected, before simply accepting it as the detective's pride getting in the way. She had to focus on her own part of the battle, and allowing himself to fall so short that his girlfriend would need to risk her own safety to compensate was not acceptable. Still, it hurt that her teammates didn't have faith in her ability, even if she also acknowledged that they were right. While everyone depended on each other, they also had to focus on playing their own part to the best of their ability.
"Okay, it's time we head inside," Mona said, stating the deadline, November 20th. "Of course, we'll need to secure an infiltration route before we send out the calling card. As always."
Crow did an excited little jump at that statement. "So the calling card wasn't merely for show? It's a necessary step!?"
While the other Phantom Thieves looked embarrassed for the detective's sake, Valiant's bright blush was for an entirely different reason. Though she remained mostly composed on the outside, her inside was screaming and gushing. He has no right to be this cute! That's my job! The tables had been turned on her, it seemed.
"Will you please stop interrupting?" Queen said, shattering the other girl's moment of bliss.
"Queen…" Valiant mumbled, unsure of what to say, and knowing she had no right to be annoyed when they were the ones tolerating Crow's presence, but… Come on! You couldn't have waited another three seconds?!
"M-my apologies," Crow said quickly, embarrassed at his behavior. Still, he was happy to have learned the full process of what the Phantom Thieves needed to do. He noticed Valiant staring off into the ether, looking put out by something. He worriedly wondered if she was once again worried about the new difficulty in their investigation, and made a mental note to assure her they could make due when they left the Palace.
"Let's go," Joker said after a moment, putting a cautious hand on Valiant's shoulder, standing an arm's length behind her, even though there was significantly less danger than before. She snapped out of her daze just in time to nod along with everyone else. Joker stepped to the font of the group, and with that, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts began their infiltration.
However, they would not get far. After only a few minutes of traveling along the ceiling, a familiar voice beckoned them down to the floor. Both Queen and Crow flinched at being caught so early so someone they had not wanted to face so soon.
"Welcome. Come on out, you petty thieves," Everyone froze and looked down in the direction of the voice.
"She can see us!?" Skull exclaimed, voicing the same confusion and shock that everyone else had.
"You're after the Treasure, are you not?" Shadow Sae continued, uncaring for their alarm. Her confidence dripped into her words. "Come on down and I will tell you where it is."
"Wh-what!?" Mona stuttered, "We're not going to fall for a trick like that…"
The ruler chuckled, making the black dress and hat she wore seem more fitting for a witch. "It's not a lie. I only wish to do this fair and square. You aren't going to run, are you…?"
"We should do as she says. There is no point in hiding any longer," Crow silently advised, grimacing at the distorted form of his comrade. It was distressing to finally see Sae's distortions come to life. He highly suspected she was setting a trap up for them, but only wanted to get it over with if that were the case. Luckily, the Phantom Thieves followed his advice, Joker landing in a crouch on the floor, before leading his teammates across the red velvet flooring to face the Shadow.
"So you've come," Shadow Sae said with a smirk, as if they had any choice. "The Treasure is located on the Manager's Floor, at the highest point of this building."
"...Why are you telling us this?" Queen asked, even more uncomfortable having to face her sister like this. Though for the sake of the team she remained calm, letting only suspicion show in her tone.
"It's as I said before… I wish to go about this in the fairest manner possible," Shadow Sae repeated, that same smirk on her face. "First, I ask that you come up to my location. We will continue this there…" With that, she and her two Shadow lackeys disappeared in a flash of light, as though her misdirection gave her the natural abilities of a magician as well.
"Dammit, over there!" Skull suddenly shouted, turning his head to the side and pointing out an elevator. The group of Shadows had gone into a glass elevator that quickly shut. The group could clearly see Shadow Sae as she went higher and higher up.
"It seems we'll be able to use that elevator to reach higher floors," Crow observed. "Come, let us pursue her." He doubted that course of action would lead to much, as there were sure to be plenty of obstacles, but perhaps the group might notice something useful for their investigation.
Valiant, meanwhile, was fulfilling her duty of doing just that, scanning the people gathered in crowds in the entrance of the casino, as well as their surroundings to check for anything of note. Nothing seemed particularly notable, but she did have the sudden thought that she and Crow would have to be quite thorough. They had to get it right the first time, investigating each floor as the rest of the Phantom Thieves moved higher up. She got the feeling they wouldn't be spending much time on the lower areas as they moved higher up.
They got to the elevator's entrance, but were stopped by a loud beep from the control panel. "Authentication required. Please insert your members card," an automated voice said.
"Member's card?" Noir asked in confusion, her eyes wide at the obstacle that stood between them and their adversary.
"Perhaps it bears relation to a player's club of sorts," Crow suggested, a thoughtful look on his face as he rested his chin on his palm.
"I can't handle your technical speak! Just gimme it straight!" Skull snapped, as frustrated with the obstacle as Noir was confused.
"Hey! Stop being rude!" Valiant demanded, stomping her foot and crossing her arms. "I'm not going to put up with any of you being mean on purpose! It caused us too much trouble last time." She didn't say anything else after that, averting her eyes from Skull as he promptly shut his mouth.
"Casinos typically have a membership system called a player's club," Crow explained after a moment, deciding to oblige Skull's demands. He didn't think it would be appreciated if he suddenly tried asking what had happened before to invoke this response in Valiant. "Some locations even have areas cordoned off for particular ranks of players. Considering the setup of this place, I thought things may be similar here."
"That'll make this shit simple. C'mon, let's join this player thingy," Skull grumbled, turning to leave the elevator entrance, but Crow held up a hand to stop him.
"I would agree with you, but…" Crow's eyes narrowed as he sensed something hostile behind him, and turned to look. Just as he expected, a large Shadow was guarding the entrance to another, presumably important area.
"A Shadow…!?" Noir asked, once again in shock at the massive scale of it.
"As I expected. Registration will not be such a simple matter," Crow stated. Though it's appearance was only shocking at a first glance, he had been through this enough times to know that it was guarding a place they needed to go. At least, some of the more seasoned Phantom Thieves had to have put this together, too.
"This is a very confusing set of rules for what counts as 'fair,'" Valiant mumbled with a shake of her head. Sae's Shadow had most likely been sarcastic about that statement, but why even tell them where the Treasure was? Of course, the girl put that together on her own, knowing she had to be able to make these deductions. Shadow Sae was just that confident in her own abilities.
"She must be daring us to challenge the security of this place to make it to her," Fox surmised with a grim look.
"Here it comes!" Skull shouted.
The Shadow took only three large strides before it was practically in front of them, also blacking their only escape route. With a shuddering convulsion, its mask fell away on its own and morphed into a large jaguar, wearing a green cape, and holding two large swords.
"No need to worry. I'll handle this. I need to prove my worth to you, after all," Crow stated confidently, knowing he could handle this Shadow all on his own if he needed to. However, for the sake of making the Phantom Thieves relax around him, he would probably have to dial back his abilities somewhat.
"I have high expectations," Joker stated, before turning to look at his team. "Queen and Fox will join us. Valiant, step in if there's trouble." The three nodded, getting into a fighting stance, one hand on their masks, and the other in position to grab their weapons.
"I suppose it would be rather difficult for me to take it on my own," Crow lied. "I'll do my best to meet the standards you all set." With that, he placed his hand on his hip and looked down in thought, making sure Robin Hood would be the one he summoned. He could feel the Phantom Thieves staring at him, and perhaps they too felt the change in the air as he pulled his mask off, revealing Robin Hood in a flash of fire.
Valiant took a deep shuddering breath of unease as she saw the Persona, it's heroic and mighty aura making her want to step back, or stare at it in awe. But she steeled herself, for she had a job to do. A small part of her was hoping she would be called into fight, for she wanted to show Crow what she was made of. Of course, unknown to her, that was also his intention as he stood there, dramatic presentation and all.
"Well then, let us begin."
Joker stalked towards the Shadow, the rest of the assigned Phantom Thieves running up to join him. He could feel Ose's power, remembering a battle from Mementos none too fondly. The only good thing about it was that it made him need to seek help from Shinya Oda, simply to beat the Shadow. However, this one was somehow even more powerful.
"Take them down, Robin Hood!" Crow shouted suddenly, blue fire lighting up his face as his Persona crouched behind him. Joker was surprised as Oracle shouted that they had found its weakness. Robin Hood held up his mighty bow and a powerful light zapped the Shadow into oblivion.
Valiant stood in shock with her mouth agape, though she honestly didn't know what she had been expecting. I need to ask Joker to let me be in the frontlines from the beginning, otherwise I might never get to show Crow what I'm made of! Though she suspected the detective had seen her fight in her own Palace, she had grown since then, getting even better at making use of the skills Psyche had given her.
"You're not so bad," Mona complimented, causing Crow's face to light up with barely contained pride.
"And I am capable of much more," Crow boasted, but was suddenly knocked a bit off balance as Skull gave him a rather heavy handed slap on the back.
"To think you've known who we were the whole time. Honestly, you shoulda said somethin' earlier if you were on our side. We would've let you tag along without the need for stalkin' us."
"That warms my heart," Crow replied, standing up straight from the crouch that he had fallen into.
Valiant stepped in front of him with a small smile and a blush. "That was really, really good. I hope I can be nearly as impressive when you see me fight!" She turned to Joker with a pout. "Normally you put me on the front lines from the beginning! I can shield you all and help boost your agility, so what gives?"
"I wanted to see exactly where his skills lie, I suppose," Joker said with a sigh as he rubbed his chin. "Not that it really worked, considering he destroyed the Shadow in one hit... Still, he can just tell us, so I guess you can be back on the team…" The leader looked down in deep thought, thinking of all the strategy tactics he had learned from Hifumi. Somehow, letting both of the pair be in the fights, and benching nearly everyone else, felt a bit unfair. There had to be a way to remedy that…
"Those sound like support skills, actually…" Crow trailed off, seeming to be thinking the same thing.
"Oh, oh!" Oracle raised her hand as if she were in a classroom. "Maybe Valiant can become like me!"
"What do you mean?" Joker asked curiously, before the girl began to explain her idea for strategy.
"Well, Feather Man: Crest of Flame has this one mechanic, where a unit can be an assistant to another character," Oracle explained. "I forget what it's called though…"
"Do you mean an Adjutant?" Crow asked. At the girl's furious nod, the detective looked down in consideration. "That is a common military practice, though an assistant like that is meant for a single person. Valiant's abilities would be better suited when used on everybody."
"We'll figure this out later," Queen said suddenly, shaking her head. "Joker and I will discuss strategy for the Palace later. We have defeated the Shadow that was blocking our progress, so let's continue."
"Wait," Panther spoke up. "Doesn't it sound like we're gonna get ambushed based on what we heard earlier?"
"You're right," Queen realized, deflating in disappointment. "I'd like to deal with them as quickly as we can… But now that we have an infiltration route, I'd suggest we return for now and prepare."
Crow felt disappointed, too. He hadn't been able to find any signs of what they could investigate, other than Sae's cognition of people. Truthfully, he wanted to continue exploring, feeling the urge to make as much progress as he could, as soon as possible. However, he couldn't jeopardize the thin trust he had with the Phantom Thieves, so he was quick to give his agreement.
With that, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts finished up their first visit to Sae Niijima's Palace. They made a quick exit, soon finding themselves back in the outside world. They all looked at one another in exhaustion, ready to say their quick goodbyes and head back to their homes for some well-deserved rest.
However, Goro was not quite satisfied. He stared at Sayori for a few seconds, waiting for any signs that something had changed for her, but found she looked as she always did. Turning to the Thieves that were about to be on their way, he was quick to grab their attention.
"Now that we've gone to the Palace, Sayori won't disappear… Right?"
"Yeah," Sayori reassured, going up to him and poking him in the chest. "See, I'm right here, and I'll stay that way for a little while… Maybe a week."
"You're too calm about this," Goro said sternly, barely reassured, even though he knew the situation. Any Metaverse visit they made was never going to be a permanent help, but still… Only a week!?
"I agree," Makoto said, frowning and hugging herself. "Sayori, I know this has been happening to you for a while, but you shouldn't be so calm about this!"
"Makoto, Goro… I've been worrying myself ragged over this for months…" Sayori said, eyes downcast. "We've figured out the pattern for how this works, and I know you guys have my back… and to be honest, I'm so exhausted… so tired. I don't want to think about it anymore."
Sayori gave a sad sigh. It made her heart heavy with pain, having to think and worry about things she had no control over. Lately, she couldn't help but go back and forth between worrying about every little thing, and ruminating on how pointless everything was because she wasn't real. So, the only thing she could afford herself was the luxury of knowing it was pointless to worry. Accepting that she would inevitably disappear was the only thing to do that would get that unbearable weight to leave her heart.
"You guys know she's right, don't you?" Ryuji asked, a sad frown on his face. "It ain't like we're gonna sit on our asses over the next week, anyway. We'll probably go to the Palace as early as tomorrow."
"Right," Akira confirmed, catching the eyes of everyone who still looked worried.
"You are right… I suppose," Goro replied, before looking down at the ground. "I apologize, but I am still getting used to what is happening. It is difficult to process, and…"
The detective shook his head, turning away from the group. "However, I will do what I can to accept it. I hope that we can find the solution to this dilemma swiftly." He turned to leave, only for Sayori to grab his hand and pull him back to look at her.
"Goro, no matter how many times I disappear, I'll come back. So don't worry too much about it. I trust that we all have this under control," Sayori said calmly, a smile on her face. I wish I had told everyone about this so much sooner. It makes it so much easier to bear, just to have the support of everyone here…
Goro looked at her for any signs of dishonesty, her words hitting him far deeper than she had truly meant. She'll always come back… no matter how many times… That struck a nerve, making him bite his lip before gripping her hand. "Is that a promise?"
Sayori smiled, nodding her head. "Yeah, it is. So sleep easy tonight, and you'll see me again, tomorrow." She didn't want to shift her previous anxieties onto her friends, even if it meant breathing easier. The only solution was to dispel the worries all together.
"Alright… I suppose that will have to do for now," Goro said, sounding less uneasy as he began to turn around. "Perhaps we can further discuss this, later?"
Sayori felt herself blush at the suggestive looks that some of her friends gave her, even though she knew the detective truly did only want to have a discussion. Though, more than likely it would be later, about their findings in Sae's Palace. "Text me when?"
"Of course." With that said, the detective finally left.
Sayori watched him go, almost feeling the need to review her thought of her situation all over again, especially after that discussion. But overall, she knew they would not change. Sayori was determined to accept these glitches, because it was pointless to do otherwise. Strangely, she found it could feel good to accept that nothing mattered. At the very least, it hurt a lot less.
"So, you want all of us to accept this, then?" Ann asked, sounding uneasy now as well.
"Yeah. I think it would be better for you all to not worry about what's happening," Sayori said, letting a smile slide onto her face.
"Even so, we are not going to sit idle," Yusuke declared. "If there is a way to make these glitches stop, then we will find it!"
"I know," Sayori said calmly.
"We haven't given up, right? We'll fix everything, and continue to reform society as the Phantom Thieves," Haru said, a gentle smile forming on her face.
"The promise you made with Akechi is for us, too," Morgana stated, tone suggesting she wasn't allowed to object, even if she wanted to. "You'll stay with us?"
Sayori felt her smile begin to fall, suddenly wondering if that was truly the case. When she had said that, she had only been referring to the glitching. But the way they were talking about it…
"Yes," Sayori stated, feeling somewhat stiff, but wanting to be confident in the promise she had made. She didn't want to lie to her friends like she had been doing.
"Good," Futaba chirped, skipping on the tips of her toes. She suddenly seemed to think of something, grabbing Akira's arm and pulling him in the direction of the subways. "Akira, let's go home so I can check on Sojiro. I haven't checked my bugs yet, so he might be slacking off."
I figured she would have removed those by now, Sayori thought idly to herself, following Ann as the girl began walking away as well.
The rest of the Phantom Thieves also departed, though they walked in basically the same direction for a bit, needing to wait for the correct subway train to take them home. Sayori found it fitting that even though they had technically separated for the night, they were still together.
Except Goro… Sayori thought, suddenly sad that she hadn't made him stay until everyone else began to depart.
Goro Akechi practically collapsed on the couch when he got back to the apartment. Every single part of him was exhausted. Physical, mental, emotional… every way he looked at it, the detective just wanted to sleep until he was next needed.
He buried his head into one of the throw pillows to do just that, content to just sleep in his clothes. As an afterthought, he kicked off his black dress shoes, not in the mood to deal with bruises on his ankles, and sank into the couch, his head filled with flowery thoughts. Most nights he found himself preferring the couch over the bed now, and it did not go over his head why.
His bed no longer felt comfortable with the absence of Sayori, which was rather shocking, as it hadn't been big enough for two people, but for how closely they had been that night, it had been more than enough. It felt shameful to have to rely on the even smaller couch to not feel lonely. It just reminded him of yet another regret that had occurred to him after Okumura's death.
Though it filled him with a mix of shame and embarrassment to contemplate it now, the detective couldn't help but feel wistful about the offer he had been working up the nerve to give, before the truth had been revealed and Sayori had left.
It really is such a small bed… I feel like such a fool now for wanting to have us share it permanently… Yet, for as much as he thought that, he still wondered what it would have been like, especially if she would have said yes.
His wistful, regretful thoughts were interrupted when his phone began to ring an all too familiar ringtone that he had set, alerting him to exactly who was calling him.
Please, no… Can't I have one fucking night without this!? Grumbling, the detective sat up and banished the schoolgirl thoughts from his brain, pinching himself and shaking his head like some kind of wet dog in an attempt to rid his brain of the gathering cobwebs. He had to be as awake as possible for an encounter with Shido, after all. Especially when he was attempting to deceive the man.
Without even bothering to look at the screen that was flashing the number he had memorized long ago, Goro answered the phone and held it up to his ear. "Hello, sir. What would you like to discuss?"
"The next step in the plan. As you already know, the plans for who your next mark will be have changed," Shido's voice came through, making Goro want to throw up, or chuck his phone out the window and into the street below.
The detective tried to hold back his swallow. He had discussed these plans with Shido some time ago, and had used the plans Shido had come up with to form his own plans. By forming his deceit around the politician's proposed method, it was easy for the detective to stay hidden from suspicion. "Yes, before the SIU director, you want me to eliminate the Phantom Thieves."
"Yes. Judging by your recent actions on the news, and at that school, I assume you already have set your plan into motion."
It was in that moment that Goro could feel the smugness in the man's voice, believing himself to be in complete control of the situation, thinking he had the detective completely on his side. And Goro played along, knowing at any moment that Shido could act on his threats to do something to Sayori. Still, the detective felt emboldened, knowing that Sayori knew everything, was still on his side, and would follow the instructions he had given to ensure her safety. With that confidence, he fell easily into the rhythm of the conversation, already knowing what to say in order to deceive Shido.
"With all of the television appearances I have made, claiming their innocence, I have surely peaked their interest. Your plan to infiltrate their group is genius. My part should go along smoothly. As long as I can count on you to set up that room for me, I can eliminate their leader with no difficulty," Goro said with a cool confidence, though he felt appalled by his own words.
"Hmm… Just the leader? I am interested in what you are planning to do."
Without further prompting, Goro explained the plan Shido had come up with, disgusted by his obedience all the while, reminded of when he had been the man's obedient sheepdog. "After I join their group, I will convince them to steal Sae Niijima's Heart, pretending to be one of the group. I will work alongside them, up until after they have sent their calling card to her. That is when the real work begins."
Without waiting for a response from the man, Goro continued, that same cold confidence in his voice leading him astray almost as much as the man he was looking to fool. "Then, I'll guide the police into her Palace and have them catch the Phantom Thieves in the act. That would be the only way to arrest them, given their methods. I'll deal with them after that. Let me see…"
It was disgustingly easy to come up with a method of murder that would fool Shido. Goro couldn't help but wonder if the man was listening at this point, judging by his silence. "We could say he stole the guard's gun and committed suicide during his imprisonment… How about that?"
"What a daring plan. To kill someone in a police station… You must have faith in my abilities to cover that up. It will be rather irritating to deal with all of that paperwork, but it will also be a good display of power to scare away the rest of those thugs."
Goro nodded, though he quickly became irritated at himself, knowing the man couldn't see. "Public security questioning will occur on the first day… and with that room, my task will be simple."
"What about outside of that room… There will probably be an officer waiting outside. I wonder who we can pressure into silence."
Goro felt himself scoff, as if Shido hadn't already planned out every damn detail, himself. "Yes, the guard will be one of ours. We'll have to eliminate him after destroying the evidence though."
"A small price to pay for the glory that awaits us."
The detective felt himself finally starting to relax, having stroked the man's ego enough to know that the call would be ending soon. "Well then, I will make the arrangements the day after the arrest. And thus, the dangerous criminal responsible for the mass mental shutdowns shall end his own life. When he does, you will become a great hero who saved Japan from evil. As will I, of course." Goro knew that Shido could tell the conversation was about to end, and almost felt like he was able to breathe easier knowing that he had fooled the man without consequence.
"Hold on a moment."
The detective froze, reviewing everything in his head that could have tipped Shido off.
"You spoke as if you have not approached the Phantom Thieves, yet."
Oh, thank goodness. Alright, I can fix this… Taking a deep breath, as if releasing a long-suffering sigh, Goro made himself sound irritated. "Unfortunately, I have yet to join the Phantom Thieves group, so the plan cannot continue forward."
"This will not do, detective. We need to have this done before the election, or else there will be too much political clout in the way," Shido seethed, making Goro curl in on himself, nerves on fire with fear that this wouldn't work after all.
"I have been making progress towards joining them. In the two years I have worked with you Shido-san, I have never failed to carry out an order. It will be done," Goro said, keeping his tone calm, yet intense, hoping that he sounded convincing.
"I hope to see the truth of your statement soon enough. Need I remind you of the price of failure?"
The detective ground his teeth, feeling his heart hammer in his chest despite himself knowing the risk. That single threat on Sayori's life drove him up the wall with desperation, making him want out of this situation entirely, or to surrender his rebellion just so he could be assured there was no chance of anything happening to her. But those dangerous impulses were quickly overcome, now that the detective knew those fears were baseless. Sayori was in far greater danger of glitching out of existence, so the detective knew the right option to make in this scenario.
"There is no need. I will not fail you," Goro said, the lies spilling from him naturally.
The man finally seemed satisfied. "Good. Notify me when you have finally infiltrated their group."
"Of course."
With that, the call ended. Goro set his phone down on the small table in front of the couch and put his head in his hands. The beginning of a headache was coming on, and the detective felt thankful that the lights were already off. He no longer wanted to get up for anything at all, even though he knew he still had school and work tomorrow. The only thing he wanted was to sleep, and then continue the investigation in Sae's Palace.
There is another thing I have to do, the detective thought idly to himself. The last thing he wanted to do was think more on that conversation he had with Shido, but it was also too important to ignore. When he and Sayori held their next meeting, he would tell her about it, he decided.
With his objectives laid out clearly before him, Goro lay back against the couch, finally able to let sleep take hold of him.
After classes the next day, the Phantom Thieves all met up and went to the Palace. Joker took a few minutes outside of the entrance, spacing out for a while, leaving everyone else with the opportunity to distribute the weapons and medicine among themselves. It was all standard procedure, though Crow was admittedly embarrassed that he only had toy models of weapons with him.
After what felt like forever, the group finally went inside the Palace, much to the relief of the two secret investigators. After making the internal decision that nothing suspicious would be found in plain view, and knowing that the group needed a member's card, Crow suggested that they try to find a back room.
Valiant gave him a questioning look, silently asking if he wanted to start their search there. His confirming nod was all the answer she needed, and that gave them both a feeling of relief that they could communicate so effectively.
Everyone will be keeping an eye on us, so it's a good thing that we can do this. If we find something notable, I can hopefully signal it to him, Valiant thought to herself as Joker motioned for them to hide around a corner.
Soon enough, the group found a set of double doors that led into the backroom they had been searching for. Valiant looked around the large room, searching for anything that could be helpful towards either of her goals. There were a lot of different posters covering the walls of the room, but taking a close look at them for anything that seemed like a message would take longer than the time the group would be there. They all seemed to be the same posters, bearing the same message anyway. Aside from that, there were no computer terminals, or boxes of extra members cards. It seemed the only thing to do at the moment was go through the next set of double doors.
At least everyone is getting along with Crow… Perhaps even better than before! Valiant thought optimistically, noting the short but friendly discussion they were having.
Oracle was just giving a mischievous laugh. "I get it…You mean a customer data terminal."
"I… I knew that," Panther said, embarrassed that she hadn't understood at first what "anything useful" might be. "I was just testing you."
"I have no doubt," Crow offered kindly, before looking to Oracle again. "I am glad you were so quick to understand as well, Oracle. I know I can trust your skills if we come across such a thing."
"Aww… Way to make a girl blush," Oracle said, pretending to swoon. "You can leave it all to me! Palaces always seem to have some sort of control room in them, so I'm perfect for the job!"
"Is there anything of use in this room?" Fox asked, making a framing motion around the room as he eyed the posters. "These posters seem to just be repeating themselves over and over… They look rather crude as well."
Valiant walked up to the window on the side of the room, noting that the Shadows hadn't spotted them. "Is this a one-way window?" she asked, putting her hand up to the glass. Either that, or it's something to do with this being a game…
"Seems that way," Joker replied, walking over to the next set of double doors. "Let's get going."
Everyone quickly moved to follow, Valiant and Crow finding themselves placed together, behind Joker, Queen, and Fox, with the rest of the group behind them. It made Valiant feel rather caged, though it made sense. Her and Crow needed to be watched, after all.
"So, it seems you'll be backing me up in battle," Crow commented with a dry chuckle. "I am the 'rookie,' after all."
Oh, right… I guess Joker made that decision outside the Palace without me noticing…
"I'll do my best to back you up," Valiant assured, before adding in a slightly quieter voice, "By the way, did anything stick out in that room to you?"
Crow shook his head. "Nothing yet, but let's save this discussion for another time. There's something important I need to tell you. Would it be alright if you came over tonight?"
Valiant felt herself become rigid at this request, noticing how stiff the detective had suddenly become as well. Did something happen? Without even needing to consider, she nodded. "Of course. I'll find an excuse if I need to."
Crow nodded, before turning his attention forward, signalling the end of the conversation. Valiant faced ahead as well, not wanting to trip and fall because she hadn't been focused on running. She knew this especially could be a problem, as Joker had found a small set of stairs leading into a gray area of rooms.
After a long time of exploring the hallways, smashing vases, beating up weaker enemies, and finally crawling through a vent, the group came to a door with a notably powerful enemy behind it. All the while, the hallways had continued to look the same, not that Crow and Valiant had gotten much of a chance to look closely as the group dashed forward so swiftly. At the very least, they would hopefully be able to get what the entire group was searching for. If Oracle was to be believed about the enemy's power, then there had to be something important with it.
"Let's take it out," Joker decided with only a moment's pause, before kicking open the door and going through it, followed by everyone else. The leader was quick to leap onto the Shadow's shoulders, ripping off its mask and jumping away, getting into a battle stance as the rest of his chosen fighters joined him. The Shadow reformed itself into two green women with purple hair, whose only descriptor was "Midnight Queen."
Valiant and Oracle went first, erecting shields and increasing their teammates' attack. Joker revealed one of his newest Persona creations, much to the group's everlasting surprise. None of them had ever managed to figure out where he got these Personas that he didn't capture right in front of them, but at this point they had given up asking. The only important thing was that it managed a decent hit, making the floating enemy stumble slightly and groan, but not completely knock it down.
Queen went next, then Fox, testing out their own Personas against the Shadow, only to come up less than perfect. When their elements failed to knock the enemy down, Joker began to look deep in thought with his hand hovering over his mask, while Queen began to strategize as well. It was routine trial-and-error. Crow took an opportunity to strike as well, able to damage the enemy to a certain point, but still not enough, as it stood tall.
"We're less than halfway," Oracle reported from within Necronomicon, sounding rather distressed as it was the enemy's turn to attack. Since Crow had managed to deal the heaviest damage with his years of experience, the Shadow targeted him.
Crow felt a hand on his arm pull him away, before Valiant raised her shield against the attack the Shadow raised. The damage didn't even touch Crow at all, but Valiant standing in the way meant she caught whatever remained after being blocked.
"Valiant forgot who her allies are! Crow, get her behind you!"
Crow followed Oracle's demands to the letter, only giving a slight nod of acknowledgement as Joker and Queen finally came to their own respective decisions. A different Persona emerged from Joker this time, releasing a heavy gust of wind that sent the Shadow falling to the floor.
"It's weak to wind!" Queen shouted in quick realization, before turning to their group of reserves. "Mona, take my place."
The order was met with a quick "Yes, ma'am!" and the Thieves resumed battle once again. Crow offered his own support, urging Valiant to help boost the group's agility once again, though she still looked terribly confused. The battle now relied heavily on Joker and Mona to pack the heaviest punches, while the others helped to slowly chip away at the powerful beast's health.
"Hey," Valiant whispered softly, "Do I know you?"
"Yeah. You'll remember once this battle is over," Crow responded, his attention focused on the fight in front of him. "Thank you for blocking that, by the way. I like having you by my side."
"Oh…?" The girl looked down to find him holding her up with one hand, with his other held out in front of him, prepared to either reach down for his gun, or rip off his mask. "I suppose our sides are touching, huh?"
"Yeah…" Crow felt relieved as the Shadow actually began begging for its life, only to be cut off by Joker, who led his other two teammates into a final, powerful attack. Crow had been effectively benched with his new adjutant, though he didn't really mind. It was rather worth it to see the clarity return to Valiant's eyes as she realized how close they were.
She separated from him with an embarrassed smile. "I didn't say anything weird?"
"No. Though I suppose I do have to thank you again for taking that hit for me," Crow replied, causing the girl to blush and try offering a humble excuse.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Skull shouted, interrupting the two, "Makeout later! That Shadow was carrying a keycard!"
"I see…" Crow said, backing away from Valiant, placing a hand on his chin. "I suppose we should find out what it unlocks…"
The group continued forward until they came across a set of doors with large bars over them, blocking the way. A security panel was on the wall next to it. The panel accepted the keycard Joker put into it and raised the bars over the door. The room it led into was pretty barren, with only a single vent to crawl through. The vent itself led into a security room, with dozens of monitors displaying the casino, and a very intimidating guard standing in front, blazing like hellfire.
"Ooh, there's a terminal in here!" Oracle said excitedly, knowing she could proceed forward with the plan Crow had come up with.
"That Shadow is going to be a hazard," Crow pointed out the obvious, all the while he looked at the security room with interest. He turned to Valiant and whispered into her ear, "While I help fight the Shadow, check all of the monitors."
Valiant gave a small nod to let him know she had heard, before going over to Joker to request being put in the reserves once again.
"Didn't you just ask me to be put back into the fights?"
At the leader's look of annoyance, Valiant raised her hands in front of her in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry, but I still feel a bit ditzy from that Shadow's attack in the last fight. Like, I keep getting everyone's code name mixed up, and I'm worried I'll shout someone's real name in the heat of battle!"
Joker sighed, but nodded. "Alright. Crow should be able to hold his own until you feel better. Let me know if you still feel that way when we find another safe room."
"Aye!" Valiant gave an overdramatic salute, before marching over to the rest of the reserves. From her seat with them, she looked intently at the first row of monitors as she heard Joker manage to ambush the Shadow, despite the noise from earlier. Unfortunately, most of the monitors were either turned off, or showed colored static instead of actual camera footage. It seemed a waste, to only use a few screens out of the many displayed around the room
Most of the screens were also being covered by the fierce battle being fought with the rest of the party, and Valiant felt guilty that despite her best efforts, she couldn't see the screens well enough to even tell if there was anything off. She was standing too far away in the crowded room, and knew she would need to get closer if she was going to see anything.
Luckily for her, though not so much for Mona, the Shadow they were fighting had managed a solid hit on the cat, sending him back behind one of the desks so he could focus on support. Seeing no better option, Valiant quickly ran into the fight, ignoring the repeated looks of irritation her teammates were giving her.
While she also offered all of her support abilities to her allies, and erected shields to protect them from heavy damage, she focused her eyes on the screens behind the hulking enemy. Each screen displayed a crystal clear image of the first floor of the casino, showing close-ups of certain areas and people, as well as wider shots of the whole floor. However, no matter how much she searched, she found absolutely nothing of use for Crow's investigation. A small pout formed on her lips, not even noticing as the Shadow lowered her shields and aimed for her until it was far too late to do something about it.
Crow, being only a few feet away and feeling incredibly responsible for what was about to happen, since he had given the girl the task in the first place, quickly ran in front of her to take the hit for her. It seemed his agility was still raised, as he took the full force of the hit and crumpled to the floor.
Valiant yelped, before ripping off her own mask and attacking the enemy for all she was worth. While her ability to attack wasn't nearly as powerful as her allies, Psyche clearly displayed the war path that Valiant was now on, striking down the enemy with a flutter of large butterfly wings and a twirl of her long dress.
With the battle over, Valiant fell to her knees and brought Crow's head onto her lap, feeling incredibly guilty for her recklessness. She didn't even think about it, and it had been useless in the end. While she was drowning in that guilt, Panther and Mona made their way over with a few extra healing items that Joker gave them. Oracle got to work at the terminal when she saw that their teammate was being taken care of.
With a swish of Zorro's rapier, Crow's injury was healed and he was rapidly blinking as he tried to get his bearings straight. His head pounded painfully, and he felt grateful for whatever soft thing was keeping his head off the hard floor, but he had an anxious feeling about it all the same. Not to mention, there was a very obvious gloved hand stroking his hair, adding onto that anxiety, even as he wanted to lean into it.
"Are you feeling better yet?" Valiant asked from above him, and the detective felt himself instantly blush as he realized the reason for that anxiety.
He quickly sat up and coughed, his face beginning to match the red shade of his mask. "I'm fine," he said wearily, even though his head still throbbed.
"That's good," Valiant said with a small chuckle. "I guess we're even now, then."
"I suppose so…" the detective said distractedly, watching as the rest of the group crowded around Oracle and the terminal. "Did you find anything of note on the monitors?"
Valiant shook her head sadly. "No, I didn't. I'm sorry for what I did. It was stupid for me to throw myself away like that just to check on cameras."
"Yeah, it was pretty foolish," Crow admitted, shaking his head. "Of course, it was also my plan to split up, so my own negligence should be taken into consideration as well."
"Wait, no-"
"Don't try to object. Clearly, it was rather short sighted of me to think either of us could leave each other alone. I'm not saying this to baby you, but we got away far more unscathed when we were together, instead of when we divided the work up. It is as much my fault as yours, since I recklessly jumped in front of you and got knocked out."
At the lengthy explanation, Valiant went silent, wondering what to make of it. "Then I guess we'll just have to make sure we investigate and fight together from now on…"
"Without exception," Crow agreed, before he began walking up to the rest of the group as Oracle seemed almost finished with the terminal.
"Okay, first registration complete!" Oracle announced, turning around and showing everyone the card. "I wasn't sure what name to give it, so I just thought of a random one: Taro Tanaka."
"That's way too simple! Aren't they gonna figure that out?' Skull objected, crossing his arms.
Um, they already know what we look like, and that we've intruded into the Palace…" Oracle began, though she began to sound doubtful.
"I don't think it really matters, Skull…" Valiant said quietly.
"Yeah! But you never know…" Skull trailed off as their navigator arrived at a conclusion.
"I guess it's still better to be safe than sorry…" Oracle relented, turning back to the terminal and using a different card.
After a few more minutes, she held up the new card. "Okay, the fake name for this card is a little more elaborate this time: Shinji Nakanomatsu," Oracle said. "Though I wonder if having Valiant's last name in there could cause problems…" The girl was about to turn around and come up with yet another new name.
Before she could make a third card, Valiant objected. "I'm sure it's fine, Oracle. As long as it's not our actual names, we'll be alright!" Besides, it's not like Matsu is my last name, anyway.
"If you say so…" Oracle said doubtfully, before turning to the group's leader. "Hey, Joker, I found a map. I'll let you hold onto it and the card. Don't lose 'em… As for the Taro Tanaka card…" Oracle hummed in consideration. "Crow, get rid of it the next time you see a garbage can, please."
"Why me?" Crow asked, schooling his tone so it didn't sound accusatory, though Valiant seemed rather offended by the treatment he was getting.
"You're the rookie… Besides, you just took a nice nap for a bit, so I'll let you handle this. We all have to carry our weight, you know?" Oracle explained, going up and lightly poking him in the shoulder. "Or you could keep it, I guess. I don't care…" The girl looked like she wanted to say something else, but suddenly looked hesitant.
"Oracle…" Valiant whispered, suddenly feeling sad at the nervous look. It also didn't help that her hackles were always immediately raised when the group started to tease Crow, even if it was meant to be friendly.
"Oh!" Oracle suddenly snapped to attention, before audibly gulping. "Um… good job blocking Valiant… I guess." She gave the brightly dressed thief an awkward pat on the shoulder before walking away.
Skull had found a vent that would take them to the elevator quickly. Crow stayed behind, along with Valiant, noticing him giving the extra members card a considerate glance.
Oracle stayed in the room, making sure the two didn't get up to any funny business, like Joker had asked. She didn't really know what funny business he could mean though, unless the two decided to make out in the Palace for some stupid reason.
Keeping her voice low so that Oracle wouldn't overhear, Valiant asked, "What do you plan on doing with the card?" She glanced around the room, still wanting to investigate while they had access to cameras.
"I think I'll keep it. We might be able to get some use out of it, later," Crow decided, grabbing the card and slipping it into the front of his thief uniform. "It's a shame we couldn't find anything of note on the cameras, though I suppose we can't expect success immediately."
"Yeah… I-" Valiant began, only to spot something moving in the corner of her eye. Whipping her head around, she only saw Oracle still standing there, though she hadn't moved an inch since Valiant had last seen her.
"Are you alright?" Crow asked worriedly, noticing the look of fear and panic in the girl's face. "Did you see something?"
Valiant stared at the side of the room where she could have sworn she had seen something move, only to find nothing amiss. Sighing, she shook her head. "No… I guess I just thought I did. It's probably just… paranoia." Yeah… that's the word I was looking for. But it still doesn't feel like that's the case.
"After that intense battle, I suppose I don't blame you," Crow replied sympathetically. "We should go before everyone gets suspicious of why we're taking so long." We'll just have to continue to keep our eyes peeled…
"Yeah…" Valiant agreed, following him over to the vent. She noticed Crow insisting he go ahead of the two girls, and couldn't help but feel flattered after taking a moment to realize why the detective had insisted that. After all, she had been witness to many times when Panther would complain that Skull was looking at her butt. It was nice to know that Crow wasn't taking advantage of the situation… Even though that left Valiant in the very opposite kind of situation.
Anyway, soon after leaving the vent, the Phantom Thieves made their way over to the elevator and used their newly obtained members card to get to the next floor. The group hardly had time to examine the new area they found themselves in before they were met with something quite unexpected.
As Sae Niijima's Shadow approached them, Valiant couldn't help but think it odd that they were encountering her so soon. Normally, Palace Rulers didn't bother them too much, especially if it was just to talk with them instead of fight. This of course, was why everyone immediately got into a battle stance upon the enemy's arrival.
"Sis!" Queen shouted in surprise, though the Shadow barely paid her any mind, staring Joker in the face with a confident sneer.
"You wanna just get this over with right now, huh?" Skull asked, fists raised as though he expected to wrestle the Ruler. "That makes this easy. Bring it on."
"Do not speak to me as though you are my equal," Shadow Sae said with a scoff. She then looked at the group with a moment of confusion, though it just as quickly slipped back into that cool and confident grin. "Hmm… Is this really all of you…? How pathetic."
At that last sentence, Crow looked up in alarm "...What?" It's as though… She expected someone else to be with us? Does that mean…? He gave Valiant a pointed look. The girl met his eyes and seemed to realize what he must be thinking, as her eyes widened and her lips parted. Everyone else simply looked confused, which gave the Shadow all the answers she needed.
"I see. No matter. I am the manager of this casino, as well as its number-one player," Shadow Sae began, explaining her scheme for the thieves. "At the moment, you lack the qualifications to fight me."
"It would seem she looks down on us," Fox said coldly, not liking the implications of the Shadow's words at all.
"Maybe for a good reason…" Valiant murmured to herself. "I feel so cornered whenever she looks at us."
"Don't worry… Looks can't kill, even in Palaces," Crow assured quietly, before giving the Ruler a cocksure grin to match her own confidence. "What if we would like to battle you, no matter what?"
"I had to win time and time again in order to reach my number-one rank," Shadow Sae said simply. "If you want to face me, you must continue to win as well."
"Continue to win?" Noir asked nervously, not understanding what the Shadow was talking about, at all.
"It must have to do with the fact that this place is a casino," Crow surmised.
"Correct," Shadow Sae said, giving them all a leering grin. "Do you have the confidence to win?"
"We might just pull the rug out from underneath you if you aren't careful," Queen shot back, attempting to match the woman's gall.
"I don't expect much from you… but I'll be waiting," Shadow Sae finished, tipping the brim of her hat and snapping her fingers. Once again, she and her cronies disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the thieves dazed for a moment before realizing she had once again teleported to the elevator.
"This is different from our prior opponents. She'd rather scheme then defeat us with brute force…" Mona said, watching as the elevator started.
"It's going up…" Oracle trailed off, as the rest of the group joined in watching Sae go back up to her waiting place.
"I wasn't expecting to come all the way to a Palace only to end up gambling…" Fox said, sounding none too pleased with the situation.
"I've never done anything like this…" Panther said nervously, walking over and looking at one of the complex slots machines. "What about you guys?" Everyone looked at each other, as everyone except Crow seemed unsure.
"Looks like this is going to take longer than expected," Mona grunted.
"We don't got time to waste!" Skull shouted, stomping his foot grumpily.
"No need to worry. Leave this to me," Crow said, stepping forward. If nothing else, I can put on a good poker face… That little joke to himself made him chuckle a bit, as everyone looked at him in both shock and uncertainty.
"You know how to do this?" Queen asked, looking around as the slots machines continued to spin, and as cards rained down from the sky.
"I'm well informed on what it takes to win," Crow said coolly, dismissing the intimidation the room displayed. In the end, all of this was only meant as decoration.
Still, it saddened him to see such a distortion from someone he still wanted to consider an ally, even if she was still angry with him. He released a heavy sigh, missing her banter and teasing back before all of this drama had started. In a way, her presence had been one of the first things that made him feel normal. Him disappointing her had filled him with a dread he hadn't felt in a long time. Thinking of that feeling, it became very clear to him that there was another reason he wanted to change her heart; he still wanted the best for Sae.
"In any case, we need to hurry and change her heart. If she acts recklessly, both her chances of promotion and reputation as a prosecutor will drop greatly. Sae-san didn't use to be like this, did she?"
Everyone looked at each other as Queen considered the question. The detective had taken a long pause before speaking again. It made them all wonder if something had happened that they weren't aware of.
"My sister must have lost her sense of justice because her desires became distorted…" Queen trailed off, shoulders drooping and posture sinking as she recalled events she usually tried to bury.
"Do you think there was a particular event that triggered her Palace's creation?" Crow asked, having his own suspicions, but not wanting to assume.
"... I believe it's related to my father's death," Queen began, weary frown on her face. "My sister took on all the responsibilities of dealing with it herself. Trying to earn a living wage, gain a promotion in a male society, and uphold justice at the same time… Those things may have weighed down and led to the distortion within her heart."
"I see… I am truly sorry I never saw how much she was struggling…" Crow said sincerely. As her coworker, he should have taken the woman's struggles with greater compassion, instead of dismissing her and not listening to her. He recalled her trying to give him helpful advice about how to handle himself with his relationship with Valiant, and felt even more crushed by guilt. I really do deserve her anger and hatred… Hopefully after stealing her heart and helping the Phantom Thieves, I can make it up to her…
"It's not your fault," Queen suddenly said, watching as her new teammate seemed to shrink in disappointment. She suddenly paused, as if wondering why she would say that, before shaking her head. "Anyway… let's move on. I hope with your understanding, we can reach my sister's level in time to steal her Treasure."
"Yes, we can't waste time on sentimentalities, especially with the investigation still ongoing," Crow agreed, resuming his own perfect posture as well. He noticed Valiant standing by his side, giving him a curiously concerned look. I suppose she'll want to know about what happened between me and Sae…
"She did challenge us to reach her, after all," Mona said suddenly with a little hop, bounding over to the detective and lightly hitting him on the knee. "Chin up, because we have work to do!"
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts never back down from a challenge!" Valiant declared, seeming to understand what the cat was trying to do. A smile slipped onto her face, as if it simply naturally belonged there.
"The Treasure is most likely going to be on the highest floor, in Sae's base of operations," Oracle observed, giving the elevator one last glance before giving her full attention to the group.
"Let's go," Joker said simply, turning to face the large room of slots. The rest of the Phantom Thieves nodded and got behind him, ready to follow him wherever he went.
So this is part one of the Palace. I actually have the entire infiltration route written down, but I thought I would separate it to make it easier for everyone to digest. On the bright side, I can update the rest of the Palace more often now. Please let me know what you all think. I'll probably update again next week, or the week after that.