I own nothing. Monika does.
It was only a day or so later when Akira gathered everyone for a trip into Mementos. Goro had suggested earlier that they wait until the last day to ensure Sae's Treasure would appear, though to the more experienced members of the team, it seemed like a very risky paranoia to give into.
"We only have one try to get this right, as the calling card will be useless, correct?" Goro had asked, explaining his thought process. When everyone agreed, he smiled. "I believe Makoto can agree with me when I say that Sae-san is not easily rattled, so we should wait until the last day possible to set her on edge."
After that had been properly discussed, Akira decided to move on to discussing their more common targets in Mementos, deciding with the team which posts were worth following or not, using a contact of theirs as a reference.
Sayori was very accepting of each case presented, not having any qualms about the people they were thinking of changing. However, she did wonder why they were doing these requests now. Normally, they saved Mementos for after Palaces they seemed to always find themself infiltrating every month or so. She supposed it made sense, with the day they would steal Sae's heart having already been decided for later, but it still left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
Goro also felt a sense of confusion rise up inside of him as he sat there thinking about the suggestion he had made. Was it truly necessary to wait until the last moment? Probably not, so why had he suggested it? The only explanation he could come up with was that it seemed right at the time he said it, and for some reason that only irritated him. He couldn't even raise his voice to rescind his earlier comment. A headache lanced through his head the more he thought about it.
Sayori was feeling something similar, trying hard to ignore the doubt and fear blooming in her as she thought about how it was Goro that had suggested they wait until the last day. The change in routine… from the perspective of an audience, that was a red flag, wasn't it? She hated how it made her feel. More than anything, she wanted to finally be able to be able to put her trust in someone or something, and have something to believe in. The thought that even now she had to continue doubting made her want to forget the feelings entirely… but that didn't seem right, either.
We're supposed to be investigating, right now, after all… I promised to stop doubting, but fear is different. Fear will help me decide the next thing to do in order to avoid that fear… Sayori nodded to herself and clenched her fist. What she was afraid of now… was the possibility that she was being lied to again. She resolved to talk to Goro after their trip to Mementos about his intentions with his suggestion. Already, Goro had told her too many secrets that if he were hiding anything, it would be pointless considering how much she already knew.
Not to mention, he already promised he wouldn't lie to me, anymore. All I have to do is ask, and he'll answer, Sayori reassured herself as she noticed the detective rubbing the bridge of his nose with a troubled look on his face. He seemed to sense her stare and met her eyes, seeing the worry in her expression.
Before either of them could check on the other, Akira stood up with a seriously stern look on his face. "Are we all ready to go, then? No one has any second thoughts on our targets?"
Everyone immediately gave their confirmation, standing up from their seats to go to the entrance to Mementos. It felt strange, walking out of the cafe and towards the subway station all together like this. For the first time, they would all be going to Mementos together.
Actually, I don't know if Goro has even been to Mementos, yet. He didn't have Morgana to tell him about it… though I suppose the organization could have had some way of knowing…? I guess I'll have to ask him, Sayori thought to herself. She smiled happily to herself as she walked up to his side and tugged lightly on his sleeve. He hardly reacted, except to lean towards her to let her know that he was listening.
"First time in Mementos?" Sayori whispered, though the rest of the group was engaged in their own conversation.
"No. I've gone a few times, but I rarely had a reason to go unless there was…" the detective frowned and shook his head. "A target without a Palace…" It wouldn't be good to say that in front of everyone, yet. He was thankful that Sayori nodded in understanding, looking down at her feet awkwardly for a few moments.
"Let's talk some more about this later, then?" Sayori asked, slightly stunned how hopeful she was, despite the realization they had come to in the Palace. She smiled at the memory and took his hand in her own. She still felt guilty… holding his hand like this, but she wanted to hold onto the good things… the good feelings, as long as she could.
"Sure. We're here, anyway," Goro pointed out, not a second later coming to a halt along with the rest of the group, except for Sayori. Not expecting to stop so suddenly, she walked a bit further and nearly crashed into Yusuke, who barely looked affected as he somehow managed to not flinch with the contact.
Sayori supposed it made sense. Unlike Ryuji or Akira, who were constantly on edge around Goro, fearing that they came off as being too close to the boy's girlfriend, Yusuke seemed more enamored by the beauty of such a relationship. A few times, he had mentioned his mortification, and concern for his own perception, when he had mistaken a brother and sister for a couple. He did not have such an issue with Sayori and Goro, so he had made the offer a few times to paint them.
...He hasn't been making the offer lately. Perhaps he gave up on the idea…
Once again, the group of teens found a relatively unobserved corner of the subway and made last minute preparations. Akira handed everyone new weapon models and medicine, while also keeping most of it in his schoolbag. They had to form a rather tight ring to keep the supplies they were hiding discreet, making for a very cramped and slow trade.
As soon as everyone was geared up, Futaba activated the Nav, a determined and grim expression on her face, a certain target on today's list giving her a new resolve. Goro couldn't help but take notice as the real world blurred and became darker, turning black and crimson as Mementos became their new environment.
"Good thing we'll be in Mona while we're making our way around. By the time the Shadows see your bright outfit, it will be all over for them," Skull commented, attempting to grin. However, it didn't seem to reach his eyes.
"Just like always, everyone," Mona reminded the group. "After we finish our list of targets, let's head as deep as we can." Everyone nodded at the reminder, watching as the cat took a running leap towards the subway tracks, jumped off the edge, and landed as a newly transformed bus.
"By the way, Crow, how well do you drive?" Queen asked, cringing as she noticed Joker going to take his place behind the wheel.
"I have my license, if that's what you're wondering. However, I haven't had much need to drive as of late. Why do you ask?" Crow inquired, before everyone crashed into the back as Joker hit the gas.
"That's why," Queen said, winking, before she and Oracle hopped out. "We'll follow behind," she explained as Oracle took off her own mask and beamed both of them into her UFO.
"Lucky," Skull grumbled. "Just cause her old Persona was a bike, she doesn't have to be in here unless she's driving. I wish there was a river or something, so I could ride around with my Persona."
"Come on. I'm an excellent driver," Joker defended, before a grin lit up his features. He knew what he was doing behind the wheel after so long, but that didn't change the fact that he enjoyed running into Shadows just a bit too much.
"Don't tempt him, Skull!" Mona warned. "Let's just go find our first target."
Everyone nodded eagerly, wanting to avoid any major injuries while they were inside the transformed cat.
"You have to go through this every time you have to stop your glitching?" Crow asked, now worried that the reason Valiant was so relaxed about things was a head injury he hadn't been made aware of.
"There's a reason we bring so much medicine," Valiant said with a laugh. "And, really, it'll be okay. We make more progress the farther down we go, so let's just enjoy the ride." The girl flashed a cheeky smile, "Besides, I'm sure if you're so worried, you'll keep me safe, Mr. Axeman."
"You have too much confidence," Crow stated. In Joker's driving abilities, in me for… everything honestly.
"Please, I can't hear any more of this self-deprecation!" Valiant insisted, before Joker once again hit the gas and rocketed the bus forward. Everyone flew into their seats, as Joker began coasting down the tracks, looking for their first target.
"You're right, but… Let's continue this conversation another time," Crow said, feeling a bit sick as the bus sped down the tracks. Valiant was happy to agree, gripping her seat tightly despite her earlier ease.
Mr. and Mrs. Magario, in the simplest of terms, made Crow sick to his stomach. He would never admit how much of that came from his own trauma, his concern for Oracle, or for this horrible pair's daughter. Still, his own trauma seemed to be speaking the loudest, as he felt his skin crawl and the pathetic urge to run away choke him. How many people just like them had he encountered in his years in the foster system? How close had he once been to becoming just like that Kana girl that Oracle was so worried for?
It's stupid, really, that I feel like this. I'm stronger now. I'm not running away. I can fight back now… against despicable human beings like them, and like Shido… And…
"Do you want to let someone else take our place?" Valiant asked, suddenly appearing beside him as Joker tried talking to the two Shadows.
"No, I can handle it. Trust me, I'll hold back if I need to. I won't kill them-"
"I'm more worried about you, and Oracle, then two toxic people I've never met in the real world," Valiant said calmly, before looking down sadly. "You're shaking a bit. I can't tell if it's because you're afraid or angry…"
"I don't think this is a situation where you should be concerned with what I'm feeling. This is Oracle's friend that's suffering after all…"
"You'll talk to me about it when the fight is over, then? On the bus?" Valiant prompted stubbornly.
"Where everyone is gathered inside, able to hear what we're talking about more clearly… I see what you're trying to do, Valiant, but unfortunately for you, I'm not talking here, or in the bus."
"Fine… But I'll ask again, do you want to sit this one out?" Valiant asked as the two Shadows suddenly released loud and raucous roars that were meant to be laughter. Crow felt his mind repeat the same process. Wanting to run away, and then hating himself for being so pathetic, only now it was even more so because it happened again.
"Bad bets at the races. Losses. Debt. Bad bets at the races. Losses. are the two of us so unlucky!? It's bad luck we're poor all year round! We can't let Kana go to school. She needs to make money for us. Her sex appeal, her innocence as a young girl, whatever… She should sell it for us…" The Shadow of the husband rambled.
"You call yourselves parents!?" Oracle screamed, horrified by what she was hearing.
Valiant suddenly felt Crow lace their hands together, gripping her hand so tightly it felt numb after a few seconds. She tightened her grip as well, which seemed to be the prompt Crow needed to loosen his clenched jaw enough to speak.
"We're in this fight."
"Okay," Valiant said, cringing as the Shadows continued their dirty monologue, staining her ears and stressing Crow and Oracle out even more. She did her best to match the strength of her boyfriend's grip. She leaned over and whispered, "It's okay, Goro… I'll hold you as long as you need me to. If you can fight with one hand, even in battle, too."
That reassurance made Crow's vice like grip on her hand loosen, as he seemed to relax at that promise. He hadn't considered holding hands while fighting, instead deciding to do what he could before the battle officially started. He gave one last light squeeze, whispering a quiet thank you, as the Shadows of the Magario couple transformed, an incubus and succubus being revealed to the Phantom Thieves.
"It's not our fault! It's all because we've got some bad luck!" The Shadows argued.
"I. Have. Had. Enough. Of. Your. Excuses," Crow said in a clipped voice. He was done with talking. He wanted to put these despicable monsters posing as parents in their place. This entire situation made that vengeance craving, hate filled part of him all the more obvious, and he wanted to root out the cause right now.
Still… I'm not killing them. Never. I can't do that. Not just because I promised, but because if these two leeches die, that girl will probably be in the same situation I was in all over again. At least this way… her situation will actually improve.
The Shadows continued, as if they truly believed that anything they said would get the Phantom Thieves to leave them alone. "Kana should just suck it up. Eventually, we'll hit the jackpot. Then all of us will be happy!"
That particular comment seemed to open an old wound in Crow once again. A foggy memory of the only good parent he had ever had occurred to him. She had thought he was asleep, and had begun talking to herself, not aware that he was listening to every word.
"Suck it up… What nonsense… That should never be a child's job." A pause, and Goro became aware of the fond look she sent his way, though there was agony in every loving word she spoke to herself. "I will… take responsibility… I have to… For you, my little birdy… My little prince."
A hand held his, then a shout pierced the air, angry and hateful and unlike anything he thought possible to hear. Valiant was barely being held in place by Crow's limp figure, and both Skull and Queen were about to get up and hold her in place.
"Shut up! What are you even trying to do by saying all of this!? What you're doing is wrong, and you know it, but you keep doing it anyway! Are you trying to upset us? That's just going to make us fight harder, you stupid, useless, monstrous, pieces of sh-!"
Crow squeezed her hand, and the rage she had felt seemed to tone down quite a lot, though it still simmered there, waiting to be unleashed. However, concern for the people she cared about always took priority.
"Valiant's right!" Oracle shouted, hovering above the group, already focused on raising the intensity of their attacks. "These two are completely rotten! Joker, let's save Kana-chan!"
"Right!" Joker shouted back. He threw caution aside and ran up to the Shadows, the other Thieves following close behind and boxing the two Shadows into a corner.
"Are you okay? You looked really upset a second ago," Valiant said quietly, looking at Crow for a moment before smiling up at Oracle thankfully as her boosts kicked in. However, this smile faded after a second, as the girl couldn't help looking worn out and sad after her outburst.
"I'll be okay as soon as we claim our victory," Crow answered, ripping off his mask and having Robin Hood strike the succubus. It cringed and recoiled, but did not seem particularly hurt, so Crow was quick to pass the turn to Joker, who had more chances of striking an enemy than anyone else. "And I could ask the same of you, Valiant. It's incredibly rare to see you so angry. I believe this is only the second time I've seen you actually act angrily."
Valiant looked away sheepishly, using one of her spells to block an attack from the incubus as the attacks went on. "I guess I just don't like seeing you guys upset."
"It's true," Noir claimed, unleashing Milady on the Incubus with a gleeful smile. "To be honest, even I was a little scared when she intimidated my former fiance."
"Former?" Panther asked, a delighted smile on her face. "When were you planning on mentioning this to us?"
"Oh… with a little encouragement from Joker and Valiant, I got the contract rescinded, and decided to break up with him face-to-face. It was exhilarating!"
Joker seemed to punctuate the good news with a small nod and a blinding light coming from his Persona. The Shadows were finally starting to look tired, though not completely neutralized.
"I'm truly happy to hear that," Crow said with an impassive expression, staring the two enemies down in intense scrutiny.
"When was the first time you saw Valiant get angry, Crow?" Noir asked curiously, as she picked up on his vague words.
"Oh… well that's a little embarrassing to admit. It's a bit of a personal reason, but it was for the same reasons as in this occasion, and similar to Noir's as well, I suppose," Crow excused, thinking of that night. He could remember the sight clearly, of the girl seething in righteous fury, offended on his behalf as he told her the shameful truth of his origins. Though she claimed she wanted everyone to be happy, it was clear that the ones she cared about most were put on a pedestal, and messing with them was a mistake one should never make.
Valiant quickly attacked the Incubus, as Crow still seemed to be both studying and discussing things with the rest of the Thieves. It was mostly to make sure at least some damage was done, but also to keep herself from saying something stupid in the conversation. The compliments were both flattering, and embarrassing, and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to argue and be humble or not.
Soon enough, the two Shadows were laid out on their backs, knocked down by the team's combined efforts. They finally seemed to wisen up, seeming apologetic as their distorted forms sizzled away to reveal the crying faces of the Magarios.
"A truly shameful display," Fox commented, his voice calm and imperious. "Depending on your child and taking advantage in the way that you are… You are truly despicable."
"We know… We're so sorry," the wife groaned. "Kana… I'm so sorry."
The two continued to express their woes and regret. At the very least they no longer tried to make excuses, sadly explaining how their gambling addiction had put them in mountains of debt, and so they had made their daughter sell herself to pay off the money they owed.
"You have to take care of Kana no matter what!" Oracle shouted, stomping her foot and glaring at the couple behind her goggles. "If you don't start acting like real parents, we'll come back and give you an even bigger thrashing then before!"
"Not only that… Beg for her forgiveness, because she has no obligation to give you anything after the things you've put her through," Crow said, his voice calm and casual, deceptively charming, as he knew that if he didn't act like the detective prince he had disguised himself as, every word would be dripping with malice.
"We will…" the husband sniffed. After a few more words between the two parties, the couple disappeared, leaving behind a small Treasure which Joker quickly grabbed.
Despite how much I despise people like you… I hope you can become a better example of how a parent should be… Whatever that's supposed to be… Crow thought to himself, not sparing a second glance as he began heading towards the dark swirling tracks that would take the group back to Mementos.
The rest of the Thieves looked sullen, Oracle and Fox looking particularly distraught. For Oracle, it was worry for her friend, even though there was some hope now that things would improve. For Fox, it was the reminder of his own situation as well. Though, he also found himself sagging with relief, as he had been able to stop someone else from going through what he had once been forced to endure for so long.
However, even though the Phantom Thieves each had their own thoughts on the matter, none of them failed to notice the incredibly tense Crow, who seemed almost too deep in his own thoughts as he considered what he had just done. I changed someone's heart… I hope it's for the better, though I still don't agree that it's right to control someone like that…
Valiant ran up beside him, her continued concern evident on her face. Seeing her managed to put the smallest of smiles on his face, barely more visible than a ghost hiding under someone's skin. It was the first time he had ever actually truly changed someone's heart, as he felt the girl before him deserved to say that she had partly been responsible for her own change in view. Her presence reminded him also that, despite his various concerns and qualms about what he was doing right now, this was the better path.
I'll continue working with the Phantom Thieves, get to the bottom of Mementos, where a solution to her glitches might be, and bring Shido to justice. I have to keep reminding myself even now… How pathetic of me. Crow frowned at the thought.
Mona transformed back into a car and the rest of the Phantom Thieves once again prepared to move forward. Valiant smiled at Crow before walking back to the van. It made him feel at ease to follow her, knowing the only reason she didn't grab his hand was because she knew he would follow after her already. She had faith in him, and it was surprising to not feel guilty about letting her keep it. He wouldn't let her down.
Though, as Joker told them about the target he was going after next, Valiant felt that confidence shake despite how hard she tried to hold onto that resolve. It wasn't that she had lost any of her faith in Crow. It was just… it pained her so much to feel compelled to compare him to the group's next target.
Yohei Kiritani had once been just a third rate mercenary, but he had moved up, becoming a professional assassin, even though he looked like a normal homeless person. Everyone else looked nervous as they approached his Shadow, stating that they had never dealt with a person like this before. Hearing everyone's fear made a sizable wound in Valiant's heart rip open, unable to keep fear from shaking her to her very core.
It almost felt wrong to be changing this man's heart. At the very least, it made Valiant feel like a hypocrite for what she was doing. With Kiritani, she was approaching the issue with far more objectivity, because he was a criminal who killed people, and needed to be brought to justice. She did not know him, and so she was going to steal his heart to the best of her ability to help the Phantom Thieves put the wicked in their place.
Still, it was inevitable that she thought of Crow, and the fact that he was also killing people, and that she was doing all she could to delay the same treatment for him that would be delivered onto Kiritani. Guilt wormed its way into her core, and she swallowed past an anxious lump in her throat. Who knows what kind of personal reason this man has for doing what he does, and I'm going to change his heart anyway, because he is doing wicked things and needs to be stopped.
The more Valiant thought about the bias, the more anxious she became. She felt sick and horrible and selfish and cruel. Her steps slowed, until she was just shambling along the path towards their intended target. She nearly stopped in her tracks, wanting to let someone else take her place in the fight that was surely about to commence.
However, Crow stopped before she even could, giving her a sad look. He knew exactly what she was thinking about, and he wasn't about to stop her and try to defend or excuse his actions to make her feel better. He could say anything to give her a reprieve from her thoughts. "I'm not killing anymore, so I'm different from him. I acknowledge that what I've done is wrong, and I am going to fix things." Anything he could say would be empty, so all he could do was look at her and hope the silent message he was trying to give her would get across. I know what you're thinking about… and it's okay.
Valiant of course noticed that he was looking at her, and looked back, trying to take in the sympathy he was trying to give. He truly did understand the horrible position he had put her in. In order for the plans they had put together, she had to lie to her friends and cover for a murderer.
Not even that, though. She had chosen to do this for another reason, which was far more selfish. It was not just for a plan for the greater good, but because she wanted him in her life. There were so many selfish things she wanted as well as that. For him, she wanted him to accomplish his goals and be happy. Revenge was no longer an option, but there was always the opportunity for justice. And then… she wanted him to atone. In some way, she wanted him to make up for the sadness and misery he had forced onto so many people, and she didn't want his life to be that atonement.
For herself, she just wanted to have all of the things that made her happy, and for those things to be happy as well. Her Phantom Thief friends, Goro… and her friends back home. She wanted to return home, but still have her friends, and her boyfriend, to return to here.
And it was biased and selfish and cruel… but all the same it was true that Kiritani was an obstacle that had to be overcome in order to keep some of the people she cared about close to her. Another thought occurred to her, making her feel a bit unnecessarily mean, but she agreed with it all the same. If the conspiracy that Crow works for tries to kill him for his betrayal, then Kiritani would be one less person with the skill and mental fortitude to do it.
"You're here. I bet that idiot from earlier put in a request to you," Kiritani's Shadow said angrily. The thieves couldn't help but worry about what had happened to "that idiot" that the man spoke of. "Sorry, but I don't plan on going away. You kids playin' hero should go home to your mommies."
"We can't just let someone dangerous like you go around, killin' people," Skull said, glaring at the Shadow.
"You guys are more dangerous from my point of view. Look…" Kiritani began, his voice sounding high and mighty as he prepared to tell the group his useless elderly wisdom. "As a mercenary, I've seen a lot of torture. And torture is all about killin' the heart and soul. You've been destroyin' the parts you don't like in people's character. To me, that's evil."
"So you think killing people isn't evil?" Valiant questioned, crossing her arms and gritting her teeth. "You're destroying someone's life. You're snuffing out a heart and soul… Millions of memories, and thoughts, and feelings, and experiences. On a completely objective scale, that's far more wicked than simply changing a person's character!"
"Oh, look at you…" Shadow Kiritani said with a nasally high-pitched voice. "A cute little kid who thinks her big words are enough, just because she thinks they are the right words to say. Sorry, little girl, but it doesn't matter what you think is right and wrong. What matters is what happens, and in this case, I'm goin' to win!"
"In a world too often governed by corruption and arrogance, it can be difficult to stay true to one's philosophical and literary beliefs," Crow said, voice stoic, as he put his hand on his mask. "Someone like me saying that, is far more fake than anything noble she could ever say. I hope you realize that someone with big words like yours should have the skills to back them up. History is written by the victor, and since big words like hers and mine are written down, it's fairly obvious who will win in the end."
Wow, they're both saying pretty heavy stuff. I feel kind of silly for what I was going to say, Panther thought to herself.
What is, "someone like me" supposed to mean when Crow said that? Fox thought to himself, looking down at the ground as he prepared to engage the Shadow.
Kiritani growled. "It's my policy to only kill on the job, but I'll destroy you if you're gonna get in my way!" Around the group, the ground began to rumble, and a black cloud of smoke rose up around the man, falling away to reveal a Rakshasa, according to Joker and Oracle's analysis.
"I think I'm going to let you take the lead on this, Valiant," Crow said, suddenly. He stepped back so he was slightly behind the girl. "I'll assist you, so show me what you can do."
Valiant nodded, even though she knew she was only good at fighting in a defensive role, and supporting everyone else, she felt the need to prove to him that she could hold her own against a person like this. Even though it wasn't a part of her skill set, she knew she had the potential to fight back. With that decided, and with a rather helpful amount of attack boosts from the other members in the battle, she ran forward and delivered a swift and heavy strike with her short sword.
Kiritani tried to slash back at her, but she easily blocked it, setting up a shield as she did so, giving Crow an opportunity to attack it with Robin Hood, damaging the Shadow even more. The turn went to Panther next, who lit the demon on fire, and then to Joker, and then finally to Fox. All the while, Oracle took notes, noticing with increasing worry that no specific element seemed to weaken it.
The Shadow attacked next, bringing down all of the group's boosts and once again swiping at the Thieves. It managed to injure Fox and Panther, since the beast had also done damage to the shield Valiant had cast. Then it was back to Valiant.
"Um… maybe if one of us runs up and attacks, while the other uses their Persona, we can chip away at it…" Valiant wondered aloud to herself.
"But first, let me do this!" Oracle shouted from inside her UFO, before bringing down the Shadow's defense.
"Thank you!" Valiant shouted, before looking to Crow. "You have the laser sword, so you slash at it, and I'll use Psyche." Crow nodded and did as asked, running towards the Shadow. However, it saw the boy coming and dodged, before swinging down in order to attack him, but was quickly stopped by a strong gloved hand, which burned like a brand as light poured from it. Psyche gave a blinding strike to the Shadow, knocking it over to Panther, who attacked it as well, before blowing a healing kiss to Crow.
The boy ran back to Valiant as Joker grabbed his mask and began to consider which Persona to use. "Did you anticipate that happening? Me getting hit, I mean…"
"Um… Would you be mad if I said a little bit?" Valiant said with a small laugh, as Joker finally striked, damaging the Shadow greatly, but still not knocking him down completely.
"No… Actually, I'm impressed. I barely did anything, since I was hit, so attacking that Shadow so harshly was all of your work," Crow commented, as Fox released a furious grunt and cast an icy spell on the Shadow.
"Well, I'm about to do it again. The Shadow is much weaker than before… But first," Valiant raised her shield in front of the two just in time as the Shadow roughly tried to ram into her. Kiritani managed to push her back one yard, as her feet scraped across the ground. Crow quickly threw a small bottle of medicine to her, hoping to offer her a little bit of aid.
Valiant grunted a bit, before throwing her shield to the side and slicing across the Shadow's face with her sword, causing it to scream and stagger away from her. Crow retrieved her shield just as Panther cauterized the long cut, while also roasting the Shadow's skin. It seemed they were nearing victory.
Joker took the opportunity to raise their attacks even more again, and Fox delivered in spades, running up to the Shadow and slicing it in the chest as he leapt past, causing it to fall down and reform itself into the man it had once been before.
The Phantom Thieves walked closer to him, staying cautious even though they knew they had won. Valiant stayed a bit behind, hugging herself as she once again considered her actions now that she had actually done them.
Crow stayed with her, not wanting to leave her alone now either. "You did very well, Valiant. You have no idea how great it was watching you pummel that man into the ground."
"Yeah… I guess. I… I'm still confident that I want to help you, but changing that man's heart just now… reminded me how selfish it really is," Valiant said softly, not daring to meet her boyfriend's eyes, not wanting to see him upset.
"You need to stop feeling guilty for wanting things. What you want may be incredibly flawed, but if you weren't selfish, and just some perfect angel, I don't think I could allow this relationship to continue," Crow said. "With what I've done, if there wasn't something wrong with you I would break up with you… if that makes sense."
Valiant actually giggled at that. "It does… Still, it's weird thinking like that. This is what I want, but I always feel horrible for wanting things."
"Well, maybe it would make you feel better to face the consequences of the choice you made," Crow suggested, gesturing to a now weeping Kiritani. "Avoiding the consequences is only going to make you feel worse, if I've learned anything about you."
Valiant cringed, but looked at the weeping man just as he began to disappear.
"Do what you want. Remember though: Evil that oughta be erased will just keep poppin' up after I'm gone."
"We'll destroy evil in a way that's different from yours. You can disappear without worry," Queen said, her voice holding no assurance, but just clear and cold judgement.
"Crow... I want you to atone… but I never want to change you like we did to that man… So…" Valiant sniffed, unsure how to continue.
"I have something better to live for… That's the only part that's changed, Valiant. I don't want to make you feel guilty, but you did that by offering your hand to me. But don't worry…" He leaned close to the girl's ear, "I'll always be a bastard one way or another."
"Crow…!" Valiant covered her face, not liking that word at all in the context of her boyfriend.
"Hey!" Panther shouted, running up to the two. "We've got a lot of work to do, still, so let's keep going. Also, good job with the quotes and stuff. It sounded way more high and mighty then what I was going to say. 'We're not evil! We're just doing our best to do what's right.'"
"It is true, though," Crow commented.
"Still," Panther slapped her palm against her face. "It sounds way too much like what the old Phantom Thieves would say, back when we cared too much about getting famous."
"It's basically what Crow was saying though, but he said it differently, I guess," Valiant said, trying to appease the girl.
"Whatever, it's fine. Anyway, let's go!" Panther grabbed Valiant by the hands and pulled her towards the Monabus. Crow followed behind, the doors closing not a second after he was inside. With everyone set to go, Joker quickly hit the gas and the group was on their way.
Hours seemed to pass as the group went down their list of targets, going from floor to floor and sometimes back again, taking the time to practice against other Shadows as well. It seemed almost natural after a while when Joker would run into a Shadow and they would begin battling it. It all began to feel like a very bizarre road trip the further they got as they drove down the dark tunnels. After a short time, their vision adjusted to the dark and it almost felt like they didn't need Mona's headlights to see anything.
"I haven't heard from you about it in a while, but have you thought more about my offer to paint your tie collection?" Fox asked, curiously, trying to fill the long silence with conversation.
"I wouldn't mind giving them to you. After Valiant told everyone about it, it started to feel embarrassing that I have so many…" Crow replied.
"Don't hobby-shame people, Valiant!" Oracle said in a teasing manner.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to shame anyone!" Valiant cried.
"I believe it was just more of Oracle's odd brand of humor," Fox said reassuringly. "And perhaps I will take you up on that offer, unless I'd have to buy them."
"I have no need for a friend to pay me for something I want to get rid of, anyway," Crow said with a smile.
"Friends…" Joker said to himself, keeping his eyes on the road as the bus shook a bit on the path.
"C-Careful! Bleh…" Mona moaned, causing the passengers of the vehicle to go silent.
The silence didn't last long, however, as conversations started and died as the Thieves made their way through the twisting tracks of Mementos.
"Those rest areas we keep seeing… It's hard to believe that they were put here just for us," Crow said at one point, looking for something to start a conversation as well, though not sure what exactly to start with. The observation he had made was as good a place as any to start.
"I guess it's supposed to represent some part in the subway, and we just treat them like rest stops whenever Mona needs a break," Queen guessed.
"Yeah, that's gotta be it!" Valiant chimed in nervously.
"I suppose so… But my point is, with so many stops, could it not be possible that there are others in Mementos just like us? They could just be in different areas, so we never run into them," Crow explained.
"L-like that Black Mask guy?" Oracle asked nervously.
Crow tensed for a second, before forcing his body to relax. "Yes, I suppose that is one possibility. But also, who is to say there are not multiple other people in Mementos as we speak?"
"Well, when Mona split off from the group once, the rest of the group waited for hours at the entrance, hoping to run into us," Noir explained. "So, unless it was someone with more experience in staying hidden, like the Black Masked person, I imagine even if it was only one person, we would have seen them by now…"
"Do you guys even think that other guy knows Mementos is a thing?" Skull asked, suddenly looking nervous. "With these narrow tunnels, he could prolly ambush us!"
"I imagine with Joker's driving, you would probably run over him without ever knowing he was there, if that were the case," Crow commented. He suddenly slammed face first into the back of the seat in front of him as Joker hit the brakes.
"Oops," Joker said blankly.
"Aww, I was almost about to say that Crow finally teased someone successfully with that little jab… But nope! Joker won," Oracle commented with an amused giggle.
"Don't laugh. I thought his beak was about to stab through the seat!" Mona cried out. "Who knows what that could have done to me when I transformed back!"
Valiant frowned. "We could avoid that if this thing had seatbelts… Maybe if we brought rope with us next time we have to come here…?"
The bus seemed to shudder as Mona cringed at the thought. "What if you forgot to take it out!?"
"I honestly don't want to think of the biology of a cat vehicle…" Crow said, shaking his head. "Perhaps I could keep my mask off when we're driving, in order to avoid bringing up this topic, again…"
"You were the one who started talking, though," Panther mumbled.
With that, conversation fizzled out, or at the very least, if there was any, Crow tuned it out. He leaned his head against the window and sighed, his head beginning to ache. He had to admit, although he honestly found it creepy to be inside of a bus that was also a cat, he felt very cozy like this. Maybe not completely comfortable, but… this was nice. He could just sit back and relax as everyone else's presence filled the void. He wished he could enjoy that bubble of comfort and security forever, but he knew wishes like that weren't his to make.
It won't last. I know, because I can't allow this dishonesty to continue for much longer… He sighed forlornly at the thought, knowing what choice he was going to make, but dreading the consequences of such a confession.
There was a slight pressure on his shoulder as Valiant seemed to fall under the cozy atmosphere as well, leaning on him, and dragging him deeper into the false lull of safety and security. Despite the fact that he knew Valiant was a very crazy and weird exception, it made him hope that maybe things would be alright after he told everyone the truth. His young and blooming friendship with everyone else might survive…
No… You know exactly why that can't ever happen. He looked out the window at the small UFO that hovered besides the bus. Wakaba… I killed her, and so many others. That principal. Not even the fact that I spared Okumura would change anything. That thought led him to wonder if Oracle even knew that their mothers had been friends, since Sojiro knew. Even if she did, he wasn't about to bring it up. He had no intentions of making her feel sad, thinking about the mother he had taken away from her.
Valiant yawned and seemed to lean further into him, placing a hand on his knee. It was by no means intentional, as she was already deeply resting, but it made him smile nonetheless. The other Phantom Thieves were going to hate him… He knew it. They were probably also going to get upset at Valiant, if they found out she had been keeping it from them, that is, if they found that part out…but it gave the boy some solace to know that he had her for company. She still liked him… Liked him for who he was and stayed by his side. She acknowledged the truth, and hoped for the best… She accepted him, while also hoping that he could be better in a way that didn't place expectations too high. He liked to think that was what normal people in relationships did. After all, everyone wanted to be the best versions of themselves, and wanted the same for other people.
Crow leaned his head against the window, feeling the jarring vibrations and cool glass against the side of his face as he waited for the group to stop at their next destination. He knew he should keep himself awake, as well as Valiant, in case they suddenly had to fight a Shadow, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
It's a nice dream, honestly. I wouldn't mind enjoying it for a little while…
"Just because it's a dream, doesn't mean it's unattainable. You just gotta work towards it!"
Crow shook his head good naturedly. Sappy stuff like that… Maybe Robin Hood was trying to speak up for once, after so long of his own head trying to trash him.
Still, that didn't explain the childlike tone, as Robin Hood had always had an adult tone, speaking in a roguish, sassy tone that sounded exactly like how Crow had imagined the legendary hero.
Then perhaps something I might have said as a stupid kid, then… Crow thought wistfully to himself, not wanting to think any more about the voice he heard.
Meanwhile, Valiant wasn't fully asleep, but felt just on the edge. She could distantly hear Mona's purring engine, and the small whispers of conversation between friends. Even though she was kept constantly awake by the thought of needing to be aware for battle, her body and mind barely followed the command, only just being aware, too lulled to sleep by the feeling of Crow's beating heart.
She couldn't pinpoint why that sound soothed her so. The best way to describe it was that it made her feel secure. His hand was warm, and his beating heart was steady, and she was comforted by the fact that she was there to witness it. He was alive and so was she.
She released an uneasy, shuddering breath as that thought occurred. She shouldn't feel relieved just because she was alive, but she was, and it made her remember too much that she had nearly died only a few short months ago… back in her Palace. And also after…
No, her heart began to beat painfully in her chest, her eyes watering as her thoughts halted. It hurt, trying to think back to around that time. Instead, she just focused on her heart, and his heart, still beating.
Crow shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable, before he suddenly stirred, realizing that the bus had stopped moving. He looked around, realizing that everyone was beginning to get up and leave the bus. Outside, both Panther and Queen began to stretch, sore from sitting in place so long. The other thieves were not too far behind from doing the same.
"We're here, Valiant," Crow said, sitting up and forcing the girl to wake up as well.
"Weird. I feel like normally it takes longer," the girl commented, sliding from her seat and out of the van, followed by Crow and Joker.
"Well, we were both basically asleep for a long time," Crow pointed out.
"You two were so cute!" Noir remarked, smiling at them. "I wish we could take pictures in the Metaverse…"
"Hey, that's my line!" Panther objected, before giggling and nodding her head in agreement.
"Maybe I could bring my sketchbook next time," Fox offered.
Next time… he wouldn't want to draw me at all, Crow thought to himself. He shook his head, dismissing any sentimentality about the moment he had just shared with Valiant being lost to time.
Queen walked up to them with a stern look, giving him the perfect excuse to focus on something else and not respond. "We should check on the gate to the next area."
Everyone quickly nodded, and went towards where Joker and Oracle were directing everyone. A moment later, Mona transformed out of his bus form and joined the group after a moment of concentration. Everyone was quick to spot the gate even without Joker and Oracle's prompting, walking up to it and waiting like they usually did.
After a moment, Noir looked away from the gate, looking nervous and refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "Um… I know I've only experienced this with you guys once, but shouldn't something have happened by now?"
"Hm… You're right," Queen said, closing her eyes with a troubled frown. "Normally after we stand in front of the gates, they open right up for us…"
"I was afraid this was going to be the case," Mona said with a sad frown. "Normally we've already sent a calling card and stolen a Treasure by now, which affects the public whenever they hear news about it…"
"So it's not going to open until we steal Sae's Treasure," Oracle finished with a disappointed frown as she looked up at the gate.
Everyone looked disappointed for a few seconds more, and Joker was about to suggest they head home for the day, when Crow suddenly ran up to the gate and punched it and pushed up against it, as if he could somehow make it open.
"Crow, what are you doing!?" Valiant cried, running up to him to try and pull him away before he could hurt himself somehow. However, he stubbornly rammed himself against the gate and spit and cursed.
The rest of the Phantom Thieves looked at the detective in shock, never having seen him act like this. A few were debating going up to help Valiant pull him away from the door, when Joker just sighed and shook his head. "Let him tire himself out. I don't think he can be pulled away right now."
"Dammit!" Crow punched the door again, the crack of his knuckles making him realize just how low his pain tolerance was. He screamed, before settling for ramming his shoulder against the immovable gate. "Open already! We did all this work, just for you to gate-keep, again!"
"Crow, stop! You're going to hurt yourself even more!" Valiant yelled, staying a foot away so she didn't accidentally get hit by a wild swing.
"No! I came down here to get to the next area! Because it's supposed to help you!" His eyes burned as he felt a heavy bruise forming on his left shoulder, so he switched sides and tried again.
"Crow, brute force isn't going to make a difference!" Panther scolded. "We'll just have to come back once we've stolen the Treasure."
Crow ignored her, ramming into it once more before falling to his knees, his shoulder aching. "Ugh," he groaned, refusing to let the tears fall as they burned and blinded him. "God dammit!" he was about to get his gun out and try forcing it open a different way when a sob tore apart his throat.
This whole damned society can go to hell! All it's ever done is screw me over and then do nothing to help, yet they expect me to forgive them…? All I'm asking for is this one thing! We need to get through these doors… I don't want Sayori to disappear… I have to prove I'm not a complete demon, yet…! I just want to help Sayori stay alive… and maybe help her rest…
"Crow… Please just be patient. We all hate it, but this isn't helping matters," Queen said, closing her eyes and sighing sadly.
Valiant felt a lump form in her throat. "This is about me, isn't it? Crow, please! I'm fine right now, and it hardly matters… It's not worth-"
"Shut your mouth! You think I can't read between the lines? Acting like what's happening to you doesn't matter, is acting like you don't matter! But you do, and it does! It's the only thing that matters to me! I don't have anything else, now! So I'm going to… I have to-" He cut himself off, not wanting to say anymore. He was saying too much. It was better to turn those feelings and words into action. This door had to open eventually, after all…
"Crow… I don't want to see you get hurt like this. There isn't any meaning or purpose in suffering, much less your suffering. Please… Just rest… relax… Let's be happy… just for a few minutes. Don't hurt yourself because of me…" Valiant began to nervously ramble, her own anxieties growing as it felt like her heart was beating a mile a minute.
"This isn't the end. We will come back here," Joker said, a grim look on his face. "We aren't telling you to stop completely. Just let it go for now."
Crow put his gun away, glaring at the door as his whole body ached. He still felt so angry… Unbearable rage and agony filled him up from the inside as his malice towards a society that always unfailingly turned its back seemed to grip his heart. Still… he recognized that feeling. It was so achingly familiar that it almost made him throw up. That feeling… the reason for Loki's existence… the same sentiment that had been driving him down this destructive path… Blinding him so that he could only see the revenge that awaited him...
Is this all that I am…? I'm so tired. I don't want to feel this way anymore. I thought I was done for good, but here I am again, letting it push me forward again. I just… I can't…
"I'm so sorry…" Crow whispered, tears falling down his face, looking at all of the thieves through blurry vision. "I broke my promise already. I don't want to… I just…" He looked at Valiant, who seemed almost ready to cry herself. The apology was for her, since she knew the full depth of his betrayal… but he wanted his words to reach the others, too. They gave him friendship… and he couldn't even keep his unspoken promise to stop focusing so much on his hateful bullshit.
"Crow…" Valiant trailed off, and he couldn't blame her. She knew exactly how close he was to falling back over the edge, had hoped for him and helped him so much to stay sane, and had now just seen him fail once again. If she wanted to tell everyone the entire truth right now, he knew he deserved it. He would rather be at her mercy then at the mercy of anything else, be it god, demon, or the society he cursed.
"...Goro, it's going to be alright… You have us, and you have me, and I want you to hold onto that, and never let go," Valiant said, thinking carefully on what she could say as she stepped closer. "I know that you're scared of what's happening to me… I'm scared, too. You're angry, and so am I… But I don't want us to focus on those feelings. We're both hurt, and scared, and angry, and frustrated… And that means we have something in common… so we have each other. I depend on you to help me, so I want you to depend on me to keep holding on… Even if it's by the skin of my teeth, I'll hold onto the life that everyone's given me,"
"Sayori… I'm sorry. All of you, I didn't want you to see such a horrible side of me…"
The Phantom Thieves all shared a look that seemed to make the very air stagnate, sharing a mutual sense of unease as they watched Valiant continue to comfort the breaking detective.
"Hey, don't worry… and be happy… We can hold on, together," Valiant offered, sitting down in front of him and offering him a hug. She kissed him on the cheek, unable to reach any other part of his face because of their masks. "It's a hard road ahead, but if we keep going, I know things will be okay in the end. You know why, right?"
"Because we have each other," Crow said, leaning the side of his head on her shoulder.
Valiant nodded happily, tightening the hug as hard as she could without it being uncomfortable. "Yeah… So let's go back, rest for a bit, prepare, steal Sae's Treasure, and then come back here…That's just five easy steps, and then that gate will open. We don't have to think any farther than that, right now."
Crow took a few moments to answer, letting himself relax on the girl's shoulder for a few moments longer before moving forward. Though keeping a steady pace on some righteous path sounded more ideal, it was comfortable to stay in the same place for a little bit. The time spent before coming to a decision and acting on it was probably the most peaceful to stay. He could sit, and relax, and be alone with his thoughts… He remembered a similar calm before deciding to walk the path of revenge, but it felt so much nicer now. He felt so warm and safe… happy, even.
Still, he wasn't going to keep everyone waiting for long. Though it felt like time had stopped, he was all too aware that the passage of time continued. So, eventually, he shifted slightly and nodded. "Yeah… Though a few of those steps don't seem like they'll be very easy. Particularly the one about stealing the Treasure."
Valiant smiled, sagging with relief, before letting out a small giggle. "It will be, you'll see. We've done this so many times, after all."
"Well, it would be rude to keep everyone else here. So let's go, then," Crow said, standing up on slightly unsteady legs. "Maybe we can talk more about this, later."
As Mona got his cue and transformed back into a bus, Valiant smiled. "I would like that," she said, grabbing a hold of Crow's hand. Everyone else couldn't help but sigh in relief when they saw that the situation had been successfully resolved. None of them had been too sure what to do, and were just glad that they didn't have to drag Crow out of Mementos by force.
Still, even though they were relieved, they all felt a bit uneasy after seeing Crow's behavior today. It had seemed more unhinged than before, and they weren't quite sure what to make of it. It also didn't help their nerves when they realized that Valiant was going to be visiting his apartment alone when they got back.
Joker gave each and everyone of the other Phantom Thieves a look as the couple seemed more occupied with each other then what the other thieves were doing. Everyone else, in that moment, seemed to come to an understanding.
With everything for that day taken care of in the Metaverse, Joker hit the gas pedal and the Phantom Thieves of Hearts left Mementos after a mostly successful day.
Lately, meeting in the apartment had given Sayori a feeling of nostalgia, remembering the days she had thought of it as a home. It was a guilty feeling as well, since she rarely thought of her actual home, but it made sense, too. Unlike her actual home, Sayori visited this place so often that it felt weird that she wasn't sleeping there as well.
Still, as always, they were discussing one of the reasons why she could no longer stay with the detective for a longer period of time. With all they had done in Mementos, they only had time for a couple of topics before Sayori would have to leave. Out of all of the things they had thought of while searching for targets in Mementos, there were two Sayori wanted to discuss.
"Goro," she began, leaning her crossed arms against the back of the couch, "why did you suggest we wait to steal Sae's Treasure? I feel like it's not really necessary with the reasons you gave."
The detective looked down for a few moments, contemplating the answer himself. It took a couple minutes, and Sayori suspected that he had to search for the answers himself, and that only made her fear grow. Was he making something up if he had to come up with a reason?
"It's hard to explain… It felt like second nature to suggest that we do it. I questioned it myself afterwards, actually…" the detective answered honestly.
Sayori looked relieved. "So then maybe we can just tell everybody we can go ahead and do it, now…?" That response… maybe it has to do with this being a game…? Yeah, that makes sense, but also, why does Goro think it's weird, too?
"No… While I considered the option for a little bit, I thought of an actual reason to keep things as they are, though it would really only be a good reason to you," Goro explained.
Sayori looked at the detective in curiosity. "Just me? Then does it have to do with all of the secrets you've told me?"
Goro nodded with a smile, forced on his face because just the thought of why made him feel stressed. "When I received a call from him, I told him that I haven't joined your team, and thus, that also leads to the assumption that none of the Phantom Thieves have infiltrated Sae's Palace. However, if word gets out that Sae received a calling card, my father will find out I deceived him."
"Will waiting really hide the fact that a calling card was sent, though?" Sayori asked.
"In the confusion of what will happen with Sae's investigation afterwards, I am going to stick by her side and prevent the topic from being brought up. Also, I want you to tell Makoto to make sure no evidence of the calling card remains, like we discussed," Goro explained, before sighing. "Honestly, this is hardly a foolproof plan, but I think it's the best one given such strenuous circumstances."
"I think it makes enough sense," Sayori said with a pensive expression. "Not to mention, maybe we can somehow manage to explain everything to everyone else, and then go into your father's Palace right afterwards?"
"I'm not sure if going into his Palace will be possible so soon after telling them… everything," Goro frowned at that, not liking the nervousness he was suddenly feeling. "Also… that reminds me of something I wanted to tell you…"
"Well, first I want to say, thank you for telling me all of this… Even the fact that you didn't really have a reason before. I was worried you were keeping something from me, again…" Sayori looked down, suddenly ashamed of her distrust.
"I understand why you might have felt that way… But no, never again. I don't want to deceive you ever again," Goro said, looking down with a grimace. "There's a lot more sappy stuff I could add onto that, but for now I'll just say what I wanted to say. Let me explain everything to the Phantom Thieves. If it's possible, I would rather avoid letting them know that you figured this stuff out."
"What!? Why!?" Sayori asked, standing up. She wasn't angry… More like indignant. There was also the concern that she might need to help calm everyone down if they turned on Goro after he explained everything."
"No. You're already on thin enough ice with all of them. If they discovered what you were still keeping from them, they would just turn on both of us," Goro explained, shaking his head. It was frustrating, and gave him a headache, but he wasn't going to budge on this.
"Well, then I'll still be lying to them!" Sayori argued. "Goro, eventually that lie will come out, too, and the longer it takes, the worse it will be!"
"Maybe… But it's better than them finding out right away and hating both of us!" Goro argued back.
"No! It would be worse if we don't come clean with everything, because they're smarter than you're giving them credit for! They might think you were manipulating me into helping you, and that will make them hate and distrust you even more!" Sayori stomped her foot, knowing how childish she sounded, but not caring. "I don't want to lie anymore, Goro! Please, I want to be in this together!"
"Sayori…" Goro sunk onto the couch and put his head in his hands, a weight on his shoulders pulling him down. "I… I don't care what they think of me. I mean… I do, but not as much as I care about what they think of you. I don't want them to hate you. You need them… Especially if something goes wrong."
"Well, I'll explain everything to them… They'll probably dislike and distrust you… and it will probably be the same for me for a little while, but unlike you, I haven't done anything to anyone," Sayori said, giving him a somber look. "And don't talk like that. We're in this together… and that means we're going to succeed together!"
Goro chuckled bitterly. "It was worth a shot… Fine. You can tell them if you want. Even if it would cause us problems, I would be alright with you telling them the truth whenever, if you wanted, or I guess if you didn't feel safe with me, or…" he sighed, feeling so very tired.
"Hey," Sayori suddenly began, a pit forming in her throat. "After we finish with Sae, and your father… What are we going to do?"
"To be honest, I'm expecting you'll be home not long after," Goro replied, remembering one of the messages he had first received. He had been told it would happen eventually, and after Shido, that would probably be the most ideal time for Sayori to go home. "As for me… I'll probably go to jail. After that… I'm not sure if I'll be alive. Probably not, actually."
Sayori felt herself cough and choke, the absolute weight of that statement hitting her like a ton of bricks. She nearly collapsed on the spot, but instead she only stood there for a few moments of silence, before tears began streaming from her face. "Then… Then…"
"Sayori!" Goro looked up in shock, reaching out a hand to hold, but she batted it away, hysterical sobs spilling from deep within her and leaving her pale white. "Please don't cry! That's not up to me to decide… I have no idea if that's even going to happen!" Why did I say that!? I'm such a fool!
"Then… I don't want to go home! I… I can't! If I g-go back, and you d-d… if you…" Sayori shook her head, pulling at her hair. "I won't even know if you're alive or not!" The girl's eyes suddenly widened, and she sniffed. "Y-you can come home with me! You won't have to, then!"
"No."
Sayori shook and sobbed more. "Y-yeah! Yes! It could work! You could join the literature club… and then-"
"No, I can't do that, Sayori," Goro shook his head. "Remember what you told me, earlier? Let's not focus on any of that stuff happening in the future… Please, don't put so much of your efforts into trying to save me, especially since you're already helping me so much. Sayori, I finally have something to live for that isn't about revenge… But that doesn't change what I've already done. So, let me live to help you, and keep you safe… like I've been doing. Then, let me repay my debts to the other people that deserve justice."
"Goro… Please…! Why do you have to stop? You can keep living… keep protecting me, if you want," Sayori sniffled, bowing her head as tears dripped off of her face.
"Sayori, all you can do is hope for the best. But please… Don't stop me. Don't hurt yourself for me. The fact is, after your safe at home, and after justice is brought upon my father… The way I see it, there's nothing left for me. I want to be a good person, for you, and running away won't make me any better," Goro said, his palms shaking. He didn't want to argue about it. He didn't want to even think about it anymore. He had already accepted his death when he had spared Okumura, and the acceptance that he might die had never left, but he still didn't want to… At least, not right now. Thinking about their plans, with Sayori at home, and his father behind bars, made it easier. But the truth was, he wasn't ready to die before then.
"I… I… know I can't stop you, especially since you are doing the right thing… but please don't ask me to stop crying about it, again," Sayori whispered, finally looking calm. "I… I won't think about it again, because it hurts so much… But you have to promise me that while we're together, you and I are going to live, and be happy, and be together… Ugh, I feel so…I don't even know. Hurt?" Sayori began to ramble, shivering as she thought of it.
"Yeah. I don't want to think about it, either. Like you said, let's just focus on the next few steps. But also, I do want to say one more thing you might not like," Goro winced as Sayori shook even harder.
"What could be even worse than you dying?"
"Me dying sooner than my father's Palace."
Sayori looked ready to cry again, but remained silent, waiting for the rest of the painful words to come.
"If we get caught before we change my father's heart, he's probably going to have me killed, though you already know that. There's no guarantee we can avoid it, and if it does happen, there's something you need to do for me," Goro said calmly, getting up and reaching into his pocket.
Sayori sniffed, trying to clear out her throat enough to speak as she held out her hand expectantly for whatever Goro was going to give to her. "What is it?" she asked.
She was rewarded with the sound of metal clinking as a slightly cool object was placed into her palms. She brought her hands down below her still bowed head, seeing that a new set of keys had been placed into her hands.
"If something happens to me, I want you to come back here. You can take whatever you want, but there's something I need you to absolutely take," Goro explained, looking in the direction of his room. "I forgot to tell you, since it's never really served me any use, or has done anything of importance for me, but inside your Treasure, there was a hard drive stored away. When I tried accessing it, it told me that it was currently locked, and could only be accessed 'when the time was right' or something like that. Since it was in your Treathe top right drawer on my desk."
sure, I want you to have it. You may have better luck than me with it. I've stored it away in Sayori stared at the keys in her hands for a few moments, a numb sort of dread filling her up inside. She didn't want them. She didn't even want to consider the possibility that she might need them. She considered throwing them in his face and telling him that it was going to be alright, but that would only be foolish and cruel. Sayori already felt so much pain after the things they had just discussed. Goro had to be feeling the same pain. How much would it hurt, and show how much she still hadn't accepted his choices, if she denied him this?
"Okay…" Sayori whispered, gripping tightly onto the keys, feeling pain lancing through her fingers, but not going far enough to draw blood. She didn't want to feel so shaky now. She wanted to accept what Goro was saying, and thinking, and choosing. But it hurt her so much, and she didn't want to!
"It's alright to cry… Sayori, this plan we've discussed has mostly been for my sake. If you want to cry, or object, or fight, or tell the truth to the others, or try to drag me along, I'm not going to stop you. I can work around what you want," Goro offered, standing in place. He wasn't going to make any moves in this situation. He even felt that trying to comfort her would try to be wrong, unless she reached out.
Sayori looked at the keys silently for a few moments, a blank frown on her face as she thought of how to respond. She could accept his choice… to atone. However, aside from that.
Goro wasn't really expecting her to kiss him after all of this, but it wasn't unwelcome. He had been waiting for Sayori to respond however she wanted, after all. Still, it didn't take away the surprise of her suddenly yanking him down by his shirt collar and practically smashing their faces together.
He kissed back, knowing Sayori wanted that as much as he did. After a few seconds, Sayori let go of his collar and pulled away, gripping the keys to her heart.
"I… I accept your choice to turn yourself in, and to help me, and to protect me, but I am not accepting your death!" Sayori felt slightly bolder now, as she stood up straighter and practically glared at the detective.
"If that's what you've decided, I'll do my best to go along with it," Goro said, a morbid sense of amusement filling him as the girl clenched her fists to her sides and pouted.
"You better!" Sayori shouted, and Goro cringed. That had been so much louder than before, and he felt worried he had already tipped off the entire apartment complex to their schemes.
"Sorry," Sayori said with a sudden sheepish smile. "Anyway, we aren't allowed to talk about this anymore! No more thinking about it, either!"
"I agree. Let's just focus on stealing Sae's Treasure," Goro agreed.
"Right!" Sayori agreed, quietly shouting now. She checked the time on her phone again, paling when she realized she had to leave. "Um… Can I ask a favor?"
"What is it?" Goro asked, tilting his head as he checked the time. "We don't have time to discuss anything else."
"Yeah, I know. It's just, now I feel kind of mean for kissing you so suddenly… without asking first, too. I would like a do-over, unless that would make you uncomfortable…" the girl trailed off, clasping her hands nervously against her chest. "It's just… it took you a few seconds to kiss back, and…"
"We don't have all night, Sayori. If you want to kiss me enough to last you, then you need to-"
Sayori walked over and gave him a tight hug, burying her face in his chest before looking up at him. "This feels much more, right. I wanted a hug, too, after all."
Goro wrapped his arms around her and smiled, kissing her on the forehead. He enjoyed the look of frustration on her face, moving down to the tip of her nose. "I apologize that I keep missing. Maybe…" He kissed both of her cheeks, which were beginning to bloom with rose red coloring that he knew was going to get darker and darker as they went on.
Finally, when his lips landed on hers, they both got their wish. It was soft, and long, and cozy, and safe. How long had they both been wanting to do this, again? It had been too long, they both knew, and now with the future looming ahead, they wanted to make it last as long as possible.
Soon enough, they had to stop, pulling apart and taking a few deep breaths. It would have been all too easy for Sayori to get lost in the moment, but she knew she had to go. She felt so sad and lonely, even though she was the one to separate the hug first, letting her arms fall limply to her sides.
"I'll text you when I get to Ann's?" Sayori asked, feeling awkward. She couldn't think of a better way to depart, but she also knew nothing could beat a kiss.
"Yes…" Goro trailed off, sighing, thinking for a moment, and then shaking his head again. They had so much time left before it was time to steal Sae's Treasure, but he couldn't just invite her on a date, or anywhere, for the same reasons she couldn't just stay the night. "We'll see each other soon, I suppose?"
"Yeah… I'm… looking forward to it," Sayori mumbled, before walking towards the door.
After a few hesitant seconds, she finally opened the door and left, and Goro collapsed on the couch, exhausted and sad and disappointed. He was making the responsible decision, and it was honestly sucking the life out of him. Too bad for me, I guess. I wasted all of my irresponsibility points on being a murder-man, so I don't get to be a dumb, horny teenager.
Still, he felt better nearly half an hour later, when his phone rang with the ringtone he had set for Sayori. It was enough to know that she was safe, staying with her friend. That text always gave him a moment of clarity, letting him recognize how truly melodramatic he was being. It was what also let him finally fall asleep, setting his phone on the arm of the couch, before practically passing out.
Maybe… things will be alright like this, Goro thought to himself, sighing as dreamless sleep finally claimed him.
As always, I hoped you liked this chapter! Please read, review, and I'll see you all next time.