Hello guys, back with another chapter :). This one is more of a build-up chapter, exploring the aftermath of the last one while setting some things up going forward. I hope you all enjoy and recommend you play the song 'Take Over' (Persona 5 Royal) during a specific scene later in the chapter. Also, some review responses!
Gamelover41592 - Thanks! I responded to you via DM's but for those unfamiliar with Persona 5, Dave is modeled after that game's first palace ruler but there will be some key differences, which you will soon see once we return there in the coming chapter(s).
Starco4everr - Thank you!
March 12th
Marco's eyes slowly opened, seeing a strange blue ceiling. What happened… He clenched his head at the throbbing pain coursing through everything, shaking it off and looking around. Familiar bars, a crappy toilet with questionable colored water, and steel black prison bars greeted him. "I'm dreaming again…" He said aloud, looking down at his hands and legs, seeing heavy rustic chains weigh him down.
Forcing himself up, he walked toward the bars, seeing that odd blue man… Glossyarck, he said. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my Trickster." Marco tilted his head at the nickname, finding little about himself 'trickster' worthy. Apparently, the man read Marco's confusion, laughing softly to himself as he clapped his hands. A woman in blue walked out of the shadows, her rather large hood and robe masking her form, but Marco noticed a lengthy blue dress peeking through her robe. "You have awakened to your other-self. I'm impressed it's happened so soon… Expected results a bit later."
"Is… Arsene my Persona?" Marco asked, with Glossaryck nodding. Looking down at his feet, Marco humored asking a thought, as stupid as it sounded. "...I can use others, can't I?" Glossyarck's eyes went wide for a moment before he chuckled quite loudly, even causing the robed woman to look at her master with concern.
"I like you, Mr. Diaz," Glossyarck wiped a tear from his blue face. "But yes, you can summon more, but we'll discuss that another time. It seems you are waking up soon by that blonde friend of yours." Marco felt his body get heavy, falling on one knee and clenching his skull. No… I have more questions… "May your recent pact be fruitful, or at least entertaining."
Marco just passed out cold on the floor, faintly seeing the robed woman lifting her hood. He couldn't explain it, but she felt familiar somehow. The strange cheek marks confused him as well, but his mind couldn't think more as it firmly shut down from slumber.
"Marco… You have to wake up…" Marco slowly opened his eyes for what he felt was the second time, seeing Star's worried face. The ceiling looked familiar, modern wood and metal coating the support beams. We are out of that castle? Marco tried getting up but his head simply fell on something soft. "Hey, it's okay, we made it out."
"How? I remember…" Marco winced at his head recalling his blackout. Fighting in some other world, awakening to a blue spirit, and fighting that jerk… That couldn't have been real, right? He looked up at Star, who looked nothing but worried in her warm blue eyes. Marco could sigh looking at them, but something told him to get up. Star gently moved aside, letting Marco lift his head from her lap and realizing why Star was so soft-spoken before.
The entire gym was staring at them both. He simply glanced at Star, who mouthed 'We've been like that for the last minute' and Marco wanted to curse at himself. Okay, think like those light novel characters Janna told you about. His friend always joked about how Marco would need one of those one-liners someday. He simply threw his arm around Star's shoulders, making her yelp in surprise. "Hey, can't a guy enjoy spending time with his girlfriend? And you all just watched… What are ya? Creeps?" Audible laughter joined narrowed rows of eyes, with various other reactions on display as well. "Now if you excuse us, we have a date to attend to later," He made a mock bow towards the doorway, with Star nearly running out of the room.
Marco casually walked out, hands calmly in his pockets. That was until Star slapped him across the face once the two were out of eyesight. I sure am fucking awake now. Oww… He rubbed his cheek, giving Star an 'I'm sorry' look. She pouted her cheeks before looking away from him, arms folded and clearly being unamused. "Y-You could've said something else."
"Come on, you could just say I was a 'project' or something," Marco waved his hand casually, walking towards some stairs. Star followed, having a natural expression on her face. Marco tucked his hands into his pockets, having a frown. "Sorry if that's mean, but you could hand-wave my excuse if…"
"I… I don't mind," Star replied, making Marco's eyes dilate in surprise. Star didn't turn around, leaning on the wall and folding her arms. "...You were really heroic, back there. Handsome even." Star narrowed her eyes, mumbling to herself. "Maybe I just like bad boys, I dunno."
"You got a type and can admit it, I can respect that," Marco replied, earning a small smile from Star. He decided to lean on the wall opposite from Star, the two watching people leave and enter the school like flocks of fish swimming through a reef. Marco felt disdain looking at them, spotting some of the faces he encountered in that damned castle. "To think, some of my peers here are…"
"It's not their fault, not completely I think," Star commented, her gaze cold never leaving the crowd. Marco followed her trail of vision, seeing Dave himself chatting away with some cheerleaders about something. One of them even giggled as they entered what looked like a storage room before the door slammed shut. "People just give up, accepting a situation instead of fighting back. Those are the weak people…" She turned toward Marco, having a softer look. "I thought you were like that, but today proved you weren't. Sorry if I judged you."
Marco simply looked down at his hands, feeling his other self smirking within his mind. "I did give up, didn't I?" Star didn't say anything as Marco clenched his hand into a fist. "I can't promise to always be strong, but I will try."
Star smiled, looking almost proud of Marco. She started walking toward the school exit as Marco almost stumbled on the floor. Star was going to catch him but a familiar face did instead. Tom threw his arm around Marco's shoulder, propping him up. "What happened bro? Thought you were gonna see the team today?"
Marco and Star shared an almost panicked look before the former composed himself. "I wanted to, but all the stress today made me weak. Guess I'm not used to being in a school that hates me just yet?" Marco put on a plastic smirk as if he put on a familiar mask of some kind.
Tom sighed and helped Marco prop himself up. "It's fine man, how about I drive you both home," Star raised an eyebrow at this, Tom holding up his hands. "It's not to flirt with you Starship, I promise. This guy looks exhausted like he ran through a castle or something." Star simply blinked but Marco started laughing, quite loud. Tom just gave him a look, only to soon join in laughing alongside him. "Yeah, pops said I have quite the imagination."
"Fiction and Fact are closer than you think pal," Marco replied, joining Star and Tom out of the school.
He ignored the looks coming their way, following Tom toward the parking lot. His eyes went wide at how packed it was; so many cars. I thought this was a commuter school… Marco's eyes didn't deceive him, a lot of people took trains here.
Tom fished out his car keys, pressing a button on them. It made an audible 'beep' and the trio looked at Tom's ride. It was a fire-red hot-rod car, having a dragon painted on each side. Tom spun his keys around playfully, grinning knowingly as he watched Marco's mouth drop. Marco took notice of his new friend, elbowing Tom, and grinning himself. "Yep, this is my ride. Pops got it for me on my birthday last year."
Star looked away from the two boys, Marco catching her red face. Tom flashed her a flirty smile, with Star covering her face. "I can't believe we… Ugh." Marco's mind caught the implications, throwing his hands in the air.
"If what you two are talking about is right, I call shotgun," Star and Tom's eyes dilated, with Marco completely missing their expressions as he sat in the front seat. Star rushed into the back and Tom controlled his urge to laugh as he entered the driver's seat. Marco peaked from the rearview mirror, seeing Star's angry face.
"Starship and I were never that serious, Marco," Tom started, starting the gas and slowly driving away from the school, entering the main road. Marco looked from his window, seeing Dave leave the building. He gave the car a look, before going back inside. "The most we did was cuddle and makeout."
"Tom! You don't need to tell him all that…" Star replied, her face a shade redder than before. She folded her arms and leaned in her seat. "Besides, it's not like I… Nevermind." Marco frowned, seeing Star's somber expression from the mirror.
Tom sighed, pressing a button on his radio, music playing after a few moments. A funky beat was blasting through the speakers, heavy guitar nearly echoing inside the car. Marco couldn't help but smile, resting his right arm on an armrest and tapping his feet to the beat. Tom whistled to the melody, mind lost in the music.
Star simply closed her eyes and started to softly hum to the tune, tapping her blue boot. Starting to bop her head up and down, she had a stupid smile on her face, completely lost in the music. Marco felt Tom tap his shoulder, seeing his new friend point toward Star. The two boys looked through the rearview mirror, seeing her actually singing along to the music.
"We're rolling deep into your underground crib…" Star started wagging her finger, her body singing as well. "Thought I sent a prior notice card for you, we wanna make this party you don't want to skip and gonna be a show to remember…" She opened her eyes right as Tom and Marco looked toward the road, though their side-eye never left the rearview mirror, joyful smirks on each other's faces.
"Take over it's time to boogie down, make over nothing's gonna be the way you might like was over when you started with us. You should've thought twice walked on thin ice and game's over!" The trio dumbly sang in unison, pausing and letting the music play as they shared a stupid laugh.
Marco wiped a tear from his face, seeing how joyful Star was in this moment. Her blue eyes were nearly shining from the joy they radiated, doing something to rattle his heart. He didn't shake the feeling off, enjoying the warmth it offered him. Looking toward Tom, he caught the almost somber smile from his red eyes, unsure what to make of that. I know they have history but… Did he want to get back with her? Marco wasn't sure but didn't want to answer that question either, deciding to relax in his seat and rest his hands behind his head.
"You still got an angel's voice Starship, surprised it went nicely with our stupid singing," He gestured between himself and Marco, the later making a mock 'gasping' expression. "You sounded like a dying bird."
"And you didn't? It was more like a barking dog bro," Marco elbowed Tom, the latter simply grabbing both hands on the wheel as he focused on the road, which was growing denser with traffic. He turned toward Star, having a curious smile. "You like singing, Star?"
"Yeah, though it's more of a hobby than anything…" Star brushed the question off, folding her arms and looking out the nearest window. The warmth her eyes held went dull, nearly grey. Mmm… Marco continued looking at her, but Star's attention went elsewhere. He turned back to Tom, seeing he was only half paying attention to the road.
He fixed his bandana with his free hand, rubbing his forehead trying to come up with something. "So, you guys want to know the truth about the team, huh?" Tom settled upon, getting Marco's attention and nearly making Star jump. "Look, my dad… I don't like him. I hate him, would ram this car up his ass if I could without ending up like Marco here."
"...Juvie isn't fun, so don't blame you." Marco answered, earning a small grin from Tom before he regained a firm frown. Star simply sat upright, hands rested on her lap eager to listen.
"He… He thinks the school owes him when it's the only thing keeping us from being homeless. What a joke, huh?" Tom waved his free hand, his voice getting louder. "Star, you know the cheer squad?"
"Yeah?" Star asked, leaning in with worried eyes. Tom couldn't even look at them, deciding to lock his red orbs on the road ahead.
"The team did nothing to them. It was all my pops," Tom gripped the wheel with both hands, smoke emanating from his nostrils. "But you think anyone would speak out on that? Fuck no, they'll get kicked off the team and some potentially losing their ticket to college." Marco patted Tom's shoulder, giving him support to continue.
He's like that asshole that ruined my life then. Marco settled on thinking, feeling his other-self shaking in rage at the injustice. "What do you want to do about it then?" At this, Tom made a bitter laugh, slamming a free hand on the horn. Star jumped from the noise but Marco kept his dead-eyed stare at Tom going.
"What can I fucking do man? If I speak out, my pops will give me the boot. Or maybe he'll lie and say 'my son rebelled' or some shit, locking me away." They stopped at a red light, Tom resting on the wheel exhausted. "But… You two clearly have something planned, why else would you ask me?"
Star and Marco looked at each other, before looking back at Tom. "Say, would you mind stopping at a place before we all head home?" Marco raised an eyebrow, but Tom simply made a somber sigh. "Yeah, our old spot. You still like coffee?"
"You know it, Starship. Need to work off my nerves somehow," Marco simply looked lost during this conversation, Tom turning toward him and smirking. "Old Man River has some kickass coffee, you'll love it."
The three parked in front of a local coffee joint, with Marco looking at the cafe interest. From the looks of it, they were in Starlight Square, so Star's home wasn't that far away from the cafe. Looking it over, he rubbed his chin at how… Unassuming? Quiet? He couldn't settle on a word but one of those two worked for the moment. The only off-kilter thing about the place was a large bear statue almost guarding the place.
He saw Tom give the thing a hi-five and Star gave it a small hug before the two went inside. Marco simply walked toward it, giving it's open palm a fist bump. Eh, that works. He shrugged and went through the door, it's bell ringing as he entered.
Once inside, Marco realized how wrong he was to assume this was a normal cafe. If anything, it mirrored a sports bar crossed with a regular coffee shop. Various animal pelts were hanging proudly on the walls like posters, ranging from the wildlife on Mewni. Didn't know we had multi-bears here… Then again, he hasn't ventured beyond the city-districts. What got his attention next, was the bartender himself.
For a place with such… Manliness, it's owner was quite short. Marco figured he was about half his hight, but the man's muscles nearly bulged from his purple suit and casual black pants. The man's hair was a short blond, having eyes blue as Star. "Ah! My favorite little angel showed up." The man's voice was booming, alarming the other guests in the cafe.
"Nice to see you too, River!" Star hugged the man, the two staying like that for a few moments. Once River released his hold on Star, he turned toward Tom, eyes flaring and holing out a bottle toward him. "And it's you. What are you doing with our little angel? Mmm?!"
"He's a friend! It's all good… River was it?" Marco walked toward River, gently taking the bottle out of his hand. Tom nodded fearfully, River's narrowed eyes never relented. "I'm Marco Diaz, a friend of Star."
"Friend he says… Angel sure gets all the bad boys…" He mumbled as he got three large cups of coffee in his large hands. "Next thing, I'm going to hear she's dating both of them. What nonsense…" Star just covered her face, trying to hide from the world. Marco awkwardly rubbed his neck as he guided her and Tom to the open booth. The trio sat down as River walked toward the table, sliding over three small plates and filled up coffee cups. "What will you three be having?"
"The usual," Tom and Star said in unison, with Marco just looking toward River in confusion. River sighed and walked off, getting what looked like curry ingredients and throwing them into a large pot on the cafe's stove.
Star spoke up, holding out her hand as she spoke. "Tom and I used to come here a lot, this place as the beeesssst curry. River uses the best ingredients across Mewni to make it!" Marco smiled, nodding, and leaning back in his seat. "Plus, no one would listen in on us talking about… Whatever happened earlier."
"What happened earlier?" Tom asked, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. Star rubbed her neck, turning to Marco for support. Guess I'll be able to explain best, I awakened to Arsene after all. Marco leaned forward and took a sip from his coffee, mind wide awake from the delicious melding of caffeine, sugar, and freshly ground coffee beans. I'm tipping River well. He put the coffee down and folded his hands together.
"Alright, so before I explain, you need to trust me in what I'm saying is real." Tom nodded, curiosity peaked. "...See, Star and I stumbled upon these apps on our phones." He took his phone out, showing Tom the strange app. "We were talking about Dave in Star's Office, trying to figure things out, only for the words we were saying… To trigger a door. I dunno, the best way I could put that." Marco tapped the app and it showed Dave's name as the first hit. "Your dad was the first one on this and we wound up in a hellish castle once we tapped it."
"That's bullshit bro," Tom laughed, shaking his head. Marco's serious face froze Tom in place, causing him to cough. "Sorry, continue."
"Exploring the castle, we found out Dave was it's ruler or something, and…" Marco looked at his open palm, squeezing it as Arsene mumbled something in the back of his head. "I awakened to a power… Persona I think it was called." He looked up at Star and Tom, eyes narrowed. "If we do something to Dave in the castle, maybe he might change here."
"Do what though?" Star asked, speaking up for the first time. She gripped her coffee with both hands and took a sip. "The most we could do is beat him up, and only you have a Persona." Marco nodded grimly, preferring if Star could avoid getting hurt.
"So, only Marco could do anything to my dad? And he just woke up to that… Persona-thing?" Tom asked, with Star and Marco nodding. He covered his face and made a bitter laugh. "Fucking lovely… Well, maybe we could awaken to Persona's too?" He looked toward Star, who just looked confused at the suggestion.
Marco rubbed his chin, thinking of Tom's suggestion. ...He has a point. If Marco could awaken, so could anyone. But that means putting oneself in danger or… Marco held his head, trying to think about his awakening. My heart… My rebellious heart woke up. He looked at Star and Tom, seeing nothing rebellious about either of them. She's denying herself and he feels like he already lost.
Before he could share his comments to them, River stopped by with curry for the trio. "Enjoy your meal kids," He saluted to Star before walking off. Star dug into her curry and smiled at its taste, while Tom watched her eat before turning toward Marco. He dug into his food, gesturing Marco to have a bite. Picking up his spoon, Marco took a bite and his eyes went wide.
T-This is so good! Before Marco knew it, he shoved his entire plate down. Whenever it was from exhaustion from his awakening or just enjoying the food as the spices, and beans mixed lovely with the seasoned meat. Once he finished his place, he looked up at his friends, seeing both of them having 'I told ya' looks. He wiped his face using a napkin and collected his thoughts from earlier. "It's dangerous to just enter that other world without any manpower. And I don't want you guys forcing yourselves into danger just to 'hopefully' wake up to a Persona."
"What do you recommend then?" Star asked, leaning on the counter with her elbow. "That you go by yourself and nearly get killed again?" Marco blinked from her comment, earning a knowing frown from Star.
"You can read him like a book already?" Tom snickered, kicking his feet on the table and smiling. "Took a few months before Starship could read me like that." Star harshly elbowed Tom, causing him to nearly drop his curry and coffee on the floor. Her worried expression never left Marco, making him look at his empty plate with a strange sense of guilt.
"Please, don't do that, Marco. We can worry about this castle-thing another time," She slugged down the rest of her coffee and stood up. "I'll head home myself, don't worry about the bill." She walked out of the coffee and slammed the door shut. Tom simply sighed, looking at his plate with concern.
"I… I can't just ignore that castle though, not now knowing how Dave views Star…" Tom visibly stiffened hearing this, sitting upright and looking toward Marco. "...She's his 'favorite' prisoner. You know how he abuses the other cheer squad? He…" Marco grit his teeth, slamming the table hard enough to get River's attention.
Tom bolted up, giving Marco a focused expression. "You can go there on your own?" Marco nodded, Tom darkly smirking. "We are going to kick my pop's ass tomorrow. Don't tell Starship about this." Marco stood up, shaking Tom's hand in agreement.
"What are you two punks talking about?" River asked, coming over to their table and taking the finished plates Star left behind. Marco and Tom blinked, sitting back down as the man's tense gaze studied them both. "...If you are trying to protect Angel over there, don't worry about it. She's stronger than she lets on."
"Why do you call her that, if you don't mind me asking?" River simply closed his eyes, rubbing his stubbled chin in thought. Tom casually resumed eating his curry, seemingly knowing the answer already. River opened his eyes, smiling toward Marco and walking off toward the sink.
Marco got up and followed the man, leaning on the wall as River washed the dishes. "Cause the girl has a golden light, despite all she's been through." Marco blinked, causing River to smirk toward the boy. "Let me guess, she hasn't opened herself up to you yet?"
"Well, I just got here the other day," Marco replied, walking toward the sink and rolling up his hoodie sleeves. River simply stood back, letting the boy wash the dishes. "I… I don't know what I feel about her just yet. But I care about her." Marco took the nearby towel and dried his hands, putting the cleaned dishes on the nearby drying rack.
River simply smiled, blue eyes seemingly pleased at Marco. "Kid, I think you both will be fine." Marco simply bit his lip, eyes refusing to look in Tom's direction. River apparently caught Marco's gaze though, having a hearty laugh. "You're a different kind of punk. He's one with a good heart…" River leaned forward, having a beaming grin. "You're the dangerous kind. You're a smart punk. One that can get things done."
Marco leaned on the sink, rubbing his chin at River's comment. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Smart Punk… The kind of hero that can get out of any situation, the kind of guy that will get the girl, the kind of warrior that's willing to fight dirty… Marco felt his other self laugh darkly in agreement, a confident smirk worming its way on Marco's face. "You need help around here?"
River folded his arms, face having a questioning look. "I wouldn't pay you if that's what you're asking, kid." Marco shook his head and folded his arms, having a more focused expression.
"I'll help out around your cafe at night after school, like…" Marco thought about how long visits to that other world would take before nodding to himself. "6 pm daily. In exchange, you let me make free curry and coffee for my friends and me."
River considered Marco's suggestion before he laughed in the boy's face. Marco scowled but River was quick to put a hand on his shoulder. "You like my food that much, are you willing to do free labor?" Marco nodded, earning a thankful smile from River. "How about you start next week. Your meal tonight is on the house kid."
"Thanks, sir," Marco held out his hand, shaking it with River. The man's smile almost felt fatherly despite not being much older than him. The man's small stature did not betray his strong presence, but it wasn't suffocating or judging like every single adult he's talked to up till now. River felt like someone that respected him. And I won't misuse that respect.
They finished their handshake, with Marco going back to his table and taking the dishes there. Tom looked surprised at Marco carrying his half-finished dish but caught his knowing smirk. Tom sighed and folded his arms, simply slugging down his coffee and waiting outside for Marco.
After finishing up the remaining dishes and bagging Tom's food, he went outside and spotted Tom leaning on a nearby pole. Marco tossed Tom a brown bag, having his friend's leftover food. "Guess what? I got our supply of food. Having a feeling River's grub will give us the upper hand."
Tom raised an eyebrow, having an impressed look. "Good shit man, guess Old Man River likes you already, huh?" Marco mouthed 'yep' as the two entered Tom's car. They drove for only a few minutes before parking a few blocks away from Moon's place. Marco could feel the tense fear from Tom's end, causing him to snicker a little. "You know her sis is terrifying. She's a cop. After the shit cops did to you, shocked you are so calm living with them."
Marco folded his arms, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "She seems alright though, just very protective of her sister is all," Marco replied, though part of him felt a dark truth to Tom's comment. Worry about her turning on you later, that didn't happen yet. Marco's other self told him, causing him to blink in surprise. So even the other me feels Moon is another shitty adult… I guess I have trust issues.
Marco opened the car door and stood outside the open window. "So we'll meet up on the school rooftop and try using the app there. I'll come ready with some weapons for us, gotta fight somehow." Marco put his fist through the open crack, fist-bumping with Tom. The latter yelled 'Laters!' as he drove off, with Marco waving goodbye.
He lugged his backpack, walking toward the door frame before pausing, seeing Moon giving him a disappointed look. "Why did you come home so late? And by yourself as well, my sister came home on her own."
Come up with something! "I… I went to try out for the football team!" Marco shouted, with him inwardly slapping himself. Moon quirked an eyebrow, encouraging Marco to continue. "Yeah, the team had a pretty long meeting so I stuck around. Hung out with the current captain and hit it off with him. He seems like a good guy."
Moon sighed and tiredly rubbed her forehead. "Marco… Thomas is a trouble magnet, highly suggest you avoid being too close with him." She folded her arms, having a disapproving glare. "And you should focus on your studies, playing sports will only get you so far."
"I promised you I'll do good on tests and all that, didn't I?" Marco replied, walking toward the door frame and going inside. "Have some faith in me." Marco wanted to be snarky saying that, but his tone was just frustrated, that taking him off guard. Moon only nodded, a small smile gracing her face before she went off elsewhere.
Marco walked toward the living room couch and collapsed into it. My body hurts… Before he knew it, Marco's eyes closed shut, letting sleep overtake him. "Huh… So he went to the Neverzone too." Who was that? Marco couldn't reply, feeling utterly exhausted. He just went to sleep with an added weight on his chest. Marco couldn't help but smile, petting soft fur as he went into dreamland.
Present Day
Marco held his head, trying to stay focused as drugs in his system kept everything so hazy, the slamming at the table from Moon keeping him awake. "You are lying." Marco simply laughed, fixing himself upright and gripping the table for support.
"I'm not lying, you just aren't listening, Moon." Marco retorted, focusing on her angered blue eyes. "I told you my story would be hard to believe, yet you still wanted to listen. Either you stick around for the whole ride or just let me rot in here." He held up his wrist, showing various needle marks. "The great law already wants me dead anyway."
Moon simply sighed, a somber look on her eyes looking away from Marco. "...Fine, you gained the support from a thuggish character and a cafe owner of all people…"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Marco replied, causing Moon to look up at him dumbfounded. His battered face refused to relent, not mentioning a single name in his story but his own. Moon narrowed her eyes and passed a file over to Marco. He looked down on it and picked it up. "Oh, right. Our first target was that perverted, asshole football coach."
"That is correct, Dave Lucitor was charged with sexual assaults and child abuse charges. Care to explain how you made him confess to such crimes?" Marco leaned forward, a gleeful smile forming on his face.
"Gladly, Miss Detective."