NOTES: I plan on updating at least once a week, more if I can manage it, so expect the next chapter around this time next week. I also plan on doing the occasional interlude chapter or snippet, moving the viewpoint from Naoto to someone else for a bit before hopping back. They won't happen very often, but they'll be in there.
Enjoy the chapter!)
The courthouse was busy when Naoto arrived, despite the early hour. She supposed that the city's law enforcement was galvanized by the Phantom Thieves, spurred to action by their sudden rise to stardom and public favor in such a short time. That favor had only increased in the wake of Junya Kaneshiro's confession, and the Thieves were riding that wave all the way to the bank - Naoto had seen more than one sticker with their logo on it slapped onto a traffic sign or onto the side of a wall.
Her early arrival had caught her yet-unknown partner by surprise, so Naoto was passing the time by sitting in the lobby, watching prosecutors, attorneys, and police move through the building. The lobby itself was attractive and spacious, with a polished gray stone floor, green and white marble columns in the walls, and windows that let the early morning light shine in. Soon bored with the people, Naoto let her eyes wander, and they naturally found the windows. Following the streams of light down, her gaze ended up upon a state of Themis, bathed in sunlight. Curious, she stood up and walked over to get a closer look.
It stood proud and tall over the courthouse lobby, carved from a much lighter stone than the dark floor. Despite the Greek name, the statue was clearly carved in the image of a Japanese woman, with long, straight hair and a rounder mouth and cheeks. In her left hand was a broadsword, pointed down, and her right hand held aloft a set of golden scales, equally balanced. Cloth obscured her vision, as it should - the ideal of justice was blind, meting out punishments to the deserving with complete impartiality. The scales were for sorting the wicked from the innocent, and the sword was for punishing those found guilty.
If only it was so simple in the real world.
Justice, while blind, was not impartial when humans came into this mix. Corruption in the government was a common affair - the number of exposed corruption scandals was nearly at double digits already this year - and the desire for the prosecutors to rise up lead to an aggressive criminal justice system. Convictions were what mattered over justice, and prosecutors often pushed for conviction, even when the evidence pointed elsewhere or there were strings very obviously being pulled. In an environment like that, it was so easy for truth to get lost.
So what, then, is the truth?
Her dedication to the idea of truth over justice had always been strong (her grandfather had always called her a little truthseeker), but it was heavily reinforced after her time with the Investigation Team. Had they stopped reaching out for the truth for even a moment, any number of terrible events would have occurred - Kanji, Rise, or even Naoto herself would've died. Namatame would've been left for dead in the Midnight Channel. Adachi would've gotten away with his crimes. Izanami would've flooded the world with fog.
What if the Phantom Thieves are like Namatame - instigators, yes, but well-intentioned, hiding a larger threat? Who are they? How do they choose their targets?
The targets were certainly deserving of their punishments, and therein was the conflict: situations where justice was rightfully served always created a clash within her. Her sense of law, reason, and procedure fought against her innate desire to see these monstrous men put behind bars at all costs. No one would argue that the targets were even moderately good men, and even Naoto found the idea of taking down criminals with no restrictions or red tape appealing, but...
If they continue to do things their way with no consequences, how long will it be before they go too far? Who holds them in check? Who gave them the right to decide punishments for the guilty?
Police and prosecutors had laws, rules, and restrictions to ensure that justice was only reserved for the wicked and deserving. The bureaucracy and red tape could be annoying, and occasionally harmful, but the methods were in place to protect both the public and the police. Circumventing these procedures could lead to thrown out court cases, bad convictions, and innocent people being sentenced to a lifetime of social stigma.
What will happen, I wonder, when they do go too far?
There was a moment as Naoto stared into the blindfold of Themis when the world around her faded. It was just her and Themis, each sizing the other up, each studying the other intently. Naoto didn't know what she was searching for, but Themis did. Themis was testing her, making sure Naoto was ready for what was coming.
"What should I do?" Naoto whispered to the statue.
What you have always done, Themis replied without speaking, a familiar female voice echoing in her head. Seek nothing less than the final truth. Ruin is coming, awakened one, and the only one who can avert it may need your help. Find him, aid him, and turn the wheel of fate once more.
A flash of bright blue caught Naoto's eye, and she looked up to spy a small blue-winged butterfly flying through the air above the statue. Another image came unbidden to her mind as Yu's had last night, this one of wavy blonde hair and studious yellow eyes. Distantly, she heard gentle music with a piano, strings, and a single operatic singer.
The moment passed, and she was back in the courthouse, gazing at Themis. The butterfly and music had gone, just as quickly as they had appeared. How long Naoto had stood there, looking at the statue in the sunlight, was anyone's guess.
"Naoto Shirogane?"
The voice got Naoto's attention, and she turned around in time to spot a woman approaching her from the elevators. She was tall, and as she got closer, how tall became apparent - when she finally stopped in front of Naoto, she towered above her by at least a foot. Her outfit said all business, with a dark suit, black turtleneck shirt, and black heels. Her hair was long, gray, and pulled over to the left side of her head, giving her a very focused look to compliment the natural, sharp beauty of her features. It was a far contrast to Rise's gentle curves and softer features, but this woman was no less attractive in Naoto's eyes than Rise was.
Her mind must be as sharp as her cheekbones to walk around here with that much poise. Messing with her would be the last thing I ever did.
Naoto herself was dressed in a beige suit with black accents along the back half of the collar and on her wrists. She had an expertly tied gray-blue necktie to match, offsetting her dark blue hair that hung down to her waist. Her black, laced shoes were much flatter than Niijima-san's heels, but clicked no less. A respectable-looking analog watch on a brown leather wrist strap completed her outfit - a gift from Rise for Naoto's 18th birthday.
Her eyes sought out Naoto's, and the power that she felt from the woman's brown-eyed gaze would've given even Yu pause. The attitude and seriousness that resonated from her struck a chord with Naoto - it was appealing, both on a personal and professional level. Whoever this woman was, she was not here to waste time. There was a second between them as they each regarded the other, searching for anything they could use. Naoto was used to being the only person to do that in such situations, but it seemed that this woman was full of surprises.
"Sae Niijima, public prosecutor," she said with a respectable bow. "I'm running the lead on the Phantom Thieves case."
Courteous and dangerous, thought Naoto. Rise would've called her handsome. The idea almost made her smile, but she held it back for now. "Pleasure to meet you, Niijima-San." She returned Sae's bow. "Good morning, as well. I trust I'm not late?"
"The opposite, actually. You caught me by surprise." Sae turned away and gestured with her head for Naoto to get alongside her. "Walk with me." Naoto took one last glance at Themis before getting in step alongside Sae, who started to walk quickly away towards the elevators. "How much do you know?"
Naoto found herself almost jogging to keep up. Sae was clearly in a hurry. "Nothing beyond what the public knows and what your people sent me."
"Brief me, then." Sae's tone was short and to the point, but there was some kind of undertone to it. Naoto couldn't place it, but it irked her.
"The Phantom Thieves are a vigilante group that is responsible for exposing the crimes of numerous high-profile men. Their methods are unknown, and their targets turn themselves into the police, plagued by an immense sense of guilt and shame. Each target is sent a calling card, with a rough outline of their crimes and an assertion that the Phantom Thieves will 'take their heart'."
Sae nodded as they stopped outside of the elevator, and she tapped the call button. "That's the basics. You've been paying attention to the news, at least. What else do you know?" She turned to face Naoto, casting a critical eye upon her.
What else does she want to know? Is this some kind of test? Regardless, Naoto continued. "So far, every target has been deserving of punishment, and the Phantom Thieves seem to know things few others do. Their target choice has made them immensely popular in the public's opinion, and the people are inherently supportive of their actions. Everyone loves to see a villain exposed."
Seemingly satisfied, Sae gave a curt nod as the doors slid open with a ding. She and Naoto stepped in, and Sae tapped the button for the fourth floor. "I'm afraid we can tell you little more than you already know. I'm not sure how useful you'll be here, Shirogane-san, especially with Akechi-san already in town. Pardon my being so blunt, but you being here seems superfluous."
Her honesty caught Naoto off guard, and it showed on Naoto's face. That Sae was willing to be so up front about that so soon said something on how Sae felt about this entire case. Naoto wasn't sure exactly what that was. "I appreciate your candor, Niijima-san, and to be perfectly honest with you, I don't know how useful I'll be either. If nothing else, it's a fresh pair of eyes on the situation, and that never hurts."
Sae didn't respond, leading to a silent trip up to the fourth floor. The elevator opened up to reveal an airy hallway lined with doors - prosecutor's offices, likely. Naoto followed Sae out of the elevator and into one of those offices, taking a look around as soon as she walked in.
It wasn't very roomy, but it was nice, complete with an outside view. The whiteboard on the right wall caught Naoto's attention, mostly because it was covered with photos, articles, and multicolored writing, all on the Phantom Thieves. Two tall filing cabinets were in the corner, set between the whiteboard and the window, which itself had a spectacular view of the city.
Sae's desk was closer to the window, giving her lots of natural light. It wasn't messy, but it was cluttered, covered in files and papers, with a laptop open atop the desk. Two framed photos sat on the desk, facing away from Naoto. It was fairly similar to many other prosecutor offices she'd seen. "Who else knows I'm coming?"
"I didn't tell anyone," Sae said as she sat down behind her desk. Naoto took a seat in a chair in front of the desk. "And the less people know, the better. It's bad enough having one famous detective around, much less two. Akechi-san's schedule here is...inconsistent, what with all his television appearances."
Sae spat out the last sentence like a foul-tasting worm, making her distaste for Akechi's media habits clear. Was Sae jealous of the attention Akechi got, or was she frustrated at his lack of work? Given her business attitude, Naoto assumed the latter - they had a case to solve, and he was busy playing PR.
"I have no interest in the media," Naoto stated, waving her hand dismissively. "I only ever give interviews when a case is closed, or when I feel it will be useful in luring out the culprit, as I did in Inaba. My fame's only real advantage is in striking an element of fear into the hearts and minds of criminals - aside from that, it does me little good. If Akechi-san finds his fame to be an advantage for getting on TV, he may do as many of those interviews as he likes. Meanwhile, there is a case to solve, and I have no desire to waste time by talking to talk show hosts and news anchors."
Sae arched an eyebrow at Naoto's unexpectedly emphatic words. Perhaps she had not foreseen such a clear disparagement from a fellow Detective Prince, or maybe she thought that Naoto would be the same kind of attention seeker that Akechi was. Even in her younger days, Naoto had rarely sought out the spotlight, finding all the attention a detriment to her actual work. Akechi was all too willing to go on TV shows and speak to reporters; Naoto preferred to bury her nose in her work and let the results speak for themselves.
Something changed between them. It wasn't a big shift, but Sae relaxed a tiny bit, and Naoto saw the merest hint of a smile appear on her lips before it vanished to the mirthless abyss from whence it came.
"It seems were are of like minds, then," Sae said as she rifled through the folders on her desk, pulling out three of them. "And perhaps you are right. A fresh pair of eyes might do us good." She handed them to Naoto, who took them, glancing at the labels. They read, in order, KAMOSHIDA, SUGURU; MADARAME, ICHIRYUSAI; and KANESHIRO, JUNYA.
"These contain everything we have on each victim - personal files, signed confessions, and interview transcripts. Everything they told us, and that we found out, is in here."
Naoto flipped through them idly. "Very well, I'll get right to work. Thank you, Niijima-san." She glanced up to see that Sae had already turned her attention to her laptop. "Shall I leave you be?"
Sae nodded, terse, but not rude. "If you don't mind. I have other cases that require my attention."
"Of course, I understand," Naoto said as she stood, straightening her jacket with her free hand. "Can we discuss my findings over lunch?"
Another nod from Sae. "I'll see you at noon in the downstairs lobby. Don't be late."
"I'll be there. See you then." With that, Naoto gave a small bow and turned, exiting Sae's office and closing the door behind her. She let out a breath as she walked back down the hall to the elevator, intent on reading the files down in the lobby. She turned them over and over in her hands, examining their thickness. They were not as hefty as she would've liked them to be.
I don't know what I'm looking for, she mused as she descended in the elevator, but I'll know when I find it.
It was time to get to work.