Author's Note: I messed up and titled Chapter 4 as Chapter 3. Apologies if anyone was confused by the email saying there was a second chapter 3.
...
"This outfit's starting to get tight... Did they get bigger again?"
"Huh? Speak up, Panther, that sounds like vital information!"
Makoto and Akira swapped glances with each other and the Shadow who had come running up in front of them, before Akira subtly held up three fingers, silently counting down "three, two, one..."
"That wasn't an excuse to look at them!"
"Hey! It's a great view!"
Akira honked the horn, elicting a yelp from Morgana and causing the Shadow who had decided to step in front of the car to hear them better to run away in a panic.
"What was that for?" Morgana complained.
"It was in the way."
Makoto sighed and looked out the passenger window, a finger pressed against her forehead.
Sometimes I don't understand how we manage to work as a team, she thought. Then she noticed Akira's reflection in the window smirking, causing her to smile and turn back from the window to look out of the front of the car.
Their team was a dysfunctional one, but was a good one nontheless.
"Fox?" she asked, turning around, only to see him engrossed in working on a sketch again, the irritation from the rather bumpy ride showing under his mask, a small light he'd borrowed from Akira illuminating his sketchbook.
"He's drawing again," she said as she turned back around to face the front of the car.
"Any idea what?" Akira asked.
"No. I couldn't see."
"Oh."
Makoto spotted something shiny ahead. "I think that's a treasure chest."
"It is. Nice work, Queen." She hoped the darkness would hide her blush from what he said.
Akira pulled the car up next to the treasure chest and hopped out to open it up.
"Anything cool in there?" Ryuji called out as Akira grabbed out a padlock from the treasure chest.
"Just another one of those unopenable padlocks," he explained as he hopped back into the car.
"We can at least sell it for some yen," Morgana pointed out.
"Indeed. We could use some more money," Yusuke mumbled to himself.
"Shadows ahead," Morgana warned, causing the group to look up.
A single Shadow was standing in front of them, staring at the car.
"I think it's the same one as before," Akira observed.
"How can ya tell? They all look the same to me."
"It's staring at Panther."
The car was silent for a moment. Until a voice spoke up from behind Akira.
"We should take care of it then. Panther seems uncomfortable," Yusuke said.
"Right. Queen, Skull, Panther, with me." The four of them got out of the car and began to walk up towards the Shadow, which morphed into the form of a Heavenly Punisher.
"Queen, you ready?" Akira asked.
"Of course. Skull, Panther, stand back."
"What was the point of having us come with you, then?" Ryuji moaned.
"You dare stand in my way?" the Punisher boasted. "I will crush you!"
"Good luck with that." Akira ran forward, only to get swatted away by the Punisher, as part of the plan.
What wasn't part of the plan was for Akira to be sent head first into a column by the Punisher.
"Joker!"
"Ah, shit. Joker!"
"And you!" the Punisher turned towards Makoto, pointing its sword towards her. "You are next!"
Akira...
The Punisher drove its sword towards Makoto.
"Queen, look out!" Ann called out.
This time, Makoto didn't try to block it, instead dodging to the side and breaking the sword in half with a single, furious uppercut.
Please be okay.
"What?!" the Punisher roared, backing away from Makoto. "What are you?"
Makoto didn't answer. Just started advancing forward towards it.
"Why can a-" the creature's question was cut off as Makoto pulled out her revolver and shot a buillet into its wing, knocking it to the ground and onto one knee with a howl.
"Mercy," it demanded.
Makoto kicked its leg, driving it onto both of its knees.
"Mercy!" it cried out.
Makoto slugged it in the abdomen area, doubling it over onto its hands and knees.
"Mer...cy," it begged.
Makoto delivered a final uppercut to its head, reducing the creature to nothing.
"Yeah... We should not get on her bad side," Ann stated.
Makoto didn't stop to call them over, instead walking over to where Akira's slumped form lay and kneeling next to him, putting her gun away as she did.
"Akira...?" she whispered, pulling his arm up to check his wrist.
There's a pulse. Thank God.
"Is Joker alright?" Ryuji asked as he and Ann walked over to where he was lying.
"Yes, but he's lost consciousness. Bring the car around, quickly," she ordered them.
"On it. I'll drive."
"No, I'll drive, Queen."
"What's wrong with me driving?!" Ryuji snapped as he and Ann ran back to the Morganamobile.
No bleeding... He might have internal injuries, however. We will need to have him checked out by a doctor. We'll need to tell Sojiro, and someone will need to stay with him overnight to make sure he's alright, Makoto thought as she waited, attempting to ward off the rising fear she felt.
What's taking them so long?!
The screeching of tires told them the car had arrived. "Is Joker okay?" Morgana asked.
"I don't know. He seems to be, I can't see any bleeding," she explained. "Skull, help me put him in the passenger side. I'll drive us out of here."
"Why have I got to do everything?" he complained. To his credit, he at least was able to look guilty and mumbled out a sheepish apology when Makoto glared at him.
"Hmm?" Yusuke put down his sketchbook as Ryuji and Makoto moved Akira into the car. "Is Joker alright?"
"He got knocked out by one of the Shadows," Ann quickly explained as Makoto buckled Akira in, before moving back to sit in the driver seat.
"Panther, swap seats with Skull and make sure Joker stays steady and upright," Makoto told them.
"Got it, don't worry Queen."
"Everyone else, fasten your seatbelts." Makoto took hold of the steering wheel. "Mona, gun it."
...
"How is he?" Yusuke asked as Makoto and Ryuji set Akira down on the bed.
"His pulse is fine, and he isn't bleeding on his head. But he may have internal injuries," Makoto explained.
"There's a clinic nearby that Akira's been helping. The doctor there might be able to help," Morgana said.
"Where? Can you take Ryuji there?" Makoto asked.
"Do I have to?"
"Why do I have to go with him?"
"Enough." Both Morgana and Ryuji flinched and looked at Makoto. "Our leader is hurt. This is not the time for arguing about having to go places with people we don't get along with."
"It's not like-" Morgana's protest was cut short by a glare. "Right... Come on, Ryuji," he said, hopping off Akira's bed and over to his bag and hopping into it.
"We'll bring the doctor here, count on it," Ryuji said as he picked up the bag and set off down the stairs.
"The rest of you should head home, then. I'll stay here with Akira and explain the situation to Boss."
"Are you sure, Makoto?" Ann asked.
"Yes. One of us needs to stay here."
"Shouldn't it be an unanimous vote?" Yusuke asked.
"It should, right?"
Makoto sighed. "Then we'll wait for Ryuji and Morgana to come back, then."
...
"So you said he tripped and fell into a lamppost, head first?" Tae asked as she moved Akira's head around, inspecting him.
"Yes, that is what happened."
"Hmm... I can't see any injuries. But you'll have to leave him be, unless you want to take him to the hospital to get checked out properly," she told them.
"Is there nothing at all you can do for him?" Makoto demanded.
"No." Tae stood up and faced the group, eyeing them skeptically. "I don't have the equipment needed to check for internal injuries. Your best hope is to just leave him be until he wakes up. He should be able to tell you his condition then." Tae began to walk past them, only to be stopped by Makoto grabbing her arm.
"You have to help him. Please."
Tae gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, there's nothing more I can do right now." Sliding her arm free of Makoto's loosened grip, she continued walking past them until she began walking down the stairs, leaving the group to stare at Makoto, who was looking worriedly at Akira.
"Makoto..." Ann began, walking up next to her. "Are you okay?"
Makoto let out a frustrated sigh, but then took a deep breath in and turned to look at the rest of the group. "I am okay. But we need to decide who's going to stay with Akira and give the rest of us updates, since Morgana can't use a phone," she said, cutting off Morgana's immediate rebuttal. "I would propose it should be me."
"Why can't we all stay?" Morgana suggested.
"Because too many of us staying up here would make Sojiro suspicious. I know how to make sure he is comfortable and how to help him if he gets worse and can always call the hospital if he needs it," she explained.
The group was silent for a moment, until a voice piped up behind Ryuji. "I agree. Makoto seems best suited to this after all."
"Thank you, Yusuke." Makoto looked at the remaining three.
"Yeah, Makoto should be fine.
"Gah... Fine."
"Okay then, Makoto will stay here.
"Thank you. I'll go and let Sojiro know. You should all start heading for home." The group slowly started to disperse, leaving only Ann, Makoto and Morgana in the room.
"Makoto... Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Ann asked.
"Yes." Makoto gave her a weak smile. "It's him I'm more worried about."
"I know. But he'll be fine," she tried to say reassuringly. When that failed, she simply gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and said her goodbyes.
Once the jingle of a bell told him they had left, Makoto let out a exhausted sigh and collapsed to her knees. "That took so long..."
"You aren't the only one worrying, you know," Morgana reminded her.
"I know..." Makoto turned around to look at the form of Akira, who was still out, from the looks of it. "I better go tell Sojiro." Staggering up to her feet, she walked over to the stairs and started walking down them to speak to Sojiro.
"...Yeah, kid's doing alright. Been on top of his schoolwork, so can't complain."
"I see. My sister has-Makoto?"
Any other day, Makoto would've panicked upon seeing Sae in Leblanc. But today, after all the worrying and fear and more worrying, all she could think was how this made things easier.
"Sis?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing. What were you doing up there?" Sae demanded.
"I was helping a friend study." Makoto turned to look at Sojiro. "Will I be okay to stay here? Akira hurt his head pretty badly and I want to make sure he's okay if he wakes up in the night."
"No you won-"
"Sure." Sojiro turned to look at Sae. "I trust that kid. Nothing will happen. Now, are you going to finish that coffee or should I charge you for wasting my beans?"
"...Fine. But you come straight home as soon as you know he's okay," Sae told her.
Makoto nodded. "Thank you, Sae, Sojiro."
...
His head hurt.
His head hurt a lot.
That was the first noticed Akira as he began to wake up. Slowly cracking his eyes open, he noticed it was dark, very dark.
Why was it so dark?
He vaguely recalled that he and Makoto were going to perform their fake out combo they had created for countering Heavenly Punishers, but after that... Nothing.
Was he still in Mementos?
No. A quick glance upwards told him he was back in the real world.
If it was dark then...
The café! He must not have locked up!
He tried to move, only to notice two things.
One, there was a small weight on his chest.
Two, something was holding his hand.
Using his free hand, he poked the weight on his chest. It began to move, uncurl, ask for five more minutes of sleep.
Akira smirked. That must be Morgana, he realised.
Then who was holding his hand?
Akira turned his head to look at where his hand was being gripped from. He couldn't tell much from here, but whoever it was had brown hair...
"Akira?" Morgana asked.
"What happened, Morgana? How did I get here?"
"You took a pretty bad hit to the head when that Punisher threw you aside. Makoto's basically been by your side since we got back," he explained.
Then that must be Makoto.
"Makoto?" he asked, getting a tired mumbled in response.
"She must've been about to fall asleep. She's been awake there since the others left."
"...Akira?" she asked, sitting up straight from where she had slumped on the chair from falling asleep.
"Hey. Are you okay?" he asked.
"I should be asking you that. How are you feeling?" she asked back.
"Head hurts. But I'm fine," he said, moving up into a sitting position
"No headache or dizziness?"
"Nope."
"Good." Without warning, Akira found himself getting hugged by Makoto, causing him to let out a brief squeak. "I was worried... The doctor who came by said all we could do was wait for you to wake up..."
"I'm awake now." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, comforting her. "Are the others alright?"
"Yes, although I had to use the charger for your phone since I forgot to bring mine." She held her phone out to him. "Anything you want to tell them?"
Akira smirked and blushed slightly, and typed something out and hit send on Makoto's phone, before passing it back to her.
"W-why did you put that?" Makoto squeaked upon reading it, the phone light revealing her blush.
"Because it's true."
"B-but they don't know! You can't just send 'Makoto looked adorable today' without context!" Makoto furiously typed a message and sent it, before letting out a sigh. "We still need to talk about it ourselves..."
"Well..."
"Akira, no. You need to rest."
"I'm fine, Makoto. Besides, why not?"
"Because..."
"I'm going back to sleep." Morgana walked down to the bottom of the bed and settled down. Makoto and Akira looked at him, then at each other.
"Makoto..." Akira gently took her hand with his, crossing his legs and turning to face her. "We've known each other, for so long..."
Makoto rolled her eyes and giggled. "And you're never gonna give me up?"
"Never gonna let you down either," Akira said, his smile eventually breaking as he started to laugh.
Makoto started laughing as well. Eventually, it subsided, and the two stared at each other, the light of her phone illuminating their faces.
"God... I love you, Akira," she told him, a warm blush creeping up their faces as his smile returned and grew wider.
"I have an idea."
"I think I know what this is, and-"
"If you don't want to, we don't have to, we can just keep dating..."
"Yes, I want to. But we should tell them first." Makoto picked up her phone with her free hand, she brought it up to their faces and turned it around, allowing Akira to type a message and send it.
"So..." Makoto said, turning the phone around for her to read it. "It's official. We are a couple."
"Yeah."
...
Author's Note: Attendum 23/3/19: I am not sorry at all for that reference.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. One more to go now. It's been fun writing this.