Tiff

Yu led the group forward, healing them all with Saki Mitama's Medirama ability. Yosuke looked at his partner with an appreciative grin. "Thanks, Yu." The silverette nodded back, his face a static expression of seriousness and determination. The others followed his lead, respectful and loyal to their stoic leader. Of course, the truth was their leader was having an emotional thunderstorm in his head.

Stupid blue-haired dummy! Gonna get himself killed! God, I should have just kidnapped him myself when I had the chance! Instead, I sit back and twiddle my thumbs! I'm such a dumbass...

"Rise, status report." His voice was as firm and even as his face was. He watched as the idol summoned her Persona and scanned the underground facility. As she did, he couldn't help but admire a tapestry on the wall. To the others, it was just a bird symbol, probably there to help fit with the supervillain lair motif. To him, an avid fan of tokusatsu material, he recognized it as the symbol of SHOCKER from the hit TV show 'Kamen Rider.'

Yosuke was right. The pint sized detective was a bit more childish than he was willing to admit, it seemed. There was no way could deny the subtle flutter his heart felt when he realized they both enjoyed tokusatsu shows. Damn it, Naoto. Body, brains, and a love of good television? You are- He killed that thought. He really didn't need another reason to regret his choices right now. Instead, he looked at Rise, who finally seemed to have a good idea of how much further they needed to go.

"We're close! Just one more room and then we'll be right outside the end of this lab!" The Persona vanished as Rise looked at Yu with distressed irises. "But there's a lot of Shadows between us in them."

Before Yu could respond, a new voice echoed through the metal halls. "I don't care how many Shadows are in our way!" Kanji declared, stomping his way forward, shield in his hands.

"Well, looks like someone's determined," Yosuke chuckled, before following after the blonde boy.

"Whee! We're off to save the Detective Prince!" sang Teddie, skipping after the others with the ladies behind him.

Yu didn't follow after at first. His mask cracked as he gnashed his teeth and dug his nails into the palms of his hands. He wanted to kick the wall and scream out some curse words, but all he did was clam up and follow. He closed his eyes and bottled up that feeling of resentment deep inside his stomach, before opening them again. He looked calm and tranquil once more.

He found the group already in the middle of their next fight. A pack of Shadows attacked them, and in his stead, Kanji was the one leading them. He swung the metal object around, shattering skulls and breaking bones with the shield. "Get out of my freakin' way!"

Yu observed the fuming teenager, watching as he lashed out at the Shadows with torrents of electricity and wild swings of his shield. His moves were powerful, but sloppy and impractical. Out of the corner of his eye, the leader noticed several Shadows approaching him with hostile intent.

Perfect, thought Yu. He manipulated his wrathful 'friend' to serve his needs. He intentionally led the Shadows towards Kanji, putting up a superficial fight against the dark creatures, before watching the raging young man destroy them with one of his wild attacks. It was a great way to conserve energy, but it made him feel off. Unlike before, where he felt pride in his mischievous ways, this time left a bad taste in his mouth.

Naoto's fault, I'm sure...

It wasn't helping Kanji either, obviously. The young man was tiring himself out far too quickly to keep this pace up. He paid for it dearly when the final Shadow dodged his lightning bolts and raced towards his exhausted body, eager to attack. Yu considered letting the Shadow strike the young man, after all, Kanji would easily return the favor as soon as he could counterattack.

Consider this my first good deed of the week, Kanji. The older boy dashed in the way and with one mighty swing of his sword, bisected the Shadow and spared his younger compatriot some momentary pain. "You okay, Kanji?" asked Narukami, offering a hand to help the panting boy up. He took it and was hoisted up to his feet before answering.

"Y-yeah. I'm alright. Thanks, Senpai."

The idea of slamming his fist into Kanji's face briefly crossed Yu's mind. Just an easy swing of the face, right into his dumb, Naoto-loving face. It would have been the simplest thing. Instead, the senior just nodded his head and turned towards the closed, metal doors in front of them. "Naoto's in there, Rise?" I know how I feel. Even though Naoto hates me, I've fall in love with him. I get that.

"That's what it looks like, Senpai," Rise answered.

And I'd have to be as dumb as Kanji to not see he likes Naoto too. As in, almost as much as I do. Just admitting it was enough to make Yu sick to his stomach. And considering Naoto, again, hates me, that could lead to him ending up with Kanji. The idea of them holding hands, going on dates, KISSING... Fuck, it actually makes me mad and gross inside. Mad and... Is this what jealousy feels like? It freakin' sucks...

"Senpai? You okay?" asked Kanji. Yu's mind snapped out of his trance and he gave a reflexive nod. Without another word, he started walking towards the door. The others followed, and soon the doors slid open with a low hiss.

"Naoto!" Kanji shouted as they ran inside. Yu would have been annoyed at his pining, had he not been distracted by the Detective Prince and his clone standing before them.

"Ah. It's about time you arrived. Dealing with this child has been quite a pain," the real Naoto sighed, unceremoniously walked away from her Shadow and towards the group.

Yu was floored by his callous behavior, before everyone was distracted by the doppelganger. He recalled his first look at Naoto's Shadow just a couple of days ago. The 'true self' appeared on the Midnight Channel, announcing something called the 'Genome Project' and talking like a supervillain from Neo-Feathermen. Now that he was facing the copy in the flesh, he realized his worst fears were true.

He looks really hot in that lab coat. Like, seriously. Really hot. God, the fact that his arms don't even reach the sleeves should make it less hot, but they don't. They just him look hotter. God help me, my life is struggle.

Then, the copy spoke. "No! No, no, don't go!" He sobbed, and Narukami felt a knife impaled his heart. That sight was as baffling as it was heartbreaking, neither feelings Yu was accustomed to. Naoto looked so small in that lab coat, so weak, like he needed to be saved, as if calling for help. He looked like a crying child, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded for the real thing to stay.

The genuine Naoto turned to stare his copy down, replying formally and maturely, like a parent scolding a child. "It's useless speaking with you. I need to go back now..."

"Why? Why're you leaving me here!? Why am I always left alone!?" The Shadow wrapped his arms around himself, and for the first time Yu felt pity for the poor thing. Never before had he felt pity at these self-proclaimed 'true selves.' They were annoying enemies, threats to his life, or hilariously stupid manifestations of insecurity, but Naoto's Shadow, much like the real thing, was so different from everything he was used to. Again, the rules of life changed and it was all because of the Detective Prince. "It's so lonely... I don't wanna be alone!"

"N-Naoto...?" He couldn't stop his voice. He just wanted to hug the sobbing bluette and promise him he wouldn't leave again. God damn it, Naoto! What is it about you that makes me fall apart?! Even your Shadow wormed his way into my head... He had abandoned Naoto. This sobbing Shadow was a manifestation of a life of abandonment, and he was just another link in that chain.

And he hated himself for it.

To his credit, Naoto was as calm as ever. The way he spoke, even the way he just stood there, it showed poise and maturity. If the Shadow's words were affecting him, he hid it well. "You wear the same face as me," he observed. "It's as if you're implying we're one and the same, but the difference between me and you is-"

"These childish gestures are no mere affectation… They're the truth!" And just like that, a coin was flipped. Gone was the sobbing of a scared infant, gone were the pleading for companionship and friendship. Suddenly, the Shadow's face contorted and shifted into a unsettling glare. It was as if a mask melted off of his face, or maybe, this face was the mask..

"The fools all say it, don't they…? 'You're only a child,' 'Keep out of our business, kid,' and so forth! No matter how many cases you spend hours cogitating over, no matter how many crimes you solve, you're a child in their eyes." Naoto wore a mask of maturity, but if the Shadow was speaking the truth, and they always did, he had learned, then Naoto wore it like a mask, wanting to appear mature and confident against those who would disregard him for his age.

Guess, we both have our masks, thought Yu.

The Shadow continued, and despite not even facing the Investigation Team, they could all see the words were leaving cuts. Every sentence seemed to end with a slash at the real Naoto's skin, making him flinch and recoil, until he was shaking where he stood. "It's your brain they're interested in. The grey matter locked up in that skull. As long as they need it, you're an ace detective! But once you're done, it's back to the playpen with you. You haven't the means to deal with society's two-faced nature… You're just a lonely child!"

"Naoto..." Yu repeated, stepping forward. If Naoto had noticed him, he didn't show it. Neither of them did. The Shadow just changed masks again and began to cry, breaking Yu's heart again. The sight of even Shadow Naoto tearing up was enough to make him feel guilt stab at his heart and soul. He winced at the sight of the poor bluette, his mask cracking.

"I wanna be a grown up... I wanna be a big boy right now... Then they'll see who I am," he whimpered, wiping the glistening teardrops from his golden eyes. Yu hated seeing him like that, so sad and lost. He pleaded to himself, begged himself to just walk forward and embrace the sobbing bluette. His body held firmly in place, deaf to his commands. "I... I want a reason for me to stay!"

Stay... A reason to stay? Naoto, I'm so sorry... Whether you liked me or not, I doubt my presence in your life made it any easier. I doubt it gave you any reason to stay...

"That's enough. I can find my own reason for living," retorted Naoto, but the statement didn't hold the same iron control it used to. He was wavering.

"Hah… I'm telling you that's impossible. You are but a child. How can you change that essential truth?" The clone stepped forward.

"S-stop it!" Naoto stepped back, trembling.

"At your core, you admire the sort of "strong" and "cool" men who populate detective fiction. But in trying to emulate them, you must know that in truth, you're nothing of the sort - you're a child. There's no avoiding first principles... Admit that you're a child, and admit that there's nothing you can do about it!" The replica dramatically declared, pointing at the Detective Prince.

Naoto...

"Now then! Our analysis is complete. Let us begin the body alteration procedure. You have no objections, do you… "'Naoto' Shirogane?" The way he said that name... It had a secret. Yu's brow furrowed as he watched the real Naoto freak out, seemingly terrified of whatever secret the Shadow knew.

"Stop it!" screamed Naoto, pleading, demanding for the copy to stop this.

He did not. "'Naoto...' Such a cool, manly name! But a name doesn't change the truth. It doesn't let you cross the barrier between the sexes. How could you become an ideal man, when you were never male to begin with?"

...Huh? Yosuke and Kanji were saying something. Honestly, Yu wasn't really paying attention. He felt his mouth stretch open slightly, before he closed it and swallowed spit up. His mind tried to process this, tried to understand just what had been said. Never male? Naoto's a girl? He's been lying this whole time... He's... He wore a mask? Like... me?

I... Shit... Yu took a moment to examine himself. He thought about his feelings for Naoto, his love and admiration for the Detective Prince. He thought about their time together. Their dates and that kiss. That wonderful, passionate kiss...

He felt a tinge of anger. Not at the betrayal or the lying. That would have simply been hypocritical of him. After all, how many times had he lied to others in his life? An immeasurable amount. No, he was mad at the fact that his love for Naoto Shirogane was still there. He still loved Naoto Shirogane. Actually, if it was possible? He was even more in love with hi- er... Her.

She had lied, she had pretended to be something she wasn't. What it wrong to look at her like a kindred spirit now? Was it wrong to want to know more about the 'real' Naoto? If it was, he didn't want to be right. All he wanted was to be with Naoto...

Damn it, I have it bad. I've never felt this way about anyone before, but freakin' Naoto... I've only known her a few months and she changes everything... It was an epiphany he had again and again, but it didn't change the simple fact that Naoto Shirogane made him feel things he never had before. It was amazing.

Yu was knocked out of his contemplation by a new voice yelling. No, it wasn't new. It was Naoto's real voice. She... she sounded like a girl. A cute, young woman. She screamed at her reflection, her hands balled into fists, as all sense of control she thought she had, both on the situation and on herself, was destroyed.

"That's not true!"

Yep. That'll do it...

A blue flame engrossed the Shadow, consuming her body as she cackled. The others were talking, but Yu didn't pay attention to them. Instead, he looked at his sword and then at the fainting detective. The grip on the hilt tightened as he dashed in front of his group.

"I will face her myself."

"Wait, what?!"

"Senpai?!"

"Dude?"

"I will face her myself," Yu repeated. He wanted to come up with some kind of lie or reasoning for why he wanted to do this. Honestly, he wasn't even sure himself. It just felt like... like the right thing to do. "Kanji." Good ol' Kanji. Dumb and loyal. Don't fail me now, stupid. "Make sure no one helps me. I need to do this myself."

His silver eyes met Kanji's aqua ones. For a moment, he feared the idiot could see the fear and anxiety in his soul. Instead, the younger boy just nodded his head with a frown on his face. "I don't really get why you wanna do this, Senpai, but... okay."

"What?! Have you guys lost it?!" Yosuke exclaimed, glaring at the two.

"This is Senpai's choice. I don't really know why, but we should respect him." Kanji crossed his arms and nodded solemny. "Go get her, Senpai."

Never gonna hear that again, the silverette thought before he turned to the laughing Shadow.

"The sycophant wishes to fight me? How utterly anomalous! I would never think he could bring himself to do anything for others! But I accept your boon, deceiver!" The blue fire turned into an obsidian flame as she laughed. The darkness held her, only releasing her after she had transformed into her new form. One that left Yu with mixed feelings.

Holy shit. That's fucking Kikaider. Wow. Naoto really does like tokusatsu stuff. That was his first thought. The second was, is it wrong to be a little attracted to her as a robot? I mean, robots are cool and... Focus, damn it!

"Come, sycophant. Allow me to begin your body altercation process. I shall transmogrify you into a corpse!" The robot's gears and cogs whizzed and hummed as she flexed her robotic limbs, flying into the air thanks to her jetpack.

Charming. "Persona!" Yu announced, crushing a card in his fingers as Izanagi formed above him. "Go!" Izanagi shot forward, assaulting the Shadow with a powerful tackle. The two flew back crashing into the back wall as Yu ran after his Persona. "All of you, stay here! Do not help me!" he demanded, sounding angrier than any of them had ever heard. "Change! Kin-ki!" Ha. Kinky... Focus, Yu!

The masked Persona suddenly vanished, allowing Shadow Naoto a moment to recompose herself. It was ended when a golden fist shot for head metal head, actually shattering the steel wall behind her and sending her body falling into the next room. Yu ran through the hole that was made and looked down at the stunned Shadow. A quick scan of the room revealed it also resembled a laboratory, with beeping consoles and flashing lights decorating the walls. Besides that, it was a mostly empty room, perfect for their fight."Keep up the assault, Kin-ki!"

The golden Persona obeyed, dashing forward to punch her again, only for the robot to suddenly fly out of the way, dodging the attack and maneuvering behind Kin-ki. "Reprehensible cur!" The loud hum of her laser guns filled the air, before unleashing a powerful energy blast, knocking Kin-Ki into the wall. Yu nearly fell to the ground in pain as his back burned, as though he had been hit by the same blast.

"D-damn it... Change! Black Frost!" The golden Persona vanished, and was replaced by a small, black skinned imp-like creature. "Agidyne!" The imp laughed, before unleashing a blast of fire from his hands. The Shadow dodged it though, zooming over and around the small imp with amazing speed. Yu saw her pull her leg back, before swinging it forward, kicking Black Frost like a soccer ball.

"Ahh!" Yu fell onto his knee as he struggled to compose his breathing, hand on his rib. "S-shit... You're tough!"

"You are just like the adults. Using me as a tool, a means to further your own selfish needs! I will no longer be used and cast aside like some arbitrary whim! Laser Beam!" Shadow Naoto's eyes glowed brightly, turning a bright green as she glared at Yu.

"Shit, shit, shit! Black Frost!" The silverette summoned his Persona once more and commanded it as the mech opened fire. The green beam shot forward as the imp cast his own spell.

"You believed your own lies when you thought you could beat me, Narukami... What the-?! Inconceivable!" She saw her attack go forward, but it suddenly stopped as steam filled the large room. The beam was seemingly cut apart, with random partial beams firing all throughout the room. Some even hit her, knocking her against the wall. "But how?! Wait... Of course!"

The steam cleared, revealing a smiling Yu Narukami and his shield. A large crystal of ice sat in front of him, nearly completely melted now. "Pretty clever, huh? Using Black Frost's ice powers, I made a crystal to refract the laser around the room! Leaving myself unscathed." Yu posed a bit, allowing himself a bit of swagger. "Admit it, babe. You're impressed, huh?"

"More repulsed than anything else. Even now you hide behind bravado and that pompous mask! You are a living lie, much like myself. You conceal yourself behind a wall of affectations and facades, lying to yourself, trying to be what you could never be, just like I! Your words and actions, your very voice, hold a level of pretension that betray your true self. Ostentation! You display intellect and wisdom when you nary have enough for yourself, fool!"

Her words crushed Yu under their weight, piling on top of each other more and more. He ground his teeth as he looked to the ground. The robotic menace expected he would soon begin shouting, arguing against her and denying the accusations. Instead, he mumbled something under his breath as a card was crushed in his hands.

"What did you say, sycophant?"

"I said, bufula." Black Frost appeared between the two, giggling wildly as he danced. Suddenly, a powerful gust of cold air and snow bashed the robot against wall again. Icicles and frozen particles clung to her metal form, sticking her against the wall despite her struggling. Her entire body, save for her head, was covered in ice and stuck to the wall. Both of them knew the ice wouldn't hold for long, so Yu ran forward. "Give me a lift!" He commanded, and Black Frost bent down, allowing himself to become a platform for Yu to jump off of.

He landed on the icy wall, fingers and shoes digging into the icy frost. It stung his hands and it chilled his skin, but he needed to do this. He needed to look Naoto, even if it was just her Shadow, in the eyes for this. He leaned closer, the sound of ice cracking already echoing through his ears. Their faces were inches apart.

"What are you-"

"Naoto! I'm sorry!" He shouted. He flinched slightly at the sound of his voice, but continued in a more controlled, yet panicking voice. "I'm sorry. You're completely fucking right. I am a liar. I do fake being brave and wise and- and all of that shit. You're completely fucking right!" He cried, glaring into Naoto's optics. He released the ice covered walls and placed his hands on her large, robotic head. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as he continued his confession. "And I love you. I'm not fucking lying when I say that." He was shaking. It wasn't from the cold.

If Naoto had any reaction to his words, her smooth, detail-less face hid it all. She merely stared at him as he trembled. The only sign of her reaction was the silence that took the room. She wasn't fighting to break out for the moment.

"I love you. I've fallen for you, and I can't stop thinking about you. I'm in love with you, because for the first time in my life, someone isn't happy with the mask I wear. You can see right through me. You can tell I'm lying and... and that scares me, because you're not like anyone I've ever met before! But that's why I love you! Because you're... you. You made me fall in love with you, you stupid, idiot and... and... You're not even going to remember this, but I had to tell you, but I couldn't because I'm scared. I'm terrified to tell the real you. I don't fear girls, I never did, but you are different. I love you..."

Without another word, he leaned forward and pressed his dry lips against the smooth metal of her face. He kissed the Shadow, eyes closed, lips sealed, kiss fleeting. It barely lasted a second, but it felt like all the time in the world. Naoto, the Shadow, her true self, gave a quiet hum. Her arm suddenly shattered the ice prison, gun raised to the air.

It hummed with energy.

Izanagi... Ziodyne.

Izanagi obeyed.

Yu Narukami sat alone in his room. The lights were on as he silently stared at his phone. He stared at the contact on it, the name and number highlighted as he contemplated his next move.

He closed his eyes as his finger hovered over the call button. He was unaccustomed to hesitation, but now it was just another new feeling Naoto had indirectly forced him to get used to. He gently raised his head up, before dropping it onto his pillow in frustration. He let out a heavy sigh and swore to himself, before pressing down on the button.

It rang. Once. Twice.

Come on, bimbo, pick up...

"Hello?"

"Rise." He didn't sound happy. He tried to, he really did, but all he could let out was frustration and anger. "Can we talk tomorrow? I need some... advice."

God damn it...

END

Three things.

1. This chapter was a BEEYOTCH to write. Still not a 100% happy about it, but eh. Hopefully it'll be okay. I'll certainly be looking through it again later with a fresh perspective.

2. More on Naoto's rescue will be expanded on in the next couple of chapters.

3. Next chapter will be a very special chapter. The first of a set number of chapters dealing with Yu Narukami revealing his true self to the rest of the cast. Hopefully it'll be up soon! Get excited for the next chapter, Rise - Confidant.

My girlfriend's waiting for me. I got to go! I'll double check this chapter for errors when I get back. Super sorry. Have a great day, everyone! Please leave a review if you can! Bye!