(A/N: here is the next chapter! Originally this was originally tagged onto the end of chapter 11, but there was a definite tonal shift in the narrative, and the two chapters together were long and unwieldy, so I split them. I just wanna say that this is one of the scenes I have had written for ages so it feels good to finally have it finished. As always, a big thanks to my beta; hope you all enjoy :) )

Chapter 12

5th October 2011

Rise had explained to him before how she managed to find people in the TV, but Kanji didn't really understand it. He knew that she needed information, but it was specific personal information she needed. He had tried to tell her bits that he knew about Naoto, but it wasn't enough. Or, rather, it wasn't the right sort of information.

Kanji stood next to her in the TV word, waiting patiently whilst she scoured the area.

"So, he's hates being treated like a child… and he has an almost abnormal obsession with this case. Huh, I didn't think that Naoto would be like that. He always seemed so cool and logical..." Rise muttered to herself as she stood with her persona's visor over her eyes. Kanji thought back to how persistent Naoto was the last time they spoke. How upset he got when he thought he was holding information back from him. He said nothing.

"That way!" Rise pointed along a path as her persona shimmered and vanished.

"Then let's go!" Kanji took her hand in his and practically dragged her in the direction she had been pointing, the others following behind. Rise was running to keep up, protesting as she fought to keep her balance.

They arrived at a metal bunker, half buried in the ground. It was well camouflaged by the surreal fog and black-and-red sky of this world. They never would have just stumbled across it.

"Wow, it's all sci-fi!" Yosuke said, sounding impressed as he circled the squat grey building. "Hey, doesn't it remind you of those secret hideouts in live action shows? This has all come from Naoto's mind, right? I guess the Detective Prince isn't as grown up as he looks." Kanji inspected the odd building in front of them, and felt a faint stirring of recognition. It was kinda... cool.

"Oh yeah." A small smile formed on his lips. "I used to watch Featherman all the time when I was a kid. This is from that show, right? Look, there's the logo."

"I hear those are really tough shoots. A lot of the actors do their own stunts, like jumping through fire." Rise said, catching her breath. Her cheeks were red from exertion.

"Well, it's every man's dream to do that stuff. Right, Kanji?" Yosuke said, folding his arms, grinning. Kanji shrugged.

"I can understand that," Chie said, stretching her legs, "they are action-based, like kung-fu movies, and just the phrase "secret hideout" has this exciting ring to it." She blushed when Yu agreed with her, and rubbed the back of her head self-consciously. "Actually, when I was a kid, I had my own secret place near the mountain by Yukiko's house. I'd pretend that a legendary kung fu master was teaching me special techniques!" She laughed nervously.

"We ready?" Kanji asked, grabbing a sheet of discarded metal which was leaning against the side of the bunker. "Let's do this."


Inside the hideout was freezing. Kanji shivered, pulling his jacket close and aggressively rubbing his hands together to ward off the chill. The metal he was carrying was biting into his palms; he was having to swap hands to carry it. It was even colder in here than it was outside. Everything in here was clinical, mechanical; the walls were riveted steel panels, the floor a dull grey concrete. The light was a sickly yellow-green of halogen strip lights. He was regretting wearing glasses with tinted lenses; he could barely see. The only sign of life were the blinking lights on the many computer terminals. Stale, recycled air was being pumped around, and everything smelled of dust.

Kanji was leading the rescue, supported by Chie. Between them they were coordinating the search and rescue, ensuring that they didn't miss anything as they searched the facility. This was the first time in weeks where he didn't feel freakin' useless. He felt that he could actually do something to help, and that sudden sensation was making him feel giddy, almost light-headed. He tore through the rooms, using his natural athletic ability to his advantage, forcing open metal doors, bypassing security, going deeper into the facility. Chie was never far behind, and he was glad of her company.

As they descended deeper underground the air quality got worse, the lights began to fail, flickering, casting ghastly shadows in the large rooms. The silence was deafening, the only noises being a continuous ominous hum of machinery, the static of computers, and their own laboured breathing.

Suddenly a siren went off, the flickering yellow light being replaced with an angry red glare. Over a loudspeaker, a mechanical voice repeated WARNING WARNING INTRUDER ALERT over and over.

"Shit!" Kanji swore, eyes wild as he looked around for an immediate threat. Was there security here?

"Senpai! Behind you" Rise yelled. Kanji spun round and saw her pointing behind Yu, Yosuke and Chie. The lights were going out, one at a time with a loud thunk, the darkness approaching them at an alarming rate. Yosuke let out a yell as the darkness began to engulf them, and the three of them sprinted back towards Kanji, Rise and Yukiko. Just as they reached the group the light above them went out. Rise screamed and grabbed Kanji's arm as the six of them were plunged into pitch darkness. It was as though the power had been cut; the computer terminals spontaneously died in unison, the siren cutting out with a mechanical fizzle, before... silence.

"...everyone ok?" Yu's voice was shaky, hesitant.

"Y-yeah. That scared me…" Rise said, letting go of Kanji's arm in the dark.

Kanji could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears but didn't want to let on how uneasy he was. He felt out in the dark until he found a wall. He put his hand on it, feeling with the pads of his fingers to find the door again. There was a hiss of compressed air shifting, and a blinding beam of light as the door slid open and revealed the large room beyond.

Kanji squinted; a familiar figure stood silhouetted against the light.

"Naoto!"

"Ah, it is about time you arrived."


At first glance, the room was terrifying, like something out of a horror movie. Circular saws hung from the ceiling, their sharp edges glinting in the fluorescent lights. They were, worryingly, placed over an operating table. Bright clinical lights were blinding, especially after the gloom of the corridors; Kanji shielded his eyes, wincing in discomfort. The metal walls and rust-coloured grates on the floor added to the menace of the room, hinting at unspeakable horror. But, the more Kanji took in the hybrid of medical equipment and machinery, the more artificial it looked. Unthreatening, even. The lasers looked cartoonish and silly; even the death-trap machinery was over the top, with exposed wiring and long tubes to look more impressive than it was.

Naoto's shadow wasn't intimidating in the slightest. The oversized lab-coat covering his hands made him seem small, childish, especially when standing next to the 'real' Naoto. Kanji took a step into the room, and the Shadow burst into tears, clinging onto Naoto's arm, as though he expected to be protected by him. Kanji felt uncomfortable seeing Naoto cry. It was just his Shadow self, admittedly, but seeing that face look to be in so much pain was disconcerting. The way he was acting was so unlike anything Kanji had seen of Naoto; he couldn't imagine that something so… pathetic had come from Naoto's inner self.

"Dealing with this child has been quite a pain," Naoto said, looking at Kanji, shaking his arm to disentangle himself from his Shadow.

"No! No, no, don't go!" His Shadow wailed, tears flowing freely down his cheeks.

"It's useless speaking with you. I need to go back now, " Naoto said patiently, taking a step towards the door. His Shadow cried out again, clinging harder.

"Why? Why're you leaving me here!? Why am I always left alone!? It's so lonely… I don't wanna be alone!" Something snapped in Naoto. Kanji saw his expression change from having his patience tried to one of anger.

"You wear the same face as me, as if you're implying we're one and the same. But the difference between me and you is-" Naoto was cut off as his Shadow shoved him into the operating table in the middle of the room. He wasn't expecting the move and he collided heavily with the table edge. Kanji started forwards, but Yosuke grabbed his arm, holding him back. The Shadow stood up straight, no longer crying as he walked towards Naoto. Kanji saw his features shift from that of a petulant child into something Kanji was more accustomed to seeing; cool, collected, but uncharacteristically sneering.

"These childish gestures are no mere affectation." He said, standing over Naoto. "They're the truth. The fools all say it, don't they…? "You're only a child," "Keep out of our business, kid!" No matter how many cases you spend hours cogitating over, no matter how many crimes you solve, you're a child in their eyes. It's your brain they're interested in. The grey matter locked up in that skull." He roughly prodded Naoto's head. Naoto tried to swat his hand away.

"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 hypocrisy. You're just a lonely child." The shadow laughed, then his laugh turned into a mocking, petulant wail. "I wanna be a grown-up…I wanna be a big boy right now… Then they'll see who I am…I… I want a reason for me to stay…"

"That's enough!" Naoto snapped, holding his stomach, rubbing the sore spot where he collided with the table. "I can find my own reason for living."

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

"Stop it..." Naoto said, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

"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! Admit that there's nothing you can do about it!" The Shadow pressed a button on the side of the operating table, and the circular saw sprung to life with a high pitched whine.

"Now then! Our analysis is complete. Let us begin the body alteration procedure. You have no objections, do you… "Naoto" Shirogane?" He cackled again, a cruel, menacing laugh.

"Stop it!" Naoto, shouted, making Kanji jump. He had seen Naoto upset before, but that was nothing compared to the despair he could currently see.

"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?" The Shadow paused, clearly enjoying the stunned silence he had created. Kanji blinked. He looked at Naoto, who looked distraught, and then to Rise, who had her mouth agape.

"H-He's not a guy!?" Kanji asked Rise. She looked at him, at a loss for words. He could feel Yosuke staring at him, but he didn't know how to react. He was … surprised, sure but... That was unexpected. Was it true?

"I won't throw a tantrum. That accomplishes nothing!" Naoto said through clenched teeth. The shadow laughed, maliciously.

"How often I've heard those words from the adults."Throwing a tantrum won't solve anything, Naoto-kun," and other such bilge! They made you cry, didn't they? Yet here you are, mimicking those same men. What exactly are you trying to justify?"

"What…?" Naoto said, trying to regain composure. Even Kanji could see that he... she... was failing.

"It's all right. You needn't suffer anymore. That's why you're undergoing this body alteration procedure to begin with. You throw a tantrum, but it fails to change the situation a single bit. I can quite understand the feeling. After all, I am you."

"That's not true!" Naoto said, despair cracking her voice.

"Don't say it!" Chie shouted from the door.

"It's okay." Kanji turned to face her. "Let the kid spill the whole thing. If not, Naoto's just gonna keep hurting. We'll just do our job and kick the Shadow's ass. Yeah?" He had things to think about sure, but that could come much later. Getting Naoto out of this was way more important right now. The Shadow heard him and burst out laughing.

"As if you know anything about me! You'll kick my ass, huh? Fine, go ahead and try, you lizard-brained imbecile!"

"That's it. I've heard enough!" Kanji stepped forwards, metal sheet in hand.

"What, are you sick of yourself too?" The Shadow laughed at him, before grabbing Naoto by her shoulders and forcefully throwing her across the room, her body landing with an audible thud that made Kanji wince. He snarled and ran toward the Shadow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rise dodge past the Shadow and make her way towards Naoto.

The fight was much more painful than anything Kanji had ever experienced before, largely because the Shadow was weirdly armoured. Every punch and kick he threw hurt him in return; he stubbed his toes against the hard metal, his hands were red raw from hitting it again and again. Even if he used the metal sheet the rebound made his bones ache. Chie was similarly suffering; every kick had her wincing in pain. But eventually it was over. The Shadow fell.

"Finally!" Yosuke said, shaking his hands. Kanji made his way over to Naoto, relieved to see that Rise was with her.

"Is she ok?" Chie asked. She unceremoniously dropped to the floor and began massaging her abused shins.

"Ngh…" Naoto moaned. She was curled up tight in the corner of the room, her cap pulled down over her eyes. Rise gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey. Are you awake?" Naoto blinked against the bright lights of the facility and moaned. She looked pale. Kanji knelt by her side, putting a hesitant hand on Naoto's arm to steady her as she fought to sit up. Her skin was ice cold. He wanted to scoop her in her arms, to provide some sort of protection, but... couldn't. Not with everyone here. Not without knowing he wouldn't be pushed away. He felt himself blushing at the thought. He hoped no one noticed.

"Where am I…? I remember you all arriving, and- that's right. You saw everything…" Naoto paused, wiping her eyes from sleep, or, maybe, a few tears.

"It's alright. We will get you out of here soon-" Rise said. Naoto shook her head.

"I… I think I need to explain…"

"You don't have to. It can wait-" Kanji started to say, but Naoto cut him off.

"It is about what I told you in the club. I need... to tell you the whole story." She paused, composing herself, taking her cap off and running her hands through her short hair. "I… I lost both my parents in an accident. I was still young, so my grandfather took me in. I… I was inept at making friends… so I...I spent my time reading detective novels in my grandfather's study and wanted nothing more than to be an awesome, hard-boiled detective." Kanji saw her blush and look away. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"My parents… they were proud of their job. I had no qualms about following in their footsteps. An inherited occupation can feel stifling to many, but I welcomed it. I yearned for the day I could be a detective myself. Perhaps I inherited that desire from them as well." Naoto was focussing on the floor. She looked incredibly sad, her eyes downcast and her entire body tense and trembling slightly.

"I was always alone... and seeing that, my grandfather must have believed it was his duty to help me realize my dream. I secretly aided my grandfather with his clients, and before I knew it, people started calling me Junior Detective." A small smile appeared on her lips and she looked up, quickly looking between Kanji and Rise. "At first, I was delighted... but not everything went so smoothly."

"What was that you said about "You're only a child..."?" Rise asked gently. Naoto was visibly swaying. She tucked her knees to her chest to stabilise herself and when she spoke again there was a definite stutter to her voice.

"Not everyone welcomes my c-collaboration when it comes to s-solving cases. My status as a "child" was s-sufficient to offend many of those whom I worked with. Were that the only issue, then it would have resolved itself with time." She looked about to faint.

"Do you not like being a girl…? Is that why you always dress like a boy?" Rise asked. Kanji looked away.

"My sex doesn't fit m-my ideal image of a detective. Besides, the police department is a male-oriented society. If they had the slightest "concrete" reason to look down on me, no one would need me anymore…"

"You don't know that." Kanji said, fighting back a sudden wave of emotion he felt for Naoto. He had no idea how to articulate how he felt, but it made his voice raw. Naoto looked directly at him, and then looked at the hand on her arm as if noticing it for the first time. He hastily removed it, rubbing the back of his head. She smiled and Kanji felt his heartbeat quicken.

"You may be right." She glanced over to the crumpled form of her Shadow. It raised it's head as if aware of the attention it was receiving, and looked at Naoto, it's yellow eyes dull.

"I'm sorry… I kept ignoring you," Naoto said, raising her voice so her Shadow could hear her. "I was pretending you didn't exist. But you are me… and I am you." The Shadow stood up and limped over to where Naoto was sitting, dragging one leg as if injured. It sat down next to her. Kanji remembered what his Shadow looked like up close and felt a shiver go down his spine. There was something so uncanny about this shit.

"You've always been inside me. What I should yearn for, no, what I must strive for isn't to become a man. It's to accept myself for who I really am…" the Shadow closed its eyes, shimmered and vanished. Naoto let out a deep breath and chuckled.

"In an case, you're a devious bunch. I can't believe you kept something like this hidden for so long." She giggled and swayed again, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "…No… no wonder the perpetrator has eluded the police…but it's apparent now… this case is far from over."

"That's right… And you proved it, Naoto." Yosuke said. Naoto smiled, and then collapsed to one side. Kanji managed to catch her, putting his arm around her shoulders and having her lean on him. Her face was ashen, the dark bags under her eyes.

"We need to get her out of here." Kanji said to Yu. Naoto was breathing heavily, her eyes scrunched closed. Kanji remembered exactly how this place made you feel - she probably had one hell of a headache.


The walk back through the facility was slow going. The power had been completely cut, and that far underground there was no natural light filtering through to help them see. They were using the light from their mobile phones to guide the way. As a result they were all walking close together, with Rise at the lead in order to guide them back out.

Naoto was not in a fit state to walk under her own power, despite her weak protests to the contrary, and so Kanji carried her back to the entrance, relying on others to know where to go. He didn't think it was possible, but Naoto felt even lighter in his arms than Rise did. Naoto seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness, her head resting against his chest, and didn't participate in the conversation going on around her.

"Sheesh… She really put her life on the line for this…" Chie said, walking next to Kanji, inspecting Naoto's exhausted face from the dim light of her mobile phone.

"But without her efforts, we'd never have realized that the culprit is still at large," said Yukiko.

"You're too frickin' reckless, dammit…" Kanji said quietly to Naoto. His words were harsh, but his tone was soft.

"I… I never doubted that you'd all come for me…Although... the reality turned out to be far beyond what I'd imagined." Naoto muttered. She was awake then. Kanji clicked his tongue.

"Tch… What a dumbass. You're no genius at all. We were tearing our hair out over you…" Naoto didn't respond.

"You were very worried about her, Kanji!" Rise said from up front. He didn't realise she was close enough to hear him. He blushed.

"Shuddup! M-Mind your own damn business!" Rise giggled. Kanji was glad that he couldn't see anyone's expression.

They eventually reached the entrance, and came through in the usual place in Junes. It was late- it wouldn't be long until the store closed, but the department store was still brightly lit and the Junes jingle played on repeat. After such a long time walking in the dark, the contrast was jarring.

"Are you okay to take her home? I don't think she can go back by herself." Yukiko asked once they were away from the TV section and away from prying eyes.

"It's… all right… I can…" Naoto was weakly struggling in Kanji's hold, trying to make him put her down. He tightened his grip in order not to drop her.

"No way, missy! Don't think that doing everything on your own is the "adult" thing to do!" Rise said, shaking her finger at Naoto. "C'mon, let's go, Kanji".