SIX – EPISODE ISCARIOT
"About what we were talking about," said Tetsuya as he dropped the remnants of his cigarette, crushing the glowing embers under his tennis shoes. Mitsuru had walked out of the building, and into the night air. "What do you recall?"
"...not much," she replied. "The details are hazy. A doorway of blue light, and somebody telling me about the 'history of the arcana.'"
Tetsuya nodded. "Fits our records. Of which there isn't a whole lot. The proprietor of the Velvet Room hasn't dealt with us directly since the first Juno, hundreds of years back."
"...I still don't quite understand. What relevance does my dream have to this current situation?"
"We have reason to believe that Arisato-san was contacted by the same man you met in your sleep," said Tetsuya. He rubbed his eyes. "I spent the last few hours looking over our databases. He has a habit of being personally involved in the lives of those much like Arisato-san. You know, savior-types."
"Why did he choose Minato then?" asked Mitsuru. "Why couldn't he have chosen anybody else to sacrifice?"
Tetsuya shook his head. "Igor doesn't choose anything. All he does is enable the better parts of humanity the power they need to do what is right. Minato chose redemption, and so Igor gave him the power to redeem." He fixed a steady gaze on Mitsuru. "So, of course, you know what I want to ask you."
She glared back at him. "The Kirijos are not the Nanjos, Juno. We stand by the world, not from it. If... if it comes to that, I won't shirk from my duty. Minato certainly didn't."
Tetsuya laughed. "I'm glad to hear it! But, with luck, it won't come to that. My brother rarely fails at his endeavors. When you next see Igor, put in a good word for us Junos, eh?"
Sudden gunfire from the other side of the building. The sharp staccato of automated weaponry.
"Of course, first we have to survive the night."
"Not a single casualty," said Alex admiringly. "Between Miss Yamagishi, Miss Takeba, and Aigis, we've got the enemy in check, and barely a scratch to show for it."
"Oh great," griped Tetsuya as he cocked a pistol, stashing it into a shoulder harness. "I was hoping we'd put up less of a resistance, actually."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Because I don't want them to get too desperate."
A gout of flame barely missed them. The walls of the warehouse crumbled apart, revealing the green-black skies above.
A figure was afloat, framed by the too-large moon. An angel's smile on his face.
A devil's fury emanating out.
"...yep, time to get to business."
"This is going to hurt again, isn't it?" griped Junpei as they stared up.
"We should be done soon!" yelled Tetsuya from the roof. "Just keep my men- oh, and the Kirijo agents- alive."
"Yeah, easier said than done, you jerk! Trigmegistus!" A flash of purple haze illuminated the building as defensive wards activated.
"Juno-san," said Fuuka, her disembodied voice echoing in his head. "He noticed you."
"That's the point," said Tetsuya as he waved at the moon-lit figure. "Hey, you! Yeah, you so-called Messiah. Back off, and you won't get hurt!"
A column of blinding flames was Minato's response, smashing straight into Tetsuya.
"Takeba!" yelled Mitsuru. "Heal him! I'll-"
"The only one that's going to need healing is him," said a familiar voice.
Tetsuya floated above Minato, fire flickering off his bared shoulders like wings. His hand held a heavy revolver.
Click- bam.
He was reborn into comforting darkness.
His eyes stirred. The lids opened, slowly. Viscous liquid embraced him. Slowly, light trickled in through the turquoise murk. The water drained, tubes retracted. Dull ache as his nerves woke in protest.
His first thought was "I'm alive."
His second thought was "This is wrong."
"Well, shit."
The bullet was met with another gout of incandescent flame, burning away at the slug of lead until nothing was left but smoke. Though Tetsuya was unharmed, his gun had suffered the same fate.
Minato's impassive face remained unchanged as a great serpent of ice crystals crashed down on Tetsuya, smothering his fire, and sent him to the ground with a loud, meaty thud.
"Tetsuya!" barked Mitsuru as she rushed next to him. "Tetsuya, you idiot! Hold still, I'll-"
"Don't!" he coughed, blood leaking out of the corners of his mouth. "No- no time. My brother- protect-"
An inhuman howl reverberated out of the warehouse- waves of black despair shattered the windows, twisted lamp posts. The sonic scream sent men crashing to their knees.
"...no. Mitsuru-san, help me up."
"You have at least one punctured lung, Tetsuya-"
"GET ME INTO THAT WAREHOUSE!"
Carnage littered the facility. Bodies, decayed and disfigured as if from a malevolent poison.
"Your friends are holding up admirably, Miss Kirijo," said Alex, facing away from them and towards the apparatus. "Nobody outside has died yet- they even seem to be holding Arisato's clone at bay."
"You idiot," coughed out Tetsuya. "I suspected it, but I couldn't trust myself. I thought you wouldn't-"
"Why, because I'm your brother? Only shades of gray, Tetsuya."
"Why?" demanded Mitsuru as she supported Tetsuya. The din of battle nearly drowned out her question. "What could you possibly gain from resurrecting him?"
"The world is falling apart," said Alex. "It's not misanthropism, Tetsuya, please don't misunderstand. It's just that, even if you give humankind credit for all the good it's done, the world is still dying so long as we're on it. I have to hit the reset button- when Nyx is done, the machine will activate, and humankind can try again, this time a little smarter, this time a little more sane. And the world will keep on turning."
"Sane?" said Tetsuya grimly, blood and spittle leaking out between tightly clenched teeth. "Fuck you, Alex. You're worse than Grandfather was."
"I'm sorry, Tetsuya. But I'm trying to save the world here."
"Fuck that!" A shot roared out...
...and stopped a millimeter in front of Ryoji's unfocused eyes.
The shadows of the remnants of the warehouse twisted and warped, malevolent tendrils reaching out towards the brightly lit body of Death. Alex Juno sighed.
"It's too late, brother. He stirs."
Metal groaned and screamed as they warped around Alex and Ryoji's prone form. Mitsuru dragged Tetsuya out, protecting him from the sparks and gouts of flame as eldritch energies laid claim to Death's incarnation.
"You're going to burn!" yelled Tetsuya. "You'll burn if it's the last thing I do!"
There was an explosion- white-blue fire- then nothing.
"...all along, we've been playing into his hand," said Toshioya. "And you knew from the beginning."
Takaya grinned. "You thought him as an irresponsible drunkard all this time, haven't you? But I'm afraid the Juno's hereditary cunning has bred true. Yes, this was all his doing. Every last step of the way."
"You played me for a fool!" exclaimed Setsuya angrily. His face turned a grotesque shade of red as he gave a strangled cry, reaching out for Takaya's frail neck. Foam and spittle leaked out of his mouth as, instead, he collapsed.
"Thank you, Anansi," said Alex as he stepped into the light. The ghostly form of a monstrous spider was already dissipating. "Death continues to be held in suspended animation, Takaya."
"Everything is continuing as expected then," said Takaya. "Good... you're very lucky your brother didn't shoot you instead."
Alex shook his head sadly. "He's my brother. That was never a possibility."
"My boy, before you say a word, I must apologize. There are things I cannot do, and places I may not go. Your brother was... very careful, and made some astoundingly accurate guesses. Alas, my hands were, until now, tied.
"But do not be afraid! You've not failed! Oh, no, the Game has only just begun. Your brother wasn't the only one making shrewd estimations. I am pleased to say that you have succeeded in changing the playing field as irrevocably as he has.
"You need not as much help from me as you believed, my boy. The strength of your conviction is power enough to outshine suns. Tempered with the chill of iron-hard faith, and who knows what may yet occur?
"Just remember... the contract is binding. You must take full responsibility for your actions.
"You know... the usual."