It's been a while now, huh? Honestly this chapter was like 90% done in like October, but I just kind of fell off for a bit. I apologize for making you all wait for so long, especially for a chapter that isn't really that long. I would really like to get on a consistent update schedule but frankly between schoolwork and my incredible procrastination abilities, it's tough. Fear not though! I'll do my best to update when I can. And if I do decide to call it quits, I'll be sure to let you guys know, nothing sucks more than waiting for a chapter that may never come out. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, I just wanted to let you guys know that. Thank you all for being patient and reading. Christmas break is coming up and I'm planning on getting some writing in, so stay tuned! Onward with the story at hand. This one doesn't have quite as much Yu-Chie interaction, cause murders and stuff y'know? But don't worry they'll get some time in soon if I have anything to say about it. Alright, I've said my piece, so please read and review, I value every piece of feedback!

"Yo!" Yosuke called out, waving down Chie on the familiar path to school. Hopping off his bike he starting walking it alongside her.

"Well, no new developments since yesterday," The brown haired boy sighed. "Well, on the bright side, summer break is finally upon us!" Examining the cloudy skies he continued, "It's looking like it's gonna start on a wet note though. Think anything will show up on the midnight channel when it starts pouring tomorrow?"

"Who knows?" Chie replied, shrugging. "King Moron didn't fit the pattern of the last people who were kidnapped at all, not to mention that there hasn't really been anyone local shown on TV any more than usual."

"You're right," Yosuke frowned. "There's a possibility that the Midnight Channel isn't related to the murders at all," He sighed.

"Maybe… Still, I can't shake this feeling that they're connected somehow y'know?" Chie mused.

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "It's way too out there not to be connected… Maybe now that Teddie's can see the Midnight Channel for himself he might be able to tell us what's happening…"

"How is he, by the way?" Chie asked.

"I managed to convince my parents to let him stick around at my place. Told them he was a fall semester foreign transfer student whose living arrangements fell through," Yosuke explained. "They bought it, and that's that."

"Wow, your parents actually believed that?" Chie said dubiously.

"Well, my dad took a bit of a shine to him, believe it or not," Yosuke said. "Saw his costume and thought that it would be a great thing for marketing at Junes…"

"Woah, he's actually gonna be the store mascot?" Chie asked incredulously.

"Looks like it. I can't believe that something I made up on the spot might actually happen," Yosuke grimaced. "It's gonna be a pain looking after him while I'm working all the time." Changing the subject Yosuke interjected, "By the way, where's Yukiko-san?"

"She should be on time, but apparently she got held up at the inn. Some wack-job reporters have been trying to film the inn with some 'cursed' angle or something," Chie answered, recalling her earlier conversation with her friend.

"Yeesh, that sucks… The inn must be getting some bad press after the first killing, huh?" Yosuke mused.

"I guess so… Man those guys got a lotta nerve… If I was there you could bet they wouldn't be coming back anytime soon," Chie growled.

Yosuke laughed nervously, all too familiar with being on the other end of an angry Chie. "Yeah, that's for sure." The two continued chatting as they made their way into the school and into class.

There was a visible sense of unrest among the Investigation Team. Chie and Kanji especially, were starting to get frustrated that no leads were turning up.

"Damn that bastard," Kanji muttered. "If we'd gotten so much as a scrap of info on that dude, I woulda been on his ass in a heartbeat. But now… we're just stuck sittin' on our asses!"

"No kidding," Yosuke replied grimacing.

"We can't get frustrated," Yu said levelly. "Eventually, something will turn up, one way or another."

Yukiko nodded. "Yu-kun's right, we can't just give up."

"I know," Kanji mumbled, sighing exasperatedly. "But damn if it ain't frustratin'!"

As the Investigation Team discussed they're next course of action, a certain detective was passing by, having picked up his daily batch of cabbage. "Man, it's good to get out of the office for a bit. Dojima-san was pretty livid when we didn't find the kid at his place. His mom doesn't even know where he might've gone…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing that the members of the Investigation Team were staring at him in rapt attention. A panicked look suddenly crossed his face as he ambled over towards their table. "Uh, don't mind me everyone! Heh, the investigation's going fine! Yeah!" He said desperately, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself. "We'll catch the killer in no time, so don't worry about it kids!" Looking at his watch, his eyes widened. "Crap, if I'm late coming off of break, Dojima-san will skin me alive! Gotta go everyone, don't do anything crazy now!" The amateur detective hurriedly left the scene, leaving the Investigation Team to process what he have said.

"Even the cops don't have shit," Kanji growled. "Damn it!" He shouted, slamming his fists on the table for the umpteenth time that week.

"Well… there's still the Midnight Channel, maybe…" Chie offered.

"Tch, King Moron didn't show up on that shit, for all we know the next person to get nabbed won't either," Kanji argued. Rising from his seat, he continued, "I'm outta here, if you guys hear anything, you know where to find me. But I've had it with sittin' around here."

"Kanji!" Rise shouted, trying to stop the boy from leaving.

Yu raised his hand calmly, halting any further efforts. "Let him go. We're all wound up a bit right now, so I understand how he feels. There's not much for us to do here until we know more, so how about we break for today?"

"Well, I gotta get back on shift anyway," Yosuke replied, rising from the bench. "Right now Teddie's being coached on how to be a good mascot. He'll be starting in a week…" The brown haired boy brought his hand to his forehead. "Ugh… Well, I'll see you guys later!"

"Hey senpai, do you mind walking me back home?" Rise asked.

Yu covertly exchanged an apologetic glance with Chie before responding. "Sure thing, let's go." The younger girl practically squealed with delight as started to all but clutch onto Yu's arm. Chie rolled her eyes at the former idol's antics. Still, she knew it was a necessary evil. As much as she herself would've liked to walk with Yu, it would've been uncharacteristic of him to decline a request from a friend. Not to mention that such activity would likely not go unnoticed by her ever perceptive best friend.

"Well, we should probably head out too, Yukiko," Chie offered.

The raven haired girl nodded, rising from the food court bench.

"Gee, this sucks. I feel like we're finally stuck," Chie remarked glumly.

"Don't worry Chie," Yukiko replied. Glancing at the cloudy skies she went on. "It looks like it might rain tonight, so why don't we just check the Midnight Channel, just in case. Kanji-kun might be right, but who knows?"

"Yeah," Chie agreed, feeling a little better with Yukiko's reassurance. "How's everything going at the inn?"

"Business has been a little slower lately," Yukiko admitted. "And those weird reporters keep coming by to try and film… I hope mother doesn't get too stressed again."

"Just ignore those guys. I'm sure things will be back to normal by the end of the year," Chie encouraged.

"Maybe…" Yukiko replied.

Chie's eyes widened. Yukiko had never spoken about the inn with such indifference before. Almost instantly, understanding dawned upon her. If the inn closed, Yukiko would be freed from the responsibility of inheriting the inn that had been passed down for many generations. She had personally witnessed the girl's encounter with her shadow, which had mentioned Yukiko's hidden feelings of being trapped by her inheritance.

"I'm sorry!" The red clad girl said suddenly. "I didn't mean to sound so gloomy."

"Hey, it's fine!" Chie replied, reassuringly. "Yukiko… whatever happens, I want you to know I always have your back…. that you can come to me about anything. And sometimes, I'll need you too… You and everyone else are the reason I can stay strong."

Yukiko looked shocked, needing a moment to process everything that she had heard. "Chie… thank you… You can count on me, always." Suddenly she exhaled, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She giggled suddenly. "It's unlike you to be so serious like this."

"H-hey! I can be mature when I want to!" Chie protested, blushing slightly.

"I know," Yukiko replied. "But I feel like before, you wouldn't have said something like that, at least out loud."

"I guess I've just learned that it's not just me against the world," Chie explained. "That I can be strong and still rely on others to have my back."

"Don't ever forget that," Yukiko said, a sudden firmness creeping into her voice.

"I know," Chie replied sheepishly, a little taken back by Yukiko's sudden shift in character. "Besides even if I forget, I'm sure you'll be there to remind me when I screw up."

Yukiko gave a firm, no nonsense nod in response, clearly taking the words a bit more seriously than Chie had intended. Suddenly, the girl checked the time on her phone, her expression becoming slightly panicked. "I'd better get home, I probably have some errands to run for the inn. I'll see you later Chie, I'm glad we could talk like this."

A smile crept on to Chie's face as she saw her friend off. "Yeah, me too…"

Chie frowned as she examined the unpleasant outdoor weather. Within the span of several hours, the weather had quickly took a turn for the worse, with a persistent rain beginning as the sun began to set. Closing the blinds, she turned her attention to the steadily ticking clock. It was nearly midnight, so Chie had prepared herself for the now familiar ritual of checking the Midnight Channel. The clock struck midnight, and for a moment, the TV remained unresponsive. Chie was just about to sigh in disappointment, when as if on cue, the television suddenly flickered to life. Instead of the usual blurry first image, however, the image this time was crystal clear.

A boy, likely no older than she was, suddenly appeared on screen. His gaze seemed cold, unfeeling, dead. Chie felt a chill go down her spine. Something was definitely wrong with this kid.

"You think you all know me," He rasped. Letting out a malice laced chuckle, he went on, "You bastards all think you're better than me. You think you can stop me? Then just try and catch me." The TV died near instantaneously after the challenge, leaving Chie at a loss for words. It can't be… Was that the…

Reaching for her cellphone she quickly dialed Yu's number. After a couple of rings, the silver haired boy picked up.

"Sorry, just got off the phone with Yosuke and Teddie," He quickly apologized. Wasting no time, he quickly delved into the heart of the matter. "You saw it too then?"

"Yeah," Chie affirmed. "That kid, he looked like he was in high school. Do you think..." She trailed off, wanting to hear his opinion before saying anything concrete.

"It seems likely, but until we talk to him we won't know for sure. One thing is clear though: He's in the shadow world and we need to go in there before anything happens. Teddie will share his opinions on the Midnight Channel with everyone else tomorrow. For now, we should get some rest, we'll probably be busy come tomorrow."

"Right," Chie replied. "Well, make sure you get some sleep too," She added.

"I will… thanks Chie, good night."

"'Night," Chie replied. She smiled. He had sounded… grateful for her concern, and it made her swell with pride. Placing her phone on the charger, she laid back on the futon, allowing herself to be embraced by the covers as sleep overtook her.

The Investigation Team quickly gathered at their usual spot the next day. Coincidentally news reports had begun to circulate that the Inaba Police Department had recently found a suspect. Rumors had spread like wildfire that the suspect was supposedly a high school student, culminating with the media releasing a photo of the suspect more recently. They had neglected, however, to release the student's identity. They had met up at Junes and gone into the TV world, where even Rise's enhanced sensor abilities could not pinpoint the boy's location. After doing some digging, they found some high school students of a nearby school showing off a yearbook, reveling in the attention afforded to them by having a connection to the alleged killer.

"Mitsuo Kubo," Yu said.

"So that's the bastard's name," Kanji growled, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"You think it'll be enough to find him Rise-chan?" Yosuke asked.

"I'm not sure, but there's not much else to go on, right senpai?" The ex-idol replied.

"About that," Chie interjected. "I dunno, something about that guy seems familiar…" Straining to make a connection, Chie's eyes widened suddenly. "That's right! It was that creepy guy who came up to Yukiko at the beginning of the year!"

"Oh yeah! I remember him now," Yosuke agreed. Yukiko, however looked puzzled.

"Really? I hardly remember that at all…" The raven haired girl muttered.

"You mean you don't remember how he was coming on to you and stuff?" Yosuke asked. "He was all 'Come with me, Yuki,'" Yosuke went on, giving his voice a comically 'creepy' tone.

Yukiko's eyes suddenly lit up in recognition. "Oh, I remember now… Wow… the killer's really him?"

"About that…" Yosuke began. "While I was searching for info on the guy, I heard that apparently he had said stuff like Saki and Miss Yamano deserved to be killed."

"Now that you mention it, I think he came by the shop a couple of times. He was ranting all the time, I tried to be polite but I never really listened to him. Maybe that's why I was targeted… I remember now though, he was going on about how people in biker gangs were cowards, and how they couldn't do anything without their gangs behind them, or something like that…"

"That damn news report said that I was in a biker gang. Damn it all to hell, you're telling me the guy tried to off me for some shit I wasn't even a part of?!"

"Then it's all starting to come together," Yosuke murmured.

"Either way, we'll never know for sure unless we question him. If he ends up being killed by his shadow, the case will become a lot more complicated," Yu replied, ever avoiding the urge to jump to conclusions, however founded they might be. The rest of the team quickly assented.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's kick some ass!" Kanji roared.

After wandering through the shadow world after pinpointing Mitsuo's location, the Investigation Team soon found an area that differed drastically from the rest of the world, a tell-tale sign of a new victim being thrown in. Chie examined their new surroundings curiously; the areas created by people thrown into the TV often reflected upon their character, and with what little they knew about the suspected killer, she couldn't help but be intrigued at the small insight afforded to them. Upon further examination, the area created by Mitsuo's mind had aesthetics that were reminiscent of retro videogames, pixelated graphics and all.

"Looks like our guy liked to game," Yosuke noted. "Man, this stuff looks old-school. Must've been a fan of the classics."

"This is the place, Rise?" Yu asked.

The former idol quickly summoned Himiko, scanning the area. After several moments, she dismissed the persona and nodded firmly. "No doubt about it senpai, he's definitely in there."

Yu nodded solemnly. "Everyone ready?"

"You bet!" Chie exclaimed, her fellow teammates quickly echoing her sentiment. "I can't wait to kick some sense into this jerk!"

"Not before I rip him a new one first, Chie-senpai," Kanji growled, rolling his head along his shoulders with several audible 'pops.'

"Woah, woah, hold up there!" Yosuke cut in, waving his hands hastily. "We need the guy alive!"

"Doesn't mean we can't make him wish he wasn't before we fork him over to the cops," Kanji replied. Yosuke sighed, sending a pleading look to Yu.

"I appreciate everyone's eagerness, but let's avoid using excessive force," Yu said.

Kanji grunted in grudging acknowledgement. "Yeah, I know senpai. Just a little on edge. Take-Mikazuchi has been itchin' to smash some shadows and stuff."

Yu nodded in understanding. The team had come to understand that Persona's temperaments were often similar to that of their owners, and when they entered the shadow world the connection shared between them was heightened even further. The silver-haired leader advanced toward what appeared to be entrance, an elaborate dungeon door with blinking game menu text hovering above it. Drawing his katana, he motioned for the others to fall into formation. "Let's get started."