The Other Chance
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own anything connected with Persona, Atlus or ancient deities used for cultural influence. I only own myself. Yipee.
Chapter 4: Dancing Shadows On The Wall
April 9, 2009: Full Moon
The strange feeling of unease didn't fade, even after they all arrived back at the dorm. Akio cooked some noodles for himself and his siblings, once again inviting both Yukari and Mitsuru to join them.
This time, however, they both declined the offer. Akio understood. For some reason, everyone felt some sort of tension in the air. Even his litter brother and sister ate in silence. While normally a wonderful display of peace, tonight it only served to make Akio even more distraught. After dinner, the sibling quietly went to their rooms to settle for the evening.
Minato studied for a while, trying to distract his mind. Minako read a fashion magazine hoping to distract herself. Akio practiced swinging his wooden sword, desperately wanting to hit something to relieve tension.
Unfortunately, none of them felt any better and all three went to bed early, praying for a better tomorrow.
All of this was observed by Yukari and Mitsuru in the command room. Yukari still felt guilty but she said nothing, holding her feelings inside.
A few hours later, during the Dark Hour…
Ikutsuki dropped by the Command Room to check on the siblings.
"How are they?" he asked Mitsuru.
"The same as last night, only Minako seems a lot less active than before," Mitsuru reported.
The Chairman examined all the monitors but stopped the longest at Minako's. "Hmm…Very interesting," he contemplated. "Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first…"
He begins pacing around the room while speaking. "Memory loss…disorientation…"
Yukari snuck a glance back at Ikutsuki but he continued, not noticing her.
"But, these subjects are rather unique. They haven't exhibited any of the common symptoms."
Yukari spun around her chair to face him, "We're treating them like guinea pigs…"
Mitsuru shot a quick glare at Yukari and she backed down.
The Chairman, however, only smiled at her show of consideration. "I understand your concern," he assured her, "But it is imperative that we recruit new members."
Yukari was well aware of the situation but chose not speak. It still didn't feel right to her. Instead, Ikutsuki continued.
"I heard the twins are in your class. Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with people from the same grade?" he questioned.
"Yeah, I guess. But still…" Yukari lost her words in her thoughts and became silent.
Just then an emergency call came in from outside the room.
Mitsuru picked up the microphone and answered, "Command Room. Is that you, Akihiko?"
Akihiko's voice flooded the room as he yelled, "You're not gonna believe this…! This thing is huge!"
Everyone looked to someone else in confusion. Akihiko's voice poured in again.
"Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk…It's chasing me…" his voice was panicked and rushed from heavy breathing.
"I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there," he spoke quickly.
Yukari stood up sharply and shouted, "Does that mean…he's bringing that thing here!"
Mitsuru jumped up and looked to Ikutsuki. "Mr. Chairman!" she yelled to him.
"Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!"
Ikutsuki's face show a little panic as he said, "R-right! Be careful!"
And with that both Yukari and Mitsuru rushed out of the room and down the stairs, Ikutsuki nipping at their heels.
Meanwhile in the lobby, Akihiko rushes in from the main door. He slumps against the wall holding his arm as he slides down to the floor.
Mitsuru and Yukari fly down the stair and see him.
"Akihiko!" Mitsuru calls out to the injured teen. Both she and Yukari rush to him.
"I'm alright," he tries to assure them. He released his arm, ignoring his injury "Get ready to be surprised…It'll be here any second."
"This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru insists.
Suddenly, the Chairman runs down the stair to join the group. He is panting and breathing heavily.
"It's one of them, Akihiko?" he asks while catching his breath.
Akihiko looks to the door ominously. "Yes, but not an ordinary one…"
Suddenly, a large bang is heard from outside the door and the wall shakes a bit. Yukari screams a bit in surprise.
"What the…!" she shouts, "You've gotta be kidding me!" She instinctively takes a step back, fingering the "gun" on her leg.
Mitsuru turns back to Ikutsuki. "Mr. Chairman, please return to the command room!" she commands. She then turns to Yukari.
"Takeba, go upstairs and wake them! Then, escape out the back with them."
Yukari faces her. "But, what about you two?" she questions.
Mitsuru pulls out her "gun" and faces the door next to Akihiko.
"We'll stop it here," she says defiantly. She smirks at Akihiko before saying, "You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight."
He grins back at her, "Like I had a choice!" They smile at each other before they turn to face the threat.
Without turning back around Akihiko yells, "What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"
" I-I'm going!" Yukari yells back to them as she heads for the stairs. The Chairman follows quickly heading back up the command room on the 4th floor.
Meanwhile, upstairs…
The loud crash has woken all of the siblings. Akio jolts awake and instinctively grabs his wooden sword. He listens for a moment before another loud crash is heard.
Now fully awake, he quickly throws on some clothes and heads for the door. Akio was prepared for robberies and thefts, he had defended his siblings from thieves before and he was ready to do so again.
He rushes out into the hall to see Yukari banging on Minato's door, yelling at him to wake up.
"Takeba," he shouts, "What happened!"
"I'll explain later but we need to get out of here, now!" she yells back to him.
Akio knew better than to ask stupid questions like "But what's going on?" If the threat was bad enough that they needed to leave the dorm he would gladly rush out into any hell hole the back door led to.
Just then, Minato pulled open his door and emerged with a large metal wrench in his hand. Minako then rushed down the stairs, holding a broom.
Neither of them were strangers to self-defense and know how to use household items as deadly weapons. Which proved useful in more ways than one. They also knew better than to ask questions.
"Hurry," Yukari yelled to all of them, "Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!"
They all rushed down the stairs and flooded into the dining room area. As they reached the back door, Yukari said, "Alright, we should be safe now…" But she was interrupted by her radio beeping.
Mitsuru's voice came through the radio, "Takeba, do you read me!" she screamed.
Yukari quickly picked it up and shouted into it, "Y-Yes! I hear you!"
You know that horrible sinking feeling you have when you know things are about to from bad, to shit storm. Akio had a sixth sense of that nature coursing through his veins because he knew the next thing the radio told them would generally fuck up their lives. A blessing and a curse he would later called it.
And he was right…
"Be careful!," Mitsuru called out, "There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"
'Called it…damn,' Akio thought very quickly.
Yukari, Minato and Minako, however, were all very surprised. "What!" they all shouted in unison.
Suddenly, from behind the back door another large crash was heard. They turned to face it. Yukari and Minako gasped as Minato and Akio readied themselves.
Another loud crash.
"L-Let's pull back!" Yukari yelling suggestively. Everyone nodded their heads and headed back up the stairs to the second floor.
As they reached the top of the stairs, an enormously loud crash was heard below them. It sounded as if the door, and part of the wall, had been broken through.
Yukari quickly turned back and yelled, "What was that!"
Akio didn't care what it was he just wanted all of them to get way from whatever the hell it was.
He began pushing them toward the upstairs shouting, "We're not sticking around to find out!"
They all began rushing upstairs, past the third floor, all the way to the fourth and top floor. Beneath them sounds of a large creature was heard chasing after them.
"It's getting closer!" Minako screamed. Yukari pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to the room that was next them.
"This way!" she yelled and they all piled out onto the roof.
Akio was the last to make it to the rooftop. As soon as he got past the door, Yukari quickly locked it and sighed.
"The door's locked. I think we're safe for now," she tried to reassure them. Despite her attempted bravery, she was shaking with fear.
Suddenly, the whole building shook and a loud noise came from over the edge of the building.
They all gasped and looked to see a large shadowy hand reach up and grab the ledge of the roof. A moment later another hand shot up from below holding a large blue frowning face mask with a Roman numeral one on the forehead of the mask. It took a moment to look around via the hand moving it.
"You gotta be kidding me…!" Yukari shouted.
Just then, eleven more large shadowy hands shot up in unison and grabbed the ledge next to the previously lonely hand.
"Oh, no way…!" Minato pushed out exhaling.
Then, twelve more large shadowy hands emerged from below, all wielding large fearsome swords.
"Holy crap…!" Minako exclaimed.
The large mass of shadowy hands, and single mask, pulled itself over the ledge and up onto the roof.
"Aptly put…all of you," Akio said to his three companions.
The large mass of shadow hands began to slowly move closer to the group of youngsters.
Meanwhile, inside the command room…
Akihiko, Mitsuru and Ikutsuki are busy searching all the monitors for their companions. Suddenly, Akihiko spots them.
"There! They're on the roof!" he shouts.
Mitsuru quickly moves to him looking at the monitor. "That gigantic Shadow…Just what is it we're dealing with!" she asks herself.
Akihiko stands. "Let's go, Mitsuru!" he exclaims. They both get up and head for the door but the Chairman stops them.
"Wait!" he yells to them. They stop and look back to the monitor.
Back on the rooftop…
Akio stands in front of Minato, who in turn takes position in front of Yukari and Minako.
Akio does his best to steady his nerves but still finds his legs shaking. He hold his wooden sword tightly in his hands. He looks back to his siblings and Yukari. He faces the Shadow with determination, all fear begins to fade from his being.
Abruptly, Yukari pushes past them holding her "gun" in her hands.
"That's the thing that attacked this place…We call them Shadows!" she yelled placing the "gun" to her forehead.
"I…I can summon mine…No problem," she whispers to herself. The Arisato siblings stare at her, shocked by her actions.
Minato instinctively rushes to her and pulls the "gun" away from her head. Yukari glares angrily at him.
"What do you think you're doing!" she screams in his face.
"What do you think you're doing! Are you trying to kill yourself!" he shouts back.
Yukari is shock before realizing he doesn't know what the "gun" actually is. But before she can explain the large mass of Shadow Hands smashes one large palm into them, sending them flying.
The "gun" flies and lands in a puddle of blood nearby. Minako calls out to them and rush to help.
Akio turns to move toward them but suddenly stops. He looks back to the "gun". Very abruptly, a loud ringing vibrates through his head. He holds his head in both hands as images flood his mind.
Images of him putting the "gun" to his head and pulling the trigger. Images of him standing before this creature alone on the roof. Images of a large, harp-wielding man fighting beside him.
His head burns with pain. He can no longer hear his sister calling out to him. He drops his wooden sword and looks to the "gun" again. He slowly walks over to the "gun" and retrieves it from the puddle. He holds it in his hand gently, like it is a small child.
He looks back to his siblings and Yukari. Minako stands in front of them ready to defend her and them, while shouting, apparently at him. However, only one thought passed through Akio's head.
'I…don't want to lose them…they're all I have…'
"Damn," he says aloud. He turns to face the Shadow Hands, his eyes brimming with power and rage.
The Shadow Hands see him and, if only for a moment, they hesitate before rushing toward him.
Akio breathes heavily as he positions the "gun" to his temple, his hands shaking. Then, all at once he stops shaking, grins widely and whispers…
"Per..so..na"
He pulls the trigger on the "gun".
To Be Continued…
What persona will come out of Akio? Well, you'll just have to wait and see won't you. Keep reading to find out.
Please R and R. Flames will be used to heat my bath water. Thanks. Keep smiling.