The Other Chance

Disclaimer: I do not own anything connected with Persona, Atlus or ancient deities used for cultural influence. I only own myself. That's the size of it.

Chapter 15: The Bell Tolls

May 1, 2009: After School

Why was staying awake in class so hard?

Akio had tried a number of methods to keep himself conscious, ranging from energy drinks to beat his head furiously against his desk…neither worked. He blamed his sleep cycle for not allowing more than 24 hours in a day…at least that's what his tired brain deduced after another day of avoiding execution from his new female friend, Mitsuru.

It wasn't as if he tried to get sleep in class…it was that all the teachers seemed to be repeating subjects he already knew. Not everything of course but whenever he was asked a random question, he instantly knew the answer. No real explanation why, he just had the answer ready at any time…kinda scared him actually.

As Akio laid his head down to rest, a firm hand grasped his shoulder. "Go away…sleep am good for Akio…" the tired young man protected, trying to dissuade whoever dared disturb his rest. Akio then heard a familiar sigh and knew his rest was over.

"Yo, Akio. I need your help with something." Akihiko informed his exhausted friend. For a moment, the SEES Leader did not stir and the boxer gave another deep sigh. "It's related to SEES…" Suddenly, Akio's eyes snapped open and he glanced to his friend by his side. Never a dull moment when you lead a team of crazy teenagers against an army of darkness.

Forcing himself to stand, Akio asked, "Is this something I need to call the others for?"

Akihiko shook his head and replied, "No…I'd just appreciate you being there for this." Now how could Akio ignore a request like that…well, easily but he kind of owed his boxing buddy for bailing him out at Karaoke. Turns out Akio didn't have enough to cover all of their expenses and his new best friend loaned him what he needed.

Odd how Akio, who had fervently abstained from making friends since he was a kid, now found solace in the notion of Akihiko being his best friend. It was almost as if the SEES Leader had waited until moving to this school to finally begin befriending and accepting people…how odd indeed. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to abandon his newfound best friend now!

"Alright, I'll help you out on this one…but if you start crying I'm out." Akio half-joked, praying that situation never came to light.

"Deal," the boxer confirmed, grinning and chuckling a bit. Honesty, he was glad to have a friend with him when he confronted…his other friend. Picking up their school bags, the two Persona-Users made their way out.

May 1, 2009: Tatsumi Memorial Hospital

Although surprised that his boxer friend led him to the hospital, Akio stayed quiet while he and Akihiko were led to an examination room. When they got inside, the SEES Leader was surprised to see someone else waiting for them. A young man with a long maroon trench coat and a black beanie covering his shaggy brown hair sat on a stool, as if waiting for them.

"Sorry if we kept you waiting, Shinji." Akihiko called out to the mysterious young man. The trench coat wearing youth scoffed a bit and glared directly at Akio, analyzing him. "This is Akio Arisato," the boxer introduced, "He's a new member of SEES…and our current leader." Again, all Shinji did was scoff and glare, annoying Akio to no end.

Nevertheless, Akio decided to be civil and extended his hand to the new face. However, Shinji simply shifted his gaze to the extended hand before turning away, ignoring him completely. 'Nice first impression… ya damn asshole.' Akio thought as he retracted his arm.

"So, what do you want Aki?" The punk in the trench coat asked, his voice gruff and filled with annoyance. "Or did you come here to try and persuade me again? This time with backup." Shinji's tone was cold and distant, it made Akio's skin crawl just listening to him. Akihiko didn't seem to mind the harshness and simply took a seat near the exam table.

Akio couldn't fathom why his boxing friend was simply taking the insult like that. Normally, he'd get agitated and retort but for some reason, he was being surprisingly patient with this guy. "I just wanted to see how you were doing." Shinji looked at him skeptically, "That and I wanted to ask you about the Apathy Syndrome."

The punk in the long coat scoffed before replying, "I knew it was more than just a simple 'Hello'," with a deep sigh, Shinji continued, "So…what do you want to know?" Akihiko took a seat but Akio preferred to stand, very wear of this new face.

"I just wanted to know what the word on the street was, since the media has been pretty quiet about it lately." It was true, even Akio, who abstained from watching the news, knew that the number of Apathy cases had been decreasing. It was the subject of much gossip at school. "I wanted to see if you had any information the media might be keeping to themselves." Akihiko inquired his streetwise friend.

Shinji averted his gaze and answered, "All I know is…things have been a lot quieter lately. Not many of the usual people have been hanging around the area," the punk's eyes hardened but he continued, "I'm not sure if it's because of the Apathy Syndrome…or something else entirely—".

Suddenly, the door opened and out of nowhere Junpei, Yukari, Minato and Minako entered the room shocking everyone. "What are you guys doing here?" Akihiko asked, not expecting them to arrive so soon. Minako made her way to the front of the group and said, "We came to see you." She instantly noticed her elder brother and asked, "What are you doing here, Akio?"

"Well, you know me; I like to randomly hang out in hospitals…hit on the nurses…" The group sent an annoyed glare at him, "Don't judge me…" was his only response. Akihiko sighed and turned to face the bothered crowd.

"I came for a check-up and asked him to come with." The boxer explained. Behind him, Shinji stood and everyone turned to see him.

"Is that all, Aki?" His voice was filled with annoyance and frustration, though only Akihiko and Akio picked up on it. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a rusty fork! Finally, Akihiko reluctantly answered, "Yeah, thanks…" The SEES Leader knew that the group's untimely interruption had ruined the conversation and there was no fixing it now.

"I don't got time for this shit…" Shinji growled as he moved past Akihiko and pushed Akio aside to get through, causing the SEES Leader to fall back against the wall. Before Akio could retort, two slender hands grasped Shinji collar and held tightly. Minako stood there, holding the punk by his collar, a burning rage building in her crimson eyes.

"What the hell is your problem?" She shouted, not caring that they were in a hospital. "Who do you think you are, shoving my brother like that?" She shook him violently and Shinji was too stunned by her outburst to break free. "The next time you mess with my brother, you're going to deal with me! Got that!" With an abrupt shove, she released him and pointed to the door. "Now get out, asshole."

The entire room stood in shock of this event, Akio and Minato more than the rest. Usually, their sister refrained from such violent outbursts, not that she didn't have it in her. When Akio was expelled for coming to her aid when some jerk grabbed her ass, Minako complained to the school board by throwing a desk out the window. Needless to say, she was quickly expelled as well.

This was a rare event and neither of the Arisato brothers knew what had set her off like that. Sure the guy was pretty rude but Akio could have handled it himself. Then again, Minako had been more defensive lately, ever since their first excursions into the tower…

Shinji resumed his defiant demeanor and met her gaze, his steel eyes bearing into her crimson orbs. The female twin was not deterred by his gaze and mere scowled deeper at the rebellious asshole. Then, strangely, Shinji's face reddened a bit. Noticing this, Minako raised an eyebrow and said, "Do I need to help you in getting the hell out or what?"

The punk shook his head and sternly replied, "You…" but he never finished his sentence and merely retorted, "Never mind…" before carefully slipping past her and exiting the room. The moment he was gone, Yukari came to her side and asked, "Do you know that guy or something?" The question caught the Arisato sister off guard and remained silent for a moment.

"No…I just can't stand arrogant, violent people like that." She said with a huff and folding of her arms.

"Ironic because you're one of those arrogant, violent people…" Akio muttered and was immediately kicked in the stomach by his sister, who only smiled politely at him. "I…stand by…my…statement…" the elder Arisato brother wheezed, sucking in air.

Junpei took the opportunity to ask, "Who was that guy anyway?" Akihiko patted his injured friend on the shoulder before replying, "A friend from school…of sorts." The pause made the statement suspicious but no one called him out on it. "He knows some people suffering from Apathy Syndrome so I was asking him about it." The boxer turned to his underclassman and asked, "Anyway, did you bring what I asked?"

Almost beaming, Junpei responded, "Of course, Senpai," before handing him the list of names. As he took it, Akihiko stretched and bent his arm out of boredom, prompting Akio to ask, "Just about ready to rejoin the fight?"

The grin on his friend's face, enticed Akihiko to grin and respond, "I've wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training. I need to get even stronger…" His grin widened and an almost animalistic desire radiated off him and it was more than obvious to everyone. Only Akio had the guts to ask, "So you chose boxing to feel more powerful?"

Akihiko immediately sobered up from his attitude shift and responded plainly, "I…I just know what it's like to be powerless."

The elder Arisato brother smiled sadly and whispered, "Join the club…"

"You say something?" Akihiko genuinely asked, prompting everyone to glance to their leader. Akio only shook his head and replied, "Nope." It satisfied many of the onlookers but the twins knew better…Akio had always blamed himself for them being parentless…though they could not understand why.

May 1, 2009: Tartarus

It had been decided that the team needed more time to explore Tartarus so Akio led an expedition that night. They used the teleportation machine to get themselves to the highest floor they had reached and readied themselves for battle. Just before they set out Mitsuru called out to them, "There seems to be a barrier a few floors ahead of you. I don't see any way past it but you should check it out just in case."

"Got it," Akio replied, unsheathing his katana. "I'll take point, form up!" The team immediately did as instructed and they were marveled at how much his personality changed when they entered Tartarus. The joyful and comedic young man was nowhere to be found; only the strong, stalwart warrior was found in this hellish place…not that they disapproved.

Advancing upwards, the team had grown accustomed to battle by now. It had only been a few weeks but they seemed to acclimate to the changes quite well. A few puddles and birds attacked them but nothing difficult such as the lions, much to their relief. However, something felt off, Akio knew it the moment they arrived on this floor.

The air was different and there were fewer shadows here…but what could that mean? Suddenly, Mitsuru called out, "Something's wrong…I sense a strange presence on that floor."

"Strange how?" Minato asked, glancing about.

"I'm not really sure…" Mitsuru's voice responded, "All I can say is that something on that floor has frightened the other shadows..." As if on cue, a loud clacking reached the groups ears, like metal scrapping against metal. Everyone immediately prepared for battle but Akio's instincts told him something entirely different…they told him to run!

Just then, the clacking increased and began to close in on them. "Mitsuru!" Akio desperately shouted, "How close are we to the stairs?" Silence followed, aside from the clacking of metal. Finally, she responded, "The stairs are directly ahead of you—". Suddenly, the clacking violently increased and the heiress shouted, "Whatever this creature is, it's right behind you!" The team spun around and Akio jumped in front of all of them, his katana raised and prepared for battle. His knees shook and he could not steady himself, somehow he knew…Death was coming.

From the darkness beyond, a massive figure appeared. A skeleton head rested upon a large torn cloak that floated above the ground, bony arms protruding from the sides. The clacking was the sound of the chains wrapped around its body but the most frightening image of all, was the two saw-off shotguns it bore in each hand. No one moved, not even the monstrous creature…until the being of death howled and began to float toward them.

Fear was all the Persona-users felt and Akio quickly shouted, "Run for the stairs!" The group about faced and dashed for the stairway as the creature continued to pursue them. "Mitsuru!" Akio shouted in transit, "What the hell is that?" He glanced back and the being of death pointed a single gun barrel at him, causing him to increase speed.

"All I can see is that it's Arcana is Death!" The heiress shouted as they ran. The being of death began to inch ever closer to them and Akio found himself pushing his body past it's limit to keep ahead of the creature. Minako and Junpei were first to reach the stair and waited for the others. Minato and Yukari reached them a moment later and they all turned back to their retreating leader.

Akio glanced back to see the being of death directly behind him, shotgun poised to fire. Putting all his strength into a single strike, Akio jumped, spun, and slashed the monster across the face. Howling in agony, the being of death fired its gun where Akio had previous been standing, barely missing its target. The group leader fell to the floor and rolled, landing directly in front of the stairs.

Before he could stand, Minato and Yukari rushed in front of him, weapons ready.

"Bro, you okay?" the younger Arisato brother called out, evoker in hand. Yukari pulled out her own evoker and readied herself to heal or attack if needed. Behind them, Minako and Junpei pulled Akio to his feet. "We need to go!" Junpei shouted but then glanced to the being of death. "Wait…it's stopped!" The group turned back to their adversary and noticed that it had indeed…stopped.

Akio quickly glanced around and noticed something odd on the walls of the entryway to the stairs. Odd markings were written on the walls and they seemed to glow red. 'Why haven't I seen those before?' he thought to himself before turning his attention to the being of death. Suddenly, it hit him.

"It can't pass the entryway!" Akio shouted, pointing to the glowing symbols, "Those symbols are keeping him out! Look!" True enough; the being of death was fervently trying to push forward, but an invisible force held it back. Taking a large sigh of relief, Akio advised, "Let's get to next floor. Hopefully the son of a bitch can't climb." With a group nod, the team dashed up that stair, Akio flipping the being of death off as he ascended.

A violent howl of rage filled their ears as they escaped.

"And exactly when were you gonna tell us our little friend, Death!" Akio shouted to the disembodied voice of Mitsuru, his anger overpowering his reason. "Did you ever think that maybe we should know about a gun wielding monster of death?" A pause greeted him and it was obvious that Mitsuru was ashamed of something.

"I can do nothing but give my sincerest apologies…I've never seen that kind of shadow before, let alone heard of it." Her voice was strong but her feelings were shaky, she could literally do nothing to aid them when they needed her most and that fact tore at her. "Arisato," she addressed the leader sincerely, "I take full blame for this incident and I leave my punishment in your hands…"

Suddenly, Akio's rage left him. His anger at nearly being shot, and nearly losing his family and friends, had pushed him to scream at someone that was at no fault for this incident. He knew that there was no possible way for Mitsuru to know of this monster but he lashed out anyway, something he could not forgive.

"Never mind that crap," he retorted, trying to diffuse his anger. He sighed and continued, "It's not your fault and you know it…I'm just…pissed."

"No doubt," Junpei interrupted, drawing attention. "You nearly got shot dammit! I'd be surprised if you weren't pissed!" He thought for a moment before adding, "Not that it's anyone's fault…the whole thing was just…crazy." Normally, Junpei loved the action of these events but being so close to actually losing his life…it began to change his perception, albeit only a little.

"We were lucky this time, since we had no idea what to expect," Minako added.

"But next time we'll be ready. We know what it is now and we can easily avoid it if we need to." Minato concluded, agreeing with everyone's assessment.

"As long as we keep our cool, I know we can make it through this," Yukari encouraged, standing beside the twins and Junpei. Akio felt relieved by their optimism but also worried, lucky was not it…it was a miracle that he had survived that encounter and he never wanted to face such a creature again!

"Let's just put that aside for now," Akio suggested, trying to resolve the situation. "Next time we encounter this Reaper, we run…end of story. Got it?" The group nodded and slightly smiled, pleased that their leader had calmed down and was ready to lead them again. "Alright then," Akio glanced upward, "You heard them Mitsuru, no punishment. You better be nice to them for it!" he remarked with a grin.

"I'll be sure to do that," the heiress responded, a smile evident in her voice.

"Great, now about that barrier…" Akio turned around and the group did as well, facing a large staircase surrounded by a green wall of light. "We're not going anywhere for now." Junpei slowly approached the green barrier and raised his sword, his intent obvious. Akio would have stopped him, but the ensuing humor was too good to pass up.

"How strong do you think the barrier is?" Mitsuru asked, intrigued. The moment she finished, Junpei swung at the barrier and was blown nearly twenty feet back, behind Akio. The entire group, aside from Akio, rushed to Junpei's aid as he slowly recovered from the flight.

"Yeah…we're not getting through…" Akio reaffirmed as Minako slapped Junpei back to consciousness, causing him to scream in pain at being ruthlessly attacked by his comrades. "It was fun to watch though…" he muttered and only Mitsuru caught it.

Clearing her throat, the heiress announced, "I think it would be best to return for now. Since you cannot advance further." Akio turned to the teleportation device and replied, "Might as well, no sense in staying here…unless we want to have a repeat flight?" he chided as Junpei was lifted up by the twins.

"I-I'm good," the baseball cap junior replied, trying to act tough despite the wind being knocked from his lungs. Akio shrugged nonchalantly and they all made their way to the teleporter. Before the green light of teleportation enveloped them, the SEES leader glanced to the barrier one last time.

'Just how in the hell are we supposed to get past this damn thing? Dammit'.

May 2, 2009: SEES Dorm Evening

Golden Week had officially begun and Akio was permitted to sleep as much as he wanted…with was a lot! He was resting his tired mind and body from all the exhilaration of the last few days. The team had decided that it was best to avoid the being of death they came to call, The Reaper. No matter the situation, they resolved to run from it and stay together to ensure safety.

Akio had kept his ideas about this matter to himself, nervous about his thoughts. If The Reaper was of the Death Arcana…would he be the only one to stand a chance against it. His persona, Thanatos, was of Death and it seemed like a sound theory…aside from the idea that this beat could be the mother of all Death Arcana shadows! All this thinking gave him a headache so he decided to simply rest over his three day break…or so he thought!

As he drifted off to pleasant sleep, a familiar presence resonated next to him and Akio grumbled, "Leave me alone prison boy!" The mysterious boy had once again come to see him and the SEES leader was in no mood for a chat…not without napping first.

"I'm sorry to disturb you—".

"Then leeeeave..." Akio suggested, muffled by his face being plopped into a pillow. The mysterious boy in striped clothing continued nonetheless. "It will be a full moon in a week…"

"You realize I'm trying to sleep…"

"Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you…"

"My foot's gonna give YOU an ordeal if you don't—".

"You will encounter one of THEM."

Akio shot up, now fully awake, "THEM? Who is THEM?" he had to keep from shouting. The mysterious boy simply held a concerned look on his face and replied, "Time is of the essence, you must prepare for the ordeal." The boy grinned and Akio raised an eyebrow, "But you already knew that didn't you?"

Rather than retort in anger, Akio couldn't help but ponder the boy's words. It was true, Akio had been in a rush as of late. Making the team stronger, building their trust, getting them accustomed to fighting…he was rushing things...he just never realized it until now. It was as if something inside told him to that they needed to be ready for something…something terrible.

Before he could ask, the boy began to slip away into the shadows, saying, "I'll come see you when it's over. Goodbye for now."

Akio reached out his hand and shouted, "Wait! Tell me who…" but it was too late, the boy had already vanished into the night. "God-dammit…" Akio huffed out, pissed about his own ineptitude in this situation. He should have listened but he chose to ignore…damn his lack of sleep! Even though he knew that boy was connected to the shadows somehow…he'd let him slip away again! However, the damage was done and nothing could reverse it. He'd just need to be extra careful in the next few days…particularly on the full moon.

Akio slept very little that night, cursing himself until the sun came up.

May 5, 2009: SEES Dorm

Minato sat in his room, contemplating things. His day had not gone as planned. Initially, he was supposed to go out with his sister and Junpei to see a movie but this plan was cancelled with a huge rainstorm that suddenly kicked up. There was no way to leave the dorm now. Minako was busy playing video games with Junpei, something that the male twin never got interested in and Akio was sound asleep in his room, despite it being the middle of the day.

The young man just didn't have any idea of what to do…

Just then, a knock on the door drew his attention. "Who is it?" he asked politely, not wanting to sound depressed. From beyond the door he heard, "Its Yukari. Do you have a minute?" The moment her voice reached him, Minato suddenly felt warmer. Not wanting to be rude, he approached the door and opened it to find his female classmate in a nice pink tank top and a pair of cut off jeans.

This sight instantly caught Minato's attention, though his stone face did not reveal such notions. "Since the weather such I'm trying to get everyone together for a game of cards," Yukari explained, holding up a pretty pink deck, "Interested?"

It took the young man no time to reply, "Yes…"

"Cool!" Yukari's eyes lit up at his assurance and she continued, "Let's go see if anyone else want to play." Minato nodded and followed after her. They stopped by Akio's room but the younger Arisato brother insisted they leave him be, likening Akio's awakening to the storm raging outside.

They moved on to Junpei's room where Minako was currently beating Junpei at his own fighting game. The instant the female twin saw her brother with Yukari, her eyes flashed as a new plan formed. "Hey guys," Yukari said holding up the cards, "Up for a game of cards?" Junpei stood and smiled at the announcement.

"Well, I suppose—".

He never finished as Minako punched him in the gut and nervously laughed, "What he meant to say was that we're kind of busy with our game right now so we can't join you…" She shot a fiery glare to her gaming buddy and seethed, "Isn't that right…Junpei?" The injured young man only nodded reluctantly, swallowing his pain out of fear.

"Maybe…next…time…" Junpei offered as he slumped over in what looked like boredom but was actually pain. Shrugging, Yukari and Minato left them to their gaming and continued to look for more players. Inside Junpei's room, Minako grinned and said, "My bad, Junpei…But chances like this are rare…especially for Minato."

Minato and Yukari sat at the dining room table, alone. Neither Mitsuru nor Akihiko joined them, the heiress studying and the athlete training. However, neither of them were phased by the lack of others and Yukari shuffled the deck asking, "So, what do you want to play?" Minato thought for a moment before responding, "Poker?"

The girl across from him raised an eyebrow at him, "Poker? I've never played that…is it even legal?"

The notion made Minato smile and he replied, "Only if you bet money."

"Ah, I see." Yukari replied, finishing the shuffling. "So…can you teach me? It sounds fun." Minato eagerly nodded and he took the deck from her hand, his finger brushing against her palm. Neither openly acknowledged the contact but they both were shocked by it. The young man took the opportunity to deal the cards and begin explaining the rules of the game.

After a few successful trial runs, and mapping out which hands beat which, they began to play in earnest. Mostly, Minato came out on top with Yukari tying him on several occasion, he was just a more skilled player than her. "That's it!" Yukari shouted, fed up with losing. "Next time, I'm getting a full house!"

While taken aback a bit, Minato was pleased that she was enjoying herself so much. It was nice to spend time with a girl other than his sister and he was enjoying every second of it. "Alright, we'll see…"

"No, you'll see!" she insisted, eager for her cards. The cards were dealt and even after getting all his cards, Minato only a pair. Yukari, on the other hand, had her cards over her face, trying to hide her smile. At this point, the dark haired young man would usually have folded but the joyful look on the girl's face made him go on anyway.

He set his cards down and said, "A pair of twos," he announced. Before he knew what happened, Yukari slammed her cards down and shouted, "Full House!" True to her words, her cards revealed as much. "Told you I'd get a full house, didn't I Minato-kun?" She gave an overexcited laugh and sat back down, more than pleased with her lot. Minato knew that somehow, she'd get those cards…mainly because he reshuffled the deck to give them to her. A little trick Akio had taught him, though he wasn't as successful as his older brother. This time though, he made sure it worked.

"Alright!" Yukari exclaimed, obviously ready for more, "Shuffle the deck Minato-kun, I'm feeling lucky!" Minato gave a pleasant nod and resolved himself to deal the cards fairly for the rest of the game.

From first floor stairwell, Akio gazed down at the spectacle before him, smiling gently at his clever younger brother.

To Be Continued…

As I'm sure you've noticed, my writing style has changed a bit but I find it much better to work with. I'm not giving up on this story so I hope you all continue to read on!

Next time, the full moon's arrival is upon the SEES team.

Please Review and thanks for the support!