Author's Notes: And a late upload it is. Whew... I'm tired... But I'm in a decent mood so might as well get this up now. Gonna probably put a chapter up tomorrow morning as well and afterwards... we'll see... I need to double check where I'm at in FES. For now though, I finally start to focus a little more on Hamuko. I know it's not much, but... it's a start. I can't help my bias towards Minato...

~5 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato smiled and nodded to Fuuka as he caught up to her. "Morning, Fuuka."

Her face brightened when he reached her side. "Good morning!" She paused as she looked to the sky. "There's a full moon tonight."

As a joke, the blue-haired boy gave her a serious frown. "I'm worried."

"No...!" the girl looked at him in alarm. "Don't let your guard down because summer vacation was too long, okay!?"

Minato lightly laughed as he brought her hand to his lips. "I'm only kidding. I just wanted to see your cute reaction. I know we'll be fine."

Fuuka blushed as he gently let her hand go. "That's nice to hear…" she sighed in relief. "I was getting worried because it's so soon after summer vacation."

"That shouldn't be a problem," the leader sternly shook his head. "Vacation or not, we're still responsible for the wellbeing of Iwatodai."

"You're being very serious," the girl noted.

The boy paused for a moment before frowning to himself. "Am I?" He worriedly lowered his gaze to the floor. "With only four Shadows left, I think I'm being impatient. Finally, the Dark Hour will come to an end and with it, maybe the Reapers." They started walking again.

"Minato-kun," Fuuka stared at him with worry. "Will you really be okay with that?"

His blue eyes met girl's brown ones. "Fuuka, I just want to live peacefully. I don't want Death always hanging around me."

"But seeing them gave you the ability to save others around you," she pointed out. "I'm sorry I can't really understand your fears, but despite what you feel, I think you're very courageous. It was thanks to your Reapers that you saved me after all."

"After I put you in danger," the boy shook his head. He wore a small smile as he opened the door for her. "I'm happy you think so highly of me, Fuuka, but eventually, I'm going to let someone down. And when I do," he looked down, "everyone will probably leave me."

"Minato-kun," Fuuka sternly frowned at him as she refused to think he could ever believe that was possible.

The boy chuckled. "But that's right. You'll always be by my side. My dearest…" He quickly turned away when he realized what he had just said. "Well, you and Hamuko," he added with a cough. They entered the school and quickly went up the stairs. Minato paused outside Fuuka's classroom. "Okay, after school, let's head back to the dorm. I want to get a head start on locating tonight's operation site. Because it was summer vacation, I couldn't really get a good investigation going, so I'm counting on you."

"Alright," Fuuka nodded seriously at the boy before giving him a soft smile. "I'll see you then, Minato-kun."

Minato returned her smile and nodded. He took a step towards the door to his own classroom and blinked when he sensed a faint Reaper. He quickly looked around and saw one flash behind Junpei. Frowning, he approached the boy's desk. "Junpei…"

The capped boy smiled brightly at him. "Yo, what's up, dude? Ready for tonight?"

"Are you?" the leader sternly asked him.

Junpei stopped leaning back in his seat and set his chair down on its feet. "Yeah, of course. Is something the matter?"

"Don't be distracted today," Minato seriously told the older boy. "And about that girl you're seeing…" He paused as he didn't really know what else to say.

"Come on, man," Junpei shook his head and frowned. "We've been over this before. You don't have to worry about it. Shouldn't you be more focused on tonight's Shadow?"

"Fine, but I'm counting on you to keep your head in the game. I sat you out last month, but if I need you tonight, I want you to be there, ready to fight." The blue-haired leader crossed his arms. "Understood?"

"Y-yeah, of course, dude," Junpei nodded. "I get it." You're really serious about this… I promise I won't leave you hanging like I did after the Lovers Shadow… Not this time. "You've got my word, Minato. I'll be there."

Minato noticed the sincerity in his friend's eyes. Satisfied with this, the leader took his seat. "Good," he simply nodded as he set his school bag down.

Junpei frowned to himself as he approached the dorm. "Man, she wasn't at the station today… Maybe I should check again…" He was about to turn around, but he remembered his discussion with Minato earlier that day. "Nah, on second thought, I better stay put… The operation's tonight." He paused for a moment before a thought came to him, putting a smirk on his face. "Now that I think about it… we're fighting to protect her too. Dude, that so rocks…" He triumphantly raised a fist into the air. "Maybe we really are like heroes… Yeeaahh!" He was about to reach the front steps of the dorm when he heard something behind him.

"Don't move!" a girl's voice quietly whispered to him.

Junpei stopped and looked around. "Huh?" He didn't see anything and soon, everything faded to black.

Minato impatiently looked around as Junpei was nowhere to be found. He gave me his word, he thought to himself. Where is he? Did something happen? He was immediately taken out of his thoughts when Ikutsuki approached Fuuka.

"Tonight marks the 6th full moon," the man frowned. "Do you detect a Shadow?"

"Yes…" Fuuka nodded. "It's near Paulownia Mall… I think."

"You think…?" Mitsuru frowned.

"For some reason, I can't quite pinpoint its location… But, I'm trying to narrow it down…" the navigator explained.

"We've been working all afternoon," Minato nodded. "It's been giving her trouble for a while now."

Akihiko frowned. "Is that its power?"

"I don't know," Fuuka shook her head.

Shinjiro stood up from his seat. "We have enough to go on…"

Mitsuru looked towards Ken expectantly as the young boy quickly returned from his search. She frowned as the boy appeared to be alone. "Did you find Iori?" she asked in case Junpei was just lagging behind.

The young boy shook his head. "I can't find him anywhere. His backpack isn't here, so I don't think he's been home yet."

Hamuko saw her brother tense up and she frowned. Nii-san, do you know something?

"That idiot…" Yukari sighed. "He knows tonight's the night!"

"I don't sense him anywhere nearby… Should I take more time to look for him, just in case?"

Minato opened his mouth to speak but Ikutsuki beat him to it. "No, it's okay. You're all young; sometimes you just get in one of those moods. Anyway, we should focus on the task at hand." He smiled at the blue-haired boy glaring at him.

You bastard… Minato's eyes flashed angrily. If anything happens to Junpei, you know it's my responsibility…

Shinjiro noticed the silent exchange between the Chairman and Hellhound but said nothing. So that's what you mean about him being shifty. I wonder what his angle is? He decided to leave it alone though as he and Minato had made a deal with each other to stay out of each other's business. Instead, he looked over towards Mitsuru who beginning to grow restless.

"We can't afford to waste any more time," the redhead shook her head and grabbed her rapier. "Let's go."

Fuuka recalled Lucia and followed everyone out. Shinjiro waited by the door for Minato and Hamuko. "Wait…" he called to the twins. "Did he say anything earlier?"

"Not that I remember," Minato scowled.

"Alright," the older boy noticed a dangerous glow in the junior's blue eyes.

"Maybe he needs a break," Hamuko quipped.

"Yeah, maybe…" Shinjiro frowned.

"That's not it," Minato shook his head. "He gave me his word that he'd be here tonight."

"Really?" the older boy studied Minato's serious expression.

Hamuko tilted her head at the brunet. "Why, are you worried?"

"Whatever…" Shinjiro put his hands in his pockets. "Let's just get going."

"Nii-san?" The red-eyed girl turned back towards her brother.

He was glaring at Ikutsuki but he shook his head. "I don't want to leave Junpei behind, but we've got a job to do," he sighed.

The three quickly caught up to the rest of the team and waited by the large fountain of Paulownia Mall. Minato stood by Fuuka's side as she summoned Lucia. Mitsuru looked around the desolate building before asking, "Detect anything?"

"Only a faint presence," Fuuka told them, eyes closed. She frowned as she still encountered trouble in finding the Shadow. "It seems so close, but… why…!?"

Minato shook away all of his distractions and placed a hand on Lucia's glass dress. "Fuuka…" he murmured in concern.

Mitsuru turned to the rest of the team. "Alright, let's split up and search for it. There's no time to lose; hurry!"

The team began to scatter but Minato refused to leave Fuuka's side. The navigator shook her head as she called out to everyone else. "Wait! Please, give me a moment! This is my responsibility…!"

Minato sensed the girl falter a bit and rested his forehead against Lucia. "Fuuka, it's okay. I'm right in front of you if you need me. You're not alone, okay? You can do this."

Glad to have his support, Fuuka nodded to him and focused. "Tell me, Lucia… What is this thing that deceives me…?" Both teens closed their eyes and took a deep breath. "Hear the wind's answer in your ear… Touch the earth's answer with your fingertips… Taste the water's answer on your lips…"

"Hey," Akihiko frowned in worry. "Is she okay…?"

"Don't break her concentration," Mitsuru lightly scolded him.

Fuuka frowned as something resonated with Hamuko beneath them. "Right beneath our feet… Some kind of… webbing…?"

Aigis looked towards Mitsuru. "Perhaps it has something to do with the old power cables underground," she told the redhead. "They were just left there when the island's construction was completed."

"Power cables…?" the senior frowned.

"Yes," Aigis nodded. "They run underground in many directions, like a web."

Akihiko crossed his arms. "And they're interfering with her ability?"

As Hamuko stared at her brother attending to Fuuka, she paused when she felt something strange calling out to her. The power cables? The girl looked to her feet and frowned. I hear a voice… but it's not like the Lost...

"Thank you, Aigis," Fuuka told the robot with a smile. "I understand now. Interference isn't the problem… The cables themselves have been possessed by the Shadow!" The teal-haired girl looked up towards Hamuko. But why is it calling for Hamuko-chan?

Yukari shook her head at the information. "They what…!? So… it's underneath this whole area!?"

"Now it all makes sense," Akihiko said with a nod.

"H-how are we supposed to beat something like that!?" Ken asked.

"Tch…" Shinjiro looked around before his gaze settled on Hamuko. He paused when he noticed the brunette slightly shiver. What's goin' on with her?

Junpei frowned when his assailant shoved him out the door and onto the dorm roof. He struggled against the ties binding his arms but found himself stuck. "Ugh…" He noticed it was already the Dark Hour and frowned to himself. Man… Sorry, Minato… I let you down, didn't I?

Behind him, he heard a girl speak. "I can't believe how easy it was to sneak up on you. Are the others here just as oblivious?"

"Dammit…" The capped boy clenched his teeth as he didn't have his Evoker or sword on him. "I can't use my power…" He rolled to his knees and turned towards the door. "This isn't funny… Chidori," he frowned.

"I want you to do something for me," the girl plainly stared at him. "I have new orders for you to give to your friends… Surely you have the capacity to communicate with them."

"Me?" Junpei's eyes widened. "Give orders?"

"If you do as I say…" Chidori nodded, "you won't be harmed. All you have to do is call off the mission. Easy, right? And not just the one tonight…" She frowned at the capped boy. "All of them."

"You want me to cancel the mission?" Junpei asked as something dawned on him. He lowered his gaze as his voice filled with disappointment. "You're not one of 'them', are you?"

"Quit wasting time," the girl snapped at him.

Junpei only tilted his head forward until the bill of his cap hid his eyes. Minato… You were right… I should have figured… Man, I feel like a chump.

Mitsuru shook her head at their leader. "This is a problem… We have no means of attacking it."

Minato sighed as he apologized to the team. "I don't have enough information to work with."

"In your notes from previous battles, it said there was a Shadow that took control of the monorail," Fuuka began. "Just like that one, this Shadow must have its own body. Let me see if I can find it…"

Akihiko shook his head. "Even if we know where it is, we might not be able to get to it…"

Aigis considered something. "There may still be a way to reach the structure the buried cables feed into…"

"We'll see…" Shinjiro calmly said, noticing Hamuko's pale complexion. He made his way to her side to see what was going on.

Hamuko placed a hand on her chest. So cold… It's so lonely… It hurts… She felt a quiet presence approach her and without thinking she grabbed the person's jacket. She stared blankly at the thick maroon fabric in her hand. "Shinjiro-san…" she quietly whispered.

"It's alright," he reassured her. "You're fine." Shinjiro looked towards Minato. He was too busy with helping Fuuka that he didn't even notice the brunette. Shinjiro frowned at that but looking back at Hamuko, he noticed she was wearing a weak smile. He let out a sigh before stepping out in front of her and leaning down so that his face was level with hers. "Oi, cheer up. Don't forget everyone else is here too," he nodded his head towards the rest of the team.

Hamuko's red eyes stared back into his grey ones and after a while, she regained her focus. "Y-yeah," she nodded. "That's right..." Psyching herself up, she turned back towards Fuuka. "We all believe in you, Fuuka-chan!" she cheered the navigator on.

Minato looked up towards his sister in surprise before flashing her a grateful smirk. He nodded to Fuuka as he also tried to encourage her. "Everyone's here for you, so just take your time," he calmly told her.

The teal-haired girl nodded in understanding and refocused her power in scanning the area. When she finally found something, she opened her eyes and took a moment to catch her breath.

Thinking she had pushed herself too far, Yukari immediately turned towards their navigator in concern. "Fuuka…"

Fuuka smiled at the archer to reassure the team she was fine. "I found it. It's close by… in this mall!"

The archer's eyes widened. "In here!?"

"It's inside a small chamber underground," Fuuka explained. "It's rectangular, so I assume it's man-made."

"Is it some sort of room…?" Ken asked with a frown.

"Wait a minute…" Shinjiro remembered something. "I overheard the manager of Escapade… He was saying that the power's been acting up lately… There was a power outage because of it that forced him to cancel some big, important event."

"That's no surprise…" Yukari shrugged.

Minato crossed his arms. "Are you kidding me? The reason why Hamuko and I won't be able to see Risette is because of a Shadow?" The boy felt his face go red as the team looked to him in surprise. "What?" He frowned at them.

"Anyway," Shinjiro rolled his eyes, "he said the control panel is located beneath the club." He nodded to Hamuko and smirked. "Maybe we should take a look…"

"That's it!" Fuuka exclaimed as what the brunet stated matched the location of the room she found.

"Good job, Yamagishi," Mitsuru smiled. "Alright," she turned to Minato. "Once we're ready, we'll make our move!"

The blue-haired boy looked over his team and evenly split it. "Akihiko-san, Shinjiro-san, Ken, and Hamuko. You're with me. Everyone else, stay put." Minato watched as the three boys he called out started towards Escapade. He noticed his sister trailing behind. "Hamuko?"

The girl looked to him in surprise before lifting her naginata. "Oh, right… Sorry."

Something's on her mind, Minato frowned as he looked back to their navigator. "Keep an eye on her for me, Fuuka. It's not like her to lose focus like that."

"Hamuko-chan?" Fuuka's eyes widened, but she remembered the strange resonance her friend had with the Shadow. "I'll do my best, Minato-kun," she nodded to him in understanding.

"I'm counting on you to help me protect her then," Minato said before catching up to his team. As he entered Escapade, Minato glanced around the club and his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting. This being the first time he's visited during the Dark Hour, the boy didn't really know what to expect. He immediately spotted his target on the dance floor and his eyes narrowed. "Enemy sighted," he said into his headset.

"That's the source!" Fuuka confirmed. "It's connected to all those cables… so be careful you don't get shocked!"

"That's why I brought Akihiko-san," Minato nodded, looking towards the boxer. "Senpai! You and I are taking the lead! Everyone, support us from behind!"

"Roger!" Ken called out, preparing his spear.

"You better not recklessly charge ahead, Aki!" Shinjiro warned his childhood friend as he lifted his bludgeon.

"Just don't get yourself killed, Shinji!" Akihiko retorted as he prepared to get close to the Shadow.

"Let's begin!" Minato seriously stated, darting to the Shadow's side. "Fuuka! Scan now!"

"Understood!" the girl called out.

Minato lifted his Evoker and fired once Akihiko managed to land a few good punches on the Shadow. "Hanuman!" he called out. "Full Moon bonus!" he smirked as Getsu-ei tore through the large Shadow.

Shinjiro closed his eyes as a bolt of lightning dropped from the ceiling, barely missing him. He grunted as he lifted his heavy weapon and charged forward. "Aki!"

"Right! Let's go! Polydeuces!" Akihiko summoned his Persona and watched as a light enveloped the Shadow.

The brunet slammed his bludgeon into the Hermit. With the Shadow's defense lowered, the tall boy's heavy attack made it stagger. Shinjiro smirked as he rolled backwards away from their enemy.

"Shinjiro-san! Behind you!"

The boy's eyes widened as the Shadow knocked him aside with its arm. Keeping track of everyone's movements, Minato noticed so he immediately called out to Ken. "Ken, Diarama now!"

The boy hesitated a moment as he stared at the taller boy. "R-right." He brought his Evoker to his head and fired. "Nemesis!"

Shinjiro regained his strength and picked up his bludgeon. "Thanks," he nodded to the boy.

Ken lowered his gaze. "It was nothing," he muttered.

Tch… Shinjiro noticed the young boy's attitude, but now wasn't the time to focus on that.

"Everyone, it drains electricity so avoid using Zio skills!" Fuuka informed them.

"Thanks, Fuuka!" The blue-eyed boy let out a roar. "Hanuman!" The monkey-like Persona swung his sword fiercely at the Shadow.

"The Shadow has a lot of electricity charged up…" Fuuka's eyes widened as she sensed a powerful attack. "Please be careful!"

Minato quickly lifted his sword. "Everyone, block!" he called out as he dove towards his sister. Electricity rained from the ceiling and pelted the team. Hanuman quickly took most of the shock as the older brother protectively shielded the red-eyed girl. Shinjiro grunted as he steadily blocked as much as he could. Akihiko dove over Ken and used his resistance to minimize their damage. The blue-haired boy frowned at the girl behind him as he noticed she wasn't moving as quickly as she could have been. "Hey, don't get distracted!"

"I-I won't!" Hamuko called, summoning her own Persona. "Rangda!" A burst of fire erupted from her Persona. The Hermit Shadow roared as it turned to the twins.

"It's casting Ziodyne!" Fuuka cried.

"I've got it!" Minato pushed her sister out of the way as he took the attack. "Hanuman!" The boy unleashed another Getsu-ei. "Ken, a refresher, please!" the boy gasped.

Fuuka noticed the Shadow was charging up electricity so gave the leader a timely warning. "Apparently it has to charge up before using that one attack. Please be careful whenever you see the enemy charging!"

"Understood!" Minato noticed the Shadow was completely open though so called out to his team. "Let's go! At the first sign of danger, make sure you guys evade and block!"

"Got it!" Akihiko rushed forward and pelted the Shadow with punches before lowering its defense with Polydeuces. "Let's go, Shinji!"

"Castor!" Shinjiro fired his Evoker and a Persona resembling Akihiko's emerged, slashing the Shadow.

"I'm not falling behind either!" Ken cried as he unleashed Nemesis' Cruel Attack.

"Good job, everyone!" Minato called out with a smirk.

Hamuko watched as her brother was able to easily coordinate his attacks with everyone else. What's wrong with me? She frowned to herself. Why am I being left behind? She brought her naginata up and slashed at the Shadow. She fired her Evoker and watched as Rangda cast another Agilao. Nii-san… You're getting ahead of me and I don't like it…

She winced as a sharp pain cut through her skull. "You're… alone…"

"Who said that?" she called out.

"Hamuko-chan! Get back!" Fuuka cried out when she noticed the Shadow aiming a Ziodyne straight for the brunette.

"Hamuko!" Minato screamed as he couldn't get to his sister in time.

The red-eyed girl screamed in pain as a surge of electricity burned though her. Rangda's weakness made it even more excruciating and she couldn't feel her body. She screamed even louder as the voice in her mind became clearer. "He's going to leave you behind…" it whispered to her.

"N-nii-san…" Hamuko couldn't breathe as she collapsed to the ground.

"Hamuko!" Minato tried to get to her but the Shadow stood in his way. "Out of my way!" he angrily roared slicing at it with his sword. "Hamuko!" The Hermit refused to budge so he called out to Ken. "Cast Diarama! Now!"

"Hamuko-chan! Get up! You're in danger!" When the girl didn't respond, Fuuka turned back to Minato. "Minato-kun! I can't get to her! The Shadow—!"

"Hamuko!" Minato hoarsely screamed when he finally got to her side.

The red-eyed girl gasped as she heard his cry. In her mind, she saw her seven-year-old brother drag her body out of a burning car. "Hamuko!" he screamed. "Wake up! Mom! Dad!" She felt herself being pulled away from the wreckage.

A bright flash made the girl flinch as she mistook it for fire and she tightly reached out for the blue-haired boy. "Nii-san!" she cried.

Minato protectively held her and scowled at the Shadow. "Ken, another Diarama! Senpai! You and Shinjiro-san keep weakening it! Don't give it a chance to charge up another Giga Spark!" he commanded as he continued to drag his sister away from the fight. "And make sure it gets nowhere near us!" He turned back to his sister and knelt by her side. "Hamuko! I'm right here! Everything will be okay!"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko tightly hugged him.

"Hamuko! I have to get back into the battle!" Minato frowned as she was trembling. "I've got to protect them!"

"Hamuko! Mom! Dad! They're still in the car!" The young boy's blue eyes flashed with fear and desperation. "I have to save them!"

"No!" Hamuko screamed as she refused to let him go. "You can't! Don't leave me alone too!" She cried into his chest. "Mom! Dad! They're already gone! Please… Don't leave me by myself…"

"Hamuko...?" Minato frowned as he wondered why she was bringing up their parents at a time like this.

"Minato-kun, it just finished using a Mind Charge!" Fuuka notified him. "It's preparing another Giga Spark!"

"Thanks, Fuuka. Tell everyone else to prepare for the upcoming attack!" Minato ordered as he continued to stare at his sister in concern. After taking a deep breath, he softened his expression and comfortingly hugged his younger twin. "Hamuko… I'm not going to leave you. I promise." He lifted her face and stared into her fearful red eyes. "Look at me," he calmly said.

Hamuko tried to focus on her brother's dark blue gaze. "N-nii-san…" The fear she expected to be in them wasn't there.

"Hamuko…!" The young blue-haired boy in her mind continued to scream. She tried to break eye contact with her older brother, but Minato held her steady.

"Look at me," he sternly repeated. "I'm right here in front of you. I'm not going to leave you alone. Mom and Dad are gone, but I'm still here. Everyone is still here. I told you, if I ever get too far ahead of you, I'll come back, so please…" He leaned his head forward so that it pressed against hers. "Come back to me… You're my twin sister… And I'll always be with you. You're not alone, Hamuko." His blue eyes pierced through her. "You're never alone," he said with as much conviction as he had.

"Minato-kun! It's unleashing its Giga Spark! Everyone, be careful!"

Minato quickly swapped his Evoker with Hamuko's, taking Rangda for himself. The boy protectively hugged his sister as he let out a painful scream. His body went limp in Hamuko's arms as the girl barely noticed the attack hit them. She stared at him in shock as she shakily looked up at the Shadow. "N-nii-san?"

"It's no good! He's down!" Fuuka shook her head. "Hamuko-chan! Get up! You're an open target!"

"G-get going!" Minato ordered his younger sister as he tried to get off of her. He found it difficult to move since his entire body felt numb and tingly. "Y-you have Hanuman… Hamuko…" He collapsed to the ground beside her.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko panicked for a bit before she noticed he was still breathing. He was still alive. He wasn't going to leave her just yet.

The voice in her mind tried to fill her with doubt though. "He's not going to make it… Run… Take him away from here… He'll only leave you if you continue to fight…"

"Enough!" The brunette lifted her brother's Evoker and fired. Hanuman rushed forward and sliced the Shadow angrily. "He's my brother! And I'll protect him this time!" she said, tears coming down her face.

"Aki!" Shinjiro nodded to the boxer.

"Right!" The white-haired boy fired his Evoker and cast Rakunda once more before turning to Ken. "Help Minato!"

"On it!" Nemesis appeared to cast another healing spell.

"You can't be with him forever…" The Hermit taunted Hamuko as she dodged its arm. "He's found his own path… One without you…"

The girl levelly glared at the Shadow. No… I know I can't be with him forever, but you're only preying on my fears of being left alone. She swung her weapon up and sliced her enemy's chest. Nii-san is a man of his word. He'll always come back for me. He might be going down a path he's found for himself, but he'll bulldoze any obstacle between us just to return to me. Hamuko frowned as she was slightly damaged by a Zionga spell. I might have been jealous and scared of nii-san getting ahead of me again, but he's always been at my side. Everyone else is there too for that matter, she thought as images of her parents flashed through her mind, even Mom and Dad... They're all here with me... Hamuko brought her left hand to her heart as her other hand lifted her brother's Evoker to her head. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the trigger to finish off the Hermit. "Hanuman! Getsu-ei!"

"Don't leave me… Sis…" The Shadow tried to use young Minato's voice to once again get to her, but Hamuko callously ignored it. She watched as the Hermit Arcana collapsed to the ground and shot its arm out towards her.

Shinjiro saw its last-ditch effort to attack her so slammed his bludgeon down on its arm, pinning it to the ground. "Oh no you don't," he scowled. He brought his steel eyes up towards the brunette and frowned. "So, you better now?"

Hamuko noticed the concern hidden behind his eyes so solemnly nodded to him. "Yeah…" She nervously shrunk back as the taller boy approached her.

The boy rolled his eyes and lightly pressed his finger against her forehead. "Geez. You gave us a scare… Lighten up. Your brother's safe and you defeated the Shadow." He slightly tugged his beanie down over his eyes. "I don't like it when you're not happy..." he muttered, "so give me your best smile."

The girl felt a soft smile grow on her face as she blushed. "S-sorry," she meekly said. "And thanks…" I'm not alone… Nii-san… Shinjiro-san… All of SEES… We're here together… And we're alive.

Seeing her back to her usual self, Shinjiro shook his head and sighed. That's better... With everything settled, he wordlessly followed Hamuko as she quickly made her way to her fallen brother.

Minato took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling. He could faintly hear a young child scream in the back of his mind, but he easily ignored it as he sensed it was just a remaining fragment of the fallen Shadow's power trying to get to him. As soon as it passed though, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling above him. "Is everyone alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Akihiko smirked at him as he helped the blue-haired boy up, "But you really should worry more about yourself first. Whoa!" The boxer frowned when a certain brunette pushed him to the side. "H-hey, Hamuko..." he shook his head though as the girl worriedly tensed up upon seeing her brother's state.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko dove into her brother and hugged him tightly.

The older twin groaned in discomfort. "Hamuko, my entire body hurts…"

The red-eyed girl reluctantly let go of him. "I'm sorry… It's my fault, isn't it? I was scared…" She began sniffling. "I didn't want you leaving me behind… Like Mom and Dad…" Hamuko let herself cry. "I'm sorry, nii-san!"

Minato raised a hand and put it on her head. "We're both Fools, aren't we?" he gently smiled at her in the way he always did whenever he wanted to make her feel better. "We're always making each other worry without realizing it…"

"Nii-san… you shouldn't joke about that," Hamuko scolded him through her sobs, causing her older brother to lightly chuckle. Wiping up her tears, she smiled back at him before she taking a step back so Akihiko and Shinjiro could lift her brother up.

When he was upright, Minato nodded his head to the small team. "Good work, everyone." He reached up for his headset. "Fuuka, is everything clear?"

"Congratulations," she told him. "I no longer sense its presence."

"All right. We're coming out now," Minato responded before slowly making his way towards the exit with Akihiko's help.

"Oh, and also…" Fuuka hesitated a bit.

"Is something wrong?" Minato asked with a frown.

"I think I've found Junpei-kun," she answered. "He's back at the dorm, but something seems strange… The Chairman's there too, so he should be okay. But, let's hurry back just in case. Will you be okay until then, Minato-kun?"

Minato opened and closed his fist. "I'll be fine. I'm getting feeling back in my limbs so I should be good for a while longer." Besides, I want to see for myself why Junpei broke his promise.

Chidori frowned when she could no longer sense the Shadow at Paulownia Mall. "It seems they've completed their mission."

Junpei stared at her with wide eyes. "What!? You can tell!?"

"Yes…" the girl nodded. "Through Medea's eyes."

"Medea?" the capped boy frowned.

"My friend," Chidori explained, lowering her gaze.

Her Persona? "Chidori…" Junpei looked at her with sad eyes as this just confirmed his worst suspicions.

"That's not important…" the girl quickly lifted her head and glared at him. "Why didn't you call off the mission? Is it worth your life? Dying is what people fear most… isn't it?"

"Well…" Junpei lowered his gaze before revealing the truth to her. "I've never actually given anyone orders before… They wouldn't listen to me anyway… Ya see… I'm not really the one in charge…" he sighed.

"So you were lying earlier?" Chidori stared at him strangely. "Why…?" She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Hey…" Junpei low-spiritedly began. "Answer me this: was it all just an act?" He clenched his fists. "Us meeting, your wound, the picture… Were you just setting me up? Now that I think about it, that cut healed pretty quickly." He let out a hoarse laugh at how pathetically desperate he must have appeared. "I see how it is…"

Chidori never took her eyes off the boy. For some reason, his depressed frown brought her sadness and she didn't quite understand why. "That was…"

The rooftop door suddenly burst open and Yukari shook her head as she saw her classmate tied up. "Junpei!?"

"Tch," Chidori was immediately on guard. "They're back already!?" She pulled out her Evoker.

Mitsuru gasped as soon she saw it. "She's a Persona-user!?" Yuki's suspicions were correct… There must be an agent within the Kirijo Group working against us.

Chidori placed her gun under her chin, prompting Minato to quickly push Akihiko's arm aside as his body naturally did what it did best. Junpei saw his friend ready to strike and quickly slipped his arms out of the ropes binding him. The capped boy pushed himself into Chidori, knocking her to the ground as Minato crashed into him. "Chidori, stop!" Junpei cried as the blue-haired junior looked up to him in confusion.

"Junpei!" Minato hissed as that attempt to disarm Chidori had sapped away the last of his strength. He couldn't even get up and Junpei immediately felt bad once he noticed how badly hurt his friend was.

The capped boy didn't have time to apologize though because Chidori was reaching for her Evoker again. Junpei quickly slid and kicked the Evoker away. The girl looked at him in a panic. "No! Give it back!"

Ikutsuki and the rest of the team arrived then. The man looked at the girl in surprise. "Hm!? When did she…!?"

Akihiko picked up the Evoker as it slid towards him. "Sorry, but we can't let you use this."

"Medea!" Chidori shook her head.

Minato winced as he managed to get into a sitting position. "A little help?" he looked at the rest of SEES expectantly.

Being the one closest to the leader, Junpei pulled him up to his feet slowly. "D-dude, you're all banged up..." The tall junior lowered his head and guiltily frowned to himself. "I'm sorry, man... I told you I'd be there... But I... And now you're..." He shook his head as the words he wanted to say were all jumbled in his mind.

"It's fine," the blue-haired boy replied, using his friend for support. "Good work disarming her though, Junpei."

Fuuka shook her head as she gave the leader a worried frown. "I… I didn't sense her up until this very moment… This is my only power and yet…"

"Fuuka," Minato's eyes sternly flashed. "It's not a problem with Lucia."

Ikutsuki nodded. "If even Fuuka couldn't sense her, then she must have some sort of power to conceal her presence… I didn't have the slightest clue she was here…"

Minato watched the man carefully. The Reaper's not laughing… He's telling the truth?

Aigis walked over to the girl and quickly restrained her. "H-hey, don't hurt her," Junpei told the robot.

"Take it easy, Ai-chan," Hamuko nodded to the blonde as the robot gave Junpei a questioning look. "Just don't let her escape."

Mitsuru approached Chidori carefully. "Are you a member of the group that goes by the name Strega? I have a number of questions for you."

The girl refused to look up at the senior. "I'm not… afraid… of dying…"

"Ch-chidori…!?" Junpei tried to take a step towards her but felt Minato about to fall. He paused as he didn't want to drop his friend.

"It's alright, Junpei," the blue-haired boy reassured the taller junior as he tried to stand on his own. He winced and lost his balance.

"No, I've got you," the capped boy frowned, catching the shorter boy.

"You want... No... you need to be at her side though," Minato pointed out. "So go."

"Y-you're sure?"

Minato pushed the boy forward and collapsed back into a sitting position. "That's an order," he grunted.

Junpei gave his friend a grateful nod before standing by Chidori's side. "H-hey, it's all right," he reassured her.

Chidori shook her head. "M-medea… I'm…"

Mitsuru crossed her arms and frowned. "Clearly, she's emotionally unstable. We'll let her rest, and save our questions for later."

Junpei's gaze lowered. "Chidori…"

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Mitsuru frowned as she kept an eye on the battle. The redhead shook her head towards Yukari, Aigis, and Koromaru. "They don't seem to be faring well. Arisato was just downed."

Behind her, Fuuka was frantically keeping track of the fight. "Senpai, the enemy's defense has returned to normal! Shinjiro-san, you're hurt! Ken-kun, it's heading your way!"

Aigis stared at the entrance to Escapade. "Perhaps we should assist them," she suggested but Koromaru growled as she reached for the door. "But I do not sense danger here, Koromaru-san," she told him before a shock jumped from the door to her.

"Aigis!" Yukari went to her side, but was careful to not touch the robot as she also had a weakness to electricity. "Minato chose the team he thought was best suited for the mission. It's our job to watch Fuuka." She sighed as this was the second mission in a row that she had to sit out. "Hopefully I can be in the next fight…"

"While I share your sentiments, Takeba, we must prioritize each other's safety first," Mitsuru shook her head. "I am getting worried though… Arisato isn't responding at all." She took off her headset as Minato began barking a new string of orders. "Yuki also seems agitated. I suppose it's a good thing we are not present in the fight. He seems to have his hands full. If Yamagishi were presently with him, he might recklessly charge in alone."

"Oh yeah," Yukari thought about it. "If Fuuka gets into danger, he'll get really angry."

"It is the same way Akihiko-san gets when Mitsuru-san is in trouble," Aigis pointed out.

"What? Aigis?" Mitsuru frowned at the robot. "Nonsense. Akihiko knows I can handle myself."

Koromaru barked and wagged his tail. Aigis nodded and translated for them. "He says, 'Akihiko-san is always watching Mitsuru-san during Tartarus explorations'." Aigis turned back towards the redhead. "I can also confirm that during Hamuko-san's 'Tartarus Beach Party' Akihiko-san could not take his eyes off you, resulting in him being downed multiple times in battle."

The redhead's face began to burn. "Th-that's preposterous."

Yukari frowned at the senior. "Senpai… Are you and him…?"

"Nonsense," Mitsuru crossed her arms. "That is enough gossip for now." She looked over towards Fuuka as the younger girl let out a sigh of relief. "Yamagishi, have they finished?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Minato-kun and the others succeeded. I'm so glad…" She frowned though as she continued scanning. "Minato-kun is badly hurt though… Senpai, I think he needs to see a doctor."

Yukari smirked. "Senpai, you act like Fuuka does whenever Akihiko-senpai is hurt."

Fuuka paused. "Huh? Did I miss something?"

"Nothing," the brunette smiled.

Mitsuru shook her head. "Akihiko just needs someone to make sure he isn't overly reckless," she said in a dignified manner. "That is all."

"Mitsuru-san's body temperature is rising," Aigis noted. "Perhaps she should see a doctor too."

"That is enough!" the redhead scolded the two juniors. She couldn't hide her smile though as Akihiko came out safely, carrying Minato with him. "You did well," she said in their direction.

Thinking she was speaking to him, Minato shook his head. "I'm sorry I got hurt, Senpai. I didn't mean to break my end of the deal. I still get to lead the team though, right?"

"Huh? Oh, no. You're fine, Yuki," Mitsuru looked at the blue-haired boy in surprise.

"Oh, were you talking to Akihiko-san?" Minato tilted his head to the side.

"Who else?" Shinjiro sighed as he placed a hand on his beanie to cover his amused expression.

Final Notes: Huh... And still there's a lot of Minato in this chapter. I swear one of these days I'll focus only on Hamuko... Maybe... this is a start though! I think about here is when I started being okay towards Junpei... I mean... he stopped giving me trouble and he actually became serious for once. I really am a sucker for cheesy/simple/overly dramatic romantics... Kinda like Sanada Arata from Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth... He's got a flair for the dramatic and he's apparently the game's most romantic main character...