A/N: Story so far: After a fruitless search, the team finally found a lead on Naoto - but Kanji was more than a little concerned by the delay.

In this part: Kanji finally loses his patience, Naoto's a fan of Featherman, and Yosuke discovers the trouble with underclassmen. (Events here are AU, but still fit in the game timeline.)

September 18th 2011

"It's not enough," Souji told them.

Kanji wasn't sure how he'd even know. Rise was the scanner. Frankly, there were a bunch of things he didn't understand and one he did: Naoto was still stuck inside the television, days after he'd disappeared. "It's all we got. We gotta try."

Souji shook his head. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on the table. "No point. We'd be better off looking for more information."

"We've been doing that, Souji." Yosuke tapped his foot against the food court tiles. "The only lead we have came from a cop, so why don't we do what I--"

"Dojima's told me not to get involved."

"But he doesn't need to know!"

"Yosuke, he asks questions every time we bring someone back. If he sees me at the station, you have no idea how much trouble I'd be in. All of us." Souji grimaced and leaned back in his chair, ignoring Yosuke, who'd folded his arms and was staring at the ground. "Is there anything else we haven't tried?"

"You know there ain't," Kanji snapped.

Next to him, Yosuke let out a long sigh, then looked up. "Man, I never thought I'd say it... but Kanji's right. C'mon, Souji, all we need to do is ask around." He grinned, brushing stray strands of hair behind his ears. "If we get caught, we'll just say it's for a school project or something."

"Great idea, Dojima's bound to be convinced," muttered Souji - but the shift in his tone and the way Yosuke smirked told Kanji exactly how he'd be spending his Sunday morning.

Souji stood at the base of the steps outside the police station, staring up at the main doors, and let out a breath. "Let's get this over with. Kanji--"

"Yeah, I know. Stay out here." And a good distance from the station entrance, too. There'd been no reason for Kanji to come, other than keeping him from stamping around the shopping district. "Go on, I'll wait."

"We'll yell for you if we need some heads broken," Yosuke said with a wink. He nudged Souji in the side. "C'mon, partner."

Honestly, Kanji didn't relish hanging around in full view of a cop shop. Far as the police were concerned, they didn't have a real criminal to catch now. Didn't mean they'd bother him, necessarily, but he might screw things up for Yosuke and Souji, especially since he'd bothered Dojima about Naoto once already. Head tucked down and trying to make himself small as possible - which was not very - he trudged down a side alley to the left of the station. It looked to be crammed with containers and crates, papers and wrappers and empty bottles scattered over the ground. Hands shoved in his pockets, Kanji rounded a particularly big stack of boxes - and almost walked right into a cop, leaning against the wall beside a side door.

He froze in place. Crap.

The cop was fiddling with a cigarette lighter, cursing under his breath, so Kanji figured he could back away quietly. It was a great plan, unfortunately ruined when he kicked a bottle near his right foot.

"Uh... s-sorry," he stammered, just as the cop looked up.

"Hey, you got a light?" Didn't even blink at Kanji; just held up a red cigarette lighter. "Damn thing never works right."

"Don't smoke." Not only wasn't he old enough, Ma would kill him. Besides, get that smell in fabric and it'd never come out. His dad should've remembered that.

The cop was a stocky guy, late twenties maybe. He peered up at Kanji. "Huh. Guess you wouldn't. You're that Tatsumi kid, right?"

No point lying. Kanji nodded dumbly, wondering what would be pinned on him this time.

"Big guy, ain't you?" The cop went back to flicking the lighter, unlit cigarette still dangling from his lips. "No wonder you took down those bikers."

People were still talking about that? It'd happened over a year ago and Kanji hadn't even done much; for all the noise, the bikers had been a bunch of pussies. Four of them, and he'd walked away with a few bruises and a couple of small scars. He wasn't proud of what he'd done and Ma hadn't taken it well - but hey, he'd solved the noise problem. "So?"

"Don't get like that. Not all the guys here think what you did was wrong." The lighter finally caught and flickered into life. "Wouldn't mind if you did it again."

Kanji stared at him. "You serious?"

The cop shrugged. "Hell, all those bikers ever did was kick up noise. Besides, it's not like you're gonna report me to my boss, right?" He took a long drag on his cigarette, breathed out the smoke, then grinned. "So, Tatsumi. Why's someone like you hanging out near a police station?"

Kanji didn't even know this guy's name and didn't feel right asking. Telling him the truth... he might let it slip around Souji's uncle. Then again, he might know something about Naoto.

To hell with it; Kanji was desperate. He took a deep breath. "Lookin' for someone. Naoto Shirogane." The name earned an annoyed grunt. "Hey, you know him?"

"Find me a guy here who doesn't. Kid's driven half the department up the wall." Much as he'd have liked to contradict that, Kanji could see it. Naoto had pissed him off, multiple times. "Waltzed right on in and started telling us what to do. The detectives got the worst of it, but he's just as much of a dick to the rest of us." Another long drag on the cigarette. "Tried to shoot the breeeze with him once and he stared at me like I'd grown an extra head."

Right now, Kanji didn't particularly want to hear someone ragging on Naoto, no matter how justified it was. "I'm trying t'find him. He ain't been in school lately."

"Huh. Wondered why I hadn't seen him. He kept coming back even after they threw him off the case. Heard he was sleeping at the station back in summer, swear I never saw him leave." The cop leaned his head against the wall, cigarette back at his lips. "Kid's obsessed."

The first few months Kanji had known Naoto - or known of him - he'd seemed like the coolest, calmest guy in the world. He'd made Kanji feel bad for never keeping his temper and getting so hung up on everything. Honestly, Kanji still wasn't sure if he wanted to be Naoto, or just be friends with Naoto, or--

He shook his head. Watching Naoto lose it with that cop back in August and the way he'd gotten all torn up right before he disappeared had shaken up those perceptions. Kanji looked back up at the cop, trying to work out if he should ask more, when Yosuke's voice sounded from the end of the alley. "Yo, Kanji!"

Kanji glanced at the cop. "Uh... gotta go, man. Thanks for the chat."

"Whatever." Another shrug, followed by a grin. "Go beat up a few more bikers, alright?"

It was only the second time someone had deliberately told Kanji to get in a fight. Souji had been the first and he'd made it clear that order only held inside the television. As he walked back out of the alley, Kanji decided that some adults were just damn hypocrites.

"How'd it go, Senpai?" he asked. The look on both their faces suggested a less than promising answer.

"Not great. Dojima was there." A dark look crossed Souji's face. "We didn't speak, but he'll know we were asking about Naoto."

"Didn't find much out, either. We tried to talk to a few guys near the front desk and... well, most of them brushed us off and the ones who didn't had nothing good to say." Yosuke winced. "Hate to say it, but Naoto sounds like a real jerk."

"He ain't," muttered Kanji, purely on reflex. What Yosuke had said only echoed what he'd just heard from the cop - which could maybe help. "Listen... I met this cop while you were both gone. Said Naoto had pissed off a whole bunch of people in the department."

"Which is what we heard too," Souji muttered.

Kanji frowned. There had to be something else. "Uh... he also said Naoto was obsessed with the case. That he was at the station day and night before they threw him out. That any good?"

For a long moment, Souji didn't say anything. Just stared at the ground, arms folded, brow furrowed.

Yosuke glanced at Kanji. Kanji glanced at Yosuke. They'd seen Souji do this once before, with Rise, but not for this long. Kanji was just wondering whether smacking his senpai in the head was poor form when Souji finally looked up and nodded firmly. "Yeah. That should do it. I'll call the others tonight and we'll go in tomorrow after school."

Tomorrow? "B-but we got the whole afternoon!" Kanji stammered. "Why are we holdin' out?"

"I have prior plans," Souji said, smooth and even, the dark look from earlier vanished. Kanji's first, white-hot urge was to grab his collar and shake him. "I better get going. See you tomorrow."

As he walked away, cellphone in hand, Kanji moved to follow - until a hand grabbed his forearm.

"Dude." Yosuke gave him a warning look. "Just leave it. You're not going to change his mind."

"You know this is bullshit, right? Senpai's your friend, the hell's up with him?"

Yosuke looked pained. "Wish I knew. He's gotten like this before... just not so bad. But it always works out."

They'd taken their time with Rise too. Kanji hadn't understood the delay then either, and he'd felt terrible about it, but he'd trusted Souji. Everyone had, and still did. The guy made it easy - except, right now, Kanji was finding it really hard to be convinced.

September 19th 2011

Monday rolled around. Kanji showed up late and barely paid attention to any of his lessons; even earned himself extra work in English class for zoning out. He couldn't find it in him to care. Soon as the last bell rang, he was out the door and on his way to Junes, arriving at the food court long before the rest of the team. Too long. He sat there half an hour, fidgeting and drumming his fingers on the table, before Rise finally showed up.

"Sorry, Kanji-kun. Meeting's off," she told him.

Kanji almost choked. "What? Why?"

"Souji-senpai... he said he can't come today. Something about drama club." Rise smiled weakly. "Guess he forgot, huh?"

It took most of Kanji's limited self-control not to smash the table in half. "Forgot?"

Screw being passive. Screw waiting around for frickin' Souji. Kanji grit his teeth and shook his head - half in disbelief, half to shake out the anger - then shoved back the chair and stood up in a single motion. "C'mon, Rise. Gonna need your help."

"What're you--"

Kanji was already storming away through the food court, smacking into almost every table between him and the door, with Rise trotting after him and scattering apologies to customers on the way. As he headed towards the escalator that led up to the electronics department, she finally cottoned on - and grabbed his sleeve. "Oh, no. No way. You cannot be--"

"Rise, I gotta do this. An' I need you to come with me. We got the information, you just have to find him." Kanji stared down at her, putting everything he had into willing her to help. Rise didn't get enough credit for what she did. Without him, the team would be a bruiser short; without her, even with Teddie's nose, they'd never leave the lot.

"Don't you dare glare at me!" she snapped. Damn, it hadn't come out how he wanted at all. "You... you're such a jerk, Kanji-kun, and now I have to help you!" She shoved past him and walked up the escalator. Kanji suspected the elbow in his ribs was deliberate.

Fine. He followed her up, climbing the moving steps two at a time. Rise could kick up all the fuss she wanted, long as she went in with him. But two people wasn't enough, especially with one who couldn't fight, and they'd need a way to get back out.

... Yosuke worked at Junes on weekdays evenings. Always had to bribe someone into covering his shift whenever they went in the television. If Souji had canceled to go screw around at drama club, Yosuke'd be here. And wherever Yosuke went...

"Rise-chan!"

Kanji looked up. At the top of the escalator stood Teddie, clad in his Junes apron, jumping and waving. "Oh, Rise-chan! Seeing you makes my daily slavery so much--"

Rise growled and shoved past him. "Yosuke-senpai!"

Though Rise wasn't quite as scary as Chie when pissed off, she had her own special brand of vibrant terror. Yosuke, pushing a cart full of DVDs across the floor, nearly ran it into a shelving rack. "W-what? I didn't do anything!"

"That's right! You didn't tell Kanji-kun he's an idiot!" Rise pointed back at Kanji. "So get on with it!"

Teddie nodded, hands on hips. "Do as Rise-chan says, Yosuke! Whatever she's talking about!"

If anyone could get away with causing a scene, it was Rise. Celebrities were supposed to be nuts. Problem was, people were really starting to stare, and if she kept it up they'd get thrown out. "Dammit, Rise, keep it down!"

Rise shot Kanji another glare, but dropped the volume nonetheless. "Kanji-kun, we seriously, seriously can't do this." She folded her arms; it looked more nervous than indignant. "Not without Souji-senpai. And, and if we try, he's gonna be livid."

"Do what without Souji?" Yosuke arched an eyebrow at her. "And why's Kanji an idiot this time?"

"Shut up," Kanji snapped, rough-voiced and frustrated. "I'm sick of waiting around and doing nothing, alright? If Senpai gave a shit about Naoto then he'd--"

"Whoa, whoa. Wait a sec. What're we talking--" Yosuke stopped, his eyes widening. "Oh, you are kidding me."

Kanji glared down at him. "Nope."

"Okay, Rise, I can see this from Kanji, but from you?"

"Yosuke-senpai, I have to. Kanji-kun knows that, the big jerk!" Rise's voice quavered. "It's my fault Naoto-kun's in there, I have to help him get out!"

One hand running through his hair, Yosuke glanced between them. "Guys, just listen. Chie was almost climbing the walls when Yukiko disappeared, I was freaked out too, but we didn't--"

"That was you," Kanji interrupted. "We ain't waiting."

"Look, Kanji," Yosuke began, palms raised, "I told you, I seriously do not know what's going on with Souji right now, but--"

Fists clenched tight, Kanji stepped closer. "Hell with him. You wanna save Naoto or what?"

"This is such a bad idea," Yosuke muttered.

"You don't wanna be here, you know the way out," Kanji snapped back. Something was coiled tight in his stomach and he couldn't resist the urge to kick at the floor of the lot. Himiko shimmered behind Rise as she scanned, using the scraps of information they had as hooks to find Naoto's area of the television world.

"Are you kidding? If I let you wander off and get yourself killed, Souji'll kill me." Yosuke didn't even look that pissed off - just frustrated and nervous, constantly fiddling with the cable on his headphones. "Even if you are being a bull-headed idiot."

Naoto was the bull-headed one. Getting himself thrown inside here, assuming he'd get rescued by a guy who thought prancing around at school clubs was more important than saving someone's life.

Souji Seta was an asshole.

"We can do this," Kanji insisted, jaw clenched. "We're gonna get Naoto and he's gonna be fine."

"Yeah. Because we've totally done this with three people, a scanner and no Souji before."

"I don't get it. Why didn't we tell Sensei we were going inside?" Up until then, Teddie had been unusually quiet. He hadn't even tried to hit on Rise. "I don't like this, Yosuke, it's bear-y strange."

Yosuke cringed. "Just some training, Ted."

"I think I've found him." Rise said, sounding relieved even through the quiver in her voice. "Kanji-kun... are you sure about this?"

The teachers at school had called Kanji dumb long as he could remember, and even he still knew this wasn't the smart thing to do. But it was the right one. He let out a long breath, then lifted his head. "Just show us where to go."

For somewhere they'd had such trouble finding, Naoto's area of the TV world was surprisingly close. Surprising all round, too. Unlike the other places Kanji had seen, both when training and on missions, this one didn't seem to have multiple floors - at least not going upwards. From the outside, it looked like a big metal bunker, two massive satellite dishes on top and hazard cones scattered around the portal door.

"Seriously sci-fi," Yosuke said, twirling one of his knives. "Looks like something from... you know, one of those live action shows. Featherman, maybe."

He had a point. Kanji had watched the show every week as a kid. He'd even tried to make himself a copy of the Red Hawk's outfit. "Yeah... a secret hideout. You see the eagle painted on the side?" It wasn't the Featherman logo, but it was close.

"Maybe Naoto likes that stuff," Rise suggested.

Yosuke looked the bunker up and down, then chuckled. "Huh. Guess our proper boy detective isn't as grown up as he looks." With a bright smile, he turned to face Rise and Teddie. "Well, we found it! Great job, guys! Now, let's go back."

"Do what you want," Kanji growled. "I'm going inside."

"Kanji, can't we just wait for Sensei?" Teddie pleaded. "Without him we're--"

"Wait for Souji, we'll wait forever. Naoto don't have that long."

"... Kanji-kun's right. Naoto-kun's already been in here a week. Remember how long it took us to get through Mitsuo's dungeon? Even though we knew where it was?" Rise took a deep breath, shoulders tensing. "We've gotta start somewhere," she added - then winced. "Even if Senpai's never gonna speak to me again, I have to do this."

"But Sensei's not here!" Teddie's voice was high and desperate. "Yosuke, what do we do?"

Yosuke looked from Rise to Kanji in turn, still twirling his knife, eyes narrowed - then shook his head. "Underclassmen," he muttered. "You're all nuts."

Take-Mikazuchi towering at his side, Kanji swung around, sent a bolt of Zio crashing down - and barely managed to dodge as it bounced right back off the Gigas.

This wasn't right. He'd seen these guys back in Mitsuo's place, or something like them. The team had hit those assholes with everything, no problem at all.

He glanced over at Yosuke, ready to tell him to run - and missed the rightmost Gigas charge forward. Still busted up from the last fight, Kanji couldn't move fast enough to dodge. The impact from the Gigas' fists almost shattered his shield and sent shockwaves vibrating along his arms.

This was only their third fight. They'd barely made it through the first two.

Guys, I'm looking for an opening, hang tight! They'd left Rise alone back at the exit, something they'd never done before. Kanji was counting on nothing reaching her.

"Jiraiya!" A blast of wind rushed past, almost knocking Kanji aside, and hit the Gigas in the chest. The shadow barely even stumbled.

Try ice! I think it'll hit too!

Teddie had ice, but Rise should've known all his juice had gone on healing. Both Yosuke and Kanji had been pummeled almost to a pulp in the last fight. "Dammit, Rise, find us a way out!"

Kanji-kun, I'm trying! I don't think we're up to fighting these guys, we shouldn't have--

Mid-sentence, Rise's voice vanished. Kanji's stomach twisted.

He'd taken too many hits, was all. Just couldn't pay attention. Desperate, he raced forward and swiped his shield against the side of the smallest Gigas, thinking he'd take down at least one of them - but the blow didn't take. Kanji dodged the counterattack by mere centimeters, the shadow's fist breezing past his head. When he jumped back, the shield itself was dented.

One-on-one with a shadow this powerful, he didn't stand a chance.

Yosuke was still calling Jiraiya, now with Teddie cowering behind him - but neither him nor his Persona were made for heavy combat. He kept edging back towards the wall, Teddie in tow. Another Gigas had already moved behind them in the corridor, and without Rise to find them an opening...

Kanji growled deep in his throat and made a dash for the nearest shadow. "Mighty Swing!"

Take-Mikazuchi materialized behind him, the air crackling with electricity, and rushed alongside him. Kanji skidded to a halt and punched towards the floor. His Persona mimicked the movement, smashing a fist down against the Gigas.

It wasn't enough. The shadow staggered back but didn't fall - and the attack had drained Kanji more than he'd expected. Dizzy and disorientated, he darted left when he meant to move right, didn't raise his shield in time. The last thing he saw was the flash of black and yellow rushing towards him, before everything went dark.

Light erupted in front of him - but when his eyelids flew open, all Kanji saw was a blurred mess of colors. There were voices, too, but they sounded like their owners were underwater, or maybe Kanji was, he couldn't tell. He was lying on his back, and whatever was beneath him was softer and more uneven than the metal floors of the base. Every muscle in his body ached.

Gradually, the voices became clearer - Kanji swore he recognized them - and the smudged edges in his field of vision began to sharpen and contract. He blinked, twice, and the dark shape right above him resolved into a completely expressionless Souji Seta.

"Kanji," he said, slow and eerily calm, "what were you doing?" His outline was framed by the red and black sky behind him; they were outside the base.

At first, Kanji's voice wouldn't come. When it did, it was scratchy and weak. "We... we were getting Naoto."

Souji nodded. "Uh-huh. And how'd it go?"

Kanji thought of the Gigas shadows; of the empty spot in his mind when Rise's voice disappeared; of Teddie and Yosuke pinned against the pipes on the corridor wall.

He didn't answer, instead trying to looking around for the others - but Souji grabbed him by his shirt collar. "You're an idiot, Kanji," he snapped. "I knew this would happen!"

"You... you knew we'd go in?"

"No! I didn't think you were all so damn--" Souji stopped dead, every muscle in his face tensing - though there was more feeling in his eyes than Kanji could ever recall seeing. When he spoke again, his voice was level and quiet. "Even without me there, you should've been able to make it through three fights. I knew we weren't ready for this."

"Good for you, Senpai," Kanji muttered between his teeth, forcing himself to sit up and wincing at the burst of pain in his head. "Now go get the others and we'll go back in there!"

"Kanji, listen for once." Souji's hands gripped his shoulders. "We're not ready. You almost got yourself killed on the first floor. We barely made it through Kubo's world and we haven't trained since. We're not ready."

"Because you keep waiting around! I don't get it. Why're you... he, he's stuck in here, and you don't even care!"

Souji's face was terrifyingly still. "Don't ever say that."

"So why haven't we got him yet?" If someone was in trouble, and you cared, you went right in and helped them. No messing around. "Why're you goin' to school clubs instead of fighting?"

"I... I have to. I can't tell you exactly why. Believe me, there's a good reason, and it's also why you're still alive," Souji added quietly. "But that's finished for now. We just need to train."

"What?"

"We did the same thing before Kubo, remember? Five days worth."

"Naoto's different!" Now on his feet, Kanji glared down at him. "This is bullshit. Senpai, you, you got Personas coming out your damn ears, you've got it together, you can handle anything!"

"I can't, Kanji, especially not by myself. I need the rest of you. We owe it to Naoto to get this right."

"But you're just-- he's still--"

Souji leaned closer, voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Remember all those rumors about you bullying other kids? How I came and checked your story first?"

"So?"

"I believed in you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Do the same for me."

Kanji couldn't hold Souji's gaze. He turned his head, gulping down his protests. Yosuke, Teddie and Rise were huddled together a few meters away, under a tree. All three were staring.

Souji took silence as confirmation. "Just trust me." He turned to the others. "Come on. Let's head back."

All five started walking - Teddie hanging close to Souji, Yosuke a few steps behind, and Rise bringing up the rear with Himiko floating at her side. Kanji fell into line with her, trying to match her pace. "Rise, listen--"

"Not now, Kanji-kun." Her voice was tight and cracked at the edges. "Senpai's already... just, not now, okay?"

They stayed in silence till they reached the studio lot. Souji, Teddie and Rise each jumped out in turn - but Yosuke paused by the television and looked over his shoulder. "You'll probably punch me for this, Kanji... but you're an idiot."

"Yeah." Kanji swallowed. "I screwed up. Senpai's pissed."

"Huh... you think you got bitched out badly, wait till he talks to me," Yosuke muttered. His expression turned sheepish. "I... I called him before we went in. Left a message, just in case. Probably figured that out, huh?

Kanji hadn't. Wasn't worth getting angry anyway, not when Souji had saved their asses. Just like always.

"Kanji... I get how you feel, kind of. Trust me on that. But dude, it's screwed up that you're like this over Naoto-kun." Yosuke hesitated, watching him carefully. "And... I'm not just talking about the guy thing. You don't even know him."

There was a smart response to that, one that'd prove Yosuke wrong. But when Kanji hadn't even known enough about Naoto to help find him, what was the point in lying?

Outside of Junes, Souji told them to go home and get some rest. "We'll train for the next few days, make it intensive." His gaze settled on Kanji. "If we really put the effort in, we'll be able to make this work."

And thinking about it, it was a great idea. Made a lot of sense. Shadow forms were hard to take down and the team needed to get through the rest of Naoto's base as quickly and easily as possible. So Kanji nodded, told Souji he was totally right, said goodbye to Rise and Yosuke, then walked down the alley behind Junes and punched the wall so hard his knuckles bled.

October 6th 2011

They'd had two straight days of rain; the heavy stuff, too, which had never been good news.

That's fine, Souji had said when it first set in. Sometimes rain was just rain. Still plenty of time to get Naoto. Except, looking outside his bedroom window now, Kanji couldn't see anything but fog.

The sound of the rain hammering against the roof had stopped less than an hour ago, just before midnight. Real fog never crept on this quick. But Senpai knew what he was doing - Kanji had been stupid to ever question that - and he'd said they were done with training now. They'd go back in the television tomorrow after school, bust their way through that secret base, find Naoto and bring him back. Kanji kept telling himself this all night, thinking about what he'd say to Naoto when they did - right up until the moment when he looked out the window into the early morning sun, and saw the slight body hanging from the telephone wires high above the district.

September 23rd 2011

Kanji eyes snapped open.

His breathing was shallow, ragged - like his ribs were crushing his lungs - but he still bolted upright in bed and looked toward the calendar. Friday... September 23rd. Outside, he could see the dawn sky was clear of clouds.

Holding his breath, Kanji walked to the window, leaned over the sewing table and stared up at the wires.

Nothing there. It hadn't happened. Kanji wasn't entirely sure why he thought it had.

But it could. After four days of training he felt stronger than ever, but angrier and tighter too, as if all his muscles had coiled up like springs. Souji still hadn't said when they'd go get Naoto. Maybe Kanji was just too dumb to understand - but even Chie and Yosuke were restless now, and Rise had been strung out since their first attempt.

He flopped back down on his futon, unwilling and unable to go back to sleep, and wondered how he could ask Souji what the hell was going on without losing his rag completely. Minutes later, his phone buzzed against the table - and when Kanji picked it up, Souji's number was at the top of the screen, a text message beneath.

We're ready. Meet at Junes, after school.