Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 3—or any version of the Persona series, really. I just own this rather shameless piece of work.
Other Notes: I have to admit, I was surprised to see that some of my older readers stuck around! It was a while between the last update and the one before it, and I apologize for that and making some of you think this wouldn't be updating again. Still, a hearty thank you to my older readers for sticking around and a warm welcome to my newer readers. Much love and appreciation to all, even if I don't have the time to reply to your reviews and messages much individually anymore.
Symbiosis
Chapter Thirty-Three
"Morning, Fuuka."
"Ah, Minato-kun. Good morning," Fuuka greeted as she walked through the school gates. "There's a full moon tonight. Are you ready?"
"As much as I can be," Minato replied. He cast a look over his shoulder for any eavesdroppers. "There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about tonight."
The teal-haired navigator inclined her head, looking worried but unsurprised, and she obligingly ducked her head closer. "Tamamo-chan mentioned something about it last night. You and Junpei-kun might be in danger?"
The previous night, SEES had gone out for a last minute trip to Tartarus on account of their newest addition to the roster. Minato had explained it would be a light run through to get a feel for the senior's battle style so he knew what to expect during an encounter and how to plan as necessary. The others agreed easily enough and, while he did do the run as he requested, it was also a cover for Tamamo to speak with Fuuka about the operation and Strega's possible interference with it. They didn't have a lot of time to speak, as both girls had to multitask with their usual duties and Minato didn't want to keep SEES out long with the operation the next day, but Tamamo had assured him that she'd gotten the important bits across.
"Something like that," he murmured. "There's no concrete proof of it, but we saw him with the female member of Strega a few days ago… Tamamo thinks it's likely that she'll try to target either him or me."
"Yes, she mentioned a hostage situation. That either of you wouldn't be harmed, but…" Fuuka frowned, eyebrows furrowed. "It's concerning, since there's no guarantee it'll be the same as how she saw it."
Minato blinked, and it was at that moment that he realized Fuuka's depth of knowledge on Tamamo. He knew that they chatted while SEES was in Tartarus, and that Fuuka had been given information by Tamamo before regarding "future events", but… "I'm surprised you're not more skeptical about Tamamo's 'visions'."
"Hm?" Fuuka looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"I don't think I've ever questioned it at the time because there were more pressing matters, but you've never really had trouble accepting things that Tamamo tells you, have you? Like when we were searching for Aigis in Yakushima, or even as far back as the Arcana Lovers fight…"
"O—Oh, well…" She bit her lip. "I guess it seems like it would be kind of silly, but… I—I mean, there's all sorts of things that the Dark Hour has opened up my eyes to and all… and Tamamo-chan is a mysterious existence, too." After a moment of thought, she shrugged. "I guess I just thought that since I know she's there and that she's certainly real… Well, her knowledge about some future events isn't all that strange in comparison."
"Huh." From that perspective, Minato supposed it would seem senseless to reject something for seeming outlandish, as everything else was already at that state. "If there's anyone that would understand what it means to see things beyond what most people can see, it would be you, then."
Fuuka smiled. "Something like that."
Nodding, Minato sighed, already eagerly awaiting the end of the day. "All right. I'm going to try to keep an eye on Junpei after school, but just in case… keep tabs on us once you get back to the dorm?"
SEES's navigator nodded firmly. "I will. Just take care of yourselves, all right, Minato-kun?"
He gave a wry smile. "We'll do our best."
Junpei was humming.
That in and of itself wasn't strictly unusual, as the baseball cap-wearing teen tended to hum or whistle the latest top of the charts at random. Whenever Minato had caught him at it, the other boy was usually distracted by something else, and so the humming was more of an involuntary act.
It was certainly an involuntary act now, but it was the nature of the humming that caught Minato's attention.
"Having a good day?" Minato asked mildly during break.
"Huh?" Junpei's expression was caught between surprise and the traces of a grin—one that he'd been wearing all throughout the morning classes that only widened at the end, when he started his humming. "Oh, uh, not really. I just have something to do later."
Yukari twisted in her chair, one thin eyebrow lifted. "You mean the operation?"
"Nope!" Junpei replied, and his easy grin was back. "Something before that."
Scowling (but not the scathing type she used to send them in the early days, Minato noted pleasantly), Yukari leaned over in his direction. "You'd better not bail on us, Stupei!"
"I wouldn't!" he yelped, offended. "Geez, nice to know how much faith you've got in me, Yuka-tan…"
"Yeah, yeah." The archer waved a hand dismissively. "I just want to make sure you pull your own weight."
"I pull my weight just fine, thank you very much!"
Minato left them to their bickering, but tucked away the knowledge of Junpei's plans. Technically, as the squad leader he supposed he could at least advise the other boy to focus more on their mission than other things. But he still didn't feel quite so comfortable ordering them around outside of battle situations or, as an extension, Tartarus. Even during the operations themselves he was content to let Mitsuru lead until the encounter with the Shadow itself came up.
Still, while he wouldn't outright tell the other boy to get his head in the game as his leader, he could at least watch his back as his friend.
"Don't forget to watch your own back," Tamamo warned. "If he mentioned you in any way, even indirectly, you'll have just as large a target fixed on you."
He sighed. The Dark Hour's hours away and this operation is already a pain in the neck.
"Tell me about it."
School flew by without an incident and as the last bell rang and Ms. Toriumi dismissed them, Minato slowly gathered his things, allowing Junpei the time to quickly pack up his own and all but fly through the doorway.
Yukari huffed. "There he goes. Can you believe him?"
"Yes," Minato replied, absently checking where his Evoker was stored in his bag's inner compartment. When Yukari glanced at him, he tilted his head. "Out of all of us, Junpei's probably the most… normal? In comparison to the rest of the dorm. It makes sense… that he would be able to handle today like any other day."
The brunette eyed him, lips pursed. "I can't tell if you're agreeing with him or with me."
"Neither," Minato clarified. His lips quirked into a smile when she glared. "I don't begrudge him this, that's all."
Yukari made a complicated sound in the back of her throat, returning to packing her belongings. "I guess…"
An idea sparked into mind as Minato drew his bag up, ready to leave. "If it makes you feel better, then I can keep an eye on him? Make sure he isn't late."
"You'd spy on him?" The archer raised a brow.
"If that's what it takes," he said, shrugging one shoulder unapologetically. "You and Aigis can head back with Fuuka. We'll just meet you all later."
He hoped.
It probably said something about them that they were so willing to violate their teammate's privacy like this when Yukari only briefly hesitated before nodding. "I mean, if it's nothing bad then it doesn't really matter, but…"
"See you later, Yukari."
"Yeah, sure…?"
Minato left before she could change her mind and try to persuade him to just head back to the dorm as well. Call him an opportunist, but she had inadvertently given him a convenient-enough excuse to do what he'd planned that he couldn't just let it slip by.
"Look at you, being a little snake," Tamamo cooed as he made his way off the campus. She sounded so proud that he nearly laughed.
With you in my head, how could I not be?
His Other laughed. "Oh, Minato. Flattery will get you everywhere."
Staying out of sight at the Port Island Station was harder in practice than it seemed, especially as Minato was still in his uniform and so stuck out amongst the crowd at first. Thankfully, as more students wandered away from school to their usual hangouts, the cinema saw more of them congregating until he could feasibly hang around nearby, using them as camouflage. Thankfully, Junpei was situated on a bench at an angle that the cinema wasn't in sight unless he craned his neck and body to see it, so Minato didn't have to do much more to stay hidden.
Furthermore, Junpei was fairly distracted, scanning the crowds but clearly not seeing anyone that didn't fit Chidori's image.
Feeling a twinge of pity for his friend, knowing how this would likely end, Minato settled down for a long wait.
He marked the time in intervals—every fifteen minutes.
After the half-hour mark, he'd pulled out a book he'd brought in anticipation of the wait, but he'd only paged through it absentmindedly while keeping watch on Junpei in the corner of his eyes.
After an hour, he wondered at Junpei's dedication to some girl he'd just barely met. A glance told him that Junpei was bouncing his leg, looking anxiously about the station, but the other boy made no move to leave.
"He's worried," Tamamo murmured.
About Chidori?
She hummed. "I think we saw it when we saw them here last time, but Chidori… She harms herself. And she leaves the wounds alone because her Persona, Medea, heals it eventually. Junpei saw it and… it worried him. Because she didn't understand why it was such a big deal to most people. To him."
Oh. Considering Junpei's strange duality of pervert versus gentleman… Yeah, Minato could see why he would wait as long as possible for the girl now. Okay.
Chidori never showed.
It was mid-evening by the time Junpei seemed to accept this, dragging himself up off the bench. Minato, who had relocated himself to a bench on the far opposite side of the station, closed his book as his friend trudged his way out. After stowing his book away, Minato quickly made his way out of the station after him.
It was a hassle, but he still had to make sure the other boy got back to the dorm. It would take careful maneuvering to keep out of sight while tailing him—and then, later, to loop his way around him to make it seem like he was waiting near the dorm—but, thankfully, Junpei was still distracted enough that it would be a slightly easier task.
"Home stretch. Keep your eyes peeled," Tamamo muttered, sounding as tense as he felt. "I swear, today has just been ridiculous. I think I actually feel exhausted."
He empathized completely.
Hurrying on, Minato did as told and made sure to look down each road his friend took. When people started to become scarce on the streets, making their own ways home, he looped around and started scouting ahead. With the senses honed from exploring Tartarus, every noise became a possible enemy and he rounded corners ready to meet anything, skirting around alleyway entrances on light feet prepared to dodge should something jump out at him. On one particularly empty street, he discreetly transferred his Evoker from his bag to its holster hidden beneath his blazer.
It was only when he made it to the dorm's street that he forced himself to relax, if only physically, standing a ways down the street to wait for Junpei to turn the corner.
In hindsight, it would probably be hilarious just how close he was to the dorm.
But when the sound of glass shattering echoed from further down the street, making him whirl around expecting the worst, he could only think of the irony that he had gotten so far only to leave his back open in the end.
He saw the remnants of a glass bottle scattered on the sidewalk just as his instincts blared for him to turn the other way. There was a light tap of rushing footsteps and he reached for his Evoker, ignoring the litany of swears his Other let loose at the blur of white and red that entered his vision. Chidori's apathetic gaze met his for a fleeting moment, just as something heavy connected with his head and—
Tamamo gaped as Minato's vision went black and his mind shut down in unconsciousness.
She didn't know how long she stood there, shocked into stillness after the frenzy she had gotten into the moment she and Minato heard the glass breaking. So many thoughts whirled around in her mind—did she really just throw a damn bottle; holy crap, it actually happened; stupid Chidori and her sensing/masking ability; it happened; stupid Junpei for not being freaking faster at walking and moping at the same time; it fucking HAPPENED!?—that there may as well have been none at all.
Eventually, she regained enough sense of self to scramble for Minato's Social Links, tugging at Fuuka's that she knew by heart while praying that the navigator was listening. "Fuuuukaaaa! Minato's luck is the absolute worst!"
Something was wrong.
"Geez," Yukari-chan's mutter floated up to where Fuuka stood at the door to the command room, which she had cracked open just slightly when she heard the brunette climbing the stairs. Careful listening told Fuuka that the archer was completing circuits around the small lounge of the girls' floor. "It's getting late. Where are they?"
Something was very wrong.
Fuuka took a calming breath, closing the door and retreating further into the command room. Lifting her Evoker, she summoned Lucia and let the immediate world fall back into the background as she synchronized her thoughts with her Persona. The dorm melted away as her Persona's ability lifted her beyond, throwing her consciousness in all directions. Port Island and even Iwatodai City itself became her and she became them, and as she opened her eyes, she began flitting through the streets in the space of a second, searching.
"Where are you?" she wondered quietly aloud, her worry causing her to jump faster through the roads. The feel of the wisps of each person she passed on the way blurred, discarded the moment she determined they weren't the friends she was looking for. "Junpei-kun… Minato-kun…"
She felt the familiar touch that was Lucia, ever guiding and anchoring her through the process. Now, her Persona's presence enveloped her mind like a cloak, consoling her without words.
Smiling, Fuuka breathed in and out once more, letting her shoulders relax minutely. "Thank you, Lucia."
Her Persona did not reply, but instead pulled Fuuka's attention to Port Island Station—both boys' last known location. Fuuka had been monitoring them while they were there, as she'd told Minato-kun she would. For a long time, they had not moved, even after she took a short break. Not long ago, Junpei-kun had finally moved, slowly moving out of the station, with Minato-kun following soon after. She had been relieved, watching them make their way home. Especially as Yukari-chan had relocated and began her circuits on the floor below to spend her pent-up energy. Even Aigis had seemed to wander around as restlessly as an android could, and Fuuka had looked forward to reassuring them that both boys would be returning shortly.
But then, just as Minato-kun had seemed to pull ahead of Junpei-kun, both of their presences flickered.
Fuuka had barely noticed it at first. But it happened again. And again.
Then, they had disappeared from her sight completely.
Her worry had spiked, so sharply that it caused her to return to herself in the dorm accidentally. Worried that the others had noticed it, she went to the door to see if Yukari-chan or Aigis noticed, only to find them unchanged from their earlier positions. It was only her Persona's anchoring presence that allowed her to rein it in now and try again.
From Port Island Station, she followed the route they had taken just before they disappeared and went from there, searching for their presences. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find them.
Or so she believed until Junpei-kun suddenly reappeared, his presence returning just outside the dorm.
After a frantic quick scan of the surrounding area and finding no Minato-kun, Fuuka dismissed Lucia just as Junpei-kun neared the dorm's entrance and went to the command room door. After hearing the entrance open on the first floor, she was right behind Yukari-chan as they descended the stairs, hoping beyond all hope that, even though she could only sense Junpei-kun, that Minato-kun was somehow with him as well.
Her heart sank when he walked in alone.
"Take your time much, Stupei?" Yukari-chan's voice sarcastically drawled when she reached the bottom of the stairs. A moment later, she straightened in confusion. "Wait… Where's Minato-kun?"
"Why're you asking me?" Junpei-kun asked, looking similarly confused. "Did ya check his room? He usually heads back early on days like this, doesn't he?"
"He's not there," Yukari-chan replied immediately. "Because he said he would… He said he was going to get you and make sure you got back on time."
Fuuka found her eyes drawn to the others in the lounge. Their three senpai and Ken-kun were watching the exchange avidly. Mitsuru-senpai in particular was frowning. On the opposite side, Ken-kun looked as worried as Yukari-chan, shifting his gaze between all of them.
Junpei-kun frowned, and he cast a glance over his shoulder as if he thought doing so would cause Minato-kun to magically appear in the doorway. "I didn't see him at all… You sure he said that? I mean, I could go check…"
"There's still a lot of time before midnight," Akihiko-senpai pointed out reasonably from the sofa. "He might've gone to go restock on supplies or gear or something."
Both Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun seemed to deflate at that.
"Maybe…" Yukari-chan muttered. She sounded both annoyed and concerned in a way that only she could pull off.
Fuuka quietly turned around to return up the stairs. She paused when she saw Aigis standing a few steps above her, head tilted and doll-like face innocently blank as she observed the tension on the ground floor.
Ducking her head, Fuuka went around her to head back to the command room, Evoker in hand, thoughts whirling. If she could find Minato-kun, that would be fine. But if she couldn't… would she be able to convince the others that something else was afoot?
Minato-kun, Tamamo-chan… where are you?
The Dark Hour was drawing near and Minato-kun had yet to resurface in any way.
Fuuka searched and searched, with encouragement and inquiries from her fellow SEES members from time to time, but to no avail. It was quite literally as though Minato-kun had simply blinked out of existence—or up and left the city entirely.
Even trying to contact Tamamo-chan proved fruitless, as whatever connection Fuuka usually had with her was similarly quiet. Not vanished—if Fuuka concentrated with Lucia's help, she could make out the vague mental connection that usually pinged whenever the spirit was in contact with her. But there was no movement from it now, which, given the circumstances, had Fuuka entirely certain that the foul play she and Minato-kun warned her about had, indeed, happened.
"This is unlike him," Yukari-chan muttered when the team gathered in the command room to hear Fuuka's report. The archer looked more worried than annoyed now. "I mean, he's a bit lazy, sure, but he's never really slacked off before…"
Junpei nodded in agreement, eyebrows furrowed beneath the rim of his cap. "The crazy guy goes to school when he's sick as a dog. He wouldn't ditch us like this." There was a whine off to the side and he winced. "Sorry, Koromaru. You know what I mean!"
"You're certain you can't sense him anywhere, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru-senpai asked after a moment.
Fuuka nodded slowly. "He's nowhere within my current range, as far as I can tell…" She fidgeted, fingers picking nervously at the hem of her skirt. How could she tell them, even if not in so many words, that there was something wrong? "I—I agree with Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun, though. Minato-kun wouldn't… he wouldn't just vanish like this. Not without telling us."
She bit her lip when the three seniors looked her way, each looking varying degrees of considering and calculating. Her heart pounded under their scrutiny and she briefly wondered if Minato-kun ever felt this way, wondering if they were picking at his thoughts and everything Tamamo-chan mentioned to him. She only relaxed when they drew their gazes away.
"I'll go and check some of his usual haunts," Akihiko-senpai said as he stood from the couch.
"Akihiko…" Mitsuru-senpai began, but the boxer held up a hand.
"I won't take long," he assured her. "Just a quick run. I'll definitely be back before midnight."
Mitsuru-senpai pursed her lips briefly, and there was a pause as she seemed to turn their choices over in her head. Eventually, she nodded.
Just as Akihiko was about to leave, however, Fuuka forced herself to take a step forward. "Wait!" Her exclamation drew the eyes of everyone in the room once more. She quailed slightly under the weight of their attention, but then drew up her courage and forged on. "I don't think—Maybe you shouldn't go alone."
"Fuuka?" Yukari-chan murmured at the same time Mitsuru-senpai uttered, "Yamagishi?"
Surprisingly, it was Ken-kun that jolted, realization dawning in his dark eyes. "Fuuka-san… do you think that Strega might have something to do with this?"
That statement seemed to catch everyone's attention. And alarm.
"I…" Fuuka faltered, mind scrambling for an excuse that didn't make it sound like she was simply reaching. But, the more she thought about it, the more she found that it could make sense. Before she could lose her nerve, she nodded. "Y—Yes. When we first met them, they—Takaya and Jin—were… shrouded. Their presences were hidden to me and I didn't sense them at all before they intercepted us. It's… I just thought it might be possible that they could somehow hide others as well."
Her words hung ominously in the air as the rest of SEES took in this new perspective.
Finally, Mitsuru-senpai drew herself up in a familiar commanding stance. "All right. Akihiko, take Iori with you, as well as communicators along with your cell phones. Do not split up by any means and always keep one another in sight."
Akihiko-senpai nodded and went over to retrieve a pair of communicators while Junpei-kun hopped up, expression grim. Both fastened the communicators on before leaving.
"…What will we do if they can't find Minato-san?" Ken-kun asked the room quietly. "The operation…"
"The operation will have to proceed as planned," Mitsuru-senpai said. When Yukari-chan bristled, mouth opening no doubt in protest, the upperclassman tipped her head forward almost apologetically. "We cannot let any of these Shadows a chance to get loose or survive beyond their night, as there's no telling the type of chaos Shadows of their power can produce. We'll try to find Arisato before then, but the most immediate threat must be neutralized."
It was a difficult decision. Fuuka knew this, could read this, by the hard set Mitsuru-senpai's shoulders took. But even though she knew she was right, and that Minato-kun was, hopefully, unlikely to be harmed… she still worried.
Retreating to the command room corner once more, Fuuka summoned Lucia for the umpteenth time that day, now tracking Akihiko-senpai and Junpei-kun's movements as she searched for Minato-kun and Tamamo-chan.
His head was throbbing.
"…!"
Even with his eyes closed, Minato felt nauseous. A swirling feeling in his stomach moved in time with the throbbing of his head, ebbing like the push and pull of a tide.
"—to!"
Was this what it was like to be hungover? If that was the case, then there was no way he was going to drink. Ever. He liked his innards where they belonged, thank you very much. Inside, unlike where they seemed to want to go.
God, what did he do, anyway? Did he insult Tamamo and she decided to give him the migraine from hell in revenge?
"I heard that!"
Wha—
Minato groaned when his headache seemed to double in intensity. Even thinking hurt…!
"At least you're somewhat awake now," Tamamo murmured, thankfully quietly, though she sounded harried. "I don't think I can actually do something like that, by the way."
He wanted to laugh, or anything, to respond, but he was busy trying to keep his breathing deep and steady. It seemed to help with the throbbing emanating from the back of his head.
His Other made a comforting sound and there was some shifting on her part before a soothing sensation ran over the source of the pain, trickling like water.
He breathed a sigh of relief when the throbbing subsided. It was still there, but much more bearable than before. Thank you.
"Of course," Tamamo replied, so primly that it made him crack a grin in spite of himself and his latest situation. "Now, I know you have the 'migraine from hell' and all, but do you think you can open your eyes a bit? I'd like to know where we are. And how much time has passed."
Minato took another deep breath, bracing himself, and cracked open one eye. His eyesight was blurry. But his surroundings were distinctly green-tinged.
Dammit, he thought, closing his eye again.
"Alleyway," Tamamo muttered. "I'm assuming she's kept you near the dorm, blanketing your presence with Medea. The Dark Hour must have just started if you're still out here and she hasn't moved you."
Deep breath. Fuuka?
"I've been trying, but it seems like Medea's barrier might be thicker than I thought…" He felt her frown. "It doesn't help that we've never come across a Persona-user with a similar support type as Chidori. Mitsuru's actually the closest, given that both Penthesilea and Medea seem more combat-oriented with support skills rather than Lucia's primary support, but Penthesilea and Medea are very different classifications from one another."
I'm going to be very honest, said Minato with difficulty, and tell you I didn't understand much of that.
"You might have a concussion so I don't expect you to," Tamamo replied. "I'm mostly talking to myself anyway. But in simple terms… if you compare Lucia and Penthesilea to a sort of radar system mixed with a radio frequency, Medea's ability is more like a cloaking device combined with a radio jammer. Both ways, apparently, since I can't seem to reach Fuuka either."
He didn't reply, returning his attention to keeping his breathing even and, hopefully, staying conscious.
"Hang in there," she whispered, worried, and he could feel the same soothing warmth pulsing through his head. If he'd had the mental capacity to think about more than not moving and aggravating his condition, he would have wondered when his Other started learning to heal. "We'll get you through this and back to the others, Minato, don't worry."
He must have failed in his efforts to stay conscious, as the next thing Minato knew, he was knocked painfully awake when his body hit the floor. He automatically tried to catch himself only for his arms to protest, jerking painfully and uselessly against the ropes that bound them behind his back.
The pain, at least, helped him wake up.
"You're quite troublesome," said a voice, and it took Minato a moment to crane his neck to see Chidori standing in front of a closed door. A quick glance around told him they were outside—the dorm roof, specifically. "I was nearly unable to capture you, but then you fell for that trick so easily. To be honest, I can't tell whether you're smart or oblivious."
Which, yeah, okay, Minato conceded he had probably been a bit too wound up if he actually believed a Persona would be summoned on the street in the evening, no matter how deserted it was. Especially considering how Chidori seemed to prefer working in the background despite how her Persona's abilities were apparently more suited to combat than full support.
Still, he refused to respond aloud, instead fixing her with his best level stare.
Chidori returned it coolly, abandoning her post by the door to take several steps forward. Minato watched her, trying to shift his legs as subtly as possible so he could roll himself out of danger if necessary. His arms may have been bound, but like hell he was going to just take things like a good hostage.
In the back of his mind, Tamamo bristled. "If she takes one step closer…"
Fortunately (or unfortunately), she didn't, stopping several feet away from where Minato lay. She was in a better position to look down on Minato, however. Coupled with her very white gothic lolita dress and assorted accessories, it helped to add a creepy sort of intimidation factor to the frail-looking girl.
"Listen to me very closely." Her strange monotone didn't help things much either. "If you do as I say, you won't be harmed." The red-haired girl tilted her head to the side. For a moment, Minato thought she would move forward again and, from her growing restlessness, Tamamo apparently thought so, too. "Give the order to your friends… to call off the mission. Not just the one tonight, but all of them. Easy, right?"
"I don't…" Minato began, his voice croaking. He cleared his throat, shifting his body to try and make his position even slightly more comfortable. "Don't have a communicator."
Chidori eyed him and, though he would never admit it aloud, her emptiness was unnerving. She was like a doll. There, but so very much not. "That's not quite true, is it? I could sense you trying to contact someone earlier."
He tensed, dread creeping quickly up his spine. His Other gave a low curse. Tamamo…
"Quit wasting time."
"I should have expected that. Penthesilea couldn't, but that was no reason to just assume Medea wouldn't be able to either," Tamamo noted grimly. "Dammit…"
Minato stayed quiet, thinking quickly. If Chidori could feel Tamamo, but didn't realize that Medea was blocking her, too, then it meant that Medea had a more general block than a specific one—and one that Chidori herself didn't realize was two-way, no less. Otherwise she would've known to remove it from around him already to get his order through. If that were true, if Medea's influence was more like a blanket than individual shields, then… Hey, you said that Medea's sort of like a radio jammer, right?
"Sort of… Why?"
"Well?" Chidori asked. "I don't think you'll like what I'll do if you refuse, you know."
"Not going to just kill me and be done with it?" Minato asked wryly even as his heart pounded. "That must be more Takaya and Jin's thing, then, while you hide them."
There was a spike of alarm from his Other. "Minato?"
If we can distract her enough, can we interrupt Medea from hiding us?
Chidori's eyes narrowed. She reached for something behind her back. "Stubborn, aren't you?"
The wonderful thing about sharing mind space was probably the fact that Minato never really had to explain himself fully unless he wanted to. He was never more grateful for that fact than right now, when they were pressed for time.
"It's a big risk, Minato," Tamamo warned. "I healed some of the pain away, but you still had a physical head injury. Not to mention the fact that you're tied up and pretty much alone right now."
Not alone, he reminded her. Never alone. You've got my back, right?
His Other was quiet. Then, a stunning warmth. "…Always."
"When I want to be," Minato said to Chidori. Then, looking into her eyes, he dared her, "Do your worst."
"Hmph." There was a flash of an Evoker under the full moon light. Chidori leveled it at her forehead. "You'll regret that. It was such an easy order to give, too."
She pulled the trigger before Minato could reply and her Persona, Medea, materialized. The tall, long-limbed figure of black and red shot forward with purpose, a wicked-looking knife in hand. The Persona drew its arm back, ready to stab—
Only to clash with Orpheus's harp, the silver figure appearing in a flurry of particles of light.
Using the distraction his Persona provided him, Minato scrambled to his feet, though he kept himself facing Chidori as soon as he was able. The blood rushed to his head at the quick movement, but he forced himself to keep his expression calm.
"Interesting," Chidori said as Medea backed away.
EXTRA
She was back again.
Junpei made his way over casually, trying not to rush and seem too eager or let (much of) his worry show on his face. When he neared the red-haired girl, he pasted on a friendly grin. "Yo, Chidori. How's your hand?"
She glanced up at him, brown eyes fathomless. For a moment, he thought she would refuse. But then, slowly, she held out her arm, sleeve falling back to show pale, but unmarred, skin.
Junpei stared. He couldn't help it. He'd seen her just the other day, and the wound was fresh then. Still bleeding. He'd wrapped it up as best he could, but that was still too quick. Wasn't it? "I don't see anything," he mumbled aloud, feeling lost. He knew he hadn't imagined it, but… "Not even a scar. Did it heal that quickly?"
Chidori said nothing, simply retracting her hand and returning to her sketchbook. After a while, she looked up again. "Hey, Junpei… What do you do to make yourself feel alive?"
"Uh…" What did he do to make himself feel alive? Was that a trick question? "I dunno. Breathing, I guess?" He tried to laugh, but it came out weakly when she only blinked at him. "I never thought about it before, really." Then, because she brought it up, he couldn't help but ask, "How about you, Chidori? Is that why you draw?"
She made a humming sound, looking down at the page she was working on. "Maybe. But most of these are just scribbles…" She tilted her head. "I don't understand myself very well."
"I see." And he really did. He wondered briefly if anyone really understood themselves. "Mind if I sit here?" She gave quiet permission and he took a seat, leaning back. He stared at the familiar scene of the station, passersby always coming and going, as he mulled over her question.
If he was being honest with himself, he didn't really… do much. He went to school, yeah, because he had to. He hung out with friends, but that wasn't something that made him feel really alive. Baseball was a hobby, but even that waned. Really, the only thing that got his blood pumping these days was…
"To tell you the truth," he began slowly, "there is one thing that makes me feel alive." He waited until she looked at him to continue, smiling as he recalled his earlier conversation with Minato. "When I get to play hero." Then, before she could even ask, he cleared his throat, standing and flourishing his arm in a grand gesture. "In the darkest hour, unknown to all but a few, the chosen ones stand against the forces of evil! Our hero, Junpei, fights to protect the world from these terrifying monsters!"
Some people looked over at his, as Minato proclaimed it, "anime announcer" voice, but Junpei ignored them easily. He glanced over his shoulder to see Chidori's reaction and found her blinking, nonplussed, at him. He gave his cheesiest grin. "And you get the idea. That's when I feel most alive!"
Chidori didn't respond, still staring.
He shifted, feeling self-conscious. "Uh… You're supposed to laugh." Even Minato laughed when he pulled that voice out. Well, snorted, which was his way of laughing uproariously. Junpei knew that much.
"So… you fight all alone?" Chidori ventured.
Thrown, Junpei stammered, "I was just… kidding around…"
But Chidori continued as if she hadn't heard him, "You fight during a time that no one knows about, right? So then, no one knows what you've been doing, either. That means you'll never receive any recognition…" She tilted her head slightly, a glimmer of something in her eyes. "I'm impressed. I didn't know you were that kind of guy."
It was his turn to blink at her, surprised. "You actually believe me?"
Chidori nodded, leaning forward. "Tell me more."
Yuka-tan would kill him if he actually said anything. He had a wild imagination. He could make something up instead, couldn't he?
…But still… what could it hurt?
And so he told her. About Personas. Their ability to fight monsters, the Shadows. Those with the potential, the "chosen ones", who did the fighting. That his friends were such people, and him alongside them.
Chidori didn't quite smile, but she was listening intently. It was more of a reaction from her than he'd seen before, barring her disbelief of his concern over her hand. "Sounds like fun. Are you the leader?"
He paused in his enthusiasm. Should he…?
Minato wasn't here. And it wasn't like he would care if Junpei was accurate in telling a pretty girl about SEES's wild adventures. It'd probably be a lot more interesting for Chidori, too, if he said he was the leader. It made it sound more heroic, didn't it?
But…
"You can still be a hero," he remembered Minato say, what felt like so long ago. "Stories never really have just one, you know."
It all depended on the point of view.
"No," he answered honestly, and he felt a strange rush of gratification at the way she blinked in surprise. "That's my best friend. He's talented and all, so we elected him, but he's also super lazy and sleeps a bunch. So, I'm there to keep things together and rolling, y'know? I gotta say, it's a full time job."
There was a long, thoughtful silence.
Then, Chidori stood, closing her sketchbook. "Thank you, Junpei… I had fun today."
His heartrate picked up, but he tried to play it cool. "You did?"
She nodded. "It's time for me to go, but… I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
And she left, sauntering away. He watched her go.
It was only when she was out of sight that he grinned to himself. "Tomorrow, huh?" If he pumped his fist in victory, nobody had to know. "All right!"