CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains brief mentions of blood and allusions to romantic, sexual and parental abuse of a minor. Please take breaks or skip sections as necessary. Stay safe.
9/13 – Monday
After School
Okumura's Palace
Ren moved through the corridors of the Palace pistol-first. It wasn't much of a literal protection, but it helped calm his nerves, at least. And, if he happened to run into a less-than-savory individual with a black mask...at least having a gun pointed at him might make the fucker flinch. But he probably would feel a little less on edge if doors didn't keep slamming shut behind him for the sake of "sealing off contaminated areas." Or if any of the keypads, biometric scanners or whatever the hell else actually worked.
Another patch of black dust, and another thick chunk torn out of one of the walls. Ren hoped it was from Mona's efforts. He would have crossed his fingers, if both hands weren't wrapped around a cognitively-enhanced airsoft gun. Ren turned the corner to find another T-junction, probably the fifth he'd run into since splitting from the Thieves. He paused, tracing back the route in his head. Aiming alternating lefts and rights should have hopefully ensured he was making at least some progress towards the deeper parts of the Palace. Last turn was a left, so this one should be–
"–through here–" A soft voice, almost a whisper, echoed into the junction from the lefthand branch. Ren stiffened. Footsteps. Footsteps that were coming closer. Fuck. Fuck shit fuck fuck.
He dove for the left wall, pistol up. Waiting. He could barely hear the footsteps over his own pounding heart. Closer. Closer. Were they next to him already? He stared at the wall beyond the junction, trying to catch any hint of anything. And the very edge of a shadow against the far wall sent him whirling around the corner, training his pistol on–
Oh.
Round cheeks, fluffy brown hair poking out of a wide-brimmed and feathered hat, a white ascot pinned to her collar. Surprised brown eyes behind a plain black mask. A pink top with a loose black vest, purple gloves, poofy magenta shorts and black leggings.
The last of the Phantom Thieves from the photograph. But beyond that?
"We made a promise, didn't we? We'll be at your side. Always."
"And I know you can't dance with me. Not yet. But I'll be here waiting, when you are."
"You pushed me to lean on you when I was struggling, so I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to push you right back."
"Sometimes love is worth fighting for."
"This isn't goodbye; don't forget that. We'll see each other again before you know it. So stay strong, Joker."
Holy fuck. Holy fuck. "It's you," he mumbled, the words leaving his open mouth like a prayer.
She blinked at him. And her wide eyes hardened. An impact against his wrist. Ren's hand twisted painfully – he yelped – and the pistol slipped out of his grasp. Before it even hit the ground, the young woman pivoted, her back now to him. He felt a hand grab the back of his coat, and her other one was clamped onto his wrist, pulling it forward over her shoulder, and it felt as though the limb left its socket for a brief instant, and then Ren's feet lost contact with the ground. The corridor whirled forward and around and he was head over heels before landing full force flat onto his back. Someone made a sound like an old mattress groaning out stale air, and it was probably him. His back hurt. His eyes still spun in his skull. Ren was struck, momentarily, with the briefest instant of lucidity; maybe he had the wrong person.
"Don't move." That same soft voice, now firm, careful. And Ren's eyes focused to see the sharp blade of an axe leveled towards his neck.
"Okay," he wheezed. Ren didn't much think he could move, but he definitely wouldn't now. He tilted his head just a little to catch her gaze. The young woman seemed distinctly unsure of herself, her stern expression inconsistent. At least she wasn't actually trying to kill him.
"Joker!" A wail from down the hallway. A very familiar wail. "What's going on here!?"
Ren turned his head so fast the side of his skull clunked against the floor. But that pain was nothing compared to the sheer relief that now flooded every synapse. A creature covered in black fur, standing upright on two white paws, tail standing straight up like an exclamation point, a yellow ascot around his neck, and shocked blue eyes staring right at him. "Mona," he said, and maybe it was the lack of air in his lungs but he felt breathless. A grin spreading over his face. "Holy shit, you're okay."
"Joker!?" the young woman gasped. And the axe blade left his neck. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry I didn't realize you were Mona's friend I just panicked and–"
"No worries," he struggled out. With an effort his entire sore body resisted, Ren shifted himself up onto his elbows, trying to get his legs under him again. "I did kinda point a gun–" Strong hands under his arms and he was yanked back up to standing, pulling another yelp out of him with breath he didn't know he still had.
"Sorry, sorry." The young woman slipped around him, giving an apologetic and deeply sheepish smile from behind the axe she now clutched against her chest with both hands. "Are you okay?"
"I've been through worse," Ren replied, but his eyes were on Mona now, who refused to meet his gaze. "I'm really glad you're alright."
"You shouldn't be here," the not-a-cat snapped. "You're still recovering."
"Takemi gave me the go-ahead," he replied, trying not to let the hurt leak into his tone. "Mona, we came here looking for you. All the Thieves, your friends."
"I'm fine," Mona said. He stared at the far wall and crossed his tiny arms over his chest. "I can handle myself."
"And I'm looking out for him?" the young woman offered.
Ren swallowed his immediate spark of irritation. Yes, this stranger had no place encouraging his friend to risk his life. But she wasn't doing so out of ill intent, he knew that, even if he didn't know why he knew that. "Mona, you're walking into an unknown Palace with just you and–" He gestured to the young woman, who seemed to wilt somewhat. "–and no navigator, no backup, and as far as I know, no plan."
"We got farther than you did!" Mona snapped.
"That's not the point," Ren replied. "You're the one who said we have to be cautious, how is this–"
"I'm fine," the feline growled. "Just because you're the leader of the Phantom Thieves doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do all the time! You're not my dad and you're not my brother and you're not my owner!"
Something in Ren's chest wound itself into a knot. "I'm still right. And you're still being an idiot just for the sake of trying to prove me wrong."
Mona barked out a laugh. "Wouldn't anyone?" he said.
Ren ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated breath. They stood there in the hallway, in silence, for what felt like minutes.
"I'm sorry, Joker," the young woman said, and she sounded it, "but I think you should go back to the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Mona and I can handle ourselves in here."
"Even if I wanted to, I can't." Ren gestured over his shoulder with his head. "We got separated. The doors in here keep closing automatically, something about alien presences." He sighed. "Look, Mona." The fur on the back of the feline's neck bristled. "If you really want to handle this without me, fine. The rest of the Thieves are looking for a Safe Room right now, if we find another one, we can meet back up with them. And if you're really..." Ren swallowed. He looked away, he couldn't, he couldn't. "If you're done working with me, I'll head back to reality. But can you at least bring Oracle or Queen or someone else with you? I just don't want you getting hurt."
Mona made a low grumbling noise in the back of his throat. Then he uncrossed his arms and started heading farther down the hallway. "The last Safe Room is a while back, so it's better to press forward instead. Come on."
Ren let out a long, tired breath. He still felt sore from being flipped, but that pain barely registered compared to the needle-sharp pangs now aching their way through his bloodstream.
A tap on his shoulder, and he glanced over to see the young woman giving him a little smile, offering the pistol she'd knocked out of his hand. "I'm sorry again for earlier," she said. "My name's..." She seemed to struggle for a moment. Like her first instinct had caught her off guard. "Um, it's Noir! Mona and I ran into each other here. It's very nice to finally meet you, Joker, Mona's told me a lot about you."
He nodded, taking the gun from her and holstering it. "Thanks for taking care of him," he replied, hopefully quiet enough that Mona couldn't catch it. "I'm grateful."
Noir beamed. "Of course! He's my friend too."
Ren forced himself to return the smile, even as his mind spun with pain and questions. Who was she? How could he remember what it was like to love this person, to lose her, and yet not even know her name? Or a single thing about her? He didn't know her. But he knew what she'd meant to him, to Anachronism, in that other world. And Ren wanted to know. If nothing else, to put that grief to rest. He wanted to let go.
They walked in silence. Mona out in front. Noir behind him. And Ren taking up the rear. The young woman kept glancing over her shoulder at him, and he wasn't sure if it was to confirm he hadn't fallen behind, or simply that she didn't trust him. Honestly, he wouldn't blame her for the latter. He couldn't quite trust her either. Memories told one story, and instincts told another. She was hiding something, that much was clear. There was an odd artificiality about her smile, like it was forced, like it was a performance.
Mona's fur bristled. "Enemies, up ahead," he whispered.
Noir nodded, lifting her axe from her shoulder. "Right."
Ren hurried to catch up. The door before them lead to a balcony overlooking a sizable chamber. Some sort of storage room, judging by the boxes being transported back and forth by a congregation of yellow robots. But Ren's eyes flicked to the door, to the sensor bar bulging above the doorframe. "Watch it," he said, "if we cross that door, it'll close on us. We should try and coordinate–"
Mona burst out laughing, throwing Ren's train of thought completely off the tracks. "Noir," he said, with an air of condescension, "it's all you."
"I'll take care of it," she said, and slipped through the open door.
Ren's breath caught, waiting for the alarm, for the door to close. But it didn't move. Noir was on the other side now, and the sensors hadn't even gone off. "Is it broken or–" he reached out an arm, and then snatched it back as red light flooded the hallway and the door slammed shut.
The now-familiar robotic voice rang out. "Alien presence detected. Sealing off contaminated area."
"Guess not," Ren squeaked. "Shit."
"Just wait," Mona said, grinning in a distinctly smug way.
A quiet beep through the thick metal of the door. "Quarantine protocols lifted," said the robotic voice. And then, the door slid open, revealing a softly smiling Noir, her hand pressed on something next to the frame.
Ren blinked. "You opened it." He slipped through, glancing at what she was touching – one of the biometric hand scanners. "I thought the scanners were broken, how'd you get it to work?"
"Noir's a natural," Mona preened, scrambling over the doorframe. "Barely two days of training, and she's already better than you." Ren felt a sigh bubble out of him at the petty jab.
Noir chuckled, proud but awkward, like a third wheel caught between two bickering friends. In a way, Ren supposed she was. "You've been an amazing teacher, Mona," she offered.
Mona nodded once, then hopped up onto the safety railing. "You just hold back, Joker. Let me and Noir show you how well we can handle ourselves."
"Oh!" Noir jumped to attention. "Yes, let's tear them to shreds!" Despite her violent words, the young woman's tone was utterly chipper.
"Fine," Ren said. "Not like you'll listen to me if I tell you not to."
Mona leapt off the balcony, and Noir vaulted the railing – somehow still lugging around that two-handed axe – and the two landed amidst the artificial crowd. The robotic workers froze. And, slowly, turned towards them.
"Watch and learn!" Mona raised the blue-metal sword Ren had given him over his head. "The Enigma Thief, Mona–"
"–and the Beauty Thief, Noir–" the young woman continued. She embedded her axe blade-first into the ground, then swept one hand out to the side, the other on the brim of her hat.
"–will steal your hearts!" The pair finished in unison. Uh. Okay. So they'd...rehearsed a catchphrase? Ren couldn't help but admire the flair, even as he questioned the purpose.
The robots looked at each other, as confused as Ren felt. "Intruder," one intoned, and another picked up the chant. "Intruder. Intruder. Intruder!" Then they surged forward, articulated joins spinning in their sockets, eyes flaring red.
Noir tilted her head back, the hand on her hat scooting down onto her mask, and then she tore it free with a deep bow. "Milady!" A flash of blue, and then an enormous entity rose behind the young woman. A feminine form with a wide pink and black dress – colors oddly muted, as if drained of hue – holding a masquerade mask up in place of her absent face, a feathered fan in her other hand. The Persona flicked her fan open, and then swung it as if articulating a dismissal. And a wave of yellow, purple and black spiraled out from the motion, sweeping across the robotic swarm. The foes thrown asunder, losing arms or legs, stumbling where they had previously run.
Mona sprang into action immediately, spinning and slashing, lopping off limbs or slicing through circuitry, downing robots left and right. Rapid bursts of wind without so much as calling Zorro's name, each gust slamming cognitions against walls or tossing them up into the air for gravity to handle.
Ren hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was impressed. Mona wasn't slacking, and Noir's Persona seemed incredibly strong. His hand tightened on the railing. Was Ren really that useless to him? Had he been holding Morgana back, this whole time?
One of the androids struggled back to its feet, sparking and unstable, and surged towards Noir. She flinched, grabbed her mask again. "Persona!" But nothing happened. The mask remained on her face. The foe still advanced.
Ren drew the pistol from its holster before he could think, and pulled the trigger. A single shot bounced off the robot's head, not enough to down it, but it stalled from the impact. Long enough for Noir to yank her axe free and slash the threat in twain. She sent a smile towards the balcony. "Thank you!"
He just returned the smile and holstered his pistol again, hopping over the railing. By the time he landed, Mona had beheaded the final cognition, leaving the room quiet besides for the sparks flickering off of dying circuitry. "There's a Safe Room over there," Mona said, gesturing with his sword towards the wall. Sure enough, Ren could spot a hazy door wavering against the cognitive backdrop. "Go meet up with the rest of the Thieves, and leave the Palace. Noir and I are fine on our own."
Ren grit his teeth. How was he supposed to respond to that? That bitter, stubborn voice? Fuck, had he been like that to Mona this whole time? Was the feline just following Ren's fucking example? It hurt. It hurt and it wasn't fair and it was fucking asinine and he couldn't find the words to express any of that.
Noir glanced between Ren and Mona, and cleared her throat. "Actually," she said, "maybe we should take a break as well, Mona. We've been fighting for a while now, and I think I need a breather." She rolled her shoulder for emphasis.
The not-a-cat sighed. "Fine." And he scrambled towards the Safe Room.
"Thanks, again," Ren said, as soon as Mona was out of earshot.
Noir nodded, gazing after the tiny Thief. "I don't mean to tell you how to talk to your friend," she said, quietly, "but Mona came into this Palace for your sake in the first place. That's what he told me, at least. He said you two got in an argument, and he seemed really hurt by whatever you said. And, you seem really hurt too, Joker." She hummed a thoughtful note. "I'm not that sure what to do, when two people hurt each other like that. But I know if neither of you can be honest about your feelings, it's not going to get any better."
"He's not listening to me," Ren grumbled. She was probably right. But every time he thought about conceding, letting Mona run off thinking he'd won over him, that spark of frustration just burrowed itself deeper into his ribs.
"And, are you listening to him?" Noir asked. Her voice was oddly neutral, almost cold. The young woman shouldered her axe and headed toward the Safe Room.
Ren waited until his feet ached against the metal floor, and then followed.
Mona groaned, kicking his feet off the Safe Room table. "This is taking forever. I'm tired of waiting."
"Just a little longer, Mona," Noir encouraged, stretching out each of her legs in turn, then shifting to lean over and touch her toes – or more accurately shins, she couldn't quite reach her feet.
"Fine," Mona said. He huffed out a breath of air. It would have been easy to write him off. He was irritated, and impatient, obviously, that much had been true from the start. But maybe it was something more than that. Anxious?
"Are you worried about the other Thieves?" Ren asked.
The feline almost flinched. "Or course not," he grumbled. "They're fine without me."
"Maybe," Ren said, slowly, trying to pick his words carefully, "but we're not the Phantom Thieves without you."
Mona made a sound almost like a growl, or a whine. "Don't just tell me what I want to hear," he said, quick and angry. "I'm not an idiot."
What he wanted to hear. Mona wanted to hear that he was...included? Or, that he was wanted? "I'm being honest. You're my friend. Not just mine, everyone's." Ren reached up and twisted a strand of hair around one finger.
"You've got a lot of friends." The not-a-cat turned away. "Why would you care so much about just one of them?"
"I need you. I couldn't do what I do without you. It wouldn't be me. No Joker without Mona."
Ren swallowed hard. His eyes were beginning to prickle. "I have a lot of friends, yeah. But I've only got one Mona. And I don't want to lose him."
Silence. Noir straightened up, brushing herself off, eyes locked on Mona. He didn't move. Not for the longest time.
"I'll go leave a note," Mona said, his voice oddly strained. "In the other Safe Room. So they know we're here." He hopped off the table before anyone could say another word, and swung open the door to the corridors behind cognition, slipping into the dark.
Ren stared at the ground. Footsteps, and Noir sat down next to him. She didn't say anything, not at first. "You listened to him," she said, her voice soft. There was an honesty in it he hadn't heard from her before, but it seemed so fucking familiar to him.
"I tried," he said, in a quieter voice than he'd meant to. His hands were together in his lap, and hers were on her thighs. He almost wanted to reach out to her, and he almost wanted to bolt out the door as far away from her as possible. "I don't know how to tell him that I'm sorry."
"You could always just start with that," she said.
"Start with what?" he asked.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Hm," he said. "I guess so. I don't know why it's so hard."
"Admitting you're wrong?"
Ren almost burst out laughing, and he had no idea why. "Yeah. Admitting I'm wrong. I don't even agree with what I said, or what I think I said, but it's still hard."
Noir nodded. "That makes sense to me. I think it's really brave to admit that."
"Doesn't feel brave."
"What does it feel like, then?" she asked, tilting her head.
Ren shrugged. "It just hurts, I guess."
Noir giggled.
"What?" he asked, a smile creeping onto his lips.
"If it wasn't hard, or painful," she said, "then why would it take bravery?"
Huh. "Anyone ever tell you that you'd make a good therapist?" Ren said.
She laughed. "Not that I can remember. I suppose I'll keep that in mind, but I already have a pretty good idea of what I want to do with my life."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."
"Horticulture!" she chirped.
"Uh," he said.
"The study of gardening," she giggled. "Mostly vegetables, but some fruits as well."
Um. Okay, what the fuck did he know about plants? "There's a flower shop in downtown Shibuya," he said, almost stumbling over his words. "In the underground mall, I mean. Have you been there before?"
Noir nodded excitedly. "You mean Rafflesia? I used to go there all the time, since it's on my commute, but I found a lovely little store called Subeke in Shinjuku, and they're only open at night, but they have some absolutely amazing fertilizer." The young woman beamed at Ren. "Are you a fan of flowers in particular?"
"I just thought about working there once," he admitted. He didn't want to disappoint her, for whatever reason, but lying to make himself look better was not a line he was willing to cross.
"Hm." Noir gazed intensely at him, one hand on her chin. Ren couldn't help but lean away slightly. "I think you'd make a wonderful floral designer. Apparently, half that job is listening. And you seem to be an excellent listener."
"When I'm not being stubborn," he quipped back.
"We all have our bad days," she said, "but I think you've started to turn yours around."
Before Ren could say another word, the door swung open. Ren flinched off the bench, and he vaguely saw Noir do the same out of the corner of his eye before a blur of green and orange barreled into him headfirst, nearly knocking the wind out of his lungs for the second time in two hours. "Hey Oracle," he wheezed, reaching up to pat her head.
She didn't say a word, just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could.
Mona hopped back up onto the table, shaking the dust out of his fur.
"Mona–" Ren began.
"I'm going to let you guys join the infiltration," the feline replied, quick and sharp. "So just...drop it, okay?"
And as his friends nearly bowled each other over to check up on Ren, he found himself nodding. "Okay," he said.
Noir and Mona took point, and they took it fully. Nearly a dozen feet in front, probably out of earshot. Ren could catch snippets of hushed conversation between the two, but no details.
"This is fuckin' weird," Skull grumbled. "Like, she and Mona seem kinda tight – and I'm still psyched he's okay – but none of us know who she is."
"She seems to have some advanced knowledge of this place," Fox said. "And the sensors don't identify her as a threat."
"Maybe she's good with t-tech, like Oracle?" Violet offered.
Oracle shrugged. "I mean, if she is, then she's a bona fide genius. I tried hacking one of those panels and it'd probably take me at least an hour to crack it."
"Hm," Ren said. "One sec." He hurried his pace to cross the distance between the two groups.
Noir glanced over her shoulder, throwing him a fake little smile. "Would you like me to give you and Mona some privacy?" The feline growled at the offer.
"I actually have something to ask you, if that's okay." Ren glanced at Mona, asking silent permission.
The not-a-cat merely bounded even farther ahead. Noir watched him go with a dissatisfied little hum.
Ren swallowed his guilt, and pressed on. "I've been watching you fight, and your Persona seems really powerful, but..." He trailed off, unsure of the best phrasing.
"She's not listening to me?" Noir offered. She was still smiling, but her expression seemed colder somehow, more artificial.
"Yeah," he forced out.
"Yes, I've noticed that too." Noir reached up, brushing her fingertips against her mask. "I don't have an explanation as for why, I'm sorry. For whatever reason, Milady seems to be pouting." She giggled, and there wasn't an ounce of humor in it. "I can hear her voice, most of the time. But sometimes, there is a deafening silence in my heart." Noir gave Ren an almost bitter glance. "If I figure out the reason, I'll be sure to let you know first, Joker." Her tone was sweet, but there was a venom behind her words that almost reminded Ren of Akechi; and the thought sent a shudder through his shoulder-blades.
"Right," he said, "uh, sorry." And before he could embarrass himself further, he stalled, and let her move farther away from him. Noir didn't even spare him a parting glance, and he tried not to think too hard about that.
Mona and Noir had stalled. They waited at the entrance of the next room, staring through it at the chamber beyond. "That's him," Mona said, once the other Thieves were within earshot. "Okumura's Shadow."
They seemed to be in some sort of viewing chamber, judging by the wall-length window between them and what appeared to be a ship's bridge. The room beyond was spacious, a row of robot-filled chairs and monitors to the right, and another window overlooking the dying star and its dark murderer to the left. And standing dead center was a man, arms folded behind his back, dressed in some emulation of a science fiction military uniform, tight-fitting red jacket and black pants, his dark hair slicked back.
"Another sensor door," Panther noted. Then she hesitated. "Do you think we're really ready to face him? We could always double back."
"He doesn't have his Treasure on him," Mona said, "but he's in the way." He unsheathed his sword, gaze set on the Shadow. "There's no point retreating."
"Shall we leave the door to you, Noir?" Queen asked.
All eyes turned towards her. The young woman was silent, motionless. Maybe hesitant, but it didn't seem like that. Maybe...
"Yes," she said, finally. "Give me one moment." Her voice was cool, and even, and false. Noir slipped through the door, and around the corner, fiddling with the keypad.
Did Noir know Okumura somehow? The sight of him had thrown her, that much was clear. And she'd met Mona in his Palace. Something was beginning to bubble in Ren's gut, an awful, burning doubt. "Maybe we should–" he began.
The door slammed shut.
Ren stared at it. He couldn't breathe.
"Noir!" Mona shrieked. He hopped up, scrabbling at the glass as he found a loose foothold on the windowsill.
The young woman stepped over to the window, offering her fakest smile yet. "I'm sorry," she said, and her voice seemed to come from somewhere above. The audio was being piped through somehow? "You should head back now. I apologize for using you all, but this is my fight."
"What the hell!" Skull smacked a fist against the glass, and Ren flinched. "The fuck do you mean you were using us!?"
"I needed to get far enough into the Palace to face him," Noir explained, gesturing at the Shadow over her shoulder. Her gaze fell on Mona, and her expression softened. "I'm very sorry, Mona. I really am so grateful for everything you've done for me. But this is goodbye."
"No," the feline whimpered, and his voice almost tore a hole in Ren's chest.
"Don't do this," he said. "Please, Noir. Whatever you're planning–"
"Farewell, Joker," she said, plainly. "Please, do your best to make up with Mona. He really did miss you." And Noir giggled, then turned, walking farther into the room.
"Oracle," Fox said, hurriedly. "Can you get the door open?"
The girl's fingers flicked rapidly against an interface only she could see. "I'm trying! Access is shit from this side and maybe Necronomicon could beam me over to the keypad but it'd probably still take me a ton of time and–"
"Deep breaths," Ren reminded. His focus was locked on Noir, but he needed to maintain control. He couldn't let his sister panic. "We can't defend you if you try hacking from that side. Do your best to open the door, but if Noir is threatened, then switch to supporting her."
"Are you going to trust her?" Violet asked.
Ren didn't know how to answer that.
The Shadow stirred. Glancing towards Noir, his yellow eyes not even registering the Thieves, focusing entirely on the young woman. "Haru," he said, his voice cold. "I see you've returned."
Queen gasped like she'd been shot. Ren glanced over to see her holding one hand over her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh my god," she said. "Haru. That's where I knew his name from. Noir is his–"
"Hello father," she said, cheery and cold, and Ren's heart skipped half a dozen beats. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.
The Shadow huffed out a breath. "And I expect you'll be presenting yet another excuse for your betrayal, as you've done so many times before."
"I didn't betray you," she said. Noir stopped moving, something like a dozen paces from the man. "I'm only here because I still believe in you, father. Because I still love you." Her steady tone shook, just for a moment. "Please, listen to me."
"A traitor has nothing of value to me," Okumura said.
"Father," Noir said, "please, I told you–"
"And I told you that this ship is my life!" the Shadow snapped, whirling towards his daughter – Noir flinched, and Ren felt his rabbit's heart steady. For a brief instant, he was more furious than afraid. "The only reason it is still afloat is because of me. I am the reason you have the life you do, the clothes you wear, the name you gave yourself. And you still begged me for more, ungrateful thing." He scoffed. "I recognize this world is unfit for you. You are unfit for my name, my birthright. The birthright that would have been yours, if you were not such a sniveling coward."
"I don't care about the company!" Noir pleaded. "And I don't care about my birthright! If I have to give up being your daughter to save you, I will! Father, all I want is for you to come home. To be yourself again, please." Her hands clenched by her sides, shuddering. "Please."
Okumura was silent, for a moment. "How can you give up what you do not have?" he said, coldly. "You are not my daughter, Haru. And you never were." He slapped his hand against the emblem pinned to his coat, and an alarm blared overhead.
"I'm gonna fucking kill him," Skull muttered from somewhere behind Ren. "I swear I'm gonna..." He trailed off, letting out a furious breath.
A dark shadow fell on the ground between Okumura and Noir. And an enormous white robot descended from the ceiling, landing with an impact that shook the glass, nearly knocking Ren off his feet. The android almost looked like it was wearing a suit, with a purple tie and a brown accent that resembled hair–
"No," Noir gasped, and stumbled backwards. "No. No no no."
"Haru," the robot said, in a mechanical voice that almost sounded like a purr. "Don't you know it's in poor form to abandon your post like that?" For whatever reason, it reminded Ren of Kamoshida, and the thought turned his stomach. The cognition took a stiff step forward. "Your place is with me, remember? Now be a good girl–"
"Shut up!" Noir shouted, halfway between fear and fury. "You don't get to treat me like your property! I'm not yours, and I never was!"
"Shame," the robot said. "I really didn't want to have to break you. Oh well." And it reeled back one enormous fist.
Noir's hand went to her mask. "Milady!"
She did not answer.
Noir barely managed to put her axe between herself and the blow, sliding back across the floor with a choked cry. The weapon shook in her grip. "Persona!" Noir's voice broke.
She did not answer.
"Please!" The scream was quiet, yet almost deafening. Ren could hear tears in her voice. The young woman nearly crumpled, bracing herself against her axe. "Please."
She did not answer.
Ren swallowed. Focus. Focus. "Panther, I need you to weaken the door. Get it as hot as you can. Then Queen, break it down." They didn't say a word. He couldn't even turn away long enough to look at them. "Panther, Queen, now."
Two half-confirmations, and hurried footsteps over to the door. A red glow out of the corner of his vision. "Oracle, switch focus. Whatever support you can offer Noir, give it."
"Okay," she said, voice holding steady. She was alright. Fuck, he hoped she was alright.
"Skull, Fox, Violet, Mona; as soon as that door's open, we back up Noir. Got it?" Three affirmations. Only three. And Ren finally managed to glance away. Mona was still standing on the windowsill, stiff and shivering.
"Is she going to be okay?" he asked. His voice was so small.
Ren vaguely remembered he'd been angry at Mona. Something petty. Something stupid. Something utterly fucking inconsequential. And he nodded, forcing a smile. "She'll be okay," he said, as soft as he could manage. "You taught her, remember? And you're the best Phantom Thief I know."
Mona just nodded, but he stopped shuddering.
"Fine then." Noir's voice, still unsteady, but firm. She struggled upright. "If you won't answer me?" She braced her axe in both hands. "Then I'll cut him down myself!" And she charged at the cognition.
"Speed up!" Oracle's voice, and a green glow wrapped itself around Noir.
"Attacking your fiancé?" The hollow shell echoed with sickening laughter. "You've really lost it, you crazy little freak!" It swung out a leg, and Noir ducked underneath, slashing at the limb with her axe.
"You are not–" She embedded the axe into its chest, and sent the android stumbling. "–my fiancé!" Noir reached into her bag, and pulled out a two-foot black cylinder. "You're just–" She took aim with what Ren now recognized as a grenade launcher of some sort. "–the creep who–" Noir must have pulled the trigger, because Ren didn't hear the rest of her sentence. An explosion blew through the room, the cognition obscured first by blinding light, then a thick cloud of smoke.
"Did she get him?" Violet asked. She sounded hopeful.
An object shot out of the cloud. Noir dodged to the side, and her axe barely brushed her as it spun past and slammed into the ground with enough force to bury the blade. The young woman wavered, and then fell to her knees. "That's enough roughhousing," the robot cooed, its voice now slightly distorted. The cloud cleared just for a moment, just enough for Ren to catch the circuitry of its head pulling itself back together. "Just stand still, and I'll make this easier."
Panther made an awful strained gasp, and Ren's gaze whirled to see the Thief pulling away from the now red-hot door, her gloves letting off smoke. "Queen, now!"
Queen took one step forward, pulled her right fist back – the boxing wrap glowing a vibrant neon blue – and struck the door with what must have been as much force as she could handle. The metal didn't so much as crumple before breaking off, snapping and skidding across the floor.
Panther was breathing heavy, and Queen looked similarly pained, holding her right hand in her left, smoke slipping out between her fingers. Ren swore under his breath. "Fox, stay here and cool off their burns. You have medicine in your bag?"
Fox nodded, already taking Queen's hand in his, a soft pale glow emanating from his touch – the young woman sucked in air, but held steady. "We'll catch up."
"Give 'em hell," Panther said through grit teeth.
Ren nodded. "Phantoms, let's go!" And he rushed into the room.
Okumura's Shadow regarded the advancing Thieves with something like disdain. "More interlopers. Deal with them." He waved a hand, and something like two dozen blue robots descended from on high, clattering to life in an instant.
"Guys, stop!" Oracle yelped into the coms. Ren skidded to a halt. "There's some sort of barrier in front of you. I don't know where it's from, but it's blocking off that whole half of the room."
Sure enough, Ren could see an odd wavering sheen in front of him, like an inconsistent heat wave across glass.
"Drop the shit, you fucker!" Skull kicked the barrier, and it warbled out a protest. "Okumura you fucking bastard, lemme see how tough you are without your stupid tricks!"
"It's not the Shadow," Mona said, his eyes wide. "It's Noir."
The enormous white robot took a step towards the collapsed young woman, and stopped suddenly, a small resonant clang echoing through the room. It reached out, and Ren saw that same sheen blocking it from reaching her.
"Please," Noir said, quietly. She wiped her face off on her sleeve, and it came away dark. Ren's breath caught at the sight of crimson against the pale pink fabric. "I told you, this isn't your fight. You should leave me here. I used you all, and–"
"You didn't u-use us!" Violet said. "You had your own reasons for fighting, that's all. We all have th-those, we all fight for us first, and each other second." She took an unsteady breath. "That's what my friends taught me. You have to st-stand up for yourself, and then you can save someone else!"
"We've all pulled our own asses out of the fire," Skull added. "Shit, more than once, prolly. Just cause I had help doesn't mean I didn't do shit."
"And while this is your fight," came Fox's voice, and Ren found a bolt of relief at his presence, "it doesn't mean you can't ask for assistance."
"We've got your back, Noir!" Oracle chimed in. "The Phantom Thieves are here to help."
"You shouldn't have to face this alone." Panther chuckled. "But trust me when I say being around us means you won't get much of a chance to."
"You came here to face your father, didn't you?" Queen's tone was softer than Ren had often heard from her. "He's right there. All you have to do is get back up."
"I can't," Noir said, "It hurts too much, I can't."
The words leapt to Ren's tongue. "If it wasn't hard, or painful," he said, "then why would it take bravery?" He was smiling. He didn't know why, but he was smiling. "You're brave, Noir. Don't give up, not now."
"Haru," Mona said, and his voice broke. "You told me you wanted...to stand up to that creep." He shook, his tiny body shuddering. And he closed his eyes and his little hands closed into fists. "So get back up and kick his ass!"
Noir let out a shuddering exhalation. "Yes," she said, almost a breath. "I will!" And her mask shattered.
I see you finally made up your mind, my dear, fated princess.
Noir surged forward, gasping at air. Both hands clutching at her head.
Freedom from you must stem from betrayal.
She reached one hand out, and placed it against the barrier. A crimson smear against the glass-like surface.
If you still yearn for it now, then you must not err.
One foot under, then another, and Noir stumbled to her feet.
Now tell me: who shall you betray?
"My heart has been set. You should know." A glint across the barrier, and Ren caught the reflection of a chilling glare, two furious yellow eyes burning where Noir's mask once rested. And an uproarious, ethereal laughter echoed from everywhere at once.
Yes, that gaze! You're finally ready, dear princess. Let us reforge our oath post-haste.
The barriers burst. An azure-tinged shockwave pushed both the Thieves and cognitions back, farther away from Noir, farther away from her Persona. Where her form had once been dull, she was now vibrant. And that shape beneath Milady was no longer a dress, but a shell.
I am thou. Thou art I. Let us adorn your departure into freedom with a beautiful betrayal!
"Farewell, dear father." Noir pointed one finger at the man. "I swear to you, I will no longer chase your shadow. From this day forward, I may not be your daughter, but I stand on my own two feet!"
The Shadow didn't say a word, merely turned and walked away, towards the door in the far end of the room.
Noir paused, glancing over her shoulder at Ren. A streak of blood down the side of her face. But she was smiling, softly. "Shall we take care of these enemies, then...leader?"
Ren smiled back, pulling his knife from its sheath. "Yeah. Let's."
Noir turned back. "And as for you," she addressed the white robot, her voice full of contempt, "allow me to make our business clear." One arm up, grabbing the brim of her hat. "We are the Phantom Thieves. And we are here to take your bride!" And she swept her arm out.
Milady's shell snapped open, and twin gatling guns emerged from within, training on the cognitions.
"Fire!" Noir commanded.
Bullets tore through cognitive bots, ripping apart the azure enemies, blowing holes in mainframes and eviscerating sensors. It didn't take more than five seconds for the entire swarm to be nothing more than scrap, leaving only the now-pockmarked ivory android.
"Yooo," Skull muttered, more awe than breath.
Big foe. It looked top-heavy. Ren smirked. "Phantoms, Lilliput!"
"Right!" came a cascade of voices, and the Thieves sprung to action.
Violet and Fox went for the legs instantly, a pair of blows to sever whatever pistons passed for tendons. Panther extended her whip and passed the end to Mona, who scrambled up the cognition's leg.
The robot flinched, raising one hand to swat at Mona, but Ren was quicker. "Arsene!" Two quick cuts, flashes of light on steel. First one arm fell, then the other, severed at the joints.
Mona made it to the cognition's torso, wrapping the whip around it and then jamming the serrated end into its spine as an anchor. "Now!"
Panther dug her heels in, Queen and Skull grabbing her arms on either side, and they pulled. The cognition stumbled forward, then fell completely, slamming to the ground right in front of Noir.
The young woman was next to her axe, and she yanked it from the ground almost effortlessly. One step at a time, she walked over, next to the robot's head, and raised her axe up. "Goodbye, Sugimura," she said. "Do not come back." And she slammed the blade through its neck.
The robot's almost flan-shaped head fell. It bounced once on the metal floor, and shuddered to a halt like an unsteady plate. The purple sensors in its face darkened. Still, and quiet.
"We should get back to reality now," Mona said. "We've got...a lot to talk about, I think." He seemed a little reserved.
Noir took another step, and planted her foot on top of the robot's head. She didn't move, for a long second. Then, she pushed down. For a moment, just an instant, Ren saw a curl of anger across her face as she crushed the cognition's metal skull beneath her heel. More than anger, grief. More than grief, bitterness. More than anything, pain. And then it was gone, and her expression was stoically pleasant once more. "Yes," she said, soft and cold. "Quite a lot to talk about."
Thanks to Jane for beta-reading this chapter. Her enthusiasm and validation has kept me pushing through an honestly very tough week for us both, and I'm eternally grateful for that.
