A/N: Hey, folks! Another odd little bit of overlap, as Persona 5 Strikers finally released in the West the week I upload this! We're entering a patch of the story I'm very excited for, so I hope you'll all stick around and see it!
Chapter 27: Into the Jungle
Saturday, 6/18/20XX, Shinjuku, Evening
"So, this is Shinjuku." Jolyne remarked, her and Ryuji standing at the cusp of the red light district known as Kabukicho, looking up at the giant neon archway. Jolyne had changed her clothes after school, but Ryuji hadn't, meaning that he was still in his red t-shirt and uniform pants. "I feel like I need a shower just looking at it…"
"Same here. This feels like the kind of place my dad would have gone to…" Ryuji muttered, looking around. "Yakuza in Kabukicho...feels like I saw something like that in a video game."
"Be careful. On the other side of that archway is a land of decadence and temptation. Make sure you stay on your guard!" Morgana warned. "Well, no sense standing around and admiring the scenery. Let's go!" And with that the three ventured forward into Shinjuku, preparing for a productive, successful investigation...
"Hey there, pal! I got the finest girls, just waitin' for you!"
"Hey, green hair, you're quite the looker! Why don't you step into my club, and I'll get you set up with a nice job!"
"Ah, a nice, lovely young couple expanding their horizons? Come on into my club! We've got the best booze around!"
"Good grief, this place is a nightmare…" Jolyne muttered out, clutching her bag close as she walked through the red light district.
"These guys ain't got any hesitation about selling to minors..." Ryuji observed, getting a sigh from the lead Phantom Thief..
"Finding one shady guy in this place is gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack." She muttered, as they walked through the district. "Did you look up hostess clubs?"
"Well, yeah, but there's like a dozen of them around here." Her friend answered, earning a groan.
"Gimme a break...where are we even going to start? We can't just walk around and hope to-ooof!" The transfer student turned Phantom Thief was cut off as she slammed into a man coming out of a maid cafe. It knocked both her and the man to the ground, and Ryuji scowed.
"Watch where you're going, ass...hole...wait…" Ryuji trailed off, and the man and Jolyne made eye contact. Jolyne's face twisted into a snarl, as the familiar face went pale.
"Ishigami?!" Jolyne stood up, as the Stand User the two had fought almost a month ago scurried back. "The hell are you doing here?!"
"I-I just came for a drink! I swear, I wasn't following you!" Ishigami justified, Jolyne looked him over. His injuries from their fight had mostly healed, his clothes were dishevelled, and his cheeks were clearly flushed with drink.
"I thought I told you to get out of Tokyo."
"...wait, you were serious? I thought you were just sayin' that shit to try and sound cool!"
"Uh...no. I uh...I meant it." In all honesty, Jolyne had been trying to emulate the heroes of the old westerns her grandmother loved and said the first thing that came into her head.
"I mean, I can't just pack up and leave Tokyo. I got a job, I have bills...hell, I signed a lease on my apartment. Bruises heal, but bad credit follows you around for life. Plus, I'm an IT guy! I don't exactly have the cash to just pack up and leave at the drop of a hat." Ishigami explained, Jolyne just glared at the cowering man…before sighing.
"Alright, I should have thought what I said through a little more. In my defense, I was a little riled up on account of you trying to kidnap me and kill my friend."
"A-and I said I was sorry! Listen, that whole thing was a life changer for me. I ain't had any more contact with that Whitesnake guy, and I don't do anymore shady jobs." Ishigami neglected to mention that Whitesnake was keeping him on the back burner until he needed the water stand user, but he had a feeling that would simply get him another beating.
"…but you're in a red light district."
"Jeez, kid, I never said I was going to become a monk. I mean, a man's got needs, y'know? And dating ain't exactly-"
"Please don't say anymore. I wanna be able to eat tonight." Ryuji fit off, when an idea occurred to Morgana.
"Hey, Jolyne! This guy said he took off jobs for a Yakuza over here in Shinjuku. Maybe he knows where we can find the guy we're looking for!" Morgana suggested, and Jolyne sighed. The less she had to put up with Ishigami, the better, but Morgana had a point. This would certainly save them a lot of time...
"Ugh, fine…" She grumbled. "Hey, Ishigami. You come here a lot, right?"
"Uh...yeah. About...twice a week. Sometimes more."
"Seriously, man?" Ryuji asked, and Ishigami scowled.
"Hey, you work full time, and you try havin' a love life. Some of us have to settle." He spat, Jolyne cleared her throat.
"So you know your way around here, right?"
"I'm...not too proud to admit that I do."
"So you can help us find a yakuza." If the Stand User wasn't confused before, he sure was now, face twisting in confusion.
"Uh...what?"
"You know, yakuza. Big scary dudes in ugly suits, like to toss off their shirts all dramatic like so they can duke it out." Ryuji explained, and Ishigami frowned.
"Kid, you play too many video games. You do know that yakuza actually don't do that, right?"
"Hey, you're the one who works for 'em, if I remember right."
"And like I said, I just took odd jobs for them. You know, rough some guys up, scare 'em so they'd pay up. That was it."
"Wow, I was wrong about you. You're a total stand up member of society." Jolyne sarcastically remarked. "We're looking for a specific guy. Know anyone with a big scar on his forehead who likes hostess clubs?" As soon as she said that, Ishigami's eyes widened.
"Wait, you talkin' about Urahara?" He asked, earning a curious expression from the three.
"So you know who we're talkin' about?"
"...yeah, I do. Guy runs a pretty big operation in Shibuya, and he's always comin' around and dropping a lot of cash." The former enemy answered.
"You work for this guy?" Jolyne asked, the older man shook his head.
"Nah, not these guys. The guys I've worked for aren't anything special. They just do the standard stuff—you know, protection, extortion. But these guys…I've heard some things. About how they pressure kids into doing jobs for 'em, and ruin 'em if they don't play along." Jolyne and Ryuji exchanged a glance, with the leader giving a nod.
"What club does this guy like?" Ryuji asked, and Ishigami frowned.
"I think...Stardust. It's about a block that way." He gestured, pointing in a direction. "Mind if I ask why you're lookin' for him?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Jolyne cut off. "The deal's still the same. You see one of us again, and you need to start walking the other way. Otherwise-"
"You do the punch thing again, yeah I get the message." Ishigami finished, Jolyne shot off a scowl.
"You get the message. Get out of here."
"Alright, already! Damn punks…" He muttered out, and went to go on his way...when he stopped and turned back. "Careful, kid. Yakuza around here are no joke."
"We can handle it." Jolyne spat, earning a shrug.
"Suit yourself, kid. Don't say I didn't warn you." And with that, Ishigami was gone, leaving Ryuji to scowl.
"Man, I knew we were going to run into some jerks here, but I really didn't wanna run into that guy. Think we should change his heart?"
"I put his name in the Nav the day after we fought. Didn't even get a ping in Mementos." Jolyne explained, and Morgana sighed.
"That's not surprising. Unlike Madarame or even Nakanohara, the only desires he seems to have revolve around his own temporary satisfaction, something that he can fill on his own…" The mascot mused, before Jolyne shook her head.
"He knows the deal. Come on, let's get moving. The sooner we find this Urahara guy, the better."
"Uh, right."
And so the two students and the not-cat ventured forward into Shinjuku, heading for the hostess club. However, they passed by a dingy little bar named Crossroads...drawing the attention of a certain man.
"Hm? That hair…"
A short while later, the three were approaching a club with 'Stardust' written above the door in bright, neon English. "Well, this is the place Ishigami mentioned...now what?" Morgana asked, Jolyne frowned.
"Well, we're high school students, so I doubt they'll just let us walk in. And we don't know for a fact that this guy's in here…"
"Well, there's gotta be something we can do. I mean, we are Phan-" Before Ryuji could say anything else, Jolyne's foot slammed down onto his. "Yow! The hell was that for?!"
"Watch what you say in public. You never know who could be listening." She scolded, and Ryuji gulped as he remembered the recording.
"R-right. Sorry…" The track runner muttered, looking at the club. "Uh...why don't we sneak in? You know, like we do in the Palaces?" He whispered, but Morgana shook his head.
"Nope. Too risky. These guys probably have actual weapons. Your Stands are tough, but I'm not eager to see how they fare against actual weapons."
"He's right. I don't think we have-"
"Hey, hey! The hell's your problem?! I'm yer best freakin' customer, and you're kicking me out?!" A very loud, very clearly drunk voice bellowed out, causing the three Phantom Thieves to exchange a look.
"No effin' way…"
"It cannot be that easy…"
Slowly, they turned towards the entrance, where a group of five men in gaudy suits were being pushed out the door. And their leader, a very clearly drunk man in a purple suit and a scar on his forehead, wobbly turned to face the owner of the establishment. "The hell's your problem?!"
"Urahara-san, I'm afraid we have no other option. In addition to numerous complaints of you disturbing the other guests, we've also received a number of harassment complaints from our employees." The owner stated, Urahara sneered.
"You know how much money I spend here every night? I practically pay this place's damn rent, and you're going to kick me out cuz some chumps can't stop bitching?!" He cajoled, but the owner remained resolute.
"And we appreciate your patronage, Urahara-san. However, we must also take our other customers into consideration. I'm more than willing to discuss this with you when-"
"Screw you! When my boss hears about this, you'll be sorry! He's going to raze this whole place to the ground!" Their ears all perked up at this.
"His boss…?" Morgana muttered, but Jolyne shushed him, as the club owner was momentarily rattled.
"I-I assure you, I have nothing but the utmost respect for Kaneshiro-san. B-but I'm afraid I have other customers whose concerns-"
"Screw you! Kaneshiro's gonna be payin' this shithole a visit soon!" Urahra yelled, and Jolyne's brow furrowed.
"Kaneshiro…?" That had to be Urahara's boss, the one behind the blackmail ring that had extended all the way to Shujin. That was part one down, but now to find the rest of his name, the keyword, his distortion…
So lost in thought was the Phantom Thief leader that she didn't catch just how intently she was staring at the yakuza. One noticed, nudging the sneering Urahara.
"Hey, Boss, you might wanna watch what you say. We got an audience…" He muttered, causing the inebriated Yakuza to look directly at Jolyne and Ryuji.
"Crap…"
"The hell are you lookin' at? Take a picture, it'll last longer!" He yelled, only to notice what Ryuji was wearing. "Wait a second, I know those pants…" He muttered, and Jolyne got a bad feeling in her gut as the man's eyes sparked in recognition. "That's a Shujin uniform. What're a buncha high school kids doin' in this part of town…?" He muttered, and Jolyne swallowed the lump in her throat.
"We uh...we got lost. And then we got separated from our friend, and-"
"And ya just so happened to take a detour through a bad part of town?" Urahara asked, his anger at the owner of the hostess club forgotten as he found a new target. "Nah, I know what you're here for. You're here for the part time job, right?"
"So he is the one connected to the extortion. But I can't believe that we let ourselves get caught like this…" Morgana groaned, as Ryuji tensed up.
"Look, man, we don't want any trouble. We're just pass on' through, and-"
"Nah, ya don't gotta make excuses. Trust me, I remember bein' a student. Parents breathing down your neck, school kickin' your ass...ya just need a little spending money. Just to treat yourself, stay afloat." Utahans explained, tapping his chin as he examined the two. "Though, you two stand out a little more than our usual crowd…"
"Uh, look, this is all a big misunderstanding…" Jolyne tried to reason, but it was clear Urahara wasn't having it. With a snap of his fingers, his guys had flanked around Jolyne and Ryuji, boxing them in.
"I can see you're havin' second thoughts. Thing is, you've come this far, why not see it through?" Urahra sleazily asked, and Jolyne's frown only deepened. This wasn't good. How could they get out of this? In addition to being nearly impossible, even with their stands, fighting their way out of Shinjuku was the last thing a transfer student on probation needed. And if the Yakuza used actual weapons, it was only a matter of time before one of them got shot or stabbed. How could they-
"Scusa, signore?" A voice spoke up from behind them, one that was heavily accented, somewhere Jolyne couldn't quite place. "I believe they said they just took a wrong turn. I don't think they're interested in whatever you're selling." This got Urahara's attention, looking behind them.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Just a concerned citizen." Jolyne turned to the sound of the man's voice, her chartreuse eyes widening as she recognized the voice's holder. She hadn't spoken with him at length, and had only seen him twice before, but he was quite unforgettable. With his greasy blonde hair that went down past his back, the square patches of blonde facial hair that framed his jaw, the purple shirt decorated with dark green buttons, leather coat and leather pants, cowboy boots, and two round objects holstered on his belt, and wide brimmed hat...she'd never forget the man named Gyro.
Urahara was not as impressed by the man, his face twisting into a scowl. "Look, pal, you clearly ain't from around here. See, in this country, it's polite manners to just mind your own business and keep on walking." The gangster warned, and Gyro simply raised an eyebrow at this.
"Is that so? Well, in my country, the mafioso there usually have better things to do than harass teenagers in the street. At least, the ones that aren't complete embarrassments to their familia. It would be wise for you to step away now, before something untoward happens to you." The Italian man warned, and the yakuza's face twisted into a sneer.
"The hell did you say to me?!"
"Ah, apologies. My Japanese isn't quite as good as I'd like it to be, so I apologize for any confusion." Gyro apologized, adjusting his hat on his head as he glared directly at Urahara. "I'll rephrase it so even a pezzo di merda like yourself can understand: let these children go, before I make you regret it." The man's warning hung in the air for a second...before Urahara burst out laughing.
"You guys hearing this? This pizza pasta motherfucker has the nerve to come up here and talk to us like that! I"m tellin' ya, I ain't never seen a tourist actin' up like this!" The gangster laughed, but Jolyne didn't feel like laughing. Between the Metaverse and the Stand battles she had been involved in, she'd become quite accustomed to danger, her instincts honing in on potential sources of danger. She'd thought they were in trouble when Urahara had his men surround them, but all that danger went out the window. Right now, the most dangerous person in this alleyway wasn't the Phantom Thieves, the yakuza, or even their leader…
It was the man in the wide brimmed hat.
"Boys, show this pasta eating asshole how we do things around here. Give the kiddies a little show." Urahara ordered, and Gyro just sighed as he adjusted his hat.
"Mierda. This is what I get for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. Shoulda just ignored that stupid old man…" Jolyne's ears perked up at the last part he mumbled, but before she could ponder what that meant, one of Urahara's goons approached the Italian. He grabbed him…
Only for the gangster to end up on the ground a split second later, blood pouring from his nose. It had happened so fast, Jolyne didn't even realize that Gyro had kicked the man, his leg stretched up high, hand still on his hat. Everyone just stared in shock as Gyro lowered his leg, tilting the brim of his hat back up to level his glare back at Urahara.
"Who's next?" The scarred gangster's face twisted into a sneer, as he pointed at the assailant.
"Kill this motherfucker!" He ordered, and his remaining four henchmen snapped out of their stupors. Jolyne quickly pulled Ryuji to the side as they rushed Gyro, who, if anything, seemed mildly inconvenient as the three gangsters descended on the lone man. He didn't panic, he didn't drop into a fighting stance, he didn't draw a weapon. All Gyro did...was take a deep breath.
The whole thing was over in about thirty seconds. Gyro sidestepped a punch from one man, ducked under another, and brought his hand up to redirect a punch from the last man to one of his friends' jaw. He spun around and delivered a chop to the man's neck, exhaling as he made impact. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the lights of Shinjuku playing tricks on her eyes, but Jolyne could swear there was some sort of energy around Gyro's hand, that travelled across the man's body as he fell to the ground unconscious.
Yakuza One's body didn't even have time to hit the ground before Gyro turned his attention to Yakuza Two, delivering an open palm strike to the man's jaw. Again, an exhale of breath, again a discharge of energy rendered the enemy unconscious. By this time, Yakuza three had regained enough of his senses to regard Gyro as a threat, taking up a fighting stance vaguely resembling karate. Gyro threw a punch that the man attempted to move back from, but then the Italian fully exhaled, and it was like his arm dislocated simply to punch Yakuza Three in the face, the energy knocking him out and sending him to the ground with his friends as Gyro's arm reset.
"What the hell…" Ryuji muttered out, the three Phantom Thieves in a state of disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Urahara was in a similar state of shock, as Gyro turned back towards him.
"You're lucky I'm feeling charitable, bastardo. Otherwise your men would need an ambulance. Leave, before my mood sours." Gyro warned, and looked at Jolyne and friends. "Come with me. I wish to-"
"H-hey! I ain't done with you, asshole!" Urahra declared, earning a raised eyebrow from the assailant. "You think you can just come in here, beat up my guys, and leave?! Hell no!" The man reached into his jacket, and the Thieves' eyes widened as the yakuza pulled out a pistol. And not a fake one, like the one Jolyne carried from Untouchable for the Metaverse. No, this was unquestionably a real gun, yet at the same time, Gyro seemed unfazed. In fact, he seemed more amused than anything else.
"Are the bodies not a clear indication of what'll happen if you point that thing at me?" The italian asked, the scarred gangster just scowled.
"Shut up! You know who I work for?! You have any idea what he'll do to you when he finds out about this?! You, and everyone you've ever loved will wish you were dead!" The man threatened, and Gyro seemed...defiant at this.
"When fate conspires to introduce me to my end, then I shall fight against it with every fiber of my being. But it will not be at the hands of a worthless, bottom feeding piece of garbage such as yourself."
"What the...there's a guy pointing a gun at him, and he thinks it's a good idea to insult him?!" Morgana commented, as Urahara began to sweat, his face becoming more erratic.
"S-stay back, you crazy bastard! I'll...I'll kill you! I-I'll-" He pulled the hammer of the trigger back, and Gyro's eyes narrowed.
*Pla-chink*
Something impacted Urahara into the shoulder, staggering him, but the gun didn't go off. The object left his shoulder and spiraled through the air until it landed in Gyro's hand, revealing it to be one of the oddly shaped medal balls holstered on his belt. Jolyne watched as Urahara staggered, aimed the gun at Gyro...before energy rippled throughout his body, surging through him in some sort of spiral pattern. His body seemed to twist and contort, folding himself into some sort of spiral shape. He landed on his back, unconscious and twitching.
Jolyne had been watching silently from their corner, and it was only until Gyro holstered his ball that she found her voice. "Is...is he dead?" Gyro looked at her, the same casual indifference on his face that he had after she had fought Matsumoto, before looking back at the twitching yakuza.
"No. His pride will be forever wounded, but he will return to normal in an hour or so." He explained, before turning back to the two humans and the 'cat.' "I do not recommend being here when he wakes up. Come with me. We have much to discuss, Signora Joestar."
Crossroads Bar
Jolyne and Ryuji followed Gyro for about ten minutes down to a little hole in the wall bar, with a neon sign that read 'Crossroads' above it. "Uh, shouldn't we be leaving Shinjuku? What if those guys wake up?" Jolyne asked, and Gyro looked back, the first hint of interaction he had shown since they departed the alley in front of the hostess club.
"Most yakuza don't frequent places like this. They prefer the upscale bars, the hostess clubs, the soaplands. Places where they can show off their earnings, show how well off they are. They won't be coming to a hole in the wall like this. Besides, those men won't be conscious for the rest of the evening." He explained, and Ryuji looked at the 'no minors' sign.
"Uh, you sure we can come in here?"
"She can, but you can't." The italian answered, and Jolyne narrowed her eyes.
"Anything you can say to me, you can say to him. He already knows about the Foundation."
"You think I care about that? If the police were to see someone with a school uniform in here, the bartender could risk losing her business. Something I would rather avoid."
"Wait, for real?! I come all the way out here, and I can't even go in?!" The track star asked, Gyro simply shrugged at his astonishment.
"There are some shops towards the station. I recommend killing time around there until your friend comes and finds you." The italian stated, Jolyne sighed.
"It's fine, Ryuji. I don't think we have anything to worry about from him." The leader reassured, and leaned in close. "Besides, I'm not exactly alone."
"...fine. Just...text me when you're done." Ryuji grumbled. After he headed off towards the station, Jolyne entered the bar with Gyro. It was about what she expected-a slightly dinghy, decently lit bar that had booths in the back, dust covered tables, and a bartender in a kimono.
"Well well, didn't expect to see you back so soon, Tama-kun." The bartender greeted, her eyes going to Jolyne behind Gyro. "She's a little young to be in here, isn't she?"
"She's with me, Lala-chan. Don't worry, we're just here to discuss some business." Gyro explained, which Jolyne expected the bartender to argue. Instead, she just shrugged.
"Suit yourself. Just make yourself scarce if the cops show up, ok sweetie?"
"Uh, sure. Thanks." Jolyne thanked as she joined Gyro at the bar. Lala-chan set two glasses down in front of them: one glass of bourbon, and another full of water for the high schooler.
"So, what brings a high schooler like yourself out here to Shibuya?" The italian asked as he sipped his drink, and Jolyne couldn't help but glance at the portly bartender behind the bar.
"If you're feeling shy about me, relax, honey. If you're here with Gyro, you're a customer, and I don't make a habit of blabbing my customers' business around town." Lala assured, Jolyne quickly cooked up an excuse.
"Me and my friend got lost, and we lost our train passes. We were trying to find the road to call a taxi, and we got-"
"Do me a favor, and don't sell me that crock of mierda. I saved your life, so the least you can do is explain why you two walk around the red light district and stare at yakuza like idiote." Gyro demanded, earning a frown the Cujoh. True to her gut feeling, Gyro wasn't going to accept any old excuse, and if Jolyne took too long to come up with a good explanation, her hesitation already gave Gyro all the answers that he needed. Better to volunteer a version of the truth.
"At the school we go to, some kids have been getting blackmailed into doing some bad stuff. We were trying to figure out who keeps blackmailing them, so we can...report them to the police." She explained, the Italian couldn't help but chortle.
"You're even more naive than I thought. Your peers are being harassed, and you thought you would come down here and take down the culprit yourself? That clown outside the club would have only threatened you, but if you'd actually found his boss? You would have been lucky to get out of there alive." He conjectured, taking a sip of his drink. "You possess uncanny abilities, one that gives you an edge over regular humans, but those powers are a crutch. Had he pulled that gun on you, would you have been fast enough to close the distance? Failing that, would you have been able to catch the bullet?"
"We didn't plan to get into a fight. We were just here to find out who's extorting students, find their name, and try to help stop it." The Joestar justified, and the man with the metal toothed sighed.
"I know they do things different here, but I don't think they teach criminal investigation. You should have contacted the authorities, let them do the proper investigation." He scolded, glaring at her. "Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong will only get you killed. Best to keep to yourself, and when the end comes, to fight against it with all you have."
"So why'd you help us? Goodness of your heart?" Gyro seemed to tense up at this question, looking back at his drink.
"...honoring someone's last request. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, my superiors at the Speedwagon Foundation would have my head on a silver platter if I let something happen to you here." Gyro explained, Jolyne narrowed her eyes.
"This wasn't just about the Foundation. If they wanted you to be my bodyguard, I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to avoid you. Who...are you?" This question hung in the air, as Gyro raised his glass.
"Someone who's spent a lot of time trying to defy destiny." Before Jolyne could ask what exactly that meant, he downed the rest of his drink. He looked at Jolyne, took a deep breath, and groaned. "Lala-chan."
"Hm?"
"You're pretty well informed, si? Keep up with the criminal element?"
"That's right. Around here, it pays to know who's doing what. Helps me know when it's business as usual, or when it's time to run for the hills." The bartender answered, and she frowned. "Don't tell me you want to help this young lady with her search?"
"She came here for a name. If she doesn't get it, she'll just come back another day, and next time, I won't be here to pull her culo out of the fire." The fighter explained, and Lala sighed.
"Well, when you put it like that, I guess I have to help her, don't I?" She answered, and turned to Jolyne. "Ask away, honey. I'll answer your questions as best I can."
"Uh, ok…" This night had certainly taken a few turns for the bizarre, but Jolyne wasn't about to pass up a chance for a possible lead. "Do you...know anything about the extortion and blackmail?"
"You'll have to be more specific, honey. This is a big town, and extortion and blackmail are two of the easiest rackets to run around here. Hell, walk back out there and swing swing that bag of yours around, and you'll hit someone in the middle of shaking down some poor soul."
"I'm talking about the cases involving high school kids in Shibuya. They're being asked to transport packages around the city in exchange for payment, but once they do, they get blackmailed with pictures of them transporting drugs. Some kids at my school have gotten mixed up in it, and we tracked it down to someone here in Shinjuku." Lala listened to every word Jolyne said, frowning as she got into the specifics.
"Using high school kids as drug mules, and then blackmailing them about it. Can't say I've heard of anyone with methods like that…" The bartender stated as she cleaned a glass, and Jolyne was about to despair...before something clicked back in her head. Something she had almost forgotten about in the chaos that had soon followed.
"Kaneshiro. The guy we were looking for, the one outside the hostess club, said that he worked for a man named Kaneshiro."
As soon as Joyne said that name, Lala's eyes went wide, as she almost dropped her glass. "You can't be serious…" Jolyne's ears perked up at this, as she leaned forward.
"Do you know that name?"
"Unfortunately, I do. And from what you just told me, it's exactly the Kaneshiro I think it is." Lala answered, her lipstick coated lips creasing into a frown. "Two years ago, the captain of the yakuza family in charge of Shibuya tossed himself in front of a train. Now, someone offing themselves isn't unusual, especially with all the mental shutdowns the past few years. But what was unusual was what the cops found when they searched his apartment. Apparently, the day before he killed himself, the captain had been sent all these pictures of him in a few compromising positions with some companions who were...a little younger than a man his age had any business being around?" "
"He was blackmailed into killing himself?" Jolyne asked, earning a nod from the older woman.
"That's right. And whoever did it knew what they were doing, too. The police never found any leads, and not long after, his lieutenant was appointed as his replacement. A man named...Junya Kaneshiro." The leader of the Phantom Thieves felt a cold knot forming in her stomach, her mind piecing the dots together.
"And you think this is the guy I'm looking for."
"He would have to be. See, before the last captain took a nap on the tracks, his group had a knack for blackmail. They always seemed to know how to find out everyone's dirty little secrets, no matter how well hidden they were. Targeting high schoolers is a bit out of the ordinary, but from what I've heard of Kaneshiro, it's not the biggest stretch in the world." Lala explained, Jolyne's lips creased into a frown.
This had to be him. A ruthless yakuza in Shibuya with a knack for blackmail. She could feel it in her gut that they had finally found their next target, that Junya Kaneshiro was the man they were looking for. This was the best way to get Makoto off their backs, but Jolyne had to admit to herself that this was becoming less and less of a concern…
"Are you satisfied now?" Gyro's voice pulled her out of her thoughts,as he swirled the ice in his glass. "You have the name you're looking for. Go to the policia, your school, even those Phantom Thieves on the news. Just let your involvement end here. If you become involved, the Foundation will have no choice but to become involved. Despite what our dearly departed founder said, the Speedwagon Foundation has better things to do than fighting your families battles for you."
"Well, I don't like letting people fight my battles for me, so that'll work out." Jolyne responded, as she gathered her bag. She was about to leave, but she looked at Gyro first. "Thanks...for helping us out back there. And for helping me get the name I needed." Gyro was silent on this, but Lala sighed.
"Tama-kun's a little bashful, so don't take it personally. I'll say 'you're welcome' for him. And be careful, sweetie. Kaneshiro's as dangerous as they came." She warned, earning a smile from the probationary transfer students.
"Thanks, Lala-chan. I'll keep it in mind." And with that, Jolyne turned and walked to the door. Gyro turned and watched her leave, something clearly on his mind, but before Jolyne could turn the knob and leave, Gyro sighed.
"...wait." His voice rang out through the empty bar, getting Jolyne's attention as she turned back to him.
"What?"
"I've noticed that trouble has a knack for following you around. And like I said before, the abilities you have are a crutch. Eventually, they will fail you, and if you were to die…" It was like he caught himself, like there was something he didn't want to say. Instead, Gyro pulled out a business card. He breathed on it, coating it in some sort of energy, and tossed it over to Jolyne. It spiraled across the room, landing in her hand. "Call that number when you can, and we'll see what we can arrange. Until then, try to keep your head down."
"Uh, sure." Jolyne agreed, and walked out the door. "What a weird guy…" She muttered, and looked down at the card. It was a Speedwagon Foundation card, one that had only a phone number and a name written down.
Gyro Zeppeli
11/20/20XX, Undisclosed Location
Sae Niijima frowned, looking Jolyne in the eye. "If what you've told me is true, then you've gotten yourselves out of situations that would have killed normal people. Even with the abilities you've described so far, eventually you would have found yourself coming up short. You would have had to hone your body, turning yourself into a finely tuned weapon." She analyzed, leaning forward. "Someone trained you, taught you how to protect yourself and get out of these situations. Who taught you how to fight?!"
Saturday, 6/18/20XX, Evening
I am thou, and thou art I.
Thou hast Acquired A New Vow.
It shall become the wings of Rebellion that Breaketh thy chains of Captivity.
With the birth of the DEVIL Persona,
Thou Hath Obtained the Winds of Blessing
That Shall Lead to Freedom and New Power!
"Well, that didn't go the way I thought it would, but at least we finally have a name." Morgana piped up from the bag, pulling Jolyne out of looking at the card.
"Right. We need to let the others know. Let's go find Ryuji and loop everyone in.
Late Night
AT: Did you guys find any leads?
RS: Jolyne did.
RS: I got kicked out to the shops while she talked to some weird italian dude...
YK: Italian? I thought our target was yakuza, not Italian mafia
JC: It's...a long story, but I got a name.
JC: I don't want to get everyone excited, so I'll tell you guys tomorrow.
AT: sounds like a plan. The usual place?
YK: That works for me.
RS: Just don't leave me alone this time!
6/19/20XX, Shibuya, Afternoon
"I still can't believe you guys ditched me last night!" Ryuji pouted, as he approached the others, perched out in front of the Hachiko statue in Shibuya Square.
"Hey, you're the one who came to Shibuya in your damn school uniform! What was he supposed to do?!" Jolyne scolded, and Ann sighed.
"I can't believe he just beat the crap out of those guys in the middle of the street. And you said he's with the Speedwagon Foundation?"
"Yeah. I've seen him around a few times, but we haven't had any detailed conversation. Josuke said something about our families going way back, but I didn't really ask for details. Everything worked out though, so I guess we can't complain too much." The leader rationalized, as Yusuke pulled out his phone.
"Now that everyone's here, shall we begin?" He spoke up, pulling up the Meta-Nav on his phone. "While we were waiting for Ryuji, I entered Kaneshiro's name into the Nav. Just as we expected, it's a hit."
"Alright, that's what I'm talkin' about! This whole thing with Miss Prez is a pain in the ass, but at least it's helped us find our next target!" Ryuji cheered, but Morgana wasn't as quick to share his elation.
"Let's not get too excited. Remember, we still need to find the other two keywords before we can enter the Palace." The not-cat reminded, causing Ryuji to deflate.
"Man, why do you always have to rain on my parade…"
"I'm curious: how do you figure out Madarame's Palace? I lived there, but even I would've had a hard time connecting the Atelier to a museum." Yusuke asked, earning a sigh from their leader.
"Honestly, we just started throwing stuff at the wall, seeing what would stick." Jolyne answered, frowning as she sat on a bench. "It was a little easier then, though. We actually knew where the Palace was based that time, and it helped that we'd actually met Madarame and spoken with Nakanohara. Here, we don't even know what the guy looks like, let alone what he could view as his Palace." She analyzed, earning another groan from her best friend.
"Ugh, come ooooooooon. You telling me we have to actually find the guy? We don't even know where to start lookin'!"
"Well, we could try working backwards." The art prodigy suggested. "Finding out what he views the Palace as could very well be the key to figuring out where it is by association."
"That's not a bad idea, Yusuke." Morgana congratulated from his spot on the bench next to Jolyne, his tail twitching in thought. "So let's think: what would a yakuza boss with a penchant for blackmail view as his Palace?" He asked, prompting them all to begin thinking.
"Uh, lessee...probably something he has complete control over, right? So what about...a garden?"
"No match found." The Meta Nav chimed, earning a groan from Ryuji.
"Uh...oh! I saw something online about money baths!"
"No Match Found." Another groan arose, this one from the model that put the suggestion forward.
"When I was growing up, my mom showed me these old cartoons she used to watch where this rich duck had a vault filled with money for him to dive into. Try a vault?"
"No Match found."
"Well, he is quite wealthy. Perhaps he views his Palace as a mansion, with his victims as his servant?"
"No Match Found." This final announcement got groans from all of them, as Jolyne massaged her the bridge of her nose.
"This is getting us nowhere...maybe we should call Makoto, see if she's found anything out yet on her own?"
"Maybe, but wouldn't she have called us by now if she had?" Morgana suggested, and Ryuji outed.
"Man, this is ridiculous! How're we supposed to figure out how this asshole views the people he's blackmailing? I mean, it's not like he views it as a piggy bank or-"
"Match Found." The MetaNav announced, causing them all to stop dead in their tracks and stare at Yusuke's phone. Silence hung in the air for five seconds, before they all reacted accordingly.
"For real?!"
"It cannot be that simple…"
"We were overthinking it…"
"Definitely didn't see that coming…"
"Good freakin' grief…" Jolyne groaned out. "That cannot seriously be the answer."
"I'm afraid so. According to the app, the keywords we have so far are 'Junya Kaneshiro' and 'bank.' It appears that the simplest answer is, in fact, the correct one." The artist explained, earning a sigh from Morgana.
"Well, if we figured it out, I guess we can't complain too much. All that's left is the final keyword: what he views as the bank." Morgana finished, and Ann pursed her lips in thought.
"A place where he keeps his money...maybe his hideout?"
"That'd be a great suggestion, if we actually knew where his hideout was."
"Oh! Maybe a real bank?"
"If that was the case, then there wouldn't be any kind of distortion. His cognition and reality would be perfectly in line."
"This is getting us nowhere. This place is way too big to narrow it down to one specific building…" The leader muttered, and Yusuke's brow furrowed in thought.
"I wonder...perhaps we're thinking too inside the box?" He suggested, drawing a raised eyebrow from Ryuji.
"Wha?"
"Palaces emanate a passionate madness, a reflection of their rulers' twisted view of the world. I think we have failed to consider that aspect."
"...the hell are you talking about?"
"Think about it. The Palaces we've encountered thus far didn't simply reflect their own twisted desires, but their view of those who suffer because of said desires. Kamoshida viewed his victims as his subjects, and Madarame had me and the other pupils as portraits on display. If this Palace is indeed a bank for someone who extorts money via criminal acts, then we should reframe our thinking to focus on that."
"But what other ways can we think about it?" Ann asked, when an idea sparked in her head. "Oh! If he extorts money from them, maybe it's a place where you withdraw money?"
"So like an ATM or something?"
"Oh, that's definitely on the right track, Lady Ann!" Morgana excitedly piped up. "If he's taking money from their wallets, then that means his bank is wherever they are!"
"So the key is honing in on the victims." Jolyne stated, resting her chin on her hands as she thought. "But from what the kid at Shujin told us, Kaneshiro's racket targets kids from schools all over the city. How are we supposed to figure out how many people Kaneshiro's blackmailed in all of Shibuya…?"
"Match Found." Every eye in the group went wide as saucers, as cold pits formed in their stomachs.
"Did...did I hear that right?" Jolyne asked, and Yusuke slowly nodded.
"The keywords...are 'Junya Kaneshiro'...'Bank'...and…'Shibuya.' As in...all of Shibuya."
"No effin' way…"
"The entire city is his Palace? Morgana, is that even possible?" Ann asked, and the mascot's feline face contorted into the closest approximation of a frown possible.
"I...think it is. This entire time, the Ruler's cognition has been what shapes the Palace. If Kaneshiro views his bank as wherever his victims are, and his victims are spread all over Shibuya…"
"Then he'd view the entire district as his bank." Jolyne concluded, earning a nod from Morgana. "So, we have our target's name, what they view as their Palace, and where it's based around. All three things we need to begin our infiltration. Is everyone good with that?"
"We would not be here if we were not prepared to do so. Though is it so wise to enter the Palace with so many around?" Yusuke asked, and the dyed-hair track star looked around. There were easily a thousand people in the square, going about their day to day activities, but most were either glued to their phones or too absorbed in their own activities.
"Nah, it'll be fine. No one notices a piece of trash disappearing from the trash can, no one'll notice four people not where they were a minute ago." Ryuji justified, as Yusuke prepared his phone.
"Very well then." And with that, he hit the 'Navigate' button.
"Beginning navigation." They felt the world ripple and shift around them, the hustle and bustle of Shibuya fading away to be replaced with a dry wind. The bright sun and cloudless blue sky faded away to be replaced with ugly, dull green clouds. When the rippling ceased, the Phantom Thieves stood clad in their Thief attire, with Morgana in his mascot form. However, before anyone could comment on the ease of this transition, Ann's eyes widened as she spotted the first distortion.
"What the hell are those?!" She pointed behind them, and they all turned to the famous crosswalk, their eyes all widening as they bore witness to something out of an animated movie: the people of the crosswalk had been replaced with anthropomorphic ATMs, large boxes with human arms and legs sticking out of them. They paid each other no mind, simply going about their routines.
"This has got to be his cognition. Remember the volleyball team in the dungeon, and the line outside the Museum?"
"So Kaneshiro views people as walking ATMs, for him to take money from wherever he pleases. Hence why he views Shibuya as his bank." Yusuke analyzed, as Jolyne looked around.
"It's so...big. I can't even see where the distortion ends. If his Palace really does cover the entire district, this is gonna take us a while."
"Fortunately, that's likely not the case. At least, I hope it is…" Morgana mused.
"Well, we ain't gonna figure it out just standin' around. His hideout has gotta be somewhere in here. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can start figuring out how to steal his treasure!"
"Well, when Ryuji's right, he's right." Ann commented, and Joker chuckled.
"Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's get to it." And with that, the party moved on into Central Street, walking past the hordes of walking ATMs. They didn't pay the Thieves any mind, not even changing their pace when any of them walked in front of the ATMs, something Morgana learned when he was almost trampled. Eventually, they arrived at the familiar Central Street, identical in every way to the version they were familiar with in reality. However, the street was completely devoid of people, save for a few ATMs, and all the shops and restaurants were boarded shut with what appeared to be money bills.
"Why do you think all the shops are boarded up?" Panther asked, earning a 'hm' in thought from Fox.
"Perhaps he views them as unnecessary? After all, why would his income sources spend money at other places?" The artist remarked, and Skull spotted a particular ATM.
"Hey, you guys seein' this?" He asked, gesturing to the ATM. Unlike the others, which were either moving around or standing still, this one was different. The screen was cracked and smoking, the arms and legs twitching erratically. Right behind it was an identical one, though this one was slumped over, it's screen black and it's arms and legs motionless. "What do you think is wrong with 'em?"
"Let's find out." Joker stated, and they approached the walking machine. However, as soon as it saw them, it jumped back.
"P-please, no more!" It cowered, startling them.
"Whoa, calm down! We're not here to hurt you!" Panther tried to reassure it, but the teller either couldn't or wouldn't listen.
"I-I don't have anymore, I swear! I don't have a single yen left! I-I don't want to end up like the others!" The Thieves all looked at one another, all of them arriving at the same conclusion.
"If the ATMs represent Kaneshiro's victims…"
"Then this represents someone who's about to reach their limit." Mona finished for their leader, an air of discomfort spreading throughout each of them.
"...we won't get anything from this guy. Let's keep going, see if we can find a cognition who'll tell us something about where we can find Kaneshiro." And with Joker's instruction, they pressed onward towards the movie theater. However, the more they walked, the more they saw broken down ATMs, screens black and cracked, lying eerily motionless.
"This is like something out of a horror movie…" The crimson clad model commented, as Fox's eyes caught a sparking ATM hiding in a corner..
"Wait, this one's still alive!" He said as they rushed over to it. "Are you ok?! What happened to you?!"
"It's no use…" It weakly moaned out, it's screen flickering on and off and it's arms twitching. "I've f-fallen so f-far...f-from a place where Kaneshiro l-leaves no t-tracks…" Joker's brow furrowed under her domino mask.
"Fallen from a place where Kaneshiro leaves no tracks? What does that mean?" She muttered, as Morgana tapped his chin.
"Hmmm...maybe somewhere high up? Like, if Kaneshiro's base is in some sort of penthouse, maybe a high rise?"
"Like a skyscraper? There ain't any buildings like that around here, though. Least, not that I know of." Skull countered, and Panther sighed.
"Shibuya's such a big place. We could spend all day looking, but-"
"Um, excuse me." Fox spoke up, pointing at something in the sky. "I believe we will not need to spend that long searching…" Confused looks spread at what Yusuke had said, but then they noticed that the dull green street was being illuminated by something. They looked up where the artist was pointing, their eyes widening at what they saw.
"Oh my…"
"I didn't see this coming…"
"For real…?"
"Gimme a freaking break…" The thing that had them all speechless was what could only be described as a flying saucer, floating high above the distorted Shibuya. As it moved over the ward, the dollar bills that littered the city seemed to be floating upwards towards it, being sucked in. On top of the flying saucer appeared to be a bank, ostentatious and golden. "Well, that looks like a Palace to me…" Joker commented.
"It's so high up in the air…no wonder we didn't see it at first." The sole Kosei student mused.
"'A place that leaves no tracks' suddenly makes a lot of sense. If I had to guess, I'd say that Kaneshiro views himself as being untouchable."
"Which makes sense, considering how hard it was to find him." The model commented, frowning. "How are we supposed to get up there?"
"Doesn't Arsene have wings? Can't you fly us up there, Joker?" Skull asked, and Joker immediately shook her head.
"No way. First of all, I've never even tried to fly with Arsene in the Metaverse, and even if it is possible, I don't know how far I could go. Also, I don't think that I could carry all four of you up there." She shot down, and the crimson clad model looked at Morgana.
"What about you, Mona? Can't you turn into a helicopter?" She asked…the his lips creased in thought.
"Maybe…? Let's see…" He took a deep breath, before sticking both hands out to his right. "Morganaaaa…" He trailed off, bringing his arms around to the left and grabbing his right arm. "...Special Transformation, Version 2!" He declared, and they all stepped back, waiting for the reaction...only for nothing to happen. "...dang. Looks like I can only do a car."
"Don't you have like, a grappling hook or something? Maybe some sorta extendo-arm or something?"
"What the...I'm not some kind of Mecha-cat! I'm not even a regular cat! A-and by that I mean I'm not a cat at all!" The mascot bristled at Skull's suggestion, earning a sigh from the kabuki-masked artist.
"I'm afraid we've reached the limit of what we can do for now. Further investigation may be required."
"Fox is right. Let's pull back, and start fresh tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Least we know where to start looking now." Skull commented. "Whaddya think Miss Prez is up to right now?"
Niijima Apartment, Evening
Makoto and Sae sat at the table in their apartment, silently enjoying the udon and stir fry Makoto had prepared for them. "The vegetables are seasoned nicely. Where'd you learn to cook like this?" The prosecutor asked, breaking up the silence.
"A little while ago, I had stumbled upon a video with tips about seasoned vegetables. Figured it would come in handy." The student council president explained, earning a small, tired smile from her sister. "Is everything ok at work?"
"Hm? Oh, everything's fine. Just a little worn out, that's all." Sae answered, following it up with a frown. "There's something on your mind, isn't there?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I've just been...thinking, lately."
"About?" Makoto subtly winced, taking a deep breath as she found her nerve.
"Well...about the Phantom Thieves. And dad." Sae's brows knit in interest, and she leaned forward.
"Go on."
"Well, when dad was alive, he always talked a lot about justice, how there's not always a clear definition of it. The past few days, I've been wondering...would dad have been on their side?" Makoto's question hung in the air for a second, the president hanging on the edge of her seat...when her sister let out a sigh, shaking her head.
"I should've guessed it was something like that. The only reason you can ponder something as pointless as that is because you depend on someone else." The bluntness of the rebuttal took Makoto off guard, her red eyes blinking twice to process.
"I-I'm sorry?"
"You don't have to do a single thing, and I provide you with good food, nice clothes, phones, computers, an allowance, this apartment. I don't have time to think about useless crap like whether or not dad would have been happy with criminals. When he died holding on to that lofty sense of righteousness, who do you think it was that was left holding on to his responsibilities?" Sae's voice was starting to crack with emotion, as Makoto found the courage to try and speak.
"I-I'm sorry. All I was trying to say was-"
"Was what? What could you have possibly had to say that justifies spending your time thinking about such frivolous matters?!" Sae demanded, slamming her chopsticks on the table. "You think I don't know you've been staying up all hours of the night lately, glued to your computer."
"I...I was just studying-"
"Studying what?! ESP? Unexplained phenomena? Unsolved murders and accidents that happened before you were even born?!" Sae cut off, widening Makoto's eyes.
"Y-you've been looking at my laptop?!"
"I pay the bills, Makoto. I bought you that laptop, I pay the bill for that cellphone you use, and I pay for the internet that enables you to waste your time on needless distractions. I'd say that entitles me to know until you can grow up and start pulling your weight around here, you're nothing but a useless burden, eating away at my life!" Those last words hung in the air like a weight, a deafening silence filling the room. It wasn't until Makoto dropped her chopsticks that Sae had realized what she had said. "M...Makoto, I-"
"I...I'll be in my room." The president's voice cracked as she stood up from the table, rushing past her older sister.
"Makoto, wait!" But Sae's pleas only met a shut door, as Makoto slumped against the door, letting loose the tears she had been holding back.
Part of Makoto knew that Sae didn't really mean what she said, that her sister had just been under a lot of stress lately due to the media attention surrounding her recent cases. But another part of her knew that she was right. Makoto was nothing but a burden, having done nothing but rely on those around her. First it was their father, then Sae. Even now, she was relying on the Phantom Thieves to do her job for her. What good was she if all she did was drag down everyone in her vicinity?
Monday, 6/19/20XX, Shibuya, After School
"There's a big bank a few blocks over. Maybe he's based outta there?"
"Maybe, but that bank doesn't look anything like what we saw in the Palace."
"Perhaps a limousine? Maybe he drives around, surveying the anguish of those he's taking money from?"
"Not a bad idea, but how are we going to find a limousine in Shibuya, let alone which one the real Kaneshiro's in?" Jolyne mused, sighing as she leaned against the rails. "Much as I hate to admit it, I'm afraid our luck's run out."
"It's unfair that his Palace is in the sky like that. I didn't think something like that was possible." Morgana sighed out, when an idea sparked in his head.
"Oh! I got an idea!" Ryuji piped up, drawing their attention. "Ok, so that Speedwagon Foundation is supposed to do whatever ya ask, right?"
"Uh, in theory. Why?"
"OK, so you know how we brought our stuff like our model guns into the Palace before, right? Well, what if we got a helicopter from them-"
"Ryuji…"
"Hear me out! So we bring the helicopter into the Palace, and then we take it up to Kaneshiro's bank. Boom, we're up there!" The former track star proposed, earning a sigh from the artist.
"As moronic as that sounds, I'm afraid I have no other ideas…"
"Ryuji, that is one of the most nonsensical ideas we've had yet. …let's keep that as Plan B." Jolyne replied, when Ann noticed someone approaching. She gestured, and they all looked to see Makoto approaching them.
"Wassup, Miss Prez? Come to check on us?" Ryuji greeted, earning a nod from Makoto.
"I was walking home, and I couldn't help but notice you four standing together, so I thought I'd check on you. See how the investigation was proceeding." The president answered. "Have you made any progress since the last time we met?" They all turned to Jolyne, who gave a nod of approval.
"Quite a bit. We've discovered that the yakuza who have been blackmailing students around Shibuya have been doing so on the orders of their boss. However, actually locating him has been quite an ordeal." Yusuke explained, earning a frown from Makoto.
"So...you have a lead. Does that mean you have the target's name?"
"We do." Jolyne spoke up. Makoto was bound to learn the name anyhow, so Jolyne figured she might as well rip the bandage off now. "His name is Junya Kaneshiro."
"Junya Kaneshiro…" Makoto ran the name over in her mouth, being left with quite a foul taste. "Have you changed his heart yet?"
"It ain't that simple. We can't just snap our fingers and make it happen. We still gotta investigate and shit." Ryuji explained, earning a raised eyebrow from Makoto.
"Oh? And just what is your process?"
"That's need to know only, and you don't need to know right now." Ann cut off. "No offense, senpai, but when it comes to what we do, it's best to just get out of the way. I know you like to control things at the Student Council, but here, you're a little useless." The brown haired president took a sharp inhale at that last word, memories of her conversation with her sister the night before flooding her mind.
Makoto wasn't helping here. She wasn't urging them on, she was dragging them down. Sae ws right, she was just useless.
Useless...useless...uselessuselessuselessuselessusesless…
"So it's not enough to just know Kaneshiro's name, right? You actually need to get in contact with him, yes?" She asked, causing them all to exchange a look.
"Well, it doesn't hurt, but knowing where he is would make things a little easier." The transfer student explained, and Makoto's eyes sparked with an idea.
"So you just need to know where he is, right?"
"Uh...yeah."
Sae's words hung in her mind. That nagging voice in her mind telling Makoto she was useless, that she was a burden, was starting to get a little tiresome.
"Fine. I'll help you meet Kaneshiro." Before anyone could say anything, she bolted off, leaving the Thieves standing there.
"What...just happened?" Ryuji asked.
"Does she...know where Kaneshiro is? Considering we just found out yesterday, I highly doubt that…" The artist muttered, and their leader frowned.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this…" She muttered, and Ann sighed.
"She's so difficult...come on, let's go get her." They nodded, going in the direction that their blackmailer had gone. However, it wasn't long before they lost track of her in the crowd.
"Does anyone see her?" Jolyne asked, but Yusuke shook his head.
"No. There's too many people here to keep track of a single person."
"Can anyone send out a Stand to try and find her?"
"No, my Stand isn't suited for anything like that."
"Neither is mine."
"Same here." Ryuji finished, and Jolyne bit back a curse. Maybe she could unravel Stone Free enough to get a good vantage point, but the amount of concentration that would take was almost impossible in Shibuya's afternoon crowd. And looking for a girl with brown hair was like trying to find one piece of hay in a haystack-
*BRINGBRING* Jolyne's phone vibrating in her pocket got her attention, and while she was about to ignore it, something in her gut told her to check it out. She pulled out her phone, eyes widening at seeing 'Makoto Niijima' on the collar id. "Makoto, where are you?!" She yelled into the phone, getting the other Thieves' attention. They all leaned close, trying to hear the conversation.
"Cujoh-san, please stay on this line, and mute your end. And record the call, if you can." Their senior instructed, and before Jolyne could ask anything else, Makoto spoke again. "Excuse me! Do you guys know Kaneshiro?"
"What?" A gruff voice on the other end asked, and Ryuji's eyes going as wide as saucers.
"Please tell me she's not doing what I think she's doing…"
"How the hell do you know that name?"
"I was told that I could find someone named Junya Kaneshiro if I came down to Central Street."
"She's on Central Street!"
"She's being too rash! We need to head there at once!'
"What are we standing around here talking about it for?! Let's go!"
Central Street
Makoto was in an alleyway, facing down two rough looking men. She had her phone held behind her back, as one of the men sneered. "I asked you a question, girlie. Where'd you hear that name?!" One yelled, but Makoto didn't flinch.
"It's only natural that the name would come up. He is the one blackmailing the students of Shujin Academy, isn't he? Tell him that if he doesn't want me going to the police, he needs to meet with me." Makoto demanded, and Goon 2 leaned to Goon 1.
"Hey, what do we do? The boss is gonna be pissed if he finds out his name's leakin'."
"He's gonna be even more pissed if she actually goes to the cops. Let me call him."
The Phantom Thieves were running through Central Street, trying to look for their absent student council president. Jolyne was about to ask if anyone had seen her, when she looked down the alley, seeing Makoto being shoved into the back of a black car. "There!" They ran down the alley, but the car had already begun to pull out. "Dammit!" Jolyne cursed, as the car drove off.
"Is Niijima still on?!" Ann asked, and Jolyne held the phone to her ear.
"Where are you taking me?"
"It's your lucky day, girlie. The boss himself is clearin' his schedule, just for you."
"So, you're taking me to Kaneshiro directly?" Jolyne's eyes widened at this, suddenly realizeing what Makoto's plan was.
"Of all the boneheaded, moronic, reckless things she could've done…" Jolyne muttered. "We gotta go after them!"
"I'm on it!" Ryuji replied, as he went to the curb, raising his hand to signal a taxi as Yusuke pulled out his sketch pad. His pen went across the paper with remarkable speed, finishing with a flourish.
"There! I've got their license plate number, as well as the make and model. I never thought my sketching skills would come in handy like this…" He remarked, as a taxi zoomed by Ryuji.
"Argh, dammit! He ignored me!" The false blonde curse, as he saw another taxi about to zoom by. "Dammit, I said…" He got out in front of the taxi, holding his hands out as Outkast manifested in front of him. The brakes tires squealed as the brakes were slammed, the taxi skidding to a halt, only being kept from flattening Ryuji as Outkast caught the hood, slightly denting it.
"Everybody in, now!"
Shibuya
"So, you're the student council president of Shujin Academy, huh?" The man's voice asked, as Makoto grunted as she struggled against the man holding her down. The man asking her the question was seated on the couch, with slicked back brown hair. He was short and stout, wearing a cheap purple suit and gaudish golden jewelry. He was flanked by a beautiful woman in a dress that probably cost more than an average apartment, a small group of goons, and a man with a scar on his forehead that had bandages on his face and an arm in a sling standing right next to Kaneshiro. The man from the alleyway was holding her down, as the man in the purple suit went through her things, including her phone. "So, whose number is this? Your friend, or maybe someone at your school?" He asked, and Makoto scowled.
"That's none of your business. If you do anything-"
"What the hell?!" A familiar voice asked, and Makoto cursed to herself as Jolyne and the Phantom Thieves entered the club they were being held in. "Makoto!" Jolyne called out, and the eyes of the man with scar widened as he recognized Jolyne.
"Boss, that's the girl I was just telling you about! She was the one who was askin' about you when that Italian guy beat the crap out of me!" Urahara yelled, the Boss raised an eyebrow.
"So let me get this straight. After you get drunk and yell my name up and down Shinjuku, you get your ass kicked because you were talkin' to this girl right here, meaning you spent all day yesterday in the hospital. And then, two days later, this girl on the floor comes up to these two dumb shits, and they get followed bringing her here?!" The Boss demanded, Urahara took a dry swallow.
"Y-yeah…" The Boss took a deep breath, and they all watched as silence hung in the air…
Before the back of the man's hand met Urahara's nose, knocking him to the ground. "This is what happens when you waste time getting drunk at hostess clubs, you dumb fuck!" Junya Kaneshiro yelled out, as Urahara covered his bleeding nose with his uninjured hand.
"I-I'm sorry, boss!" He meekly apologized, as Kaneshiro took another deep breath. They all watched closely, as Kaneshiro went over to his briefcase. Their eyes went wide as the case was opened to reveal stacks of 10,000 yen bills.
"Holy crap!" Morgana exclaimed, as Kaneshiro turned to the woman on the couch.
"Hey. That bag you saw the other day. The crocodile one. How much was it?" He asked, and the woman thought.
"Hmm….about three million." Yusuke's jaw dropped at how nonchalantly she said that amount, not helped at all by the stacks Kaneshiro pulled out to hand to the woman.
"Here's five. I threw in an extra two million so you can get some shoes to go with it." Kaneshiro responded as he sat back down on the couch.
"Ohmigod, thank you so much!"
"Thank these guys, for putting me in such a foul mood." Kaneshiro explained, gesturing to the Phantom Thieves and the restrained Makoto.
"What?!" Ryuji asked, getting a smirk from Kaneshiro.
"Can't you tell? Between you putting one of my top earners in the hospital, and now this little interruption, I'm royally pissed off. Ever hear of 'retail therapy?' Nothing relieves stress like dropping a lot of cash." Kaneshiro explained, gesturing at the briefcase. "Only now, I got a new problem. See this big gap in the briefcase? That's a five million yen gap. And to make things worse, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I just gotta fill it up, and any old yen bill will do. And with this sorry sack of shit-" He gestured to Urahara. "-out of commission, I need to find a way to fill it up. So...good luck."
"What is that supposed to mean?!" The artist demanded, and before anyone could react, Kaneshiro pulled out his phone, the flash going off as he took a picture.
"Hm, let's see. School uniforms are in focus, logos nice and present, plenty of contraband in the picture. The framing's not my best, but I got the important stuff. I think I'll call it…'Debauchery of Minors at a Club.' Think your school will like it?" Kaneshiro asked, his tone full of mockery as they all realized what he had done.
"Y-you can't do that!" Ann protested, earning a teasing smirk from Kaneshiro.
"Oh, but they go so nicely with the pics I already snapped of little miss Student Council President." He taunted, but his smirk soon faded as his face turned stern. "You little dipshits are in way over your head, and unfortunately for you, I feed on morons like you. Run to the police, and I will break all of you. I will utterly ruin you, your futures, your families, maybe even your friends if I'm in the mood. You all belong to me now." He growled, leaning forward. "Usually, I'll give you a month, but you have such a large group. Five people should be able to bring in five million with no problem in three weeks, no problem."
"Three weeks?!"
"Did I stutter? Did I start speaking another language without noticing? Three weeks from today, and not a single yen less. Summer bonuses are around the corner, so why not try begging your parents for a little extra cash?" Kaneshiro finished, earning snickers from his goons who weren't bleeding on the ground. He motioned to the thug holding down Makoto, and he released her grip. Yusuke and Ryuji went to help her up, but not before Makoto glared at Kaneshiro. She made like she was about to rush him from the ground, but Ryuji grabbed her.
"Not here. C'mon, let's go…" He advised, and she bit her tongue to hold back the curses she had in mind for him. They headed towards the door, but not before Kaneshiro called out once more.
Evening
"I'm sorry…" Makoto groaned out, slumped against the wall of a building. They had exited the club with no problem, but they had only made it two blocks before Makoto slumped against a wall. "I got ahead of myself, and I dragged you all down with me."
"For real, that's puttin' it light-OW!" Ryuji winced, as Yusuke elbowed him. "Why does everyone keep hittin' me?!"
"Because sometimes it is better to consider your wording before you speak, even if I may agree with it." Yusuke advised, letting out a sigh. "Five million yen in three weeks...I'm having a hard time imagining any feasible way we could get that much money in such a small amount of time."
"Same here. It's not like any of us are rolling in cash." Ann commented.
"Aren't your parents international fashion designers or something?"
"Well yeah, but even they can't get that much money together that fast without problems, and I really don't want to drag them into this." The model explained, and Makoto slumped her head against her knees.
"I'm so sorry. I was so caught up in trying to be useful that I didn't stop to think about the consequences…"
"Well, no use crying over spilled milk." Jolyne spoke up, drawing the president's attention.
"W-what?"
"It's an expression, means that there's no sense dwelling on your mistakes. All you can do is move forward, and clean it up." She explained, Makoto sighed.
"You're right, but how are we going to fix this? If word gets out of this, we'll all be expelled immediately, not even mentioning the trouble this would cause for Sis…"
"Sis?" Ann spoke up, Makoto nodded.
"My sister. She's an attorney at the Public Prosecutor's Office, and she's been taking care of me ever since our father passed away. But...lately, I've been feeling like a burden to her." She explained, Yusuke frowned.
"So that's why you were so reckless?" He asked, getting a nod from her.
"We...had a fight last night, and she said that I was nothing but a useless burden to her. And the thing is...she's right. Takamaki-san, after what you said the other day, I started thinking about it. There had always been rumors about Kamoshida, but any proof had to have been swept under the rug by Kobayakawa. The more I pushed, the more I was certain about it." Makoto explained, causing Ann to frown. "I thought...thought that if I could put an end to this blackmailing ring tormenting the school, I could prove that I wasn't just a burden to everyone. I just...I just wanted to be useful…" The Thieves all exchanged a look, as tears welled in Makoto's eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry. I must be the scum of the Earth…"
"Real scum doesn't talk like that." Ann cut off, startling her. "If you're scum for not realizing what he was doing, then I've gotta be scum too. After all, Shiho was my best friend, but I just let it all happen. But we're not responsible for what Kamoshida did, he is. It...it took me a while to realize that." She cast a quick glance at Jolyne, but they remained on topic.
"So, it sounds to me like you don't really have any place to belong, either." Jolyne spoke up, earning a confused look from the despondent president.
"'Either?'"
"We're all misfits. Kamoshida wrecked me and Ann's reps, Madarame kept Yusuke locked up in a shack, and you already know about Jolyne. We're all here because we're tired of shitty adults takin' advantage of people. And, well, now you're one of us." Ryuji explained, that's when a bulb went off in Jolyne's head.
"Maybe you're not so useless after all." She spoke up, earning a confused look from all but Morgana, who stuck his head out of her bag.
"Oh, I see where you're going with this! Shouldn't expect any less from you, Joker!" Morgana commented, earning a confused look from the president.
"Wait...is that a cat in your bag?" She asked, momentarily distracted from the issue at hand. However, the other Thieves all exchanged looks.
"I'm afraid I don't follow." The artist stated, as Morgana hopped out of the bag.
"Think about it. We couldn't get to Kaneshiro's bank because we hadn't met him before. But now, not only have we met him, we're his targets as well!"
"Meaning we're customers at his bank!" The model concluded, earning a grin from Morgana.
"Bingo! And I can't think of a more special customer than the girl who owes him five million yen!" The feline Thief concluded, and Makoto looked between all of them. From her point of view, she was watching a cat meow several times, before one of them responded.
"Are you guys ok? Why are you talking to the cat?"
"It'd...take too long to explain." Ryuji assured.
"But we can show you." Jolyne spoke up, looking down at Makoto. "We can make Kaneshiro pay for everything. All the stolen futures, all the ruined lives, they don't have to be for nothing, but we need your help to do it. But once you come with us, there's no turning back. Are you prepared for that?" She asked, extending her hand towards Makoto. The student council president looked at the extended hand, thinking about it for a long moment.
She thought of what Sae said, that she was a useless burden. She thought of Kobayakawa, asking her to do his dirty work. And then she thought of Kaneshiro, of that sleazy, cocky grin, like the whole world was his playground. And after that...she took Jolyne's hand.
A/N: Did I ever say I'd be doing all the links from the game as they were? ;) As always, leave a review, tell me what you thought!