Author's Notes: You know what I've always found irritating? Teasers that only refer to scenes at the end of the work, like in movies or books. For instance, I left that little hook at the end of the last chapter, but wouldn't it be a twist if that were how this one ended? All that anticipation, but you guys have to wait yet another month for a payoff?
Well, that's not happening here. You've all commented on how much Kamoshida's got it coming, and since I agree with you we're going to have a grand ol' time with him here.
Some musical accompaniment for this chapter should include Will Power from the P5 soundtrack (Ferdk's version is pretty great) and Hell Urge from Midnight Danger. They're excellent for reading fight scenes.
Next, a few replies to my fantastic reviewers:
Raitin577: Oh, I have lots planned. And if you like what I've done with Ann and Carmen, it's only going to get better.
B1ackAshes: I see your points on Ann, and thinking back to the game your portrayal of her is pretty spot on. Firion and I have similar views of how Atlus set her up, so we're out to make her better, along with many other things. If Ms. Airhead grated on you, don't worry – she doesn't make an appearance here. The character backgrounds were fun to write, as were the added scenes for Tae and Yusuke. I hope you like where they take us when we get there. Thanks for the review, and enjoy the chapter!
codywhite162: Thanks! Hope you like this one.
UltimateCCC: Only to the best place possible, of course.
Lots of credit to Firion for this one, particularly in combat details and expanding on the best parts of the chapter, and for the medical feedback.
With that, dear readers, shuffle the deck and enjoy the chapter.
Royal Flush
Missing the show the next morning would have been positively criminal. The four thieves met early and went to school together, carrying their gear and making the front gate right as it opened. They pretended to loiter outside the main doors, chatting about nothing, and when the gasps and gossip reached them they went in and watched from the back of the crowd gathered before the announcement board.
Students were murmuring amongst themselves, phones out to snap pictures and text others which brought even more students to push and see for themselves.
This was just the reaction Akira, Ann, Ryuji and Morgana wanted. They didn't need to be part of the crowd – they knew what the message said.
Kamoshida Suguru, the false king of Shujin Academy, has committed unforgivable crimes against his students. We know about his overreaches of power, how he lords his hollow past victories over other teachers. We know how his twisted desires have victimized minors under the care of this school. We know about Tachibana Reiko, Taira Haruki, Enomoto Setsuko, Nishihara Miyuki, Miya Gina, Yamagata Ayano and Suzui Shiho. We know that he manipulated Namba Naoko to set up Shintani Mitsuo, who found proof of his perversions and would have brought this cheap phony to justice. We know of the abuses he heaps upon his athletics students, how he fears anyone who might be a threat to him and crushes them. We will shine the light of truth on these travesties for all to see and bring him down for the sake of those who cannot fight back. Their plights have not gone unnoticed.
To the tyrant Kamoshida, we will steal your distorted heart and make you confess your crimes of lust to everyone. We are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and this we vow for the sake of your victims. We are coming for you.
"Looks like that was enough," Ryuji commented smugly.
"If it were anyone else, it might be too much," Morgana answered, watching with blue-eyed interest. "But in this case it's exactly what we need. No one can read that and not take it as a challenge."
"Good job with the card," Ann said to Akira, nodding to the students who were pointing at it or snapping pictures of it. "I'd pay attention if I saw something like that."
He smirked and adjusted his glasses. "That was the idea. Want to bet we'll be hearing about it for a while?"
"Only if I can bet on the same thing."
Teachers and custodians came around the corner, reading the message and fumbling with the keys.
"What's wrong?" one asked.
"Something's jammed in there," the other answered. "The key won't go in."
Akira's smirk deepened.
This went on for another minute to the murmurs and mirth of the students until Kamoshida came around the corner and stalked forward. People parted like water before him, lots of them disappearing the instant they had the chance. He read the message, going pale first and then red with fury.
"Open it," he commanded raggedly.
"We will, once we get someone here who can–"
Kamoshida punched the glass, breaking it and startling the nearby students away. He tore the messages down, sending the calling card fluttering about like a butterfly, and ripped them to pieces. He stared around at the few who hadn't fled and commanded, "Get to class."
The hallway emptied. The thieves felt the non-reality of 'that place' flash in on the edges of vision. The twisted king formed from Kamoshida's shadow and raged, "By what right do they say this?! What manner of worms dare to challenge me?! Come then, little thieves! Try to steal that which is mine and die at my hand for your trespasses!"
In a flash the feeling passed. Kamoshida clenched his fists, dripping red where the glass had cut them, then turned. The wild look in his eyes fell on them, then passed them entirely. He stomped away, fuming to himself and deaf to the talk of the other teachers, blind to all who flinched as he passed.
"Guess we know what we're doing after school," Akira said.
Ryuji wore a tight grin. "Dude, did you feel that?"
"That means it worked," Morgana said. "His heart will have manifested 'over there.' We can do this."
"And we will," Ann promised darkly, clenching her left hand.
They split up from there. Classes were alive with talk of the message and that calling card. People brought up the girls who'd been named, some who'd moved away or had a falling out with their parents and vanished years before. The teachers tried to crack down on the chatter and there was even a nervous announcement from the principal decrying the incident, but discussion persisted. Through it all Akira remained quiet in his seat, taking notes and passing the time. He ate a hearty lunch, juiced himself up and fed Morgana on the roof. When the last bell rang the three and the cat skirted the still-chatting crowds and went into the alley across from the school. Morgana checked each way, making sure no one else was close, and then nodded. Akira hit TRAVEL on the app and the world shifted, shuddered and shot to the side.
When they were in 'that place,' they immediately realized something had changed. The wind wasn't merely howling, it was screaming like a frantic band of criminals hunting for blood. The reds and blacks of the place pulsed with malevolence, the sense of being watched was pervasive, and the stones of Kamoshida's castle shone with an inner animosity. The very fabric of this unusual world was searching for intruders.
"You feel that?" Skull asked. "I thought it was bad before, but this…"
"It must be what happens when we let them know we're coming," Joker answered.
"It is," Mona replied. "When they don't know we're there, we've got the advantage. This is what it feels like when we don't. I'm sure it's obvious, but be careful. The Shadows will be stronger and a lot more aggressive than before."
"You mean even worse than when we were in the cathedral?"
"Yes. That was a taste of what they could do when their natures aligned with 'this place.' This is what they're like without any limitations." The cat looked at them. "They're monsters, so be ready to put them down."
Skull nodded and checked his shell belts and ammo, then performed a quick function check on his shotgun. Panther adjusted the straps on her suit and flexed her hands, and Joker called on his cards. He'd gained two more during their last visit, Berith and Andras, and all six glowed and circled his hand before he sent them back up his sleeve. He handed Takemi-sensei's meds around, contained in glass vials. "These should patch you up or give you a jolt if you need it," he explained. "The person who makes them is… pretty intense, so I imagine they'll kick pretty hard."
The thieves pocketed the goods and nodded. It was time to go.
They slipped into the patches of darkness and crept toward the castle. The walls buzzed with activity. Guards and archers patrolled the parapets and scanned with red-glowing eyes. The gates were left open as an invitation, and there was almost definitely a band of Shadows waiting to pounce on anyone foolish enough to think the place an easy mark.
"Good idea with the ropes and hooks," Joker told Mona as they slinked forward.
The cat shrugged. "Child's play. They know we went through the front door once and they probably found our hole in the storeroom, so they won't think we've got another way in. And no one on patrol thinks about looking up." He pointed ahead. "There's our spot. Keep your heads down and move fast."
They did just that, ducking attention going up one wall, across the parapet, down the other side and finding their rope, still hidden and taut. Mona went up quickly, then Joker and Skull and finally Panther followed. Neither of the guys were in the mood to even joke about letting her go first and enjoying the view – the closer they'd gotten to the castle, the more intense the feeling of hostility became. The very surface and mortar of the castle walls seemed to writhe and hiss on contact, seeking those who spoke out against the king.
They climbed the rope to the treasury and vaulted the balcony railing silently. Mona checked the door then grumbled to himself about new locks, but in short enough time he and his picks had the doors open. In the middle of the room was the treasure, no longer hazy but golden and gleaming. "A medal," Skull realized as he looked at it. "Olympic first place. This is what he values more than anythin'. All the shit he caused, everythin' he did, was because of this."
"An achievement that started small and grew out of control," Mona observed. "That's usually how it is."
Skull took the medal down from its pedestal. "You got that right. I did some readin' on him. You know that he was the striker for the team that won this? It was a big deal around here but his teammates went on to compete in other Olympic teams, some of them winning two or three times over, while Kamoshida wasn't invited back. I watched the matches – they carried him in the second half in a pretty big way."
"Are you serious?" Panther asked.
"I wish I wasn't. This guy gets his ass polished by the principal and does this much damage to everyone here, and he wasn't the strongest part of the winnin' team. He's good when you set him against high school kids, but he's second-rate in the sports world."
Joker looked around. "Then this all makes sense. A fictitious world where he's the king, and the illusions and lies are all he has."
"If he'd been a real winner, he wouldn't need to make a place like this up," Mona concluded. "Reality would have reinforced his notions of himself, but it doesn't so he has to fall back on this place. What a monster. Those girls didn't deserve what happened to them, definitely not because of this."
Skull pocketed the medal and looked around. "He's not here. We just gonna leave?"
"No. His Shadow's still strong. If we leave now, this part of him will still be here. Whatever change we make won't last, if it happens at all. We need to fight him here and win."
"Gladly," Panther growled. "Where do we find him?"
"He knows his treasure's important, so he'll be here soon. Let's grab what we can – no telling whether we'll have the chance after."
They did, filling their various pockets and satchels and even the extra sack they brought along. Mona and Panther checked every piece closely and sometimes just took the gems while tossing necklaces and hair pieces to the side. It was a good haul.
A minute after they had their pouches full, Mona's ears flicked. "Someone's here."
The door creaked open. The thieves turned with killing intent, but froze when they saw a familiar face.
"Shiho," Panther breathed.
The girl was in her maid outfit again, the brands on her face glowing and twisting painfully. She saw them, Panther in particular, and backed away in horror. "You… you're that monster. You went after My Lady."
"I had to–"
"You burned me down to a crisp! I remember all of it!"
"How are you still alive?"
Shiho's double retreated. "I'm part of this place! It's where I belong! You hate it though, don't you?! Get away – you'll hurt me again!"
"No, I… we're friends! I wouldn't do that!"
The maid fled down the stairs and into the throne room. "You already did!"
"Don't fall for it," Mona advised. "She's a reflection – she's only what Kamoshida lets her be."
"How could he–"
Joker looked around. "Wait! Ambush!"
Shadows erupted from the darkened corners, animated from the walls, dropped from the ceiling and circled in the air. They glared with vicious intent but seemed to be waiting for an order. Red and black veins pulsed and coalesced in the middle of the room, bursting to reveal Ann's double, vibrating with fury and power. Her skin was translucent, veins of power pumping red and purple and bleeding black into her organs. She was naked, her lush body on display and her fuck-me pout on for full effect, but it was marred by the madness and killing fury in her yellow eyes. Kamoshida's brand was filled in, beating with a life of its own.
"There you are, pretender," the creature – she didn't even sound human now – said.
The maid darted to her side. "My Lady! They are here!"
The double petted the maid's hair. "So they are, Shiho. You did well in catching them."
"Yes, My Lady."
Kamoshida's pet waved negligently and more Shadows appeared behind her. These ones were the inhabitants of the dungeon and Kamoshida's harem, boys and girls looking gaunt and nearly dead or lush and eager, all with the same red eyes and the uncanny lack of breath. The castle's lady continued, "You are back. Well, so am I. His Majesty bestowed upon me His blessings since last time. I'll make you pay for hurting me."
"I owe you for a lot more than that," Panther hissed back. "We're putting an end to this."
"Acting like heroes so you can reap the rewards and attention, hmm? How dull. What if this monster didn't need slaying? What if you were never needed here? Would it make you happy, being nobodies? No, you're hooked on the attention just like everyone else."
"We wouldn't need to fight if it weren't for Kamoshida," Joker answered. "You don't know anything about us."
"I know that you're human, and humans always make themselves seem important. You wanted to be the heroes so you had to make up a demon to fight. You're lying to yourselves if you think anything else. Crack that head open and you'd be surprised by what comes out, what darkness is inside every one of you." She stroked her maid's side. "But maybe it's best if I just show you." Jagged claws sprang from her fingers. She sliced into the maid and upward. Blood erupted from Shiho's double as she was violently opened from waist to shoulder. It wasn't flesh that they saw in the wound, however, but shifting darkness. Appendages crept out and lashed like whips or grabbed from within, glowing red eyes oriented this way and that staring at them all at the same time. Under the maid dress, flesh contorted, cracked and snapped as more monstrosities hemorrhaged from the maid as she bled and was split open from within.
The thieves watched in horror, but the expression on the face of Shiho's double was one of gratitude and joy. "I am useful to My Lady!" she sang even as her body broke open, more claws and legs sprouting from under her dress. "This is all I ever wanted!"
"Can you fight her?" Ann's double asked Panther. "Let's find out how much she means to you." With an imperious snap of her fingers, the Shadows were turned loose.
That was enough to pull Joker and Skull out of their macabre fixation on the maid. Mona dove to the side and had his sword out, shouting orders at them. Panther gawped, and was nearly bisected by a thorny whip before she seemed to hear someone else's voice – Mona and Skull's weren't getting through to her – and tumbled back and flipped to her feet.
"Here we go," Mona growled. The fight was on.
The Shadows rushed in and attacked with unstoppable savagery, worse than anything faced yet. Previous encounters had been ambushes on their terms or cases where they'd been ready and could dictate the flow of the fight. Now the Shadows were swooping and snarling and screaming from everywhere, and the thieves had to cut and kill and run just to stay ahead of the snapping jaws of the beast. This was a beast they were fighting, they knew, as the Shadows were now raw killing instinct unleashed. One misstep would mean losing the foot, and then the whole leg shortly after.
The thieves fiercely fought back. Mona cut and blasted and darted between legs and arms, finding openings where there didn't seem to be any and exploiting every opening he could. Joker followed suit in a different direction, hamstringing whoever came close enough and slicing indiscriminately. He switched Personas with every turn, burning with Pyro Jack and then freezing with Andras and crashing into Shadows with Bicorn, catching them off guard and blindsiding even those he wasn't engaging. He flipped and skidded from point to point on reflex, staying just ahead of the enemy who couldn't figure where he'd go next because he didn't know that either.
Skull's leg kept him from moving quite that fast, but he made up for it with firepower. He focused on pockets in the enemy formations and blasted with shots or lightning, sometimes both, and streaked the floor, walls and even ceiling with Lichtenberg marks. More than once a Shadow got in close for a lucky strike, and he replied with a 12 gauge facial or a two-handed blow of his pipe, swung with enough strength to cave in faces and knock the Shadow away so even the arms and teeth that erupted from the wounds to follow up weren't close enough to catch.
Panther held her side of the battle down with single-minded fury. The air around her wavered and glowed red and gold as she called Carmen and fought back. The intensity of her explosions matched Skull's, and whatever she burned recoiled with the primordial aversion to fire. Streams from her hands cooked the small Shadows skittering forward with spider legs and many rows of teeth; a snap of her finger sent flashes of red upward to bring down the airborne; and even embers cast off from one victim caught on others and grew into an immediate conflagration. Flames swirled and danced around her, lashing here and twirling there while Carmen laughed in the background. Ash drifted on the air, and soon every breath was choked with smoke.
All four fought wildly and with everything they had. It didn't matter what the Shadows looked like or who they might remind the thieves of, they knew. If they faltered here they'd be dead in an instant, so not one of them slowed in cutting a person down and ignoring the pleading and cries even as the Shadows erupted more limbs to attack with. Explosions rocked the room and there were shouts of pain and grit teeth, but the ambush slowed and stopped in the face of their fury.
With one exception.
Shiho's double swayed around Panther's attacks and struck from any angle she could, getting in more than one good hit. The Shadow's appendages waved and lashed with torturous ferocity, but the maid's face bore a gleeful smile. She sang praises to her lady and called to Panther in a happy voice, even ducked into the line of a fire blast knowing Panther couldn't aim at her. The body moved independently of the maid's face and eyes, and it was the perfect form of psychological warfare. Panther's flames were banked and all she could do was duck and dodge, fighting with herself as she went and taking hits from the Shadows who pressed the advantage.
"This is bad," Joker panted to Mona as they fought side by side.
"Come, subjects of King Kamoshida!" Ann's double called. "Come feast on these impudent mortals! Enjoy their flesh, blood, and very souls!" A double rank of Shadows erupted into existence, glowing red and ready to fight.
"We need to free Panther up," the cat agreed. "Do you trust her?"
"What? I…" He turned and saw the look in Mona's eye. "I guess I have to, don't I?"
The cat quickly shared a plan, as insane as any Joker had heard but it had the best chance to work. A small trinket exchanged hands and a half second later they darted in opposite directions. "Panther!" Joker called as he ran toward her, holding Pyro Jack's card aloft and hoping she got the message.
Whether by frustration or by insight, she seemed to. The air wavered again and she tumbled away from Shiho to charge forward. The temperature spiked and the Shadows and the very air ignited all around her, making her into a rolling fireball burning through whatever stood in her way. The fires scoured clean through them–
–and would have burned Joker where he stood were it not for his Persona. He ran into the fire, flinching as he felt the enormous heat, but it went better than last time. The fires bent around Pyro Jack and Joker passed her, summoning Berith once he was clear. The horseman charged Shiho's double from one side, Joker closing in with his dagger from the other. She tried to get around them but she was driven back by lance and hoof and blade, Joker matching her sporadic movements while Panther supported Skull, burning through the Shadow reinforcements rank by rank.
Giving Mona the time he needed.
Blazing bright, the cat hurled his sword end over end, then held out a paw and directed the winds around it, carrying it and twirling it faster right toward the false queen. Either from arrogance or disbelief, she only reacted when the blade sank into her chest to the hilt.
The maid stopped and gasped. "My Lady!" she screamed, dodging Berith and rushing in a straight line to help.
Joker grabbed the trump card Mona had given him, a vial of sacred salts wrapped in a prayer scroll. Lining up a throw with her angle of movement – he hadn't been able to do it while she'd been swaying around that crazily – he cast it with a grunt.
His aim was good. The vial struck the spikes protruding from the maid's form and there was a sharp flash of light. She tripped as her legs instantly snapped and disintegrated, turned to purified salt that ran up her body. She scrambled forward, crawled as her body broke apart, and shouted, "My Lady! My–" The rest of her went white, the echo of her voice all that remained.
Skull aimed and shot, blowing the figure to component particles. "Rest in peace," he choked out. "We'll get him for you."
"No," the queen whispered, touching the sword in her chest. "How could… how could you do this? His Majesty gave them all to me to kill you, but now they're dead. Dead! Do you know what he'll do to me!?"
"Is that all you care about?!" Panther flared back, hunched over from fatigue and her wounds. "Is this really all you are?!"
"What else is there?!" was the hysterical reply. "What are you?! Who?! How could–" Her yellow eyes narrowed. She yanked the sword out and tossed it to the ground. "No. If I kill you first, then His Majesty doesn't need to know. You're worn out, so I'll finish you off right–"
"No," came a commanding rumble from the dark front of the room.
The queen turned and cried, "Your Majesty! I have them here, just for you!"
Kamoshida approached, insanity and fury etched on his face even deeper than arrogance. "So I see. You have done well."
"I serve you, sire."
A ghostly, malicious chuckle echoed from the king as he vanished into the darkness. "Yes, my love. You, and they, will serve me." Black appendages flashed out and impaled her, lifting her and the remains of the Shadows, living or dead, into the air. The queen shouted in pain, but also her praises to her king as she got closer, closer to the ceiling–
Before her voice was cut off by a disgusting chomping sound. Blood and viscera and Shadow goop splashed to the ground as she and the others were consumed in a grisly feast.
"He's… eatin' them?" Skull choked out.
Mona glared upward. "He's a king. There's only room for one person at the top."
"You understand," Kamoshida intoned, hands and curved mantis blades and cleavers and pincers and fingers like scorpion stingers dropping from a demonic figure that descended to the floor. "All are beneath me. All are my sustenance. All are mine to do with as I desire, and my desires are all! You have come, thieves, and now you will serve me before I let you die."
Joker took a shot of Takemi-sensei's drugs. His head swam as his wounds closed up. The others did the same, shaking themselves of their pain and ready for the final round. "All you've done is run away," Joker spat, cards glowing. "You're a second-rate failure that built his whole life on lies. You're not even good enough to lose properly. We'll put an end to you for good."
"For everyone!" Skull shouted, voice booming with a mast and sails behind him.
Kamoshida chuckled madly, his voice filling the room and finding even the smallest cracks in which to pronounce sentence. "You are trash, Sakamoto Ryuji. And you, you are mine, Takamaki Ann."
Every syllable of the true names of the two thieves rang through the chamber like a struck bell, reverberating heavily between teeth and joints and pulling right at the core. The noise passed Joker by, but Skull and Panther doubled over, hit with the monumental weight of the king's ego and wrath. They struggled up and stared back, but against that unrelenting pressure their force of will was barely half as bright as before. "Serve me," the king ordered.
"Ne... never," Panther panted.
"Go… to hell," Skull added.
"Then I will make you into my queen by force, Takamaki Ann. And Sakamoto Ryuji, you were always trash. You can be disposed of." Lashing blades came at them, aimed to kill.
Joker and Mona ducked and dove to stay ahead of Kamoshida, but they had to parry the strikes coming at their allies. The strikes came from everywhere and dug for their weak spots. Skull and Panther fought their hardest, but they couldn't even move properly.
"Any ideas?" Joker asked, using Agathion to buffer against the hits.
"Do what you can," was the cat's answer. He dove for his sword, cutting everything that got close.
Skull rumbled and crashed with rage. Kidd's outline hovered behind him, half manifested from sheer willpower and raking the room with lightning, but it was barely enough to stay mobile and nowhere near enough to fight back. Kamoshida picked at him, snapping at his heels and making him move around one strike and right into another. The floor was spattered red with his blood in short order. Joker fended some attacks off and took his half of the hits, but then they were both ducking and rolling to the side.
Panther wasn't any better off. She was almost indistinguishable behind the raw force of her aura and flames. Carmen was behind her, directing her shots, but the fire from the cathedral was choked under Kamoshida's suppression and the very nature of this unholy place. Still, she did better than the guys. Through unbridled hatred she was burning whatever came at her. One, two, four attacks came and she fended them off and ducked the next one, but she was tiring out fast. Sensing weakness, three more strikes came in all at once–
–to be cut apart in a stylized Z. A cleaver flashed down and Zorro parried it with a thunderous crash, catching the blade near the guard and holding it fast. The Persona glowed, its Summoner's white patches glowing incandescent in the gloom. Blue eyes stared up at the king in utter loathing, and Mona growled, "Your kind doesn't belong here. You're a parasite that shouldn't exist." Zorro blew the cleaver back, sword ready to parry the next attack. "In a minute, you won't."
"I am the greatest one here!" Kamoshida frothed in the face of their defiance. "I am the king of all! Any who defy me will die!"
That was the opening Joker needed. He darted forward, using Bicorn as a diversion and ducking some lashes while taking others. He jumped up to the demon's leg above the knee, then jammed his dagger home with all his strength, kicking the pommel and driving it deep into bone.
Kamoshida shrieked, but Skull grinned past the pain and shouted, "Yeah, it hurts, doesn't it?!" Lightning arced, flashing out to blast the arms set on Joker, then forked down to the dagger like a rod. The leg blackened and blew out, raising the monster's shriek to a scream.
Once Kamoshida split his attention, the thieves pounced. Panther straightened and burned the appendages away, catching the rugs and banners around her on fire and feeding off her own flames. Skull shot into the demon's face, giving Joker time to pass Mona and summon Arsene to hammer at the other leg while the cat went for the hamstrings. Kamoshida struggled to pin any one of them down, and they split his concentration so rapidly that he couldn't strike at even one of them. He covered his face and retreated toward the door.
"No you don't!" Panther shouted. Carmen twirled and glowed, bending the fire around her and sending a flash of fire across the door to cut off any escape, then channeled everything she had left into one furious explosion. The demon's arms detonated and burned, but Kamoshida still backed away.
Mona held one small paw up and blazed bright. The winds curled around him, ruffled his fur, then spun outward. They caught the sparks and embers of Panther's fires, the enriched air stoking them to life and feeding the flames into a yellow-and-crimson whirlwind that engulfed Kamoshida, burning him from every angle. He couldn't turn, couldn't run as his legs buckled and face melted, and the monstrous visage disintegrated in ashes and smoke. A final piteous scream of pain and disbelief rang out in the throne room, then the demon collapsed and broke apart, leaving a ragged and ruined king behind.
The winds died down, and for a few moments all that was left was the pained pants of the four thieves. The suppression field lifted. Skull and Panther nearly fell over from fatigue. Between their injuries and the rigor of the battle, they'd been taken to their limits.
But each of them also smiled knowing that they'd exceeded those limits. They'd won.
The cowed king was all that remained. He stumbled to his feet. His crown fell to the floor and rolled toward them. He crawled after it on instinct but then ducked back from them, whimpering pathetically.
Skull reloaded his shotgun and snapped the break shut with a damning smile. Captain Kidd stared down from the prow of his ship, ready to declare the sentence and carry it out.
Panther approached with Carmen at her side, will o' wisps swaying along with them as cheap rugs and the remnants of the Shadows ignited in their wake. "Finally," she uttered, her voice that of blown flames eager for fuel.
"That's enough," Mona stated. "It's over."
"What?!" Skull roared.
"It's not over!" Panther shouted. "He's right there!"
"His Shadow is defeated and his power is gone," Mona answered, approaching so he was between them and Kamoshida. "This is his subconscious. If you kill him on this side, you kill him on your side."
Joker clenched his hands into fists, but after a second he bit out. "That's not what we came here to do."
Panther whirled on him. "Why not?! You saw what he did to those girls, what he would do to everyone else! All those students he threw at us, you think he wouldn't use them like that if he had the chance?!"
"If this is what he's really like, then why should he live?!" Skull added. "He's a teacher with access to other kids! You think he'd let us off if he had the chance?!"
"But he won't have the chance, will he? We made sure of that," was Joker's answer. "And this place isn't reality. No matter what he imagines or how disgusting it is, people can think what they want. We're here to avenge the things that actually happened."
Carmen sneered. Panther looked incredulous. "You're serious?! Why are you taking his side?!"
"I'm not, but since I got here people have given me shit for crimes I never committed. They're wrong. I'm not what they think, I'm not like him, and I'm not going to change that now."
"It doesn't make us criminals," Skull argued. "It makes us the ones who did somethin'. No one else can be here to see what we saw or do what we did, so don't we get to decide what happens?"
"Yes, and we have," Mona answered.
"Besides," Joker put in, "we already said what would happen. In our calling card, we wrote that we'd make him confess everything to everyone, right? If he dies, then we're killers. That's not me, and it's not either of you."
Skull's face contorted with conflict, and Kidd glared sternly with the weight of his anger. But Skull nodded finally, spitting out, "We can't kill him. We said we wouldn't."
Panther spun and stared. "Are you kidding me?!"
"I don't like it, but I like bein' a murderer a lot less."
"The decision's been made," Mona answered. "But there's more to–"
The women approached Mona, Carmen with a blazing glare and Panther wavering with heat. "You did this. You dictated what the message had to say. You wanted that stuff in there to corner us, didn't you?"
The cat replied, "You nearly killed us when you manifested Carmen. If Joker hadn't been there, you would have, and it wouldn't have meant anything to you. I figured this might happen so I took an extra precaution. Consider us even."
The Persona's eyes flashed dangerously. Mona stared back, his fur ruffling on the wind.
Panther said in disbelief, "You think he deserves to live free and clear for this?"
"He won't do either of those things. I was going to say, he'll have to live with himself, with all this, for the rest of his life. You might imagine he'll be able to ignore it or shrug it off, and I understand why you'd think so, but that's only because 'this place' protects him. When we steal his heart, he won't be able to run from what he's done. The full weight of all this, the magnitude of the Shadows that have fed him and vice versa, it's all going to fall on him and he won't have anywhere to run. He'll carry these sins until the day he dies."
The three looked around, took in the scope of the place, then turned back to each other. "That's a lot," Joker admitted.
"And that's a long time," Skull added.
Panther bared her teeth, fires twisting and scorching the floor, but Carmen touched her shoulder. It was almost audible, the scorn the gypsy had for the fallen king and her frustration at being outplayed, but one sentence did make it out for the others to hear: "There's no punishment greater than one he must live with and cannot run away from until the end of time."
Panther fumed but nodded jerkily. "All right. He lives. But I need to do something first."
"That's acceptable."
Panther flashed red and hurled fire around Kamoshida, terrorizing the cowering king as she approached, the floor going black and smoking as she approached. "You raped my best friend," she told him. "I saw it. I felt it. You're going to do what we say or I'm going to get a lot more angry." She held a hand to the stone wall, superheating the rock until it exploded outward and melted into bubbling slag. "You don't want to make me angry, do you?"
"N-n-no," he stuttered.
She grabbed him and pinned him to the wall, leaning in and staring hard into his eyes. "Good. Did you hear that? You get to carry this with you. You'll admit to everything in front of everyone, and you can't escape by lying or committing suicide. You will live a lot longer than you want to, and you will never be free of what you've done."
Carmen chuckled and disappeared into fire and rose petals. It was anyone's guess whether Panther was venting or if a gypsy curse had been laid upon Kamoshida. Either way, he nodded and mumbled, "I will go back. I will admit to it, and I will live." Then he glowed with white light until he vanished.
Kidd nodded to Skull and disappeared. Joker sagged, the inertia of the fight finally catching up to him.
Mona smiled. "It's done. Let's grab whatever's left and go home."
They picked up the crown and were part way through the treasury when a faint rumble shook through the castle.
"What was that?" Skull asked, looking around uneasily. A second shock, much stronger, sent the floor bucking. "What was that?!"
"The castle's collapsing!" Mona shouted. "Without Kamoshida to keep this place stable, it's falling apart! We have to get out of here!"
"Why didn't you tell us this would happen?!"
"I did! How was I supposed to know it would start this fast?!"
Joker strapped his loot bags to his belt. "Everyone, back to the rope! Skull, you take Panther and go down first! Mona and I will follow!"
Everyone forgot their injuries as the adrenaline was poured into their veins. The two nodded and bolted for their exit in a breakneck descent. Joker and Mona followed shortly after, catching ledges and sliding down the tower, moving so fast that the rope burned their gloves and clothes. Frantically they dropped and rushed as stones from the Castle followed them down and raced past them. Joker was four yards from the bottom when the rope gave out and he dropped the rest of the way. He landed with a hard grunt, then caught Mona square between his shoulders.
"Keep running!" the cat urged, grabbing his coat collar and hanging on. "Everything's disappearing!"
They bolted through the gate for the fractured light of the exit. Panther made it, but Skull stumbled short and clutched his leg.
Joker was too close to dodge him. He bent to catch his companion, over balanced and fell forward as he grabbed on, crashed and rolled head over heels–
–and collided with concrete, hard.
They literally fell into the real world. Akira hit a wall with his back and Ryuji crashed into him, blasting his wind out and making his injuries flare up. Morgana had leapt clear into Ann's arms, and they all panted from their narrow escape.
"Made it," Akira noted after a few moments.
"Barely," Ann put in, tiredly leaning against the wall. Morgana jumped down.
"What would've happened if we'd stayed there?" Ryuji asked, teetering to his feet and leaning on his knees for support.
"I'm not sure," Morgana admitted. "But I don't want to find out."
"We did it, right?"
"Yes. That was what we were there to do. Now we'll see how Kamoshida reacts."
"How soon?"
"I'd guess not long at all, not with that much of a shock to the system."
Akira pushed himself up shakily. He felt like he'd gone four rounds in the boxing ring without any pads, hurt and bruised all over. Despite the hits he'd taken 'over there' and the blood he knew he'd shed, there were no scars or open wounds. But he felt them like his body remembered, and he winced as he moved. Ann and Ryuji looked even worse. Fighting the Shadows had been bad enough, but Kamoshida's suppression field had clearly hit them hard. "If we've done what we can, then let's call it a day. We'll see what tomorrow looks like."
"We all need rest after that," Morgana added. "Get some sleep and don't push yourselves."
Ann yawned wide behind an upraised hand. "That's a good idea. I'm going home for a nap. Maybe I'll be awake by tomorrow."
She stumbled her way and Ryuji went his, both using the wall to hold themselves up. "That's what stealing someone's heart is like, huh?" Akira asked his cat.
"Yes," was Morgana's reply. "It's not easy or done lightly. But then, something that important shouldn't be, should it?"
7 7 7
Morgana went into the bag and the two hit up a Big Bang Burger to get their energy back. Akira bought a burger meal, then took a corner booth and tried to eat his food, but he could only manage two bites and a few fries before his stomach churned. Eating greasy after a big fight was out, it seemed. He packaged it up for later and instead quietly discussed with Morgana the plans for their loot. A lot of it he could handle himself but some pieces would need Ann's special touch, particularly that medal and the crown. Once it was all cashed in, however, it would be a good haul for everyone. The rush from the adrenaline was fading, and Akira creaked to his feet and made his way home. He was turning the corner to Leblanc before he wondered if he should use any more of Takemi-sensei's meds, then thought against it. How would it look if he came to her for more so soon?
As though conjured from that thought, he saw her exit Leblanc and turn toward him. Her doctor's coat was absent. Instead she was wearing a leather jacket, a dress with a spider web design on it, black tights and ankle boots.
She noticed him and walked over. "Good afternoon, Kurusu Akira-san."
"Takemi-sensei," he replied, except he yawned halfway through.
"You look exhausted. Studying hard?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Looking for more of what I gave you before?"
Akira knew this was a test. "No, ma'am. I still have a few doses left. You said to exercise moderation, so that's what I'm doing."
"Not where your studies are concerned if you're this tired."
"It's been a busy few days. I didn't sleep well last night."
She looked at him, close enough that he caught the heady smell of leather and some subtle but electric perfume, then pointed him to a nearby bench. "Sit down."
He did. She checked him over in a prompt but professional way. He winced when she touched some of the spots where he'd been hit, and she asked, "What's wrong?"
"Gym class has been a bear lately. Kamoshida-sensei runs us pretty hard," he answered.
She leaned in close, probably to see is he was lying, then nodded. "I've heard that." She continued, looking into his eyes and feeling for muscle tone. "No signs of narcotics abuse," she observed. "Good. You're too young to make a mistake like that."
She sounded more animated and less tense this time. He relaxed and let her poke and prod.
"Fatigue consistent with exertion and a lack of sleep, but good health all around. Keep it that way. You don't appreciate how valuable a working body is until it's gone."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Hmph." She sat next to him. "Now, handsome, let's get a little closer look at you."
It took Akira a second to realize what she said but by then she'd already shuffled over and leaned in–
–to lift Morgana out of the bag. The cat fidgeted and fussed at first, but then allowed her to check him over. The examination was as quick and thorough as Akira's had been and resulted in a shining conclusion. Then Takemi-sensei held him in one arm and stroked his back and ears, making the little thief purr like an engine.
"I couldn't do this at the clinic," she mentioned, "but he's a beautiful cat – just look at those eyes! You're taking good care of him."
"Thanks."
Takemi-sensei learned Morgana's name and cuddled him, straightened his bandana and stroked his fur almost girlishly. Her eyes were bright and soft, and the icy edge of the professional from before was gone. It was such a change that Akira wondered how this could be the same person, but he granted that he was in no position to criticize someone for their secrets.
"I feel like I should clear the air on something," she said just then.
"What's that?"
"I was a little hard on you before. You seem like a good kid, and while I still think you're pushing things with what I gave you – I'll make you regret it if you're lying to me – I don't feel like it's coming from a bad place."
"It's nice to hear that. Not everyone feels that way."
She danced her fingers on Morgana's nose, enjoying dodging the playful bites he gave in return and then ruffling him across the ears. "You said it was complicated with Sakura-san."
"It is. He's… He doesn't have all the information so I guess I shouldn't be hard on him. But he's made up his mind on something, and he's wrong."
"That can be a challenge. Especially if it involves someone or something important to you."
Her tone said it all. "You too, Takemi-sensei?" Akira asked.
"Professional conflicts and cheap pride from people who should know better. Adults can be assholes."
Akira laughed. "Well, I think you're a good person. No matter what anyone else says."
Her tone changed. "You haven't heard the things they say. You don't know how high up the people are who say them, either."
"It wouldn't matter. I'll decide for myself how I feel and what I think about someone. I'm not going to let assholes decide that for me."
She glanced over and chuckled. "It's refreshing to hear that. Most kids don't think that way. Most adults don't."
"You said that before. Is it… yeah, I guess it's unusual." His smile tasted bitter. "The people I go to school with, they buy into whatever scandal or rumor they want. It's like they always believe the craziest things about someone and they'll only get off that bandwagon if there's something even more insane to move onto. No one ever asks about the facts, though. No one's interested in the truth." Niijima-senpai's face appeared in his mind, smooth skin and fine features and that low, lovely voice. "You might find one or two who don't buy into it," he went on, "but they're usually outcasts themselves. Everyone else, they're just followers, and they're wrong."
"Yes, they are."
He looked over a bit awkwardly. "I have to say, it's a little discouraging to hear you say that adults are the same way."
Takemi-sensei shrugged. "People are people, and everyone likes to feel like they're right about what they believe. When they aren't, they're supposed to re-evaluate their thoughts and beliefs, but it's easier to stick with a wrong answer and be lazy about it, no matter how many calories someone might burn in a day."
Akira rubbed the back of his neck, not sure what to reply with. She didn't offer anything, focusing on playing with Morgana for a while longer, then she handed him back over and got up. "Thanks. I needed that."
"We'd be happy to oblige you whenever you like," Akira offered. "We're in the area, after all."
Morgana meowed happily.
She looked at them sideways with an expression Akira couldn't place. After a few moments she replied, "Tell you what. We make this a regular thing and I'll keep my stock up for when you come in. So long as you keep using it responsibly, it's yours for the same price as before."
"Deal. I appreciate that."
"And keep thinking like you do," she said as she left.
"I will," Akira answered. Maybe it was premature, but he felt better about his dealings with Takemi-sensei. Perhaps he'd found another fellow outcast.
7 7 7
Akira awoke and cursed. The evening had been normal, he'd caught up on his homework and gone to bed early, but his injuries and the deep fatigue from the fight weren't enough to keep his sleep uninterrupted. The smell of the prison greeted him alongside the creaks of metal doors. The expected, "Convict!" came almost on cue. He kicked the blanket off and got up. The girls stood on the other side of the cell door, looking even less pleased than usual, and beyond them was Igor.
"Greetings, young man," the old man said.
Akira went to the bars, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "This again? What do you want?"
"Show respect to the Master!" came Caroline's sharp reply. "You're just a prisoner!"
Akira glanced down. "And you're loud. Didn't your parents teach you to stay quiet while the adults are talking? Actually, where are your parents? It must be your nap time if you're this cranky."
Caroline fumed. Justine cut in with, "Your defiance before was unwarranted, as is your cynicism now. We only seek to help you."
"I did fine on my own. I don't need your help."
"Do you not?" Igor asked. "You do not know what aid we offer, so are you certain about that?"
Akira stared at the old man. "I'm certain you haven't been telling me everything."
"I informed you that there would be things you would need to remain ignorant about. You had to learn some of those things on your own."
"Like Kamoshida? You must have known about him."
"Of course."
"And you let things happen like they did anyway? A girl was abused and raped until she jumped off a building because of him. Who knows what her life will be like after this. Maybe I could have helped her if you'd said something."
Igor shrugged. "Your rehabilitation is our priority. Everything else, the lives of peripheral mortals included, is irrelevant."
Akira hissed air in between his teeth. "So long as this great evil is fought, right? The rest of the world can burn, but it's okay if your goals are met?"
"Yes, because this is a fight that must be won no matter the cost. This is a dangerous foe in all its aspects and iterations."
"All? So there are more people like Kamoshida?"
"Such is the nature of mankind and its evils. If this were a trial that could be solved through mundane means, we would not require someone of your type."
Akira bristled. "My type. What would that be? A criminal, and therefore disposable?
"I did not say that."
"You didn't need to. But let's get to why you dragged me here. What help are you offering me?"
"What you need to be more effective at your task. A deeper understanding of your Personas and various means of empowering them. These are services only we can offer, you should bear in mind, so it is in your best interest to tame your rebellious nature and abide by the rules we have set."
Arsene rumbled beneath the surface. Akira's voice became sharp. "You don't get to give me Personas like this and then tell me how to use them. I'm not a dog on a chain, and neither are any of them."
Igor's eyes remained cold and calculating. "You are defined by your task in this matter. Whether you see the greater utility in our interactions or not, the fact remains that our services will be crucial to your victory."
"And my reward for helping you is going through my rehabilitation, right? You three making me into someone better suited for polite society?"
Igor was either unaware of the acid dripping from Akira's words or was indifferent to it. He answered, "Correct."
"Suppose I want to get out of this place without playing your games. No more tricks or lies, show me the way out of here so I can go home. What will you offer me then?"
"The services of this place are intended to reach the goal we have set before you. We accept no compromise."
Akira's face was set. "So that's it? Only the goal has meaning, regardless of where it takes me or what I want out of this deal?"
"You are our most important guest, but there are rules that apply even to you. We have made this clear before."
Akira pushed off the wall. "Then you'll stab me in the back if I step out of line, treat me as an 'irrelevant' like you have Suzui-san, either when it's convenient or when this is all done. I don't even know the rules you want me to abide by and you think you can just give me what you want and I'll be happy with it? No. I'm not doing this."
"You do not have a choice," Justine told him.
"Yes I do. My Personas mean I have lots of choices. You can take your rehabilitation and shove it. Go find someone else to be your puppet."
The girl's tone hardened. "That is not acceptable."
"Then we're renegotiating our terms right now, because I never signed a contract with you for anything. The only ones who have been any help to me are a cat, two people I've met at school and the girl in the butterfly. She's not here so if you want my help then we're doing this my way, and I'm sure that if you had any better candidates you'd have talked to them by now."
It was a testament to Akira's anger that he didn't notice Igor's eyes narrow.
Caroline stared up in unbridled hostility. "You are a prisoner. Prisoners do not dictate anything to anyone."
"So be it. Don't call or bother me in my sleep ever again. I'll do what I want with my Personas and with the others, but this place and me are through."
"Convict, you do not have a way out."
Akira clenched his hands into fists and reached deep, calling all of his Personas. As one, their voices rang in loud and furious rebellion, pushing against the walls and restraints. The sense of unreality bent and warped around him, trying to hold him in. The Personas raged against their confines, cracking the shackles and chains until a fissure of light broke through the wall. An exit. Akira touched it and the jail fell away, running like paint under water.
His last look at Igor revealed the inhuman calculus behind the old man's eyes. That voice, when it reached him, was icy and rang with finality. "Remember that you have made this choice, Kurusu Akira. You will face the consequences of these actions."
"Go to hell."
He tumbled and turned in space. Between one blink and the next, everything went from soft white to dark wood.
He jolted and got a crate corner in the hip for his efforts. But it didn't feel as bad as usual this time – he was back in the real world, in his bed.
He looked around, appreciated how late – or early – it was and flopped back. "Good riddance."
"Whussat?" Mona mumbled from the couch across the room.
"It's nothing. Get some rest."
The cat was already slumbering again.
Akira looked at the ceiling and smiled grimly. He couldn't have made his point any clearer if he'd tried. "Let that be the end of that," he muttered before rolling over into an untroubled, uninterrupted sleep.
7 7 7
School was the same the next day, except for all the ways it was different. The gossips chatted about the letter at the entrance, there were ripples of tension and uncertainty among the athletics students, and the teachers seemed wary.
It became apparent why a few minutes into homeroom.
"For your gym class," Kawakami-sensei told them, "you'll have a substitute. Kamoshida-sensei is absent from school."
The chattering began immediately. Talk of the Phantom Thieves and the calling card ran through the room like current through a cable. Was this a coincidence? Were those accusations legit? How could it be anything else?
"It's unrelated to that false claim yesterday," Kawakami-sensei insisted. "Don't read so much into this – he's probably just sick." She lacked her usual authority, however, and the students talked over her.
Akira hid a smile behind his hand, nodding when Ann turned to him only once. Something had certainly changed, and now they had to wait to see what and by how much.
Friday, April 26th was the day they got their answer.
The morning assembly was even more drab than expected. Against all attempts of the teachers, the students had run the rumor mill without pause regarding the message and Kamoshida's absence. The more the teachers insisted that the events were unrelated, the more people looked for connections. As Akira stood beside Ann and Ryuji, Morgana quiet in his bag, he appreciated the artistry of the situation. While it hadn't been planned this way, it was nice to see the gossip network work against the school powers for a change.
"We would like to address the questions you all have about those accusations toward Kamoshida-sensei," the principal stated, trying for authority but not able to keep the sneer from his voice. He clearly wasn't used to his actions, or those of a teacher, coming under such scrutiny – answering to others was simply not something he did. "They are, of course, all false, and if Kamoshida-sensei were here, he would tell you the same thing. He's an Olympic medal recipient, his discipline is without equal, and–"
A side door opened, oddly loud in the gym.
"Ah, Kamoshida-sensei," the principal said with relief. "Welco–"
Kamoshida entered, looking like a wreck. He was unshaven, his hair was lanky, and his skin had the gray pallor of fatigue. His clothes were wrinkled and unkempt, and those nearest to him pushed back as he passed like he smelled. He shuffled forward like a man bearing a colossal weight, and he made his way unsteadily to the stage with none of his usual ego. His hands trembled and his eyes were down.
Akira shared a glance with Ann and Ryuji.
Kamoshida got to the microphone and shakily said, "I… have an announcement to make. Everyone seems to be here. Good. Good."
The principal approached. "Kamoshida-sensei, is everything all–"
"I have… conducted myself in a manner… unbecoming of a teacher. For years, I have…"
"What do you–"
"That letter on Tuesday. It was all true."
The entire school, faculty and students, were silent.
"I assaulted Suzui Shiho recently," he went on, gaining speed as he spoke. "In the nurse's office. I forced myself on her because… because I could." The admissions overflowed like a river in a storm. He admitted to setting up Shintani-sensei by making Namba Naoko, a girl who came from a broken home and who had been singled out by her classmates, act like a prostitute to entrap him. She cracked under Kamoshida's abuse and the guilt and ended up addicted to pills as a result. Yamagata Ayano and Enomoto Setsuko, he confessed, were abused and made to say that their boyfriends did it, getting the two students expelled and one of them charged and convicted. Taira Haruki developed neuroses because of how he gaslit her and left her to the bullying of her peers, worn down into a psychological mess. Miya Gina ended up so traumatized that she ran away from her parents, disappearing into Tokyo's darkest nethers and not heard from since. Tachibana Reiko transferred to another school, but suffered the shame and brunt of her father's wrath for having to go in for an abortion before she did so. The longer the list went, the more the principal went pale and sweaty. Most of the teachers near the stage, so used to being cowed by this man, could only watch. When a few of their number did try to stop Kamoshida from speaking he fought them off and clung to the podium, continuing almost desperately. Teachers in the crowd tried to establish order and herd the students away, but no one listened. Finally the plug was pulled on the mic and the sound system, but Kamoshida shouted his crimes to the entire assembly anyway, tears flowing as he became hoarse. In the end, he collapsed at the base of the podium, hands up and wrists crossed as he cried and repeated, "Arrest me. Please arrest me," over and over.
It was at that point when everyone seemed to realize that they weren't dreaming, and that the show had come to an end. This time the order to leave was heeded, somewhat. Students drifted from the gym in groups, then in larger numbers as they murmured amongst themselves. The three thieves followed Kawakami-sensei's instructions, sticking close until they found an alcove where the vending machines were to sit down and process everything.
"That was…" Akira started.
"Dude, that was pretty intense," Ryuji said. "Did you hear all that? Stealin' someone's heart, it really made that much of a difference?"
"It must have," Ann put in. "No one changes that much overnight. And it's what we told him to do 'over there,' right? Confess his crimes and live with the consequences."
"That's amazing," Akira finished.
Morgana stuck his head out of the bag. "That," the cat stated with cold finality, "is how a king falls."
7 7 7
After class that day, Ann left school and went straight to the hospital. Her prior attempts to visit had been stymied by hospital protocol and Shiho's condition, but hopefully she could see her friend now. She had to tell Shiho the good news.
To her luck, she was allowed in. Shiho had regained consciousness and was stable enough to entertain company. Ann thanked the nurses profusely and slipped into the room quietly.
She took a few moments to collect herself. Wanting to get in was one thing, but actually being here… No, she told herself. She could do this. Shiho was her friend. They'd won. Kamoshida would be behind bars for the rest of his life, and that was something to celebrate. She went around the curtain–
–and clapped her hands over her mouth to stop from screaming.
Shiho lay sleeping in the hospital bed, but she looked nothing like before. Her head was a war zone, all stitches and surgical scars, the flesh stapled shut at the scalp and peeled up at the back. Ann thought of what she'd said to Akira, that Shiho had hit her head on her arm on the landing. Apparently there had been enough damage to warrant some sort of cranial operation. Most of her hair had been shaved off, and what hadn't been was left in tufts and clumps here and there. Ann swallowed twice. Shiho's hair had been her only vanity. She brushed it and cared for it, pampered it like it was a living thing and even taught Ann a few things about hair care. For it to be like this…
Oxygen was fed to her through tubes in her nose. Ann unconsciously approached and caught sight of the bruising from ruptured blood vessels blotchy on her face, neck, shoulders, arm and wrists. There were other bruises that stood out, running parallel and shaped like a man's fingers. Ann felt sick, recalling the ghostly imprints on her own body from Carmen's vision. Her hands trembled.
Splints and a cast held one arm up immobile, the other arm free and splotchy with bruises where the IV had been inserted. Already the skin looked dry and frail from Shiho's only sustenance being nutrients. A collar held her neck in place, and when Ann looked down the bed it appeared that Shiho's lower body was similarly bound. That must have been how bad the damage was to her legs and hips. Ann dreaded the question of whether Shiho might walk unaided, or even at all, from now on. Memories of her friend on the volleyball court, spry and alive with joy, rose to haunt her. That was what Ann had been trying to protect, but...
"Aren't I beautiful?" a raspy whisper asked. Ann jerked.
Shiho was awake. The bruising on her face kept her from opening her eyes all the way. There were blood flecks in the whites of one eye, likely from the impact with the ground, and her eyes didn't quite line up to look at her properly, but she shuffled with the unmistakeable motions of life.
"Hey," Ann whispered, lightheaded with relief that her friend was conscious. "You're… I'm so glad you're okay."
"Is that what we're calling this?" Shiho's voice barely came out. Ann remembered medical shows where trauma victims had a tube down their throats to keep them breathing. She wondered now how rough that must have been coming out.
Ann smiled and leaned in close. "Better than you not waking up at all, right?"
Shiho made a noncommittal noise.
"And you're in the best place for you to get better. Any help you need, these guys can give it."
Nothing except that stare.
Ann let out a breath, hammering her thoughts into order. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
"You're sorry…"
"Kamoshida confessed everything. About what he did to you and a lot of other girls. I know you might not believe it, but it's true."
"Really."
Ann met her friend's eyes, now focused and positively molten with fury. "Shiho?"
"Why are you here?" The words were coming out harder, forceful and jagged.
"To see how you're doing. I came by when you were unconscious. They wouldn't let me in. I tried again today and they told me you were awake. This is the first chance I've had to see you."
"So you came to see what you did?"
"What I–"
"He told me about you. That he wanted you. You see what he did to me? What they did to me? It didn't have to be me." Shiho came alive with hate. "It should have been you on that bed. You he raped. It was supposed to be you."
The breath left Ann's body. "I…"
"They all want you. Beautiful, blonde, big tits and an ass and legs and everything. Everyone, it never mattered who, you were who they wanted. Never anyone else. I was second best, so what happened when you hid or blew them off? Me. They came to me. For me. And you weren't there. Did you ever think about that?!"
"I told you I'm sorry. I'm here to apologize – I saw what he–"
"Well that just makes this all better then, doesn't it?! You're up and around, Kamoshida walks free, and I'm stuck here like this! That's a great trade!"
"They arrested him. He was crying like he was going to death row when–"
"So what?! How does that help me now?!"
"I'm sorry."
"Why? Because you're down one sucker? Look at me! Remember my hair!? See it now?! How about my legs or my shoulder?! What about these scars?! You should want to look at all this – you created it!"
The EKG monitor started beeping. "I'm fixing it, Shiho! We got him, and–"
"Fixing this!? How?! By ignoring me and leaving me here?! Pretending to care?! You're free and all in one piece, do you have any idea what this is like?! What he did to me?! I'm lucky that bastard didn't get me pregnant! Don't you turn away, look at me! How are your pretty words going to fix this?!"
Ann backed up. Shadows and demons she could face without fear, but this hit her where it hurt. She heard footsteps approaching – the nurses probably coming to make sure Shiho was okay – then turned for the door.
"There you go! Run away, leave me behind! That's what I should expect from you, isn't it?!"
Ann was partway down the hallway before her feet stopped. She put her face in her hands and leaned against the wall, Shiho's voice ringing in her ears. It was a minute or two later when a nurse stepped up and patted her on the shoulder. "Try not to take it personally," she advised. "I know it's hard given some of the things she said, but she's just angry."
Ann let the tears fall. "She has that right. She has every right."
"You can't blame yourself for this."
Ann wept into her hands, brushed one against her forearm, and turned to the nurse. "I just… she looked so hurt."
"She… is." The words were unsteady, offered against all professional protocol.
"How bad is her condition?"
"She'll need surgery. Her legs, hips and back, the doctors don't know yet. Her head's still in bad shape too."
"A recovery like that sounds serious."
"Yes. It'll take a lot of work, and then physio afterward."
"Won't that be expensive?"
"Yes. Most insurance companies don't cover injuries and recoveries this severe."
Ann nodded tearfully. "Thank you. I'll leave now." She kept up the crying until she turned the corner, then wiped her face and cleared her throat, letting the glamor drop. Making honest feelings do dishonest work was just another tool in the belt of a thief, especially for a good cause. No one was harmed, and the nurse wouldn't remember that she'd spilled confidential medical information.
Ann went into a nearby bathroom and washed her face. When she dried off and looked into the mirror, Carmen's boudoir was right on the other side of it. The gypsy was lounging on a divan, plucking sweets from a tray held steady by an infatuated butler for her pleasure while another held a bottle of wine and a glass for her, serving as a living end table. She held a fresh cigarette up to be lit by a third and then took a long drag from the stem. She let out the smoke and stared through it at her Summoner, the look probing. How did that feel? What had it changed? Would she falter now that things got hard? She asked, "Well, penya? What will you do?"
Ann straightened and faced her Persona defiantly, her voice unshakeable. "Whatever I have to."
