Author's Notes:
Chapters are probably going to take longer to write from now on. I want to cover more. I feel like I've dicked around enough and need to get the plot started good and proper. A lot of fun stuff is on the way. Expect more from Night City in the near future. Things are going to start coming together soon.
"I'm going to kill you, Skull!"
"Don't pin this on me! It was Hunter's idea!"
"It was not!"
"Shut up, all of you, and run!"
As the blaring siren threatened to deafen the thieves, Shadows of all sizes began to burst out of the literal wood work. Some were identical to the receptionist, others were dressed in security uniforms. All of which were now very hostile. A fact reflected by the transformation of each Thief.
Normally, they would have engaged the Shadows head on, but their lack of any weaponry all but pointed to that being suicide.
And so they had to run.
As to why they had to run; Ryuji was still clutching the ornate frame that used to contain Hitomi Kitagawa's portrait. Sheer instinct had essentially locked his grip on the thing and without thinking he was now hauling it through the museum's main lobby.
"My effin' leg!" He called. Lynn looked over her shoulder. He was beginning to limp and hobble.
"Drop the damn painting, you idiot!"
As if noticing it for the first time, the blond boy gasped and threw it over his head. As impressive as the feat was - given the sheer weight of the frame - the resulting domino effect of Shadows colliding into it and then one another urged the group on. Unwittingly, Ryuji had given them room to breathe.
Although that brief slack was quickly pulled back as security gates slammed down over the main entrance.
They were trapped.
The group smacked against the metal like cornered animals. Lynn's brain whirred into overdrive. They needed an out. Fast.
"Joker, up there!" Shiho was pointing up at the ceiling. More specifically a conveniently open skylight. The only issue was its height. The only way to reach it was to fly.
Lynn dug deep into her soul.
[You require the aid of my wings, Trickster?] The voice she had hoped to find made itself known. A sense of relief washed over her. Arsene had yet to abandon her. Red and grey energy pulsed from Lynn's mask.
"Arsene!"
With the call came an explosion of cursed fire. Black wings unfolded from her back, throwing spectral feathers across the lobby. With a gesture of her wrist, a wall of curse fire coalesced and prevented the shadows from getting any closer. The wings pulsed and grew in size. Thumping like a heartbeat shuddered through the air as Arsene himself clawed his way out of Lynn's back.
Only this time he was vastly larger than usual. Big enough to collect the four thieves and launch into the air.
Ryuji panted with an exaggerated slouch. His breath heavy and sweat pouring from his forehead.
Now that they had escaped Madarame's Palace, everyone seemed to have let the physical exertion catch up with them. Shiho - being an athlete - was relatively unphased, but even she had a thin layer of sweat beading on her forehead. "Didn't I say we should be cautious?" Lynn growled, massaging her temple.
No one seemed to be up for replying.
"Lifting a frame off its display in the middle of an exhibit is the exact opposite of cautious…"
"Yeah… our bad," Ryuji's shoulders sagged even more, threatening to completely slip from his torso to the ground. "Not Shiho's best idea."
"Ryuji, I swear to god, I only mentioned that the frame looked valuable." The two entered a staring match. Their situation aside, it was somewhat amusing to see them act like this. It was almost like a sibling rivalry.
Their contest was cut short, however, as Ann pinched both of them by the ear with a scowl reminiscent of a pissed off, tired mother. What followed was a chorus of "ow" and "ouch" from both Shiho and Ryuji. Brutally, Ann completely ignored their protests and instead turned her attention to Lynn. "We should probably head to Le Blanc and talk about what we found."
V took in the fresh, clean air of Tokyo.
With the sun well and truly set, it was probably best to head to Yongen Jaya straight away. Judy had expressed the thought of waiting until the next day, but Morgana had grown way too agitated and anxious to get back home.
So here they were, once again standing in Shibuya. Even at night the area was a bustling hive of activity. Next to the station entrance was an older gentleman. From the look of the small crowd and the fact he was standing atop a wooden box, he was giving some kind of speech. And judging by the expressions of those that were gathered, he likely wasn't doing a very good job.
The general reactions of the crowd slowly filtered through the rest of the bustling square.
"Nobody cares, you old has-been!"
"Get off your high horse!"
"No-Good Tora!"
That last comment had cut through the man's bravado. His posture shrank and as if a switch had flipped, his confident and projecting voice had become meek and timid.
"Poor guy…" V muttered to herself.
"He stands there pretty much every night. Lynn occasionally listens to him but he always clams up at the slightest hint of confrontation." Morgana solemnly shook his head only making V feel even worse for the guy.
Still, it was none of her business and if people were that against him, he probably had a lot of skeletons lurking in his closet. That wasn't something V felt like getting involved with.
"Oh, look. It's the kiddos." Judy dragged V's attention away from the speaker and sure enough; the four teenagers were slowly shambling towards the station's entrance. With a quick gesture, each of their faces seemed to light up. A mixture of relief, surprise and - oddly - glumness. Hopefully that last one wasn't directed towards V and the rest.
"V Team!" Ryuji was the first one to react.
His lips widened into a toothy grin. What he meant by 'V Team' was a mystery, but at least they were happy to see them. Morgana leapt from his perch on V's shoulder and quickly returned to his rightful place; Lynn's bag.
"Where have you guys been?" Asked Lynn with a perked brow.
"We stumbled on a way to go back home. Spent a few days clearing up some business on that end."
"You mean… you went back to the future?" Ann looked horrendously confused. Though not as confused as the two non-english speakers.
That said, V couldn't help but chuckle. Technically speaking, yes, they had gone into the future. If someone were to tell her that she would one day become a multi-dimensional time traveller, she would have likely chalked it up to a joke or early Cyberpsychosis. And yet she had done just that. Mind bending as it was, the act alone seemed more mundane now that she had experienced it more than once.
"Yeah. Brought back some goodies, too." V grinned and patted the two large duffle bags slung over each of her shoulders. "I assume you're going back to the Boss' place?"
Both Lynn and Ann nodded.
"We've got some things to sort through." Lynn beckoned the V Team to follow. "It's been an eventful couple of days without you guys."
As was routine at this point, Lynn let herself collapse on her bed with a vague gesture to everyone else to make themselves at home. The scent of the sheets briefly caught her off guard. Sojiro must have washed and changed them during the day.
Something to thank him for later.
The thump and rumble of heavy objects caught her attention. As reluctant as she was, she lifted her face from her pillow and glanced towards V.
The duffle bags from earlier were now squarely planted on the large table. The grin on V's face was quite literally electrifying. Although Lynn couldn't help but feel slight apprehension. A sudden thought crossed her mind and immediately caused her to jump to the complete worst conclusion. She rocketed up from her bed, stormed over and clamped down on the zippers, halting V from opening the bags.
"I hope to god there aren't any guns in there." She growled and glared up at the merc.
For a moment, V said nothing, looking honestly confused. As if not knowing how to respond. A crack in her visage formed and she suddenly burst out laughing. "Of course not. We all gave our Iron to the cat before coming back. I'm not a gonk, kid." A quick glance to Judy and River - both of which were casually chatting with the other thieves - for a nod of confirmation set Lynn's mind at rest.
"Not a cat!"
The sudden exclamation in Japanese startled both Ryuji and Shiho. Still, it managed to bring light laughter to the two.
Lynn let go of the bags and allowed V to open them. From the teen's perspective it was a jumble of machinery, wires and gadgets. She did - however - recognize the generally universal appearance of a few handheld radios.
"A few things here," V began, picking up one of the radios, "long range transmitters. Judy's been tinkering with them." She gently threw the device to Lynn.
And it promptly smacked her in the face and fell to the ground. All the while the teen was flailing to catch it. "Hngh…" the squeak was almost inaudible. "Don't throw things at me!" She whined, picking the device up. Her cheeks were flushed red and she could feel the snickering from a certain blond boy in the corner.
Even River was seemingly having trouble stifling a laugh.
Lynn had to give V credit on this one. The merc looked genuinely apologetic and then an odd sense of solidarity washed over her expression.
"Er… right. Anyway," V cleared her throat and rummaged for another one of the radio devices. "Judy managed work some fuckin' voodoo bullshit magic between these two devices. They should communicate with each other over a supposedly indefinite distance." As useful as that sounded, it seemed a little obsolete.
"We have phones, y'know." Lynn huffed, still flustered.
"I know. What you don't have is an untraceable line directly to your parents."
The sudden weight of realisation clattered down on Lynn with the force of an orbital bombardment. Without so much as a warning, tears balled up in the teen's eyes and streamed down her cheeks. It barely gave her time to react to the fact that she was legitimately crying.
"You're saying that… if my parents had one of these radios, I could talk to them without anyone knowing?" She felt her voice catch at the thought.
V nodded.
Lynn hadn't heard either her mother or father's voice in well over a month. That thought alone was more than enough to allow a flood of emotion to come crashing in. Simple as it might have sounded, being completely cut off from her family had been a large contributor to her depression.
A moment later, she found herself hugging V tightly.
She felt an awkward pat on her back and heard Judy giggling to herself on the other side of the room.
"You better appreciate that, Rin. V forced me through hell for it!" Morgana puffed his chest out and shot a glare towards the merc. Something Lynn had completely failed to think about was Morgana had accompanied the V Team to the other world.
What hell V had forced upon him was a complete unknown, but for now, all Lynn could do was thank her continuously like a broken record.
"All well and good, but we still need to get a radio to your folks."
"I'll figure that out." Lynn composed herself, wiped away the tears and gave a genuine smile as she spoke. She had no clue how she'd 'figure it out' but she knew she didn't want to impose any more on V.
Now that was settled and emotions had begun to calm themselves, Lynn noticed that the radios were only a small part of the items packed into the bags.
V must have sensed her curiosity and opened the second bag. Again, it was full of unknown machinery and gadgets. "Usually, if I'm working with a team, we'd just sync up on the Holo…" V stalled for a moment before sheepishly chuckling. "Think of that like a phone inside your brain." She pointed to the small metallic disk and slot like holes in the side of her neck. "But you guys don't have that shit. So, these are the next best thing."
Out from the second bag she pulled out a thin strip of black material. A small bit of tech was affixed to it and a short length of wire flared from it, ending in an earpiece. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.
Especially given how Lynn actually had a lot of experience with similar devices.
"Oh, those will definitely be useful." Lynn nodded enthusiastically. V seemed surprised at her recognition, though shrugged a moment later. "Our phones don't work in the Metaverse."
"Nice to see I don't need to explain them."
"I used them when playing Airsoft with my dad. Well… I did when the venue allowed it. Most of the time we get the dumb 'unfair advantage' excuse."
Lynn stopped herself at the feeling of eyerolls from her fellow thieves. Even if they were embroiled in their own conversation with Judy and River, the mere mention of Airsoft managed to filter through the air. The teen knew how she could get and was trying to tone it down, somewhat, but who could really blame her?
For the next few minutes V ran through the other bits and pieces she had brought from home.
Mainly spare parts for the V Team's mechanical prosthetics. Or 'chrome' as they called it. There were also some gadgets made for general quality of life improvements.
There was also a mention of a surprise the next time they went to the Metaverse.
Then it came to the thieves turn in this little impromptu meeting. They recounted the events of the past few days. How they had encountered Yusuke, how they visited Madarame's exhibit, his atelier and then his Palace. They also mentioned how they found Madarame's cognition of Yusuke's presumed mother.
The three adults sat in thought.
"Might be somethin' to that," Judy muttered, "the trashed paintin' of the mom, I mean. Might be a bigger link between the kid and Madarame." V nodded at that. River didn't seem as convinced.
"Might be worth looking into these past students of his. We also have a lead of our own. Kimiko Ishida, the art shop owner we sold the brush to. She was selling replicas of that painting you guys mentioned. We also went into her Seedling Palace. Her cognition of Madarame was…"
"Fuckin' gonk." V shuddered.
"Problematic. I was going to say problematic." River briefly glanced at V who's only response was a grin and a wink. "Point is, if you're going after this guy, you'll need evidence. Even if Madarame confesses, anyone connected to him can still spin it in his favour somehow. We can go back to the Seedling Palace and try questioning Ishida's Shadow. That might point us in a good direction to get some physical proof."
Both V and Judy chuckled. "Mr. Badges makes an appearance." V joked, though a moment later, her jovial tone returned to one of seriousness. "Jokes aside, he's right. River's a professional when it comes to detective work and law enforcement."
"Which brings me to my next concern." River's tone had changed. An intense gaze fell upon the teens. For some strange reason, Lynn's brow suddenly began to sweat heavily. It was like her many times in an interrogation room facing down a stone-faced interrogator during the trial. Even if she wasn't alone this time around, she suddenly felt incredibly insignificant. "Whatever this change of heart thing is, it sounds real heavy. You kids sure this is what you want to do? Technically speaking, you'll be breaking a whole lot of laws. Both criminally and ethically."
Each thief remained silent.
One could practically hear the combined heartbeats of the teens.
It wasn't like they hadn't considered this sort of thing before. It was one of the biggest hang-ups Lynn had when first considering targeting Kamoshida. It was only the desperate pressure forced upon them that urged her into action.
Even the possibility of straight up killing the volleyball tyrant did little to stop her after that.
As cruel as it sounded, a tiny fraction of her deepest thoughts actually wanted the change of heart to result in death. All the anger and spite she had built up towards the powers that be over the previous months had coalesced and stuck to Kamoshida like a tumour. An outlet to focus her wrath on.
Then, after the immediate threat had passed and Kamoshida had confessed, there was nothing to direct her energy towards.
Until the prospect of another target came plodding along. Ichiryusai Madarame.
What was she really doing this for anyway?
She wanted to think it was for the betterment of society but all it really was could be boiled down to a glorified tantrum. A selfish ploy to lash out at anyone and everyone who might have deserved it.
Which likely only served to prove that Masayoshi Shido was correct; she may very well have just been a violent psychopath.
"Sometimes you need to break the rules to do the right thing."Shiho's voice almost seemed to chime like a cleansing bell. The quickly forming dark clouds in Lynn's mind began to clear. "If we have this power, isn't it our duty to use it to help people in situations like the one Ann and I were in? I think what we do is the purest form of justice there is!"
"That's… an incredibly naive way of looking at it." River's shoulders sagged and his human eye seemed to fill up with a weird look of anguish. "But… I agree with the sentiment. Others might tell you to leave it to the cops or whatever. Sadly… I know more than anyone that sometimes, you gotta do the hard shit for yourself. Even if it means dirtying your hands."
"Speaking from experience?" Ann asked. He nodded.
"My nephew got kidnapped. Tried relying on due process. Only thing it got me was desperation and red tape." As he spoke, V placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. A wistful expression picked at her visage. A hollow feeling balled in the pit of Lynn's stomach. The tone of his voice suggested the worst. Then he smiled at V's touch. "That's when I decided to just screw it. Got in touch with a certain Edgerunner and together we tracked my nephew down and saved him from the sick fuck who took him."
Relief filled in the hollow sensation. Lynn glanced up at V in awe. The more the teen learned of the merc, the more she found herself idolising her. In her perspective; V was strong, capable and compassionate. Everything Lynn wanted to be.
The same went for each of the V Team. Lynn wanted to learn more about them.
Sadly, now wasn't the time to keep prying. They needed to plan out their next move. Starting with what to do with Kimiko Ishida.
Thankfully, River seemed to hold the same idea as he switched back to business mode. He cleared his throat. "Leave Ishida to us. We'll deal with the Seedling Palace and try to get some leads."
Lynn nodded. She then spoke in Japanese to include her two non-english speaking friends. "While you're doing that, Ann, do you think it'd be worth taking Yusuke up on his offer? We could try to get more out of him if he's distracted with his painting. If nothing else, it'd be useful getting a look inside the real atelier."
Ann shifted uncomfortably for a few moments. Then she nodded in agreement. "As long as you guys come with, I'll be fine."
"Of course." Lynn shot her a reassuring smile. "Won't leave you alone. Hmm… I don't really feel comfortable with us constantly coming here. I don't want Boss getting more suspicious than he already is. We should look for a new meeting point. Somewhere private."
"Well, if us foreigners are sticking around, we should look for a more suitable place to sleep. The folks at that capsule hotel are friendly and all, but I really could do with not waking up in a coffin every morning." River chuckled. V vehemently nodded her agreement. Even going as far as to rub her forehead as a growl rumbled in her throat.
"Alright, I guess that'll be your second job. Let us know if anything comes up. Oh, yeah, you guys have phones now. We should get you in on the Thief Group Chat."
The rest of the night was spent with a fresh sense of renewed purpose.
With solid plans set, it was time to take a break for the evening. Food was eaten, coffee was consumed, baths were had and above all, Lynn's mind had felt at ease. Being around her friends in moments like this positively filled her with energy.
Her doubts from earlier seemed to melt away.
Of course, they would always worm back into her mind, but for now, she was content to simply exist.
Tuesday - May 17th
A soda can gave a satisfying ka-thunk as it fell into the vending machine's collection bin.
Collecting her treasured beverage, Lynn gave a long yawn.
Like most days, the morning seemed to have dragged on for an eternity. It was worse on days where the group had plans. As if time itself wanted to prolong any notion of productivity for as long as possible.
"I got a reply from Kitagawa," Ann fumbled with her phone as she absentmindedly twirled a finger in her hair. "He wants me to go over after school."
"Hah! He prolly dropped any plans he had just to get you to come over."
Ryuji's jest earned him a half-serious scowl from a certain ex-volleyball star. Though she couldn't really retort. He was probably completely correct.
"It's likely he wants it to be private, though… I hope he doesn't clam up when he sees you guys again." That was wishful thinking, but they had to try. Even if they couldn't get any information out of him directly, it was still worth going simply to get a layout of the house itself. According to Morgana - who was patiently sitting with his head poking out of Lynn's bag - a Palace could resemble the location it was based on. At least partially.
Lynn shrugged before chugging the carbonated life juice.
Then immediately regretting it as gas backed up and out of her nose.
"Gwaghk… ugh." She half-choked half-burped, prompting a quiet giggle from not only Ryuji but Morgana too. "Shove it, you two," she elbowed Ryuji in the side, "anyway, we should hash out what exactly we want to try asking him. Directly blasting the subject didn't work last time, so we need to be a bit more indirect."
"It'd be a little dumb if we suddenly asked about his mom, too." Ann made a good point. That particular card would have to wait. Besides, they didn't really know what the relationship between Hitomi and Madarame was other than a past student.
With any luck the V Team would shine at least a shred of light on that lead.
"Hey, shush. It's the student council president!"
Shiho whipped around from her perch near the courtyard. Her motions were panicked for a brief moment. She vaguely gestured towards the far side of the walkway that skirted the outside of the courtyard. As she had said, there was Makoto Niijima. A stern and intense look carved into her face. A quiet "oh shit" slipped from Lynn's mouth as she noticed who Niijima's current victim was.
Yuuki Mishima.
"Got hold of Mishima today, huh?" Ryuji seemed quite nonchalant about it.
Mishima looked to be on the back foot, his meek posture shrinking away from his adversary. They couldn't hear what was being said but it was quite obviously an interrogation.
"You do know Mishima at least partially knows about us, right? It'd be pretty bad if he spilled something." Lynn pointed out the glaring issue. It took a second, but it finally clicked in Ryuji's mind.
"Should we go over there?"
"No way in hell!" Shiho frantically shook her head at Ryuji's suggestion.
Nodding, Lynn gave out her orders; "for now, split up. Lunch is almost over anyway."
"We should have brought Mona…"
V's complaints - though shared by her companions - fell on deaf ears. Mementos was as sprawling and mind bending as usual. Without the cat-bus, it seemed doubly so. Their only consolation was the Mona-Dar they had borrowed.
Even still, the walk had been incredibly boring.
The only Shadows that made any sort of appearance were of the lesser variety and as such, only a few bullets was enough to tear them apart.
"We're almost there." River muttered. "Don't mention Madarame's name when we talk to Ishida. Judging by what happened last time, I think it summons the cognition. Remember what she said? His name gives him power."
"Got it. Ask questions first, fight the actual weather second."
Thankfully it only took another five minutes of walking to reach Ishida's Seedling Palace entrance.
It hadn't changed much since the last time they were here. The damage that Madarame's cognition had caused was gone, leaving only faint remnants of singed earth. The gentle breeze had also returned. Its tickling coolness filled V with a strange sense of weightlessness. It also brought up a feeling of nostalgia.
For what, the merc had no clue. She wasn't even sure it was her own.
"Ishida… are you here?" River's voice was gentle yet stoic at the same time. Immediately the breeze picked up into a more intense wind. It swirled and formed a whirlwind. Much like the last time, Ishida's figure emerged from the torrent. The wind petered out and returned to a gentle breeze.
"Why have you returned? Speak."
"We've come to ask a few questions." V stepped forward, meeting Ishida's gaze with confidence. "About him."
The shadow flinched for a moment. "I have no interest in talking about that man. Especially to disrespectful trespassers." Her eyes narrowed and the breeze slowly picked up once more. Capping at a chilling gust. Undeterred, V pushed on.
"We want to help you. Clearly he has some hold over you." A biting gust sliced against V's cheek. A small droplet of blood trickled from the scratch. Yet the merc refused to break eye contact. "We just need information. Why are you so scared of him?" Again, her words only gained her a few more scratches. "Threaten me as much as you want, we aren't leaving until we've gotten some answers."
The two entered into a silent stand-off. Each one had their eyes glued on the other. Eventually, the cutting wind calmed. Ishida's shoulders sagged and her entire figure seemed to shrink a few inches.
"That man's claws run deep."
"What's your connection to him?"
"I launder his dirty money. Sell his forgeries as replicas. Help spread slander against opposing artists. Scout for talent… he saps me completely dry and constantly wants more."
So the art shop really was a front.
Different world, same shit.
"So you're his scapegoat. His fall girl." V's face grew dark. The blank look on Ishida's face said it all. "He makes you do all of his dirty work for him so - should it get exposed - he can feign ignorance and pin it entirely on you."
"Pretty standard hustle. Seen it a million times before back in the NCPD."
"Question is; why do you let him do this?"
The wind threatened to pick back up. Though it faltered as if Ishida simply had no energy to argue.
"His claws run deep."
She turned away from V and waved a gesture. Soft wind followed the motion and a faint image of two young girls formed. One resembled Ishida herself and the other had very distinct black hair that seemed to sheen blue under the light of day. They smiled up at V before another figure formed.
Younger yet still just as recognizable. It was Madarame. He placed a hand on each girl's shoulder. Their faces went cold. The smile remained, yet there was no true emotion left.
"I was once a student of his. Along with another. Hitomi Kitagawa." V, River and Judy eyed one another. "I lacked the talent of my peers, yet he kept me as a student. Though not to teach. I was unworthy of that. I became somewhat of a tool for him to use against his other students. I was always the harbinger of darkness. The one visitor you dreaded."
Again, the tale was a familiar one.
Things like this were commonplace in the bowels of Night City. Kimiko likely feared for her life every minute of every day. Both because of Madarame as well as the other students. They likely channelled their misery against her.
"And Hitomi? How does she factor into this?"
The image of Madarame faded. The two girls then began to play. Running around and chasing each other. Their movements were bouncy and joyous.
"My dear friend. The one girl to see my anguish. She was a beautiful artist. Her works were always breathtaking. However…" The playing and sounds of laughing suddenly stopped as the dark haired girl tripped over and began to fall into a seizure. Quite a violent one at that. "She was plagued with illness. Ever since she was young. Medication helped, but the seizures always crept in like a shadow."
As sad as all this was, the V Team needed to speed things along. They came for leads on the man, not Kimiko's life story.
"That man - we need evidence. Hard proof. Help us and we can take him down together."
The shadow froze. Her gaze returned to pierce V's very being. "What can mere trespassers do against him? His power. His influence. His connections. He is untouchable. Nothing can help me. No one can set me free. But I will be free. Even if it means ending it on my own terms." The wind picked up once again. This time, its bite dug deeper.
The images of the two girls vanished, dissolving into dust and wind.
V dug deep into her mental bag of tricks. Ishida was starting to put her guard back up. It was like the fear of Madarame was creating some kind of mental block. She also did not like Ishida's last comment. Its implications had formed a weight in the merc's stomach.
It was time to take a gamble. If the gentle approach wasn't going to work, it was time to bust out the hard-assed Edgerunner act.
"Fine. Let this gonk fear continue. Let him win." V growled. She halted River's sudden advance. He wanted to interject, but V knew what she was doing. "You want freedom? Then fucking take it. With your own bare hands. Rip it from his fucking old, cranky clutches. He is nothing but a pathetic old man. We can help you. We can take him down. We just need you to reach out. The ball is in your court, Ishida, you just gotta make the serve."
The razor wind continued as the two entered another staring match. A silent struggle for understanding. V bore deep into the gaze, searching and studying. She couldn't see fear anymore. Instead, it was fury and frustration. Her ploy was working. The wind circling her was growing more chaotic and sharp.
"Say his name. Prove that you have the power here. Not him."
The stand off refused to break. V could see the rage building. Its howling gale grew in power. Swelling and spinning faster. Notably, it wasn't trying to cut into V's skin anymore. This building ire wasn't focused towards her. V grinned.
"Say his fucking name!"
"MADARAME!"
"Hey, do you think Kitagawa is protecting Madarame?"
Since leaving Shibuya station, the group had been relatively silent. Their walking served as the only kind of non-verbal communication. That was until Ann piped up and startled her compatriots.
The question was a solid one.
"What makes you think that?" Lynn's brow quirked.
"Think about it," Ann sped up to the front of their party making idle gestures as she spoke; "they live together, right? So Kitagawa has to be aware of Madarame's true nature… right? So why deny it?"
"I think it's called… Stockholm Syndrome." Shiho's answer seemed to confuse Ann even more. "If he really was raised by Madarame then his abuse basically became the norm for Kitagawa. From what he said, Madarame technically saved his life. At least in his perspective. The way he sees it, he owes everything to Madarame." Her voice hitched. After actually meeting the poor boy in person, Shiho's attitude towards him had vastly improved. And now that there was some base level of understanding, Lynn could see that Shiho was even starting to care about him.
Lynn would have been lying if she said she didn't feel a similar way.
After all, their last visit more than likely earned Yusuke a lot of grief from his supposed guardian.
Shoving that morbid thought to the back of her mind, Lynn tried her best to look forward and keep their goals in mind.
It wasn't long before they reached the rundown old shack.
Yusuke was less than pleased to see Ann wasn't alone, but allowed everyone in, regardless. His icy demeanour had returned, completely stonewalling anyone who wasn't Ann Takamaki. "I thought it would just be you coming, Takamaki." His tone was flat and his gaze was piercing, directed towards the three extras.
Ann nervously chuckled. "Wouldn't you be nervous too? If it was just the two of us."
Then Ryuji opened his mouth; "We're here to keep an eye on you. So don't try anythin' pervy, 'kay?"
In response, Yusuke let an exasperated sigh loose. His blank stare fell into an overly exaggerated eye roll. "Stop making preposterous assumptions. I have absolutely no interest in Takamaki as a member of the opposite sex."
A crack in Lynn's hardened facade split open. Miraculously, she stopped herself from laughing but could feel her lips begging to smile.
Ann's surprised and strangely offended reaction didn't help in the least.
The model huffed under her breath. Even her movement to sit down had filled itself with attitude. Part of Lynn thought that Ann wanted Yusuke to have a romantic crush on her.
Nonetheless, the three extras eyed each other, took their seats on the opposite side of the dingey studio and settled in to watch. As run down as the exterior was, the studio Yusuke was using wasn't all that bad. Dusty and poorly lit to be sure, but it wasn't squalid by any means. In one corner several canvases stood leaning against the wall. Each one had images on them but not a single one was complete. Even still, Lynn could tell the brush work and general skill was excellent.
A counter top sat just behind Yusuke. Towards one side was a pile of used wooden pallets coated in dried paint. The other side played host to an array of shelves stocked with a rainbow of coloured paints. Different brands and types were sorted to an almost obsessive degree. Other art supplies were scattered across the room.
For what it was worth, the studio was well equipped.
However, one thing was nagging in Lynn's mind. There wasn't a single personal effect of Yusuke's to be found. Even if the studio appeared well used it was hollow. Soulless.
"Hey… uh… Kitagawa?"
Crashing back to the present, Lynn's attention snapped to Ann. Still holding her pose, she had spoken up. She looked a little worried. Yusuke was a picture of pure silent concentration, as if he hadn't heard anything at all.
"You hear her?"
Still no response.
Shiho even went as far as to wave dramatically. Still nothing. Credit where it was due, the boy could focus. Sadly, that focus was a huge problem. As Morgana pointed out; "This wasn't the plan! We were going to try and finesse a confession out of him when he was distracted!"
"How were we supposed to know he'd get all… I dunno what the hell that is…" Ryuji grunted while studying Yusuke's expression. There seemed to not be a single crack in his concentration. At least it looked like it from an outside perspective. What was actually going through the artist's mind was a complete unknown. "Guess we just have to wait 'till he's done…"
"Perhaps I should go take a look around…" Morgana suggested.
A good idea. It was clear they weren't going to get anything out of Yusuke for a while yet. Sending Mona off for a little scouting was probably the best course of action.
"Just don't get caught, alright?"
As quietly as he could, the cat slithered out of Lynn's bag, hopped to the floor and padded towards the studio's exit. With any luck, he would turn up something at least partially useful.
Meanwhile, the rest of the thieves were stuck waiting for whatever Yusuke was doing.
As seconds dragged into minutes and eventually into a full hour, Lynn could feel the rising level of irritation bubbling in both herself and her two waiting friends. Finally, Yusuke's shoulders slumped and his brush clattered into a water bowl. "It's no use…" he muttered.
"Wait what!?" Ryuji stood bolt upright.
Ann gave an empathetic and apologetic glance to Yusuke. "I'm sorry, am I the problem?"
Immediately Yusuke tensed up and frantically denied anything like that. "No! It's just… I'm having a hard time focusing today. I'm dreadfully sorry but we'll have to resume this another time."
Ryuji absolutely did not like that. His foot stomped and his temper flared. "Oh hell no! Do ya' know how long you've made us wait!?"
The artist looked more confused than irritated at the outburst.
"Ryuji…" a particularly urgent whisper shot from Ann as she too stood from her seat. "Sorry, Kitagawa. There was another reason we came today… we… well we need to talk to you." For a moment, it looked as though Ann was losing her nerve. Then a quick glance towards Shiho seemed to reset her resolve. "It's about Madarame and the rumours."
Yusuke grumbled, the frigid expression appearing once more. "This again…"
"That painting. The one I wanted to see during the exhibit. The one you told me to ignore." Ann's gaze was studying and focused, looking for recognition. It seemed she found what she was looking for. "It was yours wasn't it? You painted it."
Like something had shot him through the chest, the artist flinched. He didn't have to say anything. That reaction alone said everything.
"I knew it…"
"Your sensei is seriously messed up, man! He uses his students like tools!" It seemed the agitation Ryuji had built up still hadn't fully dissipated. "He doesn't care if he steals work from them or physically beats 'em! Let me be clear; there's not a single point hidin' anythin' from us."
Static energy sparked from the blond boy's words. An almost physical current that zapped and crackled.
Its energy slammed against the sheer cold of Yusuke's own metaphorical wall of ice. Slowly, the ice seemed to crack. Something was getting through. Lynn wanted to keep pushing, but what could she possibly say? Both Ryuji and Ann's double pronged assault was working already. Instead, she looked back to Shiho. The girl was just as helpless. For now, it was best to let the blond duo do their thing.
"I… have no clue what you're talking about."
"You can't go against him, can you? I understand that feeling. We can help you, though."
"Stop it…" the cracks in Yusuke's ice grew more prominent. His built up barrier threatened to shatter completely. They were almost through. "It's as you say. We students are his… 'artwork'."
That seemed to be it.
Until a shivering feeling overtook Lynn. The metaphorical wall froze back over and the artist was standing strong once again.
"Don't misunderstand. I offer my work willingly. It is not plagiarism." His glare levelled on Ryuji. Ice met lightning once again. "Sensei is simply suffering from an artist's block. That is all." His words sounded resolute despite another brief faltering crack. Ryuji's hair-raising energy was batting the artist's rebuttals with a stalwart urgency.
"Then why don't you just leave!? Christ, dude. What're you still doin' here!?" The blond boy was beginning to get a little too aggressive. His flashing, thunderous advances were beginning to lose control. "All the other students ran away, right? You're the only one left!"
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The metaphorical battle between ice and lightning came to a crashing end as Yusuke stepped forward - closer than what Ryuji was expecting - and snarled. "What is wrong with a student helping his master?" Chilling vitriol leaked from his tone. The piercing eyes refused to look away. He stepped closer, forcing Ryuji onto the back foot. "There are no victims here so stop forcing your self-obsessed righteousness on me."
He loomed over Ryuji for a moment longer.
It looked like an outright brawl was about to start. Then he turned, sat on his stool and slouched with a depressed expression.
"Leave and don't come back. If you do then I will file a harassment claim."
Now that Yusuke was out of his personal space, Ryuji's temper flared once again. "We ain't done talkin'! Why are you protectin' that son-of-a-bitch!?"
Coldly, Yusuke gave a stoic sigh. "Then you leave me with no other choice." He produced his phone and began typing on it. "I'm going to report you to the police. I invited Takamaki here to be my model. I did not invite the three of you."
"Wait, whoa!" Lynn's fight or flight reflex kicked in and she barged forward. Letting Ryuji take the lead was a mistake. Especially when he was this worked up. "Come on, Kitagawa. There's no need for that!"
"I believe there is every need. You are trespassing on private property."
"Kitagawa… please." Ann tried her best to come to the rescue. Thankfully, it appeared to work. The artist huffed and put his phone away. A wave of relief washed over Lynn. That could have been a death sentence.
"Fine. I won't report you. Under one condition." Something in the way that he said that really didn't sit well. An almost instinctual gut feeling was screaming at Lynn to stop everything right then and there. "I want you to continue to be my model, Takamaki. I still wish to pursue true beauty with you as my subject."
"But you said today was no good."
"I was unconsciously being modest. Forgive me."
Not good. Abort! Abort!
"But now I have nothing to worry about. I wish to pour my heart and soul into the perfect nude pai- hughk oof!"
Yusuke was sent sprawling to the ground. A loud thud and the clattering of wood, paint and canvas formed an unholy chorus of pain and colour. At first, Lynn's mind instantly jumped to the conclusion that Ryuji had outright decked the boy.
The truth was a little more serious and definitely a lot more unexpected.
Yusuke had indeed received a full force punch to the face. However it was Shiho that had delivered the blow.
With a hunched back, heavy breath and an almost rabid look in her eye, it was like she had summoned the wrath of Boudica. "You fucking pig…" her voice was more like a growl. A rumbling furnace ready to explode. "Don't you fucking dare." Everyone stared in silence and shock. Even Yusuke himself had frozen in place.
His palpable fear had completely blinded him to the fact that the blow had broken his nose.
"Oh… shit…" Lynn muttered under her breath.
Now they really were in trouble.
"Everyone. Out. Now." Lynn's expression turned dark. Her tone took on an authoritative and urgent air. For a moment, no one moved. "NOW!" She boomed. That managed to snap everyone out of their trance.
In a hurried shuffle, the thieves fled the scene, scooping a confused Morgana up on their way out.
This whole escapade had steamrolled into a complete disaster.
[PATHETIC, WORTHLESS INSECTS!]
Like before, the bright and vibrant floating gardens had been plunged into murky darkness. The clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled in the distance. Then rain began to pour as the storm fully manifested.
Madarame's cloudy visage emerged once again and his booming voice resonated, shaking the very earth. Ishida backed away, regretting her words immediately. "Don't let him win, Ishida! This is your world, not his!" V called. The desperate attempt to get back through to the woman seemed to be in vain as she crumpled to the floor in a catatonic state of terror.
Lightning flashed and struck the ground. Its force cracked the earth and ripped chunks into the air.
"Mox, Badges, keep that asshole busy. I think Ishida is how we're going to beat him."
V disappeared in a burst of movement, leaving nothing but howling wind, rain and the groaning of thunder. In her wake, inky masses began to form and take humanoid shape.
Shadows.
"Fuckin' ay! Looks like she's learnin'. Alright, Badges, let's get to work." She paused, remembering something. "Let's see how these shards work…" She took the strange data-shard - the one V had apparently been given by Felix - from a pouch and slotted it. A second passed.
Then a surge of power filled her limbs.
"Whoa!" Electricity crackled from her fingertips. Tingling and dancing sparks ran the length of her arms. Then her eyes glowed a very distinct golden sheen. Instinct took over and she let a bellowing call cry out into the storm; "Pixie!"
Answering the call, a familiar figure burst out from a blinding explosion of light and electricity. The fairy-like wings unfurled and a sprinkle of glittering dust filtered over both River and Judy. "It's about time! The nerve! Making me wait for so lo- EEK!" The advancing shadows didn't give Pixie enough time to complain. A lesser shadow swiped a shadowy claw which Pixie narrowly avoided. "I told you I'm not a fighter!"
Judy grunted, grabbed the tiny girl and held her aloft as though she was some kind of gun.
"Just shut up and zap 'em!"
Of course Pixie frantically struggled under her grip. But as another flurry of attacks from the lesser shadows narrowly missed, she stopped and resigned to her fate.
Instead, she flapped her wings and built up as much static energy as she could.
And judging from her reaction; it was quite a lot more than she was expecting. The crackling and sparking electricity built up around her body and Judy's hand. It formed a chaotic spiral that grew up Judy's arm like a sleeve. The next second the energy was released in a single, precise electric bolt.
The bolt pierced straight through the first lesser shadow, searing a hole through its head-like mass.
"Well damn… you're starting to make me want one of those, Mox." River grinned, stepping in to join the frey. There were several more shadows as well as the gargantuan cloud monstrosity taunting them. He drew his revolver and took shots at Madarame's cognition. They - as expected - made no purchase. "Worth a shot. Move!"
In retaliation a deafening crack tore through the sky. Lightning struck the ground sending dirt and stone showering over Judy and River. Another bolt streaked and exploded hitting closer.
The duo ran and tried to dodge the incoming barrage.
Something made much harder thanks to the several lesser shadows making their own attacks. "Hurry up Merc!" Judy screamed to herself, having Pixie fire off another shot.
V was currently occupied with a catatonic Shadow Ishida. She had managed to haul the limp woman over to a large tree and was now taking refuge. Frustration was getting the better of the merc. She sat Ishida against the trunk and snarled at her; "Is this all you got? Just going to cave the minute he turns up? Come on, girl! I know you have it in you!"
"Impossible… can't be stopped…"
"Fuck that!" V spat into the howling storm. "The only reason he's this powerful is because you're letting him win! The love of my fucking life is out there right now, fighting your fucking brain's idea of some old guy who thinks he's a god! Don't you see how gonk that sounds?"
"His… claws run deep."
"Enough with the weak bullshit excuses! You were strong enough to say his name, you're damn well strong enough to face him!"
Meanwhile, River and Judy's struggle was continuing. Running from tree to tree, the two did their best to avoid lightning, claws and the occasional blast of other elemental energies. For now, there were no greater shadows, but that was probably going to change if things dragged on.
Pixie made sure to let everyone know of her complaints. With shrill screams and honestly grotesque profanities.
By now Judy had figured out that Pixie's electrical energy was being channelled and amplified somehow by Judy's subdermal smart link cyberware. Figuring that out allowed her to formulate an easier way of utilising the power. Instead of holding onto the squirming, screaming fairy girl, Judy had instead placed her on her shoulder, told her to hang on and keep focusing power.
It had effectively turned her right arm into a supercharged lightning cannon.
"I'm like a fuckin' superhero!" She cheered. Any feeling of desperation and fear had evaporated. Now, she was just having fun. Especially when she landed a shot on a lesser shadow. "Boom! Hahaha!"
"Mox… you're honestly starting to scare me."
River was the complete opposite.
Though he was well and truly acquainted with conflict and life threatening situations, it was only ever involving gang goons or Cyberpsychos. Never angry cloud monsters and literal shadow creatures.
Eventually, as the war of attrition raged on, the duo had started to push back the tide.
[YOU THINK MERE BULLETS WILL SAVE YOU!? THE GREAT MADARAME WILL SMITE THEE!]
"This guy loves the sound of his own voice…" Judy's eyes rolled. Though her smugness was quickly wiped from her face. A bolt of lightning struck the ground and the resulting explosion sent the duo flying. Judy slammed against a tree and the air quickly vacated her lungs. River had suffered a similar blow, only he now lay sprawled in what looked like a berry bush.
Granted, the slow rise of a chromed thumbs up settled any fear of serious injury.
"P-Pixie… ugh…" the techy struggled to speak. Oxygen was desperately trying to refill her lungs. "Says here you can heal. That right?" She referenced a pop-up that appeared in her Kiroshi's display.
Apparently Pixie had specific skills with names and everything. It was like some weird old-world RPG.
"Yeah… ow…" Pixie's reply sounded just as winded. Thankfully Judy could still feel her grip on her shoulder. A weird tingle started to wash down through Judy's body. It was like she had suddenly dipped into a vat of mint flavouring. As it worked through her limbs and extremities, the pain from the blow slowly faded.
Scratches dotting her skin knitted themselves back together.
"Look at that! Ha! A'ight, let's go pick up Badges and… oh fuck…"
The cognition of Madarame had grown closer. Lightning flashed and rumbled within the body of clouds. His grin crawled from ear to ear. It was like some kind of demon was staring down at them.
[THIS IS MY REALM! THE PITIABLE WOMAN CANNOT HELP YOU! TALENTLESS HACKS DESERVE NOTHING, NOT EVEN THE DIRT UNDER MY SHOE!]
A plume of inky clouds shot from the cognition's main body. Then another. And another.
As they hit the ground, figures materialised and gained form. Three identical iterations of Madarame stepped forward.
Closely followed by - as feared - a group of greater shadows. The only consolation being they had yet to transform.
"Badges, get out of there!" Judy called out and sent a shocking blast towards one of the Madarames. The energy struck true but the damn thing merely brushed it off. "Pixie, what gives?"
"It's not my fault! The nerve." The fairy girl was well and truly ready to start ranting, though it was a piercing glare from Judy that managed to get her back on topic. "It's a really strong cognition. Most of the time they're next to powerless. However, if the Palace Ruler - in this case, Ishida - has an especially strong idea of someone, the cognition reflects that. It looks like Ishida thinks Madarame is an all powerful force of nature. Completely unstoppable."
"So that's what Merc meant…" Judy muttered. Quickly, she dove to the side. An implosion of sheer cold threatened to freeze her over. Another frigid attack soon followed. The greater shadows were making their moves, not giving her room to breath. "You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me… Badges, you good!?"
"Good. Got a plan?"
"Yeah; don't flatline."
"Good plan. Get down!" The two ducked. Judy didn't see so much as feel the vicious slashing tendril barely miss her head. River pulled her behind him and returned fire. Two bullets to centre mass and one to the head for good measure. The lesser shadow crumpled to the floor and dissolved into vapour.
Unluckily, as they were distracted, the three Madarame clones had - along with their shadow entourage - completely boxed them in. They were surrounded.
They pressed themselves back to back and frantically looked for any kind of opening.
There was none.
They had gotten themselves trapped.
"So much for Plan A… got any other ideas?" River grunted a laugh.
As the horde slowly closed in - more to play with their food then out of any sort of caution - Judy started to feel hopelessness crawl in and dig into her mind.
At least until she saw a strange blue pulsing light soar into the sky in the near distance.
Like an azure shooting star, it came hurtling towards them. Its energy seared the very rain in the sky, setting off steam. Then the scent of ozone tickled at Judy's nose. It was then that she started to grin.
[AND WHAT ARE YOU PATHETIC WORMS SMILING AT? ACCEPTING YOUR DEATH WITH GRACE? ALMOST ADMIR- GAAAAH!]
Madarame was cut off mid-gloat as the shooting star impacted the ground with force rivalling a high yield bomb. Blue energy exploded and scorched the earth, consuming most of the shadow legion. The horrid screams of shadows filled the air. It was enough to decimate even the greater shadows in a single blast.
In the epicentre, holding a pretty cliche 'superhero landing' pose, was none other than V. Bare armed and literally glowing with violent blue energy. Energy that appeared so destructive, it took a solid two seconds for the rain to catch up.
The spectacle kick started Judy's heart into overdrive. It was definitely getting hotter.
Despite the pouring rain and gale force wind.
"Mithras!" V's voice boomed and another pulse of blue energy thumped from her body. Out from a forming ball of azure fire, the form of Mithras emerged as if hatching from V's back. His gladius shimmered in the light. His crown gleamed with iridescent gold. His celestial blond hair seemed completely unaffected by the storm.
[The false deity shall meet his end this day.] The voice resonated and immediately Mithras threw himself into combat. V wasn't far behind. Monowire sliced the rain. Gunfire pierced the wind. Nuclear energy singed the very earth.
It was beautiful.
Even the supposedly invincible Madarame clones were starting to get pushed back. Judy glanced at River who was grinning like a kid at the movies. Perhaps he wasn't so invincible after all.
After a solid minute of decimating power and overwhelming force, the horde of shadows had dwindled to a husk.
However, the Madarame clones weren't done. As V threw herself into a full body, nuclear infused, strike, the centre clone exploded with earth shattering lightning. It grew in size and towered over the battlefield like some mythical titan of legend. The clone's body jolted and crackled and V's strike completely bounced off.
Retaliating static lashed at V, shocking her. The backlash had a physically repelling effect and sent her sailing to the ground. An impact strong enough to form a small crater followed. Still, V actually picked herself out from the debris and chuckled.
It snarled before bellowing a laugh of sheer discontent. [FOOLS! YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY HOPE TO DEFEAT ME! THE GREAT ICHIRYUSAI MADARAME!]
"Maybe we can't," V remained calm and a sly grin tugged at her lips, "but she can."
The moment the words left her lips, the wind changed direction. The rain began to fade and sunlight - shining from an unseen sun - burst through the clouds. The wind swirled and coalesced around another figure in the sky. Kimiko Ishida. Power surrounded her and mimicking the Madarame clone, she too grew to a gargantuan size.
"This is not your realm, vile little man." Her words were like a shot to the soul. The evil, sneering grin on the titan Madarame's face instantly disappeared. Under the pressure of Ishida's new found presence, the titan actually coward and stumbled back.
His figure shrank as gale force wind pushed down on him. Within seconds, all three clones had combined into a single emaciated, frail husk of Madarame.
"This is what you truly are, Madarame. A husk. You have held my soul for long enough. You have taken too much. You lie, cheat, abuse and hide behind your public persona. No more! I shall have my freedom and justice will strike you down. You are nothing! Now… begone, you worm!" A lance of pure cutting wind formed in the woman's grasp. With a mighty thrust, the lance pierced the cognition then ripped it apart. All that was left was the fading screeches of a dying old man.
As horrifying as that sounded, it seemed to send a wave of relief over the V Team.
V's plan worked. The cognition was destroyed.
"I think we've earned a trip to Crossroads…" V muttered before falling to a knee. Thankfully, this didn't feel like her brain issue. It was sheer exhaustion from the complete insanity she had just participated in.
"Shiho, it's ok. Shiho, look at me."
Ann grabbed a hold of her friend's face with gentle hands. She smiled and looked directly into the glassy, tear-filled eyes of Shiho.
"I'm safe. You're safe. We're safe."
Lynn had barely managed to get the thieves out of Madarame's atelier before the full weight of a violent panic attack set in for the ex-volleyball star. Lynn's first instinct was anger. Shiho had lost control and now they really were up Shit Creek without a paddle. Or a raft.
But then, once they were outside and at a safe distance from the atelier, she had calmed herself.
She could understand why Shiho did what she did. Lynn was probably not far off from doing the same thing. Still, the fact of the matter was they were now completely in the wrong. Shiho had committed an assault and that came with issues aplenty. Something Lynn knew far too well. Though she couldn't focus on that now.
"I can't believe I felt sorry for that pig… I can't believe I started to care!" The girl's breathing had started to calm and it appeared rational thought was starting to return as well. "Oh god… what have I done? I've… never… I've never hit someone like that before!"
"Could'a fooled me! That was a mean right hook!"
"Read the damn room, Ryuji…" Lynn threw a halfhearted punch at his shoulder. "Shiho, we'll figure this out. I promise."
That said, Lynn had no earthly idea how they were going to 'figure it out' but one thing she did know is that it definitely needed to involve changing Madarame's heart. Preferably sooner rather than later.
Perhaps doing that would bring Yusuke to his own senses. Or at the very least it would show him the truth. What good that'd do was something up for debate. For now, it had to be one thing at a time, lest Lynn also fell victim to panic.
As if a divine act of some higher power had come to help them, a woman approached. Something to at least stem the metaphorical bleeding. A distraction.
However, Lynn recognised the woman.
"Hi, sorry but you don't seem like the stalking fans type." It was the woman they briefly ran into at Crossroads. Of course, she seemed pretty sober now and a little more put together. If not incredibly tired looking. The blank expressions on each of the teens' faces - including Shiho - prompted the woman to point towards the atelier.
"Oh, right. No, we're just… friends… with one of his students." Lynn had to swallow her pride for that one.
It seemed to work as the woman immediately perked up. The bags under her eyes vanished in an instant. "Oh! That's actually perfect! See; I'm a reporter and I'm looking into some rumours surrounding one of Ichiryusai Madarame's pieces. The Sayuri. Heard of it?" Lynn nodded. "Well it was stolen quite some time ago and as the rumours go, an ex-student of Madarame's took it out of retaliation for being abused."
The teens eyed each other in silent communication.
This was the first time they had heard anything about the Sayuri being stolen.
The woman continued; "I'm looking for people who know Madarame's students. It seems I've found some! So, have you heard anything from your friend?"
"Sorry to disappoint, Miss. It's news to us." Lynn shrugged. Genuinely it was the truth. Though her sudden tight lip was also thanks to her general distaste of talking to the media. It never worked out. Everything was spun against something. And in Lynn's experience, that something was always her.
The reporter's shoulders sagged, along with the bags under her eyes. For someone who was a little too liberal with her makeup, her natural features were awfully animated.
"Figures," she murmured. "If there's no victim, there's no case. Can't write anything without proof either. Back to square one. Shame." She let out a sigh before taking something from her fanny pack. A business card. "Here, if anything comes up, please reach out!"
Reluctantly, Lynn took the card. The name was also familiar. Ichiko Ohya. The same reporter that pointed her to Crossroads in the first place.
Small world.
Bidding her farewells, Ohya left with a slouch in her step. Not getting what she needed likely put a huge damper on the rest of her day. Lynn couldn't really bring herself to feel any sympathy.
"Let's call it a day. Shiho, if you don't want to be alone, we could always Girls Night it at Le Blanc."
Shiho smiled but shook her head. "I'll be fine. I… just need something to take my mind off everything. Ann, let's go to that cake shop on the way home."
That got the fashionista's attention. Happily, the two girls trotted off leaving Ryuji, Morgana and Lynn alone. The boy smirked. "You could Girls Night it with me."
"... I'm going to pretend like you didn't just ask a girl to spend the night alone with you."