Despite the day's events, upon leaving the Metaverse and emerging into the streets of Night City, the thieves were far too caught up in wanderlust. Almost everything amazed them. Especially Ryuji who simply couldn't believe his luck.
Honestly, it brought a smile back to V's lips.
Seeing the group react like the kids they were supposed to be filled her with a strange sense of joy. Granted they had come out of the Metaverse near one of the safer streets of Watson.
At least as safe as NC could get.
The plan wasn't to stay long. A quick rest up, restock and a journey back home for the kids.
"Holy shit! That truck's flyin'!" Ryuji's boisterous voice prompted V to look up to where he was pointing. It was a Trauma Team AV hovering just above the roof of a nearby building. Someone with lower end coverage was probably dead or dying up there, out of sight. The AV was moving with a lack of urgency better suited to a casual cruise. "So cool!"
As the teens excitedly chatted amongst themselves, V turned to River. "Going to see Joss?" The ex-cop nodded. "Tell Randy I said hey." The man nodded again and left without another word.
Recent discoveries had sent the poor man into worry overdrive.
Not that V could blame him. The implications behind this 'Project: Shade' business was enough to cause anyone to go into full tin-foil hat mode.
That aside, at the very least the kids were distracted. Most didn't even seem to care about the amount of trash laying around. It was only Shiho and Ann who looked visibly disgruntled at the sight of ground level Night City. V caught glimpses of various pairs of eyes looking their way. With all their commotion, the teens were drawing a little too much attention. Even if this was one of the better parts of Watson, it was still Night City.
As such, both Judy and V began to herd the teens back to the merc's apartment. There, they could talk through their findings.
They also had a home invasion to plan.
The sky was getting darker and night was descending on the city like a shroud. When the sun went down, the crazies usually came out. It wasn't exactly a rare occurrence to see an all out shoot out tear through the roads of contested areas. And with Watson being a largely Maelstrom controlled district, there were grizzly consequences for unlucky saps who found themselves alone and defenceless. As they moved through the streets, it wasn't hard to notice that V constantly had a hand resting on her trusted Seraph. It may have been sitting in its holster, but the merc was poised to spring to action at a millisecond's notice.
By a small miracle, the group reached V's apartment building without incident.
However, when they stepped into the building's lobby, something struck V as odd. The lobby wasn't exactly a bustling hub of communal activity anyway, but there were usually at least a few of the building's residents ambling about or relaxing in the lounge area. Now it was completely silent. Something was wrong. V turned to Judy and whispered in her ear; "take the kids up, I have a bad feeling."
Judy wanted to say something, but V's stoic expression stopped her in her tracks. All she could do was nod in understanding, silently word a quick "be careful" and whisk the kids away towards the elevators.
Now that she was left alone, V began the usual process of evaluating the area. Best places to take cover, exits, security systems. Anything potentially useful should a fight break out.
Once her survey was done, she focused her senses.
She then heard the slightest shifting of cloth. With blinding speed and deadly accuracy, V pulled Seraph from its holster and fired. The bullet struck a pillar standing between two couches in the lounge area. As expected, a shrill yelp erupted from the otherside.
"Fuckin' ay, V! You trying to kill me!?"
"... What the fuck are you doing here Kerry?" Immediate irritation took over as the tension deflated like a balloon. Sure enough, the lanky form of Kerry Eurodyne stepped out from behind the pillar, arms raised and a nervous smile smudged over his face. It had been a while since they last spoke. So the graphic t-shirt of him and the three singers of Us Cracks drawn in a pretty generic anime style briefly caught her off guard.
It wasn't the fact that he was wearing his own merch, that was pretty normal.
It was the fact his merch now included the girls as much as it did.
It seemed the rockerboy really did take a shine to the girls after their little misunderstanding. Still, V was not a fan of this whole cloak-and-dagger routine Kerry had decided on performing.
"Looking for my favourite jam partner! I've been calling for days but you've been off the holo each time."
V sighed and gestured to him to follow. Knowing Kerry, he wanted something and when Kerry Eurodyne wanted something, it usually wound up leading V on a wild goose chase. However, despite that, he was still a good friend and V genuinely enjoyed hanging out with him when he wasn't being the eccentric millionaire rock star.
As they rode the elevator, V shot a studious glance his way. "If it's a jam session you want, I really don't have time right now," she said with a slight apologetic tone, "shit's been real fuckin' stormy." That earned a curious glance of her own. Eurodyne's brow perked up as he tried reading V's mood. He then gave a chuckle.
"That might have been a part of it, but nah. Somethin' weird happened at a gig the other day. Messed up the atmosphere, we had to close the show early and everything. Didn't even get to the second half of the set."
"So you want me to poke around? Wait… were you just hanging around the lobby hoping I'd turn up?"
The man dismissively waved that latter question off earning a frustrated growl. That was all she was going to get from him, it seemed.
"Need you to have a look-see at a BD. Akai suggested we hire someone to scroll some gigs from the crowd. Y'know, audience experience and all that shit. Pretty rad idea, honestly. They've been selling like fuckin' 'Dorph!"
V's mind had initially jumped the gun, assuming this was likely linked to their current problems. Of course, she tried tempering herself. Not everything had to link together. For all she knew, this incident could have just been a bunch of drunk assholes ruining the fun for everyone else. Even still, despite knowing Kerry personally, V had never actually been to one of his shows. The timing was always off. So being offered a chance to experience one through a BD might not have been the worst idea in the world.
The elevator chimed and the doors slid open into V's penthouse apartment.
It was nowhere near as lavish as Villa Eurodyne, but it still earned an impressed whistle from the rockerboy. "Awesome digs." He grinned like he hadn't been here before. He had, many times.
It was almost immediate that Judy rushed around a corner with a look of urgency.
It only took a glance at V's mildly annoyed - yet slightly amused - frown to obliterate any need for violence. Her shoulders relaxed and as her gaze briefly passed over Kerry, it took a second for her brain to kick back into gear. Her head whipped back towards the rockerboy and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Kerry fuckin' Eurodyne?"
"Punchin' fuckin' Judy?"
"Jesus fuckin' Christ…"
With a firm massage to the forehead, V stomped into the apartment and set down her baggage. The kids slowly trickled out from the other room after hearing V's voice. A fact that Kerry seemed quite intrigued by.
"What's with the Kiddy Convoy?"
"We're… exchange students. Hi, I'm Lynn Amamiya!" The leader of the thieves stepped right into her role and managed to spin a - admittedly thin - cover story. She then went and introduced each of them. Kerry was a little sceptical but ultimately shrugged and gave his own greeting and introduction. After that was said and done, Lynn tried to break the awkwardness with a simple question; "you know Judy already?"
"You kidding? Punchin' Judy's BD's are like the holy grail! Girl cuts them like they're ambrosia of the gods or some shit."
Judy let out a single laugh and smirked. "Nice to know the rich and famous are just as degenerate as the rest of us." It didn't take long for the majority of the thieves to catch on. Each of them turned brighter than a tomato and looked anywhere that wasn't Judy. It was only Ryuji and Morgana who were completely clueless. As usual. The bashful reactions prompted a slight scoff; "oh stop with the prude act. Not like I star in them myself. Not my scene."
V could only grin at that. She wasn't the star of publicly available BD's at least.
Still, the merc cleared her throat. She wanted to talk through the day's findings, but Kerry had thrown a monkey wrench into that particular plan.
Instead, she gestured to everyone to sit.
The apartment had ample space and once everyone was comfortable she brought over a tray of sodas and other beverages. "It's pretty convenient you're here, actually." V cracked open a can of Nicola and threw it back as fast as possible. Kerry's brow raised, his beverage of choice being a personal hip flask filled with god knew what. "We need a painting. Something with pop and presence."
"A… painting? The fuck you need a painting for?"
"Work."
Kerry's brow furrowed. That answer didn't seem to satisfy him. Granted it certainly wasn't the strangest thing to come from V's mouth since they first met. It was just a sudden, random thing to need. Especially for a mercenary.
Either way, Kerry sighed. "I ain't one for fine art, but I do get a bunch of talented fans sending me their art. Pics of me, interpretations of lyrics, that kind'a thing. Some of the shit I get is amazing, honestly." He tapped a finger against his chin and hummed an unfamiliar tune to himself. He then grinned, sending a wave of dread over V's mind. "You're welcome to take one. Provided you consider it as payment for services rendered."
"For a billionaire rockstar, you're a cheap skate asshole…" V huffed and began to pout for a moment. Once she felt the message get across, she rolled her eyes and nodded an agreement. "Fine. But I still don't have a clue what you want, though."
V briefly caught a glimpse of both Ann and Lynn look at one another with expressions of sheer awe. Lynn silently mouthed "he's a billionaire!?" to which Ann responded with a "and a rockstar!? Who else does V know!?" The wordless exchange prompted a smirk from the merc and quickly turned her attention away from the two.
"Like I said, some weird shit hit the fan at a gig. I've got the raw scroll here."
"What are you wanting me to find?"
"An explanation, mostly. This shit was… putting it plainly; fucking surreal."
Both Judy and V shared a confused glance. Vague was understating it quite a bit. But a gig was a gig and if it meant they could get some 'proof of talent' for River without having to steal it, V wasn't about to turn down the opportunity. Even if it did seem a little too convenient. As such, it was just a case of moving their conversation into Judy's tech den where all the Braindance equipment was.
The sound of a slowly building guitar riff sent the crowd into shocked silence.
Its unfamiliar tones were calm, solemn and incredibly charged with a strange emotion. A new song? That wasn't on the set list. It certainly wasn't in the job description. Not that the Braindance scroller cared. He instantly fell in love with the riff. And so too did the crowd. Otherwise screaming and chanting, the hundred thousand strong audience were in complete silence.
Kerry Eurodyne had struck again.
Bewitching an entire stadium with a single riff.
The music built up slowly and a certain energy pulsed through the air. A feeling of electric anticipation.
Then - after a moment's pause - Kerry strummed down hard. The stage lit up, pyrotechnics burst off, drums beat their rhythm and the song entered its first verse in explosive style. A new song that immediately set the crowd back into frantic chanting and cheering. The scroller felt his heart pound along with the drums. Despite being paid for his time, the guy was having the time of his life.
Kerry's voice - like usual - carried over the crowd in an enchanting, mystifying wave of emotion.
"Floatin' along the river like a leaf on the wind-
To make sense of the turmoil only to find-
Rain washes out the blood-
But the blood washes out the good-
Flowers in the Fall-
Bloomin' like a font of beauty-
Flowers in the Fall-
Comin' to sweep away the cruelty-
Flowers in the Fall…"
The song continued and the crowd fell into a swaying rhythm. It was a wondrous sight to behold.
As the music reached its pinnacle, a particular chord of the song was completely drowned out by a deafening screech. The scroller was knocked to the side as a panicking woman was falling into hysterics. In a bid to regain his footing, he felt himself thudding against another audience member. A large, bald man wearing the concert's t-shirt. Standing stock still, the man looked more like a statue.
At first the scroller assumed it was just some laced out junkie. Same with the screaming woman.
But then all hell broke loose.
People began to writhe in agony. Flashes of horrified faces ran across the scroller's vision. Panic set in. Something was going on. The music had stopped and the scroller could just make out a muffled sound of some announcer attempting to curb the growing panic.
The scroller wasn't getting paid enough to get trampled, so he made a break for the nearest exit.
It was at that point he was knocked to the ground by a stumbling couple. He tried freeing himself from their weight only to find they were dead. An inky black substance had oozed from their eyes and mouths and their pupils had completely rolled back into their skulls. Twisted and frozen cries for help were etched into their wailing expressions.
The remainder of the scroll was filled with similar sights.
Black ichor pouring from the eyes. And the screaming. It was like the legions of hell had burst from the earth itself just to have a shrieking match with the moon.
Finally, the scroll ended and V was left to process what she had just witnessed.
"That was fucking surreal, I'll give Kerry that…" she remarked over the holo. An agreeing scoff came back through the feed. Judy was plugged in right alongside her and together, they tried making sense of it all. To very little avail. "Drugs, maybe? Hmm… haven't heard of one that does that. Biometrics haven't picked up anything weird. Usual show pills. 'Dorph, mostly."
"Let's try lookin' at the audio layers. Might be somethin' there."
A quick clicking tapped over V's senses as the Braindance rewound. The audio layers were - as expected - a mess of junk noise, music and ear splitting crowd screeching. It was difficult to zone in on specific details but after some digging on Judy's part, something came through the ocean of sound.
A snippet of two people mid conversation. The very same couple that had fallen on top of the scroller.
[I dunno… I just feel gross.]
[Babe, do you know how much these tickets set me back!? Can't you just enj- oof. Actually… I feel a little light headed too…]
[It was that junkie back in the ticket line! I told you he was huffing Black Lace!]
[N-no… ugh… I don't think… hey, do you taste… what is that blue light?]
[What the fuck are you talking about? You are using again… wait… I… see it too.]
The conversation cut itself off as the couple fell silent. V rewound the scroll once more and tried to focus on the couple throughout the visual layers. Standard couple squabbles aside, their behaviour grew more and more unnatural as the scroll rolled on. As the panic first sprang out, the couple briefly went out of sight.
V tried to make sense of the sudden chaos, looking for any other clues.
It was then that she saw the couple return to view. Freezing the scroll to a still, V zeroed in on them. They looked as though they were howling or shrieking as the black ichor began to ooze slowly from every orifice.
"Blue light." V muttered to herself.
"I caught that too. Nothin's makin' a blue light. Looks like they're starin' straight up."
"At the moon?"
"Nah, wrong direction. Maybe we should ask the kids? That black shit looks a little like Shadow goo, don't y' think?"
True enough, looking at the close up of the couple's faces, the inky substance was indeed reminiscent of the Shadows they had grown accustomed to. The substance analyser couldn't identify it either. It wasn't blood nor was it any kind of narcotic. The read-out only referred to it as a 'foreign contaminant.'
"If it is a Metaverse thing, do you think it'd be linked to Night Corp's scheme?"
V heard Judy's hum of contemplation. The techy rewatched the last few moments of the BD again before replying. The haunting visages flashing over the scroller's vision again and again. "Maybe. Then again, Night Corp aren't the only ones with access to the Metaverse. What if we ain't the only outliers?"
That was one possibility V had not thought about.
The implications behind it was just as horrifying as the thought of Night Corp's exploits. Some rogue element with the power to kill without any sort of trace? That was a dangerous concept. Especially in Night City.
"Let's… just work off what we know. Grab some stills. If the kids don't know, then… fuck, I guess we have fucking ghosts to worry about now."
"So, what the hell are they doin' anyway?"
Lynn felt Ryuji's looming presence before she saw him amble up closer behind her. From an outside perspective, both Judy and V were laid out completely comatosed on two weird looking chairs. Occasionally one of them twitched but as far as anything else, they looked almost like corpses.
"I… think they're… hm. Nope. No idea." Lynn tried making sense of the scene, but the only thing she really knew about Braindances was what V had said the other day.
Was it really possible?
Were they actually experiencing something in the body and mind of someone completely different?
She had to admit, she was pretty curious about what that was like.
That aside, she looked back into the lounge area where the others were still sitting talking to Kerry. The man was quite an interesting specimen, his general presence almost seemed to drag natural conversation out of those around him. Even Shiho was quite at ease around him. And that alone was something remarkable.
His attempts at Japanese had brought a smile to everyone's face. Amusing as it might have been, he was trying in earnest.
It must have been a huge relief for him to know that it wasn't just Lynn who was multilingual.
Still, it raised a question; "I thought you'd be psyched to talk to a real life rockstar. What are you doing over here?" At that, Ryuji's trademarked grin crawled over his jaw. She was expecting some witty remark or a goofy, clueless comment. Instead, the grin turned into a warm smile that almost masked the underlying concern.
"You kind'a just slinked off. Was gettin' worried you were doin' a Rin Spin."
"Excuse me?"
"A Rin Spin. When somethin' bad happens, you curl up into yourself. Prolly spinnin' your own idea of what went down so you come out as the bad guy."
Lynn's jaw loosened slightly as she stared up at the boy. She had been completely rendered speechless by the sudden sincerity in his voice. The genuine care and concern his eyes conveyed told more than any amount of words could manage. Although she could have done without the dumb nickname, the sentiment was honestly touching. He was completely correct. That was almost exactly what the girl usually did.
That said, in this case, her thoughts were more focused on what they had seen in the Cook's Seedling Palace.
Never before had she seen such barbarism. The husk of Andrew Carson still haunted her thoughts even now, in the light hearted ambience of V's apartment. From what V had said and what that report hinted at, things like that were commonplace. It was happening to countless other people even as the two spoke right then and there.
The desperate feeling of needing to help bubbled to the forefront of her brain.
It was a stupid and naive thing to believe. She was only one person. Saving everyone was impossible.
This is probably a Rin Spin…
She wrenched herself out of her own head and gave a reassuring smile. She had just noticed that she hadn't said a word for a full thirty seconds. "I'm just thinking stuff through. Our struggle against Madarame seems a bit trivial when put up against this soul syphoning horror show."
"I get ya'. But the Thieves ain't just about the big things, y'know?" Surprisingly, Ryuji came out with a rather meaningful reply. He continued; "we're about helpin' the little guy. Sure, some big bad target is awesome and all… but I don't think it'd be right if we forgot why we started all this to begin with."
"God damn it, Ryuji. Keep that up and people will start thinking you're actually intelligent!"
"W- hey! Don't call me dumb!"
Instead of retorting further, Lynn allowed herself to lean against the boy. Perhaps a little too affectionately as he suddenly stiffened. She was about to back off and apologise when an unexpected gesture stopped her.
Ryuji had actually pulled her in for a hug.
She felt her heart thud hard against her chest. Ryuji definitely could feel it too. Thankfully he either didn't notice or didn't think it appropriate to bring up.
Instead, he let Lynn escape, smiled and spoke with the same tone he always did. "We're pals, you n' me. Whenever you feel like you're havin' a Rin Spin, talk to someone. Doesn't have to be me. We all care 'bout you, y'know."
"Pals. Yeah. Thank you, Ryuji." Unsure as to why she suddenly felt her heart sink, Lynn returned the smile. She was genuinely appreciative. Even if she wasn't the only one of them with issues. The spark in her chest reignited at that thought. Although the thieves hadn't been together all that long, they held a deep connection with each other. As well as helping others, the thieves helped each other. Like a cosy little support group.
Only it was starting to feel a little more than just that.
As a gift from whatever higher beings there were, both Judy and V stirred from their stupor.
Both held a certain look of perplexion and concern. It took only a second for the two to notice Ryuji and Lynn lurking in the doorway. Apparently staring straight at the merc and techy. V fired off a smirk as she silently gestured toward Ryuji then gave a strange look at Lynn.
The girl caught on immediately and felt her cheeks burn with an intense blush.
As a mercy and as expected, Ryuji remained clueless.
Instead, he waved, flashed a grin and strode into the tech workshop with all the confidence of someone in their own home. "Back to the land of the livin'? No idea what you were doin', but it looks like you did it."
"Maybe not. Could use some fresh eyes. You kids' eyes in particular."
Ryuji looked back toward Lynn expectantly. Although she was still recovering from her embarrassment, she shook it off and ran the English through the Ryuji-Proof translator that was her brain. "She could use our opinion on something they found." Satisfied, Ryuji nodded with an attempt at looking like some kind of wise sage. Lynn smirked and was about to make another joke.
Though she stopped herself. The blond boy had been so nice that it just felt mean to poke at him like usual.
After a brief transition back towards the lounge, V pulled open a laptop-looking device and set it down on the coffee table. Judy then made a pointing gesture prompting a faint blue glow to briefly shine over her eyes.
Once done, the laptop device's screen flashed an image on screen.
Quite a horrifying image at that.
It was an image of two faces - a man and woman - contorted into wailing agony. Black ink oozed from each orifice and their eyes had rolled completely back into their heads. Leaving only the bloodshot sclera visible.
As haunting as it was, it was also familiar.
Where had she seen this sort of thing before?
"Pretty gnarly, eh? About fourty people in total bit it. All of them lookin' like those two. The blues said it was just drugs… but I don't buy it." Kerry scrunched his nose at the sight of the image. It definitely wasn't any kind of drug Lynn had heard of. Granted that wasn't saying much. It was then that Shiho spoke up with a sharp gasp.
"That looks like those mental shutdown cases that were all over the news last month!"
As soon as she said it, every thief shared the same gasp of recognition. The images shown on the public broadcast weren't as graphic as this one but there was no mistaking it. The symptoms were almost identical. The media tried passing it off as a string of unconnected illnesses, but anyone with half a brain cell could tell there was something fishy going on.
Like usual, no one actually did anything about it. Like the incidents just didn't happen.
"Mental… shutdowns?" Kerry raised a brow. Ann took the lead at that.
"Yeah, there were a bunch of them. Most of them caused pretty bad accidents. One minute you're fine, then the next… nothing."
"Spooky shit." Kerry rubbed his chin and examined the image. "So how do you get a mental shutdown?"
Sadly, it appeared no one had an answer. No one except Morgana. "I… think they're a result of someone's Shadow dying. I think." In a grim sort of way that made sense. It had been stated numerous times before that the Shadow Self and the Real Self were two parts of the same being. Get rid of one and the other will follow.
Still, Kerry chuckled at the sound of a meowing cat. "Well hello there fluffball. Don't know either? Little fella probably has no clue what's going on!"
Lynn caught a glimpse of V's grin. A gesture she shared as her attention turned back to Mona himself. The cat looked absolutely enraged and offended. He even turned his head and pouted like some sort of petulant child. "I know he can't understand me, but that was just rude!"
"To at least attempt to give an answer to your little conundrum, it looks like a mix between chrome malfunction and these mental shutdown things. I picked up quite a few heat sigs during the BD. Suggested some kind of physical overload. Low grade chrome - especially repos - is very easy to decomish."
Although some of her explanation was on the false side of the truth, it was better than having to explain the existence of multiple dimensions and the Metaverse. That was either a conversation for another day or not at all.
Kerry - at least - seemed satisfied.
He nodded and flicked a pointed gesture towards V. "Little tip. Swing by the digs tomorrow, you can have the pick of the bunch." The distinct blue glow of the eyes pulsed over both V and Kerry's irises. V then perked a brow with a satisfied grin. Lynn was curious but if she were to hazard a guess; money had just traded hands. It was quite an entertaining thought that something like that could just happen with a simple hand gesture.
"Alright, best get these kids home." V nodded and sent the rockstar on his way. Rather quickly at that. Once he had left and had visibly exited the building, V gave a long sigh. "The guy's a good one but fuck he picks his moments…"
Friday - May 27th
"This place is a fucking dump."
The sudden remark earned an amused snort.
"And that's coming from a street rat." River retorted with a wry smirk. As they loitered on the far side of the street, they looked on at Madarame's atelier. Leaning against River's leg was a large square object wrapped in brown package paper. It was their supposed 'proof of talent' should they actually need it. All things considered, it wasn't anything special. It was a simple painting of Kerry as a samurai. Although it was well done and obviously a work of great passion, it wasn't going to win any awards.
It would just have to do.
V checked her phone's time. "Judy and the kids should be in position over in the Palace."
"So I talk my way in, you sneak in behind me and crack the lock while I'm talking to Kitagawa. Simple enough. If not highly illegal."
"What are you going to do? Arrest me?" V lightly thumped River's shoulder and shot him a mockingly offended expression. He returned one in kind and sniggered. It was good to see him at least crack a smile. Even if he was still wound tighter than a corpo's wallet at a charity event. "I cased the place earlier, when no one was home."
"Oh yeah?"
"Small garden out the back. Walled off pretty high, no wire or spikes. Might make a decent escape if we need it. Two stories, detached from the other properties. Not much room for police to come rolling up in force. It basically screams 'easy mark'." She furrowed her brow at that. Another glance over the house allowed a sigh to pass through her lips. "I suppose the whole run down scav haunt vibe is a pretty good deflector."
"Found an entry point for yourself, yet? Doubt the front door would work."
V scoffed. "Only one in there right now is the kid. Once you have him distracted, the front door's open season. No cameras around, already checked."
"Alright then." River checked his phone's time too. "Show time."
If things went to plan, Madarame would be coming back from his exhibit in around half an hour. A decent enough window to get things done, but the timing had to be absolutely perfect. Madarame had to actually see his peacock door open for this to work. And there wasn't any guarantee that it would work.
As far as gigs went, this was up there.
V made herself scarce and River casually approached the atelier once she was out of sight. The buzzer chimed its tune and for a few moments there was no response.
"Yes? Who is it?" The intercom crackled to life and a young voice timidly called out. Kitagawa.
River cleared his throat and put on his best attempt at an uptight artist impression. "Hello, I was led to believe this is the residence of the Great Ichiryusai Madarame?" Inwardly, the man cringed at his own tone. He definitely was no actor, nor was he an artist. How the hell this was going to work only the lord knew. The intercom fell silent for another moment before Kitagawa spoke back up.
"You were told correctly. Sensei isn't home right now, however. What is it that you want?"
"I'm a hopeful new student. He is looking for new talent, yes?"
The line fell silent once again.
"I see. Yes, he is. Allow me one second." River heard movement from inside the building. Followed by several clicking and sliding sounds just behind the door. Finally, it slid open to reveal the lanky form of Yusuke Kitagawa. Immediately, River's mind fell into detective mode. The boy was skinny, that much was obvious, but it was to the point of malnourishment. His eyes widened at the sight of River. It gave him a moment's pause before he collected himself. "Forgive me. I wasn't expecting a foreigner. You spoke with confidence. I merely assumed you were Japanese."
River gave a deflecting laugh and waved a hand.
"American born. Kyoto raised. The name's John. John Doe." A quick lie and a charming smile was enough to convince Kitagawa.
"You've travelled quite far, then," the boy looked River up and down and gave a quick hum. He was clearly unsure what to do but with a subtle gesture from the ex-cop, Kitagawa gave a sigh, stepping to the side. "Come in. Sensei will be home shortly."
Doing as told, River stepped through the threshold, painting in hand.
The entry hall was much like the exterior. Run down and in dire need of maintenance. River even clocked a few cracks in the walls suggesting structural damage. There were also several piles of old scrap art supplies lining the walls. Torn canvases, broken easels, snapped brushes. Even stacks of tied together newspapers showing signs of their age. It really was not a very hospitable first impression.
Over the holo, River sent a brief message to V. [I'm in. Bolt chains on the front door. Find another way in.]
[Open window on second floor. North side. Keep him away.]
"You… are aware of Sensei's current engagements?" Kitagawa spoke once he had finished rebolting the door. Notably, the boy had a very slight shake to his movements. As if he was cold and couldn't quite keep himself warm. The general air of the building felt almost arid with the Japanese sun near enough cooking the corrugated metal outside. The disparity between the two observations brought concerns of Kitagawa's personal safety to mind.
Still, River gave a nod and kept up his act. "His impressive exhibit in Shibuya, yes. I was inspired by his vast array of styles, so I vowed to seek his tutelage no matter the cost."
"... I see."
Kitagawa led River through the main corridor of the ground floor. The further into the building they walked, the cleaner it seemingly became. Or rather there was less junk lying around. Eventually, after rounding a corner, the target door came into view. It was almost hidden behind a stack of cardboard boxes, yet its garish colour and flamboyant pattern was undeniable.
Once again, River silently sent a message to V. [Target marked. South side. Main corridor. Hefty padlock.]
[Got it. Heading in now.]
As tacky as always, the blinding gold Palace had remained unchanged.
Lynn fidgeted with the sleeves of her Joker coat and seemed quite unsure of herself. This plan could lead to disaster, and she hated the thought of causing trouble for River and V. Of course, she pinched herself after recognizing that she was beginning a - as Ryuji had called it - Rin Spin.
"The waiting is driving me crazy!" Ann groaned in a hushed tone. Despite the courtyard being relatively empty of Shadow patrols, the team had taken to hiding behind a series of bushes in a far corner. "I know it takes time… but geez."
"It's ok, Panther. This is definitely going to work. Probably."
"Not helping, Mona," Lynn massaged her eyes as she spoke, "keep sharp. As soon as that door moves, we move."
Despite the courtyard not having any patrols as of yet, the group had still taken cover a fair distance away. A line of bushes played the perfect camouflage from any prying Shadow eyes.
Even with that said, the tension was almost visible. Everything hinged on this one theory. It was going to work. It had to work. If it didn't, there was very little time to think of an alternative. That in itself was enough to cause mild panic. As such, Lynn tried to dig deep into her own mind. She took a deep breath and tried mustering a calm state of mind.
This is going to work.
Silently and efficiently, V slinked into the open window. A bedroom met her gaze. Or at least that's what it was probably meant to be. In practice it was more like a squat not too different from the kind V slept in as a child.
A uniform was hung neatly on the handle of a wardrobe. More than likely it was Kitagawa's. Which implied this was his room.
Notably, there wasn't a single personalised bit of decoration. Only boxes, stacks of newspapers, scrap canvas and old paint cans. It was more like a storage room than a bedroom. Even the bed - if it could even be called that - was nothing but a thin mat, a dirty blanket and a single pillow that likely hadn't been washed in decades. Definitely reminiscent of V's past.
"Poor fucker…" she muttered to herself.
Then she shot off a message to River. [I'm in. Heading for the target. Sit rep?]
[We're in a studio down the hall from the target.]
The merc nodded to herself and made her way through the maze of junk. The bare floorboards threatened to loudly groan with each step. It was an intricate balance act just to get from the window to the door. One that thankfully went by without much error. The landing just outside the room was at least slightly cleaner. There was even carpet. Frayed and worn as it were.
Her next obstacle was the stairs.
The bane of any thief's existence. Especially in an old building like this.
The first was silent and held her weight without issue. The same went for the second, third and fourth. Each step was taken with surgical precision. But then came the fifth. As soon as her boot touched the wood, it let out a creaking like it was shrieking in pain. She froze and remained as still as a statue. It was down to River to cover this one.
Entering into the studio space was like suddenly being thrown into a blizzard.
It appeared that the only room with any sort of air conditioning was this one. And it was set into an extreme. River wasn't an expert, but this definitely was no condition to be painting in. Kitagawa seemed somewhat awkward as he turned to face River. "If I may, how did you come to learn that Sensei is looking for new students?"
"I was contacted by a lady named Kimiko Ishida."
"I thought I recognised you. You were in her art shop the other week. With two women, I believe. Are they also artists?"
River's heart dropped as soon as Kitagawa spoke. Only he managed to recover. It seemed the boy didn't find it suspicious at all. In fact, the cover story was apparently made even more believable because of that encounter. As River's heart slowed its beating he quickly thought up another lie. "They're friends from America. Just visiting for a few months."
That seemed to satisfy the artist.
At least until a loud creaking came from somewhere in the house. Followed by a message from V. [Stairs. Fuck fuck fuck.]
Inwardly, he grunted.
Kitagawa - however - didn't seem all that concerned. He waved a hand dismissively and actually seemed to cover it up himself. "Ignore the sounds of a tired building. Sensei has not had the chance for renovations in quite some time."
It was almost laughable at how easy that was.
[You're good. Keep going.]
"Is that a piece of your work?" Kitagawa moved swiftly on. He gestured to the wrapped up painting leaning against River's leg.
The ex-cop nodded. Kitagawa held his gaze expectantly. Taking up the hint he took the piece over to a nearby unused easel and set the piece upon it. He then pulled the string and allowed the package paper to fall from it. Revealing samurai Kerry in all his glory. To River it was just a well crafted piece of fan art. Whether or not it had any actual merit was another question entirely.
Kitagawa's eyes flared with a strange look as he studied the piece. He seemed quite impressed judging from his expression.
"I see you are quite the traditionalist. Your brushwork is quite detailed. May I ask who the model for your piece is?"
"He's my brother," a spur of the minute lie, "we've always been fascinated with old Japanese aesthetics. Samurai especially. We'd spend hours running around with sticks pretending to sword fight. Y'know… goofing around and romanticising an overly complex time period."
Although Kitagawa seemed to be drinking up the story, River still couldn't help the feeling that he was being grilled. Like Kitagawa was trying to trip him up.
The artist nodded understandingly.
"Your use of reds and blues is quite striking. I certainly feel a whimsical passion from it. All while holding a tempered understanding of the source material."
Surprisingly, his words seemed to draw River in. An odd sense of pride budded in his chest. A sense he did his best to quash. This was not even his work. The pride was replaced with guilt. This entire situation didn't sit right with him. Intentionally being deceitful was a complete opposite to his usual state of being.
Still, a glimpse up at an old clock on the wall tipped him off that Madarame should be home in ten minutes.
[Running out of time. You almost done?]
A frustrated grunt trickled from V's lips. The dreaded staircase had been bested with careful use of her Kerenzikov implant, but now it was time to actually pick the damn lock.
She definitely wasn't lacking in the skills and technical know-how, but this padlock was more complex than she had expected. It was almost like a puzzle lock. Carefully and quietly she worked her tools and slowly made progress in springing the mechanism. The message didn't help her concentration, but at least it was good to know the time frame.
[At the target. Keep Kitagawa away.]
Sweat began to bead on her forehead. The very obvious lack of air conditioning was beginning to take its toll. It was like being stranded in the Badlands during a heatwave.
She took several deep breaths and refocused her efforts.
Only to realise a dreaded feeling beginning to build. Tightening and closing off her throat, she tried to stave off the imminent coughing fit. Now was one of the worst possible times to have an attack. She kept her breath held and tried counting back from ten. Her brain began to spin as the second part of an attack reared its head. She felt herself lose focus and she struggled to keep her balance.
She was alarmingly close to an unstable stack of boxes after all.
Instead, she braced herself against the door and clung to the padlock for dear life. Sadly, the need to cough grew too great and along with it came a spew of blood and pain. Between the searing agony of her brain shutting down and her coughing, she just managed to send a hasty last message to River.
[Brain attack. Going to collapse.]
Then her vision fell dark. The last thing she heard was the noise of boxes crashing to the ground in spectacular fashion.
V's message sent an immediate wave of panic shooting through River's mind.
The first instinct was to drop everything to run to her aid. That was quickly quashed by the sudden crashing and clanging of whatever V had collapsed into. Kitagawa did not ignore it this time. He could have leapt from his own skin with how sudden his recoiling shock was. Fear was immediately etched into his stoney features.
Wild and unbridled fear.
"Expecting… company?" River tried hiding his own growing concern and fear. How well he was doing was debatable. He felt himself clench his 'ganic fist tightly.
"N-no. That isn't my concern! Sensei likes things very particular in his abode!"
Shock replaced concern for a fraction of a second.
Was Kitagawa really more afraid of Madarame's things getting disturbed than a potential home invasion?
Even if River knew this little break in wasn't to cause harm, he still knew it could instil a lot of trauma at the mere implications behind it. Someone being able to invade a space you thought you were safe in can ruin someone's mental health.
Before River knew it, Kitagawa had bolted from the studio to investigate.
"What the…" his voice carried from down the hallway. Kitagawa's tone turned from fear to confusion. River ran hot on his heels and rounded the corner. There he saw V's unconscious form sprawled out over various fallen bits of junk and cardboard boxes. The lock to their target still had V's tools dangling loosely from the keyhole. Anyone with half a brain cell could piece together what V was attempting. "What is the meaning of this!?"
"I could very well ask the same question, young Yusuke. Who are these strangers in my house!?"
What little colour was left in Kitagawa's skin drained completely. In the entryway to the house stood Madarame. The warm smile he usually wore when in public was nowhere to be seen. There was only a cold, silent and rage filled glare. Directed entirely towards Kitagawa. Who was now shrinking in on himself.
River frantically shifted his focus from V to the lock and back to V.
The window for getting this done was closing quickly. And V was still unconscious, with a small trickle of blood falling from the corner of her mouth.
"Oh fuck it." He murmured. He then charged forward, stepping over V's body and took a firm hold of the lock with his chromed hand. With a great heave and a grunt of effort, the man pulled the lock clean off the door, then barged his way into the dark interior.
"What on Earth do you think you are doing!?"
Madarame's voice could be heard from outside, calling to River. He ignored it and pushed into the room completely. It was completely shrouded in darkness. Only being lit from the light creeping in through the wide open door.
He could just make out a large amount of canvases all lined up in a rack. Several more were leant against walls.
There wasn't enough time to take in the full interior as he heard Kitagawa rush in after him. "Mr. Doe, please, this is a private… area… what in the world?"
The boy flipped a switch and the room was instantly bathed in light.
The canvases were all depicting the same image in various states of completion. A lone woman wearing red and wistfully gazing into a swirling mist. Striking to be sure. There was also an easel set up near the centre of the room. The canvas set upon it was covered in a cloth and hidden from view. Though River could probably guess exactly what it was.
Kitagawa had seemingly completely forgotten the forced entry and was now slowly approaching the easel.
Gingerly, he gripped the material.
"Yusuke…" Madarame's voice stayed his hand momentarily; "continue and you will regret it."
Those words held a certain power over Kitagawa. He let the material go and stepped back from the easel. His will to resist Madarame had vanished quicker than it had appeared.
"Out of the fucking way, asshole."
V's voice set off a spike of unexpected relief. The merc pushed Madarame aside and stumbled into the room. She was sluggish and looked like she was about to keel over at any moment, but she pushed herself forward. River wordlessly stepped to the side and allowed her to grip the cloth and pull.
As expected, the canvas had the same image. The Sayuri. Only it was much more striking and definitely more of a masterpiece than any of the others.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kitagawa looked at the piece. A myriad of emotions swirled over his features. Fear, anger, surprise, admiration. But most of all; confusion. He slowly turned to the old artist. The confusion only grew as Madarame sighed in resignation. "What is… the real Sayuri doing here?"
"That is not the real Sayuri, Yusuke. Merely a replica. Purchased from Ms. Ishida."
"Don't lie to me, Sensei! There is no fooling me. This is the real, genuine Sayuri. It cannot be mistaken for anything but! What is the meaning of this?"
The man sighed once again. River shot a look to V. A look that was reciprocated with a nod. He then saw her fish for the phone and - in extension - the Metanav. Meanwhile, Madarame had pulled his own phone from a hidden pocket in his kimono's sleeve. "You've left me with no choice. You and your friends are trespassing on my property. I merely have to dial and my private security force will be on you in a matter of minutes."
"Yeah… fuck that. River, grab the boy and run!"
River acted almost on instinct and scooped Kitagawa up. He slung the struggling boy over his shoulder and bolted for the door.
The last thing to come from inside the room was the sound of sparking and a gargled grunt before the sound of a slumping thud. That was when V burst from the room and was hot on River's heels.
The next thing he knew, he was falling.
The rising tension was becoming far too much to cope with.
Sweat beaded on Lynn's brow. Although it had only been half an hour, she could feel the ache in her joints from the crouching. More than once, her legs had fallen completely asleep. In a bid to keep her mind off any growing pain, she tried counting the number of statues in the courtyard. When that was done, she turned to counting the number of bushes. Then the number of windows.
So on and so forth.
Ryuji's deep sigh startled her a little. "Let's face it… this plan's a bust. It should've opened by now, right?"
"How should we know? Merc and Badges might not have gotten through the door yet." Shiho shot back with a low growl. Irritation was growing amongst all of them. Even Judy seemed to be getting herself worked up. It was very slight, but Lynn could definitely pick up the small twitches and slight shifts in expressions. She was worried sick.
The next minute dragged on for what felt like several hours.
Hope was draining by the second.
Then it happened.
A slight shift in the sliding door. A rumble soon followed. The ground shook like an earthquake. The door then began to open. Or at least it started to open. Seconds later it exploded with the force of a high explosive. It sent shrapnel hurtling out over the courtyard in a rain of colour and destruction.
"Crap! Get down!" Lynn ordered before throwing her mask into the air. "Shiki-Ouiji!"
In a burst of light, a whirlwind of paper sprang into existence. The humanoid form of the Shikigami creature folded itself to life. Acting on unspoken orders, the creature stretched out its arms, hunched its back and a large paper wall bloomed from its hands, completely sheltering the group from oncoming debris.
Seconds of chaos passed as shards of rubble pelted the shield.
Then, when things had calmed and the last of the destructive debris had landed, the Shikigami relaxed. It turned to its master, made a strange gesture similar to some sort of salute and dispersed back into the form of Joker's mask.
"Everyone, move!"
They could question things later. Right now, they had to secure a way past the door. There was no telling if it would close back up again.
Once they were safely on the other side, the group came to a stop, panting and trying to catch their breath. They had wound up on the other side of the courtyard. A section that led to a garish entrance into another part of the museum. Grandiose and painful to look at, the golden doorway - thankfully wide open - was flanked by iridescent gold statues. Unsurprisingly, they were of Madarame. However, the plinths the statues stood atop were decorated with figures holding up a platform.
Although the small figures were largely featureless, the metaphor was clear as day.
"What a disgusting man…" Shiho muttered to herself, "he sees others as just a means to hold him up above them…"
She clenched her jaw and glared up at the left statue. Its sneer made its own relentless glare back down at her. The tell-tale twitch of Shiho's fingers prompted Lynn to move forward and gently place a hand on her shoulder. Ann wasn't far behind, taking the other shoulder in a similar fashion. The two girls gave a warm smile. It was enough to have them present to calm Shiho's nerves.
Then something caught their attention.
Distant yelling.
Yelling that was quickly growing closer.
The group looked around and entered into high alert. Each thief drew their weapons and poised themselves for combat. That was until Judy pointed upwards. "In coming!"
Like two comets falling to the earth, figures were hurtling toward the courtyard from high up. One of the figures burst into a ball of blue flame and the other seemed to split into two separate figures. Flailing and screaming as they fell.
The flaming blue orb landed first. In an explosion of energy, Lynn glimpsed the form of V in a three-point landing. Then something surprising happened. Yusuke hit the ground, feet first. He shook at the impact and as if on instinct, he outstretched his arms. River landed heavily in the outstretched arms as if he were a bride being held by the groom.
The two held their position for a solid second before crumpling to the ground. As if their combined weight had - just that second - caught up with them.
"Babe! You're… covered in blood." Judy was first to move, all but ignoring the two men. V got to her feet and shook off the shock of such a hard landing. Lynn gasped at the sight of V's pale, sickly face. The merc could only let a sigh loose.
"Had another episode. I'm… fine."
"Kitagawa?" Ann was second to approach.
"W-who… where…?" The boy was dazed and as the rest of the group approached, he struggled to his feet. Amusingly using Morgana's large head as a support. Much to the cat's chagrin.
River had already gotten up, straightened out his jacket, hung his sunglasses on his shirt and was now making his way over to V Team.
Yusuke tried to focus on something, anything. Until he finally settled on Ann. He didn't seem to recognise her at first. Despite the panther mask not covering all that much of her face. As well as her rather unique hair style. It took a second, but his eyes flashed with recognition. "Takamaki? Is… that you?" His gaze then drifted over the other four thieves. He flinched and staggered back when he noticed Shiho.
"Sorry about… y'know… assaulting you. I feel awful about it."
"T-thank you… but… where am I?"
"You're in the Metaverse!" Morgana shot with a rather irritated tone. He was still adjusting his mask after being used as a support. "More specifically you're in a Palace. A physical manifestation of your Sensei's desires. In other words; his true self."
"A… talking cat monster…" Yusuke muttered "It appears the shock has driven me insane." The boy held his palm against his forehead and his vision looked to cloud over as he stared into nothingness. "You're saying… this awful, tacky abomination of a building is the true feelings of Sensei? I-impossible…"
"Sorry, kid, but the asshole you call sensei is nothing but a lying, cheating scop peddler." V looked to have at least recovered a little and had stepped forward. Yusuke stared at her with a blank confused stare. The merc ignored him and turned her attention to Lynn; "this is your op, Joker. What's next?"
Yusuke's appearance had put a huge spanner in the works.
The plan was to push on as far as they could once the door had opened. They still needed to locate the treasure as well as form an actual plan for stealing it. Now the artist was here, there wasn't much they could do other than find a safe room and get him to safety.
"Right, we'll explain everything later, Kitagawa. I promise. Everyone, let's get to a safe room."
"Such an ugly place could not possibly come from Sensei…" Kitagawa stumbled and lost his footing. They had only just entered the second part of the museum, yet it had already assaulted the senses far more than the courtyard.
They had entered a lobby area. A large open room with lights glaring everywhere V looked. A loudspeaker spouted constant nonsense in the voice of Madarame. It spoke of something called 'the Infinite Wellspring' and how it would completely change the art world forever. Self serving trash. Much like the many, many advertisements of Night City, it was in your face, obnoxious and impossible to ignore.
What was also infuriating was the large solid gold statue in the centre of the room. Towering high above the group.
Much like the two smaller ones flanking the lobby's entrance, Madarame's sculpted features were sneering and bearing down on those beneath him. The metaphor of standing above everyone else was also on display.
Only unlike the two outside, the figures holding up Madarame's plinth seemed to be moving. Alive. Quiet groaning softly creeped from their open mouths as they shifted like a sea of suffering souls.
"Disgusting…" Kitagawa uttered.
Both Lynn and V shared a brief look. V wasn't entirely sure what a safe room was, but it sounded important. So, she took the opportunity to look for doorways or anything that even remotely looked safe. If such a thing was even possible in a place like this.
"Kitagawa… surely you understand now?" Shiho asked. She received no response as the boy had taken to simply standing and staring up at the looming visage of his teacher. "Kitagawa?"
"Guys… I found somethin'!" Calling from deeper in the lobby, Ryuji had creaked open a double doorway and was peering inside. Shotgun at the ready.
What he had found was a large, rounded room with a glass ceiling and a balcony on the far side. There was also some kind of sculpture. Surprisingly it wasn't Madarame. Gold spirals and floating glimmers of gold dust formed a huge image of what looked like a sort of gilded whirlwind. Within the shimmering dust, faces emerged and dispersed as if forming from the depicted wind. A plaque was set up in front of the display inviting the group to approach.
Ann took it upon herself to read the plaque aloud.
"The Infinite Wellspring - Contributors will give their souls to the Great Madarame. Their fruits will feed the Master forever more." She stepped back and V spied a glint of rage spark under the panther mask. "That… bastard."
It didn't seem possible, but Kitagawa grew paler, almost turning green at the implications.
He was completely lost. All life had left his eyes like his soul had simply given up.
"Well, well. It seems my security is somewhat lacking. Ruffians have found their way into my private exhibit." Although distorted like other Shadows, the voice was instantly recognisable. Madarame himself had shown his face. Painted in make-up and wearing an opulent golden kimono. His grin was like a visual slap in the face. "Even young Yusuke. Hmph…"
Somehow, that sheer dismissal was worse than any insult he could have thrown.
"S-Sensei… what is the meaning of all this? Is it really you?"
"I am the Great Ichiryusai Madarme! Master Artist and the king of the art world!"
"Ugh… here we go with the evil monologues," V knew exactly where this was going. And she wasn't about to let it drag on. Her brain could only take so much strain at once. Without another word, she fired a single shot. Aiming for the leg. Only, the bullet never made its mark. Instead, a woman wearing naught but threadbare rags had jumped from out of thin air and directly into the path of the shot.
It struck her shoulder and the woman let a cry of pain escape her lips.
At first, V wasn't sure who the woman was.
Until her dishevelled hair shifted, revealing the face of Kimiko Ishida. Or at least Madarame's cognition of her. "You monster! That's why we've not found her cognition anywhere!" Even as Shiho yelled, Ishida's cognition struggled to her feet and firmly planted herself between Madarame and the rest of the group. A literal human shield. All the while, Shadow Madarame cackled mockingly. A self-satisfied sneer cementing itself over his jaw line.
"Ms. Ishida, too? I… don't understand. What is going on!? Why was the real Sayuri locked in that room when it was supposed to be stolen!?"
Another mocking cackle. "Stolen? No. That was merely a story. A perfectly orchestrated staging!" As if he wasn't satisfied with Kitagawa's despair, Madarame let loose yet another cackle. "A perfect fabrication. Art snobs eat it up like nectar! 'The original was stolen but I managed to recover it. I can give it to you for a special price but it simply cannot go public!' Has a nice ring to it, no? And that hideous shack of mine? Hah! A wealthy, famous master such as I would never see something so ugly as a home. I have my own private domicile! Under a different name, of course!"
"You're Koryu Yamamoto. Using a fake name to sell replica artwork, tax free thanks to Ishida's shop acting as a third party. Money laundering." River's eyes narrowed as he put things together in his head. It elicited a chuckle and a confirming nod. The same self-assured smirk twisting the Shadow's jaw.
"Another source of bountiful income. The general masses can enjoy the beauty of my masterpiece for a reasonable price! Really, I'm doing a service, you should be thanking me!"
Kitagawa's legs buckled and he fell to his knees.
Even if V didn't know Kitagawa at all, a sudden rush of rage welled up inside her. She tightened her grip on Seraph and took aim. The woman standing in front of Madarame was merely a product of his twisted mind. It wasn't real. No matter how real she looked.
Shadow Madarame took notice of V and his grin grew wider. "I wouldn't do that if I were y-"
The gunshot cut him off. The bullet struck true, dead centre on Ishida's forehead. Or at least it looked like it had. What followed defied any sense of logic. A flash of light cracked like an explosion centred on the point of impact. The bullet then came straight back towards V, striking her square in the chest. The incendiary round seared her skin and she howled in pain.
Even if it struck the thicker part of her subdermals, the shock and pain alone knocked her on her ass.
"I warned you. My slave will throw anything you fire at her straight back at you! As useless as she is in any other way, she is still a loyal slave."
V struggled to breathe, glaring up at the man with pure hatred. "Wanna fuckin' bet…" she stuttered between breaths. Judy was quick to help her up and together, their gaze could kill. Especially Judy's.
"This… cannot be possible…" Kitagawa mumbled.
Ryuji seemed to have finally snapped. A crackling spark of intensity emanated from the blond boy before her yelled out; "Wake up, Yusuke! Your Sensei is nothin' but scum! You just gonna shut your eyes and ignore everythin' you've seen!?"
"To think I was saved by such a wretched man…"
Another cackle.
"You think I took you in out of the kindness of my heart!? You naive fool. Plucking struggling and troubled artists allows me to do whatever I want! They can't fight back and neither can you! I am the king of the art world, you would never succeed with my disapproval!"
"You forsake the true beauty of art!"
"Hah! Art is merely a tool to earn wealth and fame! Nothing more, nothing less. It's a shame your mother never figured that out before she died."
Kitagawa fists clenched at the mention of his mother.
It sounded like a pointless addition just to throw salt in the wound. Yet V couldn't shake the feeling there was something more to it. That aside, something was definitely happening to Kitagawa, his breathing was reaching dangerously heavy levels. Much like a form of panic attack.
He then began to laugh.
Quietly at first.
It then built into a full blown hysterical fit. His laughter echoing through the room almost forming a chorus of resonating replies. "It's funny. My eyes were clouded for so long. I blinded myself to the truth. Told myself that all the poor treatment was to help me reach my potential. I forced myself to believe you only wanted my success."
The hairs on the back of V's neck stood on end. Energy pulsed through the air and a very distinct chill began to set in.
"The truth is stranger than fiction. No more. This ends now!"
The air thumped.
Kitagawa clutched his head and began to writhe. He let out an ear piercing scream and thrashed his whole body, trying to bear whatever pain he was experiencing. It was concerning to say the least and V wanted to step in with an Airhypo or something, yet the looks on each of the thieves' faces gave her pause.
They were all grinning.
[You have finally come to your senses. How foolishly you have blinded yourself to the truth. A deplorable imitation indeed. Best you part with that aspect of yourself.]
The voice - unfamiliar as it was - felt as if it came from everywhere at once. It was only addressing Kitagawa, yet everyone heard it. It called out from deep within the boy's soul, desperate to be let loose. Yet its tone was calm and tempered. Restrained rebellion incarnate.
Chilling air swirled around Kitagawa, enveloping him in a frigid shell.
The boy fell to his knees once again and let another shriek of pain echo through the exhibit. [Now… let us forge a contract. I am thou. Thou art I. The world is filled with both beauty and vice. It is time you teach people which is which.]
The thrashing, crying and shrieking stopped abruptly as the last words resonated from his soul. Blue flame washed over his face to form a mask bearing the visage of a fox creature. Beneath it, yellow eyes glowed with fury. He rose to his feet and stared Madarame down. "Very well." Slowly, he reached a hand for the mask. With a dramatic flourish, the boy called out as he ripped it from his face; "Come! GOEMON!"
The air around him whirled in blue flame. The flame turned to freezing wind and from the mask a towering figure burst to life.
A huge, colourful and vibrant decorated man wearing garb straight out of the Edo period. In his hand an oversized pipe puffed plumes of frigid smoke. His gaze was piercing and a permanent scowl was pointed directly at Madarame.
"Though the flowers of evil blossom. Let it be known; abominations shall always be fated to perish! The children that saw you and loved you as 'father'... how many have you trampled upon? How many dreams have you exchanged for riches? How many lives have you destroyed for your own twisted vanity!? No more! No matter what it takes… I will bring you to justice! Even should it come to cutting you down with my own hand!"
"Enough of this! Security! Dispose of these thieves! Kill them all!"
Greater Shadows dropped from the rafters above the Infinite Wellspring sculpture and quickly moved in. Kitagawa - however - had other plans. A sheathed katana materialised in his left hand. Cool ice encrusted the tsuba forming a flower pattern. Its hilt was wrapped in blue silk and the pommel held two white tassels, each tipped with small blue crystals.
Without another moment of hesitation, the boy gripped the hilt with his right and drew the blade. Goemon made the same motions with his pipe. Its form quickly shifted into an identical katana. A huge wave of freezing energy shot forward in a crescent moon shape. It struck the advancing Shadows resulting in a powerful explosion of ice and wind pressure.
Powerful enough to send the whole group flying back into the lobby where the giant golden Madarame statue stood.
The destructive force had decimated the security force and had damaged the Wellspring sculpture considerably. Yet all Shadow Madarame did was casually follow and sneer. Ishida was always directly in front of him, arms outstretched and a completely emotionless face. With a gesture, Madarame raised a hand in the air. "Gilded Guardian! Kill them!"
For a second, nothing happened.
Then the giant statue's eyes blazed with fiery light. Like some strange golden golem, its form animated and stepped down from its plinth, the very ground cracking under its weight. Its grin widened and with a burst of movement, it ripped off the kimono it was wearing. Strangely enough, as soon as the thing began to move, anything it was wearing became separate. Like it was no longer a statue at all.
Still, the sight of one of the most muscular old men V had ever laid eyes on was now standing towering over her.
Her shoulders sagged.
"Are you kidding me?"
As if to add insult to visual injury, the statue flexed, howled and quite literally burst into flame, engulfing his broad back and shoulders in searing fire.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"
"Everyone move! Now!"
Author's Notes
And so we reach the midpoint of Madarame's fall. This was a fun one to write as I have only written a partial awaken - Shiho's - so far. So doing a full one was a nice challenge. As for the change in the whole "opening the door" mission, the main reason I decided to do this is because I hate how everyone seemed to be ok with throwing Ann into another sexually exploiting situation. The girl has literally just come out of some serious trauma involving sexual exploitation. I also felt the game played it off for laughs. "Haha look at the bad actress! So quirky!"
Icky.
Anyway, this course of action seemed more logical. V is experienced with breaking and entering. Also, River was a good pick thanks to his established connection to Ishida. Either way, thank you for reading! Any feedback is much appreciated!