Tuesday - May 31st
"How are you feeling, Yusuke?"
Lynn emerged from the attic to the now familiar sight of Yusuke behind the counter. She yawned and took her usual seat. Along with her curry and usual coffee, she fell into a comfortable rhythm. By the time they had escaped the palace - along with the Treasure - everyone was so exhausted, they barely had enough energy to process everything.
The dark bags under Yusuke's eyes betrayed the obvious.
He hadn't slept at all.
She couldn't blame him. He was probably up all night trying to make sense of everything. The fact that Madarame murdered his mother. The fact that Madarame was also his father. It was all so mind breaking it was a miracle the boy was even able to stand behind the counter so stoically.
"I will… be fine. What's done is done." He muttered.
Sojiro was nowhere in sight, so it was safe to assume he was probably out buying smokes or running some sort of errand. A blessing given the current situation. "True, but you're not alone, y'know? All of us are here for you."
"You have my sincerest thanks, Rin, truly." His lips curled into a slight smile. "For now, I need to focus on my work. Everything is still… fresh. Time will heal the wound, I'm sure." The girl hummed at that. She didn't particularly like him bottling everything up, but at the same time she really couldn't force it out of him. That would just make everything worse.
A flashing on the small TV caught the two teen's attention. A breaking news alert.
With a quick flip of the volume button, the reporter began her speech in earnest.
"Due to the recent publicity stunt conducted by the mysterious group calling themselves 'The Phantom Thieves', the Ichiryusai Madarame exhibit - currently happening in Shibuya - has been temporarily closed. The gallery owner assures that this is nothing to be concerned about and is standard policy. An investigation is already underway to identify these vandals and authorities are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may prove useful. As for Ichiryusai Madarame himself, his legal team has provided a statement denouncing the accusations made by the so-called Calling Card and has stated that the artist has fallen ill, unable to make a public appearance at this time. The exhibit is scheduled to reopen on June 2nd until its original closing date on the 5th."
"And so it begins…" Lynn muttered. She sipped her coffee as she narrowed her eyes. "I think we ought to pay Ishida a visit. Tomorrow. Today… I think we could all use a little rest."
"I agree."
"Oh, that reminds me! We should plan something. A welcome party for you as well as a celebration. What do you think?"
The boy paused. His gaze drifted off into the distance. "You and your friends would welcome me into the fold? After what I tried to do to Takamaki? I haven't been the most… gracious person since we met."
"Well, of course we would. I thought we already had." Lynn finished off her curry, scratched the back of her neck and began to wash up her plate. "You're one of us, Yusuke. We all want you to feel welcome." Granted, it was easy to say that. Shiho still held some reservations about him, despite feeling guilty about the sucker punch. Plus he wasn't the most sociable. Getting him to open up was going to be a long road. After all, the boy had gone through so much just within the last few days.
Either way, the only thing left to do now was wait.
Madarame had retreated from the public eye and if things progressed in a similar way to Kamoshida's case, it'd be at least a few days for any real change to take effect.
That said, with one task accomplished, the real world work had to begin soon.
After finishing off her morning, she gathered her things and made for Le Blanc's exit. "Oh, before I forget, I'll be stopping by the market after school. Do you want anything? I'm going to try making some British Cuisine!"
Yusuke's eye twitched. A brow perked and for a brief moment, his stoic expression grew concerned and scrutinising.
"Thank you, but I don't think I require anything right now."
With that, she shrugged and waved goodbye. Another day, another slog through school.
Today was going to be rough.
That was obvious from the moment V opened her eyes. Her legs felt like jelly, her arms barely responded to her and she felt like she was about to hurl from the simple act of standing up. Most people would just assume they were catching a cold, take some meds and get on with their day.
How V wished to be one of those people.
This was a familiar feeling and it was getting more and more common as the days passed.
Stumbling to the sink on the far side of her Yongen Jaya bedroom, she tried focusing on the reflection in the mirror. Pale. Bloodshot eyes. A slight nosebleed. Pounding headache. It was all the same. Just walking from the bed to the sink had completely exhausted her. It might pass as the day went on, but the simple fact it was happening at all gave her a grim reminder.
Her time was running out.
Judy stirred in the bed, turning to her side before falling back to sleep. It was still early and the kids didn't have any need for V and the others, so, with a wistful smile, V let her fiance sleep for a little longer.
It at least gave the merc a little time to gather her strength. She really didn't want Judy to wake up and spend the day worrying.
V eyed a small bottle of pills on a nearby shelf. Drugs from Takemi that apparently did wonders for headaches, lethargy and other mild ailments. How V wished a simple pill would take everything away. A straightforward panacea that would repair all the damage the Relic did. In a strange contradiction, it was times like this that V found herself missing Johnny and his colourful commentary.
The man certainly would have had a thing or two to say about Madarame.
At least there was no Arasaka in this universe for him to wage a pointless war against. Though knowing Johnny, he would have just found something else to fill in the gap.
V shook her head and grabbed the pill bottle. Some small relief was still better than nothing.
After that, she slipped on a simple t-shirt that was a few sizes too big for her. It beat walking around in nought but her sleeping boxers. River was already up and about dressed in a similar get up, switching boxers for sweat pants. The whole atmosphere was weirdly normal despite their situation.
For a brief moment, it was like the three of them were just regular people sharing an apartment together.
Sadly, reality set in as V let out a string of coughs. No blood, thankfully.
Still, it caught River's attention. "You… uh… sick or something?"
River was one of the few people in V's life that knew everything about her condition. At first, his question pissed her off to no end. Of course she was sick. He knew damn well just how sick she was. However, she then noted his tone. Casual, nonchalant and oddly caring. Yes, he knew it was bad, but he was trying to help in his own way. Perhaps he was just trying to give V the opportunity to feel normal for a moment.
"It'll pass," she shrugged and fixed a bowl of cereal for herself. The breakfast food on this side of the Metaverse was just as good as the rest of it. Real, actual milk from a real, actual cow. Coffee made from real, actual coffee beans. Orange juice made from real, actual oranges. After living off synthetic substitutes all her life, every meal was like discovering that flavour actually existed for the first time.
It just made her more irritated that she couldn't fully enjoy it this morning.
Another thing plaguing her mind was this change of heart thing the three of them helped with. From everything she had learned about it, she hated the very idea of it.
Sure, the good intentions were there and she did genuinely like the motley crew of teens, but was brainwashing really the only way for them to make a change? Having said that, V knew full well just how futile that kind of fight could be. One can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs. One can't reform society without cracking a few metaphysical dimensions.
As she ate, she could feel River's gaze on her. She had half the mind to make a witty remark or some kind of joke, but her headache refused to allow her usual humour to kick into gear.
Instead, she sighed and lolled her head in his direction. "Spin it."
"I'm just worried. After your assault, you said you only had six months left…" River fidgeted with a now empty mug. His chromed hand tapped against the ceramic with an uneven rhythm. V really didn't want him to say what he was going to say. "That… was six-"
"I know, River. I fucking know."
The merc's temper flared. She let a growl rattle around her throat as she clenched and relaxed a fist.
"I've tried everything. Fuck, all the tech wired to my brain's barely keepin' me on my feet." It was only due to Vik's experimental implants that she was even still capable of speaking and standing. "But what's the point in talking about it? It sucks. I hate not being able to look forward to a future with Judy. Kids. A house out on some lake in the mountains. Maybe a friend for Nibbles."
"You'd want kids?" River's brow perked.
As if a switch had flipped, V suddenly felt a strange sense of calm. As if River had offered a metaphorical olive branch. She didn't want to be angry. She hated her instinct to lash out. River didn't deserve it. So, she took the opportunity. A chance to fantasise and escape for a little bit. Her condition be damned.
"Yeah. Boy and a girl," She smiled, "the thought came to me way back when we played Big Trouble in Heywood with little Monique and Dorian. I just felt… happy, I guess. Like I wanted that life for myself. Gonk as it sounds."
River shook his head. "It's not gonk. You're human, not some emotionless AI. Have you talked to Judy about this?"
"I don't think I can. It'll just hurt us both."
He nodded in understanding. But was that really it? V kept telling herself it would be better for everyone if she didn't try to look to the future. Less expectations, less heartbreak. And yet, she said yes when Judy proposed. The fact was she desperately wanted a future. She wanted to have thoughts of building an actual life. Though even without her condition, the merc life was all she ever knew. Was it even possible to live normally? Be another face in the crowd?
In another time, perhaps. Another life.
With all that said, V fell into deep thought. For some reason, her mind lingered to the idea of Palaces.
Their very nature was infuriatingly confusing. Whole dimensions created from the physical manifestations of human conscience. In a lot of ways, it reminded V of the Blackwall and the mystery surrounding just what the hell was beyond it. Of course, V had at least some first hand experience of the Blackwall. Just existing was painful for the brief few moments she was there. Like cyberspace itself was trying to burn up her very soul. Much like how the Metaverse felt at first.
Then Pixie happened to appear and poof. The whole place felt a lot less hostile.
Could something similar happen in the Blackwall? Was it possible to survive with the aid of a native AI?
Not that it would help with V's situation. As powerful as Rogue AI's were made out to be, the chances of one being able to fix a dying brain was next to zero. Let alone finding one willing to help in the first place.
One could desire.
"Wait…"
"Hm? Something up?" River barely kept from dropping his mug. Her sudden outburst even shocked V herself. Takemi's medicine had kicked in and with it, a rush of energy.
"Desires. That's it! I… uh… I have to go. If Judy wakes up before I'm back, I'm only over at Le Blanc." With a sudden rush of energy, the merc dashed off to her room, got dressed as quickly as she could and before River could even protest, she was out of the door.
"And… she's gone. God damn it, V…"
"I really don't get you, sometimes…"
Beneath the cool shade of one of the many trees in Shujin's campus, Lynn and Ryuji had decided to spend lunch together. Lynn thought they were going to do some exercise given Ryuji's insistence. It's what they usually did whenever they hung out. Even with a bum leg, the boy knew how to keep in shape.
Much to the visual enjoyment of a certain raven-haired transfer student.
This time - however - Ryuji had taken to laying back against the tree trunk, lackadaisically lolling his head to and fro as he people-watched.
He almost seemed wistful.
"I like to keep 'em guessin'. Girls love a little mystery!"
"Oh, we do, do we?" Lynn smirked and poked his side. His only response was a grunt, a grin and a wink. Despite his apparent good mood, there was definitely something he was trying to work up towards. His leg twitched and with a deep sigh, Ryuji turned his head toward Lynn.
"It's like we don't exist!"
"Uh… come again?"
"Y'know… us. The Phantom Thieves. Yusuke and I spent all day and night makin' those cards and postin' them about town. But no one's even mentionin' it. Heard some chatter 'bout Madarame bein' sick, but that's it."
Lynn's gut reaction wanted her to hit him. Speaking so openly in public was basically suicide. She growled and gave a quick scan of her surroundings. No one was within earshot, sure, but that still didn't make it ok. "Want to say that a little louder? I don't think the damn martians heard you." It was a blessing that Morgana had opted to spend today keeping Yusuke company at Le Blanc. Otherwise he would have done a little more than scowl at Ryuji. Even still, she groaned and leant back against the tree. "We just have to wait. You know it takes time, so enjoy the time off and focus on school."
"Oh please, Rin, you're doin' worse than I am. That's just impressive… for all the wrong reasons."
Admittedly, that stung. Especially considering it was actually true. The last midterm exams proved as much. Though if she were being honest with herself, it really wasn't because she hadn't studied. Lynn never was good at standardised tests. It came down to that and the fact she was in the middle of an identity crisis at the time.
Excuses, excuses.
Lynn knew she had to step up her academic game. Even if it was merely to spite the establishment that had discarded her.
As the time passed, something sprung to her mind. Curiosity consumed her and with a mischievous grin, she inched closer to Ryuji. "How are things with that plant girl? You guys kissed yet?"
"W-what!? Rin, the hell are you talkin' 'bout? Haru's a friend! Just a friend!"
"Oh really? Then why are you blushing like a tomato?" The girl giggled with a childish glee. Though it was a mask. Honestly, she felt a little jealous. If someone asked if Ryuji had kissed her, yet, he'd probably laugh it off, retort with some witty come back and not give it a second thought. In Lynn's perspective, Ryuji didn't really see her as a girl. At least, that's how it seemed. He treated her as he would a guy friend.
Seeing him suddenly go all mushy at the mere thought of a romantic connection with Okumura gave her a weird tight feeling in her chest.
Not that she would ever admit to it.
"I'm just messing with you, Ryuji." Masking her true feelings, she winked mischeviously. "Seriously, though. You and Haru Okumura? Shujin's very own little Princess Aristocrat? That's certainly not a combo I'd have expected."
To that, Ryuji shrugged. The blush faded and he once again returned to his casual self. "Nah, she ain't some prissy snob. She's chill. Real chill. Super smart, too. She's teachin' me how to look after plants and veggies. Even got me started up with a veggie patch back home." A sheepish smile crawled over his jaw. As if he was embarrassed about it. Which - given how Japan usually looked down on the uncommon - was likely what he was thinking.
"Don't you live in an apartment complex?"
"Yeah. There's a communal space with a little patch of soil no one uses. I got all the permissions and shit sorted. Might even try sellin' 'em if the crop turns out good."
The genuine pride in his voice was warming to hear. It was good to see his pent up stress wilt away. A very small part of Lynn was still jealous, but if spending time with Haru made Ryuji feel at ease in his own skin, Lynn was happy for him. Genuinely. "Maybe Boss'd buy them. If you're lucky." She was only half joking. Sojiro was incredibly particular about the ingredients he used. Everything had to be done to his standards and everything needed to be fresh. Or at least as fresh as possible in the middle of Tokyo.
As they spoke, enjoying the light mood, something caught Lynn's eye.
And that something gasped in response.
Makoto Nijjima.
The council president quickly moved her thick textbook far too close to her face as she walked by. It was still laughably obvious that she was still on Lynn's case. Even if her tactics had changed somewhat.
With a wry grin, Lynn gave a friendly wave. It prompted Makoto to quicken her pace. A pace that led her straight into the path of one Sadayo Kawakami.
The collision played out as if in slow motion. The cup of coffee Kawakami had been holding flipped from her hand. It spun once, twice, thrice, four whole times until it unloaded the hot caffeinated goodness all over Makoto's head. The impact of the two also bumped both onto the ground.
The shrill yelp of a teenager in distress could have deafened Lynn.
Despite the chaos and potential for actual injury, Lynn couldn't help but giggle at the display. A small bit of catharsis for the stress of being followed. Plus a little revenge for the prank that had backfired the other week.
Ryuji and Lynn were too far away to hear what they were saying, but Lynn enjoyed Makoto's frantic bowing. The sheer awkward and stiff manner of it all had completely jarred Kawakami's brain and for a good few seconds she was stuck in an apologetic smile. Finally, Makoto had stopped and with a very high pitched, flustered yelp, she dashed off. Likely to clean herself off before classes resumed for the day.
What Lynn wasn't expecting was Kawakami to approach her after the whole debacle.
Had she seen Lynn giggling to herself at the incident?
Finally, the teacher drew close and - with a brief side glance of disapproval aimed at Ryuji - beckoned Lynn to follow. "Kobayakawa asked me to do another council session with you. Normally, I'd try ditching it and I'm pretty sure you'd do the same. But I actually enjoyed our last one. Don't worry, if we run into class time I've already cleared it with your next period's teacher, Hiruta." Lynn perked a brow. Reluctantly, she dragged herself up and stretched out her legs. She glanced at Ryuji and caught a glimpse of a curious and mischievous grin.
"Extra curricular private sessions with a 'problematic' student. Nothin' untoward goin' on, I hope!"
"Sakamoto… don't you have studying to do? Last I checked, Ushimaru had given you some extra assignments to get your grades back up."
"Oh shit! They're due in, like, an hour!"
That got him moving.
With the finesse of a wild, headless chicken, the boy jolted up and made a mad dash for the school's library.
With another giggle, Lynn raised a hand to her forehead in a salute. He was destined for the firing squad if it was Ushimaru. School chalk was one hell of a calibre. His forehead might not survive.
"What are you… nevermind. Come on, Amamiya."
The tingle of Le Blanc's bell was usually a gentle, welcoming sound. A cosy introduction to the quaint little cafe.
That wasn't the case this time.
V almost pushed the door off its hinges as she barged in. The bell rattled and sounded as though it was screaming under the sudden abuse. Yet the boy standing behind the counter barely flinched at all. Instead, he turned his head and gracefully nodded with a formal smile. "Good morning, Miss V. You… look troubled."
In the last few days, Yusuke had been sleeping on a blow-up mattress in the movie theatre's attic. By now, it was almost a habit for V to bring out her phone in order to talk back to him. If River wasn't there, conversations got a little time consuming.
"Got something to ask the cat. He in?"
Yusuke quickly read the translated message. "I believe he is upstairs. I imagine napping." That was quite a stroke of luck. For a moment, V thought she might have had to break into Shujin. Amusing as the thought was, it would only cause trouble for Lynn and the others. "Could I interest you in a house blend while you wait?"
"Wait for what…? Ugh… my head's killing me." The rush of energy had run its course and so set in the lethargy. Her head pounded and breathing became a chore. "Sure… coffee me."
The merc slumped down on a stool and put all her focus onto toughing out whatever the hell was happening. It would pass. It always did.
Even without a translated text, Yusuke seemed to understand and went about prepping a cup. His movements were a little unsure to start with. The boy mumbled to himself as he worked. What little V's auto translator picked up told her that he was recounting steps on brewing. It looked to help, too. He grew more confident with each step of the process. The result was a rather alluring cup of coffee. Its steam curled at V's nose, helping to quell the pain.
It was a good cup. A refined taste with not too much acidity.
Granted, V was no coffee connoisseur.
"You seem to have a heaviness on your soul. But I also see a small spark of hope in your eye. If I may, what's on your mind?" Who knew a keen eye for fine art could translate to reading people. Though V supposed he would have had to learn with such an awful father raising him. Still, his blunt nature coupled with a genuine air of concern cut right through V's defences. It reminded her that no one had actually explained to Yusuke about V and her friends. As far as he was concerned, the three Night City denizens were just oddball foreigners who just happened to get caught up in the Metaverse.
"Long story short; I'm a dead woman walking. Complicated, tell you later."
The solemn expression that came over Yusuke's features poked at her nerves. It was the exact same expression everyone made when finding out her mortality issues.
She couldn't blame him - nor anyone else, for that matter. After all, what could they do?
"Hey… pssst. Yusuke, is Boss here?" Morgana's voice drifted into the cafe like some kind of whisper in the wind. For a split second, the artist's eye twitched. His head lolled over to the staircase leading to the attic. "Oh… V… what are you doing here?" At its foot stood the diminutive feline-adjacent Morgana. His fur was slightly ruffled and his eyes were barely focused. Tell tale signs of just waking up.
"Boss had to leave suddenly. He received a phone call. Apparently something wasn't the correct input type, nor was it the colour requested."
"Huh… sounds like Judy on a tinker binge." V smirked to herself. Immediately regretting it as her brain raged with pounding pain. "Ugh… fuckin' head…" her vision grew blurry. Read-outs flashed across her Kiroshis. Her body was in full self preservation mode and - judging by the concerned looks from both Morgana and Yusuke - it showed. She hadn't felt this bad since her assault on Arasaka Tower.
That's what really scared her.
That assault was a last ditch effort launched on pure will power alone. She was on the brink of flatlining then. So was this an omen of the end too?
No. This wasn't going to be the end. V refused to even consider it.
"I came to speak to you, Mona."
"Me? What's up?"
"The Metaverse - it can cause real change in reality, right? That's what the change of heart bullshit is, right?"
"Well… in a sense. A change of heart is a drastic alteration of how the person's cognition functions. It generally removes the distorted, corrupted desires and allows the brain to think for itself again." Mumbo jumbo aside, Morgana's explanation at least made sense. Though it wasn't anything V hadn't heard before. Therein lay her query.
"Do you think the Metaverse can be used to change a person physically?"
"... In what way…?" The dubious and suspicious tone was - unfortunately - expected. Honestly, V didn't like the idea either. But if it was possible, she would do anything for a chance at an actual life.
"You're aware of my brain issues?" V asked, receiving a tentative nod, "well, a lot of it had to do with the relic trying to rewire my mind. It was trying to replace everything that makes me, me and turn me into someone else. I'm no neuroscientist, but… maybe the Metaverse could reverse the damage the relic did. Like… I don't fucking know… re-teach my brain how to be itself again?"
There was a long pause. Silence fell only broken by the gentle sound of crockery being washed and coffee being brewed.
"Honestly, V… I don't know. It… sounds possible but it's definitely not what we usually do. Besides, you'd need a Palace or Seedling for us to actually do anything. Under usual circumstances I'd say someone with the power of Persona can't have a Palace… but your power… technically isn't Persona."
V had already brought up her phone's Meta-Nav. After typing out her full name, she waited. The search seemed to drag on, almost destroying her hope. Until finally, a confirming tone chimed in the air.
She had one.
A Palace.
And not just a Seedling Palace, either. It was fully formed.
A rush of excitement squeezed at her throat. She let out a shrill squeak of joy and for the first time in a while, genuine hope clutched at her heart.
Then a strange, apprehensive feeling took over.
She had a Palace.
From her experiences with the Metaverse, that only meant trouble. Both for the owner as well as anyone who entered. Mixed feelings swirled in her head. On one hand, it meant a possible salvation from certain death. On the other hand, it meant she was fundamentally broken. She knew that anyway, but having a metaphysical representation of it stashed away in another dimension made it seem a little more poignant.
"... Don't you need to be a huge piece of shit to have one?" That was also something V knew already. Though she was definitely trying to be less of one.
With that said, Kimiko Ishida had a Seedling and she turned out to be a decent, caring individual. Morgana shook his head. A faint glint of concern sparked in his feline eyes. "A Palace forms from distorted desires. Those desires don't necessarily need to be evil. Just incredibly strong. All we need is a location and what you perceive that location as. For example, Madarame's Palace was formed on top of his shack and he perceived it as his own museum." That was at least a small relief. "But… V, we don't know what'll happen if you enter your own Palace. If we do try this… it might be best if you stay out of it."
"No way. Not gonna happen," she spoke in defiance, "if this is the key, the solution to my problem… there's no fuckin' way I'm not going in, myself."
"I get it," Morgana let slip a frustrated sigh, "honestly, I do. But it would be a lot safer for everyone if you weren't involved. Your presence alone could have drastic impacts on the fundamentals of your cognition. Plus, from the sounds of your problem, the added strain on your mind could do more harm than good." The cat pawed at his nose as a human would massage the bridge of their nose. He was doing his best to think, but the situation seemed so complex, V could read his frustration, irritation and concern like a book.
It was understandable. Even she didn't fully like the idea of it. Even if it did offer a possible cure. The fact it wasn't a definite yes only added to her concerns.
Briefly, she regretted even bringing it up.
She steeled her nerves and shored up her determination. If it was even remotely possible, she wasn't going to pass it up. Not if her future was on the line. "Fine… but if I can't go in with you, I'll be fuckin' damned if I can't at least try to help in other ways."
"I was given a script… again…" Kawakami groaned. She slapped a wad of papers on the table and a long, exasperated sigh left her lips. "Honestly, you're causing me a lot of hassle, y'know that, right?" A particularly sour expression branded her features. One that softened after a few seconds of silence. "Ugh… the least you could do is talk back at me. Give me an attitude or something."
Lynn quirked a brow. "Haven't we gotten past that? I might have issues with authority, but I at least consider you to be half decent." The girl received a raised brow of her own. Followed by a decidedly awkward chuckle.
"Well, I'm glad I've earned your approval." The chuckle developed into a wry grin. Kawakami usually held herself at a distance with most students that came to her. It was something Lynn had noticed when people-watching. The teacher would never do more than the bare minimum, especially when it came to widely considered 'problematic' students. Lynn counted among them. But despite that, Lynn honestly didn't sense any contempt or malice towards students. In fact, the opposite.
Deep down, Lynn could see in Kawakami a genuine want to do more. To be more to her students.
Something was preventing that.
Of course, Lynn had no actual basis on which to make that claim. It was a simple hunch of hers. Otherwise, why would Kawakami actually take the time to do these counselling sessions? It could have just been a case of being forced to, but her bluntness and willingness to let down the metaphorical mask said otherwise.
"Anyway, dumb scripts and overbearing Principals aside; how are you, really?"
"I'm doing… better."
That was the genuine truth. Over the course of the last month, her mind had gone through a wild roller coaster. It still was. But she knew she wasn't alone and that brought more stability to her well being. The thought of succeeding in Madarame's change of heart also helped. Even if that wasn't confirmed yet.
Judging by Kawakami's expectant stare, that simple statement wasn't enough.
"At least, I like to think I am. Classes aren't as hostile anymore. Guess I have you to thank for that." Kawakami nodded in a triumphant show of pride. "I still find it hard to get myself up in the morning sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself of the good things. Some of it doesn't seem real still. Like I'll just wake up in a juvie cell one morning and that'll be it." She caught herself in her tracks. Kawakami was listening intently, but was their relationship really at the point where Lynn could be this open?
Her fists tightened against her legs and she began fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
No. Kawakami was a teacher. Not a therapist. Unloading the deeper thoughts on Lynn's mind was just unfair.
"I'm doing ok now. I promise."
"Well… if you're su-" a shrill, piercing tone called out from Kawakami's pocket. It immediately sent a jolt of panic up the teacher's spine. The very noise visibly scared her. "I… uh. Sorry, I need to take this…"
Lynn expected her to get up and leave. Instead, Kawakami took out her phone and answered right in front of her.
"H-hello?... Yes… I'm with a st- uh, I'm in a meeting… what!?... You c-can't be serious!... That's too much! Wasn't my last payment enough?... But I ca-... yes… I understand… Yes, you're right… I'm sorry…" Kawakami's shoulders sagged and her entire existence seemed to collapse in on itself. Hopeless despair overtook the woman's eyes. It gripped at Lynn's chest. She looked so defeated. "Sorry… about that, Amamiya."
"Can I ask what that was about?"
If Kawakami didn't want Lynn involved, she would have completely excused herself and taken the call privately. Something was screaming at Lynn that Kawakami was desperate about something. Money troubles from the sounds of it. Kawakami owed someone, and judging from her defeated and completely hopeless shift in posture, that amount was insurmountable.
"My sister is in the hospital. I'm the only one who can cover her bills… but a teacher's salary can only do so much."
She was lying.
It was in her eyes.
The way the teacher had suddenly refused to hold eye contact. Like she was ashamed. She was barely holding back tears. It hurt to witness. Whatever the truth was, it was bad. But prying into it was just asking for trouble. For now, Lynn played along with the story. If that was her story, then that was the truth. It was Kawakami's sister's medical bills.
"So, you got a plan?"
"Part time jobs won't cover it. If that's what you were going to suggest."
Truth be told, Lynn didn't have anything to suggest. She wanted to help, but a teacher accepting financial help from a student was all kinds of inappropriate. Even if it wasn't, what little Lynn could offer probably wouldn't even put a dent in the debt Kawakami had. So, as things were now, whatever troubles Kawakami had were sadly her own to deal with. All Lynn could do was try not to cause her any more hassle.
"Ugh… look at me. Pathetic…" Kawakami slapped her cheeks and shook off the sadness. Though it was only an act. The facade was back. "You should head to class. Looks like you won't miss it after all."
A pitiable smile worked its way over her lips.
It was practically begging for Lynn to reach out and save her. And Lynn desperately wanted to. But she couldn't. She was powerless to help Kawakami as long as Kawakami kept her at a safe distance.
Outside the counselling office, Lynn took a few moments. Leaning against the wall, she peered out of the corridor's window. The late spring sun was dappled out by a thin canopy of emerald leaves. A gentle breeze brushed through branches and even from inside, Lynn could hear the calm sounds of the season. This was definitely her favourite time of year. But again, she couldn't focus on enjoying it. Her mind was still very much with Kawakami.
What could her situation possibly be?
Was she secretly an addict? Gambling, drugs or whatever? She didn't seem like the type. Then again, dark and dirty secrets were kind of Shujin's thing. Even if it was the case, Lynn still felt bad for her teacher.
As her mind wandered, her phone buzzed in her skirt's pocket. It was the Thief chat.
[Vee - We got to meet. Something's come up.]
[Ryu-Ryu - All of us?]
[Vee - Yes.]
[Rin-Tin-Lynn - What's up? Nothing bad I hope?]
For a moment, there was no reply. From anyone. Lynn was about to type something but a private message stopped her in her tracks. V had opted to text her directly, and from what the text said, she really didn't blame the merc. It was a simple message. Simple, but its implications were by far more than Lynn could ever have expected.
[I have a Palace.]
"For real!?" Ryuji erupted out of his seat. His soda sloshed and a small spray of it spilt from the bottle and onto the hard wooden floor. Frustrated, River got out a rag and bent over to wipe it up, almost obsessively. The old couple who owned the theatre were graciously kind most of the time. Yet they could get down right scary if there was a mess. "You tellin' us she has a Palace!? V? The badass super cyborg from the future?"
"That really doesn't sound good…" Shiho - meek as always - was understandably worried. Granted, V hadn't divulged what it could possibly mean for her. She was getting to it, but Ryuji's interjection halted her mid sentence.
She was grateful for the concern, but she had - since discovering its existence - decided to brand it as an exclusively good thing. "As I was saying," she grunted and shot a glare at the blond boy, "yeah, I have a Palace of my own. Mona and I found out this morning. Sure, it has some fucked up implications… but it can also mean something preem for me."
"Uh… how can a Palace be a good thing?" Lynn's apprehension was also completely expected and understandable.
It was Morgana that took the lead on the conversation next. Usually, he would puff up his chest and explain whatever with a condescending inflection. Annoying as it was, his current stand-in of unsure timidness really didn't suit him. "Well… Palaces aren't inherently good or bad. At least I think…" V caught a glimpse of Ryuji rolling his eyes at that. "But in this case it's less about the Palace itself and more about an issue it could help V resolve."
Judy's eyes widened. She shuffled forward and lunged for V's hand. Notably, it was suddenly shaking quite plainly. "Wait… are you sayin' it could help cure her?"
"Cure…? Are you sick, V?" Ann asked.
So Lynn hadn't told the others? A quick glance in the kid's direction turned up a solemn grimace. It wasn't exactly a casual subject. In fact, it was only Morgana that knew everything else. The added context behind her stubborn self-reliance. Still, she offered a sigh and - spurred on by an encouraging nudge from Judy - decided to rip off the bandaid.
"Fact is, I ain't as invincible as Ryuji thinks I am. Brain's a ticking time bomb and the fuse is running short. Pretty much running on fumes right now."
She explained the whole story. Albeit in a shortened, less graphical way. The Thieves already knew she had a dead terrorist in her brain, so explaining the relic was quickly glossed over. She wasn't looking for sympathy and the fact everyone was so quiet annoyed her. She hated having to put herself in the centre of attention when it came to her condition. To her, it felt like she was whining whenever she explained it. However, it was necessary to understand what V planned on doing. After all, it was completely different from stealing a Treasure.
On a fundamental level, she was about to ask a bunch of kids to rewrite her brain to save her life.
"So… are you askin' us to steal your desires?" Ryuji didn't seem so enthusiastic anymore. "That… doesn't sound like no cure to me."
"No, Ryuji," Mona shook his head and pawed at his feline nose. "I don't think that's the solution for this case. I don't even know if it's possible, but… we'll just have to do some investigating." The more the cat took the time to think, the less confidence his body language offered. He had already said this was way out of his realm of expertise, but he was still trying his best. V could respect that. It was a little strange feeling gratitude towards a cat, but desperate times called for strange bedfellows. "We won't know anything until we get a look inside. So, we should try figuring out V's key words."
Shiho spoke up with a head tilted to one side. "You mean you don't know?"
"I have no fuckin' clue, honestly. There's a fuck ton of things it could be, so I figured it best we try sorting it all out together."
Reluctance filled the air. Eventually, Judy pulled out her phone, opened the Nav and typed in V's name. Much like earlier, the tone chimed its confirmation. That seemed to drop the full weight of it on the techy. Her grip twitched and the phone almost slipped from her grasp.
"So… what?" River took his turn to speak up. "We just say a bunch of shit until something sticks?"
"No. Think about a place with a lot of significance to V."
All three of the V team fell into quiet contemplation. There were a lot of potential candidates, yet only one of them was correct.
Heywood. Her home. The only place she knew when growing up. Harsh and unforgiving to be sure. Every day was filled with fear, apprehension and strife. Vincent, Jackie and - to a small extent - a small offshoot of the Valentinos were the only family she had. She would have and did kill for them.
Konpeki Plaza. The start of everything. The turning point in V's life. The job that was supposed to launch her and Jackie into the major leagues, the start of the rest of her legend. Instead, it spelled the beginning of the end. She lost everything on that job. All because the son of the damn Emperor decided to perform a little bit of patricide.
The No-Tell Motel. The place of her death. After losing her last remaining fragment of family, she fell victim to one last betrayal. Dexter DeShawn murdered her then and there. All to save his own abundant hide. Fat lot of good that did him.
The Landfill. The place of her rebirth. In pain, confused and on the verge of a second death, V had clawed herself out of the trash and rose again. The beginning of her struggle. The birthplace of an unlikely alliance. As poignant as that sounded, was it really all that important to her?
The Afterlife. The place where legends were born and remembered. Growing up, one of her fantasies revolved around carving out a name for herself. The club was like her own personal Shangri-la. Always out of her reach yet well within her sight, it was torture on her child mind. Of course, it eventually became her stomping ground. Her respite from the storm that was Night City. One could even call it her lair.
Misty's Esoterica. A source of wisdom and - if V were being completely honest - her spiritual centre. Although Misty wasn't the clearest or most helpful, her advice and insight always struck a chord with V. The feeling that Misty knew more than what she shared always picked at the back of V's mind. Yet the rooftop above her store also served as the point of no return. That was where V had to decide her own fate.
Arasaka Tower. The end. Or at least, that was the plan. To V, the end could have meant two things. Either die with iron in hand and a blaze of destruction in her wake, or perform the impossible. Cheat death, strike at the heart of her sworn enemy and come out the other end alive. Neither was the case. She hadn't died nor come out completely alive. Not only that, all it did was buy her time. Time that was now running out.
There were - of course - many other places that she could think of, however, none of them had the significance or impact necessary to build something like a Palace around.
Each one turned up nothing. Location after location was met with the annoying buzzing of a wrong input. Until finally, Afterlife was put into the app. It chimed a ring of confirmation. The Nav's announcer said as much, but it didn't register in V's head for a good few seconds. All she could muster was a surprised "huh." At least the first part was figured out.
Why it turned out to be the Afterlife, V had no clue. Was it the booze? Fat chance of something so simple.
"I was half expectin' somethin' dumb like a gun store." Judy's attempt at humour only managed to earn a slight twitch of V's lips. She would have retorted with some other joke, yet the Velvet Room sprang to mind. That was modelled after Wilson's 2nd Amendment store. For whatever that meant.
"So… what's the Afterlife? Like… heaven and hell?" Ryuji's infectious enthusiasm had begun to come back. He leant forward in the old theatre seat with a star filled gaze.
V replied with a light chuckle. "It's a club and a hub for biz. Pretty much the place you think of when you want a merc or Fixer." Despite it not being so grand as all that heaven and hell, bullshit, it was a sort of place legends lived after they died. The club's menu was proof of that. Many solos staked their whole lives on one day making it onto the menu. It was like being immortalised in booze. "Alright… so it's just what I think of the place, now?"
Morgana nodded.
"Home?" No response. "... Harbour?" No response. "Hm… legend?" Again, no response. V shrugged and growled with frustration. "Fuck if I know, then."
"Morgue?"
Nothing.
"Safety?"
Still nothing.
Everyone fell into silence, only to be broken by the breeze just outside and the whirring of computers. V caught a glance of Lynn staring intently down at her soda. Her eyes flitted from side to side. She was thinking. Hard.
"You said it was a hub for mercenaries to find work, right?"
"Yeah. Most mercs earn their reps through gossip, rumours and chatter. Kind'a like how you got your rep."
Lynn grimaced. V knew of the horrible rumours the girl had been slapped with. Curated and manipulated by Kamoshida to give her the worst possible chance of fitting in. Why the scumbag had such a vendetta for Lynn without ever meeting her was likely a simple case of spite. In Kamoshida's mind, Lynn was a threat to his reputation simply because she existed and had been transferred to his domain.
"It sounds like a hideout. Or… maybe lair?"
[Candidate Found. Navigation Ready.]
Everyone gasped at the artificial announcer. That was the answer? A lair? V huffed. What kind of self serving bullshit had her own mind concocted? She hated the idea, but couldn't deny that it made sense.
Rogue herself had said V was the top dog of the place. Crippling the city's largest corp single-handedly tended to launch someone into "living legend" status.
Still, the path now lay open. The merc sighed in defeat. She wanted to walk down it herself and it angered her that she couldn't. Her stubborn nature coupled with her burning distaste for putting others at risk for her sake tightened her chest. Morgana was right, though. As far as he knew, V going inside her own Palace could end in fatal consequences. Even if it didn't, there was no telling how it would affect her.
River took point, taking people's attention off of V. "Alright… so, what's next?"
"Rule One of the Phantom Thieves," Lynn raised a finger with the authority befitting a teacher addressing an unruly classroom, "any operation undertaken must be a unanimous decision." Each of the kids nodded emphatically in agreement. Save for Yusuke, which wasn't all that surprising. He was the newest addition, after all. "We… did just finish up with Madarame, though. So I do kind'a want to follow up on that either tomorrow or the day after. We still need to secure things with Ishida."
"Come on, Rin… that really necessary? Ain't the change of heart enough? He'll be spillin' his guts out before y'know it." Growling, Ryuji leant back and let himself deflate. Like one would after being told their work wasn't over yet.
V shared his irritation. As selfish as she felt, she honestly couldn't care less about Madarame any more. It was done. Gig closed.
This was a legitimate matter of life and death.
That said, V was powerless to force the thieves into action. As much as it pained her to admit it, she would have to wait for them to finish their business. On the bright side - or not depending on one's perspective - V, Judy and River still had the stockpile of files they stole from Carson's Seedling Palace to crack. The mystery of Mikoshi and how Night Corp were involving themselves in interdimensional brainwashing awaited her attention.
It really couldn't hurt to wait just a little longer.
"If you ask me," Mona's voice brought everyone's attention to him, "we should at least take a look at V's Palace. Even if it's only a quick one, the more info we can get about it, the better."
Judy's eyes sparkled and her hand quickly rushed to give the cat lots of scratches. Like usual, Mona tried to - badly - pretend that he disliked it. It brought a smile to V's lips. Judy was the "act now, ask later" kind of person, so having someone else - other than V - validate her need to move proved a blessing in her eyes.
"Alright, all in favour of some preliminary investigation?" Lynn called the vote.
Everyone raised their hand.
V didn't quite know how to feel. They were all willing to put themselves in danger for the sake of others. That took real courage. It may have been something V was used to doing herself, but in her case, it was a job. She was paid to do that. The thieves had no such obligation, yet they were all so ready to enter the ring on her behalf. She both hated it and welcomed it at the same time. Deep down, she wanted help, yet the habit of refusing it all her life still held its grip on her.
"Well," Ann smiled, "that's about as unanimous as it gets!"
"If that's the case, I better get out of your way." The thieves responded with a round of curious and confused looks. V shrugged and started to head for the door to her and Judy's room. "I've been banned from joinin' you. For my own safety according to Mona."
That apparently was enough to satisfy the thieves. Judy looked like she wanted to protest, but stopped herself.
Once V was in her room, alone, she slumped onto the bed.
Was this really the road to salvation? Did she dare hope? A tight feeling clutched at her chest and an emotion she hadn't felt since Judy proposed rushed up inside her. Pure, elated joy. A droning, warping sound came from outside. The same sound that accompanied the transition into the Metaverse. Once V was sure the thieves were gone, she let out an uncharacteristically girlish yelp of happiness.
She wanted to join them, sure, but at the same time, she didn't want to mess with her chances.
For now, it was up to them.
"I need a fuckin' drink."
When entering the Metaverse, it was always a little uncomfortable. It felt like horrendous motion sickness concentrated into a brief few moments. By now, Lynn was used to it, but this time was different.
It usually lasted no longer than a few seconds. A minute at the very most.
When they hit the Nav to enter V's Palace, the rushing, rocking feeling lasted far longer. Lynn's body quaked with the pressure of some unseen force bearing down on her. She heard noises, muffled and garbled like she had a bag over her head. Music? The Afterlife was a club. The nausea gave way to a sense of weightlessness. It turned her stomach even more and before her brain caught up with her body, she suddenly began to fall.
She couldn't see anything yet, but the feeling was there. She was plummeting through a void of nothingness.
The others were right along with her. She could hear each of them yelling and scrambling for anything. Then there was an impact. Wind was sucked from her lungs and a blinding pain surged through her body.
The shock quickly dissipated and a few more senses came back to her.
First it was the smell.
Smoke. Not the kind from a cigarette. It was more sulphurous and nearly burned her nose. Secondly, she felt a wave of heat. Overwhelming and instantly debilitating heat. It was like they were in an oven. With a struggle, she opened an eye. An ominous orange hue burned the air, glowing from below.
Lynn found herself face first on slate black rock. Its jagged and bumpy surface dug into her cheek before she dragged herself up.
"Holy… shit…"
"This is more like the complete opposite of holy…"
Judy's retort was appropriate. Lynn took in the full extent of the Palace. The thieves had landed a fair ways away from what could only be described as a jutting, bubbling portal to hell. An erupting volcano complete with rivers of magma. The looming mountain towered into dark, smoggy clouds and ash fell like grey snow.
Looking behind them, there were lights in the distance. Down below, miles from their position.
"That must be Night City. It looks so… small from up here…" Judy's eyes narrowed. Lynn tried to focus her own gaze through the smog and ash. Sure enough, the lights were all buildings and infrastructure. The whole city was completely surrounded by a ring of magma. Beyond it was nothing but scarred, cracked wasteland. "Well… at least the Badlands are pretty much the same. Still, this… ain't what I expected."
"This is effin' badass! Are we gonna storm an evil overlord's evil base!?"
"That's my fiance you're talkin' 'bout, Skull."
The techy's smile was innocent enough on the outside. Though her eyes were glaring with the intensity of the magma itself. Despite not understanding English, Ryuji instantly picked up on the message. The heat had caused sweat to drench his face already, but Judy's gaze turned his face into an open floodgate. "Right… forgot who's Palace this was."
"Something's wrong…" Mona hummed to himself. He tapped a foot on the volcanic rock. "This place feels weird."
Now that attention had been drawn to it, this place wasn't like the other Palaces they had infiltrated. For one, their Phantom Thief attire didn't manifest until some key event happened that alerted the Palace Ruler's cognition to a potential threat. Here, however, it was instant. Each thief had already donned their attire meaning - for some unknown reason - V already saw them as a threat.
Mona explained as much, prompting both Judy and River to awkwardly exchange looks.
"V is an Edgerunner." River shrugged.
That could explain it. That profession sounded like it came with a lot of caution and subconscious paranoia. Lynn inspected her body, looking over her thief clothes. As she did so, she noticed an occasional visual glitch. Like static, or two images trying to fight for dominance. They were, indeed, clad in their Thief attire, yet for split second intervals, they switched to their regular attire.
Barely perceivable. Almost like it wasn't happening. However, it undeniably was.
"For now, let's keep moving. I assume we're going to have to climb this volcano. Keep an eye out for caves or… something." Lynn gestured forward and began to trudge over the scarred rock.
As she walked, the heat really started to bear down on the group. Coupled with the occasional tremor making it hard to keep balance, the hike proved a lot more difficult.
Eventually, a small opening came into view. A cave that led into the rock itself. Flanking either side were streams of magma which gave off an intense brightness. It was trying to repel the thieves. At least it was. A neon sign faded into existence notifying the cave as The Afterlife. The entrance warped, shifted and morphed, blending the ravaged volcanic rock with a grimey, ceramic tiled front entrance. Music thumped from within and the distinct scent of alcohol drifted out from the closed doors.
Even the air itself had become much more bearable.
"I… think I know what's happening here." Mona struggled to keep his footing. The heat was affecting him a lot more than the others. Likely the result of Zorro's aversion to fire. "We need more info, though… oh! Shadow!"
A burly figure rose up from the mismatched floor. At first, it certainly looked like a Shadow. Then features began to grow more vivid creating the appearance of a large, muscular human male. His steely gaze bore down on the approaching group, giving off the same kind of pressure that Yusuke once had. It wasn't a Shadow but a Cognition. At least the immediate threat of conflict had vanished.
[Who invited the clown brigade? Ain't no gonk masquerade party happenin' here.] His voice was gruff, to the point and incredibly condescending. If the Afterlife was a nightclub, then this must have been the bouncer.
Oddly, it was Shiho who took the lead. Her timid tone wavering as she tried her best to sound determined. "We're… friends of V. She should be expecting us."
[You? Friends with the Overlord? Unlikely. Buzz off before I crack your skulls over the pavement.] Completely shut down, Shiho squeaked in defeat. Sure, it was this guy's job to act tough and keep trouble out, but did he really need to be so rude about it? Judy clearly held the same opinion. Her brow furrowed and as she stepped forward, the Bouncer's attitude suddenly shifted. [Mistress! I didn't know you were comin'. Uh… sorry for the… uh…"
"You gonna stand there mutterin' all day or are you gonna open the door? The… 'Overlord' and I gotta talk."
Lynn couldn't help but giggle. The techy had immediately caught on and had adapted to the role set out for her. Incredibly effectively at that. Even Lynn briefly fell for it. Even still, ever since coming here, something felt off. The static glitches, the smog, the unnatural blending of architecture and volcanic rock. It was all pointing to something. Frustratingly, Lynn couldn't put her finger on it. Despite whatever the issue was being on the tip of her tongue.
The bouncer scrambled to open the club door, frantic to get the hell out of Judy's way.
"Hey, Mox, you know that guy in reality?" River asked. Earning a shrug.
"Nope. I've never actually been to the Afterlife before. Never really had the urge. I ain't an Edgerunner, so what'd be the point?" Even with that said, she walked forward with confidence.
The corridor was a long, drawn out passage. Like the entrance, its walls were paved with ceramic tiles that had long since passed their prime. Graffiti scrawled over the grime and glowing, rather obscene advertisements peppered along the passage. At irregular intervals, the tiles had fallen away to let jutting, sharp rock skewer the hall. At other points, the walls morphed into a strange state between natural volcanic rock and the same ceramic tile.
Once the bouncer was out of earshot and they were quite deep into the passage, Mona stopped in his tracks. Pawing his chin, he grunted in thought.
"This Palace is more distorted than it looks. There's a weird dissonance here."
"Huh? What's the cat blabbin' at now? C'mon! I wanna see what Shadow V looks like!" At that, Mona shot Ryuji a hissing scowl. He stomped his paw against the vinyl flooring and subsequently set off an echoing chain reaction down the rest of the passage.
"Damn it, Skull! How many times do I have to say it!? I'm not a cat!" He bellowed. Realising his own flaring temper, he stopped himself from saying anything else. Usually, Ryuji and Mona's back and forth was more like two friends poking at each other in a friendly rivalry. However, this time, Morgana briefly looked genuinely pissed off. Ryuji had even picked up on the disparity. It definitely wasn't normal for the feline-like Mona. Despite that, whatever he was thinking of seemed to have clicked as a certain spark of clarity burst into his eyes. "V's Palace doesn't know what it wants to be! It's at odds with itself like there's several conflicting versions trying to take over."
"I think I understand," said Lynn, "The Relic was rewriting her brain's physiology to try and turn her into someone else. So… if the damage is still there, then of course the Palace would be caught up in the distortion. Question is; how does that help us?"
"For one, I think it explains why I just got so angry. The Metaverse can subtly affect people in weird ways. The stronger the distortion, the easier it is." Mona gave Ryuji an apologetic glance. It earned him a reciprocating, silent apology back from Ryuji. What Mona suggested made sense. "I think I briefly resonated with some of V's personal anger. There's a whole lot of it in here. Or… maybe it's not V's? There's another presence I can feel somewhere. Faint and barely holding itself together, but it's definitely there."
The passage finally came to an end with a large, wrought iron door. Spiked rivets lined the frame which gave the whole thing a certain aesthetic. It was very 'Bowser's Castle' like. A stark contrast to the passage itself.
The volcanic rock surface of the walls and floor had taken over completely too. Along with the heat.
As they approached, the heavy set door grinded open. Like some maw of a great beast, it revealed the interior. A cavernous system of raised walkways, caves and gigantic chains. All standing above an endless lake of bubbling magma. Adding to the bizarre nature of the Palace, there were ruined fragments of structures. Each one holding the same aesthetic of the passage they had just left.
Looking up, a huge, monolithic structure jutted down from the cavern's rocky ceiling. It appeared like an upside down tower, its outer walls glowing with huge circuitry and geometrical patterns. The gigantic chains all led to the structure, binding it in place. At its peak - where it merged with the ceiling - its pulsing, glowing circuitry was melting into the rock itself, spreading out into something resembling a circulatory system. The rock and stone looked sick and crumbling debris occasionally fell into the lava below.
"That looks a lot like the fuckin' Relic." Judy's fists clenched and a confused grunt left her lips. "We got rid of it, though. What's it still doin' here?"
"I can sense a lot of corruption coming from its peak," Mona replied and pointed a paw toward where metal met rock. "Maybe we could figure out what's going on and how to help if we climb up through the tower. I… think."
"Well, it's more than we had. Let's try and find an entrance, first." With that said, Lynn couldn't see any way in. Not even a clear path that led anywhere near the tower itself. Frustration took hold. "Any ideas?"
Ann stepped gingerly toward the edge of the walkway they were on. She knelt down and examined the lake below. Her focus moved on to the various ruins. Some of them were connected to accessible parts of the cavern. Much larger and less broken than the rest. A gloved hand reached out and pointed to one not too far away. "I think I see something blue and glowy. Is that a bar? Well… I suppose we are in a club, technically."
"It can't hurt to check it out. Keep eyes and ears open, everyone. Even if this is V's Palace, there's no telling how Shadows will respond to us." Lynn gave the order and as a group, they began their trek through the blistering heat.
Their goal wasn't all that hard to navigate toward thanks to a series of caves that led further down onto a lower walkway. The caves offered the same blend of grimy tile and volcanic rock that sprinkled through the rest of the Palace. Advertisement billboards lined them, shamelessly shilling all kinds of products. Though as they descended further down toward the lake, the ads began to involve 'Save Your Soul' branding more and more.
Rounding a corner, Lynn's instincts screamed at her. She halted and ordered everyone else to follow suit.
They had found what looked like a hallway straight out of a morgue. Mortuary lockers lined the walls and an odd fog curled and swept across the floor. It sent chills down Lynn's spine and - much like the entrance with the bouncer - the heat had abated, giving way to a deathly cold.
Contradicting the morbid scene, the music had returned. Muffled and in the far distance. An intense beat that was the polar opposite in tone to the morgue.
Everyone followed the halt, save for a certain blond boy. He was more concerned with looking at images of suggestive advertisements. As a result, his dopey grin was wiped clean off his jaw when he stepped foot on vinyl flooring and the lockers swung open violently.
Shadows burst out from each one.
Lithe and emaciated figures clad in hospital gowns groaned and shuffled like zombies. What served as the Greater Shadow's masks were large corpse labels hanging from their necks. Identifiable by the ominous glowing red eye symbol scrawled over the dirty card. At a first count, Lynn counted four Greater Shadows and over a dozen Lesser Shadows. Without missing a beat, they made way for the group, raring to strike out at the intruders.
"Shit, get back, Skull!" Lynn cried out.
The boy jumped back out of reach of an incoming swipe. The gaunt limb sported shadowy claws that raked into the surrounding tiles with surprising strength.
Skull was quick to shake off his shock and, with a flourish and a yellow spark of electricity, he readied his Remmington and fired a lightning charged blast point blank into one of the advancing Lessers. The Shadow ruptured and burst in a cloud of black vapour. Another thunderous shot tore through the shoulder of another Lesser.
They were in a bottle neck. Barely any room to move properly.
"Skull, back off!"
He didn't need to be told twice. Keeping himself facing the approaching forces, he hopped back and rejoined the group.
"Panther, Fox, time for a Glass Blast!" Lynn dramatically gestured and without a second's hesitation, a thin wall of ice rose up from the ground a short distance away. The shadows collided with the other side and began clawing at it. With another gesture, she ordered Ann to follow up.
The girl snapped her fingers. A pulse of energy shot forward and a second later, an intense explosion shattered the ice. Razor sharp flechettes of frozen needles tore up the incoming shadows.
Their wails of agony would definitely give Lynn nightmares. As if she needed another thing keeping her awake at night.
Still, the blast cleared out the Lesser Shadows.
The remaining Shadows were left dazed and wounded. In complete disarray. Lynn kept the pressure on and rolled a cylindrical object across the floor. With a quick flash of light, thick smoke gushed from the grenade, plunging the whole passage into obscurity. "Light 'em up!" Joker ordered.
Everyone levelled their firearms and unleashed hell on the remaining Greaters.
They didn't have a chance to transform. Not for a lack of trying. Their bodies shuddered with each gunshot and soon, they were nothing but piles of rapidly dissolving black ichor.
Judy gave a relieved sigh as she holstered her pistol. "Well that was fuckin' creepy." She groaned and visibly shuddered. "I guess… not completely unexpected, though. Afterlife used to be a morgue, after all."
Once the smoke cleared, everyone spread out to make sure there weren't any other traps. "That explains the grim decor…" Shiho muttered, inspecting one of the mortuary fridges. She turned to Ryuji with a wry grin. "Maybe don't get distracted by all the gross billboards? It might save you from the big bad zombie people." She was met with a sheepish and somewhat embarrassed chuckle from the boy. Truth be told, Shiho had taken all the suggestive imagery in stride. Surprisingly enough. Though, admittedly, the Palace was tame compared to what little of Night City the thieves had experienced.
Marketing in that world took the adage 'Sex Sells' to an absolute extreme.
"We're almost at that bar, so let's not fall for any more traps." Lynn gave the gesture to move on. That last encounter could have gone a lot worse. In fact, should that have happened in Kamoshida's Palace, it was a very likely possibility that it would have been fatal.
The Phantom Thieves were getting stronger. More cohesive.
It was exhilarating.
"Good evening, Ms. V, the usual?" Lala spoke up even before V fully entered the bar.
She nodded. The morning's illness had come back with a vengeance ever since everyone had entered her Palace. She couldn't exactly feel anything different, but the mere knowledge that people were technically running around inside her brain gave her a funny feeling. She needed something to keep herself focused, and to do that, alcohol was always welcome.
V's visits to Crossroads had apparently earned her a regular status, which garnered a useful perk of having a source of local rumours and gossip courtesy of Lala Escargot.
Tonight, however, V had work to do.
Taking her order, she went to settle herself in a free booth. Or at the very least - seeing as it was apparently rush hour - a booth with a single occupant. None other than Ichiko Ohya. Normally, she was half asleep or completely wasted. This time, however, she was surrounded in stacks of files and growling at a laptop. Frazzled was an understatement. From the few conversations V managed to keep going with the woman, she learned that Ohya was a Media who had been assigned to entertainment. A punishment, supposedly.
When Ohya wasn't completely drowned in ethanol, she was actually quite fun to chat with. Her English was on par with Lala's when sober. Apparently learning it in College as an elective course.
"Your boss barking at you again?"
V's sudden interjection startled the woman. Her head whipped up and a short gasp escaped. She then huffed and let herself relax.
"Oh, it's you. Ugh… my editor's hounding me for stupid crap." Ohya's eyes shifted to V's portable data terminal. "Looks like you've got work of your own." That earned a chuckle. Truthfully, most of it was reading. Anything still yet to decrypt was left back at the theatre attic. All V really had to do was sift through and try to piece together some sort of explanation behind Night Corp's involvement with the Metaverse.
"Boring shit. Same boat, then."
A nod. "Don't suppose a foreigner like you knows anything about these Phantom Thief weirdos?" Ohya asked just as V took a sip from her drink. The jalapeno mixed with salt really burned her throat as a result of almost choking.
"Just what I've seen on the Screamsheets. That's what your editor is on your case for?"
"Screamsheets? You really have a weird way of talking." Ohya rubbed her forehead in frustration. V felt for her in a way. Although she didn't particularly like Medias, some were still solid people. Reggie and Nancy just to name two. Even if Reggie wasn't actually in the game anymore. "But yeah. That stunt yesterday has gotten everyone at the office in a mad frenzy. Got to be the first to break the news, right? Ugh… without any actual sources, anything I write will just be labelled a 'Speculation Piece'."
V leant back in her seat and cracked open her data term. "You tried getting an interview with that Madarame asshole?"
"V, if that was on the table, I'd be there instead of here."
"Figures," V shrugged, "that said, I may know someone who'd be willing to help. Y'know that old looking art shop in Shibuya?" Ohya took a moment before nodding. "The owner might have some… interesting insight for you. Just tell her a 'Friend of Yusuke' sent you."
The curious, suspicious glare Ohya gave V lasted a whole thirty seconds. Perhaps it was a little brazen to suddenly drop a solution to her troubles so casually. Then again, the thieves had to get that ball rolling sooner rather than later. Seeing as how everyone was now occupied fighting V's inner demons in her stead, it looked like that responsibility fell to her.
And what better way to kick start an investigation than to point a story hungry Media in the right direction?
Eventually, Ohya shrugged. "Well, it beats having no lead at all. Thanks V. Guess I'll swing by tomorrow." With that, the woman closed her laptop, took a huge swig from her glass and began packing up her stuff. "I have some other grunt work to handle at the office, so I'll leave you to your work. See you!"
Though that whole exchange wasn't planned, it certainly turned out to be quite productive.
Now, however, came the boring part of her night. There weren't many decrypted files to get through right now, but it still was a lot of reading. Hopefully, something useful would come out of it.
As such, she opened a report dating back only a few weeks.
Project: Shade
Progress Report
The Shadewalkers continue to be a nuisance. However, with the recent developments made by the R&D boys, we've discovered a way to synthetically create and bind similar creatures. The project's in its infancy, so we've only managed to create a few dozen functional specimens. We've found that binding them to specially made Shards allows someone to fully command and control the specimens. That is, of course, only within the Shade itself. Numerous attempts at extracting Shadewalkers from the Shade have resulted in failure. Whatever these creatures are, they can only exist within the Shade.
We should make the study of these creatures a top priority if we plan to deploy the synthetic variants in the field. Training has begun for a select unit of MaxTac operatives, henceforth referred to as the Shade Assault Unit. Or SAU. Early reports show exceptional promise, even in the prototype stage of the project.
"Motherfuckers…" V muttered under her breath. Synthetically created Shadows? Perhaps that was what they faced when investigating Carson's Seedling. Morgana had said it was like a wild and feral Persona.
If that was the case, then Night Corp was now in possession of a full on fighting force of Persona users.
The prospect alone sent a shiver down V's chromed spine.
The next file easily accessible looked to be an archived conversation. From its time stamp, it dated back to the first time V, Judy, River and Morgana found their way back to Night City.
[Rachel: Hey, Frank, you pick up those weird readings?]
[Frank: Yeah. Energy spike in the Shade. Similar to the readings we get when we send in a unit.]
[Rachel: We don't have any scheduled expeditions, right?]
[Frank: Not for a few days, no. Put a pin in it and zip the data to Dr. Parker. He's your team lead, not me.]
[Frank: Besides, no one's even capable of entering the Shade without our tech. It's probably just a glitchy reading.]
[Rachel: It could be one of the Probes.]
[Frank: Hah! Fat fucking chance of that. Most of the Probes were half Cyberpsycho already.]
[Frank: Chances of one finding some way of getting out of the Shade and then a way to get back in is so below zero it's a non-issue.]
[Rachel: If you say so.]
[Rachel: But don't come complaining to me if this turns into a whole deal.]
That didn't sit well with V at all.
Even if the two researchers chalked it up to a simple, forgettable anomaly at first, they were definitely suspicious now. It brought up something that V hadn't really thought of until now.
Night Corp was monitoring the Metaverse with a magnifying glass.
Her only consolation was that the info she had hinted that Night Corp only knew about Mementos and not fully bloomed Palaces. Was that even a consolation? Even with access only to Mementos, it spelled absolute disaster for Night City. From now on, V would need to be careful and limit the group's trips to Night City. She really didn't want to find out what a MaxTac agent with Persona powers could do.
The rest of the files she could crack on her own were simple data sets, idle chatter between bored field agents and other surface level intel.
It wasn't useless, but certainly wasn't valuable.
With that said, as she continued her work, a sudden rush of adrenaline pulsed through her body. It sent her bolt upright and kicked the data term over to the otherside of the booth.
Following the surge came the grandmother of all headaches. It was so sudden and intense, V clawed at her hair and clenched her teeth. It was much like the attacks she got but a hell of a lot worse. Her outburst had caught the attention of the other patrons and everyone looked on in confusion.
"Fuuuck…" V could barely squeeze that much out.
Her vision faded in and out of focus.
Emergency readouts blinked into existence all over her retina, burning their warnings into her brain. Her body was going into full on shock. The implants in her head had kicked into overdrive and were probably the only thing keeping her conscious.
Everything hurt.
It was impossible to breathe.
Her head was about to explode from the pressure.
Panic set in. The lack of oxygen blurred her senses. Red seeped into her peripheral vision. Blood dripped from her nose.
Then nothing. Darkness.
Peace.