Catch-22: The Meeting Place
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Yu and the grumpy old man persona go through a negotiation. It ended nothing like they expected.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere, whether it is holding out a hand of friendship, or making clear that you disapprove of something, is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being, so the goal is to always establish common ground.
-Madeleine Albright
Yu groaned softly as he woke up.
Blinking as he took in his surroundings, he saw nothing but darkness. Pushing himself onto his feet, he patted around in his jacket to look for his phone. Once he found it, he took out of his pocket and turned on the screen. The light from the screen seemed to get swallowed up in the darkness. He unlocked his phone and touch the app, a familiar voice rang out.
No Exit Found.
Of course.
He slipped back on to ground and took a seat. He folded his legs Indian style and set his phone on his knee.
"Well? Do you want to come out now?"
He felt something shift in the air. He could see something in front of him, like an outline of a male shape.
"Do you know how hard it is to reach you? You are like Fort Knox but without the gold," The persona said.
"So, this is your idea of talking to me?"
"Couldn't figure out another way. Izzy…I mean Izanagi isn't bringing out the beer for me."
His eyebrow rose when Izanagi groaned.
You knave. You don't wish to speak. You wish to harm.
"I don't want to any such thing. You know that I'm stuck with the lad too!"
"Stuck?"
"Unlike the rest…uh, I didn't form a pact with you."
"But you want too," Yu said.
He felt the other persona pause for a moment.
"What gives you that idea?!"
"You were keenly interested when we talked about personas. Oh, the cards…definitely the cards."
"So, I'm curious. Did you get your personas the same way as Futaba-chan?" Yu said as he watched Ann and Makoto hang up posters on the wall of their base.
"Kind of. We didn't float into the air like Futaba-chan but it was definitely painful."
"Or ride hers like Makoto. That was badass," Ryuji added from the sofa.
"But it was quite painful. I never felt such pain. His voice was loud and overwhelming. I couldn't deny the words that he spoke. Deep within myself, I knew the words he spoke were the truth. I feared the truth. It reminded me of ripping off a band aid," Yusuke said thoughtfully.
"But it was different for you guys. You actually confronted your shadows face to face," Makoto said.
"Man, that sound so easy," Ryuji said.
Morgana sighed.
"Idiot. Yes, yours was painfully but theirs were equally so. Imagine staying days even weeks with your shadow and having them tell you all sort of things." Morgana said from his spot on the counter.
Someone has been reading up on their adventures in the tv realm.
"Thank you, Morgana."
Morgana puffed up his chest proudly.
"I really didn't think about that. Sorry, man. It must have tough," Ryuji said as he scratched the back of his head.
"It was."
"How was it for you, Sensei?" Ann asked.
He felt the strange persona almost press against his forehead as if he was trying to listen at every bit of information.
"Mine was a little different. Izanami had a pattern if you will. Every 50 years or so, she would bring fog to Inaba and unlock the ability to call personas in some people in town. She would sit back and watch to see how people would react. The last time, she was on earth, I was one of the three that she touched."
"In other words, you were like patient zero. You got your persona then your friends got them," Futaba said as she was typing away at her computer.
"That sounds about right."
"Man, it is going to happen again? That kind of sucks," Ryuji said to him.
"No, it won't," He said with every bit of steel in his voice.
He could almost see his students move away or shift uncomfortably in their seats.
"Come on, Ryuji. Support buddy will be there with his damn sword in 50 years. Saying bring it, you old hag," Futaba said with a snort.
"Uhh…quite possible. Still…you had to have some sort of awakening?" Makoto said to him.
"Hmm…I met Izanami in a dream before everything happened and she taunted me into finding the truth. So, I guess that my awakening was to discover the truth."
The truth, huh? You aren't telling them the whole truth.
No, I am not. Not yet. It got a little tricky at the end. I don't want to give them mild heart attacks if I tell them that I got sent to the underworld.
Point taken.
The persona snorted.
"I wanted to get your attention."
"Partly, yes. I also think that you have been working on a way to get around what rules the fake put on you."
"True. I needed to think of something that was both familiar to you and not familiar to Feather Brain."
"Aw…the cards."
"Correct then you had to go and blow one of them up."
"What do you expect? I did ask Yusuke about the cards."
"Before you leave, Yusuke, I would like you to look at something for me," Yu said as he dug into his pocket.
"Of course, Sensei," Yusuke said as he got up from his work area by the window.
"Some of my shadow friends have been giving me these cards. I wonder what you can make of them," He said as he handed Yusuke one of the cards.
Yusuke took the card from his hand and examined it closely.
"Hmm…By appearance, definitely different from the blank cards and the ones that Ren give me. The art is rather interesting. If I were to take a guess, it is a Russian or Western-European style. It remains me of Alphonse Mucha's work. Did your shadow friends tell you where they got it?"
He shook his head no.
"No but they did say that I could use it in some way. I tried crushing the card like how I summon Izanagi, but it didn't do anything. It still feels different to me."
"It is. I take it that you have given it to Ren?"
Yu nodded his head.
"Yes, he tried using it on one of his personas. Nothing happened."
"Hmmm….I can sense power coming from it but it is a different type of power. Perhaps, you are made to unlock them in some way," Yusuke said as he handed him back the card.
"Maybe so."
"Perhaps, we should do an experiment. Oh, I know…we should throw them into a fire. I wonder what wonderful sight will we behold."
NO!
His eyebrow rose slightly at the other persona's reaction.
"That would be interesting but not in the apartment."
"Excellent point, Sensei."
"It made a nice fire."
"I warned you and you still did it!" The persona grumbled.
He shrugged. He was curious to see what happened since the strange persona didn't give him any ideas.
And it really did make a nice fire. Yusuke was really impressed.
Izanagi grumbled as well.
Thou are surprised?
"I shouldn't be. You seem to be a rule breaker. I wonder if Yag Patty figured that out yet," The persona said.
"Yag Patty?" He asked.
Is that who he was dealing with? It is…an interesting name.
"I can't say his name. Part of my deal."
"What is your deal?"
"He wants to slow you up or take you out the game completely. Both work fine for him. He doesn't like to get his hands dirty, but hell if he doesn't like to control the board. You're right about me being a spy. He asks me from time to time what you have been doing. I don't tell him much because Isis will rip me a new one."
He felt Isis grin devilishly.
"What do you get in return?" Yu asked.
"My freedom and my powers back."
"What changed your mind?"
He felt a long pause come from the persona.
"Most gods hate change. They want to be stuck. They want to cling to the old ways. They want the worship of yester years. Laddie, I am not a fool. I survived eons by changing with the times. Sometimes, I change my name. Sometimes, what I can do or offer to humanity. I realized that Ticcy isn't going give me my freedom. In our little deal, he will probably find a loophole even if I went over it with a fine-tooth comb. I will be back at square one. Powers or not, I will be damned if he is going to stick me on a shelf again. Most of all, it was you."
Yu blinked in surprised.
"Me?"
"Yes, you said to those kids that when you change, your persona changes. An evolution of their powers take place. Forming a pact with you might not give my powers back but it will give me power. It will give us power again."
He eyed the persona in front of him.
"But there is a catch. What is it?" He asked.
"New powers come unknown risks. Beside the cards, I have no idea what will happen. There is also Bow Wow's rules. The asshole probably has a loophole somewhere."
"Actually, I think that I have a plan for that."
Yu could swear the persona was rubbing his hands together like an eager child who was about to get some ice cream.
"Well, laddie, I am all ears."
End of the Meeting Place
Next Chapter: A Break In Play: The Backstory
A/N: Yes, Yu has a plan. Good plan? Bad plan? Who knows? :D I look forward to finding out. Anyway, as for spoilers and such, you guys have been spoiling me about these games for years now. I believe firmly that you guys will continue to do so as I continue to work on this story. Thank you guys for the wonderful reviews, favorites, kudo, etc. Read and review if you wish. Most of all, keep safe you guys.