SHADOW OPERATIVE
.
Disclaimer: Persona 3, 4, and 5 belongs to Atlus
.
Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort
.
Summary: In front of Leblanc, stood a deliveryman clad in green overall.
There seemed to be a particularly big package addressed to Sakura Sojiro
.
Warning(s): Typo is my most loyal fan, spelling mistakes because English is not my mother language, Possibly OOC. Definitely OOC. Not Beta.
.
(A/N): This fanfic is literally just a looooong exposition. I didn't write Yu's explanation about his journey to Ren in the first fanfic just so I can put it here. But hey, at least it wasn't 43k+ words lol
.
.
Ren didn't report back.
And it had already been half an hour past their scheduled time!
Futaba didn't want to admit she was worried, but dammit, worried she did. Because the implication of radio silence at this time was scarier than ever.
Why? What happened? Did it take a while to convince Sae to believe their story? It was outlandish, for normal people who never had to experience the supernatural aspect coming from the other world. But if he did encounter this problem, they had a backup plan. Ren will just immediately bring her to the Metaverse, with or without her consent the moment he gets his hand on his phone. So, he should still be able to contact them at the promised time.
…wait. Then, was that it? Sae didn't believe him and treated him like a lunatic? That's why she didn't give Ren's phone back? Oh crap. They didn't think this through. Why didn't they think this through at all?! They should've given Ren one of their phones. Maybe sneak it via Morgana. But wait. They did get a good look at the interrogation room layout, and they couldn't find any vent for Morgana to use. Maybe the moment Sae opened the interrogation room door, Morgana could creep in? No. No chance there either. The hallway was too open for a stealthy maneuver. Not to mention, he will be bringing in a whole-ass phone. That doesn't exactly scream 'normal cat behavior'.
Argh! Futaba knew this plan was too risky! There were too many loopholes they couldn't fill in, no matter how it took them hours of brainstorming. Even though they managed to trigger the app itself outside of the police station and isolated the building into the Metaverse, it'll be for nothing if Sae didn't give Ren's phone back and teach her how to trap Akechi in Sae's 'copied world'. And don't start about how to falsify a dead body either. It would be a hassle if people other than Akechi were there to see Ren's execution. What if he brought an accomplice? Where the accomplices will be the ones to 'dispose' of the body instead of Sae? The moment they were out of the 'copied world', both of them would immediately realize that that body was nonexistent. The Phantom Thieves' plan to prolong the time limit would be nulled. Worse still, what if that accomplice didn't get brought to the 'copied world' when Sae showed them the phone? Akechi would noticed his missing accomplice and would immediately escapes from the 'copied world' as well, stopping Sae from bringing Ren out of the interrogation room and back to their real home.
There were just too many variables to think of and Ren's continued silence really wrung their nerves to the max.
But they have to get out of the station now. Lingering too long and the police will catch them red-handed. So, after a lot of indecisiveness and Makoto's insistence, they ran away. Mind still whirring with possibilities, not all of them good.
Their face were still caught in that half-worried half-dread expression when they arrived at Leblanc. The door to the café was shut. Sojiro even hung the 'CLOSED' sign in front of the entryway, prohibiting any possible customers that wanted to order drink or food to come in. That scene was enough to jolt them out of their apprehension. Stopping them in their track and blanketing them with palpable confusion. Ryuji was the first to speak.
"Maybe Renren was already back, that's why Sojiro closed the shop?"
They perked up at that.
Well, that would be great if that was really the case! That gave Futaba enough pep to quickly run toward the café, slamming the door open with a bang. She was smiling wide, ready to tackle Ren to the floor. She would demand his answer of why he didn't contact them after the third phase had ended and then berated him for hours to end for making them stew in worry. Ren will finally taste the wrath of the mighty Alibaba. But her words instantly stuck at the end of her tongue when she didn't see any black-haired teen. Just her adopted dad. Brown hair and wrinkly old and was looking surprised at Futaba's energetic entrance.
"Welcome back," he said belatedly, nonplussed. Sojiro put the clean glass on the table counter and said, finger pointed downward, "Is that your package? Why are you buying such a big television? And why are you sending it here?"
Package? Television? Futaba's eyebrows furrowed at the non-sequitur, her bugged-out eyes slid toward the direction. And, true to Sojiro's word, at the end of his forefinger was a big rectangular black box. So big, it blocked the way, actually. It was a high-end television. With upgraded visuals, upgraded audio, and even a touch screen. Must be the reason why he closed the shop then. Leblanc wasn't big enough to accommodate such luxury. And Sojiro couldn't really put it elsewhere unless he wanted it to get stolen.
She didn't order this though. Weirder yet, there was no box covering the television, just a thin bubble-wrap plastic that was already halfway torn and was now pooling at the feet of the television. Strange. Who packed a parcel like this? Especially for an electronic package that was even more fragile than your usual knickknack. Futaba knew she was a shut-in, but she was sure the rule of package delivering was still the same a.k.a wrapped it in a box or a crate and stuffed it with a bunch of packing peanuts. There wasn't even styrofoams to protect the edges of the television.
She stepped away from the doorway to let her friends in, allowing them to claim the nearest empty tables to rest, "It's not mine," Futaba clarified first before she asked another, "Did you throw away the box already, Dad?"
Sojiro shook his head, "The delivery man gave the television to me right in this condition," he scratched the back of his nape, "I would think it was a scam, but he didn't ask for any payment. Just tipped his hat to thank me and went away. Didn't even ask for a delivery fee."
"A lost package then? Maybe it belonged to someone else?" Yusuke offered an alternative answer.
A second shake of the head, "The delivery man explicitly said it was for me. And without a box, can't exactly give this back to the post office either."
Futaba had a fleeting thought that maybe, maybe that was exactly the reason why it was sent with no box. Just a very subpar plastic wrapping and nothing else. So Sojiro couldn't lodge a complaint and give the television back to the sender. Not when he had already 'opened' the package.
This is ominous. The rest of the Phantom Thieves thought so too. And, with Ren still MIA, Futaba felt like this could a be trap concocted by the devilish detective. Maybe it has a tracker in it. Or maybe it was a bomb in disguise. If he couldn't kill the Phantom Thieves in their last mission, maybe he decided to do it in a traditional way and blow every single one of them up, collateral be damned. Who knows? Akechi was meticulous and cunning to boot. By sending them a very big and very noticeable package, witnesses will be established. And by sending them the newest television model everyone would love to have their hand on, people would question why they throw away such a good electronic without as much as an excuse.
With that ghastly reasoning swirling inside her brain, Futaba, in a fit of bravery to protect her last remaining family, moved closer to inspect it. To find justification to label this gift as something suspicious and needed to be discarded.
And that was when things happened.
As they were still confused about why someone would send a clearly expensive television here and where to put the thing anyway, the screen suddenly turned on.
Nobody had plugged the cable to any socket whatsoever.
The previously black screen was now showing a yellow static. The glow was eerie, the sounds were disturbing. The light coming from it gave uneasy lighting to the mostly empty café, illuminating all the humans present.
Futaba yelped, stumbled, tripped on her own legs, and crashed onto Yusuke who was unfortunately sitting nearby. The guy grunted.
Ryuji jumped, his knees hit the bottom of the table and he lost his balance because of the sharp pain. He smashed into Haru and both fell to the floor.
Makoto and Ann shrieked as they hugged each other, fright was clear on their face. Morgana, who was sandwiched between the two strong women like a teddy bear could only yowled in pain.
The phenomenon that felt like a horror film didn't end there when the television rippled, black and white stripe like a wave of a pond. Every single one of the Phantom Thieves flinched backward as a hand emerged from within the supposedly dead electronic. Followed by legs, and the top of a head.
Ever.
So
Slowly.
Sojiro hastily jumped over the bar, simultaneously grabbing a mop he had put at the side of the sink. He didn't know what the hell was going on right now, but one thing for sure was that whatever coming out of that television was (maybe) a threat to his daughter. He would smack the top of its head and fight it barehanded if it was the last thing he had to do!
When whatever-it-was torso came out, finally showing its entirety, Sojiro didn't hesitate to strike!
SMACK
GRIP
But his attack was immediately stopped with such ease. A hand (that looked distinctly human?) was grabbing onto the head of the mop as if the power of the swing meant nothing to it.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's with the hostility?" it (he?) spoke in a rather baffled tone. The very much human voice, and a familiar one at that, made their blind panic screech to a halt as they blinked rapidly. Before long, their mouth dropped open and their eyeballs were seconds away from popping out of their sockets.
It was someone they knew. Someone who wrapped himself in grey color from head to toe, sporting a dorky bowl cut. It was—
"Oh. Oooh! Did I scare you?" Narukami Yu. A prosecutor, comrade, and Ren's cherished friend who stood in a very relaxed manner. Completely waving away the fact that his appearance here was not something a human could ever do. Like, he just came out of a television, for God's sake! His lips quirked especially high, a laugh wrinkles adorned the edge of his squinted eyes as he grinned super wide, showing all the tidy teeth. Sometimes around the appearance of—what they previously thought to be!—a normal prosecutor,the television had stopped showing its weird creepy yellow lighting. Yu guffawed, "This is golden. Oh my god, I wished I'd recorded it."
There was an awkward silence.
Until Sojiro, who eventually woke up from the frozen state of unbelieving, hollered a question they were all thinking.
"WHAT THE FUCK, NARUKAMI?!"
"So, there was a world behind a television."
"Yes."
"You can access it if you have a Persona?"
"Only to those who awakened inside of it."
"That means you are a Persona user?"
"Yes."
"The kids here are Persona users as well?"
"Yes."
"And they are the Phantom Thieves?"
"You should ask them yourself."
Sojiro did exactly that. He turned towards the gaggle of teens, glaring in sharp daggers and making every single one of them wilted. Futaba hid behind Yusuke's back when her father especially gave her a stern reproach look; there was disbelief there, wonder, anger, and most important of all, worry. He opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Closed it again. Before he let out a very long, very exhausted sigh that even Futaba could tell that it rattled through all of his old bones.
"I am not sober enough for this conversation," he decided to say, fingers kneading on his wrinkled forehead.
Yu patted his back, nodding as though he understood completely.
"You did not want to know how they planned to escape the cops' scrutiny, Sojiro. Just know that Ren-kun is safe with me and I can bring you all to check on him. Of course," he gave them a mischievous smirk, thumb was thrown over his shoulder. Right at the turned-off electronic, "We have to go through the TV world to do that. Don't want to alert the cops. Especially Akechi."
True.
Knowing the detective, he might already be on his way to plant a spy to this place after Ren's apparent disappearance (because of Yu's meddling. At least their leader was safe, if the prosecutor was to be believed. Futaba tried to let out a sigh of relief). Leblanc was a known location for the Phantom Thieves' headquarters. Not to mention, Ren's temporary house. If he somehow vanished from the interrogation room even with all the security around the police office and Akechi wasn't able to dispose of the leader of the infamous group with his own hand, this café might be in need of investigation. Long story short, the timing was tight. They have to escape from this place as soon as possible. Fortunately, Yu's boss thought of that and had sent a 'backdoor' for them to use.
So the reason why the delivery man delivered this package without any box whatsoever was because someone would be coming out of it. Couldn't be used as an entryway if the electronic was trapped between styrofoam and packing peanuts and all.
But holy shit, Yu's a Persona user?!
When? Where? How?
There was so much Futaba wanted to ask. Such as, why Yu didn't help the Phantom Thieves. Why did he just watch on the sideline, letting the irresponsible teenagers such as them—yes, Futaba admitted every single one of them was reckless—stand on the front line and fight the fight? Yu was supposed to be their friend, right? Why would he leave them alone? To face the cruel world without support?
Then Futaba also remembered that, no. Wait. They didn't tell Yu that they were Persona users in the first place. He just said a moment ago that he first awakened his Persona inside of the TV world, and not Metaverse. For all they know, the man might not even know the existence of a different world beneath Tokyo. Not until Ren told him the truth anyway. So, no. No, Futaba cannot blame him for his idleness.
She was also curious about how they—Yu and his friends—got their power in the first place. A Persona could only be born if they were cornered by Shadows, monsters that could not be defeated with normal means, and was on the brink of death. Was that TV world a dangerous place then? Yu just came out of that place though, right? It should be safe now for them to travel.
Judging from Sojiro's furrowing brows, it seemed that he reached the same conclusion as Futaba. He stepped forward and stood still in front of the high schooler, saying, "Let me check the area first. It's not like I was suspicious of you and your actions, Narukami. But…I am a parent who's worried for his child's safety."
Oof, Dad. Way to hold us accountable. He really did not like their second 'job'.
Yu gave him a reassuring smile and touched the television screen. It rippled black and white once again, his palm was immediately submerged. It was still jarring to see, knowing the thing was supposed to be a solid block yet at the hand of the grey-haired prosecutor, it acted like a pond. Sojiro hesitated for a moment. Before he psyched himself up and stepped inside. Not completely, just halfway through. It was for his own assurance that, if Yu turned out to be another traitor, Sojiro could easily retract his body and wouldn't be trapped inside a different plane of existence.
It took another minute until the old man stepped back slightly and gave them an okay signal. It was safe.
"Woah…"
The world inside the television was a pretty place. Blue sky, colorful flowers. Sparkling rivers could be seen snaking between the lush green grass, the gentle wind kissing their skin. Futaba felt like all the air she'd been inhaling before was artificial and she could finally breathe properly, with how clear the air here was. She was so distracted by the completely new and beautiful world, that Futaba almost missed the fact of how their clothes had changed to their usual thieves' outfits. And Sojiro's raising eyebrows at that. She didn't miss Morgana's humming voice though. Inspecting the area by sniffing the atmosphere around.
"Interesting," he uttered, "This TV world smelled like Metaverse, but it was very faint. Like it was already purified, clear of any toxic so it can finally heal."
That sentence gained the rest of the Phantom Thieves' attention.
Oh? Could they also do the same to the Metaverse then? That place was menacing still, no matter how bolstered they were with the presence of their mighty Persona. It was a place filled with human negativity, after all. A place where Shadows were born. If this world, which was supposed to be a Shadow nest, could become this beautiful, maybe they could change the Metaverse into a better place as well.
There was a sound of a deep wheeze.
"Is…is that Morgana?"
Every single one of them blinked, registering the tremor in someone's voice. Futaba turned her head sideways and found the sight of the older men staring intensely at the bipedal black and white cat, mouth parted open.
"You changed shape?" Both Sojiro and Yu blinked owlishly, "And you can talk too?"
She didn't know why, but seeing the two adults reaching the same wavelength so they somehow talked simultaneously like a long lost twin, completed with the same gaping expression and blown-up eyes and all, sent Futaba into a fit of ugly giggle.
Maybe she was stressed out. The revelation of Ren's condition, the existence of another Persona user—a group with experience, even. Unlike them, who have only been on this job for less than a year—might be a bit too much for her thinking process. So just a simple comedic moment was enough to drive her sanity to the cliff.
It was Morgana's turn to be confused, "Sojiro-san, I can understand. But I thought you were a Persona user, Narukami? You couldn't understand me until now?"
"No. Maybe because I didn't awaken inside the Metaverse? Ren-kun was asking the same thing when he saw me still in my original outfit," true. Yu's clothes didn't change like they did, "I thought you were going to be like Akamaru," he shrugged, then clarified when the other showed uncertainty at the sudden name drop, "Akamaru is a dog. He can use a Persona, but he's just a normal Shiba dog. A very sweet pup."
They all blinked.
"How did that work?" Makoto asked, incredulous.
"Who knows? I wasn't there when he first got his Persona," Yu stepped closer, his hand unknowingly creeping closer until it was already behind Morgana's ears, scratching the appendages. The cat let out an unconscious purr, "So, are you a Shadow as well? I have a teammate named Teddie. He was a former Shadow. Loved humanity enough, he birthed a human form. Hatched like an egg, I'd tell you that."
…hah?
Was Yu pulling their leg?
First a dog and now a sentient Shadow?
What? Will there be a sophisticated robot as well or something? One with an advanced AI that could learn human emotions?
(Unfortunately for her, the world took it as a challenge)
Completely unknowing of Futaba's random thought, Morgana answered Yu's inquiry. Though because he was in the middle of melting to the ground courtesy of Yu's heavenly scratch, his usually well-versed sentences now sounded like a half-awake mumble, "Hmmm noooo. I was a huuuman cursed to become a caaaaat," he moved his head downward, silently asking Yu to scratch on that particular part instead. Yu obliged, "I waaaaas trying to reach the depth of the Mementooooos to find out the cuuuuure."
Cute. Futaba internally squealed.
"Morgana is an amnesiac. Ren and Ryuji found him inside Kamoshida's palace," Ann explained in more detail, "His last memory was him waking up inside the Mementos. So we thought by exploring the place till the deepest end, he would regain his memories and find a way to turn himself back to human."
Yu nodded, "Sounded exactly like Teddie. I wondered what would you look like when you regained your human form. Not blonde, I hope," he teased, a slight smirk gracing his handsome complexion. After another second of playing around, the prosecutor then stood up, stopping his previous activity. Morgana tried not to look too disappointed at the loss of a good pet. And he said he was not a cat, Futaba went into another hysteric, "We have to go further if we want to meet Ren. Sojiro, do you want to come along?"
Her dad looked contemplated. Staring at the children donned in their Phantom Thieves outfits, a bipedal cat, then the lush greenery of the TV world. There was a wrinkle at the bridge of his nose. Until Sojiro decided, no. He would not follow. For now, "If what you said about Ren being a fugitive was true, me suddenly disappearing would probably tip the police off that something big was going on," he reasoned.
Yu gave an affirmation.
"Then I will stay at Leblanc. Making sure no one became suspicious and started asking me things," he approached the red television. And Yu opened up the doorway without any prompting. Sojiro took one look at the teenager once again. This time, giving them a wry smile, "Don't cause too much trouble, you hear me. I feel like Narukami's hair turned genuine grey because of you kids' antic."
The said guy just gave Sojiro a laugh. He didn't deny that statement, however, so there must be a sliver of truth in that. Not exactly talking about the hair remark, but about Yu being scared shirtless for their wellbeing, to the point of turning grey. Hypothetically.
Futaba wasn't there physically, yet she knew about the Mafia fiasco.
And the early members of the Phantom Thieves seemed to acknowledge that as well, as guilt was now prominent in their expression.
Sojiro was gone, and Yu guided them across the alternate world.
It was a serene quietude for a while, the Phantom Thieves took their chance to appreciate the area that felt like heaven. Yu let them admire the beautiful scenery with a smile on his face, never starting to interrogate them like her Dad clearly wanted to back in the café. Then again, he already heard all about their tale from Ren's own mouth directly, so he didn't need another recap. Futaba's conclusion was right when one of them—Ryuji—looked forward once more and caught the prosecutor's patient gaze, Yu finally started to speak this.
"I've told Ren-kun about my story not too long ago. What kind of adventure do we have. Our goal and how we beat the bad guy to end it all," Yu said, "But if you are curious, I can tell it again. Like I said to Ren, it's only fair for you to know about me after he graciously told me about you."
Really?
That sounded awesome. Of course, they instantly agreed. It's not every day a friend you knew so well turned out to be a Persona User. An experienced one at that. One, who had finished their adventure and was now living a stable life.
It gave them a boost of confidence. That, if Yu could finish his journey, that means they can also finish theirs.
So, Yu told them. About how he was a transfer student like Ren. Living with his uncle and her elementary student daughter. About how it didn't take long before a bizarre murder started to happen just after he arrived. About the rumor of a TV channel that only appeared on a rainy day around midnight, where people said it would predict who was it that was going to be your soulmate. About them uncovering the fact that anyone who appeared on that channel would never be anybody's partner but instead die gruesomely in the following fog after continuous rain. They uncovered the reality of the world inside a television. Shadows. Personas. Then the existence of someone who intentionally pushed innocent civilians into this place in the hope of killing them. He told them about how they tried to save anyone who was unfortunate enough to be the killer's next victim. Those who did get thrown into the TV world managed to awaken to their Persona and became their comrades and friends. At the end of the day, they decided to create a group named 'Investigation Team' whose sole reason was to stop this madness from ever continuing.
"Those buildings you see right now are like this world's version of Palace," Yu explained, "When someone is thrown into the TV world and they don't have any Persona, their Shadow will appear. They will expose your secret, twist it till it becomes unrecognizable. And if you reject what basically is yourself, they will kill you. Transporting your dead body to the real world and hanging your corpse atop the telephone pole, upside down."
The Phantom Thieves shuddered. That was descriptive, the imagery itself sounded morbid. It must've been traumatizing if Yu had to see it with his own eyes.
"The apartment over there," he continued, as his index finger pointed toward the said building. The color of the construction was muted, dark clouds perpetually suspended upon the gloomy sky. There were cardboard cutouts around the apartment, symbolizing the town that presented around the environment, "It belonged to the first victim. That place was born from jealousy. Someone who wished to take what already belongs to others. Even if they knew it was wrong, even if they felt guilty over the whole thing, they couldn't stop wanting it. The other party's apparent fondness didn't help the matter as well. Only perpetuating the cycle."
"The District shop of Inaba," Yu continued, guiding their gaze toward, what they would say, an unassuming alley full of shops if the whole place wasn't covered by the yellow static of the television and basked under the red and black wave of an alternate world, "It belonged to the second victim. That place was born from a distorted expectation bestowed by the adults. A burden too heavy for a child to shoulder. A burden that should not even be there in the first place. And when it became too much, everything exploded. Corrupting your perception of the world and making you think nothing was ever beautiful."
"The Castle," the sophisticated and gaudy pink European building that rose to the red sky. It showed the arrogance of a noble ancestry, yet at the same time, looked lonely as well, "It was born from isolation. Your freedom was held captive, your choices were nonexistent. You feel like you are a bird in a cage, living a life as nothing but a decoration for your owner to admire."
"Steamy Bathhouse," a wooden building emanating a hot air cloud from beneath the chimney, surrounded by marble stones and wild bamboo, "It was born from discrimination. How people look at you, the perception that molds your entire being. It dictated your life, your likes and dislikes. Never allowing you to show the real you for the fear of rejection."
"Marukyu Striptease," if the castle looked gaudy, this establishment was garish. Pin-up posters were slapped on every surface, music that made their heart thump erratically could be heard even across this distance, "It was born from the neglect of yourself. The world made you forget who you really are. Make you think you are what they shaped you to be. And when you finally realized what happened, it was already too late. Who are you? What even are you? Was this place filled with gifts is what you want or what people wanted you to want?"
"And then there's a Secret Laboratory," the building was built like a bunker. Metallic on all sides, with two humongous parabolic antennas that moved and swirled about. Almost like it was still in use and an experiment was in progress, "It was born from ignorance. People who tried to undermine you even after your accomplishment. People who keep putting you down even after you show your worth. Even if you tried to work harder, achieve more, to the point of sacrificing your physical and mental health, it won't matter. They see what they want to see. And acknowledge what they want to acknowledge."
"All those Palaces belonged to each of my friends. Even though it appeared to be just a dungeon full of malicious Shadows, a place where you can train and level up your Persona's ability, I still cannot let you go there without their permission whatsoever," Yu shook his head, "They were just a teenager when they were thrown into this world. Teenagers who knew nothing of the cruelty of the world and would get their feelings easily broken with just a single push. If I let you guys check the places out, you are basically barging into their private lives, forcing them to bare their hearts for everyone to see."
They hastily nodded at that silent order, sensing the seriousness coming from the usually laid-back prosecutor. This is important. And the kids who were famous for their recklessness—being the founder of the Phantom Thieves group and all, diving into the corrupted heart of the adults without as much as by your leave—needed to understand this boundary. After all, what he asked them to not do was reasonable. It made sense too. If Futaba hadn't asked the Phantom Thieves to change her heart herself in the first place, she might not want the other to peek around what was essentially her deepest desire as well. It was embarrassing and most of all, too personal. The Phantom Thieves at that time weren't people she knew, let alone those she would call her best buddies.
At the same time, however, accidentally looking at everyone's true feelings must've been the focal point that made them closer than family. It was no wonder Yu considered his fellows as more than friends. He was there when they were at their lowest. He was there when they needed support the most. If somebody tried to encroach upon their personal space without a speck of respect, Yu would retaliate.
The only adults gave them a thankful smile for that, resuming their walk through the TV world.
"But what about the other two?" Ann made an inquiring sound. When Yu abruptly stopped but did not turn toward the questioner, she clarified, "Those Palaces over there? " She said, her attention pointed toward the far horizon, "You didn't explain what caused that place to appear."
They were indeed other Palaces Yu decided not to comment. Two that, in Futaba's opinion, were even more eye-catching than a mere apartment building or an onsen. One of them took the form of a Minecraft-like dungeon. Blocky and doused in bright colors that reminded her of a pixelated retro game. Every single thing that was around that area was made of bricks; from fences to roads and trees. Even the birds flying about moved in a choppy manner like they were stuck at twenty-four frames per second.
The other Palaces was a monstrous beanstalk that pierced the dizzying red and black sky, resembling a fairy tail coming from English. Puffy clouds covered the top of the plant, obstructing their sight. If Futaba squinted her bespectacled eyes enough, she could almost see the shadow of another castle that stood atop the clouds. Completed with chunks of small islands floating near the structure.
Yu's face did this very complicated expression when that question was thrown. Anger, sympathy, bitterness. He looked like he didn't want to talk about it. But surmising that they would just ask Ren anyway, Yu let out a sigh. His expression was now stuck in a profound sadness.
"That one is called Void Quest," he said, pointing toward the game look alike dungeon, "It belonged to the murderer."
Every single one of them tensed. Morgana's fur stood up.
The murderer came to this world too?
"A copycat, but a murderer still," Yu elucidated with chests heaved deep, "It was born from emptiness. Bored with the monotony of life and wanted something exciting to happen. He decided to kill our homeroom teacher and framed it as another victim of the serial killer. All just so he would finally get the attention he craved for and for life to stop being so predictable."
That was…awful. Their face contorted in rage.
Not like having a reasonable excuse was better anyway, killing is killing. Yet Futaba couldn't help but judge that copycat for taking the innocent soul for such a petty reason anyway.
Yu side-eyed the Palace above the cloud. He paused for a very fraught moment. Then suddenly turned toward the opposite direction, completely skipping the obvious sighting as he decided to resume the story with a new revelation instead, "There was also a hidden Palaces called Magatsu Inaba," he said, "There existed a secret entrance in the apartment, the first victim's dungeon. It belonged to the true murderer. A policeman who was previously my Uncle's subordinate. Someone who we started to trust and became fond of."
The Phantom Thieves winced.
Ah, Futaba grimaced, Narukami-san had his own 'Akechi'.
"The Palace was born from apathy," Yu continued, "He viewed the world as dull, an annoying place to live in. He thought forming a bond with other people was just a hassle. They were going to leave anyway, why should he create a long-lasting impression on someone who could and would not even remember him at the end of the day?" the grass beneath their feet moved about by the wind, creating an ambiance that Futaba would describe as both calming and harrowing, "He didn't care if his actions have consequences. Didn't regret killing the first two victims and was having fun manipulating someone to do the kidnapping instead. He was a lackadaisical aimless man who couldn't care less if he had to betray anyone."
"Even to his own colleagues or friends."
Yeah…
Just like Akechi.
Exactly like Akechi.
Futaba wanted that guy to disappear from her life. She wanted him to repent. To pay for what he did. He killed her mother. He made her think everything was her fault. He made her lose so many years of her life and she wanted him to reimburse that waste by tossing him into the jail and get him to taste his own medicine. But she knew Ren treated him as a friend. She knew they'd met once a week, deepening the bond by doing miscellaneous activities and boys being boys. They've created a relationship.
And that must've been hurt, twice as much, when it turned out they were the bad guy all along. Deceiving and betraying you, never even consider your friendship genuine.
When Futaba thought that was the worst backstory amongst all the cognition here—a friend turned enemy, treachery that would follow till the end of the dream and would destroy your ability to trust—Yu finally explained the last Palace. His expression clouded even more, invisible weight seemed to simultaneously appear on top of his shoulders. Causing his slouching figure to slump even more, "That…is called Heaven," he closed his eyes, his lips thinning, "It belonged to Nanako, my six-year-old cousin."
Every single one of them let out a hiss between their gritted teeth.
Oh my God…
"It was born from the feeling of longing. Her desire to see her late mother who had died of an accident just one more time," Yu opened his eyes, staring at the castle on the beanstalk with unshed tears in those blank eyes, "It was simultaneously the easiest yet the hardest Palaces we had to ever experienced. Shadows were scarce over there, we almost never had to fight. But every floor we ascended to, we had to hear Nanako's inner feelings. Asking where her mother was. Why won't she come back and comfort her like she usually did whenever she was sad."
"Why did she have to die and leave them alone."
("Why?" little Futaba cried, "Why did you leave me alone, mom?")
Futaba's breath hitched.
No. Oh no no no no no, this was too close to home, she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to listen to a story that reflected her own. Her heart felt like it cracked, her soul evaporated to nothingness. Futaba knew that one more word from the despondent prosecutor and she would be—
"Right before we fought the final boss," Yu's fist tightened, "we heard Nanako say 'Maybe I should be the one who should have disappeared. Maybe then Dad won't have to look oh so forlorn."
("Maybe if I never existed, Mom would still be alive")
Futaba let out a halted, heart-wrenching sob.
Yu was startled, the sound roused him out of the bittersweet reminiscence. He saw Futaba's anguish face—an expression of someone who got stuck in her own sad memories—and hastily approached her, "Oh, I'm sorry," he caught her in his warm embrace, fingers stroking her orange hair up and down, trying to calm the distraught teenager, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you girls recalled your late parents."
Girls? Futaba sniffed and raised her head, away from Yu's broad chest. She belatedly discovered that the man was hugging Haru too. The supposedly cheery senior was now reduced to a mess, tears decorated her unblemished face. She hiccupped and sniveled, face turned red with her incessant crying.
Right. Haru lost her father too.
Nanako's story didn't resonate much, unlike Futaba with her mother, but that doesn't mean Haru couldn't relate. Both of them—the three of them—had lost the life of someone they care for. They harbored a sense of Survival Guilt. Wishing for God up there to take whatever They want as long as their parents are back.
As long as they become the happy family they were once known once again.
Yu let them pour all of the feeling for a while, uncaring of all the tears and snot that must've dirtied his coat. He just kept on soothing them, hands rubbing their head affectionately and soft words were whispered to the broken children who just want happiness. It took a moment for Futaba to calm down. When she did, she hesitantly untangled herself from Yu's embrace, allowing Haru to bury her whole face inside the prosecutor's jacket without having to share with another person. Looked like she wasn't ready to move on yet, Futaba accepted Ann's side hug, nodding when she asked whether she was okay now or not. Yu didn't seem to be bothered by it. Just tilted his head towards the gathered Phantom Thieves and gave them a smile.
"This place is beautiful. But at the same time, hold bittersweet memories that will sweep up your feet without mercy," Yu said, melancholy presented in his soft tone, "I think we should get out of here. Our office is over that way."
They nodded.
So they walked. Bypassing all the red blocky television and past the beautiful greenery and pretty flowers. When Ryuji, in the hope of thawing the ice around the atmosphere, absentmindedly asked the prosecutor if their destination was still far, Yu then chimed in. He sensed a chance to make Haru relax.
"You know, We've been thinking about that since years ago. How this TV world worked in correlation to the real world," he said, "One of my friends said that the TV world might not be as vast as it appeared to be, especially with how close the Palaces were with each other. We are in Tokyo, how could Palaces that were built in Inaba be easily seen with just our eyes? But if that were the case, and this place was really that limited, this world would be filled with nothing but televisions. There were a lot, and I mean a lot, of televisions across the world, after all."
"Another theory was that The One who gave us the power of Persona and an ability to travel through the TV had simplified this world for us," he continued, "This place was supposed to be inaccessible after we're done with our journey, you know? Or at least inaccessible to those who were not born here, like Teddie. But look at me now. Walking inside the television. Maybe, on top of giving us access to this place, She also made it easier for us to travel around. Her sign of gratitude for keeping the world safe."
"However, with how your Metaverse worked, I think I've found the answer," he nodded, "This TV world is just like the Metaverse, albeit a beta version. It was based on cognition. We, the Investigation Team, always viewed this world as a place where our Palaces were born. So even though it was restored to its previous state, those Palaces will still exist, no matter where we are. We could see them In Inaba. In Tokyo. Maybe even outside of Japan."
"Then based on our cognition as well, we viewed those red televisions as a way out to each and any different area. We know there will be distances between any new televisions and new places. But we also unconsciously wanted it to be close enough so it wouldn't take too much time to reach our destination," Yu took a glance toward the said red television at the corner of his peripheral, "This world is vast but we viewed it as narrow at the same time. There will be a lot of television, but not to the point it would flood the place. That's why even though the path between Leblanc and our office was shorter than it actually was in the real world, we couldn't just will the two doorways to be closed to each other. The least we could do was cut the journey short in half. Quicker than walking on foot but not as quickly as riding a speeding bullet train."
"Thanks to that 'epiphany', we've finally arrived at our destination! Even faster than my first trip, to be honest," Yu grinned as he spread his left arm, the right one was still cradling the crying teenager close. Even though Haru was adamant at becoming a koala, it didn't deter the adult at all from giving the surrounding children a polite bow like a performer conjuring things from out of nowhere. He was showing them a particular red blocky television sandwiched by blue roses and white daffodils. The imagery presented resembled that of an antique being found in a lost forest. Yu chuckled, "Welcome, Phantom Thieves! To our office~"
He then extended his free hand toward the screen, causing a familiar black-and-white ripple effect to appear. Yu motioned them to step forward and, after staring at each other for a couple of seconds, Makoto accepted that offer.
Futaba was already halfway through the television when she saw a movement from the catatonic senior. Haru was finally able to collect herself and was now standing on her own two feet. She apologized to the prosecutor, embarrassed because she practically took advantage of his kindness. But he didn't mind. He loves helping people. And if a hug was enough to solve all of the world's problems, he would gladly give some. No payment attached. Haru shakily smiled.
She was okay now, Futaba was glad.
Not wanting to disturb their heartfelt conversation, the only hacker of the group then continued walking.
Moments after she was out of the alternate world and back to the real world, her sight immediately wandered around the new environment, noting all the furniture and possible escape paths. It was a somewhat bare room, with a work table and documents neatly piled. There were couches on the opposite side of the television. And a row and row of metallic cabinets stood across the room. Looked like a normal office. Not a secret headquarters where Persona users would hide their existence from the world. Then again, Yu was a prosecutor. He might have a supernatural power, but in daylight, he functioned like a normal human being. So of course his workplace would look like your usual mainstream office building.
Still in the middle of looking around the boring room, the door then suddenly opened. A man around thirty came in with his own portion of paperwork clutched between the fingers. He had white hair, cut short till it couldn't be brushed anymore and could only spike upward haphazardly. He wore a red vest over his white shirt and black pants that accentuated his muscled legs. He strode confidently toward the expensive couches, sitting at a single one, "Welcome back," he started speaking, putting the papers on the table.
Futaba and the rest of the group blinked, a bit perturbed. Did he... sense their presence or something? The man was clearly speaking to them (or someone) but he didn't look up from his work at all, eyes still glued to the paper. Must be his instinct. Though clearly, it wasn't accurate enough to discern whether it was his colleagues or a gaggle of unknown teenagers. Either way, he didn't deem them a threat, or else a greeting wouldn't be the first word he would utter toward the strangers inside the room. The white-haired man resumed, "So. We've found out who's the mastermind behind Akechi. Man, you wouldn't believe who it was."
Another blink. This time, it was surprised. Mastermind? Makoto was the first to comment, cutting through Yu's open mouth so she could insert her own inquiry, "What? Akechi was not the true perpetrator?"
The white-haired man was startled at a foreign voice there. Finally, he looked up from his work, staring right at the Phantom Thieves who had their jaw dropped to the floor after that disclosure. He himself looked befuddled, confirming Futaba's theory that the man really did not notice the newcomer, "Oh. Right, I forgot you were on your way to fetch up Amamiya's teammate," he gave them a boyish smile, "Hello. Name's Sanada Akihiko. I am Narukami's senior and a member of Shadow Operative."
Shadow Operative?
"An unofficial section of the police backed by the Kirijo Group, where the purpose is to hunt Shadows and deal with Persona-related activity," Yu explained instead, "It's not a very active group unless a new problem that involved Persona and Shadows cropped up, like right now. So we have a main job still."
"I'm a police officer," Akihiko nodded, "Mostly so I can collect information from the inside. We already know how corrupt the law enforcement can be. It's not just in this town."
Both of the adults wore a potent bitter expression.
"So, Akechi?" Haru stirred the conversation back to the previous topic. She was fidgeting, clearly impatient. There were tear tracks still prominent in her usually neat appearance but she was adamant to know what were the adults talking about just a moment ago. Somewhat rude for someone of Haru's caliber, who was usually nice and sweet. Yet Futaba couldn't blame her. After all, if it turned out Akechi was not their main target, then their quest for vengeance—to make the culprit stop and be ashamed of their wrongdoing for killing innocent people, including her mom and Haru's father—wasn't done and they still need to do their work as a Phantom Thieves. Change someone's corrupted heart.
"Right," Yu stepped forward, picked up Akihiko's paperwork, and started leafing through it. His grey eyes went right and left, blinking periodically. At the end of the report, he leaned his head back. His grip on the articles went taut and it crinkled the edges. The papers then touched his forehead. He smacked it lightly, frustration was clear as Yu let out a long, long sigh, "Of course it's him. Why am I not surprised?"
"It's pretty obvious when you think about it," Akihiko shrugged, "At least you can use this information to finally get the guy."
"Maybe…"
"Narukami-san?"
"Oh, sorry," Yu gave the reports to the nearest teenager, who turned out to be Ann. As they perused through the writing printed on it, the man explained, "Based on our investigation, the true mastermind of Akechi's excursion is Masayoshi Shido."
"Shido?" Ryuji's eyebrows scrunched, "Wasn't that the asshole who accused Renren of assault and nearly put him in jail?"
Yu nodded, "No wonder we couldn't find enough clues of his misconduct. He's using a supernatural power to cover his track," he plucked the documents out of Ann's hands after they were done reviewing, went to the metallic file cabinets, and pulled other documents from inside. After a brief check, he placed all of the records inside his duralumin briefcase, "Akihiko-senpai, would you mind bringing the kid to Ren-kun? I'm going to meet with my informants and discuss this with them. We still don't have enough conclusive evidence we can show to the court. So, I'm going to do a field examination."
"Try not to move too obviously. With Amamiya-kun's disappearance, the cops are in a frenzy," Akihiko warned, "They even asked me to help search for him not too long ago. And I'm a reserve member."
Yu gave him a thumbs-up and went out of the door. Not before giving the Phantom Thieves a reassuring smile and a friendly wave.
Akihiko then stood up, head did a quick tilt toward the now open door, "Let me escort you to your leader," he said.
The building they were in right now didn't have much to identify just like the previous room. Basically your normal typical office; cream wall, basic portraits on it to make it nicer to the eye, benches to sit and grey doors that must've led to another bland chamber. Something you would see in any other workplace out there, not specific to this particular place only. Futaba could see that some of the furniture was top class, however. Like how the tiles were made of marble or how those minimalist lamps on the ceiling looked way too elegant for a simple office hallway. Kirijo was loaded, and it shows.
Nobody was talking, too tensed still after the revelation of a new antagonist they have to face, making them to be too aware of their echoed footsteps. Fortunately, it didn't take long before they arrived at a slightly livelier place. From the velvet soft couches and water dispenser, complete with a snack bar and bookcases full of magazines, this must be a break room.
At the end of the circular area was a door leading to another space. There was a placard hanging on it. It read 'Please be quiet. An employee is sleeping inside'. Kirijo even made a room for her employees to sleep in? She sounded like a dream boss, Futaba not going to lie. Akihiko opened the door and her random thought had to be stopped when she saw Ren. Her friend, leader, and unofficial older brother. Sleeping under the comfy futon serenely. He appeared to be without a care in the world, though that pale complexion spoke otherwise. Nearly all of the Phantom Thieves members surged forward in haste. And they would surely touch, caress, or glomp him in relief if the presence of another person was not there to stop them from ever approaching.
It was a lady with a short blonde hair. Wearing a white and red headphone and a blue dress that reached under the ankle. She looked to be around their age, actually. Height was taller than Makoto's but shorter than Yusuke's. Did Shadow Operative accept teenagers as their members too? Because of their ability to wield a Persona? Futaba had a feeling something was slightly off with the lady, nevertheless. Maybe it was the headphones. She wore one every day, you see. So she knew how the accessories would look like when someone was equipping it. And the one Aigis have? It was almost like it was glued to her ears instead, rather than the usual display.
Futaba didn't have a chance to look at it a little longer because, the moment the group stepped inside the room, the lady rose rather quickly. Her entire being was rigid, complexion stiff and eyes blaring, "Are you the Phantom Thieves?" she asked. Demanded, to be exact.
I don't like her tone. Futaba cowered behind Yusuke for the second time that day. While Makoto, hesitant, answered her question positively.
Unfortunately, that seemed to make her angrier.
"What were you thinking?!"
They flinched.
"Who was it that thought it was an appropriate idea to sacrifice the life of your leader just for the sake of the mission, huh?!" the blonde lady screamed. It wasn't loud, it didn't pierce their ears. She didn't even wave her hands or make a threatening gesture that would scare the masses. But her stormy expression and the sharpness of her blue eyes intimidated them anyway, "Because it was stupid! It was unreasonable and beyond careless! You should've asked for help! You should've told Narukami and let us do the dirty work! We were experienced in this field. We were trained in this field. We knew what we were doing! You are children! And children should've just—"
"AIGIS!"
The lady gasped.
The tense atmosphere deflated like a popped balloon.
Akihiko was the one who had shouted, stopping the lady—Aigis—from her irate tirade. His eyebrows furrowed into one, expression contorted in displease. He stepped forward and spread his left arm in front of the Phantom Thieves. Shielding them from, what should be, his own teammate, "Aigis, let it go," he said. Slow, measured. Like he was trying to tame an uncontrollable beast, "Don't you see they were still upset? It hasn't been long since they lost the life of someone important as well."
Haru sniffed. And that seemed to be enough to wake Aigis up from her blind anger.
She stared blankly at the assortment of cowed teenagers. Gaze lingered on Haru a bit too long. Her shoulders then hunched, hair moved till it covered half of her face. She looked like she wanted to cry.
Akihiko smiled. Bitter and sad.
"Why don't you rest?" the man softly asked. He put both of his palms on Aigis' shoulders and gently pushed her out of the break room, away from the wound-up high schooler, "I think being cooped up here for a prolonged time with just your mind as your company started to stress you out."
Aigis didn't answer. But the silence and her walking away from them all was an answer enough that she accepted Akihiko's suggestion.
Silence then reigned upon the atmosphere. It felt almost chilling with how tense everyone was. Akihiko tried to alter their attention toward the important point by gesturing them closer to the unconscious figure of their beloved leader.
Right. Ren. They were here for Ren.
"Don't crowd over him," he warned, making a silent motion for them to sit around the circle instead of piling on top of each other, "He was exhausted. Just came out of the TV world and immediately collapsed on the spot. Really made Yu panicked."
Why? Futaba wanted to scream. What happened?
What did the police do to Ren, to reduce him to this pitiful state, so unlike him?
Seemingly hearing their unvoiced question, Akihiko told him what he heard from Yu. Judging from the injuries before the grey-haired man had managed to heal him with his Persona, it seemed that the police—the corrupted one who worked under who-knows-who—had tortured him. In the guise of 'doing an interrogation', they kicked, punched, and smacked the frail teenager until he couldn't hold on to his consciousness any longer. From a quick scan they did, they also found a trace of a foreign substance injected into his bloodstream. Either to weaken him so he couldn't struggle when the police did the 'interrogation', or just a plain abuse they decided to do as a justification to educate a criminal. It was mortifying. It was horrifying.
She knew how wicked adults could be but to the point of torment? To a child, no less?
"Even after the healing, Amamiya-kun looked so much like he was on the verge of dying and…well…" Akihiko reached toward Ren, playing with his messy hair. He smiled slightly when the kid unconsciously leaned into his touch, "It just reminded us over the loss of our leader. He was only sixteen at that time."
Every single one of them took a deep, hurtful breath.
…what?
Sixteen?
"He died on Aigis' lap, you know. Like he was just going to sleep. When in fact, it was the last time he was going to open his eyes ever again," the white-haired man whispered. The same hand he used to caress Ren's hair went under his nose. Then to his neck. Then to his chest. Before it landed on his wrist and never moved. Futaba recognized the movement of someone who was trying to ascertain whether the recipient was still breathing or not. Whether the veins beneath the skin were still beating to the beat of the heart and pumping blood throughout their entire body, "Seeing Amamiya-kun went unconscious in Yu's arm made us recall his last moment. Aigis appointed herself to be his temporary caretaker as Yu went to fetch you kids. Watching Amamiya-kun for nearly two hours without moving."
"She thought—we all thought—the worst scenario already happened…"
…oh.
Oh.
So that's why.
Futaba finally realized that Aigis was not angry at them, even after all that polemic.
She was worried.
She didn't want them to experience what they had experienced.
She didn't want them to lose their friends earlier than they should've. Future cut short and would never grow up—
It must be appalling. To have your friend die in your arms. Burying what was essentially a child.
Yusuke parted Ren's bangs away from his face. Exposing the bags hanging under the eyes, cheeks looked gaunt. He pursed his lips then mumbled, "Those cops must've really done a number to Ren if Narukami's healing Persona couldn't even restore his stamina…."
Akihiko grunted in confirmation, closing his eyes for a second. It looked like he was trying to calm himself. To look at the brighter side and not wallow in negative thoughts. He opened his eyes once again, putting his rough palm on the nearest teenager—who turned out to be Ryuji—and tousled his blonde hair. An act of reassurance, a boost of confidence. Ready to stand proud amongst the masses and offer help to those who needed it, "He's going to be okay," he declared, "We just have to wait."
Wait for him to wake up. Wait for him to greet them with his confident smile once again.
Morgana hopped out of the bespectacled girl's embrace and landed on Ren's torso. The cat was heavier than he looked, yet Ren didn't even stir at the sudden weight. A concerning fact that they all noticed. Morgana turned in place, kneaded the blanket, then lay on the unconscious teen's chest. Futaba proceeded to pet Morgana's tiny head, letting his purr calm her erratic heart. Yeah. Wait.
She was sure Ren was going to be okay. He's strong. He would go through these adversaries in no time. No permanent injuries would be left that'll haunt him in his dream. Nor will he have to fight the cruel world by his lonesome ever again. He is fine. Ren is going to be fine.
(He needed to)
(A/N): This turned out to be more serious than I thought, tf? I made this just cuz I wanna write that scene where Yu came out of the TV like the ghost from The Ring, man. Not whatever angst fest you just read right here :'D
Again, I haven't played or watched someone play P5. So if you find any inconsistencies, please do tell. I will fix it :)
Hmmm...I might write Royal, actually. Kinda got an idea that might interested you guys. Hmmmm...