Chapter 6: Thieves Reunited.
"Looks like we managed to shake them." Morgana tells the group inside Leblanc. "How's everyone doing?"
"Tae's already tended to both Erina and Toshiro. They are just resting upstairs." Shiho tells him, nursing some coffee, before nodding to Sojiro at the bar. "Sojiro is up and about after a short rest. As for Ren and Makoto, they are still sleeping."
"Can't really blame them. Considering what Marie was doing to them." Ohya remarks, taking a spoonful of curry. "Still, thanks for the save. For a moment, I thought we were about to become part of a horror show." Chihaya nods in agreement before movement from the stairs draws attention to Erina and Toshiro coming down to join them.
"Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?" Iwai asks, tilting his hat.
"Other than the wounds on my arm and leg, I am perfectly fine." Toshiro replies, sitting down. "Tae works wonders."
"So I am. And I'm glad everyone is alive and safe." Erina replies before frowning. "Although, I heard a good part of the Rebel Corp sacrificed themselves so we could escape."
"It wasn't an easy choice. We were all exhausted, and with Marie on the field, we ran the risk of becoming Dominated." Morgana replies with a sad frown.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not mad. You all made the right choice." Erina tells him with a shake of her head. "If I was a little more observant, we would have gotten out of there faster."
"No point in talking about possibilities." Sae interjects. "What matters is that we made it out. All of us." Erina nods her head at her before more footsteps echo from the stairs, with Ren and Makoto gingerly walking down with hands on their heads.
"Ren! Makoto!" Futaba cries, rushing up to hug the two as they reach the bottom. "Thank the kami, you're back!"
"Hello to you too, Futaba." Ren replies, patting her on the head before glancing up at everyone. "You all have no idea how much we thank you for saving us."
"Yeah… It was…I can't even think of the words to describe it…" Makoto replies as the two head to the bar, with Sojiro handing them both coffee.
"What matters is that you are both back with us and that we are whole again." Sojiro tells them. "That, and we have a lot to explain…"
"…And after that, we brought you back here." Akechi tells the two leaders, who had remained silent during the entire discussion.
"Thank you. We appreciate the update." Makoto replies with a nod.
"First thing first though…. We're sorry about what happened." Ren suddenly says to the team. "If we were paying more attention, realised that bouquet was a bomb we wouldn't have got Dominated in the first place."
"Yeah... We both got careless, and we all suffered for it." Makoto adds with a frown.
"C'mon, guys. Marie's the one who made you do all that. You ain't got anything to apologise for." Ryuji suddenly says. "Instead of thinking like that, be happy that we are all together again!" The two leaders look at him before shaking their heads in unison.
"How is it you know the exact words to say to cheer someone up?" Ren asks with a smile.
"Hey. I learned it by watching you, Renren." Ryuji replies with a smirk. The couple nods at him before turning around to Sojiro.
"You became a Persona user, right, dad? I'm honestly surprised you managed to become one." Ren admits as Sojiro gives the two a warm smile.
"To save the both of you, any of you, I would do so again." Sojiro remarks with a smile. "Seeing what she was doing to you… it was the last straw. And now that I have the same power as you, no more sitting on the sidelines for me. The whole family will be fighting as one, as we should have been from the start. Although…" He rubs the back of his head, heaving a sigh. "Couldn't you have told me it would have hurt that much? Seriously…" All of the Persona users chuckle at Sojiro, knowing what he was talking about. Before Ren turns to Erina and Toshiro.
"So, you are Erina and Toshiro? We can't thank you enough for helping them." Ren tells them. "Even if one of you opposes us."
"Well, that is neither here nor there, nor is this the proper place to talk about it." Toshiro remarks before everyone looks at him. "Having said that, perhaps we should be discussing what we learned during the rescue mission."
"That you and Marie have a past connection." Yusuke remarks while working on the Edelweiss model. "And, as well all know, Yoshida-sensei won't tell us out of respect for your privacy. Which we understand, of course." Yoshida gives Yusuke a nod of thanks as all eyes go back to the Diet Member.
"Well, yeah, I was wondering about that." Ann comments with a nod.
"Marie definitely made it sound like you two had a past, even if she was speaking through Makoto and Ren at the time, which, if I may add, was EXTREMELY unnerving to hear!" The couple cringe at the reminder from Futaba, Marie's laugh still ringing in their ears.
"So, are you going to tell us the truth? Or are you going to play the amnesia play again?" Tao asks, folding her arms with Toshiro gulping in fear. Literally.
"Huh. Never heard someone gulping like that before." Shinya remarks. The team started to throw suspicious looks at him before Sae huffed in slight annoyance.
"He's not lying about losing his memory." Sae interjects, grabbing their attention. "I've been a prosecutor for a long time, and even in my brief start as a lawyer, I can tell the signs of when someone is lying. And he is showing none of them."
"So, you really did lose your memory." Ren remarks, leaning forward. "But you still feel some sort of connection, don't you?" Toshiro looks at Ren for a moment, feeling his steel gaze as he nods his head.
"Yes. That's right. I feel like I SHOULD know Marie, but for some reason, I can't."
"So what you are saying is, you might not remember the exact situation, but you can at least recall that you have a connection with Marie." Makoto summarizes. "Am I right?"
"Yes! That's right!" Toshiro says with a grin.
"But doesn't this mean that Toshiro is engaged to the real-life Marie?" Mishima asks as all eyes turn to him, with Toshiro suddenly going very pale. "And judging by that reaction, I don't think it's one you want."
"This reminds me of when my father tried to force me to marry my ex-fiancé." Haru admits with a shake of her head.
"A man ill-suited to you, my beautiful flower." Yusuke tells her, giving her a one-arm hug as she giggles at him.
"Moving on from that." Ohya suddenly interjects. "What else do we know that can help us out?"
"We still don't know everything. Even when we were locked in Marie's throne room, we didn't learn anything." Chihaya remarks before becoming thoughtful. "Although, we did see a door like LeBlanc's in her throne room."
"We remember seeing something like that as well." Ren remarks with a nod. "Not that we could do anything at the time."
"So I guess that means you guys can start looking for it." Erina remarks casually. But Ren shakes his head.
"Leave? After not repaying the 'hospitality' that Marie has shown us? Sorry, but none of us are leaving until we foot the bill." Ren remarks with his Joker smirk.
"Absolutely. How could we leave without paying Marie her fair dues?" Makoto asks, pushing her hair back.
"Sounds like you're both ready to head back out there, Mako-chan!" Haru remarks with a grin. "And I feel the same way!"
"If we don't hold up our end of the bargain, we don't deserve to be called Phantom Thieves!" Mona agrees, jumping up and down.
"We honour our deals. That's what gentlemen and lady thieves do, after all." Mishima remarks with a grin.
"Right. If we quit now, how could we live with ourselves?" Shiho asks in agreement.
"Leaving a mission incomplete would be quite unlike us indeed. Not only that, but we always repay our debts." Yusuke adds with a grin as he continues to fix the Edelweiss model.
"Besides, looking for that portal in the throne room is a terrible idea while Marie is still skulking around." Futaba adds while squatting on a stool.
"We swore to bring down this tyrannical queen, and we will see it through." Hifumi adds with a nod of her head.
"That's right. It's payback time for what Marie did to us." Sumire agrees with a fist pump.
"You can already count me in! We already made a good team anyway." Ann comments with a smile.
"You said it! We're in this till the end. Let's flip this Kingdom on its head!" Ryuji agrees with a shark grin.
"We've been here since the beginning. It would be poor form to leave now." Akechi remarks with a shake of her head.
"This case is not over until the perpetrator is brought low. I'm not leaving until that happens." Sae replies, nodding her head.
"And it is the same for all of us." Sojiro remarks, indicating all of the confidants in the room. "We're not going anywhere until Marie is dealt with."
"And with that, it's unanimous." Ren ends, looking at Erina before holding his hand out. "The Phantom Thieves are with the Rebel Corps until the bitter end."
"You guys…" Erina remarks, looking at everyone with a slight tear in her eye before gripping Ren's hand with joy. "Thank you! And I'll update my end of the deal as well since you have all been rescued." She turns to everyone with a steely gaze. "I'll make sure you get the help you need until you are all back in the real world!"
A cheer erupts from everyone in the café as the deal is signed, cementing the alliance in stone.
"Heh. It would seem we settled things rather quickly." Toshiro comments. "The alliance between the Phantom Thieves and the Rebel Corps shall go on!"
"But you didn't say anything." Shinya points out, sending the entire café into a joyous laughter as Toshiro pouts at him. Causing them to laugh even harder.
"Anyway. Now that that is out of the way…" Futaba remarks, bringing her screens up for Ren, Makoto and Sojiro. "Time to see what you guys can do here. Looks like Makoto can still use nuke-based attacks, WITHOUT THE RADIATION MIND YOU, SO NO PANICKING TOSHIRO!" Futaba shouts, pointing at the man who looks at Makoto with slight fear in his eyes. "With the added effect of drawing foes in like a vortex. As well as some AOE healing. That's more off your back, Shiho."
"That means six of us can use healing magic, while Shiho is a dedicated healer. Along with Tae, who can use medical supplies, that gives us seven healers in a team of twenty-four. Twenty-five if you count Toshiro." Morgana surmises for the team as Shiho give out another sigh of relief. "That's not bad."
"As for Ren… well, he is still using curse magic, so no surprise there, but he can also buff our defence as well. Even if he can't switch between Persona's while we're here. While for Sojiro…" Futaba glances at her adoptive dad, nodding in satisfaction.
"Huh, you're like Sae. But instead of Almighty magic, you also can use healing." Closing her screen, she smiles proudly. "With that, we have a very good spread with eight people who can use healing magic."
"In that case, how about we wait until my scouts report back. And…" Erina turns her eyes to Ohya and Chihaya. "See about getting the two of you weapons of your own."
"Oh?" Ohya replies with a glint in her eyes. "A weapon? For me? Well, it would be rude of me to decline."
"Normally, I would decline." Chihaya replies before standing up. "But, after what I've seen, I refuse to stand by passively. And I know my Tarot card won't do much here."
"Well then, follow me." Erina tells the two, leading them upstairs with Iwai as Toshiro approaches Ren.
"While I can't remember much, I do remember the confession Shido gave and about your false charge." Toshiro tells him before giving a bow. "I am sorry that you had to go through that."
"Why are you apologising? You weren't part of Shido's conspiracy. And besides, Yoshida-sensei has said a lot of good things about you." Ren replies. "Even if what we do may seem extreme, we only went down this path because of what happened to us. Liars, frauds, you name it, they affected us."
"Thus leading to your own rebellion." Toshiro remarks. He sighs deeply, looking over himself. "While I can't remember anything, and thus I might be a bit premature saying this, but I give you my word. I promise to help change this country for the better. Even if it only leads to setting the foundations for future Members to build upon." He holds his hand out. "Can you trust me?"
Ren looks at the open hand before glancing back up to Toshiro and giving him a smile.
"Of course." Ren replies, gripping his hand. "After all, I want to be a politician myself. Can't keep changing hearts forever." Toshiro smiles at the remark as Ren's world suddenly becomes dark. While an old voice rings inside his mind. One he had not heard in a long while.
And it was a million times preferable to the nonstop chatting of Marie.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chain of captivity.
With the birth of the Eclipse Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
Shall lead to freedom and new power…
Eclipse? Well, I do already have a Sun and Moon Arcana. I'll have to ask Igor about that. Speaking of… Ren glances at the Velvet Room door, feeling the pull towards it.
"Thinking of giving Igor and Lavenza a visit?" Makoto asks, joining his side.
"Yeah. Need to let them know we're okay." Ren tells her, pulling out his Velvet Key. The door opens eagerly as the couple step inside. Finding themselves in the Velvet Armoury. "Well…this is different."
"Trickster." Lavenza's voice echoes from the side as the couple turns to her. Lavenza, standing next to a proud Igor, beams at them with happiness as Ren and Makoto walk to them. "Welcome back to the Velvet Room."
"It pleases us to see you both returned to us, Ren." Igor tells him with joy in his voice.
"It's good to be back as well, Igor. Hearing Marie's voice constantly echoing in your mind was torture…" Ren admits, shaking his head.
"I swear I can still hear her laugh in my head." Makoto comments, rubbing her head.
"I am sorry to hear that." Igor replies before glancing at Ren. "I see you have created a new link, Ren. The Eclipse Arcana. Very interesting… And connected to two people as well…. My, my."
"I'm honestly surprised that I'm still making bonds. Even though I'm now the World Arcana." Ren comments. Two people? I thought it was just Toshiro.
"When did you become The World?" Makoto asks, surprised at the news.
"It was after we defeated Maruki. Everything after that happened so fast I didn't have a chance to tell you." Ren replies sheepishly. Makoto shakes her head at him with an amused smile as Ren gives off a chuckle.
"Even so, since when does someone stop growing when their Journey ends, Ren?" Igor asks with a knowing tone as Lavenza chuckles to herself. The couple chuckle back at Igor, not denying the question as Igor folds his hands. "I assume the others have explained the rules of this place?"
"Yeah. They have." Ren admits, pulling out a lot of gears. "Which is another reason why I'm here. I'd like to make some new weapons and Sub-Persona for everyone. I know I can't use my roster here, but I think I can give them to everyone else to help."
"A wise choice." Igor remarks, summoning eleven gears into his hands. "These are the Persona of your roster. While the spells you bestowed upon them are sealed away, they can still support you in other ways."
"I still need to make two more. Plus an extra for backup." Ren comments, looking over what he can make from Lavenza's grimoire. Surprised he could still summon them, but grateful, nonetheless. Before snapping his fingers. "Satan, Metatron, Maria and Kohryu."
"Anyone else feeling stressed out?" Tao randomly blurts out, lying on her back.
"What makes you say that?" Yusuke asks, slightly intrigued.
"I mean, all this waiting around and hiding from Marie. It's just wearing me down, you know?" Tao clarifies, sitting up. "I want to get out there and move my body!"
"In that case, I think we have found a target for you, Tao." Yoshida remarks, catching her attention. "Now that we are on the offence, we can start targeting Marie's bases. And there is one nearby that has caught our eye. Iwai, Ryuji and Haru have volunteered to take it out. We have already found a route to infiltrate the base, and you are more than welcome to join them."
"Is that alright?" Tao asks, hopeful.
"You bet it is." Ryuji remarks, walking up to her. "Ren and the others said how much of a help you were taking out that Jerri. It'd be awesome to see you in action when not in a giant firefight."
"I agree with Ryuji-kun. We would be honoured to have you with us, Tao-san." Haru chimes in with a smile. Tao looks between the two before chuckling to herself.
"Man, you guys don't do things by halves, huh?" She remarks before grabbing her gun. "Alright, let's head out!" The two thieves nod at her as Iwai watches with a concerned eye.
"Living as an orphan, huh?" He says quietly, following them out. "It may not be in my place, but someone has to watch out for her…"
The others watch on as the door closes behind them, just as Ren and Makoto return from the Velvet Room.
"Where are Haru and Ryuji going?" Makoto asks, seeing the two move past the window with Iwai and Tao.
"They've gone to hit a base." Erina tells them. "Meanwhile, we're aiming to infiltrate a prison holding all of the captured Rebel Crops members. But our intel is lacking, until recently when we received a report in the entrance."
"I see. In that case, I think these will help." Ren says, opening his hand to show fifteen gears in his hand.
"Dude, are those sub-persona?" Mishima asks with wide eyes.
"They are." Ren reveals, picking on up. "Each one is a Persona I used in my Final Roster with an extra three, barring Raoul, of course. And now, I'm giving you guys one of each to help you."
"Our thanks, Ren." Yusuke replies, picking one up. "They will be most helpful." Yusuke looks at the gear before placing it onto his gun. The moment he did, he felt two powers souring into him as his gun glowed a slight pink similar to Haru's magic. With his face filled with surprise at what it was. "This is…Psiodyne? And Psi Amp?"
"That is Chi You, my Psionic specialist." Ren comments. "Each one was tailored to a specific style of magic. They might be too strong to use at the moment, but according to Igor, they will still boost our strength regardless." He places a gear on his own gun, a faint glow of blue surrounding it.
Makoto takes one as well, placing a gear on her revolver as it glows red and black. One by one, the Thieves, apart from Futaba, each take a gear, their weapons glowing to the persona they equip. And it was no surprise that some of the ones they picked were the element of their partners.
While the one that Sae picked up gave off a green glow with a light gust of wind, while Morgana's glowed a blushing white. His eyes widen as he drops his slingshot.
"Megidolaon and Heat Riser!? There's no way I can use those right now…" He says in a pout as Makoto pats his head.
"You'll get strong again." She says gently.
"This is amazing senpai! But what about weapons?" Sumire asks, tilting her head. "I remember Igor saying these could be used to make weapons for us."
"About that… it Looks like whatever is affecting the Velvet Room has affected the process of making them." Ren remarks, turning to the Velvet door. "Lavenza is working on fixing it, but… It won't be anytime soon."
"To compensate for that, she did give us these." Makoto replies, opening up a Velvet bag and placing weapons on the table. Each one is stylised in red and black, with blue metallic accessories. "She calls these 'Picaro' weapons. And apparently, they are a taste of what they can make when she gets the room under control again."
"Well, far be it from us to decalin such a gift." Akechi replies, picking up his new laser pistol. "This should give us the boost we need." The couple nod at him before looking at Ohya and Chihaya. It was something they could not ignore any longer as they gave out a sigh.
"Okay, time to ask the elephant in the room." Ren comments, turning to them. "Who gave Ohya a minigun?" They couldn't help but ask that since Ohya did, in fact, have a minigun next to her, with a belt running into a backpack on her back. While Chihaya had a normal assault rifle.
"Hey. It spoke to me, okay? And besides…." Ohya glances at Kawakami. "Your teacher has an RPG." The couple looked at Kawakami, who was busy nursing a cup of coffee, before giving the two a shrug, with Ren and Makoto shaking their heads at what was happening.
"As if things could get any stranger…" Makoto remarks before turning to the map. "Getting back to the prison, do we have any idea how strong the forces guarding the prison is?" She asks, going right into strategist mode.
"No we don't." Hifumi replies. "But we can safely assume that it's heavily defended."
"Which means that this will be primarily about learning more about the outside of the prison." Sae confirms as they all glance over the map. The Prison was located in the eastern part of the city, southeast of the hideout. In fact, it was near the prison that held Toshiro, Iwai and Yoshida.
"I see. Well, you can count me in on the scout team." Ren says, nodding his head while giving off a light glare. "I've been under Marie's spell for too long. It's time for some payback."
"It is the same with me." Makoto adds, smashing a hand into her fist with her own light glare. "I have some stress that needs relieving." Everyone in the café sweatdrops at the two as Erina leans next to Akechi.
"I can see what you mean, about the intimidation…"
"Alright, we're in." Iwai comments, looking around. "Looks like they are all grouped up together. We should be able to take them all out at once."
"How do you want to go about it?" Tao asks, indicating to the twenty-four Legionnaires before them. Iwai hums, looking them over with a critical eye. The Legionnaires were split into three groups, two squads of nine and another of six. But it was the way they were arranged that had his eye.
The two squads of nine were arranged in a tight box formation and a line formation. Easy targets for Noir's grenade launcher and Skull's shotgun. As for the group of six, they were standing out in the open.
"All right. Noir, you take out the box squad. Skull, the line is yours. Tao and I will take out the stragglers."
"Guernica." Tao says, grabbing their attention. "If I'm going out on missions, then I'd like to go by Guernica."
"Using your street artist name as your code name? Not bad." Skull remarks before glancing at Iwai. "How about you?" Iwai remains silent, pulling his cap down.
"Gecko." He replies, pointing to his tattoo. "Now then, shall we get this started?" Noir and Skull nod, slinking into the shadows as they head for their targets. While Guernica and Iwai wait to ambush the stragglers. "So… You grew up as an orphan?"
"Huh? Well, yeah." Guernica replies, surprised by the sudden question. "Me and my sis were abandoned by our parents, so we grew up on the streets. Became street artists when we saw a mural that inspired us. But…Luca died due to starvation… Making sure that I was always well fed…"
"I'm sorry about that…" Gecko replies, pulling his cap down.
"It's fine. I've come to terms with it, and I'm doing everything I can to make our dream a reality. But why did you ask?" Guernica questions. As Gecko was about to reply, an explosion from one of the squads of nine drew their eyes. The other squad of Legionnaires looked over in shock as the entire group of nine was obliterated by a single grenade. Before they themselves were gunned down by a single shotgun blast.
"What the!? An attack!?" One of the surviving Legionnaires asks before it is shot in the head by Gecko. While the two next to it were gunned down by Guernica. The remaining three run into cover, firing back at the two and forcing them into cover.
Unfortunately for them, Skull was waiting for them on the other side before blasting them both with his shotgun. "All right! There goes the last of them! This base is ours!"
"Quick and clean!" Guernica shouts back, stretching her arms. "That felt good."
"I agree." Noir comments. "In fact, I feel like we could go for another round."
"Since when did you get this energetic Noir?" Skull asks, with the ex-heiress shrugging her shoulders.
"I think she's just the kind who gets really involved with their work. I know I do." Guernica comments. "Anyway, are we good to head back to the café?"
"Yeah." Gecko chimes in. "We've taken the base, but reinforcements will be coming. If they have been alerted, that is."
"It is best we do not take that chance." Noir replies before she and Skull head for the exit, with Gecko and Guernica following after them.
"By the way, you didn't answer my question." Guernica suddenly says, earning a sigh from Gecko.
"That's fair. The reason I asked…is because I know what it's like to be abandoned." Gecko tells her quietly. "I've already shared this with Joker, but my mother lived a self-destructing lifestyle. Everything she did destroyed our lives. Least of all the lack of parental love. So… I ran away and joined the Yakuza."
"You're Yakuza?" Guernica asks with wide eyes. "Joker really has connections, huh?"
"Tell me about it." Gecko replies with a smile. "During my time in the Yakuza, I found what I was missing, but then I had an encounter that changed my life. Several years ago, a woman approached me trying to sell her infant son for drug money."
"What?" Guernica asks with shock and anger in her eyes.
"Yeah. Naturally, I refused. But when I did, she just abandoned him right then and there." Gecko reveals. "It was then that I took him in and named him Kaoru, and once I did, I left the Yakuza to start an honest life. I didn't want him to live the life I had." He looks at Guernica with understanding in his eyes. "Your situation reminds me of him."
Guernica was silent, letting the words bounce around in her head before looking back. "Why are you telling me this?"
"So that you have another place to call home." Gecko replies, shocking her. "Sojiro already has his hands full. And I understand how you feel more than anyone. So…If you ever need a place to rest, feel safe, or even have a chat. My door will be open." Guernica stays silent, shock plastered on her face, before letting out a tiny smile.
"Thanks… I think I'll take you up on that." Gecko nods at her with a smile as the two quickly join Skull and Noir and leave the base.
They say family blood runs thick, but Phantom Blood and Gecko Blood run thicker.
"That's the prison." Erina points out quietly to Joker and Queen. Along with them were Oracle and Shinya, who was calling himself King while on the mission, much to the couple's amusement.
"A prison? That's more of a fortress." King points out.
"We are definitely not getting through the front door. Or rather…gate." Oracle points out.
"I'm more concerned about the guards walking around." Joker chimes in. "They seem way more on edge than one would think. Then again, you guys did save us from Marie and have taken out a few of her bases. It makes sense they were on edge."
"Actually Joker… It doesn't look like they are patrolling." Queen interjects with a hand on her chin. "From the way they are spread out, it looks more like they are searching for something rather than keeping watch."
"Searching? For what?" Erina asks, curious. Before a gasp from Oracle drew their eyes.
"Over there!" She points towards a nearby path, where a yellow hat person is weakly walking along it, away from the prison, before collapsing on the floor.
"Did he escape from the prison?" King asks with wide eyes. Erina narrows her eye while clenching her hand.
"We have to help him." She says resolutely, but before she can stand, Joker places a hand on her shoulder.
"Wait." He says before turning to his sister. "Oracle, what are the positions of Marie's troops?" Oracle snaps her fingers, generating a few screens around her showing the position of the Legionnaires.
"Like Queen said, they are spread out all over the area. While there is a lot of them, too many to take on all at once, they are spread thin and in small groups." She closes her screens, looking between Joker and Queen. "If we move fast, we can save him and take a few squads out before falling back to the café."
"He might have information on the inside as well. Information we need." Queen comments, looking between everyone. "I agree with Oracle's assessment."
"Then that makes two of us." Joker replies, taking his gun out. "Let's move quick and take out a few squads before falling back with the escapee." Erina looks at the two with a grateful look before the team of five rushes over to the injured Rebel.
"C…Captain?" The Rebel asks as Oracle helps him up. "You came to…rescue me?"
"You'll be fine. You did a good job escaping that place." Erina tells him as Oracle helps the Rebel away. Glancing around the corner, she spies a brute and a trooper approaching them. Alongside a drummer. "Great…one of those."
"A walking drum?" King asks before groaning. "Let me guess, support?"
"Yep." Erina replies, rolling her eye. "Just like how some troopers carry blunderbusses and not muskets. Those small bastards heal and buff the others. What's more dangerous is one of them giving a brute a buff to its speed."
"And those things are already a pain to deal with…" Joker comments, his memories from The Streets fresh in his mind.
"Heads up, guys. Two more small squads are approaching the area, three brutes and four drummers all together. Best we deal with all three before we head back." Oracle tells the group via headset.
"Then, let's not waste any time." Joker comments with a determined look. "Raoul! Maeiha!" With his usual flourish, Raoul appears behind Joker, swarming the approaching Legionnaires in darkness and catching them off guard. While the drummer and the trooper succumb to despair, the brute leaps into the air and slams into the ground. Landing just in front of Joker yet failed to hit him.
"That's cute." Queen comments as Agnes forms under her, much to Erina's shock. "But how about this! Frei!" In a blast of blue fire, the brute is pulled backwards while the trooper and drummer are pulled forward. Giving King and Erina the openings they need to finish them off with a swarm of bullets and lasers.
"What's going on!?" A brute shouts as it lumbers into the area, flanked by two drummers. Queen glances at them, feeling Agnes burn inside her as she glows a scarlet red.
"I have a lot of pent-up anger that needs released. And you are the targets! Agnes! Full Throttle!" Riding atop Agnes, Queen charges forward as Erina looks on in awe at the motorbike Persona, sending the brute into the sky while disintegrating the drummers in one hit. Joker quickly follows up by shooting the brute as it falls to the ground, taking it out before it can land.
But the commotion drew the attention of the last squad, two brutes and two drummers marching down an alleyway near Erina. Who spins around and hits them with a Shining Partisan. With all four of them inflicted with forget, King blasts them with his dual laser guns while Joker swamps them in curse magic. Wiping them out and clearing the area of hostiles.
"Nice work, guys! The area is clear!" Oracle shouts over to them, with the hat person next to her. "Now, let's get this guy out of here!"
"No arguments from me. Let's fall back!" Joker calls out, with the four quickly joining Oracle as Erina picks up the hat persona, with the team soon making their way back to Leblanc at double pace.
"Ah, your back." Sojiro remarks with a smile as Ren and Makoto enter the café, Futaba, Shinya and Erina close behind them with the rescued hat person. Outside, the sky had become a dark navy blue. "I see you pick someone up."
"Yeah." Ren remarks, looking at the sleeping hat person as Tae takes him. "We found him outside the prison. Looks like he managed to escape." Before giving out a loud yawn. "Kami…I'm tired."
"So am I." Makoto remarked, staking a big yawn herself. "Is everyone else also resting? The café is empty."
"Yeah. Went up to bed not that long ago." Sojiro confirms, wiping his hands. "You all should do the same. Don't worry. I'll be heading to bed myself soon."
"But what about keeping watch?" Shinya asks with a yawn.
"Don't worry. We'll keep watch!" The Rebels tell him with pride. "You all focus on resting up."
"That sounds great…" Futaba remarks, leaning on Ren. "I'm about to clock out any…" Before she could finish, her breathing became light as Ren gently picked her up.
"And out like a light." He remarks, heading for the stairs. Sojiro shakes his head, closing the blackout curtains over the windows and door before following them upstairs to bed.
Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.