Catch-22: The Man in The Black Mask
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Yu goes down to visit his shadow friends and find something…someone else there.
Disclaimer; Don't own them.
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
― William Blake
The first thing that Yu noticed when he stepped into Mementos was how quiet it was. That fact was strange to him. Even without the shadows around, there was always a bump or echo inside of here.
Now, it was just quiet.
His hand rested on his sword.
Second thing that he noticed was the lack of shadows. When he is here, either by himself or with the Thieves, there are always shadows. Sometimes, close by and other times that he could see from a distance.
Something wasn't right.
"Sensei?" A familiar voice said softly.
His head jerked toward the voice. He could see Incubus coming out of the shadows. His friend's eyes were darting from place to place.
"Incubus…is something wrong?"
Incubus's eyes darted from side to side. He was rubbing his hands like it was cold. But he knew better….he was nervous.
"The man in the black mask is here, Sensei. You need to go. It isn't safe," Incubus said in a panic.
The man in the black mask…the others spoke of him and what he was doing. His shadow friends spoke of him in fear.
He debated on what to do.
Finding out more about the man in the black mask would help his students. It would also help him find out how he has been doing the shutdowns. But…unlike his students, the man in the black mask was experienced. Without his personas, if he were to confront the man in the black, it would take all of his skills and training to make the fight even.
He wasn't sure if he could win.
But…
"What about the others? Are they safe?" He asked.
Incubus shook his head.
"I don't know. I….I am sorry."
"Then we will find them together. I am not leaving them and I am not leaving you alone either. Do you know where you last saw them?" He asked.
Incubus nodded his head and pointed down the dark tunnel.
"Lead the way but be quiet," He said.
Incubus nodded and slowly led them into the dark tunnels.
His hand tightened on the sheath of his sword. The eerie silence was off putting and foreign to him.
"There! They are in there!" Incubus said as he pointed at the spiraling vortex.
Why on earth would they go in there?
He is going to have a talk with his friends about safety when he found them.
He and Incubus stepped into the vortex and landed at a dead end.
This place was different from the rest of Mementos. Bright for one…like someone turned on the lights.
Oh, there is a spiraling vortex behind him.
Interesting…
"Sensei!" Lilim's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He turned his attention to Lilim with Black Frost following behind her.
"What are you two doing here?" He asked.
"Well…Harti said that the man in the black mask is here. So, I went looking for Black Frost and Slime. I found Black Frost then I saw this place. It looked safe. So, we came here…Now, you are here. You shouldn't be here. Not safe at all, Sensei."
"I was worried about you….?" He said before something…saw someone standing behind them.
It looked human but he could sense that it wasn't human. It looked like a man wearing a heavy red jacket and heavy brown cargo pants with a brown cap on his head. The biggest clue were the guy's bright yellow eyes and whole glowing thing.
The guy didn't even notice that they were there.
"I am not going to tell him. I am not going to tell him. No No No," The man said as he rubbed his hands together.
"Sir?" He said.
"No…No. I am not a snitch. No No…No…" The man said over and over.
"Hee Hoo," Black Frost said as he grabbed his hand.
"You aren't going to get anything out of him like that, Sensei. Hell…your students can't barely get anything out of them before they turn all crazy," Incubus said.
His students did talk about their missions but he wasn't quite sure on the details.
Honestly, as long as they came home safe and unharmed. It wasn't his business.
Maybe, it is time to make it his business.
"What do my students do?"
"Joker talked to them for…like a moment. They don't listen. So, they knocked some sense into them then they realized how dumb they are. Then they go poof," Lilim said.
"Hee Hoo!"
"Oh, and they get some shiny stuff too."
"Interesting. What…" He said before he was cut off by two strong arms picking him up and moving him to a dark corner behind some blockade.
"EEEK!" Lilim shouted.
"Put me down!" Incubus said.
"Hee Hoo!" Black Frost shouted.
"SSHHHH! He is coming," Oni said as he set Incubus and Lilim down in the corner.
Fuu-Ki set him and Black Frost down and pressed them into the corner. They stood in front of them with their weapons ready.
His eyes darted to the man who was looking around as if he sensed something was coming. Few minutes of silence, he saw him come out of the vortex.
Honestly, he didn't know what to expect when he saw the man. From the others, he was just the man in the black mask.
Well…that part is right. Although, the man in the black mask took a page from Ann's outfit. It was black and skin tight. It couldn't be comfortable. He couldn't make out his face but he could tell the man had brownish hair.
The man in the black mask approached the other man. While the man didn't pay attention to them, he did pay attention to the other man.
"I won't tell you," The man shouted at the man in the black mask.
"Pity. I would have let you live if you did. I hate having to destroy such a valuable source of information," The man in the black mask said as he drew his gun.
"No, ya won't. You don't think tha I haven' figured it out already. I know, man. I know!" The man said.
"Not even for information that you prize so much."
The man paused for a moment.
"What kind of info?"
"A name and a place for a "friend."
The man's eyes darted back and forward. He frowned. The voice sounded so familiar. He heard before but where…..
"If I give ya the name, I ge the friend's name?" The man said.
"Of course," The man in the black mask said with the wave of his hand.
His eyes widened and his heart dropped into his stomach.
It clicked. He knew that voice…that thing that he does with his hands.
He knew who the man in the black mask.
"No." The man said.
"What did you say?"
"I sai no. I am not a snitch."
"Well…then. I am sorry to hear that. No matter…your fate was sealed from the beginning," Akechi said as he drew his gun.
The man's eyes widened as Akechi shot his gun directly into the man.
He watched in horror as the man screamed and fell to the ground. He watched as shadowy smoke rose from the fallen man.
Akechi sighed as he took out a piece of cloth to wipe his gun.
"Pity. You made my job slightly more difficult. Nothing that I can't fix, of course." Akechi said with a sigh.
His thoughts were racing. Why? Why?
His body was shaking but his hands were firm on the handle of his blade. While Akechi was cleaning his gun, his glance moved to their corner.
Fuu-Ki and Oni pressed them harder into the corner. Lilim's hands were firmly over Incubus's mouth. Black Frost was clinging to him.
The tension was thick as Akechi stared into their corner.
Suddenly, the tension broke with a beeping noise.
Akechi picked up the phone from his pocket and shut it off.
"It is done. What an annoyance. Now, I have to report in. He won't be pleased at all. Ah well" Akechi said to the phone.
While the conversation didn't hold any information, he found Akechi's face interesting. It wasn't his calm expression or his excited expression but it was one of anger and hatred.
Whoever he reported too…Goro hated them.
Then why would he work for someone that he hated so much?
Does the person have something on him? Is he working a case? So many thoughts were running through his head at the moment that he almost missed Akechi disappearing into the vortex. Part of him wanted to follow and demand answers but his eyes were drawn to the spot of smoking man.
They waited for a few minutes before moving from their spot.
"That was so close, Sensei," Lilim said.
He nodded his head as he approached the man. He kneed down at the man's side. His hands hovered over the man's body. How does he stop it?
"You can't help him, Sensei. No one can," Incubus said sadly.
The smoking man looked toward him.
"I….did…:cough:...not tell…him. No….:cough:," The man said with a cough.
"You didn't. You did good," He said.
The man smiled.
"I….good…?"
He smiled sadly. He tried to offer some measure of comfort to the man.
"Yes…very good."
The man smiled then disappeared into a flash of light. At his feet, there laid another card. He picked up.
Mudo
With shaken hands, he put the card into his pocket.
His thoughts were racing.
Does he rush to his students? Does he confront Akechi?
What does he do now?
"Hee Hoo?"
He snapped out of his racing thoughts as he felt Black Frost give him a hug.
He smiled a little.
"Thank you, Black Frost. I feel better now."
"Do you know him, Sensei?" Incubus asked.
"Yes," He said.
"Well…that sucks. I would have thought that your students would have told you?"
"What?"
End of the Man in the Black Mask
Next Chapter: Break in Play: The Much Ado About Something
A/N: I am sorry. Really, I am. I had to do it. Before you guys get on my case, yes, I am very aware that I wrote something different in the beginning. Because guess what? Yu lied. He has his reasons and you will find out in the next chapter. As for the next chapter….holy cow…it is long (4000+ words.) It was a lot of fun to write. I just started writing Futaba's castle. It is hilarious…I haven't made it to her palace. Thank you guys for the reviews, kudos, favorites, etc. They make my day.