Catch-22: The Weapons of Choice

By: M14Mouse

Summary: Kanji and Chie help with Yu with a little project.

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Many thanks to AKatsinTcups for betaing this chapter.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.- Anais Nin

"Fake weapons?! I thought that you were joking," Chie said surprised.

"Nope, Ren often goes to a model shop for the armor and weapons," Yu said as he hit his code into the keypad of one of the Kijoro Group's weapons facilities. While most of the facilities were moved off site, this was the last large one to stay behind, having one of the oldest collection of weapons. He wondered where Mitsuri was able to locate some of these weapons but he learned not to ask.

"No wonder that you weren't down with that. It is hard for me to wrap my head around it, man."

"So, how does that work? Shadows thinks the weapons are real and thus the fakes protect them?" Chie said thoughtfully.

"Yes, that's pretty much it."

"Man, the new kids have it easy," Kanji scoffed.

"I wouldn't say easy. They still can get hurt, still can get injuries. Ren has reassured me that he has a doctor friend who he gets supplies from or I would have stepped in. That place drains them as much the tv world did us."

"Ahhh...you are such a mother hen, Yu. It's a good look on you," Chie said with a grin.

"Man... He is just being a good Sensei. He did the same stuff for us."

"I don't know."

"Those kids adore you. It was Sensei this and Sensei that the entire time we talked. It was giving us a complex." Chie said.

"I believe that happened for five minutes before you and Makoto talked about kung fu movies." Yu said amusedly.

"Girl has a good taste in movies."

Kanji snorted but paused behind them when they entered the large room.

"Whoa…"

"Wow…"

Yu didn't blame them for their reactions. He had the same reaction when he first came here.

The room always gave him the impression of a museum. The various weapons carefully displayed on the walls with lights above them. Cases and cases of weapons that formed aisles in the room. Suits of armor posed as if they were ready to strike. It reminded him of the shadow horseman that they fought in the tv world.

It was a sight to behold.

"Is Mitsuru-san planning a war?" Chie said in awe.

"Knowing her. Probably," He replied leisurely.

Kanji shook his head and Chie just stared at Yu.

"Crazy lady," Kanji mumbled.

"Anyway, I need some type of armor thin enough to hide under a jacket. I also need a weapon that I can hide in plain sight since I broke the last one."

"How did you break the last one?" Chie asked him.

"I broke it over a shadow's head."

"That is kind of awesome," Kanji said.

"I know, right! It is like something out of an action movie," Chie added.

Yu grinned for a moment.

"Any ideas?"

"Hmm…you are a gambler, right? Beside the cane, do you have any other weapons?" Chie asked.

"I have a pair of dice that exploded."

"Of course, you would carry mini bombs in your pocket."

"Still would prefer my sword."

"Man, the tv world really messed you up," Kanji said sadly.

He jolted at the comment.

"We worry about you and Naoto. I mean we still watch the tv world and we have no problem protecting it. Sure, Naoto has her cases and you have your multimillion-dollar company to run. Uhh…okay, that didn't turn out right. Okay, I will try this again. Yes, you still have other things, but you still do the shadow stuff," Chie said as she scratched the back of her head.

"We know that you still carry your sword. According to Theo, you have two in your closet. Hell, the only reason that we knew that is because he shipped one to us to get it sharpen," Kanji said.

"I'm grateful for your concern but I choose this path," He said.

Chie sighed and Kanji looked like that he wanted to say something else.

"Back to the topic at hand, any ideas?"

Kanji sighed.

"Kevlar is used in a lot in bulletproof vests. It is lightweight enough to fit under a jacket. I need to work with a little bit more. I'm sure that I will be able to make something under your jacket."

"Wait, you have been practicing with it, Kanji?" Chie said in a surprise tone.

Kanji's face started to turn red.

"Kanji?"

"I may have been trying to make you and Domija-san some protection. You guys complain about it enough. So, I thought…you know," Kanji said embarrassedly.

Chie started at Kanji before gently hitting his shoulder.

"Thanks," Chie said with a smile.

Kanji's face continued to turn a bright shade of red.

"Anyway, concealed weapon, huh? How about a switch knife? We get plenty of idiots with those," Chie said.

"Too short and small," Yu said thoughtfully.

"Hmm…. let me look around for a bit," Chie said as she glanced over at the different weapon cases.

"Go on."

Chie squeed and darted down one of the aisles.

"Man, we are never going to find her again," Kanji groaned.

"It is good to see. It has been tough for her being a rookie."

"I'm glad that your uncle is her partner. He gets it."

"Me too."

"Now for you," He said as he waved for Kanji to follow him. It took them a moment to arrive at a sewing machine that Yu had brought down. He also made sure that it was stock with everything that Kanji needed.

Kanji made a sound quite similar to Chie.

"Crap! YU!"

"Have fun."

Kanji didn't need to be told twice.

It is good when his friends had fun.

He started to wander among the aisles as his friends worked. He heard a crash from Chie's direction and curses from Kanji's.

Finally, he stopped at one of the cases. It was sword pressed against velvet lining. It looked like the sword that he lost in Germany.

"Yu!"

He could barely hear Aegis over the roar of the wind and clashing of his blade against the shadows. He heard bullets coming from her direction. The little boy with sad yellow eyes stared at him in the middle of a large vortex.

"You know what is going to happen, right?" The little boy said sadly

"You can stop it." He shouted.

"You know that isn't possible."

"I know that it is. He is you after all."

The boy smiled sadly.

"I know. That is why he wants them to die," The boy said as he reached out his glowing right hand.

"Yu!"

"Yu! I found it!" Chie shouted followed by a loud crash.

His head snapped in her direction. She was running toward him with a cane in her hands.

He wasn't looking for another cane.

"A cane?" He asked.

"Noo…Look!" Chie said excitedly.

Slowly, she twisted the knob of the cane then pulled out a sword.

He grinned.

"That is what I was looking for," He said as he took the sword-cane and examined it closely. When sheathed it appeared as a normal cane, a long brown wooden shaft with a gold tip and knob. It was heavier though than a normal cane, with the grip being shaped just slightly to offer a better hold when the blade was unsheathed.

Chie beamed.

"Done!" Kanji shouted.

The pair turned around to see Kanji running toward them. He put the sword back into its hiding place as Kanji handed him the jacket and took the cane from his hand. Yu slipped on the jacket with ease, adjusting it a bit as he looked down at it.

"It looks good on you," Chie complimented.

"It feels good. Good job, Kanji. Both of you. Thank you," He said to the pair.

Kanji and Chie flushed at the comment. He grinned at his friends' embarrassment.

"How about we go and try this out?" He said.

"Hell yes!"

"OH! OH! ME! ME!"

End of The Weapons of Choice

Next Chapter: The Return to the Velvet Room

A/N: Now, you know where Yu got his weapons and armor and me a chance to write fun IT stuff. :D We get a little hint of Yu's time in the Shadow Operatives which I might explore later when Aegis comes to visit. I always thought Chie had blond/brown hair but we are just going to agree to disagree there. I am so glad that some of you have started playing Legend of Heroes (I may be writing a P4/LoH fic…opps). It is a slow going game but the payoff is huge. Anyway, thank you for the wonderful support. You have no idea.

PS: I just started playing Royal and I am not too keen on the voice actors changes.