Catch-22: The Trip
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Theo and Yu discuss plans on the plane.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Many thanks to AKatsinTcups for betaing this chapter.
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.
-Sholom Aleichem
"It looks like they are finally tired out," Theo said as he took a sip of his tea.
Yu glanced around the plane. He chuckled softly at Lila and Teddie curled up on the seats behind Theo. They are sleeping like they didn't have a care in the world. He and Theo were sitting across from each other at table in the middle of the plane while having tea. It was rather nice that Mitsuru-san let him borrow her personal plane.
"This is the first time that Lila has been on a plane and Teddie's first time traveling with his sister. Of course, he wants to show her everything," Yu said as he stirred his tea.
He really didn't want to try taking Teddie and Lila though an airport.
They would have probably gotten arrested. That would kind of defeat the purpose of this trip.
It also gave him and Theo a chance to talk and plan. Once they landed in London, they only had a short time to get everything done.
"Do you believe that it was a good idea to bring them?" Theo asked.
"Yes, or do you think it would have been a better idea to leave them?"
"Uh…no, Master."
He chuckled softly.
"Did everything with Ms. Futaba go well?"
"Yes, I made her aware of the situation."
"Goro was in Mementos while you were looking for me. I want you to keep an eye out for him in your next palace," He told Futaba.
"Huh? Wait a minute…he was down there?! Why didn't I sense him?" Futaba said as she pushed her keyboard away from her.
"Probably because he was lurking in the shadows. That is Veles's dominion. He said that he was too loud and terrible at hiding," He said.
He heard Veles grumble into his ear.
The fluffy haired lad is like a raccoon let into a bakery. Rage…destroy…eat! No wonder the shadows knew that he was coming. He is loud.
"Because you just got your persona few weeks ago. Your range will increase as you grow. Don't push yourself."
"But…but…You know what you are doing?!"
"Experience. Rise often forced herself to scan everything at once. She would be dead on her feet after a long scan. Sometimes, she would even collapse. But…she probably told you that already, huh?"
Futaba pouted.
"Yes…She did. She said that she wanted to be useful to the group since she really couldn't fight. I kind of feel the same way. But…hey, next palace. You aren't going to be there?"
He gave her a look clearly saying that he knew what was going to happen once he left.
"Damn…I fear for your future children."
"I do hope that my future children don't end up in the tv world or any strange other world. Knowing my luck, it will probably happen.
"Yup…your future children are screwed because you are a damn ninja."
"I'm glad that the conversation went well unlike your conversation with Mr. Akechi,"
He sighed.
"He was there. In his mind, the lines are clearly drawn in the sand. He knows what side I will choose. Of course, he will continue to pretend towards me because he doesn't want to lose face or a chance."
"You sound better, my friend," Akechi said over the phone.
.
"Thanks. I feel better. Although, I had board meetings worse than the flu," Yu said cheerfully.
Akechi laughed.
"I'm glad. That you are better, not the board meetings."
Yu chuckled softly.
"How are you?"
"Work and the press has kept me very busy."
"It is still bad? I could say something. Apparently, the press finds me interesting when I talk."
"Because you are a man of few words. But no…no, Yu, the press will hound you."
"No more than when I go out with Rise."
"I can't allow you to be a target."
"You aren't? I read the papers and I watch the news. I worry about your safety. People have a herd mentality right now. It's dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt because someone doesn't like your opinion."
"You want me to back down?" Akechi said in frustration.
"Never. You don't back down, Goro. You are just stubborn as I am. I just want you to be careful. Have someone walk out with you after an interview or something. I don't want to hear on the news that you got hurt," Yu said with a sigh.
There's a long silence.
"Goro?" He said as he pulled his phone away to see if he didn't get disconnected.
"I'm here. Sorry, I was distracted for a moment."
He knew better.
He could almost hear Goro's thoughts over the phone. Clearly, he thought that he would cut off his friendship as soon as he recovered.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm rather touched. Not a lot of people share your concern."
"As you notice, I am not a lot of people."
Goro laughed softly.
"No, you aren't. I'm sorry. Work has left me rather stressed. I believe that I'm taking it out on you. Again, I am sorry."
"Goro, once I get back, we are going fishing and out for sushi."
"If Thieves will let me…"
"The Thieves can give you one day off."
"I doubt it. They have been quiet for some time now. They will act soon. Then I wonder how the public will view them then. Will public's opinion change or would it remain the same?" Goro said thoughtfully.
"Would yours?" He asked.
"No."
"Neither would mine."
"You knew the time would come, Master," Theo said.
"I did. I will continue to reach out, but I sense Goro won't let me do anything else,"
"At least, your conversation with Mr. Ren went well. The boy seemed upset from what the creature said to him. Empty indeed. What insulting creature."
"Because no one actually explained to him what it means," Yu said.
"Empty? That is what he told you?" Yu frowned.
"Infinite possibilities, and utterly empty. You are nothing but an empty shell. To be thrown away after they are done." Ren repeated back to his Sensei.
Yu could tell by Ren's tone that he was trying to hide how upset he is. He felt a wave of anger rush him.
He didn't expect the Fake to tell him, but his attendants should know better.
"Do you believe that you are empty?"
There was a moment of silence over the phone.
"I suppose you know about my record," Ren said.
"The others told me, but I wanted to hear it from you. I would be a terrible Sensei if I didn't wait."
"Everyone knew before I told them. Someone who waited for me to do it. Honestly, it is nice. Anyway, for the longest, I was numb. With the trial, the move here, and everyone just abandoning me at home, I just become numb. I couldn't tell you anything from that year. Most of it was a blur. So, the empty comment hit a little close to home."
"And now?"
"Different now. I have friends and almost a family with Futaba and Boss. I have a place. I have a purpose."
"Do you remember our conversation at the café?"
"Kind of? Something about the fool represents infinite possibilities."
"That is correct, but it also represents other things. Some good…some bad."
"Bad?"
"Chaos, poor judgement, lack of direction."
He could almost hear the wheels turning inside of Ren's head over the phone.
"But with it, comes the good, the fool represents the beginnings, spontaneity, and leap of faith. I see every time that you are with your friends or with me. You, yourself came here as a new beginning, but now? You and your friends have started a beginning together. It goes back to the other point of the Fool. You see yourself in your friends and shadows that you form contracts with. Your struggles…their struggles…your journey…their journey."
"But I can be chaotic…I have made some bad calls. I totally didn't know what I was going to do once I got here. I mean…."
He chuckled.
"No, that is what makes you human and far from empty."
Ren chuckled softly.
"That is what Morgana said. In so many words. 'Honestly, I don't know why you believe him. He was just trying to get into your head. You are a million times better than him.' I think that he feels guilty about giving me up for his desires comment. I told him that I know he wouldn't do that. He got all embarrassed then he went down to visit Boss," Ren said.
"That sounds like Morgana."
He sighed.
"I have no idea what he is learning. I might to have a talk with the twins."
It was a wall. It is Mementos. It will repair itself. How else were we suppose get there, laddie? Walking? I never travel that way unless I'm on the surface.
You could have warned me. Dropping me into a pit of darkness without warning isn't very good for either of us.
He saw a pair of glowing blue eyes and grin in his mind.
"I'm not sure it was wise of you to go down there by yourself to train, Master."
"I need to adjust. I won't have much time once we land."
Theo sighed.
"You're correct. I do wish that we had more time."
"Don't we all. On the positive, my students are deciding a code name for me. It is just as amusing as you expected," He said as he showed Theo the text messages.
Futaba: We get to decide a codename for Support Buddy. *party popper*
Ryuji: Doesn't Sensei have a codename?
Futaba: We can't go around and calling Support Buddy Sensei. That will tell everyone who he is!
Ryuji: I guess. But I don't think that I can call him anything else.
Yusuke: The same. Calling Sensei something other than Sensei would be wrong.
Futaba: :pout emoji:
Ann: I mean we have to do it. We can't call him Sensei. Even if the guys are right, it will be really hard not to call him Sensei.
Makoto: Chie recommended Mob boss or Samurai.
Ryuji: It was a bad idea for Sensei give you Chie's number.
Ren: Those really don't fit.
Ryuji: Maybe Gambit…like the superhero. He is like a thief superhero.
Futaba: It is kind of thiefy sounding.
Yusuke: Poor Sensei.
Ryuji: What do you mean?
Yusuke: You are naming Sensei after some glowey man with a stick. His outfit looks most uncomfortable.
Ryuji: He is a superhero!
"My word," Theo said as he pulled the phone away.
"This goes on for awhile and totally off topic about the difference between superhero movies and comic books. Whatever they come up with as my codename, I think that I will be amused. I am sure that Morgana could tell me more. Isn't that right, Morgana?" He said as he sat back down in his seat.
He glanced over at the bag by Teddie and Lila's seats. Morgana's head popped out of the bag.
"How did you know?! I was super quiet. Teddie said that he wouldn't tell. He thought that it was a good idea for me to come along!" Morgana said.
"Teddie can't lie. He is terrible at it. He was doing his hehe laugh when he was carrying your bag. That is his trying to be mischievous laugh. Lila had sushi place on her list of places to visit in London. Theo and I like sushi, but we definitely didn't put that on the list. Theo said he heard meowing coming from somewhere," Yu said in a matter of fact tone.
Theo tried really hard not to smile.
Morgana sighed.
"So, what are you going to do?" Morgana asked.
"You are coming. I can't turn the plane around, can I?"
End of The Trip
Next Chapter: The Phone Call
A/N: London here we come! Whoa! The London arc is 3 chapters long and they were really fun to write once I figure them out. (I rewrite 2 out of the three chapters). I'm not going to try to figure out the relationship between Lila and Teddie. If Lila and Teddie want to say that they are brother and sister, they are. It would be pointless to argue with them. There is a family hierarchy that I will explore in a later chapter. Anyway, thank you guys for the reviews, kudos, and favorites.