Catch-22: The Cards Where They Lie
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Yu finally threw down his hand.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Ren felt the hair on the back of his neck raise up as the stranger started walking down the pile of screens. Everyone transformed into the thief's outfit quickly. In flash. Done.
This guy was slow as if it was on purpose. The energy swirled around his feet and rose up his body with every step. First, white wingtip shoes then white trousers….
His eyes jerked to the screens when he saw flashes of different images and sounds. Some…he could almost make out…he thinks. He could have sworn that he could make out a high pixie and an Isis.
Why? What?
Then a guy in a white suit wearing a metal mask flashed onto the screen. He caught the glimpse of some type of sword.
He felt himself step back from the energy coming from the screens.
Ren could almost hear Ryuji mumbled a fuck under his breath.
He glanced over at the stranger, who appeared like a mob boss from one of those old movies. Full on white suit, fedora hat and silver tie with a white scarf around his neck. His "mask" was a pair of tinted glasses. In his hand, he had a wooden cane.
The doctor shouted that was lost in all of the noise. Suddenly, shadows surrounded the stranger. His first instinct was to throw himself into the fight.
Don't.
He stopped in his tracks at the unfamiliar voice inside his head and turned toward Futaba.
He couldn't see her eyes but he could see her lips pressed together.
Watch. Learn. I can handle this fight.
But you are outnumbered!
My kind of odds.
"Let him play his little game. We get to watch both of them in action," Akechi said.
Correct on one count.
"Oh, where am I wrong?" Akechi snarled back.
Game. This isn't a game for me. Never have. Never will be.
The stranger fanned a few cards in his hand before dropping one on the floor. A tree of ice formed on the ground and it started causing the shadows to slip along the ice. He put his cane under his arm and took a pair of dice out of pocket then threw them onto the floor. Few seconds after they hit the floor, the dice exploded. The shadows flew back from the explosion. The stranger threw another card onto the ground and a flash of light swallowed the room. He heard the screams from the shadows. Once the light disappears, a few shadows remain.
The stranger rammed one of the remaining shadows with the head of his cane into its stomach. The shadow doubled over. He reached out and grabbed the mask to rip off. The shadow let out a scream when he lifted up his cane and rammed the shadow's face. The shadow fell to the ground and disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Another shadow approached the stranger, he undid some type of sheath around his cane and threw it at the shadow, who made the mistake of catching it.
"Holy crap…it is a sword," Ryuji mumbled.
"He is well prepared," Makoto noted.
"He has done this before," Akechi remarked.
It was that moment of distraction was enough for the stranger to cut the shadow down. Another shadow threw a punch and hit the stranger's face. The stranger stumbled back and wiped a bit of blood from his mouth. The last shadow reached over but the stranger had longer arms and legs than the shadow. He was able to swing up his sword…cane and cut the shadow down.
"Leaving so soon, doctor? We aren't done with our little conversation," The stranger said mildly as he straightened himself out and stared at the darkness. He twisted around to see the doctor stumbling into the shadow. Probably going to escape.
The doctor shook his head.
"I think that you made your position clear and I think that this fight should take on more even ground," The doctor said as the shadows wrapped around him and disappeared into the darkness.
"I agree but your palace isn't neutral ground," The stranger said as he tapped the tip of his cane on the ground. The shadows wrapped him and then he disappeared too.
"Well, we know how he travels around without me finding him," Futaba mumbled.
"Would he be alright? I mean…." Ann said nervously.
"He is a badass. I'm not sure that he will need our help," Ryuji answered Ann.
"He is an impressive swordsman," Yusuke added.
The ground underneath their feet started to shake.
"What?..." Haru said as she struggled to stay on her feet. The darkness in the corner started to ripe like a wave then with a loud pop, the doctor flew out of the darkness. He slides across the floor before hitting the wall.
The stranger walked out of the shadows.
"I told you that our conversation wasn't over," the stranger said.
"Who…Who are you?" The doctor said.
"Merely a player of the game," The stranger said as he picked up the sheath of his sword but slipped his sword back into the cane.
"How…I have control over Mementos," The doctor said as he stumbled to his feet.
"Wrong. I stole it. Not all of it but parts of it. The parts that resist your "happiness"," The stranger said with a smile.
The heavy silence between everyone.
"That's impossible. I CONTROL IT!" The doctor shouted.
"Only the blind would think that they have absolute control. Of course, you could always try to take it back."
"I didn't want to do this here. Come to me, Azathoth!" The doctor shouted.
He watched in horror as a golden creature rose behind the doctor. It kind of reminds him of those old Egyptian tombs. He could make out the head and the skeleton outline in gold. Black tentacles rose out of the ground.
"He…he is strong," Futaba stumbled on her words.
The stranger yawned.
"Is that it? I have seen more impressive personas."
"RAINING SEEDS!" The doctor shouted as chaos broke out. Rock and metal bars were falling from the roof of the room. The group scrambled to get out of the way of the attack. Once the dust disappeared, the stranger was still standing there.
He looked unimpressed.
The stranger dusted off his shoulders.
"Is that? I'm disappointed. For a "supposed" leader of this world, that was a pretty weak attack."
"What in the hell is he doing?!" Morgana said in a panic.
"Giving us information. I must say. He is doing a wonderful job. It is a pity that I can't join him," Akechi said with a smirk.
"I WILL TAKE IT BACK! I WILL!"
"You can try."
"Nuclear Crush!"
The room started to shake and more of the ceiling was starting to fall down.
"THE ROOM IS COMING DOWN!" He screamed.
Calm down.
He could make out the stranger tapping his cane onto the ground. He watched the shadows pooled under their feet.
You might not want to move either or scream. The screaming is very disconnecting.
"HEY! What are-" Morgana shouted.
The shadows wrapped under them and he felt himself dropping.
He felt his stomach lunge forward. He was going to throw up.
Few seconds later, he crashed to his feet. He took a few moments to get his bearings and make sure that he didn't throw up. He glanced around to see everyone around him. Out of the corner, he saw Lavenza staring at them in shock.
"I think that I'm going to throw up," Ann mumbled next to him.
"Ditto," Futuba mumbled back.
"Same," Ryuji said.
"Urgh," Haru said.
"Well, that went rather well," The stranger said behind him.
He turned around to see the stranger….wait…he changed his outfit.
Gone was the mob suit outfit and replaced with a simpler black suit with a black fedora hat. The cane and tinted glasses were still there.
"You changed your outfit!" Morgana said in shock.
The stranger shrugged.
"I had a role to play. It fit and it worked."
Morgana just looked at his slacked jaw and everything.
"Impressive," Akechi said behind him.
"Not really. Merely a slight of hand," The stranger said with a shrug.
"Th-Thank you for your assistance," Haru said with a bow.
"Oh, no. It was my fault. I might have provoked him too much."
"You think?" Morgana mumbled.
"Perhaps, we did learn something about Doctor Maruki and his persona," Makoto said.
"I got a lot of data. It should make our fight against him a little easier," Futaba said.
"That…if he doesn't change form," Akechi pointed out.
"Doesn't matter. I can tag him no matter what form he takes."
"How did his persona take over Mementos?" Yusuke asked.
"Probably his will and knowledge. He knew about the cognitive world and once Yaldabaoth was gone….," Morgana spoke.
"He took over," Makoto added.
"Genius in a way. You did the work and yet….," Akechi said.
"Yet, the doctor stepped right into the role and took control," Haru added.
"Bastard," Ryuji said.
"I would like to note that our friend has left," Yusuke said.
"AHHH! That…that troll!" Futaba shouted into the darkness.
"Clever of him to slip away while we were talking," Akechi noted.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lavenza slowly move her book to cover her face. He could hear her giggling behind her book.
He sighed to himself.
Of course, the situation got more complicated.
-P4P5P4-
And more confusing when he saw the stranger sitting at a table in Leblanc.
"WHAT THE…." Futaba said behind him in surprise.
The stranger just grinned at them.
"Why don't you three sit down? We have much to talk about and little time to do it."
End of The Cards Where They Lie
Next Chapter: The Bittersweet Sympathy
A/N: Sorry for the delay! XD The chapter that I was working on was being meanie (and didn't turn out how I wanted but it happens). This chapter was so fun to write. Yu get to show off a little bit and force the good doctor's hand a bit. I want to thank everyone for the reviews, favorites, bookmarks and kudos! :D You guys rock. Read and review if you wish.