Chapter 39
Zugzwang
Zugzwang: A situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.
For the hundredth time this night, Shinjiro cursed to himself.
"Dammit, how could we all miss this?" he thought.
Shinjiro shook his head, shoving the thought out of his mind. He had to focus on getting to Ken.
Kujikawa had directed him to the area where Ken and the Sakura girl was supposed to be at. On his way, he quickly ran into Aki. They gave a nod and now both were running towards where Ken was. He really hoped that he and Aki would get there to bash some skulls in, not find out that something happened to Ken.
"Where to now, Rise?" Aki asked suddenly.
Her silence made them both very uneasy.
"Rise?" Aki's voice was tentative.
"I… I can't sense Ken-kun anymore."
Kujikawa's voice suddenly broke.
"I-I'm sorry," she said, sounding close to tears. "I am so sorry. I-If I had realized things sooner…"
She might as well punched him in the gut.
Fuck. Fuck, this was not happening. This was a god damn nightmare.
What the hell did Shido have planned? What did he want with Ken?
This was his fault; he didn't even think of this! And he insisted to come to Tokyo with Ken so this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
"Shinji… you gotta snap outta it!" Aki urged him in a low voice, grabbing him by the shoulder.
The moment his eyes locked with his friend, Shinjiro's shame was suddenly engulfed by a wave of rage.
He couldn't wallow in self-pity. Shido was the root of everything. He fucked with countless people. And now he took Ken.
When he got ahold of Shido, the bastard was dead meat.
Shinjiro quickly shook off Aki's hand.
"We need to track down Shido. Now."
"W-Wait, you can't be serious, Shinjiro-san!" Kujikawa squeaked out.
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes, before hissing out, "Did I stutter, Kujikawa?"
"Shinji, you need to calm down."
Aki grabbed him by the shoulder again.
"I don't care!" Shinjiro snarled out, glowering at his friend, "Use your brain, Aki. What do you think Shido's gonna do with Ken? Huh? Offer him some fancy tea and pastries? I don't fucking care, I want Shido dead. I'm going to wring his neck and then—"
Aki's expression suddenly hardened before he pulled his hand away. It then balled into a fist before Aki suddenly socked Shinjiro right in the face. The force was strong enough to send Shinjiro stumbling back a few steps.
"Son of a—"
"Guys, don't fight!" Kujikawa cried out, but Aki ignored her.
"I care about Ken too, you know!" Aki suddenly seized him by both shoulders, a fierce glower on his face. "You seriously think I'm not worried too?!"
"I didn't—"
But Aki then suddenly broke away, before he rubbed at his face.
"But we can't fly off the handle. You know that, Shinji. You always gave me crap for being reckless. Follow your own advice. We have to be careful about this. As much as I'd love to punch Shido's face in, we can't. We have to be smart about this."
He silently cursed to himself; he hated to admit it but Aki was right.
"Sorry, I just—I got so mad and…" Shinjiro muttered out.
"I understand being mad, Shinji," Aki cut him off, before giving him a tiny smile. "Believe me, I do."
Rise cut in anxiously, "Futaba-chan is still there. She's not answering me though."
"Let's find her. We need to find out what the hell happened." Shinjiro nodded.
Kujikawa directed them to Sakura. As they got closer and closer, they heard a weird sound.
"Is that…?" Aki asked slowly. "Crying?"
"Only one way to find out. C'mon, Aki," Shinjiro replied.
Sure enough, Sakura was huddled in a corner, her knees drawn up to her chest as she sobbed.
"Futaba!" Aki called out to her.
Sakura's head shot up, her face tearstained. Her eyes were bloodshot, glassy with unshed tears. Her face was red and blotchy.
"Oh man…" Aki sighed.
Aki rubbed his jaw before carefully approaching Sakura. He then crouched in front of her, before he sharply inhaled.
"Futaba, your shoulder!"
Aki then lifted his hand, already glowing with the blue aura of Diaharan.
"Ken already healed me," Sakura said flatly.
While Sakura was no social butterfly like Takamaki or Kujikawa, Sakura's voice was always filled with energy whenever Shinjiro saw her. But now, all emotion was devoid of her voice. It was unnerving, coming from her. But then again, the way Ken had talked about her Palace… he had to fight back the urge to wince.
Something in Sakura seemed to crack and the dams broke. She started to shake.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't—I couldn't…" Sakura croaked.
This seemed to bring on another wave of tears. She hung her head down in shame.
She then said miserably, "I failed as a scanner. M-Maybe if I could fight like Rise, then Ken would've—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Futaba-chan!" Kujikawa interrupted, her voice unusually fierce.
Apparently, she had been listening this whole damn time.
Sakura flinched at Kujikawa's voice, but this seemed to catch her attention. She was still crying but at least she was momentarily distracted. It seemed to help her slightly calm down.
Kujikawa heaved out a heavy sigh.
"I know how you feel, believe me. But this situation… it's not normal. It was a set-up. So please, stop beating yourself up over this, Futaba-chan!"
Shinjiro let out a sigh himself as Sakura finally seemed to calm down a bit more.
"Sakura, what happened?" he questioned.
"I… I…" She was on the verge of sobbing again, shaking so hard that her hair was quivering.
"Shinji…" Aki hissed at him.
He sighed again; he understood his friend wanting to be more careful with her but they still needed to know.
Sakura struggled to her feet, wiping at her eyes. Shinjiro's hand dove into his pocket, digging out a handkerchief. He wordlessly offered it to her. She wiped at her eyes first before nosily blowing her nose. Shinjiro tried not to grimace. He was just going to let her keep the thing.
She sniffled several times before speaking shakily.
"A squadron of Shido's men came. They said that they found the secondary target. So we ran. Akechi eventually broke off from us, claiming that he wanted to lead off the men. But three of them remained. They chased after us."
Then she squeezed her eyes shut, before she hugged herself. She looked so vulnerable. She looked like a little girl in that moment. Sometimes Shinjiro forgot that she was only fifteen. She was just a kid.
"I got caught. I-I was too slow and—and…"
"And then what?" Aki pressed gently.
"Ken got scared. They claimed that they were gonna take me to Shido. So he lied and said he was the second-in-command and—why was he so stupid?! Why did he have to take the fall?!" She choked back on another sob.
"Dammit… not again…" Shinjiro thought to himself.
Shinjiro stomped down the urge to curse aloud, forcing himself to settle for balling his hands into fists.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Sakura whimpered, wringing her hands.
"It's not!" Shinjiro snapped.
Sakura flinched at the force of his voice, making Shinjiro sigh yet again. He had to be gentle about this.
"This shit, it's all on Shido. Not you, not Ken—Shido's to blame. We'll figure something out, Sakura. We will get Ken back."
He had to be careful about talking though. They never knew who was lurking around.
"B-But how?"
Aki quickly interjected, "First, you've got the plan to enact. After Akechi ditches you to go after Ren, stop by Shinji and Ken's place. We'll talk over things and figure something out, don't worry."
His friend gave the young teen an encouraging smile.
Shinjiro replied gruffly, "They'll be worried for ya. You should get back to the others before they start a search party."
"What am I going to tell Queen?" Sakura fretted, wringing her hands now.
Aki gave her another reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine. But get going, okay?" he said gently.
"Okay." She nodded uncertainly.
Sakura sniffled, before swiping at her eyes one last time. She picked up her goggles from the ground—apparently she had tossed them aside earlier—and she slipped them back on. She took off to resume reuniting with her teammates.
It was quiet for several moments, even after Sakura disappeared out of sight. Shinjiro just felt… numb. He couldn't even describe the feeling. It just gnawed at him.
Aki suddenly shook his head. He then walked forward, apparently looking to investigate. Shinjiro heavily exhaled through his nostrils, rubbing his face. What a disaster.
Aki then returned, wordlessly holding up a spear and a gun.
Shinjiro squeezed his eyes shut, another wave of guilt washed over him seeing those.
"Let's carry 'em outta here," he said hoarsely. "We need to meet up with Satonaka and Kujikawa before leaving."
If any god was out there listening, he pleaded with them that Ken would make it back safely to them.
"Ken… please be okay."
"Come on, Shinji," Aki said quietly.
Shinjiro just sighed. "Yeah, I'm coming."
Something was wrong. Very wrong. Ken's group still hadn't shown up yet.
Makoto shook her head as a fresh wave of anxiety hit her. She was just being paranoid. They were gonna be fine.
A sudden frigid gust suddenly blew through, making Makoto shiver.
"I-It'll be okay," Haru said haltingly before resting a hand on Makoto's arm. "They just had to keep taking a break. You know, so Oracle could guide Joker."
"Mm-hm." Makoto nodded nervously.
Haru was trying to be comforting, after all. But nothing would calm her down until Ken's group made it back. She was so worried. Why had they lost communication? They had no idea where Ren was either.
Haru forced a smile on her face. "Just you wait, Queen! They'll come through any minute—"
The door abruptly slammed open, grabbing everyone's attention instantly.
"Jeez, what took you so—" Ryuji began.
Akechi stumbled out, panting heavily. He was alone.
Makoto felt a pit form in her stomach. What had happened? Where were Ken and Futaba?
"Where are Ace and Oracle, Crow?" Anne voiced Makoto's thoughts.
Akechi winced.
"Did they not make it back yet?" he asked.
Yusuke frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"There was a squadron after one of us," Akechi said slowly. "I broke away from Ace and Oracle, in hopes of leading them off."
"And you just left them?!" Ryuji sounded furious, his hands balling into fists.
Makoto felt sick to her stomach.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god!" she thought in panic.
Had something happened to them? Had one of them been captured? Or worse—both?
"We gotta go back!" Ryuji shouted, hand clenched tightly around his bat.
"We mustn't! Don't you recall Joker's orders? Furthermore, what if we get caught as well?!" Yusuke argued.
"Yeah, but what about our friends?!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Skull, Fox, stop! Calm down!" Anne pleaded, even grabbing Ryuji's arm.
Ryuji brushed her off as he retorted, "How can I be calm with shit like this?!"
It was chaos. Yusuke and Ryuji continued to argue, their argument growing more and more heated. Anne and Morgana joined in. Anne taking Yusuke's side of the argument, and Morgana surprisingly siding with Ryuji and not Anne for once. Haru and Akechi were staying out of it for now.
But the tension was escalating and this bickering was getting them nowhere. Makoto felt something in her snap.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
They froze at the anger in her voice, before staring wide-eyed at her.
"Now then, we can discuss this civilly," Makoto said curtly, folding her arms over her chest.
They heard an awkward cough, drawing their attention to Akechi.
"I'm sorry…" Akechi apologized. "Perhaps I shouldn't have separated from them."
Makoto pursed her lips so she wouldn't say anything that she'd regret. Well… more so scream. But she couldn't let Akechi catch wind of how she really felt.
"You were just trying to help, Crow," she said stiffly.
Haru shuffled on her feet, looking uncertain.
"What's the matter, Noir?" Akechi asked.
Haru quickly cleared her throat.
"I do agree with Skull. We do need to find out if they're okay," she stated calmly.
"I agree as well," Makoto said with a nod. "Now then—"
The door suddenly slammed open, making them all jump.
"Oh thank goodness!" she mentally exclaimed.
"ORACLE!" Anne cried.
Anne then ran over to Futaba to hug her, only to falter.
"Wait… where's Ace?"
Makoto felt her heart drop back to her stomach.
Makoto forced herself to look at Futaba. The younger girl seemed to tremble in Anne's arms. Then she pushed the goggles up her face, revealing her eyes. They were bloodshot from crying.
Makoto felt her knees knock together once, but somehow, she managed to stay standing.
"No… no… Please tell me that Ace is okay, Oracle!" Makoto pleaded, her voice suddenly cracking.
Futaba whispered out, "I-I'm sorry, Queen…"
Ryuji let out a growl. "Dammit! How did this happen?!"
"Don't make her talk about it now, Skull. Can't you see how distraught she is?" Anne admonished.
Anne suddenly let out a squeak. She pulled away, gingerly touching Futaba's shoulder.
"Wait, is this blood?!" She demanded.
Morgana then stepped forward. "Let me—"
"Ace healed me already," Futaba cut off Morgana.
The look on Futaba's face was pure misery.
"How could he be so stupid?!" Futaba burst out. "He lied just to protect me! H-He offered to take my place and it was their plan the whole time!"
The last part came out as a wail.
It was dead silent. But then Makoto caught sight of the mournful look on Anne's face. No, it was sympathy.
Makoto forced herself to look away, towards the entrance of the Palace. She then gripped the railing tightly. She could not let her friends see the despair on her face.
She felt sick. Sick to her stomach. They had never considered Shido going after Ken.
She squeezed her eyes shut as her hands began to tremble.
And now Ken was in enemy's hands. Why did he have to sacrifice himself like that? But on the other hand, it'd be just as bad if Ken and Futaba had switched places. And given how much Ken still blamed himself for what happened on October fourth, there was just no way that he could have just walked away. Even if he was given the chance.
But why? Why did they have to take him? And what did Shido even want with him? She should've seen this coming. She should've protected him!
"Queen… are you okay?" Haru asked tentatively, reaching out to touch Makoto's arm.
Makoto bit her lip, before she clutched the railing even tighter.
No, she would not be okay until she knew that Ken was safe. But she had to be strong.
"We need to focus," she stated and somehow, she managed to keep her voice steady. "Oracle, we lost contact due to this… mishap. Can you get into contact with Joker?"
Yusuke then walked up to Makoto, peering over the railing. He suddenly gasped.
"Fox?" Haru asked.
"We're… we're too late," he breathed out.
Makoto squeezed her eyes shut. She had mentally prepared for this. And yet… it did not compare to the real thing.
Anne broke away from Futaba, running over to the railing.
"Joker!" She cried out. "No… No…"
She sank to her knees, tears coming to her eyes. With what they knew what was going to happen to Ren and this news of Ken… It must've been too easy for Anne to fake it.
It was horrible but… with the disappearance of her boyfriend, Makoto could just look numb. She didn't have the energy for this…
"Dammit!"
Ryuji swung around, to punch the wall, but Haru grabbed onto his wrist.
Haru pleaded, "Skull, p-please… This won't help!"
"I'm just so… so pissed! If Ace wasn't bad enough but now Joker?! How the hell did they even get in here?!" Ryuji seethed.
He was trembling, his hands both balled into fists now. If Akechi wasn't around and Ken wasn't taken too, she'd compliment him on his good acting as well.
"Noir's right, Skull," Morgana said mournfully.
Futaba whispered, "I-I'm sorry, if I hadn't—"
"Oh, Oracle…" Makoto walked over to hug her, stroking her hair now. "Please don't blame yourself."
Anne rushed over to hug Futaba from behind but placing a comforting hand on Makoto' right shoulder as well. Yusuke awkwardly patted Futaba on her right shoulder as well.
"We did not foresee any of this. It is not your fault, Oracle."
Futaba just sniffled, her eyes getting glassy again.
"H-How can I not? Both Joker and Ace…"
Akechi abruptly cleared his throat, "Joker already sacrificed himself so we could escape. If we linger any longer then his actions will be for nothing. We have a lot to discuss. Let's resume this conversation in the real world."
Makoto fought the urge to scowl.
"That… that two-faced snake!"
He had known this was coming, didn't he? And she didn't think that she could despise Akechi more.
Makoto paused from her internal fury as she realized that everyone else was looking at her. She fought the urge to sigh.
Right, neither Ren or Ken were present. So everyone else would be looking at her for what to do.
"Crow's right," she said, even though the words tasted bitter on her tongue. "Let's head back. Oracle, do you think we can meet at LeBlanc?"
"I don't see why not…" Futaba mumbled out.
"Worse comes to worst… I'll pick the key," Morgana stated. "Let's go."
It had been a complete success. Goro was actually impressed with how he had fooled the Phantom Thieves so much.
The cat got the door to LeBlanc open. They all shuffled inside.
Sakura was sandwiched in between both Takamaki and Sae-san's sister, both girls still trying their best to comfort her. The younger girl was still distraught. He also noticed Takamaki still eye Niijima with sympathy.
Even though there wasn't a speck of blood on her civilian clothes, Goro couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty when he looked at the younger girl. He hadn't thought that Shido's men would actually succeed in shooting her. And judging from her nearly hysterical words, it was the reason how Shido's men were able to take his cousin into custody.
It was for the better. She just was caught in the crossfire, just like with… the death of Wakaba Isshiki. It was not his fault. This was all part of the plan.
Goro quickly shook his head. He couldn't let his mind wander. Especially tonight and tomorrow would be so important to his plans. He was getting so close.
Goro clasped his hands behind his back, before speaking. "I believe I know of where the men took Ren-san."
"Oh?" Niijima asked, her voice numb.
She seemed almost detached, regarding Amamiya's situation. Though she always seemed closer to Amada—Ken? He was honestly confused about how to address his cousin…
But either way, it wasn't like she will see either again.
"W-Where would that be, Akechi-kun?" Okumura inquired.
"The Phantom Thieves have been a thorn in the police's side for months. In fact, right after Kaneshiro's fall, Sae-san was so angry about how they looked like incompetent fools."
Niijima stiffened at that.
"Sure, go ahead and rub salt in the wound," Sakamoto spat out, a fierce glower on his face.
"Ryuji!" Takamaki hissed at him.
"He's being a total asshat!" Sakamoto argued.
"That's enough, Ryuji," Kitagawa said firmly, his voice disapproving.
Morgana chided, "Now isn't the time to pick a fight."
Okumura placed a hand gently on Sakamoto's shoulder.
"This situation has left us shaken, Ryuji-kun. But we shouldn't take it out on people who aren't responsible," Okumura said softly, her expression somber.
Goro had to press his lips together for a moment. If only Okumura knew.
Morgana then urged, "Go on, Akechi."
"Yes, as I was saying… Ren-san, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, will be seen as a serious threat. Probably a code red. He will be taken to a maximum-security facility."
"So you're saying there's no way we can save Ren," Morgana spoke up.
Goro shook his head.
"I didn't say that."
He rested a hand over his chest.
"With me on your side, it should be easy to save Ren-san. I'll slip into the police station. They'll trust me. And I'll be able to go in and interrogate him. I'll figure out some way to get the two of us to safety."
The Phantom Thieves looked at each other warily.
"That's… quite bold of you," Niijima said cautiously.
Goro just shrugged. "I cannot afford to hesitate. Not with so much at stake."
"What about Ken, though?" Sakura said, her voice hollow.
Goro sighed, allowing a look of sorrow to appear on his face.
"Perhaps he's been taken to the same facility," he said, placing a hand on his chin. "If I can locate him, I will try to save him as well."
"So… you have no idea," Niijima said flatly.
Goro let a small frown appear on his face.
"I apologize, Niijima-san, but… there's nothing else I can do. I will do my best, but we must take care of Ren-san. At the very least."
"Something doesn't add up," Ryuji said in a low tone.
Makoto felt the hair on her neck stand up, she didn't like that tone.
"I beg your pardon?" Akechi asked.
"Your deal was we stop doing our Phantom Thieves gig and you help us with this heist so the cops will get off our backs, right? Tell me Mr. Detective Prince, what's in it for you? Why take such a huge risk for us? You can just cut loose and go home."
"Ryuji!" Anne exclaimed.
Makoto felt her internal panic grow. What was he doing?!
"No! I am not gonna keep quiet! Let's cut the shit—you know I don't like you, yeah?" Ryuji barked.
"Yes, I did tend to get the distinct impression your tolerance for me was quite low," Akechi said, a bemused smile on his face.
"So I'll repeat myself, what's in it for you Akechi? We aren't exactly all bffs for life or some shit. You're taking a huge gamble for us. And I wanna know why," Ryuji insisted.
Akechi just stared at Ryuji, almost taken aback if Makoto had to guess. She still wasn't sure what Ryuji was doing. Was he trying to blow their cover?
Akechi just swallowed as he had an unreadable expression in his eyes.
"I understand your reservations about me. But while I disagree with your methods, that doesn't mean I wished for this outcome. I feel partly responsible for what happened to Ken-san. And I have grown to respect Ren-san despite our differences."
Ryuji just gave him a harder stare, nearly scowling at Akechi. "And for that reason you'll make the gamble?"
"Ryuji, stop! He gave his reasons, we need his help! What are you doing?!" Anne shouted.
Anne's attempts to try and salvage the situation went ignored. Ryuji just continued to glare at Akechi, and the tension in the room became even more suffocating.
Ryuji's expression was dead cold.
"Akechi, this is serious. That's my best friend in there who put his life on the line, for us. And now Ken got tangled in this garbage, and you don't even know for certain if he's even in the same place. If you want me to trust you, then you gotta swear you'll do everything in your power to save them, or I say your deal is shit and we break them out our own way," he declared.
Everyone in the room gasped.
What on Earth was he thinking?!
"Pardon me if I sound rude, but how would you exactly accomplish that?" Akechi questioned neutrally.
Ryuji looked taken aback for a moment but then he looked towards Makoto. "Makoto, there's some time left. We could try and steal your sister's heart and she could help us!"
Akechi's expression grew stern. "That's beyond reckless. For one, did you forget that a calling card only works once? You had to explain this to me. I would've assumed that you'd know this, Ryuji-san, given how you're one of the veterans of the team. Besides that, a change of heart always takes time to occur. Time is a luxury, a luxury that Ren-san and Ken-san currently lack. And the longer we stick around squabbling, the worse this becomes. Ren-san and Ken-san don't have a lot of time. We need to make a decision now."
Everyone looked at Ryuji desperately, hoping he'd drop it.
It was silent for a very long time. You could cut the tension with a butter-knife.
Ryuji let out an exasperated groan.
"If I go along with this you better swear to me that they'll come back in one piece!" Ryuji insisted again.
Akechi just smiled. "I promise, I won't let you down."
"I promise, I won't let you down," Goro said.
Morgana sighed. "We'll leave you to it, then."
He had to admit he was a bit nervous for a second there. If Sakamoto started to get the rest to distrust him that would be a problem. He couldn't just walk away after everything he had planned out, but he couldn't just kill them yet either.
True, he could definitely defeat them all in the Metaverse—especially with their beloved leader being MIA. But this wasn't the Metaverse—this was in the real world. He can't just shoot them all and be done with it. This was in a neighborhood, there would be witnesses. Plus, a struggle could occur, and without back up that is too risky.
He needed to play his cards more carefully. Thankfully the others were so desperate to save their two friends they were ignoring Sakamoto's suspicions.
Sakamoto spoke up again, "Akechi, you better keep your promise about Ren. He ain't just our leader… he's important to all of us. And if you forget about Ken then I swear I'll kick your ass so bad that even your fangirls wouldn't want to look at you!"
Goro just smiled. "I swear that I will do my best to reach him in time."
He was surprised when Sakamoto put his hand out for a shake. Well he can pretend bygones for now if that's what Sakamoto wants. He reached forward to clasp Sakamoto's hand. He was startled by how hard the blond gripped him.
"I mean it. Don't you dare let us down. Because it's not just me you'll have to answer to. All of us want them back. And I know two girls who will fry your pretty boy ass in a heartbeat if you let them die," he whispered.
Goro just nodded with a neutral expression. He'd have to think of a more creative way to kill Sakamoto, since he was so desperate to go looking for trouble.
The others murmured their wishes of good luck, but their eyes were wary. Had they truly lost hope?
Not like it wasn't entirely unwarranted.
The bell chimed as he opened the door and let it shut behind him.
Though Goro couldn't help but wonder… how would Aragaki react to all this? From his cousin's words, he could summarize that he cared deeply for his guardian and the feeling was mutual.
"It's for the best." He thought to himself as he walked down the street.
A familiar sleek black car caught his eye. Goro walked up to the door, opening it and sliding into the seat.
"Akechi-san…" the driver greeted him. "Our benefactor would like to speak to you before you set off for your mission. He wants a briefing."
Goro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Was Shido that nervous about this? This plan was foolproof.
"Akechi-san?"
Goro blinked, before looking at the driver.
"Well, if he so desires it… how can I say no?"
During the car ride, Goro found him fingering his pistol gun as he stared outside the window. Just what did Shido want to say?
But the car gradually pulled to a stop. Goro thanked the man, before walking out. As usual, there were some men patrolling the area. Though Goro found himself noticing that they were all new faces. Perhaps Shido had sent all his best men to capture Amamiya.
He easily found Shido's office. He knocked on the door three times.
"Sir, it's me," Goro called out.
"Get in," Shido demanded brusquely.
Goro stifled the urge to sigh—he was just so demanding.
He opened the door, stepping inside.
"Sir… you wished to see me? Is there something the matter?" Goro asked cautiously.
"Have they taken the bait?" Shido said without preamble.
Goro could only nod. "Of course, Shido-san."
Goro quickly schooled his expression into an obedient one.
Goro then said, "I was expecting to be on my way to the police station."
"I won't tolerate any slip-ups," Shido said flatly. "Not tonight. I want Amamiya dead within twenty-four hours."
Goro smiled politely. "Have I ever let you down, Shido-san?"
Shido's lips twitched into that familiar smug smile.
"No, you haven't. You've been loyal to me since the day we met."
"Thank you, sir."
Goro lowered his gaze, so that Shido would not see his expression.
"Is Amada in custody now?"
Goro tried to be casual about it, but he didn't know how much he succeeded.
Shido just raised an eyebrow. "Suddenly interested in him, are we?"
He then smirked before leading him down the hallway. They walked all the way down, before Shido unlocked a door.
His cousin was lying on a hospital bed, his chest rising and falling slightly. It was really like he was asleep. The only thing that really ruined the image was that he was handcuffed to the bed's railing. Though it would be nearly suicide to try and run. Shido's men were everywhere, after all.
"He's still out?" Goro couldn't help but be surprised.
It had been nearly an hour since they had left Sae-san's Palace, after all.
But Shido just gave a nod.
"The drug I gave my men was powerful. It's meant to suppress the power both you and he have. He should be out for another hour. Maybe two."
"I see."
Goro's hand slid into his coat, his fingers wrapping around the smoke bomb he had been given. He did not understand… why did his cousin help him out so much?
Did he actually dare to have hope? It had to be guaranteed that Ken would accept the deal. Shido would destroy him otherwise. He should temper his expectations, but he couldn't help but think of the possibilities. That there was hope that he could have family that actually cared for him. And then… they could utterly destroy Shido, together.
He fought back a malicious smile from forming on his face from that thought.
"Ryuji, what the hell were you thinking?!" Anne scolded.
Ryuji frowned. This was getting old. He was constantly getting that question basically screamed at him by everyone.
"Why don't you all broadcast it in stereo?" he complained, rubbing his ears.
Makoto glared at him. "This is not something to joke about!"
"You nearly blew our cover!" Morgana hissed.
Ryuji let out a sigh, as he dug through the fridge for a soda. He needed something really cold and fizzy.
Today was way too intense for his liking. And worse, now Ken was in trouble too.
"I was doing what you said Makoto, keep him off our scent," Ryuji said flatly as he found what he was looking for.
He shut the door before he eagerly cracked open the soda can. He began to chug down the citrus flavored drink.
"You're keeping him off our scent by letting him know we find him suspicious?" Yusuke asked incredulously.
Futaba huffed, before shooting Ryuji an annoyed glare. "That sounds dumb, even for you Ryuji."
"Everyone please, let's let Ryuji-kun explain. I'm sure he has a reasonable explanation," Haru said in a placating tone. But then she glared at him too. "You do have a reasonable explanation?"
"God, everyone wants to bite my ass tonight. C'mon, guys think about it! Wouldn't Akechi be way more suspicious if all of us are so cooperative, and trusting and shit?!" he shouted.
It was a struggle to lower his voice, with his anxiety about his friends, not to mention his other friends giving him so much crap.
Ryuji then sighed, to try and force himself to calm down. "I mean he's with the police, and he practically blackmailed us to get onto the team! That has to raise a few eyebrows for him if he noticed we're buying what he's selling too easily! So I voiced some little doubt, then let him think he's won! Sheesh!"
"Well that's—" Whatever argument Futaba had died in her throat, and she ended up blinking at him.
Everyone looked around, mixed looks of embarrassment and shock.
"That actually… makes a lot of sense," Makoto admitted, almost sounding awed.
Ryuji couldn't help but smirk.
"Okay, fine, I take back the dumb comment," Futaba said sheepishly. "You're not that dumb."
"Gee, thanks Futaba," Ryuji said sarcastically.
"I have to hand it to Ryuji, for you, that's actually an astute observation," Morgana said.
Ryuji's smirk disappeared as he glared at the cat sitting on the counter.
"You didn't have to add that 'for you' part you damn cat!"
"Mitsuru-senpai, you really gotta take it easier," Iori said.
Mitsuru whirled around, glaring at the baseball player.
"I will rest easy when I hear news of Amamiya's wellbeing," she said icily. "Not a moment sooner. Is that clear?"
Iori just cringed before quickly hiding behind Minako.
"Crystal," he squeaked out.
Mitsuru had invited the remaining members of SEES to spend the evening together. She had thought it would help stave off the anxiety she had felt. Labrys had agreed to watch the twins tonight. They were quite excited, since Yukari was really wrapping up with the final shootings. She promised them a video call tonight.
And besides that, the twins would bound to notice the tense atmosphere if they were left with them. Though beside the promised video call, the twins liked Labrys.
Minako just giggled. "I don't think that's execution worthy, Junpei."
"Still scary," he said sulkily.
"It appears that Junpei-san will never learn his lesson." Aigis intoned.
Iori protested, "H-Hey, that's just cruel, Ai-chan!"
Yamagishi just gave her a soft smile, before walking up to Mitsuru. Mitsuru just sighed heavily.
"I know..." the petite woman said softly, her eyes filled with sympathy. "I wish I could be there."
"I would've arranged something for you, if you had wished it." Mitsuru sighed.
Yamagishi pursed her lips in response and shook her head.
"Maybe after all of this is over and we can breathe easily," she said finally, before wrapping an arm around her abdomen. "It's too late now anyways. It's happening as we speak. There's no sense in lamenting about something we can't change."
Koromaru crept up to Yamagishi, brushing up against her leg with a soft whine. Yamagishi gave him a faint smile.
"Everything will be fine, Koro-chan. You'll see."
Yamagishi then dropped down to stroke Koromaru on top of his head.
"This truly feels like an eternity," Aigis lamented. "I don't relish waiting more."
"Speaking of waiting…" Minako's hand rested on her stomach as she joked lightly, "I can't wait to get this kid out of me. I can't believe I still have three weeks to go."
"And then you'll be running yourself ragged taking care of your baby," Yoshino teased, sitting next to Iori.
Minako giggled. "True. I feel that Yukari-chan was superhuman, having the twins and still managing to get pretty decent grades."
She then gave her swollen bump a rub, a gentle smile coming across her face.
"And I can't wait to meet our little girl."
"You're seriously not gonna tell us the name though?" Iori complained.
A sly smile just formed on Minako's face. "Patience is a virtue, Junpei."
"A virtue I don't have!"
"So you admit it, Junpei-kun," Yamagishi teased lightly, her eyes suddenly sparkling.
"I'm not even sure if Junpei-san knows the meaning of patience," Aigis intoned.
"HEY!"
Yoshino just laughed.
"It's the truth, Junpei," she stated.
"You too, Chidorita?!"
Mitsuru couldn't help but smile. Perhaps this was what they needed. They didn't have to discuss the operation.
Her phone suddenly went off. Mitsuru frowned in confusion. Just who could that be? She retrieved her phone, unlocking it.
But the sight that greeted her made her blood run cold.
It was a picture. A picture of an unconscious Amada trussed up, apparently thrown into the back of a van. It was accompanied with a message.
Lose something, Kirijo?
Mitsuru's hand began to tremble. It shook so hard that her phone slipped through her fingers.
No. No. This was impossible! Amada, he was—no!
"Mitsuru-senpai?!" Minako exclaimed, hastily rising to her feet. "What's wrong?"
Mitsuru pursed her lips together. She had to be honest about this. There was just no way to conceal this...
"Shido has Amada in his custody," she said tensely.
You could have heard a pin drop. Her friends all stared at her, wide-eyed.
Then Iori let out a strained laugh.
"Haha, that's a good one, Senpai!"
But Yoshino's lips formed a thin line, a shrewd light gleaming in her dark brown eyes.
She pleaded, "Please tell me you're joking, Mitsuru-san."
Mitsuru squeezed her eyes shut before all but forcing the words from her lips.
"I'm not."
"No…" Yamagishi whispered before her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor. "No!"
Tears began to swim in her eyes.
"No… no… not Ken-kun…" she moaned out.
Koromaru just let out a whimper, his ruby eyes filled with anxiety. He nosed Yamagishi's hand, but she barely noticed.
"Ken-kun…" Minako said faintly.
Her friend's face was unusually pale, all blood drained from her face. That was when she began to hyperventilate.
"Minako-san? Minako-san, please calm down!" Aigis rushed to her side.
"It's all my fault… it's all my fault! What have I done?!" Minako whimpered.
Iori then shouted, "Mina-tan, you gotta breathe! It's not your fault!"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" she shrieked out.
Tears suddenly were streaming down Minako's face.
"It was my idea to send him to Tokyo! MINE! Nobody else's! And now… Shido has gotten ahold of him! It is my fault, Junpei! He could be beaten! Killed! Do you understand how serious this is?!"
Yamagishi said tearfully, "Minako-chan, please calm down—"
"NO! It's my fault! Stop trying to ignore what I've done—"
Minako suddenly let out a pained cry, her hand flying to her belly.
"Minako!" Mitsuru shouted, all but flying to her friend.
"Hurts…" she choked out, before making a sharp cry. "AH!"
"What the hell's going on?!" Iori demanded.
Yoshino gasped, wide-eyed. "The baby! Has her water broken?!"
"It is like when Yukari-chan went into labor…" Yamagishi said.
"No… no…" Minako moaned out, before sobbing out, "It's not time yet!"
The stress… it was causing her to have the child prematurely.
"Minako-chan, breathe, please."
Yamagishi scrambled to her feet, before she grasped Minako's hand. Yamagishi was somehow incredibly calm.
"Squeeze my hand if you need it, okay?"
"That won't help," Minako sobbed out, tears dripping down her face. "It's all my fault… If Shido does something to Ken-kun, then it's all my fault!"
"M-Minako-chan, please… think about your baby! We can control that. W-We'll get into contact with Shinji and Akihiko-senpai. They'll save Ken-kun. Okay? We need to get you to the hospital!" Yamagishi pleaded.
Aigis then suddenly stooped down, picking up Minako with ease. She then proceeded to kick down the door, rushing Minako out.
Mitsuru just buried her face in her hands. This was… a disaster. What was going on?
Why didn't she listen to her instinct? It had tried to tell her—twice!
But she couldn't talk about that. Not now. Especially with how Minako had blamed herself so much just now.
And Shido… If something happened to Amada, she didn't care. Bureaucratic red tape, be damned. The man would be begging for an execution by the time she was through with him.
"Mitsuru-senpai?" Yamagishi's tentative voice snapped Mitsuru out of her thoughts.
Mitsuru's eyes darted to Yamagishi, before she sighed.
"Forgive me, Yamagishi, I…"
"It's not your fault, Senpai," Iori quickly cut in. "We'll get into contact with Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai soon, yeah? You know that they won't take this lying down."
"Y-Yes… that's right… Ken-kun will be fine. You'll see." Yamagishi nodded.
Iori suddenly scowled, his hands clenching into fists.
He spat out, "Damn Shido! I knew he was a bastard before but…"
"This is personal now," Yamagishi said quietly, her expression grave.
Yoshino suddenly extended her hand, resting a hand on her husband's arm.
"Getting angry won't do anything, Junpei," she said softly.
"She is right, though." Mitsuru gave a little nod. "We need to tend to Minako."
"And we need to inform Labrys… Someone will have to tell Akihiko-senpai about Minako-chan going into labor as well." Yamagishi sighed, a resigned frown on her lips.
"Damn Shido… Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai better raise hell," Iori hissed out, a fire burning in his eyes.
Yamagishi then begged softly, "Junpei-kun, please… getting angry about it won't help."
But despite everything, a tremor ran through Yamagishi's body. Koromaru brushed up against her legs, giving a quiet whimper.
Yamagishi was trying to put on a brave face but… Mitsuru knew better. She was bound to worry for Shinjiro as well…
Mitsuru just hoped that her two oldest friends would be able to do something…
They all gathered at Ken's place after Futaba told them what Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san told her to do.
"Okay, we need to hear the full story, Futaba."
Futaba slumped in her seat.
They had chosen to gather around the dining table instead of the living room. It was almost like they were gathered around a war table.
Futaba squeezed her eyes for a moment. Makoto's heart ached at the sight. She looked so… so devastated.
"Ken… why did you have to be so self-sacrificial?" Makoto internally lamented, before biting her lip.
But she couldn't think about it. She had to stay strong. And she couldn't do that, if she thought about what had happened to her boyfriend. The what-ifs would simply drive her insane.
"Futaba, please… we need to know as much as we can," Makoto pleaded gently.
Futaba sighed. "O-Okay."
So she started to recount the story. Makoto couldn't help but sigh as Futaba explained about Akechi wanting to break away from the group, to try and lead off the men.
"Ken… you idiot…" Ryuji groaned out, shaking his head. "Ren gave us the smoke bombs so we could get away just in case we get caught!"
"Go on, Futaba-chan," Rise-san urged.
Futaba's shoulders hunched over, a tremor running through her body. Anne slipped an arm around Futaba's shoulders, giving her a one-armed hug.
"It's okay, Futaba. You know that everyone isn't upset," Makoto said even more gently.
Futaba's gaze met Makoto's for a moment. She ducked her head.
"Right," she mumbled out before she raised her head.
Futaba then moved onto how she had gotten shot and how Ken was desperate to get Futaba out of their grasp. Makoto found herself gripping her knees as Futaba explained that they ended up drugging Ken—
"THEY DRUGGED HIM?!"
To say that Shinjiro-san was easily irritated was putting it lightly. But… Makoto had never heard him shout. And honestly… it was somewhat frightening.
Shinjiro-san's eyes flashed dangerously, before his hand clenched into a fist. His eyes were like a tumultuous storm. A faint blue aura seemed to surround him, and something started to coalesce behind him.
"Shinji!" Akihiko-san grabbed his best friend's arm, his silver eyes wide with panic. "You've got to calm down!"
Shinjiro-san suddenly blinked, before he scowled.
"Sorry…" he muttered out.
Futaba's eyes were as big as saucers as she stared at Shinjiro-san in awe.
She then breathed out, "Holy crap, his power…"
Rise-san blinked in confusion. "But… Ken-kun's Metaverse outfit went poof when he got drugged?"
Chie-san rubbed her chin, looking deep in thought.
"Wouldn't put it that way, Rise-chan. The drug must have blocked out Ken's connection to his Persona. You know, like a more severe version of silence."
"Or it suppressed Kala-Nemi. Almost sounds like the pills the Kirijo Group made for Strega," Akihiko-san mused quietly, a grim expression on his face.
"But it was in a syringe according to Futaba," Yusuke stated. "Could it be that Shido managed to steal some of the Kirijo Group's research?"
Akihiko-san said with a glare, "Wouldn't put it past him—"
But he was abruptly cut off, as his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out, pressing it to his ear.
"Hello?"
The voice that emitted from the device was talking fast… and they had a thick Kansai accent.
"WHAT?!" Akihiko-san suddenly exploded; his eyes went wide with panic. "But that's impossible! Mina's due date isn't for another three weeks!"
"Master?" Chie-san tentatively asked.
"Shido did what?! Damn that bastard!" Akihiko-san growled out.
Shinjiro-san snapped, "Aki, what the hell's going on?"
"One sec, Labrys," he said into the phone.
Labrys? Wait, wasn't that the name of Aigis-san's sister? Why was she calling Akihiko-san? On top of that, Minako-san was going into labor early?!
Akihiko-san lowered the phone, his face set into a grim frown.
"Two things. Shido sent a picture of Ken to Mitsuru as a taunt. Mina completely flipped out and she's gone into labor."
"WHAT?!"
The cry came from several people in the room, and Makoto found herself tensing up. This was bad. Really bad…
"Ken-kun…" Rise-san began to wring her hands. "What is Shido planning to do with him?"
"I don't know, okay?!" Akihiko-san snapped, his eyes flashing with anger.
Akihiko-san pressed his phone back to his ear.
"Labrys, I'm getting back to Port Island as soon as I can. Tell Mina, okay?"
There was a murmur on the phone.
"NO!" A woman's voice suddenly screeched out, making them all cringe. "Give me the phone, Labrys! NOW!"
There seemed to be arguing over the other end. But this Labrys appeared to give in. There was a murmur on the other end again before Akihiko-san fumbled to put the phone on speaker.
"Aki, listen to me, okay? I want you to stay there. You need to—"
She broke off with a pained cry.
"Mina!" Akihiko-san gasped, looking anguished at what he was hearing.
"I'm… I'm okay. It's just labor pains. You need to stay there, Aki… make sure Ken-kun gets out okay. Bring him back… Please… It's my fault that Ken-kun went to Tokyo to the first place. I can't do anything about it… but you can. You and Shinji. Promise me, Aki!"
Akihiko-san squeezed his eyes shut.
"Okay… I promise," he whispered. "This—This isn't how I wanted—"
"It's okay, Aki. It's not your fault. But... Save Ken-kun. Please."
The line then went dead.
Akihiko-san's face suddenly crumpled, and his shoulders began to shake.
"Dammit… Dammit!" he hissed out.
Chie-san began, "H-Hey, Master, it's not your fault—"
"Mina's been fretting about this already!" Akihiko-san snapped. "I told her it was nothing!"
Then he laughed bitterly.
"I wish it was nothing. I only came because Mina convinced me that she'd be fine without me for a couple days. And now…"
"It's all my fault. I insisted on comin' with Ken, because I thought that he needed back-up. And when he needed it the most… I wasn't there," Shinjiro-san muttered.
"I should've noticed it sooner. Why didn't I?" Rise-san lamented.
Futaba interjected with, "N-No, it's my fault… I should've figured out something."
"And Anne thought that it might happened… why didn't we listen?" Ryuji mumbled.
"Your reasoning was good though, Ryuji…" Anne protested.
"But still!"
Ryuji's shoulders were shaking.
He hissed out, "Dammit… why didn't we see this coming?"
Makoto felt something in her snap once more. She slammed her fist onto the table, hard enough to make it rattle.
"STOP IT! ALL OF YOU!"
Everyone seemed to freeze. But Makoto was done. Playing the blame game wasn't going to accomplish anything. She had played that game before and Anne had to snap her out of it.
Makoto then jabbed a finger in the direction of the older Persona-users.
"You. Stop blaming yourself. Yes, you have years of experience compared to us. But you're not omniscient! You came here to help Ren, of course you were focused on him!"
Then she pointed to Futaba.
"And Futaba, stop blaming yourself. Yes, you got caught by Shido's men. That led to a domino effect, so Ken could be kidnapped. But we've heard how ruthless Shido is. Maybe they would've found a way regardless. Besides it would have been disastrous if they harmed you or took you away!"
"You're not mad at me?" Futaba asked in a small voice.
Makoto closed her eyes for a moment.
"Of course, I'm not mad at you. This wasn't your fault! I love Ken but if something happened to you… I don't even want to entertain that thought either."
There were shocked looks from all of her friends. She had never admitted aloud that she loved Ken, but… it felt right. But that didn't matter right now.
She reached over to grasp onto Futaba's left hand, giving it a tender squeeze.
"I could never blame you for what happened," she said sincerely.
Futaba's eyes were wet but she didn't shed a tear this time. She just nodded at Makoto as she let out a quiet sniffle.
"But Anne actually brought up—" Ryuji began.
Makoto cut him off, "No! I mean it. Cut it out, all of you! Blaming ourselves won't save Ken. Action will."
Haru spoke up, her voice hesitant. "But Mako-chan… what do you propose we do?"
Makoto's eyes narrowed.
"We're going to rescue Ken of course."
Morgana mused, "A real life heist, huh? I like it."
Akihiko-san chuckled, though it was a shaky laugh.
"Okay, Miss Strategist… What's the plan?"
Makoto nodded towards him.
"We need to figure three things. One… we need to locate Ken," she stated.
"Futaba can get that done, no prob!" Ryuji interjected.
Chie-san asked, "Just need to trace Ken-kun's phone's GPS, right?"
"Leave it to me!" Futaba nodded vigorously.
She whipped out her phone and began to furiously type away.
"Two…" Makoto continued, "we need to decide what we need to do to get Ken out of there. And three: how are we going to accomplish it?"
Futaba suddenly let out a frustrated cry.
"What's wrong Futaba-chan?" Chie-san asked.
"Arghhh…" she fumed. "They deactivated his phone! Or maybe they destroyed it! I… I can't track it down."
"But without that…" Haru's eyes grew wide with fear. "We can't track down Ken-kun!"
Makoto bit her lip. That would definitely throw a wrench into things.
Yusuke then held up a hand. "Wait a minute. There's still something…"
"Yusuke-kun? What are you talking about?" Rise-san asked.
"Back when we first decided to target Makoto's older sister… Ken showed us this badge, stamped with the Shadow Operatives' emblem. Do you remember?" Yusuke inquired.
Anne nodded eagerly. "That's right! He said that it was installed with some kind of tracking device!"
Ryuji slammed his fist into his open palm.
"Then we track that!" he exclaimed.
"I'll get into contact with Fuuka, then," Shinjiro-san stated, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Sakura, she'll be able to talk you through it."
"M-Me?" Futaba squeaked out.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes.
"Yes, you. What other Sakura is there?" he questioned.
This earned him a sharp jab in the ribs (courtesy of Akihiko-san) and a smack on the head (thanks to Rise-san).
"Jeez, Shinjiro-san! Have some tact, will you?!" Rise-san scolded.
"Seriously, Shinji…" Akihiko-san seconded.
Shinjiro-san glared at him. "Ohhh no… You of all people can't lecture me on lack of tact."
"I can and I will!" Akihiko-san said childishly.
Chie-san admonished, "Hey, hey! Focus, guys!"
Shinjiro-san huffed. "I'm going to check Ken's room. Just to make sure that he has the badge."
"Okay so…" Ryuji said. "What about Ren? Are any of you guys gonna go help him?"
Akihiko-san looked uneasy at that. His hands clenched around his knees.
He then said softly, "Even if I hadn't promised Mina, I would prioritize Ken over Ren. I'm sorry."
Yusuke just shrugged, before letting out a soft sigh. "It's only natural. You've known Ken since he was a child. And you only met Ren a couple days ago."
Akihiko-san still looked guilty though.
"Hey!" Anne spoke up. "I have faith in Ren, okay? He'll be fine. Just fine! He'll be back with us soon!"
She then smiled, but it was almost brittle. Makoto looked down at her lap, so she wouldn't have to see Anne keep faking a smile. Anne was really putting on a brave face.
"Hey, don't forget us!" Chie-san exclaimed before pounding her fist in her palm. "Rise-chan and I will help Ren-kun."
Rise nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it, Akihiko-san. Focus on Ken-kun. We'll make sure that Ren-kun gets out of there safely."
Ryuji then leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.
"Come on, let's brainstorm on what we gotta do to actually save Ken," he urged.
Everyone in the room nodded solemnly.
"I was thinking that maybe we could use Morgana to our advantage. After all, with Akechi heading for the police station, nobody in that building should be able to understand Morgana but Ken…" Makoto said.
It took them over an hour to figure out a plan.
Shinjiro and Aki were to ambush two of Shido's men and then would sneak in. They would send Morgana to slip in close to Ken. Use him to tell Ken that he needed to trick Shido into saying something incriminating. They needed to play off of Shido's fear. That this would cast a shadow on his reputation.
"Kinda ironic, since Ken always got on my case about blackmail…" Sakura said.
"I don't like this plan all that much." Niijima sighed. "But we can't afford to falter."
Sakura was using Shinjiro's phone, conversing with Fuuka. The younger girl was typing away furiously on her laptop, all while his phone was pressed to his ear.
"It's the best we can do," Aki said grimly.
"I think it's a good plan," Okumura chimed in. "And then we can—!"
Okumura's complexion suddenly grew ashen. Shinjiro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. What had her all freaked out?
"Oh no…" she whispered.
Kitagawa frowned. "What is it, Haru?"
"Mako-chan…" she said urgently. "Do you remember the time we went into your sister's Palace? To investigate the police station?"
Niijima suddenly blushed, fidgeting for a moment. Shinjiro fought the urge to roll his eyes; it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened. Apparently, she and Ken couldn't keep their hands off each other, even in a Shadow nest.
But what the hell was Okumura talking about?
"W-What about it?" Niijima asked.
Okumura's expression suddenly grew impatient.
"Your sister's cognition of Akechi-kun! What if… Akechi-kun runs into that?"
"Shit!" Sakamoto hissed out. "That'll mess up everything!"
Satonaka then let out a nervous laugh.
"And I can't exactly just go beating up Akechi either. I can't tell the difference."
He'd pay good money for that personally. Especially with that… what did the Investigation Team call Satonaka's special move again? Galactic punt?
Okumura suddenly said, "Let me go, then. I will know."
Morgana then protested, "Haru, wait! I know you're angry but—"
"Angry?" the curly-haired girl questioned.
A frightening smile appeared on her face. She then tilted her head.
"What are you talking about, Mona-chan?" Okumura said sweetly—too sweetly.
Aki seemed to shiver.
"Same as Mitsuru…" Aki mumbled out.
Shinjiro just huffed, "I can't believe it's been like a fucking decade and Mitsuru can still make you shit your pants. Even when she's not here."
"Oh shut up, Shinji! You're just abnormal about her, okay?!"
Kujikawa tapped her chin, before remarking, "She does give me the same vibe as Mitsuru-san, actually."
"Moving on…" Satonaka deadpanned.
"But you can't, Haru!" Sakura protested, her eyes growing wide. "You can't go in alone!"
"Who said anything about Haru going in alone?" Takamaki spoke up, her expression steely. "It's a rule to never go into the Metaverse alone, remember? And besides that, I've got a bone to pick with him too…"
"Oh great, we have two girls on the warpath," Shinjiro griped, before flicking his eyes towards Niijima. "You planning on joining them?"
Niijima shook her head. "No. I have higher priorities."
"And you need me for this plan!" Futaba seconded.
Shinjiro glowered at Niijima. "Who said that you could come?"
Niijima's eyes flashed with anger. "If you think I'm just going to sit here, wringing my hands, you've got another thing coming!"
"Yeah, and Ken would kill me if he found out that I let you endanger yourself!" Shinjiro argued.
"You're taking Futaba and Morgana already," Niijima countered. "What's one more person?"
"They're needed for the plan, dumbass!" Shinjiro retorted.
Shinjiro just groaned as a familiar stubborn look appeared on Niijima's face. She clearly wasn't going to back down.
"What about you two?" he grumbled out, looking at Sakamoto and Kitagawa.
Kitagawa cleared his throat. "I believe that I should accompany Anne and Haru. Ensure that they don't get… carried away."
Sakamoto fidgeted before cracking a sheepish smile.
"I mean, I don't like the idea of just sitting 'round," he admitted.
Shinjiro groaned, before pointing at Aki. "If Ken gets pissed at me for letting them tag along, I'm blaming you."
"What?!" Aki sputtered out. "You've gotta be joking! How is this my fault?!"
Satonaka and Kujikawa just exchanged a look before they started laughing.
"Never change, you two," Kujikawa said through her giggles.
Sakura then gave a little cough. "Uh, Shinjiro-san? Fuuka-san asked me to tell you that she wanted to talk to you before you head out."
Shinjiro was hit with a wave of guilt. Fuuka. Why didn't he think about talking to her? She had to be worried sick.
"Fine…" Shinjiro sighed, holding out his hand for his phone. "Give it here."
He left the living room, opting to head for his bedroom. He didn't want the others to listen in on when he talked to Fuuka. Besides that, he needed to gear up. He didn't know if he needed to summon Aeneas, but better safe than sorry.
But… he had to pass by Ken's room.
His chest tightened at the sight. Shinjiro closed his eyes.
It'll be fine… They would bring Ken back.
Had he been wrong in backing Ken? Back when Mitsuru had wanted to recall the two of them. But then again… being forced back to Port Island would have devastated Ken. He might have even resented them over it.
Shinjiro sighed. He hated having all these doubts bouncing around in his head. He needed to talk to Fuuka…
As the phone rang, he pulled out his SEES briefcase. He had it popped open when Fuuka picked up.
"Shinji?"
Fuuka's voice was slightly hoarse. She must've been crying.
"Hey, Fuuka. Sorry about all this… I didn't even think to call you…" he apologized.
"Shinji, stop," Fuuka's voice suddenly turned sharp. Then her voice dropped back to her usual gentle tone. "You were just worried about Ken-kun, that's all. How can I blame you for that?"
Shinjiro heaved out a sigh.
"How are you holding up though?"
As awful as he was feeling, he had to imagine that it was worse for everyone back on Port Island. They were powerless to do anything but wait, after all...
"I'm dealing," Fuuka said quietly. "I suppose… Minako-chan going into labor kinda gives me something to do."
Shinjiro couldn't help but cringe. He still remembered the lungs Takeba had when she had been in labor. He swore women got ten times louder while they were in labor.
"What exactly happened with that?"
Fuuka heaved out a sigh.
"She freaked out when Mitsuru-senpai told us. She started blaming herself. She wouldn't listen when we tried to calm her down and…"
Fuuka cut herself off, before taking in a deep breath.
"But we can deal with this. Tell Akihiko-senpai not to blame himself, though. I know that Minako-chan had to convince him to come to Tokyo, because he didn't like leaving Minako-chan so late in her pregnancy."
"I'll try," Shinjiro muttered out.
"And Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"Please be careful," she begged, her voice unexpectedly breaking. "You're walking straight into Shido's territory. I'm worried about Ken-kun, but… I don't know if I can bear it if you got hurt over this. I can't lose you either."
Shinjiro closed his eyes.
He vowed, "I won't. We'll save Ken, Fuuka. And if I get to punch Shido during this… all the better."
"Shinji!"
Fuuka was laughing now, though, and Shinjiro couldn't help but smile at the sound.
"You're not serious, are you?" Fuuka asked.
"You tell me."
There was some murmuring on Fuuka's end of the line.
"Oh… Mitsuru-senpai wants to talk to me," Fuuka said, regret tingeing her voice.
Shinjiro frowned. About what? Eh… probably not important.
"I'll let you go then."
"I love you," Fuuka said softly.
"I love you too. I'll bring back Ken… soon," he said with a small smile.
Fuuka gave a little chuckle. "I know you will."
Ken's head was pounding painfully, as if someone had taken a jackhammer to his head.
"Nngh…" Ken couldn't help but groan out.
His eyes fluttered open, only for Ken to find himself in the dark.
What… had happened?
He lifted his hand to press it against his forehead, only to find that his arms were restrained by… something.
Panic started to claw at his heart. Ken squeezed his eyes shut—even though it didn't make much of a difference.
What was going on? Where was he? What had happened?
"Calm down," he muttered to himself before reopening his eyes. "Think…"
Wait… they were escaping Niijima-san's Palace, when they were cornered by Shido's men. They took Futaba hostage… Ken didn't know what to do so… he had traded himself.
"Stupid…" he hissed at himself. "Stupid! I should've known it was a bluff…"
Now he was right at the heart of enemy territory. And he was… literally in the dark.
He was shaking. He could not stop shaking. He felt weak and shaky… was it an aftereffect from the drug? And… for the first time in forever, he was alone.
Ken turned his head as he heard a door open. A moment later, he was suddenly blinded by bright light. He had to blink away the spots dancing in front of his eyes.
"Awake, are we?"
It was one of the men who had ambushed him and Futaba.
Ken just scowled at him, but he didn't speak. Ken refused to give this man the satisfaction.
"Hmph… you had a lot to say before."
The man had a key in his hand. With his free hand, he grasped Ken's arm—tight enough to bruise. He undid the handcuffs that tethered him to the bed, before yanking Ken off. He fell hard onto the floor.
Ken pushed himself up, but his arms were trembling. He felt so weak, like all strength had been sapped from his limbs. What did the drug do to him…?
But maybe he could make a break for it… If he could just get on his feet.
His vision suddenly blurred. Nope, he couldn't. He felt so weak and woozy…
He was suddenly kicked in the ribs. His head banged against one of the bed's legs.
"Get up."
The man suddenly grabbed a fistful of Ken's hair, tugging hard enough to feel like he was tearing out some of Ken's hair. He literally yanked Ken up, before twisting Ken's arms behind him. There was a quiet click as the man fastened the handcuffs around Ken's wrists again.
"Walk."
He gave Ken a shove towards the door. Ken was barely able to catch his balance. He suddenly pressed something cold and metal against Ken's back.
With the man breathing down his neck, Ken was forced to walk. It was almost like a… lab? Or maybe it was like the Kirijo Tower back on Port Island. He wasn't sure.
The man then opened a door, showing a surprisingly opulent room.
Ken was suddenly shoved into a chair. Another man pointed a gun right at Ken as the first man fiddled with the handcuffs, cuffing him to the chair.
Great. Just great. His situation was just getting better and better.
"Now sit here like a good boy," he mocked. "Our benefactor will be with you soon."
"Oh goodie. I just can't wait," Ken muttered under his breath.
He and his cohort left leaving Ken alone once more. Ken tried to tug at the handcuffs, but it was secured tightly. The metal was starting to dig into his wrists too.
What was the purpose of his capture? What did Shido want?
Please be careful, Ken-kun. Please… don't do anything reckless. Fuuka-san's words to him so long ago echoed in his mind.
Ken let out a frustrated sigh.
"Sorry, Fuuka-san. I didn't mean to break my promise," he muttered.
Then the door suddenly opened.
A man dressed in a three-piece suit stepped through. He was completely bald, but he looked very fit for his age—late forties, early fifties.
He just gave Ken a little smirk as he shut the door behind him.
"So… you're the infamous Ken Amada."
...
...
…Yes, another cliffhanger. Sorry guys xD
The next chapter won't have one though, I promise.
But anyways! I have a few announcements!
The first is that Glorialancaster on AO3 contacted me about translating Ace in the Hole in Chinese! You can find the link here: [https] [:] [/] [/] [ruizhiruwo148].[lofter].com[/] [post] [/] [1f31cb0b_1c751d59] (Remove the brackets and spaces!)
Secondarily, my wonderful beta, angelrin89, has posted her P5 rewrite! The ships are Shuann, Ryukoto, YusuHaru, Mishima/Futaba, and OC/Hifumi, so if you're a fan of any of these ships, I highly recommend that you check it out! I'm super excited by everything she's got planned!
And speaking of Erin, she was really great with this chapter! She made a bunch of great suggestions. She wrote the scene with Ryuji tricking Akechi, as she thought that it would've gone too smoothly without any objections. I think it really added to the whole Cafe LeBlanc scene! (Seriously, go check out her fic, guys. There's only one chapter up right now, but it's a great intro to her AU)
I've been asked about a Scramble fic in this verse by a few people. To be honest, I am tempted. However, I have to prioritize. I have this fic still, not to mention the PQ2 fic. I also have my next longfic decided on, which I'll share more on as this fic comes to a close. A Scramble fic is a hesitant maybe, but it won't happen until I've gotten to play the game.