Disclaimer: Fate and Persona are owned by different companies and I hold no ownership and all that jazz.
6/19
"Oh hey Hakuno." Akira waved at her as she and him were the only ones present… Other than Morgana snoozing in Akira's bag. They were sitting on the bench right behind the Hachikō statue.
Akira had asked for her to come early, something about gear?
"Hey… I do have a question about your magic stuff." Akira whispered to her while she nodded.
"I'm not the best… but what is it?"
"Is fortune telling like… a real thing?" Hakuno looked at the seriousness in his eyes as she shrugged.
"I'm not sure… Maybe?"
"Darn… and she was so accurate to…"
"If I ever met her I might be able to pick up on any traces of magecraft…"
Akira made a conflicted face, "I'm not too sure about taking you to Shinjuku…I think Ann would kill me…" He coughed into his hand, "Anyway, let's go see Iwai, he should have some weapons for you."
Hakuno rummaged into her bag as she showed him the pulse gun hiding most of it in her bag still, "I did… buy something from him a while ago. I typically keep it in my Regalia."
"Regalia?" Morgana asked his tail swishing.
"The… Will Seed ring, it helps with my magecraft… somewhat, and can store items. Sadly not everything, but a wide range of items." Hakuno had tried numerous things; she managed to fit smaller items but larger items like her desk or dresser were just too big. She idly wondered if she could put something living into it…
Too risky.
"That's really useful." Akira mumbled, "Do you mind holding our back up items? It would make my bag a lot lighter."
Hakuno nodded as Morgana leaped out of his bag onto his shoulder. "We should do it near Iwai's less people."
Akira nodded in agreement as they reached close to where Caroline stood. Akira just kept pulling items out. From medicine, to smoke bombs, to even Molotov cocktails. Not even counting the strange amount of black daggers.
Hakuno was slightly worried that most of the items looked like they could work in the real world. Seeing her look, Akira's face had a slightly shameful look on it...
"Morgana taught me… Without him I wouldn't be able to make any of them." Hakuno shrugged. Most of it looked useful.
"I'll keep the lockpicks on me, if you see an opening don't feel bad using them, we get the materials from the Metaverse… usually.." He mumbled the last part.
"Are you sure you should be the one making them? You are on probation after all."
He got a slight bashful look, "I got a real knack for it."
"Ah, so much more space!" Morgana had climbed back in and was pawing inside the bag. "You should have done this way earlier!"
"Now… let's see if Iwai has any weapons for you."
Hakuno sighed as she saw just how expensive the gear was as Akira handed her a fire staff of all things. Being asked why he had one made him shrug and inform her that he runs a pawn shop as well.
She also was given a red Chinese dress, apparently it melds into your outfit when you are in the metaverse, something about cognition? Hakuno was slightly concerned as Akira didn't even purchase it from Iwai… and just had it on him.
She didn't understand it, she just wished it was as simple as pressing the buttons on her Portable Terminal…
Perhaps she can work on making a mystic code version of the device? She has no idea where to even begin but it might help make things easier… She should also figure out with Akira about getting Morgana a phone… Perhaps a smartwatch? It would be nice for him to join the chats…
Something for the future.
Her and Akira met up with Yusuke right beside the Hachikō statue waiting for the other two.
"I can't believe you ditched me yesterday…! I almost entered a world I want nothing to do with…!" Ryuji sounded heartbroken as Ann and him both came from the underground.
"Wanted nothing to do with? What are you talking about?" Ann asked as Ryuji froze.
"N-nothing…" Probably an escort bar… He did seem like the type of guy that would fold under female pressure, though… taking a glance at Yusuke, he would for sure fold fast for food.
"So we need what his Palace is, and the place it is? Unless I'm missing something?" Hakuno forced them to focus.
"No that is correct, if we can figure out what the Palace is, we may be able to guess where it is by association."
Ryuji shrugged," It's prolly somewhere he's got complete control over… A garden?"
No Candidate Found
Hakuno felt slightly nauseous every time the Metanav spoke. Something about it was eerie.
"Has… has any of you actually looked into where the Metanav is from?"
Akira gave her a look of concern, "I admit… I have not." Yusuke mutters, "What kind of person could make this app?"
Ryuji shrugged, "Doesn't matter too much, it lets us get back at those crummy adults."
Hakuno noted the concern Akira had as he remained silent, something to ask about later…
"We can look into it later… How about Money Bath? He likes money an I've seen so many people online with things like that!"
No candidate Found
"Hmm not even close… Maybe… a Mansion?"
No Candidate Found
"Bank." Akira stated with absolute certainty.
Candidate Found
"It makes sense… Banks are highly fortified places, that would hold all his money…"
"So somewhere in this city is his own bank…"
"Perhaps an actual bank?" Ann said as Hakuno started to put the pieces together…
A man who sees himself obtaining money from everyone, leads a mafia, avoids the cops constantly, someone whose workers know how to evade questions…
"All of Shibuya is his playground." Hakuno stated, to her it made sense, he didn't differentiate between who was under his control, but everyone in Shibuya was a potential target for him. The very little information they got out of the people on the streets to her confirmed it.
"No way that works." Ryuji said
Results Found.
"Wait a second! I have a hit!" Yusuke announced.
"Wait, what!? All of Shibuya!?"
"I see," Morgana's tail swishes from side to side, "That's certainly where his victims are… it turns out he really is a terrible criminal."
Hakuno could feel Avenger agreeing with them that he must be stopped.
"But wait, is it okay for us to go into his Palace right out of a crowd like this?"
Hakuno nodded, "It would be bad." She pointed up at the exit to the underground with a camera in plain view.
"For Real? I didn't even see that…"
Hakuno checked the Metanav to see if there was a map function or something but alas there was none. "Maybe… Maybe we should find an alley?"
Akira had a look of concentration before answering, "The airsoft shop doesn't get too much traffic…"
"There is an alley right besides it… we can hide near Caroline." Hakuno brushed her hair behind her ear, "Would Caroline be able to keep a look out for us?"
Akira nodded, "Possible, I would have to ask her."
"Who's Caroline? Can she be trusted?" Yusuke spoke up.
"Ah… Caroline is… someone Akira knows? She seems to know the entire situation though…" Hakuno didn't fully know who she was. But they seemed to think of Akira as someone important though, even if they hid it by calling him Inmate.
Even Morgana held a puzzled look on his face… "She can be trusted." Akira added.
They reached the spot with Caroline as Hakuno bent down to be eye-level with the girl, "Hey Caroline, do you mind keeping an eye out for us? We are going to hop into a Palace."
Hakuno thought she could faintly hear Ann and Ryuji whispering.
"Can't do anything yourself can ya Inmate!" Caroline pointed her baton at Akira, "But fine, I can do that, for another of those sweets you gave me." Hakuno rummaged through her bag before pulling out a Jagariko and handing it to the one eyed girl.
"Our deal is sealed." Caroline began eating the snack with a bright smile on her face as they shifted and warped into the Metaverse.
Hakuno stretched as her outfit formed around her, the familiar presence of Avenger was stronger in the Metaverse then in reality.
She could push his quest for Vengeance out of her mind though…
"What is that?" Panther had pointed at something on the ground near them. Hakuno glanced down as she noticed broken parts picking them up… they felt human. Quickly dropping them she felt the flames of Avenger rise up and she quelled it.
Taking a deep breath she saw that Panther was now pointing at living ATMs… Cognitions?
"Magus, can you tell anything with your magic?" Hakuno shook her head in response.
"My Mystic Codes don't have that sort of function…" Hakuno did a check on her reserves and felt them topped up, "I might be able to send Avenger out to investigate."
Joker took a look, "We should stick together, at least for now."
"Walking ATMs…So this… is what Kaneshiro thinks of as a 'bank'…" Fox muttered as they walked out of the small alley.
Hakuno looked quietly at the masses of broken ATM's, watching as the yen notes flew into the sky.
Strange… Why would the yen go up?
Hakuno shook her head, "The distortion is affecting the whole of Shibuya… this will be a lot harder than the previous ones…"
"Hmm? Whatcha mean?" Skull stated as they walked around Central Street, looking for anything more out of place…
"Even when we were in the castle and the museum, the city outside looked normal… Because his distortion is larger… would that mean his power is greater?"
Hakuno nodded along, if the distortion symbolizes the strength of the Palace owner… Why was hers the moon? Did that mean that her… Shadow was that much stranger than it should have been?
Why does it feel like a part is missing?
"He sees everyone in Shibuya as his patron…in any case we must make haste to find his location."
"Yeah his hideout has to be around here…" They walked up and down central street… And couldn't find anything specifically abnormal other than numerous ATM people seemingly broken all in a pile…
"They seem to have fallen from quite a distance, perhaps his bank is high up in a skyscraper?" Fox notes as he looks over the pile…
"Not many of those around." Skull was looking over one of the fallen ATMs…
"All these notes… don't they seem to be going somewhere?" Hakuno suggests as the group looks up into the sky.
A huge disk shaped object that Hakuno at first thought was the Moon was slowly moving, all the money slowly floating up to it into giant holes. Lights begin to flicker on as they start scanning the area.
"Hide!" Joker states as they move into the alleys, Hakuno could feel her heart start to thump as the lights pass over them.
"How the hell are we going to get there!?" Skull then looked at Mona, "Can you turn into a helicopter too?"
Mona fell to the ground, "No… just a van."
"You're useless! Don't you hav-" Hakuno glared at Skull and he stopped talking. Hakuno sighed as she had a thought.
"If I stay down here… I'll see if Avenger can't make it, if he can I can have him bring us over." Seeing Joker's nod Hakuno sat on the ground as Avenger flew up to the bank, turrets sprung forth and opened fire upon the Servant, attempting to dodge more turrets fired down on the Avenger turning him to golden dust causing Hakuno to stumble in surprise as Avenger was forced back into her mask.
The lights quickly scan over the area as they hide in the shadows. "What kind of bank has guns!?"
"Most banks have some security…"
Hakuno's mind was fuzzy as she noted it took a lot of her Od when he collapsed. "Magus, are you ok?" Panther had asked as she shook her head slightly.
"Sorry… The Palace has defenses… I might be able to have Avenger break in after destroying the turrets… But we would have to come back another day." Hakuno took a quick glance at the now retreating turrets.
"It's fine, I think that's all we should do here for the day. We found the keywords, and have a rough idea… We will brainstorm a bit tomorrow." Hakuno nodded as she stood up and they left the Metaverse.
"Hey Hakuno." Ann and her were making a simple dinner, both slightly tired from their excursion in the Metaverse.
"Hmm?"
"When we are at school… Why do you avoid Maruki?" Hakuno paused, how could she explain that he gave off the same aura as Twice…
"He just… feels off?"
"Like… off as in Mage stuff off or off as in you just don't like him?"
Hakuno hummed, "Not… sure?"
"Maybe you should talk to him again to find out? I don't think he is dangerous… but you're better at figuring that stuff out. At the very least… I doubt he would do anything to you."
Hakuno thought for a moment, she has to remind herself even if he feels like Twice he isn't the deranged doctor hell bent on war "Ok… I'll try talking to him…Pass the salt."
"Good!" Ann passed it over, "Who knows? He might be able to give you advice on something?"
Makoto was eating dinner across from Sae, thoughts running through her head as she thought back to finding out the Metaverse existed… Perhaps she should ask Hakuno to fully explain it? But first..
"I've been thinking lately…" Sae's eyes come off her phone as she looks into her own, "About those Phantom Thieves, I mean. If Dad were still alive…" Makoto paused, "Sorry… I shouldn't bring this up during dinner."
"No… it's fine, keep going."
Makoto swallowed, she could hear something in her sister's voice… "I… I just wonder if he would be on their side? That's… that's all…"
Sae took a moment, before sighing her voice reeked of disappointment, "The only reason you have time to think about that is because you depend on someone else."
She had to try and save this "That's not what-"
Sae cracked her chopsticks onto the table, "You don't have to do a single thing, and you're provided with food, clothes, and a home… I've had no time to dwell on such ridiculous thoughts. Would Dad have been happy with them? I don't care." Sae's voice began to crack, "He died upholding some lofty sense of righteousness, leaving all his responsibilities on me."
Makoto looked down, "A-all I was trying to say was-"
Sae interrupted her again, venom laced her words, "Isn't it about time you grew up and acknowledged our situation!? Right now you are useless to me, all you do is eat away at my life."
Makoto's heart felt like breaking as she let loose a small sob.
Sae sighed, "Sorry… that was uncalled for… I'm just… really tired," Sae's voice was now neutral, "I'll be eating dinner out from tomorrow on."
Author's Note: The fucked up part! I really don't like Sae until she starts to calm down a bit, from what I remember she calms down a bit after Futaba's Palace. But she was a horrid role model/parental figure at this moment. But… it's an important part of Makoto's story…
Side note, when i first planned this fanfic, originally Hakuno was going to take Morgana's place with her persona being Icarus. And be similar to Sophia from Strikers aka stuck in Akira's phone but I do like how Morgana is more or less Nero but cat sooooooo yeah. There was a time where it was going to be a pokemon fanfic as well…
