Sae Niijima becomes a Phantom Thief, and some tension brews among the team.
[10/04, The Present Day]
That morning, Makoto bullied Sae into accepting her return to Shujin.
"I will go insane if I lose another school day!" Makoto declared desperately, with her pupils dilated as if she was having an episode of classroom withdrawal.
Sae rolled her eyes at her sister's dramatic display of goody-two-shoeness. "Makoto. You only missed Saturday and yesterday. It's not a big deal."
The girl pouted. "It is to me."
The older woman raised an eyebrow at her sister's response. Well, she could understand it actually. This was the longest period they had spent on each other's presence in months.
She suspected Makoto needed some space.
"You know what? By all means. Go to class." The older woman caved in finally.
Delighted, Makoto gave her a quick hug, then eagerly went out on her way after muttering a rushed goodbye. Sae chuckled at her sister's antics.
It was then that the elder Niijima realized that she was alone and free for the rest of the day until their discussed palace exploration.
"What the hell am I even going to do with all this free time in my hands now…?"
She didn't really have any close friends other than her own sister. Or even acquaintances that she enjoyed spending time with, aside from Akechi, and that was mostly for work.
Well, there was Amano-san, but she wasn't going to bother the older woman unprompted.
She didn't have any real hobbies either. She took Aikido for self defense, but that was it.
"I guess working out is the best that I can do. Get my body ready for whatever crazy metaverse activities they will toss me into." She thought out loud.
Deciding to go with that route, Sae tossed some gym clothes in a duffel bag and dressed up into something more relaxed and casual for the day, since she had no need for her suit, then she was out of the door and into the world.
Makoto let out a sigh of relief as soon as she entered the train to Aoyama-Itchome. She could find some normalcy on her way to school.
It wasn't that she wanted to avoid Sae. But she needed a little space away from her sister.
Things have been constantly going up and down for Makoto and she was starting to feel sick of it. Being able to just do her usual school day routine, and not overthink too much was all that she wanted to do the most at that very moment.
Well, not that it was easy to not overthink. She was feeling constantly distracted and anxious, for reasons that she couldn't pinpoint. It was a strange, weird feeling in her gut.
Maybe it was because her sister would join them for the first time in official capacity inside the metaverse.
…Or, maybe, it was because Makoto herself was afraid to go back there.
What if she loses the fights, or puts the others at risk because she is still not at her best? What if she gets the strategies wrong?
What if she couldn't summon her persona? She hasn't heard from anat in a while. She has been quiet .
And what if Sae sees her do something incompetent and criticizes her-
No. No. Her sis promised to never do that again. She's changed.
She's changed.
Makoto needed to shove these unpleasant thoughts away from her head. Everything was fine now, the others still wanted her around, and Sae was putting an effort.
She was saved by restarting the cycle of spiraling thoughts by entering the school, then spotting Ryuji having a fight with one of the vending machines in the courtyard.
"C'mon, don't do this to me now!" He said desperately as he kept shaking and tapping at the machine with excessive force.
"Ryuji-kun! What on earth are you doing?" She asked as she crossed her arms and put on a stern face.
The blonde turned to her and grinned in relief. "Yo prez! Man, help me out here. This old thing sucks and the monta I paid for is stuck!" He whined, his eyes bloodshot.
She looked shocked. "It's too early in the morning to be consuming sugary drinks!"
"What, are you for real!? How the eff am I going to last the day? I'm out of fuel!" He screeched, his voice going high pitch with desperation at the end.
He looked like an addict having massive sugar withdrawal.
"Don't shout." Makoto said exasperatedly as she rubbed her ears and glared at him. "Besides, it's almost time for class. Just try again on lunch break."
Ryuji whined at her declaration. "Man, but I'm not gonna pay attention to my classes like that. You don't want that, do you? Come on dude, help me out here!"
Makoto sighed. The day barely started and it was already eventful.
"Fine. Step back."
Makoto surveyed the state of the machine. Ryuji shook it pretty badly and the can was stuck in a very awkward position
Luckily for him, there was a little trick that her uncle Tatsu had taught her a few years back. You just had to hit and tap the machine correctly and patiently until the snack came out, instead of brute forcing.
"Man, is this even gonna work?" He asked skeptically.
Makoto smiled smugly. "Just wait and see."
Ryuji leaned against the wall as he watched her try to get the can out. He sent her a concerned glance.
"By the way, how are you?" He asked.
Makoto sighed a little and continued her patient tapping. "I'm okay. Definitely no longer that sore, the bruises are just mostly visual now."
"Sure, but I didn't mean just that, you know? I wanted to ask about the stuff with your sister. Has she been treating you well and shit?"
"Yes." She said quietly.
The boy stared pointedly at her. "Alright, if you're saying it... Still, you're good for reals?"
"I am. Thanks for worrying Ryuji-kun, but I am alright."
The boy went quiet at her proclamation. She continued to tap the machine patiently while Ryuji fidgeted.
"Look… I am not a fan of your sister because of the shitty stuff she did to ya and Boss, but… I'm gonna put in some effort to put up with her today, 'kay?"
His tone was brotherly and caring. It was moments like this that always gave Makoto a genuine sense of appreciation for Ryuji. He needed to be given a lot more credit.
"Okay." She smiled. "Thank you, Ryuji-kun, I appreciate it."
He grinned. "No prob man, I got your back."
A couple of seconds later, the can of monta came out.
"There you go. Now drink it, then off to class. Is that clear?" She said, hands on her hips.
Ryuji cracked the can open, and chugged it blissfully, while Makoto grimaced at his crass display.
"Ahh, that hits the spot! Man, now my batteries are at max charge. Thanks for the help prez. See you later!?" He asked eagerly and loudly
"Of course, Ryuji-kun."
He held his fist in the air and she sighed as she fistbumped him. Ryuji was like a hyperactive puppy sometimes.
Sae was feeling blissful after a good workout. A little sore, as well, but she wouldn't start to feel it until tomorrow.
'Hopefully the magic bullshit Amamiya and Morgana described from the metaverse can help me skip that, ha!'
She still had plenty of time to kill, so she decided to go for a cup of Leblanc coffee and then enjoy a good book.
'Here is hoping Sakura-san doesn't kick me out without Makoto and Amamiya-kun in there to vouch for me.'
The silver haired prosecutor was so distracted with her musings that she collided with someone else in the street.
"Hey watch it where you're going, woman!" Said the other person, sounding incredibly annoyed.
'What the fuck?' Sae thought as she righted herself.
She spotted a mountain of boxes on the ground and the delivery man, looking annoyed as he crouched down to pick up the contents.
"Oh my god, I wasn't paying attention, I'm sorry sir. Let me help you." She said mortified as she bent down to help the man pick up the deliveries.
"Look what you've done!" He grumbled. "You ditzy type always do that, never pay attention to your surroundings!"
Sae was annoyed. "What? The alley is wide enough for both of us! You could have dodged just as well!"
"Tch, I was busy carrying around these boxes, are you blind!?"
"Then maybe don't go around such a cramped space while carrying so much stuff next time!" She retorted.
The man looked ready to yell at her, but was interrupted.
"How cute. Please children, continue." Chimed in a third voice, dryly.
Sae whipped around, ready to give a piece of her mind to the newcomer.
"Look, this is none of-"
Blue, silky hair in a short bob, a little black dress and long legs that seemed to go on forever.
"-Your business…" Sae finished, a little taken aback by her appearance.
The delivery man finished collecting his cargo and just huffed as he picked up a paper and pen and thrust them in the direction of the blue haired woman.
"This is the right address, Takemi's clinic?" He asked impatiently.
"Yes, that's right. Just put everything inside the clinic, thanks." The woman replied as she finished signing her name in the form.
The man grumbled but did as told, likely just wanting to get away from Sae, who was still fuming.
The two women soon turned to each other. Sae noticed the other woman's eyes widening and narrowing upon her.
Then the blue haired woman - the doctor apparently, judging by her coat - grinned smugly.
"Oh, I know you …" She said, voice oddly playful.
Sae felt confused for the total of three seconds, until memories from ten years ago flooded in her mind and clicked in place.
Oh fuck. It was HER.
"I'm sorry, but I have never met you in my life." Sae replied in a bored tone, and made to exit the scene as quickly as possible. "Good day."
"Ah ah ah, where do you think you are going? Did you really forget your dear senpai already, Sumaru girl?"
Sae froze in her tracks, and her face flushed red.
Ugh, of course she would say that annoying nickname.
"Well, perhaps, do enlighten me then." Sae retorted, turning around and crossing her arms almost petulantly, trying to maintain her dignity and failing.
The other woman approached with a grin, putting her hands in the pockets of her lab coat.
"Come on, don't play coy with me. It hasn't been that long."
Sae sighed. 'Insufferable woman.'
"It's been ten years." The silver haired prosecutor muttered.
"Really? Oh well, I didn't pay attention to the clock, Sae-chan."
A beat of silence. Takemi - because Sae knew it was Tae Takemi, her senpai and odd ally in those shitty Shujin days - sent her a pointed look.
"So, did you manage to become a hotshot prosecutor?" Tae asked, an easy smile on her face.
"I did. Did you finally become a doctor?" Sae asked back, even though she already knew the answer and connected the dots thanks to Amamiya and Makoto's mentions of this mysterious doctor.
"What do you think, sweetheart?"
Sae shook her head, but couldn't contain her smile. It was just like the old days, she would always get stuck up little Sae to lower her guard with brazen endearments and bold statements.
'Sorry senpai, but I'm not that silly kid anymore.'
"Well, it seems congratulations are in order, Takemi-san. My sister and Amamiya-kun seem to vouch for the local doctor, after all."
The other woman looked momentarily shocked. "Your sister and my guinea pig…? Oh, you mean, Makoto-chan? Huh, so that is why the Niijima surname was so familiar."
"...Guinea pig?" Sae asked with a raised eyebrow.
The other woman grinned. "It's nothing, don't worry. Well, it goes to show that it's a small world we live in, after all."
"Indeed." Sae replied, still out of sorts.
A bit of a silence ensued. Sae, not wanting to get into a very awkward conversation, decided to truly make an exit this time.
"Well it was good seeing you again, Takemi-san, but I'm afraid I must keep going. I will, uh, see you around." She said awkwardly.
Tae just smirked and waved her away.
"Well, be on your way then. But try to not be a stranger, alright?"
Sae sent her an awkward smile and dashed the fuck out of the scene. In the distance, she could hear the teasing chuckles of the doctor.
Ren, Morgana and Makoto were eating together in the student council room.
Or rather, Ren and Morgana were enjoying their food while Makoto's bento stayed untouched.
"You know, you could leave work for later, my lovely queen." Ren prompted her gently. Morgana made a gag face at his use of a syrupy nickname, so the boy tugged at the cat's ear playfully in retaliation.
Makoto blushed at his endearment, but then just sighed in response. "I will eat shortly. I just have to sort these papers."
Ren snorted. "You'd think the student council members would do some work in your absence. Where are they?"
"Beats me. Besides, I prefer it if they don't, because I always have to go back and check for any mistakes."
Ren winced. That sounded incredibly controlling, even for Makoto.
"Mako, I hate to be that guy, but you have to start trusting them to do some of these things, it's not healthy for you to take over all these burdens by yourself." He told her gently.
Makoto scoffed. "Trust me, I had thought so too, but turns out they can't even do the basics."
She sounded so much like her older sister in that moment that it weirded Ren out a little.
"Uh, maybe just approach them with this stuff and try to explain the issues? This way they will learn how to do it properly." He suggested diplomatically.
The brunette sighed. "Trust me, I tried. But they are just…"
Makoto pursed her lips and stayed quiet.
Ren grimaced. He was pretty sure she was going to say the cursed word, "useless", but thought better of it.
"Look, it doesn't matter. I got this under control." She said, sending him a reassuring smile.
Ren gave her a loving smile back. "If you say so, my heart. Just make sure to not overdo it."
"I won't, I promise."
He nodded. Then he leaned over the table, inching closer to her, his eyes full of mischief. Makoto's cheeks flushed in a lovely shade of red as he carefully tilted her chin up and gave her a dashing smile.
"Now, won't you please have a little break and eat something, my love?"
Morgana made another gagging motion. "Ugh, that's so cheesy!"
Ren sent him a glare. The cat just snickered in response.
Makoto, who was as red as a tomato, just tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled at her boyfriend. "Okay. Since you're asking so nicely, my joker."
He beamed at her, while tugging Morgana's tail as the cat continued to try to mock them.
With his girl finally enjoying her food, Ren relaxed. The trio continued to enjoy each other's company and make jokes, but soon he noticed that Makoto was a bit quieter than usual, and that she seemed a bit nervous.
'She must be thinking of the palace infiltration.'
"Makoto."
"Hm?"
"We don't have to go to the palace today if you're not up for it."
At his declaration, Makoto stayed eerily quiet.
Morgana and Ren shared a look. The cat cleared his throat.
"He is right. We understand if you are not ready. We can always do this tomorrow, we have several more days before the deadline." Morgana chimed in, trying to he reassuring.
"No."
Makoto's knuckles were getting white as she closed her fist. Ren felt extremely concerned.
"We won't be delaying this any further because of me. I…"
She looked away.
"Haru, she doesn't deserve to wait even further just because I have been selfish."
'Not exactly the response I was looking for, but I'm not surprised either.'
She wasn't wrong, but…
"Look, I will talk to Haru if need be. She'll understand. Your wellbeing is important to us, if you feel like you're not ready, then you are not ready." He said, firmly but gently.
"I am ready." His girlfriend responded, her voice shaky.
'No, you're not.' Ren thought, worried.
Morgana looked concerned. "Are you really sure, Queen?"
She nodded quickly and resolutely. "I am."
Ren sighed. "Alright Makoto. If you say so. But don't hesitate to tell me if you need a break from things."
The look she sent him would haunt him for days to come.
"It won't be necessary, but thank you."
The team met at Roppongi after school. Sae was already waiting for them with Futaba in tow, the girl glued to her phone.
"Hi sis" the brunette said as she got close to Sae, who side hugged her in greeting.
Her baby sister looked tired, Sae noted.
After her awkward encounter with her former senpai in Yongen Jaya, Sae had dashed to the safety of Leblanc, where she stayed for a time.
Sojiro kept looking at her like she had grown two heads, but she just kept her head in her hands and enjoyed some coffee and curry afterwards.
Her sanity was hilariously saved by the appearance of Futaba. At first, it was awkward, but the older woman found that the girl was actually quite clever, so they proceeded to discuss complex topics regarding the law and cybercrimes.
It was strange, but not bad. Sae really needed to find a pastime, though.
"So everyone is here. Excellent." Amamiya announced.
Everyone, minus Makoto, seemed eager to enter the palace. Sae herself was incredibly curious as to what Okumura's palace looked like.
She didn't have to wonder for much longer as Amamiya activated the nav - which she found that she too, had in her phone - and the world distorted before her eyes.
Gone was the headquarters of Okumura foods. Instead, in its place, it was a massive futuristic looking interior of a factory.
"Aww, look guys! The sisters match! That is so adorable!" A blonde in the red catsuit - likely Takamaki-chan - gushed, clapping her hands.
It was then that Sae realized she was dressed in a skintight bodysuit, with some belts, buckles, part armor, part corset and some really spiky pauldrons.
Her mask felt heavy and metallic.
"Huh, why does this thing have to be so skintight?"
Takamaki and Makoto both shared a knowing glance.
"I know right? Awful, but you get used to it." Takamaki declared with a friendly and encouraging tone in her voice.
Sae just sighed, but nodded. "I'll take your word for it."
Amamiya cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Alright, first order of business. Morgana, can you do the thing we both discussed?"
"On it!"
Morgana approached Makoto and summoned what Sae deduced was his persona.
"Zorro! Diarama!"
She saw her sister being enveloped by a light, then standing taller, as if energized.
"Oh… Thanks, Mona, but I could have healed myself…" Her baby sister said sheepishly.
Morgana put his hands on his hips. "Sure, but your energy is best saved to be used on attacks!"
Makoto chuckled at his adorableness. "I see. Thank you Mona, Joker."
The boy nodded gently. Then he turned to Sae.
"Okay, next is the fact that we need to give you a codename."
Behind her heavy mask, Sae arched one of her eyebrows elegantly, but then realized it couldn't be seen properly. She crossed her arms and just cocked her head instead.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Remember, codenames are essential to maintain our identities away from the cognition of palace rulers. Besides, it's a cool concept."
"And pure artistic thinking." Kitagawa added imperiously.
The others nodded sagely, with the exception of Makoto who was seemingly timid and kept to herself.
"As you know, I'm Joker. You know who Mona and Queen are as well. And I'm sure you've deduced the others more or less, but even so: Behind you is Skull, this is Noir, then you have Oracle, beside her Panther and lastly and obviously, Fox." Amamiya said as he finished pointing to the others and then to Kitagawa, who was beside him.
She nodded in recognition. Amamiya's introductions pretty much matched her deductions after the conversation she had with him on crossroads last saturday evening.
She decided to defer to the group, feeling too out of her depth to choose a codename for herself.
"Very well. I'm open to suggestions."
Mona made a cute jump and whooped.
"Yes! Alright, I came up with a few of my own! What do you think of… Raider!?" Mona proclaimed eagerly.
Sae grimaced, disliking the sound of it for no reason. "Pass."
Mona faltered at her rejection, but soon recovered. "Okay, how about… Punisher!"
"Too punkish, pass."
"Um, Ravager!"
"Sounds like an anime villain, hard pass."
Mona looked down sadly. "I'm out of ideas… Those were my best."
"Uh… I'm not the most creative person either, sorry." Panther said sheepishly.
The others looked uncomfortable interacting with her directly so most of them shrugged or shook their heads, also out of ideas. Queen stayed quiet, her position still quite timid and subdued, despite being energy boosted by the healing spell.
Joker snorted, clearly impatient with Sae being choosy about the codenames.
"Alright, since you're being picky and we don't have all day, how about this: From now onwards, you're Satan. There goes, perfect codename." Joker declared with no small amount of salt hidden behind his joking tone.
Sae herself crossed her arms in defiance. "Really? Then I suppose I should call you Clown going forward as well. Sounds way more appropriate to your ridiculousness."
Joker tutted. "Ah ah ah, but that is not up to you Satan, I am the leader, my word here is law. You shall address me as his Greatest Eminence, Lord Joker."
The others chuckled at her expense. Sae rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to give him the middle finger.
Ignoring the jabs at her person, Sae turned to Queen, her voice gentle. "Any suggestions?"
Queen, who looked a little green in the face despite having her own metal mask obscuring most of it, just sighed and fiddled with her scarf.
"Since you two seem to get along so well , how about Ace? Like the playing card, and a counter to Joker. Simple, effective and handy." Her little sister said, her voice neutral but with a hint of tiredness at both of their displayed childishness.
"Whoa, that totally works! Way to go, Queen!" Panther gushed at her friend.
"Sounds perfect." Fox chimed in.
"Heh, leave it to the Queen to figure it out." Said skull, giving her sister a thumbs up.
The brunette seemed to relax at their words and quietly nodded.
"That sounds wonderful, Queen." The newly dubbed Ace said, giving her sister an approving smile.
"Eh, I still think Satan is more in tune with her awful personality. Alas, the Queen's words are God's words." He said, bowing to Queen who just shot him a stern look.
"Now to the last matter before we barge in. Ace, What do you and your persona do?"
"How am I supposed to know?" She retorted.
He shot her a 'are you for real' look. "That comes naturally to you. Come on, there are a couple of shadows over there in the corner. Let's go find out."
Ace shrugged "Lead the way."
Makoto was dreading the possibility of having to summon her own persona again.
Like she expected, Anat was quiet, and she hasn't heard from her in awhile, not even here. She had considered healing herself first thing, but was afraid of not being able to bring forth her persona.
Luckily for her, Ren and Morgana had the foresight of conserving her energy and bought her some time before the inevitable.
They were leading her sister to where a couple of shadows were going around aimlessly. As they got near, Makoto felt uncertain if she should step up into formation. Her hesitation was visible enough that Joker decided to save her from the embarrassment.
"Ace, Noir, Panther, to me!"
The three obeyed, though she saw Sae also step forward with an uncertain gait.
"Alright, now what?" Her big sis prompted impatiently.
She felt more than saw Ren smirk as his voice adopted that irking - and absolutely charming - smugness that she both hated and adored.
"Now you watch."
Ren rushed to the shadow and ripped off their mask.
"Show me your true form!"
Makoto saw Sae scoff at Ren's actions. "What a show off."
The shadows turned into a trio of Lilims, along into an Arahabaki. Joker jumped back and stood in front of the team.
Her boyfriend dodged and deflected attacks from the pair of bit- Lilims that tried to charm his handsome ass off.
"Alright skanks, away from the leader." Panther said as she whipped the sleazy out of them, creating distance between Joker and the shadows.
Ann was truly her best friend.
"Try to hit them with your weapon, whatever that is!" He instructed Sae, who readied herself.
On Sae's left hand, a sharp, edgy looking greatsword materialized. She used her other hand to help her hold it appropriately.
"Crazy! Okay, now hit them!" The leader shouted.
Not waiting another moment, Sae charged against one of the Lilims and drove her greatsword against its torso at a high speed.
The single Lilim took a powerful blow and got downed. Ann took the opportunity and hit it with a powerful blow of the whip, finally defeating it.
"Brutal!" Futaba called out, cackling.
Noir engaged with the Arahabaki, and fought it by summoning Milady and hitting it with a couple of Psychic attacks.
Ann rushed to assist her.
"Alright, summon your persona, now!" Joker shouted at Sae as the opening was created.
Sae procrastinated for a moment - clearly on purpose - but sighed as she saw Joker send her the stink eye not too long after.
"Now, Satan!" He commanded.
"Geez calm down, Clown, I was just getting to that."
As her sister ripped her mask away, they all had to duck and step back in surprise.
Makoto herself shrieked as a behemoth of a Persona was summoned right next to her.
And she thought Anat was huge.
She forgot how both terrifying and stunning her sister's persona looked. Now that she was properly conscious, she saw that its serpentine tail and name reminded her of a mythological figure.
"Waah!" Morgana screamed as he flew away, since he was the closest to Sae and got accidentally knocked down.
"Morgana!" Makoto ran to him to check if he was alright. She helped him up, as he looked dazed, but fortunately unharmed.
"What the hell man, give us a warning next time!" Ryuji shouted as he ducked, his ass up in the air and his face in the ground.
Yusuke, who was hilariously flat with the ground as if he was a mummy lying upon a sarcophagus, gracefully got up like a vampire rising to meet the night.
He started to frame her sister's gargantuan persona with his hands as if nothing had happened. "What a marvelous beast! I shall have to paint it."
Futaba, who was far enough to not be knocked down by Leviathan, just snickered. "Only you, Inari."
Joker, concentrating on not getting Marin Karin'd, ignored all the unnecessary commentaries and shenanigans from his team.
He issued another command. "Alright, now try a spell!"
Queen saw her sister think for a split second, then she nodded.
"Leviathan! Makouha!"
Immediately the persona pointed its flame sword to the sky, then swung it down in an arc, sending heavenly shockwaves to the pair of Lilims.
So it was a Bless type persona.
Makoto finally got her chance to advise. "Sis, keep hitting the pair of them. They are weak to bless spells!"
"On it!" Her sister said with a grin. With another wave, Leviathan quickly obliterated the Lilims.
Noir and Panther had already made short work of the Arahabaki, so the fight ended quickly.
"Okay, so first things first: Your persona is fucking huge. Secondly, it seems to specialize in bless type skills. I'll admit, that is incredibly useful and gives me some wiggling room in persona types." Ren commented with a smirk.
"Right, the wildcard thing you told me about. Also, do you guys seriously use video game jargon for these things?" Her sister questioned, looking out of her depth.
"Holy shit, you know stuff about video games?" Ryuji gasped, flabbergasted.
"Not really, but I used to play Pokémon as a little child." She confessed, looking embarrassed for no reason.
Makoto winced. It was herself that actually broke Sae's gameboy, but in her defense, she was a toddler. Her sister never showed interest in video games afterwards, and so Makoto didn't play any games either, until Ren and Ryuji introduced her to Gun About.
"Huh, that's crazy. What gen?" Futaba asked eagerly.
"First gen, actually. Pokémon Red."
"Figured, you're an old hag after all." Ren quipped.
"Watch it. I am still your senior, if you can't show me some respect, at least shut up." She said sternly, obviously tired of Ren's constant jabs.
It was quite hypocritical of Sae to say that since, well, she also insulted Ren all the time.
"Whatever." He said neutrally, throwing his hands up and nonchalantly walking past her sister. His body language, however, still conveyed that he didn't give a damn to Sae's opinion or requests.
The others looked a little awkward, but Haru in particular seemd a bit quiet, and perharps even a little irritated by all their unnecessary displays.
Makoto sighed. Still insecure about her own fears and misgivings, she too wasn't in the mood to deal with this.
They soon reached the last saferoom they had encountered before stopping the progress last time.
Ren sat down and put his mask up to give himself some breathing room, then waited for his friends and new recruit to get themselves settled in the saferoom.
He was both impressed with and annoyed at Niijima. She was truly a pain in the ass, but so was he.
"Alright, let's discuss our current progress for Ace's sake."
All the eyes in the room turned to Makoto, who paled at the attention of her teammates. Thankfully, it passed quickly and she finally took over.
"W-we completed a good portion of the palace so far, right now I think we are almost halfway done... It's possible we can secure the treasure route today or tomorrow." Makoto stated, a bit unsure, but slowly regaining her confidence at the end.
Ren smiled softly at her. It was a good start.
"Alright, you heard the Queen. How is everyone feeling?"
"I want to be in the frontline for now, if that is alright." Noir declared stiffly. He nodded.
"Of course. Skull and Fox will be with me in the next lineup."
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji pumped his fist up.
"Very well, leader." Yusuke said regally.
"Morgana and Makoto, keep and eye on the rear, Satan and Panther, just follow their lead." He declared cheekily.
Sae fumed, not dignifying him with a response.
He smirked. He knew he was annoying her, but he still had his reservations about the woman. He wasn't going to make her life easy, she had to work for it.
"Excellent, let's keep going!"
Sae's experience with the palace so far was both strange and enlightening.
Amamiya was doing his best to be a prick to her, but not to the point of being completely unhelpful, after all, he kept explaining everything to her.
Makoto sometimes chimed in, but she seemed subdued and did not participate as much. In fact, Sae did not recall her sister summoning her persona yet, preferring to use her guns and fists whenever possible.
'I don't think it was a good idea for her to come here so soon.' Sae mused.
"Guys, look!" Panther shouted.
A group of robots were lined up, not too far from where they were.
"For the company! For our glorious, wonderful president Okumura!" They shouted in unison.
Sae narrowed her eyes.
"I DO THIS WITH JOY!" They chanted.
Skull looked pissed. "Tch. They're still respectin' him even though they prolly see coworkers collapse from gettin' overworked."
Sae saw her sister hug herself. "It's mind control… they've been purposefully driven into a state of overadaptation."
Skull turned to Queen, scratching his head in confusion. "Over…what now?"
Fox stepped forward. "When a person is continually faced with oppression, they come to welcome its presence. Such psychological trickery is being used here."
He coldly looked at Sae's direction. "I experienced it first-hand for many, many years."
"Fox…" She heard Panther whisper.
Sae looked away. She knew he was not just talking about Madarame, but herself and Makoto. Her own sister fidgeted at Fox's words.
"So these robots exist because Father is aware that he's exploiting his employees." Haru chimed in with a strained voice.
Mona looked cautiously to the sides. "Yes. We should be careful though, I don't think we can reason with these. We'll probably go straight into battle when we manage to approach them!"
Everyone nodded and continued working on their infiltration.
Haru Okumura promised herself that she was not going to be immature about this entire situation.
She was truly grateful for the help and kindness of the friends she made recently, as well as their willingness to help her, even though their pursuit of her father's palace at first had nothing to do with helping her.
Yet, as she met these people, she realized she has been nothing but shackled to be overly benign , to her own detriment.
Now, don't get her wrong. It wasn't that Haru was looking to be an insincere person. She felt like being kind was the least one could do, there was no reason to be gratuitously awful to others, as being graceful and good were her dear mother's most cherished virtues. Naturally, she followed in her footsteps.
She was raised to always be at her best, to be meek, to not stare other people in the eyes, to not question, and to not challenge. Instead, she was told she should be a demure, gentle, perfect lady.
But sometimes in this life, all Haru wanted was to not give a damn to other people's feelings, and just say her piece.
The fluffy haired girl wanted to rightfully snark at others, to put them in their place. Especially people like Sugimura for example, who deserved nothing but scorn. As well as her father, who didn't care to sell her body like a piece of spoiled meat. He also deserved just as much resentment and disrespect coming from her.
However she knew, if she was ungraceful and lashed out, then it was the other party that would win first, not her. It would mean that they got under her skin. And that was simply not done
Sadly at that moment, she decided to lose it.
"Can you two please stop with the passive aggressiveness? It's getting old, and it's completely unamusing." Haru snapped.
At her harsh words, she saw Niijima-san purse her lips, as if the other woman wanted to retort at her.
'Let her try.' Haru thought darkly.
Surprisingly, the woman opted to be mature about it. "My apologies Okumura-chan. I tend to get carried away when provoked."
"Sorry, Haru. I'll tone it down." Joker whispered, regretful.
Haru nodded in acceptance, pleased to see that they at least held some semblance of consideration towards her feelings.
Then she continued going forward. One step in front of the other. She had to keep going.
She had to stop her father… And save him.
Makoto, who was subdued, dragged her feet at the rear of the group. She noticed the girl's hesitance, lack of active participation and constant looks of self-doubt.
And that too, was starting to irritate Haru.
It was as if Makoto couldn't get it. Everyone in the team would clearly go to the ends of the earth for her alone. She was wise, reliable, and inspired respect and adoration for her in her friends, Haru included.
She genuinely liked and respected Makoto a lot, but also detested that the girl couldn't see and cherish what she had.
What did Haru have that came out of her own hands, and had nothing to do with the exploitative and abusive actions of her father and his company?
If it wasn't for Mona chan, then where would Haru be? At home, terrorized and wondering if she was going to be assaulted and abused the moment she stepped a foot in the Sugimura state?
And If she wasn't an asset to get them past the biometric security, then what would her purpose in this team be?
Even the newly recruited Niijima-san now has proven herself to be of fundamental use. She was an adult with resources outside this strange phenomenon, a woman with agency and the opportunity to choose .
The prosecutor was now capable of assisting them to an extent that even Haru with all the money and prestige in the world could not, for she was merely her father's bargaining chip with no real resources at her disposal.
She was just a girl old enough to be sold, but young enough that would never be taken seriously, to never be heard.
So yes, in the end, it wasn't like Haru too, was immune to having fears, doubts and insecurities. The thing is, even though she knows all of this, it only furthers her resolve.
Haru has been patient, even though sue wanted to rush everyone. She has been calm, even though she wanted to be rash in her actions. She heeded everyone's counsel. She had given Morgana her loyalty, and then for his sake, helped him reconcile with his friends.
Her position in the team, she was fighting to earn it. Even if the worst happened, they could not blame Haru for falling short and not being enough, because she was giving them her all.
And yes, maybe it was egocentric of her to think so, but it was no less true, in her honest opinion.
She would never again lose her sense of self worth, and use it diminish herself.
There was too much at stake now.
"Great! Now it's time for a gun ambush!"
Then Ren's eyes widened as he remembered Ace's predicament.
"Damn, I forgot to get you a gun." He cursed.
He saw Ace smirk at him and materialize a giant ass, monstrous looking gun in her right arm.
"Where the fuck did you get that!?" He asked, his jaw almost dropping to the floor.
"No idea Clown, it came with the outfit, I guess!"
Then the madwoman assaulted their enemy ranks with the gun.
Everyone ducked again, with Ryuji screaming at the top of his lungs. "Godammit Ace, what did I say about warning a dude first!?"
The woman just grinned in response.
Her cockiness didn't last much longer though, as a shadow prepared to hit her from behind.
Joker was ready to interrupt the enemy but was beaten by Queen getting into action and summoning Anat, who took the blow in place of Sae, its metallic shell screeching out a strident sound as it got hit.
Luckily, Makoto was not hit either, but he could see her breathing heavily and shakily.
"Sis! Are you alright!?" She shouted as she got close to Sae.
"Yes, thank you."
Ren shook his head. He noticed Noir huff in annoyance while crossing her arms.
He shared a glance with Panther, who also noticed Noir's really aggravated behavior.
"Don't worry, I'll handle Noir myself later." The blonde whispered.
He nodded in appreciation of his friend's offer. He sensed it was something best left to a woman's wise touch.
Makoto met Haru's piercing gaze.
She felt that there was something unspoken that Haru wanted to tell her with her eyes, but what could it be, she could not grasp.
While the others were bickering and procrastinating, Noir kept pressing. In fact, she took over where Makoto would usually be, commanding their attention and making sure they were on their toes.
A part of Makoto was grateful for her help, since she was not feeling up to par, but another part felt irritated with her patronizing, calculating gaze, as if Noir was trying to undermine her.
As if she was trying to challenge Makoto.
Unsure of what to do, and how to feel about their subtle shift in dynamic, she decided to just put her head back in the game.
After a series of puzzles, they managed to defeat the brainwashed robots, but to a bitter conclusion as Noir looked even more revolted witnessing the evils of her father.
Then, they kept pressing until they found something even more horrifying.
"FUEL ADDITION HAS INCREASED OUTPUT! INCINERATOR THROUGHPUT HAS REACHED APPROXIMATELY 270%!"
Makoto and the others paled.
Fox gasped indignantly. "Are the… Are the workers being thrown into that incinerator!?"
Makoto felt some bile rising up her throat.
"No… They're turning all of these worn down robots into fuel…"
She saw her big sister purse her lips. "That can only mean one thing."
Makoto shook her head, still horrified. "The power source running this factory…"
"...It's people's lives." Noir interrupted, her voice small.
She saw Panther try to approach Noir. "Noir… Are you okay?"
"I'm not."
Panther and the others looked taken aback at her cold tone. "H-huh…?"
"I'm not going to forgive my father for this! Not when this is how he sees his workers!" She seethed.
The whole team felt the impact of her words.
"We… We will change his heart, no matter what!" The heiress concluded, fire in her eyes.
Makoto clenched her first. She needed to snap out of it, her friend needed her now.
"We're with you all the way, Noir."
The other girl nodded back, her features softening beneath her mask.
"Let's go, guys." Makoto finally commanded, and everyone obeyed.
To be continued…