Chapter 3: The Shock of Summoning

"MOVE!" Akihiko snapped, and also snapped a hand around Mitsuru. He grappled for her arm, pulled her close even as the Shadow tried to engulf them. Trying to smother them under a mass of black and scarlet. Instead of letting that happen, Akihiko threw himself and Mitsuru both to the side, right as the chandelier and shadow crashed to the floor. The marble tile was a hard thing to impact on… But it was a lot better than getting sliced open by glass and claws.

The Shadow had as many arms as tines on the chandelier, all spidery and sharp tipped. A long, gaping mouth snapped out, fighting against the chains wrapped around its head.

"…Hecatoneres." Mitsuru said. She sounded remarkably nonplused, even with his arms wrapped around her. Akihiko wished he could say the same for himself, but his body had gone oddly hot from the contact. He told himself his heart was pounding from only adrenaline, and felt like a liar.

Mitsuru was already slipping out from his grip, climbing to her feet. And pulling him up in the process, showing she may have been shaken, but was still strong as ever.

"It almost looks like the monster from that myth. Whatever it is, we don't want to fight it. Not without an Evoker between us." She said. Akihiko grit his teeth at that, his shoulders burning and back coiling, protesting the idea of turning his back on a battle.

"But we need to punch through that thing if we're going to get out of here!" He protested, digging his heels in and feeling them squeak against the tile.

"I know that-!" Mitsuru hissed out, frustration clear in her voice. "But I-"

The Shadow seemed to bubble in response to their words… And then exploded outwards, all of its arms grasping and clawing. Mitsuru darted to the side, kicking one of the chairs into the path of the Shadow. It did little to slow the monster down, the furniture turning to splinters and shattered pieces.

But Mitsuru was ready to work with that in turn, as she seized up a chair leg and smashed down on one of the arms.

"Not my first choice of weapon, but it will have to do."

And against that, his own fists felt a little lacking. Akihiko still dodged the strikes from myriad arms, dodging, weaving, jabbing with his fists and trying to target weak points in the limbs. But the arms didn't behave like they had bone or muscle in them, and wouldn't break under his attacks.

He cursed under his breath, desperately wishing he'd brought something. An Evoker. Even a brass knuckle hidden in his jacket pocket.

Then a claw snaked out and slashed a violent sharp line down his chest, shattering his thoughts and his guard alike.

Leaving him wide open.

One arm snapped around Akihiko's torso, slamming him into a column hard enough to rattle all the strength out of him. Akihiko uselessly struggled against that grip. He was left to watch as Mitsuru desperately dodged and feinted. She lashed out, but the broken chair leg was a poor weapon against the Shadow. It didn't even flinch from the strike, and snapped a hand around Mitsuru. It grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed her to the floor.

It had to have hurt, and Akihiko winced from the impact. Mitsuru had the breath slammed out of her, and her hair fanned out around her almost like blood. But still she struggled, even if she was as battered as Akihiko felt.

She was pinned in place, the monster ready to bring its claws down; either to smash her into a pulp, or tear her to ribbons. Akihiko struggled against the Shadow, but couldn't break from its grip. He watched as it lifted Mitsuru up, holding her struggling in its grip-

'Are you so useless…?' His thoughts hissed. 'So powerless?'

He strained against the Shadow's grip, feeling his skin burn…

…Staring as Mitsuru fought and failed.

Feeling his ribs strain, almost break as the Shadow tightened its grip, got ready to sink claws into both of them.

"Let… Her… Go-" Akihiko found just enough breath, just enough strength to wheeze that out…

…And then he found something else, sparking in his chest. Surging through his thoughts, a sudden flare of power, sudden as lightning.

Flickers of electricity jumped from his fingers, and the world turned from scarlet to silver. The room was blasted into stark outlines, as a bolt of lightning slammed down. The wreckage of the chandelier acted like a perfect conductor, and the Shadow gave a long shriek of pain. Lightning ran from metal to mass, and straight into what passed for a Shadow's heart. It jolted away from the attack, and Mitsuru fell slack to the floor.

Akihiko fell as well, staggering as his feet hit the ground… But still lurching towards her.

"Mitsuru!" His voice rasped in his throat, coming out in a strangled yell as he staggered to her side.

"F-fine. I'm fine." She stood up with a wince. "Or at least I'll be fine, once we get out of here…"

She trailed off, raising her head. One of the windows had been blown out with that attack, and a soft blue night waited beyond. It wasn't scarlet, and it drew both their eyes. They scrambled upright, as the Shadow tried to gather itself. The blast of lightning had melted the monster down into a trembling mass. Akihiko risked a glance over his shoulder, seeing it writhe and start to split apart-

Then Mitsuru had pulled him through the window. The cold night air chased the metallic scent out of his nose, and red was replaced with blue and the orange flicker of streetlights. The nightmarish world faded out, replaced with a normal evening. People walked the streets, and the rumble of cars rushed to fill in the silence.

"What…?" Akihiko murmured to himself, looking around. He risked a glance over his shoulder at the windows. The panes gleamed back at him, like a scabbed over wound. Or like they'd never broken through the glass in the first place.

He shook his head, before wincing as the cut throbbed across his chest. Maybe their surroundings had healed, but he certainly hadn't. The wounds were still fresh on his skin… And he was pretty sure the splash of red on his chest was drawing eyes.

"Here…" Mitsuru wrapped her scarf around him, to better mask the blood stains. Her hair did a fine job of obscuring her own cuts, but she didn't linger on the streets. Akihiko followed her lead, hurrying down the sidewalks. Doing his best not to make eye contact, but he could hear the whispers following them… And the eyes going to Mitsuru.

Maybe that's why he was driven to increase his stride, to walk alongside Mitsuru; he was barely taller than her, but he wanted to at least do something to shield her from all those looks.

For her part, Mitsuru was busy with her phone. She'd fished it out and was tapping an icon on it.

"I ask for just a moment of patience." She said to Akihiko… And before he could even ask what she meant, a long, sleek car had pulled up on the curb next to them. Akihiko was all too eager to stumble into it, and away from any more curious glances.

"…We've probably caused our share of rumors." Mitsuru said when they closed the door behind them. "So we'll need to spread one or two as well. You just defended me from an attack… And that's not even a complete exaggeration."

She leaned back into the seat, giving an exhausted sigh.

"I can also say I wasn't expecting that, of all things." Her fingers moved over her arm with a wince.

"Are you-?" He had to keep his own arms pinned to his sides, instead of reaching them out to brush over Mitsuru's wounds. He still felt a bolt of shame, seeing the blood on her dress; he hadn't been able to completely protect her.

"I'll live. But for now, we have more pertinent questions to ask." Mitsuru opened her eyes, and gave him a piercing look. "Akihiko… What just happened?"

"I don't know! It was like we snapped out of the real world for a moment; like there was some sort of warp space, and-"

"That's not what I meant." She cut him off, frowning at his hands. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything special, I just-" That was when it all finally caught up to him. The blinding flash of light, the electricity dancing across his skin, and the lingering taste of lightning in the air. And that it had all happened without any gun metal filling his hand, or touching his temple.

"You called on your Persona… Without an Evoker." Mitsuru provided. "Something that shouldn't be POSSIBLE… And yet, you broke the rules as we know them."

He stared down at his hands, wondering if there was still something electric running through them.

"I… I don't know what happened. I just saw you in trouble, and… It was like something holding Caeser back snapped, and he could jump into the front of my head. I guess I should count myself lucky that he subsided again-"

Not like what he'd seen happen, once before. Decades later and he could still remember the scream, and the way Shinji would never meet any of their eyes. Or the way Castor seemed less like a Persona, and more like a phantasm. A second layer of sweat coated his skin, and between that and the blood he was pretty sure the shirt was a lost cause.

"We're going to need to study that." Mitsuru thankfully spoke up, and kept him grounded. "As well as… Whatever just happened to that space, and why we were pulled into it."

-o-o-o-

Mitsuru frowned, watching the city slip past the windows. It made her wonder what sort of things were hiding beneath the concrete, behind the windows and the doors.

'You'll likely find out, soon enough.'

"This is what you've been investigating?" Akihiko asked, prompting a nod from Mitsuru. She frowned, thinking back and trying to memorize all the details. Even how it had felt when the Shadow had smashed the air out of her lungs, and tried to crush her ribs.

"That's part of why the Shadow Operatives exist in the first place. Because we've had reports of the same phenomena… Though never over such a large area, or with such strong effects. Before now, it was just a flicker of color at best. A sight of blackness or a hint of shadows. But no attacks like this. We're… This is a first."

And for the life of her, she couldn't understand why; why now, and why targeting her and Akihiko. It couldn't have been happenstance.

"So where do we go from here?" Akihiko asked, interrupting her thoughts before they could spin too quickly.

"Well, I'll begin with writing up a report. Followed by looking into possible overlap with other reports, isolate a list of potential causes, and-"

"Mitsuru, wait. I asked what WE are supposed to do. I'm your… Well, I'm your partner. Doesn't that mean I help you out?" Akihiko leaned forward as he spoke, trying to lock eyes with Mitsuru. She didn't miss the insistence in his eyes, and the near pleading as he watched her.

'There's a reason why you chose him, remember? And he has a good point.'

"I… I suppose so." Mitsuru admitted.

'The fact is, he saved your life.' If he hadn't been there… She didn't want to think of the alternative.

"…I didn't thank you yet, either." She found herself saying. "For saving my life."

"O-oh. It… It wasn't anything. You'd have done the same for me. Hell, you've already done the same thing for me, plenty of times." He gave a shaky laugh. "It's almost like old times, huh?"

"Almost." Mitsuru found herself fiddling with the ring on her finger as she spoke. She forced her hands away from it, and all it symbolized; instead she forced a deep breath. "So… Where we go from here. I'll cross check the Kirijo Reports, and make one of my own… After running it by you. You might have picked up on details that I missed."

As she spoke, Mitsuru brought up the voice recording option on her phone.

"In fact, perhaps we'll start now, while the details are still fresh?"

The rest of the limo drive passed quickly, along with the report. By the time they were finished, Mitsuru was ready to collapse into the cushions. Instead she forced herself up; there was still a few more issues to review.

"Akihiko, about the date itself… Actually, this outing was supposed to be a practice. To get you used to what comes next." The look he gave her was full of worry; Shadows were something he could handle. But social functions, particularly high class ones, were another matter entirely.

"What… Exactly is next?"

"A formal event. We'll need to get you fitted for a suit. Hopefully that will hold up better than your formal casual wear, which we'll also need to replace. In the meantime, I have a few books on etiquette you might like to brush up on."

"…I guess I can't argue with that." He slumped forward. "Just another thing to study, and train on."

The limousine pulled up to Akihiko's apartment… But Mitsuru hesitated at opening the limo door. When the chauffer stepped out, she held up a hand to stall him.

"Akihiko… I think that we should… Treat that wound. Several of the staff at my home know first aid, and don't ask questions when we need to dress a cut." The next words spilled from her mouth. "We also have guest rooms available. I wouldn't wish to intrude on your private life, but after tonight…"

She waited for Akihiko to protest. To say that he'd had more than enough of her for an evening. Instead he gave a hesitant nod.

"I… I'd be okay with spending the night, I guess. In a guest room." He hurried to add. "It's not too different than time in the dorms, right?"

Odd, how SEES was becoming more and more of a comforting thing to fall back on. But Mitsuru still gave a nod.

"N-not at all. I wouldn't wish to change anything up, beyond that. But you accept the offer?" At his nod, she dipped her head to the driver. The limo picked up speed again, taking them to the edges of town and the Kirijo estate.

The building borrowed from styles around the world, favoring the classical. And favoring the imposing, boasting so many windows, columns, and a stretch of hallways. To his credit, Akihiko didn't stare at it too much; he'd been there a few times to give reports, back when her father was still alive-

The memory came over her like a sudden slap to the face. The way her father had bled out on the observatory roof. The bullet wounds crisscrossing his chest, weeping red, were eerily similar to what coated Akihiko right now.

"Mitsuru…? The car stopped." His hand fell over her shoulder, and Mitsuru fought to keep from flinching at his touch. She dared not show weakness, not after what they'd just been through.

"O-of course. We should hurry. I don't want-" To see anyone else die. Or to sleepwalk through those hazy, nightmarish memories any longer.

She stumbled out of the car and through the halls, calling for the staff to attend Akihiko. When they rushed him away, she found herself waiting outside the door to an improvised medical room. Her feet stayed stuck to the floor, unwilling to move until she was absolutely certain that he was well. Her own cuts were attended to by Kikuno, vanishing in a quick sting of medical spray and bandages. The only remaining ache came from her legs, as they held her up when all they wanted was rest.

'No rest. Not until I'm sure that he won't- he can't bleed out…'

Her legs wobbled even more when Akihiko stepped out. She wasn't sure if it was from relief… Or because he'd lost his shirt along the way, and strips of gauze ran along his chest in diagonal swipe. He froze when he saw her. And oddly went a bit pink, looking self-conscious.

"They… They said it'll scar, but nothing serious beyond that. Guess that's what happens when you heal using conventional medicine, instead of spells." She could only give a weak nod at that.

"You'll be well-?" Mitsuru found herself repeating the question. It seemed like her heart wasn't fully convinced.

"Yeah, it'll be fine… Mitsuru, are YOU okay?" He was watching her, carefully.

"The cuts weren't deep." She tried to assure him, but wondered over how flat, how carefully measured her voice was. "They were able to treat me fast enough."

"Th-that wasn't exactly what I meant. You've been wobbling a lot. And looking like you've lost a lot of blood, with how pale you are."

"I… I assure you, I'll be fine. I just need to catch my breath, and not-"

Not think about how close she'd been to losing him. How he'd been injured, because of her. The reality of everything crashed in around her. She had to get away from that-

Her ankle chose that moment to let her know it was unhappy with her, and her choices. She tried to move away from Akihiko; instead her legs gave out, and she found herself stumbling against him.

"H-hey! It's okay… I've got you." And of course his reflexes were still sharp. Of course he caught her before she could slump to the floor.

…Of course a part of her was grateful for the help, even while she berated herself for showing so much weakness in the span of one evening.

"That's the second time tonight I've needed your help. It's honestly a bit disgraceful." Mitsuru didn't meet his eyes as she spoke. Her skin seemed to burn from where he held onto her, and Akihiko had yet to let her go.

"Disgraceful-? Mitsuru, you can't… It's really hard to be strong alone. Believe me, I learned that the hard way." His voice was gentle, as he led her down the hallway. His grip was gentle on her arm, guiding and almost lifting her like she weighed nothing.

'But if you've learned that… Why did you still leave?' She dared not ask that aloud.

"You can leave me here." Mitsuru said, as they reached a door. "It's a… A guest room I sometimes use, when I've had too long of a day, and want to sleep on the ground level. There's an adjoining room that you can use as well; fully furnished, so you shouldn't want for anything."

"Other than making sure you're okay? You look like you've been through the meat grinder. And I worry the first aid wasn't enough-"

"I'll tell you again, Akihiko. I've healed up well… I-I just-"

She hated how her voice hitched. But she also knew he wouldn't leave her alone until he had at least a little bit of truth. And he was too good at telling when she was hiding something. His eyebrows always scrunched together as he frowned at her… Much like he was doing now.

"I… Was reliving some painful memories. But I didn't intend to make you worry. Aki… Sorry." She almost hiccupped, and went bright pink as her words caught up her. She'd shortened his name, been almost grossly informal with him. "I… I mean Akihiko!"

He flinched away from her, the proximity suddenly too close for the both of them. It had been too familiar. Too comfortable… And not at all what was in the contract. Mitsuru glanced away from his eyes-

And cursed herself for how she lingered on his bandages instead. They swathed him, and only outlined the muscles on his body. She forced herself to breath in and out, and tilted her head away. Maybe that would keep her from going too red in the face.

"Sorry; I guess I'm just dragging you into one weird situation after another." Akihiko muttered. Mitsuru found herself shaking her head.

"This wasn't my proudest day, Akihiko. But in a way… I'm glad I didn't face it alone." Even if a part of her was scared, it felt important to stay that out loud. She might have wanted him at arm's length, but she also didn't want to drive him away.

'We're going to need to work together on this. Particularly with what's coming next.'

"Akihiko… Please sleep well?" She found herself asking. Hoping that would give them the space to recover.

"I-I will. As long as you do the same." Mitsuru could only manage a nod, and watch him limp down the hallway. She gently shut the door, staggering towards her own bed.

Her hands lingered over her arms, where he'd held her up, and where he clutched at her as they fell down together and dodged the Shadow. Those isolated moments had… Done something to her; tried to wrench something loose in her head-

Then Mitsuru shook her head, letting her hands drop away from her arms as she tried to clear her mind.

This was no time to be bogged down in sentimentality. So she took those strange sensations trying to burn into her skin, and put them to the back of her mind. Along with the strange way her heart thrummed.

It was harder to ignore the pang traveling through her chest, but she somehow managed.

When the morning came, she was certain all those emotions would be gone, and she and Akihiko would be back to where they were before; two partners, working together on a case.

That was all they needed to be.