(Author's Note)
Hey guys! It's been a bit, huh?
Sorry about the wait on this chapter. I admittedly thought this wouldn't take me too long to get done, but then I got stuck with some writer's block for the starting bit of this chapter, and then I had finals come and hit me in the face, and THEN I had a two week trip that had me over in the UK that I only just got back from. So, yeah, a lot happened that slowed writing down. On the plus, I am now finished College and am now looking for full time work now, so hopefully things turn out okay with that.
On unrelated news to all that, over here on Fanfiction dot net we're almost at 1500 followers! I think we're just 4 off as of writing this, and considering track records... I'm gonna assume that once this chapter goes live that number will be crossed relatively quickly for real. Thank you to everyone who's following how this story is progressing, especially since this is the chapter everything truly begins to get thrown off the rails.
Next chapter should hopefully be out sooner than it took this one to get done, especially since where I leave off... Eh, you'll find out soon enough. Anyways, with all that said, let's get onto reviews!
To Pheonix Champion: Who's to say, it's anyone's guess who gets dragged into the thieves next.
To hnh058513: Huh, good to know. Definitely going to need to look that over when I get to reviewing the DLC for possible story connections.
To kerrowe: He definitely has more stories to share, though which ones and in what format hasn't been something I've looked into just yet.
To RealJoke Pota: I am something of the same vein myself. Started with P5, and had my first real in depth playthrough of a Fire Emblem game through Three Houses. Glad to hear you're enjoying the story!
Thank you to everyone who left a review! If you liked what you read, have any constructive criticism, or just want to yell at me (which mayhap be deserved considering the end of the chapter) please leave a review! They really help with my motivation and I enjoy replying to them in these Author Notes.
With all that said and done, let's get onto the story!
"Having trouble?" Morgana asked, glancing over at the blank page sitting in front of Ren. The teen let out a groan as his face dropped onto the paper, earning a light chuckle from the cat. "I suppose that answers my question…"
"What do I even do…?" Ren asked aloud, his voice muffled. "Sure, let's prepare a bunch of teens and young adults to kill by TOMORROW! Great idea, Joker…"
"We both knew that we weren't experts in this subject." Morgana said, getting a groan as a response. "We need to figure out something though, so let's brainstorm."
Ren pulled himself off of the page and twirled his mechanical pencil around in his hand. "Right. So, where to start then…"
"Well, we could try and take from your experience." Morgana said slowly, wincing slightly. "Though whether or not we want to pull up anything… problematic is the only real problem with it…"
"No, no, it's fine. Probably a good idea to go over how I reacted and see if there's anything we can… improve on, for lack of a better word…" Ren replied, crossing his arms with a sigh as he closed his eyes. "I guess the first thing to note is that my situation was life or death at the time. I had run into a bandit attack on a town, which was where I met Byleth."
"I ran into two of them, which meant at the moment I didn't really have time to… process it until after the immediate danger had… well, passed." Ren continued, mind flashing back to the moment, flashes of the bandit's faces rushing to the front of his mind. "It was easy to just let my body take over like I was fighting shadows. I didn't really stop to think about everything until it was done and then-"
Blood. His hands were surprisingly clean of it, just the faint specks littered across his fingers were visible. He could feel the grip of his sword, the cold metal seeping through his skin as he felt something in his stomach churn.
Ren coughed, pushing himself up and away from the washroom toilet as he moved to the mirror, taking in his pale face littered with small red dots around his forehead and cheeks. Burst blood vessels from the pressure of… that, he guessed. "Need to wash my mouth out…" Ren muttered, turning the tap on as he doused his mouth with water.
The thief spat the water back into the sink after a moment, mouth feeling clean enough after a quick rinse. Ren moved to the side and pressed down on the button that flushed the toilet, watching as its contents disappeared from view after a moment. "And like it never happened…" Ren muttered to himself, raising a hand up to his face. "Dia."
The small specks of red disappeared as a pale green light flashed in front of his eyes. The thief walked out of the bathroom, looking over to find Morgana sitting on one of the booth seats with his head down. "Hey."
"Hey… Are you feeling any better?" Morgana asked, getting a light nod from the thief. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought the idea up. That was… Felt like a Ryuji move."
"Morgana…" Ren deadpanned, arms crossing.
"Right, right, sorry. It's just… a bad habit when I'm feeling like this." Morgana said with a sigh. "I really should've known better though."
"No, I needed to talk about it. This… Well, I think it was long overdue." Ren replied, walking over to Morgana. He held out an arm for the cat. "Come on, we should get back to planning."
"Yeah, right." Morgana nodded, climbing up the thief's arm. The cat stood atop Ren's shoulder as the two walked back upstairs. "Well, that idea is out. What now?"
Ren turned and walked over to his desk, sitting down with a sigh as he picked up his mechanical pencil again. "Well… I think talking about it did give me an idea."
"Did it?" Morgana asked, hopping off the teen's shoulder. "What did you have in mind?"
Ren took in a breath and exhaled slowly. "I realized it back in the bathroom. Every time I've had to… Yeah. Well, what I mean is, I went into shock. Not for long, obviously, but it happened during the bandit attack as well." Ren said, writing down a few idle notes on his paper. "I froze, everything outside of what just happened disappeared. I snapped out of it rather quickly, but for in the moment preparation, I think that's the best thing I can focus on preparing them for."
"You have a plan in mind?" Morgana asked, tilting his head to the side.
Before the thief could reply, the two heard the sound of the café bell ringing from downstairs. "It's me!" Byleth announced from below.
"Be right down!" Ren said, grabbing his notes and mechanical pencil as he stood up from the desk. He walked down the stairs with Morgana in tow, finding Byleth already making herself comfortable in one of the booths. "How was class?"
"Good. The Blue Lions took to Mercenary studies well. Not a big surprise; we usually were employed by nobles from their home region." Byleth replied. The swordswoman tilted her head to the side, nodding as if to answer an unheard question, and then opened her mouth to continue. "Are you okay? Your face is pale."
'I guess Dia only does so much…' Ren thought to himself as he sat down opposite Byleth. "I'm fine. Just… I was trying to think of something for tomorrow and took a trip down memory lane. I don't think I properly unpacked everything until now."
"I see." Byleth said, nodding in understanding. "Did you come up with anything?"
"A rough outline, but that's about it so far. I want to try and prepare them on what to do if they go into shock." Ren replied, shaking his head lightly. "I know I've had that happen to me a few times already…"
"I never really experienced it myself." Byleth said, getting a befuddled look from Ren. "It's true."
"Well, anyway. I can focus on that myself, but what about you?" Ren asked.
"A review. I was going over the importance of working with others during battle last week and I think it would be best to do so again. Especially considering the circumstances." Byleth said, getting a nod from the thief. "I think it would also be best if we paired up the students during this mission, so they have someone to support them."
"I like that idea. Means those pairings in the first class can also be used during the second when I'm helping them with shock responses…" Ren agreed, placing a hand on his chin. "And it would mean we'd have pairings ready for the mission as well."
"We should figure those out first." Byleth said, receiving a nod from Ren. "I think we should each pair up with a student. It'll let us cover more ground than having the two of us together."
"That works with me. Do you have any ideas first and foremost on who's pairing with who?" Ren asked.
"Dorothea and Bernadetta. I've found Dorothea to be the best at getting through to Bernadetta during class, so she'll be a good fit to keep her partner on track." Byleth said as she crossed her arms. "Otherwise, I think it would be best to pull the others out of their comfort zones. As an example, Sylvain. Put him with Hubert."
"That feels like a recipe for disaster…" Morgana muttered.
"That a good idea? I agree we should get the other students used to the transfers, but… with Hubert?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hubert won't like it, but he'll learn from the experience. Besides, Sylvain could use someone to keep his focus on the task." Byleth said.
"Well, she's certainly not oblivious about Sylvain's deal then…" Morgana noted, chuckling softly.
"Alright, then that leaves… Petra, Caspar, Linhardt, Lysithea, Ferdinand and Edelgard." Ren listed off, leaning back into the seat of the booth. "Hm… How about we put Ferdinand and Linhardt together?"
"Would be a good idea. It would give Linhardt some protection, seeing as he's our main source of healing." Byleth nodded, crossing her arms. "In that case, Caspar and Petra. The two should work well together and Petra can be more melee focused if needed."
"Which just leaves Edelgard and Lysithea." Ren said, quickly stifling a yawn with his hand. "We pair the two up during tomorrow's classes and then split them up to work with us then?"
"That should work. Considering Lysithea's preference for magic, she should come with me. It'll round out my own skills in close quarters." Byleth noted, nodding to herself.
"Which means Edelgard is with me. Meaning it's a sort of inverse to what you have going on, what with Edelgard being a heavy hitter and me being more of a jack of all trades." Ren replied. "It's not a bad plan. Works for me, anyways."
"Then it's decided. For now, you should get some sleep." Byleth said, giving a pointed look at Ren, or at least as pointed a look as the deadpanned mercenary seemed To be able to. "I saw you yawn earlier. You're tired, get some rest."
"Yeah, aren't you tired?" Morgana followed up, tone smug as the thief exhaled.
"Alright, alright. I'll be heading up then. Night Byleth." Ren said, getting out of the booth as he turned around and walked upstairs, Morgana following close behind.
"Hm… He's still tense about this." Sothis noted, her voice echoing through Byleth's head.
"Not surprised. I'm worried more for him than the students." Byleth muttered in reply. "He's capable, but he's…"
"He's much less ready for this mentally than your students are. They at least expect and are aware they are likely to kill someone during a mission. He is afraid he might do so. Hopefully his own lessons will help him as well for this mission." Sothis replied with a sigh.
"Hopefully…"
[Day 14 of the Harpstring Moon]
Ren idly fiddled with the chalk stick in his hand, staring at the blackboard in front of him. The thief grimaced and placed the chalk down. "Damn it. What the hell am I going to be able to say? How do I even prepare them for something like this…?" Ren sighed, turning to face the empty classroom. "Not long now… Soon they'll be done with lunch and will be joining us here. Just… have to think of something to start. Once you have a start, just double down and push on."
"Trickster, you need to calm down." Angel said. "You're not going to get anywhere by panicking like this."
"Any suggestions then? Clearly, I'm stuck on just the premise." Ren asked, reaching a hand up to fidget with his bangs.
"Give them a scenario to work through. A morality question or something along those lines." Mook cut in, humming to himself. "Take the trolley problem. It's designed to make you think. Give them something to think about."
"That… But how is that going to relate to helping their partners deal with shock?" Ren asked. "Ask them a question, sure, but what question specifically?"
"Pretty sure that's your problem to figure out, Boss." Mook replied.
Before the thief could properly make a remark, the doors to the classroom swung open, signaling the arrival of his students. 'Well, so much for prep. Guess we're winging it.' Ren thought to himself, straightening his posture as he looked at his class. "Afternoon everyone. I see we have everyone here today. Good."
"Now, before you situate yourselves, I believe Byleth put you all into pairs earlier today. We'll be working in those same pairings, so please sit with them for this class." Ren said, watching with a nod as his students shuffled about.
As the teen confirmed the pairings were all in place he turned to face the blackboard and started writing. "For today's class, we're going to be going over a bit of a different topic. That said, it's one that's just as important as some of the… larger topics."
"Today, we'll be going over shock. In the chance that the contents we go over leads to negative reactions for some of you, please feel free to step to the side and distance yourself from it for a few minutes." Ren said, looking over his students with a reassuring look. "I can't say that you can be fully excused however, as this is something you all need to know about."
"As you are all aware by now, at the end of each month our house is sent out on a mission. I don't think I need to explain what might happen during them, but I will say that as a result, there is always the chance one of you might go into shock during a mission." Ren continued. "Which is why we'll be going over what to do when someone goes into shock. To start, let's go over the basics."
Ren turned to face Edelgard and motioned to her. "Edelgard, in your opinion, what would you say the first step would be?"
Edelgard seemed to take a moment to think about the question. "Would I be able to have some context for the situation? I think it depends on what's happening around us in the moment."
"You've just cleared a room of hostiles, and there's no immediate danger." Ren supplied, earning a nod from Edelgard.
"I believe I would first try to get their attention with my voice. Make eye contact. Maybe use physical contact to ground them, but it would be preferable to do so only if the other options fail." Edelgard answered, earning a nod from the thief. "In the case where there is still hostile action, I'd do my best to remove the threat so proper action can be made."
"A good answer. I'm curious about your note on physical contact though. Would someone else care to elaborate on Edelgard's point?" Ren asked, looking over at the rest of the class.
"Depending on circumstance, the victim might be in a heightened state of confusion, and may lash out reflexively at the physical contact." Hubert added, placing a hand to his chin. "Not everyone is like this of course, but it's a possibility to consider."
"An excellent point. Now what?" Ren asked, turning to face the board as he noted down what had been said so far. "You have successfully gotten through to your partner, but it's still likely they're numb or reeling from everything."
"Breathing exercises." Dorothea said. "Have them breathe in and out in a rhythmic pattern, it should get them centered."
"And if they're aware now, wouldn't physical contact help as well?" Caspar asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That depends on the person, but usually physical contact will help more around this point than others." Linhardt replied, getting a nod from Ren.
"Also a good point. Anyone else have other ideas to add?" Ren asked once again, looking back out at the class. "How about talking about a different subject? In the heat of the moment, unpacking everything that caused the shock isn't good for the person, might lead to them spiraling back into shock. Instead, why not talk them down with something else they can have a detailed conversation with you about?"
"Speaking of, let's take some time and decide amongst you and your partners what would be best to converse about in a situation like this. Maybe also what to do during your first attempts at getting their attention." Ren added, putting some more notes on the blackboard. "Once we've spent some time on that, we'll get back to class discussion."
Ren nodded to his students, watching as they quickly got to talking amongst themselves. The thief let out a breath and let his eyes roam over the various students in the class. 'Good enough start. Now to hope the rest follows suit…'
Ren let the tension drip out of his body as he watched the class gather their things. He let a sigh slip past his lips as he leaned against the desk behind him, feeling way more exhausted than he should've been for what was really just a mental workout.
He adjusted the false glasses sitting on his face with his left hand and closed his eyes for a moment, opening them in time to see most of the class walking out the door.
Most being the operative word. "Sensei, could I have a word?" Edelgard asked, walking up to the teen.
"Edelgard. What can I help you with?" Ren asked, standing up out of his lean.
"You seemed tense today. I wanted to ask how you were holding up." Edelgard said, earning a confused look from Ren. "Though considering the threat of assassination hanging over your head the past week, I can understand why that might be."
"Well… That's certainly a part of it." Ren replied before pausing. "Wait, when did you hear about that?"
"You'd be surprised how quickly news travels here in the monastery." Edelgard noted with a sigh. "It's not the most common news, so I'm fairly certain only Hubert and I are aware of your current circumstances."
"I see. Well, try and keep it that way for now. Don't need to worry everyone else with it." Ren said, getting a nod in reply from Edelgard.
"Keeping secrets is something I'm more than capable of, Sensei." Edelgard noted with the slightest twinge of a smirk. "That said, could you elaborate on what else is bothering you?"
"What, is the assassination attempt not enough stress to be under?" Ren deflected, a smile on his face. "I'm fine, Edelgard, but your concern is appreciated. On an unrelated note, Byleth and I need to have a word with you tomorrow morning, could you meet us at Leblanc Nouveau then?"
"I can. Is there something wrong, Sensei?" The imperial princess asked.
"No, nothing of the sort. We just need to discuss some schedule changes with you." Ren said with a wave of his hand.
"I see. Well, if that will be all, thank you for your time, Sensei." Edelgard said, turning around for a moment before pausing. "...In the off chance you freeze, what would you say I should do to help?"
"Hitting me with my own assignment, huh?" Ren smirked, leaning against the desk. "Hm…"
The thief paused, the smirk dropping down to a softer smile as a memory sprung to the surface. "Wrap an arm over my shoulder if possible. Maybe put some force into it so I have to adjust my stance."
"I see… That's certainly an interesting method." Edelgard responded, turning to face her teacher.
"An old friend of mine would pull that move every now and then. It was endearing, and helped me stay grounded when things were getting out of hand. Ryuji was always pretty good at getting me moving forward." Ren replied, shaking his head.
"Well… I suppose I'll keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy the rest of the day." Edelgard said with a small smile.
"You as well." Ren said with a nod, watching as the imperial princess walked out of the classroom. "...Because tomorrow, we have a big day ahead of us."
[Day 15 of the Harpstring Moon]
"You have everything you need?" Morgana asked, walking up to Ren as the teen laid out various items across his desk.
"Paradise Lost, Daredevil, ammo for Daredevil, my grapple hook, my eternal lockpick and an assortment of other items." Ren whispered, picking up a smoke bomb from the assorted pile. The thief gave it a light toss and caught it mid-air, nodding to himself when it didn't go off at the motion. "Good, the primers are still working."
"You do know how hard that would be to explain to Byleth if that went off, right?" Morgana asked, looking over to the still sleeping Professor.
"...No comment." Ren muttered, taking his bag out as he started packing.
"So, run the plan by me again?" Morgana asked, hopping up onto the desk.
"Get to the destination without detection so we get them on the backfoot. Once there, find a chance to split off from the group so I can go search for Monica." Ren said, picking up Daredevil, quickly pulling the magazine out and checking the ammo count. "Get her out of the line of fire and regroup with the others. Depending on if Monica's not in a position to help fight our way out, switch to a more stealthy approach. If possible, aim for disabilitation, not murder."
"Good. I wish I could come, but that'd bring up more problems than it might be worth." Morgana said, sighing at the situation once more. "I'm not a fan of this."
"Of course you're not. I'm not a fan of this either." Ren said, slotting the magazine back into his creation and slipping it away on his person. "Which is why it's annoying."
Silence fell between the two as Ren began to put away everything else on the desk. The thief slid open one of the drawers of the desk, quickly placing his tools within before sliding it shut.
Cloth shuffled lightly, dragging the thief's attention towards Byleth, who slowly cracked her eyes open to stare at the thief. "..."
"Morning?" Ren said, nervously waving a hand at the thief.
"It's only just dawn, and you're wide awake." Byleth noted, her natural deadpan coming out even stronger than normal. "You did sleep, right?"
"I've only been up for half an hour, you know." Ren replied, huffing out a sigh.
"We've been up for a full hour and you know it." Morgana noted, getting a look from Byleth.
"He seems to disagree." Byleth said.
"What are you, a cat whisperer?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not a normal cat."
"No, but I can understand bullshit." Byleth noted, sitting up and crossing her arms.
"...I'll go make some coffee." Ren sighed, standing up from his desk.
"Good, you're both here." Seteth said as he walked into the cafe. Jeralt walked in behind him, glancing around the café with wandering eyes.
"Morning Seteth. Jeralt." Ren said as he filled two travel cups with coffee. "Here. Figured you'd want something to wake you up in the morning."
"I appreciate it." Seteth said, taking the offered cup.
Jeralt smiled but shook his head. "I'll pass, but thanks."
"Fair enough." Ren said, handing the cup off towards Byleth instead.
The swordswoman looked over to Jeralt, a knowing look in her eyes. "So, the briefing then?"
"Right." Jeralt nodded. "Although I think we're missing someone."
Ren glanced over towards the front door of the café and stared at it for a few seconds. "...Okay, so we're not doing that I guess." The teen muttered to himself as he looked back to the other occupants of the room.
"What of the mercenaries? Are they ready to go?" Byleth asked.
"Just about. I have them ready to deploy, but haven't explained the mission to them yet. That'll happen at the same time you'll be informing the rest of your house." Jeralt noted before there was a knock at the door. "Well, I think she's here now."
"Door's unlocked, come in!" Ren called out as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Sensei, Professor, good- Oh, Jeralt? Instructor?" Edelgard blinked, glancing over at the bladebreaker and the advisor. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"On the contrary. We were just waiting on you." Seteth noted before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Me? Is there something wrong?" Edelgard asked, before Placing a hand on her chin. "Or is this related to this month's mission?"
"She's quick." Jeralt noted quietly, earning a nod from Byleth as the swordswoman sat down next to her father.
"That's right. If you could take a seat, I'll begin the debrief on the updated mission." Seteth said, getting a nod from the princess as she sat down on one of the barstools by Ren.
"Can I get you anything, Edelgard?" Ren asked, looking over at the white haired girl.
"I'll pass, but the offer is appreciated. Continue, please." Edelgard said, giving a brief nod to the thief before looking back at Seteth.
"Very well. To start, the mission has changed. You and your class will be departing today, once your instructors have gathered you all together." Seteth began. Ren glanced out of the corner of his eye at Edelgard, taking in the hint of surprise that flashed across her face at the news. As quick as the thief saw it, it vanished as curiosity overtook the spotlight. "I'm sure you're wondering why we didn't inform any of the students about this mission."
"You would be correct." Edelgard said, earning a nod from the advisor.
"The reason we have not given notice is due to the secrecy of this mission." Jeralt added from the side. "We're dealing with something delicate, and the more chances of what we know getting leaked, the less likely we'll succeed."
"We have reason to believe the bandits have relocated to a fortress In Count Rowe's territory. It is not present on any official map, but thanks to both Jeralt's foresight into creating his own maps for his mercenary work and information we uncovered during Louis Vangaur's incarceration, we were able to find concrete proof such a location exists." Seteth continued, before pausing to take a sip of his coffee.
Ren glanced over at Edelgard and paused, pushing the urge to show surprise on his face at the look of what seemed like hope blooming just under the surface of Edelgard's expression. It was only due to his Kindness and Charm that he was able to spot it, the look fleeting before being buried and hidden. "Of course, that's not just it though." Ren said, finally adding his own voice to the conversation. He glanced over at Seteth and tilted his head in a silent question, earning a nod of affirmation in response. "The real reason for this mission, aside from dealing with the earlier bandits, is to possibly rescue a kidnapped student that may be held captive there. You remember Monica, correct? The day she vanished was the same day that a strange shipment was sent out by Louis to this fortress."
"That is why we've kept this information only to us so far. With the recent incidents within our very walls, it was clear that we could very well have eyes and ears that would sabotage this mission if it was found out." Seteth said, crossing his arms with a sigh. "With all that said, the main mission is still to deal with those bandits. Monica is only a possibility, not an absolute."
"I see. Is there anything else we should be made aware of?" Edelgard asked.
"Yes. Your professors will go with you to gather the students of the Black Eagle house now. Once gathered, you'll join up with Jeralt's mercenaries. They will be joining you on this mission." Seteth replied.
Jeralt rolled his neck. "I won't be coming, but Byleth knows how to lead the mercenaries in my stead." The man said, before getting up from his seat. "Now, we should get moving. No point wasting more time with conversation."
"Agreed." Byleth said, standing up. "Edelgard, you'll come with me, we'll gather the students on the second floor. Ren, I leave the others to you."
"Understood. I'll meet up with you at the meeting spot." Ren said, picking up his travel cup from the counter. "Let's do this."
Ren glanced over towards the stairs, locking eyes with Morgana, who had been watching the meeting from his position on the stairs. The two nodded to the other before looking away as Ren walked over to the front door of the café.
"Eugh… so early…" Linhardt said, stifling a yawn.
"Hey, it could be worse. This is only half an hour before classes would start normally anyways." Caspar noted. "At least you actually slept last night, right?"
"I did. Thankfully so, considering…" Linhardt replied.
"Do you think this will work, Hubert?" Edelgard asked, glancing over at the black haired man next to her, her voice a whisper. "Can we actually…?"
"Hm… It just so happens that this little excursion of ours lines up nicely. I think… if there was ever a chance, now would be one such chance." Hubert replied just as hushed, warily looking around at the other students around them. "I'm more curious how they acquired this information, it feels too… loose, based on the evidence provided…"
"I wonder…" Edelgard muttered, looking ahead at the thief cautiously leading the march. "...I think Sensei knows more than he lets on."
Hubert chuckled darkly. "Interesting. It would explain Louis' request…"
"We should be there soon." Ren noted, glancing down at the map in his hands.
"Ren." The thief glanced over to his right at Byleth, who tapped her index finger on her forehead once.
The thief activated his Third Eye, his vision turning blue as Sothis appeared in sight. "Good, you're here now." The girl noted, before shaking her head. "I don't exactly feel good about sending children into battle, even skilled ones like yourself."
"Hey…" The thief muttered with slightly narrowed eyes.
"But it can't be helped, especially considering the circumstances. Byleth, you have my power. I don't have the strength for more than a few but the Divine Pulse is ready at your request." Sothis said, getting a nod from Byleth. "Ren, this is more of a precaution to you. You still can't call upon my power, so if you feel a Divine Pulse activate, be ready to redo some things."
"Got it." Ren whispered with a nod.
"Alright. Well with that out of the way, I'll be quiet for now. No telling when they'll notice our approach." Sothis said, getting a nod from the two Professors.
Ren closed his Third Eye and took in a breath. 'You guys ready?' The thief asked, his words echoing in his head.
"As ready as you are, Trickster." Arsene replied. "Now is not the time for doubts. It is time to do what you do best."
'Let me guess… Steal something important?' The thief replied.
Mook barked out a laugh. "Ha! The boss gets it!"
"Ren." Byleth said, holding a hand up slightly. The thief stopped, repeating the signal himself towards the students and mercenaries behind them. "I see it."
The swordswoman raised a hand and pointed at a break in the foliage. Ren tilted his head to get a better view of beyond the gap, catching a glimpse of both their destination and the bandits stationed around the entrance. "It's them. I'm sure of it."
"Good. Everyone, join into your pairs from last class. Edelgard, Lysithea, you're with Ren and myself respectively." Byleth said before looking back over towards the mercenaries. "Clear us a path."
"Heh, you heard the Ashen Demon, let's give 'em hell!" Said one of the mercenaries before their battalion ran past the group and out of the foliage hiding their position.
"Follow after them! Our mission starts now!" Ren shouted, unholstering Daredevil as he looked to Edelgard. "Edelgard, you ready?"
"Yes! Let's proceed." Edelgard said, running up next to the thief as the Black Eagle House rushed the main entrance, trailing behind the mercenaries.
"Dammit! Mercenaries!?" One of the bandits shouted from a crude watchtower by the gate. The wood had been caved in by the warhammer of one enthusiastic mercenary moments prior, allowing the battalion to fully breach the courtyard. "How did they find this place!?"
The bandits' eyes widened as he saw more figures rush in behind the battalion. "Those uniforms… Don't tell me- The Officer's Academy!? The church found us!?"
"Hey, you! Inform Kostas he has a problem to fix!" The bandit shouted down to another below his position. "Do not let that crazy bitch know, or else it'll be ou-AUGK-!"
The bandit toppled over the side of the watchtower, an arrow embedded into his windpipe. The other bandit let out a scream as he ran towards the main doors to deliver the information.
"Target eliminated, Professor." Petra said, lowering her bow.
"Good. Everyone, don't bite off more than you hand handle!" Byleth shouted, sword swinging upwards to cleave the arm off one bandit before quickly swinging back around to behead the man. "Let's keep going!"
Ren ducked to the side as a Bandit swung at his head with a mace, quickly bringing up Daredevil and retaliating with a shot to the man's left kneecap, forcing the man into a crouch that was met by the thief's knee. Ren stepped to the side as the bandit dropped like a sack of rocks onto the floor out cold. "Edelgard, how are you managing?"
"Quite easily, actually." Edelgard noted, her axe slamming down on a Bandit's helmet, cracking it in half as the weapon came to a stop halfway through the man's head. "Though I think you missed a spot."
"He's not getting back up anytime soon." Ren said, looking up at the main wall of the fortress. "Need to get in there somehow, but… Wait."
"Edelgard, you remember my first class on Battle Theory?" Ren asked, looking up at one of the boarded up windows.
"I do. I'll admit, it's surprisingly similar to what's happening right now." Edelgard noted, looking over at the thief.
"Is it now? Well, remember what your strategy was?" Ren asked, earning a nod from the Imperial Princess. The thief smirked and pointed at one of the boarded up windows. "Care to put the theory into practice?"
"Happily." Edelgard said, before raising an eyebrow as she looked up at the window. "But, how do you propose we get up there?"
"Grab onto me, I have a plan." Ren said, before looking over at Byleth. "Byleth!"
The mercenary turned to look at the thief, who simply gave a two fingered salute as Edelgard walked up next to him. "I'll see you inside!"
The thief wrapped an arm around Edelgard's back and threw his left arm out towards the window, letting his grapple hook fly. "Hold on!" The thief shouted as the hook hit the wall.
The metal wire spun through the internal mechanism, retracting with a tug that sent the two flying into the air. Edelgard gripped the handle of her axe tighter as the two raced towards the boarded up window. "Sensei, throw me!"
"Huh!?" Ren's eyes snapped to the girl before he looked ahead and swung the arm Edelgard was holding onto forwards. "Go!"
Edelgard let go of the thief at the apex of the throw, sending herself towards the window. She pulled her axe back and spun in the air, maneuvering her position so her axe slammed against the wood boards first.
The wood cracked and splintered, aided by the sudden impact of Edelgard and some rot, it buckled under the impact, sending Edelgard toppling over into the room on the other side of the window.
"What the hell!?" Edelgard pushed her head off the ground and looked up, taking sight of two bandits stumbling back at her sudden entrance, swords quickly being drawn.
Ren reeled himself in through the window, Daredevil raised as he fired one shot at the bandit on the left, piercing the man's right shoulder and knocking him off his feet.
"Wha-!?" The other bandit left standing whirled around to the side to follow the arrow, before he was suddenly knocked off his feet by Edelgard. A knife pressed against the man's neck, close enough that a single bead of red formed against the steel's edge.
"Good work." Ren said, walking past Edelgard and heading for the other bandit he had shot moments earlier. The thief held a hand out towards the bandit and whispered under his breath. "Dream Needle."
Edelgard glanced to the side and narrowed her eyes at the glowing spikes that shot out of the Professor's hand that seemed to effortlessly knock out the bandit. The imperial princess shook her head and looked back at the bandit who's neck she was holding a knife to. "Now, you're going to tell me exactly what I want to know."
"Gh- The hell are you-"
"Where is the Prisoner?" Ren asked, walking over towards the bandit.
"What do you think we are, knights?" The bandit spat, glaring at the thief. "We're bandits. We don't take prisoners."
"So, you won't talk then." Edelgard noted, glare deepening.
"Hold it." Ren said, placing a hand on Edelgard's shoulder. "All you said was that bandits don't take prisoners. I never asked where your Prisoner was."
"You believe they aren't the only ones here?" Edelgard asked, earning a nod from the thief.
"Look at this place. It's certainly not something bandits would be able to upkeep to this extent." Ren noted. "Besides, we know there is someone being held here. Now where are they?"
"I don't know, okay!? Whatever you've been told, she isn't here!" The bandit shouted, before wincing as Edelgard's axe dug slightly deeper into his neck.
"Sensei, I don't believe you ever mentioned that the prisoner was female." Edelgard said, lip curled into a smirk.
"No… I don't believe I did either." Ren replied, looking over at Edelgard with a matching smirk.
"Then it appears our foe here is not at all vested in lying through their teeth." Edelgard continued. "Now, shall you give us a correct answer, or shall I remove your head from your shoulders?"
"W-wait! I don't know who she is!" The bandit cried out. "I've just overheard rumors!"
"Those being?" Edelgard asked.
"S- She's the Prisoner of that crazy bitch! Forced to fight her in some crazed game of cat and mouse! The others think she might be kept in the basement, we're not let in there so it's the only real place to keep her!" The bandit said, eyes shut. "I don't know much else, I don't think it's even happened lately!"
"...So it might be too late then?" Edelgard muttered under her breath with a glare before she pulled the axe to the side, cleanly decapitating the bandit.
"Woah!" Ren took a step back, forcing his eyes onto Edelgard and away from the body.
"He was a Bandit, Sensei. There was no point leaving him alive." Edelgard said, standing up. "But the chances of Monica-"
"I'm gonna cut you off there. She's alive, she must be. And now, we have a place to look, right?" Ren said, holding a hand out towards Edelgard. "So let's make ourselves a path to the basement and save her, yeah?"
"...Right. Let's go." Edelgard nodded as she grabbed Ren's hand and pulled herself onto her feet. "Only problem is where the stairs are to the basement."
Ren walked over to the doors leading out of the room and crouched down to peek through the keyhole. "We're overlooking a hall from the look of things, no one's on this side and no one's broken in yet. Looks like there's an equal number of people in here as there is out there."
Ren reached up and grabbed the door handle, slowly opening the door without even a creak. "Follow my lead. Keep low and as quiet as you can. It's just the two of us right now, but that should be more than enough to silently rescue Monica." The thief whispered, looking over to Edelgard.
"Right." Edelgard nodded, lowering into a crouch as the two walked into the second floor walkway.
Ren pressed himself against the wall and activated his Third Eye, honing his focus on stealth and navigation. The thief glanced over the side and looked down, catching sight of one specific bandit that glowed gold walking deeper into the fortress. "That's not Kostas…" The thief muttered to himself before looking over to the nearby corner of the room. "Edelgard, you see that bandit there?"
"That's odd… He's breaking formation." The imperial princess whispered. "He's being careful about it as well…"
"I think it best we follow him for now. Grab on. We're descending." The thief said, firing his grapple hook into the balcony edge.
"The fast way then." Edelgard nodded, grabbing onto the thief's shoulder. "On three?"
"On three." Ren replied, wrapping his right arm around Edelgard's back to support her. "One, two-"
"Three!" The thief hissed, kicking off the balcony and dropping over the side with Edelgard. At the same time as the thief moved, the front door of the hall burst open, showering the awaiting bandits with wood splinters as mercenaries piled into the room.
Boots hit the ground, the sound muffled by the roar of combat going off by the entrance. "Well, talk about good timing." Ren said, retracting his grapple as he ran after the retreating bandit. "Come on, they're distracted!"
"I've been meaning to ask about that device of yours! You're quite skilled with it!" Edelgard noted, running after the thief.
"I've had practice. Gymnastics helped as well!" Ren replied, narrowing his eyes at a bandit standing on the other side of a stack of crates. The thief charged, alerting the bandit's attention just in time to be kicked in the head as the thief vaulted over the boxes, swinging his legs with enough force to knock the man out. Ren quickly pulled out Daredevil and shot a bolt into the man's right hand, piercing it to the ground. "He won't be needing that anytime soon."
The thief dropped his third eye as he ran over to the hallway his target ran down, running down the empty corridor with his student trailing just behind him. "...Any other questions to ask?" Ren asked, glancing over his shoulder at Edelgard. "You seem like you have many."
"I do, but now seems like a poor time to ask them." Edelgard said, getting a noncommittal humm from the thief in reply.
"If you say so." Ren said, before slowing to a stop as he looked around. "Multiple hallways…"
"I lost sight of the bandit earlier. I don't know which way he went." Edelgard said, crouching down to look at the floor. "And I don't see any markings or dirt that point to which way either."
Ren sighed, walking to the split in the path and glanced down each of the corridors. "...Any ideas?" He asked, looking over towards Edelgard.
"...I might, actually. Even if his tracks aren't present, I can tell that people have been through here." Edelgard noted, placing a gloved hand against the ground. She stood up and looked over at the thief, rubbing her thumb, index and middle finger together idly. "But if we recall what the bandit told us earlier, it would also make sense that the path leading to the basement would be cleaner, no?"
"Not with full certainty, but it's definitely not a bad idea." Ren said as the blue hues of his third eye washed over his vision. The thief crouched down and scanned the area, various prints lighting up in his gaze. "This way, it's the most clean."
Ren stood up and followed the cleanest path deeper into the fortress. The corridor would split off into more paths, turning the base into more of a maze with each passing split in the path.
Edelgard followed close behind, eyes watching Ren as the teen seemed to turn on a dime without stopping onto a new path. 'I indeed have many questions for you, Sensei. Unfortunately, I doubt you'll give me a correct answer to any of them.' The girl thought to herself, following the thief down one more turn before both slowed to a stop. "This is…"
Sitting before them was a trapdoor, a metal lock affixed firmly to keep it shut. "I think that's our ticket." Ren noted, reaching towards his pocket.
"Agreed. Stand Back, I'm breaking the lock off." Edelgard said, raising her axe up.
"Ah-Wait!" Ren said, pulling out the eternal lockpick from his pocket. "The noise might draw attention. Besides, I can pick the lock."
The thief slid the lockpicking tools into place and started twisting his wrist with practiced ease. "And this shouldn't take any longer than-"
A soft click accompanied the unlatching of the lock, allowing Ren to pull the lock off the hatch and slip it into his pocket. "Better to hold onto this, that way no one locks us out on the other end."
"Agreed." Edelgard said with a nod, crouching down as she lifted the hatch open, revealing the stairway leading down. "No time for hesitation, let's go."
Ren slipped down onto the stairway in front of Edelgard, taking a few steps to confirm the stone stairs were indeed stone and wouldn't collapse under him before nodding at Edelgard.
The princess slowly stepped down onto the stairway, slowly closing the hatch above them with naught a sound, leaving the two in darkness. Edelgard clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I don't suppose you have something to light the way? I had hoped whoever kidnapped Monica had some sense to have at least a torch lighting the stairway."
"Of a sort." Ren said, letting his personas flip in his mind before holding out a hand out. "Agi…"
A small flame danced above his palm, warm but not burning. Light slowly expanded outward, lighting the way down. Edelgard let out a breath and nodded at Ren. "Thanks. How long can you keep that up for?"
"Long enough. Come on, we should hurry." Ren replied, continuing his walk down.
The two didn't have to walk for long, quickly finding themselves at an open chamber with various cells lining the walls. "Well, I think we found it…" Ren noted, stepping out before pausing as more details of the cells became clear. "What the hell…?"
All of the cells within proximity to the thief drew a sharp breath from Edelgard, as her eyes latched onto the various runes, devices and other strange contraptions littering the cells, each one more distorted than the last. "T-this place…"
Ren slowly looked over his shoulder at Edelgard, catching the rapidly paling complexion on her face. The thief turned around and walked over to Edelgard cautiously. "Edelgard? Are you still with me?"
Edelgard swallowed and slowly looked over at the concerned expression adorning Ren's face. "Sensei? I-I…"
The imperial princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She held her breath for a few seconds before releasing it, repeating the process a few times.
"Sorry, I was… Not prepared." Edelgard noted, shaking her head as she composed herself as best she could, her face remaining just as pale as before.
"Look, it's not my place to ask, nor is it the time, but… My door is open if you want to talk about it." Ren said, turning around to look at everything. "But still… what is all this stuff for?"
Ren walked over to one of the cells, his eyes darting over to various vials of what looked like blood. "Whatever it all is…" He muttered, glancing over to the runes littering the floor, all positioned in the silhouette of a circle. "It's nothing good."
A soft gasp cut through the air as Ren turned to see Edelgard run over towards one of the cells further down. The thief ran after, slowing to a stop next to Edelgard as the two looked inside. "Is that her?" Ren asked, looking over at Edelgard.
"Yes. That's Monica." Edelgard replied, grasping one of the bars. Her face pinched slightly as her hand clenched. "What did they do to you?"
The girl was lying against the back wall of the cell, her arms and legs bound by manacles that gave just enough slack to allow her limbs to sit limp. An unkempt head of hair cascaded down her face, hiding the features of her face.
Ren walked over to the door, crouching down to look at the locking mechanism built into the cell. "Give me a minute, I'm not as used to these locks." The thief noted, taking his lockpicks out as he began picking the cell door.
"I'll keep an eye out. We don't want any surprises." Edelgard said, turning to face the entrance.
Ren fiddled with the lock, feeling around the internal mechanism before he felt his pick give way, clicking it into place as the cell door slid open. "Got it."
The thief stood up, pulling the door open just enough for Edelgard to slip inside. 'After you then.' The thief thought, following after as the two walked up to the girl.
Edelgard crouched down and placed two fingers on the underside of the girl's chin. "She has a pulse." Edelgard said with a sigh of relief. "Just asleep."
Ren let out a breath as a small wave of relief washed over him. "Think you can wake her up?"
"I can try…" Edelgard replied, placing a hand gently on the unconscious girl's shoulder. "...Monica? Monica?"
The red head's eyelids squinted as a groan escaped her lips. Her eyes fluttered open, dull and almost lifeless. "Wha…? L-lady… Edelgard?"
"How are you, Monica?" Edelgard asked, holding eye contact with the girl.
"I… I'm dreaming again…" The girl said, chuckling bitterly as her head drooped down.
"You're not dreaming." Edelgard said, shaking her head.
"Aren't I? Why… How would she even be here?" Monica muttered, shoulders shaking lightly. "This is it then, the last of my hope?"
"No. Monica, you're not dreaming." Edelgard said, lifting Monica's head with her other hand. "We're here to rescue you."
"...We?" Monica blinked, eyes turning to look over Edelgard's shoulder as they locked onto Ren. The girl's eyes widened as the thief walked up to her and smiled, crouching down to be eye level with the girl. "I don't…"
"Hi, Monica." Ren said with a nod. "We're here to rescue you."
"...It wasn't a lie…" The girl whispered, her voice easily heard in the silence between the three as tears formed in her eyes. "I… I did it…"
"What wasn't a lie?" Edelgard asked with an eyebrow raised.
"I saw you, in my dreams… You said to hold onto my strength…" Monica said, eyes locked onto Ren's.
"I… Monica, this is the first time we've met." Ren lied as naturally as he breathed. "Did you mistake me for someone else?"
"No." Monica said, the firmest her voice had been so far. "You… You're him…"
"I can see it… The man with the beautiful mask…" Monica continued, raising one of her hands to the thief's face. Ren froze as her words registered, and felt his eyes widen as her fingers pressed against an invisible object on his face, her fingers meeting resistance that wasn't there. Tears fell down her face as a smile broke out on the girl. "It feels like bone…"
Edelgard watched the two silently, eyes staring at the strange sight before her. Her eyes widened slightly as from Monica's fingers a ripple of red energy washed out over the thief's face, showing a glimpse of what looked like a domino mask. "What the…? Sensei?"
Ren closed his eyes and took in a breath, taking out his lockpicks as he placed his off hand on Monica's outstretched hand. "I'm going to try and unlock your restraints. Do you think you can walk?"
"Maybe. I might need help, but…" Monica said as Ren moved her hand away from his face.
"Hold on, Sensei, what is she-?"
"Edelgard." Ren began, turning to look at the girl. "As I said earlier, now is not the time, nor the place for discussions like this."
"...Very well. But I have questions." Edelgard said.
"As do I." Ren replied in kind, the two staring at each other challengingly.
"...I'll keep an eye out while you free her." Edelgard said.
"Thank you." Ren said, nodding to the white haired girl as she turned to walk out of the cell. "Hold still for a little bit while I get these off you."
"I understand…" Monica nodded, leaning back as Ren quickly moved and unlocked each shackle.
As the last manacle was unlocked, Ren stowed away his eternal lockpick and offered a hand to Monica. "Here, Let me help you up."
Monica took the thief's hand, her grip weak but not debilitatingly so. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I only wish I could've come sooner." Ren said, helping the girl to her feet. "Edelgard, we clear?"
"Yes." The girl said as the two walked out of the cell. "All that's left to do is reunite with the others. With any luck, they're done with their mission as well."
"The others?" Monica asked.
"It's technically early, but we're currently in the middle of our monthly missions for the Officer's Academy." Ren said. "I'm one of the professors of the Black Eagles."
"We can go into more detail once we're out of here." Edelgard said, earning a nod from Ren. "I don't want to be here any longer than we need to."
"Agree." Ren said. "Let's-"
"Shit, Trickster!" Mook's voice exploded in the thief's head, sending his senses into overdrive. something fast cut through the air and a sense of bloodlust washed over the thief.
Ren moved on instinct, shoving Monica over to Edelgard as he ripped Paradise Lost from his sheath and turned around, barely blocking what would've been a fatal blow as a sword collided with his.
"Well now, aren't you quick?" Ren's eyes locked onto the burning orange of his sudden opponent. The thief grit his teeth and swung forward, pushing the girl off him and making some distance between them. "This just might be fun for me!"
"Sensei!?" Edelgard shouted, looking over at the thief before her eyes locked onto their assailant. "Of course this wouldn't be simple…"
"Edelgard, take Monica and get going! I'll hold her off!" Ren shouted, not taking his eyes off the woman standing before him.
"But-!" Monica began, before being cut off by Ren.
"Getting you out of here was the whole point of this! If that doesn't work, all of this will have been for nothing!" Ren shouted, back pulling Daredevil out with his left hand. "Now get going!"
"Sensei… Don't you dare die!" Edelgard shouted, sweeping Monica up into a bridal carry as she ran over to the exit.
"Well, I can't go disappointing my student, can I?." Ren said with a smirk, rolling his neck.
"Well, aren't you confident." The woman noted with a laugh. "But at the end of the day, vermin is still vermin."
"Care for introductions then, oh great exterminator?" Ren asked mockingly.
"Ooh, that's a good one! In that case, hi there! I'm Kronya, but you can just call me 'The lady that's about to murder you.' Or, you know, don't." Kronya replied, charging back into the fray.
"I think you'll find that to be inaccurate anyways!" Ren shouted, whipping his left arm up as he fired three shots from Daredevil at Kronya. The bolts flew through the air, each easily avoided by the crazed woman as she closed the distance quickly.
'Not as fast in reality then.' Ren thought to himself, blocking the strike with Paradise Lost and countering with a sudden kick to the girl's stomach.
Spit flew out of Kronya's mouth involuntarily as Ren followed up by twisting his body to the side and kicking up with his other foot, slamming his leg into Kronya's side and sending her tumbling to the side.
The thief didn't waste any time, quickly unloading the rest of his magazine at Kronya. As the bolts closed in, her arm swung once, deflecting the majority of bolts but missing a few as they bounced off her sides.
"She's tough…" Ren muttered, bolstering Daredevil. 'I don't have time to reload. Personas it is then.'
"We're at your command, Trickster." Arsene's voice echoed in the thief's head.
"I'm impressed. You're the first good fight I've had from vermin like yourself." Kronya said, standing up with a smile. "And striking too. If you weren't, well, you, the hate in your eyes probably would be doing something for me right now."
"That why you're dressed in the off-cuts of a dominatrix's uniform?" Ren shot back, watching with some light gratification as Kronya froze. "Or is that just the cry for help it looks like?"
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this." Kronya said, chuckling darkly. "I don't even care if I'm taking the Death Knights's kill from him now."
"The Death Knight? What edgy preteen came up with that name?" The thief asked.
"Don't know, don't care. And after… I dunno, 2, 3 minutes tops," Kronya began, before dashing at the thief with much more speed than before. "Neither will you!"
Ren raised a hand up and snapped, feeling Arsene's power surge to the surface. "Eiha!"
Curse energy exploded in front of him, slamming into Kronya just before her attack connected. Ren felt a chill run down his spine and raised his sword in front of him, narrowly catching Kronya's blade with his own as she burst through his magic with barely a scratch. "Magic too? Oh, this is just getting better!"
"Gh!" Ren clenched his teeth and disengaged his blade with Kronya's before swinging his own attack. Kronya's blade met his in a flurry of attacks from both sides.
Steel clashes against steel as their fight turned into something resembling a dance. The two fighters swung, blocked and retaliated in different ways, each with more force and agility than the last.
Ren jumped back, reaching out to another of his Persona's as Kronya fast approached. The thief felt one lock into place, threw his arm forward to cast more magic, and saw Kronya's smile widen.
The thief felt something hot dig into his stomach, ceasing all movement from both combatants as Ren slowly let his gaze fall to the sword stabbed to its hilt in his gut. "Well, I suppose 4 minutes is a record…" Kronya noted with a hum, ripping her sword out as Ren's legs gave out from beneath him. "Congratulations, you're not half bad. But vermin is vermin, and as you said before, I'm an exterminator."
'You're in shock.' A part of Ren's mind relayed to him as he tried to move his body to no avail. 'You need to calm down.'
"Well, if you don't mind me, I'm going to go clean up the trash. Enjoy bleeding out, I hear that's fun." Kronya said with a laugh as Ren's eyes started to grow heavy.
'No… I… Can't let it end like this…' Ren's mind echoed endlessly within his own head. His personas felt so far away, their yells and cries almost silent as he felt his body begin to give way. 'I… made a promise…!'
And then, as the thief lay there fighting mentally to do something, reality suddenly cracked and time shattered like glass.