Catch-22: The Fortuna
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Yu really wishes that Chihaya would stop with her life or death predictions.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Chihaya shivered as the wind started to pick up. She heard a distant sound of thunder. Her cards did predict a storm was coming but she thought that she had a little more time.
She might have to close the shop early today if it started raining.
She heard another rumbling of thunder in the distance. This time, it was closer than before.
She sighed as she started to pack up her cards.
Then she felt it…the pressure in the air. She looked up from her table to see Narukami-san standing in front of her.
She felt her chest tighten and she couldn't breathe. The wind caused Narukami-san's jacket to whip around his body. His face was neutral, but his stare cut into her soul.
"What did you tell my student, Mifune-san?" Narukami-san said coolly.
-P4P5P4-
"So, I think that there is something's wrong with Sensei," Ren said before he threw a chip into his mouth. Not everyone was here today. Ann had a model job, Yusuke had a big art project due, and Ryuji had a doctor appointment. So, it was just him, Makoto and Futaba hanging out with him in his room today which was nice.
Daito and Mona have disappeared somewhere. Mona said they have a plan and must see if it works. He was almost afraid to ask.
"Huh? He seemed fine to me," Futaba said as she played on her computer next to him.
"Why did you say that?" Makoto asked.
"My fortune teller friend…Don't make that face, Futaba!" He started to say.
"My face is completely neutral ... .Although, Makoto's face is resting bitch face right now and that should…" Futaba said as she adjusted her glasses.
"Futaba….I'm merely thinking," Makoto sighed.
"You don't believe in that stuff."
"I don't but Ren does. In this case, we should listen."
Makoto turned to look at him.
"What did she say?"
He paused as he tried to put into words what he was told and what he was seeing through his third eye.
"Sensei is being chained…."
Everyone's cards were clear as day. Sense's World card flickered and turned into different cards which he had never seen before. The chains wrapped around the World. Sometimes, he could see the chains glow and tight around the card.
"So, how do we rip off these chains?" Makoto asked.
"Who do we need to kill?" Futaba said as she typed away on her computer.
"Futaba…not everything means violence," Makoto said with a sigh.
"Okay…no violence."
Makoto sighed in relief.
"How about hacking?"
"No…Futaba…"
He laughed.
"I'm not sure how it worked. It's hard to describe. I'm pretty sure that she can't explain it either."
Honestly, he didn't know much about how the cards work. He has watched her plenty of times over the last couple of months. She explained the different spreads that she used and the different cards. It was interesting but she was right every single time. Still…it goes over his head sometimes.
"So, how do we remove these chains? If we are going with what they represent, perhaps that has to do with the burdens that he takes on for us and how heavy they are," Makoto said.
"I don't know…Support Buddy doesn't act like it bothers him," Futaba added.
"Because Sensei tries to be strong for us. Perhaps, he is keeping his distance."
"Nope! He is an adult, and he fought a load of stuff and does questionable business activities in our name. I don't know. He hangs out with me all the time. He is older but he knows all the cool stuff even if he learned from his little sister…."
"Futaba…." He started to say but…it really didn't stop her.
"Sometimes, he gets it wrong, but he can be taught! It is okay! Ren was just as bad!"
"HEY!"
"I mean…I taught you. Oh! Right now, we are doing models together. He found me an old Dekiranger model kit in a thrift store, and he is working on an old Gundam Wing zord. So, I don't see him as distant. You just haven't found the perfect bonding activity with him," Futaba said.
Makoto sighed.
"Yes…he is involved in our lives. I can still sense a barrier between us," Makoto asked.
"She is right," He added.
Futaba snorted.
"Nah."
"Clearly then…what do you two bond about?" Makoto asked.
"Taking over the world and our ultimate attack," Futaba said happily.
He opened his mouth then shut it.
Okay…that would be a good bonding activity.
Makoto sighed again.
Poor Makoto.
"How is that coming?" He asked.
"We are going to burn down the palace. We have lasers. It will be awesome," Futaba said cheerfully.
Makoto's eyes widened slightly.
"Uhh…."
"Guess what? We are saving it for Shido. It's going to be our gift to Ren," Futaba crackled.
…..
He made a note not to piss off Sensei or Futaba.
The second note that he made to himself was that they give the best gifts.
"So, back to the case, how to remove these chains?" He said as he brought the conversation back on track.
"Perhaps, we can find out the cause then we can figure out the solution," Makoto remarked.
"What is the cause?"
"Maybe, his persona…? GOMP isn't his persona and he maybe sucks the life out of him," Futaba said excitedly.
"Not his persona? I thought that they would form a contract." He said in confusion.
Futaba shrugged.
"They did. Still not his persona."
"What does that mean?" Makoto said confusedly.
"I don't know! It is like when Ren switched his personas. His personas but not his personas at the same time."
He frowned.
"Sensei is a wild card?" He said.
It would make sense but…it doesn't? Sensei would have wiped the floor against any shadow before they started.
"Maybe? I was leaning toward the vampire angle," Futaba said with a shrug.
"Futaba….but you might be onto something. Sensei has an innate understanding of our personas and shadows," Makoto added.
"He fought a lot of shadows and worked with other persona users. So, it is hard to say that it isn't experience either," He remarked.
"True."
"Don't forget that whole incident with the Reaper…that was a rare item move," Futaba added.
"That was a heart attack," Makoto said.
It was a nightmare.
The tunnels and Mona's need for treasure delay them from leaving the floor.
Futaba screamed in their ears that the Reaper was coming and Sensei simply stepped out of the van.
He approached the Reaper and simply said.
"Chronos."
The reaper stopped in his tracks.
"Is this necessary?" Sensei asked.
The Reaper drew his gun and pointed at Sensei's head.
"Sensei!" Ann shouted.
Sensei's hand rose to stop them.
"Well?" Sensei asked the Reaper.
The Reaper groaned as Sensei stood still.
"There is no need to chase my students, Chronos. Death isn't in the cards yet."
The Reaper groaned again then swung his gun upward and fired it into the air.
Futaba screamed.
"Really, Chonos? I know that you can hear me through your servants. Have you lost your forgotten manners?" Sensei said casually.
The Reaper paused then lowered his gun. He nearly had a heart attack when the Reaper groaned again.
"Asakawa."
That…was a new one.
"Chronos," Sensei answered back.
"Your students linger in places that they shouldn't. You linger in places you shouldn't."
"True but sometimes, I think our curiosity will be the death of us. On that note, I think that you're curious as well. You hide yourself in our curiosities. You seek us out," Sensei said amusedly.
The Reaper groaned.
"You disrupt the flow of time. I'll correct the flow."
"And yet, they are fixing what is broken."
The Reaper paused.
"And yet what is broken isn't truly fixed."
What does that mean?
"A work in progress."
"Even if they follow his path."
"For now. We are the presence of a Wild Card…never know where the path will go." Sensei remarked.
Ryuji was about to say something, but Ann slapped her hand over his mouth.
There was a moment of silence then he heard the most terrifying sound in his life.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yusuke turned pale under his mask.
"Very well, Asakawa. My Reapers will not bother your students as long as you are by their side. On a condition…" The Reaper said.
"Yes?" Sensei said.
"You and I will have a discussion on your explorations."
Sensei bowed.
"Of course, I will bring the cards and the tea," Sensei said.
The Reaper made that noise again. Was…he laughing?
"It will be interesting to see how this path turns out. Be well, Asakawa."
"Be well, Chronos."
The Reaper pointed his gun to the sky and shot it and disappeared into the shadows.
Sensei turned to them.
"Don't ever delay again. Not here."
"But he just said…" Haru said.
"He said as long as I'm with you. Without me, he will come for you. He will hurt you. In Mona now," Sensei said sharply.
The group didn't need to be told twice.
"So….I have questions. How do you know….Death?" Mona said as the group drove toward the exit.
"Everyone knows Death, Mona. It is how you greet him is the key," Sensei said.
"Like that answer wasn't a crypt keeper's response…," Futaba said.
"In his line of work, it shouldn't surprise us…but it was terrifying," Makoto said.
"Very. But…it might answer the question about the chains…could he have gotten them from work?" He asked.
"I guess."
Futaba sighed.
"You know that you can ask him."
He thought about that.
"Or the chains may be from some super god and they put them on Sensei to stop his super rare item's powers. We as his students must save him!" Futaba said excitedly.
Makoto sighed again.
"Not an anime," Makoto said.
"Still pretty cool if it was true," She answered back.
"I do think that we must remove them. You did say that Sensei was more powerful than he lets on. There is a chance that they might be hurting him and release his true power," He said.
"How do we do that?" Futaba asked.
"Well…"
-P4P5P4-
"That is what you told them? Honestly, I thought that it was worse. They make it out like I'm dying," Narukami-san said.
"You're dying!" She said as she stood up and slammed her hands on her table. He didn't see what the chains were doing to him.
"I thought that you worked through this already. I thought you told me this before as well"
"You are!"
He gave her a measured look before she pressed on.
"Whatever you have planned…you are going to die!"
He sighed.
"I probably regret asking this but….how am I going to die?"
"I told you…the chains will choke you and soon….kill you!"
"The same thing that you predict for my student, I believe," He said mildly.
She paused. He was right. She did predict for Ren but she was so sure of his fate.
"Nothing is set in stone. Not even my fate. So, please, stop panicking my students. They are like puppies right now. I love them but they are being messy and clingy. Although Theo is in heaven on how much cooking he can do with my students over."
"But…"
"In your deck, what do I represent?"
She was jolted at the sudden question.
"The World…why?"
A ghost of a smile formed on his face…like he knew something that she didn't.
"Look a little closer," He said before he turned away from her and started walking down the empty street as the wind picked up. People were running to take cover as the rain started coming down.
She stared at him then she flipped one of the cards left on her table.
Her eyes widened then she looked up at the disappearing man.
He was like him.
He was like his student.
End of The Fortuna.
Next Chapter: The All-Out Attack
A/N: They are so close….and yet, they are so far away. I love that about his students. They totally kick themselves when they find out. Just not Futaba…because she would be like…I KNEW IT! Now, on with our plot….I mean…it is about time, right?! Anyway, read and review if you wish.