Persona 5: Daywatch

Thursday, 14 April 2016

After School

Front Gates of Shujin

Akira stormed through Shujin's front doors, every student noticing him clearing a wide path. The image of Shiho's body, limbs twisted and glassy eyes staring up with a lingering 'please make it end' still in every line and wrinkle. A look that echoed from too many dark nights in his own life. A look that didn't belong on such a beautiful face. Bumping into somebody in a Shujin uniform, he pushed him aside and stalked past the yawning gates, trying to figure out how to murder Kamoshida for laying a hand on the sweetest girl in Shujin.

A black cat hopped up onto the cleanest air conditioning unit next to him and scrutinized him with what the transfer student could swear was worry. Then it opened its mouth, but instead of a meow he heard the voice of the creature who guided them out of the Metaverse yesterday, "Something wound you up."

Akira's fingers twitched. "Morgana?"

The cat blinked, one ear twisting as an impressed surprise slipped over his face. "That was easier than I thought it'd be. How did you recognize me?"

"I never forget a voice." He clenched his fists, deciding to shelve how Morgana got here or why he looked like a street cat with white paws. It wasn't much different than his bipedal cartoony-catboy form in the castle. "You were right about that perverted bastard. He needs to go down. So how do we do this, cat?"

Morgana's tail twitched back and forth, ears folded against the back of his head. "I'm not a cat!" He glanced to the transfer student's fists. "And we're not beating him up, we're simply stealing his distorted desires." He looked back out at the road. "Where's Lady Ann?"

Akira ground his teeth, impatience beating on his body's need to act. "She went to the hospital with Suzui earlier. She'll meet us here in a few minutes where nobody will see us… go."

Morgana's eyebrows arched, concern clear despite the furry feline face. "I understand you want to do something, but if you're sloppy about it, you could cause a mental shutdown."

Akira lunged at the cat already less than a meter away. "Damn the shutdown, this man is as evil as my old bastard." He lowered his fists to his side and forced a breath in, then out. "I waited when I had the opportunity before. I knew what was in his head."

Shaking his head, Morgana sighed. "You were in no condition to press farther. It's only been a day since you and Lady Ann awakened. I'm not even sure you're fully recovered ye—"

"Look what happened to Suzui-san!" Akira shouted. One girl turning onto the road paused, giving him a funny look for yelling at a cat, but she speed-walked away when he shot her a glare. Swallowing and struggling to keep his volume to a harsh whisper, he held up his hands, trying not to see them tremble. "Her blood is on my hands. She isn't even the first one. How many came before? You think it was just Kiriko? Who's it gonna be next time? Takanashi? Takamaki?"

Morgana turned his head away.

"You think I can afford to wait? You think they can afford to wait?" Akira shoved his hands into his school jacket, feeling his tone rising. "This is playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun!"

Ann jogged in from the street, breathing hard. Her chest heaved, but something cold yet energetic like a winter blizzard swirled in her eyes. "I just… got back from… the hospital. You messaged… that you've got a way to deal with Kamoshida?"

Akira snarled at the mention of the name. "We crush the king."

Standing, Morgana shot him as firm a gaze as a little cat could a teenage human. "This isn't a decision to make lightly. If you're going to do this, I need all of you—"

"I'm in," Ann interrupted.

Morgana's ears curled and he tilted his head as he looked up at her, a waver in his eyes. "I just don't want you to do something you'll torment yourself over afterwards."

Akira crossed his arms. "You really going to get in the way of a girl with the fires of vengeance burning in her belly?"

Morgana fixed a clear glare at Akira. "You can't run into this thing half-cocked."

"Then stay out of our way," Akira shot back.

Morgana stood up, tail twitching. "Don't think you can do this without me. You need me as much as I need you. Are you both sure about this? Sure you can keep a grip on your emotions, too?"

Akira nodded, but when Ann gave her own assent they both looked as determined as ever.

Morgana let out a sigh, then took a deep breath. "The moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you're ready."

Ann set a hand on her hip. "Excuse me? Phantom thieves?"

Puffing out his chest, Morgana sat. "Masters of the covert who sneak into the most secret of places and stylishly steal treasure."

Akira spat at the ground. "I don't care about treasure. I'm going in to stop Kamoshida from doing to anyone else what he did to Suzui-san."

Ann stood straighter, squaring her own shoulders. "If you're that certain, there's no way I can back out either. Shiho was my best friend since middle school." She glanced at the downcast Morgana. "Well, I think it sounds cool. So how do we get back into the castleverse?"

Akira drew his phone and turned it to her, the bleeding eyeball app in the center of the screen. "Same way as yesterday. Except this time, we mean to do it."

"Who made that?"

Akira turned his phone back and lifted his free finger. "Some douchebag with a long nose. What's it matter as long as it works?"

Ann shifted her hips. "You're weird, but I guess you have a point."

Akira tapped his smart phone and the world bled red for a moment before the castle sprang up where Shujin once stood.

"What the shit?" Ryuji shouted from just around the corner to the alley.

Morgana the catboy flopped on the air conditioner. "Aaand, there goes our stealth."

Akira trotted out of the alley, Ann and Morgana at his heels.

Gawking up at the castle, Ryuji's hands closed into fists and eyes widened. "What the eff happened to the school?" He whipped around, looking down both directions of the street. "Where'd everyone else go?"

Akira reached out. "Same place you're going to."

"Don't you even…" Parrying, Ryuji brought up his fists. "Who the hell are…?" He leaned closer, his eyes squinting for a long beat. "Akira?"

"Guilty as charged," he said, droll. "Now get going."

"What happened to your clothing?" Ryuji turned to Ann, mouth drifting further open and a blush spreading over his face. "Takamaki…? Da-yum, who put you in that getup?"

Ann swiped a hand at him despite several meters between them. "It's our residual mental image."

Morgana trotted closer. "Right. It's a defense against the palace's distortion."

Just starting to settle down, Ryuji took a step back and his eyes widened again. "Is that a… cat?"

"I am not a cat!" Morgana roared. "This is just… from the distortion of the Metaverse. I'm trying to restore my true form."

"Which is a cat?" Ryuji blurted.

Akira stepped between them. "No, it's human. How would a cat learn to talk? Now stop getting in our way, we've got a rapist to take down."

Ryuji straightened, looking Akira in the mask. "You really goin' up against Kamoshida?"

Ann stepped out of the alley, crossing her arms. "This doesn't concern you, Sakamoto."

"Suzui-san was in my class, too," Ryuji shot back, ears and face reddening. "She may not have been my BFF, but she was the class rep for a reason. There's not a single one of us who didn't like her. If Kamoshida's responsible for her tryin' ta kill herself, I can't just walk away. He's stolen from both of us. Or have you forgotten the shit he put the track team through? What he put me through?"

Looking down, Ann took a half step back. "Listen, Sakamoto, it's not that I don't understand, but this is… way beyond—"

Akira slipped his hands into his pockets. "You willin' to put everything on the line?"

Ryuji pumped a fist in the air. "Hell yeah!"

Akira stared into Ryuji's eyes. "You willin' to go up against this Kamoshida, even if it means a fight to the death, if it means keeping what happened to Suzui-san from ever happening again?"

Ryuji's hand came down and he backed up a step, unable to meet Akira's eyes. "I… I dunno about killin' the guy. I mean, he's a class A hole, but…"

"Then leave," Akira snapped. "Either you go all the way with us, or you walk out now. I won't blame you for choosing to duck out. It's your life and I don't know how far we'll have to go. I'm the only one with nothing to lose."

Ryuji took a step closer, narrow eyes fixed on Akira's. "He expelled me, too."

Ann blinked. "Expelled?" She put her hands on her hips and directed a harsh look at Akira. "Too? What happened?"

With a bitter smirk, Ryuji jerked a thumb at Akira. "Dude took a page from my book and stalked down Kamoshida in his office. Would've put the beat down on him if me an' that other guy weren't there. That asshole expelled all of us just for bein' there."

Ann's eyes narrowed. "I don't know how good you think you are, but Kamoshida would've destroyed you." A sigh leaked out and her shoulders slumped. "I don't know, if he's already announced your expulsion, maybe he basically did."

Akira turned to the castle. "In the end, it doesn't matter. I'm here to see this through." He looked down to Morgana. "I think we saw everything there was in that sex dungeon—"

"In what?" Ryuji blurted, eyes shooting wide.

"—but one of the guards mentioned the Training Hall of Love," Akira continued without a beat of hesitation. "You see anything like that while you were scopin' the place out? Kamoshida was a gold medal winner, if his treasure wasn't in that slave tower it's got to be there."

Morgana put a hand on his chin. "Mmm, I was scouting the dungeons, but I bailed when I heard about a princess kidnapping in the tower. It might be down there." He straightened and pointed his hand at Ryuji. "I still think he should sit this one out."

Ryuji lifted a fist at the small catperson. "Dude you couldn't throw me out if you wanted to."

Morgana sent him a hooded glare. "Those two have already faced the oppression of the world bearing down on them and the dark weakness in their own hearts. They've already awakened their Personas. You're just a loud, impulsive thug."

Akira chuckled. "Damn, he's got you pegged."

"Fuck you, man." Ryuji jammed his hands in his pockets. "Like I ain't faced down plenty'a shit myself."

"You're right," Akira said, looking back at him with a calm tone. "That was uncalled for."

Ryuji let out a breath that seemed to take most of his energy with it. "What?"

"I'm being strategic and tactical in one move," Akira explained before Ann or Morgana could pipe in. "Between the three of us we might be able to force you back into the real world, but it'd take more effort than it's worth. If you do have a beef with Kamoshida, far be it from me to stand in the way of letting you pay him back."

Ann held a wary stance, hip jutting out. "What is it with you and revenge?"

"It's the only thing that keeps me warm at night."

Ryuji swallowed. "You worry me. But thanks."

Morgana scanned the three humans. "If we're all ready?" When the others nodded, he shook out his tension. "Okay, I'm counting on you, Joker."

"Joker," Akira said, a smirk growing on his face as he tested the sound. "I've always wanted to wow the crowds."

Ann crossed her arms. "You hate crowds."

"Shut. Up."

Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Why the stupid nickname?"

"It's an alias," Akira said, terse. "Like when me an' the guys'd group up to go steal a cop's hat. Without a code name, it doesn't matter if you get away or not." He removed his hands from his pockets and stretched out one shoulder. "As soon as they hear applause and 'go Yoshida' you're dead as soon as you get home because they've called your parents. But if all they hear is 'break left, Viper' all they can do is chase you down to get it back." A smirk spread over his lips. "And the only one smart enough to take us down one by one was this crazy kung-fu chick who could out-parkour everyone but me."

Ryuji chuckled, rocking back on his heels. "Damn, man, you must have tons of crazy stories from where you grew up."

Morgana held a hand to his forehead. "There's no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names could have in the Palace. It may not be Kamoshida's consciousness, but it's still connected to it."

Ryuji turned on their short compatriot. "So whadda we call you?"

"Something swift and deadly," Akira said. "Bachi Hebi?"

Morgana bared his claws, the points glinting in the torchlight from the castle courtyard. "You're going to compare a nimble animal with claws to a fat snake?"

"They can jump…" Akira said, a drop of sweat running down in front of his ear. "Just throwin' stuff out there. Aomanjaku?"

Morgana sheathed his claws, withdrawing into his frame. "Do you really think of me as an instigator of cheap tricks?"

Ann stepped closer, holding out a hand. "Byakko?"

Eyes widening, a look of dawning awe spread over Morgana's face. "The guardian of the west." He nodded. "Well, I do have a little white fur. Okay, Byakko it is."

Ryuji looked Ann over, eyes lingering for several seconds longer than necessary. "What about Takamaki?"

Inside the confines of his own mind, Akira debated potential codenames for the fellow student who stood at his side. And wore a red leather bodysuit. "Sex kitty?"

His alter ego slapped him with a paper fan.

"Hot leather?"

The paper fan lashed out again.

"Night Woman."

His alter ego slapped him up and down with the paper fan. Coming out of his internal musing, Akira shouted, "I got nothing!"

Ann smirked, placing confident hands on her hips with no apparent idea how blistering hot the pose in that getup looked. "There's only one name for me. Panther."

Akira's eyebrow rose enough for it to be visible above his eye-mask. "Seriously? What kind of—?"

Ann stomped a foot, leaning down at him in anger. "It's Panther, all right?"

Akira looked away from her cleavage, feeling like his face burned and pants shrank. He mumbled, "Sure, okay, no problem."

Morgana turned to Ryuji. "Well, that just leaves you." He held a hand to his cheek, tapping a finger as he hummed. "Something descriptive, something defining. Mouth."

"Dude," Ryuji glared and raised a fist, "your naming privileges are gone." He shook his arms and bounced on his feet as if waiting to take off at a run. "What about Captain?"

Akira and Ann both snickered. She recovered first and stood straight. "Brawler?"

Rolling his eyes, Ryuji sighed. "Man, I get enough crap for that shit with Kamoshida already."

Akira slapped his palm to his face. "We don't have all day. I took mine and went with it, couldn't you do the same?"

Ryuji clenched his teeth, but after a beat sighed. "Fine. But if I get one of those weird costumes, I get to pick a new one."

Akira rolled his eyes and turned to the courtyard. "Fine, whatever."

Morgana led them up crates and scaffolding to a decorative window high on the courtyard and they slipped into the castle.