Persona 5: Daywatch

Saturday, 16 April 2016
Lunchtime
Shujin, Class 2-D

With the space open, Akira set his cardboard-boxed lunch on her desk, turned the chair ahead of Ann around, then plopped into it. Sparing a wary moment to be sure nobody was nearby to overhear, he whispered, "Ryuji's got your gear. You sure you're ready?"

Nodding, Ann swallowed a soggy dumpling. "The hospital said they're not allowing anyone but family to visit Shiho yet."

Akira stared at his okonomiyaki, trying to keep the gloom out of his voice. "I'll keep praying for her." He took his chopsticks and stabbed the first piece of the sliced, pan-fried savory in his box. "In the meantime, we put that mental Kamoshida six feet under."

Ann ate in silence for several long seconds. While she didn't look away, she also wouldn't meet Akira's eyes. After swallowing and still looking conflicted, she said, "Well, thanks for praying for Shiho, anyway. We meeting at the alley again?"

Akira shook his head. "We'll meet Ryuji up on the rooftop. We've already checked that one tower and the torture dungeon, so now we have to rely on Morgana and head into the rest of the castle."

Now Ann looked him in the eye, her gaze steady as a machine. "I'm ready. Kamoshida stole everything from Shiho. Today's his turn."

Saturday, 16 April 2016
After School
Shujin, Rooftop

Coming to a stop near the potted plants, Akira opened his paper box and disentangled the pistol from the crinkled paper packaging.

Ryuji handed her a small cardboard box, watched her toss the flimsy paper lid to the ground and take out her submachine gun. He gave her a moment to look over the very realistic model of a Russian weapon before reaching into his own schoolbag for the front and back halves of his model shotgun. Ryuji set the barrel into the back half and twisted until it clicked. "So now what? We say his name, the school's name, then castle?"

Akira smirked. "We don't even have to do that much." He drew his smart phone and brought up the app. "This thing has a bookmark function. I just tap it and away we go." His thumb hit the screen and the world bled red, twisting around them. When the surroundings stabilized, they stood on a balcony looking high above Tokyo.

Morgana pulled a square rod from the sack slung over his back and hit a button on the device, causing it to snap open into a shiny crossbow. "Be careful, everyone. We've been caught in this castle twice so far. The alert level has definitely been raised, and if too many guards are deployed we won't be able to get to the Treasure."

Akira stuffed his pistol into one of the large pockets on his longcoat. "You think we should send a decoy mission somewhere?"

Morgana shook his head. "This is a cognitive reality, not a physical one. The more we're spotted, the more likely the real Kamoshida will develop a general wariness and things will get harder no matter where we go. We also don't know where the Treasure is. If he does have enough wherewithal to step up the guard anywhere specific, it would likely be right around there."

Ryuji unfolded a plastic extension on the back of his shotgun, then twisted a wing nut and tested the feel of the folding stock against his shoulder. Without a word, he gave a ready nod at Akira and they set off down the spiral staircase. After navigating through the halls for a few minutes, the team stumbled into a gray knight patrolling a hallway lit by stained glass images of Kamoshida playing volleyball.

The knight oozed black from its joints and burst into a pumpkin-headed monster holding a flickering torch and something the size of a child, but with white skin interrupted by tiny brown roots like a daikon.

Akira dashed to the cover of the couch at his feet, shooting two wild shots with his pistol.

Ann sprayed her SMG one-handed, the shots all puncturing the painted wood paneling on the walls.

Ryuji slapped a palm to his mask. "Wow." He pulled Ann behind a large bookshelf. When the Jack came floating around it to find them, the track runner popped out and blasted it in the face with his sleek, black shotgun. Its oversized head snapped back and it thumped to the ground, dissolving to black goo.

Ann looked at her gun with disgust. "Right. Well, this thing's inaccurate." She stood straight, calling out, "Carmen!"

As soon as her dancer-like Persona formed, she sent it against the woody Shadow trying to beat a hasty retreat.

Akira ran out of cover at the other side of the hall, firing three shots in rapid succession. One hit the Mandrake, one went wide, and the last hit Carmen in the back, sending Ann collapsing to the ground with a pained cry.

The Mandrake jumped, punching Carmen and forcing a hiss out of Ann's grit teeth. She pulled herself back to the couch for cover with Akira. Carmen slashed the Shadow with her thorned whip, destroying the monster. After determining the rest of the hall was clear, Ann dismissed her Persona.

Ryuji trotted up to the two still crouched beside the overstuffed couch. "What the hell was that?"

Akira stood, rubbing the back his neck, eyes on the floor. "Yeah, that didn't exactly go like the movies." He looked to Ann. "Sorry, you okay?"

Ann reached to rub a spot on her back, face scrunching in pain from the motion. "I don't think I'm bleeding, but it hurts like somebody jabbed me with one of those fireplace pokers."

Ryuji reached out a hand at Akira, palm open and the disappointment unmistakable even through his heavy mask. Head drooping, Akira handed his pistol over. Ryuji slung his shotgun back over his shoulder on a strap tied to the weapon's front and back. "I didn't think I was gonna hafta go over all the basics. Ain't ya ever played video games with guns?"

Akira pointed a finger at him, feet sliding apart to the ready-for-fighting stance. "I believe I mentioned Resonance of Fate already."

Ryuji sighed. "Okay, well the stance for my shotgun is really only useful for longarms like rifles, but I don't have any of those and I'm not sure it would work with…" He glanced between Ann and Akira, "… your style." Gripping the pistol, he settled into a light posture on his feet. "Here, look at this. This is pretty much the stance you're gonna want for either the pistol or submachine gun. You grip it in your right hand, and steady with your other hand down here. Some SMGs have a forward grip, but I'll cross that bridge if we come to it. You hold it up, line the iron sights up with your target, and pull the trigger." Ryuji handed the pistol to Ann and took her gun. "Got it?"

Ann lifted the weapon, looking down the top like Ryuji did. "Like this?"

Ryuji smiled. "Yeah, just hold your feet a little farther apart for stability. You ain't walkin' down a rope."

Straightening, Ann shot him a glare. "For your information, it's called runway walking and isn't easy to do." Her gaze fell. "I've had a couple agencies say if I was a serious model I would've learned to do it properly already."

Akira chuffed. "I'd say screw them. You look comfortable when you walk, that should be good enough."

Ryuji looked over Ann, a smile growing before he nodded. "Well, at least it looks like you got the basics." He handed the submachine gun to Akira. "Here, when you were runnin' it looked like you were tryin' ta squeeze a burst. Some SMGs have a stock to brace against your shoulder, but in the meantime you'll have to handle yours like a pistol."

Akira swung up the gun in one hand. "Like this?"

Ryuji sighed, taking Akira's arm with both hands to push him into a better stance. "Man, you weren't kiddin' when you said you never played gun games. You need to join me down at the arcade in Shibuya, as long as we don't run into one of the pro-players like The King it'll be good training. Here, move your right leg a little more back, then a couple centimeters to the side."

Akira shuffled his feet, wobbling. "Why? That feels weird."

"That's 'cause you're keepin' your feet pointed straight forward like a robot. Let the toes out to the sides." Ryuji gestured for Akira to try again.

The transfer student swung up the gun, looking awkward but at least standing steady and looking down the sights built into the top.

"There ya go." Ryuji smirked. "Maybe next time we'll try not shootin' any friends. 'Cause friendly fire ain't."

Diving forward for the limited cover of a polished oak end table, Ann came to a stop and popped out of cover to shoot the drooping, petite form of a woman with dragonfly wings, splattering it into dissolving black-and-red goo.

Captain Kidd shot a powerful pulse of wind against the second green demon hiding inside a gold-encrusted vase, slamming it into the wall and dissolving goo.

Swaggering, Akira pointed his submachine gun at the winded Agathion teetering on the ground. Tone low, he said, "You will join us… or die!"

Agathion quivered, then exploded into black swirls that streaked through the air into Akira's mask.

Akira dropped his gun and stumbled against the wall, falling to his back and grabbing for his face. After patting himself a few moments to be sure he still had a face, he rose to his knees. "Whoa."

Morgana stopped next to the transfer student, his blue eyes wide. "What happened?"

Ryuji crouched down and picked up Akira's gun. "You okay, dude?"

Standing, Akira blinked, shook his head, and swayed on his feet. Ann caught him, her worry clear despite the mask covering her eyebrows. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I just feel a little disoriented. C'mon, let's walk it off." Refusing to succumb to the pounding headache and vertigo, he snatched his submachine gun. "We might not have time to wait."

Following Morgana, they slipped into a huge room with vaulted ceilings but otherwise resembling the chapel just a couple blocks from Inuri High. Coming to the aisle lined with cushioned pews, Akira scoffed. "Man, this douchebag would implode if he ever had to go to Confession." Looking over the golden statue of Kamoshida, highlighted from behind by a rosary, Akira flinched away, putting his hand up in shielding. "Oh, God, my eyes."

Ryuji came to a stop next to Akira, shooting him a hooded glare lacking real intensity. "For real, man? Again?"

Akira straightened with a casual air. "You think I'm overdoing it?"

"Just a little."

Ann looked up and around. "Wait a second, isn't this the gym?"

Ryuji's eyes widened. "Hey, yeah." He pointed at the gaudy statue. "That would totally explain that. He must think he's some kinda god there."

Something armored slammed down ahead of the polished statue, then stood with ponderous motions. Covered in chain mail, steel plates, and ivory edging, the archangel glared out from its open-faced helm. "The ape is correct. This sacred place is a holy ground for the almighty—"

Several bullets pinged off its breastplate and Akira looked up from his gun. "I'll give you cred for at least gettin' the look and entrance close to an angel, but you're still a fake piece of shit." Aiming down the submachine gun, he pulled the trigger. Bullets pinged over its torso, only drawing a flinch.

The others summoned their Personas, but after a single burst from each of their elements it still stood tall.

The over-muscled Persona Zorro reached out, its blue aura flaring. Blue glinted over the archangel for a moment, but the whispy traces vanished as soon as they appeared. Morgana readied his crossbow. "It's too strong for mine to throw!"

Akira snarled, "Persona, destroy the imposter!"

Blue flared above him, a gold-plated vase taking shape. The green demon cowering inside waggled its hands and a bolt of lightning dropped down from the dark ceiling into the archangel.

Lightning coursed through it, making the winged Shadow double over with halting, twitchy motions.

Morgana stared. "Holy… Did you just call out the Persona that flew into your mask?"

Akira dove for the pew on the opposite side of the aisle as Ann and Ryuji advanced. "Uh… why? Can't everyone do this?"

"No!" Morgana shouted over the thunder of Ryuji's shotgun.

Ann shrieked, Archangel's sword cleaving through the pew she took cover behind. "Priorities, everyone!"

"Right!" Morgana craned his neck and Zorro twirled its enormous rapier. Blue wrapped around the blade and fragments of the pew, hurling them at the false archangel.

The first slammed into the armored Shadow, but it swung its sword and shattered the second piece.

Captain Kidd shot a stream of howling wind at the archangel. It tucked in its wings, braced its stance, and thrust its sword despite the meters of space between them. A giant mote of golden light swirled into being in front of Kidd and slammed into the privateer.

Ryuji fell backwards with a groan of pain.

Carmen slipped in behind, lashing its thorny whip around the towering Shadow's neck as it fluttered back up.

Archangel jerked in a half-turn and slashed its sword into the feminine Persona's torso, which dispelled its whip.

Ann collapsed to the ground with a shriek, clutching her chest and curling into the fetal position.

"Agathion!" Akira shouted, shooting another aimed burst that pinged off the angel's armored torso. The demon in a vase bobbed higher in the air, fingers wiggling and another lightning lancing down into the Shadow.

Archangel crashed to the floor but managed to stay on its feet despite its twitching. Glaring, it jumped through the air and swung its sword, knocking Agathion flying into the far wall.

Akira crumpled to the floor, clutching his chest as tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.

Zorro hurled fragments of the pews at Archangel, the first meeting its sword but the rest smashing against its plating and chain-mail.

Captain Kidd held his canon-arm aloft and the winds in the gym-chapel picked up, blowing small pew-fragments back into Archangel. Its feet slid over the carpeted floor, but nothing else happened.

An ice ball slammed into Archangel's chest, encrusting the sword-arm against its plated chest.

Agathion hurled itself into Archangel, bouncing off.

Ice cracked and the fake angel growled.

Zorro flew in close, stabbing his ethereal rapier into the chinks of the false angel's armor once, then twice.

Ice shattered and the towering Shadow slashed Zorro, knocking him flying into the far wall. Morgana tumbled to the ground, crying out.

Kidd flew over the ground as if surfing an invisible wave, slashing his oversized cutlass.

Archangel parried the blade, looping its sword around to slash back. Kidd's smooth 'surfing' faltered, but it lashed back out and cut across the false angel's back.

Agathion summoned another bolt of lightning into Archangel, knocking it down to the ground.

Captain Kidd powered a slash down, then up the false angel's body. Black gushed from the deep cuts.

Carmen shot a bolt of ice into Archangel, and it held out its hand, flicking a ball of light into the Persona's wispy legs. Ann stumbled to one of the room's decorated support columns, tears of pain falling.

Zorro circled Archangel, psychokinetically hurling pew fragments into it.

Dashing by for another go around, Kidd parried a slash, counter-slashing across the false angel's arm.

It turned and brought its blade down, growling, but Kidd blocked the blow. The straight sword pushed against the curved blade, edging Kidd further and further back.

Zorro stabbed Archangel in the back and it burst into fading black-and-red smoke.

Dismissing their Personas, everybody paused to catch their breath. After a few moments, Morgana stumbled to the broken pew Akira braced against. "Did… did your Persona become that Shadow?"

Akira blinked, still struggling to breathe deep. "P… Pillar of Heaven."

Fire and darkness tore from the ceiling into a swirling column.

Morgana's eyes widened. "You can wield multiple Personas?"

Stumbling up to go check on Ann, Akira answered through shallow breath, "Why? Izzat bad?"

"Each person only has one heart." Morgana folded up his crossbow and stowed it in the black bag slung across his back. "That should mean everybody only has one Persona."

"But…" Akira paused to search through his pockets for the hot compress he brought, handing it to Ann. "We each wear different masks, behave differently to different people. Even if we didn't, it's not like we're the same all through life."

Morgana blinked, still in wonder. "Even so… I didn't think it was possible to have more than one Persona! This will give us a huge advantage."

Akira sat against the broken remnants of a pew next to Ann. "Didn't… seem to do much against that one."

Shaking his head, Morgana looked over the group. "As much as I'd like to stay excited about discovering your new ability, Joker, I think we're all spent. Let's fall back to rest and recover."

Akira looked up, the vague silhouettes of nude girls in the stained-glass rosette window reminding him of Shiho. He grit his teeth. "We run across one speed bump and you want to run away? We're not even close to laying down some vengeance on Kamoshida!"

Ann held the compress against her ankle, eyes still squinted in pain. "No more today."

Ryuji stumbled, but walked closer to Akira. "Yeah, I feel like I just got beat on by a heavyweight wrestler."

Akira slammed his fist down on the pew, causing it to crack and dump him to the carpeted floor. His chest spasmed and for a brief instant his breath fled. Looking over at Ryuji, the track runner's breathing already looked deep and steady. "How are you?"

Ryuji grimaced, and glanced at the hot compress Ann held to her foot. "You got a cold one?"

Akira pulled out a flexible ice-pack. "It's for keeping food cold, but this should fight any inflammation." He looked over at Ann, who still held her teeth grit together. "Just one more room?"

Ann shook her head. "I know how you feel, Akira, but we won't do Shiho any good burning ourselves out."

Akira gave a reluctant nod. "I dunno how much more I can do myself, but I do know somebody who can patch us up."

Saturday, 16 April 2016
Evening
Takemi Medical Clinic

An automated chime played as Akira helped Ann hop through the door, keeping her weight off her right foot.

Nobody else occupied the entry lobby, but the tired doctor yawned from her desk behind the window. She droned, "Takemi Medical… Oh!" Her eyes locked onto the two teenagers, moving from Ann to Akira. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Akira helped Ann to the nearest chair. "It wasn't by design, I assure you."

Takemi opened the door to the exam room, shooting a concerned glance at the entry door. "Hurry up."

Akira slung Ann's arm over his shoulders again, walking her to the exam bed. Winded from the exertion, he plopped down next to her, pressing a hand over his ribs. "You… okay?"

Ann grit her teeth. "My ankle feels like it's on fire."

Takemi trotted to a mini-fridge in the corner. "Shoe off. Anything else?"

Ann's hand drifted to the base of her sternum, but she stopped and her eyes flicked to Akira."

"I'll go," he said.

Ignoring his walk to the front lobby, Takemi kneeled to look at the girl's bruised ankle. "What are you kids getting into?"

The door swung closed behind him and Akira collapsed into a chair with a hiss. After a few minutes to breathe and wait for his pounding headache to subside, the inner door swung open again. Takemi stuck her head out. "No broken bones or torn ligaments. Your girlfriend's going to be okay. Now it's your turn."

Akira blurted, "She's not my girlfriend," at the same time as Ann called from inside, "He's not my boyfriend."

Ann lifted an ice pack from her ankle and Akira looked down, noticing something black and bulky where her tennis shoe should be. "A foot brace? How bad was it?"

Takemi scribbled onto her little clipboard. "It's just a tension brace." Looking Ann in the eye, she said in a tone brooking no argument, "Make sure to keep ice on it for at least thirty minutes as long as you feel that heat-pain tonight, but give it a chance to warm for at least ten minutes between. As long as you're not running for a couple of days you should heal fully. Do you want me to call a cab for you?"

Ann cringed, fingers clutching on the ice pack. "I'd hate to think how much a cab would be. Could I just take some crutches and bring them back on Monday? I'll be late even if I take the train, but I'd rather that than have to explain to mom and dad why I'm late and need cab fare."

Takemi looked her over. "I'd prefer you to stay off your feet as much as possible. Especially with those…" She crossed her arms. "…stairs you fell down to get those injuries." A beat passed before she turned to Akira, eyes alert and stance suspicious. "Your turn. Jacket off." She grabbed a pair of crutches from the corner, handing them to Ann.

Akira watched his classmate settle onto them. "You going to be okay getting home?"

Holding her braced foot off the ground, she leaned right and left. "Yeah, as long as I don't have to jump on it I'll be fine." She crutch-walked out and Takemi closed the door behind.

Akira hissed from unexpected pain as he took his school jacket off.

Takemi's eyes swept over him for only a second before she continued with her clipped commands. "Shirt off."

Akira fought off his white undershirt, and she scanned him for several seconds before retrieving a cotton ball and bottle of isopropanol. Tilting it to wet the cotton, she set the bottle on the end table next to the exam bed.

When she brushed the wet cotton ball against the first abrasion, he grit his teeth. She swiped at a second, then a third before sitting back. "Well, you've got pain tolerance. Are you sure you aren't in trouble with the yakuza in Shibuya?" She brushed over a wide abrasion.

After a moment of teeth grinding, Akira clenched his fist. "Why, do they tend to leave people alive?"

She stood back, looking him in the eyes before going back to his injuries. "The biggest clan prefers to blackmail and undermine." Her eyes drift away and she hesitated before getting a new cotton ball and wetting that one. "Though I wouldn't doubt they're responsible for at least a few of the bodies in Tokyo Harbor."

Silence passed for the next several seconds as she wiped at abrasions over his ribs. Finished, she tossed the last cotton ball into the trash and capped the bottle. "These wounds aren't from somebody trying to send you a message, are they?"

Akira looked at the hanging plastic sheet dangling from a track in the ceiling. "I'm afraid I can't talk about it. Not yet."

The doctor pursed her lips. "What about that bruise? Or the split lip?"

Akira smiled, feeling tension at his still-healing mouth. "I took a backhand for talking back. You should see the other guy, though."

Takemi closed her eyes, taking a slow breath in and out. She sat down in the chair next to her computer, but he could make out the worry lines at the corners of her eyes when she turned back to him. "I know I said I'd treat you without reporting anything to the cops, but it's a lot harder to treat injuries when I don't know for sure what caused the injuries."

Akira closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, rejecting the idea of telling her about the Metaverse. "There may have been some… disagreements of opinion." He scanned her eyes. "With people who had blunt objects. But I don't abandon my friends."

"It's just…" Takemi ripped open a plastic pouch with a medicated bandage and stood up to apply it. "…I've seen injuries like yours before. These look like someone trying to send a message. No vital tissue damage, just like somebody doing his best to prolong pain. It doesn't seem like you have any broken bones, but there's a lot of bruising." She pressed the bandage against the side of his ribs. Despite his attempt to stay stoic, he knew she felt his flinch. "Just try not to come here too often."

Akira forced a smile. "And deprive you of this boyish face and these rugged good looks?"

Takemi rolled her eyes, ripping off her gloves and tossing them with the packaging into a little garbage can. She sat back at her desk and scribbled on her clipboard's top sheet for a few moments. "Well, between you and her that comes out to…"

When she handed him the clipboard, he expected some minor amount he could pay in cash. His eyes widened at the number circled at the bottom. "What? I don't have that much!"

She took back her clipboard, the corners of her mouth quirking up. "Well, I'm sure we can come to some… mutually equitable arrangement."