Covert Operations
By: Ominae
Rating: T
Chapter 3: News
April 14, 2011
Liquor Store, Twisted Shopping District
Thanks to Izanagi's handiwork, the frog-type Shadow was greatly weakened by the physical slashing and stabbing attacks.
"You're getting to be a real pain..." The hostile Shadow grunted in pain after all of the attacks he got on the receiving end. "I'm... gonna crush you with everything I've got!"
"CRUSH HIM! ZIO!" Yu pointed his left index finger at the Shadow as he watched the electric element zap him with a lightning-like attack.
"GUWAAAHHHH!" The Shadow shouted in pain after it took the brunt of the attack.
Yu charged it when he ran towards it after he picked up the 7 iron golf club.
"Take this!" The Shadow tried to smack it with its paw, but Yu dodged it when he jumped to the side thanks to his reflexes.
No doubt the trainers'll get mad if I'm taken down by that kind of attack.
He took the opportunity to smack the paw with the golf club followed by the use of Izanagi's Ame no Nuboko to stab it, making the Shadow yelp in pain. He used another Zio to immediately stun it.
When the Shadow fell down on the ground hard, Yu raised the club above his head before he smacked the Shadow on the head so hard several times that the club eventually bended.
"Nn...o..." The Shadow groaned in pain. "It... can't be..."
The Shadow changed form after its multi-colored skin immediately changed to red and black. Its form changed to that of Yosuke once again, with the same cold yellow ties the trio confronted.
The actual Yosuke didn't say anything, except to grit his teeth from being tackled. That went well.
"Are you okay?" Teddie approached him after the former walked back to see Yu with the bent club held in his hands.
The Shadow didn't say anything, but just stared at Yosuke, as if he was waiting for him to say something.
"So..." He looked at Teddie. "What's happening to it?"
Teddie began to explain things to him. "You need to accept whatever the Shadow mentioned a while ago. Otherwise, it'll attack again and who knows if it can still be defeated."
Yosuke sighed when he heard Teddie's explanation. "Goddamit." I got no choice...
Yosuke walked up to his Shadow counterpart, feeling nervous. The latter, on the other hand, just looked at him. As if it was waiting for him to say something meaningful.
"Alright..." The teenager said, feeling frustrated. "I did have some problems when I moved out to Yasoinaba with my folks. Since I can't talk my father out of it, the only way for me to cope with it is to make friends with some of the other guys who worked part-time from the school. Of course, I may have exaggerated myself when I told them about my links to my old man's who the one in charge of Junes' Yasoinaba branch."
Yu and Teddie looked at Yosuke. "I... I didn't want to face it 'cause it sounds so wrong." He pointed to the Shadow. "You're me and I'm you. Regardless of what matters, we're all the same."
The Shadow subsequently had a blue aura that enveloped. It changed forms to a slender thin being with a red scarf on its neck with camo gloves on its hands with giant shurikens at the back of the hands. It's Mickey Mouse-like face has shurikens for its eyes and a V insignia on its neck, in front of the scarf.
Yu dropped the bent golf club afterwards. "Guess we won't need this anymore."
"So this is a Persona..." Yosuke said when he saw the being disappear. "It's name is Jiraiya..."
He turned around and went back to see Yu and Teddie. "I never thought that Saki-senpai would have such hatred for me. I wished I knew so that I could properly talk to her, but I wish she could've said something. I'm not a bad guy at all..."
"I don't blame you, Yosuke." Yu tried to help his classmate.. "It's probably something that she didn't want to say 'cause she didn't want you two to have a bad relationship."
Yosuke nodded. He then turned to Teddie. "You think she got killed here by the Shadows?"
Teddie remembered the encounter he had with Yu, who masquerade as one of his cover identities, Souji. He shuddered at the thought of possibly being killed, but didn't show it as he replied. "Most likely that happened. Shadows originally came from humans. They can go berserk when the fog clears up here."
I'll need to keep that in mind in the report. Yu nodded when he and Yosuke listened in.
"And when that happens, there's going to be a very strong Shadow that can easily draw in others. That's how the host is killed if he or she doesn't have the strength or willpower to fight back."
Yosuke placed a hand on his chest, feeling a bit tired.
"Hey!" Yu placed an arm on his shoulders.
"I...I'm okay, Yu." Yosuke reassured him. "Feel a bit worn out somehow."
Teddie shook his head. "He's not used to the environment. I suggest that you two get back to the real world at once. I don't hear any more voices out here."
"All right." Yosuke gave the thumbs up.
"Lead the way, Teddie." Yu helped Yosuke stand up properly since he propped himself up slightly against a shelf.
"Okay. I'll be sure to walk slow so that you two can catch up."
Mayonaka TV entrance
Yu walked beside Yosuke to make sure the latter was able to walk by himself. He told him that he was a bit tired, but he could at least walk. But he needed to walk slowly or else he could vomit.
"Here we are!" Teddie arrived at the same studio platform Yu previously saw in his other identity as Souji. "Give me a minute!"
Teddie did... whatever the hell he did to make the CRT TV sets appear once again. Like the last time, they were stacked up one after another. The two YH students saw that he did it by doing a foot stomp with the left foot.
"Those are... old CRT TV..." Yosuke was amazed to see the bear-like Shadow do something like that.
"Um..." Yu went to ask the bear. "Where do these go to?"
"These should get you two back safely..." Teddie gave a brief explanation before he gently pushed them towards the TVs.
"H...hey! Wait a sec!"
"Come on, guys! You should be fine..."
Teddie kept pushing them gently until the two touched the dusty TV screens with their hands and arms, which made a ripple effect that made their limbs go in. Eventually, the rest of their bodies went through.
Electronics Section, Junes Yasoinaba Store, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Chie waited by herself in Junes' electronic section, being fortunate that not a lot of people were around. From her experience in shopping there, it would be fully packed if there was a sales promo or if the store was open for special sales during public holidays like Golden Week and Constitution Day.
The tomboy looked at the same HD TV screen and saw the same ripple that appeared when Yosuke went through it. She saw him and Yu go through it, falling down on their butts. The two began to look around, worried that they could've been spotted by someone shopping around or one of the many employees roaming around to see if customers need help.
"Chie... What's the long face..." Yosuke was about to greet her when she threw the rest of the snapped rope into his face.
"You..." Chie seemed like she was about to cry her eyes out. "Did you have any idea how worried I was about you?! I can't believe this! You guys suck! The rope got cut off… and I had no idea what to do… I was so worried… I mean scared stiff, dammit! I hate you both!"
Yu and Yosuke looked at each other, feeling a bit ashamed for what happened earlier.
Yosuke sighed. "I... just think this might've been our fault."
"Tell me about it." Yu watched Chie run downstairs to the ground floor via escalator.
Yosuke stretched his arms. "Best thing to do is to apologize to her."
"Yeah." Yu nodded. "That should make her feel a bit better."
"Well... I'm heading home, get some rest and take a nice, warm shower before I hit the sack. Just being in that place made me almost worn out."
"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." Yu patted Yosuke's shoulder. "Just be careful out there."
"Yeah." Yosuke nodded when he wore his headset. "Same to you, Narukami."
Yu watched Yosuke leave the section, using the escalators to do so.
Well that can't get any worse...
The silver-haired teenager gritted his teeth hard. He knew that as a SHADOW agent, he's not obviously suppose to expose himself or the organization carelessly or the agency will disavow him.
Just how long can we hold her? And how is MOM going to spin this off in case the threat's been taken care of and she's able to wake up from the coma?
He can only clench his fists in anger as he walked down the escalator.
Supermarket Section, Junes Yasoinaba Store, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Yu received a SMS message from Ryotaro on his iPhone 4, informing him that he has a meeting at the station and will most likely come home a bit late. He also asked him to pick up some food in the supermarket.
He agreed to do so, heading to the seafood section to pick up some sushi or sashimi. From what Nanako told him, she liked them 'cause they're good.
"Let's see..." Yu looked at the sushi/sashimi, seeing Maguro (Tuna), Sake (Salmon) and Hamachi (Yellow Tail) in the shelves alongside Aji (Horse Mackarel) and Kanpachi. He decided to pick them up in sushi/sashimi variants, especially since there's a special discount sale.
He was on his way to pick up some other food when he noted that there was an incoming call.
"Hm..." Yu noted that there was an incoming call from the same unregistered number he saw yesterday when he arrived in Yasoinaba. He decided to pick up the call.
"Hello." The teen answered the phone call.
["Agent Narukami."] Yu realized that MOM is making contact with him.
["MOM..."] He whispered while he got his hands on the shopping cart. ["I'm not expected to make contact until I submit a report."]
["SID noticed that your last location was in the local Junes building. Did something happen?"]
The agent/YH student still remembered the fight that he had with post-Persona Jiraiya back in the Mayonaka TV World.
["One of my classmates decided to investigate the Mayonaka TV world to investigate Saki's supposed death."]
["And how did it go?"]
["He thinks that she really did die. Now I'm just waiting for SID to spin the damn story."]
Yu picked up Cantonese Chinese food and made his way to the self-service cashier counter to pay for the food himself. He scanned the food items and placed them in a couple of plastic bags.
["Keep at it. Just submit the report about what happened a while ago and continue with the investigation. Since you're staying in Yasoinaba for at least a year, I've made arrangements to have field support."]
["Understood, MOM".]
The call ended as Yu was about to leave the store.
"Well, I'll need to get a break soon. Away from this job like the last time."
Living Area/Dining Area
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Nanako and Yu were seated in the table on the living room area, which had tatami on the floor. With the food and water already on the table, they watched the TV regarding the local news as they ate.
"Dad's going to be late." Nanako told Yu with a sad look on her face.
"It's going to be okay, Nanako. I'll be in the house with you today."
"Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba. At around 7:00 A.M., local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area. Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim, and since Konishi-san was the one who discovered that body, police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi Yamano. The coroner's report has established her time of death at around 1:00 A.M. last night. The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area."
I'll need to write that part down. Yu looked at his young cousin and saw that she was bored.
"According to a statement released by the Yasoinaba Police, they have announced that they would like to seek information for anyone who may have an idea to what happened to Konishi-san, who was reported to be last seen leaving the Junes Department Store."
I just hope Yosuke won't decide to go there.
"Dad'll be home late because of this." Nanako said, feeling down that her father wasn't around.
"No worries, Nanako." Yu pointed his right thumb at his chest. "Onii-san'll be here to help out."
"Thank you. Can you help later with cleaning up the table?"
"Yeah sure."
The two of them continued to eat before the news segment ended. The weather segment came on and the reporter mentioned that it was going to rain for the rest of the evening in Yasoinaba, continuing on until the next day.
"How's the food, Nanako?" Yu asked as he drank the rest of the water from the glass.
"It's good." Nanako clapped her hands. "Thank you, onii-chan."
"My pleasure. Come on, let's clean up."
They later threw away the used packaging for the sushi/sashimi and kept those that weren't open for Ryotaro when he comes home later.
Yu Narukami's Temp Room
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Yu was wearing a gray sweater and black gym sweatpants as he was seated in front of a wooden desk with drawers, finishing up the rest of his homework when he heard a knock at the door. He looked at the clock on his desk and saw that it was almost 7:29 in the evening.
"Hey, thanks for the food you picked up." The door was opened and Yu saw Ryotaro greet him.
"Not at all." Yu nodded. "I just got extra so that we don't have to stop by the supermarket everyday."
"Good thinking." Ryotaro smirked. "If anyone needs me, I'm just going to my room to prepare my things for tomorrow morning."
"Okay."
"I'll leave you back to your work. So don't let me stop you."
Ryotaro left Yu alone to do his work.
Time to get some peace and quiet.
With the homework done, Yu began to write a report on another piece of paper. He'll have to use a post-it note to inform SID that the report'll be short since he was recently activated to investigate the town.
He continued to write the stuff down as needed. When he was finished, he used the smartphone's portal app to locate it in his room since he needed to drop the report in right away.
"Here it is." Yu found the portal underneath the shelf next to the door. He casually inserted it there, hoping that it'll reach the right person.
Since there were no orders/information from his fellow SHADOWs, Yu went to turn in for the night. He would turn on the CRT TV inside his room, but decided not to do so since he was a bit tired.
"They could've thought of a better way to send in field reports other than finding portals in unlikely places. I'll be sure to write it down when I send in comments."
April 15, 2011
Special Intelligence Division Office, The Center, Unknown Location
"We got an update, sir."
A female African-American agent inside the SID office got the report, who was told on an incoming object from the portal. He then used the Center's portal transport system to bring the report, now sealed inside a brown manila envelope to their office.
"Let's see it." A male Caucasian agent with brown hair in his 30s got the report and opened the envelope after he read the handwritten instructions on it, which said FOR SID ONLY!. A note was inside, informing him that the report he got was a copy since Billy gave the actual report to MOM.
"Okay. We got the field report from agent Narukami back in Japan! Let's go and update the board, Ayumi!"
"Yes, sir."
An electronic surface table was booted up by an intelligence analyst, who was female and of East Asian origin with short hair who spoke with a California-based accent. She worked on the table and booted the image of Yasoinaba and the surrounding areas, including Okina City.
"Okay..." The brown-haired agent checked through Yu's report. "Narukami mentions the sighting of the decoy corpse of Saki Konishi in this area somewhere in the residential area."
"Is it the same location as Ms. Yamano's?" The analyst asked when she marked the area with a circle.
"No. He said that it's a block or so away, but they should be near otherwise."
"Understood."
The map was updated to include the locations of the decoy corpse.
"Make sure to mark down the local Junes store. He also added in details that a portal access was added in from the Mayonaka TV world."
"Understood."
The map was later updated to included the Junes store.
"Man, I didn't realize that a lot of stuff has happened in April." Billy commented when he went inside.
"Billy, you're in time." The man greeted the alien.
"Thanks, Jack." Billy grinned. "How's the map going?"
"So far, so good." Jack pointed to the surface table's map. "We got all the points in the town where a paranormal was reported, either by the press or by agent Narukami himself through the field report we just got."
"Don't forget that junkyard." Billy pointed to an area near the outskirts. "Jang and the others found him there."
"Don't worry. I know where that is." Ayumi replied when she marked the location down on the map.
"So... is MOM sending out Jang and the others?" Jack asked Billy for details, feeling frustrated that they can't do anything else without further updates from Yu or from anyone else operating in Japan.
"I'm not sure..." Billy replied when he tapped his fingers on the hovercraft's armrest.
Hospital, The Center, Unknown Location
Last I heard, she's personally overseeing Saki's recovery from her coma. The doctors says that there's no luck, but MOM's convinced that there's a way to get her out of it.
MOM was seen checking on the doctors after they examined Saki's physical condition.
"How is she, doctor?" MOM asked one of the doctors, who was writing his findings down.
"Hello, MOM." The doctor, a male Caucasian in his 50s with blond hair greeted her. "So far, she's physically healthy and all. But the young lady's not waking up anytime soon even though the sedation used to keep her out cold has worn off for a few days now."
"Is it due to her being stuck in that alternate dimension?"
The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "It's possible. According to what agent Narukami mentioned in his field report, she didn't get any kind of powers while she was stuck there before he rescued her."
MOM pondered on what to do next. I have an idea, but I need his presence here.
"Is there anything else?"
"No. If anything, it's my opinion that the rest is up to her. From what I heard about her, she had a rough one ever since Yasoinaba got modernized by companies that moved into town."
"All right. Just keep me up to date."
"Understood." The male doctor informed the others to leave the area at once in order to reconvene for a meeting regarding any findings they may have.
When the doctors left Saki's bedside, MOM turned around saw the gray ballcap-wearing teen arrive, who wore his unzipped black windbreakers, jeans and black tac boots.
["Agent Kuzunoha."] MOM greeted the other Japanese SHADOW agent, accompanied by Gotou. ["Gotou."]
["I take that this is the person Narukami brought with him back out of that Mayonaka TV realm?"] Gotou stared at Saki's cot while he sat down on the floor.
["That's right. The doctors don't know why the young lady is still in a coma. I'm thinking that you may have an idea or two up your sleeve."] MOM looked at Raido before she looked at Gotou. ["Or in this case, up your paws."]
Raido checked his Iphone 4 and examined his Center-made apps. ["I may have something that could work, MOM."]
["I'm listening."]
["I'll summon a demon that can examine her state of mind, see if they can find anything that can help in the investigation."]
["Get to it."]
Raido accessed his phone's demon summoning program app and pressed the prompt to summon Raiho.
A few seconds after using the app, a blue swirl of light appeared from the smartphone. From the light came a white being that looked like a snowman with arms and legs. It was seen donned in an all-black cap, dress shirt, pants and Oxford-type shoes, typical of male students studying in Taisho-era Japan.
"It's been a while since we-hee last met, Gotou!" The white-skinned demon greeted the cat.
"We can get to a reunion later, Raiho." The cat addressed the demon. "Raido and MOM need your help ASAP."
"But of course-ho!" Raiho nodded. "Anything I can do to help."
"Raiho." Raido knelt down so that he can speak to it closely. "I need to try and see if you can cool Ms. Konishi."
Raiho looked at her cot when he followed the direction to where Raido's finger was pointed to.
"O-hee-ho-kay." Raiho gave the thumbs up. "But seriously, she looks o-ho-kay to me."
Gotou sighed. "Just do it, will ya?"
"Leave it to me!"
Raiho walked close to Saki's cot. He looked at her and raised his arms, hands above her chest. A swirl of white light appeared and enveloped Saki's body.
"Raiho's still good at it." Raido murmured, crossing his arms near his chest as he watched the demon used his Cool Down skill on the unconscious YH student.
"Yeah. He still is." Gotou agreed with him.
A few minutes later, Raiho walked away and saluted Raido.
"All done. She should be fine now."
"Great job." Raido recalled back to the app when he pressed the prompt button to summon him back.
"Be seeing you-ho!" Raiho waved goodbye before his body changed to a pillar of light and disappeared after a minute.
["Does that mean that we can proceed to check her out?"] MOM asked Raido while he was on the smartphone.
["It doesn't hurt to be sure, MOM."] Raido looked at the app for info regarding a demon named Mokoi. When he tapped the name, the prompt reminded him that it can be summoned. He did so and had the demon materialize the same way Raiho was summoned a while ago.
It had the appearance of a green-skinned demon with a plain-looking face and a fundoshi-like cloth wrapped around its crotch. It has hands and feet, but it appears to be in stumps.
["G'day, mate!"] The Mokoi greeted Raido, Gotou and MOM and waved its limb-like hand that held a small boomerang, speaking with a typical Australian accent. ["What can I do for ya today?"]
["Mokoi."] Raido addressed the demon. ["See if you get a good look at her mind."] He pointed out Saki to it.
["All right."] Mokoi said confidently while it approached Saki's cot. ["This'll be fair dinkum hard, depending on the lady's state of mind."]
The green-skinned demon tried to climb up the cot, but couldn't because of its limbs.
["Here."] Raido approached Mokoi and lifted it up and placed it on the cot next to Saki's head.
["Here goes mate."] Mokoi's body was enveloped in a gray and white aura as it placed its limb-like hand near her head.
["You think it'll work?"] MOM asked Raido and Gotou, not being that experienced in working with demons to investigate.
["Each and every know demon has its quirk in an investigation. Mokoi and Raiho aren't different from the others."] Gotou reassured the Center's current leader.
With its work now complete, Mokoi carefully jumped down to the ground. Its legs wobbled a bit since it tried to keep its balance. ["Whoopsie daisy."]
["So how did it go?"] Raido asked.
["She'll be right."] Mokoi replied. ["Our lady friend seems to have issues deep rooted in her psyche. Not sure on the specifics. But otherwise, just give her some time. Thanks to Raiho's Cool Down, she could wake up soon. She seems to be psychologically tired after what happened to her in that strange place."]
["Good work, Mokoi."] Gotou complimented it. ["We'll take it from here."]
Mokoi's body changed to a pillar of light before it subsequently disappeared.
["Good work, agent Kuzunoha."] MOM praised Raido's work. ["We'll get the nurse to monitor her condition. Meanwhile, I want you to be on immediate standby with the others."]
["Understood, MOM."]
April 14, 2011
Yu Narukami's Temp Room
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Yu was about to turn in when he received another SMS message on his smartphone. He opened the message and it only said one thing.
Suit up for tomorrow. More details will come by then.
Is this some kind of cryptic message that I'm suppose to know?
He was about to get some sleep when he heard a weird noise coming from the old CRT TV inside his (temp) room.
"Holy..." Yu saw a fuzzy yellow screen. But he didn't see anyone or anything there. After a minute or so, it died out and it reverted to being a normal CRT TV.
"Dammit..." He yawned as he stretched on his futon. "I should've tried to record that... whatever the hell was on the screen."
But if that's the case... then there's another chance that the yellow screen'll show up again near 12 midnight.
Yu reminded himself to make sure to record it with his smartphone.
April 15, 2011
Yu Narukami's Temp Room
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
It was early morning. And it was still raining outside, although the rain wasn't that strong. The sky was also a bit dark.
"It'd be nice to stay in all day and just listen to the rain instead." Yu grumbled when he stored the folded futon. I need to head to YH and wait for further orders while I try to go through the rest of the day.
He went on to take a shower and change to his YH uniform. He went out of the room to go downstairs when he saw Nanako speaking to her father.
Living Area/Dining Area
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
"Hello." Yu greeted Ryotaro, who appeared to have finished breakfast. "You're heading off?"
Nanako had just finished setting up the table and was just waiting for Yu.
"Yeah." Ryotaro replied. "Got some stuff to take care of, but it's almost done."
"Okay. I'll see you later."
"Just make sure to lock up when you and Nanako leave the house. Got it?"
"Gotcha."
After Ryotaro left the residence, Yu and Nanako ate breakfast together before they left the house to go to their respective schools, both of them using white transparent umbrellas. Yu made sure Nanako made it in time despite the light rain.
Somewhere in Okina City, Yamanashi, Japan
In the downtown area of Okina City, an idle white 2010 Mazda Bongo SK van was parked next to the sidewalk. The vehicle itself was parked near a commercial four-story building, which housed some offices belonging to various Japanese companies operating in the city limits and the nearby areas.
Three people were seen seated inside. Two were in the driver and front passenger seat with the third at the back.
["This is so boring lah..."] David murmured, seated at the front passenger seat while he scratched his black hair that was already starting to get long. ["How long 'til she gets back?"]
["How should I know?"] Mark groaned, using the binoculars to observe the building's multiple entrances. The short black-haired teen looked at the parked cars for anything suspicious.
["Can you guys keep it down there?!"] They turned around saw Gotou resting on the Bongo's first row passenger seats at the back. ["Even I need to get some rest."]
["Yeah whatever, cat."]
["Here she comes..."] Raido motioned to his fellow SHADOW agents to the sliding door when Jang came inside. She wore an ordinary white baseball cap with her long hair tied up in a ponytail.
The group wore jeans and different types of tac boots, except for Jang since she wore running shoes. Only Mark and Raido wore similar black windbreakers back in Yasoinaba. David wore a blue hoodie and Jang wore a gray bomber jacket.
["How did it go?"] David asked Jang after she took her seat inside the van.
Jang sighed when she stretched her legs. ["Looks like the place where the suspected safehouse looks plain. Just a simple office space rented out."]
["Let me guess..."] Mark lowered his binoculars and turned his head to face her. ["We need to conduct more surveillance on the place and see if that's the right one."]
Jang nodded.
["What about Yu?"]
["We'll get him to come with us later in the afternoon when he's out of school."]
["Does he even know about it?"] Raido raised the question to Jang.
["Yes, he does."] Jang replied to the devil summoner. ["In the meantime, we finish up our surveillance activities and prepare the report."]
["I just hope MOM doesn't keep calling me like I'm some dog who's ready. I mean, I got some school work to take care of first, ya know."] Mark sighed as he leaned back on the seat, using his hands to massage his temples.
Cemented Path, somewhere near Residential Area, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Yu had just finished school, already walking towards the direction of the Dojima Residence after being allowed to leave a bit early since he hasn't made up his mind yet on where to enroll among the school clubs he was told about.
If it wasn't for that, I'd be down to investigate whatever this Mayonaka TV world crap is going on...
His walk towards the residential area was pretty quiet, aside from keeping his head underneath the umbrella so that he doesn't get wet.
He was about to walk past the gazebo when he spotted someone familiar from his class.
Yukiko Amagi... I thought she had to leave in the afternoon to head back to the family inn.
The female YH student/Amagi Inn heiress wore a bright pink kimono with white tabi socks and red zori sandals. An umbrella was seen by her side.
"Oh, hello." Yukiko greeted Yu when she waved at him. He only nodded in kind. "Is school finished?"
"Yeah. I just left early 'cause I haven't decided on a club to join yet."
Yu walked up to the gazebo and sat down on a bench underneath the roof. His feet were a bit tired from walking, so he was thankful that he can sit down and rest for a few minutes.
"I assume you're wondering about the kimono I'm wearing?" Yukiko went straight to the point and asked him after he sat down.
"Sort of?" Yu shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, the class knew you had to leave due to stuff you're doing in the inn. But what are you doing here?"
"I was off doing an errand for my parents." Yukiko was glad to explain why she was seen sitting down on an unused bench. "I needed a break from all the walking."
"That's good to hear."
"So Narukami-san." Yukiko faced the YH newcomer and asked him another question. "How's life so far in Yasoinaba? I'd imagine that it's different from staying in the big cities, huh?"
"Life huh?" Yu murmured after he began to look at the cement-filled path, completely soaked in rain water.
September 2010
Somewhere in the Chechen Republic, Northern Caucasian District, Russia
["So why are we back in Grozny? I thought the OOPArt we recovered a few months ago was safe to stay there."]
Yu was seated in the front passenger seat of a black Hongqi HQ430 sedan with a Hongqi HQ300 of the same color and model year behind it. The sedans drove down the roads of Grozny. Behind them was a Hongqi CA7460 sedan. Two SUVs were seen traveling from the rear, which consisted of a BAW Luba BJ2032 and a Fuqi Conqueror FQ6510B1T.
The bystanders saw the convoy driving down in Grozny, asking one another if a Chinese VIP is making a visit to see the local VIPs or even the president himself since they saw the visible Chinese characters that were located at the trunk door. The locals don't see these Chinese-made vehicles in their part of mother Russia.
All of the vehicles are 2010 year models, except for the CA7460 because it's a 2005 year model and for the FQ6510B1T because it's a 2008 year model. The sedans were in black while the SUVs were gray.
They're seen with Russian private license plates, which bore the number 95 as the official registration number on the right side of the plate for any vehicles registered in Chechnya, regardless of their point of origin. A standard requirement was to have one Latin letter, three numbers and two more Latin letters. Below the name would include the international country code RUS in capital letter with the Russian flag next to it.
["You're not the only one who thought of that..."] Mark replied when he drove the HQ. ["The guy seemed to be assured that not even Kadyrov would touch him without a good reason."]
["Let's hope that this last second call isn't made because of someone in the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs. SHADOW can easily take care of said person."]
The convoy drove out of the main road leading to Grozny, the vehicles being close to each other, towards the direction of Argun. It passed by several bystanders on the road, some curious on where they're going.
["Does anyone know why the head of the motor pool chose these vehicles in particular?"] Yu asked his fellow SHADOW agent.
["Okay... I got a story for that since you just got added at the last few minutes."]
Mark narrated the story to him. According to the Center employees in charge of the motor pool, he was told that their mainland Chinese boss chose the vehicles in order to promote how far Chinese manufacturing has gone since China officially opened itself up to foreign investment in the late 80s with cooperation from various countries to improve their automotive industry.
Some SHADOWs agents in the mission, including Mark even though he's of Chinese-Filipino origin, simply called that remark a product placement due to nationalism and not whether the vehicles themselves were good or not when used in foreign roads. But that was a story for another day.
Mark and Yu heard beeping noises from their O-Watches while they were talking.
["What now?"]
["Agents!"] MOM's image showed up on the O-Watch's holographic communicator. ["We just received an update!"]
["What happened, MOM?"] Yu spoke when he heard his superior's urgent hail.
["We received an update a minute ago from Mr. Baisarov's residence."]
["What the hell. You mean the Ramzan Baisarov, the guy with the same first name as the current Chechen president?"]
["Yep. The Chechen businessman who made considerable investments to bring Grozny back to the modern era after the Second Chechen War..."] Mark replied when the convoy already entered Argun.
Now they just need to locate Baisarov's residence, which just happens to be a mansion located a few kilometers near the city center.
["Head to his place immediately! I just received an update from SID that he's under attack."]
["Do we know who?"] Mark asked his superior for info that can help them.
["No clue. That's why I ordered the deployment of the Tactical Response Force and have them accompany you guys. The regular agents just won't cut it. Most of them aren't trained to investigate things that involve armed goon squads that can bring their work to a halt. Last report I'm getting is that his bodyguards are repelling the armed men trying to breach his place. But it won't last long."]
["Understood, MOM."]
The transmission ended when the convoy arrived at the outskirts of Baisarov's residence. One of the metal gates leading to the driveway was already breached with signs indicating that it was destroyed due to the use of a RPG-type weapon.
["I just hope we're not too late..."] Yu muttered when he examined the driveway, which had bullet and grenade marks on the cement and gravel.
["Who knows..."] Mark drove the HQ as fast as possible. They only stopped a short distance away from the mansion's main doors because five 2010 black BMW X5 SUVs were parked in front. The driveway was fortunately big for four vehicles to drive inside.
Three armed men, wearing black balaclavas, gloves, jeans and different types of shoes, were seen already out of the mansion when they spotted the non-BMW vehicles. They shouldered their IZHMASH AK-74Ms and aimed at their direction.
["DOWN! GET DOWN!"] Mark shouted as the two SHADOWs heard automatic gunfire, which made holes in the sedan's glass windows and frame. They quickly opened the doors to provide some space as they ran while ducking to the opened trunk. The HQ and the CA7460 stopped from driving up the driveway further with several other SHADOW agents of various ethnicities drawing out their sidearms to open fire at the hostiles, using the sedans' engine blocks as cover when they got out.
The BJ2032 immediately drove up the driveway and parked it close to the entrance. A team of five TRF operators emerged out and engaged the three gunmen, armed with IZHMASH AK-105 carbines. They wore various civilian clothing with black tac boots and vests worn over their windbreakers.
For now, the focus of the gunfire seemed to be between the armed gunmen and five-man TRF team.
["Didn't expect this go south so quickly!"] Yu got his hands on a Model 1 Sales M16A2 Commando carbine, chambered in 7.62x39 mm ammo, already loaded with a 30-round magazine from a gun case after it was unzipped.
Mark quickly secured a Norinco Type 86S from another gun case, which was also loaded with a 30-round magazine. ["You're not the only one."]
The two peered out and saw one of the gunmen shot dead while the other two took cover by using their SUVs as cover.
["I'll cover you."] The Filipino SHADOW agent said after he secured his hold on the Chinese-made bullpup assault rifle.
["All right."] Yu gave the thumbs up. He shouldered his carbine and waited for the go from his partner to go in.
Mark hugged the right side of the HQ430 and opened fire at one of the X5s behind the sedan.
Yu saw this and took the opportunity to move when he immediately made a run for the two hostiles. When they were at his sights, he immediately opened fire at them while they were busy taking on the TRF, being surprised that they were shot at.
The TRF team moved in after Yu swiftly took them down. He aimed his carbine and fired a few shots at their corpses to ensure that they were dead for good.
April 15, 2011
Cemented Path, somewhere near Residential Area, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Yu's silence for a few minutes left Yukiko confused and wondered if she asked a sensitive question.
"Sorry..." Yu sighed as he placed his arms behind his back and stretched them upward. "I zoned out for a minute..."
"Oh..."
"Well, it's been a while for me since I last stayed in a quiet place like this." The teen explained himself. "So yeah... It's pretty nice out here. Very different from the cities."
"I'm happy to hear that..." Yukiko nodded with approval before she asked him. "Are you getting along with Chie so far?"
Chie huh? I can't just explain that she just ran off after she saw me and Yosuke enter an HD TV screen to head inside to the Mayonaka TV realm. I... better keep things quiet for now.
"It's not a problem. She's been very helpful in getting a seat in class next to her after the first day."
Yukiko smiled at him when she heard his reply. "I'm glad to hear that. Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the little extra push I need.
We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes."
Yu nodded when he listened to her.
"Oh… I should get going. I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our inn can't function without me right now. Um… I'll see you at school, then."
"Bye." Yu said his goodbyes to her before he walked towards the town's residential area. As he got closer to the area, he spotted a teenage girl wearing clothes that would be fitting for goth females... Maybe.
"Pardon me..." Yu approached her since she was looking at the Samegawa Floodplains.
"Yeah?" The girl turned around with a bit of an irritated look on her face. It was there that he got a good look at her. "What do you want?"
To be specific, she wore a sleeveless white shirt, a short black necktie with various safety pins and a checkered skirt along with a black belt and a fancy, golden buckle which resembles a heart with wings. Additionally, she has black-striped red protective sleeves and black-striped white stockings. Her black long, dark gray heeled boots are checkered as well.
She carried a deep blue bag, adorned with golden designs and a peaked cap. She also wofd a special red choker necklace with a lock on her neck.
Maybe she needs advice on how to dress up... Ah, who cares?
"Are you from Yasoinaba by any chance?" Yu asked the girl. "I can't help but notice that you've been staring at the floodplains for the past few days."
The girl turned around and went back to stare at the river water. "No. I mean, I dunno where I'm from?"
"O...ok."
"The only thing I do remember is my name. And it's Marie."
At least I can take comfort that she's not Japanese and she's not from around here. But that's not enough for me to go on in terms of finding out who the girl is.
"Nice to meet you." Yu introduced himself. "I'm Yu. Yu Narukami."
Marie's cheeks turned red after the introduction. "It'snicetomeetyoutoo!"
Yu raised an eyebrow at her response. "So are you going to be fine on your own?"
"Yeah. Don't worry about me." Marie sat down on the side of the road to stare at the water.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then, if I come across here again."
Marie didn't say anything except for a brief mumble. "Mmmm..."
He went back on his journey towards the Dojima residence. He got a SMS message from his Center-issued Iphone 4 with a message.
You're needed in Okina. Head there once you're done with school.
"What's happening in Okina?"
As the teen was approaching the entrance of the Dojima residence, he checked the mailbox outside for any signs of mail. Seeing that there wasn't any, he went inside and changed clothes.
He wasn't expecting to see Nanako until around 5 in the late afternoon.
"Guess I'll have to find out."
Yu looked at the wall clock in the house and sighed.
"Better use the portal. The train to Okina'll take a while."
Somewhere in Okina City, Yamanashi, Japan
The SHADOW agents seated inside the Mazda Bongo SK van saw the sliding door open to reveal Yu, who's now dressed in a gray hoodie, facemask that covered his nose and mouth, jeans and brown hiking boots.
["Get in."] David greeted Yu. ["Ms. Jang will debrief you on the matter."]
["Yeah, I know."] Yu replied as he entered the Bongo and closed the door from behind. He took an empty seat inside.
["Do you still remember the debriefing you had last time before you went on leave about Okina?"] Jang asked Yu as the latter lowered the facemask down.
Yu nodded. ["I still do. Rumors from the underground alleged that some intelligence agencies were setting up here since some Kirijo Group scientists who were familiar with the Dark Hour live here."]
["This is still being confirmed, but we got a report a while ago from Billy that these agencies are focusing on what's happening in Yasoinaba."]
["You're kidding, right?"] Yu raised an eyebrow, feeling some skeptical on his superior's information.
["Nope. It's just like the OOPArt operation in Chechnya. The Russians did try to get their hands on them to be a better superpower than they are right now."] Jang shook her head afterwards.
["Great..."] Mark sighed. ["As if nukes aren't enough for them, they wanna get some ancient relics to boost their firepower."]
["Even the American, the British and French are stepping up their game on this."] Jang got back to explain the situation to Yu. ["We're still not sure if any new players are in the city, but we're still checking on whether the Bordurians or the Russians are here since SID got reports that they've suddenly gained an interest in the city since a month ago or so."]
["So what's happening?"]
["For now, we step up the surveillance operation if and when it commences. SID's not finished in getting some locations. I've been able to scout some locations according to what SID said in the morning, but nothing yet."]
["Guess this means we're going to go back to square one."] Raido replied.
["Yep. Seems like it."] Mark yawned. ["I guess for now, we wait."]
Jang nodded. ["MOM will get back to us if we'll be assigned to the city on a permanent basis, if at least to investigate Okina and put a stop to the agencies getting involved here."]
["Understood."] Yu replied after he nodded.
["If you don't have any questions, you can go back."]
Yu got up from the seat and was about to leave when Mark spoke to him.
["Guess we'll see you soon, Yu."]
Yu gave a thumbs up before he left. After he left the vehicle, the van drove off to an unknown location in the city where the team would disband for the meantime until they got new orders.
["Just be on standby. You may have to leave Yasoinaba if an op requires your presence."] Jang gave Yu his future orders when he saw a SMS message on his smartphone, typed out in English.
["Understoond, sunbae."] Yu gave the reply to the message in English.
He later used his smartphone's portal app to look for a portal that he can use to go back to Yasoinaba. After he spent some time searching, he found the nearest portal back to the town via the Thirty Frame Movie Theater.
The bad news. It's back in the female toilet stall.
I really need to talk to R&D if the portal app has it out for me or it needs to have its bugs tweaked out properly.
Living Area/Dining Area
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
Yu entered the Dojima residence after he appeared in Yasoinaba via portal in a street near it. He's near lucky that no one was walking by.
"Welcome back." Nanako greeted her cousin after he entered the house.
"Hi, Nanako." Yu greeted her. "Did you just arrive?"
Nanako nodded.
"Okay. We can start to get dinner ready. I'll have to change first."
"Did you go jogging?" Nanako asked him as Yu was going upstairs.
"A bit. I plan to do a lot more after school to get some exercise."
Nanako and Yu were almost done eating their dinner, which consisted of some Cantonese Chinese food Yu bought from a trip to Junes a few days ago when he went there to restock on water. The TV showed the news channel from NHK's Kofu TV Station with breaking news regarding the case of Saki Konishi.
Damn. I wonder how NHK's going to report this?
"Good evening. In breaking news from Yasoinaba, the Yasoinaba Police has released a statement regarding the murder case of Saki Konishi. According to a representative who made the release, Konishi-san was found dead in the early morning in the town's residential area. They are also assuming that the case is similar to the case regarding Mayumi Yamano-san."
The news channel showed reporters listening to a female plainclothes officer speaking to them when they were asking her about any more updates regarding the investigation after a resident reported the sighting to the police.
"We have no further information as this point aside from the fact that the resident found the body of Konishi-san in the early morning. We are still investigating her background to see if she met anybody or spoke to anyone that may have led to her death."
"But Inspector, what about the rumors that she may have been bullied by her peers?" A reporter raised his hand after the female officer spoke. According to her ID, it appears that he's from the NHK.
"We have already looked into that." The inspector explained. "According to her classmates and the principal, there have not seen or heard anything that Konishi-san may have been bullied in and out of school."
Nanako looked sad. "Dad's going to be home late again."
Yu sighed, feeling sympathetic for her. For what he knows about her, her mom got killed at an early age due to a driver hitting her intentionally in a hit and run incident. So far, the police weren't able to get any major clues aside from the fact that the automobile involved is a European-made one and rumors in the town suggested that the driver was able to flee and live overseas for a few years now.
"Nanako. You don't need to worry." Yu tried to put on a smile for her. "Your nii-chan'll be here to make sure you're fine."
"I'll be okay." Nanako thanked Yu for his support. "Can you help fix things around the house after we finish dinner?"
"Yeah. Sure thing." Seems that Nanako can be relied on at such a young age.
When two were finished, the news channel changed from local news to a special coverage regarding the Amagi Inn.
"Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark. Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs. After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes."
A male voiceover began to narrate the news channel's brief special regarding Yasoinaba's Amagi Inn.
That's Yukiko's inn... Yu saw the TV show the Amagi Inn compound after he started to wash the empty dishes. I wonder what's going on?
The TV showed an image of Yukiko in her pink kimono, who was speaking to an inn staff member when the reporter was seen on camera approaching her.
"Excuse me, Amagi-san. Can we get a few minutes of your time?"
Yukiko turned around to face the reporter. "Oh, are you talking to me?"
"Yes. NHK has gotten relevant information that you're the inn's acting manager in the meantime. Is it true that you're still in high school right now?"
"Oh, but I'm here as of today to fill in the position since the manager is taking some time off because of what happened with Yamano-san..."
"That aside though... You look pretty in that kimono, Amagi-san. You must have a lot of male visitors who go to Amagi Inn every day."
"No, I don't think that's the reason..."
Yu sighed when he saw the reporter continue on and on about Yukiko before it broke into a commercial, saying that the special will air at another time.
"Glad that's over." Yu murmured when he moved to help Nanako make sure that nothing was left behind in the table before the two would take a bath and be in their rooms to do schoolwork for the rest of the night.
At least that's typical for a normal high school student.
Yu Narukami's Temp Room
Dojima Residence, Residential District, Yasoinaba, Nakakoma, Yamanashi, Japan
With Yu now back in his temp room, feeling refreshed after he took his bath, the teen was now catching up on his studies.
The night was very quiet. Something that he liked once in a while.
A quiet night like this. Yu was reading up on his history books when he got a phone call on his Center-issued smartphone. He decided to pick it up.
"Hello?" He picked up the phone at once after he answered the call.
"Narukami-san? This is agent Kinoshita from SID."
Yu looked at the door to see if anyone was knocking or something. "What's wrong, Kinoshita-san?"
"We're getting some faint traces of paranormal activity in Yasoinaba."
"Did they say where?"
"Not yet. Just be prepared to check the town in case we get an update."
"Understood."
Yu ended the call and went back to finish up his schoolwork. Although one thing crossed his mind.
Is there another event that I need to head back to Mayonaka TV again?
He took a peek outside and saw it was already raining. Raining very hard.
Hmm...
He continued the work until it was almost 10 in the evening. The student/part-time SHADOW agent turned on the TV in his room, which was on the NHK news channel. The report was on the weather in the country. A male reporter in his 30s wearing a blue suit and white dress shirt was giving the weather report.
"In other Yasoinaba-related news, meteorologists are predicting heavy fog throughout the year. The region has seen an abnormal amount of fog over the past few years, and the cause of the climate change is unknown. Whatever the reason, residents of the Yasoinaba area should be extra careful."
Yu was about to text to the SID about the weather update he got when he received an incoming SMS message.
"Agent Narukami. We've heard of the recent NHK weather update. We're still continuing to investigate if the weather has something to do with the murders in Yasoinaba. Be on standby for further instructions."
"That Kinoshita guy's quick to hand in the update. Wonder if we have an agent inside NHK?" Yu promptly deleted the SMS to prevent any compromising information from being publicly read just in case...
Yu prepared his futon and was about to turn it when the wall clocked showed that it was 12 AM. Even though the TV was off, it somehow began to turn on. This prompted him to use his smartphone, using the video capture feature to record what was happening.
The TV showed the silhouette of a female in a kimono. The image was in black, for the silhouette, with the background being entirely in yellow that it was hard to get a good look at the person's face.
That person's familiar... Is it...
Yu recorded the TV screen as he approached it.
I remember the guys in school saying that you can touch the screen after 12 AM. Is that part true? I better test it for verification.
Yu slowly placed his left hand on the TV screen while his right hand held the smartphone, since it was still recording. Not to his surprise, his hand went through the screen. After a few seconds, he took his out. A few minutes later, the screen turned off by itself.
I need to inform them.
He used a newly Center-made app to encrypt the video and deliver it to HQ. Thanks to the World SIM card's powerful LTE network, which was also developed by the Center for its exclusive use, he was able to send it to HQ in a few minutes without any problems.
"Alright. I need to turn it now."
Yu went to sleep in his futon, wondering what was going to happen the next day.
?
Yu woke up when he was suppose to go to the toilet and pee before going back to sleep. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he's seated upright.
The other thing he noticed was there were two persons inside what appears to be a limousine with the interior customized for a couch, a small table and a drink cabinet with a built-in CRT TV on the side. Everything inside was blue from the flooring to the curtains and the door frame and windows.
"Ah, I see that you're awake."
The first person to speak was a Caucasian man, whose head is almost bald except that he has white hair at the back of his head with black eyebrows. He had elf-like long ears and a long nose. His attire appears to be a formal tuxedo with a hanky stuffed in the front pocket. He also wore white gloves to conceal his hands.
"Igor..."
Igor smiled, being pleased to hear Yu remember his name. "I'm pleased to see that you remember my name. You remember Margaret, my assistant?"
The woman seated next to him has short blonde hair, a blue headband and dress with black stockings and blue high heels.
"Of course." Yu replied when he faced Margaret. "I haven't forgotten about Margaret at all."
Margaret nodded to acknowledge him.
"You're very calm for a young man like yourself when I called for you from the real world to the Velvet Room." Igor addressed Yu, taking note of how calm he is when he showed up in the limo.
"I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime that I'm not surprised anymore."
"My master and I would like to congratulate you for awakening and follow the destiny of your inner voice." Margaret spoke up next after Igor.
Yu paid attention to what Margaret said.
Inner voice? That must've been when I summoned the Persona in Mayonaka TV.
"Thanks." Yu replied. "I've been doing stuff like that for a while."
"Well then, allow me to present you something that can useful in your journey. Please hold onto this."
Igor's left hand went for the pocket in his tuxedo jacket. He then handed it to Yu when he got it.
"This key will serve as proof that you are a guest in the Velvet Room." Igor began to explain to Yu the rules of the Velvet Room after the latter kept the key. "Our destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance: You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."
Yu reflected on what Igor told him after he got the key. He began to remember the missions he took for the Center before and after he joined SHADOW.
"I understand, Igor. After all, I'm a SHADOW agent and it's my responsibility to protect the world from evil that seeks to ruin man."
Chapter 3 END
PS - If anyone can assist in getting a cool story cover of Yu Narukami in a hoodie, similar to the one I'm using, please let me know. We can discuss things further. Anyway, this took long 'cause I had to travel with folks to Europe since my old man got a discount on Cathay Pacific for a few weeks, which kinda thrown the update slightly off. In case anyone's asking when's the next update happening, I'm saying that it's not anytime soon since I have distance education to take care of soon, so that gets top billing.
Anyone familiar with how the events of Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden would know by now that the events taking place are happening in a different matter. This is mainly for the story breaking thing that Yu is investigating the Mayonaka TV myth a bit early. Perhaps later down the road, it'll happen with a few other events.
I had a hard time in finding out how to describe Mokoi in words, so I had to improvise... Also since Mokoi is from Australian myth, I thought it'd be appropriate to give it Australian English slang when it talks. Anyway, just putting it out there.
For those unfamiliar with Japanese words and all, onii-san is used when you (usually) refer to someone as your biological brother. In this case, it's treating him with more respect when you use this term.
And to those wondering about the parts in Chechnya, it means that yes, I had to do the research even up to the minute details. Wasn't that easy, but I'm confident that it's really worth it just to get the feeling of authenticity in the chapter.
Case you're wondering what the hell is a Kanpachi, it's a type of fish that's under the Yellow Tail family. Anyone's who been eating sushi/sashimi for a while now would have already eaten this by now. If you haven't... then you're missing out on good food.
Also, I dunno if Yu's one-liner to Igor works or not. But I added that in, considering that he's (in-universe) a SHADOW agent for a while now and he's no stranger to danger.