Chapter 4: (Un)expected Call
Live was sometimes a funny thing to Akechi one moment it liked to really to beat him down, than the next it liked to give him every whim he asked for the fact this almost happened in the span of 15 minutes, made him want to laugh for the third time on this day, well at least he could assume this Alibaba person was the hacker that hacked into the polices case file storage and get his mother's to ask for his "help", but whatever they were planning he just needed there name and he could put an end to this minor setback. He'll just play along for now, so he decided to play dumb first and texted back -who is this, please I have little time on my hand and don't have time to be dealing with Fans who happen to get my number- he has to first see if the hacker in question bites in order to get them, into a false sense of security in order to get information out of them. -this is no ordinary fan, I am Alibaba Hacker of Justice I help the people in need with my talents- came back as a replied, well that was at least a good sign that the hacker seemed to not back of so easily, but some more probing was needed -Well I don't work with Vigilantes/Terrorist so, please refrain from messaging this number unless you want to have this number tracked and be arrested for cyber crimes and harassment- he wrote Afterall he needed to first gauge if the hacker was willing to deal with the possibly of arrest. -ha as if you could track me, if you don't even have proper cyber security- well it seems they were confidant in their handiwork, well alright fine he might as well play ball at least a little. -alright considering you don't seem deterred by my proposition I might as well listen to what you have to say or I guess write. Ha ha- he might as well go into this as the "Detective Prince" in order to come off as more of a convince able supporter. -Ugh keep your lame jokes to yourself and your lame TV audience *eyeroll-emoji*- well that was an interesting response, it seemed like they were not as easily swayed well not that that mattered much with how he was going to approaches it. -oh, I apologies, that my humor isn't well suited for Hacker that bust into my phone for no reason that I can discern- well if they wanted to get Akechi's attention they were going to get his full attention. -ugh how about you drop, "the overpolite act" and just talk to me like normal person, slry I can see your just putting on the act for your audience- "oh there good" Robin said with in his mind, before Loki said: "psh, everyone with a more common sense the average person could make such an assumption!", well the seamed to be able to read in between the lines, and tell past Robin Hood alluring public Image and going after him was to big of a threat to ignore so he keep venturing on. -alright I suppose I can try now how about you get to the point and don't keep me waiting-Akechi started gather the last of his things and take his suitcase before making to leave, he would chat with the Hacker on the way to his Apartment, Sae would start asking Questions he could not afford being asked, if he looked like a wreck in the morning. -you're the one that is delaying the inevitable question- Futaba wrote in her chat window, man this Detective was more of an enigma then he looked with how quickly he shifted in tone (in text, but still), this was getting more and more exciting well if he wanted to play she would play hard alright, that's when Akechi wrote back-and you're the one wasting my time, so get to it- wow now he seems to begetting impatient, but it seamed almost normal for him to act like this, rather than just being an Idol after a long workday.-alright I'll ask already I must know the truth behind the Death of Wakaba Isshiki- and just like that as soon as she saw her name again not only was her mood back in the dump but she could hear the voices again, but she had to hold strong and there was this tiny whisper in her ear to give her strength ("Stay Strong Futaba Isshiki, don't avert your eyes from the path to the truth"), she couldn't exactly make out what the voice was saying but it sounded familiar and gave a warm pleasant felling, and suddenly she felt invigorated to continue the conversation. Meanwhile Akechi was staring at the screen of his Phone speechlessly he was supposed to help this hacker to figure out the truth behind his first public Mental shutdown victim. Well this was info he wanted, but he wasn't expecting it to hit him in the face like a freight train full of bricks, well in for a penny in for a pound clearly this hacker had some ties to Ishiki's past and he was going to find them but he'd "listen to them" -hello? You still there?- well he supposed was stuck internally debating for to long- Yes I just had to think about your Request? Why would you need to concern yourself with a woman, that committed suicide?- he asked not only to get information, but he was starting to get genuinely curious himself.-That is non off your business- well that was an expected response, well it seems he found a weakness he could strike at as Akechi finally got home a sinister grin made his way onto his face before typing-then what should I help you with? By all accounts the case has been solved and there is nothing more to the case!-Futaba just looked at the message and suddenly she something hot curl in her stomach, it was an emotion she didn't feel very often (anymore) "Anger"!-you dare question me! I'd be very carful about your choice of words!- Yeah that will show him for daring to Label her mother's Case as closed. -And what would you do, if I don't stop?- oh he wanted to know he wanted to know, oh she'll show him -Well if you won't comply then this Case folder will find it's way onto the Internet *attached Link*-Now Akechi was starting to see Red too how dare this Hacker threaten his mothers already very dammed Reputation and not only that, this could be a threat to his plan, while it would be possible to clam that this record was unrelated to him if someone remembered and would recognize him, then everything he had worked for to this point would be for nothing. "We need to find them, kill them, No Destroy them nay Annihilate them, for dare too threating us (and our Family), but first let's hurt their feelings for thinking there the boss of US!" Loki screamed in his Mind and he was incline to agree. -and what's there to care about a useless cognitive researcher, that jumped into the Road because she couldn't handle the Stress from work!- oh now Futaba was absolutely lived at this point she wanted to punch him in his stupid model face but instead she just continued the Chat, but the problem of when you write something on impulse is that you tend to make mistakes. And so… -And what would you know about that! Mom was one of the best Cognitive Psience Researchers to this day everyone is just too stupid to see that! So stfu you phony Detective! - Akechi immediately focused on the insults an was already tipping -oh yeah and your just some lame brained coward, you stup – when he stopped and looked at the message again and read through it … "Mom?", he questioned out loud as he looked at the message again and again, deleting what he wanted to typ. Meanwhile Futaba is laughing to herself thinking she really severed it to that detective brat, but as she calmed down and looked at her message again. She just felt the cold sweat start to collect on her forehead, as always her cyber-security is top notch but it is the human element that is the bane of her existent (well that and her Trauma of her mom's death but we already covered that so Yeah…{btw not making fun of traumatized people}) she first just sat there frozen in shock for like 2-3 minutes and immediately then jumped into overdrive and quickly edited her message hoping the Detective didn't notice the slip up. -And what would you know about that! Wakaba Isshiki was one of the best Cognitive Psisence Researchers to this day everyone is just too stupid to see that! So stfu you phony Detective! – ugh and her she thought she served the Detective some retribution for his insolence and instead served herself on a silver pattern to this Police-Detective, keep it cool Futaba just play dumb if it comes up and everything will be alright. Akechi looked at the message, when suddenly the text was edited to were instead of the word "mom" standing there it read "Wakaba Isshiki" instead clearly they were trying to cover there slip-up, "we got them right were we want them time to stri-. ", Loki started, when Robin interjected: "Wait we still don't have a name first of all and if they are the child of Wakaba then we shouldn't do this. Afterall we gave her our word!" Loki looked up at that and was about to argue back that Robin was spouting nonsense again, but then a memory buried deep within the subconscious of their other self seem to emerge again –"Goro … it's okay, just promise me that my daughter will be alright!" said the Shadow of his metaverse mentor said, he looked at the ground and to the side still shaken from the conversation from 2 days ago, at black and green wall of the Cognitive Garden-research Center, behind the black mask with the Red tinted visor, left arm still out stretched holding the Gun. He looked at her again and said: "I promise." She told him some other things he currently didn't remembered … and then she closed her Yellow glowing eyes and he pulled the trigger *bang* and then the shadow crumpled in to the usual black smoke and a little black blood lay on the floor, when he was sure that the job was done he looked around (why did it feel like somebody was watching what he did). Well everything looked clear, time to leave – as the memory subsided Akechi looked at his phone and reliesed something. Futaba Isshiki, he rembered back when he first got into the cognitive research program in order to get more dirt on Shido, when he was assigned to Isshikis workstation, how she would talk very eccentrics when talking about her research, but when she brought up her kid she would always talk with him on eye level (how she told him he'd make a great brother to Futaba and that he was like the son she never had), back then he was to busy to focus on his revenge that he only payed half a mind to the words back than (something he deep down regrets), but he still remembers the Photo on her desk of black haired girl who was like 11 with Wakaba doing Featherman posses in the Living room of their, what he presumed, Apartment. Well this is interesting so the hacker was Futaba Isshiki, but that didn't answer the Question of why she wanted to contacted him or why she wanted to know about her mother's death. As far as he knew she went on to live with her Familie (something he was very jealous about, having no biological Family that cares about him) and decide that she was safe enough there as per Isshiki wishes, and he even went on to convince Shido to leave Isshiki's daughter alone, aleast from what he knows but he was busy with his plan so, that is all he knows so he can't say much of anything about Futaba's situation. So instead he will just ask. -hey now that we both have had our little outburst, how about we ignore that all happened and you tell me actually why you want to know about Isshiki's death- as Futaba read the message she was still in a massively paranoid state, did he really not notice her slip up or was he just acting that way? Regardless she needed to play along and act like everything was okay, but to be fair she also was being a little rude to him and did blackmail him with his own Mother's (still unconfirmed, but still very likey) Case. So, the least she could do is be honest back now -well I want to know what happened to her, I have been thinking about her death for almost 2 years now and I know what it says on the case, but something within my mind is nagging at me and telling me this is all BS and that there is more to this. That there is more to this! So pls Detective you're the only one with the *legal* access to the right resources - Akechi just sits down on the couch his small Apartment he has (thanks to Shido), and starts to think about the situation, could Futaba be aware of her shadow could it possibly given her context about Wakaba's death? Well he could just ask it himself, but he didn't know if she had a palace or if he'd find her in mementos, well he could try later now he'd just finish his conversation with her. And maybe also do some digging into her current situation. -well how about, we make a Deal. I'll help you with what you need to get the closure surrounding Isshiki's case and in turn you Delete that file you stole out of the police archive- he write to her, to which she replies -okay but I'll keep the case until we wrap this situation up, can't have you bail on me Detective - ha he couldn't hid the smirk that creped onto his face, he just like Isshiki-san, maybe he could just tell her to stay out of his way and forget all about this so that he could keep his word to Isshiki. -alright Deal- he replied back and suddenly the world seems to freeze and he heard a voice
I am thou, Thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new Vow
I shall be the Blade and Bow of Justice
That shall change your Fate from Ruin
With the Birth of the Hermit Persona
You shall find the Path of Freedom that'll
Safe you from the yoke of this twisted game
Hermit Arcana Rank 1:
New Ability:
Third eye: you can now see hidden things, that can't be normally seen
Navigational support: Chance to get buff on self or reveals enemy's affinity, also chance of when entering a new Area to get a complete scan of it.
What was that this has never happened before or no he remembers a Quiet whisper, when he talked to Isshiki and Nijima but it was never this prominent and what are these new abilities, ugh he deals with this in the morning. -Great- his Phone chimed, oh looks like she just sends her message back, well it was already dark out so he has to post pone any further Info gathering to the next day. -yeah, and while I appreciate our chat and deal. I have a busy school/work day ahead of me and I am sure so do you. so, could we shelf this conversation till tomorrow.- he wrote -aw but now were starting to get along, beside it's not like you can't Learn the things at school at home- -true, but that's not the point I have a busy schedule ahead of me and don't wane be responsible for you to get in trouble for being late to school-Futaba wanted to argue with Akechi a little more, but then a another Idea poped into her head at this point, grinning devilishly then writing -alright you right, I should just head to bed have a good night! - she wrote before cutting the communication, not wanting him to get the last word in. Akechi looked at the last message before worries started to set in, not worried for Futaba but rather what she had planned, he tried to message back but it only resulted in Error messages, right now he was to tired to care so he just made himself bed ready, got into his pajamas and lied down on his bed, and despite everything and who normally was he found himself saying: "Good night Futaba Isshiki." Before dosing of. Futaba meanwhile set up her alarm and also got bed ready, but she also found herself in the mood to say: "good night Akechi" before falling asleep.