Chapter Text
"Une perte de temps!"
Adjusting her shades over the bridge of her nose, Mitsuru stepped through the automatic double doors of the hospital, a frown upon her usually unperturbed features.
Leaving the hospital after interviewing a few victims of past psychotic breakdown. Narukami was following right on her heels as she marched onward, the crowds parting before her as her high heels clacked sharply against the concrete floors.
"Uh... Sorry, France isn't my strong suit, Mitsuru." The silver-haired man leaned towards her whispering, slowing their walk down to an even pace."Still learning how to properly say 'How much do we pay you?" and everything."
With a huff, Mitsuru rolled her eyes, but still, she had a smirk playfully gracing her features at his joke."Une perte de temps. French for, "A waste of time."
Yu hummed. "Yeah, we're still at a dead-end."
Mitsuru clicked her teeth, frustrated at the results from the last lead.They had interviewed as many victims, and staff at the hospital they could afford to cover, unfortunately the facts remained the same, either no memories or merely a complete lack of clues was gained from anyone they had spoken with."No new insight either... It's frustrating knowing that despite our best efforts, we've made absolutely no progress with locating the source... even if there may not be any, I refuse to give up."
Walking past the busy people wandering the cityscape, a few people couldn't help but cast glances her way. Intimidating, if not regal, bearing, and alluring charm, Mitsuru had always commanded respect and attention due to her sheer force of presence. Her impeccable and refined style of dress, an appropriate fashion that effortlessly matched her inner pride, and powerful ambition.
She tugged at the front of the dress shirt, fanning herself lightly, a tired expression replacing her fierce countenance from moments ago, the subtle show of fatigue breaking from her mask of strength for just a brief moment.
"The idea that we've wasted a whole day doesn't sit right with me." Mitsuru began as she put away the papers and files from the meetings back into her bag. "There are just far too many uncertainties about the situation, a situation that's getting more serious each day.." Her voice took a stern, serious edge.
"Right... Still, even if the journey isn't a direct path to the end, It's a start." Yu offered a reassuring nod, not breaking his stride and maintaining a pace alongside her. "It just means we have to look in more unlikely places."
Smiling, Yu could tell her mind was still swirling around their dead-end investigation, likely filled with unanswered questions, doubts, fears, the usual when thrown into situations like these. That growing frown of hers wasn't missed. The creases of her mouth drawn tight, not a good sign.
Sighing, Mitsuru stopped in her tracks, arms crossed tightly under her ample bust, nails digging into her palm with a quiet creak.
"Merci, Narukami-kun. Your support is most appreciated.... Narukami-kun?... Narukami?...Yu?" She asked, the young man seemingly disappearing into thin air. A frown firmly tugged at the corner of her lips.
Where did that man wander off to?
Turning in a circle, Mitsuru failed to spot him anywhere nearby. Did Yu actually wander off like some curious cat on the loose? She'll have to have words with him later for doing that on an operation. Turning on her heels, two cold drinks were thrust in her face, holding them were a pair of slender hands, each holding a drink with a napkin wrapped around the top of each.
"Yu...?"
"Drink?" he responded casually as he offered her the bottle, condensation dripping onto his own hand. Taking the drink off his grasp with her free one.
"How the hell?" she started before a laugh from Yu silenced her.
"Didn't mean to go AWOL on ya, Mitsuru-san. You looked real serious, so I thought some drinks would help take the edge off." He replied with a gentle smile, which eased Mitsuru's sour mood.
"Hmph. Please, next time you choose to stray away from our current path, notify me beforehand?" she requested.
"Roger that, partner." he mockingly saluted, smirking at Mitsuru as she rolled her eyes.
A gentle smile soon crossed her face, which transformed into a grin. Shaking her head, she walked to the corner of the nearby subway entrance. Sitting on a set of benches overlooking the underground tunnel, patting the empty space beside her, Yu took the place on her right as they sat for a brief respite, relaxing their minds and allowing the two an opportunity to reset mentally and resume the investigation with a clearer and fresher mindset.
Wiping the sweat dripping on her face with a sigh of relief as Mitsuru cooled down in the shade, Yu cracked open the soda bottle, taking a quick swig,"This isn't going to be easy.. " He remarked with a soft breath.
"You and I both know that," She replied before a light-hearted smirk settled on her features, patting him on the shoulder. "But when has that ever been enough to stop us, Narukami-kun?"
"Heh... Yeah."
The quietude allowed them to exchange light-hearted banter and jokes, a comforting reprieve. The cool breeze from underground flowed upwards and circulated out the station. Filling their lungs with crisp and refreshing air. A world away from the humid haze.
Mitsuru was finishing the last few gulps before wiping her mouth,"Hah. Thanks." Yu could only nod silently and smile, never looking away. "This city certainly is... uuugh my head, " She mumbled, her hand cupped against the left side of her head.
Just like her, Yu was feeling a slight ache forming behind the skull. An abrupt sensation of numbness. And just as quickly as it came, it faded."You alright, Mitsuru-san?" He asked with an outreached hand, placing a comforting touch upon her shoulder, easing his partner's concerns with a simple and reassuring touch.
"Must've drank my soda a bit too fast," she replied.
Nodding, they both decided they had taken long enough of a break.
Picking themselves up, they threw out the empty soda bottles, the plastic clinks resounding off the trash cans, heading in the general direction of the main district.
"Personas... Shadows... The answer won't just land at our feet. Not easily anyway." Yu added while adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. Mitsuru was already in her thoughts and outlining their next step on their schedule.
A robotic female voice coming from Yu's pocket pulled them both back from their mental processing."Personas... Shadows... Answers... Beginning navigation."
Pulling out his phone, Yu's face morphed into confusion, finding that same pulsating eye-looking icon he kept deleting had mysteriously made a return once again to his device."Again?!" Yu's remark gained Mitsuru's attention who looked just as puzzled and concerned as him.
"Narukami-kun, you ok?"
Her own words felt distant as he became dizzy. The scenery slowly began to change. Distorting and becoming twisted and warped before his very eyes, the usual people and noise that accompany a bustling metropolis gradually vanished. Their existence faded like chalk off a school board, disappearing and vanishing into nothingness, leaving them utterly alone.
"What the hell is going on?!" She yelled out as their surroundings had become barren of people, leaving nothing but empty and dark buildings all around, the entire block, no the whole city had somehow just been left empty of anyone but them.
Gazing away from his phone, Yu shared a glance at Mitsuru, confirming he wasn't just seeing things. A nod was all she could provide.
"There's... No one," Yu trailed off before Mitsuru bumped him to get his attention.
"Careful.."She gestured and pointed towards the skies above, the clear and perfect blue hues were gone. Instead, a menacing deep crimson had replaced the once bright azure colors of the skyline. The color itself seeming unnatural and foreboding in and of itself.
This place it felt.... familiar. Like his time in the Midnight Channel. "Mitsuru-san, does this feel like -"
"The Dark Hour."
Narukami nodded firmly as her affirmation all but cemented their fears. "Whatever's going on. It definitely has ties with Shadows. There's no other way."
Eyes darting around the two seemed to hone in on the subway entrance across from them.
"Somethings not right," Yu stated." Mitsuru-san, could we please go down the platform and check things out real fast?"
"Ok... But whatever you do, do not wander off. Ok, Narukami-Kun?" Mitsuru asked.
He nodded, carefully walking to the top of the staircase and descending towards the entrance. Yu shivered, something deep inside, his guts was writhing inside, that creeping familiar feeling, that sensation, it was like the crawling and coiling sense of dread felt in those early days of dealing with Shadows.
Going down the steps his and his partner's footsteps echo in the narrow concrete pathway, the sounds reverberating off the walls and filling the underground with an almost haunting sound.
It was quiet, eerily quiet, and abandoned, a stark contrast to the roaring rush of passengers this station usually accommodates at the height of midday.
Yu winced, and he clutched at the wall, feeling a pulse behind his eyes. The building headache only increased his uneasiness at this unusual locale they had somehow arrived at."Damn..." His fingers tightly dig into the skin on his temple with a tight wince.
"Yu," Mitsuru whispered."This place gives me a bad feeling... a real bad one." She murmured softly, a distant memory being recalled as a long-familiar aura pulsated in her consciousness.
"... Yeah, but..." Yu stood up and took a breath. He tried to think to focus, but his thoughts were just a sloshing mush in his skull at the moment. Something he had felt years before and never imagined he'd be forced to remember in vivid detail, he shivered as the memories that were just like now, in that familiar time of dread and emptiness."We should explore a little to be certain..."
His concern grew with each passing moment. Down more steps, leading deeper into the empty darkness. Finally, arriving at the terminals below. But no crowd waiting nor even a sign of activity were visible, no commuter train to fill the station. All the lights were out and flickering. Empty. Abandoned. A cold and strong wind greeted Yu and his companion as the only warmth they have found is the fire burning in the pits of their gut and hearts."Do you understand what this is, Mitsuru-San?"
Eyeing the tracks that distorted and lead to a large expanse of unknowns at the end. "Like it or not, I'm starting to." she replied.
Gazing out upon the winding network of tunnels, the station had opened up to reveal a maze. Much like an ant colony, pathways crisscross and branch out to make a twisting puzzle of steel tracks. At least from what she could make out anyway, the space seemed to distort the further you stared, and it hurt to think about it.
They stood and stared at the strange otherworld that was a mockery of their reality. Everything seemed so quiet. Nothing moved, and nothing could be heard beyond the winds rushing out the depths of the maze.
Steeling himself for what would come next, Yu took the first step. Leaving their realm and into that unknown space, his feet meeting the hard cold floors, a step at a time. The path under him leading deeper down into the empty expanse.
A good distance away from her initial spot, Mitsuru called to him, breaking the tense silence with her firm and commanding voice."Narukami-Kun, wait!"
At that, a large Shadow burst out from the darkness. Landing in between him and his partner. A massive menace, its body looked like an impossibly stretched out humanoid shape. And its proportions were all over the place. As the tall thing reached a staggering height. Towering well beyond either of their heights combined, limbs impossibly thin and long, and multiple masks jammed haphazardly all over its body, an incredibly bright blue color emanating from its eyes.
Its appearance was alarming, and in a quick motion, it let out a deep guttural groan as it swung towards the young man. Making to dodge, another sharp pain burst through his mind. The beast's spindly limb slammed into his frame, sending him crashing backward through the air, until his back finally collided with the wall.
"Narukami-Kun!" Mitsuru cried, fear coursing through her veins as her teammate crumpled against the barrier.
Barely taking a step towards him, her own movements were halted as her mind became foggy, an intense ache pounded from every inch of her skull as an immediate migraine overwhelmed her. The pain forced her to the ground as her entire vision shifted and warped before her eyes.
Loud thuds shook the ground near her, as two more of those towering Shadows quickly manifested, surrounding her and blocking the nearest exit. Trapping them.
Seeing Mitsuru now collapsed and at the mercy of the monsters, Yu struggled to stand on his own, legs buckling at his weight and chest heaving laboriously as his own chest felt like it had taken a hammer blow.
He could feel that familiar sensation coursing through him, yet it wouldn't manifest. Forced back under his skin, locked away from his grip. Yu wanted to let out a shout of fury, yet no voice was let out. A strained silence befalling him as the young man focused all his senses onto that source of power. He needed to reach his Persona and push its limits.
Stomping toward him, the Shadow that had floored him mere seconds ago raised a lanky arm high and loomed over him. Blue-eyed visage shifting from side-to-side like a camera on its axis, before tilting and locking dead onto Yu, letting out another powerful roar, shaking the ground as it reeled a fist back and then violently swung at him.
Like a lighter that wouldn't turn on no matter how hard the person would click it. Nothing. As much as he tried, the young man simply couldn't access the strength his Persona held. All that was achieved was making the world spin even more and worsened the agonizing beatdown that was sure to follow.
A sudden voice pierced through the fog and numbing agony that consumed him, snapping him into reality. It wasn't just him in danger. If something were to happen to him, then there wouldn't be anyone left to help Mitsuru.
'Has thou forgotten everything thing you've ever achieved up until now..?' a faint, but distinct and deep male voice hissed as he fell on his hands. 'That which is the origin of your power.'
Yu watched as the fist inched closer, ready to crush his form. The seconds stretching on and on into minutes, the voice in his ears growing louder, yet gentler, filled with concern but a burning determination.
'Whether through blinding fog or... corruption of power. The truth of one's own heart and resolve is not something easy to erase...'
'I am thou.'
A burst of power suddenly erupted and coursed from deep within him. Knocking the Shadow off-balance and startling the beasts. Yu blinked, eyes wide as that feeling once more rushed through his system.
'Thou art I,'
Feeling something on his face, Yu's hand touched the skin. Feeling some kind of light weight on the tip of his nose. Focusing on his fingers, he traced it along the surface and came into contact with metal, sharp, and straight edges, leading up to three distinct tips. A mask. A visor of sorts, feeling something surge through him. An almost inhuman will.
Gripping the foreign object, his muscles tensed and strained before, with an unholy cry. He ripped it clean off his face, blood gushing from the spot as a result. Yet, that didn't faze him, and in a brief moment of clarity and focus, he grinned.
A bright light soon followed, the air around him filled with pure energy and his hair billowing upwards like a sudden storm had entered the enclosed space and covered him with its presence. His muscles surged with electricity, body burning as his stamina skyrocketed.
Ignoring Mitsuru, the two other Shadows joined their companion, raising their limbs and looming over Narukami with malicious intentions. Each lumbering arm brimming with power, ready to release it down upon the lone warrior.
Watching the display through hazy and unfocused eyes, a stunned Mitsuru couldn't barely see as the beams of light suddenly covered him, enveloping Narukami with power until only his silhouette could be made out among the sea of silver-white.
Laughter that sent the Shadows taking a step back from their prey as the form of Izanagi materialized over his master, the light subsiding into the air like wispy vapors, leaving behind Yu clad in a very different getup than moments before.
White trench coat. Long and flowing, with gold linings. With a pure silver chest plate and matching greaves and gauntlets, both reflecting the same unwavering nobility as his Persona.
'Your truth and conviction never shall fade...never will it break!...Even with the very weight of the world on your shoulders. That which dwells inside will remain a beacon of truth.' The words from that gentle yet firm tone never ceased their stream, reverberating through his soul and pounding against his chest with each syllable.
"Izanagi..." Yu rasped, hand thrust outwards as an unseen command was carried to its target. His Persona rose its long spear in reply, its silver edge gleaming as a slash of energy was manifested, sending it rocketing towards the group of Shadows in the blink of an eye.
Slashing with unmatched fury and speed, the concentrated force smashed into its targets, cutting clean through their towering figures and causing them to take their true forms with a screeching wail, the humanoid shape of Eligor and two angles replaced the twisted mess they once were.
Wasting no time, the former Investigation team member stood and beckoned Izanagi once more. Like an extension of his own body, he guided the Persona through a series of techniques. Thrust, slash, a sweeping arc of power, the arcana was a thing of beauty when the situation permitted it.
Watching Yu and Izanagi clash against their opponents, Mitsuru slowly shook her head, snapping herself out of her shocked state. Clearing her head and steadying her mind, Mitsuru gritted her teeth, pressing her hand onto the stone surface as the pain in her mind flared.
'Will you just sit and do nothing then?!’ A soft but strong and warm woman's voice roared against her psyche.
'Let life go unaltered by your own choice and be the puppet pulled by the strings of those with power? Will you accept that fate as is or stand up against the world as you did before? Answer, for that power still slumbers and calls for your touch.'
Just like with Narukami, a shock wave of power broke free and out of her body. A sudden weight on her face caused her to recoil as it materialized.
Cold and thick in shape, it curved up to two sharp prongs, like a masquerade mask that a nobleman would have worn during a festival. Gripping the object tight, her features scrunched together, and she ripped the mask off.
A glowing sheet of ice materialized around her body. Dispelling itself and leaving Mitsuru cloaked in new garb. Similar to her catsuit-like gear when she took the field but with a couple key additions to fit her regal style. Gone was her fur coat, replaced instead with a silk white shawl. Her chest plated with a corset-like piece of armor that gave way to skin-tight, black material.
Materializing from behind the Kirijo heir, Penthesilea gave a firm nod, twirling its sword in hand as its wielder rose up.
If one squinted at the pair, it wouldn't be hard to see the family resemblance between the woman and her Persona. As the figure floated effortlessly beside the woman, striking an imposing stance, Mitsuru's eyes narrowed sharply under the crown-like mask.
'Your experience has taught you that life is to be lived! Not bound by chains and left for those in power to decide. Those who refuse to let others choose for themselves deserve naught but defeat!'
Standing upright with a wave of the hand, Mitsuru gave the order for her Persona to join the battle. Giving her partner the breathing room needed to collect himself.
Effortlessly, the two Personas cleaved and stabbed the two angelic foes, dispersing them into the void. Leaving Eligor, the lone member of this particular Shadow group.
However, as it was backed against the wall, it would prove the most stubborn opponent, trading blows with Penthesilea while dodging and parrying a series of devastating blows from the long spear Izanagi kept launching his way.
Returning to their users, the two finally stopped and collected their bearings. Catching their breath, Mitsuru eyed her partner with a determined gaze. Nodding once in his direction, the signal was clear. It was time to finish this.
"Izanagi, Zionga!"
"Penthesilea, Bufula!"
Synchronized, two swift motions. Two final and decisive moves. A lightning bolt rained down, followed by a giant block of ice, slamming into the horsem*n-themed foe.
The shock and ice took its toll quickly, and Eligor groaned and warbled loudly. Finally collapsing as its body fizzled and broke down into a mist of dark fog.
They waited to be certain their foe had been destroyed and that any stragglers who might wish to join the fray hadn't come into sight. They allowed their breathing to regulate after such strenuous and harsh fighting, resting for a moment.
Walking toward Yu's side, his back pressed against one of the walls of the twisted labyrinth, Mitsuru gently placed a hand on his shoulder."You ok, Narukami-kun?"
The young man nodded in confirmation, "Yeah. Yeah... I'm alright..." He responded, his voice slightly hoarse, staring ahead into the expanse. He shifted towards the exit in the distance, leading towards the station terminal. Gaze then traveled to his left side, noticing the change in attire Mitsuru sported.
"Nice duds, Mitsuru-san." A coy smile on his face as she shook her head, smiling at the sudden joke as he slid his hand from the wall and his knees gave a soft pop, his posture straightened out as Mitsuru walked up, her heels clacking on the hard surface.
"The same can be said about you." A co*cky grin flashed over his features at her retort."Although, I wonder." She rested a hand on the curve of her hip."This doesn't seem to be anything remotely like the Dark Hour, is it?"
Checking out his new attire, Yu reached to touch the smooth polished armor of his chest plate, almost in a daze, as he gazed upon its impressive craftsmanship and delicate detail. "Yeah, I don't recall the TV ever making things like this." Yu motioned to his person and his new wardrobe."This doesn't seem to even follow our rules either.."
Looking each other in the eye they shared a serious stare, noting how each of their masks had a regal almost majestic appeal, clearly designed for function but also purposely adding on a hint of flair to catch attention."Certainly." Mitsuru's smile tightened into a grim frown.
Shrieks and roars suddenly erupted from somewhere deep in the bowels of the subway tunnel. Turning their heads in the direction, MItsuru's knees buckled under her weight, exhaustion finally catching up to her. Yu rushed forward and caught her, his hands holding tightly to her side as she reoriented herself, her form pressing against his frame as he lifted her to an upright position, hand thrown over her shoulder and his face leaned close to her ear."Mitsuru-san?" He asked softly, placing his hand onto her side."Are you alright?"
Panting harshly, she regained her footing, righting herself as her partner's fingers continued to firmly clutch her body before her weight returned, placing it squarely on her legs. "I'm fine. It seems I've just forgotten how taxing these matters can be. It's been years since I've fought a true Shadow in combat.."
Nodding, Yu couldn't help but agree as that surge of energy had completely faded, his body now feeling like it had gone an entire week without sleep. It seems that with the end of this conflict, he had just now felt all the injuries, aches, and pains brought upon him by the battle.
"Yeah. This has drained us," Yu noted." Let's get the hell out of here."
Helping Mitsuru move her legs, they worked as a single unit and marched as quick as their stamina would allow, bodies aching as the tunnel led to the same platform that housed the terminal entrance to the underground labyrinth.
Up the steps that lead out and onto the streets the world distorted once more, reality falling back into place as their surroundings returned to normal, a rather mundane sight compared to the broken and empty landscape that greeted them.
Busy crowds of commuters rushed back to their daily routine, ignorant to what had just occurred, unaware, yet protected by their naivete and ignorance.
Finding the nearest bench nearby, they made a b-line for it and dropped onto the cushioned surface, resting, while catching their breath. Mitsuru's head rested on top of his shoulder as her chest heaved heavily. "J-Just what was that..?" She stammered as she composed herself, letting the warm sun rays greet her cool skin.
"I don't know," Yu replied, the palm of his hand rubbing his temples as his vision swam in a mixture of blur and spinning. Searching his memory for anything that could help explain this situation to the best of his abilities, his fingers twitch. His hand pulled out and found the cause, staring at the eye pulsating on the screen.
"...This app. I think that maybe it's involved..." his suggestion as he showed the pulsing icon. He remembered a robotic voice emitted from his phone and was the catalyst for the world shifting on its axis.
Reaching for his phone, the heiress glanced curiously over his screen. Her eyes studied the seemingly innocent-looking application. After a few brief moments, she looked up to his eyes, lips pursed into a thin frown.
"I can't say if I recognize the brand name or anything similar..." Reaching into her own pocket and grabbing her cellphone. Unlocking its interface. Maybe she could find the app on the market for herself, perhaps with some research…
Unlocking her screen, her eyes darted back and forth. Shock was clearly written all over her. Frown curving down, brows slanted and crinkled in disbelief before her focus traveled over to his own expression. Her usually calm eyes hardened with stony resolve. "Narukami-Kun."
"What?" Yu's head slightly tilting.
"The app. Look," Turning her screen toward him, he saw the same red symbol displayed on their screens."It's on my phone..." She confirmed."But I know I haven't downloaded something like this, and no one else besides me has access to my phone and passwords.."
Leaning over his seat and head turning his eyes locked on her own, the heiress noted Yu's conflicted frown, deepening, lips tugging and arching downward, drawing his brows closer. An expression of worry, disbelief, and anxiety combined.
"...Yeah, don't like the sound of this at all."
Placing a firm hand on his leg, her face peered deeply into her phone."We need to figure out what the cause of all this is and quick..." She affirmed.
With a loud huff, he heaved his upper body upward, spine bending and creaking in the process as he got to his feet. A yawn forcing its way through his throat, Yu stood to the full length of his body, hands massaging his lower back and spine with a satisfied hiss.
"You mean after we head back to the suite to shower, and rest, right?"
Eyeing Yu in his peripheral vision, she stood as well. Rolling her shoulders with a satisfying crack. She breathed through her nostrils. Eyes shut tight."Of course, Narukami-kun. The best thing to do first is to have ourselves fully functional. Being exhausted will only serve as a burden." Her tone filled with agreement.
Yu nodded. Pushing back his hair, he felt his clothing clinging tightly to his skin, sweating. They both had their suspicions. Yet neither party were happy to know a new threat may have taken root in their midst. One which may prove to be even more troublesome and deadly than before.
