Chapter Text
“YU!”
Yu jolted to attention. The…Velvet Room? Why now, of all times? Yu wanted to simply rest so he can handle what comes next. His day was already filled with lots of curveballs.
Yu felt someone shake him. “A-Angelia…! I'm here, I'm here…” Yu pried her hands off of him, looking around. “...Wait… huh!?”
This is…
NOT the Velvet Room.
“Yeah, uh…” Angelia scratched her head. “Don't ask where this is, we'll worry about that later.” She faced the silver haired transfer with a smile. “But, uh, I managed to figure out how to pull you from your dreams like Igor does! Don't tell him about that. Anyways! I pulled you here for a reason! Look!”
Angelia pointed towards the east. There was an assortment of things just…lying around the floor indiscriminately in one corner. From a distance, they looked to be…paper and pens? Plates that once had food on them? Looking at said papers were the two other Velvet Girls, while they were comforting-
“...!? Teddie!”
Yu shot up to his feet and made a beeline towards what he saw, startling Angelia. Upon getting closer, there was no doubt in Yu’s mind that he was looking at Teddie. The bear in question looked up at the sound of Yu’s voice. “S-Sensei…?”
By the time Yu reached Teddie, he was already on his feet as well. “Sensei…! It IS you! How did you get here…? …Wherever this place is?”
Yu pointed a thumb behind him. “Thank Angelia for that. But that's not the problem, here! Have you been here this entire time!?”
Teddie instantly sulked, and that was a sign for Yu to reel it in. “I…still don't know. …Honestly, Sensei, there…there are a lot of things I don't know about. You know that by now. But…”
Teddie took off the head of his suit, revealing his real face. It looked…different. All of the features that Teddie copied from everything were gone, now. His blond hair was just that, a natural blond. His silver eyes were back to being blue. He lost the spikes, the three toned black and gray, the heart shaped cowlick…
But despite that…it was still Teddie. Teddie's sad eyes failed to make eye contact with Yu.
“...Sensei…let me tell you a story,” he ominously began. “There was once a Shadow. A Shadow that lived in the Midnight Channel. As we guessed, the Midnight Channel and Shadows as a whole are all born from human thoughts. This particular Shadow, however…started to awaken its own original thoughts. Thoughts…that would differ from the humans around him, but still make him like a human. The problem with that was…”
“...Any way you put it, Shadows aren't meant to be in the human world normally. That's why…in order to get past that roadblock, he…’placebo’ed’ himself. He made himself forget that he was a Shadow…all so that once he made the jump…people would like him.”
“And…that Shadow…”
“...Is me.”
Now that it's out there…Yu felt ashamed that he didn’t make the connection before. It would explain how a talking bear suit managed to come to be in the Midnight Channel.
Teddie sniffed. “What the other Teddie said before… In the end, it was all true. No matter how much I searched for myself, I have no self… There was no me to begin with…not only that, but…once I did realize that…I…I freaked out…”
“He…vanished before my very eyes,” Penny reminded Yu. “I never seen anything like that.” Teddie could…do that?
“I know this because I…” Teddie hesitated, before he continued. “...I found another Shadow that was like me not too long ago in the Midnight Channel. He could talk, too. But…he still looked like a Shadow. That would've probably been me if I messed up the process, or just never bothered trying to change my appearance. He looked completely different, but…I felt the same weird energy that I sensed from myself within him. Rachel-chan felt it, too.”
Rachel silently nodded at that, confirming the validity of Teddie's statement. Does that mean there's another super Teddie-like Shadow running around the Midnight Channel now? …How can Teddie even do all of these things, if he really is a Shadow?
Yu didn’t think about that for too long, as Teddie suddenly latched onto him. …The poor boy was shaking.
“Y-Yu…I didn't mean to make you worry…! I'm…I'm sorry that I just left like that! I-I didn't know what to do, and I was so scared and confused! I…I…!”
“...Can I…”
“...Still stay…? Even if you know the truth now, can I still stay…? I…I don't care if Shadows aren't supposed to be in the human world…I don't wanna go, Yu…!”
“I don't wanna go… I don't…wanna go…!”
…Did Teddie even have to ask that?
Yu hugged him back. “...I'll tell you as many times as it takes. You don't have to leave.
…You can't leave. We don't want you to leave, either.”
Yu would be damned if he let a dear friend like Teddie vanish from his life. That's something that will simply just not happen.
And Teddie made a promise, remember? Multiple promises, to Nanako, to Hyde, to Yosuke, to Yu…and to himself.
Much like Yu…
Teddie didn't break promises.
“...Thanks, Yu. For everything.”
“You really are a kind person, you know that…? If there's one thing I know for sure…”
“...I'm glad that I met you.”
Yu Narukami has forged another bond that cannot be broken.
Teddie soon broke off the hug. “...Whew…I feel…sleepy all of a sudden…”
“You're not going to vanish on us like you did earlier, are you?” Angelia asked in a semi-joking, semi-serious tone.
“Aha…no, no…” Teddie shut his eyes. “I'll…just close my eyes for a bit…I'll come back soon…that's a promise…”
Then Teddie started to fade away once more. “No! It's happening again!” Penny promptly freaked out, and tried to grasp any part of Teddie. “Don't leave us!”
Before any of them knew it…Teddie was gone again.
…But Yu wasn’t worried. He honestly didn't know why…other than the simple reasoning of “He's my friend. I trust him.”
Yu eyed the strange skies above him.
“...He'll be back.”
His sentimental moment didn't last long, as he felt someone reach up and slap his face. “This is the last time I will do any favors for you!” Rachel snapped. “I swear, my hairs are turning grayer by the second whenever I decide to fret over you lot! Why do you all refuse to keep things simple!?”
Yu rubbed his cheek. “Ah, you love us,” he told her. “Don't hide it. But in all seriousness…thanks for helping. Really.”
All Rachel did was huff, and turn her nose up into the air. Penny and Angelia both shyly twiddled their thumbs. These three girls are the ones who found Teddie. Not only that, but it was Penny and Rachel who managed to fend off that bizarre Shadow that lunged at Teddie. Not that Yu knew that. He just figured that this whole ordeal took a lot of effort. Now then…
“New question,” Yu began. He looked around the very-clearly-not Velvet Room. “Wherever this place is, can we get out?”
“I mean… you can?” Angelia pointed out. “You just have to…wake up, right?” Is it that simple? That's good, because in all honesty, Yu actually believed that he was in another dimension. Case A: The giant glowing obelisk that had a bunch of blue runes across it.
…It looked like a giant gate. A gate that led to…where, exactly? Would Yu ever know?
“So, yeah, just wake up,” Angelia repeated. “We'll, uh…find another way out, I guess. We managed to get here, so we can find a way out.”
Penny let out a displeased hum. “That's reassuring.” Yu gave her a look, because when has he ever heard Penny snark? Angelia grumbled something that was most likely very crude, but Penny simply ignored it, turning towards Yu. “You are all still busy with the case, aren't you? Don't worry about us! Just…make sure that Teddie is okay…okay? And one more thing…”
Penny handed Yu a slip of paper. “This was one of the things that was lying here,” she said, gesturing towards the scattered plates and stationary around the floor. “I don't know its significance, but…I think it mentions you.” It does…?
Yu didn’t get time to question it, as he felt a sudden invisible pull carry him away. Angelia let out a shaky gulp.
“I think he found us.”
Who's “he-”
“Augh…!”
Yu blinked, and his vision was instantly filled with familiar Velvet. One of the first things he managed to deduce…
That, and the familiar strange man in front of him. “Welcome back, dear guest…once again, you find yourself deviating from the path set out for you.”
Igor found him. He said that without any malice, however. Like always, he just sounded pleased/pleasantly surprised. “Where do these paths take you…? What mysterious beyond what we know will you discover…? Where indeed…”
His grin grew wider once more, as he let out a chuckle. “You are always throwing everyone for a loop. I must say, you have gone above and beyond my expectations, dear guest.”
He leaned back. ”…Well, now… It's about time we departed once again. This vehicle is still on its journey… There is no reason to tarry here for long. If you would, Margaret…?”
Margaret noticeably hesitated, before nodding, and without warning, the limo began to move once more. So…he is making progress.
…That's good. That's one worry placated.
Yu woke up in his futon, and the first thing he noticed was the slip of paper in his hand. Of course it found its way here. Sitting up, he unraveled the contents and prepared himself to expect the unexpected.
…
…A poem. Written in a dainty manner. It looked…off-putting. As if the person writing it didn't usually write this nicely.
Little Crybaby is kind. Kindness borders onto nativity. Knowing that, Little Crybaby still chooses to be kind. As Little Crybaby does.
Little Crybaby is gentle. This gentleness is what makes Little Crybaby loved by all animals. Docile enjoys docile. Or perhaps they see Little Crybaby as harmless, not docile.
Little Crybaby is clumsy. Oxymoronic, yes. Little Crybaby's klutzy nature clashes with Little Crybaby's gentleness, yet is still…endearing.
Little Crybaby cries. Why else would Little Crybaby be called Little Crybaby? Little Crybaby is sensitive to almost everything. And yet, the valid reasons that would make people cry merits no tears from Little Crybaby.
Little Crybaby has resolve. Who would deny such a thing? We are one and the same, sharing the same misfortune, and yet Little Crybaby holds no hatred in Little Crybaby's heart. Only determination. Something that I lack.
Little Crybaby values friendship. Little Crybaby vows to hold our bond, no matter what. For someone as flawed as me, Little Crybaby still extends that love. A valuable gift for an unworthy being.
Little Crybaby chooses to never forget. Little Crybaby wasn't forgotten, after all. Like how I was.
Little Crybaby is lucky.
I am not.
…That's all there was to it, we were told.
Is that knowledge why Little Crybaby acts the way Little Crybaby does around me?
Is that knowledge why I have hatred for my love, while Little Crybaby does not?
Is that why Little Crybaby is my dear friend?
Who would deny such things?
…
…This doesn't make any sense.
With that obvious fact confirmed, Yu opened the drawer where he kept all of the gifts his friends gave him. Ragna’s gloves, Ayane's V.I.P. pass, Kou's letter, so on and so on.
He shoved the paper inside, closed the drawer, and moved on with his damn life. Not to be mean to whoever wrote this, but…
Yu had bigger fish to fry.
“Okay. Seriously. Where is Teddie.”
All Yosuke could do was shrug at Ragna’s accusation. “Nobody’s seen him…yeah, he's still M.I.A.”
“It's as if he just…vanished,” Akatsuki mumbled. “You all said this wasn't normal, right?” Multiple nods came his way.
“It's not like he was in the Midnight Channel, either,” Ruby pointed out. “I did check, after all.”
“You sure did!” Yosuke snarked. Multiple glares were pointed Ruby’s way, and all she did was shrink in place. “Ugh, whatever. You didn't end up hurt, thank God. Anyways, we gotta actually check and see if Adachi did bail inside the Midnight Channel.”
“I know you're concerned, but let the expert handle this, Ruby-senpai,” Rise told her. With that, she went into the tv, the rest following her.
It should be easy, since they have an idea who they're looking for. But they didn't expect it to be easy. When was it ever? It wasn’t back then, why would it be easy now?
That presence of super thick fog was still present inside the Midnight Channel. “Yeah, this is bad, guys,” Rise obviously stated. You called it, Ruby-senpai. This place is getting more dangerous.”
“Man, why did you have to get all paranoid?” Kanji grumbled. “Now my nerves are shot, Ruby-senpai.” That just made Ruby sulk more.
“Everyone is saying that the fog is making them feel sick,” Yukiko brought up. “Is that actually the case?”
Hyde wanted to say “no way,” but considering how Nanako got really sick from it, not to mention the rest of them having to rest up after they got out of the Midnight Channel, it's seriously possible. “...Even if it is, wouldn't the real world…I dunno, dilute it?”
“Dilu-what?” Yumi gave Hyde a look. “Midnight Channel fog is completely different from the fog in the real world, no? How is the fog in here even able to come out of the tv?”
“I think a better question to ask is ‘What's the reason why it shouldn't,’” Chie bitterly remarked. “We don't know how this place operates.”
Rise suddenly tensed up. “I sense someone!” She announced. “...Yep, that's definitely Adachi! So he did sneak in here…!”
“Are you sure!?” Yosuke pressed. “Where!?” Rise raised up a finger, about to point towards a direction…then lowered it. The idol bit her lower lip as she seemingly struggled with something. “...Rise?”
“I…I'm still trying. He's really hard to pinpoint, for some reason,” the Idol told everyone.
“Can't we just split up and find him?” Ragna questioned. “There's only so many places he can run. The bastard has to be backed into a corner.”
“Do you actually want to run the risk of splitting up and going alone?” Naoto pressed. “You, who has insisted how much of a terrible idea it is to venture off alone? You, who has chastised many others, myself included, for doing such a thing?” Naoto eyed Ruby at that.
“Yeah, we're not doing that,” Yu affirmed. “Just wait for Rise to work her magic.” Okay, fair. They seriously can't keep doing that.
…But considering how Rise was still seemingly struggling, it's not like they have any better solutions. “...Ugh, Ted! You couldn't have picked a better time to vanish!?” Rise whined. “He would be able to answer the question of why I can't find Adachi. He better come back soon, or I'll…I'll… I’mma do somethin’!”
“Kujikawa-chan, just…please focus on the matter at hand…” Akatsuki muttered. They can't make progress if Rise is distracted. It's the time for steady patience.
They just had to wait…
“...Phwaaah…”
A sigh escaped his lips. Back at the hospital…back in the human world. The world for humans.
…And me.
Teddie eyed the walls around him. …Everything is so nice here. The people living here take these things for granted. It's all easy on the eyes. Not to mention the nice people. And the good food! And all of the fun stuff to do, and-
A small chuckle escaped Teddie's lips. …Jeez, Antenna Head. You read me like a book.
“To you, this place is more ‘home’ than the Midnight Channel, and you know it. Don't act like it isn't! You just can't come here, trash my place, then say ‘Aw, golly gee, fellas, I gotta-I gotta go back in the tv.’ That's dumb. Stop being dumb, Teddie. You love it here. And that’s fine.”
No matter how many hundreds of hundreds of bad ideas and dark thoughts entered Teddie's head, he just COULDN'T bring himself to actually leave. Not like I can, after all of those kind things everyone's done for me! How did this even start, anyway?
“...I just thought that you have faulty memory, or something like that. Maybe you don’t remember the last time you saw this.”
“...Maybe you can’t remember.”
“...Maybe you don’t want to.”
…Teddie frowned. Who the heck did that girl think she is!? That's, um…gaslighting! No, evil maxing! Grrrrr! Both! I'm mad! Why, I oughta…!
“Teddie!”
Teddie was suddenly dragged out of his angry thoughts upon feeling someone tackle him. A pair of soft arms curled around behind him, scaring him a bit. “Yikes! Stranger danger! …Wait… Nana-chan!”
“Ahahaha!” Nanako giggled as she buried her head into his back. “I missed you! You were gone for so long! Big bro and everyone else said that you were looking for something important, and that's-that's why you were taking so long!”
Nanako eyed him with innocent, cheerful eyes. Happiness and cheer that wasn't present before she entered the tv. “Did you find it?”
“Huh? Um, y-yeah…” Teddie grinned, and nodded. “Yeah. I found it, Nana-chan.” I was looking for proof of life, essentially. Proof that I deserve to stay here. It doesn't matter if I'm a Shadow. Or a Seithr beast, or a Void, or a Grimm, or an Arcana, or a Yōma, or a clone, whatever!
No more deep self reflection for this guy! This bear is back in action!
Teddie ruffled Nanako's head. “Sorry to bolt on you so soon, Nana-chan, but I gotta get back to the other guys! I'll see you soon, okay?”
“Oh…o-okay!” Nanako seemed sad to see him go, but Teddie always kept his promises. He will return. And when he does… “Teddie! They told me that I could leave the hospital soon! When I get out, can we-”
“The kotatsu, right?” Teddie finished while walking away from Nanako. He pointed a finger gun at her. “You bet! Count on it!”
You see, that's what made Teddie special. He always just knew how to keep people happy…like a certain silver haired truth seeker.
“Why isn't this working!?”
Rise shook her head, trying to shrug off her exhaustion and headache, to no avail. The idol sat at the table they always sat at, head buried into her hands. About 10 straight minutes of using Kanzeon to find Adachi led to absolutely nothing, and the entire event made her very volatile.
“It's okay, Rise…” Hyde tried to tell her. All that did was anger her more.
“No, it's not! We came this far, only to run into another dead end! How many times is this going to happen!? Why can I do it when it counts!?”
Nobody’s seen Rise this stressed before. Why was that? They knew that Rise always gave it 120% when it came to the case, and she always yielded results. The idol probably wasn't used to failure born from natural happenstance.
Akatsuki pointed out as such a while ago. Sometimes you just fail.
Rise pulled her head up, staring off into the distance with a guilt ridden look. “...I'm sorry. I'm…losing my cool. A lot's happened. A lot's been happening, ever since this all started.”
“Rissie-poo, I get it,” Heart gently told her. “We were there. A lot of us did crack under the pressure. It's normal. You're doing your best.”
“...But my mind’s telling me that my best sucks,” Rise replied in a dejected tone. “I…I just have a lot of negative feelings right now. Honestly…I just…I just really miss-”
Rise froze mid-sentence, before suddenly standing straight up. Her eyes were wider than anyone has ever seen before. “Teddie!?”
The Investigation Team couldn't have turned around any quicker. Shyly hiding behind a pole was the Junes mascot himself…
…In the flesh.
A lot happened at once. Multiple people rushed over to him, grabbing onto the boy in the bear suit. To his credit, Teddie didn't squirm. No matter how many apologies he tried to get out, they were drowned out by everyone else.
“Y-You got a lot of freaking nerve, vanishing on us!”
“Do you know how much trouble you caused, man!?”
“Don't you EVER leave like that again, you hear me!?”
“Bad bear! *sniff* B-Beary bad bear…!”
Teddie was surprisingly patient. “I…I really am sorry, everyone…a…a lot happened all at once. …Needless to say, I didn't take it very well.”
Teddie took a deep breath. He glanced at Yu, who simply smiled, and nodded. “...I'll tell you guys what I found out.”
Teddie sat down, and told everyone about what he finally discovered about himself. Why he left in the first place, what he saw in the Midnight Channel, what he remembered, how he reacted to it, and what he said to Yu before he came back.
“Wait, you knew?” Hyde turned towards Yu, who gave a weird “so-so” hand wave. “That's no excuse! Why didn't you tell us!?”
“Well, it was weird, even for weird standards,” Teddie tried to defend. “I don't know where we ended up, and…I really doubt if that place had anything to do with the Midnight Channel. I just think it was part of the dream.”
No way it's not related, Yu groaned internally. But that's for another time. “Back on the matter of that other Shadow…how do you know that he was like you?”
“I just…do,” Teddie lamely answered. “Gut feeling, you know? I could feel his vibe, and it somehow matched with mine. He kept saying the same thing, but that didn't stop him from trying to eat me, the grizzly…”
Teddie shook his head. “But, yeah…I didn't take that very well. I started thinking nasty things like ‘If that's what I am, then…what if I actually hurt you guys at one point? What if I was seriously close to becoming something like him, and I just didn't know it?!’ Stuff like that. For a split moment, I thought that it really would be good if I just…left.”
Teddie looked at his hands.
“...That's not fair to you guys,” he muttered. “You all told me like, a Junesillion times that I should stay, and I still just ignored that. But now, I'm not going to have any more second thoughts. I'm staying! And that’s that!”
“I'm…seriously happy to hear that, but…” Heart gave Teddie a distant look. “...You're a Shadow, TB? The very same ones that we've been fighting? Did…did I hear that right?”
Teddie gave a solemn nod. “Yeah…the one and the same.”
All Heart did was stare at him for a bit, before walking over and pulling off the head of the suit. Teddie's real sad face was inside, still in his “no stolen features” mode.
“...But I don't see any nasty Shadow monster underneath this suit,” Heart said.
Normally, Heart tended to say things literally. You wouldn't be blamed if you believed that Heart was missing the symbolism/the part where Teddie said “I changed my appearance subconsciously first.”
But no…Heart knew what she was talking about. “All I see is TB,” she said with a gentle smile. “Like I always have.”
The others got where she was getting at. “I mean…it wouldn't be the last time we became friends with a Shadow,” Ruby joked, showing off the Lindsay necklace. “...OH! Wait, what if Heart’s Shadow managed to create Lindsay the same way Teddie and that other Shadow guy did what they did!? Does that mean that Lindsay could be a human if we try hard enough!?”
“Uh…l-let's come back to that later,” Ragna told her. “But, still, dude. Shadow or not, you have a Persona. That's gotta mean something, you get me?”
“At its core, a Shadow is suppressed power, no?” Naoto questioned. “Once controlled by the ego, a Shadow becomes a Persona… Doesn't it follow, then, that you must have developed an ego of your own, Teddie?”
“Yeah, that,” Ruby agreed. “Sure, you probably did the process quite differently, but you still did it. That's the only difference between you and me, buddy.”
Teddie looked at his hands. “So…I'm really not that different. That…that makes me so happy…!” Teddie didn't know it yet, but…he was crying. “*sniff* bugh…! Buaaaaah-hugh-hugh-ugh!” He was a pretty ugly crier, but that didn't matter. “Tha…Thank you guys so much…! I'm so happy that I met you all…!”
Yosuke patted him on the back. “Anytime, man. You're pretty nosy, loud, annoying and generally clueless, yeah…but that honestly makes you fit right in.”
“...Is that how you see us?” Akatsuki gave Yosuke a glare. “Well, then.”
Yosuke stammered a bit…before deciding to double down. “Yeah, what of it? Tell me if I'm wrong. Any way you slice it, we're ‘Team Misfits!’”
“And here you are, regularly hanging out with this team of ‘misfits,’ as you say,” Yumi chided in a condescending tone. “That speaks volumes about the type of person you are.”
“Dumbass,” Ragna quipped.
“No, you!” Yosuke lamely shot back. “You're all dumbasses!”
“Oh!” Yukiko yelled in a fake offended tone. The fact that she sounded like an Italian mobster for some reason really ruined the authenticity of her offense. The Junes boy couldn't keep a straight face at that, and he ended up bursting out in laughter, along with everyone else.
Like old times.
“Annnnnyways…” Teddie began. He scratched his head. “...I probably missed a lot, huh? Again, sorry. Can, uh…can someone give me a quick summary of what I missed?”
They told him what happened. The boy in the bear suit reached the same way Yosuke did at first. “Adachi!? Seriously!? Hrgh…didn't expect that…but if it's coming from you guys, then I believe it.”
He looked off to the side. “But, uh…what am I supposed to do about it? You know my nose doesn't work anymore…”
The team shared looks. “...Emotional support?” Yumi admitted. When Teddie stared at her, Yumi started to fidget. “H-Honestly! Teddie, it's…it's hard not to get in the spirit of things when you're not there with us… Back me up, everyone…!”
“Yeah, Yumi-senpai's got a point,” Kanji seconded. “It feels nice…knowin’ that someone this nice an’ fuzzy is watchin’ my back.”
“...” Teddie flailed his arms around. “I DO OTHER THINGS, TOO! DID YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY JUST MISS MY SUIT AND NOTHING ELSE!?”
“Yeah,” Chie jokingly snarked. Bad move, because Teddie was legitimately angry at that, evident by him biting her hand. “Yowch! Are you trying to give me rabies, you lunatic!?”
Biting back the urge to say “You kinda had it coming,” Yu stood up and got everyone's attention. “Either way, good to see you again, Teddie. Let's try and take another crack at finding Adachi.”
The team's finally back together…
“...Hrm.” Teddie scrunched up his nose. “Yeah…Adachi-baby is here, but…no dice. The fog is just making everything harder than it already is.”
Rise sulked. “Yeah…that was the problem I had, too. Is there…seriously no way?”
Seeing Rise this depressed tore at Teddie's heart. Her job of being recon was something she was very passionate about, and she couldn't do it. Teddie didn’t want to steal her spotlight, but at the same time, Teddie didn't want to let her and everyone else down at a crucial time like this. They said they needed him! (For moral support, mainly…feh!)
“Uoogh…w-when you look at me like that, I can't help but feel like I HAVE to do this! I…I gotta sniff him out…no matter what…!”
With a grunt of effort, Teddie took in a deep inhale through his nose. Once again, it just looked like he was trying to soil himself. “Hrrrrrrrrnng…! I'm…sniffin’! I'm sniffn’ REAL hard…!”
“Whoa, whoa, don't blow your back out sniffing, dude!” Hyde warned. “Reel it in!”
“Hrrrrrng!” Teddie didn't listen. …And he probably should have, as he soon stumbled back a bit and almost tumbled over. “I'm dizzy…I'm getting dizzy…reeling it in…haah…haah…hoo, boy.”
Teddie didn't let that keep him down for too long, however, as he suddenly perked back up. “...Is that…yes! I think I got him…!” Teddie pointed a hesitant finger eastward. “...Thattaway. …I think. Hopefully.”
“Well… is it?” Ragna pressed. “Yes or no?”
“It's…kinda hard to say,” Teddie admitted. “I don't smell him, but…I smell something suspicious. …It kinda smells like Sensei. Sensei, and…Yosuke…and Chie-chan.”
Yosuke looked towards where Teddie pointed at. “...Wait…isn’t that the place where we found those weird-ass pictures with people's faces cut off? Y-You guys know what I'm talking about, right?” Yu and Chie gave hesitant nods, as that was so long ago.
“But that's still something!” Rise cheered, hugging Teddie. “You're amazing, Teddie!”
Instead of saying something cursed and perverted, Teddie just shyly twiddled his thumbs. “Well, c'mon…it's just dumb luck, really. We gotta still see if that rank smell leads to Adachi-baby…”
“”Rank?’” Chie questioned. “...Wait, wasn't that the place where Yosuke kept complaining about having to use the bathroom?”
A few people connected the dots. Most notably Ruby, who took a good step away from Yosuke. “What?” Yosuke questioned. “...Wait, what!? No! Don't give me that look! I didn't pee my pants!”
They why else does it smell, Yosuke?” Hyde teased. “Unless you just naturally have bad B.O.” Hyde plugged his nose.
“Nah, he showers,” Ruby defended. “Trust me. He smells nice.”
Silence.
Ruby looked around her. “...What?”
Yumi opened her mouth to speak, but Akatsuki cut her off. “Forget it,” he bluntly muttered. Youth. “We have other matters to attend to.”
Fair point. There was a man they needed to catch. Once and for all.
It's been a long time since Yu’s last seen this place. In a sense of poetic irony, this is where it might all end. He first came in here with no clue what was happening, alongside two panicked semi-strangers. Now, he's back here with purpose, alongside his trustworthy friends.
A few months can change a man completely.
“That damned bitch…”
A voice. The group heard a voice speak within the room. Yu held up a hand, warning everyone to step back and let him lead. He gave everyone a look.
“I noticed her first… and she just had to run off and have an affair… Heh…the things people do when love is involved…ain't that just messed up?”
Don't do anything hasty. Don't let your emotions carry you. If we do, we just might throw everything away, like what almost happened with Namatame.
That was a mistake they all made. They didn't want to repeat that. Seeing all of them give silent nods at the silent message gave Yu the green light to step forward slowly.
No matter how slowly and quietly he may have moved, Yu couldn’t do anything to dampen the sound of the scattered papers he was treading on. Adachi quickly turned around, jamming a hand in his pocket as if he was about to pull something out. A firearm? “Who's there!?”
His eyes were…absolutely devoid of any and all kindness. It was pure sadism, anger…and it was slowly morphing into twisted amusem*nt as he recognized the group before him. “Oh…you guys. You're very persistent…”
Even his voice now sounded low and sleazy. This was a completely different man now. A man who was probably showing his true colors, given what just happened.
There wasn't any room for doubt. “...You're the killer,” Yu said. He didn't ask it in the form of a question. “You're the one who's been doing all of this.”
“Straight to the point, huh…?” Adachi jeered. “But you could at least not state the obvious…?”
“Answer!” Yosuke snapped. “Did you or did you not throw Ms. Yamano into the tv!?”
All he did was haplessly shrug. “Hey, It just happened. She started struggling… What else was I supposed to do?” She struggled…!? “I called her out to the lobby because I wanted to ask her something. And then she started getting hysterical on me for no good reason…”
Adachi was stretching the truth…or maybe he just simply believed what he did to her was right?
“And what's this ‘something important’ you called me out here for?”
Mayumi's annoyance quickly turned into discomfort, as Adachi ended up really close to her personal space. “What they say on the news isn't true, is it?” He asked. “All that talk about you having an affair and whatnot… It's all a lie, right?”
Mayumi didn't like that, to state the obvious. Who was this man, and why was he so interested in that? That's…nothing to be proud of. Discussing this with someone else wouldn't be fair to Namatame. “Why do I have to explain myself to you…?
Mayumi didn't like how Adachi only smiled. “I see… So you don't deny it.” He got closer…that's way too close!
*slap!*
Her hand made contact with his face. The only thing that did was amplify his hostility. “...So that's it,” He muttered in a dark tone. “...You caught my eye at first, but in the end, you're another worthless bitch…
Mayumi seriously started to panic. “What's wrong with you…? D-Don't make me call for help!”
“Ugh, shut up, shut up, shut up…” Adachi shook his head, seemingly going more mental by the second. I think you need to see what it's like to fear for your life… It'll get your head straight. …Yeah…that's what I'm gonna do…”
“Wh-What're you going to do…!?”
Mayumi's last words.
In one swift movement, Adachi grabbed her mouth, and pushed forward. The only thing stopping her impact was the tv behind them.
…At least, it was supposed to.
Adachi let out a shaky wheeze that was a mix of hysterical laughter and frantic panic. “Sh-She fell in… Ha…hahaha… Wow… Well, screw me sideways… people can go completely inside…”
…Oh, yeah…
Adachi is going to have a lot of fun.
“...So that really did happen in our lobby,” Yukiko whispered.
“I know, right?” Adachi jeered. “Crappy security. Not a single person knew what just happened. …Not even me, honestly. The only knowledge I had of this place was through rumors. Stuff like that crops up when you're on the job. The fact that I touched the screen like that was pure coincidence, nothing more.”
Akatsuki narrowed his eyes. Just like Namatame. …Just like me, even. Why can I do that as well?
“So Mayumi was a guinea pig,” Yosuke growled.
Adachi made a “so-so” gesture with his hand. “If calling her that makes you feel better, sure. Honestly, I wasn't trying to kill her. Hurt her, sure, I'll admit to that. Sometimes you have to put a woman in their place, you know…? Ah, you don't know. You're too young. Not my fault that Mayumi and that dippy high schooler ended up resisting…”
Yosuke let out a growl. No matter how many times he's promised himself that he's over it…it still hurts to hear her being talked about like this, naturally. “So you're the bastard who killed Saki-senpai…!”
“...Yeah, her…” Adachi slowly nodded as if he remembered something. “That was her name, wasn't it? I just called her in for work related stuff, honestly…came by to do my job, get the news straight from her, yadda, yadda…but once again…she went and made things difficult.”
“So…why am I here, again? Just more questions, right…?”
Saki was clearly irritated, but it turns out that Adachi wasn't the type of guy to care. “Well, we'll get to that,” he brushed off. His eyes kept looking in places he shouldn't look at for long periods of time. “...But you know, I saw you this afternoon.”
Saki already felt uncomfortable. “You were getting pretty cozy with that Namatame…” Adachi pressed. “...Weren't you? Didn't know you were into THAT sort of stuff…”
When he said that, Adachi ended up putting her hands on Saki. Saki obviously didn't stand for that, so she reacted accordingly.
*slap!*
“...Huh… So I'm not good enough for you?” Adachi wiped his face, anger quickly rising. “I swear, if another bitch hits me…! …Well, how about I just show you…!?”
“N-No…!”
“In she went,” Adachi said simply.
“God, these high school girls today. This world's gone straight to sh*t…”
Adachi pulled his head out of the small tv, fuming during his mini rant. “When I was in school, I wasn't allowed to do anything but study my ass off…’all work and no play makes a man go crazy,’ they say. And what's my reward for losing out on my lazy youth? A dead-end job in bumf*ck nowhere…!”
Adachi eyed his hand, clenching it and unclenching it. A sick grin appeared on his face.
“...Though I gotta say…’getting supernatural powers’ was not on my bingo card…but it's still sweet all the same. Heh…you don't know how much you needed something until you got it.”
Adachi stuck his head back into the tv. “Hey! Get on your knees and beg, and maybe I'll let you out!”
Without even properly checking to see if Saki was actually in there, Adachi stuck his head out and walked away from the tv. “Heh, yeah, no. No way I'm risking my neck over this.”
“It's a lot easier after the first time,” Adachi pondered. “Girls in high school are smaller. Thinner, you know? Made the second one a lot less annoying.” He raised up a hand, and pointed at something invisible. It took a second for them to realize that he was miming pushing something.
“One…”
A push.
“Two…”
Another push.
“...Three.”
Instead of a push…he pointed at Yumi.
E-Easy, Tsukikaze-san…" Adachi slowly said, instead. "Don't make any sudden movements, okay?"
Yumi, the idiot, eventually did just that. Adachi had to admit it, he got a bit lax. Didn't even know that this happened during midnight. That's how long he's been busting his ass over a babe like this.
Though, In all honesty…Adachi was done with the “getting intimate” plan. It was all just more than it's worth at this point. While Yumi was actually well mannered and traditional, that also meant maximum chastity. A.K.A., no fun stuff at all.
Adachi flipped a coin internally. There's others in the lobby, so…can he risk doing this? He wanted to spice things up. Things have been fun so far, with the dude who's been running around Inaba and pushing people in, and the person who's taking them out… There’s also that Kubo dickhe*d who almost ended this whole game early…
Honestly…Adachi had the opportunity to do the funniest thing imaginable. But if any one of Yumi’s sisters puts two and two together, he's f*cked.
"Just keep calm, Tsukikaze-san…" Adachi clenched and unclenched his hand. He thought to himself what to do next.
So, flip…
…
…Man, f*ck it. Let's make bad choices.
"...Considering what's been happening lately…You'll be safe again before you know it."
…Sometimes…a person needs to have a little excitement in their lives. It's important to carve out some time for yourself once in a while.
Yumi didn't even see it. Yumi didn't even say anything. She couldn't, as her fear and shock robbed her of her voice. After all…
Adachi suddenly ran forward, shoulder tackling her into the tv.
The size of the tv caused her to not clear the leap, and her ass was sticking out halfway. “Okay, guess there's such a thing as a TOO perfect bod. Damn…!”
Adachi slapped Yumi’s butt. She flinched, but no noise came out, as her head was within the tv. “Sorry, babe…” Adachi fake apologized. “Just had to get one in there. Okay, in ya go…!”
Adachi let out a huff of effort as he fiercely Yakuza kicked Yumi in fully. Lean back, raise foot, drive heel forward. Adachi hunched over, a bit out of breath from the action. “Alright, jackass…let's see if you actually find this one…hahaha…”
“...This one's on me, mystery savior. A little treat, if you will.”
Yumi’s eyes dulled over at the full memory. “Aww, what's wrong?” Adachi jeered again. “You feel violated? You feel like your womanhood's been stolen from ya? Well, I mean…it took you like, four months to actually remember, so it's not like it was that bad, wasn't it? Boring enough to forget about it.”
Adachi laughed again, as he saw Kanji and Ruby make an attempt to charge at him. They were both stopped by Teddie and Yu respectively. “You rat BASTARD!” Kanji screamed.
Ragna took a step forward. Despite everything he was told, he was actually doing a good job of keeping calm. But just barely. “I know you all did this for sh*ts and giggles, you waste of space,” he growled. “But there's more to it than that. You tricked Namatame into doing what he did.”
Another careless shrug from Adachi. “Not really. All he did was call the police force one night, and all I did was answer the ringing phone.”
“So you're the one who answered his calls,” Naoto deduced from that sentence. “That's why he said that the police didn't believe him.”
“Don't go putting words in my mouth, Detective Princess,” Adachi rebutted. “I believed him from the get-go!”
Adachi put a finger under his chin.
“...But then I thought of something funny.”
“Wow…and now you're seeing a girl in a kimono on that weird program, and you think she'll die too. Just like how you saw the other two on tv. Is that right?”
Adachi fake sighed at Namatame's claim. “Namatame-san… Do you seriously expect us to believe something like that?”
“B-But… It's true! If there's any way the police can protect her…”
Adachi stopped Namatame then and there. “Listen… There's no way the police are going to make a move based on a fantasy story like that. But…it does sound interesting, though…”
“B-But…” Namatame just wouldn't let this go. …Maybe…
…Maybe he could also do what Adachi did? And even if he couldn’t…
“I'm…just spitballing at this point, but…If you really want to save her that much… Wouldn't it make sense to do it yourself? Like…you could hide her somewhere. Some place where no one could find her.”
Like that…the seed of thoughts was planted. The water of action would come in soon and make those thoughts become flowers of reality.
“If that’s the case…” Adachi trailed off. “Then I think it’s possible, y’know…? Anyways, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be hanging up now. Bye-bye…”
Click.
“...Don't you think that's weirdly f*cked up?” Adachi asked. “There's like 125 of us in the force, and I was the lucky draw. Imagine that! And just like that, everything kinda clicked into place: He'd put someone in, you'd get him out, he'd think that he saved someone, you'd think that you hindered the killer. I wasn't even mad that you guys kept doing what you did! It was like watching the world's greatest game of cat and mouse!”
“All of that…!?” Chie was in absolute disbelief. “You…you kickstarted all of that…hurt so many people… killed some of them…endangered EVERYONE just to watch us suffer!?”
“Struggle, not suffer,” Adachi clarified, even though that was a complete lie. “And hey, I didn't kill anyone. The Midnight Channel did. Again, I'll take the blame for putting people in, but that's it. Aside from the little snowflake over there…” Adachi pointed at the still distraught Yumi, whom Heart was hugging tightly. “...I did jack sh*t to you guys.”
All that did was piss off everyone further. “Don't you DARE dodge blame!” Hyde shouted. “You're supposed to be the responsible adult, you motherf*cker! None of this would've happened if you didn't do any of what you did, and you know it!”
“Okay, then try telling that to the authorities,” Adachi mocked. “‘Hey, this man has been trying to kill people by throwing them into tvs.’ Even if those two vouch for you-” he pointed at Naoto and Akatsuki. “-There's not a single policeman that's gonna buy the sh*t that you're pulling out of your ass! You hear that!? That's all this is ever gonna be. An asspull.”
Adachi then gave the group fake applause. “Though in all honesty…kudos to you for actually tracking me down. …Semi-kudos. I could've handled those accusations better. But does that really matter? As long as things are kept spicy, I'm game for anything…”
He said “game” again. Another kick in the pants that reminded everyone that this is just for fun. That really rattled Ragna. He blinked and…
For a split moment, he saw him instead.
Ragna kept it together this time. “So did that mean you were in cahoots with that bastard, Kubo?” He asked. “I doubt that.”
“Ragna-senpai brings up a fair point,” Naoto seconded. “There's nothing that accounts for Mitsuo's appearance in the Midnight Channel, not to mention how he said nothing about any special powers. If he did have them, then why resort to a sloppy recreation of the murders?”
“Because he's an idiot,” Adachi groaned. “All I did was take him in when he came to us, turned off the lights, and shoved him in. Then…all of that sh*t inside the tv happened, he comes out, and then he still tells Akatsuki ‘Yeah, I did it!’” Adachi eyed the PI in question. “Isn't that right!? If the Midnight Channel is as really as bad as you say, then why did he not focus on that!? Why did he continue to take the blame, instead of asking questions about what the hell just happened!? I'll tell you; he's literally retarded. Buuut I can't hash on him too much…he made everything last just a bit longer.”
Akatsuki's face hardened. “You got a lot of nerve…throwing oil into a fire just to keep your sick game going.”
“‘Game’ this…’game’ that…” Yosuke let out a furious growl. “That's all this is to you! Taking everything, everyone's hopes and dreams for the future, and just…jeopardizing them for your own fun!!!”
“‘Hopes and dreams…?’ Hate to tell you kid, but…” Adachi leaned in forward with a look that had no regard for dreams or hope. Whatever twisted amusem*nt he had was long gone, now.
“...Those don't exist in the real world.”
That did it. Yumi felt the grip on her tighten. The heartful maiden that was by Yumi’s side this entire time has once again, let her rage peak.
“STOP…TOYING WITH EVERYONE'S LIVES!” Heart screamed, eyes shut. “WHO HURT YOU!? WHO HURT YOU THIS BADLY TO END UP LIKE THIS!? WHAT DID ANY OF US EVER DO TO YOU TO WARRANT THIS!? SOME OF US HAVE BEEN HURT BADLY, BUT NEVER DID WE ONCE CONSIDERED KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE AS A SOLUTION! THESE ARE PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT YOU'VE THROWN AWAY! THINK OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE CLOSE TO THE ONES WHO DIED! HOW DO YOU EXPECT YOSUKE AND NAMATAME TO EVER MOVE ON IF YOU KEEP DOING THIS!? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!? ARE YOU JUST GOING TO TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE FROM EVERYONE UNTIL NOBODY HAS ANYTHING ANYMORE!?”
Heart opened her eyes…and was greeted to Adachi plugging his ears. “...You done?” He asked in a deadpan tone. He unplugged them. “Sheesh…and I thought Red was loud.”
A good part of Heart’s compassion vanished for good. She let go of Yumi, and took an angry step forward. “Heart…?” Chie quietly asked.
Rise sensed something rising from Heart. Oh, no…! Heart, DON'T.
“...Partinias.”
Heart's Persona filled up the room. Multiple people moved in to restrain Heart, but they were a moment too late. Heart raised a lone finger at the man in front of het, arms spread wide as if he was demanding her to do what she planned to do.
Heart never used her Persona to threaten life. Heart never used her Persona on another human, even. Heart never just threatened life, period.
Heart accomplished multiple things today for the first time, and none of them were anything to be proud of.
“...Hamaon.”
Holy light filled the room.
Yu's vision quickly returned after a moment. His heart sank, as he processed what just happened. Adachi pushed one of them too far. One of them happened to be the most patient one out of all of them. You'd do well to fear the wrath of a compassionate one.
Adachi was nowhere to be seen. For better or for worse, it wouldn't have mattered either way. “She-ee-sh!” A voice rang out around them. “You know, everything you just said about ‘killing people is wrong’ is now null and void, right? You're lucky I'm not stupid enough to talk to you with my real body.”
“That explains why his presence felt off,” Rise muttered. “He wasn't using his real body.” She didn't bring it up, because Adachi was in the midst of dropping bombshell after bombshell.
“Ah, whatever,” Adachi began again. “It doesn't matter. Our world will probably become just like this place soon enough anyways. Hahaha…! Didn't you notice? The fog's leaking out. Everything on that side's pretty much screwed…”
“Wh-What the hell's he talkin’ about…!?” Kanji whispered, still tense. “The world's gonna end!?”
“What makes you so sure!?” Yukiko shouted out into the air. “How do we know you're not just lying to us!?”
“Because I'm the one calling the shots in this world,” Adachi answered. “I'd say this world has taken a real shine to me…after all, how else was I able to do what I did? I feel like it's given me everything I've ever wanted. And the monsters don't attack me at all. Maybe they can tell we have the same goal…? And they're telling me ‘We gotta get out of here…’”
Without warning, a red and black portal manifested in the corner of the room. The same evil skies that penetrated most of the Midnight Channel. The presence itself felt like it defined the Midnight Channel as a whole. “I'll be here…waiting,” Adachi beckoned. “If this world's got a will of its own, who will it favor…? You…or me…? Hahaha…! Try not to puss* out…!”
The dark presence lessened a bit. “...He's gone, Rise said after a moment. “If there's any doubt that he's behind this…”
They're gone now. Adachi is the criminal. “He has some freaky-ass powers, too,” Hyde bitterly pointed out. “But…aside from that…is the world really… going to end…!?”
The boy from Kanzakai couldn't hide the fear in his voice when he said that. The Team just wanted to protect this town, so having their goal evolve into the time and tested goal of “save the world” piled a bunch of pressure onto them. “That honestly didn't sound like a lie,” Teddie sadly admitted. “...Maybe that's why it's so foggy in Inaba. People in town are acting really dodgy all of a sudden. I think It's like when the Shadows that emerged from people went berserk. If…if the fog gets even thicker and this town is completely shut off from the outside world…”
“Then… the other side might become full of Shadows, like over here…” Ruby finished. “...Oh, no. We need to stop him, now.”
Yu placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. He sensed a rousing speech coming up, but that needed to wait for a bit. Without a word, he walked to the center of the room…where Heart was standing this entire time.
The poor girl was eying her shaking hands. As the Investigation Team fell silent, they could hear Heart’s ragged breaths. The girl was mentally losing it quickly.
Yu placed a hand on her shoulder, and Heart reacted by spinning around at breakneck speeds. What Yu saw tore at his very soul.
Heart's eyes were wet with tears. They were bloodshot, and they lacked their usual shine. Pupilless eyes stared back at Yu’s own. “Heart…” Ragna whispered.
Heart’s expression turned heartbroken. She inched away from Yu. “Don't look at me,” she whispered, barely audible.
Yu just knelt down to her height. “I…I said don't look at me!” Heart cried, louder. Her voice was absolutely raspy. “I…I almost… killed him…! I almost took away someone's life. T-To even consider that… I'm a horrible person.”
“You're not,” Yu gently told her. “...It's not the first time any of us had dark thoughts.” Yu was referring to what almost happened with Namatame. Heart wasn't there for that, but she's here for this, and it's only her experiencing this feeling this time. The heartful maiden was reaching the way she normally should upon being faced with such a reality.
“...I'm…so…scared…” Heart whispered. Her arms started to shake again. “I've…never been this scared before…”
Yu felt a presence quickly slide next to him. Akatsuki was kneeling down to Heart’s height as well. “Aino-chan, look at me,” he gently commanded. “...It's okay. It's natural to be afraid. …I am, too. Being afraid is perfectly expected. Almost everyone who faces adversity is scared inside, they just usually hide it from others. I get why you're scared. You don't know what Adachi will do. You don't know if we can stop him.”
A pause, as Akatsuki looked at the ground. “...You don't know if you can stop yourself if and when we confront him.”
Heart gave a shaky nod. Akatsuki eyed the pink haired maiden once more. “Emotions were running high. We get it. When pushed to the brink, we do and say things that we would normally never would. We think things we normally don’t think. You feel weak and hapless, because you feel alone. But you must never forget…”
Akatsuki poked Heart’s namesake. “You're not. Simple as that.” Heart eyed her own chest, recalling the fact that everyone who she met in this town has stuck with her since.
That didn't change then…why change now…?
With that knowledge, Heart reached over and hugged the two men tight. Tighter than she ever has in her life.
“...Please…” she whispered. “Promise me that you'll never let go. I don't…I don't want to be weak. I don't want to be scared. Never again. Never…never…! Never…!”
“We're not leaving,” Yu told her. “Promise.”
Yu didn’t expect it, but he felt another pair of hands join in. Yumi’s. The young lady had remained silent for the longest time, trying to come to terms with how close she was to death at the hands of Adachi. Hearing Heart’s frightful confession made her want to abandon her own fears just to placate Heart's.
Heart deserved it, after all. Because Heart was a precious person. Yumi gently told the heartful maiden this. “You're allowed to be kept safe, Heart. You mean so much to us.”
Heart felt a hand ruffle her hair. “I've been around for this long,” Ragna pointed out. “Why abandon you now?”
Heart felt someone grab onto her back. “I'll be there to grab you if you fall,” Ruby told her. “That's what friends do.”
“To hell with Adachi,” Kanji said while grabbing Heart in a one armed hug. “Our lives are important. Yours is, too.”
More and more people joined in the group hug, with Heart in the center of it. Heart felt her eyes get wet once more. She was still absolutely terrified. Terrified of multiple things. Herself. Adachi. The future.
Yet…in the center of all of her friends…she felt safe. She felt…warm. Warmer than she ever has before.
Heart was feeling nothing but love. Like always.
And Heart wanted to return that love a thousand fold.
…That's all that she wanted to do.
Love.
Nothing but love.
Love others. Love herself. Love this world.
Love, love, love.
Until the day Heart died, and even then…Heart would do everything in her power to love.
Loving is amazing. Loving something gives people strength. Hope. Bravery. All things that Heart wanted. All things that she needed.
“...I love you all.”
“I love you more than anything.”
“You…every single one of you…”
“Please…never leave my side…”
“I can't be who I am without you there with me.”
“You all…complete me.”
RANK UP!!
Rank: 9
Lovers (Cross) - Heart Aino
