Persona: Frozen IC (Open)

[Eva]

"Dad's car!"

Mickey suddenly stopped, pointing to a car down the road. He seemed very excited and wouldn't move unless I looked with him, even though that just wasn't possible. It was still some distance, but I squinted to see if I could make out the license plate. It couldn't be, could it? Unfortunately my brother was right, as I also recognized the driver as my father. What the hell was he even doing out? He was supposed to still be in the hospital until tomorrow! Shaking my head, I decided to let him have a piece of my mind. Looking straight at him, I started to wave him down. No way he wasn't going to see me.

If only I hadn't distracted him.

Without warning, someone decided to run out tot he street without looking. Needless to say, my dad was still coming. For the first time in a very long time, I let out a scream as I watched the car hit the guy. It was like a movie was playing out in front of me, complete with the poor thing falling to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

A familiar voice snapped me back to reality, and to my horror I watched my father coming out of the car. He was obviously still injured, his walk having a bit of a limp as he went to see who he had hit. I narrowed my eyes at his unaware back. "God damn maniac, who the hell jumps out at a car like that...?!" His voice was slightly shaken, but he seemed more concerned then anything.

"Eva...is...is Daddy going to jail...?" Mickey asked me quietly, grasping my hand tightly. "That guy...he's bleeding...really bad..."

Biting my lip, I tightened my grip of my brother's hand. Looking both ways and ensuring I didn't end up like my father's roadkill, I quickly crossed the street with Mickey, regaining my voice as I went to my dad. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice coming out a lot quieter then I had anticipated.

He shook his head, examining the guy. Now that I was closer, he looked familiar. Like, really familiar. Where had I seen him before? "Damn kid ran right at me, I didn't even realize what had happened until it was too late. He's either crazy or suicidal." He sighed, looking at me and my brother. "Go home, I'll call for an ambulance."

"But you'll get in trouble!" Mickey suddenly yelled out, and his grip started to hurt my hand. "You can't stay here Daddy! Let's all go home!"

Even as we spoke, I had this nagging yet familiar feeling poking at me, radiating from him. I knew where I had seen him before. He was one of those from when we went to the school, wasn't he? For some reason I could feel that place's trace on him, or something. It was really hard to explain but I was almost positive of it. Something dark was inside him, pulsating every so often. He wasn't dead yet, and if my hunch was right, the others would be here soon.

I yanked my arm away from my brother, pushing him to my dad. "Yeah, you two go home. I'll call the police and everything, so don't worry."

"Evalyse, don't be stupid. It was an accident." Dad replied, though he did take Mickey's hand. "I'll be fine, alright? I'll just explain what happened to the police."

I stood my ground. If I told him the truth, he'd never believe me. "You're not even supposed to be out here, let alone driving, did you forget that? If the police find that out you can get into a lot of trouble. Since I still have my license from back home they'll let me off, but not you. So go."

He was silent. I was right, he was still supposed to be in the hospital. Idiot. "Just...call me if things get out of hand...I owe you."

Yeah, like always. I watched him leave with Mickey and turned to the accident. Geez, you think you can get away from stuff, but then things like this happen. I crossed my arms and leaned against the car. They would show up any minute, I was sure of it.

 

[Noel]

Food does lead the way to a swimmers heart.

I was sniffing the hot steamy smell uve' the eggs and golden brown toast, Val looked like those cover girls for a breakfast commercial. I couldn't tell what was more beautiful. The breakfast or Valerie. I grinned looking at the mouth watering food before saying to her. "I don't mind one bit Val. Thank you." She then began to mention, saying she made only enough for me and her. I looked at, okay maybe tried looking at Sulphur nuzzling on my cheek still. Do Persona Cat's eat? Nothing like lasagna right? "I don't like lasagna Noel" How the...?

I sat down on the chair across of Valerie, as I placed my bum down, Sulphur began to jump on the table and sat flat near the middle uve' it. He really seems well behaved. At least I do know now that he's not anything Garfield. Okay maybe I want him to be like Andrew Garfield, buts that's the ONLY exception. Before we began eating Valerie went and asked what happened last night, before biting in to her plate uve' breakfast. I grabbed one piece of the toast and nibbled on it before thinking about what fully happened last night.

I was fighting death..Grim wasn't as nice as he was on the grim adventures uve' billy and Mandy...Max.

Max. His shadow, it turned to his persona. After reliving through yesterday's memories I said to Valerie. "Remember when Max was denying that Grimwell was him? Well, because uve' that it triggered that whole battle we had. Then after that, he accepted who he is, or at least now; was. Then he gained his Persona. Ghost Rider, or something" A meow came out from Sulphur, "Pale Rider, Noel." I looked over at him and nodded before taking another bite of my toast.

Things got a little bit more casual, after that. I grabbed the Ketchup that Val had brought out from..the fridge? Cold Ketchup. Hmm.. Did Crystal move everything in here? Anyways I squeezed the bottle and made weaving patterns on my eggs. I grabbed my fork and started enjoying these marvelous golden eggs. You know those faces you can type when you play those games? Well I really made the colon three face. 3) "Valerie! These taste amazing!" She then asked why I fell asleep on the floor. "Well. I would love to say that the floor is softer than the couch but.." I laughed a little bit before Val went on. Huh me sleeping beauty? I laughed at Valerie's comparison between me and Snow White. I nibbled on another piece uve' toast.

"Aha, I wouldn't mind waking up to a kiss, and besides If anyone was the beauty, it's you Val."

Wow. Did I really just say that? Smooth Noel. Your like. I cannot believe it's butter from a cow from Kobe that's been churned by a billion massaging chairs. Another meow came from Sulphur, "Why don't you two just get married?" I looked at my newly gained cat and let out a nonchalant laugh at him. "Is it alright if I tell Val about you Sulphur?" He meowed and I didn't even need to have my Dr. Doolittle powers to translate what he said.

I took another bite off uve' my toast before saying to her. "Well, what actually happened last night was that I met my Ghost-Persona friend thing. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I met Sulphur in my dream, and I guess he awoken my power?" Sulphur looked at Valerie before looking at me. "Somewhat." "Yeah. Sulphur, he technically isn't really a cat, but my persona. And from what he told me, he can give me enough power to protect you." Crap. Gotta mention everyone else before this becomes sappy. "..and everyone else." I am totes red now. Good job Noel, you're really I can believe it's not butter now.

Another meow came from Sulphur. "We all know you meant just Her." I have a feeling Sulphur is gonna be muuuuuuuuch worse than Garfield.

 

[purgatory]

I thought this intervention was to be expected, and the effort both admirable albeit futile. This seemed however with all due respect something, the high schooler could have perhaps gotten himself out of on his own merits. I as a detective and dispatch of the prefectoral police, needed to handle this manner as swiftly, by the book, and as tactful as possible. The negligence I was encountering however...did not seemed to be surprising. Simply because I was not an adult, the only person that seemed to be acknowledging my authority happened to be the boy i was questioning, his fidgeting was only confirming my initial graces of his dissociative identity disorder in full swing.

Somewhat passively, I payed my respects to the female that barged into this conversation with a very stoic glance, and spoke briefly to acclimate this situation was now under my handling and third-party persuasions were out of the question. In a sense, I said it as to deny her and to avoid further provocation. I had to ensure to keep my wits about me as the teen I was dealing with was feverishly close to going "off the deep end." I'd soon remembered that my gun was positioned in front, and my badge underneath, there was a kind of confidence I felt through it all however, and I had to be prepared, my focus ever sharpened.

"I'll ask you one more time to turn around, and place your hands on top of your-"

A most bewildering thing was occurring from within, as my focus was locked in I caught on almost immediately. He was probably wondering why I hadn't discharged my weapon, a question only someone with ignorance would impose upon an impartial person affiliated with law-enforcement. Civilians, perpetrators, neither are reason to discharge a firearm unless in defense of the officer. Only under the conditions of carrying another firearm, concealed or brandished, this was standard protocol, this is what separated this teen's hindsight of what he thought he knew, compared to actual protocol.

His sense of panic held no sign of ending in sight, as he briefly looked up I followed his eyes catching glimpse of what i could only assume was...a possessed child sitting atop a streetlight. In seconds, the teen ran into the street jumping over a fire hydrant. I drew my attention from that weird coincidence and followed on his heels almost immediately leaving me to be blown towards him (that child threw something and she caught the updraft and nearly stumbled over), a groove was made in the ground behind me. I didn't have time for any of that, the cars were closer than I'd of liked but as I reached my hand out, the oncoming car was nearly there. I was nearly there, missing by a thread, and the oncoming car swooped in with what I had to imagine was a shock to the driver.

The perpetrator sailed through the air briefly and conditioned into a roll, going limp and reopening the wounds on his forehead as well as inviting more blood to pain the snow red. Normally, I would have been shocked, more shocked than normal, but so were the deep seated emotions that I earnestly controlled due to my profession as a detective. I couldn't help but tremble, but this much seemed unavoidable, as i went over to the teen who was out cold, but breathing.

The police would hopefully arrive on the scene soon as I'd contacted them earlier. The family that had been riding in the car gathered around next to me. It probably wasn't the best time to tell them that I was a dispatch of the prefectoral police. Honestly, as long as the police arrived quickly, we'd have a mass of cases on our hands. One, the unconscious boy was suspect of homocide, and the driver of the car if the boy didn't survive, vehicular manslaughter. It'd seem like karma more than anything else, but there would be no justice for the two highschoolers that were burned to the marrow.

"Don't come any closer to this young man. You're already in deep enough having hit him, don't go anywhere and stay put. MISS!!!" I cried out to the young woman on the other side of the road, standing in front of the dojo.

'To think this could've been avoided if you didn't try resisting arrest...'

 

[Peace]

That's concernin'.

Saito had this thought while he put his hand over his mouth in contemplation. Compared to yesterday when Crsytal told him that the original tried to assault her, nothing happened last night. While she was optimistic about this news, the multicolored haired one was not. Does this mean the original's influence is decreasin'? Or is it just a coincidence?

Then she gave her two cents on why Max's Shadow changed, leaving the waiter to analyze it and yesterday's events. What the hell did Max say before the reaper appeared?

At the time, he was more worried about Crystal's well being. He pushed himself to try to remember. He knew he heard the phrase somewhere before, but where? Then it hit him. Frankie was saying the same thing! Saito delved deeper into this. Does makin' the Shadow feel a great amount of negative emotions, such as sadness from havin' its existence denied by their original, force it transform and make it want to murder people? His eyes moved to the side while he internally added Did Frankie do the same thing? And again how did he get away?

Crystal brought his attention back by saying they should head out to meet the group. "Yeah, I suppose we should," he said as he got his coat and sweatshirt. After donning them, he moved the clackers from his chest and one of lower pockets on his jacket to his back pants pocket. Thankfully, the bottom of his torso covering garments were just long enough to hide them.

A slightly devious smirk arose on his face as he put on his gloves. Besides, I can tell the majority of them are complete novices when it comes to fightin'. Plus, I've become a little rusty, he commented as he walked to the door. When he grabbed the knob, he turned to his host and asked preceding a snicker "But one quick question. Are they the biggest balls of them all?"

They exited her abode and headed straight to the dojo. Hopefully no one noticed them walking out together. As they traveled, Saito noticed his leg wasn't bothering him as much today. After they turned a corner onto the same block as the dojo, the sight of an accident was before them. The older of the two ran to the scene to see if he could help. When he got there, Saito's face paled at the sight of Phoenix's blood.

So much... was the only thing going on in his head as his legs grew weak and he felt like he was going to throw up. The smell of scorched human flesh made the latter feeling worse, so he put his hand over his mouth. He used a nearby wall to support himself. He wanted to breathe to calm his nerves, but the aforementioned stench prevented from doing so.

The Irishman was odd when it came to blood. He doesn't mind shedding his own blood. Nor does it really affect him when he gets in a scuffle since he can steel himself against it and there's usually little amounts released. However when it's like this, it brings up some unpleasant memories and puts him into a bit of shock.

He took his phone out to call an ambulance, but he had no strength in his fingers. Proven by him dropping it. He wanted to look away and run, but his body refused to move.

 

[nightmarezeroX9]

And within minutes of arriving at the dojo, today already seemed like it was going to take a dramatic turn. Max arrived, bleeding, exhausted, and he collapsed right on the floor. John had arrived as well, but it was a wonder how he didn't notice Max there laying on the floor. Perhaps he was absorbed in something? It wasn't the first time that Jack had met someone with that capability. Cures, being the heroic man that he is, immediately rushed over to Max's side with the first aid kid, and began to treat his wound. Taking a look at him, it seemed like he hadn't gotten any sleep from yesterday, and it was obvious that any previous treatment of the wound did absolutely nothing to help it. Cures was on it, however, so Jack just stood there and watched. This was a good time as any to ask Max questions regarding things that he said yesterday, but for now, he was going to have to hold off on them. Once Cures was done patching him up, having him go back home and rest was probably a good idea. Pepper had mentioned that she'd be right back, and walked out of the dojo. Being the curious cat that he is, Jack decided that he would follow after her. Her sudden desire to leave the dojo was too... sudden. Did she notice something? After telling Cures, John, and Max if he was even listening to anything at the moment, that he'd be right back, he walked out the dojo, after the strange girl.

Following behind her, he ended up in an alleyway. Currently, there was a standoff, if you could call it that, going on between a young officer, and a boy. Getting a closer look at the boy, Jack noticed that he saw him yesterday at the school, but he was drawing a blank on his name. A disgusting and unfamiliar smell was lingering in the air. Jack couldn't help put try to pinch his nose shut from the aroma, but in was in fact too strong. No matter how much he tried, the scent always crept up into his nostrils, and made him want to hurl up his breakfast from earlier. The boy from yesterday seemed completely panicked. It probably didn't help that a cop was standing there, asking him to go with him. But then, a most curious sight had appeared. It looked like a little boy was sitting on top of a street light, looking down upon the small gathering of people. He was oddly colored, and it looked like he was possessed to some degree. Looking at this small child reminded Jack of what he saw yesterday. Personas. Was it possible that the child was the boys Persona? Once the child appeared, the guy took off running, scared, telling everyone to get out of here. The cop followed pursuit, determined to catch him. The boy that was atop the streetlight shot a skull like object towards the cop. However, he missed, hitting the ground instead and leaving an obvious mark in the ground. After that, Jack was certain that the boy was either a shadow, or a persona. He was about to ask Pepper her thoughts on it, when he heard car tires screeching, and a loud thud, followed by another loud thud. Upon looking over towards the source of the noise, Jack saw that the boy was in the road, bleeding.

The sight would certainly make most people uneasy. A child was laying in the middle of the road, possibly dead. He stood next to Pepper, and let out a deep sigh, almost like he was already tired, despite doing nothing the whole day.

"Being around you guys makes my life much more dramatic than it needs to be." he said to her, slightly chuckling. After making that comment to her, Jack walked over to the scene. The officer had dialed an ambulance, and in the distance, Jack could hear the sirens coming closer. They would be here soon, so hopefully the boy would be able to hold out until then. Part of him desperately wanted to help him in anyway he could, kind of like how Valerie was able to heal the group yesterday with her Persona. Yet, all of this could have been avoided if the guy didn't run off like he did. The lingering smell was still in the air, and is was beginning to make Jack sick to his stomach. Going back into the dojo seemed like a good idea. The girl that was with the group yesterday was here, and by the looks of it, her dad was the one that hit the guy. It was by complete accident, honestly, so hopefully the man wouldn't have any criminal charges brought upon him. Saito and Crystal arrived, coming across the scene that was before everyone. What a great way to begin your day. Coming to a meeting point and having to come across something as gruesome as this wasn't exactly something people plan to come across. Saito began to lose his composure, dropping his cell phone, and using a wall to attempt to support himself up. Jack walked over, picking up Saito's phone.

"If you don't want to be here, I'll help you over to the dojo." he said, pointing down alley. If he was this queasy around a car accident scene, he didn't want to imagine what he would be like around dead bodies. Hopefully the guy would never have to witness something like that, assuming he hasn't already. Something akin to worry crept upon Jack's face. Why was he so worried about someone he barely knew? This was certainly something new for him, for he never really felt like that for people, except Cures and Claire. Jack suddenly felt the desire to go back into the dojo and sit in silence. He already offered to help Saito, so he waited for an answer from him. Today was already proving to be interesting, to say the least.

 

[Kazem]

What?

Max's condition was nothing sort of serious, that much blood being lost was definitely not from a papercut. Cures's reaction was pretty normal considering circumstances, and so was Pepper's in a way. But her gaze was focused on something other than the bleeding boy in front of her, and was powerful enough to draw John's own eyes to the chaotic world outside. A quick breath of surprise when Max burst into the Dojo had cleared the slightest of John's nose, the smell of burnt flesh now tickling his nostrils.

Whaaaat?

Phoenix was looking pretty different, though John couldn't get a clear look at his face from inside the dojo. By the time he shoved the shock back down and took a step outside, Phoenix was making his way across the street. The oddest looking boy suddenly caught John's attention as it fired off an attack that made his stomach turn the same way when dealing with Max's inner demon yesterday. Its target seemed to be just fine, but more attention was paid to Phoenix as his body was thrown a short distance and laid out on the ground. A soft thump from behind brought John around to see Saito frozen on the spot, looking on at the slowly growing red on and around Phoenix.

A quick tap on the shoulder and a pointed finger towards a bystander already rapidly talking on the phone had to do for comfort, John's throat contending with what felt like the entire contents of his stomach. Remembering Max, John stuck his head inside the dojo and tried to make an effort to tell those inside about what was happening out there, but could only muster up silence. Giving up on anything vocal, a few jabs backwards with his thumb was pretty much the best notice they were going to get unless ones of them went outside or someone else came in.

If Cures or Pepper is able to sweet talk us out of this, I am definitely going to watch out for their name on the ballot. Two kids with pretty bad injuries, a mysterious girl, Mr. Deathfinger, and me with a freaking sword in an instrument case doesn't make for a nice situation to share with the police. And what is that sme-

You can't be serious. Everyone who talks about it says it smells kinda sweet, but surely it couldn't be a human. That'd just be too much. I should've just stayed home with a box of tissues, a cup of tea and a nice patch of wall to stare at. No burning, no cars, no concealed weapons. Much, much better than this. Even an exam would be more appreciated. We just need another giant hellbeast to show up as the icing on the cake and we'll have ourselves a lovely beginning of the collapse of Nyx's sanity. I know mine is almost gone already.

 

[KingdomKey]

A sense of relief filled Valerie, knowing she didn't cross any lines with Noel for borrowing his kitchen. Val felt her eyebrow raise a little at the cat taking a seat in the middle of the kitchen table. Listening to Noel fill her in on the aftermath of what unfolded after she went out like a light; made her sit back against she chair in thought. Why didn't myself or Cures go through the same thing with our personas? Could we lose control like that, if we were to deny apart of ourselves? Max, what he must think of me after yesterday's incident. Now that he's acquired a persona, Cures has most likely took him under his wing to keep watch. At the mention of 'Ghost Rider' Val noticed Noel was communicating with his cat?

"Its nothing." Valerie mumbled, blushing a little. The more she listened to Noel talk, the more her face kept burning up as he spoke from the heart and laughed. If he is trying to make me blush, he's doing a good job of it. Gosh, I almost did kiss him earlier...oh god, did I just admit that to myself? Thankfully, Noel moved on before she could comment on the compliment he gave her, let alone think about what just went through her mind, and turned her face to stare at the cat. "Sulphur is your persona. You can talk to him. Really talk to him." Valerie said slowly, her mind slowly processing this. Can all of our personas do that-wait back up, did Noel just say what I think he did? Valerie felt her lips twitch into a really big smile witnessing the flush of red on Noel's face. "Noel," Val said, standing up and stopping next to his chair; placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering into his ear, "You're too sweet. Next time you're asleep, I'll give you that kiss, kay?" Then before she could break out into a blush of her own, Val pulled out her cellphone and stepped into the living room.

Two messages were left by her brother.

Val placed the phone against her ear and listened to both recordings. "Hopefully my darling sister isn't corrupting what little innocence she has left and picks up the phone. Okay, okay, I'm done joking Val. Don't break the phone I just bought you, to replace the fourth one I got you two months ago. Those things aren't cheap, you know. Now for the real reason why I called you. There has been an accident near a dojo. One of your classmates has been caught in a hit and run. There's an ambulance on the way. Kid is also a suspect, and the rookie detective... I'm sorry Val. He caused this mess for not taking the kid into questioning." The message stopped there, making Val feel cold all over and her face drain of color. Please don't let anyone be dead. Don't let it be someone I know. With hesitant fingers, Val selected the next message. "Do you know Max? He's missing. This kid's house...it's bad Val. There was a trail of blood leading to his apartment and the inside of his house...I won't give details, but if you know anything, you need to tell me Val. Give me a call, if you need me to pick you up. I don't want to involve you or anyone else in this. And I'd hate to have you put under questioning." Val let the phone drop to the floor. I thought Max was fine now? Why would there be blood? This is too much. Someone I know could be hurt, and I have the power to heal.

"Noel." Valerie called out, trying to keep calm and not let the panic enter her voice, "I'll clean up the dishes and the mess in your kitchen later. Right now, we need to get to the dojo. Someone got hit by a car." Picking up her phone, Valerie looked around for her shoes and coat. Mustn't lose it. The ambulance can help whoever got hit. Max might be...I have no idea what he could be doing. I should call Cures...but what would that do? "If you think we need anything or need a lift, I can call my brother Cam to swing around and pick us up." Val then thought about Noel's cat Sulphur. "Can people without personas see Sulphur?" Then just to keep herself from thinking about what they might see, she added, "Can I pet Sulphur? Or would my hands go through him...sort of like a ghost?"

 

[Noel]

After Val, had taken the chance to stand next to me and whisper that really big tease in my ear. She decided to go out in the living room. I turned my body around to see her put her phone up to her ear. She’s probably listening to some voicemail that her brother left her. What’s it about? She was probably being nagged that she stayed with a guy; Also known as me. I really hope that he isn’t some giant body builder type uve’ guy or something. Especially since, Val is stronger than most people I’ve met. Some could say her power level is over nine—Ha. Got you. Never gonna give you up on that, Never gonna let you down. Wait..

“So Sulphur?” I had asked him while I was taking another bite of my eggs, which became a little cooler when I placed the soft gold in my mouth. “Yes?” He meowed. “Do I have to feed you or something?” I scratched the back of my head with my right hand. Sulphur had stood up and adjusted his body before sitting on his to back legs. Wagging his tail in almost like a trance. “Yes, but I don’t care for any dabble such as catnip. I prefer food, that you and the Misses have.” I let off a small poff noise from his remark. “Not funny, Sulphur.” Sulphur went and replied with just a meow. Like literally a meow. I rolled my eyes before looking back at him, gawking at the food that Val had made for me and her. “You hungry?” I asked before cutting my eggs with the side prongs uve’ the fork. I took my right hand’s fingers and picked it off the fork putting it close to his mouth. Sulphur sniffed the eggs, his whiskers were tickling my fingers. He then went so and took a bite of the gold, and my finger.

I made ‘shick’ noise from the pain, it wasn’t too loud, so Val shouldn’t been able to hear me. I hope. He looked at me before swallowing the eggs. Meowed and said “What? I prefer blood as my ketchup.” I sarcastically agreed that it made sense. “Right…human food.”

Valerie had called my name, it sounded really serious this time. Oh boy, what little misadventure do we have with Mystery Inc. today? Apparently someone had gotten hit by a car. My expression had gotten from annoyed to worried in just a matter of seconds. I jumped up from my seat. “D-do you know who it was? We better get over there quick.” She mentioned that her brother could pick us up. “Yeah, that sounds good. What does your brother do?” I saw Val take a look at Sulphur who was still sitting on his rear on the table, asking me some questions about him. Could people see him? The Feline had meowed in reply. “To everyone in this world. I’m just an adorable cat.” He had jumped off from the table on to my shoulder, wrapping his tail around the back uve’ my neck. I looked over to Val. “He’s just a cat, for everyone apparently. I also take it that you could probably can pet him.”

I walked over to Val so she could place and pet her hands on Sulphur. I opened the door, stepped one foot out, and I could just hear a mush noise against my left shoe. “Oh what do you know, the Chinese food place did deliver.” Taking my foot back out from the chow mein and orange chicken. Reading a blue note over the thankyouthankyou bag. You owe me $14.23 Noel!

Ai yah.

 

[King Naruto]

Ursaniveus, Near the Shopping District on the site of the newly built highschool​

The high-school was finally completed. Shibuya High would be the new school that the children would be able to attend since the destruction of the other school. Work had been situated on this specific spot for a few months now and the new Principal Lilith was there every step of the way. With the work finally finished, Lilith's heels clang against the tiles of the school as she made her way to the Principal's Office. She turned the knob with a devious grin, opening it to see her loving yellow eyed son sitting within her chair. Their eyes connected immediately with a smirk poking at the other's emotions. Miraye leaned against the wall near Lilim, twiddling with her fingers.

"So..I see you decided to visit your dear mommy." Lilith expressed a bit of happiness in her voice.

"We have things to discuss." Lilim responded in a cold and eerie voice.

 

[Cassette-Disk]

Crystal grabbed her coat as Saito agreed. She double checked the room to make sure it wasn't a total disaster. The blankets were put away, couch pillows were sitting neatly in place, even the fall board on the piano was closed. The only thing to be wary about was the overly stuffed hall closet, but she would surely be able to clean it out before her mom got home. ...Hopefully. Grabbing her key, she briefly wondered just what was to come at the dojo. Fighting sure, but how was this going to play out? Would they split into pairs and fight each other? Or would they all line up at follow along as Pepper showed them how to properly fight? The pianist fought the urge to smile as she pictured the green haired girl wearing a karate uniform standing in front of the group, threatening to hit someone with a bamboo sword if they messed up whatever move they were working on.

As she grabbed her keys off of the hall table, Saito quipped in with one last ballsy joke. She felt her face flush again as the boy exited, leaving the door open. She followed him out and locked the door quickly before turning back to him.
"I'll just say this," She told him, ignoring how red her face must have been as she pointed at the clacker hidden in one of his pockets. "...Mine are bigger." Crystal chuckled to herself as she pushed past him, scanning the street for a familiar brown haired violinist. Satisfied at the lack of one, the pair moved forward. The trip was largely uneventful, though the girl noted to himself that there was a distinct lack of a limp from her companion. She hoped that it wouldn't become an issue down the road, especially since there was undoubtedly more to come.

"So hey," Crystal said as they neared the dojo. "About the whole 'staying at my house for the night' thing? We should prooobably keep that between us." An odd odor reached the girl's nostrils, but she ignored it. "Like, I'm sure it wouldn't really matter b--" Then they rounded the corner, and none of that mattered. "Oh god." Saito ran off and after a second of hesitation, Crystal followed. Time seemed to slow as the girl took in her surroundings There was blood. So much blood. A crying girl somewhere, a cracked skull from a familiar classmate, a car, and other things her brain didn't bother to interpret. The sound of a discarded phone broke her away as Saito leaned heavily against the nearby wall as another familiar face came along. It was Cures' friend, though his name was lost to Crystal at the moment, and now was not the time to ask. Crystal gently placed her hand on Saito's shoulder as she noticed she was becoming slightly teary-eyed. Obviously, her body wasn't used to something like this. "Saito." She said quietly. "We should go. I... We can't do anything here."

 

[Piercing Light]

"Foolish..." Pepper muttered to herself. Her presence was ignored. The detective had police and an ambulance on the way, and Phoenix had gotten himself hit by a car. Pepper's eyes turned cold, she should have known better than to expect a logical reaction from humans. She looked around, analyzing the scene. Phoenix was horribly wounded, two immolated corpses were nearby emitting a deathly stench, and the authorities would soon be here. She knew what would happen if they arrived, and they were still here. They would be taken in for questioning, the truth would be seen as a lie, and lies would, at best, seem like vague recollection. They could not afford to waste time in police custody. Pepper walked over to Phoenix, he was unconscious, and was losing blood at an alarming rate. She held out her right hand, and prepared to heal him using Gaia, but she hesitated. It was her duty to help these people, but in her eyes, she could only see Phoenix as a liability. His Persona had already killed two people, and had tried to kill the young detective. If she healed him now, and his Persona went berserk, people could get hurt. The best thing to do would be to let him die, wouldn't it?

~~~~​

"Phoenix!" I yelled as loud as I possibly could. There was a ton of commotion outside, so I left the dojo to see what Pepper was doing. I did not expect to see one of my friends bleeding on the ground. I'd never seen so much blood before, the sight of the blood, along with the sickening smell in the air, was making me nauseous. Still, I ran over to Phoenix, and Pepper, who was kneeling down beside him as well. "What happened!?" I frantically asked Pepper.

"He ran into the street, and a car hit him." Pepper answered.

"Y-you can help him, can't you?" I tugged on her shirt, nearly begging her.

"Yes... But I don't think I should." Pepper's response dumbfounded me. I pushed her shoulder, and forced her to look at me. Her face was emotionless as always, but her eyes... Her eyes were devoid of any sympathy, she was serious.

"What the hell are you talking about, why won't you help him?" I gritted my teeth, trying not to lose my cool.

"That smell in the air? That's the smell of burnt human flesh. It was caused by him." Pepper glanced back to Phoenix. "He may claim that it was not him, it was his Persona that did it, after all..." Pepper looked back to me. "But our Persona's are an extension of ourselves, Cures. When out of control, they may not act of our will, but they are still born of our own psyche. Do you understand what I am saying? Right now, Phoenix is a potential enemy."

My face twitched, and I lost the desire to hold back. "Bullshit! Phoenix isn't our enemy, he's a friend, he's human just like u-"

"Human?" Pepper's eyes narrowed. "What is inside of him was born of human nature, Cures, and as long as he does not have control over it, he is a danger to us, to this entire island."

"I don't believe that, we just need to help him like we did Max. Pepper, please." I pleaded. Pepper was silent for a moment, her eyes glued to Phoenix.

"...Do not make me regret this, Cures." She said. Her Persona appeared from behind her, the large woman with a belly resembling the Earth. A green aura surrounded Phoenix, and the bleeding stopped, though the blood on the ground remained. I wondered just how much he lost "He will need rest, take him inside the dojo." She said. I nodded and picked Phoenix up, hoisting him on my back.

"Thank you, Pepper."

"I do not need thanks, I am placing faith in you is all." Pepper said. I hurried back to the dojo, and laid Phoenix down on a bed in a room in the back.

 

[KingdomKey]

"No. I don't know who it was." Valerie stated, making sure she had everything on her before halting at Noel's next question. "My brother Cam is a cop. Works for the police." Valerie felt her face flush, remembering the conversation she had earlier with her brother; during the time when Noel was passed out on the floor. "Ignore everything he says. Kind of an idiot, but a loveable one." It felt like that conversation had taken place years ago, that she was simply reliving it. Now Val knew what it felt like to be blindsided without knowing what was going on, when things got to be too comfortable and at peace. Val felt her heart leap in her throat, feeling completely startled at the sound of Noel's voice again. So much for keeping my cool. Got to pull it together. Can't let Noel or my brother see me cry.

Quickly giving Noel a smile of acknowledgement, she stood perfectly still as he drew near with his cat Sulpher. "I hear my fingers are quite magical, and can work magic. Mind if I give you a rub, Sulpher?" Valerie teased, carefully reaching out and rubbing Sulpher's neck; hearing a soft purr. "Try not to get too attached, kay? I can't have pets in my apartment, but I can visit you. Long as Noel doesn't mind." Val smiled, giving Sulpher an affectionate pet on the head. Val tilted her head in confusion then merely shrugged. "Didn't know you liked Chinese. I'll call my brother then."

Time Skip​

It didn't take long for Valerie's brother to park outside of the apartment building, blaring his sirens and honking the horn. Conveniently, her brother had taken the jeep instead of the smaller cop car with the black bar cell keeping the criminals or detainees from escaping or causing harm to the driver in the front seat. Talk about awkward. Without pause, Val climbed into the front seat and heard Noel slide in with Sulpher in the back seat. The jeep took off within seconds that they were only a few blocks away from the dojo where the- Val stopped herself from thinking and quickly made introductions. "Noel, this is my brother Cam. Cam this is Noel. A friend from school." Val could see the amusement flickering in her brother's eyes that she inwardly groaned. Don't do it. Don't say it. Please.

"Nice to meet ya, Noel. I hope you're taking good care of my girl. Valerie can be quite frisky and wild in be- Val, driving here!"

The jeep swerved a little , making Val grateful for the seatbelt holding her to the seat. "Don't start. You can make innuendos later. We have somewhere we need to be." Val deadpanned. There was a brief moment of awkward silence, that she wondered if Cam, had taken notice of Sulpher yet? Not that she cared. Then she felt her face flush. Should I have introduced Sulpher? Was I rude for leaving him out? Smooth Val. Valerie watched her brother look into the mirror at Noel. "I hope for your sake, you don't have to put up with her rough nature in the future-Ah! Can't you hold back a little? Just a little? I'm your loving older brother after all! Don't blame me for stating the truth!" Not holding back a glare, Val could see Cam's face relent and take on a serious tone. "I hope you two are prepared for whatever it is, your about to see. I won't lie about how suspicious this all is, or how bizarre it is for, some kid to run out into the street. I have questions, but for Valerie I'll hold off on it for now."

Val sighed in relief at this. This isn't so bad. Maybe I worried for nothing? Then the jeep came to a stop, there were was some commotion. Except there wasn't a body laying the snow. Only remnants of blood. "Thanks for the lift." Val whispered, letting the passenger door fall shut and leaned against it. What is this smell? Were we too late? The smell was growing worse, making Val hunch over with a hand over her mouth, trying to block the smell of decay. I read somewhere, blocking the smell makes it worse and makes you sick faster. If you don't block it, you won't gag after ten or less than five minutes. Weird how useless information could suddenly become useful.

 

[purgatory]

For the first time since I had arrived, I began to truly consider everything in full-scope. I briefly shut my eyes, when I touched the boy everyone seemed to keep calling "Phoenix" that aforementioned phenomenon from before was what had occurred, it seemed this accident and his assault by those two high schoolers was unavoidable. I raised many questions to the images in my head, right before seeing myself, suddenly having a change of heart? Preposterous!

Next I saw it for myself, the claim phoenix made and that child. The woman that came outside of the dojo and tried to negotiate from before. This presence that just seemed to come from nowhere, it denied all reason I had come to understand. Second presences floating out of people...children sitting on streetlights, I needed answers not more questions.

Finally getting on top of my thoughts, the woman from before did something rather odd. Hesitant to assist young Phoenix my named suspect, a much more understanding high school boy came around to plead with her. In this pressure, it would appear to be successful. I looked on and watched as the people that gathered cleared a path and the injured suspect was being taken inside of the dojo. Naturally it was only my first instinct to remain at the scene of the incidents. Much was going to weigh heavily upon everything I had witnessed. I was currently right around the corner and on the other side of the street just from where the suspect was carried. It was also the same on a right angle from the dojo. The car driver, and the two passengers all seemed to be alright, there then the two bodies being burned to a crisp, it was likely now by this time the flames were put out by the light snow.

I then thought about the child sitting on the streetlight, an even more bewildering phenomenon than anything else. I was convinced there were several layers to what I had witnessed, I had to seriously reconsider it all. Using every scrap of my logical means of thinking, it became clear what I needed to present to the police.

30 mins later
​

We stood around wait for quite some time, I was not surprised given their early morning investigation at the high school and sending me to do...well, this. My door to door interviews ended up leading me to the dojo, there was no school in session today and all of these people were not in the safety of their houses, these highschoolers were going to draw the wrong attention to them, me.

When the police finally arrived, I presented my badge to the lead detective and gave him a brief synopsis of everything that I had witnessed. In my explanation I took careful consideration as to not incriminate Phoenix as being directly responsible for what killed those two high school boys. The forensics team would likely find something like blunt-force trauma allocated on their heads, but when they spontaneously went up in flames, its hard to pin point the origin of where the flames had began to slowly take hold over their bodies completely.

"To think all this happened while you were doing fact finding interviews with the local residents."

"I saw the boy running as he exited the building on the corner, and when I flagged him down to question him, he ran and thats when I ran after him. We ran from that point across the street and he collided with the passing vehicle here. There were two women, from what I could summate friends of the teen, and they took him inside the dojo to dress his wounds. The car has been unmoved. I also discovered something odd, in an alley just around the corner from here, two bodies were lumped over each other...you can actually just barely catch wind of the smell. I asked all of these kids around the area about them, but they don't know anything sir. If my intuition is right, its similar to the situation we're dealing with."

It was winded, and the detective nodded. We had two completely different incidents to handle within minutes of each other, now was hardly the time to do a thorough interrogation of everyone at the scene. The detective raised his head to me, looking at me fiercely, I trembled a bit. I'd prepared this to at least give these strange people some kind of breath of fresh air, but I couldn't let go of two deaths, the prospect of Phoenix getting hit by a car almost seemed like "instant karma". Either way, the detective was more concerned about the nature of the bodies, when it came to the high schooler they really only needed worry if he himself had any intention of pressing charges against the driver.

As I'd finished my report the ambulance had come out of the dojo toting the injured Phoenix on a stretcher. The detective then turned to address all of the people in the area, that it was going to roped off so they could begin their investigation immediately, meaning all those visiting the dojo would have to remain inside, the alleyway just beside it contained the two bodies that forensics would be examining next.

"If you don't mind detective, is it alright if I ride with the ambulance to carry the wounded to the hospital." I spoke earnestly, though I was undeniably curious.

"So you do have a sensitive spot Jr. That's fine, if you can get any information from him regarding the accident or if he decides to press charges, let us know immediately."

"Understood."

 

[Noel]

Finally. Someone one who is a guy who doesn't drive a truck.

I slid my self inside the back seat of the jeep on the middle seat so I could both see Val and her brother Cam. Was it short for Cameron? It made sense since Val is short for Valerie. I mean it's not anything related—okay yeah there related but that—Sulphur had climbed off of my shoulder and delicately balanced him self on the side uve' where you 'supposed' to rest your head with, but usually, no one does. Sulphur let out a small meow as he placed his left paw on my cheek. "Stop over analyzing Noel." I turned my head slowly to look at Sulphur's blue eyes and I said something quietly to him. "You can read my—" "He stopped me there and interrupted. "No, your just easy to read." Yeah. Thanks Sulphur, I made an expression to show my sarcastic grateful mood to him.

Cam introduced himself to me, saying the usual business I guess an older brother would say if to his sibling friends, but the next tidbit he said. He was quickly interrupted by Val causing him to swerve the Jeep. Which I'm gratefully happy about, not for the bed joke, but for the fact enough that Sulphur had lost his balance and slammed against the window making an oh so hilarious thump noise. Cam had once again tried, and I'm using this generally to keep some conversation going until Val kept generously expressed her opinions to what he had say. Then one thing hit me, when he said 'loving brother'. It made me remember the not so loving family I had. Of course they loved me like any family they would, but the way they argued against everything I had to say, not giving a care about my opinion. It was like a noise, that I didn't want to hear any more. My expression from my carefree face had vanished for a few seconds while I looked out the window. I have to hide this feeling, I can't show anyone this. I gently shook my head and smiled. "Aha. You guys seem really close!"

The Jeep came to a stop, Sulphur, Val and I had left her brother to meet at, a dojo? Like entirely martial arts related and junk, dojo? When I have I not seen this? I took a small wiff through my nose and I smelled something off. It smelt like it was charred and iron had a really bad date. I took a bigger breath with my nose and I could smell that this wasn't just some prank pulled by a little rascal, but something dangerous. "Come on, let's see what's going on Val." I walked over to what seemed like remnants of blood. It was still red, like the fresh red. Not the type where it goes and it tans it self brown after it dries. I took a knee to get a closer look.

Wouldn't there be a body somewhere? Did an ambulance pick him up already? No if that were the case, the paramedics would've cleaned up this little ketchup stain. Sulphur had climbed him self up by jumping on my back to shoulder. "Someone's Persona was here." I took my finger and made a cross in the snow next to the small pool uve' blood before I placed my two fingers on my heart. "Who's?" "I'm not certain but I think they are in that dojo." I got up and looked onward to the street, and at the end was Crystal. I smiled and waved at her, before pointing to the dojo.

I turned around and walked over to Valerie. I placed my hands in my pockets from how cold they were. Odd, my hands are usually never cold. "Sulphur had said that whoever took the victim is in the Dojo, should we get going and take a look inside?" I went up to the Dojo entrance and opened the door. What to expect? A giant flaming bull who says 'Can't milk these!' Nope. It was just Mystery Inc. Lettuce Hair, Cures, John and a few others. "Nice to see you all guys.." Sulphur had jumped off uve' my shoulder and dashed in front uve' Pepper, and went to almost to a pouncing ready stance before sitting on his to back feet. He turned around and meowed "This is who used their persona." "I see. Well anyways guys, this is Sulphur. My cat slash persona..who I can talk to also..."

 

[Peace]

A gunshot.
A force pushing him forward.
The thump of a limp body hitting the ground.
A pool of red liquid.
An anguished cry.​

A sound not belonging to the scene playing behind Saito's eyes as well as someone grabbing his shoulder brought him back to a dulled version of reality. It took a second to process what was really going on. In that instant, his mind snapped into place in order to gather his wits. The red-eyed waiter received his phone from Jack before uttering "Thanks."

"We should go. I... We can't do anything here."

Those words hit Saito harder than they should have. Nonetheless, he agreed before he went to the dojo with some assistance. The college student immediately took to a corner the furthest away from the scene outside. "Sorry. I just have to lay down for a bit," he apologized to anyone willing to listen as he did as he said. He instantly found out that having solid steel balls in your back pocket isn't exactly comfortable. So he removed his outmost coat then folded and placed it under his rear. As he breathed in and out, Saito was thankful that the smell was a lot less prevalent in the building.

 

[Max]

I opened my eyes after my brief falling to see none other than Cures taking measures to mend my shoulder. He definitely cared, even though he didn't know me that well. He was a good person, and I felt my trust in him growing.

The odd woman that asked us to come here mentioned another Persona being outside, as well as something about burning flesh. Burning flesh? Did I miss something on my way here, or did this just happen? Cures' face showed a sign of concern as the woman went to investigate, but he shifted his attention back to my wound.

“You’re gonna have to explain this Max, but for right now, try not to move too much.” He said as he began to put pressure on my shoulder. It hurt like a mother and I cringed as he pushed, but I was able to hold back the yells and screams that came when I was trying to take care of it myself. As cures dressed the wound, I looked around to see... Jack, and... John. I was briefly told everybody's names the night before, but everyone had different nicknames for each other, so I was just trying to keep their real names straight for the moment. Jack informed us that he was going to follow the odd woman outside to see what was going on. Cures and John remained inside with me for the time being.

Cures had finished up, and then he rose to his feet. “Alright, Max, why are you freaking out?”

"Where to begin?" I asked out loud. I was a little more calm now that I was here at the dojo with some of the group. I couldn't go back home, that's for sure. The police were probably rummaging through my apartment assuming the worst as we speak. I figured I should just tell Cures everything. "Well-"

So much for that. I stopped when I turned and noticed a speechless John motioning outside with his thumb. Cures dashed outside at the sight. A boy from the school last night was laying motionless on the ground in the distance, with a large portion of the group standing around him in shock.

"Pheonix!" Was the last thing I could hear from inside as Cures screamed his friend's name. I stood up and walked over to the doorway. As I stood next to John, we both watched on in silence, incapable of speaking a word about anything that was going on.

Cures was exchanging words with the odd woman, and then she did... something to Pheonix. I stepped out of the way as Cures rushed back into the dojo with his friend in his arms and he took him into a back room. This was all so crazy, it was all too much... More of the group was gradually making their way into the dojo, and it seemed like we were mostly all here.

I continued to think about what just happened to Pheonix, how this must be very hard for most of the group. I was in shock more than anything. I don't really know him, but it's still a terrible thing that happened. Luckily he seemed to be alright now due to that woman that is with us, but what about the burnt up bodies outside? How close is this misfortune before it comes after another one of us? Any one of us at any time, this whole island is in danger.

As I thought on, I realized that I was absolutely freezing to death. My soaked jeans from my nap in the snow were starting to freeze, and they were getting harder to move around in. Then I realized that my shirt was still fully unbuttoned and I was wearing nothing more than a robe and slippers. I had to look ridiculous, I sure felt ridiculous. It was so freaking cold.

I closed my robe over myself a bit and crossed my arms. I looked around at everybody, seeing the shock that filled the room on each of their faces. Where would we go from here?

My feelings of security at the dojo fell short as I heard the sirens. I looked out the door to find that we were about to be stuck in here, the alley with the burnt up bodies becoming a crime scene. Dear God, I just ran from the police, and now they have us cornered?! I just couldn't seem to get away... I don't know how much longer I can run. Thoughts of running out the door and dashing away were crossing my mind, but as I glanced over my shoulder at the group, I knew that I couldn't just leave.

We were all in this together.

 

[Cassette-Disk]

The girl let go of Saito's shoulder as he slowly made his way into the dojo. He reminded her of a zombie, almost acting without any real pulse. Crystal followed, staying slightly behind. When the pianist reached the stairs, she noticed a small shop next to the dojo that specialized in drinks and snacks.
"Gimmie a second." She said before heading into the cozy shop. There was a small "ding" as she entered, causing the clerk to jump away from the window.
"Hey." He said, shakily. "I saw what happened. Do you know that kid? What's going to happen to him? What about the--"
"I'm just here for water." Crystal snapped at him in a rare moment of agitation. "I don't know anything else." The clerk only nodded and pointed at the refrigerated area. As the girl reached the lined up fridges, she saw her reflection for the nth time. Bright yellow. As always. Slightly puffy and red too. Crystal wiped her eyes against her sleeve before opening the fridge and grabbing multiple bottles. She quietly paid for them and walked back into the dojo.

She easily spotted the young Irishman laying down near a corner, along with a distraught looking Max and John. Placing the bag of water bottles down and pulling two of them out, she made her way to the Irishman while giving the other two a quick wave. ...Wait, was Max wearing a robe? That was weird.
"I'm not the smartest person around." She said quietly, sitting down next to Saito and placing a bottle next to him for him to take. "But, out there. I mean, it's obvious that it hit you pretty hard. Seeing...that. You were more shaken up than I was." Crystal realized she might be pushing some boundary at this point, but kept going. "I have a friend named Zoey. For the longest time I couldn't get her to eat sushi. She would always give me the could shoulder about it until I finally forced it out of her. It turns out her older brother took her out to eat sushi every week before he passed away." The girl pressed her back against the wall as she hugged her knees. "I'll skip the details, but I think getting it off her chest helped. I'm not saying you have to tell me right now--I'm not even saying you have to tell me anything at all. But I am saying talking things out might help face your demons."

 

[KingdomKey]

Valerie stepped inside of the dojo after Noel, unable to answer him due to the lingering smell of human flesh inside of her nostrils. Normally, Val would give out a simple greeting to her friends, but the stench had made her nauseated and she didn't want to cause a scene. She doubted anyone was up for a normal chat anyway. Val rushed past the group and into the bathroom hidden in the right hand corner of the dojo, and heard it shut behind her as she gripped the sink, breathing heavily as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. Breathe... Just breathe... Don't think about the smell... Val chanted inside of her head, willing the sick feeling in her stomach to go away. After five minutes had passed by, she reached out for the napkin holder and pulled out a generous amount of napkins and soaked them in cold water; pressing them onto her heated face. How are the others with standing the smell? Val thought to herself, slowly feeling better as the napkins did their job of cooling her off.

Deeming she was well enough to leave the bathroom, Valerie threw the napkins into a waste bin and took her time rejoining the group. Out of reflex did Valerie do a quick head count out, and noticed Phoenix wasn't among them. A sense of dread hit the center of her chest, knowing she left things quite messy between them the last time they had spoken to each other. Worse, she didn't even bother to consider how he might of felt about her. A part of her wondered if, this was karma for leading him on without establishing what they had, or for being too cold hearted at their brief reunion? Val watched Crystal speak to Saito for a few minutes before her eyes flickered over to Max. He must of ran. The robe was a good indication he didn't stick around for the cops to have a talk with him she mused to herself. In fact, he looked scared and ready to bolt. Police are after him for acting suspicious- he's cold!

I could put Max into a headlock and call him a coward, if he's going to try to bolt. Then again, Max hasn't done anything wrong. Just a human being after all. I'm no better.

"Come with me." Valerie said softly into his ear, leaving no room for argument and grabbed hold of Max's hand with hers. "You'll get sick, if you stay in those wet clothes." Knowing how bizarre this will look to Max and the others, she simply shrugged it off and pulled him along after her. Taking a moment to stop behind a counter, grabbing out a spare pair of loose pants, a t-shirt with the logo of the dojo on it, and a towel. I don't know what his size is. Hopefully these fit him. Handing the clothes and towel kindly to him, she pulled him over to the bathroom she was previously inside of. "I'm sorry there isn't a shower here. These will have to do until we figure out how to prove you're innocent to the police. I don't know what you did to gain their attention, and I want to believe you're a nice person. I know you have a tough history -- and everyone here is willing to give you a chance. So, don't give them a reason to doubt you, after taking a chance to believe in you." Valerie stated, taking a deep breath and giving him a real smile. "I know things appear scary now, but it'll get better if you give it time."

Then as if Max needed further incentive to get changed, Valerie gently pushed him into the bathroom and closed the door on him. "And don't think about not changing into those clothes! I won't let you out, if you do. Plus, they're free of charge and I'll take care of the money. If you're hungry, I think there's a shop next to the dojo, where Crystal must of gotten those drinks. It'll be my treat. We can invite the others, if you still think I'm going to roughen you up like a kick boxer."

While Valerie waited, she rested her hand over her phone hidden inside of her right jean pocket. Maybe I can get some answers and convince Cam, it wasn't what it looked like. OR if things go badly, I'll call Cam to take him in for questioning. I hope Max is willing to corporate with me here.

 

[Peace]

Saito started to feel a little better from his laying down and taking breaths, but he was still far from alright. Plus some alone time to gather his thoughts was appreciated. I can't believe that anyone saw that, He lamented putting his hand on his face. The waiter was kind of hoping that no one would see that part of him. The part only his family knew about.

Like a lot of people, he hates showing signs of weakness. Not only because it makes him feel vulnerable. It also reminds of his previous failures. Before he got into too many details, a bottle of water entered the corner of his sight as well as a familiar golden-eyed girl. Though the latter looked distorted due to the container of liquid.

Saito was not in the mood to talk to anyone now, but Crystal was. She started by mentioning what he went through outside. His memories started to surface, but he was able to push them back down. She then went on about her friend's similar troubles and that her willing to listen to him. He wanted to tell her how he reacted was normal for anyone seeing something like that. Put up a strong façade in order to convince her he wasn't a wimp that goes weak-kneed at the sight of blood. But her genuine tone made him consider otherwise. So much so in fact that her words touched him.

Instead, he muttered "Thank you," before taking a swig of the water.

 

[Piercing Light]

"Well this is a fine mess we've gotten into." I slumped on a bench in the dojo, sighing for what must have been the tenth time in the past five minutes. Thanks to that effeminate detective, the local law enforcement was swarming around the dojo like ants on a sugar cube. Hearing that there had been a murder, they were particularly frantic. I couldn't blame them I suppose, what with a school turning into a giant icicle, on top of the mysterious disappearances. But that didn't mean they weren't annoying. They forced all of us to stay in the dojo, and questioned each of us separately, likely to see if our stories matched up. I and Pepper doubted they would buy the truth, so we simply told everyone to say that they didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

“Yes, it is…” Pepper answered half-heartedly, I huffed at the thought, for all I knew half of her heart did run on electric circuits.

“Something wrong?” I asked. “Besides the obvious, of course.” I lowered my voice as a police officer walked past us and exited the dojo, leaving only a lone man in uniform at the exit to keep watch over us.

“I would have let him die, you do know that, yes?” She said, her eyes unfocused and staring ahead. I raised an eyebrow, for a split moment unsure of what she meant.

“Oh… Phoenix.” I muttered. It did disturb me that she was so apathetic towards letting him die. I understood why she thought it was the logical choice, but I couldn’t accept that. I sat straight back up on the bench. “It might not have seemed like the smartest thing to do, but… I’m not willing to throw my humanity away. I mean… even if we fix what’s wrong with this island, if we accomplish it by sacrificing people… It’s not worth it. I don’t want to live with any regrets, and I want as many people as possible to come out of this safe” I said. Pepper was silent for a moment, I noticed this was a trend with her, whenever she had to think of something without a clear, formulaic answer, she hesitated.

“That is naïve thinking, Cures, and it is selfish. You wish to walk upon the path of death with the weight of many upon your shoulders, and not suffer? Is maintaining a clear conscience and your humanity truly so important? If you are not careful, you may end up losing everything.” She said. I looked directly at her, and my mouth suddenly felt heavy.

“I know… I know I may be wrong, but I can’t help it, it’s just who I am.” I had doubts of course, but looking at Pepper, she seemed conflicted as well. I couldn’t tell if she had doubts as well, or was having trouble understanding my actions. Regardless, she then stood up, her expression turning focused and stoic.

“Now.” She whispered to herself, and just as she did the ground began to shake violently. It felt like an earthquake, yet not quite, instead of the Earth shaking, it felt as if the building it’s self was shaking. Pepper dashed at the policeman guarding the door, while he was trying to keep his footing, she sent an electrified punch to his stomach, knocking him out. Catching him by the cuff before he could fall, she opened the front door, tossed him out like a rag doll, and closed the door back.

“Pepper… what the hell!?” I yelled, too confused and disoriented to say anything coherent. She looked towards me, and pointed to the back of the dojo. “Holy…” A sharp splintering and cracking noise pervaded my senses, as the back of the dojo was quickly becoming overcome by ice, just like the school. Wild, sharp spires and spike shot out of the walls and the floor, threatening to tear apart anything in their path. All of us were forced to back towards the entrance, before we ended up as teenage pincushions. I turned around to head for the door, but Pepper was standing in the way. “What are you doing!? We need to get out of here!” I yelled, but she didn’t move.

“We are not leaving, Cures. The reason I called you all here was because I knew that this place was next to become consumed. Do not worry, I will protect you.” She was as calm as ever, so much so that I had to believe her. Her Persona, Gaia, was summoned. It quickly went to each of the club members, and moved them into her belly. It came to me last, and picked me up. As I entered it’s large, Earth like stomach I was shocked by how it felt. Inside of Gaia was an impossible space, much larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. My vision was blurred as if I was underwater, and my body became weightless, yet I could breathe fine. In fact, I felt fine as well. Gaia’s body must have had a healing effect of some kind, as I could feel myself being filled with energy. My head became foggy; it was so comfortable, like a blanket made of clouds wrapped around me. Just as the ice blocked out my sight, I fell into a slumber.

~~~​

I had a rather rude awakening, I was laying on something hard, like smooth stone, and there was something heavy sitting on my stomach. Opening my groggy eyes I saw a mass of green. I closed my eyes. “Pepper, why are you sitting on me?” I asked.

“Using Gaia has left me exhausted, so I asked everyone to give me a moment to rest.” She said, looking down at me with unsympathetic eyes. Was it just me, or was she upset with me?
“So you decided to rest on my stomach?...”

“My apologies, It was the softest thing I could find.” Pepper’s black boots planted on the ground, and she stood to her feet. After catching my breath, I stood up as well, and took in my surroundings. They were deathly familiar.

“The… World under the pond?” That’s what it looked the, the round, crystalline ice room with the sealed doors.

“The very same, now, shall we continue where we left off?” She said, looking to me. I looked to the club, and ruffled the hair on the back of my head.

“Um, game on?”