literature

Shackled Wings (Persona 5: Chapter 2)

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November

It was a bad idea to split up. My gut kept telling me that I needed to run after Joker and help him secure the Treasure. Of course, he was far from incapable of accomplishing his task and it gave us the advantage of making a clean escape. Still…something wasn’t right. Where did that crackling voice come from? Almost like…someone talking on a radio?

Watching Joker dance through the sky though, like an acrobat with grace and style to spare, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sisterly pride rise within me. That’s my brother. My hero. The Joker who could lead us to certain victory as the trump card he was. Not once did he ever fail us in a mission whether it was for a large target or for those of the common people. He had won the trust of our teammates and striven forward in the world, even when everyone else turned their back on him. Even when the former believers of the Phantom Thieves discarded us at their convenience.

Joker fought his enemies with no hesitation, ripping off his mask and making them bear witness to the rebellious soul within. They didn’t stand a chance nor did they have a prayer.

Everything was going so well. Even when the “security guards” chased after him, Joker kept running and evading them like we had all done on so many missions before. In the few months we have come together as a group…no…a family, this shouldn’t have been a problem. Especially with our latest member, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to get this far. We wouldn’t have even thought to save this target from her end.

From what Oracle could tell us, Joker was nearing the exit. When the guards thought they had him cornered and ordered him to surrender, Joker flipped and surprised them by running on the rails of the upper terrace. It caught the guards by surprise, but for Joker it had become part of the routine. In this world, our bodies conformed to the standards in which we could pull of feats we wouldn’t have been so readily been able to in the real world. It was a boon, but practice did make perfect after all. And Joker was the king.

Finally, he had reached the multi-colored glass exit.

“See ya!” he called out with a proud smirk. We’ve been having a rough time trying to escape with all the incoming enemies, but my brother was ready to fly and lead us home. Just like always. Like every time we had successfully stolen the treasure.

At least…that’s what it should have been…

From what Oracle had told me, my dear brother had delivered such a beauteous flight that would have made the birds jealous. Glass trailed after him when he burst, giving his flight stars in his path. It made us all laugh and smile with hardly a care. Ironic for the situation really. But that was our Joker. My brother.

But when he landed, blinding lights surrounded him and Oracle cried out in alarm. Something was horribly wrong. An ambush had been set up. The police had come to get him. Surely these were only Shadows in the guise of the police force. Or at least this was part of the Palace ruler’s cognition. We are still dressed as the rebels that we are, so we must still be in the Metaverse. Surely Joker can evade them like usual.

By the time the police had cornered Joker, we had almost made it out. In fact, I was among the first to escape. I had begged Oracle to tell me Joker’s location. She told me that it was way too dangerous to go after him. He was too well surrounded and even if I did make it, the readings weren’t right. Something was strange about those police officers. But I didn’t care. I had to find him. I promised to protect him after all. He was the reason why I had come this far. If it wasn’t for him… I…

But in the end, it was for naught. My friends had to half-carry half-drag me away from the commotion. As they took me away, the last thing I saw was Joker making one last attempt to escape via a fire escape ladder. But it was futile. The bird had been cast from the sky and fell into the gaping maw of the wolf.

I couldn’t see anything further. My eyes were too blurry from my tears and my throat was too tight for me to scream. I reached for my mask, begging my “other me” to save one of the people I cherished most in the world. But our newest comrade, someone whom I had sworn to trust, seized my wrist and drew it back.

“It’s too late Rose,” he hissed, although not without sympathy, “It’s too late…”

Why…? I had promised…to protect him… Why…?

***

By the time Sae Niijima, a well-known and respected prosecutor in charge of the Phantom Thieves arrest, met Akira Kurusu, the leader of the aforementioned group, he was barely recognizable from his profile picture. It was clear that he had been abused far worse than any criminal had ever and should ever have been. Pale skin, black bags under glassy eyes, bruises around his wrists, it had been too harsh a treatment that any suspect, much less a sixteen year old, should have been granted.

“Can you hear me? It seems you’ve been through a lot.” Sae called out. She made to make some kind of connection with him. If she couldn’t give him a proper interrogation, then her reason for going there against her superior’s orders would be futile. This was likely the only chance she’ll be able to talk to him, so she’ll do whatever it takes to get the truth from this criminal.

A criminal so young that it was difficult to imagine what could have inspired him to lead such a questionable group. Even with his background, Sae would have thought that he would have been more devoted to his studies and protecting his younger sister, Hikari Kurusu, like he should have. As an older sibling herself, Sae wouldn’t even dream of getting her own little sister involved with this dangerous, possibly life threatening, ordeal.

“Almost anything can happen here…and I can’t stop them. That’s why I need you to answer me honestly. I don’t have much time either. What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident?”

It wasn’t like anyone in the police force could find any means to find proof that he was involved with the Phantom Thieves. If it wasn’t for the tip they had gotten, it would have been nigh impossible. They would have probably ended up arresting the wrong people just to settle the outcry against the justice Sae had worked so hard to uphold. But this wasn’t about trying to get information for the court. This was about finding the truth.

Why did he do it? What could have lead him to this point? Was his sister involved? Was she merely an accomplice? Or was she following his lead?

“…Start from the very beginning."

If Sae had had the potential, that special potential that only those under a certain contract may be able to undertake, she would have been able to see a bright blue butterfly circle around Akira. Stars in its wake, it whispers into Akira’s mind, outside of the prosecutor’s ability to see nor hear it. Words of pity and concern, and yet filled with hope and strength.

***

April

Big Brother woke with a start, jolting me from my place on his upper arm where I had dozed off. Apparently he had gotten the same idea. He looked puzzled, like he had woken up from something that wasn’t quite a nightmare but not exactly a pleasant dream.

“You okay?” I ask, rubbing my eyes and stretching. The two books I had sitting on my lap almost fell down onto the subway train’s floor, but I was quick to catch them. Far be it from me to let a spine be bruised or a page be creased due to my carelessness.

“Nah, I’m fine.” Big Brother answered, smiling as he gently ruffled my hair. He laughed when I pouted and tried to fix the mess. “You sure you can’t fit those in your bag? You’ve read through both of them before we even got on here.”

I shrugged.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t feel right if I’m not carrying something anyway.” It’s a habit of mine I had developed over the years. When we were younger, Mom sometimes dragged me and Big Brother to her dull business meetings whenever she couldn’t find a babysitter or our grandparents weren’t available. So eventually we had learned to bring a book with us if we were going to be inmates in her jail. Even though Big Brother had grown to have a certain fondness for books, hardly anyone would be able to find me without a book in hand. It’s a comfort for me; an escape from this harsh reality. I could be anything I wanted: a hero from the days of old, an enchantress who aids the hero in his times of distress, even a mythological creature who traverses lands I could never hope to see. My favorites though are always the tales of knights defending their king and upholding honor while seeking no gain for themselves. Sometimes, when we were much younger, I was able to drag Big Brother away from his studies and get him to pretend that he was a king and I his knight. I would drape his old red blanket around his shoulders and use a makeshift paper “crown” to adorn his head. Then, with cardboard “sword” in hand, made from a used paper towel roll, I defended my “king” from the fiends who would dare defy him.

“Suit yourself.” He replied and ruffled my hair again. I know he’s smiling. I just know it. But it wouldn’t be good manners to make a loud commotion in the subway so I just settled for giving him a glare and a pout. What he was more focused on though were the news articles displayed at the top of our subway car. Political scandals, subway accidents, mental shutdowns, mysterious phenomena that could only be described as being “occult” activity. Apparently Shibuya has been assaulted on all sides with strange activity from citizens who would literally “shutdown” and commit strange acts. For instance, a subway train driver who was normally so diligent at his job wound up speeding the subway up to dangerous speeds and sending the train careening at a dangerous pace. Fortunately with that case, no one had been killed although many were injured. But the strangest part was that he couldn’t recall anything during the incident. I’m surprised he even survived at all considering he was located at the very front.

“Hikari.” Big Brother called, standing up and slinging his school bag over his shoulder. “Here’s our stop.”

I nodded and joined him. When I stared at his new school uniform pants, I giggled.

“I still can’t get over it.” I gestured towards them. “They look just like your pajama pants from home.”

He laughed as well, his glasses glinting in the sun’s light. “And that’s why I bought new ones. So you wouldn’t bring it up again.”

I tucked my books under my arm, brushed my new school issued skirt, and checked to see if the rubber band holding my semi-braid together was still there. My hair was long enough to where I’m able to make a braid starting from the bottom half and have it end at about my waist. My mother would nag at me to have it cut to a more sensible length more fitting "a girl learning about her place in society", but it’s the hairstyle of one of my favorite characters from an old RPG game I had played years ago, “Autumn Moon”. I don’t know how well known the game is, but it left enough of an impression on me to copy the hairstyle of the town’s local librarian.

Finally, we had come to a stop and hopped off the train. Immediately we were greeted with tall buildings and a sea of faces coming at us from every direction. I draw my books close to my chest as my school bag rests in the crook of my elbow. With my other hand I hold onto Big Brother's free hand as he guides us towards Sojiro Sakura's house. Apparently we have a couple more stations to traverse through before we get there. Looking at the crowd around us, I can’t help but shiver. This is definitely not our quiet suburb. The city noises rang out all around us. Car horns blaring, people shouting at each other or talking incessantly on their phones, the advertisements displayed on the cumbersome screens above us.

It’s all so disconcerting. But if this place is going to be our home for the next year, then we’ll have to adapt. And I’m not going to run away just because I was startled by some noise. How pathetic would that be? Especially after that performance I had dealt back there.

We had paused for a moment to gather our bearings. I peered over at Big Brother's phone and saw a strange red app blocking the map we had been following. It was so eerie, staring up at us with a black eye and other weird markings.

Big Brother isn’t the kind of guy to follow a trend for the sake of following a trend, but neither was he the kind of guy to get absorbed in occult activity or anything too outlandish that this app could have possibly been associated with. I pride myself in being able to claim that I know my brother better than anyone, so I know for a fact that he would never download such a thing. But still…if he didn’t download it then how did it get there?

“That’s creepy,” I muttered.

Big Brother nodded and tapped the app, trying to discern its function. Just as soon as he did though, one moment he was my usually composed, quiet brother. Then another moment his eyes were wide and he looked around as if he had seen a ghost. He turned to me and squeezed my hand, his forehead lightly creased as it always did when he was concerned.

“Are you okay?” He asked, looking me over as if checking for wounds.

“Eh?” I took an involuntary step back, but I didn’t release his hand. “Big Brother? What happened?”

He remained silent. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but the words couldn’t seem to escape. Finally, Big Brother shut his eyes and sighed.

“It’s nothing.” He turned back to his phone, dragged the strange icon to the trash, and tugged my hand with his usual smile, although it looked forced. “Let’s go.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t help but be concerned. What was that app? And what happened when Big Brother pressed it? Whatever the case, I hoped it was one of those moments we could just brush off as we walked forward.
Summary: Hikari and Akira have arrived at Shibuya. This is the first step towards their sentence and the fate that is to receive them.

Notes: For the character Hikari mentioned in the game "Autumn Moon", this is actually a shout out reference to an older game under a different but similar name, Mary from "Harvest Moon".

Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona franchise. I only own my OC, Hikari.

AO3 link: archiveofourown.org/works/1062…
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