Crow's Nest

After an hour, Akira finally saw the end of the hall. It had felt like an eternity even with his friends there. Thankfully, his hunch had been correct. The door at the end had a handle on the left side. It was plain and nearly blended into the wall, the handle being the only defining feature. “Joker, I think you should get behind me. I’ve know Akechi-kun longest, so I honestly probably stand the least chance of being attacked.” He looked at Makoto and nodded, stepping behind her. Even if he knew Goro the best, her logic was perfectly sound. It’d been close to three years since she’d first met him, so it did seem least likely especially with how close Goro was to Sae. She removed her mask and took a deep breath before plunging into the darkness. Akira stood close behind, knife at the ready. To nobody’s surprise, bars slid across the door behind them, blocking any withdrawal. Akira’s throat tightened as he looked around the large room and caught sight of a massively powerful Shadow in the corner. “Get ready, guys.” everyone gripped their weapons and got into position. “How dare you break in here! I’ll enjoy throwing you in with the rest of those lawbreakers.” Akira felt Makoto tense and looked at her. What in the world— A woman nearly two meters tall stepped into their field of vision and Akira couldn’t help but stare alongside Makoto. “Sis?! ” It was indeed Sae, though she wore a Western-styled medieval dress, a crown atop her head. This…This wasn’t a Shadow but a cognitive double with Shadow-like abilities… If they couldn’t get past her, they’d be slaughtered on the spot. Sae was far too powerful for them to take on even with everyone on board for this mission. “I knew criminals were low, but impersonating my sister? The penalty for such a crime is death.” Even if Goro was used to Sae’s good side, it didn’t mean he was blind to how ruthless she could be. “Sis, no! It’s me, Makoto! For real! Why are you—” Akira put a hand on Makoto’s shoulder and she glanced at him. He kept an eye on the double, though, as she drew her sword from its sheath, readying an attack. “This is Goro’s cognitive double of your sister.” The small reminder made her blink before nodding. He stepped back with a faint smile as Makoto took a deep breath and steadied herself under the double’s gaze. Sae held her sword at the ready, an eyebrow raised. She wasn’t going to attack unnecessarily due to Goro’s own natural disinclination toward conflict of any sort. Makoto raised her hands and started signing. We aren’t criminals. Yes, we are the Phantom Thieves of Heart, here to take Akechi-kun’s Treasure, but this isn’t for personal gain. We know how much he’s hurting and he wants to get out of his situation. The only way we can do that is if we take his Treasure. It’ll cause this place to disappear, but it’ll mean Akechi-kun can get away from his abuser with our help. You want people to not hurt him which is why you’re guarding this place, right? If you join us, you can help him look to a brighter future. She let her hands drop to the sides and shook a bit, staring down the blade of her sister’s sword. The weapon remained out for several moments before Sae nodded and relaxed a little. You’re right about that. I’m supposed to keep intruders out of the prison that way he himself can’t escape. I also know how desperately he wants out. I know I’m just an extension of his psyche in the end, but I have my duties. Sae paused for a moment while Akira and Makoto looked at each other. Goro was aware of a lot, but for it to manifest a self-aware cognitive double? This was beyond mind bending. If you are Makoto as you claim, what day did you meet him? Of course there would be one last failsafe for Goro protecting himself. 13 December, 2014. You brought him over to the house and he stayed for the night. You were worried about how spooked he’d been that morning at work. We ended up binging on old VHS recordings of one of the original Featherman run on Sunday before he left. Akira couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the last comment. Both Nijima sisters were into something as silly as Featherman? Makoto had never shown any inclination toward the show, but it was a shock to learn regardless. But of course she’d also give a few extra details just to drive the point home… Sae nodded and smiled. That’s something only the three of us would know. I can trust you . The bars on both entrances raised and Sae turned to them, her expression once again serious. “I’ll warn you now that there are some extremely powerful enemies ahead. You’re probably already more than skilled at infiltration and stealth, but you’ll want to avoid the jailer at all costs. He’ll stop at nothing to see you all dead. Everyone exchanged glances while Sae raised a brow. Nobody needed to tell them who said jailer was. “Why do you act like you aren’t surprised?” “…We can’t tell you. We can’t predict what effect it might have on Goro’s psyche if he knew what we know.” Akira stepped forward and Sae nodded. “Fair enough. His psyche is already fragile enough; he doesn’t need further harm. “The warden will be less powerful, but she’ll still be a challenge for you at your current ability level.” Akira tensed at the moment. How did Goro— “All I can say is he’s no stranger to your current levels, Joker.” Of course Shido had told him to watch them in Mementos to gauge their abilities. “You won’t be able to take on enemies in this Palace to boost your skills: the stronger ones run away while the weaker ones attack. They won’t give you much if you beat them.” Akira just groaned. Of course Goro’s Palace wouldn’t be easy on any front. “…Looks like we’re going to back to Mementos for a few days.” Everyone just groaned themselves.