Chapter Text
“Things haven't been the same since dad died, that much I've already accepted...
So why must it come down to this? Why are we here?
Dad, please help me... Help me let her see reason and win her to our side
our whole plan is banking on it.”
Makoto remembered that day crystal clear, how could she forget? The cruelties she had bare witnessed in that investigation room was something that was etched into her very soul, like a curse that was binded to her for all eternity. Every waking moment was spent trying to run away from the memories she so badly wanted to forget. Maybe if it were any other one of her teammates that went in her place, the repercussions wouldn’t be as detrimental.
Oh how she regretted playing hero in that moment, volunteering to be a noble sacrifice. It made sense in her heat in the moment, but how gravely mistaken she would be. Now having to carry with her a burden that she would never be free from. The burden of her own mind.
"Don't even bother trying to resist, no one is going to save you here"
A pair of security guards pinned a girl to the floor, one taking advantage of their muscular build to restrain her while the other held a syringe in his hand, slowly injecting the mysterious liquid into the poor girl's body.
She screamed, she cried, she shouted. Desperately pleading for everyone to come to her aid.
"Joker, Noir, Sis .....someone….. anyone.... save me..."
But of course, no one came. Why did she even bother to scream at this point? Perhaps it was just a response, human instinct telling her that struggling in her restraints is going to help her escape.
Soon enough, she found herself drifting in and out of consciousness. In any other situation, she would use all of her willpower to stay awake to keep fighting.
But this wasn't any other situation. As much as she wanted to fight to break from the chains of captivity, her more logical side reasoned that struggling would be fruitless due to being completely outclassed in both numbers and strength. So she surrendered herself to the haze that was clouding her mind, and everything went black.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP
Click
The blaring sound of her alarm aroused her from her slumber.
In truth, however, she had already been awake for the past hour trying to get more shut-eye due to the recurring nightmare that had been replaying in her head for the past month. Though her mind was not fully awake, she managed to climb out of bed to prepare for the long day ahead.
Despite being a phantom thief, it didn’t allow her to negate her day-to-day responsibilities. On the contrary, her days as a thief only added to her copious amount of responsibilities. In her opinion, however, having a unique way to deliver justice was something she took pride in upholding, more so than being the student council president.
Speaking of the phantom thieves, It had been about a month since their official "disbandment". After executing one of the greatest heists the group had ever performed and defeating a literal God, once the dust had settled, they all agreed that it would be best to disband in the meantime in order for them to catch up with their social lives.
This was all something that they unanimously agreed on, even Futaba. Who seemed all too eager to get back into binging anime and reverting back to her unhealthy dietary practices. It pained Makoto greatly to see a friend eating nothing but curry and instant yakisoba, but trying to persuade Futaba to opt for healthier options would be like trying to strike a conversation with a brick wall.
That agreement was made a month ago, now she has to face the music and look forward to the future. Slipping into her buchimaru slippers that were gifted to her by her sister the year before, she exited her room to start her breakfast preparations when she was immediately greeted by a figure passed out on the dining table. She seemed to be swarmed with multiple stacks of papers at every angle and a single laptop that seemed to be asleep.
A small smile tugged at Makoto’s lips, her sister may have turned over a new leaf and become a defense lawyer but some old habits never seem to change. She quietly shuffled to the kitchen and started her preparations for the morning’s meal.
The delectable smell of fried garlic wafting through the air was enough to slowly raise the elder Niijima from her slumber.
“What’s that smell?” Sae lifted up her head off the table as her vision tried to reorientate itself.
“Morning Sis, I’m preparing breakfast, anything in particular that you would like to eat?” The younger Niijima turned around to ask her elder sister, who was rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up
“Nope, make whatever you want, Makoto”
“Alright then, fried rice with seasoned vegetables it is if you don’t mind?”
“That sounds lovely.” Sae's voice trailed off once her brain started to kick in motion.
“Looks like I passed out on the table again” She noted to herself, trying to crack her neck and back due to the soreness of sleeping hunched over.
“Still the same old Sis. At this point, you should replace your bed with a wider desk for you to sleep on” Makoto teased. Though she instantly regretted the words that flew out of her mouth
“Not a bad suggestion, maybe I’ll look into it”
“Sis, you can’t be serious-”
“Don’t worry Makoto. I’m only joking.”
Sae giggled to herself after seeing Makoto’s flustered response to her backfire. It had been so long since laughter had filled the walls of their apartment, it felt strange that the two sisters are getting back on track with the relationship that was thought to be lost.
It was oddly comforting seeing Makoto take the initiative to start up a friendly banter, finding a sense of solace in seeing her younger sister slowly come out of her shell.
She could hear Makoto heave a sigh of relief from the kitchen while she turned the fire down.
“Thank goodness. I don’t know what to do if you seriously went through with that idea. Also, sorry about the comment, it just came out of my mouth”
“Don’t worry about it because you are right, I need to stop sleeping on desks, or else my back is going to suffer the consequences. You don't need to apologize either, you are just being you after all.”
“Thanks, Sis”
“Of course, Makoto.”
Their conversation ended in comfortable silence, Makoto continued cooking their breakfast as Sae stood up to take a stretch and wash up a little.
By the time both Niijima's had finished their tasks, a doorbell sounded. Once Makoto finished plating their breakfast and gently placing it on the dinner table, now cleared off Sae’s paperwork, she opened the door wide to find a familiar black-haired boy standing in front of her.
“Ren, good morning!!”
“Good morning, Makoto- senpai ”
“Please drop the ‘senpai’, we’ve been friends for long enough for our relationship to remain as ‘kohai and senpai ’”
“I know, just wanted to tease you a bit. You looked a bit tense, still shaken up?”
Makoto flinched ever so slightly, which didn’t go unnoticed by Ren. He was well aware of the extent of how much November 20th had affected Makoto. A part of him deeply regrets granting her request, if he had known what was to be in the future, he wouldn’t have allowed himself to be so easily swayed by her words. But time and time again, Makoto has reassured him that this was HER choice, so it’s only fair that SHE suffered the consequences.
Still, it didn’t entirely remove the nagging feeling in his heart that said otherwise. That if he went in her place, maybe things wouldn’t have ended up this way. Maybe in an alternate universe, she would find the happiness that she so rightly deserved.
There was no point in daydreaming about the past, the only thing he can do now is to be there for her in the present. After all, she basically sacrificed herself for the sake of the team, it was the least that he could do for her to pay her back.
“I appreciate the concern Ren but please don’t worry about it, I’m fine” Makoto grinned towards the messy-haired boy as she pulled his sleeve. “Come on in already, I just finished preparing breakfast. I made sure to add some diced sausages as per your suggestion”.
Ren didn’t know if he was hallucinating when he saw the third-year blush ever so slightly. He quickly dismissed the idea as he joined the Niijima’s for breakfast, maybe he’ll bring it up another time just to see her reaction. For now, a ghost of a smile flitted across his face as he sat opposite Makoto and Sae-san. Thanking Makoto for the meal before digging his fuel for the day.
These days, She finds herself unable to focus in class like she used to. Before she became a phantom thief, she found herself diligently making notes and highlighting anything important that the teacher had to say. On top of that, she even offered some of her fellow classmate's one-on-one tutoring if she was aware that they were falling behind on a certain subject. In that regard, it was no wonder that she was an honor student not only because of her status as Student Council President but also for her caring and considerate nature toward her peers.
Now, she barely had the energy to stay awake, and this fact definitely did not go unnoticed by the staff and her fellow classmates. Every now and then after class, a teacher would approach her and ask if everything was ok. Of course, she couldn’t tell them about the real reason for her sluggish movements. Instead, she would lie through her teeth and claim that “I’m fine. I’m just a bit tired from studying last night”.
And to her credit, it wasn’t exactly a total lie. She did burn the midnight oil the other night in preparation for the upcoming college exams. However, it wasn’t the only reason she remained awake late into the night. As unhealthy as the coping mechanism may seem, the less time that she spent sleeping was less time she spent dreaming. Which meant in a very twisted sense that she could somewhat control the duration of her sleep, and how much suffering she would have to endure each time.
Of course, she knew that there had to be a better way to cope with the pain. In the long run, this may only be to her detriment and meant more trouble (and heartache) for her sister in the future. It was another thought that she pushed to the back of her head. For now, maybe she’ll try to get back on track to be the honor student she once was. Yeah, that would be a great distraction for her now.
“Alright class, I’m going to be giving back your pop quiz from last week. "
Since when was there a test?
"Once you receive it, I want you to double-check if your marks are correct. "
Marks? It was graded?
"If there are no errors, please sign your name onto the sheet of paper that is attached to this clipboard. Got it?”
Sign? My name?
Makoto felt her heart thud in her chest, it was beating so hard that her whole body was starting to shake. Air, she needed air, but the room that she was trapped in made her share her oxygen with 30 other people. She couldn't accept it, she needed it all or she was going to die. Her body was now her enemy, tightening her chest and her windpipes as if she was being choked by her own sorrows. She knew she needed to leave the classroom, but her vision grew distorted as if she was looking at the world through a fish-eye lens. She barely managed to mumble a sorry excuse before stumbling out of the classroom and immediately booked it. She didn’t know where she was going, she only knew she needed to escape.
Once her ragged breathing had eased and her hands stopped trembling, she took a quick look at her environment only to find that she was on the rooftop of Shujin Academy. She was unaware of how much time had passed since her little “fit” and was honestly unwilling to explain herself to Ms. Kawakami, however nice she may be. It took a while for the recent events that had just transpired to sink into her skin, and all she could now was curl up in the corner and sob her misery away
“....w……..up!!”
“....wake……p!”
“I said wake up!!”
She gasped awake as ice-cold water was splashed onto her face. The water had indeed woken her up, but it took some time for her remaining senses to catch up.
The first sense that came to was her sight, as the blurry misshapen figures started to take form. She glanced around at her surroundings and immediately noted two things. One, she was in an integration room alone with a police officer and a detective, and two, she was completely and utterly alone in a room that had a singular CCTV camera that was facing her direction.
The second was her sense of touch, as she tried to support her head using her hands, she noticed that one went up with the other, meaning that she was still handcuffed.
The third was her hearing, the detective in front of her started listing all of the crimes the phantom thieves had committed. She wasn't in the right state of mind to fully listen to what he had to say, as she still felt a little disoriented. So she resolved to put on a poker face, praying to whatever God out there that it was enough to fool every adult in the room.
Fourth, was her sense of smell, detecting the faint scent of iron that danced around her nose.
Finally, was her taste. Licking the corner of her lips, she felt a slight stinging sensation, the rich taste of iron now on the tip of her tongue.
She had somewhat regained her senses, now it was time for her to put their master plan into action. However, she was so deep in thought that she failed to hear the detective ask her a question.
“I won’t repeat myself. Are the phantom thieves responsible for all of the crimes I had just listed out?”
Unwilling to cooperate, she shot a glare at the detective, which only pissed him off even more.
Makoto mentally braced herself for the worst, thinking that he was going to take advantage of her captured state to physically injure her. However, once she opened her eyes, she was instead met with the sight of the detective leering at her from a distance.
“It’s unfortunate that such a pretty thing like you refuses to cooperate. However, I don’t care who you are or whatever relations you may have, I will use whatever method I may need in order to make you start talking”
It was right then when the second officer that was standing a reasonable distance behind her, whipped out his taser from his belt pocket and flicked it on.
“If you don’t want to be electrified to death, I suggest that you sign this. We need your arm to sign it…but I don’t care if you lose your life”
Her hands, despite shaking vigorously, managed to grab the pen and clipboard that was offered to her.
Makoto Niijima
Her name was barely legible, but it was the best she could do. Once the detective noticed that she was done writing, he snatched both the clipboard and pen from her grasp, looked at the name that was written down, and eyed back the woman that was being questioned.
“I knew it. You’re his daughter, aren’t you?”
Of course, he would figure it out. He already knew the answer to his own question, so Makoto remained quiet.
“Silence is a form of confirmation, so I’m going to assume that I’m right.”
The detective looked away, if she squinted hard enough she would be able to tell that the detective now carried a pained expression.
“Seigi-san was truly the best captain on the force. Everyone admired him, even I.”
The detective now looked back, looking Makoto dead in the eyes.
“So tell me, Niijima-chan. Why are you dragging such an honored family name into the mud?”
"Me? Dragging dad's name into-"
“Forget it, It’s completely unrelated to the current case. Now”
His focus turned back to the clipboard in his hands.
“Let’s start from the beginning, starting off with-”
In the distance, she heard the faint clacking of high heels traveling in her direction. It could've been anyone that would be walking here right now, but somehow her gut feeling knew exactly who it was. At that moment a memory popped into her head. One that would help her piece together what exactly she needed to do. However, her fuzzy recollection of her scattered memories was interrupted by the rustic creek of the metal door that she now sat opposite, as the clacking of heels that was approaching her came to a stop.
Makoto's eyes slowly rose up to look up at the figure that just entered the room. A tall woman, who donned a full black suit, decorative silver accents on her loose sleeves and on the tip of her vest that perfectly complemented the long silver hair that extends past her shoulders. It was kept prim and proper, the exact image of what a powerful woman should look like. To tie the outfit together, she wore a necklace displaying the section sign, further reinforcing the idea that she was a woman of justice.
A woman, who no longer stood for true justice.
Her demeanor, however, contradicted the bold and powerful physical image she gave. It was one of shock, anger, and contempt, but the strongest emotion she could feel from the silver-haired woman was...
“I can’t believe it really is you…”
Disappointment.
The words of the elder Niijima sister left her tongue, sadness was clearly evident in her tone as Sae locked onto Makoto’s crimson eyes that held a gaze that was capable of conveying a million thoughts with just one look, eyes that are identical to her own.
“Takahashi-san, I will be taking over the investigation"
“Niijima-san? I thought they took you off the case?”
“They did, but it is my duty to see this case through. I refuse to back down unless I know the absolute truth”
The detective who radiated a sense of snobbism glanced over to the younger Niijima that sat opposite him on the table, before turning his gaze back to the elder Niijima.
“I understand, I’ll let the department know that you’ve taken over for questioning”
Takahashi stood up as he handed the clipboard to Sae, leaning in towards her to whisper something in her ear. Makoto’s hearing wasn’t as sharp as it usually was, so she couldn’t make out what the male detective was whispering to her sister.
“I understand”
“Alright, I’ll get going. Have fun with your ‘family reunion’”
He remarked before closing the door behind him. This left the two sisters alone, in a dimly lit room with only two chairs and a singular silver table at the center. Sae took the previous detective’s seat, her posture perfect as she laid the clipboard alongside her personal file on the table.
“I thought it was a sick joke that my colleagues were playing. But here we are, sitting on opposite ends of the table” Sae began, looking dead into the detainee’s eyes.
Makoto sat there, speechless at what she just heard her sister say. At that moment she contemplated if going in Joker’s place might’ve been a bad idea after all. However, her resolve couldn’t shake just yet, there was still a plan she had to carry out. Except, she couldn’t exactly remember what it was...
“Anything you have to say for yourself?”
Silence….
“MAKOTO THIS ISN’T A GAME, SAY SOMETHING!!”
SLAM
Sae banged the table, glaring into Makoto’s eyes searching for an answer, any answer that would tell her that this was a dream.
“What else is there to say? you’ve changed, Sis….” Makoto finally managed to utter out
“Shut it. It’s Prosecutor Niijima to you, you’ve lost your right to call me your sister” Sae retracted her hand from the table to cross her arms instead. “And me? Changed? Take a look at yourself”.
“I know I’ve changed, I was referring to you.”
“I don’t know who thought you to talk this way. I bet it was them who did this to you, the people who abandoned you”
“They didn’t abandon me, I willingly came here”
“Willingly? Why on earth would you willingly agree to this torture?”
“Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to talk with ‘Prosecutor Niijima’”
Sae remained silent at Makoto’s snarky remark, but it only took a few seconds for the pieces of the puzzle to finally come together
‘You volunteered to get captured by the police because you wanted to talk to me?”
“So you did learn something from law school..”
“Makoto!-”
“I’m here to answer your questions regarding every case that involves the Phantom Thieves. Let’s get this over and done with.”
Sae sighed as she returned back to her seat
“Agreed. So let’s start with your first victim, Suguru Kamoshida”
"Makoto? Makoto!!"
"Yo Ms Prez!! Where'd ya go?"
she knew those voices
"Kawakami-sensei has been worried sick about you- ok no we are really worried for you! Please come out from wherever you are!!!"
she's safe now...
Makoto heaved a sigh of relief as she relaxed her back against the corner she had huddled into the corner. Not long had passed when she heard the hinges of the rooftop door wing open rather violently
"Makoto!!!!" Ann screamed upon laying her eyes on the disheveled president and rushed in to bring Makoto into a warm embrace. The pair of boys that were behind her, though more subtle compared to Ann, also seemed relieved that their invaluable teammate was still alive.
“We thought that you ran out of the school, checking the rooftop was our last destination before we called it quits”
“And to be honest, we didn’t think that you would end up here”
“Yeah, pretty weird spot to hide, don’t you think? Especially in an area that you once kicked us out from”
Ryuji’s off-handed comment did bring back memories of those bygone days. Fond recollections of her former self, shut in and oblivious to the world around her. Keeping her mouth shut and followed any order that was given to her. In her eyes, any figure with a respectable position would usually know the best course of action. After all, they had more life experiences than she did at that moment, so what was she supposed to retaliate against someone who had lived twice her lifespan?
Then, there was that fateful day that she was called to Principal Kobayakawa’s office, with a request so absurd that she initially thought that it was some kind of joke
“You want me to find out the identity of the Phantom Thieves?”
She remembered how taken aback she was at the seemingly outlandish request. Indeed, she had heard of the rumors that the Phantom Thieves were students at Shujin Academy, but she always chalked it up to be nothing more than baseless accusations. So hearing the request come out of the principal’s mouth was…
“You heard me right”
“With all due respect sir, is it really wise of us to act based on just rumors?”
“I fully understand where your reservations stem from, but this investigation needs to take place so that I know how to best handle the media. It’s not normal for a man’s personality to be changed overnight, so I want someone to look into it”
“From that perspective I understand but I do have one more question”
“And that would be?”
“Why did you pick me for this investigation?”
“Well, Makoto Niijima, it's because you have been at the top of your class since day one. Your conduct has been excellent and many of the teachers here favor you. Additionally, your lineage also played a part in my decision. Your sister is still young, yet she holds an admirable position in the public prosecutor's office. While your father was one of the most respected men in the Police Force, dying in the line of duty in order to save thousands of people who would never know of his sacrifice. With so much rich history behind the Niijima name, you were an obvious pick for the job.”
Makoto felt a wave of burning anger rise from her chest the more the principal continued talking, her hands balled up so tightly in a fist that her nails could cut her skin. He chose her mostly due to her family name, almost blatantly disregarding her own merits. But deep down, she knew what the principal stated was true. Sae had always been a child prodigy, passing the bar exam around her age. Her father was an inspiration to everyone who knew him, even to herself. So why did it sting so much? Why was she always left in the shadow of everyone around her? Why couldn’t she make a name for herself?
Why was she so useless…
“I hope that cleared any doubts you had on your mind. I’d appreciate it if you looked into this as soon as possible, I ask that you begin at once”
“Yes. If you’ll excuse me then”
Makoto bowed politely toward Principal Kobayakawa before she swiftly turned around to exit his office. She wasn’t sure if he noticed her declining composure during their discussion, but even if he did, he simply didn’t care. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she knew that this was all a ploy in order to wrap her around his little finger for the long run. Yet, she couldn’t ignore the newfound rage that was consuming her with every passing second.
So once she calmed down a little bit. She did what she’s always done in her life, sit down and rationalize her current situation. She was currently being offered an enticing offer that, if she managed to sniff out the true identities of the Phantom Thieves, would guarantee her acceptance into any college she may choose. This would indeed lighten the pressure on not just her shoulders, but on Sae’s as well. On the topic of Sae, if word spread that a ‘Niijima’ managed to catch the Phantom Thieves, Makoto could simply pass on the credit to her sister, who would finally be able to achieve the promotion she slaved so hard for years to attain. She could finally be in a higher position to better uphold the justice her father strived to achieve.
The stage was set, everything seemed to fall perfectly into place and the performance was about to begin. But what the younger Niijima failed to realize, was the tapestry of lies that was about to be unveiled before her. All she had to do was close her eyes and take a leap.
Makoto didn’t realize that she was spacing out again, recollecting memories in her mind. She looked up from where she was staring and locked eyes with cool blue-colored irises, one that radiated a sense of hope and freedom. It instantly soothed her inner demons, keeping them at bay for a brief moment.
It felt like a higher power had taken control of her, as Makoto found herself pulling Ann down for a second embrace instead of helping her stand up. The sudden movement startled Ann as she found herself being pulled towards the ground, but immediately understood what Makoto was trying to convey. Once the 2 girls were on the same eye level, Ann threw herself on Makoto, giving her a light squeeze and reassuring her that everything would be ok. Makoto shakily returned the gesture, gripping Ann’s uniform by the shoulder and squeezing what little fabric she had balled in the palm of her hand.
“I-I’m sorry for ruining for uniform, Ann”
“Don’t worry about it Makoto, just take your time and let it out”
“Thank you. Let’s just stay here for a while so I can gather my thoughts, you don’t mind”
“Of course, Makoto… We'll be right here”
Silent whimpers turned into muffled cries. As the usually stoic student council president dropped her mask for the first time in years and allowed herself to feel emotionally vulnerable. She always had to be the bigger person, the better person, expected to be a pillar of support for those around her.
However, what pillar of support could she be without a strong foundation for her to stand on?
At that moment, she relished in the physical intimacy, eternally grateful for the functional support system she had found so that she could stand her own ground.
A support system she found in the Phantom Thieves.