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"Joker has some kinda rule against killing you before you remember, you know." The masked man drawled, twirling a kunai in one hand. "But I dont."
Yu pressed further into the wall of the alley to sate some desperate animal part of his brain which yowled in fear. This was bad, this was really bad he never should've gone out alone-
"What? Got nothing to say to me partner? Too good for that? huh?
"I-I'm sorry! Ok? I don't know what I did to you all but I'm sorry!"
"Tch." The man started forward, raising his open hand. "That lame ass apology isnt gonna make this any quicker."
Yu tensed even further, mind cutting on the edge of his persona as he readied Magatsu Izanagi for one last desperate attack.
"Garudyne."
"Persona!"
His persona rose up to meet the deadly wind, yet it pierced through as if there was nothing there, and Yu saw stars as the spell hit home. One more of those and he was... no. No he had to find a way out of this before he became just another victim of the masked circle. He wouldn't let it end here. He couldn't.
The man raised his had again and Yu hunched down as the looming persona reappeared. If he got knocked down now there would be no getting back up ever again.
"Ive been waiting so long for this you know!" He taunted "You'll be saying hello to Tohru soon enough partner! Brave blas-"
"BEARSONA!"
All of a sudden the world flipped on its head. What had been a certain death knell moments ago had become a tentatively survivable situation as ice rocketed into the masked man.
He collapsed, and Yu stumbled forward, weightless, as a small figure ran towards the two of them.
"Sensei!!! Sensei are you alright!?"
Wait that was-
"Teddie?"
"Damned bear." Growled the man beside him. "How can you think he still deserves that title?!"
Teddie froze at that, a look of shocked recognition spreading across his face.
"Yo... suke? Sensei! Thats Yosuke under that mask! Yosuke Hanamura!" He exclaimed
Yu had no response to give for that. He had never met a Yosuke Hanamura before.
"Who- look, Teddie, that doesn't matter right now! We need to get out of here! He yelled, grabbing one of teddies arms and pulling him into a shambling run. He could hear this "Yosuke" yelling behind them, and he pushed himself forward even faster.
The streets of Aoba passed him in a blur as he looked for a place to call Katsuya, cheery storefronts and bright restaurant windows mocking him with their crowds of patrons blissfully unaware of the danger behind him. But they were all too exposed, too crowded, and he just needed somewhere safe safe safe-
A blue door caught his eye, barely noticeable in the shadows of the night, and he ran for it. Wrenching the door open he all but shoved Teddie inside with him before slamming it shut. He leaned against it, sliding down as the adrenaline pounded through his veins.
The inside of the room was dark, almost pitch black, with only a little light seeping in under the door. He fished his phone out of his coat with shaking hands, flipped it open, and turned on the flashlight.
The walls of the room were the same blue of the door, as was the floor, which became a large raised platform. The whole room was blanketed in dust, motes swirling through the light as he swung it around to get a better look at the furniture on the platform.
An empty easel. A closed piano. A microphone. A ragged looking leather chair.
It felt. Unbearably lonely.
"S-sensei? What is this place? It smells... really weird."
"I... I'm sorry Teddie, I don't know."
He seemed to be saying that a lot these days.