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Today was rainy in Tokyo. It happened during the last few weeks of summer, the season too stubborn to let the city go out of its humid tendrils. One would think that the rain freshened the air a bit, but it made the weather heavier and stickier. Summer rains were not enjoyable, not at all.
At least it was better than the weather back at Mementos. If summer felt heavy, the air within the People’s Palace was a pressure that crushed your chest the deeper you went, whispers and the creeping of shadows only furthering the maddening air. You had to be more alert and grounded to Earth to be able to get out of it unscathed. Goro would like to think he was used to it, but the results of today’s endeavors said otherwise.
He hid in an alleyway, his breath shallow as the city vibrated with life near him, nobody in Shibuya expecting to find the Detective Prince in such a state. There was a long cut on his arm, going from his elbow to his wrist. The puddle below his feet was turning a darker shade of pink the more his blood dripped, but for Goro it was a grounding exercise, focusing on the sound of each drip against the water instead of Shibuya's noisy ambience.
Shido was growing impatient, and impatience always meant blood on Goro’s hands. This time, his Cleaner was misbehaving, and he wanted to remind the man who was in charge. And Goro had no issue with that, but most of the yakuza were in the deepest part of Mementos, and getting there took time. Adding to that were the Phantom Thieves, who, for some reason, were in Mementos instead of taking the bait, and Goro had to hide. He became food on a silver plate for The Reaper.
He winced, glancing at the wound. It looked worse than what it really was. The Reaper almost got a hold of him just as he was getting out of Mementos, and since he couldn’t heal himself in the metaverse, he brought the wound back to the real world. Now he had to hide that from the public; he would have to wear long-sleeve shirts during the last summer days. Just great.
It was all their fault. What were they doing at Mementos? His plan was flawless: Hack the Phansite, get them to Okumura, wait for them to “take his heart” or whatever, kill the man, and pin the blame on the Phantom Thieves. What was holding them back? Even Ren was at a standstill: He used to wander Kichijoji to talk with Goro every day, though Goro was too busy with the police and Shido to properly hang out with him.
Not that Goro paid any mind to that, not before, not at all. And Robin Hood humming in his head didn’t affect him.
His stomach tightened within itself, and Goro was convinced that it was due to hunger. He hadn’t eaten all day, had just run for his life, and even had a little blood loss. Hunger was the most logical answer.
Which was why he ended up at the front door of Leblanc. The rain kept on going, not pouring anymore, and a cacophony of little droplets kept the lonely street from being all silent. The sign was turned to the “Open” side, but from the glass it was obvious that nobody was in there, only the person behind the bar, the leader of the Phantom Thieves. His throat had an uncomfortable knot, one that kept coming every time he glanced at the raven-haired. That was the moment that Goro knew Ren had to die. It was for the better, for his mission, his only purpose in life.
‘Who are you trying to fool?’ Loki interjected.
It was hard to hide the scowl on his face once he crossed the door, but Goro did his best to show a smile, hoping to see one in return. Instead, a stressed Ren greeted him and did very little to turn to him.
That was…unusual.
Goro sat in his spot at the bar, his attentive eyes following the other. Ren was busying himself with something in a pot in the kitchen and at some point turned to start brewing coffee as he conversed with Goro about everything and nothing at the same time. But he was not really there; Goro could notice how his mind was elsewhere in the world right now.
No wonder the Phantom Thieves hadn’t gotten into Okumura’s Palace yet, when their leader wasn’t really there. He did his best to have his back on Goro, though the little times he did turn to him, the bags under his eyes were there, a grayish tone in contrast to his pale skin.
And Goro’s brain was buzzing, fitting the pieces together. Could he have realized what Goro was up to? No, that wasn’t it. He would be on guard instead of having his defenses so low that Goro could kill him right then and there. The Phantom Thieves were fine, too; he saw them running through Mementos like nothing that day. Ren wasn’t a composed person; he dressed like a mess most of the time, but Goro had yet to see something that could leave him in such a disarray.
Maybe…
A loved one?
Bile rose to his throat. Goro still smiled, though one could see the glitter in his eyes had shifted. Ah, that seemed to be it. Who could have thought that the leader of the Phantom Thieves would let his life fall apart for such a petty thing as romance? If he had known it was so easy to make Ren fall apart like that, maybe Goro would have tried something earlier. He would have saved a lot of time, too.
Ha.
Loki, shut up.
“Well, I'd better get going, then. Seems like you’re a bit too busy for me.”
“No, Goro, wait.”
Goro stared at the plate of curry that was placed on the bar, next to a steaming cup of coffee. From the smell he could tell it was his favorite brew, but it was the first time that Ren served him curry, too. This time, he was looking at Goro, and above the bags were his silver eyes. Sad, but on him, once again.
“Sorry that I’ve been so out of it,” he started, and his eyes shifted. Goro wanted him to keep looking at him. "It’s just… Morgana’s gone.”
“Morgana?”
“Yeah, my cat.”
“Weird name.”
Ren gave him a weak smile. Then it all clicked for Goro: the Phantom Thieves were walking through Mementos. They never did that; they had the cat that turned into a bus. He should have noticed that something was wrong at that moment.
Goro tilted his head. “What do you mean he’s gone?”
“He’s been missing for a few days now. And I’ve been looking for him when I can. I guess I’m tired.”
He pursed his lips. So, that was why they hadn’t gotten into the palace yet: a key member of their team was missing. With a sigh, Goro got up from his stool.
“Well, let’s get going, then.”
Ren blinked.
“What?”
“I’ll help you look around.”
“Goro, it’s raining.”
“That didn’t stop me from coming here, did it?” He said, taking the umbrella that he had left at the entrance. “Now, let’s go. Maybe when we return, my curry will still be warm.”
Goro would deny that the smile Ren gave him tickled on the back of his neck, and he would deny that he did that for anything other than helping the Phantom Thieves to get into Okumura’s Palace, finally.
He had to keep fooling himself, after all.