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Ren wished that he didn't have a very good idea just what was happening.
He was in a police station, waiting to be processed (at least Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana weren't here...), after getting caught for changing Kamoshida's heart.
(It wasn't fair, that saving Shujin from the gym teacher's tyranny got him taken in, but his life hadn't been fair for several years now).
Before Ren could further muse on his dire circumstances, however, the door opened.
And the mind of the Phantom Thieves' leader went blank as Mitsuru Kirijo, one of the field leaders of the Shadow Operatives, walked in.
“Greetings, Amamiya.”
Mitsuru casually walked over to the chair and sat down. In the meantime, the young man across from her apparently underwent a mental meltdown in the course of a few seconds.
Mitsuru calmly steepled her fingers as she waited for him to finish it.
“...okay, what the hell?”
She had known that was a potential reaction, thus not reacting herself. Mitsuru allowed a smile to cross her face. It was - she hoped - one of her friendlier ones. “Shadows are related to this case. Were you expecting the Shadow Operatives to not get involved?”
A fearful look crossed over Amamiya’s face, before he opened his mouth -
Then, slowly, he let it close. “...if you have me in here, that probably means you know everything, right?”
“We have a number of facts. From them, we have constructed a number of theories.” Mitsuru replied, crossing her arms lightly. “First and foremost among them, I suppose, would be that you either led, or were heavily involved, in the events that led to Suguru Kamoshida confessing his crimes and turning himself in. Using a Persona - which we have confirmed you possess.” Ren’s whole body spasmed for a second, his mouth didn’t move, then Mitsuru continued. “Although… your readings, according to our navigators, were rather unusual. Which means that I have a number of questions for you.”
Ren frowned, body language closing itself off as he sat back in his chair. He didn’t even respond to her statement.
“If you’re trying to protect your associates, don’t worry. None of them are in trouble. Truthfully, even with your probation, it would be hard to prosecute you for your actions given you had every reason to worry for Shujin’s students, yourself included.”
Ren remained silent.
Mitsuru didn’t sigh. But - well.
She’d always had trouble making actual bonds with others. Ever since the slow collapse of the Kirijo Group had begun when her grandfather had created the Dark Hour out of a delusional messiah complex, dying instead of being arrested.
Beset on all sides by people that either hated her family, or who wanted to suck up to her because of her family…
…this wasn’t helping.
“You’ve been living outside of Tokyo before you arrived in early April, yes? Considering your recent arrival, in addition to the relative lack of power your Persona has, that would clear you of any suspicion in the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. You have nothing to fear there.”
Amamiya didn’t speak, but his posture became slightly more relaxed.
“In addition, I have a question for you.”
Ren didn’t react. Mitsuru pressed on regardless.
“Have you been having any… odd dreams recently, regarding a man with a long nose?”
Ren felt himself freeze for a few seconds, before he regained his composure.
Then, slowly, he spoke.
“...why would that be important?”
They knew about the Velvet Room. Because of course they did.
…but what did that mean?
Mitsuru Kirijo - he still could not believe that the woman who was basically the poster child for the whole “parental wrongdoings affecting the children, who then devoted themselves to proving they were not said parents” had shown up to see him - ignored his question. “What was his name, and the name of the place he resided in? Also, has he offered you any form of assistance? What kind?”
She’s not asking about Ann, Ryuji, or Morgana. She’s fishing for answers about Igor. How’s she know about Igor, though? Why’s she want to know about him?
It’s not like it could hurt, though, right?
Hell, it wasn’t like saying yes would make his sentence worse.
Probably. He hoped.
“His name was Igor. He called it the Velvet Room. And he said he was there to offer me assistance as a… wild card?”
Mitsuru had been expecting this answer. After all, Amamiya’s - circumstances - would make it the fifth time the Velvet Room had chosen a champion this way.
This did not lessen the feeling that she would be dealing with a colossal headache in the near future.
“Thank you, Amamiya. I will have to make some phone calls. You will have to stay in the station, until I return, but we will be providing you with accommodations and refreshments while I handle things.”
Ignoring Amamiya’s expression growing angrier, Mitsuru stood and walked over to the door.
It opened before she got there.
“Hello, Kirijo-senpai!”
Mitsuru felt her face fold into a smile, as Fuuka Yamagishi opened the door from the outside, a cart in front of her, filled with - a number of dishes. All homemade, if she had to guess.
It smelled quite good. Alas, she had other things to do.
“Please enjoy your meal, Amamiya. Yamagishi will be keeping you company until I return.”
Not pausing for a reply, Mitsuru walked out the door.
She pointedly did not acknowledge how Shinjiro Aragaki was standing next to it, a rather large hammer lying against the wall besides him.
Ren had to admit, he - well, he had looked into every (publicly available) member of the Shadow Operatives (like every other kid in Japan his age, sue him!), but he had never paid much attention to Fuuka Yamagishi.
He should have.
“So you were wrongly accused? That’s horrible…”
Fuuka-san’s eyes were soft as the surface of a summer lake, her very presence warm and pleasant in a way that reminded him of Ann and Ryuji, just - far more gentle.
I get why she’s a navigator now…
He’d spent less than an hour with her. He had gotten the impression from that time alone that - it wasn’t that she couldn’t hurt a fly, but that she wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“Amamiya.”
…huh.
Mitsuru Kiriijo walked back into the room. Ren felt himself tense up again. Albeit not as much as earlier.
Fuuka-san was still there.
“I have a proposal for you.” Mitsuru began simply, not sitting down. “The terms of your probation could potentially be read in such a way that your actions against Kamoshida broke it.”
“So is this the part where you promise to not have my probation broken in exchange for me working for you?”
Ren’s question made Mitsuru blink.
Then, she sighed.
“No. In fact, I was planning to offer you the use of several of our lawyers, to argue in your favor. Our assistance in the outcome of your court case is not conditional. That is not why I am here.”
Then - to Ren’s disbelieving ears -
Mitsuru Kirijo’s voice grew slightly desperate.
“We need your help.”
“We have a Journey confirmed.”
Masayoshi Shido’s response to hearing that particular recording over his phone - a third time, that is - was to toss back a shot of whiskey, then chuck the glass it had been in towards the other side of the room.
It shattered against the wall.
Hearing this had been enough for him to decide that he wouldn’t be dealing any further with his work today.
“Damn it!”
Everything had been going perfectly, for the last two years.
The mental shutdowns were proceeding along unimpeded, the populace’s faith in both the government and the Shadow Operatives was slowly being eroded, his moles in the government's cognitive psience center had remained undetected-
Now, it was all in danger.
Because some brat had stumbled onto a way into the Metaverse, right when his plans were about to shift into the endgame, then shared it with the Operatives.
A brat that, after a few of his inferiors had done some digging, had turned out to be familiar.
I should have had him thrown in prison when I had the chance!
That option was closed off now.
But there was always another option.
Reaching towards his phone, Masayoshi Shido tapped on the screen.
An ouroboros gazed back at him.