Ren blinked his eyes as he took in his surroundings now. A blue, mismatched, cracked ceiling. The room was illuminated by an orange glow. Whatever he was lying on was uncomfortable: Hard, with bits and pieces sticking into his back. Everything felt extremely sore and heavy. He let out a sigh that sounded like a groan. He could hear other voices nearby, and they seemed to be in much the same condition as he was.
“Mash! Ren! Morgana!”
Roman rushed over from some spot he couldn’t see. He moved over to someone besides him – probably, then stop at him. He checked Ren’s pulse, then eyes, pulling back his eyelids, before moving on to the last person. “Thank god you guys are okay,” he breathed out as he checked up on them. “A forced Rayshift like that done on the cuff without any coffins is dangerous and probably broke at least nine or ten different protocols –“
“Thirteen, doctor,” called a voice from out of sight.
“Er, thirteen,” Roman amended himself as he continued to work, moving a finger in front of Ren’s eyes to note his tracking and consciousness. “But given what’s happened to everyone and everything, well, protocol is probably the least of our worries at this point.” He straightened up. “Right, no problems so far as I can tell. Seems the worst that came from that was just fatigue. Can you sit up?”
Ren took a deep breath, then slowly pushed himself up. He felt stiff, overall, but nothing painful or out of place. He blearily looked around. Most of the command room was still in ruins, with the staff running about repairing or grabbing supplies. Robot drones rolled from place to place, cleaning up the rubble. Nearby, Mash was getting up rubbing her head, back in her regular lab uniform. Morgana steadily got back up on his four legs, reverted back to his usual cat form. He took a deep breath and looked over at Roman. “How bad is it?”
Roman chewed his lip and sighed. “Not gonna lie, Ren, it’s… pretty bad,” he replied. “The infirmary has about two or three people. I’ve already helped them as much as I could, but… well, there weren’t a lot of survivors. I guess we should be thankful that whoever remained is more or less in one piece, somehow.”
Small blessings indeed. He had to rub his eyes as he slowly stood up, Roman immediately grabbing his arm to steady him, before walking over to Mash and doing the same for her as she started standing. Morgana stepped over to Ren and jumped on his shoulder. “I haven’t been that tired in a while,” he commented, leaning his head against Ren’s in exhaustion. “That Singularity was wilder than anything I’ve done for a long time.” He could only nod in agreement. He blinked as Fou popped up from out of nowhere and rushed over to Mash, rubbing up against her in concern. He had to wonder where the little creature was the entire time. It must be great at keeping itself hidden and out of danger. He smirked tiredly as he felt Morgana stiffen, his claws digging mildly painfully into his shoulder at the sight.
“Now, I know you’re tired so I won’t keep you too long, but I’m gonna need to debrief you and update you on the situation,” Roman said with a sigh, running a hand through his disheveled orange hair. “Please tell me all you can about the Singularity.”
Ren blinked at Roman, then spoke about the Singularity as much as he could. About the shadow Servants, about their ally Cu Chulainn, about Olga Marie, and of course, about Lev Lainur and his betrayal. At any mentions of his magecraft, he noticed the staff looking up and either giving disbelieving looks or outright glaring at him, their provoking gazes causing the observing Morgana to tense up and glare back at them in turn. Ren ignored them – something he had plenty of practice of when he was exiled to Tokyo in the past under a false criminal record. As for Olga… he didn’t mention her at the end. That topic was especially tricky.
Roman didn’t say anything, just listening as Ren gave his report. Mash came and stood beside them, not jumping in to provide her own perspective despite ample reason to do so. When Roman finished, he looked back at the flaming CHALDEAS, silently contemplating. “And what about Olga?” he asked quietly. “I know she was with you and with what Lev said about her…” He trailed off. If she was indeed sent into the fireball there, then she would be eternally suffering a pain that would make even Hell seem like a mercy in turn.
The Master hesitated. “She’s… in a safer location. She can’t come back right now, but safe.”
That got Roman to turn around and look back at Ren. Ren’s expression was utterly blank, showing nothing. The cat was much the same – well, more so than a cat normally would. However, there was no malice in their expression nor any signs of falsehood. And more importantly, Mash said nothing, simply casting her eyes on the ground. If something did happen to the Director, she would’ve spoken up about it as well. But not only did she not know, she trusted Ren about it too. So many unknown factors here, but…
“Alright. I believe you.”
Ren and Morgana blinked in surprise as Roman gave him a tired smile. “Honestly, you don’t seem like a bad kid. Sure, you got mysterious powers and a talking cat that can use said powers too. But you fought your hardest to resolve the Singularity and great risk to yourself. If Mash vouches for you, then I’ll settle for that.” Ren blinked several times as an image appeared in his mind – of the police hauling him away into their police car, despite his protestations he was trying to help the woman from Shido. This… this was far different than he expected. He was this close to summoning Arsene and fighting his way out if things got bad, and he knew Morgana would be right beside him to do so as well.
“But Romani, you can’t just –“ a female voice called out.
“I can and I will,” he barked. “We don’t have any other Master candidates at the moment, and Ren Amamiya has performed admirably and with integrity. I’ll hear what complaints we have later but for now, we’ll put our trust in him.” Ren was surprised. He thought Roman was just a lazy, careless adult who was probably still a doctor for a good reason. To see him serious and take charge was surprising, and even more so when he was willing to put his belief in a mysterious variable he barely knew.
It reminded him a little of Sae. And his heart gave a painful pang once more as he caught a glimpse of the fireball that comprised CHALDEAS.
“Huh, guess when the chips are down, the doctor is pretty cool,” he whispered to Ren. Ren quietly nodded in agreement.
The doctor looked over to Mash. “Mash, you’ve been quiet for a while. What do you think?”
The lilac-haired Servant blinked at Roman before looking at Ren. “Um… Senpai is extremely knowledgeable and brave,” she stammered. “His magecraft is also unique as well. I think he’s an extremely capable Master, and I have no problems alongside him.” Ren gave a relieved, warm smile at Mash, who returned it with a shy one of her own, her blush concealed by the glow of CHALDEAS.
Morgana chuckled on Ren’s shoulder. “You got a good eye, Mash,” he chirped, grinning (as much as a cat can) at her. “There’s no one more reliable than Ren in the whole world, in my opinion. You’re in good hands.” Mash blinked in surprise before nodding quickly. Ren just gave a small smirk at his friend’s boasting.
Roman looked between the two, his eyes narrowing a bit, then sighed. He had his suspicions what was going on between the two but frankly, this wasn’t the time to pursue them. “Alright then. In that case, both of you are dismissed. We still have a lot of repairs to do, then we need to start tracking down Singularities. There’s seven of them, and we just dealt with one. Rest up how you can, and tomorrow we’ll get to summoning Servants.” Both Ren and Mash nodded. They would need more allies for the battles to come – especially since the battles would be far harsher than anything they ever faced.
With that, they both turned to leave the command room. Roman watched them leave before sighing yet again. “Meuniere, go through the records,” he said, turning to a bespectacled mage. “See what you can find about Ren Amamiya.” The man nodded as he raced off. “The rest of you, we’ve a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it,” he called out. “Let’s get back to it.” With that, everyone worked at repairs while Roman hopped onto his workstation.
And so his work began.
----------------------------------------
“You fought well, Mash.”
Mash blinked and looked up at Ren, who had given her the sudden compliment. He smiled warmly down at her. “That was your first time fighting, right? You did great, especially with our opponents as tough as those. It’s thanks to you we made it through.” Once more, she smiled shyly at the compliment.
Morgana hopped over to his other shoulder to a chuckle, looking down at her. “Yeah, you were great. Honestly, I thought you’d be slow with that huge shield, but no, you were running all over the place like lightning, blocking off attacks. You were extremely impressive, Mash, take it from us.” Both of them had seen their fair share of Awakenings, with each time being pitched into combat immediately after. But none of those times ever had enemies that were as powerful as Servants.
The demi-Servant smiled and bowed. “Thank you, Mr. Morgana,” she replied. “I’m inexperienced but I hope I can continue to be a good asset.”
The cat’s grin grew wider. “Mr. Morgana, huh?” he mused. “Well, you’re the most respectful person we’ve met in a while. I think you and I are gonna be great – “
“Fou!”
“ENEMIES what is that still doing here!” Ren glanced over to see that once more, Morgana’s hair was standing on end as Fou popped up and perched himself on Mash’s head, looking over at them curiously.
Ren smirked. “Really, Morgana, I know you don’t like dogs much but aren’t you overdoing it a bit? You’ve seen dogs before, haven’t you?” Said dogs were usually far larger and far more hostile than little Fou – Orthos was one particular shadow that came to mind, back in the Metaverse. Morgana had no trouble fighting alongside them to deal with them. Ren reached over to pet Fou, stroking him under his chin as Morgana retreated from the decreased distance to his other shoulder.
“It’s not because it’s a dog,” Morgana hissed in Ren’s ear. “I dunno what it is, but something about that… THING gives me the creeps! Just… don’t get too comfortable with it, okay?”
He frowned slightly in Morgana’s direction as he continued to pet Fou. He wasn’t about to discard Morgana’s advice – anything that could drive him up the wall in such a manner was definitely worth bearing in mind – but it also wouldn’t do to make unnecessary enemies. And who could make enemies of something as adorable as Fou?
Mash giggled as she straightened her glasses. “Fou’s taken quite a liking to you, senpai,” she commented, looking over at them. “I would ask if you’d like to hold him, but I think Mr. Morgana wouldn’t enjoy that prospect.”
“No, I certainly wouldn’t!”
Ren laughed. “I’ll take up the offer another time, Mash,” he replied easily. He looked around. “Out of curiosity, Mash, do you know where’s the cafeteria? I don’t think we ate since the beginning of everything and honestly, I’m a bit hungry.”
The shielder smiled brightly. “Yes. It’s right this way, senpai!” With that, she led them through the halls of Chaldea. They were cold and deserted, with the occasional hum of a robot rolling by. Both Ren and Morgana noted some of the ceilings and walls had cracks in them, though they didn’t seem unstable. The quiet was certainly eerie, only reminding them that most of the staff were dead… and so was the rest of humanity. Several hallways were dark as well. The power must still be out in many of the sections.
They came to the cafeteria. It was a large, open area, filled with empty tables and chairs. On the far side was a counter and behind that was the kitchen. It was gleaming and spotless. It had been cleaned meticulously – probably by the robots. This was where people were supposed to eat and relax, with cooks working and cooking in the kitchen. But now, with everyone either dead or busy, it was desolate and quiet. Not even a cook – human or robot – manned the kitchen.
Mash deflated a bit. “Oh, um… it seems they haven't activated the automatic chef,” she murmured. “Perhaps there’s some snacks that’s – senpai?”
Ren had simply walked forward past and headed into the kitchen. Morgana took a shortcut after hopping off Ren’s shoulders, jumping up on the counter before hopping quietly in. Mash took a second to blink before following, Fou tagging along for the ride, as he walked into the storeroom in the back. She watched curiously as Ren looked over the ingredients available, checking in the cooler as well what meats were there as well.
“Huh, they’re surprisingly well stocked here,” Morgana commented, looking around. “Got plenty of vegetables and meats here, herbs…. Ooh, Ren, over here! Curry spices!”
Immediately Ren whirled around and looked over the spices, weighing out the ingredients in his mind. There was a large stock of them so at least they wouldn’t be running out any time soon. A smile crossed his lips. There was quite a bit he could work with here. He could definitely make this work. But more importantly, where was the –
“Ren? We hit the jackpot.”
He looked over and his eyes widened. There was a wall with shelves dedicated to many different kinds of coffee beans. All sorts of different varieties that Sojiro had taught him, and some more he hadn’t seen before either. “I think I saw some grinders and coffee makers around too,” Morgana added. “I think we got everything we need here! Thank god Chaldea’s stocked.”
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Ren nodded with a smirk on his face. He turned to Mash who was watching with a confused expression. “Go ahead and wait at the counter, Mash,” Ren said. “I’ll just whip something up for us really quickly.” Mash blinked but nodded. “Okay, senpai, but do be careful.” She walked out the door as Morgana gave a low chuckle.
“’Do be careful’ she says,” he remarked. “Think she’ll be blown away?”
The Master of Chaldea only smiled.
----------------------------------------
A complex aroma soon filled the dead air of the cafeteria. A mix of spices and other ingredients wafted through, setting anyone’s appetite into overdrive. Mixed with that was the rich scent of coffee. And not instant coffee – it was the scent of a carefully ground and prepared blend that had been made by a master. Ren contentedly stirred the pot of curry, making sure it doesn’t burn, before hopping back over to the coffee maker, carefully boiling and percolating the coffee to make sure it was just right. The rice cooker popped a little while ago, indicating it was ready.
Mash sat at the counter, watching with rapt attention as Ren worked, Morgana sitting on the counter beside her with Fou on the chair on the other side (and whom Morgana very pointedly tried to ignore). More than once she had to reach up to wipe the drool that leaked from her mouth, her eyes never turning away from the sight. Morgana had to snicker. Everyone’s reaction to Ren preparing food had been pretty similar. Granted, no one stared quite as hard as Mash currently was but the drooling was quite common. It never got old, watching people drool for curry. Fou was sniffing the air and barked for food for themselves too.
Grabbing some fresh plates, Ren grabbed a rice scoop and heaped plenty of rice on each one. Taking a ladle, he spooned the curry and generously poured it on the rice. Bringing them over, he set a plate for Mash, Morgana, and Fou, setting aside his own plate. Moving back, he then poured out three cups of coffee as well, black, and passed a cup to Mash and Morgana. He hesitated. “Can Fou… drink coffee?” he asked.
Fou hopped onto the counter and approached Mash’s own cup, sniffing it, then looked up at Ren. “Fou fou!”
Mash giggled. “I think Fou wants some too, senpai,” she translated. Ren grinned and happily got another cup.
With that, all of them dug in after Ren joined them at the counter, still standing in the kitchen. Mash’s eyes widened. The complicated spice blend and ingredients blended harmoniously together into a superb mix that she had never tasted before. Combined with the filling texture of rice, and the only word she could think of as she tasted it was ‘sublime’. She spooned another mouthful, each time discovering more and more varied flavors that she hadn’t experienced or noticed before.
A chuckle broke her out of her reverie. She blinked and saw Ren grinning at her. “Before you polish off your plate, you should try the coffee with it,” he pointed out, amused. Mash looked down at the coffee and by association, her plate, and noticed that she had already eaten through about three quarters of it. Warmth spilled on her face once more. She hadn’t even noticed she ate so much so quickly.
She took the coffee and took a sip, and her eyes widened again. It was bitter, yes, but there were notes to the coffee she had never detected before. The only other time was when Roman allowed her to try some when she asked. It was revoltingly bitter and she had to wonder why Roman liked the stuff. But this… this was far different. Still bitter, but it was complex and rich. “I’ve… I’ve never had coffee like this, senpai,” Mash admitted.
Ren chuckled. “I’m not surprised – I noticed all you guys were having was instant coffee.” As Ren was grabbing the beans, he noticed that only the instant coffee stocks were anywhere near low. “It’s good for a quick pick-me-up, sure, but good coffee is an art form. You guys stocked some good stuff here. I used primarily Columbian Nariño beans for this particular blend.”
Mash tilted her head. “Columbian… Nariño?”
The master coffee maker grinned as Morgana chuckled. “Let me explain,” he replied, drawing himself up, even taking on a similar slouching pose to his once-and-future mentor of the bean. “Columbian Nariño is grown from the region of the same name, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean. Coffee made from these beans have a creamy, viscous body that coats the mouth with fruity and nutty flavors.” Yet another sharp pang in his heart rang out as he explained. Sojiro had explained patiently each coffee beans origins and properties, with a gruffness that could only come from a deep-rooted passion. He would teach Ren the preparation step by step, critiquing his brew and correcting his methods until he could master the perfect cup of each bean. His smile wavered as he remembered what probably happened to him – something Mash missed but Morgana didn’t, silently frowning with concern.
But he didn’t think about it for now. He pushed it aside. He wouldn’t have to mourn him either. All he needed was deal with the Singularities and it would bring humanity back. So that was what he would do. And after that, he would see Sojiro again, and they could share a coffee together once more.
The girl’s eyes watched Ren attentively as she drank in the information before looking back at the coffee. To think there was so much… Art that went into making coffee. She took another sip, quickly noticing the flavors Ren had pointed out and swiftly gaining a new appreciation for the brew. Then she remembered Ren’s words, set down the cup, and took another spoonful of the curry. Her eyes flew open. As Ren said, the rich flavors of the coffee somehow enhanced further the spices and ingredients that lay within the curry, further emphasizing it. The curry was already delicious, but to taste it with the coffee was like night and day.
Before long, her plate was clean and the cup empty. It was all so delicious that she didn’t spare a single bit. She looked back up and saw Ren and Morgana were eating and drinking at a more leisurely pace. She felt guilty. She didn’t want to impose on them as she fidgeted in her seat – a movement that Ren quickly noticed. “Seconds, I take it?” he asked with a knowing smile, less a question and more of a statement. Mash looked down and nodded demurely. Ren just chuckled. “Two more plates and cups, coming up,” he said, getting up to grab them.
Two? Mash looked beside her and saw that Fou had also polished off his plate and cup of coffee as well. “Fou, kyu, fou!” they barked. Mash had to smile. It didn’t take a genius to know what Fou wanted here.
Before too long, they were all utterly stuffed, Fou and Morgana contentedly lounging about as Mash leaned back with a satisfied sigh. Then she looked up, blinking. “Senpai, is there any left still?”
Ren checked and shrugged. “Enough for one more plate and cup, I think. Why, still haven’t eaten enough?”
The girl blushed, shaking his head. “N-no, not for me, senpai. I was going to take a plate and cup to Roman. He’s working hard so I think he might appreciate it.” Ren smiled and nodded in understanding. He heaped one more plate of rice and curry, and filled one more cup with coffee, passing it to Mash.
“Still warm, so no problems there, but do tell him to eat it quickly,” Ren cautioned.
Mash smiled radiantly and nodded. “Yes, of course. Thank you so much for the wonderful food, senpai,” she chirped, bowing to Ren. She took the plate and cup of heavenly food and walked away. Fou yawned instead of following Mash, curling up to sleep.
Morgana yawned as well. “Welp, I’m gonna walk around a bit and burn a bit of this off,” Morgana said, stretching. “Haven’t had a good chance to explore Chaldea yet. What about you, Ren?”
Ren considered, then shrugged. “I’ll probably go relax in my room, maybe read something. Or head to bed, depending on the time. It’s hard to tell in here.”
The cat looked about, seeing Ren’s point. “Oh yeah. It’s kinda hard to tell if it’s day or night without any windows, isn’t it?” he mused. He hopped down. “Well, if that’s the case, make sure you don’t stay up too late. You know how I get about that.”
Ren chuckled as he waved the cat off. He knew all too well Morgana’s absolute insistence that he went to bed at a decent time. Morgana sauntered off without another word as Ren collected the remaining dishes to wash them. Despite everything going on, he could almost pretend things were normal.
Almost.
----------------------------------------
Roman rubbed his eyes as he kept staring at the monitor, trying to find any sign of different Singularities. It wasn’t an easy thing to find. The algorithms needed to be constantly adjusted to detect minor variances and variable shifts as patterns kept shifting. Every time he thought he spotted a Singularity, it seemed to just slip away again, be it because it was that hard to track or it was merely a false alarm. And that didn’t include the myriad false alarms of smaller singularities popping up.
Much of the staff had been going about doing their repairs, but they had been working in shifts, taking breaks as necessary. Roman hadn’t bothered. He wasn’t all that tired. He could keep looking. And it would be a bit easier once the repairs were done and others could join him. But for now, humanity depended on their ability to find these Singularities and fix them. So he would definitely do so –
He heard movement to his side and looked over to see Mash, holding a plate of curry and coffee. “Oh, you made dinner?” he asked, blinking. He didn’t recall ever teaching Mash how to cook but he certainly appreciated it. “Well, thank you, Mash! I was starving!”
The shielder shook her head, a warm smile gracing her features. “No, doctor. Senpai made these,” she corrected. “He made a large pot but we finished it rather quickly. Thankfully I remembered to save some for you. He advises you to eat it quickly though. It’s not as good cold, after all.”
Roman blinked in surprise then nodded in understanding. “Alright, got it,” he replied with a smile. “I’ll be sure to thank him next time I see him then. In the meantime, Mash, it’s getting pretty late. You should get some sleep.”
Mash smiled and bowed. “Very well. Have a good evening, doctor. Please don’t work yourself too hard.” With that, she turned around and left the control room.
The doctor watched as she left, then sighed. Meuniere wasn’t back with the information yet. From what he glanced at Ren’s file, there wasn’t anything particular. His parents had no lineage or history of magecraft, and the only thing that stood out was apparently a criminal record that had been rescinded – apparently it was for assault and he had been in probation for a better part of a year? But Ren didn’t strike him as the violent type. He seemed a decent kid who just so happened to suddenly gain extremely powerful magecraft and had tactical prowess. He absentmindedly sipped some coffee… and a new world was opened to him as the flavors coated his tongue. He lunged for the curry as well, and the spices melted his brain.
He stared down at the food, the coffee in particular. He felt movement again and looked up – and saw it was his arm unconsciously reaching up to call Meuniere to cancel his search, as the coffee had shocked any sensibility into irrelevance. Roman grabbed his arm and forced it down. If there was something bad they found out about Ren, then they had to know. There wasn’t any choice. It would be worth sacrificing such a well-crafted, delicious, masterful piece of culinary art-
Roman forced his arm back down again. Damnit.
----------------------------------------
Ren dug through the box and pack of his things. Most of it was fairly straightforward – clothing, toiletries, some books, things that nobody would particularly care about. However, there was one certain item that he brought along as well. This one had to be smuggled in: apparently there was a ban on this particular item, with any findings or detections of it resulting in confiscation. However, with Morgana’s help, he managed to get it in regardless. The phone had been hooked up to a large external battery to keep its charge. He meant to find a good, hidden place to charge it, but there just hadn’t been time.
He dug out his cellphone. Pressing the power button, he awakened it from sleep mode. The charge was still full, with the external battery at about three quarters of the way. He looked. No signal. Well, he shouldn’t be surprised. After all, it was the Antarctic – how the hell was he going to get a signal here where there’s no phone service whatsoever? Maybe this place had wifi as well? Unlocking his phone, he checked. No wifi networks either.
That drew a frown. What kind of state-of-the-art facility didn’t have wifi?!
His phone was filled with all sorts of different apps. He stared at one particular spot, a gaping hole among the organized square icons. In the past, he would be met with a logo that looked like a stylized red eye. When his adventures and trials were completed, the app had vanished from his phone, like it was never there to begin with. Still, he kept it spot open as a sort of remembrance. It wasn’t easy for him to forget it all, and it would be remiss for him to do so.
Tapping another icon, he opened up another window: The group chat. The icons of his friends sent more pangs to his heart. Their last messages were of well wishes and requests for souvenirs and photos. He could still remember them clear as day when he received them. He was going to treat them out to dinner at the very least. Maybe that hotel buffet again. Ryuji and Ann had gorged themselves on meat and cake respectively. Makoto would at least keep them in line and made sure they had healthier diets. Yusuke would most like be too busy contemplating the spectacle of the buffet to eat properly. Futaba would grab whatever – which most likely would necessitate Makoto watching her as well. Haru would probably be more reserved, happy to join along. Sumire… her dishes would probably dwarf whatever piles any of the Phantom Thieves made.
Ren had to smile at that. They would’ve enjoyed it, taken lots of pictures, and talked about it all day.
His thumb moved over the screen as he typed a message into the Phantom Thieves group chat.
“Hey guys. Here at Chaldea. I’m not sure how much I can tell you, but it’s beyond crazy here. I think it might trump our Metaverse adventures."
-Sending-
…
-Server not found-
Right. Antarctica. What did he expect. Or the incineration of all of humanity. He bit his lip as he let out a shaky breath. Did they suffer? Was it at least fast? Questions he didn’t want answers to he shoved out as much as he could. No, he’d bring them back. There was a set goal. Seven singularities and whatever god was behind it. It was always some false god doing this. It was business as usual. He would be back in no time.
“Hasn’t been smooth so far, guys, not gonna lie. But I fought alongside Cu Chulainn of all people against King Arthur. It’s crazy. It’s like that thing, what was it, Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny? Did I get that right, Futaba?"
-Sending-
…
-Server not found-
Ren gulped. It wouldn’t send. But that didn’t matter. He could still imagine their replies, clear as day, as they would appear on the screen.
F: Wow, I didn’t think anyone even knew about that anymore! You’re up to date on your internet culture, Joker!
R: Ultimate wha of wha?
F: Wow, you serious Ryuji? You are seriously missing out.
H: I must admit I’m curious about it myself. Are there any axe wielders perchance?
S: Or perhaps gymnasts? But are you okay, senpai? It sounds dangerous!
A drop fell on the screen.
M: Wait, everyone, we’re missing the point! Sumire’s right. Joker, are you safe? The situation truly sounds quite deadly.
Y: Yes. You may be our fearless leader, but even I would balk from facing such legends.
A: Waaait, you’re not serious are you? … You’re totally serious. Joker, where the hell are you?!
R: It’s shitty adults dragging you into some situation again, isn’t it?! Damnit, we’re on our way, right guys?!
F: Looking up ways to get to Antarctica now! Not gonna be easy, and even less of a way to hack in, but to hell with it!
More drops.
H: Perhaps I could check with some of my father’s associates. They may be able to pull some strings to get us there…
F: Oooh, nice thinking, rich girl!
M: We best get supplies. We’ll need thick winter gear, probably rations as well. Joker, can you coordinate with Mona and set up some sort of rendezvous?
R: Well, if you can get outside. If you can’t, we’ll just have to bust right in, don’t we?!
A: I don’t think they’re just gonna let us ‘bust right in’, Ryuji.
R: Well, we got any better ideas?
His arms were getting weak and struggling to hold up the phone as yet more drops fell onto the phone screen.
S: Well, maybe a ship? It wouldn’t be as fast but less conspicuous.
R: Oooh, yeah! We can smuggle ourselves on that!
M: We wouldn’t have a way to get back though.
R: Oh yeah.
F: Well, in that case, it’s on you, fearless leader! We’ll do what we can on our end, so find us a good spot we can land and we’ll bust you out in no time!
Y: Indeed. We shall spare no expense to free you.
F: You can’t spare ANY expense, Inari.
M: Behave you two. Remember, Joker, we always got your back.
His vision swam too much. He blinked, forcing more tears out of his eyes. He opened them again and looked at the screen. The entire conversation… gone. No. It never existed to begin with. It was only his message there at the end. One that didn’t send. Would never send.
Ren’s quiet sobs echoed through his room – a sound he would allow no one else to hear.