Sunday, May 22nd. You, Ryuji, Ann, and Akira all loitered in a more secluded place of the art exhibit, overhearing the conversation between a guard and Madarame. You tapped your foot impatiently as you leaned against the wall next to Ryuji. Your blond bestie was peeking past the displays to keep his eye on Madarame. "I think he got it," he muttered to the rest of the group. A few minutes later, Yusuke appeared around one of the pieces.
"Will that do?" he asked, unsure at his work.
"Yup!" Ann assured. "It was perfect. The composition was way cooler, too."
"All thanks to me," you brag proudly.
"The treasure should appear right about now," Morgana informs.
"You better enjoy the air of freedom while you can, old man," Ryuji taunts, his eyes focusing back on the fraud. He pushes himself off the wall, and you do the same. "Anyways, d'you guys check online? People are already talkin' about that callin' card. We'll show 'em. We're gonna surprise 'em all."
"I'm sure you know this, but we've got one shot to pull this off," Morgana warned.
"I'm counting on you guys," Akira said, his eyes showing his trust in us.
"We won't let you down," you stated firmly.
"We're counting on you, too," Ann said.
"You have no reservations about this either, right, Yusuke?" Morgana asked.
"Of course not," the artist affirmed. The six of you nodded together before walking out of the exhibit and to Yusuke's home, as well as Madarame's Palace. You used the Nav on your phone, and you reveled in the fuzzy feeling as you all were sent to the Metaverse. You smirked underneath your mask, feeling excited to finally finish your first real job in this world.
"The atmosphere here is significantly different," Yusuke noted.
"I mean, we did basically declare war on him by sendin' that card," Ryuji explained.
"However, there's nothing to fear," Morgana assured. "We've secured a route, and we're ready to go. We'll take the treasure in style." You all nodded with a confident smirk. It was time to steal Madarame's heart. The group quickly made their way through the palace, reaching the control room in record time.
"It's finally time," Ryuji said, serious determination lacing his voice.
"There will be no turning back once we begin this operation," Yusuke stated.
"And if worst comes to worst, we might have to fight," Ann furthered.
"That's right," Morgana affirmed. "Are you ready, Joker?" he asked Akrira.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he responded.
"Okay. Everyone to your positions." You all nodded.
"Panther, Skull, come with me," you ordered. "There could be an enemy in the control room."
"Right!" they agreed at the same time. The three of you dashed out the door and sneakily made your way to the room that cut off the power. The three of you hid behind the edge of the door. Ann and Ryuji were near the edge while you leaned over Ann's shoulder.
"There's an enemy inside, just as expected," Ann grumbled.
"I mean, we've done a ton in here," Ryuji said. "It ain't surprisin'."
"Oh, Ann," I mused. "Why do you think I brought two of you?" Your face turned to the male. "Skull, get it to chase you."
"What?!" he whined. "Why me?"
"Because you're faster than either of us, that's why," you retorted. "Now, do it!"
"Fine, I'll try to draw it out," he grumbled. You dragged Ann further into the corner, hiding away from the door so the shadow couldn't see you two when it came running out. You gave the thumbs-up, and Ryuji pounded harshly on the door. "Hey!" he called out. "There are some weird people over here!" He began to ran, continuously yelling for help. The shadow came running out and after Ryuji's voice. You and Ann stepped out from behind the plant and quickly entered the room.
"Is he going to be okay?" Ann worriedly questioned. "What if the shadow catches up to him?"
"Don't worry," you soothed with a gentle smile. "I have faith in Ryuji." Ann felt reassured by your words. Something about them just spoke that everything would be okay, no matter what happened in the future. She admired your trust in Ryuji, and she hopes that one day she can achieve as strong a bond as the one between you two.
You glanced out the window up to the ceiling, waiting for Yusuke signal to cut the power. Pretty soon afterward, you could see Yusuke wave from the boards hanging from the ceiling. "That's Fox's signal!" Ann exclaimed.
"That means he and Morgana are ready to go," you concluded. "Good luck, everyone. Let's do this." With that said, you slammed your finger down on the power button. The lights shut out, and you and Ann were left in almost total darkness. "Come on," you said, turning to her. "Let's make our way back to the others." She nodded, and the two of you ran out of the room, mindful not to crash into anything.
Eventually, you both made your way back to the switch room. Akira and Yusuke were standing in wait. "Sorry for the wait!" Ann apologized.
"It was a little hard to navigate in the dark," you excused. Not too long after you and Ann arrived.
"My bad!" he said, a little out of breath. "It took me ages to get that guy off my trail." You smiled under your mask and gave him a firm hug. Ryuji's cheeks slightly flared at the contact, but he happily returned your gesture. You pulled away after a couple seconds.
"I'm glad you made it back safe," you stated.
"Wait, where's Mona?" Ann questioned.
"Let's reconvene with Mona!" Yusuke said. You all climbed up the latter, and the others easily jumped over the boards. You faltered for a second, but you weren't going to be left behind. You took a small breath and hopped across the boards with everyone else. What do you know? It wasn't that bad. Morgana slowly raised up with the hook, the treasure in his paws. He chuckled mischievously.
"How's that for a skilled plan?"
"That was amazin', Mona!" Ryuji complimented. Akira unhooked Morgana, and the cat placed the covered treasure on the plank next to him. "So?" questioned the blond. "What'd the treasure turn out bein'? I'm guessin' it's a painting based on the shape."
"We can look into that later," Yusuke huffed. "For now, we must escape."
"Yeah, it's time to go," Morgana agreed.
"Guards are swarming the area, so we can't exit the way we came in," you explained. Akira thought for a few seconds before a smirk overtook his features.
"I know exactly where to go," he said, hopping across the boards. You huffed, not liking where this was going. You hopped from one board to the next, and you all ended up at a window.
"A window?" Ryuji questioned. "But, where does it go?"
"Now is no time to be lost in thought!" Yusuke chastised. "We must go!" Without any hesitation, you all climbed through the window. The wind slightly blew your long hair around, and the view of the rest of the city entered your vision. You were on the Museum's rooftop. Your eyes widened and you gulped.
"Whoa!" your blond BFF exclaimed. "This shit's real high up."
"You don't say," you huffed sarcastically.
"I dunno what you're getting all freaked out about. You scaled the school!"
"That was the school, Skull!" you huffed. "There's not much to grip onto here. Not to mention, I'm technically still healing."
"Then why the hell'd you come here?"
"Now's not the time for this!" Morgana interrupted. The painting was tied around him with leftover cloth that hung down. "We need to keep moving and get out of here. Fox, can you assist Trickshot when she needs it?"
"Of course," he replied. Ryuji slightly growled. There it was again... This slight anger. He needed to talk to someone about this, someone who may have more knowledge on what he's feeling. However, there were more important matters at hand.
"In any case," Morgana continued, "at least we're outside. Let's find a way down from here." Akira quickly managed to find a set of makeshift stairs the lead further down the building. However, the drops were insane. You gulped down your saliva, judging exactly how much strain was going to be put on your knee. Yusuke noticed the halt in your movements, and then he opened his arms beneath you.
"I'll catch you," he stated. You nodded, giving a small jump off the edge. You landed in Yusuke's arms before sliding down, your feet hitting the roof. You continued like this; you would jump off the ledge, and Yusuke would catch you. It was a little slow at first, but then the two of you started getting into a rhythm. Eventually, the ledges stopped, and normal stairs gave access to an archway, much like the ones you saw yesterday. "Is this another portal to an unknown destination?"
"We don't have time to lose," Morgana ushered. "Just go through it! Now's our chance!"
"For real?!" Ryuji questioned. "But, I guess there's no other way." You all ran through the portal, and your vision came in line with hedges and golden-brick walkways. "Is this the courtyard?!" You all ran a little further in, affirming that you were almost to the entrance of the museum.
"I knew it!" exclaimed the cat. "All the security would've been meaningless if it just lead back inside."
"It seems we managed to escape their siege," Yusuke uttered, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up after catching you so many times. You weren't exactly heavy, but gravity making you fall put a bit of strain on his muscles. Unexpectedly, Morgana started mewling. You cocked an eyebrow.
"Dude, why's Mona gettin' excited now of all times?" Ryuji mumbled, a bit disgusted by the cat's behavior.
"I just can't take it anymore!" Morgana gasped out. "Let's take a look at this treasure." You all gathered around as Morgana set the painting on the ground, unfolding the cloth as he did so. "Treasure!" he exclaimed, only to come back up with a surprised face. On the canvas was a henohenomoheji face. Was this really the treasure you were all searching for? Ryuji voiced your exact thoughts. From behind you, Yusuke witnessed rods crackling with electricity rose from the ground.
"Get back!" Yusuke shouted. You all jumped back, Akira pulling you with him, just in time before an electric fence circled the painting.
"Thanks," you breathed to Akira, his arms unwrapping from around your waist.
"Meddlesome vermin," growled Madarame's familiar voice. Two guards stood next to him, one holding a painting. "Is this what you're looking for?" He gestured to the one guard.
"What nonsense that you used a mousetrap on me!" Morgana hissed.
"So you had a fake prepped, huh?!" Ryuji huffed.
"Counterfeits are accepted in the world of Japanese arts," Shadow Madarame said, tucking his hands into his sleeves.
"What made you change like this?" Yusuke questioned. "Is it because you became famous!? Can't you understand how much it pains me to inquire about the crimes of my foster father?!" You could feel his rage grow with every word he said.
"Now that I think back," Shadow Madarame mumbled, "the only reason I took you in was because of my ties with your mother. That woman never lost her passion for painting even after her husband died. Her skills were quite astounding. That's why I decided to look after her. Your mother and the artworks she created - they're all my works of art!"
"How low can you sink?!" Ann growled.
"I suppose I can grant you one last gift before you die," Madarame sighed. "One glimpse of the genuine Sayuri."
"Genuine?" Yusuke whispered. Shadow Madarame gave a nod to the guard with the painting. He stepped forward before flipping the painting up, showing the Sayuri painting. However, unlike the one that you knew, where clouds blocked your vision of what the woman was smiling at in the bottom right, a baby was held in her arms, it's face gentle and peaceful. "That's... the real Sayuri?" Yusuke's voice was wavering, and you knew how painful seeing this must be for him. "This can't be..!" He gripped at the clothes on his chest, looking down as he tried to force his tears back. You grabbed his hanging hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Mom..!" Your heart ached the moment he said that one word.
"Indeed it is," Madarame confirmed. "This was painted by your mother. It's a portrait of herself. A woman who knew her death was coming painted her last wishes, for the son she would leave behind. That is the truth behind Sayuri's expression." You could feel Yusuke's hand tighten around yours.
"How dare you steal something that personal!" you growled.
"I knew at first glance," Madarame continued. "I knew it'd be a huge success, if I added to the painting and announced it under my name!"
"But, the baby in the picture," Yusuke mumbled, "why did you paint over it?"
"It was all to stage it!" Madarame answered. "If the babe is erased, then the reason behind the mother's expression will become a mystery. That's what the general public is drawn to! Each one of those parasitic critics wrote the same thing!"
"I knew something was wrong with all this, but I finally understand what it is." You glared at Madarame as you continued. "No person who truly treasures that painting would even think about replicating it for profit! You don't love art at all!"
"Though you have a real treasure, your true skills are nothing more than those scribbles on that fake," Morgana growled.
"It makes me laugh, asshole!" spat Ryuji.
"You'll never be a true artist!" Ann hissed.
"So you'll dare defy me no matter what," grumbled Madarame. "Well then, since you're my work of art, Yusuke, I'm going to reap you for the sake of my future." You grew furious at the statement. How dare he call Yusuke nothing but a work of art? He was a human being! "Along with your friends of yours, there. I'm sure that girl will help me greatly." Madarame eyed you.
"I can't believe you're treating both mother and son like objects," Ann snapped. "You're inhumane." Yusuke's grasp on your hand tightened.
"Fox?" you questioned, your eyebrows creasing in worry.
"I heard that you destroy your 'art' once they outlive their usefulness," he said, he face looking down to the ground. "...Did that include my mother as well?" You all snapped to attention as Madarame grew a sly smirk.
"She just happened to have had a seizure in front of me. That's when a thought crossed my mind. If I don't call for help and leave her be, I could obtain her painting without any strings attached." You all gasped in shock.
"You let her die?!" you hissed.
"She was physically weak," Madarame explained. "No one would doubt if she just dropped dead because of a seizure. Above all, Yusuke, didn't you think it was odd - that I discovered your talent when you were only three? The reason why I kept you around was to keep you from realizing the truth behind Sayuri." Yusuke's grasp tightened even more to the point where it was starting to become painful.
"You killed her..!" That one sentence from his was so filled with rage, so filled with anguish, it made a shiver crawl down your spine.
"The artistic talents you inherited from your mother were a delightful miscalculation, though. If I'm to steal ideas, it's much easier robbing the future of brat who won't talk back than adults. It's thanks to you that I came up with the idea. You have my gratitude." It was silent for a moment, for none of you have nothing to say. A deep, humorless chuckle erupted in Yusuke's throat, and he released his grasp on your hand.
"Yusuke..?" you called out cautiously.
"I thank you, Madarame," the young artist spat bitterly. "Every reason for me to forgive you has disappeared without a trace at this very moment! You aren't some rotten artist. You're a despicable fiend who wears the skin of an artist!" Yusuke gritted his teeth, his fury easily seen beneath his mask.
"All you good-for-nothings!" Madarame hissed. "Barging into my museum and doing whatever the hell you want." Red and black began to bubble around Madarame's feet, and you were suddenly put on edge. What the hell was going on? "Those who have the connections make the rules; those who don't, follow them. Not to mention the value of art is all subjective. I make the rules in the art scene! I am the supreme being! I am the god of the art world!"
"This isn't good. Get back!" Morgana commanded, and you instantly stepped behind the others. Madarame began cackling as his body morphed and mutated like wet drops of paint sliding down a canvas. His features turned monochrome as they split apart. With a pop, he had become multiple floating paintings: two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
"I'll paint all over you!" he howled. "Now, let's begin, you vermin!"
"You used others for the sake of your own despicable desires, Madarame," Yusuke stated, walking up with his hand tightly clenching his katana. "You aren't even worth the art you 'create'!" The group quickly worked on attacking the Painting Madarame, while you simply sat there in confusion.
He turned into some kind of monster, some disgusting freak of nature. This is what Madarame truly looked like on the inside. The smaller shadows transformed, so in the end, you weren't surprised that the ruler of the Palace could turn into the something horrifying as well. You wondered what Kamoshida's shadow looked like. Your eyes suddenly widened. If the other Palace Rulers had some sort of freaky monster behind their human-like facades, then... what did your shadow truly look like?
You were snapped out of your thoughts once all of the paintings hit the floor. A large ink puddle surrounded the paintings, and out emerged Madarame's more human form. The group instantly surrounded him, their guns pointing to the shadow. "Dammit!" Madarame panted. "I am the great Madarame! The Madarame who gathers a full crowd every time he opens an exhibit. I'm not someone that worthless brats like you are allowed to defy!"
"You still have the nerve to say such things?!" Yusuke growled. "You will fully taste the wrath of those who were preyed upon by you!" They continued with an all-out attack, stunning you with their quick movements. No matter how many times you've seen it by now, you always somehow managed to be impressed. They quickly beat down on Madarame as fast as they could, but he reformed into his paintings before they could properly finish him. However, it was simple rinse-and-repeat, and they quickly finished him off.
Madarame collapsed, and the team took a moment to catch their breath. Madarame looked over and grasped the Sayuri in his clutches. Yusuke walked forward, he steely gaze solely focused on the shadow. Madarame shrieked, falling once more. "No one cares about true art," Madarame tried to excuse. "All they want is recognizable brands! I'm a victim in this too! Wouldn't you agree?" Yusuke's look showed no sympathy. "The art world revolves around money, after all. You can't rise up without money. Yusuke, you understand, don't you? Being a poor artist is truly miserable! I just didn't want to return to that life!" In rage, Yusuke grabbed Madarame's collar, causing the false artist to drop the painting.
"A fiend like you has no right to speak about the art world," he spat. "You're done for, along with this abominous world!"
"No!" Madarame shrieked. "Please! Just... don't kill me." Yusuke threw Shadow Madarame to the ground, leaving him to cough and gasp for air.
"Return to yourself in reality and confess your crimes - all of them!" demanded the young artist.
"Y-You're not going to kill me?" Madarame asked incredulously.
"Swear it!"
"All right!" Madarame agreed. "All right!" The shadow looked around at the group, searching for someone in particular. "What about the other one, though? The one with the black mask?" Yusuke hummed in confusion.
"Don't try to fool us," Akira huffed.
"I don't have any energy left to pull off such petty tricks," Madarame denied.
"A black mask?" Ann questioned. "Wait, who's he talking about?"
"It can't be," Morgana said, shock evident on his face. "There was another intruder besides us in this palace?!" The earth started to shake, and walls began to crumble.
"There's no time!" exclaimed Ryuji. "Hurry!" Morgana ran a little ahead of all of you and jumped, transforming into a black van.
"Get on!" he commanded. You wasted no time questioning it, and instead clambered into the back seat with Ann while Akira and Ryuji took the front. Once you saw Yusuke wasn't in yet, you popped your head out from the side.
"Yusuke!" you called. He looked in your direction, looked back at Madarame once more before walking to Morgana and climbing in beside you, painting in his grasp. You all quickly sped off through the Palace and out the exit, the familiar fuzzy feeling engulfing you. When you reopened your eyes, you were standing in front of Madarame's shack. Yusuke had his eyes focused on the painting he retrieved from the Palace, and you whipped out the Nav.
"The destination has been deleted," it chimed.
"It would be bad if people started getting suspicious of us," Morgana warned. "We should leave at once."
"Yusuke, c'mon," Ryuji gently called.
"Right," he muttered.
You all sat around in your living room. Ryuji sat on the couch next to you, a soda he grabbed from your fridge in his hand. Yusuke still gazed at the painting with melancholy eyes. "I guess the mission was a success," Ryuji stated, taking a quick gulp of his beverage. "All that's left is to see if he had a change of heart or not."
"The Sayuri," Yusuke mumbled.
"You're not gonna get all teary-eyed and say stuff like 'Mom..!' are you?" Ryuji questioned. Your palm met with the back of his head with a vicious smack, causing him to let out a yelp.
"Don't be rude, you insensitive jerk!" you hissed.
"To think that this painting was the source of Madarame's distorted desires," Yusuke said, seemingly ignoring Ryuji's question. "The only saving grace is that my mother won't know of what transpired." He had a bitter smile on his face.
"The genuine painting at his atelier had been altered, after all," Morgana stated from the chair's armrest next to Akira. "Ironic as it may be, this one here is her true self-portrait now."
"It's a wonderful painting," Ann complimented, looking over Yusuke's shoulder. "And, although it took some time, it's in your hands now, Yusuke." His bitter smile turned into a more saddened, but relieved one.
"I'm thankful for it," he whispered. "However, it's impossible for this painting to be acknowledged by society anymore."
"That's not a bad thing," Akira said with a nonchalant shrug, causing Yusuke to look up.
"You may be right," agreed Yusuke. "Seeing my mother's expression here, it's doubtful that she would've wish for fame." His eyes found the painting again, growing soft at the sight. "So, this is my mother. There's no way I would remember her face clearly. But, I was right about the rush of emotion I felt when I saw this painting."
Ryuji got up from his seat on the couch, going off to the kitchen to grab another drink. He came back rather quickly, only to let out a burp right next to Ann. "Stop that!" she squealed in disgust, and you let out a laugh.
"You're so vulgar, Ryuji," Morgana insulted, but the blond ignored him. Ryuji plopped back down between you and Yusuke, an arm going over your side of the head of the couch. He gazed to Yusuke, who had placed the painting beside the couch.
"So, what're you gonna do now?" he asked. "We're gonna keep targeting big shots."
"Why do you do such things?" Yusuke questioned.
"It's to get back at scumbags and, like... society in general?" His confidence wavered at the end as he said it with a shrug. "We also wanna give courage to the people who're sufferin' 'cause of selfish adults."
"Courage, hm?" Yusuke mused. "What good will that do? You mean the courage to stand up for themselves, correct? Will acquiring that make them happy?"
"I'm not sure," Akira answered honestly.
"Yeah, there's no knowing exactly if that courage will make people happy," you stated. "But, you will never accomplish anything if you never try in the first place."
"In other words, it all depends on the person, hm?" Yusuke mumbled. "Then the same can be said about myself right now. I also suffered because an adult's selfish act. Moreover, if we investigate these palaces, it may expand my artistic repertoire."
"You really only think about art, huh? You're impressive," Ryuji complimented.
"Well, I won't take part in any inelegant plans, all right?" Yusuke stated.
"No worries!" Ann cheered. "I've got us covered." You all sort of sweat-dropped at her claim.
"There's a rule where we won't target a palace unless everyone has agreed upon it," you explain.
"How about it, Joker?" Morgana asked. "We can give our calling cards a lot more oomph if we have Yusuke on our team."
"We have too many dudes," Akira quietly complained, but you all still heard it.
"Then would you prefer if I dressed as a woman?" Yusuke genuinely asked. You snorted before busting out laughing. You don't know which was funnier: what he said or how earnestly he said it.
"At any rate," Morgana said after you calmed down, "I'm curious. Another intruder besides us, huh?"
"Our only clue's a black mask, so that doesn't necessarily mean it's just one person, right?" Ann theorized.
"But there's no way to check anymore," Ryuji stated. "The Palace is gone."
"I'll try probing Madarame," Yusuke said glumly. "I may be able to learn something from him."
"Are you sure?" you asked worriedly. "I mean..."
"I'll contact you all if anything turns up," he said, trying to lift the mood from his face.
"We should probably exchange our contact info with you, then," Ann suggested, pulling out her phone. Ryuji and Akira both did the same, and the numbers were quickly given out. Ryuji quickly inserted Yusuke into the group chat.
"An artist and a phantom thief," Yusuke mused, placing his phone back in his pocket. "It seems I'll be engaging in two trades from here on. Very well. You only live once, after all." You smiled, but you still noticed the sad gleam in his eyes.
You all chatted a bit more before one by one, people started leaving. Eventually, you and Yusuke were the only two left. It was silent between you two, but it's not like you didn't mind. You had a feeling Yusuke was the type of friend who enjoyed himself just as much in silence as he would in conversation.
"(Y-Y/n)," he called out, a bit nervous. You gave him your full attention. "Would you mind if I stayed here a little longer? I don't feel like returning home just yet." You could see the slight dilemma in his eyes, and you gave him a soft smile.
"Of course I don't mind, Yusuke," you replied. "Stay here as long as you'd like." You lifted yourself from the couch. "I can make us some tea, if you'd like. I bought black tea after last time."
"Yes, that would be lovely," he agreed, a pained smile on his features. "Thank you." You made your way to the kitchen, quickly whipping up some black tea for the two of you. You returned with two cups, and you set one down in front of Yusuke on the coffee table. However, he made no move to grab it. You sat down next to the young artist on the couch, setting down your own cup. Silence settled between you two, but it wasn't exactly peaceful.
"How are you feeling?" you asked carefully. You could see the debate in Yusuke's head as he tried to come of up with a solid answer.
"I don't know," he settled on after a few seconds. "I'm happy that I've finally put a stop to Madarame's selfish ways, but I-" He began to choke up, and you could see his eyes starting to gloss over. The hands that were folded in his lap tightened.
"I understand, Yusuke," you coo softly. "Everything you've known has just changed within a few days. You've been through an emotional rollercoaster recently, especially today with everything Madarame's shadow told you. It's okay to not know what to feel; I don't expect you to." You wrapped your arms around Yusuke's torso and brought him in closer, your chin resting on his shoulder. "But what you should know is that no matter what you're feeling, I and the others are willing to help you through it." Yusuke buried his head into your shoulder, and his arms encased your form. His hands bunched the back of your shirt. You felt one wet spot and then another. Soon, your shoulder was damp with Yusuke's tears. His body shook with silent sobs, and you gently ran your hand along his back to soothe him. After a few minutes, he spoke softly, his words trembling.
"I-I would h-have never k-know the truth w-without you." His body shook a couple more times before whispering, "Thank you."