February 14
Madran was on her way to school, meeting up with Suga.
"Hi! Still no sign of Sheila?"
"Nope! She told me that she would be planning and attending the funeral for her grandfather."
"Hey, Madran, Suga?"
A male student who was also taking the subway approached them.
"Yes?"
"Did you hear? This new crime fighting group called the 'Bodacious Babes' just took your dad out!"
"What?"
"Yeah. He left his job after saying stuff like 'I have done a great evil to so many people' and stuff! They even have a website!"
"Wow! That's crazy! Dad hasn't talked to me, for, like, ever."
"Ouch. I heard that they were going after your mentor, Suga."
"Really?"
Suga kept a fake facade of surprise.
"Yeah! They called him 'an egotistical, sexist man who is undeserving of his easily-owned prestige.'"
"Yikes! I wonder what they mean?"
Suga knew exactly what this was about, due to Proctora's wishes to take over the medical world in Japan and turn it into what he had in his palace.
"I have no idea, but I guess we'll see!"
Everyone got off to go to their work or school, including the two friends. Once they got to school, a few kids from the track and volleyball team suddenly confronted them.
"Hey have you guys seen-"
"Nope! Bye!"
Madran charged off.
"I bet they were asking about Sheila."
"What part of 'dead relative' do they not get?"
Suga ran after her, and school commenced. It went as any Valentine's day might go, with plenty of couples doing rather hinting activities in the hallways and people asking the opposite or same gender out left and right, as well as slight talk of the Bodacious Babes. In other words, pandemonium. After school was finally finished, Madran and Suga felt exhausted.
"Goodness. Can those people stop making out? This isn't a Night Club!"
"The teachers weren't doing anything about it, too..."
Madran and Suga swapped complaints and went their separate ways.
"Hmm. So many people suddenly mentioning the Bodacious Babes, too..."
Madran arrived back home, walking into her house and seeing that Elia was drinking what was probably the fifth coffee of the day.
"Hi!"
"Hello. So, Travert resigned, huh?"
"Yeah! I didn't see that coming."
"I mean, I thought that it was over then. Yikes."
"Yeah! People are talking about the Bodacious Babes suddenly! They even know about Proctora!"
"Well, I put it on the website."
"Yeah."
"The whole speech thing was kinda wild. He was crying and everything, and mentioned the Bodacious Babes but not you, or Suga."
"Cool! Um, can I watch it?"
"It's on the news."
Madran turned the TV on. She saw the reporter talking about the recent announcement that Travert said, and showed certain clips to it.
"Now, on to Ms. Amano."
The camera shifted to show an Asian lady with shoulder length black hair that seemed to have a sharp cutoff. She had warm, brown eyes, and appeared to be wearing a brown outfit with a blue tie. She seemed to be only 20 by her looks.
"This is an on-the-scene report! I am Maya Amano, and I will be reporting on this shocking occurrence!"
"Wait... that name..."
"Yes, Mad?"
"It sounds familiar. That voice, too. Hmm."
Madran wracked her brain, but could only remember the Alaya Shrine and that it had burnt down.
"Also, if we're lucky, we might even get to interview the family, too!"
Maya smiled at the screen. Madran had missed the entire report, and just saw that Maya was standing in the city square with a reporter microphone.
"Interview us?"
"That might answer my question!"
"Ok... well, if Coolest Magazine or any other news sites call us, I'll be sure to answer."
Madran then had an idea. She rushed to her room and into the Velvet Room.
"Ah. Welcome to the Velvet Roo-"
"Maya Amano. Tell me what you know about her."
Margaret looked confused, but Philemon gasped.
"That name... yes, it is familiar."
"Who is she? I had some weird deja-vu when I saw her reporting the incident about my dad."
"She, like you, is a persona user."
"WHAT?!"
"She can utilize Artemis, ruler of ice and queen of-"
"-thighs."
Margaret snickered.
"Margaret, I really do sometimes question your sexuality. Anyways, what's so crazy about her?"
"Well, the second I heard her voice, I felt a weird, fuzzy feeling. Then, she mentioned possibly interviewing Elia and me, so..."
"Hmm. If that is the case, then let me know."
"Madran, can I finally show you what I was trying to show you?"
"What?"
"Ok. Right this way, please."
Margaret led Madran to a door, going through it. On the other side was what appeared to be a very dark, black, red, and grimy subway station.
"What?"
Madran noticed that her Metaverse clothes were on. She summoned Nightingale, scanning the area.
"Uh..."
"This is Mementos, the collective subconscious for all of Japan."
"Why is it a subway route?"
"Most Japanese people have the subway in their daily life."
"Ah. How will we get around here?"
Margaret smiled.
"Forgive me, Igor..."
Margaret pressed what looked like a pager. A limousine appeared out of nowhere. Margaret got in the driver's seat.
"Hop in, we're going 'splorin."
Madran got in the passenger section.
"We will be simply touring the upper areas of Mementos. I only wish to show you this. Actual missions will only begin later."
"Missions?"
"Ask later. Let's drive."
Margaret accelerated, somehow driving along the tracks with no issue. Madran saw a pile of tarot cards on a table in the center of the passenger section.
"Hmm..."
"Don't even."
"Why?"
"Those aren't tarot cards."
Madran slumped back in her seat, surprised with the obsessive control Margaret kept over the limo.
"So, what is this exactly?"
"Well, in here, shadows of people who aren't so bad to have a palace but still are bad can appear here, as well as normal shadows. It's a really good place to train in."
"Ok..."
"Well?"
"I have no idea what to look for."
"Oh. Um, let's head back for now."
Margaret suddenly handled the limo like it was a sports car, making a sharp turn to go back.
"Oh. Get out, there's a shadow."
Madran slid out of the car to see a large, hulking mass run towards them. It had a bunch of white masks all over it, and they looked like they all were screaming.
"Nightingale!"
Madran summoned Nightingale, using an Agilao. The monster then transformed into a weird looking thing with an onion head and a body of a rotten chicken.
"What the..."
Madran scanned it.
"Ok, it's weak to ice. Whatever."
Madran utilized Agilao a few times, dodging a few poorly-aimed wind and electric attacks. It was then quickly killed by yet another Agilao.
"Ok! Let's go!"
Madran went back in the car, and the pair arrived at the top of Mementos.
"Well, that was something."
"Yeah. Bye!"
Madran left, going through the Velvet Room and back out the closet. Chicory was sleeping on her bed, not awakening to her loud footsteps.
"Hmm. Let's see what mom's up to..."
Madran went into Elia's room, plopping down on her bed. Elia was messing around with the website.
"Hi!"
"Hi, mom. Whatcha doing?"
"Well, Just adding a few things to your website. Apparently, 'dethroning' Travert or whatever those people are saying made you all popular, and now people are coming out with... confessions on Proctora doing kinda bad stuff in the workplace."
"Se-"
"No, not following conduct when it comes to being a doctor."
"Maybe, the 'failed experiments' weren't just a part of his palace?"
"Yeah."
"Also, did Coolest Magazine call?"
"No? Why are you so crazy about that Maya lady suddenly?"
"Um, Philemon didn't give nearly enough information on her, so..."
"I mean, you could always go snooping with Sheila."
"That's kinda hard."
"Well, yeah."
Madran and Elia sat in silence for a bit.
"Ok! Check this out!"
Elia let Madran sit in her seat.
"Ooh! Bios for us?"
Madran began reading.
"Fwoosh. Hey, how did you know our codenames?"
"Secret."
"Hmm. Fwoosh, a cunning, energetic, fiery lady capable of leading the team to victory. Plague, a strong doctor, who's goal is to always keep everyone in tip-top shape. Clown, the distraction artist, and can always stir up quite the laughing fit. Butterfly... Wait, did Philemon tell you this?"
"Um, I'll tell you in a bit."
"Ok. Um, where was I... oh, right, Butterfly, the intelligent tactician with knowledge surmounting almost anyone in the world."
"Well, I got this app on my phone that allows me to watch your Metaverse expeditions."
"Ooh! Cool!"
"Don't worry, I don't obsessively watch it. I have work stuff to handle, too."
"Well, yeah."
Elia chuckled.
"That one fight with the, um, dog things was intense."
"Who's holding the camera?"
"Philemon, I think."
"Ok! That's cool."
"I'll be sure to add anyone's bio if they join."
"Cool! Um, I have something to do."
Madran ran back to her room. Chicory was awake and yawned, shifting around on the bed. Madran opened her phone and called Sheila.
"Hello? This is the-"
"Can I talk to Sheila?"
"Oh? Hi, Madran, it's me. Um, we're planning the funeral, but I have some time."
"Ok. So, first, could I attend the funeral?"
"It's open. Anyone can come."
"Great. I have something to tell you, and I just feel sorry for you."
Sheila chuckled.
"Tell that to my three empty tissue boxes. Um, what have I missed at school?"
"Valentine's Day."
"Oh. Good."
"Yeah, and, um, have you heard of The Bodacious Babes?"
"Yeah! They took out your dad! I never knew that he was doing that corrupt shit, but, uh, good for you!"
"Well, this company called Coolest Magazine mentioned interviewing mom and me."
"Ooh, I know that. They also interviewed me multiple times."
"This one reporter and writer for that appeared on television. She's called, uh, Maya Amano."
"Ooh, her?"
"Yeah! Could you try to get more info on her? When I saw her, I had this weird deja-vu feeling, and, well..."
"Um, not right now, but I can page some time at the diner and around the city, just with the two of us."
"Ok!"
"Yeah, I have the funeral, and my modeling gigs, it's kinda a mess. Also, my agent was able to get me a special trip to this one place, with two extra spots!"
"Ooh! Yay!"
"Well, have anything else?"
"Um, I had that dream again, and, uh, look into your inner self? That's what it said."
"Hah! Are Suga's dru- plants getting to you?"
"Nope! Bye!"
Sheila and Madran exchanged laughs for a bit before hanging up.
"Madran?"
"What?"
"You feisty little..."
"Hey! I'm just happy to hear from her."
Madran's messaging app got a message. It was from Sheila.
Sheila: By the way, I'm back to school tomorrow!
Madran: Yay!
Madran smiled, and went to pet the half-awake Chicory for a good 10 minutes.
"It sure sounds like you've planned out your week."
"Yeah! I am also planning on sending the letter of warning to Proctora later, as well."
"Cool."
Madran went back to Elia's room to not experience issues talking to her, as she was when they were in different rooms.
"So, um, wish me luck on getting the treasure out?"
"Yep! I hope that you don't have to go through a giant fight like that again."
"Um, well, judging by how large the palace is, that's a slim possibility that it won't happen."
"Ugh. Right. Well, what do you think Proctora's shadow would take form as?"
"Um, I've seen a bunch of kinda artificial growth thingies, and stuff? Um, maybe a superhuman that looks very wrong?"
"Hmm. Yeah, that makes some sense."
"Like, I didn't see that dad would turn into a giant, blind statue. I was thinking some angry spider, or whatever."
"Ha. That would be funny."
"I wonder why they all are so symbolic..."
"Uh, you're the one doing it."
Madran though for a bit.
"Maybe, it's due to them being their evilest there? Like, it's their domain, so, I guess that they wouldn't hold anything back."
Madran and Elia chatted for some more time, letting the hours pass by as they spent the rest of Valentine's day making light chatter, all awaiting their own goals to be met tomorrow.
END OF CHAPTER 17
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That's all for this one! I hope that you all enjoyed! If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Bye!