- 𝐅𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 -

Chapter 4

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...

"When is '𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯'?", he growled and fixed his hair before shakily trying to stand up again; Akira probably didn't even know why or how he had died.

"I don't remember you being this impatient, my Liege..."

"I... I just don't want to be dead...", the boy then flopped back down onto what seems to be the ground. Just now he actually noticed the dripping cold blood all over his forehead. "I've been shot..?"

The persona landed down on his feet again after floating around and stared right into the other's eyes. "Yes, you've been killed... You also overdosed on these chemicals in some way..."

The noiret just looked down; unsure of what to say, and then just closed his eyes. Maybe he really just had to wait.

But he didn't know 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 he was waiting for, in the void.

- - - - - - - - -

It didn't take too long for the thieves to explain the whole situation to the clueless girl; and obviously she was shocked. Actually even terrified.

They told her everything, including the betrayal.

"A-and now you have to escape this city..?", Kasumi asked the group after progressing all the information she's just been told.

"Yep. If we don't then we'll-", Futaba wanted to start, but immediately got cut off.

Ann was the one who interrupted the orange-haired girl with a fake laugh, trying to make the situation less severe; "Then that would be bad!"

"Yeah. I agree with Lady Ann!" the feline said before he jumped off the table to stalk over to the model.

Ryuji, meanwhile, finished packing his own stuff now too and watched the cat do what he usually does. "𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱.", he muttered quietly.

"ANYWAYS...", Makoto loudly cleared her throat, trying to get everyone's attention back.

It always worked.

"We need places we can go to.", she then continued on.

Everyone looked down again, trying to think of anywhere they could hide for a while.

And then Haru looked up again, her voice still as soft as ever, yet still anxious. "...I might know a place..!"

Ryuji looked up now as well, looking more hype again. "For real?!"

"Fascinating... Please tell us more, Haru", Yusuke then spoke up.

"Yesss! spill the tea, beauty thief!!!", Futaba yelled, with who knows how many exclamation marks.

"A-alright..!", Noir had to smile a bit, it made her glad that she managed to calm her friends down a bit. "There's an abandoned cottage in a field not so far from here... Nobody's been there in years..!"

Ann now cheered loudly "That's perfect, Haru!", she finally had a smile on her face again, too.

Futaba hummed happily. "Beep beep, alright! Next station; the abandoned cottage in the nearby field!"

And just like that, their grieving turned into hope again. The phantom thieves don't dwell on things too long;

After all, they have to 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.