#'oh this'll just be a quick Shiho awakening fic!'

[yusuke-of-valla]

Peace of Mind

Whumptober Day 3 Prompt: “Who did this to you?”

Summary: Shiho decides to find out what Ann is keeping from her.

Wordcount: 1330

TW: Mentions of Kamoshida, mentions of abuse, nothing explicit.

AO3

~

Ann, bless her heart, is a terrible liar.

She passes of cuts and bruises as “work out trainging” or clumsiness, but Shiho isn’t stupid. She knows Ann is lying to her and that hurts. Wasn’t keeping secrets from each other what caused all the trouble with Kamoshida?

The voice of Shiho’s therapist reminds her that Kamoshida is responsible for all that trouble with Kamoshida, but even if that’s true, that thought doesn’t help. Her therapist says it will, eventually, but eventually isn’t good enough because Ann’s being hurt now.

They go for a walk and Ann can barely keep up because she’s so sore. Shiho slows down to keep pace, and asks, gently, if everything’s alright.

“Everything’s great!” Ann says, cheery as always, and something in Shiho’s heart twists because Ann means it. She’s lying when she says she got knocked over at a photo shoot or that she cut herself cooking, but she’s telling the truth when she says things are fine. 

Ann’s getting hurt and she thinks it’s fine.

Shiho wants to be sick. 

Her parents are touchy about her going anywhere near Shujin, so the school is a no go. Instead, she hangs around Shibuya keeping an eye out for familiar faces before she finally spots Ryuji. She weaves through the crowd, trying to catch up with him and breathes a sigh of relief when he finally stops near the accessway.

Shiho finally manages to catch up with him when the world rips itself apart.

The people disappear and Shiho stops cold. The sky is red suddenly, and the air feels wrong. On the bright side, Shiho now has a clearer view of Ryuji. Ryuji who is... wearing a strange costume? And also with a bunch of other strange looking people. There’s someone with a mop of black fluffy hair… Kurusu? And then there’s one in a catsuit with twintails and.

Oh. 

Ooooooooooooh.

Ann is a Phantom Thief. They’re all Phantom Thieves. Shiho kind of hates how much sense it makes. Because of course Ann would fight Kamoshida for her. And given that they have weapons, it probably involves fighting somehow?

Well, that answers some of Shiho’s questions. It raises many many more but at least she now understands why Ann was lying. She isn’t sure it’s safe though and Shiho… really wants Ann to be safe. So, while Ann and the others are busy discussing something, Shiho slips behind a post so they can’t see her. She’s not going to stay long, she just wants to get a sense of how much danger Ann is in for herself, since Ann is clearly willing to downplay things for Shiho’s sake. 

And what do you intend to do if she is in grave danger? You think you’ll be able to stop her?

Shiho’s nails bite into her palms. She… she doesn’t want to be kept in the dark at least. Even if she can’t stop Ann, she wants to know. The Phantom Thieves start down the stairs and Shiho follows closely, trying to match their pace, but that doesn’t last long.

The tunnels don’t have nearly as much space to hide, so Shiho has to stay behind a bit further so she can hide behind corners and hidden areas. Still, she manages to keep up. 

Or she thinks she does, but she ends up in an open area and they’ve all disappeared.

“Are you serious?” Shiho moans. Gah, this is probably why they’re called “Phantom” Thieves. Her best bet at this point is probably to turn back the way she came when there’s movement out of the corner of her eye.

Shiho brandishes the baseball bat she brought (what you thought she would go to investigate her best friend's mysterious injuries and not show up ready for a fight?) 

“Who’s there!”

“I think I could ask you that first.” One of the Phantom Thieves slips out of the shadows -- one of the ones Shiho doesn’t recognize, a tall guy wearing blue. “You’ve been following us since the station. Who are you?”

“I’m-“

“Shiho?!” Both of them turn to see Ann leave her hiding spot. Shiho has a good look at Ann’s outfit which is uh… very reminiscent of the types of outfits supervillains on shows Shiho really enjoyed watching used to wear. Shiho’s thankful for the red lighting of wherever they are because that’s probably hiding her blushing. 

Probably. 

Hopefully. 

“What are you doing here?” Ann asks.

“Uh… making sure you’re alright?” Shiho says, fumbling with her bat. “I mean you were clearly lying about the bruises and the injuries so I just wanted to know.” 

The rest of them have caught up now and Ryuji looks at Shiho’s bat. “Wait, were you planning to investigate Ann’s injuries and just… start swingin’ if you found out who caused them?”

“Yes.”

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji puts his hand up and Shiho returns his high five.

“Let’s not encourage people rushing into danger unprepared,” a thief who kind of looks like -- oh what was her name? Niijima! That’s right, -- the student council president says.

“Isn’t that literally what you did three days ago?” Kurusu replies. 

The thief-who-is-probably-Niijima’s face goes red under her mask. “Well yes, and I think we can all agree that was a bad decision.”

“We can catch up later,” the tiny... cat thief thing? (Wait -- no. He’s a literal Cat Burglar!) who Shiho completely missed says. “Hanging around too long in one spot is dangerous, especially with someone who can’t fight.”

“I’m not helpless.” Shiho says. She wants to sound tough, but it sounds like she’s pouting, even to her.

“Mona didn’t mean it that way,” Ann says, placing an arm on Shiho’s shoulder. “Let’s just go.”

That should be the end of it. They pile into the cat burglar (Mona’s)? My Neighbor Totoro-inspired bus form, and they leave Shiho at the entrance and Shiho continues worrying over Ann, even though she knows what’s going on now.

Ah, but how often are things that simple?

They’re almost at the exit when some huge hulking mass barrels into the side of the bus, and suddenly the group is surrounded by strange looking monsters. Ann and Ryuji waste no time putting Shiho between the two of them. Niijima is doing something to help the unconscious Mona. One of the monsters sends out a blast that chills Shiho to the bone. The tall one whose name Shiho hasn’t learned looks takes it the best of them, standing tall and immediately going in to counter attack.

Ann and Kurusu take it the worst, in taking sharp breaths and shivering due to the cold. Shiho rushes to Ann’s side, taking off her jacket and putting it over Ann. 

As if that will help.

Ryuji’s looking at Kurusu, incredibly concerned, but throws a look back at Shiho. He’s tense. Shiho’s heart gets caught in her throat. He doesn’t want to leave her. He wants to protect her.

Because she’s always getting protected, isn’t she?

Hmm it seems as though you can’t do anything.

The words are true, and they are devastating. But still, Shiho grits her teeth and stands up. “No. I can do something. There has to be something.” 

Suddenly, pain rips through her skull. She doesn’t flinch though, because even if it’s excruciating, well. She’s felt worse. 

Very good. If it seems like there are no paths before you, ‘tis best to cut your own, isn’t it? If we’re in agreement, shall we forge our contract?

Shiho’s hands find her face, and after digging her nails beneath the hunk of metal in front of her eyes, it’s easy to rip it off.

“Isabel! I need you!”

A burst of energy shakes the very foundations of the tunnel they’re in. There’s a large disk in Shiho’s hand, a gem that shines a brilliant blue even amidst the red light of the tunnel placed in the center. She doesn’t really understand what just happened, and she doesn’t care.

Shiho Suzui is going to fight.