Chapter 40

Labrys charged at the shadow. As she approached, she swung her axe around, firing its rockets to launch herself into a high speed spin. The shadow crouched down then leapt high into the air just as the axe sliced past. Labrys skidded to a stop and matched the shadow's crouch and leap. She fired her axe's boosters and met the shadow's sword with her axe. The force of the impact sent Labrys shooting downward while the shadow flew upward. Labrys landed on her feet as the shadow planted its feet against the invisible barrier that surrounded the arena. Pushing off the shadow rocketed down toward Labrys.

Labrys backflipped out of the way as the shadow slammed its sword into the arena floor. The stone slab shattered sending fragments flying in all directions and leaving a crater behind. The shadow needed a moment to regain its balance after the tremendous slam. It was the opening Labrys needed. She lunged forward, fired the rockets on her axe and crashed the blade into the shadow's side. The shadow went flying across the arena and slammed into the wall that surrounded it. Huge chunks of stone fell to the arena floor as the wall crumbled in a cloud of dust, leaving behind only the invisible barrier.

Labrys, keen not to give the shadow a chance to recover, raced into the cloud. She immediately came flying back out as the shadow landed a mighty swing of its sword. Labrys tumbled across the arena floor before rolling to her feet just in time to block another slash. The weapons met in a shower of sparks then locked together in a stalemate. Labrys and the shadow simultaneously jumped back, landing at opposite ends of the arena. They circled, slowly and carefully closing the distance.

It was time for a change of tactics. Using the power of a Persona without actually using the Persona itself was something completely alien to Labrys, but she was going to give it a shot. She reached out her hand, palm up, and clenched her fist. Spectral red ribbons rose from the arena floor and ensnared the shadow. Labrys reached back then flung her arm forward. Her hand, holding the axe, detached from her forearm and extended on its chain. The blade slammed down on top of the shadow, shattering its spectral bonds and smashing it into the ground. She whipped her arm around, moving her entire body to add force, and swung her hand and axe around in a wide circle. As the axe circled the arena, the shadow stumbled back to its feet. By the time it reached the shadow it was moving at terrifying speed.

The shadow did something entirely unexpected. It dropped its sword and grabbed the axe by the handle with both hands. It wrenched the axe back, pulling Labrys off her feet and sending her flying toward the shadow. The shadow threw the axe aside, twisting Labrys off kilter as she approached. Labrys was unable to recover control before reaching the shadow. It met her with a punch to the side of her head. The force of the blow slammed Labrys into the ground on her back where she lay stunned. The shadow picked up its sword, jumped, lifted the weapon over its head, and brought it crashing down at Labrys. Labrys lifted her free arm, catching the blade on her heavily armored forearm.

Labrys' other hand was still holding her axe and still extended. She rapidly retracted the chain and the axe careened across the arena, slamming into the shadow before it could launch another attack. The shadow was knocked aside and tumbled across the arena floor. Labrys leapt to her feet and attacked immediately with an overhand swing of her axe. The shadow blocked the strike, knocking its sword downward, but Labrys kept her axe in motion. She whipped the weapon around and brought it crashing down on the shadow. The axe cleaved the shadow's head and embedded itself deep in the shadow's torso. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Congratulations, you've killed your friend again." Thanatos taunted. "Please vacate the arena." Labrys walked up the ramp to the others. Eris immediately went to work using her powers to repair the considerable damage the fight had caused.

Aigis hugged Labrys. "I am sorry you had to go through that pain...again." Aigis said. "But I am very glad you are unharmed."

"I'm not sorry." Labrys said. "It was something I was gonna' have to face sometime. The last time my shadow had to intervene because I couldn't handle it. I don't want that to happen again. I was forced to do some terrible things, and the sooner I face it the sooner I can put it behind me."

"Woah, slow down." Jaune said. "You shadow intervened? You were forced to do terrible things? What's that all about?"

"Jaune, I don't think that's something she wants to talk about." Pyrrha scolded him.

"No, it's alright." Labrys said. "If we're workin' together you should know about me. I don't really know where to start though."

"Maybe you should explain your shadow's...condition." Rise suggested.

"Well, I faced my shadow like the others, but when I accepted it, it didn't just go away like it did with them." Labrys explained. "Instead it buried itself in my mind. When I'm under extreme stress, usually when I'm in danger, my shadow can...take over my body."

"That sounds dangerous." Ren said.

"Maybe, I don't really know what it's capable of." Labrys admitted. "So far it's only acted to save my life. I guess it makes sense since if I die it dies too. I should probably tell you about my past now."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Pyrrha said.

"No, I think talking about it is good for me." Labrys said. "Me and Aigis are the only Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons left, but that wasn't the case when I was first created. It was before Aigis was built, and they were still trying to figure out how to get us to develop a Persona. I guess it's like developing a semblance and aura where you're from. Anyway, they figured I was the best candidate. Apparently extreme stress causes a Persona to manifest, so they put me in the most stressful position they could think of. They made me kill my sister units. There was one, Unit 024, that was my friend. They made me fight her...to the death. I killed her with my bare hands."

"That's horrible!" Nora shouted. "What monsters made you do that?!"

"My family's company." Mitsuru said, looking incredibly uneasy. "When my grandfather was in charge, they did terrible, unspeakable, inexcusable things. I've spent my life trying to right those wrongs." There was a stunned silence. The others had no idea what to say. Before them were two friends shouldering intense guilt.

"I'm really sorry I said anything." Jaune said. "It must be hard to just think about it."

"It's alright, really." Labrys said. "It helps to talk about it. Knowing that people understand, even a little, is comforting."

"Mitsuru, you've got to stop feeling so guilty." Akihiko said. "None of it's your fault and you've done a hell of a lot to make it right."

"I guess." Mitsuru sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"

"I'm afraid the topic on my mind isn't any lighter." Yang said. "I'm seeing a pattern with the order of the fights. If it keeps up, Ruby and I are next."

"It's alright Yang, I'm sure we'll be fine." Ruby said. "I'm ready to fight."

"I'm not." Yang said. "Thanatos is going to put something horrible in front of you. Even if it doesn't hurt you physically…"

"Yang, I can take it." Ruby assured her. "After my shadow, there's nothing he can do that would be that painful. We're here to save the world. I don't care what I have to go through, I'm going to do it."

Yang locked Ruby in a vice-like hug. "Oh you're so strong!" Yang exclaimed with tears in her eyes. Ruby squirmed to get free but there was no escape. "I wish I was as strong as you."

"You seem confident." Thanatos said. "I wonder if you can back up those words with actions."

"Just be careful." Yang implored.

"I'll be fine." Ruby said. She descended the ramp to the arena floor. It transformed back into a wall behind her as she awaited her opponent.

"Your shadow was really a masterpiece of psychological torture." Thanatos said. "The same can be said for your life as a whole. Maybe mind games won't affect you, or maybe…"

Black goo rose up from the arena floor and coalesced into humanoid form. The excess flowed away, leaving behind a copy of Torchwick. "Hey Red." The shadow said. "I finally get my chance to kill you."

"That's the best you can come up with?" Ruby asked. "I'm not afraid of him. We beat him already anyway."

"You've never beaten me, not without help at least." The shadow said. "This time there'll be no one like Glynda or Penny to step in to save you."

"I don't know, Torchwick's still pretty lame." Ruby sighed. "No horrors from my past, no deep insecurities on display, I got myself all worked up for nothing."

The shadow lifted its cane and fired an explosive blast at Ruby while she was not paying attention. It was a direct hit. Ruby was blown back and tumbled across the ground. "Maybe you should have prepared for overconfidence." The shadow taunted. The shadow fired again but Ruby was gone by the time the shot arrived. The shadow was unrelenting and fired a series of explosive charges at Ruby as she raced around the arena. Ruby used shots from Crescent Rose in tandem with her semblance to change directions rapidly and unpredictably as she closed the distance.

Ruby's scythe unfolded as she swung at the shadow, the blade narrowly passing over its head as it ducked the attack. The shadow fired at her feet but Ruby jumped and used the force of the blast to propel herself into the air. At the peak of her flight she fired Crescent Rose off-axis, sending her spinning down toward the shadow. The shadow slid aside as her scythe embedded itself in the arena floor. The blade was stuck and Ruby struggled to free it. She fired, hoping it would rip the blade free, but it only jerked Ruby forward along with the rest of the weapon. Seeing its chance the shadow leapt at her and bashed her in the side of the head with its cane. Ruby lost her grip on Crescent Rose as she stumbled, disoriented from the blow. The shadow jumped up and fired down at Ruby. The shot connected and slammed Ruby into the ground.

The shadow approached sporting a cocky smile. "Wow Red, you went down even easier than I was expecting." It said. THe shadow changed its grip on its cane, grabbing it by the muzzle end. It swung the weapon in a high arc, bringing it down at Ruby. In a flurry of rose petals she zipped out of the way, crashing through the shadow's legs in the process. The shadow fell flat on its face and Ruby went on the attack, repeatedly kicking the shadow while it was down. The shadow reached back with its cane and hooked her leg. With a pull Ruby was yanked off of her feet and slammed down awkwardly on her back. "Your kicks are weak." The shadow said as it got to its feet. "You're useless without your weapon."

Ruby got up. She was in a bad position, the shadow between her and Crescent Rose. Even if she could reach it, it was still stuck in the ground. She rushed at the shadow and assailed it with a flurry of punches. The shadow simply shoved her back. She desperately needed her weapon. Without it the shadow could continue to toy with her until it decided to end things. Ruby took a step back then ran toward the shadow. Rather than attacking it she leapt over it, hoping to land near Crescent Rose. The shadow tracked her flight and fired, hitting her mid-air with another explosive blast. She was sent crashing into the arena wall.

The shadow again placed itself between Ruby and Crescent Rose. It reached into its pocket and produced a large red dust crystal. "Catch." The shadow said. It tossed the crystal at Ruby, took aim and fired. Its shot hit the crystal creating a fiery explosion but when the smoke cleared Ruby was gone. The shadow wheeled to the right, tracking her as she ran. It threw another crystal out in front of her and repeated the trick. Ruby skidded to a stop and jumped back, avoiding the explosion. The next was directed straight at her. She dove forward as the crystal exploded just behind her. The pair had turned completely around when the shadow got frustrated. With an angry grunt it tossed five crystals in Ruby's direction. Its shot hit the one in the center and created a chain-reaction that detonated the others.

The blast had a secondary effect. The shadow had lost its spatial awareness. The huge explosion blasted Crescent Rose out of the ground. Ruby dive-rolled over her weapon, picking it up in the process. The shadow was about to throw another crystal, its pockets seemingly bottomless. Ruby took aim and shot the crystal before it left the shadow's hand. The shadow's arm was blown off. Ruby rushed forward, slipped her blade behind the shadow's back and fired. The blade slammed back and sliced the shadow in two. It burst into a cloud of glowing ash and evaporated away.

"You did it, leave the arena." Thanatos said. Any feigned enthusiasm was long gone.

Ruby ascended the ramp to rejoin the others. "That wasn't so bad." Ruby said.

Yang looked terribly worried. "Ruby, you've got no aura left." She said.

"Oh, I guess that one explosion hit me pretty hard." Ruby shrugged.

"You didn't even notice?!" Yang exclaimed. "Ruby, this is dangerous! You could have been hurt, or killed! You need to pay attention to this."

"I'm sorry, I was just really focused on getting Crescent Rose back." Ruby said. "I'll never let you go again." She stroked the weapon lovingly. "The important thing is that I did and I beat the shadow."

"No, the important thing is that you're okay." Yang said. She stepped forward to hug Ruby but Ruby backed up to avoid her crushing embrace.

"You don't have to worry about me so much." Ruby said. "I'm not a little kid anymore.."

"I'm always going to worry about you." Yang said. "It doesn't matter how big you get, you'll always be my little sister. You're more precious to me than anything else."

"Come on, you're embarrassing me in front of everyone." Ruby complained.

"I'm sorry, I just...I care about you so much." Yang sighed.

"We should probably start planning for the next round." Blake suggested.

"We're the only team yet to have a turn, so I guess we're next." Naoto said. "Senpai, who do you think should go first?"

"It's up to you." Yu said.

"I guess I'll go first." Naoto said. "You're a stronger fighter than I am." Weiss handed Naoto the weapon she had used during her stay on Remnant. "Wow, I haven't used this in awhile." With the weapon in its rifle form she lifted it to her shoulder and looked down the sight. She then transformed it into its rapier form and took up a fighting stance. "It's like I never put it down."

"Aren't you worried about what Thanatos will make you fight?" Ruby asked.

"Not really." Naoto replied. "I guess I'm a bit like you. Facing my shadow was about as humiliating an experience as I could possibly have and my life's been something of a horror show. My parents died when I was young and I didn't have any friends until I met these guys. In my capacity as a detective, I've seen some unspeakable things. There just isn't much that would really bother me."

"Wow, we might be the most tragically depressing group ever assembled." Blake observed.

"I think the fact that we've all been able to overcome our hardships is quite uplifting actually." Pyrrha said, trying to be positive even if she did not necessarily believe what she was saying. "We've all faced tremendous adversity and yet we have not allowed it to hold us back."

"Touching." Thanatos said. "It's time for the next fight. Naoto and Yu, choose a combatant."

"You've got this." Yu said.

"I know." Naoto said. She descended the ramp to the arena floor and waited for Thanatos to do his worst. As the mass of swirling shadow material rose from the arena floor her expression went from one of determination to one of contemplation. She had noticed something the others had not. As the excess material fell away the shadow resolved into a copy of Tohru Adachi. "You're slipping Thanatos." Naoto laughed. "This felon doesn't bother me."

"Oh come one now; at least hear me out." The shadow said. "I'm pretty sure I can get under your skin."

"I know how this works." Naoto sighed. "Go ahead and take your shot."

"You may not realize, but the very idea of me really bugs you." The shadow said. "I'm lazy, deceitful and as crooked as they come. Even so, there isn't a police department out there that wouldn't rather have someone like me over you. First off, you literally don't have the balls. I can be one of the boys. Even if you could get the stick out of your ass and learn to be more easy-going, that's something you can never be. And let's face it, you really don't look the part. Dress like a man, cut your hair short, it doesn't matter. As short as you are and with that face of yours, you'll always just seem like a little kid. Then there's your attitude. You can never let anything rest. You can't help but rock the boat. It's annoying for everyone, enough to drive a man insane. It's easier to kick you to the curb."

"If this is the best you've got, it isn't good enough." Naoto said. "I know all of that. I've had plenty of time to worry and feel sorry for myself because I don't fit in. I really don't care at this point."

"Saying that doesn't make it true, but even if it is, there's one more thing." The shadow said. "I might be the only person you actually fear."

"Bullshit." Naoto said. "I'm not afraid of you or the man you represent."

"Oh but you are." The shadow insisted. "No one's ever come so close to killing you, and more than once at that. What's worse is that I was right there in front of you the whole time and you didn't even notice what I was. The legendary couldn't see what was in plain view. That scares you. If you could miss that, what else could you be missing? It's not just about evidence and the cases. How can you really know the person next to you is really who he says he is? How do you know he isn't just waiting for his moment to strike, reveling in the fact that you haven't the slightest idea? Even your friends are suspect. Who says they're really your friends? Maybe they're just using you, or worse. The world's a scary place when there's no one you can trust."

"Fine, I'm big enough to admit to some bouts of paranoia." Naoto said. "Sure, Adachi made me question myself. It doesn't matter. I'm confident in my abilities and there are people I know I can trust. Those people are right behind me."

"It's good that those people are here to see you die." The shadow hissed.