First Steps To The Truth [Open] [mod]

[Phoebe Minola]

Gulp...

Phoebe stared at the entrance to the Terminal dubiously. All those 'Keep Out!' signs were certainly trying their best but that wouldn't really keep out anyone who wanted in. She was really not sure she ought to be here at all but after what had happened out there, when he crossed into the perimeter without realizing it... she had to make sure. She had to be sure that what she saw weren't just figments of her tipsy imagination. That the monsters were real and so was her Persona.

Persona.

That word haunted her now. It was always there, a song singing around in her heart but it was an uneasy feeling. It was alive and strange and it felt tight in her chest somehow. Like something needed to be done. Phoebe had heard rumors. The Terminal had a reputation for monsters. She decided to see if that was in any way real. It would be scary, even without monsters, wandering into a cordoned off area just like that. Monsters would just be another layer. It was crazy to even contemplate the thought.

But she had to know.

Phoebe tightened her grip around the crowbar in her hand. She'd brought this puppy back from the ruins she first found it in. It had hurt those monsters, even just a little bit. She always had a good swing. It was more of a comfort than an actual weapon but it'd do. She could always just... haul ass, as her mother said, if something was more amiss than she could manage.

Or she could stand her ground and get a sliver closer to the truth.

Bring the truth to light, murmured Antiope.

Phoebe took a deep breath and after shimming under and around the boards trying to close the place off, she took some tentative steps down the stairs. She fiddled with the clip-on flashlight in her chest pocket. It's light seemed almost weak and anemic in the darkness of the Terminal ahead. But determined, she pressed on.

[Erithania]

Beware the squiggly desu!

Dirty Maya

Skills
Zio
Cleave

Resists: Lightning
Weakness: Wind

Clean Tiara

Skills
Bufu
Assault Dive

Resists: Ice
Weakness: Fire

[Phoebe Minola]

When the two things showed up, Phoebe had just been poking around in what had been the ticket lobby of the station. It'd been quiet and dark in there and it smelled strongly of mildew and rust. She heard them before she saw them, a slow, soft sloshing sound and a kind of hesitant breathing. She whipped around, her flashlight illuminating the darkness. She reached for the crowbar poking out of her messenger bag and pulled it out. She'd cleaned it and wrapped some tape around one end, the kind tennis players used for better grip on their tennis rackets. It was the only weapon she had at the time and she felt safe with it than not, as little as it was.

She squinted, trying to see what was coming her way -- she didn't need to see to know that.

They oozed out of the dark and when she faced them, her flashlight's beam seemed to be absorbed by them, like they were living darkness -- Shadows. That word felt right for them. Too right.

One of them, a floating thing that looked like a mask wearing a tiara approached her first. It hovered uncertainly for a moment, then swept towards her with a clear menacing intent. Phoebe froze up.

How can something like this really exist?!

It was as well that her Persona had other plans. Now is not the time for fear!!

Phoebe tightened her grip on her crowbar and got into an awkward stance. She hadn't played baseball since middle school and all she had going for her then was a decent swing. The Shadow suddenly dove, gathering speed like a coil and practically divebombed her--

"PERSONA!"

Her voice rang like a bell before she even knew what she'd said. The brilliant blue light flooded her immediate vicinity and there she was; Antiope, the regal Amazon queen. She was real!

That you would ever doubt me, she scoffed.

The emergence of her Persona had repelled the Shadow's immediate attack and it hesitated. The other one swept in too, an amorphous blob of darkness with an eerie mask, slithered towards her. It somehow looked like it'd been rolled in mud. Phoebe took her chance as a word floated through her head.

"Agi!" she said and pointed at the first shadow.

It was magical-- there really was no other way to describe it. Antiope struck her shield with her spear like a war gong and then pointed her spear at the approaching Shadow. A brilliant plume of fire erupted from the Shadow's body and staggered it violently. It actually evaporated, to Phoebe's surprise.

I...I did it! We did it!

But it wasn't over yet. The second Shadow came rushing in and as it did, it was as if a sword materialized over it and it was coming straight down for her. Phoebe yelped and cowered a bit, crossing her arms over her head with the crowbar held out to try and block it.

CLANG!

She felt a nasty jolt but it wasn't as bad as she'd feared. It hurt like she'd been jostled against a wall rather hard but it wasn't serious pain. She looked up and in amazement saw that Antiope stood over her with her indomitable shield raised up. It had caught the attack with seemingly little residual damage to either of them. The Shadow bounced back, sort of, and came back for more, stretching hands towards her.

Phoebe's crowbar struck true and she felt something crack. Her swing had come almost instinctively, she barely had time to aim. She also felt the backlash from the impact travel up her arms painfully. The Shadow very nearly went airborne. It bounced up and slid backwards and Phoebe saw it's strange mask crack. She took a step forward and swung again. Another crack and the Shadow evaporated in a flurry of smoke-like substance.

Holy cow! she thought, ecstatic. I...I did it! What the hell just happened?!

Victory, that's what.

Yeah, but I mean... here! I have so many questions...

[Erithania]

You didn't die yet!



Guess we need to try harder!

[Phoebe Minola]

She calmed down after a few moments of deep breathing. The air was still again and following her success she felt a little braver. Even though the Terminal had proven itself a rather dangerous place, she needed to find out more. These... things she'd just fought, which she tentatively called Shadows... were there more of them here? And if so, why?

What were they, anyway? Monsters shouldn't exist. She refused to believe something like 'monsters', anyway. There had to be some explanation, and the same went for her Persona. Whatever that power was, there ought to be an explanation about it. Perhaps it was connected to these creatures. Maybe if she went a little deeper into the Terminal she might find something out.

She put her crowbar back into her bag and walked on, following the wall where the ticket machines had been towards the back of the station. Phoebe glanced about nervously, anticipating the worst. She peeked around a corner and saw a disused and still escalator. Going over, she peered down it, trying to penetrate the darkness.