The Campaign of Gluttony (Boss Fight)

[phantommods]

The calling card was sent, and like the previous Palace, the Military camp was in full alert, the soldiers in white scurried up and down the rows like mice in a maze - but thanks to the path the infiltrators found, one can easily bypass the majority of them by a tear in the back flap. In the middle of a tent that looks right out of Kipling was a mahogany table with a radiant pair of rings on a pillow, upon the intrusion, both shadows of James and Tamara whirled onto the thieves as the cognitive version of their son pounces onto the scene, covering the treasure with his own body. Any attempts to get close is deterred by either Popletts, dressed up in clothing that wouldn't be out of place in a Napoleonic piece.

“How dare you profane this place?!” Shadow James roared as the pair stare down the thieves.

“I should’ve known this would happen, the children weren’t doing their duties, and now some awful thieves are trying to ransack our camp.” Tamara hid behind her fan, like her normal version, it seems she has an aversion to her eyes being seen.

“It’s to be expected, dear. These people have no idea how to act civilized, what a man has belongs to him, that is how it is ordained. Soldiers, there’s intruders - seize them!”

From the main flap, there’s a scurrying of feet and the clanking of metal against metal - preventing escape.

Operator: Sycamore
Infiltrators:
Mato
May
Locke
Celeste

Comments

sure did forget her Persona list before - Black Rock Shooter, Inugami, Leanan Sidhe, Jack O' Lantern

[kotoritori]

"Oooooh, good idea!"

Raincrow seems to catch on to Hunter's strategy, snapping her fingers and grinning.

"Jack O' Lantern!"

Switching out Black Rock Shooter for the moment, she summons one of her backup Personas.

"Hit him with another Agi!"

[phantomnpcs]

The numerous fire attacks hit Shadow James, the behemoth of a man lurches - lighting up as Sycamore's persona confirmed the suspicion of it's weakness to fire.

"That's enough out of you - I will put the fear of God into you!" James roared before letting out a keening scream that seem to cut right to the bone, which may bring fear to even the most stout of hearts as he attempts to grab Locke in his grip.

Tamara's golden shields moved to cover James once more, as the gems on her mount start to glow omniously.

[dotes]

"You should be the one to fear God for your cruelties!"

"S-S-S-Scary, ho!"

May turns her head towards the cry and one of the child shadows that are blocking escape seems to collapse into revealing it's true form: a Jack Frost known to the others, but a cute snowman to her.

"Oh no... It's going to be okay! We can fight back!" May encourages it, offering her hand. "We can save everyone from this cycle of fear and pain!"

"Really? Hmmm.... Count me in! I'm Jack Frost, hee ho!"

It takes May's hand and on cue, Isidora fades as the contract and the switch to an active Persona is created.

"Blast the open one!"

On her command, Jack Frost sends a Bufu towards Tamara.

[megacurious]

With a scan on Shadow James, he learns that he is weak to fire, which most of the thieves' attacks managed to deal heavy damage on him.

"Hunter, it's working! Keep using Agi on James!" He shouted as he starts on another scan attempt, this time on Shadow Tamara.

[returnher]

The incoming hand is definitely a concern, but Locke stands his ground, flinching at the scream but holding fast as best he can.

"Ifrit! Light him up!"

As the hand closes in he unleashes a burst of fire right at the oncoming appendage.

[runicking]

As Inugami slithers back to her side, she dismisses it with a casual hand gesture, the hound evaporating back into the shadows.

Ready to summon Shiva in order to back up Jack Frost, Rose stops when she sees Shadow James grab for Hunter. She moves without thinking, unsheathing her sword and charging toward them both. With one quick motion, she ducks down low, sliding in beneath Ifrit's attack before slicing upward at the shadow's open palm.

[phantomnpcs]

James tumbles back at the blast, his landing was heavy enough to shake the very ground underneath everyone's feet, before dissipiating in black smoke, his shape starting to shrink. Tamara raised her hands, her figure glowing green to start to heal when the icy double-attack nails her - sending her crashing to the far end of the tent, her canine mount dissolving into pearls, before the faceless shadow form starts to melt back, both Popletts no longer have the fight in them.

With the pair down, the cognition of their son vanishes, exposing the wedding bands, ripe to be taken.

[returnher]

"Wedding Rings? Really? Talk about a marriage gone toxic."

With the pair down, Locke wipes some sweat from his brow and grabs the rings.

"Treasure secure. We done here?"

[dotes]

May stays quiet as Locke grabs the treasure, dismissing Jack Frost with a nod. She approaches the fatigue Popletts carefully, her sword pointing towards James with an empty stare.

"It's over. I cannot forgive the things you have done." She pulls her sword away back to it's original cane form. "But I hope you can find redemption and peace during your repentance."

She looks towards Tamara, her gaze soften like it's more sad compare to looking at James.

"I hope you achieve your peace as well."

May turns around from them as she sighs in relief that this is finally over.

"I suppose I am finished."

[kotoritori]

"...Huh?"

Raincrow blinks from behind her mask even as she watches the Poppletts regain their human form while Hunter claims the Treasure. Glancing around uncomfortably, she looks at the others.

"They gave up awfully fast, didn't they? I feel like Todd Woodrow put up a lot more of a fight..."

[megacurious]

That was surprising. While he was relieved that the Shadow Poppletts turned back into their human forms, he was surprised that the fight was already over. Regardless, the wedding rings were secured, which means their mission is seemingly complete. With that, his Persona vanished along with the holographic screens.

"It might be. But like May said, I think it's time for those two to find redemption," Lifegiver said as he watches May confronts them for the last time, wondering about her Persona and her hardships that made her awakened her powers. "We still need to get out of here. The Palace might collapse at any minute."

1/2

[phantomnpcs]

Tamara was the first to come to, the napoleonic dress was in tatters, revealing fresh wounds - but not from any of the personas that had struck her. With the fan gone, her eyes were wide with fear, mascara smeared around. "Please! Don't! You can't take those!"

James' tattered state revealed a previously wounded state, the man staggering up, holding his arm limply. "Heathens! Thieves! Just because you have beaten us and taken our bands doesn't mean we are letting you go anywhere but hell!"

2/2

[phantomnpcs]

The crackle of gunfire echoes through the palace as James falls to his knees. A masked figure descends from above, slicing the head of the Shadow clean off as it dissolves into black smoke.

Tamara's shadow starts screaming in anguish as the figure turns on her, raising a pistol at her.

[dotes]

The sound of gunfire made her turn around so quickly, eyes widen as a head was cut off and smoke appeared.

"No!" May screams as she rushes to hug Tamara at the same time she rips her mask off once again. Isidora emerges once again in front of May, hand glowing with fire as the angel blasts an Agilao out of sheer desperation toward the figure.

[runicking]

Everything seems to happen in a sluggish, disjointed instant—the sound of gunfire ringing, the shadow of James Poplett dissolving into nothingness as he is very quickly beheaded, and a woman's desperate scream in response. It's hard to say if it's the suddenness that pulls the breath out of her, or the sudden heat that May's persona launches at their attacker; but as Rose whips her head toward the masked figure, she hardly has to think before acting.

"SHIVA!"

The order ripped from her, she thrusts her arm outward as a chill wind descends upon them, coalescing in a wall of solid ice between the masked stranger and shadow Tamara. Her hand still outstretched, her gaze snaps to them, icy blue eyes narrowed. It's all she can do to keep that hand from shaking.

[returnher]

This was unthinkable. Locke knew what had happened, knew what it meant. Steeling himself, he drew his own gun and faced down the attacker.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

[megacurious]

Originally, he thought that the mission was over when they steal the treasure. Unfortunately, that prediction is broken by an appearance of a mysterious assassin. The sight of this twisted scene is so shocking, that Lifegiver froze in horror and distraught.

[kotoritori]

"No!"

Taken by surprise, Raincrow was too slow to react to save James. She isn't exactly sure what will happen to the real one, but she's sure it's nothing good. Standing next to Locke, she draws her gun as well, hands trembling as she aims it toward the masked figure.

"That's... that's not what we do!"

[phantomnpcs]

The figure clicks his tongue, holstering his pistol and twirling his sword - a katana by the look of it, before sheathing it, the sound of steel on steel ringing through the air as he guides the back of the blade across.

"Tch. Damn thieving rats. Hear me! We are the true Phantoms, the Phantom Inquisition! By our word and judgement, sinners and criminals will not be suffered to live! Your vacillating theft of hearts is weakness! If you oppose us again we will show no mercy!"

Reaching into his robes, he pulls out small round object and tosses it to the ground, which begins to emit smoke. Before it can clear, the figure is gone, but the Shadow of Tamara, at least, is still alive.

[dotes]

Even when the figure disappears, May still clings onto Tamara tightly. She did not turn around to look at the figure, but hearing those words leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

"They have no right to play god with this power." she murmurs as Isidora kneels down next to her, still keeping careful watch like a hawk even when her face is covered. May looks over to her Persona, wondering what her future will hold now that she is able to fight.

She loosens her embrace on Tamara to stand up, offering her hand to the shadow of a broken woman as she looks to the others.

"I know she played a part of this, but... She is still human. She is a victim in all of this as well. Can't we at least help her as she pays for her crimes? Please?"

[returnher]

Hunter, meanwhile, is unloading a stream of swearwords under his breath. He bites them back to get control.

"We need to get out now. Tamara will pay her due, that's why we're here in the first place. But James is gone. There's nothing we can do for him now. You might want to follow us, kid, it's about to get real messy in the real world."

[megacurious]

The sight of the Shadow's demise still lingers in front of him, yet Hunter's voice is enough to bring him back to reality as he turns to Tamara. "He's right. We can't stay here for long. Like he said, Tamara will atone her sins, but she will be safe."

With that, he attempts to grab May's wrist and tries to leaves with her to leave the Palace along with the other Thieves.

[dotes]

"Not to worry, I will come with you." May responds, pulling her wrist away from Augustine out of sheer instinct with her eyes widen for a few seconds before she lowers her eyes.

"Sorry... Habit with adults." she murmurs, taking Augustine's hand into her own instead as she leaves with him.