The Plague

As they stepped into the surreal landscape of Mementos, the Thieves encircled Takemi, each reintroducing themselves. Makoto and Futaba, in particular, offered their greetings for the first time.

"So, how are we planning to awaken her Persona? Are we going to throw her into a pile of enemies and hope for the best, like you did with us?" Ryuji asked, half-joking.

Takemi's expression wavered slightly, prompting her to look to Ren for guidance.

"That is… one approach," Ren conceded, then quickly added, "However, I have a different idea in mind. I believe the main reason your awakenings worked was because you believed that Shiho and I had actually been captured. And well, we can't really do that here.."

"The other way would be with a lot of emotional intensity, then? That's how mine was awakened. Since I was so angry with Kaneshiro" Makoto interjected.

At that, Ren glanced at Futaba, who suddenly seemed taken aback.

"Oh…" she murmured, catching everyone's attention.

Feeling the weight of their stares, Futaba shifted uncomfortably, positioning herself so that Ren would act as a shield between her and the others before she spoke. 

"There's another method... how I awoke my Persona."

The group leaned in, intrigued. Futaba's awakening was shrouded in privacy; only Mona knew the details since he often wandered around Leblanc and had managed to discover a few things. However, he had respected Ren and Futuaba's decision and hadn't shared anything.

-

"I faced my shadow… and after I listened to her, I awakened my Persona," Futaba revealed.

Mona nodded in confirmation. 

"Shadows and Personas are two sides of the same coin. If you own a Persona, you don't manifest a shadow in the same way. Your shadow embodies the parts of yourself you deny or hide. By confronting and accepting it, you can awaken your Persona."

Makoto pondered this before turning to Futaba. 

"Hey, Oracle, did it hurt when your Persona awakened?"

Futaba shook her head as she answered.

"No, it didn't hurt," Futaba replied. "I just heard Necronomicon's voice, and then suddenly, it was there to support me."

"For real? You didn't have to rip off your mask? That part really hurt when I did it," Ryuji remarked, a mix of awe and envy in his voice.

Makoto nodded thoughtfully. 

"It makes sense. Reflecting on Dr. Maruki's research, a Persona represents the mask we wear to face the world. The awakening process is a dialogue with our inner self. So, if you can accept who you are internally before reaching that critical moment, you might not need to endure the physical manifestation of 'ripping off the mask.'"

"So, all I have to do is confront my shadow?" Takemi asked, her tone laced with slight confusion. Since Ren had briefed her on the basics of the Metaverse, she had primarily focused on researching the flowers, leaving little time to delve into cognitive psience on her own.

Even then, she still managed to keep pace with the group's discussion despite the barrage of new terms and concepts.

"Do you all know where to find my shadow then?" she inquired, earning a confident nod from Futaba, who summoned her Persona.

Takemi's eyes widened in awe at the sight of the UFO-shaped Persona, but she remained silent, observing it from the floor.

[I think I've located it] Futaba announced after a brief pause. [It's not too far down. We should reach it quickly. I'll guide us there] she added, starting to chart a path through Mementos' ever-changing landscape.

Morgana transformed into his bus form with a leap, and though Takemi was visibly taken aback, she managed to suppress most of her surprise.

As they descended deeper into Mementos, Takemi began to feel a mounting pressure, a discomfort she couldn't ignore.

"Is it just me, or is it getting harder to breathe?" she asked, looking around at the group who seemed unaffected.

Ren observed Takemi as she struggled slightly with her breathing. 

"That's odd... I assumed that by accepting to join us, Mementos would welcome you as a member of the Thieves," he mused. "But perhaps, given that the public perceives us as possessing supernatural abilities, Mementos won't fully accept you until your Persona is awakened."

As he spoke, he summoned Tartuffe, who morphed into the form of Pixie—the smallest Persona who could also heal in the cramped space of the MonaBus. The gentle warmth seemed to ease her discomfort, steeling her resolve.

Soon after, they reached a secluded corner of Mementos where a solitary figure with golden eyes—reminiscent of Ren's—stood. It was Takemi's shadow.

Stepping out of the MonaBus, Takemi walked forward with the Thieves flanking her as they approached her shadow. When they drew closer, Ren signaled for the group to hold back, allowing Takemi to confront her shadow by herself. However, he stayed close enough to intervene if necessary.

"So, you must be my shadow," Takemi stated, studying her reflection with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

Her shadow, wearing a wide grin that seemed to twist with malice, glanced over at the group before fixing its gaze back on Takemi. Its voice was dripping with contempt.

"Playing the hero again, aren't we, Takemi?" the shadow taunted, prompting Takemi to recoil slightly in surprise.

"What?" she responded, her confusion evident.

"Joining the Phantom Thieves now? First, you play doctor, now you play hero? Why do you insist on pretending to be something you're not?" the shadow challenged, its tone sharp and probing.

Takemi struggled for words, momentarily caught off guard. 

"I- I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

The confrontation with her shadow was more intense than she anticipated, especially compared to Futaba's more introspective shadow encounter. Takemi was anxious about making a strong impression on the group, but her shadow's accusations threatened to undermine her.

"We both know the real reason we became doctors was to escape the weakness that once consumed us," her shadow sneered, taking a menacing step toward her. "Always trying to save others, but can you even save yourself? Or is this just a desperate attempt to prove you're not that helpless little girl anymore?"

A flicker of anger crossed Takemi's face as she took a defiant step forward. 

"That's not true! I'm here because I can make a difference, because I have the skills to save lives others can't. That's all there is to it. Joining the Thieves will help me develop a medicine that could save everyone."

Her shadow's laughter was hollow, mocking. 

"Is that so? What about the girl, Takemi? The one you experimented on in your so-called noble quest? Were you saving her, or were you just trying to salvage your own tarnished reputation? You could have used other treatments, but you chose the risky medicine you developed with our little guinea pig here. Medicine whose effects you still don't fully comprehend. Don't you remember what happened with Aiko? Will you make the same mistake again?"

The shadow's accusation hit a raw nerve. Takemi's fists clenched tightly as her voice trembled with emotion.

"I did everything I could for her... I was trying to help! She's better now, healthier than ever before, and it's because I was willing to take that risk. If I had used the standard treatments, she would still be suffering from her sickness."

"Oh, really? Or are you just trying to justify your actions to yourself and these people?" the shadow retorted sharply. "You know the truth, Takemi. Your determination is shadowed by guilt and the fear of being seen as a failure again. Isn't it exhausting living with such a lie?"

Takemi's eyes widened, her defenses pierced by the shadow's cruel insights. Her breathing grew heavy, and she seemed to falter under the weight of her unresolved emotions and the oppressive atmosphere of Mementos.

As tension mounted, the air around them charged subtly, alerting the Thieves to the escalating confrontation.

[Ren, you need to intervene! Her shadow is about to lose control!] Futaba's voice rang out urgently.

Ren sprang into action, but before he could reach her, Takemi shouted back in a burst of defiance. 

"Shut up! You're not me. You don't know anything about me." The words were defensive, a reflex against the shadow's accusations. Admitting to these vulnerabilities in front of everyone was not something she had prepared for, so she had instinctively denied them.

No sooner had the words left her lips than Ren scooped her into his arms, just as her shadow unleashed a barrage of lightning. Arahabaki materialized in front of them, shielding them from the initial blast.

Ren gritted his teeth against the shock of the electricity, managing to leap back and recall Arahabaki.

"Mona, keep Takemi safe," Ren commanded as he set her down carefully. Given her shadow's initial lightning attack, Mona would be at a disadvantage, as electricity was his weakness.

In that instant, Takemi's shadow transformed dramatically, revealing a grotesque figure resembling a rotting zombie clad in decaying, yet once-elegant attire. Its crazed white hair and a long bolt protruding from its neck created a nightmarish image. Its skin appeared stitched together like patchwork as it raised a small lightning rod, menacingly pointing it at the group.

The thieves exchanged quick glances, immediately leaping to the side as another bolt of lightning surged toward them.

"Why the hell is this shadow so strong? Shouldn't it be weaker since it is not in the depths?" Ryuji shouted as he charged towards the menacing figure.

[Takemi's denial has sent her shadow into a frenzy. We need to—watch out!] Futaba cut in, just as the shadow unleashed a putrid breath, followed by a cloud of poisonous mist.

As the poison began to envelop the small room, the crisp sound of a sniper rifle echoed. The shadow's head snapped back, momentarily halting the poison mist. Shiho, from her distant position, lowered her rifle and summoned Circe, casting a series of debuffs on the shadow.

Just as the shadow regained its bearings, it noticed Makoto charging past on her Persona. She executed a sharp turn and surged back towards the shadow, synchronizing her attack with Ryuji who had now reached the front line.

In a fluid motion, Ryuji summoned Captain Kidd to strike from the front while Makoto, mounted on Johanna, rammed into the shadow's back.

The shadow howled in agony but at the same moment, Takemi collapsed, clutching herself in pain.

"I am a shadow, the true self," it declared, summoning a swarm of needles around itself. "I am a doctor, and just as I save lives, I can take them."

With a menacing gesture, it flung the needles in all directions. Ryuji and Makoto, caught in close quarters, couldn't evade in time. The needles exploded upon contact, siphoning crimson energy and rejuvenating the shadow.

[Lightning incoming! Dodge now!] Futaba warned, her voice urgent. As the shadow raised its lightning rod, a fireball slammed into its form from another direction, interrupting its attack and scattering bolts of electricity across the room.

On the ground, Takemi writhed in agony. Morgana swiftly summoned Zorro to administer healing, but as he did, they noticed that the shadow's wounds began to mend as well.

"Attacks on her shadow also harm Takemi! If we keep this up, we might hurt the doctor too severely. And if I heal her, it heals her shadow as well," Morgana realized aloud.

Ryuji, his shotgun primed and Captain Kidd ready to strike, hesitated upon hearing Morgana's warning. This moment of hesitation gave the shadow just enough time to unleash a wave of cursed fire towards him.

Ren had been ready to join the fray when he paused, catching Makoto's eye. They exchanged a knowing nod, both understanding that brute force alone wouldn't work in this situation. They needed a different tactic, to restrain it.

Ren's eyes glowed with intensity as he scanned the area and the shadow, then dashed towards the commotion. 

"Oracle, what's the physical strength of the shadow?" he called out as he ran.

After a brief silence, Futaba responded. 

[It's not strong physically. Its main power lies in its lightning and curse attacks, and it's not very agile, so it probably can't dodge a quick assault.]

Acknowledging this, Ren signaled for the others to create distance and avoid direct attacks. He then exchanged another glance with Makoto, who seemed to grasp his plan instantly. She revved Johanna's engine and sped towards him.

As she approached, Ren leapt onto the back of her Persona, swiftly deploying his grappling hook directly toward the small weakness he had seen with his third eye skill. It latched onto the shadow securely. With a powerful rev of the engine, Makoto began circling rapidly, stretching the cable tightly until it ran out of cable and stopped, catapulting Ren off the bike. 

Landing with a controlled roll, Ren pulled hard on the grappling line. The shadow wailed, entangled and hurting itself in its frantic efforts to escape.

"Siren! Drain its energy. Everyone else, keep back," Ren commanded. Blue energy began to siphon from the shadow as it continued to lash out with desperate bolts of lightning and waves of cursed energy.

Anticipating each attack, Ren swiftly swapped between Personas. Narcissus for lightning, Anubis for curses, effectively countering the shadow's assaults.

The struggle intensified, but Ren anchored himself firmly on the ground, surprising himself with just how much strength he had while holding the shadow in place. It attempted several more poison attacks, but each effort was met with Ren tightening the binds even more.

Gradually, the shadow's resistance waned. Exhausted and unable to maintain its aggressive form, it began to revert to its original state, collapsing to the ground in defeat. As it transformed, the grappling hook's tension eased, swiftly retracting to Ren's wrist.

Now that the battle had subsided, Takemi began to approach her shadow, her steps heavy and burdened with exhaustion. The Phantom Thieves watched intently, ready to intervene should her shadow lash out once more.

The connection between a human and their shadow was profound, particularly here in the Metaverse where physical presence linked Takemi directly to her shadow, amplifying the effects of the confrontation. 

Ordinarily, even if a shadow was attacked, the person in the real world would not feel anything, the connection was too weak, and the injuries were unable to cross the static of the different worlds. However, since Takemi was directly in front of her shadow their connection was as strong as if they were one, causing her to suffer the effects of their confrontation.

Standing before her weakened shadow, the air thick with tension, Takemi paused. Her usual composure was shaken, her eyes a turbulent mix of emotions.

"You were right… isn't that why you lashed out? Because I denied you," Takemi admitted, her voice steady though fatigue tinged her words. Her shadow looked up, its expression one of cynical surprise.

"You are me, aren't you? You know the fear then, the fear of lying in that hospital bed, not knowing if I'd live long enough to graduate. I was terrified... and I still am. I'm scared it'll all come back," she confessed.

Her shadow's expression shifted between defiance and desperation. 

"So, what now? You accept me, and everything just magically improves?" it challenged, voice cracking, revealing its uncertainty.

Takemi shook her head. 

"No, nothing magically changes. I'll keep working on my medicine, and continue taking risks. I'm driven by my fear of the disease returning, and that fear pushes me to try to cure others."

After a moment, Takemi took a deep breath and continued.

"I acknowledge my mistakes," Takemi continued, her voice laden with remorse yet resolute. "Learning from them wasn't just about proving myself; it was about doing what I felt was right, despite the risks. And I'll continue to strive to do the right thing, for everyone and myself."

The shadow regarded her silently for a moment before a small, understanding smile crept across its face.

"I see… in that case… let us form a contract," her shadow proposed.

As the shadow spoke, it erupted into blue flames that swirled towards Takemi, forming a mask that gently settled on her face.

"I am thou, thou art I... From the fears that once paralyzed us to the determination that now guides us, let us stride forward to heal all wounds and confront every challenge. Behold the rebirth of your power. I am thou, I am Frankenstein."

The mask transformed into the appearance of a plague doctor, and her attire shifted into a pitch-black ensemble complete with a cloak enveloping her figure.

Takemi reached up to her face, slowly and gently pulling the mask away. As it left her skin, it burst into brilliant blue flames.

Behind her, the Persona Frankenstein materialized. It was a towering figure with ghostly white skin, draped in a dark 19th-century scientist's coat adorned with Gothic elements and detailed silver embroidery of alchemical and electrical symbols.

His spectral face was marked by glowing blue eyes and wild silver hair. Around his neck hung a heavy pendant symbolizing transformation, and his hands were clad in gloves etched with glowing runes. Behind him, a small mechanical generator sparked intermittently. On one hand, he wielded a conductor rod capable of channeling electrical energy, designed to both heal and harm.

Surrounding him, a mist swirled, occasionally revealing ghostly images of his monstrous creations.

As her Persona fully manifested, Takemi's strength waned, and she collapsed to her knees from exhaustion. Ren quickly moved to her side, offering support.

"You look like you could use a coffee," Ren joked, lightening the moment with a gentle remark as he helped her to stand.

Takemi rolled her eyes at his remark but allowed a small smile as he assisted her onto the Mona bus.

(Takemi Thief outfit)

(Frankenstein image)

~A/N~

(Alternative title: The P4 chap, lol.

Also, as to why Futaba's shadow was different, here is my theory. Carl Jung's explanation of the shadow is an unconscious aspect of the personality that does not correspond with the ego ideal, leading the ego to resist and project the shadow, leading to a conflict with it.

So the reason Futaba's shadow was so desperate/determined to save her was that Futaba herself saw herself being saved as unacceptable, something she denies and keeps hidden. She had thought she had killed her mom, so in turn, she should also die, and wanting to be saved was wrong. Even though she deep down really wanted to.

Also, Imma drop the stats I have in my head for Circe and Frankenstein in the comments. For reference, it goes Best, High, Middle, or Low, depending on how good each stat is.)