Part 12: Part Eleven: This Fire Is Out Of Control!

(Sorry about the delay, faithful readers, real life caught up with me for awhile.)

Part Eleven: This Fire Is Out Of Control!

Last time on Persona 2...

I said we'd visit the Sky Museum, but we just did some shopping and did a lot of stupid shit with rumors instead. However, I'm all out of lies, so it's time to actually do what I promised.

The Sky Museum is currently being frequented not only by Joker, but by some classes of schoolchildren out on a field trip. This can't be good.


Katsuya freaks out a bit about it, causing a dark-haired man standing nearby to come on over and introduce himself.
Forgive me for asking such a question, but, have we met somewhere before?

Eh...? Ah...That time! You bumped into a tall guy from Seven Sisters High School, right? I knew I saw you somewhere...So that's where...Then, did you give me this letter...? Someone gave me a letter asking me to come here and meet a "friend"...I don't know who it can be...
Ulala, however, states the obvious.
Hey, that stuff doesn't matter now, hurry up and bail! What are YOU doing listening to him?! you're so vulnerable to younger men! We don't know where the Voice Man is...
Suddenly, as if on cue...

The Sky Museum bursts into flames!
Tatsuya Sudou's voice: Hya---hahaha! I set some bombs to start a fire. First ones go off in the stairwell, other floors are timed to follow. You remember, it's just like the Other Side. If you don't take the kids up here, they become barbecued! Hee...ihi...hyahaha!

Captain Obvious Katsuya leaps into action and tells us to do what we were already planning on doing. Thanks, Kat!
The Sky Museum is a pretty lame excuse for a dungeon - there's a thirty-minute timer, but on the whole it only takes about ten to finish if you don't dilly-dally getting screenshots like I did. In fact, there aren't even any random encounters at first, so we've got time to loot the place.


Balls of Returning revive fallen characters, and Medicines heal for a basically pathetic amount.
The goal of the Sky Museum is to find the four groups of schoolkids that are still trapped in the museum.

They're found in Exhibit Rooms all over the place - more often than not, these rooms are empty.


Fortunately, sometimes they're not. If you don't save all the kids on a particular floor, Jun will block the staircase and prevent you from leaving, so it's basically all or nothing.

To get through the second floor, we have to pass through an Exhibit Hall; Maya happens across an airplane, which gives her pause for a moment. This is an Innocent Sin reference -  Maya rescues a little girl here, despite being terrified of fire for a reason we'll discover later on.  After the Exhibit Hall, we can continue through the dungeon.

I didn't hear anything! Hurry up and get over here! It's too hot!

On the third floor, we find another set of kids, who Katsuya saves by being very, very creepy. Cover your mouths and keep low. Run to the roof, and try not to breathe in any smoke. Understand?



We quickly loot the third floor afterward, earning Gala-Gala Drinks, which are better healing items than Medicines, a Bead of Protection, which buffs the party's defense when used in combat, and a Damascus Steel, another one of those metals that appears to have no use.

Ulala steps up to rescue the third group of kids, and we move on to the fourth floor.

I know...that this sound, this color, this heat is the way it's supposed to be! I don't care if the Grand Cross has passed! I'll kill, burn, and destroy everything! To Hell with this fake world! If you still don't understand what I'm saying, I'll make you go through the same shit again. From this floor, there'll be demons...just like the "Other Side", remember? Hyahahahaha!
Anybody else think this guy is a tiny bit unbalanced? There are random battles now, but they're nothing that a single shot of Cyclone Slash won't take care of.

Surya learns Garula as a result - it's the second-level Wind attack spell. Nothing special, but handy later on. We don't really have the time to contact, so we move on to loot the fourth floor.


Incenses of Life add to a character's max HP permanently - handy for people with low values in that stat, typically Ulala or Maya, depending on how her stats are assigned.

Baofu rescues the last group of kids, proving that he's not a huge dick all the time.

We're hit by resonance on the way up to the fifth floor - we know what that means, don't we, kiddies? The fifth floor itself consists only of a door to the rooftop, so we take it...

...and run smack into Deja Vu Boy confronting Joker! Apparently he's taken Jun hostage.

Guide us like you did on the "Other Side"...I won't screw up like the "Other Me"...! He hands Jun a flower.


Tatsuya, huh?


Ulala: Huh? This is the Deja Vu Boy?! Finally, we can put a name to the face!
Katsuya: What?! What's going on?!

Tatsuya: Stop! Don't try to remember anything!
Tatsuya Sudou: Dumbassss! You can't resist your destiny! 5, 4, 3...

The bombs Sudou had planted earlier go off, right on schedule, causing the floor to fall out from under our heroes.

Everybody but Tatsuya manages to dive out of the way - Maya just barely manages to grab Tatsuya's hand and save him.

Even if you remember now, it's too late...die, bitch! Joker moves to dice Maya up with his sword, but...

Jun dives at him and shoves him into the pit.



It's not long before Katsuya comes after his brother, though.
Katsuya: Tatsuya! Where were you?! What is this all about?!
Baofu: Deal with it later! We've got bigger problems...
Ulala: But how do we get out of here?!
Tatsuya heads toward the model zeppelin.
Follow me...

...A rumor?! You're making it fly by a rumor, huh?!

Well stomp on frogs and paint me red, it works!


Ulala: Phew...Anyways, we seem to be safe for now.
Tatsuya: Not yet...Jun, take the controls.
Jun: Y, yes, alright...But how did you know my name?

Suddenly, an explosion rocks the ship.
[i]Ulala: Hey, hey! What's this all about?!
Tatsuya runs off toward the ship's deck, and the crew runs after him.

There, they run into Joker, who's managed to lose an eye and get burned pretty badly.
Tatsuya: No...There is no predestined path one follows...Don't be fooled by him!
Tatsuya Sudou: Stupid fools...everyone's wrong...You! That bitch! And my fuckin' dad! You're supposed to correct mistakes!

Uh oh.

And just like that, we're sent into battle. (Note that there was some visual corruption during this fight. Try to ignore it. I hadn't saved since the start of the Sky Museum and there was no way I was going to go back and redo that crap.)


Tatsuya's joined for this fight! He's level 55, so for all intents and purposes he's fucking unstoppable. Tatsuya uses a katana in battle, which is handy if you come across demons weak to Sword attacks.

Tatsuya's Persona is Apollo; he voids Fire, Nuclear, and Holy but is weak to Water and Ice. He's only got one spell at the moment, as well; Agidyne, the most powerful single-target Fire spell. He honestly doesn't need much else for this battle.

Tatsuya's high level apparently isn't enough to convince Joker to not attempt to kick our ass, so we get started on delivering a beating of our own.

Joker had a pair of Shaxes and Minotaurs with him - two shots of Cyclone Slash kill the Minotaurs, and...

Apollo applies a liberal frying to the Shaxes, leaving Sudou by himself.

Sudou's got a variety of attacks, but this one is the most common - Old Maid. It doesn't actually do anything, at least at first glance; in actuality, it possesses one of your characters, causing them to cast the Joker spell instead of whatever action you told them to take, which results in an absolute metric fuckton of damage to the rest of the party. This damage is based on the character's stats, not the Old Maid caster's, so if Tatsuya gets it here, he's liable to nuke your entire party into oblivion. Old Maid is easily countered, however - have the party defend, and once everyone's taken a turn, the spell's worn off and you can get back to the fight as usual.

Sudou also has his sleep spell from Seven Sisters, Hypnotic Wave. It's highly inaccurate and not much to worry about. We hammer away at Sudou with Hydro Boost and some katana slashes from Tatsuya (Sudou absorbs Fire, so Agidyne is useless), and...

...he goes down, but not without a classic villain threat. Harmless, of course.

We're not out of the woods yet, though. Tatsuya rushes to the bulkhead doors on the ship and uses Apollo to force them open, then stands nearby as Katsuya runs up to talk to him.

Tatsuya promptly kicks him off the ship and into the ocean.
Unless you've got a death wish, everyone jump!
Ulala doesn't have to be told twice, so off she goes.

Jun: I must give it...to you. I just have this feeling...
Tatsuya: ...I have nothing to give back in return.
He shoves Jun off.

Good...bye... And off Maya goes.

With that, the ship finally crashes into the ocean.

Katsuya: ...?! Tatsuya! Has anyone seen Tatsuya?!
Baofu: Calm down. He's been through a lot more than you...He probably avoided us and went ashore somewhere else.
Katsuya turns to Jun.
Katsuya: You...how do you know Tatsuya? He seemed to know you...What is this "Other Side"?
Jun: I don't know...I just feel I know him from long ago...just a feeling he was someone important...
Ulala: But the Joker is dead now, right?! It's over...Ahh, I'm so relieved. I can finally get on with my miserable life!
Baofu: Moron...nothing is over yet...we still don't know what Tatsuzou intends to do.
Katsuya: For once, he's actually right...We haven't learned anything about the Sudou family, Joker, or Tatsuya...

Katsuya tries to call in to HQ to give a report.
Baofu: Haven't you learned anything, Suou? You can't depend on the police... Katsuya glares at him.
Katsuya: Say that again...
Baofu: You're not only hard-headed, but hard of hearing too? Or is it that you can't do anything without your badge? Hmph! That's what I thought. Do you really think you can catch Tatsuzou by yourself? Good luck...
Katsuya: Say what you will, Baofu...Just stay out of my way, OR you'll find yourself in the slammer with Tatsuzou.

Ma-ya, don't get involved...I don't think I could handle it if you got hurt...

Don't tell me you're quitting too?
Maya shakes her head "no".
Heh...good for you. I'm gonna head back to my place to see if I can get a bead on Tatsuzou. See if any of your friends at Kismet know anything...I'll swing by and pick you up later.
Baofu leaves as well, leaving Jun and Maya alone.


COMING UP NEXT: We work it on out! Though chances are we'll shop first.