20XX minus 11, December

"Pyu pyu!" Niijima Makoto, six years of age, leaned around the corner where the bedroom hallway met the living room. Her banana was aimed squarely at Niijima Goro, also six years of age (but five minutes younger than her if one was to be precise... as one should be, of course).

"Ratatatatata!" Goro shouted back, wiggling his banana back and forth. "I got you!"

"No you didn't! I was protected by the wall!" Makoto put her hands on her hips, banana pressed against her side.

"No you weren't! You popped out! You suck at hiding!" Goro made the same pose. The two stood, feet firmly planted, shoulder with apart, their stances a product of their early martial arts training.

"Children. Volume." Dad's voice was warm but firm. Makoto and Goro turned to their father, each one pressing their lips shut. He raised an eyebrow at them. "And what are you two up to?"

"We're playing cops and robbers," said Goro. "I'm a detective and she's a bad guy."

"No! I'm the detective and he's the bad guy," Makoto protested. "I'm going to be just like you Daddy."

"No! I am!" Goro shot back.

Dad smiled at the two children, a firm hand landing atop the head of each one. He chuckled. "I think there's room in the police force for both of you."

"Really?" Makoto's eyes widened. "Can I work with you?"

"Me too!" Goro made the same expression.

"Maybe," Dad smiled. "If you study hard..."

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX minus 8, August

Makoto stood on Goro's shoulders. Her hands gripped the lip of the dumpster. She peered down into the vast bin, her nose scrunching at the smell.

"Do you see it?" called Goro.

"Not yet!" Makoto called back.

"Children." Dad's voice caused both twins to turn their heads. Makoto nearly fell backwards, but held tight to the dumpster. "What are you two doing?"

"We're looking for Takahashi-san's brooch," said Makoto.

"She lost it and asked for our help," added Goro.

"Oh?" Dad smiled. He raised an eyebrow. "And why would she do that?"

"We offered her our services," Goro said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"We started our own detective agency!" Makoto beamed.

"We're practicing so we can join you Dad!"

"I see." Dad's smile became broader, skin crinkling around his eyes. "Well then, carry on."

––––– ––––– –––––

200XX minus 5, May

"Hmm..." Both Niijima twins paced in opposite directions in front of the chalkboard, passing each other in the middle. Both had brought their dominant hand to their chin and their non-dominant hand to the small of their back, balled in a loose fist.

Upon the board were lists of what they knew from interviews with students and other evidence they had gathered. As class reps... no, as Niijima detectives, they would figure out who was sneaking into the gym and destroying the badminton team's equipment.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX minus 3, June

Makoto and Goro stood outside the funeral hall, waiting for Sis to finish all of the paperwork. It was already dark. The last of the adults in attendance were filtering out. Those same adults gawked at the pair but pretended not to. Though the Niijima children refused to cry, not in front of Dad's colleagues at least, they looked suitably grim. Both were clad in black, but the description was more a reflection of their expressions than their choice of clothing.

Once the parade of people trickled to a stop, Makoto felt her lip quiver. A warm hand gripped her shoulder, its connected arm wrapping around her back. Her brother held her close. She pressed her lips together.

A large silver and gold butterfly fluttered around the pair. It seemed to glow.

Do you seek justice? Do you wish to bring order to chaos?

A voice.

Makoto didn't recognize it. It seemed to come from somewhere very far away but all around her at the same time. What did it mean... justice? Order to chaos? Something didn't seem right..

Soon the butterfly was gone, as if it had been a dream. Makoto turned to Goro. He turned to her. They didn't say anything. They didn't need to. Whatever it was, it was no good. Justice wasn't something so easily obtained...

The pair stayed huddled together until Sis finally came out.

"Sorry for the wait." There was no emotion in Sis's voice. "Let's go."

"Uh... Wait!" said Goro. "Um... I have to use the toilet."

"Okay. We'll wait here," said Sis.

Goro slipped his arm off of Makoto's shoulders. She watched as her twin disappeared into the building. It should have been normal but it was strange, his parting. She felt the urge to cling to him. Sis must have noticed as she took Makoto's hand in her own as they waited for Goro to return.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX minus 1, April

"That's her. She's only a second year, but she's already the student council president."

"Wow."

Makoto tried to ignore the whispers of the other students in the library, a curiously difficult place to study at times. She knew what was coming next.

"But you know, it's really her twin brother who's the impressive one. He's the detective prince! Niijima Goro."

"Oooh! That Niijima."

"Yeah, he misses a lot of school for work, but he always has top marks on the exams. Oh! And her older sister is the famous prosecutor beauty."

"Wow. Who would've thought the student council president would be the disappointing one?"

Makoto clenched her teeth. She told herself it was only the beginning of the school year. The other students would lose interest... at least until exam scores were posted.

Ever since they entered high school, the difference between her and her brother only became more stark. He was a prodigy detective. She was just a pretty good student. He was living their childhood dreams. She wasn't even close.

Makoto had asked her siblings if she could help, even if it were just menial work, but they were adamant she focus on her studies. Perhaps she just wasn't cut out for law and justice...

"Shhh... maybe she can introduce us to her brother."

Unlikely. Makoto rarely saw either of her siblings these days. It was hard to ask for their time. They were supporting the family. She was... useless.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX, May

"Your brother and sister would have taken care of this by now," the principal's words cut right through Makoto. Her siblings were solving high profile cases in the real world. She couldn't even find the students who vandalized the bulletin board or protect her classmates from scammers in Shibuya.

Mumbling something non-committal, Makoto left the principal's office, finding her brother standing in the hallway, talking to the transfer student that Mr. Kamoshida had nearly expelled. Several groups of girls had stopped to gawk and were crowding by the walls.

Makoto had thought the transfer student suspicious. Goro was all smiles, but she noticed a small tick. Her brother suspected him too. She shook her head and walked away. She would solve this case and prove herself to everyone.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX, June

Makoto crouched down by the windows of the walkway where they had gathered in Shibuya station. "They" were the Phantom Thieves and along with them she had just fought a "shadow" version of the mob boss Kaneshiro Junya. They hadn't defeated him, but at least they had survived. She breathed heavily. Her eyelids felt like lead weights. The adrenaline was wearing off.

Perhaps she couldn't serve justice like Sis or Goro... but maybe, just maybe she could as a Phantom Thief.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX, July

"Makoto?" Goro approached her and the rest of the team inside Shibuya station. They were returning from a sushi dinner, a make-up celebration after their fireworks plan had been rained out. "What are you doing here?"

"Goro?" Makoto could tell he was suspicious, but there was something exciting about having his attention again. However, it didn't take long for him to turn his focus to Ren.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX, October

"No..." Makoto raised one hand over her heart. She felt a hand grip her upper arm, pulling her towards its owner. She looked up. She knew it would be Ren. In Futaba's recording, her own brother had just detailed a plan to kill him and yet he was comforting her. "Goro would never-"

Makoto stopped. It had been years since she and Goro had been close, and yet she always hoped...

"If you want to sit this one out Makoto..." The deep timbre to Ren's voice seemed especially comforting in that moment, even with the undercurrent of sadness it carried. It would be hard for things not to be awkward between them now. Neither needed to say it.

"No," Makoto's eyes fell to a spot on the floor. "I can't. Sis..."

Surely. Surely Goro wouldn't sacrifice Sis.

Makoto shook her head. "It would be too suspicious."

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX, November

"That boy is so grounded when he gets home!" Sis's eyes were wild.

"Sis..." Makoto held up both hands in front of her and grit her teeth. "You have to play along for now. We need to find out who's behind him."

Makoto didn't need to point out that Sis had never successfully punished either of them. They were headstrong teenagers by the time those responsibilities fell to her.

"Fine!" Sis nearly spat. "But then after that... he is so grounded."

Makoto nodded. It was a pleasant fantasy. Sis knew the same truth she did. When all was done, Goro was likely going to prison.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX, December

"And you!" Goro turned to Makoto. He was breathing heavily, having gone two rounds with the Phantom Thieves and lost both times. His voice sounded hoarse, but it still pierced through the din of the bowels of cruise ship Palace. "How could you side with them? Vigilantes! Thieves! Is this your justice? You want to save Shido? The man who had our father killed?!"

"Shido will be tried for his crimes when he confesses," Makoto found it hard to raise her voice. She had known for months about Goro's activities, but it was only now, seeing him behind his cracked mask, wearing a costume the same colors as hers, that she was forced to completely face it.

"That's ridiculous," Goro all but snorted. "The machine behind him won't let that happen. At worst he'll be tucked away, living a comfortable life. Why should he get away with only feeling bad about himself after all the people whose lives he's destroyed? Why should he be spared?"

"But what about you?" Makoto called back. "You've also killed people!"

"They deserved it." The contempt oozed through Goro's voice. "They were all parts of that same machine. Okumura. Kobayakawa. Isshiki. Right down to that simpleton truck driver. Any of them could have done something. They didn't. They were complicit!"

"That's not-"

"Come on Makoto," Goro reached a hand out. "We're better than them. We can set this right. With this power we can create a new-"

"Stop!" Makoto put her hands over her ears. "Don't you hear what you're saying?"

A pompous laugh drew everyone's attention. Goro. Another one. A cognition wearing the Shujin Academy uniform. "This is rich. You really think you and your failure of a sister could beat Captain Shido? You couldn't even beat some dumb teenagers. The captain's been aware of your treachery all along. He's always meant to dispose of you. This just moves up the timeline."

The cognition drew a gun. Shadows gathered around him, dark with a red glow, like the ones the real Goro had summoned earlier. Makoto swallowed. The team was fatigued from fighting their way to the Cleaner and then facing Goro. She had to come up with a plan.

"Careful guys," said Futaba. "This one is strong. Shido must have a high opinion of the real one's powers."

"How about we make a deal? At the very least you can have the satisfaction of finally taking out this trash and his ridiculous sense of justice." The cognition continued to watch Goro as he motioned his gun towards Ren. "We're better than him after all."

Goro looked over the Phantom Thieves. Makoto caught his eyes, but just for a moment. He looked sad.

"Very well," Goro raised his gun. Makoto bit back tears.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion when he pulled the trigger. Makoto turned to Ren, finding him still standing. Goro missed. Goro wouldn't miss at this distance.

The bulkhead door raised to the ceiling. Goro had cut them off from the cognition and his shadows, but he had trapped himself with them.

Another shot echoed, muffled by the door. Makoto ran to the barrier. "Goro!"

"Hurry up and go!" he shouted.

Makoto put her hands on the door, pounding against it with her palms. "No! We can't leave you!"

"You'll all perish if you try to face them now!" Goro sounded desperate.

"Go!"

"Goro!" she yelled.

"Hey! Amamiya..." Goro's voice was already sounding weaker. "Let's make a deal... OK? Change Shido's heart... in my stead... End his crimes... Please! And my sister..."

"I promise," Ren's voice was firm and even. He stood next to Makoto.

"Wait!" Makoto screamed as she continued to pound the door. "No!"

Goro didn't respond. Makoto thought she heard growls, gunshots, things slamming against the door, sounds of a scuffle. Finally, it went quiet.

"His signal..." said Futaba. "It's gone..."

Makoto fell to her knees.

––––– ––––– –––––

20XX plus 5, December

"Congratulations, Detective Niijima," Shimada-san, Makoto's superior officer, delivered the good news.

It hadn't been unexpected. Makoto forced a smile as she brought her hand over her chest.

"You said it was a life long dream of yours, becoming a detective that is."

"Yes... yes it was."

Half of one.

A/N: I had been wanting to do something with Makoto and Goro as siblings ever since I read about it in the art book. This prompt was too good a match not to give it a try, though I wish I had more time to polish.