Hello everyone, and welcome to my first Persona story! I'm really excited to start this and I hope you all enjoy it!
A couple notes before I let you read the chapter though. First, this is a canon divergent story that will break canon in one chapter alone and we will fly off from there. Second, this story will tie into The World Ends With You as well as Persona 2, 3 and 4. I would include 1, but I know nothing about that game and characters so I will avoid it for now. Finally, this story will have a lot of trigger warnings, all of which I will warn all of you about beforehand here as a precaution.
There will be ideas in this story that I am crediting to TwilightKnight17 on AO3 in their amazing Hours series. Thank you again, I really can't thank you enough.
This story will be a mini series of two, maybe three, stories. This story specifically has six chapters written at this point and the sequel has nine, since ideas don't ever leave me alone. I'll post the chapter for this story at intervals, maybe every one or two weeks? I'm not sure yet, but let me know if there's a pattern you'd guys prefer I try and make.
And to everyone who knows the TWEWY references, the character in here named Mikumo is portrayed by the girl from the end of Solo Remix, also known as Hype-chan.
Also, the beginning of this chapter was set up the way it was to kinda mimic the feeling I had when I watched the prologue in the casino, with a bunch of added dialogue so you can see all the Thieves personalities and relationships shine through!
And believe me when I say that this is gonna be a wild ride for everyone involved!
I believe that is everything...so enjoy!
To anyone inside, the state of the casino was relatively normal. The sound of the alarm, however, tipped everyone off that this wasn't normal.
What convinced them that this night wasn't normal was the young man in black with a white mask that stood on the chandelier as if he was there every day, a regular patron the casino served who happened to love standing on chandeliers.
While the patrons of the casino watched in concern, security chased the young man as he made his escape.
As the young man escaped, he listened to the words of his friends in his head.
"Good. Now get running!"
"This is our only chance!"
"Isn't that a bit too dramatic?"
"We're getting off topic here! Joker, you be better be okay!"
"Don't worry so much, he'll be fine!"
"Stay calm! You can get away now!"
"We'll retrieve the briefcase on our end."
"And we'll all meet you outside!"
"…suspects…not…confirmed…hold…your…positions…"
"Hm…? What was that?"
"There is not enough time to contemplate this."
"Fox is right, we have to get moving."
"Don't worry about us. Just concentrate on getting away!"
"We'll see you soon."
"You can count on that." The young man, Joker, mumbled under his breath as he began to run.
"But I have to say, showing yourself above that crowd earlier was an excellent move. Nice work as always, Joker."
"I bet Skull wouldn't pull it off that smoothly."
"This happens because you have no sense for aesthetics."
"Nobody asked you, Inari!"
"Hey! That's MY nickname for Fox!"
"Oracle, could you please focus on guiding Joker and us out of danger?"
"Getting a little testy there, Sleuth?"
"Leave the new guy alone, Oracle."
"But I'm finally not the second to last new member, Raven! I gotta milk this!"
"I hope you didn't mean that how it sounds."
"We're gettin' off topic here! Ain't anyone payin' attention to Joker?"
"Both Oracle and I are, relax Skull."
"Thank you, Mona, for paying attention."
"Queen, you really didn't have to point that out."
"Panther, I believe that point is moot."
"Crow, get outta your mind!"
"Never a dull moment." Joker chuckled.
"We heard that, Joker."
"There he is!"
"Just run! Get out of there!"
"No time to fight, logically, escape is your best option."
"I just said that, Inari!"
"Oh, so you can use that, but I can't?"
"Skull, please focus on escaping. We don't want to leave anyone behind."
"Yeah, I got it, Noir."
"Okay, the enemy's focus is on Joker. Looks like the rest of us can slip away."
"Everyone knows the rendezvous point, right?"
"We all agreed on it prior, Raven."
"I'm just making sure, Crow!"
"More like you're worried."
"Shut up, Joker!"
Suddenly, Joker found himself surrounded.
"Well, looks like escape isn't an option anymore."
"That shouldn't be a problem for Joker."
"Of course not! Take 'em down, Joker!"
"You can do it!"
"Noir, we don't have time to cheer him on."
"Oops, sorry Queen."
"She's excited, let her cheer our leader on."
"Thanks Sleuth."
"And we're off topic again."
"You know, while you guys have been talking, I've already beaten this guy." Joker commented as his Persona vanished from sight.
"Okay, pull out before their backup gets here."
"Good. You defeated them with ease!"
"More of them!? Be careful!"
"Aren't I always?"
"Sarcasm is not needed right now!"
"That means he's alright."
"It means he's insane."
"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!"
"Shut up, Skull, and keep moving!"
"Joker, behind you! Go through that door!"
"We're all on our way, don't worry about us, okay?"
"That's quite impossible for him, Mona."
"He…doesn't seemed worried to me."
"That is because you have not seen Joker as we have."
"Inari, please be quiet! You should be able to get out that way! Hurry!"
"Dude, can he even hear us now!?"
"Don't worry, I'm still picking up everyone's voices. Just go, Joker!"
"We'll meet you outside, as promised!"
"The Treasure is secured, don't worry about that."
"Just focus on getting out, got it? I can't save you this time."
"What are you talking about? I'm the one saving you."
"Shut up! You know what I mean!"
"Tch! We got away from a bunch of those guys in black, but there's still loads more of 'em…"
"We knew this wouldn't be easy…"
"We'll make it out, don't worry."
"You haven't been a member for long and yet you already have such faith in us, Sleuth?"
"I actually believe it's perfectly believable, Queen."
"Where'd they go!? Damn it! I can't confirm the intruder's location."
"Up ahead! Stop! This is bad! Hide, Joker! You'll never get away if you just keep fighting."
"You need to make sure you conserve your energy, we can't have you passing out on us."
"As unlikely as that is…"
"Hide in the shadows, and sneak past when you see an opening!"
"Such an effective strategy is truly a work of art."
"Glad you think so, Inari!"
"…Hey, are you sure he came in this way? Understood. I will continue the search!"
"All clear, Oracle."
"Now's your chance! Run for the stairs!"
"Copy that, navigator." Joker chuckled as he ran.
"He's not alone! Find them and kill them all!"
"Is anyone ever not trying to kill you?"
"No, sadly we're regularly targeted."
"What're you talkin' about? We chose this!"
"Dying isn't in our contract, Skull. Just like killing isn't."
"Yeah, yeah, I got that, Raven. You remember who you're talkin' to, right?"
"How could she forget?"
"What do you mean, Panther? Because Skull and Raven are in the same class."
"Never mind, Noir. It's not important right now."
Suddenly, Joker ran through a doorway only to hit a rail with no way around.
"Something wrong? The exit should be up ahead."
"Over there…" Joker noted as he gazed at the stain glass window in front of him.
"Ugh. That's just how it is."
"We don't have many options to work with."
"So, you gotta make do, sorry."
"After that commotion, the bottom floor is completely closed off."
"So, his distraction actually blocked his escape? That was a mistake on our part."
"Hey, can you make it?"
Joker simply smiled not saying a word.
"Over there! There's nowhere to run!"
Joker turned to see three agents pointing guns at him as they slowly approached.
Joker simply smirked before he jumped on the railing and made his escape by running on the banister.
"They didn't see that comin'!"
"Clever idea, Joker! As expected, of course!"
"Wait, what are you planning?"
"Something crazy, no doubt."
"Joker, when this is over, I'd advise you to escape Raven's anger while you can."
Joker smirked as he knelt on the other side of the banister and looked at his pursuers.
"See ya." He stated before he crashed into the stain glass window, breaking it as he fell through the sky.
"Hmph, what a showoff."
"You're so reckless. You know that?"
"If this wasn't the best option, I'd kill you when we met up."
Joker spun in the air and landed silently on his feet, glass landing around him. He stood up only for light to suddenly flare to life in front of him, blinding him.
"Enemies, here!? These readings…it can't be!"
"What's wrong!?"
"What happened!?"
"An ambush!?"
"Joker, you better make it out of this alive!"
"Joker, can you handle this!?"
"Don't do anything stupid!"
"Joker!"
"Oh no!"
"Capture him!"
Joker ran as fast as he could, jumping up to grab a ladder and climb up, smirking as he thought he escaped only to find several guns pointed at his face at the top of the ladder.
A gun slammed on Joker's face and he fell to the ground only to have several officers pin him down.
"Didn't expect to find some kid."
As the lead officer approached the thief, Joker ignored all of his teammates' cries of worry in his mind. He couldn't worry about them, not now.
"You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out."
Handcuffs were snapped on Joker's wrists and he was taken away.
Meanwhile, eight humans and one cat stood a distance away, watching with disdain.
Not counting Joker below, they were one person short on their team.
"I told ya it was him." Skull growled under his breath.
"We don't know the full story." Queen warned.
"Why would he do this?" Noir asked quietly, her hands over her heart.
"We shall learn in time, I imagine." Fox stated, even as he gazed sadly at the scene below them.
"Still, this sucks." Oracle pouted as she crossed her arms, glaring at the officers surrounding Joker.
"This isn't over though." Raven reminded them, her eyes full of fire.
"Of course, it isn't! We never leave anyone behind!" Mona cried, "Especially not Joker!"
"We'll save him, the plan is foolproof!" Panther nodded, sounding more confident than she actually felt.
"Then we'd best get to work." The final member of the Phantom Thieves of Heart, Crow, suggested as he gazed at the scene below them.
"Right." The Phantom Thieves agreed before they made their way out of the casino and back to the real world.
The real work began that night.
The story of how we ended up at that point, it all began on April 9th, six months ago.
Mikumo Sakuraba, a fifteen year old girl with waist length silver hair and deep blue eyes, walked through the Scramble Crossing in Shibuya, her silver and red headphones covering her ears, as always.
"Calling
You hear the
Calling
Calling
You hear the
Calling"
It was nothing new for a Saturday after she finished school and yet…something told her today would be different, that it would pay off for her to visit the Scramble today of all days.
Mikumo trusted her feelings so she didn't hesitate to make her way over there.
"Let me go
Gravity
What's on my shoulder
"Little by little, I feel a bit better"
Let me know
Set me free
I feel a bit older
Just once more unto the breach
"Dear friend, once more"
As she walked through the crowded streets, she suddenly felt a gaze on her. Turning, her eyes met the obsidian ones of a boy whose hair was just as dark as his eyes, hidden by glasses though they were, and looked about her age.
Her eyes widened as she recognized him when, suddenly, everything froze. Even the song playing through her headphones, Calling by Leah, suddenly fell silent. In a trance, Mikumo reached into her pocket and felt a pin that she held tightly in her hands.
Do you remember?
The boy's eyes drifted away from her and when time suddenly began again, Mikumo tried to find him again. However, he was lost in the many people walking in the Scramble Crossing and she gave up.
If it's meant to be, we'll meet again. She thought to herself as her song began again.
"Wake up
Leave your hesitation
Wake up
Time for us to realize
Wake up
Show appreciation
Wake up
Time for us to realize"
Across the Scramble Crossing, Akira Kurusu stared in wonder as time froze. As his eyes suddenly met a striking pair of dark blue ones, Akira wanted to find the owner of those eyes.
Do you remember?
The thought suddenly rang in his head, clear as a bell, when something else pulled his sight away from the striking eyes.
Blue flames rose into the air violently, forming a shape of some sort. The shape suddenly had a wicked smile and eyes made of orange fire before the flames swept up and there was his face grinning slyly at him with golden eyes.
When time suddenly unfroze, Akira quickly deleted the app that had suddenly appeared and looked for those eyes. Their owner, however, was gone and so, Akira made his way to Sojiro Sakura's house.
The next day, as Akira followed Sojiro out of his new school, Shujin Academy, he didn't see the girl coming.
Before Akira knew it, he was on the ground, a girl right across from him. He could hear Sojiro groaning from his place on the floor.
"Sorry." Akira apologized as he began to help the girl pick up her bag and items before he held his hand out to her to help her up, finally getting a good look at her.
The girl had waist length silver hair and striking dark blue eyes. On her ears were a pair of silver headphones with red lining and she was dressed casually, probably passing by the school while she was walking around that day. She wore a light blue sweater, a black scarf with a white Karakusa pattern sewed onto it, black jeans with a dark blue jean skirt over them, black ankle boots and a black raven wing shaped clip in her hair.
She met his eyes and stared at him for a minute before she accepted his hand and allowed him to help her up.
"Thank you." She smiled slightly as she lowered her headphones so they rested on her shoulders and took her bag from him. "I'm sorry for running into you, I guess I was too focused on my music."
Akira chuckled slightly at the answer. He could hear the loud techno music that came from her headphones even where he stood now. It was an older song he thought was titled Twister.
"It's just as much my fault. I'm sorry." Akira smiled sheepishly.
"It's okay." The girl shook her head. "It's…nice to see you again."
"Huh?" Akira questioned, surprised. "Have we…met before?"
"Oh, uh, sorry. I mistook you for someone else." The girl apologized quickly, looking away to avoid his eyes. In another second, she was smiling friendly at him and held her hand out. "I'm Mikumo Sakuraba."
"Akira Kurusu." Akira introduced himself as he shook her hand.
"You're a transfer student to Shujin?" Mikumo asked, looking at his uniform as she brushed her hair back.
"Yeah, I start tomorrow." Akira nodded.
"That's great! I'm a student there too, a second year. Maybe I'll see you." Mikumo said.
"I'd like that." Akira smiled slightly. He then noticed the look Sojiro was sending him. "I'm sorry, my guardian is waiting for me."
"Oh, right, I have to meet a friend of mine too." Mikumo realized before she smiled at Akira and replaced her headphones over her ears. "See you tomorrow, Akira. Sorry to keep you waiting, sir!" Waving, the girl adjusted her bag and walked away, humming the song she was listening to under her breath as she did so.
"You coming, kid?" Sojiro called impatiently.
"Sorry, Sojiro-san, sir." Akira apologized quietly as he got in the car. It was better if he played it safe for now, after all.
Still, even as they drove away, Akira found himself hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd see that girl, the first person to smile at him since the incident that brought him here happened, very soon tomorrow.
That was how it all began. How Akira came to Tokyo and how our lives first became intertwined, once again. From there, our bonds and connections grew until, finally, we reached that day, six months later. This is how we got there.
Well? What'd you all think? Also, since I will be adding two new Confidants for Akira, do you guys want me to include rank up messages and the info once the Confidant starts? Let me know!
Well, I'll see you all in a week! Leave me a review to let me know what you think please! Bye bye!
