A/N: Since Heretical Edge is no doubt the less known side of this crossover, here's a brief plot summary for anyone who wants it. Though keep in mind my goal is to make this story friendly to fans of either franchise.
Heretical Edge follows Felicity Chambers, who goes by Flick. At the start of her junior year of highschool, she is invited to a school of monster hunters known as Crossroads. Turns out only Heretics can detect the monsters that prey on humanity, known as Strangers. Flick and her classmates are the next generation, but with forces plotting in the background, they'll have to face a lot more in just their first year than they signed up for.
Thieving is Heresy will take place in the Persona universe, but it will use a large portion of the Heretical Edge cast. You can read this no matter which fandom you are coming from, though I highly recommend checking out both stories, as they are some of my favorite stories in existence. More on that after the chapter.
Chapter 1
10/4/17
Flick yawned as she stepped off the bus. It was still mid-afternoon in Brooklyn, but that was only because she'd gotten up early to catch a flight from Wyoming. The effects of which had been made clear when she'd nearly slept through her stop. That was the last thing she wanted to deal with today.
At least I made it. She had been dropped off at a dry cleaners not far from the apartment she'd be staying at. Before making her way there, Flick pulled out her phone to text her new guardian that she'd arrived.
Except before she could make the call, one of the apps on her phone expanded. One that she was sure she didn't recognize. What sort of app had a pulsing red eye as its icon?
Unsure of what else to do, Flick pressed the icon.
Everything froze. The people walking around her, the cars rumbling down the streets, the wind pushing her blonde ponytail back, they were all silent and still. Flick's first thought, strangely, was that she'd never heard true silence before.
Except not everything was silent. Directly in front of her was a giant, gold and red fox, glowing with a golden aura. It grinned at her, before vanishing. At the same time, everything else began moving, and Flick had to stumble forward before the crowd made her fall over.
What was that? Am I seeing things? She must have had less sleep than she'd thought.
Just in case, she deleted the strange app from her phone. With it gone, she dialed the number that had been given to her.
It took two rings for a man to pick up with a, "Hello?"
"Mr. Mason?" Flick asked. "It's Flick."
"Oh! Hi, Flick. Are you in New York?"
"I am. I should be outside the apartment building in a few minutes."
"Got it. I just started preparing dinner. Do you mind if I send Sands down to collect you?"
Sands? Oh, right, one of Mr. Mason's twins.
"That's fine," Flick said. "See you soon."
With that, she hung up and began to make her way over. Other than having to stop a few times before crossing the street, the walk was simple. Outside the apartment building, a pretty brunette with long, straight hair and the same brown eyes as Flick leaned against a wall. She was looking around, as though searching for someone.
"Are you Sands?" Flick asked, walking up to her.
The girl perked up. "Hey! Felicity, right?"
"I prefer Flick," Flick said, holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you."
Sands shook it. "Come on. Scout will want to meet you!" With that, she pulled Flick inside the building and to the apartment.
The apartment itself was bigger than Flick had been expecting. There was a kitchen to the right of the entrance, with a living room straight ahead, containing a closet on the side opposite of the kitchen. To Flick's left was a hallway with three doors, one of which was open to show the bedroom inside.
Some siblings liked to divide a room they shared. Not these two. The desk in the room was ridiculously long, taking up the entire wall. There were two chairs side by side against it, letting both girls use it at once. On the other side of the room was a bunk bed, with a nearby bookshelf that was stacked with books in seemingly no pattern. All that left just enough space in the room for a dresser and closet.
The walls themselves were painted purple, with a few certificates hanging in the corner. They seemed to be school awards, some for Sands and some for Scout.
Just looking at the room was enough for Flick to tell how close the twins were. It was that thought which caused a pain in her chest. She missed Tabbris.
At the bottom bunk sat a girl who looked nearly identical to Sands, though her hair covered some of her face.
"This is Scout," Sands said, walking up to the bed. Scout whispered something in her ear. "She says hello."
Flick raised an eyebrow, but let the unusual form of communication pass. "Hey, Scout," she said. "I should probably go talk to your dad."
"Right," Sands said. "Trust us, he's awesome. You can talk with him about anything."
"I'll keep that in mind," Flick said. When she stepped outside, Mr. Mason glanced her way from the kitchen, before returning to the food he was preparing.
"Welcome to our home, Flick," he said. "Sands and Scout haven't bullied you yet, have they?"
"Um, no?"
"Good." He put whatever he had been setting up into the oven. "Because that would go against everything I've taught them."
He straightened, stepping away from the stove to face Flick. "Sorry we don't have enough space. Do you mind the couch?" He gestured to the living room, where the couch sat across from the television, with a round table on either side of it.
Flick shook her head. "No, sir. It's fine." Her stuff was already set up in the living room, suitcases under the tables. A small closet had been rolled in for her on the far end of the room.
"Call me Liam," he said. "You're living with me, so you might as well."
"Alright," Flick said. "So . . . what's for dinner tonight?"
Liam laughed. "How does macaroni sound? It will be ready in an hour."
Flick gave him a look. "What kind of macaroni takes an hour to make?
Liam winked. "The best kind."
He was right. This was the best kind of macaroni. It was so good, that Flick would win a silent contest with Scout at this rate, due to how busy she was stuffing herself with food.
The other three sitting at the counter in the kitchen all looked terribly amused. "I suppose that means you like it, then?" Liam asked.
"Mhmm!" Flick confirmed, not pausing in her eating to respond. She did stop after the following swallow to ask a question. "Do you guys usually have this?"
Sands shrugged. "Sometimes. Really, the hardest part is getting this old man to make it for us." She jabbed a fork in Liam's direction.
Liam, for his part, grabbed her plate, which was still half full. "I guess if you're not grateful, you can always have last night's leftovers."
Sands' eyes widened. "I mean this young, clever, perfect father! I love you, Dad."
Liam rolled his eyes, but he put the plate back in front of Sands, who pulled it closer to her body before she continued eating.
"I'm surprised you haven't had it before, Flick," Liam said. "I showed your father the recipe." He shook his head. "I bet that mountain man forgot it again."
The reminder of her dad made her face twist up. Suddenly, the food didn't taste so pleasant.
Liam winced. "Sorry. Look, I'm talking to some connections, and I think we can get his charges dropped. It's just going to take some time."
"He shouldn't be in jail in the first place," she spat. "He wouldn't be, if my bitch of a mother had spoken up for him."
Yeah, apparently Flick hadn't been the only one unsatisfied with how her mother had packed her things and taken off with some random dude years ago. Her dad had never stopped searching, and he'd finally found her several weeks ago. Only to learn that the guy she'd taken off with was a politician with loads of dirty secrets. Corrupt didn't even begin to describe him.
With enough digging, Dad had been able to publish an article on the scumbag, hoping to take away his position as a governor in California. Being a few states away hadn't stopped him.
Nor had it stopped the asshole from using all his connections to have her dad arrested for slander. And all the while, the woman whom Flick had once considered a mother remained silent.
It only got worse from there, with some beginning to question whether Dad should keep any custody of his kids when he got out. That was still undecided, so for now, Flick was living with Liam Mason, a friend of Dad's she saw maybe once as a child.
It was worse for Tabbris. Some were talking about putting her back in the adoption system. The thought was enough to make Flick's nails dig into her palm.
So yeah. Flick reasonably wanted to punch two people in the face.
"Who is the guy, anyway?" Sands asked. "Shouldn't some of his competitors been able to find corruption or something?"
Liam sighed. "It's a bit more complicated than that. Joey Fossor is a powerful and well loved politician. Even if some secrets get dug up, a large portion of the public would just deny it."
"What?!" Sands exclaimed. "How does that make any sense?"
"It's . . . complicated," Liam said. "Don't worry about it, though. We'll clear Lincoln's name. That I don't doubt."
Flick wished she could say the same. Liam hadn't been there during the trial. He hadn't seen the jury turn a blind eye. Even those who might have benefitted from Fossor's downfall, were too afraid to speak up because of what he could have done to their names. In the month since then, no one had spoken up, and there was no one Flick could talk to.
She missed her family.
At least she had Sands and Scout. Following dinner, they had retreated to the twins' bedroom, taking the time to know each other. It started with random stuff that had happened at school, then sharing stories about their dads—mothers clearly being a sensitive subject to everyone in the room—and soon, they were talking about basically everything. Flick had even told them about Miranda, her one good friend in Wyoming before she'd been forced to move.
Soon enough, though, the trip caught up with Flick. It was when she yawned for the fourth time in a minute that Sands suggested they call it a night. Flick had no reason to disagree, and it wasn't much later that she was settled into the couch provided to her.
Out of curiosity, she opened her phone and checked her email. It was empty. Maybe it was dumb for her to have expected someone from school to email her. After all, it wasn't like she'd ever talked to anyone outside of classes.
There was Miranda, but she was busy enough at some private school near where her mom had gotten a job opportunity. Flick didn't need to bother her with her problems.
With a sigh, Flick closed the browser. It was then that she noticed the red eye app had returned to her phone.
What the hell? I could've sworn I deleted this.
Whatever. She deleted it again, checking her phone's settings just to make sure it was gone. With that done, she finally turned her phone off and put her head down.
She was asleep within moments.
Chains. That was all she could register. They rattled in every direction, nearly drowning out the sound of dripping water.
Where . . .am I?
She sat up, making the chains grow louder. When she looked down, she realized she was wearing prison attire, and that her arms had been chained together.
What the hell?!
She gasped, bolting out of the bed, if the hard plank of wood could even be called that. Her eyes darted to the bars keeping her locked inside. They were even chained together, making escape impossible.
Outside her cell stood two little girls in prison uniforms, wearing identical eye patches. One had her hair in a braid, while the other had buns. The one with buns seemed amused by Flick's alarm.
The room itself was surprisingly colorful, blue and bronze clashing together. It was also lined with cells identical to Flick's, creating a circle.
Flick took a step forward, intent on demand answers. She was cut off when a force jerked her back. She spun around, eyes wide when she noticed the ball and chain attached to her leg.
Stay calm Flick. Just be a reporter and you can find out what's going on. You've read up on how to deal with a hostage situation before.
Not that this seemed like a normal hostage situation. Still, she kept her breathing leveled, and her gaze locked forward.
After a few awkward steps, she was able to reach the bars. It was then that she noticed the desk in the middle of the room, with an old man sitting at it. Flick found her control over her breath faltering in his presence. It was a fair response to seeing someone with curled hands, bloodshot eyes, and a freakishly long nose.
"Trickster," he spoke in a voice that almost sounded too deep to be human. "Welcome to my Velvet Room."
Flick had had enough. She jerked against the bars. "What is this? Let me out!" A flash of motion had her jerk her hands back, just before the girl with buns slammed a baton against the cell. Sparks flew from it, and Flick took a step back.
"Silence, inmate! Show our master some respect!"
"The you in reality is currently fast asleep," the other girl spoke. "You are only experiencing this as a dream."
"You're in the presence of our master, stand up straight!" the aggressive one ordered. Flick obeyed her, if only to avoid being on the receiving end of that baton.
"Welcome," the so called master said. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those that are bound by a contact may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."
Flick's head was spinning. Contact? A place between mind and matter? Am I hallucinating? Before she could even think to ask, Igor kept speaking.
"I summoned you here to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."
Well that was ominous. And not exactly encouraging from people who had kidnapped her. She made to jerk on the bars again, only stopping when the feisty girl glared at her.
Igor seemed to be waiting on something. It looked like Flick would be playing the reporter after all.
"Important matters?"
"Still, this is a surprise," Igor said, as if she hadn't even spoken. He was some kind of asshole, wasn't he? "The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such."
Okay, what?! Was he saying she had created this prison? How did that make any sense?!
"You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate," Igor said, sounding far too amused. "In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."
"Ruin?" Flick asked. If he was about to say she'd die in this prison, she'd try clawing her way out.
"I speak of the end of everything."
Oh, that was worse.
"However," Igor continued, "there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be 'rehabilitated.' Rehabilitated toward freedom. That is the only means to avoid ruin. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"
"I'd rather avoid ruin," Flick said. What else was there to say?
"Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." Igor said. Then, when the twins turned around, "Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left Justine. They serve as wardens here."
Wardens. Igor's talk of ruin had distracted her from just where she was, but at the reminder, she tugged at the bars. Was she stuck here as long as they willed it?
Caroline, clearly the more arrogant of the twins, smirked. "Try and struggle as hard as you like."
"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates," Justine said. "We are also your collaborators." She paused. "That is, if you remain obedient."
Flick gripped the bars tighter. It was just a dream. None of this was real. She just had to wake up!
She jumped when a bell rang out, losing her grip on the bars. She moved one hand over her heart and took deep breaths.
"Time's up," Caroline said. "Now hurry up and go back to sleep!"
Flick had no choice but to obey.
That, Flick thought upon waking up, was a weird dream.
No, really, what the hell had that been? She'd had weird dreams before, but nothing quite like that. And she could almost recall that dream perfectly, too. The one time she had a vivid dream, and it was that.
Flick shook it off, pushing herself off the couch. School would be starting soon, and seeing as she was transferring in a month after classes had started, being late on her first day would not be the best impression to make.
"Oh, morning, Flick," Sands called from the kitchen. "You ready for school? There's bagels in the cafeteria if you want to just get going."
Honestly, she could use something else to occupy her thoughts to get her mind off that dream.
"Sure," Flick said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."
It was time for her first day of Junior year in Brooklyn.
She just hoped her dream would be the only weird thing to happen that day.
A/N: So here we are. My first Persona fic, and my most ambitious fic in general. To those of you who are only familiar with either Heretical Edge or Persona 5, don't worry. This fic will be written in a way that anyone reading can understand what's going on.
I've wanted to write a Persona fic for a while, and I knew I would want it to contain original palaces. A crossover seemed like a good solution, especially if it gets more people to read Heretical Edge.
Speaking of which, you should read Heretical Edge. Just search for it (the author is CeruleanScrawling if that helps) and you'll find the website it's on for free. It's one of my favorite stories, and I can't wait to combine it with one of my other favorite stories.