I'm only watching Ren because it's my duty as the Phantom Thieves' advisor.

Makoto waited by the student council office for Ama—no, Ren, and the others. She had timed her morning to meet Ren at Shibuya Station before school. As the newly appointed Phantom Thieves advisor, she absolutely needed to get up to speed on how the team worked and how she could support the leader. Absolutely. She had approached Ren at the platform, eager to go to Kaneshiro's palace and put the whole mess behind her. He had said they would meet up at their hideout after school, but she needed some gear, so they would go to a store he knew first.

The entire school day had seemed to drag on. Makoto caught herself checking the time on her phone often. She had met up with Ann for lunch and the two had made amends. Makoto was also now on a first name basis with the group.

"Ready?" Ren asked as he approached.

"Where are the others?" Makoto looked towards the stairwell, surprised to see Ren come alone.

"We'll meet up with them later," Ren explained. "The shop is pretty small and Iwai-san prefers not to draw attention."

"Iwai-san?"

"He's the owner. Come on."

Makoto and Ren made there way out of the school and headed toward Aoyama-Itchome station. As they walked down the street, Makoto spoke. "Look, I wanted to apologize... I didn't know about your circu-"

"You've apologized several times now," Ren exhaled slowly with his lips closed. "Is this for my benefit or for yours?"

"Oh," Makoto paused. "Sorry, I-"

Ren chuckled. "There it is again."

Makoto stopped talking, pressing her lips together. Ren didn't seem to mind but Makoto couldn't help but feel awkward. Thankfully Ren's expression seemed to have softened since the week before, perhaps because she wasn't threatening to turn them all in anymore. He didn't need to keep the secret around her anymore either.

The pair boarded the next train headed for Shibuya. It was crowded as usual. Ren gripped one of the hand rings while Makoto held a pole. She searched for something to say to take her mind off of how close they were standing. "Why didn't you guys just make me have a change of heart?"

"That never occurred to us." Ren was staring out the window.

"Why?"

"Probably because it didn't seem like you would have a Palace," Ren turned to Makoto. "But also... taking hearts for personal gain is a line we don't want to cross."

Makoto felt somehow relieved that Ren and the others had never suspected her of having a Palace. However... "By stealing Kaneshiro's heart, won't we be benefiting?"

"We will..." Ren's tone remained even. He returned to gazing at the window. "But once we found out what Kaneshiro was doing we would have gone after him anyway. This just changes the timeline."

From Shibuya Station, Makoto followed Ren to an Airsoft enthusiast shop in an alley off Central Street. Ren encouraged Makoto to find a model gun that suited her while he spoke to the owner about body armor and gun modifications.

The store offered a wide variety of models. Not knowing much about guns, Makoto found it overwhelming. She got out her phone and started searching for definitions of terminology and guidance on choosing the model most effective for the kind of uses she would have.

As Makoto browsed along the display cases, an old-style six shooter caught her eye. They were completely impractical of course, but seeing them reminded Makoto of the old cop shows and westerns she had watched as a child. She would run around the apartment pretending to be a police officer fighting bad guys. Pyu pyu!

Makoto heard a stifled laugh. She looked up to find Ren trying to hide a smile behind one of his hands. She felt her cheeks redden. Had she said that out loud?

"So," said Ren, leaning over her to look in the display case. "You like this one?"

"It's nostalgic. It reminds me of heroes from my childhood," Makoto focused on her memories rather than her embarrassment. She pressed two fingers to the glass. "But it's impractical—I should pick something with higher specs."

"No this one should be good!" Morgana popped out of Ren's bag. Makoto hopped in surprise. She had forgotten he was there. "It's the cognition that matters. Since you associate this gun with heroes, it will be strong."

"Really?" Makoto looked at the cat.

"I'm sure of it!"

Makoto smiled. She felt like she might start tearing up.

"What's wrong?" asked Ren.

"Oh. It's just... it's nice to get something I want rather than..." Makoto re-thought her sentence, having trouble putting what she was feeling into words. "For so long, there's only been one path I had to take. Now, all that's changed."

Ren smiled. There was something relaxing and kind about it. "Let's see about getting you that revolver."

Makoto fished around in her bag for her wallet, then looked at the price tag. Nice models were expensive. She rarely carried around that much money. She looked back to Ren, but before she could say anything, he spoke. "Don't worry, I'll get it."

"Oh. I-I'll pay you back."

"This is business."

"It's all money we get from the Metaverse anyway," said Morgana.

"How does that work?" asked Makoto.

"The shadows carry money."

"What? ...Why? How?"

"I don't know."

Ren finished making the purchases and Makoto became the prouder-than-she-thought-she'd-be owner of a model revolver. She tried to thank Ren, but he shut down her repeated gratitude just about as quickly as he did her apologies.

When Makoto, Ren, and Morgana approached their hideout in Shibuya Station, Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke were waiting for them. Ann had her hands on her hips. "...sure she feels useful, got it?"

"What's this about?" Makoto asked as she walked up.

"Oh, nothing! Are you ready to go to Kaneshiro's palace?"

––––– ––––– –––––

"So what am I to be called?" asked Makoto once the group entered the Metaverse. "You all were using code names, weren't you?"

Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ann all made suggestions, but none of them felt right to Makoto. She turned to Ren. Despite his flamboyant coat, pointy shoes, and bright red gloves, he managed to look serious. This was business after all. He took no time in responding, speaking evenly as if the answer was obvious and required no extra thought or fanfare.

"Queen."

"Queen..." Makoto smiled. The chess piece able to move freely in all directions. "It has a nice ring to it. I like it. Let's go with that."

The group proceeded into the bank, having to take an alternate route as the doors she had damaged the day before were inoperable. Makoto was still surprised the team was willing to listen to her, given it was essentially her first day as a Phantom Thief. While they were willing to take her direction, there was still a lot she had to learn. Morgana stayed close to teach her while Ren led the rest of the team. Makoto had been eager to fight, but Morgana had insisted she take it slow.

"Palaces are about endurance," Morgana had said. "The power you showed last time isn't sustainable."

Thus, Makoto worked on balancing her use of Johanna with her Aikido. She tried to support the team as she could, but her contributions weren't nearly as fluid. The others worked together seamlessly with little verbal communication. It wasn't uncommon to see Ren knock a group of enemies off their feet and then with a look or a tag, Ryuji or Ann would knock back the rest, until the enemies were surrounded. Then, all together, they would finish the enemies off, each member knowing what their job was. Makoto couldn't help but stare at their displays of skill and coordination in wonder.

As she watched the veteran Phantom Thieves fight, Makoto thought about how different each member was when they were in the Metaverse. Instead of being a sullen delinquent, Ryuji's affable side came through. It was what he must have been like as captain of the track team, someone everyone wanted to be friends with. Ann was also much more outgoing and playful. If she behaved that way in the real world, people would probably assume things about her that were unfair. Makoto may have been one of those people. In the Metaverse, Ann need not worry about such things.

Most of all, Makoto watched Ren. In the real world he was quiet, serious, and unobtrusive. In the Metaverse, he was forward, confident, magnetic. He walked the line of arrogance with a touch of the maniacal, taunting and intimidating enemies, but to his teammates his expression was easygoing, refreshing, and reassuring. He seemed to shine so brightly.

"Impressive, huh?" Morgana spoke.

"Yes," Makoto snapped her head to face the cat. She had been staring. "And... different... than how they are outside."

"Really?" Morgana turned from Makoto to watch the others again. "I don't think they're too different. Maybe you need to get to know them better."

"Yes," Makoto's eyes found their way to her boots. "You're probably right."

Morgana sighed contently, a broad smile taking over his face. "They make such wonderful Phantom Thieves! The confidence and style they have is a form of cognition too. Like their persona, that gives them power."

Makoto frowned. "I don't think I can be like them."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I can't see myself as a flashy thief," Makoto shook her head. "That's just not me."

"Don't you want to be?"

Makoto considered Morgana's question. It would be nice to be so... for lack of a better word... cool, like Ren and Ann, but every time Makoto tried to envision herself that way, it just felt wrong. It might be fun to give it a try, but Makoto felt like she would be losing what made her herself if she was like that always. She made an apologetic expression. "I guess the problem is I don't."

"Then what do you want to be? Anything."

Makoto brought her hand to her chin. She wanted to be strong, self-sufficient, a positive force in the world. She wanted to help others. These were all things the Phantom Thieves did, so she wondered what the problem was. Anything, huh? Letting her arms drop to her side, she grazed her new revolver. Ah. She smiled, embarrassed by her own answer. "A hero of justice."

"Then be that!"

"Is it okay?"

"It's more than okay! You'll be stronger for it. Trust me."

Makoto looked at Morgana for a moment and then took a deep breath and gave him a short nod. A hero of justice it was.

––––– ––––– –––––

Morgana's recommendation seemed to be working. Makoto trained with renewed focus. She felt tough and her punches seemed to do more damage. She wasn't sure if it was because she had been holding back before, when she didn't see herself as a hero of justice, or if it was really an effect of the cognition.

The Phantom Thieves made their way through the nonsensical maze of rooms that made up the bank. As Morgana had told her, the shadows carried yen, an important fact for the cat as he seemed the most interested in gathering cash and treasure. Makoto wasn't sure where he carried it all.

Most of the shadows they faced took the form of mythical beings Makoto recognized, many of them gods. They were apparently facets of something, perhaps an idea, coming from the "sea of souls." That's what they said when Ren was able to awaken them from their vengeful state. Ren, or rather Joker, drew everyone to him, even shadows. Makoto recognized she felt a strong desire to be accepted by him coupled with a belief that she would be. She figured the awakened shadows must feel the same way.

Perhaps shadows took the forms of gods because of some group cognition of humanity. In that case, maybe the yen they carried were offerings, stemming from group conscience of the population. Makoto decided to check out some books on mythology when she got back to the real world.

The Phantom Thieves continued to be very supportive, perhaps too supportive. They encouraged and complimented nearly every suggestion Makoto made. There were some challenges Makoto was sure Ren would be able to solve himself, but he didn't. After Ann and Ryuji thanked her again for getting through one of Kaneshiro's traps, Makoto decided to bring it up. Just as she opened her mouth, she was stopped by Ren's hushed voice. "Just let them."

"Hm?"

"Just accept their good will," Ren said standing next to each other, keeping his voice low. "It makes them feel better and you could learn to take a compliment. You don't have to object."

Makoto opened her mouth, about to object, and then closed it. Ren smiled. Makoto wondered how he was able to make smug look so attractive.

The group descended into a giant circular room filled with safe-deposit boxes. Seeing the room from above through the glass elevator, Makoto thought it looked a bit like a lock. She mentally rotated some of the walls of boxes. Could this be another security mechanism? She would have to test some things out first.

The vault room indeed could be reconfigured, but each rotation itself was locked by a security code. Every time the group would input a code, the voice of Kaneshiro echoed. It wasn't a menacing voice like when she had first come to the Palace, instead it was sad. It painted the picture of an insecure man who became obsessed with money at any means in hopes to overcome his own fears about himself. If these thoughts were the present Kaneshiro's, it didn't seem to be working.

Makoto wondered if at some level Kaneshiro wanted his treasure stolen. He wanted to be saved. Why else would there be a route to the treasure at all? Sure, they had changed his cognition to access the bank in the first place, but shadow Kaneshiro could have taken further measures. Instead, every barrier had some way around. Why would pages of Kaneshiro's journal be scattered about? Who would have done that? It would have to be Kaneshiro.

"You look apprehensive. You should be resting," Ren stood beside Makoto. She didn't remember having stood up from the table at the center of the safe room. She looked around the room. Yusuke was explaining to Ann how the entire Palace lacked artistic quality. Ryuji and Morgana were arguing over the last 1Up.

"I was just wondering why we're able to reach the treasure," Makoto didn't meet Ren's gaze. "Why does the palace it allow it?"

"Palaces are formed from distortions," Ren also continued to watch the others. "They don't make sense."

"Listening to the voice of Kaneshiro's heart-"

"You think he wants to change?" Ren turned to Makoto.

"On some level. I don't know, maybe this is just to reconcile what we're doing for myself," Makoto looked down. She brought a hand over her chest. "Though... I suppose even then we would be taking away something... important... about working through it himself."

"Perhaps," Ren turned back to the others. "I don't think it's a bad thing to have help though."

"You're right but... this may go too far. It's just-"

"It was easier before you had the ability to do something about it, wasn't it?" Ren's eyes met Makoto's as she turned to him. Even though his mask, they looked clear.

"Yes." That was exactly it. The choice of what to do or not do and the consequences of that choice were very different now.

"If I have the power to help those in desperate situations and I don't, is that okay?" Ren stood up taller than before, surveying the room. His lips pursed. There was an edge to his voice. "Why is his journey of self discovery more important? I decided it wasn't. You should decide before you go further."

It didn't take Makoto long to decide. In fact, she had long since decided, from before she first entered the Metaverse. Now she just had to acknowledge and bear the consequences.

––––– ––––– –––––

Makoto boarded the train, all of her thoughts on the large stack of calling cards in her bag. Kosei High School had an extensive collection of equipment and space for students of the arts, enough that she and Yusuke had been able to print the cards in secret. Makoto had taken basic precautions to clear the printer memory—cybersecurity had been lacking in the group—but she knew they were taking a risk. Yusuke had offered to hand paint them all, but Makoto considered it even more of a forensic risk than the printer history and ink lots.

Being late into the evening, the trains were fairly empty. Makoto met Ryuji on the train and began going over the plan, using the map app on Ryuji's phone as a visual aid. Having spent quite a bit of time watching Kaneshiro's men, Makoto knew exactly where the cards should be placed such that they would get to Kaneshiro. Furthermore, she also knew where the security cameras were. She had seen Kaneshiro's men avoid them. Ryuji needed only to put up his hood and follow her route to place the cards.

The one unknown factor was in Makoto's plan was the police presence. Her job was to make sure they didn't notice Ryuji.

Makoto had wanted to ask Ren to hang the cards because she had the most confidence in him, but with his record it was too great a risk. Yusuke had dorm curfew and Ann stood out too much. Ryuji was the natural second choice. Though he hadn't been careful enough when she initially gained evidence of the Phantom Thieves, Ryuji had gotten a lot better and inside the Palace, he was as good at using cover as anyone.

The two parted ways as they exited the train. Makoto pretended to shop near the entrance of the bookstore, keeping an eye on the rest of the street. She wasn't sure if her inability to see Ryuji was something she should worry or celebrate given the mission.

Makoto noticed two police officers turn down Central Street. Ryuji probably needed a few more minutes. She decided to approach them. As she did, she realized she recognized them.

"Harada-san, Sakai-san, it's good to see you again."

"Ah! Niijima-san's daughter... Makoto-chan was it?" Harada smiled. It seemed... awkward. Makoto remembered the way all of her father's colleagues had looked at her at the funeral.

"You have a good memory."

"You've grown into a fine young woman," said Sakai. "Are you keeping out of trouble?"

If only they knew.

––––– ––––– –––––

Makoto didn't think she could become more surprised by the Metaverse, but the operation to steal Kaneshiro's treasure was much more intense than she had been prepared for. The whole bank seemed to quake with the panic their calling card had brought. The shadows were jumpy and aggressive as the team traversed the infiltration route.

Kaneshiro's shadow had transformed into a giant fly-like creature. He attacked them with a piggy bank that must have been five stories tall. When the Phantom Thieves managed to best him and take his treasure, the entire palace started to crumble around them. Makoto had been warned, but hearing about running for one's life and doing it were different things, especially because as the only one with a license, the team had put her in the driver's seat of the getaway vehicle.

The getaway vehicle was Morgana, in minibus form. That might have been the weirdest part. The scariest part was when she, along with Morgana, drove the group off the top of the floating bank.

Makoto lay in bed, reliving the events of the day. Just as she was drifting off, her phone rang.

"Niijima-san?" Makoto recognized the voice. It was Kaneshiro. It was difficult to hear him. It sounded like he was outside, somewhere windy. Though his tone was contrite, Makoto still felt on edge. "I most humbly apologize... th-the debt, consider it void. I've deleted the photos. You don't have to worry anymore."

Though Kaneshiro was telling her everything she wanted to hear, Makoto didn't feel relieved. She was being contacted directly by a very disturbing man. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what he would do.

"I'm going to give myself up to your sister," Kaneshiro continued. Makoto still didn't like him mentioning Sis. "It's the least I can do for her."

"My sis-"

"You don't want her to know huh? I'll keep your details out of it. I'll destroy all the evidence."

Makoto heard Kaneshiro grunt, the sound slowly fading away. The last thing she heard was a splash. Did he...?

There was no sleep from that point on. Makoto lay awake the entire night, wondering what Kaneshiro had done and thinking hard about the consequences she had pledged to bear.

It was four in the morning when Sis arrived home. Had Kaneshiro done anything to her? So as not to make Sis worry, She pretended like she was just getting an early start to the day, a really early start.

"Welcome home Sis." Makoto stood by the dining table, wanting to catch her sister as soon as possible.

"Oh, Makoto," Sis turned, still gripping the straps of her purse. "You're awake?"

"I have some student council business."

"This early?"

"What about you Sis?" Makoto continued to stand, hands clasped in front of her. "You're usually not out this late."

"I didn't mean to be, but a gangster we've been after for some time turned himself in," Sis sighed. She put a hand on one of the dining chairs. "I had to take statements and direct the crime scene teams. I'm only here to change clothes. We have a lot of evidence to sift through. The burner phones alone will take days."

Burner phones. Makoto let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Kaneshiro was alive. That splash must have been Kaneshiro throwing a phone into the river—and the evidence of his contacting her with it. Sis wouldn't find out.

"Why did he turn himself in?" Makoto asked. It would be useful to know how much he said. His shadow had spoken of someone else using the Metaverse.

"I don't know, but the Phantom Thieves left calling cards all over Shibuya. It may be related to the psychotic breakdowns. Hopefully, over the next few days..." Sae's words trailed off.

"Can I make you some coffee?"

"No time. I should get going."

Though Makoto and her sister were on opposite sides, Makoto felt a little disappointed that Sis didn't have more time. Had she not been awake, she probably would not have seen Sis at all. In a matter of minutes, Sis had put on a fresh pantsuit, brushed her hair, and left.

Having verified that Kaneshiro was in custody, Makoto tried to go back to sleep, but it was so close to her normal waking time that she found herself repeatedly getting up to have her phone tell her only ten minutes had passed since last she checked. Restless, she realized she needed to tell the others about the new developments. Using the group chat would be the most efficient, but she decided to call Ren instead. She hated to admit it, but she just really needed to hear a familiar voice. She didn't admit which voice she really wanted to hear.

Author's Notes: Finally Makoto and Akira get to talk to each other in this fic! I decided to change the categorization anyway and leave humor to the skilled.

Side Note: I will be more upset if they choose a different name for Akira in the anime than for the previous games. I was okay with Yu over Souji. I'm still attached to Minato. I am very attached to Akira.

I'm starting to fall behind in my NG as I have been feeding the aforementioned plot bunny. Forgive me, it's fun to write Akira and the others sometimes. I'm trying to set a rule on writing progress though. I don't know how the other authors write so quickly.

Originally posted 2017/8/5, updated 2017/12/24 to change P5 protagonist name to Ren, updated 2018/09/15 for some writing improvements.

Added 2017/12/24: Ren has conquered my general fear of what the new name could be. As you've probably noticed, I decided to update it throughout the fic.