A/N: I promise that we're eventually going to get the entire P4 and P5 teams into the story, so bear with me if it seems like the meeting is coming slowly. We're not even a quarter of the way through yet!

20XY/07/23 (Sun)

Evening

The van idled in the space just outside of the entrance to the remnant. The group of Phantom Thieves sat inside, catching their breaths. For a while, the only sound was the rumble of the van's engine before Ryuji straightened up, looking around at the others. "Man, what the hell was that?" he asked. "That's never happened before."

"I have no idea," Morgana said, standing on the van's backseat. "Did anyone notice anything?"

Ann shook her head. "I was too busy running," she said. "Makoto? Futaba?"

"All I know is that their energy signatures came back, stronger than ever," Futaba said. "It was like they were revived, like with Samarecarm."

"Except that spell only brings one back from a state of incapacitation," Yusuke said. "If what you're saying is correct, then their Shadows had already been driven away from the remnant. I doubt a spell like that would be able to revive them."

"In that case…" Makoto said, resting a finger on her lip, "wouldn't it be more like what happened with us? When we were saved from erasure and brought to the Velvet Room?"

"W-Wait, you're saying someone stopped them from leaving the remnant and brought them back?" Ryuji asked. "Who?"

"It almost seems like in this case, the question would be what," Haru said.

The group fell silent, absorbing this.

Ann shivered. "Alright," she said. "I'm creeped out. Anyone else?"

"Same," Ryuji said.

"An entity powerful enough to control Shadows," Morgana said. "I don't think we're dealing with an ordinary culprit here. It's possible that this…thing might even be responsible for the remnants, the same way the Holy Grail was in control of Mementos."

"You think we'll be dealing with something on that level?" Makoto asked, alarmed.

"I don't know," Morgana said. "It's best to be prepared."

Akira frowned, thinking back to what he had seen. He rested his elbows on his knees, thinking. Yusuke looked over at him.

"Akira?" he asked.

"Thinking," Akira said. "I saw something, before we left."

"That's right, you did stop," Ann said. "Well? What was it?"

"Threads."

"Threads?" Futaba asked.

"Like from fabric?" asked Haru.

Akira nodded. "I didn't get to see what they were connected to," he said.

The sound of distant sirens gave them pause, making them turn their attention to the windows. Makoto frowned from behind the wheel. "We're suspicious just hanging out here," she said. "Let's head home and continue this tomorrow."

When Yu opened his eyes, he was standing in a large room.

It was big enough that shadows darkened the edges, but the familiar blue color that permeated the tiles and the walls could hardly be mistaken as anything else. Ahead of him was a window, the world on the other side dark and smoky. A clock face was set into the window, facing outwards. The clock's secondhand wasn't moving.

"So you've returned," a voice said.

Yu turned his head to the side to see a woman sitting primly in an armchair next to the desk, her legs crossed and her silver hair pulled back away from her face. His eyes swept over to the chair on the desk's other side. It was occupied by a young girl, so small that her feet didn't touch the floor. Like the first woman, she had white hair and gold eyes, although her hair was so long that it nearly reached her thighs. She wore a headband with a silver butterfly wing on each side.

Between the two of them sat Igor.

Igor didn't speak, although he did grin at Yu, his fingers laced together. Yu stared at him for a long time, silent. He'd thought about entering the Velvet Room again many times over the past year, but now that he was here, he didn't know where to start.

"I couldn't find you last year," Yu said. He didn't mean for it to come out as accusatory, but the implication was there, simmering beneath the surface of his words. Igor's smile never wavered.

"Yes," Igor said. "I did hear that you searched for this place. Unfortunately, I was occupied at the time."

"Occupied?" Yu asked.

"You'll find the answers soon enough," Igor said with a wave of his hand. "You always do."

Yu wasn't sure he liked the way Igor said the words. "Something is happening in Tokyo," he said.

"A dark power," Igor said. "One whose truth you will inevitably discover. Although perhaps another will break its chains."

"Another?"

"Idle musings," said Igor, spreading his hands out across his desk. "You are a contracted guest. As such, this Velvet Room is at your disposal. You will find all your available services restored to you. I believe you're already familiar with Margaret."

"A pleasure to see you again," Margaret said, inclining her head towards Yu. "I don't believe you've met my youngest sister."

The little girl slid out of her chair, offering Yu an identical bow. "I am Lavenza," she said. "I have other duties at this time, but I'll be happy to assist you if my sister is not available."

Yu nodded at her, turning towards Igor. "I have more questions," he began.

"I'm certain," said Igor, sounding amused. "I trust you will find your answers. You remember how this works."

"I do," Yu said.

"Then we will meet again," said Igor.

"It's time," Lavenza said. "Return to your rest."

The sound of a ringing phone woke him, drawing him out of the Velvet Room and that dream. Yu sat up, one hand groping for the phone beside the bed as he looked around. Rise rolled over onto her side at the noise, letting out an annoyed groan. She pulled the blanket over her head, but didn't get up. Yu checked the name on the caller ID and pressed the button to answer, holding the phone up to his ear.

"Naoto…" he groaned, taking a second to check the clock beside the bed. "…it's two in the morning."

Naoto sounded surprised. "Oh—my apologies. I didn't realize how late it had gotten. At any rate, I have a lead."

"A lead?" Yu asked.

"Meet me at Yongen-jaya Station for breakfast," Naoto said, sounding pleased with herself. "Shall we say around eight? I'll fill you in then."

"Mm."

The line went dead. Yu placed the phone back on the nightstand, letting his arm fall back over his eyes.

A dark power, and Yongen-jaya Station. Interesting things to think about in the morning.

For now, he turned back onto his side, falling asleep.

20XY/07/24 (Mon)

Morning

Naoto did not look like someone who had pulled a late night. Instead, she looked sharp and excited, full of the energy of the chase. Which…was good for her, Yu decided, as he parked the car and met her outside the station. He would rather be full of the energy of coffee, but to each their own.

"Good morning," Naoto said, turning towards him as he approached her. "I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."

Yu didn't trust himself to speak, so instead he nodded. Naoto reached into her briefcase, drawing out a file folder. She handed it to him and he opened it. It displayed the arrest record and mug shots of a sullen, dark-haired boy. Yu read the name at the top of the file—Akira Kurusu.

"I did some research on the Phantom Thief case," she said. "Did you know that on December 25th, Christmas Day, a boy named Akira Kurusu confessed to his involvement in the Phantom Thieves? Kurusu had a previous assault charge on his record, so he was transferred to a juvenile detention facility."

"He got out," Yu commented, flipping through the files.

"Indeed," said Naoto. "His assault charge was determined to be a false accusation, created by Masayoshi Shido. Without that baseline, and given his young age, otherwise clean record, and key testimony against Shido, the case against him fell apart. What's especially interesting is that Kurusu was apparently arrested over a month before he turned himself in, but somehow, was reported as committing suicide in custody."

"He looks surprisingly not dead," Yu said.

"Agreed. I suspect foul play. But I'm not here to answer for the Tokyo Police. I'm here to solve a case. Look at Kurusu's residence at the time of his arrest."

Yu looked, frowning. It was an address in Yongen-jaya. "Is this a café?" he asked.

"According to Kurusu's school records, he no longer attends school in Tokyo," Naoto said. "But given present circumstances, shall we see if he's in town?"

Leblanc Coffee and Curry was a small café tucked into a nearly forgotten corner of Yongen-jaya. Yu didn't know if he would have found it had he not been expressly searching for it. There was only one other customer when he entered, seated at a booth and doing the crossword over a cup of coffee. The proprietor, a tall, glasses-wearing man in a pink dress shirt and black apron, looked over at them as they entered.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Is Akira Kurusu here?" Naoto asked, casually polite.

The man's eyes narrowed, his mouth pulling down in a frown. His entire demeanor changed, going from welcoming to something on the edge of hostile.

"Who's asking?" he asked.

If Naoto noticed his change in mood—and she had to have noticed it—she didn't say anything. Instead, she reached into the pocket of her suit jacket, drawing out a business card.

"Naoto Shirogane," she said. "I'm a consulting detective. I want to ask Kurusu-kun about a case I'm currently working on."

"A case?" the man asked, shaking his head. "Akira hasn't been in Tokyo for months. He can't possibly be involved in whatever you're working on. Aren't you people done harassing him yet?"

"We just want to talk," Naoto said.

"And maybe have some coffee," Yu added. Naoto glanced back at him, and he shrugged his shoulders, keeping a deadpan expression on his face. The proprietor sighed, although he was already reaching for a cup.

"Look, you're wasting your time," he began. "The kid's not—."

A black cat raced down a nearby set of stairs, bounding across the shop floor. The conversation stopped, the three of them turning to watch it. A dark-haired boy followed it, dressed in casual clothes. He stopped when he saw Yu and Naoto, his eyes moving from the two of them to the man behind the counter. The movement was manufactured to look casual—Yu wondered if he had been listening in.

"Something wrong, Sojiro?" he asked.

Sojiro let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of trouble?" he asked, but he didn't wait for an answer, starting to prepare coffee. The boy walked up to the counter, pausing for a moment to glance at Naoto's business card. He took a seat, facing Yu and Naoto and glancing pointedly at the counter seats across from him.

Naoto's surprise lasted for only a moment before she stepped forward, taking the offered seat. Yu took the seat beside her. The cat, Yu noticed, leaped up onto the seat beside the boy. It sat there, licking its paw, watching them with too-blue eyes.

"You want to talk to me?" the boy asked.

"Akira Kurusu-kun, I presume?" Naoto asked. "I'm Naoto Shirogane."

"I gathered," the boy said. "I don't know your friend." His eyes flicked towards Yu and Yu noted the guarded way that Akira held himself, the way that his words and expression gave nothing away. There was something almost feline about him.

Akira Kurusu might have been innocent, Yu thought, but he certainly acted like a hardened criminal.

Yu reached into his pocket, drawing out his badge and ID. He showed both to Akira who looked over them, not registering the slightest hint of surprise. Yu gave him a reassuring smile, but Akira barely seemed to notice.

"I'm her police escort," he said, by way of explanation. Akira nodded.

"Can I help you with something, Detective?"

"I was hoping you could tell me a bit about your involvement with the Phantom Thieves," Naoto said.

"Not much to say," said Akira. "The Phantom Thieves haven't been active since last year."

"But you must have heard about the increasing number of psychotic breakdowns recently," Naoto said. "Do you know anything about that?"

"This is only my second day in town," Akira said. "I haven't had time to hear anything."

"I see," Naoto said. "If you don't mind my asking, Kurusu-kun, why are you back in Tokyo?"

Akira shrugged. "Summer vacation."

"Interesting choice for summer vacation, considering everything that's happened to you here," Naoto said.

"I like the city," Akira said. "That isn't a crime."

"I wasn't asking you about a crime," Naoto said.

"Could've fooled me," said Akira. He looked back over the counter. "No coffee for me, Boss. I'm heading out."

He started to get up. Yu followed before he realized what he was doing, halfway to his feet. Akira stopped moving, looking from Naoto to Yu.

"Am I being detained, Officer?" he asked.

Yu held Akira's gaze for a long moment before settling back into his seat. "No," he said. "This is just a friendly conversation."

"Good," Akira said. "I have a date. Excuse me."

He walked past the two of them, heading out the door. The cat leaped off the chair, following him. Sojiro returned a few moments later with two cups of coffee, a scowl on his face as he set them down in front of them.

"I'm only going to say this once," he said. "That boy's had enough trouble. Finish your coffee and get out."

"Well…that was useless," Yu said a few moments later, as he and Naoto left the coffee shop. The taste of coffee—and it was very good coffee—still lingered on his tongue.

"Perhaps," Naoto said, pausing just outside the shop. She looked around. Yu followed her gaze, taking in the street. It was shaping up to be a hot summer day. Naoto's eyes lingered on a blue van parked not far from Leblanc. "And perhaps not."

Daytime

"Wait!" Makoto said, interrupting Akira's story. "Naoto Shirogane? Are you sure?"

The group of Phantom Thieves were assembled in Futaba's room, perched on anything that could conceivably serve as a seat. Futaba sat with her back to the group, crouched in her computer chair. The sound of rapid-fire typing filled the room. Akira had sent them a hasty text before heading downstairs, telling them not to come to Leblanc. He looked at Makoto. "You know her?"

Makoto shook her head. "Not personally," she said. "But I know of her. She used to be known as the Detective Prince. She's the person everyone compared Akechi to, when he was…acting as a detective. Some people have speculated that Akechi based his methods and style off of her."

"Wait, Detective Prince?" Ryuji asked. "Thought you said she was a girl."

"Well, that wasn't common knowledge," Makoto said. "In the past, Naoto Shirogane disguised herself as a boy. She worked with my father on a case at around that time. My father said that Naoto was one of the sharpest people he had ever met. She must have been…thirteen, fourteen. She wasn't even in high school yet."

"Whoa, she sounds amazing," Ann said. "And this is the person that came to interrogate you, Akira?"

"Mm," Akira said, nodding. "She wanted to know about the Phantom Thieves."

Yusuke exhaled. "I assume she believes us involved in the current difficulties," he said.

"Seemed like it," said Akira.

The sound of typing suddenly stopped, Futaba letting out a shout of exultation. "Aha!" she said. "Got it! Officer Yu Narukami!"

Conversation stilled, all of them turning to watch her expectantly. Futaba hunched closer to her screen, grinning eagerly. "Let's see…rookie cop with the Criminal Investigation Bureau, top of his class at the academy, on the fast track to making detective, everyone loves him…he's basically the squeakiest of squeaky clean."

"Ugh," Ryuji said. "Sounds like a total nerd."

"Wait, I know that name," said Ann, frowning in thought. "Yu Narukami…" Her eyes widened. "Isn't he Risette's boyfriend?"

"Right on the money!" said Futaba. "At least according to the latest gossip sources."

"A perfect record and he's dating an idol?" Ryuji asked. "No fair. Some guys have all the luck."

"Other than diehard Risette fans screaming at him for 'corrupting their idol' or whatever, I can't find any dirt on him," Futaba said, scrolling through the information on her screen. "He's basically the police department's golden boy right now. Even his relationship is pretty spotless—they've been dating for five years, no affairs, nothing. It looks like he's—oh."

She fell silent, the sound of typing resuming. The others leaned closer, waiting, but Futaba didn't make a move to speak. Makoto cleared her throat.

"Oh?" she asked.

"In his second year of high school, he transferred to Yasogami High in Inaba," Futaba said. "Apparently, his parents went abroad."

"And this is important how?" Ryuji asked. "I don't even know where Inaba is!"

"It's a small coal-mining town in the Yamanashi Prefecture," Haru said. "It's near Okina City." The others turned to look at her, blinking. Haru smiled, petting Morgana, who had settled in her lap. "Okumura Foods has purchased crops from farms in that area before."

"Yeah, well, get this," Futaba said. "In 2011, Yu Narukami moves to Inaba. Also in 2011, a serial killer goes on a killing spree in Inaba. And guess who gets brought in for questioning about the killings?"

"Oh, I'll guess," said Yusuke. He frowned, thinking. "Was it perhaps a coal-miner enraged over the collapse of the fossil fuel industry?"

"No, dude, it was obviously Narukami!" said Ryuji.

Yusuke's eyes widened. "Ah, I see. That would make sense. Forgive me."

"Narukami was questioned about the murders, but he was eventually released," said Futaba. "And since he was never charged with anything, that incident stayed off his squeaky clean record. But the detective who brought him in and then released him was Ryotaro Dojima. And—get this, Dojima is Narukami's mother's maiden name. Narukami's guardian during his year in Inaba was…Ryotaro Dojima!"

"He was questioned and released by his own uncle?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, alright, I'm calling BS," said Ryuji.

"It's definitely suspicious," said Morgana, leaping from Haru's lap onto the bed. "We should stay on our guard. And that means no more meeting at Leblanc. Whatever their motives, Shirogane and Narukami know Akira lives there. The café will probably be watched. We need a new hideout."

"In that case," Haru said, "how about my house?"

"Your house?" Makoto asked.

Haru nodded. "Things have settled down since my father's death. I think I can have guests again. There's plenty of room and we have security, so it's a lot harder to get into than Leblanc."

"Whoa, but isn't your house like, an actual mansion or something?" Ryuji asked. "I don't know if we're fancy enough to just walk in there."

Haru giggled. "It'll be fine," she said. "You'll be there as my guests. Mona-chan knows where it is. I'll make sure to let the staff know."

"No objections?" Morgana asked, looking around at the group. "Then it's settled. Our next meeting will be at Haru's house. Next, we need to discuss the Shadows. Akira, you were saying something interesting last night."

Akira nodded. "Threads."

"Does that sound familiar?" Morgana asked, looking around at the others. "We've done something like this before."

"It sounds like the cords we had to cut when we were fighting against the Holy Grail," Ann said. "So…maybe we should try cutting them?"

"That does seem like the logical next step," said Yusuke.

"Right now, it looks like only Akira can see them," Morgana said. "And they seem to be giving the Shadows power. We don't even know if it will work."

The group paused, thinking. Makoto looked up. "In that case, maybe we should start with something easier. Right now, we're fighting four people at once, but if we had a single enemy…"

"Anything else on the Phan-Site?" Akira asked.

"Looking," said Futaba, turning back to her computer. The red and black background of the Phan-Site filled her screen. "Hmm…this one seems easy. It's a request from the older sister of a girl in elementary school. Apparently, her sister was attacked by a boy named Masaru Izawa."

"Attacked?" Ann asked, surprised.

"Mm," said Futaba. "According to the request, Masaru just snapped at her one day, and hasn't been coming to school since. He was a nice kid before that. The requester wants us to change his heart so that her sister feels safer going to school."

"How old is this child?" Yusuke asked.

"Says he's in the second grade," said Futaba.

"So he's what, like seven or eight?" Ryuji asked. "This'll be a cakewalk."

"Don't get overconfident," Morgana warned.

"We'll be careful," Makoto promised. "Futaba, can you get us Masaru-kun's home address?"

"Already on it," said Futaba, grinning. "We could even go tonight."

"Not tonight," said Morgana. "There's something I want to check."

The group turned to look at him.

"Something you want to check?" Ann asked.

Morgana nodded. "This thing with the detective is bothering me," he said. "Futaba, when you finish, do you mind coming with me for a minute? The rest of you can come too."

Morgana stopped on the street leading up to Leblanc, a safe distance away from the blue van. The others stopped when he did, frowning in confusion.

"Uh…Morgana," Ryuji said, "this is just Leblanc."

"It's not just Leblanc," Morgana said, turning around to face them. "Futaba, is there any way for someone to tamper with the van?"

"Tamper?" Futaba asked. "Oh, you mean like bug? Yeah, it'd be easy. You could stick a GPS tracker on it and…oh."

"After Akira left, I came back to keep an eye on our new friends," Morgana said. "And I'm pretty sure I saw that detective standing next to our van."

"That means they probably have our license plate information," Makoto said, "That's problematic. If they put out the right request, traffic police can track us and report sightings."

"It would have to be an electronic request, right?" Futaba asked. "I can deal with that."

"Can you also check to see if the van's been bugged?" Morgana asked.

"Can do," said Futaba. She looked around at the assembled group. "Hmm…Inari, you're helping me."

"I am?" Yusuke asked. "Why me?"

"Because you have the best eye," Futaba said. "And because I'll feed you later. Do we have a deal?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can help," Yusuke said. "What do you need me to do?"

"Help me look for anything out of place," Futaba said. "And no talking; they might be transmitting audio."

"My lips are sealed," said Yusuke, nodding. The two of them walked towards the van in silence. Akira turned to look at the remaining members.

"Well, if we aren't going anywhere tonight, I guess I'll head out to the arcade," Ryuji said. "Anyone wanna come with?"

"Not so fast," said Makoto. "You should be doing summer homework."

"What?" Ryuji asked. "But summer just started!"

"And it'll be over before you know it," Makoto said. "I thought you wanted me to help you get into college."

"Yeah, but—," Ryuji scowled, rubbing at the back of his head. "Ugh, fine! We can do summer homework."

"Hmm…that might not be such a bad idea," Ann said. "It looks like it's going to be a busy summer so…do you want to work together, Akira?"

"Sure," Akira said, nodding.

"Then we'll meet again tomorrow," Haru said. "I'll head home and get everything ready. I'll text you if the new hideout works."

Phantom Thieves Group Chat – 07/24

Ryuji: Man, summer homework suuuucks!

Ann: Yeah. Makoto and Haru are soooo lucky they don't have any.

Makoto: College is more challenging than high school, you know?

Ryuji: Ugh, for real?

Futaba: Just do it, Ryuji! Go go go!

Ryuji: That's easy for a first-year genius to say…

Yusuke: Study hard now, and we will reap the rewards later.

Ryuji: Dude, why do you even have to go to college? You're basically some big name artist already, right?

Ryuji: Hey, Akira, do you know what you want to go to college for?

Akira: I've been considering political science.

Ryuji: …

Ryuji: Anyone else feel a chill, or just me?