Catch-22: The Mirror

By: M14Mouse

Summary: For his first lesson…he watched okay, that wasn't very remarkable but it was so important.

Disclaimer: Don't own them.

"I don't know why he is here." Morgana said as he gave him a look.

"Will you chill? Sensei is here to watch us. He said that he can't help us without watching us first." Ryuji said.

"Probably to learn all of our secrets!"

"Dude, I think that he knows all of our secrets already!"

"HA! He doesn't know how we steal hearts!"

"Not until we show him how we work our magic."

"We aren't going to show him!"

"Are they always like this?" Yu asked as he watched the pair.

"Constantly," Ren said.

It's kind of remind him of watching Youske and Chie fight.

Ah.

Magician and Chariot.

So, you are catching on.

Margaret taught me well.

"You sort learn to tune it out after a while," Ann said.

"Is this what you are looking for, Sensei?" Yusuke asked as he pointed ahead.

He looked around at the open space after Morgana burst opened a set of doors.

"Prefect. Mona, you can stop here," He said.

"Why here? There is nothing here." Morgana said as he stopped.

The group got out of the van. He watched Mona turned from a van to a talking cat.

"That is the point. It will give me a chance to watch and not be in the way." He said.

"I don't know why you have to watch. We are doing perfectly fine!" Mona said.

"Well, I don't think that we know what we are doing. Besides, I asked for his help."

He remembered that phone call well.

After they left the Mementos, they exchanged numbers. He also had the chance to watch their outfit changed.

He was really glad that he only had to deal with glasses.

Honestly, he thought that was it for now. Maybe, they would call in a week or so.

But Ann called the next day…

"I want to make sure that I am doing this right," Ann said over the phone.

"Excuse me?" He said as he balanced the phone on his shoulder.

"My persona."

"Ann…I told you…"

"I know what you told me but…."

He heard that tone before. The self-doubt. The confusion. He felt like that he pulled back in time to his home and his friends. The others looked up to him. He was first. First doesn't mean best. He guided them just the same like they did him.

These thieves didn't have such luxury.

They have no one to guide them. He doesn't count that fake. He was probably planning to lead them to ruin.

Most of all, how long has Ann felt like this?

How long has all of them felt this way?

"We can do it this afternoon or tomorrow. I can't do it later in the week because I have plans," He said.

"Really! Thanks, Sensei. This afternoon will be great! I will call the others! Oh, Thank you so much!" Ann said in excitement.

"Lady Ann…" Mona said.

"Okay, what do you want us?" Ann said as she put her hands on her hips.

"I want to see you guys in combat then we will move from there. I saw a little bit from before. This will allow me to see everything." He said as he walked away and leaned against one of the large pillars in the area.

"That makes sense."

Morgana grumbled as he turned himself back into a car. The others got into the car. Mona drove around a bit before a shadow appeared. That is when Mona hit the shadow.

…

Okay, then.

He watched as the shadow burst into individual shadows. The others jumped out of the van and Mona returned to normal.

After a few minutes of fighting, he figured out.

With Ann…it was the easiest to identify and the hardest to fix. He heard from the last time they were here and their conversation on the phone.

He heard it from Yukiko's voice.

Self-doubt.

"Are you sure that I am doing this right?" Yukiko said as her persona hit the shadow with a fire spell.

"To me. It looked like that you were doing it right," He said.

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"It looked good to me," Youske said.

"Same here," Chie added.

"…."

"…."

"Are you sure?"

Ryuji was so easy to figure it out. He had the same problem as Chie and in some ways…Kanji. He is so over focus at what he doing that he missed what is going on around him. On the positive, Ryuji and his persona work well together. It is strange. It made him feel like that he was looking into the past.

"God damn…stay still!" Chie shouted as her attack missed the shadow.

"Shadows don't stay still, Chie," Yosuke shouted.

"Well..they better stay still!"

"Chie…calm down," He said.

"I will calm down once it is dead!"

Chie's next attack hit the shadow hard.

"SEE! Told you that I would get you!"

"Uh…Chie…I think that it is dead," Yosuke said.

"NO! It isn't!"

"I would leave it be, Yosuke." He said as he watched on.

"I am thinking that you are right, partner."

Yusuke was the latest member of their group but he could already see the similarities between him and Naoto. Their moves were prefect but utterly empty.

Naoto grumbled to herself.

"Naoto…is something wrong?" He asked.

"It is nothing."

"It must be something if it is bothering you." Kanji added.

"It just that…my persona. Its speed and agility surpass the others but it lacks something."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, man. You are new."

"That is the point. I am new and I need to catch up. It is important that…never mind. Right now, there is a group of shadows ahead," Naoto said.

"Man…" Kanji said.

He touched Kanji's shoulder.

But he wasn't too worried because he knew from experience that Yusuke will find his fire. Now, Morgana's problem was similar to Yosuke and Teddie's problem. They were trying to be everywhere at once.

"I am coming, Sensei. I am coming!" Teddie shouted as he rushed from behind Chie.

"Stay there, you stupid bear! I got this! I can attack and provide cover!" Yosuke said.

"No, Sensei needs me here! I can do both!"

"No, Yu needs you there."

"No, I am going there!"

"Enough. Yosuke, I want you at the rear because of your weakness to wind. Teddie, I need you on the left with an attack ready. I know that both of you want to provide cover but I need at your positions," He shouted.

Strangely enough…that didn't take him that long to straighten out that behavior.

Okay…punching thing might also play a role.

Ren's problem took him a little bit more time to figure out. At first, he thought it was how his masks worked. He had no idea how his masks worked in compensation to his cards. The longer that he watched, the more he realized that wasn't the case.

Ren was hesitating and he didn't know why.

Hmmm….

He is afraid.

Of what?

Himself…

Maybe?

It was something that he had to ask Ren later.

Now as a team, he could see the kinks. He wasn't too worried about that since with new members, there was always a shift. The longer the battle went on, the smoother their teamwork went. He was impressed with Ren's leadership and their teamwork.

"ALRIGHT! Another bites the dust!" Ryuji shouted in victory as the last shadow disappeared.

"See? I don't know why we need that stupid person here. We are perfection!" Morgana said with a grin.

"I do feel that I am getting better," Yusuke said.

"You guys did great," Ren added.

"Sensei?" Ann said as she turned to him.

"As a team, there a few missteps here and there. The longer the battle went on, the more your teamwork came together. Re…Joker? Great job on leading them through that last attack by the way," He said.

Ren flushed.

"Thanks," Ren said with a mumble.

"Now…individuals…Ann…you are fiery as your persona but you are doubting yourself. Some of your attacks don't follow through because of that doubt. Is there some disconnect between you and your persona?" He asked.

"NO! Carmen is awesome! It is me!"

"Well, maybe…I hope to work with you to find the cause."

Ann bowed.

"Thank you, sensei! I won't disappoint." She said.

"Lady Ann…You don't believe that…" Morgana said.

"Okay, I am next!" Ryuji shouted.

"You and your person work well together. Almost as good as Ren's personas but…you almost become hyper focus on the battlefield. That shadow's attack almost took off your head because you were too focus on the other shadow. We are going to work on awareness."

"Wow…you notice that from one fight….Damn…" Ryuji said in awe.

"Okay…he has a point with you but honestly…I could have told…" Morgana snapped at Ryuji.

"Well…I didn't ask you."

He sighed as Ryuji and Morgana started fighting again.

"My turn, sensei." Yusuke said.

"You are new but your moves are precise and clean. That is very impressive but I get the impression that you are going through the motions. I am not sure if you still trying to figure out everything or it is something else. I hope we can work that out together."

"I…Of course, Sensei," Yusuke said with a bow.

"Now…Mon…" He said before he was cut off.

"No, I am not doing anything wrong!" Morgana shouted.

"I am not…"

"NO! I am not going to hear this!" Morgana said as he turned into a van and drove off.

He sighed.

You going to have to do something about him.

I know. I know.

End of The Mirror

Next Chapter: Break in Play: The Pancakes

A/N: This was the chapter that stumped me until it went through a split. The split seemed to be a good thing since the chapter I just finished is my longest chapter to date. A reviewer asked me about Yu's personas which I thought I touched on but I might have not. I draw from the anime for Yu's personas. Reason…I am lazy. I have no desire go through 100s of persona to make Yu's team. So, that is that. Again, thank you for the wonderful support. You guys are awesome! Read and review if you wish.