So! Another chapter for ye. More of a filler than anything, tbh. Next chapter is Shido's Palace conclusion, tho!

DangerousFox682: Thank you so much! This means a lot, and getting my fic called books really makes my heart soar lol. And yeah! Ryoji is babi pls don't hurt him ~_~

Breaking-Benjamin-rules: Thank you! Goro might come off as OOC a little, but eh, what the hell, it's his redemption! They will learn, but not the whole truth, not for a while anyways.

With that outta the way, please enjoy! No warnings for this chapter, it's light !

PS: Also sorry for typos if there are. Cuz I cannot for the life of me correct everything in one sitting on my own D:

Formal Introduction

The first one to arrive is Makoto, impeccable in her timing, as always.

"Hey," He greets with a hand up. She returns his gesture before she catches the boy behind him, and before she could say anything, he cuts her off. "This here is Mochizuki Ryoji. She's Niijima Makoto."

Mochizuki stands up and bows slightly, a hand on his chest. Ren thinks that it's more of a habit than anything. "Thank you for helping me, Niijima-san."

"It's no problem," She says with a small smile. "I'm glad you're looking better now. You look quite terrible yesterday… in the, uh…"

"He's like, part human, part Persona, or something," Ren quickly chips in, lightly scratching his chin in thoughts. Makoto makes a confused noise, but after a pause, she seems to accept that explanation. "Let's wait for everybody first, so we can discuss this at lengths. Looks like today's going to be dedicated to talking."

"I'm sorry—"

"Ah! Don't," Ren says, punching the boy's shoulder lightly. "Don't apologize, this isn't your fault. And I know for a fact that we can use a bit of a downtime. We're way ahead of schedules, after all."

"…I see," Mochizuki mumbles. Ren points at the seat on the table, and the boy takes it, his hands careful not to touch Morgana. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Makoto says, and Ren shoots her a questioning look. It seems like her curious mind is getting the better of her, being a scholar that she is. He glances at Death, who seems more amused than anything, and nods at Makoto. She beams at that. "Nothing personal, of course. I just want to clarify something."

"If it is not something I'll have to repeat, then go right on ahead," Mochizuki says, placing his cheek on his waiting palm. "And I do apologize in advance for the confusion; my friend is named Makoto, as well."

"Ah," Is all she says. After a moment, given to Mochizuki to ready himself, she begins. "I understand that you are Death… I'll leave you to explain everything when the others come, but… I have to know; are you an enemy?"

"Not anymore," He says with a rueful smile. Ren pauses a little at that.

Not anymore, which means he was. Ren frowns a little, but says nothing as he watches the boy's reactions and facial expressions. Makoto seems to think the same, but she looks more uncomfortable than he is. Ren raises an eyebrow when he realizes that Mochizuki doesn't seem upset, but rather… accepting, of their slight distrust and uneasiness.

"I'll get to that in due time, but not today," He adds with a small bow. "But rest assured, I don't intend to bring you any harm. I'm Death, but I don't condone irrational uses of violence. I wish to offer you all aid against this Shido character, as well."

"I see," She hums, relaxing slightly. "I'll be looking forward to that, then."

At this, Mochizuki only smiles, and says nothing else more.

Once everyone's in Leblanc, and Goro's awake (he's actually a pretty deep sleeper, Ren muses), he claps his hands to draw their attentions.

"First thing first," He begins. "Discuss about Mochizuki here first, then move to Goro, then Shido?"

They all nod in agreement, Goro with much less enthusiasm than the rest. Ren pats the detective's back lightly in reassurance and gestures towards Mochizuki. Most of the Thieves seem on edge sitting so close to him, and Ren really doesn't blame them. But the pleasant smile and the kind air around him really helps easing everyone up a little.

The boy takes a moment, as if to gauge their reactions, before speaking up, voice low. "I know all of you hold some degree of distrust, and even apprehension, towards me. But I cross my heart that I am not your enemy. I might be Shadow-like, but I only was one. I am now a Persona, bound to another person's will."

"A Persona?" Ann says, tilting his head slightly. "Shadows and Personas are two sides of the same coin, so that isn't far-fetch. But how can you be here, and look so… human?"

"Because I share my soul with one," The boy says, his smile forlorn. He takes a moment before he chooses to elaborate, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. But Ren could hear it, deep in there. "His name is Yuuki Makoto (goddamnit, I have to start calling Makoto as Queen for real now), and… he is my light, and I, his shadow."

"…So you are his mask, in a sense," Yusuke says, humming quietly. "But if so, you said you share your soul with him? What does that mean?"

"Our circumstances are a little… complicated," Mochizuki says with a sigh. "Before I become his shadow at all, I am a Shadow in a monster-like sense. I was born to… reap people, so to speak, but I was then defeated and sealed inside him for a decade."

This is much more to take in that Ren had originally thought, and he isn't sure if a few hours would be enough for him to wrap his head around it. He looks around, and everyone's contemplating the same way he is. After a moment, he nods. "I… think I am following, thus far. You can continue."

The boy nods. "During that time, being sealed – I've witnessed him live his life, if what happened during his formative years can be called such. We grew… closer, even if our interactions during that time were limited. But then, when he arrived at a certain place where it all began, we began to talk more, and formed a bond over the months. My Arcana, to him and him alone, is Death."

"Convoluted, and really not making much sense," Goro says. Ren kicks his shin lightly, but the detective doesn't faze. "But I understand, that talking of such things to strangers are not exactly productive. Go on, continue."

"Thank you," The boy nods slightly, a genuine smile on his lips. Ren thinks his situations are much more than he's telling, and he feels like it's not something he should pry. This… this feels too important a tale to be imparted mere hours after meeting someone. Then, the boy brings him out of his musing by proceeding on with his tale, sounding outlandish, yet he knows it to be true. "After he… found my missing pieces, which were disguising themselves as Shadows, I was made whole again. And with his humanity, given to me through sharing our souls, I gained this form, I became human."

A pause, a smile.

"We got along right away. It's true that such is in no small part due to being together for a decade, even without his knowledge. But it's in larger part due to his kind, understanding nature. He is also a genius, and talented in many ways, even in understanding others. And during his life, he's been wronged by so many people, been trampled upon and discarded again and again. How someone so broken could be so kind, I could never understand, and he fascinated me, at first. But as I grew to know him, I found that I like him, as a dear friend."

No, Ren muses, a small smile on his face. The way he said those words, the way he looks – so forlorn, so proud – those are not an expression a friend would have speaking about each other. But, from the looks of things… it might've been more one-sided than Ren realizes. And after a moment's pause, the boy continues, this time sorrowful, and pained beyond measures.

"…But then, I was… reminded, of my role as a monster, to bring destruction upon them. And even so, when I have no choice but to kill them, when the time comes – he forgave me. He still called me a friend. He still considered our bonds true, and… because of that, he succeeded in stopping me."

There is something more, something he isn't saying. But Ren understands, so he just smiles. And the use of present tenses — Mochizuki still feels undeserving of that forgiveness, it seems. And… he thinks this is what he means by lying by omissions; his tales are more than they could stomach, could hope to understand. At least, not yet, not right now.

"It put the both of us… in a delicate situation. But then something changes, and we seem to have been caught in another storm. When we came to, we were… in some place I don't recognize. There were many people around us, most of whom I think are scientists. I remember them trying to do something to him, and in the confusions, he forced me to escape into his shadow – that's probably why I was in this Metaverse this whole time. And after that – the connections to him I used to feel is somewhat blocked."

"What do you mean by that?" Makoto (goddamnit, Queen, Ren corrects himself) asks, tilting her head. So far, his friends seem to more or less understand what the boy had said, albeit with many unanswered questions still.

"Our bond, our Corridor of Souls, is intact still. He's alive, of that I am certain. But I cannot find where he is – which is something I used to be able to do before. They did something to him. And, since I woke up inside this Shido's place… I presume that it's only because he was there, when Makoto was… captured. I have no other clues as to where he is, but he is here, in the real world. But where…?"

They all fall silent at that, unsure of what to say. Ren sighs before smiling slightly. "There's still lots of questions about all of that, but we can leave it for later. If you think you waking up in Shido's Palace has something to do with all of this, then tag along with us. When we defeat his Shadow, you can ask him – I'm sure that, if he was there like you thought, and he's involved… his Shadow would know, and he might be able to answer you."

"An ingenious solution to all our problems at once," Goro hums, nodding slightly. "Will you help us?"

"Most certainly," Mochizuki smiles. At this, his smile turns chilling, and Ren has to resist the urge to gulp or shy away. This time, Arsene laughs in the back of his head. "I am Death, and… as his Persona, as his shadow, I'm called Thanatos. It's a pleasure making you all acquaintances."

"Pleasure's all ours," Yusuke says with a smile. "You seem like the reliable sort. I'll be counting on you, Mochizuki-san."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheers. "I really don't understand half the stuff, but it ain't matter who you are. You're a good guy, my gut says so. Let's do our best, man!"

"I agree with Ryuji on this one," Ann grins, and Futaba nods slightly at that.

Haru, Queen and Morgana exchange a glance before the former speaks up softly. "So do we. We'll be in your care as well, Mochizuki-kun."

The boy in question blinks a little dazedly at that, but before long, he's smiling brightly. It's the first smile Ren's seen from him that isn't tainted by his sorrow and his sadness. "I see. Thank you for your vote of confidence, everyone. I'll do my best."

"Alright, then welcome aboard, Mochizuki," Ren says. "We're the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Palaces are places born from the distortions inside one's hearts. If a person is corrupted enough, a Palace is born. And by defeating their Shadows and stealing their Treasure, their wicked desires – and not killing them – we can force them to confess their crimes, to atone for their sins. That's what we do."

The boy rubs his chin slightly, but nods. "I understand. Shadows are but another part of a person's psyche, a sense of self, after all. If you can change one's Shadows, you can change one's hearts."

"Man, you caught on quick," Ryuji grumbles.

"It's true. But that's to be expected of a former Shadow, I guess?" Morgana hums. "Not to mention that everyone would catch on quick, using you as a standard, Ryuji."

"Say what, you freak cat!?"

"I'm not a cat!"

Ren laughs at their banters while Queen and Ann just sigh and shake their heads. Mochizuki seems slightly amused as he looks on. Ren decides to ignore them as he continues. "Anyways, that's the short version of things. I'll not bore you with the details, but we've already secured the route to steal this Shido's heart. I'll be counting on your help fighting him."

"I'll do my best to live up to that expectation."

"Now then, next," Ren says, scratching the back of his head. He then glances towards Goro, who seems more or less mentally prepared. "About Goro—"

"Not forgiven," Ryuji says quickly, making Goro winces.

Ren understands – while he wants nothing more than for everything to be all sunshines and daisies, that is not how it works. Goro has works cut out for him, if he's to gain anyone else's trust, if he's going to redeem himself and his blood-covered hands. Ren internally sighs; the sins of killing is not something so easily forgotten and forgiven, after all.

Still, the speed in which Ryuji said that makes him a little nervous, so Ren clears his throat and speaks up, with Goro looking down at his own feet. "Uh, Ryuji, listen—"

"—But!" He cuts Ren off while looking sideways. Haru and Futaba, the two most hurt by Goro's previous conducts, don't look too upset, which actually surprises him. He tilts his head slightly as the blonde continues. "We've discussed this before you two came back from the clinic. We're willing to give him – you, Akechi, dude. Yes, you – another chance. Everyone deserves one, and all that."

"…Are you sure?" It's Goro who speaks up, confused, hopeful. "I've done terrible things. Especially to the two of you. I practically robbed you of your only families, after all."

"Not really, but it's worth a shot," Futaba says, curling up next to Queen, who's patting her head oh-so-softly. "You're wronged by the adults, just like us. I and Haru think you could use a chance."

Ren thinks he sees a drop of tear, quickly wiped away by his finger. Goro then smiles, genuine. "…If you think so, then I'll try my best to atone for what I've done."

"That's all we could ever ask for!" Ann laughs. "Alright, then the Calling Card?"

"Next Saturday," Ren says. "Let's do it when we're properly prepared. Send the Card on Saturday. And… record it, just in case? I want to see the crowd go wild."

Futaba grins. "Will do!"

All the pieces are set. The only thing left for them now is to wait.

Mochizuki walks over to join him at the bench only a few meters away from Leblanc' entrance.

"It is true, that not everyone is created equal," He says a moment after he sits down, half of his face snuggly hidden under the folds of yellow scarf. "But to think Mankind's darkness would run this deep… I guess that explains the state of the Sea of Souls."

"…What is it like?" Ren asks, the coffee can in his hand long since empty. He's tempted to throw it, but he has not the mind to even lift his arms right now, so he instead scrapes his fingertips along the back of his hand, as if to put the tingling on his skin away.

"The Sea?" Mochizuki repeats. When Ren nods, the boy smiles and looks up at the sky above. "It's more or less a place formed from people's hearts. Both the good and the bad are mixed in there, a pool of endless void that would drive you mad, and grant you wisdom beyond comprehension."

"Reminds me of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythologies," Ren hums.

"That might be the closest explanation one could come up with," Mochizuki laughs lightly. "But, if you are a Persona… you're more or less immune from being driven insane, since it was amongst all those voices that Personas were born from."

Ren hums. "Well, enough of the depressing stuffs! Tell me more about yourself."

"…Eh?" His voice is soft and short, dumbstruck more than anything else. After almost a full minute of him hilariously blinking at Ren, and Ren giving him the cheekiest grin he could've mustered, the boy continues with a tilted head and wide eyes. "Uh… I mean, I've told you pretty much everything there is to know about me? Well, not actually everything, since I did leave out many details, but—"

"Hold it right there," Ren stops him from droning on and grins. "I didn't mean like that. I mean stuffs like – what's your favorite food, favorite movies, or something like that."

"…Ah," He says quietly, his eyes returning to the cloud lazily floating across the canvas of bright blue sky. It takes him a few moments to speak up again. "I'll do that, only if you do the same, Amamiya."

"Alright," He says with a grin. "So, who goes first? You? Or me?"

"You," Mochizuki hums. "We can take turns, if you'd like. And… my taste would be a bit old, so please, don't tease me about it?"

"No promises," Ren laughs.

They spend the next half an hour shooting questions about mundane things, like musics or books, at each other. As it turns out, Mochizuki takes his taste in many things from Yuuki, who he called his light (not romantic at all, dude, not at all), but he claims his preferences differ from his other self a little. Ren just shrugs as they move on to the next topics.

He's gentle, too gentle to be called Death incarnate, and kind. His demeanor is that of someone who's afraid to hurt people, of someone who cares about what the other person thinks or feels. Careful, but not cold nor skeptical. Ren couldn't even begin to imagine what this Yuuki person would be like, if even this gentle soul would call him kinder than anyone else.

After getting to know him more, Ren gets to the real question. "So… one-sided love?"

Mochizuki actually spits out his coffee (which he's brought with him when?) through his nose at this, and Ren laughs his head off as the boy hurriedly wipes droplets of caffeine away from his face. After a moment of snorting the remnants of brown liquid out of his nose, he says in a high-pitched voice, no longer calm and leveled. "What!?"

Ren grins. "Oh, come on, it's clear as day from here. The others might not've noticed, but man, you're easy to read as all hell. You love this Yuuki, don't you?"

Even if he wants to deny it, Mochizuki seems to realize the futility of that thought; he's red from the hairlines down to his neck, and him tumbling over his own tongue is not helping the situation. Ren just grins at him until he relents on his own and mumbles something under his breath, curling the scarf tighter around his frame. After a sigh, he nods numbly. "…Yes."

"Why not just tell him?"

A frown. "It's complicated. In more ways than one."

"He's not into guys?" Ren prods a little, but doesn't smile this time. Unrequited love can be… painful. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have asked anything. But his curiosity is getting the better of him, not to mention that… the boy seems like he needs this talk, if his instinct is to be trusted.

"I don't know," He mumbles, his eyes glancing up to the sky again. He then smiles and laughs a little, as if whatever shreds of sorrow is suddenly gone. "I'm quite alright with the way things are, actually. He loves me as a friend, and that is quite enough. And…"

"And?"

"He already has someone else," Mochizuki hums as he looks back down. Before Ren could apologize, the boy continues, amused. "…Had, rather. And that was before we officially met, so… there is that."

"You know," Ren begins, patting Death's shoulder lightly. "I think, when we find him again, you should just tell him this. Get the weight off your chest, or the like. If what you said about him is true… I don't think he would hate you for it. I don't think confessing this to him will change what you have, either."

"I…" He trails off, gaping like a fish for a little. His eyes then widen a little, before he finally settles into a small smile. "…When I think about it, I guess you're right. I'll do just that when we find him, then."

Ren laughs and shares the rest of the afternoon with this gentle soul in silence.

"Shujin? Me?"

It's the first thing Mochizuki asks when he and Futaba give the man papers necessary for admission to Shujin. It's true that the timing is a bit… odd, but with Futaba's magic touches and Iwai's… not so lawful business, forging documents are actually pretty easy. "Yeah. I mean, you said you botched your second year, right? Might as well finish it. Give you some nice down time, too."

He seems to be a little hesitant as he scans the contents of the documents. He's mouthing something under his breath, and Ren has to strain a little to hear what he is saying. "…Makoto had already finished his second year, although he… ah, that was on graduation day, huh… timing's not too far off, as well…"

"You don't need to, if you don't want," Ren quickly says, raising both his hands. "I still can't go back to school yet, but I think you going there might be good for you. Getting a grasp on things, getting along with the others, and all that. They're trusting, but not as much as I am. This will help you get along with the team, too."

"A sound reasoning," He hums, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "…But I know not whether Makoto's captors will have their footholds in the school or not. Judging from my brief glances at them, though… I think they're mostly government agents, officers and doctors. Fortunately, I was wearing my Thanatos skin back then, so the chance of me being found out is mostly none."

"And it might give you a chance to find out more about where your friend might be, too," Ren finishes for him, a smile on his lips. He then extends his hand. "Welcome aboard, then."

The boy laughs and takes his hand, shaking it firmly. "Thank you for your generosity, Amamiya, and you too, Sakura-san."

"Just call me Futaba," She mutters, scratching her cheek lightly. "And hey! Why don't we take him to Mementos a little in the evening? We've got some requests left unfulfilled, anyways! Seems like as good a time as any!"

"Oh yeah," Ren hums, checking the Phan-Site. When Mochizuki gives him a confused look, he quickly elaborates. "I told you about Mementos functioning as everyone's Palace, right? These requests are for us to change the hearts of those who are distorted, but not enough to have a Palace of their own. Small timers, if you will."

"I see. Fascinating," He hums. "So, just like the Palace Ruler, we just beat some sense into them, yes?"

"Yep. That just about sums it up."

"Then I'll message the others," Futaba says, tapping away rapidly at her phone. She then stretches a little before saying, "I'll go with Sojirou for a meal. I'll get you something later on, Ren. See ya."

Ren nods as she goes downstairs and motions for Mochizuki to sit down on the couch. When he does, Ren just hands him a chess board, which he promptly accepts. He spies Goro sleeping in the corner, so he leaves the man be – that bastard needs rest, after all the thorough beating he's given him. And when he starts to think, Ren speaks up quietly. "Have you ever seen your friend leading others before? Since he's a Wild Card and all that."

"Indirectly, yes," Mochizuki says. After a moment's thought, he moves a piece, and gestures for Ren to make his. "I've seen him ordered the others around before. And I've seen him almost throwing his life away to save another person in a heartbeat."

"What happened?" Ren inquires as his piece hovers between one tile and the other. He just sighs and places it on one he thinks is best.

"…Long story short, he got shot," He says, a little pensive. When he sees Ren pauses, Mochizuki just gives him a small smile. "Five times total. He didn't come out unscathed, but… he came out alive."

Ren winces. He knows he would save his friends no matter what, but it's easier said than done. To throw himself in front of a hail of bullets to save another – he wonders if he could do it, should the need ever arise. "…He's very brave, huh."

As if reading his mind, Mochizuki smiles softly. "I believe you would do the same thing he did, Amamiya. Don't doubt yourself. When the time to act comes, I have no doubt you will move before you can even think. I believe that is what you and him share – you value your bonds above all else, maybe even more so than your own life."

"…Huh," Ren hums, moving a piece to eat the black one on the board. Mochizuki makes a surprised hum, but nothing more after. But who is he, really, to doubt death? So he puts his budding insecurities to rest and continues. "I'm going to ask you to compare me to him. I'm curious."

"If you so wish," He laughs lightly. "But, from what I've seen inside Shido's Palace… you are just about the same, with you being a bit more dramatic than he is."

"Oh, shut up."

They share the rest of their free time playing chess after that.

"So, this is Mementos…"

Mochizuki looks up at the high ceiling and the sprawling tunnels that make up the people's Palace, the red veins scattering all across the walls and the floors, just like usual. Crow is here, in all his black mask glory, albeit a bit quieter and less sadistic than usual. Ren then coughs, drawing his attention before gesturing towards his friends.

"In here, we go by codenames. You know, to not give away our identity and all that jazz," Ren explains with a flare he couldn't help but flaunt around as a point of pride. Mochizuki seems amused, more than anything. "I'm called Joker."

"The Wild Card, the trump card, the unpredictable," Mochizuki muses with a smile. "Very fitting. Does donning the garbs of the Phantom Thieves make you more dramatic as well?"

"Yes," Comes the answers from all of his teammates, even Crow. He chances them a glare before Crow decides to add with a scoff. "In here, everyone changes a little. Or rather, we get to be who we really are, no longer bound to the façades we have to put up out there."

"It turns him into a sarcastic murder bird," Ren points at Crow, who immediately tries to grab his coat. He ducks out of the way in time. "Something like this."

"Interesting," Mochizuki hums. "Makoto's way of summoning Personas is much different from yours. You said you call forth your other self when your spirits of rebellion manifest, yes?"

"Yes," Queen says, crossing her arms and touching her chin, deep in thoughts. "What is his, if I may ask?"

"Facing Death," Mochizuki laughs, humorless. "By accepting that Death comes for everyone, he's able to call out his Personas. His other friends, too. A tad morbid, if you ask me."

Ren feels a chill running down his spine, and Arsene hums, not in surprise, but in confirmation that Death is telling them the truth. He exchanges uneasy looks with the others before coughing slightly. "…Yeah, that's very dark. I'm just glad you guys came out alive and all, even if… your situations are a bit delicate?"

There's a single second's worth of pause, where those sapphire blue eyes look so sorrowful. But the look soon melts into a gentle smile as Mochizuki laughs lightly. "Thank you, Joker. Well, give me a run down on everyone's names, then I suppose we can get going."

After a quick introduction, and Mochizuki's uncanny ability to match the names to the faces, Mona hops around and turns into a bus. When Mochizuki blinks idiotically up at the cat-bus, he explains. "Mona said something along the line of cat turning into a bus is a popular cognition, or something. So yeah."

"Curious," Mochizuki hums, and makes a dying cat noise when the Thieves start loading themselves into Mona. "…Uh, would you all really fit in there?"

He exchanges a look with Crow, who looks absolutely uncomfortable being seated next to Queen, whose spikes are poking his shoulder. He stifles a laughter before waving Death closer. "It'll be fine. It's actually pretty comfy in here, as long as you don't sit next to Queen, don't have a tail, or shoulder pads with spikes."

Then come the protests from said Thieves with the gadgets he's just mentioned. Queen looks betrayed, and he only laughs harder, while Panther and Fox try their hardest to stuff their tails somewhere else. Crow just groans something inaudible, which somehow gains Queen's approval. He then climbs into the driver's seat, and points at the seat besides him. "For today, you're our guest of honor. Come on in, make yourself at home."

"Thank you," The boy beams before patting Mona's door lightly, murmuring thank you under his breath, before climbing up into his designate seat. Once inside and after Ren has started driving, he says, loud enough for everyone to hear. "These paths are certainly strange. I could feel all these veins and vines connecting to something much bigger than a simple Shadow."

"What something?" Oracle asks, probing her face in between their seats.

"I don't know," He hums. "Sadly, the… whatever the hell happened to me and Makoto leaves me in quite a pickle. I'm regrettably not at my full power, not right now, not until my Corridor of Souls with Makoto is restored. I'm blocked, and the feeling's as unpleasant as it could get."

"If you not being at full power can still mow down Shadows like you did back in the Palace, I don't want to even begin to imagine what you can actually accomplish!" Panther says, patting his shoulder from behind. Mochizuki laughs as she continues. "We're glad to have you on board, Mochizuki!"

"Are we not going to refer to him by a codename?" Fox inquires. "Alas, he does not have a Thief's clothes, so I suppose it would be quite hard to conceal his identity."

"You can call me Thanatos, if you'd like," Mochizuki says. "I might prefer looking like this, and I might not be able to use my power to the fullest, but I can transform into Death for an extended period of time. Or, if Thanatos is a mouthful, Than should work, too."

"Then, we'll call you just that," Noir says with a gentle smile. "Thanatos…"

"Glad to have you with us, Thanatos," Ren laughs lightly. "Might call you Than in the heat of battle, though, if it ever comes to that. So… what can you do now, exactly?"

Mochizuki is about to reply when he grabs the seat tightly, and Ren applauds him for seeing the curves and the treacherous paths before Ren even does. He nearly breaks the steering wheel as he navigates through the tight corridors, and into the deeper part of the Mementos, earning himself all sorts of colorful curses from the back. He laughs and lifts a hand in apology.

"For someone without a driver's license, your driving is tamer than I thought," Mochizuki comments.

Crow yowls. "Tame? How could you call this tame! This – urf, nope, my stomach can't take this."

"Who'd know Crow's actually got a pretty weak gut?" Skull snickers.

"Shut up, numbskull," Crow hisses.

Ren lets them bicker, trusting Queen to keep them orderly enough not to upset Mona's stomach. He then turns to Mochizuki – Thanatos, he's got to get used to that – who simply smiles before saying. "Back to your question; my specialties are physical attacks and darkness… which, I suppose, now include curses, too. Since that is what I instinctively know how to use, after watching the Shadows inside the palace."

"Just like Arsene, then," Ren says. And he immediately hears Arsene hisses inside his head.

We are not the same, boy! Why would you mistake a gentle thief like me with a violent death bringer like him!? Comes the ferocious cry, and Ren could imagine the thief crossing his arms and looking as dismayed as a Persona could've been. We are not the same, thank you.

Ren grumbles, scratching the head of his brow lightly, and when Thanatos looks at him with a curious gaze, he just waves his hand. "Well, Arsene is being a baby (I was not, you brat!) – yeah, yeah, you totally are – and he said not to mix you with him. Calling you violent, or something."

"Not like he's wrong," Thanatos muses. "Arsene is a trickster, after all. I am Death. We might lurk in the dark, but our darkness serves different purposes. Mine is used to kill – his, to disorient."

There's a short, proud huff ringing in the back of his head. At least he knows the different. See, boy? We are not the same. Don't mix a gentleman like me with a beast like him.

"It just called you a beast, how tasteless," Ren says, taking the rare opportunity that Arsene talks to tease the shit right out of him. The others look lost, and he couldn't really blame them. But he couldn't stop himself, either. "Don't go calling people names, Arsene."

"Not that I mind," Thanatos chuckles. "He did help me… before, after all. Calling me names is quite a cheap price, compares to the favor."

Ren frowns a little at his pauses and his wordings, but Arsene doesn't elaborate on it, only giving him a low, approving hum, more somber than anything before. He decides not to ask, and promptly changes the subjects. "Have you got any weaknesses?"

"Not really," He hums. "One would think I'd be weak to light, but no… I am Death, after all. Nothing really escapes me, nothing could beat me into submission, either."

"Except for your friend," Ren concludes.

"Except for him," He parrots.

He has to bench Thanatos after a few batches of really unfortunate Shadows, because him and Ren alone are making it almost impossible for any Shadows to survive the first few seconds of the encounters.

"Man, you're super strong!" Oracle voices his thoughts as they get back into Mona, their last requests done way ahead of the schedule. They've only been here for an hour and a half, and he's crossed out three of his remaining requests already. "The others rarely get a chance to show off because of that!"

"Not that I hate having you as an ally," Crow says. "But… there goes my relax time, I guess."

"I must agree with Crow on this one," Noir says as she runs her slender fingers along the blade of the axe, which barely gets to taste any blood at all today.

"…Sorry?" Thanatos says, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "Would you believe me if I say… I am quite angry at the people that had separated me from Makoto?"

"You are angry?" Queen says. "You… don't look it."

"Oh, I don't usually get furious with anyone, if at all," Death says with a small laughter before he looks away and into the sprawling tunnels. He then says, a little quieter. "…Many things have gone wrong, and even with my connection with him hampered like this, I could still feel his distress through the corridor. I am… I think I am angry at them. Beating up Shadows is… a good way to stop myself from getting worked up, I suppose."

Ren exchanges a look with the rest. None of them, not even him, not even Crow, saw that coming. Thanatos – Mochizuki, rather, seems like a calm and kind individual. For him to admit anger is a little, just a little, unsettling. Ren then pats his shoulder lightly, drawing those sapphire blue eyes back to him. He then smiles. "I'm glad that helped. We'll find your friend, I promise. Once we hit Shido, the questionings are all yours and Crow's over there."

"Indeed. I, too, have a few scores I need to settle with him," Crow snarls.

"Thank you, all of you," Thanatos hums. "And sorry about stealing the spotlight. I'll try to tone down my, uh, ferocity next time."

They laugh.

With this man by their sides, and with his bonds right behind him, Ren's pretty sure they're going to do just fine against Shido Masayoshi.

They will win and end his corruption, once and for all.

See you all next time! :D